Thread 6316474

To most, the idea of being reincarnated into another world was a mere fantasy.

But to you...

It was reality.

Your name is John Doe, and a few months ago you got hit by a truck. After your death you met Herta, the beautiful (and perverted) Goddess of Artifice. She told you that you needed to pick a cheat skill before she could send you to one of the many generic isekai worlds available.

"Because that's heavenly policy!" She'd said.

But instead of picking between those boring options, you took the Goddess Herself and brought her with you to a world of her own creation.

This universe of hers was slapped together with 'tags' and generic fantasy themes. Some might scoff at the abundance of stale tropes and cliched genres, but things were just the way you liked them.

Well, you were still getting used to the unfamiliar logic and morality of this brave new world. Beyond being mere ideas that were held by people, these conceits extended deep into cultural thought, sculpting history and even shaping the laws of physics.

But that wasn't all this universe had in store: Soldiers, airships, mechs, clockwork robots, walking artillery units, all of these and more marched from their homeland's borders to fight in a neverending skirmish against their enemies.

Yet these modern conflicts were petty when compared to the Demon Lord's invasion. So great was that war, that the scars from that era lingered like a thorn on the side. Corruption magic threatened to destroy everything if not purged whenever it was found, despite it being many millennia since the demons were vanquished. This evil magic will grow and fester if no precautions were taken. Thankfully there were many organizations in the world that dealt with these sorts of things.

Today, gold poured from the coffers of nations as everyone clamored to get a slice of the goods and weapons available. In spite of the constant wars and battles, commerce flowed through the planet, giving and taking away fortunes in an instant.

These realities gave testament to some of this universe's priorities - war, trade, and steampunk tech.

And that didn't even mention what is blatantly the most important of this universe's conceits: Slavery. It was a fact of life. Everyone you'd met in this world approved of it and spoke about it like it was the most common thing in the world. Which, in this world's context, made perfect sense.

As Freeborn Men are people, thus women and the lower classes are considered property. Although one could argue that slavery in this world was not the same type of chattel slavery that might pop into your mind whenever someone in your old world mentioned the word 'slave'. Providing evidence to support that theory, the Bondage Accords, which are a sort of international agreement most nations adhered to, granted certain protections to the enslaved despite their legal status as objects.

And as odd as it might sound to those unfamiliar with how this universe was run, most slaves found joy in their bonds. You'd go as far as to say that this system of slavery was one of the most important aspects of this world's stability. Slaves, especially slave-wives, are generally happy about their lot in life and would defend the structure of slavery against any that threatened it.

You didn't doubt that Herta was to blame for the state of things. Especially since she gave the 'happiness in slavery' tag tons of weight.

Apart from that, and apart from what you could expect, like catgirls and elves and giant mechs, this world had elements that weren't too common in most isekai. For example; the male to female ratio was skewed with women making an overwhelming part of the population. It was common practice for Freemen have harems. This was further encouraged by the droves of desperate women that wanted to be under a Master-husband.

Again, you knew that a certain perverted goddess caused the world to be organized this way. And if the amount of perverted women you came across was any indication, then Herta's influence on her creation was stronger than she thought. Despite how ignorant she was about the very things she brought into existence, you could safely say that a large chunk of the global population of women looked up to her as an example to be followed.

Not that you were complaining. All of these facts were conveniently to your ambitions of having a harem of consenting slave girls. But managing them, in addition to all the other stuff you had to do, could be draining. Sometimes literally.

But having their unconditional love and seeing them happy made it all worth it. Not to mention how nice it felt to have a bunch of beauties devote themselves to you.

Following classic reincarnation tropes, you decided to get a gaggle of beautiful women to pamper you. There were times, however, when you wondered if you were the one spoiling them instead of the other way around. It was obvious that your presence and attention boosted the morale of your wives, making you suspect that your domineering personality (which caused you problems in your past life) was considered attractive to the women of this world.

Whatever the case, you loved all eight of your slave-wives.

Being surrounded by people that truly cared about you helped soothe your soul. The constant and unwavering love Herta showered you with cured you of your fears of intimacy. She and the rest of your slaves' affections helped you open up your heart to others again. Even though you'd only been living in this world for a few months your past life felt like a distant memory.

Anyway, you considered how far you've come since arriving here. Though you worked hard for this peaceful life, admittedly much of what you had was because of Lunacy Savantae and your status as a Savant.

Most everyone knew about Savants and Lunacy Savantae. Anyone could tell you that it was a rare condition which allowed those under it to understand divine engineering. Savants could build amazing machines, structures, and contraptions using the 'madness of creation' as a guide. It also granted superhuman strength, focus, and stamina while active, and opened up your ability to enchant items almost like an artificer. Since you were already decent at building stuff, it made sense that your Lunacy Savantae increased your talents to an exponential level. Everything created while under Lunacy Savantae's influence was usually difficult to put into words, even though you understood how it worked in your mind. For example, your clockwork soldiers, which you called clankers, were impossible to build with standard engineering. Then there was your pride and joy, the BoatMech, which was a massive mech that was your Bonded Vessel. It was also impossible to explain to non-Savants, although if one was smart enough it was possible to learn how to pilot it. And that didn't even touch the smaller household robots and countless magical artifacts that defied conventional logic. Even Herta's sewing robots proved hard to explain to the average person, despite not being too different from actual sewing machines.

Savant or not, you didn't stop your tireless working. You'd make sure your home would be safe for the children you were gonna have.

Thanks to your and your wives' efforts, your estate finally had a semblance of security. No longer did you have to worry about goblins, bandits, undead, or the golems that patrolled the dungeon beneath your manor. Even the high level Monster Rooms that gathered around the mountainous periphery of your territory were quashed.

Not having anything urgent to worry about was a rare blessing. There wasn't much going on other than preparing to rescue your catgirl's dad, planning your wedding to an elvish princess (that also happened to be a Saintess), and getting rich using your modern day knowledge. So yeah, your secretary could clear your schedule for the time being. You were gonna take it easy.

But these moments of peaceful laziness had an expiration date. You were currently scheming against the ugly bastard that forced your feline father in-law to work hard labor in the mines.

Also no less relevant was your marriage to that elvish princess. While she was already your slave-wife, you needed her father's blessing. You'd hold your wedding with her once she finished her studies. A private ceremony, that the Goddess of Creation Herself would preside over, was being planned by you and your wives.

The time for action was soon approaching, since next week you were gonna meet with your elf wife again in the Centrian City hopefully to clear everything up and bring her to your estate.

And you couldn't forget the meeting you scheduled with your other dad in-law, following up on the aluminum deal you made with the kitsune. Then there was the question of whether you wanted to counter Rostchilde's moves while he was in Centria. And you were also tempted to find out what the hell was going on with the Academy.

Your next trip to the City of Merchants was gonna be a busy one, that was certain.

Alright, that was enough thinking about the past and the future. Best to focus on the present. It was deep into fall, and the air was getting chilly... what were you doing right now?

>Hanging out with Herta and Bertha. You three were chatting about the wedding you and Aila were gonna have. Bertha talked about all the food and pretty clothes she wanted to make for the occasion, while Herta considered a few different things as she thought about the event.
>Discussing Continental civilization and magic with Ruby Rose and Yumi. There was some emphasis on Eastia and your findings with the Orb, especially since you and Ruby were scheming against Rostchilde. Yumi was surprisingly knowledgeable when it came to Eastia.
>Overseeing the fighting techniques Cattleya and Ayane were working on. Both women even did a few mock battles against each other. They convinced you to referee a few of these fights.
>Working with Mel and Gerty. While preparing to build the wall, Gerty used the construction clankers to assemble a temporary obstacle course for Mel. Your Holy Knight assured you that she was gonna consult you before she began building, though you three were talking about what the estate might look like in the future.
>(Write-in).

Archive:
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Timeline (incomplete):
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My updating schedule varies, but I aim for writing at least every other day and not any later than 3 days.

>>6316474 (OP)
Welcome back QM, almost thought you were gone
>>6316499
>Discussing Continental civilization and magic with Ruby Rose and Yumi. There was some emphasis on Eastia and your findings with the Orb, especially since you and Ruby were scheming against Rostchilde. Yumi was surprisingly knowledgeable when it came to Eastia.
High intellect talk

>>6316499
He lives! Welcome back NotIseQM. Now I dont have to write in victorian english missing QM post to QTG.

>Hanging out with Herta and Bertha. You three were chatting about the wedding you and Aila were gonna have. Bertha talked about all the food and pretty clothes she wanted to make for the occasion, while Herta considered a few different things as she thought about the event.

The wedding is next week if am not wrong so time to make Aila very happy.

I think I'm in pre-harem pre-isekai living. I need to get to the other world and harem, I know God already knows exactly what I'm looking for however if you all can help please do!

After getting a bad dose of the Curse I'll admit that some bad scheduling on my part was also to blame I'm finally back again. As always I'm open to any questions and comments you guys have.

I'll keep the vote open for a few more hours, then I'll start the runoff/roll off if there's still a tie.

>>6316517
>>6316520
Sorry about disappearing for longer than expected. Thank you both for the welcomes!

>>6316625
Gotta grind irl happiness to get your waifu.
Shitposting aside I hope you find some fun here in qst.

>>6316499
Got a little bit concerned but wasn't worrying. I know you ain't going nowhere.
>Hanging out with Herta and Bertha. You three were chatting about the wedding you and Aila were gonna have. Bertha talked about all the food and pretty clothes she wanted to make for the occasion, while Herta considered a few different things as she thought about the event.
We are gonna make sure this is the best wedding ever and the chances of any hitches are zero. Even if that will jinx it.

>>6316499
>Hanging out with Herta and Bertha. You three were chatting about the wedding you and Aila were gonna have. Bertha talked about all the food and pretty clothes she wanted to make for the occasion, while Herta considered a few different things as she thought about the event

You good QM?

>I violently shit myself and cry before scanning the room for witnesses.
>There are many..

>>6318487
Yeah I'm alright. Sorry about taking so long without saying anything, some technical software issues made it hard for me to post and use my computer, and I got a bit of a scare about losing my notes. Thankfully I have backups, not that I really needed them since I got my original notes back.
I'm just just checking over I've written and I'm doing some last minute editing, I'll update soon.

After not coming here since that 4chan blackout, I've caught up again! Would just like to say: I really like this Quest QM, thank you for running it.

>>6318544
Soon as in today? Tomorrow?

>>6318995
Thank you! Glad to have you back!
>Soon as in today? Tomorrow?
An hour or two from now. Knocking on wood.

===

STATUS
Race: Reincarnator (Human)
Class: Mechwarrior
Skills: Appraisal, Devices, Engineering, Perception, Piloting
Abilities: Bonded Vessel [BoatMech], Custom Special [Laevantein], Tinkering, Strategist, Item Enchant

Would you like to replace [Laevantein] with another Custom Special ability?

A familiar sensation tugs at your mind as your status board, and with it the expected prompt about changing your ability, suddenly popped up. You give your it a quick look.

You had a decent understanding of how [Custom Special] worked, but the fundamentals of the status board remained clouded in mystery. Not even Herta was clear about these sorts of things. Though in her case it was likely for a lack of trying than it being beyond her potential comprehension.

Although her understanding of things slowly increased over time, it was hinged on her worries about the hereditary effects a Fertility Blessing could have on your descendants. This led to the Goddess of Artifice finding more about cursed and blessed skills. And of these, the difference between those that were permanent, the hereditatry ones, compared to those that were temporary.

You knew she wouldn't fully dedicate herself to research anything if it wasn't something you asked for or something either of you worried over. Her hobbies, when not happily following your orders, mostly revolved around creating things or in finding ways to please you. These weren't mutually exclusive things.

But beyond any idle theories your slave-wives might have, you considered the practical uses your tangible game-like powers had. You realize that you hadn't used the Laevantein much since you chose the weapon.

It was was around time to replace it with something else, as was your tradition to switch your skills if only to check out the new abilities available. Yet you couldn't fully discard the desire to use your cool flaming sword-whip for something other than practice and mob enemies.

Upon summoning and wielding the Laevantein, you felt the expected heat radiate even while the flames were inactive. It's whip-like state hung limp like a rope of embers that stretched unnaturally— and these in turn hardened to flames as you switched it's mode to a sword-like form.

A precise use of mana, good hand-eye coordination, and enough spatial awareness were all needed to control the fire's output and actions. The shift between configurations was easy enough, only requiring a thought while you held the hilt.

Though it was a hard weapon to master you, couldn't deny how fun it felt to use. The temptation to go out and hunt down demons and vampires rose considerably every time you swung it around.

But then again you were still curious about what your [Custom Special] choice-buffs would look in practice.

Herta and Ruby had worked on the research and given you their best theories, but this was as good of an opportunity as any to test things out. You knew you'd get a larger selection of options and have whatever ability you choose influence the BoatMech in some way. Lacking a proper battle for your BoatMech, you hadn't tested much of the latter. But the implications for it's potential remained untapped.

Even the one choice that wasn't focused on, the "flexibility to choose a past ability", was slowly being worked on by your goddess and your mastermind. Ruby in particular reminded you of the potential breakthrough that would soon come when [Custom Special] became more understood.

Still, the holographic question hovered in front of you.

>Keep it. Stick with what you know. (Keep Laevantein for now)
>Swap it out. Get something fresh. (Will offer a choice next update)

===

You decided to follow the chatter of two women that were talking up a storm in the kitchen.

Cans and jars lay strewn around the room, top of tables and counters and whatever else had space for them, causing a semblance of organized chaos to spread. Bertha had been busy making pickled vegetables and canned fruits for long storage.

Not to say that was all she was doing. For the past couple of days she served you and the others the magically preserved meals she was experimenting with. Injecting mana into certain foods could give it a subtle change in taste, and this was especially the case with some squid meat you had to spare from turning the kraken into a trophy. Her cooking remained delicious — though that was more of a testament to her culinary talent than any form of magic that preserved freshness.

Herta on the other hand was just hanging around. She lazed about and bragged about herself. Although calling it laziness might be inaccurate; it was more like she was resting. While the construction of the dam was stalling, it wasn't completely idle. Even as she made almost empty references to the river she was planning to use, her progress on building powerlines and looking into what materials she should use was going well enough. And, to the surprise of most, she and Gerty were competing for the use of the construction clankers.

After a considerable amount of grumbling and pouting from your cute goddess, you were finally able to convince her that there wasn't any shame in using construction clankers to build things. Despite how much she boasted about her own power, and of how useful and essential she was to you, you could tell that her movements were getting more and more labored with each passing day. Compounding on this was her lack of sleep. This was mostly thanks to the overzealous kicks your children keep doing, almost as if they were conspiring to be active whenever she lay down to sleep.

That, how often her mana ran out, all the impromptu naps she had to take and all the pleading she made to get some of your massages were all proof that even a goddess had her limits.

On the plus side, her already impressive chest had been swelling as she became closer to motherhood. Her orbs became full with the nourishment your twin children would one day need.

Not to say Herta was fragile. She's the only wife of yours that was a Savant like you. It might be more accurate to say that you're a Savant like her, since she, as the Goddess of Artifice, was responsible for (unknowingly) creating the phenomenon of Lunacy Savantae. And she had the stamina and resilience of a Savant as well. Phrases like "I can handle more punishment, Master~" would be said to you if she ever thought you were being too 'gentle' with her.

Besides the natural chemistry you and Herta's have for one another, there were other things that brought you two together; how you both entered this world and surviving with each other, the connection you had with her through how she was directly 'communing' with you, led to the uniquely intimate bond you and Herta shared.

You still worried about her sometimes. And not just because of her physical exhaustion.

At first, you thought she had an infinite mana pool. Or at the very least had a nearly endless well of Holy Magic in flowing through her veins. It was true that her Divine Power was massive and could self-replenish much quicker than the average human. Her body practically overflowed with the stuff. Doctor Nicodemus was the one that brought that to your attention, insisting there was a cause for concern. But his scrutiny, and subsequent conclusion, lacked a key element: The fact that she is the Goddess of Artifice. Meaning she was perfectly healthy in that front.

The total amount of mana she had easily overshadowed everyone else's mana. And that was only a fraction of her full powers as a goddess. That didn't mean Herta didn't have limits; she still suffered from the occasional bouts of mana sickness whenever she was too absorbed in the madness of creation, exceeding what she's capable of. This part is why you tolerated her lazing around, since you knew she wasn't taking advantage of condition to skip her job (unlike a certain mastermind).

Potions, whether they be for recovering stamina, healing or even mana, didn't do much to replenish the amount of sheer magic she needed to use. But that said, you felt like you were overlooking something obvious here...

Either way, it didn't really matter. You felt heartened simply by being around her.

She only requested your 'cruelty' in return for her servitude. It was something that you were getting more and more comfortable with. At first glance it sounded superficial, a carnal relationship at best, but she was the only person that cared enough to help you get out of your shell. She'd become someone truly special to you, almost as special as you were to her. Your closest friend, your lover, the companion that always stuck by your side and cheered you on. You felt like you could trust her with anything, and you knew she likewise trusted you the same way if not more.

Of course there were subjects you both still didn't talk about; you with your past and she with her family. Despite this, there was a silent understanding that you'd both be willing to hear each other out one day.

The timing wasn't there yet. This was something that needed to be done at the right moment. Same as any other cliched isekai that had those emotional scenes...

And sure, Herta was an incompetent idiot that could be useless in the worst possible moments. But she was your incompetent idiot. And you loved her still; strengths, faults and all.

Before your thoughts got too sappy and corny, you considered the other woman in the room; Bertha.

Your hammer-wielding warrioress was often called simple-minded, but she had her own charms that made you fond of her.

She was honest, hard working, and her background as a farmer girl gave her some practical experience. These included her cooking and domestic abilities, lessons taught by her family which she happily absorbed. She realized from an early age that in order to make herself useful to any would-be Master-husband she couldn't rely on her basic Warrior class.

You felt lucky that you caught her when you did, since she was ready and willing to devote herself to a man that would care for her. And you weren't planning on letting her go any time soon.

Although you weren't as close to her as you were, say, Herta, it didn't mean you loved your warrioress any less.

Also her body was hot. She was easy on the eyes and soft to the touch, winning the genetic lottery when it came to her looks. Bertha was rightfully grateful for having been blessed to have this. It was a definite positive that you had no criticism of. Her efforts to care for herself showed too, another fact you're grateful of.

Bertha proved to be more hardy than the Goddess, thought that might be because her gestation hadn't progressed as much yet. Still there was no denying that she was the strongest in a fight, even more than the muscle-headed Cattleya. While an excellent fighter, she finds her calling to be the more domestic side of things. Yet she also held many qualities which were in your opinion underappreciated. For starters; she's as loyal as a dog, as she had told you herself. Her honesty was appreciated, though she could be blunt at times. She liked you for who you were with such pure devotion, loving you for the fact that you didn't dismiss her or think less of her even on account of her being a common Warrior class.

You'd made sure to treat her right. And she gave you her heart for it.

Right now Herta and Bertha talked about your future wedding. While Gerty was the main organizer of the event, that didn't mean the other women didn't share their thoughts of the event.

Far from it.

It was the current thing your wives all liked to gossip about. Bertha was the biggest offender when it came to that idle talk, especially when it was about what dresses they were gonna wear and what foods she was planning to make.

You found them mid conversation.

"... and while I was thinking of the divine blessing I needed to come up with, I realized something." Herta said. "A Saintess that's more aligned with the Goddess of Knowledge and Magic suddenly getting a blessing from a superior Goddess like me? That might cause her a bad case of mana sickness. I don't personally care much about her, but Master would be troubled if his slave-princess got sick on his wedding night. But there's nothing to worry about, since a genius like myself already figured out a way to safely bless them! All I'll need to do is make a magic circle over them and pour some Divine Magic through it."

"What?" Bertha frowned a little.

"You know. Sort of like a strainer." Herta tried to provide an example.

"I don't really get it." Your busty warrioress replied. "But Master and you and Gerty know what to do, so I won't-" She noticed your arrival. "Heya, Master!"

"Hey Bertha, Herta. What's up?" You replied, moving some jars from a chair to the floor, taking a seat close to them. "I see you've been busy, Bertha."

"Yup!" Bertha smiled. "I made sure that those things kept their flavor when-"

"Master!" Herta interrupted, turning to you. "I was just talking about the amazing work I was planning and the blessings I was gonna give you and all the things you've done for us!"

"Yeah, I heard." You replied with a chuckle. "How's the dam going?"

"Amazingly!" Herta was quick to respond with enough sincerity to surprise you.

She began to describe the work she'd done and the places she found to start construction. Her suggested location was a strong river that flowed from the mountains, through the forest and into the ocean many miles away from the manor proper. It was around 30 minutes from the new dockyard Herta had built last week. A few other rivers were spread across your territory, mostly sprawling down from the mountainous border connected to Riverdale, but Herta's pick was, she'd claimed, "a good starting point to test out hydroelectricity".

"Those power lines you suggested are brilliant, Master!" Your goddess continued. "And you know it's a great idea when the cute and intelligent Goddess of Artifice is saying it's a good idea!" She gave you a cute smile.

"As if that means much from a worthless pain-addict like you." You replied with a practisedly scummy grin.

"Ah, you're such a cruel Master~" Herta smiled, a lustful expression rising on her features. "I'm only saying this because you wanted to use the river as a power source. So I made a few adjustments on the powerlines on the blueprints. Because of that, the electric flow has become way better! Well, there's actually not that much of a difference, but it is better than before. Harnessing natural electricity will probably never be as useful as it was in your old world, but hey an improvement is an improvement."

Herta was right. Electricity wasn't as good as steam power. You ran the tests yourself.

The steampunk tag this universe was created with. Honestly you didn't fully understand how the laws of physics changed between your previous world and this one. Current experiments to see if making the universe slip a "dieselpunk" tag was possible were still on the backburner. Physics just ended up being another mystery of how this universe worked, so you didn't question it. The fact that Herta was able to even do something about it was impressive, even if she was just relying on her Lunacy Savantae and her divine knowledge to make things more efficient.

Still this was more than you imagined Herta would've usually done. It made you feel proud of her.

"So you haven't been completely idle. Impressive, at least for a foolish goddess like you." You said, giving yourself some airs. Despite Herta's incompetence in almost everything, her talents in certain things tended to shine through. "You've pleased me with your actions, slave."

She puffed up her chest with pride.

The conversation soon returned to the wedding. A few minutes in and ideas were already being suggested.

"I'm guessing it'll be, like, outdoors and stuff." Bertha said. "Because elves love nature, right?"

"The location ultimately depends on Master's wishes." Herta countered. "But if it were up to the bride's family, it'd likely be in a church or a palace."

"Huh? Why?" Bertha asked.

"Aila's a high elf, not a wood elf." You answered for your goddess. "High elves are less in tune with nature than their forest cousins."

"That's right." Herta nodded. "High elves are all nobility. Not just by blood, but in spirit too."

"So they basically like fancy things instead?" Bertha guessed.

Two nods, one from you and the from Herta, confirm it. You decide to open one of the pickled foodstuffs, with Bertha giving a thumbs up when you ask if they're ready to eat yet.

"I thought all elves were super fond of nature and stuff." Bertha spoke idly. "I mean, fairies are related to elves and they're, like, basically made out of nature. Right?"

"Nope." Herta shook her head. "The Fae aren't so connected to elves in this world. Sure, you could argue some relation exists, but it's the same sort of relation that all demi-humans to each other."

"You made some interesting comments about fairies last time you talked about their origins, Herta." You recalled how your goddess offhandedly mentioned how fairies were some sort of afterthought in this universe.

"Well, yeah." Herta answered. "Fae were made from the surplus of divine power that remained after the universe was created, given shape in order to hold all the excess energy that needed someplace to go."

"For real?" Bertha tilted her head, the gears practically whirring in her mind. "That's interesting. I think?"

You and Herta continued to digress about the universe's origins and other things that only Savants might follow. Bertha didn't seem to understand half of what you were both saying, as much as she was trying to keep up.

"Can we talk about the wedding again?" Bertha requested. "All of this Savant stuff is making my head hurt..."

"Oh, whoops." Herta said, then turned to you. "We got a bit carried away. Didn't we, Master~?"

"Don't lump me with the likes of you." You grope her under the table, your words and actions holding enough 'harshness' to force out a cute sound out of her lips. You then turn to Bertha, composing your tone to something friendlier after shooting an apologetic look to your Warrior woman. "I know you've been wanting to learn more about weddings ever since Aila talked about it with us three. I'll answer as much as I know about how they worked in my old world."

"Master, why are you nice to her after you yelled at me!" Herta asked, a pleased tilt in her voice. "That's so unfair!"

"Shut it, you useless goddess." You replied.

"Kyaah, Master is being mean to me again~!" Herta exclaimed with a flush of excitement.

"Hey Master, I'm, like," Bertha said with a smile, "Looking forward to having a stud like you 'teach' me more about weddings~" She granted you a flirty wink.

The wedding's details were discussed again. Behind the topics you already covered, now the location, decorations, the attire and meals that were going to be served, were all brushed upon. Of these, the latter two were already accounted for (mostly by Gerty and Bertha) but the former was more open to consideration.

"So," Bertha continued to hold her smile "Are you guys excited or what? I personally wanna try whipping all the tasty recipes I've been thinking about!"

"I'm looking forward to what you have in store, Bertha." You said with a smile. Your birthday didn't feel like it was long ago but you were still in the mood for some good food; something which Bertha excelled at.

"As long as Master likes the food, I don't mind what I'm being served." Herta smiled. She rarely ate anything other than your 'protein', not caring much for actual sustenance.

"I get that." Bertha nodded. "But, like, if you had to eat, what would you wanna have?"

"Hm." Herta pondered as she closed her eyes. She opened them with a wistful expression. "As a goddess, I don't need to eat. It isn't bad for me to eat every once in a while, there's just no reason for me to. But if I had to choose, I'd like to eat anything that's glazed and coated with Master's thick, white, creamy-"

More than once you had to steer the conversation whenever Herta dragged her fetishes into it.

Thankfully normal topics were picked such as location. As you and Herta stated earlier, high elves weren't as in tune with the forests as their wood elf cousins. But outdoor weddings weren't too unpopular these days in elvish culture, at least according to Aila.

Your upcoming wedding was a common subject in the letters you and Aila shared with each other. Aila wrote of her time in Centria and of how she made connections with your kitsune in-laws and Ponnamie, both of which proved to be surprisingly good resources for her to have at hand. Every letter was laden with paragraphs upon paragraphs of how much she missed you, almost to the point of obsession. But your favorite parts were doubtlessly how she persistently and, despite her best efforts to the contrary, not-so-subtle attempts at asking about what sort of gift you'd like for your belated birthday. You never missed a chance to tease her about this subject in your letters. Besides that, Aila's excitement for the wedding practically bursted from the paper.

She commended you for your choice to make the wedding smaller and more personal, as she worried about how much of a stir it could make if some people caught knew that an elvish princess was getting married to a relatively unknown Savant. But with how your aluminum plans were progressing, you don't think that was gonna be much of a concern for long.

Aila wrote that it wasn't unheard of to not invite anyone from the bride's family, especially in the case that a Savant personally requested that the wedding be a more private event.

Nonetheless your elf considered inviting some trusted family members of hers to the ceremony; her youngest brother and two of her half-sisters. She mentioned that King Aldaron and his third slave-consort, Elleth— her parents— might also wish to attend if Aila's siblings do. If they found the time, that is. Though she could simply give them a formal invitation in order to help give them an excuse to come by. These possibilities were something both Herta and Bertha gossiped about with you about.

You commented about how Herta would be presiding over the wedding as a sort of Patron Goddess. Both of your wives didn't really get what you were trying to imply, so you put it in a way they could understand:

"Are they gonna start thinking we're heretics if we invite them to the wedding?" You voice what you think is a reasonable concern. "And are you gonna try to prove to them that you're the Goddess of Artifice, Herta?"

"Eh." Herta gave a nonchalant shrug. "We'll see what happens. I'm sure it'll all work out somehow."

"Master, I have a thought." Bertha said. "Savants are usually seen as strange- Uh, no offense Master."

"None taken." You said.

"Thanks, stud. So, basically, the elves might just chalk it up as Herta being a high priestess under Lunacy Savantae's delusions." Bertha continued.

"And them believing that won't cause any issues?" You asked.

"I dunno." Bertha said, now her turn to shrug her shoulders. "Maybe Aila will talk to them?"

"Hm." You thought about it.

Honestly, your gut feeling was telling you not to worry to much about it and just go with the flow. It was unlikely that Herta would be believed if she just called herself the Goddess of Artifice.

Herta wasn't subtle about her status as the deity, but she did try to conceal it if you ever specifically asked her to. And with Aila's dad being a type of elf pope-king, you felt some concerns... but that was a bridge you'd cross when you got there.

A positive of holding the wedding in Centria, not that it was your final choice, was the fact that it'd be easier for her family to attend. Her snobbish cousins would likely remain in Centria by that point, long enough to be there for the event if you held it there. Whether this was a good or a bad thing, you couldn't say. Although Aila didn't seem thrilled about the prospect of having them be part of the event.

"I do not hate them" Aila would write "I simply cannot see it ending well if we invite my cousins, or any member of their clique."

This all assumed that you were getting the king's blessing. While Aila assured you that things would go well, she said that it was best if you immediately met with her after landing in Centria to better coordinate. A description of the place was were given, and you made sure to use your Orb to confirm the rendezvous point.

Either way, Aila was almost certain that her mother was planning to meet with you both in person and give her blessing to your wedding.

You decided that Aila would...

>Invite any family members she wanted, including her parents.
>Invite only her most trusted family members to the wedding.
>Not invite anyone, keep this between you and your wives.
>(Write-in).

You knew that Aila didn't necessarily have any preferences for where the wedding would be held, so long as it was romantic. But she seemed surprisingly open to having it at your estate instead of a church or somewhere in Centria. She also thought it was a good excuse for it to be a welcome to her new life in Heaven's Landing, as the start of a new chapter that she would "...cherish and hold close to my heart for as long as I live".

Alternatively, the wedding could be held abroad, likely to a nearby town. She wasn't against this either, but she confessed that these places, even a areas like Centria where her only good memories were of meeting you, she would feel at home if it was something you decided on.

For example, there were large churches and structures in Centria that regularly organized weddings, but with you opting on something smaller, either the castle, Cirrus Tower or the flying island you owned might make good places; the former for how easy it was to hold and traditional, the second because of the stunning view from the top and the last for the memory of having a wedding in the sky (also with the novelty of having a scenic view).

Then there was the possibility of having a beach wedding. It sounded more fun than it did elegant, though there was a certain beauty to be seen when it became sunset, when the waters invited the sun to take a dip. And that's not to mention the island-hopping you could do if you went deep enough into the ocean.

Of course, if you wanted something more humble and rustic, stopping by one of the smaller villages in either Eastia or Westphalia was an option. The closest were Northumbridge to the west and Vonstadt to the east. While Northumbridge was arguably the better option for its more ideal classic, and apparently idyllic-looking, countryside appearance, Cattleya said that Vonstadt wasn't "A half-bad place to get hitched, guv". Despite the latter being a mining town with all the stereotypes of one, your catgirl told you of a small abandoned church that was near a pristine lake.

Ultimately, after having some correspondence with Aila and doing some organizing with the rest of your wives, you decided that you'd hold the wedding... (Future choices will be derived from this one)

>In Centria.
>At your estate.
>Upon a beach/island.
>When visiting a small town.
>(Write-in)

"I didn't know there needed to be so many plans for such a small wedding." Bertha sighed. She really didn't have much care for subtlety. "Now I get why you put Gerty and Rubes in charge of dealing with the boring stuff."

"Yeah, well," You clear your throat "I wanted to make this special for Aila."

Aila was arguably the most shy, clumsy and romantic of all your wives, even giving Mel a run for her money in terms of timidness.

"And not just for her, but this is also something of an event for me." You go on. "I've never had a wedding before." You went to some in your old world, but being part of an actual wedding where you and a cute chick got married? That's a whole different beast. You decided you were were gonna take it in stride.

"When you put it that way..." Bertha's smile beamed with understanding. "Then I wanna make this the bestest wedding possible for Master! Something for him to look forward to! And something to give him happy memories!"

"Yeah!" Herta exclaimed with enthusiasm. "We should make Master's first wedding something to remember-" She paused. "This is Master's first wedding..." A small frown troubled her lips.

"Master~" Bertha spoke to you before you could ask Herta what was wrong.

"What's up?" You said as you opened a jar some fantasy vegetable with a name you didn't bother to remember, and taking a few bites out of it. It tasted good, though it's a little bit on the sweet side.

"Great choice, Master~!" Bertha was enthusiastic. "I heard that if men eat monster walking-sunroot then your sweat starts to smell really strong~"

"Right..." You're taken off guard as you're reminded of Bertha's love for your 'natural scent'. "You should really start writing the names on these jars."

"Don't worry about it, stud~" She gave smile that was more innocent than it had any right to be.

"Anyway," You discarded the offending vegetable "What were you gonna say?"

"Huh?" She blinked, confused, a lightbulb going off in her mind somewhere. "Oh! I was thinking about what you were planning, and I wanna know what sort of stuff elves like to wear.

"It'd be nice to try and match their clothes, sort of like what I did with the kimonos and yukata I made for you and your fox family! I even made a little one for the baby you'll have with Ayane."

That sounded... adorable.

"You might have better luck talking to elves and the kitsune with that one." You answered. "I'll write to Aila about that if you want."

"You would? That'd be super!" Bertha smiled. "Thank you so much, Master~!"

And so you and Bertha went on a bit of a tangent, talking about things like elves being vegetarian and how that affects cooking, the type of decorations you'd like for the event and so on. Her inquiries about wedding traditions and recipes from your old world were proof that she also wanted to make things special for you.

"-I was thinking of making some floral patterns for some curtains, maybe make them a little see-through for the light to come in?" Bertha said. "Sort of like a veil. Speaking of that, if Aila still has her wedding dress then I could ask what material its made out of, right? I mean, if it's the same dress she wore when we met her at her inn room, then-"

Your goddess, deep in thought, began to stir. After some minutes of silently staring at you, she mustered enough confidence to put her thoughts into words.

"Master." Herta interrupts Bertha. The gaze she held at you eyes had an indescribable intensity. "Let's get married."

"But we're already married." You reminded her with a grin. "Or are you taking me for a fool?"

"Ah, um, I'm talking about-" Herta stumbled on her words.

"Spit it out already." You act impatient. Your harshness energized her enough continue.

"I also want to have a wedding with you." She declared.

"Oh?" You were intrigued. "I didn't think you were the type."

"I didn't want to trouble Master with such a demanding, greedy and selfish wish from a pathetic slave like me." She continued, a spark lighting in her eyes. "But we've both taken so many of each other's first times, Master. I want our wedding to be another first for us."

"And you don't think you're being demanding by saying all this?" You teased.

"I'm your first slave-wife." She said with a surprisingly amount of boldness. "And your crowning jewel."

That was what you'd described her as the night you broke the bed with her.

"What, you want a wedding right now?" You said, feeling amused as her face suddenly flushed red.

"It d-doesn't have to be today!" She shyly looked away and fidgeted "I just want to have the honor of being the first slave-bride you have."

It was rare to see Herta so demure.

>"Bertha, can you make a wedding dress to fit Herta?" You'll make your cute goddess happy before the week is over.
>"Maybe." You'll tease her about it. There's probably gonna be some opportunity to have it with her before Aila, anyway.
>"Don't be so haughty, Herta." You didn't want to complicate things, and this sounded like it was gonna take a bite out of your time. You'd have to make it up to her somehow.
>(Write-in).

Finally. That was more of a nightmare to post than it needed to be. Sorry about the wait, anons. I'll try to free up my schedule and update sooner next time.
Alright, time for me to pass out.

And we’re back
>>6319085
>Swap it out. Get something fresh. (Will offer a choice next update)
It’s tradition

>>6319171
>Invite any family members she wanted, including her parents.
Leave it to her, it’s her family and by the time we have a wedding it’s basically a done deal so no one can stop us

>>6319252
>In Centria.
Our estate there should be enough to accommodate everyone, and it is a castle. I am also willing to switch my vote to our actual home but we are probably gonna have to do a lot of renovations.

>>6319287
>"Bertha, can you make a wedding dress to fit Herta?" You'll make your cute goddess happy before the week is over.
I am sure the other girls will want one after they see it.

>>6319290
Thanks for the long update, don’t let the curse get you.

>>6319085
>>Swap it out. Get something fresh. (Will offer a choice next update)

I like Laevantein but I want see the selection

>>6319171
>>Invite any family members she wanted, including her parents.

It would be make her happier and I dont see why not, it is not like this is the first time we dealt with our wife's semi-"hostile" family members.

>>6319252
>Upon a beach/island.

Having it middle of the city, feels like defeating the idea of private wedding.

>>6319287
>"It'd be nice to try and match their clothes, sort of like what I did with the kimonos and yukata I made for you and your fox family! I even made a little one for the baby you'll have with Ayane."

Bertha shines in those moments and should clearly be rewarded for her initiative.


>"Bertha, can you make a wedding dress to fit Herta?" You'll make your cute goddess happy before the week is over.

How jealous of her, is she having fears of losing her place to Aila again? No wonder she doesn't talk about her family when she is this "fearful" of her sister's influence on us. Well it's not like we are not already married and this way she WILL be at her best behavior (and happy) turing ours and Aila's wedding.

>>6319082
>Keep it. Stick with what you know. (Keep Laevantein for now)
I'm not too worried, I think it's fine as is for now.
>>6319171
>Invite only her most trusted family members to the wedding.
We did say to keep it small. Only a handful of the closest and most trustworthy family or friends, whoever that may be - she gets to choose who that is.
>>6319252
>At your estate.
It'll make the logistics and prepwork much easier on our end and let our future in-laws scope us and our place out some. The mansion still has plenty of fancy rooms for function hosting.
>>6319287
>"Bertha, can you make a wedding dress to fit Herta?" You'll make your cute goddess happy before the week is over.
Of course. Any of our other wives can also have their own ceremonies with us if they want to do it themselves afterwards. I'm sure Bertha will find it interesting to make a dress that incorporates Herta's fashion "sense" and rather large baby bump.
If she wants to go through the whole traditional marriage thing, I wonder if she'd like to adopt our last name for good measure. I think she'd be very enamoured with the notion of even her name marking her as ours.

>>6319305
I doubt she'll kick up any fuss with Aila, she'll be content so long as she's our First Bride as well as just First Wife. Herta has a critical lack of tact, if she actually felt that Aila was a threat to her position then she'd be much more bombastic about it while this conspicuously OOC behaviour says to me it's her wanting to reassure herself for an important and personal thing that she's realised she really wants as our First rather than to show off or be catty.

>>6319290
Take care. Also, I see the timeline is still providing suitable QM torture.

Caught the thread, nice

>>6319085
>Swap it out. Get something fresh. (Will offer a choice next update)
Gatcha addiction is strong.

>>6319171
>Invite any family members she wanted, including her parents.
Long as they're aware it's going to be small it should be alright.

>>6319252
I'm fine with any location that'll make her happy, so I'll back any vote that wins.

>>6319287
>"Bertha, can you make a wedding dress to fit Herta?" You'll make your cute goddess happy before the week is over.
Interesting. Can't see her getting too unhappy even if we reject it. Especially if we spin it as us entertaining her masochism.

>>6319252
>>6319305
Changing to
>In Centria.

>>6319290
Curse getting you QM?

>>6320693
Yeah a bit.
I'll try to update tonight/tomorrow.

Sorry for the long wait.
A dose of the Curse mostly to help my parents with some legal stuff has been keeping me away from having the time to write.
Hopefully I'll be able to update soon, but I can't make any promises.

>>6321966
It is October, curses are to be expected

>>6321966
I hope you're doing all right still. Tis the season for curses after all.

Happy Halloween!

I was planning to have a small [Halloween Interlude], but I'm feeling like it might be too late for that (and it could drag out the story some). But I'll leave it to a vote.

Do you guys want to have a small (and late) Halloween Interlude?

>Yes. Time for some spooky scary ghost time.
>No. Focus the main story first, it's already been long enough.

>>6321977
Looks like this rang true. October really hasn't been a good month for me lmao

>>6326331
I wish I could say I've been doing alright, but some stuff out of my control has kept me from writing. Soon I'll be back with an update, hopefully tomorrow or later tonight.
Thankfully I've been able to help my parents resolve most of their legal issues, there's just a few things I need to clean up on before I can get back to putting any real effort onto writing again.

>>6326427
>Yes. Time for some spooky scary ghost time.
Fuck it we waited awhile we can wait a bit more

>>6326427
>>Yes. Time for some spooky scary ghost time.
Sure sound good

>>6326427
Happy to hear things with with your parents have mostly been cleaned up and looking forward to having you back soon.

Might as well have the interlude, it's never too late for it. It's been over two weeks, what's a few more days?