Episode 8: Fake Loves, Fake
“Honestly, what noblewoman would ever approach a Hero like him, who lacks manners, compassion, and thoughtfulness? It’s a mystery.”
Siesta had always found this puzzling. What kind of situation would lead a man like him to attract more than ten noblewomen at once?
“Well, there were indeed some fools who were blinded by the brand of ‘Hero’ and willingly offered themselves to him,” came the reply.
“So that means…?”
Finally, Siesta understood the questions that had been nagging at her.
“That’s right. Unfortunately, just as you suspected, those women were arranged by us.”
Relief washed over her. It was good to know there weren’t any women with questionable judgment involved.
“We conspired with Hilbert to introduce the women we prepared to Hero-kun.”
Siesta waited for Gilbert to elaborate further.
“Where should I start… Hmm, let’s talk about the concept of beauty among humans.”
He picked up a glass and took a sip to moisten his throat.
“I don’t usually like to say this, but whether a human is beautiful or not really comes down to minor differences. If they have big eyes, a straight nose, and those features are well-placed on the face, they can reach a certain level of attractiveness.”
Of course, it was just a certain level, he added, continuing his explanation.
“What I’m about to say is strictly confidential, so please keep it to yourself. There’s actually a spell called ‘Face-Changing Magic’ that’s an application of Healing Magic. With just a little use of that, voilà! A beautiful lady is born!”
Siesta was left speechless.
“So first, we had Hilbert visit several ‘less than reputable brothels’ and propose contracts to the women working there.”
“A contract…?”
“That’s right. First, we would heal their bodies for free. Then, we would guarantee them food, shelter, education opportunities, and a large sum of money for a certain period. In exchange, we would transform their faces into those of beautiful strangers, give them a bit of noble education to mask their appearances, and after completing their education, they would spend a certain amount of time with Hero-kun at night—something like that.”
As he finished speaking, Gilbert waved his hands in front of his face, saying, “Just so you know, this isn’t compulsory, so don’t misunderstand.”
In modern Japan, such actions would be condemned as inhumane. Thinking of the women who would share a bed with the Hero, Siesta felt a pang of sorrow.
“Don’t make that face… But I suppose it’s only natural for you to react that way…”
Gilbert’s expression seemed to darken slightly.
“However, it seems they were quite eager to participate.”
That was an understatement.
“Of course! If they stayed there, their lives would have been in danger. Working there, they could earn in a short time what would take years to make! And on top of that, they get to become beautiful! They were all thrilled at the prospect of ‘starting their lives over again!'”
Gilbert clapped his hands, exclaiming, “Yay!! We did it!!”
“Actually, there were even some brave souls who volunteered multiple times for this mission to serve under Hero-kun.”
Such actions were unbecoming of a priest. Yet, his tone was oddly gentle—
“So, you don’t need to feel sorrowful. It’s unfortunate, but that’s just how the world works.”
Gilbert told Siesta, who was holding her head in despair.
“Wow, that was fun! It was really something! I wish you could have experienced it in real-time!”
Gilbert said, sounding regretful.
“I love my first women, and this time, they were all inexperienced girls, which was just perfect!”
He was mimicking the Hero.
“Noble girls are the best. Only pure women like them can soothe my noble soul.”
Gilbert’s impersonation was a terrible, malicious parody.
“There wasn’t a single inexperienced girl among them! How ridiculous!”
Siesta felt that Gilbert seemed a bit different from his usual self. He was more exuberant than usual—
As Siesta pondered this, the conversation shifted to crude topics about the “first proof of a woman” and how it involved collecting blood in a bag made from some slime material, and other tasteless jokes.
If Yamada had been there, he would have shouted, “Gilbert!! Get out of the church already!!” with a loud “Boom!!” sound effect.
According to Gilbert’s further revelations, it was obvious that not only the women they had arranged but also the various decorations and jewels he had purchased were mostly fake.
Moreover, even the jewels were mere imitations, made from mixing soil magic with ore and hardening it.
“Isn’t it just comical and ironic that fakes admire other fakes?” Gilbert chuckled.
I apologize for the repeated announcements, but I wanted to let you know that the manga adaptation is being published on Piccoma, and there’s a limited-time event where you can read up to episode seven all at once! If you’re interested, please check it out!