Chapter 26
Gilliam's words: he felt like he was doing something bad to them.
He'd said it because he genuinely thought so.
But to Maron and Elettra, the two romance-fantasy heroines, it sounded like something else entirely.
‘Y-you're asking us to say out loud that this isn't something bad!?’
If Elettra had been alone, she would've protested.
Probably.
At least, she wanted to believe she would've.
But there were two of them.
Her rival was right beside her.
What if she said, ‘Yeah, it's bad’?
Expected response: Then get lost. I've got Maron even if you're not here.
‘I can't let that happen!’
In the shameful position of baring her butt to a man with her own hands, Elettra whispered,
“It's not bad….”
“But you're embarrassed.”
“I-I am embarrassed, but… you're not bad, okay!!”
Ah.
She was being tamed.
She was being tamed into an obedient woman by that ruffian womanizer.
“Hngh.”
Elettra's breath trembled.
But the real problem was.
‘Why don't I hate this…?’
She was being tamed by Gilliam.
And she found herself feeling a perverse pleasure at that fact.
“Y-yes! Liam, you aren't bad or anything!”
Maron went through the same thought process as Elettra and gave the same answer. Even more eagerly.
“Liam asked me to do this, but th-that doesn't mean I've ever thought you were bad…!”
That was a lie.
She'd thought it plenty of times.
Honestly, he was a bad man, wasn't he?
But that didn't mean she disliked Liam.
“…Thanks. I didn't know you felt that way.”
〈Next Compliment Suggestion (LV.2)〉
【Automatically identifying target→Maron Clearias】
Recommendation - Praise her for going along with you so well
Not recommended - Don't compare her to Elettra
‘I'm supposed to praise her for going along with me?’
She's not a dog. Would Maron really be happy about something like that?
Still, I'd never gone wrong by following the system's suggestions so far.
“Maron, I really like how readily you go along with me.”
“E-ehehe….”
【The target is happy】
<Praise Points: +200(800→1000)>
And right after that.
〈Next Compliment Suggestion (LV.2)〉
【Automatically identifying target→Elettra Xantias】
Recommendation - Praise her for being obedient
Not recommended - Don't compare her to Maron
‘This time, I'm supposed to praise her for being obedient?’
That was an even stronger compliment than the one I'd given Maron.
Is this really okay?
‘And it says not to compare the two of them, either.’
What would happen if I did compare them?
I was a little curious.
Would she get really angry?
‘Well, I have no intention of trying it out to find out.’
I'm not an idiot.
If I'm going to follow the system's recommendations, I shouldn't do what the same system warns me against.
“I really like how obedient you are, too, Elettra.”
“Y-you call that a compliment!?”
Even as she said that.
【The target is elated】
<Praise Points: +200(1000→1200)>
“Hmm….”
Just as I thought.
There were plenty of people who couldn't bring themselves to show their happiness honestly, even when they felt pleased.
‘Well, this is a romance fantasy.’
Elettra finally couldn't hold back and shouted.
“A-all right, thanks for calling me obedient! So could you please just touch it and be done already…!?”
“Ah.”
Maron's lower belly and Elettra's butt were still on display.
“Then I'll start with Maron?”
“Y-yes…! I-I'd be glad if you finished quickly, too…!!”
The chestnut-brown mark below Maron's navel.
When our eyes met, Maron's irises were tinged orange with embarrassment.
My hand touched Maron's navel.
It was soft.
“Ah.”
“Sorry.”
“I-I'm okay… if it's you, Liam….”
As I listened to Maron's whisper, I slid my finger down…
It touched.
【Bond Quest:〈Contact with the Wicked Calamity Star〉Complete!】
【Connection with the Calamity Star (LV.1) awarded as a reward!】
And then.
〈Connection with the Calamity Star (LV.1)〉
Effect: Praise Points earned from the holder of the Calamity Star are multiplied by ×2.
‘Nice!’
It worked just as I expected.
I restrained myself from shouting and pulled my hand away from Maron's lower abdomen.
“Uuuh… can I cover it up now…?”
“Yeah. Thanks for going along with me so well.”
“E-ehehehe….”
【The target is happy】
<Praise Points: +400(1200→1600)>
*Value with ×2 applied
Damn, those multipliers are sweet.
‘If I keep clearing Bond Quests like this, will I get ×10 or ×20 multipliers, too?’
Then even ordinary compliments should earn me thousands of points at a time.
I'm looking forward to it.
‘Now it's Elettra's turn.’
I brought my finger near Her Highness's white buttocks.
‘But where should I touch?’
Elettra's white panties.
Her mark was positioned where her panties partly covered it, so Elettra was holding them up with her hand.
Would it be right to touch the part inside her panties that Elettra was going out of her way to show me? Or the outside, which would be less embarrassing?
Anyway, it wouldn't help to think about it.
“Maron.”
“Yes…?”
“Which would be better to touch here, inside Elettra's panties or outside?”
“I-I don't think you should be asking me that….”
“Why are you asking her!? I don't care which side you touch, just hurry up and finish!!”
“Sorry.”
With a soft swish, my hand touched Elettra's butt.
‘Soft.’
Both men and women have buttocks, but women's seemed much softer than men's.
【Bond Quest -〈Encounter with the Tyrant of Blazing Dominion〉Complete!】
【Connection with the Star of Blazing Dominion (LV.1) awarded as a reward!】
〈Connection with the Star of Blazing Dominion (LV.1)〉
Effect: Praise Points earned from the holder of the Star of Blazing Dominion are multiplied by ×2.
‘Excellent.’
Just to check.
“Thanks for being so obedient and going along with me, Elettra.”
“Are you going to keep going on about how obedient I am? I'm a princess, you know?”
【The target is elated】
<Praise Points: +400(1600→2000)>
*Value with ×2 applied
‘Phew.’
That's a relief.
It worked for Elettra, too.
‘As expected, Bond Quests are harder than getting ready for the canon events.’
I thought back over the day.
I woke up in the infirmary, and Maron prostrated herself before me.
I got an elixir from Elettra at the campus shop.
The crown prince picked a fight with the two of them, so I took him on.
Then we came to this café, where I got my hands on an expensive item for free through a canon event.
I completed the first stage of the Bond Quests with both Maron and Elettra.
‘Hmm.’
A productive Saturday.
‘I'd say that counts as keeping busy.’
I'm living my best life. Feeling satisfied, I took a sip of tea.
‘But what happens next in the Bond Quests for these two?’
Just as I was wondering.
【Bond Quest - Calamity Star】
〈So She Doesn't Become a Bewitching Witch〉
Objective: Teach the villainess something at least once to help her defy her fate (0/1)
Reward: Connection with the Calamity Star (LV.2)
And then.
【Bond Quest - Star of Blazing Dominion】
〈So She Doesn't Become a Wicked Tyrant〉
Objective: Break her pride once to prevent her fate of becoming a tyrant (0/1)
Reward: Connection with the Star of Blazing Dominion (LV.2)
“Umm….”
A groan escaped me.
‘So it really is true that the fate of becoming an evil witch and a tyrant lies dormant within them.’
I recalled the original story's descriptions.
The stars of fate in this world aren't metaphors.
Some stars in the heavens truly do steer the fates of those connected to them in a particular direction.
It is possible to resist.
But it's never easy.
Not unless someone is there beside them, actively helping them take another path.
I know that.
But seeing it with my own eyes still made my heart ache.
My friends were destined for misery. Who would be happy to hear that?
‘I guess I'll just have to help them as much as I can.’
But there was one problem.
It was hard.
‘Maron needs to be taught, and Elettra's pride has to be broken?’
Wow.
What on earth was I supposed to do about that?
Maron was the easier one. I thought I could coax her around somehow.
But break Elettra's pride?
How on earth could I do that to the arrogant, haughty Ice Princess—
【Bond Quest -〈So She Doesn't Become a Bewitching Witch〉Complete!】
【Connection with the Calamity Star (LV.2) awarded as a reward!】
〈Connection with the Calamity Star (LV.2)〉
Effect: Praise Points earned from the holder of the Calamity Star are multiplied by ×3.
‘?’
【Bond Quest -〈So She Doesn't Become an Evil Emperor〉Complete!】
【Connection with the Star of Blazing Dominion (LV.2) awarded as a reward!】
〈Connection with the Star of Blazing Dominion (LV.2)〉
Effect: Praise Points earned from the holder of the Star of Blazing Dominion are multiplied by ×3.
“…???”
Why?
I hadn't done anything.
“…Maron, Elettra.”
“Yes…?”
“What is it this time…?”
“Have I ever taught you something or broken your pride?”
“….”
“….”
After a brief silence.
“N-no!? Nothing like that happened!?”
“R-right. You never did anything like that!!”
They both shouted at once.
“Right?”
Then why had this suddenly cleared?
I didn't know.
Still.
“I'm glad you two seem to have gotten along.”
To be honest, I'd been worried.
About what if they started fighting, and all.
“R-right, Your Highness, we're totally friends, aren't we?”
“Y-yeah… of course… we're getting along really well…!”
The two women pressed close together.
As you'd expect of romance-fantasy heroines, their ample breasts were squashed together between them.
“It's all thanks to you, Liam.”
“That's right, it's all because of you—or rather, thanks to you…!!”
“….”
“W-what's wrong?”
“Why are you saying that all of a sudden…?”
“Thank you.”
Just.
Sincerely.
“I'm grateful to both of you.”