Monster Girl IV

Monster Girl IV Isekai Harem Fantasy by Julie Law This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental. MONSTER GIRL IV Web Edition Copyright ©2023 Julie Law All Rights Reserved Table of Contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Epilogue Chapter 1 Harmony was far more impressive than I thought it would be. I asked Emily about it, and even Mei and Amaranth, but though they spoke well enough of it, their words didn’t really make the city justice. Maybe it was not that surprising. They were used to living in it; some of its wonders probably lost their luster over time. It was more extensive than I pictured, which I soon realized maybe I should have expected. I was used to a modern city with modern buildings that could shelter far more people than the ones in Harmony. Eighty thousand people didn’t sound like a lot compared to some of the cities back on Earth. As I saw the city that seemed to stretch from one side of the valley to the other, I felt small. It wasn’t just the size of it that was impressive, either. Harmony was a city built in an area where two large rivers and several small ones congregated into a much larger one. There were plenty of inlets, some river islands, and Harmony spread all over them. From what Emily told me, it was part of what made Harmony so valuable and why many rivals had concentrated on the area and fought over this territory before Amaranth came and conquered them. Most monsters feared large bodies of water and tried to avoid them as much as possible. With as much flowing water around, these lands lacked many monsters that assailed other areas of the continent. Eventually, as it grew, especially under Amaranth’s control, the city didn’t have to fear monsters anymore. It expanded further away from the water, and they had even forded a few streams to make building several of the city’s districts easier. The whole thing certainly made for an impressive sight. I let my eyes move over it, from the water courses to the red roofs that adorned the city and then the few castles built over small islands. There were bridges connecting those islands to the mainland, and several over the rivers, connecting the different sides of the city. It was beautiful. As I looked at the woman at my side and saw her tenseness, I realized Harmony had lost its luster in her eyes for other reasons. I didn’t know enough about what life was like in the capital for Emily before the rebels made their move, and it wasn’t hard to imagine it would be different now. Some of these people had revolted against Amaranth. Not all of them, maybe not most of them, but they had, and we could be walking into a nest of snakes. Time would tell. And perhaps, just like with Mei, some memories of this place bothered her. Without really thinking about it, I reached out with one hand, clasped one of hers, and smiled when she turned to me. It took her a moment, then she answered back with a smile of her own, pressed against my side, and we enjoyed our shared warmth for a bit. We stayed like that as we approached the city gate. Some of our men had advanced earlier that morning and taken control of it and the rest of the city, ensuring no trap was waiting for us. Not that we believed the rebels would be that foolish. Most were beaten or dead, a few of their leaders had fled, and those almost certainly would try for life in exile. They could eventually prove to be a thorn in our sides, but not today. The tip of our column reached the gates, and they opened without difficulty, the army entering Harmony itself, and I felt something ease in me. An attack had always been unlikely. I shouldn’t have worried about it. Maybe if Amaranth hadn’t recovered. She had, though, and everyone in the army knew it. No one could challenge us with her at our side, hale and healthy. I found my eyes drifting toward the dragon queen for a few moments. She walked five feet in front of Emily and me with Mei and Arali at her sides, her shoulders back, and her back straight. Her figure seemed to become even straighter the closer we came to the gates. Then we walked under them, entering Harmony itself, and cheers greeted us. I felt my lips twitch into a smile at the flower petals that some children threw over our group. Most kids seemed dressed like urchins with dirty and ripped clothing, though that didn’t stop their happiness at the sight of their queen. The fact someone slipped them a few coins or gave them something to eat probably helped with that. They seemed to enjoy Amaranth's attention nonetheless, especially when she kneeled in front of a small bunnygirl and reached out to caress her ears. Other children ventured forward, even some with their parents present, and Amaranth’s laugh seemed to echo through the street. It was a cute sight. We couldn’t linger there for long, though. The blonde slowly got to her feet, waved at the children, and started moving again, and the whole procession followed her lead. There were cheers for Amaranth on every street and corner. There were cheers whenever people put their eyes on the dragon queen. Their love for the blonde was evident, and she repaid them with her smiles, her wings stretching to the sides and making some of the youngest amidst the populace gasp a little. In their defense, it was an impressive sight. It followed much like that the rest of the way, though I soon noticed we were stepping into wealthier