The Polka Temple of the Kingdom Church. Small as it may be, it possesses a tradition spanning over a century and serves as a vital facility, responsible for much of the wisdom and entertainment found in this tiny town. When presented with such a description, most people would retort, “Isn’t Polka’s entertainment just booze and hot springs?” However, the group looking forward to nothing but alcohol is limited to a handful of old men. While the hot springs are indeed integrated into the daily lives of the common folk, they could never be considered the primary form of entertainment. There are, of course, a few eccentrics who might claim that life is perfect as long as there’s a hot spring to visit, but ordinarily, the purpose of a bath is to soothe a tired body and wash away grime—and that remains true even for Polka’s sacred spring, which possesses special miraculous properties. To call this the ultimate form of entertainment would be like saying “sleep is the greatest pleasure”; by any normal standard, it’s a rather bleak sentiment.
It is not that. The role of the temple is to host Polka’s various festivals and to ceaselessly transmit music, song, dance, and the folk tales accumulated throughout the kingdom to the townspeople. In the cities, the perception of temples had already begun to shift toward being merely “facilities for life’s ceremonies,” but in this simple era and this simple town, the temple was something “fun.”
However. ”…………” Laurie, an elf of the Gold Clan who had recently begun serving as a temporary teacher at that very temple, was perplexed. Her assigned duty was to teach arithmetic to the children. She struggled with students who were quite reluctant to study seriously, but whether it was due to the rapport gained from her short stature or the effect of her—unimaginable to some—use of the “whip,” she was well-regarded by priests and parents alike because the children remembered what she taught them well.
But lately, individuals who were not children had begun to mingle in the classroom. An adult watching their own child’s lesson would not be a cause for confusion. In fact, quite a few parents would drop by for about ten minutes while running errands. For a teacher, it is a welcome thing when children straighten their posture to avoid being scolded by—or rather, to be praised by—those parents.
The problem was that, for some reason, the cat sisters, Azel and Rizel, were sitting in the very front row of the class. ”…Hey, you two.” ”?” “Nya?” “Why are you here? I’m pretty sure you have work to do at Mr. Schneider’s inn.” “Big sis does most of it, so it’s fine-nya.” “Yeah.” ”…Um. This is very hard to say, but honestly, you’re a bit in the way.” “Ehh.” “Come on. Laurie’s stories are interesting~” “I don’t intend for these to be ‘interesting stories’… This is a lesson for children, and it has no meaning for you two.” ”?” “It’s all stuff we don’t know, though?”
Azel and Rizel looked on with puzzled expressions, their bright ginger-striped hair swaying in unison. Hearing this, the children in the back began to stir. “For real?” “Are cat-beastmen actually pretty stupid?” “Don’t call us stupid! There’s nobody to teach us this stuff!” “Even if you don’t know it, you can survive in the desert colonies as long as you can hunt!” “Ehh, sounds nice. Maybe I’ll move to the desert too.” “You can’t even hunt, you know.” “Shut up. If these stupid cats can do it, so can I.” “In our colony, we hunt in labyrinths, though~” “You’ll die sometimes if you let your guard down. Since you’re up against monsters and all~” ”…………” The boy who had made such a flippant remark turned pale as the Maple sisters casually revealed the harsh reality of the desert. When they spoke of monsters around here, they meant the Mad Wolves. On several occasions, wolves with the physique of horses had encroached upon the town, and to those who knew that terror, such talk was nothing short of madness.
“That’s enough, that’s enough. Look, you can keep listening, but move further to the back. The children are lower down than you.”
“Meow.” “Meow.” The cat sisters moved to a different seat, looking slightly dissatisfied. “Hey, hey, by the way—is it true that all the cat-beastfolk get gross stuff done to them by that total pervert Andy?” The boy, who had turned pale just moments ago, recovered quickly and whispered the lewd question to the cat sisters as they settled into nearby seats. “Not all of us~” “Barbara hasn’t had anything done to her~” ”…What about everyone else?” “Hmm, I wonder?” “We do, though.” “Hey, you two! No inappropriate talk during class!” ”…Hey, if you’re doing it with that pervert Andy, then it’s fine, right? Let me touch your boobs a little later, too (←whispering).” “No.” “Master is Master, so it’s fine. I hate you because you keep saying stupid things. Go touch Mama’s boobs instead.” The cat girls were utterly merciless in response to the boy’s wicked request. The boy turned bright red, his dignity utterly shattered, while the surrounding children burst into laughter. “That is… enough!” The piece of chalk thrown by Laurier struck the foreheads of both the cat girl and the boy with a sharp crack. “Ow!?” “Gugh!?” “Save the dirty talk for later! Right now, it’s math!” A triple shot with a single swing of her arm. Laurier’s strange skills were beginning to develop. Incidentally, as interactions with the cat-beastfolk colony increased, the need for primary education grew, and it would be much later before Laurier eventually found herself serving as a teacher for a private school for them.
“Even if we try to reach out to them, I don’t think Jeanne-san or Selene-san can move around freely enough…” Fennel said, looking troubled. Jeanne was one thing, but there was no way anyone would let Selene, who was clutching her heavy abdomen, do any carpentry. If she were unencumbered, she looked like the type who would try anyway. “All I have to do is give Peter boobs from time to time; it’s not like I can’t do heavy lifting myself.” “I can’t do carpentry, but I can handle simple designs—like calculating the necessary lumber. Besides, it’s not like we have to finish everything in a single day. I can start helping in earnest after I give birth.” “That’s true…” “It won’t be long before the baby arrives, after all.” Aline and Christie exchanged looks. “If we’re short-handed, we could just call Marone-san or Milyl-san from the cat tribe. And while I’m just assuming, wouldn’t Oregano-san and Sebori-san be capable of some carpentry too?” “I wonder…” Fennel wore a troubled expression. “I’ve heard that clan is full of skilled artisans to begin with.” “That’s true, but those kids aren’t specifically heirs to the craft…” “Why not just let them try? If they can’t do it, it only means Jeanne’s workload will increase.” “That might be true, but…” Fennel remained anxious. Selene, who had been offered a seat by Christie, sat down heavily, looking somewhat like a seasoned expert as she remarked, “That’s not how it works.” “Regardless of the situation, if you say there are no specialists, you should just try everything yourself. Claiming something is ‘not your forte’ or ‘outside your expertise’ might sound like a valid excuse, but having the luxury of someone else to rely on is actually a huge privilege—it’s quite spoiled. If it’s necessary, you can pick it up as you go, even if you’re clumsy or unskilled. ‘Putting the right person in the right place’ is a maxim that only applies when you have an abundance of people.” “When it comes from Selene, it certainly carries weight.”
“Look, even Apple has become capable of doing all sorts of things once they were forced to try. That’s why you should just give it a little effort. There’s no logic that says carpentry must be a man’s domain, and if you need strength, you can just ask Jeanne or the Blue Dragon folks. And if you’re dissatisfied with the finished product, you can always rebuild it. Since you’re long-lived, you have plenty of time to practice.”
”…I suppose you’re right. Even while saying the number of elves is decreasing, it seems I’ve been thinking too much through the logic of the collective.”
Fennel conceded. Christie looked at Selene intently, appearing impressed.
“Your way of managing people really is different, Selene. Since I started leading people, I tend to get blinded by aptitude and numbers.”
“That’s only because elves tend to suffer from tunnel vision due to our stability and longevity. Anyone can do something once they actually try it, and not everything needs to be perfect.”
At Selene’s words, Jeanne nodded with her arms crossed (having entrusted Peter to Selene).
“That’s right. Even a girl who’s never done anything erotic as Andy’s female slave would realize she’s more than just what she thought of herself once Andy wants her and praises her. Many girls say they feel like they’ve been reborn, but I think it’s no good if they just end up clinging to what they’re already good at. Since this is a good opportunity, I think it’s best to try as many things as possible for Andy’s sake.”
“That goes for making the hot spring hut, and the erotic stuff too~”
“Whatever it is, if you think of it as being for Andy, starting a new skill won’t feel like a burden. Whether it’s carpentry, blacksmithing, or erotic techniques, you just have to think of it as something that will eventually lead to the play you long for. …If we get a dedicated hot spring like that, I’d love to do a ‘hot spring attendant’ play.”
“Hm, a hot spring attendant?”
“I’d wait in the hot spring all day, and once Andy soaks in, I’d slowly slide my cock in, and once he’s satisfied, I’d just rest in the spring again… I want to be used like a piece of bath equipment♪”
“Isn’t that just what Master does in the hot springs all the time…?”
“It’s a situation you can’t really get wild in the hot springs, so it’s something you can only do outside of the Barrier Prison.”
“I want to do a night of carefree, slow-sex bathing~ Without any vigorous hip thrusting, just keeping him inside me the whole time♪”
“Hmm. If that’s the case, then I… I’d also like to try…”
“I’d love a moon-viewing bath where I serve him sake while being treated to his cock-juice… Oh dear, is that a bit too indecent?”
“A bit late for that, Christie.”
“I can almost see Andy-san being completely melted by Lady Christie♪”
With the conversation growing more boisterous, the afternoon at the Baron’s estate passed by.
“Marone, dear. I want you to listen without taking offense.”
“Yes?”
Meanwhile, at Marie’s house, Marone and Oregano were helping Marie with cooking in an attempt to master “Mother’s home cooking.”
“A good girl like you could find a much better man than a good-for-nothing like Andy. So, um… wouldn’t it be better to stop with the whole… female slave and strange playing business?”
“Eh…”
“I’ve heard that beastmen’s sexual desire becomes much stronger than humans during the lunar cycle. Even if it’s a racial trait, I understand feeling a bit ashamed if there’s a period where you become that lewd. But even so, I don’t think you should call yourself a ‘dray’… yes, a slave. Andy is a fool, so he just goes along with it with a grin, and apparently, he’s spreading that to ten or twenty others… but just because everyone else is doing it doesn’t mean you have to be the same, Marone. A girl as modest, cute, and hardworking as you… I think there are plenty of men in the big cities who would love you with their whole lives. If you say it’s bad for Andy, I’ll be the one to shut him up.”
”…I… I don’t want to.”
”…You don’t? I think the treatment in Trot is so bad it’s almost beyond misogyny.”
“I… I want to bear Master’s child, here… Not with some stranger who will cherish me, but I want to be loved by Master… I’ve always intended to be… and yet…”
Marone looked down as she peeled the potatoes. Seeing Marone with her ears pinned back, looking as if she were about to burst into tears, Marie raised her hands in surrender.
”…Sigh. I wonder what on earth that boy has done.” She turned back to the pot with a weary expression, her shoulders slumped.
“That’s what I told you, Mother. Everyone truly loves Master, and we’re all doing this of our own accord.” Oregano smiled as she handed over the chopped herbs.
“Well, I’ve confirmed all the ‘kittens’ now. And… hmm, I was suspicious that at least one of you might be getting swept away. But most of you are experiencing this for the first time, aren’t you? I feel like once the passion cools, you’ll start thinking, ‘What on earth am I doing?’”
“Who knows? It feels like Master becomes more and more charming every time he goes on an adventure… And at least for us elves, we’re the type of race that’s quite persistent—or rather, hard to change our hearts regarding the opposite sex—so I don’t think we’ll cool down that easily.”
“I still feel like you’re all being deceived…”
“That’s only because you’re her mother. Because you view us as children, you can’t quite grasp Master’s charm.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t think there is a woman who cares for Andy as much as I do. That’s just what a parent does.”
“Ah, um… but it’s, well, different from our desire to be loved by Master, or our wish to become a part of his daily life.”
“Hmm… As a parent, I suppose I just want to stop my son when he’s doing something impossible, and stop my daughters when they seem to be misunderstanding things, before they get hurt in strange ways… But at this rate, it’s like any other King’s harem. That boy is my son, created from the seed of my foolish husband, you know?”
Oregano gave a troubled smile, then her expression turned slightly serious.
“…A King simply needs many wives because he is a part of the institution known as kingship. But Master… Andy Smyson takes upon his shoulders a greater burden than anyone else, all to bring a smile to the women he loves. I don’t want him to face defeat, so many people are gathering their strength; he expresses his love for the sake of their smiles… It isn’t a harem as an institution, but a gathering that formed out of necessity. If he finds joy in the fact that we are his females, then naturally, we wish to devote ourselves to that—it is as simple as that. It might sound self-important to put it this way, but I am certain that we cannot be contained by laws created in an old era for the sake of someone else.”
“…I don’t see him as being quite that much of a person. Not my Andy.”
“Even if that were true, I will surely remain his female slave until the very moment he dies.”
Oregano spoke with a smile that was entirely without shadow.
The sunset enveloped the town of Polka. In the south, Andy was once again throwing himself into an adventure unknown to them. Each of them waited, thinking of the day they would be reunited.