Chapter 35: Of Confessions and Conspiracies

People had different personalities and values. So, while the three heroines’ reactions were similar, they were also unique.

Aria’s was a vehement denial.

“N-no, that’s not true…?” she stammered, her usual gentle demeanor replaced by flustered panic.

Where was her calm composure and soft-spoken nature? She was desperately trying to refute Rui’s statement.

“That’s not it at all…! I would never like Aswell…!” she insisted, her eyes darting around nervously, the water bottle in her hand trembling.

‘Is she really denying it?’ Rui wondered.

…She couldn’t even pretend to believe that.

Aria’s entire body screamed, “I like Aswell!”

‘But I can’t just interrogate her until she confesses,’ Rui thought.

Even if Aria, overwhelmed by embarrassment, decided to leave the party (which was unlikely), it was best to maintain amicable relations. They would be traveling together for a long time.

‘I’ll have to guide her subtly,’ Rui decided.

“Ah, I see. Well, then…” Rui said, feigning understanding.

“Yes, yes. That’s right. How could I possibly like Aswell…?” Aria rambled.

“Then I suppose I don’t need to help you,” Rui said casually.

“…Help me? What do you mean…?” Aria asked, her voice trailing off.

“Well, it seems Raphilia and Serin are both interested in Aswell,” Rui revealed.

“!!” Aria gasped dramatically, though Rui wasn’t sure why. Was she surprised that Rui knew, or simply surprised by the information itself?

“So I helped them… you know… nudge things along. Make Aswell aware of their feelings,” Rui explained.

“W-when?” Aria asked.

“When I repaired your breastplate, and right before the fortress incident. It seems to have worked out well for them,” Rui said vaguely.

Aria’s face fell. Rui had a reason for sharing this seemingly hurtful information.

‘Aria is the only one who can mediate between the heroines.’

The dynamic between Aria, Serin, and Raphilia wasn’t a problem. But the future heroines would inevitably clash with Serin and Raphilia. Rui needed to establish Aria as the mediator early on.

In the original story, Aria had been the peacemaker, keeping the hero’s ever-growing harem in order. That’s how she earned the title of “true wife.”

If Rui revealed her involvement in Serin and Raphilia’s advances, even if they accepted it, they wouldn’t necessarily accept Aria as the mediator.

Aria was their only hope.

“Ugh…” Aria whimpered.

‘This is painful,’ Rui thought, wincing sympathetically.

But she had to endure this. For the sake of the future hero’s harem party, filled with the world’s strongest women, she had to ensure they didn’t fall apart.

“Th-then… please help them… I’ll… I’ll cheer them on from the sidelines…” Aria mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.

Oh no.

This was bad.

Aria wasn’t threatening to leave the party; she was threatening to withdraw from the harem.

“Wait, Aria, that’s not what I meant,” Rui said quickly, trying to backpedal.

“Yes…?” Aria sniffled.

“Calm down. Take a deep breath… in… out…” Rui instructed, though she was the one who needed to calm down.

Aria was about to drop a bombshell. Withdrawing from the harem and cheering from the sidelines?

This was a bigger problem than fifty fortresses.

‘How did a small hero’s party defeat the Demon King and his army in the first place?’ Rui wondered.

Through the power of love, of course! Overcoming impossible odds with the support of their loved ones. If Aria’s feelings for Aswell faded, the party could be wiped out.

“Aria, come with me,” Rui said, leading her away from the others, who were still discussing their travel plans.

Rui quietly explained the current dynamics within the hero’s party.

“I did help Raphilia and Serin, but… it’s not as serious as you think,” Rui reassured her.

“I-I wasn’t thinking anything lewd!” Aria exclaimed, her face flushing crimson.

“Of course not,” Rui said smoothly.

“R-really!”

No one had said anything.

“They’re just… more aware of each other’s feelings. They haven’t even held hands. So you’re not behind at all,” Rui explained.

It was true. Rui’s intervention had only given them a slight nudge in the right direction. They were essentially at the same starting line.

“I see…” Aria said, her expression brightening slightly.

“Yes, so don’t worry…” Rui began.

“But… what about you, Rui?” Aria interrupted.

“Me?”

Two memories surfaced.

Her conversations with Raphilia and Serin.

And now, this.

“I don’t like Aswell,” Rui said simply.

The same answer as always.

Thump.

‘Is this still the mana exhaustion…?’ she wondered, her heart racing again.

It was lasting a surprisingly long time. But considering the scale of the previous mana drain, it wasn’t entirely unexpected.

Aria’s eyes widened in surprise.

“…Why?” she asked.

“Because I don’t,” Rui replied.

“Oh, um, that’s… good…” Aria murmured.

Why was that good?

“To be honest… I… I like Aswell…” Aria confessed, covering her face with her hands.

Compared to the other heroines, Aria, raised in the more conservative environment of the Church, seemed especially embarrassed by such confessions.

“But I was going to give up…” she continued.

“Why?” Rui asked.

“Because… you, Serin, and Raphilia are all so amazing… I thought someone like me wouldn’t even catch his eye…”

“…,” Rui decided to ignore the fact that she was included in that list. But Aria’s self-deprecating assessment was unacceptable.

Rui stared pointedly at Aria’s ample bosom.

‘And you think he wouldn’t notice that?’ Rui thought incredulously.

Preposterous.

While Serin and Raphilia were well-endowed, Aria was in a league of her own. Where mages had mana circles, clerics had “vessels” to contain their holy power.

Aria’s vessel was overflowing with divine grace. If the Church’s deity wasn’t a goddess, they would have chosen Aria as the Saintess solely based on her bust size.

And from a purely male perspective (thanks to her past life memories), bigger was always better. While there were exceptions, Aria’s bust was definitely not something to be overlooked.

“Aria,” Rui began.

“Yes…?”

“I have one more question. Answer honestly.”

“Okay.”

“Do you want to be with Aswell?”

“Eek!” Aria squeaked, her face turning even redder.

Why was she so hesitant?

‘The Church allows marriage, right?’

In fact, they actively encouraged it. Their goddess governed love and marriage. And Aswell wasn’t just any man; he was the hero. The Church would be ecstatic.

‘It must be her personality,’ Rui concluded.

She had always been somewhat timid in the original story. Rui could help with that.

“…Yes,” Aria finally whispered.

Her earlier declaration of withdrawing from the harem had been a momentary lapse in judgment.

“Then I’ll help you,” Rui declared.

Since she was starting later than the other two, she could aim higher.

Holding hands, perhaps?

Rui suddenly remembered holding Aswell’s hand on Tempest, to demonstrate her mana control.

‘…That doesn’t count.’

It had been for demonstration purposes; it didn’t count as a romantic gesture. Besides, she wasn’t a heroine, so it didn’t matter anyway.

“Really…?” Aria asked hopefully.

“Yes. You’ve helped me a lot,” Rui confirmed.

“I-I’ll do my best!” Aria declared, her spirits renewed.

She was determined to win Aswell’s heart. Rui admired her resolve.

“So, Aria, do you want to achieve this quickly, or would you prefer a slower, more certain approach?” Rui asked.

“What’s the difference?”

“There’s a big difference.”

Depending on her choice, they would proceed before or after encountering the witch heroine.

The former offered a faster route to capturing Aswell’s attention, but risked being overshadowed by the witch heroine’s charm.

The latter would put her slightly behind Serin and Raphilia, but allowed her to solidify her position after the witch heroine appeared, effectively outshining her.

“I prefer a steady approach,” Aria decided.

“Then we’ll do that. For now… just act normal,” Rui instructed.

As with Raphilia and Serin, being too obvious could backfire. Aria was the embodiment of naturalness and purity. Her approach had to reflect that.

“…Thank you, Rui,” Aria said gratefully.

“You’re welcome,” Rui replied.

“If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know!” Aria offered.

She would have helped regardless, but her willingness to offer assistance was important. Rui was satisfied.

“Rui! Aria!” Aswell called out to them.

“Coming, Aswell! Ah!” Aria squeaked.

“…? What’s wrong?” Aswell asked, concerned.

“N-nothing! What is it, Aswell?” Aria asked quickly, avoiding his gaze. She was clearly flustered after their earlier conversation.

Rui chuckled and turned to face Aswell. His dark blue eyes met hers.

Thump.

“…,” Rui quickly averted her gaze.

“What? Why is everyone avoiding my eyes…? Did I do something wrong…?” Aswell asked, confused.

Something was in Rui’s eye. Yes, that was it.