I Came Back from the Dead, Quit Being a Holy Hero, and Just Wanna Shake My Hips in a Harem

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Chapter 22: The Demon Lord’s Temptation — Resist It, Hero Haruya‼

That day, I paid a visit to one of the most famous holy places around—

The Sacred Spring of Falm.

It was a small spring tucked away in a clearing deep in the woods.

The water was crystal clear—so pure it looked like melted sunlight.

A gentle waterfall trickled nearby, and every breeze filled my lungs with clean, refreshing air.

Yeah… even the faintest trace of holy energy drifted through the atmosphere.

At the center of the spring was a circular stone platform, just big enough for one person to sit cross-legged.

Anyone lost in doubt or confusion came here to reflect—

To sit in silence and have a heart-to-heart with themselves.

I took a seat and straightened my posture, ready to face my inner turmoil head-on.

“Hohoho~ How’s the soul-searching going, young man?”

A cheerful old guy called out to me from the edge of the spring—

But I kept my focus on the meditation.

“Mm, yes, good focus! Keep doubting everything, young one~”

He sounded weirdly excited about that.

For the record, he wasn’t some sage or mystical hermit.

Just a friendly local grandpa who managed the place.

Apparently, he really got a kick out of watching people go through their dramatic personal breakthroughs.

Sure, the entry fee was a little steep…

But man, the vibes? Immaculate.

I closed my eyes and focused deeper.

Expanded my awareness.

Separated myself from the world around me.

By sharpening the boundary between me and the universe, I slipped into a higher state of clarity.

And inside that expanded mental space…

I finally confronted the one great dilemma weighing on my soul.

The ultimate inner struggle.

How the hell do I lose my virginity?

Up until now, I’d clung to this one shining dream—

That someday, I’d walk into a high-end brothel, pick the top-tier girls, and have the greatest first time imaginable.

I’ve been working toward that goal with everything I’ve got.

Because, y’know… I wanted my first time to be a once-in-a-lifetime memory.

But recently… a new thought had started creeping into my mind: “What if… I lost my virginity with a party member?”

Lily and Filio—both insanely attractive.

They’ve made plenty of appearances in my private mental highlight reels, if you catch my drift.

I used to think that hooking up with teammates would just be way too messy.

But now… I was starting to waver.

Heck, there was even that one time I accidentally ended up hanging around the Adventure Guild’s Pure Love Faction table.

“Haruya? What the hell are you doing here? This is a pure romance-only discussion zone.”

“C’mon, let me in. I wanna talk too.”

“Haaah? You? Talking about love?”

“Lately, I’ve been thinking… deepening bonds with your comrades, then making sweet, passionate love… maybe that’s not so bad.”

“OOOH⁉ I knew you’d get it eventually‼ Pure love rules‼”

“Doing it with someone who’s been bossing you around this whole time… kinda hits different, huh?”

“SOMEONE GET SALT‼ THIS GUY’S POSSESSED‼ TIME FOR AN EXORCISM‼”

Doing the deed with Lily or Filio—who totally had me wrapped around their fingers in my past life?

Yeah, it’d feel amazing.

Even now, they still push me around constantly… so honestly, it’d probably hit extra good.

But… there were still so many issues I had to figure out.

No matter how much I thought about it, I just couldn’t find a clear answer.

And that’s how I ended up at the Sacred Spring of Falm, searching for some sort of divine guidance.

But nothing came to me…

The confusion just wouldn’t go away…

I couldn’t exactly pray to Goddess Flora and risk her suddenly showing up out of nowhere—

So instead…

Let’s go with Demon Lord Chronova!

Chronova, my former nemesis turned reluctant life coach—help me out here!

Come on dooooown, Demon Lord Chronova~ Let’s have a chat~!

Wiggle-wiggle-woooo~

(That’s the sound of my brain fog taking physical form.)

“Was it you… who summoned me, Hero Haruya Arden?”

“You’re… Demon Lord Chronova! (Created entirely by my imagination!)”

“Kukuku… you seem deeply conflicted, Hero. (Still 100% imaginary.)”

The imaginary Demon Lord Chronova spoke with this powerful, majestic tone—

Like he was two seconds away from offering me half the world or something.

“I’ve been seriously lost lately, y’know? I can’t figure out how to lose my virginity… It’s honestly kinda pathetic, considering I used to be the Hero.”

“Hmm… You’ve got an overcomplicated virginity situation. It’s the kind of problem that comes from setting your expectations too high. But this struggle? It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Think of it as a pause before progress.”

“Demon Lord Chronova…”

As expected from the Demon Lord of my imagination—

He’s weirdly good at supporting my emotional needs.

“So tell me, Hero. What exactly are you torn about?”

“On one hand, I could stick to the plan—go out in style at a high-end brothel. The pros know what they’re doing, and it’d definitely be a once-in-a-lifetime memory. But… then there’s…”

“Lily and Filio, huh.”

“…Yeah. If I lost it with them, I know it’d be unforgettable. No question.”

“And deep down, you’re dreaming of a harem too, aren’t you?”

“A harem built on friendship, trust, and passionate team-building sex. That’s nothing but dreams and hope! Or… at least it should be…”

Doing it with girls who’ve always had the upper hand on me—

Who teased me, bossed me around, outclassed me in every way…

I wanna see their lewd, naughty expressions.

I wanna see them melt.

I wanna see it so bad. I wanna see it soooooo bad.

It doesn’t feel completely out of reach anymore.

But… but still…

“It’s the risk, isn’t it… Hero?”

“Making a move on either of them… comes with way too much responsibility.”

If I touched Lily, I’d be staring straight into the blinding holy light endgame.

That’s probably why she keeps setting up those honeytrap ambushes—

Once I fall for one, there’s no way out. I’ll be forced to take responsibility.

And with Filio?

Well… there’s a non-zero chance I might literally get drained dry and lose all function forever.

Still, I’ve been taking part in her “Succubus Training ♥” while dancing carefully around the danger zone.

No way I’m saying no to that—but I’m keeping one foot on the brakes… kinda.

That said…

I did almost collapse that one time she accidentally went full Drain Mode on me.

But even so—

I absolutely refuse to give up‼

Because I’m a former Hero who once lit up the world—

And Filio has giant boobs‼‼‼

Also, even if she’s totally cool with it, her family’s noble status means messing up could bring some very serious consequences.

I’ve gotta tread carefully.

So, I just poured all my inner turmoil into the Sacred Spring…

“They’re just… so dang attractive, Demon Lord…”

“Hmm.”

“If I could just ignore all the potential disasters… they’d be insanely attractive, Demon Lord…”

“…Your daily masturbation count has gone up, hasn’t it.”

“Hmph… Yeah, I’m not proud of it. But maybe it’s time to drop the fantasy and just go with the pros. I mean… it’s not even clear if those two would be down for a harem in the first place…”

There I was, laying out my shameful, pathetic truth—

And Demon Lord Chronova just sat there, silently listening to all of it.

After everything… maybe we did bond through battle.

Even if he is imaginary.

“Hero… it’s okay to be unsure.”

That one line completely caught me off guard.

“But if I stay unsure—”

“Who’s gonna suffer for that? Who’s gonna take the fall? …Hero, aren’t you just a virgin who’s overthinking things?”

“Ah‼‼‼”

It hit me like divine lightning straight to the brain.

It’s okay to be unsure.

A glorious revelation—practically a heavenly vision—smacked me straight in the neurons.

“Hero, why not deepen your bonds with your party while staying uncertain?”

“Deepen… bonds… with my party?”

“Yes. By growing closer, you may come to see things differently. Time will change your relationships. You may find yourself ready to accept them for who they are. And if that happens—then connect your hearts… fully.”

“Demon Lord Chronova…”

I sat there in awe at her wisdom—

And he gave me the most majestic, smug laugh imaginable.

“Fwahahaha! It seems you’ve finally understood, Hero!”

“So what you’re saying is—I just keep things as-is, deepen the bonds when I can, and quietly keep my eyes open for a chance at some casual, low-commitment harem sex‼ Brilliant! You’re incredible, Demon Lord!”

“…Hah? That’s not what I said at all.”

“A casual relationship where no one defines anything?! What a terrifying concept!”

“You dare twist my wisdom to justify your horny scheming!?”

“As expected from you, Demon Lord—no, Lord Chronova‼‼”

Chronova let out a howl of pure frustration, clearly regretting every moment of his imaginary life coaching.

“Daaamn you, Hero Haruya Arden…‼”

“Later, my inner darkness—no, my inner light! Peace out!”

“W-Wait, are you seriously going with that!? You’ll just be a total scumbag if you dooooooo!!!”

Demon Lord Chronova let out one last dramatic scream…

And vanished back into the depths of my imagination.

I slowly opened my eyes.

Felt amazing.

Like a massive weight had been lifted off my soul.

Maybe sensing my mental breakthrough, the old man by the spring called out to me.

“Hohoho, looks like you’ve found your answer.”

“Yup! I’ve decided to put off all decisions and just stay in this fuzzy, undefined middle ground! I’ll keep things vague, aim for a maybe-harem, and let fate do its thing!”

“…That’s what you’re calling clarity?”

The old man looked genuinely confused—

But my heart had never felt clearer.

Yeah, these past few days were a lot.

But life’s all about ups and downs, right?

And I had a feeling a juicy little reward event was waiting just around the corner.

That’s the kind of life I’m living now—full-on positivity mode.

…………And touching those girls’ hearts?

Yeah.

Definitely don’t regret it.

Not even a little.

Welp!