"New festival?"

"Mm-hmm. I'd appreciate your cooperation."

Baron approached me with a proposal on an early summer evening, running a hand through his recently dyed-and-now-faded-to-white hair.

"Do you mean you're expanding it again?"

"Well, not as much as Porca seems to think."

"Ah, okay, I see. If we just count Porca's events, there's the New Year Festival, the Spring Festival, and the Harvest Festival—about that many, right?"

I counted them off on my fingers.

Then you add Breakcore's Holy Beast Festival, Celesta's twice-yearly Spirit Festivals, Rapal's Tide Festival, the Capital's Founding Day, Lenvangas' Heroes' Day, Carlwin's "Dragon-Intertwining Day," and Grunji's Liberation Festival... personally speaking, it feels like almost every single month I'm constantly aware of festival preparations.

Plus, the Elven Spirit Temple operates on a unique calendar measured in units of 100,000 days, so sometimes weirdly timed festivals pop up out of nowhere and we get called on sudden notice. Thanks to that, my schedule gets thrown off all the time, and Tetes is always pissed at me for it.

Things've been like this—constantly swamped by festivals—that my sense of reality's gotten warped.

"I understand it's busy for you. As long as you give the word, the Elves will mobilize, and since Diane can serve as an intermediary, Celesta's citizens should be easy to reach too."

"Yeah, I get that part... but what kind of festival are we talking about?"

"An Art Festival."

"H-huh? An-Art Festival?"

"Mm-hmm. I really want this to succeed."

Currently, in Porca, an artists' circle is forming around Gloria and Lanz.
I can't quite recall how many years ago it was when Lanz became a disciple of Gloria, now that Goat's gone married and turned fully into a domestic husband.
With such a good mentor, plus her innate concentration and deep understanding of the female form, she's currently busily churning out original erotic scrolls that rival professional works.
Seeing this kind of progress, young men from former Carlwin residents in Grunji who wished to become painters have started appearing; moreover, naturally, people like Julio—the aerialist sculptor, Diane's older brother—and various craftsmen from the Northern Woods began gathering around them. Artworks have been proliferating rapidly in certain districts.
Baron, who had supported Lanz from the very beginning as a patron by funding galleries to house these artworks... well, considering they're Gloria and Lanz after all, most of their collection consists almost entirely of nude studies—not exactly something recommended for public display on a large scale.
However, he apparently thought: wouldn't it be good to boldly promote these alongside other sculptures, spreading word about the excellence of Lanz and others' works? Feeling that times have shifted favorably toward a lighter approach to tradition amidst diverse cultures, he seemed to have reasoned it through.
Indeed, confining such art to enthusiasts alone feels like a waste. The district with workshops truly resembles another world; sculptures and murals line the streets, and looking around, every scene offers something spectacular—not at all like some rural volunteers doing this merely for hobby. The gallery is even more impressive; honestly, it's unbelievable that currently they don't even put prices on anything, just hanging up works by Gloria and her disciples here and there without much care.
Gloria, now fully my female slave, has no worries about livelihood anymore, so she lacks vanity too. Instead, motivated simply by the fact that painting brings great joy from me, Lanz, Baron, Grandpa Harry, and others, she continues to paint steadily at her own pace.
She's been blessed with children somewhat belatedly compared to the frequency expected, and disciples are gathering from Grunji and the Northern Woods too, all looking quite happy—but Baron apparently felt that wasn't enough and decided something needed changing.

"So, let's host a new Art Festival in autumn. Since we're already pulling together resources anyway, I want us to help make it lively too."
Nightfall.
Returning to "Vaper Palace," I discussed this with the girls gathered in the dining hall.
Among those present were some wearing collars marking them as female slaves, dragons, cat-beasts just visiting for fun, prostitutes from "Cosmos Storehouse," and even Elven women from the Northern Woods.
The rule within the Palace allowing free nudity mainly applied to Blood Dragons and certain female slaves whose exposure habits had awakened; aside from Elf women still unaccustomed to taking clothes off and those frequently moving in and out of the outside world, over half the girls were essentially naked all day long anyway.

"What are you planning? Model duty—♪ standing next to paintings?"

"No, well, that could work effectively in a way, but it's not about that."

While having two girls eat their meals, Cosmos speaks openly and boldly. In fact, Lanz has quite a number of paintings modeled after people like Cosmos herself, Hilda, Lyra, and others.

But while viewers might get aroused by them, it's slightly off-mark for boosting an Art Festival's momentum.

"There are plenty of girls here at the Palace. I think we should hold something like an amateur competition among them."

"Don't you do similar calls in the city?"

"We do, but it seems unlikely many will gather."

Canvas, paints, brushes—all art supplies aren't things you can just casually round up whenever inspiration strikes. Drawing is truly a high barrier for completely novice households.

However, inside this palace, such tools are easily available and shareable; plus, dragons could fetch them from the metropolis without hassle. It doesn't have to be paintings—sculptures would do just fine too, and crafting tools for that sort of thing, I or Jeanne can prepare.

"Gloria said she'd handle beginner instruction, so those interested should give it a try."

"Any rewards for participating?"

Oregano raises his hand to ask a question. His parents, Lovage and Bay Laurel, sit beside him. Naturally, they're all naked.

"What kind of prize would be nice... hmm, what should I give?"

He scratches the back of his head and thinks for a moment.

Then, "As an attendance reward: one Andcoin. Presented to everyone."

He snaps his fingers with a sharp ping.

It's a "reward voucher" modeled after Cosmos Honpo's "Isabel Coin." Redeeming it lets you demand handmade gifts from me—or ask the dragon to take you somewhere of your choosing.

...At first, nobody claimed the option of being transported by the dragon, but Emma came up with the idea to ease my burden, and it got adopted. Usage isn't very high, though people do claim it occasionally. Naris uses it the most.

A "gift" can be as simple as a few hours of dating. Dating often turns sexual quickly anyway, but since I've been spending time aimlessly lately, things tend to devolve into group play whenever people gather without purpose. So the ability to openly demand one-on-one sex has become quite a rare privilege by now.

This coin might not appeal much to non-slave females—though I can't help thinking it's still a bit of an indulgence—but currently, when I focus my efforts, even the prostitute group members can ride my waves completely and go absolutely crazy. After putting in countless hours each night for over a decade with Aunt Hilda, Madame Cosmos, Gloria, and others, my skills have improved. They're better now.

"So, if you win... what should we make? Something special, regardless."

I declare it with exaggerated flair. If this isn't motivating enough, the girls erupt into an uproar of excitement.

Am I being evaluated so highly? Not just as a player, but as a craftsman?

...Well, maybe.

"...If you win... shall we try serious fucking?"

Maya timidly asks this question—naturally, she's completely naked too.

"...I'll consider it, though you're probably already doing this anyway?"

"More like going on for dozens of times, not just ending after two or three rounds."

"...Okay, I guess."

I was about to add that since there are kids around, maybe we shouldn't talk about things like this—but my words get completely drowned out by the sheer frenzy.

...Is that what everyone wants?

No, sure, we're in Polka after all. Even if it's a bit rough, it heals quickly anyway.

Usually, only children under four or five, basically before they've developed mental faculties, stay at the palace. Once they reach that age, they move their living base outside.

There are kids like Jeanne and Selen who live with the Smalls family, but female slaves nowadays mostly own their own homes; most of them live in their mothers' residences.

Children who aren't female slaves... well, they'll probably return to their homelands to be raised. Most of the girls who engage sexually haven't made the resolve to cut ties completely with their origins if they don't end up becoming slave females.

Incidentally, a few of Madame Cosmos's prostitute offspring have carelessly gotten pregnant with my infant child. In other words, everyone has given birth without contacting me since returning to Tarq—the eldest one (Ms. Felicia, the white fox girl) actually messed around unintentionally. That's because she just casually mentioned it after the battle ended.

From then on, whenever a young girl starts seducing me, I verify whether she's carrying my child or not.

"I want to ensure I don't do anything lewd with my daughter."

"Couldn't you just force her instead?"

"I think Selen should be the one most angry about this kind of case!?"

"If forced by Dad, she'll absolutely develop a distaste for sex. But if she genuinely lusts after him and then gets rejected, she'll come to repudiate her own instincts, which will only make things warped."

"...Well,"

"I believe that above all else is the happiness of the children."

Selen washes dishes while maintaining her own calm pace and smiles quietly.

Hmm.

Is Selen thinking the problem isn't me fucking with children themselves, but rather "whether they get hurt by it"?

It's true I casually overlook people having sex with others—but let's set aside social problems like reputation for now; as a half-elf who grew up being picked on and targeted by society, I genuinely don't care about those things.

The issue of my bloodline becoming more concentrated... Irina often says something like "Not too much is really a big deal; magic can handle it. But once it goes on for decades in a row, the whole thing changes," so that must be why she dismisses it.

No, no, wait. But still.

"I can't condone Peter attacking his mother or other female slaves, no matter how much he himself might want it."

"Fair enough. Children aside, the female slaves are Mr. Andy's personal property after all."

"But coming to terms with a daughter reaching out to her father... I guess that one gets brushed off..."

"I really think Mr. Andy should realize he's someone special, someone exceptional. No matter whether it's dozens or hundreds of women, he has the power to make them happy. Only those who accept this can draw near to him. Unfortunately, Peter just isn't that kind of person... Right? If it were Mr. Andy, even if it were his own daughter... as long as she's female, I think he'd be able to bring her happiness."

"...Sometimes, though..."

"?"

"I'm just reconfirming that you're the owner of some pretty dangerous thoughts, y'know."

"So? I'm just a realist! ♪"

I wonder what a "realist" actually is. Let me philosophize a bit for now.

Of course, the first one to officially recognize me as their father among all the children was Peter.

However, being a half-dwarf meant his growth was a little delayed.

He should be slightly older than Elenia, who recently started shedding her small-child frame and becoming more slender, but he still looked like he hadn't quite reached ten years old yet.

Dwarves generally don't grow very tall, and once you're a kid their size, the next thing you know they've got facial hair and are gradually building up excessive muscle mass—but Peter hasn't shown any of those features that would ruin his innocent look.

Still, for a ten-year-old, his voice was a bit thick and gruff already. It's like he's going through puberty.

"Hey, pops. Can I enter the Vaper competition too?"

"You can... but hey, do you even know how to draw?"

"I don't draw much myself, but I can make simple dolls."

Peter looked a bit pleased with himself and brought a handmade doll into the room from his storage space.

It was a knight figurine made of lead... Ah, yes, Dad and I made one of those together.

"I've already made twenty of them. Grandpa Jackie says they're market-ready now."

"Stop calling Jackie Grandpa. It only confuses me."

Usually, it's Jackie-sensei spending time with Peter. He's passed fifty but remains a fully capable blacksmith.

Perhaps lonely since Sarah married, he's been doting on Peter especially recently.

"But saying they're 'market-ready' is just a little too much of an overstatement. The details are messy. You really need to finish them more carefully, Peter."

"Tsk, pops always looks for faults."

"You've got good sense. I'm telling you not to cut corners. If you try to pull something like this at the competition, you'll just get laughed at."

"Alright, alright... So if I win a prize, can you give me more allowance?"

"What are you gonna do with all that money anyway?"

"That's... uh, well, whatever! Use it for anything!"

My son stammered, looking a bit embarrassed. Hah, he thought he could fool Dad.

With this polka setting, there's hardly any other legitimate place for a kid to spend money. He'll probably just buy some trinkets from traveling vendors as gifts for his girlfriend or something.

"If you win, then sure. But remember, even though everyone is considered an amateur, elves and dragons will be participating too, so it won't be easy."

"Heh. I don't plan on losing to anyone other than my mom."

A bit of unease creeps in seeing my son's unnecessary overconfidence. Is this kid spoiled rotten?

※By the way, it later came out that the reason he wanted more allowance was because Cosmos-san and one of the prostitutes at the palace had let him secretly touch her while she was flashing around naked, then said, "If you want to get intimate with us, bring some money first! ♪"

And about a week later.
The girls in the palace began going outside for activities like sketching, suddenly bringing an artistic flair to Polka.
"A fine opportunity. Polka is a good town, but it lacked this kind of cultural enrichment."
Kristi squinted appreciatively as she watched the local residents and even the stationed Crossbow Corps get swept up in the sudden art boom.
You know, thinking about it, she was right. For all that people were glowing with health and beauty thanks to the Spirit Springs, the town itself lacked design-based vibrancy.

It's partly because Gloria, the leading artist, has been drawing nothing but porn since she started. And among those works, there was even one seriously depicting the forest scenery by Elenia. "Huh? Elen? You're getting a raise in your allowance too, right?" "Allowance? There's nowhere to spend it around here anyway. Besides, who said all this about money? Peter? Claudio?" Claudio is Hilda's child and just as tall as Peter at the moment. While the mischievous Peter is bold with everyone, she's a bit shy around strangers. For that matter, she's quite clingy and was raised soaking up her mother Hilda's maternal love entirely. "…You're not asking for any kind of reward?" "I am, but I'll say so only if we win." Elenia said this while staring straight ahead with a grumpy face. Damn it, that stern profile is actually cute too. Motherly instinct overriding my better judgment, and after watching her like this for a while, I found myself satisfied, thinking it wouldn't be proper to voice my tasteless worries anymore. Besides, whether Elenia wanders around the palace naked more than before or tries to get me to touch her in various ways, she's probably just got her modesty about being naked somewhat shattered by the environment. And as for wanting to act filially towards me and wanting to be spoiled more as my daughter... yeah, that must be it. There's no way anything else could be true. My own mother Selen being oddly lenient about incest is purely a coincidence.

And then came the Art Festival. People gathered from Granje, the North, Celesta, and Renfang, enjoying the paintings and sculptures set up all over town thanks to this opportunity. The works of Master Gloria and his apprentice Lanz that were supposed to be on display ended up only accounting for about twenty percent of what was exhibited outside. Still, due to their quality differences, they certainly captured people's hearts, guided them into galleries, and attracted plenty of buyers, so we can say it was a substantial success in the end. And then, the actual contest held at the Baron's mansion. The masterpiece selected by the judges turned out to be... Maya's "Statue of Scales." She gathered cracked dragon scales and made a miniature statue of a dragon. There were opinions that awarding this first prize was unfair given how much the material disadvantage favored her, but since disqualification wasn't prohibited either, she ended up winning after all.

Besides those gold and silver prizes, Elenia's "Pine Tree in the Forest" barely scraped into the bronze category as well.

Anyway. "Ah... um, Elen? If possible, I mean, as your father..." "I won a prize and you won't even ask for my request?" Nighttime at the palace, in a corner of the bath area. As expected, she had her weight against me again. "…You know, Dad wants to fulfill whatever Elen asks for if possible. But—" "You're not listening to me." "…………" "No way." "Gaaah... ah, well, Elen. It's not that I refuse flat out, you see, I just think it's a bit too early for you." "Then what age would you want me to be!?" "No, really, wait a little longer, Elen. Alright?" The palace girls were all watching the scene calmly with faint smiles on their faces, making the whole thing seem strangely heartwarming.

…I begged her mercy until she finally relented for just today. I don't want to get hated. If Elenia hates me, I'll die. …Maybe it won't last long.

"A new festival?"

"Mm. I would appreciate your cooperation."

The baron initiated the proposal on a late spring evening, scratching his head, which had long since given up fighting its gray hairs and gone completely white.

"Adding another one?"

"For Polka's size, it still isn't all that many."

"...Ah, no, I see. Just Polka alone, there's roughly the New Year Festival, the Spring Festival, and the Harvest Festival."

I counted them off on my fingers.

Add in the Sacred Beast Festival of Breakcore, Celesta’s twice-yearly Spirit Festivals, Rapal’s Tide Festival, plus the Royal Capital’s Founding Day and Renfanga’s Hero Festival, not to mention Karlwin’s "Day of the Crossing Dragon" and Grandje's Liberation Festival, and personally, I find myself thinking about festival preparations almost every single month.

On top of that, the Elven Spirit Temples operate on a unique calendar based on cycles of one hundred thousand days, so festivals pop up at odd intervals. I get called in unexpectedly for those, which often throws my schedule into chaos and earns me Tete's wrath.

With that kind of rhythm, I’d lost track of how frequent it all was.

"I know you're busy. But if you give the word, the Elves will move, and via Lady Diane, we can get access to the Celestan populace as well."

"Mm. I know, but what kind of festival are we doing?"

"An Art Festival."

"...G-g-geijutsusai?"

"Mm. I really want it to be a success."

Currently, in Polka, an artists' circle is forming around Gloria and Lanz.
When Goot got married and transformed completely into a homemaker, Lanz took that as his cue to become Gloria's apprentice a few years ago.
Blessed with a good teacher, bolstered by his natural concentration and his understanding of the female form, he now produces original erotic scrolls at an industrious pace that rivals professional standards.
Witnessing this, some young men from Grandje’s former Karlwin residents took up painting, and naturally, others gathered around them: Diane's brother, that acrobatic sculptor Julio, shape-arts artists from the Northern Forest, and so on. As a result, artistic works have been multiplying rapidly in certain districts.
The baron, who had supported Lanz as a patron since he first started painting, has gradually built galleries to house these works. However, given that it was Gloria and Lanz creating them, the collection consisted almost entirely of nude studies. It wasn't something we could openly promote on a large scale.
However, after much thought—and sensing the era’s shift where diverse cultures had relaxed their traditional norms—he decided they should boldly publicize it alongside other sculptures to convey the greatness of Lanz's work.
Indeed, limiting enjoyment to a small circle of enthusiasts seemed like a waste. The district with the ateliers looked like a different world entirely; rows of sculptures and murals lined the streets, offering visual depth in every direction that one couldn't believe was a hobby project by rural amateurs. The galleries were even more impressive—it was hard to believe they currently displayed Gloria and her disciples' works without assigning any specific monetary value to them.
Gloria had stopped worrying about basic necessities once she entered my harem as a female slave, so she had no desire for fame. Her motivation was simply the immense joy I, Lanz, the baron, Old Man Harry, and others showed when she finished a piece, driving her to keep creating at a steady pace.
Though it took a while longer than expected relative to how often we were together, she was blessed with children. Disciples from Grandje and the Northern Forest had gathered around them, and she seemed happy. But the baron decided that wasn't enough.

"So, they're planning a new Art Festival for autumn. Since it's happening anyway, I want our side to help boost the atmosphere."

Night.

Back at "Viper Palace," we sat in the dining hall discussing this with the girls gathered there.

The group included those wearing slave collars, some dragons, beastfolk cats who had come to play, prostitutes from "Cosmos Honpo," and Elven women from the Northern Forest.

Nudity was free within the palace—a rule primarily for brood dragons and certain female slaves whose exhibitionism had awakened. Excluding Elves who weren't used to stripping or those who frequently went in and out of the premises, more than half the girls were basically naked all day long.

"So what do we do? Stand next to paintings like 'Here I am, model♪'?"

"No, well, that would be effective in a way, but not exactly what I meant."

While feeding two of the daughters, Cosmos spoke with her characteristic boldness and nonchalance. In fact, there were quite a few paintings Lanz had done using Cosmos, Hilda, Lyra, and others as models.

But those are exciting for the viewer in a different sense. As for building hype for an art festival...

"The girls here at the palace are numerous. I think it'd be good to hold something like an amateur exhibition contest among them."

"Doesn't the town side hold open calls for that?"

"They do, but apparently not many people sign up."

You can't just easily gather canvases, paints, brushes, and other art supplies on a whim. For a household with absolutely no background in art, the barrier to entry is high.

However, within this palace, those tools could be easily procured and shared. Using the dragons, we could also order materials from the capital effortlessly. It didn't have to be painting; sculptures were fine too, and I or Jeanne could prepare the necessary crafting tools.

"Gloria said she'd handle beginner instruction, so if anyone is interested, please give it a try."

"Is there a prize?"

Organo raises her hand to ask a question. Lorie and her child are beside her, naturally naked.

"The prize is…… um, what should I do?"

I scratch my head and think for a moment.

And then—

"……How about a participation prize with this? One Andy Coin, for everyone."

Ping, I flick it with my finger.

It's a "prize ticket" I made imitating the "Isabel Coin" from Cosmos Honpo. Using it entitles you to demand a handmade present from me, or have a dragon take you anywhere you want.

……There wasn't an option for being transported by a dragon at first, but Emma came up with the idea and implemented it to lighten my load. The usage rate is…… not very high, but it happens sometimes. Naris uses it the most.

A "present" could be anything from a several-hour date or whatever. Even so called dates tend to quickly turn into sex, and since I'm prone to being gathered around for group play when I'm just hanging out without purpose, the ability to openly demand one-on-one sex has become rather a rare privilege these days.

I can't help but think it might not make the girls who aren't female slaves all that happy, you know? But right now, if I focus and go at them hard, even the girls from the prostitute group claim they can thoroughly climax like madmen, so it's very well-received.

If you keep grinding every night for over a decade with Hilda-san, Cosmos-san, Gloria-san, and others, your skills improve. They had improved.

"So, if someone wins…… what would be good? Anyway, I'll make something special."

I made a super vague declaration, thinking this might not motivate them, but the girls erupted in excitement.

Do I really have that much evaluation? Even as a craftsman.

……I thought that, but then—

"……If I win…… would it be okay to try making a baby seriously?"

Maya asked hesitantly. Of course she was naked.

"……I'll take that into account just in case, but you guys usually do that anyway, right?"

"Not just the usual 2 or 3 times until we're done, but with the intensity of fucking dozens of times to make sure I'm pregnant."

"……That's fine, then."

I was about to add that since there are children around, it's better not to talk too much about those kinds of things, but my words were completely drowned out by their excitement.

……Is that what everyone wants?

No, this is Polka, so even if I do something rough, they recover quickly.

The ones usually in the palace are basically only children under the age of reason, around 4 or 5. Once they get older, they move their living base outside.

There are also girls like Jeanne and Selen who stay with the Smayson family, but most female slaves now have their own houses. The majority live in their mothers' homes.

As for the girls who aren't female slaves…… well, they mostly return to their hometowns to be raised. Most of the girls who have sex but aren't registered as female slaves can't bring themselves to completely cut ties with their hometowns, you see.

By the way, there are also a few women from Cosmos Honpo who carelessly gave birth to my babies without making much fuss about it. I mean, most of them had no contact at all after returning to Taluk before giving birth, so I accidentally ended up hooking up with the oldest one (who was the daughter of Felicia, the White Fox girl). Because they just casually mention it after a battle.

After that, if a young girl tries to seduce me, I strictly check to make sure she isn't my own child.

"I want to keep doing sexual stuff with my daughter to that one incident."

"Isn't it fine as long as it's not forced?"

"I think Selen should be the one angriest about these kinds of cases!?"

"If Papa forced himself on me, I'd absolutely hate sex, but if Papa really liked me and I was aroused, and he rejected those desires, I think I would come to despise my own instincts, which is a different kind of distortion."

"……Umm"

"I just think my children's happiness comes first, you know."

Selen says this while washing dishes, smiling at her own pace.

Hmm.

Is Selen not concerned with the act of me having sex with children itself, but rather considers "whether it causes them to be hurt" as the issue?

Me casually slipping through the fact that I have sex with others…… well, let's not go there again at this point, but regarding social reputation or societal issues…… probably because she was raised by a half-elf who has been shunned by society, she simply doesn't care at all.

The problems arising from the bloodline becoming denser…… Irina always says, "It's not a big deal if it's just a little, magic can fix anything. If you keep doing it for tens of generations, that's a different story," so that must be how it is.

No, no. But still.

「I can't condone Peter attacking his mother or the other female slaves, no matter how much he desires it. It's something I simply cannot accept.»

「That's certainly true. Children aside, the female slaves belong to you alone, after all, Mr. Andy.»

「I agree with that part, but do you really just ignore the fact that your own daughter is trying to hit on her father? ……」

「Mr. Andy should understand much better that he is a special and exceptional individual. Whether it's dozens or hundreds of women, you are someone who can make them happy. Only those girls who have come to accept that reality approach you. Peter just hasn't reached that understanding yet. ...That's all there is to it. If it were Mr. Andy, I believe he could bring happiness even to his own daughter... if she is a woman, at least.»

「…Sometimes, huh...」

「?」

「I keep getting reminded that you possess rather dangerous line of thinking.»

「Is that so~? I'm just being a realist, that's all♪」

Realist. What does that even mean? I feel like I want to delve a bit into philosophy on this.

Among the children, Peter was naturally the first to be recognized as my son.
　However, since he is a Half-Dwarf, his growth is slightly slow.
　He should technically be a little older than Elenia, who has recently shed her short stature and grown slender, but visually, he still looks like he's barely reaching ten years old.
　Dwarves generally don't grow very tall anyway; it seems that while they retain a childlike frame, they suddenly sprout beards and their muscles become excessively bulky. But Peter hasn't yet shown any such characteristics that would ruin his youthful look.
　The only thing is that for a ten-year-old, his voice is a bit thick and rough. He's already hitting his change-of-voice period or something.

「Hey, Pop. Can I enter the Wiper contest?」

「You can, but... can you even draw pictures?」

「I haven't really done much drawing, but I can make some pretty good little figurines, y'know.」

Peter put on a slightly proud expression and brought out a hand-made figurine from his room.
　It was a knight figurine made of lead. ...Ah right, I made those with him too.

「I've already made twenty of them. Grandpa Jackie says they're good enough to sell.」

「Stop calling Jack "Grandpa." It confuses me when you do that.」

Jack is usually the one who babysits Peter. He's passed fifty but is still in his prime as a blacksmith.
　Maybe it's because Sarah got married and he feels lonely these days, but especially lately, he's been doting on Peter quite a bit.

「However, saying they're good enough to sell might be a bit of an overstatement. The details are sloppy. You need to finish them with more care, Peter.」

「Cheh, Pop always finds fault.」

「Your sense isn't bad. I'm just saying don't cut corners. If you try to fudge things like that in the contest, people will laugh at you, y'know?」

「Yeah, yeah. ...So if I win a prize, can you bump up my allowance?」

「What would you even spend that much money on?」

「Wha... what's it got to do with you! It's whatever I want to use it for!」

My son stammered, looking a bit embarrassed. Hah, he thought he could fool his old man?
　In this Polka place, there aren't many outlets for kids to spend money on anyway. He'd probably just buy souvenirs from a peddler to give as gifts to his girlfriends or something like that.

「Let's see if you actually win. Everyone else is amateur too, but Elves and Dragons are entering too, so it won't be easy.」

「Huh. I wouldn't lose to anyone except Mommy anyway.」

I felt a twinge of unease at my son's unnecessary confidence. Am I spoiling him too much?
※By the way, it was later revealed that the reason he wanted an allowance increase was because he had secretly tried to grope a prostitute at Cosmos's place who was topless at the palace, and she had warded him off by saying, "If you want to do naughty things with us, you'll have to bring some money~♪".

And then about a week passed.
　The girls from the Palace started going outside for activities like sketching, and Polka suddenly became steeped in an artistic atmosphere.

「This is a good opportunity. Polka is a fine town, but it has been lacking this kind of cultural enrichment.」

Christie narrowed her eyes, observing the sudden artistic boom that had even caught the attention of the town's residents and the stationed Crossbow Corps.
　Come to think of it, she had a point. For a place where people were glowing with healthy beauty thanks to the spirit springs, the town itself lacked a certain decorative flamboyance.

……There’s also the fact that our leading artist, Gloria, spent her time drawing nothing but porn.

And amidst it all, there was Elenia, seriously painting scenes of the forest.

“…Eh, Elenia? You’re getting a pocket money bump too, right?”

“Pocket money? There’s no real use for it around here. Wait, who came up with that idea, Peter? Claudius?”

Claudius is Hilda’s child. Right now, he’s about the same height as Peter.

Compared to mischievous Peter, he’s quite shy and reserved. In exchange, he’s a mama’s boy, having grown up soaking in all of Hilda’s maternal affection.

“…So, you have no demands for rewards or anything?”

“…I do. But I’ll only talk if I place.”

Elenia said that with a stern expression while continuing to paint.

…The parental doting filter kicked in, making me think she looked adorable even from the side with such a serious face.

And after watching her like that for a while, I felt content enough to decide my crude worries shouldn’t have been voiced out loud.

Maybe it wasn’t anything more than her modesty regarding nudity having broken due to environmental factors; perhaps she was simply coming around the palace naked and trying to make me touch her because her feelings as a daughter—wanting to be filial or clingy toward me—were just strong.

Yeah. It had to be exactly that. The fact that Selene, my wife, is weirdly lenient about incest was merely a coincidence.

Then came the Art Festival.
People gathered from Grandze and the North, as well as from Celesta and Renfengas, taking this opportunity to enjoy the paintings and sculptures displayed throughout the town.
…Gloria and Lanz’s master-disciple works accounted for only about twenty percent of those exhibited outdoors, but thanks to the clear difference in quality, they reliably captured the hearts of the viewers, guiding them into the gallery and attracting many buyers, so it could certainly be called a success.
Then, the main competition held at the baron’s estate.
The Grand Prize selected by the judges was… surprisingly, Maya’s “Statue of Scales.” She had collected fragmented dragon scales to create a miniature dragon statue.
Some argued that the material advantage was too much of a cheat and that the Grand Prize should be reconsidered, but since it wasn’t explicitly forbidden, disqualifying her wouldn’t have been right, so she managed to win.

The Gold and Silver awards went to others, but Elenia’s “One Fir in the Forest” barely squeaked into the Bronze category.

So.

“Ah… well, Elenia? If it’s possible, as your father I…”

“You won’t listen even after I placed?”

The night at the palace, in a corner of the bath area.

As expected, I was being pinned down by Elenia.

“…Look? I want to fulfill your wish, too, if I can. But you know…”

“You’re not listening.”

“…………”

“I hate it.”

“Guhf… Ah, that, Elenia. It’s not that I absolutely won’t listen, but well, I think it’s still too early for you, right?”

“So what age will be okay!?”

“Nah, seriously, just wait a little more, Elenia. Okay?”

The girls from the palace were watching this scene with gentle smiles, finding it endearing.

…I prayed and begged to be spared for today only.
I don’t want to be disliked, I really don’t. If Elenia hated me, I’d die.
…I might not last long anyway.

“A new festival?”

“Indeed. I hope you’ll help me with this.”

It was late spring when the baron approached me, scratching his head that had gone completely white after giving up on dyeing it.

“You want to add another one?”

“There aren’t many festivals in Polka yet, are there?”

“Oh right, yeah. New Year’s Festival and Spring Festival and Harvest Festival, I guess.”

I counted them off on my fingers.

Then if you include Breakcore’s Divine Beast Festival, Celesta’s two seasonal Spirit Festivals, Lapar’s Tidal Festival, the Founding Day of the Capital City, Renfangas’ Heroic Festival, Karlwin’s “Day of the Dragon,” and Grangis’ Liberation Festival, I’m practically preparing for a festival every month.

And then there are those weirdly timed festivals from the Elven Spirit Temples that follow their own 100,000-day calendar, which throw off my schedule and get me in trouble with Tetes.

It was all so overwhelming that it felt like I spent most of my time preparing for one festival or another.

"I understand you're busy, but if you give the word, even the elves will move and it would be good for communication with the Celestas through Lady Diane."

"Yeah. I get that much, but what kind of festival is this?"

"It's an art festival."

"...An a-art festival?"

"Aye. I want to make sure it succeeds."

Currently in Polka, Gloria-san and Lanz are forming an artists' circle.
Ever since Gort got married and settled down as a family man, it had been years since Lanz became Gloria-san’s disciple.
Thanks to his good mentorship, along with his natural concentration and understanding of the female body, he now energetically produces original erotic scrolls that rival those of professionals.
Seeing this, young men from Granze who used to live in Karlwin have started aspiring to become painters as well, while even Diane-san’s brother, the acrobatic sculptor Frio, and other artists from the northern forest naturally gathered together. As a result, artistic works were multiplying across several neighborhoods.
The baron who had been Lanz's patron since he began drawing supported him by gradually building galleries to house these artworks. But given Gloria-san and Lanz’s penchant for it, most of their collections consisted of nude paintings. It wasn’t something they could widely promote.

However, he thought that it might not be a bad idea to boldly advertise their works alongside the other sculptures and spread the word about how wonderful they were... He seemed to have felt the times had changed as traditions became lighter in diverse cultures.
Indeed, it was somewhat of a waste for only some enthusiasts to enjoy them. The area where the atelier is located truly feels like another world with all the sculptures and murals lined up; one wouldn’t think that amateurs from the countryside were doing this out of hobby. The gallery is even more impressive, as what’s currently displayed there are just paintings by Gloria and her disciples hung up casually without any price tags, which is unbelievable.
Since Gloria had become my female slave, she no longer worried about making a living and lacked vanity; thus, drawing when I or Rants, the baron, Grandpa Harry, etc., would be delighted was enough motivation for her to continue painting at a leisurely pace. She seemed happy having children and disciples from Grangie and the Northern Forest gather around her, but it wasn’t good enough for the Baron.
"So there will apparently be an art festival in autumn," he said. "I want to help make it successful."
At night, I returned to the Vape Palace and spoke with the girls gathered in the dining hall about this plan.
Among those present were female slaves wearing collars, dragons, catgirls who came just for fun, prostitutes from Cosmo Books, and women elves from the Northern Forest. In the palace, it was mainly a rule allowing nudity for blue dragons and some female slaves who had developed exhibitionist tendencies; however, half of the girls there were basically naked all day long, except for those unfamiliar with being nude (like the elven women) or frequently going in and out.
"So what do we do? Stand next to paintings as models?"

"Actually, while that would be effective in a way, I was thinking of something else." Cosmos said boldly as she fed the two girls. In fact, there were quite a few drawings Lanz had made using Cosmos, Hilda, and Rila as models.

However, that wouldn't really work for the festival's purpose. It might excite people to see them but it’s not what I’m looking for.

"There are plenty of kids here at the palace. How about we hold a contest for amateurs?"

"Doesn’t the city do something like this?"

"They do, but apparently no one shows up."

Art supplies such as canvases and paints aren't easy to get your hands on spontaneously. For truly amateur families, it's quite difficult to start painting.

But inside the palace, these tools are readily available and can be shared easily. It’s also simple to use dragons to bring them from the city. Besides paintings, we could do sculptures too; I or Jeanne could provide the necessary tools for that.

"Gloria said she’d give lessons to beginners, so anyone interested should try it out."

"Is there a prize?"

Oregano raised her hand to ask a question. Laurel and her daughter were also there, of course, naked.
"What should the prize be... hmm, I wonder."
She scratched her head for a moment before continuing:
"...Here's a consolation prize: one Andy Coin. Everyone gets one."
She flicked it with her finger.
It was a reward ticket modeled after Cosmos Corporation’s "Isabel Coins." Using them would allow you to request a handmade gift from me or have the dragon take you wherever you wanted.
...At first, there hadn’t been an option for having the dragon transport someone. Emma had suggested and implemented this idea in order to reduce my workload. The usage rate wasn’t very high but it happened occasionally. Nalis used it the most often.
A "gift" could be a few hours of dating as well. While dates usually ended up turning into sex, if I were aimlessly wandering around, everyone would gather together and end up playing in groups anyway. So being able to openly request one-on-one sex was now quite rare.
I wasn’t sure the coin made non-slave girls very happy, but it was extremely popular because even the prostitute group girls could cum wildly when I focused on them.

After working hard every night for over a decade with Hilda, Cosmos, Gloria and the others, my skills have improved. They’ve really improved.

“So if I win… what would be good? Anyway, I’ll make something special.”

I made a grand declaration of fluffiness and thought that maybe it would get them fired up, but the girls were already going wild with excitement.

Do they think so highly of me as a craftsman?

...That’s what I thought until...

“…If I win… can we do serious baby-making?”

Maya asked timidly. Of course she was naked.

“I’ll consider it, but you guys usually do that anyway, right?”

“Not just two or three times and then stop. We should keep going until I’m pregnant, like dozens of times.”

“...Sure.”

The kids were there, so I tried to add that we shouldn't talk about such things, but the conversation was already in full swing.
…Is this what everyone wants?
Well, yeah, since it’s Polka, even if they get a little rough, they’ll be fine right away.
Usually only children under four or five years old live with me at Palais. If they’re older than that, they move out to live elsewhere.
There are also kids like Jeanne and Selen who live in the Smison household, but most of the female slaves now have their own homes. They mostly live with their mothers’ families.
As for children who aren’t female slaves… well, they usually go back to their hometowns to be raised. Most kids who do dirty things without becoming a slave can't bring themselves to completely cut ties with their hometown.
By the way, there are also some of Cosmos Corporation’s prostitute's children here. A few of them casually gave birth to my baby. In fact, they all went back to Talur and gave birth without contacting me at all, so I accidentally touched one of the oldest kids (who was Felicia, a white fox girl). She just told me after the battle.
Also, if young girls come seducing me, I make sure that they're not my own child.
"I only want to do naughty things with my daughter once."
"If it's not forced, isn't that okay?"

"I think Selen should be the one to get mad about this kind of stuff!?"

"If someone forces me into sex, I'll definitely hate it, but if my dad is the one who gets turned on and then rejected by him, that would make me suppress my own instincts and end up messed up too."

"...Uh"

"I think what's most important is the happiness of children."

Selen was washing dishes while laughing in her usual laid-back manner.

Hmm.

So Selen isn't against me having sex with a child per se; she’s worried about whether it will hurt them emotionally. She just takes it for granted that I have sex with others, and since she grew up being ostracized by society as a half-elf, she doesn’t care at all about social stigma. And the problems caused by mixing blood... well, Aelina always says something like "a little bit won't matter much; magic can fix it. But if you do it for decades, that's another story."

No wait, no no. Still, though.

"I won't allow Peter to attack his mother or any other female slave, no matter how much he wants it."

"That's understandable. The children are one thing, but the female slaves belong only to Andy."

"You're okay with your daughter getting involved with her father, yet you can't accept that...?"

"I think Andy should realize more clearly that he's a special case. He can make any number of women happy. Only those who accept this get close to him. But unfortunately, Peter isn't one of them. ...That's right. I believe Andy could even make his own daughter happy if she were just another woman."

"...Sometimes,"

"Huh?"

"I'm reminded that you have some pretty messed-up thoughts."

"Is that so? I'm just a realist~"

What is a realist, anyway? He felt like philosophizing for a moment.

Among the children, Peter was obviously recognized as my son first.

But being half-dwarf, he was growing a little slower.

Even though he should be slightly older than Elenia who recently started to grow out of her childish looks and become more slender, he still looked like he hadn’t quite reached ten years old yet.

Dwarves in general didn't grow very tall; they often found themselves with facial hair before they realized it and gradually developed overly muscular bodies while retaining their childlike figures. But Peter had not yet shown any of these characteristics that would detract from his childish appearance.

However, for a ten-year-old, he did have an unusually deep and rough voice—almost like he was already going through puberty.

“Hey dad, can I enter the Vape competition too?”

“You can, but... Can you even draw?”

“I don’t really draw much, but I can make pretty good dolls.”

Peter looked a little proud as he brought out one of his handmade dolls from his room. It was a knight doll made of lead… Oh yeah, I remember making this with my dad.

“I’ve already made twenty of them. Grandpa said they’re ready to be sold.”

“Stop calling Mr. Jackie ‘Gramps,’ it’s confusing for me.”

Usually, Peter is taken care of by Mr. Jackie. He's over fifty but still a solid blacksmith in his prime.
Since Sara got married and left, he seems lonely lately and has been extra kind to Peter.

“But saying this will make it sellable is a bit too much praise. You’re sloppy with the details. You need to be more careful about your work, Peter.”

“Cheh, Dad always finds fault with everything.”

“You have good taste, but I’m telling you not to cut corners. If you try to get away with this in the competition, people will laugh at you.”

“Yes, yes… so if I win an award, can I get more pocket money?”

“What are you going to spend all that money on?”

“W-well… it’s okay, right? Whatever I want!”

Peter looks a little embarrassed as he stammers. Hmph, did he think he could fool his father's eyes?

There's not much for kids to spend money on around here. He probably bought something from a traveling merchant and plans to give it as a gift to his girlfriend.

"I'll enter if I can. Even though everyone is an amateur, there are elves and dragons participating too, so it won't be easy."

"Hmph. I don’t feel like losing to anyone but my mom."

I'm slightly worried about my overly confident son. Has he been pampered too much?

By the way, it turns out that his request for more pocket money was because Cosmos-san’s prostitute had rejected him when he tried to sneak a touch while she was flashing her naked body in Palace and said, "If you want to do naughty things with us, bring some money!"

And then, about one week later.
The girls from the palace started coming out to draw pictures and other activities, making this town feel more artistic than ever before.

"It's a great opportunity. Porca is a good city, but it lacked cultural refinement."

Christie squints her eyes at the art boom that has taken hold of both the townspeople and the crossbowmen stationed here. Now that she thinks about it, despite everyone looking healthy and beautiful because of the spirit spring, the town did lack some design flair.

…Part of it was also because Gloria, the top artist around here, only drew pornographic pictures.

And among them was Eleana seriously painting a forest scene.

“…Eh, Eleana? You’re getting more pocket money too, right?”

“Pocket money? There’s no use for that around here. Plus, did Peter or Claudio start saying such things?”

Claudio is Hildegard's child and he’s about the same height as Peter now.

While Peter is mischievous, Claudio is a bit shy and clings to his mother. He’s been raised with all of Hildegard’s maternal affection.

“…Don’t you want any rewards or anything?”

“…I do, but I’ll ask for it if I win.”

Eleana said that while drawing with her face in a pout.

…She looks so cute even when she has that pouting expression, thought the kid-loving me.

And after watching Elenia like that for a while, I felt satisfied and thought maybe it wasn't my place to voice my crude concerns. Maybe the fact that Elenia came over to Palace naked and kept trying to touch me was just because she had no shame due to her environment, and perhaps she really wanted to be filial or seek comfort from me as a daughter. Yeah, that must be it. It's probably just a coincidence that my mother Selen is so relaxed about incest.

And then there was the art festival.
People came from Grange, the north, Celesta, and Renfangas in large numbers, and they enjoyed paintings and sculptures placed throughout town.
...The actual works of Gloria & Rants were only put out to a tenth or so, but because their quality was outstanding, they definitely captured people's hearts and attracted many buyers, making it a substantial success.
And then there was the main competition at Baronial Manor. The best prize selected by the judges... was Mya’s “Scale Statue.” She had collected broken dragon scales and made a miniature dragon statue out of them.
Some thought this was too unfair due to the material difference, but since it wasn't prohibited, they decided not to exclude her from winning.

And while gold and silver were won by others, Elenia's "Single Pine in the Forest" barely made it into third place.

“So.”

“Ah… Well, Eren? If possible…”

“You won the contest and you’re not going to listen to my request?”

In a corner of the bath area in the Palace at night.

Sure enough, I’ve been pinned down by Elenna.

“…You see? Papa would like to grant your wish if possible. But…”

“You won’t listen.”

“…………”

“I hate it.”

“Guh… Well, Eren, I’m not refusing just because I don’t want to hear you out; it’s that I think it’s too early for you.”

“Then how old should I be!?”

“No, really, just wait a little longer, Ele. Okay?”

The girls in Palas all looked at them with a kind of sweet smile.

…He begged and pleaded until they finally gave him a break today.
H-he didn’t want to get on her bad side. If Ele hated him, he would die.
…It might not last long.

"A new festival?"

"Indeed. I would truly appreciate your cooperation."

It was an early summer evening when the Baron approached me with this proposal, scratching his head, which had gone completely white after he had long since given up on trying to dye it.

"Are we adding another one?"

"As far as Polka is concerned, the current number isn't even that high."

"...Ah, well, I suppose not. For Polates alone, there’s the New Year's Festival, the Spring Festival, and the Harvest Festival."

I counted them off on my fingers.
When you add the Holy Beast Festival of Breakcore, the twice-yearly Spirit Festival of Celesta, the Tide Festival of Rapal, the Royal Capital's Founding Festival, the Hero Festival of Renfangus, the "Day of the Dragon Exchange" in Carlwin, and the Liberation Festival of Grunge, I personally find myself in a situation where I’m conscious of festival preparations almost every single month.
Then there's the Elven Spirit Temple, which uses a unique calendar based on units of 100,000 days; they occasionally hold festivals at bizarre timings, which results in me being called away unexpectedly. Thanks to that, my schedule frequently gets derailed, and Tetes ends up scolding me.
In that manner, because it felt like it was always some kind of festival, my sense of time had become somewhat warped.

"I know you are busy. But if you were to give us a word, the Elves would move, and through Lady Diane, the connection to the people of Celesta would be smooth as well."

"Yeah. I get that, but what kind of festival is it?"

"An Arts Festival."

"...An... Arts Festival?"

"Indeed. I am determined to make it a success."

Currently, an artists' circle is forming in Polka, centered around Gloria-san and Lanz.
It had been several years since Lanz had become Gloria-san's apprentice, triggered by the occasion of Goat getting married and becoming a full-fledged family man.
Blessed with an excellent master, and aided by his natural concentration and innate understanding of the female form, Lanz now energetically continues to produce original erotic scrolls that would rival those of a professional.
Watching this progress, young people aspiring to be painters began to emerge from the former residents of Carlwin in Grunge; furthermore, figures like Julio—the acrobatic sculptor and Diane-san's brother—and various sculptural artists from the Northern Forest naturally gathered, causing artistic works to proliferate in certain districts.
The Baron, who had supported Lanz as a patron since he first began painting, had been building galleries one after another to house these works. However, since the primary artists were Gloria-san and Lanz, the collection consisted almost entirely of paintings of nude women. It wasn't exactly something he would recommend promoting too loudly.
However, it seems he felt that, given the current era—where traditions are becoming pleasantly lighter through diverse cultures—he might as well take the plunge and promote them grandly alongside other sculptures, conveying the true brilliance of Lanz and the others' work.

It certainly is a waste to let them be enjoyed only by a handful of enthusiasts. The district housing the studios has become like another world, lined with sculptures and murals; the scenery is so captivating that it’s hard to believe this is all being done by hobbyists in the middle of the deep countryside. The galleries are even more impressive; it’s hard to believe that, for now, they are simply displaying whatever Gloria-san and her apprentice have produced without even assigning them a price.
Since joining my collection as a female slave, Gloria-san no longer has to worry about making a living, so she lacks any desire for fame. Her only motivation is to keep painting at a steady pace, fueled by the simple joy of seeing me, Lanz, the Baron, or Old Man Harry delighted by her work.
Though it took longer than expected, she has been blessed with a child, and with disciples gathering from Grunge and the Northern Forest, she seems happy—but the Baron apparently felt that wasn't enough.

"And so, they are planning to hold a new arts festival at the start of autumn. Since the occasion is here, I want to help build the hype from our end as well."

Night.
I returned to "Vapor Palace" and brought up the subject to the girls gathered in the dining hall.
Among those gathered were some of my female slaves wearing collars, several dragons, cat-folk who had just come to play, the prostitutes from "Cosmos Emporium," and Elven women from the Northern Forest.
Within the Palace, the rule was that undressing was optional—a rule primarily intended for the Blue Dragons and certain female slaves who had developed a penchant for exposure—but with the exception of the Elven women who weren't used to it and those who frequently went in and out, more than half the girls were basically naked all day long.

"Then what are we doing? Are we going to stand next to the paintings saying, 'Here's your model! ♪'?"

"No, well, that might be effective in a sense, but that's not quite it."

It was Cosmos-san who spoke with such blunt boldness while feeding two of the girls. In fact, Lanz had produced a considerable number of paintings using Cosmos-san, Hilda-san, and Lyra as models.

However, while that might be exciting for the viewer, it wasn't quite right for the purpose of promoting an arts festival.

"There are many girls here at the Palace. I think it would be good to hold something like an amateur works competition among us."

"Aren't they doing that kind of recruitment in the city?"

"They are, but apparently, they don't expect much of a turnout."

Materials like canvases, paints, and brushes aren't things you can just gather easily on a whim. For a complete amateur household, painting is a high hurdle to clear.

However, within the Palace, such tools can be easily acquired and shared, and it is easy to use the dragons to source them from the city. It doesn't have to be paintings; it could be sculptures, and I and Jeanne can provide the necessary tools for that.

"Gloria-san said she would provide instruction for beginners, so I want anyone interested to give it a try."

"Is there a reward?"

Oregano raises her hand to ask a question. Beside her are the Laurier parent and child. And, naturally, they are both naked.

"As for the reward... uh, what should I do?"

I scratch my head, thinking for a moment.

And then.

"...As a participation prize, this. One Andy Coin. To be given to everyone."

I snap my fingers.

It’s a "Reward Voucher" I made by imitating the "Isabelle Coin" from Cosmos Emporium. If used, the recipient can demand a handmade present from me, or ask a dragon to take them wherever they like.

...Initially, there was no option to be carried by a dragon, but Emma proposed it to reduce my workload, and it was adopted. As for the usage rate... it’s not particularly high, but it happens occasionally. The most frequent user is Narys.

A "present" could be as simple as a few hours of a date. Though, even when it's called a "date," things tend to turn erotic quickly. If I spend time without a specific purpose, people tend to gather around until it turns into a group session, so being able to formally demand one-on-one intimacy is, by now, a quite rare privilege.

I can't help but think that this coin might not be all that appealing to those who aren't female slaves, but it is currently very popular because, when I focus my efforts, even the girls from the brothel group can experience a complete, frenzied climax.

If you work hard every night for over a decade with people like Hilda-san, Cosmos-san, and Gloria-san, your skills improve. And they certainly have.

"So, if you win... what would be good? Anyway, I'll make something special."

I made a rather vague declaration, and just as I thought it might not be motivating enough, the girls erupted in excitement.

Am I really that highly regarded? Even as a craftsman?

...Or so I thought, but then—

"...If I win... can we try... making a baby, seriously?"

It was Maia who asked, timidly. Naturally, she was naked.

"...I'll take that into consideration, but we already do that all the time, don't we?"

"Not just, you know, two or three rounds and then finished. I mean with the momentum to fuck me dozens of times until I'm pregnant."

"...Fine, but..."

I tried to add that we should be careful since there were children around, but my words were completely drowned out by the sheer roar of the crowd's excitement.

...Is that what everyone wants?
Well, I suppose since this is Polka, things can get a bit intense and heal quickly.

The only ones usually residing in the Palace are children who have reached consciousness, basically up to about 4 or 5 years old. Once they get older, they move their base of operations elsewhere.

There are children in the Sympson household, such as Jeanne and Selene, but most of the female slaves now have homes of their own. The majority live in their mothers' houses.

As for those who aren't female slaves... well, they each return to their respective homelands to be raised. Most girls who engage in sex but haven't become female slaves lack the resolve to completely sever their ties with their hometowns.

By the way, among the girls from the Cosmos Emporium brothels, there are a few who have somewhat carelessly given birth to my babies. Or rather, since they all gave birth after returning to Talc without any particular notice, I accidentally ended up with the eldest child (the child of the white fox girl, Felicia-jou). I mean, she just casually mentioned it after a battle was over.

Because of that, I am now extremely strict about checking if a girl who is tempting me might be my own child.

"I want to make sure the things I do with my daughter are a one-time thing."

"As long as it isn't forced, isn't it fine?"

"I think Selene is the one who should be the most angry about this kind of matter!?"

"If I were forcibly violated by my Papa, I would definitely grow to hate sex. But if I love Papa and am lusting after him, and then the person themselves rejects it, I think they would end up recoiling from their own instincts and becoming distorted in their own way."

"...Uh..."

"I just think a child's happiness comes first~"

Selene says, smiling at her own pace while washing the dishes.

Hmm.

Is Selene's concern not about the fact that I'm having sex with a child itself, but rather "whether or not they will be hurt by the sex"?

She ignores the fact that I have sex with others as if it's perfectly natural... well, it's too late to even bring that up now, but as for social issues like public perception... it's likely because she grew up as a half-elf who was essentially cast out by society that she doesn't care at all.

As for the issues regarding bloodline concentration... Irina always says, "A little bit isn't a big deal; it can be handled with magic. It's a different story if it goes on for dozens of generations," so I suppose that's just how it is.

No, no, no. Still, though...

"No matter how much the person involved might want it, I cannot condone Peter attacking his mother or other female slaves."

"Well, that's only natural. Aside from the children, the female slaves belong solely to you, Andy-san."

"So you can accept my daughter getting handsy with her father, but not this...?"

"I think you should realize more deeply that you are a special, exceptional person, Andy-san. You are someone capable of bringing happiness to dozens, even hundreds of women. Only those who have come to accept that will approach you. It's just... unfortunately, that isn't the case for Peter-kun. ...That's all. If it's you, Andy-san, I believe you could make even your own daughter... well, any woman... happy."

"...Sometimes, I..."

"?"

"...I just have to reaffirm that your way of thinking is actually quite messed up."

"Do you really think so? I'm simply a realist! ♪"

What does it even mean to be a "realist"? It makes me want to get philosophical.

Among the children, Peter was, of course, the first to be recognized as my son.
However, since he is a half-dwarf, his growth is a bit slow.
He should be slightly older than Elenia, who has recently begun to shed her toddler look and grow quite slender, but visually, he looks like he's barely even ten years old.
Apparently, dwarves don't grow very tall to begin with, and while they tend to retain a child-like physique until suddenly sprouting beards and excessive muscle, Peter hasn't shown any such features that would detract from his childhood appearance yet.
However, his voice is a bit deep and raspy for a ten-year-old. He's already entering puberty.

"Hey, Pop. Can I enter the Vapor competition too?"

"You can, but... can you even draw?"

"I haven't drawn much, but I can make decent little dolls."

With a look of pride, Peter brought a handmade doll from his room.
It was a knight figurine made of lead. ...Ah, I remember making one of those with my old man, too.

"I've already made twenty of them. Grandpa says they're ready to be sold."

"Please stop calling Jackie-san 'Grandpa.' It confuses me."

Usually, Jackie-san is the one looking after Peter. Though she's passed fifty, she's still very much an active blacksmith.
Perhaps because she feels lonely since Sara-chan got married, she has been particularly fond of Peter lately.

"But saying they're ready for sale is a bit of an exaggeration. The fine details are sloppy. You have to finish them more carefully, Peter."

"Tch, Pop, you're always nitpicking."

"Your sense of design isn't bad. I'm saying don't cut corners. You'll be laughed at in the competition if you try to pull stunts like this."

"Yeah, yeah. ...Anyway, if I win an award, I want an allowance increase."

"How much money do you need? What are you even going to use it for?"

"That's... I-It's none of your business what I use it for!"

My son stammered, looking a bit embarrassed. Hah. Did he really think he could hide it from his father?
In this Polka, there aren't many places for a child to spend money. He'll probably just buy some souvenir from a traveling merchant to give to a girlfriend.

"Only if you win an award. Even though they're all amateurs, elves and dragons are participating, so it won't be easy."

"Heh. I don't feel like I'll lose to anyone except Mom."

I feel a slight sense of dread toward my overly confident child. Am I spoiling him too much?

Note: It was later revealed that the reason for his request for an allowance increase was that he had tried to secretly touch one of the prostitutes from Cosmos-san's group, who was flaunting her nakedness at the Palace, only to be teased: "If you want to do naughty things with us, you'll have to bring some money! ♪"

---

About one week later.
The girls of the Palace had begun venturing outside to engage in activities like sketching, and Polka was suddenly experiencing an artistic boom.

"It's a good opportunity. Polka is a wonderful town, but it lacked this kind of cultural enrichment."

Christie narrowed her eyes as she watched the art boom, which the townspeople and the stationed crossbow unit had also begun to join.
Come to think of it, she was right. While the people were glowing with healthy beauty thanks to the Spirit Spring, the town lacked a certain aesthetic flair.

...Though part of the reason was also because Gloria, our lead artist, had been drawing nothing but erotic art.

And yet, amidst all that, there was Elenia, painting the forest landscape with complete seriousness.

"......Uh, Ele? You're getting an allowance increase too, right?"

"An increase? There's nothing to spend it on around here. Besides, was it Peter or Claudio who started talking about this?"

Claudio is Hilda's child. Right now, he's about the same size as Peter.

Unlike the rambunctious Peter, this one is quite shy. Because of that, he's a total mama's boy, growing up under the full warmth of Hilda's maternal love.

"......Don't you have any demands, like... a reward or something?"

"......I do, but I'll tell you if I win an award."

Elenia said this while painting, her face set in a pout.

...The "doting father" filter in my head makes me think even her pouting profile is cute.

And as I watched her for a while, I felt a sense of satisfaction, thinking that perhaps I shouldn't have voiced such tactless concerns.

I started to think that the fact Elenia has been wandering around the Palace naked more than ever before, or the way she keeps trying to get me to touch her—maybe it's just that her sense of shame regarding nudity has been broken by the environment, and her true feelings are simply a strong desire to be more filial or to act spoiled with me as her father.

Yes. That must be it. The fact that her mother, Selene, is strangely lax about incest is surely just a coincidence.

Then came the Arts Festival.
People flocked from Grange, from the north, and from Celesta and Renfangas, enjoying the paintings and sculptures placed throughout the town.
...While the crucial works by the master and apprentice, Gloria and Lanz, only made up about twenty percent of what was displayed, the sheer difference in quality undoubtedly captured the hearts of viewers, drawing them to the gallery and securing many buyers, so it could be considered a success in practical terms.
Then, the main competition was held at the Baron's estate.
The Grand Prize selected by the judges was... none other than Maia's "Scale Statue." She had gathered broken dragon scales to create a miniature dragon statue.
There were some opinions that using such superior materials was a bit unfair, but since it hadn't been prohibited, they decided it wasn't right to disqualify her, and she took the prize.

While gold and silver went to others, Elenia's "Single Cedar of the Forest" narrowly secured the bronze award.

And so.

"Ah... um, Ele? If it's possible, as your papa..."

"So you won't grant my wish even though I won an award?"

The Palace at night, in a corner of the bath area.

As expected, I am being pinned down by Elenia.

"...Listen, okay? Papa wants to grant your wishes too, Ele. But, you see..."

"So you won't."

"............"

"I hate you."

"Guh...! L-Listen, Ele. It's not that I won't do it at all, it's just... I think it's still a bit too early for you."

"Then at what age will it be okay!?"

"No, really, just wait a little longer, Ele. Please?"

The girls of the Palace were all watching us with gentle, almost heartwarming expressions.

...After much begging, I was spared—just for today.
I-I don't want to be hated. If Elenia hates me, I'll die.
...Though I might not last very long.

"A new festival?"

"Yes. I'd like your cooperation."

The baron, scratching at his now completely white head—having given up dyeing it recently—brought this proposal to me on a late spring evening.

"Are we adding another one?"

"As far as Poruka goes, you don't have that many yet."

"...Ah, right, I guess not. If we're just counting Poruka festivals, there's the New Year Festival, the Spring Festival, and the Harvest Festival."

I counted them off on my fingers. Then there’s Breakcore’s Holy Beast Festival, Celesta’s biannual Spirit Festivals, Lapal’s Tide Festival, the Royal Capital’s Founding Festival, Renfangus’ Hero Festival, Karlwin’s "Dragon Exchange Day," and Granze’s Liberation Festival. Personally, it feels like I'm constantly preparing for a festival every month.

Plus, the Elven Spirit Temple has its own unique 100,000-day calendar, so sometimes they have festivals at weird times and call me in on short notice. Thanks to that, my schedule gets messed up all the time, and Tetes gets mad at me.

With everything always being a festival, I’d almost lost track of what was normal.

"I know you're busy, but if you give them a word, the elves will move, and we can reach Celesta through Lady Diane."

"Yeah, well, I get that, but what kind of festival?"

"An art festival."

"...G, geeijutsusai? An art festival?"

"Yes. I want it to be a great success."

Right now, Gloria and Lanz are at the center of an emerging artist's circle in Poruka. How many years ago was it that Lanz became Gloria’s apprentice after Goat got married and settled down into domestic life? Blessed with a good mentor, his natural concentration, and understanding of female forms, he now energetically draws original erotic picture scrolls that rival professionals.

Seeing this, young people from Granze who used to live in Karlwin started aspiring to be painters, and even Julio—Diane’s brother, the acrobatic sculptor—and the sculptors from the Northern Forest naturally gathered, leading to an explosion of art in certain districts.

The baron, who had been supporting Lanz as a patron since he started painting, had been building galleries one after another to house these artworks. But, well, with Gloria and Lanz, most of the pieces were nude paintings. It wasn’t something he’d pushed too hard.

But now, he thought, why not boldly promote them alongside other sculptures, spreading the word about how amazing Lanz’s and others’ works are? He felt the time was right, as traditions had become lightly shaken by diverse cultures.

It's true that it would be a waste to only enjoy these pieces among a small group of enthusiasts. The district with the studios is like another world, lined with sculptures and murals so impressive you wouldn’t believe they were done as a hobby by volunteers from the sticks. And the galleries are even more amazing—currently, nothing’s priced, and they just casually display whatever Gloria and her apprentice draw, which is hard to believe.

Gloria, now one of my female slaves, doesn’t need money anymore, so she has no ambition for fame. She just keeps drawing because I, Lanz, the baron, and Old Man Harry get so happy when she does.

She’s had kids a bit later than usual but seems happy with disciples gathering from Granze and the Northern Forest. But the baron decided that wasn’t enough.

"So, apparently, we're having a new art festival in early autumn. I want to make it a big deal."

That night, back at the "Vapor Palace," I told the girls gathered in the dining hall about it.

Some of them were wearing slave collars, some were dragons, and others were just visiting—catfolk, courtesans from "Cosmos Shop," even Elven women from the Northern Forest.

The palace has a "free to undress" rule, mainly for Blue Dragons and some exhibitionist female slaves, but excluding Elven women who aren’t used to it or those who frequently go outside, more than half of the girls were basically naked all day.

"So, what are we doing? 'Model for you!' I’ll stand next to your painting?"

"Well, that might be effective in a way, but it’s not exactly that."

While feeding two of the girls, Cosmos casually said something bold. In fact, Lanz has drawn quite a few pictures with Cosmos, Hilda, and Leila as models.

But that's exciting for viewers, but not really what we need for an art festival.

"We have plenty of people here at the palace. How about some kind of amateur art contest?"

"Doesn’t the city already do something like that?"

"Sounds like nobody’s really up for it, though."

The canvases, paints, brushes—art supplies aren’t exactly something you can just grab on a whim. For families with zero experience, painting is a pretty high hurdle.

But inside this palace, we’ve got all the tools readily available and can share them easily. Getting stuff from the city using dragons is a breeze too. And it’s not just paintings—sculptures work just as well. Jeanne and I can even provide the carving tools if needed.

"Gloria said she’d handle the beginner instruction, so anyone interested should give it a shot."

"Any rewards?"

Oregano raises her hand to ask. Rosemary and her kid are next to her. And, of course, they’re all naked.

"Rewards… hmm, let me think."

I scratch my head and ponder for a moment.

Then—
"...Participation prize: This. One Andy Coin. For everyone."

I snap my fingers.

It’s a "reward voucher" modeled after the "Isabelle Coin" from Cosmos Shop. Using it lets you demand a handmade present from me or ask a dragon to take you anywhere you like.

…The dragon ride option wasn’t there at first, but Emma came up with it to lighten my workload, and we adopted it. Usage rate’s… not super high, but it happens sometimes. Naris is the biggest user.

"Gifts" can be anything from a few-hour date to… well, things tend to get sexy pretty fast during dates. But if I’m just hanging out without purpose, they’ll all gather and turn it into a group thing. So being able to demand a one-on-one romp is actually a pretty rare privilege these days.

I half-wonder if the non-slave girls would be thrilled about this coin, but when I really focus on them, even the prostitutes get to go wild, so it’s surprisingly popular.

After grinding with Hildegard, Cosmos, Gloria, and the others every night for over a decade, my skills have definitely improved. Improved a lot.

"So… if someone wins… what should the prize be? I’ll make something special, anyway."

I declare something super vague, thinking they might not be motivated by that, but the girls erupt in cheers.

Wait, am I that respected? Even as an artisan?

…But then—
"...If you win… could we maybe… have a real baby?"

It’s Maia, asking shyly. And, naturally, she’s naked.

"...I’ll consider it, but aren’t you already doing that?"

"Not just two or three times and calling it a day—I mean, going at it like I’m gonna impregnate you dozens of times!"

"...Fine."

I was about to add "We have kids here, so let’s not talk about this too much," but the excitement drowned me out completely.

…Is that what everyone wants?

Well, yeah, this is Polka, so even if we go hard, they’ll heal up fast. But still.

Most of the kids who live in the palace full-time are only four or five years old—basically pre-pubescent. Once they get older, they move out to their own homes.

Some, like Jeanne and Selen, stay with the Smysom family, but most of the female slaves now have their own houses, usually living with their mothers.

The non-slave girls… well, they mostly go back to their hometowns to be raised. Even if they’re having sex, most can’t bring themselves to completely sever ties with their families.

By the way, a few of the prostitutes from Cosmos Shop have casually popped out my babies. Or rather, they’ve all gone back to their villages after a session and had them without telling me, so I accidentally messed with the oldest one (who was Felicia, the white fox girl’s kid). They just casually mention it after the session’s over.

Since then, if a younger girl tries to tempt me, I make absolutely sure she’s not my own kid.

"I want to stop doing anything lewd with my daughters."

"Isn’t that fine as long as it’s consensual?"

"I think Selen should be the most pissed about this kind of thing, you know?"

"If Papa forces himself on me, I'll definitely hate sex. But if I'm all hot for him and he's the one who doesn't want it, I'd resent my own instincts and get warped in a different way."

"...Huh."

"I think a child's happiness is what matters most, you know?"

Selen laughs at her own pace while washing dishes.

Hmm.

So Selen isn’t worried about me having sex with the kid, but whether it’ll hurt him?

Ignoring that I’m sleeping with other people like it’s nothing… well, that’s beside the point now. But as for social stigma and all that… she doesn’t care at all because she grew up ostracized by society as a half-elf.

As for problems from bloodlines getting too thick… Irene always says, "A little bit isn’t a big deal; magic can fix it. It’s different if you’ve been screwing around for decades, though." So that’s probably how it is.

No, no, wait. But still.

"I don’t care how much he wants it, I won’t allow Peter to attack his mother or any of the other female slaves."

"Well, yeah, that’s true. The female slaves are all Andy’s property anyway."

"You’re okay with him accepting that, but you’ll just ignore your daughter sleeping with her father?"

"I think Andy should realize he’s special, an exception to the rule. He can make any woman happy—whether it’s dozens or hundreds. Only the girls who accept that get close to Andy. But unfortunately, Peter isn’t one of them… Yeah. If it’s Andy, even his own daughter… any woman, he could make her happy."

"...Sometimes…"

"?!"

"I’m just reconfirming how messed up your thinking is sometimes."

"Oh, really? I’m just a realist~"

What is realism, anyway? Makes me want to philosophize.

Of all the kids, Peter was the first to recognize me as his father, of course.

But he’s a half-dwarf, so he grows up a bit slower.

He should be a little older than Elenia, who’s recently outgrown her baby fat and gotten slender, but he still looks like he might not even be ten yet.

Dwarves don’t grow very tall to begin with, and apparently they stay in their childlike bodies until they suddenly sprout beards and get overly muscular, but Peter hasn’t shown any of those characteristics yet.

Still, his voice is a little too deep and rough for a ten-year-old. Sounds like he’s already going through puberty.

"Hey, Dad. Can I enter the Vapor Contest?"

"You can, but… can you even draw?"

"I don’t really draw, but I can make some pretty cool dolls."

Peter looks smug as he brings out a doll he made from his room.

It’s a knight doll made of lead… Ah, I remember making those with Dad too.

"I’ve already made twenty of them. Old Man Jackie says they’re sellable now."

"Please stop calling Jackie 'Old Man.' It confuses me."

Jackie is usually the one who looks after Peter. He’s past fifty but still a fully active blacksmith.

Since Sarah got married, he seems lonely and has been especially doting on Peter lately.

"But saying they’re sellable is a bit too generous. The details are sloppy. You have to finish them more carefully, Peter."

"Tch, Dad’s always finding fault."

"Your talent isn’t bad. I’m just saying, don’t half-ass it. If you try to pull that crap in a contest, people’ll laugh at you."

"Okay, okay… So, if I win, can I get an allowance increase?"

"What are you gonna spend all that money on anyway?"

"That’s… well, whatever! It doesn’t matter what I use it for!"

My son stammers, looking a little embarrassed. Hmph, thought he could fool his old man?

There aren’t many things a kid in this town would spend money on. Probably just some trinket from a peddler to give to his girlfriend.

"If you win, that is. Everyone’s an amateur, but there’ll be elves and dragons too, so it won’t be easy."

"Heh. I don’t think anyone but Mom can beat me anyway."

I feel a twinge of anxiety at my son’s needless confidence. Has he been coddled too much?

By the way, the reason for his allowance request was later revealed to be because Cosmos-san’s… well, let’s call her a ‘lady of the night’ at the Palace had shown off her assets and when he tried to sneakily touch her, she said, "If you wanna get frisky with us, you better bring some money!"

And then, about a week passed.

The girls from the Palace started going outside for sketching and other artistic activities, suddenly making Plocka all artsy.

"This is a good opportunity. Plocka is a fine town, but it lacked this kind of cultural enrichment," said Kristi, narrowing her eyes at the burgeoning art boom that even the townspeople and the stationed Crossbow troops were joining in on.

Now that she mentions it, I have to agree. The people here are healthy and beautiful thanks to the Spirit Spring, but the town itself lacked any real design flair.

…Though a lot of that was because Gloria, our resident artist, only drew erotic pictures.

And among them was Elenia, seriously sketching the forest scenery.

"…Eh, Elen? You want an allowance increase too?"

"Allowance? There’s nowhere to spend it around here. Besides, who started saying that? Peter? Claudius?"

Claudius is Hildegard’s kid. He’s about the same height as Peter right now.

He’s much shyer than Peter, and a real mama’s boy, soaking up all of Hildegard’s maternal love.

"…Don’t you want any rewards or anything?"

"…I do, but I’ll tell you if I win."

Elenia says that with a scowl as she draws.

…Even her scowling face is cute, thanks to my doting parent bias.

And after watching Elenia like that for a while, I felt satisfied and thought maybe I shouldn’t voice my crude concerns.

Maybe the reason Elenia comes to the Palace naked more than before, or tries to get me to touch her all the time, isn’t because she’s just lost her sense of shame about nudity due to the environment, but simply because she feels a stronger desire to be good daughter and to be affectionate with me.

Yeah. That must be it. Mom Selen being weirdly lax about incest is just a coincidence.

And then came the art festival.

People gathered from Granzi, from the north, from Celesta and Renfangas, taking advantage of the opportunity to enjoy the paintings and sculptures placed throughout the town.

…The works of Gloria & Lanz, our master-apprentice duo, accounted for only about twenty percent of what was displayed outside, but their undeniable skill captivated viewers, guided them to the gallery, and secured many buyers, so it was a success in practical terms.

And then came the main contest at the Baron’s mansion.

The grand prize, chosen by the judges… was Mya’s "Scale Statue." She collected broken dragon scales and made a miniature dragon statue.

Some people thought it was too much of an advantage to use dragon scales as materials, but since it wasn’t prohibited, excluding her from winning wouldn’t be fair, so she won.

And while the gold and silver prizes went to others, Elenia’s "Forest Pine" barely managed to win a bronze.

"Yeah."

"Ugh... um, Eren? If possible, as your dad..."

"You won't grant my request even after winning the competition?"

In the palace’s bath area, tucked in a corner.

As expected, I’m pinned down by Elenia.

"...Listen, I want to grant Eren’s request too, if possible. But—"

"You’re not listening!"

"............"

"I hate you."

"Guh... uh, Eren, it’s not that I absolutely won’t listen. It’s just… I think it’s a little early for you, you know?"

"Then how old do I have to be!?"

"No, seriously, just wait a little longer, Eren. Okay?"

The girls in the palace are all watching this with such a peaceful, almost heartwarming expression.

...I begged and pleaded until they let me off for just today.
I… I don’t want to be hated. If Eren hates me, I’ll die.
...Though I might not last that long anyway.

"New festival?"

"Yes, indeed. I would greatly appreciate your cooperation."

It was late spring evening when the Baron approached me with this proposal, scratching his head which had recently turned completely white from abandoning dyeing it.

"Are you planning to add another one?"

"As far as Polka is concerned, there aren't that many yet."

"...Ah, no, I see. For Polka alone, there's roughly the New Year Festival, Spring Festival, and Harvest Festival."

I counted them on my fingers.

Adding Breakcore's Sacred Beast Festival, Celesta's twice-yearly Spirit Festivals, Rapal's Tide Festival, the Capital City's Founding Day Celebration, Renfanggas' Hero Festival, Carlwin's "Dragon-Exchange Day," and Grange's Liberation Festival... personally, I find myself constantly aware of festival preparations almost every month.

Moreover, the Elf Spirit Temple operates on a unique calendar measured in units of 100,000 days, occasionally resulting in festivals at bizarre timings that summon sudden calls to action. Consequently, my schedule often gets thrown off, much to Tetes' displeasure.

With such circumstances, I've become so accustomed to constant festival preparations that my perception has grown distorted.

"I understand you're busy, but if you simply give the word, the Elves will mobilize, and through Lady Diane, communication with Celesta's populace should also be smooth."

"Right. Well, I get that part, but what kind of festival are we talking about?"

"It's an Art Festival."

"...Eh? An Art Festival?"

"Yes. I truly wish for it to succeed."

Currently, in Polka, a circle of artists is gradually forming around Gloria and Lanz.

I can't quite recall how many years ago, after Goat married and fully embraced domestic life, Lanz became Gloria's apprentice.

Blessed with an excellent master, and aided by his innate concentration and understanding of the female form, he now energetically produces original erotic artworks that rival professional standards.

Witnessing this, young men from Carlwin in Grange who aspired to become painters began to emerge. Furthermore, figures like Julio, the acrobatic sculptor (brother of Lady Diane), and various sculptors from the Northern Forest naturally gathered, leading to a rapid proliferation of artistic works across certain districts.

The Baron, who had supported Lanz as a patron since he first picked up a brush, has been progressively constructing galleries to house these artworks. However, given that Gloria and Lanz are the primary creators, most collected pieces are nudes—not exactly something widely promoted.

Yet, he apparently reasoned: "Perhaps we should boldly showcase these alongside other sculptures, highlighting the brilliance of Lanz's works..." Feeling the times shifting as diverse cultures began to gently loosen their traditional constraints, he considered this approach.

Indeed, limiting enjoyment to a small circle of enthusiasts feels somewhat wasteful. The district housing ateliers resembles an entirely different world, lined with sculptures and murals so captivating that one cannot believe they're merely hobbyists from rural areas doing it for fun. The galleries are even more impressive; currently, nothing is priced, yet the fact that works by Gloria and her apprentice are simply displayed without clear valuation seems almost unbelievable.

Gloria, now no longer struggling financially since becoming my female slave, lacks any desire for fame. Instead, she continues painting steadily, motivated by the joy it brings me, Lanz, the Baron, Grandpa Harry, and others whenever we admire her creations.

Though somewhat delayed in frequency, she has been blessed with children and is gathering disciples from Grange and the Northern Forest, appearing genuinely happy. However, the Baron apparently felt this wasn't sufficient.

"Thus, a new Art Festival will be held in autumn. Since this is the occasion, I want to make sure our household contributes enthusiastically."

That evening...

Returning to "Vapor Palace," I discussed such matters with the girls gathered in the dining hall.

Among those present were female slaves wearing collars, dragons, cat-beasts visiting merely for fun, courtesans from "Cosmos Shop," and Elf women from the Northern Forest.

Within the palace, free undressing is primarily a rule for Blue Dragons and some female slaves who have awakened exhibitionistic tendencies. Excluding Elf women unfamiliar with nudity and those frequently entering or exiting the outside world, more than half of the girls spend most of their day completely naked.

"So what exactly are we doing? Will you stand beside paintings saying, 'Here's a model!' ♪?"

"Well, that could certainly be effective in its own way, but it's not quite what I had in mind."

While feeding two young women, Cosmos speaks boldly and matter-of-factly. In truth, Lanz has created numerous works featuring models like Cosmos, Hilda, and Leila.

However, while such pieces may excite viewers, they don't quite align with the goal of promoting an Art Festival.

"There are plenty of girls here at the Palace. I think we should hold something akin to an amateur artwork competition among them."

"But isn't the city already issuing similar calls for submissions?"

"I'll do it, but I don't think we can gather everyone."
Gathering art supplies like canvas, paint, and brushes isn't something you can just snap your fingers for. For a truly inexperienced family, taking up painting is a high barrier to entry.

But within these palace walls, such tools are easily available and shared among us. We can even have dragons fetch materials from the city if needed. It doesn't have to be paintings—sculptures would work just as well, and I or Jeanne can prepare whatever specialized tools are required.

"Gloria offered to teach beginners," he said. "So, anyone interested should give it a try."

"Is there any reward for participating?"

Oregano raised her hand to ask. Beside her stood the Laurye family—both of them, naturally, completely naked.

"The reward... hmm, let me think."
He scratched his head, pondering for a moment.

Then, suddenly:
"...Here's a participation prize. One Andicoin each. For everyone."
With a sharp ping, he flicked his finger.

It was a "reward voucher" modeled after the Cosmo Shop's "Isabel Coin." Using it allowed one to demand a handmade gift from me or ask a dragon to take them anywhere they pleased.

At first, no one used the dragon transport option, but Emma proposed it later to lighten my workload. Its usage rate isn't high, though—it happens occasionally. Naris uses it most often.

A "gift" could even be a few hours of dating. While dates often lead quickly to sex, when I'm just hanging out aimlessly, things tend to spiral into group play before I know it. So now, openly requesting one-on-one intimacy has become quite a rare privilege.

Though some might think this coin isn't very appealing to those who aren't female slaves, the current me is so focused and intense that even the brothel girls can reach their absolute limits when I go all out. It's been overwhelmingly popular.

After spending over a decade working hard every night with Hilda, Cosmo, Gloria, and others, my skills have definitely improved. They're up there now.

"So, if you win... what should we make? Something special, no matter what."
He declared it with full enthusiasm, hoping to spark their interest. To his surprise, the girls erupted into excited chatter.

Was I really being evaluated so highly—even as a craftsman?

He thought that for a moment.

"...If you win... could we try making something serious?"
Mia asked timidly. Of course, she was naked too.

"...Well, I'll consider it, but don't you already do this kind of thing regularly?"

"Not just two or three times and call it a day," Mia replied. "I want to go on for dozens of times until we actually get pregnant."

"...Alright, then."
He was about to add that since there were children around, they shouldn't talk like that—but the girls' excitement completely drowned out his words.

...So everyone really wants that?
Well, true enough, this is Polka, so even if things get a bit rough, it heals quickly anyway.

Usually, only children under four or five—those who haven't fully developed mentally or physically—live in the palace. Once they grow older, they move out to establish their own living bases.

Some girls like Jeanne and Serein still live with the Smayson family, but most female slaves now have their own homes and spend most of their time there. As for those who aren't female slaves... well, they'll mostly return to their hometowns to be raised. Most girls who engage in sexual activity but haven't entered slavery simply can't bring themselves to completely sever ties with their origins.

By the way, several daughters from the Cosmo Shop's brothel have carelessly given birth to my child. In fact, after returning to Tark, none of them contacted me before giving birth. I accidentally got involved with the eldest one (Miss Felicia, daughter of the White Fox girl) without realizing it—she just casually mentioned it right after finishing a battle.

Since then, whenever a young girl starts seducing me, I make sure to confirm whether she might be carrying my child.

"I want to do something erotic with my daughter in a very special way."

"If we don't force it, wouldn't that be fine?"

"I think Selen should be the one most upset about this situation, you know!?"

"If a father forces himself on his child, they'll absolutely develop a hatred for intimacy. But if the child loves their father deeply and is aroused by him, only to be rejected by him... I believe that would cause them to reject their own instincts, leading to some kind of distortion."

"..."

"I just think that my children's happiness is what matters most."

Selen washes the dishes, smiling at her own pace.

Hmm.

Is Selen considering not whether having sex with a child is wrong in itself, but rather whether it causes harm?

As for casually accepting that I sleep with others... well, even if we set aside how outdated that attitude seems now, social concerns like reputation... As a half-elf who grew up being publicly ridiculed by society, I simply don't care about such things.

And regarding the issue of my bloodline becoming more concentrated... Elina has always said something like, "It's not a big deal if it happens occasionally; magic can fix anything. But if you keep doing it dozens or hundreds of times, that's a different story." So I suppose she sees it that way too.

No, no, no. But still...

"I can't accept Peter attacking his mother or other female slaves, no matter how much they might want him to."

"Well, yes, of course. Aside from the children, the female slaves belong exclusively to you, Mr. Andy."

"That part I understand, but why do you just overlook it when your daughter takes action against her father?"

"I think Mr. Andy should realize more clearly that he is a special case. Whether it's dozens or hundreds of women, he has the ability to make them happy. Only those who accept this can approach him. But unfortunately, Peter isn't like that... Yes. Even if it were his own daughter, or any woman for that matter, I believe Mr. Andy could still make her happy."

"..."

"Hmm, sometimes..."

"?"

"I just want to confirm again that you have rather dangerous thoughts."

"So? I'm just a realist, after all♪"

What does "realist" even mean? Let me think about this philosophically for a moment.

Among the children, Peter was naturally the first to be accepted as my son.
However, being a half-dwarf, his growth has been slightly delayed.
Although he should be a bit older than Elenia, who recently outgrew her toddler appearance and became slimmer, he still looks like he's barely reaching ten years old.
Dwarves generally don't grow very tall, and before you know it, they develop facial hair and excessive muscle mass while retaining their childlike features. But Peter hasn't shown any of those characteristics yet.
Still, his voice is a bit too deep and rough for a ten-year-old—it's almost like he's going through puberty.

"Hey, Dad. Can I enter the Vaper contest too?"

"You can... but have you ever drawn anything?"

"I haven't drawn much, but I can make small dolls."

Peter looks slightly proud and brings out a handmade doll from the room. It's a knight figure made of lead... Ah, we made this together with Dad back then.

"I've already made twenty of them. Grandpa Jackie says they're ready for sale."

"Please stop calling Mr. Jackie 'Grandpa.' It confuses me."

Usually, it's Mr. Jackie who spends time with Peter. He's in his fifties but remains a skilled blacksmith.

Since Sara got married and seems lonely lately, she's been especially doting on Peter.

"But saying these are ready for sale is a bit of an overstatement. The details are sloppy. You need to finish them more carefully, Peter."

"Chk! Dad always looks for flaws!"

"Your taste isn't bad. I'm telling you not to cut corners. If you keep pulling tricks like this in a contest, people will laugh at you."

"Hey, hey... so if I win, you'll give me an allowance increase?"

"What are you going to do with all that money anyway?"

"Well... uh, whatever! You can spend it on anything!"

The son stammers slightly, looking a bit embarrassed. He probably thought he could fool his father.
With this Polka, there's no way the kid would have any legitimate reason to spend money. Most likely, he'd buy some trinkets from peddlers and give them as gifts to his girlfriend.

"If I win, though... even though everyone here is an amateur, elves and dragons are participating too, so it won't be easy."

"Hmph. I don't think anyone can beat me except Mom."

Watching my overly confident son, I feel a bit uneasy. Has he been spoiled too much?

By the way, it was later revealed that his desire for an allowance increase stemmed from an incident at the Palace: after trying to secretly touch Cosmo and one of the courtesans while they were displaying themselves naked, she had teased him, saying, "If you want to get intimate with us, you'd better bring some money, okay? ♪"

And so, about a week passed.
The girls from the Palace began going outside to engage in activities like sketching, suddenly infusing Polka with an artistic flair.
"It's a great opportunity. Polka is a wonderful town, but it lacked this kind of cultural enrichment."
Christie narrowed her eyes as she watched the townspeople and the stationed Crossbow Squad gradually join the art boom.
Upon reflection, she was right. While people glowed with health and beauty thanks to the Spirit Spring, the streets themselves lacked decorative elegance.
...Partly because Gloria, the town's leading artist, had been drawing nothing but erotic paintings.

Amidst all this, there was also Elenia, seriously sketching scenes of the forest.

"...Eh, Elen? You're hoping for an allowance increase too, right?"

"Allowance? There's no use for it here anyway. Besides, who started talking about that—Peter? Claudio?"

Claudio is Hilda's son; he's about Peter's height right now.

While the energetic Peter is outgoing, Claudio is quite shy around strangers. In exchange, he's very attached to his mother and has grown up basking in Hilda's maternal love.

"...You don't have any requests for rewards or anything like that?"

"...Well, I'll tell you if I win."

Elenia said this while maintaining a stern expression as she drew.
...Even with her serious profile, she's so cute. My fatherly instinct kicks in.

After watching Elenia like that for a while, I felt satisfied and realized my tactless worries shouldn't be voiced aloud.
More than ever before, the fact that Elenia wanders around the Palace naked, or tries to let me touch her here and there, is probably just due to her environment damaging her sense of shame about nudity. As his daughter, she likely just wants to show more filial piety toward me or indulge in some affectionate closeness.
Yeah, that must be it. Mother Selen being unusually lenient on incest is just a coincidence.

And then came the Art Festival.
Many people gathered from Grangi, the North, Celesta, and Renfangas, enjoying the paintings and sculptures displayed throughout the town.
...As for the much-anticipated works by master Gloria and her apprentice Lanz, only about 20% of their pieces were exhibited outside. However, due to differences in quality, they certainly captivated viewers' hearts, guided them into galleries, and attracted numerous buyers—making it a practical success overall.

Then came the actual contest held at the Baron's estate.
The grand prize winner chosen by the judges was... Maia's "Statue of Scales." She had collected broken scales from dragons and crafted a miniature dragon statue from them.
Some argued that giving the top award for such an unfair material advantage was questionable, but since it wasn't explicitly forbidden, excluding it would have been inappropriate too, so she was allowed to receive the prize.

While gold and silver awards went to others, Elenia's "Single Pine in the Forest" narrowly secured a bronze medal.

And...

"Ah... well, Ele? If possible, as your father..."

"You won't even listen to my request after I won the prize?"

In the corner of the bath area at Night Palace.

As expected, Elenia had pinned him down.

"...well, you know? Dad would really like to grant Ele's wish if he could. But—"

"He just won't listen."

"..."

"I hate it."

"Guh... ah, well, Ele. It's not that I absolutely refuse to listen; I just think it's still too soon for you."

"So when will it be okay!?"

"No, seriously, wait a little longer, Ele. Okay?"

The girls of the palace were all watching calmly, and the scene felt strangely heartwarming.

...He'd been forced into submission and managed to get off with his life for today.
H-his fear was that he didn't want to be disliked. If Elenia hated him, he'd die.
...Though it might not last long.

[Translate this Japanese text to English. Paragraphs are separated by "

". Output each translated paragraph with the same delimiter in between, preserving the exact number of paragraphs. Do not add explanations. Do not merge or split paragraphs.]

"New festival?"

"Yes. I’d like you to cooperate if possible."

The baron brought up the proposal while scratching his head, which had turned completely white after giving up on dyeing it, during an early summer evening.

"How about increasing the number again?"

"Well, for Polka, there aren’t that many right now."

"...Oh, right. For Polka alone, it’s only the New Year’s Festival, the Spring Festival, and the Harvest Festival."

He began counting on his fingers.

Along with the Breakcore Beast Festival, the Selen’s biannual Spirit Festivals, the Lapaar’s Tide Festival, the capital’s Founding Festival, the Rengas’s Hero Festival, and Karlwin’s "Dragon Day," and Granzi’s Liberation Festival, I personally feel like I’m always aware of preparations for festivals every month.

Plus, the Elf’s Spirit Temple has a unique 100,000-day calendar, so sometimes festivals happen at odd times, and I get called out on short notice. Thanks to that, my plans often get disrupted, and I end up getting scolded by Tetesu.

With all this, I’ve been so caught up in festivals that it’s starting to feel strange.

"I know it’s busy. But if you give the word, the Elves will move, and through Diane-sama, we can reach out to the Celesta."

"Yeah, well, I get that. But what kind of festival is it?"

"It’s an art festival."

"...An art festival?"

"Yes. I really want to make it a success."

Currently, Polka has an artists’ circle centered around Gloria-san and Lanz.
It all started when Lanz became a disciple of Gloria-san after Goat married and settled into family life years ago.
Under a good mentor, with his natural focus and understanding of the female form, he’s now producing original erotic scrolls that rival professional works.
Seeing this, young artists who want to become painters have emerged from among the former Karlwin residents, and naturally, sculptors like Frio, Diane-sama’s brother, and forest elves have gathered here, causing art pieces to proliferate in certain areas.
Since the baron has been supporting Lanz as a patron since he started painting, he’s also been building galleries to store these works. But, well, with Gloria-san and Lanz, most of the collected pieces are nudes. It’s not exactly something you’d recommend to everyone.
However, thinking about it, wouldn’t it be great to boldly promote these sculptures and other pieces along with Lanz’s works? The current era feels like traditional values are loosening up in a good way.
It’s true that keeping them for just a select few would be a bit of a waste. The district where the atelier is located is filled with sculptures and murals, making it feel like another world, and it’s hard to believe this is just a hobby of some country folk—the scenery is breathtaking. The galleries are even more impressive, as they currently store Gloria-san’s works without assigning any value to them, which is hard to believe.
After becoming my female slave, Gloria-san no longer has to worry about money, so she doesn’t have any desire for fame. Instead, her motivation is simply the joy of painting, which drives her to keep working at a steady pace.
Despite the frequency, it’s taken a while, but she’s also had children and gathered disciples from Granzi and the northern forest, all of whom seem happy. However, the baron decided that wasn’t enough.

"Anyway, they’re planning a new art festival for early autumn. I think this is a good opportunity to hype it up."

Nighttime.

Back at "Vapor Palace," he gathered the girls in the dining hall and spoke of such things.

Among those gathered were female slaves with collar marks, dragons, cat beastmen who had come to play, courtesans from "Cosmos Shop," and even an Elf woman from the northern forest.

Within the palace, nudity was allowed—mainly for Blue Dragons and a few female slaves who had been awakened to their exhibitionist tendencies—but except for those who frequently came and went, over half of the girls were basically naked all day long.

"So what are we doing? Like, standing next to the paintings as models, 'Here I am♪'?"

"No, well, that might actually be effective in its own way, but it’s not exactly what I’m talking about."

While feeding two of the girls, Cosmos-san casually said something bold. In fact, many of the pieces Lanz has painted feature Cosmos-san, Hilda-san, and Lyra as models.

However, from a viewer’s perspective, that might be exciting, but it’s a bit different, isn’t it? It’s not exactly what you’d want to promote for an art festival.

"Anyway, there are plenty of girls here in the palace. I think it’d be good to hold something like a amateur art competition."

"Isn’t there something like this being held in the city?"

[Translation:]

"I’ll do it, but it seems like there won’t be enough people to gather."

Paint supplies like canvas, paintbrushes, and other materials aren’t something you can just randomly gather. Painting is a high hurdle for complete amateurs in ordinary households.

However, within this palace, such tools are easily accessible and shared, and it’s also easy to have dragons bring them from the city. It doesn’t even have to be painting—sculpting or anything else is fine. I or Jeanne can prepare the tools for that.

"Glory-san said she’d handle beginner guidance, so if anyone’s interested, feel free to give it a try."

"Is there any kind of reward?"

Oregano raised her hand and asked. Nearby were Laurel and her family, and of course, they were all naked.

"A reward… let’s see, how about this."

I scratched my head and thought for a moment.

And then…

"I’ll give everyone this as a participation prize. One Andycoin. All of you."

I snapped my fingers.

It was a "reward ticket" I’d made to mimic the "Isabel Coin" from Cosmos Shop. Using it would either let me request a handmade gift or have one of the dragons take me somewhere I wanted.

…Originally, there wasn’t going to be an option for being taken by a dragon, but Emma suggested and implemented it to lighten my load. The usage rate isn’t particularly high, but it does happen occasionally. The most frequent user is Naris.

As for "gifts," they could be things like a few hours of dates. Though even those tend to turn into something more intimate quickly, since if I’m just aimlessly wandering around, the group tends to gather and end up playing together, so requesting a one-on-one date is now quite rare and considered a special privilege.

It’s not exactly a reward that seems like it’d make everyone happy—especially the non-slave girls—but given how much I’ve improved my skills over the years, even the courtesan girls can enjoy themselves thoroughly when I focus and attack. It’s been well-received by them.

After working hard with Hilda-san, Cosmos-san, and Glory-san for over a decade every night, my skills have definitely gotten better. They’ve gotten better.

"So, if you win… what would you like? I’ll make something special."

I declared it all vaguely, wondering if that would dampen their enthusiasm, but the girls were already whooping with excitement.

Am I really that highly regarded? Even as a craftsman.

…But then…

"…If you win… could you make a baby? For real?"

It was Maya who hesitantly asked. Of course, she was also naked.

"…I’ll consider that too, but we do that already, right?"

"More than just a couple of times and ending it—like having sex dozens of times until you get pregnant."

"…Okay, I’ll think about it."

I was about to add that since there are kids around, we shouldn’t talk about such things too much, but the excitement had already drowned out any objections.

…Is that what everyone wants?

Well, it’s true that here in Polka, things like that heal quickly, so it’s not a big deal.

The children who usually stay in the palace are basically those who can remember from around age four or five. Anyone older than that moves to live elsewhere.
Girls like Jeanne and Selen who stay with the Smysm family are also here, but most of the slave girls now have their own homes. Most live with their mothers’ families.
The non-slave girls… well, they eventually return to their home countries to be raised. Most of them don’t have the resolve to completely cut ties with their homeland even though they’re involved in such things.
By the way, even some of the courtesan girls from Cosmos Shop have ended up having babies by me without warning. It’s like they just casually mention it after a fight is over. I’ve accidentally gotten involved with the oldest one—Felicia-san, the white fox girl—who had a child.
After that, whenever young girls try to seduce me, I make sure to confirm whether or not it’s my child.
"I’d rather keep my daughter away from such things."
"It’s fine as long as it’s not forced, right?"

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[Translate] "You’ve got a good sense of style. Don’t slack off. If you pull this kind of trick in the competition, people will laugh at you."
[Respond] "Yeah, yeah. …So, if I win, can you bump my allowance?"
[Ask] "What would you even spend all that money on?"
[Respond] "Well… it’s none of your business, okay?!"
My son stammered shyly. Hmph, did he think he could fool me?
In this Polka, there aren’t many ways for kids to spend money. He’d probably just buy a souvenir from the traveling merchants and give it to his girlfriend.
[Comment] "If you win, that is. Even though everyone’s amateurs, there are elves and dragons here too, so it won’t be easy."
[Respond] "Heh. I don’t think I’ll lose to anyone but Mom."
I felt a little uneasy about my overly confident son. Was he being spoiled too much?
By the way, the reason for his allowance request was revealed later—it was because of that time Cosmos-san and her prostitute were showing off their bodies in the palace, and when I tried to sneak a touch, they said, "If you wanna do something naughty with us, you’d better bring some money, right? ♪"

And then, about a week later…

The girls from the palace started going out to sketch and other activities, and Polka suddenly became an artsy town.

[Comment] "This is a good opportunity. Polka is a nice town, but it lacked this kind of cultural vibrancy."

Christie narrowed her eyes as she watched the artistic boom, with locals and the stationed crossbow corps joining in.

Now that she mentioned it, I could see her point. While people were healthy and beautiful thanks to the holy spring, the town was lacking in design flair.

…Though part of that was because Gloria-san, the lead artist, only painted erotic stuff.

And amidst all this, there was Elenia earnestly painting scenes from the forest.

[Respond] "…Eh? Elen? You’re getting an allowance bump too, right?"

[Ask] "Allowance? There’s no way to spend it here. Wait, did you start this idea, Peter? Or was it Claudius?"

Claudius is Hilda-san’s child. He’s about the same height as Peter now.

While Peter is a bit of a wild kid, Claudius is more reserved and tends to cling to his mother, soaking up her maternal love.

[Comment] "…Don’t you have any reward requests?"

[Respond] "I do, but I’ll say it if we win."

Elenia said this while painting with a stern expression.

…I couldn’t help but think she looked cute with that serious profile, thanks to my doting parent syndrome.

And as I watched Elenia like this for a while, I felt strangely satisfied and thought maybe I shouldn’t bring up my unnecessary worries.

It’s possible that Elenia coming to the palace and wandering around half-naked, or trying to touch me all the time, is just because she lacks shame about being naked due to her environment. Maybe it’s because she wants to be more dutiful or clingy as a daughter.

Yeah, that must be it. The fact that Selen, my mother, is oddly lenient on incest is probably just a coincidence.

And then, the art festival began.
People from Grange, the north, Celesta, and Rengafang all gathered, taking advantage of the opportunity to enjoy the paintings and sculptures placed throughout the town.
…Though, as expected, the works by Gloria & Lanz, the master and disciple, were only about 20% of what was displayed outside. Still, their quality made sure they captivated the viewers, leading many buyers to the gallery, so it could be considered a success.
And then, the main event at the baron’s mansion.
The work chosen as the grand prize… was Elenia’s "Statue of Scales." She gathered dragon scales and created a miniature dragon statue.
Some thought it was too much of an unfair advantage to give the grand prize to this, but since it wasn’t explicitly forbidden, they decided not to exclude it, and it won.

Though silver and gold went to others, "The Lonely Tree" by Elenia barely made it into the bronze category.

[

]
...I begged for forgiveness and managed to get her to let it slide for just today.
I-I don’t want to be hated. If Elen hates me, I’ll die.
...It might not last long.