Harem of Moms and Milkers

A robed mage stepped forward, standing out from the thugs who sneaked behind Asdel’s party. He brandished an insignia and introduced himself pompously.

“Greetings, colleagues. I represent the alchemist guild that regulates the potion market in the Rigard’s region. It has come to our attention that an unlicensed alchemist has been selling unverified medicine, causing great concern over-”

“Let’s ignore them.” Asdel turned around, but a magic arrow struck near his feet. He turned around and glared at the rude alchemist. “Are you serious?”

“If you don’t want to get hurt, hand over your recipes and the inventor.” The guild alchemist got pissed off at Asdel’s attitude.

When adventurers checked their level at church, they bared the list of the creatures they killed for experience points, making murder unlikely in the Congregation. However, humanity was ingenious when it came to crime, and no problem would arise as long as an aberration took care of the kill and soaked all the experience.

The alchemy guild had checked Viola and brought enough F-ranks forces to subdue her. The situation was precarious for the Lucky Slime shop.

Tomoyo's candlespear roared flames, fueled by fury. She looked ready to fight, unlike her usual crying self. "You can't speak like that to master."

’The guild didn't take Severine and the foxfolks in account. The result of the fight isn't so hopeless.’ Asdel looked at Tomoyo with pride.

"Hahaha! How can you be so stupid? Don't you know that the guild is backed by the duke bishop of Rigard-" The mage wiped his tears of laughter when suddenly an impact struck him from behind.

"What happened?" Asdel was confused. 'Is it infighting?'

The pompous alchemist miserably crashed face down, and his crumbling aura exposed his vulnerable back. Propping himself up with his elbow, he angrily shouted at the hired thugs who seemingly betrayed him. "Who did this?!"

A sword skewered his spine. A mysterious man had slipped between the thug and killed the guild's alchemist in cold blood. "Sorry, I couldn't stop myself after hearing this bullshit. Rigard ain't a dukedom, buddy."

Before the hired thugs could even put up a struggle, they also fell to the ruthless blades of a third party.

The inventory of the dead adventurers spilled with loud clinks. All kinds of items scattered on the cold marble floor. Bloody coins rolled on the ground, but not even Amaranth was in the mood to loot.

The group from the alchemist guild was cleared away, and the new third party had Asdel's party surrounded on both sides of the corridor.

The killer took down his hood, revealing his horns. He winked at Asdel. "I hope you didn't mind."

"A devilized heretic? Are you after our alchemist too?" Asdel got tenser.

"How can they barge in the Congregation like that?" Severine was shocked.

"We need to escape." Viola gave instructions to the foxfolks.

The heretic shrugged his shoulders. "Relax, I'm here to help. I'm Ayden from the Rigard Liberation Movement. We have searched for the heir of the Rigard crown for a long time, and we've heard that you had the royal seal despite being an orphan."

The liberation party took down their hood. It was an heterogeneous gathering of humans and devilized heretics. Some were as young as Severine.

Asdel was impressed by the existence of such an organization. "It's already been a hundred years since Rigard fell to Kivar! You guys are really stubborn."

"How can we let go? The Rigard kingdom had always protected the Congregation against Inferno, only to get backstabbed in the end. We didn't want to side with devils, but Kivar exploited the Rigard population without scruples."

"Sure… but what do you want me to do about this?" Asdel knew about the fabricated casus belli because he participated in the war as a player to invade Rigard in the game.

"Join us! I can see you are royalty, given how skillful you are at forging loyal connections. You went as far as going after the alchemy business. The Rigard Liberation will be unstoppable with your talent and resourcefulness. Become the symbol of Rigard's rebirth and claim your family lands back." Ayden passionately opened his arms.

"I heard you offer, and I will think about it. I will give you an answer after I've got mom's permission." Asdel shrugged his shoulders.

Ayden sighed. "Don't be so quick to dismiss us. Look, how long do you have to wait to receive the Allfather's blessing? You don't need to waste time if you make a pact with Inferno! Besides, can you handle the alchemist guild and the bishop on your own?"

It was a seductive offer for Asdel, but Loreley, Severine, and Viola were unlikely to follow. He didn't want to separate just yet.

"What can you do about a bishop? Are you that capable?" He raised an eyebrow.

"We have members with high authority in the Church. See for yourself." Ayden took a step aside.

A woman stepped up and took off her mask. It was Luciella.

"What the hell, teacher?!" Asdel's jaw dropped. His teacher turned out to be a mid-boss.

She spoke apologetically, as if she didn't want to take part in this. "I told you to be more careful, but you didn't listen."

Asdel dodged her criticism. "Don't lie to me, Luciella can't do shit to a bishop. But I'll consider your offer, so can you clear the way?"

'Damn it, they have a rank C on their side. I'm screwed.' Asdel racked his brain to evade this tense situation.

The heretic sighed and walked closer. "Haaa… Perhaps I overestimated you. Let's say your mother refuses to join us, will you obediently stick your neck out for the bishop and die?"

Viola readied a spell. "Stop! Move aside."

Ayden stopped in his tracks. "I'm afraid I can't. Do you know why it was so hard to find the remnants of the royal family? It's because the Kivar nobles hunted them too. You will really lose your life if the bishop sets his attention on you."

"That's my problem. I can just emigrate to another country. Bro, it's not that hard." Asdel snorted. There was a reason why he fostered Tomoyo.

Ayden lifted his sword. "The Rigard kingdom needs you and the royal seal, so I won't let you walk away. You can't leave your decisions to your mother anymore if you wear the crown."

"Relying on women is my specialty. Everyone, run!" Asdel shouted.

'Honestly, they were too dodgy the moment they surrounded us. I have too many things to covet… Royal seal, medicine production, funds from pawning Parting Words, leverage on Loreley. I'll lose everything the moment I get caught.'

Viola's floating box opened, and her real body emerged from it.

"Two Viola?" Severine blurted, finally satisfied to know what was in the box. But for some reason, the hidden Viola had a different vibe than her magic clone.

With a single glance at the real one, men and women alike had their hearts stolen. Combined with a chilling wind, the liberation party became numb and their reaction sluggish.

Asdel's party seized the opportunity and rushed towards Ayden to attempt a breakthrough towards the exit.

"Fools! Mark my words, Kivar will trample on everything you hold dear!" The heretic blocked Viola's way and stared her down. His numbed state made attack moves a lot riskier than defensive ones. But he didn't need to actively hurt them while his other team joined from behind to flank Asdel.

Asdel's party was thoroughly surrounded and stood still.

"Something is wrong." Luciella mercilessly sliced Tomoyo. The foxgirl swirled and vanished.

"Illusions!?" Ayden raged as he slashed the illusory figures.

Asdel and his comrades had sneaked deeper inside the Grave of Flesh while decoys had rushed to the exit. The tailbrush clan was indeed useful.

"Chase after them!" The liberation group ran deeper into the maze-like labyrinth but they slipped on sheets of ice layered with illusion.

Sometimes, their momentum sent them straight into traps and pitfalls, slowing their pursuit.

…

"Hey, it's not the way to the library!" Severine said.

"We can't expose Magdalena, and there's only one way to deal against Luciella." Asdel headed a lot deeper in the rift, rushing past monsters.

Aberrations that Severine had never seen jumped at the party, one more threatening than the other.

It took everything from Viola to slow the monsters with ice magic during their escape. But she had to remain static each time she cast a spell, exposing the party to harrowing struggles to protect her.

“Protect the clan leader!” One of the two foxfolk slaves blocked the quick flurry of slashes from a Bladeclasped with his own body to save Tomoyo.

"Haku!" she screamed.

With his aura broken and torn muscles, he could no longer outrun the crowd of monsters that they had aggro'ed on the way.

"Leave!" His voice was drowned by the group of aberrations that tore him apart.

Tomoyo couldn't stop her tears as she fled in terror. A familiar sense of helplessness tormented her.

…

Approaching their destination, Asdel warned his team one more time. "Don't stare at the big aberration."

Soon, they arrived at the prayer room.

Hollow husks of worshipers sat in the many rows of wooden benches, praying at the huge corpse impaled on a wooden structure.

If the party had a shred of sanity left after rushing past a horde of monsters, then they completely lost it at the sight of the room. Utterly exhausted and scared, they wove their way towards a bench in a corner to hide and pray to survive this ordeal. Even if the physical wounds were restored by medicine, their morale could not withstand the thought of the return trip.

However, the Liberation organization had invested a lot to send so many adventurers in the rift. They even used their secret trump card, Luciella. There was no way that things would end with only reaching this prayer room.

In order to solve this, Asdel walked alone towards the altar. Doubts weighed him down for each step he took on the central alley. His throat tightened as if fear itself strangled him.

’Was it a wise decision to risk everything to decline Inferno?’ Asdel had exposed Severine, Viola, and unrelated people because of his selfish decisions. He even lost a foxfolk slave because Tomoyo was almost taken out. The bitter taste made him angry.

"Vicar Cortel!"¹a boss mentioned in ch 7 and a target from Magdalena's quest he called out, filled with the determination to get revenge.

An aberration wearing bloody black clothes turned around.

"I wish to receive the ritual of Extirpation!" Asdel said.