Author: Suisei
Translator: Rinkage

Character page: Here

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Chapter 210 – I went on a date with my girlfriend

Thanks to the favourable weather, the sky was clear and sunny. Obviously, this was the result of my usual good behaviour—hahaha!

“The weather’s nice today.”  [Youki]

“It is. Must be thanks to your good behaviour, Youki-san.”  [Cecilia]

“…Wait, did I say that out loud?”  [Youki]

“You were grinning up at the sky, so I just guessed.”  [Cecilia]

Her reply made me want to crawl into a hole. I must’ve looked like a complete idiot. The truth was, I was just too excited. It had been a while since we’d gone on a date. But it wouldn’t do if I were the only one having fun.

“Cecilia, I know what you’re thinking. My feelings are written all over my face, right? But I swear, I’m going to make today a day you’ll never forget.”  [Youki]

“I’ll be holding you to those words, okay?”  [Cecilia]

“Leave it to me!”  [Youki]

Fired up, I grabbed Cecilia’s hand, and we started walking.

“Youki-san, where are we headed?”  [Cecilia]

“That’s a surprise for when we get there. But if you really want to know… I’ll tell you.”  [Youki]

“No, I’d rather look forward to it since you’re taking the lead today. I think it’s better if I don’t know anything in advance.”  [Cecilia]

“…Yeah, that’s probably the normal approach. In that case, shall we talk about Minerva’s current economic trends on the way?”  [Youki]

I tossed out a light joke, fully expecting Cecilia to call me out. Starting a date with such a stiff topic was supposed to be the punchline. From there, I’d slide into our usual easy banter and keep things relaxed.

“Sounds good.”  [Cecilia]

Wait, seriously!?

“First, thanks to the knights, incidents in Minerva are being resolved much faster these days. I believe this boost in efficiency is largely thanks to Raven-san.”  [Cecilia]

“Ahh, right. He’s not relying on written notes anymore. And he’s been stepping up lately, even set some life goals. Probably getting more fired up about work now.”  [Youki]

“I think so, too. Also, I’ve heard the number of street brawls has gone down. Apparently, Clayman-san has been personally cracking down on the unruly ones.”  [Cecilia]

“Seriously? Clayman’s actually doing work?”  [Youki]

That guy always gave off a laid-back vibe. I’d only ever seen him lounging behind the reception desk.

“Sophia-san’s quite happy that he’s showing more motivation. She’s been treating him more gently.”  [Cecilia]

“…What exactly is she doing to him?”  [Youki]

Honestly, it already seemed like she was going easy on him, even when he was slacking off. I was tempted to dig deeper, but decided against it. If I poked my nose where it didn’t belong, Sophia-san might erase me from existence.

“Let’s just say that’s a secret between husband and wife. Now then, let’s get to the main topic…”  [Cecilia]

And just like that, Cecilia-sensei launched into her trademark clear, easy-to-follow explanation of Minerva’s current economic situation. Which countries we prioritized for trade, how a bumper crop from a nearby village was influencing market prices… Measures for supporting orphans, stricter sanitation controls in the city… My brain was struggling to keep up, but Cecilia explained it all so clearly that I could almost follow along. She probably gave lectures like this at the orphanage, too. Still, this didn’t feel like a couple’s conversation on a date, more like a teacher tutoring her student.

I decided I’d make up for this once we reached the next destination.

“This is amazing, Youki-san!”  [Cecilia]

Cecilia’s eyes sparkled as she looked around, excitement bubbling out of her in a way I rarely saw. Seemed like I’d made the right call. I was really glad I’d picked up the tip about the famous theater troupe visiting the area. Props to the old guy at the tavern who’d clued me in.

“Acting’s definitely not for me. There’s no way I could say lines that embarrassing so smoothly. All those dramatic movements and expressions… seems way too hard.”  [Youki]

“Huh?”  [Cecilia]

Cecilia looked at me like she couldn’t believe what she’d just heard.

Hey, now, I was being honest. 

“Youki-san… are you seriously saying that?”  [Cecilia]

“Yeah, I am. You don’t have to look so shocked.”  [Youki]

Was she that surprised? Why is she- ah! 

“…It just comes out naturally, you know? I don’t try to do it. I can’t just turn it on and off at will. That’s all.”  [Youki]

It wasn’t like I was acting. Honestly, I didn’t know how to explain it. It was more like another side of me, normally sealed away, slipping out sometimes… No, wait. That sounded way too chunni—definitely not something I should ever say out loud.

In the end, we focused on the performance. The theater troupe’s acting was incredible, but every so often, I could feel Cecilia’s gaze flicking towards me. She clearly wasn’t satisfied with my flimsy excuse. It wasn’t like I was lying, though. I really don’t know anything about acting. What I’d done before was something else entirely.

“So, where are we headed next?”  [Cecilia]

“I was thinking we’d check out a new restaurant that just opened.”  [Youki]

Of course, I’d already done my homework. The place specializes in healthy dishes geared towards women. The food there was supposedly great for the skin and all that. When I scouted it out beforehand, the place was packed with either women or couples. For me, walking in alone felt like stepping into enemy territory. A high hurdle, for sure. Still, I powered through it so Cecilia could enjoy it.

At the time, I just kept repeating to myself: I have a girlfriend. This is just a scouting mission. I have a girlfriend. This is just a scouting mission. That mantra was the only thing keeping me together as I endured all the stares.

…Come to think of it, the line there was pretty long. Hopefully it’s not too bad today. 

“Is something wrong, Youki-san? Are you feeling unwell? You look a bit pale…”  [Cecilia]

“Huh? No, no, it’s nothing—”  [Youki]

“There you are!”

Trouble, right on schedule. I turned my head and spotted Mikana sprinting towards us at full speed. Figures. Peace never lasts long for me.

“This is all your—”  [Mikana]

Before she could finish, Mikana vanished right before my eyes, leaving only a trail of light.

…Yeah. That had Yuuga written all over it. 

“Let’s go.”  [Cecilia]

“Wait, what!?”  [Youki]

Cecilia brushed it off as if nothing had happened. Hold on, that’s definitely not something you’re supposed to ignore!

“Cecilia, that was Mikana and Yuuga just now. Something’s clearly going on. We’ve got to at least check it out.”  [Youki]

I grabbed Cecilia’s hand and hurried after them.

Not far ahead, a crowd had gathered, buzzing with excitement, murmurs rising as if they were expecting some kind of spectacle.

“Hey, it’s the Hero!”

“And Mikana-sama’s here too.”

“Are those two okay?”

“Didn’t the Hero cheat on her? I bet she found out.”

“It’s been going around as a rumour.”

“Is the other woman here? How’s he going to explain himself?”

“Wait, what? Yuuga cheated!?”  [Youki]

What the hell is going on? What happened? No, there’s no way. That absolutely didn’t happen. Yuuga would never do something like that. That’s Yuuga we’re talking about. Do people even know how many times he’s risked everything when it comes to Mikana? 

Up above, Yuuga hovered midair, still holding Mikana in his arms. The whole scene before us looked like an apology press conference.

“Everyone, please don’t be swayed by baseless rumours. I would never love any woman other than Mikana. I swear it on this Holy Sword, the symbol of my title as Hero!”  [Yuuga]

Wow… swearing on the Holy Sword? That’s not something you’d do lightly. Proclaiming his love like that in front of a huge crowd was something only a hero like him would do.

“Lies! I heard it myself! Even though Mikana-sama was away from Minerva for work, you brought another woman into your love nest and got all cozy with her!”

“It was one of the government officials who went to the Hero’s house that said it!”

“And it wasn’t just for one night!”

“Unforgivable…”

“Please quiet down. I didn’t bring anyone into my home… Please, just hear me out.”  [Yuuga]

Yuuga pleaded with the crowd, a serious look on his face. Mikana looked extremely anxious, and honestly, I felt the same way.

“I… I was lonely without Mikana. That loneliness turned into anxiety, and before long, I started having nightmares.”  [Yuuga]

“Geh!”  [Youki]

This is bad… I’ve figured out the entire scope of this “incident.” 

“After talking to a friend about it, I was given a certain pillow. When I hugged that pillow in my sleep, the nightmares stopped and I started having the most peaceful dreams instead. …Eventually, I couldn’t help myself, and before I knew it, I started whispering words of love to the pillow.”  [Yuuga]

I had no idea Yuuga had spiraled that far… Wait, that pillow!? Crap, that might’ve been a mistake.

The crowd was clearly horrified.

“Apparently, that pillow…”  [Yuuga]

“You don’t have to say it anymore!!”  [Mikana]

Mikana finally snapped, probably for the best. If Yuuga revealed what that pillow was actually made of, he wouldn’t just be a weirdo. He’d be branded a full-on perverted hero.

…Though honest, that ship might’ve already sailed. Could his dignity even be salvaged at this point?

While I was still pondering Yuuga’s reputation, he suddenly tumbled from the sky with Mikana in his arms. Startled, I realized Mikana must’ve swatted him in her embarrassment, throwing him off balance. Considering how high up they’d been, I braced for the worst. But when the dust cleared, Yuuga was lying on the ground with Mikana safe in his embrace, having shielded her from the fall.

“Hey, Yuuga! Are you okay!?”  [Mikana]

“Don’t worry, Mikana… I might’ve made you anxious, but no matter what happens, I’ll be the one to make you happy. I’ll never let you get hurt. And of course, since you’d worry about me too, I’ll make sure I’m fine as well.”  [Yuuga]

Yuuga pulled Mikana close, and the crowd erupted into cheers.

…What is this? The grand finale of some romantic drama? 

“Well then, shall we go?”  [Cecilia]

“Huh? Shouldn’t we at least say hi or something…?”  [Youki]

“If we go over now, we’ll get stuck there the whole day. The commotion’s over, so let’s move along.”  [Cecilia]

“But still…”  [Youki]

True, I had a hand in how things ended up, but I’d promised Cecilia today would be fun.

“Let’s go. I’ll apologize to them later. For now, I’m keeping my promise to you, Cecilia. Besides…”  [Youki]

“Mikana, I hope we’ll continue to have a good, long-lasting relationship.”  [Yuuga]

“How am I supposed to go on work trips now? Seriously, this is gonna be a problem…”  [Mikana]

Yep, same old routine with those two. No need for a third wheel to linger. 

I turned back, walking side by side with Cecilia. 

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