episode_0033

After securing a separate room, I immediately pulled down my pants.

‘I have my limits too!…’

It’s true that my favorite character is my top priority,

but that doesn’t mean I have zero interest in other women.

In fact, I’m quite the opposite.

I’m that kind of guy!

So how the hell was I supposed to resist when two of the most beautiful girls in the world—Lia and Alice—were clinging to me and seducing me?!

So I did it.

I released everything that had built up until now.

And then—

The Holy Grail of Sacrifice shone brightly, as if satisfied.

“Phew…”

“One problem solved.”

I’d taken care of my pent-up issue (?) and resolved the penalty problem with the Holy Grail of Sacrifice.

“Good.”

“I’ll think about the rest tomorrow.”

Just like that, I fell asleep.

The next day.

“No signs of intrusion.”

The moment I woke up, I checked whether anyone had broken in,

but there was no sign of an intruder.

…Or so I thought, right as I was about to leave—

Ting!

“?”

Something was blocking the door, preventing it from opening.

Thud! Thud!

The window wouldn’t budge either.

“A barrier?”

Upon closer inspection, it felt like the entire room was enveloped in a barrier.

“Master~”

“You’re awake?”

The moment Lia appeared, the barrier vanished.

“Lia?”

“Yeah!”

“Did you put up a barrier in the room?”

“Yep!”

“Why?”

“If someone sneaks in and assassinates you while we’re gone, it’d be a disaster, right?”

“So you went as far as setting up a barrier?”

“Yeah!”

“And not to keep me from running away?”

“That too.”

“……”

“Why?”

“Were you planning to escape?”

I don’t have any plans to run now,

but once I gather all my companions, if traveling with the Hero’s Party seems too dangerous, I was considering it.

But if they keep putting up barriers like this every time I sleep—

‘Sigh…’

‘This is getting dangerous…’

“Master?”

“Ah!…”

“Wh-why would I run away?”

“Right?”

“You won’t escape?”

“Of course not.”

“I told you yesterday.”

“You did.”

“That I’d never run away before gathering all four companions.”

“Exactly.”

“But once they’re all gathered, I could run at any time.”

“That’s what you said.”

“Uh…”

“Th-that’s…”

“So I thought about it.”

“Before you gather all four, I’ll study magic hard to stop you from running away.”

“……”

“So.”

“It’d be better if you didn’t even think about escaping.”

Lia whispered into my ear.

“I’ll stop you no matter what it takes.”

Chills ran down my spine.

“Hehe…”

“I love you, Master…”

Lia clung tightly to my arm, rubbing her cheek against me with a blissful expression.

Wow…

I feel like I just witnessed a yandere hero…

Is this really okay?

…That’s what I thought, right when—

“Kain.”

Alice spoke with a smile.

“I thought about it while you were sleeping.”

“Uh… yeah?…”

“Why do you want to run away?”

“I seriously pondered what part of our proposal you might’ve disliked.”

“Uh… yeah…”

“No matter how much I think about it, it doesn’t make sense.”

“Wh-what doesn’t?”

“It’s not like you hate us.”

“And you’re not the type to absolutely refuse polygamy.”

“You even said the Goddess of Light, Selena, would approve no matter who we brought in.”

Alice leaned in closer.

“Even after all that, you still act like you might run away.”

“What is it?”

She nestled into my arms.

“Is there a reason you have to escape?”

“Huh?”

“What could that reason be?”

“……”

“I just can’t figure it out.”

“I even wondered if you’re planning to marry someone dangerous—like a demon, a dark mage, or a heretic…”

Gulp!

“But that can’t be it.”

“A man who saved our entire party and even others wouldn’t fall for those despicable creatures.”

Cold sweat dripped down my back.

If we’d been making eye contact, she would’ve noticed me flinching—100%.

But.

She didn’t catch on.

Because Alice was speaking while buried in my chest.

‘My heart is racing, but…’

That’s just because two beautiful girls are clinging to me, making me excited.

…At least, that’s the excuse I can use.

“Kain.”

“If it’s hard to talk about, you don’t have to say anything.”

Alice spoke softly.

“If someone who’s repeated the future this many times is keeping it a secret, there must be a reason.”

“So.”

“I won’t pry.”

“……I see.”

“But.”

“If the time comes when you really have to leave… tell me clearly.”

“……”

“I’ve chosen you as my life partner.”

“Even if I live a hundred years, no man will ever save my life the way you have.”

“……”

“But.”

“I don’t want to stand in your way.”

“……”

“Because you’re the one who saved me.”

“Even if I can’t save you in return, I’d rather die than be the one holding you back.”

“……”

“If my presence is a burden… just say so.”

“Then…”

“As hard as it’ll be… I’ll let you go…”

Tears welled up in Alice’s eyes as she spoke.

Wow…

This is even harder to handle than Lia.

‘How can I abandon someone who says something like this…?’

So I agonized over it.

‘Should I just tell them everything?’

‘That my favorite character is a demon, one of the Four Heavenly Kings?’

I seriously considered it.

But.

No matter how I looked at it, confessing everything would be the worst move.

‘My favorite character is a succubus.’

‘A demon who can control people’s minds.’

If I said I loved a succubus,

they’d assume I was being manipulated and might kill her on the spot.

‘It’s practically 100%.’

Stories of kings driven to ruin by succubi are pretty famous, after all.

‘Even the saintess we’re about to meet was exiled because of a succubus…’

The freaking Pope fell victim to one.

He exiled the saintess

and used his position to embezzle funds for the Demon King’s army.

‘It’s all in the guidebook.’

‘They know how dangerous succubi are.’

So I couldn’t say it.

‘If I say the succubus controlling the Pope is evil, but the one I love is good—who’d believe me?’

Even I wouldn’t buy that.

Every guy under a succubus’s control says the same thing.

So.

I needed proof.

Evidence that my favorite succubus is one of the good ones.

But.

Right now, I don’t have any.

Which is why I had to say this:

“There’s only one reason I’d try to run.”

“One?…”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“Without proof, my words would sound like nonsense.”

“No!”

“I’d believe you even without proof!”

“No.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Even I would dismiss it as bullshit and restrain me on the spot.”

“That bad?”

“Yeah.”

“So I need evidence.”

“Evidence?”

“Proof that my crazy-sounding words are true.”

I spoke calmly.

“So just wait a little longer.”

“I’ll gather the proof and confidently ask for your help.”

“So you won’t run?”

“If you believe me, there’s no need to escape.”

“Then I’ll believe you.”

“No.”

“I’ll tell you again once I have the evidence.”

“I’ll believe you no matter what proof you bring.”

“……”

“Why?”

“Let me ask you one thing.”

“What?”

“I can trust you because I’ve talked with future-you about all sorts of things.”

“But you’ve barely spoken with me, right?”

“So?”

“What makes you trust me so much?”

“The guidebook.”

“?”

“You’re the one who researched this deeply to save us.”

“If I can’t trust someone like that, who can I trust?”

Alice smiled brightly as she spoke.

Somehow…

I feel guilty.

‘It’s just a game strategy guide!…’

It’s not like I endured hardships and trials like some protagonist in a salvation story.

I didn’t risk my life researching.

I just played a game.

I kept studying it because it was fun.

It wasn’t some grand achievement worthy of respect—

I was just a game addict.

But.

The people of this world look at me with reverence.

Alice does.

Lia does.

Both of them admire and respect my effort.

Ah.

Here it is.

The kind of nonsense no one would believe without proof.

“Alice.”

“Yeah?”

“Researching that wasn’t hard at all.”

“Not hard?”

“I just did it because it was fun.”

“That can’t be true.”

“Who in the world would study cursed artifacts for fun?”

“I enjoyed it, okay?”

“Liar.”

“This is why I need proof.”

“Even when I tell the truth, you won’t believe me.”

“Master.”

“You’re just lying to push us away.”

“It’s the truth.”

“Fine.”

“I’ll believe you.”

“You will?”

“If saving us was that enjoyable…”

“Then you must’ve really loved us…”

“……”

I give up.

“Sigh…”

“Anyway, my point is—I won’t run away without a word.”

“You’ll convince us with proof, right?”

“Right.”

“If even that fails, then it can’t be helped, but…”

“That won’t happen.”

“You didn’t believe me just now, yet you say it won’t happen? Isn’t that illogical?”

“I did believe you.”

“That saving us made you happy.”

“Sigh…”

“What?”

“Never mind.”

“Let’s go find the saintess.”

My favorite succubus may be a good one,

but the one beside the Pope is not.

Better to deal with her quickly.