Whispers of a Forgotten Dream
I groaned as I opened my eyes, rubbing my head and sitting up from the bed. Looking around, I saw Estelle and Celine sleeping peacefully on either side of me.
*...Did the three of us really do that yesterday?*
“...Insane.”
I couldn’t help muttering to myself. I never imagined this day would come.
Now that the author who had once cursed me in his heart had finally granted me this wish, all I felt was gratitude. *Thank you for the reincarnation.*
After fulfilling my duty as the hero, only the future of living snuggling with these two women remained. Just imagining it made me smile on my own.
“...Future?”
As I thought about the future, one thought suddenly occurred to me.
After all, I had been reincarnated. What would happen to me when the main story of the novel ended? Would I eventually return to my original world?
...In typical isekai stories, the protagonist adapts and lives in this world, right? So would I be the same? Would I never be able to go back?
The thought that I might never return to my original world settled in my mind.
“...I miss Mom.”
This world wasn’t bad. The lack of phones and computers was a bit inconvenient, but I had lived comfortably enough here, and there were plenty of enjoyable things.
Still, I suppose I was a little homesick for my original place. My parents were there, and my friends were there too.
*...How wonderful it would be if I could come and go whenever I wanted.*
“...What would become of this body if I returned?”
If I truly went back, what would happen to the body I left behind? Would the original soul return?
*...Speaking of which...*
Where had the original Abel soul gone? In normal isekai tropes, the original personality should be asleep inside the new body, causing the two souls to clash.
But after reincarnating, I had experienced no such thing. It was as if I had simply stepped into an empty body.
“...I don’t know.”
My head was getting complicated. I’d think about it again later.
Thinking that, I gently pinched the cheeks of the two Saintesses sleeping on either side of me. Estelle’s cheeks were softer.
“Umm...”
“Ugh...”
The beautiful women reacted with their own unique reactions. Celine squirmed and turned her head away, while Estelle frowned slightly but stayed still.
Celine must have hated being disturbed while sleeping. I left her be and firmly pressed Estelle’s cheek, which showed little resistance.
“Umm...”
Estelle narrowed her brows a bit more, then suddenly moved her head.
“Waaah.”
“!”
She bit my finger.
“...You startled me.”
I thought she was awake.
Estelle chewed on my finger with a messy mouth. She must have thought it was candy.
I could have pulled it out right away, but watching her chew cutely, I stayed still.
“...Why is this person so cute.”
I watched the cute woman continue chewing on my finger. Estelle finally stopped about ten minutes later.
“Umm...?”
She blinked her sleepy eyes open, spotted my finger in her mouth, and tilted her head. In her half-asleep state, she looked confused by the unknown situation. Still, she didn’t let go.
Watching my finger with a dazed expression, she blinked twice before suddenly realizing what was happening. She yelped in surprise and let go.
“Eek!?”
Good reaction.
“...W-what... what are you doing, Abel?!”
“I didn’t put it in. Estelle bit it.”
“...What?”
“I only touched your cheek, and you suddenly bit it.”
Estelle’s cheeks flushed instantly. She seemed embarrassed by her own sleep-talking and rolled the blanket around herself, lowering her head.
“U-uuuh...”
“By the way, you were sucking my finger like candy. Were you dreaming of something?”
“I-I don’t know!”
“...?”
She was that embarrassed? It was just cute.
“Estelle, you should wake up soon. We’ve been sleeping for a long time.”
“...Oh, I know.”
“...Why are you so flustered?”
By now, it wasn’t just because of the embarrassing dream. Estelle rolled her eyes at me for a moment before lowering her gaze again.
“E-em, I remembered yesterday...”
“...Yesterday?”
I understood what Estelle meant. It seemed she had been dreaming of sucking something else while sucking my finger.
“...Estelle, pervert.”
“N-no way! It’s because Abel did whatever he wanted yesterday!”
“Hm.”
Hearing that Estelle dreamed of such things made me a little pleased. I felt a slight reaction.
“Estelle.”
“Hm?”
“Since it happened in a dream, shouldn’t we do it in reality too?”
“......”
Estelle lowered her eyes slightly and looked startled at the rising blanket.
“...Y-you’re not tired? You... lewd hero♡”
She didn’t say she hated it. I grabbed Estelle’s hand and pulled her close. She immediately nestled into my arms.
“Can we do it while Celine sleeps?”
I deliberately asked last. Estelle twisted her body and answered.
“...Yes♥”
#
“Haaam...”
It took a long time for Celine to wake up. She must have been very tired.
She had slept soundly. Despite the loud, sweet moans, she didn’t wake up.
“You must have been tired, Celine.”
“Hm... Did you sleep well, Hero?”
After night had passed, Celine’s way of addressing me had returned to “Hero.” I remembered the Celine who had desperately called me by name last night and smiled faintly.
“You slept well too. Thanks to you.”
“...Even the days you tease me end.”
“True.”
“Where did the Saintess go?”
“She went to wash up for a bit. Celine should prepare soon too. There’s a banquet today.”
“Oh, right.”
Celine nodded slightly and sat up. The blanket slid off, forcing me to turn my head. Celine, startled, pulled the blanket back up.
“I’m sorry. I was exhausted yesterday and just slept...”
“Don’t worry. I knew already, though I forgot.”
I had to leave for a moment.
“I’ll go out for a bit. Get ready.”
“...Yes, Hero.”
After closing the door and stepping out into the palace corridor, I walked around the palace. This was the third time I had visited a royal palace— the Mars Empire, the Vesta Kingdom, and now the Apollo Kingdom.
Among the three, the palace corridors of the Apollo Kingdom were the narrowest. It must have been due to the difference in national power. I had heard that the Apollo Kingdom and the Diana Kingdom were relatively smaller nations compared to the other three.
The reason was that they had been at each other’s throats for a long time. Even though the names sounded like they should be allies, they were enemies.
Of course, they didn’t fight every day and did have some contact, but if the rumor that their relationship was bad had spread, it meant they fought often.
Because of that, while the other nations grew in power, these two kingdoms didn’t develop much. Compared to the Mars Empire, which was already a declining empire, their national power was weak...
I’d said enough.
Especially the Diana Kingdom, which had a milder climate and could farm well, but the Apollo Kingdom, being at the northernmost point of the continent, had little land suitable for wheat farming and lived comparatively poorer.
“...Hm?”
Then I noticed someone nearby. He was looking around, and I recognized the face. A sharp-featured man with short, bright red hair and a pair of swords at his waist.
“...Revius?”
What the hell was he doing here?
Feeling a bad premonition, when he spotted me, he walked straight over.
“Commoner, what is the meaning of this?”
“...Stop calling me that weirdly. And what are you saying?”
“You don’t know what’s going on and you’re asking? High-risk monsters appeared, so I came, but why is everything so peaceful?”
...Had the heroes been summoned? Of course, there had been a big enough crisis to warrant summoning the heroes.
In any case, this guy must have received the summons and come today. But too late.
I briefly explained the situation to the late-arriving Revius.
“The situation has ended.”
“...What?”
“It has ended.”
We had suffered many sacrifices, but the situation was already over. Still, Revius looked at me with eyes that said he didn’t believe a word.
“Commoner, you mean you handled it?”
“So?”
I thought my skill had proven itself by defeating an Amon-class giant monster. Why didn’t he believe it?
“...You say you handled a calamity? How am I supposed to believe that?”
“...Ah, that.”
I knew about the Agares-class monster appearing too. The news must have spread quickly.
“I defeated it together with Estelle and Celine.”
When I mentioned Celine, Revius’s brows twitched. Oops, I hadn’t meant to start an argument.
“...A commoner like you defeated a calamity?”
“Stop with the ‘commoner, commoner’— why are you picking a fight from the start?”
“Fuck, you caused me to arrive late!”
“...What?”
“So you’re saying you want to be alone in claiming the glory!”
Fuck, what did he just say?
I tried to explain as patiently as possible so I wouldn’t cause a commotion inside the palace.
“...Every time a monster attacked, the knights were wiped out and the border destroyed. Would you tell me to wait? The appearance of an Agares-class monster was beyond our expectations. I went out at the request of the Pope’s Church and the border guards to deal with the remaining forces of the North Queen.”
“...Tsk. The perfect opportunity to claim glory. One stupid commoner ruined everything.”
Revius clicked his tongue and looked elsewhere. I narrowed my eyes and said,
“I don’t understand your intention from the start? You sound like you’re telling me to wait until people die before you arrive.”
“A commoner with quick comprehension.”
...What?
“Hey, people died in an instant. One full company of holy knights wiped out, 70% of the border guards guarding the northern border dead, and you care about your glory? How many more would have died if you had dragged it out?”
When I lashed out at Revius, he gave a completely unexpected answer. One I had never expected or thought of.
“Do I need to care about the deaths of commoners? My glory is naturally more important than that.”
...Is this guy crazy. I had been trying to hold back, but he was really pushing the line.
“You fucking bastard.”
“What did you just say?”
“You’re a fucking bastard.”
Revius’s eyes turned sharp. But that didn’t bother me anymore.
“You’re a hero. No matter how noble you are compared to commoners, if you’re a hero, you should value people’s lives. But what? You don’t care how many die as long as your glory is important?”
“Have you finally gone crazy, commoner? You dare give me a sermon?”
“Then stop spewing nonsense. You say it’s okay for people to die for your glory, and you sit there listening?”
Revius’s face twisted instantly. He glared at me as if he wanted to kill me and warned,
“...That’s enough, commoner. You crossed the line long ago, but as fellow heroes, I’ll let you go just this once.”
“Cross the line? Fuck, I can’t even cross it. If you apologize for all those words you just spat, I’ll let it go.”
Revius showed killing intent right in the middle of the palace. He really seemed ready to kill one person, but compared to the monsters I had encountered recently, it was nothing.
“If you want to impose your petty thoughts on me, don’t just talk—prove it with strength, you commoner bastard.”
“What?”
Revius pointed behind him and said,
“Come to the training ground.”
“...Hah.”
So that’s how it is? I ground my teeth and said,
“I don’t mind. Lead the way quickly.”