Consultation for Worries
“Dain, wait a moment.”
It was right after he had confirmed Ceres had fallen asleep and stepped outside. From the darkness, the Mayor’s voice crept forward, low and hushed.
“...Yes, Mayor.”
“...Sigh. We’ve found Hans, but…”
“Where?”
Dain moved directly in front of the Mayor. The look in his eyes was nothing like the one he gave Ceres—eyes that made it hard to believe he was the Hero.
“C-calm down. It’s… it’s that…”
“...”
“At the wooden house by the lower windmill… we found him hanging.”
“...What?”
“By the time we discovered him, he was already… not breathing.”
“...”
Hans had been hateful enough to make Dain want to kill him, yet the news of his death made Dain forget to breathe for a moment. Flashes of childhood memories spent together flickered through his mind, but no tears came.
“...That damn bastard…”
“Just in case you’re wondering, Dain.”
“Yes.”
“You’re not thinking of telling anyone why Hans died… are you?”
Whether it was misfortune or a blessing, Ceres had been asleep the whole time and knew nothing of Hans abusing her, nor did she have any intention of revealing it.
“Of course not. Please keep it a secret. No one can know.”
“Good, good. Everything I saw in the chapel will stay buried.”
“...Hans, he…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it myself. Set your mind at ease. You’re truly the Hero now, aren’t you?”
“...”
“Leave the village matters to me and focus on protecting the kingdom. Ahem.”
“...I’m counting on you.”
Dain bowed and turned back toward the house. The Mayor watched his retreating figure until it disappeared, then finally let out a sigh of relief.
“Whew.”
Hans was dead, and Dain’s lips would remain sealed. With nothing left to tie up loose ends, the old man felt he could finally sleep easy. He walked slowly back to his own home. The reinforcement he had gained from embracing Ceres seemed to have worn off; his knees ached again.
“Is everyone ready?”
“Yes, yes!”
After a few short days of rest for Ceres, it was time to return to the Hero’s outpost. Seeing her shoulders squared with determination, Dain gave her a light tap and spoke.
“You don’t have to push yourself.”
“I’m not pushing myself. I’m fine now.”
“Then that’s all that matters.”
Even such a trivial exchange brought a small smile to his lips. Ceres was wearing a new Saintess robe. Instead of the revealing outfit Zarco had ordered, she wore her original pure white garments.
“Everything’s alright? Then…”
When Gerta chanted her spell, the magic circle beneath the group began to glow. Whether from tension at using teleportation after so long or from returning to the outpost as the Saintess, Ceres lightly clutched the hem of Dain’s clothes.
The Hero offered a small smile and gave her his hand instead of the fabric. As warmth passed between their joined hands, bright light filled the inside of the magic circle.
“It’s the Hero!”
At the sudden appearance of the Hero’s party, the soldiers in the outpost began to cheer. These were the same people who had been cheering for Zarco not long ago. Only a small handful—including Grahn—had ever recognized Dain’s efforts, so the unfamiliar welcome left him smiling awkwardly.
“They must have been worried. Afraid the kingdom might fall.”
At Gardan’s words, Dain nodded. Everyone knew the Saintess had regained her power, but they had all agreed to hide the fact that the Hero had lost his Authority. The Hero was the very hope of humanity; it was only natural to conceal anything that might negatively affect morale.
“There are a few things I need to report. While you were away, the command center was completed. After you set down your luggage, could you come there?”
“...Ah.”
At the words “command center,” the scene from that night flashed before his eyes. Naked men staring at him. Ceres lying in the middle with her legs spread. And Zarco’s vulgar smile as he thrust his hips between them.
“Hero?”
“Y-yes?”
“Are you alright?”
“Ah, y-yes, I’m… fine…”
It felt like he had slipped into the memory and just crawled back out.
“...To the command center. Understood. I’ll drop off my things and head there right away.”
“Yes, of course…”
Leaving behind Gardan and the others who watched him with puzzled expressions, Dain hurried into his quarters. He had been told he could use the large room reserved for the Hero if he wished, but he had no desire to set foot in it. From the bed to the single table, everything about it was too luxurious for his tastes. More than that, it was a room filled with things Zarco had taken from him—things he wanted to burn.
His original room. Modest in size and storage. Someone had been maintaining it; there wasn’t a speck of dust. He set down his equipment, lay on the bed, and felt all his fatigue melt away.
“...Haa.”
Even on the uncomfortable mattress, there was one place on Dain’s body that stood stiff and throbbing.
Why…
It was strange. In his mind, the men embracing Ceres were not him. Zarco, whom he had seen with his own eyes. The soldiers who had gathered afterward, chatting noisily while waiting for their next turn. Thinking of them possessing Ceres made his stomach twist. He wanted to kill them in the cruelest way possible.
Yet when he pictured them riding the Saintess, just like when he had watched Ceres and Zarco through the misty wall, blood slowly rushed to Dain’s center.
“Sorry for being late.”
“No, it’s fine. Please come up.”
Throughout the climb to the command center, nausea had kept rising, but fortunately the completed room bore almost no traces of that night.
“This is the information from the month the Saintess was asleep.”
Gardan’s skill at spreading the map grew better every day. The main army, anxious after the shocking incident, had launched an operation without the Hero and suffered defeat. The front line had been pushed back slightly.
“Then should I join the main army as well?”
“No. The outpost hasn’t been idle either.”
Gardan pointed to an area inside the boundary near the outpost.
“This information is from ten days ago, but we’ve confirmed a considerable force is gathering here.”
“I see.”
“Judging by their scale and the way they’re building what looks like an outpost, it seems a fairly powerful demon is at the center.”
“...”
A face immediately came to mind.
“Zarco.”
“...That seems likely.”
“Will Lilias be with him too?”
“Given the scale, it’s highly possible.”
“That’s good.”
“However, one moment, Hero.”
“Yes.”
Gardan glanced at Dain with visible discomfort.
“I have seen your swordsmanship with my own eyes and know how powerful it is. But facing demons is an entirely different matter.”
“...”
“According to Gerta, your Authority hasn’t completely disappeared. I believe we should first determine the extent of your current abilities.”
“...You’re right. That’s sound advice.”
They were bastards he wanted to kill immediately, but even as a half-baked Hero, Dain felt the weight of the title. He took a deep breath and extinguished his rage. They agreed to conduct an experiment on his abilities tomorrow night, away from the soldiers’ eyes, along with Gardan and Gerta. After that, he returned to his quarters.
Checking his equipment had become a nightly ritual. He gave his gear a few taps, set it down, and was about to lie on the bed when—
Knock, knock.
The sound of someone at the door sent a chill down his spine. Nothing good had ever happened after a knock on that door. Rillen and Lilias were no longer at the outpost, and Gerta had looked exhausted the moment she arrived after using the teleportation circle.
He instinctively reached for his sword, then scolded himself for overreacting and cautiously approached the door.
“Dain…?”
“Ceres?”
The Saintess’s voice made him fling the door open. She wore pure white sleepwear, and her face was slightly flushed as she looked up at him.
“You’re not sleeping yet?”
“I was just about to.”
“Can I come in for a bit?”
“Y-yeah. Come in.”
Click.
The moment Ceres entered the room, it filled with her scent. Late at night, the feminine fragrance made Dain swallow hard.
“This is my first time inside your room.”
“I-is it?”
“Yeah. Hmm.”
When Ceres plopped down on the bed, Dain worried there might be some smell, but the Saintess didn’t seem bothered.
“The bed feels similar to mine.”
“Does it?”
“Mhm.”
She looked around the room but had deliberately left space on one side of the bed. Turning her head, she patted the spot beside her. Tap, tap.
“...”
Dain slowly sat down next to her, but neither of them spoke.
“...Um.”
They spoke at the same time.
The Hero and Saintess stared at each other in surprise, then burst into quiet laughter.
“You first.”
“No, you go first.”
“...Hehe.”
In the dark room, Ceres’s smile illuminated by moonlight slipping through the window was breathtakingly beautiful.
“...You know.”
“Yeah.”
“...Hoo, I don’t know how to say this.”
Ceres gave an awkward smile, but it gradually hardened.
“...I like you, Dain.”
They had shared each other’s lips, but she had been too shy to say the words aloud until now.
“Me too. I really… like you too. I have for a long time, ever since we were kids.”
“...Do you still like me?”
“Of course.”
“...Me too. I’ve always liked you.”
Dain waited for Ceres’s next words, but only a long silence followed. Then, in the middle of that silence, Ceres suddenly stood, grabbed Dain’s shoulders, pushed him down onto the bed, and climbed on top of him.
“C-Ceres?”
“...”
But the Saintess said nothing. She placed her hands on his chest, hesitated for a moment, then began unbuttoning his shirt with trembling fingers.
“Ceres, wait—”
“Dain.”
At her low voice, Dain’s words stopped.
“I wanted to give everything to you, but I was so sorry… I couldn’t say it.”
“...”
No, Ceres. It’s not your fault.
But for some reason the words wouldn’t leave his mouth.
“If you’re okay with it… if I’m not too dirty…”
Hiding the tears welling in her eyes, Ceres collapsed into Dain’s arms as if falling.
“Can you cover me… with yourself?”
There was no need for words. He had never once thought of her as dirty. This was the love he had always longed for. With trembling hands, Dain placed them on her shoulders and slowly slid down the half-undone clothes.
Her full breasts, the beautiful curve of her waist. When he grasped the side she used to poke teasingly, Ceres flinched slightly but did not reject his touch.
Before they knew it, they had shed all their clothes and were embracing each other, hands exploring bare skin. Dain had never seen a woman’s body before, but he gathered his courage, kissed Ceres, and carefully cupped her breast.
Ceres wrapped her arms around his neck, passionately parting his lips. Breathing slightly rough, she whispered in a careful tone.
“...Come to me, Dain…”
Dain’s fully erect member had been pressed against her thigh the entire time. He froze for a moment as she pulled his neck and lay back, bringing their sexes so close they nearly touched.
Even in Dain’s eyes, he could see the transparent fluid flowing from between Ceres’s folds. There was no reason to stop.
Zarco. Yujin, the soldiers, Hans. Their faces suddenly flashed through his mind. Zarco taking Ceres’s virginity. The soldiers who had ejaculated inside her and then appraised her body. In his fogged mind, only those images stood out with painful clarity.
“...Ah…”
“...Dain?”
Ceres’s voice brought him back, but the member he held in his hand had already gone soft and limp.
“...Uh, um…”
“...”
It seemed Ceres had seen it too. She said nothing, but her gaze lingered for a moment.
“Why, why is this happening… just a second…”
“...Dain.”
Watching the flustered Hero clutch at himself, Ceres carefully leaned into his arms.
“It’s okay. I’m sorry. It’s my fault.”
“No! It’s not your fault, it’s just…”
“I must have rushed you. I was anxious whether your heart was still the same…”
“I love you. Really.”
“Hehe.”
As if finding his panicked face adorable, Ceres—lying on the bed—gave the Hero a light kiss on the cheek.
“Ceres…”
“...You know, Dain.”
“Yeah.”
“Even if I love you for the rest of my life… is that okay?”
“...”
The embarrassing situation had been about to turn into self-loathing. He felt that Ceres’s words were consideration for him.
“...Thank—”
“Not that.”
Ceres pressed a finger to Dain’s lips.
“...I love you, Ceres.”
“I really love you, Dain.”
The two facing each other shared a gentle kiss.
Two naked figures lay together. Even when Ceres’s bare leg slid over Dain’s waist in her sleep, his center remained quiet.
When the Saintess opened her eyes, Dain was still asleep. Careful not to wake him, Ceres quietly got out of bed, dressed, and returned to her own room.
“...Haa…”
Ceres collapsed onto the bed and let out a deep sigh. She had given her body to other men, and Dain had seen it. Still, she had wanted to prove that her heart had always been with him, so she had acted a little impatiently. She had waited so long for that moment, and the mood hadn’t been bad, but when his member lost strength in an instant, it felt like everything was her fault.
“...Ugh, hoo…”
She held back the tears of self-loathing that threatened to burst out. There was no time to wallow in despair. She had been freed from Zarco and the soldiers and could finally stand by Dain’s side. She had to move forward for the future.
After a short deep breath, the Saintess decided to start her day a little earlier. A morning walk to lift her spirits seemed perfect for that.
“Oh, Saintess! Good morning!”
“Hello!”
Greeting the soldiers beginning their day lifted her mood a little. Thanks to Gardan appropriately hiding the events of that day, the soldiers only knew that Zarco had been a fake; they had no idea what had happened to Ceres.
Seeing a soldier smile back at the Saintess’s smile and turn away brought another stab of guilt to her chest.
...No. I… I’m going to live happily with Dain.
But no matter how much she thought about it, there was no sign of her worries being resolved. What made it even worse was that this wasn’t something she could tell anyone. Gerta was a good person and knew her situation, but Ceres couldn’t bring herself to say to her, “There’s a problem in my relationship with Dain.”
“...”
There was one person who came to mind. There had been unpleasant incidents, but aside from Dain, he was the only one in the outpost she could call a friend.
“Oh, hey there, Ceres!”
“...G-Grahn.”
While walking and worrying, she ran into the blacksmith. He spotted the Saintess and waved cheerfully.
“You’re up early. Is your body alright? No discomfort anywhere?”
“Y-yes.”
“That’s good. Oh, right. Kahaha!”
The blacksmith’s thick, rough hand patted Ceres’s shoulder lightly. It was still embarrassing to talk about, but if last night’s failure with Dain was because of what she had done, then the only person who could listen to her worries was Grahn.
“Hm? Saintess?”
“...Um, Grahn…”
Watching Ceres fidget, the blacksmith quickly saw that she had something on her mind. He quietly pointed to his workshop, and Ceres slowly nodded.
“...I don’t know what it is, but. Hmm.”
Grahn stroked his beard and led the way. The Saintess followed him toward the now-familiar workshop. Though her head was filled only with worries, as she walked after Grahn, the space between her thighs felt strangely sensitive.