That time when I woke up, there were… 17 of them, I think... I guess so.

  No, if I remember well, one passed out at an early stage and was given medical care, while another was called back in the middle of the night for an emergency. But both still count… So 19.

  Good, things are progressing smoothly, this brings the total to 1237. I’m still 2486 off, but I’m getting closer to my goal, I will definitely prove to them all that they were completely wrong!!... About the stated number, at least…

  Oh! Right, there was that maid who came and brought us some snacks, and was mistaken for a participant… and this one who was jealous and couldn’t make it, but received her consolation prize afterwards. 1239, we are going forward.

  Haha! Who said ‘Beware of lust, it corrupts both the body and the mind.’!

  My perfect memory refutes the latter, while my situation proves the former’s opposite. I’m healthy and well, and it appears I have 3723 legal proof who can testify of it, without any need to search for some random stranger first-class witnesses which are few, or scarce husbands I mean second-class ones!

  “Hello? Did you hear me?”

  …some of them were also first-class though…

  “Hero-kun?”

  Ah yes, that’s right, some had this fetish and some even pushed their wife to me first…

  But!!! I’m not some ugly bastard in an NTR novel; I’m the hero!!! What’s the point if you take all sense of accomplishment… Ahem, I mean, give me remorse and bad feelings.

  Okay, I grant you that I wasn't the type to put much resistance and tend to compel rather quickly. Still! I'd never done it knowingly, even less obliged, and yet, what was I supposed to do when some random girl offered herself to me?

  I couldn’t check on everyone’s background beforehand, could I? That’s right, accidents happen, but I was always the first to ensure they remain unknown.

  I NEVER EVER raped anyone, I swear!! No, seriously, I’m not that BAD of a guy, ya know. I earnestly never forced anyone; I’d rather say it has often been the other way around.

  Back on topic, it was not my fault if some of them still find their way in afterward! I decently couldn’t pay attention to all the insignificant and burdensome details, even worse when they were hidden among other legitimate women.

  “HEY!!!” Bang!

  Something hard violently hit my head and forced me to refocus my attention. As I looked into my interlocutor, wondering what happened, a fork handle entered my field of vision, coming from my forehead and blood dripping before my eyes.

  A dazzling pain finally reached my brain and… That hurt! THAT HURT A LOT!!!!

  “A?e – OUCH – SACRE BLEU. Why would you do that!!!”

  Girls nowadays, pay them no attention for even 2 good minutes while thinking about other women, and here we are, instant resort to violence, followed by a nervous breakdown.

  “I’ve been speaking for 5 minutes straight, and you give no responses whatsoever! I know your situation is difficult so you're going through a tough time. I can understand that you have your mind elsewhere.

  I also admit that it's a bad taste of mine to bring up this topic so quickly in the conversation, especially when we barely know each other, but that is not a reason to utterly ignore me. If you are to reject me, do so, but do it outright!”

  Yup, I told you so. She was very sweet and caring before turning angrier and even shouting. Now, she will likely get all flustered and upset.

  I dunno what she is speaking about, but she seems to care about it, after all, she just nearly attempted to murder me. Without my hero’s almost invincible body and thick head, it would have ended up in a big mess.

  "Here again, your mind is about to go away and drift. CAN YOU AT LEAST GIVE ME A CLEAR ANSWER!" Proving me right in my thoughts, she became quite angry and made it clear my attitude was not to her liking while shouting to forcibly attract my attention.

  Well, since my interest in her was already fading, or was it because of the pain and blood loss? Never mind, regardless, the fact is that I had trouble concentrating. But hey, I was right again. Humf… women…

  Strengthening my concentration despite the pain and blood that was obstructing my vision, I was finally able to look at the person. Wow! I hadn't paid attention, but she was a stunning cutie.

  The reason behind this whole commotion was a slender girl rather small in build, even for a young adult. She had beautiful smooth hair, long enough to reach the middle of her back, and of a rather dark green color.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  She wore cosplay-like attire, a mix between a nurse’s, a night lady’s… And even a nun’s outfit? What’s this? It gave such a sexy vibe that you couldn’t even tell if she intended to look like one or the other or simply a natural temptress.

  A fitting short black nurse dress, with some pink here and there, mismatched tights, a pink fishnet, and a white one, with a barely visible garter belt that disappears behind the nurse outfit.

  On top of that, she had a scapular… that covered nothing and existed for the only purpose of adding fabric to the whole. I mean, bareback down to her butt; it completely evaded the bust on the front.

  If it were not for its questionable ability to partially cover the legs, this garment would’ve been a total failure on its own.

  Ultimately, a mighty, excessively fine, and imposing staff way too long for her build and that even grand priests don't show often gave a very strange allure to the whole.

  Anyway, her face kept giving me a feeling of déja-vu, though I didn’t know why. But let’s not dwell on it. I’m sure I’d remember it if it was important…somehow.

  “Sorry, a significant matter was on my mind, and I couldn’t focus. So where were we... Let me get my head straight…

  Ah yes, after my trial, the court and guild posted an arbitrary paid global request or so, in one fell swoop, asking adventurers to join my party to help me in my obligatory debt repay–I mean permanent quest for wealth, without any notice. Even though it was useless and nobody would be willing?.”

  Forced by her dangerous behavior that posed a certain threat to my well-being. I kept the conversation alive while trying to gather what my memory had left from our previous conversation, putting parts together at the same time they came back to me.

  “Yes, that’s it!” She was thrilled and stood up from bliss, leaning on the table.

  “And then, you, a junior healer who just got out of a first-rate magical school, accepted this request even before it was officially posted, thanks to your relation to one of the guild members…” I continued my speech, raising an eyebrow.

  The last sentence made me doubt their ulterior motive, taking the trouble to make this request only to let a nobody accept it before even seeing if anyone else was more trustworthy and fit. This ain’t a mere coincidence, or was it? They probably took on her generous offer, knowing the request was a wasted effort.

  “Yes!”

  “Thus, you received all of my personal data, my localization, a glimpse of all the faces I could take if I wanted to hide, and every single noticeable physical distinction that can help you recognize me.”

  Hey! Shouldn’t all of them be confidential information? And the last one is downright private!

  "Plus, an advance payment for service rendu of 500 gold, direct teleportation to where I was last seen by great wizards from the guild. And total access and right to a curse marked on me without my knowledge or consent, able to pinpoint where I am in real-time with less than ten meters of error margin and 0,1s refresh rate?"

  The last part’s scary and beyond overkill!! As if I would be able to flee, to where? I am condemned in every single kingdom on this continent and wanted dead or almost dead in every other. I wonder why almost-dead by the way, especially when that’s where Queendoms are…

  “YES!!!!” Delighted, she got close again, so much so that our faces were only inches apart. She was now half kneeling on the table, still leaning toward me, and her bosom had become visible to a limited extent.

  Not bad, that was quite a good view after all these hardships. The time in prison was not kind to me, and I missed the beautiful view that a female body provided.

  “So what's left, I’ve not forgotten anything right?”

  That was already a lot and I shouldn’t have missed anything of big importance, right? I don’t think I could remember anything else anyway.

  “YOU FORGOT MY REQUEST” BANG! The knife joined the fork on my body and nailed my hand to the table as her smile turned into a furious grim.

  “ARGFfzjf!!!!” I may deserve this one… OR NOT! At what point does this little oversight deserve such punishment? A slap, I don’t say, but she’s going too far!...

  Anyway, I should take care of it sooner rather than later, it hurts as hell!! And I don’t think dirtying the guild was a good idea; they were capable of charging me for the cleaning, and I didn’t want my already absolutely unpayable debt to grow… AS I CARE, even 3 lifetimes wouldn’t be enough anyway!!

  Okay, and what was her request again? I lost track at this very moment, but I cannot remember why. Once more, just another oddity.

  “Alright, can you tell me it once again, I just can’t remember it at all–NO NO STOP. I was elsewhere and distracted, I apologize and will take the blame, so please, I beg you, PLEASE!! Put down that spoon!!”

  “Humph goujat! That’s already the second time you said the exact same thing, you know!” Crossing her arms, ostensibly dissatisfied, she refused to drop her instrument of terror and even tightened her grip on it while giving me an accusing look.

  The 2nd time? Weird… I didn’t have any memory of the first, once again…

  “So, for the last time listen well, because it won’t happen a third! I love you. Would you marry me, please? Or go out with me? Or at least make me preg–I mean, let me help you in your hardship!”

  Okay, she got me here; I didn't see that one coming. I didn't see it at all.

  Fa-thud!

  I passed out from shock rather than blood loss, or maybe both. After all, I couldn’t feel my hand, and I started to see trouble cuz, you know…the cutlery was well planted, deep into the bones.

  Ah… Maybe I shouldn't have stopped the spoon, this could’ve actually spared my brain from the last sentence at least. I wonder where it would have ended… It’s not like you can cut or plant with that one, can you?

  As I was leaving for the other side, trying to recall something and refute my statement, a lingering feeling of pain came from one of my fingers, the one you feel after being amputated or chopped something, not that I know what it feels like, but…

  Ominous feelings filled me up.