"Good work, everyone."
"Good work too, Motegi-chan."
"Good work, Motegi-kun!"
"Good work... Motegi-sama..."
"Acknowledge, Master."
Today is another sell-out day at the store. After I close the store, count the sales, and finish another ceramic order... it's time for us to do what we always do. I look at Yomogi, Chantal, and Kimberly, and they instantly know what I mean.
"So, shall we go now?"
"Yes!"
They answer in unison, and without hesitation, they head upstairs together.
I watch them for a moment, then glance toward Pinna.
"Are you okay being alone at home, Pinna?"
"Affirmative, Master. Yesterday's labyrinth expedition was satisfactory. Combat data fully analyzed and archived. However, as of today, I must begin work on the assigned task, as well as upgrading the freezing box. I require solitude for uninterrupted precision."
"Okay, I'll leave it to you."
"Understood, Master."
Actually, I can't help but think how nothing really changes, even with Pinna joining the household. The only difference is that Pinna won't be coming with us to the labyrinth this time. We already agreed yesterday that her first labyrinth run would be her only one for now so she could focus on building those appliances — development of the washing machine, vacuum cleaner, and microwave — and refining her upgrades. And I respect that, and I'm sure that she'll join us again after she finishes those.
A few minutes later, the girls return downstairs. Yomogi's loose orange bridal robe hangs open at the chest, Chantal's purple bikini armor barely covers anything, and Kimberly's golden halter dress is tempting to watch.
Yup, they're stunning, as always.
"Let's go."
"Yes!"
I raise my hand, summoning the familiar portal with my teleportation spell. And before stepping in, we all turn to Pinna, and I say it first to her.
"See you later, Pinna."
Yomogi follows.
"Take care, Pinna!"
Chantal playfully adds.
"Don't wait for us, okay?"
And Kimberly waves gently at Pinna.
"We will… be back… soon…"
In response, Pinna simply bows her head slightly.
"Acknowledged. I await your return, Master, Yomogi, Chantal, Kimberly."
With that, the four of us step into the portal together.
REMANTIA'S LABYRINTH, SEVENTEENTH FLOOR
Arriving on the seventeenth floor, we fall into our usual formation again. Yomogi and Chantal take the front, while Kimberly walks beside me a few steps behind them.
As we walk, Chantal exhales a long, exaggerated sigh.
"Yaaaah… I really hope there aren't any flying monsters today. I can't show off if they're up there."
And Yomogi giggles.
"Fufu… Pinna's item really helped us yesterday, didn't it?"
Kimberly nods with a smile.
"We should... respect… Pinna's... decision. She is… fully committed… to Motegi-sama's... task..."
I rub the back of my neck, laughing a little.
"Yeah, that's true. Still, I kind of miss watching her fight, though. But, we can still work fine without her, right?"
"Yes!"
We walk a few more steps before Yomogi and Chantal suddenly stop us.
Yomogi sniffs the air.
"It's coming… but I don't like the smell."
Chantal's ears perk up, twitching.
"Hmm… I hear something… like small steps. Maybe tiny legs?"
Then, the noise grows clearer as four human-sized termites emerge, their mandibles clacking and heads jerking.
Yomogi growls.
"As I thought."
Chantal grimaces.
"Ugh, disgusting. I agree with you, Yomogi. I hate these things too."
And I ask confusedly.
"What are those?"
"Greed Mites. They are... carnivorous termites..."
So, instead of devouring wood, they feed on flesh, huh?
With that, I ask the girls.
"Ready?"
"Yes!"
Yomogi and Chantal charge forward first, side by side. Yomogi's fist crashes into the nearest termite, sending it flying into the wall with a wet crunch.
"Rraahh!"
"Kheeee...!"
Chantal's twin daggers slash her target clean in half.
"I hate you!"
"Kheeee...!"
Kimberly brings a sharp wind that tears through the third termite's body.
"Wind... Blade..."
"Kheeee...!"
I grip Yamitsuki, but then I change my mind as I decide to burn the last one with a blazing cyclone instead.
"Fire Storm!"
"Kheeee...!"
After that, clumps of dark material appear at the spot where those termites die.
"Is this… soil?"
And Yomogi confirms it.
"Yes."
Then, Chantal sighs and Kimberly reassures.
"Greed Mites are so lame. Even their drops are boring."
"Still… that soil is… good fertilizer..."
We gather it up and continue onward. More Greed Mites show up along the way, but our rhythm never falters.
Yomogi roars and pummels with heavy strikes.
"Rraahh!"
"Kheeee...!"
Chantal's daggers slice clean with sharp sounds.
"Just die already!"
"Kheeee...!"
Kimberly's gusts send the termites flying.
"Wind... Bullet..."
"Wind... Fragment..."
"Kheeee...!" "Kheeee...!"
And I alternate between spellcasting and Yamitsuki.
"Earth Spikes!"
"Take this!"
"Kheeee...!" "Kheeee...!"
With all the termites killed, we descend to the eighteenth floor together.
REMANTIA'S LABYRINTH, EIGHTEENTH FLOOR
It doesn't take long for us to walk on the eighteenth floor before Yomogi and Chantal suddenly stop again.
But when Yomogi sniffs the air, her ears lower as her expression tightens.
"Oh no…"
Chantal's ears twitch, and she immediately understands as she glances at Yomogi.
"Yeah, I know that scent. Yomogi!"
"Understood."
After that, Yomogi pulls a small folded fabric from her cleavage and quickly ties it over her mouth and nose.
And of course, I'm confused.
"Uh… what's that for?"
Chantal looks back at me to answer.
"These monsters mess with smell, Motegi-kun. Yomogi's nose is too sharp for this one, so she'll get hit hard. Just like me with the Trumpet Cranes back then."
"Then… they must be... releasing... a hypnotic scent..."
Yes, Chantal's ears were too sharp, so that was why she suffered the most from the Trumpet Cranes' screeches back then. So, if these monsters will make Yomogi feel the same way, then what are they exactly?
Hypnotic scent... like roses?
And then, my hunch proves right as four roses emerge, each standing as tall as a person. One red, one pink, one white, and one yellow, and each one has long, vine-like stems that move like legs.
I grip Yamitsuki tighter, but before I can move, the roses twitch, and Chantal immediately shouts.
"Cover your noses!"
We obey instantly. I press my hand against my face just as a pinkish mist sprays outward, rolling toward us like smoke.
Chantal yells again to Yomogi, whose tail stiffens as she fights to hold her breath.
"Don't smell it, Yomogi!"
"I'm trying!"
When it slowly disperses, we lower our hands cautiously.
"Is it okay to attack now?"
Chantal already spins her daggers in her hands, and Yomogi nods.
"Yeah, they're Charm Roses. They need a few seconds before they can gas us again! We've gotta kill them fast!"
"Let's do this, Chantal!"
With that, the two women charge forward.
"I'll handle this one!"
Chantal shouts, her daggers slicing the red rose cleanly in half, its petals scattering through the air like blood.
"Grrraah!"
Yomogi growls as her fists drive into the pink rose again and again, crushing its stem and shattering its petals.
Then, Kimberly lifts her hand as she says something.
"I must... end this... quickly. If they… do it... again… my wind... will only... spread it. Wind... Burst..."
The spell detonates and tears the white rose apart in a storm of petals.
Which then leaves me with the last one, the yellow one. I decide to rush forward with Yamitsuki.
"This one is for me!"
The blade cuts through the yellow rose from stem to blossom, and it collapses lifelessly.
Then, they drop something like vials on the ground, which I crouch forward to pick up.
"This is rosewater, right?"
And the three of them nod.
"Yes, Motegi-chan."
"You can make soap with this, Motegi-kun!"
"And we... can make... something... delicious... with this..."
Yeah, they're right.
I definitely can make soap and shampoo with this.
Also, yeah, why not try to make sweets too?
With that, we move deeper, and more Charm Roses emerge, and we welcome them in our own way.
"Grrraaah!"
"Say hello to my blades!"
"Wind... Blade!"
"Fire Bullet!" "Haaahh!"
Yomogi's fists and Chantal's slashes tear through the petals. Kimberly with her Wind spells, and I continue to switch between Yamitsuki and magic. And we collect every vial of rosewater and press forward until we reach the nineteenth floor.
REMANTIA'S LABYRINTH, NINETEENTH FLOOR
The monsters we face here are big frogs about half the size of a human's height, with bloated, jelly-like bodies, slick skin, and long tongues called Goo Frogs.
The first Goo Frog lashes out. Its sticky tongue smacks Yomogi's arm, and instead of dodging, she grabs it.
"Hup!"
She yanks the frog toward her, launches into the air, and slams both feet into its face midair with a brutal dropkick. It hits the wall with a splatter and flops down.
"I've got the squishy ones!"
Chantal twirls through two frogs, slicing them both clean in half. Their bodies flop apart with a disgusting squelch.
"Wind... Fragment…"
"Wind... Bullet..."
Kimberly lifts a hand, and a gust slices another frog neatly down the middle.
And I do the same thing as usual, shifting between Yamitsuki and spellcasting.
"Fire Ball!"
"Lightning Bolt!"
"Haahh!"
We also collect the frogs' drop items, which are the mucus. According to the girls, this is used for medicine.
And we press onward until we reach the twentieth floor.
REMANTIA'S LABYRINTH, TWENTIETH FLOOR
Arriving there, we face tangled vines that can stab someone with their root-like tendrils called Beggar Dodders. However, the same thing happens again.
"Haaahh!"
"Slowpoke!"
"Wind... Fragment..."
"Lightning Rain!" "And take this!"
Yomogi smashes with powerful punches, Chantal severs the roots with her twin daggers, Kimberly continues to chant Wind spell after Wind spell, and I keep going back and forth between blade and spell.
And again, we also collect the dodders' drop items, which are the seeds. The girls mention these seeds are used in medicine, just like the mucus.
Eventually, we reach the twenty-first floor.
REMANTIA'S LABYRINTH, TWENTY-FIRST FLOOR
Arriving there, I cast a teleportation spell and open the portal back home as I look back at the girls.
"Should we head back now?"
"Yes!"
Then, Yomogi says something that excites Chantal.
"I think I want to make something with this rosewater and the Needle Bees' honey for dessert tonight..."
"That's a good idea! You should make that, Yomogi."
"Yes, I'll make it!"
Kimberly also nods at the idea.
"We… must… prepare something… for Pinna. She stayed… behind..."
And Yomogi and Chantal agree.
"You're right, Kimberly. We can't forget her."
"Yeah, still kinda feel bad for leaving her home."
And with that, we step through the portal together.
BACK AT MOTEGI'S RENTED PROPERTY
"We're back, Pinna."
I say it first, then Yomogi and Chantal follow as they say in unison:
"We're home, Pinna!"
And Kimberly is next.
"We are... back... Pinna..."
Pinna, who is crouched in front of one of the shelves, stands up to greet us back.
"Acknowledged. Welcome back, everyone."
Then, Yomogi, Chantal, and Kimberly start heading upstairs.
"Let's make a dinner!"
"I'll help you, Yomogi!"
"I will… help… too…"
As I see them disappear from the stairs, I notice something spread out on the place where Pinna sits, which are wires, panels, tools, and blueprints. And I curiously ask her.
"Hey, Pinna, why are you doing this here?"
She pauses and looks up at me.
"Apologies, Master. The store is the only available space that meets spatial and structural requirements for this operation."
She pauses for a moment before continuing.
"The dining table lacks width for multi-part assembly. The living room is occupied with furniture and poses a risk of accidental damage to existing decor. The store provides an optimal open layout and adequate lighting for precision work."
It's a sad truth, but she's right.
This house used to feel big when I lived alone. Now, with four girls living here, it's starting to feel cramped. Also, come to think of it, when Pinna finishes the appliances I asked her to build, where are we even going to put them?
The store really is the only open space left in the house if we don't count the shelves, as the second floor doesn't have any wide areas like this. But still, seeing her sitting on the floor here to do his task makes me think if she deserves a proper workshop to work in.
And as I look at the ceramic display on the table, I also think about something. We're still using a "made-to-order system" for it, but I can't ignore the fact that I've been getting multiple requests every day now. So, we really need a full ceramic section soon, something with ready-made products for Kimberly to manage properly.
The same goes for Chantal's section. Right now, the "woodworks" is just board games, but I can start adding actual furniture later.
But to do any of that, I'll need a bigger house.
Also, if I ever move, I need to make sure to find one that has a bathroom, as my current home here doesn't even have a large enough area to put a small tub. And it has to be a big one where all of us can soak together and we can do some erotic massage and have sex there too. Yes, the possibilities are endless.
"Keep up the good work, Pinna."
"Understood, Master."
"I'll call you when dinner's ready."
"Understood, Master."
With that, I head upstairs and go to the kitchen. The first sight I see is Chantal, who is flipping thick, juicy Blitz Sheep steaks on the skillet.
"Hungry already, Motegi-kun?"
"Absolutely."
Across from her, Kimberly is preparing a light salad.
"It will… be ready… soon, Motegi-sama..."
"Okay."
Then, I walk over to Yomogi, who's working at another pan. She's placing shredded filo onto the skillet, spreading Misdaras soft cheese over them. And once the cheese melts, she tops each one with more shredded filo and flips them over.
I watch curiously as she drizzles a golden syrup over each one.
"What's that, Yomogi?"
"This will make it delicious, Motegi-chan."
And minutes later, everything's plated, so I immediately head downstairs again to call Pinna.
"Pinna, dinner's ready."
"Confirmed. Proceeding to the dining area."
Soon, we're all gathered around the table, enjoying the tender steaks and fresh salad. However, the star of the show is the dessert as we each reach for a flatbread.
I take a bite, and my eyes widen.
"Whoa… this is delicious!"
The outside is warm and crisp, while the inside is gooey and rich. The melted cheese hits first, creamy and slightly tangy, then the syrup follows, sweet and golden. The contrast is perfect.
Yomogi beams at my comment.
"I'm so happy you like it, Motegi-chan!"
Chantal hums through a mouthful.
"So gooey… and sweet…!"
Kimberly closes her eyes with content.
"Eating sweets… at night… is nice… sometimes…"
And Pinna gives her usual precise comment.
"The balance of sweetness and saltiness is excellent. Cheese creates a creamy foundation, the syrup provides distinct floral notes. I infer this is the rosewater. The honey contributes a layered sweetness with mild herbal tones. Exterior texture is crisp, interior soft. Overall: highly satisfactory."
With that, we dig again and continue to enjoy the sweet treats together.