“You did a great job, old man. This is perfect.”
“Is that so? Well, it’s finally done, huh?”
It was a Saturday in late May, and the weather had become quite warm. I had come to the blacksmith in town early in the morning to pick up the confinement goods I had ordered.
I had made about three revisions because I wasn’t satisfied, but I am satisfied with this finish. It’s finally complete.
“So, listen here, I made it exactly as you asked because I got the money… but you’re not really going to use this for anything bad, are you?”
“Of course not. I promise to use it for the good of the world, for the good of others, and for my own good.”
“Hmm, is that so…? Please, really? I couldn’t face my master if I was an accomplice to a crime.”
“I’m telling you it’s fine. Do you really think this face of mine looks that villainous?”
“It does.”
“Hahahaha, is that so, you blind fool. Now that it’s done, I have no use for you! I’ll never come to this shop again!”
I was outraged by the terrible insult and left the blacksmith’s shop.
It’s true that the original Geld had a villainous face, but the Geld overwritten by my spirit should be overflowing with a good-person aura from the inside.
When confining Millie, I was just going to tie her to the bed that happened to be in that room. But the rough rope I had prepared would hurt her skin.
So, I tried to custom-make a rope made of silk-like fibers that would be gentle on the skin, but when I tried tying myself up with it, I realized something. The act of tying someone up with a rope carries the risk of causing congestion.
That’s why I poured my heart and soul into designing this item that was completed today. Hand and Foot Shackles exclusively for Millie.
I designed them to be as comfortable as possible by measuring Millie’s wrists and ankles directly with my own hands. I paid particular attention to the gel cushion inside.
The most difficult part of the design was grabbing her ankles with my own hands. It was easy to do her wrists the day I thought of it, but I couldn’t find a natural opportunity to grab her feet, so I had to be a little forceful, sorry Millie.
It was completely out-of-line sexual harassment, so I was afraid she would hate me, but I realized it didn’t matter since I was going to kidnap and confine her later anyway, so I stumbled in front of Millie and grabbed her ankle.
Frankly speaking, there was no need to go this far, but I was too bored and had nothing else to do, so I couldn’t help it. I would like Millie to review the usability and use it for new product development in the next playthrough.
“Oh, Geld-kun?”
As I was imagining Millie being restrained and reviewing the Hand and Foot Shackles, saying things like, “It fits, but the feel isn’t great,” and “I don’t want to be restrained in the first place,” I heard Millie’s voice in reality.
I thought I was thinking about Millie too much and finally hallucinating… but when I turned around, Millie was really there, and next to her was an unfamiliar man—
“……………”
“It’s Geld-kun after all. Hey? Hello?”
“Oh, he moved. Were you shopping?”
“Ah, yeah. And… who are you with…”
“I’m going out with everyone from the party now.”
I finally realized when she said “party” that there was a Blonde Twin-tails girl and a red-haired ponytail girl besides Millie and the man.
…This is a Harem Party…! The Harem Party I’ve been searching for for over three years…!
Don’t panic, me… calm down, me… I’ve already memorized their faces, so if I get through this somehow, there shouldn’t be any problems…
“Out? What are you going to do?”
“We go outside to hunt Monsters every Saturday and Sunday… Huh? Geld-kun doesn’t go?”
“I’ve never gone… Huh? Does everyone go?”
“I think so… Ah.”
I had no idea there was such a custom. I didn’t know there were these drawbacks to having zero friends. Millie must have realized why I didn’t know, and she looked awkward.
Still, outside, huh? No wonder things weren’t progressing while I was just spacing out at school. I’m really glad I came out to town at this timing. I might have spent three years in vain without ever realizing it. I was getting a little bored in the middle, but I’m glad I made the Hand and Foot Shackles.
“Hey Millie, how long are you going to talk… Oh, you’re the pervert! The pervert from that time!”
The Blonde Twin-tails girl, who had barged in, pointed at me while trembling and shouted something outrageous. What is she saying so early in the morning?
“M-Melissa-chan, p-pervert all of a sudden… Huh? What’s going on?”
“I saw him dancing naked with a broom! He’s definitely a pervert!”
“Eh…? Geld-kun…? Ah, but come to think of it, Geld-kun grabbed my foot the other day—”
“Hey, what’s going on? Who is that guy?”
Things are getting serious. Even the Harem Bastard, who was watching the situation, has joined in, and this is getting out of control.
“Oh dear…”
“It’s kind of messed up that you’re acting like it’s someone else’s problem in this situation.”
“Huh?”
I thought I was being spoken to from the side, but it was the red-haired ponytail girl. She’s a tall beauty with a cool impression, and she’s carrying a huge axe despite being slender. Is she going to swing that around and fight?
“Ah, I’m Shizura. You’re… Geld, right? So, what’s your relationship with Millie?”
“There’s no relationship, we’re just in the same class.”
Blonde Twin-tails is Melissa, and red-haired ponytail is Shizura. Hmm, I don’t think I can remember them.
“Hmm? Melissa said you were dancing naked.”
“I was changing clothes indoors when she suddenly barged into the room. What a lewd woman.”
“Heeeh!? What are you talking about! Shizura, he’s just saying whatever he wants!”
I thought they wouldn’t be able to hear me because they were arguing a little far away, but there was someone with amazing ears. I was trying to keep my distance and stay out of it, but I’m getting dragged in.
“Then what about the foot thing Millie was talking about?”
Damn it, what is this ponytail girl? She’s asking all sorts of questions even though it has nothing to do with her. Foot? The foot is… the foot is… crap, I can’t think of an excuse. I can’t say that it was to make Hand and Foot Shackles exclusively for Millie, no matter what, what should I do?
“The foot is… well, you know, that thing. …First, you fall, right? And if Millie’s foot is in front of you… you’d grab it, right?”
“If it’s in front of you… huh?”
“G-Geld-kun…?”
“See, he’s a pervert after all!”
“Hey, what did you do to Millie!?”
“Huh? Oh, no, that’s not it, I misspoke. Um, it’s because her foot was pretty… that’s not it either. Hmm…”
“I don’t think this is the time to be thinking about that.”
“N-No way… Geld-kun is a pervert…”
“More importantly, take back what you said earlier! I heard you call me a l-l-lewd woman!”
“Millie’s foot? You grabbed her foot!?”
Damn it, ponytail girl. Was it Shizura? She’s stirring things up. Thanks to her, it’s impossible to fix now. More than anything, being labeled a pervert by Millie is more damaging than I thought. I want to go home and lie down.
“Hey, you guys are going outside, right? Is it okay to be lazing around in a place like this?”
“Ah, that’s true. Should we go soon?”
“Yeah, let’s leave this guy alone and go!”
It looks like Shizura and the Harem Bastard are going to pull them away. I’m glad, because I can’t deal with such a noisy group.
Still… is that the harem protagonist I’ve been looking for?
He has black hair and eyes, designed to be easy for Japanese boys to empathize with. His hairstyle is a mysterious mess that’s neither completely spiky nor completely down, with a medium length. His face isn’t bad, but not outstandingly handsome.
He doesn’t seem to be good with words, and I don’t think he’s the type to be quick-witted. The impression I get is that he’s straightforward and honest. In other words, an idiot.
I can’t possibly believe that he’s a man worthy of walking around with three beautiful girls of a level I haven’t seen in the three years I’ve been at Royal Ukyak Academy. He’s clearly mismatched.
And that’s proof that he’s the protagonist. In Harem stories, you never know why the protagonist is so popular. Things that would never happen in reality are happening. That’s what makes him the protagonist.
“There’s absolutely no doubt… he’s the protagonist…”
I’ve finally found the main character of this world.