Astral Online: Cursed by the Demon Lord to Become the Strongest Beautiful Girl, I Rapidly Grow and Dominate with Cheat Skills Despite Being the Weakest Profession - Chapter 199

Chapter 199: Love at Dawn

 

A gentle breeze blew, making my long black hair sway.

 

I, Kuro, dressed in a black armored dress sat down on the edge of the ship’s bow, hugging my knees.

 

There wasn’t a single other soul in sight.

 

A little way off, I could hear the cheerful chatter of the crew as they talked among themselves.

 

Turning my back on them, I gazed out at the eerily dark surface of the sea.

 

“So, the final battle against the Great Calamity of Lust, Asmodeus…”

 

By tomorrow afternoon, this ship was supposed to reach the Sea Kingdom.

 

To celebrate the journey’s safe end, Lucas had organized a farewell banquet on deck.

 

As I watched the sea, I recalled the scene earlier, where people had gathered around the main mast.

 

Since it was the last voyage, Sora had taken it upon herself to serve food to the crew who had looked after us and, somehow, ended up in a mysterious cooking battle with the ship’s newhalf chef.

 

Naturally, the one judging was the songstress Laura, a royal with the most refined palate on the ship.

 

The captain and the crew chatted and laughed as they enjoyed the large spread of dishes, reminiscing about the various events of the journey, mostly about the monster hunts they had carried out.

 

As for Inori, she was completely absorbed in crafting her items as usual, her plate of food untouched beside her, while her mother Arisa was nowhere to be found.

 

And I, rather than joining the large circle of people, sat alone, watching the dim sea under the moonlight.

 

On the way here, Sora had asked if I wanted to join the cooking contest, but I declined, choosing instead to spend some time alone.

 

The reason was simple, I wanted to think on my own about a feeling I still couldn’t come to terms with over the past few days.

 

“Not giving up, huh…”

 

In my mind, I pictured the songstress, who, after days of reflection, had finally come to her decision.

 

Even after being turned down, Laura had resolved to keep her feelings for Sora.

 

Watching her, I felt a whirl of complex emotions that I couldn’t quite put into words.

 

…Is it really okay for me to stay by her side as her partner without ever confessing my feelings?

 

Inori had confessed in the past, and even though she’d been rejected, she hadn’t given up.

 

While those around me were taking steps forward, I seemed to be the only one standing still, content with the status quo.

 

But even if I were to be honest with Sora about my feelings, I couldn’t imagine a scenario where it would end well.

 

Just thinking of the possibility of being turned down filled my chest with a painful tightness.

 

“They’re both amazing…”

 

The thought of my feelings being unrequited, felt scarier than any battle I’d ever faced.

 

Yet, even after stepping onto that battlefield of love and facing rejection, they both chose to get back up and keep going.

 

“Would I be able to get back up if I confessed to Sora and he rejected me…?”

 

I asked myself this question, but no answer came to mind.

 

So, I decided to face the feelings I held for her once more.

 

—When I think back, the first time I was intrigued by her was when Shino showed me a video of her hunting slimes.

 

Even though they were the weakest of monsters, her movements rivaled even Shino, the world champion. And more than anything, her expression—she was giving it her all and enjoying every moment—captivated me without me even realizing it.

 

Then, by a twist of fate, when I went to pick up the sword I had left with Kirie, I found Sora working at the shop.

 

In our first “duel”, I lost to her in a close match.

 

I was truly shocked to my core.

 

I’d beaten almost every top player, including Glen, the vice-captain and a professional gamer, and I thought only Shino could beat me.

 

The adventures I went on with her and Aria as friends were so much fun.

 

Although I came to this game to find out why my parents disappeared, my journey with them was filled with excitement and thrill every day.

 

—Thinking back, it was when she saved my dad at the temple that I truly fell for her from the depths of my heart.

 

I love watching her fight because she looks so cool.

 

I love being with her because it’s so much fun.

 

I want to stand by her side and support her because of her unbreakable strength.

 

I love her, love her, love her, love her, love her, love her, love her, love her—I love her so, so much.

 

“Yes, I… I love Sora… I love you, Sora…”

 

As if to reaffirm my growing feelings, I spoke the words over and over, pressing both hands hard against my aching chest.

 

Even if I were to share this overwhelming feeling with her, she probably wouldn’t return it.

 

Thinking that, I almost wanted to just disappear into the sea.

 

But I couldn’t allow myself to do that.

 

As I shrank down, struggling with the pain of it all, someone quietly sat down beside me.

 

When I looked over to see who it was, I saw my mother, Arisa, who had been nowhere to be found earlier.

 

She wore her usual gentle smile, looking at me intently.

 

“Mom…”

 

“Do you love Sora, Kuro?”

 

“…Yeah.”

 

“But you haven’t told him how you feel yet, have you?”

 

“…No, I haven’t.”

 

“Then, you need to start by telling him, loud and clear, that you love him more than anyone in the world.”

 

“But even if I told him now… Ouch!?”

 

As I hung my head, a light tap landed on my head.

 

Looking up through tearful eyes, I saw that Arisa had made a chopping motion with her right hand and brought it down on me.

 

With a slightly exasperated look, she spoke to me as I curled up in front of her.

 

“Love isn’t something to be afraid of.”

 

“Not… something to be afraid of…”

 

“That’s right. Being accepted on the first try is a miraculous, lucky thing. If you really want to be with him, you have to keep going after him until you win him over!”

 

With a clenched fist, Arisa spoke passionately.

 

Watching her mother, one thought popped into her mind, and she decided to ask her about it.

 

“How was your love story, Mom?”

 

“Of course, it was a fierce battle. You see, Haruto was twice as dense as anyone when it came to romance. Even when I told him directly that I liked him, he said, ‘You’re really pulling out all the stops with these off-the-board tactics to throw me off!’ At that moment, I honestly thought about strangling him.”

 

“Wow…”

 

Gathering the courage to confess only to get that kind of response might have broken my heart. As I took in this surprising story, Arisa continued.

 

“But even after I got through to him, he said he wasn’t worthy of me and turned me down. So, guess what I did?”

 

“Um… Based on what you said earlier, you didn’t give up and kept pursuing Dad?”

 

“Exactly. I moved into the apartment next to his so I could be closer than ever. I kept at it for about a year until one day, Haruto came to me with this proposal—‘If you can beat me in a game match, I’ll go out with you.’”

 

“S-So… what happened?”

 

“We both gave it everything we had, and in the end, the spear I threw pierced him right in the chest, and the match was over. When I took off my VR headset, Haruto said, ‘From the moment I met you, your spear had already pierced my heart. Please go out with me,’ and just like that, we ended up happily married.”

 

“Oh, wow… that’s wonderful.”

 

Thanks to my parents, I’ve read plenty of manga and watched lots of anime. And no matter the genre, I always like stories that end on a happy note rather than a sad one. Stories where the protagonist and heroine overcome hardships to be together always bring me to tears and make me feel good.

 

When I let out a sigh of relief, Arisa smiled at me knowingly.

 

“Kuro, do you know why I told you this story?”

 

“…Because I’m struggling with my feelings for Sora?”

 

“Correct. It’s okay to be conflicted, but staying stuck in place because of it isn’t good. Because…”

 

Arisa paused for a moment, then clenched her right fist and held it out toward me.

 

“Where you’re standing now isn’t even the starting line yet. If you don’t want to lose, if you want to grab that happy ending you love so much, then get moving and overtake those already ahead of you.”

 

“…Mom is right.”

 

I took in her straightforward advice and nodded with a wry smile.

 

This place isn’t like manga or anime—it’s the real world.

 

So no matter how long I wait, my chance won’t just come to me.

 

If I want my feelings to reach her, I’ll have to take action myself and fight for them.

 

“Mom, I… I love Sora. More than Inori, more than Laura, more than anyone else in the whole world!”

 

In my heart, I resolved to face my friends, Inori and Laura, head-on. With this determination, I thrust my right fist forward, bumping it against my mom’s.

 

—Suddenly, the menu screen popped open.

 

Startled, I saw that my main weapon, the ?Sword of Dawn?, stored in my inventory, was blinking.

 

Curious, I tapped on it, and a restored lavender-colored one-handed sword materialized in my hands.

 

The ?Sword of Dawn?, as if responding to my will, emitted a soft glow.

 

?Special condition ‘Resolve of Love’ achieved. By having a blacksmith craft this sword, it can now be upgraded to a higher-ranked weapon.?

 

This was one of the hidden powers within the elven treasure, the ?Sword of Dawn?. When its wielder faces their own feelings of love and commits to them, the sword responds to that resolve, laying the foundation for greater strength.

 

After reading the description, I accepted everything and gave myself a pep talk with a firm slap to my cheeks.

 

In ?Astral Online?, I don’t feel pain, only the impact, but somehow, it helped me feel a bit more positive.

 

I looked straight at my mom and spoke the words I’d decided on.

 

“Mom, when this adventure is over, I’m going to confess to Sora.”