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2024-10-29 19:42:56My nerves flickered into fascination as I took in the young woman who opened the door.
Messy black hair flowed just past her shoulders.
Impenetrable darkness covered the entirety of her eyes, not a hint of color or white sclera to be seen.
Flawless, smooth skin the color of unblemished paper. A face composed of elegant, sharp facial features completed by inviting lips of an extremely light gray.
Long, elven ears poked out from her mane of soft hair.
A pale shoulder peeked out from a loose-fitting scarlet sweater, while the tips of her toes were just visible from the baggy midnight-blue pants. Both garments were made from a thick fabric that looked soft to the touch.
My eyes dragged momentarily as I noticed the vague outline of her breasts and slender hips.
It was as though she were a monochromatic inked illustration that’d come to life before donning the uniform of one on a mission to eat ice cream and binge a show they’ve seen a million times.
She blinked sleepily at us. “What is it?”
Bitchy Spice, Garbage Spice, and Martin each put an empty hand over their heart in salute.
“Warden Ivory,” Bitchy Spice reached into a pouch to present the key to my manacles, his other hand holding out the black folder containing the sheet of paper the elf had filled out. “We are here to transfer the outworlder, Bryan Northgate, into your custody.”
“Huh?” Her attention shifted to me, eyes roaming my frame just as mine had over hers moments earlier, except her inspection was more baffled than intrigued. Her slack jaw befuddlement shifted into annoyance as she turned her focus back to Bitchy Spice. “Why was I not notified of this earlier?”
Bitchy Spice shifted uncomfortably. “Commander Morr said he couldn’t reach you over echo chain… He said to proceed with the transfer and that he would continue to try contacting you…”
Faint pink rose in her cheeks as sheepish embarrassment flashed across her face before being covered by a mask of confident professionalism. Her back straightened before taking the folder and key. She pocketed the latter before flipping the folder open and scanning its contents.
“I see,” she said as she closed the folder and reached forward with her free hand. Metal links ground together when her slender fingers closed tightly around the chain between my manacles. “I formally accept the outworlder, Bryan Northgate, into my custody. You three are dismissed.”
She nodded to the guards, who all offered her crisp salutes before turning on their heels.
“Now,” she said as she turned her dark gaze to me, “come with me, Mr. Northgate.”
“Lead the way.” My mouth widened into a toothy grin at the exotic woman.
Her expression turned pensive as she took in my open smile.
“Something on my face?”
“Yes, you’re filthy,” she said neutrally before pulling me inside.
I winced as I realized I probably smelled like Garbage Spice after being cooped up in the wagon-cage for three days and had likely gone nose-blind to it.
She walked past me to close the door and the scent of roses filled my nose. The door groaned shut and the beating of my heart picked up when she faced me again. Her face barely crested my chest at her full height, but her enticingly unique presence felt larger than life.
She’s so close…
My face heated up when she looked up at me through unblinking, dark eyes.
She studied me for a moment longer, her mouth quirking to the side ever so slightly in consideration. Then her features smoothed over once again into that of a dutiful professional as she slipped past me, her delicate hand still gripping the chain.
As I turned with her movement, I looked past her and my eyes widened.
Three crystals hung from chains of silver affixed to the ceiling. A warm glow radiated from them, feeling almost like sunlight against my skin.
The interior of the cube was a large room with hardwood flooring and a luxurious lounge at its center. Along the edge of the room were what looked to be eight jail cells with vertical metal bars lining each of their doorways. To my right a wooden staircase led up to a walkway spanning all four of the walls and overlooking the lounge.
“Welcome to Stone Lock, Mr. Northgate. You may address me as either ‘Warden’ or ‘Warden Ivory’.” the woman said in an airy voice which suggested she was struggling to remember a speech. “For the next thirty-six days this will be your home. During this time, I will aid you in learning the basics of using your magic and ensuring you gain a rudimentary understanding of this world. Then you will be taken to Chromaryn Academy to take part in the entrance exams.”
As she led me towards the stairs, I glanced at the furniture in the center at the ground floor. There was a pair of leather couches on opposing sides of what looked to be a dark wood coffee table. A couple high back armchairs sat nearby. Beneath it all was a high quality red area rug lined in patterns of complementary colors.
“After your intake is complete, you will be assigned a cell you are to sleep in each night after dinner, and until dawn. However, you will be permitted to roam Stone Lock freely during the day… “ she said, before her meandering tone brittled, “but should you attempt to escape, you will be executed on the spot…”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be good…” I said absentmindedly, having no intention of trying to escape and my mind being preoccupied by something I spied on the coffee table: A tome entitled ‘The Carnal Inn, volume III’.
I smirked as I imagined the contents of a book with such a name. An image of a hot and bothered Warden Ivory biting her lower lip while reading on the couch floated into my head, which led me to realize something.
Why would she be reading something like that out in the open?
“Am I the only outworlder here?” I asked, noticing I hadn’t heard any other voices or seen anyone else yet.
“You are.”
“Is that normal?”
“Yes. Outworlders seldom appear in this world.”
“How seldom is ‘seldom’?”
“I’ve served as the warden of Stone Lock for fifty-three years and you are my first charge,” she said as we began to ascend the stairs.
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Harem Ethics 101 06. So... It's Just Us Here Then?
“Fifty-three years!?” I sputtered. I’d had the impression that outworlders weren’t super common, but isn’t this a jail or something for outworlders? And there hasn’t been one to come through in at least fifty-three years? But also… “There’s no way you’re a day over thirty…” I said, unable to hide my mixture of surprise and suspicion. Her attempt at professionalism cracked as she snickered. “I’m a shadow primal and am magically gifted, I age slowly.” “Oh…” I said, “What’s a shadow primal?” “My… aren’t we curious?” she teased, seeming to grow more relaxed as she tentatively let her tone thaw into something less coolly detached. “A shadow primal is the offspring of a human or elf and a shadow elemental.” “How does that work?” I asked, the image of a dude unsuccessfully trying to bang a shadow cropping up in my imagination. “I think I’ll decline on explaining the finer details about the coupling between my parents…” “Fair enough.” I chuckled, pleased that she seemed to prefer a
Harem Ethics 101 07. Strip, Mr. Northgate
She drifted forward languidly and sat on the bench a few feet from me, her inky-black gaze never leaving me as a light pink rose in her cheeks. “Is this a recent policy…?” I asked. “It is… But within these walls, ‘policy’ is whatever I see fit.” Her lips curled into a coy smile. “And right now I find it prudent to verify you aren’t bringing anything dangerous into my prison… Now strip, Mr. Northgate.” The gym had been one of my favorite ways to alleviate some of the dread I felt while at university because it had always been as though I were physically pushing out my worries with every rep. But the other benefits were all I cared about at this moment. My aroused grin matched hers as I pulled off my dirty t-shirt to reveal my toned torso. The way her eyes hungrily roamed my chest told me everything I needed to know. Her attention slid towards the outline of my growing erection. “Those as well,” she said in a warm, silky voice, nodding at my jeans as she bit her bottom lip. Fuck
Harem Ethics 101 08. Alright, Hit Me with the Exposition...
An hour later, I descended the stairs leading to the ground floor of Stone Lock, my body clean and my mind clear once again. Warden Ivory was draped gracelessly across one of the couches, reading her smutty novel. She snapped it shut and sat up as I approached. Her solid black eyes turned to me and her mouth curled into a knowing smile. “What took you so long?” “I had some frustration I needed to vent…” I parked myself on the cushion beside hers and leaned back with a satisfied grown as I let my relaxed body slide down. “It’s been forever since I had a chance to sit my ass down on something not made of wood.” “I’m glad it’s to your liking,” she snickered. I rolled my head to the side to look at her and offer a grin. “So, what now?” “Now we talk about magic.” “Finally!” Giddy eagerness filled me in a way I hadn’t felt since I was a kid and found out where my parents hid the Christmas presents. I sat up and repositioned myself to face her more directly. A warm smile formed on
Harem Ethics 101 09. There's Only so Many Slimes in a Forest...
“Relax,” she giggled. Her snow-white fingers closed around the worn leather wrapped handle as she pulled the knife free. The blade was about eight inches in length and made from a dull silvery metal that didn’t reflect the light of the crystals illuminating the room. Its razor sharp edges were symmetrical, elegantly curving towards one another to form a lethal point. “This is a ‘breacher’,” she said as she casually flipped it in her hand to catch the flat of the blade before offering me the hilt. The grip felt as it looked against my fingers: Thoroughly used. The relatively small weapon was also heavier than I expected. “Why’s it so heavy?” “It’s crafted from a dense metal known as anmian; a favorite among alchemists due to its durability and suitability for enchanting.” The strange metal pulled my gaze as though they were oppositely charged magnets. Not a hint of texture stained its smooth surface and no matter how I shifted it, not a drop of light was caught in the flat silvery
Harem Ethics 101 10. A Bit More Complicated…
The warden's palms came up in the universal pantomime for ‘slow down, buddy’. “One at a time, Bryan,” she laughed. “No, it's not possible for someone to gain more fate aspects. There are seven fate aspects and nine divine aspects. I’ve got books for you to look at later outlining the different classes. As for getting divine aspects… that’s a bit more complicated.” “What do you mean?” “The way most of them get one is by being granted one by a god. This usually happens when a god takes an interest in someone’s birth for one reason or another and blesses them with the divine aspect associated with their domain when they’re born. For instance, the goddess of fire would give the flame divine aspect. However, gods have also been known to grant a divine aspect when someone impresses them somehow.” “How so?” “Oh, it depends on the god. The god of light might grant his divine aspect to someone who makes a great discovery, the god of earth might bestow one to a person who tends to a forest…
Harem Ethics 101 11. Is it Time for Magic?
The glowing crystal embedded in the ceiling was dead, and impenetrable darkness reigned in my cell… But I knew what stood at the foot of my bed. It was a monolith of hate and fury. Its oppressive displeasure weighed heavily in the air and I dared not move for fear of provoking its wrath. “You have been foolish, Bryan…” It communicated not in words, but in booming thoughts which invaded my mind. “I-I know…” I said, “but I promise it will all be worth it–” “Silence!” My mouth clamped shut at its command. It’s will was inevitable and the idea of resisting felt as foolish as trying to melt an oncoming iceberg with a space heater. “You have wronged yourself! You have wronged the beautiful warden! But worst of all…” Lightning illuminated the windowless cell, followed by the crack of thunder. The cold light revealed my dick looming over me like a dark, primal god. “You have wronged me!” My cock then murdered me. I’m not clear on how, but I know with absolute certainty that it did
Harem Ethics 101 12. Spiritsmiths are Odd Chickens
She led me into the open space between the lounge and the metal door leading outside before turning to face me. “According to your file, your divine aspect is spirit and your fate aspect is smith, making you a Spiritsmith.” “Very creative naming convention…” I muttered. “I find it refreshing how the smith classes are named. ‘Lifesmith’, ‘Flamesmith’, ‘Shadowsmith’…” she said, counting off the examples on her fingers. “It’s far more practical than some of the other classes.” “Like what?” “Well, using the knight fate aspect, a couple are ‘Glass Warrior’, 'Ghast', ‘Depth Warrior’...” “Those sound better than ‘Spiritsmith’...” I grumbled. “They’re also needlessly harder to remember,” she added. “But that’s unrelated to the matter at hand… I’ve never met one before, but I did some reading last night about Spiritsmiths and I believe I now have a reasonable understanding of their capabilities.” “You’ve got books that aren’t smut?” I teased. “There’s a whole library upstairs.” “Can
Harem Ethics 101 13. It’s Time to Shake-Up the ‘Rules’
“Right after we go over one last thing…” Her dark eyes glistened with feigned benevolence as a shiteating grin curved her lips, betraying her impish hunger for outworlder suffering. “No!” Indignation resonated in my voice. “I can handle some teasing, hell, I was able to recover from yesterday, but c’mon, this is sadistic! Educational edging has no payoff!” “Oh?” she asked if feigned innocence. “What happened yesterday?” “You know what happened.” “Can’t say that I do,” she said with false bemusement, her dark eyes brimming with lewd amusement. “The thing in the showers yesterday…” “What thing?” she pressed. Gears turned in my head as I contemplated the sexual calculus of how to go about this. Wait… Why am I not wanting to directly talk about it? Getting direct about it isn’t ‘losing control’ or whatever… It’s a gamble, but being direct and turning things up might be the play… I let my expression transform into a confident smirk. “The thing where I got all worked up and excit
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- Harem Ethics 101
175. What Kind of Game?
“What do you mean?” I asked, thinking I knew already, but wanting to hear her say it to avoid any possibility of misunderstanding. “What kind of game?”. “A game where we can explore darker urges,” she said, eyes and voice smoldering with arousal. “For you see, on occasion it can be fun to allow someone to feel that rush of power all people secretly want.” My cock demanded action as my guts surged with excited energy, and my mind agreed. I grinned at her. Want to play at being a nice submissive demi-empyrean for me?” Holding my gaze, she slipped her hand from mine and rose from her seat. Her bare feet padded lightly against the floor as she took a few paces away from me. I shifted in my seat and watched her. Focus going to the window framed by her wings to enjoy the way her hips and skirt swayed with her steps. I only caught hints of its outline because of the loose lower half of the sundress, but need surged as I thought of the juicy, firm ass I knew awaited me. My cock flexed
- Harem Ethics 101
MegaNovel Discord and Release Schedule
Hey, folks. I'll be hanging out on the MegaNovel Discord. Feel free to let me know what you think about the book. Or about whatever else... argue with me about the sex ethics of the characters in the book, tell me you want to focus on story, more sex scenes, more talking, or if you want to just chat about whatever. I also take requests for scenes and might work them in if I can make them fit. As for my release schedule. I'm working on another project right now (it's going to be a traditional novel and be released elsewhere), but my plan is to work on Harm Ethics when I can. So I'll try and get a chapter or two out when I find time to write it. Thanks for reading this far!
- Harem Ethics 101
174. What Do You Think of Harems, Lysandra?
Sitting beside Lysandra at the long dining table, our hands clasped its surface, my heart quickened as I stared into her glowing amber eyes. This was it. She was going to agree to join the harem. A coy smile curled her lips. “The general rules I remember, but I would like a deeper understanding of this harem before I submit myself to yours and Saelia’s judgment of whether I am accepted as a full member.” My desire to cement mine and Saelia’s relationship with Lysandra pulsed in my heart and mind. She seemed to want to play games though… Or was this some kind of final reality check to see if she could accept everything that went with being part of the harem? My already stiff cock throbbed as though threatening me with vengeance if I didn’t seal the deal. I wanted her bad… but it’d break mine and Saelia’s hearts if she grew resentful and angry being in the harem. So I needed her to be absolutely certain she wanted to join. “What do you think of harems, Lysandra?” I asked. “Reall
- Harem Ethics 101
173. Obvious to Anyone and Everyone
Lysandra shifted uncomfortably across from me at the long dining table of Stone Lock. My rebuttal to her demand that I tell Saelia I loved her by telling her she should do the same seemed to put her on edge. “The past few days she’s been so unwell,” she said, uncertainty slipping into her eyes, “and I’ve admittedly been uncertain if I can fully recommit my heart to her as well.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, suppressing frustration at seeing her dawdling at the finish line when they were so close to patching things up.” Lysandra furrowed her brow, seeming to consider how to best answer my question. Feeling like I was diffusing a bomb and one wrong suggestion might make her overthink everything, I carefully prodded further. “Look, I don’t know exactly what happened between you two, but is it really something you don’t feel like you can’t move past?” A spark of emotion came to life in her amber eyes, and she pursed her lips. After considering for a moment longer, she si
- Harem Ethics 101
172. There's Something You Must Do
Over the next three days, Lysandra had used me like a sexual chew toy to relieve her frustration over Saelia not letting us sleep in her room and my deflections when asked why. Fortunately, though, this frustration didn’t bleed into her dedication to her mission to improve my proficiency with my left hand and my ability to conjure items under pressure. Saelia had mostly slept, but came down like she promised whenever she was awake. During this time, she’d mostly recovered from her spiritual overdraft, and with this, she gradually returned to being her usual cheery self. Part of me was relieved to see her mood lift. However, my worry for her had not eased, because she still hadn’t told me what’d happened in New Venice. Waiting had been frustrating, but this morning Lysandra had said she believed Saelia would likely be fully recovered by the time dinner rolled around. Tonight was the night… I just wished I could fast forward time to get there faster. Lysandra, Saelia, and I sa
- Harem Ethics 101
171. Rush
Lysandra charged at me from across the far side of Stone Lock’s main room. The excitement and burning power in her eyes made my heart thunder in my chest as flustered panic grew in me. Unlike Saelia, Lysandra didn’t zigzag or attempt anything resembling a tactical approach. Instead, she simply rushed towards me like a raging bull. I leveled the barrel of my gun and unloaded all six rounds into her. Each hit created splatters of glowing blue liquid on her chest, stomach, shoulder, and cheek. By the time I’d fired my last bullet, she’d closed the distance between us to no more than ten feet. There wouldn’t be time to reload, so I dropped the gun. As the empty firearm fell, I tossed the wooden breacher from my non-dominant left hand to my right. But before my fingers could even wrap around the handle, Lysandra was in arm’s reach. She swiped at me lazily with a slow hook. Just grabbing my dagger in time, I ducked the attack, feeling as thought I’d just dodged a baseball bat despite
- Harem Ethics 101
170. Cozy Library
The declaration that she wanted to train had caught me off guard, considering we’d almost died last night, but when I’d processed what she’d said, a smile curved my lips. With the entrance exam for Chromaryn Academy approaching and after getting my ass beat by Faelius and Mark, I was determined to get stronger. So, when the angelic woman told me she wanted to train, I’d deferred feeing her until later and instead bubbled with eager excitement as I followed her from the library. Because I’d forgotten to ask for permission to unlock the front door to Stone Lock, Lysandra and I had settled for the open space between the entrance and the lounge. The warm light of the constellation of sun shards hanging from the stone ceiling felt like afternoon sunshine on my skin. I wore conjured black combat fatigues, boots, and a t-shirt. The only part of my armor I wore was my belt and gun holster. I hadn’t yet gotten around to cleaning the blood and grime off the rest. About half a dozen feet
- Harem Ethics 101
169. Cozy Library
Closing the door behind me, I stepped into Stone Lock’s cozy library. At the room’s center, Lysandra sat at a table beneath a cluster of sun shards hanging from the ceiling. Book in hand, her eyes trailed across the pages as she read. When I entered, her attention slid to me. “She is asleep, right?” “Yup, out cold. She said she’ll come down whenever she wakes up.“ I pulled out a chair and sat down at the square table. Remembering my promise to Saelia not to tell Lysandra about our conversation, I tried to steer the conversation in a different direction. My mouth curved into a teasing grin at the angelic woman and I nodded at the book. “‘The Needful Elf’? You and Saelia really do enjoy cultured literature.” “Yes, I do. What is it to you?” she said, a hint of sheepish defensiveness coloring her expression. “Nothing,” I said with a small chuckle. “You just don’t seem like the type.” “Oh? What ‘type’ am I?” she asked, a hint of annoyance and challenge creeping into her voice.
- Harem Ethics 101
168. You Won't Understand...
Sitting next to Saelia in the pitch blackness of her room, I stared at her blindly. “That’s not true!” The incredulous response from my heart bypassed my brain and rushed straight out of my mouth. “Mark doesn’t know shit!” “No, he does…” Frustrated anger simmered in me. It threatened to boil over at the way she was talking about herself, but I managed to stifle the urge to righteously dismiss the ridiculous claims. Instead, I attacked the root of the problem. “What happened in New Venice is the reason you won’t use your Scorcher magic, right?” Wimpers leaked from her as her effort to control her voice wavered. “Yes…” “It’s the reason you feel like this?” “Yes…” “Alright, tell me what happened. I’ll tell you after if I think you’re a monster or not.” “Please… Don’t make me do this…” My heart tensed at the quivering fear in her exhausted voice, but I pressed forward. “I don’t think you’re a monster… but this seems to be the only way I can think of to convince you of it.” “Y
