Combat Maid Harem

"Maybe if we had met earlier," Lawrend replied and looked up to the sky.

He didn't want to give Julianne any false hope. He wasn't interested in women as old as her. It seemed like it would only take a few more years before she turned into an elderly woman.

He was still young. Having an elderly woman as his lover wasn't enticing at all. Rather, it would only damage his reputation.

The Five Combination Team followed his gaze and looked up at the blue sky with the occasional white cloud passing through.

Julianne's bright expression immediately turned gloomy. She was full of regrets about not being born in the same generation as him. Lawrend's talent and performance in the previous battle had awoken the inner maiden within her.

"Alright. Take good care of the Imperial Capital. Once I return, I want to see everything in order. It would only take me a month," Lawrend said and looked at each of them.

Julianne took a deep breath and regained her composure.

"Yes, Emperor. I will supervise the whole operation and ensure everything is well taken care of before your return," Julianne replied.

Otor, Gregory, Hupo, and Pie nodded their heads together to show their support for her. This was the end of Julianne's love for Lawrend. She decided to crush it into pieces and kept his words in mind.

Lawrend took a step forward and flew up to the sky. Ember followed right behind him. She gave a subtle glance at Julianne before looking away.

For some reason, Ember felt sad. She imagined herself in Julianne's position and wondered how bitter it must feel. She instinctively extended her hand forward and grasped Lawrend's hand.

"Mm?"

Lawrend stopped flying and looked at her.

"Master, I'm glad I was born in the same generation as you," Ember said as she blushed.

Flirting was new for her, so it was natural that she acted bashfully.

"Don't worry. I feel the same. It would be a shame if you weren't born in the same generation as me," Lawrend replied and smiled.

"Hmph…" Ember harrumphed and turned her head away.

Lawrend noticed that her neck was red. She pretended she wasn't blushing from his sweet words.

"Haha! Okay. Let's go fast."

A bright red phoenix's wings extended from Lawrend's back. It had a wingspan of over a hundred meters.

Ember nodded her head and did the same. Compared to him, her phoenix wings looked much cleaner and elegant.

"I need to practice this more," Lawrend said after noticing the difference.

"It doesn't matter, Master. Mine isn't faster than yours," Ember replied after glancing at his wings.

"I guess so."

Lawrend took one last look with his Elemental Eyes. Indeed, it wasn't any better than his own.

They flapped their wings, and suddenly, they were several kilometers away from their previous position. They flapped it again, and they were much farther.

The more they flapped their wings, the faster they went. Before long, the scenery around them became a blur. Lawrend could naturally still see around him, but he needed to focus his eyes.

The duo flew like this the whole day. When the sun was starting to set, Lawrend and Ember slowed down. They slowly landed at Sunset City. This city was already inside the old border of the Undrasil Kingdom. It was the first city they first set out to conquer.

Because both Lawrend and Ember were powerful Earth Mages with phoenix wings, it was not a problem for them to go that fast. An average Earth Mage would take two days to reach this city.

They slowly decreased in altitude and hovered above the defensive magic formation surrounding the city like a bubble. The phoenix wings behind their backs dissipated back into their bodies.

"Your Imperial Majesty!?" a voice shouted from inside.

It was none other than Niko. He was the Lightning Arch Mage that was very rude during the recruitment of the mage army.

His eyes were wide open as he couldn't believe he was staring at Lawrend.

"What's the problem? Seen a ghost?" Lawrend joked.

"Ah! No! Please, enter!"

Niko quickly recovered his wits. He waved at the mage battalion below and had them disable the defensive magic formation.

"It seems like you are using my magic formation well," Lawrend said as he and Ember floated down into the city.

"Your Imperial Majesty didn't you just capture the Imperial Capital yesterday..?" Niko asked in confusion.

It was the thing puzzling him a lot. Even though he was still an Arch Mage, he still understood that not even an Earth Mage could travel that fast.

Niko also noticed that Ember was following Lawrend. That meant both of them was that fast at flight. He couldn't believe it was possible unless they did something.

"I have phoenix wings," Lawrend replied, and a smaller version of the phoenix wings appeared on his back.

"Ah! I'm sorry for doubting you!"

Niko bowed in fright. Seeing the phoenix wings reminded him of the Ignis Clan. The weight Lawrend carried around was further emphasized to him. He wasn't only an Emperor but also a descendant of the Ignis Clan.

"Prepare a room for me," Lawrend said.

He wasn't angry at Niko. Rather, he found his reaction normal. If he didn't react, he would find him lacking in attentiveness. He would then be replaced by someone more capable.

"Yes!"

Niko flew faster than them and gave orders to the soldiers.

"Follow me, Your Imperial Majesty."

Niko called out to Lawrend from the ground in front of the most luxurious hotel in the city. It was the same place where Lawrend spent his night before he left.

Lawrend and Ember stepped on the ground and walked behind Niko. He led them to the same exact room Lawrend had used.

Lawrend was satisfied with the arrangement. Ember opened the door for him, and he felt at home once he was inside. It was much better than the overly decorated sleeping quarters on the Imperial Capital.