Demonic Dragon: Harem System - Chapter 684

Chapter 684: Kaelthur underwent renovations

The wind carried the scent of ancient ash mixed with the fresh aroma of new wood. The road leading to Kaelthur was busier than Strax had expected—wagons laden with supplies, masons, merchants, and adventurers of various races coming and going as if the city had never been destroyed.

Samira walked beside him, watching the horizon begin to reveal the city’s rebuilt towers. The sun was rising behind the restored walls, casting long golden shadows across the new rooftops.

Lilith followed close behind, shackled by mana chains that seemed to vibrate with Strax’s energy. Despite her weary appearance, her eyes roamed curiously around her—it was the first time she had seen a human city literally rise from the ashes so quickly.

Strax, on the other hand, maintained a serious gaze and a slightly confused expression.

“That doesn’t make sense,” she murmured. “When we left, Kaelthur was in ruins.”

Samira nodded, frowning. “And that was, what, two, three weeks ago? Even with reconstruction magic, no one rebuilds an entire city in that amount of time.”

Strax walked in silence for a while, his golden eyes taking in every detail as they approached the gates. The walls, which had been shattered by fire and demon attacks, now looked new, forged in stone and reinforced with protective runes.

“This was the work of high-level magicians,” Lilith commented, with a hint of admiration. “And not ordinary magicians… this is arcane runework. Only very wealthy empires or kingdoms could achieve something like this.”

Strax glanced at her quickly. “Interesting that you know that.”

Lilith looked away, muttering something unintelligible. Samira smiled slightly, shaking her head.

As they approached the gates, the guards recognized them almost instantly. As soon as they saw Strax, their expressions changed—some greeted him with reverence, others with caution. His name, after all, still caused unease in many places.

“Lord Strax!” One of the guards stepped forward, a young man in newly forged silver armor. “It’s good to see you again. The ladies of Kaelthur Manor said you’d be back soon.”

“The ladies…?” Strax arched an eyebrow.

“Yes, sir.” The guard looked a little nervous. “Lady Monica, Lady Tiamat, Lady Scarlet… they’ve been helping the city rebuild, along with those other women you brought!”

Strax was silent for a moment. His gaze drifted to the scaffolding and mages hovering in the air, restoring the towers with transmutation spells. There was something surreal about seeing Kaelthur alive again—as if time had skipped an entire era.

“They did all this…?” he asked, his tone somewhere between pride and disbelief.

Samira laughed lightly. “I guess your wives didn’t just stand idly by while you enjoyed tournaments and slayed monsters, huh?”

“It seems not,” Strax replied with a half-smile, passing through the gates.

As they entered the city, the contrast was even more striking. Where there had been destruction, there was now life: open markets, children running, blazing forges, and newly built temples. In the center, the mansion that had once been destroyed now loomed even larger, with a golden dragon symbol engraved over the main gate.

Lilith watched in silence, confusion etched on her face. “This… is unbelievable.”

Strax paused for a moment in the middle of the main street, looking around. “When I left, Kaelthur was nothing but ashes.” He ran a hand through his hair thoughtfully. “Something here has changed… and too quickly.”

Samira crossed her arms. “And I bet the girls have something to do with it.”

“Definitely.” Strax gave a small smile before starting to walk again, leading the group toward the mansion.

As they walked, people waved at him—some with respect, others with curiosity. There was a different aura in the air, a mixture of reverence and fear.

Lilith noticed this and commented quietly, “They look at you like you’re a god.”

Strax replied emotionlessly, “Sometimes it’s enough to look like one.”

Samira sighed. “Here he goes again with that dragon ego…”

Strax just smiled, ignoring the comment.

When they reached the mansion’s entrance, two familiar figures were waiting for them. Scarlet, with her scarlet dress and confident gaze, and Monica, dressed in a black and white dress, with a calm smile and an air of someone who already knew he was coming.

Scarlet crossed her arms, with a mischievous smile. “It took a while.”

“Trouble along the way,” Strax replied, casting a sideways glance at Lilith.

Monica looked at the chained woman and arched an eyebrow. “And who is that?”

“Complication,” Samira replied before Strax could open his mouth. “A complication that obeys orders too much.”

Monica blinked, confused. “Obey…?”

Scarlet raised an eyebrow at Strax’s questioning gaze. “Do you want me to call everyone?”

He nodded, and before he could even open his mouth to specify how, Scarlet took a deep breath and shouted at the top of her lungs:

“COME HERE!”

The sound echoed throughout the mansion, bouncing off walls, corridors, and probably half the city.

Strax closed his eyes and let out a resigned sigh. “I meant ‘warn discreetly,’ not ‘wake the dead.'”

Scarlet gave a small, satisfied smile. “It works faster.”

And indeed, it did.

In a matter of seconds, footsteps echoed through the mansion—some light and graceful, others firm and heavy, and one or two accompanied by a slight tremor of mana.

First came Tiamat, descending the stairs elegantly, her golden hair and dragon eyes sparkling in the light.

Right behind her, Beatrice appeared with a book in her hands and a look of pure curiosity.

Kali came next, yawning, wrapped in a dark cloak that smelled of incense and ancient magic.

Ouroboros appeared out of nowhere, like a shadow condensing in the air, with that subtle smile that always left Strax wondering if she was happy or up to something.

Xyn, her hair tied back and an analytical look on her face, descended with measured steps.

Soon after, Kryssia appeared, wearing her light armor and with her usual serious expression, but with a slight glint in her eye when she saw Strax.

And finally, Xenovia, the calmest, followed, holding a tray with teacups, as if this were all just an ordinary gathering.

Samira, beside Strax, looked at the gathering group and let out a soft whistle. “Nice collection, boss.”

Strax simply crossed his arms, ignoring the provocation. His golden gaze swept over his wives, one by one, before settling on the horizon visible through the reconstructed windows.

“Right…” he began, his voice firm. “Who started the reconstruction?”

For a moment, there was silence. Until Scarlet stepped forward, smiling as if she’d been waiting for the question.

“So…” she began, smoothing her hair. “Apparently, Rogue got rich. Very rich.” She gestured with her hands, dramatizing her explanation. “The Guild grew at an absurd rate. She sent mages, builders, resources, everything.”

Beatrice looked up from her book and nodded. “I saw the contracts myself. She invested a fortune here.”

Scarlet continued excitedly, “And, by pure coincidence, Cristine and Yennifer also got rich at the same time.” They sent materials, artifacts, and even workers. So… let’s just say the city kind of exploded with progress.

Tiamat crossed her arms, smiling proudly. “We just managed. They did the heavy lifting.”

Strax was silent for a few seconds, his gaze roving the room—the newly rebuilt walls, the golden glow of the floor, the distant sound of hammers outside. Everything was the result of the collective effort of the women he’d left behind.

He then let out a small laugh—rare, genuine.

“So… while I was fighting and getting into trouble, my wives rebuilt an entire city and enriched half an empire.”

Scarlet gave a mischievous smile. “In short, yes.”

“Impressive.” Strax ran a hand through his hair, clearly pleased. “And… comforting.”

Monica tilted her head, smiling calmly. “Comforting why?”

Strax looked at her with a golden glint in his eyes and replied,

“Because now I have one more reason to reward you all appropriately when you return.”

The silence that followed was brief but thick—until Scarlet arched an eyebrow and smiled mischievously.

“‘Reward appropriately,’ huh? I like the sound of that.”

Kali snorted, chuckling softly. “We already know what he means by that.”

Samira just rolled her eyes. “I’ve seen that movie before.”

Monica, always the more composed, just smiled and replied calmly, “As long as the reward comes with a good dinner, I’ll accept.”

Strax chuckled lightly, raising a hand. “Dinner, gold, or whatever you want.” He looked around, his serious gaze returning for a moment. “You deserve it. All of you.”

For a moment, the air seemed to warm, as if Kaelthur himself acknowledged his presence.

Scarlet crossed her arms and gave a small wave. “In that case, welcome back, my husband.”

The silence that followed Scarlet’s comment was broken by a faint crackle in the air—a wave of mana that caused the flames of the torches to flicker.

Lilith, still shackled by the energy chains, took an involuntary step back. The gazes of every woman in the room turned to her, and the atmosphere shifted as if the air had become denser, heavier… threatening.

Scarlet was the first to speak, her amused smile fading. Her red eyes began to glow, and a faint crimson aura rose around her body. “…And who is this?” she asked, her voice now low, almost guttural. “This weak little girl you brought into our home, Strax?”