Elaris and her kin marched toward the altar, their movements fluid and synchronized.
They stopped before the Priestess and us, bowing their heads in a display of profound elven respect.
Before she straightened, Elaris caught my eye. She flashed a quick, playful wink that vanished as soon as she looked away, resuming her regal mask.
I looked at the line of elves behind her—all fifty-one of them, including her carrying my children—and felt my throat tighten.
I gulped hard. Of all the moments to make a grand entrance, why did they have to pick the climax of my wedding?
"Apologies for the intrusion, humans!" Elaris addressed the crowd, her voice carrying across the yard. "I am Elaris, the Elven Patriarch, and as you can see, I have brought my sister's with me." She swept a hand toward the girls. "A total of 52 elves, myself included, are carrying Asher Reynolds' seed."
The air seemed to leave the yard all at once with a collective of Gasps.
The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by the fluttering of banners in the rafters. I felt my throat turn to sandpaper.
I slowly turned my head to Anna, terrified of what I'd find. Her eyes were fixed on the elves, her expression a stone wall.
She has to hate me now, I thought. There's no way out of this.
Murmurs began to bubble up from the rows of seats. I felt the burning gaze of my friends; their eyes were wide, practically screaming for an explanation. I stayed silent, frozen in the spotlight.
Elaris nodded to Thalindra, her Shield-Maiden. Even through her heavy leather cuirass, Thalindra's pregnancy was prominent—she looked like a force of nature.
She stepped toward one of their gilded carriages and hauled out a heavy, ornate treasure vault, thudding it down at Elaris's feet.
"Our kind was on the brink of extinction," Elaris told the assembly. "We had no males to continue our lineage. Ordinary human men never dared to approach our fortress; those few who were unlucky enough to stumble upon us didn't survive the trials. Even then, their seed was never fertile enough to take root. That was, until Asher came."
The murmurs intensified, turning into a low roar of excitement. I felt the urge to vanish, to slip through a rift and hide in my realm until the sun went down.
"Not only did Asher manage to fertilize us, but his stamina was legendary. He took all of us in a few short days, and—"
"Ahem." Seraphina interjected, her face flushing a bright pink. "Maybe... let's not get into the specific details of how he... took you." She pointedly avoided looking at me, her fingers twitching on her ceremonial staff.
"Right," Elaris said, standing tall. She stretched her hands out, palms facing the crowd. "Rejoice, humans! For you, a supposedly inferior race, have a man among you strong enough to be respected by the First-Born. We elves have decided: Asher Reynolds shall be our King, our ruler, and we will follow him to the depths of the earth!" She pushed her treasure box forward. "Please, accept our gift, Siah."
I looked at the gift box quietly, my mind racing.
In my old world, this would have been a catastrophic scandal. Fifty-plus women showing up pregnant at the altar? That's a death sentence.
However...
The crowd erupted. People weren't throwing stones; they were standing on their chairs, clapping and chanting my name.
"Asher! Asher! Asher!!"
I stood there, stunned. I shot a glance at my mother; she was beaming, her face full of maternal pride. I looked back at Anna and her family. They weren't reaching for weapons—they looked happier than anyone else in the yard.
"Oh, man!" Adrian sighed, raking a hand through his purple hair. "Fifty-two women? I'm out here struggling to get a date, and you're out here building an empire. Yeah... you're a freak of nature, man!."
He raised his hands in mock surrender, chuckling as the other boys joined in. I couldn't help but let out a nervous chuckle myself.
It seemed everyone was genuinely happy for me, especially the men. In a world where men were men are weaker and judged through their ranks, my "achievements" had turned me into a local legend.
I even noticed several women in the crowd watching me with hungry, lustful eyes, shouting my name and whispering things that would make a sailor blush.
To me, the wedding had become surreal; to everyone else, it was a sign of a new era. A fresh start. The true beginning of my legacy.
Priestess Seraphina cleared her throat and continued the ceremony once the elven delegation had been ushered to their seats.
Finally, Anna and I stood alone on the main stage.
"Well... sorry for the twist. I didn't think they'd show up today," I whispered, my voice low enough only for her.
"I'm not angry, Asher," she responded sweetly, her eyes shining. "You told me everything before today. This wasn't a shock—it was a confirmation."
I let out a breath I'd been holding since the elves arrived. "Thanks, love."
"May the groom kiss the bride." Seraphina's voice rang out, and as I leaned in to kiss Anna, the crowd's roar was deafening.
After the gifts were presented, the party moved to the dining area. Long tables were lined up behind the church, overseen by Karen—the gorgeous milf I'd given access to my realm—and Banji, my business partner. For once, Banji wasn't looking for a profit; she was helping the cooks dish out food and providing free wine and fruit harvested directly from my realm.
As the sun set, the celebration showed no signs of stopping. People ate and drank until they were stuffed, their smiles reflecting the joy Anna and I felt.
Eventually, the day wound down.
Traditionally, this was supposed to be my private night with my new bride, but we had a massive escort. The elves refused to leave my side, insisting that their place was now with me.
"I suppose I'm taking the whole forest home tonight," I muttered.
Reaching a hand out, l summoned a dimensional door into reality. Anna stepped through first, and the elves followed, their jaws dropping as they saw what lay beyond.
I entered last, and the portal vanished.
"Wow... what is this place?"
"It's like a dream."
"The mana here... it's pure," Thalindra whispered, her hand resting on her sword hilt as she looked at the marble villas and lush orchards.
"Welcome to your new home," I said, looking over the fifty-two women who now carried my legacy. "Zero monsters, infinite resources, and all the space you need to raise my children. Elaris, I'm putting you in charge of the housing assignments."
Elaris bowed low. "It shall be done, my King."
Anna grabbed my hand, her grip firm and her eyes flashing with a sudden, playful competitive streak.
She pulled me toward the central mansion.
"The elves have their head start, Ash." she whispered. "But I'm the wife. And I don't intend to be left behind. Tonight, you make sure l get pregnant too."
"Your wish is my command."
We walked toward the mansion, and the moment the heavy doors clicked shut, l dropped my infertility skill, making sure l was now fertile enough to give my wife the child she needed.
TBC
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