Harem System In A fantasy World

Elion’s voice lowered slightly, "At least, not as far as I have ever seen."

The last part was quieter, but Mira caught it. "So you have wondered about it before," she said.

Elion looked at her. "Yes." He leaned back and let out a slow breath.

"Do you think I never thought about that? When everything started changing, when my charm rose, when you, who should have loathed me, began looking at me differently, when my body, talents, and abilities all changed in ways I did not fully understand..."

His fingers curled slightly. "I wondered if any of it was real."

"I wondered whether my feelings were real too. Whether I liked all of you because I truly liked you, or because the system somehow pushed me toward you."

He smiled faintly, though there was not much humour in it. "It is not a pleasant thing to think about."

Mira looked at him steadily. "And what conclusion did you reach?"

Elion’s gaze met hers. "That if the system could truly control feelings, then it would not need to give quests."

Elion shrugged lightly. "It would just make things happen. It would not need me to make choices, take risks, embarrass myself, get rejected, be scolded, or nearly die every other week."

Tessa’s lips twitched. "That does sound like you."

"Unfortunately." Elion looked toward Aria. "And more importantly, none of you act like puppets."

Aria nodded smugly. "Obviously."

"You still get angry at me. You argue, threaten, pout, sulk, tease, and make my life more difficult than it already is."

Mira giggled, "That does sound like us."

Elion nodded, "Exactly. If the system was controlling you, then it is terrible at making obedient women."

Zenith chuckled, and Tessa snorted despite herself while Aria looked away with her arms crossed.

Elion’s voice softened. "So no. I do not believe the system controls your hearts." He looked at them seriously. "And if I ever suspected that it did, I would find a way to destroy it."

[...Huh?]

Elion ignored the system’s shocked exclamation and focused instead on the ladies’ soft, melancholic smiles. He was not saying it to sound noble; He really meant it, not the part about destroying the system, of course.

But if the system really was taking away their free will, he would have definitely found a way to circumvent such a thing at some point in the future.

Despite all the changes he had undergone, and more that would inevitably come as he gained more power, he found that his desire to retain at least parts of his humanity grew as much as his strength did.

For all his shamelessness, greed, and endless desire, there were lines he did not want to cross as he was now.

Perhaps that old him who had been weak and powerless would have jumped at any opportunity to get stronger, no matter what was at stake, and perhaps he was being a hypocrite, considering that he was only saying this because he had indeed grown stronger.

But the stronger he became, the more he realised that nothing really ever changed no matter how much power he gained.

Now becoming a Saint like Zenith felt more like a means to an end, a goal that he would eventually reach, rather than a lofty realm he would never reach, or some insurmountable mountain that he would never conquer no matter how much he tried,

The women around him were troublesome, beautiful, dangerous, and wonderful. But they were not dolls. He would never accept that as he was now. He wasn’t desperate anymore.

Mira was the first to speak. "I know my feelings are mine," she said calmly and certainly. "Elion, even if your system gave you the opportunity for us to connect, I chose you myself."

Aria nodded after a moment. "I would know if something was wrong with my heart. I am sure of one thing: my heart is in the right place, and there is a place for one person and one person only in my heart."

She gave Elion a deep, possessive look that made him shiver a bit, but he returned the smile nonetheless.

Tessa gave Aria a suspicious look. "Every time I look at you now, I can’t help but think about how you attacked William with a knife."

Aria gave Tessa a dangerous look. "That was perfectly reasonable, considering the mean things he said!" She said in a high-pitched, innocent voice.

"It was not."

Elion cleared his throat. "Let us not debate that right now."

Mira smiled faintly. "I also do not think the system made me fall for you. If anything, I think it merely gave you enough confidence to stop being crushed by everyone else."

Elion paused and gave it a thought. That was an oddly fair way to put it. Before the system, he had been weak, hopelessly so. His life had been a constant climb up a wall that had no handholds.

After the system, he finally had something to stand on. Whether that made him lucky, cursed, chosen, or manipulated was another matter entirely.

Tessa rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, I do not feel controlled." She glanced away with a faint blush. "And considering how irritating you are, I doubt anyone is forcing me to like you."

Elion placed a hand over his chest. "That hurt."

"It was supposed to."

Isla looked between them, then lowered her gaze slightly.

"I do not know much about this system," she said softly. "But I know how I felt when you helped me. I know how I felt when you listened to me. Those feelings were mine."

Elion’s expression softened, "Isla..."

She smiled shyly, "And even if I am still learning about this world, I do not think anyone forced me to trust you." This was news to her, but she had already made her choice the day she decided to leave her world and follow him.

The existence of some system wasn’t going to suddenly change her mind. There was nothing more real about her life than the short time she had spent with Elion. And now she was looking forward to getting to know more about him, as well as spending the rest of her life with him, whatever may come their way, new world or not.

Zenith leaned back with a pleased expression, "As expected of Hubby."

Elion looked at her. "You do not have anything to add?"

Zenith tilted her head. "What is there to add? I already knew about the system."

"Yes, but you usually have something outrageous to say."

Zenith smiled sweetly. "If the system did try to control my heart, I would simply control it back."