"I have never eaten anything this delicious, not even once while living in the desert. Is all the food here this good?" Jasmine asked, sipping her soup with relish.
"No," Viviana replied, smiling as she savored the fruit slices. "I doubt you could find food this good anywhere outside the royal palace."
The others agreed silently, too absorbed in their plates to add more. Even Vesta, despite her earlier emotional outburst, hadn't slowed her eating in the slightest.
Meanwhile, after finishing about half of my own plate, I found myself focusing less on the food and more on watching the girls and listening to their conversations.
The long dining table was completely filled—nine girls seated on each side, with only the chair directly across from me left empty in the twenty-seat arrangement.
On my right were Roxanne, Lillia, Miria, Vesta, Remu, Shera, Shea, Ram, and Rem.
Roxanne was chatting with Lillia and Sherry, smiling as she ate, recounting about what she did on her day off. Her eyes met mine briefly, and I gestured for her to keep eating when she looked ready to stop in case I needed something.
Lillia, the Sheepkin, was laughing softly while speaking with Miria in Burner tongue. Miria herself was clearly in heaven, savoring the fish dish with her eyes closed and a blissful smile.
…An unreasonable pang of jealousy hit me. My catgirl had never looked that happy even during sex. Was I really losing to a fish? A dead fish, at that!
Beside them, Vesta—who had just had her tearful breakdown moments earlier—still had watery eyes as she carefully nibbled her portion of meat. The sight of this towering woman reduced to a crybaby over good food was… unexpectedly adorable. It reminded me a lot of her character in the original story.
Further down, Remu and Shera were bickering heatedly over which dish was better—the fish or the mutton. It was an amusing contrast: Remu, despite her bandit background, was eating with surprising refinement, while Shera had abandoned all noble-lady etiquette, digging in with one spoon and one hand.
I also couldn't help but notice with some surprise that elves here weren't strict vegetarians—as Shera was happily devouring the meat dishes without hesitation.
Shea, seated nearby, had no time to join in the conversations—she was far too busy shoveling food into her mouth like she hadn't eaten in years.
Her favorite seemed to be the vegetable soup. I caught sight of Kyopiko floating in it—vegetables that looked like carrots but tasted like sour cherries—as well as actual carrots, though here they were white and looked nothing like the carrots I knew. I almost wanted to ask whether she preferred the Kyopiko or the carrots, but one look at her overstuffed cheeks convinced me it was better to leave her alone.
Ram and Rem were much calmer, eating with quiet smiles. The pink-haired twin kept slipping extra food into her sister's plate, while the blue-haired twin carefully picked out pieces of meat and put them into her elder sister's dish. Ram would pout every time, only for Rem to chuckle softly. Some little joke seemed to pass between them that no one else was privy to.
On my left side sat Sherry, Anastasia, Kunou, Yasaka, Erina, Viviana, Jasmine, Setsuna, and Nyx.
Sherry, her earlier drunkenness long since worn off, was back to her sharp self. She chatted animatedly with Anastasia about the auction while still finding time to talk with Roxanne across the table—and, of course, to eat heartily.
Anastasia, for her part, looked far more relaxed than I expected. I had worried that Roxanne and the others might resent her for helping me buy this many new girls today, but no such thing seemed to have happened.
She even laughed often as she ate, her good mood was perhaps bolstered by the presence of Kunou and Yasaka beside her. From time to time, she even slipped extra food onto Kunou's plate whenever it ran low.
The little foxkin was also clearly having the time of her life—eating with both hands, chatting with Anastasia and Yasaka nonstop, even speaking with her mouth full. Yasaka kept scolding her gently, reminding her to swallow first, but her words fell on deaf ears.
Yasaka herself—easily the oldest among us—had been the one I worried most about fitting in. But watching her now, smiling as she ate and joining conversations with Anastasia, Erina, Viviana, and Jasmine, I realized my concern was unnecessary. She carried herself with the ease of someone used to winning people over.
Even Erina, who had been more reserved earlier, seemed to open up in Yasaka's company. I overheard her explaining how she had come up with certain dishes to the group around her, her eyes sparkling with passion for cooking.
With Yasaka, Viviana, and Erina sitting together in a row, the three golden-haired beauties created a dazzling sight. Erina and Viviana both ate with refined grace, their movements so elegant that it almost felt like watching a noble's banquet rather than a family dinner.
Viviana, the gentle Deerkin, seemed especially content. She smiled often, joining in conversations while savoring her food. I noticed that she focused mainly on the vegetable and grain dishes, though she did nibble at the meat and fish as well.
Whether she was forcing herself or simply had a preference, I couldn't tell—but either way, she ate with genuine enjoyment.
Beside her, Jasmine—the radiant brown beauty—ate with impeccable manners, yet I could see the delight in her eyes as she tried everything placed near her. She looked like she had the bearing of nobility, as even while devouring the food she looked elegant.
Setsuna, in contrast, sat quietly, head lowered as she focused on her plate. She didn't join the chatter, but she ate steadily, so at least it was clear the food pleased her.
Nyx, next to her, was even more subdued. With her long dark hair hiding her face, she picked at her small portions slowly. Still, little by little, her plate emptied. The girls around them had tried more than once to draw Setsuna and Nyx into conversation, but both replied briefly before returning their attention to their meals.
All in all, the mood at the table was warm and cheerful. Laughter, chatter, and the clinking of spoons filled the room, and the lively harem-onious atmosphere made me smile. This—this was the kind of family moment I wanted to create and cherish.
By the time most of the pots and plates were emptied, the girls were leaning back with satisfied bellies. Miria had licked her plate clean and was already half-dozing, mumbling fish, fish to herself with a blissful grin.
Erina, meanwhile, looked the happiest of all, pride glowing in her eyes at the sight of everyone enjoying her cooking.
I decided the time was right. Clearing my throat, I let my voice carry over the lively chatter.
"I have something very important to tell you all," I said in a low, serious tone.
The shift was immediate. The room fell silent. The newer girls—like Shea and Kunou—stiffened, nervousness flickering across their faces. The more familiar ones—Roxanne, Sherry, Anastasia, and Lilia—remained calm, already knowing what was coming.
As for Miria… expecting her attention right now was a lost cause. She stayed slumped over her plate, humming happily to herself about fish.
"As you are now precious members of my family, it is only right that I share with you the secrets of the Kaga family," I said, beginning the narration of my carefully crafted fake background story.
"Unbelievable," Viviana muttered, clearly stunned.
"Is it all true?" Kunou asked Anastasia, who nodded with solemn seriousness.
Thankfully, I already had four girls who had accepted this story beforehand, which made my words far more credible.
Not only did I share the tale, but I also went into more detailed explanations—having already refined it to perfection—about the ancient, forgotten Kaga Family, my deceased Master, and my supposed Bloodline Powers. I explained everything concisely, letting Sherry and Anastasia step in at certain points to reinforce the story and lend it more weight.
"Ugh… I don't get it. What exactly does Master's power do?" Shea asked with a wry smile.
"I didn't understand a single thing," Shera admitted, clutching her head in confusion.
"It's so simple, how can you not understand?" Remu said, giving them both a baffled look.
"I will try to explain in easier terms," Sherry offered as she stood up.
This wasn't the first time I had to pause. The blank, confused faces of some of the girls made it painfully obvious they weren't grasping anything. So, I allowed the ones who understood to explain my powers—or the magical artifacts I possessed, both of which honestly were piling up at this point. Also this way, if even the girls explaining the stuff made a mistake in understanding, I could correct them on the spot.
It was essential that everyone here at least had a general idea of my abilities. Although revealing them was a security risk, leaving them ignorant would be far more dangerous in the long run. Besides, I wanted them to feel reassured, to know their Master wasn't just mysterious but also powerful enough to protect them.
"Wow, Rem… Master seems way too powerful," Ram said, her reddish-pink eyes shining as she looked at me.
"Yes, Nee-sama… Master really does seem like a great person," Rem said softly, her blue eyes glancing at me with shy admiration.
"Great Desert Gods have blessed me…" Jasmine whispered, joining her hands in prayer.
"I knew Master was special," Vesta said with a smile that still carried traces of awe.
"Hahaha! Looks like I am the luckiest rabbit of all—for Master to choose me!" Shea cheered, laughing with joy.
"Yes… Master is even more amazing than any noble, and he… chose me," Shera muttered softly, her gentle gaze fixed on me.
"He chose me first, though," Remu said sharply, narrowing her eyes at Shera, who pouted and looked away.
"I knew your Master must be someone extraordinary," Yasaka remarked, glancing at Anastasia.
"Our Master" she replied, smiling proudly in return.
"Master is the Hero then?" Kunou muttered, staring at me dreamily.
"It's still hard to believe that Master is the legendary Hero…" Erina said, rubbing her temples as though trying to process it all.
"But I… I want to believe Master's words," Viviana said at last, her eyes shining with quiet faith as she looked at me.
It was strange—out of everything I had revealed, the ancient family, the bloodline powers, multiple jobs, even the bizarre magical artifacts—the one thing that was hardest for them to accept was my claim to the Hero Job.
It was the same with the logical Sherry and smart Anastasia when they first heard me tell them about it.
It only went to show how deeply the title of Hero was revered in this world.
"There's an easier way to prove my words," I said at last.
I switched Roxanne's Job to Village Chief and instructed her to use her Intelligence Card Operation skill on me, carefully explaining to the others what, how, and why I was doing this.
The Village Chief Job was something I had formerly assigned to my original party through the Knight Job skill.
Roxanne, having already done this once before, calmly chanted the spell. A faint glow enveloped my hand, and soon an Intelligence Card popped out of my left wrist.
"Now that I am not concealing it with my power, you can see my true Job," I said, keeping Hero as my first Job and extending my hand towards Vesta.
She hesitated at first, then her tall body stood up and approached me with a mix of reverence and apprehension. Taking my left hand gently in hers, she leaned down to read.
"It's… real." Her voice trembled in shock. "Master… Master is a Hero!" Her crimson eyes widened in disbelief before looking up at me with awe.
"Wooooow!" A chorus of gasps and exclamations rippled through the room.
"Well, Hero is just one of the Jobs I have," I said with a humble smile, which immediately made Vesta's face turn red.
"Master… I am honored," she said excitedly, stepping aside to let the other girls approach me.
It was an odd experience. I felt like I was a famous idol doing a fan signing event. As one by one, the newer girls came forward, held my hand, and gasped in surprise. After that, their behavior shifted—becoming much more respectful, even reverent.
Of course, girls like Shea, Shera, and Kunou were simply excited, gushing about how amazing their luck was to have the Hero as their Master.
Watching their fanatic enthusiasm, I could only hope they didn't all turn into another Roxanne, who stood proudly at my side, nodding and declaring, "Master is the Greatest."
Some, like Viviana, Yasaka, Jasmine and the twins Ram and Rem, went so far as to try kneeling or bowing, telling me how honored they were to serve me. It was tiring having to stop them one after another.
Even Nyx, usually gloomy, looked genuinely happy, her lips curving into a rare small smile after reading my Intelligence Card.
At last, Setsuna approached. Her pale-blue eyes widened in shock as she held my hand.
"Master… you really are the Hero?"
"Yes. But this doesn't change anything. I'm still just your Master," I said with a wry smile.
She stared at me blankly, and then tears began to well up, spilling down her cheeks.
"Wh-what's wrong?" I asked in a panic, reaching out—
Before I could touch her, she collapsed to her knees with a heavy thud, clutching my legs with trembling hands.
"Hero… sob… sob… please… please save Setsuna's village!" Her voice broke, raw and filled with pain.
I froze, heart pounding as her anguished cries echoed in my ears.
***
[Pretori33 has redeemed an Extra Chapter this week]