S-Rank Adventurer Betrayed by His Fiancée in the Hero’s Party Sets Off on a Journey to Heal His Broken Heart ~The Strongest Betrayed Adventurer Ends Up Forming a Harem Party~ - Chapter 11: Aiming to Get Back Together

Chapter 11: Aiming to Get Back Together

[Side: The Fallen Sage]

“Oh no, no, no—this is really bad!!!”

At that moment, in the heart of the continent, within the royal castle of the mighty Kingdom of Sildiel, the Sage of the Hero’s Party, Millia Xelei, was curled up on her bed, clutching her head in panic.

“Everyone found out…! What the hell was the Guild News thinking!?”

Millia’s hysterical cries echoed in the dark room, where she had been placed under house arrest by King Randed.

The reason? An article in Guild News that had spread far and wide, exposing photos of her and the Hero, Yuto, caught cheating. 

The news had reached other nations, and now the Kingdom of Sildiel was being pressured to explain the situation.

“I never thought Abel would have reached S-rank… and why was he going around telling people that he wanted to help me!?”

For commoners, who didn’t know much about Abel or the significance of S-rank adventurers, the news didn’t make much of an impact.

The ones making a fuss were the adventurers, nobles, and those in power.

The fact that an S-rank adventurer, a figure revered and feared by other adventurers, had been cheated on made it a hot topic. 

And to make things worse, many adventurers and residents of the royal capital had known both Millia and Abel for years.

Those familiar with them had begun publicly shaming Millia, and the atmosphere was so hostile that if she showed up at a public parade, she might get stones thrown at her.

“If Abel got that strong, he should’ve gone to defeat the Demon King instead of me! Now everyone’s saying terrible things to me—this is the worst!”

Millia vented her frustration, but the truth was that three years ago, Abel wasn’t that strong.

In fact, he was weaker than her.

She didn’t stop to think about why Abel had become stronger or for whom he had done it. Instead, she angrily pounded the mattress with her fists.

“Ugh! Ughh!!! Now I can’t even see the rest of the party, and I’m stuck in this room! The king’s overreacting!”

The Hero, Yuto, had also been put under house arrest after his fiancée—the princess of Sildiel—found out about his affair with Millia.

Ed, meanwhile, was using the knights to track Abel’s movements, but without much success. 

Ciel, her close friend, had been summoned by her father, the Pope of the Souther Sky Faith, and was now at the Grand Cathedral in the royal capital.

Even though Millia was being taken care of in the comfortable royal castle, the inability to go out freely was stressing her out.

“I mean, we’re the Hero’s party, the ones who saved the world! Can’t they just overlook a small affair…?”

The journey to defeat the Demon King had been brutal. 

They had to raise a weak hero, gather necessary items and allies, and solve crises all over the continent.

In the end, they invaded the Demon King’s castle while his army was on the offensive elsewhere. 

They fought through countless magical beasts and, after a fierce battle, managed to slay the Demon King.

After going through all of that, why should she be the one getting blamed?

“Ugh, I can’t take this anymore…”

Millia stood up abruptly and started pacing around the room. 

She grabbed a bottle of wine from the shelf, set it on the table along with a glass, and quickly began pouring and drinking.

Even though she was under house arrest, the fact that it was wine from the royal castle meant it was high-quality, and the taste helped calm her down just a little.

“Sigh… But it’s fine. If I just get back together with Abel, all this drama will blow over, right? The king and everyone else will be happy again.”

In short, Millia thought that if Abel forgave her and they reconciled, everything would go back to normal. That’s how she saw it.

“Even though he’s an S-rank now, he’s still Abel, right? He’s always so kind… Sure, he might be a little upset right now, but if I apologize, he’ll forgive me right away. I’m sure of it.”

Millia thought back to when she and Abel were together, confident that she had nothing to worry about. 

Abel had liked her since they were kids and had even convinced their parents to arrange their engagement.

Even when she was discovered to have a talent for magic and entered magic school, Abel—who had no talent for magic himself—still followed her there.

“He’s probably just hiding somewhere, upset. If I find him and apologize, he’ll forgive me, like always.”

There’s no way Abel would stay angry over something as small as cheating, Millia thought selfishly, completely ignoring how much she had changed in the last three years.

“If he’s still sulking… well, letting him have his way should do the trick.”

With the alcohol making her more confident, Millia stood in front of the full-length mirror in the room. 

Reflected back was a woman with chestnut-colored hair reaching down to her shoulder blades, large eyes that conveyed both strength and a certain charm. 

Her chest and hips weren’t particularly large, but her body was well-proportioned, with just the right amount of softness.

Since starting her affair with Yuto, her figure had changed, becoming more attractive than it was three years ago.

“Abel was pretty bad at it anyway, and I doubt he’s been with any other girl since.”

Millia’s own first time hadn’t been great—it was painful and left no fond memories. 

About a year into their journey, she had given in to Yuto’s advances… and that experience had been far more passionate. 

She figured Abel had just been inexperienced, which is why it hurt so much.

“Yuto said I was amazing… so Abel, who’s practically a virgin, should be easy to win over. Then I’ll be the woman loved by an S-rank adventurer!”

Millia looked ahead, thinking about her future.

Yuto was the Hero summoned from another world, capable of wielding the Holy Sword, a legendary weapon passed down through the generations in Sildiel.

The Holy Sword was the only weapon that could sever the Demon King’s power, and with Yuto, they were able to achieve what no one else had—defeating the Demon King.

However, when it came to fighting ordinary monsters or humans, Yuto’s strength was roughly equivalent to a high-level A-rank. 

While impressive, it was still nowhere near the power of an S-rank, a rare and elite group. 

In a world where the Demon King was dead, it was clear that an S-rank adventurer would be more valuable and relied upon than a Hero.

“I don’t know how strong Abel really is… but just having the title of S-rank makes him way more appealing!”

Being the second wife of a Hero or the only wife of an S-rank adventurer… In terms of power, wealth, and influence, S-rank easily outshined the Hero. 

There was no competition—the latter was far more attractive.

“And even if he doesn’t forgive me, it’s fine! I’m so glad we made that Oath of Soulbinding! Past me, you did a great job!”

Millia grinned from ear to ear and took a big swig from her glass. 

Once the Oath of Soulbinding was made, marriage became inevitable. 

The church couldn’t deny that, because it would mean admitting their own mistake.

“Phew! I used to think making that vow was a bit rash, but… now Abel can’t escape me! …Huh? Is that a message on the far-seeing crystal… wait, what’s this!?”

As Millia sat alone, praising her past self’s clever move with a glass of wine in hand, she suddenly noticed the crystal on the table glowing.

Hastily, she channeled her magic to activate it, and the image of a beautiful silver-haired woman appeared.

“Millia. I’ve finally been able to reach you.“

“Ciel!”

It was Ciel Alfanum, the Saintess of the Souther Sky Faith and Millia’s close friend. She had been summoned by her father, the Pope, to discuss the current situation.

“Sorry, I was talking with my father so I’m a bit late. I heard you’re under house arrest at the castle—are you okay?“

“Yeah, I’m totally fine! But… are you okay?”

“No… Considering everything that’s happened, even I, as the Saint, will likely face some punishment.“

“Oh… is it really that bad?”

“Yes, Millia. I’ve learned that you made the Oath of Soulbinding with Abel, the Four Swords. Because of that, I won’t be able to move freely for a while either.“

“Oh… I see. So, this is… bad, huh?”

“Very. The fact that I turned a blind eye to what happened… even as a Saint, my position is at risk.“

“Ugh… I’m sorry for keeping quiet about Abel.”

In the Souther Sky Faith, the Saint job is regarded as something absolute.

This is because it allows the bearer to perform miracles that only gods are capable of. 

Just being born with this job is considered a blessing, and the individual is given an important position within the church. 

Moreover, Ciel is the daughter of the current Pope. 

For her to face consequences for this… made Millia realize just how serious the Oath of Soulbinding really was.

“Millia. The Oath of Soulbinding is a vow made to God, traditionally by those going off to battle, to ensure their safe return. To break that vow is to disrespect both our ancestors and the gods.“

“I-I’m sorry… I really messed up, didn’t I?”

“And remember, Sir Abel never forgot about you. He helped us time and time again, never letting his feelings for you waver. Even considering the circumstances, what’s happened cannot be easily forgiven.“

“Ugh…”

During the time they were apart, Abel’s actions and the state of the world had changed. 

From an outsider’s perspective, there were likely faults on both sides.

However, ignoring Abel’s unwavering devotion went against the teachings of the Souther Sky Faith.

(But… I couldn’t help it, could I? I was so lonely all that time… and I didn’t even notice his letters…!)

Even so, Millia wasn’t ready to give up. 

She still clung to hope. If Ciel could somehow smooth things over… maybe she could still marry Abel…!

“I’ve really messed up. I dragged you into this too, Ciel… But listen!? I want things to go back to how they were with Abel!”

“Millia…”

“If Abel and I get back together, everything will go back to normal! If Abel is with me, everything will work out! Please, Ciel, help me! I need you to make sure I can marry Abel!”

“……”

Millia desperately pleaded with her friend, seeking to rely on Ciel’s authority as the Saint, all while apologizing. 

She couldn’t see Ciel’s expression as her friend looked down, and a long silence followed.

Just as Millia started to think it might not work, Ciel finally spoke.

“Millia… are you truly sorry for what you did? For the affair?“

“Huh? Y-yeah… like you said, I did something terrible. And I’m sorry for causing trouble for you too, Ciel! So, I’ll apologize to Abel. I’ll say sorry and… we can go back to the way things were!”

“I see… You’ve made a mistake. But you’re my dear friend. And as your friend, I’ll support you.“

Ciel’s reflection in the crystal showed a deep, kind smile as she spoke.

“I’ll help you in any way I can, Millia.“

“Thanks, Ciel! You’re the best!”

Even though Ciel had made the huge mistake of overlooking a woman’s affair after making the Oath of Soulbinding, her influence as the Saintess would likely fix everything.

Millia was sure that Ciel would somehow resolve the situation.

As Millia let out a relieved sigh, Ciel suddenly muttered, “Oh…”

“Sorry, I just received a message from someone I know… Millia, please remember to reflect on how you’ll atone for your actions.“

“Yeah, don’t worry! I’ve got it all figured out! I might even make Abel fall for me all over again!”

In contrast to her earlier desperation, Millia now sounded cheerful.

Meanwhile, Ciel quietly ended the call on the crystal without another word.

“Yes, it really is… such a shame, Millia.“

Overhead, the sky was filled with dark clouds.