Once the Curse of Reversed Likability Was Lifted, My Party Members Became Unbearably Heavy
Soft morning sunlight streamed into the guest room of the royal castle.
Ren stretched lightly by the window, while Iris prepared post-breakfast tea on the small table beside him.
“Ren-san, everyone seems busy today. This room feels incredibly spacious with just the two of us, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah. All three of them just returned, and it seems they’re swamped with work.”
Iris chuckled softly as she placed a teacup before Ren.
The room, quieter than usual, was filled with a somehow calming atmosphere.
“…Somehow, these ordinary moments like this are nice.”
“Hehe. When you’re calm, Ren-san, I feel calm too.”
“We didn’t have that kind of leeway before, did we?”
“Yeah… We didn’t have a place like this where we could relax without worrying about others either.”
Iris lowered her eyes, but quickly looked up again, smiling gently.
“But that’s precisely why I appreciate moments like this even more now.”
“…I agree.”
As they exchanged such small talk, Ren suddenly glanced out the window.
A clear blue sky—beneath it, three people were immersed in work, as if trying to reclaim the past few days.
The Cathedral.
While Ren and Iris were chatting—in the cathedral, Celia’s soft voice resonated before the worshippers offering their prayers.
“May this day bring peace to you all.”
Her voice wasn’t as tense as before; it held a certain gentleness, mingled with deep breaths.
When the prayer ended, an elderly worshipper smiled, hands pressed together.
“Lady Celia, you seem much brighter lately.”
“Eh… I-is that so?”
“Yes, very much so. Before the Hero returned, you sometimes looked rather gloomy.”
“…! I-I’m sorry for causing you worry. But I’m fine now, so please don’t fret.”
(Ren… He must be with Iris right about now.)
Even as she thought this, a soft smile touched her lips.
Discontent, anxiety, jealousy—they all existed. But unlike before, they wouldn’t crush her. She’d resolved to face everything head-on.
So she could stay by his side.
“May today be a good day.”
Her smiling figure had indeed regained the warmth befitting a saint.
Deep within the research building, Noel sat at a desk illuminated by magical lamps, focused on her equipment.
Adjusting intricate magical circuits, she wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve.
“Hmm, the amplification rate is still dropping… If only this part would respond a little better…”
A faint blue magic seeped from her fingertips, causing the crystal in the magic meter to flicker rapidly.
Noel watched the needle’s movement with an utterly serious expression.
(Ren yesterday… he seemed even cooler than usual…)
Just remembering Ren made her face grow hot.
But she immediately cleared her throat and pulled the collar of her lab coat tighter.
(…Pull yourself together, Noel. You have to look like a researcher in front of the assistants.)
Yet, the slight smile on her cheeks was impossible to suppress.
On the desk lay the documents she had compiled, intending for Ren to look over them.
(When he gets back, maybe he’ll glance at them just a little…)
That hope naturally moved her hands.
Knight Order Headquarters.
At the training grounds, Rina was supervising the knights’ drills, her voice ringing out.
The sharp clang of swords clashing echoed through the morning air.
“Slow feet! If you dawdle on the battlefield, you’ll be a sitting duck!”
“R-right, Captain!”
Her reprimands were harsh, yet every knight listened to her voice with evident delight.
Thanks to Rina’s return, the order had regained its former vitality.
Even Rina herself, despite her brief rest, felt a sense of nostalgia.
(Ren… I hope he’s resting properly. I hope he hasn’t gotten himself into some strange trouble again.)
The very fact she could harbor such trivial thoughts was, for her, a kind of happiness.
But then—
“Captain!”
A young soldier burst in, panting heavily.
“Urgent report from the Northern Watchtower! ‘Confirmed sighting of a demonic group believed to be remnants of the Demon King’s Army’!”
Rina’s expression stiffened slightly. Her eyes, those of the Knight Captain, took on a serious gleam.
“…Location?”
“The northern outskirts, near the old highway!”
She immediately turned on her heel, took the letter, and quickly scanned its contents.
“So the rumors about surviving Demon Army forces in the north were true after all…”
She adjusted the cloak draped over her shoulders and took a sharp breath.
“…I must inform Ren.”
Once again, a new spark of conflict was about to ignite.