My Childhood Friend Told Me to Go Marry the Most Beautiful Woman in the Kingdom, So I Seriously Started Improving Myself—and Somehow Ended Up Making Women Fall Hard - Chapter 112 & 113

Chapter 112: Let’s Go Hear Their Feelings (2)

Nagi smiled in satisfaction and slipped out of my arms.

…And yet, the way she looked just a little reluctant to let go felt unfair.

“Hort.”

“Yeah?”

“Nagi can think we’re going out now, right?”

The sudden, straightforward question made my heart skip a beat.

If I got vague here, everything would just repeat itself.

I took a breath… and nodded.

“Yeah. From here on… let’s take care of each other.”

“…! Yes!”

For a moment, it felt like Nagi’s ears perked right up.
Maybe it was because she was oni-folk, but her happiness was way too easy to read.

And then, out of nowhere, she stretched up on her toes and—“Chu.”

“W-Wait, Nagi! This is right in front of the guild!”

“This is an advance on our promise!”

“Advance payment for what!?”

Nagi puffed out her chest, looking completely triumphant.

“Then, Nagi is heading home! Hort, do your best!”

“O-Oh…”

Before I could even process it, Nagi lightly dashed off.

Halfway through, she turned back and waved one hand.

“Don’t forget, okay!!”

“I won’t, so stop yelling!!”

Leaving her laughter behind, Nagi disappeared into the crowd.

…Alright.

The weight in my chest felt just a little lighter.

But it wasn’t because I had finished things with the first person.

It was because I didn’t leave things vague.

That alone… was enough to steady me.

Nagi became my girlfriend.

Someday… I want to make her my wife.

I’ve got to treat my oni bride well.

♢

Next, I headed to Fururu’s workshop—the one with the forge.

The air in the craftsmen’s district felt completely different from the Adventurers’ Guild.

The smell of metal. The heat of fire. The mix of cloth and oil.

It was a road I knew well… and yet, today my steps felt heavy.

I took a deep breath in front of the door and knocked.

Before I even got a reply, I heard hurried footsteps.

Clack!

“Big Brother Hort!!”

The moment the door opened, Fururu jumped straight at me.

“Fururu, it’s been a while.”

“You came to see me!? You really came!?”

“Calm down, Fururu! Your hug is too strong! That blacksmith strength is no joke—and you’re hitting me in all kinds of places too!”

She squeezed me tight—so tight it felt like my ribs were creaking.

From deeper inside the workshop, a few dwarf ladies peeked out.

“Now, now, Fururu! Don’t crush Hort like a press machine!”

“But I’m happy!”

“Even then, there’s a limit!”

“Haha…”

I lightly tapped Fururu’s shoulder and finally managed to put some space between us.

“…I wanted to talk with you, Fururu. Is that okay?”

“Of course it is!”

Fururu’s eyes sparkled as she grabbed my hand.

“Is it about a new design? Formal wear? Or maybe… something for a party!?”

“No. Today… it’s about your confession.”

“…C-Con… fession…?”

In an instant, Fururu’s face turned bright red.

“We’re talking upstairs!!”

Fururu grabbed my arm and dragged me up to the second floor of the workshop.

Behind us, the dwarf ladies started whistling.

“Hey! At least make sure you lock up properly!”

“Fururu’s got guts!”

“That’s how a woman should be!”

As I got dragged along, I glanced back one last time at the workshop entrance.

The craftsmen were all watching with those looks… like they’d just found something incredibly entertaining.

As we rushed up to the second floor, Fururu whispered quietly.

“Hort… you look serious today. Fururu will listen properly.”

“…Thanks.”

Just that one line made the weight in my chest sink a little deeper.

Once we were alone in the room, I looked straight at Fururu.

“First, I want to confirm something. You confessed to me before.”

“I did!”

“Yeah. And… Fururu, I’ve decided I’m going to aim to become a Crown Knight.”

“A Crown Knight? Not a craftsman?”

“Yeah.”

“Does that mean… for Fururu, you—”

The light in Fururu’s eyes faded, turning dull and cloudy.

“Wait!”

“Huh?”

“The truth is… there are other women who confessed to me too.”

“U-Um?”

“I want to face each of their feelings properly.”

“Eh?”

“So… if Fururu is okay with it… would you accept dating me at the same time as them?”

Fururu was pure. There was a chance she didn’t fully understand.

“What? Is that all!?”

“Eh?”

“That’s totally fine! I get big sisters now!”

“No, Fururu… do you really understand what that means? It means I’d be dating other women too.”

Her answer made me uneasy, and I found myself asking again.

“Dwarves don’t worry about small details like that! More importantly, I want to know—does Hort like Fururu?”

“That’s for sure! I like you, Fururu.”

I answered immediately.

It was similar to Nagi… in the sense that it started from her confession.

But while I was injured and couldn’t even move—

Fururu had taken care of me the whole time.

While Natasha was looking after the other patients, Fururu stayed by my side… watching over only me.

“I’m so happy!”

Fururu jumped up from her chair and dove straight into my chest.

“You really like hugging, huh, Fururu.”

“I do! I like Hort’s scent.”

Even though she was small, she pressed her soft chest tightly against me, clinging as she buried her face into me.

“…There’s something I want to ask.”

“What is it?”

Fururu looked up at me.

She looked so cute that I ended up patting her fluffy, soft hair.

“If… I chose someone else… and didn’t choose you, Fururu…”

Before I could finish, the light faded from Fururu’s eyes, and she tightened her grip around me.

“If that happens… Fururu will lose everything.”

“…Huh?”

“If Hort isn’t there, Fururu can’t go on anymore. Dwarves are stubborn. We don’t worry about small things. But once we decide something, we never change it. Fururu already decided… she’s going to become Hort’s bride. And if that can’t happen—”

I pulled Fururu tightly into my arms.

“Fweh?”

“Then I’ll make that decision come true. Fururu accepted me. So… I’ll accept you too.”

“I’m so happy!”

Fururu tightened her hug even more.

…I’m not wrong.

I’ll make sure she’s happy… without hurting her.

“And also, Fururu wants Hort to come up with lots more designs besides bras!”

“…Huh?”

“Hort has talent for making women’s underwear! By getting to know lots of women, you should come up with the best designs!”

“…I’m not sure that’s how that works…”

“I’m counting on you!”

Please stop expecting weird things from me!

Chapter 113: A Comrade’s Forceful Invitation

Up on the second floor of Fururu’s workshop, after getting hugged and nearly crushed, I finally managed to breathe again.

“Alright, Fururu… let’s calm down for a moment.”

“I am calm! Fururu is very calm right now!”

“That’s exactly what someone who isn’t calm would say!”

“I’m calm!!”

She squeezed me again.

…How many times am I going to almost suffocate against someone’s chest today?

“Hort! Lunch! It’s lunchtime!”

“Huh, it’s already that time?”

“Yeah! It’s a bride experience!”

That wording was way too strong.

“Wait, what do you mean by ‘experience’?”

“It’s practice for becoming your bride! Today, Hort will eat Fururu’s cooking!”

“…You can cook?”

“That’s rude! Blacksmiths are good with fire! Cooking is fire and iron! It’s the same!”

“I feel like that last part is different!”

Before I could argue further, Fururu dashed down the stairs.

And just like that, we were back on the first floor of the workshop.

“Auntieees! I’m borrowing the kitchen!”

“Oh? Finally going for his stomach, huh!”

“A good man is won through his stomach, Fururu!”

“Leave it to me!”

…Everyone around here was way too into this.

I got sat down on a chair in the corner of the workshop, and for some reason, an apron was put on me.

“W-Wait, me too!?”

“Hort helps too! A bride experience means a couple experience!”

“…Is that how that works?”

Yeah, not “alright” at all.

Fururu hummed to herself as she pulled out a pot and started washing vegetables with practiced ease.

Her hands were small, but her knife work was fast and precise, with no wasted movement.

…Scary. A blacksmith’s knife skills were seriously scary.

“Hort, there! Peel the onions!”

“Got it.”

I started peeling. I was used to cooking from back when I was with Rina, but doing it together with someone like this… was actually fun.

“Ow, my eyes—”

“Don’t cry! Fururu will protect you!”

“I’m just tearing up from the onions!”

Fururu proudly tossed ingredients into the pot one after another.

The aroma started to rise… surprisingly, this was pretty legit.

“It’s done!”

On the table were a hearty stew packed with meat and vegetables, along with freshly baked bread.

And for some reason, a small lump of what looked like homemade butter.

“…Looks good.”

“It is good! It’s Fururu’s first bride meal!”

The moment I took a bite, it was hot—but the flavor was gentle.

The heat was strong, but not harsh.

“…This is good.”

“Really!?”

“Yeah, really. You’re amazing, Fururu.”

“Hehe… you can praise me more!”

Her cheeks turned bright red, and she bounced slightly in her chair.

Then, riding that momentum, she tried to hug me again.

“Wait, wait, wait. I’m eating.”

“Then Fururu will hug you after you finish! It’s reserved!”

“Reserved!?”

When I laughed, Fururu puffed out her chest proudly.

“A bride experience, you know… when you say ‘this is good,’ Hort, it makes my chest feel all warm!”

“…That’s… a good thing.”

“Yeah! That’s why I’ll cook again tomorrow, and the day after that too!”

“Wait, hold on—my break is almost over, you know!?”

“Even if it ends, I’ll still cook! Hort will come!”

“Didn’t that just flip the whole situation!?”

The dwarf aunties around us burst out laughing.

“Got yourself caught, huh.”

“She’s got both your stomach and your heart!”

“Be quiet! Fururu is the main wife!”

“I never said that!?”

…This workshop really was full of people doing whatever they wanted.

But it felt warm… in a good way.

♢

After lunch, Fururu clung to my arm like she didn’t want to let go. Somehow, I managed to gently pull away.

“Alright, I’m heading out. I’ll come again.”

“Really!?”

“Yeah… I promise.”

The moment I said “promise,” Fururu’s eyes lit up.

She grabbed onto my sleeve tightly.

“Then Fururu promises too! I’ll make something even better than today!”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“Yeah!!”

As I stepped out of the workshop, the air of the craftsmen’s district hit me with its heat.

The sound of metal being hammered. The smell of fire. The voices of people.

…Alright. Where to next?

The moment that thought crossed my mind, a familiar voice called out from behind me.

“Heyyy—Hort!!”

I turned around.

Standing there was Gemini from the Sixth Squad of the Third Knight Order.

And the scars on his face… his neck… his arms.

From that battle, he had taken heavy injuries. He was supposed to have been off the front lines until recently.

“Gemini!? You’re alive!?”

“That’s the first thing you say!? Well, yeah—I almost died though!”

He laughed loudly and smacked my shoulder.

…That hurt. Good thing I’m not the one who’s injured.

“You’re back already?”

“Yeah! The people at the clinic told me, ‘Don’t come back here,’ so that means I’m fully recovered!”

That logic made no sense. But his eyes were full of life.

Same as always—bright in that dumb, reckless way.

“So, Hort. You free?”

“No, I’ve got a lot going on right now—”

“Let’s go to a mixer!!”

“Huh!?”

That came out of nowhere, and my voice cracked.

“No way! I can’t, I’m in the middle of—”

“You promised!!”

“When did I ever!?”

“You said you’d introduce me to girls!!”

Gemini pointed straight at me.

“You said it before! ‘Once things calm down after that fight, I’ll introduce you to some cute girls!’”

“…Did I really say that?”

“You did!!! I was on the verge of death, remember!? That promise was my lifeline!!”

“Don’t turn it into a lifeline!”

I grabbed my head. 

Yeah… I kinda did say something like that.

“I seriously don’t have time for that right now.”

“What!? So now that you’ve made it into the Royal Guard, you’re just gonna abandon me!?”

“Don’t twist it like that!”

Gemini suddenly slumped a little.

“…You smell nice.”

“…What?”

“That’s a woman’s scent, isn’t it.”

“Hey.”

“HEY!! Hort!! Don’t tell me you’ve already made progress!? I’m still stuck at zero! I got covered in scars protecting you, you know!?”

“Ghh!!”

The craftsmen on the street were starting to glance our way.

Stop it. This is embarrassing.

“Alright, fine! A mixer is impossible! But… if it’s just introducing someone, I’ll think about it.”

“Seriously!?”

“Yeah. But I’m getting permission first.”

Gemini’s eyes lit up.

“From who!?”

“…There’s someone I need to consult.”

“You’ve got a girl who’s good at that kind of thing!?”

“Shut up! Keep it down a bit!”

I lined up the candidates in my head… and my stomach tightened.

Someone I could talk to about this.

Someone who could honestly reach out to people in trouble.

And someone I needed to properly face right now.

“…I’ll ask Sister.”

“Sister!? That’s a wild direction to go in!?”

Gemini burst out laughing.

“So you’re finally relying on God, huh!”

“I’m not relying on anyone! I’m just asking for advice!”

Gemini smacked my shoulder, grinning.

“Alright then, I’ll wait for the result! Tomorrow!”

“Wait! Don’t decide my schedule on your own!”

“The mixer’s tomorrow night! No excuses!”

While we were still arguing, Gemini waved and walked off.

“I’m counting on youuu! Girls—!!”

“Stop shouting!!”

I stood there for a moment and let out a deep sigh.

…How did it end up like this?

I was supposed to be heading straight into a romantic battlefield, and now a mixer had somehow cut in.

And on top of that, the person I had to consult… was Natasha.

“…Haah… I guess I’ll ask if there are any women at the temporary clinic.”

I steeled myself and started walking toward the slums.

To talk with Natasha.

Thinking about Gemini’s face… and Natasha’s face… just made my head hurt.