Chapter 141 Neighbors
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
(Hiroya’s POV)
Before the sun was fully up, I woke up and quietly got out of bed.
(I haven’t been able to train before dawn lately.)
I put on some comfy clothes, threw on a coat, and grabbed my Bokken sword before leaving my room. I went down the stairs and stepped into the backyard.
(Oh, it’s snowing…)
It wasn’t a heavy snow, though. For now, I decided to warm up and loosen up by running around the house.
After warming up, I started practicing my swings.
(997… 998… 999… 1000!)
Next, I moved on to mental training. I imagined Otto transformed into a Demonkin (Majin).
I closed my eyes and remembered his movements. I dodged his long sword by stepping to the side and then took a half step forward to strike at his body. Since ‘Physical Boost’ doesn’t work, it’s all about my speed.
His movements are simple. Even though he’s faster and stronger as a Demonkin (Majin), I can read his moves and dodge with minimal effort.
(But then, after that…)
I don’t have enough speed to attack right after dodging. With my current speed compared to his, I either get dodged or he attacks again right after I dodge.
Even if I barely avoid his first attack, I still can’t land a hit.
Plus, trying to attack first against someone faster is a bad idea.
(I can’t imagine winning like this.)
I need to be faster, even without ‘Physical Boost.’
”Mr. Hiroya?”
I heard a voice from beyond the fence in the backyard. Squinting in the dim light, I saw…
”Ms… Gisela?”
In the falling snow, Ms. Gisela was there in a thin sleeveless dress.
She was steaming all over, looking like she had just finished a workout, and walked closer to the fence.
”You’re really working hard. And your sword speed is amazing.”
She smiled while breathing heavily.
I started walking toward the fence too, but Ms. Gisela’s sweaty appearance, with her skin flushed and her wet dress showing her body shape and underwear slightly, made me turn away.
”Uh… sorry…”
I turned my back to avoid looking.
”?”
”It seems like you were working hard too, Ms. Gisela… um, the sweat…”
”Huh? Oh! I’m so sorry! Can you wait a moment?”
I heard her footsteps hurriedly leaving, sounding a bit flustered.
(…Since we didn’t do anything last night… seeing her like that…)
”I’m sorry… I got too caught up in training… um…”
Ms. Gisela came back wearing her coat.
”By the way… I didn’t expect you to be my neighbor.”
Feeling relieved by her outfit, I brushed the snow off a stump near the fence and sat down.
”I thought a big mansion was being built, but it turns out it’s Mr. Hiroya’s house.”
”Well, it’s not just my house… it’s kind of everyone’s house.”
”Everyone… you mean Ms. Liz, Ms. Dorothy, and Ms. Martina? And Ms. Aluda is… the blacksmith next to the barracks?”
Ms. Gisela also brought a chair from the garden, brushed off the snow, and sat down.
”Yeah. Plus, my childhood friends Kazumi and Rena, who’s a magician. And the maids Ms. Hanna, Suu, Noo, and Uu. It’s a big group.”
”Ten people… that’s definitely a big group. Are they all… women?”
Ms. Gisela narrowed her eyes a bit, looking at me like she was judging.
”There’s… just me… the only guy.”
”I see. Well, I have something I want to ask you… is that okay?”
”What… is it?”
Ms. Gisela straightened up and looked me in the eye.
”That night when you helped me… I saw Ms. Liz and… Mr. Hiroya’s… um… that thing…”
”Wait… you mean…”
”To my eyes, it looked like… r*pe…”
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, but it felt different from after training.
”When I hear stories about this village, I’ve heard that Ms. Liz is the girlfriend of Mr. Hiroya. And I also heard that Ms. Kazumi, who is a childhood friend, is your fiancée. So, is Mr. Hiroya just a guy who can’t be faithful to women?”
”Yeah… it kind of looks that way…”
I scratch my head.
”I see. I have to protect Karin, who doesn’t really understand these things…”
Gisela glares at me with a serious look.
”Wait, I think there’s a misunderstanding… or maybe it’s not a misunderstanding…”
I face Gisela seriously.
”But what Gisela saw wasn’t… um… r*pe. Liz wanted to play like that… but…”
I don’t think she’ll understand, but I have to be honest with Gisela.
”But I really love Kazumi, Liz, Dorothy, Martina, and Rena. They all love me too. The honest way I treat them has led to our current relationship. It might look unfaithful to others, but…”
”That’s just nonsense. To me, Mr. Hiroya looks unfaithful.”
”Yeah, I guess so…”
”Still, I asked you for sword training. I think you’re unfaithful to women, but Mr. Hiroya is a real swordsman, and I admire you. Since we’re neighbors, I really want to ask ypu for sword training.”
Gisela looks serious but bows her head.
”Okay. I understand.”
”Thank you. So, I hope we can talk again tomorrow.”
I stand up from the chair, bow my head again, and head back inside the house.
(She probably think of me like a beast that eats women is living next door…)
I go inside and shake the snow off my coat.
(I can’t ask her to trust me… but I want to clear up the misunderstandings…)
But maybe it’s not entirely a misunderstanding.
* * *
(Gisela’s POV)
(Just as I thought…)
A guy who has all the women at the party. Even though he’s supposed to be a young kid, he has this strong, manly vibe. Even I, who have given up on women, feel something stirring inside me from that smell.
(This is dangerous…)
Getting sword training from him is really tempting. He has the skills to back it up.
(That’s why I have to control myself even more than usual.)
I prepare a tub of hot water and wipe my sweaty body. I really like the hot springs this village is proud of, but it’s still too early to go in.
(And…)
I wonder what the women around Mr. Hiroya think about their relationship with him.
(They’re probably feeling sad and hurt.)
In the country where I was with Karin, polygamy existed too. My mom was the third wife. And she was always crying.
(Men can be so selfish…)
There’s still time until dawn. I decide to go back to my bedroom and get some more sleep.
* * *
(Hiroya’s POV)
”Hey… Hiroya… were you in the bathroom?”
After lightly washing off in the bath, I quietly slip between Rena and Kazumi in the bedroom, but I accidentally wake Kazumi up.
”Sorry… I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Kazumi shakes her head on the pillow and buries her face in my chest.
”Um… hey.”
”Hm? What’s up?”
”Am I making you sad, Kazumi? Am I making you go through tough times?”
Before I can finish my sentence, Kazumi’s soft, warm lips cover mine.
”Mmm… what’s wrong?”
”No… I just think what I’m doing looks really unfaithful to others.”
Kazumi holds my head against her chest.
”That’s not true… I think it’s wonderful that you love everyone, Hiroya. I’m so happy, and Liz, Martina, Dorothy, and Rena all look really happy too.”
Her arms tighten around me.
”I love that you make everyone happy, Hiroya.”
”I wonder if I should have just loved Kazumi. I think about it sometimes. Of course, I love everyone, but… maybe I’m just a selfish guy who didn’t choose one from all the love I have.”
Kazumi gently strokes my head.
”Liz being with Otto and becoming his girl was okay? Even though she loves Hiroya, do you think Dorothy, who became Otto’s s*x sl*ve with a crotch tattoo, is happy?”
I shook my head hard, imagining Kazumi’s words.
”Right? Hiroya avoided a future that could have happened, where those girls might have faced a sad fate. He saved them from that.”
I ended up soaking Kazumi’s shirt with my tears.
”Even when I’m with you, thinking about you… you only love me and don’t even notice me. Is it okay to make me feel this sad?”
”I don’t want to… I absolutely don’t want to make everyone sad.”
”Then Hiroya isn’t wrong. He’s not being dishonest. He just faced the ‘girl who loves you’ honestly…”
I held back my voice and kept crying on Kazumi’s chest.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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