The Bastard Hides a Tank (2)
The Bastard Hides a Tank (2)
Night approached, and with it, our crisis.
"Si, since we're newlyweds, we should sleep in the same bed, right?"
We'd passed out drunk and tangled together plenty of times during our drinking parties as a trio.
And lately, I've been falling asleep every night while receiving mana massages from the two women.
But just the two of us in the same bed.
That's a completely different matter....
"...."
"...."
Maybe it was because we'd taken off our uniforms and even removed our rank insignia.
Before my eyes, Hildea wasn't the charismatic burger-devouring Sword Master, but a shy, noble young lady.
'Have I gone mad? To look at my direct superior with such irreverent eyes.'
"Are you, are you going to shower first? Honey?"
"Hildea-nim, there's only the two of us here, so why go to the trouble...."
"We're undercover! What if someone overhears us?"
"...Understood, wife."
Hildea rummaged through her bag and pulled out her shower supplies.
Supply toothbrush, toothpaste, body wash, shampoo, and so on.
"Sh, shall we shower together?"
"Pardon?"
"As newlyweds, shouldn't we naturally get in the tub together?"
"I, I must decline. Please, you go ahead and wash first."
Our commander would have done well even as an actor on Earth.
She has flawless looks, action ability and stamina, and even method immersion.
Hildea headed into the bathroom, even taking a change of sleepwear with her.
Soon, a voice of admiration came out.
"Wow, honey. It's just a common inn, but it has water pipes."
"Not every room has them. That system purifies and supplies water using magic, so the water charges are a bit expensive."
"Aha. It'd be nice to install something like this in our count's castle later."
They're in the new Official Residence and the Palanquin Official Residence, but apparently not in the count's castle. That figures.
"The subjugation is over, so 100,000 gold will be coming in soon. You can install it with that."
"I suppose I should."
Hildea giggled and turned on the water.
The splashing sounds made my face grow hotter for no reason.
'Let's plan out the rank strategy. To reach the minister's stars and fill out a full 2 million troops, from now on....'
I was diligently thinking innocent thoughts when suddenly, a ripping shriek rang out.
"Kyaaaaak!"
I instantly agonized.
'Should I run away?'
Isn't it only right for a fragile ordinary person like me to bolt, when a Sword Master is screaming in shock?
But my body reflexively threw open the bathroom door as if breaking it down and stepped inside.
"Hildea-nim! What's the matter?"
"A, a bug! A bug! A bug!"
Looking at the wall where Hildea, pale as a ghost, was pointing, a large grub that had come in through a gap in the window was squirming.
It's not that gross though.
'Right, there are no bugs like that at the barracks.'
Maybe because it's the northern region, even though it's summer, bugs are rarely seen and they're small in size.
I scooped the larva onto a cleaning tool, opened the window slightly, and tossed it outside.
"It's a fellow that came in from outside. This is a warm region, so the insects are large in body."
"How, how can a bug be that big...."
Hildea was trembling while submerged in the bathtub.
Come to think of it, she's naked.
Our eyes met.
"...."
"...."
"Kyaaak!"
Hildea screamed, covered her chest with her arms, and submerged into the tub.
I dashed outside.
"I'm, I'm sorry!"
I ended up observing her topless upper body.
Her matured, beautifully set collarbones, pale white skin, and light pink buds loomed before my eyes for no reason.
'It's not really a size you'd need to cover up, I think.'
Implanting such thoughts into my head, I waited for Hildea to finish her bath.
A long while later.
"...I'm done washing. You go wash up and come out too."
"...Yes, wife."
We couldn't meet each other's eyes.
I also finished my bath and came out.
Hildea was sitting timidly, pressed to one end of the bed.
That shy appearance was truly like a bride on her wedding night.
This isn't even the first time we've slept in the same space, and we've fallen asleep tangled together plenty of times during meat and alcohol parties as a trio.
But with just the two of us in a space like this, heat just kept building up in my chest for no reason.
It's definitely because of the undercover cover story, right?
"Um, would you like a burger? Since you couldn't eat properly earlier...."
"...Yeah. Bring the alcohol too."
I usually request the supply of burger ingredients in bulk beforehand—the ones Hildea and Rebecca eat as staples—and pick them up as needed at the time.
Some of the alcohol is also pre-requested.
So even if my budget is 0, feeding them isn't a problem.
'Since the new budget comes in three days.'
Maybe because it's my first colonel's budget, I'm looking forward to it.
The Special Strategy Budget is 1 million for a major, 2 million for a lieutenant colonel.
But I doubt it'll be just 3 million for a colonel.
Since the rebate budget showed me the real army life that starts at colonel, I believe the special budget will have something extra too.
"That's right. This is real food. This is real alcohol. Here, here, you drink quickly too. Eat a lot."
"I'm not a mana knight, so I can't eat a lot."
"Then at least drink. Drink up quickly."
Hildea stuck right to my side, eating burgers as I made them, and before I knew it, she had come between my legs and was nestled in my arms.
"Heehee, it's been a while since we've eaten like this. Right?"
"...Yes. Lately, Rebecca-nim has always been with us."
Before, I'd thoughtlessly hold her in my arms and feed her wrapped burgers, like I was nursing a kitten.
Maybe because of the newlywed act, or because I saw her naked in the bathtub.
My heart is hot and pounding.
The simple pajama sleepwear design somehow feels like it's firmly suppressing something.
She chewed with a burger in her mouth and our eyes met—it's amazing how pretty her eyes are.
Without realizing it, I asked a foolish question.
"Since when has my wife been this pretty?"
"Hmm?"
"I mean... I heard you weren't originally from nobility, but your appearance is the very essence of heavenly aristocracy."
Hildea swallowed the rest of her burger and then spoke.
"You know what? Even after 50 years pass, I won't change here?"
"...Really? Is that true?"
"Yeah, that's what being a Sword Master means. Good, right?"
"Yes, that's good for you. I'm envious."
"No, I mean for you, not me."
"Pardon?"
"Your wife's appearance will stay in full bloom forever without withering. That's good for the husband, isn't it?"
"...."
Such intense immersion.
It's dangerously confusing as to where the act ends and sincerity begins.
Hildea finished the burger.
But she was still drinking the alcohol well.
"Beer, give me beer."
"Just a moment."
【Current budget is 0.】
【Cannot request supply of Nellis White & Black (Lager).】
I learned a small tip. To request the rebate beer, you need a budget of at least 100.
'From now on, I absolutely must keep a budget of 100 left over.'
"Just have the Samhae Gwiju. Beer glasses are large, so it's uncomfortable in this position, isn't it."
"Alright. Give me the Samhae Gwiju."
I received one bottle of the Samhae Gwiju I had requested previously.
There are less than 10 bottles left now.
"The story about how you cut off your leg while testing whether Aura Armor or Aura Blade was stronger."
"Yeah, wanna see?"
"Pardon?"
"You're worried an unsightly scar might remain, right? I shall now prove the flawlessness of my leg line!"
Before I could stop her, Hildea sprang to her feet and rolled up her pants right in front of my eyes.
As they were rolled up tantalizingly high, both of her white, smooth thighs were revealed right before my nose.
Fine, smooth skin that looked like it would taste like milk if licked.
"Compare them. How is it?"
"...There's no trace of a cut at all."
"I received the Healing Grace. I tested it because I believed in that."
"...Wasn't it painful?"
"Even at just Sword Imperial level, you can endure the pain of recovering an amputation."
"...The standard is quite high."
I was asking if it didn't hurt when she was cut, but apparently, the healing process was far more painful.
So it means even at Sword Expert level, you couldn't endure it and might die. That's terrifying.
"Touch it once."
"Pardon? That's going a bit far...."
"You have to confirm for yourself that your wife's leg is perfectly fine. I want to let you confirm it too."
"...."
A complicated feeling, as if something inside me is being consumed by Hildea's act.
I cautiously reached out my hand and stroked her thigh.
I thought it would be squishy, but I could feel firm muscle set in place.
'So this is the leg of a Sword Master female knight....'
Soft, seeming squishy yet firm.
On the other hand, it also felt chewy.
Feeling somehow fascinated and entranced, I fiddled with her thigh for a long while.
"Kkikkik."
When I heard laughter from above me and raised my head, Hildea was looking down at me as if amused.
"Are you giving me a mana massage?"
"As best as I remember...."
"That's not how you do it. Lie down. I'll do it properly for you."
We lay down side by side on the bed.
And as Hildea did to me, I diligently massaged her white legs.
"Piel, drink while you do it."
"Why are you feeding me so much alcohol today...."
"Drink, hurry. Marshall."
"...?"
Thinking it couldn't be, I looked at Hildea's eyes, and she was satisfied with a proud face.
Was she sincerely making a pun?
"Pu, puhahaha! You're, you're too funny. Wife."
"That's not how you do the massage. If you want to do it for the child later when I'm not around, you have to learn diligently starting now. Here, place your hands like this...."
But doesn't a mana masseur need to know how to handle mana?
If not, it's not a mana massage, it just becomes a regular massage.
But it was enjoyable.
I didn't want to break this sweetness of being able to lawfully knead Hildea's legs.
So I diligently learned and massaged her legs, and as Hildea fed me, I diligently drank alcohol from a single glass too.
I got very drunk.
I am certain that by tomorrow, quite a lot of memories will have been wiped clean.
Because that's my drinking habit....
***
I woke up feeling a splitting hangover headache.
Something soft and warm was squirming in my arms, so when I opened my eyes, astonishingly, Hildea was asleep embraced in my arms.
The two of us had been lying on our sides, facing each other and holding one another.
'Wait, why are we sleeping like this?'
Flustered, I desperately racked my brain for last night's memories.
I remembered up to the point where Hildea stood before me, and I was comparing and touching both of her thighs, confirming there were no after-effects of the amputation.
'But why are we in bed together? D, don't tell me I made a mistake?'
Thank goodness. Both of us were properly dressed in our sleepwear.
Just then, Hildea blearily opened her eyes.
"Honey, you're awake?"
"...Yes, wife."
She's truly faithful to the method concept.
To not break immersion even right after waking up.
"Last night, you don't remember?"
"...I remember up to the point where you suddenly stood up to show me your thighs were fine and told me to touch them. Did I possibly make some kind of mistake...."
"Ung, nothing like that happened. Is your hangover really bad? I'll wash up and then give you a mana massage until it clears up."
Hildea got up and went into the bathtub.
Before closing the door, she suddenly poked her face out and asked.
"You really don't remember anything after that, right?"
"I'm sorry. Not at all...."
"Then that's fine."
Judging by her slightly sulky face, it seems I did make some mistake while drunk.
Could it be that I launched a kiss attack?
Ugh, please let it not be that.
***
Hildea glared intently at her reflection in the mirror, then slowly unbuttoned her top.
Her narrow, sharply extending shoulders and two arms.
Her slender waist and firm, lean abdomen showed white.
A perfectly balanced, flawless figure, but one thing was lacking: the presence of her chest.
Hildea gathered her breast flesh with both hands as if pushing it together and tilted her head.
"Is it really too small, so Colonel Piel doesn't see me as a woman...?"
***
For three days.
Hildea and I seem to have been far too busy playing around to focus on information gathering.
I showed this country girl all the developed culture of the county to my heart's content, and every time I showed her something new, Hildea clapped and cheered with delight.
Since her reactions were as pleasant to watch as when feeding her delicious food, I diligently explored every corner of the county.
"You really were born and raised in a wonderful place, honey."
"Before long, our territory will grow and develop beyond even this. I will make it so."
"Right, our territory...."
And finally, the long-awaited payday arrived.
【Starting at Colonel, the basic budget increases.】
【Per soldier: 4,000 -> 5,000】
【Special Strategy Budget increases to 5,000,000.】
I believed in this.
The real army life that starts from colonel.
'Right, since the troops increased from 2,000 to 6,000, the official expenses budget should increase that much too.'
【Basic budget of 30,000,000 has been allocated.】
【Special Strategy Budget of 5,000,000 has been allocated.】
【Current budget: 35,000,000】
My whole body becomes filled with confidence.
The strongest tank and a massive budget.
With just these two, I can do anything.
- Colonel Marshall, this is Dvill. We have a big problem.
"Don't tell me the Count forcibly fed my noona an aphrodisiac and shoved her into Lord Deville's bedroom?"
-...It's not that. On the kingdom's western coast, ivory whales and a plant legion have appeared once again. But there are also rock golem boss individuals mixed in.
Rock golem bosses too?
Well, this means I have no choice but to bring out Hildea's 105mm howitzer horizontal firing.