This is the detail-updated version of Main Story Chapter 259, “The Solution to Dissonance 2”.
“Let’s start with some introductions, shall we? Even if it feels a bit late for that now, let’s all be serious about it, okay♪”
Selen took the lead.
She placed a hand on her chest.
“I’ll go first. I am Selen, a Half-Elf from the Aphilum Empire. Technically I belong to the Dark Green lineage, but please don’t worry about that. As for rank among the female slaves, I am number two♪”
Then, she gestured to Apple beside her.
Apple looked briefly flustered, but after glancing at me, she set her jaw and straightened up with determination.
“I’m Apple. My lineage is Purple, but as you can see, I’m a Half-Elf. I don’t remember anything myself, but I believe I was the first female slave. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“You don’t remember…?”
“What does that mean?”
Sharon and Almeida raised their eyebrows.
“Oh, this looks interesting,” Tetes said.
“Quit it, Tetes-chan,” Naris rebuked, holding her back as she tried to lean forward.
“Ah…”
Apple looked momentarily frightened.
“Before Andy returned, you suffered near-fatal injuries in the conflict with the North and lost your memories. However, it is indeed true that you were the first to become a female slave,” Selen explained clearly, covering for her.
Irina cleared her throat.
“There is no apology I can make regarding that… It is a fact verified even at the Clans’ council. Apple remained in a coma for several years, was resurrected by Lady Hilda, and consequently lost her memories, yes.”
“So that was it, huh?”
”…Well, friction occurs everywhere. It’s not surprising.”
Sharon and Almeida seemed to accept this explanation.
“Now then, isn’t the next one Diane?”
Prompted by Irina, Diane stood up.
“Diane, daughter of Ashton, from South Desert, a Dark Elf. As everyone knows, I’m clumsy, but I intend to become Andy’s wife.”
Tetes interjected there.
“So you aren’t a female slave?”
”…Ah. I did not sign such a contract.”
“Isn’t that a disadvantage? Unlike the rest of you?”
“I haven’t experienced any inconveniences. Besides, I have no intention of submitting, nor will I let you force it upon me. Above all else, I want to love Andy as an equal,” Diane declared with dignity.
…Yes, she alone had never once desired a collar.
Even though that should be the norm, she was an exceptional existence.
“I see, so being like that is acceptable here…”
“I’ve been wondering since earlier why Tetes is here. And Christie too.”
“Eh? Well, isn’t it fascinating? Such an amazing cast of characters.”
To my remark, Tetes put on a face as if to say, “I don’t know why you’re asking me that.”
She had remarkable nerve. No matter how you looked at it, she was a complete mismatch.
“Besides, there’s nothing more entertaining than watching other people’s romantic tangles.”
“Come on, Tetes, put some clothes on your words.”
For someone sixteen, the nerve is truly daunting. It’s a recipe for future disasters if you don’t watch her.
She then directed her gaze at Christy.
“I… it’s just that Master Smithson tries to impregnate me every now and then!”
“At least have the decency to call it sex!”
“Since there’s a chance I might end up giving birth… in that sense, my presence here seems perfectly reasonable…”
“Have some doubt about your own standing for once!”
“N-no! The one at fault is Master Smithson for so brazenly putting a collar on Irina! Even the Princess of the Sky Blue Clan alone is already on the verge of a diplomatic incident, let alone with a clan leader who’s so small…”
“I am not small just because I am young!”
This was going in circles.
”…Um. Regardless, since you are here, we will assume you consent to being impregnated by Andy-san.”
Selen summarized the situation with a deadpan expression.
“Is that acceptable?”
Christy froze for a few seconds.
“I… I…”
“No good?”
“N-no… well, if it is Master Smithson’s intention, I am not opposed to it…”
“Do you accept being a female slave as well?”
Selen. I think checking that is above your pay grade.
”…Well… a legitimate marriage doesn’t seem likely to happen either way.”
Christy feigned reluctance before giving in.
Tetes inserted herself into the conversation.
“You really look like you’re fully prepared to be made into a female slave, don’t you?”
“I—!! It’s n-not as if…”
“Any way you slice it, you just look like a widow who has tasted the sweetness of adultery? Sensei~♪”
“P-please stop saying such weird things, Tetes-san!”
Come to think of it, Tetes and Christy have a master-disciple sort of relationship.
…Though Tetes is clearly winning on the mental front.
Next, Anzeros stood up from his seat.
He hesitated briefly, gauging the atmosphere of the room, but ultimately placed his fist over his heart properly to introduce himself.
“Anzeros, Ten-Man Leader of the Guard Infantry under the Direct Command of the Celesta Army Headquarters, Diane Special Operations Unit. I have known Andy for about eight years.”
That was the correct way to introduce oneself in an official setting. …However.
“Hm. On this side, only Almeida and the Princess of Glory are familiar with those ranks, I presume?”
Irina pointed that out.
…Indeed, military titles like “Ten-Man Leader” have absolutely no connection to Fennel or the others. Therefore, the first half of his introduction was meaningless to them.
“Anzeros. …Starting from your place of origin, again.”
When I prompted him, Anzeros pouted but introduced himself once more.
“I am Anzeros, from the Royal Capital of Trot, daughter of Linda Neumann and Aron of the White Clan.”
“Ahh…” The four girls, including Fennel, nodded in understanding.
“I’ve met Mr. Aron. …His archery skills were neck-and-neck with my father’s.”
“Huh, isn’t that amazing?”
When Laure said this, Sebury’s eyes went wide.
Could it be that she’s actually quite an expert?
“Well, since my father and mother were adventurers out in the world for what it’s worth…”
…Upon hearing that, it did seem plausible.
That’s right. If an Elf was going to adventure outside, they’d have to be at a level capable of challenging places like the Sacred Beast Labyrinth or family would naturally worry.
And Laure’s dad, who could handle such things, might actually be pretty formidable too.
”…Ah, for the record, we’re from a warrior-class household.”
Orzano added this clarification.
…Huh?
“Warrior-class means…”
“Hmm. It refers to lineages that would take the lead in battle when necessary—akin to nobility or knighthood among Humans. That said, they don’t boast as much about their status as those do.”
“Laure is quite strong too. At least among us, she has the most training in martial arts.”
Irina and then Orzano once again provided an explanation.
However, Laure herself looked troubled… more so, she wore a look of mild inconvenience.
“If you expect too much of me, I’ll be at a loss… I didn’t train all that seriously, so my skills aren’t quite at the level where I could take on monsters.”
“How strong is she? Could I spar with her in swordsmanship?”
Anzeros pressed forward with a hint of excitement in his voice, but Laure shook her head vigorously.
“No way. I only know self-defense techniques… just enough to escape easily if a man grabs me.”
“Is that so… then, about as strong as Jeanne, perhaps?”
“I’m stronger than that. I can take on monsters, you know!”
Jeanne interjected in response to Anzeros’s remark.
Well, she does have some track record. Right.
“Ho. Do not be reckless. It would not do for you to get injured.”
”…W-well, I’m not going out of my way to seek battle. And I can’t fly and jump like Anzeros anyway.”
“That’s a good thing. We’ll protect both Jeanne and Peter, you and Lyra too.”
Anzeros patted Jeanne on the head, treating her like a little sister. In reality, Jeanne was slightly older.
Next was Aurora.
She had no need to strain herself or make a fuss like Anzeros did.
Behaving as befitting an Elf princess, she pinched the hem of her dress and gave an elegant curtsy.
“Aurora of the Blue Clan, daughter of Dior, the clan leader. Please make our acquaintance.”
“Well, there are many faces I don’t recognize here either.”
Just as Irina said, Aurora was a known figure on the customer side as well.
“I was told by Selen to be serious about it now, not later…”
“As expected.”
Selen clapped her hands pat-pat to praise Aurora.
“Why would someone like you become Master’s female slave?”
“Out of sheer interest, I suppose.”
Fennel and Sebury chimed in.
“Of course, ever since I caught a glimpse of Andi-san’s magnanimity…”
As for Aurora, she began answering fluently before Anzeros grabbed her by the shoulder.
“Did you skip over the misunderstanding regarding General Lucas?”
“It’s a trivial matter.”
“I think it’s a bit of a stretch to call that trivial. Sure, Andy had his leg cut off and went through quite a lot, but in reality, he wasn’t able to win…”
“Yes, but as long as Mr. Andy possesses the caliber of an outstanding hero who far surpasses my brother, then it is perfectly fine ♪”
I felt like that sophistry was getting pretty strained too.
However, what caught the Counter’s attention was somewhere else entirely.
“The leg got cut off?!”
“D-Did Master have his leg cut off!? By that noble young man from the South!?”
Savory and Oregano latched onto the topic immediately.
…Ah, I felt like she’d been dealing with some discomfort for a fairly long time, but by the time she was involved with the Elf Territory, her leg had completely healed.
”…You carried such hardships upon your back, didn’t you?”
“W-We didn’t know… It’s something that happened recently, right?”
So even Irina and Christy didn’t know.
“That reminds me, I do vaguely remember something like that happening…”
Luna seemed to be trying to recall it too. The first time we met Luna, she had magic emergency treatment applied so she could forcibly do lewd stuff.
It was only now I realized that there were still members who didn’t know about that serious injury.
“From this part of my left leg, it got cut right off… It was the biggest pinch point of all time, albeit in a subtle way.”
“And yet Mr. Andy counterattacked. He did it to protect me and Anzeros ♪”
Selen added on dreamily to my explanation. Apple also seemed interested.
I realized now that she had seen me dragging my leg but didn’t know the cause of the injury.
“And then Diane-chan held my leg, and I achieved a complete cure by combining it with Polka’s Spirit Spring.”
Hilda set down her cup with a ton and stood up.
“So, I am Hilda-san. I’m Diane-chan’s big sister and a doctor. Having been at the forefront of southern medicine for centuries, I can handle any injury or illness you throw at me ♪ My hobby is lewd things. Pleased to meet you ☆”
She was honestly too honest.
And she had completely melted in as a female slave by now.
…I’ve given up on it recently, though.
I suppose I’ll need to properly explain things to her sometime.
“Ho. By now, there’s no one left who doesn’t know these things, but I am Lyra of the Desert. A Black Dragon, and Andy Smaison’s pet.”
”…Maya. Brood Dragon. I’m also a pet.”
Lyra and Maya, taking advantage of the stunned silence in the air, finished their self-introductions in one go.
…The dragons who had contracted with power through strength felt like there should be more to it than just being called pets, but was that okay? It seemed like it couldn’t just be brushed off with that one word.
“And I’m the dwarf who gave birth to Andy’s first child. My name is Jeanne.”
”…Luna Bazil. …Granddaughter of the leader of the beastman cat colony that Andy occupied.”
“Occupied…?!”
The atmosphere was one of ‘let’s just power through this,’ but Luna’s self-introduction halted the flow.
Incidentally, it was Tetes who looked surprised. He had a knack for showing up at just the right moment.
”…Occupied. There is a colony where everyone is almost exclusively bred by Andy alone.”
Luna stated this quietly, and the room murmured with shock.
”…So that’s what that place was like…”
Naris clutched her head in despair. The girls who didn’t know much about cat colonies wasted their breath heaping praise on him, saying things like, “Well, that’s what you’d expect.” “Meaning, for a lecher as notorious as him, this isn’t even out of the ordinary…” “I’ve heard feline beastkin in heat are terrifying, and yet he handled several of them at once…” Armeida and Christie wore ambiguous expressions, caught somewhere between awe and bemusement. …Well, technically, since it was a straightforward fact with no embellishment, I couldn’t really call him out on it either. It wasn’t like it was everyone, though. Mostly the young ones, up to around their thirties. Older ladies were well outside his usual range.
“Now then, shall we move on to Knight Commander Sharon next, or would you prefer to hear from Lady Irina?”
Tetes tried to smoothly guide the conversation forward with a cheerful smile, but the lingering gazes of the group effectively halted any transition to Sharon or Irina.
All eyes were fixed squarely on Tetes and Naris.
“Uh… what’s wrong?”
“It would be acceptable to proceed in order of seating, but I suppose it is natural that you wish to address them specifically.”
Irina explained the meaning behind their stares.
“That aside from why you two are here… we are also curious about your backgrounds. Just a brief overview should suffice.”
…To someone like Oregano, the two of us were indeed a complete mystery.
“Eh, umm… Naris, go first, right? You’re sort of the one with the credentials for this?”
“Credentials?! What the hell are ‘credentials’!? Ah—forget it. My name is Naris. I’m from the Southern Great Plains. As for my clan… that’s a bit complicated. When I was a child, the Fire Dragon War burned my entire forest to the ground.”
“That must have been…”
“But couldn’t you investigate now? The records from the South should be accessible, no?”
Fennel and the others stared at Naris with widened eyes.
“Knowing now changes nothing. Even if I found out my lineage, it’s not like anyone would pay me a penny for it.”
Naris shrugged nonchalantly.
…She was joking, certainly, but it also looked like a quiet rebellion against the clanism and bloodline obsession prevalent in Elven society. For Naris, who had struggled to carve out an existence beyond those rigid expectations, recovering a lowly spot in her extinct clan’s records after all this time felt pointless.
“So, I am Tetes Murray. The daughter of a cadet branch of the nobility in Lenfangus. Don’t let appearances fool you; I’m actually quite powerful. And just to clarify—I have no romantic relationship with Captain Smayson.”
Tetes deflated the heavy atmosphere with a light tone.
…Oh, right. It was “Murray,” not “Buster,” that had those kinds of settings behind it.
“Then why are you here, listening in on matters concerning your master’s family?”
In response to Seberry’s question, Tetes smiled brightly—a smile that carried just a hint of something scary.
“The group looks like they’re up to some interesting stories♪”
”…Hah.”
Seberry and the others looked confused, unable to read her intentions, but those in the know about Tetes’s true identity as an intelligence operative could only shake their heads with a wry smile.
From an intelligence perspective, it was obviously a goldmine for “interesting stories,” especially with two dragons present alongside so many children of powerful figures.
But whether she was actually getting any interesting information out of it remained unclear.
…It still occasionally crossed my mind how we even ended up in this situation.
“The Duchy of Lennu in Affilum… from the Deep Green Clan, Armeida. Though I have effectively been excommunicated from the clan by now… yes, you saw it yourself, just a brute. Please look at me with eyes that expect an interesting comment.” Armeida thumped the floor with her iron cane—clack, clack, clack—intimidating those around her. “What happened that got you a collar on, anyway?” Seberry cut in, preventing Armeida from wrapping it up too quickly. Christie and Irina, who were involved in the incident, chuckled softly while Armeida blushed red. “It’s nothing much, really.”
But Selen interjected with a gentle reprimand.
“That’s no good, Almeida. This is a gathering to get to know one another better; it’s not right to deflect things just because you’re embarrassed, is it?”
“……”
Almeida wore a bitter expression.
“You want me to say that? How much do you really want to expose my disgraceful past, Selen?”
“Disgraceful…?”
“Yes, disgraceful. I admit as much. So I’d rather you didn’t dig into it.”
Almeida insisted on this point.
However.
“If you hate it so much, why not just take off the collar? While Andy-san provides collars, he doesn’t force most people to keep wearing them, does he?”
Hilda-san pointed this out.
“That’s…”
“What happened that made you want to accept Andy-san’s manhood? What made you feel like expressing that will? …Is it strange for me, who has every right to ask, to wonder about something when someone else is proudly walking around claiming to be Andy-san’s erotic slave?”
“Ugh…”
“Just admit it simply: you were completely overcome by your lust for his dick and lost the battle.”
“You’re cornering me only to tear it all apart!?”
Hilda-san appeared to be offering wise counsel in a roundabout way, but she was actually a demon.
Next was Sharon.
Unlike Almeida, she showed no hesitation at all.
“Sharon, of the honorable race who serves as rulers in Arcus. ……Mr. Smaison was one who enlightened my ignorance and… on top of that, repeatedly demonstrated through his actions that he found me attractive as a woman. I won’t deny that I was drawn to him because of his reputation in the forest for the ‘vitality and skill’ to conquer and train women, having served many before… but he proved to be a far more tolerant and wonderful person than I expected ♪”
Sharon looked utterly enchanted.
As if continuing her line, Christie moved on to her own self-introduction.
“I am Christie, representative of the Cherry Blossom Clan Chief. My beginning with Mr. Smaison was… an accidental erotic incident caused by my mistakenly serving him Kane-tsubaki herb tea. ……Mr. Smaison’s desire and affection, which are honestly too direct in that they ask no questions about one’s origins, were… how to put it, very… pleasurable… ♪”
Christie looked equally entranced.
Watching these two women lost in their own world, Irina shrugged her shoulders.
“It takes a while for the feminine parts of some women to catch fire, and that can make things a bit stifling.”
She said it as if speaking of someone else’s business.
Everyone nearly laughed off the slight mockery, but Christie, snapping back to reality, fired back quickly.
“And you say that? You who was a virgin for one hundred and fifty years, Irina!”
“Muh!?”
With that, everyone remembered. Among those present, Irina was definitely in the older age group.
If she wasn’t certainly older than Irina, then only the Dark Elf sisters, Lyra, and Christie came close.
The fact that such a woman was wearing her collar with such delight made for the perfect “you have no right to say that” situation.
Finally. “I am Fennel, of the Silver lineage. ……I hope to continue receiving Master’s favor.” “Ah, and I’m Oregano, of the Gold line! It is my joy to be teased and played with as Master’s carnal desires see fit!” “Oregano, calm down a bit. ……I’m Savory, of the Gold line. I mean, if it’s just a baby or two being raised, that’s probably fine—” “……Laurier. ……Master taught me so many dirty things.” The four girls introduced themselves.
So many attractive women gathered in one place, and rather than resisting, they were eagerly anticipating my perverted desires.
It was an indescribable happiness, though one that required a fair amount of effort given the size of the crowd involved. …That is what I vaguely understood at the time. But then again, standing on the sidelines when it came to the happiness right in front of me just wasn’t my style. No need to recount the details, but full of momentum, I plunged headfirst into the depraved depths of winter break.