Chapter 8: The Seat of the Lawful Wife and the United Front

The log house stood on the Twilight Frontier, its walls glowing softly with golden mana.

The living room, once a cozy spot for the monster girls to relax, was now filled with cold tension and sharp, challenging stares.

“…I can’t believe it. To think Allen was living in such… such a den of lewd beasts. As a Court Mage of the Kingdom, I absolutely cannot overlook this.”

Luna claimed the best seat on the sofa, right next to Allen. Her eyes behind her glasses shone with determination. Allen, completely worn out, rested on her lap.

“Oh my, you thieving human. …While you say you ‘cannot overlook this,’ just who is monopolizing Allen-sama the most right now? Let go of him. That is the spot where I coil around Allen-sama.”

Misha’s snake tail twisted in a threatening way as she leaned in close to Luna. Her scales, now shining with a hard, emerald glow from Allen’s mana, gave off an intensity that could make any ordinary mage faint.

“…Allen-sama, aren’t you hungry? The mana soup I made is far better for your body than the disgusting preserved food made by a human woman, you know.”

“Allen-samaa, my feathers are much warmer than that human’s clothes, you know?”

When Kuu and Pee joined in, the living room quickly turned into a ‘battle for Allen.’ Meanwhile, Sui the Slime crept up from Luna’s feet, reaching out her tentacles to try and pull Allen away.

(Everyone, please stop. My head hurts…)

Allen’s weak telepathic voice echoed in the room.

The night before, Luna and the monster girls had agreed to a ‘temporary alliance’ at the bottom of the cliff. But as soon as they got back to base, that alliance fell apart, turning into a messy argument over who was Allen’s ‘provisional lawful wife.’

“Listen here. I am Allen’s childhood friend. I know everything, from what books he liked when he was young to which seasons he’s prone to catching colds. The amount of time we’ve built up together is completely different from ‘females’ like you, whom he only just met yesterday!”

Luna puffed out her chest, assMisha just scoffed in response.But Misha scoffed.

“Talk of the past is meaningless before this current ‘golden adorableness.’ …We love this form of Allen-sama, support him, and live together with him. …We are the ones who have touched Allen-sama’s paw pads and shared the weight of his chain.”

“…Paw pads!? You touched Allen’s paw pads!? How impure!Luna’s scream rang out through the log house.ugh the log house.

Allen never thought his paw pads would cause such a big scene.

(Luna, I didn’t realize you were so much like them too…)

As Allen stared off into the distance, the barrier around the log house suddenly shook hard.

Outside the window, from the border of the forest, a silver light shot forth, tearing through the thick fog.

“Ngh, this mana reaction… Is it a pursuit unit from the royal castle? No way, they’ve already found us!?”

Luna was the first to ready her staff.

Misha and the others also instantly kilMisha and the others immediately dropped their playful looks and got ready to fight.ly Knight Order.’ …It’s stickier, and it has a nasty smell…”

Just as Misha said, what emerged from deep within the forest weren’t knights clad in heavy armor.

It was a group dressed in white outfitsA group appeared, dressed in white outfits with their faces hidden by masks. They were Elizabeth’s covert unit, ‘Purple Shadow,’ and the private army Sylphi had brought from the neighboring country, ‘Red Toys.’cal voices overlapped.

They hadn’t come to save Allen. They weThey weren’t there to rescue Allen. Instead, they were like executioners of love, sent to take back their masters’ ‘property.’nership over Allen, you’re going to help me take out this trash first, beasts.”

Luna gave a confident smile and summoned a powerful, multi-layered magic circle.

“You don’t even need to say it. …I’ll melt everyone trying to take Allen-sama back with my venom.”

Luna unleashed indigo lightning, while Misha spread a golden, poisonous mist. Pee sent out sharp vacuum blades, and Kuu delivered a powerful blow. Sui attacked from below, swallowing and dissolving the enemies.

The women, who usually didn’t get along, now worked together as a single force with Allen at the center.

They easily defeated the attacking covert operatives with their overwhelming strength. Thanks to Allen’s mana, each monster girl was already close to Demon Lord-level power.

(Everyone… To go that far for my sake…)

As Allen watched them fight, he felt a warm, powerful emotion rise in his chest.

But that feeling was quickly replaced by the sound of the chain tightening around his neck.

Clink.

As the chain absorbed the ‘love’—the mana—spread across the battlefield, it grew even larger.

The light from the chain threatened to engulf not just the enemy operatives, but also Luna and the others fighting beside him.

“Kyaah!? What is this chain’s power… My mana is being sucked away!?”

“Allen-sama… Stop it, the chain is going out of control…!”

Allen understood what was happening.

The chain was meant to protect Allen, but it also worked to reject and control anyone who loved him. The more someone cared for Allen, and the more he tried to protect them, the more the curse went wild, almost as if it wanted to break those bonds.

(–Stop. Please, stop!!)

Allen grabbed the chain around his neck with his small mascot hands, holding on tightly.

Blood oozed from his paw pads, and the curse’s light burned his golden fur.

In a flash, Allen’s mind was sent to a pure white mental world.

Two women stood there.

“…Little Allen. Don’t make such a pained face, alright? Here, rest on my chest. I’m the one who holds the chain, not you.”

Elizabeth gave him a smile full of affection, though it was twisted in its own way.

“Onii-sama, Onii-sama. Desire Sylphi more, won’t you? If you do, the chain will become much gentler. I’ll mold you into a shape meant exclusively for Onii-sama.”

Sylphi reached out her hand, her smile both innocent and cruel.

(–I refuse. I am no one’s property! The ones I want to protect are the girls fighting beside me right now!)

Allen’s heartfelt shout broke apart the mental world.

As soon as he returned to the real world, a golden flash burst from Allen’s whole body.

The shockwave was strong enough to send everyone on the battlefield flying, friend and foe alike.

“–Allen-sama!! / Allen!!”

When the light faded, Allen stood there. He was still in his mascot form, but now his entire upper body, not just his right arm, had returned to its human shape.

His clothes had torn apart, showing the strong yet elegant chest of a prince. Golden fur hung from his shoulders like a cloak, and the now-silent purple-and-red chain rested on his neck like a heavy ornament.

“…Everyone. Are you hurt?”

The boyish innocence was gone, replaced by the noble presence of a young man.

Luna, Misha, Pee, Kuu, and Sui, too.

They forgot all about the battle and stared in awe at Allen, who now looked like the perfect King—or the perfect Prince.

“…Ahh. …How, how beautiful…”

“…I… I really do want to become this person’s property for the rest of my life…”

Allen had managed to control the ‘curse’ a little with his own will, turning it into power.

This was his first step toward breaking the curse, but it also made the women around him fall for him even more.

“Allen-sama… Tonight is the night we must definitively settle who you will sleep next to.”

Even Luna reached out her hand with Misha, both of them drawn to Allen’s human upper body.

Feeling five pairs of eyes on him—and even two more watching from farther away—Allen let out a long, deep sigh.

“…Please, can you just lend me some clothes first, Luna?”

Still looking both ridiculous and a bit alluring as a half-naked prince with a mascot lower half, Allen’s days of the new ‘united front’—also known as the battle for the lawful wife—had begun.