When I Maxed Out the Zero-Star Saintess, a Yandere Confinement Life with Overwhelming Love Began - Chapter 20

Chapter 20

“…Mimir-san. Do you seriously think you can serve as Lyle-sama’s lawful wife with that level of housekeeping skills?”

In the living room of the grand cathedral, Sizzle pushed up her glasses with a snap. Her voice carried the absolute intimidating presence of a “head maid.”

“Eh?”

Mimir, with her hammer slung over her shoulder, made a blank face.

“Look at this disaster. The room is filthy, and the cooking is poisonous. At this rate, far from finding peace, Lyle-sama will end up in eternal sleep.”

“Th-That’s…!”

“What you need is not forcing your love on him. It is ‘bride training.'”

At Sizzle’s words, Mimir stiffened as if struck by lightning.

“B-Bride… training…!?”

“Yes. To become Lyle-sama’s wife, passing the ‘Bride Certification Level 1’ established by Celesfia-sama is required. As for you right now… well, you are ‘below apprentice.'”

Of course, no such certification existed. But Mimir’s heart-shaped pupils widened dramatically.

“I-I see…! I rushed ahead with just my love for Lyle, and I haven’t polished the essential ‘wife skills’…!”

She burst into tears and dropped to her knees on the spot. She was too easy. Way too easy.

“Sizzle-san! I’ll do it! I’ll endure any harsh training! To become a woman worthy of Lyle!”

“…That’s a good resolve. Then, I will give you the first trial.”

Sizzle lifted the corner of her mouth and pointed to the dense forest spreading behind the grand cathedral.

“Go fetch the premium meat from the king of magical beasts that lives in that ‘Forest of No Return,’ the King Behemoth. We will use it for tonight’s main dish.”

“Meat!? Got it! I’ll make delicious hamburgers!”

Mimir broke open the window bars with rocket-like acceleration, jumped out, and charged straight into the forest.

A little while later, tremendous ground shaking and the dying screams of magical beasts came from the forest.

“…Hey, Sizzle.”

I asked fearfully.

“How strong is a King Behemoth?”

“It is something that a group of level 50 humans can barely defeat. She probably won’t die alone, but even she should struggle quite a bit against it. In that opening, we can reinforce the barrier and improve the grand cathedral’s security—”

“I got iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!!!”

Boooom!!!!!!

Before Sizzle finished explaining, a huge chunk of meat fell from the sky. It was the King Behemoth (unconscious), at least twenty meters long. On top of it, Mimir flashed a V-sign.

“…Huh?”

Sizzle froze. Not even three minutes had passed since she left.

“There was a handy one, so I gave it an impromptu ‘meat tenderizing massage’! After that, just pound it with a sword, and it’ll be premium ground meat!”

“…Are you a monster?”

“No, I’m a maiden in love!”

Mimir declared refreshingly, then dragged the huge meat chunk toward the kitchen.

“Wait for me, Lyle! Next, I’ll make ‘Love Stamina Hamburgers—Fully Loaded’!”

“…Sizzle. The plan failed, didn’t it!? Can we even eat Behemoth meat!?”

“No, not yet… Her high physical combat power was within expectations. Then, we will attack with tasks that wear down the mind.”

Sizzle did not give up. She stopped Mimir and gave her the next task.

“Mimir-san. Before cooking, prepare the environment. Go clean the underground storage of the grand cathedral.”

“Cleaning! I’m good at that! I’ll make it sparkling for our new home!”

Mimir headed down the stairs to the basement while humming.

“Just cleaning…? Well, she might not be good at it.”

Sizzle shook her head at my doubt.

“No, of course… Ahem. Of course, that place is not just a storage. Though called underground storage, it is a cursed underground labyrinth swirling with grudges over a thousand years old. Ghosts immune to physical attacks and magical books that cause mental contamination are scattered there. Even Celesfia-sama says it ‘roughens her skin’ and avoids it.”

“It only roughens her skin…”

As expected of the four-awakening humanity’s strongest berserker.

“…So, this time it should be fine, right?”

“Yes. Countless spirits immune to physical attacks are there. A hammer won’t work, and if mental contamination makes her ‘depressed,’ she should quiet down a bit.”

Sizzle nodded confidently. This was definitely a flag.

◆

Ten minutes later.

“Wow~! It’s all clean now~!”

Mimir came back. For some reason, she held something glowing white in her hand.

“…What’s that?”

“The ghosts in the basement! They were saying ‘So resentful~,’ so I let them listen to my stories, and they all ascended and turned into diamonds!”

What she held out were high-purity magic stones. In the original game, they were paid items for gacha pulls. Super rare valuables.

If she could not beat them physically, she beat them with positivity. In front of her, even thousand-year grudges became mere “counseling sessions.”

“Hey, hey, Lyle, can we use these for rings? Let’s make our wedding rings with them!”

In front of the sparkling magic stones, Sizzle collapsed from her knees.

“…I can’t win. Against this overwhelming purity, neither my calculations nor the saintess’s authority work…”

“Sizzle lost…!?”

I shuddered. Sizzle acknowledged defeat from the bottom of her heart.

“Hehe. You did well, Mimir.”

At some point, the saintess stood there elegantly clapping. But her eyes were not smiling. She walked up to Mimir and smiled brightly.

“Celesfia!?”

“Wonderful housekeeping skills, Mimir-san… What do you say? To become Lyle-sama’s wife, I think ‘cooperation’ is also necessary.”

“Co-op-er-a-tion?”

“Yes. After all, a wife is not limited to one person.”

“B-But the teachings are monogamy…”

Celesfia smiled brightly and pointed to herself.

“I am a saintess. By divine oracle, it is easy to exceptionally permit polygamy.”

“That’s blatant abuse of authority! Is that okay!? —Mmph…”

As I tried to retort, Sizzle used her shadow to cover my mouth.

“Lyle-san, please stay quiet for a bit.”

“Mimir, whether you can get along with us. Today, specially, let’s have a ‘girls’ talk’ in my room.”

“Wow! A sleepover!? Let’s do it, let’s do it!”

Mimir jumped happily. But I saw it. A sinister swirl of magical power behind Celesfia. This was not “talking.” It was a ritual of “brainwashing” or “mental destruction” in a closed space.

“Come on in. …I will thoroughly correct your ‘misunderstanding.'”

“I’m looking forward to it~! Let’s talk all night about what we like about Lyle!”

The two linked arms and left. As I watched Mimir being led away like livestock, I asked Sizzle after she released the shadow restraint.

“…Will she be okay? That.”

“…I don’t know. But one thing I can say is, by tomorrow morning, either one will be brainwashed… or the grand cathedral will be gone… Either way, Lyle-sama.”

“What.”

“You should write your will tonight.”

“I’m going to die!?”

◆

That night, when I opened the window, loud laughter came from what seemed to be Celesfia’s room.

‘Love is an explosion! Why can’t you say you love him to Lyle!?’

‘…Shut up, you pink!’

‘Kyaha, Saintess, you’re embarrassed~!’

‘C-Celesfia-sama! No raising hands rule! This is the grand cathedral! Important cultural property!’

‘…I’ll tie a letter to an arrow and send it.’

‘Then I’ll roast it out with black dragon breath!’

For some reason, the named characters had all gathered in Celesfia’s room, and the world’s most terrifying “girls’ talk” leaked out from there.