The sun was a searing eye positioned directly overhead, casting short, obsidian shadows against the forest floor as the group gathered by the cooling waters of the pond. The air was thick with the scent of pine and the humid musk of the afternoon, but the conversation was far from peaceful. Lara, Katty, and Sara had formed a unified front, their voices weaving together as they relentlessly pressured Fuyu about the future of his harem. They weren't just suggesting expansion; they were providing a detailed blueprint, describing the specific temperaments, heights, and refined features of the women they felt would best complement their group.

"Hah... it truly feels like you all are more interested in me having more wives than I am myself," Fuyu said, a low chuckle vibrating in his chest.

The three women shared a look of playful conspiracy and burst into laughter, their voices echoing off the surface of the water. "We only want the best for our Lord," Sara teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "And if we have to pick them ourselves to ensure they meet our standards, so be it." They eventually stood, suggesting it was time to continue their trek before the heat of the day became truly unbearable.

"Hah... alright, let's go then," Fuyu sighed, his breath hitching slightly as he stood up. As he rose to his full height, his member slipped from Sara's mouth with a soft, wet sound. She sat back on her heels, a flicker of unfulfilled desire crossing her face, her body still humming with the electric tension of their earlier intimacy. She felt a lingering sense of being unsatisfied, a deep hunger that hadn't quite been sated, but she held her tongue, smoothing her hair as she rose to follow him.

The group trekked back toward the clearing where the horses were tethered. Katty, ever the most observant of the trio, let her eyes wander toward the trees. Four horses remained, standing patiently in the shifting shade. Ivis and Iris had vanished with only one of the mounts, a loss that didn't particularly bother Fuyu or his formidable wives.

"By the way, Fuyu," Katty asked, shielding her eyes from the glare. "Do you actually know the way to Ivis's village? We've been moving for a while, but the trail seems to be getting thinner."

"No, I don't know the way," Fuyu replied simply, his tone casual.

The three women stopped dead in their tracks, their expressions shifting from calm to pure incredulity. "Huh? Wait... what?" Katty stammered, her voice rising an octave. "But you said you could take us there! We all assumed you knew the exact coordinates of their hometown!"

"No... I don't exactly know the way," Fuyu clarified, unfazed by their growing alarm. "But I have observed many travelers moving along this general meridian. I figured I would just find someone and ask for directions. Our horses are still here, and we have our strength; there is nothing to be worried about. Besides, I can still sense the general direction in which that brother and sister fled. It truly doesn't matter much."

"Oh..." Lara whispered, looking at the dense wall of greenery surrounding them.

"NO!" A sharp, panicked scream erupted from Katty as she reached the carriage and threw open the rear doors. The others rushed to her side, startled by the sudden outburst. "They took everything! Those little rats!"

As the others peered inside, their hearts sank. Ivis hadn't just taken a horse; he had meticulously cleaned out their most vital resources. The chests that had once held their finest silk clothes were empty, and more importantly, the heavy iron-bound boxes of currency were gone. Every silver coin, every bar of gold—stolen.

"What? They took all our gold?" Lara exclaimed, her hands flying to her cheeks in shock. "What are we supposed to do in a strange village with no coin to our name?"

"Are the horses still here? That's what matters," Fuyu said, peering into the shadows.

"Yes, and look," Sara added with a sudden, playful giggle, pointing to a small crate. "They left the smoked meat. So technically, they didn't take everything." To prove her point, she reached out, grabbing a strip of the dried meat. She slid the savory 'lollipop' into her mouth, licking and chewing on it with a defiant, feline grace.

"Come on, Sara! Stop playing! You are forgetting the most important thing," Katty shouted, her voice trembling with concern. "They took our money! How are we supposed to eat or find lodging?"

Sara swallowed the meat and looked at Katty as if she were speaking a foreign language. "Money? That's not important to us, Katty. Are you not using your brain at all? What use is gold to people like us, sweetheart? Power is our currency now. We take what we want, and we command who we need. Money is for the weak and the mundane."

Katty blinked, the logic slowly penetrating her panic. "Huh? Oh... yeah. I almost forgot." She sighed, leaning against the carriage wheel. "I suppose my priorities are still stuck in the past. My first thought is always the purse. Never mind that, but how are we actually going to find our way now?"

"Ugh... well, let's see," Fuyu hummed, his expression turning thoughtful. Suddenly, his head tilted to the side. His enhanced ears picked up the rhythmic thud of heavy footsteps crushing dry leaves and snapping twigs. The sounds were getting closer, moving with a lumbering, confident gait.

Soon, the dark, towering trees at the edge of a nearby slope were forced aside by a massive hand. A tall man with short, bristling black hair emerged. Each strand of his hair seemed to stand straight up like iron needles. He was a mountain of a man, his upper body completely naked, revealing a torso that was thick with slabs of muscle and scarred from years of labor or combat.

He is walking alone? Interesting... Fuyu thought. His eyes flared with a faint, inner light as he activated his enhanced vision. He didn't just see the man; he saw through the density of the woods behind him, checking for an ambush or a hidden party. Seeing Fuyu suddenly become so hyper-focused made the wives go silent. They looked in the same direction, whispering questions that Fuyu ignored until the giant of a man stepped fully into the clearing.

"Got our way..." Fuyu whispered.

The man, Shane, was whistling a tuneless, airy melody—"Fee... feeewww"—as he walked, seemingly lost in his own private world. He reached the center of the path before his eyes finally drifted toward the group standing by the carriage.

"Huh..." Shane's eyes narrowed. At first, a flicker of base excitement crossed his rugged features as his gaze landed on the three stunning women. They were unlike anyone he had seen in these woods—ethereal, dangerous, and beautiful. But as his steps slowed, a sense of self-preservation kicked in. He noticed their clothes, their poise, and the chillingly calm young man standing at the center.

He slowly slid the heavy bag of resources from his hip to behind his back, his movements heavy and deliberate. He tried to maintain a mask of stoic bravado, trying not to let them see the sudden spike of fear in his chest. Why are they all staring at me like that? Shane thought, his grip tightening on his bag. Are they bandits? Do they intend to steal my trade goods? Shit, I need to be ready.

Shane's steps halted completely when Fuyu spoke. The young man's voice was smooth, but it carried the weight of a sharpened blade. He asked Shane directly where he was heading. Shane felt a momentary jolt of terror, realizing that while the girls were a threat, the man in front of him was the true apex predator in this clearing.

"Why does that matter to you? Huh?" Shane barked, his voice rough and aggressive. He puffed out his massive chest, trying to be as intimidating as possible so these strangers wouldn't take him for granted.

"Oh, nothing, pal," Fuyu said, his eyes tracing the man's posture. "We are heading toward the Ivis village, but we seem to have misplaced the exact location. I was wondering if you were heading in that direction and could give us a helping hand."

Fuyu noticed that while Shane was trying to look at him, the big man's gaze kept drifting back to the curves of his wives. It pisses Fuyu off slightly, a cold irritation settling in his gut, but he remained still.

"Oh, it's bad luck for you then," Shane said with a bitter, forced smile, reaching up to scratch the back of his head. "I don't know anything about an Ivis village. I'm just a wanderer passing through."

"Guess we can't go there then," Fuyu exclaimed, turning back to his wives with a theatrical sigh. "You guys will just have to wander around with me until we stumble upon it. Hah... I suppose I did something wrong by letting those two run away before we reached the destination."

The wives immediately took the cue, launching into a mock-barrage of blame. They called him stupid, incompetent, and soft-hearted for letting the siblings escape. Shane watched the exchange, his eyes widening. He saw a young man with three incredible women, and a sudden change of heart occurred. Perhaps it was pity, or perhaps it was a lingering sense of morality, but he decided to offer a warning.

"Hey, my friend," Shane called out.

The arguing stopped instantly. Katty, who had been playfully clutching Fuyu's collar as part of their act, let go as they all turned to look at the big man.

"Since you have these girls with you, I'll give you a piece of advice," Shane said, his expression turning deadly serious. He couldn't bring himself to look at the women's faces for too long. "The Ivis village... it's not the place you remember. It was recently attacked and taken over by a new force. It's a dangerous, dark place now. Take this opportunity and leave this forest as fast as you can for your own safety."

Fuyu didn't look scared. Instead, a dark, knowing smirk spread across his face.

The scene shifted as evening fell with supernatural speed, the shadows of the trees stretching into long, grasping fingers. The group now stood before the outskirts of a fortified settlement.

"Master Demon... we have reached the courtyard of the new Demon Lord's office. Now... can I please excuse myself?" Shane begged. His massive frame was hunched over, his hands clasped together as he bowed repeatedly, his voice trembling.

"Hmm... that's good. So this is the village chief's courtyard," Fuyu mused, his gaze traveling over the boundary of large, jagged stones. In front of them sat a heavy wooden gate, flanked by two bald, muscular guards who were deep in conversation. "Alright, Shane. You can leave. But remember: never lie to me again. You knew the way all along. Hehe..." Fuyu giggled, a sound that made the hair on the back of Shane's neck stand up.

"Thank you, Master Demon! Thank you for your mercy!" Shane scrambled away, his heart pounding so hard he thought it might burst. He had been a simple trader, and his encounter with these "people" had been the most disastrous and terrifying event of his life.

"Hey, wait," Sara's voice rang out, clear and sharp.

Shane froze mid-step, his feet feeling as though they had been fused to the earth. He turned slowly, his face pale. "Y-yes?"

"Take one of the horses with you," Sara said, gesturing to the mounts behind them. "Consider it a reward for bringing us here safely."

Fuyu turned to her, a brow raised in curiosity. Lara and Katty looked at each other, then back at Sara, surprised by the sudden act of charity.

"No... no... I couldn't possibly take such a valuable thing," Shane stammered, his eyes wide. But Sara insisted, her gaze unwavering. Shane eventually took the reins of a healthy, strong horse, leading it away with a dazed expression. Once he was at a safe distance, he let out a massive sigh of relief. He felt a surge of unexpected fortune; the horse was worth more than all the goods he had sold that week combined.

"I really got such a fortune," Shane thought, a grin finally breaking through his fear. "My wife will be so happy when she sees this."

Back at the gates, the atmosphere was lighter. "A reward, Sara? Really?" Katty teased, poking her in the ribs. "Are you going soft on us? Or did you just like his muscles?"

"Oh, shut up!" Sara laughed, though she began to blush as the teasing intensified. "It was just a horse. We have plenty of power; we don't need a spare animal."

The three women continued to tease her, demanding a better explanation as they turned their attention toward the wooden gates and the two guards who hadn't yet noticed the predators standing in their shadow. Fuyu watched them, his eyes glowing faintly in the twilight, ready to see what this "New Demon Lord" had to offer.

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