Chapter 2: ③ That Man Is No Hero—He’s a Merchant

“Ny-Nya, what is this status…!? …Ny-Nyaaa~~, Master, what were you doing in all those playthroughs nya!?”

She clutched her head with her front paws, her tail drooping.
The sight was the very picture of despair in feline form.

As Kokuyou stared in stunned silence, all eyes focused on the status displayed on the glowing panel.

【Yuuri Ravelt】
《Race》Human
《Class》Merchant
《Class Rank》SSS
《Title》Holy One (Harem King)

≪Base Stats≫
Leadership: F / Martial Prowess: F / Strategy: F / Politics: F
Strength: F / Magic: F / Agility: F / Endurance: SSS
Stamina: SSS / Virility: SSS / Recovery: SSS / Action Points: SSS
Elemental Resistance: SSS / Status Resistance: SSS / Mental Resistance: SSS
Dexterity: SSS / Charm: SSS / Luck: SSS

≪Proficiencies≫
Swordsmanship: F / Dagger Arts: F / Spear Arts: F / Staff Arts: F
Archery: F / Martial Arts: F / Axe Arts: F / Shield Arts: F
Magic Studies: F / Faith: F / Command: F / Horsemanship: F
Evasion: F / Gathering: F / Crafting: F / Exploration: F
Kissing: SSS / Caressing: SSS / Positions: SSS / Insertion: SSS
Fire: F / Water: F / Wind: F / Earth: F / Lightning: F
Light: F / Dark: F / Time: F / Space: F / Illusion: F
Healing: SSS / Support: SSS / Debuff: SSS / Summoning: SSS

≪Gifts≫
・Otherworld Shop
・Grace of Benevolence

≪Unique Skills≫
・Infinity Vault / Origin Sharing
・Heaven’s Finger / Beast Mode
・The Seed / One Night Hero

≪Contracted Spirit≫
・Cait Sith: Kokuyou (Spirit Rank S)

“One Night Hero? …Wh…what is this…”

The moment she saw the panel, all color drained from Lieselotte’s face.
What jumped into her vision was an onslaught of proficiencies she’d never heard of.

(……Huh…? What…am I being shown right now…?)

Too indecent, too perfect.
Her brain short-circuited as her cheeks rapidly flushed crimson.

“A-And…it’s all nighttime…nighttime stats!?!?”

Face bright red, she practically shouted.
Meanwhile, Celine—

“…My.”

She murmured only that, quietly lowering her eyes.
Her usual elegant smile played at her lips, but only her eyes trembled ever so slightly.

“Funya…the more I look, the worse it gets nya…”

(Holy One…what even is that!? And Insertion SSS…wh-what is he thinking…!?)

Shame, confusion, anger, and just a little bit of disturbance welled up inside her.

(……No, calm down, me. If I think about this rationally, this is just a reincarnation accident! An accident!)

Glancing sideways, Lieselotte saw Celine still staring at the panel with a straight face.

(Wait, why is Mother looking so seriously!? Please laugh, that’s where you should be laughing!)

A moment of silence passed.
Kokuyou sighed softly, her eyes distant.

“…I don’t even have the energy to retort anymore nya…I’ll explain nya…”

With a voice full of resignation, she began speaking bit by bit.

“When Master was doing all those playthroughs of Harem Kingdom, he raised his stats like this nya…
As a reincarnation bonus, that growth data was completely used to create his body here nya…”

In other words, Yuuri’s erotic specialization status was deliberately cultivated by his own clear intent.
And it was undeniable proof that he’d been repeating exactly those kinds of actions.

“To pour everything into such indecent abilities…what were you thinking!?”

As Lieselotte shouted, face bright red, Kokuyou looked away.
Ignoring Lieselotte’s turmoil, Yuuri wobbled to his feet and struck a triumphant pose with his thumb up.

“I mean, it’s way more fun to make my wives stronger than getting strong myself!!
That’s why I put everything into ‘strengthening my wives!’
The game had mechanics where the more times you visited at night, the higher their growth limits and combat power got! Truly a harem king!”

“Th-This man…!”

(……What kind of logic is that!? And saying it with a smile so brazenly…!)

Cold sweat, trembling, breathlessness—and something unidentifiable spreading in her chest, emotions running wild.

(Why would I ever…even slightly care about…a man like this…!)

As if to blow away that confusion—

“‘Kissing SSS’ and ‘Positions SSS’ are all the results of working hard for my wives!”

Before she knew it, her fist was raised.

“You indecent perverted hero merchant!!!”
“Bwoheh!”

Lieselotte’s fist shot forward, and Yuuri’s body flew through the air, embedding in the wall.

“…I’m worried about what’s ahead nya.”

Kokuyou looked up at her master stuck in the wall and let out a deep sigh.

(……No way, despite that indecent status…that smile was just a little…cute…I’m not thinking that at all!)

Chapter 3: ① Politics Move at Night, It Seems, But the Palace’s Heartbeat Was “Love”

“Change! Right now!!”

Lieselotte’s shout definitely shattered the atmosphere of the room.
Yuuri froze for half a second, then involuntarily jumped up.

“Ehhhh!? W-Wait, what!? Why change!?”

Hit with that rejection first thing, Yuuri was half-panicking.

“‘What’ doesn’t even begin to cover it!!
The person entrusted with this kingdom’s future is, of all things, a ‘Holy One’ perverted merchant—
This is no joke!!”

She pressed in, face bright red.
Her gaze, a mix of anger and shame, was piercingly sharp, yet somewhere it seemed tinged with fear.

“Eh…am I really that bad!?
I mean yeah, that status is definitely…
even I thought it was a bit much…!”

Aware of the issue, Yuuri couldn’t find words to respond and awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

“Someone like that should be replaced immediately—we should summon a proper hero again!”

Kokuyou fell silent for a moment.
After tapping her tail once on the floor, she spoke.

“That’s impossible nya.”

Sitting on the floor, swishing her tail back and forth, the black cat continued matter-of-factly.

“Hero summoning is a ritual only possible in a single instant when the Star Spirit’s blessing and celestial alignment are perfectly aligned nya.
The next time it becomes possible is—in a hundred years nya.”

“A-A hundred years…!?”

Hand against the wall, Lieselotte tried to speak…but couldn’t say anything.
Her lips trembled, her gaze swimming in empty space.
As if watching the word “future” that had been there crumble like sand.

(Well yeah, if you summon someone and they turn out to be a perverted erotic merchant, even I’d be shocked.)

The man himself hadn’t dreamed such a dangerous title would be attached, and had no way to make excuses.
But when someone else thrust it at him like this, how to put it…

(If there was a hole, I’d want to reincarnate again.)

“Mother…surely not…this man is really…our last chance…?”

“…Yes. There’s no magic power left to perform the ritual again.
Besides, even if he’s not a hero, wouldn’t that be fine?”

“N-No…you can’t, Mother!
It’s because he’s the ‘hero’ that each faction accepts him.
If we deny that, all the balance—will collapse!”

“It’s all right. Star Spirit-sama ‘guided’ him…that alone is more than enough reason.”

“B-But…that, after seeing those proficiencies…
Anyone who sees them, no matter how they look…um…! He’s a pervert…! And a ‘proud mass of eroticism’!?”

Face dyed crimson, head bowed, words squeezed out in fragments.
She should be angry, yet her lips trembled, looking almost tearful—yet with embarrassment exploding, incredibly…cute.

(……Yeah, she’s mad. Seriously. Well, of course. But isn’t she really concerned about me? Tsun 80, Dere 20?)

As his thoughts started running wild, Yuuri realized his cheeks were loosening.

(No no no, different story, don’t get cocky. That’s 100% pure confusion. Actually 0 dere. Maybe negative.)

He exhaled once.
In his line of sight, Lieselotte remained bowed, red to her ears.

(……But being that emotionally shaken means…she’s ‘aware’ of me, right?
Yeah, villains who show a bit of kindness often win over people. Even as a pervert, if I show sincerity…I want to believe there’s a chance.)

Thinking that far, Yuuri let out a small breath.

Funny, yet not funny.
But somewhere in his chest, just a little bit, warmth.

Just then—

“Can you stand?”

A gentle voice suddenly reached him.

Looking up, Celine was quietly extending her hand.
A graceful movement. Beautiful fingertips.

The moment he touched that soft warmth, his chest lightened just a bit.

(……Celia sees me as ‘me.’)

Taking her hand and standing, his previously unsteady footing felt a little more solid.
Strangely, the world’s scenery looked just slightly different.

Celine nodded lightly, then shifted her gaze to Lieselotte.
Those eyes were somehow quietly maternal, gentle.

“…Liese. If you’re going to carry this kingdom as queen…
maintaining harmony in the harem…is unavoidable.”

At those words, Lieselotte bit her lip tightly.
Complex colors touched her eyes—wanting to reject, yet unable to deny completely.
Celine lowered her gaze once and exhaled softly.

“But…the queen herself cannot make moves. So if we entrust that role—”

A single beat of silence.

“…The royal consort absolutely needs something ‘no one else can do.'”

“That ‘key’ is…those nighttime proficiencies all triple-S…!?”

The moment Lieselotte shouted, face bright red, the room’s atmosphere froze.