Right now, I'm facing Eris.
We're outside the magical city of Sharia.
Just beyond the city walls.
There are no spectators, but Ghyslaine is standing nearby.
On the way out of the city, Eris had called me over.
To serve as referee.
Calling a referee meant she didn't intend to kill me, right?
"..."
Eris says nothing.
She's looking at me with a drawn sword.
No—wait, is that hand trembling slightly?
A warrior's tremor, perhaps?
What should I do?
Should I fight seriously?
Honestly, I could afford to lose. It might even be better if I did.
I love Eris.
Earlier I said I loved Sylphie and Roxy more, but I can't rank them.
Sylphie is Sylphie, Roxy is Roxy, Eris is Eris—I love them each for who they are.
It's indecisive, I know, but that's the kind of man I am.
A cheater with an overactive libido—and the fact that I can now hold an Eris who's become an absolute knockout? Part of me thinks this is a dream come true.
If she wants me to love her, then I'll love her with everything I have.
This isn't infidelity anymore. Or an affair.
It's love.
It's the natural order of things.
Wanting to be with an attractive woman is simply human nature.
Come at me, Millis Church followers.
I've made my peace with that.
But—would Eris accept it if I deliberately lost?
Wouldn't she see it as an insult?
Wouldn't she end up hating me for it?
Eris had been training to gain the strength to stand against Orsted—to protect me.
So shouldn't I show her the strength befitting her husband?
Shouldn't I prove that I'd worked just as hard as she had?
...I hadn't worked as hard as Eris, not even close. But still.
I should fight with everything I have, match her blow for blow, and then either lose—or win, and tell her to become my bride once and for all.
Win.
"You're mine. Don't argue—just come home with me."
Alright. That's the plan.
My destroyed magical armor was sitting in the forest, and Eris—now a Sword King—had given even Orsted a run for his money in close combat.
Looking at an opponent like that, I couldn't imagine winning from any distance... but if I couldn't win, then so be it.
"Rudeus."
As I steeled myself, Ghyslaine spoke to me.
"Yes?"
It had been a while since I last saw Ghyslaine. She hadn't changed much.
She'd just become... a respectable-looking older woman, I suppose.
We'd exchanged greetings and had a conversation, but we didn't discuss the current situation in any real depth.
We were never close enough for deep conversations, so there was no awkwardness.
"Eris hasn't changed much from how she was before. Just accept her as she is."
Ghyslaine spoke in the same blunt tone she always had.
There was something about the nuance of those words that made me hesitate.
Is what I'm about to do really the right thing? I asked myself.
I looked at Eris.
She was waiting for me to be ready, standing in her usual pose.
Arms crossed, legs spread, chin raised.
The pose was the same as always, but her figure was drastically different from the Eris I remembered.
She'd grown taller, her chest had filled out, and she carried herself with the supple, predatory grace of a carnivore.
Five years had passed.
I had... changed.
Had Eris changed too?
Ghyslaine said she hadn't.
Five years ago—or before that—how had I treated Eris?
For the willful Eris... what was I supposed to do?
"Then—begin!"
At Ghyslaine's word, I didn't even raise my staff into a stance.
Eris, too, remained still with her arms crossed.
After a moment, Eris slowly began to move.
She drew the sword at her hip, let it hang loosely at her side, and walked toward me.
The blade gleamed with a crystalline clarity—one of the Seven Swords, a legendary blade presented by the Sword God himself.
Eris stopped in front of me.
Those sharp eyes bored into me.
"..."
"..."
She stood right before me.
She raised her sword overhead, then froze.
"What's wrong? You're not going to fight?"
"Eris. I... if you're saying you'll leave if you lose, then you can have my loss."
Eris's mouth twisted into a grim line.
"..."
"And... I forgot to say this earlier, but...
I love you too, Eris. You know... I really do."
I thought Eris's hair was going to stand on end.
Was she angry? Should I have taken this more seriously?
Just as I thought that, Eris brought her sword down.
"...!"
I reflexively shut my eyes and tensed up, but the hilt of her sword simply tapped me on the head.
A light, almost playful tap.
When I opened my eyes, Eris's face was right there—inches from mine.
"I can't cook like Sylphie."
"I know."
"I'm not as smart as Roxy."
"I know."
"I'm not as cute as the two of them."
"Eris, you're a beautiful, incredible woman."
"...This body I have now—it's not really your type, is it, Rudeus?"
"No, that's not true at all. It's an incredibly attractive body."
Eris sheathed her sword.
Tentatively, she wrapped her arms around my waist.
Her full chest pressed against me.
She held me tightly—her whole body pulling me in.
A slightly sweaty scent, unadorned by perfume—unmistakably Eris.
I wrapped my arms around her back in return.
Her muscles were more toned than before, but not overdone.
Just right. Comfortable.
"I won, didn't I?"
"Mm."
"If Rudeus had seriously refused me... I could have... really... let go, you know?"
Her voice was trembling.
Could it be that she'd been planning to lose on purpose, if I'd fought seriously?
"You don't have to let go."
"Then... can I become part of Rudeus's family?"
"Mm. Alongside Sylphie and Roxy—if you're okay with that..."
I wanted to say it properly.
I took a breath.
It might sound cheap, coming out of the blue like this.
"Marry me."
The moment those words left my mouth, Eris's eyes went wide.
"H-Hmph! Fine—I'll marry you!"
She turned away with a huff, but just like that, Eris had married me.
---
That evening at dinner, I announced that Eris was now my wife.
Unlike with Roxy, I'd laid the groundwork beforehand, so nobody raised any objections.
I half-expected Norn to at least make a snide remark, even if she wouldn't go so far as to object—but not even that.
Maybe she'd given up on the idea of me marrying multiple women after all.
Sylphie and Roxy offered their congratulations too.
"Eris—let's all work hard together, okay?"
"We'll figure out the rules as we go."
Eris was stiff with nerves in response to the two of them.
"I-I-I look forward to working with you all..."
Her speech was all jumbled up.
It was rare to see Eris this nervous, but I could sense her genuine desire to get along—to be accepted.
If possible, I hoped the three of them would get along without fighting.
Well—me saying that is probably a bit hypocritical.
The three of them went off to deepen their bond in the bath.
Apparently Sylphie and Roxy were going to show Eris the proper way to bathe while getting to know each other skin to skin.
I would've loved to tag along and get a good scrub from all directions, but I held back today.
The ones left behind were me, Lillia, my two sisters, Zennish... and Ghyslaine.
"..."
Ever since Eris had left the room, Zennish had been poking me on the head.
Lillia kept saying, "Madam, perhaps that's enough..." but Zennish showed no sign of stopping.
Zennish was a follower of the Millis Church.
One woman was one thing, but three was probably more than she could forgive her son for.
"It hurts, Mom. I'm sorry—I promise I won't do it again."
The moment I said that out loud, Zennish withdrew her fist and returned to her seat.
Her seat was right next to where my two sisters sat, her eyes narrowed into slits.
"Big brother—didn't you say the same thing when you married Roxy? This time is probably all talk too, and before long you'll be bringing home yet another woman. The laundry's only going to grow. What a pain."
Aisha's words hit a nerve.
I was pretty sure my stock with my sisters had plummeted after taking in Eris.
But oh well—I'll accept it.
Aisha was saying all this, but she was mostly just giving me a hard time.
"Brother."
The other sister spoke up.
This one wasn't joking around—she was dead serious.
I needed to hear her out properly.
"Yes, Norn?"
"Well... I'm a follower of the Millis Church, and what you're doing is deeply unpleasant to me."
"Right."
"But I understand how strongly Eris loves you, and this time I won't say anything against it. You may not love Eris as much as she loves you, but please take good care of her and love her properly. That's all."
"Yes—I'll do my utmost with complete sincerity."
It seemed like Norn had grown fond of Eris.
The fact that Eris had been teaching her swordsmanship during the day—Norn had apparently made the first move on that front.
Somehow, over these past few years, Norn had become quite the social butterfly.
Was the student council's influence?
"Rudeus."
Lillia spoke up softly.
"Yes, Lillia?"
"With Eris joining the household, we've truly outgrown this home. Zennish and I will rent a place nearby and live there—"
"Denied."
I shut down Lillia's proposal immediately.
"Both of you—please, let me take care of you. ...Well, Lillia, you've been taking care of me for most of my life, so this is more of the same."
"No, that's not... but if that's what Rudeus wishes, then I'll comply."
If I drove out both mothers just because I'd gotten a new wife, Paul's ghost might come back as a vengeful spirit.
It was a child's duty to look after their aging parents.
Sure, Eris's arrival meant we'd lost the guest room.
But whatever—we'd figure out rooms if it came down to it.
"Rudeus."
Finally, Ghyslaine spoke to me.
"Ghyslaine."
"Just Ghyslaine is fine."
She must have been around forty by now.
But those muscles showed no sign of deterioration.
She'd kept up her training, of course.
"I'm entrusting Eris to you. Take good care of her."
"...Yes. I swear on my life."
"I see."
Ghyslaine smiled faintly.
"You've grown. You have the same look in your eyes as Paul did when he decided to marry Zennish."
Was that a compliment?
I'd take it as one. Yes—I'm happy about that.
So I had the same eyes as... Dad.
I was glad. I'd really grown up after all.
...But the Paul that Ghyslaine knew was the old Paul.
...Should I really be happy about that?
"Ghyslaine—what will you do from here? Will you settle in this area?"
"No. Now that Eris is in your hands, my job is done... I'll be heading back to the Kingdom of Asura."
"The Kingdom of Asura? Are you going to help with reconstruction in the Fittoa Region?"
When I asked that, Ghyslaine's eyes glinted.
"No. I'm going to find the people who framed Lord Sauros—and cut them down."
The atmosphere froze in an instant.
That was quite the dangerous answer.
But I understood where Ghyslaine was coming from.
She had looked after Eris all this time.
By entrusting her to me, her job was finished.
All that remained was repaying a debt of gratitude.
"By 'find'... you don't know who they are yet, right? It was probably political maneuvering—more than one person was involved, I'd imagine?"
"Just cut down everyone who opposed Boreas. Problem solved."
That was awfully simplistic... How was I supposed to stop her?
Actually, I didn't think anything I said would stop her.
After all, this was Ghyslaine.
Then again, maybe I should help her—support her so she could move more effectively.
...But just as I reached that thought, I remembered what the diary had said.
The coup d'état that backfired on Ariel.
It mentioned that the Water God and the North God had been involved.
"Ghyslaine. I've heard from a source that the Water God and the North God are being hired by the Kingdom of Asura."
"Those two?"
"Do you know them?"
"Yes. Eris would know them well too. What about it?"
"You may end up opposing them. And if that happens, even Ghyslaine wouldn't survive, would you?"
"True. Alone, I couldn't beat them."
Ghyslaine nodded and looked at me.
Her eyes said: tell me what comes next.
"I happen to know someone who was caught up in the incident surrounding Lord Sauros's death.
She may have been opposed to Boreas—so she could be Ghyslaine's enemy.
However, if you were to join forces with her, you could strike down your targets with the backing of a legitimate cause."
"Who?"
"Princess Ariel Anemoi Asura."
Ghyslaine's ear twitched.
Ah, how nostalgic.
Back in the old days, when Ghyslaine was confronted with a problem she couldn't figure out during our lessons, she'd always have that exact reaction.
Well—if she didn't know who Ariel was, that was actually convenient.
"She's a princess of the Kingdom of Asura."
"Hmm."
But was it really okay to introduce Ghyslaine to Ariel?
Ariel was about to carry out a reckless coup d'état in the Kingdom of Asura.
Should I really be putting Ghyslaine in the middle of that?
No—the future could change.
Since I'd read the diary, I could offer Ariel advice to some extent.
And if the coup was the result of the Man-God manipulating Luke, then my becoming Orsted's subordinate might cause things to unfold differently.
If, in this altered situation, a vision of Ariel's victory became clear, then having Ghyslaine as a combat asset would be valuable.
I could even offer to help personally—but that would depend on getting Orsted's approval, so I couldn't say anything for certain.
"In any case, go meet her and have a conversation."
"If you say so—then I will."
Ghyslaine nodded readily.
For now, it seemed she'd hold off on any rash action.
Good.
"Haah..."
I looked over to find Aisha and Norn staring at me blankly.
"What is it?"
"No—it's just... you really were the Sword King's teacher, huh."
"What? You doubted it?"
"Not exactly... it's just, the Sword King listens to you so readily. That's something."
Ghyslaine and I exchanged a glance.
Had we just had some kind of weird exchange?
"Um, brother. There's a senior at school who wants to be an adventurer, and he was saying recently, 'The two Sword Kings are in this town—absolutely terrifying.' Every adventurer in the city respects them both as incredible people, and yet you just... When I heard that, I was like—haah, I guess."
At Norn's words, Ghyslaine let out a small laugh.
"Rudeus is far more impressive than I am. After all, even the Dragon God acknowledged his power."
"Ohhh."
Norn looked impressed.
Hopefully that had raised my standing with my sisters a little.
Even if it had, my reputation with the upper body was probably going up while my reputation with the lower body was continuing to nosedive.
Anyway, thanks to Ghyslaine, I'd managed to save face.
That was good. That was really good.
---
That night.
Even after Ghyslaine had left, Sylphie, Roxy, and Eris—the three women—continued their discussion.
I was extremely curious about what the three of them were talking about.
But women's gatherings were women's business, so I politely declined to participate.
From what I could see, the atmosphere was warm, and Eris was listening earnestly, so things should be fine.
She was a far cry from the Eris of old.
I spent the evening in the study helping Norn with her homework, and after she'd gone to sleep, I wrote in my diary.
Today was certainly a day worth remembering.
Thinking about my life going forward—and about Orsted—there were moments of unease.
But I'd made it past the biggest wave.
It was time to turn the page.
When I finally left the study, the house had gone completely silent.
The women's gathering seemed to be over too.
Were they all sleeping in the same room somewhere?
Or were the three of them waiting in the bedroom together...? No—probably not.
Still, the silence made me uneasy.
I was sure that when I'd come back from the future, it had been a similarly quiet night.
Was something going to happen again?
Some mosaic-covered figure leaping out from the hallway shadows?
No—there was no way...
I entered the room leading to the bedroom.
Nobody was there.
The bedroom lights were off too.
So I'd be sleeping alone tonight.
As I was thinking this, I reached for the bedroom door—
The door opened from the inside, and I was violently dragged in.
"Whoa!"
Instinctively, I raised my hand toward my attacker and channeled mana.
But they seized my wrist and slammed my entire body against the door.
Dangerous!
—and then I recognized who it was.
"...Eris?"
It was Eris.
She was wearing loose pajamas, gripping my arm.
"H-Hey, Rudeus..."
Her eyes were bloodshot.
Her face was flushed, and her breathing was ragged.
An angry expression.
Had something upset her?
I needed to choose my words carefully.
"We—we're already married, aren't we?"
"Y-Yeah. Oh—should we have a wedding ceremony? Something big, you know? A celebration?"
"I don't need that. I can't even remember those dances anymore... But more importantly—since we're married, it's fine, right?"
Fine for what?
Before I could process the thought, she pulled me into an embrace and kissed me.
Our teeth clacked together, sending a jolt of pain.
I tried to lean back, but the door was in the way.
Eris pressed herself against me, mashing her face hard against mine.
"Puhah..."
Eris wrapped her arms around my waist and began dragging me deeper into the room.
Before I knew it, I'd been pulled to the side of the bed.
What was this?
What was happening?
Wait—were we about to do it? Right now?
"Um, Eris. Shouldn't we, like, talk about this first? With Sylphie and Roxy—sort out the order of things, you know?"
"We already talked about it. They said tonight is my turn."
"Didn't Roxy have anything to say? Like maybe we should wait because she's pregnant?"
"She said she didn't mind."
Before I knew it, I'd been shoved onto the bed.
Eris's strength was overwhelming—I couldn't break free.
"Hey, Rudeus. I want to have a boy."
Eris was breathing hard.
She wasn't angry—this expression was pure lust.
She was really... demanding me.
And honestly? I was happy.
Being wanted this much—it made me happy.
Pressed this close together, I was... getting excited too. The body doesn't lie.
But wait—shouldn't it be the other way around?
Shouldn't the roles be reversed here?
"Rudeus. I love you. So—it's okay, right?"
"Y-Yeah. It's fine, it's fine—but couldn't you maybe calm down a little? Set the mood? We could have some wine, talk about the past five years, let things build naturally, and then when the moment comes, just drift into each other and whisper je t'aime—"
"I don't care about any of that! I've been wanting to do this again for so long!"
Eris climbed on top of me as she spoke.
She pinned both of my legs with hers and held down my arms so I couldn't move.
She pressed her nose into my chest and started sniffing.
Like a dog.
I didn't smell bad, did I?
"Hah... Hah... Rudeus. We're married now, so you're mine, right?"
"Wait—you don't own me exclusively. We agreed the three of you would get along and share nicely—"
"Tonight is my turn, so you're mine tonight, right?"
No matter what, Eris wanted to make me hers.
"...I guess so."
The grip of both her hands tightened.
Ow, ow—my wrist was going to snap. I'd need healing magic again.
"S-So... I can do anything I want to you...?"
What was she planning?
What was about to happen to me?
It was definitely going to be erotic—that much was certain.
Did I mind? No.
Then the answer was yes.
"Y-Yeah...?"
The next instant, Eris became a wild beast.
---
The next morning.
I woke to the chirping of sparrows.
I immediately looked around for Eris.
Found her right away.
She was right in front of me.
Eris's beautiful sleeping face was inches from mine.
I let out a sigh of relief and recalled the night before.
Last night... I had been thoroughly ravaged.
Technically, I should've had the edge in terms of skill.
I was winning, up to a point.
I'd been giving it my all, refusing to lose to Eris.
But somewhere along the way, she turned the tables.
It was a matter of stamina.
Just like the first time, Eris was bottomless.
Well... I couldn't beat Eris.
She'd taken advantage of my exhausted state and had her way with me.
"I'm sorry, honey—I've become this person's possession..." That was the vibe.
I was no longer eligible for marriage.
But somehow, Eris sleeping so peacefully looked incredibly endearing.
Last night she'd been so wild, and now she looked so serene.
It made me grin.
Was this how Sylphie felt every morning, looking at my sleeping face?
"...That said,"
Right now, I was being used as a pillow.
Usually I was the one doing the pillow-holding, so this was surprisingly novel.
Eris's arm was slender but sturdy—it felt incredibly comforting.
Still, five years...
Eris had grown a lot, but how much muscle had she actually built?
It had been too dark to see clearly last night.
I remembered that her body was incredible, though.
I wiggled a bit and touched Eris's stomach.
"Oh, magnificent..."
The surface wasn't that pronounced.
In fact, there was a fair amount of fat covering it.
But just beneath that layer of fat was compressed muscle. When I pressed in, I could feel the firm divisions.
My abs were a six-pack too, but Eris's were... somehow incredible.
They were densely packed, but not bulky.
There was a defined taper at the waist, too...
Surely it was because the external obliques, internal obliques, and iliopsoas had all been trained to a godlike balance.
Still—why was a woman's musculature so attractive?
I could touch it forever.
But it wasn't just the abs I wanted to touch.
My hand drifted upward.
Even through the blanket, I could make out two large mountains.
I hadn't gotten to touch them much last night because she kept grabbing my hands...
But we're married now, right?
"Whoaaa..."
Amazing!
There was foundation there!
Pectoral muscles!
Taut and firm—a magnificent set of muscles.
Truly extraordinary.
And on top of that plate sat dessert.
Indeed—the balance between the firm and the soft was essential to life.
So: lewd, lewd, naughty naughty.
Ah, those had developed splendidly too.
They were like melons.
Sylphie and Roxy didn't have anything quite like them.
Theirs were great too, but big ones had their own unique appeal.
I should thank God for the fact that I could now squeeze these whenever I wanted.
Thank you, Roxy. Thank you, Sylphie.
I did it.
I've summited the Eris Mountains. This is the dawn of humanity.
*Hoh hoh hoh!*
And at that moment, a white-haired old man appeared in my mind.
A sage! A breast sage! It's been too long!
Behold this magnificent bounty! My gratitude to the earth!
*Hoh hoh hoh—there is nothing left for me to teach you... Continue to improve yourself.*
Ah, Sage!
Where are you going, Sage!
Teach me more! More of your wisdom!
"..."
"Oh."
While I was celebrating alone, Eris happened to open her eyes and our gazes met.
She had woken up at some point and was watching me.
Would she punch me for groping her in my sleep?
Instead, Eris grabbed my wrist.
She looked angry.
"Let's talk. Instead of fighting—let's have a conversation, honey. Sweet pillow talk, you know? Come to think of it, we used to do sit-ups together back in the day, and one time I couldn't help touching your abs out of curiosity..."
"..."
Eris didn't let go of my hand.
Instead, she rolled over and draped herself on top of me.
Her eyes were pure desire.
She wasn't angry at all.
Maybe touching her chest first thing in the morning had lit her fuse.
Well—she wasn't the only one who got worked up when something like that happened first thing in the morning.
Men and women were different, probably... but Eris was an exception.
Fine. Bring it on.
I'd show her that handling Eris first thing in the morning was a piece of cake!
"G-Gently, gently—in the morning, after yesterday too... kyaa!"
I let out a girlish cry as I was ravaged for the second time.
---
When I woke that afternoon, Eris was gone.
An empty bed. The sheets beside me were already cold.
But I felt no sense of loss.
All I felt was exhaustion and satisfaction.
I stood up, tapping my wobbly lower back, and walked to the window.
The sun was unnaturally yellow.
My face must've looked pretty yellow too.
Outside the window, there was Eris.
She wore a dopey grin and was practicing her sword forms with a spring in her step.
After everything last night, she could still move?
She was a monster.
But well... I'd held my own, in a way.
Sylphie and Roxy both had less stamina than me and burned out first, so this was the first time I'd been wrung completely dry.
If Sylphie was the defensive type, and Roxy was the technical type...
Then Eris was the offensive type.
I was starting to awaken to masochism.
Tokugawa, Toyotomi, Oda—that was the order.
The fact that Eris earned the title of Sword King was entirely because Orsted had beaten me up.
Just kidding.
Get too cocky and you lose your head.
As if I could rely on Lord Hideyoshi every time.
If there was a next time, I wanted to enjoy some pillow talk first.
Really—with Eris, I wanted to have a conversation in that post-waking haze...
Thinking that, I headed to the bathroom to wash up.
After refreshing myself, I went underground to pray at the altar.
I kind of wanted to place one more sacred object here.
God of Wisdom, Goddess of Mercy, God of War...
Would a wooden sword work?
As I pondered this and walked into the living room, Aisha—who was cleaning—jumped with a start.
"Oh, big brother! Good morning! There's a letter for you. No sender name, but there's a crest on it. Do you recognize it?"
I froze the moment I took the letter.
On it was a crest I knew well.
The crest of the Dragon God.
A letter from Orsted.
---
End of Volume 16: Youth — Man-God Arc
Next Chapter
Volume 17: Youth — Kingdom Arc