We have returned to the village.
Although the proper thing to do would be to take him to the village head, I take him to Shizuko first.
Of course, I have asked permission from Najim, the village head, to do so.
"Ceres... Please, can you stay with me?"
"Uncle Sector... I can't do that... I'm afraid of her too. When I was a kid, I made her angry once, and I was so scared that I cried, and so did Zect..."
By the way, she got angry once with me... but she got angry a lot with Zect.
Looking back on it now, Zect must have had a lot of nerve...
He could endure that many times and not stop.
"Hey, don't say that... I treat you like a son..."
"I'm sorry... give it up."
I don't want to see my favorite Shizuko's face when angry.
So, I grabbed Sector's arm and opened the door.
"Ceres-kun... Welcome Back... Sec—tor...! How dare you to show your face..."
"Ceres, why the hell is this guy here! I thought he was sent to the mine."
"Ceres-san... why did you bring back... this scum...?"
"Ceres-chan... you're so kind... but this scum has to die... he's too much scum..."
I knew this would happen.
The four of them are always so kind to me, like goddesses, but when they're angry, they're scary.
They are my lovers, my sisters, my wives... but they were also my mothers when I was a child... and I know how scary that can be.
"That's for sure... I brought him back because I need you to get back at Zect and the others... I don't want you to wake up dead... so you can do what you want with me as long as you don't kill me... Good luck, Uncle Sector..."
"Hey, Ceres, are you kidding me? Please... help me... hey, hey."
"Uncle"
"Ceres, you're gonna help me, right? Thanks..."
"No, I just want to say if you stayed in the mine, you'd be dead... but in here, you'd only be half-dead... which is good."
"Ceres-kun, I get it. He just doesn't have to be killed, right?"
"Ceres... So, is it okay, right? If he just lost one of his limbs?"
"Hmm... maybe, Ceres-san said we should give him something scarier than a mine?"
"Well... that's right... it's better to do it with our own hands... that's what you're saying, isn't it, Ceres-chan?"
"Ceres, are you kidding me? Hey, please help your uncle."
"Then, I'll be outside. Call me when it's done."
""""Okay (Alright) (Of course) (I understand)""""
"No....noooooo!"
I opened the door and went out.
* * *
This village is really nice... lots of greenery and beautiful sky.
I lay down right by the house and looked at the sky.
Sometimes life is so confusing...
All the people I've loved since I was a child are my childhood friends' mothers.
It was a love I would have given up on, but it came true when I was still holding on to it.
And all four of them came true in a dreamlike way.
I once thought as a child that I would be willing to die for any one of the four if she would marry me if she would be my lover.
And when Sector told me that he would give me old Shizuko for a single gold coin, I would have jumped at the chance.
But I wondered if he would really give it to me.
Shizuko-san and the others cannot forgive 'Zect'... but it just so happens that he is like a 'Cupid of love in my previous life.
After all, if he becomes a hero and doesn't invite me to his party, I'll be a commoner.
I can only marry one person.
It was only because he invited me to join his party that I was granted the right to 'polygamy' under the 'Protection of the Hero' law and all its perks.
Sure, it was a lot of work... but I think it was more than worth it.
But no matter how I try to explain the situation... it's not good enough.
To the outside world, it seems as if Zect and the others have done me a terrible deed.
So, I need to think the opposite.
'It doesn't seem like a big deal to them... but to other people, it seems like a terrible thing.'
That's what I have to look for...
But the screams have been loud since a while ago...
At least... that much... is inevitable.
* * *
After a while, I don't hear any more screams.
It seems to be over now...
I open the door and see Sector lying there.
"Uncle Sector."
I slapped his face, but he didn't respond.
His hair had turned white.
"Uncle Sector! Uncle Sector! Uncle Sector...!"
"Heheh, Ceres-kun, don't worry. I've already healed him with healing magic..."
"Ceres, it's okay. He almost died, but Shizuko is a master of healing magic, so... don't sweat it."
"Ceres-san, we overdid it a bit... but that's about the extent of it, don't concern yourself over it."
"Ceres-chan... in the mine, he would have died, so half-dead or nearly dead would have been a bargain."
I'm too scared to ask what happened...
I was so scared that why his hair turned white... it wasn't normal.
But... yeah, forget it.
Four women as gentle as goddesses would never do something so terrible.
"Then I'll take him to the village head."
""""No problem""""
I carried Sector and took him straight to the village head.
* * *
In a village, the village head's authority is as close to that of a king as possible, unless there are nobles or lords involved.
If anything goes wrong, the village head is the final authority.
The village head also makes the village's rules other than the official law.
In other words, the village head has supreme judicial and legislative authority.
"Sector, how dare you to do such a foolish thing... in this village, when someone is poor, it's acceptable, but when someone is wealthy, the law does not allow him to sell his family into slavery."
It is no wonder that villagers sell their families in tears when they can't pay taxes or earn a living due to bad harvests... but in this village, it is strictly forbidden for wealthy people to sell their families into slavery.
"I intend to be punished."
"But, the village will be in trouble if this is known... fortunately there is no church in this village... so I will not punish you for this... but I will take away your fields for your misbehavior and return your house after Ceres, and the others leave... and you will reclaim the wasteland and cultivate it again yourself..."
The village is wealthy, and there is still land that has not been cultivated.
But it is hard work to cultivate it from scratch.
Despite such words, this village is 'kind to those in need,' and if Sector wants to start over, someone will give him a helping hand.
"Yes...I will."
"You'd better change your mind and do your best... and thank Ceres for talking to the Lord. That's all I have to say."
"That's great for you."
"Ahh, thank you, Ceres."
By the way, the village head is also surprised, though he doesn't show it.
He wonders why Sector's hair is all white...