Chapter 681 - Introductions

I thought inwardly for a few seconds, trying to cook up a reasonable reply, but then I just threw in the towel. With a defeated sigh, I accepted responsibility. "Alrighty, my bad. I neglected you, Geim. It's time for you to have a chat with Papa," I said before moving toward the tree and placing my hand on its trunk.

I ran my thumb over its surface in slow strokes, feeling the ridges and grooves beneath my skin.

"Guess I should've checked in on you more, huh? You grew fast, way too fast. Faster than I ever dared to even hope. Looks like the nutrients worked a little too well, or maybe you're just an overachiever..." The Geim gave no reaction.

My fingers traced a swirling pattern into its bark as I continued. "You probably don't remember much, do you? Maybe just feelings… warmth, nourishment, presence. That's how newborns experience the world. No words, just instincts." I glanced at Yoruha, who had a perfect poker face equipped. I fought back the urge to click my tongue when I realized she wasn't going to spoon-feed me the process. It had to come from me.

I sighed, knowing I had a decision to make. Should I make this chat as genuine as possible or keep being secretive so this monster who invaded my home doesn't learn more about me than she already did.

To my greatest dismay, it didn't seem like she planned to leave anytime soon. Celeste said they even packed their bags before moving here… And Yoruha had a freaking tracking spell on me. Revealing my name and a few details to make this talk more genuine wouldn't make things worse than they already were. If I wasn't ready to do this much with the mythical fox woman being in the audience, I would be forced to walk on eggshells around my own home for the foreseeable future.

I steeled my resolve with a determined exhale, refocusing on the Geim.

"Well, if you're anything like a child, I suppose I should introduce myself first. My name is Quinlan, but you probably already recognize me by… scent or something. Anyhow. Let me introduce the loves of my life to you, my partners in crime, so to say. They're your new mothers. All of them are very excellent women, I'm sure they'll shower you in affection as soon as you awake."

The Geim remained silent, but there was a shift in the air. A stirring, like the first flicker of consciousness that brushed against the edges of the void.

"Heh. Talking about mommies has made you excited, huh? You truly are my child."

Knowing I would have to teleport away a few hours from now to join the war efforts, it was clear I would either have to sit it out and bring extreme shame on my name or reveal my portal spell to Yoruha.

I went with the latter, as it allowed me to bring my final woman into our midst.

"Quin!" Jasmine cheered with utmost joy while rushing into my arms. I gave her head and back a few loving pats of my hand, but then, she turned her head and came eye to eye with a towering monstrosity silently examining her from head to toe. "Kya!" she cried and immediately ventured to hug me as tight as possible while shoving her face into my chest, looking for protection.

"It's okay…" I purred into her ears and gave this lovely woman a short rundown of recent events.

After that, I lined my girls up around the Geim in a circle. They each placed a hand of theirs on its trunk, and then I began introducing them in the order they became my official women.

I stepped behind my dog girl and gave her lush blonde hair a few gentle pets. "Blossom is the bestest girl ever, a sexy dogkin babe who is loyal to a fault. Her hobbies include eating tasty food and having fun with Papa."

"Umm… Blossom is happy to meet her… child?" Blossom was as confused as possible, but as always, she went along with my requests. I nodded at her with a big smile, silently telling her she did it perfectly.

"Next up is Aurora. She is an extremely smart girl who can cook up many tasty concoctions, and she's been training hard to become a strong Enchanter as well in recent times. I'm extremely proud of her growth. She was the woman who cooked your parent's roots into an elixir that gave Papa his amazing Elemental Sovereign class. I owe both of them a great deal. She has a very fun and interesting personality. Once you awaken, I think you two will become good friends."

Aurora happily shook her butt against my thighs, letting me know she was very happy with her introduction. "Greetings, little sis. It's nice to have a younger sibling. I'm finally not the youngest of the group."

Many of my girls observed this shameless woman with deadpan expressions. Not only did she refuse to become a mother, as that would mean not playing the role of my pampered little princess, but she also lied about her age. She was not at all the youngest of the bunch. Ayame, Blossom, and Jasmine were younger than her, but that didn't deter Aurora from living in her own merry little world.

I elected to move on, enveloping my beautiful samurai from behind, resting my hands on her sensual belly. "This oriental babe is none other than Ayame. She was the first woman I met out of your mothers, but she was very reluctant to become Papa's mate for the longest time."

My eyes drooped as I whimpered, "He was even losing hope at some point because, despite his extremely handsome face and big muscles, she didn't seem impressed at all… But then his otherworldly charms finally did their work, wooing her at long last. Although she can still be a bit troublesome at times, Ayame has proven to be a very loving woman who is perfect wife material. Furthermore, her dream is to become the mightiest wielder of the sword, so if you're ever in trouble, Ayame Mommy will protect you."

"Hmph! You've got some galls, Quin… But that's nothing new, is it?" she said while giving me a stinky eye after looking over her shoulders. I smiled brightly in response, earning myself another bout of beyond-adorable scoffs and puffs. But then, she returned her attention to the Geim. With a tender tone, she said, "I'm not quite ready for motherhood either, not because of mental troubles like Aurora but because I… never had the time to truly think about it. It sounds like a herculean undertaking. But as your extremely shameless father had said, I'll do my best."

It was working. Slowly, the Geim showed more and more signs of being more than a mere plant.

"Good girl," I purred while laying a long kiss on Ayame's lush black hair.

Then, I moved on, standing behind my caramel-haired beauty and giving her shoulders a good massage. "This absolute gem of a woman over here is none other than Lucille. She has received strong approval from my own mommies, saying she will be a perfect mother for my children, so I'm sure she'll become quite the amazing mother figure for you to spend time with once you awaken."

"Hello…" Lucille said, but her lips turned downward, visibly guilty. "Luci Mommy is so sorry… She didn't know you were already so developed, but that doesn't excuse the fact that she severely neglected you. Just like Papa, I assumed you to be in perfect care of your caretakers, but we were oblivious… you needed a different kind of warmth to grow into a big and strong child."

I had to shake my head when I saw a tear manifest in her eyes, this woman was truly feeling horrible right now. What a precious existence.

Lucille made a sudden move to envelop the Geim in a big, needy hug.

Her arms weren't nearly long enough to wrap around it, but that didn't stop her from trying. A soft, trembling sigh escaped her lips as she stroked its surface with gentle fingers.

"Oh, sweetheart… are you cold? You must be, right? You don't have any blankets protecting you from the weather. Do you get lonely at night? What if the wind is too harsh? What if it rains too much, or not enough?" Her brows furrowed, and she let out a tiny, worried whimper. "What if bugs were biting you while you slept? That must've been so uncomfortable! I should've been here… I should've kept you safe…"