Chapter 138: Syrah

“Your Majesty, please decide how many wives I should have.”

Hearing this, the Emperor wondered if this was some new joke among young nobles. But he quickly shook his head. Ian wasn’t the type to joke like that—he was far too blunt for such games.

Naturally, behaving rudely to a king or Emperor was a death sentence, no matter who you were—even a hero.

“…Do you know I’m a pitiful man who’s lived his entire life with just one wife?” the Emperor asked coldly.

“I do.”

“Then why ask such a ridiculous question? What do you think I’ll say?”

“It doesn’t really matter.”

Ian then explained how he came to ask such a thing. Though married to Stella, he had too many women for whom he needed to take responsibility.

Because Marquis Ian couldn’t exert authority over Duke Stella, he sought the Emperor’s help—someone who could officially give that authority.

After listening to the explanation, the Emperor wasn’t sure whether to be proud of Ian for trying to take responsibility for everyone or to mock him for spreading himself so thin.

After some thought, the Emperor gave a simple answer.

“Do whatever you want.”

“…What?”

“If I told you to marry only one person, would that stop you? I don’t see the point in restricting the thoughts of young people.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Ian had now received the Emperor’s blessing—unlimited freedom to extend his number of wives. Authority from the most powerful person on the planet. No one could stop him now.

With that in mind, Ian hurried off to tell his wife.

***

“Haah…”

Stella let out a deep sigh. Looking at Ian’s face again, she sighed even more heavily.

With a deep scowl on her face, Stella glared at Ian.

“What am I supposed to do with this idiot?”

“My Lady… wouldn’t you consider changing your mind, even now…?”

“…Nelia. Did you hear what he just said? His Majesty’s words weren’t lost on you, were they?”

Stella sighed once more and glared at Ian, who wore an innocent expression like he genuinely had no idea what he had done wrong.

Seriously, who actually says, “If my wife agrees, I’ll ask the Emperor for permission”—and then really goes and asks the Emperor?

She was shocked enough that he managed to get a private audience with the Emperor, but she was even more stunned that Ian hadn’t been executed on the spot after asking such an absurd question.

It meant the Emperor took Ian more seriously than she’d thought.

‘It’s not unusual for powerful people to be executed for this kind of behavior, especially if there’s any justification…’

But Ian’s popularity stemmed from his power. The Emperor couldn’t afford to lose him, didn’t particularly care for politics—and probably had several other reasons.

He was sparing Ian for a number of complicated motivations. Still, she hadn’t expected this outcome.

“Well, Ian. Bravo. Great job. You managed to legally secure the right to have multiple wives before even marrying your first one!”

“It’s not something I enjoy doing.”

“Then tell me—who is this all for?”

“For you. And for the sake of the planet.”

“…What kind of bullsh!t is that?”

Stella tilted her head, clearly baffled. What did the planet have to do with any of this?

Ian calmly explained.

“First of all—Noah. She’s on the same level as the first Emperor, with a 5-star summon.”

“…So? Are you saying the world will end if you don’t accept Noah?”

“Exactly.”

“…Why?”

She couldn’t understand. Stella knew Noah well—she was the type who would sincerely congratulate her, even if she were told Ian was marrying someone else.

There was zero chance that Noah would cause trouble on her own. That much was clear.

“Right now, she’s with us, so no one dares make a move. But if we let her go, the parasites circling her—those who want to use her—will close in.”

“…No way…”

Noah wouldn’t hurt the planet out of anger, but with her pure and trusting personality, she could easily be tricked by some noble.

And if that noble gained her power, they could form a nation powerful enough to rival the Empire.

People seeking new power might betray the Empire to align themselves with it.

“That’s why I have to accept Noah.”

“…Yeah, Noah already agreed. What about the others?”

“Syrah must be included among my wives, if only because of the power she possesses.”

“…I don’t like it, but I’ll accept that.”

“Senior Dinua would be satisfied with being a concubine.”

“Yeah, that senior… Do we really need her?”

At Stella’s pointed remark, Ian fell silent. Noah and Syrah were understandable. But Dinua?

She didn’t have any particularly exceptional summons, nor did she come from a distinguished family. So why include a gloomy woman who had once nearly killed him?

Still, Ian couldn’t bring himself to voice the real reason for wanting her.

‘Dinua has… big b00bs…’

Even though Stella and Syrah weren’t exactly flat-chested, Dinua was on an entirely different level. Her figure lingered in Ian’s mind even when he closed his eyes—and even appeared in his dreams…

Of course, of course—it was absolutely ridiculous to take a w0man as a wife simply because of her chest size.

Any sensible woman, Stella included, would reject him outright for something that shallow.

“Dinua is… our comrade.”

“Yeah, but…”

Stella let out a long sigh, seemingly unable to win this argument, and offered a compromise.

“…Fine. Not as your wife. But I’ll allow her to be a concubine.”

“Will Dinua agree to that?”

“Well, the senior I know… I think she’d be happy with that.”

She tried to act thoughtful, just as Ian had, but in truth, Ian had already gotten what he wanted. Wife or concubine—he’d still be allowed to touch her. That was enough.

Satisfied that he had cleared this hurdle, Ian moved on to the next step: informing each woman of the Emperor-sanctioned marriage arrangements.

***

“I—I’m fine with it…!”

When Ian proposed to her, Dinua trembled with joy and immediately accepted.

She didn’t care that she’d be Ian’s fourth wife, or even that she’d only be accepted as a concubine.

“If someone like me becomes part of your household, it’ll only bring you harm…”

“Why?”

“Because my family is greedy… They’ll definitely try to use you, Ian.”

While it was rare for a count’s daughter to become a marquis’s concubine, Dinua was overjoyed.

Besides, neither Count Erebus nor her family could stop them now. She had been half-abandoned by them from the start—stripped of her inheritance, unrecognized and forgotten.

After notifying Dinua, Ian moved on to see Noah. When she heard the word marriage, Noah blinked in surprise, as if she had misheard, then looked into Ian’s eyes with concern.

“…Are you okay? Are you sick?”

“Sorry?”

“What’s going on… Marriage? With me?”

Startled by the idea that Ian had confessed to her—and not to one of the taller, prettier women around—Noah stared at him in disbelief.

It wasn’t a matter of low self-esteem. Ian had just grown exasperated by the lack of “normal” women around him, and he calmly explained everything to Noah.

“Oh, I’m not the only one getting married?”

“That’s right.”

“Then I’m the second wife… No, a concubine?”

“Not a concubine. You just won’t be the main wife.”

“Then let’s do it!”

Being the second wife? That was fine. Actually, it was better. Noah accepted Ian’s proposal without hesitation.

It was absurd from Ian’s point of view, but the fact remained—every woman he confessed to was agreeing.

‘What on earth are they seeing in me that makes them say yes?’

He tried to reflect on his past behavior. Maybe, as a woman, Noah genuinely admired the man who had accomplished even more than the famed Prince on a White Horse.

Still, it felt strange that they so easily agreed to be second wives or concubines. Either Ian was crazy—or they just had very peculiar preferences.

Pushing his doubts aside, Ian went to speak with Syrah. By now, the rumors of his sudden marriage spree had spread throughout the academy.

“Syrah, there’s something I need to tell you—”

“I’m the last.”

“…Huh?”

“Hmm… I don’t like that…”

Syrah, the sharp-minded assassin from one of the Empire’s elite families, had already gathered the information. She knew Ian had confessed to Stella, Noah, and Dinua before coming to her.

She wasn’t sure whether to feel angry or pleased about being the last on the list.