"You want to take back the Four-eared Lone Rabbit Runaway City from the Journeying Jaguar Runaway City and the Wandering Wolf Borough Runaway City?" Patriarch Rylan's voice trembled.
Orion nodded. "Although we know we might encounter some difficulties, I believe the long-term benefits far outweigh the risks of not recovering it," he responded.
Orion didn't trust the Wanderlust Travelling Tortoise Runaway City and the Sleeping Fox Runaway City to simply give in without a fight to regain their Runaway City at any given opportunity. Although he had already planned to suppress whatever intentions they might have by sending a warrior to accompany each of Paradise's representatives, he understood that they needed to do more to gain complete control of both Runaway Cities and the hearts of their inhabitants.
If they managed to recapture the Four-eared Lone Rabbit Runaway City and it hadn't yet been destroyed, they would fill it with loyal inhabitants of Paradise, using it as a stronghold on land and a base of operations to control the surrounding Runaway Cities and territories, keeping Paradise further in obscurity. Its retrieval would also show the Four-eared elves that Paradise recognizes their presence, further cementing their loyalty.
It was a win-win for everyone, so he saw no reason to reject such endeavours.
Upon hearing Orion's words, Patriarch Rylan's eyes grew wet. He immediately fell to his knees and prostrated, his forehead firmly planted on the ground before Orion. "Thank you… You have no idea how much this means to me and the other Four-eared elves," he said, his voice trembling with emotion.
"The Four-eared elves have been doing their best within Paradise for the past few months, and as the Village Chief, it is my duty to show them that their efforts are recognized and that they will be fully integrated into Paradise," Orion said, nodding.
Patriarch Rylan nodded, weeping even louder.
Orion knew this was Patriarch Rylan's way of showing gratitude, so he didn't attempt to raise him. Instead of seeing him as weak, Orion's opinion of him began to change. He started to understand why Former Village Chief Brane always took a direct approach to confronting matters with him rather than resorting to violence.
"It's okay, you can get up. I will be taking my leave soon," Orion said. He didn't want the scene to continue any longer.
Patriarch Rylan wiped his tears and slowly stood up from the floor. "Thank you for your kindness, Village Chief. Please, allow me to escort you out," he said, his voice now firm.
Orion turned and walked toward the door, with Patriarch Rylan leading. As Orion prepared to leave the compound, he noticed Patriarch Rylan hesitating as though he wanted to say something but was suppressing himself.
"What is it?" Orion asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Ahem! It's about my daughter, Isadora. I don't know if the Village Chief has noticed that she is in love with you," Patriarch Rylan responded.
Orion's brows raised in surprise at Patriarch Rylan's direct words. Nonetheless, he hadn't realized that Isadora harboured feelings for him. While he had noticed her gentle and flustered manner around him, he had assumed she was simply trying to gain favour for the Four-eared elves. It hadn't occurred to him that her feelings were genuine.
'So he truly hadn't noticed yet,' Patriarch Rylan thought, observing Orion's expression. An idea formed in his mind, seeing this as an opportunity to assist his daughter. Knowing about Orion's large family, he chided himself for not pursuing it sooner.
"Unfortunately, I wasn't aware of Isadora's feelings for me. But why is Patriarch Rylan bringing this up?" Orion asked, his gaze fixed on Patriarch Rylan. If Isadora had hidden her feelings, there must be a reason. Besides, he found comfort in his wives and had no interest in pursuing romantic entanglements.
Hearing Orion's words, sweat dotted Patriarch Rylan's forehead, but he quickly composed himself and responded, "Given the current circumstances, if you permit it, having Isadora as your wife would not only add another capable ally but also solidify the Four-eared elves' trust and loyalty in Paradise, knowing their Princess is now married to the Village Chief."
Orion pondered for a moment after hearing this before his expression cleared. "I understand your point, Patriarch Rylan, but I don't think it's going to unfold as you hope," he replied.
Patriarch Rylan furrowed his brows in confusion, unsure of Orion's meaning.
Seeing his confusion, Orion sighed and decided to explain the requirements Isadora would need to meet before becoming his wife.
It wasn't that he opposed taking another wife; with his current large family, anyone joining them had to undergo thorough vetting by his wives, who had the final say. He had personally given them this authority, realizing he couldn't be selfish about his desires when he already had such a wonderful family. Fortunately, Elysia and Maya had suggested the option of having mistresses.
Orion believed in sharing his affections equally among his wives, but he understood he couldn't be omnipresent like a god. Therefore, clear rules needed to be established to ensure everything ran smoothly and didn't descend into chaos.
Thus, the hierarchy of the Mistresses was established: they would rank below the main wives. They couldn't freely enter the family manor unless it was of utmost importance or by direct invitation, and their opinions would carry less weight in Orion's household affairs until they were entirely accepted into the main family.
The reason behind this decision was simple: while they trusted each other implicitly and knew of their mutual love for him, they couldn't extend that trust to other women whose intentions and character were unknown. This system allowed them to filter out potential threats and safeguard the family.
However, this didn't mean Orion's Mistresses wouldn't receive his love equally. He would still strive to treat them with care, albeit acknowledging their secondary status to the main wives. They needed to demonstrate their loyalty to the family and genuine love for Orion to gain additional benefits.
Aerialia also suggested teaching him an oath-based divine technique for his Mistresses.