Becoming the Lord, and the Third Heroine, Jasmine Barbara (Part 2)
She's overwhelming! Truly peerless!
An overwhelming volume, an overwhelming texture, and an overwhelming kinetic sway!
Following behind the village chief, my field of vision was utterly consumed by a harmonious trinity of sheer grandeur.
What an incredible set of breasts!
Breasts. A woman's breasts, naturally. Right before my eyes, an unrestrained, bountiful pair surged and dipped with every movement of her body.
To think that frail old geezer of a village chief has a daughter with such an absurd rack!
They belonged to none other than the chief's daughter.
Well, of course! It’s Jasmine Barbara! She ranks among the top three bustiest women in all of The Swordsman the Young Ladies Are Obsessed With!
Her name was Jasmine Barbara, a heroine standing an imposing one hundred and eighty-three centimeters tall, blessed with an astonishing J-cup chest. Within the game, only three heroines possessed J-cups, collectively dubbed "JJJ" or the "Triple J" by players. Among them, the chief's daughter, Jasmine Barbara, was the youngest.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Beholding in the flesh an asset I had previously only admired on screen, I briefly experienced a sensation as though all sound had vanished from space and time. When reality snapped back, the thunderous ringing of metal striking metal battered my ears once more.
Right! A blacksmith needs a build like that! With that kind of frame and sheer power, the men of the village have no choice but to behave. Step out of line, and she'd cave your skull in with a single punch! Honestly, even I might not fare any better. She’s built like an absolute tank!
We were standing in the smithy tucked behind the chief's house, and Jasmine Barbara was a blacksmith by trade.
"I've never seen the chief's daughter before," Veronica remarked, leaning in slightly.
"Is that so, sister?"
"Yeah. I've stopped by here a few times on business, but I never crossed paths with her, Young Master."
Based on what Chief Marcus had said earlier, Jasmine seemed to travel often for work. Drawing from my knowledge of the game, she had likely been venturing out to gather rare forging materials or fulfilling custom orders in exchange for coin. That explained why she had never been around whenever Veronica visited Salvatore.
"Still... she's a barbarian girl, isn't she?"
Her surname, Barbara, gave it away. Indeed, Jasmine Barbara was not a human, but a barbarian woman.
Monsters, beastfolk, elves—all exist in this world. Though they aren't especially numerous anymore.
The stage of the story was the continent of Pangaea. In the ancient past, diverse non-human races had populated these lands in abundance; going back far enough, even demons and gods had walked the earth. Over countless eras and conflicts, however, humans emerged as the continent's undisputed rulers. Aside from monsters that had to be culled through relentless war, most other races had departed in search of realms better suited to their survival. Those few who remained lived scattered among human society, coexisting just like this.
"Fifteen years ago, I volunteered to help subjugate a monster wave," Marcus explained softly, noticing Veronica's curiosity. "It was upon the perennial snows of Mount Iskandar that I found little Jasmine, having just lost her parents."
"Ah...!"
Marcus was human, meaning Jasmine was not his biological daughter, but his adopted child. Back in his prime, Marcus had been quite the swordsman himself; even at age fifty, he had marched off to fight in the catastrophic monster wave fifteen years ago. It was there that he took in Jasmine, an orphaned six-year-old barbarian girl.
In the game's lore, barbarians are a minority race, but like other demihumans, their physical gifts leave humans in the dust.
Barbarians stood roughly ten centimeters taller on average than humans. Beyond raw height, their bone density and muscular elasticity were fundamentally on another level, not to mention finer attributes like dynamic visual acuity. In an ordinary war of pure physical might, humans would get utterly mauled. What tipped the scales was human numbers and their advanced hierarchy of awakened aura users. Barbarians had their own concept of mana awakening, of course, but humans far outstripped them in sheer diversity and tactical refinement.
Northern Barbarians, in particular, possess an innate genius for handling iron.
In a narrative where the protagonist's growth revolved around swordsmanship, how could an exceptional blacksmith be missing? One was an absolute necessity, and the game had assigned that vital role to Jasmine, a barbarian maiden blessed with an explosive physique.
In other words, Eugene Caesar settles in Salvatore, takes Jasmine under his wing, and farms god-tier equipment to achieve exponential growth! That was a massive turning point on his path to becoming the strongest being in the world.
Eugene Caesar already possessed the ultimate sword, Ea. Bound by ancient seals, Ea grew stronger in lockstep with its wielder's growth. His other armaments and relics, however, were sorely lacking compared to those of high nobility. Gathering and forging equipment to fill those gaps was the core of Eugene's progression, and his bond with Jasmine was the absolute linchpin of that journey.
Of course, at this point in time, Jasmine’s skills haven’t fully ripened yet. Her true craft only begins to blossom after the discovery of the Lumina Meteoric Iron vein. Leveraging that vein, combined with the rare materials Eugene fetches from his various adventures, she reaches her peak.
Much like how the Red Fox Mercenaries had yet to reach their original scale, Jasmine was currently merely an exceptionally talented blacksmith. She was not yet at the stage where she could perform legendary feats of forging.
So what should I do? Sabotage her so her talent never blooms?
Not impossible. I could just leave the Lumina meteoric iron mine untouched. The fucking problem was, if I did that, I would ruin myself too. So what was I supposed to do?
Don't worry. There was a way to develop the mine and still prevent Eugene Caesar from sniffing around her talent.
I just have to make Jasmine leave Salvatore! Heheheh...!
She could meet Eugene all she wanted. Just do it outside of Salvatore. This territory was supposed to be my peaceful haven for early retirement.
Look forward to it, Jasmine. Just wait and see how I get you to pack your bags.
Driving Jasmine away from Salvatore required a completely different approach from the one I had used on Elena and Victoria. It demanded a radical shift in perspective.
"Jasmine? Sweetheart, we have guests."
Having watched her energetic hammering for about ten minutes, the chief called out to his massive daughter in an exceedingly tender voice once an appropriate break came.
"Guests?"
Whoosh! At her father's voice, Jasmine spun around, sending her tremendous breasts swaying heavily from side to side.
Think I'm exaggerating? Not in the slightest. By default, Jasmine wore leather overalls with practically nothing thick underneath.
"...!"
The instant her eyes landed on me, Jasmine's expression froze solid.
Nice to see you. It's the bastard who sexually harassed you.
That piece of shit, original-flavor Kyle, had targeted none other than Jasmine Barbara. The dumb bastard had gotten utterly trashed, spewed racist barbarian slurs, and sexually harassed her.
Phew... In a way, Jasmine was yet another heroine who was originally positioned closer to Kyle than to Eugene Caesar... and that idiot threw it all away...
Doesn't it really highlight Kyle's overwhelming early-game advantage? He held emotional dominance over Elena and the Sword Princess, and he held social dominance over Jasmine. If Kyle hadn't wrecked everything in a drunken stupor—hell, if he hadn't surrendered Salvatore to Eugene—Jasmine Barbara would have forged for Kyle without question. When your feudal lord tells you to jump, what choice do you have?
"Oh my goodness! Look how pretty she is! She really is just a baby!"
Getting a clear look at Jasmine's face, Veronica gasped in genuine admiration. Jasmine was twenty-one this year; her body was gigantic, but her cheeks still held the soft, chubby fullness of youth.
"It has been half a year, Miss Jasmine."
In other words, the harassment had occurred when she was barely twenty. What an absolute dog. Granted, Kyle had been twenty-two at the time, making them peers in age, but still—I felt thoroughly wronged. It was the trash Kyle who did it, not me! I was the newly reformed, born-again Kyle.
Even so, what could I do? I preemptively threw out a greeting, maintaining a courteous expression and a respectful tone.
Creak...!
She clenched her fists, trembling all over.
Whoa... If it were just the two of us, she'd have beaten me to death right here.
Just look at the burning hostility in her eyes. Her grip tightened white-knuckled around something that deserved to be called a warhammer rather than a forge hammer, her entire frame shaking with righteous fury.
Barbarians have insane pride. And that psycho Kyle deliberately trampled on it.
Barbarians were a warrior race. The men tended to be exceptionally belligerent, but thankfully the women weren't quite as violent by nature. Yet their pride ran fierce, and if anyone threatened their clan or community, they would retaliate with lethal dedication.
Though honestly... Time for a confession of conscience. I'd never stoop to racist insults, but if I were completely wasted, I can't guarantee I wouldn't lose my mind either. I mean, look at that absurd body!
Elena, Victoria, and Veronica beside me all possessed stunning figures. But from Jasmine radiated the overwhelming, raw presence of a different species altogether.
I used to think wearing practically nothing under her overalls was just fanservice character design, but seeing it in person, there was a completely logical reason for it. With a powerhouse body like that, sweating buckets while violently hammering steel, any layers she wore underneath would probably rip to shreds within minutes.
"Jasmine! Calm yourself, daughter. Whatever the past, he is still a young lord."
Without question, the most anxious person here was the chief. The exact nightmare scenario he had dreaded was unfolding before his eyes.
"Just what did you do to make that poor girl glare at you like she wants to murder you, Young Master? Look at her shaking with that hammer."
And the most exasperating person in the room was Veronica. Her dopamine receptors were clearly firing on all cylinders. Her teasing whisper carried far more thrilled curiosity than actual concern.
"I sexually harassed her while completely drunk," I said flatly. "In the filthiest way possible."
"Oh my heavens! Really? You did, Young Master?!"
"Yes."
So I gave her the dopamine hit she wanted. Having withheld the details on the way here only to drop a verbal bomb like this, Veronica’s usually calm, sultry voice spiked into an operatic soprano.
"You remember all that, yet you still dared to come here?" Jasmine growled, her knuckles whitening.
"Child! You cannot speak like that! His Lordship has arrived as our new feudal ruler!"
My expression remained utterly placid. Finding that calmness repulsive, Jasmine’s baby-faced cheeks flushed scarlet with rage, prompting Marcus to rush forward in a panic to hold his daughter back.
What a great personality. Honest. Unpretentious.
I liked it. A master blacksmith ought to have that kind of fiery spirit. Having experienced Jasmine’s sheer presence firsthand, I felt confident that my scheme to drive her out of Salvatore would work like a charm.
Right now, I had to clean up the pile of shit the old Kyle had left behind. Consider the stunt I was about to pull as step one of my grand plan.
Behind me and a step to the side, Veronica’s eyes went round as saucers.
"M-My Lord?!"
The chief, who had been trying to restrain his daughter, gasped in absolute shock.
Even Jasmine’s face, previously flushed crimson with fury, froze in utter disbelief.
"Miss Jasmine, I came here today to offer my sincere apology."
Because I had slammed down an apology with maximum force. And not just any verbal apology, either.
The Young Lord! He just dropped to his knees before my Jasmine!
I had dropped down to my knees on the dusty workshop floor.
A noble scion! Not just of an earldom, but the heir of a Ducal House!
Standing on the other side of Veronica, Thomas was frozen in sheer horror. Given his administrative duties, he had dealt with plenty of high nobles. He knew their suffocating arrogance, backed by the undeniable aura of power. For someone of that status, offering a perfunctory apology would have been considered an extraordinary concession. Dropping to his knees transcended anything that could be dismissed as mere theatrics.
"W-Why are you doing this all of a sudden?"
Despite her shock, Jasmine didn't let down her guard entirely.
"After I committed that shameful discourtesy against you here," I spoke, my voice ringing with somber gravity, "I found myself facing mortal peril while defending another territory."
Her stutter proved I already had half the battle won. Maintaining a grim, near-tragic expression, I let my silver tongue spin its web.
"I was fortunate enough to survive thanks to the aid of a comrade. And that comrade was a barbarian."
What Born-Again Kyle was saying wasn't a total lie. Exaggerated, certainly. It hadn't been a near-death experience so much as a minor scrape, and the savior hadn't been a Northern Barbarian, but another variety of barbarian who helped resolve the skirmish.
"It was a profound wake-up call. It made me realize just how disgustingly arrogant I had been. And immediately, what I did to you, Miss Jasmine, weighed upon my soul. That is why I vowed to come and offer you my apology at the earliest possible moment."
Naturally, the original trash Kyle hadn't felt a shred of remorse. In fact, he had thrown a tantrum about nearly getting bruised. But who gave a damn? None of the people standing here had witnessed his temper tantrum.
Besides...
Wait... His eyes look so genuinely sorrowful...? Could it be true...?
My Oscar-worthy performance as Born-Again Kyle was flawless. Reflecting on my fabricated past, the remorse shining in my eyes seemed entirely genuine to her.
"Is that what happened...? Even so, you cannot do this, My Lord! Please, stand up! What are you doing, Jasmine?! Accept His Lordship's apology at once!"
Marcus instantly seized the momentum. As a father, he had wanted to hold his daughter back, but had possessed no moral ground to strictly forbid her anger. Now that the noble lord had literally fallen to his knees, Marcus gained all the justification he needed to mediate.
"P-Please get up. Doing this only makes things uncomfortable for me."
"Will you accept my apology?"
Truth be told, Jasmine was still on guard. But this twenty-one-year-old barbarian girl was a devoted daughter who loved her adoptive father dearly. Stepping closer, she bowed her head slightly. Even then, meticulous bastard that I was, I refused to let the moment pass ambiguously. I needed to cement the fact that she had formally accepted my apology.
"Yes..."
At last, Jasmine gave a slow nod.
"My daughter has accepted Your Lordship's apology, so please, stand up. If word of this were to spread, it would bring immense trouble upon both my daughter and me."
Marcus hurriedly helped me to my feet.
"Thank you, Village Chief."
I rose while keeping my solemn, remorseful mask perfectly in place until the very end.
First objective complete... Heheheh...!
The sinister smirk remained strictly internal, shivering with dark delight.
"Now then, allow me to pour you a drink, My Lord!"
That night, Marcus hosted a village feast in the communal hall to welcome me.
"Fill it to the brim, please."
"Oh my! Will you be all right?"
"I am not the man I was back then."
"Hahaha! Very well!"
I mingled openly and caroused with the villagers. During his previous visit, the village had hosted a welcoming banquet too, but the original idiot Kyle hadn't bothered to attend. Instead, he had guzzled wine alone in the castle before stumbling out into the streets to harass Jasmine.
In other words, my cheerful, active participation tonight was a deliberate display to show the townsfolk just how drastically their lord had changed.
She must still be suspicious. It's not something that vanishes overnight.
Sitting beside Marcus, Jasmine studiously avoided meeting my gaze. Swept along by my overwhelming performance at the smithy, she had yielded in the moment, but now that some time had passed, deep confusion was clearly setting in.
Still, that only makes it all the more entertaining. Treat her exceptionally well, open her heart, and then drive her out! Heheheh...
With Elena and Victoria, I had cut ties by acting cold and ruthless, but with Jasmine, I would take the exact opposite stance. That was how I would maneuver her out of Salvatore.
Now then... shall I make my move?
No need to hesitate. I immediately began to work my magic.