Haruto had tried everything to escape.

[check] Running away at superhuman speeds? Caught.

[check] Hiding in the sewers? Found instantly.

[check] Bribery? Completely useless.

Now, Haruto sat slumped on a bench in the middle of Goldcrest City, completely defeated.

His gold reward sat next to him in a heavy chest.

His sanity was long gone.

And surrounding him, like a group of smug, victorious hunters, were his worst nightmare.

[check] Lilia, the yandere Demon Lord—grinning because she loved his suffering.

[check] Princess Emilia, the flustered royal—who was trying to convince him to be a knight.

[check] Emberis, the battle-crazed Dragon Emperor—who had somehow claimed him as her mate.

[check] Fel, the mischievous cat-girl thief—who kept picking his pockets just to mess with him.

He had nowhere left to run.

…Or did he?

The Final Plan: FAKE. HIS. DEATH.

Haruto's brain activated survival mode.

If he couldn't escape, then he had to make them think he was gone forever.

Step 1: Create a realistic fake body.

Step 2: Make it look like he died in a tragic accident.

Step 3: Secretly disappear to a peaceful village.

Step 4: Live as a normal person.

Lilia and the others were still arguing over him.

Perfect.

Haruto casually reached into his sleeve, activating "Instant Corpse Creation MAX"—a skill that was so specific, he had no idea why he even had it.

With a flick of his wrist—

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

POOF!

An exact copy of his own dead body appeared on the ground.

His head lolled sideways. His body went limp.

Haruto instantly activated Stealth MAX and vanished.

Haruto: Successfully Escaped (…or so he thought)

"Haruto?" Lilia asked.

No response.

She turned.

Her eyes widened.

"WAIT. WHY IS THERE A DEAD BODY?!"

Princess Emilia gasped. "D-DID HE JUST DIE?!"

Emberis stared in shock. "That… that shouldn't be possible."

Fel poked the body's face. "Huh. He's really dead."

Lilia's entire aura exploded in rage.

"NO." Her eyes glowed dangerously. "NO. NO. NO. I REFUSE."

She knelt down and grabbed his corpse.

"This is a lie," she whispered. "My dear husband is not allowed to die."

The ground shook.

The air turned heavy.

Lilia's demonic energy flared, cracking the pavement beneath her feet.

The entire city trembled.

"Haruto, if you think you can leave me by dying," Lilia whispered darkly, "I WILL REVIVE YOU MYSELF."

Haruto, who was hiding in an alley, broke into a cold sweat.

Oh crap, she's about to do something insane.

Lilia raised her hands. "FORBIDDEN MAGIC: SOUL RESTORATION!"

Dark magic exploded from the sky.

Princess Emilia screamed. "WAIT, WAIT, THAT'S ILLEGAL MAGIC—"

A terrifying shadow loomed over the entire city.

Lightning cracked across the sky.

The statues in the plaza crumbled to dust.

Haruto panicked.

"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, I'M ALIVE! I'M ALIVE!"

Before the spell could activate, Haruto jumped out of hiding, waving his arms wildly.

Everyone froze.

A long silence.

Then—

Princess Emilia's eye twitched.

"...So you mean to tell me," she whispered, "that you faked your death just to get away from us?"

Haruto slowly backed away. "...Maybe?"

Emberis laughed. "HAHA! Now THAT is a warrior's trick!"

Lilia, meanwhile, cracked her knuckles.

"Oh, my love," she said sweetly. "I will make sure you never try that again."

Fel whistled. "Oooooh, you're in trouble, boss."

Haruto turned to run.

Lilia grabbed his collar.

He was not going anywhere.

Haruto Learns a Painful Lesson

Thirty minutes later, Haruto sat at a tavern table, sulking.

His "Fake Death Plan" had been a complete disaster.

Fel was stealing food from his plate.

Emberis was watching him like a predator.

Princess Emilia was lecturing him about responsibility.

Lilia was smugly enjoying his suffering.

Haruto slumped forward.

"...So what do I have to do to get a normal life?" he muttered.

Lilia smiled. "Simple, dear husband! Marry me!"

Haruto grabbed a fork and stabbed the table.

"I AM NOT MARRYING YOU!"

Fel grinned. "Relax, boss. With all of us around, life's never gonna be boring!"

"THAT'S THE PROBLEM!"

Princess Emilia sighed. "You should accept reality, Haruto…"

Haruto shook his head.

No.

He refused to accept this.

He would find a way to escape these lunatics.

Even if it was the last thing he did.

---