Morning light filtered through sheer curtains, gently stirring the lingering dreams.
Outside, the rising sun climbed steadily, chasing away the last traces of night, painting the horizon with faint hues of orange.
'What a mess…'
Damien opened his eyes, glancing at the two figures nestled against him, one on each side, and sighed helplessly.
He hadn't planned to move so quickly.
At the very least, he wanted to build more trust and affection first.
But he had underestimated the habits of majin.
Unlike humans, majin didn't play coy or hold back.
Their admiration for strength was far more direct.
As Shuna and Shion's lord, Damien's rare gentleness among majin made it impossible for them not to fall for him.
So, taking advantage of the hot spring visit the previous night, the two had successfully achieved the milestone of sharing his bed.
Throughout the ordeal, Damien's strongest impressions were of Shion's stubborn bravado and Shuna's surprising fragility.
Not that Shion fared much better.
In Damien's presence, the famed recovery abilities of the kijin were useless.
With a single sealing skill, both were reduced to delicate maidens.
Damien didn't even need special techniques... just his ordinary stamina was enough to tame them thoroughly.
"Shion?"
"Shuna?"
"Mmm~~"
"Let me sleep a bit longer…"
Shuna barely stirred, but Shion let out a soft, cat-like murmur.
"Rest well." Damien said tenderly, brushing their disheveled hair into place before getting up to dress.
Descending to the living room, he was surprised to find Ice Empress waiting for him.
"You're here early today." He remarked.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ice Empress shot back, aware of what Damien had been up to last night but unbothered by it. "You make it sound like I'm lazy."
Among Damien's followers, Shion, Ice Empress, and Ogerpon were the most carefree, with no formal duties.
Sure, Shion had her crew.
But in truth, her crew were just a band of daredevils Shion had put together.
They operated independently, without any official roles.
As for Ogerpon, she loved farming and was passionate about cultivating fruits and vegetables, showing a knack for agricultural work.
Ice Empress, on the other hand, had no specific tasks assigned by Damien, so he let her do as she pleased.
"That's not what I meant." Damien said, sitting across from her with a smile. "I just figured you'd be out in the forest with Ogerpon, playing with magical beasts."
By "playing." He meant clearing out the magical beasts in the forest.
Magical beasts were a renewable resource.
As long as the magicules in the Jura Forest continued to cycle, new beasts would keep spawning.
Living in the forest, Damien and his followers naturally emitted vast amounts of magicules, easily giving rise to all sorts of creatures.
Plus, magical beasts were a treasure trove.
Their materials could be harvested, their flesh consumed, and the rest traded to human merchants through the kijin's established channels.
"Oh, that." Ice Empress said, knowing she often slacked off. "I found two promising helpers and wanted you to name them."
"Helpers?" Damien asked, sipping his tea. "What kind of helpers?"
Naming wasn't an issue.
Every majin under Damien's command had been given a name.
Even new recruits weren't spared this gift of magicules.
It was an investment in their future.
"I found two little ones in the forest." Ice Empress explained. "They're Insectar, like me."
"Insectar?" Damien's brow furrowed.
From what he knew, Insectar were rare in the material world.
Given they were in the Jura Forest, his mind immediately went to Rimuru's beetle and bee.
"It's not that beetle and bee, is it?"
"You already know?" Ice Empress asked, not dwelling on it.
In her master's domain, little could be hidden from him.
"Let's just say I had a hunch." Damien said. "Those two Insectar have a lot of potential. What's your plan, Ice Empress?"
"To lead them, of course!" She declared. "So you'll stop saying I'm slacking off."
"Fair enough." Damien replied. "Where are they? Take me to them."
"No need for you to go anywhere." Ice Empress said. "I'll summon them right now."
With that, she used her kin summoning ability, instantly teleporting the beetle and bee from the forest to the living room.
Kin, in this case, referred to creatures of the same kind or tribe.
Like Akahiko with the kijin or Hoshiga with the Star Wolvess.
Having been saved by Ice Empress and recognizing her as their leader, the beetle and bee formed a unique bond with her as Insectar.
The next moment, with a ripple of magicules, two figures appeared between Damien and Ice Empress.
"!!"
"Buzz buzz~~"
Startled by the sudden teleportation, the two relaxed only when they saw Ice Empress sitting there.
"Let me introduce you." Ice Empress said, standing up. "This is my master and the lord of this land, Lord Damien!"
"Hello there." Damien said warmly, only to be met with the two little ones bowing nervously.
"Well…" Damien shook his head with a wry smile. "As is custom, I'll now give you your names."
"???"
The newcomers didn't yet grasp the significance of naming among the majin here.
An entire community of named majin was nothing short of extraordinary.
"C-Can we really…?" A timid voice came from the bee, reaching Damien's ears.
"Of course!" He replied.
"Eek!" The bee gasped. "Lord Damien, you can understand me?"
"I can." Damien said, patting the bee's head.
He found the female bee's fuzzy texture pleasant and noted she lacked the ferocity of typical bees, appearing utterly adorable.
"Thank you so much!" The beetle declared, leading the bee in a deep bow. "We swear eternal loyalty to you!"
Having grown up together like childhood sweethearts, their bond was akin to that of human siblings.
Being recognized by Damien and serving under him together filled them with joy.
Their sense of belonging to Damien and the Monster Kingdom soared.
***
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