“This tournament was unfair!”

“I see, what was the reason?”

“That’s because I won…!!”

“…You do realize it sounds strange even when you say it, Hero Candidate Pin, right?”

Kraaack-!

Hero Candidate Pim screamed as he looked up at the sky.

I brushed past him, floundering in the swamp of victory from which he couldn’t escape. No matter how much I clung to the receptionist and protested, this result wouldn’t change. The media was already playing their part.

I was determined to drive the nail in and establish an unshakeable name value. Just like this.

“Hey, hey, I heard that Hero Candidate is quite skilled?”

“Yeah, they say he even sent someone flying with a lion’s roar in the tournament!”

“Even with an intangible sword….”

“Who are you to keep following me and slandering me──?!”

Hehehe.

Wouldn’t it have been better if you had just obediently submitted to fate, Hero Candidate? If you had just stayed quiet, a comfortable position would have been made for you.

The more you resist, the more I will just add to the various praises and rumors. This is checkmate, Hero Candidate.

To plot to get eliminated and make me the winner—what a foolish thought…

Of course, even while playing around like this, I planned to clean up properly afterwards. Strictly speaking, it was true that I pushed others aside to save myself, so once the situation settled, I would pull them back in, give them money, and provide homes.

Just endure a little hardship.

The first tournament has ended, and three more remain. There are six slots left for Hero Candidates. I need to fill these remaining slots as much as possible with our side.

Using the card of the royal knight, Sissel Yurenstora, I blocked the first round, so if I were to roughly sketch out future plans:

One with cooperation from the Northern Duke.

One with my pure forces.

And one by stirring up a fight between the Red Flavor and the Cardinal faction.

If I could neatly block the remaining tournaments like this, it would be the best outcome. And for that, I needed to cooperate with the North first.

Since I have your four daughters, let’s see next time. I had just paused it for now. It was time to move forward with that.

I planned to persuade the Northern Duke and recruit him to our team before the next tournament began.

I also needed to establish countermeasures against the Red Flavor.

From my experience, the synergy between the Red Flavor Duke and that puppet master was terrifyingly strong. They complemented each other’s flaws almost perfectly, like interlocking gears.

It wasn’t low in versatility; it was even safe. If they hid their main forces and unleashed puppets infinitely, they would eventually win.

Moreover, the owner of that ability was none other than the Duke.

Gathering materials to create puppets was easy, and there were many followers under his command to control, and his political influence was strong enough to attack directly and sever heads.

Even when viewed separately, each was a troublesome fable. Manipulating fate on a large scale and controlling organic matter—wasn’t that a filthy and despicable fable? While others wielded their swords honestly and robustly.

“Like a crazy, out-of-control ability to deceive…”

“Are you really saying that?”

“No, I don’t have any fables.”

Just out of the bathroom, the warm Pingvalez chimed in as she passed by. She was wearing nothing but a large white shirt, and in her hands were the clothes she had changed out of.

If I focused my gaze on Pingvalez’s body, a great war would erupt in my mind, so I deliberately concentrated on the clothes instead. Black, white, and pink. The colorful underwear and garments piled together looked, at a glance, like flowers or a bouquet.

Since the incident with Yuna, I had developed a tendency to associate anything colorful with wedding supplies.

Now that I think about it, Pingvalez’s bare shirt could also be seen as… a wedding dress, in a way? It’s white and beautiful, after all.

She must have read my gaze. Pingvalez said nonchalantly, “If you’re bothered by this underwear, should I show you how it looks on me…?”

“…Please don’t hesitate in the middle of your sentence. Speak with confidence and say it all at once!”

“If I could have, I would have done it long ago. I’m trying to muster up some courage to say this, and if you scold me for it, I’d feel a bit hurt. Ah, are you embarrassed too?”

“Just pass by. Hurry up and get dressed properly.”

I chased away the walking indecency.

As for the red-flavored duke wielding the ability to deceive, I planned to apply pressure slowly to resolve that. Originally, I had thought of jumping in directly and dancing with a knife… but for the sake of marriage, I had to learn to endure.

If I were to recklessly charge in and get hurt again, I would truly have no face to see Yuna.

In critical and important situations, there’s no choice. I had drawn a clear line on that. But at the very least, shouldn’t I make an effort to stay safe and unhurt?

I had decided to choose safety among the many options available.

A weight settled on my shoulder as I sat on the sofa. A faint scent of rose body wash wafted through the air. Pingvalez embraced me from behind and rested her chin on my shoulder.

Then she looked down at my planning notebook and said, “You’ve changed, Mima.”

“Yuna made me change. I’m trying to take care of myself.”

“And what about me? Is there any part of you that I’ve changed, even a little?”

“Thanks to you, I’m not using the libido suppression anymore.”

It’s the suppression of the magic of libido.

Since I had decided to face even the smallest emotions head-on. It had been quite a while since I last used my reliable ally, the magic of libido suppression, and perhaps because of that, every day felt thrilling and exhilarating.

Emotions are like wildfires, aren’t they? They actively engage in chemical reactions with other emotions.

Libido is the desire to reproduce, and the desire to reproduce is the desire for life; while they may not be completely identical, they are certainly a part of love.

Since deactivating the magic of libido suppression and various modules, I had become more proactive in my fantasies. Like about marriage. Proposing, giving rings.

Marriage. And having children…?

Me, building a happy family and living a harmonious, joyful life?

It’s unpredictable. I can’t even dare to make a guess. I even start to doubt whether such a future truly exists. It seems like it would be too happy.

But not now. It’s probably something that will happen quite far in the future. Shouldn’t I finish what I’ve started? I gently grasped Pingvalez’s chin and pushed it up.

“Yuri, stop looking at my groin and move aside.”

“How did you know I was looking there?”

“I can feel it.”

“Don’t just feel it alone; let me feel it too… How was it? It wasn’t bad this time, right?”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

Seeing Pingvalez, who shyly but courageously made suggestive jokes, I hurriedly executed an evasive maneuver. It meant I jumped out.

How does Bennett really handle this?

The place we arrived at after a brief jog was the mansion where the Northern Duke was staying. I had heard that after paying a large sum to the original owner, a priest, they began terraforming it.

It had indeed been remodeled in a Northern style. A wild bear head was mounted at the front gate.

Good.

If I were given just 10 minutes, I could turn the Northern Duke into an ally. I know everything about him, and I’m clear on how to build rapport.

I politely requested an audience with the Northern Duke…

“Get lost.”

“Pardon?”

“I said get lost.”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

I was met with a cold dismissal.

If it were just the lower ranks acting on their own, it would be one thing, but it seemed that the Northern Duke himself issued the order to dismiss me. So this is probably… because we withdrew from the ‘Courage’ tournament, if we don’t pay the usage fee, there won’t be any future dealings.

Is this their stance?

Fine, then I’ll express my gratitude along with a modest reward.

“Get lost.”

Then I’ll show my intention to actively cooperate in the next tournament.

“Get lost.”

Then I’ll plead with Irid to get the benefits I’ve secured.

“Get lost.”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

Do these guys just dislike me?

I circled around, gathering some information. Extracting data from a distance and eavesdropping on conversations, that’s how it went. What was the content?

The northern side had seen the state of the “Courage” tournament and seemed to have concluded that ‘the mad wizard is dangerous.’ They had decided from the beginning to steer clear of any entanglements.

Sigh.

What is this that makes me so emotional again? How well have I known the northern duke ‘Daisy’? Just a few words exchanged, and we could become good friends again.

This time, I had some old feelings to consider, wanting to hold hands in a win-win and warm-hearted manner. Knowing the northern circumstances, I was even thinking of subtly pushing some quite plausible interests.

Do they not understand my pure goodwill?

“Hologram: Heart.”

Then let me make it known.

——–

Ilride was rummaging through documents with a steaming cup of coffee beside her. In front of the second prince was Siselle Urensto, bowing her head with a look of shame.

“I will temporarily resign from the ‘Blue Wind Knights’… is that so?”

“…Yes, I can only feel sorry for Her Highness the First Princess.”

“It doesn’t seem to be because you’ve become a candidate for the hero. It’s still uncertain whether you’ll be selected as a hero or not. I understood it as a sign that you wish to leave the order regardless of this.”

“That is exactly right. I will return all the salary I have received until now…”

From noble mtl dot come

That’s a loss of manpower.

Ilride furrowed her brow. While the eastern front had no fortress issues, losing one of the empire’s notable human resources was a loss in itself.

Getting angry, reminding her of what the empire had given her, tying in her family and circumstances to make her dedicate a few more years… such thoughts, Ilride calmly suppressed.

Siselle Urensto is a knight of my sister, so it is right to follow her wishes.

Ilride finally found the document she had been looking for. It was a resignation letter, already signed by Elaine. In other words, it was a blank resignation letter.

Siselle’s eyes widened when she saw the document.

“Your sister was worried about you dying meaninglessly. If everything goes well, and if you wish to leave… she said to let you go without any further ado.”

“…”

“You have never been tied down; your current sister is as free as the wind. However, if there remains even a shred of chivalry in your heart… request your retirement by going to your sister and speaking to her directly.”

“…Ugh.”

“…Are you okay?”

The sensitivity flowing through Urensto blood launched a merciless attack on her tear ducts after confirming the infinite tolerance and kindness of the lord she served.

Ilride quietly looked down at the sobbing Siselle, deciding it was not her place to intervene, and stood up. Then she slipped away.

It was a swift judgment befitting a royal.

I just need to buy some time until her emotions settle down.

There was nothing to do while passing the time except for handling documents. However, having just lost the office to a crying knight, it was indeed time for some other form of entertainment.

“Shall I have some dessert?”

Irid, who enjoyed bitter coffee, suddenly found herself craving dessert because of Agent C. After expounding on the necessity of sweets for brain function, Irid eventually developed a taste for sweetness.

Centra had also liked desserts. Whenever she passed by a display of delectable treats, she would gaze longingly at them with a look of desire.

However, she never bought any, as Centra was saving money for resistance activities. Preparing for “Beer and Song” required quite a bit of funding.

The way she restrained her own desires for the greater cause was one of Centra’s countless charms.

When Irid promised to increase her funds with some clever paperwork and buy her anything, she pondered for a long time before finally heading to a rather modest-looking bakery.

She preferred something like this over fancy desserts, she thought, while awkwardly hiding her own desires.

“……..”

How wonderful it would have been to stroll alongside her in this era. Irid was a princess. With such immense wealth, Centra would never think of ‘saving’ anything.

If it were something she wanted, she would surely provide it.

As the scent of freshly baked bread wafted past her nose, she turned the corner to find a small but tidy bakery. Yes, it was exactly the kind of place Centra would have chosen.

And while buying bread that was more suited for meals than dessert. Just like this.

“If you chew well, you’ll taste the sweetness, right? So there’s no need for extravagant desserts. What’s more important is all the things piled up in the world.”

“Indeed.”

“……….Centra?”

Am I seeing things? Irid blinked.

The woman bore a striking resemblance to Centra. With a lively expression, hair as black as the night sky, and overall features that reminded her of…

And sitting across from her was a man resembling a winter wolf. Duke Elbillion Julius of the North.

What on earth is happening?

Before reason could assess it, emotions surged. The scandal between the Duke of the North and Heart, the tension with him, and the conflict. Emotions moved faster than she expected.

The torrent of feelings became an impulse. Irid found herself unable to control her body and slipped right between the two men.

Crash—!

“……….Second Prince? What on earth is going on?”

“What have you done to Centra, Elbillion Julius…!”

“Mind your manners. Even if royal blood flows through you, I am still a Grand Duke of the Empire. Being royal blood doesn’t mean there’s no death. I warn you, do not interfere with my precious time with Heart.”

“I asked what you did! Why is she here?!”

Sparks flew.

The Duke of the North expressed his displeasure openly, and Irid also raised her own defiance fiercely. And in the midst of the standoff between the two men…

A lively voice interjected.

“……….I’m not Centra. Not Heart either. Stop getting my name wrong, okay? It’s not Heart, it’s Love.”

“……….Centra, no?”

“I’m sorry. Please consider it my own little nickname.”

“That doesn’t mean I’ll become that person. It feels bad to keep overlapping with someone else. If this continues, you’ll have to buy another bread as a fine.”

The woman who called herself Love pouted cutely.

What… story is this?

Is she another person?

Iride’s rationality arrived late. And hurriedly cleared the backlog of work.

A woman who closely resembled Centra. But she is not Centra.

=＞ Naturally, if she is not Centra who lost her memory due to time travel, she must be a long-lost ancestor. If there’s a hundred years of difference, she might be Centra’s great-great-grandmother.

I have tried to trace Centra’s lineage and origins, her family, and the founder of the Resistance, but I couldn’t find anything.

=＞ At first, I thought Centra’s father was a member of the Defense Bureau, but there was only an agent among the core members… it could have been someone else. If so, it’s a hypothesis, but…

Could the roots of the future Resistance have been born in a distant place beyond Iride’s reach? For example… the North.

Then.

The result of the connection between Duke Elbillion of the North and the woman named Love before me might, perhaps, give birth to Centra in the distant future…

Then. The Duke of the North could be the father of Centra’s father’s father.

If so. The Duke of the North is…

To put it simply.

“──Father-in-law?”

“……… Second Prince, if you are currently under the effects of an illusion spell, please let me know. I believe there is no doubt about it. You should seek treatment as soon as possible.”

The Duke of the North looked compassionately at the mad Second Prince.