Following Brunhilde into the manor’s main hall, Alex knew exactly what kind of conversation awaited him. He fully recognized his guilt—back in the previous world, he’d dumped too many responsibilities on her: managing the settlement, taking care of the survivor group… Even with help from Yuriko, Saya, and Koko, Brunhilde still had to do much of his work.

And now, instead of enjoying some well-earned rest like the other girls, she was stuck dealing with Becca and Hestia, who started fighting the very moment Becca stepped over the threshold and loudly declared to the entire house that she’d “won the race” by being the first to bear Alex’s child. The reactions throughout the manor varied—some were jealous, others were angry… but Hestia didn’t hesitate. She lunged at Becca, starting an epic brawl laced with a barrage of insults. Of course, it was Brunhilde who had to break them up.

Alex stood at attention like a scolded schoolboy, silently enduring Brunhilde’s lecture. She kept repeating that he was the head of the family, and it was his responsibility to resolve household disputes and maintain harmony. Just because she was his wife didn’t mean she had to act as the family’s diplomat—especially considering she was still relatively new here. Alex could only nod along, agreeing with every word.

What made it worse was the chorus of amused snickers coming from the upper floor. The other girls were clearly enjoying the show, peeking over the railing or from the lounge, grinning from ear to ear as Alex got “put in his place.” He looked exactly like a husband getting scolded for yet another screw-up.

When Alex glanced away toward the laughing girls with a look of wounded pride, he immediately received a light but resounding smack on the head and a sharp:

“I’m not finished yet!”

That triggered another round of laughter—not just from the girls but even from the guys, who had come to watch what had clearly become prime entertainment. Alex just sighed, already mentally planning his upcoming vacation, which was supposed to start the very next day. Tonight would be a welcome party, and tomorrow morning they’d finally leave for a family getaway. All of Orario’s problems, the guild’s setup, the buildings—they’d all be delegated to his clones. Let them handle it.

Brunhilde noticed the distant look in Alex’s eyes and immediately realized he wasn’t listening anymore. She sighed heavily. Of course she knew what he was thinking—vacation. But that didn’t change the fact that she had once again been forced to clean up his mess.

“That’s right, sister, keep scolding him. Just look at his face—he’s not even listening to you,” said Hlökk as she descended from the upper floor after picking out her room.

“She’s right, big sis. You’re stuck solving everyone’s problems again instead of resting,” Alvitr added with a sly smirk as she glanced mockingly at Alex.

Both Valkyries, walking down the stairs, seized the chance to tease Alex while he was at his most defenseless. He shot them an irritated glare, but that only made them grin wider, clearly enjoying the scene.

“Fine…” Alex thought. “Time to confiscate all their sweets. Let them live off salad for a week…”

But the moment that thought crossed his mind, Alvitr and Hlökk immediately tensed. As if reading his mind, they threw on innocent expressions and quickly fled into the lounge, doing their best not to meet his gaze. Brunhilde, watching her sisters flee, said nothing—she simply sighed again and turned her eyes back to her husband.

She silently hoped that, during the vacation, she wouldn’t have to deal with anything. No fights, no drama—just rest, like everyone else. After all, she had firmly decided: she wouldn’t get involved in anything until the vacation was over. All family issues should be handled by the one who created them—Alex.

Realizing that the scolding had finally ended, Alex let out a relieved sigh—only to receive another sharp smack on the head from Brunhilde. Her gaze made it clear: from now on, all family management duties were officially his. She was washing her hands of it. If he was the head of the family, then let him handle it.

Alex just nodded, understanding that he could no longer shift his responsibilities onto his wife’s shoulders. She had already done more than enough—especially in the previous world, where she’d basically kept the entire settlement and the survivor group together. Before Brunhilde walked off toward the lounge, Alex gently wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

“Thank you for helping me all this time. I promise, during this vacation, you’ll get to truly relax,” he said, still holding her.

“So, after the vacation I’ll have to start working again?” Brunhilde replied with a small smile, looking into his eyes.

“I’m not asking you to. I can hire people to take care of things. Worst case—I’ll use my clones. But knowing you, you won’t be able to sit still for long. You’ll end up diving back into it anyway,” Alex said, pressing his forehead against hers.

“We’ll see how this family vacation goes. If I’m satisfied, I don’t mind helping my husband with his grand world-saving plans again. After all, without me, Saiya, Yuriko, and Koko, everything would’ve fallen apart ages ago, wouldn’t it, my dear husband?” she whispered in a sultry tone, placing her hand on his cheek.

“Who are you and what have you done with my strict Valkyrie? Confess, and I promise I won’t hurt you!” Alex exclaimed theatrically, staring at her in surprise.

“Idiot,” Brunhilde laughed, pulling both his cheeks playfully.

Alex laughed too and hugged her tighter. But their short romantic moment was interrupted by a very pointed cough. They turned to see a group of girls standing at the entrance to the lounge, all staring at them with dry, slightly jealous expressions. It was clear they’d decided to ruin the moment. Alex smiled, let go of Brunhilde, and walked back into the room.

He sat down among the guys—Kota, Maine, Falco, Pilar, Takashi, and Jonah—while the girls continued getting to know one another. Kota, in particular, was practically vibrating with excitement. His dream of living in an anime world had literally come true, and he still couldn’t believe he was now sharing a roof with characters from multiple universes.

Alex watched with a smile as the girls—Nyaruko, Jinx, and Anya—immediately became the center of attention. Alice, Göll, and Nobukatsu quickly bonded with Valeri, Alex’s younger sister, whom he’d brought from Night City. Lili, Haruhime, Bella, Daphne, and Cassandra also found common ground with girls their age. Though the looks Lili, Haruhime, and Bella kept shooting at Alex were quite telling—full of unmistakable disapproval. But Alex only smiled—he knew exactly why they “loved” him.

Lucina and Lucy hit it off almost immediately—both behaved like lazy cats, preferring to lounge around and snack on salads. Ada and Kiwi bonded over their reserved nature and observant personalities—old habits from their world still lingered. Thanks to G.I.R.’s constant reports, the girls from Orario already knew who Alex would be bringing with him, so they quickly found common ground with the “newcomers.”

“By the way, Alex,” Kota spoke up, scratching his chin. “I’ve been meaning to ask: your little sister Valeri… Who is she? I don’t remember a character like that in DanMachi.”

“That’s because she’s not from this world. You might know her by the name V,” Alex replied calmly.

“Wait… you’re telling me she’s V?! That’s impossible! There’s only a two-year gap between the anime and the game. And Valeri looks like she’s what—14 or 15?!” Kota exclaimed in disbelief.

“What are you even talking about? What game? Don’t tell me they made a video game about our shitty city,” Maine muttered, arms crossed.

“It’s not just a game—it’s a damn masterpiece! And Valeri was supposed to be the main protagonist,” Kota said with enthusiasm.

Maine, Pilar, and Falco gave Kota a long look. In just a few minutes, they had already realized how chatty this guy could be if no one stopped him in time. Then they turned to Alex, silently asking for confirmation. Alex simply nodded—he wasn’t in the mood to explain, for the hundredth time, all that nonsense about timelines and why Valeri looked so young instead of the adult she should’ve been in the original storyline.

He was just too lazy to retell how the avatar of Nyannyann, known as “The Mechanical Man,” had disrupted the chronology of another world simply by existing there. That ripple effect had left Valeri stuck in a younger form. But seeing the confused looks from the guys, Alex sighed and threw out a few words to give them at least a rough idea of the situation. Then he glanced at the clock and realized it was time to start preparing for the party.

“Alright, guys. While the girls are chatting, we as the male part of the team need to handle the prep,” Alex said, rising from his chair.

“Sigh… who made us friends again? Fine, I’ll help—for the booze from another world. That’s hard to turn down,” Maine said with a smirk.

“How many people are even coming to this party? I get that you brought a whole crowd from another world. I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns into a full-blown public event,” Falco added, getting up too.

“What scares me most is Hermes and that loud mouth of his. He might drag half of Orario to my house for free food and drinks,” Alex muttered with a sigh, rubbing his shoulder.

“Ha! I’d love to say you’re wrong… But all I can say is good luck. Not like it’s my wallet that’s gonna suffer,” Maine laughed, slapping Alex on the back.

Alex’s face showed the weariness of a man who had seen too much. He knew full well that Hermes really was capable of pulling something like that. Shaking his head, he led the guys to start setting up for the party, which would be held in the coliseum—a special arena built in the basement of his home, where all major celebrations took place.

When the girls noticed the guys heading off somewhere, they immediately grew suspicious: where were they going and what were they up to?

“Alex, where are you going? Don’t tell me that after finally returning, you’d rather go hang out with the guys instead of spending time with your lovely wives? You’re breaking my heart… sniff,” Loki said, pretending to be hurt.

“Of course not. We just need to prepare for the party—there’ll be a lot of people,” Alex replied with a slight smile, not falling for Loki’s dramatics.

“Do you need help? You brought so many people. I can’t even imagine how many friends you have here and how many are planning to show up at our place,” Namiyo said with concern.

“Namiyo, just relax. Let Alex take care of everything. You’ve already done more than enough, keeping the house in order while they were in another world. Take a break. All the responsibilities are his now,” Freya said with a smile, giving Alex an approving look. He simply nodded in agreement.

“But…” Namiyo protested quietly, still worried as the lady of the house.

“No buts. Just rest. We’ll have plenty of time to try your home cooking later,” Hestia said gently, easing her back into her seat.

All the girls living in Orario supported the decision. They remembered that last time, when a welcome party had been thrown for Maine and his team, it was Alex who handled all the preparations. And so it would be again.

Namiyo still looked concerned, but under the pressure of her friends’ support, she eventually stayed put. Alex fully agreed that organizing the party was his responsibility. Anya, Nyaruko, and Jinx wanted to follow their “daddy” and help out, but the other girls didn’t give them a single chance to slip away. In the end, they had to surrender and accept the endless stream of affection from their mothers.

Reminding everyone that he’d handle everything himself, Alex motioned for the guys to follow him, and they left the house.

“The mighty Demon King can’t stand up to his wives. How adorable,” Maine quipped, walking beside Alex and pulling faces.

“Says the man whose wife broke his jaw for mouthing off. You’re in the same boat—just lucky mine don’t beat me,” Alex snorted, rolling his eyes.

Maine choked on his own breath at the unexpected jab and instinctively rubbed his jaw, remembering that legendary hit from Dorio. The guys burst out laughing.

“And what are you all laughing at?” Alex said, grinning at the others. “Especially you, David. Yuki practically commands your household. And you, Kota—your girls have dragged you home by the leg so many times, it’s practically tradition!”

Laughter erupted again, louder this time. The male half of the team marched ahead—on their way to prepare for what would be one of the largest parties ever thrown in Alex’s home.

Takashi and Kota instantly stopped laughing and exchanged glances, then looked at Alex. He, Takashi, Maine, and Kota shared a knowing look and nodded in unison. Even if they were technically the “men of the house,” they all knew the final say always went to the women. But that didn’t bother them at all—after all, everything ran on love.

Meanwhile, Falco, Jonah, and Pilar—still bachelors—kept laughing at the “four whipped husbands.” Alex and the others gave them a squinty look. Just wait, they thought. When you end up in relationships, let’s see who’s laughing then.

“Hey, what are you standing around laughing about?” came a familiar voice from behind.

Alex turned and saw Lehm, accompanied by Ugo, R, Lutz, Toji, Mao, and Wiley. They had spotted Alex from afar and came over to find out what was going on.

Alex immediately started introducing Maine, Falco, and Pilar to the group. He explained that they used to work for Coco and were former mercenaries. Maine and his teammates quickly got the impression that these guys would be easy to get along with.

“So, Alex, why are you just standing there like a statue?” Lehm asked, lighting a cigarette.

“Perfect timing. We could use a few more hands,” Alex replied with a grin.

“Oh? And how can we serve you, our glorious warlord?” Toji said with irony, adjusting his glasses.

“We need to buy drinks and food for the party at my place. After all, a victory over demons calls for a celebration. Though, I’ll admit, Slayer and I did most of the work,” Alex said with a smile, lighting up a cigarette himself.

“Of course you did. Should we fall to our knees now and worship you, oh savior of the universe?” Lehm snorted.

“Not necessary. But helping carry the crates—that would be appreciated. And you’ll get to try the local food and drinks,” Alex replied.

Thus, the party planning team grew even larger. First stop: the liquor store, so the newcomers could sample local spirits. After buying a sizable number of crates, they moved on to food shopping. It didn’t take long for Alex to realize—organizing a party for this many people was going to be anything but easy.

The final stop on their route was the “Mistress of Fertility.” Alex nearly got hit on the head with a rolling pin when he ordered a huge amount of food. As always, Kota was thrilled — another iconic spot in Orario!

Meanwhile, the guys from the new group were openly ogling the waitresses until Alex warned them:

“If you don’t want to be carried out feet first, stop staring. These girls aren’t just cute faces — each one is more dangerous than she looks.”

Maine, Falco, Pilar, and Kota all confirmed in unison: all the waitresses were high-level warriors, and especially to be wary of Mia Grand, the former captain of the Freya family. She’s level six, and if anyone tries to joke around too much, they’ll have to pick their teeth up off the floor.

After grabbing the food, Alex and the guys stepped outside to the sounds of Mia’s protests. The guys swallowed nervously, realizing they’d have to be careful next time they visited this restaurant.

Before leaving Mistress of Fertility, Alex didn’t forget to invite Mia Grand and all the waitresses to his party at home. Mia didn’t say much and said she’d think about whether to come or not. But Chloe, Anya-Nya, and the other waitresses expressed their desire to attend Alex’s party, which made Mia roll her eyes and start shooing Alex out of the restaurant for disturbing the waitresses at work.

Alex laughed and quickly left Mistress of Fertility before another rolling pin could fly at his face.

R nervously glanced at the restaurant owner as she menacingly held the rolling pin in her hands.

“She’s so angry. How does she even keep the restaurant afloat if she treats customers so roughly?” he muttered, scratching his chin.

“The thing is, the food here is delicious. And that’s just Mia’s personality. Many adventurers just don’t know how to behave. And if you cross the line, she’ll quickly remind you who’s boss. Just don’t say that out loud — the local waitresses’ cat ears aren’t just for show, they’re real. They heard everything you just said,” Alex explained with a smirk.

“And that’s not all,” Maine added, patting R on the shoulder. “Amazons work here. If you’re lucky, they’ll just shame you. If not — you’ll be flying out the window.”

“Good luck, Chumba. You’re definitely going to need it,” Pilar chimed in, patting R on the other shoulder.

“I thought the unlucky one would be old Kensei again… but nope, you’re the first to get into trouble, R,” Lehm said, barely containing his laughter.

Toji and Kota, being anime fans, immediately nodded in agreement with Maine’s words. R nervously swallowed and involuntarily glanced back — two pairs of cat eyes were staring at him: one with mockery, the other with amusement.

He instantly realized his words had been overheard by two catgirls. The guys noticed R’s expression and burst out laughing, teasing him: “Just a couple of hours in Orario, and you’ve already made enemies in the form of the waitresses and the local restaurant owner.”

Everyone was enjoying the moment, unable to hold back their laughter—especially at how R had messed up once again. Only Alex and Maine didn’t tell him it was a joke and that no one was going to touch him as long as he kept talking. After all, R wasn’t the first fool who couldn’t hold his tongue when entering the “Mistress of Fertility.” The local waitresses were used to it by now… but teasing newcomers was tradition.

After finishing their food and alcohol shopping for the party, Alex and the group of guys headed toward his estate, carrying heavy boxes. Of course, Alex could have stored everything in his inventory, but that would have taken away the fun of preparing. Along the way, the guys chatted and got to know each other better, and soon Lehm and the others started wondering: why did Maine, Falco, and Pilar call Takashi “David”?

The answer came quickly, and Toji—a hardcore anime fan—literally started having a nervous breakdown. Takashi didn’t just end up in another world; he was actually David! That was the last straw: Toji barely held it together when he first met Maine’s group, and now he completely lost it.

When they reached the estate gates, they spotted Itami and his ex—or maybe now current—wife, Aoi. These two were also fans, and seeing familiar characters caused their emotions to overflow. Maine, Falco, and Pilar exchanged looks that said, “Here we go again.” Understanding that some people took things a little too excitedly, Alex shook his head and invited Itami and Aoi inside while the others caught up.

Inside the house, Alex immediately called GIR, MIMI, and Stitch to help unload the boxes of food and drinks. Itami was already reaching for his notebook, hoping to collect autographs, but was quickly pulled away to help the others. Instead of autographs, he was faced with heavy boxes and a basement coliseum. Itami literally cried in despair as he was led downstairs.

“You have quite a spacious basement… I’d even say very spacious. It even has a sky. I don’t even want to know how you made that here,” muttered Lehm, setting down the boxes.

“Magic and runes,” Alex replied calmly. “Now enough talking, let’s put everything in place. Someone run and get the rest of the guys—we need more hands.”

“I’ll go! I’ll go!” R shouted and ran off without another word.

The guys just rolled their eyes as he ran off at the first chance.

Preparation for the party was in full swing. Soon R returned with a whole crowd of guys who stared wide-eyed at the coliseum. Alex’s basement was not just spacious—it was truly massive. But Alex didn’t give them much time to look around:

“Look around later! Now—work!”

“This coliseum is for training, right?” Jin asked, dragging tables.

“Yeah, something like that,” Alex answered. “But we mostly use it for parties. There’s plenty of space in the house too, but it doesn’t feel right to throw a party inside when there are people who like to throw punches. Here it’s spacious and there’s room for everyone.”

“When can we go to the dungeon?” Ryu asked eagerly. “My fists are itching to fight local monsters. I want to see who’s stronger: demons from our world or the creatures here.”

“You’ll have time. You just arrived. For now—less talk, more work.”

“And you, Itami, don’t even think about running off or bothering the girls for autographs,” Alex added, noticing him trying to sneak away.

Itami could only surrender when he was caught trying to run away from work. Meanwhile, more and more people were gathering in the Coliseum: both those Alex had brought from other worlds and friends he had made in this one. Even Miah and Takemikazuchi showed up—by Hermes’s personal invitation.

Both gods glanced at Alex apologetically, but he just waved them off—they were friends, and extra hands were never a bad thing. Except for Hermes himself, who, instead of helping, started carrying food from the tables. However, he was quickly stopped and made to work, his protests about his divine status completely ignored.

Even the girls, who initially decided to stay on the sidelines, couldn’t resist and came down to help so the guys wouldn’t have to strain themselves alone. The preparations for the party were coming to an end, and the Coliseum gradually filled up—more and more people kept arriving. The girls from Orario, especially those close to Alex, grew anxious when they heard about his daughters. They understood that with each passing day, their chances of being more to him were dwindling. This was the thought running through Tiona, Lily, Haruhime, Bella, Riveria, Syr, and even Ais.

Though Ais’s thoughts weren’t entirely her own—her constant motherly guidance from Aria pushed her in that direction. Without it, Ais would probably still be daydreaming, confused about her feelings. But Aria’s gentle reminders finally helped her come to a decision.

The party hadn’t started yet, but the people Alex brought from other worlds were already mingling. Alex was glad that no fights had broken out yet to test their strength against each other. But he knew for sure—it was only a matter of time. Just give someone a drink, and the challenges, arguments, and duels would begin—as usual.

After checking one last time that everything was ready, Alex decided it was time to start.

“Come on, Alex! Give us a speech, like you do!” Lehm shouted, grinning widely, caught up in the festive mood.

“All right, all right,” Alex smiled.

They literally pushed him into the center of the circle. After all, people from four different worlds had gathered in one place—and all of them were here because of one person. Alex was the one who had brought them all together.

He held a bottle of beer in his hand, with Anya, Nyaruko, and Jinx hanging onto him like three little monkeys, all caught up in the shared joy and excitement.

“I think we should start with the main reason we’re here. Today, we’ve gathered to get to know each other. On one hand, these are the people with whom we’ve crossed half the world, fighting side by side against monsters: zombies, demons, necromorphs. We stood on the Korean border to hold back a demon army and give humanity a chance to survive. We stormed an island taken over by a bastard who decided to let demons into their world. And in the end, we fought to save reality itself. Yes, most of the work was done by me and my friend, but the victory was shared. We stood firm. And I’m glad you chose to follow me then and continue walking beside me now.”

“On the other hand, these are my friends and family from this world. If I keep talking, I’m afraid this speech will go on for hours. So I’ll keep it short: I’m proud that we’re all here today. Let’s raise our glasses to what unites us— to the friendship that has connected four worlds. And may no world ever again be on the brink of destruction. Cheers!” Alex finished with a smile.

“CHEERS!” echoed throughout the Coliseum.

“HURRAY!” some shouted, raising their glasses.

Laughter, joy, and cheerful cries rolled through the Coliseum. Alex was right—this evening truly marked the beginning of a new friendship that united people from four worlds. And though battles, arguments, and maybe problems lay ahead, in this moment they were one.

To be continued…

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep