Author: Suisei
Translator: Rinkage

Character page: Here

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Chapter 196 – I tried to help the hero get a better night’s sleep

“Happiness, you’re the last one. Please, I really need your help.” [Youki]

In my plan, the most crucial role fell on Happiness. If she refused, all the effort I’d put in so far would have been for nothing. Interrupting her mid-cleaning, I explained what I needed her to do. Her reaction, however, was… ambiguous, leaving me uncertain whether she’d agree.

“…Understood.” [Happiness]

“Wait, seriously?” [Youki]

Her quick agreement caught me completely off guard. I’d expected to spend much more time convincing her.

“…No charge?” [Happiness]

“Ah, yeah… I figured. You wouldn’t do it for free, right?” [Youki]

I’d already planned to get something for Sheik as a token of thanks, so it only made sense to do the same for Happiness. The tricky part was that she didn’t strike me as someone who wanted anything specific. Shopping seemed like more of her thing… if she went with Raven, that is.

Which reminded me…

“Is there something bothering you about Raven?” [Youki]

“…Wrong.” [Happiness]

“Huh? Then what is it?” [Youki]

“…Heh.” [Happiness]

Maybe it was because of the dumb noise I made, but Happiness let out a faint laugh through her nose. In the past, I would’ve chased her down for that, but since she was on duty, I decided to let it slide. If Sophia-san caught us fooling around, we’d both be in for a stern lecture, and I’d prefer to avoid that.

“Alright, alright. So, if there’s nothing you need right now, let’s just say I owe you one. Just let me know if something comes to mind, okay?” [Youki]

“…Understood.” [Happiness]

“Good. Keep up the good work.” [Youki]

With a casual wave, we parted ways. Much to my disappointment, there was nothing else for me to do but wait. All that remained was for the three people I enlisted to work on their parts.

I headed back to my new home, intending to finish unpacking. ‘Intending’ being the operative word here, because as soon as I got started, the same familiar disruption came crashing in.

“Youki-kun! I can’t do this! Mikanaaa! Mikanaaa’s leaving meeeee!” [Yuuga]

“It’s just a dream, calm down!” [Youki]

“She’s not by my side anymoreeeee!” [Yuuga]

“That’s not a reality, Yuuga! Deal with it yourself!” [Youki]

Yuuga kept barging into my place, making progress on my unpacking almost impossible. Still, I figured I just had to endure this nonsense until the secret weapon was ready. I even dragged Gai into the mess, relying on his ‘hypnosis therapy’ to keep Yuuga calm… at least enough to avoid summoning Tiel-chan.

Finally, after a week of this madness, I got the word: the ultimate weapon was complete. Without wasting a second, I dashed to the mansion and received the item from Happiness, who wore her usual stone-faced expression.

“Happiness, you’ve outdone yourself.” [Youki]

I gave her an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

“…Piece of cake.” [Happiness]

“I’ll be counting on you again if anything comes up.” [Youki]

“…Payment.” [Happiness]

“Yeah, yeah. Fair’s fair. If you ever need help with something, don’t hesitate to ask. Of course, after Raven, that is.” [Youki]

She should first consult her boyfriend. After all, a romantic relationship takes precedence over other relationships.

“…Common sense.” [Happiness]

“If you get that, then we’re good. See ya. Thanks for helping out even though you’re busy.” [Youki]

After saying goodbye to Happiness, I picked Gai up along the way and headed towards Yuuga and Mikana’s love nest.

“Oh hey, Youki-kun. What brings you here today?” [Yuuga]

“Hey. I’ve brought an item designed under the supervision of this hypnosis therapist here. With it, you’ll finally be able to get a full night’s sleep without nightmares.” [Youki]

“An item? You mean this?” [Yuuga]

“Yeah, it’s a body pillow. Hug this while you sleep, and it should work perfectly.” [Youki]

I handed the body pillow I had been carrying to Yuuga. He accepted it hesitantly, looking somewhat doubtful. It was probably hard to believe that simply hugging a pillow could fix things, but I was confident. This was exactly what he needed.

“Listen, starting tonight, hug that while you sleep. It’ll stop your nightmares. I guarantee it.” [Youki]

“O-Okay… I’ll give it a try.” [Yuuga]

“Alright, later.” [Youki]

Not wanting to drag out the conversation, I left quickly.

“That should do it.” [Youki]

“Hey, kiddo. Do you really think hugging that pillow will get rid of that guy’s nightmares? I find it hard to believe. His nightmares are powerful, almost like a curse. Without constant magic to suppress them, it feels hopeless.” [Gai]

Yuuga’s nightmares seemed to stem from grudges held by the women he had rejected… or so it appeared. However, he wasn’t exactly hated by women. In his own way, he claimed to have made amends, so that possibility didn’t quite add up.

“For starters, Yuuga has resistance to magic. Even Gai’s ‘Nightmare Sleep’ spell gradually lost its effect. If magic were the root cause, he would’ve resolved it on his own already.” [Youki]

“Hmm… that’s true. Then what is causing these nightmares?” [Gai]

“Oh, it’s pretty simple – Mikana isn’t home.” [Youki]

“…What do you mean?” [Gai]

Ah, right. Gai wasn’t familiar with Yuuga and Mikana’s situation.

“Well… he’s probably feeling lonely because his fiancée isn’t around. That’s what’s causing his nightmares.” [Youki]

“…What?” [Gai]

Yeah, that reaction was fair. Even I had been exasperated when I first pieced it together.

“When he came to me for advice, something felt off. I suggested he talk to Mikana, but instead, he started ranting about his dreams. That’s when it all clicked.” [Youki]

As it turned out, Mikana was on a business trip. According to Cecilia, Mikana had decided to handle some responsibilities before the wedding, opting for an extended trip to wrap things up.

“To make it easier to understand, let me give you an example. Gai, imagine you took on a guild mission that required you to leave Minerva for an extended period. During that time, Tiel-chan wouldn’t be able to see you. What do you think she’d do in that situation?” [Youki]

“That’s a pretty realistic scenario, but Tiel would behave properly and wait…” [Gai]

Gai trailed off, likely because he realized the truth of another, more plausible outcome. He just couldn’t bring himself to say it. If something like that happened, Tiel-chan wouldn’t wait patiently. She’d probably just show up unannounced at the mission site, acting like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“That’s just an example, but yeah, Yuuga’s basically in the same state.” [Youki]

“Hmm, then if that fellow… the Hero, right?… if his fiancée returns, won’t that fix everything?” [Gai]

“Sure, but let me ask you this, Gai. Imagine Tiel-chan having nightmares because you’re not by her side. If you told her that the nightmare would stop once you returned, what do you think would happen?” [Youki]

“…She’d cling to me even more, wouldn’t she?” [Gai]

“Exactly.” [Youki]

At that point, it was less about fixing the problem and more about dependency, or maybe even edging into full-blown ‘yandere’ territory. For Yuuga’s sake, it would be better if his relationship with Mikana stayed firmly in the lovey-dovey category.

“Yuuga might not necessarily go that far… but if he hasn’t realized it himself, it’s better to solve it in another way.” [Youki]

“So that’s where the pillow comes in?” [Gai]

“Exactly.” [Youki]

That body pillow wasn’t just any ordinary pillow.

“On the surface, it’s a relaxation pillow stuffed with calming herbs I had Sheik prepare.” [Youki]

“On the surface?” [Gai]

“It’s something Yuuga must never find out. It’s a secret, got it? The truth is, the pillow’s material is… pretty special.” [Youki]

“Special material?” [Gai]

“Yeah, the pillow was made from Mikana’s old clothes.” [Youki]

“What!?” [Gai]

“Man, it was quite a task getting those when I asked Cecilia for help.” [Youki]

I figured Cecilia could ask Mikana’s parents to get some for me. However, since she might have opposed the idea, I couldn’t tell her everything, only explaining that it was for Yuuga and Mikana’s sake to get her cooperation. Once we had the materials, Happiness handled the crafting perfectly, so there were no issues at all. Her work was flawless, which was expected of her.

“By now, he’s probably sleeping soundly.” [Youki]

“Can it really work that well?” [Gai]

I understood his doubts, but considering Yuuga’s personality, the body pillow was guaranteed to be effective.

“You’ll find out tomorrow. If you’re so skeptical, why not stay over tonight? Yuuga will definitely show up first thing in the morning.” [Youki]

“…Since I’ve already come so far, I should at least stay to see the result.” [Gai]

And so, Gai ended up staying the night at my still-messy new home.

♦♦♦

The next morning.

“Youki-kun! Youki-kun!”

Loud banging echoed from my door early in the morning. Anticipating his visit, I had already woken up. As I opened the door calmly, the expected guest stood before me, his excitement palpable.

“What’s with all the noise so early in the morning?” [Youki]

“Youki-kun, this pillow is amazing! Not only did it stop the nightmares, but I also had the most wonderful dream! I can’t imagine sleeping without it now. I don’t know how it works, but this pillow is truly incredible. Are you sure I don’t need to pay for it? I feel bad just getting it for free.” [Yuuga]

Yuuga’s energy was through the roof. Even though I’d started out calm, his relentless barrage of chatter was beginning to annoy me. He didn’t give me even a moment to get a word in. It made me wonder if he had even noticed Gai, who was standing behind me.

“I was feeling so lonely with Mikana not being here, but in my dream, I got to see her, and we even went on a date! It was such a shame that it was just a dream, but once Mikana comes back, we’ll go for an actual one! She’s working so hard right now, so I have to work hard too. We’re going to be a married couple soon, after all. But if I work too hard, Mikana might end up worrying about me. She’s always been such a worrier, you know? Ever since we were kids, Mikana would…” [Yuuga]

“Uh-huh, is that so…” [Youki]

At some point, Gai slipped away unnoticed while Yuuga’s dazzling smile and endless ramblings showed no sign of stopping. By the time Yuuga left, with a refreshed look on his face, I was left drained mentally and physically. I should’ve eaten breakfast earlier, I thought ruefully.

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