Visit

Alaric stood by the arched window, sunlight threading golden fingers through his hair. His gaze drifted toward the horizon, expression unreadable. Without turning, he called out to the girls behind him.

"Now that Virellen has joined our family,"

He said evenly,

"it's time we pay a visit to a certain place."

The four girls—Aurevia, Serineth, Cellione, and Virellen—paused their bickering, eyes turning toward him in unison.

"What place?"

Serineth asked, blinking.

Alaric smiled faintly.

"The place where we'll establish the headquarters for our merchant company."

Confused glances passed between them, but Alaric offered no further explanation.

"Be ready,"

He said simply.

"We depart at noon, after our meal."

***

By noon, they had all gathered in the courtyard. The girls were dressed as if preparing for battle—robes fastened tightly, boots laced with care, expressions alert.

Even Virellen stood with a serious face, despite the usual glint of mischief absent from her eyes.

Alaric chuckled softly at the sight.

"We're not going into battle. You're far too weak to fight anything worth the effort, anyway."

The girls groaned in unison, some muttering complaints. He ignored them and extended his divine energy, golden tendrils wrapping around each of them with comforting warmth.

Then, he soared.

At first, their flight was gentle, almost serene. But moments later, Alaric burst forward with blinding speed, golden trails tearing through the sky like divine lightning.

BOOM—!

Thunder cracked as the heavens split with golden brilliance. Below, villagers stared upward, shielding their eyes from the light.

"As expected of an old monster,"

Someone muttered in awe.

***

High in the sky, the five of them streaked across the firmament. Virellen, clinging to Alaric's energy shell, screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Why are you screaming?"

Alaric asked, glancing back casually.

"You're not even feeling anything."

Virellen blinked, blinked again—then laughed.

"Oh... right. Silly me. I almost forgot!"

They laughed and bickered mid-flight. Serineth and Cellione joined in with teasing remarks. Even

Virellen's voice returned to its usual sarcastic edge. Aurevia remained silent, arms crossed, but the warmth in her eyes betrayed her fondness.

As they passed over dense woodland, Alaric slowed.

Below them sprawled a battlefield long forgotten—an obliterated landscape with craters spanning hundreds of meters, gouged mountainsides, and twisted earth. The destruction stretched for miles.

"Did... did you do this?"

Cellione asked, her voice trembling.

"Yeah,"

Alaric answered simply.

"Why didn't you fix it?" Aurevia asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Look at the size of those craters,"

He replied.

"It would take effort. We'll think about that later. First, we go to the sanctuary."

They descended toward a lone mountain that remained untouched amid the desolation. As they landed before its massive stone gate, the aura within stirred.

A Golden Serpent Dragon slithered from the shadows, its gleaming scales pulsing with refined light. Though its rank hadn't changed, its presence had grown—denser, more commanding.

The girls froze, stunned.

Alaric raised a hand.

"Relax."

The Dragon lifted its head and spoke in a deep, reverent voice.

"Master, you've arrived—far earlier than I expected."

"You've done well,"

Alaric said.

The Dragon bowed.

"It is my duty as your mount."

Shock rippled through the girls. A Dragon. He'd tamed a Dragon—even if it wasn't pure-blooded.

Alaric stepped forward.

"For your effort, I'll reward you."

A brilliant white beam of light unfurled from his back like wing of light, piercing forward like a spear and striking the dragon's chest.

In an instant, its body convulsed, scales flaring with Divine Radiance. Its form grew—longer, wider, stronger. Bloodline purity surged within it.

Alaric could've done this long ago. He hadn't. Because he never needed the mount. The bond had been an experiment, one born of passing thought. But now, this reward was deliberate—an acknowledgment, a trust earned.

The Dragon trembled, basking in the light.

Alaric walked past without another word. The cavern beckoned. The girls followed, still blank with shock.

Encased in Divine Energy, they felt no pressure—no trembling earth or roaring aura. As they moved deeper, they came upon a tunnel, narrowing with every step.

Time passed.

Hours, perhaps. They couldn't tell. The spiritual energy thickened, coalesced. Alaric's comprehension of space deepened. He could feel it: folds of dimension, pathways unseen. His hands flickered—space, then space, then space again. Healing. Mending.

Then—

White.

Their vision blanked. When sight returned, they found themselves standing on a floating island amidst a sky-born paradise.

Lush trees. Rivers that shimmered like crystal threads. Birdsong. Breeze.

It was a piece of heaven, stitched onto the mortal realm.

The girls stood in awe. Alaric gave them little time.

He summoned his Divine Energy again and soared upward.

More floating islands appeared, larger at the base, smaller as they rose. He flew to one of the highest—a flat plain at the peak, over a kilometer wide and ringed with golden canary trees.

Alaric touched down.

He turned toward them, eyes alight.

"This will be our headquarters."

The girls were still stunned.

"This big cliff?"

Cellione asked, pointing.

"Yes,"

Alaric said, amused.

"It's big, isn't it? We'll need manpower to maintain it."

Serineth chuckled. Even Virellen, for once, was speechless.

Alaric then dropped the real reason he'd brought them here.

"To maintain this place,"

He said,

"I'm going to buy a lot of slaves. Competent ones. All pretty girls. Since I don't want men around."

Cellione snapped out of her daze.

"So that was your plan all along! You just want more women around you!"

Alaric feigned ignorance.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Serineth nodded in agreement with Cellione. Aurevia sighed.

"It's irritating, but he's right. We do need manpower. And since our perverted master wants pretty girls, we can't stop him. Besides, it'll help us in the long run."

Alaric smiled deeply.

"Glad you understand."

Cellione, smirking again, added,

"Do whatever you want, pervert. Just prioritize us first."

"Of course,"

Alaric said.

"That was the plan."

He turned to Virellen.

"Virellen, since we're settled, your next task is to convince your father or whoever's handling your house's business."

Virellen blinked, then nodded.

"Of course, Master. But I'll need to go to the capital for that."

"Yes, but not yet,"

Alaric said.

"Stay here a few days first."

She nodded again, still unsure, but trusting.

*****

✢═─༻༺═✢═─༻༺═✢

✶ I Reincarnated as an Extra ✶

✧ in a Reverse Harem World ✧

⊱ Eternal_Void_ ⊰

✢═─༻༺═✢═─༻༺═✢

*****

As the day wore on, Alaric prepared to depart. The girls were reluctant to leave the sanctuary, but he reassured them.

"You'll live here in the future. Just be patient a little longer."

They nodded and left.

Outside, the golden serpent dragon had changed dramatically. Its size had increased, and its aura radiated brilliance. It turned toward Alaric, voice now distinctly feminine.

"Master, my Bloodline has reached the tier zone. I feel as though something profound lies beyond."

Alaric eyed it calmly.

"Good for you. But if you're hoping I'll empower you again, forget it. That was your reward. Your task is to guard this place."

The Dragon bowed. It didn't feel qny shame. Especially towards Alaric who is practically was a God to it now.

"I will guard it with my life."

Alaric nodded once, then turned.

And soared toward Veldroth.

***

The mansion welcomed them back in hushed tones.

After hours spent laying the initial groundwork at the secluded sanctuary, dusk had cloaked Veldroth in its dim veil.

Lanterns flickered to life along the garden path, casting elongated shadows that stretched across cobblestone and hedges, and the mansion doors creaked open with a familiar ease.

Alaric led the way inside, his gait silent yet sure. Behind him, the girls followed—each step carrying the exhaustion of planning, the lingering thrill of purpose, and something unspoken… a deeper bond woven more tightly than before.

Virellen closed the door gently behind them.

The quiet was warm, undisturbed. Somewhere deeper inside, magical lights adjusted their glow in response to their presence, bathing the hall in a subtle, golden hue.

They had not spoken much on the journey back. But now, with their sanctuary secured and the evening at last their own, the air relaxed.

Cellione was the first to break the silence.

"I still can't believe it's that big. The lake's clean enough to drink straight from it."

"The soil's good too,"

Serineth murmured, fingers brushing against her lips in thought.

"Mana-rich. Unspoiled. Even the grass felt like it pulsed."

Aurevia gave a slow nod.

"It'll take months, but once the wards are fully in place... we could hold off a small army there."

"We?"

Virellen echoed, tilting her head. Her voice held no mockery this time—just a trace of disbelief.

"You girls really believe you can fight an army?"

Aurevia glanced at her, not coldly, but with a calm certainty that needed no sharpening.

"If our Master wills it, we will fight. And we will win."

Virellen blinked.

She'd grown used to Aurevia's formal poise, her habitual restraint. But now… there was something else—an edge of steel, tempered in devotion.

Alaric stepped forward then, the folds of his coat whispering across the stone floor.

"It's not arrogance,"

He said.

"It's truth."

He turned slightly, facing them all, and his golden eyes settled on Virellen.

"With my support, Aurevia can clash against [Peak-Rank-5]s. Sustain herself. Push further. Perhaps even kill, if conditions favor her."

Virellen's breath caught faintly.

He looked to the other two.

"Cellione and Serineth are [3rd-Circle]

mages. One breath away from a breakthrough. Their control is excellent, their synergy even more so. I suspect it won't be long."

Virellen looked at them anew.

They didn't brag. They didn't boast.

They stood—and that was all it took.

"Velmora's royal family wouldn't stand a chance,"

She muttered.

A pause. Then she turned to Alaric, expression finally settling into something like awe.

"…You're building an empire, aren't you?"

"I'm building a refuge,"

He corrected.

"The empire will come after."

***

They gathered in the sitting room. The hearth remained unlit, but a faint warmth seeped in from the mana lines that pulsed through the walls.

Aurevia settled into her usual seat, posture upright. Serineth curled her legs onto a nearby couch, hair catching the light. Cellione stretched her arms with a soft yawn, flopping beside her with ease born of trust.

Virellen remained standing.

"You mentioned training,Master."

She said after a beat.

"I did,"

Alaric replied.

He looked to each of them in turn.

"From tomorrow, we begin real training."

They stilled.

"Aurevia, you'll be training in the core region of the forest. The Golden Serpent Dragon, I will drop you their to train with it."

"Yes, Master,"

Aurevia answered with a hand over her chest. Her voice held not fear, but calm resolve.

"Serineth. Cellione. You'll remain in the Inner Forest for now. Hunt. Survive. There are enough beasts to press you, but not enough to kill you. Push your control further. Spell precision. Mana flow. Speed."

"Yes, Master,"

Both replied in unison.

He then turned to Virellen.

"As for you…"

She straightened instinctively.

"You'll be accompanying me. Tomorrow morning, we're visiting the only slave trader I trust in this city."

Her expression faltered.

"Slave trader?"

"He's discreet. Competent. Efficient. If anyone can handle what I'm about to request, it's him."

Virellen hesitated. He couldn't say that that Slave Trader was the only one he knew. That's not a Wise Master does.

"What are you asking for?"

"That,"

Alaric said, already turning away,

"you'll see tomorrow."

***

Eventually, they rose.

Alaric sent them off one by one. A nod to Aurevia. A gentle flick of the wrist to the mages. A lingering glance to Virellen, who followed the others wordlessly up the stairs.

The halls dimmed behind them, magic lights dimming to a soft evening hum.

Alaric remained for a while longer.

He moved through the house as if walking old roads. Checked the wards. Read the flow of ambient energy in the walls. The mansion, this temporary sanctuary, was stable. It would do—for now.

Only when the silence grew absolute did he finally retire to his room.

The bed was cold. He did not light the lamps. Only the faintest moonlight trickled through the windows as he lay back, arms crossed behind his head.

One breath. Then another.

His eyes did not close immediately.

There was too much to do.

But tonight, at least… his home was full.

And for now, that was enough.

-To Be Continued