Growth Hero

by Brent Tyman

“Are you two leaving?” Clarissa asked, her head emerging from the bathroom. “It will only take me a few more minutes to get ready.”

  “Clarissa Vos Hoganna,” Juliana began rather formally, “we are heading to the Tasberg wing. I’m sure you won’t like it there.”

  “But…”

  “And you have spent too much time alone with Alex already.” The brunette sniffed. “You should take a break and spend some time with others, lest you provide too much grist to the gossip mill.”

  Clarissa sighed.

  “And let the rest of us spend some time with him,” Juliana muttered underneath her breath.

  “How… but my Alex…” Clarissa babbled before shaking her wet hair. “Fine, maybe for a few hours.”

  “A few days would be more agreeable.”

  “Days?” Clarissa screeched. “Why you…”

  Although I could have stopped the bickering right there, I kinda enjoyed the back and forth between the two women. I did need to spend time with Juliana though, since that would probably be the next step to realizing my harem goal.

  If only there was a clear guide one could read about how to advance the harem dream. I wished I could open up a quest log and have the next step laid out for me, with a quest marker to boot. Probably best to go with my gut, for now.

  “Surely you owe me reparations, for seeing my friend behind my back. It’s only right and true…”

  “Ugh,” Clarissa huffed. “I suppose with my Alex being so dreamy last night in bed, it’s only right I give him some space.”

  “A few days of space,” Juliana reminded her.

  “Only because we are both major Clans and this compromise will look good for the people,” Clarissa warned.

  “I’ll message you later tonight, Clarissa,” I said. “Sucks that the day ended without much progress on the fifth floor.”

  “Ah, yes,” Clarissa immediately brightened. “Tonight handsome, I think we can safely move onto more exotic ways of communicating on the Clan messages.”

  “Then its settled,” Juliana said, clapping her hands once. “Come Alex, my retinue will be thrilled to see you again.”

  “Me too,” I grinned. “Can’t wait to see the gang.”

  I was glad that the women were actually starting to somewhat get along, even if their main point of contention seemed to be…well, me. My harem dream was still alive, strong and well. Juliana took finding me in Clarissa’s bed surprisingly well, if I ignored the visible and light-devouring aura at the start.

  As I expected, when we opened the door, a small crowd of students promptly scattered to the wind.

  “So much for privacy,” Juliana growled.

  I had to laugh. “To be fair, you did do a number on the door,” I said.

  “That was only because Lady Kotobara was there when I woke up and complained about Clarissa bringing you into the academy and into her room. I kind of lost it at that point.”

  “Well, if it’s any consolation,” I said, gently caressing her arm. “When I first laid eyes on you, I wanted to kiss you then and there.”

  Juliana’s breathing hitched and if I’d had a confidence stat, I was sure it would have leveled up.

  “Well… I wouldn’t mind one now…” Juliana murmured.

  Before she could change her mind, I leaned down and kissed her. Her lips weren’t as pouty as Clarissa’s, but they felt warmer and softer. It was honestly divine,

  “No way!”

  “Who is that?”

  “He must be from a really powerful Clan to court both Clarissa and Juliana.”

  There were quite a few hushed whispers and rumors fluttering all about, but that didn’t cause Juliana to end the kiss any sooner than she wanted. A long minute later, she pulled back.

  Her cheeks were beet red. “Come, I will feel much more at home in the Tasberg wing,” she said, latching onto my hand and dragging me behind her.

  The spectacle of the Academy wasn’t lost on me as we passed by fancy fountains and expensive decorations. This place was far from my usual element, and at times, I wished there was an area that didn’t take everything to the extreme.

  My inn room was looking pretty quaint and cozy compared to all this flair.

  “I can’t believe Clarissa managed to get her hands on you first,” Juliana complained as soon as we were out of earshot of the other students. “I never imagined I would fight in a party with her when I woke up yesterday morning, either.”

  “She is an amazing healer, all things considered, and that’s the main reason I took her on.” I smiled down at the beauty tugging me along, “I think the two of you worked well together.”

  “Perhaps so. We are the most skilled members in the Academy, other than the teachers. It is only natural our combined efforts would make most foes seem trivial. Even so… me and Clarissa Vos Hoganna?”

  “Is she really that bad, now that you have gotten to know her a bit?” I asked, pulling Juliana in at my side and giving her hand a squeeze.

  “No… I suppose not. But really, Clarissa Vos Hoganna?”

  “Pretty sure you said that already,” I laughed.

  Juliana gave me a quick smile before she turned thoughtful. “It puzzled me when she left her father’s Clan, several weeks ago. I never thought it would be so that she could join yours, though. I wonder if you’d…”

  Juliana didn’t finish her thought as we entered the so-called Tasberg wing of the Academy.

  In all honesty, the only difference I could spot was that the walls here were red, instead of a vibrant green, and all the students here wore red uniforms.

  “The others should be in the study at this time of the day. We regularly meet up to discuss strategies about how to top Clarissa’s performance,” she said as she weaved through the red uniformed students mingling in the hall.

  I had nearly forgotten why Juliana was more than a little jealous at Clarissa’s amazing results in the Dungeon these past few weeks. Both women were serious about being the best in the Academy. It also made me realize that I hadn’t met Clarissa’s party yet, either.

  I wondered if they were just as rowdy as Juliana’s bunch.

  I followed her as she led me into a fairly large room filled with tables, desks, chairs and sofas. A gaggle of familiar faces ambushed me, just inside the doorway.

  “Alex! It’s so good to see you again! I’ve longed to see those cheekbones of yours!” Kesara hummed as she closed in on me. “I’ve heard the most delicious of rumors about you, lately.”

  “Greetings, Alex,” Karl said formally, with a slight bow. “Might I say I’ve considered writing a paper about the Strength you displayed during our last meeting? There are few who can boast of such feats at our age.”

  “Haha,” I laughed. “Nice to see you both as well. It’s been a while.”

  I looked beyond them to see Vencia engrossed in a book at a large table that occupied the center of this study. Juliana gestured for me to join her as she sat next to her friend.

  “Is Juliana jumping right into business already?” Kesara whined. “I wanted to talk to Alex.”

  “Hello again Alex, I’m glad you are well,” Vencia said with a quick glance up as she flipped the page. “And yes, my Lady is always business when it comes to the Dungeon.”

  “Come sit here next to me, Alex, and the rest of you join us as well,” Juliana ordered.

  I sat where indicated but couldn’t help smirking when Juliana slyly rested a hand on my thigh. That didn’t take long, I thought. Although she wasn’t nearly as unabashed about it as Clarissa had been. I noted her cheeks heated up a pretty, rosy red as she did so.

  “Alex is here as my guest, so I expect you to treat him with respect during his stay,” Juliana began.

  Kesara snorted. “I heard he was in Clarissa Vos Hoganna’s wing as a guest, and that there were loud and strange noises heard, coming from her chambers last night. Very… intimate noises.”

  “Seriously? There are rumors about that already?” I groaned, pinching t
he bridge of my nose. I was puzzled as to why people wanted to talk about a relatively unknown guy, like me. Apparently, such talk had made its way to Kesara already.

  “Of course, hon,” Kesara affirmed, winking. “I keep my ear to the ground for any scandals. I’d hardly woke up this morning before there were three girls at my door with the latest scoop.”

  “Perhaps your… spies would be better pressed informing you about more… worthwhile endeavors,” Karl commented as he adjusted his glasses. “Perhaps learning about secret scientific projects the other nations are planning?”

  “That’s soooo boring and they aren’t spies, just girls like me who love to hear about it when naughty things happen,” Kesara grinned. She looked me in the eye and drew a tad closer. “I never thought my Alex would be the one fueling such bawdy flames.”

  “Please, Kesara, we have actual business to discuss,” Juliana said, her eyes narrowing. “Just keep these rumors to yourself.”

  “My Lady, perhaps you shouldn’t exert yourself after last night’s incident…” Vencia said before Juliana shook her head.

  “I’m perfectly fine and able to continue this meeting.”

  “Where’s Daiver?” I asked, only now realizing that he wasn’t here.

  “The idiot is likely still fast asleep, he always shows up late,” Vencia complained, putting down her book. “Trust me, meetings of any kind are lost on his one-track mind.”

  Clearly, Vencia still had the same low opinion of Daiver that she’d had a few weeks ago, so nothing new there.

  “What’s on today’s agenda?” Karl asked Juliana, although he kept his gaze on me. “If I may, I would like to ask about Alex’s diet, as I am sure that could be a solid factor in his superior Strength gains at this age.”

  “Other than me eating my greens when I was young, there isn’t really much to tell on that front,” I answered, shrugging.

  My diet was simply whatever the innkeeper plopped down on my plate each morning and night. Half the time, I didn’t bother to pay attention to the taste. This ordinary fare was supplemented fairly regularly by the fish shop’s delicious fried… whatever it was, of course.

  “Indeed,” Karl said, scribbling a note on some parchment he suddenly procured out of nowhere. “And what are these greens of yours?”

  Seriously?

  “Karl, not now,” Juliana ordered. “Today, Alex and I will tell you about the Demon attack we suffered in the Dungeon. Then, I want you to hear your thoughts on their possible motivations.”

  Juliana nodded to me and I explained what had happened when we tried to clear the fifth floor of the Dungeon. I was still miffed we had missed out on fighting the Lizardnoots, but I supposed I’d get over it.

  We had almost been killed by feral Demons, after all.

  As soon as I mentioned this Demona and the Overlord, Karl gasped and his eyes got wide before he scribbled furiously on his parchment. He didn’t offer anything up, though, as I continued with the story.

  When I was finally done, ending my tale just after handing Juliana to the guards at the gate and then being led away by Clarissa, Kesara was the first to respond.

  “And when you and Clarissa were alone, all sweaty from your fight with Demons, did she immediately go for your lips or did she aim somewhat… lower?” Kesara asked breathily.

  Everyone else groaned in response to her eager question.

  “What? I want to know!” she shrugged.

  “I believe I have a firm idea about the issue plaguing the Demons, but if I am right…” He sighed. “There is not going to be any quick, easy, or firm solutions to it,” Karl said.

  “Go on,” Juliana urged, giving Kesara another glare when she opened her mouth to protest.

  “Demons have a royalty, so to speak,” Karl explained, becoming animated and gesturing with his arms as he spoke. “Normal demons have a lifelong bond with various royal members that induces complete loyalty. Demons rarely have succession issues, as the bond cleanly jumps down the line of succession. That is how it has been since their inception.”

  Karl took a deep breath as he explained the problem.

  “A few years ago, or perhaps even as much as a few decades, a Demon clawed his way to the top of their power structure and declared himself the ‘Overlord’. As he had no Royal blood, he has no bond of loyalty he could enforce on the rest of Demon kind to cement his rule. What he did do, however, was kill off generations of Demon royalty—which threw the entire line of succession out the window. Without this royal bond to keep Demons in check, civil war has plagued Demon kind.”

  Of all the things Karl might have said, this explanation was one I really didn’t see coming. This Overlord sounded quite powerful, if he’d manage to overturn the Demonic line of succession like that.

  I tried to imagine it as the typical Demon lords or Demon kings in those light novel stories. They usually had one Demon who ruled over every single other Demon; defeating them usually saved the world or the universe, or something to that effect.

  “How does that factor into what’s happening now?” Juliana’s question derailed my train of thought and I grunted as Karl adjusted his glasses, yet again.

  “Well, before this whole situation occurred, the Demons here were either sworn to the Overlord or sworn to no one. As I have learned during my research on Demons, primarily from questioning them, the Overlord exists in a realm called the Black Deep.”

  He frowned. “This could either be in another dimension or just another planet entirely. Our world is so far away from there, that the Overlord’s influence here is minimal.”

  He shrugged. “The Demons here had little reason to fight one another, other than for resources. This has apparently changed of late.”

  Karl took a deep breath, and I saw Vencia seemed enraptured with this story, Juliana too. Kesara looked like she was one tick away from falling asleep entirely, but that wasn’t all that surprising, knowing her.

  “That other name seemed important,” I interjected. “Demona, I think it was,” and Karl nodded.

  “Yes. I remember there was a list of Demon royalty that I managed to get my hands on from a Demon peer. It was incomplete mind you, but this Demon was a fellow scholar, like myself I dare say. The pursuit of science is as thrilling as any scuffle that Daiver managed to fall into and…”

  “Karl…” Juliana drawled, and Karl tugged on his collar in thought.

  “Where was I? Oh yes. Demona was definitely the name of one of the Demon royals who was assuredly marked as dead. Her reemergence is a mystery, but from what I can see, the sudden revival of her bond likely caused yesterday’s events.”

  “So, this Demona used her bond to make every Demon crazy?” I asked and Karl nodded.

  “Not crazy in the sense that you are thinking of, though. I imagine there is a deep hatred of the Overlord ingrained in her and that, combined with the sudden jolt of induced loyalty, likely made anyone caught in the bond and not immediately loyal to Demona be seen as a threat.”

  I sat back and thought this through.

  If Karl was right in his theory, then it pretty much made any Demon I saw a threat. That wasn’t good, considering how strong they were.

  “What can we do?” Vencia asked, “Surely this can’t affect every Demon in the three nations.”

  Karl laughed and scribbled a few notes on his parchment.

  “Three nations?” He snorted. “The entire planet is likely afflicted by this development. As for what we can do? Very little I’m afraid.”

  He shook his head. “This Demona and the Overlord are off somewhere in the stars, as far as we are concerned. We cannot interact with them at all unless they were to suddenly appear here, of all places.”

  Vencia looked around, startled, as if that just might happen.

  “All we can really do is reason with the Demons as they try to enforce their master’s will in this land. Luckily, that means the Demons will likely care more about killing each other than anything else,” he concluded.


  “Jeez, what a mess,” I said. “There’s no way to get to either of these beings?”

  “Unless you have a way to traverse the stars, or travel through dimensions, which could be a possibility, if we apply Joysura’s protocol with Nula’s theory of…”

  “This whole Demon business doesn’t make for good gossip,” Kesara grumped, drumming her fingers on the table.

  “It isn’t gossip at all,” Vencia said, rolling her eyes.

  “That’s the problem!” Kesara agreed. “I much prefer talking about the comings…” She winked at me. “And goings of slim and handsome men in the Academy, like Alex.”

  Kesara batted her eyelashes at me. I couldn’t help but chuckle and smiled back at her.

  “I’m not really in the Academy as a student, you know,” I said.

  “But you are in the Academy and gossip about you has been the best so far since induction.”

  “Kesara, we need to discuss the next steps,” Juliana affirmed.

  “What next steps? Karl just said we can’t do anything other than wait for the Demons to calm down,” Kesara responded, still shaking her head.

  “You were actually listening?” Vencia asked, surprised.

  “Despite Karl’s rather monotone explanation, I’ve heard worse in my father’s boring tax meetings.”

  “Monotone? My theory sheds an engrossing light onto Demon affairs and…”

  At that point, the two argued the same way that Vencia and Daiver usually got into it. I loved how this group was so different, but they still worked well together in the Dungeon, where it really mattered.

  Speaking of which…

  “Hey Juliana,” I said, turning to the woman beside me. “Has this Demon trouble really affected everywhere on the planet, like Karl said?”

  “Yes,” she replied. “The Clan messages between my father’s advisors mention that Demons have run amuck back home in my capital, as well. I think it will take some time before things return to normal. Demons are significantly outnumbered by humans, here in the city as well as in the other nations.”

  “Ah crap,” I said. “Does that mean that I can’t go to the Dungeon anymore?”

  “You encountered feral Demons on the fifth floor, and you want to go back there?” Vencia questioned, her face puzzled.