Two weeks after the wedding.
I decided to head into town with
We were going to buy birthday presents for
I'd decided to make the party a surprise.
We'd prepare everything in secret and surprise my two little sisters.
There was another reason for the three of us going out together, but I'll set that aside for now.
--- We arrived at the plaza.
With the harvest season in full swing, the town was bustling with activity.
Carriages passed back and forth, and people sold vegetables and fruits with smiles on their faces.
This time of year, food was cheap, fresh, and delicious.
In the center of the plaza, a scaffolding-like structure had been erected.
The harvest festival would be starting soon.
When I say festival, I mean they'd build a campfire in the plaza, cook up a big pot of stewed harvest ingredients, and serve it with alcohol.
There weren't really any other events.
You'd gather around the fire, give thanks for the bounty of the earth, and eat.
No singing, no dancing.
By the way, apparently you could get the stew for free if you brought your own pot.
Last year, while I was away, Aisha had gone and gotten some.
She'd said they threw everything in, so it didn't taste that great.
Would it be edible this year? I was curious even if it tasted bad.
"As usual, it's lively this time of year."
"Yeah, lots of people come through during harvest season."
Roxy looked around at her surroundings with curiosity while Sylphie responded.
Merchants bustled about, students peered curiously at the open-air stalls, farmers pushed past with hand carts overflowing with vegetables, and adventurers got into arguments over bumped shoulders.
Sharia, the Magic City wrapped in such boisterous energy, was only like this during this season.
The plaza was also notably full of beastfolk.
Tough, muscular beastfolk wielding machete-like swords.
They had their own festival going on too.
Around this time, the mating seasons of Linear and Pursena coincided, and brave warriors from all over gathered with the Magic University as their destination.
Linear and Pursena were apparently planning to find husbands this year, and they'd be taking on all comers head-on.
However, they'd publicly declared that rather than following tradition, they'd choose from whoever beat them.
The candidate had to be at least Sacred-tier in swordsmanship, Advanced or above in magic, no lower than A-rank if an adventurer, with good fur, a gentle yet gentlemanly demeanor, and perked-up ears and tail.
That was what they'd said, but I thought that was aiming a bit too high.
Well, I just hoped they'd find someone good.
Someone like me, preferably.
"..."
I looked to either side.
Sylphie on my right.
Roxy on my left.
Truly, flowers in both hands.
"Hey, Sylphiette-san, Roxy-san."
"What is it,
"Yes?"
"Would you like to link arms?"
It was a proposal that came to me on a whim.
Every man must dream of this at least once—the impression of being surrounded by women on both sides, exuding charm.
I used to be the kind of guy who'd spit on men like that.
But deep down, I'd always been envious.
I'd always wanted to try it.
"Sure."
"...Okay."
Sylphie smoothly moved in from my right.
Roxy timidly linked her arm from my left.
Oh, now I too could be exposed to the envious gazes of all, like the resurrected Christ!
How delightful those envious gazes would be!
Not really, though.
Turns out, nobody was really looking at me.
The merchants were too busy, and the beastfolk warriors were striding briskly toward the Magic University.
The students glanced our way but quickly looked away.
Adventurers didn't have enough free time to heckle us on the street—though they might in a tavern.
But my heart was satisfied.
Especially this.
The sensation against my right arm in particular.
That and that, which Sylphie in the old days could never have offered.
I shouldn't be so detached about it. They were— B.
And C.
That's what I was walking with pressed against my chest.
Such a simple thing, and yet my heart was overflowing.
It moisturized the soul that had survived the barren desert of my youth in my previous life.
Though this oasis would likely shrink back to its minimum size—the same as
In other words, these two were a phantom island.
Treasure Island really did exist.
Of course, it wasn't just Sylphie.
Roxy on my left was also pressing her modest assets firmly against me.
But it wasn't as if there was nothing there.
I could feel the soft parts of Roxy pressed against my trained arm.
Ah, wonderful.
My muscles deserved thanks for this.
Without that hardness, the emotional impact of that softness would have been halved.
Oh, my biceps—don't be jealous.
You're magnificent.
"...Ahaha."
I couldn't help but let out a laugh.
Today we'd supposedly come out under the pretext of choosing presents for my two sisters.
But it wasn't just about that.
The other day, Elinalise had said: *"I've already laid the groundwork.* *Once the three of you go out and build up the mood,* *you should seal the deal at a romantic inn."* So that was the plan.
Today, I was going to do it.
I was going to enjoy both of them in the same bed at the same time.
Ah, I was looking forward to it.
Would I be able to satisfy both of them?
Ah, I was looking forward to it.
"Rudeus, Rudeus?"
Sylphie's voice snapped me back to reality.
"You're drooling. Are you hungry already?"
Roxy dabbed at the corner of my mouth with a handkerchief.
No good, no good.
I'd been lost in fantasy for way too long.
Of course, that was the end goal I was hoping for.
But I wasn't going to neglect the date along the way.
I'd properly pick out presents for Norn and Aisha too.
The two of them needed to enjoy the outing.
"Excuse me—I suppose my guard slipped for a moment."
I apologized and pulled myself together.
--- I decided to spend the entire day choosing presents, visiting various parts of town.
First, the Workshop District.
The Workshop District was lined with all manner of magical tools.
Of course, the Commercial District sold magical tools too.
But over there, they were mostly practical, useful, and expensive items.
In the Workshop District, even the work of immature magical tool artisans— apprentice-level, prototype-quality pieces were on display.
Their effects were unremarkable—basically just toys.
But some of them were hidden gems crafted by people who would later be called geniuses.
So Roxy had told me.
Apparently, one of her former classmates had become an apprentice at a workshop.
Unfortunately, they'd already moved to another town.
"I can't imagine anything here that those two would like," Roxy said, though she was browsing the magical tools with evident interest.
Of course, I didn't expect to find anything Aisha or Norn would particularly want here.
The real reason we'd come was to buy a present for Roxy.
Even though Roxy was now married, we'd never actually celebrated it.
She'd said a wedding ceremony was unnecessary, but that was different from skipping the celebration entirely.
I was planning to celebrate alongside Norn and Aisha's birthdays.
Naturally, Roxy didn't know about that either.
It was another surprise.
The one doing the surprising might end up surprised themselves.
If Roxy spotted something she wanted here, I'd come back tomorrow and quietly buy it.
If it turned out to be a useful magical tool, the price would surely reflect that.
Currently, our household was supported by four income streams: Sylphie's and Roxy's salaries, royalties from the scrolls sold under
That last one—
I wouldn't say we were drowning in money, but we had plenty to spare.
Even so, you never knew when or where you'd need to make a big purchase.
So I generally tried not to splurge.
But a wedding anniversary was fair game.
If Roxy said "I want a Porsche. A Cayenne," I'd buy it for her.
Though Roxy had been driving an armadillo around lately, so she probably didn't need a vehicle.
"That pot that freezes whatever's inside when you charge it with magic—Aisha might like that."
"I think Aisha-chan prefers cuter things, though."
"Oh, right—something different from work-related stuff would be better..."
While Sylphie and Roxy chatted, I kept an eye on Roxy's movements.
So far, she didn't seem particularly interested in anything.
She was earnestly choosing presents for Norn and Aisha.
She didn't seem to be thinking about herself at all.
"What do you think, Rudeus?"
"Hmm. I'd like to lick Roxy all over."
"Be serious. This was your idea in the first place."
Of course, I was also thinking about presents for Aisha and Norn.
But the items here probably weren't suited to them.
--- We moved on to the Commercial District.
Our destination was a clothing boutique that Sylphie frequented.
The same shop where I'd bought my robe.
This was, in principle, the main shop for our presents.
"My, this is quite a high-end establishment," Roxy said, eyeing the storefront with a look of intimidation.
She glanced down at her own robe with an anxious expression.
Should I tell her this shop didn't have a dress code?
"Oh? Is it really that expensive?" Sylphie tilted her head.
When it came to clothing, she tended to use only fairly high-end shops.
That said, she didn't have a spending problem.
It was probably because she spent a lot of time with Ariel.
The shops you frequented tended to be influenced by the people around you.
It wasn't that Sylphie's sense of money was broken.
She simply knew it as "the most reasonable shop within her usual range."
That was just how people were.
Nobody ever thinks they're the one buying luxury goods.
"No, with the
"I-Is that so... it must be expensive..." Sylphie slumped.
Her ears drooped lifelessly.
"Hey, Rudeus. I'm not spending too much, am I?"
"Of course not. You're fine."
Basically, Sylphie's personal wardrobe was paid for out of her own salary.
She was spending money she'd earned herself.
It wasn't my place to comment.
"It's not that I'm saying Sylphie is extravagant. Back when I was a court magician, I also frequented shops like this. If you're choosing birthday presents, I think it's perfectly appropriate."
"Right, right—if it's for a birthday present... yeah..." Roxy piled on.
As expected of my master.
She knew when to press the advantage.
Well, she probably meant to help, though.
I'd throw in a supportive word too.
"I think it's fine to wear something expensive."
When I said that, Sylphie pouted.
"So you did think it was expensive!"
"I think you have great taste."
"What should I do? Should I change shops even now...? But besides this one, I only know expensive shops."
"You don't need to. Let's just buy here."
Originally, Sylphie had almost nothing in the way of personal clothes.
And now she dressed up for my sake.
I had no right to complain—I should be thanking her.
By my standards, sure, the clothes here were on the pricey side.
But that was only because I'd been used to wearing cheap adventurer-grade clothes as my everyday attire.
Well, if you considered expensive clothes the standard, you should enjoy them while you could.
While you had the money, at least.
"Why, if it isn't Master Greyrat! Welcome, welcome!"
The moment we stepped inside, a shop assistant hurried over.
She must have been a regular—she remembered our names properly.
"What brings you in today?"
"We're looking for a birthday present for a ten-year-old girl."
"I see! Right this way!"
With that, she led us to the children's clothing section.
Well-trained, that one.
In the area she guided us to, children-sized clothes were lined up in rows.
Everything from everyday wear to robes and dresses.
The selection was extensive.
Buying clothes for a tenth birthday must be a common occurrence.
"With this many options, it's hard to choose."
"Winter's coming soon, so something warm would be nice..."
Roxy and Sylphie chatted happily in front of the vast display of clothing.
They really were girls, through and through.
Quite different from a certain redhead who'd just say "anything's fine."
"Hey, what do you think, Rudeus?"
"Norn's cold-weather gear has gotten too small lately too. Maybe she'd want something new?"
Asked by Sylphie, I offered my own opinion.
The two nodded in agreement.
"How about a coat then... What about Aisha-chan?"
"Now that you mention it, she said the other day her shoes were getting tight."
"Shoes? Good idea. Let's go with that."
After settling on the general direction through that conversation, we browsed for actual items.
Given the extensive selection, we quickly found things that suited both of them.
We decided to buy Norn a light-colored coat and Aisha a pair of boots with embroidered flower patterns.
Both were slightly on the large side, but they were still growing, so there shouldn't be any issues.
After that, we browsed the rest of the shop at leisure.
Presents didn't have to be limited to just one item.
That was genuinely what I thought, with no ulterior motive.
But the real target was finding a present for Roxy.
"That fabric corsage—Aisha might like it, don't you think?"
"Yeah, she seems to like flowers."
"But it might be a little too mature for her."
"Come to think of it, what does Norn actually like?"
"Norn is... hmm, I don't think I've ever really seen her express enthusiasm about anything."
"Norn-san seems to like armor, swords, horses—things that are more boyish."
"Oh? How do you know that?"
"I'd like to become friends with her too."
We chatted about things like that as we looked around.
"..."
Roxy had stopped in front of something.
She was looking at a robe.
A mage's robe and hat, displayed prominently.
They were adult male sizes, so naturally they wouldn't fit Roxy.
She looked at the hat resting on top of the robe, then took off the hat she was wearing.
She studied her own hat with a complicated expression.
That hat was quite old too.
She'd been wearing it since back in
It wasn't falling apart, but you could see the wear of many years of use.
It was black, so it didn't stand out much.
Roxy put her hat back on, then slowly reached up on her tiptoes and picked up the hat on display.
She twirled it around, examined it, found the price tag, and grimaced.
She immediately placed it back where it had been.
It must have been expensive.
"Ah..."
With a sigh, Roxy walked over to us as if nothing had happened.
"Hey, Rudeus."
I noticed Sylphie had appeared at my side.
"Let's get that one."
"Yeah."
Sylphie and I were of the same mind.
The present for Roxy was decided.
After that, we ordered the coat, the boots, and secretly the hat, then left the shop.
We'd pick everything up on the day of the birthday party.
Apparently, they'd properly wrap everything for gifting.
I was looking forward to the day.
--- Finally, we headed to the inn district where adventurers gathered.
We'd been wandering all over, so it was already evening.
At this hour, adventurers who'd finished their labyrinth explorations would be returning with their spoils.
Also, adventurers short on cash would be selling off their belongings.
That meant there were hidden gems to be found.
Though magic-infused items were expensive and, frankly, unnecessary.
Window shopping was about enjoying the view.
Or so I thought.
"Look, Sylphie. These are adventurer outfits. This is what regular people tend to buy."
"I know, I know. But I don't really wear clothes like this, so I don't even know what suits me."
"I think something like this would look good on Sylphie. Since you're slender, a mantle would suit you too."
As we talked, somehow we ended up putting together a full adventurer outfit for Sylphie.
A magic swordsman style, complete with elbow protectors.
It might lack elegance, but she looked absolutely adorable—like a rookie adventurer.
With this, Sylphie could become an adventurer at any time!
An F-rank adventurer!
Well, she had work to do and no real reason to become one.
If anything ever happened, Sylphie's work attire was almost entirely magic-infused gear.
She might never have an occasion to wear this.
"Hehe, thanks, both of you."
But Sylphie looked happy.
As we continued our shopping, the shops gradually began to close.
Even merchants didn't do business late into the night.
So naturally, our feet drifted toward an eatery.
At least, that was what Sylphie and Roxy assumed was natural.
Everything was going according to plan.
Just in case, I'd made a reservation at an inn.
An S-rank adventurer-grade establishment.
The one Elinalise had recommended to me: "For the finale of your date, use this place."
The food was excellent, the atmosphere was great, the bed was large, and soundproofing was superb.
That kind of place.
"Oh, this inn—my grandma told me about it. She said if Rudeus and I ever fought, we should come here to make up."
"Oh, Sylphie too?"
As it turned out, both of them knew about this inn.
In the end, we were just lambs dancing in the palm of Elinalise's hand.
Well, even if all three of us knew, it didn't really matter.
"I also heard about it from Elinalise-san. She said there might come a time when Rudeus brings Sylphie and me here together. When that happens, um, well, in other words..."
"She told me the same thing... I see."
"You really are a perv, Rudeus."
Sylphie and Roxy stared at me with deadpan expressions.
But there was no disgust in those faces.
Elinalise's groundwork had already been completed.
So the two of them were perfectly amenable to my hidden agenda.
All thanks to Elinalise.
No—all thanks to Lady Elinalise!
"But we haven't said we're staying over, so Lucy might be worried," Sylphie suddenly said, as if remembering.
But I'd covered that base too.
"It's fine. I already asked Lilja to take care of it."
When I told her I was planning to "seal the deal" tonight, Lilja had nodded and said, "Leave it to me."
"Asked her to... well, I guess it's fine if it's Lilja."
Even if the arrangements were made, both parents being away for the night was probably something Sylphie felt was inappropriate.
I understood that too.
But, yeah...
...I wasn't going to make excuses.
Sorry, Lucy. I love you.
Forgive your weakness-willed father.
"I have school tomorrow, though," Roxy worried about her work the next day, but that wasn't a problem either.
"If I get up early and head home first, it should be fine."
"Can I really get up early? I honestly don't trust myself to wake up after... that."
"Leave it to me."
"Well, if you say so, Rudeus, I'll trust you..."
It was a bit forceful, but the overnight stay was decided.
"Well then, Master. I'll be in your care tonight."
"Likewise."
Receiving the bows of my two lovely wives, I was fully prepared for battle.
--- But going straight to bed would have been too abrupt.
So first, we'd have dinner at the tavern on the first floor of the inn.
This was also a restaurant with excellent food, after all.
Eat a meal, drink some alcohol, whisper sweet nothings.
That kind of mood-setting was important.
My feelings toward them were not driven purely by sexual desire.
It was an undeniable fact that my sex drive was incredibly strong, but I genuinely wanted them to enjoy the time we spent together.
"Wow, this is amazing."
"You don't get meals like this very often..."
Looking at the dishes spread across the table, both of them gasped in admiration.
Ingredients in the northern lands were expensive and hard to come by in large quantities.
So everyday meals were modest.
But right now, it was the season for an abundance of ingredients, and on top of that, this was a high-end restaurant.
A salad rich with fresh vegetables.
A spicy soup with simmered river fish.
A Black Bull steak laden with spices and marbled fat.
All dishes you rarely got to eat on a regular basis.
And to go with them, a whiskey-like liquor with a mellow aroma.
"This soup is delicious. I wonder how they season it."
"Maybe they use mustard pickled in oil... or something?"
Sylphie seemed to be thinking about Lucy and didn't drink any alcohol.
But she seemed interested in the soup, tasting it repeatedly.
"I might try looking up the recipe. Rudeus, if I make it, will you eat it?"
Sylphie tilted her head.
I didn't want to hear "if"—I wanted to eat it right now.
"Absolutely. I'll have all of Sylphie included."
"Oh, Rudeus!"
The last course was dessert.
Believe it or not, this restaurant actually served dessert.
That said, it was a bit different from the elaborate ones I'd had in the Millis Holy Kingdom.
The main component was a fruit similar to an apple.
I'd tried it before—the sourness was much stronger than apples from my previous life.
They cut it into bite-sized pieces and soaked it in a thick, honey-like syrup.
In terms of taste, it was similar to candied fruit or perhaps a fruit punch.
Quite delicious.
I'd always thought combining apples and honey would make curry, but I guess I was mistaken.
"This is...!"
The one who was delighted by the dessert was Roxy.
Her eyes lit up as she devoured it, piece after piece.
Was my master a fan of sweets? Or was it a racial thing?
"Incredible! That something like this could be found even in the north!"
Her words were few, but her face radiated genuine emotion.
I could almost see light emanating from her mouth.
If I kept watching, she'd probably start going on about how it was a treasure chest of flavors or something.
"Oh..."
She'd finished it in the blink of an eye and stared at the empty plate with a wistful expression.
"I'll give you my portion too."
When I pushed my plate toward her, Roxy's face went pale with shock.
"Really!? Are you sure!?"
The best person to give it to was the one who enjoyed it most.
"Of course. Here, open wide."
"Open wide—this isn't... *open wide*."
Each time Roxy took a bite, she looked moved, pressing her hand to her cheek with an expression of bliss.
I wanted to feed her more, but unfortunately, my portion was gone too.
The rest would have to wait for next time.
Now then, I was feeling full too.
Having consumed so many sweets, my two beautiful wives were surely in a sweet mood.
"Now then, you two."
"What is it, Rudeus?"
"What is it?"
"Actually... I've booked a room here."
A line I'd always wanted to say at least once in my life.
"...Yeah. So, Roxy—let me ask you again... you're okay being with me and Sylphie together, right?"
"Yes. Please take care of me."
Roxy and Sylphie exchanged a look, then nodded to each other.
I collected the key from the lobby and guided them to the room.
A coat rack stood at the entrance, and the floor was covered in a long-pile carpet.
In the back of the room was a bed large enough for five people to lie down comfortably, covered in soft-looking sheets.
Outside the window, it was already pitch dark.
I drew the curtains and lit the candles that had been prepared beforehand.
In the dim light, the figures of two beautiful women emerged.
"..."
"..."
The two blushed slowly as they removed their outer garments.
Watching them, I was certain that tonight would be the best night of my life.
School Rumors, Part 8 "The Delinquent Leader is Rich"