"Girls… It's time for you to become the new Consorts of the Progenitor!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

I'd thought that my declaration would be met with jovial cheers and smiles that were as bright as the Sun itself. However, the four girls shot me some of the most frosty expressions I'd ever seen. Irina looked at me as if she didn't know what to say. Lilith had a half-disgusted face. Ysabelle behaved like she was watching a child fumble. While Rosa kept her signature expressionless face. Though, I could see a small layer of ice beneath her unmoving face.

"Jin… Are you serious?" Lilith broke the silence with a soft yet resonant growl. "You want us to become your Consorts?"

"Y-Yeah? What's wrong with that?"

"Hah…" The blonde-haired girl shook her head and placed her palm over her face. "You're probably not familiar with the history of the Consorts, are you?"

"History? What history?"

I'd thought the Consorts were just titles given to women who accompanied the Progenitor. Was there some other hidden meaning to them?

"Jin…" Ysabelle intervened with a far more compassionate tone. She held my hand and gently filled me in.

"The tale of the Consorts of Dracula is actually quite tragic. Most of them didn't become Dracula's women by choice. When Dracula became the First Vampire and started an entire race, the world was on edge. They feared his power and, at the same time, didn't wish to face his ire. Therefore, every major power offered their finest maidens to Dracula, hoping they would be the bridge for them with the Vampire race."

Woah… I didn't think that the Consorts had such a dark history. Seeing how the Consorts mourned and yearned for Dracula, I'd assumed they voluntarily became Vampires because of their love for him.

"Yes, the Consorts were given power and status. Many became strong enough to rival certain ancient Vampires as well. However, they were ultimately just an accessory for Dracula, the First Vampire, to show his influence."

"And that's not all to that story," Lilith continued with a bitter frown. "Once the Consorts became bound to Dracula, they were eternally faithful to him. They could never leave or betray the Bloodborne House. Even though they had become stronger than most Vampires, they were bound to protect the Bloodborne bloodline. They could never leave the compounds of the Bloodborne Mansion without Dracula's permission, and they weren't allowed to interact with anyone other than those Dracula explicitly chose. Essentially, they had become his breeding slaves."

Damn… I didn't think that the Consorts had such a stigma around them. But truthfully, I should have expected it once I'd realised the shards they had all had an order of obedience ingrained within them.

,m Yeah, there was no way I would subject the four women I loved the most to the same fate as the Consorts. Fortunately, I had significantly improved the shards, and the only thing it would do was enhance the four girls' magic.

However, before I could clarify that minor detail…

"B-Brother!" Irina spoke up with a slight tremor in her voice. "I-If you want me to become your Consort, I'll be more than happy to serve you! N-No, please let me be your first Consort! You can use me however you'd like! I won't go against you until the end of time!"

"Irina!"

Lilith shouted back at the white-haired maiden with an incredulous look in her eyes. It wasn't just her; the other two were utterly speechless. However, none of their expressions made it to the Winter beauty. Irina locked her eyes onto mine, showing that her determination never wavered.

… If I were to be completely honest, I was delighted by Irina's conviction. I knew she loved me, but I didn't expect her to willingly become my slave. But alas… I wasn't going to let Irina or any other girls suffer any grievances.

"Irina…" I moved forward and gently placed my hand on her soft, supple cheeks. "You misunderstood me. I'm not going to enslave any of you with these jewels. I love you too much to do that."

"Y-You're not?"

A myriad of emotions flashed through Irina's eyes at that very moment. Relief that I wouldn't mistreat her as Dracula did with his Consorts. Joy after hearing the extent of my feelings for her. And finally, a tinge of regret…

It seems like… deep down in her heart… Irina wanted to be owned by me. She wanted to become my belonging and to always serve by my side.

Goodness, what a perverted little sister I have. Don't worry; even without the shard, I will make you into my woman.

"Of course I won't," I tossed Irina's inner thoughts aside and continued my explanation.

"The Consorts had to listen to all of Dracula's orders because of the command ingrained onto their shards. I don't want to do that to any of you." I shook my head as I glanced over at the four girls who had quickly become the light of my life.

"You guys are far too important to me. The only thing this jewel does is empower your existing magic and link your souls to mine. So whenever you may be in danger, I can protect you. It doesn't matter how far you are. You can be deep in the ocean or far above in the clouds. You could even be in another galaxy altogether. As long as these jewels are within you, I will always be able to protect you."

"I-Is that so?"

Irina placed her hand over mine and picked up one of the jewels that possessed a wintry-grey lustre. Unsure of its practicality, she asked: "So this can increase our powers to the level of the Consorts?"

"Well, you won't be as strong as them immediately, but given enough time, you'll easily reach the Progenitor level."

"Really?!" At this point, even Ysabelle had to chime in. "Can we gain enough power to equal that of a Progenitor?"

"Of course!" I smiled earnestly. "Unlike the version that Dracula had made for his Consorts, these jewels were designed specially for you guys. They were crafted for each of your unique talents and will grow as you improve. Perhaps you'll surpass everyone in your family in a few years."

"What?!"

Ysabelle picked up her jewel with sparkles in her eyes. As someone who had always pursued strength, the gem's potential greatly interests her. So much so that she'd completely forgotten about the stigma of the Consorts.

"Lilith, if you still can't believe me, you can experiment on this jewel if you'd like."

"No… There's no need…"

Lilith let out a wry smile and shook her head. She picked up the jewel with the golden aura surrounding it and held it tightly against her chest.

"I trust you, Jin. Even if you were to cheat me, I'd willingly become your slave. You are my Bloodmate, after all."

"You don't have to worry about that," I chuckled. "Even if I made you my slave, you wouldn't listen to my orders anyway."

"HAHA! Looks like someone has become smarter!"

I let out a soft snort before moving to the final person in the room. Irina, Lilith and Ysabelle had all taken their jewels, which meant I was left with only one. In truth, I was wondering if I should make Rosa one, given that she was already at the Progenitor level and was more than capable of protecting herself. Even if I made one for her, I was confident that Rosa wouldn't use it.

But ultimately, I couldn't be partial. I didn't want to leave Rosa out in favour of the other three just because she was stronger.

"Rosa, I know you do not need this, but…"

"Give…"

"H-Huh?"

"Give…"

Rosa held her hands out like a child asking for candy. Not wanting to disappoint her and her adorable little pout, I placed the final gem in her soft hands, allowing her to grasp it tightly.

"So… What's next?" Lilith asked with a tinge of curiosity. "How do we merge with this?"

"Oh, it's quite simple, actually. All you need to do is swallow it down, and the jewel will melt within your body. Then, the energy released within will merge with your soul and reforge your regular Vampire flesh."

"I see… So all we need to do is swallow this jewel?"

"Yes, but I must warn you to do it one at a time. Once you swallow them, you'll…"

Even before I could finish my warning, the girls moved in one singular motion and popped the jewels into their mouths like they were swallowing a pill. My jaw dropped unknowingly, and my heart sank instantly. I didn't expect them to immediately absorb the jewels when they got their hands on them! But alas, now that they had… I must face the consequences…

"B-Brother… My face is getting hot…"

"J-Jin… What's going on?"

"Jin… My soul feels like it's on fire…"

"..."

Each of the four girls gave their own unique description of what the jewels were doing to their bodies. Given that their powers were different and they had varying experiences, it was common for them to have their own particular reactions. However, there was one thing that they all shared in common.

The feverish eyes that they were looking at me with.

"Hah… You should've listened to me first. I wanted you to take them one at a time because of the after-effects the gems cause."

"A-After-effects?"

"Yes," I sighed while resigning to my own bittersweet fate. "While I have made improvements to them, the jewels' core remains the same. They house a part of my soul, a Progenitor's soul. Therefore, to fully awaken its powers, you'll need a Progenitor's essence and, to be more precise… You'll need my blood and semen."

"..."

The four girls remained quiet, but I could feel their feverish gazes burning with a brighter flame. Their pants became heavier, and their faces were completely flushed. Even Rosa, the girl who always wore an expressionless face, couldn't hold back the lustful desires that ignited within her soul.

"Hah… Well, I'd thought our first group activity would be more romantic, but this will do."

While I was taken aback by the sudden turn of events, I couldn't say I wasn't excited. Taking care of just one of their insatiable libidos was hard enough, and now I had to deal with all four simultaneously.

Future me… I'm counting on you.

Holding back my sighs, I slowly disrobed myself under the gazes of the hungry lionesses until nothing but my underwear remained. Though, the girls couldn't wait anymore. Their eyes were completely red, as if I were a bunny and they were the wolves. Raising both my arms out, I welcomed the four hunters with a warm smile:

"Come… I'll take all four of you at once."