After a long, exhausting day of accidental battles, unwanted marriage proposals, and getting robbed, Haruto finally stood in front of the Merchant Guild to claim his reward.

The merchant who hired him was practically crying tears of joy.

"Sir Haruto!" The merchant grasped his hands with shaking gratitude. "You have done a great service in recovering my lost cargo!"

"Uh-huh," Haruto muttered, trying to yank his hands free.

"You saved my livelihood! You protected the trade routes! You defeated a DRAGON EMPEROR!"

"It wasn't on purpose," Haruto grumbled.

The merchant ignored him. "Such strength, such skill! Truly, you must be the reincarnation of an ancient hero!"

"Buddy, I just want my paycheck."

"Ah! Of course! Your reward!"

The merchant snapped his fingers, and a group of workers dragged out a massive chest filled with gold coins.

Haruto's eyes sparkled.

Finally.

Finally, he wasn't broke.

Finally, he could get a room at an inn, eat a proper meal, and—most importantly—escape this madness.

"Thank you," Haruto said, grabbing the heavy chest with one hand like it was made of feathers. "I'll be on my way—"

"Wait!"

Haruto's stomach dropped.

Here it comes.

He turned around very slowly to see Lilia, the Demon Lord, Princess Emilia, Emberis, the Dragon Emperor, and Fel, the cat-girl thief, all staring at him.

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…This was bad.

Lilia grinned. "Where are you going, dear husband?"

Haruto twitched. "I'M NOT YOUR HUSBAND."

Princess Emilia stepped forward. "If you need a place to stay, the royal palace has plenty of luxurious rooms!"

"I don't need a place to stay!"

Emberis crossed her arms. "If you seek solitude, my volcanic fortress offers the finest battle chambers."

"I'M NOT LOOKING FOR A BATTLE CHAMBER!"

Fel smirked. "So what, you're just gonna grab your gold and ditch us?"

Haruto froze.

That was exactly what he was going to do.

Fel's eyes narrowed. "You totally were, weren't you?"

Haruto broke into a cold sweat. "W-What? No! Pfft. That'd be rude."

Lilia's eyes sparkled ominously. "It's fine, dear husband! We'll come with you!"

"NO, YOU WON'T."

It was time to run.

Haruto's Grand Escape Plan (That Fails Instantly)

Haruto's brain switched to survival mode.

Step 1: Casually walk away.

Step 2: Disappear into the nearest alley.

Step 3: Ditch these lunatics and live a peaceful life.

With the most forced, casual expression, Haruto turned around and walked away.

"Welp, nice seeing you guys! Guess I'll go enjoy my reward—BY MYSELF!"

And then he vanished.

Literally.

The moment Haruto took a step, he used Stealth MAX, Speed MAX, and Evasion MAX at the same time.

To normal people, he would have instantly disappeared.

To these weirdos?

They saw everything.

Attempt #1: Alleyway Escape (Failure)

Haruto darted into a dark alleyway, weaving through tight spaces between buildings.

They'll never find me here.

"Found him!"

Haruto froze.

Fel was already there, grinning. "Nice try, boss. You can't out-stealth a thief."

Haruto sprinted in the opposite direction.

Attempt #2: Rooftop Escape (Failure)

Haruto leaped onto the rooftops, dashing at inhuman speeds across the city skyline.

No one's catching me up here—

BOOM!

A massive fireball exploded in front of him.

Haruto skidded to a stop.

Emberis landed gracefully on the roof ahead, arms crossed. "Running away from your mate? Unacceptable."

Haruto jumped to the next rooftop—

BOOM!

Another fireball.

Emberis smirked. "Give up, little human."

Haruto turned around.

Fel was already behind him.

Trapped.

Haruto narrowed his eyes. "Okay. New plan."

Attempt #3: Underground Escape (Failure)

Haruto jumped off the roof and dashed into the city's underground sewer tunnels.

Nobody would follow him down here.

SPLASH.

Haruto turned.

Lilia was already standing in the tunnel, glowing red eyes staring at him.

"...How?" Haruto whispered.

Lilia smiled sweetly. "You really thought you could run from me?"

Haruto sighed. "Of course I did. Why wouldn't I?"

Lilia tilted her head. "You can't escape me, dear husband. You'll always be mine."

Haruto sprinted in the other direction.

Final Attempt: Bribery (Failure)

Haruto burst out of the sewer, completely out of breath.

The girls were already waiting.

Fel grinned. "That was fun."

Emberis nodded. "You are a fine prey, indeed."

Princess Emilia looked disappointed. "You could have just asked for space, you know…"

Haruto dropped to his knees. "I just… wanted a quiet life…"

Lilia patted his head. "Silly Haruto. That's never going to happen."

Haruto suddenly had an idea.

He grabbed a handful of gold coins from his chest and held them out.

"...What if I bribe you all to leave me alone?"

The group stared at the gold.

For a second—just a brief second—Haruto thought he had won.

Then—

Fel snatched the coins. "Nice try, boss."

Lilia smirked. "I already own an entire kingdom."

Emberis laughed. "Dragons have no need for currency."

Princess Emilia sighed. "I'm a princess, Haruto…"

Haruto collapsed onto the ground.

"...I'm never getting rid of you, am I?"

Lilia hugged his arm. "Nope~!"

Fel leaned against him. "Never."

Emberis grinned. "You are mine, little human."

The Princess blushed and looked away.

Haruto stared at the sky.

He finally had gold, food, and shelter.

And yet—

He had never been more exhausted in his life.