We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Between spring and summer.
The forbidden territory seems to be a little colder than the plains of my homeland, which spread to the east of Dragon Peak.
However, as spring passed and the rainy season came, ushering in early summer, the temperature had risen considerably.
We continued living in the forbidden territory from late spring, diligently taking care of the spirits alongside the Mimicho Race.
“Well then, I’ll come again tomorrow. Tomorrow, Yufi and Nina will be accompanying me, so I hope we can arrive before sunset…”
“Those two really are tsukkomi. It must be tough for Elnea to constantly be dealing with them, right?”
“Once you get used to it, it’s not that bad. They don’t mean any harm.”
What does it mean to cause trouble without any malice? Priscilla-chan’s mother shrugged her shoulders.
While staying in the forbidden territory, I made the trip between the mansion and the forest almost every day.
It was a promise I made with Priscilla-chan’s mother. To create a path that my wives could walk back and forth on.
And so, without needing to borrow the wings of Nimia, who would accompany me to see Priscilla-chan each time, I’ve been steadily making my way by foot.
And as for me, one of my wives would accompany me in turn.
This time it was Mistral, so we left the mansion yesterday morning and arrived at the homes of the Mimicho Race living in the forest before evening without any difficulty.
On days when Yufilia and Nina accompany me, there are always problems.
No, perhaps I should say they *cause* problems, right?
Incidentally, at first, there were even days when it took more than three days just for the round trip. But now, it doesn’t even take a full day for a one-way trip.
If I leave the mansion in the morning, I arrive before sunset. Then, I stay overnight and return. The return trip is the same. That has become my daily routine.
“Jab, thank you for the deer’s milk every time.”
“It’s not much, but I’ll share some with you again.”
It was Mistral, holding a leather water pouch carefully, saying goodbye.
Inside the water pouch was milk that Jab had squeezed from a wild deer.
“It makes Oz so happy. I mean, he’s a fox-type magic beast, so I do wonder about him liking milk, but…”
The milk I received from Jab was delivered by Sefina to Oz, who was working hard on the mountaintop of the sacred mountain.
According to Sefina, he was apparently drinking the milk while shedding tears.
“So, what’s the progress on that Orichalcum Mirror you mentioned?”
“It seems to be going well. At this rate, it should be polished by summer.”
I relayed the report from Sefina to Carly and the others.
Oz’s care is entirely entrusted to Sefina, so this is second-hand information.
We would like to help out, but if we were to visit him, Oz would likely become too spoiled. That’s why we still have Sefina, who is responsible, deliver his meals every day.
“Um, come again tomorrow, okay?”
“I’ll come again tomorrow, nyan.”
When the children’s greetings were finished, we left the new dwellings of the Mimicho Race.
Mistral and I walked side-by-side through the forest, shortly after the morning sun had risen.
Thanks to using it almost every day, the path connecting the mansion and the forest is slowly but surely taking shape. We trod on that path as we proceeded through the forest.
The dense forest seems to have gained even more animals since the Mimicho Race began to live there.
The spirits are also gathering from the surrounding areas, as the Mimicho Race is taking care of them. The forest, which has become quite bustling, seems to be growing well.
“Elnea, after Jiludo-sama finishes carving the decorations on the mirror, you need to show it to Charlotte before the Miko purifies it, right?”
“Yeah. Once everything is completed, I’ll show it to Ares-chan and the Giant Demon Lord before the dedication. He’ll probably want to check if it’s made properly, won’t he?”
“In that case, it might be good to show it to them when you take your male journey in the summer.”
“That’s a good idea. The place where we take the Kings will be the same as the place we show the Orichalcum Mirror!”
*Kukukuku.* Father, Mother, please look forward to your summer trip! I’ll make sure it’s a memory you’ll never forget!
By the way, the Mother’s Federation, who were visiting the Yorttenitos Kingdom, finally returned at the end of spring. She seemed very satisfied with her trip; when I went back to my family home for a different reason, my mother seemed full of life. She looked like she had become younger.
As we walked through the forest, chatting happily, Mistral intertwined her arm with mine. My heart skipped a beat, but I wasn’t as nervous as I was at first. Nevertheless, I could feel Mistral’s body heat and soft touch through her arm, and I felt a thrill.
“Should I push you down, nyan?”
“W-what are you saying!?”
This is punishment. I shook my head to dislodge Nimia, who was grooming herself on top of my head. Nimia hastily clung to my head.
“Ouch! If you dig your claws in, I’ll go bald!”
“If you go bald, I’ll share my fur with you, nyan.”
“I don’t need that kind of compensation!”
Besides, it would be fine if Nimia just didn’t dig her claws in. But Nimia’s suggestion is wonderful. Right now, it’s just the two of us. Let’s be bold…
“I’m here too, nyan.”
‘Yes, yes.’
‘What, did you call?’
‘Ah, Elnea is thinking something lewd!’
“Grrr, it’s full of nuisances!”
It seems it wasn’t just Nimia, but Ares-chan was here too. And Yunyun and Rinrin, who were kindly guiding us through the forest.
“You dummy.”
Mistral seemed to see through my ulterior motives and was laughing.
‘The Dragon King’s Forest doesn’t have the Bewildering Technique applied yet. If you let your guard down, you’ll get hurt.’
‘Carly and Priscilla-chan’s father were fighting magic beasts yesterday. You never know what might come out!’
“Yes…”
I blushed, not because I was warned about letting my guard down, but because my ulterior motives were seen through by the women.
But, it’s true that I shouldn’t let my guard down. This forest, and the forbidden territory itself, is undeveloped nature. Danger can lurk anywhere. Moreover, it seems dangerous creatures are starting to appear, targeting the animals that have begun to gather in the forest.
Grandma Yuuri is preparing the Bewildering Technique for the forest. However, it seems its activation is still some time away. Once the Bewildering Technique covers the forest, we’ll finally be able to rest easy, Priscilla-chan’s father said.
And so, Mistral and I passed through the forest without getting lost. After thanking Yunyun and Rinrin, we continued the remaining journey.
We crossed the grasslands, walked through the woods, and followed the lake. The path connecting the mansion and the forest was chosen to be a place that even my wives, who cannot use Spatial Jump, can use safely. It was very difficult at first to decide where to put the path. However, thanks to carefully selecting it without compromise, it’s now possible to walk as we are, without much trouble. Mistral, as usual, walked with her arm linked with mine, enjoying the scenery.
Speaking of which, Yunyun and Rinrin teased me and I blushed, but Mistral didn’t seem to mind and kept her arm linked with mine. Hmm. I thought I had grown a lot in how I handled women, but it seems Mistral was still far ahead.
“What?”
“Oh, nothing. I was just thinking that Mistral is beautiful no matter when I see her.”
“Honestly. What are you saying?”
When I replied to Mistral’s question, noticing my gaze, she nudged me with her hip. It was a light nudge, but I stumbled exaggeratedly. Then, Mistral, whose arm was around me, lost her balance as well. And then, we were pressed close together.
Mistral quickly regained her posture, but remained pressed against me. I didn’t let go of Mistral either.
The two of us gazed at each other.
“Mistral.”
“Elnea.”
“Nyan!”
At Nimia’s cute interjection, Mistral and I could only offer a bitter smile.
“Hey, Nimia. Whose errand are you on?”
“Nimia, you don’t have to monitor me.”
“That’s not it, nyan. I was just bored and came to bother you, nyan.”
“You little…!”
I reached out to catch Nimia, who was on my head, to give her her due punishment. But Nimia quickly flew up and escaped.
Good grief. It seems I won’t be able to spend any sweet time with Mistral today.
When we get back, I’ll have to tempt her with sweets and get her on my side. Well, since my wives will be making those sweets, it’s questionable whether they’ll be on my side.
Mistral, perhaps giving up due to Nimia’s interference, abruptly changed the subject.
“Elnea.”
“Yes.”
It wasn’t a sweet whisper. I braced myself, alerted by the seriousness in Mistral’s eyes.
“Knowing you, I’m sure you have some sort of plan in mind, but what are you going to do about Sefina?”
Perhaps it was because we were talking about Oz, or because the ridgeline of the sacred mountain was visible to the west. Mistral brought up Sefina, who was staying in the forbidden territory.
That’s a painful topic. But it’s a topic I can’t avoid.
“What do you and the others think about Sefina?”
Asking a question with a question is not a good idea, but before I voice my own opinion, I want to hear what my wives think of Sefina.
Everyone already knows Sefina’s feelings. However, I cannot simply accept them. Because I already have wives whom I’ve married and love. Mistral and the others would also dislike me acting indecorously as their husband.
After thinking for a moment, Mistral answered without hesitation.
“I think it’s fine, don’t you?”
“Ehhhh!?”
I widened my eyes in surprise at her unexpectedly light response.
“B-but, you know. When more people are involved, it intensifies, or, well…”
I’m happy that my wives are vying for me. Because I feel loved. But it must be tough for my wives. They want to monopolize me, but others get in the way. Just like we were interrupted by Nimia and the others a moment ago. Yet, Mistral doesn’t seem to mind.
“Don’t you dislike having more people interfere?”
“In the short term, it certainly makes me sigh sometimes. But in the long run, isn’t it enjoyable?”
“That’s true. We don’t have a lifespan. But then, only Sefina, who is bound by the lifespan of the Human Race, will grow old? What will Sefina think when she faces that fact?”
Interfering and being interfered with. It’s grand that every day is lively and stimulating. Mistral and the others seem to enjoy the competition for me. And they are confident that even with Sefina joining, nothing will change.
But, what about Sefina? She has to participate in my competition for affection within her limited lifespan. Today I lost, but there’s tomorrow. There’s next year. But there won’t be ten years later, or a hundred years later.
And we don’t age, but only she grows old. Can Sefina endure that fact? How will we face Sefina, who is the only one growing old? If we welcome Sefina, it will not only be her problem, but also ours.
“I hate to use the word ‘excluded,’ but Sefina might feel that way, don’t you think?”
“Then you mean you have no intention of responding to Sefina’s feelings?”
Even though I can see the future, I cannot drag Sefina into it. That is my thinking. I nodded. Upon knowing my answer, Mistral smiled.
“You are serious and honest. My husband, I’m proud of you.”
Mistral hugged me tightly. I hugged Mistral back. However, Mistral’s lips, touching my ear, whispered an unexpected word.
“Knowing your resolve, I’ll say it. Elnea, why don’t you respond to Sefina’s feelings?”
“Ehhhh!?”
For the second time, I recoiled in surprise.
“B-but, you see…?”
“Fufufu, you mean about lifespan? It’s alright. We’ve judged that Sefina can handle it.”
“Why?”
“Because we see her face every morning. We understand her personality. And we’ve confirmed that you don’t have a casual attitude. You, who can make a decision by seriously considering Sefina without being swayed by emotion, can face her feelings.”
Perhaps Mistral and the others had accepted Sefina from an early stage? And maybe they all carefully assessed her sincere feelings and personality. Sefina, who has been recognized by my wives before I knew it. If so, then it’s up to my heart now.
However, even knowing my wives’ thoughts, it’s not a simple problem that can be decided immediately. The matter of Sefina’s treatment will likely be unavoidable in the near future. I will have to think carefully and make a decision by then. I told Mistral that I would have a serious talk with Sefina again and make my decision soon.
However, I was forced to make that decision sooner than I expected.
“Sefina, go back to the capital.”
“Sefina, give up on Elnea-kun.”
Early the next morning. We headed to the forest. Shortly after we, along with Sefina, departed the mansion together, heading towards the sacred mountain.
Yufilia and Nina drew their Ryūhōken and pointed their sword tips at Sefina.
