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 69 & 70

Chapter 69: Grasping the Bond

“…I’m scared.”

I knew I sounded pathetic saying it.
But it was the truth—I was being crushed by a fear and anxiety I couldn’t control.

“I know… that all of you truly care about me. I understand that. But… I still can’t help it. I’m scared.”

The memory resurfaced.

That scene in the church—where Millia, the one I believed had always been by my side, was secretly meeting the Hero.

More than anger… more than sadness…

I just couldn’t understand it.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

All I felt was—

Like everything beneath me… like my very self… was crumbling apart.

…I never wanted to go through that again.

“—I’m scared… of loving someone again… of falling in love…”

Elmie and the others had known me for a long time.
Raynare had even helped the Hero’s party.

I owed them. And after having their feelings thrown at me so directly… yeah, I did have feelings for them too.

But every time I became aware of that—

That night replayed in my mind.

Only this time, it was Elmie and the others in that scene.

“Even if I fall for you all… what if you leave me too? What if I get abandoned again…? I keep thinking that. Even though I know… you wouldn’t do that.”

“I understand why you’d feel that way… but—”

“We’re different. We would never betray you. Not ever.”

The two of them looked at me seriously as they spoke.

Their hands gripped my clothes tightly, their feelings clear in that strength.

But—

“Even something I believed was a promise… was broken.”

““…!””

The two of them froze, drawing in a sharp breath.

“The Oath of Soulbinding”… that must have crossed their minds.

In a world where people could form bonds with multiple partners, a vow to be bound to only one person—that was the ultimate proof of love.

To love each other until death… and even beyond, binding their very souls together.

Breaking it came with punishment.

But it was never meant to be needed.

It was a vow made by those who loved each other so deeply, they believed they would never betray it.

It wasn’t like an engagement.
It wasn’t like marriage.

It was something entirely different—

A sacred promise, sworn to the gods.

And yet—

“Even after making that vow… I still let Millia—let her—cheat on me. I made her feel like she wanted to do that.”

“That’s—! That woman is the one at fault! You did nothing wrong!”

Raynare said it firmly.

But I shook my head.

I couldn’t say it was all her fault.

There had to be something I did wrong too.

Because—

“Elmie… you remember, right? Back then… we really did love each other…”

“…Yeah. We did. Even now… I still wonder how it ended up like this.”

And yet, it still led to her cheating.

That meant I must have made some kind of fatal mistake.

That I wasn’t enough.

That was the only way I could see it.

…I didn’t want to believe she had been that kind of person from the start.

“I was the one who messed up. That’s why… I got cheated on…! And even if I fall for you all… I’m scared I’ll mess it up again…”

Held down by the two of them, I couldn’t even hide my face—yet the tears kept falling.

Even if I fall in love again…

I’m scared I’ll mess it up again…
Scared they’ll leave me again.

That’s why… I couldn’t accept their feelings.

“T-That’s why… I’m happy, but—! I can’t… I’m scared…! Why am I even like this—!”

“—Abel.”

My words spilled out uncontrollably, barely making sense—

And then Elmie called my name.

In that instant—

Something warm and soft touched my lips.

“—!?”

My eyes snapped open in shock.

Through my blurred vision, Elmie’s eyes filled my sight.

A sweet scent drifted into my nose.

That soft touch melted into a gentle sweetness, carrying a warm, tingling heat.

That comforting sensation slowly pulled away.

“I’ll stay by your side… always! I’ll always love you… so it’s okay… for you to fall for us too… okay?”

Her expression—both crying and smiling—soft and kind—

It sank straight into me.

“El… mie…”

“—That’s right. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay with you… so don’t let go.”

As I locked eyes with Elmie, a hand suddenly touched my cheek and turned my face.

Raynare used her free hand to make me look at her.

“Then just hold on to us. Keep holding us tight. Don’t even give us the chance to leave. With how deeply you love… you can do that, right?”

She smiled with confidence.

That trust—

Or maybe… expectation.

“I already gave up ‘second place.’ So this much is fine, right…? Nn—”

Raynare narrowed her eyes as her face slowly drew closer—

…and then her long tongue slipped past my lips.

“—!?”

“Nn… ah—”

Like a snake, our tongues tangled—

As if wrapping around everything, her hot, soft tongue moved through my mouth, tracing every inch.

It curled, slid, and entwined with mine—

Until, satisfied after that deep, lingering kiss, it slowly withdrew, licking along the tip as it pulled away.

“—Hah… haah… How was it? First time having a kiss like that? I’ll take your first deep kiss…♪”

“Haa—! R-Ray…nare…!”

T-There’s no way I’ve ever done something like that before.

Not even with Millia…!

“I’ll stay by your side, okay? So it’s fine to fall for us! We’ll love you a whole lot too!”

“If it’s your love, being caught by it doesn’t sound so bad. You won’t feel empty anymore…♪”

The two of them whispered their love as if wrapping me in it.

But wait, hold on—wait a second!

A kiss!? Out of nowhere!? Why!?

It felt way too good—no, that’s not the point!

My head couldn’t keep up at all, overwhelmed by the sudden rush of pleasure.

“B-But, I—”

“Tch… still resisting, huh.”

Even though my brain had basically shut down, Raynare clicked her tongue and narrowed her eyes.

She pulled her full, soft chest away from where it had been pressed against me—

And slowly lifted her upper body.

“If you still can’t believe it… if you’re still this anxious—”

Following her lead, Elmie moved away as well, and Raynare snapped her fingers.

The very next moment—

Not a single thread of clothing remained on either of them.

“—then I’ll teach you directly, with our bodies.”

“Wha… wa—!?”

N-N-Naked—!? Completely naked—!?

My vision filled with their bare, pale skin, and my eyes couldn’t even focus properly.

“The clothes were made with 《Transformation》. I can change the design—or remove them—whenever I want.”

You can even do that with a skill…!?

Their completely exposed bodies, revealed so casually through that ability, shattered what little composure I had left.

“I planned this from the start. The best way to heal wounds caused by a woman… is with another woman. And not just any woman—one who truly loves you…♡”

The way Raynare licked her lips—

It was so alluring that the fact she used to be a man didn’t even matter anymore.

My eyes were drawn to her glossy lips, glistening with moisture—before I forced myself to look away.

“I-I’m embarrassed… but! Finally…!”

Normally, Elmie would have been blushing bright red.

But now, her face was dyed with desire instead.

Seeing that, a shiver ran through me, and I desperately tried to suppress the rising urges.

“N-No, but… I don’t really have much experience…! Even my first time with Millia… it ended halfway, like I messed it up…”

That’s right.

Even my first night with Millia was a failure.

And what if… that was the reason she cheated on me…?

“I-It’s my first time too…! It’ll be okay! I-I’ll do my best…!”

“Heh, doesn’t matter if you’re inexperienced—or even a virgin. I’ll teach you everything, nice and thoroughly. Training someone from scratch is always fun…!”

Elmie gathered her courage, while Raynare licked her lips with a teasing smile.

Their slender, pale fingers slid smoothly—sensually—across my chest.

And I realized there was no escaping this.

“—Hm? Haha… looks like you’re getting into it too.”

“After something like that… and seeing all this… of course I would…!”

“Good… I’m glad. You’re finally looking at me that way…!”

“M-Me too…! So, Abel—”

Even as she covered her face with her hands, Elmie slowly pressed her body closer, fidgeting nervously.

Raynare, on the other hand, crept closer like a predator, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

With the two of them leaning over me—

I wrapped my arms around their backs.

““Let’s love each other…?””

That night became the longest night of my life.

[Side: In Front of the Door]

“(—I got curious and ended up waiting by the door, but… what is this…!?)”

“(Waa… t-this is some insane noise…! Ahh… aaah…!)”

“(The voices too… huh? These are voices, right? …This doesn’t sound human anymore…!)”

“(This is crazy… both of them keep calling his name… wait, how long has Abel been going…!?)”

“(This is unbelievable… seriously… what we’ve been doing feels like child’s play compared to this…! This is what a real man and woman are like…!)”

“(And Raynare seemed so experienced too…!)”

““(Kyaaaaaaa~~~~!!!!!!)””

＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

The parts that were too intense to include… have been sent to Nocta… 

TLN: Couldn’t find it.

Chapter 70: Moving Forward

[Side: Betrayed Adventurer]

When I opened my heavy eyelids, bright light filtered in through the curtains.

My body felt sluggish… and yet, I was wrapped in a sense of fulfillment I had never felt before.

Letting myself sink into that comfort, I shifted slightly—

And my arm touched something warm.

Smooth… soft… a texture that made me want to keep touching it forever.

Wanting to confirm it, I opened my eyes.

“…………Ah.”

“…Elmie.”

—The moment I opened them, my gaze met Elmie’s.

Her arm.

Wrapped in the sheets, she curled up slightly as her face turned redder and redder, then slowly opened her mouth.

“Um… g-good morning…? Ehehe…!”

Even while embarrassed, Elmie smiled shyly, looking genuinely happy.

She was cute.

And more than that—she felt precious.

Without saying a word, I leaned in and pressed my lips against hers.

“Nn… fwaa…!”

“—Morning, Elmie. You’re cute.”

Maybe because of last night, the words came out naturally.

Seeing her blush even deeper made her even more lovable, and I reached out for her again—

But she quickly wrapped herself up in the thin sheet.

“—That’s a big difference from the beast you were last night. Nothing for me?”

“Eh—mmph!?”

A voice came from behind.

When I turned around, a red-haired beauty leaned against me—

And pressed her lips to mine.

I responded to the warm, pressing kiss.

We savored it for a moment before she slowly pulled away, looking satisfied.

“—Nn… you actually responded. I like that.”

“Well… after what we did, I should at least manage this much.”

With Raynare still wrapping her arms around my neck as she spoke, this time it was my cheeks that heated up.

“Heh… you’ve started showing it through actions now. —Feeling a bit better?”

“…Yeah. Thanks to you. And Elmie… thank you too.”

“I-I’m just happy… I got to learn together with you, Abel…!”

“With two women this good healing you together, there’s no way you’ll feel lonely anymore, right? —Give me your hand.”

She shifted lower with gravity, and I reached out my hand to her.

The vampire gently took my finger into her mouth, her sharp fangs lightly breaking the skin as she tasted my blood.

“Mm… rich mana… sweeter than honey, deeper than anything… and stronger than flesh…! —This is the best…!”

She let out a soft breath, her expression melting in pure bliss—

Like someone savoring the finest wine or delicacy.

“As expected, the blood of someone you love tastes the best. Abel’s already top-tier to begin with… and now that that bitterness is gone… nnf—! …Yeah, there’s no loneliness in it anymore.”

“That’s thanks to both of you.”

My first time with Millia had ended badly… and that had been a quiet complex of mine.

Maybe that was even why she ended up going to the Hero.

But this time, thanks to Raynare, it didn’t go wrong.

Being together with the two of them—

Freed me from that weight, and filled me with a sense of release… and a kind of fulfillment I’d never felt before.

“Told you, didn’t I? When a woman hurts you, the best way to heal… is with another woman. Well—”

Her long red hair fell over her shoulder as she narrowed her eyes, licking the bite she had just made.

“—only if it’s a woman who loves you, though♪”

“Y-You…!”

“After the way you made us cry out last night, you’re not going to say you lack confidence anymore, right?”

As that scene flashed back in my mind, a rising urge threatened to take over—

Right at that moment—

““Looks like you had a fun night♪””

““Whaaa—!?””

That all-too-familiar line came from the direction of the door, and both Elmie and I jumped.

“W-W-Wha… Frey!? Maria!?”

When I turned around, there they were—

The two sisters, peeking into the room through the open door.

Their matching purple hair swayed as they smiled.

No… they were clearly grinning.

Meanwhile, the three of us—well, mostly me and Elmie—hurriedly tried to cover our naked bodies with the sheets.

“Fufu… I’m glad it worked out.”

“You finally got together!”

“Wait—don’t tell me… you knew about this…?”

So what happened yesterday wasn’t just Elmie and Raynare acting on their own…

Did all four of them plan this together…?

“Well, yeah. Normally, we wouldn’t let someone get ahead of us like that, you know? And you’ve already noticed our feeeelings, right, Abel?”

“…Yeah. I mean… I have.”

“If all of us rushed in at once, it probably would’ve gone badly, so we let those two go first yesterday~. —Plus… we’ve never been with a guy before, so… we were kinda nervous too…”

I see… so even behind the scenes, they were looking out for me…

…Wait, don’t tell me they were watching what happened last night or something!?

“Anyway… well, you know, we’re looking forward to it too, okay?”

“Your big sisters are excited as well!”

The two sisters, faces slightly red, looked at me with restless, expectant eyes.

…Ah… I see how it is…

“But, we’ll go first next time. —Abel.”

But as Maria spoke, her tone softened, and her expression grew more serious.

The two of them straightened themselves and bowed their heads.

“Abel… we’re sorry. Again.”

“We were only thinking about our own feelings… again. We didn’t even realize you were hurting inside.”

“No, that’s not it…!”

Just like back in Cahel, they were taking responsibility again.

But they hadn’t done anything wrong.

If anything, the problem—was me.

“It’s not just that I was lonely… I didn’t even realize myself that I hadn’t fully moved on. At best, it was unconscious… so you can’t really blame yourselves for not noticing.”

“But still…!”

“And besides, even though I noticed how you all felt… I was too scared to respond. So I’m at fault too.”

So honestly, I didn’t blame them at all.

If anything… I felt sorry.

They had been this kind, this warm toward me all along.

“From now on, let’s be honest with each other. About everything—what we want, what bothers us… all of it.”

If we did that, then surely… something like before wouldn’t happen again.

“…Alright. I’ll try harder to understand you from now on.”

“Yeah. And I want you to get to know us better too, Abel.”

I smiled with the sisters.

Elmie and Raynare watched us with gentle smiles as well.

…Though the three of us still wrapped in sheets made things feel a bit less serious…!

“By the way, shouldn’t you guys get up already? The breakfast buffet’s about to end.”

“Yeah, that’s actually why we came to wake you.”

“Oh—seriously?”

With how bright it was through the curtains, the sun had clearly been up for a while.

I’d seriously overslept…

Well, considering how intense last night was… I guess it couldn’t be helped.

“I see. So it’s that late already… —then I won’t be going to breakfast.”

Huh?

Raynare should be hungry too, so why—?

“Fufufu—my legs gave out. I can’t stand. Bring it to the room.”

“Ah… I-I’d like that too… please…!”

Raynare slumped back happily, completely drained, while Elmie trembled in embarrassment.

So, for their sake, we decided to have breakfast brought to the room.

Still feeling a bit awkward, I helped the two of them recover, made sure they could move again—

And then headed out to take care of something.

I had already completely forgotten about that strange object that caught my eye last night.