"Have a great day!"
Today, yet again, the increasingly dependable girls were wrapped in light and set off for the dungeon. After confirming that Ren and the others had vanished and the light remnants were gone, Mariabel called out, "Now then!"
"Shall we go? Everyone, please help me out today, too."
"Yes!"
"Understood. Please leave it to us."
The energetic replies came from the children, and the girls smiled. Representing the latter was Mai, a silver-haired girl in a maid uniform—the second daughter of the Golem family.
Iris's sisters, Aina and Aishia, Mai (Mei's sister), and the Saint El, who came from the other world. These four girls come to Ren's house twice a week to help out. They take on the responsibility of looking after the children while Ren and the others are absent, as the group has resumed their dungeon conquest after a hiatus.
Saying goodbye to Ren and the others and locking the door of the hut with the portal has become a routine. In the little over a year since Ren's re-entry, the conquest has progressed rapidly, and the front lines are already reaching the 70th floor.
Since they have often played with them before, the children are well-accustomed. They follow Mariabel and Mai's group obediently. Warming her heart with the heartwarming sight, Mariabel looked at the number of people and thought,
"Even so, isn't this perhaps too many children...?"
Nine girls. It was terrifying considering the hiatus was only about three and a half years. Mariabel and Aishia's daughter is among the nine girls, but she is the only one. Mariabel suspected that the reason they hadn't had a second child wasn't just busyness, but honestly, they felt quite satisfied just taking care of these children.
The distance to the terakoya (private school) that she co-manages with Aishia is not too long, which is just right for the children's exercise.
"Aishia-sensei!"
"Welcome, everyone. Please listen to Mai-chan and the others and play nicely, okay?"
"Yes!"
The terakoya is generally for children around the middle elementary to junior high school age. Since these children are still a bit young, they play in the exercise yard or an empty classroom, with Mai and the others acting as guardians.
Fortunately, the terakoya is also thriving, with about fifteen students learning there now. The policy is to teach them freely, sometimes letting these younger children join in the play. Mariabel takes on various roles, such as teaching physical education, helping Aishia with her classes, or looking after the children with Mai's group.
"Aishia, how is the preparation?"
"I'm a bit rushed. Could you help me with the cleaning?"
"Of course."
While Mariabel cleans, Aishia finishes preparing the teaching materials and welcomes the terakoya students. Today's class doesn't require her support, so after greeting the students, she leaves the classroom and heads toward the children in the exercise yard.
"Oh, Mommy!"
Chris, her daughter, spots her mother and toddles over. When Mariabel kneels to greet her, Chris smiles happily, "Ehehe." She is very adorable. Mariabel feels like giving her a tight hug, but she refrains, only stroking her head, as it would be endless if she started.
Chris resembles Mariabel more. Aishia gave birth because while Mariabel could teach desk-based subjects while pregnant, P.E. would have been difficult. It seems true that girls often resemble their fathers. Well, in Mariabel's case, it's hard to tell how much standard medical knowledge or folk wisdom applies.
"Play with us too, Mommy?"
"Alright."
"Yay!"
Chris is a very clingy child. Is it possible that having two female parents makes them a little too spoiled? ...In contrast, Ren's daughters are quite resilient.
"It's Maria-san!"
"Let's play tag!"
"Yes, yes. But only within the exercise yard, okay? Going outside is prohibited."
"Okay!"
Perhaps it's because they grew up in an environment where non-parental adults were always around. They aren't overly attached to their parents and can interact openly with various people. Mai, Aina, and Aishia, who closely resemble their respective mothers, are perfect as playmates.
The breakdown of the nine girls is: one child born to Ren and Huri, and two children each from Iris, Mei, Shion, and Meteor.
The eldest is Meru, Mei's daughter and a Golem. Due to the Golems' trait of rapid mental development, she serves as a good older sister to her siblings. Compared to her mother, Mei, she is serious and responsible. Her body size is already about that of a human ten-year-old, and she can help with light housework. Lately, she's even been known to scold her mother, Mei, when she gets carried away.
The second eldest is Fuuka, Huri's daughter and a Wind Sylph. In contrast to Meru, she is a lively and mischievous child who literally flies around, unconsciously switching between materialized and non-materialized forms depending on her mood. The saving grace is that she listens properly to the surrounding adults. Otherwise, the Half-Elf sisters would have to chase after her wherever she flew. Even limited to the exercise yard and within reach, Mariabel needs to use about 80% of her true strength to catch her. Perhaps her body is becoming sluggish? It might be a good idea to let the children train her again at this rate.
The third and fourth are Mirei and Remi, Meteor's daughters. Although they were born about a month apart and have different birth mothers, they resemble each other as much as fraternal twins. Remi has a quieter personality, while Mirei is more assertive. Remi is the one who, half-consciously, half-unconsciously, charms boys when they play together, getting them to help her or be kind to her. Mirei, on the other hand, gives orders or starts arguments with the boys. Both are attached to their mothers, especially Ren, and Mirei recently declared, "When I grow up, I'm going to marry Mother!"
The fifth is Remu, Mei's daughter born to Ren. She is a sort of Half-Golem. Her body has a texture similar to living tissue and a strength close to metal, and despite having seams in places, her appearance is almost human. She lacks the function to freely modify her body but can eat and drink, and as long as she has enough energy, certain injuries heal naturally. She has very rich facial expressions, which is unusual for a Golem descendant, and she is also the biggest crybaby among the sisters.
The sixth and seventh are Reili and Reris, Iris's daughters. Both have ears inherited from Iris and can communicate with spirits. Reili is fond of Wind Spirits and likes to run around chasing Fuuka, while Reris seems interested in Life Spirits, preferring to quietly observe insects and small animals or touch them to feel their texture. Perhaps Ren's Succubus nature manifests more strongly when she acts as the father figure. Indeed, the Sage occasionally comes to observe the children and shares such analyses with Mariabel and Aishia (without being asked).
"Conversely, species that wish to preserve their lineage—Elves, for example—should simply have Ren bear their children."
"Sage-sama, please never say that to Aina-san."
Thanks to the slight killing intent in her voice, even the Sage pleasantly replied, "U-Uhm."
Finally, the eighth and ninth are Ran and Ayame, Shion's daughters. Ran's default form is a child, but she can transform into a fox, while Ayame was born in a fox form and can change into a human. Their human hair and eye colors are a slightly purplish black (Ran) and a blackish purple (Ayame). Ran can manipulate small fires as easily as breathing, and Ayame boasts the greatest magical power among the sisters despite being the youngest. Perhaps due to inherited personality from Shion or the result of their upbringing, both are polite and well-behaved children. Their occasional bursts of childlike excitement only add to their charm.
When they play outside, Fuuka usually takes the lead and runs around, Reili follows, the Fox-Youkai sisters chase after them, and Mirei follows while complaining. The easygoing Remi and Reris draw in the dirt or chase butterflies. Remu participates in either group depending on the moment, and the eldest, Meru, watches with El and the others to ensure the sisters don't get hurt or fight—that is the usual pattern.
Though still small, Ren's daughters are full of talent. Playing along with them gradually leaves Mariabel breathless. When that happens, she hands the baton to the Half-Elf sisters and takes a break.
"Thank you for your hard work, Mariabel-san."
"Thank you, El-chan."
Mariabel gratefully accepts the cold water offered by El with a smile and drinks it, letting it soak into her body. Over four years have passed since she came to this world, and El has grown up considerably. Her height has increased, and her figure has become age-appropriate. Her skill in Holy Magic has grown even faster, reaching a level where she might even rival Ren's group before their hiatus. She truly deserves to have been identified as a Saint. The dungeon's unique environment compressed the experience she should have accumulated over a much longer time into a short period. Her power will undoubtedly be an indispensable asset in the coming battle with the Demon Lord.
Perhaps they don't need my help anymore.
The fact that Ren and the others are moving further and further away is both reassuring and frustrating. If only I had more power, I might have been able to help them.
"...People have things they are suited for and things they are not. Protecting this peaceful place is a respectable role, too."
"El-chan..."
Is this also the power of the Saint? El sometimes says surprisingly astute things. Mariabel's expression softens into a gentle smile, drawn in by the smile that eases her worries.
"Thank you."
She is right. Looking after the children while Ren and the others are absent is a respectable job. Ren and the others entrust them with this because they trust Mariabel and the others.
Even so.
If Ren's battle should ever require assistance in the future, she would like to stand on the battlefield again. Her body is fortunately starting to be affected by her age, but luckily, there is a way to resolve that.
(To make up for the time I couldn't spend with Aishia, it might be worth considering.)
The problem with becoming a child is that she would have too little authority as a "teacher," but...
"At this rate, I might be able to entrust the 'teacher' role to everyone here."
The children are growing up at a tremendous speed that adults wouldn't even imagine. Therefore, Mariabel and the others must also work much harder and continue to grow.
The young Saint, who is the prime example of a rival in terms of growth, looked unusually flustered by Mariabel's statement.
"I-I couldn't possibly handle such a huge responsibility as a teacher!"
Mariabel couldn't help but let out a gentle chuckle at the reaction, which was a complete change from before.
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