Chapter 2: From Now On

“Oh, really? That’s amazing! You’re incredible!”

“Ha, haha, hahaha…”

My side was starting to hurt.

The night of my audience with the king, a grand banquet was held to celebrate our victory—or something like that.

I’d attended noble gatherings before, but tonight was different. This wasn’t just a social event; it was a celebration of the evil dragon’s defeat. And apparently, I was the guest of honor.

One high-ranking official after another approached me, offering congratulations without a moment’s rest. And now, I was surrounded by young women.

I was starving, but I couldn’t even reach for the buffet-style food.

“Yusuke-sama, is there no lady who has caught your eye?”

“W-well, uh…”

Being surrounded by ministers and generals was exhausting enough, but being swarmed by their daughters was just as bad.

Young, unmarried, beautiful women pressed in from all sides. I had a vague idea why.

If they could get close to me, they’d likely gain some kind of advantage—whether for political reasons or personal ambition. It wasn’t a sweet, innocent crush driving them; it was strategy.

And honestly? It was exhausting. Just utterly exhausting.

To begin with, I’ve always been shy. Even back in Japan, I was like this. Being surrounded by beautiful girls didn’t make me feel “happy”—it just made me feel “awkward.” That’s just the kind of person I am.

So, um…

Someone, please help me…

As I silently pleaded in my heart—

The sound of a door opening echoed through the hall.

Not the small door used by servants, but the grand entrance reserved for important guests. At this point in the evening, long after the banquet had started, only a handful of people could arrive late and still be forgiven.

“Oh… if it isn’t Lady Miliaréana.”

Of course. It had to be someone of royal standing.

The girl who had traveled with me—Miliaréana Eltina, the Ninth Princess.

“It’s been a while, Minister Daria.”

The minister who had spoken to her—likely someone important—received a polite, composed response from Miliaréana. Her demeanor was different from usual. The grace and nobility she exuded made my heart skip a beat, even from a distance.

…And then there was her outfit.

Like the other noble ladies, she wore a dress that revealed just enough skin to be elegant without being indecent. The fabric shimmered under the banquet hall’s lights, complementing her every movement.

All eyes in the room were drawn to her.

Especially the men’s. Some of their gazes were downright lecherous.

I felt an uncomfortable twinge in my chest.

…Even though there was nothing special between us.

“Yusuke-sama?”

Suddenly, one of the girls in front of me—whose name I couldn’t even remember—called out to me.

“Huh? Oh, sorry… I got distracted.”

“No, no, it’s quite alright. More importantly, could you continue your adventure story?”

Despite my lapse in attention, she remained eager, pressing me to keep talking. But no matter what I said, her responses were always the same: “Amazing,” “Incredible,” “Is that so?”

It was obvious she wasn’t really interested in my actual experiences—just in keeping the conversation going to get closer to me.

Feeling increasingly drained, I forced myself to keep talking, trying not to let my growing gloom show.

Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at Miliaréana. She was surrounded by high-ranking officials and handsome noblemen, handling each interaction with effortless grace.

She’s really something… I thought, both impressed and distracted, as I continued my dull conversation.

As time passed and the night deepened, the crowd of girls around me gradually thinned out. Finally, it seemed like I was about to be freed.

I was absolutely starving.

Without hesitation, I made my way toward the banquet tables… only to stop in my tracks.

“…Ah.”

The plates of food had already been cleared away.

All that remained were drinks and a few scattered finger foods—small snacks meant to accompany alcohol.

I guess that part of the evening was over.

…Well, better than nothing, I suppose.

I wasn’t a fan of alcohol—or rather, I still couldn’t shake the mindset I had back in Japan, where drinking at 18 felt wrong. So, even here, I couldn’t bring myself to have any.

Maybe I’d just settle for this cracker-looking thing with some weird brown shellfish-like topping.

Just as I reached out to grab one—

“Yusuke-sama. Do you have a moment?”

A voice called out from behind me, making my shoulders jolt in surprise.

“Uh, yeah. If it’s me you’re looking for—”

I turned around—and there stood Miliaréana.

It seemed she had also managed to escape the crowd.

“Would you like to get some fresh air?”

“Huh? Oh… yeah. Let’s do that—”

Crunch.

Her heel came down on my foot.

Not hard enough to injure me, but… definitely hard enough to hurt.

And I wasn’t so dense that I didn’t understand the message.

Flustered, I quickly corrected myself.

“Y-yes. I’d be honored to accompany you…”

This time, she didn’t step on my foot.

“Then, shall we?”

Her status as royalty.

My status as the hero.

Which one held more weight? Naturally, it should be royalty. If a hero were to act disrespectfully toward a member of the royal family, it would set a bad example for everyone else.

That’s why Miliaréana’s foot stomp was necessary. It wasn’t out of annoyance—it was to keep me from embarrassing myself.

Guided by her—and her maid—I left the hall.

Even though I still hadn’t eaten anything…

We arrived at the balcony.

I took in a deep breath of the chilly night air and exhaled.

Miliaréana watched me with a sharp gaze.

“…Be more careful with your manners, okay? I don’t mind, but others won’t be so forgiving.”

“Ugh, I’m sorry…”

“…Right now, there’s no one else around, so you can just act like usual.”

“Ah, yeah… okay. Huh?”

I glanced at her maid, who was standing at a slight distance. Was that really okay?

“Hm? Her? Jane’s fine. She’s pretty flexible.”

“Oh, I see.”

So her name’s Jane.

Well, if Miliaréana says it’s fine, then I guess it’s fine…

“Anyway.”

“Yeah?”

“Did you find any good women?”

“Huh…? Wh-what do you mean?”

At my reaction, Miliaréana narrowed her eyes.

“Isn’t it obvious? A marriage partner.”

“A marriage… partner…”

“You should at least be aware of that much. If you’re planning to keep living in this world, your conduct is important. Especially for someone like the ‘Hero.’”

Miliaréana gestured to her maid, Jane, who silently handed her a glass.

…It was the same type of alcohol I’d seen back in the hall.

“From the country’s perspective, they don’t want to leave someone as strong as you unattached. To tie you to the nation’s interests, they’d prefer to connect you with a noble’s daughter.”

“Ah, I see…”

Now that she mentioned it, the reason I had been swarmed by girls at tonight’s banquet… I thought it was just personal or family ambition, but it seemed the stakes were much bigger than I realized.

So it’s about the country, huh…

Still, it was hard to wrap my head around.

“If you’re going to get married anyway, you might as well pick someone you find attractive. Their personalities are all pretty much the same anyway.”

“Attractive, huh…”

“Oh, or maybe you care more about their body?”

“Th-their body…!?”

I choked.

The conversation had taken such an abrupt turn that I couldn’t help but cough.

“That kind of thing is important, isn’t it? You’re the hero of the country. Just pick a woman you like and marry her. It’ll save you a lot of stress.”

“B-but… shouldn’t it be more like… getting to know each other first? Taking the proper steps…? Otherwise, wouldn’t that be disrespectful to the other person…?”

“…Sigh. You really have such a troublesome personality.”

Miliaréana took a sip of her drink, then leaned against the balcony railing.

“You… were kidnapped, taken to a foreign land, and forced to fight. And when you came back, even the promises made to you were broken.”

“…Yeah. That’s true, but…”

“At least take some freedom when it comes to women. They’re the ones approaching you because they want to. Everyone’s happy. If you’re still hesitating, you could always take on a concubine or something.”

“A concubine…?”

“I’m the Ninth Princess… the daughter of a concubine. That’s just how things are valued ‘here.’”

“…………”

The night breeze sent a chill through my body.

A deep sense of absurdity weighed on me—something I couldn’t quite put into words.

“Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to lecture you… I just wanted to take a break with you for a bit.”

“…Miliaréana, do you also find places like that uncomfortable?”

“Of course I do. I had way more fun goofing off with you during our travels.”

I was at a loss for words.

Even though she hated it too… she still handled it so effortlessly.

At least, from my perspective.

Compared to her, I—

“Princess, I’ve brought the reserved dishes.”

“Ah, thanks. You’re always so thoughtful.”

Miliaréana took the plate of food from Jane. It was the same kind of hearty meal that had been served earlier in the evening.

“Miliaréana, is that…?”

“Hm? Oh, well, I’m technically royalty, right? Even back then, whenever I attended parties, I was always too busy to eat.”

“Yeah.”

“So I’d have them set some aside for me to eat later.”

“Huh… I see.”

From the moment I met Miliaréana until our journey to slay the evil dragon, it hadn’t been that long. There was still so much I didn’t know about her life in the royal castle.

Now, I was seeing a side of her I hadn’t before.

She took a bite of what looked like chicken, her fork moving delicately.

As I watched her—

“…Hm? What’s up?”

“Ah, nothing… It just looks really good, that’s all.”

“You’re such a glutton… Oh, wait. Yusuke, you haven’t eaten either, have you?”

“No. Well, I guess not.”

“Hmm.”

She twirled her fork over the plate.

Left, then right… After a brief moment of hesitation—

“You want some too?”

“…If you’re offering, I’d love some.”

I wondered if there was more reserved food.

Maybe Jane could bring some for me—

“Here, eat.”

“Huh?”

A fork.

The chicken-like dish was now being held out in front of me.

Wait, what?

Huh?

Was there only enough reserved food for her plate?

Wait, no, more importantly—

“Open your mouth. My arm’s getting tired.”

“Ah, ahhh…?”

Before I could process what was happening, I obediently opened my mouth. The next thing I knew, the bite of meat was pressed against my tongue.

A tangy fruit glaze mixed with the savory flavor of the meat, spreading across my taste buds.

“Good, right?”

“…Y-yeah. It’s delicious.”

An indirect kiss.

I doubted Miliaréana even thought about it, but I was hyper-aware of it.

And then—

“Glad you like it.”

Her expression softened… and I felt my face grow hot.

Her hair swayed gently in the night breeze.

Her skin was slightly flushed from the alcohol.

The dress that accentuated her figure.

Maybe it was the makeup, but she looked even more captivating than usual.

I couldn’t stop staring.

“Want some more?”

“…N-no, I’m good.”

“Hmm… I’ll have some bread sent to your room later. That should fill you up.”

“…Ah, thanks.”

But her gender identity is male.

…Getting all flustered like this must be annoying for her.

I felt a pang of guilt.

“Just marry a woman you like,” she said… but there’s no way I could ever do that.

Sensing the shift in mood, Miliaréana changed the subject.

“Anyway… Yusuke, you had more fun traveling than being at a party like this, right?”

“Huh? Well… yeah. I did.”

“…Yeah, thought so.”

She finished the last bite of food on her plate.

“If that’s what you want, you can go on another journey. I’ll handle convincing the old man.”

Her words were tempting.

But the way she said it—

“Even so… what about you, Miliaréana?”

“Me? I’ll stay in this country.”

“Stay?”

“Even with everything, I owe them for raising me… I can’t just run away like some delinquent kid.”

…So, she’s not coming with me, huh?

Does that mean I’d be traveling alone?

That’s—

“Then I’ll stay too. It wouldn’t be fun without you, Miliaréana.”

I spoke without thinking—just my honest feelings.

And the moment I did, I realized how embarrassing it sounded.

…I was too scared to look at her face.

“You… better be careful, you know? Saying stuff like that could easily be taken as a confession.”

“Ah, uh… yeah, you’re right…”

“Even if you don’t mean it that way… it’s up to the other person how they take it. Just don’t go getting yourself into trouble with women, okay, ‘Hero’?”

“I’ll be careful… haha.”

I finally looked at Miliaréana’s face.

This world wasn’t advanced in scientific technology.

No electric lights illuminated the balcony—only the soft glow of the moon.

That’s why it felt so much darker here than the brightly lit hall.

So surely… it had to be my imagination.

A trick of the light.

But for just a moment, I could’ve sworn—

Her cheeks were slightly flushed.