Chapter 2: Makoto Takatsuki Reels
“Ha ha, sorry, Takatsuki. I got a bit carried away,” Sakurai apologized.
“It’s been a while, Sakurai. But I’m back now.”
“Even Goddess Althena said it would be unlikely for you to return. I’m so...so glad...”
He had a smile on his face, but his eyes were red. It would be mean to mock him for it, though.
“Makoto... I’m so happy to see you again,” said Prince Leonardo.
“I haven’t seen you in quite a while. I almost didn’t recognize you.”
Before, the only way I could have described him was as a cute young girl. But in the year since I’d seen him, he’d gotten taller. He now looked like a handsome, androgynous boy.
“I’ve still got so far to go. I’ve gotten better with my holy sword, though! Hopefully I can show you.”
“I’d love to see,” I replied.
Sakurai nodded. “Leo and I have been practicing swordplay together for a while.”
“It’s thanks to Ryousuke that I’m so much better with my blade.”
It seemed like the two of them had gotten fairly close. Two handsome guys together? They almost seem like a boy band.
“Welcome back, Takatsuki!” someone said as they clapped me on the shoulder.
I turned to see a female knight standing there. “Good to be back, Yokoyama,” I said.
Saki Yokoyama was one of Sakurai’s wives—she was from our world as well. She’d been considered the best-looking girl in our class.
“Did you see Aya yet?!” she demanded. “She cries about you every time I talk to her!”
“Yeah, I have. And yeah, she cried.”
“Right?! You’re not allowed to be away from her again!”
“Yeah, I don’t intend to.” I almost staggered under her onslaught. “You seem happy, though.”
She grinned broadly and then giggled. “Look at this. Isn’t it pretty? Ryousuke bought it for me.” An engagement ring on her left ring finger gleamed in the light. She seemed more mature than before. Was that what being about to get married did to a woman?
“It suits you.”
“Thanks. You’re buying one for Aya!”
“Y-Yeah, I will.”
She wouldn’t let the conversation go.
“Saki,” Sakurai interrupted. “He’s probably tired. He only just got back, y’know.”
“Fiiiine,” she said.
Thank the gods for that lifeline. Still, where did they sell rings like that? I doubted they’d have them in armorers or equipment shops. Maybe I could ask Fujiyan to order one.
Well... You should at least look for an engagement ring on your own, came an exasperated voice in my head. It was Ira.
I couldn’t get Fujiyan to do it?
No, you can’t. Are you listening? That kind of thing happens once in a lifetime, so it’s special to girls... she advised.
I let it wash over me. Right, wasn’t she the goddess of love?
Hey! Listen properly.
I’m listenin’.
Suddenly, someone else spoke up. “Oh, is that Hero Makoto over there?”
“Hm...was he not gravely injured against a demon lord?”
“I’d heard he lost an arm and a leg.”
“Well, I heard he had already died.”
“He certainly doesn’t look injured.”
“Maybe it’s just a look-alike?”
“But...he seems so close to the Hero of Light... Who else could it be?”
People were starting to crowd around us. It was less about me catching their attention, and more about them wondering who was chatting so casually with Sakurai since he was the Hero of Light. Being injured was one thing, but someone had gotten carried away—were they really saying that I’d lost an arm and a leg or outright died?
Apparently, a hero vanishing caused all kinds of rumors.
We ended up getting surrounded and bombarded with questions.
I’d been worried about how to answer, but Princess Sophia interrupted and helped. I really appreciated it, especially with how much I struggled with crowds.
We spent two hours greeting powerful and influential people in the castle—that was the main reason we were even here.
Of course, it would take some time to get me back on the active roster. Currently, I was supposed to be an honorary hero due to my injuries against Zagan.
Princess Sophia was busy with a conversation with the prime minister—at least, that was who I assumed it was—a little distance away.
“Lady Noelle is busy, so she is unable to grant an audience today,” I heard.
It looked like we weren’t going to be meeting her today. Well, there wasn’t much getting around it, what with her position.
Princes Noelle... Shining golden hair and sapphire eyes. Thinking of her inevitably reminded me of someone else with the same looks.
“Makoto, I want...”
Anna’s face filled my mind. I remembered her like it was yesterday, but she had actually been around a thousand years in the past. It was ancient history. I’d been able to reunite with Momo, but Anna was...
I couldn’t help but get misty-eyed over it. No, none of that. Calm Mind, Calm Mind.
The princess had finished her conversation and come back over, apparently having made an appointment to see her peer.
“I apologize for the wait. Shall we return to the Fujiwara Corporation?” she asked.
“I appreciate it, Sophia,” I said to her.
“It was nothing too strenuous,” she replied with a slightly tired smile.
I felt kind of bad for making her do extra work, and it must have shown on my face.
“If it bothers you, you can keep me company,” she whispered into my ear.
The carriage ride back was the site of much spoiling.
◇
Once we’d returned, Princess Sophia said that she had other business to attend to and left.
She was a real workaholic. She’d be back for the celebration later, though.
“Hey, hey, Makoto, let’s go see Fuuri!” Lucy cheered.
“Right, Fuu was lonely without you too!” Aya joined in.
I’d barely gotten through the door before the two accosted me.
“Sure, let’s go.”
The celebration Fujiyan was holding for me was tonight, so we had time. And I really did want to go say hi to Furiae. She’d been worried for me before I’d left for the past.
“Grab my hand,” Lucy said, holding out her right hand.
“’Kay?”
I wasn’t entirely sure what her plan was, but I did it. Sasa was doing the same on her other side.
“Right, Teleport.”
“Huh?”
My vision blurred and then went white. A moment later, I was looking at a beautiful city street.
“L-Lucy...that was incredible.”
She giggled. “I’ve gotten better, right?”
I was honestly blown away. While I was recovering from the shock, I looked around.
The buildings weren’t any that I’d seen in Highland before, and the people walking around were all wearing robes. Was this just an area with a lot of mages?
“Where are we?” I asked.
“Highland’s ninth district,” Lucy answered.
“The nin— Wait, we’re in the slums?”
It looked like night and day from the last time I’d seen it. It’d been an area full of criminals, the mafia, and cambions. The buildings had all been practically falling apart. I couldn’t even see anyone sleeping rough on the street.
“It’s great, right? It’s changed so much in just a year.”
“Fuu worked so hard to make it somewhere the cambions could live peacefully.”
“Whoa...”
I looked around, seeing the new face of the district. Furiae did this? Well, I guess she was a priestess...or now, a saint. I was still curious about one thing, though.
“Hey, Lucy. Why’s she here rather than Laphroaig?”
I’d thought she would’ve been focusing on reviving her own country.
“Um, well—” Lucy began, only to be cut off.
“It’s Lucy!”
“And Aya!”
“The Crimson Fangs are so cool!”
“Who’s that guy with them?”
“Maybe their bag carrier?”
“He doesn’t look like he’d be able to carry anything, though.”
Kids had started to crowd around us. And...I was getting insulted before even saying a word.
“Hey, don’t call my boyfriend a bag carrier,” Lucy complained.
“He’s my husband.”
The kids all looked shocked at that.
“I thought your guy was amazing?” one of them asked.
“People said he was super strong.”
“He barely has any mana.”
“How strong can he really be?”
None of them looked convinced.
“Hmph, Makoto, show them what you’re made of.”
“Takatsuki’s always using water magic. He’s really great!”
The two of them were talking me up, but...
“It’d be a pretty bad idea to use elemental magic in the street like this...” I said.
So, what should I do?
Suddenly, mana filled the air. “Is there a problem, my liege?” someone asked. It felt like the whole street was underwater—it was that hard to breathe.
The cambion kids’ mouths snapped closed, and the other people on the street turned to look this way. Even Lucy and Sasa lost their smiles.
One of the kids somehow managed to speak up. “M-Mister...who’s that?”
“She’s an Undyne.”
They all went wide-eyed in shock. Heh, cute.
Dia giggled. “I’ll do anything my liege asks. We could even engulf this whole town in water for a few minutes if you’d like? Do you understand how amazing he is now?”
Her tone was teasing, but the ridiculous amount of mana bearing down on the kids seemed to have made them forget how to breathe. Also, the things she was saying had made them go pale.
“Rein it in, Dia,” I told her.
“Of course, my liege.”
Her mana wicked away at my words. The kids finally seemed able to relax.
“Wow, mister.”
“Lucy and Aya’s boyfriend is something else.”
“Miss, why’s your skin blue?”
“How’d you make friends with an Undyne?!”
The end result was a deluge of questions. Still, I’d managed to keep Lucy’s and Sasa’s dignities.
“Hey...Makoto?”
“Taaakaaatsuuukiii?”
Hm? I felt a chill run down my back.
“What’s up?” I asked, turning to face them.
“Who’s that woman?” they asked in unison.
Huh? Hadn’t they already met Di— No, they hadn’t. “She’s an Undyne who helped me in the past, and—”
“You got another woman!” Lucy yelled.
“You idiot!”
“Th-That’s not it!”
“My liege, I do not mind waiting, but at least pay attention to me when I’m summoned,” Dia said, wrapping her arms around me. She either didn’t know or didn’t care that the mood had soured.
Hey, I didn’t summon you! You just turned up.
It took quite a while to explain it all to Lucy and Sasa.
We walked through the district for a while until we came to a big estate. This was apparently the embassy to Laphroaig, and Furiae was staying there.
“Oh! Lady Lucy, Lady Aya! Welcome,” the guard greeted, smiling as he saw them. They must know each other.
“Hi.”
“We came to see Fuu!”
“Go right on— Oh, who is this man?”
A look was enough for him to send Lucy and Sasa in, but it seemed the same didn’t hold true for a stranger like me.
“The State-Authorized Hero of Roses, Makoto,” Lucy explained.
“Fuu’s guardian knight, Takatsuki.”
“I-It’s you?!” the guard exclaimed, his expression changing immediately. “Please wait a few moments! I’ll get my superior!”
With that, he vanished inside.
There were two gate guards, and the other was looking at me with interest.
“What is it?” I asked, since it looked like he wanted to say something.
“I apologize! I...just never thought I’d meet the real you.”
The real me? It looked like he had an impression of me, then.
“You know who I am?” I asked.
I was pretty sure any information about me would’ve come from Lucy or Sasa, and so it would be way overblown.
“From Her Majesty, of course!”
My brain stopped for a second. The queen of Laphroaig... For a second, Nevia’s face came to mind, but that definitely wasn’t who he meant. This was the present. Laphroaig didn’t have royalty.
It wasn’t even a country, which meant...
“Aww, you found out.”
“We wanted to surprise you.”
Considering the way they were talking, there was only one explanation I could think of.
“Did Princess become the queen of Laphroaig?” I asked.
“Yup. Shocked?”
“Fuu’s the queen!”
“Whoa...”
It definitely was a surprise. Furiae was a queen... It kinda suited her.
“Can we meet a queen without an appointment, though? How am I supposed to greet her and...”
“What are you talking about? You’re part of her party.”
“Fuu doesn’t mind the little things.”
The two of them laughed off my worries.
Well, that at least made sense. The first thing I wanted to do was tell her I was back. Then I wanted to hear what had been going on straight from her mouth.
Several minutes later, a man wearing pretty expensive-looking clothes came out, flanked by a guard on either side.
There was no sign of Furiae.
“Apologies for the wait. I heard that Honorary Hero Makoto Takatsuki of Roses was visiting,” he said, his eyes and voice hard. There was no sign of friendliness to be seen.
“It’s been a while, Havel,” Lucy said. “How’s Fuuri?”
“Hey, Havel. Is Fuu in?”
The two must have known him, since they spoke with a lot of familiarity. Havel, though...I knew that name. I was pretty sure it was the name of one of Furiae’s friends in the country’s ruins. His clothes were so different that I hadn’t even recognized him.
“Lady Lucy, Lady Aya. It has been some time. I appreciate you making the effort to visit,” he said, voice softening as he spoke to them.
It didn’t look like he was acting—it seemed more like he really did respect the two of them. Unfortunately, that made how he was looking at me stick out all the more. When his eyes were directed at me...there was no warmth in them at all.
“Are you the Honorary Hero of Roses?” he asked. He acted like he didn’t know me, even though we’d met before.
Lucy and Sasa were both staring at him oddly, apparently surprised by how he was acting.
“Yes, I’m Makoto Takatsuki,” I replied.
“And your purpose here?”
“To see Pr—I mean Furiae.”
A crease carved itself into his brow as I spoke. “I would appreciate you refraining from referring to her in that way. What would the purpose of this meeting be?” he asked, his tone businesslike.
The purpose behind it? Well, that was hard to explain. Only a few people knew about the duty I’d been given. There was a chance he hadn’t heard about it from Furiae.
“I was actually on a dangerous mission from the gods and came to let her know I’d come back safely.”
That wasn’t wrong.
“Very well. I shall inform her of your safe return. If that is all, please leave.”
And that was the end of it. He didn’t seem inclined to let us meet.
“I did want to tell her personally,” I said after a pause.
“Lady Furiae is busy. She lacks the time.”
The conversation wasn’t going anywhere. Lucy and Sasa joined in with the explanation, and we kept trying for a while, but he wouldn’t let us in, and eventually, we had to leave.
“What’s with him?!” Lucy demanded a while later.
“He was acting weird, right?!”
“He’s usually trying to get on our good side!”
“We helped the country with that ancient dragon attack, and this is how he acts?!”
“He was crying and thanking me when I saved his friend from a chimera!”
“He’s got no manners!”
“Aya! We’re not helping him again!”
“Yup! I’m with you. If he asks, we’ll tell him no!”
The two of them were spitting mad. Which honestly meant that I wasn’t.
He—Havel—was apparently Queen Furiae’s aide. As high-ranking adventurers, Lucy and Sasa had been a lot of help in restoring Laphroaig, so he was usually overwhelmed by them.
Which made how he acted today all the weirder.
“Hmph. Well, whatever. On to the next plan, Makoto!”
“Right, we can go see Fuu whenever we like.”
They’d gotten everything out of their system, so they weren’t as angry now.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
Lucy’s and Sasa’s faces turned mischievous.
“We can just Teleport right into her room!” Lucy said smugly.
“You’re so cool, Lu!” Sasa cheered her on.
I had no words. Wasn’t there a problem with that?! Lucy was starting to think like her mother. Sasa was apparently not going to act as the voice of reason either—the two of them were getting excited.
Oh well. I guess...
It definitely looked like we’d be able to go see Furiae.
“Allllll riiight! Let’s go right now!”
“Hold up, hold up,” I said, hurriedly stopping her.
The kids questioning us, along with the discussion outside the embassy, had taken up a lot of time. The party Fujiyan had arranged was going to begin soon. I couldn’t be late when it was specifically for me.
The three of us headed back to his place.
Fujiyan had—through his company—bought out a whole hall to host a huge party for me tonight. The event was to celebrate my return, which meant I was showing off that I was safe to lots of people. However...
Th-There are more people than I expected... I’d anticipated a dozen people I knew—maybe thirty or so at the most. But there were over ten times that number here. There were literally hundreds of guests.
Princess Sophia and Fujiyan had used their connections to invite everyone in the capital—whatever country they hailed from. There was a reason for this, of course.
I’d asked Princess Sophia to reinstate me as a State-Authorized Hero, and the most efficient way to show everyone I was hale and hearty was a party like this. Since I was the one who’d asked to go back in time, I couldn’t complain.
Still, I was impressed they’d managed to get so many people here on such short notice.
I was sharing drinks with the who’s who of the world and getting questioned about our victories against Zagan and Bifrons. I needed to be careful and not mention anything from the past, but even my noncommittal responses were well received.
At this point, about two hours had passed since the start of the party.
So far, I hadn’t managed to speak to anyone I actually knew.
I wonder if I can sneak away for a break...
The polite smiles and tactful phrasing had exhausted me, so I used Stealth and sneaked off to a balcony, away from the center of the celebration.
I’d pretty much finished greeting everyone that Princess Sophia had invited. That was my job done...hopefully.
I was starving. The food was set up as a standing buffet, so you couldn’t really dive enthusiastically into a meal. Plus, the leftovers were apparently just getting thrown away. It felt like a waste.
A thousand years ago, this spread would have fed the entire population of Labyrinthos. My time in the past had taught me one thing—food was important.
All right, time to eat!
I was just about to head back in—with Stealth still active, of course, and pile my plate high, but suddenly, I was interrupted.
“Hi, Makoto.”
“You look wrecked, Takatsuki.”
“I feel it too,” I answered Lucy and Sasa. They must have spotted me. Stealth wasn’t going to do much against those two.
They were all dressed up and they looked really cute. Lucy was wearing a scarlet red dress that had a low neckline—it showed off her chest. Sasa was in an aquamarine gown with a slit up the slide. It was rather daring, despite the cute and floaty silhouette. There were a lot of beautiful women attending, but the two of them stood out above the rest.
Still...
They look so grown up. I thought, looking at their dress-clad bodies. They’d both gotten a little taller and their figures had developed. It was like going to a school reunion and finding out your classmates had grown from girls into beautiful women.
“What’s up, Makoto? You’ve got a weird look on your face.”
“D’you feel sick, Takatsuki? Let’s go rest somewhere.”
Both of them were looking at me with concern, so I told them the truth about what I was thinking.
“The two of you got gorgeous while I was away.”
They let out surprised noises as their jaws dropped.
“Wh-Where’d that come from?!”
“You turned into a womanizer!”
“No...I ain’t...” I protested. Their looks might have changed, but the way they react sure hasn’t.
“It made me really happy you said that, though,” Lucy said.
“Yup. Lu and I went and got our dresses together. That neckline’s shameless, though.”
“Where d’you think you’re touching? Look at how much leg you’re showing off.”
“Hey, don’t push it up! My panties’ll show!”
Those two were playing around again. Two girls being so touchy-feely with each other was definitely good for the soul.
Lucy and Sasa had matching bracelets sparkling on their wrists. They really are close, huh?
Lucy turned to me while I watched them cheerily.
“So how long were you adventuring in the past?” she asked.
“You look pretty much the same, so maybe half a year?” Sasa suggested.
“Oh, well, about that...” My appearance hadn’t changed as much as theirs had, that was for sure. I hadn’t explained about that, though. “I was there for three years.”
“What?!”
“Huuuuuh?!”
C’mon, you two. There’s no point in me using Stealth when you yell like that.
“W-W-Wait a minute!”
“Three years?! You mean you’re three years older than us now?!” Sasa demanded.
“Well, probably two, actually. A year’s passed here as well.”
I’d been there a long time after the fight against Iblis. It’d ended up taking two years to go around all five continents.
“Why do you still look the same?”
“Have you even aged...?”
They didn’t look grossed out, at least, but both were staring at me like I was some weird creature.
How should I explain...?
“It is an aftereffect of Goddess Ira’s miracle,” a young girl cut in. “When Sir Makoto was sent to the past, his apparent age was fixed.”
Despite her young looks, her voice was confident and carried well.
“Estelle?” I asked.
“Indeed. It is an honor to speak with you, Sir Makoto Takatsuki,” she greeted gracefully.
The cold looks and tone I’d usually seen and heard from her were nowhere to be seen. Instead, she was smiling adorably at me.
Then, her small hands took hold of mine.
“Uhm?”
“Ahh, this is wonderful. Lady Ira spoke of you almost every night. She talked of how incredible your exploits in the past were. I’ve wanted to speak with you for so long... Do you have plans tonight? If you come to my room, I can offer you the greatest hospitality from Cameron.”
“Hold it right there! No one said anything about that!”
“What do you mean, aftereffect?! Is Takatsuki going to be stuck like this forever? That’s not fair!”
Lucy and Sasa pulled Estelle away from me. It seemed they weren’t exactly focused on the same things, though.
Forget that, though... Why’s Estelle acting like this? Well, I suppose every other time I’ve seen her, Ira’s been in control, so this is the first time we’ve actually met.
“Oh? Well, I shall yield tonight to the two of you. Perhaps another night, Sir Makoto.”
“I don’t care what night it is!”
“That’s right! Not even you can get away with that!”
Estelle shrugged. “You both know I won’t give up, don’t you?”
I couldn’t get a word in edgewise, so I just spaced out.
“Yo! Takatsuki! Good to see you again!” someone cheered. They clapped me on the shoulder.
“Huh?”
I turned and saw a Japanese face framed by bright blonde hair. Her features were beautiful, and her eyes were alight with life.
She’s...a gyaru! Wh-What’s a gyaru doing in this world? Hang on, forget about that!
Introverts and gyarus were like night and day. I needed to run away.
“Takatsuki...?” the girl asked, looking confusedly at me as I backed away.
Now that I looked closer, she seemed familiar.
“Wait, Keiko Kawakita?”
This was one of my classmates from our old world. She was Sasa’s best friend and had ended up as a slave in Great Keith before Fujiyan had helped her out. She’d been dark-haired the last time I’d seen her, but it seemed she’d gone blonde again.
On that note, apparently they had hair dye in this world. I hadn’t known that.
“Wha... You forgot me...?” She looked completely shocked.
Crap. What do I even say?
“Oh, my esteemed Tackie,” Fujiyan interjected. “Is this where you were?”
“Good evening, Mr Takatsuki’h.”
He’d come by with his wife.
“Michio!” Kawakita wailed. “Takatsuki forgot me! Isn’t that awful?!” As she played up the crocodile tears, she hugged him.
Whaaaaat?! Um, Kawakita?! You may be friends, but his wife’s right there!
The wife in question, though, looked completely unbothered.
“It was probably your hair, no’h? He probably just didn’t recognize you because it’s blonde’h.”
“It can’t be! I had blonde hair at school. That’s why I thought he’d notice.”
“Well, the dark hair definitely suits you better, at least in my opinion’h.”
“Hmm, well if you say so, maybe I’ll go back.”
The two of them were having a cheery conversation...but Kawakita was still holding on to Fujiyan.
Wh-What’s going on...?
“You seem confused, so allow me to explain,” Fujiyan said apologetically. “Lady Kei and I have actually gotten married...”
“Married?!”
Fujiyan and Kawakita were married?
It’d only been a year, so that was pretty sudden. Actually, she’d pretty clearly been after him in Great Keith. They were married, though...
Nina had been his partner from the start. Was she okay with this? Nina must have noticed my glance because she came closer.
“You don’t need to worry’h. Our husband is the greatest merchant in Roses. Two wives would not be enough. This is just adding another successor’h. Chris is at home with the kids, so she couldn’t come’h. She wanted me to let you know’h.”
My brain ground to a halt at that.
Successors? Kids? Fujiyan had kids?
It’s pretty normal in this world. Not having anyone in line to inherit his empire would be a bigger problem, considering its size, Ira chided.
I reeled in shock.
R-Right. This was normal, then?
You could get going on that as well.
Don’t be ridiculous... Everyone’s changed a whole bunch while I was gone.
“Takatsuki!” a voice pulled me back to earth. “This is where you were. We were looking for you.”
“Sorry we’re late.”
A happy couple pulled me away from my spacing out. They had the crest of the Soleil Knights sewn into their clothes—Sakurai and Yokoyama.
“Oh, you came,” I managed to reply.
“You seem down,” Sakurai commented. “What happened?”
“Fujiyan showed me how much more of a man he is...”
“Fujiwara did?”
“Yeah. I haven’t managed anything in comparison.”
“You saved the world!” Sakurai protested. “What are you talking about?!”
Oh right... Sakurai had kids too, didn’t he? Why was I the only virgin...?
Uh, well...you could change that whenever you like. If you wish, I could guide you to freedom from that tonight? Who will you have first? Sophia? Maybe Lucy or Aya?
Ira was going crazy.
Will you accept the goddess’s guidance to—
I didn’t even let the selection show up before I turned it down. I could do that on my own.
Reeeaaally?
Don’t make fun of me. I’m a man. I can do it when it counts! Probably...
“Oh, Saki, Keiko!” Sasa interrupted the stupid conversation. She’d spotted her friends and dragged them into some girl talk.
I wondered where Lucy was, but soon saw her chatting happily with Florna, who’d joined Estelle. Right, Florna was Lucy’s sister-in-law, wasn’t she? I’d caught sight of the Priestess of Fire earlier as well, so they were all here. I hadn’t seen the Priestess of the Sun, though.
“Oh, is Princess Noelle not here tonight, Sakurai?” I asked casually.
His eyes widened. Had I said something weird?
Fujiyan read my mind and jumped in to help.
“We had yet to tell you, but Lady Noelle has become the queen of Highland.”
“The queen?!”
“She’s Queen Noelle now.”
She’s already taken the throne? The king had still been going strong the last time we’d met.
“The previous king abdicated in response to the country’s recent defeat... Oh, pardon me, Sir Sakurai.”
“It’s fine, Fujiwara. Maybe we wouldn’t have lost if I had been stronger.”
“No, it was a problem of strategy. Astaroth was stronger than we imagined.”
“Him...”
That was the demon lord that’d seemed completely fine while I was using Ira’s anima to cast divine magic.
“Did you get hurt?” I asked Sakurai in concern. He looked fine, but then again, Highland had plenty of skilled healers.
“There were no problems,” Fujiyan assured. “Sir Sakurai was able to defeat the demon lord Forneus alone.”
“You defeated a demon lord on your own?!”
No way. Did they realize how hard it’d been to defeat Bifrons back in the past when he was in his prime? Sakurai’s Hero of Light skills were definitely way stronger than Anna’s.
“I thought Forneus usually stayed underwater? I heard that this made him the hardest to defeat.” I hadn’t actually come across him in the past. Peace had been achieved without fighting him.
“Yeah, everyone thought that Forneus would never show himself...and then one day, his army struck Laphroaig.”
“Saint Furiae—or Queen Furiae, now—foresaw it, and we were able to defeat Forneus!”
“Huh...”
That made sense. I really wanted to hear about that from her directly. Naturally, though, Furiae wasn’t at the party.
“I wonder when I’ll get to see Furiae,” I muttered without meaning to.
“She’s missed you,” Sakurai said.
“Indeed.” Fujiyan nodded. “She asked after you each time I was selling goods in Laphroaig.”
The two of them had gotten the chance to meet her recently.
I’d missed her too.
It seems pretty unlikely that Nevia reincarnated into her. After all, Furiae was helping to defeat the demon lords. Nevia would never have done that.
The three of us chatted for a while longer before others from the Soleil Knights grouped up around us.
“Sir Takatsuki! Are you recovered now?”
“It will be an honor to be able to fight alongside you again.”
They weren’t the only ones who spotted us—some of my classmates that I didn’t know so well had joined the group.
“Hey, Takatsuki. All healed up?”
“What’s going on with you and Aya? Tell us!”
“Brother!” my friend Peter from the mafia yelled. He pulled me into a painfully tight hug. “I’ve missed yoouuu!”
Fujiyan invited the mafia?
For a while, I was bombarded by people I knew. Eventually, all of them moved on.
Lucy and Sasa both noticed how tired I was getting—they flanked me.
“Makoto? The party’ll go on all night. Are you heading back?”
“Takatsuki, you look tired. How about us three slip out?”
I was supposed to be the guest of honor. I couldn’t leave early.
“Don’t worry, Hero Makoto,” Princess Sophia told me. “You must be tired, so you should rest.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“Yes, it will be fine.”
Everyone that was left partying was apparently going to want to make connections or talk business. Yeah, they’re not going to need me.
I took the girls up on their offer and headed for the hotel—Fujiyan had made a reservation for me.
It’s been a long day...
And yet, I’d only just gotten back from the past.
I was glad everyone was doing well, though. I hadn’t managed to see Furiae personally yet, but judging by what everyone had said, she was working hard.
Sakurai’s OP strength was still just as OP, so he should be pretty helpful against Iblis. We were quite mighty in this era as well. There were strong fighters from every country, starting with Momo. We had the adventurers from the guild as well.
That reminded me—Sasa had hit the highest adventuring rank, hadn’t she? Lucy was a saint-rank mage as well. On top of all of that, Lucy’s mother, Rosalie, the hero of Springrogue, would probably help.
Meanwhile, on the enemy side, the only demon lord left—other than Iblis—was Astaroth.
Ga ha ha! We’ve won. I won’t even need to do anything this time! I thought, collapsing onto the bed.
I’d had so much to drink. It wasn’t long before I passed out.
◇
Right after I fell asleep, I found myself in a completely white area.
It was a dream that wasn’t a dream. This was the divine realm, enveloped in soft light.
How long had it been since I’d come here? It had me feeling all nostalgic.
“Makoto, you’re back.”
My body shook. Her voice was like music in my ears. I could smell something floral.
The divine feeling I got here was the same as when we’d first met. I felt even dizzier than I had back then. Goose bumps rose on my skin, and I couldn’t muster up a single word. Even using Calm Mind, my heart was pounding.
“I’ve fulfilled my duty and returned, Noah.”
Before I knew it, I’d dropped to one knee and lowered my head.
I was back.
Back in front of Noah, finally.
As my chest warmed in joy, I heard an odd clink.
I looked up to see Noah.
Uh?
She wore rings with massive gems on the fingers of both hands, several necklaces around her neck, and lots of gems attached to her clothes. It was like looking at a Christmas tree.
This was odd—she had made herself even more beautiful than before, but the lack of taste in everything she was wearing made it more disappointing than anything.
“Huh? My believers offered it all to me...does it look weird?” she asked, scratching at her cheek. She looked kinda awkward.
It made sense, though. Having more believers meant she got a whole bunch of offerings.
“N-No...” I said, swallowing an agreement.
I used Calm Mind to make sure it didn’t show on my face as I sighed mentally. This was like becoming one of the nouveau riche...except for goddesses.
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