Chapter 7 ◆ A Harem?

"Mornin'! Rise and shine—it's a beautiful day~ Get up already~"

I was still in bed when Nee-san's voice rang out through the room.

She's not waking me—she's after Lida and the other two.

"Mom... it's only four in the morning. Yawwwn—too early!"

"Haruka-san, it's still dark out."

"Just a bit more sleep..."

"Not too early! Back in the village, Mom and the others were up at five. You girls are hopeless, so we start at this hour every day or you'll never learn. Lida, you're on cleaning today. Maria, laundry. Mel, you're with me on breakfast. Ask if you're stuck on anything."

Nee-san stood there like a drill sergeant, arms crossed, barking orders crisp and clear.

In the living room, Shizuko-san, Misaki-san, Sayo-san, and Marianne-san were already up, sipping tea on the sofas.

I went to plop down on the sofa, but that's when I locked eyes with Lida and the others.

"Ah, Ceres—morning. I wanna eat your morning special."

"It's to die for—pretty please?"

"Omelet sounds good."

Oh yeah, it's been a while. First day and all—

"Yeah, sure. I'll handle breakfast, then."

"Nooo—!"

Shizuko-san and the other four I get, but why the hell is Marianne-san chiming in too...?

Yeah, with Shizuko-san and them against it, no way I'm cooking in this setup.

"Next time!"

"Nooo..."

Lida and the others looked gutted, but oh well—can't be helped.

"It's fine. Shizuko-san and the four of them are killer cooks, and they're even better at cleaning than me, so soak it up while you can. If you're really done adventuring, Maria, how about a healer gig at a clinic? Mel, hit the academy, library, or go clerical—something like that. Take your time, but find a solid job."

"Um, Ceres, about that..."

"Ceres... uh..."

Kinda getting this vibe from all three—like they don't wanna work at all.

"Three months, six, a whole year—whatever it takes, figure out what you want. Talk it over with Shizuko-san and the others and push through! Alright, Nee-san... she's all yours!"

"Leave it to me!"

Nee-san flashed a sunny grin and started directing the three.

Only problem's Lida.

Maria the Saintess has healer as her advanced class—perfect for clinic work if she hates fighting. Mel the Sage? Her skills translate weirdly well to desk jobs, artsy stuff, you name it.

Lida's the headache.

No class is as hyper-specialized for combat as Sword Saint.

Pick a fight, and it's the most reliable thing out there. But quit battling? Useless as tits on a fish.

Put simply: no fighting, and you're dead weight—incompetent.

Nee-san even told me, "If you can swing it, just make her a maid and keep her close."

Worst case, if she can't find a job she wants or can do, I'll have to keep her on as a daughter.

Eh, wouldn't hate it. Don't dislike it either. Looking after my idiot childhood friends? I'm down.

◆◆◆

Just past noon, they finally showed.

Not even a noble's estate—just this swanky condo we got for me and Shizuko-san and the others—and they're coming here on purpose.

They could've just summoned me to the castle or the church... but since I'm the Hero, they flat-out refused with a "We can't possibly do that."

From the Holy Nation Gandal came Honorary Pope Rosman, Pope Romaris, Archbishop Roan, and the former Saintess Cecilia-san.

From the Garban Empire, Emperor Saizer and the ex-Sword Saint First Princess Frey.

Of course, outside there were carriages lined up for days, with knights and retainers who couldn't even squeeze inside.

At this point, no helping it.

"Master Haruka, Master Misaki—it's been too long."

"Master Shizuko, likewise."

Former Sword Saint Princess Frey had been Haruka-san and Misaki-san's disciple.

Cecilia-san was genuinely Shizuko-san's pupil, too.

And if we're going further, the late Sage had apprenticed under Sayo-san.

On top of that, Marianne-san seemed tight with the three of them.

Right now, that meant... I already had five wives.

Not four, you say?

Apparently, the moment the king dropped off Marianne-san, she'd already been in a marital state.

For royal women, spending the night together equaled marriage.

No, the one who'd shared the bed with Marianne-san was Shizuko-san and the others... but it got locked in because a princess was crashing at my place. Unbreakable, they said.

Still, Shizuko-san and the rest had known about it.

So yeah—that made five wives already.

And wouldn't you know it, as the Hero, I was the biggest deal in the world right now. Everyone just exchanged greetings and hung on my every word.

"You can take Cecilia-san and Frey-san as wives, sure. But I've already got five. That makes seven total—all on equal footing, no hierarchy among them. Agree to that, and we're good."

"That suits our nation just fine."

"Ours as well."

Emperor Saizer and Pope Romaris jumped on it quick. I'd figured there'd be some haggling, at least.

Normally, they'd divvy up ranks by backing—main wife plus the rest as concubines. But after hashing it out with Shizuko-san and the others, we went with a special poly setup: all seven as equal main wives.

No more main wives after this, though. Anyone else down the line? Straight to concubine status.

The rest... I'd stick to defense only—no initiating attacks on my end.

We sealed that promise, and the broad strokes wrapped up.

And then—

"Hero-dono. I'd been planning to amend the Hero Protection Act, but the clauses won't allow revisions. So we've drafted a new one: the 'Hero Protection Act [Ceres Exclusive Edition].' It supersedes the original Hero Protection Act, so please, give it a read whenever you have time."

With that, Pope Romaris and Honorary Pope Rosman handed over this massive tome.

After the banquet, Cecilia-san and Frey-san stayed behind; the rest headed out.

Sure, Marianne-san, Cecilia-san, and Frey-san were all beauties, no denying that.

But the three of them might as well have been strangers.

Any normal guy would be over the moon about a harem... so why couldn't I just bask in it?

◆◆◆

From that day on, the ten of us started living together.

The ex-Hero party trio got put straight to work from dawn.

Not that it was anything out of the ordinary for village life.

Village women weren't like city girls—they toiled from morning till night.

Whip up breakfast, tend the fields, cook dinner. Then handle the evening "duties," raise the kids if they came along, the works.

Part of what made me fall for those four was exactly that.

Beautiful, hardworking, kind... How could you not love people like that?

But here's where things got tricky.

Even in my previous life, I'd gone for love matches. Arranged marriages? Never crossed my path.

You might think romancing your childhood friends' moms counts as one, but nah—falling for the four of them had been this gradual kid-logic shift: "What a great mom" to "She's amazing" to "This person's pretty cool" to "I like her."

My old world aside, this one was all "village society"—a tiny bubble. Everyone knew everyone; no locks on doors, safe to head out anytime. Closed-off as hell.

Put simply, Shizuko-san and the four of them, plus Maria and the three girls—they'd all grown up together for over a decade.

But these new three? Different story.

Marianne-san was a princess. Cecilia-san, ex-Saintess from the church elite.

Frey-san? Princess and former Sword Saint.

They lived in a whole other world.

So I leaned on Shizuko-san and the others to carve out some one-on-one time with each.

I'd lay out my honest thoughts, then hear their replies in order: Marianne-san, Cecilia-san, Frey-san.

"Um... First off, about status—as a princess, you're above me, but Hero Ceres-sama outranks even that. The Pope himself called you the greatest in the world. I can't do housework, but I've studied imperial affairs, so I can back you up on the political side."

"I'm a former Saintess, but up until the Demon King fight, it was all travel. After, I was just a nun—same as you, Ceres-sama. Kinda like Maria-san, really. I helped with soup kitchens, learned chores at the convent, so I can handle the basics."

"Me? Princess schmincess—ain't my style. Once I got picked as Sword Saint, it was swords from sunup to sundown. Lost to the Demon King, joined the knights after. So yeah, no different from any knight or adventurer."

"I see. That's a relief, then."

It was a start, at least—getting to know one another. Closing the gap would take time, but we'd get there.

◆◆◆

Life stayed awkward but functional until word came from Pope Romaris.

The demons had floated a ceasefire proposal.

The terms skewed heavy in humanity's favor, so it wrapped up fast.

According to the Pope, my scrap with Mamon tipping the scales had been huge.

Three hundred years of peace. Zect and the others were fully off the hook—no fighting for generations.

The Hero Protection Act? Suspended for the truce duration.

Made sense—built around Demon King battles, after all.

But the Hero Protection Act? That stuck around.

Anticlimactic as hell. All that Demon King talk, and it ends with one crystal comm call. Zect's successor Hero's got it made.

In hindsight... did we even need to fight?

Couldn't shake the feeling.

The Demon King never left his castle anyway. Taking him down probably wouldn't change a damn thing.

Biggest headache wrapped up.

The Demon King war? Over quicker than I could've dreamed.

From here, world peace in mind—I'd just tackle the smaller messes one by one.

◆◆◆

A month since the demon truce.

Maria had picked running a clinic, apprenticing under Shizuko-san and Cecilia-san.

I'd figured she'd set up shop easy—Saintess magic was top-tier healing.

The expert recovery specialist glued to the Hero's side for Demon King runs.

Prime job for a healer, right?

And Maria's skills blew regular healers out of the water.

If normies could open clinics, why not a Saintess?

"Opening one's simple, but keeping it afloat? That's the grind—gotta think it through, Ceres-kun."

"It'll boom for sure. But yeah, the 'after' part..."

Shizuko-san and Cecilia-san laid it out: the ex-Saintess title guaranteed a packed house.

Problem was, it'd tank the local clinics—put a bunch of healers out of work.

So options? Price it high for elite treatments no regular could touch, or set up in some healer-starved rural spot.

Either way, Maria needed way more know-how first.

Mel was studying academics and admin under Sayo-san and Marianne-san.

She'd decided to handle the clinic's paperwork for Maria.

Some treatments needed magic on top of healing, after all.

Plus, it let Maria focus pure on the healing side.

Childhood friends—they'd mesh fine.

"So, Ceres... mind fronting like two hundred gold coins?"

"Ceres, not just for Maria—throw me in too, pretty please...!"

Maria and Mel hit me up for startup cash.

As their stepdad figure? If they were striking out on their own proper, a little seed money was fair.

"Got it—that much aid's no—"

"Ceres-kun, what're you even saying?"

"Ceres-san... No coddling. Loan's fine; gifts aren't."

"...Right."

Shizuko-san and Sayo-san shut it down, but hey—when they finally flew the nest, I could slip it under the table.

If they were hustling for the future, why not?

Shizuko-san and the others shot me those flat stares, but whatever.

◆◆◆

The real snag? This one.

"Lida, wanna hit the fishing spot? Been ages."

"With you...? Yeah, sounds good."

She hadn't clicked with any "want"—just drifting outside chore hours—so I dragged her out angling.

What the hell suited Lida, anyway?

Sword Saint skills? Useless outside a fight.

Pick combat, and short of the Hero, she was the strongest.

Beyond that? Zilch.

A little spring in the woods near the capital.

Drop lines, have a talk.

As a kid, Lida was a total tomboy.

Hung with Zect and me for fishing, bug hunts.

She loved reeling 'em in—grill the catch salt-style, chow down together.

Maria and Mel hated baiting worms, so fishing trips were just us three. Perfect.

Rods side by side, lines in the water.

Catch or no? Didn't matter.

"Hey, Lida... Found anything you wanna do yet?"

"Guess we're goin' there, huh. You always poke the sore spots, Ceres."

Lida memories? Bug hunts, fishing... or tag-teaming pretend swordfights with us.

Post-Sword Saint? Swords nonstop.

While Maria and Mel dabbled girly stuff alongside magic, Lida? Just swung steel.

Previous-life terms: zero transferability.

"You done with fighting, right?"

"Yeah... Burned out hard. Why'd I end up Sword Saint, anyway? Any other class would've been fine."

"So... nothing you wanna try?"

Lately, she'd pitch in at Kazuma-nii's place now and then.

Unlike Maria or Mel, no endgame in sight.

"Nope. All I ever did was swing a sword... But after the dragon, Mamon—scared shitless now. No more fights for me. ...Thing is, that's all I got. Nothing else... No clue what I even want... What do I do?"

Her speech was going all kid-like. Classic Lida tell for real panic.

"I know sword's your only trick. But that's off the table now, yeah? Like... monsters are a no, but humans? If you can cut people, palace knight or city guard—something like that."

"...Yeah, humans I could probably handle... But..."

She hesitated, words catching in her throat—clearly wanting to say she had no idea.

"I see... Lida, hypothetically, if jobs weren't a factor—what would you want to do?"

"Yeah... No clue."

"Got it. Then search for it, even if you don't know where to start. Take as long as you need—no rush. Better to spend a year or two hunting for something real than settle quick and bail."

"You're... not pushing me, huh, Ceres?"

"Nah. Nothing's more miserable than slaving away at a job you hate."

"Hey, Ceres—are you really just my childhood friend? Straight up, you're kinder than... yeah, my dad."

"What're you on about? Right now, I'm your stepdad, aren't I?"

"True enough. Guess I'll take it easy, then—no worries?"

"Knock yourself out."

Swordplay it is, then. What a mess.

◆◆◆

A few days later, there I was, knocking back drinks at a tavern with the Black Dragon.

I'd spotted him wandering the streets and figured it was my chance—had some things to hash out.

Dragged him to this quiet little hole-in-the-wall, counter-only spot nearby.

"The hell's this all of a sudden?!"

"Just... I can't shake the feeling luck's not on my side here..."

I laid out my nagging doubts to the Black Dragon.

"You got no clue, do you? Start with the miracle of me being here. Think about it—I'm usually holed up in Dragonium, the dragon lands. Even if I'm slumming it in human territory, the odds of you pinpointing me in some random spot? Slim to none."

He had a point, now that he mentioned it.

Sure, if we were neighbors, fine—but nailing down one guy in this massive world? Yeah, that was some wild probability.

"Fair... but still..."

I vented about the marriages to Marianne-san and the other two.

The Black Dragon stroked his chin, mulling it over, then snapped his fingers with a eureka smack.

"Eh, just a theory, but... you actually like those three, don't you?"

They were gorgeous, sure—but that's all it was.

"Nah, I'd never even met them..."

"Can't wrap my head around it as a dragon, but word is, those three are stunners by human standards, right? Maybe subconsciously, you were thinking, 'Marrying someone like that'd be the dream'... and boom, it happens. That's the vibe, yeah?"

Put like that... yeah, I'd probably snuck a glance at a portrait and thought, "Damn, she's a knockout," or during some event, caught a glimpse and mused, "Living with a beauty like that... nice." Something along those lines.

But that was no different from spotting an idol back in my old life and going, "She's a catch."

"Does that kinda idle thought really trigger it?"

"The 'Yellow Dragon's Luck' is so overpowered, even I can't rein it in—nobody can. It goes full throttle bending the world to your whims. That's why it's such a curse... Items to suppress blessings? Those are legendary divine artifacts. Hell, not even Bauer-sama or the human goddess can muzzle Yellow Dragon mojo."

"That heavy-hitting, huh?"

"Get this: You wished for your childhood friends' 'safety' and a life free of Demon King BS? Bam—Demon King caves, truce overnight."

"Wasn't that just 'cause I'm scary?"

"You think? Nah, more than that. The goddess guarding humanity could only hand out Hero jobs and force a stalemate through endless wars. But the second you go, 'I don't want them fighting anymore'... truce. Something she couldn't pull off in millennia, you nail on a whim."

No way... this was Yellow Dragon power too?

"But my childhood friends..."

If it was that handy, it should've sorted Lida's mess by now.

"That's buried deep in your heart too, ain't it? Not as wives—as daughters you wanna keep close. Especially that Lida girl. Lifelong buddy, right? Wished she'd stick around as a pal... Humans cry when they marry off daughters, yeah? Dragons wouldn't get it, but..."

Damn... could I really...? Couldn't deny it.

Yeah, with Lida, it was damn near platonic—best-friend vibes.

"That so?"

"Look around: Every girl you've ever wanted 'staying by your side' since you were kids? They're all there. The ones you admired? They come knocking. And poof—a peaceful world, no Demon King crap. Pure luck, nothing else."

Laid out like that... it clicked.

"Yeah... maybe you're right."

"Ah, crap—watch those stray thoughts, man! Shit gets real ugly."

The Black Dragon looked legit rattled.

"Stray thoughts?"

"Like... big ones: 'Wanna marry the goddess.' Small ones: 'Man, if that kid over there was my daughter, cute as this one...' You can guess the fallout."

"Hah, the random girl's one thing, but goddess? No shot."

As if it'd work on a goddess.

C'mon, that's overkill.

"Sigh... That power of yours shrugged off one of my blasts like nothing. Bauer-sama might handle it, but a human goddess? Doubt it. Not kidding—be careful. You get home and find Goddess Ishtas grinning, 'I've come to serve you, Master'—then what?"

He wasn't laughing—dead serious. Not a joke?

If so... yeah, that'd be bad. Real bad.

"Y'know, my life's been one wild ride, but... why's it gotta end up 'doomed to an eternity of soul-crushing boredom'?"

The Black Dragon's face shifted—tender, almost pitying sorrow.

"Everything handed to you on a platter, no sweat... forever. I'd pass, hard. Gold, women, status, treasure—if it's effortless, it all turns to trash. Rest of your life—no, dragon life ahead: Diamonds? Pebbles. Every woman's a dime a dozen. Hoards of riches? Worthless as a single silver coin. Eh, you'll figure it out someday... See ya."

With that, he slapped a silver coin on the table and bailed.

I got what the Black Dragon meant.

But if it's unavoidable... might as well savor the now.

That's it. Nothing more.

◆◆◆

A month after bolting from Ceres's place, Zect found himself at the Adventurer's Guild.

Scanning the board for jobs, his eyes snagged on a massive notice plastered up front.

"Regarding Changes Due to the Demon King Truce"

It spelled out the basics: ceasefire pact between demons and humans.

The kicker? No bounties on intelligent monsters you could reason with.

Goblins, orcs? Hunt away, cash in fine.

But ogres and up—anything that could talk? Zero payout, even if you dragged 'em in.

And if you crossed paths? Hail 'em first.

Same rules applied to them, apparently.

Game over.

High-rank adventurers just got gutted.

Ogre-slaying was the line—big payday jump.

Now? Anything past ogre, and your wallet stayed flat.

No more fat stacks ahead.

Guild was in chaos—adventurers griping loud.

"Why the hell's my Orc King and Orc General haul worth squat?!"

"Those two can talk. Communicate, even. Truce means no fights."

"Yeah, but they didn't attack—they were booking it. It's a monster!"

"So you hunted it anyway, unprovoked...? Demotion."

"No way!"

"Times change. Smart demons and monsters are relocating to their territories. You killed one trying to dodge? By the book—penalty's standard."

"Nooo!"

Same old crap.

No hauling in big coin like this anymore.

Unless... you could bag dragons.

With upper-mid monsters off-limits, next tier shot straight to wyverns.

Wyvern hunters? Rare as hell.

Adventuring era, dead and buried.

I could take wyverns, earth dragons—maybe.

But it'd hurt. A lot.

Head back to Jimna Village for now.

Still got some coin left.

Mom and the wives moved to the capital, but Dad... he stuck around the village?

Yeah—crash there, chill, rethink.

Decision made: back to Jimna.

◆◆◆

Village hit different after so long... or rather, it wasn't a village anymore.

Looked more like a spread-out town.

Did a double-take.

Gate guards at the entrance.

"Welcome! To Hero Ceres's town—Jimna Town!"

Jimna Town?

This was a village last I checked.

Stepped in—yep, same spot as Jimna Village.

But wide open now.

Dirt paths paved solid; river spanned by brick bridges.

Shoddy wood shacks? Mostly two-story brick homes.

Not a village—a rural burg.

Dozens of shops, even an Adventurer's Guild branch.

What the...? Bridge named "Ceres Great Bridge," streets "Ceres Boulevard."

Town square: fountain and a Ceres statue front and center.

Ceres's exploits turned the village into a boomtown?

Screw that—home first.

Bee-lined for the house.

Bumped into Village Chief Najim en route.

"...Zect? Zect, that you?"

Najim eyed me all nostalgic.

Hit me too—real throwback.

"Najim Village Chief... been ages. Who's the lady?"

"This here's the wife! Jealous yet?"

Wife?! She looked young enough to be his granddaughter.

Jealous didn't cover it. Wait—pointy ears. Elf?

Old geezer with a girl... total gramps-and-grandkid vibes.

Loli... but elves age different, right?

"That's... an elf, isn't it?!"

"Aye, wife's an elf. Race don't matter—we're head over heels."

He beamed, hand in hand with her.

The elf blushed, all smiles.

Still looked like a doting grandkid to me.

"Right—off to the café for tea. Catch ya later."

Trailed him a sec—turns out his two advisors were elves too, all giggling arm-in-arm toward the shops.

Village chief or not, he couldn't be flush enough to buy elves.

But... damn, envy city.

Compared to her, my three childhood friends—even Princess Marianne—faded to nothing.

What the hell happened here?

Mulling that got me home.

Door creaked open—Dad stared, shocked.

"What're you doing here, Zect? Heard you quit the Hero gig?"

News traveled, huh.

Not a hero's welcome—half-baked homecoming.

All I could do was laugh.

"Ahaha! Dad, I couldn't even scratch a Four Heavenly King..."

"Yeah... tough break. So what's next?"

"Stick around the village a bit... probably dive back into adventuring. Who's the kid next to you?"

"Ah... I pulled some rotten shit on Shizuko. But Ceres saved her ass... long story short, ended up remarrying this one."

"This one... looks younger than me..."

"Right? Adorable, huh?"

Cute, yeah. But half Dad's age, easy.

Even looked younger than Mel—the baby-faced one of the trio.

No way Dad's eyeing Lida and them like that...?

"Name's Chiwa. Pleased to meet you."

She bowed polite—then I clocked it: belly swollen obvious.

No friggin' way... pregnant? Meaning... he knocked up a girl that age?

"Uh... Dad, that girl..."

"Yeah... she's expecting. Boy's fine by me, but... mind clearing out soon as you can?"

Watching Dad rub Chiwa's belly? Yeah—no room for me here. Crystal clear.

Couldn't stomach him cozying up to a girl who looked younger than me or the old flames.

No other crash pad, though—stuck haunting for a spell.

His "soon as you can" meant "don't root," not "now."

"Month or so's cool. Want a place in the village? I can hook you up with the chief."

"Lemme think on it..."

Post-bedtime for Chiwa, Dad spilled the dirt on him and Mom.

Scumbag as ever—didn't peg him for pimping his own wife, though.

No point rehashing blame now.

Mom was Ceres's wife these days—blissful, right where she belonged.

Come to think...

"I wanna marry Aunt Shizuko someday."

When Ceres dropped that, I'd overheard Dad go:

"Yeah? By the time you're fifteen, she'll be a hag. ...Tell you what—gold coin, she's yours."

Village norm: trade off the old ball-and-chain to a young buck.

Bride shortage hit hard—common fix.

Fate, plain and simple.

Never figured he'd mean it.

These days, Sector—that's Dad—owed Ceres big: bailout, plus a new bride setup. Busting his hump, apparently.

Reclaimed land, scored about two-thirds fresh turf—starting over solid.

"Quit the cheating—Chiwa's my world now. Good woman, booze, work... that's plenty for happy."

He grinned, arms and face scarred to hell from scratches—rough road to reform, huh.

Ceres was something else.

Kept the village afloat with steady remittances—kickstarted the boom. Then "Hero" status? Lord dumped funds, development exploded. "Hero's Hometown" now? Tourism cash rolling in.

"Guy's a beast."

"That's not half. Probably been crushing since we were kids... marries every one of your friends' moms."

"Yeah, I know."

Total mother-holic, milf-chaser.

That a real harem?

Sure, Mom included—they were all lookers back in the day.

But thirties-plus? Straight-up aunties!

Princess Marianne, Lady Cecilia, Princess Frey—beauties, no doubt.

To me? "Hot older ladies."

Felt like they'd dumped all the baggage—leftover spinsters, returnees—on him.

I'd flip if it was me.

But he just grinned ear-to-ear, content.

Yeah... lost his mom young, always glued to my folks.

Got it—super-achiever Ceres's fatal flaw.

Mommy issues, cougar kink. That's the tea.

Why'd I blank on that?

Saw it play out a million times growing up.

If I'd clocked it sooner—snagged Mom and the crew before he did... everything smoother?

Thirst for maternal love twisted him that way, maybe.

Harsh take, but an "auntie" like that, loved for real—no gold-digging, pure—by a young guy with power? Who wouldn't crack?

That face on Mom... not a mother's at all, but a woman's through and through.

"Everyone made sure to hash it out proper—got her fair and square, by the rules. Stealing her away would've been a mess, but this was straight village custom, so no one's griping about old age creeping up on her. Village chief and the rest of us chipped in to buy her a young replacement wife—not just for show, either. As for me, the bastard who sold Shizuko-san into slavery... man, I felt like dirt."

The custom dated back to the village's lean years, when women were scarce and "bride shortages" hit hard. They'd pass on older wives to the young bucks—figuring the poor guys were suffering without a woman, sexually starved and all. By thirty, a woman's "done" as far as that goes.

So the buyout cash was peanuts, really. Even with the shortage, no teen kid wanted to shack up with some hag... cases were rare. From what I'd heard, it'd only happened once or twice—roughneck bachelors with no prospects getting a "thirty-something auntie" in exchange for handing over a teen slave girl as the fresh bride.

"Handing over a thirty-year-old auntie to snag a teenage slave girl in return."

Who the hell would pull that off besides him? Probably no one else in the world.

"Ceres's got that milf-chaser streak going way overboard..."

"Nah, I don't think it's just that with him. Guy's got a thing for this village... or memories, maybe. Proof's in how he even bailed out trash like me. From where I'm standing, he's less 'Hero' and more 'Mr. Jimna Village.'"

Yeah... that fit him better, come to think of it.

"True enough."

"So, Zect. You owe him one too—helped you out plenty. Lend a hand with the village growth, for his sake?"

"Sure, got the debt... but I'll square that my way."

"Fair. Your call—go get 'em."

Dad actually sounded halfway decent for once.

◆◆◆

Three days later, I bailed on Dad's place.

With her belly that big, the creaking bed and all the moaning made it impossible to crash there.

My room shared a wall—Dad and Chiwa-san, who looked younger than me, going at it all night. No sleep in that racket.

Chiwa-san's his wife now. Stepmom, plain and simple... cute as she is, off-limits.

I got that, logically.

But try living it—target or not, having it shoved in your face like that... it just chafes. Dad banging someone younger than me or my old flames.

Kinda gross, if I'm honest.

Put me right in Ceres's shoes from back then. Older women are his jam, so Maria and the girls probably don't ping for him. Still, if he had to watch them all lovey-dovey nonstop... wouldn't sit right. Especially solo like he was.

Doubly so for me, flying stag.

"Dad, heading to the inn tonight."

"Ahaha—sorry 'bout that."

Like hell you are.

"Sorry... I get kinda loud."

"Don't sweat it. You're newlyweds—my bad for not bowing out sooner, family or not."

Watching them blush like that stirred something weird in my gut.

Made me flash on Mom and Ceres too. As a couple, they're doing it, no doubt.

Love comes in all shapes. I knew that.

Especially Sector-Dad—womanizer through and through, so yeah, he's tapping it regular.

But both parents shacked up with girls my age? "Gross" is the natural reaction...

Ceres especially—he'd get knuckle-sandwiched by Mom right alongside me for our dumb kid stunts... hell, she'd even changed his diapers as a baby.

They looked perfect laughing together... but hearing Dad and Chiwa-san, then picturing Mom and him... yeah, squick city.

'Cause if those two popped out a kid... that'd be my little brother or sister.

Gotta tough it out and get used to it, I guess.

◆◆◆

Heard there was an Adventurer's Guild branch, so I swung by.

"Welcome to the Jimna Village Adventurer's Guild!"

Why the hell's Kaito-ojisan manning the desk?

"Kaito-ojisan, what're you doing here?!"

"Ah, Zect? Long time—heard you hung up the Hero cape."

"Yeah... long story..."

"Hah! I know the score. Chin up—no need for the funeral face. Plenty of road left."

"Thanks. So... what's with you running a guild?"

Damn, conditioning's a trip. Even the ex-Hero's defaulting to polite speech.

"I'm the guildmaster here. Mind you, we've got maybe thirty registered—no powerhouse, just a backwater outfit... but official as they come!"

Guild charters are a nightmare to snag. New branches? Nobles only, usually. And in a sleepy spot like this—village turned town, sure, but monsters barely show. Plus Kaito-san's no adventurer.

"Why start a guild, anyway? No experience?"

"'Cause, kid—someday Ceres might roll back into town. Figured having a guild handy wouldn't hurt."

"Fair point... but how'd the application fly?"

"Put 'for Ceres' as the reason—boom, one-week turnaround on a year-long wait. And get this: they built the damn place for free."

Poor HQ—talk about between a rock and a hard place.

Hero Ceres's hometown wants a guild "for Ceres." Pressure from every angle—no saying no.

"Yeah... makes sense."

"Oi, you a customer?"

A young woman poked out from the back counter.

Rang a vague bell... who...?

"Ah, bet you've heard the name: ex-Hero Zect."

"Hero Zect! Nice to meetcha—I'm Eleanor, vice-master and Kaito's wife. Call me Ellie!"

"Uh, likewise!"

Another massive age gap. Looked more like father and daughter than husband and wife.

"Kissin' cousins" flashed through my head.

Plenty of May-December couples out there. Ceres and Mom? If they weren't family, it'd be whatever.

But Kaito-san and Eleanor-san hit different... bam, that thought.

Reason? Duh—Eleanor-san could've been Mel's double.

Healthy tan on her, pale as milk for Mel—one glance, worlds apart.

But as her childhood pal, I clocked it.

Toss Mel in the sun, tweak the hair... boom, Eleanor twin.

Kaito-san blind to the resemblance?

Thinking back, their marriage was ice-cold. He doted on Ceres and me... never played with Mel that I recall.

Heard he wanted a son once.

That explain overlooking a dead ringer?

Nah—probably why he went for it. Ignorance is bliss.

Kaito-san blowing off steam on Sayo-san for being cold... or payback on Mel for ditching Ceres from the party?

Creepy train of thought—drop it.

He doesn't know, so no point stirring shit.

"So, what brings you by today, Zect-sama?"

Kaito-san's game face on now—full guildmaster mode.

"Nah, nothing big. Just back home after ages—sightseeing."

"Right. Post-truce, around here? Goblins are your big game. We're basically handymen calling ourselves adventurers."

Wall of quests: bug extermination gigs, wild boar hunts... hunter and farmer busywork.

"You scrape by on this?"

"Cost of living's dirt cheap—easy street. Village boy like you knows the drill: five silver a month—fifty grand yen—and you're golden. Forgot, rubbing elbows with the city crowd?"

Yeah—crops for days, neighbors got your back. No starving here.

"Some things never change, huh?"

"Big scores? Nah. But for kicking back after the grind... solid spot. Might bore an S-rank like you, but boar-hunting for five silver? Not the worst life."

"Point taken. I'll mull it."

"Yeah. You're beat—take it easy, live a little first."

"Plan to... wander, think slow."

"Good call. Hit me up if you need."

I waved casual on the way out.

Hometown's grown up. Even got a little inn now.

Post-guild, I hit the tavern for ale, then bedded down at the inn.

◆◆◆

Solo time hits different—got me wondering what I even wanted, deep down.

The "Hero" ticket gets you everything.

That's what they said.

Cash, girls, status—all yours.

Everyone peddled that line... except Ceres.

But that's if you win. Win, win, keep winning—or you lose the perks and your head.

Cool head on? Dumbest job going.

"Idiot." "Kid stuff." That's the wrap-up now.

With some real thought back then... maybe different ending.

So what's next? How do I play it?

No answers yet.

Morning rolled around—I checked out Shoot-san's shop.

"Shoot-ojisan, long time."

"Whoa, Zect-kun! Heard you had a helluva run."

Yeah—my screw-up's global news at this point.

Shoot-san's remarried too, I bet. Lady beside him looked straight-up nobility... bit off-putting.

"Who's she?"

"Pleased to meet you—I'm Charlotte, Shoot-san's wife. Charmed."

"Likewise. Zect here."

Called it. Charlotte-san's Maria 2.0—upgrade edition.

Slap some class on Maria, and boom: this vibe.

No way this ain't on purpose.

But... a dad missing a carbon-copy daughter?

Shoot-san? Yeah, tracks.

Bookworm supreme—his circle's just Ceres, kids and adults alike.

Probably nose-deep in novels, Maria's face a total blank.

Husband and wife, though... they're banging, right?

Doing it with a dead ringer for your own girl, same age bracket... whatever, if he don't know, no skin off my teeth.

"Rough go, huh?"

"Yeah... but this place—it's blown up."

Old hole-in-the-wall knickknack shop, now ten times the footprint. Six staff easy, just eyeballing.

"Yeah—Ceres-kun spun this 'convenience store' yarn way back. Tourism boom, pop growth... went twenty-four-seven, hired help. Charlotte here's a wizard at the biz—runs four spots in town."

Right—half-size joint next to the inn. That his too?

"The one by the inn yours as well?"

"Store number three! Little layout tricks? Straight from Ceres-kun. Packs essentials in a tight space—handy, yeah?"

"Spot on. Guy's a freak... mind if I grab these snacks and drinks?"

"Homecoming treat—on the house. Toss in these sweets too."

"Much appreciated."

I thanked Shoot-san and bounced.

◆◆◆

Ceres this, Ceres that—every damn stop.

Me, the guy who sized him up as a rival? Clown shoes.

This town looked like a place where everyone was happy. No slums in sight—just folks going about their lives with genuine smiles.

And in that moment, I felt like I finally understood what Ceres was all about.

The guy's a total softie at heart, the kind who hates seeing anyone around him suffer.

Back when he was a kid, he was all alone—that's gotta be it. So now, he worries more about the people in his orbit than himself.

As the Hero, I might've been able to do the same thing. Maybe.

But for me, it would've meant pouring everything I had into my homeland and the ones I cared about.

Ceres? He doesn't indulge himself at all. Not one bit.

It's like he's offering up his whole life to his hometown, his wives, his old friends.

No way I could compete with a guy like that on equal footing.

Good thing I split from those three childhood friends...

Marrying them would've meant spending the rest of my days stacked up against "self-sacrificing Ceres." We'd be done for in no time.

Even the most devoted husband in the world couldn't keep up.

"Can't beat him," I muttered.

A spiteful bastard like me, making the church and the crown furious... getting us both kicked out... and still, he threw down with that monster Mamon for my sake.

Guess that means I'm one of his precious people, too.

That's why he's put up with all my selfish crap this far.

This isn't the hometown I remember anymore.

It's a kinder place now... and even my buddy Ceres has been nothing but gentle with me.

But if I stick around here—or anywhere near him—I'll just drag myself down.

No choice but to hit the road.

I said my goodbyes to Dad and the villagers, then left the town behind.

Maybe I'll head to the Empire.

Without the Demon King to fight, I've got all the time and freedom in the world.

I can take it slow, figure out what I really want to do.

◆◆◆

A week after consulting the Black Dragon, Ceres was hearing out Orcman's woes at the tavern.

"Hey, Ceres. Got any ideas for making some coin?"

Orcman had come to me with his troubles.

The guy—with his ten wives and a whole brood of kids—was straight-up begging.

I owed him one from that business back home.

Throwing money at it would've been easy enough, but that felt wrong, like it cheapened our friendship.

Orcman was a combat adventurer through and through.

Ogres might pack more punch than orcs, but he had the skills to hunt 'em down—that's what let him snag ten slave wives and scrape by.

Now, with the truce against the demonkin, ogres were off-limits.

That was the gist of it.

"That's rough," I said.

But as he laid it out, it went deeper than that.

"It's not just ogres anymore—even regular orcs are a no-go. You pick a fight with one now, and their higher-ups swoop in to mediate. Happened to me the other day: I was mid-hunt on an orc when this orc knight shows up, barking 'Sheathe your weapons—both sides!' No room to fight back after that, and get this—the knight says they're pulling out to the demon lands soon. Then an orc general pops in, all 'Sorry for the trouble all these years. We're heading back to the demon country and won't set foot in human lands again—rest easy.' So now? Goblins are all that's left... I'm done for. Totally done."

I couldn't just whip him into shape for wyvern hunts. Not as a Dragon Duke.

These days, wyverns were basically my minions.

Thinking about it, I'd probably flash back to Gantaa and freeze up anyway—couldn't lay a hand on one.

Nothing sprang to mind right away.

"Orcman, I'm drawing a blank on fixes. Mind giving me some time to brainstorm?"

"Yeah... sorry to dump this on you. But I got no moves left. I've got enough saved to limp along for the next half-year or so. Take your time."

"Got it."

Still, better to come up with something before his savings dried up.

From the look on his face, things were dire.

◆◆◆

Back at the house, when I ran Orcman's situation by Shizuko-san and the others...

"Hee hee hee, Ceres-kun, that's just too much."

"Ah ha ha ha, Ceres, what on earth are you thinking?"

"Ee hee hee, Ceres-san, we really shouldn't laugh..."

"You're too oblivious, Ceres-chan."

"““““…………””””"

Shizuko-san, Nee-san, Sayo-san, and Misaki-san burst out laughing the second I mentioned it.

Nee-san was doubled over, clutching her sides.

Lida, Marianne-san, Cecilia-san, and Frey-san just watched us, puzzled.

Maria and Mel were still out at the clinic.

"Guys, this isn't funny—I'm seriously stumped here."

No way this was a joke. I was dead serious.

"Ceres-kun, you've totally forgotten your own standing."

My standing? What'd that mean?

"I suppose you truly hadn't realized. Allow me to explain."

Marianne-san smiled and dove right in.

"You tend to overlook it, Ceres-sama, but you are the husband to myself, Cecilia, and Frey—and you hold the rank of Hero. There are any number of ways to 'hire' or 'recommend' him yourself."

...Come to think of it, yeah?

"But practically speaking, how?"

"The Empire's all about merit, but a word from you, Ceres-sama, could land him a knighthood easy. After that, it's on him to prove himself."

"In the Kingdom, ennoblement's on the table. I still hold first claim to the throne, after all—if you wish it, I can make it happen. But full nobility comes with endless obligations and schmoozing. A lighter title like knight might suit better—no heavy responsibilities."

"I could squeeze him into the Holy Knights for the Church... though he'd have to grind through doctrine studies afterward. Not easy."

Now that I thought about it, my wives Frey-san, Marianne-san, and Cecilia-san were power players in their own right—two of 'em actual princesses.

I'd clean forgotten.

"And that's not all, Ceres. Aren't you lord of Kohane?"

"Exactly, Ceres-kun. Sure, you've got a proxy handling things, but you're the lord—so just appoint him to whatever post you like."

"Why not elevate him to your retainer and name him a Kohane knight?"

"Yes, that sounds ideal. If you recommend him, Ceres-chan, it opens doors for his wives too—jobs right there in Kohane."

"Right. I'll chat with Orcman about it."

So, knight in the Kingdom, Empire, or Holy Nation... or my own retainer. Those were the broad strokes.

◆◆◆

The next day.

"So, that's the gist—whaddya think?"

I laid out the options for Orcman.

"Damn, that's huge. You have no idea. Look, I'm no scholar, so your retainer gig... er, Ceres-sama's retainer—that's the one for me. My wives have been bored stiff at home; this'll be a godsend."

"Alright, I'll set it in motion then... When're you looking to start?"

Orcman paused, mulling it over.

"Three months from now work?"

Why the wait?

"Not a problem."

"Well, y'see, I've got ten wives right now, yeah? Out in the sticks, no slave traders around—so I figured one last..."

"Whoa!"

It slipped out before I could stop it.

Ten wives was wild enough—now an eleventh? If that didn't scream impressive, what did?

"I'm Orcman, baby! Going out with a bang!"

Classic Orcman.

Three months later, with his eleventh slave in tow, Orcman rolled out for Kohane in a pair of wagons.

He and his wives and kids waved from the seats, all of 'em beaming like they'd won the world.

"Slave-harem family man Orcman," huh.

Someday, I wanna be the kind of guy who can protect his family like that.

I waved goodbye to Orcman's wagons with a grin.

◆◆◆

"I am Ceres-sama's slave, so please allow me to serve you for life."

That casino dealer girl from before? Still glued to me like a stalker.

Her name's Sharon—blonde, glamorous type.

Every morning, without fail, she shows up at the house, chipper as ever.

Last thing I need is more women in the mix.

Where'd that Yellow Dragon luck of mine go?

...Don't tell me it's 'cause when I was talking to Orcman, I thought, "Someday, I wanna be the kind of guy who can protect his family like that..."?

Nah, couldn't be. Gotta believe it's not that. Seven wives are plenty—I'm maxed out.

Harems are a pipe dream anyway.

My current lineup's all around thirty, folks who've known each other forever. They get along great even without me greasing the wheels.

Round up a bunch of total strangers for a harem? You'd need to be some novel or manga protag for that to fly.

Harsh truth, but in those books, most harem kings stir up major drama at least once. Heard about this one Hero who got stabbed over some infighting.

Far as I know, the only guy pulling off a harem without a hitch is Orcman.

He buys "unlucky slave girls" and turns their lives around—that's his secret sauce.

Proof's in the pudding: none of his are noble daughters or elves.

All down-on-their-luck types.

Crap... if I start thinking Orcman's cool, that won't summon extra wives, right? Nah, overthinking it.

◆◆◆

But seriously, she shows up every single day.

Today's no different.

"Um, Ceres-sama, why do you keep turning her away?"

Marianne-san asked, dead serious.

"Marianne-san, seven wives is my limit. Can't stretch any further."

I'm at capacity as is—no bandwidth for more.

"Listen... Ceres-sama. You've been warped by Orcman's lifestyle! Why assume slave equals marriage? She said, 'I am Ceres-sama's slave, so please allow me to serve you for life.' That's all... A maid would do just fine."

"Right, right—slaves as 'disposables,' that's a take too. Empire scrapped it recently, but they used to pit slave gladiators against each other for sport."

Huh, yeah—Marianne-san and Frey-san had a point.

Slave girl = lover.

I'd gotten it twisted from Orcman and the village matchmakers.

Just take her on as a loyal servant, no strings.

"Question is, do we even need an attendant?"

"She'd be fun to have around. As a dealer, she must know her way around card games—bound to have a wealth of entertainment know-how."

"Yeah, she'll liven things up."

With those two nudging me, I looped in Shizuko-san and the other three—they all agreed an extra hand wouldn't hurt... and since she kept showing up on her own, we went ahead and accepted.

◆◆◆

Same as always: Sharon-san barged in bright and early.

"I am Ceres-sama's slave, so please allow me to serve you for life."

"Alright, you win. If you're that set on slavery, we're taking you on."

"Ceres-sama... thank you. Truly, thank you. I'll serve you forever."

Indeed, she hadn't uttered a single word about marriage this whole time.

I'd arranged for the slave trader to come ahead of time.

Being a Hero sure had its perks in moments like this—mention it once, and they prioritized you.

"Yeah, I'm counting on you to pull your weight."

"Thank you."

Not content with just the paperwork, Sharon-san had requested the slave crest as well.

"Then, Ceres-sama, if I could have a bit of your blood?"

I nicked my fingertip and let a few drops fall into the small dish the trader held out.

He added a special elixir to it, then traced the pattern onto Sharon-san's back.

"The slave crest is now engraved. Officially, Sharon belongs to you."

Handing over two gold coins for the engraving fee and labor, I saw the trader off with his thanks.

"Ceres-sama, I'm yours now. Whatever you need, just say the word."

"Alright then, Sharon—from today, you're Marianne-san's attendant. I won't ask for the impossible, so focus on coming up with fun diversions everyone can enjoy."

On paper, she was Marianne-san's lady-in-waiting, but in practice, she'd serve the whole household.

That said, with so many wives versed in housework, her duties would boil down to entertainment alone. Might turn out easier than it sounded.

"Um, Ceres-sama, I..."

"Shall we be off, Sharon-san?"

"Yes..."

She seemed on the verge of saying more, but in the end, Marianne-san and the others whisked her away.

I'd completely misread the situation I was in.

Somehow, surrounded by such eccentric company, I'd veered pretty far from common sense myself.

Why had I assumed slave equaled wife?

Orcman's influence, no doubt.

Normally, it was slave equaled servant, laborer. That was the standard.

There were probably other misconceptions I'd built up, too.

◆◆◆

I invited Lida out fishing again.

Ever since claiming the Sword Saint title, she'd grown more poised, every inch the warrior—but back in the day, she used to tag along with me and Zect, diving headfirst into the boys' games.

When it came to her favorites, bug-hunting and fishing sprang to mind first.

Bug-hunting wouldn't leave much room for a relaxed chat, and I had zero interest in raising beetles at this stage.

Fishing, though—casting lines and letting the conversation drift—seemed perfect for drawing out the real talk.

"Dangling our lines like this... takes me right back."

"Yeah. Been ages since I fished. I'm catching something bigger than you this time, Ceres!"

Her smile rang a touch forced, but I could tell.

"Wouldn't dream of losing."

I'd come prepared, rigging up a fire pit with logs and a grate.

Any fish we hooked, we'd grill right there.

Lida was cute, sure, but her personality had its quirks.

Girly? Not quite. Boyish? Not really.

She just had this faintly offbeat vibe about her.

Of course, only us childhood friends or villagers knew that side of her.

"Wow, you even brought a full grilling setup. I'm thrilled!"

Out came the "boku" already.

Once she got the Sword Saint job and all the attention that came with it, Lida had switched to "watashi" and polished her speech.

Hearing "boku" slip out like that... she must be pretty rattled inside.

We'd barely cast off, so no bites yet.

Ideal window to talk.

"So, Lida—any ideas on what you wanna do?"

"I'm no good... All I've ever done is swing a sword, so helping at Dad's place? I just shatter plates. I can cook stuff that's edible, sure, but to go pro? He'd say five years of training minimum."

Forcing someone who'd only ever wielded a blade to pivot now... that was cruel.

Come to think of it, maybe I could take her in.

Not as a woman, but as a childhood friend. A best friend.

"Lida... you up for sticking with me till the end?"

"Wha— Ceres... are you saying you'd marry me?"

Her face went beet red, but no.

"Not quite. To me, you're the childhood friend, the best buddy, the daughter. And if all you can do is swing a sword with nowhere to swing it... how about becoming my retainer?"

I was lord of Kohane, after all.

Proxy or no, it was my fief—and retainers came standard with the gig.

Plus, I'd kinda overlooked it amid four S-rank adventurer wives, an ex-Saintess, and an ex-Sword Saint, but Marianne-san was just a regular woman. She could use a guard or two at her side.

"Retainer? Me? Sure, I'm a Sword Saint, but right now... I probably couldn't cut down a monster or a person."

"Doesn't matter. You won't have to fight much, if at all. Worst case, just hold the line without killing till reinforcements show—no blood on your hands."

Jeez, even a faded Sword Saint had skills in spades. Heart shaky or not, the "sword" part stuck.

If push came to shove and she drew steel... her body would move on instinct.

Confidence aside, she could carve through ten bandits or an ogre without a second thought, will or no.

Besides, Lida would serve as ornament enough.

Marianne-san never went anywhere dicey alone—plenty of escorts tagging along, so Lida wouldn't be solo in a scrap.

A princess with a Sword Saint at her side? Solid optics for the public eye.

"If you think I can handle it... if you say so, Ceres, I'll take it."

"Settled, then. Starting today, Lida's my retainer... ahem. Title: Knight of Kohane. Assigned to Marianne-san's detail."

"This Lida hereby swears, upon this blade, lifelong fealty to you."

And with that...

"Lida, you're scaring me."

"Whoa, Ceres—this one's a monster! Net, quick!"

"Got it."

A childhood friend you knew inside out? Retainer gold.

Afterward, over grilled fish, we hashed out the road ahead.

◆◆◆

"Ceres-sama, morning! Beautiful day—I'll give it my all!"

Lida beamed, all sunshine.

It was early, dawn barely broken.

Maybe she'd kick off with some swings again.

Last night, after agonizing over it, she'd resolved to apprentice under Frey-san—solidify that retainer spot for good.

Ex-Sword Saint training the current one? Match made in heaven.

Clashing blades might just reignite her fire.

But it had soured Maria and Mel's moods.

The pair who usually slept in were up with my schedule, dark circles under their eyes.

"Um, Ceres—mind a word? Why's Lida suddenly your retainer?"

"I'm with her—not buying this."

"Maria, Mel, you're terrifying—look, you two are opening that clinic, right? I'll front the funds..."

"That's appreciated, sure... but does that mean I can't be a retainer too? We've known each other longest..."

"Compared to Lida, I've been busting my ass. You said I couldn't stay, so I pushed harder... and now this? It's awful."

I'd figured it'd come up eventually—just not the very next day.

"So, what do you two want?"

"Well... I'd settle for retainer status if it means living together."

"Yeah, isn't there some way...?"

No helping it. If I'd made Lida a retainer, I couldn't very well snub Maria and Mel.

"You sure that's what you want? Fine by me, but Lida's apprenticed to Frey-san now. Once she's adjusted, she'll train big swords under Misaki-san, then rapiers with Nee-san. Job's guarding Marianne-san—fights should be rare, but if one hits, it's sword time. Think you two could hack that life?"

"Er..."

They started fidgeting.

Lida hadn't put in the work, true.

But with no options left, she'd gone all-in, cornered and committed.

Our bond now? Not romantic—just back to "old pals."

Proof: no pretense, straight to "boku."

That was the test.

"If Maria or Mel wanna be retainers, no objections. Long history and all—Knight of Kohane's yours on the spot! But pick that path, and Maria, you'd pair with Cecilia-san as Shizuko-san's healer backup. Mel, you'd desk duty with Marianne-san and Sayo-san. Cool with that? Oh, and we'll probably ditch the capital soon for Kohane or Jimna Village. Independence means more freedom, yeah?"

"Sure, capital life's a blast... but being with you beats it. I'll really grind from here—retainer it is, please?"

"I'll crush the admin work. Teachers might shift, but I'll start from scratch—pretty please?"

"Alright... retainers it is, then."

Shizuko-san and the rest called me soft later... but this felt like fate.

Orcman's wives: eleven.

Mine: four wives plus three, seven total. Add one attendant, eight.

Tack on three more? Eleven.

Not quite wives, but eleven. That number rang a bell.

"Ten wives is wild enough—an eleventh? If that's not peak impressive, what is?"

"Someday, I wanna be the kind of guy who can protect his family like that."

I'd gone and thought it.

Yellow Dragon's wish-granting luck in action, probably.