149 – Escaping the Deserted Island with Enemy Female Soldiers (End)

I prepared to emigrate, as planned.

First, we had to go to the Holy Kingdom.

It was difficult for a citizen of the Magic Kingdom to obtain a visa for the Holy Kingdom, but not impossible. I received an invitation from Saintess Tiria, granting us entry.

After signing the marriage certificate, we submitted it to the authorities. With this, Rachel and I were officially bound as husband and wife.

Afterward, we headed to a small seaside village.

It was Rachel’s hometown. A place filled with her memories, and also where her hatred had begun.

We met and greeted the villagers, then climbed a hill overlooking the sea. It was where those who had been sacrificed in the Eight Shadows’ evil sorcery over a decade ago were buried.

“Mom, Dad. I’m here.”

Rachel spoke calmly. Her shoulders were trembling slightly.

“I… I have a husband and a child now. My husband is a little too popular with women, but… it’s okay. He’s a really good person. I’m going to try to live happily with him from now on. So, please wait just a little longer until then.”

As I held the sobbing Rachel, I vowed to make this woman happy for the rest of her life.

“…I won’t ever let you go, ever again.”

It was the moment my enemy became my wife.

Next was the Magic Kingdom.

The Holy Kingdom and the Magic Kingdom had been at odds for a long time. There was no embassy or anything. I hadn’t even thought about reporting my marriage with Rachel to the government office, but even if I wanted to, it was impossible.

Therefore, returning home was seamless. In the Magic Kingdom, I was still unmarried on paper. In other words, I could get married again.

And so, I tied the knot with Adora.

“Sorry, Dad. It’s just that I can’t see any other man, you know?”

“Rohnstein, you rapscallion! Give me back my daughter! Bigamy, of all things!”

My father-in-law roared himself hoarse. Meanwhile, my mother-in-law and brothers-in-law, though clearly taken aback, treated me with a surprising warmth.

“To think our son-in-law is the valedictorian of the Larrhon Academy, a Doctor, and a Class A Mage to boot! You picked the perfect time to marry, you did!”

“Go, Brother. We’ll handle Father somehow. Take that woman and get yourselves to Pinar. Visit when you can.”

“Here, it’s not much, but take it. To help with the dowry.”

The check in the envelope left me speechless. As only the wealthy could, the sum for the wedding expenses was an obscene amount. I’d never held so much money in my life.

“Ah, right.”

Adora pulled out a bloodstained envelope. A check resided within that one as well.

“The money from Admiral Dietz.”

“You sure that isn’t counterfeit?”

“I checked with the Mint. It’s real, Senior.”

I looked down at the ground and nodded.

*Admiral Dietz, though I can’t forgive you, I do admire your magnanimity. I will gratefully accept this money.*

And so, Adora also became my wife. I’d originally intended to properly persuade my father-in-law with time, but that seemed difficult for now.

Alright.

Having come this far, half the battle is won.

But half the battle won means half the battle is still lost. If I did nothing, the children to be born before long would face various social disadvantages. For instance, they wouldn’t be able to benefit from the social security system.

My wives’ bellies were slowly swelling, so we had to emigrate as soon as possible.

“I have somewhere to go before that.”

“Where?”

“My house. I need to pack things up.”

Before being drafted, I’d scraped together enough money to buy a run-down villa in the shopping district near Larrhon Academy. It was a mere five-minute walk from my undergraduate faculty and my graduate research lab.

It was a studio apartment I’d obtained by pinching every penny. As such, I was very fond of it. The thought of clearing out my beloved place and leaving brought a sniffle, not quite a tear, to my nose.

“Yoo Moon-ah, Sum Lok-ah, Ahn San-ah.”

“…Don’t tell me you’re here to take the stones?”

“No, I really do have to pack things. And take some stuff.”

“There’s nothing but stones here?”

“That’s why I’m taking everything here.”

“Tell us honestly. Do you like us, or the stones, more?”

“Why, I like you more, with hearts as solid as stone, of course.”

“Hey.”

“Ah, gotta hurry and clean up before it gets too late.”

Surely they wouldn’t look down on me collecting stones? My livelihood depends on it.

*

Changing nationality brought about so many things. Especially drawing people’s attention, it caused a lot of heartache.

Whether it was Rachel, the war hero, or Adora, the esteemed daughter of a prestigious family, the buzz was considerable. The newspapers churned out articles about me and my wives almost daily.

Reader comments would trickle in at the bottom of the articles, and while there were positive words wishing us happiness, negative perceptions seemed to outweigh them.

Brain drain being severe, how could a man and woman who killed their own comrades fall in love, that kind of thing. They should tax that b*stard even more, and such.

Perhaps it was proof that the relationship between the Holy Spirit Nation and the Demon Kingdom was still bad. After all, until a few months ago, they were desperate to kill each other.

It’s not much different now.

The Holy Spirit Nation was doing everything it could to interfere in the Demon Kingdom’s internal affairs, and the Demon Kingdom was dedicating itself to restoring its national power in order to maintain its sovereignty.

I thought to myself. This problem is something that can never be solved by individual power alone.

So, individuals should live their lives, happy until the right time comes, wouldn’t you agree?

Of course, there were other problems besides this.

Specifically, the Holy Church’s pursuit.

By taking the Saintess’s first experience, I was going to be in the firing line for a while. I’d been subjected to curses in Ascalia language from passersby, and had nearly been hit with rotten eggs or tomatoes.

“I’m sorry, if I hadn’t been the Saintess…”

The Saintess of Purification is a figure that attracts much attention. Tiria had apologized several times before we even immigrated. No, even after immigrating, she repeatedly said she was sorry.

“The followers are probably still cursing you right now.”

“It’s okay.”

“It makes me uneasy.”

“You’re not a Saintess anymore. Why worry?”

That’s right. Tiria had given up her position for my sake. Something that had never happened in history. A Saintess voluntarily relinquishing her honor during her lifetime.

And yet, that very act seemed all the more Saintess-like.

“Erich, watching you, I realized. A true seeker of truth shouldn’t be bound by a religious sect. Once I thought of it that way, I didn’t need the title of Saintess.”

Having set down her heavy burden, Tiria looked all the more relieved. She said that she had been subjected to all kinds of controls as a Saintess. This freedom must be welcome.

“My divine power and medical knowledge are still there. Finard also seems to know this and said that if I just take a short test, he’ll grant me a Healer’s license.”

“Healer?”

“It’s a type of Spiritualist. A special doctor who heals people by borrowing the power of spirits. In my case, since I use divine power instead of spirits to heal, it would be more accurate to call me a ‘Holy Spiritualist’.”

“So, either way, it’s a coveted profession, is it?”

“Yes, wouldn’t it be difficult living off just your salary, dear? It’s not like the Giffold family is giving us their heart and soul, either. From now on, we’ll both earn, raise the kids, all of it.”

Tiria’s eyes, when she looked at me, were gold. Eyes that spoke of joy and elation, yes, but not only that.

Lust.

“If we’re going to have lots of children, I’ll need a really stable job, right?”

Tiria’s ears twitched. She was getting excited. I tugged on one, breathing softly on it. Tiria let out a saucy moan and shivered. That her eyes turned pink was just a bonus.

“It tickles, darling.”

“Whatever. If you’ve finished filling out the forms, hurry up and give them to me. I need to submit them.”

“Hehe, here you go.”

I thrust the marriage registration form, written in Pinaric, at the elven clerk. The clerk’s face crumpled as he examined the form and family register.

“In this day and age… you certainly have quite the talent. Aha ha.”

I know, I know. Polygamy is allowed, but it’s hardly common. I’d heard it was mostly just the high-and-mighty in Pinar who did it, like strategic marriages.

But Pinar was grappling with a severely low birth rate of 1.3, so the clerk quickly became more welcoming.

And so, I had three wives.

Just one more to go.

“Here’s our long-term residency permit.”

“Uwaa, thank you!”

The fox sisters looked up at us as they received their cards. Their tails drooped low to the ground, looking terribly dejected.

“So, it makes you happy to get married and exclude us?”

“You guys aren’t citizens of this country yet. Just be patient.”

“Still, we got our residency permits.”

Miyo scoffed, her voice nasal, as she pressed close.

“So, if we start fooling around with you, it’s adultery? Oh, sister, suddenly I’m getting excited.”

I touched the fox sisters’ tails. Stiff. And somehow, they had a savory scent.

“Hey, are you crazy?”

“H-how could you have such, such impious thoughts…!”

“……”

While Adora and Tiria each made their remarks, Rachel stared at me with a deep, smoldering gaze.

That night, I was thoroughly planned for by my wives in the temporary housing provided for immigrants.

*

“Welcome to Pinar Federal Polytechnic University, Dr. Ronstein.”

A little more time drifted by.

“Professor, your reputation precedes you. Your pre-war theses offered profound insights even to our spirit studies community. I had personally hoped to meet you one day, but to have it happen like this… Heh.”

“The pleasure is all mine, to be working alongside such distinguished individuals.”

I had become a professor.

If I hadn’t emigrated and remained in the Mage Kingdom, I would likely be the youngest Archmage. An Archmage is a Director who runs an independent research institute. Only the most exceptional among academy professors, the elite mages who have reached the zenith of magic, attain such a position.

I had rejected that, choosing instead the path of a tenured professor at a university.

The reason? Need you even ask? My wives’ happiness. For them, I would gladly lay down my life. An Archmage’s seat? Let someone else have it.

Regardless, I established the Magestone Studies Lab and truly embarked on the life of a scholar. Things would get busy from here on out. My wives would soon be giving birth; could I possibly juggle both childcare and work…?

“Hoo.”

Still, I had to do my best.

Just as I was thinking this, someone entered my lab.

Foxes, sisters, a matched pair of tails.

It was Liyo and Miyo.

“It’s you two. Did you submit your transfer paperwork?”

The fox sisters grinned. Instead of answering, they entered my lab and immediately presented their faces to mine.

“Professor, are you perhaps in need of a graduate student who can simultaneously produce theses and babies?”

On my very first day, I acquired an undergraduate intern.

Or, rather, two?

*

After I became a professor, a period of stability settled upon us all.

First, all my wives safely delivered our children. We acquired a house, and a car, not too far from the university.

Also, it was around this time that Salvira joined us.

[“Entering without a visa proved quite challenging. It’s not like the old days.”]

[“Why didn’t you say something? We were worried when you suddenly vanished.”]

[“I appreciate your concern.”]

Salvira offered a gentle smile.

[“I’ve done a lot of thinking on the way here. About what I should do, what I could do, while remaining undetected and at peace for a long, long time…”]

[“And what have you decided?”]

[“I’m thinking of running an orphanage.”]

I nodded.

“That is a good idea. But times have changed. Unless we get official recognition from the central government, we can’t even use a scrap of land as we please. Almost all the country’s like that now.”

“Has centralization become that complete…?”

“Yes, so please, leave the orphanage to me.”

I’d been having similar thoughts myself. Because I was an orphan, and Rachel had lost her parents young, too.

Children are the future. If there’s a future being marginalized, shouldn’t we gather them up and care for them before their flames are extinguished? Even people struggling with debt donate to charities every month; surely I, with a certain level of financial comfort, could do no less.

“In the end… thank you so much.”

“Nonsense. I was able to establish myself more quickly thanks to you, Teacher. This is a small price to pay.”

Though, it wasn’t something I could do immediately. I had a mountain of unfinished business piled up.

Between my teaching job and the housewarming, I also had to receive those who had gathered to celebrate the new lives.

The Gipold family, the beastkin who knew the Fox sisters, Rachel’s village folk, and my academy alumni, too. They visited in sequence after our wives were discharged from the maternity ward.

The most surprising visitors, though, were people from Tiria.

The Holy Maidens of Purification. They had arrived.

“The Church said they were going to send a priest to keep an eye on our Tiria’s husband. I told them no need.”

“So we came instead. The war is over, and you’ve even become a Saint, so we specially asked the High Priest!”

“Tiria, you’re getting married first. I’m jealous.”

“Should I just go for it, too, while I’m at it?”

“Give it up. We don’t have as much money as they do, and if we even make eye contact with a man, either our lover dies or we have to take off our habit, one or the other.”

The Holy Maidens’ appearance was truly unexpected. I’d assumed they were just heaping scorn upon me for the polyamorous marriage, but apparently some people viewed it favorably.

The expressions of their guards were souring amidst the chattering of the Holy Maidens, but what did it matter?

“Anyway, congratulations, Tiria. Your husband is really handsome, huh?”

“No way. I absolutely will not let you have him, even you!”

Tiria blocked my path. The Holy Maidens giggled.

“My goodness, is that the ascetic Tiria? You’ve completely turned into a woman while we weren’t looking?”

“Holy Maiden, I’ve told you countless times, you can’t call a woman ‘a woman’!”

“Whatever. Spill the beans about what happened on the desert island. What was it like the first time?”

“That’s disgusting! I won’t allow you to say any more!”

The Holy Maidens teetered somewhere between lewd stories and crude jokes, and the priests tried to stop them. Amidst the boisterous atmosphere, one of the Holy Maidens, who had been quietly observing the children, spoke.

“So, these are your sons and daughters? Two sons and three daughters?”

If you’re wondering why there were five children when there were four pregnancies, it’s because there was a 25% chance of twins. And the Fox sisters were the ones who birthed them. I was half anticipating, half worried about what kind of wild girls they would grow into a few years from now.

“One side had twins, huh?”

“So, how exactly does a fox lady…nurse?”

“Wouldn’t she have to keep them latched on both sides, all the time?”

“Both sides? Oh, my heavens.”

The holy women were muttering something, but this time their voices were too soft to properly hear.

In any case, with four of them giving birth around the same time, I found myself busier than I’d ever been. Trying to attend to all my wives at once left me utterly drained.

Still, I was filled with pride.

“…This, this is my child with Erich.”

Seeing Rachel so dazed only intensified the feeling. Rachel stared at the baby with an expression of disbelief. I sat beside her and asked,

“Still doesn’t quite feel real, does it?”

“N-no.”

Soon, a smile bloomed on her lips.

“She’s…adorable.”

A beautiful little princess. She’d inherited her mother’s beauty wholesale.

“Hey, oppa? Aren’t you going to check on me?”

“Of course I am.”

“Me too, darling.”

“Yes, I’m coming.”

I went to see Adora and Tiria’s children as well. Both were boys. Tiria’s child had a rounded, gentle face, while Adora’s had sharper features. One felt warm, the other…cool, I suppose.

Even their hair colours were complete opposites, creating a stark contrast.

“Adora, what do you think? Isn’t my boy handsome?”

“He is. But mine is far more dashing.”

“What nonsense is that? My son is much handsomer.”

“Absolutely not. Mine’s the most handsome! You can already tell he’s going to break hearts.”

“Indeed. The number of victims of polygamy will only increase.”

“Well, shall we make a wager?”

“Gladly. We’ll see in twenty years. Whose child has more women chasing after him.”

What on earth are these wives talking about?

As Tiria and Adora bickered, I heard a sound coming from where the fox sisters were.

“Now, watch carefully. This is how you nurse.”

“oooh.”

I know not what the Saintesses do, loitering there.

*

Liyo graduated from her undergraduate studies.

With a bachelor’s degree in hand, Liyo, too, became eligible for immigration. Because the population graduating from the academy’s university courses was so rare, she could obtain Pinar citizenship if she passed only a few examinations.

Naturally, Liyo passed them without a hitch. She was now a citizen of Pinar. Which meant, according to Pinar’s laws, polygamy was permissible.

She immediately filled out a marriage registration form and submitted it to the main public office. It was quickly approved, and Liyo was welcomed as the final wife.

A weight lifted from my shoulders. The fox sisters and their twin daughters had not been able to benefit from health insurance until now. Should any serious illness occur, they would have had to cross the continent to the Holy Spirit Nation for treatment.

Thankfully, we had Tiria. She could handle minor ailments.

In the meantime, Tiria had obtained her healer’s license. As a professor, I had, together with Liyo, produced several papers…and a few children, as well.

[‘Oh, my.’]

[‘He must have finally gone mad.’]

[‘Erich, snap out of it.’]

[‘Well, it’s not so bad, I suppose.’]

The remaining golems were also given bodies they desired. This time, we properly crafted devices that imitated the human vocal cords, so they could speak both the Hweon and common tongues simultaneously. Unsurprisingly, it was Liyo’s undergraduate thesis topic.

[‘Olivia dear, I think we should have another talk soon.’]

[‘Hmm, perhaps?’]

[‘David, would you come over here?’]

[‘Oh, oh, ohhh.’]

Having lived together for so long, it seemed the time was approaching for David and Senior Kalon as well.

Yes, the time for marriage.

My wives and I held a formal wedding ceremony. The golems, too, had their own spiritual marriage ceremony.

The wedding was held outdoors, according to Pinar’s traditional wedding customs. However, to respect the countries of origin, the wives from the Holy Spirit Nation wore white dresses in the Holy Spirit tradition, while Adora wore a reddish-hued dress.

“Wow, look at her trying to stand out.”

“What’s wrong with crimson?”

“It’s too drab. It’s not wine.”

“Well, you wouldn’t understand. My brother knows, though. Why the witch nation bride wears clothes like this instead of a white dress like yours. It’s to hide her embarrassed expression when she engages in the first night’s relations while wearing this dress.”

“Oh, is that so? Then our Ascalia’s dress is superior. We have a meaning of wanting to dye white with red.”

“But you’re both not virgins.”

“Both of you are vulgar.”

The level of conversation was akin to wandering in and out of our bedroom, making my head spin, but it was alright. It was proof that my wives were growing closer. Yes, it would be alright.

“Alright, then, bride and grooms. Let’s have the vow kiss now.”

I got a deep kiss in front of all the guests.

*

After the wedding ceremony and the spirit marriage were over, we finally took a belated honeymoon.

“Ah.”

I woke up, and it was morning. Around me were four naked women… no. Five.

It looks like we’re going to have some younger ones soon.

*

We even had a proper wedding, and everyone secured decent employment.

First, the fox sisters.

They’re graduate students.

“Ah.”

Explanation over.

“Maybe… maybe I made the wrong choice.”

“You chose this path. Endure.”

“Uwaaah! When am I supposed to take care of the kids like this!”

“I’ll take care of them.”

“…Then, can we have more?”

“Graduate first.”

Adora, true to her military family, re-enlisted in the… no, she didn’t, but she became a civil servant in the Pinar United Republic Army through a special recruitment.

[‘oooh, a civil servant who’s the offspring of a general. How terrible and frightening this must be for the officers!’]

[‘Any unit she’s assigned to is done for. Isn’t that right, oppa?’]

Being a civil servant, she was stable, and her experience was recognized to some extent, so her grade was quite high. It was a good job with a steady salary even while she was on maternity leave.

Meanwhile, Rachel, in a similar situation to Adora, chose a different path than becoming a civil servant.

“Teacher… I’ve wanted to do this since a long time ago.”

After three years of effort, Rachel became a teacher. An elementary school teacher, to be precise. She said she didn’t want to have a career in the military in the first place, as she had PTSD from her time there.

Even so, Rachel received a pension as a war hero.

“It’s still being paid even after I changed my nationality?”

“It’s probably because of international relations. There was a big war recently, so now a silent war will break out. The Holy Spirit Empire might be using us to pressure this country into isolating the Magic Empire.”

Rachel’s guess wasn’t wrong, as my pension started coming from the Magic Empire as well. They must be strapped for cash after losing the war, but they were also acting as if I’m a hidden hero or something and putting money in my bank account as a ‘small gift’.

They’ll probably try to get me to come back later with all this, but no way. We decided to settle down here a long time ago. Maybe I’ll visit if there’s a scholarly conference or something.

And, one more.

[“Ooh, Pimpi…”]

From the cafe across from the orphanage, Pimpi-spider’s exclamation rings out. I was thinking of going in for a coffee, but then I saw Salvira behind the counter, and I was speechless.

A maid outfit in black and white.

“Ah, you’ve arrived?”

“What in the world is that outfit?”

“I happened to see it in a fashion magazine. They said it was a modern take on the clothes worn by maids in the old noble houses. I decided I’d serve humans, so I thought I’d try this style… but, well. It’s a little embarrassing.”

I had a lot to say, but I decided against it. It would be great for the cafe’s profits, after all. Salvira even built this cafe so she could run the orphanage without my help.

The reason Salvira wasn’t speaking in Wheeon was thanks to the artificial vocal cords developed jointly with the fox sisters. Now, she could run the cafe as a plain, barista-type mage.

And how did she handle her identity, you might ask? She’s got a backstory of lost memories, caused by trauma from human experimentation, and a past bout of aphasia, which smoothed everything over nicely. Thanks to that, she even has citizenship now.

“Ms. Salvie.”

Salvie is Salvira’s new name.

“…The usual, please.”

I should probably leave quickly today without saying much.

*

And, after that, many things happened.

“Papa, this is a present from me. Mama says I should give it to you to thank you for making her happy.”

I received a bouquet of gratitude from Sion, my daughter with Rachel.

“Papa, how are babies made?”

I endured plenty of tricky questions from Roderick, my son with Tiria.

“Heeheehee! Catch us if you can!”

“Papa’s slow! Lame! Lame~!”

I put up with the daily mischief of Sefie and Nefie, the twin daughters I had with the fox sisters.

“Father. What is the name of this stone?”

And I went down to the riverside with Adler, my eldest son with Adora – the one who, in some ways, is most like me – teaching him the beauty of suiseki.

Everything was a small, but important, happiness.

“As the children grow, we’ll grow old together, too.”

“Seems that way.”

“It feels like escaping that deserted island happened ages ago.”

“An experience I never want to repeat, but if I thought I could meet you again, I’d willingly walk right back in.”

My wives and I, out on a weekend picnic with the children, sighed in unison.

“So, Tiria. How’s your side hustle going?”

“Pardon? Side hustle?”

“You mentioned writing a novel, last time.”

“Ah, ah! Yes. Right. It’s going well. Yes…”

Tiria scratched her cheek. I don’t know why she reacts like that. Writing isn’t something to be ashamed of.

“And you? Didn’t you say you were writing something like an autobiography?”

“That’s all finished, of course.”

“Really? Can you show it to us?”

“Certainly.”

Once we returned home, I showed my wives the writing. A story chronicling how my wives and I met, which I believe holds immense value as a war record.

“Let’s see, the first sentence… ‘War broke out the day before I was discharged’?”

“What do you think?”

“Not bad. Can I read it all the way through?”

After my wives’ reviews, adding what needed to be added and removing what needed to be removed, the final version was complete.

Later, it became known that Tiria was writing a true story-based erotic novel about our meeting, and that part was to be extracted and published in novel form.

“The title? Have you decided?”

“No, I’m about to decide now. How about something intuitive?”

I hammered away at the typewriter, aimed at a blank piece of paper. At the single sentence that emerged, my wives nodded, seemingly satisfied.

[Stranded with Enemy Female Soldiers on a Desert Island]

Though a person may die, knowledge remains. I hope this trivial tale can become even a small piece of ice to cool the world’s disputes, and with that, I place the period.

[Stranded with Enemy Female Soldiers on a Desert Island.]