Chapter 284: For Security Reasons
The war had ended, and I thought I’d finally have some free time, but things have kept me busy. When Neneka asked me to discuss the security of the inner palace, I was led to a bedroom in the harem.
「Wait, why the bedroom? Isn’t this supposed to be a discussion about security?」
Not that I’d mind if it turned into an invitation for marital affairs, of course. But that thought quickly faded when I noticed the lineup waiting for me—Paula, a young slave girl in deep green shinobi garb, alongside a female scout from the covert team.
Now that I think about it, Neneka herself was wearing her tight shinobi garb that accentuated her well-built figure. Could it have some significance? The shinobi attire is, after all, the official uniform of the covert scouting unit trained in the ninjutsu I taught them.
「Since this is a discussion on future security in the inner palace.」
「Ah, that makes sense.」
Indeed, the bedroom in the inner palace would be the most crucial place to protect.
When Neneka called me to the bedroom, I’d momentarily thought we might be sleeping together again. Being married, it wouldn’t be out of place after the discussion wrapped up, though maybe that’s just wishful thinking.
After all, it’s not like we’d invite other women into our marital activities.
But Paula, much younger than the other scouts, is also one of the thirteen slave girls who are eventually set to become my wives. With that in mind, her kunoichi appearance—with her youthful, strikingly smooth thighs and a subtly revealed chest—makes for a mesmerizing sight. 「Master, I’ll be responsible for protecting the inner palace too from now on!」
「Good to know. I’m counting on you, Paula.」
At my words, Paula smiled brightly, her skills in ninjutsu honed to an impressive level from always being close by and learning from me.
Despite her youth, she’s also the ninjutsu instructor for the covert scouting team and has mastered using the ninja tools I created. With her helping secure the inner palace, there’s a lot less to worry about.
「But that’s where the problem lies.」
Neneka said, looking concerned.
「What’s the problem?」
「It’s not just Paula. The number of people in your inner palace will grow significantly, right?」
「That’s true.」
「We’ve been expanding the separate building for the inner palace.」
「Mm-hmm…」
「Our scouts are patrolling the perimeter and the garden, but what about the bedrooms?」
「I hadn’t thought that far.」
「As the one in charge of the palace guard and leader of the scouting team, I handle a lot. It’ll be challenging for just me and Paula to protect the two buildings.」
「I see. So we’ll need to authorize more scouts to enter the inner palace.」
「Wow, you understand so quickly, Hero-sama. That’s such a relief.」
Until now, we’ve kept scouts out of the inner palace, especially the private bedrooms. But with the expansion of buildings and a growing family, fortifying only the exterior may no longer be secure enough.
If Neneka trusts these highly skilled people, allowing them access could be justified. That’s logical reasoning.
「So, I’d like you to select two from among these elite scouts to join the inner palace guard.」
「Two? Can’t we include everyone?」
「E-everyone? That’s… quite a lot, Hero-sama. Even you might not be able to handle that.」
「Wouldn’t more be better?」
Why was she so surprised? I don’t see how my stamina has anything to do with choosing security guards.
「Of course, every scout here wants to enter the inner palace. We’ll work up to your wishes, Hero-sama, but for now, please start by selecting two.」
「Got it; just trying two for now, right?」
「Yes, as expected of you, Hero-sama. We do have certain… considerations on our end as well.」
Though I wasn’t entirely sure what she meant, if I’m told to choose two, then that’s exactly what I’ll do.
「Hero-sama, choose me!」 「Me, me!」 「I’m the best deal you’ll ever find!」
At a mere glance, all of the dozen or so scouts looked my way with gleaming eyes. Making a choice here isn’t going to be easy.
「Neneka, you could at least share their individual records to help with the decision, right?」
「Yes, you’re right. I can’t believe I overlooked such important data. Everyone, disrobe immediately!」
「「「Yes, ma’am! 」」」
「Whoa, Neneka!」
What was she thinking? And why are they all just calmly following that order! Stop right there!
Not that I could miss the sight—everyone in vibrant, alluring undergarments—but this isn’t the time for admiring the view.
「Seriously, Neneka, what are you making these young women do? Stop this!」
「Would you like me to disrobe as well?」
「That’s… not what I meant at all! Never mind, everyone just put your clothes back on!」
I shouted, and they all obediently dressed again. Good grief.
「Hero-sama, was there an issue with the selection process?」
「Nothing but issues, but it’s fine. Just two, right? Then I’ll choose… this one and… this one.」
It was clear that any further complaints were pointless. In situations like this, quick decisions are best. I made my picks without delay.
Of course, it wasn’t random. One of my choices was a seasoned scout who often assisted Neneka. Safe bet.
The other was a younger one who, despite her age, had a promising aura. A good balance between experience and youth.
「Woohoo!」 「Yes! Thank you!」
They cheered, punching the air, while the others left the room, shoulders drooping.
「As expected, Hero-sama. Both Yuliana and Harlene are perfect candidates for the inner palace.」
If she already had her eye on ideal candidates, why didn’t Neneka just recommend them? Was there some point in making me choose?
Yuliana, one of the names called, was someone I remembered well—thick golden hair, brown eyes, and a figure that rivaled even Neneka’s. A tall, slender woman with a striking presence.
She’d been a scout since the Female Cat Thieves’ Guild days and had often been by Neneka’s side. I remembered her vividly because of one incident: during a raid on the thieves’ hideout, Louise nearly took her head off, leaving her terrified and desperately changing her undergarments in hiding. (To be fair, Louise was in full berserker mode at the time, so anyone would’ve been terrified.)
「Yuliana has been my right hand for years. She’s experienced in battle, and despite appearances, she’s quick-witted and capable of everything from special ops to training others.」
「‘Despite appearances’ is uncalled for.」 Yuliana quipped, giving a quick retort, making us all laugh.
Clearly, she and Neneka were long-time companions, perfectly at ease with each other.
「Yuliana is also skilled with a whip. She can capture an enemy without killing them, better than anyone else.」
「Ah, the whip…」
Yuliana, with her flashy beauty and slightly S-like vibe, certainly seemed like she’d be a good fit for a whip. In fact, a bondage look might suit her even better than her ninja attire.
Though we already had Hydra, our beast tamer, filling that kind of role. While I was thinking that, Yuliana returned a slightly stiff smile in my direction.
She had been brimming with excitement earlier, but now she seemed a bit tense, even shivering a little when I looked her way. I’m pretty sure I’m younger than her by a fair bit, so am I really that intimidating?
「Yuliana, you can relax, you know.」
「Yes, exactly. The Hero-sama is very kind, so there’s no need to worry, Yuliana.」
Neneka chimed in, easing the tension.
Yuliana’s shoulders seemed to loosen up a bit.
「I’m happy you chose Yuliana; we go way back. And, well, she’s not getting any younger, so it’s probably time for her to settle down.」
Yuliana shot her a glare. 「Not getting any younger?!」
We all laughed.
「For guarding the inner palace, I doubt there’s anyone more suited than Yuliana.」
「I’m honored to have been chosen by you, Hero-sama!」
Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but wonder about the other choice, a petite and cute scout named Harlene whom I didn’t know well.
She wore her long black hair in charming twin-tails, her eyes a striking shade of green, with an energetic look that fit the part of a ninja.
She had a rather slight build, lacking curves in her chest and hips, which probably made moving around easier.
「Hero-sama, Harlene may be a recent recruit, but she’s exceptionally talented. Go on, Harlene—show him that move.」
「Y-yes!」
Harlene suddenly contorted her body, bending to peek through her legs with her face. She had the flexibility of a snake.
「Wow, that’s like something out of a circus!」
「A circus? I see, quite the acrobat indeed. With her agility and flexibility, Harlene’s practically built for ninja skills. She’s already made a name for herself as one of our top young talents.」
「That’s reassuring. Quite impressive, really.」
「Ehe, you haven’t seen anything yet, Hero-sama. My skills go far beyond that!」
Emboldened by my praise, Harlene reverted her body to normal, then sprung up with the ease of a coiled spring and clung to the ceiling, startling me.
「She’s stuck on the ceiling!」
「See? I can even walk up here!」
Walking on ceilings was peak ninja, but witnessing it in real life was surreal. She was like a ninja straight out of a comic. Even with the power boost I received, I couldn’t pull off something like that.
「Neneka, how exactly is she doing that?」
「It’s acrobatics, but not quite enough to allow ceiling-walking alone. Harlene also has magical talent; she uses low-level wind magic to lighten her body, allowing her to stick to the ceiling. She can leap across any surface and move without making a sound.」
After showing off a bit, Harlene gracefully landed on the floor, making no noise at all.
Low-level magic wasn’t particularly rare, but combining it with such physical skill was remarkable. She truly deserved to be called a young ace.
「That was impressive!」
I couldn’t help but applaud. Harlene beamed with pride, while Yuliana watched the young scout with a hint of envy.
「…This is a bit frustrating. Hero-sama, perhaps I could show off some of my own whip skills? I could snuff out all the flames on that chandelier with just my whip!」
Yuliana brandished her whip, but Neneka scolded her, saying, 「We didn’t call you here for a performance, you know.」
「My apologies… I got carried away.」
「I actually wouldn’t mind seeing it, though.」
The idea of her snuffing flames with a whip sounded intriguing. Though it felt more like a carnival act than anything related to security, it seemed best to keep things on track.
「Hehe, if the Hero-sama would like, I’ll gladly perform for you later.」
It might’ve been an unnecessary comment, but if it put her in a good mood, that was fine by me. Harlene, too, seemed less tense after I praised her skills.
「Well, now that introductions are complete… Hero-sama, shall we begin? Between Yuliana and Harlene, whom would you prefer to embrace first?」
「Huh? Hold on…」
Did I hear that right? Did she just say ‘embrace’?
「Master, I’m perfectly willing to go first if that’s what you wish. I’ve steeled myself for this day!」
Wait, Paula—let’s not complicate things any further.
「Neneka, I’m not sure I follow…」
「I mentioned earlier that they would be admitted to the inner palace, and I assumed you understood.」
Yuliana and Harlene, both blushing, kept glancing my way, tidying their hair and looking nervous. So that was why they were so tense?
But why was this talk suddenly heading toward embracing them?
「Neneka, for security purposes, wouldn’t simple permission to enter the inner palace be enough?」
「No, that wouldn’t suffice. There are times they may need to keep watch from the ceiling or even under your bed. It would be… unsettling for us if a woman who has no connection to you did that.」
「…By ‘us,’ you mean?」
「I mean the decision was made not just by me but by the entire inner palace council.」
Ah, the inner palace council…
Now that I think of it, they did say that my wives were gathering from distant places to hold one of those meetings.
Decisions regarding the inner palace fall under the jurisdiction of the council, led by Silhouette. And somehow, I’m the only one left out of these discussions, despite being the one directly involved.
It would be nice to get a heads-up at least… But since I constantly trouble my wives, especially Silhouette, I can’t exactly insist on it.
「Well, I suppose if the council decided…」
「Hero-sama, aren’t a large number of slave girls joining the inner palace soon?」
「Yes, that’s true.」
「As scouts and spies devoted to safeguarding the inner palace, we take great pride in our work. That’s why, in addition to myself and Paula, I requested that you allow two more scouts to stay close to you for security and counterintelligence. And you graciously agreed.」
「So that’s why you selected Yuliana and Harlene?」
「Yes. We spend more time in the inner palace than anyone other than the maidservants, and many others also wanted this chance. After rigorous selection, these two were chosen. We won’t ask for more, so please, Hero-sama, accept them.」
Hearing all this in earnest was a bit overwhelming, but I decided to ask Yuliana and Harlene directly.
「So, let’s get this straight—do you two even want to be my wives?」
「No, not at all…」 「Perish the thought!」
「…You’re not interested?」
I nearly stumbled over their blunt responses.
「Someone like me, an older woman, wouldn’t make a fitting wife for the Hero-sama. I mean, I’m just a former thief. I’d be happy if you held me even just for one night, so I could at least have a memory to treasure…」
「I’m just a village girl with no status. I thought maybe today I could be lucky enough to become the Hero-sama’s mistress!」
Neneka quickly stepped in to scold the two of them.
「Now, you two, the Hero-sama isn’t the kind of person who cares about status or background. If he was willing to accept me, then there’s no issue! And Yuliana, stop calling yourself an ‘older woman’—we’re the same age!」
Now that she mentioned it, how old was Neneka? Yuliana’s age would give that away, wouldn’t it?
「I understand. But, meeting for the first time today and then expecting me to be… close with you is a bit much. Let’s start as friends first—」
「But Hero-sama, it’s not as if you just met me.」
Yuliana interjected, pressing up against my arm a bit too intentionally.
「True, but I honestly had no idea you were interested in me.」
「Well, it’s not just me—all of the former Female Cat Thieves feel the same. We always thought it was unfair that Neneka got to see you all the time!」
「Is that so?」
「There isn’t a single woman from the Female Cat Thieves who doesn’t feel grateful to you. You even sent a priest to my village to heal my family’s illness. It felt like a dream. I was so happy…」
Oh yeah, I vaguely remembered that. Back then, I was doing whatever I could to get their support, not thinking specifically of Yuliana. Still, hearing this now made me feel a bit guilty.
「Well…」
「See? It’s not just Neneka who wants to show her gratitude. You may not need an older woman like me, especially when you have plenty of beautiful young women around. But, Hero-sama, would you do me the honor of sharing even just one night with me?」
She clasped my hand, giving me a tempting look.
「You’re doing this on purpose, Yuliana, aren’t you?」
Neneka’s cheeks twitched as Yuliana kept calling herself an ‘older woman,’ likely payback from before.
「Come on, you’re both young and beautiful. Personally, I do prefer older women.」
「Oh, you flatter me… By the way, I’m twenty-eight.」
She whispered it in my ear, and I returned a quiet reply, realizing she was indeed in her prime.
This also told me that Neneka, being the same age, was twenty-eight as well.
「Wait a moment! Yuliana isn’t the only one here. I came today with high expectations, too!」
Harlene, not wanting to be outdone, sidled up and pressed herself against me.
「This lukewarm approach won’t do, you two. Here’s how you get the Hero-sama in the mood.」
「Hey, Neneka! Hahaha, stop it!」
With Neneka’s antics draining my strength, she took my arm and smoothly pulled me onto the bed.
「Oh, but I know you like this.」
「Neneka…」
Sure, it had been a while since I’d seen her, and I’d been looking forward to it. Not that I minded, but I certainly hadn’t expected things to unfold like this.
「Come now, Hero-sama. This is also a duty of yours as a husband. Besides, this is partly a drill for protecting the bed, so you can leave it to us. As the most experienced, I should probably take the lead… or all four of us together would work too. Knowing how incredible you are, Hero-sama, everyone’s sure to be impressed.」
「Wow, Neneka, so this is what they mean by ‘skilled in bed’…」
「Neneka-neesan, this is educational!」
「Master, I’m your wife too!」
Neneka, Yuliana, Harlene, and Paula—all four kunoichi of different styles surrounding me, and so I found myself taken to bed.
It felt like I’d been completely swept along with their energy. Though, as we were undressing, I wondered if there had been any point to their kunoichi costumes… But perhaps that’s just part of the atmosphere.