Rick fell into a chair after they both left. He was emotionally drained but strangely pleased. Sebastian appeared on the table in front of him.
"Good job," the little butler said, and for once he sounded like he meant it. "You've done something that most people who use this system never do."
"Two Spirit Bonds of the highest level of love were formed with complete honesty and respect for each other. I'm really proud of you... a bit actually..."
"Really?"
"Don't let it get to your head, gooner. In this world, you're still weak. But you've shown that you're not a total waste of my time." Sebastian's face changed to something more serious. "That leads us to our next issue."
Rick groaned, "There's always a next problem and, of course, the insult."
"This one is important." When Sebastian waved his hand, a glowing screen appeared with what looked like old writing on it.
"The Royal Academy of Magic in the capital noticed a rise in ancient magical energy three days ago. Their scholars have been figuring out where it came from, and they say it was a prophecy."
"What kind of prophecy?"
"About you. Well, think about someone who has your skills. When the world is at its worst, the prophecy says that a 'Hero of Mature Hearts' will come."
"This hero will bring together the strongest forces in the realm by building trust and love between them. This will create an unbreakable alliance that will fight against the coming destruction."
Rick's stomach dropped. "Coming destruction?" What KIND of destruction is... coming?
"The fuck do I know about?! It's annoying how vague the prophecy is about the details, but several big cities have said that there are more monsters, strange magical events, and creatures that haven't been seen in hundreds of years."
"The magical balance of the world is definitely off."
"And they think I'm a hero?"
"They don't know about you yet. But the prophecy's description is almost exactly what you do for a living. Someone will make the connection soon enough."
A commotion broke out downstairs, just as it should have. Rick heard Miraya's voice get louder in surprise, and then he heard heavy footsteps going up the stairs. Sebastian quickly disappeared when someone knocked loudly on Rick's door.
"Rick Rolland?" A deep, powerful voice called. "Captain Marcus of the Royal Guard here!"
"The Grand Magister of the Royal Academy has called me in right away. You must come to the capital within three days."
When Rick opened the door, he saw a man in fancy armor with the royal crest on it standing in the hallway. He had a scroll that looked official and was sealed with magic.
"Do I have to...?" Rick asked weakly.
"Yes, you need to come," the captain said again. "The Grand Magister thinks you have information that is crucial for the safety of the kingdom. Not showing up would be a crime against the state."
Rick grabbed the scroll with numb fingers. This was going too fast for his new life.
Just a week ago, he had been a nobody who took escort quests. But now... all of a sudden, the kingdom's most powerful mage was now calling him to the capital.
Rick was able to say, "I understand. I'll be there."
Rick stood in the doorway with a royal summons while the captain nodded and left. Sebastian showed up right away.
"Well," said the little butler. "This got out of hand fast."
Rick went back to his room and sat down hard on his bed, looking at the official scroll. The royal seal glowed with a faint magic that kept it safe.
"What the fuck is going on, Sebastian? I was level two and scared of slimes a week ago."
"I'm making spirit connections now and being called to the capital to talk about prophecies and the end of the world. That's crazy!"
Sebastian said with dark amusement, "Welcome to being the main character."
"Did you really think your overpowered cheat ability came with no strings attached? This world needs the Mature Affinity System to work."
"Rick, Zorathia is dying. The magical balance that has kept civilization going for thousands of years is breaking down."
"Evil things from the past are waking up. The only thing that can stop it is for the strongest forces in the realm to work together."
"And let me guess, those strong forces are all mature women who are at each other's throats in politics?"
"That's right. The Dragon Queen of the Northern Peaks and the Demon General of the Eastern Wastes haven't talked in 200 years."
"The Elven Matriarch of the Ancient Forest doesn't care about the Human Archmage of the Central Kingdom."
"The High Priestess of the Divine Temple won't recognize the Witch Council of the Southern Marshes."
"There are ancient, powerful, and very stubborn mature women in charge of every major power in the world. They would rather watch the world burn than work together."
Sebastian floated closer to Rick's face, looking very serious. "That's where you come in. You can really connect with all of them."
"To bring them together through love and trust in a way that diplomacy has failed to do for hundreds of years."
"Rick, the prophecy isn't wrong. And I hate to say this, but... you might be the only person who can stop this world from ending."
Rick felt like those words were weighing him down like a heavy load. "Then there's no pressure."
"Not at all," Sebastian said with a smile. "You'll need to seduce, befriend, or otherwise bond with the most dangerous and powerful women in the world, bring them together in a new alliance, and save civilization from whatever apocalyptic threat is causing the magical collapse."
"That's easy, right? Just use your fantasy and imagination of how you goon with all the MILF porn videos."
"I really fucking hate you right now."
"The feeling is still the same. But whether you like it or not, this is your fate as your second chance at this new life."
"The God who brought you back to life knew exactly what they were doing when they gave you this power. They saw the crisis coming and chose you as their answer."
"Why me, though? I'm somebody who really died from too much masturbation. How does that make you qualified to save the world?"
Sebastian's face suddenly looked very thoughtful. "Because you know what desire is without letting it take over your life."
"You don't see mature women as trophies to win, but as people you really care about. Your hobbies in your past life, even though they were embarrassing, gave you a perspective that most people don't have."
"You see that experience, wisdom, and emotional depth are more appealing than just physical beauty."
"Holy fucking shit... Now that's... the strangest compliment I've ever gotten. Ain't no main character like that!"
"Get your compliments where you can. Now, I think you should go to bed."
"You have three days to get ready for the trip to the capital, and I have a feeling that things are going to get a lot more complicated for you."
Rick lay back on his bed and stared at the ceiling while his mind raced with everything that had happened. Spirit makes a connection with Carmilla and Natasha. A call from the king. A prophecy from long ago. The world might end.
He could feel the presence of both women even from a distance because of the bond. Carmilla cared about him and wanted him to be okay.
Natasha was very aware of how upset he was. It was both scary and comforting at the same time.
Rick said to the empty room, "I can do this," trying to convince himself. "I've gotten this far. I can deal with whatever comes next."
"I need to act like the main character in every fiction ever... I need to be lovable for the readers!"
One last time, Sebastian's voice echoed before it went away. "I hope you're right for your own sake and the world. If you fail, everyone dies. Good night, hero."
Rick closed his eyes, knowing it would be difficult to sleep. He would tell Carmilla and Natasha about the summons the next day. They had a right to know what was going on, and to be honest, he needed their help.
But tonight, he would let himself feel the weight of his fate settling on his shoulders. The gooner who died because of his own bad habits was supposed to save the world by making friends with mature women.
He wasn't ready for this at all from his past life, but there was no going back now. Rick Rolland was the only person who could be the Hero of Mature Hearts, and the world needed one.
Rick whispered to the dark, "I really hope I don't fuck this up."
Even though the sky was clear, there was thunder rumbling in the distance. It seemed like the whole world was watching, waiting to see if this unlikely hero would rise to the challenge or fail like so many others before him.
Rick pulled his blanket tighter and finally fell asleep, but not before dreaming of old prophecies, strong women, and a fate he never asked for but couldn't say no to. "I really want to masturbate right now to remove the pressure I'm having right now..."
"Go to fucking sleep, dumbass."