Vol.5 Chapter 4: Makoto Takatsuki Learns Mana Blade

Chapter 4: Makoto Takatsuki Learns

Mana Blade

The celebration continued into the night, and as midnight came and went, we finally headed home. Everyone else had gone to sleep, but I couldn't settle down. Instead, I went out to my back garden to train.

"Nrow, nrow," mewed the same black cat who was always around. Guess it was hungry.

I went over to the water and used magic to catch some fish for it. When the fish flopped onto land, the cat pounced and started chowing down.

I stroked its fur as I considered the day's events.

We would've been in a way worse position if Prince Leonardo hadn't been there... It was honestly a miracle no one had died.

Fujiyan had said that Macallan's population was growing because a hero (me) lived in the town. But the hero's role was to stand on the front line when the town was in danger. The Temple Knights,

adventurers, and volunteer soldiers had all become my subordinates. I sighed mentally.

So that's a hero's duty, huh? It all weighed heavily on me.

In the first RPG I'd ever played, the hero saved a princess from a dragon all on his own and then defeated the demon lord.

I wish things were like that... If they were, I could travel how I liked, visit whatever towns I wanted, and go on adventures on a whim. I did still enjoy adventuring with Lucy and Sasa.

Just...having responsibility over people I didn't even know was a lot of pressure...and I didn't really want it. Maybe I was selfish.

I peered up at the clouds that obscured the moon and turned things over in my head.

"Makoto?" a voice called out suddenly. "Are you training?"

I turned and saw that the question had come from Prince Leonardo. The black cat must have been surprised by a new person in the garden because it bolted off.

"What's up?" I asked. "You shouldn't stay up all night."

Prince Leonardo was silent for a moment. Eventually, he said, "Please, don't treat me like a child." His voice seemed distinctly pouty.

Adorable.

"Excuse me, Prince." Back in my old world, someone his age would be an elementary schooler, so to me, he was a kid no matter how you sliced it. I guess in this world, though, he was a hero charged with the safety of the continent...

What a tough life.

"These were made with water magic, right?" he asked, pointing at the water butterflies flitting around the area. "There are so many!"

"Yeah, I'm just practicing. Well, and reviewing my skills."

I explained the battle with the green dragon, telling the prince about how weak my magic had been, and how hard it'd been to channel the elementals.

"I see..." Prince Leonardo mused. "So you can't show your full

strength when there's no water around...and the number of water elementals in an area also affects your power, rendering your magic stronger or weaker. On top of those things, an opponent's resistance or vulnerability to Water Magic spells can determine the outcome of a battle..."

"Yeah... There are a lot of hangups with my magic," I joked.

The prince's expression remained serious. "I think we should share that information with the general HQ in Highland."

"What do you mean?"

"By 'HQ,' I mean the group of people responsible for the Northern Front Plan. Sophia and I participate in the meetings periodically."

"Oh... So defeating the demon lord's going to be Sakurai's job, then?" After all, he was (being treated as) the legendary savior's reincarnation.

At my question, the prince's expression clouded over. "A team of heroes from the six nations will be challenging the demon lord... Well, that was the plan, but Roses's hero was seen as too young...and left out of the group."

"I-I see..." Maybe I shouldn't have asked.

"But!" he exclaimed, lifting his face and smiling brightly. "A Hero of Roses—one who's capable of defeating five thousand ancient monsters alone—suddenly appeared."

"Guh..." Guess that's me.

"I don't know the full details, but the staff seems to be planning to include you as part of the main force."

"Seriously...?" I asked. Honestly, I couldn't even defeat a stray green dragon on my own...

"But your explanation might mean that you'd be better suited to one of the other demon lords, rather than the King of Beasts."

Another one...?

"Like maybe the King of the Ancient Drakes," the prince continued, "or the Abyssal King...?"

Zagan, the King of Beasts, reigned over much of the demon continent.

Forneus, the Abyssal King, controlled the seas around it.

And finally, Astaroth, the King of Ancient Drakes, ruled the air.

These three demon lords were like the army, navy, and air force of the demon continent.

"The current plan is to target Zagan, right?" I asked. That's what the knight commander had told me in Highland.

The idea of facing all three at once felt like too much...like we'd suffer too many casualties. Zagan was the primary target because he was positioned to cause the most damage to our forces. The Abyssal King controlled the seas and had sea monsters as subordinates, which meant that they wouldn't attack us on land; the King of

Ancient Drakes was the demon continent's guardian, so he rarely left it. On the other hand, the King of Beasts was the demon lord who would supposedly attack the four continents—he would try to subjugate and then rule the entire world as the Great Demon Lord returned.

Because of this, the working plan was to defeat Zagan.

"It is," Prince Leonardo confirmed. "The main force will fight against the King of Beasts while other detachments keep the other two busy—this should work to hold off any reinforcements."

"I get it. I guess the other demon lords wouldn't just sit and watch us attack." If this was the plan, then the battlefield against the Abyssal King would be the sea... I'd be best there.

"I'll inform the staff," the prince promised. That was a relief. "And I'll follow your example and train."

As he spoke, the prince slipped the sword at his waist from its sheath and began swinging it. The blue-green blade whistled through the air, shining faintly as it left trailing arcs in its wake.

Right...that was the magic sword that had bisected the green dragon. "Prince Leonardo, what is that sword?" I asked.

"This is the holy sword Ascalon, passed down through the Roses family line. They told me I had to learn how to use it now that the Great Demon Lord is returning..."

"Oh! A holy sword? Can I see?" I hadn't ever used a holy sword before!

"Here, go ahead," he said, passing it to me.

As I held it, I noticed magic circles engraved into the blade. There was a holy sword in my hands, but—

"Ugh, heavy."

—it weighed too much. I doubted I'd even be able to wield it.

And to think, the prince had been swinging it around like it was nothing...

"Take it back," I said. "Also, why's it not shining like when you defeated the green dragon?" The light surrounding it had been much brighter during the battle.

"That's my mana encompassing it. My Ice Sword skill makes the mana glow blue."

"I see."

Mana around the sword... So that was something you could do?

"I'll give it a go."

"What?" asked the prince.

I drew Noah's dagger. Elementals, I called mentally as I lifted my blade into the air. I focused on directing the mana from the water elementals into the dagger.

"Huh?" I uttered, startled. "The elementals are...being absorbed?"

Several of the elementals had become one with the dagger, and my blade was now shining brightly. At the same time, I could feel a pulsing...like the dagger was alive.

"Makoto!" the prince called in a slight panic, bringing me back down to earth.

Suddenly, I realized that my dagger was starting to keen unsettlingly.

Huh? What's happening? I wondered. Oh...guess I need to control the mana better.

"M-Makoto! It's going out of control!" he yelled.

"Wait a minute," I requested, using Calm Mind to control the mana. I spun the turbulent mana into more of an organized vortex—the sound of my blade morphed into more of a pleasant chime, and there was now a dense layer of mana swirling around it.

Nice.

"Y-You controlled it?"

"I got more mana from the elementals than I expected...so I messed up a bit."

"It feels like there's king class mana in that dagger..." murmured the prince.

"It's great. Seems pretty easy to use as well."

If a mage gathered too much mana, then they could get manasick and lose control. But, if the mana was being stored in the dagger, I could be safe from that side effect. I had a feeling that this skill would be useful in the future.

"Wow... There's as much mana in that dagger as in a dozen mages..."

"There's that much?" I asked. I should probably take that statement with a grain of salt.

I gazed down at the shining dagger in my hand. What to do with it... Hmmm...

After pondering a moment, I lifted my arm and swung the dagger at the sky. A low vworp sounded from the blade, and a massive crescent of magic flew from it. The magic sheared through the sky, ripping apart the clouds that blocked the moon. "Whoa!" I exclaimed. That was pretty strong! It did take time to use this skill though.

Prince Leonardo looked agape. "I don't think you'll have a problem with that not being powerful enough," he said, "even against a

dragon."

"But it takes a while to gather the mana," I pointed out. Would I be able to take things so leisurely against a dragon?

"You sure don't let yourself grow complacent." The prince was staring at me in admiration.

After that, the two of us chatted for a while, discussing magic swords and the Northern Front Plan. Keeping the young prince awake might not have been the best idea, though. He fell asleep partway through our conversation, so I tucked him into my bed.

And since my room was occupied, I kept practicing until morning.

◇ 

"So sleepy..." I muttered. It was because I'd gotten caught up in conversation with the prince last night. Having a chat about swords and magic with another guy was fun. The prince had eventually fallen asleep though, and I'd stayed up until sunrise.

Prince Leonardo apparently had some form of obligation around town, so he'd left already. After he'd gone out, I'd managed a nap. I'd then eaten the breakfast that Sasa had made, and now I was continuing my training.

"Hm, maybe I should have another nap..." I grumbled through a yawn, stroking the black cat on my lap. The chirping of birds filled my ears. Whoops, I really am about to drop off...

As I noticed my exhaustion, I heard some footsteps. The others had said that they were going shopping today, so maybe they were back?

"Hero Makoto," said a familiar voice, "do you have some spare time?"

It was Princess Sophia.

We were in a room of a church dedicated to Eir.

Princess Sophia had summoned me here, and now I was sitting on a soft sofa. I'd been living in Macallan for a fair while, but this was the first time I'd been into the church. The princess and I were the only two in the room, and she was humming as she brewed tea...with much more skill than last time.

The room was warm, and soft sunlight radiated in through a crack in the curtains.

I'm nodding off here...

If I didn't pay attention, I'd be asleep in no time. "Hero Makoto, I do apologize for the wait."

Princess Sophia placed a cup of tea in front of me, and I detected a sweet muscat scent drifting up from it. She then put a plate of chocolate chip cookies down next to it.

"Thank you," I said, taking a sip of the tea. It was delicious. I followed it up with a cookie.

"Huh?" I uttered. "What is it?"

The cookie was soft and it crumbled in my mouth. It felt...like I'd eaten one of these before.

"Where did you find these cookies?" I asked.

"They have been rather popular in the capital as of late. The Fujiwara company sells them."

Oh, Fujiyan?! So they're Japanese?

"What's the brand name, out of interest?"

"Ah, I believe it was something like Country Ma'am?" answered the princess. "It's a strange name."

"Yeah, it figures." That was a famous brand from our old world. He'd really nailed it. Before I realized it, I'd taken a second cookie and then a third.

"I see you like them." Princess Sophia smiled.

Yikes, I almost forgot that I was in front of a princess. "Please, excuse my manners," I apologized.

Her expression dimmed at that. "What's wrong, Princess?" I asked.

"Um... Could you stop addressing me so stiffly?" "Addressing you?" I asked. "What do you mean?" "You can relax, and...could you call me Sophia?"

"What?" She didn't want me to use her title? Sh-Should I?

Why not? Noah chimed in mentally. Go for it!

Are you sure? I'm a commoner... Should I really be addressing her like that?

I think she's jealous of Lucy and Aya, said Noah.

So the princess found the formal address stuffy... She'd even told me so herself.

Princess Sophia—no, just Sophia—shifted uneasily in front of me. "Sophia?" I said.

"Right! Makoto." She met my eyes with a smile, then we both looked away at the same time, embarrassed. Her cheeks were pink as she

changed the topic. "I hear that you have spoken to Leo about the Northern Front Plan."

"I have. Apparently, I'm going to need to join the other heroes."

"This is related to that..." She began to explain things, her tone apologetic.

Apparently, either Prince Leonardo or I would need to join the

expedition. The Soleil Knights' commander-in-chief had nominated me. The North Cardinal Knights' leader—Gerald Ballantine—had also demanded that I participate.

H-Honestly...that Gerry.

"Well, I suppose I'll join," I said. After all, they'd been told I could fight against the Abyssal King.

"No, Leo will," Sophia said strongly.

"On his own?" I asked. "He's still young, so he shouldn't have to..." She felt like a bit of a taskmaster.

"The family of Roses is a symbol of the country's peace," explained Sophia. "However strong the otherworlder heroes are, we cannot rely solely upon them. Besides, if we lose this battle, we will be under demon rule and have nowhere to run."

Her words were firm.

Well, Prince Leonardo was rather strong with that holy sword. "I'll go with him then," I said easily.

She sighed. "That's precisely why he admires you so strongly... Please, look after him. He's a rather timid child on the whole."

"Got it, you can count on me."

She must be worried... Her expression was definitely that of an older sister concerned for her brother.

That soon changed though—she quickly reverted to her princess-like expression. "You are a hero of our country, so I would like for you to meet the heroes of other nations. Particularly, those of Springrogue and Great Keith. Once the demon army attacks, those are the

countries we will need to cooperate with." "So, I'll be a diplomat?"

I guess this is another duty of a hero... I didn't know the etiquette for visiting another country. Wouldn't Prince Leonardo be more suitable than a commoner like me?

Sophia stared out the window and spoke heavily. "I have visited nearby towns over the past several days. Monster activity has

increased in all of them. Roses's small defense force will be unable to keep them under control."

She sure had a lot on her plate... I couldn't think of anything to say, so I gazed out of the window as well. But as I did, Sense Danger suddenly started blaring in my head. Monsters? In town? Princess Sophia had noticed something as well.

"Hero Makoto!" she cried, pointing. "There!"

"That's...a wyvern?" As I looked in the direction she'd indicated, I saw a single wyvern flying over the town.

A stray from the Great Forest? Macallan's guards didn't seem to have noticed.

"We cannot risk it attacking children," Sophia said. "We need to tell the guards."

"Wait a minute. We can drive it off," I suggested, prompting her to stop. "Can I borrow some mana, Sophia?"

She paused for a moment. "Again?" Then, she nodded with reddened cheeks. "I suppose... I don't mind if it's you."

Why is she embarrassed?

Whatever—I was sleepy and wanted to deal with this quickly. I grabbed her hand. Now that I think of it, I might not have considered this properly... I hadn't slept enough so I wasn't quite thinking straight.

Do you really want to Synchro with Princess Sophia?

▶Yes

No

With the situation being what it was, I didn't even consider RPG Player's warning.

I tightened my grip on her hand. We looked into each other's eyes from right up close. Slightly embarrassed, I activated Synchro.

"Ngh..." came a soft gasp from Sophia next to me. I soon felt the pleasant sensation of a large amount of mana flowing into me.

"Water Magic: Ice Arrow," I cast, sending thousands of arrows of ice flying at the wyvern. Instantly, it shrieked and fell away from the town.

That worked great! Her Ice Magic (King Rank) always helped me out so much.

"Thanks, Sophia."

"It was wonderful, Hero Makoto..." she murmured.

I turned around as she trailed off and found her staring off dazedly. "Hm? What's u—"

Suddenly, she pushed me down, trapping me between her body and the floor. The carpet was plush, so it didn't exactly hurt. She just held herself over me.

"Sophia? What's wro—"

"Makoto..." she interrupted, before leaning into a passionate kiss.

What?!

Her arms wound around my neck as she pulled her lips even closer.

Wh-What the hell? This came out of nowhere! What'd happen— That was as far as my thoughts got before Noah cut me off.

You're Charming her, she informed me.

It was that comment that finally made me notice my slipup—I'd apparently activated my Charm skill while half asleep.

Frantically, I closed my eyes and cut off the mana. When I opened them again, I saw a taken aback expression on her face. She stood up and backed rapidly away. Then, she went pale.

"Wh-What in the world did I do..." She stared at her palms in disbelief.

"P-Princess Sophia...?"

"But...I need to stay pure as a priestess in communion with Eir..." She staggered her way down to the ground.

"Please...Lady Eir, forgive my foolish acts..." she began to mumble, putting her hands together as she stared up at the ceiling.

This went way too far... It was my fault, but we were past the point of no return. I stood there, stupefied, as I watched her pray.

Just as it seemed like it would never end and the air was going to suffocate me, she suddenly fell silent. I couldn't hear her voice anymore. The mana in the air prickled at my senses, and the water elementals that were usually around had gone. Instead, holy mana filled the room.

"What are you doing, Mako?" Sophia asked affably. Her expression

didn't match her usual aloof look though...and her eyes were glowing gold.

So...

"E-Eir?" I asked.

"Yup, that's me!" She winked, sticking her fingers up in a peace sign. She sure was playful...

"I can't let you get away with using Charm on my Sophie, though."

"I-I'm so sorry!" I yelled, dropping to my knees. "U-Um...can she not be a priestess anymore?" If so, I'd committed a capital offense.

However the reply Eir gave...was not one I'd expected. "Hmm, it doesn't really matter if a priestess is pure, you know?"

"What?!" I exclaimed. "It doesn't?" But Princess Noelle had said that was a requirement...

"That's just a rule humans came up with," stated Eir. "It is? Why'd they come up with that?"

She laughed at my question. "Well, if a priestess gets a lover, the churches will have more to do, right? Plus if the guy behaved poorly, it'd reflect upon the church. Humans have it tough, huh?" Her tone was casual and seemingly unconcerned.

Well, I guess it really didn't concern her. It's not like the goddesses would care much about how human society worked.

"Anyway, that's how it is," said Eir. "You make sure you treat Sophia well! I'll let you do it!"

I...had her permission. Though, I suppose she'd given it a while ago.

"Oh, right. I need to warn you about something—your water magic mastery is high, so if you use Synchro with a water mage, it'll have side effects on them. Keep it low-key from now on!"

"Side effects?" I asked.

"It might be temporary, but the skill combines your mana with

someone else's," she explained. "With your mastery level, mixing

mana makes them feel good. This time, that side effect doubled up with your Charm skill...and that's how Sophie ended up kissing you."

S-So that's how it happened... I always used Synchro pretty freely with her.

After a moment of thought, I made a promise. "I'll be more careful." I'd definitely keep it in check next time.

"Glad to hear it, but that's not enough to make up for this mess! You made my cute little Sophie cry..."

"Urk."

Eir's grin looked like Noah's when she was scheming.

Rude!

"Oh, you were watching, Noah?" Eir asked.

What are you going to do to my Makoto?

"Hm, I figured I'd make him Sophie's fiancé. I mean, she's not getting anywhere any time soon."

Oh, that works. Good for you, Makoto. You've got the most influential fiancée in Roses.

"G-Goddess?!"

This wasn't how I'd expected things to go!

"Are you going to refuse? You know using Charm on a priestess calls for divine retribution, right?"

Are you a man or not? Take responsibility.

"U-Um... What about how Princess Sophia feels?" Wasn't that the most important thing here?

"Ah, no worries, no worries," said Eir. "I'll give her a revelation."

I'm pretty sure revelations aren't supposed to be handed out so lightly...

"Gimme a minute," she continued, "I'm going to talk to Sophie in her dreams."

As she spoke, Princess Sophia crumpled to the floor. I hurriedly

caught her, but since I couldn't just hold her in my arms, I draped her across a nearby chair.

It took about fifteen minutes before she woke up.

Her eyes were blue as she blinked. Sophia was back all right.

She slowly looked my way. Neither of us spoke, but her cheeks grew pink as she stared at me.

The moment dragged on for a long while, so hesitantly, I broke the silence.

"Sophia...are you feeling all right?"

"I look forward to our partnership..." she murmured. "My fiancé..." Apparently, Eir had filled her in.

◇

A really awkward silence stifled the room.

Lucy was sullenly resting her cheek in her hand. Sasa was smiling for some reason and stroking the black cat on her lap.

When'd you get inside?

Princess Sophia looked even more expressionless than when we'd first met. It was how she looked when she was nervous.

The three beauties stared at me and I felt my stomach churn painfully.

On the side, Furiae eagerly asked if there was going to be a catfight.

Well, at least somebody is having fun.

So, how did this happen? It'd started five minutes ago...

"Um...Princess Sophia is actually my fiancée now..." I said, plunging the room into silence.

Lucy had just asked why Princess Sophia was here in addition to the normal four of us, and I'd explained. I'd known this would happen when I admitted it... But I couldn't not say it.

"What do you mean?" asked Lucy. "I'm your girlfriend, right?"

"Takatsuki...you admitted that we'd felt the same way about each other since junior high," said Sasa accusingly, "and then you do this?"

It felt like two straight fireballs were whizzing my way.

B-Be cool, I told myself.

Calm Mind was...at a normal level? No! I don't get it! N-Noah! Help!

Good luck!

Where's that divine guidance?!

"Hero Makoto, these two are your lovers?" Princess Sophia asked. Her expression hadn't changed, but her voice shook slightly.

"Yup."

"We are."

Lucy and Sasa's voices were like ice.

"I see... Of course the hero's companions are also his lovers..." she slumped.

I...hadn't mentioned it? Yeah, guess I hadn't.

"So, are you saying that since you're engaged to the princess, we're breaking up?" Lucy asked.

"Aww, so you're switching from commoners to a princess," said Sasa.

I didn't quite follow what either of them was saying. The princess and I looked at each other in surprise.

"Is that true?" I asked Sophia.

"N-No! I didn't say that at all!" Sophia cried, shaking her head. "Oh, this isn't a 'Makoto is mine now!' thing?" asked Lucy.

"Yeah," added Sasa, "you're not going to give us a five-meter restraining order?"

Both of them seemed somewhat confused.

That's what they'd been imagining? Princess Sophia wouldn't do that stuff...at least, I didn't think so.

"How in the world do you see me?!" Sophia wailed. "A coldhearted princess?"

"A villainess?"

"Hey," I interjected. Lucy and Sasa weren't being fair. Although I'd honestly agreed with them when I'd first met Sophia.

"A coldhearted...villainess..." The princess slumped. Yup, they'd really gotten to her.

"So...we can just keep things like they were?" Lucy wondered. "I don't mind as long as I can stay with Takatsuki..." Sasa said.

They didn't look entirely in agreement, but they were at least a lot calmer now. The atmosphere in the dining room was still awkward though.

"Hero Makoto..." Princess Sophia whispered into my ear. "Your companions have accepted me...right?"

"More or less..." I answered quietly. "Let's go with it, Sophia."

After a moment, Lucy broke the overall silence with a cold look and a question that addressed the elephant in the room. "So, why're you suddenly engaged? It came out of nowhere."

Princess Sophia answered her. "I became engaged with Hero Makoto due to a revelation."

"Revelation?" Sasa parroted.

"Something she was instructed to do by her goddess," explained Furiae. "It's possible for the priestesses."

Well, the final push had been that revelation, so she wasn't wrong per se...

"Oh? So the two of you don't have feelings for each other?" Sasa asked, apparently relieved.

"So, as a hero," Lucy clarified, "it's just his duty?" Princess Sophia's eyebrow twitched.

"Heroes being engaged to priestesses is common and widely announced to relax the populace," drawled Furiae in a bored tone. "It happened in Highland too. It works to raise morale."

Maybe she was remembering Sakurai and Princess Noelle. "Oh, a hero's duty. Oh well then."

"What was the point in all that shock, Lu?" "You were angry too, Aya."

"Jeez, Makoto. You should have said that from the start."

Apparently Lucy and Sasa had accepted it...at least, in terms of a political measure.

Phew, what a rel—

"That's not right," Princess Sophia muttered.

"What?" the other pair asked in unison. "I-I love Hero Makoto!"

Everyone looked at her in shock.

"We even kissed so fiercely today..."

H-Hang on?! That was because of Charm.

"What?" Lucy and Sasa's gazes slowly pivoted toward me. They felt bloodthirsty!!! Even Sense Danger was going off! "Oh... So you kissed Princess Sophia?" Lucy asked.

"Hmph, you're just the same as Sakurai. Boys from second grade all work fast..."

They were terrifying. I thought I could hear Furiae muttering something about me being popular.

Enough from the peanut gallery!

Even the black cat seemed to recognize the danger and moved from Sasa to Furiae.

"Nrow, nrow."

"Oh? You want my grilled fish?" asked Furiae. "You lowly kitten." Still, she separated some from her plate and fed it to the cat.

Things were peaceful over on that side! Come on, help me out here! "So, my knight? Which of the three do you like the most?" "Furiae?!" I sputtered out.

Lucy, Sasa, and Sophia... All three of them stared at me. Then, the intensity of their gazes seemed to combine.

"Makoto..."

"Takatsuki..."

"Hero Makoto..."

The three were boring holes into me with their eyes. They were actually moving closer to me, but by the time I realized, I was backed against the wall.

I looked between all three of their faces.

I have to pick one of them? I can't!

Who do you like the best? Lucy

Aya Sophia

Come on, RPG Player! Don't ask me things like that. "I can't choose!"

I fell to my knees for the second time that day... I was pathetic. When I looked up hesitantly, I saw the three exchanging looks.

"What do we do?" "We went too far..."

"Um... Princess Sophia. Since you're engaged now, are you going to have Takatsuki move to the capital?"

"No. We will be visiting Springrogue and Great Keith. We may be engaged, but that does not mean we will always be together... In fact, we may hardly be able to see one another at all..."

"I see... That's awful." Lucy and Sasa's expressions had morphed into sympathy.

"Why not live here then?" Lucy suggested. "Nice one, Lu."

"Um, the two of you would be okay with that?" Princess Sophia

asked timidly. "You don't dislike me for suddenly appearing as his fiancée?"

"Well, if it's because of a revelation, then there's nothing we can do. Right, Aya?"

"Right. You kissed him, though. If you live in the same house he could come visit you at night expecting things."

"Sasa," I warned.

"Don't worry. He doesn't do anything even when he sees me naked," Lucy said.

"Lucy," I protested.

"That's because you're too free with it. Honestly, I'm sick of seeing you naked," Sasa griped.

"Oh, you think I'm not charming enough? You didn't have anything

there when we bathed together. I guess you do have a kid's chest." "Lu, you know it means war if you go further?"

"Hah! Bring it, Aya!"

"Lucy, Sasa, stop," I demanded. We didn't need an intra-party war! "Um... Can I really live here?" Princess Sophia interjected cautiously. "Hmm, Lucy, Sasa, Princess. Are you all okay with that?"

"I don't mind," Lucy replied.

"You can decide," Sasa added, doing her usual and leaving it up to me.

"Whatever," Furiae said. She didn't speak her mind fully, so I wasn't sure how she actually felt.

Still, everyone seemed to more or less agree.

At that, the princess cleared her throat and calmed down. "Then I shall be here until my duties call me next... Please, treat me well."

And thus began a strange period of cohabitation.

◇ Sophia's Perspective ◇

I was now welcome at Hero Makoto's home.

Using communication magic, I informed my mother and father of the goddess's commandment to take the Hero of Roses as my fiancé.

Eir's word was law in our nation, and not even my father—the king— could go against it. Though, with that said, my father did demand to know what kind of man Makoto was...and he also insisted that I bring my new fiancé to the capital.

Father...you already met him during the appointment ceremony...

They had barely talked though, so it was perhaps unsurprising that he didn't recall.

I also instructed Leo to return to Macallan once he'd concluded his visits to the nearby regions. Apparently, my brother had already planned to do just that—he wanted to meet with Makoto again. Leo was especially overjoyed when I said that Hero Makoto would be joining him on his sojourns to neighboring countries.

They would probably be departing within the next few days. When that happened, Hero Makoto and I would be separated once again.

That was likely for the best—I was a princess of Roses, so I could not spend too much time at my fiancé's home. I was at the church during the day and only retired to Makoto's house in the evening.

The Fujiwara company had provided all the necessities I would need to live in Macallan, and my knights were guarding the neighborhood. I'd told them to keep the fanfare to a minimum...but every one of them seemed to be present.

I'd need to talk with them later... Thankfully, the Fujiwara company was also providing food and simple lodging for the soldiers.

Truly, it is an outstanding business. Though, I suppose I should expect no less from a company headed by Hero Makoto's friend.

As I entered the house—my new home—Hero Makoto strolled up to me with a black cat on his shoulder. He must have just returned from his magic practice.

"Good work with your training, Hero Makoto."

"Hey, Sophia," he said in greeting. His usual expression was relaxed and composed, however, I could tell that he was currently in a good mood.

"Has something pleasant happened?" I asked.

"I think I was able to master the Mana Blade technique a bit more," he replied happily. Even as he spoke, butterflies made of water fluttered around him.

"Perhaps you should take more of a brea—"

"Right," he interrupted. "I'll rest a bit after practicing a little longer."

Now that I'm spending more time with him, it's his dedication that surprises me the most...

His daily life started earlier than anyone else—each morning, he would wake up and offer prayers to his goddess. Then, he would begin training his magic. This level of diligence did not waver, even at the end of the day. Rather, Hero Makoto kept training...for longer than anyone else. In fact, I'd started to worry that this schedule might harm him.

I also fretted about how my own past comments might have influenced this behavior. On our first ever meeting, I had offhandedly

told Hero Makoto (then known only as an apprentice mage) that he should train more.

Could this have caused him to adopt such a rigorous schedule?

However, when I'd voiced that concern to Lucy and Aya, they had simply laughed. Our interactions had grown much more familiar since I'd requested that the two of them speak casually with me.

"Princess Sophia," Lucy had told me. "Makoto's just naturally like that, so don't worry about it."

"Sophie...Takatsuki enjoys it," Aya had added. "He...does?" I'd asked

According to the two of them, his long hours of training were of his own volition.

I know nothing of my fiancé, I'd thought to myself.

Since there was such little time for us to spend together, I decided to learn what I could.

"L-Lucy?! That is a rather immodest outfit!" I yelled. She had come wandering from the bath wearing only a towel.

"Oh, it is? Makoto, why's Princess Sophia so shocked?" "She's surprised by how little common sense you have," he

answered with a sidelong look of exasperation. Even while carrying on a conversation, he kept up his magic practice.

"I get all sweaty when I'm just out of the bath," she explained, "so I don't want to put my clothes on right away."

"At least wear your underwear," Hero Makoto retorted as he handed them over to her.

"Hey! Quit just passing me my panties!"

"I always dry them, though."

"But it's embarrassing for you to touch them!" Lucy exclaimed. "It is?" asked Hero Makoto

H-How can he be so calm?! Her undergarments might have been clean...but he'd just picked up a girl's underwear and passed them to her! Also, Lucy was naked under that towel!

"Y-You shouldn't show so much skin in front of men!" I told her. "It's just Makoto, though," protested Lucy.

"That's not the problem!"

"Come on," Hero Makoto interrupted, "go get dressed."

"Ah! My towel's slipping..." whined Lucy before adopting a more playful tone. "Or...did you want to see?"

"A bit."

"Hero Makoto!" I chastised.

"You're such a perv," Lucy teased. Then she did something even more daring: she approached him from behind and wrapped her arms around him!

"Lucy..." Hero Makoto scoffed, "you're dripping on me."

"Come on, at least get a bit embarrassed." She pouted for a moment before impishly kissing him on the cheek.

"Wha?!" I was shocked...but the other two women in the room seemed to be chatting like normal, as if nothing strange had happened.

"I'll go get dressed," Lucy declared. "Let's train together later." With that, she sauntered off.

I could have sworn that her towel was about to fall... And for some reason, Hero Makoto's face hadn't changed at all!

I felt dizzy. Was this how they always acted around one another?

"A-Aya! Why are you in Hero Makoto's room?!" I exclaimed. "To...hang out?"

"It's already late! You shouldn't be together like that until you're married."

"But we always do this." "Uh, you do...?"

While I was floundering, she slunk through the open door like a cat. I hesitated for just a moment before following her in.

Upon entering, I was treated to a bizarre sight.

"Water magic butterflies?" There were hundreds of them fluttering throughout the room. Feeling shocked, I glanced toward Makoto.

H-He's controlling them all on his own?! Is he still training?!

"Oh, I thought you were missing, but here you are," Aya cooed. "Twi, come hereee!"

"Sasa, is that supposed to be the cat's name?" Hero Makoto asked as he stroked the meowing cat's back.

"Yup," Aya replied. "Cute, right?" "Why 'Twi'?"

"That 'nrow' is a trendy meow, so the cat's name is Twi-Tter. Twi for short!"

There was a pause.

"I propose a name change," Hero Makoto said flatly. "Aww, it's too late now."

"Twi..." I mused, turning the name over in my mind. What do they mean by it? Is Twi-Tter some phrase from their old world?

The two of them continued chatting. Hero Makoto was simultaneously controlling hundreds of water butterflies. With no incantation. Without even looking.

Even I knew this was strange. And I finally understood something Leo had once said: his mastery is far above the norm.

"Sophia," said Hero Makoto, turning my way, "what's up?"

"Sorry to bother you while you are training," I apologized. Then I moved my focus to Aya. "We really shouldn't interrupt his—wait, why are you lying in his bed?!"

She just sighed in satisfaction. "It smells like him..."

Guh. Just what does it smell li—ah, what am I even thinking?!

"Sasa, sleep in your own bed tonight," Hero Makoto said. "Hmm, if I feel like it."

"Wait a moment!" I interjected. "Explain that last statement." I was his fiancée, so I couldn't just let that pass.

"Sasa often just falls asleep in my bed when she's already there."

"Th-Then you lie with her and..." Impossible! They shared a bed each night?!

"I just sleep on the floor," he admitted.

"You could just sleep with me. I'd actually prefer that!" Aya exclaimed, grabbing his arm and pulling him into the bed.

"Wha—?!"

"Mrow?!"

Aya clung to him and Twi took refuge at the foot of the bed. "Come on, training all the time must be tiring. Take a breaaak," she cajoled, holding his head to her chest and stroking his hair like he was the cat. "Here, have a hug."

H-How shameless... But, his face looks so relaxed...

"Mm, guess I'll stay like this," he said, though he just carried on with his magic practice.

Was this how he lived his day-to-day life?

I remembered Eir's words clearly.

"Mako's super dense, so you have to go hard."

"What in the world do you mean?" I asked. "Go...hard?"

"Hm, I guess just follow Lucy and Aya's lead. I mean, even I'm

shocked that he reacts so little to so much. He's got an iron wall against Noah's temptations too."

I let out a sigh. She could tell me to tempt him, but that didn't make it easy.

"Mako's innocent," Eir explained, "so he might get corrupted by another woman if you don't make a move first."

"C-Corrupted...?"

"I'm sure you don't want to watch your beloved Mako getting chased by all those other women, right?"

I certainly did not!

"Then call this a revelation telling you to get close to him. 'Thou shalt build a relationship with Hero Makoto and save Roses.'"

All I could do was sigh again. Only the last half of that statement had sounded serious. She was right though... I didn't have much

experience in love. But now, through my goddess's guidance, I was engaged to the man I had feelings for.

I decided to act.

◇ Makoto Takatsuki's Perspective ◇

"Hero Makoto?" Princess Sophia had shown up while I was practicing in my room. Her expression was cool and composed, but she did seem a little nervous.

"Oh, Sophia? Is it dinner time soon?" Guess she'd come to fetch me. I moved to get up and head to the dining room, but then...

The door shut behind her. "Sophia?"

"Can I...sit next to you?" she asked, though she was seated before I could even answer.

She placed her left hand over my right. I felt my heart skip a beat. With no expression but a slight flush, she let her shoulder touch mine.

"Hero Makoto..." "Sophia?"

We'd spoken simultaneously. However, before either of us could say any more, a voice amplified by wind magic sounded across the town. It came from the direction of the guild.

"All adventurers and soldiers in Macallan! Gather immediately at the western gate! A monster stampede has been spotted. Danger Level: Calamity - Town. I repeat..."