“This tournament wasn’t fair!”
“Oh? And what makes you say that?”
“It’s because… I won⋯⋯!!”
“⋯⋯You do realize how absurd that sounds coming from you, Hero Candidate Finn?”
Keuaaaack-!
Hero Candidate Pim screamed at the heavens.
I strolled past Ping, who was thrashing around in the inescapable swamp of victory. No matter how much he complained to the receptionist, the outcome wouldn’t change. The media spin was already in motion.
I was focused on hammering his name into permanence—securing his reputation once and for all. Just like this.
“Hey, hey, I heard that Hero Candidate is unbelievably skilled?”
“Yeah, they say he even sent people flying with his Lion’s Roar during the tournament!”“And with that invisible sword⋯⋯.”
“Who are you people?! Stop following me around and spreading these ridiculous rumors──?!”
Kekeke.
You should have just accepted your fate, Hero Candidate. If you had kept quiet, I would have arranged a comfortable position for you.
The more you resist, the more I’ll pile on the praise and rumors. Checkmate, Hero Candidate.
Did you really think you could get yourself disqualified and hand me the win with some evil scheme? Not a chance⋯⋯.
Of course, even though I was having my fun with this, I intended to clean things up properly later. Strictly speaking, I did push others down to pull myself up, so once the dust settled, I planned to make amends and give them money, houses, and everything.
Just bear with it a little longer.
With the first tournament done, three remained. There were six Hero Candidate slots left, and I needed to fill as many as possible with our faction.
For the first round, I had used my trump card—the Imperial Family’s knight, Cicel Yurensto—to block the competition. Now, it was time to outline the future plan.
One slot would be secured through cooperation with the Grand Duke of the North.
One with my own forces.
And one by pitting Red Flavor against the Cardinal Faction.
If things went smoothly, I could cleanly block the remaining tournaments just like that. But first, I needed to secure the North’s cooperation.
For now, I’d left it at, I have your daughter, so we’ll talk later. It was time to follow up on that.
I needed to convince the Grand Duke of the North and bring him to our side before the next tournament began.
I also had to prepare countermeasures against Red Flavor.
From experience, the synergy between Duke Red Flavor and that body-controlling puppeteer was terrifyingly efficient. They covered each other’s weaknesses so seamlessly, like interlocking cogwheels meshing well together.
Their strategy wasn’t just effective—it was nearly foolproof. They could keep releasing puppets endlessly while keeping their main forces hidden. If left unchecked, they would win by sheer attrition.
And to make matters worse, one of them was a Duke.
With endless resources, devoted followers, and immense political influence, they weren’t the kind of opponents I could simply charge at and decapitate.
Even individually, they were a nightmare.
One had an area-wide fate manipulation ability, while the other controlled organic matter—what a dirty and unfair Metamorphosis. Meanwhile, the rest of us were stuck fighting honestly and diligently, swinging our swords like fools.
“What a fucking crazy ass scamming, unbalanced, overpowered cheat ability⋯⋯.”
“Are you really the one to say that?”
“Yes, because I don’t have Metamorphosis.”
At that moment, a freshly bathed, warm-looking Pink-Haired Lesbian strolled past, adding her two cents. She was dressed in nothing but an oversized shirt, holding a bundle of fresh clothes in her hands.
If I let my eyes linger on her body, a great war would break out in my mind, so I deliberately focused on her clothes instead—black, white, pink. The mix of underwear and clothes of various colors almost looked like a bouquet of flowers at a glance.
Ever since the incident with Yuna, I had developed an unfortunate condition where anything colorful reminded me of wedding items.
Come to think of it, wasn’t Pink-Haired Lesbian’s oversized white shirt⋯⋯ technically a wedding dress? It was simple, elegant, and….
She must have caught on to my thoughts because she spoke casually.
“If my undergarments are distracting you, would you prefer I show you while wearing⋯⋯ them.”
“⋯⋯Please don’t hesitate in the middle of your sentence. Say it with confidence in one go!”
“If I could do that, I already would have. You don’t understand how much courage it takes to say things like this. So, if you’re just going to criticize me, that’s a little disappointing. Oh, or maybe… is it because you’re embarrassed too?”
“Go away. Just go. Come back when you’re properly dressed.”
I shooed away the walking embodiment of temptation.
I planned to steadily apply pressure and resolve the issue with Duke Red Flavor—the one wielding that ridiculously overpowered, broken ability. Originally, I had considered diving in headfirst for a sword duel⋯⋯ but if I was serious about marriage, I needed to learn how to be patient.
If I recklessly threw myself into danger again, thinking, This might work, and ended up injured, I wouldn’t even have the dignity to face Yuna.
In crucial, decisive moments, it couldn’t be helped. I drew a clear line there. But at the very least, shouldn’t I try to prioritize my safety when I could?
Among the many choices available, I picked the safest one.
Thump
A weight settled on my shoulders as I sank into the sofa. A subtle fragrance of rose-scented body wash drifted through the air. Pink-Haired Lesbian wrapped her arms around me from behind, resting her chin on my shoulder as she looked at my planning notes.
“You’ve changed, Mima.”
“Yuna changed me. Made me care about looking after myself.”
“Then what about me? Have I changed anything in you? Even a little?”
“Thanks to you, I don’t use Sexual Desire Suppression Magic anymore.”
It was true.
Since I had decided to face even the smallest emotions head-on, it had been quite a while since I abandoned my once-trusted ally—the Sexual Desire Suppression Magic Module. Maybe because of that, every day felt more thrilling, more vibrant.
Emotions were like wildfire, igniting chemical reactions with other feelings.
Sexual desire was, at its core, the urge to reproduce, and that was the desire to create life. And while it wasn’t exactly the same as love, it was probably part of it.
Without that suppression magic and all the other mental modules I had installed, I found myself thinking about more things. Like Marriage. Proposals. Rings.
Marriage, huh. And having children⋯⋯?
Me, building a happy family and living a peaceful, harmonious life?
I couldn’t picture it. I couldn’t even dare to. I doubt if such a future really existed. Because a future that happy felt almost unreal.
But… not now. That was something quite far in the future. First, I needed to finish what I had started. Gently, I took Pink-Haired Lesbian’s chin and nudged it away.
“Yuri, stop staring at my crotch and move.”
“How did you know I was looking there?”
“I could feel it.”
“Then don’t keep it to yourself. Let me feel something too⋯⋯ how was that? Not bad this time, right?”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Watching Pink-Haired Lesbian struggle to make lewd jokes while clearly flustered, I executed a well-timed escape maneuver. Which meant jumping straight out the door.
How does Bennett even handle this sort of thing?
After a brief jog, I arrived at the mansion where the Grand Duke of the North was supposedly staying. From what I’d heard, he had driven out the previous owner—a priest—by throwing an absurd amount of money at him, then immediately started remodeling the place.
Sure enough, the entire building had been transformed to a Northern style. Even the main gate was adorned with a fierce-looking stuffed bear head.
Nice.
If I had just ten minutes alone with him, I could make the Grand Duke of the North my ally. I knew everything about him—his personality, his ambitions, and I knew exactly how to build favor.
So, I politely requested a meeting with him and⋯⋯.
“Fuck off.”
“Sorry?”
“I said fuck off.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
I was turned away at the door.
If this were just his subordinates acting on their own, that would be one thing. But from the way things looked, this order had come directly from the Northern Duke himself. So, this was their stance? Since our side had pulled out of the Courage tournament, there wouldn’t be another deal unless we paid a proper usage fee.
Alright then. I tried again, offering an appropriate fee as a token of gratitude.
“You should fuck off.”
Fine. Then how about expressing my willingness to cooperate in the next tournament?
“Fuck off.”
Okay, then perhaps using the rights I’d secured from begging Irid—
“Fuck off.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Do these fuckers just hate me?
I gathered intel while circling the area—eavesdropping on conversations, picking up bits of information from a distance. The conclusion was…
It seemed the Northern faction had closely observed how the Tournament of 『Courage』 went down, and concluded that ‘Crazy Wizard is dangerous’. It seemed like they decided on a policy of avoiding involvement altogether.
Tsk.
Why was I even getting annoyed about this?
I had known Grand Duke Daisy-kun for so long. If we actually sat down and talked, we’d be back to being good friends in no time.
This time too, I had assumed we’d be able to rekindle our old friendship, shake hands, and strike a mutually beneficial deal. Given my understanding of the North’s circumstances, I had even planned to quietly push some rather valuable rights their way.
But if you won’t appreciate my pure goodwill…
“『Hologram : Heart』.”
Then I’ll make you appreciate it.
===============================================================
Irid sifted through stacks of documents, the steam from his coffee curling into the air beside him. Across from the Second Prince sat Cicel Yurensto, her head bowed, an apologetic look on her face.
“So… you are tentatively quitting the『Azure Wind Knight Order』⋯⋯ is that right?”
“⋯⋯Yes, I feel guilty toward the First Princess, but….”
“It doesn’t seem like this is about you becoming a Hero candidate. Since the selection isn’t confirmed yet, that shouldn’t be a factor. I understand this means you want to leave the Knight Order regardless.”
“That’s exactly right. Um, I’ll return all the salary I’ve received until now, so⋯⋯.”
It was a loss of manpower.
Irid furrowed his brow. While the Eastern Front was stable for now, losing one of the Empire’s finest knights was a blow in itself.
He could get angry, remind her of the Empire’s generosity, or pressure her using her family’s situation to make her stay a few more years⋯⋯ But Irid quietly settled down, dismissing such thoughts.
Cicel Yurensto was his sister’s knight. And if his sister had already made her decision… he would follow her will.
Irid finally found the document he wanted. It was a resignation letter, already signed by Elaine. In other words, it was a blank letter.
Cicel’s eyes widened seeing that document.
“My sister was worried that you’d throw your life away meaninglessly. She told me that if by chance everything goes well, and you request to leave⋯⋯ I should let you go without objection.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
“You were never bound to her, as my sister is now as free as the wind. But… if you still hold to any knightly code⋯⋯ then go find my sister directly ask her about your retirement request.”
“⋯⋯⋯Euheuk.”
“⋯⋯Are you crying?”
The sensitivity flowing through the Yurensto bloodline, had unleashed a merciless assault on her tear ducts. Overcome by the tolerance and kindness of her benevolent lord, she began sobbing uncontrollably.
Irid watched her for a moment. Then, deciding it wasn’t his job to comfort her, he stood up from his seat. And fled.
It was a judgment truly befitting a Imperial descendant.
All he had to do now was kill time until her emotions settled.
There was nothing better than paperwork for passing time, but since his office was currently occupied by a crying knight, he needed a different distraction.
“Should I get some dessert?”
Irid, who usually enjoyed his coffee black, had only recently developed a taste for sweets—thanks to Agent C. After lecturing him on the importance of sugar for brain function, she had successfully converted him to the Dessert Devotion Theory.
Centra also liked desserts.
Whenever they passed a bakery, her gaze would linger on the treats behind the glass. But she never bought them. Because she was saving money for the resistance. Preparing for 『Beer and Song』 took a lot of funding, after all.
Her self-restraint, her willingness to put the cause above her desires—that was just one of Centra’s countless charms.
Back then, Irid had told her he could earn money through mysterious paperwork processing and buy her whatever she wanted.
She hesitated at first, but in the end, she had chosen a modest little bakery.
Saying, Things like this are better than fancy desserts, while clumsily hiding her desires.
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
How nice would it have been if they could have walked through this era together? Irid was an Imperial descendant. If she had been by his side, she wouldn’t have had to save money. Not for food. Not for the resistance. Not for anything.
Irid would have given her whatever she wanted.
Following the scent of freshly baked bread, he turned a corner and spotted a small but neat-looking bakery. Yes, the shop Centra had chosen had exactly this kind of feeling.
And she had always picked bread closer to a meal than a dessert.
“If you chew properly, you can taste the sweetness, right? See? So luxuries like dessert aren’t necessary. There are mountains of more important things in the world.”
“I see.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯Centra?”
Am I seeing things? Irid blinked.
The same lively expression, the same pitch-black hair like the night sky—her features, her presence, all of it⋯⋯ reminded him of her.
And sitting across from her was a man resembling a winter wolf.
The Grand Duke of the North, Elvillion Julius.
What… was going on?
Before reason could even attempt to process it, emotion surged forward. The scandal between the Grand Duke and Heart. The battle of nerves and the conflict between them.
Impulse overtook logic.
Irid moved before he could stop himself and interfered between the two people.
Craash-!
“⋯⋯Second Prince? What exactly are you doing?”
“What did you do to Centra, Elvillion Julius⋯⋯!”
“Mind your manners. Even if the blood of the Imperial Family flows in you, I too am a Grand Duke of the Empire. Even Royal Blood is not immune to death. I warn you—do not interfere with my precious time with Heart.”
“I asked what you did to her. Why is she here?!”
Sparks flew.
Julius’s displeasure was evident, and Irid’s voice only grew fiercer. The tension crackled like a drawn blade. And then, right in the middle of their brewing storm between the two men⋯⋯.
A cheerful voice cut in.
“⋯⋯I’mmm not Centra. Not Heart, either. Stop getting the names wrong, okay? Not Heart, but Love.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯Not Centra?”
“My apologies. Please consider it a nickname.”
“Just because you say that doesn’t make me that person. It kinda sucks when people keep overlapping someone else onto me. If you do this again, I’ll make you buy extra bread as a penalty.”
The woman who called herself Love pouted cutely.
What⋯⋯ was she talking about?
She was saying she wasn’t Centra… so she was a different person?
His reason, which had been lagging behind his emotions, finally caught up.
A woman who looked exactly like Centra—but wasn’t Centra.
=> Of course, unless she was Centra who lost her memories through time travel— She had to be her distant ancestor. If there was a hundred-year gap between them, she could even be Centra’s great-grandmother?
Until now, Irid had tried to trace Centra’s lineage, her origins, her family—along with the founder of the Resistance. But he couldn’t find anything.
=> At first, he suspected Centra’s father was someone from the Defense Bureau. But in the end, all he found was a single agent among the Resistance’s core members⋯⋯ it might have been someone else. Then—it was just a hypothesis, but—
What if the roots of the future Resistance had been planted somewhere far beyond Irid’s reach? For example⋯⋯ the North?
Then.
The connection between Grand Duke of the North, Elvillion Julius, and this woman called Love could very well—
Lead to Centra’s birth. In the distant future⋯⋯.
Which meant—
The Grand Duke might be Centra’s father’s father’s father.
Then. Grand Duke of the North was.
Which meant—
“──Father-in-law?”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯Second Prince, if you are under the effect of an illusion spell, please say so. Because that must be the case. You should seek treatment immediately.”
The Grand Duke of the North looked pitifully at the crazy Second Prince.
***
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