Chapter 53
Most genres involving romance delay the union of a man and a woman as much as possible.
That’s quite obvious.
[The intermediate process that occurs as a man and a woman get entangled is the original core point.]
This is because they must be in a state where they “officially have no lover” to introduce various hardships.
To put it bluntly, if they became lovers and suddenly another man or woman intruded,
an NTR Controversy would immediately erupt.
That’s how the Pure Love Genre is.
Because there is a Restriction that it must be one-on-one.
It could be seen as gaining the power to make that relationship more delicious.
But there was one huge blind spot in this Restriction.
Since the ending is one-on-one anyway, the process leading up to it didn’t need to be one-on-one.
To make the relationship more delicious, they don’t just sprinkle sugar.
Sometimes they add a dash of spice, or even a fiery kick.
And in that process, various Characters appear.
If they cross the line here, things like an NTR Controversy arise.
[But what if that process could be overwhelmingly shortened?]
The Protagonist and the Characters who like the Protagonist:
As they confirm each other’s feelings, they get closer or further apart, misunderstandings pile up, or they are saved.
If building the narrative through various episodes could be skipped, it would be simpler.
[The story will end quickly.]
From that perspective, my confession to Mirne at the banquet hall could be considered a really big mistake.
For me, who didn’t even get proper attention in the Original Novel in the first place, to confess to the Protagonist?
Come to think of it, this was just an Extra Character abruptly intruding into the story.
It was like a whiffed kick that couldn’t even become a Confession Attack.
It was an act that couldn’t even leave a scratch, let alone disrupt the story.
“But… you’re different, Bedin.”
“I-I’m different?”
“Of course you’re different. You’re still in contact with Mirne.”
However, Second Prince Bedin’s confession had a completely different level of power compared to mine.
The character was not an Extra Character, but a pushover who stayed by Mirne’s side for the entire first fifty chapters.
The narrative only got tangled because I intervened; if it weren’t for that, their relationship would definitely be closer than it is now.
“Contact… with Mirne… I do, I do contact her, but not often. She seems busy these days.”
“You can’t contact her often? How often is not often?”
But when he mentioned not being able to contact her often, I accidentally asked a question.
“In the past, we contacted each other at least twice an hour, but these days it’s not working out well… Come to think of it, Mirne said that if she researches Artifacts later, we won’t need to send letters from a distance and can just send messages through something like a magical messaging device. Actually, I’m waiting for that too, since it’s always hard to communicate by voice through an Artifact.”
Second Prince Bedin poured out his words as if he had been waiting for my question.
“…”
I instinctively sensed that the moment I gave any advice here, this place would turn into a dating counseling session.
“Bedin, even at this very moment, the Imperial Knights are reducing their sleep and moving to eradicate the Black Mages.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Do you think this is a place for your dating counseling?
I had a lot to say, but I held it in.
[Still, I gained another piece of information while he was talking.]
It seems she’s trying to make something like a cell phone and distribute it to the men she’s flirting with.
I definitely thought it was an amazing talent.
To think she would make a makeshift cell phone and establish an independent communication system instead of using carrier pigeons or Artifact communication!
If I hadn’t even known this, would that mean she would have just given the Empire’s resources to Maselin through documented information?
[And the Empire probably still held out without collapsing immediately.]
I wanted to applaud the Empire’s solid foundation.
Just what kind of person was the Great Prophet to be able to make the Empire this sturdy?
[Well, there’s no point in thinking about it now.]
Enough with the idle thoughts.
“Confess to Mirne right now.”
Judging that there was no point in dragging out the introduction any longer,
I immediately brought up the main point.
“Y-Yes?”
“It’s an imperial command. Confess to Mirne right now, and your method of confession will not be a Public Proposal from the Empire, but a private conversation using an Artifact.”
“W-What does that…?”
Bedin blinked as if he couldn’t understand.
As soon as I saw that, I immediately looked at the Grand General.
Clank.
“Hiiiiek!”
How effective the training had been up until now!
As soon as the Grand General pulled out the iron chains, Bedin immediately had a fit.
Even while freaking out, I could see Bedin’s posture straighten in an instant.
The guy who still calls me brother snapped to attention just from a single iron chain being lifted.
“Do it right here, right now.”
“B-But a confession, at least… shouldn’t it be done in a place where I’m alone… and then I report the situation. N-no… Wouldn’t that be okay? Your Highness, even so, this is…”
But discipline was discipline.
Perhaps Bedin was still far from coming to his senses, as he was still dreaming of romance.
I don’t know how he plans to confess.
But the situation has already gone too far for him to confess in a good atmosphere.
“Grand General, how can the sound of a beast be heard inside the Imperial Palace?”
“I apologize, Your Highness. I will immediately erase the cries of this ugly beast.”
Clink, clank.
The sound of the iron chains touching the floor rang out.
“I-I’ll do it! I’ll do it!”
The beastly cries from just a moment ago disappeared, and Bedin’s desperate confirmation filled the space.
It was something he obviously had to do, but I wondered if it was right to go through this process.
Still, I held back because Bedin was the only Male Lead I could comfortably manipulate right now.
[Even at this time, the knights are fighting the Black Mages…]
I wanted to emphasize it one more time.
“I’ll do it right now! I’ll contact her!”
Seeing Bedin look at me with desperate eyes and pull out the Artifact, I swallowed my words.
The process was a bit messy, but looking only at the result, I considered him a younger brother I could quite well have in the palm of my hand.
“…Ahem.”
Bedin, who had taken out the Artifact, stared at it blankly for a moment.
Then he skillfully began to contact Mirne.
“It usually takes a little time. It’s a structure where we both have to be in front of the Artifact to connect… Actually, at dawn, we’re both in bed so it’s easy to contact each other, but at this time of evening, if it’s mealtime, it might be difficult to receive a call…”
“I know, so focus on the Artifact.”
“Yes, brother.”
Was he originally this talkative?
[Come to think of it, I think he was.]
After transmigrating, I didn’t have many opportunities to talk with Bedin.
There were too many rotten parts to cut out here and there, and there were a few major incidents as well.
[At least I had conversations with Bedin; I ignored the First Princess to the point where I don’t even know her name.]
In the case of the First Princess, the number of times I had a proper conversation with her could be counted on one hand.
First Princess, Erna Bellos.
There was so little interaction that even saying her name felt awkward.
In the Original Novel, she appeared as a tomboy on par with the Second Prince.
I don’t know what happened, but the First Princess was showing very quiet movements.
I heard a brief report in the past.
Did they say she was busy decorating herself with cosmetics brought from here and there?
Anyway, just staying still without causing trouble was enough to be considered the best Family member one could ask for.
I was killing time with such distracting thoughts.
“Hello?”
“Oh, Mirne! It’s me!”
“His Highness Bedin? It’s almost the first time you’ve contacted me at this hour, so I was slow to answer. I’m sorry.”
“No, I’m the one who should be sorry for contacting you without saying anything beforehand. You don’t need to apologize at all.”
The call between Bedin and Mirne finally began.
“What interesting matter did you contact me for today? You said you were very busy with the Black Mage issue recently… Did you perhaps engage in combat?”
“A-No, I… uh, I haven’t yet. Since I’m the sword to be used when it’s most dangerous… well, you could say I can’t just appear recklessly. Maybe the Black Mages are targeting me.”
The conversation itself was very ordinary.
It was just general greetings exchanged between a man and a woman.
Although the Grand General and I had to hold back our laughter when the bluff Bedin had made earlier was exposed midway through, it could be seen as really smooth, except for that.
“That’s right, I would be very sad if Your Highness got hurt.”
“Really? Mirne, you’d be very sad if I got hurt?”
“Of course. But don’t worry anymore, even if you get hurt, because I’ll heal you right away!”
As the conversation continued like that, a very bothersome sentence flowed out of Mirne’s mouth.
“How will you heal me? With a Spirit?”
“No! With my Divine Power! I became a Saintess a while ago. Of course, due to various circumstances… things are complicated, but since I became a Saintess once, my Divine Power remains! I plan to use this to bring fresh change to the Maselin Kingdom.”
Divine Power? That remains?
[Wasn’t Romper, who wanted to side with Mirne, dead? He died, but that Divine Power remains? Does that make sense?]
I definitely killed the god, so could a Saintess under that dead god still possess Divine Power?
I naturally thought it wouldn’t be possible, but it seemed she had used some method befitting a Protagonist.
It was something I wanted to ask about right away, but unfortunately, now was not the time.
[If you’ve talked enough, confess already.]
I conveyed my intention to Bedin by mouthing the words.
“…A-Ah, really? That’s amazing… But Mirne, I have something I want to say. Can you listen?”
As soon as Bedin saw me, he hardened his expression and prepared to confess.
“Yes? Of course! What could we possibly not talk about between us?”
It was a pure reaction that came out as if she really knew nothing.
I didn’t know before, but I can tell now.
As soon as I saw that reaction, my body was violently rejecting it.
[It really hates her.]
The control over the body is completely mine.
But how strong a rejection had the memories created up until now?
It was to the point where I unconsciously lowered my gaze to look at my waist.
It was the position where a sword would be during wartime.
“…W-Well, you see.”
And even in such a situation, the Confession Attack Operation continued.
I, the Grand General, and the one confessing, Bedin, were present.
It was the worst environment to make a confession, but the best environment to carry out an operation.
[Confess right now, Bedin.]
There’s no need to go easy on him anymore.
You actually want to confess and confirm a proper relationship too, don’t you?
How long are you going to just give everything away like a pushover? Right now, the Former Grand Duke of the East, Kailen, is together with her in the Maselin Kingdom.
Are you going to fall behind like this?
I reapplied the pressure I had poured on him earlier onto Bedin by mouthing the words again.
“…!”
Bedin cast aside his hesitation and boldly opened his mouth.
“I-I… I like you! How about we get married?”
It was a one-dimensional confession that skipped complex procedures and flew straight.
But because of that, it was a delivery of emotion that could be felt as sincere.
What choice would Mirne make here?
[Rejection or acceptance.]
Which option would it be?
Such thoughts were brief.
Mirne brought out a move I hadn’t even imagined.
“Yes? I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you well, so I missed that. I think the Artifact suddenly broke.”
Ha.
She was pulling a trick, claiming she couldn’t hear.
She was trying to brush off someone’s courageous confession with a trick like poor reception.
If I hadn’t been here in this situation, Bedin wouldn’t have confessed again.
He would have just let it go, thinking there would be a next time.
But.
[Do it one more time.]
I tend to dislike such obvious developments.
“I-I like you, Mirne!”
A second attack followed immediately.
Now, how will you block the second one?
And here, Mirne showed an unimaginable move.
Namely.
Bzzzt.
“Y-Your Highness? His Highness Bedin?”
Bzzzzzt.
“…”
I had no idea if she broke the Artifact or what she did.
But she hung up the call with a sound that gave off a strong impression of a bad signal to anyone who heard it.
“Ha.”
Right, it shouldn’t be concluded yet, should it?
But it didn’t matter.
I actually expected even this.
“I guess I’ll have to start a rumor.”
Since he confessed, all we have to do now is spread the rumor.
I ignored Bedin’s face, which was destined to plummet due to this process.
Isn’t that how the world works anyway?
[I’ve been the pushover all this time.]
It’s about time for the Second Prince to be the pushover for once.