Three days after we defeated the Demon King, I finally had my date with Ageha in the Royal Capital.
I behaved as though I were retracing my steps from the previous timeline.
In the morning, I visited the theater to purchase tickets for the show six days away, then had lunch at a famous restaurant a servant had recommended. Afterward, I spent the afternoon wandering the streets with Ageha, enjoying a leisurely shopping trip.
A multitude of shops lined the main district of the Royal Capital, and every corner was packed with locals and tourists alike. With such a vast variety of goods on display, simply browsing the stalls was entertainment enough.
That said, I had already seen most of it in the previous timeline.
When I had first arrived here, everything was a novelty and I could lose myself in the excitement, but seeing it all for the second time was inevitably a bit tedious. Since Ageha seemed to be enjoying herself, I ducked into a bookstore to kill some time.
I picked up a book that caught my eye and began flipping through it.
In this world, books were generated through the Skill: Automatic Writing, which could be learned by those in the Priest Class. Because priests were the ones producing the literature, the shelves tended to be dominated by dry, mythology-themed texts.
They were a bit too stiff for my liking; I would have preferred something more casual. I noticed some grimoires on the shelves as well, but when I tried to skim one, the contents were so esoteric that I couldn't make heads or tails of them.
"I should get back to Ageha."
I left the bookstore and scanned the street for her. I soon found her inside a shop, staring intently at a display.
"What are you looking at?" I asked as I approached.
"Oh, um... a ring..."
Sure enough, Ageha was looking at a ring housed inside a glass display case.
"Do you want it?"
"Yeah... but it’s so expensive, I don't think I can."
I glanced at the price tag: 300,000 El. "El" was the currency unit used in this kingdom. For a farmer like me, 300,000 El was roughly what I would earn after six months of hard labor. Since this was a special occasion, I really wanted to buy it for her, but having zero money on hand made the purchase impossible.
"You see... in my country, there’s a custom where people who love each other wear matching rings. That’s why I wanted to get the same ring as you, Kiska... but..."
"Is that so?"
One ring was 300,000 El. Two would be 600,000. I wished there was a way to get my hands on that kind of money easily.
After returning to the Royal Palace and finishing dinner, Highness Eligion visited my room to ask me to participate in the Triumphal Ceremony. In exchange for my cooperation, I requested—and received—tickets for the special seats at the theater.
It was exactly the same as the previous timeline.
"Kiska, today was so much fun."
Ageha and I were relaxing on the bed. Perhaps because we had spent the night together yesterday, she was staying much closer to me than usual. Even now, she was clinging to my side.
Being this close, a faint, sweet scent drifted from her. Whether it was the scent or the proximity, I felt an overwhelming urge to be affectionate with her.
"Ageha..."
I called her name in a lingering tone and wrapped my arms around her. The warmth of her body through her clothes felt wonderful. I started to feel myself getting into an amorous mood.
I reached out my hand to take things further, but—
"No, Kiska."
"Why...?"
She had been so proactive and willing just yesterday.
"I’ll let you after I’ve had my bath. So, you have to be patient until then, okay?"
If that was the deal, I could wait as long as it took.
I pulled away, and she got off the bed to gather her things for the Grand Bath. At first, I thought I had only fallen into a relationship with her because of the circumstances, but now, there was no doubt in my mind: I truly loved Ageha.
The more time we spent together, the deeper that feeling became.
The Grand Bath of the Royal Palace was vast and open.
Sage Nyau sat submerged in the hot water. Because of her small stature, if she sat flat on the floor, the water would come up past her nose. To avoid drowning, she had to remain in a perpetual crouch.
With nothing to do but soak, her mind began to race. For a while now, she hadn't been feeling like herself. That was Nyau's greatest worry lately.
She knew the reason for her distress was a man named Kiska and the girl by his side, Ageha.
Whenever she closed her eyes, her thoughts drifted toward Kiska. When she had learned in the carriage that Kiska and Ageha were lovers, the shock had been so profound that tears had started falling before she could stop them.
Her sudden crying had left everyone else bewildered. Kiska surely thought she was some kind of freak now. Recalling that moment of weakness filled her with a mixture of embarrassment, misery, and sadness that left her feeling utterly depressed.
"What am I supposed to do...?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
She knew perfectly well that no matter how much she thought about it, there was no answer to be found.
"What a coincidence, meeting you here."
Nyau turned toward the voice and saw a figure standing in the steam of the bath.
"Hero Ageha..."
She hadn't expected to run into her here of all places. Because Ageha was the one person she didn't want to see, Nyau instinctively looked away.
"Mind if I sit next to you?"
"N-no, go ahead."
Nyau actually hated the idea, but she didn't have the courage to say no. She simply nodded and wondered what business the Hero could possibly have with her.
"You love Kiska, don't you?"
Nyau’s face stiffened at the blunt question. She hadn't expected to be confronted so directly.
"No... not really..." she stammered, denying it instantly. Ageha was Kiska's lover, after all. There was no way she could admit the truth.
"Oh? You're going to deny it? But looking at your behavior, it's impossible to conclude anything else."
Ageha fixed her with a sharp, piercing gaze. Being stared at like that made Nyau feel as though her very soul were being laid bare, and her heart began to pound in her chest.
"Well, Kiska is handsome, so I can understand why you'd fall for him."
Nyau remained silent, unsure of how to respond. However, she noticed that as Ageha called him handsome, a faint blush touched the Hero’s cheeks. So Ageha really does love him, Nyau realized.
"But let me tell you one thing."
Ageha leaned in close to Nyau’s face. Nyau braced herself, wondering what she was about to hear.
"Kiska and I have already shared a bed. And I'm sure he'll be wanting me again tonight."
"...!?"
For a moment, Nyau couldn't even process the words. But as the meaning sank in, she reflexively dropped her gaze to the floor.
"Kiska is completely obsessed with me. I'm sorry to say it, but there isn't a single opening for you to squeeze through."
With that, Ageha stood up and walked away, apparently satisfied now that she had said her piece.
"Ugh... hng..."
Nyau couldn't hold back the tears. Fortunately, because she was in the bath, she could cry as much as she wanted without anyone suspecting a thing.
She felt as though she were drowning in overwhelming humiliation.