I wake up in the morning, go for a run and do some sword drills with
When I get back, I hug
I head to the living room and greet
I comb
I go to the garden to call Zenis, who's locked in a staring contest with Beato, and tell her food's ready.
The whole family eats together.
Like nothing ever happened, the peaceful days have returned.
But of course, it's not like nothing happened.
I definitely fought
I was beaten to a pulp without a shred of dignity left, and I lost… and yet, I survived.
As proof— I look at my palms.
When I clench my fists tightly, my palms respond with the sensation of fingertips.
Both hands, both of them.
After that.
After I bowed my head to Orsted and swore my loyalty.
Orsted kept his promise and cast healing magic on me.
My arms regenerated before my eyes, and for the first time in a long while I had a complete body back again.
Orsted performed some additional spellwork on me, and then passed me the bracelet he'd been wearing.
After that, he said, "I'll contact you again once your mana has recovered," and left.
My left hand still wears that bracelet to this day.
I don't know what kind of effect this bracelet has.
Does it aid mana recovery?
Or is it meant to block the Human-God's prying?
It's been ten days since then, and the Human-God hasn't shown up in my dreams.
Orsted had said that receiving the Dragon God's blessing would protect against the Human-God's interference, so it's probably the latter.
Or maybe it's meaningless—just some kind of employee ID for a Dragon God subordinate.
Either way, I lost to Orsted and surrendered to his command.
I betrayed the Human-God and switched to his side.
I won't be taking this bracelet off.
I have no regrets about betraying the Human-God.
Honestly, I feel relieved.
The feeling of "I've gone and done it" is far outweighed by "I finally did it."
There's no turning back now.
No matter how much of an unpleasant person Orsted turns out to be, I can't betray him either.
We're in this together.
Even if this was all part of the Human-God's scheming, it's too late now.
But as far as personal impressions go, I feel like Orsted is more trustworthy than the Human-God.
From him, I get a vibe similar to what I felt from
He doesn't have Ruijerd's fierce pride or that gentle concern for children, though.
But compared to the Human-God, who just watches from above and does nothing himself, I sense more of a will to face things head-on.
In any case, a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.
My chest feels lighter, and I feel at ease.
It might not actually be any easier in reality, but it feels like I've crested a hill.
Afterward.
I talked with Sylphie and Roxy, who were both there.
Sylphie cried, and Roxy lectured me.
She regretted that she hadn't realized what a dangerous opponent he was, and expressed anxiety about me becoming Orsted's subordinate.
But when I told her there was no other choice at the time, that this was the only thing I could do, they both accepted it, more or less.
We returned to Sharia.
I told my family that I was safe, and I told everyone who had helped that I'd been defeated by Orsted and had surrendered to him.
Incidentally, Perugius looked the most relieved of anyone.
Well, nobody would want to be enemies with something like that.
Along the way, every single person I met gave me a startled look.
When I asked what was going on, they said my hair had turned white.
I don't really understand it, but apparently the same phenomenon that happened to Sylphie has happened to me too.
Brown hair is growing back from the roots now, so it's probably temporary.
Even if it turns out not to be temporary, matching with Sylphie wouldn't be a problem…
I returned to my daily life, and ten days have passed.
I've been on guard since I don't know what the Human-God might try next, but so far nothing has happened.
My physical condition has been improving steadily too.
I can feel my depleted mana slowly recovering come to think of it—Orsted seemed to know about the secret of the mana in this body of mine.
Something about Laplace factors…
Well, Orsted will tell me about that sort of thing if and when the time comes.
For now, I just need to wait.
Anyway, that's all well and good.
But amidst this utterly unremarkable life, one change has appeared.
--- "Seconds, please!"
"
"Oh, is it that little already?"
There's one person at the dinner table who wasn't here before.
A tall woman with red hair.
Not so much a tall woman—Eris.
She naturally came along with us, naturally commandeered the guest room, naturally started living with us.
Incidentally, Ghilane took lodging somewhere nearby.
Whether she was shaken by what she saw of Zenis's current state, or whether she felt awkward around us, I'm not sure.
But the point is, Eris was the only one who stayed.
There were days she'd go out, but for the most part, she was always at home.
She'd watch Sylphie cook, observe Roxy preparing for her lessons, watch Aisha and Lilia doing housework, and stare intently at Zenis and Lucy.
In other words, whenever she wasn't moving around, she was mostly just quietly watching the family.
And whenever Sylphie or Roxy did something, she'd make a complicated face and purse her lips into a tight line.
The Eris I saw after all this time was remarkably changed.
She'd become, how should I put it, cool-looking.
Tall for a woman, with great posture.
Her clothes were pretty sharp too.
A leather jacket similar to Ghilane's, with a black inner shirt and pants that looked easy to move in.
They encased a physique that was obviously well-trained to anyone looking on.
But she wasn't bulky at all—more like everything was tightly compressed.
Just looking at her was mesmerizing.
What especially deserved mention were her chest, waist, and hips.
Bam, cinch, bam.
Her face had lost the childishness from five years ago and had become the sharp, refined features of a beautiful woman.
She was no longer a girl—her transformation made it obvious at a glance that she had become an adult woman.
Maybe combined with all these physical changes, I couldn't find an opportunity to talk with her.
In the process of reporting the battle outcome to the relevant parties, the chance slipped away.
That was part of it, but for some reason, whenever I looked at her, my heart started pounding.
I tried to strike up a conversation several times.
But somehow, I just couldn't find the right moment…
Whenever I tried to say something to her, her sharp gaze would make my heart race, and before I knew it I'd look away.
After that, my palpitations wouldn't subside for a good while, and it took considerable time before my racing heart finally calmed down.
Could this possibly be… fear?
No, you're kidding me.
This is definitely love.
It seems I've fallen for Eris all over again.
I know I'm being simple about it, but Eris—the Eris who appeared like a bolt of lightning at that critical moment, who restrained Orsted and risked her life to protect me.
That image is still burned into my eyes.
It would be strange not to fall for her after that.
Right now, I'm a maiden in love.
A maiden god.
A high school sophomore who's become an angel.
But.
This is something I heard from Aisha after coming home, but— Eris, for these past few years, had been enduring brutal training at the Holy Land of Sword solely for the purpose of fighting alongside me against Orsted.
The cause was her encounter with Orsted during the battle at the Red Dragon's Lower Jaw.
When she saw me preparing to learn Disturb Magic for a similar purpose, she mistakenly assumed that I was planning to defeat Orsted.
I don't think there was that big a gap between me and Eris back then, but Eris decided that she wasn't strong enough to stand beside me and left to train.
From Eris's perspective, the current situation must feel like a betrayal on my part.
She went off on what she thought was a business trip or overseas assignment to train in swordsmanship, and when she came back, the person she liked was with another woman.
Infidelity. An affair.
There had been misunderstandings, and explanations were given.
She should understand it logically.
But deep down, she can't possibly be at peace about it.
Knowing Eris's personality, it wouldn't be strange if she were to charge in with a knife tucked at her hip.
And from that Eris, for me to say, "I've fallen for you again, so be my bride"—that somehow feels wrong.
Also, Eris's behavior is unnerving.
I can't tell what she's thinking…
You know, not to put it this way, but Eris is selfish and headstrong, right?
I had more of an image of her acting without considering anyone around her.
"
Something like that.
But she's said nothing of the sort.
She's not asserting herself, or rather— She's remarkably quiet.
Could it be, though…
The other day, she risked her life to protect me from Orsted.
Up until that moment, Eris probably still held enormous illusions about me.
For five years, she believed that I, like her, had been working hard to become stronger.
But I wasn't like that.
I'd done my best in my own way, but it wasn't the same.
I was beaten to a pulp by Orsted, and Eris must have seen me crawling pathetically on the ground.
On top of that—two wives.
It wouldn't be surprising if Eris, who had become a Sword King at the Holy Land of Sword, was disillusioned by someone like me.
The fact that she hasn't said anything might mean she's planning to leave soon.
She might be considering words of farewell.
When I think about it that way, I can't bring myself to approach her.
I'm afraid of being rejected.
If that cool Eris told me, "You're nothing to me anymore!" I'd be crushed.
That might be the right ending, but I'd feel an overwhelming sense of loss.
But if that's how it is, I'd rather hear it sooner…
Ugh, ahh…
Anyway, we definitely need to talk.
We need to sit down and have an honest conversation about the future.
That's what I think, but I just can't seem to find the right timing.
Going in circles.
Words won't come from me, nothing comes from her, and the days slip by.
Ideally, I'd like to talk it through, settle things, and feel clean about it before Orsted contacts me.
But I don't know how to go about it.
Will this living arrangement with Eris just continue indefinitely?
That's what I was thinking when Roxy suddenly asked me: "So, when are you planning to hold the wedding celebration with Eris?"
"Wedding celebration?"
"Yes. I had one too, so naturally you should as well. I'll take the day off, so if you could let me know roughly when it'll be…"
At Roxy's words, I fell silent.
Seeing this, Roxy furrowed her brow.
"Don't tell me you haven't said anything yet?"
I imagine I looked pretty guilty.
The family's already on board.
They're ready to welcome her.
Aisha, and even Norn, have accepted that Eris will become a member of the family.
If anything, Norn keeps getting excited talking about Eris and Ruijerd.
Those two apparently get along surprisingly well.
Nobody's opposed.
All that's left is for me to make the decision.
"Rudy, you can't keep running away. Eris is waiting for you."
Roxy held up one finger and struck a big-sister pose.
"Waiting?"
"Yes. She's waiting for you to say, 'Jump into my arms!'"
Roxy said this while making a gesture of spreading both arms wide.
Adorable.
"Would Eris really think that… Besides, isn't that just Roxy's own wishful thinking?"
"Hey! I'm being perfectly serious, so stop joking around!"
Roxy raised both hands with a pouty, huffing expression.
…She caught me off guard with that joke, but maybe it's true.
Could it be that Eris is waiting for me to say something?
Is she the type to do that?
No, Roxy wouldn't lie about something like this.
This is a true revelation—divine counsel.
If Roxy's pushing me forward, then I don't have the option of hesitating.
I need to be brave.
I'll go to her.
I'll talk to her properly, have a real conversation.
If she turns me down, Sylphie and Roxy can comfort me.
Alright.
But before that.
Without thinking, I spread both arms wide and said: "Roxy, jump into my arms."
"Like I said, stop joking around—"
Roxy stopped mid-sentence.
She looked at my face, then glanced around the room.
Confirming that nobody was there.
She lowered her raised arms to shoulder height, gave a little hop, and leaped into my chest.
Her slightly rounded belly pressed against me.
"Don't jump around too much, or you'll hurt the baby, my princess."
"A little exercise is good for the baby too, or they'll be too fragile."
Roxy's whispering voice tickled my ear.
So that's how it is.
So that's how it is.
Let's just go with that.
In any case, I figured we might as well be affectionate for a while, so I sat down in a chair with Roxy on my lap.
That's when I felt someone's gaze.
"…Hmm?"
From behind the doorway, someone was peeking at me, half-hidden like a maid.
Those eyes burned with an intense light, piercing straight through me.
It was Eris.
"Kyaa!"
"Wh-what's wrong, Rudy?"
I hurriedly pulled Roxy close, and Eris jerked her gaze away and vanished into the shadows of the hallway.
Scary.
The silence is scary.
Th- I'll talk to her tomorrow.
--- The next day.
I went looking for Eris in order to have a conversation with her.
I found her right away.
She was in the garden doing sword drills.
For some reason, Norn was with her.
What about school?
Eris was teaching Norn sword techniques, saying things like, "No, that's not it—like this!"
"That's what I keep telling you! Why don't you get it!?"
"What am I doing wrong?"
"Where do I even start…"
Eris is an intuition-type, so teaching Norn must be tough.
Intuition-type geniuses don't understand what they're doing themselves, after that.
That's what I was thinking—until— "It's your left hand—it doesn't have enough power. When you swing, you're only trying to use your right, so the tip wobbles."
Huh?
Did I just hear a hallucination?
"Focus more on your left hand… try swinging as if you're using only your left. Then you'll be able to swing cleanly."
Wait, is that actually Eris talking?
Not Eris lip-syncing while Ghilane dubs her voice?
"Ah, I see. Understood."
"Good."
The two of them said this and cheerfully resumed their practice swings.
Norn's form actually seemed to have improved somewhat.
…Well, Eris is a Sword King after all.
Ghilane had once said that she couldn't have become a Sword King on intuition alone.
Eris must have also acquired what you might call a rational approach to swordsmanship by the time she reached Sword King level.
Even so, Eris's practice swings are fast.
I can't even see an afterimage from the base of the blade onward.
And they're beautiful.
Watching Eris do her practice swings is absolutely captivating.
Just looking at her is enough to make me sigh.
That gallant profile, the sweat glistening on her skin.
Her tightly toned physique, the muscles rippling with movement…
Oh!
I just noticed something incredible.
Every time Eris swings the sword, her firm, taut chest bounces with a soft flutter.
Not a heavy swaying—more like a delicate, subtle vibration.
This was probably because there was no wasted motion in her swing, so her upper body barely moved, and yet— She was wearing a sleeveless shirt, or rather something like a sports bra, but she probably wasn't wearing any— Chest armor.
My eyes were involuntarily drawn to her with every swing.
Her practice swings were like hammer blows…!
"…?"
Suddenly, Eris's chest motion—no, her practice swings stopped.
I wondered what had happened and looked up.
She was staring right at me.
Lips pressed into a tight line, feet shoulder-width apart, chin tilted up.
Ah, if she crossed her arms too, it'd be just like the old pose.
That was when I noticed what she was holding.
A live blade—sharp enough to look like it could cut beautifully. The same one she'd used in the fight against Orsted.
I decided to retreat from the scene for the time being.
You know, having a serious conversation with someone holding a blade is… not ideal!
—Two hours later.
I timed it to when her training should be over and went to find Eris again.
She was no longer in the garden.
I figured she might be taking a bath and checked the changing room, but Norn's clothes were the only things there.
I searched the entire house, but she wasn't anywhere.
Where did she go?
Maybe she'd changed quickly and gone out.
Well, I'd just have to wait for her to come back.
No, there's no reason to wait at home—if she went out, I'd go after her.
Just as I reached for the doorknob, thinking all this— The door burst open from the other side with force.
"Ah!"
"…!"
It was Eris.
Right before my nose, standing there with a startled expression.
A beautiful woman with sharp, refined features.
Her slightly damp, wavy red hair hung over her shoulders, cascading down to her chest.
There, her shirt was soaked with sweat and clinging to her skin.
Through the shirt, I could see the valley—a deep valley that pulled my gaze in like a black hole.
Where there's a valley, there are mountains.
Two prominent mountains.
The shirt clung to those mountains with sweat, and at their peaks, clearly visible points pressed against the fabric.
In other words, what I was looking at was paradise.
"Wh-wh-what do you want…"
Eris looked flustered. Her face was red. An adorable expression.
Without thinking, I reached out my hand.
My fingers touched the weighty mass and the slightly hard point atop it.
Ah, so soft.
—The next instant, Eris's shoulder blurred slightly, and my consciousness went blank.
--- When I came to, the back of my head was cradled in something soft.
Harder than the pillow I usually use.
But warm and springy.
On top of that, there was a gentle, silky sensation stroking my hair.
A lap pillow.
When I realized that, I was still half-asleep.
"Mmm… mumble mumble… I can't eat anymore…"
I pretended to be more asleep than I was, rolled over, and buried my face in the triangular area at the base of her legs.
I took a deep breath there, and then ran my hand along her hip.
"Hyaaa!"
Huh?
This hip shape isn't Sylphie's.
Sylphie's are smaller, thinner—there's so little fat you could practically hold them in one hand.
The smell is different from Roxy's too.
Roxy's scent gives me a sense of safety when I breathe it in, but this one's a bit sweaty, and sniffing it felt like warning signals were firing from somewhere in the back of my brain.
But I don't dislike it, and it somehow feels nostalgic.
I opened my eyes wide.
Slowly turning my head, I looked at the owner of the lap pillow.
Beyond the two mountains, a pair of sharp eyes glared down at me.
It was Eris.
Eris grabbed my head firmly.
She was going to crush it— Sylphie. Roxy.
Please forgive this premature death.
But the next moment, my head was being stroked—firmly, but gently.
I shrank into myself as I looked up at Eris.
She had her lips pursed, her face flushed, and was looking away—but she wasn't angry.
"Um, Eris… san?"
"Just Eris is fine."
"Eris… I'm, um, sorry."
When I apologized, she gripped my head hard.
Ah, please forgive this premature death.
"…I wasn't exactly blameless either, you know?"
"Yeah. Well… yeah."
"I read your letter. It must have been hard for you too, Rudeus."
With my head firmly fixed in place, I nodded at Eris's words.
I'm not mature enough to say, "You didn't do anything wrong."
At that time, we talked past each other.
Back then, I was the one who was hurt. Now it's Eris who's hurting.
"Hey, Rudeus."
"Yes?"
"…"
Eris pressed her lips together.
It was as if she didn't know what to say.
I know we need to have this conversation, but the words won't come.
Five years was too long—for me, and for Eris.
"You love those two, don't you? The, um, other ones?"
"Yeah, I love them."
When I said it without hesitation, Eris's grip tightened.
"More than you love me?"
"…"
When I said that, Eris looked hurt.
I shouldn't have answered that way.
I shouldn't have compared.
I love Eris too.
I fell for her all over again.
"You don't love me anymore? You hate me now?"
"No, that's not it. It's just… we were apart for so long, I don't know how to act around you, or how to put it…"
"I still love you, Rudeus. I want to be loved by you."
Eris's face was completely red.
That was—no, it almost certainly was—a confession of love.
How should I answer?
The answer should already be decided.
But before that, I need to confirm one thing.
"But I already have two wives."
"…"
Eris stood up with a huff.
I rolled off her lap and fell to the floor.
It looked like this was the living room.
There was nobody else in the room.
Norn and Sylphie should have been home, but nobody was here.
They must have been considerate enough to leave us alone.
Eris stood over me as I lay sprawled on the ground.
Arms crossed, feet shoulder-width apart, chin tilted up.
The same pose as when we first met—looking down at me.
"Rudeus. Get outside. We're dueling!"
"What!? A duel!?"
I stood up, brushing off the dust, and hurriedly asked again.
"That's right! We duel, and if you win, I'll leave!"
She pointed a sharp finger at me and declared: "But if I win… then you have to love me too!"
Somehow, things had taken a very strange turn.
Even as I thought that, I nodded.