My Friend’s Harem Is Obsessed With Me – Chapter 210

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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The following day, Rin looked at me with an odd, hesitant expression. She sensed something was different.

Truthfully, I hadn’t been able to meet her gaze since that night on the rooftop.

Upon returning, I’d had so much to say, but…

This Rin wasn’t the Rin from the second iteration.

I was caught in a dilemma.

With Eris, I had resolved to consider the zeroth iteration Eris and the current Eris as different people.

I had told her, just before sealing the Earliest Apocalypse, that I no longer loved her.

The same logic applied to Rin.

The Rin from the second iteration and the current Rin were different.

So, did I not love this Rin?

“……”

The answer was complicated.

I had realized, even in my previous life, that I loved Rin, not Eris.

But…

[Forget me.]

Every time I looked at Rin, I saw her dying face.

[Please, forget me and be happy.]

Her voice echoed in my mind.

The feelings I had for Eris after my first return were similar, yet different.

Back then, I had seen the two Erises as the same person, but…

‘I can’t see Rin the same way.’

If I confessed my feelings to Rin now, I was certain we would be together.

But the image of the other Rin, the one from the second iteration, lingered in my mind.

She had asked me to forget her, but I couldn’t. Loving this Rin felt like a betrayal of the Rin who had sacrificed herself.

‘I’ll… think about it later.’

There was no point in dwelling on it now.

Just as it had taken time to forget Eris, I needed time to process my feelings for the Rin of the second iteration.

“I made some tea for our guests.
What do you think?”

Diana, wearing an apron she usually only used as a dishcloth, brought in a tray of tea.

Ares, who had arrived earlier, peered into his cup, then cautiously pushed it aside.

“Isn’t this porridge?”

“Hmm? Does it look delicious?”

Diana grabbed Ares’s chin and poured the contents of the cup into his mouth.

“Ack! Hot…!”

As Ares sputtered and coughed, I joined in, forcing the rest of the tea down his throat.

Sen, Adriana, and Hayun entered, Rin trailing behind them. Adriana, as usual, was covered in dirt from her early morning warp.

Hayun, at this point in the previous timeline, would have cut the bracelet from my wrist and returned to her family, but I had stopped her.

I had something to say.

“Are you waterboarding him?”

Sen, watching us force the strange liquid down Ares’s throat, looked intrigued.

Honestly, there was a bit of resentment mixed in.

Because of this bastard…

‘No, it’s not Ares’s fault.’

I covered Ares’s mouth to prevent him from spitting out Diana’s concoction and gathered everyone together.

Kurika, who had been huddled in a corner, shifted uncomfortably as the room grew more crowded.

‘Kurika…’

[I die as your friend.]

I remembered Kurika’s dying words, his voice weak but firm, as he transferred his power to me. I would never forget that voice.

“Now that everyone’s here, listen up.”

“Ugh!”

“Ares, be quiet. This is important.”

“I… I really hate McLean’s.”

Ignoring Ares, who was gagging and glaring at Diana and me, I spoke.

“My original plan was to go to the beast-kin territory and rescue Eris.”

Everyone nodded.

That was the only reason they were still here.

“But the plan has changed. We’re splitting up. Kurika and I will lead separate teams. Kurika will go to the beast-kin territory, and I’m going to the royal capital.”

“Huh?”

My announcement was met with confusion, and Diana, who was always the most comfortable challenging me, asked,

“Out of nowhere, the royal capital? Why?”

“I’ll explain.”

I outlined my plan.

Based on the information from the previous iteration, the beast-kin territory would be easily resolved once Hoback’s rebellion was quelled.

And I had seen with my own eyes that Kurika could handle Hoback alone.

There was no need for me to go.

So I would head to the royal capital, establish a base, and prepare for the Following Apocalypse.

Of course, they questioned how I knew all this.

I simply invoked the infallible logic of the Goddess of Time.

Telling them the goddess had told me was enough to satisfy their curiosity.

And technically, it was information from the goddess.

“Kurika, Adriana, and Sen will form one team. That should be enough. Ares, Rin, and I will go to the capital.”

Hayun would return to Nirva to manage the Len family estate and then join us in the capital.

Diana would head to Dragon’s Boundary.

I had a reason to go there eventually.

The slumbering dragon Shakarim.

The Rin of the second iteration had said that Shakarim, worshipped by the dragon-kin, and Yggdrasil were the keys to stopping the Following Apocalypse.

Rin suddenly raised her hand.

“I want to go to the beast-kin territory.”

“……Huh?”

I was surprised.

She had been avoiding eye contact throughout the meeting.

But I could see the determination in her eyes.

“……Alright.”

I nodded in agreement.

The Goddess of Death could no longer interfere, so there was no risk of Rin losing control. It was safe for her to be away from me.

Honestly, I felt a sense of relief.

Being around her was emotionally overwhelming.

The Rin of the second iteration had sacrificed herself, hoping I would stop the Following Apocalypse.

I wouldn’t make any decisions about my feelings until I had fulfilled her wish.

We decided to wait until dawn.

Just like in the previous iteration, Kurika couldn’t travel openly until nightfall.

As I stepped outside for some air, I heard a familiar voice.

– How does it feel to start a new life?

“I almost said something I’d regret.”

– ……

I didn’t know where she had learned to be so sarcastic, but if she were here, I would have punched her.

“You should watch your words. Especially now.”

– I was just following her wishes. Why are you so angry with me?

“……What do you want?”

It was frustrating that the only way to learn about the Rin of the second iteration was through this annoying goddess.

It was clear from her tone that Rin’s sacrifice meant nothing to her.

– Just so you know, there won’t be any more returns.

The Goddess of Time sounded sulky.

– The other gods are taking the change in the return point quite seriously. So this is the final iteration. And if you fail, there’s no point anyway.

“……”

– I also lifted the Sun God’s curse. Now I understand how the Goddess of Death felt. This is an all-in bet, isn’t it?

“That’s good.”

I had no desire for further returns. This experience had been a nightmare, and repeating it would be unbearable.

“I’ll end everything in this lifetime.”

I swore it.

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“Wow, I’ve never been to the capital before.”

Ares, looking around in awe, finally noticed my gaze and quickly looked away.

“I should have come here with Arnie.”

I smacked him on the back of the head.

I had passed through the capital once before, in a carriage, when Tana had been taken away as Elise’s maid, but I had never walked its streets.

It was a prosperous city, befitting a royal capital, but I had no time for sightseeing.

‘I need to see Elise.’

As the third princess, she could exert influence in diplomatic matters. I intended to propose cooperation between the different races.

The meteor threatening the continent was a problem for everyone.

“Haa…”

I felt a bead of sweat trickle down my forehead.

When the Goddess of Time had told me this was the final iteration, I had been relieved, but…

Now, I felt a surge of anxiety.

‘It’s okay. Calm down.’

The Following Apocalypse was right beside me.

I had made sure he wouldn’t wander off, and with the Goddess of Death out of the picture, there was no risk of Rin awakening prematurely.

I would prepare for the Following Apocalypse, seal Rin’s power, and then…

It would all be over.

“Hey! Slow down!”

I ignored Ares’s complaints and continued walking, but…

I was stopped sooner than expected.

The Royal Guards at the palace gates blocked our path.

Ares, standing beside the carriages bustling with preparations for the year-end banquet, protested to the guards.

“Our friend is the third princess! Please, just call her!”

“Don’t be absurd. If the princess was expecting visitors, we would have been informed. Even if you know her, you can’t just barge in.”

“……”

Defeated by adult logic, Ares stood there, speechless, sweat dripping from his brow.

I pushed past him, ignoring the guards, and entered the palace.

“Huh? Huh?”

Ares, seeing the guards, who had been shouting at him moments ago, now standing frozen, their faces contorted in confusion, followed me hesitantly.

“D-Did you stop time?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure this is okay?”

“I don’t have time for this.”

“O-Okay…”

Ares’s voice was filled with concern, but I ignored him and continued walking.

Having spent a month in the palace before, I knew my way around. As I approached Elise’s quarters, she rushed out to greet me.

“Master? You came to see me?!”

Elise beamed, her face lighting up.

She must have sensed our approach, likely informed by her intelligence network, Lavender.

She ran towards me, her arms outstretched, but I gently stopped her.

“Let’s go inside. I have something to discuss.”

“……Master?”

“What is it? We can talk as we walk.”

I hurried towards her quarters, Bertia quickly leading us to a private room.

We sat down, and before the tea even arrived, I began,

“I need to go to Dragon’s Boundary. Not as an intruder this time, but as an envoy.”

“What?”

“I also need an audience with the King. His Majesty has recovered, and I played a role in executing the Priestess of Time, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Um…”

“I need to meet with the leaders of the other races as well. Eris will come here as soon as she’s rescued, so that’s taken care of. I’ll persuade the dragon-kin. Kurika will handle the beast-kin…”

“Wait! Master!”

Elise’s voice was sharp, urgent, and I looked at her, annoyed, but…

Her face was pale.

“What happened?”

“What?”

Her response surprised me.

I had expected her to say it was impossible, or that she needed time, or to question my motives.

But she was worried about me.

“What happened? Why are you in such a hurry?”

Elise rose from her seat and sat beside me, her eyes filled with concern. She placed her hand on mine.

“Please, calm down. Don’t worry, I’ll do whatever you ask. If you order me to, I’ll even… satisfy your personal desires.”

“……”

“But not now. Right now, you’re pushing me…”

I knew what she was about to say, so I remained silent.

“…and yourself, too hard.”

I knew.

I was using Elise, making demands, but in reality, I was pushing myself.

But…

The image of Rin’s smile, her last smile, flashed in my mind.

I gently removed Elise’s hand from mine.

Her eyes were filled with tears, and I forced myself to speak, my voice cold.

“I’m in a hurry. There’s no other way.”

“……”

Her expression was heartbreaking.

She accepted my words without question, without protest.

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