Side: Yuki
In one corner of Betan, the town governed by Horst, a small, faint light spills out.
The light gradually faded.
"There you go, all healed up. If a big boy keeps crying forever, it'll make his mom worry, you know?"
When I said that, the boy who had scraped his knee looked up at me in surprise. He stared at his leg, then hopped up and down to check if the pain was really gone.
"Thank you, uncle!!"
"H-Hey!! ...I-I'm terribly sorry, sir!"
The energetic little boy, realizing he was healed, thanked me. His mother, who apparently knew who I was, had gone completely pale.
Well, I'm the head of the occupation forces. Given the times and this world's common sense, that reaction was only natural.
But I have no intention of acting like a tyrant. I need the townspeople to accept us, so I'm behaving like a proper gentleman.
Actually, getting angry over something this small would be considered abnormal even back in Japan. Though I can't guarantee anything when it comes to calling a woman "auntie." Some women don't hold back even with kids.
"Don't worry about it. From his perspective, I'm a proper uncle. Ah, I healed the wound with magic, but as you can see it's covered in blood. You should wash or wipe it somewhere. Is there a water source nearby?"
"Yep, it's over there, uncle!"
"T-This child..."
"He's full of energy. That's a good thing. Alright, as thanks for healing your knee, can you show me the way to the water source?"
"Sure! This way, uncle!!"
The boy grabbed my hand and started pulling me along.
"Whoa there. Don't run too fast or you'll trip again."
"I'm fine! I was just a little careless earlier. By the way, uncle, aren't the aunties who were next to you coming?"
""A-Aunties!?""
Ah, so that was a landmine word for Ria and Jessica too.
Their faces are twitching.
"P-Please forgive him!! Please, I beg you!!"
The mother looked even more desperate than before.
As a fellow woman, she probably understood just how forbidden that word was.
"You really don't understand the heart of a maiden at all, do you?"
"That's right. Those are words you must never, ever say to a girl."
"It isn't something a gentleman would say. You should treat ladies more kindly."
Walking beside me — Aslin, Filia, and Sheila — began lecturing the boy.
Yeah, there's no way a kid his age would understand.
"What are you guys? His kids?"
"We're not!! We're his wives!!"
"That's right!!"
"Please correct your phrasing. We are his wives. We are absolutely not Yuki-san's children. Rather, we are the ones who will bear his children."
Sheila, you don't need to explain it so seriously. He's not going to get it anyway.
"Well, whatever. Look, Uncle, the well is right here!"
Whew.
Good thing he's the type who doesn't care about things he doesn't understand.
If he'd kept asking questions, this would've gotten complicated.
"At that age, it can't be helped. Everyone, calm down."
"Unyuu. If Labyris-chan says so..."
"Muu. Understood."
"...You're right. I was being a little childish."
Labyris's words made them settle down.
"No, really, he's just a child. Please don't pay it any mind,"
"Indeed. We're just glad your son wasn't seriously hurt."
Ria and Jessica were talking with the boy's mother.
By the way, the beast-kin girls were currently on standby back at the mansion. We still didn't know how the townspeople would react to them.
While watching everyone else, I let the boy continue pulling me along at a light jog toward the well.
"Hey, mister. That girl has two huge things stuffed into her chest. Aren't they heavy? Don't they get in the way?"
"...Who knows."
Yeah, that's the normal reaction.
Nobody would believe Labyris' absurdly oversized breasts were real unless they'd seen them in person.
They were just that enormous. Yet they didn't look unnatural. It simply meant Labriys had completely adapted to carrying them. Well, if you watched her move, they'd sway dramatically even with a bra on, so it became obvious they were real.
"Waaah!! Labyris-chan, calm down!!"
"Using that sword would be really bad!!"
"You'll split the entire town in half all the way to the outer walls!!"
"He called my breasts a nuisance without even knowing what they're for!! Don't stop me!!"
Knock it off, Labyris.
You'll wipe the whole town off the map.
"We're here, Uncle."
While I'd been listening to the commotion behind us, we'd apparently arrived at the well.
Ria and Jessica had been talking to the boy's mother just a moment ago, yet somehow they were already standing beside me again.
Hmm, I'm glad they're doing their escort job properly. Looks like I won't be able to wander around town alone.
"Oh, nice. Thanks for the guidance. You should go wash your knee and clean it up right away."
"Okay!"
The boy headed straight for the well and started pulling the rope to draw water.
His mother was already beside him, carefully watching so he wouldn't fall in. She made eye contact with me and gave a small bow.
"So this is the well... I knew it beforehand, but using these is incredibly inconvenient... and dangerous."
"I suppose it can't be helped given the technological level here," Jessica replied.
"Weed is the abnormal one."
"Well, yeah, that's true," I agreed. "But as far as highly visible, impactful public improvements go, you couldn't ask for a better starting project than this."
"Agreed," Jessica added, nodding. "Horst-dono has already accepted our proposals regarding the food supply, but that change only really benefits the citizens who actually have the financial flexibility to buy meals."
Exactly. Even if we want to win people's hearts through their stomachs, we can't provide free food forever, so we'll have to sell it. That means it won't help the people with no money — those living without any leeway.
That's why improving the water sources is the solution.
As expected on this continent, drawing water from wells is the standard method. So we'll introduce pumps and frame it as a public works project by the governor and us. That way, everyone — rich or poor — won't have to waste time and effort just fetching water.
"Once people get used to it, we'll install proper plumbing. But we'll start with this."
"True. Suddenly installing water and sewage systems would be too much for the townspeople to understand right away."
"That means toilets will have to wait for a while..."
"...I actually think installing toilets should be a priority."
"...I agree with Ria. It's a matter of sanitation. It directly affects people's lives, so we should install them regardless of whether people understand them."
"So it's not because the smell is awful... or because you don't want strangers watching you relieve yourselves?"
""......""
The two of them quietly looked away.
"I don't think that's a bad reason. I wouldn't want other men seeing my wives relieving themselves in public either."
"Thank you very much!"
"...Excuse me? Did you just say 'wives?'"
"Yeah, I did. I have no intention of dragging you into this situation and then abandoning you. It's up to you, Jessica. There are plenty of good men besides me, so you don't have to accept this ring if you don't want to."
I pulled out a luxurious case containing a ring from my pocket. The design was, of course, the same as the other wives'.
If things continued like this, she'd likely remain single as my escort for life, so I had to take responsibility.
Jessica stared at me and the ring, opening and closing her mouth like a fish, before slowly reaching out and accepting the case.
"...If you're confused, you can always give me your answer later. You don't have to force—"
"—I wouldn't force myself to accept it. Even I'm capable of making that much of a decision."
Jessica cut me off before I could finish.
She removed the ring from its case... and held it out toward me.
"You don't want it after all?"
"N-No!! That's not it!! A man is supposed to put the ring on, right!?"
"...Oh. That."
"'That'!? What do you mean, 'that'!? You really have no sense when it matters most!!"
Jessica yelled, raising her voice in a rare display of emotional outburst.
Her point is valid, so I accepted the ring and gently slipped it onto the ring finger of her left hand.
"Ah... Sorry for not being more thoughtful."
"...No. I was being a bit childish too. But..."
"But?"
Did I step on another landmine?
"...Sniff... Ria... I... never imagined this could make me this happy..."
She broke into tears and clung to Ria.
"Oh dear, that won't do, Jessica. In moments like this, a wife is supposed to lean against her husband's chest."
Saying that, Ria promptly pushed Jessica toward me.
Dodging her would've completely ruined the moment, so I caught her properly.
"...I will devote myself to you. For the rest of my life, I will be your sword and shield, and support you as your wife... hic..."
As I held Jessica in my arms, I noticed something.
Everyone gathered around the well was grinning at us.
"Look, look, mom!!"
"Ara... I thought the occupation army people were scary, but they're quite sweet."
"That was nice to see."
"...But isn't the husband a bit too blunt?"
"...Idiot. Don't you think it's amazing he confessed in front of so many people?"
Damn.
Because it was Jessica, I'd assumed she'd either calmly accept or calmly refuse.
I wasn't expecting her to get so emotional and cry!
"Right, contact everyone quickly!!"
"Understood!!"
"Right away nanodesu!!"
"Killue, hello!! Jessica-san has become a wife!! We're having a big celebration today!!"
The little ones immediately contact the other wives.
Terrifying...
"...It turned out like this, but is this really okay?”
"...This is exactly what I wanted."
There wasn't any kiss on the spot or anything like that.
Instead, we simply stood there looking into each other's eyes... then laughed at the absurdity of the situation.
Yeah.
Life really is impossible to predict.
Especially a woman's heart.
* * *
Side: The Low-Ranking Goblins
"""......"""
Officially, we were still being treated as slaves.
Today's assignment was maintaining public order in town... and drawing maps of the streets.
Then we happened to witness the Boss and Jessica-neesan.
Well, we'd known this was coming sooner or later.
But still...
"""Tch."""
Life... no, goblin life — is so unfair.
Ah right, better report this to Captain Steve too.
Wonder if anyone managed to record it on video?
