Chastity-Reversed Hard Mode: Surviving as a Steel-Minded Adventurer in Another World - Chapter 26: Building Soulmate Friendships with a Steel Mentality

Chapter 26: Building Soulmate Friendships with a Steel Mentality

Three days after I gave Janis my advice.

In that short span, Janis put together reference materials on vegetables and even drafted a plan for trial cultivation. Then, together with Midra, he went to persuade the Count. After all, you can’t just barge in and say “I wanna do this!” without anything to back it up. That has zero persuasive power. I also gave him a few tips on preparing documents and laying out a plan.

Funny thing—what I’d picked up from writing university reports back in Japan? In this medieval setting, it came across like some kind of super-academic thesis. When Midra read it, he was stunned, like, “My son… produced a document this solid…!?”

And the result? Persuasion successful.

The Count had been cautious about letting a male inherit, but faced with Janis’s carefully prepared materials and burning passion, she made the choice to entrust the future to him. Even if a girl were to be born later, Janis was now locked in as heir—no more wavering.

The official announcement would come later, but the retainers who were present were delighted at the birth of a male successor.

Makes sense. If the Count gave birth to a daughter next year, she wouldn’t be old enough to inherit for another twenty years. By then, the Count would be in her mid-fifties—basically elderly in this world. If something happened to her before then, and a child heir had to take the throne, it could trigger a succession crisis.

In fact, some of the vassals admitted they’d secretly been worried. If Janis were married off to another noble house, that family could spark a succession war. So to them, this decision was a massive relief.

That night, the Longfield retainers supposedly raised their cups in quiet celebration—drinking to the newfound stability of their house.

As for me and Janis—we had our own little private celebration.

And for him, it was the ultimate gift.

Because the snacks were none other than… a glorious spread of poison mushrooms, starting with fly agaric.

With my [Poison Resistance] skill cast on him, Janis could chow down on mushrooms that would normally knock you straight into toxic shock. Tonight, he could eat to his heart’s content!

“Tonight, it’s you, me, and an all-you-can-eat poison mushroom party!”

“YEEEEE-HIIIII!!”

Janis’s eyes were already looking dangerously unhinged as he sank his teeth into a fly agaric skewer.

“Holy crap, delicious…!”

Drool dribbled down the corner of his mouth as he pulled a face of pure ecstasy—ruining his pretty-boy image completely.

Kid, why do you have to look so damn erotic while eating mushrooms…!?

And yeah—he wasn’t wrong.

This stuff was insanely good. Best mushrooms I’ve ever tasted. Just a simple roast over open flame, and the flavor exploded in my mouth with every bite. Thick, springy, meaty texture—like shiitake, but richer, juicier, more satisfying. Forget matsutake, these things blew them out of the water.

Apparently, in Japan some daredevils salt-pickle them and eat at their own risk. And yeah, now I get it—this flavor would tempt anyone, even knowing it’s poisonous.

Ah, but remember kids—don’t try this at home without [Poison Resistance]. That’s Big Brother’s rule ☆

Some of these mushrooms are the real deal too—lurking in your body for a whole month before the symptoms hit. So yeah, I’ll be keeping Janis’s resistance buff running for a while.

Not that I could ever forget the Longfield family after this anyway.

“Haah… I’m overwhelmed. I never dreamed I’d actually get the chance to eat the poison mushrooms I’ve admired for so long…”

“Which makes you happier—this, or becoming heir?”

I flashed him a teasing grin, and Janis grinned right back.

“About the same. Thanks to you, Big Brother, I’ve managed to fulfill a third dream.”

“Well, that’s great then.”

Janis flopped back onto the bed of dead leaves, nibbling on his fly agaric skewer.

“Ahh, if only you could stay with me forever, Big Brother. Then I’d have an endless lifetime supply of poison mushrooms.”

“Hahaha, I’m not just some mushroom detox machine, you know.”

“Of course not. You’re far, far more important than that.”

All of a sudden, Janis sat up and fixed me with serious eyes.

“Listen, Big Brother. I mean it. Will you come live at Longfield?”

“Uh… well…”

Janis tossed his skewer aside and grabbed both of my hands.

“I’m still inexperienced. Having someone like you to guide me gives me strength. And I want your knowledge to help with the trial farming, too. No—that’s just excuses.”

He shook his head hard, like he couldn’t organize his own thoughts.

But it was fine. I already knew exactly what he was trying to say.

“…I just want to be with you. Always. Won’t you stay by my side forever?”

Janis’s hands were damp with sweat as they gripped mine, trembling just a little.

He was nervous. That’s how much he cared about me. Honestly… it was such an honor, I could barely put it into words.

I liked Janis too. We’d only known each other for three days, but I could feel it—our souls were deeply connected.

I pictured becoming Janis’s right hand, living our days together working the fields.

It’d be fun, no doubt about it.

Every day worrying about water and fertilizer, groaning about pests or moles, celebrating when the crops ripened and trying new recipes.

Saving seeds, preparing fields for the next season, and before you knew it, years would’ve flown by.

It wouldn’t be some quiet “slow life”—it’d be a whirlwind of work.

And someday, when Janis and I were both old men, we’d laugh together and say, “Man, we’ve gotten old.”

What a wonderful life that would be.

But still—

“I’m sorry. I can’t. I have to go back to Thousand Leaves.”

“…Why? Why, Big Brother? What could possibly be waiting for you there? I can’t stand the thought of someone like you being used by that nasty woman! D-Don’t tell me… you’re in love with her…!?”

“Hell no! Even you’re asking for a punch with that one!”

I’ve got the right to choose what kind of woman I fall for.

Why on earth would I fall for some manipulative seductress who tricks people into putting on slutty outfits just to get her way?

“Ah, right… I’m glad. But then, why?”

Janis let out a relieved sigh, but his eyes still pressed me for an answer.

Yeah… it’s hard to put into words, but if I had to say it—

“Because I don’t want my adventure to end yet.”

“Adventure…?”

“Yeah. I came here from a really faraway place. Back home, I was completely sheltered. I read tons of stories and always admired the adventurers in them. I didn’t know that here, ‘adventurer’ basically means exterminator-for-hire. I thought it literally meant people who went on exciting journeys. So I tried it out in Thousand Leaves for about half a year… and yeah, turns out I was terrible at it. Total dream-crash.”

I laughed at myself, and Janis listened quietly.

“But for some reason, people started calling me a Saint, and before I knew it, Deabolica was dragging me all over the place. You could say I’m being used, yeah. Still, coming here to Longfield was amazing. The lord’s family cares deeply for each other, the poor are few, the land’s fertile and perfect for crops. I even made a best friend. It was so comfortable here, I honestly thought, ‘Maybe I could just settle down.’”

“…………”

“And for the first time since I came to this country, I felt excited. This—this was what I’d wanted all along. Visiting unknown lands, meeting people I’d never known before, sharing joy, sometimes enduring hardship, and discovering new things. That’s what adventure means to me. I never wanted to be an ‘adventurer’ in the sense of a monster exterminator. I wanted to be an adventurer in the sense of someone who pioneers the unknown. I was an idiot—I didn’t even realize what I truly wanted, not for half a year. But meeting you, Janis, finally made me understand. That was my dream, buried under my cluelessness. There are still so many places I haven’t been, so many people I haven’t met. My adventure’s only just getting started. Longfield is too comfortable, and there’s so much work here, that if I settle down now, I’ll never be able to travel again. I really do appreciate your offer, but… I can’t end my adventure yet. I’m sorry.”

“…No, I understand. That feeling… it must be the same as why I want to be a botanist. Your heart is spreading its wings toward the place it wants to go. Then I have no right to hold you back. After all, I couldn’t stand being told to give up on my own dream either.”

“Thanks, Janis.”

I bowed my head, and Janis gave me that familiar, slightly troubled smile he’d inherited from his father.

“Ahh… If only you were a woman, Big Brother. I’d definitely propose and keep you here. Or maybe it would’ve been better if I were born a girl.”

“Hey now, if that were the case, we never would’ve met like this. And we probably wouldn’t have gotten this close either.”

“…You’re right. Then it’s good we’re both guys.”

“Exactly. Haven’t you heard the saying? Love between a man and a woman ends when romance fades, but friendship between men lasts forever.”

“Pfft… What’s that? I’ve never heard such a line before. …But, it’s a wonderful thought.”

Janis and I bumped fists, then burst out laughing from the bottom of our hearts.

“Alright then, let’s keep drinking. A toast—to brotherhood!”

“To friendship!”

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“Alright, today’s my last day teaching you Soulmates! Burn this rhythm into your chest! Even when I’m gone, keep singing it, keep training with it!”

“””YES, SIR!!”””

Boot Camp, day seven—the final training session.

And wow, the soulmates had gotten seriously buff…

“Knees up, let’s go! Hey! One-two! One-two! One-two! Enjoy it from the heart! Keep those smiles up! That’s it, sharp moves! Perfect!”

“““Hey! One-two! One-two! One-two!”””

Flex♥ Flex♥ Flex♥

Whoa, seriously—they’ve gotten way too ripped. They all look like full-blown bodybuilders now.

Sure, I did say, “In one week, I’ll burn off all your fat!” Yeah, I said that.

But c’mon, that was just sales talk! At most, I expected them to get some visible abs and maybe a bit toned.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think they’d turn into hulking muscle machines.

The older guys now have bigger frames than me, and even Janis and the younger crew have been sculpted into lean, steel-cut physiques. There’s no way this happens in a single week.

So what is it—do men in this world all secretly have the potential to get swole? Or does having mana supercharge muscle growth? Man… it took me ages to build up my body, and now these guys caught up in no time. I’ve got no face left to save. Hats off to them.

Still, they keep looking up to me as “Big Brother,” and I’m grateful for that. I’ll give them my best right until the end.

And before today’s session even started, Midra came up to me, smiling shyly, and said, “Last night, I finally managed to satisfy my wife to the very end.”

That was the whole point of this boot camp in the first place—to give him the stamina to keep up with the Count. Mission accomplished.

Honestly, hearing that alone makes me glad I threw myself into this. If Midra’s happy, and the Count’s happy, then this boot camp’s nothing short of a massive success.

…By the way, at this point it wasn’t just the concubines anymore. Pretty much every servant in the mansion who had a spare moment had joined in, and the women had formed a whole crowd a little ways off, watching.

The guards had been sneaking glances at us before, but now? Forget sneaking—every single woman in the mansion was full-on gawking, grinning, practically drooling. Amazing how bold people get once the crowd’s big enough.

Oh, except for the Count. She wasn’t there.

…Though I’d bet money she was peeking through the office window with opera glasses.

≪Explanation Time!

This was basically like a lineup of gravure-model-tier beauties in leotards, dancing their hearts out in a perfectly synchronized fitness routine! Think of those old-school commercials with the Bu〇shi dancers!≫

Phew… and that’s the cooldown done.

Alright, with this, the entire program was officially complete.

Not a single dropout among the soulmates—the husbands and concubines all crushed it. Everyone showed off some seriously impressive exercise spirit.

Are you watching, Commander Billy?

Your Boot Camp has officially taken root in another world…!

…Hm? Why’s everyone looking at me all of a sudden…?

Then, stepping forward as their representative, Midra raised his voice.

“Big Brother, please give us some final words!”

Ah, makes sense. It is the last day, after all. Just saying “Good job, you’re dismissed!” would be a lame ending.

Alright then, what should I say… oh, I know.

“My fellow soulmates! You’ve worked hard up to this day! I’m truly proud of the fine muscles you’ve gained! Through these muscles, our bond as Soulmates has now become eternal!”

“WHEEEEEEEEEE!!”

“Thank you, Big Brother!!”

“We’ll never forget this week!”

“We’ll spread Big Brother’s teachings throughout the whole domain!”

“Big Brother’s the best! Muscles are the best! Soulmates are the best!!!”

I nodded along, then raised my voice.

“Silence!!”

The cheers cut off in an instant, silence flooding the space.

“You’ve gained muscles—an irreplaceable treasure in life. Some of you must be feeling a newfound confidence. Some of you probably can’t wait to strut around and show off those muscles, right? I get it—I was like that too.”

I saw a few soulmates nodding, some elbowing the guys next to them.

Yeah, yeah. I know the feeling. Muscles are a man’s treasure—it’s natural to want to brag.

But.

“…There’s one thing you must always remember. Do not let pride consume you! Just because you’ve grown stronger, don’t look down on those with weaker bodies. And never fool yourself into thinking you gained these muscles all on your own. To do so would be shameful for a Soulmate!”

A tense ripple shot through the crowd at my words.

Clearly, some of them had felt that sting of guilt—backs went stiff, and a few clenched their butts tight.

“Your muscles were born from cheering each other on as Soulmates! Your muscles were built thanks to the meals and wages provided by the Count! Never forget gratitude toward those who supported your gains! Gratitude to your friends! Gratitude to the Count! Gratitude to the lives that became your food! It is this spirit of gratitude that forges the muscles of tomorrow!! …That’s my final lesson. That’s all! Dismissed!!”

“““Yessir, Big Brother! Thanks a looooooot!!”””

…Weird. I never taught them any sports-team lingo, but somehow they picked it up on their own.

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And so, the time came for us to leave the Longfield domain.

Seeing us off were Midra and Janis. Behind them stood the entire line of soulmates, chins high, white teeth gleaming—every one of them now a proud, musclebound harem of bodybuilders.

And at their very front—stood Count Rose herself.

That she came personally to see us off…

Well, that was more than I expected.

As I was thinking that, the Count stepped forward and approached me.

“You’ve gone and worked yourself quite hard, haven’t you, Saint? Sticking your nose into all the family’s issues. I only asked you to cure the illness, you know—I don’t recall asking for all that.”

“I just did what I wanted to, so don’t worry about it. Or… was it a problem?”

“No, not at all. Honestly, I might even be more grateful for that than for the cure itself. Thanks to you, my husband regained his confidence, Janis found a new spark in his eyes, and even my concubines are living more vibrantly. My own burdens have lightened too, but more than that… what makes me happiest is that the house itself has grown bright again. To think, even after I nearly suffered disgrace, you not only healed our bodies but soothed our hearts as well. You truly are a real saint.”

With those words, the Count bowed her head deeply.

N-No, no, no! That’s not okay! The highest-ranking person in the whole domain shouldn’t be bowing to some random commoner like me—that’s bad for prestige!

While I was flailing in panic, the Count lifted her head and let out a quiet, amused chuckle.

“My, so showing humility works better on you than intimidation. This is the first time I’ve seen you so flustered, Saint.”

Ah… so she could smile like this too.

In fact, maybe this warm, gentle smile was her true face all along. No wonder Midra and the retainers are so devoted to her.

“As for the successor, for now I’ve entrusted that role to Janis. In time, a wife will have to be brought in, but whether the headship passes to her or remains with Janis will depend entirely on future results. If I judge him lacking, I’ll strip it away without mercy—be prepared. After all, I can always put my hopes in a grandchild instead.”

“Yes, Mother. You’d better be ready yourself. I’ll prove myself so thoroughly that you won’t be able to say a word against me.”

Janis grinned sharply, and his mother immediately struck a dramatic pose, pretending to collapse in tears.

“Oh, my precious Janis—only a few days gone by, and already he’s grown so insolent. And whose fault could this possibly be, hmm, Saint?”

“Isn’t it a good thing you’ve got such a strong successor now?”

Somewhere in the back I caught a mutter of, “Successor? What’s this about? I wasn’t told any of that,” but I ignored it. Come to think of it, I hadn’t actually told Deabolica about my talks with Midra and Janis. Well, she never asked for a report, so… whatever.

“You’ve truly done so much for us, Saint. You’re an honored friend of the Longfield family now. If you ever have the time, please return—this time, I’ll welcome you as a friend and give you my heartfelt hospitality.”

“Thank you. I’ll gladly accept that invitation.”

“Well… should you prefer, I wouldn’t mind welcoming you not as a friend but as a concubine.”

With that, the Count snapped a playful wink my way. None of the sultry allure she’d shown that night—just a cute, mischievous little tease.

Catching sight of poor Midra’s flustered expression at the edge of my vision, I bowed my head politely.

“With all due respect, I must politely decline. It’s a tempting offer, but if I agreed, I couldn’t remain Janis’s friend anymore.”

“Fufu… I see, I see. As his mother, I can’t very well steal away the first true friend my son has made. It tears at my heart to let such a fine man slip away, but for my son’s sake, I’ll give up. Please, continue to be Janis’s dear friend.”

Midra let out a visible sigh of relief, and his expression was so funny I couldn’t help but laugh as I nodded.

“Of course.”

That’s when Janis suddenly darted in and clutched both my hands tightly.

“Big Brother! You have to come visit again! I’ll be waiting forever!”

“Yeah, yeah, I know, Janis. …By the way, why do you always try to lace your fingers with mine…?”

Meanwhile, the adventurers in the back were giving us sparkly-eyed stares and muttering things like, “My, how beautiful,” and “Let’s build a monument right here.”

Excuse me, what exactly are you people seeing between me and Janis!?

≪Explanation time!

This touching farewell—where the noble “lady” (Janis) clasps hands and intertwines fingers with her beloved “sister” (Yuji)—looks for all the world like a radiant yuri scene between a count’s daughter and a saint!

Since close male friendships are rare in this world, the rarity value shoots sky-high!≫

And just as I was trying to process that nonsense, Deabolica popped her head in from behind with an ehehe grin.

“…By the way, about that little item I requested earlier…”

“Ah, yes. I haven’t forgotten. I’ll present you with the Longfield family heirloom—the Springwater Orb.”

…Huh!?

Midra pulled out a familiar-looking cloth pouch and handed it straight to Deabolica.

The moment she received it, her face lit up like a kid on Christmas.

“Ooooh…! So this is the legendary Springwater Orb! Thank you so much! With this, Thousand Leaves will prosper even more!”

Hold the hell up.

“That’s supposed to be used for the vegetable cultivation trials—!”

I tried to cut in, but Janis stopped me with a calm shake of the head.

“It’s fine, Big Brother. We’ve got a river flowing right through our garden. We can just draw water from there.”

“But still! That’s Midra’s dowry, right!? It’s something he poured his heart into! You can’t just—”

“It’s all right.”

Midra spoke firmly, shaking his head slowly.

“Big Brother, we’ve already taken far too much from you. You cured our illness, solved the family’s problems, and even shared priceless knowledge with us. For a Count’s household to just keep receiving charity without giving anything back—our honor wouldn’t allow it. We must return something of true value.”

“Charity? …I never thought of it like that.”

“Then think of it this way: a relationship where one side only gives and the other only takes—that’s not friendship. If you truly see us as friends, then please, accept our gift.”

“…Midra…”

“Meeting you has been the greatest fortune of my life. More than this orb, you are the real treasure we’ve found.”

Ghh…!

Without realizing it, I felt a tear prick at the corner of my eye and quickly wiped it away with my thumb.

Yeah… me too. Meeting these warmhearted people has become the very first treasure I found in this new world.

“That’s right! From this day forward, the Longfield family and the Hottaste family are bound in unshakable friendship! So go on—accept the gift with pride! Wahahaha!”

Shut it, you third-rate sleazy scammer.

Seriously, you… you of all people. For real? You just had to stick your nose in this moment? Even I, with my [Mental Resistance] dulling my empathy, can tell how badly you just killed the mood. Honestly, maybe it would’ve been better if Deabolica had been executed back then.

Still… without her, I probably wouldn’t have gotten anything out of this exchange either. In that sense, maybe she really does balance things out. Hm… yeah, I’ll let it slide. The Count’s family seems satisfied, so whatever.

“Well then, everyone—take care!”

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—From the Biblos Terminology Dictionary—

[Training Sect]

A sect of the New Faith that emerged on Brishav Island during the early years of the Great Brishav Empire.

In addition to the core New Faith principle of “revering the Holy Scripture,” this sect built its doctrine around three pillars: Strengthen the body. Praise your neighbors. Give thanks to others.

At the time, the Strict Sect dominated the empire, heavily restricting entertainment. The Training Sect, however, introduced a unique ritual: group workouts in rhythm—basically dance-exercise worship. To the common people, it was both fun and liberating. As a backlash against the dull austerity of the Strict Sect, it exploded in popularity.

The founder was a mysterious figure known only as “Big Brother.” Nowadays, he’s revered as “Great Elder Brother,” a title meaning all humans are siblings under God, and among them, he is the eldest who leads the rest. His true identity, however, remains shrouded in mystery, and scholars are still hotly debating it even today.

Unlike most New Faith sects that stuck to plain, austere diets, the Training Sect stood out by actually promoting healthy gourmet eating. They encouraged dishes low in fat and rich in vegetables and fish. This doctrinal shift ended up reshaping the entire food culture of the Great Brishav Empire. In fact, many argue that the reason the modern Brishav Union is hailed as the world’s top gourmet nation is thanks to this sect’s influence.

Among their favorites were the Sun Omelet—basically a tortilla doppelgänger popular in the Castella region—and the Rabbit Salad, a Shalsmel dish that uses a rich broth as dressing. These recipes likely migrated from their regions of origin, but here’s the kicker: Shalsmel, being right across the strait, makes sense. But how the heck did Castella’s cooking suddenly boom on Brishav Island? That part’s still a total mystery.

It was also this sect that revived the lost bathing culture of the ancient Loman—er, Lomanesque Empire, first reintroducing it in the Naroppa cultural sphere. To uphold the doctrine of “Bathe at least once every three days,” public bathhouses began springing up across the cities. Records note that Longfield’s public baths were among the oldest, and thanks to them, the local plague rate was remarkably low compared to other regions.

In its earliest days, the sect even had a… shall we say… phallic worship element. Because of that, both New and Old Faith authorities at the time branded it as a wicked heresy. However, before things got too out of hand, Big Brother himself put the brakes on that practice, and the papal authority quickly withdrew its condemnation. (Though, according to some records, the fertility-boosting effects did seem real.)

Later on, the Training Sect was formally absorbed into the National Holy Assembly, the state religion of the Great Brishav Empire, where it grew into the majority branch it remains today.