Nina blinked in surprise. "Together?"

From the way they were looking at her... this didn’t seem like "together" in the same sense as last night.

Her gaze swept over her mates.

...Wasn’t this a bit too many?

"Nina, it’s been a long time since we’ve been close to you," Sal said as he sat beside her, lifting her hand to press a soft kiss to her fingertips.

Aviel took her other hand, his expression almost plaintive. "Nina... we don’t want to wait any longer."

This had been a decision they reached together.

It had already been quite some time since any of them had been intimate with her. No one wanted to fall behind again—and if they waited their turn, it would take far too long to come back around.

So... this was their solution.

As for Finch—well, he had drawn the short straw and ended up on childcare duty, with Dian keeping him company.

Under the weight of so many heated, intent gazes, Nina instinctively leaned back a little.

She wasn’t entirely sure she could handle this.

The last time, at the hot springs... had been a moment of exceptional endurance.

"Nina..."

Their voices softened, almost pleading.

Faced with their hopeful, slightly aggrieved expressions, she found it hard to refuse. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

After a brief hesitation, she bit her lip... and nodded.

...Having too many mates really did come with its own troubles.

At once, their eyes lit up.

Several animal pelts fell softly to the ground as the night deepened, warmth and closeness filling the space.

***

Next morning, the contrast was... striking.

Some males looked refreshed and invigorated, spirits high.

Others looked utterly drained, dark circles under their eyes, moving like they hadn’t slept at all.

Sal glanced at Yanai’s prominent dark circles and smirked. "Well, look at you. Switching from a snow wolf to a panda, are you?"

Yanai shot him an annoyed look as he walked into the kitchen. If he looked like this, it was entirely their fault.

Aviel turned to Setan, who looked similarly worn out. "City Lord Setan, don’t forget to make up for all the water you wasted last night."

He had heard from Viann that Setan had spent the entire night dousing himself with cold water.

Setan grabbed a bucket with a cold expression. "I know."

Then he led a few lion tribe males off to fetch water.

Lex yawned as he went to help care for the children.

Idir, meanwhile, remained in his room, not coming out.

It wasn’t until nearly midday that Odian finally carried Nina out of the room so she could wash up.

Yanai and Setan tried to follow, intending to help, but Kith and Mino blocked their way.

"Nina doesn’t need your help," Kith said calmly. "Go assist in the kitchen."

"Exactly," Mino added. "The kitchen’s busy. If you don’t want to go, we can always mention it to Nina."

The two exchanged a glance.

They knew perfectly well these jealous rivals would seize any chance to speak ill of them.

Reluctantly, they turned toward the kitchen.

After Nina woke, Idir reappeared.

He didn’t approach her, didn’t speak—he simply stayed nearby, watching quietly.

After the meal, Nina headed toward the southern side of the city.

There, Mona and Zena were directing the work.

Mona oversaw planting, while Zena handled construction.

"Lady Mona, is this pit deep enough?" one of the males asked.

She checked it carefully. "A little deeper."

They dug further. "How about now?"

"That’s good. Let’s plant the fruit tree."

"Could you show us again? We’re not very good at this," they admitted.

Even though Nina had demonstrated before, they still struggled.

"Of course."

Mona patiently demonstrated step by step, and the males quickly followed along.

After finishing the first batch, they finally let out a breath of relief.

"Lady Mona, you’re amazing. You learned it after just one lesson from Lady Nina—unlike us."

"No wonder the city lord asked you to lead us."

Their praise was sincere.

"We... weren’t very convinced before," one of them admitted, scratching his head. "And we didn’t treat you very well. Sorry."

At first, when they learned that an ordinary female would be directing them, the males had been unconvinced.

But since it was Nina’s order, they had no choice but to obey.

Over the past few days, however, their attitude had gradually shifted.

They began to realize that Mona was sharp-minded and quick to learn—faster than any of them. She handled tasks with clarity and order, her instructions precise and effective. Slowly, their reluctance faded, replaced by genuine respect.

"It’s nothing," Mona said with a smile. "It’s just that Lady Nina taught well."

She understood that males were not quick to truly submit to an ordinary female. At the beginning, she had volunteered herself, but she had resolved to prove that Nina hadn’t chosen wrongly.

Females could do just as well—if not better.

On the other side, Zena’s situation was much the same.

Nearby, a group of females watched, their eyes filled with admiration.

"They’re amazing... those two. Helping the city lord rebuild the city, even directing the males."

"Right? If only we could be like them. I’d love to help Lady Nina too."

"Me too. The new city rules she set... they’re so good. We won’t have to struggle like before."

"Actually, didn’t the new rules say that females can apply for management roles too, if they’re willing? As long as you have the ability, you can take the position."

"That’s true... but can we really do it? I heard those two have abilities—and they know so much. We don’t have any of that."

"Yeah... we don’t know how to do anything."

Their voices softened into sighs.

For the first time, many of them felt... inadequate.

Nina, who had just arrived, happened to overhear them.

She stepped forward. "Actually, a lot of things don’t require abilities. And leadership roles don’t always need the strongest fighters—being good at organization and coordination matters just as much."

The females immediately straightened and greeted her. "City Lord."

One of them gathered her courage and asked, "Is what you said really true? Even without abilities... we can still do it?"

"Of course," Nina said warmly. "There are many positions that don’t require abilities at all."

"But... we don’t know anything," the female admitted hesitantly.

"Then you learn," Nina replied gently. "No one is born knowing everything. People learn step by step."

She looked at them, her tone soft but steady. "That said, taking on roles in the city—or learning something new—won’t be easy. You should think carefully about whether it’s truly what you want. You can try first—if you don’t like it, there’s no need to force yourself. Living simply and peacefully is a good life too."

Everyone had their own path.

What mattered was choosing it willingly.

"Then... could you teach us too?" another female asked, hopeful.

Nina nodded. "Of course."

"Really? Thank you, Lady Nina!"

Their faces lit up with excitement.

"Later, I’ll gather everyone who wants to learn, and we’ll go through things together," Nina said.

They nodded eagerly.

Over the next few days, Nina gathered many females and began teaching them.

Time was limited, so she focused on practical, accessible skills—things they could quickly grasp and apply.

Gradually, confidence began to take root where doubt had once lingered.

Two or three days passed.

With most matters in the city settled, Nina prepared to leave.

She called Mona, Zena, and Haas to meet her.

During this time, she had seen clearly just how capable Mona was. Quietly, she had also selected several other females with both willingness and ability to take on roles.

Looking at Mona, Nina spoke calmly:

"Mona, I’ll be leaving soon. You’re very capable... after I go, would you be willing to continue managing the Barbarian City for me?"