The Hero's Streaming Life with the Saintess-Chapter 47: The Hero Is More Nervous Now Than When Fighting the Demon King

They say getting started is half the job.

“Hrrrrng...!!!”

─ Crack... snap...!

This is way harder than I thought.

Ripping this thing apart would be easy, but I have to handle it carefully so it doesn’t break.

It’s like separating two soap bubbles stuck together—without popping them.

“Haa...”

I managed to shrink the massive two-meter-long greatsword to about the length of an arm.

The problem was, if I tried to shrink it more, it really felt like it was gonna explode...

“Is there really no other way?”

In the end, I decided to go for it.

I focused mana into my hands and pressed it down so nothing would leak out.

Even a sliver of mana escaping would cause a massive storm and turn this whole place into a war zone.

“Please...”

─ Fssssss...!

The mana gathered into a single point and began releasing extreme heat.

And then, my shirt started burning away.

Sweat was pouring down like rain.

─ Crackle... spark!

Eventually, I compressed the blade—once as big as my forearm—down to the size of a coin.

And then, even more—down to the size of a fingernail.

─ FWOOOOOSH!!!

“No way. That actually worked?”

My clothes were all burned off—basically naked now—and all that remained in my hand was a tiny jewel.

A jewel with a radiant red glow, like it was swallowing the surrounding light itself.

“Now I just need to...”

I gathered an ultra-sharp thread of mana at my fingertip.

If I melted part of the ring and embedded the jewel with mana...

“Huh?”

But the jewel slid itself into the artifact on its own—like it had a will.

“???”

I just stared blankly at the artifact, now resized to fit as a ring.

I had no idea what just happened but...

“Is this... a good thing?”

Compared to when it was just a standalone jewel, it was way more stable now.

All that was left was to take this... and confess to Lyla.

“But how the hell do I confess...?”

I’ve never even confessed to anyone in my life, let alone dated.

Even back in the other world, all the women who came to me were just dazzled by the whole ‘Hero’ aura.

“Should I say, ‘Please have my child...’?”

Yeah, that’d definitely earn me a slap.

****

Lyla was lying around, hugging a pillow in light clothing.

“Hnng... I wonder when the Hero will come back...”

Where she was now... wasn’t exactly the hotel Song Hun had in mind.

It was more like a high-class ryokan with a private hot spring, rather than just a regular hotel.

Song Hun only knew the location of the inn.

“Maybe we’ll eat together and soak in the hot spring too?”

Before he made the reservation, he had called the front desk to confirm the room came with a private bath.

A private hot spring that only the guest staying in the room could access—no outsiders allowed.

“Anyway... what should I do about that arrogant wench...”

She was still mad.

How dare that girl eye the Hero with her eyes wide open right next to her?

It was a relief this was Earth. If this were any place else...

“Besides...”

Song Hun had been acting a little different these past few days.

He kept suggesting they go out together more, and—more importantly—he held her hand first.

Just like a couple would...

“Hnn... I shouldn’t be like this...”

Lyla sneakily moved her hand down to check something.

And when she realized what was happening, her face flushed red.

“I keep having weird thoughts...”

Just imagining Song Hun’s big hands touching her all over made her body slowly heat up.

Lyla got up and scanned the room with sharp eyes.

─ Click! Click!

She locked the doors and windows, then drew the curtains tight so no one could see inside.

“Just a little bit... before the Hero comes back...”

─ Squish... creak...

“Hnngh... Hero, if you keep making me wait... I really will eat you alive...”

****

Sitting naked on a big rock in the middle of the forest—since all my clothes were burned off.

Of course, I had packed a couple changes of clothes just in case something like this happened.

“Ha... I’m gonna lose it.”

Bad thoughts kept swirling through my head.

— Huh? Hero... did you just look at me like that?

— Ugh... Hero, we’ve got such an age gap...

— I always thought of you as a nice older brother...

— This makes me uncomfortable. Please don’t contact me anymore.

Just imagining Lyla’s cold expression like that made the blood drain from my face.

“Aaaaaaaaagh!!!”

─ BOOOOM!!!

I tried to calm myself down and decided to get some advice.

From the viewers?

No way in hell. Even if the sky split in half—I’d never ask them.

“They’re all just as hopeless as I am anyway...”

Parents?

They’d probably give great advice—but there’s a chance it might reach Lyla’s ears first. That’d be bad.

I needed someone married.

Someone I knew well enough.

— Hello?

“Ah, Nudungji... Are you live right now by any chance?”

— Nah, I wrapped up earlier. Just relaxing now.

Nudungji.

A married streamer I’d collabed with a few times—we were familiar enough.

The perfect person to ask for advice.

— What’s up though? You’re calling first—kinda rare.

“Uh, well...”

The words didn’t come out easily.

What was I even supposed to say?

In moments like this, the best move is to charge in headfirst.

“How did you first approach your wife, Nudungji?”

— Pffft...!

Maybe it was too out of the blue, because Nudungji’s laughter rang out from the speaker.

He laughed for a while before replying.

— You’re gonna confess to Miss Lyla, aren’t you?

“...”

— Come on, it’s obvious. You randomly called me, a married guy, to ask for some top-secret tips, right?

“You’re psychic.”

— Hmm... but honestly, I don’t think you really need my advice.

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

I’m about to have a meltdown here...

“I’ve never ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ done this kind of thing before. I honestly have no idea what I’m doing.”

— Just tell her how you feel. Plain and simple. That’s all it takes~

And with that, Nudungji hung up.

I’d been hoping for some profound married-man wisdom, but I just stared at my phone as the line went dead.

“Haa... Should I just go for it?”

Screw it. Whatever.

Every time this happens, I realize it again: I’ve never once thought things through before acting...

I threw on some spare clothes I’d packed—obviously I couldn’t go walking around naked—and left the forest.

It was still too chilly to call it spring. Snow was falling gently across the street.

“Pretty sure this is the address Lyla gave me...”

I searched it and took off running in that direction.

Oddly enough, the hotel wasn’t in the city but tucked away in a remote area.

“...This isn’t a hotel, though?”

It was a building with the same antique vibe as the Takamine family’s place.

Kind of like a hanok, but not quite—it had its own feel.

I stepped inside, fumbled my way through with a translation app, and the staff pointed me to the room number.

“Wait, we’ve got this whole huge room to ourselves?”

─ Click!

The door was locked.

Lyla said she’d be waiting in the room...

Maybe she got bored and stepped outside for a bit?

─ Knock knock!

“Lyla, you in there?”

There was a loud thump from inside, like someone scrambling around.

Guess she was asleep and woke up when she heard me.

─ Clack!

“Haah... Hero, you’re here?”

The Lyla that appeared in the doorway looked a little...

Sexy.

Like, really...

“Haa... Come on in.”

Maybe she had actually been asleep—her half-put-together clothes were damp with sweat, and one shoulder was just barely peeking out.

Her cheeks were slightly flushed too.

‘Dude, what the hell are you thinking.’

“Uh, were you napping?”

“Huh? Y-Yeah...! J-Just a little tired...”

“R-Right...”

Lyla casually gave me a mini tour of the room.

There was a private hot spring connected to the room—but from the outside, no one could see in.

She said we’d eat first, then wash up later...

“It’s probably about time for dinner, right?”

She picked up the room phone and smoothly placed the order.

About thirty minutes later, staff knocked on the door and brought in a full spread of food.

An older lady with a commanding presence explained the dishes as she set them down.

“Hero, this is seasonal fish... and this one’s a hotpot...”

Visit freewebnoveℓ.com for the best novel reading exp𝒆rience.

As she talked, she glanced back and forth between me and Lyla.

Then, smiling warmly, she pointed to the oysters and eel and said:

“新婚夫婦ですか?これは精力に良い食べ物です? (Are you two newlyweds? This is food that’s good for stamina, you know?)”

“Uh... she said these are oysters and eel...”

“...Huh?”

That whole long Japanese sentence... and that’s all the translation said?

Lyla’s face turned a strange shade of red.

Maybe she didn’t like that kind of food...?

Anyway, the staff left, and we began eating.

I didn’t even know if the food was going through my nose or mouth—just kept scarfing it down while fiddling with the ring in my pocket the whole time.

“Lyla, wanna go for a walk once we’re done?”

“A walk...?”

“Yeah. I noticed earlier, there’s a pretty big path just for guests staying here. There’s even a café... and a really nice-looking bar.”

“Perfect for digestion! Let’s go!”

Hell yes.

All those embarrassing contortions I went through earlier with the translation app and the hotel clerk were totally worth it.

Whether I become her boyfriend today or not—I’m settling this tonight.

‘Hoo... Why am I more nervous than when I fought the flame god...? This is insane...’