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 62 & 63

Chapter 62: The Truth of the Wraith

Captain Uragar still wore the same easygoing expression as before.

But his eyes weren’t smiling.

“…You really want to hear this?”

I couldn’t stop my throat from tightening.

Natasha’s father… lured by a demon.

Was I truly ready to hear that truth?

Even so, I nodded.

“I want to hear it. I… came this far for that.”

He let out a breath that was almost a sigh and jerked his chin toward the back of the station.

“…Then we’ll change locations. Not something to discuss standing around.”

We were led into a small private room.

A desk. A couple of chairs. An old map. A ring of keys hanging on the wall.

The sound of the door closing felt heavier than it should have.

Before I realized it, Commander Snake’s presence had disappeared. He had been there just moments ago.

Before I could even look around for him, Captain Uragar muttered,

“The Commander’s already gone. No need for him to hear this.”

The way he said it… was strangely gentle.

Captain Uragar sat down, rested his elbows on the desk, and clasped his fingers together.

“…Natasha’s father was my superior.”

My chest tightened painfully.

I tried to steady my breathing—but it only grew shallower.

“He was my partner.”

Captain Uragar, leader of the Gate Guard, began speaking as though digging through old memories.

“You heard from Captain Oren, right? About chasing the Black Ram incident.”

“Yes.”

“Back then, it was chaos. That was when the disappearances started increasing. First the slums. Then outside the gates. Then… the orphanages. People vanished one by one.”

It was a story I already knew.

But this time, I was hearing it from someone who had actually stood there.

“Natasha’s mother… was one of them.”

“Sister Natasha’s?”

Captain Uragar’s voice lowered slightly.

“Yeah… she went missing. And during the investigation, we learned she had been used as a sacrifice.”

My throat tightened.

Natasha’s smiling face surfaced in my mind—then disappeared just as quickly.

“After that, Natasha’s father threw himself into investigating the Black Ram case. I thought he was about to lose himself to revenge.”

Captain Uragar stared at his own fingers.

“But the truth… was different.”

The moment he said that, the air in the room froze.

“Different?”

“Yeah. It wasn’t revenge. He was trying to… bring his wife back.”

“What?”

“That’s right. Using the demon cult’s power. If she was taken as a sacrifice, maybe he believed he could take her back.”

Captain Uragar looked at me.

His eyes weren’t smiling.

“At first, he said it was just to draw out information. I believed him. But little by little… his eyes changed.”

His clasped hands tightened.

“I think someone connected him to the cult on purpose. Set him up. And then… he was taken. By a demon.”

I couldn’t speak.

Inside my head, Natasha’s voice echoed.

—”My father… will he come back?”

He never did.

And the reason for that… was coming together in the worst possible way.

“Did you… try to stop him?”

When I finally forced the question out, Captain Uragar gave a short nod.

“Stop him? No. That’s not it. I cut him down. By the time I realized what was happening, the demon had already taken over. He killed many of our comrades after turning. So I cut him down.”

He said it plainly.

That made it even more cruel.

He chased the demon cult to bring his wife back—

And ended up becoming a demon himself.

He killed his comrades.

And in the end, Captain Uragar cut him down.

“The body… the cult took it. I was exhausted. I had cut down so many of them. And in that moment, they slipped through.”

Captain Uragar bit his lip.

“They took him, so I tried to get him back. I cut down even more of them. But… I didn’t make it in time.”

The body never returned.

Declared killed in action.

Listed as missing.

Everything connected into a single line.

“…The wraith beneath the orphanage…”

“Probably him. That insignia belonged to him.”

My shoulders trembled.

“He must’ve carried deep resentment. Wanting to bring his wife back. Becoming a demon. Being cut down by me. Even after that, turning into a wraith underground…”

Captain Uragar stopped there.

He lowered his eyes, choosing his next words carefully.

What I wanted was the truth.

But hearing it didn’t mean a beautiful ending would follow.

Captain Falcon’s words echoed in my ears.

—”What will you do if Natasha breaks?”

Maybe Captain Oren knew.

Maybe Captain Falcon knew as well.

The only difference was that Captain Uragar had stood at the center of it.

“I couldn’t tell Natasha…”

His voice was slightly hoarse.

“How could I tell her her father was possessed by a demon… and that I cut him down? The body never came back. …How could I make a child hear that kind of truth?”

Captain Uragar continued.

“She was so young. She still had a future ahead of her.”

The ring of keys on the desk gave a faint rattle.

“…So we agreed to keep the story straight.”

He lifted his face.

His eyes pierced directly into mine.

“We handled it as a death in the line of duty under the Third Knight Order. We arranged the pension so money would continue to come in. So his daughter could eat. So she could pray. So that one day, she could smile.”

My chest hurt.

I had doubted the kindness the entire Third Knight Order had chosen.

But this… was the truth.

“We hid it.”

Captain Uragar said it without looking away.

“…And now, Hort.”

The way he said my name had changed.

The lightness was gone.

“Whether you tell Natasha this truth or not… I’ll leave it to you.”

My throat tightened.

“To me…?”

“Yeah. You’re the one who dug up the past. And you were there when he appeared again. This is your responsibility now. And it’s a truth Natasha must face. We adults deciding for her without asking—that time is over.”

Captain Falcon’s words echoed again.

—”The truth is a blade.”

Captain Uragar had just placed that blade in my hands.

And it felt heavy.

“…Captain Uragar.”

“Yeah?”

I stood up and bowed my head.

“Thank you… Thank you for telling me.”

He smiled.

But that smile looked painful.

“No need for thanks. …Just remember this.”

His gaze drifted toward the window.

“If you decide to tell her, then take responsibility to the very end. If you simply make her cry and leave it at that, I won’t forgive you.”

“…Yes, sir.”

When I stepped out of the room, I finally understood what Captain Oren meant about trusting your comrades.

♢

On the road back to the slums, the setting sun painted the stone pavement red.

Children’s laughter.

The sound of pots clanging.

Someone coughing.

The everyday sounds of life tightened my chest.

Natasha’s face came to mind.

Her profile as she prayed.

Her smile.

Her tears.

In my palm, there was an invisible blade.

The truth.

Do I hand it to her?

Or keep holding it?

I stood in front of the orphanage.

At this hour, she would be offering prayers in the church.

Since she began working in the ward, small donations had started gathering at the church little by little.

Compared to the last time I came, both the orphanage and the church had been repaired even further.

My brother-in-law had taken the job at a low price.

I placed my hand on the door.

It creaked open with a long groan.

“Lord Hort!”

Natasha stood at the sound and turned toward me with a bright, happy smile.

My sister once told me that a man should pretend to be useless.

But I wasn’t pretending.

I truly was useless.

The moment I saw Natasha’s face, I couldn’t bring myself to say a single word of the truth.

Chapter 63: The Women Who Fell into the Swamp 6

Side: Natasha

Lord Hort came to the church at dusk, just as the sun was about to set.

His face looked terribly tired.

And his eyes… were filled with deep sorrow.

“Natasha, may I speak with you?”

“Yes.”

He hesitated before speaking.

But as if he had finally resolved himself, he began.

“The wraith discovered in the orphanage’s underground sewer… was your father.”

“…I see.”

Somewhere in my heart, I had already suspected it might be so.

Was Lord Hort grieving because he knew this?

If that was the case, then all I could feel was gratitude toward him.

No matter what form my father had taken, I now knew that he had died.

It saddened me that he had become a monster.

But I was able to learn how his story ended.

That alone was enough.

Several years had already passed.

I had learned how to steady my heart.

“Thank you.”

“…What?”

“In whatever form it was, I was able to learn of my father’s final moments.”

When I spoke honestly, Lord Hort first looked surprised—then even more sorrowful than before.

I didn’t understand why.

But he looked away.

He was about to lie.

And somehow… I could tell.

“In truth… your mother was a victim of a certain incident. And while pursuing that case, your father was killed by those responsible. It seems he turned into a wraith out of resentment.”

“I see.”

Lord Hort’s eyes wavered.

Lie and truth.

I didn’t know which parts were which.

But looking at his pained expression, I felt that perhaps the reason Father became a wraith was not quite what he said.

I had only known Lord Hort for a short time.

Yet I understood that he was sincere… a saintly man who truly cared for others.

The lie he just told was a gentle one.

“You’re strong, Natasha.”

“…Hm?”

“Even after hearing your father became a wraith, you seem surprised—but not broken by grief.”

“Ah…”

That was because, more than Father, I had been thinking about Lord Hort.

The way he thought about me.

The way he chose his words for my sake.

That expression… it was so precious to me.

Forgive me, Father.

But right now, it is Lord Hort who fills my heart.

“I had already accepted Father’s death. It saddens me that he became a wraith. But I’ve continued offering prayers all this time. If he was in the underground sewer beneath this church and orphanage… then that means he was close by.”

“Yeah…”

“And because he was close, perhaps my prayers were reaching him every single day.”

That was my lie.

Learning the truth about Father felt like closing a chapter of my life.

I no longer had to keep searching for him.

I no longer had to grieve endlessly for my parents, nor blame myself for what happened.

“…Yeah. Natasha, you truly are strong.”

Perhaps Lord Hort had uncovered a harsher truth—one he couldn’t bring himself to tell me.

And so he chose not to.

So I chose not to ask.

I didn’t need it anymore.

“Lord Hort.”

“Yes?”

“You look very tired.”

“Do I?”

“Yes. There are dark circles under your eyes. And your complexion isn’t good. May I?”

He must have worked without rest to uncover the truth.

Managing the slums.

Patrolling as part of the Fifth Unit.

And investigating my father.

He had kept moving all this time.

I gently took his hand and led him to a bench.

I sat beside him… and carefully guided his head onto my lap.

“W-What are you doing?!”

“Shh. This is a church. Please be quiet. And for now, calm your heart.”

I cradled his head against my lap and softly stroked his hair.

Then I released a gentle “Heal” spell, letting it soothe both his body and spirit.

“It’s warm…”

He must have been far more exhausted than he realized.

His eyes slowly closed, comforted by the magic.

Looking down at him, I began to speak quietly.

“Lord Hort… you told me about my father’s death. Until now, no matter how desperately I sought help, no one came. But ever since you arrived, everything changed. The nights when the children trembled in fear and couldn’t sleep… the days they cried from hunger… the times I wept alone in prayer… all of that disappeared because of what you gave us.”

“No, I—”

“Please don’t deny it. These are my true feelings.”

“…Alright. I’m sorry.”

“For now, please rest. <Sleep>”

He truly was a gentle person.

There was no reason for him to apologize.

He didn’t need to worry about me so much.

And yet… he always did.

That was why I wanted to give myself to him even more.

His head rested quietly in my lap.

He probably didn’t realize how much joy that alone brought me.

My magic soothed his weary body, and before long, his breathing settled into a calm, steady rhythm.

Ah… I wished this moment could last forever.

When he woke, he would surely fly off somewhere again.

This might be the only time I could have him all to myself like this.

“Mmm…”

He shifted slightly in his sleep, turning his face and nestling it against my chest.

I prayed he couldn’t hear how fast my heart was beating.

“Lord Hort… more than my family, more than the children… I want to devote myself entirely to you. As a sister of the church, perhaps such feelings are improper. But when you look tired, I want to ease your burden. When I see you suffering for my sake, my heart aches. And yet… it makes me happy to know you think of me.”

I was already completely captivated by you.

Even if the truth you learned was that my father had committed crimes, I would not be shaken.

What hurts me far more… is seeing you struggle because of it.

“Lord Hort, no matter how deeply you are wounded, I will heal you. Even if your heart becomes stained, I will fall alongside you. So please… let me see your weakness.”

Until he awoke, I continued stroking his hair, mending his body with magic, and quietly treasuring the fragile happiness of being by his side.

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[Afterword]

Hello, this is Iko, the author.

Act 04—Natasha’s arc—is now complete.

The story became heavier than I had expected.

In terms of the overall plot, we are currently in the middle of the Third Knight Order arc.

In Act 05, I plan to bring the Third Knight Order arc to its conclusion.

Originally, I intended to keep this around 100,000 characters, but it ended up exceeding that.

Now that the Kakuyomu contest has concluded, the number of views has dropped a little. 

Still, I will continue doing my best to make this story enjoyable for all of you. 

I would be very grateful for your continued support.