Chapter 239

Wait, wait, wait!

What was this insane development?

Wife?

Wiiiife?

What kind of logic was this, skipping all the steps and jumping straight to the destination…?

“Cough, cough, cough!”

I couldn’t stop coughing, too flustered to even breathe properly.

My mind was spinning.

I quickly glanced at Regina.

She was…

…Holding a cigarette in her mouth, her expression blank, as if her soul had left her body.

Whoa, whoa.

The meat-loving high elf was amazing, to be able to deliver such a mental blow to the invincible Regina.

…But!

This was a non-smoking area!

Her perfect reputation would be tarnished if she smoked here!

I reached out and snatched the cigarette from her mouth before she could light it.

Regina’s eyes regained their usual sharpness.

…Well, not completely.

Because she suddenly started mumbling to herself…

“Ah, right. I should have always considered the end first. The final outcome. I focused too much on the present. I was lacking. Definitely lacking.”

…Stop doing that, it’s scary.

I flinched and backed away.

But Hiresia, the one who had caused all this, was just blinking innocently, as if she had no idea what was going on.

Even for an eccentric high elf, there was only one reason for her to have that expression.

She thought what she had said was perfectly normal.

Who was it?

Who had instilled such strange common sense into the innocent high elf senior?

Could it be…?

The image of the evil executive’s nonchalant face flashed through my mind, and cold sweat trickled down my forehead.

It was then.

Clack.

Regina seemed to have finally regained her composure. She took a sip of water and placed the glass on the table.

And then she spoke.

“Lady Hiresia.”

“Yes, Professor.”

“To be honest, I haven’t thought about that far ahead. We’re not even married yet, so the idea of another wife is too abstract and unrealistic. At least, that’s what I thought until now.”

“Ah, I see. I was being too hasty…”

“No, no. It’s better to think about it in advance.”

Regina fiddled with the cigarette between her fingers.

…She must be craving a smoke.

“I don’t know how you’ll take this, but I don’t believe in eternal love. I think even emotions have their limits. It might be a burning passion at first, but as it cools down, feelings change. That’s how most couples break up, right? Because if one person’s feelings change, the relationship can’t be sustained.”

I understood why she was so calm and composed.

If she could approach even love so rationally, it was only natural for her to be like this.

“Hmm, that’s a difficult topic.”

Hiresia, on the other hand, who had a completely opposite personality to Regina’s, twirled her hair with a conflicted expression.

She meant what she had said literally.

She had never deeply considered or thought about such romantic relationships.

She was truly pure.

She possessed a purity rarely found among humans.

For her, if you liked someone, you just liked them.

There was no room for anything else.

It was something I hadn’t known before.

But now, having successfully become her lover, I knew it.

“You might be right. There’s no right answer. Anyway, that’s why I haven’t thought about it too deeply. I know that both of you have genuine feelings now, but that doesn’t mean it will last forever. If one of you changes your mind someday, our current relationship might change.”

“That’s… true. No one knows what the future holds. But I won’t think about that. I’ll trust my current feelings and I don’t want to change. I won’t change.”

Hiresia’s words were filled with determination.

No man could remain unmoved by those words.

Putting aside the fact that she was a heroine essential for clearing the game, I couldn’t become a bad guy who hurt such a pure soul.

Never.

“Of course, I…”

“I see. I knew you would say that. That’s why I changed my mind. I had a feeling that Lady Hiresia was different, but I still thought it was something we didn’t need to think about right now. But it seems like it’s something we need to seriously consider.”

Regina cut me off.

…Did she really need to interrupt me right now?

“But I’ll need some time. I’m not indecisive, but this isn’t something we should rush into. It’s a matter that concerns the lives of three people. Ah, I apologize. Let me rephrase that. It’s a matter that concerns the lives of two humans and one high elf.”

Even in this situation, Regina was considering the perspectives of all three of us, not just her own.

As expected of her.

“Yes, of course I understand.”

Hiresia nodded slightly.

“Then let’s discuss this another time.”

Regina glanced at her watch and continued.

“I need to talk to him alone for a moment. Would you mind giving us some time?”

* * *

Beads of sweat trickled down my forehead.

…Even I felt overwhelmed, being alone with my fiancée after that soap opera-like scene.

My abdomen ached.

It felt like my wound was reopening.

I avoided making direct eye contact with Regina, my gaze fixed somewhere between her face and the ceiling. Her lips moved.

“You really have a good eye for women.”

Was that a compliment?

It was, right?

“R-Right? Ahahaha.”

“Why are you being so clueless?”

“…”

Gulp.

I shut my mouth.

“I’m just kidding. Why are you acting so stiff? Relax.”

Regina sat down next to me.

Y-You’re too close.

…I wanted to sit far away from her today.

“Actually, I’ve been trying to understand the power of those connections you mentioned. Ah, should I say ‘female connections’?”

“Huh?”

I instinctively turned to look at her.

She was twirling a cigarette between her fingers.

…I’ll just pretend I was the one who smoked it, so please, just have a smoke.

That would be better.

“Elaine was amazing on Diotes Island, wasn’t she? But everyone said she had changed. The decisiveness and ruthlessness she showed when fighting those monsters were something they hadn’t seen from her before. It must be your influence, right?”

“Well, m-maybe?”

“Why are you being so vague? You’re seeing each other.”

“Cough, cough, cough!”

I coughed violently, my head almost hitting the table, and waved my hands frantically.

“N-No! We’re not like that! We’re really not!”

“Oh, really? It seemed like Elaine had feelings for you.”

“Cough, cough! I-I’m just oblivious to those things…”

“I’ll let it slide.”

“…”

I wanted to pass out and wake up tomorrow.

Seriously.

“And Riviera’s contribution was also essential. The casualties would have been much higher without either of them. And coincidentally, both of them are very close to you.”

“Let’s not say ‘very’…”

“Riviera was a student with no presence. A genius who was indifferent to reality, you could say. But even she changed because of you. And because she changed, the outcome changed.”

“…”

I realized she was trying to have a serious conversation, so I listened quietly.

“It’s the same this time. The efforts of the girls connected to you minimized the damage. Especially the princess, I don’t think she’s the type to actively involve herself in resolving such situations. Don’t you agree?”

“I do. Though I’m not sure if it’s because of me.”

Honestly, the princess’s actions this time were completely unexpected.

It had never happened before.

So I couldn’t really understand her motives.

“Really? I think it’s definitely related to you.”

It seemed like Regina had some idea.

I was about to ask her what she meant when she continued.

“Anyway, there’s one more thing. Me.”

“Huh?”

“I wouldn’t be at the academy if it weren’t for you. I’m here as a professor because you asked me to.”

Ah.

Regina’s words made me realize something.

My request had saved the lives of many students.

Because of my request, Regina was at the academy, and she had been able to save the students who would have died to the Bone Dragon.

“You understand, right? you understand what I meant when I said I needed you.”

“Yeah, I get it.”

Regina had also recognized the impact of my connections.

Perhaps that was why she had been able to remain relatively calm about my relationship with Hiresia.

…Or so I thought, but then she said,

“But still, the sudden mention of ‘wife’ almost made me lose my mind.”

“Cough, cough!”

“I can understand it, since she’s not human.”

“H-Her way of thinking is so pure…”

“Yeah, she’s definitely like water.”

…Um, High Elf, you hate water.

“I think it’s good.”

“Huh?”

“If I were a third party, I would sincerely support you and Lady Hiresia.”

“Cough, cough!”

“Honestly, you two look good together.”

“…”

P-Please stop.

My abdomen hurts.

“You said you need time, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Honestly, I don’t know what I’m feeling. Maybe it’s because it’s my first time experiencing something like this. It’s completely different from when you were childishly trying to provoke me by visiting brothels.”

“I’m really sorry about that. I truly regret it. I’ll spend the rest of my life atoning for…”

“I wasn’t asking for another apology. I’m just saying it’s different.”

“…”

“That noble high elf is willing to accept being a second wife because she loves you that much. It’s a complicated feeling for me. As it should be.”

Hearing her say it out loud made me realize how serious this was.

It was a blow to Regina’s pride, as the main wife from a prestigious family, to allow a second wife, but it was also an unimaginable humiliation for Hiresia, a high elf, to become a human’s second wife.

Ugh, had I caused too much trouble?

No, no, I never intended to have multiple wives…

Ugh, no, no.

That was just an excuse.

I had to respond to their sincere feelings with sincerity.

…Marriage was the only answer.

“Then I’ll be going now.”

Regina stood up.

“Yeah, go have a smoke. You seem to be having withdrawal symptoms.”

I handed her the cigarette I had taken from her earlier.

“What?”

Regina chuckled, her voice filled with disbelief.

I was captivated by her smile.

She was truly beautiful.

I was a lucky man.

“You’re something else.”

Regina left the room, a faint smile on her lips.

“Ugh… This is just the beginning, and I’m already exhausted…”

I had been full of energy just moments ago.

But now, whether it was mental or physical exhaustion, I felt drained.

The aftereffects of the chaos.

But I couldn’t stop the visits now.

I had to accept their gratitude.

That was what relationships were about.

Knock, knock.

“Senior, are you there?”

And so, the relay of visitors began.

* * *

After all the visits, I lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

I was exhausted, but I felt good.

It had been a time that made me realize I had built genuine relationships.

Gulp, gulp.

I took a few sips of water and tried to get up.

I wanted to get some fresh air.

But then something occurred to me.

“Could it be…?”

Hiresia’s confession today.

It had been filled with genuine affection.

Perhaps the complicated and special situation with my fiancée had made her feelings even stronger.

Anyway, that meant…

I hurriedly opened my status window.

To check Max’s unique trait.

‘Lust.’

The trait I believed was another key to clearing this game.

My eyes scanned the trait description.

[Lust]

– An ancient truth, heroes are lecherous.

– One of the qualities of a hero.

– A hero must be loved by many women.

– Your heroism increases in proportion to the number of women who have ‘Adoration’ level affection for you.

– The higher the fame of the women who have ‘Adoration’ level affection for you, the greater your heroism.

The trait description.

That wasn’t the important part.

It was what was below it.

My eyes quickly scanned the text.

And then.

– Current number of women who adore you: 0. Fame: 0.

…What the hell?

It still hadn’t activated?

What more did I have to do?

I frowned, but then…

I noticed that the last sentence was blinking.

As if it was waiting to be clicked.

I tilted my head and clicked on it.

And then.

[Women Connected to You]

A new window popped up.

What was this…?

My eyes widened.

[Women Connected to You: Hiresia, Regina Ernbert, Elaine, Riviera, Annette Lyle, Karen Mayfield, Oscar Peresia…]

The names of all the women I had any connection with were listed there, seemingly endlessly.

This existed…?

It was a system I had never encountered before.

Well, it was only natural, considering the ‘Lust’ trait itself was new to me.

Anyway, this…

There had to be some important information here.

I had a hunch.

I instinctively clicked on one of the names.

Hiresia.