The Wolf's Devotion
The soap project had reached its ninth phase, and with it came the beastkin. Most beastkin possessed far stronger bodies than humans. Perhaps that was why they tended to be violent and quick to anger. That said, it didn't mean they were ostracized by human society. On the contrary, because beastkin were known to remain fiercely loyal once they pledged themselves to a master, most of them lived quite comfortably under noble patronage.
Loyalty didn't necessarily require the master to be stronger. Beastkin had no qualms about swearing fealty so long as they received sufficient compensation—money, food, or other rewards. But when it came to choosing a mate, they were extremely picky. The females in particular were notorious for their high standards.
Males would settle for any reasonably strong female weaker than themselves, but females refused even to share a bed with anyone they deemed inferior. It was a well-known tale that a beastkin female would reject even the Emperor of the Empire if he was weaker than her. They were so selective that they would rather be torn limb from limb than accept a lesser male. Once a beastkin female chose her partner with such care, she would devote her entire life to serving him with absolute sincerity.
This was what humans generally understood about beastkin nature, and for the most part, it was quite accurate. Even Leona Montmartre, the Knight Commander, was no exception to these traits. As a Sword Master, there had never been a man who could catch her eye. That was why she remained a virgin to this day.
Of course, back when she had not yet become a Sword Master, many men had confessed to her. She had been blessed with stunning beauty, after all. Among them were men stronger than Leona, but she had rejected them all.
There was one fact humans had failed to grasp. They had casually assumed that beastkin females simply cared about a male's appearance, but the truth was entirely different. Beastkin females cared nothing for human standards of beauty. They looked only at strength.
Then why didn't they fall unconditionally in love with any male who defeated them? The answer was surprisingly simple. For female beastkin, the standard of "strength" included the future. Only a male they could never defeat in a one-on-one fight—no matter how hard they trained—would earn their love and total devotion.
Of course, this meant that most beastkin females eventually married a man who had beaten them by the time they reached a suitable age. But Leona had been exceptionally talented. She had reached Sword Expert at a very young age and had risen to Sword Master while still in her prime. There was simply no man who could satisfy her standards… until now.
Leona had suffered a crushing defeat at Alpha's hands not long ago.
'This can't be happening.'
At first, she had denied it. He was a man who had crossed over from a world without mana and was still unfamiliar with handling it. There was no way she could lose to someone like that. Even though her sensitive nose kept picking up the thick, masculine scent of a male who had satisfied countless females, she had ignored it.
But the result had been total defeat. She hadn't landed a single effective blow. And then there was the way he moved. Alpha had clearly been using mana. She had asked Erika and Ertia, who worked in the same department, but neither of them had taught him how to accumulate or wield mana.
'Ah… ❤︎'
He was a man who could gather and manipulate mana in his body without ever being taught. And even though the amount he possessed was far less than hers, he had still been able to discipline a naughty female like her. No matter how much she trained, she could not imagine a future in which she would ever defeat him.
It hadn't taken long for the beastkin within her to fall completely in love.
Ever since that day, every single one of Leona's days had felt like a dream.
"Hngh…!!"
Sometimes she would let out strange sounds while daydreaming about those blissful moments. Other times she would rub her thighs together, desperately trying to cool the burning heat in her body. She didn't resent Alpha for defeating her, claiming her body, and then failing to visit. She was the defeated female. Among beastkin, the loser belonged entirely to the winner. Even if he had demanded her body, it was Alpha who decided when. For a female like her to defy the will of such a powerful male would be tantamount to defying the laws of heaven.
At some point, she had begun to smell Alpha's thick masculine scent on Lady Elisa Soryu, and the scent coming from Ertia grew more intense with each passing day. Still, Leona waited with a joyful heart, full of anticipation.
"I want to embrace Lady Leona like the females who enter the Breeding Chamber."
After all, he had challenged her to a duel because he desired her well-trained, firm body—!
Although it had technically been Leona who issued the challenge after Alpha pointed out the corruption within the knight order, at some point the narrative had twisted. It now felt as if Alpha were a son-in-law boldly asking his father-in-law for his daughter's hand. He had essentially confessed to her in front of the dragon Melania de Umbra and Baron Wellington.
"Who is it?"
"It's Commoner Knight Erika and Breeder Alpha. May we enter?"
"Alpha?! Ah! Hngh! Uhh! C-come in!"
Her beloved had finally come for her. The man she had longed for every single day, waiting with bated breath. It was no wonder Leona bit her tongue in shock.
"I've come to claim the reward for our duel."
It was sweet. So unbearably sweet. To see him demand her so boldly in front of a subordinate. As expected of a powerful male. He was openly declaring that Leona was his female in front of another woman!
Her pussy grew soaking wet. But then Alpha sent Erika away. It was a shame.
"Silence."
Still, it seemed he didn't want to show this side of himself to other females, so Leona quickly used an expensive artifact to cast a soundproofing spell for Alpha's sake. It was almost time. Soon, she would become a proper female. And not just any female—she would be claimed by a male so superior that even a Sword Master like herself would be forced to recognize her place!
Her excitement made her pussy so wet that it soaked straight through her panties.
"Ah. I don't want Lady Leona's body. I'd like to receive something else instead."
"What…? What?"
But Alpha's single sentence brutally crushed all of Leona's expectations. Tears welled up in her eyes before she even realized it. This couldn't happen. She couldn't let this male—the one who could turn even a Sword Master like herself into nothing but a female and make her revel in that joy—leave like this. She had to hold onto him no matter what.
"I-I'm sorry… Ah, no! Forgive me!"
Had her attitude been the problem? She had heard that males liked women with strong pride, so she had spoken arrogantly on purpose, hoping to let him feel the joy of claiming the Knight Commander. Besides, aside from the women who were forced into the Breeding Chamber, the ones who carried Alpha's scent were all nobles. Both Ertia and Elisa gave off a completely different impression from obedient, submissive women. She had thought she understood his tastes well, but perhaps she had made a mistake?
"Do you prefer obedient women…? I-I can be good. I'll listen to everything you say. P-please… don't throw me away."
Leona jumped up from behind her office desk and immediately dropped to her knees in front of Alpha.
"What the hell is this…"
"Please don't throw me away. Haaang!!"
Leona clung to Alpha's pant leg and began to cry like a dog about to be abandoned. Alpha was taken aback but decided to hear her out first. As far as he knew, while it was true that female beastkin loved strong males, the stronger they were, the stronger their pride was supposed to be. He needed to understand why Leona was reacting like this.
"So that's what happened."
'Hmm.'
After Leona finished her explanation, Alpha still didn't fully understand the nuances of beastkin nature, but he at least realized that a single defeat had turned her into his female.
"Much simpler than dealing with humans."
To think that simply proving he was stronger than her was enough for her to offer both body and heart completely. In Alpha's eyes, female beastkin were incredibly useful creatures. The arrogant human females, even after realizing the gap between themselves and an Alpha Male like him, would often resist until the very end because of their pathetic pride. Of course, once any female had a cock shoved inside her, they all became obedient in the end. But it was still annoying to deal with women who came at him with full force. That was why having someone like Leona—who accepted her place as a female after just one defeat and submitted completely—was incredibly convenient.
"Hah. Anyway, I won't throw you away. Stop crying. Sneak into my room tonight."
"…Yes!"
Alpha stroked Leona's head and began explaining the task he had originally come to ask of her.
*
Khan, Johnson, and Hanson were infamous thieves in this area. Though "infamous" was a bit of a stretch considering they were currently locked up in prison.
"Is this the place?"
"…It is."
The ones who had come to see them were Alpha and Knight Commander Leona. After leaving the Knight Commander's office, Alpha had given Leona a discreet warning because Erika was present, so there was no chance of their relationship being exposed.
"Bring them out."
"Your Grace! Your Grace! Please spare us! Your Grace!"
At Leona's single command, the prison door opened and the trio of thieves were dragged out. They begged desperately, hands and feet groveling on the floor. The prison was narrow and the food portions were meager, but it was still better than dying. In this world where criminals had no rights, if they displeased a noble they could be hanged in the middle of the public square at any moment.
"Do you want to live?"
"Yes! Please just spare our lives! If you spare us, we'll do anything!!"
"Then let's do one job together."
Alpha looked at the thieves and gave them a wide grin.