“H-Huh?!” I opened my door to see Yumina, standing there in her casual clothing.
This is super awkward... But why? I didn’t do anything wrong. Is this how husbands feel when their wives find out that they’re cheating? Wait, we haven’t even gotten married yet, so it clearly wasn’t cheating or anything! Yumina walked into the room and sat on the sofa in the middle. I nonchalantly sat in front of her, but I was unable to look her in the eye. I was unsure if what I was feeling was guilt.
Staaare...
Staaaare...
Staaaaare...
Staaaaaare...
Guh... She’s giving me the old heterochromic glare. Why is the air so heavy...?
“Touya.”
“Y-Yes?”
“I am quite mad, you know?”
How am I supposed to react to that...? We happen to be engaged, so it should be obvious that you wouldn’t enjoy seeing another girl profess her love to me.
I did find it somewhat adorable how she furrowed her brow and pouted, but it did absolutely nothing to remove the weight from the situation.
“Even I didn’t get a kiss yet, and now two girls got theirs before me?!”
“Wait, that’s the problem here?!” Well, that’s all well and good, but I wasn’t the one who kissed them in the first place! They kissed me! I don’t care if that sounds like a cheap excuse, just understand that already!
“You’re not mad about Linze confessing her love to me?”
“Why would I be? Anyone with working eyes can see that Linze loves you, Touya.”
Well shit. Guess my eyes are on the fritz. That made me feel a little disappointed in myself.
“This is a good opportunity, so let me tell you this. I don’t care how many mistresses you have. It can be ten or even twenty, and I won’t mind as long as you don’t make them unhappy. That’s just something natural for men, and I don’t mind at all.” Seriously? I know that polygamy isn’t uncommon in this world, but those kinds of numbers sound a little unreasonable. It’s a little scary, actually!
“However! HOWEVER! You can’t be so careless as to get kissed when you still haven’t even kissed your first wife! You have too many openings! Be more defensive! No, become impregnable!”
“Well, but—”
“No buts!”
“Okay...” A large part of me thought that she was mad about the wrong thing, but apparently, it was pretty damn important to her.
“So, you’re saying that you wouldn’t have any problems with this happening if I kissed you beforehand?”
“Well, I admit I would be a bit jealous, but I wouldn’t be against it. So long as you properly treasure me, anyway.”
Is the person talking to me really twelve? Kind of feels like her views on things are a bit too objective, right? Does she really love me as much as she claims...?
“...You just thought something rude, didn’t you?”
“Uhhh...” Why am I surrounded by such perceptive girls? Yumina got up off the sofa, walked around the table with determination in her step, and sat right next to me.
“Touya. I am prepared to take you as my husband and live my whole life as your wife. That is because I love you. Because I love you just as much as, if not more than, Linze does. I don’t want you to doubt that.”
“...Sorry.” My apology couldn’t have been more sincere. Being so doubtful of her feelings was the height of discourtesy. I was at fault for not having been clear enough to her.
“...I really am sorry.”
“...I’ll forgive you if you hug and kiss me.”
Whoa! Talk about a difficulty spike! The situation’s tough enough already, isn’t it?! Then again, it really doesn’t seem like she’ll back down until she gets what she wants. I fearfully reached for her shoulders and pulled her small frame closer. I pulled her into a tight embrace, the top of her head resting under my chin. The softness of her body and the feminine smell of her hair made my heart stir wildly.
Alright. Okay. I have no choice but to admit how I felt about her. Yumina slightly backed away from me, then slowly closed her eyes and tilted her face upward. That’s a clear sign that there’s no going back now! Even I’m aware of that! I steeled myself and kissed Yumina on her small, soft lips. It wasn’t much more than a light, gentle touch.
I quickly reeled backward, pulling my face away from hers. She gave me a bright smile and tightly wrapped her arms around me.
“Eheheh. You kissed me! That makes me the first one you kissed, right?!”
“Er, well... Yeah. Guess that’s true...” I was already kissed twice, but this was the first time I had done the kissing. Wait, was that her goal all along?! A part of me began to believe that everything that had just happened was all a part of her master plan, but the thought was kind of scary, so I chose not to dwell on it.
That aside, what would society think about a boy who’s sixteen kissing a girl who’s twelve...? I had no idea how it was in this world, but in the previous one, it would basically be a first year high schooler kissing a sixth year elementary schooler... And that seemed like a huge crime. Which was a little strange. I mean, considering that there was only a four year difference between us, it wasn’t so bad...
“What do you think of Linze, Touya?”
“Well, I... I think she’s cute and, honestly, I was kind of happy when she confessed her love to me. But I can’t even decide how I feel about you, and now I have to think about Linze, as well, which is really nerve-racking. And yeah, I know that makes me sound pathetic.”
“And if you had to say whether you liked or disliked her?”
“Well, obviously I like her. There’s no doubt about that. She’s dear to me.”
Yumina smiled, still wrapped up in my arms. What? What’s with that sly smirk on her face...?
“Did you hear that, Linze?”
“What?!” Yumina spoke toward one of the room’s corners. I looked over there, and a moment later, Linze appeared out of nowhere, her cheeks red as beets. Wait, what?!
“We asked Leen to cast that spell on her. Without it, there’s no way Linze would’ve come here.”
Wait, she was using [Invisibility]?! She was in the room the whole time? That means she heard everything I said and... Damn it, how embarrassing!
“It’s your fault, you know? You just shut yourself in your room without saying anything. Linze was actually crying because she thought you hated her. Elze was about to come over and punch your teeth in.”
“Ahh... I’m thankful she didn’t...”
Geez, I was so overwhelmed by my own feelings that I didn’t consider anyone else. I’m totally hopeless...
“U-Uhm, I-I’m sorry about what I did. When I saw Cesca kiss you, I just didn’t want to lose to her... And it happened before I realized it... I didn’t even consider your feelings... I’m so sorry...” I closed in on Linze and took her hand in mine. She was trembling, tears running down her cheek.
“Ah...”
“As I’m sure you just heard, I don’t hate you. I think you’re cute and yeah, I do like you. I’m not sure how I should go about this, but I do know that I treasure you.”
“Touya...” Linze faintly smiled. Yep. A smile fits her face better than any tears could. And I’m the one who caused those tears. Elze could knock my teeth out and it’d be justified.
“With both of your feelings settled... how about it? Will you take Linze as your second wife?”
“E-Excuse me?” Yumina nonchalantly said something unbelievable. Another wife? Linze? I looked at the girl and saw her fidgeting. Her face was still red as a tomato.
“It’s fairly standard for royalty, nobility, and wealthy merchants to take second or third wives. The only issue is your dependability as a man. If you are able to properly care for us, no one will complain. I’m sure you’re okay with that, right, Linze?”
“I-I want to be your w-wife, Touya.”
Seriously...? Well, that makes me happy, sure, but there’s a lot of other aspects to consider here.
“...D-Do you not want me?” Linze looked as if she was about to cry.
Crap, I can’t let that smile disappear. Making her sad again just isn’t an option. Alright! Whatever! Come what may!
“You’re fine with being my second wife? Are you sure about that?”
“...I-I think I can get along with Yumina. If we can both find bliss while loving the same person, nothing would make me happier.”
“...Alright, then. If you’re really both fine with it... I’ll accept the both of you.” Suddenly, Linze smiled brightly and hugged me tight. With her usually being so docile, that action temporarily confused me. Yumina stood up and jumped at me, too. Th-This is seriously embarrassing!
“So, from now on, Linze is just like me — a fiancee!” Yumina looked really happy. Linze’s face was still kind of red, but from the way she nodded, it was clear that she was happy, too.
It was already quite late, so I told them to go back to their rooms. They responded by asking me for a goodnight kiss. I didn’t yet have the guts to kiss them on the lips, so I somehow got them to compromise, strange as it may sound, with a kiss on the forehead. Yumina was happy, while Linze was embarrassed.
After they left my room, I heaved a long sigh. Way too many things happened today. I need to get my feelings in order. As always, I lay down on my bed.
So, how am I supposed to deal with this...? I have the money to take care of both of them, I have a proper house for them to live in. Do I even have any actual problems? Oh, right, I’ll have to pay a visit to Linze’s parents... All that matters now is my resolve. I have to be prepared to live the rest of my life with them. I have to think ahead about this... After all I... want them to be happy.
I slowly fell asleep, with many thoughts gently bouncing through my mind.
THUD!
The door to my room crashed open, startling me awake. Huh, who what where why?! Is it morning? The room’s bright... I looked around, half-asleep, to see a person standing by my bed. It was a girl. She loomed over me, the morning light shining down on her.
“We gotta talk. Now.” It was the elder twin sister of the girl that had become my second fiancee just a day before. The morning light made the gauntlets on her hip shimmer slightly.
Well, this isn’t ominous. Could trouble avoid coming so early in the morning? Just once, please?
◇ ◇ ◇
Elze took me to the third training ground of the royal army. Elze and General Leon often used this place to spar, and Elze, despite being an outsider, was able to come and go here as she pleased. We had no trouble getting in thanks to that.
It was still early, so nobody was training. Besides the odd bird’s chirps, the place was enveloped in absolute silence. Elze led me to the training grounds, and I saw that we weren’t alone.
“Yae? What are you doing here?”
“...Touya-dono. I have been waiting for you, I have.” Yae sat in the middle of the training field. Her blade was in front of her and her posture made it seem as though she had been meditating for some reason. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, grasped her blade, and stood up. She seemed slightly different to her usual self.
“You’re taking Linze as your wife, right?”
“Ah... Yes, indeed, that happens to be the case...” I turned around to see Elze staring at me.
There’s that glare again... Just how many times and from how many girls have I received this glare in the last day or so? Then again, it’s a matter concerning her little sister, so it’s not surprising she’s so serious.
“So that makes you my brother-in-law, then?”
“Aha... Yes... I hope we get along well, indeed...” I hadn’t really thought about it, but she was right. Elze as a sister-in-law... Something is just plain off about that.
“What do you think of Linze, then? Do you really like her?”
“...To be completely honest, I’m still unsure about that. I don’t think I can say that I love her, but the same goes for Yumina, too. Still, I definitely like her as a person, and she’s very important to me.”
“And did she agree with that?”
“She did.” Elze let out a sigh.
Is she disappointed? Shocked? At a loss for words? I can’t tell... Elze briskly scratched her head and repeatedly, but lightly, kicked the ground with her toes, clearly irritated. Whoa, she’s scaring me!
“That girl always had this side to her... Despite being such a scaredy-cat most of the time, she’s always been the type to be bold where it counts. She’s the complete opposite of me when it comes to that...”
“I am not too different in that regard, I am not. I am unable to become determined without a proper push...”
What are they going on about now? Elze equipped the gauntlets she had on her waist and smacked her fists together. The clang that echoed out was quite noisy. Yae, too, placed her sword through her sash and fixed its position.
“Touya... I want you to fight us.”
“Huh?!”
“If you win, we won’t say anything about your relationship with Linze. But if we win, you’ll have to listen to our request.” Wait, what?! How did it come to this?! Am I being punished for something?! Yae unsheathed her sword, seemingly ignoring my confusion.
“I borrowed this sword from Viscount Swordrick, I did. The edge of the blade is rounded off. It should not be able to kill or even cut you, but shattering your bones is well within the realm of possibility, it is.” That information does nothing to calm me down!
“Touya, use [Modeling] to dull Brunhild’s blade as well.”
“Wait! Before I do anything, can you tell me why I have to fight you two in the first place?!”
“To be frank, Touya-dono. The both of us are the type of girls who need to do this, we are. It’s a matter of confronting our feelings. If you wish to call it cowardly, so be it.” I had no idea what she was talking about, but they clearly had no intention of backing down. Alright, all I have to do is lose on purpose, and...
“If you hold back, I’ll never forgive you. I won’t accept your relationship with Linze, either. I’ll never allow my sister to be with a man who refuses to get serious when it matters.”
Crap. She warned me against doing exactly what I was planning... Guess Elze knows exactly how my superficial mind works.
Reluctantly, I did as I was told and used [Modeling] to round off Brunhild’s blade.
Guess I have no other choice, I’ll just cast [Slip] the moment the fight begins, and then...
“No Null magic allowed. You can’t call it a fight if we just drop to the ground the moment the battle starts. I won’t use [Boost], either.”
How the hell did she know exactly what was on my mind?! Holy shit, women are scary!
“Touya-dono can use elemental magic, as well as ranged and melee weaponry. We can only use melee weaponry, but there are two of us. That seems fair, does it not?”
That means the only bullets I can use are the normal rubber ones. The impact from those things can really rattle your bones, though, so it’s not like they’re bad.
“I still feel like I’m at a disadvantage, though...”
“I am fully aware that we are asking a lot of you, we are. However, we need an opportunity to take the next step.” Once again, I had no idea what she was saying, so I just sighed and steeled myself. I figured I’d play their game as long as they needed me to.
“Are you ready?” I simply nodded, afraid to ask what I had to be ready for.
The next moment, Yae and Elze split up and closed in on me from two separate angles. A pincer attack? Already?!
“Blade Mode!” I extended Brunhild into the shape of a blunted longsword, then ran toward Yae. I could have easily parried her blade, but the same couldn’t be said of Elze’s fists.
After crossing swords with Yae, I used the momentum to slip past her. I turned around, took the New Model Army into my left hand, and fired all six bullets at her.
I was brimming with confidence, certain all six shots woul
d find their mark on Yae’s back, when Elze jumped into their path and held her left hand up high. The gauntlet she wore was shining an emerald green.
A moment later, the bullets scattered into several uncertain directions.
“As long as they aren’t magic, ranged attacks don’t work on me.” Crap, I forgot! Her emerald gauntlet was imbued with a wind-type, barrier spell that deflected all physical ranged attacks!
“Gun Mode! Reload!” I barraged them with all twelve bullets from both of my guns in a desperate attempt to distract them and buy some time.
But Elze didn’t seem to care. She charged at me while holding up her left gauntlet.
“Blade Mode!” Elze’s right fist closed in on me, but I was able to evade it. I quickly changed Brunhild into a longsword again and launched a horizontal slash at her. She evaded it, too, but it bought me some time to back away and fix my stance.
“You are a naive fool!” Yae came lunging at me from right behind Elze. I had no chance to distance myself. Hold on a sec! That’ll definitely cut me, dulled blade or not! I dodged to the side, preventing the tip of her blade from digging into my shoulder. Then, I quickly turned around and tripped her over with my leg, using her own momentum against her.
“Kuhh?!”
“Reload!” As Yae fell to the ground, I quickly aimed at her with the New Model Army.
However, before I could pull the trigger, Elze attacked me with a kick, leaving me with no other option than to back away.
“Entwine thus, Ice! Frozen Curse: [Icebind]!” My spell made the ground beneath their feet begin to freeze.
“Agh!” They deftly escaped and split up, coming at me from two angles again. The rimy binding didn’t even have a chance to take hold.
Crap! I’m at a clear disadvantage here! After all, it’s not like I can do anything that could seriously hurt them or anything!
“Whoa!” I evaded another straight punch from Elze. Yae was closing in on me, too. At that moment, I closed my eyes and cast a spell.
“Shimmer forth, Light! Dazzling Brilliance: [Flash]!”
“Kh?!” The sudden burst of bright light made Yae stop in her tracks. I used the opportunity to back away from them again. It was best for me to keep my distance in a battle with those two. I was at the greatest advantage at long-range.
In Another World With My Smartphone: Volume 3 Page 9
