Chương 11: Two Suspicious Packages at the Door

World: Elysara A planet where the Father of All (known only as Origins) created everything and then went into an eternal nap. Ever since, the lesser gods rule: Zeus, Odin, Amaterasu, Oxalá, Athena, Loki… all squabbling over followers like children fighting over toys. Races: humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, beastkins, demons, dragonewts, land-walking mermaids… everything mixed together. Gender ratio: 1 male for every 8–10 females. Result: in most kingdoms, men are treated as nobles from birth.

Women are bargaining chips, sex slaves, or—at best—"luxury property." Exceptions: - Kingdom of Lyris (women only, protected by a magical barrier). - Some mixed kingdoms (where women with "Divine Marks" have rights). - Draknar Empire (men rule absolutely; women have neither name nor legal personhood). The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Saint Lunalie Orphanage Location: forest on the border between the Mixed Kingdom of Aetheria and the neutral territory of Lunalie's nuns (goddess of the moon and abandoned children). Small place: 3 adult nuns, 8 children in total. The nuns Sister Lysithea (23) – human, silver hair, violet eyes, voice like music. The youngest and the one who directly cares for the children. Future waifu #1 (but she doesn't know it yet). Sister Mirella (38) – half-elf, retired archer, the "disciplinarian."

Sister Graciela (51) – dwarf, cook, swears in dwarvish dialect when annoyed. The children (all aged 0–2 at the start of the volume) Joker (protagonist) – half-blood (human + succubus demon). Black hair with red streaks that will appear later. Golden eyes with slits. Harley (partner) – half-blood (human + lilim demon). Shock-pink hair even as a baby, bright purple eyes. Sylvara – forest half-elf (long ears, aqua-green hair). Rina – fox beastkin (orange tail and ears). Lirien – pure exiled elf (platinum-white hair).

Kuroe – human with Loki's Divine Mark (birthmarks forming runes). Astrid – half-orc (born at 6 kg with two little teeth already). Marina – aquatic dragonewt (pearlescent blue scales on her cheeks). Joker is the only boy. And yes, all seven girls will join the harem when they grow up. But that's far in the future.

Cold winter morning, year 1472 of the Divine Calendar. Sister Lysithea opens the orphanage door and finds herself face-to-face with two wicker baskets. Inside each one, a baby wrapped in black-purple cloth, laughing as if they already knew every joke in the universe. In the boy's basket: a deck of cards with the Joker card torn in half. In the girl's basket: a toy hammer painted shock-pink. Lysithea picks both up at once. — My Heavens above… two more little angels?

(The babies look at each other and start laughing together, as if they were old friends.) She carries them inside. Places both in the same large crib (there isn't another). Joker and Harley instinctively hug each other and fall asleep spooning. Lysithea feels a chill run down her spine, but thinks it's just the wind.