Build-Up for Sex
The moment I stepped deeper into the lord's manor, a tautness hung in the air. I advanced carefully, and together with the butler I laid eyes on Renata. Cold as ever. She didn't seem to have any official business today—her gaze was fixed on some far-off point, and not a single flicker of emotion registered on that face. That expression had been carved into her features ever since the lord died. Then something shifted. The instant she saw me, her eyes went wide.
"Lashu Leonhart, presenting himself before the Lord Deputy."
I observed the formalities, and her voice came back with the faintest tremor in it.
"Lashu Leonhart. You made it back safely?"
"I apologize for causing you concern. Thanks to your worry, I've returned unharmed."
If I didn't observe at least this much courtesy, I would never get close to her. Playing the well-mannered shota was the bit, sure—but I also had to read her heart.
Why? Because I was going to eat her. Because I wanted to.
The butler chimed in from the side, as if to back me up.
"He's taken the head of the Veteran Orc that was stealing away our fief's most promising talents!"
"...Is that true?"
Renata asked me directly. I nodded at once.
"Yes, it's true. I did it."
My confident answer sent a tremor through Renata's pupils. Judging by her face, you'd think I'd brought back a dragon's head. Then again, the Veteran Orc's infamy really was that enormous. She rubbed her forehead, composing herself, then nodded.
"Even for someone of hero-blood lineage... to take down a Veteran Orc one-on-one... Lashu, you really are no ordinary boy. You astonish me every time I see you."
"You flatter me."
"Then you must currently hold the finest record among all the candidates?"
The butler nodded. I wanted to nod too, but that wouldn't have been proper etiquette toward a noble, so I stayed still. I did have the best record. I'd been the first to arrive here, and I'd taken the Veteran Orc's head—something no one else had managed.
"Lashu, I didn't expect much from you at first. I thought you were just a fool riding on his bloodline."
So that really was how she felt. I kept my expression in check and simply bowed my head. I understood. A pint-sized kid showing up without even a sword, declaring he'd become a hero—and from a hero family, no less. Anyone would have thought the same. The first thing anyone judges when they meet someone is their appearance. That's why you have to show and prove.
"But the you standing here now—you're a genius who astonishes me every time I look at you. You are, without a doubt, the timber from which a hero who will bring glory to our fief will be carved!"
Renata wasn't holding back the praise. She wasn't originally the type of character to gush like this.
Damn, getting showered with praise feels good. Alright, time for me to run my mouth a little?
A little bragging wouldn't hurt. I opened my mouth.
"Lord Deputy, I was born here. A hero protecting people, a native protecting his hometown—I believe both are only natural."
Renata shook her head, her long silver hair swaying.
"To some, that may appear noble. That is how heroes are born."
"That's true. But to me, it's no different from breathing, eating, training day after day. It's as ordinary as living itself."
"Ohh..."
Renata's ocean-blue eyes lit up with interest. Good. Let's keep this going.
"As a hero, I swear I will give my utmost for this fief—and for you, Lord Deputy."
She couldn't stop marveling. Even if you'd hauled a nephew over for a holiday talent show, she wouldn't have been this impressed. Renata spoke. Unlike before, a hint of warmth had crept into her voice.
"Lashu, you truly are a splendid child. A sprout worthy of the excellent parents who raised you."
She glanced at the butler. That meant she was about to bestow a reward. But I couldn't let things proceed like this. I was painting a much bigger picture.
Is the early-game event about to kick off? Time for me to rewrite the script!
I licked my lips and struck first.
"Lord Deputy, may I say something?"
I'd already expressed my love for this fief—my hometown. I'd also shown the righteous heart of a hero. On top of that, I'd previously spoken up about how the lord had fought with courage. Now it was time to put the finishing masterstroke on all of it. Would it land?
Renata smiled gently and nodded.
"Go ahead."
"I've heard that a restless faction has been stirring within our fief of late."
Renata sighed as if she didn't even need to think about it. So this was giving her a real headache.
"Ah, yes. The ones who used to run the underworld have been crawling back out, one by one. Don't worry yourself. I'll handle it."
"If I may be so bold—I am one who aspires to become a hero. A hero is one who protects humanity from evil. And I am one who has been chosen by you, my lord. I wish to step to the front lines myself, investigate them, and eliminate them."
My bombshell of a statement made both Renata and the butler lose their composure. It was a declaration from the fief's most promising hero candidate—the one with the brightest future. The butler spoke as if to stop me.
"Those bandits don't fight the way monsters do. Don't talk such reckless nonsense!"
I shook my head. Reckless, my ass. I'd farmed these guys to death in the game. And these people clearly didn't know—if Gailwards Fief was left as it was, even for a little while, the underworld factions would end up taking over. It would become a den of crime. And whatever else happened, I was the one who was going to conquer every woman in this fief someday. For someone like me, those underworld bandits were bastards who absolutely had to die. There was zero reason to let them live. I'd farm points and grow stronger while I was at it, too.
"It isn't reckless. Monsters are an external enemy. Now that the Veteran Orc has been slain, things should stay quiet for a while. The real problem is the enemy within—the bandits of the underworld."
Renata looked at me for a moment. It wasn't the purely cold gaze from before—this one was steeped in something deeper.
Hnnngh, having her stare at me this directly is making me shake like crazy. If I imagine that gaze landing on my throbbing cock, I tremble.
"So... do you have a plan?"
After a silence that felt like an eternity, Renata posed the question. I heard the butler swallow dryly. I answered without a hitch.
"They're uneducated. They grew up without parents, like animals."
Just like Abeiru.
"The first things they'll go after are drugs, weapons trafficking—or the women of this fief."
"The maidens?"
"More precisely, any woman who'd fetch a good price. So age won't matter."
At my unhesitating answer, Renata let out a low breath of admiration. Had she really thought I wouldn't have this much insight? Well, I supposed that would be surprising. She nodded.
"I'd been thinking the same thing. But tracking down their traces hasn't been easy."
"If you leave it to me, I'll find a way."
"You? How? With what ability?"
A look of suspicion. The kind that wondered if a little praise had gone to my head and I was getting ahead of myself. But I had nothing to hide. This was the original work's world, yes. But it was also a place thoroughly steeped in the game's mechanics. Which meant there was no reason I couldn't wipe those bastards out in one stroke.
Time to crank up the acting. Let's do this right!
I pointed to the Dawn Guardian hanging from my sword belt.
"This sword is the holy blade my father once wielded. It's also a family heirloom."
"Yes, I know."
"This holy sword speaks to me. Only roughly, only faintly—but I used it to bring down the Veteran Orc as well."
I wasn't lying. I had split that Veteran Orc in half with this sword. Maybe because I'd already shown and proven myself up to this point, Renata and the butler were startled for a moment—then believed me immediately. They couldn't help it. I'd already done the build-up.
Startled, Renata hastily downed her teacup and fixed her gaze on me.
"Very well, Lashu Leonhart. Report to me whenever you find their traces. I will spare nothing in support of that. I promise you."
"Thank you, my lord."
"If necessary, I'll arrange for you to receive and execute missions directly from the guild or the lord's manor. And, butler!"
Watching Renata call for the butler, I cheered inwardly. I could now receive missions whenever I needed them.
That's something only a fully recognized hero can do. And now it's become my personal privilege?
A flicker of fear even crossed my mind—that she might not just trust me, but worship me. But honestly, that was even better. It'd make eating her that much easier.
"Give this boy a hundred and fifty gold and the Raibun Coat."
The butler's mouth fell open in shock, then he hurriedly moved. He soon returned with a pouch containing a hundred and fifty gold and a coat crackling with silver currents of electricity. I gave it a light touch. It was light, and it stirred a strange sense of tension.
Raibun—that's a named thunder-attribute wyvern. So they had something like this? Lucky me!
As expected, she was giving a bigger reward. I slipped the coat on—the fit was excellent. Renata gave a light wave of her hand.
"Go and rest, then. From now on, your training is voluntary."
"Is that... truly so?"
"Yes. You have to help me purge the bandits from this fief, don't you? So you're welcome to attend training, but you don't have to. Butler?"
"Yes, Lord Deputy."
The butler bowed his head, and Renata issued the order as if it were nothing.
"Be sure to inform the captain of the guard of this first thing tomorrow morning."
"Understood."
I was stunned. Wow. She was letting a hero candidate skip training.
Haaa, mandatory military service getting this kind of exemption? That's insane. That's insaneeee!
I barely managed to swallow the exclamation trying to burst out. This was the greatest privilege Renata could possibly grant me. I spoke as if swearing an oath.
"My sword is yours. May you be at peace."
With that, I left the lord's manor. On the way out, my eyes met those of the other candidates. They no longer looked at me with contempt. What I saw now was envy mixed with a touch of jealousy—and a gleam of something new. In their eyes, I might have become a pioneer they desperately wanted to catch up to.
I should save a hundred gold as a war chest for when I go adventuring later. Spend the rest on something tasty? Ah, I also want to get a helmet or a shield fitted!
The moment I finally stepped out onto the street, I broke into a huge grin. Ah, so this is what they mean when they say your cheeks tremble and the corners of your mouth split. I couldn't stop smiling. Passersby looked at me like I was some kind of lunatic.
Yeah, stare all you want. Reality isn't going to change either way!
From a nearby restaurant, someone was shouting with confidence.
"Roast chicken made with Eastern wildfowl! Brand-new on the menu!"
Should I grab some of that? Time to throw a party with Mom!
Chicken existed in this world too. I wondered how much it cost. I slowly made my way toward the chicken shop.
Left alone in her office, Renata didn't know where to rest her eyes. She thought of the hero candidate who had just stood before her, laying out his claims with such confidence.
This is strange. Every time I look at that boy, Lashu, my heart keeps pounding. Just like when I first met the lord.
Then she shook her head. That couldn't be. The man who had pulled her out of the abyss of darkness—the Lord of Gailwards. A mere hero candidate couldn't be on the same level as a man like that. It shouldn't be possible... and yet. Recalling the things Lashu had said, Renata couldn't hide her bewilderment.
"No. It must be a misunderstanding. That boy is nothing more than a hero candidate. I'm just taking an interest in him and giving him a push. Yes, that's all it is."
She slowly shook her head, trying to settle her heart. Even so, Lashu's manly bearing—and the outline of that massive cock she'd occasionally glimpsed as a silhouette—rose in her mind.
That confident gaze and that bravery were just like the lord's. Perhaps... he might be a man beyond anything I can imagine...?
"Hnnngh♥"
Caressing her chest, Renata let out a low moan.