Chapter 315: Prohibition Zone (2)

Erina ended up teleporting us despite being on the verge of tears. It was because she had surrendered to my threat that I would never have sex with her again if she threw a tantrum here. Since AA seemed a bit moved seeing the tearful Erina, I stroked Erina’s head and spoke:

“Erina. If you really get horny, just ask your mother for sex. Wouldn't that solve it?”

“...Understood.”

Not expecting her to actually say she understood, I glanced back and forth between her and AA with a somewhat flustered face. AA was also visibly flustered by Erina's response. Erina held back her tears and waved, and we waved back as we set the carriage in motion. Through the power of Alio Festa, we returned to the mansion once more.

In front of the mansion’s courtyard, Eve was sitting on a chair looking over documents. She had been absentmindedly scanning through the paperwork, but upon seeing the carriage we were riding in appear, she smiled shyly. Then, the moment I got off, she leaped into my arms and hugged me tightly. Stroking her hair, I asked:

“Were you waiting for me?”

“A lot. You said you'd be back in ten days, so why are you so late? I thought something had happened.”

Then Eve looked at AA, who was holding my hand tightly. The woman who, until just recently, insisted she would never become a wife was now holding my hand with a modest posture while avoiding Eve’s gaze. Eve glanced between me and AA before grinning.

“So you're the Fifth Wife?”

“F-Fifth Wife, what do you mean...?”

“Ahahaha! Look at how embarrassed you are. Was Sir Hero this kind of person? How cute.”

“Ah, I-I mean...”

Eve waited for AA's next words with sparkling eyes. AA rubbed her flushed face and slowly let go of my hand. Then she spoke:

“P-Please take good care of me. From now on...”

“Ahahahahaha!”

Eve’s laughter rang out loudly. The servant who had brought documents since morning let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the carriage I was riding in arrive. Judging by the circumstances, Eve had seemingly been working in front of the courtyard for several days just to catch sight of my arrival. When I stroked her hair, Eve shook her head lightly, took my hand, and headed toward the mansion.

“Husband. So, did anything happen in Ahildern this time?”

“Who knows?”

I said so while looking at AA. AA glared at me with a flushed face and said:

“D-Don't try to tease me.”

“Husband. She says not to tease her.”

“Understood, Sir Hero.”

Even though we told her we wouldn't tease her, AA lowered her head deeply, her face still red. As we made our way back inside through the mansion's main gate, everyone's eyes gathered on us at once. It was because AA appeared far more demure and feminine than usual. Anyone with the slightest bit of tact could easily tell that her attitude toward me had changed completely.

Aira, who was cleaning the mansion corridor, chuckled with an "Oh my," seeing AA's modest steps and my imposing figure; while Cellu, who was enjoying wheelchair racing with Elsi in the corridor, became flustered upon seeing me and acted docile as if she hadn't done anything. Elsi also twitched her ears and trembled slightly upon seeing us.

“H-Hello! L-Long time no see?”

Following that awkward greeting, Cellu waved toward the Hero who had followed behind.

“It's the Hero? How come you're together this time?”

“Well, Cellu, about that...”

“Waaah! Waaaaah!”

Just as I was about to say something with a broad grin, a flustered AA covered my mouth. Startled, I reflexively pulled my face back, but the Hero's hand was faster. Slap! At the sound of her palm striking against my lips, I, Eve, and AA all looked at each other in bewilderment. It seemed she had put far more force into it than intended. AA hurriedly withdrew her hand, and I rubbed my lips, furrowing my brow. Cellu said upon seeing that:

“Snicker, having a lovers' quarrel already? How scary.”

“N-No, that's not it! Sir Priest, I'm sorry. I... put a bit too much force into it unconsciously...”

Rubbing my lips, I leaned against Eve. Eve wrapped her arms tightly around me and began to soothe and pamper me. It was a movement so natural that one might have thought it was planned in advance. I acted coy with Eve like a spoiled child:

“Eve. I got hit by the Fifth Wife. Scold her quickly. Put her through some territorial hazing.”

“Ah, well, that is...”

“Scary. The Hero. I need to build up my strength too.”

Elsi added a word in all seriousness. AA was at a complete loss between them, her face filled with embarrassment.

“N-No, that's not it... Um...”

Eve grinned. I grinned as well and gave AA’s buttocks a light squeeze. Flustered that I would do such a thing right in the hallway, AA stepped forward. Aira was coming up after finishing her cleaning. I spoke to Aira:

“Aira. Once you finish cleaning, please guide our Sir Hero to an empty room.”

“Yes!”

AA's first day as a wife was passing in this manner.

****

Arriving at the office, I went through a brief handover of the duties accumulated over the past twelve days. Ever since Delmon Territory was merged with ours, the territory's workload had been steadily increasing. It was fortunate that I had resigned from the office of High Priest. Otherwise, church-related billing documents would have been piled up like a mountain next to my desk. It was an immense relief that the Hero, gifted with both a keen intellect and boundless stamina, was affiliated with the territory at this juncture.

“So, when are you leaving again next time?”

Eve asked me while sorting through the paperwork. I was sitting at the office desk, scanning the remaining documents. Her question gave me an inward pang of guilt. It was because she had already taken it for granted that I would leave the territory behind to go somewhere else again.

“Well. Once the Carriage of Alio Festa is fully recharged with mana, I plan on visiting Artie first.”

“That Dragon Wife?”

“Yeah. Sieri feels uncomfortable, after all. I plan to take Sieri and see if she can quickly polymorph her, and also...”

“And?”

Eve pressed on the condition I had trailed off on. I started to speak, then closed my mouth again. Bringing up this topic now didn't seem very good for her. I intended to ask Artie whether she could resolve Eve's infertility issue. Looking intently at Eve, I replied:

“It's a secret.”

“What's with that? You're no fun.”

Eve grumbled like that and sat down next to me again. Sitting quietly for a moment, as if suddenly struck by an idea, she brought over two more reception chairs. Lining them up side by side next to me, she pillowed her head on my thigh and lay down across the chairs.

“What are you doing?”

“Just because. I wanted to do this.”

Eve said so and stroked my knee. I smoothed her red hair and poked her pale cheeks. In rhythm with my pokes, Eve puffed out her cheeks or opened her mouth slightly to nibble on my finger. Grinning, I kneaded her cheeks.

“Husband. You'll stay with me tonight, right?”

“Of course.”

A minimum amount of possessiveness was a natural right. I touched her ears and lightly massaged her arm. At the same time, I began scanning the documents once more. With each passing day, Eve's proficiency in handling duties increased, to the point where it seemed the territory could be operated flawlessly even without me. Putting the documents down with a satisfied look, I looked at Eve again. When I lowered my head to gaze down at her, Eve chuckled.

“Your expression is funny.”

“Are you laughing at your husband?”

I pinched Eve's cheeks and ruffled her hair. Eve giggled as if delighted all the same, then closed her eyes gently and rubbed her face against my thigh.

“It feels nice.”

“Do you like that I came back that much?”

“Yeah.”

After that, the two of us were quiet for a moment. Eve stroked my leg and smiled quietly. Watching Eve’s expression, I caressed her hair. I wouldn't have grown tired of staying like this all day. Beyond the office desk, the hallway grew noisy.

“Yahoo!”

“Aht, you shouldn't mess around with the wheelchair, Cellu!”

“Try and catch me!”

“Miss Elsi, you shouldn't be playing like that with Cellu either!”

“This isn't playing, it is training. Big Mermaid said that training like this strengthens arm muscles and increases agility.”

“I'm telling you to do that kind of thing outside!”

Cellu had seemingly gone crazy again. Sieri's voice could also be heard. Eve chuckled and said to me:

“Since she was always flopping around and running all over the place, I told her to ride a wheelchair inside the house. So she's been playing around like that with the wheelchair since this morning.”

“I should stop them before they break something. Otherwise Sieri will cry.”

“Indeed.”

But right now, I felt too lazy to move from this spot. I just wanted to sit like this for ten more minutes. Someone knocked on the office door. The sound of wheels rolling in the corridor had stopped before I knew it.

“Who is it?”

“Ah, it's me. Sieri.”

“Come in.”

The moment the door opened, Eve roughly tidied her disheveled hair and got up from under the office desk. Sieri, who had been opening the door, saw Eve raise her head from beneath the desk, looked at me with a slightly flustered face, and said as she carefully closed the door:

“E-Excuse me.”

“...What was that?”

“I know, right? What was that about?”

We brushed ourselves off and stood up. When we stepped into the hallway, Cellu and Elsi were carrying the wheelchair and heading downstairs. I said to Cellu:

“Cellu. I heard you've been playing with the wheelchair lately?”

“It's not playing, I'm training Elsi. Snicker...”

“Please exercise restraint in the hallway. And where is Soya? The Lord has arrived, yet Soya hasn't even shown her face.”

“She's in the workshop because I asked her to modify my wheelchair.”

“Modification?”

“I asked her to install a mana booster. Once that's attached, I can move at tremendous speeds outside. I'll become the fastest mermaid in the world. Snicker, my dream is coming true.”

Wasn't Cellu's dream a Juji Yukrim? I decided to just nod along and let it slide. After all, the more dreams and women you have, the better.

“...You're not going to roll that inside the house, right?”

“Of course not. I'm not that unreasonable.”

Cellu spoke proudly with her chest puffed out. Shaking my head, I headed toward Soya's workshop. There was a no entry sign at the workshop, and the door was closed more tightly than ever. Checking that the door was cracked open, I peeked inside stealthily.

Soya could be seen wearing a welding mask and diligently searing a massive machine with her staff. Her breasts gleamed brightly in the reflected blue light. An engineer mage, of all things. At that sight, I ended up getting an erection.