#1049 The Heroine Momoko Returns

My name’s Momoko.

One of the legendary heroes summoned to this world.

After countless twists, turns, ups, and downs, I now dedicate my life to bringing joy to people everywhere.

And how, you ask? Through women’s pro wrestling...!

“You did it, Momoko! This season’s ticket sales just hit an all-time high!!!”

That’s Pandora, cheering me on.

She’s one of the wrestlers in the same organization as me.

Pandora’s the star wrestler—a “heel,” as they call it. Every time she steps into the ring, she absorbs all the audience’s hatred and scorn, only to be beaten to a pulp by us heroic wrestlers.

People come to watch, vent their frustrations, and leave with big smiles on their faces.

Pandora taught me just how crucial the villain’s role is in all this.

Thanks to her, we’ve traveled the world, spreading joy through our wrestling shows, and I’d like to think we’ve brought smiles to people everywhere.

Back when I was a hero, all I did was kick bad guys’ butts nonstop. But it didn’t bring me any real satisfaction, and honestly, I wasn’t even sure I was doing the right thing half the time.

But now, putting on these wrestling shows is pure bliss.

Even the former princess sometimes sneaks into the ring under a mask. She always challenges me without rehearsed moves, but I’ve lost every match so far.

Beating her is my personal goal, and on top of that, making people smile wherever we go gives my life real meaning.

But then, in the middle of these happy, fulfilling days, chaos struck.

“Momoko! Momoko, it’s an emergency!”

Rushing in is none other than my long-time ally, Selena the Demon.

To be honest, I can’t even remember why we started wrestling together, but she’s an irreplaceable part of the team now.

So, Selena, what’s the crisis? You can’t just run in here screaming “emergency!” like a character from an old samurai drama!

“The wrestling show might get canceled! And indefinitely, too!”

Huh?!

How on earth could that happen?! Our shows are popular, and we’re not exactly short on funds!

“Yes, the shows are a huge success, and we’re booked solid through next year. But everything might get canceled...!!!”

Why?!

If it’s not due to poor ticket sales, what could it be?!

...Wait a second.

Could it be pressure from the Demon King or the New Human Kingdom?!

Argh! It’s always politics! Messing with people’s lives!

If that’s the case, I’ll start a petition right now!!!

“No, no, it’s not politics, Momoko,” Selena says, catching her breath. “It’s… Miss Pink Tonton. She’s pregnant.”

What?!

Miss Pink Tonton? You mean THE Pink Tonton, one of the legendary S-class adventurers and the mastermind behind our wrestling troupe?

If she’s pregnant, well, I can see why things might grind to a halt.

But wait! First things first...

Shouldn’t we congratulate her?!

Wait, who even is the father?! And when did this all happen?!

Pink Tonton isn’t married, right?! And I’ve never heard any rumors about a boyfriend!

So how in the world...?!

And hold on, if just one person missing throws our whole organization into chaos, doesn’t that mean our system’s a bit flawed?!

Ahhh, there’s just too much to process!!!

“Calm down, Momoko. Let me explain everything in order.”

Right, right.

Explanations, please.

“First of all, the father is Sir Kato. Brown Kato, the S-class adventurer like Miss Pink Tonton.”

Wha...?!

“Those two have been secretly dating for a while now.”

Kato often helped us out by playing the referee in our pro wrestling events.

Since he’s an otherworlder, he’d sprinkle in ideas from his own world, amping up the excitement of our shows. And yet...

Now that I think about it, Kato and Pink Tonton were practically running the show together as partners, weren’t they?

Shoulder to shoulder, working toward the same goals—the ultimate power duo!

It makes sense that over time, working so closely together, they might...

Y’know, catch feelings for each other and... cross a line?

Kyaaaah!!!

“I get that you’re excited, but this is a serious situation! I mean, it’s like losing the two headliners of a big show all at once. Honestly, we’re talking about an existential crisis here.”

Selena’s right.

I’m all for those two getting together, but they could’ve at least been more strategic about it.

And now that I think about it—doesn’t it seem like we’ve been getting a lot of pregnancy announcements lately?

It’s not just Pink Tonton! Even the adventurers from our wrestling team have been reporting their little bundles of joy left and right!

What do you call this again?

Oh yeah!

It’s like bamboo shoots sprouting after the rain!!!

“Yeah… if we do the math, something must’ve happened last winter…”

Last ...winter?

No way… are you telling me this was a Christmas thing?!

Ahhhh!

I never expected the sickly-sweet vibes of Christmas to follow me into another world!

That sneaky Christmas spirit strikes again!

And don’t even get me started on Kato! He came from the same world as me, and we even formed the ‘Introverts of Another World Alliance,’ yet here he is, living his best extrovert life, enjoying Christmas?!

I’m so disappointed in you, Kato!!!

“A-Anyway, now that Miss Pink Tonton’s pregnant and in a delicate condition, it’s not just about staying out of the ring; she can’t even travel long distances.”

Exactly!

You can’t expect Pink Tonton to push herself when she’s carrying a baby!

Right now, her only mission is to bring a healthy little one into this world!

“And as for Sir Kato, he’s been all over the place emotionally. The pressure of becoming a dad got to him so badly that he tried to run away! But don’t worry, his friends dragged him back, gave him a good scolding, and finally got him to step up and take responsibility...

Wow.

Kato… I used to respect you as a fellow otherworlder, but you’re really a mess when it counts, huh...

“With Sir Kato in that state, there’s no way he can focus on the wrestling promotion. We’ve already got so many wrestlers on maternity leave, we’re basically running on fumes…!”

What?!

Everyone went overboard on Christmas! How could they let the holiday spirit mess up work this badly?!

“At this point, we’re the only ones left who didn’t get caught up in the holiday craze. It’s almost kind of lonely...”

Don’t say that, Selena!

It’s a dark thought! We’re in the right here!!!

“And it looks like most of the wrestling gigs we had lined up are getting canceled because the audiences are full of pregnant women now. The guild’s even giving out bonuses to the wrestler-adventurers who are expecting. But what about us, the ones with nothing going on, no plans, no gigs?”

Exactly!

Sure, let the Christmas revelers have their fun, but why does it have to mess with us responsible introverts who just want to work in peace?!

They better give us some compensation for this!

This is all the government’s fault, isn’t it?!

“Don’t worry, Miss Pink Tonton’s still an S-class adventurer. She talked to the Guild Master and made sure everything’s sorted.”

What was that?!

Even when she’s preparing to have a baby, Pink Tonton still takes care of us! What a legend!

She’s the big sis holding our wrestling crew together.

“So, while some of us can just focus on adventuring for now, there’s actually another event coming up that we’ve been invited to. They’re wondering if we want to join in.”

An event?

What kind of event could possibly top wrestling?

“It’s kind of a tradition around here. Even Princess Letasreit invited us. She figured it’d be great for our wrestling brand.”

Wow, that ex-princess has a sharp eye, huh?

Well, I guess we’ve got no wrestling gigs lined up anyway, so maybe it’s time to throw ourselves into adventuring again. But hey, if they’re expecting us, we’ve got to deliver!

That’s what being a hero is all about!

So, what’s this event we’re suddenly signing up for?

“You mean you’ve never heard of it? It’s actually pretty famous… It’s called...Orkubo’s Castle.”