Wow… that’s impressive…
“…”
Esther, who had heard all the truths, complimented with a pure and sincere voice, saying how amazing it was.
“Are you kidding me…?”
– No way! Why would I joke about something like this?
Of course, part of her wanted to joke around.
Esther thought that teasing Evan here would be an action that risked losing even sweeter fruits.
So she believed that it was more important to listen to Evan’s story first and give him advice that would lead him to genuinely believe in her support.
After all, Evan dating Aria was something she very much desired. The idea of Aria being with Evan for a lifetime was far more reassuring than possibly betraying women, as they made a well-suited couple of Hero and Saint.
It was, of course, a couple she personally supported as well.
Anyway… there was no couple that matched as well as the Hero and the Saint she was in charge of.
But even so…
‘Aria does look a bit young…’
Aria seemed far too young to be dating her peers.
Of course, she knew they were the same age, and although Aria was small, she wasn’t at the level of being a little child, so it was fine since Evan was in his growth period.
Though Aria was also in her growth phase, at this age, being that short meant she had no real chance of growing much more… In the future, Evan would be much taller than Aria.
Even now, he had grown slightly since just entering the Academy, so it was hard to imagine how he would look by then.
‘Well… that’s not the real issue… it’s a problem they need to figure out themselves.’
The real problem was different.
‘What to do?’
Esther had said she would help, but having only watched Evan from a distance her entire life without ever intervening, she found herself feeling lost about how to give advice.
It was the karma built up from teasing the young Hero.
‘Calm down… there must be a way.’
Although she hadn’t heard everything yet, she had gathered some understanding of what had happened.
‘Could such a thing really exist…?’
How much did the Saint actually know?
No, the question of how much she knew was misleading.
Aria, having only lived for just over ten years, couldn’t possibly know everything, so this knowledge must have been directly given to her by the Goddess.
‘I don’t know why she would give it now…’
The effect of the trial was incredible.
Esther looked at the necklace hanging around Evan’s neck.
That necklace, obtained from the trial of power, was said to be “inherited.”
After acquiring that necklace, Evan had unlocked the power of the Hero at a speed incomparable to before.
Unlike past Heroes, who would grow stronger over years of travel, various major events had indeed occurred, but Evan, living a peaceful life, had unlocked the Sacred Sword and used the power of the Hero faster than any other.
And…
‘That attack back then…’
Judgment.
The skill that summoned the shape of a gigantic sword and slammed down below was definitely a Hero’s skill.
But it was strange.
‘That shouldn’t be something Evan can use now. How did he use it?’
It was a technique that the current Evan wouldn’t be able to use at all.
The sight of Evan not being exhausted at all after using it was enough to raise questions.
It seemed very likely that the necklace had aided him in some way.
She didn’t know what it was, but…
‘Didn’t he say he obtained nothing from the trial of wisdom?’
Yet for some unknown reason, Evan said that drawing out the power of the Hero had become easier, and he felt even stronger than before.
It could only be described as an amazing technique.
While it seemed like the conversation had strayed, to sum up, that incredible technique implemented a new world where all his subconscious desires were fulfilled and brought him there to live naturally.
The trial was a test to see if one could bring peace to the world by facing the Demon King after having lost everything.
And in that trial…
‘They were in a romantic relationship!’
Unfortunately, while both were aware of their relationship as lovers, they had not acted in any romantic way, given that they both understood their original connection.
But that alone was enough!
It was more than enough!
Thanks to that, though not intentional, it became the turning point where Aria realized that Evan liked her!
While it was speculation wrapped in uncertainty, it could be stated as almost certain.
The trial had created a world where everyone’s wishes came true and simply knowing that they were set as lovers was a solid fact.
Aria had never been conscious of Evan.
All this time… she had never thought of him as a man even once, at least she felt that way all along.
And such a fact would have been known by Aria too. The fact that they became lovers in a place where everything was fulfilled meant that someone had to have feelings for the other.
In other words, it implied that Aria must have realized Evan liked her.
There was no way such a setting would have been created without that.
‘So that’s why she reacted that way~’
She had somewhat predicted it.
As a wicked pure love enthusiast who had seen countless loves over thousands of years, it was only natural to understand this.
But knowing these details and recalling Aria’s behavior earlier was incredibly delightful.
‘Ah… so fresh and innocent.’
It had been a while since she had seen such youthful behavior.
Of course, they still seemed far from being connected…
Above all, while it was clear that Evan had feelings for Aria, it was uncertain whether Aria liked Evan.
Though she likely showed such reactions due to having some feelings for him.
Could she truly notice those feelings… and if she did, could she accept them was the question.
And then…
“So? Did I tell you everything, Esther?”
‘Hmm…’
In the end, she hadn’t thought at all about how to give him advice.
What should she do? Esther pondered for a long time.
If they went on without saying anything, he might sulk and not talk to her for a while.
In what way should she give advice for Evan to take it seriously… After much deliberation, Esther concluded that facing him directly was the only option left.
– Before I give you advice, there’s something I want to ask… are you thinking of confessing to Aria?
“… Huh?”
– What I mean is… I want to give you advice, but you haven’t defeated the Demon King yet, right? In this situation, do you have the intention to confess to Aria and possibly date her?
At Esther’s words, Evan’s eyes widened.
Thinking back, it was true.
In a situation where he had piles of obligations to fulfill, confessing to Aria would lead to unpredictable outcomes. Although he hadn’t spoken due to embarrassment, Esther’s words were utterly correct.
“…”
– This is something you need to think seriously about, right? You can’t neglect your duties.
“That’s… true…”
Only then did Evan finally realize the reality he had been avoiding.
Had he been too laid-back?
Even though two weeks had passed, after spending peaceful days without training with Aria, it seemed like his head had gotten clouded.
He still hadn’t decided on the first resolve he needed to make.
– Of course, I won’t stop you no matter what choice you make. I’ll support you whether it’s before or after your obligations are fulfilled.
However, Esther wanted to make it clear that if he intended to confess to Aria after defeating the Demon King, giving advice now would be meaningless.
“… Give me a moment to think.”
With a somewhat sad expression, Evan said that and left the room.
Esther watched him leave and let out a sigh of relief.
‘I messed up…’
In reality, it didn’t matter to her either way.
Feeling like she was deceiving an innocent child again left her somewhat uneasy, but there was no other option.
She couldn’t think of a way out of that situation.
More than anything, she didn’t want the conversation to become too serious…
‘But in any case, a choice needs to be made.’
Having seen many Heroes who couldn’t decide and ended up losing both, dying lonely, she had some advice she could offer.
‘Should I talk to the Saint as well?’
Maybe it would be good to think about advice while doing that.
Esther smiled as she planned ahead.
