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 18 & 19

Chapter 18: Rain, a Girl, and Things Going Off the Rails

Side: Hort Rubel

Since my break kept dragging on, I’d been spending my days training as an adventurer so my skills wouldn’t get rusty.
I was still a bit cautious after that attack, but things seemed to have settled down now.

Maybe Vice-Commander Bind had done something behind the scenes?

More than anything, even though it had been a surprise attack, the fact that I’d managed to beat a proper knight of the kingdom was a huge gain for me.
It made me confident that all that brutal training under the commander hadn’t been for nothing.

“Phew… guess it’s about time to wrap up and head back.”

The rain started falling on my way back after finishing one subjugation request.
On the outskirts of the royal capital, right by the edge of the forest.

It had been sunny until just before noon, but the sky suddenly sank into a dull gray, and a damp wind shook the leaves.
The next moment, cold droplets landed on my shoulder.

“…Looks like it’s coming down.”

Right after I muttered that, the rain got serious.

It slammed down loudly.
The smell of wet earth grew thick.
My vision turned white and hazy, water dripping from my hair.
Leather armor grew heavy once soaked.
Even the grip of my sword became slippery.

What an awful kind of weather.

I veered off into the forest, looking for somewhere to take shelter.
A cave, a collapsed hut, a rock overhang—anything was fine.
I just needed a place where I could start a fire.

That was when I heard something faint, mixed in with the sound of the rain.

…Crying?

It was small. Broken up.
Each time the person breathed in, it sounded painful.

I stopped walking.

Normally, I wouldn’t get involved.
When an adventurer walked through the forest alone, the rule was simple—don’t go near unnecessary trouble.

But the image of Commander Adelheid’s red eyes flashed through my mind.

(Those weren’t the eyes of someone running away.)

If it were the commander, she would’ve gone to help without hesitation—even knowing how dangerous it was.

I glared up at the rain and let out a breath.

“…Guess I’m going.”

I slid my sword back into its sheath and kept only the dagger in my hand.

Moving slowly toward the sound, thunder began to roar overhead.

Don’t step on branches. Don’t splash the mud. Slow your breathing.

The crying grew a little clearer.

And then—the air started to prickle.

The smell of lightning.

A sharp scent, like scorched metal.
Static brushed over my skin, making my hair want to stand on end.

A bad feeling ran straight down my spine.

Pushing through the trees, I saw her.

An oni child.

She was about as tall as my chest.
Light gathered around her horns, and from there, lightning spilled out.

Her brown skin was slick with rain, wet black hair plastered to her forehead.

Oni-folk were rare within the kingdom.
Demi-humans weren’t persecuted here, but oni usually lived in the eastern lands, so chances to meet one were slim.

Lightning raced around the girl.

Purple-tinged bolts leapt across the ground, scorched tree trunks, and vaporized raindrops into rising white steam.

She hugged her head with both arms, trembling as she cried.

“No… no… stop… please…!”

Her voice was hoarse.
Like she wanted to scream, but her throat was already wrecked.

This was a mana rampage.

I’d seen Rina lose control of her mana before.

I measured the distance in an instant.

If I got close, I’d be burned.
If I stayed back, she’d end up killing herself.

I scanned the area—no companions in sight.

At this rate, her rampage would set the forest on fire.
One lightning strike was all it’d take.

I clicked my tongue.

Logic didn’t matter. Right now, there was a life in front of me that needed saving.

Get ready.

I opened the small pouch at my waist and grabbed a pinch of powder.

I set up a simple barrier to disrupt the flow of mana.

Then I thrust my palm forward.

“…Resist.”

Magic resistance.
It dulled the path of the lightning.
A beginner spell couldn’t block everything—but it could buy me time to get closer.

My skin tingled. My hair lifted.

Still, I didn’t stop.

One step. Two steps.

Lightning jumped and grazed my shoulder.

“—!”

Hot. But not enough to burn through.

The Resist was working.

The girl finally noticed me.

With bloodshot red eyes, she screamed in fear.

“Don’t come closer! You’ll die! You really will…!”

“I won’t. It’s okay. Trust me.”

I kept it short and clear.
Long speeches wouldn’t reach her.

Right now, I had to show it with actions, not words.

I stepped in again.

Lightning tore through the air and exploded at my feet.
A ring of mana flared.

Her voice was definitely that of a young girl.

Her mana was completely out of control.
This wasn’t her will—her body was forcing it out on its own.

…Then all I could do was block the outlet, just for a moment.

I drew in a breath and aimed my palm at her.

“Seal.”

A sealing spell.

Nothing refined like the ones used at court.
Just a simple cap—an extension of everyday magic.

But that was enough.
I only needed to narrow the flow of her mana a little.

The lightning jumps dulled.

In that instant, her shoulders dropped.

Her crying softened.

The mana was still there.
The afterheat of the rampage hadn’t faded yet.

So I layered one more spell.

“Calm.”

A spell to steady the mind.
It slowed the heartbeat and evened out breathing.
A dangerous magic if overused—close to forcing false peace.

Just slightly, her eyelids trembled.

“…I-I’m scared…”

Her voice was barely there.
The next moment, her knees gave out.

“—!”

She collapsed, and I moved on reflex, catching her in my arms.

“She’s light…”

Her soaked clothes were cold, and her bony shoulders shook faintly.

The lightning hadn’t vanished completely.
But now it was no more than sparks, quickly beaten out by the rain.

I let out a long breath.

“…Made it in time. At least she didn’t lose control and kill herself.”

She was unconscious—probably backlash from the rampage.

Her face looked bad. Her lips were blue.

If I left her in the rain like this, she’d definitely get sick.

I looked around.

Nearby, there was a hollow between rocks, like a narrow crack.
It wasn’t deep, but it’d be enough to keep the rain off.

I ran while holding the girl.
My numbed arms creaked in protest—but I couldn’t drop her.

Once we slipped beneath the rocks, the sound of rain felt a little farther away.

The ground was damp, but at least nothing was hitting us directly from above.

I laid the girl down and took off my jacket, draping it over her.
My body heat would be stolen, but I didn’t care.

I pulled out my fire starter.

…Soaked.
The firewood was damp too.

I took out oil paper from my pouch and tore up a dry cloth.

That was why I carried these things.

Daily-life tools never betrayed you.

The fire caught—small, but steady.

Warm air slowly pushed back the chill of the rock shelter.

A bit of color returned to the girl’s cheeks.

I looked at her horns.

Oni-folk. Rare.

A child like this being alone near the royal capital was strange.

Was she being chased? Did she run away? Or did she leave on her own because she was scared of hurting someone?

I didn’t know.

And I couldn’t ask right now.

Her mana was still unstable.

Strengthening the seal would make things safer—but if I pushed it too far, her mana would clog and put her life at risk.

So I only maintained it.

I lightly placed my palm on her and felt the pulse of her mana.

Lightning throbbed faintly.

A power strong enough to hurt just by touching it… and all of it packed inside a child.

“…If it were Rina, could she have solved this?”

When it came to magic, she was better than me.

The words slipped out—and I shut my mouth right away.

That was pathetic.

I’d depended on her too much. 

I’d told myself I was moving on, yet in moments like this, she still came to mind.

I looked at the girl in front of me and quietly let out a breath.

Right now, all I had to do was protect the life in front of me.
Nothing else mattered.

The rain was still falling.

The girl slept on.

The sparks of lightning gradually weakened, until they stopped jumping altogether.

Inside the rocky shelter, only the small fire swayed gently.

Chapter 19: Lending a Hand to a Girl from the East

The sound of rain still echoed outside the rocky shelter.
The fire was small, but it was burning properly. I added firewood one piece at a time, drying each piece with magic first.

I watched the girl’s breathing—her chest rising and falling.
The sparks of lightning were gone now.

…Good. Still, I couldn’t fully relax.

Her mana was still pulsing. A faint smell of lightning lingered.
If I touched it carelessly, I’d probably go numb—dangerous, but quiet.

I brought my palm close to her horns and checked the seal I was maintaining.

The seal was only support magic.
If I made it too strong, the flow would clog.
If it clogged, it would explode again.

So the “lid” had to stay thin—just enough for mana to breathe.

As I did that—

Her eyelashes trembled. 

Her eyelids slowly opened.

The first thing I saw was fear in her eyes.
Only her eyes moved, restless like a wild animal’s.

She looked at me.
At the fire. At her own hands.

She touched her horns and sucked in a breath.

“…!?”

She tried to sit up—and her shoulders jerked.

A sign lightning was about to burst.

I spoke quickly, keeping my voice short.

“It’s okay. Don’t move.”

The girl froze, a small sound catching in her throat.

“…hiu…”

Her voice was still rough.
Like leftover sobs stuck inside.

I pulled my jacket back up around her shoulders.

“You’re cold, right? Take this first.”

Her eyes followed my hand.

She was wary. Of course she was.
She’d collapsed in the forest and woken up alone with a strange man.

That wasn’t a situation anyone could trust.

So I didn’t rush her.

I took out my canteen, opened it, and took a sip myself.
To show it wasn’t poisoned.

Then I placed it within her reach.

“If you can drink, go ahead. Your throat hurts, right?”

She’d been burned by lightning, crying and screaming until her throat was wrecked.

The girl didn’t move right away.
She stared, breathing shallowly.

Then, carefully, she reached for the canteen.
With trembling fingers, she grabbed it and brought it to her lips.

One sip.

The next moment, her shoulders relaxed—like her body finally understood she was still alive.

“How do you feel?”

“…I don’t know.”

She answered softly.

“Then let’s start with names. It’s hard if I don’t know what to call you. I’m Hort Rubel.”

“…Ru…bel…”

Her gaze dropped.
It seemed hard for her to say.

Looking embarrassed, she touched her horn.

“…Nagi.”

A tiny voice.

“Nagi?”

“Yes… Nagi.”

Nagi—the oni girl.

I repeated her name, fixing it in my mind.

“Nagi… I’m an adventurer. What about you?”

She looked up at my face.
Her eyebrows pulled together.

“…Is it okay if I call you big brother?”

“Yeah… big brother is fine.”

The moment I said it, something warm spread deep in my chest.

Just a way of addressing someone could close the distance.

“Big brother…”

Nagi said it again.
Her voice was just a little softer now.

At that moment, it felt like the tension between us finally loosened.

Somewhere deep in my head, I could almost hear my sister laughing.

“Don’t spoil younger girls. Treat them like they’re about your age—or a bit older.”

My sister’s words suddenly came back to me.

Nagi’s body was completely cold.

Just because she was a child didn’t mean I should fuss over her too much.

She’d been soaked by rain, drained by lightning, and collapsed from the backlash of the rampage.

The first thing to do was bring her body temperature back up.

And to avoid putting more strain on her, I had to guide her carefully.

“Nagi, first let’s warm you up.”

I took off my jacket and positioned myself so I couldn’t see her properly.

“At least take off the wet clothes and dry them.”

“Yes.”

She did as told, taking off her clothes and holding them toward the fire.

I turned my eyes away so I wouldn’t see her.

I strengthened the fire a little and took out some light food from my leather pouch.

Dry bread and jerky.
Nothing fancy, but enough for now.

“Can you eat?”

“…Is it okay?”

“Yeah. Don’t worry about it.”

“Thank you.”

Nagi took the bread.
I heard a small crunch as she bit into it.

Her bite was weak.
Still, she chewed and swallowed.

“Don’t force yourself.”

I started another small fire and made some soup.

“This too.”

Warm food loosened people up.

She smiled a little—

“Big brother is kind.”

I only had an older brother and sister.
Maybe this was what it felt like to have a little sister?

Being relied on by someone younger didn’t feel bad at all.

Her reactions were too cute, so I cleared my throat to hide it.

“Cough—this is normal, isn’t it?”

“It’s not normal. Nagi has been traveling.”

“Traveling?”

“Yes. There are many people who aren’t kind…”

She’d probably been through a lot.

Her words faded, leaving only the sound of rain hitting the rocks.

Still holding the bread, Nagi spoke again, quietly.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Hm? Did something happen?”

“…Big brother, you were in danger.”

She was talking about the power that had gone out of control.

Nagi bit her lip.

“…Nagi lost control of her power.”

“I’m just glad you’re alive.”

“Eh? You’re not angry?”

“Not angry. More like… worried.”

“…It was scary.”

Her voice trembled.

Power you couldn’t control could break its owner.

She must’ve been terrified when it ran wild.

“Nagi. Why were you alone out here? You said you were traveling earlier.”

When I asked, she went quiet for a while.

She looked at the fire.
At the rain.

She touched her horn.

Then, slowly, she began to speak.

“…For oni-folk, before we become adults, it’s tradition to travel with only a sword and a little money.”

“A tradition, huh.”

Every race had its own rules I didn’t know.

And when it came to oni-folk from the far eastern lands, there was even more I didn’t understand.

“Yes. It’s part of our training… We travel before becoming adults.”

“Alone?”

“Yes. We return to Oni Island with results. That is our training—and also the trial to be recognized as adults.”

“Training and a trial, huh. How old is ‘adult’?”

Nagi started counting on her fingers.

“Sixteen. That’s when we become adults.”

She looked much smaller than me, so hearing that she was probably only a year younger caught me off guard.

The world was wide.
There were plenty of things you couldn’t judge just by appearances.

“Before becoming an adult, we need results.”

Results…

That word scraped unpleasantly at my chest.

Evaluation. Proof. Exams.

…I was reminded of what Rina had always faced back at the royal academy.

Back then, we worked together and managed to succeed at spirit summoning.

“Nagi is… good with lightning.”

She touched her horn.

“But when lightning gets stronger… the power becomes too strong and goes wild.”

“So it’s easy to lose control?”

“Yes… Earlier, monsters attacked, and Nagi made the lightning rampage. Nagi wants to control this power and become strong.”

She lowered her eyes, clearly frustrated.

Before becoming an adult, she wanted to be acknowledged.

I let out a quiet breath.

Pushing herself. Forcing power out. Losing control.

Then collapsing alone…

The worst pattern possible.

And the fact that she had no one to rely on—that she was doing all this alone—made my chest ache.

“Hey, Nagi.”

“Yes?”

“Does trying to become an adult really have to be done alone?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

She looked genuinely confused.

My goal was still the same—to marry the most beautiful woman in the kingdom.
That hadn’t changed.

But chasing beauties all the time… maybe that wasn’t all there was.

There was a troubled girl right in front of me.
And I’d always been weak to that kind of face.

“Will you let me help you?”

“…Help?”

“Yeah. I’m actually on break from work right now, training myself. If you’re okay with it, let me help you while you’re in this kingdom.”

The one who had to choose wasn’t me.

It was her.

Nagi’s eyes widened in surprise.

Nagi, who had come alone from a foreign land.
Me, training alone after being left behind by my childhood friend.

Somehow, it felt like we were alike—in being alone.

The presence of lightning flickered slightly.

I raised my hand to stop it.

“Calm down. First, breathe.”

“…Yes.”

Nagi took a deep breath, and the lightning settled.

“I don’t know if it’ll count as ‘results,’ but I think I can help you control your power.”

“…Control?”

“Yeah. I think I can teach you how to use lightning without it going wild. I don’t have much mana, and I’m not talented with magic. But when it comes to control, I’m confident.”

A small light lit up in Nagi’s eyes.

“You can really do that?!”

“I can. There’s a way.”

I looked down at my palm.

I didn’t have magical knowledge or talent.

But even so—there were things I was good at.

“If it’s within what I can teach, I’ll help you.”

“…Really?”

Her voice brightened.

Then, after a small hesitation, she reached out and grabbed my sleeve.

“…Big brother!”

“Hm?”

“Big brother… you won’t do anything bad, right? You won’t disappear, right?”

I didn’t know what kind of things Nagi had been through on her journey.

But looking at that desperate expression, I knew one thing—

I didn’t want to betray it.

“Did something happen?”

“…I’m sorry.”

She didn’t want to answer that question.

I hesitated for just a moment.

Then I spoke.

“It’s help during my break. I won’t betray you. I won’t disappear during the promised time. I promise.”

Nagi let out a breath of relief.
Then she smiled, just a little.

“…That’s good.”

The rain was still falling.
But the air beneath the rocks felt warmer than before.

As I added more firewood, I quietly made up my mind.

I’d help her.

“Big brother.”

“Yes?”

“Nagi will do her best!”

“Yeah. Let’s do our best.”

I couldn’t do everything for her.

My role was to guide her—so she could reach the answer on her own.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

Afterword

Hello, this is the author, Iko.

Today, I’m here to say thank you—and to share a little preview.

Thanks to all of you, this story reached #1 on the daily romantic comedy rankings!!!

And it even hit #4 weekly—Σ(❛□❛✿)

In the overall rankings too, it did great:
#15 daily, #30 weekly—that’s an amazing result!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I’m truly grateful!!!

Now for the preview.

The second arc has finally begun.

What will meeting the oni girl Nagi bring to our protagonist?

I think there are plenty of fun points to look forward to, so…

-Around Chapter 22: some big sister lessons
-Around Chapters 33–34: the “falling into the swamp” moments
-Somewhere in between, I plan to slip in a bit more of Rina’s story

I’m charging straight toward 100,000 words, so please keep cheering me on! (๑>◡<๑)

Following, ☆ reviews, ♡ likes, and supportive comments all get converted directly into the author’s motivation!!!

I’ll be eagerly waiting for them! (๑>◡<๑)

Oh—and if you spot any typos or lines that feel a bit off, please let me know gently, okay? w