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Men and women were different. That was a fact. Anyone who thought otherwise was a fool. Ten men and one woman would make one child in a year, the reverse would make ten.

Since time immemorial, clans have measured their power and might by their people. My home, the Throne of the North, also followed this rule. Erick Odinson, the man I considered my father, was the sole Revenant of the kingdom and served as its king.

Under him were fourteen clans of various specialties and strengths. Since having more people translated into power, polygamy was the norm. Reapers never died of old age or disease, only of steel and fire.

Since the female Reapers were not very fertile, it was common practice for the men of the Reapers to take as many wives as they were able to support. It was the responsibility of each male in the north to impregnate as many women as he could.

Thus, the strongest warriors had the most wives. A Northerner\'s harem was used to mark his status. My father, the strongest man on the continent, amassed two thousand wives, concubines, and mistresses in time.

Procreation was not a past time or a vice, but a civic duty. Since the North lived a life of constant battle, replenishing our numbers was a critical issue. The Northern Ceremony, which was the primary way of doing so, originally required a person to be 23 years old to get join.

However, when the undead broke out of Hellsgate nine years ago, everything changed. In just under a decade, the age limit was lowered by almost two years for every year that passed. So nowadays, 6-year-olds were killing each other in order to have more reapers.

This was how my people began to die out. The clans, originally brimming with vitality and ferocity, were reduced to mere dregs. The more virile men were given the widows of their fallen kin, all to produce more Northerners.

My own family had over a thousand male siblings. Hardly any were still alive. Northern blood became the price for our way of life to continue.

Our culture became more twisted the more desperate we became. As soon as they bled, Northern girls were married and impregnated. Women lost their freedom in exchange for not going to war.

Withholding yourself from your husband was tantamount to a death sentence. No matter the time, no matter the place, a Northern wife must be prepared to accept her husband\'s seed.

Because of such an arrangement, men naturally took out their lust on any woman they wanted. Men were measured by their ability to take life. Women, on the other hand, were measured by the number of lives they could create.

But even reapers had only one body. The sun set at the same time for both reapers and humans.

As a result, in most harems it was rare for more than five women to monopolize their husband. The lucky ones gained power and status equal to their spouses, the rest of the women were simply forgotten.

Uonsket, a term Northern women feared more than death. Translated, it meant "unwanted. Uonsket were women who bore the stigma of being failures because they could not bear children. Lacking happiness and purpose, it was not long before the Uonsket chose battle over the shame of being rejected.

Because of the curse my mother placed on me, I was considered an Uonsket even before I was turned into a reaper. After all, who wanted an orc when the North was literally overflowing with beautiful women? Of course I joined the Northern armies as soon as I could.

These were the beliefs I grew up with. These core values formed my identity as a Northerner. The value of women, submission to one\'s husband, and my duty to the next generation. Love and happiness were the least of my considerations.

"It is not! Either you think that is all their love is worth, or you do not truly love any of them! You can\'t ask them for everything if you aren\'t willing to do the same!"

"But I..."

So what was I then just hearing?

I was kneeling on the floor imitating my beloved. He was having a verbal argument with his mother. The things my mother-in-law said with such conviction shattered my world view.

She said that my beloved lied about his affection for the sole reason that he chose to have a harem. I was fascinated by their debate. But my mother-in-law\'s words were delusional.

A woman had no value beyond producing children. Getting her husband\'s attention was a blessing in itself. To expect more was to be too greedy. Still, my beloved accepted his mother\'s rebuke.

I joined my sisters in defending his honor. Although I didn\'t understand what he had done wrong, I respected my mother-in-law\'s wisdom.

However, both my mother and father-in-law threatened him to ensure our happiness. Even Alana and Bless held him to the same standard. Beloved could take over a hundred wives and still be okay. Such was his caliber.

But my beloved\'s answer to their rebuke melted my heart.

"I understand, Pa. I will become a husband worthy of them. This responsibility is mine. And I bear it willingly for the Sirens. I will see to it that I love them enough for seven lifetimes."

Seven lifetimes! Such a grandiose promise. Was it all right to believe it? Among the Sirens, I was the least feminine. With a body full of wounds and a physique that looked muscular like a man, I was unsightly.

As someone destined to be Uonsket, I was lucky to even find a man who was attracted to me. But my beloveds words were like a dream I never knew I was desperately seeking.

"And third, I know I am being unreasonable, but I am willing to use the rest of my days to prove to you all that I am worthy of you. Please stay with me, everyone. I need you all by my side."

He valued me as much as the others. Unlike my father, who clearly had favorites, my beloved made it clear that he would love us all equally. I knew it was impossible, but the promise was enough to make me swoon.

But there was more, in addition to his affection, he also proved his ability.

In just five days, while the Sirens and I were attacking Japan, he did amazing feats. He created the makings of an army and began to gather the devil\'s remains. Under his banner, a group of over fifty saints swore allegiance to him.