Isekai Cheat Harem
Timeline
A humble introduction by Ruby Rose
John Doe, Savant Lord, who inhabits the coastal estate once referred as Oceanview Manor, then contemporarily named the Abandoned Oceanside Manor - or as the 'Abandoned Manor' in short, is the ruler of what is now known as Heaven's Landing. The lands encompassing his legally claimed estate will be called as such from here on out for the sake of accuracy and convenience.
Without further ado I, Ruby Rose, shall, to the best of my power, provide a succinct and accurate chronicle of my Master's undeniable genius.
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The following is an archive of the actions John Doe has undertaken since gracing the Continent with his presence
- Year One -
Summer
- First Week:
John Doe descends from the Heavenly Realm onto the estate. With him is his first slave-wife; the Goddess of Artifice, Herta.
He begins mapping out the manor. Herta repairs it in tandem with his exploration.
A bandit trio, calling themselves the Drag On Gang, make their presence known. They consist of three members; Biggie the dwarf, Smalls the pseudo-giant, and Boss the human. They claim the estate is their 'turf' and demand John Doe to leave. Consequently, they're driven away after John Doe uses his [Custom Special] — Aether Wire — to cut Smalls. They threatened John Doe on behalf of a larger bandit organization and declared that the estate to be the territory of a Bandit King. - Second Week:
John Doe examined the outdoor assets of the estate.
Herta repaired the machine shop and Arcane Laboratory.
John Doe encountered a goblin colony in a what was once a cheese cave. He returns to the estate and discusses the nature of the world with Herta. Through the night she crafts him a 20 Shot Air Rifle of masterful quality, which she presents to him when he wakes the next morning.
John Doe rescued a catgirl named Cattleya Catniss after she was abandoned by Lord Lionel Rostchilde, condemning her to become a goblin brood mother. Both John and Cattleya slaughter the goblins together. Cattleya becomes a member of John's harem on the condition that she become the third wife. She is given a longsword that was looted from the goblins, and she helps carry 3500lbs of scrap components. - Third Week:
Construction of the BoatMech commences. John Doe gets assistance from both of his wives; Herta becomes accustomed to domestic labor while Cattleya works the bellows. John learns how to use his Lunacy Savantae to commune with Herta's divine nature.
The Drag On Gang returns, now posing as tax collectors. They are driven off the estate once again, this time by Herta and the mech. - Fourth Week:
John Doe began assembling an army of milites mechanici — affectionately naming them "clankers".
Herta fixed the dockyard.
Cattleya processed 500lbs of scrap metal into steel and brass ingots.
It is also upon this week Ruby Rose was welcomed into the gallant Master's household as his beloved slave-wife. Three others—Gertrude Geiselhaft, Melody Merryheart, and Bertha Beatrice—who were her fellow questing members, are all captured by John's clankers. They too were also accepted as his slave-wives.
Lord Doe assigned tasks for each of the newcomers as tests of strength and loyalty: Gerty became a bodyguard for John Doe, the Goddess, and Cattleya. Bertha was made to patrol alongside the clankers. Mel scouted the nearby hills for goblins and bandits. And Ruby Rose was given the critical task of optimizing the assets of everything within the estate, in order to ensure maximum profit and efficiency.
Upon the end of the fourth week, John Doe celebrated his one-month anniversary by giving Herta and Cattleya some gifts (enchanted slave-attire and enchanted gauntlets, respectively), followed by taking them both with him to cruise on the BoatMech at sunset.
The three of them were attacked by a Guardian while on said cruise. Lord Doe described her as "A giant cyclops beauty with a giant eye where her head was split open" — which concurs with descriptions of an ancient "Sea Guardian" that had become frenzied after attacking the Everlasting Empire. Through some expert maneuvering of the BoatMech, Master Doe was able to pacify the Guardian by pulling a plank-sized splinter from her eye. He befriended her, and the Guardian used a telepathic skill to introduce herself as Thea. She gifts him a Giant Pearl with the qualities of a Legendary Item. - Fifth Week:
John Doe, Herta, and Cattleya continued to help with finishing the BoatMech, repairing it from any damages, as well as doing further background tests of the clankers.
Lord Doe secured Ruby Rose's loyalty after showing her a mere fraction of his genius. He spoke of all the things she had done in her life—even her deepest plots of a mastermind were mere child's play in his eyes. He made her his that night; from then on Ruby Rose vowed to always be loyal to him, body and soul, and to always use her schemes to give him advantages.
Melody Merryheart was stranded in goblin territory as she was scouting, with the clankers that were with her going out of commission. John Doe assembled a team to rescue her, consisting of Cattleya, Gerty, Bertha, and himself. After a brief battle, Mel was rescued by Master Doe. All returned unharmed, but Mel spoke of finding a large goblin settlement that likely held upwards of a thousand goblins. John Doe decided to turn the defeated clankers into turrets. Eventually the area would become known as The Clank's Shelter. - Sixth Week:
John Doe secured Gerty's loyalty with his genius.
The Goddess used her "Lore Library" skill to study global history.
Cattleya spent the week processing cotton into textiles.
Ruby Rose mapped out trading routes, marking Vonstadt in Eastia and Northumbridge in Westphalia as ideal choices behind the famed Centrian City. Her efforts led us to forging a positive mercantile relationship with Centria.
Bertha found 800lbs of scrap metal while she practiced her fighting techniques with the clankers.
Mel scoured the manor in search of valuables. She found jewels that could store single-use spells, then discovered a secret basement with a door that was locked with a magical spell. Even the Goddess of Artifice struggled to unlock it. Eventually she opened it by forging a magical key which she insisted "was more of a reply to the locking spell than a physical key".
Upon opening the door a hostile ghost is awoken. She bursted from the room she was sealed in and placed a curse on John Doe, which is immediately dispelled by Herta. The spirit, Yumi, is quickly captured in a ghost-capturing crystal. - Seventh Week:
Lord Doe began to bring the fight to the goblin colony, starting the construction of a forwarding base in the forest that now known as The Clank's Shelter.
After he listened to our opinions he settled onto using the stratagem of making BoatMech bait out the goblins from the cave, after which he'd flank them with the clankers. John Doe and his wives would personally assault the cave after the goblins had been thinned out.
Herta had finished skimming the history of the world and gave a summary of it to John Doe.
Cattleya smelted 800lbs of scrap, becoming 950lbs of ingots thanks to Ruby's optimizations and the extra scrap collected by Bertha.
Bertha learnt a new hammer technique, practicing as she looked for scrap metal. This would be a derivative of Hammer Tornado which she named "Lovey Pink Gigahammer Multi-Ouchie Maker".
Gerty trained with her Holy Spear, sharpening her attacking skills.
Mel was able to find a secret passage within the hidden basement where Yumi was kept, but not before getting attacked by slimes and golems for her efforts. She was rescued by John Doe once again. This hidden entrance was revealed to lead to a dungeon beneath the manor. - Eight Week:
John Doe decided to bring his slave-wives to conquer the dungeon. The combined efforts were enough to clear out the dungeon. Master John saw it fit to prioritize monster extermination. These efforts ensured that the basement would remain safe, though at the expense of further exploration and loot gathering.
John Doe and Mel decide to train together, with the latter learning how to turn invisible thanks to his help.
Herta took inventory of all items within the estate.
Cattleya organized the foodstuffs within the cold cellar.
Bertha sewed sets of clothing for everyone.
Gerty, in preparation for the looming invasion, practiced leading the clankers.
Ruby Rose made a map detailing everything that surrounded the estate. Master accompanied her in one of these occasions, where he was able to detect some goblins that strategically made camps around The Clank's Shelter in an effort to put pressure on Lord Doe's household. John Doe decided to use this opportunity to attack the main goblin settlement, since they were now divided. - Ninth Week:
The invasion of the goblin's cave began. The plan went perfectly. All members of the estate assault the cave, save for Ruby Rose who was in the BoatMech and Yumi who slept in the crystal.
Unlike most goblin villages, there was a lack of kidnapped women and goblin runts. The reason becomes clear when an orc named Oghlurk is revealed to be the leader of this settlement; orcs have a habit of eating those they defeat, a widely held belief between orc is that strength is gained from this act. Strength increase or not, Oghlurk is quickly defeated and the goblins are largely exterminated.
John Doe and his wives return to the cave, following his intuition. After a few hours of searching with no other goal than following Master John's notions, a small kitsune child is discovered. Introducing herself as Ryko, she was brought to the estate and tended to. Ryko revealed that she was a member of the Mitsubishi-Yasuda family. The kitsune recounted how she, her sister Aneko, and her aunt Ayane were captured by bandits. Both Aneko and Ryko escaped the bandit camp, but had the misfortune of being captured by goblins soon after. Aneko was killed by Oghlurk, though Ryko somehow managed to be elusive enough to survive.
Ryko fell asleep in one of the manor's guest rooms after telling her story.
John Doe decided to invade the bandit camp in hopes of rescuing Ayane.
Later that night Herta would fulfill her marital duty to John Doe, carrying his child in her before the sun rose.
Note: The accuracy for when gestation begins is provided by Melody Merryheart; one of John Doe's main slave-wives. Being a part-fae, her Fae Essence skill assists her in sensing when a woman is pregnant. In other words, whenever an approximation is made for when a woman's pregnancy begins it is according to Mel's intuition.
A meeting is called by John Doe. He listens to all of his slave-wives' ideas on how to attack the bandit camp. He decided enact Cattleya's stratagem, which involved using the BoatMech against the bandits. This resulted in victory.
Four captives were found to have survived; a dwarf names Korneac, a dark elf named Lysette, the famed mail-harpy named Eulia, and a kitsune named Ayane. Korneac and Lysette were escorted to Northumbridge by John Doe's mech, while the harpy mailwoman flew away to Centria. Ayane was reunited with her niece. - Tenth Week:
John Doe created a cargo ship—later named The Vixen's Luck—in order to return both Ayane and Ryko to Centria.
Herta crafted more than a dozen robotic sewing machines.
Cattleya processed 1000lbs of scrap metal into ingots.
Mel set up various traps around the estate of Heaven's Landing.
Bertha increased her abilities through practice, now being able to defeat a clank with a single strike of her hammer using an ability called Hammer-Bomb. The first time this was done almost resulted in the manor catching on fire.
Gerty taught herself how to use Low Heal.
Ruby Rose had the pleasure of overseeing the now pacified dungeon, and was given the task of transforming it into something useful for Master Doe's ambitions.
Ayane would console Ryko throughout the week. Ryko would often attempt to interact with the gallant Master John Doe, to mixed success. - Eleventh Week:
- 1st Day:
Preparations were made to depart for Centria. - 2nd Day:
John Doe sets sail, taking his slaves and kitsune guests to Centria. While on the airship John Doe switched his [Custom Special] from Aether Wire to Shellstrike Gauntlets. Ryko and Ayane reveal that their kitsune family had a hereditary curse called Bad Luck.
Ruby and Cattleya were sent to find customers willing to purchase the textiles brought. Various potential buyers were found. Cattleya and Ruby encountered a woman named Syntye, a who was a violent rogue-class adventuress that attempted to pickpocket Ruby.
John Doe and the others brought Ryko and Ayane to the family they were separated from. Ayane was revealed to be the daughter of an Oceanippon merchant prince named Hisashi Mitsubishi, and Ryko was revealed to be the daughter of Ai Mitsubishi and Eisho Yasuda.
Upon hearing of Ayane's terrible marriage prospects, John Doe asked Ayane to be his slave-wife. She happily accepted his offer. Ayane's family approved of the union.
That night, John Doe deflowered Ayane. - 3rd Day:
When morning came, John Doe met with Hisashi Mitsubishi. The kitsune patriarch agreed to purchase textiles and clothing from John Doe.
Lord Doe would spend the rest of the day taking his slave-wives to sightsee cultural landmarks in Centria before visiting the shops. Various items are purchased from the stores; an anti-corruption artifact that reversed the effects of corruption, a fae charm, various seeds, magic farming tools, minerals, and gemstones. Master Doe gives his slaves 10 gold each to spend. Herta would purchase baby clothes, Cattleya bought a catfolk scratch post and a portable whetstone, Bertha used it on food, Ruby Rose procured various trinkets that would increase her mastermind presence, Mel used it on miscellaneous items (fairy book, fae stones, and binoculars), Gerty procured a 'meat tenderizing' whip, meanwhile Ayane invested her money.
John Doe secretly purchased 10 rings for his slave-wives, personally engraving seven of them with differing symbolism for each of his wives. - 4th Day:
John Doe and his wives spend the day privately celebrating in a restaurant called The Saffron City, which owed Ayane a favor. This was done to celebrate the one-month anniversary of the time he met his four Westphalian wives. John Doe proceeded to gift them and the rest of his wives wedding rings. It was all done in classic Centrian tradition, proving how cultured and considerate he is. - 5th Day:
John Doe successfully transferred the textiles, along with some clothing Bertha sewed, to the Mitsubishi-Yasuda Trading Firm. After some discussion, Hisashi agreed to procure certain materials from Northrensjor for a project Lord Doe was planning. Hisashi gives John Doe a letter of recommendation, allowing John to become a member of the Merchant's Guild. Hisashi likely used his influence to pressure the guild in extending their member registration so that John Doe could register in the Merchant's Guild more easily.
John Doe proceeds to register as a member of the Merchant's Guild, using Hisashi's recommendation as leverage. He is able to learn about various markets and methods of production from the merchants present that day. Ruby and Ayane were able to meet with old connections and made new ones with the merchants John Doe spoke with. - 6th Day:
John Doe purchased the books Ruby requested from a local bookstore.
Mel, Gerty, and the gallant John Doe all happened upon some mercenaries wearing Westphalian uniforms, all working under Forthwythe's employ. Lord Doe and Mel spent the evening searching for any trace of said mercenaries, but were not able to catch them. However, they did find that they were selling high quality small arms to Forthwythe. The mercenaries were staying at Northumbridge, likely using the town as a neutral ground to do business with Forthwythe.
Later that day John Doe took Herta to see a harpy doctor named Nicodemus. He said that she was had an over abundance of Divine Energy in her blood, and warned that it could prove dangerous. Nicodemus wasn't aware that this phenomenon was completely normal due to Herta's status as the Goddess of Artifice. - 7th Day:
John Doe decided to return to the estate, bringing his wives and ghost servant with him.
Pirates were encountered as John's cargo airship was on the route back. They were forced to retreat after their airship sustained too many injuries. John Doe's cargo airship was named The Vixen's Luck after this event.
The airship landed near The Clank's Shelter, where desperate goblin stragglers were fended off. John Doe, his wives, and his ghost servant, would all return to the estate before nightfall.
Gerty would fulfill her marital duty to John Doe that night. She would end up carrying his child after a few days of lovemaking.
- 1st Day:
- Twelfth Week:
John Doe spent much of the week making love to Gerty. He then built more clankers to make up for the ones lost in the fight against the goblins. The amount of standard clankers was replenished enough to surpass previous quantities. A new variant of clank came into production; being heavily armored and hard-hitting. These latter robots were aptly named "armored clankers".
Ayane and John Doe mourned the passing of Aneko. John Doe is inspired to look for Aneko's spirit after Yumi mentioned how it was likely Aneko still haunts the area.
John Doe, Herta, Mel, and Yumi all seek out Aneko's spirit within the goblin's former cave. An unfortunate disaster transpired; Oghlurk's spirit was awoken by the meddling, and gained power due to the corruption magic which was festering within the cave. Then the cavern's entrance had a cave-in, barring the place from easy access.
Herta worked on repairing the old stone structures around the estate. These structures were discovered to be a magical defense system which can be switched once a year, though there was also some potential to turn it into a giant teleportation device. Master opted to have the structures have the capability of shooting a giant laser once a day.
Ruby Rose optimized the logistics of the manor, using her expertise in ensuring everything would run efficiently and without shortages.
Gerty became more proficient in Healing Magic, replacing Low Heal with Medium Heal.
Mel improved her own invisibility.
Cattleya was tasked with setting the foundations for what would soon become a radio tower and telegraph station. She found a patch of naturally occurring magical fertilizer while digging around the area—a rare boon which would greatly speed up the growth of any plant. John Doe decides to save it for research purposes.
Bertha managed to defeat a clanker while it was actively attacking her.
Eulia the mailbird visited the estate. John allowed her to mark the estate as a friendly place to leave future deliveries made by the Fastwing Corporation, letting Eulia mark it on the company's map. John Doe accepted a subscription to a newspaper called The Centrian Herald.
The harpy mailwoman handed John Doe two letters. One came from Forthwythe, which formally demanded the estate's annexation to Riverdale and for John Doe to be made Forthwythe's subject. The other, from the Bandit King, requested that everyone living within the estate abandon it, "Lest you all suffer the wrath of the Bandit Army".
John Doe began preparations to defend his estate.
Ruby Rose was tasked with the urgent assignment of setting up the paperwork so that John Doe's claims would be considered legal.
AUTUMN
- Thirteenth Week:
John Doe and Ayane dedicated the week to training together. Both increased their physical and magical strength.
Herta spent the week creating machine guns, light mortars, and rocket launching systems.
Cattleya dug trenches around the estate.
Mel practiced her sharpshooting.
Bertha crafted some cheval-de-frises made out of wood.
Gerty set highly defensible positions within the estate, allowing Master Doe's forces to have greater mobility and set up 'safe zones'.
The gracious and gallant Master, John Doe, was merciful enough to claim Ruby Rose this week and made her fulfill her marital duty to him.
Ruby would not have much time to bask in happiness, however, since the Bandit King's army would mount an invasion of the estate three days later. More than 500 bandits lay siege upon the estate. A great number of these bandits rode horses or were horse beastfolk, yet the cheval-de-frise foiled their attacks. An airship and sea-faring pirate ship (likely privateers) provided them aerial and naval assistance. The pirate ship was sunk into the ocean by Master's skillful maneuvers, meanwhile the airship was destroyed by the laser beam from the stone structures. Less than 100 bandits remained alive after the battle was over. The Bandit King's beguiler guards and the Bandit King himself were amongst the survivors.
Immediately after the battle, two beguiler sisters attempted to assassinate the Savant Lord. One of them ended up destroying some gourds and damaged some of the stone structures. The latter was temporary, as Herta was able to fix the stone structures soon afterwards. The only loss resulted in John's forces was the clanker that fought the beguiler assassin, managing to kill the bandit woman in the process.
One consequence of this event was that the bandits completely eliminated the remaining goblin stragglers.
There was an abundance of weapons, scrap metal, and items that were suddenly a part of Master's possession after the invasion was defeated.
Fireworks were held in the night to celebrate John Doe's victory, serving as proof that they all remained. - Fourteenth Week:
Much of this week is spent vacationing.
A picnic was held in the estate by a hill and under some trees.
John Doe took all his slaves and ghost servant to an unnamed eastern beach. It had a beauteous coral reef one could dive in. Many abandoned shipwrecks were scattered on the shore and in the waters, becoming an ideal place to find salvage.
Lord Doe soon claimed many treasures from the reef as his own after sending most of his slave-wives to dive in them. Many items were procured, ranging but not limited to gold, jewelry, valuable antiques, a treasure chest, and a complex artifact. Said artifact was an engine that could increase aerial and underwater mobility for vehicles. The design was integrated in both the BoatMech and The Vixen's Luck.
At sunset Herta purged an underwater curse that threatened harm to any that set foot on the beach. When night came, the celebration ended and everyone returned to the estate.
The rest of the week was spent working.
John Doe crafted luck-increasing artifacts to help with the Mitsubishi-Yasuda family's issues relating to the Bad Luck skill.
Herta set to making the blueprints for a daycare. John decided that another wing of the manor would be built, and she arranged her architectural designs to follow John's vision.
Cattleya processed 3500lbs of scrap metal into ingots.
Mel created more traps around the estate in the dungeon, port, and outside areas, specifically protecting against beguilers.
Gerty once more trained herself to lead the clankers. She made an attempt to learn more about her healing, to decent success.
Ayane continued to train herself in both magic and physical strength.
The undead were aggressively invading the forest, making safe travel near impossible.
Two things would be discovered in the woods: Some schematics for a large artillery piece and a hut disguised by illusion.
Said hut once belonged to a "Cecilia Witherbloom". She left various items and comprehensive notes about magic, abandoning the area in haste after she realized that the land was being overrun by goblins. She now resides somewhere in Eastia.
Cattleya fulfilled her marital duty to John Doe, being in her yearly 'heat'. She now boasted that John Doe's "litter of kittens" was growing within her.
John Doe enchanted the ring he gifted Ayane with a spell to increase her luck.
Ruby Rose presented John Doe with some suggestions on how to divide the dungeon, and he chose the blueprint that had a nearly even distribution of all the proposed rooms (factory, engine, and boiler). Master was kind enough to allow the construction of a Control Room, which helped those of the mastermind class to plot in peace. Ruby would use this room to relay her Master's orders through loudspeaker.
John Doe revealed his ingenious plan to gain riches. He had found a way to create aluminum without using extensive amounts of mana. Though he answered the inquiries any curious wife of his might have, he requested that this information be kept confidential (at most it could be gossiped about between his wives, but not to outsiders).
John Doe switched his [Custom Special] from Shellstrike Gauntlets to Mirror Blade. - Fifteenth Week:
John Doe created some digging drills and cleared out any rubble from within the dungeon, remodeling, and fashioning machinery into the newly restructured rooms.
Herta looked into the properties of the rare ability called [Custom Special], discovering more about its nature.
Ruby Rose increased her intellect with all the books her Master generously gifted her.
Gerty became John Doe's personal secretary.
Ayane writes to her family and connections in Centria, making them more open to purchase from John Doe.
Cattleya completed her construction of the radio tower/telegraph station. It is decided that this structure she builds shall be host to both the radio tower and telegraph station.
Mel worked on improving her mana's stamina.
Bertha fought against an armored clank and was able to defeat it, learning a new ability called Hammer-Launcher.
Master John Doe decided to have Mel and Bertha at the same time, as their windows fertility overlapped. After the two women fulfilled their marital duty to John Doe, they were certain his children were growing within them them. Later in the week John Doe would have separate trysts with Mel and Bertha, dedicating a day to date each of them individually.
John Doe created three typewriters of exceptional quality without using his Lunacy Savantae.
A letter arrived from Hisashi, informing him that the trade expedition had been successful and that he was set to return in a week.
The Centrian Herald's news of Atlantis resurfacing before schedule prompted John Doe to inquire about the state of said merfolk nation from Herta.
The dungeon's entrance, which was a stone stairway out of a shallow area of the coast, is temporarily closed off.
Herta revealed that she placed some fertility blessings on herself, causing her to gestate for a shorter period of time as well as having an increased likelihood of having more than one child every time she becomes pregnant.
Anticipating the difficulties his wives would have after a few months of pregnancy, John decided to build household robots and automate parts of the manor. - Sixteenth Week:
John Doe upgraded the BoatMech. He placed a Lightning Rail and Missile/Rocket Launcher on it. He also gives the mech a submersible mode.
Herta, in accordance with John's plans of automating the mansion, created an elevator within the manor.
Cattleya began construction of the mansion's daycare and medical wing.
Ruby Rose used her intellect to decipher the mysteries of the ever elusive [Custom Special], finding a method to use it with John Doe's Bonded Vessel — the BoatMech.
Gerty continued her secretary work and organized everyone's actions more.
Mel did aerobic exercises to increase her physical stamina.
Bertha patrolled the estate once again. She fended off bandits, slime tyrants, undead, and other monsters.
Ayane, with the assistance of Gerty and Ruby Rose, made an exhaustive list of all items within the estate, giving said items their respective values.
Some treasure washed up on a nearby beach. It consisted of gold, jewels, and an enchanted necklace. The latter was an artifact called the Water-Necklace, which allowed the wearer to swim faster and hold one's breath for hours.
John Doe commanded that, from this week onward, all of his slaves would exercise for at least half an hour every day. He was kind enough to give each and every one of his slave-wives some "personal one-on-one training" with him to encourage them.
John Doe deliberates with his wives on what action he should follow. After hearing everyone's opinions, he decided to focus on fighting the corrupted cavern and purge the undead. - Seventeenth Week:
The second invasion of the goblin cavern began this week. The forwarding base, known as The Clank's Shelter, is retaken from the undead. Ruby Rose remained on the surface within the BoatMech's pilot seat, ready to use it against the cave as a last resort.
John Doe drilled the hill and made many pathways, even clearing out the entrance itself. He and his wives went through the side of the hill instead of the front.
Many horrors were encountered in the cavern. Strange corrupted humanoids and fleshy beings, twisted into unnatural shapes, would attack John's expedition. A Monster Room was found and destroyed.
Corruption magic was used to warp the entire cavern, making the walls warp and giving the cavern itself the appearance of a living creature. Herta and Gerty were ordered to purify the cave with Holy Magic, as John Doe ordered everyone to focus was on purging the corruption. Yumi assisted in defeating the poltergeists and dispersing miasma from the area.
Oghlurk mocked the expedition, but this backfires as he became enraged by everyone's words and was subsequently goaded into approaching them. He is defeated, but is then transformed by being unable to handle the corruption magic, causing him to mutate into a powerful abomination. Nonetheless he defeated again through everyone's efforts. Ayane casted a pillar of fire that engulfed Oghlurk, dealing the killing blow as is depicted on the relief upon the cavern's front. Aneko's spirit reveals herself after the fight, now freed due to Oghlurk's death. The ghost of Aneko shares a few brief words with Ayane, and encourages her to live well. Aneko departed from this mortal plane soon after.
Throughout the rest of the week, the corrupted goblin cave is completely purified by Herta. She turns it into a "sacred ground" that is aptly named Herta's Haven.
Everyone else spent the rest of the week getting rid of the corrupted monsters, evil spirits, and the remaining undead within forests and its surrounding regions.
Near the end of the week three mermaid half-sisters visit the estate. These three are called Peralia, Mara, and Amelia. John, Gerty, and Cattleya meet with them. Mara, who had scars and was assumed to be a haughty masochist, was apparently their ringleader. Peralia (known as Pearl) was nonplussed, but the most reasonable of the three. Amelia was the most nervous, being slightly overweight, and was the most intelligent of the the present mermaids. All three of them were proud of their Atlantean origins, using that claim as leverage to demand the 'return' of the enchanted necklace and the treasure that was washed up last week. John Doe denied their request and left without elaborating. The mermaids remained by the estate's waters and attempted to find ways to regain their claimed items. It was discovered that these half-sisters lost said items after taking them without permission from a relative of theirs (likely an uncle or father), and are avoiding the consequences until they retrieved their items.
John Doe created some coastal defenses against potential Merfolk attacks. - Eighteenth Week:
John Doe began the hunt for the Bandit King. Half the week was dedicated to killing bandits.
After some discussing the nature of hereditary blessings and curses with Herta, John allowed her to dedicate a portion of the week to look into it.
The Vixen's Luck was used to begin a bombardment effort using a novel invention Master Doe called "napalm" (which is, by his admission, otherworldly knowledge). Mel did some reconnaissance of the bandit's positions while Gerty led the clankers to dispatch of any stragglers that attempted to flee the aerial ordnance. The bandit army was destroyed in the subsequent saturation bombing. Yet the Bandit King, his three closest beguiler guards, and a few elite 'bandit soldiers' remained elusive.
Two graveyards were created. The first was close to Herta's Haven while the second was in the forest. The former was a formal gravesite while the latter was meant for the bandits killed.
A stone relief was built by John Doe in Herta's Haven. It depicted John Doe, his slaves, and Yumi defeating Oghlurk. Particular detail was made to depict Ayane's finishing move against the orc. An intricate statue of Herta, in the dignified appearance she was most commonly known for, was also created by John Doe.
Herta spent the rest of the week attempting to find a cure for Bad Luck. She does this in hopes of understanding hereditary blessings and curses.
John Doe received a letter from the Bandit King. The latter made unreasonable demands; such as ceasing the bombardment and slaughter of the bandits. John Doe was kind enough to deign a reply, yet the purges against the bandits didn't cease.
Mel spent the week scouting for any sign of the Bandit King and his guards. She got into a 'sniper duel' with a few bandit beguilers. While she dispatched most of them, John Doe's intervention was needed for her to come out unscathed. The rest of the elite bandits, save for the Bandit King and his three closest guards, would be killed. However a large portion of the forest was set aflame due to a mortar shot. Later, Mel was able to requisition some items from the Bandit King; a bag of holding, the Horologium Mechanicum (named the Stop-Watch by Master Doe), the Todeskurzschwert (named the Dagger of Shadows by the bandits), some gold, various magical jewels bearing haste spells, and other miscellaneous valuables. She was able to carry all of this due to a bag of holding she seized from them.
Ayane continued to hold correspondence with her connections in Centria.
Gerty found a way to use Medium Heal without needing to pause.
Bertha processed the remaining cotton into textiles.
Ruby Rose used her intellect to solve the mysteries behind the still elusive [Custom Special] ability.
The Bandit King's hiding spot was found by Mel near the end of the week. Said Bandit King attempted to convince John Doe to become his 'deputy', but John Doe rejected the strange offer. Bertha, using the power of the Stop-Watch, defeated them in less than a moment. Two of the Bandit King's remaining cohorts were met grisly deaths under Bertha's hammer, meanwhile the Bandit King himself was captured. According to the Bandit King, there was one bandit that got away — a woman named Mary, who was the sister of the bandit assassins that made attempts against John's life after the initial Bandit invasion.
Cattleya, with the assistance of the construction clankers, was able to finish building the daycare/medical wing of the manor.
The day after the Bandit King was captured, John Doe made use of the factory to create three new clanker variants — construction clankers, naval/aquatic clankers, and spider clankers. He also used the factory rooms to replenish the standard clankers that were lost in addition to creating new armored clankers.
The Sacred Grounds received the name Herta's Haven within this span of time.
John Doe decided to return to Centria with his slaves for myriad reasons in mind; meeting with the Mitsubishi-Yasuda Trading Firm, obtaining the bounty placed on the Bandit King, attending the Academy's lectures, and making way for his future business ventures.
Mara and her half-sisters left the estate's shores once they realized John Doe was leaving, but not before promising to return once the waters were warmer. They warned of high-level aquatic monsters gathering in this area when it became was winter.
Preparations were made to return to Centria. - Nineteenth Week:
- 1st Day:
John Doe and company arrive in Centria. Ayane would leave to meet with her family again.
He enters the Adventurer's Guild and obtains the bounty of the Bandit King. He signs up to be a member of said guild after meeting Guildmaster Gaul.
The Order of the Jagged Sword was visited. Estella, a knight within the Order, would give John and his wives a tour of the facilities. A meeting with Preceptor Justus was then held. Master Doe convinced Justus to have Heaven's Landing become officially acknowledged by the Knightly Orders, ensuring that Heaven's Landing and John's claimed lands between Eastia and Westphalia would be considered John Doe's property. Discussion on how the Order obtained their materials and weaponry was inconclusive. Ayane returned around this time and reunited with John Doe.
While searching for a hotel to stay at, a catgirl spoke of three men (that fit the description of the Drag On Gang) causing her Master grief. Further search into this rumor confirmed that other hotels were being harassed by three hooligans. Rostchilde's hotel chain 'Bed and Barn Inns' was exempt from any harassment.
Once aboard the airship, John Doe decided to sell the warped bones of Oghlurk to the Order of the Jagged Sword in exchange for their favor and their rare items.
Rather than sleeping in the airship, Cinnamon Inn was chosen as the place where John Doe and his wives would stay at while in Centria.
On the way to see Hisashi, John Doe claimed to have seen a racoon woman. It is assumed that this racoon beastfolk (likely a tanuki) is the slave-wife of a prominent Centrian businessman.
John Doe then met with Hisashi, gifting him a Lucky Pocket Watch. The kitsune patriarch, in turn, granted John Doe the materials needed to build aluminum for free (the combined quantity of bauxite and cryolite that Hisashi brought was worth approximately 3740g).
Both men spoke of many things, including but not limited to the Mitsubishi Clan's voyage to Northrensjor, and how an encounter with a Roc led to one of the ships to be destroyed, as well as the Thule celebration the Northrensjor clans held around this time of year. Melody Merryheart and the Goddess Herta were present with John Doe as this was happening.
While this occurred, Ruby Rose was unjustly barred from the library of the Adventurer's Guild. She was accused by Julie — the so-called secretary of the guild and likely the slave-wife of Gaul — as having "attempted to steal guild books". Later, through Ruby's personal findings, it was found that the adventuress Syntye had slandered the innocent mastermind's good name. Ruby and Ayane would then go to the Merchant's Guild in order to socialize and potentially forge new connections. Cattleya, Bertha, and Gerty still remained in the Adventurer's Guild and learnt more about how adventurers operated.
The day would end by returning to Cinnamon Inn and retiring there for the day. - 2nd Day:
After breakfast, John Doe and his wives visited the Mitsubishi-Yasuda family to see the newly born Ichirou, who is the clan-nephew of John Doe.
The appearance of the household was much better, evidence that the financial situation of Eisho's family was now stabilized. Eisho's youngest son, Ichirou, was born to Kasato Kaoru, who is one of Eisho's slave-wives. Eisho, Ai, and John Doe discussed when the funeral service of the late Aneko would be held, and John learnt about the etiquette and traditions that Oceanippon funerals held.
A post-humorous wake followed by a funeral would be given for Aneko. It would be held tomorrow and the day after that, respectively. Both would be hosted by Eisho and Ai, as it was common for the parents of the deceased to do. It's revealed that the finances were handled by Hisashi Mitsubishi.
Eisho Yasuda invited John Doe to a business meeting later in the week. Said meeting was to be held between the most members of the Mitsubishi and Yasuda clans.
John Doe, along with Ruby Rose and Melody 'Mel' Merryheart, befriended Risae Iga, who is the third slave-wife of Eisho Yasuda and a member of the Iga assassin clan. The four of them spoke about the 'Dagger of Shadows'. Risae revealed more about the weapon, using an abacus artifact to elucidate the facts behind the dagger; the Todeskurzschwert, known as the 'Dagger of Shadows', had taken the lives of 12,844 people. It was likely crafted by the Thieves' Guild.
John Doe took sympathy on Ayane, and took over caring for the kits. He told stories to the two children, Shizuku and Ryko, and promised the latter that he'd see her origami collection. John Doe and his wives depart from Eisho's household.
Dr. Nicodemus was visited again. He gave physical and magical check-ups to all of John Doe's pregnant wives using three artifacts, the third being a notable dwarven orb. The medical tests reveal everyone to be healthy.
Nicodemus communicates a few things are of note; the maternal behavior of catgirls tends to be 'territorial', only trusting the Master-husband around her kittens. Half-beastfolk children tend to act like animals in their first months, according to Nicodemus' words. The good doctor discussed the nature of hybrids somewhat. He also discovered, through the dwarvish artifact, that Herta was going to have twins.
John Doe purchased Magical Crystal Necklaces — their use is to ward off corruption and make the wearer healthier. The doctor then warned about a traveling physician named Quack. - 3rd Day:
John Doe and Ayane donned somber-colored kimonos, with John wearing a yukata. These clothes were made thanks to Bertha's needlework. John and Ayane were dressed this way because both were invited to the wake that was held for the late Aneko. Instead of using the occasion to make connections, John Doe followed kitsune traditions and showed his respects for the deceased. He garnered some approval from the more traditional members of the kitsune family due to this action. Though it didn't seem relevant at the time, the choice between picking a red chrysanthemum or a the red spider lily would be relevant for the future. He chose the latter to pay his final respects to Aneko.
Seeing how the rest of his wives weren't allowed to attend the wake, he gave them gold and had them do some errands. They visited the apothecary and purchased a medical text from there. They bought items with the gold John gave them to spend at their leisure; Herta purchased some swimwear, Cattleya had a new shortsword, Gerty got some holy water and a riding crop, Bertha now donned a pair of melee-boosting adventuring gloves, Mel wisely bought some treant roots and glowberries, and Ruby Rose purchased a wrist watch. John's wives also bought a few dresses. They also pooled together the generous amount of gold John Doe gave them in order to purchase a gift for him. Said gift was an artifact in the shape of a scroll, capable of storing at least ten blueprint designs into it.
Ruby Rose began filing John Doe's typewriter patent, but came to a standstill after Master Doe's signature and presence was required.
Lord John and Ayane then went to meet some of Hisashi's connections. These were the same connections Ayane had been writing to. The most relevant of these were as followed:
Stevan Stonemann, a human veteran adventurer that was influential with the Adventurer's Guild.
Jal Mozz, a mouse beastfolk who had influence over the newer merchant factions.
Umberto Lorenzo Cavellini, an exiled noble from Archipelegea with aristocratic connections.
A merchant named Sneke Scopolas, who had snake-like eyes. He was a traveling salesman who didn't seem to have any notable qualities other than his distinct appearance, and also the fact that he seemed familiar to John Doe.
Conrad Tripper, the Vice-Guildmaster of the Centrian Merchant's Guild, meeting in the stead of Guildmaster Ryan.
As both John and Ayane were meeting with them, the others returned to the apothecary and procured a number of useful items. These included the healing scroll and medical texts, as well as various miscellaneous items such as anti-petrification salves, anti-paralysis potions, and antidotes, in addition to some materials and minerals.
After a chance discussion with Ayane and Yumi, John Doe realized that he was affected by some sort of overly-specialized hallucinatory illusion that made white chrysanthemums appear red to him. - 4rd Day:
John Doe, Herta, Ruby Rose, Ayane, Mel, and Yumi spend the morning tracing yesterday's steps in order to solve the mystery of the red chrysanthemum.
The search led to a recently built Mitsubishi family shrine that was dedicated to the deceased. Ayane stayed behind to give her respects while John and the others continued forward in the search, though she promised that she'd catch up with them. It was there that a spirit revealed herself; Sumiko, the late wife of Hisashi and the mother of Ayane and Ai, was discovered to be the culprit behind the illusion that had affected Master Doe. She was irritable and prideful enough to attack John and his wives. Sumiko had the upper hand at first, thanks to how strong her ghost powers were, but she was quickly overpowered and outclassed by Herta. Ayane was able to put a stop to things before Sumiko could be exorcised by the goddess. There was an argument between mother and daughter. The deceased kitsune matriarch revealed that the flowers illusion was done to test John Doe. After getting shouted at by her own daughter, Sumiko, feeling remorse for her actions, attempted to make amends. She gifted John and Ayane two white tulips. This continued the trend of using hanakotoba, a form of flower symbolism, to express her apologies to John and Ayane.
While this is happening, Gerty, Cattleya, and Bertha had the task of keeping in touch with both the Adventurer's Guild and the Centrian Knights. The Order of the Jagged Sword informed Gerty that it would give gifts to John Doe tomorrow, as was agreed when he sold them the orc bones. When at the Adventurer's Guild, the three women encountered an adventuring B-Rank party that challenged them to a test of strength. The B-Ranks and John's wives both fought against a captured rock golem in an arena the guild owned. The result was a victory for John's wives.
Aneko's funeral was held that day. It was no as exclusive as the wake, meaning that all of John's wives were allowed to attend. John Doe took the time to speak with Hisashi about Sumiko, informing him that she was still present in this mortal world as a spirit. Ayane was allowed to babysit Ryko, Shizuku, and Ichirou. - 5th Day:
Eulia arrived early in the morning with an inquiry. She asked John what the official documents of the Fastwing Corporation should call his estate. John Doe decided to name his claimed estate to Heaven's Landing.
John Doe decided to visit the Centrian Academy of Science and Magic. After a mishap at the Academy's library, they met with its former principal and current main advisor, Todred Thaumat, as well as professor Marigold. Todred gave John and his wives a tour of the Academy. Ruby Rose was able to find out that the Academy and the Mage's Guild were intimately connected. Members of the latter getting a discount for being part of the former, and the Academy had a habit of procuring all of its professors from the Mage's Guild.
In the middle of the tour, John Doe would save an elf named Aila from being bullied. Aila is the princess and Saintess of Elfalior, though she was pretending to be a simple wood elf with enough intellect to be given a scholarship. She was sent to Centria because a vision she received from the Goddess Artemia; her holy mission was to purge the nascent growth of magical corruption in addition to saving ancient spells present in the city before they were lost to history. John Doe would form a friendship with the elvish princess. Though John suspected she was a Saintess and/or a princess, she still insisted that she was a simple wood elf.
After leaving the Academy, Ayane and Ruby Rose presented some properties they found according to John's specifications. Of the selection, John decided to buy the following:
A castle called Verteidigungsburg Centrien.
A plaza referred to as Left-Bridge Commercial Center.
A flying tower known as the Northern Pillar.
And a semi-desert upon the plateau, which had a favorable geographical location.
These purchases were all confirmed by a elf named Morgar, who is a member of the International Department of Centrian Affairs (I.D.C.A)
John decided to move out of Cinnamon Inn and into the castle immediately. The afternoon was spent furnishing castle Verteidigungsburg and becoming accustomed to it. The Grand Paladin of the Order of the Jagged Sword, Justus Asturias, came to visit the castle upon hearing that John Doe had moved there. He gifted John Doe with various items and rare materials; a box of mithril, a box of holysteel, a Blessed Blade, a Holy Spear, two magical pistols that could shoot Holy Beams, eight sets of Holy Armor, and various potions (of strength, night vision, and speed). Justus offered to lend some knights in order to stop the crime in the plaza. John Doe asked for more time before giving him a response.
When it grew dark, John Doe, Melody Merryheart, and Cattleya Catniss all went to snoop around in hopes of finding more about Rostchilde's plans as well as the rumors circulating the hotels. When passing the Builder's Hotel, the three of them met a bunny beastfolk woman named Pomegranate Byin Ponnamie. She was the vendor of a secret shop in the Left-Bridge Commercial Center, which was John Doe's plaza property. After this encounter, John and the others met with a female racoon beastfolk. This racoon woman gave them information about Rostchilde, claiming that Rostchilde and his clique would stop by Centria. She then made a mysterious threat against John Doe before promptly disappearing. Some more hotels, bars, and restaurants were scouted, both dangerous and innocuous, but nothing of interest was found. They did witness a man and his dwarvish slave-wife showing their desire for one another, but that was irrelevant to the subject matter. Lastly, John and his two wives visited Cinnamon Inn. There they found the Drag On Gang (now calling themselves the Drag On Freelance Agents) harassing a mousefolk clerk named Rattica. John Doe was able to soundly defeat the gang without damaging anything. The owner of the hotel, Ein Tiller, personally witnessed John Doe's actions and commended him for helping out. Notably, this event was newsworthy for a small paper called The Central Courant.
The Drag On 'Free Agents' were interrogated by John and his two slave-wives. The three men divulged about their travels, telling about how they went from working for Forthwythe to working under Rostchilde's Bed and Barn Inns, and of how Rostchilde himself would come to Centria in three week's time. They also testified about Rostchilde's thinly veiled trade of 'indentured servants', though the Drag On Gang didn't know anything beyond confirming that it existed. But after John Doe revealed to them that the wand they were given was set explode after three more uses, they were incensed against Rostchilde for his betrayal. In fact they were angry enough to vandalize their former benefactor's company — Bed and Barn Inns. - 6th Day:
Ayane left early in the morning to babysit her nieces and nephew.
The rest of the morning was spent cleaning and rearranging the castle's interior. By the time it was over, Ayane had returned.
In the afternoon John Doe and his wives went to visit the capital of Centria, contemporarily nicknamed the Centre-Heart despite the official district being officially called the First District. Here they visited tourist attractions and consumed foreign cuisines. Later that evening the International Department of Centrian Affairs, commonly abbreviated as the I.D.C.A, was stayed at with the intent to procure a patent for John Doe's typewriters. It took more than five hours to obtain a 100 year patent for an initial cost of 500g and an annual cost of 700g.
The Left-Bridge Commercial Center was explored when nighttime came. This plaza was notorious for being rife with crime and violence. The decaying infrastructure and dilapidated architecture went well with an increase in homelessness. Generally speaking, the area attracted the vagrant dregs of Centria. There was also a recent string of murders that targeted harpy mothers and their eggs.
Some time ago the gnomes pulled out investments from the plaza and blacklisted the area when not getting their way.
An adventuress named Oria was found by John and his wives. She was badly injured. John Doe ordered Gerty to heal her, saving her from an almost certain death. Oria was one of the adventurers that challenged Gerty, Cattleya, and Bertha to fight a golem while the mystery of the red chrysanthemums was underway. This adventuress departed without showing any gratitude, drinking a recall potion the moment she could stand.
It was found that a gang of lamia called 'Snake Eyes' claimed the plaza as their territory. They had a feud with some gnomes that attempted to purchase the plaza some time ago. Despite the lamia gang's racketeering, they were known to provide food and water for the needy.
A mule beastfolk named Morris Murphy, who was the closest thing to a community leader in the plaza, was approached by Master Doe in regards to topics that either pertained to his own person or to the plaza at large. Morris was spoke at length about his past (and how he regretted the fact he had no instrument to play), and about the troubles in the plaza.
Next John visited an impoverished human family. It consisting of a Master-husband (Thomas) his two slave-wives (Iris and Agnes) and his three daughters. They spoke about their daily routines and what the plaza might need, despite how timid and cautious they initially were.
Ponnamie's alleyway store was visited, and some inquiries about her person were made. The following purchases are made; Mirror-Metal, Hihiirokane/Scarlett-Steel, and a Flying Carpet. The latter of these items was in a broken state, but it was eventually fixed with Herta's and John Doe's tinkering.
- 1st Day: