MPFM – Chapter 23 – Trial of Love

A living room filled with the scent of natural trees. I like the pleasant fragrance it gives off, it helps to calm the mind.

Right now, I’m currently sitting around a circular table.

The decision to use a circular shape for the table allowed the girls to sit comfortably without needing to argue about who should sit beside me.

It’s reassuring that they have considered things beyond just how many children’s rooms we should have.

And yes… we indeed have fifteen rooms prepared for our children.

Right now, I prefer not to dwell on that fact.

“So, Akira will be coming over to visit.”  (Jin)

“As expected…” (Reki & Yuuri)

As we discussed the events at the royal castle, surprisingly, the two of them didn’t seem all that shocked.

Come to think of it, it seemed like Lucika and Urwald-sama had been communicating about this topic in advance.

I may not have noticed, but perhaps Akira’s feelings were more evident to an outsider.

…Even someone like Reki noticed, so maybe I’m just too insensitive…

Next time, I’ll make an effort to be more sensitive to the other person’s emotions.

“Testing our love, huh? I wonder how is he going to do the test…” (Lucika)

“By the way, if the three of you were in Akira’s position, what kind of trial would you have put up? I think everyone’s predictions would be more accurate than my own.” (Jin)

As I mentioned that, Reki and the others exchanged glances and tilted their heads.

“Well… I’m not very confident about my guess, would that still be okay?” (Reki)

“Yeah. If we can prepare in advance, we can smoothly bring it to a close.” (Jin)

Considering Akira’s rampage earlier, it’s easy to imagine that it wouldn’t be easy to diffuse the situation.

After all, an adult from the royal family throwing a tantrum, shouting about wanting to get married to me so openly… 

I’m just glad it was only me, Lucika, and Urwald-sama who witnessed it.

“If that’s okay, then I have one idea.” (Reki)

“Okay, shall we hear it from Reki?” (Jin)

“I suggest hanging Jin and the finest meat from a cliff and creating a situation where only one of them can be saved. It would take considerable love to choose Jin over the meat.” (Reki)

“What kind of comparison is that…?” (Jin)

Should I lament the fact that I’m being compared to meat?

No, for a gourmet like Reki, the finest meat would indeed hold a very high position in her heart…!

Let’s not overthink it. The important thing is the fact that Reki chose me.

“Putting aside Reki-chan’s suggestion, the scenario of choosing between something precious to us and you, Jin-san, does seem plausible.” (Yuuri)

“Indeed… That makes sense.” (Jin)

“By the way, if it’s a choice between all the followers of the Holy Church and Jin-san, of course, I’ll choose Jin-san, so you can rest easy!” (Yuuri)

“…Yeah, thanks!” (Jin)

Her love is so heavy…! 

I’m starting to wonder if I can handle the weight of all that love alone…!

“But I don’t think Akira-san will do something that life-threatening, so he will probably test us with something else. And I predict that it will involve the most common issue I’ve heard from couples throughout my time as the [Saint].” (Yuuri)

Oh…! This sounds very promising!

That’s right, Yuuri has been listening to the numerous hardships of people all this time. Dealing with this kind of problem should be a piece of cake for her!

“So, what’s Yuuri’s prediction?” (Jin)

“It’s simple, Jin-san. — Compatibility of bodies.” (Yuuri)

“Oh, I see! Body compatibility… huh?” (Jin)

“They say dissatisfaction in intimate relations leads to dissatisfaction in a marriage. And then, spouses turn to others for satisfaction. In other words, if we can show Akira-san that our ‘body compatibility is outstanding,’ everything should be resolved!” (Yuuri)

There’s no way that’s the solution… this [Saint]…!

“So, let’s practice later with everyone! It’s okay! I don’t mind having our first night with four people!” (Yuuri)

“There’s no way that’s happening! Reki! Can you please quiet down this lewd [Saint]!” (Jin)

“Roger.” (Reki)

“Ah, Reki-chan? No, that’s not allowed! The human body doesn’t bend that way!” (Yuuri)

Turning my gaze away from the unfolding tragedy next to me, I look to the [Sage] Lucika-sama, the last hope we have left.

I always find myself entrusting my last hope to Lucika for some reason.

Even during our journey to defeat the Demon King, whenever we were stuck, it was always Lucika who guided us through it.

And she seemed to be pretty confident about the situation on the way back, probably because she had already figured out a solution.

This time too, she should guide us on the right path…!

“Leave it to me. In the love stories I’ve read, this kind of situation is a common occurrence.” (Lucika)

Oh no, I can already smell trouble.

“All we have to do is to just go ahead and kiss right in front of him to show our love! And make it a deep, adult kind of kiss!” (Lucika)

“So that’s it!” (Reki & Yuuri)

No, that’s definitely not it.

In the end, we couldn’t come up with anything, and the conclusion was to adapt to the situation as needed.

It sounds cool when put that way, but essentially, we are just going to go with the flow.

…

And so, the day of Akira’s visit arrived.

“Long time no see, fellow hero party members. I’d love to catch up, but I’m sure you know why I’m here today, right?” (Akira)

“Of course. I’m not giving Jin to Akira.” (Reki)

“Let us show you the power of our love.” (Yuuri)

“We’ve perfectly simulated everything. Come at us anytime.” (Lucika)

I have such confident brides.

By the way, I wasn’t allowed to see the details of their special training.

Apparently, it’s a maiden’s secret. If they claim to be maidens, I think their everyday behavior should be a bit more ladylike to be more convincing.

I’m talking about you, Yuuri.

“Ah, Jin-san, you were just thinking about me.” (Yuuri)

“How did you know!?” (Jin)(Jin)

“Hehe, with the power of love.” (Yuuri)

“You seem quite formidable.” (Akira)

It’s frightening how the conversation is proceeding normally.

I wonder why Akira is reacting as if his facing a formidable opponent.

It’s impossible to beat Yuuri in terms of perversion, so it’s better to take a different approach.

But as a husband, I also have to ride this wave.

I must show determination to dive in, not to retreat.

I’ve decided to accept everything about them.

“But I can’t lose either. I want Jin’s happiness more than anything. Just like how Jin has given me happiness.” (Akira)

Saying that, Akira gently touched the hair ornament that held his bangs.

It was something I recognized.

“Oh, you’re still using that, huh?” (Jin)

This goes way back when Akira and I still weren’t very close.

I remember giving it to him when he was still struggling with dealing with how other people viewed him.

I found it at a stall and thought it would suit Akira’s beautiful white hair.

I haven’t seen him wearing it since the day I gave it to him, so seeing it now makes me feel happy.

“…Of course. This is my treasure.” (Akira)

“Haha, it was worth giving it to you if you’re cherishing it.” (Jin)

“…Lately, I’ve been feeling like Jin might be heading down the wrong path.” (Reki)

“…Perhaps it’s time to teach him about proper behavior?” (Yuuri)

“…It might already be too late, but let’s do that.” (Lucika)

Even if you speak in a low voice, I can still hear you.

I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong…

“So, Jin. Leave this situation to me, I’m not here to cause trouble. If the three of them can make you happier than I can, then of course, I’ll step back as promised.” (Akira)

Akira speaks with clear eyes, devoid of any malicious intentions.

…If that’s the case, then I’ll just let things play out.

“…Got it. Please go easy on them.” (Jin)

“Of course. I won’t play dirty… Well, everyone. From now on, I’ll give you three challenges one by one. In response, each of you will choose a representative for each challenge. Once you become a representative for one challenge, you can’t participate in others. That’s the rule. Simple, right?” (Akira)

“How do we determine the winner?” (Yuuri)

“I’ll decide if you’ve made Jin happy. Of course, I’ll judge fairly. If you feel that I’m being biased, I’ll consider it an unconditional victory for you.” (Akira)

“A rule in our favor.” (Reki)

“Is that really okay?” (Lucika)

Akira gives a firm nod to Lucika’s question.

“Got it. I’ll definitely win this match.” (Lucika)

“This match is already over.” (Reki)

“I won’t let Jin-san go for sure!” (Yuuri)

“Let me start. As the eldest, I should fulfill my duty.” (Lucika)

Lucika steps forward in a rather cool manner.

I feel bad for Akira, but I’m, of course, cheering for my brides.

Lucika taking the lead is a good choice.

She has a wealth of knowledge in various fields. Surely, she can handle any challenge that comes her way.

“Then, let me choose a challenge. I’ve written them down in advance to ensure fairness. These are all about what I think is necessary as a wife.” (Akira)

Saying that, Akira takes out three cards from their pocket and presents one.

“I won’t hesitate to face anything. Come on, hit me with it.” (Lucika)

“Your task is to clean a room!” (Akira)

“…eh?” (Lucika)

“Maintaining cleanliness contributes to the health of the entire family. It might be simple, but it’s a very important thing, so I need to make sure!” (Akira)

What! It’s even easier than I thought!

With this, it’s practically a guaranteed win for Lucika!

“Heh… hehehe…” (Lucika)

…Lucika-san?

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Thanks for reading!

I was under the impression that he would state the challenge and they would pick someone to do it, but I guess not. 

Well, if it’s household chores, they are pretty screwed. I mean, from the looks of it, the MC is the one doing the heavy lifting in that area. I guess the only exception is that Yuuri can cook.

In other news, I think I’m gonna translate this LN when it comes out on the 25th Nov (definitely didn’t pick this because I saw the word VTuber in the description):

“A Toxic 20-Year-Old Game Streamer Accidentally Reveals His Nice Personality Because He Forgot to End the Stream”

Tbh I don’t think I translated the title correctly unless someone here knows what “煽り” is. I think it’s supposed to mean stirring up others (like taunting in game), but I just used the word ‘Toxic’, although, I’m not sure if it fits. From what I could tell, it’s a pretty streaming heavy romcom so I guess it’s for a very specific type of readers.

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