After talking to Rudeus, I headed back to my room.
The early spring night air was warmer than winter, yet still quite chilly. I walked while gazing out the window, taking in the scenery of Roa at night, where the faint lights from the taverns were gradually flickering out, surrendering dominance to the darkness and the moonlight.
Stars in this world are far more abundant than on Earth; by midnight, the entire sky becomes something I could only ever see in oil paintings or high-res internet photos in my past life. Back then, I never traveled outside light-polluted areas and didn't care much for what was up there in the sky.
Yet now, for some strange reason, it's different.
I like looking at the flowers in the garden and composing poetry. I like being able to jog and swing my sword every morning. I like cooking novel meals for my friends. These were all things I thought I'd never do, because they were never who I was.
I used to only know how to bury my head in numbers and formulas, chasing ranks on scoreboards, following the recognition of people I didn't even respect.
Now it's different, completely different.
After more than ten years in this other world, I think I've truly lived the way I always wanted to. A way that leaves me with no regrets.
Arriving back at my room, I suddenly noticed candlelight leaking through the gap under the door. Did I leave it on? What a waste of a candle. Even though I'm rich, candles are still quite expensive, wax can only be made from honey, after all. If I use too many recklessly, Philip will definitely nag me.
"Haiz..."
But when I opened the door, I realized it wasn't my doing.
"Oh, welcome back!"
It was Eris, my fiancée, in a red nightgown that was incredibly thin and suggestive. And she was sitting on my bed.
Ah… I see.
I immediately closed the door, turned around, and headed straight for Rudeus's room at the end of the hall.
But just as I turned, Eris - fast as a lightning bolt, appeared right behind me and grabbed my arm.
"Hey! I haven't even had a chance to say anything!"
"You accidentally drank the wrong wine, got drunk, and went to the wrong room," I began hypothesizing. "Or you had a dream about ghosts or something and wanted to swap sleeping spots, right? Rest assured in my room, as a follower of Millis, I guarantee no evil spirits will dare disturb you here."
I rattled off a string of excuses and tried to bolt again, but Eris gripped my hand even tighter.
"It's not because of any of that! I didn't drink wine and I'm not afraid of ghosts!"
I knew that. Eris isn't afraid of ghosts, ghosts should be afraid of *her*. More accurately, I think Eris's fear-receptors snapped a long time ago. The more bizarre and freakish something is, the more she likes it, and the more she wants to charge in and punch it rather than run away.
"Then why are you in my room?"
I asked, even though I knew the answer full well, deliberately directing my gaze to some corner so I wouldn't have to see the girl holding my hand.
"Mother said that husbands and wives should sleep together!" Eris replied.
I knew it. For Millis's sake, these people...
"Listen, Eris." I cleared my throat, trying to keep my voice from trembling. "We aren't husband and wife *yet*. So there's no need to carry out the 'obligation' of sleeping together."
"But it's going to happen sooner or later anyway! B-Besides, it's just sleeping, right? We've slept together before, haven't we?"
True, we had. And that night I didn't get a single wink of sleep, so of course, I didn't want a repeat incident!
But it would be awkward to kick Eris out now. She seemed to have used every ounce of her courage to come to my room and make this request. Besides, it showed her absolute trust in me, didn't it?
I've been by Eris's side for nearly four years now, that's long enough to know her personality. My fiancée is the type of person who, if she doesn't want to do something, absolutely won't do it no matter how much she's forced.
So even if Hilda and Philip had a hand in this, Eris still came on her own because she wanted to. How distressing. I know for a fact I won't do anything if we sleep together, but if I create an exception, we might end up sharing a room from tomorrow onwards.
Looking back, Eris looks pretty cute blushing like that. Sleeping together every day is the dream of countless guys. Come to think of it, didn't I just have a dream last night about - No, bad thoughts, bad thoughts! Trash that degenerate thinking, you scoundrel! Aaaaaaa!
But saying 'no' would hurt her feelings. And that would lead to a whole mess of other troubles...
"Alright." I finally gave in. "Just sleeping, okay?"
"Of course!" Eris grinned, her cheeks flushing a lovely shade of red.
So the two of us lay down on the tiny bed that was clearly designed for only one person.
I lay pressed against the wall, stiff as a rock, my heart pounding like I was about to head into battle. Meanwhile, Eris lay right beside me, her back turned toward me.
A fairly safe position.
But saying there would be no problem is one thing, saying I had no reaction would be a lie! Unlike two years ago, I've entered puberty now. This body definitely has a reaction, and an extremely strong one at that, with a young, beautiful girl lying right next to it. But I'm not some kind of degenerate pervert, okay! It's all just the physiological reaction of the body when it starts producing hormones! I don't have any of those naughty thoughts, definitely not! It's all puberty and hormones!
"Um..." Eris suddenly shifted, her whole body moving closer to mine. "Aren't you going to hug me?"
NO! OF COURSE NOT!
"If I hug you, I'm afraid I might touch... inappropriate places." I started stammering like a stupid virgin. "Aren't you afraid of that?"
"You won't do that. I trust Acchan. You won't do anything I don't like."
That's a lot of faith, Eris. Even I don't even trust myself.
"If you don't hug me, I'll hug you."
"Fine, fine."
So I was forced to take the initiative. Regardless, it was more reliable for me to try and control myself than to let Eris - who has a criminal record for grabbing things randomly in her sleep - do it.
I turned slightly. Before me was Eris's back and her brilliant red hair splayed across the bedsheets. Clearly, this was a scene straight out of one of the eroge I'd played in my past life. But I had made a promise to Rudeus and to myself: I would definitely not cross the line with Eris before she turned 15.
Taking a deep breath, I reached out. "I'm going to hug you now."
My right arm wrapped around Eris's waist. She gave a small shiver and let out a soft "mnh" that was so suggestive it made my own skin crawl. Even though it was just a loose embrace, and my whole body was still more than a palm's width away from her, I could still feel the heat radiating from her.
I could even smell the fragrance from her red hair. A rare, gentle scent. Is Eris using perfume? No, more than that, she actually took a bath, used perfume, and even took care of her hair. Quite a rare phenomenon.
I can't remember the last time I could associate Eris with the word 'fragrant.' Usually, she's hyperactive and jumping around like a gorilla (sorry). So seeing my fiancée acting this cute, gentle, and feminine like a real girl makes me a little... terrified.
I'm afraid that tomorrow Eris will remember tonight and give me a sound thrashing. Then she'll act embarrassed and avoid me for an entire week.
The thought of a week without Eris makes me a little anxious. Honestly.
So I didn't want to make her feel awkward when she saw me at all. Because of that, I wouldn't do anything more than this hug.
However, contrary to my expectations, Eris was the one who scooted closer to me. Now her body was completely nestled in my arms. Not only that, she even gripped the hand that was hugging her!
I need to move my hips back a bit... ack, hit the wall.
"Why are you shaking so much?" Eris suddenly mumbled. "Lie still."
"Y-you're the same." I stammered back.
That's right, both of us were so embarrassed we were literally trembling.
"Hmph! I'm not shaking." Even though I couldn't see it, I bet Eris was blushing. She seemed even more flustered than before.
Looking at it, I suddenly found this situation quite cute, like two real children playing at puppy love. But anyone who knew I was actually an old man inside would probably rank me right alongside Darius. Ugh...
Then the two of us fell silent. The only thing left in the room was the sound of our rhythmic breathing and the beating of our hearts.
How am I supposed to sleep like this?
Should I start reciting the Millis commandments? Or read the periodic table of elements? Last time, that trick was effective in calming me down. Actually, just thinking about it calms me down immediately. Too effective. I think I've found my own personal magical circlet like Sun Wukong now.
"Acchan."
Suddenly, Eris spoke up again, calling my name.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"That time you proposed to me... W-Were you serious?"
Um... that was two years ago. Why is she digging it up now?
"Of course it is. What's wrong?" I asked to be sure.
Eris isn't the type to overthink things, or so I felt. If she suddenly asked such a confusing question, there must be an issue or someone whispered something to her.
"Because back then, you didn't propose to me as strongly as Rudy did to Sylphie."
Ah, so that's why?
"Everyone has a different way of expressing themselves. If you want, I can propose to you exactly like that again." I replied, extremely seriously.
Though being compared to Rudeus did feel a bit weird. Especially when I thought my proposal was both formal and serious - is it really ranked below his? Sigh...
"No need." Eris shook her head. "I like your way better!"
Even though I was a bit confused, I felt myself cheering up. Hehe. My future wife likes my proposal better, everyone!
Oops, accidentally hugged Eris tighter, hope she doesn't mind.
But based on the fact that she didn't react at all, it seemed fine. So I went all-out and pulled Eris close to my chest.
"Eek!" Eris cried out as our two bodies pressed together.
"You're so cute, Eri." I said, nuzzling my face into her red hair. "Really, really cute!"
"Don't say those cheesy things, you idiot!"
"I love you so much! I love you the most!"
"Shut up! Shut up, you idiot!"
"I'm definitely going to marry you! Nothing can stop it! I swear!"
"Aaaaaaaaa! Stop saying it already!"
"Tickle attack!"
"A ha ha ha!"
Then I was hit by a barrage of punches. But in the end, we lay facing each other, with me still holding Eris in my arms. Even though our bodies were pressed close, I didn't feel a single trace of 'earthly desire.' All I could think of were dozens of terrible poems I could come up with while gazing at my fiancée's lovely face. Perhaps this is exactly what Plato was talking about? True love is when two people can be together while transcending physical desire.
Though of course, I still want to go all the way with Eris, but that's a story for a few years from now. For this moment, I just want to hold her like this.
"Hey, Acchan."
"Yeah?" I moved my head so our foreheads touched.
Eris shivered slightly, but finally stammered out another question.
"W-What is your dream?"
"To marry you as my wife."
"I'm not joking!"
I wasn't joking, hey? Why did you headbutt me?
But yeah, with an answer like that, Eris would get annoyed for sure.
Let's see. Technically, I have quite a few dreams. If it's not just early retirement and living a quiet life, I also want to be a farmer or something. The idea of growing my own food and cooking it myself was something I wanted since my past life. But that's not really necessary in this world since I don't have to worry about some food corporation playing tricks, so I don't have to afraid of that kind of problem anymore.
So what else do I want? Maybe adventure?
To be honest, I also want to be an adventurer with Eris. Even though I know that path will be thorny, if I can be with her and make her happy, I wouldn't mind plunging down that road.
Philip probably wouldn't be happy, but maybe we could work something out. Like, once we secure the house head position for him, our responsibility is over?
But saying I want to be an adventurer might make Eris think I only want it for her sake. And she'd think I'm not serious.
Let's see, so should I have a really cool dream?
Ah, I know.
"I want to surpass all the geniuses in this world," I replied grandiosely. "To prove that effort can overcome everything."
Including Henry, Isolde, and Rudeus. In the future, I'm certain they will reach the pinnacle of power, and Eris probably will too. That's why I want to be stronger, not to stand behind them, but to stand on equal ground or even ahead of them.
Because I'm an arrogant guy after all.
"Hmph. You're a genius yourself too." Eris pouted. She didn't seem satisfied with my answer.
"You think so?"
"Ghislaine said so. Besides, you always beat me."
True enough. I might be a type of genius too. In the past, I always thought it was because I had an adult brain, which led to me having Imposter Syndrome. But after being forged by Paul and Ghislaine, I can see that I'm not that 'ordinary' after all.
To be more precise, my body is quite strong and agile.
"In that case, should I set a different goal?" I pondered.
"Right! Set a higher goal!" Eris commanded. "Grandfather said a man must have big dreams."
Lord Sauros really knows how to set standards, doesn't he? However, I really do want to become someone as strong and spirited as him.
Let's see... something really far-fetched?
"Then maybe becoming the strongest."
"The strongest?"
"Yeah, you know the Seven Great Powers? I want to put my name at the very top of that list."
Sounds crazy, right? Haha.
"Are you... serious?" Eris stared at me with wide eyes.
As for me, I nodded in confirmation, though I wasn't being serious at all. "Yep. At that time, I'll take the title 'Eris's Husband' and put it at the top."
Then I took a punch to the gut.
"You moron!" Then Eris turned away.
In the end, I hugged Eris and nuzzled her until we were both exhausted and fell asleep.
Even though nothing else actually happened that night, I felt it was the happiest night of my life.
...
The next morning, after we finished breakfast, the group decided to go out and test Rudeus's new magic staff.
Unfortunately, I couldn't join. Instead, I had to go resolve some miscellaneous issues that had been lingering for the last few days.
Sigh... being a noble is a pain in the ass.
Actually, I could have just ignored the work and gone. But if I skipped work for another day, it would only double the workload for tomorrow.
Plus, the most important reason was that I was a bit shy about meeting Eris. Because when I woke up early this morning, I couldn't control myself and gave her a kiss on the cheek. At that exact moment, Eris woke up, and I got a kick to the face.
If just a kiss on the cheek resulted in that, I wonder what a kiss on the lips would bring. But that's a story for a few years from now, isn't it? For now, I should focus on my work.
"Hm... it seems there's a small problem with this person's tax report, Lord Philip."
"Let me see." Philip took the report from me and nodded after glancing at it for just three seconds. "Yeah, looks like Lord Danos is up to his tricks again. Do you want to handle this case?"
"With my poor experience, I wouldn't dare handle this, sir."
Naturally, I'll take every opportunity I have to punt the responsibility ball to someone else, hehe.
"Mm. Consider it compensation since you were busy last night. I heard your room had many interesting sounds, didn't it?" What the hell are you winking at, Philip?
"I swear we only slept, sir."
"Ha ha. I know. I didn't expect you to be so serious about waiting until marriage."
"Because I'm a responsible man." I placed my right hand over my heart with total pride.
"Even so, it makes me a little worried about whether you'll leave Eris for another woman."
"Then you have nothing to worry about. A man must know restraint to be faithful. That's a lesson I learned from Paul and Pilemon."
"That's also true."
So instead of working, we turned to chatting the whole time. Well, mostly miscellaneous stuff.
Actually, I find myself quite similar to Philip. He's the type who likes women but hasn't reached the point of wanting to crawl under just any girl's skirt. And it seems my father-in-law is truly very devoted. The reason he proposed to Ghislaine to be a concubine was more to turn the Sword King into a solid ally than out of lust. Besides, Philip is way too busy; he's like the typical husband of a Shouwa-era Japanese family, entirely focused on his career, hardworking, and full of the will to climb.
In short, he's the model man that every boy should look up to and learn from.
I've actually thought, wouldn't it have been great if Philip were my father in this life? Ah no, if that were true, James would have snatched me away by now. And more importantly, I wouldn't be able to marry Eris, so no, no, no. You'll forever just be my father-in-law, Philip, don't dream of being my biological dad.
But even saying that, the time I spent being taught by Philip's side is more than my two past-life dads and Pilemon combined. I'm not sure what he sees in me, but I feel Philip really wants me to be capable enough to be his successor.
In other words, Philip truly acts as if I were his son.
And now I've also suddenly noticed, Philip looks more tired lately, doesn't he? Probably from staying up too late working. The situation with monsters running rampant in Fittoa recently has really been a headache for conscientious people like the mayor of Roa. Meanwhile, Lord Sauros is even busier; after last night's party, he immediately left Roa at midnight to head straight for the Royal Capital.
"Ah, Lord Philip, I have this." I took off the Exorcism Bracelet from my wrist and handed it to Philip. "If you want to read at night, you can use this. It's much brighter than a candle."
"Oh. A magic tool? I've heard you have a hobby of making them, but this is my first chance to touch one." Philip took the bracelet and admired it for a few turns before putting it on his left wrist. "How do you use this?"
"You just need to look at it and say 'Light,' and it will automatically glow."
Philip tried it, and it really lit up. He seemed impressed by this 'low-budget' trick of mine. So, I took the chance to show him how to create flashbangs and other miscellaneous tricks.
However, that bracelet looked quite mismatched with Philip's outfit, so he wore it under his sleeve. Thinking back, that's actually a logical way to use it—pull back the sleeve when needed and boom*, blind them, hehe.
"Thank you, Atur. I'll definitely use this every night."
"I'd rather you didn't use it and spent more time with Lady Hilda instead." I winked.
"Ha ha. Of course."
Time passed, and around noon I was sitting at my desk again looking up at the sky, where a red stone was floating in mid-air.
According to what I'd been told, that thing had been there for 5 or 6 years already. No one knew where it came from, why, or for what purpose. Initially, the people panicked, but then they just forgot about it because for many years there had been no issues; life just went on peacefully. Yet, I sat and watched it every day from my deck.
Perhaps because I was bored; it was like stargazing at night. In the morning, looking at the sun only leads to blindness, so I decided to watch that thing along with the clouds.
The clouds today were quite strange, though. They had just been clear and suddenly became gloomy and chaotic.
I poked my head out the window and looked at the sky. It looked like a storm was brewing.
"What is it?" Philip, who was sitting signing papers, stopped his pen.
"I don't know. Maybe Rudeus is using magic."
Rudeus had shown me his Saint-rank magic once; it could create rain and lightning like a small storm. However, there was something different about this sky compared to the normal storm he created when we went to Buena.
Or more accurately, wasn't its center right at that red orb?
"Rudeus is really strong, isn't he?" Philip also walked over to my side and looked up at the sky. "I hope he doesn't destroy anything in the city."
I narrowed my eyes slightly, staring at that sphere for a long time, then sighed.
"I think not, sir."
"I hope so too." Philip turned around and walked to his desk, neatly stacking the papers before heading for the door. "It's lunchtime. Want to eat with Hilda and me?"
"Of course, sir."
So I decided to grab my Lion's Tongue sword and head to the dining room.
"You seem like that sword huh?"
"I consider it my lucky charm."
You could call it the engagement gift between Eris and me. So I'm going to carry it with me forever, hehe.
Finally, we reached the dining hall; Hilda was already there waiting. When she saw me, she smiled and placed her hand on the empty chair beside her.
"Atur. Come sit next to Mother, dear."
"Yes, mom."
So I scurried over to sit next to Hilda. Being welcomed and cared for like this feels pretty good.
I don't know when it happened, but I've been considered a part of this family. Maybe it was after I proposed to Eris? Well, maybe each person started viewing me as family at a different time. But in the end, it seems everyone has come to see me as an indispensable part of this family.
And so do I.
Perhaps I've finally found a real family.
However, before I could even touch the lunch that had just been brought out, a familiar face suddenly appeared in my line of sight.
"Young Master Atur, long time no see." With his familiar bald head, Ken bowed. "Lord Philip, Lady Hilda. May I borrow Young Master Atur for a moment?"
"I think Master Ken should ask Atur instead," Philip smiled and turned his gaze toward me.
To be honest, I didn't really want to see him, so maybe after lunch-
"Young Master Atur, I have a letter from a friend of yours 'currently in the north'."
"Alright, I'm coming!"
It's a letter from Henry and Tristina!
So I happily ran over to Ken.
However, just as I touched the letter, I saw a burst of light explode and quickly envelop everything.
And the entire world I had once dreamed of officially vanished forever.