A Week Ago – Early Morning, Hero Academy
The sun had just started to rise over the tall buildings of the Hero Academy. Golden light peeked through the curtains and filled the large room with a warm glow. Inside, standing proudly in front of a big wall mirror, was a bold and handsome boy — Aoto.
He was completely naked, but he didn't care. He was alone in the room, and in his eyes, this was his perfect moment of glory.
He flexed his arms, showing off his well-shaped muscles. Then he turned around to show his refined back.
"Oh yeah," he said with a smirk, "That's me — Aoto, the savior of the world!"
He walked confidently to the window, opening it wide. The fresh morning breeze flowed in, brushing against his skin. The sunlight poured on his face like a spotlight, making his sharp jawline glow. He raised one hand and slowly ran his fingers through his hair, striking a dramatic pose.
"I can't help it that I'm so hot," he whispered to himself with a grin.
But soon, the smile on his face faded. His smirk disappeared. A small frown replaced it.
He took a step back, rubbed his chin, and began pacing around the room, deep in thought. His steps were heavy, filled with worry. Something was clearly bothering him.
Then he suddenly stopped. His eyes widened as he spoke out loud:
"I... got a harem block!"
Yes. Just like how writers have writer's block where writers sometimes can't write because they don't know what to write next or don't have motivation to write, Aoto was stuck. He couldn't get a new girlfriend!
He dropped to his knees, his eyes shaking with despair.
"I somehow made forty-two girlfriends in less than a year…" he said, his voice trembling. "But it's been two months now, and not a single new one!"
His eyes filled with tears as he looked up at the sky through the open window.
"You damn goddess!" he shouted, "What am I supposed to do with just forty-two girlfriends? That's barely anything! I need at least ten thousand more! And a goddess harem too! Who wouldn't want to marry a goddess?!"
But the sky remained silent. No reply. No sign. Just birds flying past the clouds.
Letting out a long sigh, Aoto wiped away his invisible tears.
He stood up again and gave himself a light slap on the cheeks to cheer himself up.
He patted his chest and stomach, saying softly, "Come on, man… You've still got it. Don't give up now!"
His mind wandered again.
"I heard Hiiro said he met a goddess before getting isekai'd here…" he muttered. "But I didn't. Why not? Was it because I was already in this world?"
He walked back to the window and leaned on the frame. His eyes scanned the academy grounds below.
That's when he spotted him.
Chiyoko Hiiro — another hero — standing under a tree with a bunch of cute girls around him. He was laughing, talking, and enjoying himself.
Aoto gave a soft smile.
"Let him have some girls too… He is a hero, after all."
But even as he said that, a small tear rolled down his cheek, disappearing into the wind.
"Damn, I'm jealous..." Aoto muttered, clenching his fists as he looked out the window. His voice was low and filled with frustration. He then turned his head and slowly scanned the room around him.
It was quiet. Too quiet.
The large room looked gloomy and lonely. It wasn't because there wasn't enough furniture — there were shelves, a big table, and a few chairs. But it felt empty... because there were no people. No voices. No footsteps.
He sighed and slumped down against the cold wall.
"After so long... she finally came back, but now she's gone again. Off on some trip with Irish," he said, sounding disappointed.
"I thought we'd hang out. Fight some demons together. Do some bro stuff like old times."
His voice softened.
"But I can't blame her. She has her own life now\..."
He leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling, his thoughts swirling.
"What should I even do now? It's holiday time. No classes. Nothing going on. Nothing to fight. Nothing to explore."
He let out a loud groan.
"It's so boring I might just fall apart!"
But just as he said that, something strange happened.
A strong gust of cold wind suddenly rushed into the room through the open window. It was wild and fast, almost like a small storm. Papers flew off the table, and the curtains danced wildly in the air.
"What the hell?" Aoto jumped to his feet and rushed to the window, thinking maybe a tornado had appeared outside.
But no. There was no tornado.
Instead... something odd floated in with the wind — a single paper, spinning in the air like a leaf — and it smacked right onto his face.
"Ugh!" he pulled it off quickly and looked at it.
His eyes widened.
"This... this is the map that leads to the Sword of Athena!"
He instantly recognized it. How could he not?
He remembered it all too well.
At the start of the academy year, there had been a huge competition. The students were told to collect special RUNE stones, and the winners would get a prize — a legendary treasure map that pointed to the Sword of Athena. Aoto had worked hard and got one of those maps. He was so excited back then.
But… it didn't last.
Later, he found out that the map wasn't as rare as he thought.
After a few months, the teachers handed out the same map to everyone in the class. And then he learned that every year, they gave the same map to all students — hoping someone would eventually find the sword.
When he realized this, Aoto felt completely scammed.
In a burst of anger, he had ripped his map into tiny pieces and threw it in the trash.
"Useless paper..." he had said back then.
Now, as he looked at the new map in his hands, his thoughts returned.
"I wonder why it's been ten thousand years and no one's ever found the sword..."
His eyes narrowed.
The map was actually really detailed. The paths were clearly marked. The final location was deep in a forgotten area, but something else caught his eye.
"Wait a second... isn't this Tengen Village?"
His heart skipped a beat.
He remembered that place.
Just a few months ago, the academy had sent him there on a mission to defeat a horde of miniature monsters and help a local guild. He had been there — not far from the final spot marked on the map!
He stared at the map in shock.
"Is this world full of idiots? Or... am I actually the chosen one?"
He didn't waste another second.
With a fire burning in his chest and a wide grin on his face, Aoto pointed at the map.
"I'm going to find the Sword of Athena!" he shouted.
---------------
Aoto took a warm bath, feeling the steam relax his body. After that, he changed into clean clothes, packed a few more outfits and other small things he might need. He put everything neatly inside his travel bag.
Once he was ready, he opened the door and stepped out of his room. The hallway was quiet at first, but as he walked forward, voices started calling out to him.
"Aoto! Where are you going?" a group of cheerful girls asked with curious smiles.
He gave them a charming smile and waved his hand gently.
"Just going on a little nameless journey, ladies!" he said in a playful voice.
But just as he passed them, someone suddenly grabbed his arm from behind.
Soft, squishy warmth pressed against his arm — he froze for a second, feeling the sensation. He didn't even have to turn around to know who it was.
A short girl with white hair and… well, very noticeable curves. Her large chest was gently rubbing against his arm as she clung to him without saying a word. Her eyes had a teasing look, and her lips curved into a sultry smile.
Aoto's brain screamed one thing: "Act innocent, act innocent!"
He quickly composed himself and smiled.
"Katherine? Don't sneak up on people like that, you'll scare them," he said, pretending to be casual.
Katherine leaned closer and whispered into his ear in a naughty tone,
"You know, my roommate's out of town for a few days… Wanna come over tonight?"
Aoto held his breath.
"Act innocent… act innocent!" he reminded himself again.
He gave her a slightly awkward laugh and scratched the back of his head.
"I'll think about it. Maybe Ingrassia and the others can join too... for some group fun or something?"
"Hmph! You're no fun!" Katherine puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms, looking a little annoyed.
"I'm just going on a small journey. I'll be back before the week ends!" he said quickly and ran off before she could pull him back again.
"Wait—!" she called, but he was already gone.
As he rushed through the hallways, his thoughts were spinning.
"Honestly, I have about forty-two girlfriends… but none of them are actually official girlfriends. But there's a huge reason for this!"
Two girls were walking ahead — both had golden-blonde hair and dark skin. They were talking to each other, but the moment they saw Aoto, huge smiles lit up their faces.
"Aoto! Where are you going?" one of them called.
The taller one stepped forward and blocked his path with her hands on her hips.
"Wait, Aoto! You promised you'd answer us! We're both ready to marry you anytime!"
Aoto gave a nervous laugh and jumped into the air to leap over her.
"I'm going on a short trip! I'll give my answer after I return!" he shouted behind him as he landed and continued running.
"I saved these two from a creepy stalker once, and now they're madly in love with me,"
As he kept walking, he passed by the alchemy club room. Inside, a green-haired girl with a small, cute face was mixing colorful liquids. Her cheeks turned red the moment she saw him walk past.
"That's Aaliya. I helped her gather herbs and do experiments a few times. Now she blushes like crazy whenever I'm near…"
But before he could think more, someone suddenly jumped onto him and hugged him tightly from behind.
"Master! Where are you going?" a sweet voice asked.
It was a beast-kin girl with blue and black hair, fluffy cat-like ears, and bright eyes. Her small body pressed against him as she held him close.
"Just heading out for a week. I'll be back soon," Aoto said gently, patting her head.
The moment his hand touched her head, she let out a tiny, happy sound and squirmed in delight. Her cheeks turned bright red.
"I saved her from being sold in the slave market… and even paid her fee for the Hero Academy. Now she calls me 'Master' all the time for no reason!"
Aoto smiled and gave her a soft wave goodbye, then turned and walked toward the academy's big front gates.
After stepping out of the giant academy gates, Aoto turned around to take one last look. The shining windows, the huge symbol of the Hero Academy — everything looked grand and full of memories.
He stood there for a moment, a gentle breeze brushing through his hair, and thought deeply.
"Actually… there's an unwritten rule for building a harem,"
"First rule: Catch their interest. Make them notice you. Let them fall for you slowly. But… never ever say someone is your official girlfriend. Just act like you might be interested. Give them hope, let them chase you, and they'll never want to leave."
"Second rule… and this is the most important one — No sex! Never! Act innocent, no matter what they do or say. Once you go all the way, they'll think you belong only to them. And boom, your dream of having a harem? Gone forever."
"There's a reason why the main characters in harem anime always act clueless..."
"I used to think, 'Why is the MC so dumb? The girls are clearly throwing themselves at him!' But now I get it… That's not being dumb. That's the ultimate technique!"
"The real trick is this — let every girl fall for you, but never choose anyone. Just wait. One day, all the girls will realize they're in love with the same guy. And then… what will they do?"
"They'll all come to you… together… to find out which one you love the most. But here's where the plot twist comes in…"
"You make a sad face and say — 'Oh, I can't choose one and hurt the others… So how about I choose all of you? I'll love everyone equally!'"
He raised both arms up like he had just solved the world's biggest mystery.
"And then boom! Eventually Every girl agrees. The MC marries them all. And he lives a happy, beautiful life surrounded by his loving wives."
"That's what I'll do too! When the time comes, I'll say I can't choose, and I'll take everyone! Then I'll add even more girls by saying, 'They were crying and said they'd rather die than not be my wife!'"
"An unlimited girlfriend glitch! A true cheat!"
But just then, his excited face froze as a shadow passed over it. A dark, imaginary crown of guilt and regret appeared over his head.
"…But there's one problem," he muttered, his smile fading. "No sex before marriage…"
He looked away, biting his lip.
"And I already made that mistake…"
Images of two girls came to his mind — the red-haired Aisha Ishtar and the saintess, Clare Anastasia, the ones who summoned him to this world through a hero ritual. And somehow, in the heat of the moment, things went too far.
"I can still trust Clare… she's quiet about it. But if Aisha ever says anything… all my unofficial girlfriends will feel betrayed."
He rubbed his forehead and sighed deeply.
"Ugh… What a mess. But it's not like it's my fault! I can't stand, noble girls who acts all high and mighty and not to forget she tried to bully nova, And in the end, I broke her",
He shook his head and took a deep breath.
"No more mistakes. I'll be more careful from now on…"
Then, with the sun shining behind him, he turned his back to the academy and looked toward the open road ahead. His lips curled into a small smile.
"It's time… for the hero's journey."