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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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A master-class superhuman could, in fact, bring someone to their knees with their mere presence, without even needing to subtly release their magical power.
It was the kind of thing commonly referred to as “killing intent.”
Imagine encountering a wild beast in the mountains at night without any warning.
Ordinary people wouldn’t even think of running away, they’d be too stunned, collapsing on the spot.
This was similar to that.
Even a martial artist who had trained to their absolute limit would know that they couldn’t win a fight against a tiger, lion, or bear without any equipment.
They wouldn’t even be able to escape.
It was a way of exploiting a kind of psychological boundary.
If a master-class superhuman who had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship unleashed their killing intent, their opponent would instinctively sense it before their mind could even process it.
They’d understand, on a primal level, that they couldn’t win, and their spirit would crumble.
So what would happen if Eileen, widely acknowledged as the strongest swordsman in the North, the Black Lion of the Empire who had achieved master-class at a young age, intentionally unleashed her killing intent?
Goooo.
As if to demonstrate the outcome firsthand, a blizzard whipped up around them.
The temperature seemed to plummet by ten degrees in an instant, and the already frigid mountain wind now lashed at them like a blade.
Eileen, momentarily provoked by Sylvia’s clear provocation, couldn’t hold back any longer.
“…Say that again. Repeat what you just said.”
“You asked first, didn’t you?”
Sylvia replied with a smile, her hand elegantly covering her mouth.
“Why was a strand of my hair stuck to Rudrick? I’d say that’s a sufficient answer.”
“…You seem to be mistaken. Just because you spout nonsense doesn’t make it true.”
“If I was just making things up to tease you, don’t you think Rudrick would have refuted it?”
Before Sylvia could even finish speaking, the metaphorical excrement hit the fan.
“Um, uh, well…”
Rudrick, caught off guard by Sylvia’s sudden provocation of Eileen, stammered, flinching at Eileen’s icy glare.
Her eyes were asking a question, Is what Sylvia’s saying true?
It was a very awkward situation.
It was true that Rudrick had made up his mind, spurred by this incident.
He thought it would be better to choose one side and eliminate any possibility of conflict or remain indecisive like his past self, unable to make a decision.
But…
‘…Wait a minute, if I say something here, won’t I really get slapped?’
A moment of hesitation made Rudrick waver.
In this world, this kind of thing would be unprecedented.
Well, sure, protagonists in games and novels pulled it off all the time, but Rudrick wasn’t some fictional character.
This was his real life, and he couldn’t help but be cautious.
But then, Rudrick shook his head and slapped his own cheeks.
Eileen, who had just moments ago been glaring at him, tilted her head in puzzlement at his sudden action.
Ignoring her, Rudrick opened his mouth calmly.
“It’s true.”
“…”
As soon as he gave his candid confirmation, Eileen’s expression darkened dramatically.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that her expression had become as dark as a tragic heroine on the verge of suicide, completely despairing of life.
Eileen covered her face with her hands and mumbled,
“…H-how could this…”
Because Rudrick had spoken with such conviction, the mental shock to Eileen was even greater.
While she had previously resolved to respect his decision, no matter who he chose, and accept the outcome, she couldn’t help but feel a wave of shock wash over her.
She had been given a second chance through regression, yet ultimately, she hadn’t been chosen.
The fact that Rudrick had chosen Sylvia, of all people, was a bitter pill to swallow.
A jumble of thoughts swirled in Eileen’s mind, each one a hollow echo she couldn’t bring herself to utter aloud.
There were pragmatic words like, “If that’s your choice, then I understand…” and then questions demanding to know why he chose Sylvia over her or if he wasn’t being too hasty in his decision.
Rudrick sighed, seeing Eileen so visibly shaken.
He had expected her to be upset, but this was a little more than he’d anticipated.
“…But it doesn’t mean what you think.”
“What?”
“Huh?”
Eileen’s and Sylvia’s reactions were complete opposites.
Sylvia, who had been basking in the afterglow of their first kiss and the relief of victory, snapped back to reality, her eyes wide with surprise.
Eileen, clutching at a sliver of hope, stared at him with wide eyes, as if asking what he meant.
To be honest, neither of them had much relationship experience.
This was especially true for Eileen.
She was at an age where she had to start thinking about marriage and an heir as the Grand Duchess of Nord, even if it was a little late.
In his past life, getting married in your mid-twenties was extremely rare, but in this second life, with its medieval setting, it was practically unheard of.
Considering that she hadn’t even held a man’s hand aside from Rudrick’s until this age, it was only natural that she would assume that a kiss meant they were practically engaged.
“Ah… How do I explain this…?”
“…”
A heavy silence fell over them as Rudrick hesitated.
The knights of the Grand Duchy, sensing the tense atmosphere, had long since tactfully withdrawn, leaving the three of them alone.
“…What I mean is, I didn’t choose just one person. It’s a bit weird to say it like this, like I’m shopping for something at the market, but…”
“You didn’t choose just one person…?”
Finally deciding to be upfront since there was no one around to see, Rudrick blurted out his thoughts.
Eileen, still trying to process what he meant, seemed confused.
“That’s right.”
“…Rudrick, I still don’t understand what you’re saying. Are you saying you didn’t just choose one person?”
“Actually, I’ve thought about it a lot.”
This was going to be a long story, and it was a little too cold to just stand here exposed to the wind.
Rudrick conjured a magical barrier, creating a dome-like space that blocked out the wind.
Then, he lit a small fire inside, warming the space enough to take the edge off the chill.
“There are five of you.”
“Well, yes…?”
Sylvia responded, taken aback.
Rudrick had jumped right into it, but there were indeed five women vying for his affection, including herself.
“Let’s say I did choose just one person. I know I didn’t even want this kind of choice to be thrust upon me, but that’s the situation I’m in now, isn’t it?”
“…”
“Do you really think that if I chose one person, the others would just sit back and accept it? I doubt it would end with just a little squabble, don’t you?”
Rudrick desperately tried to justify his decision.
To put it simply, he could have just said,
“How about I date all five of you? If you don’t like it, you can leave.”
But he wasn’t that thick-skinned.
‘If I say that, I might actually end up with the bad ending.’
Rudrick thought to himself.
The same words could be received in vastly different ways depending on the context, especially when it came to sensitive topics like this.
There was no need to be blunt and risk upsetting them when he could try to smooth things over with carefully chosen words.
“…You seem to be unaware. No matter what choice you make, we will respect it—”
“It’s a bit hypocritical to say that with the crestfallen look you had on your face just a minute ago, isn’t it?”
“Ahem, ahem…”
Eileen coughed awkwardly.
It was true that she had been deeply shaken just a moment ago.
“So, instead of choosing just one of you, I decided to choose all of you.”
“…”
Both Eileen and Sylvia were speechless at his next words.
Not choosing anyone at all or choosing everyone…
“Utilitarianism, they call it. The greatest happiness for the greatest number of people, something like that.”
“…So you’re saying you’ll choose all of us? Because it’s a better option than choosing just one person or no one at all?”
“As expected of a dragon, you catch on quickly.”
Sylvia stared at Rudrick, dumbfounded, as he nodded in agreement.
Logically speaking, it made no sense.
In this world, it wasn’t uncommon for women of high status to have lovers besides their husbands, but she had never heard of the reverse.
Simply put, it was adultery, to say the least.
“…Maybe this might actually be for the best…”
The problem was, this absurd idea was starting to sound plausible, even to Eileen, who had just moments ago felt like Rudrick was slipping away from her.
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[Your Text Here]
hope he gets stabbed fr fr
Harem route lets goooo