THE NEXT DAY
Motegi stands at the kitchen counter, preparing a classic egg sandwich for breakfast. On a nearby plate sit slices of the milk bread he bought yesterday.
He scoops a generous portion of mashed boiled eggs into a bowl, seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper. Then, he adds his own handmade mayonnaise: yolks whisked with olive oil, lemon juice, and mustard, mixed by hand until smooth. After that, he spreads the creamy mixture onto the fluffy bread until the edges puff slightly, pressing the halves together gently and discarding the crust with a knife.
"Careful... careful... Perfect!"
He guides the knife to slice the finished sandwiches diagonally, and he nods in satisfaction when he sees the perfect cross section.
Then, he steps away from the counter and calls out.
"Yomogi, Chantal! Breakfast is ready!"
Footsteps pat in almost immediately. Yomogi arrives first, and Chantal appears next.
"Can you help bring the coffee to the table, Yomogi?"
"Of course, Motegi-chan!"
"Chantal, can you check if Kimberly wants to join us?"
"On it!"
As Yomogi helps him with the coffee, Chantal slips out the door toward Kimberly's hut beside the villa.
At the hut, Chantal gives the wooden door a few knocks.
"Kimberly!"
A long pause happens, then a voice answers from within.
"Come in..."
Chantal steps inside. Kimberly stands near a window, brushing her long blonde hair.
"Kimberly, wanna join us for breakfast?"
"Breakfast…?"
"Yup, Motegi-kun said he wants you to join too."
Kimberly tilts her head slightly with a smile.
"He's… so kind… I will join…"
"Great! Let's go, Kimberly!"
Back at the villa, the front door opens again.
"Motegi-kun! Kimberly's coming!"
"Good. Bring her in, the food is rea..."
When Motegi is busy putting the sandwiches on the table, he stops midsentence as Kimberly steps into view. She wears something different today, but just snug enough to outline her curves and her huge breasts. And it's enough to make him speechless.
Chantal fake-coughs and smiles slyly.
"Ahem. Motegi-kun?"
Yomogi giggles from the table, one hand gently covering her smile.
"Fufufu…"
And he stammers.
"W-What?"
"Nothing at all, Motegi-kun."
Kimberly looks between them, clearly puzzled. And Chantal waves it off.
"What is wrong…?"
"Don't worry. Really, it's nothing, Kimberly."
Kimberly still looks puzzled but lets it go.
Then, everyone gathers at the dining table. Kimberly leans forward curiously.
"What is... this…?"
And Motegi answers casually.
"It's just a simple egg sandwich."
"It looks… unique… I have never... seen it before…"
"Me neither. Motegi-chan always makes food I've never tried before."
"Motegi-kun's cooking is top-tier, you know! Everything he makes is amazing."
Then, he continues speaking.
"Alright, alright. That's enough praise. Let's eat now, shall we?"
"Yes!"
The three women say in unison, and the moment the sandwiches touch their lips, a chorus of moans fills the table.
"Mmmmm!!!"
Yomogi is the first to speak, her fluffy tail wags furiously behind her.
"This is amazing! So soft and creamy!"
Chantal is already halfway through her bite, swishing her own small tail with equal delight.
"What is this? It's so good I can't put it into words…"
Meanwhile, Kimberly's reaction is different as she mumbles with a full mouth, her long ears joyfully twitching.
"Mmmhhf... fmmfmm..."
Yomogi asks him something.
"Hey, Motegi-chan. What's the creamy part?"
"Ah, that's mayonnaise."
And Chantal inspects her sandwich, poking at the white filling.
"This part, Motegi-kun?"
"Yup."
And again, Kimberly continues mumbling unintelligibly through another big bite, which makes Motegi smile.
"Mmff… mmhm… fmm…"
"Umm... Kimberly, maybe eat first, then talk?"
Kimberly pauses, swallows, and then speaks with a delighted expression.
"I've never… eaten anything… this incredible… before…"
After he knows what Kimberly says, he smiles warmly.
"I'm glad you like it."
With that, they keep eating until the sandwiches disappear. Yomogi and Chantal rub their stomachs, both of them sighing.
"Phew... I'm so full, Yomogi…"
"Me too, Chantal. We ate a lot again..."
Kimberly, still looking blissful, joins in.
"I've never... eaten... that much… before…"
After that, they all sit back with their coffee, talking about what they will do. And Yomogi is the first one to ask.
"So, what's your plan for today, Motegi-chan?"
"Umm... I'll be heading back to teach Berland's girls again."
"Do your best, Motegi-chan."
"Thanks, Yomogi."
Then, Chantal playfully smirks over her cup.
"Did you flirt with any of them, Motegi-kun?"
"No."
"Boo. That's no fun."
He rolls his eyes, thanking her sarcastically.
"Ah, thank you, Chantal."
Then, Yomogi speaks again.
"Actually... Kimberly will take us to explore Heiligeichen today."
And Chantal adds.
"Yes! She says she wants to go to the library, so she's dragging us along."
Hearing that, Motegi turns to Kimberly.
"Thanks for bringing them, Kimberly. They deserve some fresh air too."
"It's… nothing..."
Then, Chantal leans in excitedly.
"Hey, hey, you know what, Motegi-kun? Kimberly showed us her magic yesterday!"
And Yomogi's eyes sparkle when she confirms it.
"Yes! I'm so happy I got to see it, it was amazing!"
Motegi smiles and playfully gets disappointed, which makes Kimberly chuckle.
"You girls are lucky. I'm jealous."
"It's funny... to see… young people... like you… are interested... in an old mage… like me..."
After that, the room becomes silent again for a while as he takes a sip of coffee and sighs.
"But honestly, I can't believe how fresh the food is here. It's actually better than in Remantia."
"You… didn't know…?"
"Hm? Know what?"
"The fruits… vegetables… grains… and nuts… in Remantia… they all come… from here…"
Kimberly's statement nearly makes him drop his cup.
"Wait, seriously?"
"Yes. You know… Heiligeichen… is the central… of winery… and brewery… right?"
"Yes, I do."
"Then… doesn't it... make sense… that we sell… the grapes and grains… fresh too…?"
Motegi blinks, absorbing new information in his head.
"Huh… You're right. I never thought about that."
"Motegi-chan, you're so funny."
"Motegi-kun always doesn't know the obvious again…"
Moments later, they all burst out laughing together.
INSIDE BERLAND'S BROTHEL
**********
The moment I step into the brothel, I'm greeted by a swish of silver hair.
"Sensei! Smell my hair!"
An elf girl runs at me and suddenly twirls in front of me, her smile sparkling with pride. I can smell a fresh citrus sweetness, definitely the scent only my shampoo could bring.
"Yeah. Smells great."
She beams, bouncing on her heels.
"Right?! Your shampoo made my hair sooo soft! No more itchiness, no more dryness. I even got praised by a customer yesterday. He said stroking my hair felt like touching clouds!"
"I'm happy to hear that."
Then, another elf sidles up to me and smirks playfully, her fingers resting on her lips.
"Sensei, I brushed my teeth last night... and guess what happened after?"
"What?"
Then, she leans in and giggles.
"I kissed my customer, and he told me, 'Your breath was so sweet, I could kiss you all night long.'"
"Ah. That's... good to know."
I mean, you don't need to be that detailed, though…
And again, another voice cuts in from behind.
"Sensei!"
An energetic cyclops marches over cheerfully, showing her armpit.
"I used to sweat like crazy, but now that I use your deodorant? My armpits smell soooo good! I've never felt this clean before!"
"I told you, didn't I?"
She laughs sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head.
"Hehe… yeah, guess you did."
One more elf raises her hand from nearby, blinking up at me with a puzzled expression.
"Sensei, does your sanitizer really kill the invisible things on our hands?"
"Yeah, it does. You can't see it, but that doesn't mean it's not working."
"But, I don't feel anything, sensei."
"You will. You'll feel it when you don't get a stomachache after eating with clean hands."
And she murmurs thoughtfully.
"Oh..."
It was hard to believe this place had been a chaotic mess just yesterday. But ever since the bet yesterday, the girls had been surprisingly obedient. And now, they laugh more, work together, and pay attention to my lesson.
However...
"Checkmate."
I say a moment later, sliding my queen across the board. Sabina the elf sighs and drops her head onto the table.
"Ugh… I lost again."
Sabina looks up at me with a flat stare.
"You're cheating, aren't you, sensei?"
"You picked white and moved first. How could I cheat?"
And just like that, Sabina pouts and drops her head again.
"Unfair..."
But, there's one more...
"Nooooooo! Again?! Sensei, come on!"
Meera the cyclops suddenly clutches her head dramatically over the go board as I claim the last cluster of territory.
"You did a good job, Meera."
"No, I didn't! One more round! This time I'll win for sure!"
"Sure."
The only reason I'm even standing here calmly and undefeated in those two games is because these girls, especially Sabina and Meera, are still betting with the same stakes as yesterday: "sleep with me if I win."
But of course they won't.
Because my [Temporary Boost] is always active, and my intelligence stat remained at infinity.
"Ron!"
It's Keyla the dwarf, and her voice snaps me out of my thoughts. I turn in time to see her slam a tile down and smirk at her opponents, who are three elf girls.
"She won again!"
"But we're playing another round!"
"Yeah! You're gonna lose this time, Keyla!"
Keyla cracks her knuckles and scoffs at them.
"Try me, baby."
And then, I continue to focus on my match with Meera. As I plan my next move, I glance up at her.
"Hey, Meera. Do you like working with Mr. Berland?"
She pauses, then her smile turns into something very sincere.
"I do. I really do, sensei. Berland-sama always looks after us. If any of us get sick, he gets us the best medicine. He makes sure we're comfortable, never forces us into anything, never says anything rude, and never makes us feel dirty or worthless."
"I see…"
Then, Meera taps my knee with hers and gestures toward the room.
"Look at them, sensei."
I glance over. The girls are laughing, sniffing each other's hair, showing their fresh teeth, and helping one another practice playing board games.
Then, Meera continues.
"I've never seen them this happy before. Honestly, it's like… they're a real family now."
I let that thought settle in, and she glances back at me.
"Berland-sama is so lucky to have found someone like you, sensei. I've never seen him look so proud. Not until when he saw us all clean, smiling, and stress-free. He didn't even say anything and just stood like a proud dad."
Then, her voice suddenly flips into a bright laugh.
"And can you believe it? Just one night of using your products and the customers are already fawning over us! I thought it was just me, but every girl had the same story this morning."
"That's… good to hear, Meera..."
We return to the board. Pieces flip back and forth, and Meera breaks the silence again.
"Sensei, are you sure you don't wanna build a store here in Heiligeichen?"
"No. It's a wonderful country, really. But I don't have plans to expand here."
"Why not?"
"I'm focused on my store in Remantia. I've got so many ideas for new products, it's already overflowing in my head."
Then, she snickers.
"You're just like Berland-sama, sensei. But without the fan and sparkles."
I laugh at what she says.
"What are you even talking about?"
And we both burst out laughing as the game continues.
A few minutes later, I place my final black piece.
"Looks like that's another win for me."
Meera stares at the board, mouth open.
"Wha... no way! I lost again?! Ugh! Fine, I'm done betting with you! I'll never win!"
"I never agreed to your bet anyway."
Meera throws her head down on the table dramatically.
"I hate you, sensei."
"Thanks, Meera. I appreciate it."
Then she lifts her head again.
"Hey, sensei, did you know this brothel's been around for over four hundred years?"
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. The first owner was Berland-sama's father, one of Heiligeichen's noblemen. Berland-sama inherited it about two hundred years ago."
"Huh… I see..."
Then, Meera says something again that makes me even more curious and surprised.
"And there's more, sensei. This place is famous for something else too. About three hundred years ago, it became a shelter during a coup."
"A coup, you say? This country went through that?"
"Yes, a dark elf noble started it, power-hungry and cruel. The whole thing lasted ten years, and everything was a mess. Berland-sama's father took in the refugees. Many of them were women who started working here to survive until that noble was finally imprisoned and executed. Honestly, if it weren't for Berland-sama's father, they wouldn't have made it."
"I see..."
It's hard to believe that this peaceful and elegant place once lived through something that dark in the past, and I can't even picture it.
But then, Meera continues with even more shocking information.
"I also heard one girl survived it all. She worked here too, after losing her family. Then she left Heiligeichen after the coup ended. But then, two hundred years later, she came back stronger. She became the most powerful magic user this country has ever seen."
No way...
That person... could it be?
"Meera, that person..."
But before I finish asking, the door slams open...
BANG!
"Everyone out! Get out right now!"
Berland rushes in with a pale face.
"The brothel's on fire!"
Just like that, the room explodes into chaos.
"What?!"
"No! No way!"
"The fire?! Where?!"
Seconds later, the girls scream as they scramble from the room, grabbing anything they can reach and pulling each other by the hands.
I run up to Berland, also panicking.
"What happened, Mr. Berland?!"
"The kitchen! One of the cooks left the stove going! The fire's already spread through the walls!"
"Did you get everyone out?!"
"Yes! The cooks, the receptionist! They're already outside!"
"Good!"
And then...
CRACK!
A charred beam split from above and slammed to the floor near us. Berland screams, stumbling back.
"Waaah!"
I immediately grab his wrist to stop him from falling.
"We're out of time, Mr. Berland! Let's go!"
"Y-Yes, Mr. Motegi!"
I yank him forward, dragging both of us through the smoke and heat.
MEANWHILE, OUTSIDE OF THE BROTHEL
**********
Yomogi, Chantal, and Kimberly stroll past the streets.
Yomogi beams, her tail swaying as her eyes sparkle delightfully.
"I'm so happy I get to see around Heiligeichen today…"
And Chantal grins.
"It's amazing, right? Kimberly, you should bring us out again sometime!"
"Of course. I wouldn't… mind at all…"
But the calm is broken as they near the red-light district. A crowd of women in revealing outfits are sprinting through the street, shouting and coughing, some crying. Thick smoke coils upward, rising behind them.
Chantal blinks.
"What the hell?! What's going on?!"
And Yomogi's eyes locked on the source.
"Is that fire?!"
But before either of them can react, Kimberly suddenly dashes forward, causing both Yomogi and Chantal to shout as they also chase her.
"Kimberly?! Where are you going?!"
"Kimberly, wait... it's dangerous!"
They arrive at the scene just in time to see Kimberly stumble to her knees.
"No way…"
Then, from the smoke, Motegi emerges, carrying an unconscious Berland over his back, barely breathing.
"Motegi-chan! What happened?!"
"Motegi-kun, are you okay?!"
"I'm fine, but he inhaled a lot of smoke. He passed out."
He quickly shifts Berland off his back and toward the girls.
"Yomogi, Chantal, can you take care of him, please?"
"Y-Yes, Motegi-chan!"
"I can, Motegi-kun!"
Yomogi immediately steadies Berland's weight, and Chantal helps support him. Kimberly, still on the ground, looks up with wide, devastated eyes.
"How… did it… catch fire…?"
Motegi turns at Kimberly.
"Berland said the kitchen stove. Someone forgot to turn it off."
Then, Kimberly grabs Motegi's hand, firm but trembling, her voice cracking between each word.
"Please… I beg you. Save it… save… the brothel…"
"Yes. I'll try."