One year has passed since Motegi and everyone cleared the Remantia labyrinth. And the warmth they share has deepened because Motegi had recently married all eight of the women who had become the pillars of his life.
Motegi used the wish-granting pouch they received after conquering the labyrinth, wishing for enchanted wedding rings that he couldn't craft with his [Blacksmithing] and [Lapidary] skills. On each girl's finger, a band of gold and silver with a radiant, colorful gem at the center — red for Manas, orange for Yomogi, yellow for Kimberly, green for Pinna, blue for Salacia, purple for Chantal, white for Brunhild, and black for Lilith. The final ring, the one Motegi wears himself, is set with a swirling gemstone that reflects all eight hues like a color wheel.
Right now, they're gathered for breakfast with simple stuff: rice, Numb Eel shirayaki, tamagoyaki, miso soup, and pickled cucumber. But the star of the table today is unexpectedly the other side dish and another of Motegi's creations, which is a simmered kabocha.
Yomogi's and Chantal's eyes widen as they chew.
"Mmm! What is this, Motegi-chan?"
"Seriously, I've never eaten anything like this before, Motegi-kun!"
Kimberly closes her eyes, slowly chewing her own.
"The more... I chew… the more… it changes... and deepens, Motegi-sama..."
Salacia closes her eyes as she places a hand on her cheek with a smile.
"Ooh~... it's so soft, and it melts in my mouth, darling~!"
Manas playfully wanders through her bite.
"Verily, this doth confuse me. Like the tomato, it playeth tricks upon the tongue, mine king..."
After finally making proper soy sauce, Motegi kept thinking something was missing... and he just figured it out two days ago and decided to grow kabocha with his [Seedless] skill in the terrace garden.
Since this world also has no pumpkins or squash, his hypothesis that Acrusse feels like Earth before the Americas were discovered is confirmed... given how alien strawberries, cacao, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, tomatoes, chilies, and even sunflowers, dahlias, and cacti are. Because of that, he treats those crops exclusively for his wives because his terrace garden is the only place where they exist.
Lilith and Brunhild sigh, saying the same thing.
"What a way to start the morning, honey~..."
"It is simply a delightful beginning to the day, my Lord."
And Pinna analyzes as usual.
"The contrast of soft egg, firm eel, and lightly sweet kabocha yields high nutritional value and balanced texture. A satisfactory breakfast, Master."
Puck chirps happily as it nibbles from its own perfectly portioned tray.
"Kyuu!"
Then, Motegi finally takes his own bite. The simple, salt-grilled eel, fluffy egg, rich miso soup, and sweet and nutty kabocha bloom in his mouth.
"I'm glad about planting that kabocha…"
And just like that, another food has been officially introduced to this world, and it's kabocha this time.
After breakfast, they head into the terrace garden. Arriving there, they gather in front of a soil bed where a new green plant emerges.
Yomogi and Salacia bounce with joy as they poke little leaves and watch them fold up instantly.
"Motegi-chan, look! It shrank! This is so cute!"
"Hehehe~... I could do this all day, darling~...!"
Chantal and Manas repeatedly tap the other leaves with laughter.
"This plant's kinda addicting! It's like it reacts just to be touched!"
"What madness lies 'neath thy humble leaves! This be sorcery most merry!"
Kimberly and Lilith press their fingertips to the awakened leaves.
"This… is like… pilus follis… but… in plant form…"
"Fufufu~... what a bashful little thing you are~..."
Pinna and Brunhild lean close as they poke one leaf each.
"This is quite a comforting sight, my Lord."
"Leaf contraction is triggered by mechanical stimulus, possible rapid pulvinus reaction. Uncommon structure. Unique physiology."
Even Puck trills triumphantly as it shrinks a leaf with its tiny paw.
"Kyuu!"
This is one more thing Motegi grew with [Seedless] aside from kabocha, which is a shameplant. Just like the cactus with its tiny thorns, he simply thought this one would be cute, as it doesn't exist in Acrusse either.
After that, everyone heads inside again and drifts into their usual morning routines before the store opens.
Inside her workshop, Pinna and Motegi are currently inside as the former rises up from her swivel chair. Spread neatly across the desk in front of her, there are five of Motegi's sketches of the latest appliance designs he had requested. And above those drawings, a stand mixer, a countertop blender, a pasta maker, a meat grinder, and an espresso machine gleam in polished metal and glass.
Then, Pinna begins demonstrating and explaining her works to Motegi, who stands just in front of the desk, starting with the stand mixer as she clicks a whisk attachment into place and presses the side button.
"Output: optimal. No oscillation. Stable motor performance."
After that, she locks the countertop blender's glass jar into place and whirs the machine to life.
"Blade alignment secured. Container seals tight. Testing rotation."
Then, she moves to the pasta maker and cranks the machine slowly.
"Extrusion pressure is consistent. This unit performs beyond expectations."
After that, she moves to the meat grinder and presses the power button.
"Blade sharpness is above standard. Unit is reliable and production-grade."
Finally, she approaches the espresso machine and activates it.
"This model meets all parameters required. Fully operational. Highly satisfactory."
Once all five pass her inspection, she sets her hands neatly on her lap and turns to face him fully.
"All devices are functioning as intended, Master. I request your evaluation and emotional response."
And Motegi gives a small smile, lighting up her eyes with unmistakable pride.
"That's great, Pinna. They look perfect."
"Understood. Thank you for granting me the opportunity to create something remarkable once more, Master."
"Anytime, Pinna."
And just like that, the two of them bring the new appliances out to the kitchen. The blender, mixer, pasta maker, and grinder go inside the pantry, while the espresso machine is placed neatly on the counter.
Ever since their conquest of the labyrinth, they no longer head into its depths every evening after store hours. Now, they visit only when they need rare meat or ingredients for dinner, and it doesn't always require the full party. That flexibility gives Pinna time to stay behind, experiment, and refine her engineering without pressure.
Meanwhile, in her quiet library, Kimberly sits at her desk beside an open window. Her eyes scan the pages while the morning air breezes through the room. Beside her, a ceramic teacup steams gently. She lifts it with care, sips, and continues reading at peace.
In the training room, Chantal moves like a crack of thunder. Knives flash in her hands as she hurls them with perfect control. One by one, they embed themselves into every wooden dummy, from the fast-popping ones to the ones that rotate fast horizontally and vertically to the ones that launch into her like projectiles.
"An adventurer's gotta stay sharp all the time!"
Then, she pulls a strip of cloth from her waistband and ties it over her eyes.
"Let's double this with eyes closed..."
Inside her personal lab, Salacia stands over a steaming cauldron, watching the glimmering liquid swirl. With a steady hand, she scoops it into glass bottles using a thin-handled ladle, pouring through narrow funnels. Once filled, she secures each bottle with a snug wooden cap, sets them gently into a crate, and carries them out.
She makes her way to the kitchen, opens the refrigerator, and carefully slides the potions onto a shelf alongside chilled sodas.
Like Pinna's gadgets, Salacia's concoctions aren't needed for battle every day anymore. But that doesn't make them any less useful because her restorative potions, which Motegi called similar to Japanese sports drinks, and her stamina potions, which Motegi called similar to Japanese energy drinks... have found new purpose as refreshing treats after a long day at the store.
Inside the treasure vault, Manas lies atop a literal, glittering mountain of gold. Her hair fanned out, and one hand curled lazily beside her head as her mouth hung open, snoring softly with a dreamy laugh escaping between breaths.
"Ha... shineth more... come, thy glittering beauties... ha ha..."
Wrapped tightly in her other arm is a motionless Puck. Though the little creature isn't actually asleep, it chirps softly, content to be squished as if her laziness has seeped into its tiny, fluffy body.
"Kyuu..."
Among all of Motegi's wives, Manas might be the laziest of all. And with more time at home now, she naps on her beloved treasure hoard more than ever.
In her "no glasses" room, an uncontrollable pulse of hypnotic charm floods the air. Lilith sits at her chair with her glasses folded neatly beside her. She rubs her bare eyes gently, blinking away the lingering pressure of wearing lenses too long.
Then, she walks to the mirror on the wall, staring back at her reflection. She raises a hand and places her fingertips to the glass, sighing.
"You still remain as the real Lilith, but Honey doesn't prefer you. I'm sorry, again. For making you only appear in this room."
Ever since Motegi had asked her to never take off her glasses and even built her this room, she'd accepted the fact that he loved the "weakened" version of her. And this is what she does every day, talking to that reflection to apologize and to say hello and goodbye.
Beside the stairs, Brunhild kneels before the statue of Acrusse. A stick of incense smolders quietly at the goddess's feet. Eyes closed, hands pressed together, she breathes a gentle prayer.
"Thank you for blessing us with such warmth this morning. May this day be filled with joy for my Lord and my sisters..."
In the laundry area, Yomogi pulls clean, damp clothes from the last washing machine into a basket.
With nine people in the house, eight women and one man, laundry has become no small feat, so Motegi had solved that early by duplicating the machine and setting them side-by-side.
Once the basket is full, Yomogi walks back outside to the terrace garden. The first batch of clothes already hangs above, fluttering gently in the breeze. With a delightful hum, she lifts her arms and begins to pin the next round to the line, letting the sun take care of the rest.
"Hmm hmm… hmm-hmm-hmmm… hmmm…"
Thanks to Motegi's Dome spell that prevents any droplets of rain from falling into the terrace garden, the clothes are guaranteed to be dried because sunlight and breeze are allowed to enter without any risk of weather changing.
Once their morning chores are done, it's time to open the store as usual.
But today, there's a twist. Motegi watches closely as his wives emerge from the wardrobe room one by one, wearing something entirely different from their usual modified maid uniforms, as each of them now dons a sexier, alien-looking outfit, which is another creation born from his [Tailoring] skill.
Yomogi giggles, and Chantal agrees, tugging at the hem of their new tops.
"Fufufu... this feels so snug in all the right places, Motegi-chan…"
"That's right! So much exposure is better, Motegi-kun!"
Kimberly and Pinna step in as they scan down to their exposed midriffs.
"The top… isn't… very covered… and… the skirt… is too short… for this one…"
"This new outfit is quite satisfactory. Despite minimum design, cooling is optimized. Stretch ratio is balanced, Master."
Salacia twirls dramatically as she lets out a playful gasp.
"Ooh~! I feel like I'm practically naked, darling~!"
Manas scoffs and crosses her arms over her chest with a light flush on her cheeks, while Lilith agrees with her lips curled mischievously.
"'Tis because thou truly remain as perverted as ever, mine king."
"You can't help it anymore, can you, honey~? Your perversion has become terminal, I'm afraid~..."
Brunhild steps forward last, her cheeks flushed deep red and her hands tugging futilely at her skirt hem... despite that, her expression is full of understanding.
"Though this attire is most immodest, I shall not question your will, my Lord..."
What they're wearing now is a transformed version of a seifuku, but heavily modified. The classic schoolgirl top has been turned into a sleeveless crop top, tied at the front in a teasing knot just below the bust. Below, their so-called "skirts" are mere strips of pleated cloth... tiny, micro-mini in size, short enough to flash soft butt cheeks and their G-strings with every shift of motion.
As he watches them all model his naughty little masterpieces, he can't help but smile.
"My wives are all looking incredibly hot, aren't they?"
And everyone's cheeks turned pink in an instant.
"Mou, Motegi-chan... so naughty..."
"Of course I am, Motegi-kun!"
"Such... flattery... already, Motegi-sama..."
"Positive feedback is appreciated, Master."
"Hehehe~... thank you, darling~!"
"Haahh... why is it that I always find myself entangled in thy mischiefs, mine king?"
"Fufufu~... how could I possibly say no when you praise me like that~?"
"M-My Lord..."
Then, Motegi scoops Puck up and places it on his shoulder, then pokes its nose as it chirps delightfully.
"Come here, Puck."
"Kyuu!"
"Ready?"
"Kyuu!"
After that, he turns to his wives once again.
"Alright, let's open the store now, shall we?"
"Yes!"
With that, they all head downstairs to open the store together and begin another busy day.