As a Reward for Saving the World, I Was Reincarnated Into a World Where Girls Are Super Aggressive and Chastity Roles Are Reversed!! …Or So I Thought, Until It Turned Out to Be an Overbearing Yandere Harem of My Former Companions Who Loved Me Too Much - 33

Chapter 33: Celestia’s Hometown

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“Before I became a saintess, I spent far more time looking after my fellow priest candidates and helping with the farm work than giving blessings or healing other people.”

It was an unexpected confession. I had thought of her as noble, like someone high above the clouds, yet suddenly she felt closer, more familiar. Perhaps sensing my feelings, Celestia continued shyly.

“If it is all right… May I introduce you to the headmistress who raised me? I am sure she would be very happy to meet you, Kazuki-sama.”

“Of course! I’ll go with you.”

When we passed through the orphanage gates, the girls playing in the yard spotted Celestia and all rushed toward her at once. Maybe because they were all candidates for sisterhood, or maybe because this was a reversed-gender-morality world, but it seemed there were only girls here.

“Celestia onee-chan!”

“My, my, everyone, have you been doing well?”

Surrounded by the children, Celestia smiled warmly as she patted their heads. It wasn’t the face of a saintess, but simply the gentle face of an “older sister.” Yet when the girls noticed me standing beside her, their eyes began to sparkle.

“Wow! Is he Celestia onee-chan’s boyfriend?”

“He looks super strong! Is he the Hero-sama you’re always talking about?”

“Wow, amazing!! Are you two going to get married?”

Faced with the children’s innocent barrage of questions, Celestia’s face turned bright red.

“E-enough! Kazuki-sama is a very important guest, so you mustn’t say such rude things! We are not lovers or anything like that…!”

Flustered and stammering, she looked over at me. That sight was so fresh and so adorable that I couldn’t help but smile.

“Fufu, I appreciate the happy misunderstanding, everyone. But unfortunately, Celestia and I aren’t in that kind of relationship.”

“Really? But Celestia onee-chan is so kind, and her cooking is delicious too. If someone married her, they’d definitely be happy. Even if she’s perverted.”

“That’s right, she even donates almost all the money she earns from her books to facilities around here. Amazing, isn’t she? Even if she’s perverted.”

“Could you all stop trying to recommend me to Kazuki-sama? And why must you keep saying such unnecessary things?”

Celestia’s face grew even redder at the children’s words. It was clear she was deeply loved by them. Perverted though she might be…

“I agree. I think if I could marry a girl like Celestia, I’d be very happy.”

“Kazuki-sama…”

“But I’m sure Celestia will meet someone even better for her. So don’t tease her too much, okay? Isn’t that right, Celestia?”

That was the perfect response, I thought. After all, being pushed toward someone you were not interested in was always a little awkward. By answering for her, I could protect her honor…

“…Yes, that’s true.”

Her eyes suddenly lost their light as she looked at me, and it was honestly scary. Had I said something that offended her? I was about to ask, but then the children pulled me away.

“Ah, this onii-chan is hopeless. He’s Mr. Dense!”

“Hey Mr. Dense, come play with us!”

“What do you mean dense? …Well, fine, whatever.”

I felt oddly dissatisfied with the strange nickname, but I played tag and lifted the kids high into the air anyway. Then, one girl with a serious look tugged at the hem of my clothes.

“Onii-chan, can I talk to you for a second?”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Please take care of Celestia onee-chan.”

“Of course. She’s an important friend of mine.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

The girl looked at me with eyes far too mature for her age. Unlike the other children’s teasing, her gaze carried something different.

“Ever since onee-chan went to the capital, it feels like she’s been forcing herself. In her letters, she always wrote only about happy things, but I think she was really lonely. But after she started adventuring with Hero-sama, her letters felt truly joyful. And today, she looks the happiest I’ve ever seen her.”

Having said that, the girl gave a mischievous little smile.

“Celestia onee-chan is really in love with Hero onii-chan. So you mustn’t ever make her cry, okay?”

Her words, paired with such sincere eyes, were far too direct to laugh off as childish nonsense. For a moment, I was at a loss for words, then I gently patted her head.

“Yeah… I understand. I promise.”

Then, together with Celestia, I played with the children again. But all the while, the girl’s words kept echoing in my head.

“I am sorry. I meant to show you around my hometown, but instead I had you playing with the children…”

“Don’t worry about it. I had fun too.”

At sunset, we left Astrea behind, waved off by the orphans. Standing before the teleportation magic circle on our way home, I recalled what the girl had said and half-jokingly asked Celestia:

“By the way, the eldest girl said you liked me. Kids these days are pretty precocious, huh?”

“Ah… That must have been Anna. Goodness, that child…”

“Still, hearing so many people say you like me almost makes me start believing it.”

I had only meant to lighten the mood with a joke, since she looked so apologetic. Normally she would have flustered, turned red, and denied it with a “Y-you must be joking!” But today was different.

Celestia stopped walking. With the setting sun at her back, she gazed straight into my eyes. Her cheeks were faintly red, and in her moist sapphire eyes shone a light of determination.

“…Those words are not a lie.”

“Eh…?”

“I… I love you, Kazuki-sama. From the first moment I met you, I was drawn to you. When you saved me, that feeling turned into love. Traveling and adventuring with you, I came to cherish you even more. Your straightforward eyes, your kindness to risk your life for others, your acceptance even of my shameless side… I love all of it.”

“Eh?”

At her unexpected confession, my mind completely froze. No way. The saintess herself? Saying she truly loved me?

“W-wait… This is a reversed-chastity world, so women confessing first is normal… No, but if that’s the case, then does that mean Celestia really does love me…?”

“Yes, exactly.”

She confirmed my turmoil without hesitation.

“I don’t know what this ‘reversed-chastity world’ you speak of is. I only know that I love you as a man. That is my feeling for you. I am not asking you to give me an answer right away. I just wanted you to know how I feel.”

Bathed in the glow of the sunset, her face was more earnest, more beautiful than I had ever seen it. My heart gave a loud, heavy thump.

Is this a dream? Or have I been making a fatal misunderstanding all along?

With no answer to the question in my chest, all I could do was stare at the beautiful saintess before me.

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