Raising Yanderes to save the world

/I like how sure you are of yourself. However, there is a lot you do not know. Aren’t you curious how you managed to come back here? What if I told you that my powers and presence were what allowed you to be dragged back here? Are you still going to ignore me?/

The corruption asked in a teasing voice, and Kael paused to think about it.

Honestly, this had crossed his mind once in a while as he had been thinking about how he ended up back here. But he had not wanted to believe that the corruption had anything to do with it.

That was why he chose to ignore that possibility, and he would still choose to ignore it, even now, until he got some solid evidence.

/If you want to play ignorant, that’s fine as well. You are my benefactor, the one who allowed me to evolve as much as I did. And I will always be thankful for that. In return, I would like to gift you something soon. I hope you like my gift./

The corruption told Kael before it started to pull back its presence from his mind.

It left Kael with a sense of shame and discomfort that he had not realized he felt.

He wanted to talk to someone about this issue, but no suitable candidate came to mind. Kael wanted to believe that the others would hear him out when he told them what had happened to him and how he had managed to come back in time, but it was too much to ask.

Heck, even he would not believe someone else if they spouted a story as crazy as his.

"Kael, we are ready to head back now. Do you want to do anything else here? The dragons will escort us halfway."

Leon asked him, and Kael shook his head. He had a lot to think about now, and he needed space to do so. So he followed Leon out as they headed back to their camp.

Ken was waiting for them with a worried expression on his face, but he looked relieved to see them arriving without injury.

"Hey, are you alright—!"

A dragon landed behind them, making Ken instantly alert, and he drew his sword. But Kael held up his hand to show that there was no need for him to be so alert.

"It’s alright. This one won’t hurt you...for the most part. Can you brief me on what happened while we were helping the dragons?"

Kael asked, and Ken decided to take his word for it and let his guard down. Instead, he let out a frustrated sigh as he started to tell Kael what had happened.

"We received a message while you were gone. Several noble families have started to feel sick and withdrew their presence from the corruption-protection borders. As a result, the corruption has started to spread rapidly. But we have yet to record any deaths or signs of insanity among those who have been corrupted. We are currently awaiting the temple’s response."

Ken did not look at Seraphina when he said these words, but they were clearly meant for the young Saintess to hear and respond to.

Seraphina nodded to show that she understood how grave the situation was, and she intended to do what she could to help.

"I see. It seems that the time has come. The temple will step forward and start taking care of the situation."

Seraphina had yet to come of age, but her shoulders looked heavy at that moment. Kael felt like he had pushed her into a world where she was constantly fighting, and his hand twitched as he resisted the urge to comfort her.

Lyra noticed his feelings and frowned. She knew that Kael had every right to worry about Seraphina, but she still could not control her own feelings. So she decided to distract herself.

She wrapped her arm around Seraphina’s shoulder and let out a grin.

"Don’t worry too much about the corruption. The demons will do their best to hold it back. So you will be safe on that front."

Everyone gave her a worried look, but Lyra wore her confidence plainly on her face.

"You wish to stand at the forefront of the battlefield? I don’t doubt your capabilities, but aren’t demons vulnerable to corruption? There is no need for you to put yourself in danger like that—"

"What nonsense. We are sensitive to corruption, so we will also likely be the first ones to fall if the corruption manages to break through into this world. There is no way I am going to allow that to happen."

Lyra pointed out in a firm voice. And no one was able to say anything else to change her mind. She was making too much sense.

"Don’t worry. I will accompany Lyra to make sure she does not throw herself headfirst into danger and get herself killed."

Elena volunteered, and Kael felt a little better knowing that she would be there as well.

If there was anyone who could keep Lyra under control, it was Elena.

"I will leave that matter in your hands."

Kael told the pair with a heavy heart.

[Target Lyra’s Affection has hit maximum.]

[Rest assured, she won’t be corrupted by the Corruption.]

The world magic told Kael, and his heart felt a little lighter. But the worry did not entirely go away because Elena and the others were still at risk.

Clap.

"Alright. We should start heading back now. The nobles might be cowards, but they will start asking for our heads soon if we ignore them any longer. The emperor would also need to be informed of what is happening."

Ken was making too many good points, and Kael nodded along to show that he agreed. They quickly packed their things and started to head back.

But as they did, Kael noticed Leon looking into the distance with a detached expression. He looked lost in thought, which made Kael place a hand on his shoulder to snap him out of his daze.