Two years later, Metallia, in the Laputa Castle...
“Hmm…!” Kang Chul-In was nervous. “Hmm… hmm…!”
In fact, he was extremely restless.
“Honey… Why are you so restless…? You have to maintain your composure.” Lee Chae-Rin told him.
“That’s right, your imperial Majesty… Please calm down.” Skadi agreed with Lee Chae-Rin.
“Oppa… you are not acting like an emperor now; do you know that?” Han Ye-Sun, who had become his fourth wife after Skadi, also reprimanded him.
“Why are you so distressed!?” Desdemona, his fifth wife, pouted.
“What?” Hecate, his sixth wife, had a strange look on her face. “My husband had this side to him?”
She was right. Truly, the current Kang Chul-In did not seem like the emperor at all. Nobody would believe that he was the ruler of Pangaea. He had restless eyes, cold sweats, and fidgety fingers. In fact, he didn’t even act like a man. However, he had a clear reason for that.
“Heung… should I get pregnant too? Will he be this anxious at that time, too?” Hecate narrowed her eyes and spoke.
“What? Pregnant?” Desdemona turned around to face her. “Hey, Hecate. What are you saying?”
“What’s wrong, elder sister?” Hecate asked.
“There’s an order to everything, don’t you know? How can the youngest get pregnant earlier than the older ones? Huh?”
“Why not?”
“W-What!?”
“Who says there’s an order to who gets pregnant first?”
That was right. Kang Chul-In was nervous because of a pregnancy. To be exact...
“Kyaaaaaa!”
Ninetails, his first wife, was about to give birth!
“Are you telling me that you will have a baby before me?” Desdemona asked Hecate again.
“Why not?” Hecate replied curtly.
“You…!” Desdemona was about to explode due to Hecate’s disrespectful behaviour.
“Kyaaaaa!” Ninetails’ scream echoed from within the delivery room.
“Wah~! Wah~!” A baby’s cry could also be heard.
“...!” Kang Chul-In’s eyes gleamed.
“...!” Lee Chae-Rin, Skadi, Han Ye-Sun, Desdemona and Hecate had similar responses. Kang Chul-In’s first child was finally born!
Sometime later, the midwife came out from the delivery room with a baby wrapped around in cloth. She showed Kang Chul-In the baby.
“Congratulations, your imperial Majesty!”
“C-Congrats…! R-Right…!”
“It’s a healthy boy!”
“...!”
“You have an imperial prince, your imperial Majesty!”
It was a joyous occasion. An imperial prince? He was a blessing for the royal family and the empire.
“Oh no… I was hoping that it was a girl...” Kang Chul-In mumbled to himself. It seemed like he had an intrinsic love for daughters.
“Y-Your imperial Majesty?” The midwife was bewildered. “Y-You have an imperial prince… so how could you…?”
“N-No.” Kang Chul-In quickly withdrew his words. “Come, pass me the baby. Let me take a look.”
“Yes, your imperial Majesty.” The midwife passed him the baby in the cloth.
“Let’s see… my son...” Kang Chul-In gently swept the cloth away to face his newborn son.
“This boy… is my second child…!”
The baby was extremely cute. In fact, he already had the facial traits and the potential to grow into a handsome man. As expected from having Ninetails and Kang Chul-In as the parents.
“Who would have thought… that I would be… a father…?”
Kang Chul-In was deeply moved. A child? Although he was the Emperor now, he had grown up poor without a father. Therefore, the thought of becoming a father had never crossed his mind. However, now he was one.
“Kya!” Suddenly, the baby looked at Kang Chul-In and smiled, as if he knew that the awkward man was his father!
In addition...
Swish~! He even wagged his white and soft tail.
“T-Tail!?” Kang Chul-In was shocked. “My son… has a tail…! W-What’s going on!?”
The midwife replied, “Your imperial Majesty, the first Queen is a fox-human. Isn’t it natural for the imperial prince to have a tail?”
“R-Right…!” Kang Chul-In agreed with the midwife and nodded.
At that moment,
“Here comes the Great Empress and the imperial princess Arshelly!” A servant shouted. Park Sun-Ja and Arshelly entered the room.
“Son!”
“Father!”
Kang Chul-In showed the newborn baby to his mother and his precious first child.
“Mother, look. He’s your grandson. Arshelly, you too. He’s your younger brother.”
Park Sun-Ja and Arshelly looked at the baby with curiosity.
“Oh, look at him! He has a tail!?”
“S-So cute!”
As expected, Park Sun-Ja and Arshelly were extremely delighted to see the imperial prince.
“Hmm…!” Kang Chul-In was proud.
It was a moving scene. So that was why everyone would be delighted and congratulated the parents when a baby was born? Of course, most parents would suffer financially later on, but that failed to apply to Kang Chul-In. He was the emperor of Pangaea and the savior of Earth. Money would never be a problem for him. Kang Chul-In could raise 10, or even 100, children without an issue.
“Your imperial Majesty.” The midwife spoke. “You have to give him a name.”
“N-Name?”
“According to this continent’s tradition, your imperial Majesty should be the one to name his imperial prince on the spot.”
“Is that so...”
“Yes, your imperial Majesty.”
“Hmm… w-wait… let me… think about it.” Kang Chul-In pondered for a moment. “This child will be called… Jun-Bae.”
That was the baby’s name.
“Jun-Bae. So he will be Kang Jun-Bae...”
At that moment,
“No!”
“Honey, what are you doing! That’s child abuse!”
“Daddy! That’s too hick-ish of a name!”
“Son… that’s not good...”
“My husband’s naming sense… is so shitty.”
“Oppa… that’s really not good...”
Kang Chul-In received an inundation of criticism.
“Eek!”
Only then could Kang Chul-In realize that he had made a mistake. They were right. Jun-Bae? What kind of hick name was that?
“I-I...” Kang Chul-In swiftly walked towards the delivery room. “I have to go tell Ninetails that she has done well...”
He was trying to escape irresponsibly by running away after making a fuss!
***
Two years passed since Jun-Bae was born. Kang Chul-In’s life was uneventful.
“Hmm… paving roads on Esmeralda? The budget’s a little tight...”
Deep into the night, the Emperor was burning his midnight oil in his office.
“Your imperial Majesty, do rest for a while.” Alfred the Vampire butler persuaded Kang Chul-In. “It’s already 4 am. You can stop doing...”
“I wish I could.” Kang Chul-In looked extremely fatigued. “Look.”
Kang Chul-In then pointed at the enormous pile of work, which could even touch the ceiling.
“I still have a lot of work to do.”
“Y-Your imperial Majesty...”
“If I don’t settle these by this week… then I may be nagged to death by Timothy...”
“Haha...”
“At least before the morning assembly...”
Kang Chul-In then brought his attention to the paperwork again.
Scribble, scribble scribble! His quill pen moved busily across the paperwork.
Damn it… I want to quit already. Kang Chul-In bit his lower lip tightly. This is not what I expected...
There were so many things that an emperor had to do, and paperwork was the most troublesome of them all. Scanning through the paperwork and signing them already took the whole day. Kang Chul-In found it agonizing to devote at least 10 hours to paperwork alone, but that was the reality. There was a huge discrepancy between his expectations and reality.
***
Another year slowly passed by.
“Ah!” Arshelly screamed, and Mitra was dropped onto the floor. A black demon sword barely touched Arshelly’s neck.
“Daughter, you still have a long way to go.” Kang Chul-In smiled.
“F-Father...” Arshelly gave a disappointed expression.
Already seventeen, she was extremely beautiful. In fact, she was the most beautiful woman in Pangaea. She was the living embodiment of the term ‘peerless beauty!’ To top it all off, her nickname on Earth was ‘Squid [1] maker.’ It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that her beauty was insurmountable in both worlds.
Little girl.
Kang Chul-In was proud of Arshelly. It wasn’t because she had grown into such a fine woman. It was more because of her lovely attitude and demeanor. Arshelly was diligent. She was so busy that even Kang Chul-In had to make an appointment at least two or three hours beforehand to see her.
Studies, heir lessons, magic, and swordsmanship. She refused to neglect any of them. Arshelly was truly the ‘all-rounder.’ Furthermore, she had such a great passion for martial arts that she received one hour of personal training from Kang Chul-In every morning.
How could Kang Chul-In not adore Arshelly? Even after Jun-Bae was born, Arshelly and Kang Chul-In had a special relationship.
“My daughter.”
“Yes, father.”
“If you lack weight, overcome it with your flexibility. Don’t try to force what you can’t.” Kang Chul-In advised Arshelly. “A real master can turn their weakness into strength, but that is only applicable after a certain skill level. Don’t be greedy. A swordsman can never be greedy.”
“B-But...”
“...?”
“I want… to be strong too...”
“Hmm?” Kang Chul-In was puzzled. “You are already good enough to win against most people in this empire, so what do you mean?”
He was right. Across the whole of Pangaea, not even five people could defeat Arshelly. She was that strong. It was as expected from Kang Chul-In’s eldest daughter...
“I want to be strong like you, father...”
“Hmm…!”
“You are just too strong… I feel like I can never catch up to you.”
“Haha...” Kang Chul-In let out a bitter smile. All he could do was laugh. He understood where Arshelly was coming from, but she could not replicate his strength with talent and hard work alone. In order to reach his level, one had to go through countless battles and life-threatening experiences and overcome bitter failures.
That wasn’t all, either. Luck was another essential factor. Therefore, it was impossible for Arshelly to obtain Kang Chul-In’s strength no matter how hard she tried.
“Daughter.” Kang Chul-In spoke gently.
“Yes, Father...”
“I know how you feel, but… aren’t you being a little impatient?”
“T-That’s true...”
“Slowly.” Kang Chul-In consoled Arshelly. “I know that you want to protect the empire, but you can’t gain that strength overnight. You know it too, don’t you?”
“I do...”
“Slowly. Step by step. Getting strong quickly is good, but such a strength is bound to come with weakness.”
Anyone could say that. However, it was different when Kang Chul-In was the speaker. He was the supreme being. In fact, Kang Chul-In was almost to the point of becoming a divine existence who ruled a world called Pangaea. This led to a new cult in both Pangaea and Earth that worshipped the Emperor being created. If Kang Chul-In said so, even the most theoretical speech could become an inexorable truth.
It was because Kang Chul-In had experienced almost everything that a human possibly could.
“Yes, father!” Arshelly nodded. “I will take note! I shall not be impatient!”
“That’s my girl.” Kang Chul-In patted Arshelly’s head.
Blush! Arshelly’s face turned pink.
“I believe in you, Arshelly. And I love you.”
“I love you too, daddy!”
Kang Chul-In and Arshelly, the two of them had an unbreakable bond.
***
“Hah…!”
With a moan, “O-Oppa...” Han Ye-Sun threw herself into Kang Chul-In’s arms. “I… f-feel so… good… I almost… l-lost… my mind...”
“Haha…!”
“Oppa… you are really… the best… no other men can compare to you.”
Han Ye-Sun had just experienced the greatest pleasure.
“Oppa...”
“Go on.” Kang Chul-In gently stroked Han Ye-Sun’s hair.
“Do you know?”
“What?”
“You are… really good… be it our high school days or now.”
“Good at what?”
“N-Night time stuff...”
“...!”
“No matter how much I think about it… you are just gifted at this...”
That was the best compliment that a man could receive. Apparently, Kang Chul-In was a ‘true man’. There were ‘big and beautiful’ men around, but none of them could imitate Kang Chul-In’s technique. He could make any woman squeal in maximum pleasure. That was why his wives always wished for his services. In fact, they had to draw lots to decide who would spend the night with Kang Chul-In on Sunday. This was an inexorable proof of Kang Chul-In’s incredible virility.
“Well, that...” Kang Chul-In replied awkwardly. “I was born like that, so what can I do…?”
“Hmph! Playboy!”
“...”
“You don’t even get tired!”
“Haha…!”
Battery wasn’t the only thing that was powerful and lasted long.
“Oh right, oppa.” Han Ye-Sun changed the topic. “Regarding that...”
“What?”
“Aren’t you going to look for the Needle of the Empress?”
“Well...” Kang Chul-In pondered for a moment. “I plan to leave it there.”
“Why?”
“I’m quite sure that the Empress’ memories lie in it.”
“Brynhildr, the wife of the Emperor of Blood and Iron? Whom I am presumably the reincarnation of?”
“I think so.” Kang Chul-In deduced that Han Ye-Sun was the reincarnation of Brynhildr. The fact that she often had dreams about events that were 1000 years ago, and that she could form a strong bond with Arshelly supported his theory.
“Just leave it there?”
“That would be better.”
“Why?”
“Because… you are my first love.”
“...!”
“Han Ye-Sun is my only first love, not some woman with Empress Brynhildr’s memories.”
“O-Oppa…!”
Kang Chul-In had no idea how Brynhildr could reincarnate without the Wheel of Three Lives, but he did not wish to overwrite Han Ye-Sun’s memories with Brynhildr’s.
“I want Han Ye-Sun to be by my side, not Empress Brynhildr.”
“Oppa…!” Han Ye-Sun threw herself into Kang Chul-In’s arms. “I love you…!”
“I love you, too.”
Kang Chul-In then strongly pulled her over.
“O-Oppa?!” Han Ye-Sun was surprised. “S-So fast?”
Kang Chul-In’s second assault (2) had already begun.
***
“Welcome, husband.” Desdemona welcomed Kang Chul-In from her bed. “What’s the theme today? Acting? Or SM? Or...”
“Ha...” Kang Chul-In covered his face with his hands. “Please...”
“Hmm?”
“Can you do something about your perverted taste…?”
Kang Chul-In had to face a dilemma every Friday, which was when he had to spend the night with Desdemona. Desdemona was a pervert. As expected from a dragon, she had an eccentric taste that preferred ‘hard’ plays.
“I-I was wrong… forgive me… master!” “O-Oink…!” “Woof woof!” “I am my master’s loyal...”
She was a total masochist, which always troubled Kang Chul-In.
“I don’t want to… I like being handled rough...” Desdemona pouted. “I like to be dominated… hehe...”
“...”
“So do me as you please today as well...”
“Hold on, before that.” Kang Chul-In cut Desdemona off. “Can you at least change your appearance?”
“Hmm?”
“Even if you are thousands of years old… Your current appearance… I just can’t.”
“Ah, this childish appearance? ”
“...”
“What’s wrong? You don’t have a loli kink?”
“Are you kidding me…?” Kang Chul-In was flabbergasted. Desdemona had polymorphed into a girl who looked at most thirteen. Kang Chul-In felt uneasy making love with her. Furthermore, Arshelly had once been kidnapped by the psychopath pedophile, Sheville Polanski, before, which reinforced Kang Chul-In’s uneasiness. In fact, he had established a terrifying law that entailed the castration of pedophiles.
Kang Chul-In loathed pedophiles that much.
“But I’m a dragon, you know?”
“Still...”
“I’m not even a minor! Strictly speaking, I’m the criminal here! I’m at least 7000 years older than my husband!”
“...”
“Heh… you are the younger one here… I’m gonna eat you up…! Hehehe.”
“Ahem…!”
Desdemona seemed to have no intention of polymorphing into another appearance.
Damn it...
Kang Chul-In was caught in a dilemma. He felt uneasy going to bed with Desdemona, but it was impossible to argue with her. After all, she was right; Desdemona was the older one in the relationship.
“Well, then. Stop complaining and… Break. Me. As. You. Always. Do! “
Desdemona waved her dragon butt at Kang Chul-In.
“No.” Kang Chul-In shook his head. “Not today.”
“Huh? Y-You won’t!?” Desdemona frowned.
“Why!? Why not!? Why~?” She then began to sulk.
“Still a no.”
“W-Why!?”
“I have something to tell you.”
“T-Tell… me?”
“Something very important.”
“R-Really…? What is it?”
“Do you still have Erinyes’ programme code?” Kang Chul-In asked.
He had finally shared his thoughts with Desdemona.
[1] In Korea, ugly people are called squid. Squid maker is someone who makes other people look ugly in comparison.