The Road to the North
Jill woke up late.
She hadn't been able to fall asleep last night, ultimately resorting to masturbation. Afterward, a wave of self-loathing had washed over her, leaving her tossing and turning until dawn.
I've lost my mind... Seriously... Why was I thinking about that perverted dick while...
She clutched her pillow, writhing in agony. It was still hard to believe that she, once a robust man, had changed so completely. The pleasure she had coaxed out with her own fingers felt hollow, only making the void left by Penis feel that much larger.
Ah... I'm so tired... I can't even open my eyes...
With her hair a disheveled mess, Jill yawned as she shuffled down to the dining hall. Penis and Astrid were already seated there.
"Oh, Jill. Sleep well?" Penis asked.
"Yeah... I guess... Actually, not at all..." Jill rubbed her eyes and slumped into a chair. "Where's Eliana?"
"She's not up yet," Penis replied nonchalantly.
"Huh? The Duchess is sleeping in? She's usually the first one awake..." Astrid muttered, looking puzzled. Normally, the young duchess would have been up before anyone else, preparing herself immaculately.
Just then, the heavy, dragging sound of footsteps echoed from the stairs.
Eliana was stumbling her way down. Her face was flushed a deep, burning crimson, and her gait was distinctly off. Unable to bring her thighs together, she waddled awkwardly with her legs splayed wide, teetering down the steps like a newborn calf.
"Eliana? Are you okay?" Jill asked, concerned.
"Yes... I'm fine... Just a bit... tired..." Eliana tried to cover her face as she gingerly attempted to sit. But the moment her bottom made contact with the chair, she let out a soft shriek and instantly hovered back up.
"Ah!"
"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
"O-Oh, it's nothing... Just... a bit of muscle soreness..." Eliana buried her face in her hands, her cheeks looking ready to burst as she hung her head low.
Jill tilted her head in confusion.
Muscle soreness? She didn't even do anything yesterday, did she? No, but walking like that is a bit too...
Right then, Penis and Eliana's gazes locked in midair. Eliana shyly cast her eyes downward with a soft smile, while Penis smirked, the corner of his mouth curling upward.
...No way.
A dark premonition flashed through Jill's mind.
Did those two... last night...?
Jill's jaw dropped as her eyes darted back and forth between them. Eliana's flushed face, her bowlegged waddle, Penis's smug, relaxed grin—every single puzzle piece snapped perfectly into place.
While I was tossing and turning, desperately rubbing one out alone, those two were... Haa...
A bizarre cocktail of emotions surged within Jill.
I mean, I wanted them to hook up... but now that it's actually happened, it feels so weird...
Jealousy? Emptiness? Or was it a sense of betrayal? A tangled mess of complicated feelings she couldn't quite define knotted in her chest. She had definitely cheered them on for the sake of her own freedom. So why did a corner of her heart sting with such uncomfortable friction?
Why am I... acting like this?
Jill fell into deep thought. The reality of Penis sleeping with another woman hit her far harder than she had anticipated.
Don't tell me... I've actually... toward that pervert...?
Jill violently shook her head, instantly crushing the thought.
No! Absolutely not! I'm a man! Get a grip! It's just... I'm just cranky because I didn't sleep! Yeah, it's definitely sleep deprivation!
She tried to soothe herself by chugging a glass of water. Yet, her eyes kept drifting back to Penis, and then to the blissfully happy Eliana.
After a brief, awkward silence, Astrid cleared her throat to break the ice.
"So... what is our schedule for today?"
Jill snapped out of it and looked at Penis.
"Yeah, what's the plan? According to the intel we got from the Baron, the next territory is pretty far."
Penis crossed his arms and rested his chin on his hand.
"First, we rest here at the Baron's estate for one more day. We need to organize the intel, stock up on supplies, and..." He cast a sly glance at Eliana. "The Duchess looks like she needs some recovery time."
At his words, Eliana's blush spread all the way to her ears as she nodded frantically.
"Y-Yes... Thank you..."
Jill groaned inwardly at the sight.
It's official... They definitely did it... Look at them, practically dripping with sweet, lovey-dovey honey.
Astrid seemed to have caught on as well, letting out a subtle cough with a complicated expression. However, out of sheer politeness, she kept her mouth shut.
"Good. Today is a rest day. We set off early tomorrow morning," Penis declared.
"Got it..." Jill replied weakly, picking up a piece of bread. She couldn't tell if she was chewing bread or sand. Her appetite had completely vanished.
Why am I being like this? This is exactly what I wanted... If Eliana hooks up with Penis, I get my freedom...
She repeated it like a mantra in her head.
I'm a man. I'm a man. I absolutely loathe the idea of getting entangled with a pervert like him. Please, just live happily ever after together...
But the discomfort in the corner of her heart refused to fade.
Jill forced down her complicated emotions along with the dry bread, continuing her bitter breakfast.
After breakfast, the party spent the rest of the day resting and preparing for the journey ahead, just as Penis had decided. True to his word, Baron Crimson spared no expense in preparing all sorts of supplies, including enough food and water to last several days, along with a heavy pouch stuffed with gold coins. Thus, a long day passed in preparation.
The next morning, in front of the castle.
In the chilly morning air where breath bloomed into white mist, Jill was doing squats alone in front of the carriage to shake off her stray thoughts.
"One, two! One, two!"
The soldiers and servants gathered in front of the castle stole frequent glances at her. And honestly, who could blame them? It wasn't every day you saw a woman wearing nothing but a cloak pounding out squats first thing in the morning.
"Whew... Whew... Begone, useless thoughts!"
Jill repeatedly lowered and raised herself until her thighs felt ready to burst. She felt like she had to push her body to its absolute limits to erase the lingering, greasy feeling from last night and those bizarre emotions toward Eliana.
A short while later, Penis, Eliana, and Astrid emerged from the castle gates. A brand-new carriage stood waiting for them.
It was a modern, sleek model, incomparably sturdier and faster than the dilapidated carriage they had arrived in yesterday. The wheels were equipped with shock absorbers, and its pitch-black chassis exuded an imposing aura. Even the horses pulling it were sleek, lustrous steeds.
Yet, the area around the carriage was completely barren.
There wasn't a single escort soldier in sight, let alone a coachman.
"..."
Jill stared in utter disbelief as she realized only Penis, Eliana, and Astrid were ready to depart. Stopping her squats, she wiped away her sweat and walked over.
"Are we seriously going by ourselves? I thought we were getting support from the Baron?"
Standing nearby, Baron Crimson rubbed his hands together awkwardly.
"Well, Lord Penis... insisted that military support was unnecessary..."
"What? Hey, Penis! Have you lost your mind?" Jill glared at Penis, demanding answers. "The road ahead is going to be crawling with assassins and private soldiers, and we're going alone? We should at least have some meat shields to take the hits!"
Penis lightly hopped onto the roof of the carriage, crossing his legs and snorting.
"Taking a bunch of weaklings along is just a liability. They'd do nothing but waste rations and run away the moment a fight breaks out."
He gestured toward Astrid with his chin.
"Besides, the knight can handle the driving."
Astrid was already seated in the driver's box, holding the reins. Her face, too, was clouded with worry.
"Um... Lord Penis. Wouldn't it be wise to have at least a minimal escort? For the sake of protecting the Duchess..."
"Don't sweat it. You've got me." Penis confidently patted his massive biceps. "And even if things go south for us, it's not like the Baron loses anything, right? He can just shrug and say, 'Oh, my bad, the report must have been wrong.'"
"Eek! H-How could you say such a terrible thing!" The Baron jumped, waving his hands frantically. His face had gone completely pale. "I sincerely pray for the Duchess's safe return! I harbor absolutely no ulterior motives! I swear it on my life!"
"I know, I know. Just a joke," Penis chuckled.
Jill let out a heavy sigh.
This lunatic... Can I really trust him?
The raw power he displayed at the banquet yesterday was undoubtedly spectacular, but war wasn't a solo sport. If hundreds or thousands of enemies swarmed them, wouldn't even Penis eventually tire out?
Wait, does that guy have infinite stamina?
Jill shuddered as she recalled Penis's seemingly bottomless sexual endurance, shaking her head violently. Well, if that stamina translates directly into combat power... then yeah, maybe it is possible.
"Alright, cut the useless worrying and let's roll. We're taking the shortest route," Penis declared, unfolding a map. "We go straight through, over mountains and across rivers. If anything gets in our way, we smash right through it."
"Smash right through... You make it sound so easy!" Jill grumbled.
"So what if we get caught? If we kill everyone who sees us, it's still a stealth mission."
"That's not an assassination! That's a massacre!"
But Penis didn't even pretend to listen.
Inside the carriage, Eliana looked out the window and bowed her head to the Baron.
"Thank you for everything, Baron. I will visit you again under a new light."
"Thank you, Duchess. Please... survive and reclaim your place as the master of Winterfell." The Baron bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle, his voice thick with sincerity.
He let out a long, heavy sigh as he watched the carriage recede into the distance.
"Haa... From here on, it's a race against time."
His aide, standing beside him, asked cautiously, "My Lord, can they really pull this off? Viscount Valentine's forces are formidable. And there are only four of them."
"In terms of sheer military might, the Viscount holds an overwhelming advantage. However..." The Baron recalled the sight of Penis obliterating Roderick with his bare hands. That monstrous strength transcending human limits, and those crazed, wild eyes. "That monstrous man is the ultimate wild card. And if the Duchess safely reaches the castle and secures the knights' oath of fealty... the political tide will turn."
He clenched his fists tightly.
"My life is riding on that carriage as well. Please... they must succeed."
Meanwhile, inside the speeding carriage.
Jill surrendered her body to the rattling vibrations, staring blankly out the window.
Is this... really going to be okay? Did I get swept up in the moment and agree to help for nothing?
Regret washed over her. Should she have just taken some money and run away?
No, where could she even go with this body? And why did that lunatic insist on keeping her in nothing but a cloak! It wasn't cold, but it was incredibly indecent!
Ugh, whatever. What happens, happens.
Jill gave up on thinking and leaned back against the seat.
Sitting across from her was Eliana, who exuded an air of maturity that was vastly different from yesterday. A gentle smile played on her lips, and she occasionally looked up toward the carriage roof where Penis was, her face flushing red.
She's completely... a girl in love, Jill thought bitterly.
"Hey, Penis! Did you pack food?" she shouted toward the roof.
"Yeah, loaded up plenty of bread and jerky in the back. Got booze, too."
"Booze? You're drinking in the middle of the day?"
"It's the romance of travel." Penis's hand suddenly reached down through the carriage window, offering a bottle of wine. "Here, have a drink. To our future."
"Crazy bastard... I'll give you credit for your optimism."
Though she grumbled, Jill took the wine bottle from Penis.
Well, what's the worst that could happen? Death? Let's do this!
Jill took a long, deep swig of the wine. As the alcohol burned down her throat, her mood lifted slightly.
Kicking up clouds of dust, the carriage sped northward. After traveling for a long while and leaving the Baron's territory behind, the scenery began to shift.
The fertile, warm lands of the Baron's estate vanished, replaced by an increasingly desolate and rugged plain. The wind grew fierce, howling through the cracks of the window like a sharp blade.
"Brr... It's cold..." Eliana shivered, wrapping her cloak tighter around herself.
But Jill felt strange.
She knew intellectually that the wind was freezing, but her body didn't feel cold at all.
Huh? Why aren't I cold?
She rubbed her bare arm. Not even a single goosebump had formed. It felt as if a furnace was burning inside her, radiating a cozy warmth.
Is this... another change from becoming a woman?
Jill frowned. Whether it was a divine blessing or a curse, her body had definitely become immune to the cold.
"Eliana, you okay? The air feels different from here on," Jill asked.
Eliana blew warm breath onto her hands and nodded. "Yes... the northern winter is incredibly harsh. This is just the entrance, so it's actually on the milder side."
Looking out at the barren fields, she explained, "The North is fundamentally a barren land. Farming is difficult, and the winters are long. We barely scrape by through the winter using trade goods from the southern barons and food from Earl Lionel's territory to the east. Fortunately, Earl Lionel is still maintaining his neutrality, so our supply lines haven't been cut, but..."
Eliana's expression darkened.
"The real problem is the barbarians and the monsters. They constantly look for opportunities to breach the Northern Wall, attacking every winter. They come to pillage because they lack food."
Jill tilted her head. "Then why don't we just cross the Northern Wall and conquer their land? Just wipe them all out?"
Eliana smiled bitterly and shook her head. "Successive emperors of the Empire have led countless armies across the wall to secure their legacy. But the result was always a crushing defeat. The extreme cold, the giant beasts, and the endless, trackless snowfields always sent them back with devastating losses."
She paused to gather her thoughts, then looked at Jill with a serious gaze.
"Sister, in the Empire, they teach us that our land is the center and the entirety of the world... but my father once told me. Beyond the Northern Wall lies an uncharted world just as vast, if not far greater, than the Empire itself."
"A vast world?" Jill felt a spark of curiosity at this new piece of information. It was something that hadn't even existed in her past-life knowledge.
"Yes. That's why there are rumors that the barbarians aren't just coming to raid, but are actually fleeing from something." Eliana's voice dropped to a low whisper. "Furthermore, the current Emperor is highly ambitious... There are whispers that he might eventually wage war against the Three Kingdoms to the west, which share our border. If an era of war truly comes... the North must stand as a sturdy bulwark."
Jill saw Eliana in a new light.
I thought she was just a delicate greenhouse flower... but she's surprisingly deep.
She wasn't just trying to survive; she was genuinely worried about the safety of the North, and by extension, the future of the Empire. She was beginning to awaken to her responsibilities as a duchess.
Not bad, kid. Jill smirked and took another sip of wine.
But right then, that inexplicable emotion reared its head in Jill's heart once more.
Responsible, beautiful, and thoughtful... Exactly the kind of woman Penis would like.
Jill stared bitterly out the window.
As for me... I'm just a man whose outer appearance changed. I'm a man. A man.
She repeated it internally like a spell. Yet, the reflection in the glass window was, by all accounts, an incredibly beautiful woman.
Hating that sight, Jill abruptly turned her head away.