A Heavy Love

The weight of love is crushing me.

A request had come in from the kingdom. It was about the very same phenomenon we had witnessed up close—closer than anyone else. They wanted us to investigate how Void Energy was invading Midgard. It made sense for them to ask me now that my name had been cleared, but… why did it feel so damn annoying?

This wasn’t going to be easy. They weren’t asking me to just look around—they wanted the cause. The only way to learn anything about this would be to march straight into the depths of Helheim and ask one of the Legion Commanders myself. There was no other way.

“...Guess I have to go, huh?”

A heavy sigh escaped me. We still had no idea how many Legion Commanders there even were, let alone how powerful their forces might be. So far, I had killed five of them. The most recently discovered Commander’s lair wasn’t far. It was the same adult creature that Ragner, Lunaris, and Fina had tried to challenge together. It was also the place they had rushed into on the very day I deserted the party. Of course, they had been defeated and then clung to me afterward.

But what was the point of fixing the barn after the cow was already gone? Especially when that cow had zero intention of coming back.

Seria glanced at me while I was lost in thought. She must have thought I was worried about something. That was probably why she leaned in and whispered sweetly.

“Hehe. You don’t have to worry, my hero. I’ll be right by your side.”

“Haha…”

I wasn’t worried at all. After all, we had obtained the ultimate meat shield.

Riana Sigidottir.

She was a terrifying warrior who could attack and defend at the same time. If she didn’t like someone, she became a sadistic monster tamer. If she liked getting hit, she was a complete masochist. She would kill you if you didn’t hit her, and she would enjoy it if you did. What kind of hybrid was this woman?

That was exactly why she had become our joker card.

Still… she was way more useful than Ragner!

I wiped the blood off the Holy Sword. It was the trace left behind from completing a few subjugation requests last night before going to bed. It felt better to earn my own money than to keep reaching into Seria’s pockets. Sharp runes were engraved along the blade. Though the edge was pure white, the runes were soaked with blood that would never dry. It was my blood—blood that neither flowed nor moved. It was proof of the sword’s connection to Odin.

Even now, thinking back to the moment I first contracted with the Holy Sword made the tip of my index finger throb. I had sliced my flesh with that pure white blade and poured blood into the runes until they were full. Enduring the dizziness, I had felt Odin’s true nature during the contract. It was magnificent, overwhelming, and filled with a terror that made your skin crawl. I didn’t believe in gods, but I had no choice but to believe he existed. After all, I had heard him and felt him with my own body.

When I called upon Odin through the blood held within the Holy Sword, he would bestow his “grace” and make me stronger. He had turned an ordinary salaryman into a fighter, a knight, a warrior, and finally a hero.

I let out another sigh as I looked at the now-clean Holy Sword.

Mistilteinn.

I only knew it as the blade that would signal the beginning of a colossal war someday. At the same time, it was the one and only weapon capable of killing the Demon King. It was a weapon that made me think about far too many things. It was also the dutiful son that let me earn a living.

“Shall we get going soon?”

The preparations were finished. To be honest, the depths of Helheim were incredibly dangerous. But Seria had already led both the warrior corps and the investigation team there before, so I wasn’t worried about her. As for Riana, there was no need to even ask—she had probably been there countless times already.

“Haa… haa… Hero, let’s depart right now!”

“Hey! Get away from the hero!”

“Seria Lionblood. Do not interfere with me! We must depart immediately… haa… haa…”

Riana wrapped her arms around herself, her whole body trembling. Seria responded by kicking her squarely in the ass.

“Hyaang!”

“Ugh! Stop acting so coquettish!”

This time it was a fist.

“With your powerful fist… heut♥”

See? She was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠clearly enjoying it.

I shook my head. I had no intention of heading straight into Helheim right away. I planned to stop by the Lionblood family mansion first. Seria had been away from home for a long time, and the same went for Isabel. Most of all, I hoped Kandel Lionblood would be there. He was Seria and Vidar’s father, and despite our age difference, he was the first drinking buddy I had made in this world.

A drinking session between a duke and a hero would have looked like a scene straight out of a painting. Back then, many people had dressed me up in a suit and even done my makeup. Kandel had also been extremely well-groomed when we first met at the royal palace. But when we went to his house for the second round…

The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠image of Kandel chugging alcohol like a child who refused to lose still lingered in my mind. Maybe that was why I had emptied two whole bottles myself before finally passing out. When I opened my eyes, I saw Kandel rolling around in the street wearing nothing but his underwear.

“This old man has lost his mind!” I had shouted, but I was dressed exactly the same way… Thank goodness no one was around. If someone had walked by, I might have died of embarrassment.

“...Holy shit.”

Just thinking about it gave me goosebumps. I might have actually died from the shame.

*

Before heading to Helheim, there were a few things I needed to prepare. First of all, our party lacked a proper mage like Lunaris, which made me uneasy. The only ones who could use magic were me and Seria. But even Seria couldn’t use a wide variety of spells. The same went for me. I synthesized runes to cast magic. Even if I knew the words in my head, if I didn’t know the exact rune for it, I couldn’t use it. That meant I had to buy some magic scrolls.

I had money, but not enough. I didn’t want to borrow from Seria’s hand. She would understand. So I decided to take on a few more requests before we left. It was frustrating, but it couldn’t be helped. This was a matter of my own conscience.

Srrrng—

I sheathed the Holy Sword and stood up. The moment I stretched my stiff body, every muscle screamed in protest. Crack. Pop. The sound grew even louder as I stretched. It was probably because I had overexerted myself yesterday before falling asleep.

“I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Hehe. Let’s go together, my hero.”

Seria immediately clung to me. Ugh, this love really was heavy. Her clear blue eyes, like a puppy wagging its tail, met my dark ones.

“...I-I’ll go with you too.”

Isabel spoke carefully. Seria whipped her head around, her face twisting into a scowl. Isabel’s single sentence had struck the decisive blow against Seria’s mood.

“No, Isabel. You stay here.”

“No. Young miss, I will accompany the hero as well.”

“Since when did you become such a disobedient child?”

“The hero said that in front of him, I’m allowed to be honest. So I’m simply being honest.”

Was she pinning this on me?

Isabel’s response was flawless. She knew perfectly well that if she invoked my name, Seria couldn’t refuse. They had known each other far too long for that. The two women glared at each other. Sparks—actual sparks—seemed ready to fly from the space between them. Jealousy, obsession, envy, and affection all swirled together.

In the end, they both turned their heads away at the same time.

“...Tsk.”

“...Hmph.”

All I could do was smile awkwardly. It was truly unfortunate that I was the root cause of their bickering. I was just going out to buy some scrolls. Just going to earn a little money and come right back.

“...The hero personally put a ring on my ring finger.”

That was true, but…

Seria frowned, barely holding back her anger.

“I bathed naked together with the hero, you know?!”

“H-Hero? Is that true?”

“Well, it is true, but the meaning is a little diff—”

“To do something so lewd… ugh.”

Even though she said that, Isabel was clearly feeling envious. She quietly lowered her gaze to her own chest. She wasn’t lacking anywhere, but she had clearly lost to Seria’s bountiful twin peaks.

“...Hmph.”

Now she was angry. So she said it.

“Young miss. I have slept with the hero.”

“...That ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was only because the hero had passed out drunk the night before, and the giant ‘took pity’ on you, wasn’t it?”

“Ugh.”

Then, as if showing off, she gently stroked her belly.

“Hehe. I have been promised the hero’s seed.”

Did she really have to say that out loud?

Isabel looked shocked. Honestly, I had been incredibly surprised when I first heard it too.

“...What? S-Seed… you mean… that…”

“Yes. The hero’s ‘proof.’”

That was also true, but the words wouldn’t come out of my throat. Isabel’s single “honest” remark, delivered while blushing, had been far too powerful.

“I-I can receive the hero’s seed too, you know?”

“Pardon?”

“...Ugh.”

Cheers and shocked gasps erupted from all around us. At some point, a crowd had gathered. I could even hear people whistling.

“...What?”

Of course, both Seria and I stood there with our mouths wide open, staring at Isabel. Her face had turned as red as an apple, and she couldn’t even lift her head properly. Still, she clung tightly to my left arm and whispered.

“...I already declared it.”

Gulp.

“So… you have to take responsibility, okay?”

That adorable voice and trembling breath were more than enough to make my heart pound. But from an outsider’s perspective, I probably looked like absolute garbage, didn’t I?

I glanced around. Sure enough, several people were giving me looks of pure contempt.

“Hehe…”

“I-Isabel! What on earth are you saying right now?”

“Hmph. It’s not like polygamy is illegal!”

“But you just…!”

“I-It’s not like I’m saying this because I’m jealous of you, young miss!”

What Isabel said wasn’t wrong. This wasn’t a world where polygamy was illegal. That was true, but still… you didn’t just say something like that in public, did you?

Her words made me sigh deeply.

Fuck… This life was completely ruined.

*

The surroundings were noisy. Had these people come just to watch…?!

Confirmed. They absolutely had.

Everyone’s eyes were locked onto us. The noise was one thing, but I was dying of embarrassment.

“...Looks like the hero is cheating, huh?”

I’m not, though.

“Reminds me of my younger days.”

“Gramps, did you cheat too?”

Oh, for real?

“N-No, that’s not what I meant!”

“...Come with me, you!”

Good grief. I was hearing every kind of nonsense imaginable. The crowd buzzed noisily. People always said watching a fight was the most fun, but the fact that I was the cause of this fight made it unbearable. Some of the things I heard were downright vulgar, and others were so explicit they made my ears burn red all the way up.

“Ooh…”

“That’s pretty hot.”

“Cheating… boldly… me… mo…”

Someone nearby let out an impressed sigh. Hey, you! Yeah, you! Stop looking at me with those respectful eyes! And put down that notebook! Please don’t turn me into a complete piece of trash.

“Haha… hahahaha…”

Laughter spilled out of me. The sheer absurdity of the situation left me in awe. Could I even go back to Earth? These women were unforgettable. At this rate, it felt more like they were threatening me not to leave.

“That’s why I will accompany you as well.”

“Argh! This is an order from Isabel. You stay here.”

“...Hmph.”

I let out a long sigh. If both of them came with me, they would just end up fighting again. Causing a scene in the middle of a crowded city street would be a disaster. Just imagine it—people watching a single man standing between two women fighting over him, and no one even trying to stop them. What would they think of me? They’d assume I was the one enjoying the show instead of stopping it! Even if I wanted to stop them, Seria and Isabel wouldn’t give me a chance to speak!

It would be better if they fought somewhere out of sight. Of course, not fighting at all would be best…

They cared for each other, but when it came to anything involving me, all bets were off.

While I was thinking that, Seria and Isabel suddenly raised their voices and asked me directly. All eyes in the crowd focused on us. Please don’t do this. Why are you doing this to me? If their goal was to make sure I could never walk these streets again and to keep me glued to their sides, it was a pretty grand plan. But the fact that they were doing it so purely, without any ulterior motive, made it even harder to endure.

“Hero! Who are you going with?”

“...Hero?”

Their eyes were filled with expectation.

I had no choice.

“Both of you, calm down.”

Thump! Thump!

I gave each of them a light flick on the forehead.

“Ouch!”

“Hng!”

“You asked who I wanted to take with me, right?”

They both nodded at the same time.

What should I do?

Just then, I noticed Riana sharpening her axe blade. It looked like she was almost done. Perfect for ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a subjugation request.

“...No way.”

“H-Hero?”

“Haha… I’ll be back soon. Just wait a little, okay?”

Their tearful expressions made my heart ache. But it would only take two hours. I’d be right back. If they reacted like this, I would look like a total bastard, wouldn’t I? Besides, what did I even do wrong? I shouldn’t have to feel guilty…?

This whole situation was strangely off.

“The hero is a womanizer…”

Ugh… Let me say it again. I am not trash. Really, I’m not trash… I’m not trash…

“Fuck.”

I really am trash.