Haruto rubbed his temples, letting out a long, exhausted groan.
"Seriously, man... this guy knows exactly how to scramble my brain every single time."
He muttered to himself. The sheer weight of discovering that the goddesses were his literal firewalls was overwhelming, but he couldn't let it paralyze him.
He looked down at his hands, watching the faint starlight shimmer settle deep beneath his skin. Slowly, he clenched his fingers into a tight, solid fist. The raw power of the Physical Boost vibrated through his knuckles.
"I don't care what kind of virus Kallen has become," Haruto whispered, his eyes flashing with a cold, sharp focus.
"To win a glitch game, you must delete a corrupt file. I am winning that Wizard Quest tomorrow. No exceptions."
Shaking off the residual chill of the Void, he quickly stripped out of his stiff Academy uniform and changed into his comfortable, casual house clothes. He needed to look normal, blend in, and act like the bored teenager everyone expected him to be.
Once changed, he unlocked his door and headed straight downstairs to face his team.
The rest of the day dissolved into a blur of intense, back-breaking training. The backyard of the mansion became their private war zone, away from the prying eyes of the village.
The three goddesses took turns pushing Haruto to his absolute limits, completely unaware that he now knew the dark secret behind their existence.
First up was Bellona. She didn't hold back a single bit. With her fierce combat instincts, she taught him raw, hand-to-hand martial arts. Because Haruto had no Spirit sword, she forced him to turn his own body into a weapon, showing him how to channel his speed into devastating, compact strikes.
Next was Ivory. She focused on his internal data, helping him refine his magic circuits. Under her strict guidance, Haruto learned how to control the flow of his mana so it wouldn't leak out and trigger a system alert.
Finally, Lustra took over. Her training was subtle but crucial: Posture Control. She taught him how to mask his explosive power, showing him how to move with absolute grace so that his opponents could never read his center of gravity or predict his next frame of attack.
Surprisingly, they didn't just train Haruto. The goddesses dragged Toya into the drills too. As the hours ticked by, the physical exertion began to wash away the heavy tension that had been hanging over the young smith. Moving, sweating, and fighting alongside Haruto forced Toya out of his brooding silence. By the time the sun began to set, Toya's face had relaxed, and his usual steady rhythm had returned.
Haruto watched Toya out of the corner of his eye as they both took a breather, wiping the sweat from their brows.
He looks normal again, Haruto thought, a quiet sense of relief washing over his chest. Maybe... maybe he's finally forgiven me for hiding that sword. ---
By the time night fully set in, the backyard was dead silent, the heavy thuds of training finally coming to an end. Haruto was completely wiped out, his muscles aching from the grueling routine, and Toya looked just as exhausted, leaning on his knees and breathing heavily.
They headed back inside, joining the others in the main hall. The warmth of the room was a welcome relief after hours under the cold night sky. As Haruto slumped onto the sofa, the three goddesses looked at him, their expressions a mix of genuine surprise and pride.
"We knew you were strong, Haruto,"Ivory said, crossing her arms as she looked at him.
"But the speed at which you absorb techniques is absurd. We didn't expect you to master everything we threw at you so quickly."
"Yeah,"Lustra added, adjusting her posture.
"It usually takes months to refine your stance like that, but you picked it up in a single afternoon."
Haruto just nodded, giving a tired, casual shrug. "Yeah, I guess I'm just a fast learner."
In his mind, though, he knew the real cheat code. This was the raw power of the Physical Boost AETHERIS had hardcoded into his system. His muscle memory had become terrifyingly sharp. The update had optimized his brain's processing speed, allowing him to condense months of brutal, repetitive training into a few short hours. He wasn't just learning; his body was instantly downloading the data.
"They're right, Haruto,"Toya suddenly spoke up, sitting on a chair nearby. He looked right at him, the tension from earlier completely gone. "You really are powerful. Seeing you move out there... it's like you're a completely different fighter."
Hearing those words come from Toya's mouth made something click inside Haruto's chest. A wave of genuine relief washed over him. The cold, mechanical distance between them was gone. Toya didn't see him as a stranger anymore; he saw him as his friend who was ready to fight.
Lustra stood up, stretching her arms and breaking the sentimental moment with a playful yawn.
"Alright, enough praise for the Hero. We are absolutely covered in dirt. We're going to go take a bath and clean up. You boys just stay here and wait for us."
The moment the door clicked shut behind the three goddesses, the massive living hall fell into a heavy, quiet stillness. The faint, comforting aroma of spices and roasting meat wafted in from the kitchen where Asobi was quietly preparing dinner, but the air between Haruto and Toya remained thick.
Haruto leaned back on the sofa, closing his eyes to rest his aching eyelids, when Toya's voice broke the silence.
"Haruto... did something happen to you?"
Haruto's eyes snapped open. He was caught completely off guard, his pulse spiking for a fraction of a second.
"What? No. Why would you think that?"
Toya stared directly into his eyes, his expression deeply serious, entirely devoid of the anger from earlier—replaced only by deep concern for his friend.
"Because you've completely changed," Toya said, leaning forward.
"Look at you. Suddenly you're packed with lean muscle, and your body adapts to god-level training drills in mere hours. That's physically impossible for the Haruto I knew. And it's not just your body, Haruto. What's going on with Princess Lilith? There is something incredibly strange happening between you two, and yet you seem totally comfortable around her now. The old Haruto would have been running a mile away from that kind of high-tier drama."
Haruto opened his mouth to make a sarcastic joke, to brush it off as a 'Gamer upgrade,' but Toya didn't let him interrupt.
"Listen to me, Haruto," Toya said softly, looking down at his own calloused, blistered hands.
"You told me you didn't have a sword because of a dangerous system restriction. You told me the truth about the forge. At least... I want to believe you did. We've been through too much for you to start wearing a mask around me now. If there's a hidden penalty, or if you're carrying a burden that could delete you tomorrow... please, just tell me."
Haruto opened his mouth to reply, the words heavy on his tongue, but before he could say a single thing, the heavy wooden doors of the main hall swung open with a loud creak.
Standing at the entrance were Rutherford, Lilith, and little Aetherna, who was happily riding in Lilith's arms. The regal, intense aura they brought with them instantly shattered the quiet, serious mood in the room.
"Hello! We're back!" Lilith announced with a playful wave, stepping into the hall.
Aetherna looked around the room, her eyes lighting up when she spotted Haruto. She raised a small, crushed flower in her hand. "Look, Papa! Jasmine! I found it at the castle!"
Haruto let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, relieved by the sudden interruption.
"Wow, that's great, kid," he said, giving her a small, tight smile.
Lilith walked closer, her sharp eyes scanning the room, immediately noticing the thin layer of dust and sweat coating both Haruto and Toya. "Were you two training this entire time?"
Haruto just nodded his head in response, keeping his face flat.
"Yeah. Just finished a while ago." He looked around her shoulder, trying to change the subject.
"Where are the other three?" Lilith asked.
"They went to take a bath. They were completely covered in dirt," Haruto explained, leaning back against the sofa.
Lilith's eyes lit up with a mischievous glint.
"Hmm, a bath? Sounds perfect. I'm absolutely exhausted from touring that boring castle, and I need to wash up too."
She shifted Aetherna in her arms, looking down at the little girl.
"Come on, Aetherna. Let's go get cleaned up, okay?"
"Yay! Bath time!" Aetherna cheered, waving her little arms as Lilith turned and carried her down the corridor toward the baths.
Rutherford, however, didn't follow them. The giant SSS+ Rank warrior remained standing right by the doorway like an immovable iron statue, his sharp gaze monitoring the perimeter, completely silent.
With Lilith and the kid gone, the heavy atmosphere instantly returned. The hall was dead quiet again, occupied only by Haruto, Toya, and the silent knight standing guard at the back.
Toya didn't waste a single second. He turned his eyes right back onto Haruto, his expression completely unchanged from before. He leaned forward, crossing his arms over his knees.
"Alright," Toya said, his voice low and steady so it wouldn't carry across the room.
"They're gone. Now tell me... you were just about to say something."
Haruto opened his mouth to reply to Toya, but then he stopped. He let out a long, heavy sigh, shaking his head. "No... it's nothing, Toya. Don't worry about it."
Before Toya could push any further, Rutherford—who was still standing by the door in his butler disguise—suddenly spoke up, his deep voice cutting through the tension.
"It seems you two were deeply discussing something of importance."
Toya's head snapped toward him, his patience completely worn out.
"Come on! Whose slave are you anyway? Who even asked you? Just stand there and keep your mouth shut."
Rutherford, despite being an SSS+ Rank weapon spirit, stayed firmly in character as a butler. He straightened his tie and replied smoothly,
"It is a butler's duty to ensure the well-being and open communication of his master's household."
That was the final straw for Toya's irritation. He glared at the giant spirit and snapped,
"Oh, just cut the act and get out! Go change a lightbulb or something!"
Rutherford stood stunned for a fraction of a second, completely taken aback by Toya's explosive irritation. He cleared his throat, cracked his massive knuckles, and muttered,
"Right... I think it is best if I vacate this room immediately before a domestic murder occurs."
With that, he turned on his heel and swiftly exited the hall.
Toya rubbed his templates, groaning loudly.
"Seriously, what is wrong with these weapon spirits? Just because they took human form doesn't mean they have to overact like theater actors twenty-four hours a day! I literally told Rutherford last night to just drop the act and go to sleep."
Haruto blinked, catching onto a detail.
"Wait. You told him to sleep? He didn't listen to you?"
"No!" Toya grumbled. "You completely passed out cold yesterday but this guy? He stayed awake and guarded your door the entire night without blinking."
Hearing this, Haruto understood. Toya's sharp, angry tone wasn't actual malice—it was just pure, exhausted irritation from dealing with stubborn, over-protective weapon spirits all night.
Haruto leaned forward, a small smirk playing on his lips.
"Hey, listen. I actually asked Aetherna about this before. I asked her why she acts so much like a real kid. She told me that taking on a specific physical form actually alters their core behavior. It programs them to match the role. It's the same for Rutherford. His butler form is forcing him to act like a loyal, stubborn guardian. He can't help it."
Toya rolled his eyes, letting out one last annoyed huff, finally dropping the subject.
Seeing his friend calm down, Haruto walked over and placed a firm, heavy hand on Toya's shoulder. His expression was pure, unadulterated boredom.
"Forget about the spirits for a second," Haruto said, his eyes flashing with a sudden, sharp light.
"Listen to my plan for tomorrow. It's going to be fun. If we walk into that Wizard Quest and absolutely obliterate Kallen and his virus squad in a single attack... wouldn't that be hilarious?"
Toya looked up, surprised.
"You know how I am," Haruto continued, a confident, predatory grin breaking across his face. "You said it yourself—I'm not like a family drama guy, I like fighting a war against my own boredom.A one-shot, one-kill execution before the server even registers what happened? That's boring. A long, drawn-out magic battle? Now that is how you enjoy the game. We already know we will win. We are just toying with them. Are you ready to help me delete this file?".He lied