MOTOYASU'S POV~
Sleep. The very concept seemed like a distant, unattainable peak I was doomed to forever circle but never reach. Even after the duel today – where I, the magnificent Spear Hero, had magnanimously shown mercy to that lowlife Shield Hero – my mind was buzzing. Not with the clash of steel, or the cheers of the (mercifully few) spectators, but with the quiet, serious look Alna had given me right after I'd declared my victory.
"Spear Hero-san… could you meet me tonight? After everyone's asleep?"
Her voice had been soft, a little hesitant, completely unlike the brave face she'd put on when confronting that Shield Hero earlier. What could she possibly want to talk about in secret? My heart hammered against my ribs like a war drum. It had to be important. Maybe… maybe she needed a true hero's guidance? Or perhaps… perhaps it was something more personal? A damsel in distress, seeking solace in the arms of her rescuer? The thought sent a pleasant warmth spreading through my chest. Yes, that felt right. That felt very heroic.
Alna was… different. Not like Myne, who was all fiery passion and dazzling smiles right upfront. Alna was quieter. More… mysterious. She spent a lot of time just thinking, her beautiful eyes often distant, lost in thought. When the others in the party would ask her what was on her mind, she'd just smile gently and change the subject. It was enchanting, yes, but also a little frustrating! I, Motoyasu Kitamura, Hero of the Spear, wanted to understand the heart of this beautiful maiden I had championed!
Finally, the sounds of the inn settled. Snoring from some of the knights quartered nearby, the distant calls of night birds. My party members were sound asleep, probably dreaming of the glorious adventures we'd have thanks to my leadership. Slipping out of my bed, I made my way to the door, opening and closing it with practiced, heroic stealth. No need to wake the others and cause a fuss. This was a private matter. A hero's duty, conducted in the shadows.
I navigated the quiet halls of the inn, the stone cool beneath my bare feet. The occasional torch cast long, dancing shadows, making everything feel a little more dramatic, a little more… important. I reached the agreed-upon location: a small, secluded balcony at the back of the inn, overlooking a section of the town gardens.
Stepping outside, a soft sigh escaped my lips. The night was breathtakingly beautiful. A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves in the garden below, carrying the sweet scent of blossoms. Above, the moon, a silver sickle, hung suspended in a velvet sky, surrounded by a million glittering stars that sparkled like scattered diamonds. It was the perfect backdrop for a hero to meet a beautiful maiden. It felt like a scene straight out of a fantasy novel.
And there she was.
Standing by the balcony railing, silhouetted against the moonlight, Alna looked… simply magnificent. Her dark hair, loosened from its daytime style, cascaded around her shoulders, catching the moonlight like liquid obsidian. The simple dress she wore seemed to shimmer, clinging just so to the elegant curves of her body. She wasn't wearing armor, or adventuring gear; she was just… herself. And in that moment, bathed in starlight and moonlight, she was the most enchanting woman I had ever seen. My heart did a complicated flip I was sure no other hero could replicate.
She must have heard my quiet footsteps because she turned. Her eyes, large and luminous even in the dim light, met mine. A soft, almost shy smile touched her lips.
"Spear Hero-san," she said again, her voice a gentle melody on the night air. "Thank you for coming."
Any heroic man, any true hero, would come if a beautiful maiden called for him! But to hear her say it, in this setting, made me feel… extra heroic.
"Alna-san," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, projecting that air of calm, heroic confidence. "Any man would come if a maiden as beautiful as you called for him. Especially this hero." I added the last part with a confident nod.
She lowered her gaze slightly, a faint blush rising on her cheeks. "Spear Hero-san is too kind. I… I fear you say this only to make me feel good."
Of course not! This wasn't some flimsy flattery! This was a hero speaking from the heart! A hero who had seen the truth behind that vile Shield Hero's actions and saved her.
"Not at all, Alna-san!" I insisted, stepping closer, leaning casually against the railing nearby. "I mean it sincerely! Your beauty is second to none! And… and if you felt comfortable, you could call me Motoyasu. I… I would like that very much."
It was a bold move, asking her to use my name. A sign of intimacy, of trust. I waited, hoping my heroic charm was working its magic.
She looked up again, her beautiful eyes searching mine. A shadow seemed to cross her face, and her smile faded slightly. "Motoyasu-san…" she said, using my name for the first time. Hearing it from her lips felt… right. Like a heroic reward. But her expression was one of conflict. "I… I appreciate you saying that. Truly. But… I am in a dilemma. I don't know where I stand… or what I should do."
A dilemma? A beautiful maiden, unsure of her path? This was precisely the kind of situation a hero like me was meant to solve!
"There's nothing to worry about, Alna-san," I said, straightening up, puffing out my chest slightly. "You are with me now! You are a part of my party! You are safe! You stand right here, beside a hero who will protect you!"
She listened quietly, her eyes fixed on me. Then, she took a deep breath.
"Motoyasu-san… there is something I must tell you," she said, her voice dropping to a low, serious tone. "Something about… about what happened today. With the Shield Hero."
My heroic senses tingled. Was she going to reveal more of his villainy? More ways he had tormented her? I braced myself, ready to listen, ready to comfort, ready to unleash my heroic fury if needed!
"What is it, Alna-san?" I asked, my gaze fixed on her face, ready to catch every word, every subtle nuance of her distress.
She hesitated, her eyes flickering towards the town below for a moment, then back to me. The silence stretched, taut with anticipation. Finally, she spoke.
"Motoyasu-san… the truth is… today… the Shield Hero… he wasn't trying to force himself on me."
My heroic brain stuttered. Wasn't he? But… she had said…
Alna's gaze was steady now, a strange mix of sincerity and something else I couldn't quite place. "He wasn't. In fact… he was helping me."
Helping her? That vile creature? Helping her? This didn't make sense!
Alna stepped closer, her voice lowering, becoming more confessional. "Motoyasu-san… the truth is… I… I liked you. From the moment I saw you. I… I wanted to join your party. And… and the Shield Hero… he saw how much I wanted to be with you… and he… he agreed to help me find a way."
My heroic heart did another flip, this one more dramatic than the last. She… she liked me? Enough to go through all that trouble? Enough to make it seem like that villain Shield Hero was attacking her, just so I would step in and save her, and take her into my party?
"Everything… everything I did… it was because… because I wanted to be here… with you, Motoyasu-san," she finished, her voice barely a whisper, her beautiful eyes looking up at me, filled with a vulnerability that completely melted my heroic resolve.
I stared at her, processing the confession. That lowlife Naofumi… he was just a stepping stone? A tool she used to get to me? And all that drama… the duel… it was all orchestrated… for me?
"Is… is this true, Alna-san?" I asked, needing to hear it confirmed, needing to savor the heroic validation.
She nodded, her gaze unwavering. "It is. I… I used him. I manipulated the situation. Just so I could be here. With you." She paused, her expression shifting, a hint of fear entering her eyes. "Are… are you angry with me, Motoyasu-san? For… for lying? For using him?"
Angry? Angry?! How could I possibly be angry?! A beautiful maiden, resorting to clever, albeit slightly convoluted, schemes just to be by my side? This wasn't anger-inducing! This was… this was proof of my undeniable charm! Proof of my heroic desirability! She liked me so much, she went through all that trouble!
"Angry?!" I exclaimed, feeling a rush of heroic pride so strong I felt like I could take on a Wave single-handedly right then and there. I reached out, gently taking her hands in mine. Her hands were soft, but felt surprisingly strong. "Alna-san! How could I be angry?!"
I squeezed her hands reassuringly, looking into her beautiful eyes. "You… you did all that… because you like me?" I repeated, just to hear the amazing truth again. "You went through all that drama, put on that performance, all just to be in my party, with me?"
She nodded again, slowly.
"Alna-san," I said, my voice filled with a sincere, heroic emotion. "That's… that's incredibly courageous! To take such risks, just to follow your heart and be with the hero you admire!" This wasn't manipulation! This was… this was devotion!
All the pieces clicked into place in my heroic mind. The Shield Hero wasn't a vile attacker! He was just… a pawn! Used by this beautiful maiden to get to her true heroic objective: Me! And that lowlife Naofumi… he wasn't even smart enough to realize he was being played! It was almost funny, in a pathetic sort of way.
Looking at Alna now, illuminated by the moonlight, her eyes filled with earnestness, I felt my chest swell with pride and a fierce protectiveness. She had confessed her true feelings, revealed her clever plan, and entrusted her vulnerable heart to me. And I, Motoyasu Kitamura, Hero of the Spear, would cherish that trust. I would protect this brave, beautiful maiden who had gone to such lengths just to be by my side.
This was it. This was what being a hero was all about. Protecting the innocent, accepting the devotion of beautiful maidens, and looking incredibly cool while doing it. My adventure with Alna-san was just beginning, and I knew, with her by my side, guided by her devotion to me, it would be truly legendary! That vile Shield Hero and his pathetic little trickery were already forgotten history. I had my beautiful maiden. That was all that mattered.
That's right, Naofumi. She wanted me. Not you. Never you.