Volume 4 Chapter 57 Androgynos (Dual-Gender Tribe)
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
As the boat pulled alongside the stone wall, the two beauties before us extended their hands to help us climb up. Their fingers were cold and slender—not lifeless, but as I clasped them, warmth immediately transferred.
I’d expected to feel mana, but sensed nothing. Also, though the two beauties were friendly with their smiles, for some reason, they remained silent.
Once Tatyana and Fredys stood on the stone wall, the beauties next reached out to the oarsmen. Their duty was to wait here and keep the boat ready in case anything happened. When the men declined, the beauties tilted their heads in apparent confusion.
”Lose the slack-jawed look,” Fredys murmured.
The subordinates who heard Fredys’ quiet warning first bowed to the two beauties, then turned to us with a sharp salute.
”We await your return, sir!”
”Get it together, yeah?” Fredys said, her voice louder than before.
The two beauties gave up on welcoming the men aboard and gestured for us to follow.
”Let’s go,” I said.
As I stepped forward, the women walked ahead, guiding the way.
”These steps…” Chief Tatyana said involuntarily.
We’d begun climbing the staircase leading to the white dome perched atop the steep slope. Each step was remarkably low.
Building steps takes work—the more steps, the higher the cost. That’s why most places and homes have taller steps to use fewer of them. Even more so for outdoor staircases climbing hillsides. Yet here, the steps were as easy to climb as those in a palace.
”There are handrails too,” Tatyana observed. “Have we arrived at a truly noble estate? The ladies-in-waiting are stunning as well.”
”Indeed—perhaps royalty or ducal rank, Acting Captain,” Fredys replied.
The handrails are just wood—nothing special.
They had a point, both of them. But if this were an ordinary royal palace or noble mansion, where were the armed guards—Town Guards or the like? If not us, but pirates had come, these two beauties would have been assaulted and abducted without question.
So I felt this place was different from a mere “noble” household. Yet I couldn’t put that unease into words.
We climbed the final staircase after three switchbacks. Before us lay a terrace jutting out from the slope. There were metal round tables and chairs with armrests and backrests—a relaxed atmosphere perfect for tea.
But as we reached the top, something else commanded our attention.
The pure white flattened dome we’d seen from the sea.
This wasn’t a building—probably a giant mushroom. The cap was about ten meters in diameter, with an overhang of less than half a meter. The base—or stalk—stood about a meter tall. Compared to the smooth cap, the stalk was visibly fibrous, unmistakably fungal. Total height from ground level was maybe four meters.
”What is this thing?” Tatyana asked.
”Do they eat it…?” Fredys wondered.
They were saying something behind me, but eat it? That huge and creepy?
The stalk was stained in places, but the cap was pure white—no, it seemed to have a faint bluish tint. But there were no bite marks or cut marks.
The two beauties, paying no mind to our astonishment, walked past the mushroom and continued ahead. Their destination was a wooden building—not a private residence, more like a twentieth-century elementary school building in the Showa era.
On top of that, it had wooden sashes fitted with plate glass—completely out of place in this world. And they were everywhere.
When Izumo was built, there was talk of using the plate glass invented in South Bohemia. Before that, there were plates formed by wrapping molten glass around iron grids—crude and uneven. They could only be used for fixed lighting windows, nothing more.
”This glass is so thin and clear,” Tatyana said, tapping a large glass pane in the entrance’s sliding door with her fingertip. “It’d be convenient for the bridge windows.”
”But wouldn’t it shatter in storms?” Fredys asked.
Exactly. That’s why we use Ice Snow Spider molts on the bridge.
At the entrance, we were instructed to sit on the raised floor. One of the beauties removed my deck shoes and wiped my feet clean with a damp cloth.
It felt wonderful.
Tatyana and Fredys, however, seemed less comfortable—they squirmed, claiming ticklishness as their feet were handled. Then they put something like sandals on our clean feet.
Standing in the entrance hall, we saw a courtyard ahead. The beauties guided us left down the corridor before the courtyard. At first glance, it looked like a Japanese house—but the courtyard, the bare wood pillars, and the floorboards with gaps showing the earth below were all subtly different. Through the glass, we could see a parlor furnished with reception pieces to the left, but we passed it by.
We continued straight, seemingly following the courtyard, but then the door ahead opened onto a straight corridor like a veranda with the left side open to the outside. To the right was a large room with what looked like glass shoji screens thrown open.
The room appeared to be a library. Shelves lined the walls, filled with parchment scrolls and booklets.
”They have fields too,” Chief Tatyana murmured, looking outside from the veranda-like space.
We weren’t that high up, but in the inlet adjacent to the one where Izumo was anchored, there was another inlet with gentle terraced fields, where women like those who’d guided us were working.
”[unintelligible]”
An intonation I’d heard before in the Dwarf Kingdom.
I turned to see a woman standing behind the beauties who’d guided us. Her short hair was disheveled, and she wore a yukata like a hotel nightgown, sloppily tied.
Realizing we didn’t understand her language, she tried another. The third language was Turku—Fredys responded, apparently conveying that we’d come from Schweilitz.
”Oh? People from Schweilitz, with no navigational technology, coming all the way here…” the woman said.
That was the first sentence I understood.
”Sorry, sorry—dressed like this. Deadline’s coming up,” she added.
She noticed her appearance as we stared, adjusted her yukata’s front, and retied the sash. She’d been wearing only the yukata over bare skin—during her adjustment, her chest and groin briefly flashed.
Did I see that wrong?
Something like an arm—no, hanging—was there in her groin.
Unconcerned, she retied the sash, ran her fingers through her hair, and faced us.
”My name is Rao, the Red of Mount Yue, Fifth Generation. I’m the head of this colony. Call me Rao if you like. And you are?” she said.
She’d just flashed us and now introduced herself as if nothing had happened.
”I’m Acting Captain Larry von Fee of the Kingdom of Schweilitz Navy cruiser Izumo,” I said, ignoring it as well and giving my formal title.
She said “Pleased to meet you” and extended a hand blackened with what looked like ink; I shook it.
’Oh—you’re also a Reincarnated Person.’
Instant mind-reading, followed by telepathy.
’”Also”—you mean you’re a Reincarnated Person too?’
Rao didn’t answer that, releasing my hand and turning her smile to Chief Tatyana.
”Um… what exactly do you do here?” Tatyana asked after shaking her hand.
That’s strange! Tatyana was a mage originally from the 101st Golems Battalion—she should be capable of telepathy, not to mention mind-reading. But there’d been no sign of that; she’d asked immediately and directly.
”I was writing a grimoire,” Rao replied. “Set an impossible deadline, so I haven’t slept for two days. I really wish bookstores wouldn’t take on such unreasonable requests. But when they ask, I can’t just refuse—my reputation’s at stake, you know?”
Rao spoke quickly, her words spilling out.
But I’d never heard of grimoires in this world, and her complaints sounded like a professional novelist.
In my previous life’s light novels, reading a grimoire would let you use the spells recorded within, but I’d never heard of anything so fantastical here.
And I didn’t know of a single shop selling grimoires in the Royal Capital. Yet looking at the countless scrolls and booklets in this room, she must indeed have been writing them. When I got back to the Royal Capital, I’d have to search for such shops.
Wait, wait, wait—we’re tens of thousands of kilometers from Schweilitz. There’s no trade here.
Hold on. How does she speak Schweilitz language?
I was starting to get confused.
”I’m Fredys Ullman, deck crew foreman,” Fredys said.
”Ms. Ullman? I’ve heard that name somewhere,” Rao murmured.
Heard of it? Fredys’s past seemed complicated—she’d experienced being sold into slavery—so I’d deliberately avoided prying into her background. But maybe her family had traded here while she was in shipping?
”Oh, I remember now,” Rao said. “The invoice for the amber I bought—it had Ullman Trading Company on it. Any relation?”
I nearly choked.
”That’s the shop run by the main family,” Fredys replied. “My uncle Torge Ullman became chairman about a year ago.”
Now I really choked.
Torge Ullman-san… definitely an amber merchant. He’d given me scrap amber before. But more importantly, his daughter is Ursula Ullman—Hans-niisan’s wife. Which means Hans-niisan married Fredys’s cousin.
”Acting Captain? Are you all right?” Fredys asked, but I couldn’t meet her eyes. Now was not the time to bring this up.
”Um, Ms. Rao,” Tatyana said. “If you have dealings with Ullman Trading Company, could you introduce us? If they could take us back with them, we could return to our country, Acting Captain.”
Tatyana had a point, but Rao’s reaction wasn’t good.
”Sorry—I don’t deal directly with Ullman Trading, and there’s an aid mediator involved too. How should I put this…” Rao trailed off.
”Could you introduce us to that aid mediator then?” Tatyana pressed. “We’ve come to such an impossible place and have no idea how to return. Can’t you help us somehow?”
Tatyana kept at it, but Rao looked extremely troubled. I understood the chief’s feelings all too well. But…
”Chief Tatyana,” I said, “you’re distressing Ms. Rao. We’ve just met, and there must be circumstances.”
”But, Acting Captain—” she started.
I understood her feelings. She kept pressing, but I managed to restrain her.
However.
”Um, Ms. Rao…” Fredys said. “Are you an Androgynos? A dual-gender tribe member?”
Now Fredys had gone and asked point-blank.
”Oh—you caught me?” Rao said matter-of-factly. “When I fixed my front earlier, I guess I showed too much.”
”It was large and I was surprised, but you have breasts too…” Fredys said.
”Right? I know it’s shocking. Oh—we’ve been standing around talking. Let’s sit over there.”
Rao openly acknowledged being an Androgynos. She then led us to a rattan seating set in the corner of the room, behind the desk where she’d apparently been working.
While sipping proper tea that the earlier beauties had served, we explained how we’d arrived. In return, Rao told us about the Androgynos.
”This is the southernmost tip of the Land of the Fire Ring,” she said. “A real backwater, honestly. The capital is around the caldera lake at the center of the northern island—you can sometimes see it faintly from here. Warm climate. Our people have lived here for thousands of years.”
Population around a hundred thousand, she said. The oldest lived past two hundred. Rao claimed to be fifty—young by Androgynos standards.
”Children?” Tatyana asked.
Rao shook her head.
”Reproduction works completely differently from your kind, so I can’t exactly say how many children I have,” she said, then after a moment’s thought pointed to the beauties who’d guided us and served tea. “Those two are technically my children, but originally they were dogs.”
Nothing she said made sense. Maybe she’s just delusional?
”You know about the Amazoness, yes?” Rao asked.
Fredys and I exchanged glances, then nodded.
”Then you know they lay eggs as well, yes?” she continued.
”One of our crew is an Amazoness,” I said. “She laid an egg during the voyage and is now nursing a larva.”
I told her about Kenze.
”Right, then this’ll be quick—we also lay eggs,” Rao said.
Is that so? Their hips are certainly large enough.
”The difference from Amazoness is that once an egg is released, cell division begins even without fertilization—producing a larva. Of course, we also reproduce sexually, but that’s rare.”
I recalled the Amazoness Royal Capital and my encounter with Ram’s male-bride, and shuddered slightly.
”The larvae go through a pupal stage, and when they emerge from the shell, they already have the same body as the parent,” Rao explained. “No mid-life s*x change like Amazoness. They’re just babies, really. But what’s inside their heads is different.”
If left alone, the children would die within a week.
”That’s where the summoning ritual from another world comes in. We transcribe the brain structure.”
Whatever was summoned—be it dog, cat, or mouse—the life continued, she said. I couldn’t follow all of Rao’s explanation, but my mind drifted to Henrietta-san.
Older than Larry. An absolute pervert. And the fourth wife I’d loved.
She’d been killed before my eyes by former Principal Annerose during the Haritz Rebellion.
Now she was parasitizing the consciousness of my daughter—a girl who’d become Larry from her previous life. Her body was buried, but her soul lived on.
”Um,” I said. “My fourth wife—she was killed—she’s currently parasitizing the consciousness of a girl from another world. Can she be summoned?”
Rao stared at me in surprise. But to be honest, Tatyana and Fredys looked equally shocked.
”If the original consciousness is from this world, then pinpoint summoning is theoretically possible,” Rao said. “But I can’t do it alone. I’d need several of my kind. That can be arranged, but… are you prepared?”
Prepared?
”Even if summoned, the body she’d inhabit would be an Androgynos body,” Rao said.
”Of course,” I said. …
I see… If that pervert became an Androgynos body…
Revolting? No. She was still my wife.
Sorry. Just for a moment… my heart wavered.
—
Summary:
The protagonists arrive at the Androgynos colony, are guided by silent beauties, and meet Rao, who casually reveals her dual-gender nature while discussing her grimoire-writing deadline. After learning about Androgynos biology—including egg-laying, larval development, and soul-summoning rituals—Larry asks if his deceased wife Henrietta can be resurrected. Rao confirms it’s possible but requires multiple Androgynos and asks if Larry is prepared for the consequences, leaving him conflicted as he admits his heart wavered at the thought of her in an Androgynos body.
—
Trivia:
The Androgynos colony is located at the southernmost tip of the Land of the Fire Ring, with a capital around a caldera lake.
Androgynos reproduce by laying eggs that develop through a pupal stage, emerging as identical copies of the parent.
Without a summoning ritual from another world, Androgynos children die within a week.
Rao’s “children” who guided the protagonists were originally dogs before their brain structures were transcribed.
The Ullman Trading Company connection reveals Fredys is related to Hans’s wife Ursula through her uncle Torge.
Plate glass exists in this world due to South Bohemian invention, but is rare and fragile compared to Ice Snow Spider molts.
Larry’s fourth wife Henrietta was killed by former Principal Annerose during the Haritz Rebellion.
Henrietta’s consciousness currently parasitizes Larry’s daughter from a previous life.
Rao writes grimoires under impossible deadlines and hasn’t slept for two days.
The staircase at the colony matches royal palace specifications, suggesting significant wealth or status.
Notes:
• Al – Alberto (Al), a massive red‑haired man recently wed to Mary, lives near the Dish Basin. He’s a companion of Hans, helping intimidate and rally elders as a villager and leader.
• Tatyana – A 31-year-old divorced mother and Magic Academy Assistant Professor, this former 101st Golems Battalion mage is the inquisitive Torpedo Department Head aboard the Izumo. She maintains formal politeness and military decorum, showing blunt pragmatism and concern for others. Loyal to her Captain, she is Larry’s superior and is intimately bonded with her roommate, Katarina.
• Fredys – Izumo’s section chief has a formal military bearing, carrying a clipboard and speaking in clipped tones. A reliable coastal sailor with a past in slavery and social awkwardness, she acts as Earnest’s subordinate but is asked to be acting captain due to her sharp command. This indispensable advisor is related to the Ullmans via Uncle Torge and lives with Roland and a maintenance assistant.
• Captain – The middle-aged commanding officer of the Izumo is outwardly calm, experienced, and traditional, masking a ruthless, pragmatic leader who prioritizes vessel survival over subordinates and civilians. While rarely reprimanding his men, he will execute deserters. Bebel reports directly to him, holding orders to return to Kure should the protagonist fail to return from their mission.
• Izumo – The iron-hulled primary vessel, named and personified as a character herself, who loyally carries the protagonist and his crew throughout their journey.
• Schweilitz – This kingdom, featuring towering academy spires and a full military arsenal of Royal Army troops, forces the protagonist to return. Ruled by a king involved in a hostage exchange, this political power holds a captive feared for execution. It also ordered the confirmation of Princess Rosa’s corpse, driving a scheme that the Queen has caught onto.
• Rao – The Androgynos colony leader, calling herself “the Red of Mount Yue, Fifth Generation,” is a direct, confident woman with an elegant bearing and weary undertones. Unfazed by nudity, this Amazoness-like figure is casual yet refined, often teasing but polite. As a spirit magic programmer, she writes grimoires under tight deadlines. She manages colony operations, coal negotiations, reproduction, and her two reincarnated successors.
• Larry – A dark-haired, weary 16-year-old reincarnated Second Lieutenant, this cynical, analytical youth is the Schweilitz Navy cruiser Izumo’s Acting Captain, chief engineer, and Associate Professor. A Mana user and Fee Grand Principality founder, he carries Saba’s letter and Philip IV’s sword. He distrusts superiors and protects Rosa while dealing with trauma from Henrietta’s death and past wives.
• Fee – Larry Fee Getys is a 15-year-old reincarnated youth and titular Duke. Pragmatic and telepathic, this sharp-eyed young man leads the Getys household and rules Strock Village alongside Hans, Iffens, Teressa, and their maid Nico. While building a new nation, he enjoys prime whale meat and maintains crucial connections to Adolf and various underground networks.
• von – The noble particle ‘von’ indicates high social standing and ancestral roots connected to territorial estates within the Sabaski lineage. It marks the noble bloodline and full names of Annerose von Bülow, Walter von Riedel, and Marc von Harritz, establishing their shared aristocratic identity and familial relationship within the Kingdom.
• Ho – Ho is the family name of Oliver, a 17-year-old deck crew member and comrade of the protagonist. As a member of the military unit that defended Garao Village, the young man was ultimately murdered during a night watch, slaughtered alongside Marx-san.
• Ullman – The family name carried by Torge, Ursula, and Fredys. The lineage is identified by its prominent associations with the amber trade and processing in the northern coastal regions.
• Torge – Chairman of Ullman Trading Company, father of Ursula, and uncle of Fredys. An amber merchant wholesaling northern coast goods to Besanburg Magic School, he is skeptical of Larry’s young age and achievements until witnesses confirm them.
• Ursula – Ursula Ullman, 28, is the tall, dark-haired daughter of northern-coast man Torge Ullman. Formerly Aunt Camilla’s maid and a gifted child, she is now the wife of Hans, the new Village Head. Though she joins her husband at breakfast, their union is heavily strained by family intrigue as she adapts to her new role.
• Hans – Rugged 2m, 100kg Obernbach ruffian, Kessler heir, and harsh Strock Village Head. Charismatic but hot-tempered, he protects the narrator’s family and deeply cares for his subordinates despite past clashes with Niko. He is Ursula Ullman’s husband, a new father to twin girls, and Larry’s devoted brother-in-law (Hans-niisan), whom he aggressively grabs upon his return.
• Kenze – A muscular, brown-skinned Amazoness, former Takshurgan operative, and one of the women in Earnest’s history. This lethal crew member and dragon-tattooed guardian is deeply bonded with the protagonist, now quietly wasting away while nursing her newly laid egg and larva. Despite declining health and a rural background, she shows acceptance and strength, speaking warmly as she worries about the sea.
• Ram – Mentioned in context of the Amazoness Royal Capital and male-bride encounters.
• Henrietta – Earnest (Larry)’s perverted fourth wife is a muscular, massive-busted orphan, mage, and Royal Magic Academy researcher. A Bizan graduate, she guarded the protagonist at East Palace until her assassination by the former Principal in the Haritz Rebellion. Now parasitizing Larry’s daughter—recognized by slave Pamela by scent—her telepathic bond has Earnest considering her summoning.
• Principal – The mother of Line and the administrative head of the institution. She exercises authoritative control over research assignments and seeks to trade Larry for Ilse Klein due to interpersonal conflicts in her laboratories. The mother of Sabrina and Rhein who intervenes during Rhein’s violent corridor assault to break up the confrontation.
• Annerose – Annerose von Bülow, the stern, divorced Dwarf former National Bizan Magic School Principal, is known for her strict, authoritative personality and menacing voice. The mother of Sabrina Haas, who frequently corrects Larry Fee Getys, she killed Henrietta during the Haritz Rebellion. Currently involved in an unauthorized evacuation, she holds hostages and ruthlessly manipulates the battlefield.
• Haritz – A fortified town famed for iron-clad guard Golems and a past rebellion whose lingering forces targeted the Cain estate. Nearby, a Marquis hid his grandson—a figure who participated in a duel trial against the protagonist before being surrendered to authorities.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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