When I woke up, I was hugging Zanoba.
Naturally, I'm not gay.
It must have been from drinking too much last night.
Yesterday was a good drinking session.
Honestly, in my past life, I used to think there was no point in drinking with other guys.
But I was wrong.
There's nothing quite like drinking with like-minded male friends — it tastes better and you get drunk more pleasantly.
Anyway, we cured our headaches with detoxification magic, had a lazy breakfast at the inn, and then parted ways.
The season was summer.
All the snow had melted.
Before long, the beast race's mating season would arrive.
My beast was in heat year-round, so the season didn't really matter.
But when everyone around you gets restless, you can't help but feel restless too.
Roxy's belly was getting bigger, and she'd probably have to take a break from school soon.
I was looking forward to deciding on a name for the coming baby, but in a month I'd have to head to the Asura Kingdom with Ariel.
If I used the teleportation circle, I could come back right away, but I had no idea how many months I'd spend there.
Being unable to be present for the birth was something I really didn't want.
After all, she was going through ten months of inconvenience to have my child.
There wasn't much I could do during that time, but things like showing my gratitude — I'd have to express those through actions.
A child with Roxy.
Would it be a boy or a girl?
Lucy was a girl, so maybe a boy this time would be nice.
Well, either would be fine, really.
Come to think of it, Eris had said she wanted a boy.
In my past life, how did you influence the sex of the baby again?
I vaguely remembered hearing that if you did something, you were more likely to get a boy, or a girl.
Something about using vinegar, maybe...
In this world, could you control it with mana?
Well, either way was fine.
Whether boy or girl, I'd raise them with plenty of love.
With Eris, it would probably happen before too long.
The bigger question was whether Eris would be able to stay quiet during pregnancy.
Still, Eris was definitely getting a bit impatient.
Even in the middle of things, she kept asking, "This can get you pregnant, right?" and "I'm not doing it wrong, am I?"
Part of it was Eris's own strong sex drive, but she might also be feeling left behind after seeing Lucy and the pregnant Roxy.
In the Asura Kingdom, there was a widely held belief that you could properly call yourself someone's wife only after having a child.
I didn't know what Eris thought about it, but if having a child would put her mind at ease, I wanted to make that happen as soon as possible.
---
While I was thinking about all this, I ended up near my house.
I hadn't told anyone I'd be staying out last night, so I'd probably get scolded.
Well, it wasn't that strict a household.
But rules about staying out and curfews — those were things we should firmly establish again.
In this world, kidnappers were a real threat, and the Man-God could do anything.
Lucy was growing bigger every day too, and for the sake of the future children...
Yes, rules for the sake of the children.
"Hm?"
I noticed someone standing in front of the house.
A man was talking to someone in a rather loud voice.
I couldn't hear the other person.
Straining my eyes, I could make out the man's identity.
Sandy brown hair, a rather handsome face.
Rumored to be the most popular man in this magic city of Shariah.
Luke Notos Greyrat.
"..."
I remembered Orsted's words and the diary.
Orsted had said that the Man-God could manipulate people.
The diary had also mentioned that Luke was manipulated by the Man-God to entrap Sylphie.
The me in that diary had been quite paranoid.
But if you wanted to entrap Ariel or Sylphie, manipulating Luke would certainly be effective.
Sylphie trusted Luke, regardless of everything else.
In the battle against the Man-God, finding his apostles and determining their objectives was undoubtedly crucial.
Thinking that, I decided to observe for a bit.
I crouched down and moved from shadow to shadow until I was close enough to hear the voice clearly.
"Oh, to think such a lovely lady had come to this town!
You are wonderfully cute. Those beautiful, strong-willed eyes, that flowing hair.
Truly an angel... no, a goddess of beauty descended upon this earth!
I have loved you from the moment I first laid eyes on you!"
A voice that was making my head hurt just listening.
Terrible pickup lines.
Even I wouldn't say anything that cheesy.
But in this world, this kind of thing actually worked.
When you said things like this, Sylphie would turn beet red and say something like, "You don't need to try so hard — I'm already Rudy's, hehe," while smiling shyly.
"Oh, forgive me.
I haven't introduced myself properly.
I am Luke Notos Greyrat.
Second son of the Notos Greyrat, one of the four great regional lords of the Asura Kingdom."
...If Luke were an apostle of the Man-God.
The fact that he was this enthusiastic about hitting on a woman — it was quite possible that was the Man-God's instruction.
After all, Luke had no shortage of women.
According to Sylphie, Luke apparently viewed women as being about as common as tissues.
But wait — who was he hitting on?
They were in the gate's shadow, so I couldn't see the person.
The one in my household who fit the description of an angel was Sylphie, but Luke wouldn't be hitting on her.
The most fitting use of "goddess" would be Roxy, but that wasn't right either.
So... Aisha?
"If you would, could you grace me with your name as well?
Ah, of course, if you'd rather not share your family name, that's perfectly fine.
Please, allow me to engrave your beautiful name into my heart as some small comfort."
I couldn't tell who he was hitting on, but I might be able to figure out the person's name.
Who Luke was trying to win over.
If I knew that, I might be able to understand the Man-God's objective.
...Well, that was only assuming Luke was the Man-God's apostle.
There was also the possibility that Luke had simply fallen in love at first sight and was genuinely trying to pick her up.
"Oh, you won't tell me your name.
Then, at the very least, allow me the honor of kissing that beautiful hand.
That alone would be enough for me..."
Luke crouched down and reached out toward the other person.
And then Luke's head blurred for an instant.
He stopped moving.
Something had happened.
But I couldn't tell what.
An attack from the Man-God...?
Could it be that in this very moment, the Man-God had given him a command...?
"..."
Just as I thought that, Luke buckled and collapsed sideways with a thud.
Not moving a muscle.
He'd been knocked out cold.
What had happened?
I felt like I'd seen this scene before.
A blur, a collapse, unconsciousness... ugh, my head...
"...Hmph."
When Luke collapsed, a woman stepped out from the gate.
She glanced at the fallen Luke, then kicked his unconscious head with the tip of her toes.
It was Eris.
Eris had knocked Luke out.
"What the hell — appearing out of nowhere and saying all kinds of incomprehensible things..."
Eris kicked Luke's body to a spot where he wouldn't be in the way, then went back inside the house as if nothing had happened.
I stepped out from the shadows and approached Luke.
He was lying there with his eyes rolled back.
To try to pick up another man's wife — did this guy have no morals at all...?
Oh wait, now that I thought about it, I'd reported my return to Ariel and Luke, but I don't think I'd told them I'd gotten married.
This might have been Eris's first time meeting him.
Still, for Luke to hit on Eris...
Was he really the Man-God's apostle after all?
Or was this the influence of the original history?
I couldn't decide.
"..."
In any case, leaving him lying here wasn't great, so I'd bring him inside.
When he woke up, there'd be an interrogation.
---
"Welcome home."
"..."
I carried Luke into the house on my back, and Eris came to greet me.
She looked momentarily happy when she saw my face, but when she saw Luke, she furrowed her brows and crossed her arms.
"...Do you know that guy?"
"Yeah, more of Sylphie's work colleague than mine, I guess."
"O-oh... sorry, I hit him."
Oh my, Eris seemed rather meek about it.
"It's fine. He probably said something weird, didn't he?"
"He did."
"Then it's his fault."
The guy had tried to make a move on my Eris, after all.
But even if it was his fault, I should at least put him to bed.
Let's see — the living room would be in the way... I'd toss him in an empty room on the first floor.
"Hey, Rudeus."
Eris called out to me.
"What is it, Eris?"
"Would you want to kiss my hand too, Rudeus?"
I looked at Eris's hand.
Calloused and rough from sword training.
So like Eris, and honestly, a wonderful hand.
"I'd rather kiss your mouth."
When I said that, Eris punched me in the gut.
It wasn't very hard, but it was a precise liver blow.
"Save that kind of thing for nighttime."
Eris's face turned red as she headed back to the living room.
So today was Eris's day. Looking forward to it.
"Oh, by the way, where is everyone? Did they all go out together?"
"They were making noise until late last night, so they're all still sleeping!"
What was that — making noise until late?
A party without me?
They left me out of the gang?
...So while I was walking the path of bros with a buddy, the girls held their own assembly.
I hoped they hadn't been talking trash about me...
"Oh, big brother, you're back!"
Aisha came out from the kitchen.
"Who the... That's Lord Luke. What happened?"
"Aisha. You don't need to add 'Lord' to Luke's name."
"But Norn said that at school, if you don't call him Lord Luke, the senior girls will get mad at you."
"Seriously?"
There was even an arrangement like that.
But did schools really make up those kinds of weird rules?
And then bully the ones who broke them.
Norn was doing her best not to get bullied.
...There was no way Norn's crush was Luke, was there?
Big brother will not allow it!
"Oh, listen, big brother. Everyone was so mean!
They all stayed up drinking and partying after I fell asleep."
"Oh, you didn't join in?"
"I was sleeping with Leo... Ah, right, listen, big brother.
I was sleeping with Leo, but when morning came I thought it felt cold, and it turns out Leo had wet the bed.
When I scolded him, he got all sad, like 'shuuun.' He's still just a kid inside, even though Leo looks so big."
Aisha seemed to have fun every day.
I tossed Luke into the empty room, then listened to Aisha's stories.
I felt like I hadn't talked with her much in a while.
Actually, that couldn't be right.
"So what happened after that? Did you wash the sheets?"
"Of course! Oh, then Eris helped me out. She said she had experience with that kind of thing, so she'd keep it quiet. Even though I kept telling her it wasn't me, she wouldn't believe me. You should explain it to her too, big brother. I've never wet the bed once in my entire life..."
"Right, right."
While chatting with Aisha, I moved to the living room.
It was great that Eris had settled into the household so well.
---
Before Luke woke up, I went to check on Sylphie and the others.
Leo was sitting properly on the landing of the second floor.
He had a sharp, dignified expression — hard to believe he'd wet the bed.
I checked a few rooms.
Roxy's room had clothes scattered about but was empty.
Since Jiro was also absent, he'd probably already gone to school.
Come to think of it, had Roxy been drinking too?
Even though there was detoxification magic in this world, what about a pregnant woman drinking alcohol?
I was a little worried.
Sylphie was sleeping in her room.
For some reason, with Elinalise.
It seemed Elinalise had come to our house last night.
Cliff was away, so she probably had nothing to do.
Anyway, I didn't want to wake them, so I gently closed the door.
Lilia and Zenith were also still sleeping.
Zenith curled up like a child, with Lilia lying beside her.
They smelled faintly of alcohol, so they'd apparently been drinking yesterday too.
The two of them never normally drank, so it must have been quite the enjoyable party.
For a moment, I was tempted to slip into that bed, but I went back downstairs for now.
Looking into the living room, I saw Eris cooing at Lucy.
Lucy was standing on the sofa, held by Eris, who supported her with a tense expression.
It was a heartwarming scene, and after witnessing it, I returned to the empty room.
Luke had already woken up.
"I had a dream. A dream of an angel with red hair.
Beautiful, delicate, yet radiating strength.
Truly what I would call the ideal angel.
When I went to kiss her hand, I woke up."
Luke sat up and kept muttering incomprehensible ramblings with a vacant look.
He must have sustained brain damage when Eris punched him.
No wait, the angel stuff had started before the punch, hadn't it?
"Calm down, Senior Luke. There is no red-haired angel."
"Oh... Rudeus..."
Luke stared at me with a dazed expression.
"Why are you here? Wait, where am I... inside Rudeus's house? A moment ago, at the gate, the angel, what...?"
His memories were muddled.
I didn't get the sense he'd met the Man-God during his blackout...
"Ahh!"
Luke cried out, looking behind me.
I turned around to find Eris standing there.
She'd been peeking in through the open door.
"Hmph!"
She gave Luke one glance, snorted, and went back to the living room.
She'd probably been worried, just a bit.
There was no way Eris was interested in Luke too, right...?
My maiden-Deus instincts were sounding an alarm, but it would be fine, right?
"Ah, wait — let me ask her name! Let me hear her name!
And her address, what flowers she likes, what type of man she's into!"
"Calm down, Senior Luke. Her address is right here."
I held back Luke as he tried to lunge off the bed.
Luke grabbed my shoulder, his face desperate as he pressed close.
"Rudeus, if she's in your house, then you must know her! Tell me — who on earth is she?"
"She's Eris Greyrat. The woman who recently became my wife."
"Wha... wife, you say..."
Luke froze.
"So she's your woman...?"
"Well, yes, that's right."
Though it might be more accurate to say I was her man.
The meaning was the same.
"I see..."
"I'm sorry."
I apologized reflexively, and Luke tilted his head.
"Why are you sorry? In matters like these, the early bird catches the worm, right?"
"Well, I suppose so."
Maybe it was because I'd heard Orsted's story, but I felt a twinge of guilt.
The history where Luke and Eris were supposed to be together.
It felt like a package that was supposed to end up with me had somehow been delivered to my doorstep instead.
But of course, the fact that I'd been Eris's tutor, traveled the Demon Continent together, and shared each other's first times — none of that changed.
While I was wrestling with these thoughts, Luke sighed.
"It's common for multiple men to fall for a good woman.
And it's common for multiple women to fall for a good man."
He suddenly launched into a monologue.
"A man can keep many women, within his means.
But the reverse isn't possible.
God didn't make humans that way.
After all, a man can impregnate multiple women at once, but a woman can only bear one child at a time.
There might be women among the demon races who can bear children from multiple men simultaneously, but the human race isn't like that."
Quite the chauvinistic worldview.
Though I thought the reverse should work too.
One woman, multiple men — a reverse harem.
"And a good woman will go to the man with the most power.
You have ability, wealth, status, and honor.
It makes sense that the angel-like Eris would end up with you.
So..."
Luke spoke that far, then shook his head.
"No, that's not it. I didn't come here to give you a lecture."
Then he let out a deep sigh.
"Today, I've come to ask you for a favor."
"Oh?"
I sat back down in my chair.
---
Contact at this time, in this situation.
The Man-God's apostle.
Alteration of history.
There was no way this was unrelated.
So, what was he going to ask me?
Was it something designed to lead to my ruin...?
Or was this the Man-God's opening move to prevent Ariel from becoming queen?
"Would you... assist us? Assist Princess Ariel?"
Those words left me completely confused.
What did he mean?
Help me become an ally?
Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around?
"Your magical abilities, your conversational skills that let you get along with even the most difficult people.
The combat power that allowed you to fight the Dragon God and survive, and even be accepted as his subordinate.
Those are incredible things."
Being praised like that again made me feel a bit awkward.
"But involving you would destroy Sylphie's happiness."
Luke hesitated, then looked up.
"That's why, until now, we haven't been too aggressive about asking for your help, and we couldn't be. Neither I nor Ariel want to drag Sylphie any further into the Asura Kingdom's conflicts."
He'd told me that before, actually.
When he'd challenged me to a duel.
"But..."
Luke looked down.
A brooding handsome-guy pose.
Some random girl would fall for that in a heartbeat.
"Princess Ariel is on the verge of giving up on persuading Perugius."
"Well, given the circumstances, that's understandable."
"For the past six years, we've been working within the three magic nations, recruiting nobles and technicians to our cause.
Some of them are nobles from the Asura Kingdom or people with strong political influence in the country, but... still, it's not enough to be decisive.
They're all outside the Asura Kingdom, after all."
"Mm..."
"But Lord Perugius could be that decisive factor.
His enormous influence over the Asura Kingdom, his voice, his combat power.
With him, Princess Ariel's path to the throne would advance dramatically.
Of course, even that wouldn't be a sure thing, but..."
Luke was serious.
At the very least, he didn't seem to be lying or hedging.
He was evaluating Perugius as a figure essential for Ariel's ascension to the throne.
"However, this all came out of the blue.
We believe we can manage without Lord Perugius.
It would take a few more years of preparation... but we still believe there's a chance of victory."
Those words were interesting.
According to Orsted, it should take twenty days for the news of the king's illness to arrive.
If the Man-God had already given him advance advice, I didn't think he'd be talking about "a few more years."
"And... I want you to lend your strength as the decisive power that secures that chance of victory."
"...I don't know anything about politics. There's a real possibility I'd be of no use at all."
"You are a far bigger person than we realized. Simply being yourself should be more than enough power."
"I'm really not that big of a deal."
"Even so, you're someone we can rely on for military force, and you have connections.
Lord Perugius, the Dragon God, the Demon Lord, princes from other nations, the Pope's grandchild from the Millis Holy Country, the Doldia tribe, the Silent Seven Stars.
Your personal connections alone are quite impressive.
I'm not asking you to use those connections for us.
But a person who has those connections possesses 'something.'
I want you to direct just a tiny bit of that 'something' toward Princess Ariel."
"..."
It was because my relationship with Luke was still relatively shallow that I couldn't help but suspect there was a hidden meaning behind his praise.
Still, which was it?
Was Luke an apostle of the Man-God, or wasn't he?
It was Orsted's directive, and even without Luke's request, I'd planned to help Ariel.
But whether this was part of the Man-God's scheme...
...Maybe I should test him a bit.
"Whose instructions is this?"
"Instructions...? No, this isn't at Princess Ariel's behest."
"...Has someone else advised you on this?"
"This is my own judgment."
"The name Man-God — does it ring any bells?"
"The Man-God...? I heard it at Lord Perugius's place too, but what's that about?"
Well, even if he were the Man-God's apostle, he wouldn't honestly answer that.
In my case, I'd been told to keep it secret, but Luke hadn't been given any such instruction...
Luke looked perplexed but scratched the back of his head.
"Perhaps it does sound contradictory.
We want Sylphie to be happy.
Dragging her into the Asura Kingdom's conflict would destroy that happiness.
If she were treated as a rebel of the Asura Kingdom, even the three magic nations wouldn't protect her."
I was scared of that too.
In the diary, Zanoba had been killed by the Millis Holy Country.
When you made an enemy of a nation, there was no telling what they'd do.
Granted, I could probably put up a decent fight.
If I went all-out with magic, I could annihilate a wide swathe of enemies in one go.
Once the magic armor was repaired, I could overwhelm most opponents in close combat too.
Even Orsted had said he'd need to get serious.
But still.
The belief that you could afford to make enemies as long as you could beat them head-on was a child's logic.
No idiot picked a fight with a pro wrestler bare-handed.
You stabbed them from behind, poisoned them, or applied financial pressure.
Against opponents you couldn't beat with strength, you beat them with something other than strength.
The me in the diary had protected himself by binding himself closely to the nation.
Fortunately, I hadn't been pursued by the Asura Kingdom, and I'd been useful enough that they'd tell Millis "no" when asked to hand me over.
What about this time?
With Leo, would other nations refrain from interfering out of fear of worsening relations with the beast races?
How far would Leo protect our family?
Orsted had said that having a guardian beast would be fine.
He'd said that if a guardian beast with a powerful destiny tried to protect my family, they would be protected.
But was a single dog really enough to guarantee that...?
"...But you — with the Dragon God backing you, you could involve us while still keeping Sylphie happy. That's what I believe."
I wasn't sure about that.
Orsted's influence over various places was thin.
And the people living in this world — they knew about the Seven World Powers, but the concept of just how powerful they were didn't really sink in.
"Even with the Dragon God's backing, there's still personal risk to life."
"...Well, that's true."
Luke took a sharp breath.
He looked me straight in the eyes.
"So what I said earlier — that was all just an excuse.
The truth is, I want to make Princess Ariel queen, even if it means destroying Sylphie's happiness."
Luke stared at me with fierce, gleaming eyes.
I met his gaze without looking away.
For some reason, I didn't feel upset about Sylphie being disregarded.
Maybe it was because Luke's eyes were stronger than I'd expected.
His gaze was so intense — it made me think he'd sacrifice everything for his goal — that it reminded me of the ferocity of Ruigeld.
"Please. Will you lend your strength to Princess Ariel?"
He wasn't offering anything in exchange for making Ariel queen — because this wasn't coordinated with Ariel, it was his own decision.
That was probably why he said "please."
"...Come to think of it.
Even if I'd been manipulated by the Man-God, I was still me.
On the receiving end of advice, I still thought desperately for myself, trying to head in a better direction.
Luke might be the same.
He might be groping his way forward, in his own manner.
Thinking that made me genuinely want to help him...
But the one I was fighting wasn't the Asura Kingdom or Ariel.
It was the Man-God.
If I sided with Ariel and that happened to align with the Man-God's plans, I needed to consult Orsted about it first.
"Let me talk it over with some people first."
When I said that, Luke briefly made an expression caught between a smile and a grimace.
He probably thought I was turning him down.
Then he stood up.
"...Alright. Sorry for pushing you."
"No, I'll give you a formal answer later. I promise."
Luke left the room, his shoulders slumped.
I followed him out to see him off.
From the small room through the hallway to the entrance.
Halfway there, I looked up the stairs and saw Leo in the same posture as before.
Sitting on the second-floor landing, he was letting out a low growl, as if to say not a single person was passing through here.
So Luke was in the "danger" category after all.
I didn't know if Leo had the ability to sense whether someone was an apostle of the Man-God, but...
"Oh..."
Hearing the growl, Eris poked her head out from the living room.
When Luke saw her, he immediately placed his hand over his heart and bowed elegantly.
"My lady, though I was unaware of the circumstances, please forgive my earlier rudeness.
May the day come when we may meet again."
"..."
Eris reached for the hem of her skirt to curtsey, then remembered she was wearing pants, made an awkward face, and crossed her arms instead.
"Next time, I'll properly entertain you as a guest!"
"Thank you. I shall take my leave."
And then —
"Fa... Eris, everyone's still asleep, so keep your voice down."
Sylphie happened to be coming down from the second floor.
Still sleepy, she stopped when she saw me and Luke.
"Oh, Rudy, you're back... Huh? Luke, you came. What's up? Did something happen with Ariel?"
"...Just stopped by on some business."
"Hmm... well, make yourself at home. Have some tea or something."
"No, I'm heading back now."
"I see. I'll be coming back a bit later too, so take care of Ariel until then."
"Right."
Luke smiled sadly and left our house.
Sylphie and I watched him go until he passed through the gate.
Luke's retreating figure carried the sorrow of an exhausted salaryman.
"..."
Something had begun to move.
That was the premonition that passed through my mind.
Was the preparation period already over?
What had I actually done? Summoned Leo the guardian beast and asked Cliff to have Orsted break the curse.
There wasn't much I could do, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't prepared enough... but at least I'd steel myself for what was to come.
With that thought, I went to call Orsted.