'Let's head back now,' I said, opening a Warp.
The girls were already quite competent, so I wrapped up their training session quickly. The only real issue had been Ram's recklessness—but after my stern warning, there hadn't been a single repeat incident.
I had kept a close eye on her afterward and noticed that she had deliberately slowed down her pace. She only swung her mace at measured intervals now, her attack rate dropping to being even lower than Rem's.
I didn't mind that at all. All I wanted was for her to fight carefully—without endangering her party members.
Still I have to say that the Oni twins themselves proved impressively resilient, taking hits from the demons without complaint and properly shielding Anastasia behind them when needed.
As for my lovely catgirl, she was especially lively today. She darted around energetically, poking every demon multiple times with her new estoc. Unfortunately, the petrification effect barely triggered at all.
Looks like she would need to unlock the Assassin job before she could truly make proper use of that weapon.
'Yesss, home-desu! Cook fish-desu!' Miria exclaimed with a wide grin.
'Master, don't we get our… rewards?' Anastasia asked with a smile, wiping the sweat from her forehead.
I looked at her in confusion, unsure what she meant—until Roxanne spoke up.
'Master,' she said earnestly, 'I wanted to say this earlier. It's best if we don't let our guard down while we're still inside the labyrinth.'
She smiled gently. 'So it's better if you show us your love after we get home.'
'Ah!' I finally remembered—they were talking about the head pats I gave to the previous team.
I had honestly thought they would have forgotten about it by now just like me. Apparently not.
Also, Roxanne seemed quite serious about carrying out this new ritual only after we reached home.
Her words though did make me break into a light sweat.
I remembered how casually I had been patting the girls heads earlier—going so far as to have their helmets removed. And that had been right in the middle of a labyrinth corridor, not even inside a safe room.
Only now, I realized that I probably had grown a little too complacent inside labyrinths—probably because I was relying too much on Roxanne's exceptional sense of smell.
I had to remind myself that: Letting your guard down was the first step toward tragedy.
From now on I should do better. First of all, I couldn't allow myself to set a precedent where people removed their equipment inside the labyrinth, even if it was just headgear. Discipline mattered, especially when everyone's safety was on the line.
I would need to enforce—and personally follow—strict labyrinth protocols from now on, for the sake of the entire household.
'Right… that makes sense,' I said with a wry smile. 'Thank you for reminding me, Roxanne. When you have time, please go over the basic labyrinth precautions with the newer girls as well.'
'I'd be happy to, Master,' Roxanne replied with a small, pleased grin.
'Alright, let's head back,' I said, gesturing toward the Warp.
Anastasia smiled sheepishly, clearly realizing she had been a bit too eager. Miria, on the other hand, seemed completely oblivious to the discussion and marched straight into the Warp.
Ram and Rem followed just behind her—and surprisingly, they didn't look exhausted at all. Do Onis have superior stamina as well?
Their heads were lowered, hair shadowing their eyes as they stepped through in silence. Ever since my warning to Ram, both sisters had been unusually quiet and withdrawn.
I couldn't help but sigh.
Looks like I would need to sort that issue out sooner rather than later.
Only after everyone else had entered did I step through the Warp myself.
The drawing room was filled with chatter, which fell quiet the moment I appeared.
I quickly noticed that the first team was missing. They must have already started preparing dinner. Before I could say anything, however, Roxanne was suddenly standing right in front of me, looking unusually eager.
…Was this because last time I had patted Setsuna's head first?
Did she take the initiative now so I wouldn't "get the order wrong"?
Her earnest gaze was surprisingly pressuring. In the end, I couldn't resist it.
"As always, you did an amazing job, Roxanne," I said, patting her silky hair and gently brushing over her soft dog ears.
"Thank you for your praise, Master," she replied, leaning into my touch with a happy smile.
Standing just a step behind her was Anastasia, who had already removed her steel helmet.
"You've undoubtedly improved, Anastasia. Keep it up," I said, patting her head as well. In fact I was honestly a little surprised by how eager she seemed for my praise.
She had tied her long purple hair back with a string so it wouldn't get in the way during combat. I gently brushed my hand over it.
"Well… I was just really nervous before," she said with a bashful smile.
Miria had already lined herself up next. She must have figured out what was happening just by watching the others.
"Miria is improving steadily too," I said with a grin as I patted her cat ears.
"All for fish-desu!" she declared happily, after Roxanne translated my words.
"Don't forget to take off your equipment before going into the kitchen," I said, rolling my eyes at the eager fish maniac.
Roxanne caught the hint immediately and guided Miria aside to help her remove her gear.
I stepped toward the oni twins, who were standing off to the side with their heads lowered. Ram's expression was blank, but Rem kept stealing nervous glances between me and her sister.
The other girls quieted down as well, sensing that something was definitely wrong.
"Remove your helmets," I said softly.
Ram looked up at me in mild surprise as she complied. Rem trembled slightly as she followed suit.
I placed a hand on each of their heads—one with light pink hair, the other blue.
"You both did an admirable job today," I said with a gentle smile. "Well done."
There was no need to admonish Ram further in front of everyone. She had already heard my warning, and hammering the point again would only do more harm than good.
…But if she repeated the mistake, that would mean it was time to enforce the family law.
Both sisters looked up at me, clearly shaken by the gesture.
"Thank you, Master," Ram said quietly, her single visible red eye filled with gratitude.
"Th-thank you, Master," Rem echoed, looking up with a shy but radiant smile.
"Hmm… what do you think?" Shera muttered from the side, leaning toward Shea. "Whose head do you think Master patted the longest?"
"You should worry about yourself," Remu answered instead, swishing her tail. "I'm sure you'll trip and fall in the labyrinth just like you did this morning—right out of bed."
"Y-you—! I told you that was an accident, and you promised you wouldn't mention it in front of Master!" Shera protested, her face turning red.
"Hmph. I just think Master should be aware of how clumsy this elf is," Remu muttered, looking away.
"I am much better than you!" Shera said with a pout.
"I'm sure when my turn comes, Master will pat my head the longest out of everyone," Shea said confidently, grinning as she ignored their bickering.
I pretended not to hear any of their talks.
That said, it did seem like having Shea, Shera, and Remu share the same bed had made them noticeably closer.
"Alright, let's move on to the third team," I said, clapping loudly to draw everyone's attention. "This group will be Sherry, Jasmine, Yasaka, and Kunou. Roxanne will be joining this team as well."
Sherry was already fully geared, so she simply nodded.
"I will follow Master's orders," Jasmine said, giving me a respectful bow.
I returned her nod, then shifted my attention to the foxgirls.
To be honest, I was a little worried about Kunou. Last night was her first time. It had been the same for Vesta and Setsuna, yet both of them promised me that their bodies were fine and they even seemed eager to fight.
Perhaps hearing them, Kunou had also agreed to join this training session. Still, I had made her promise to inform me immediately if things became too much for her.
"Mother… it's our turn," Kunou muttered softly, her body trembling as she looked down.
"There's no need to be afraid," Yasaka said gently, patting her daughter's shoulder. "Look, Anastasia-san herself has been able to return from the labyrinth safely."
"Yes," Anastasia added as she stepped forward. "You just need to listen carefully to Master and Roxanne-san. The demons may seem frightening at first, but you'll have your party members with you—and Master's magic will be protecting you as well. There's nothing to fear."
"I-I understand… Anastasia nee-san," Kunou said, nodding as she tried her best to look brave.
Watching the three of them interact so naturally, I couldn't help but smirk.
It seemed that all of them sleeping with me together had actually had a positive effect on their relationship.
That said, there was something I still needed to be careful about.
Anastasia had once been their Master, and now they were all my slaves. I didn't want a situation where they instinctively followed her orders over mine. Small factions forming within the household were inevitable—but I didn't want them isolating themselves or interacting only within their own circle.
That was one of the reasons I had deliberately placed Anastasia on a different team today. I wanted the mother–daughter pair to build more connections with the other girls in the household.
…Honestly, the number of girls had grown large enough that I now had to think about inter-harem politics.
It was a bit annoying—but necessary.
In fact it was far better to keep an eye on these things early than to let them grow into real problems later. I would also need to inform both Sherry and Roxanne so they could help keep an eye on things.
The girls exchanged their Sacrificial Misanga and finished getting ready.
"Alright, team—let's move," I said quickly, trying my best to ignore the rabbit girl who was giving me a pitiful look for not choosing her again.
Just like before, Roxanne scouted ahead first. Once she confirmed the area was clear, we entered.
Knowing me by now, Roxanne didn't even wait for me to ask—she immediately reported finding a Naive Olive a short distance away.
I nodded and we all began moving towards it.
Our formation was simple: Roxanne and Jasmine at the front, Sherry right behind them, then Yasaka and Kunou one step back, with me bringing up the rear.
As we walked, my gaze kept drifting toward the foxgirls.
Yasaka looked tense, but her yellow eyes remained sharp as she moved in sync with her daughter. Kunou, on the other hand, was gripping her spear tightly, her face stiff with nerves.
'Master, it's just ahead. I'll go first,' Roxanne said through party chat before dashing forward.
Both Yasaka's and Kunou's tails shot straight up in alarm.
'Just follow behind me,' Sherry instructed calmly through the party chat as she moved ahead.
'Let's go,' Yasaka said, meeting Kunou's eyes.
Kunou nodded, sweating slightly, and the two hurried forward just behind Sherry.
Jasmine had already followed Roxanne, doing her best to keep up with her pace.
The Naive Olive stopped wandering the moment Roxanne's rapier struck its bark.
"Argh!" Jasmine shouted as she leapt forward, using her momentum to deliver a fierce slash straight into the plant's body with her scimitar.
[Jasmine
Desert Warrior Level 6
Equipment: Hard Leather Boots, Steel Scimitar, Round Steel Shield, Steel Forehead Protector, Hard Leather Jacket, Hard Leather Gloves, Sacrificial Misanga]
She had told me before that Desert Warriors fought best while constantly on the move, which was why she had opted for hard leather armor instead of steel—to keep herself light and agile.
Watching how smoothly she coordinated with Roxanne, it was clear she was already an experienced fighter.
Roxanne and Jasmine kept the plant's attention on themselves with ease, allowing Sherry to slip in behind it and begin attacking with her spear.
[Sherry
Master Smith Level 10
Equipment: Steel Spear, Steel Chainmail, Steel Helmet, Steel Boots, Steel Gauntlets, Sacrificial Misanga]
Her strikes were precise and confident. The small dwarf was always earnest when it came to combat.
The foxkin girls reached her side soon after. Their eyes were wide, hands trembling. Even the usually composed Yasaka looked shaken by the fighting unfolding in front of her.
'Just like I told you—take a deep breath and aim for the demon's legs,' Sherry instructed calmly through party chat. 'Empty your mind and then just keep repeating the motion.'
Sherry had already told me that she had gone over how to properly hold a spear with the foxgirls beforehand, along with what to keep in mind during combat. Seeing her guide them so naturally made me glad—this kind of cooperation between the girls was exactly what I wanted from the group.
Yasaka seemed to snap out of her hesitation at Sherry's voice. Gritting her teeth, she thrust her spear down into the plant's bark.
[Yasaka
Villager Level 22
Equipment: Steel Boots, Steel Spear, Steel Forehead Protector, Hard Leather Jacket, Hard Leather Gloves, Sacrificial Misanga]
There was very little force behind her strike—something that stood out clearly when compared to the impact of Sherry's attacks.
Kunou, seeing her mother act, seemed to gather her courage as well and followed suit, thrusting her spear forward.
[Kunou
Villager Level 3
Equipment: Steel Boots, Steel Spear, Steel Forehead Protector, Hard Leather Jacket, Hard Leather Gloves, Sacrificial Misanga]
"Ah!" she cried out as the steel spear slipped from her hands and clattered to the ground.
"Kunou!" Yasaka called out in alarm.
Even I was startled. Had she failed to handle the recoil from the thrust?
'Don't panic,' I said quickly through party chat. 'Calm down, pick up your weapon, and continue.'
Kunou, clearly flustered, bent down and retrieved her spear. She glanced at me apologetically. I simply nodded back, keeping my reaction measured.
Taking a deep breath, she resumed attacking—this time gripping the spear shaft tightly.
There was no point in getting angry over mistakes like this.
In the first place, neither Yasaka nor Kunou had ever wielded a weapon before. They hadn't even been sold as combat slaves. It was my own selfish desire to make them stronger that had brought them into the labyrinth.
And yet… I hadn't been any different then them just a week ago—someone who had never held a weapon, shaped by the peace of the modern world.
They, at least, had grown up in a far more dangerous one.
So if anything, I was sure that they would adapt even faster than I did.
***
[Oleksandr has redeemed an Extra Chapter this week]