Side: Yuki

An explosion roars, and someone falls from the sky.

...I've heard that sound many times by now.

Thud.

A man crashed into the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.

Back on Earth, that would've killed him instantly.

But this was the otherworld of Aroulit. Thanks to the concept of levels, people possessed physical abilities that let them survive things like this.

Well... ordinary civilians would probably still die.

"...Kh, not yet... not yet..."

Before me, an adventurer whose name I didn't even know struggled desperately to stand.

What incredible vitality, what unbelievable toughness... Do you really want to peek on the women's bath that badly?

Watching his heroic figure, I find myself asking that question over and over.

However, the adventurer who was trying to rise falls back onto his knees. In all likelihood—or rather, definitively—his stamina has hit its absolute limit.

I glance down at my wristwatch.

"...23 minutes have already passed, huh?"

That's right.

The first Women's Bath Peeping Tournament was currently underway.

The first round belonged to Gartz.

The order had been decided by reversing the order in which each nation had established friendly relations with Weed.

In other words:

Gartz → Rithea → Roshure → Weed.

This was a consideration built on the premise that as the rounds progress toward the latter half, participants will become better at analyzing the traps. Thus, nations unfamiliar with Weed's technology would be at a distinct disadvantage.

In other words, the nations scheduled for the latter half face a significantly higher probability of having their women's bath peeked into.

Which means there's a very high probability that my own wives' naked bodies will be peeked at... Even though they're pregnant, they flat-out stated they're participating normally. At worst, should I just completely obliterate every single participant in the Weed round, along with Steve?

"Boss, what are we going to do-ssu? At this rate, no one's going to clear it, you know? Look, there are only five minutes left."

"Ah, right."

"What do you mean, 'Ah, right'..."

"For now, everything is going according to plan, isn't it? The peepers fail to reach the goal, the performance of the traps is thoroughly demonstrated, and the dignity of the national representatives is preserved."

"Well, yeah, that's true-ssu, but..."

Steve quietly averts his gaze and looks back at the adventurer who is still desperately struggling to stand.

Drawn by his gaze, I look back at the adventurer too...

"I... I will, by any means necessary... see Sharl-sama's... naked body... even if it kills meeee!"

Shouting that, he squeezes out the last of his strength, stands on both legs, and starts running.

Straight ahead, aiming for paradise 3 kilometers away, truly straight forward.

BOOOOM!

And once again, the adventurer takes to the sky, crashing back down right near where we are standing... and stops moving.

"Disqualified."

"Indeed. His physical health is in critical condition, please carry him out immediately."

Ria and Jessica state matter-of-factly and begin transporting the adventurer, but he desperately stretches his hand out.

"The women's bath... I can legally see... Sharl-sama's naked body. I can... still do this. Put me down..."

The adventurer's spirit had not yet broken.

Yes, even if his body refused to move, his heart had not yet given up.

What a magnificent display of manhood. To go that far...

"Be quiet, you pervert."

"Yes. You're disqualified the moment you can't move anymore, pervert."

"Guh... Am I... really a pervert?"

""Yes.""

"Guhhh...!?"

And thus, a lone hero's strength entirely faded away.

Beholding his figure, I am suddenly reminded of the Demon King who once ate underwear.

That ultimate pervert among perverts who ate underwear might very well have been praised as a hero by a specific subset of men, but it seems that no matter which world you are in, society is always harsh on perverts.

"Well then, excuse us."

"Steve, please take good care of Yuki."

With those words, the two carry the fallen hero away and disappear.

"...Boss, this setup might be incredibly convenient for all kinds of reasons-ssu, but our comrades are getting wiped out one after another by this 'Pure Manhood Disengagement' strategy."

"Well, that's not something I'm involved in..."

Yes, just as Steve says, we national representatives had come up with a method to ensure the peeping contest wouldn't be cleared, while showcasing the effectiveness of the traps and preserving our nations' dignity.

That method was dubbed "Pure Manhood Disengagement."

What exactly is Pure Manhood Disengagement?

It is a reckless technique where a person intentionally throws themselves into a trap to trigger and disengage it.

While there is a tactic where you intentionally trigger a trap to safely disarm it, this is completely different. Instead of merely triggering it, you actively get caught in it—yes, you disengage the trap by using your own body as a shield.

A fighting spirit that refuses to die, a courage that knows no fear, and a resilience that refuses to fall. By utilizing this Pure Manhood Disengagement, even if they failed to peek, they wouldn't face any criticism. Instead, they could personally testify to the trap's effectiveness with their own bodies and display their prowess as national representatives.

Indeed, it was a highly convenient option for the leaders of each nation, but...

『Ohhh, and with that, we have our twelfth adventurer disqualified from the field!! Why do they refuse to dodge and simply march straight ahead?! Similarly, the national representatives are doing the exact same thing, triggering traps over and over only to be sent right back to the start!! There are only five minutes remaining!! Yet, they show no signs of stopping!! What are your thoughts on this, Seraria-sama?』

『Let's see... In all likelihood, the national representatives are charging straight into the traps to demonstrate their sheer resilience and unyielding courage. Prince Teak, the representative of Gartz and the next in line for the throne, took that exact approach without a hint of hesitation. In other words...』

『In other words?』

『Even if the general participants managed to dodge the traps and successfully peek, would that really be something worthy of praise?』

『Ah, I see! Because the national representatives are charging straight in, the general participants feel compelled to do the exact same thing, don't they?』

『Precisely. I think it's wonderful because it allows us to verify the effectiveness of the traps. Furthermore, the general participants get to showcase their courage and toughness. The nations might even scout them based on this. What do you think, Sharl-sama? You were the one they mentioned wanting to peek on just a moment ago.』

『Eh?! M-Me?! W-Well, while I certainly despise the idea of being peeped on, I believe men who march forward as straight as an arrow like that are highly suited to be soldiers...』

『There you have it, everyone! Even if you don't succeed in peeping, you will be highly evaluated! Keep fighting, participants! By the way, Sharl-sama is currently completely naked inside.』

The moment Seraria announces that over the broadcast to the peeping participants...

"""OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHH!!!"""

The general participants let out a ferocious war cry and, completely ignoring their battered bodies, sprint full speed toward the women's bath.

『Ohhh! With only three minutes remaining, that roaring war cry proves they haven't given up yet!! However, despite their valiant efforts, they crash straight into the traps... No, they aren't even trying to dodge! This is the true strength of our participants!』

Ratz, stop hyping them up so much.

Because of you, anyone who actually tries to dodge a trap now is going to face absolute booing from the crowd.

"...? Wait, even you, Steve!?"

Among the crowd charging forward with a thunderous war cry was my own bodyguard, Steve.

However, because his stats are restricted for the event, regardless of his stamina, he takes a trap dead-on and goes flying through the air.

...You idiot.

『Now, there are only two minutes left. It looks like none of the participants will be able to make it, but none of them show any signs of giving up. They are proudly displaying the strength of their respective nations.』

Eris delivers the live commentary in a calm, detached voice, but she's probably looking down on them with cold eyes.

Given her personality, she absolutely loathes showing her skin to any man other than me.

While she's fine exchanging documents with Steve and the others, she'll completely glare them down if there's even a hint of accidental physical contact during work... Yet she's completely clingy when it comes to me...

"Sigh, I guess it's time for the final charge..."

With everyone else running, it's not like I can just stand around and do nothing.

My physical abilities are restricted to match my old student days.

No matter how you look at it, I'm completely inferior to the inhabitants of this world who possess levels.

But still, it brings back memories... Fooling around like idiots, running all over the place. Laughing with my best friends over absolutely nothing, getting covered in mud.

* * *

In the end.

After four rounds of Man Removal, every national representative was completely battered.

Not a single soul managed to reach the women's bath.

However, as a result, the event was a massive success.

Everyone praised each other's valiant efforts, the women on the defending side were thoroughly satisfied to see the integrity and strength of the men protecting them, and the nations were given a flawless demonstration of the traps' effectiveness.

The general participants had been dragged into doing Pure Manhood Disengagement right alongside us, but they held absolutely no grudges. Right now, we're all raising our glasses together in a tavern we rented out entirely for the celebration.

"Haha! Crack-dono, this is magnificent fun!"

"Indeed it is! At first, I wondered what on earth would come of this, but to think we could get this incredibly fired up!"

"Ah, simply marching forward with pure intent! No matter what lies ahead, moving straight as an arrow! It's a wonderful feeling that you just can't experience on a battlefield! Oh, you're the adventurer who shouted that you wanted to see my younger sister Sharl naked, aren't you?"

"Ah, yes! I-I am terribly sorry..."

"What are you saying?! Such a magnificent spirit, such courage, and an unyielding will that refuses to quit! Every single trait is absolutely splendid! Tell me, would you care to become my subordinate? Having witnessed that struggle, no one could possibly deny your worth!"

"I-Is that really okay!?"

"Of course!! We can never have too many heroes like you. Also, I'd be happy if you build a good relationship with my late-blooming sister Sharl."

"R-Really!?"

"Yes. Honestly, even though the youngest, Sheila, has already wedded Yuki, Sharl keeps insisting that she's an elf so her youth will last, and—"

For some reason, Brother Teak is actively recruiting the adventurer who tried to peek on his sister's naked body into his military.

Is that really okay? Sharl-san is going to be absolutely furious, you know? Or rather, shouldn't Lowelle be the one to get married first?

As that thought crosses my mind, Crack pipes up next.

"You there! You are the perfect candidate to succeed me as the captain of Rithea's royal guard!"

"N-No, I couldn't possibly...!"

"Don't be so modest! That charge, that power to keep advancing even after being hit by traps!! That's not something just anyone can imitate!!"

Hey. You just want to hurry up and get transferred to Weed, don't you?

Still... Everyone looks like they're having fun, which is the most important thing.

Phew, seems like it'll end without any problems.

Just as I reached for my drink... Someone snatched it away.

I instinctively looked toward whoever had taken it.

"Ara? You've certainly got some nerve, throwing all the remaining work onto us while you sit here drinking."

For some reason, my wives were standing imposingly with Seraria at the front.

Wait, why is everyone here?

Shouldn't you be entertaining the princesses and beauties from every nation!?

"Ahahaha! The official business is done for the day, and everyone else is currently enjoying the open-air baths and dinner normally. Or rather, that's not the problem here, Onii-san."

"Ratz-san. Can you read my mind or something?"

"No, but as your wife, I certainly do. And I also know that you completely fail to see where the problem lies."

"Um... Eris-san, why is everyone so angry?"

"Danna-sama, we firmly believed that you would successfully break through and reach us. For that very reason, we were waiting for you while wearing brand-new swimsuits. And yet..."

Rurua speaks up, gently pushing Aslin and Filia to the front.

"We were waiting for Onii-chan, but you never came... hic..."

"Anii-sama, you left us all alone just so you could play around... sniff..."

Uh, aren't you guys crying over the completely wrong thing here?

As I stand there slightly dazed, Labyris and Sheila pull the two crying girls into a warm embrace.

There's no need to cry. There's no way Yuki would leave us abandoned."

"Yes, just as Labyris says, I am absolutely certain that from here on out, he will thoroughly admire our swimsuits at the inn and pin us straight down to the bed."

What on earth are you talking about?

Admiring the swimsuits is fine, but pinning you down is impossible. Taking on every single one of you is physically out of the question. I only have one body, you know!

As I'm thinking this, Tori and Riel grab me firmly by both arms, making me look exactly like an abducted alien.

"U-Um... some of you are pregnant, after all... This is a joke, right?"

"Fret not. We have properly studied the correct methods tailored for pregnancy. Besides, Yuki, we have already cleared your schedule for the next three days, so there are absolutely no problems."

Derieu breaks into a thoroughly delighted smile.

"M-My work..."

"There is no issue. We hear that the monsters, starting with Mino-chan, will be working their hardest to handle Milord's workload."

Killue-san, you're absolutely flawless at your job today as well, aren't you?

"Now then, Kaya, grab that side."

"...Understood, Milly."

With that, they finally grab both of my legs, leaving me completely unable to resist.

"Alright, Ria and Jessica are already setting things up at the inn, so let's head back immediately."

"""Yeeees!"""

And just like that, I was carried away.

Ah... did something go completely wrong here?

* * *

Side: Teak, First Prince of Gartz

"""........."""

"...Crack-dono."

"...Yes?"

"Weed truly is full of formidable figures, isn't it?"

"Indeed it is..."

Crack-dono and I mutter in unison as we watch Yuki get carried away.

The tavern, which had been boisterous just a moment ago, had completely quieted down under the pressure of that intense, overwhelming aura.

"Ah, right, this won't do! Everyone, there is still plenty of alcohol left! To celebrate today's grand struggle, cheers!"

The crowd looks blank for a brief instant, but a smile instantly returns to everyone's faces...

"""Cheeeers!!!"""

I feel a bit sorry for Yuki, but we might as well thoroughly enjoy ourselves here.

It's not often we get an opportunity to let loose to this extent, after all.

With that thought, just as I tilt my cup to pour the alcohol down my throat...

"Onii-sama, did I happen to hear you say something about me being left behind in terms of marriage?"

PFFFTTT!!!

At the sound of that voice, I spray my drink out like a fine mist.

"W-Whatever could you mean, Sharl?"

"I will hear your excuses at the inn. Everyone else, please do not mind us."

"C-Crack-dono!!"

"..."

"""........."""

Damn it all to hell.

I was completely mistaken.

It wasn't just the women of Weed who were formidable.

Women, without a single exception, were terrifyingly formidable creatures across the board!

AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!