My Dungeon Life: Rise of the Slave Harem

“Why should I bring you to my lord?” the lioness queen asked.

I blinked, a bit surprised that she’d ask such a question. “To speak with him?”

“Unless you’re surrendering to us, I see no reason to get within a dozen miles of my lore.” She scoffed.

“I have an offer for him that he can’t refuse,” I responded.

“Why should I bother when I could just take you right here?” She took a threatening step forward.

The girls around me immediately responded. Shao pulled out her knives, Celeste flew into the air to gain a vantage point, while Terra stepped forward, and Miki’s tails began to glow with spiritual power. The lioness playfully lifted her hands, appearing more amused than frightened. The other lionesses surrounding us didn’t make a move.

“Oh, my…” She smirked. “So, is this them? You’re so-called harem? Only four?”

“There are more of us!” Celeste cried out defensively.

“Oh, but they couldn’t be bothered to protect their Master, even when he’s in such a perilous situation.”

“They have their duties, and we have ours.” I cut in. “If you attack, you won’t be able to keep me here.”

“Maybe…” She shrugged. “Maybe not. From my side, the rumors of you being the next big harem master have left me disappointed. I see no one here worthy of being anything more than a toy for my lord.”

“Are you looking to die?” Shao shouted with a red face.

The lioness gave her a dismissive look. “If I were to die, it wouldn’t be behind a filthy demon like you.”

“What did you say?” Shao started to move forward, but I brought out my hand and grabbed her arm to stop her.

The lioness’s face only became more mocking. “You have to even physically restrain your harem to keep them under control. No command. No order. It is pathetic.”

“First, enough of this. Our lord has already said to accept any envoy the Chalm Lord sent to beg for safety.”

A flash of irritation appeared on the lioness’s face as she shot a look at another woman. I was surprised to see this woman wasn’t a lioness at all. She wore a long robe that exposed some cleavage and had a pointed hat on her head. If she reminded me of anyone, it would be Siti. That led me to theorize that she must be a magician. More than that, she was human.

“Second, don’t overstep yourself.” The lioness’s voice contained an edge of danger.

The other woman wasn’t phased at all, nearly giving a tilt of her head. “I would never think to lose my place. Third through Tenth are all held by your pride of lionesses. However, I’m merely reminding you that it is always my lord who leads us all, not you.”

“First, Second, Third? What’s with that?” Miki whispered.

“It is our names.” The lioness addressed them. “When we give ourselves to our lord, we shed our names as part of our devotion. His most loyal and his favored are given numbers, a measure of our position in his heart.”

“Of course, as a lionkin himself, my lord has a predisposition toward lionesses.” Second broke in, causing the leader named First to grimace. “However, perhaps I’ve started to change his disposition.”

“Watch your place, Second.”

“Always…” She smiled.

“And I thought we had problems,” Shao whispered.

First’s expression became even darker before she gestured. “Go! We will lead you to my lord. He will be the one to decide your fates!”