## Chapter 1371 – Friends

“KIEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!”

I make a beeline straight home from Krasheim.

Flying along, I reach my territory. An unnaturally flat expanse of land. There used to be a mountain here, but I smashed it to create a plain.

—Swoooooosh!

Gazing at it with satisfaction, I continue on, and my fortress comes into view in the distance. Looking closer, I see people doing something here and there. They’re all the technicians I called in before.

They’re working hard.

—Kwakakakakang!
—Koong!

Passing them, a cacophony of noise erupts.

“Oh.”

Over there.

It seems my women are engaged in combat training on the plains near the fortress.

After a quick assessment, I see Winia and Hilde launching magic using my power. Winia’s Annihilation Orb slams into the earth, and Hilde’s unknown holy magic detonates.

—Kugugugung!

Meanwhile, Claudia and Karin skillfully evade or directly counter these attacks, holding their ground.

Watching, I can tell the level of combat is quite high.

Well, they were geniuses with talent from the start. They’ve awakened after receiving my power. In any case, there’s nothing better than this kind of combat training to settle into their newly acquired power.

“I’m home!!!!!!!!!”

I shout towards them.

Seeing my women after a while makes me feel like I’m going crazy with joy…! I haven’t seen them for the past few days, so my longing for them has amplified considerably.

“Ah!”
“Oh!”

Hearing my shout, they all turn to look at me at once. I head over and land.

“Katt!”
“Mama.”

As usual, Claudia rushes over, traversing the space faster than I expected and embracing me… Her speed? It’s been greatly enhanced?

“Wow. What’s with you being so fast?”

—Chu chu chu.

Anyway, Claudia hugs me tightly, showering my face with kisses indiscriminately. As always, I worry I might die from a facial hemorrhage with how intensely she peppers my face with kisses over and over. After kissing me for a long while, Claudia says,

“Haa… Katt. You’re late, really. Do you even know how hard it’s been?”
“Hehehe, sorry. I ended up having some things to do after I left. But what was so hard?”

—Squeeze.

I grab her plump butt and squeeze it tightly.

“Hiyat…!”

Claudia trembles and buries her face in my neck.

“M, mainly this part…”
“I’ll give you as much as you want. Let’s ease Claudia’s mind.”
“Okay…”

Whatever it is, if she wants my dick, I’ll let her taste it as much as she wants.

“Anything happen while I was gone?”
“Nothing special at all. It was normal. Oh, but the technicians came looking for you once. I guess they had something to say. Karin already went and listened, but it’d be better for you to hear it directly, right?”
“I guess so.”

—Slide.

I set Claudia down, who was expressing her affection. Karin and Liz-noona had already run over, and Winia was flying over, held by Hilde.

“Wait? Winia? You still can’t fly on your own?”
“How can I fly right away? I’m not a bird. And you, Darkie? Didn’t you miss me?”
“Of course, I missed you. Come here!”
“…”

I lower my posture, and Winia comes over and kisses my cheek.

“Getting used to handling your power?”
“I think so. You saw it when you came, Darkie, right? Winia Annihilation Orb is super strong.”
“Saying cute things.”

In my eyes, it’s just at a cute level.

“More importantly, hey. You’re so late. Do you know how hard it was to wait? Huh?”

Karin says the same thing as Claudia. But well, this is an annual event. I always hear it, so it’s a kind of welcome greeting.

“Hehehe, sorry. I’ll take care of you tonight, so forgive me just this once.”
“Good. You know how to give an answer that satisfies this noona.”

Karin nods in satisfaction.

“Did you take care of things well?”
“Yeah. I saw everything.”
“What about Isbante?”
“It was completely destroyed.”
“Ah…”

At those words, Liztina, who was coming towards me, stopped and her expression hardened.

“I see. So that’s what happened.”

She seems to feel some sadness, but it’s okay.

“No. Noona. It’s okay. It seems the bombing was delayed because it was on the outskirts. The people of Isbante had all evacuated. Even Krasheim was fine. They’re all there now.”
“Oh? So that means?”
“Everyone’s alive and well. My friends and your subordinates too.”
“…!”

Liz-noona’s face brightens at those words.

She was quite worried about Mariel and Lisette.

“Haa. Well, that’s good. I was a little worried.”
“Seems like you were more than a little worried.”
“Well… that’s true. Thank you. For finding out and bringing news.”
“Of course. Oh, but you wrote a letter saying you’d take care of him, right? Mariel, that bastard, knelt down and wept when he saw it.”
“Really? Is that true?”

Saying that seemed to instantly uplift Liztina’s mood.

“He really cried?”
“Yeah, he was sobbing and tears were streaming down his face. I’ll tell you about it later.”
“Yes!”

I turned around, signaling that we should go inside.

“But where are Risha and Ari? I don’t see them?”

Come to think of it, I don’t see them.
Did they not come out with us?

“Ah! Katt-nim! That thing! That thing! First, go inside and take a look!!!”

Hilde shouts with high tension.

“What is it? Is there something?”
“You’ll know when you go!”

This definitely feels like something’s up.

“Oh, right. There was that. First, go inside and take a look at that.”

Karin also says with a smile.
What on earth is it?

“Shall we go see, then?”
“Don’t fly. Go through the main gate over there.”
“Through the main gate?”

It’s a hassle, but I guess it can’t be helped.

“Let’s go in, then.”

As we were about to head up together, Liztina says,

“Ah, go up ahead first. You’ve come from far away, so I can’t just greet you like this. I’ll go up after freshening up a bit?”
“Hehehe, no. You don’t need to freshen up.”

There’s no need for her to freshen up just to greet me.

Ah, but this kind of thoughtfulness tickles my heart. Isn’t it because she always wants to show me her prettiest side?

Could it be because she was doing intense training until just now? She might be worried about sweating. So, I bring my face to her neck, trying to smell her scent.

“D, don’t smell me!”

Her face flushed, she shouts and pushes my face away.

“Ah. Noona. Why are you like this?”
“What do you mean, why am I like this! Anyway, go up ahead first! I’ll go up after washing up!”
“You don’t smell at all.”
“It’s a matter of feeling, a matter of feeling!”
“Hehehe, okay.”

From the start, my noonas only emit fragrance.

“Katt. I’ll go up after tidying up a bit?”
“Darkie, the main hall. Wait in the main hall.”

Claudia tells me as if scolding me, and Winia stretches.

“I will.”

Anyway, I head towards the fortress’s main gate. Come to think of it, I hardly ever enter through the main gate. Squeak. The moment I push open the massive door.

—Thud.

Something appears before my eyes.

“What the hell is this?”

For a moment, I thought I saw something wrong.

What’s in front of me is.

“…”

A woman with greenish skin wearing something like a maid’s uniform. That’s right. It was a dryad. A dryad maid is standing in front of me, her hands clasped together and her head slightly bowed.

“Holy shit? A dryad? Ah!!”

That’s right!

Come to think of it, I did tell Ari once before leaving…! I asked her to try it out if she could use dryads as maids!

“So that’s you!!!”

—Grab!

I immediately grab this green bastard’s shoulder and ask.

“…”

But there was no reaction. The dryad just stood still. What’s this? Does she not react at all? Did Ari already train her to this extent? It goes without saying, but monsters instinctively fear me and try to avoid me.

But this dryad doesn’t show any of that at all.

“Hmm. Hey. Lift your head.”
“…”

I take my hand off her shoulder and give the command.

—Slide.

The guy lifts his head.

The command itself works.

“…”

Her expressionless face wasn’t much different from that of a pretty human woman, but I know there are fangs hidden inside that mouth. And I also know that she’s overflowing with uncontrollable violence.

However, the dryad doesn’t show any of those signs at all, she’s just expressionless. Even her posture is still the same, her hands folded below her navel.

“You listen to commands, but. Hey. Greenie. Say something.”
“…”

—Tilt.

Does she understand my words?
The guy tilts his head.

As a result, her green hair flows down.

“Say. Something.”

I point to my mouth and make an “ah” sound.

“Shaaaa.”

The dryad’s unique voice flows from her mouth.

“So, she can’t speak.”

Anyway, Ari managed to do this wonderfully…!

“Kya.”

The moment my grand dream of saving on labor costs by having dryads as maids was half-realized! Well, of course, these guys are monsters, but if they’re subordinates that Ari controls, I’m willing to treat them as subordinates too.

—Flutter.

“Carry this and follow me.”

I immediately take off my top, and the guy skillfully catches it and hangs it over her arm. So, that’s why they told me to come to the main gate. They were going to show me this dryad.

“No. Greenie? Guide me to Ari.”

Since the women outside said they’d freshen up, it’ll take some time. Let’s go see Ari first.

“…”

The dryad seemed to react to the word “Ari.” The guy, as if greeting, slightly bows her head and starts walking ahead.

“Ari…! You succeeded!”

My heart swells.
It’s so natural.

She succeeded in this just a few days after I went there. It might feel a bit awkward now, but this level is enough. If she repeats practice and training, she’ll definitely be able to use them as real maids.

Not only that, but I think I can use them as farmers too.

* * *

Walking along, following Greenie, the scenery began to change. The inside of the fortress feels like the inside of a ship.

The passage isn’t that wide, but from a certain point, tree roots and vines were wrapped around the walls and ceiling of the passages. It feels like entering an old ancient dungeon. This was definitely a trace of Ari deploying her power.

—Thump thump.

The dryad maintained a calm pace, showing absolutely no wildness, and walked silently.

“Greenie? Can you really not speak?”

Still, seeing her wearing a maid outfit and pretending to be a maid makes me feel nothing but good. I asked her this and that, feeling joyful, but she didn’t really answer.

“You little bitch.”

Anyway, walking and walking.

—Stop.

The dryad stopped in front of a certain corridor. In the middle of the passage leading forward, there was an open door. Vines and tree roots were all pouring out from there.

“Ari! I’m here!!!”

Feeling delighted, I ran towards there…!

And.

“Father.”

A splendid throne made of plants and flowers.

“You’ve arrived?”

Ari, sitting on it with her legs crossed, said that with her unique expressionless face. Flowers were in full bloom around Ari. Even the dryads kneeling on one knee were scattered around.

“Yeah, I’m here, Ari. The interior is nice. Did you make this your room?”
“Yes.”

—Tap.

Ari, getting off the throne, came running to me with small steps. I hugged Ari as she was.

“You did well as I told you, Ari. Good job. You worked hard.”
“It’s nothing… It’s because it’s something Father asked me to do. I worked hard. How was it? The dryads I dominated?”

Ari, burying her face in my chest, asked as if demanding praise.

“It hasn’t been many days, right? But they understand words well and their behavior is calm? How did you train them so quickly in such a short period?”
“Hehe… Yes. I did it all. From the start, it’s possible for me to directly transfer my thoughts. After dominating the captured dryads, I educated them like that.”

That’s kind of scary.

But it’s good!!!

“Explain more.”
“Yes.”

Ari began to explain.

The reason why she decorated this room with plants is to supply energy to the dryads more smoothly. All the dryads are under Ari’s control, but if there are no plants nearby, they weaken quickly.

“There are currently twenty. Educating them was easy, but capturing them was more difficult. Because there weren’t any nearby…”
“Hoo.”

Anyway, educating them wasn’t that difficult. Nevertheless, she said she rigorously trained them to be maids.

“But it seems they still can’t perform complex commands. I don’t know if it’s because their intelligence is low… They don’t understand the commands.”
“Kya. So, this is just the level of doing basic things. Perfect. Amazing. But you said there are twenty, right? Isn’t it difficult to control them?”
“Yes. It’s all because of the power Father gave me. There’s no problem.”

She’s omnipotent.

Ari said she was continuing to practice and educate them here to show a more perfect image of dryad maids. I’m so touched, really.