She dropped onto the ground, holding her face, which was messed with blood and tears. Her whole body trembled no end, and suicidal thoughts already flashed in her mind.
Woman.
She was a woman. Every woman treasured her looks and paid much attention to them. Of course, that was debatable, but high-class women such as her naturally wanted to look adequate to their status.
She wanted to breathe elegance and invoke jealousy! She wanted to draw attention from every corner of her city and be proud of herself.
But more than anything, a woman wanted her beloved to look at her with love. In a polygamous relationship, women competed to have the most of their beloved's attention.
That was no longer possible.
Bartlo would probably avoid mirrors from now on, but his wife, who had experienced the same treatment, would cry no end.
She just couldn't imagine a kiss with her husband. She couldn't imagine staying together, to say nothing of having sex with him.
If they somehow copulated, it would be in a position where both of them would avoid eye contact. From behind was good, but who would like it to be their only position? Who wouldn't want to look at each other and whisper lovely words before having fun?
That hurt so much!
Minato didn't pay any attention to those feelings, "So many guys lusted after my women... I have left many ladies as widows, but this is the first time I am facing the consequences of another man's lust and my choice.
It's a good choice, however," he smiled, "I couldn't have just killed you all."
He turned his eyes to Bartlo while all the people around him felt cold sweat going down their backs.
Bartlo's wife stopped sobbing, and her eyes rose to face the Overlord.
Bartlo nodded with his mouth gagged, then stepped toward his mansion.
But before all scattered to return to their duties and houses, Minato left a warning, "If a word of my appearance here somehow slips away from this household, I will have this whole city pay with their lives. You also have to close the gates and not let anyone in and out. Understood?"
Minato glanced at Bartlo's wife.
She nodded immediately, then went to do as he wanted. Even though her face hurt, she was living in the end. That was what mattered the most now, and she would do all to keep her life intact.
Of course, Minato's threat was half-false.
He wouldn't kill citizens as they were just living their lives here. All people were guilty of something, even Minato, so he wouldn't just kill them all mindlessly.
Naturally, it was different from guards and other people from the empire.
Minato needed to threaten the lives of their beloved as that was the best way to convince them.
At last, Minato followed Bartlo to the royal mansion.
"You will call all your wives here. They have a few days to come here. Otherwise, you know the consequences," Minato said to Bartlo after taking a good seat on the sofa together with Ingrid.
Aya was somewhere around, looking around for information while just having fun in a new mansion and culture.
Bartlo was no longer gagged, so he replied. One could still hear the pain in his voice, "Will do, Lord Minato... But for the sake of my merits, leave one of my wives intact! I beseech you, Lord Minato!"
"And what are those merits?" Minato asked.
He parted his lips to take grapes as Ingrid fed him with a bright smile.
Bartlo couldn't see that adorable picture as his forehead pressed the ground, "I've never sacrificed my people nor hurt the innocent! You, on the other hand, were known as Cloud. I respected your strength and acted tough before you!"
"And that's my answer. Had you defeated me, you would've been long since busy in bed with all my elves. You wouldn't spare me, nor you would allow me to have them again. Are you trying to use my last bits of goodwill to your advantage?
Is it because I ignored your woman that now you beg to spare one? Listen, Bartlo. Your woman wouldn't give me much pleasure. It's not about the bed skills. It's about her origins. If I forcefully took her to bed as a prize, it would taste even worse. It would be like a chore, you know?" Minato replied.
And those words utterly shattered Bartlo's pride.
He roughly breathed with his face red and livid. If he wasn't strong, to begin with, he would've long since dropped thoroughly onto the ground. He remained frozen until Minato forcefully kicked him away from the room.
Ingrid eyed the man with narrowed eyes, not concealing her disgust.
Her beautiful eyes turned to Minato after Bartlo disappeared, "It is just a question, Master. But is the master aware of the dual cultivation's technique that sucks out all mana and benefits from the counterpart? It stems from the succubuses, and it became known as a dual cultivation addition to Overlords and many other people.
In the far past, this technique had even worse effects. If a woman was of a weak origin, it forcefully turned her life force into benefits. A woman would die a few days later after such dual cultivation." Ingrid said.
Minato sighed, "It's vile dual cultivation. I don't like it, nor am I fond of such practices. Rather than doing it with an unwilling woman or with my enemy's woman, I would do it with a cute elven queen, for example."
And at last, he smiled.
Ingrid dazzlingly smiled as well, "At any time, Master. Still, there are a few elven queens."
"I prefer Ingrid over some cheap Bartlo's women," Minato became very direct, and it pleased Ingrid so much she pounced at him unconsciously.
It was a move done based on her emotions, "I am sorry, Master."
Minato chuckled and held her dearly, "It's just two of us. Aya already ran to other rooms for sightseeing. What's there to apologize for?"
"A queen should keep her emotions in check, Master," Ingrid replied after a while of contemplating.
"I am the master, a person above the queen. Let all those emotions out," Minato replied with confidence and unconcealable desire within his eyes.
That move promptly forced Ingrid to kiss her master.
And before Bartlo's women arrived in his mansion to receive Minato's punishment, the Overlord would kill his time by cuddling with the elven queen.