Demonic Dragon: Harem System-Chapter 785: Returning to beautiful wives

Strax disentangled himself from the tangle of arms with minimal effort—not because they didn't want to let go, but because they all knew that specific gesture. The way he leaned forward, the tired half-smile, the hand brushing the back of his neck.

It was the universal signal of "I need to sit down before things get worse."

He walked to the wide sofa against the side wall of the room, a piece of furniture clearly stolen from some noble mansion during a past campaign. He sank into it with a long, almost theatrical sigh.

He wasn't alone for a second.

Rogue was the first to sit, throwing herself sideways, legs over his without asking permission. Cassandra occupied the other side, resting her shoulder against his as if silently marking her territory. Daniela sat on the arm of the sofa, resting her elbow on Strax's head, while Bellatrix sat behind, leaning against the backrest, hands lightly resting on his shoulders.

A nest.

Literally.

Strax looked at the ceiling for a moment.

"…you do this on purpose," he murmured.

"Yes," Rogue replied without any guilt.

He closed his eyes for a second, then opened them and finally faced the four of them.

"So," he began, "before you decide to kill someone without context… I'll explain."

Daniela tilted her head, curious. "We're listening."

Strax took a deep breath.

"Her name is Albedo. She's an ancient demon. Seven thousand years old. She was recently summoned by an idiot who thought he could control something he barely understood." He made a vague gesture with his hand. "It went wrong. Very wrong."

Cassandra narrowed her eyes. "And you decided to keep her."

"I decided to prevent a bigger disaster," he corrected. "She's not… evil in the classical sense. But she also doesn't understand boundaries. Or rejection. Or coexistence."

Rogue let out a short laugh. "Ah."

Daniela smiled slightly. "I already like it."

Strax continued, ignoring her.

"She basically had a meltdown when she realized she had nowhere to go. Cried. Thrown a tantrum. Threatened to destroy everything. Then cried some more."

Silence.

Then.

Rogue started laughing.

Not a restrained chuckle. A full-blown laugh, throwing her head back.

"A DEMON CRYING?" she said between laughs. "No. No. This is too wonderful."

Daniela clapped. "Please tell me she threw a tantrum."

"She did," Strax confirmed, now smiling too. "The 'nobody understands me' kind of thing."

Bellatrix made a low, amused sound. "That's so you."

Strax raised an eyebrow. "What did you say?"

"You," Cassandra said calmly, "always end up adopting emotionally unstable, dangerous creatures who don't know how to exist without destroying something."

Rogue pointed at him. "Exactly. You have a type."

Strax opened his mouth to retort.

He thought better of it.

"…okay," he conceded. "Maybe."

The four laughed again.

"So what did she become?" Daniela asked. "Mascot? Social project? Experiment?"

"Subordinate," Strax replied. "Technically."

Rogue made an amused face. "Technically is always the dangerous part."

"She's under observation," he continued. "She'll learn to control herself. She'll follow rules. She'll have a function. And she'll stay away from strategic decisions for now."

"And if she freaks out?" Cassandra asked.

"I'll stop," he replied without hesitation.

Bellatrix tilted her head, assessing. "Do you trust her?"

Strax was silent for a longer moment.

"I trust her strength," he finally said. "And in the ability to learn. The rest… we'll see."

Rogue laughed again. "Even so, it's funny."

"Demons crying to be accepted," Daniela added, amused. "I never thought I'd see that."

Strax laughed along, resting his head on the back of the sofa.

"She almost imploded when Kali tested her."

The four stopped.

"…wait," Rogue said slowly. "Kali?"

"Yes."

Daniela's eyes widened. "You made her fight Kali?"

"That wasn't the initial idea," Strax replied quickly. "It escalated."

Cassandra crossed her arms. "And?"

Strax smiled.

"She held on."

Heavy silence.

Bellatrix frowned. "How long did she hold on?"

"Equally," he replied. "Long enough for me to have to intervene before Asgard turned to dust."

Rogue whistled softly. "So she's strong, very strong."

"Very," Strax confirmed. "Not in the same way. But potentially? Yes."

Daniela tilted her head, genuinely interested now. "That explains why you brought her."

"That explains why I couldn't let her loose," he corrected.

Cassandra sighed. "Of course. Another emotionally unstable force of nature under your roof."

Strax closed his eyes, feigning exhaustion. "You talk as if I have a choice."

Rogue leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the forehead. "You always choose."

He opened one eye. "Was that support?"

"No," she replied, smiling. "It was an observation."

Bellatrix finally spoke, her voice low but firm.

"If she fights Kali on equal terms… then she's not someone who can be ignored."

"No," Strax agreed. "And that's why she needs to learn before anyone tries to use her."

Daniela smiled slightly. "Good."

"What?"

"She'll fit in," Daniela said. "Or explode trying."

Rogue laughed. "And either way, it'll be interesting."

Strax sighed, but there was a genuine smile there now. "…I just wanted a quiet visit."

The four spoke together: "You never wanted that."

Strax let out a long sigh, the kind that starts deep in your chest and ends with your whole body giving way. He slid a little further into the sofa, then stretched his arms above his head in a slow, deliberate, unhurried yawn—muscles lengthening, wings almost manifesting reflexively before he restrained them.

The movement made Rogue smile immediately.

"That yawn," she commented, resting her chin on her hand, "is something someone who doesn't plan on leaving anytime soon would do."

Strax let his arms fall, crossed his hands over his abdomen, and looked at the ceiling for a few seconds before answering.

"Actually," he said, his voice relaxed, "I'm not going back anytime soon."

Silence.

Not the tense silence from before.

An attentive silence.

Cassandra was the first to react, turning her face to meet his. "How long is 'not anytime soon'?"

Strax tilted his head slightly, as if calculating something abstract. "Indeterminate."

Daniela's eyes widened for a split second… and then she smiled slowly. "What does that mean, exactly?"

"It means," he continued calmly, "that Asgard is stable. Kali is too busy breaking things to need me every five minutes. Frieren can handle the rest. And the new subordinate will need… guidance from a distance."

Rogue was already grinning from ear to ear.

"Translation," she said, nudging Cassandra with her elbow. "He's ours."

Strax closed his eyes for a moment. "For an indefinite period," he added, as if it were an important technical detail.

Daniela let out a hearty laugh and leaned in, resting her forearm on top of his head. "Did you hear that? Indefinite."

Bellatrix lightly squeezed his shoulders from behind, a small gesture, but laden with meaning. "You have any idea what you just said."

"I do," he replied. "And I'm consciously accepting the consequences."

Cassandra watched his face for a few seconds, searching for any trace of irony, hesitation, hidden plan.

She found none.

She sighed, but there was something gentle in the gesture now. "So you came… to stay."

"Yes."

"No urgent missions?"

"A few," he admitted. "But nothing that can't wait."

"No disappearing in the middle of the night?"

Strax opened one eye and looked at her. "Only if you kick me out."

Rogue laughed loudly. "That's never happened."

"And it never will," Daniela finished.

Bellatrix finally leaned forward a little more, resting her chin on the top of his head. "You know that when you stay… we adjust everything around it."

"I know."

"And that we won't make it easy."

He smiled. "I never expected you to make it easy."

Rogue shifted, sitting facing him now, her legs still over his. "So let me see if I understand," she said, counting on her fingers. "You showed up unannounced. Scared a subordinate until she was nearly dead. Brought an emotionally unstable ancient demon as your new subordinate. Confirmed she can fight Kali on equal footing."

"Correct."

"And now you say you're staying with us indefinitely."

"Yes."

She smiled slowly, dangerously. "You really know how to cause chaos."

Strax chuckled softly. "I call that narrative coherence."

Daniela rested her chin on his shoulder. "You're going to sleep here."

"Probably."

"You're going to eat here."

"Definitely."

"You're going to interfere in our decisions."

"Unfortunately."

Cassandra crossed her arms, but the corner of her mouth lifted slightly. "And you're going to complain that you don't have peace."

"Constantly."

Bellatrix closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. "Then it's decided."

Strax tilted his head back, looking at all four of them at once. "Looks like it."

Rogue leaned in and touched his forehead with hers. "Welcome back."

There was an awkward moment after that.

Not dramatic.

Not grandiose.

Just… comfortable.

The kind of silence that only exists when no one is about to leave.

Strax closed his eyes, letting their weight linger there, their presence, the distant noise of the guild working outside.

"I really needed this," he murmured.

Daniela smiled, softer than usual. "You always need it. It just takes you a while to admit it."

Cassandra stood up and walked to the table, picking up an old map and tossing it aside. "So, since you're ours now…"

Strax opened one eye. "Here we go."

"…tomorrow you'll help us reorganize the contracts."

He closed his eyes again. "I knew there was a price."

Rogue laughed and stood up too. "And after that, we'll take you to see the city."

"I know the city."

"Not like ours," she corrected.

Bellatrix squeezed his shoulders one last time before walking away. "Rest today."

Strax remained on the sofa, finally alone for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling with a tired but genuine smile. "Indefinite time," he repeated to himself.