A Place Among the Wives

After that, Ruya still occasionally slipped up from clumsiness and received corporal punishment, but she gradually grew accustomed to her role, and the frequency of those incidents dropped noticeably. Perhaps pleased by Ruya’s sincere efforts, Ekaterina began treating her with genuine gentleness more often.

One day I was invited to attend a meeting among the wives. Ekaterina sat upright in her chair while Charlotte and Ruya knelt before her, the three of them exchanging words.

“Today we will discuss family planning. Bearing our husband’s children and raising the next generation is an important duty for any wife. However, I believe we must adjust according to each person’s circumstances, which is why I have called this meeting. Please speak your minds.”

“I’m fine with it anytime, nya.”

“I want to focus more on my hunter work.”

The concubines each told the head wife their preferred plans for bearing children. After listening to all of them, Ekaterina opened her mouth with a serious expression.

“What about you, Lady Elisha?”

“Me? Why am I being asked?”

“Lady Elisha is both the master of a concubine and our husband’s woman, so you are half a member of this family. You are in a position to offer an opinion on our family plan.”

Though her tone remained gentle, I had watched Ekaterina’s true nature long enough to read the intention behind her words.

She’s deliberately emphasizing that I’m Gwangnam’s woman, using it as a pretext to pull me into the family.

Interest and anticipation flickered in her eyes at my response. She clasped both hands together in a prayer-like pose.

“As an apostle of Goddess Erutina, I cannot let a succubus slip away. Though I have become a temporary nun, I would like to accept you as family if possible. But as expected, Lady Elisha is not easily swayed.”

“I never intended to cut ties and leave anyway. I may not become a wife, but I can maintain a sexual relationship where we have sex from time to time.”

“A pity, but it cannot be helped. Still, my words about you being a family member were sincere. Will you share your opinion on the family plan?”

Even while we discussed organizing our relationships with Gwangnam, the concubines remained perfectly silent. Intervening in or managing the husband’s relationships with women was the sole authority of the head wife; concubines were not permitted to voice opinions. It struck me anew how brutally this family structure diminished their position.

Feeling Charlotte and Ruya’s gazes on me, I thought carefully. Ekaterina believed everyone should have children, Charlotte was fine with it anytime, and Ruya wanted to focus on hunter work. How much Ekaterina would respect their wishes was uncertain, but the outcome seemed to hinge on my opinion.

“I believe a person’s own will is the most important factor in having children. I understand the desire to manage pregnancies for the sake of family control, but at the very least, the concubines should be granted discretionary power when it comes to pregnancy.”

“My, I did not expect such an opinion.”

Charlotte looked somewhat dazed, but Ruya’s eyes sparkled as she watched me. Ekaterina mulled over my answer for a long time before sighing.

“I am well aware that I have been steering the family too much according to my own methods. I am grateful to the concubines for enduring their dissatisfaction and following along so well.”

She rose from her chair, approached the concubines, and extended her hand.

“At least regarding pregnancy, I will grant you discretionary rights. Please continue to care for this family well.”

“Understood, nya!”

“Thank you, Madam.”

To humans, pregnancy was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠originally a personal right, yet the scene made it appear as though the head wife were bestowing a mercy upon the concubines. Ekaterina returned to her seat and continued the meeting. They discussed adjustments to role distribution within the family, management of income and expenses, and other matters. Because my position had been clarified, I was allowed to participate but was no longer forcibly dragged into every discussion.

As more days passed, Gwangnam’s family fully settled into their new order. The concubines’ submission to the head wife and their obedience toward the patriarch had become completely natural.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Now possessing three wives, Gwangnam began training his body in a way he never had before. Thanks to the parasite, his physique improved at a startling rate.

Today, Gwangnam returned from training, gathered the family, and announced that he had received a new request. He sat in the large central chair, Ekaterina and I in seats beside him, while Charlotte and Ruya knelt on the floor opposite us. We all listened attentively to the family patriarch.

“This request is to explore a new dimension and gather information. Here is the request information.”

Gwangnam had adapted to his role as patriarch and now naturally ignored the concubines. The request form contained information recorded in standard format. The dimension designated as Type 26 was a hazardous world whose toxic atmosphere required protective suits. Yet preliminary exploration had revealed the possibility of rare resources, so expectations were high. Three teams, including the Bitnari team, were to be dispatched to map the location and volume of those resources.

“No intelligent beings, let alone any life forms, were found during preliminary exploration. We should remain cautious, but it won’t be extremely dangerous.”

“The reward looks good too. The poor atmospheric conditions are probably the reason.”

“Having to work in protective suits is a significant drawback.”

“Still, it’s an overall decent request. You chose well, husband.”

The two of them wrapped up their discussion on the request. From beginning to end the concubines were excluded from the conversation, and it was simply assumed they would go. Even so, neither showed the slightest discontent; they accepted it as perfectly natural.

“Now that it’s decided, prepare for the request.”

“Yes, Madam.”

“Understood, nya.”

At Ekaterina’s command the concubines withdrew, leaving the three of us to continue talking.

“Is Ruya doing well these days?”

“She has safely become an excellent concubine who serves our husband properly.”

“That’s a relief. I was worried because she seemed to get scolded so often.”

“She endured everything very well.”

For the sake of establishing proper hierarchy in the house, he had barely spoken directly to the concubines until now.

“Have you settled in comfortably, Elisha?”

“I’m ultimately nothing more than a cohabitant, so there haven’t been any major difficulties.”

“Good to hear. Ah, before we leave for the request, come to the bedroom. It’s been a while, so I’ll hold you.”

He spoke so naturally, as if telling me to come to the bedroom for sex was the most ordinary thing in the world. Ekaterina simply sat beside him and smiled. The sight was so absurd that I spoke up.

“With your wife sitting right there, isn’t it rather bold to declare you’re going to have sex with me? You’ve changed quite a lot.”

“Haha! When a man has three wives and concubines, he has to change. Besides, Elisha is already my woman—what’s the problem? Do you dislike the idea?”

“No, I don’t dislike it.”

From an ordinary Earth perspective it might look completely ruined, but after everything I had experienced, he simply seemed like a responsible male who refused to abandon his females.

That night, four women—including me—embraced him. His strengthened stamina, matching his more reliable physique, allowed him to take all four of us at once.

The days of preparation for the request passed quickly. Since I lacked proper hunter equipment and weapons, Gwangnam’s family stepped forward to help. All the hunter gear they once owned had been collected and stored in the warehouse when the households merged. During a major reorganization, they handed over everything I needed.

As expected, the majority came from Ruya, the wealthiest among them, while Charlotte—who had never been good at organizing luggage—contributed the least. Thanks to that, even Charlotte, whose equipment had been lacking, received several new pieces.

“Lady Elisha is a close-combat type. Wouldn’t lighter armor that doesn’t restrict movement be better?”

“Ahem. Precisely because it’s close combat that proper armor is even more important.”

“Master’s body itself is both weapon and armor, so she doesn’t need such things.”

“Husband doesn’t wear that kind of armor either, nya. Why are you making me wear it, nya?”

“That’s because I’m a man. You girls are women.”

He strongly insisted that Charlotte and I, both close-combat fighters, wear thick full-body armor that looked heavy at a glance. My woman, who had grown noticeably stronger lately, stubbornly refused, perhaps because her values centered on protecting me.

“Rather, husband should wear it, nya. You don’t rely on item power to move, nya.”

“I’ve gotten a lot stronger lately, you know? I can fight without mana reinforcement.”

“Even so, husband is still human. Like Charlotte said, wouldn’t it be better if you wore it?”

Gwangnam looked flustered by the concubines’ words. Honestly, compared to Ekaterina who handled healing and buffs from the center, Ruya who provided long-range firepower from the rear, and Charlotte who excelled at evasive close combat, it made the most sense for Gwangnam—an ordinary human who relied on equipment for close-quarters fighting—to wear the armor.

Flustered, he looked to his wife, but even she betrayed his expectations.

“I also ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠agree that husband should wear it.”

“You too, Elisha?”

“Honestly, Gwangnam is too weak. He’s probably the weakest in the entire family.”

“Ugh!”

As both team leader and patriarch, the statement that he was the weakest seemed to deal him a heavy blow. Clutching his chest in agony, he pointed at me and shouted.

“At least I can beat Elisha!”

“Husband, it would be better to stop.”

Ruya tried to intervene, but Ekaterina seemed to have a different idea.

“Hohoho. This is the perfect opportunity to measure Lady Elisha’s combat ability.”

“Madam, Master is truly strong. If we aren’t careful, one of them could get hurt…”

“Enough. Be quiet.”

“Yes, Madam.”

At a single word from Ekaterina, Ruya immediately fell silent. Ekaterina tended to treat Ruya—the eldest and Gwangnam’s longtime friend—with particularly coercive sternness compared to Charlotte, perhaps to keep her in check. The real problem, however, was that Ruya was right; someone could genuinely get hurt.

“You haven’t forgotten that my body is a full-body prosthesis, have you? If we aren’t careful, you really could get injured.”

“There isn’t even a proper place to spar, nya.”

“Then let’s arm wrestle!”

Gwangnam rolled up his sleeve. The suggestion was so abrupt that even Ekaterina looked momentarily dumbfounded.

“If that’s acceptable… then go ahead.”

“It’s a match!”

The arm-wrestling contest that began so suddenly ended in my total victory, rendering all his buffs and mana-reinforced equipment utterly meaningless.

“That’s impossible!”

“I told you from the beginning that the limits of our strength are on completely different scales.”

“My, now I understand why Earth prohibits mechanization.”

“How can such power come from such a soft-looking body, nya?”

“It’s the power of technology.”

Because attacking an opponent creates reaction force that would damage me as well, I limit my output during real combat. In a simple contest of pure strength like arm wrestling, however, I could unleash my full power without restriction, making the difference in our units of strength overwhelming.

Ekaterina watched with concern as Gwangnam sat in a daze, eyes hollow from the shock of losing every match to me.

“Husband, combat is not decided by strength alone. Please cheer up.”

“That’s right, nya. I’m weak when it comes to strength too, nya.”

Prohibited from speaking, Ruya could not talk, but she stroked his back gently to comfort him. As his women clung to him and offered consolation, his expression gradually relaxed, as though his spirit had returned.

“Like us, Lady Elisha is ultimately nothing more than husband’s woman.”

“In the end she’s just another being who offers her pussy to husband’s cock, nya.”

Somehow their method of comforting him felt rather strange. It reminded me of Kyubey’s philosophy that the best way to comfort a man is with a pussy. Even Ruya nodded in agreement.

Then Ekaterina turned to me.

“Lady Elisha, please comfort husband quickly.”

“This is rather bewildering.”

Living with this family produced bewildering situations on a regular basis.

Ekaterina, already in the process of undressing Gwangnam, gave the concubines instructions with her eyes. Receiving her signal, Charlotte and Ruya approached me and began removing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my clothes.

“If you’re husband’s woman, hurry up and comfort him with your body, nya.”

Of course I had a sexual relationship with Gwangnam, but I had not expected his wives to openly treat me like a comfort sex doll. Even my own slave Ruya was actively stripping me.

“Your pussy is already wet, nya. As expected of Elisha the lewd succubus, nya.”

“Now, come here and sit on husband’s cock.”

“Sigh… understood.”

As I approached where she indicated, my eyes met Gwangnam’s. He sat with his legs spread on the chair, looking equally flustered and foolish. The moment he saw my naked body, however, his expression changed completely.

“Yeah. Elisha is ultimately my woman after all. What’s there to be ashamed of in losing to my own woman? Come here.”

He grabbed my hand, pulled me close, and took hold of my waist. I did not resist the strength with which he moved me. I straddled his thigh, our bodies overlapping, and he immediately took my nipple into his mouth and began sucking.

The three wives stood modestly around us as we embraced, yet neither he nor they paid them the slightest attention.

“Mmm… you’re going straight for my nipple? How childish.”

“Why? There’s a saying that men never grow up no matter how old they get.”

“Gwangnam has three mothers now.”

“Slurp. Just call me comfortably. Adding ‘ssi’ between us feels far too stiff.”

“Hmm…”

Indeed, for people who lived together and shared their bodies, maintaining such formality did feel excessive. But if I were to call him comfortably, what should I use?

“Then what should I call you?”

“Just use my name… or call me oppa.”

“Oppa?”

The men I had been involved with until now had only ever been masters or customers. Having never called anyone oppa before, the word felt incredibly awkward.

“Ah, do you not know my age? I turned thirty this year. How old are you, Elisha?”

“Twenty.”

“Then I’m definitely your oppa. Go on, try calling me oppa.”

“Um… oppa?”

“Krr, that sounds wonderful.”

He seemed genuinely delighted to be called oppa. They said men liked being called that, and it appeared to be true. Seeing him look happy as though the earlier shock had never happened, I felt my own mood lift as well.