Leo continued spending time with the harem as the empire was being built around him, thanks to the peace he brought to the world. By the time all his children were born, it was fully functional. He only had to deal with the odd Monster Wave or gang of bandits causing trouble across the realm.

He was sitting on his balcony overlooking the courtyard where Roxy, Bella, and Luna were walking with the children floating around them using mana as they babysat. The other mothers were busy with business due to taking roles within the empire to stop themselves from getting bored.

He leaned back in his cushioned chair, a cool tankard of ale in hand, the amber liquid catching the sunlight as he took a slow sip. The gentle clink of the tankard against the balcony's stone railing blended alongside a distant hum of the bustling empire below as he enjoyed the luxuries he earned.

From his perch, he watched the world unfold, merchants haggling in the market square, airships gliding smoothly across the horizon, and the faint shimmer of mana-infused fountains sparkling in the courtyard. Roxy's voice carried upward as she playfully scolded one of the children, who giggled and zipped higher on a wisp of mana, dodging her grasp.

Bella conjured a soft breeze to nudge the child back down, while Luna laughed, her red eyes glowing with pride at their little one's antics. The sight warmed his heart, the ale's bite complementing the serene joy of the moment. He exhaled, tension he hadn't noticed melting away.

The empire thrived, its people content, and his family was safe and happy. For now, the Monster Waves and bandit troubles could wait. Leo raised his tankard slightly, toasting silently to the peace he'd fought for, and settled deeper into his chair, content to watch the world go by.

While sitting there, Leo sensed a monster wave coming from the far north, converging on a Demon village, prompting him to teleport to the air only to stop the horde in their tracks before his magic lit up around him. Missile-shaped projectiles appeared around him as a smirk crossed his face.

He waved his hand, and the spells shot forward, slicing through the air as each one was aimed at one of the creatures. Whenever one of them connected with the monsters, explosions rocked the landscape, sending body parts flying everywhere as the swarm was destroyed.

Leo was pleased as craters appeared around him, but he summoned his knights and sent them after the survivors, hunting them down so they wouldn't return anytime soon. He turned in the direction of the reason behind it and noticed that a dungeon was nearly overflowing with mana.

'Time to absorb some again,' he thought, a smirk crossing his face. 'Maybe I need to do this before retiring to the palace? Adventurers can take over this work.'

Following that, Leo flew toward the dungeon and entered it, only to feel the mana going chaotic thanks to gathering too much, forcing him to suck some in. Once he did that, the dam burst open and the energy poured into him like a drain, sucking it in until the place began to shake.

It was angry and sent powerful monsters to stop him, but the Death Knights quickly slaughtered them without much effort. By the time he finished emptying the dungeons power a pile of corpses surrounded him. He smiled at this before sending the bodies to a nearby village.

''They can benefit from this more than I can,'' he muttered.

After finishing that, Leo left the dungeon to continued clearing them out. Days turned to weeks as Leo crisscrossed the empire, purging dungeons from frostbitten peaks to sun-scorched deserts. Each one was a variation on the same theme: overflowing mana, aggressive monsters, and a core on the brink of collapse.

He cleared them methodically, blasting through swarms with explosive spells, taming rogue energies, and leaving behind gifts of resources for nearby settlements. His Death Knights handled stragglers, while he focused on the cores, draining their excess power to stabilize the land.

Yet with each dungeon, a question grew louder in his mind. Why were they overflowing now, after years of stability? He recalled the ancient texts in the imperial library, tales of a primal force beneath the world that fed these dungeons. Was it stirring? Or was something, or someone, stoking their unrest.

One evening, after clearing a particularly dangerous dungeon in the Mistveil Marshes, Leo landed on a cliff overlooking a tranquil sea. He conjured another tankard of ale, the familiar taste grounding him as he watched the moon's reflection ripple on the waves. The land was safe for now, but he couldn't shake the feeling that these were symptoms of a larger problem.

He'd need to investigate, perhaps delve into the forbidden archives or consult the seers. For now, though, he let the cool night air wash over him. He thought of his children, floating playfully in the courtyard, and his wives, steering the empire with their brilliance. He'd return to them soon, but not yet.

Leo soared through the twilight, the last echoes of the Mistveil Marshes' dungeon fading behind him. The empire's heart called him home, and with a final burst of mana, he teleported, the world blurring into streaks of light before resolving into the familiar grandeur of the imperial palace.

He landed softly on his balcony, the stone cool beneath his boots, the tankard still in hand, half-empty from his travels. The courtyard below was quiet now, the children likely tucked into bed, and the distant hum of the city had softened into a gentle lullaby of night. As he set the tankard on the railing, a subtle shift in the air made him pause.

Two figures materialized from the shadows, their presence as natural as the moonlight pooling around them. Light and Dark, two of his most mysterious wives, stood side by side, their contrasting auras intertwining like a cosmic dance. Light's hair shimmered, her eyes radiant with warmth, while Dark's seemed to absorb the night, her gaze sharp and playful.

''Back so soon?'' she teased, voice smooth as velvet, a smirk curling her lips as she leaned against the railing. ''The dungeons must be trembling at the mere thought of you.''

Light stepped closer, her smile soft but knowing, a gentle glow emanating from her as she brushed a speck of ash from Leo's cloak. ''You've been busy, haven't you? The empire's buzzing with tales of your exploits. The villagers in the Highlands won't stop singing your praises.''

Leo chuckled, easing into his chair and conjuring two more tankards of ale, the amber liquid catching the moonlight as he offered them to his wives. ''Just keeping the world from falling apart,'' he said, his tone light but carrying the weight of his recent outing. ''The dungeons are restless. Too much mana, too fast. It's not normal.''

Dark took a tankard, her fingers brushing his with a deliberate slowness that sent a spark through him. She sipped, her eyes never leaving his. ''Not normal, hmm? Sounds like something for the seers to puzzle over. Or are you planning to wrestle the primal forces of the world yourself?''

Light settled into a chair beside him, her glow dimming to a comfortable warmth as she sipped her ale. ''You don't have to carry it all alone, Leo,'' she said, her voice a soothing melody. ''The empire's strong because of all of us. Let us help.''

Leo leaned back, his gaze drifting between the two women. Light's compassion and Dark's cunning were a perfect balance, a reminder of why his harem wasn't just a family but a force that held the empire together. He reached out, taking Light's hand in one of his and Dark's in the other, their warmth and coolness a perfect contrast.

''Maybe you're right,'' he admitted, his voice softer now. ''But tonight, no dungeons, no primal forces. Just us.''

He gestured to the balcony's edge, where the empire sprawled beneath them, its lights twinkling like stars. ''Look at that. We built this. Together.''

Dark raised her tankard, her smirk softening into a rare, genuine smile. ''To us, then. And to you, Leo, for giving us a world worth building.''

Light clinked her tankard against theirs, her laughter bright. ''To peace, however fleeting it may be.''

They drank in silence, the night wrapping around them like a cloak. his thoughts of restless dungeons and ancient forces faded, replaced by the warmth of Light's hand in his and the playful glint in Dark's eyes. He didn't need to solve the world's mysteries tonight. For now, the balcony, the ale, and the company of Light and Dark were enough.

He settled deeper into his chair, content to let the moment linger, the empire's heartbeat steady beneath them. The moonlight bathed the balcony in a silver glow, casting soft shadows that danced across Light and Dark's faces as they sat with Leo, the clink of their tankards a quiet counterpoint to the distant murmur of the empire.