Chapter 21

We crushed the rival guild’s conspiracy, and my magical power miraculously recovered.

The inter-guild competition was postponed to be held at a later date, and a brief moment of peace came to us.

As if to heal my body and mind that had been tense during those days of battle, I spent sweet, peaceful time with each of the heroines. Of course, kisses were a daily occurrence.

“Yuuto… lately, I can’t sleep without you here. What are you going to do about that?”

Silvia’s words were as roundabout as ever, but she’d been leaning on me even more than before.

Alone together in her room, shoulders touching as we chatted about nothing in particular.

Our eyes would meet in a fleeting moment, and our lips would come together, neither of us sure who moved first.

These weren’t kisses for magical power supply, but gentle, warm kisses that confirmed our feelings for each other.

As I ran my fingers through her silver hair and gazed into those crimson eyes, my chest filled with affection.

I felt our relationship growing closer to that of lovers—something deeper than master and servant, deeper even than partners.

The ancient magic research Silvia was working on seemed to be progressing steadily. My magical power appeared to be accelerating that research.

“Yuuto-san, why don’t the three of us—Fiona-san, you, and I—go out into town today? I found a wonderful sweets shop.”

“That’s right! Yuuto-kun needs to take a break once in a while! And of course, don’t forget to give us our ‘service’!”

Lunaria and Fiona each grabbed one of my arms and dragged me noisily into town.

A date with the three of us felt like being an older brother getting pulled around by noisy younger sisters, but it was comfortable in its own way.

We stuffed ourselves with limited-edition sweets at a popular café and browsed cute accessories at a general store.

Lunaria wore a modest dress, while Fiona sported an energetic short-pants style. Both were attractive, drawing the eyes of passing men, but their attention was focused only on me.

Of course, they stole moments away from prying eyes to demand sweet kisses over and over, saying things like “Let me give you a taste” or “If you buy me this, I’ll give you a thank-you kiss.”

While I was flustered by their aggressiveness, I couldn’t help but wish this lively, fun time would last forever.

In town, we heard unsettling rumors about “suspicious-looking people wandering around lately,” but I tried not to think about it for now.

And then, I spent quiet time with Eleanor at the Magic Knights’ training grounds.

She taught me the basics of swordsmanship, and in turn, I gave her tips on magic.

At dusk, we sat side by side in a corner of the training grounds, talking about our dreams for the future and our ideals as knights.

The gentle smile she showed in fleeting moments—she who was usually so rigid—made my heart skip a beat.

“Yuuto Minakata… being with you brings me peace. I’m grateful.”

After saying this, her beautiful profile illuminated by the setting sun, Eleanor gently placed a kiss on my cheek.

It was a pure kiss filled with the bond between comrades-in-arms and something deeper—profound respect and trust.

Between Eleanor and me, an undeniable connection had formed that couldn’t be put into words.

Those sweet, peaceful days, however, didn’t last long.

Several days later, an envoy from the neighboring kingdom of Streiden arrived at the magic guild.

At that time, we had no way of knowing their visit would mark the beginning of new turmoil.

And among that envoy was someone who would greatly shake my destiny.

Chapter 22

The news that an envoy from the neighboring Streiden Kingdom would pay a courtesy visit to the magic guild unsettled the guild somewhat.

However, the moment we saw the representative of the envoy—Duchess Ariadne von Lindblum—the atmosphere froze.

Long, wavy black hair and amethyst eyes as cold as ice. She was beautiful to look at, but her expression revealed no emotion whatsoever, making her seem like an exquisite doll.

The luxurious dress she wore amplified her intimidating presence even further.

Whoa… something seriously bad just walked in…

Duchess Ariadne maintained an arrogant attitude throughout her interactions with Guild Master Serena, Silvia, and the others.

Ostensibly, this was a visit to deepen friendship between the two nations, but deep in her eyes lurked a sharp gleam—as if searching for something, or perhaps appraising it.

As tension ran through the guild, Ariadne’s gaze suddenly turned toward me.

“That man there…? How unusual for someone like him to be present in such a place.”

Ariadne’s voice was beautiful like rolling bells, but it had an inhuman ring to it.

Silvia stepped in front of me, glaring at Ariadne as if to protect me.

“He’s my exclusive magical power source. Is there a problem?”

“My, SSS-rank Silvia Arklight-sama has a man as her magical power source…? How intriguing.”

Ariadne smiled thinly and approached me.

Then, as if observing some rare creature, she began scrutinizing my face.

Too close! It’s creepy being sized up like this!

“Your magical power—I’d heard the rumors, but… I see, it truly is extraordinary. If I could bring you back to my country, you would surely be put to excellent use. You were Yuuto Minakata-san, I believe? Won’t you come with me to my Streiden Kingdom?”

Ariadne tried to lure me to her country with skillful words.

Her invitation carried a tone that brooked no refusal.

Silvia, Lunaria, Fiona, and Eleanor all rushed between Ariadne and me at once, rejecting her invitation.

“I won’t hand over Yuuto!”

“Yuuto-san is our precious companion!”

“Yuuto-kun isn’t going anywhere with a shady woman like you!”

“Do you intend to ignore Yuuto Minakata’s own will?!”

At the heroines’ fury, Ariadne showed a slightly surprised expression, but quickly returned to her cold smile.

“My, my. You’re quite beloved, aren’t you? But I’m afraid I have a persistent nature.”

Ariadne left those words behind and departed the guild with her envoy.

Her relentless gaze remained stabbed into my back.

Afterward, Fiona used her information network to investigate Ariadne’s country, the Streiden Kingdom.

What came to light was a shocking truth.

The Streiden Kingdom was also a female-supremacist nation, but its system was even more extreme than our country’s—men were treated as less than livestock, worked like slaves.

Many men were oppressed, their lives treated as worthless. Duchess Ariadne was apparently trying to strengthen that system and make her own power absolute.

“That’s… too cruel…!”

I felt intense indignation.

I was forced to recognize once again the distortion of this world’s female-supremacist society.

Silvia and the others were also left speechless by that reality, their expressions darkening.

And Fiona had obtained even more disturbing information.

In Ariadne’s country, some kind of terrifying ritual was being planned in the near future, and that ritual required a man with tremendous magical power.

Don’t tell me… Ariadne’s target is… me!?

A spine-chilling premonition seized my heart.

The reason for the obsession hidden in those cold eyes of Ariadne’s was gradually becoming clear.

And if diplomatic means failed, she would surely try to obtain me through more forceful methods.

For example… in the form of a “marriage proposal” that was really a magical power supply slave contract.