The Gamer Chapter 1649 – Spending Time (Patreon)

The good thing about having an instant transmission home was that John was not stuck in Prague.

The bad thing about having an instant transmission home was that John was not on vacation in Prague.

“Are ya really going out and working?” Rave asked, once they had finished their post-orgy meal. It was already well into the evening by that point. “We’re on wedding vay-cay. No one’s gonna blame ya for putting your feet up.”

“Except for me, myself, and I,” John answered and sighed. “I’ll try to spend most of my time gaming, but there’s a few things I want to work out first. Namely, contact the kobolds and do my first trade deal with a Kingdom.” He looked over to Ehtra. “Do I have time for both?”

“It will be difficult on the Kingdom visit,” the secretary angel answered. “You have dinner with the Speaker of Commons tomorrow and are expected to review Magnus’ findings right after that. Additionally, Irielz and Maximillian wish to be seen publicly with you at least once before the wedding, preferably on the festival grounds, sober.”

“And paperwork?”

“None at this time.”

John blinked and turned to his secretary. “What do you mean ‘none’?” he asked.

“Are you insulting my capabilities?” Ehtra asked with a scowl, a hand on the generous swing of her hips. “Know, Master, that I used to hammer messages into stone tablets to get them delivered. Your modern means of communication makes my workload a joke.”

“I fully believe you,” the Gamer assured her. He had glanced at Ehtra’s work and had never found anything to criticize. Past her learning the technologies involved, she had filed things at immense speed. Since she was now one of his haremettes, she also fully spoke with the authority of the office of the president. He could trust her to sort things out that previously would have required his attention. “Seriously though: none?”

“Nothing,” Ehtra said very slowly. “I have taken care of it all, Master. Yes, I do remember your list of subjects that always require personal attention. I am sticking by it.” The First of Hatred crossed her arms under her boobs. “As your permanent secretary, it is my duty to ensure you can keep your attention on the important matters of state, which are diplomacy and internal developments.”

“Huh.”

“Do you disagree, work creature?”

“No, it’s just… I did not expect such great news today.” Having paperwork cut out of his day would free him up tremendously for… other work, most likely. As Ehtra said, he had diplomacy and internal developments to plan and oversee. That he no longer had to contend with all of the minutiae of keeping the state running was more than welcome, though, especially since Momo and Ehtra seemed to care more for that kind of work.

In the absence of paperwork, he would have more meetings and more time to design actual projects. He could do as Romulus did and start just designing entire cities if he wanted. This was going to be especially interesting with the new development in Fateweaving he had access to.

It certainly sounded more interesting than meetings. John wouldn’t mind if he could scratch those out of his life as well. Sadly, communication was necessary to the running of a state. Having other people fill out paperwork was one thing, but the only way he could get someone to take all of the meetings for him was to have a clone of himself with the entirety of his aptitude and abilities that was not hooked up to his memory network.

Something like that running around would be a slightly bigger concern than meetings were though.

“Alright, still difficult to cram an Adventure in there… we’ll see. For now, I’ll go check on the kobolds. Lydia, do you want to tag along?”

Lydia answered with a decisive nod. Exploring the upgraded Mine had become somewhat of a tradition between the two of them. Whether the queen of mithril just liked the change of pace or because her metal elemental half was comfortable underground. “I shall aid you in this endeavour.”

“No flirting with-“

“The shortstacks, yes, I know,” John assured Momo before she could finish the sentence. “Don’t worry, I think I’m of sound mind today. Max and Magnus gave me a bit of a talking to. Yes, I know that could be destroyed the moment I look at a particularly gorgeous woman, that’s what Lydia is there for.”

“I’ll keep him focused on the narrow path,” the royal stated and sipped on cold water. “When are we setting out?”

“In an hour, just about? I’m not quite done lounging around.”

“I approve.”

“That’s unusual, Lyly approving of not working?” Rave chimed in.

“I enjoy moments of letting my guard down.” The queen crossed her legs. Leaned back in her chair, she was a nude image of a glorious morning after. Her hair was still messy, confined only in a low ponytail that she had fashioned by bending a piece of metal around it. “The moment I step out of these walls, I must present myself properly once more. Aside, the marriage of an archduke is a traditional reason to take a few days off.”

“Archduke?” Sylph asked. “I thought he was king? King Maxxy the Moxy!”

“It’s one of those disputed title situations, don’t think too much about it.”

“Already not thinking about it! My head is as empty as the great canvas of modern art.”

“If ya ain’t busy, Ehtra, ya wanna do more weapon testin’?” Hailey asked.

“Do I?” the grey angel asked, her scornful exterior breaking for a moment of childish excitement. Control was reclaimed and she cleared her throat. “I am always up for weapon testing.”

A mention that did make John remember something. “Did you end up making that smaller gun?”

Country gal and angel beheld him like he was a dumpster that a tornado had blown over. Judgement was passed upon him, then Ehtra gestured for Hailey to answer. “We decided we ain’t gonna do somethin’ that horrible. The gun’ll have to stay on armoured form.”

“A small gun.” Ehtra shook her head. Her voice was so devoid of contempt, it became spine crawling. “You disappoint me, Master.”

“Okay, Jesus, I’ll not suggest it in the future.” John backed away from that particular topic. Fingertips drummed along the edge of the table. While his mind turned around the question of what to say next, or whether he even wanted to say something else, another conversation started all of its own.

“How are your marriage preparations advancing?” Lydia asked.

“Oh, ya know… not?”

The queen put her glass down with an audible clack. “Your insistence to get engaged has been met. Now, the duty as first among equals falls upon you and you must deliver. It was your desire to be married first and I shall not be delayed in my own desire due to your indecisiveness.”

“Ya being mighty demanding there, Lyly,” Rave warned. “It’s my wedding, I get to live it out as I want.”

Lydia was unfazed by the feline Lightbearer’s reprimanding tone. “For that, you must plan it. I am asking not for concessions on you and John’s part on how to arrange your ceremony. I am demanding that you actually do it.” She picked up her glass again. “It is an entirely reasonable pressure to place on you.”

“Don’t appreciate it.”

“She is right though,” Salamander joined in. Just by the layout of the room and the general attention the conversation had, it was evident that Rave (and John, realistically) were being shamed. The Gamer had to agree that they deserved it. “Not saying you have to marry next month or anything, take your time, but actually set a date at some point.”

Rave played with the ring on her finger and just groaned. “Yeah, yeah, you’re right… just… yeah.”

Nia appeared behind the cat-eared woman and gave her a couple of head pats. Moments of quiet ensured. John stood up when the silence was swiftly replaced by individual conversations. He plopped down on the Couch again, right next to a very cuddleable technomancer. Scarlett wiggled around a bit so she could get comfortable with his biceps as her pillow. Beyond that, she just watched a video on mundane engineering.

Doing regular things like that helped her relax, John had been informed.

Currently, John had decided to not say anything. The part of the morning where he was the centre of attention had passed and now he was just the sole man in this polyamorous group. It was the mark of a truly wonderful relationship that he could just be in this space without worrying. He paid attention, he was ready to read every wish from their lips, and he was fully relaxed. There was no other place on Earth where he was simultaneously this needed and this content.

Eliana giggled at whatever trash TV she was watching today. The giggle rose into a laugh. The laugh rose into a manic, screeching cacophony of amusement. A harsh smack to the back of her head made her suddenly stop. “Fuck you, I was laughing!”

“Yes, everyone heard,” Metra returned. “Not everyone needs to see your teeth.”

“You’re just jealous I have nicer canines than you, bitch.”

Metra raised an eyebrow, beheld the sitting blood mage, and then said, “Whatever you say, shortie.”

“You absolute fucking cunt, I will rip your fucking intestines out, I’m not that fucking short!”

“You mind that insult selectively. Then again, when were you ever stable?”

“Get fucked, I’ve gotten way better at everything!”

“You also gained weight.”

Eliana immediately looked down at herself. The blueish, pale woman turned practically gaunt and pinched the skin of her stomach. “Fuck!” she exclaimed. “What the fuck!?”

John intervened before she could have one of her bad mood swings. “Eliana, you’re curled up like a potato. It’s perfectly natural to have a bit of squish in the stomach region under those circumstances. Even Nia has it and she’s as thin as a rail.”

Stretching out, the blood mage checked out the basic fact of biology. “I’m not fat…” she mumbled. “I’m not fat, muscle brains!”

“Congratulations,” Metra answered drily.

John chuckled at the scene. It reminded him of other times, simpler in some aspects, more complicated in others. Metra had tried to school Eliana on delivering insults that were more than just swear words and the occasional physical description. The lesson obviously hadn’t stuck, Eliana’s insults were still largely based on sheer shock factor. ‘The more things change, the more they stay the same,’ the Gamer thought, following an exchange that had happened, in various forms, about a hundred times over the past year.

A kiss on Scarlett’s neck had the redhead shudder. “Be careful with that,” she whispered to him.

“I know exactly what I am doing,” he muttered in response. From below her ear to her shoulder, he kissed his way. By the time he was going back up, she had spread her legs for him. “Be careful with that,” he said, when her hands wrapped around his hardened shaft.

“I know exactly what I want.” The back of Scarlett’s shoulder pressed against his chest. A signal did not have to be spelled out to be understood. Rolling onto his back, he let Scarlett insert him into her wet quim. Once he was sheathed inside her, she settled on his chest. His job was to gently slide in and out of her. Enough to be pleasurable, but not enough to distract her from watching the video via the phone still propped up on the table.

John could also listen in on another conversation.

“If I may take a moment of your time?”

“O-of course,” stammered Gnome.

Lorelei sat down at the opposite side of that corner of the table. Seer and cuddle rock sat across from each other, one keeping her hands folded in her lap, the other pushing her index fingers together. It was borderline comedic, watching them both muster the courage to start the conversation, only to open their mouths at the same time.

“Y-you first,” Gnome said.

“No, please…”

“I insist!” the season elemental said a bit too forcefully

“I was just going to say that I have finished the commission you placed with me.”

“R-really?” Gnome perked up, going from shy to excited in an instant. “I hope it was all easily doable?”

“Working at that scale was difficult. The blessings of the Lady kept my hands steady and my aim true.”

“Now, what could you two delicious morsels be talking about?” Siena put her elbows on the backrest next to Gnome’s head. The spade-shaped tail tip of the succubus-esque elemental waved mischievously as she listed a few possibilities. “New dresses, perhaps? No, then scale wouldn’t be an issue. Handkerchiefs? Mittens for your slender hands? Oh! Do not tell me, I already know it.” Dramatically, Siena brushed back Gnome’s hair. “You asked for authentic clothing for your little figurines of us, didn’t you?”

“Y-y-y-yes, so what?” Gnome stammered.

“So, you are just the most adorable little thing,” Siena purred.

That was absolutely true.