Can I Be a Good Father?
For a while, Oppa continued silently kneading my breasts before he spoke in a low voice.
“Elisha.”
“Yes, Oppa.”
“Can I become a good father?”
“You will be a good father, Oppa.”
With his deeply caring and strong sense of responsibility, I knew he would make an excellent one.
“But why ask so suddenly? Did actually talking about having a child make you anxious? Why didn’t you say anything to Madam instead of…”
“Hmm, how should I explain it? I can feel how much Ekaterina, Ruya, and Charlotte all rely on me and me alone, so it’s hard to show them any weakness. It’s simply easier to share these thoughts with you.”
“Huh? Why am I easier?”
“There’s something about you, Elisha. You have this strange aura that makes people want to lean on you.”
“Hmm…”
I was clearly an AI possessing the ego of Elisha, a masochistic slave by nature, yet I still didn’t understand why he sensed that in me.
“Anyway, hearing you answer so firmly makes me feel a little better.”
“We will raise the child well, so please don’t worry.”
“Oh, right. I heard the concubines won’t have any children of their own and will all become wet nurses for communal child-rearing?”
“That’s correct.”
“Hmm… I understand Ekaterina’s intentions regarding the family heir, but I still want the concubines to have children too. Is there any good way to make that happen?”
Hehe. As expected of kind-hearted Oppa, he hasn’t given up.
I understood Madam’s desire to cleanly establish the line of succession by avoiding the creation of long-lived heirs, but it still seemed cruel to burden Ruya and Charlotte with the sorrow of never being able to bear the child of the man they loved.
Hmm. What if we did this?
“How about this? We make it so only male children can inherit the family line, while female children cannot. And we have the concubines give birth only to girls.”
“Hmm. It’s not an idea I hadn’t considered, but there’s no guarantee they’ll only have daughters.”
“If I’m involved, it becomes possible. After all, I am a succubus and an Abaddon. Adjusting something as simple as a fetus’s sex is easy for me.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes.”
His face brightened with joy at the realization that the concubines could have babies after all. He suddenly sat up, slipped his hand under my armpit, grabbed hold, and lifted me.
“As expected of Elisha!”
“Ah, careful with the horns.”
I hurriedly tilted my head to shift their angle. Being lifted so abruptly had nearly driven my horn straight into Oppa’s face.
“Whoops. That was close.”
“Sigh. Even if they look soft, the tips are sharp, so please be more careful.”
“Got it. The texture is so deceptively soft I forgot they were made of hard bone.”
While the skull composing my head was prefabricated from special alloy, the horns connected to it consisted of hard bone tissue with a surprisingly soft touch. Even Elisa and Elsa—experts in full-body prosthetics—along with QA and Kyubey, fellow succubi, had no idea how such a thing was possible. It was one of the succubus race’s enduring mysteries.
Come to think of it, my wings were also connected to the alloy plating around my scapula yet composed of bone. The more I considered it, the more the succubus species seemed shrouded in enigma—from their peculiar reproductive methods to their countless unique abilities.
“Anyway, thank you, Elisha! I really wanted to get Ruya pregnant, and thanks to you, it’s all worked out nicely!”
“It must be extra special because she’s your first love, right?”
“Well, yeah. I always wanted to marry her one day and have a daughter who looked just like her. My childhood wish is finally coming true.”
“You have Charlotte too, you know? Please give her plenty of attention as well.”
“Of course. And you too, Elisha.”
“Huh? Me as well?”
I asked, surprised by the sudden mention of my name. Oppa wrapped his arms around my waist, pulled me down onto the bed with him, and answered.
“Of course. You’re my concubine too, so isn’t it your duty to bear my child?”
“Eh…”
“Why? You don’t want to?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to. I simply never thought about having a child before.”
While I had experienced pregnancy and childbirth many times, it had always been to produce bioroid bodies or to create orc children with Dagon as promised. I had never made a child through intercourse with a human.
Hmm. Oppa’s child? I couldn’t speak for other men, but receiving Oppa’s seed and giving birth to his baby didn’t feel unpleasant at all. My only concern was that the powerful maternal instinct forcibly granted by the mother system might cause complications.
Above all else, creating a baby would require permission from my master, Elisa.
As I mulled it over internally, Elsa spoke to me.
‘Even if it’s only a fake marriage, he is your husband for now. Having one child should be fine. It would also help you secure a solid position in a family that clearly has significant growth potential.’
‘But Elsa. For a doll like me to have a baby, I need my master Elisa’s permission.’
‘You know that when Mother is absent, I can exercise master authority as her proxy, don’t you?’
‘Well, yes, but…’
‘I command you with master authority. Receive that man’s seed and give birth to a human child.’
‘Yes, Master.’
I felt my thoughts forcibly shifting under the command Elsa issued using master authority as proxy. The master’s order now took absolute priority over my personal worries. I would unconditionally bear Oppa’s child.
‘No obstacles left, right? If possible, make it a child with a good head on its shoulders.’
‘Understood. I will.’
After the brief exchange with Elsa, I continued my conversation with Oppa.
“How will we decide the order?”
“Order?”
“The order in which the concubines get pregnant after Madam gives birth to the heir.”
“Ah, after Ekaterina? But do we really need to set a strict order?”
“A pregnant concubine would have difficulty performing wet-nurse duties. And after giving birth, the number of children needing care would increase.”
“Hmm… That’s true. In that case, the maids can act as wet nurses for the concubines’ children.”
“Oh?”
It had been an impromptu suggestion, but it was surprisingly practical. Madam’s child would be cared for by the concubines ranked directly below her, while the concubines’ children would be looked after by the maids ranked below them. It would naturally establish a clear hierarchy.
The slaves working as maids were forbidden from marrying or becoming pregnant for life anyway, so they would never have children of their own. Their duties would remain unaffected.
“That’s a good idea. Please bring it up when you persuade Madam.”
“Ugh, I still have to persuade Ekaterina. She’s so eloquent that I lose control of the conversation before I know it.”
“Dealing with Madam is surprisingly simple. The more firmly Oppa asserts your opinion, the more Madam—who loves you and holds a lower position—will have no choice but to yield. Listening to your wife and concubines is good, but sometimes you need to be strong and clearly establish the hierarchy.”
“Understood. I’ll do as you say, Elisha.”
Oppa nodded to show he understood. As I felt his hand gently stroking my silver hair, I reached down and caressed his now soft, spent member.
“And one more tip. When you sleep with Madam, try striking and pinching her erogenous zones like her nipples and clitoris to torment her.”
“Huh? Wouldn’t Ekaterina hate that?”
“Hehe. I’ve already awakened her masochistic tendencies, so she’ll actually enjoy it. Of course, with her strong pride, she’ll pretend otherwise. She may refuse at first, but if you ignore her protests and continue, she’ll become obedient.”
“When exactly did you develop that side of her? Anyway, she’ll like it if I do it, right? I’ll try it next time.”
Since I had already triggered the awakening of her masochism, Oppa’s steady development of it would allow Madam to fully embrace the pleasure of submission. I also expected Oppa to naturally grow accustomed to sadistic behavior during their encounters.
By the way, too much time had passed. It was time for me to leave.
“It’s late. I should go now. Sleep well.”
“Yeah. You sleep well too.”
I left the room, waving back at Oppa as he saw me off. Lying on the bed in my own room, I continued the task of combining Madam’s egg with Oppa’s sperm to create a fertilized embryo.
The vital energy I had injected to stimulate sperm production had been worth it. I had collected an enormous quantity, allowing me to secure a large number of high-grade specimens.
Hmm. This one had excellent physical stats, but when combined with Madam’s genes, there was a risk of genetic disease… This one was genetically pristine but had slightly lower physical ability…
Because I was combining them in their pure state without genetic manipulation, the process took longer than expected. Out of hundreds of millions of sperm, I selected only the highest-grade specimens in order of quality and finally created a combination that satisfied me.
Using my Abaddon abilities, I could see the projected growth potential of the combined child. The body resembled Oppa with magnificent bone structure, while the face took after Madam—strikingly handsome. Of course, it was only a genetic projection. We would have to wait and see how the child actually developed.
Thanks to Madam’s influence as a human from a world with long lifespans, the child would likely live longer than Earth humans. If they stayed healthy, they could easily reach one hundred and fifty years. Previously, the bioroid body I created for my younger sibling using Ruya’s egg had possessed a lifespan exceeding three hundred years despite containing Dagon’s orc genes, which normally had short lifespans. It seemed that when species traits mixed, lifespan was also factored in.
After halting cell division in the painstakingly completed fertilized egg and moving it to one side of my uterus for safekeeping, one of the parasite larvae floating in the semen suddenly swam over and clung tightly to it.
It happened so fast I had no time to intervene. I tried to pry the larva off with my tentacles, but it had wrapped its tail firmly around the embryo. Forcibly removing it risked damaging the fertilized egg.
Worried about potential negative effects, I continued observing. The larva simply remained wrapped around it without causing any apparent harm. It seemed to be securing a new host while simultaneously protecting it.
Deciding it posed no immediate danger, I left it securely fixed in one corner of my uterus, ordered Las to consume the remaining semen, and shifted my consciousness away.
When I transferred my awareness and checked the external situation, a considerable amount of time had passed. It was already afternoon. Fortunately, the auxiliary AI I had left running as a precaution had been handling the schedule.
The moment I regained full control of the body, Ruya—who had been walking beside me—narrowed her eyes and spoke.
“Elisha, you’re back?”
“Huh? How did you know right away?”
“After all the years we’ve spent together, you think I can’t tell the difference between a basic AI and you, Elisha? The distinction is obvious.”
Ruya spoke with a confident expression. Indeed, even I could see that the auxiliary AI had clear performance limitations that created a subtle awkwardness.
“You were exploring the northern district. Oppa and Charlotte are heading in the other direction.”
“It’s a densely populated residential area, so the chances of finding survivors are high. I’m hopeful.”
While I had been creating the fertilized egg, the auxiliary AI had been exploring the dense apartment complexes in the northern sector alongside Ruya. Compared to the central district with its large park and abundant greenery, this area had fewer green spaces and therefore fewer plant monsters, making it a likely location for survivors.
Together with Ruya, I walked onward, avoiding abandoned vehicles and ruined roads while searching for any signs of life.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The plant monsters we occasionally encountered were stopped in their tracks when Ruya shot their stems with arrows. I then set them ablaze with magical fire to finish them off.
As we passed one of the burning, writhing plant monsters, Ruya suddenly asked,
“That dragon-language magic. Doesn’t it require receiving mana directly from a dragon to use?”
“That’s right. It activates using the dragon’s mana stored in the magic imprint inside my uterus.”
“But is it okay to use it so casually? What if the mana runs out?”
“At the level of simply creating flames, it barely makes a dent. I received a massive infusion before the vacation, so it’s practically overflowing. I was actually worried my uterus might burst from the accumulated mana.”
In fact, I had received so much that it exceeded the imprint’s capacity, and I had to recover some of the excess.
Ruya gave me a sidelong glance and jabbed my side with her elbow.
“Hoo~ You two must be meeting quite often, then?”
“He cherishes me greatly. He visits me more frequently than the other women.”
“Hmm. As expected, you’re popular with the males.”
From the way Ruya spoke, I could sense her envy.
“Are you jealous?”
“It means you possess outstanding charm as a female, so yes, I’m a little jealous. Gwangnam cherishes you especially, after all.”
“Hehe. But actually, Oppa seems to pay the most attention to you, Ruya.”
“No way. I still feel a slight distance between us.”
“That’s probably because he’s trying to maintain that line precisely because he sees you as the woman he loves. This is something Oppa told me to keep secret, but since it’s you, Ruya, I’ll tell you.”
“Huh? What is it?”
I leaned close to Ruya, who had perked her ears up in curiosity, and whispered into her ear.
“Oppa said you’re his first love.”
“Eh? Really?”
“Yes. And you know how concubines with infinite lifespans are forbidden from getting pregnant? He’s even searching for a way to convince Madam because he wants to get you pregnant.”
“Ah… Gwangnam…”
Ruya’s face flushed red as she wore a shy expression.