Chapter 23

Duchess Ariadne’s eerie obsession became reality in a form that far exceeded my expectations.

Several days later, she visited the magic guild again, and this time she forcefully demanded that Guild Master Serena hand over me—Yuuto Minakata.

Her reason was something that made me doubt my ears: “For the sake of lasting friendship between the Streiden Kingdom and this guild, I wish to welcome Yuuto Minakata as Duchess Ariadne’s ‘magical power supply spouse.'”

Spouse!? Magical power supply!? That’s just a slave contract!

Of course, I rejected that ridiculous demand immediately, as did Silvia and the others, and even Serena herself.

Then Ariadne, her icy smile still in place, declared this:

“Refusing this offer will be considered a clear act of hostility toward my Streiden Kingdom. Should that happen, you must be prepared for this to escalate into a matter between our nations.”

A threat to turn this into a diplomatic incident.

Serena tried to respond calmly, but cold sweat beaded on her forehead.

For a single organization like the guild to get involved in matters between nations carried far too much risk.

“Why are you so obsessed with Yuuto, Duchess Ariadne?”

Silvia pressed Ariadne with a sharp gaze.

Then Ariadne made no attempt to hide her twisted ambition as she spoke.

“My country possesses a secret art passed down since ancient times. It elevates a queen into an absolute existence and guides the nation to eternal prosperity. And to complete that secret art, a man with inexhaustible, pure magical power like Yuuto Minakata-san is essential. So that I myself may become that new queen.”

A fanatical light dwelled in Ariadne’s eyes.

She was possessed by a twisted desire for domination—to become an absolute queen herself, unconcerned about the many sacrifices that would result from the process.

I felt intense revulsion at that ambition and at the prospect of my power being exploited for it.

“Don’t mess with me! Who’d lend their power to your stupid ambition?!”

When I shouted, Silvia, Lunaria, Fiona, and Eleanor stood before me like a protective wall.

“I won’t hand over Yuuto! I won’t allow you to treat him like a tool!”

“Yuuto-san’s magical power isn’t for dominating others—it’s for helping them!”

“A woman like you doesn’t get Yuuto-kun’s kisses!”

“Respect Yuuto Minakata’s will! We won’t allow you to trample on his heart!”

The four heroines’ resolute attitude and my clear rejection.

And the strong solidarity I could feel from our companions behind them.

Faced with that overwhelming “wall,” even Ariadne seemed to flinch for a moment.

She clicked her tongue quietly and turned her cold gaze on us.

“…Very well. I’ll withdraw for today. But remember this. I always get what I want. Yuuto Minakata-san, I will make that magical power of yours—and you yourself—mine eventually.”

Leaving those words behind, Ariadne departed the guild with her envoy.

The storm of a day ended, and we celebrated our temporary victory.

The heroines, as if confirming my safety, took turns giving me relieved kisses.

At that warm sensation, I felt genuine gratitude and affection.

However, those obsessive eyes of Ariadne’s were burned into my mind and wouldn’t leave.

I couldn’t imagine she’d give up just like that. She was surely plotting another wicked scheme in the shadows.

And on that night, Guild Master Serena, who had been quietly observing this entire affair, summoned Silvia and me to her private quarters.

What she would tell us was a critical secret concerning the very foundation of this world.

Chapter 24

After the incident with Duchess Ariadne, the possibility arose that my unique magical power could get caught up in a nation-level conspiracy.

That night, Guild Master Serena invited Silvia and me into her private quarters.

With an unusually serious expression, she seemed resolved to reveal a critical secret concerning the world’s very foundation.

“Yuuto-san, Silvia-san. What I’m about to tell you is classified information known only to a select few within the guild. Listen carefully.”

Serena began with that and slowly started to speak.

It was shocking content concerning this world’s origins and the true circumstances behind the female-supremacist society’s birth.

“Long ago, in this world, both men and women could wield equally powerful magic. The sexes cooperated with each other, and the world enjoyed harmony and prosperity. However… at one point, a catastrophe large enough to shake the world occurred.”

Silvia and I held our breath at Serena’s words.

“That catastrophe was the work of a powerful ‘evil god’ that appeared from another dimension. The evil god devoured the world’s magical power and tried to return everything to nothingness. The people of that time resisted desperately, but the evil god’s power was far too great.”

In that desperate situation, one great goddess stood up.

The goddess succeeded in sealing the evil god at the cost of her own life, but in doing so, the world’s magical power balance was greatly disrupted.

Men’s magical power was significantly lost, and in exchange, women came to possess stronger magical power.

That, it’s generally told, is the direct cause of this female-supremacist society’s birth.

“However, the truth is slightly different.”

Serena paused there and looked us in the eyes.

“When sealing the evil god, the goddess intentionally ‘entrusted’ men’s magical power to safekeeping. And by concentrating that power in women, she designed this social structure as a defense mechanism to prepare for the evil god’s re-sealing, or in the worst case, its resurrection. Female supremacy wasn’t something that occurred naturally—it was a temporary ‘world’s shield’ engineered by the goddess.”

Silvia and I were left speechless by this shocking truth.

To think the female-supremacist society was a system to protect the world…

“And Yuuto-san. That inexhaustible magical power of yours is proof of the ‘mediator’ the goddess prophesied would appear someday. You’re the existence that will become the key to releasing the entrusted male magical power, correcting the world’s distortion, and restoring true harmony.”

Serena revealed that she herself was a member of a secret organization that inherited the goddess’s will and aimed to correct the world’s distortion.

Her family line had passed down that mission for generations.

“Silvia-san, the ancient magic you seek is also, if you trace it back, a fragment of the power the goddess left behind. And those who try to abuse that power, like Duchess Ariadne, may be influenced by the evil god’s remnants.”

Serena asked Silvia and me to cooperate with that secret organization.

Learning the world’s truth and becoming aware of my own mission, Silvia and I empathized with Serena’s resolve and ideals, and promised our cooperation.

“Yuuto-san, your magical power still has unstable aspects. This is a ritual passed down in the organization to stabilize magical power.”

Saying that, Serena gently brought her lips to my forehead.

It was a somehow sacred, pure kiss.

In that moment, I felt the magical power within my body settle peacefully and become easier to control.

To think Serena-san had this side to her…

Serena informed us of the existence of a “forbidden sanctuary” where further details about Yuuto’s magical power’s source and the goddess’s plan lay dormant.

Going there and confirming the truth became our next mission.

A grand journey that would determine the world’s fate was about to begin.