When we arrive back at the castle, we are greeted with much fanfare. The king weeps with joy as he declares us saviors for saving his kingdom from the brink of destruction.

This guy... I want to say he can only be a cheerleader but my spirit will be drained instead if an old man like him tries to cheer me up

And so, the king decides to hold a ball, in celebration of our triumphant return.

"Eeeeh, m-my Lord, I-I can't possibly..."

"Nonsense. I know all knights were given dancing lessons in the academy."

"B-but, I... O-oh, t-that's right. I-I don't have a gown to be worn at the ball, so I'm afraid I--"

"Oh, don't worry about that! My daughter Lilia has many gowns in her wardrobe! I'm sure she'll be glad to lend one, right my dear?"

"O-of course, Father."

"Good! Good! I'm sure Hero-sama will be happy to see your feminine side! Even if you're a knight, you're still a girl after all!"

I don't say a thing, but deep down I'm shouting "Great job, old man! You're not so useless after all!".

Indeed, I also want to see Lea-chan in a dress.

***

When I arrive at the hall where the ball is being held, it's already quite filled with people, from servants preparing food and drink to guests coming from the capital city and beyond. The king has quite a lax attitude with whom he invites to occasions like this, so you can find various people here, from merchants to scholars.

"Man, I don't think this kind of thing is for me." I think to myself.

Then, the servant who brought me here leads me to the king. He sits at the most lavish table in the room, with Lilia and Eleanore beside him.

And man, they are gorgeous.

Lilia wears an elegant low-cut yellow dress that show off her cleavage, without any sign of bra underneath. Eleanore, on the other hand, wears a buttoned white long-sleeved shirt with a brown long skirt underneath. It's obvious she aims for an unglamorous look, probably because she's too shy to wear a dress like the one Lilia wears where your cleavage is exposed to the world.

However, it's still quite in vain since the shirt seems to be a few size too small for her, so her breasts are jutting out of it.

"W-what are you looking at?" she asks, blushing when she notices I've been staring at her breasts.

"Why, I'm looking at your beauty, of course., You are already beautiful with your knightly visage but now, I can see that your lady visage is just as beautiful, if not more." I end my little speech with my trademarked gentlemen smile.

"L-liar! Y-you were staring at my breasts, weren't you?" She asks, covering her chest with her hands.

"Of course. Your breasts are one of the most prominent parts of your beauty after all. "

"Y-you pervert!"

"Hahaha, now now, Miss Eleanore. Hero-sama is just appraising your delightful form, that's all. There's nothing wrong with liking large breasts after all. It's a sign of a healthy man even!" the king interjects with a laugh. "The only part that I take offense too is that he doesn't praise my daughter's breast too. I mean, look at them. They're just as big as yours and all Hero-sama notices is the ones you have. Miss Eleanore, you are really fortunate that Hero-sama has taken a liking to you."

Eleanore can only blush redder as she hears the lecture of the king.

Then, I feel it. A flash of menacing aura. It surges for a second before it disappears to the nothingness.

It went out so fast I couldn't pinpoint the direction from where it came from.

After that little episode, the king makes an announcement to the entire room. First, he tells the guests who we are before telling them how we have repelled the invasion of the Demon Lord heroically against all odds.

And then, the dance begins, as the performers play a classic and smooth music.

"May I, my lady?"

Without warning, some dude walks out from the crowds and asks for Eleanore's hand, ignoring just how uncomfortable she looks.

Of course, as a gentlemen, I'm not going to let this stand.

"E-hem."

The man switches his gaze towards me.

"I'm sorry, but Miss Eleanore has already promised to be my dance partner for tonight."

"O-oh, I-I see. W-well, I-I suppose I shouldn't disturb you two then, hehe. P-please excuse me."

The man quickly scurries away like a little rat he is.

"W-what are you talking about?" Eleanore asks. "I never promised--"

Before she can finish her sentence, I take her hand and put my other hand on her waist.

"Ssh, I know you'd feel uncomfortable if you dance with any strangers tonight, so I figure I'll save you from that. You can just not look at my face if you don't feel like it, unlike if you dance with those other people where it'll be seen as impolite."

"B-but..."

"No buts."

Then, Eleanore falls silent as we start our dance. It's a basic dance since I can only do that much with the flash training I got from a dance instructor later today.

As we begin acting out or moves, my heartbeat suddenly increases. I don't understand. I am perfectly fine doing perverted things with any girls I met yet just holding hands and staring into each other's eyes like this make me feel flustered? It doesn't help that I can feel the soft touch of her hand and the sweet smell from her body. And those beautiful eyes of hers, and those flower red lips...

The night passes with a blur and Eleanore and I forget everything else amidst our passion.

***

"Shh, Hero-sama... Hero-sama..."

After the third music stops playing and I break off my dance with Eleanore, I see the king whispering for me to come to where it is from afar.

"Yeah, what's the matter, old man?"

"Hero-sama, I know you like Eleanore more than my daughter, you two being hardened warriors and all, but please, try not to hurt my daughter's feelings."

"W-what's wrong with Lilia-chan?"

"I can see her pained expression as you two dance like two lovebirds there. Then, she can't take it anymore so she rushes off, probably to her room."

"Crap, I really forget about her! Old man, dance with Eleanore while I go after her!"

I left the room, my feet running as fast as I can. As I approach Lilia's room, I hear sobbing coming from behind the door.

"L-Lilia-chan..." I knock at the door.

"A-Akira-sama..."

The door opens, revealing the figure of Lilia behind it.

Her hair is disheveled and her eyes are full of tears. But what I notice the most is the fact that her dress has lowered itself so far that her breasts are now completely exposed in all their glory.

"Umm, Lilia-chan, your dress--"

"D-do you like what you see, A-Akira-sama? I-if you do, t-then I'll happily show them to you whenever you want. J-just... just don't leave me alone..." She returns to her sobbing once more.

Nice job, Akira. Nice job. You just broke this poor girl's heart.

Quickly, I hug her, earning a surprised gasp from her. Then, I pat her head to comfort her.

"Shh, don't cry, Lilia, don't cry. Smiling suits you more than tears."

"Akira-sama!!!"

She hugs me back with full force, fully sobbing on my chest at the process.

"Ssh, now now. I'm sorry I ignored you at the ball. Oh, I know, how about this? For the rest of this night, I'm yours. You can do whatever you want to me. We can dance all night long, or stroll in the gardens, or--"

"T-then, I-" She looks upwards at me, her face red as tomato. "I want to do ecchi things with you!"

"...E-EEEEEEEHHHHHHHHH!!!"