Dungeon Builder's Harem Book 02 Ch. 11

"I see," the mayor said. "That's a far trip. Are you..." He swallowed.

"It's just asking for some information," Lord Leo said with a flippant wave of his hand. "It's not a threat or anything. I don't like doing that."

"Of course not, Lord Leo," the mayor said, bobbing his head. "I'll make sure it goes out." He looked around. "Gelin!"

A young man walking by jumped. "M-mayor?"

"Lord Leo needs this letter delivered to the Great Library in the Greenleaf Woods. Go, now. Get this there as fast as possible or you'll face Lord Leo's displeasure."

The color melted from Gelin's face. Halia's heart pained for her lord as he winced at the fear. He hated being seen as a monster. He had a large and bountiful heart that wanted to protect all these lands. Gelin snatched up the letter and bolted towards the village stables.

"He's a good choice," Halia said. "He will get it there with no problem. You have nothing to fear from him."

"Is there anything else you need?" the mayor asked, sweat now gleaming on his brow. He rubbed his hands together. "Perhaps you'd like to take your ease in the common room. Enjoy a refreshing ale and have a meal. Or..." He glanced at the young women watching. "Enjoy other refreshments."

"I didn't save them to make them into my personal... refreshments," Lord Leo said, his cheeks going red. "I have all the refreshing women around me."

"Mmm, we're very refreshing," said Mrs. Baldwin. She hugged her son from behind, rubbing her naked breasts into his back. "We keep him well satiated."

"Kweh, heh, heh," the succubus chortled, throwing back her head, her black pigtails dancing around her face. "That we do. Why, look at Maya. She's living water. She refreshed Lord Leo just this morning."

"Ah, yes," said the mayor. "So, uh...?"

He wants Lord Leo to leave but is too scared to say it.

"Just came to send the message," said Lord Leo. "And to make sure you're doing okay. There have been no problems? Any new dungeon builders popping up in the area?"

"Not that I know of," said the mayor. "Lord Shorvin's diviners have not sent word, but the call for adventurers is growing. A party set off just this morning."

We didn't pass them. Halia smiled. The precise location of his dungeon was still not common knowledge. Good.

"Well, I better get back to my dungeon," Lord Leo said and chuckled. "I don't want them to get hurt. My monster girls can be very protective."

"Ah, yes, very good." The mayor mopped at his forehead.

Lord Leo turned away when the first scream pierced the air.

* * / *

My head whipped around at the scream. More shouts rose from the other end of the village. The mayor groaned. I gripped my lightning spear and burst into a run in that direction, my legs pumping beneath my gray robes.

Halia paced me. Her braid of black hair flowed out behind her as she ran, her feet pounding on the ground. She whipped out her humming blade and held her shield ready. From around the blacksmith's hut, a woman ran with a baby in her arm and a child screaming behind her. She saw us and screamed then turned and fled in the opposite direction. Others were running from that direction. An old man hobbled out, tears dripping from his eyes.

"Stone," he mumbled. "Just became stone... Right in my hand."

Then I ran past him and rounded the corner to see a statue of a man in flight. He looked behind his shoulder. He was impossibly balanced on one foot, his other lifted. The detail was so precise, every hair in place.

Other statues dotted the street. A woman in a dress throwing up an arm in warding, a pair of children holding hands. A living woman sobbed on her knees before the two little ones, her face pressed into her hands. I swallowed at the sight.

Down the street were several monster girls with bodies covered in blue scales and bands of pink running up their bellies and large breasts. They had pink, feathery hair and walked on bird-like talons. Curling smoke spilled from their lips. One breathed and swept over the sobbing mother. Her cries cut off as she became a statue like her children.

Leading the blue-scaled monster girls was another. She had a sinuous body covered in light-green scales. Instead of hair, she had a writhing mass of green snakes that all hissed and snapped at the air. Halia screamed and raised her shield in front of her face as the monster girl turned to face us.

"Gorgon!" Halia gasped. "Don't look her in the eyes!"

Too late. Those golden, serpent eyes landed on me.