After a warm night with Luna and Sasha, I woke up the next morning not to gentle cuddles or playful flirting—but to a pair of determined voices.
"Husband! Haven't you been training lately?" Hilda said, arms crossed and brow raised.
"Ngh… No, not really," I replied, still yawning.
"Then it's time we fix that," she said firmly.
"Wait… you don't want a normal date like the others?" I asked, blinking.
"I don't need some lovey-dovey outing," Hilda said, matter-of-fact. "I just want to spend time with you—with Lisa, too."
Lisa, standing beside her with a pout, chimed in. "Hmph. It's not like I want to date you. But… I guess I don't mind if you're okay with it."
Now I understood. Hilda had chosen Lisa as her double-date partner. It made sense—Lisa was just as stubborn as Hilda used to be.
After a quick wash and a bite of bread, we set out from the inn and made our way deep into the forest outside Dendroit Town. Following the river, we arrived at a scenic waterfall hidden among the trees.
"This place is beautiful," I said.
"It's also your training ground for today," Hilda declared.
"Wait—training ground?"
"Yes. We're doing an endurance course," she said. "Push boulders, dodge logs, meditate under the waterfall. Old school training."
Hilda, of course, completed every task with ease.
I struggled but managed to get through most of it. I only got stuck on pushing a particularly massive boulder.
Lisa, though… wasn't doing so well.
She threw tantrums when she failed, and each task seemed to frustrate her more. She couldn't push the boulder, tripped over every log, and shrieked when she stepped under the freezing waterfall. Despite her combat recklessness in battle, this training was clearly overwhelming.
"I can't do this anymore!" Lisa shouted, her voice cracking in frustration, stomping off into the woods.
"LISA! RESUME YOUR TRAINING, NOW!!" Hilda shouted after her.
"Hilda, calm down," I said. "Let me talk to her."
I followed Lisa's trail and found her sitting alone on a tree stump, sniffling.
"What's wrong, Lisa?" I asked gently.
"Why… why are you so good at this training?" she asked, wiping her eyes.
"It's not just me. I've had a lot of help—others shared their classes with me."
"Then why… why pick a stubborn girl like me?" she said through tears.
"Because I wanted to save you."
"Then why didn't you just release me? I haven't done anything for you."
"You already have. You just don't realize it."
"Then prove it!" she shouted. "Tell me what I've done for you!"
"Back when you were still a Sunbriar Ovis, in that dungeon... I looked into your eyes—and I knew. I wanted you to be one of my companions."
Then a rustling sound came from afar.
Meanwhile, back at the training ground, Hilda continued punching logs, reflecting on whether she'd been too hard on Lisa. Then she heard something unusual—muffled voices, wagon wheels, and clinking chains.
She followed the sounds until she stumbled upon a hidden bandit hideout. She crouched, peering from the bushes as a group of bandits loaded up cages of slaves onto wagons. Her eyes narrowed.
Back to me and Lisa in the woods—after our conversation, she had calmed down and said she wanted to apologize to Hilda for her behavior. We returned to the training grounds, but Hilda wasn't there.
Panic struck me.
Was she gone again?
Lisa went silent, visibly blaming herself for not apologizing sooner.
Then we heard it—hoofbeats and wagon wheels.
We ran toward the sound and reached a cliff edge overlooking the bandits transporting their slaves. I couldn't see Hilda anywhere. Fearing the worst, I carried Lisa and dashed toward them.
When we reached them, I asked if they'd seen a boar-kin woman—Hilda.
They denied it. But their leader eyed Lisa and suddenly demanded I sell her.
My blood boiled.
"I'm not selling anyone," I growled.
The leader kept pushing. Then he tried to separate Lisa from me.
Lisa, overwhelmed with guilt and fear, didn't fight back. She believed this was karma—for being difficult, stubborn, and not saying sorry to Hilda.
The bandits dragged her away as I stood in shock. But something inside me snapped.
"LET!! LISA!! GO!! YOU MORONS!!!" I roared, thunder rumbling in my chest.
Crackling Thunder Magic surged around me. Molten Magma Magic flared from beneath my feet. I charged forward with no mercy.
"I just lost one of my girls before—and now you're trying to take another!?"
Suddenly, a shout echoed from above.
"HUSBAND!!" Hilda's voice rang out.
She dropped from the skies like a meteor, slamming down into the bandits.
"I wasn't gone—I was waiting for the right moment," she said calmly, fists raised.
As the dust cleared, I stopped. Lisa looked up, tears in her eyes.
"Hilda…!"
She leaped into Hilda's arms. Hilda caught her—surprised, but not angry.
"Sorry… I was selfish and stubborn," Lisa murmured.
"No… I was too harsh," Hilda replied, gently patting her head.
My heart melted as I watched them embrace.
We turned our attention to the bandits and the rescued slaves. I asked what we should do with them.
Lisa—surprisingly calm—suggested we hand them over to the town guards.
She wasn't acting like her usual self. She was… maturing.
We returned to the waterfall and continued our training. I taught Lisa to control her anger using my Hellfire Magic, while Hilda demonstrated Magma and Thunder Magic.
Lisa, reflecting on her own power, realized that her Solar Magic was dangerous too. I conjured a Bone Hammer for her to practice with.
She focused her Solar Magic into the hammer—and with a mighty swing, incinerated a training dummy and sent shockwaves through the ground.
Later that evening, I asked the question I'd been holding in:
"Lisa, what happened with Amarath? Did she ever… do anything to you?"
"Amarath didn't hurt me," Lisa replied casually. "She just scolded me a lot. She left me alone because I was so stubborn."
"That time in the dungeon," Hilda added. "You charged at her and ended up hurting yourself."
"That was the first time Amarath ever acted toward me… maybe she even wanted to burn me alive," Lisa said. "Maybe that was her way of showing love."
"That's not how we show love," Hilda said firmly.
She stood up, walked over, and kissed me without hesitation.
"H-Hilda!?" I stammered.
Lisa looked away—then pouted. "Not fair!"
Lisa clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and stepped closer. Lisa leaned in and kissed me too. My heart skipped—so soft, yet so earnest. This wasn't the same stubborn girl I met in the dungeon.
"I actually felt your kindness… even before you tamed me," Lisa said softly. "Sorry for being a stubborn girl before"
I smiled at her blushing face and reached up gently.
"Lisa, your horns are kinda cute," I said, touching her curled ram horns.
She twitched slightly at the contact, then blurted—
"Ares-sama… what are you doing?!" Lisa stammered. "Ares-sama, I love you!!"
"Lisa… can I see your status window?" I asked. "You too, Hilda"
They both nodded.
> Lisa Meledric
Race: Satyr (Sunbriar Ovis)
Class: Paladin
Magic: Solar, Briar
Level: 351
Ability: Paladin's Taunt – Forces enemies to target the user; converts damage into 100% defense for self and allies.
> Hilda Meledric
Race: Boar-kin (Magmahide Tusk)
Class: Brawler
Magic: Magma, Thunder
Level: 353
Ability: Brawler's Break II – Breaks 150% of an enemy's shield.
"Wait—Lisa Meledric!?" Lisa blinked. "Ares-sama's… surname!?"
"Congratulations," Hilda grinned, patting her head. "You're his wife now."
"I-It's not like I wanted to be!" Lisa huffed. "But… thank you, Ares-sama."
"You're welcome, Lisa," I chuckled. "I love you too."
Lisa blushed furiously.
"Husband, I love you too!!" Hilda declared proudly.
"I love you, Hilda," I replied, smiling.
That night, we stayed in the woods, continuing our training under the stars. The warmth of Magma and Solar Magic kept us cozy as we huddled close, falling asleep in each other's arms.
And tomorrow… another date awaits.
But who's next?