Chapter 229 - The Beast's Teasing Prank on the Fourth! "Well, I'm Off~"
The next morning, as I headed out once more to meet Cecilia. Like some office drone clocking in for work, I waved goodbye to my bitches in front of the magic elevator.
What a weird vibe. I'm just going off to play with a bitch, but they're seeing me off like I'm heading to some job... And it's the morning. Our original deal was for me to drop by in the afternoon for about two hours of "training"—aka playtime. Is it really okay if I hog all of Cecilia's time like this?
"Have a safe trip, Master~♡"
"Your yinshuu will work hard for Master's paradise too~♡"
"If Cecilia acts all high and mighty, feel free to punish her as much as you want♡"
What...? If even Seres—the lord and Cecilia's own mother—is saying that, then it must be fine.
"Got it. If you need my help with anything, just call me and I'll come right away."
"Yessir~♡ I'll send one of the livestock over if that happens~♡"
With another wave, I boarded the Maou Castle 8th-floor private magic elevator and rode it down to the first floor.
Hmm... They call themselves yinshuu or slaves, but the women on our side are "livestock"... Yeah, it went laggard, candidate, livestock, yinshuu. All three of them had that knowing look before they even said it out loud. Did they discuss it together or something...? Well, not a bad setup. Though I'm not sure if calling them "livestock" or "yinshuu" is really any better. What's the difference from "slave" or "bitch"?
"Oh? Heading out, Sema?"
"Yeah. Looks like you're in for the day, sis. Yep. Got some business at the Lord's Castle."
Lost in thoughts about titles, I was on my way out when Lianna, who'd just arrived at her shop, spotted me and waved.
She still shows up reliably twice a week. But was today her scheduled day?
""Welcome, Master♡""
I popped into Lianna's shop for a sec, and the clerks inside—my livestock—bowed their heads with delighted faces.
"...? Master? What are you girls...?"
"Heehee...♡ The boss is basically our master, right?"
"Exactly. Totally normal♡ Nothing weird about it at all, Manager Lianna♡"
"Uh, y-yeah? Huh? W-Well... if that's how you girls feel..."
Lianna tilted her head in confusion at her flustered employees' attitudes.
...Sorry, sis. The staff I borrowed for your shop kinda ended up as my livestock somehow...
"...Ahem. Sis, isn't today not your shift?"
"Oh, that? Well, actually, Lady Celestia and the saintess want some custom orders, so I'm meeting them later."
"Ah, gotcha... They called you in, huh."
Even dragging Lianna into it. What the hell are they prepping...?
"Hehe. As expected of a divine beast, huh? Working alongside the lord's wife herself. You're amazing, Sema."
"Heh, you know it."
Lianna thinks Seres just started working at Maou Castle. Since the official lord changeover hasn't been announced, she assumes she's still just the lady of the house. She'll probably freak when she finds out the orders are coming straight from the lord herself. Feels a bit like I'm deceiving her. Sorry, Lianna.
"Everything good with you, sis? Now that you're doing what you want, your husband's not complaining, right? Family life's better?"
"......Hehe. Yeah."
Huh...? I figured she'd be all blissed out in domestic heaven, but that reaction's kinda off. Back when her shop was in the noble district, she barely saw her husband. But now? Unless... her frustrations have built up to where even I can't just fix 'em anymore...? Nah, no way. They're together all the time now. No way he'd leave a sexy sis like her alone. And that glimpse of her face earlier didn't scream pent-up horniness—it looked more... sad? What's up? Family drama not going smooth?
"...You're busy too, right? Working with the lord's wife and all. Yeah. Can't have me holding you up."
"N-No, it's fine..."
"The shop's covered with the staff, so hurry off to the Lord's Castle. You can't be late for noble business, you know?"
"Uh, yeah... Got it. See you next shift, sis."
It felt like she was forcibly cutting the convo short, pushing me out the door. She waved me off as I headed to the Lord's Castle.
What the...? Doesn't look like sexual frustration at all... Did she fight with her husband or something...? Hmm. I went out of my way to be considerate, and this is the thanks I get? That husband and kid—wasted effort. If a mere human makes Lianna sad, I'll just snatch her right up...!
...Ah, no. Can't. He's no hero, so I can't turn him into yinshuu fodder. Lianna's my type, and she's helped me a ton. Making her into some servant-class livestock feels off too. Come to think of it... she's yinshuu material? Hmm... But my yinshuu have to be heroes' women... Ugh... She's teetering right on the edge of that line I drew in my mind!
Part of me's like, screw it at this point—but redrawing that line feels like going full beast mode... Is it my last scraps of human conscience? Or my beast instincts...? Tough call. The human life of a woman I like, who has no hero ties. Can I really turn the wife of some average human stud into my bitch...?
"I've already gone after a noble mother-daughter duo, so what's the diff...? No, but still..."
Muttering to myself, lost in the deep dilemma my desires had stirred up. Sunk in those thoughts, I made my way to the Lord's Castle, where a prime yinshuu candidate awaited.
I'll think about Lianna later. For now, I headed into the training grounds and stretched out.
Yeah. First things first—finish up with Cecilia, who's fair game to grope all I want. She's a hero's fiancée. Turning that hero into a wreck benefits Essentia somehow. For now, I can tell myself my lust serves the noble goal of delaying Essentia's doom.
Uh? What about our livestock? Huh? Can't hear you~
"I've brought her, Master♡"
"Haa... It's not even lunchtime yet."
One of the livestock working as a maid at the Lord's Castle escorted Cecilia in, and she grumbled her way into the training grounds.
"Puhuhu. Sorry. Seres and the others are swamped, so they asked me to keep you company longer."
"...Fucking... How are you so goddamn brazen...?"
"Kukuku. Sorry. But you're free since you don't have soldier squad duties right now, yeah? Hang with me for a bit."
"What the hell's Mom thinking... Haa..."
Cecilia let out a sigh, her eyes looking even more hollow than yesterday. Haven't seen a girl with that exhausted look in ages... Why?
"You look beat. Something up?"
"...Couldn't sleep."
"Huh? Your face is kinda flushed though? You feeling sick or...?"
"I-It's not that, so butt out!"
I reached to check her forehead, and she flinched hard, swatting my hand away. Like she was hiding something she didn't want me catching on to.
Tch. Here I was showing concern. What a prickly bitch. Well, she seems energetic enough, so fine...
"......Ah!"
"Wh-What? What's wrong?"
Ahh, got it. I see why she's wiped. She didn't even get my horse semen, but she went all out yesterday—obviously gonna be drained!
I'd planned to build intimacy with Cecilia a bit differently before breeding her. But this blind spot... My yinshuu and livestock stay fresh even after all-nighters, so my gauge was off.
No good, can't have that. Gotta find a way...
"...Cecilia. Tired from lack of sleep?"
"Exhausted. Sorry, but even though I showed up, training today might be..."
"Hmm~ I see..."
...Alright. Risky, but let's try it...
"...Cecilia. Might piss you off, but don't freak out and hear me out."
"Haaawn... What."
What else? Time for more bullshit bingo.
"Actually, see, my horse semen has these tonic ingredients that..."
"DIE YOU FUCKING PERVERT!!!!!"
Before I could finish, Cecilia—mid-yawn—went beet red and lunged at me. Pounding my body, screaming like I'd lost my mind.
"You psycho! You fucking pervert freak!!! Even your lies have limits...!!!"
"Ow, ow! Milady! That hurts! Ahh! Sticky rice!"
"Psycho bastard! You don't even feel it! Die! Just fucking die already, you pervert monster!!"
"Uhahahaha! No, but it's true!"
"Like hell it issss!!!"
Her near-collapse exhaustion from moments ago was like a lie—as she showed the cutest reactions with her flushed face. For a good while, the sounds of Cecilia's fists thwacking my body echoed through the training grounds.