The Beastkin's Savior
An unauthorized entry. Considering the potential for armed conflict or smuggling, the beastkin soldiers' actions were entirely reasonable. As long as I explained the situation properly and the cargo on the ship didn't violate any laws, there wouldn't be any major issues.
'Though there are people kidnapped from the Empire on this ship...'
I had freed them and explained the situation logically. I told them they could rest easy because I had killed all of Viscount Jelberto's lackeys. I made them trust and follow me by telling them I had come to rescue them after they were kidnapped without even knowing why.
Thanks to my reputation in the Empire and my selfless rescue, no one doubted me. If anything, they were eager to repay the favor. Therefore, no matter how thoroughly the soldiers searched, they would never suspect this was a human trafficking vessel.
"Captain, the search of the cabins is complete!"
"Any contraband?"
"Nothing detected, ma'am!"
There was no cargo other than the food supplies meant for the voyage. Since beastkin had an incredibly sharp sense of smell, they would have sniffed out something like drugs instantly. Perhaps because the captain trusted her subordinates, she let it slide easily.
"The background checks are also complete!"
"Report."
"All of them are from the Carman Empire. Except for one individual, everyone has a completely clean record."
The beastkin captain's brow furrowed. Rather than the clean cargo and background checks, the single outlier seemed to annoy her. She looked up from the report she was diligently writing and glared at the reporting subordinate.
"Explain this exception."
"He's someone the Empire put on their wanted list a few days ago..."
"So he's a criminal. Bind him and bring him in."
"W-Well, if you call him a criminal, he is one, but when you actually see him, it's not really like that..."
"Is this report a joke to you? Speak clearly!"
The beastkin captain barked at her subordinate's ambiguous attitude. The beastkin soldier, his fur standing on end, blurted out his report in a booming voice.
"It's Lord Alvin, the famous rising star of the Empire!"
"What...?"
The beastkin captain, who had maintained the disciplined demeanor of a soldier defending her country, looked flustered for the first time. It seemed I was quite famous even in the Yudika Kingdom. Then again, Alvin had previously rescued demi-humans kidnapped by slave traders. At the time, with the help of the Empress—who was still a wise ruler back then—he had safely returned them to the Yudika Kingdom.
"Is there any chance of a mistake?"
"We checked multiple times. Everyone on board identified him as Lord Alvin, and even the Red Lion of the Empire testified to it, so it's certain."
"Bring him... No, escort him here immediately with the utmost respect!"
Her tone became so polite I could hear it from a distance. Since humans rarely went out of their way to help other races, Alvin's past actions seemed to have made a massive impact on the kingdom. The soldier who had been verifying identities rushed over and bowed deeply to me. It was an ironic situation where a wanted criminal from the Empire was being treated with absolute reverence. For Alvin, a small act of kindness had returned to him tenfold.
The soldier politely guided me to the captain. Upon my arrival, the captain also bowed a full ninety degrees.
"I deeply apologize! I failed to recognize our esteemed guest and committed a grave discourtesy!"
"It's fine. I don't think I did anything grand enough to deserve this kind of treatment."
"How can you say that! You acted righteously without discrimination despite being a human. How could we not call that magnificent?"
"Even if you praise me like that, I'm still a criminal."
"The Empire must have gone mad, or there has been some mistake! I firmly believe so!"
Showing such infinite trust upon our very first meeting was a bit overwhelming. It might have been due to the pheromone effect, one of Alvin's innate traits. Alvin's pheromones attracted goodwill from all races except humans and demons. It practically induced a reaction akin to a cat high on catnip. That was only in extreme cases, though; normally, it just brought peace of mind to those around him.
'Though bringing peace of mind is already quite a feat in itself...'
In particular, calming the minds and bodies of beastkin, who often struggled to control their instincts, was no easy task. Yet Alvin's setting allowed him to achieve this simply by letting them catch his scent, which felt incredibly strange in many ways.
"Thank you for believing in me. But a criminal is still a criminal. Shouldn't the final judgment belong to His Majesty the King?"
"It is as Lord Alvin says. In my heart, I wish to make an exception, but we must follow protocol."
Seeing me hold out both hands to be taken in, the beastkin captain couldn't hide her displeasure. She didn't want to treat me like a criminal, but rules were rules. She reluctantly tied my wrists with a rope, making sure to tie the knot loosely so it wouldn't hurt me.
"Take him in."
"Hold on!"
"Please wait!"
Just as the beastkin captain ordered her subordinates to take me away, Scarlet and Luna, who had been watching silently, suddenly stepped forward. The beastkin's attention shifted to them, and the warm gazes that had been directed at me instantly turned ice-cold. It was a stark demonstration of just how powerful the pheromone effect was.
"The Red Lion?"
"I see you know me."
"You are famous among humans, after all. Key word being humans."
"Your tone seems to have a lot more thorns compared to how you treat my disciple."
Scarlet's observation was spot on. While not outright hostile, the captain's posture was tense and guarded. It was like a puppy that had been wagging its tail for its owner suddenly growling at a stranger.
"I apologize if I offended you. More importantly, why did you stop us?"
"If you're taking my disciple, I'd like to tag along."
"And your reason?"
"To defend my one and only disciple, of course. Shouldn't there be someone to testify about why he was branded a criminal in the Empire?"
The beastkin captain stroked her chin. After a brief moment of deliberation, she nodded and allowed Scarlet to accompany us.
"Very well. However, you are an exception."
The captain pointed a finger at Luna. Since Luna lacked a sufficient reason or justification to tag along, the captain ordered her to remain on the ship. Seeing that they were about to send her back, I quickly spoke up.
"Excuse me, but she is someone precious to me. Could she please come with us?"
"Ah! Is that so? In that case, of course she may!"
The sheer disparity in her attitude was hard to get used to. The temperature of her behavior when facing me versus when dealing with others was in stark contrast. It made me realize once again just how powerful Alvin's past deeds and pheromones truly were.
"We have a carriage waiting! Right this way!"
Following the soldier holding the rope, a carriage soon came into view. It was a luxurious carriage that only nobles would typically ride. It was so lavish that it made me doubt whether they were actually escorting a criminal. Wondering if this was really okay, I looked back and forth between the carriage and the rope binding my wrists before questioning the soldier.
"I think the wrong carriage was brought out?"
"It is the correct carriage, so please board with your companions!"
"Does the Yudika Kingdom always treat criminals so hospitably?"
"Of course not! We went to extra lengths because it is the carriage for you, Lord Alvin. Any other criminal would have been tossed into a wagon with iron bars!"
He said it with absolute pride, completely unabashed about the blatant favoritism. Was this what it felt like to be an ordinary celebrity at home but treated like a prince abroad? A dumbfounded chuckle escaped my lips.
"Then I shall gladly accept."
There was no reason to refuse when they were offering to treat me like a VIP. On our way to the capital, I accepted their hospitality and indulged in all sorts of luxury. It was a comfortable journey, and at some point, they even untied the ropes entirely. Thanks to that, I was able to leisurely enjoy the scenery of the Yudika Kingdom.
"It's peaceful."
"Indeed, it is."
It was a double-edged statement. Maintaining peace was important and good. However, to put it negatively, it meant they were completely unprepared for war. Scarlet seemed to share my thoughts, comparing the Yudika Kingdom to a tower that wouldn't be surprising to see collapse at any moment.
You could tell just by looking at the soldiers. Having never experienced war, they lacked desperation and grit. While their mental resolve was excellent, they had never been pushed to their absolute limits, leaving their shortcomings glaringly obvious.
"If you plan on staying here, you're going to have a lot of work to do."
"I'll have to deal with it. That's what I came here for."
"True. I don't know why, but everyone is so fond of you. If things go well, you might just turn the Yudika Kingdom into a nation that surpasses the Empire."
Scarlet's foresight was truly remarkable. If we could solve their military weakness, this place could easily become an unrivaled nation, backed by abundant resources and the unique technologies of the various demi-human races. With its overflowing potential, it was the perfect counterweight to the Empire. While I looked forward to the days ahead in the kingdom, another piece of news reached me.
"Lord Alvin, I have a report for you."
"Go ahead."
"The imperial ship you arrived on departed this morning."
"What about the cargo?"
"All the items you requested have been loaded and sent. Lady Scarlet paid the full amount."
When I turned to Scarlet to express my gratitude, she spoke first, shrewdly cutting me off.
"Don't worry about it. It was pocket change to me."
"But..."
"I don't regret a single penny spent on my disciple, so don't mention it! More importantly, hurry up and get your cock hard!"
I would have been touched if not for that last sentence. Since they had provided us with such a luxurious carriage, Scarlet, Luna, and I had been having wild carriage sex every single day to keep the journey to the royal castle from getting boring.
"Slurp... suck... slurrrp... Haah... ♥"
Even now, Luna was diligently sucking my cock between my thighs. Once I finished ejaculating, Scarlet sat on top of me, sliding my shaft deep into her wet slit. Then, she began to slowly move her hips.
"Ah! Ahh! This is the spot... ♥"
Overlapping with Scarlet's moans, Luna swallowed my semen with a loud gulp. She even wiped off the stray cum smeared around her lips with her finger and licked it clean. After consuming every last drop, she brought up the question she had been harboring from our earlier conversation.
"Alvin? What was the cargo you requested?"
"Ah, that?"
Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!
Gripping Scarlet's waist, I thrust my hips up violently. Even as I maintained a rhythmic piston motion, I answered Luna's question diligently.
"Dwarven cannons."
"Huh...?"
If individual martial prowess was lacking, technology could make up for it. The sailors, who had spent their entire lives hauling heavy cargo, possessed immense physical strength, so I figured they would be more than capable of handling naval cannons. Furthermore, Edward had mentioned that Viscount Jelberto had built his private villa on a scenic cliff overlooking the sea. While he conducted official business at his mansion in town, he likely played with other men's wives at the villa. Since his affairs always took place at night, what would happen if we rained cannon fire down on that cliffside villa under the cover of darkness? I figured we would get to enjoy a spectacular fireworks show.
"Ugh! Master, I'm getting close...!"
"Ah! Fill me up inside...! ♥ Ah! Ahh! Fill my womb to the brim...! Mmmgh...!!"
And with that, I loaded a fresh round of thick, white artillery into my cock.