Side: Yuki
Whew, my head is spinning.
I never expected Ria to come at me herself, and I certainly didn't think she'd push things that far. Even with my enhanced stamina, I don't have the mental strength to do that kind of thing in the middle of the office.
Ria didn't seem to mind at all, so it ended up becoming a three-round battle. By the time we finished, I was completely drained.
At this point, I've officially decided: I am never stepping into the spotlight.
If my exploits were ever recorded for posterity, I'd be labeled a harem bastard and killed for sure. No, if I detailed my life from Earth to now, I think people would sympathize and say it couldn't be helped.
But this is another world. Even if I wrote about Earth, it would probably just be dismissed as nonsense.
"Yuki-saaan..."
Ria's white twin-tails swayed against her chest. We couldn't go fully naked, so we're still partially clothed. The fact that I find this gesture of hers adorable is proof that Ria has already completely eroded my defenses.
"Ria, do you feel any discomfort? Anything wrong with your body?"
"I still feel like Yuki-san is... inside me."
"...Right. That part, well, is unavoidable. I mean, do you have any pain that keeps you from moving?"
"I'm so happy I don't want to move."
...She's a goner.
"Alright, let's have a serious talk."
"Yes."
At those words, Ria immediately looked me straight in the eye.
"As you know, we're going to keep doing very dangerous things from now on. You'll inevitably get dragged into it too. Are you okay with that?"
"If it's the path you walk, I'll follow you anywhere."
Even though I knew her answer, I couldn't help but feel conflicted about making her entrust her life to me like this.
Still, if I'm going to entrust the future to someone else, I'd rather do it myself. That hasn't changed, whether in the past or now.
"Thank you. But Ria, if you ever get sick of me, feel free to leave at any time. And if I die, don't dwell on it—go find your next happiness."
"No. I will be with you until the end. The other ladies feel the same way."
"You all reply so quickly."
"Of course. Because you are surely a Hero."
"A Hero?"
"Yes. You guide people, save many, and bring peace. Yuki-san, you are a true Hero."
I was surprised by Ria's confident eyes and declaration.
Me, a Hero? No way. I'm just the world's strongest handyman.
Then, I remembered something. The idea of me being a Hero is nonsense, but someone was supposed to be a Hero.
[Awakening condition: Sex. If forced, the subject explodes.]
Whoa. I got swept up in the heat of the moment, but if I'd made one wrong move, I would have blown up the entire office... But wait, it doesn't look like Ria has received any Hero's blessings yet.
What's going on?
"Um... did I say something strange?"
Seeing my silence, she looked worried, her face on the verge of tears.
"No, I just thought 'Hero' doesn't really suit me."
"That's not true!!"
"I appreciate the sentiment, Ria, but I'd rather be a husband before a Hero."
"Ah, yes... Yuki-san is our husband."
As we sat there hugging for a while, Steve walked in.
"Excuse me, Boss. I have the armament documents—"
"Ah."
"What's up?"
Lately, Steve and the others had become able to speak normally. I kind of miss the old days when they only uttered "gobu".
Steve dropped the documents on the floor with a flutter, then dashed out of the room at full speed.
"I'm not jealous at all! Boss, you jerk, waaaaahhhh!!"
No, you're definitely jealous.
Maybe I should call in some female goblins next time... Wait, do female goblins even exist?
After that, I could hear the other goblins talking in the hallway.
"Was that General Steve again?"
"Probably jealous of Boss Yuki being lovey-dovey with his wife again."
"I'm happy just having food to eat, so I'm not that interested in women."
"That's for the best."
Sorry about that, Steve.
"Anyway, let's get back to work."
"Yes. I feel bad for Steve-san. Should I introduce him to one of my female friends next time?"
"Don't. He'd puke blood."
"?"
Ria doesn't quite get it, but Steve is one of the oldest residents of this dungeon—longer than even Seraria.
Despite that, he had never had any luck with women, so the result was naturally a crushing defeat... Well, there was also the racial barrier, but in Weed the goblin unit was relatively well accepted. They ate meals with humans normally.
But even that was impossible for Steve.
I heard from the others that he was apparently too aggressive when approaching women. So Ria's kindness would be like rubbing salt in a wound.
* * *
"Phew."
"Are we done for today?"
"Yeah. Let's head back."
"Yes."
Later, I heard that Seraria found Steve moping, judged him to be slacking off (which wasn't entirely wrong), and dragged him into a training session.
In a way, Steve is a rare talent for being able to keep up with Seraria.
"What should we have for dinner tonight?"
"Hmm. Gratin sounds good."
"Gra... tin?"
"It's a dish where you put ingredients in a cream sauce base, cover it with cheese, and bake it."
"Ahh... that sounds like an amazing dish."
I've realized it many times, but the food culture on this continent is roughly equivalent to 16th-century Earth.
Why the 16th century? Because that's when French cuisine is said to have originated.
Before that, while there were delicious local dishes, no one really tried to organize or refine them. It was a time of fragmented power, after all.
Anyway, for the commoners here, spices are so expensive they're out of reach. Most people are lucky to get salt. Black pepper is called the "black jewel." Cooking usually consists of bringing out the natural flavor of the ingredients—which is to say, just roasting and eating them. Local specialties exist, but they rarely spread because ingredients don't last. That's why the food I make is a feast and a mystery to Ria and the others.
"Get ready to eat a lot of delicious things from now on."
"Yes!"
Ria smiles.. Her stuttering is gone, and she's speaking quite fluently now.
"But I can't just have you cook for me forever. Can I try making a dish from my village sometime? It's not that delicious, though."
"I look forward to it. And let me tell you something good."
"Something good?"
"Ria, you haven't used spices much, have you?"
"No, they're expensive."
"Well, from now on, you can use as many spices as you want. So, try experimenting with your village's recipes to make them even better. The others do the same with their own local dishes."
"That's amazing!!"
Weed is a melting pot of races, so we have events and restaurants where people share their regional cuisines.
But tastes vary, and people often aren't used to certain things. Spices are the key to harmonizing those differences. It helps people bond over food, and since those unique flavors can only be found here, it drives tourism.
It's all part of the policy to keep Weed running smoothly. Conquer them through their stomachs! Food is innocent! Then outsiders come to eat, they spend money, the money increases... profit.
"Ah, we're already at the inn."
"Time flies when we're talking, even without using the rings."
"Because talking with you is fun. We're home."
"""Welcome back!"""
For some reason, everyone was waiting at the entrance.
...Ah, I see. So Ria's bold action earlier was thanks to all of them.
Sensing that I had understood, they ignored me and started talking to Ria.
"Looks like it went well."
"Yes, thank you so much!!"
"Congratulations. You're one of us now."
Seriously, why are my wives all this close with each other?
Though honestly, I'm grateful there aren't any problems.
As I watched Ria, Labyris climbed onto me as usual.
"So, did you two do it?"
"Yeah. Ria was surprisingly aggressive."
"I see. That's why she looks so happy."
Once Labyris finished climbing up me, we headed into the kitchen.
Everyone was busy talking with Ria, so there was no need to interrupt them.
"By the way, we did the deed, but there doesn't seem to be any change."
"Ara? She didn't receive the Hero's blessing?"
"I'll need to ask Lilishe about that."
"Right. I'll call her over. By the way, what's for dinner tonight?"
"Gratin."
As I visualized the dish, Labyris peeked at my memories through contact.
"Hmm, it doesn't look like a very difficult dish."
"The ingredients and the sauce are the tricky parts. I'm always glad to have you around, Labyris."
"I'm your wife too, after all."
Since Labyris can see my mental images, she can stand in for me and use her skills to perfection even with these recipes. She's an "oppai-beauty-l*li" who's way too good for me.
"Complimenting me is only going to make the night more intense, you know?"
Labyris clung to my head happily.
"Well then, let's get to work."
"Yes. Let's do our best."
"Ah, over here, Ria-oneechan."
"Help us cook!"
"Sorry, I got caught up talking to everyone."
"Killue, what are we making today?"
"I hear from Yuki-sama that it is gratin."
* * *
And so, the cooking team gathered. The kitchen has certainly become lively.
"Puh-ha! Man, homemade gratin is great too!"
"Wait, Ratz, have you had gratin before?"
"They sell frozen ones in the shops normally."
"Whoa, I had no idea."
"Heh heh heh, I have a pretty good grasp on the delicious things from Onii-san's world."
"Tell me. I'll make it worth your while."
Ratz and Milly were having a strange standoff after finishing their meal.
"Fu~ thank you for the food. It was delicious. Maybe I should try making it at the church?"
"I'll help you, Priestess-sama."
"Thank you, Ria-chan."
Ria was talking with Lilishe, whom Labrys had called over.
She's currently acting as the priestess at Weed's church under the name "Liliz" A bit on the nose, don't you think? Lilishe had been the priestess at the church in Ria's village too, and they were both happy to reunite.
...Well, it was that "priestess" who turned Ria into a Hero in the first place.
"I'm happy for you, Ria-chan."
"Huh?"
"You found a good man, didn't you?"
"Ah, yes!"
Ria replied with a brilliant smile.
"It's Yuki-san, right?"
"Eh!? How did you know?"
"Fufufu, that's because... Ria-chan, you are my Hero."
"Pardon?"
Yeah.
As always, this goddess skipped straight past every important explanation and dropped a bombshell instead.
"Look at your status screen."
"O-Okay..."
Ria checked her status, and her expression froze solid.
"E-Eh!? 'Hero of Love'? 'Lilishe-sama's blessing'!?"
"That's right. I am actually Lilishe. Due to certain circumstances, I descended to the surface to search for someone worthy of becoming a Hero. That person was you, Ria-chan."
"M-Me? Not Yuki-san?"
"Yes. He is someone far greater than that. Surely you understand that already, don't you?"
"I do!! B-But me, a Hero...."
"It's alright. Everyone here already knows. And because you are a Hero—no, because you are Ria-chan—they desire you. As the shield that will protect the key figure, him."
"W-What exactly is going on...?"
Ria looked close to panicking.
For now, I calmed her down with my ultimate move: hugging her tightly.
"U-Um, Yuki-san?"
"Just listen calmly. About your role as a Hero, and what comes next."
"...Okay."
As everyone watched, I slowly explained everything to Ria.
The fact that she had an unawakened Hero skill when we first met. The fact that Lilishe told me she might explode if things went wrong. The fact that awakening was practically unavoidable. And that I had intentionally done this for the sake of Weed.
"Fufu, you're lying."
While I was awkwardly explaining, Ria suddenly laughed.
"Huh?"
"The part about Yuki-san doing this 'for the sake of Weed' from the beginning. If that were true, why are you holding me so tightly right now?"
"That's... well, I couldn't let you run away..."
"That's a lie too. You're not hugging me that strongly at all."
"U-Uh..."
"Sigh... I see. No wonder the other wives were worried. Well, I am one of your wives now. I will definitely protect you from those who would take advantage of your kindness."
Ria spoke, and I was the one left a little confused.
From my perspective, I'd practically manipulated her feelings. And yet the emotions reflected in Ria's eyes were nothing but happiness.
"I love you from the bottom of my heart. And I do not doubt your love. All the Hero's power within this body is for your sake."
At Ria's declaration, everyone smiled happily.
...It seemed like I was the only one who still didn't fully understand.
"Maiden hearts are complex yet simple."
Seraria says.
Yeah, I still have no idea what that means.
And so, on this day, the Bride-Hero Ria was born.
