Such a Vicious Woman!
The room I entered by opening the door was dark. The only light came from the sunlight slipping through the window, and even that was barely visible, blocked by the curtains.
"H-Hero!"
Seria came running and threw herself into my arms. It was a sensation I knew I should get used to, but somehow never did. As a healthy adult man, it was hard to endure. So I gave up. The academic consensus is to just surrender your body.
The moment I stepped into the room, it was as if nothing had happened. Those sticky, deeply sunken eyes suddenly sparkled with life. Still, Seria didn't treat Isabel as harshly as before. She was suppressing her feelings as much as possible, probably afraid I might hate her for it. It felt like it would explode someday, but there was nothing I could do. I believed that if we understood and yielded to each other, we could live together just fine.
"Haa..."
She took a deep breath, inhaling my scent. It felt a little ticklish. It had become part of the daily routine by now, but what the hell was this situation? I furrowed my brow. Isabel's scent must have been thick on me. We'd been together all the way until lunch, after all. That was obvious. Knowing that, Seria found Isabel even more detestable.
The woman who'd lived with her like a sister had approached me despite knowing how Seria felt. Even though she knew it wasn't Isabel's fault, it seemed human emotions couldn't be helped. It wasn't wrong to be jealous, right?
Thinking that, Seria clung tightly to me.
"We should start getting ready to leave soon."
"Mmm... Has it already been that long?"
"Yes. Checkout is coming up soon."
"Can't we extend it for just one more day—"
I let out a small chuckle. I could tell exactly what Seria was thinking. This inn was incredibly comfortable and beautiful. Just breathing here felt healing—like drinking from Mimir's spring. The feeling of a sage, I suppose.
"No."
"Miss. Today is the day we decided to post the recruitment notice at Banaheim's Adventurer Guild."
"...I know that too."
Isabel chimed in. That's right. I planned to recruit new members today. Even if not today, applications would pile up by tomorrow. Might as well get some properly skilled ones! Heh heh. I was already drooling at the thought.
With the title of 'Hero' attached, a lot of people would apply, right? Was this the power words held? My wild delusions gave me strength. Damn. It was so nice not having those idiots around. Seria could be a bit annoying at times, but even that was cute. It wasn't unpleasant or uncomfortable. In fact, I liked it.
The old hero's party? They could go bite and suck each other for all I cared. I was going to dive into the Demon Realm with my new companions.
"Heh heh heh."
The laughter kept coming. Running away really was JONNA great. For real. Give me back my two years, you bastards.
"So let's get ready already."
Even as I said that, she just kept playing with my hand with an ecstatic expression. The touch was soft, warm, and ticklish.
We rode the horses for a while before stopping midway for lunch. I tied them neatly to a tree and took out some simple provisions from the saddlebags. The weather was nice today. Unlike yesterday, it wasn't cloudy. We had more than enough stamina to reach Banaheim Kingdom. But Seria had looked hungry, so I stopped on a hunch. Had she really skipped meals while waiting for us? It made me feel even more complicated. I didn't ask. It seemed like she didn't want me to, either.
I took out bread and butter jam that had been preserved with magic so it wouldn't spoil. Glug. I poured warm tea into a clean cup. The aroma was refreshing.
"Here."
"Hehe. Thank you."
Seria Lionblood. At first I'd thought she was a shy girl, but my impression now was that she was the one who acted with the least shame. On the other hand, Isabel—who used to give off a cold and haughty impression—was actually quite shy and always tried to hide her expressions. It was like their personalities had been swapped.
I spread butter on the toasted bread and topped it with strawberry jam, placing it on a plate. It was a simple meal I'd often eaten while living alone. Mom used to sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on it too. It was a shame there was no cinnamon. Of course, tastes differ, so I was satisfied with this for now.
"Ah~"
Just as I quietly took a bite and swallowed, Seria opened her mouth.
"Hurry."
"Seria. There are people passing by, you know..."
"Hero. You shouldn't make a woman wait too long."
"Ugh..."
Well, it's not like it wears out or anything. I turned the bitten side away and brought the untouched part to her lips.
"...Seria?"
"Turn it back around."
That's an indirect kiss, you know. The words rose all the way to my throat, but before I could say them, Seria moved first.
Chomp.
"Hehe."
She took a big bite from the part my mouth had touched and glanced at me. She was clearly teasing me. At the same time, her face was filled with happiness and ecstasy. Thanks to that, this one meal became an incredibly difficult challenge.
Seria gestured for me to eat quickly. What a vicious woman. Was there no helping it? Was I really going to have my first kiss like this? Well, an indirect one, anyway.
"...Hero, do you dislike it when my lips touch yours?"
"Of course not."
"Then do you like it?"
If you think I'll say I like it, the answer is a huge 'Hell yeah.' As I was thinking that, Isabel suddenly grabbed my arm and spoke.
"Lips touching... T-to say something so lewd and obscene so casually..."
"What exactly are you imagining?!"
More importantly, is a kiss lewd? It's just an example. Of course, if you consider sex as an act of affection, it might carry the same meaning. But isn't that taking it a bit far?
"Hero, do you like the young lady's lips?"
"That's not what I meant."
"...Hmph."
Did we really have to keep this atmosphere even while eating? You two might be fine, but I only have one body. With both of you clinging to me from either side, I didn't know where to direct my attention. I couldn't tell if the food was going into my mouth or my nose...
As we rode the carriage toward the royal castle, many people kept glancing our way. It was a little embarrassing. No, it was very embarrassing.
"Must be nice. Hehe."
Hey, old man passing by! Please just pretend you didn't see us, just this once. Why are you like this for real?
While I was receiving those looks, Isabel brought over the toast she'd taken a bite of and offered it to me.
"...I-It's not like I'm expecting anything."
"Ugh..."
I closed my eyes tight and ate it. There was no other choice. To escape this situation, quick action was essential.
"...I don't know who made it, but it's delicious."
It was an honest review. I was genuinely afraid of my own hands that had created this. Well done, me...!
At my comment, Isabel's cheeks flushed red with joy. Still, she kept turning her gaze away, trying to process her emotions. Without thinking, I reached out and stroked her head.
"Hng..."
Seeing that, Seria also came into my arms. Her eyes were full of expectation. As if she couldn't lose, her expression wasn't as gloomy as before, but it was still somewhat dark and anxious.
"Haha..."
I stroked her hair, and she closed her eyes. She looked like a cat dozing off with a soft purr. We really needed to clean this up and get going...
Isabel felt both embarrassed and happy. She'd been rolled around as a slave, sold off, and worked as an ordinary maid. Could someone like her really be allowed to feel this happy? As that thought crossed her mind, she unconsciously stroked the ring on her ring finger.
"...Huh?"
Isabel looked at Seria's ring finger. A pure white diamond ring. It was obviously made by a dwarf craftsman—the beautiful design made that clear.
"M-Miss?!"
"You... what is this?"
Seria gave a faint smile.
"The Hero told me to be honest with my feelings."
"...What does that have to do with this?"
She smiled while showing off the ring. Seria's brow twitched.
"As you can see, it's the ring the Hero 'personally' chose for me and placed on my ring finger."
She smiled bashfully. It was a beautiful smile, but in Seria's eyes, it looked like a little thieving cat acting coquettish.
She couldn't fight. The Hero might come to hate her. How could he love a woman who resorted to violence first? But...
Isabel's happy expression was incredibly irritating and infuriating...
"Hehe..."
She felt jealousy.
"You filthy bitch!"
"P-Please stop using such vulgar language, Miss."
"It's true though! I loved him first, didn't I? You're the one who stole him!"
"I didn't steal anything, and that's not true! I'm not vulgar! Weren't you the one moaning with lewd cries and panting all night long, Miss?!"
"I-I was just thinking about the Hero..."
"...Hehe. So you admit you were panting alone. I didn't realize you were such a perverted, lewd young lady."
What the hell kind of conversation is this? As I sat there with a dumbfounded expression, Seria bent down toward Isabel's ring. She grabbed Isabel's wrist. Then she smelled her. More precisely, she smelled her fingers. They say scent stimulates memory. Like a seer, she sensed Taesik's trace lingering on the ring.
She quickly rolled up my sleeve to check.
"...Phew."
She confirmed there was no ring on my finger. The soft sigh she let out carried many meanings. The biggest one was 'relief.'
I had rejected Seria's confession because I needed to return to my homeland. Yet I'd shamelessly proposed to Isabel? I really hoped she wouldn't misunderstand that. I'm not that fucking Ragner, for god's sake. Let me say it again—I'm not that kind of trash. I don't have the guts for it, and I have zero experience with women.
On the other hand, I sometimes thought: If I gave up on Earth, couldn't the three of us be happy together? It was a dreamlike story. That's why it had to remain a 'dream.' If Earth wasn't my goal, there'd be no reason for me to risk my life fighting the Demon King—that is, Hel. Then who would fight? A new hero? That would only create another sacrifice like me.
Above all, who would compensate me for the pain I'd endured over those two years? Odin? Loki? Freya? The gods only watched. They made an ordinary office worker from another world clean up the shit they took. For all these reasons, I felt sorry to them, but I wanted to go back.
Watching the two women fight over me honestly made me uncomfortable. I was just a nobody working at some random company. I had to return someday. I couldn't accept their feelings. Yet seeing them jealous of each other was exhausting.
"Miss. I heard everything."
"Heard what...?"
"They say a diamond ring symbolizes eternal love."
Oh crap. So she heard what that dwarf said? If this continued, Seria's emotions would explode just like last time. But Isabel kept poking at Seria's nerves. The girl who used to be so dishonest was now emphasizing her own feelings and rebelling—for the first time since the last incident. In front of me she desperately turned her head and covered her face, but in front of Isabel she spoke her mind.
-The Hero told me to be honest with my feelings.
The words Isabel had said earlier came to mind. So she was using me as an excuse to open up the arena for their fight?
At the same time, I decided I should stop them before they started hitting each other. We'd promised not to fight. Yeah. This was all my fault.
Thump.
"Ouch!"
"Eep!"
I lightly gave both women a gentle flick on the forehead. Tears welled up in their eyes. Oops, did I hit them too hard? Whatever. They deserved it anyway. We didn't have time to waste here. If we were too late, we wouldn't make it today. If we didn't want to sleep in some remote place again, it was best to get moving.
"...Hmph. If you're jealous, just say you're jealous."
"Isabel. Have you been getting cocky with me lately?"
"It's just your imagination, Miss."
"....Y-You!"
Hey, I said stop it.
"Seria. Stop it. You too, Isabel."
In the end, I sighed as I looked at the toast that had fallen onto the grass. I cleaned up the surroundings and mounted the horse.
"We don't have time. Do you want me to leave you two behind?"
"S-Sorry..."
Seria was the first to answer. At my single sentence, she drooped like a depressed puppy, her shoulders trembling. Seeing her hands shake a little, it seemed her anxiety had flared up again. I hadn't meant for that to happen.
Isabel, who had come to my side at some point, grabbed the reins and spoke.
"...Hmph."
"Isabel, are you sulking?"
There was no answer. I just felt the urge to poke her slightly puffed-up cheeks. Of course I wouldn't actually do it. If she got any more upset, I'd have to keep her company for a while.
And after some time had passed, Isabel suddenly approached me and whispered.
"...H-Hero, you're such a playboy."
Then, hiding her embarrassment, she whipped the reins hard. As if running away. No, it was exactly running away. She was desperately hiding her shame. Since she couldn't cover her cheeks with her hands, she rode ahead so I couldn't see her face.
"Vicious woman."
It was Seria's sincere assessment.
"Ha..."
My sigh was heavy. A short but dark future flashed before my eyes. Odin, were you watching? Is this the revelation of the future? You son of a bitch.
"Goddamn it..."
If two women like this were going to fiercely block any woman trying to join the new hero's party... could I even gather any companions?
With that strange feeling in my heart, I shook the reins and caught up to Seria and Isabel.
Three hours later, we finally set foot in Banaheim Kingdom after what felt like a very long time.