This is a story that takes place after the third volume. In the northernmost town of Polka, within the Kingdom of Trotto, summer has arrived in all its brevity.
Lush green pastures welcome flocks of sheep, while shepherds pause by sacred springs to catch their breath—only to gaze in awe at the town’s rapidly changing visage.
“Welcome… ah, Ms. Jeanne. What can I do for you today?”
“I’m practicing sewing and thought about making a child’s skirt. Something affordable but well-made.”
“Practicing sewing… I figured you were skilled enough to sew clothes yourself, Ms. Jeanne.”
“I’ve done patchwork before, but making a garment from scratch is still new to me. Since Belaa offered to teach me, I decided to give it a try.”
“Oh, the midwife… but a skirt? Not for Peter?”
“For Elenia. Besides, once you know how to construct them, there’s far greater demand among women for clothing around Andy.”
“Are you planning to make clothes for all the adults too…? Are you turning from a blacksmith into a tailor?”
“I wasn’t thinking that far ahead. But if I can do it, why not? Thanks to Selen and Apple taking turns watching the children, I have plenty of time. It’s good practice to hone my skills.”
“Haa… I can’t afford to fall behind either.”
As Jeanne and Origan chat amiably while sorting through their stock, a passing shepherd stops in his tracks, staring with wide-eyed surprise.
”…Well, well… Never seen a dwarf and an elf chatting so warmly in a human town before.”
“Oh, welcome! To protect against sudden rain, how about this waterproof cloak? It’s a bit pricey, but woven from premium fabric harvested in the Northern Forest—lightweight, soft, and exceptionally water-repellent. Not even torrential downpours will soak through it, yet it won’t make you sweat. We also have matching hats made from the same material.”
“Oh, no… Well, I’ve heard that elven crafts are becoming more accessible lately… But would you really sell something like this to someone like me?”
“We handle exclusive distribution for major trading houses like Sylphid. This isn’t an elf-run outlet; it’s simply a local human shop, and I’m just an employee. As long as payment is made, I have no qualms about your preferences♪”
“I see… Still, treating even dwarves with such friendliness is remarkable.”
“Jeanne is like family to me.”
“Family…?”
The shepherd looks utterly bewildered.
In general, that’s how it goes. Elves and dwarves are typically mutual objects of disdain.
Even the notion of “an elf being friendly toward a dwarf” is rare enough. But when someone casually calls them “family,” it’s akin to pointing at an apple and calling it a fish.
“People here tend to be like that, especially in Trotto, where prejudice against non-human races runs deep.”
“Hmm… That’s unfortunate. Everyone would benefit from living together harmoniously. If individuals could truly understand one another deeply, racial tensions wouldn’t even arise.”
“Well, I can’t really say anything about others myself. But if Lady Lyra and Andy hadn’t brought me along, I wouldn’t have held such unfairly lenient views toward elves.”
“If your husband hadn’t thrived in the forest, we’d be… well, let’s just say things would be very different.”
“Indeed, Andy is truly a remarkable man.”
Among female slaves, conversations like this often arise to reaffirm Andy’s greatness. Though one wonders how much he himself understands, many have had their environments—and even their lives—completely transformed by him. Especially the shift of Elven territory toward the outside world could never have occurred without his intervention. That event, which tore a rift in the eternal overcast sky, stands as a monumental achievement worthy of being called “world-changing” for the elves of the forest, regardless of how he personally perceives it.
For the elves, growing close to such a figure feels like stepping into mythology itself. No matter how often they recount his virtues, their pride never fades. Moreover, hearing these stories renews the admiration other female slaves feel toward him. It may seem almost self-gratifying, yet sharing this bond only strengthens their unity.
Consequently, their collective consciousness begins to drift increasingly far from that of Polka’s residents, visitors, and even Andy himself. Yet, given that “female slave” is a title rarely understood by others, this growing divergence causes no particular issue, no matter how vast or profound it becomes. As a result, in Polka, the more time passes without Andy present, the more daughters grow devoted to him, losing resistance to unconventional behaviors. Some even describe this trend as “the training of female slaves advancing”—a phenomenon whose true nature remains obscure.
The scene shifts to the Baron’s estate.
”…………”
”……Hey, hey… Selen? Um… something feels off lately, doesn’t it?”
”…………Hmm…”
Apple, soothing Peter, could no longer bear Selen’s strange gaze as she comforted Elenia in the same way. Lately, Selen had been staring at Apple with a serious expression—more like observing her than merely looking. Such moments had become increasingly frequent.
Having known Selen for quite some time, Apple was well aware that beneath her surface, Selen was actually an incredibly straightforward person. Though she possessed skills in deception and eloquence, Selen rarely employed them in daily life. She quickly distanced herself from those she disliked and spoke her mind directly to others. Beyond a select few companions, she decisively deemed most people unworthy of her effort—perhaps even beneath notice. Having suffered oppression and dismissal due to her half-elf heritage, she had developed a keen ability to distinguish between people and matters worth engaging with.
She omitted all pretense of social niceties. She certainly knew proper etiquette; in fact, if given the chance, she could master any protocol—but when unnecessary, she ignored it entirely. That’s why Selen wasn’t just aimlessly staring at Apple without meaning. There had to be something significant behind it.
Yet Apple couldn’t pinpoint what it might be. As usual, Peter was happily sucking on Apple’s nipple, so it couldn’t be his fault. Selen had begun looking at Apple with such an expression only a few days ago.
Still, Selen said nothing. Selen behaving so ambiguously was unusual. Perhaps she suspected something serious—though Apple couldn’t quite tell what.
While nursing Elenia herself, Selen remained expressionless, humming “Hmm…” before eventually breaking eye contact and whispering:
“Apple… back when you were having sex with Andy… did you do it in all sorts of places?”
“Huh? Uh, y-yes… I guess we did?”
Confused by the sudden topic, Apple gave a vague response.
“Not just the hunter’s cabin—places like behind the hot springs or thick patches in the forest… Thinking about it now, why didn’t anyone notice us doing things there? We might’ve even been caught while Andy was giving head to someone passing by!”
“But back then, Selen had already recovered, so she secretly used magic to hide us…”
”…………”
“Selen?”
Once again, Selen turned her gaze toward Apple. And after a moment of silence—
”…Apple… you’ve regained your memories, haven’t you? Why are you pretending not to know?”
”!!”
Apple froze stiffly. Peter, cradled in her arms, was pressed against her breast and let out a strange “nnn-uuu” sound.
She hurriedly relaxed her grip, but fortunately, Peter showed no sign of crying… or rather, as if struck by sudden enlightenment—“Aha! I can enjoy my huge breasts with my whole face! There’s such a way to have fun!”—he deliberately pressed his face against her chest again and emitted another peculiar “nnn-uuu.”
“W-what are you doing, Peter-kun?”
“Apple… don’t try to fool me. When did your memories return?”
”…………”
Apple let out a small sigh.
“Not that long ago. While adventuring with Andy in the Kingdom of Carlwin… hmm, actually, it’s been a while since then. Something felt off… ah, I started feeling strange emotions. I could almost remember them, but couldn’t find a starting point, so they’d fade away.”
”…That’s Carlwin?”
”…Yeah.”
Apple nods.
“When everyone was about to give up, or when I had to imitate Mr. Andy… I tried to mimic him and encourage everyone. While trying hard to remember what Mr. Andy said back then… suddenly, his childhood self appeared in my mind.”
”…Why didn’t you tell me that?”
“I didn’t understand. Was it a true memory, or just delusions? The main points had already been told to me by Selen, so maybe I fabricated the rest based on that knowledge…”
But then Apple continues. While pressing her face against her breasts and wincing at Peter’s new way of enjoying them, she strokes his head with a faint smile.
“Gradually, the before and after became clear… memories I’d never heard of, connections between events… those things began to resurface. I wondered why. Even though I didn’t know Mr. Andy and knew my memories were gone, he still said he wanted me. So as a new version of myself, I fell in love with him again. That should have resolved everything. Why did this come up now?”
”…I suppose that’s because…”
Selen tried to offer an interpretation.
It was likely because Apple hadn’t truly fallen for Andy deep down. As long as Selen wanted to live that way, there was no choice but to follow her and become a female slave together—that was the only path forward. Apple actually had no other options. Becoming a female slave may have been partly a reaction to the lingering feelings she had for Andy, but ultimately, it was just a matter of making up her mind. Once Apple had decided that, reaffirming it was all that was needed.
Andy’s childhood wasn’t particularly pleasant, yet if one clung to him and imagined a future together, it could still feel like a happy scene—a sufficient happiness for a rootless half-elf. Accepting this realization again became the female slave contract… and what drove Apple to serve diligently.
However, when Apple accompanied him on his journey to the brink of limits, struggled to be useful, and came to truly recognize his strength and virtues from the heart… surely it was then that the memories she had felt as dreamlike and disconnected finally connected for her.
But Selen stops before explaining further.
It would be pointless. No one enjoys being lectured with a smug expression about “why you love someone.”
”…Maybe if you told Mr. Andy, he’d cherish you even more than before.”
”…It feels like I’ve become two people, and it’s hard to accept. The feeling of newly falling for Mr. Andy and the obsession I once had… both are strong, yet they don’t quite fit together. Isn’t it strange that two different reasons for loving the same person exist independently under one roof? Do you understand?”
”…Sorry, that might be complicated.”
She can imagine it, but empathy is difficult. Two similar yet divergent feelings directed at the same person.
Apple had been carrying this burden silently.
”…Selen seems to understand things like that.”
“Hmm… I just thought something felt a bit different after we returned. Was it because of that incredible journey, or something else? I couldn’t tell and was always confused about it.”
“What would you have done if it turned out differently from what you expected?”
”…I just wanted to know the truth.”
Selen chuckles bitterly. Is this also part of being a lonely half-elf? She never intended to do anything to her best friend; she simply wanted to understand why things had changed. Only now does she realize that she may have caused her anxiety, and she lightly taps her own head in self-reproach.
”…I hope you can tell Mr. Andy about this someday.”
”…Hmm. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or not.”
“It will surely be a good thing.”
Holding their baby, they smiled at each other gently, forgiving one another’s doubts and lies.