The lights of tallow candles were shining through the windows of the house, casting soft glows onto the dark street. It was hard to see the surroundings clearly because of the lack of lighting in the district, but as I walked toward the front door, I could just faintly make out the silhouettes of the almost ripe plants in our small garden, their leaves swaying slightly in the evening air.
I turned the handle and entered the house. A pleasant, savory smell of food greeted me immediately, and I could hear the muffled sounds of the girls’ voices coming from further inside. After I closed the heavy door behind me, the conversation stopped, replaced by the sound of hurried footsteps on the wooden floor. Nari and Wyn quickly approached me in the hallway.
“Welcome home, master,” Wyn said elegantly, her face brightened by a gentle smile as she looked at me.
“... W-welcome, master,” Nari added. She looked toward Wyn for a split second and then tried to imitate her posture and tone.
I could see that Nari was already receiving some teaching from Wyn, taking her as an example of how to behave in this household. I also noticed a clear timidity in her voice while she was speaking to me. I may have shown a bit of an extreme reaction earlier in the day at the city gates, but at the time, I did not know whether I could get through to her otherwise.
“Thank you. Did you eat dinner yet?” I asked, unbuckling my travel cloak.
“No, master. It has not been long since we finished preparing the dinner,” Wyn replied.
“Okay, let’s eat together,” I said, walking past them toward the dining area.
When I got in front of the living room, I saw Woya getting out of the kitchen. She was carefully carrying a large pot filled with a steaming vegetable soup. She hesitated for a moment, startled to see me standing there in front of her out of nowhere.
“... O-oh, welcome home, master. Sorry, I could not welcome you at the door since I was preparing this,” she said, her face flushing slightly from a mixture of the kitchen's heat and her own embarrassment.
“It is okay. It seems like I came right on time. The food still seems hot,” I said with a smile. That smile formed on my face naturally as soon as I started to speak with Woya; she is simply a cutie pie. I stepped aside to let her pass into the room first since she was carrying something heavy. Then I entered the living room with the other girls coming in after me.
I passed all of the empty chairs and sat at the very end of the table like always. Seeing me sitting in my designated spot, Wyn and Woya immediately started to move in coordination to serve the meals. But Nari just sat down in a chair and waited for her meal to be delivered to her. The girls glanced at her with weird, uncomfortable expressions, but they did not say a word to her.
“... Woya, what is the meaning of this?” I watched the situation for a few seconds, then asked her directly.
“Uhm… M-master, I told her that master is—I mean, I told her it is fine if we eat with him at the same table. S-so she must have thought that this was the normal way to behave,” Woya said nervously.
“You are responsible for teaching her how to behave at home. Sigh… Whatever, you only started today, so make sure she learns well,” I said. I wanted to scold her a bit more firmly, but since it had not been long since Nari arrived, I decided to let it go for now.
“M-master, I am sorry. I will do better for sure. Please forgive me,” Woya said. She started to shiver, and her eyes filled with moisture. I could also see Wyn’s face darken; a bit of contempt was shown in her eyes as she kept glancing at Nari. She must have thought that this scolding was Nari's fault. As for Nari, she was simply sitting there and watching us as if there was absolutely nothing wrong with her actions.
“Sigh... I like that you prepare my plate, Woya, but let Nari do it from now on, so she can get used to the work,” I sighed and told Woya.
“Y-yes, master,” she said.
After that, she called Nari to her side and began showing her how to serve the portions. I could see that Nari could not read the room even a little bit. Although she had listened to everything we just spoke about, she did not show any reaction or remorse. I got a distinct feeling at that moment that we would have a bad time in the future because of her personality.
Deciding to let go of this matter for the time being, I focused on my meal. There was a main meal served beside the vegetable soup. It was made by filling the inside of round peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants with a savory mixture of sautéed meat, then boiling those vegetables in a sour sauce. It was quite a unique and delicious taste, if I have to say.
After dinner was finished, I told the girls about our schedules from now on. Since I will be busy and away during the daytime, if not for a few whole days at a time, I asked them to diligently train in the morning and take care of the house chores. I explained that this would be a good time for Nari to get used to the rhythm of living here.
When I have some free time, I am planning to go to the dungeons with the four of us, so I can see what Nari is capable of in combat, and so their teamwork can be enhanced. If things go well, I can even think of buying a new slave later who excels specifically at long-range attacks.
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“By the way, did Nari settle into her room?” I asked out of curiosity.
“Yes, master. She took the room that is beside the one Woya and I are using together,” Wyn answered my question.
“Woya and you? Are you girls still using the same room?” I was a bit surprised and asked with a smile. It was good to hear that the sisters were getting along so well despite having their own space.
“Ummm… Master. You see, we are sleeping in your room nearly every day anyway, so the separate rooms do not matter that much. Hehehe,” Wyn blushed and hid her face upon hearing the question. Then I heard Woya’s voice from the other side as she explained with a shy expression.
“Ohh… Hahaha, yeah, you are right. You are just using your room to change clothes and store your belongings,” I said when I noticed that fact and laughed.
“... Ummm… Master. S-Should we prepare Nari for tonight as well?” Just as my laughter came to a halt, Woya said in a low voice while looking a bit dejected.
“...”
I did not say anything for a moment, then turned toward Nari. She was also looking at me cluelessly. Remembering what it took to eventually let Woya and Wyn into my bed, I had naturally decided to wait with Nari already. But since she did not make a good first impression on me today, the possibility of my letting her into my bed fell even further. Also, since I already have two beautiful girls to satisfy my needs, she doesn’t have much of a chance of seducing me either.
“... There is no need. Just you two will be okay for now,” I said, turning back toward Woya.
“I understand, master,” Woya replied. Even though she did not say anything else, I noticed her dejected expression was gone instantly. Both she and Wyn looked a bit happier, or maybe even had a bit of a triumphant look on their faces. I am not entirely sure.
When our discussion was finished, I sent the girls to clear the dishes. I especially indicated to them that Nari was to work mainly, so she would become familiar with the house chores. I am now certain that she has no previous experience in this area.
While they were taking care of the dishes, I went up to my room. I changed into my bedclothes and then lay on the bed. I knew that after a dozen or so minutes, the girls would be coming to accompany me, so I stayed lying there while organizing my thoughts as I thought about the places and merchants I had visited today.
It was indeed as Orzhan had said. I may be overdoing things this time, as I am planning to delve into almost any deal that I have worked on before. Clothes, jewelry, crafted goods, valuable minerals, herbs, and even fruits. I don’t know if I can successfully get my hands on all of them at once, but the work will certainly be tiring.
After organizing my thoughts on which deals to give priority, how to divide my focus and money among them, and who to sell which products to, I heard the sound of footsteps followed by two knocks on the door. After waiting for a second, the two beautiful girls in their night dresses entered the room without waiting for my permission. They did not look hesitant or shy at all, unlike how they were just one week ago. They have certainly gotten used to me and their current situation.
When I gave them my affirmation with a gesture of my head, they undressed their thin dresses and approached me from both sides of the bed. After playing around a bit before the real thing, we finally indulged our instincts and spent another quality night together.
Year 1451, month 10, day 12
“Creak!... Thud! Tap, tap, tap…”
I woke up to the sound of the door creaking open and then closing. Then I heard soft footsteps.
“Master, it is time to wake up.”
Since I was already awake but just not fully sober yet, I opened my eyes and met hers as soon as she called me.
“Good morning, Wyn,” I said with a satisfied smile on my face.
Seeing me smiling at her, a faint smile also formed on her face. She is already beautiful, but when she shows her sincere emotions like this, she becomes something like an enchantress. I nearly could not hold myself back from pulling her onto the bed with me.
After hardly controlling my urges and changing my clothes with the help of Wyn, I went to the living room after washing my hands and face. Everyone was present in the room for breakfast, except that Nari was not sitting without permission this time.
When breakfast was over, I did not rush to start working immediately. Instead, I asked them to change into their combat equipment. While they were changing, I also wore my own equipment. Since mine took longer to put on, they had already started to practice by the time I got out of the house.
I wanted to see how they were doing before I left, so I watched them train in the backyard. Wyn and Nari were matched to fight one-on-one most of the time since they were similar in experience level. While the two practiced together, Woya also practiced with her sword or on her stance alone.
From time to time, they matched with Woya, so her training would not be monotone. While I was watching, I noticed a few specific things. For example, Wyn has become much better since the day I bought her, both with her individual fighting abilities and her coordination while working with others.
Woya was literally a non-combatant when we started, but she is very good at using both sword and shield now, although she is not as naturally gifted as her sister. She can also work together with Wyn perfectly, as if they have the same brain managing them.
As for Nari, she is much better than I expected. She can fight against Wyn head-on, so her individual combat abilities are very good. The problem is that she does not look like she is adapted to working with others at all. I heard that she is used to hunting alone, so I can only hope that this will not create a problem for us in the dungeon.
After seeing their current situation, while I watched them for around one hour, I pointed out some of the mistakes they made. Then it was time for me to depart. I reminded them again what they were supposed to do while I was away, then left the house and entered the small hut beside the house we always used for the Warp.
I contemplated which business, city, or country I should start with since my talk with Orzhan. After pondering for a long time, I decided to go to Targonia first. Since there is not much complex work to do there, I thought that I could deal with the businesses over there beforehand, so that I can fully focus on the trade between the Empire and the Union later.
Since my destination is determined now, I stepped inside the portal to go back to the Kingdom once again.
[Edited]
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Heroes:
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Knights:
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