Polka has both the old town, with many shabby, hastily built homes from days gone by, and a new district where the forestry resources and craftsmanship of the woods are put to use—sometimes even leveraging dragon earth-moving capabilities. Renovations in the old town are gradually underway.
After all, original residents wouldn’t want to keep living in dilapidated houses when beautiful ones go up one after another. The Baron purchasing the properties and then overseeing their complete reconstruction with the help of elf masters and Celesta’s ogre carpenters served as a major boost. Many ogres construction workers who were drawn to Polka’s charm after the Grange was built have decided to settle here, and it’s just the right kind of work for them too. During winter, their strength and height are highly valued for snow removal, and gradually, ogres have become an indispensable presence in Polka.
So, while it’s been only about fifteen years since first contact with the elves, Polka’s residential area has grown several-fold, with one particular district rumored to be gathering particularly sexy women. That’s no coincidence; prostitutes—or rather, former prostitutes—from Cosmos House are moving here one after another. The women employed by Cosmos Establishment weren’t driven into prostitution by debt or desperation in the first place; most of them choose sex work because they enjoy it. Therefore, when they decide to quit, they have few complications holding them back, and many settle down permanently right after arriving in Polka. Although some maids from the Onyx Maid Brigade also retire and make this their home occasionally, that’s rather unusual. As the head maid once said, “Maid servants generally don’t save much money,” which may be a factor too. But I think part of it is simply that they’re an unfortunate bunch who have a kink for getting dominated after serving someone else. Anyway, back to the point. These former prostitutes from Cosmos House who’ve taken up residence here mostly have other talents besides sex work due to their previous line of business—skills in cooking and business sense—and because they’re accustomed to men and non-humans, they can hold their own perfectly when dealing with big men. As a result, they fit in remarkably well as an emerging commercial force responding to Polka’s rapidly expanding new demands. “Master~, are you home~?” “Cosmos-sama. He’s deep inside.” Cosmos-sama comes to where I am tinkering with a new suit of armor in the Vapor Palace’s invention workshop. It surprises me a bit that she’s actually dressed despite being inside the palace, but I’m clothed myself today too. You wouldn’t believe the foolishness of doing blacksmithing work naked, yeah? “I came to survey the lives of the former prostitutes from your old place in the Eastern District, and it’s all done now… Hmm, they’re all such strong business people; I feel a little proud…” “Well, I assumed someone born into the Establishment wouldn’t fall into poverty. If everyone is healthy, that’s good enough.” Despite the S&F Foundation, the backing of their families as former slave masters’ households, and the various blessings brought by dragons making us incredibly wealthy… my wealth isn’t infinite. It would be difficult to take full care of all these women who chose to live on their own rather than becoming “family” as female slaves. If I extend support too far to those they’ve left behind, the scope of those needing nurture becomes too broad and never ends. But there’s still a bond to lend a hand if someone is in trouble. That’s why I periodically send Cosmos-sama to check on them. Though women are known for shrewdness in business as one should say, not a single woman has asked us for help so far. “Rin seems close to divorcing her husband after a fight, but that’s between them. Shasta kept saying she accidentally squeezed a customer’s penis while giving him a massage out of habit, so I had to scold her.” “Ah… well, if they provide services like that, they shouldn’t be allowed to do it without filing for approval first.” The permit required for prostitutes operating as business owners in this area is managed by Cosmos-sama with the Baron’s authorization. While we can keep an eye on small ways to earn extra cash, when livelihoods are at stake, territory disputes and fee troubles inevitably occur, so they can’t be left unchecked from a law-and-order perspective. And offering sexual services at a massage shop is pretty shady gray-area business. If customers know a place offers such services on demand, that’s exactly what they’re expecting. While I’d rather have someone bold like former Mrs. Hilda who doesn’t mind doing it for free with anyone trying their luck, cases where someone just acts on the spur of the moment and ends up not getting access are prone to trouble. There’s no way to rule out unreasonable situations like “We heard you had something special going on, came expecting that, but you wouldn’t let us touch you… Don’t joke with me.” “So this time too, there shouldn’t be anything requiring us to step in here, right?” “Yeah… oh, a few asked if they could come have sex with both you and Master at the Palace. That’s good, isn’t it?” “Well… that’s fine, but of course I made sure those already married hold off, right?” Those who haven’t become female slaves with me—some are normally married couples. I don’t want to mess up their relationships. Everyone forgets this, but basically I’m quite cautious about getting involved with girls. I can be reckless with those clearly without other men in the picture, but fundamentally, I hate having to fight over and then reach out to a girl. “I’ve always conveyed your intentions like that… but see, some say they’ll never forget how good you are precisely because they’ve tasted other men…” “Seriously, let’s get rid of that?! If I end up hated by them because of it, I’d become nothing but a perfect villain!?” The owner of the brothel by all but name, and a legendary womanizer surrounded by a harem of over one hundred beauties in the hot spring… Yet if this former prostitute still keeps trying to touch me from time to time, how can you think of it anything but evil? “Don’t worry, if anyone confronts you about it, I’ll stop them myself♪” “That just makes your villainy accelerate!?”
Truly, we should all strive to find a path where we don’t end up miserable. Even if that means sparing just one or two of us from tears…
As for the new type of armor I’ve been forging at the expense of time spent with my children and female slaves right now:
“Is it almost ready?”
“I want to refine it a bit more still. Though it’s usable as is, I have a feeling we could add something extra.”
Being labeled “new type,” this armor stands entirely apart from anything else I’ve ever crafted. What sets it apart? It was made without any hesitation or compromise whatsoever, using every single premium material available. Not only every metal on hand, but the lining itself is dragon leather—processed with a special chemical agent that only dragon experts know how to use, a technique I learned directly from the Silver Dragons themselves; spacer blocks carved from elf-territory’s unique timber hold the silhouette together in place, while dragon scales are applied to critical defensive zones. Even underneath the plate armor, I’ve sewn on nets woven from silk chains to turn it into basic chainmail for added protection. Every conceivable safety measure has been implemented. Because the materials are so special, the paint won’t bond properly, giving it a slightly ostentatious look… but once worn, you won’t suffer serious bodily harm unless something truly extraordinary happens. I’d like to include a helm if possible, but that’s just… well, nobody has worn one since I was young and probably never will again.
“From a pricing standpoint, I doubt we can charge much for this… Since the authorities there know exactly what details were involved, they shouldn’t arrest you, at least.”
“Well yes. That’s partly why this project could be done completely as a one-off, with all its difficulties and such included.”
An absolute masterpiece that abandoned every shred of pride in my work as an armorer to pursue nothing but peak performance. I’ve never before crafted armor like this for any rival I’ve ever faced. Well, I don’t usually have the luxury of preparing gear tailored to specific enemies anyway.
The one who will wear it…
“It’s been a while, Papa!”
“Father, you look radiant!”
A cheerful, carefree eldest sister, and a little brother who already moves with such grace despite his youth. The children of Tetes have arrived at the Vaper Palace.
“Welcome back, Sonia, Tyrus.”
The kids are nobility. I can’t possibly let them show such undignified appearances. Going completely nude as is our standard form in the palace would be unforgivable. Just for today, I’ve dressed them in brand-new high-class garments tailored by Oregano to make a proper entrance. Every time they come to Polka, we put on this kind of facade, but honestly, it’s impossible to provide such fine clothing for all the female slaves inside the palace, the dragons, or the courtesans and maid staff staying with us during their visit. So, while the front might look impressive, things remain a bit awkward in the back where things are still pretty much a full-nude paradise.
I’m starting to think you’ve gotten used to it… but sorry, Tyrus. You simply can’t remain completely calm about this.
No, on second thought, since everyone here is civilized, maybe I could even order them to “wear clothes today” or something. But then Sonia, who doesn’t seem to care in the slightest, already dashed off toward the palace’s interior rooms, so there’s no point in pursuing that line of thinking anymore.
“Father, as always… uhm, rather unrestrained here?”
“Well, yes… There are all sorts of races around, you know.”
While deflection through race issues strikes me as a rather crude response on my part anyway, I guide my naive son into his quarters. He’ll be staying for several days.
“Tetes, leave Sonia to me. She should be used to this place already; just make sure no strange trouble arises.”
“Hey! ♪”
“And since I’m dressing up like this, you ought to maintain Mother’s dignity for a while too.”
Even though these walls are tall and enclosing, I need to remind Tetes not to start taking off her noble attire right away in the open-air dragon departure area. It would be inappropriate to flaunt such freedom so casually, even if it means preserving some illusions the children hold about you.
“This place operates under certain rules, after all, which means there’s a reason we should follow them too! ♪”
”…Tyrus, do understand? You don’t actually have to go naked here or anything? It’s entirely optional. The sisters who are naked are just acting a bit weird anyway, so you don’t need to comply with that either.”
“Y-yes…”
While his face turns red and he hides behind my shadow, Tyrus follows along. There’s something deeply satisfying about that.
The sons I left in Polka no longer react to women being naked like this anymore. Even though Crow can’t help but stare openly as breasts sway before his eyes without any reaction whatsoever, while Peter chases them around boldly with a lecherous grin and an erection clearly showing off…
Wait.
“Sonia! Hold back on the excitement for now and come to the workshop! We’ve got presents!”
“Huh? Really!?”
Sonja was immediately delighted to spot familiar faces in her sisters and celebrated their reunion, but when she was told about the present, her face lit up with pure joy.
Yeah, yeah. You know, there’s no denying it—seeing a kid happy is truly rewarding.
“Is this only for Sonja?”
“Ahh, I’ll make one for Tyrus next time. Honestly, I whipped Sonja’s up on the fly just to get it done.”
“It’s a promise!”
“Yeah. Forget about your portion today; consider it reserved. Go easy on me.”
He smiled, accepted her forgiveness, and moved on.
Preparing this for Sonja stemmed from the fact that she had been recognized as possessing combat power on par with the Gauntlet Knights far sooner than anticipated. After witnessing her duel with Berga, other knights invited her to see real combat, saying something like, “If you’re that strong, you should try it,” and she seemed genuinely inclined to go for it—though not officially recruited, at least for a trial run. Given the customs in Renfanga, laughing off the idea as “not your taste” wouldn’t sit well, especially considering her kinship with Alex Buster; one simply can’t afford to make reckless remarks when family ties are involved. Heard from Tetes that she, too, had first clashed with monsters at an age not much older than Sonja’s now. But even if he’d shown the skill to occasionally take down a Black Arm, sending off a child like Sonja straight into the thick of monster hordes still gave him uneasy feelings. So, just in case anything went wrong, he wrote letters to Mr. Alex and Ferrus asking them to watch over her; since he remained anxious, he had an ornate suit of armor custom-made. As for weapons, the Busters probably had far superior pieces than what I could craft, but if you’re making armor with such reckless determination as this, there’s no doubt you can create something sturdier than any artisan’s work. And so, with absolute confidence, he snatched the fabric from before Sonja and unveiled his creation. And now… how did his daughter react?
”……So lame.”
Her father was dead. “S-snap out of it, Father! Father!!” Tyrus shook him gently as I collapsed. Thank you, son. And to you, my daughter. That is truly a masterpiece, something that could probably buy an entire castle if one tried to purchase it with gold.
“But first, Papa, make me a bikini armor! Just like Sharon’s!”
“Bikini armor……!?”
You… ask your parents… to make a bikini armor for you…!?!
To fashion half-naked armor for my child who is still young…!?!
“You can’t be serious!” “Why not!? When Gauntlet earned me the legend of being Papa’s supreme bikini armor craftsman! Why is the present I received from you such an incredibly lame piece of crap!?” “Your comeback isn’t keeping up!!” Why did I become the legendary bikini armor craftsman? A man regarded as almost a son-in-law to the Busters. Why do you admire bikini armors so much? And besides, is this really that lame that people call it crap? Also, if someone makes my style of bikini armor, they’re bound to start groping my breasts… you know what I mean. …Say, was it really that lame? I used to be praised for having a good sense of design, but your single blow has crushed my pride into dust. Are you really saying this is that bad…?
“Father, I think Father’s armor is wonderful too. If you could just make me one.”
“Tyrus doesn’t even use a sword to fight in the first place…”
“Well, there’s that too…”
Plus, I made it tailored specifically for a girl’s body, so maybe Tyrus… well, she’s still a kid and we’re twins after all, so she might actually be able to wear it…?
“So then, you’ll make me a bikini armor to give to Tyrus?! Can we do it tomorrow!??”
“There’s no way that can be done so quickly! Besides, I absolutely won’t allow you to fight in something that looks like nothing but bare flesh in front of others! That’s for when you’re an adult!”
“When you’re an adult… that means it’ll be even worse…”
Tyrus. Adults have strategies like setting things aside or putting them off.
Though, actually, it isn’t really okay to say something like that to a child.
…Man, Renfangas. Why the hell are bikinis so popular among girls?
It seems there’s something about beautiful female knights like Sharon who can flaunt themselves openly and confidently.