‘What a doleful read.’

It would be like a witch playing with a man’s innocence. Exactly, that.

I crumpled the letter from the Goddess and was about to throw it to the corner of the room, but paused. If someone misunderstood this letter, blasphemy will be more of my concern, for anybody would think the sender had dared to use the name of the Goddess arbitrarily. So burning with a candle seemed a better alternative.

It calcined well.

After burning the letter, I turned my attention to the remaining letter.

A letter from the Perdiac family.

‘Who send it? It could be Frillite, but…’

Expectations were not wrong.

==============================

Dear Cloud.

I’ve come to hear what has transpired in Lupus.

It is said that you, alone, defeated a Heavenly King.

I’d be lying if I say I wasn’t surprised when I heard the news. Because it was impossible for you, the you I saw the last time we met.

But before questioning, there is something I must say.

Congratulations.

Defeating a Heavenly King alone is a feat that no other Hero of the time, including myself, has achieved.

You are worthy of being touted, as people call you now, the Greatest Hero.

Now that your achievements have been recognized by the Pope, no one will ever doubt your abilities.

No one will be able to make fun of you employing your origin as an excuse.

The dishonorable title of the Incompetent Hero will also fade.

I can’t even imagine how much effort you must’ve put in until now.

I’m really proud of you as a friend.

And I have something to tell you about. It is also the main reason for writing this letter. You may wonder why I didn’t just state it in the letter, but I want to say this face to face.

Just think of it as my obstinacy.

To be honest, I want to head for Lupus right away, but I have too many responsibilities to do so.

You’ll be busy in your own way, so you won’t have time to come see me either.

Still, I would like you to participate in the Imperial Banquet that will be held in a few months. I will also participate even if I’ve to split the time I don’t have of much.

I miss your silly laugh.

Hope to see you again soon.

“Who writes an informal letter so formally?”

But on second thought, Frillite’s speech had always been like that: austere and reserved.

Still, it was good to hear from her.

Rather good.

I felt like I was talking to her just reading through the letter.

‘It’s been a long time, I wanna see you too.’

The shy expression that sometimes sprang on her mirthless face was rather cute.

“What are you looking at, smiling like that?”

I quickly swivelled around to the voice emerging from right behind me. Katarina, who had just washed her hair and was drying the scarlet cascade of strands, tilted her head.

“What kind of letter is it that the normally sensitive Hero wouldn’t even notice a presence gaining on him?”

“It’s a letter from a friend.”

I answered, then folded my letter and put it under my coat.

“Isn’t Frillite the name of another Hero?”

My body stiffened at the words she spat out.

‘Did she see?’

I was bowled over.

“That’s right. To be precise, the Hero of the Empire.”

“…I recall the Hero of the Empire being a woman.”

“Yes?”

“The two of you even exchange letters…”

Katarina stared at me with a half-lidded gaze. At that, I felt like hitting my forehead! Come on.

“Are you even suspicious of receiving letters from my friends? You’re so doubting!”

“Doubting? Hey! Okay, let’s just say I’m over-possessive. Then what about the smile you just made? What is that bright yet hearty smile I’ve never seen before? That’s not the smile you’d elicit getting a friend’s letter!”

“…was my expression like that?”

“Yes, you bastard!”

Katarina suddenly grabbed me by the collar and threw me onto the bed. She climbed onto my stomach and bit on my neck.

It didn’t hurt because didn’t nibble hard.

More of a feral gesture of discontent mixed with grumbling.

I said, gently stroking her hair.

“She is just a friend. I’ve never even held her hand.”

“…really?”

“Yeah.”

I nodded my head without hesitation.

I’ve rested my head on her shoulder and linked arms, but never held her hand, so it was not a lie.

“In the first place, the world we live in is so different. She’s the eldest daughter of one of the exalted noble families in the Empire. What she’s lacking to see in me?”

“I understand.”

“When did you become so easy to understand?”

I grabbed her by the waist and turned her body over.

We were now upside down as her body writhed beneath mine.

“The real reason you’re upset isn’t because of that letter just now, but because I’ve been out with the princess for two months, right?”

“Does everything gets to you belatedly?”

Katarina propped her head aside, snorting. I smiled and gently stroked the rear of her head.

“Sorry. It was important.”

“You could have gone together with me.”

“Then how would you’ve levelled up? Were you planning to remain the most flimsy one of us?”

“Hey…eup?!”

Seeing veins protruding from her forehead, I quickly kissed her. She frowned, her brows creasing as if she didn’t like it, but gently rubbed her thighs against mine.

We were in the middle of kissing each other hard, mixing her tongue with mine.

Suddenly, the content of the letter came to my mind.

‘What is it you must say face to face?’

I ruminated but nothing noteworthy came to my mind.

* * *