Side: ???
In a deep underground where light does not reach, a dull flame flickered and illuminated the surroundings.
In such darkness, a single candle could only provide this much light.
Without fear, without hesitation, I simply walked through the gloom.
The steady click-clack of my footsteps echoed through the silence.
It was a sound I had heard countless times, a path I had trodden over and over. I wondered what I had been feeling the very first time I visited this place...
"...What is the point of thinking about that now?"
The thought that crossed my mind was instantly voiced and rejected.
I have absolutely no right to look back on the past. After behaving the way I did, seizing this place by force, and now doing what I am currently doing... a person like me is truly forbidden from dwelling on the past.
"...What is wrong? Are you not coming inside?"
"...My apologies. I am coming right in."
Before I knew it, I had arrived in front of the destination door and had apparently been standing frozen until a voice called out to me from behind.
At any rate, I stepped inside immediately and took my seat.
I placed the candle on the table in front of me—a long, plain desk that remained entirely unchanged.
How many times had we exchanged opinions around this very desk...?
As I stared at the desk illuminated by the candle, the others gradually gathered as well. With each arrival, more candles were lit, increasing the light until the layout of the room became faintly visible.
In the corner of the room stood a wooden shelf.
It was a shelf so ancient that its wear and tear were obvious even in this dim light.
"Does it bring back memories?"
The words echoed through the room.
I instinctively turned around at the sound of that voice.
There sat our leader, watching me.
"...My deepest apologies. I was... just recalling a few things from the past. I am well aware that looking back at this point is foolish, and yet..."
Before I realized it, everyone had taken their seats and was looking at me.
"No, there is no need to apologize."
Saying so, the leader shifted her gaze toward the ancient shelf I had been staring at.
The others followed suit, casting their eyes in the same direction.
"I... feel the same way. I think about it every time I come here. As you say, we may not possess the right to look back, but it cannot be helped that the memories return. After all, This place was where everything began."
Hearing that, I turned my gaze back to the ancient shelf once more.
It was an old, completely empty shelf now, but every comrade gathered in this room shared memories tied directly to it.
Considering the vast span of time we had lived through, the period we spent here was brief enough to be called a mere blink of an eye. And yet, even so, I could remember it vividly.
...The face of that person who saved us.
...And the exact manner of that person's death.
"...For the sake of our own beliefs, for the things most precious to us, we betrayed the people we cherished most."
The leader muttered quietly.
Hearing her voice, I and everyone else shifted our gazes back to her.
"Yet, those beliefs ultimately meant nothing. In a way, I suppose it was only natural. After all, we too were betrayed in the end. We betrayed others. We ourselves were betrayed... that is how we ended up here."
The leader slowly scanned our faces one by one.
Once she had looked upon everyone, she closed her eyes, took a deep, heavy breath, and spoke.
"That is enough dwelling on memories. From here on out, we simply offer our atonement. At the very least, let us handle our own mistakes with our own hands. And after that... we shall entrust everything to Peace."
As the leader spoke, everyone, including myself, nodded in firm agreement.
"Our preparations are complete. All that remains is to take action and fulfill our purpose."
With those words as her signal, she rose from her chair and hoisted a certain sword high into the air.
"For the sake of tomorrow we have yet to see."
"""For the sake of tomorrow we have yet to see."""
* * *
Side: Yuki
Now, it is time for me to fulfill the duty I must perform.
"Kushun!!"
Hweh, not good.
"Oya, that was quite an adorable sneeze."
Ah, of course she saw it.
Damn it all, for some reason my sneezes always end up sounding like that. I can't manage a manly, booming explosion of a sneeze no matter how hard I try.
"...Ratz, keep this a secret from the others."
Yes, she had to keep it a secret, otherwise my dignity would be completely shot.
Why couldn't I sneeze like a real man? Something like 'HAAA-CHOO!'
"I mean, what's the point of hiding it now? Everyone already knows, you know? They all think Onii-san's sneezes are cute. Anyone who's seen it couldn't help but smirk, and now I get to smirk about it from now on too."
"My wives are bullying me..."
Is it truly impossible to keep a single secret between a married couple...?
As I slumped a little in disappointment, Ratz watched me with a teasing grin before continuing the conversation.
"Nyufufufu... as your wife, I'm absolutely thrilled to see that side of you. Besides, tonight is my turn, so I feel like I'm going to be extra fired up. But putting that aside, you haven't caught a cold or anything, right?"
"Yeah, my nose just felt a bit itchy for a second. I've never heard of a Doppel coming down with a cold and getting sick anyway. Plus, I've been getting plenty of sleep."
Though Doppels are technically monsters, once they transform into humans, they have a metabolism and get tired if they exert themselves. Because of that, it wouldn't be entirely impossible for them to catch a cold, but for the time being, I didn't have any joint aches or other typical symptoms.
"In that case, someone among the members left behind must be gossiping about you. After all, everyone absolutely adores you, Onii-san."
"...I suppose so. I did demand a lot from them by asking them to stay behind, so I'm sure they're worried."
Ever since coming to the new continent, I've been doing nothing but operating separately from them, which has been a real disservice. Even though our daughters were just born, I've left everything entirely up to the wives...
"It's fine, you know. Onii-san is always thinking about us like that. That's exactly why we, and the members staying behind, trust you so completely. We want you to move forward with peace of mind."
"Ratz..."
"That's right~ If you really want to make it up to us, then just hurry up and finish your business in Enaria so you can cook us a delicious home-cooked meal."
"Yeah, thanks. That said, we're camping out in the open tonight, so we'll leave this place to the Doppels and head back to Weed anyway."
"Nahaha, that really makes things convenient, doesn't it~? But honestly, if we didn't have a method like this, there's no way we could have followed you out here. Our daughters would have been left completely abandoned."
"Seriously, I am so glad I'm a Dungeon Master. Under normal circumstances, you can't just take your wives on an adventure this easily, and if you wielded this much power, you'd constantly have to worry about the local authorities being wary of you."
"True~ Normally, you'd have to constantly worry about greedy people or potential kidnappings, but thanks to your Dungeon Master skills, that worry is practically zero. Honestly, I'm so glad I fell in love with you, Onii-san."
Saying that, Ratz suddenly lunged forward and threw her arms around me.
I always enjoy hugging my wives, and since Ratz has one of the larger busts among them, her breasts felt incredibly soft and comfortable against me.
"Nyufufufu... I'm glad I could make you happy, Onii-san. Once we get back to Weed, let's make sure to flirt up a storm~"
Ratz murmured, burying her face into my chest. Yeah, my wife is incredibly cute.
"Ahhh! Ratz-san, that's not fair!!"
"...I walk all the way back from gathering firewood, only to find Ratz monopolizing the hugs?"
"No, Ria, Jessica, calm down. Today is Ratz's day, after all..."
"That's right~. Today is the day Onii-san and I get to be lovey-dovey with each other."
""Ugh.""
The two of them groaned in frustration.
Wait, is it just my imagination, or did the light completely vanish from their eyes? That's terrifying...
"Well, it's fine if you want to hug him too. You're both his wives. Actually... Would you like to join us tonight?"
""Is that really okay?!""
The light instantly snapped back into their eyes.
Their enthusiasm was terrifying...
"Yes. I'm looking forward to it too, but I have my daughter to think about, so I can't stay by Onii-san's side the entire time. But if I just leave, Onii-san will be left all lonely, right?"
""Nod, nod.""
No, I was fully planning on just having a peaceful, normal night's sleep though...
"So, since you two aren't pregnant yet, I figured the timing was perfect. Tori and her group have formed their own team anyway. Once I head over to be with my daughter, I'll leave Onii-san in your hands, okay?"
""Leave it to us!!" "
W-Wait, am I going to be eaten!?
"Well, putting that aside for a moment... you've been traveling with Princess Miffy, Mist-san, and the Holy Sword wielder. How do things look?"
"What do you mean by how?"
"Ah, well, how should I put it... like whether it looks like the ceasefire will actually hold, or if there's some kind of hidden agenda behind it all."
"Ah, that."
Man, Ratz really is great at switching gears.
The moment she brought up work, the predatory look in Ria and Jessica's eyes instantly vanished, replaced by their serious, professional expressions.
Now, regarding Princess Miffy and the others...
"From what I've gathered, the ceasefire is a direct order from the King of Jilva, so I expect the talks to proceed on that front."
"I figured as much."
"But."
"But?"
"While freeing the Holy Sword wielder is fine, the other side is probably going to absolutely hate the idea of Princess Miffy marrying into their nation..."
"I see... because they'll want to keep their interactions with Mino-chan and his crew entirely to themselves, huh."
Exactly.
Both Jilva and Enaria desperately want a ceasefire, but it's created a hilarious situation where both sides are frantically searching for the perfect terms to make it happen.
Since we have a pretty clear grasp of the internal situations on both sides, it's honestly amusing to watch. For Jilva and Enaria, however, they are stressing themselves to the bone trying to figure out how to secure a ceasefire that protects their own interests without letting their secrets slip to the other party.
Because of that, Enaria is thrilled to get their Holy Sword wielder back. However, they desperately want to avoid having a member of the Jilva royalty marrying into their ranks, even if she's essentially a hostage. Why? Because it risks exposing their private dealings with Mino-chan.
On the flip side, Jilva knows they can't expect a smooth ceasefire if they insist on keeping all the territory they captured. That's precisely why they chose the method of returning the Holy Sword wielder and sending Princess Miffy away as a bride... This ceasefire conference is going to be an absolute spectacle to watch.
"Speaking of Mino-chan... have Mino-chan and the others who went ahead arrived safely?"
Jessica asked, as if suddenly remembering.
Just as she said, Mino-chan and his crew had been approached separately from us and had set off toward Enaria ahead of the main group.
"They're fine. We've been receiving regular status reports, and they're being treated well. Though, it's not like anyone could easily assassinate them anyway."
From Enaria's perspective, they likely want to negotiate with Mino-chan's group first to prevent any information from leaking to Jilva, allowing them to steer the terms entirely in Enaria's favor. They have absolutely no reason to murder the people they're trying to negotiate with.
Well, if the internal factions of Enaria are fractured enough, an assassination attempt isn't entirely off the table. But Mino-chan isn't the type to let himself get killed, and the subordinates he brought along are vastly superior to any Magic Sword wielders. They could easily handle themselves even against a first-rate army on this continent.
"Is that so? In that case, it sounds like we'll be able to take it quite easy once we arrive in Enaria."
"If by 'take it easy' you mean engaging in leisurely espionage, then yes."
"Hehe, true. While we're at it, it would be wonderful if we could... you know, go on a few dates in Enaria as well."
"Ah, Jessica, that's not fair! Me too! Me too!"
"Oya, oya. In that case, I suppose it's perfectly fine for me to get lovey-dovey with Onii-san in Enaria too, right?"
With my arms pinned by Ratz and Ria, I looked forward to see Jessica's face flushing a deep crimson.
"...Yeah. It would be great if absolutely nothing happened."
The moment I muttered that, the expressions on all three of their faces instantly turned dead serious.
"Do you have some cause for concern?"
Jessica asked, sounding worried.
"Nah, it's just that usually, a bizarre event tends to trigger right around this kind of timing. It's been like that every single time up until now, after all."
"Ah, I see what you mean."
"Very true~"
Ratz and Ria had been with me far longer than Jessica, so they had vivid memories of several occasions where tedious trouble had reared its head exactly like this.
The moment Ria became a Hero, she was instantly thrown into a battle against a Demon King. As for Ratz, she had been around since Weed was just a starting dungeon, meaning she'd been dragged into all sorts of chaotic events.
"But even if a problem does occur, what kind of situation are you expecting?"
"No idea. But... if the worst comes to the worst..."
"The worst?"
"Be prepared for a scenario where literally everyone around us turns into an enemy. If we fall into a situation where we can't afford to waste time discerning ally from foe, ignore whether they belong to Jilva or Enaria—suppress absolutely everyone. Naturally, you don't need to hold back. Just pull your punches enough so that anyone lucky enough to survive isn't dealt a fatal blow."
"...Could a situation that severe truly happen?"
"Who knows. Obviously, it would be best if it didn't. But if we don't think about how to handle it beforehand, our own casualties could be devastating. If any of my wives got hurt because of that, I'd literally cry."
"Um, if it comes to that, wouldn't your original objective of quietly investigating this continent be...?"
"Don't worry about it; my wives are infinitely more important. It'll be a massive pain, but if it happens, we'll just raise our own flag, utterly crush our enemies, and conduct our investigation at our own leisure."
I stated flatly.
There wasn't even a need to weigh the options.
My wives' lives versus a strategy tailored strictly to the current political climate? My wives won out every single time, without question.
"Now then, there is no point worrying over things that haven't even happened yet. We should get to lighting this firewood and preparing dinner soon, otherwise Seraria and the others are going to get angry."
"Oops, good point. Ria, Jessica, handle the preparations."
""Understood.""
Now then, what should we have for dinner tonight? Even though these are Doppel bodies, eating the exact same rations every single day gets depressing.
Hmm, it's started getting pretty warm lately. Maybe we should go with somen noodles? All you have to do is boil them, and they taste delicious adjusted with some dipping broth and condiments.
"Alright, let's make it quickly."
Muttering to myself, I began pulling the necessary ingredients straight out of my Item Box.
