Nothing feels as nice as waking up in the same bed as a cute girl. Last night, I woke up in her room at the dorm. Today, at my pce in my tiny bed. I could get used to the feeling of sleeping with a girl in my arms. This time spent trying to make her feel better and cheering her up probably cheered me up as much as it cheered her up. Though, it makes me scared for my future. Now that I’ve tasted the forbidden fruit so much, am I going to be able to sleep alone again? I should really stop sleeping with my girls before I get addicted…

  “Hmm?” There was a sudden movement from the girl between my arms. “Are you awake? Good morning… This is turning into a bit of a routine, huh?”

  While lightly stretching, she smiled. “Fufufu… But it’s such a good routine… I can just reach for your golden locks first thing in the morning. My day couldn’t start any better.”

  “Haven’t you been focusing on my hair too much tely? What about the rest?”

  Ah! That’s kinda embarrassing… Doesn’t that come off as very needy? Seemed like it to her, and she immediately grinned. Sigh… I gave her more fuel, didn’t I?

  “Oh, Iroha… You’re so cute when you’re jealous… Don’t worry… I love being wrapped up in your arms as much as I love running my fingers along your hair.”

  Thanks… Now wipe the smug grin off your face.

  “We’ve been sleeping together so much that it feels like we’re married now. Well… I guess it was only two nights, but it was two nights in a row. We’re practically married, huh?” I asked.

  “You wanna?”

  She raised one of her shoulders when asking the question, looking particurly seductive and making the deal quite tempting. I was just making a joke! Why do you have to make it so hard for me? Or was I the one who made it hard on myself?”

  “Uhmm… We can’t… I’ve had a few too many talks of marriage tely, and I think I’m a bit traumatized right now.”

  “Oh… Too bad.”

  “Speaking of which… I wonder what happened in the other world after everything was said and done-”

  *Ring ring ring ring!*

  My phone? “Iroha? Are you awake?” A call from Ririna. “It’s an emergency! We need you over here right away! The princess wants you in the castle right now!”

  Ah yes… Of course she does…

  …

  And just like that, I was taken to the castle and escorted to the throne room.

  “Your Majesty, the guest of honor has arrived!” And with a whisper. “Behave yourself, Iroha. Don’t start a commotion.” Fnne said, walking slightly ahead of me on a wide red carpet leading straight to the king’s throne.

  The room was wide with big windows on the side and dark bricks walls. The light coming in was still vibrant and bounced off the red curtains and banners hanging from the pilrs on both sides of the carpet. Straight ahead was the throne with the gray-haired man from before already sitting on it. No visible injuries or anything. Has he made a full recovery already? Good for him. And for her… The beautiful princess who was standing next to the throne, slightly behind the king. By now Fnne had walked over to their side.

  “Welcome, Iroha Shinohara. Your deeds and actions in the disaster that happened in this city a few days ago were a great service to the people of Ebrilyon and its royal family. We’re extremely grateful for your courage and wish to reward you for your efforts.”

  Bea spoke for both of them. Like I previously thought, the king was a man of few words. He expressed his gratitude with a small bow.

  The mood was like that of a formal ceremony, but it wasn’t quite what I expected… Wouldn’t there be a lot of random people here if that was the case? Maybe I got the wrong idea about how these things work from anime… Or maybe it was all part of the mastermind’s pn. I’ve heard rumors that this Bea is quite the naughty girl.

  “Now, we’d usually discuss what reward would be more appropriate for the courage you dispyed, but since this meeting follows the incident that happened during the tournament, and you were the st contestant standing, it only feels right to award you the tournament’s prize. Meaning you receive my hand in marriage!”

  She waited for no one to deliver the verdict… And with such a smug grin to boot…

  Fnne and the king both stared at her wide-eyed. Bea was clearly trying to set them off, and it worked. The king rose up from his throne angrily.

  “That won’t stand! Rematch! I demand a rematch!”

  As a warrior king, he was always dressed in armor and had his sword by his waist. He drew the ridiculously big sword, pointing it at me. “A- are we really doing this?”

  “*Sigh…*” Fnne couldn’t bear to look… She told me not to cause a commotion, but she was in a room full of troublemakers. Hopeless…

  “Geez… What do you think you’re doing, Dad? Just because you can walk, you’re not in any condition to fight her. You’re gonna lose.”

  “Hmph.” He scoffed, slowly walking toward me. “You don’t understand the battlefield, Beatize. Sometimes a man has to fight even against all odds!”

  “No… You really don’t…” This was the very definition of an optional fight. One he clearly started… Bea shook her head.

  “He- hey! I don’t want this either!” I never asked to marry her or anything! She’s the one who dragged me into this! “Don’t ignore me! Please! Can’t we talk this out somehow?”

  “Crushing Bde!” The chunk of metal ripped through air straight at my neck.

  I bent my back and ducked under the sword before taking a few steps back. “Seriously! I can’t even fight if the king’s not in perfect condition yet! What if something bad happens?”

  “Don’t worry your pretty little head over that, okay? Just go all out and teach him a lesson!” Bea said from the background, like she was cheering on her favorite idol.

  I thought it was only in the tournament where there were clowns…

  “False Flower…”

  My next step blinked me right in front of his bde. A move so sudden it was impossible to react with anything other than a hasty swing.

  *Click…*

  So fast was my sword that the thousands of attacks all seemed to have happened at once. Over and over I swung my sword, hitting him from every angle at once. There were enough attacks to turn anything into fine powder. He was lucky I used the blunt side.

  “*Gasp!* No- not yet!” When the dust settled, the king was crawling on the floor, mustering the st of his strength.

  “See? I told you that would happen. Fnne, take him back to his room.”

  “Me…?” She approached the king with a bitter look. Even if that was Bea’s order, there was no way the king would just go with her without making a fuss… What could she do…? She crouched near his ear to whisper to him. “Uhmm… Your Majesty… It might be better to accept this proposal for now. I understand you don’t wish to give your precious daughter to a wolf. But luckily, Iroha’s a girl. Wouldn’t it be fine if you allowed this situation for a while? As a temporary solution?”

  He mulled it over in silence. A girl was much safer as a partner compared to a man… And it’d be harder for a man to snatch his daughter while they were together… It could work… “Fine… I’ll allow it for now.”

  Fnne heaved a sigh of relief. She grabbed the king’s arm and wrapped it around her shoulder as support.

  Then, like the devil she was, Bea whispered in his other ear.

  “By the way, I forgot to mention that Iroha has a lot of other girlfriends besides. I’m fully aware of that, and I intend to be just another one instead of just the one. You don’t mind, right?”

  “Re… re….” The king’s face turned red… Oh no… I can almost hear the pressure cooker! “Rematch! I demand a rematch!” He pointed his sword at me and rushed me down in the blink of an eye.

  “Ahahahahaha! Of course you’d do that…” Bea rolled her eyes. “Iroha, you know what to do!”

  I do… And I don’t think I’m gonna feel bad this time… His persistence is getting a bit annoying…

  “Impact Round!”

  The king was left twitching on the floor like a dying bug. What a shame… At least, unlike the bug, he won’t die. His gray hair turned bck and puffed up because of the explosion. What a sight… This really makes me feel like I’m back in the tournament.

  “Your highness! Wake up!” Fnne tended to him right away.

  “What was it he said? ‘There are some fights men can’t run from?’ Perfect quote for men who never learn.” Bea shrugged while patting her father’s head. “Well, it seems like there’s no more opposition, so it’s official now! We’re finally getting married, Iroha!”

  She hopped over to my side, leaning close to my face.

  “Well, you never learn either, so maybe it’s something that runs in the family. What do you mean ‘no opposition’? I’m still here.”

  “Fufufufu… But you’re just pying hard to get. And I love it.” She poked my nose as if that dismissed everything I said. “Let’s just say we’re engaged then. We’re dating, if you prefer to use that word. Does that change your mind?”

  “It’s not changing my mind, but it’s a lot better as a starting point for this conversation.”

  What conversation? Bea skipped that and linked arms with me. “I’m gd you came around! Let’s get out here then! I want to go on a date!” She dragged me out while completely ignoring the coarse words behind her.

  “Wa- wait…”

  Words that may or may not go down in history as the st words of Ebrilyon’s st king. Uttered with an outstretched hand that never stopped reaching for something better. For his daughter’s sake.

  Or the st words he spoke before waking up hangover the next day.

  Bam100