Chapter 28: Exposed

“Fo—former second princess of Rekuria? Oh ho ho ho, what could you be talking about?”

Suddenly, with Professor Zenon having unmasked her true identity, Liluriana was visibly shaken—so obvious that anyone could tell.

No, it was as if her very demeanor declared, “I did the right thing.”

It appears that, despite being a former princess, Liluriana isn’t particularly adept at the art of deception.

“It’s a simple deduction. Recently, you arrived in Rozy from another country with your darling. Strangely enough, among the three of you, only one isn’t registered as an adventurer. Yet, judging by your impressive combat ability—and the fact that you neither wield weapons nor show signs of physical training—it’s presumed you’re a mage. Furthermore, both your darling and the one ranked ninth call you ‘Liluriana.'”

Professor Zenon then proceeded to list, one by one, the grounds on which she deduced Liluriana’s royal origins.

“Over ten years ago, Liluriana—the second princess of the Kingdom of Rekuria—vanished from the public eye without warning. I, too, was puzzled by the reasons behind it, but all this information leads to only one answer: Princess Liluriana, Your Highness? And have you manifested an aptitude for forbidden magic—or something akin to it?”

As expected of one renowned as a sage.

Even though we hadn’t been in Rozy for very long, she had already managed to scrutinize us thoroughly—and from such scant details, uncovered the truth.

Realizing there was no helping it, Liluriana, almost in a state of exasperated resignation, decided to reveal her true self.

“Honestly, why is it so easy to figure out?! That’s right! I am Liluriana—the former second princess of the Kingdom of Rekuria and a black mage! And I’m that pitiful woman who was abandoned by her family once my aptitude for black magic was discovered! So, are you satisfied now?!”

“Why are you getting so defensive, Lilur…?”

Sylha, too, was a bit taken aback by Liluriana’s outburst.

Hearing her words, Professor Zenon simply nodded as if to say, “I knew it,” and began to speak.

“Black magic, huh… That is, well, quite unfortunate. For a royal—one who must secure the support of her people—to possess such magic is arguably the worst combination. In times of war, one might cover it up with military success, but not now. I do sympathize with all the hardships you’ve endured.”

“Well… thanks.”

She offered her thanks, but at this point it made little difference.

More than that, Liluriana was clearly anxious about how Professor Zenon, now in possession of her secret, would handle the information.

Would she sell it to Rekuria—or simply report it to Rozy, the nation she belongs to?

Either way, Professor Zenon stood to profit, and naturally, we would be the ones to suffer.

She must have sensed our palpable distrust, because with a laugh she added:

“Don’t give me that look. As you can see from the fact that I came here to board, I want to be friends with you all. And, if possible, I’d even like to be counted among your comrades. Let’s vow that I’ll never sell your information, shall we?”

“Really? I can’t imagine that a renowned sage like you would gain anything by getting close with us.”

“Not at all! You’re a bundle of mysteries. I’m convinced that in the near future you’ll accomplish something monumental—and I’d absolutely love to experience that alongside you.”

Something monumental, huh…

If you ask what I’m destined to accomplish, it’d probably be nothing more than becoming a NEET—but do you really want to share that moment with me? Besides, if there’s no true sense of achievement, it wouldn’t be all that interesting to witness, right?

“A hero always accomplishes something great. History has proven that.”

““““!?”

Could it be that Professor Zenon has even noticed that I was summoned from another world as a hero!?

Ah, that expression. So, really, darling is the hero! Gee, I just can’t take my eyes off darling now!

But then it turned out it was just bait!

Damn it—I ended up with a face that practically screamed, “Eh? How do you know?!”

“That’s filthy, Zenon!”

“Hehe, you’re still so green. At this rate, I wonder how long you’ll be able to keep your secrets hidden. You all need the help of an adult like me.”

“Darling’s defensive technique is beyond anything this world possesses. Could it be that he is the legendary hero after all…!?”

It seems that, for those who know what to look for, my defense cheat is indeed quite bizarre. From now on, I’ll have to be more cautious and devise ways to prevent it from being exposed.

Professor Zenon, running both her hands over my cheeks in an admiring manner, whispered to me:

“I never dreamed a hero would get to touch my ears. With you by my side, I’m sure I’ll never be bored for the rest of my life. Now then! Let’s go get that marriage certificate already!!”

“Go get it? No way! This guy is mine! If we’re getting married, of course I should be the one to take the plunge first!”

“A-ah, I also think I should be first if we’re getting married! Besides, I’ve already greeted my mother—it’s no exaggeration to say that I’m the most advanced among us!”

I don’t intend to marry anyone just yet, though…

To become a bona fide NEET, having a family of my own is simply out of the question. Sure, being supported by a wife might seem appealing, but that would hardly make me a NEET—it would make me a freeloader. Or maybe even a full-time househusband. Of course, I have no interest in doing any housework; if I were to pursue either path, I’d naturally end up as a freeloader—and being a freeloader is an even higher-level challenge than being a NEET. One must always be attuned to one’s partner’s mood, taking utmost care never to incur their displeasure. And let’s not forget the occasional necessity of buying them gifts with my own money to keep a glimmer of hope for the future.

I simply can’t imagine that I—clumsy as I am—could ever manage such daunting tasks, and above all, the idea that the three of you before me would continue to support a carefree me with smiles on your faces is utterly unthinkable—even if the heavens were to turn upside down.

……So, after all, the goal I should be aiming for is to be a NEET, not a freeloader.

Just as I had once again resolved—countless times, no less—to remain a NEET, I noticed, for some reason, that the three of them were firmly shaking hands.

We had been bickering just moments ago; how on earth did it come to this?

“We’ll submit the marriage registration all at once—the three of us. That’s fine, right?”

“Yeah.”

No, that’s not acceptable! Why, without even considering my opinion, have all three of you decided to marry me? I have no desire to get married! I mean, is polygamy even allowed in this world? It’s terrifying how these otherworldly girls can so nonchalantly decide that everyone should tie the knot together. As a cherry boy like me, even if I married all of you, I suspect I’d quickly end up being dumped by the three of you…

I don’t want to suddenly end up with a triple strike, damn it.

But the truth is, here I am—living under one roof with girls. Marriage might indeed be a way of taking responsibility, but… well, I’m sure my future self will make the right decision.

For now, all I need to do is live each day in earnest, on the path to becoming a NEET.

Carrying that indescribable sense of unease, we once again set out for the Adventurers’ Guild to earn our daily living.