The Abandoned Saint I Picked Up is a Side Character in an Otome Game and Turns Out to Be the World's Strongest Mage. I Plan to Rescue the Heroine Who Couldn't Achieve Her Happy Ending in a Dungeon. - Chapter 13

I had really done it this time.

When I came back to my senses, I found myself in my bedroom, with three women peacefully sleeping beside me.

Sure, I’d been drugged with that potion…

But the fact remained: I had crossed a line. And to make matters worse, one of them was a married woman, and another was, well, a younger girl.

This was a disaster. Saying it couldn’t be helped would be an unforgivable excuse.

“Mm… Good morning, Endo-san. Why do you look so pale this morning? Is it the side effect of the magic potion?”

Ariel had woken up.

Still groggy, she rubbed her eyes lightly before addressing me.

“O-oh, good morning, Ariel. No, it’s just… I was thinking about how to take responsibility for what happened.”

“Endo-san, you’re so oddly conscientious about these things. I think you should be a little more carefree.”

“No! That’s not how this works!”

I raised my voice at Ariel’s surprising remark.

Unfortunately, my outburst woke Christiana as well.

“Fwaaah… I slept so well… Oh, good morning, Endo-kun♡.”

“G-good morning.”

“Hey now, don’t get all formal with me. After how rough and commanding you were with me last night, this feels a little cold, doesn’t it?”

“T-that was because of the magic potion you forced me to drink…!”

I tried to explain myself, but since I was the one who acted on it, the words stuck in my throat.

Thankfully, Ariel stepped in to support me.

“Endo-san is very responsible, so he’s feeling guilty about what happened.”

“Oh, how adorable. But if that’s the case, how about making it official and marrying me?”

“F-what!?”

“I’d decided long ago that when I met the one, I’d leave my husband. Now that I’ve found you, why not make me your bride as well?”

“…I’m not giving up my place as Endo-san’s number one. If you’re okay with being the second wife, I won’t object.”

“E-eh!?”

“That’s the spirit, Ariel-chan! You’re so cute I could kiss you!”

“Ah♡ P-please don’t—mmph♡!”

Ignoring me entirely, Christiana pulled Ariel into a passionate kiss. Ariel’s protests sounded half-hearted at best, and a strange sense of loneliness crept over me.

Perhaps because they’d been working together to handle my outburst last night, the two had grown unexpectedly close.

“Pwah! Ahh, Ariel-chan, you’re just too cute.”

“…She’s my Ariel.”

“Oh my, jealous Endo-kun is adorable too.”

Was Christiana unbeatable or what?

“Well then, I’d better go file those divorce papers and inform the knight order that I’m resigning.”

“A-are you really okay with this? Don’t you have any regrets or second thoughts…?”

“Not at all. My marriage was purely political, after all. And as for my position as the knight captain, my son can take over. I’m ready to start my second life!”

Her decisiveness was overwhelming.

Although, I’d be lying if I said the thought of spending my days with a beautiful woman like Ariel and an equally stunning one like Christiana didn’t excite me.

“By the way, Ariel-chan…”

“Yes?”

“I want to know how you and Ariel-chan first met, Endo-kun.”

“…It’s not a particularly pleasant story.”

“Don’t hold back! I love hearing stories like that!”

It was obvious Christiana was hoping for a sweet, romantic tale filled with adorable moments.

But as soon as Ariel began recounting the story, Christiana quickly regretted her curiosity.

Because, truthfully, there was nothing pleasant about it.

From the academy’s cruelty to the Crown Prince’s assassination orders, the entire story was nothing but stomach-turning.

“I see… I understand now.”

Christiana nodded quietly after listening to Ariel’s tale.

And then, as if reflecting on something, she muttered:

“That academy hasn’t changed, has it? Preying on the weak is standard practice there, isn’t it?”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“Well, I was born into a poor viscount family, you see. Because of that, I endured constant harassment for years.”

“You, Christiana-san?”

I already knew this story, of course. Christiana’s past was revealed in Under the Shining Starry Sky.

“Well, I silenced them all with my fists.”

“…Fists?”

“Yes, fists.”

This was before Christiana became the captain of the knight order.

Like Ariel, her striking beauty made her a target for bullying during her academy days.

But unlike Ariel, Christiana’s strong personality meant she solved the problem by knocking out her tormentors one by one.

In short, she used pure violence to put an end to it.

“Still, my son is so disappointing, isn’t he? The type of man who thinks he’s protecting a girl in distress but only makes things worse.”

“That… might be true.”

“Ugh, thinking about the past is making me angry. Let’s go, Ariel-chan.”

“…Huh? Go? Where?”

“To settle things! This is absurd! Forcing you into the academy under royal command, leaving you to fend for yourself, and then the Crown Prince issuing an assassination order!? This is an abuse of power! Forget petty harassment—we’re going to smash them to pieces!”

With that declaration, Christiana leapt off the bed and began preparing in a flurry of movement.

About ten minutes later, thanks to Christiana’s forceful nature, we were en route to the capital.

Meanwhile, Kon was still sound asleep, so I left a note explaining that we were headed to the royal city.