Chapter 160: Chapter 161: The Children And The Nymph Thieves (2)

Evening.We were gathered in a high room of the palace where the whole capital of the Marduk Empire could be seen.

Whoooosh—I assumed that a desert city would just be sweltering but whether it was the high level or the room being completely open, it was rather refreshing and had nice scenery.

A golden city viewed underneath the moonlight.Naru, Cecily, and Hina were quietly asleep on the bed, exhausted from running around the palace all day.And so this time beneath the moon solely belonged to the adults.

I tried desert wine for the first time ever.I didn’t know what it was made of but the first taste was sweet like fruit and the end burned like fire, but it was cold as ice as it went down the throat.

“This is an interesting drink.”

As I swirled the remaining liquid in the golden cup, Salome approached me. Then she wrapped her arms around my neck like a snake.

“So? This is me.”

What did she mean ‘this is me’?Of course, I think I knew what she was trying to say. She wanted to boast that she was of high status.

Fwoosh—Salome aromatically smelled of peaches.Her arms around my neck and shoulders were thin but high in temperature so it felt like I was wrapped by a warm python.

“How about it, Judas?”

“How about what—”

Before I could answer, Brigitte yanked on Salome’s arm.

“Don’t cling onto him carelessly while drunk. We can’t lose the children! And Judas doesn’t even care about people’s statuses. He transcended this world!”

Brigitte said all this with a triumphant expression. Did she think that people’s statuses were like ants for me now that I was something like a deity?But unfortunately, Brigitte’s assumption was wrong.

“Being a princess is good.”

“What?”

Brigitte looked shocked at what I said.But unfortunately, I was still a materialistic person.Gold, wine, beauties, gourmet food! I can’t get sick of it.It even felt like the more I had, the more I needed.

Maybe I was the Demiurge of Materialism?If not, whatever.

“Hmph, you heard that, right?”

Flick—

Salome shook off Brigitte’s hand that had been holding her. Then she came to me and whispered in a sly voice.

“Isn’t it decided that I’m the lawful wife, then?”

“Lawful wife?”

What is that?My mind instantly recalled the line of women in the palace.

Those with authority that pierced the skies like a Sultan or emperor were legally able to have many wives.If any normal person took more than one wife, they’d be severely punished according to strict laws.

Me?What about me, then?I have three wives, too.

No, I am going to have three.I was neither imperial nor royal so it was actually illegal to have three wives, but… primarily, my profession was a bandit, I’m Judas after all.

My very existence is the most illegal of them all so what about it?Furthermore, I’m a transcended being so what law could detain me?

Anyway, back to the lawful wife thing.A lawful wife meant the most superior out of all the women of an emperor or king.

Before when Naru used to eat strawberries, she would hide away the one that looked the biggest and most delicious and have it for later.When I would sneakily eat the one she hid, Naru would get very upset.

The biggest and juiciest superior strawberry mentioned here could be considered the lawful wife. Since I had a few wives, she seemed to want to decide who was the ‘lawful wife’.

“I consider all my wives equal.”

I said this sincerely.Brigitte, Cariote, and Salome.They each had a different relationship with me and different backgrounds but I was confident I could think of them equally. The same way that I considered and cared for Hina, Naru, and Cecily equally.However, Salome clicked her tongue as if discontent with my response.

“There’s no such thing as equality. A person is bound to become dissatisfied. It’s better to be decisively preferential in that case. On that note, I’m a princess.”

Salome very subtly promoted her being a princess.I thought Salome usually wasn’t concerned with things like statuses.Though she had been called the Back Alley Princess, it was understandable that she’d want to boast about becoming royalty from a lowly thief.I would have, too.

Of course, Brigitte raised an objection.

“It isn’t as if Judas will be responsible for the royal shrines and ancestral rites so what is the point in using status to rank the wives? The standard way would be the order of getting together with Judas.” 1

“You have a point.”

I nodded at Brigitte’s words.Then Salome shot me a glare and snapped at Brigitte.

“Order? Since you’ve mentioned it, you do know that the second time is more meaningful than the first, right?”

“What are you saying? The first is important.”

“Yeah. But think about it. Brigitte, when Judas was creating Naru with you, he probably said that you’re the only one. That’s exactly like him to say that. Isn’t that so?”

“…….”

Brigitte kept quiet and looked at Salome. Her expression seemed threatening, as if saying that she would hear what crap would be said this one time.Salome continued unperturbed.

“So, Judas. Why don’t you say it? If you were to make Naru with Brigitte, wouldn’t you have said things like ‘There’s no one else but you’, ‘You’re the only one I love’ to seduce the girl?”

Wait, the arrow is suddenly pointing at me now?Not even Nocturne’s attack had been this acute.Even while flustered, I thought about it.

“If I were to seduce Brigitte…. It does seem like I would say such things. ‘There’s no one but you’ — seems like something I would’ve said.”

I’ll use it later.Hehe.

“See! He definitely must have. Because I know Judas well. The first time is meaningful, certainly. But in the end, Judas wasn’t true to his word and had Hina afterwards. That’s basically game over.”

Brigitte furrowed her brows and asked Salome who appeared triumphant.

“What does that mean?”

“That I, Salome, am a fatally attractive and beautiful lover, enough so that he’d immediately break his promise to you, Brigitte. Doesn’t that mean that I am his true love? Do you understand now?”

Indeed.She had a point.

“... What kind of faulty reasoning is this!?”

After hearing everything, Brigitte boiled red.But seeing as she couldn’t argue, it seemed that this faulty reasoning was rather effective.Salome was a thief who could speak well.

Thinking that she had completely won, Salome asked Cariote who had been perched on the window sill looking at the moonlight.

“What about you, Cariote? Don’t you think so, too?”

Compared to Brigitte and Salome who were dressed like desert princesses, Cariote alone was wearing her usual leather outfit.She could be considered the only person in this desert palace who wasn’t excited.Hence, Salome left the judgment to the composed Cariote.

“Salome, I somewhat agree with your opinion.”

Cariote the referee nodded.At that, Brigitte’s shoulders slumped even more and Salome’s nose was so high in the air that it seemed like it would reach the ceiling.As I watched tensely, wondering if this was the end of the lawful wife battle, Cariote, who had jumped down from the window sill, added something.

“I too think I’m the most importantt.”

“What?”

The smug Salome let out a strange noise.What was this?Cariote, who was supposed to be the referee, was running towards the goal with the ball!

As everyone waited for an explanation, Cariote continued.

“The current known wives of Judas are three. There is no indication of there being more. Although it wouldn’t be strange if it became four, or even five, since there are already three. Isn’t that so?”

Cariote asked me.At her question, I fell into contemplation.

Four, five, six wives….Indeed, it was true.Honestly, it didn’t matter if I even had ten wives.

“However, Judas’ wives stopped at the third. I am the reason. Judas came to think that he didn’t need any more wives with me being the last.”

Holy crap.Cariote’s opinion was highly radical, and simultaneously destructive and shocking.

“I am Judas’ final one. The one who closed the door after entering the room, essentially. That is far more meaningful than the two that had been in the room prior.”

She definitely had a point.As I nodded, Salome yelled with a red face.

“It’s always the quiet ones…! Cariote, I thought you had no interest in this stuff? This is a betrayal…! Like a person saying that they’re not interested in money being the most obsessed with it…!”

“I never said I wasn’t interested. And if we’re being ranked, then I might as well be the best.”

The three different women started arguing with raised voices. The longer I watched, the less I understood how they became my wives.… Though the time for sharing the same bed was steadily approaching.

n

The next morning.With gracious/service from the palace, we set out for the desert.It was to follow the traces of the Nymph Bandits who were with Tywin.

Sultan Saladin spoke as he loaded our luggage and checked the camels personally.

“Sir Judas, the desert is spread over 4000 km. There are areas that we do not even approach due to dangers, but… it would be meaningless to worry for you, I suppose.”

Sultan Saladin was a good person in the purest sense.Handsome, an awesome status, a great personality, and popular with people.

The world was fucking unfair.Shouldn’t it be balanced with him having a third leg that was 3 cm-long?How could someone possess absolutely everything?

… Well, no, he wasn’t fully perfect.I heard that Saladin had no offspring.

That Saladin’s wife Sara couldn’t get pregnant even after 5 years of marriage and so she never gave birth to a child.

Even when his subjects had suggested that he take another consort, the Sultan said he wouldn’t and stood firmly with his wife Sara.

“Sir Judas, when you arrive at the pyramid, could you pick a flower that looks like this? This is an ancient flower….”

A papyrus made of plants was unfolded.Seeing it, Salome said, “That’s a very old document. It’s at least a few thousand years old,” in assessment. It must be, since Salome said it.

A document holding thousands of years of history.And what was this flower written on it?

Its appearance was that of a baby’s hand, split five ways. The color was hard to distinguish but it was clear that it was a flower that looked like a maple leaf.

The Sultan spoke.

“This flower is called 「Margo’s Flower」, a flower from the great ancient times that boasts great vitality. When the gods created the 12 Primordials in the beginning, it is said that they used this flower to breathe life into the humans formed from dirt. It is an amazing flower.”

Swoosh— Swoosh—I twirled my finger.It meant to get to the point.After looking around, the Sultan spoke quietly so that only I could hear.

“According to the documents of old, sharing a bed after eating this flower will result in guaranteed pregnancy no matter how barren one has been.”

I see.I think I knew exactly what this Sultan was saying.He’s requesting that I pick this ancient flower that might be growing in old ruins.

Was this the reason for the grand reception last night?What does it matter?I accepted willingly because I was feeling good.

“I’ll do it.”

It was then that the Sultan became pleased, his face changing from an anxious, gloomy cloud to a blooming dandelion in the spring.I was also pleased.If I have that maple leaf flower, then I could get the exact timing that the children need to be made and make them accurately.Very nice.

Giddyup—Soon, the herd of camels took off.The strange honeymoon had /genesisforsaken