Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Winds of Change
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“Ainel. Something wrong?”
“Why?”
Ainel's lover, Meckson, was asking with a worried look on his face.
“You seem to be walking a bit uncomfortably.”
“Got a cramp in my leg while I was sleeping.”
The morning after I'd fucked her senseless, Ainel was walking with an awkward gait. It was a symptom every woman showed after tasting my cock for the first time. Rise had been the same at first, but she'd adapted, so she looked fine now.
Inside Ainel's slutty pussy, there was probably still a thick load of the cum I'd pumped into her. She'd scraped some out, but she hadn't gotten it all.
Ainel caught sight of me and scowled. She'd had a taste once, but now she seemed a bit sick of it—she clearly wasn't craving seconds. It wasn't that I hated her slutty pussy or anything, but Rise and Ray were still chewier and more delicious no matter how many times I had them.
Still, I smiled at her to play along. Having allies was always a good thing. Plus, I was the first guy to creampie her.
“We're departing soon! Everyone, get ready!”
Ariana the Knight Commander's shout had the knights who'd been lounging around scrambling to their feet. She'd just finished her morning greeting with the princess and was now rousing the weary bunch.
“Good morning.”
“……Good morning.”
Ariana returned to her position and greeted me awkwardly. It was because of what happened yesterday.
“Uh…… Did you eat breakfast today?”
Ariana forced a conversation topic to briefly forget yesterday's events.
“Yes. As expected from the Gold Eagle Knight Order's renowned chefs.”
The food the knights ate was genuinely delicious. It lacked the warmth of Ray's cooking, but it was skillfully prepared.
“That's a relief, then.”
Our conversation ended there. We had to depart soon anyway.
I rode along on the swaying horse, advancing slowly. A glance back revealed the long procession trailing behind. Ray was back there somewhere, out of my sight, following along.
And in the middle of the line, that ornate carriage caught my eye.
The princess was riding inside it.
Asabel Sylv.
The imperial princess considered to hold the second greatest power after the emperor himself. I needed to think about how to handle that woman.
In the previous loop's war, Asabel had commanded the Empire's military might. If we went to war with the Demon King ahead, that woman Asabel Sylv would be absolutely key. It was annoying as hell, but her military leadership was surprisingly top-notch. True to her princess status, she was arrogant and bossed her subordinates around however she pleased, but her talent for building armies was exceptional. She excelled at basics like bolstering troop numbers and preparing war supplies, yet she was utterly incompetent at strategy. Her arrogance was off the charts too, always looking down on allied nations. That's why, no matter how vast or strong her forces grew, she never achieved major victories in war.
“Hah.”
There was a way: topple Asabel and put a more amicable prince or princess on the throne instead—one who was friendlier to foreign powers. And it wasn't just her arrogance; the sins she'd committed against me in the previous loop were unforgivable.
This was before that incident, and in the previous loop, she'd claimed to forgive Asabel…….
“Of all things.”
Her grip on the military was the best in the world. As the one with the strongest political position, only the emperor and Asabel could forcibly mobilize the nobles' private armies.
“Daron. Something wrong?”
“No, ma'am.”
Rise sidled up next to me casually. She wasn't even trying to hide it anymore, gazing at me intently with eyes full of deep affection.
When I stared right back, she finally blushed and turned her head away.
Should I conquer her with my cock like Rise? Make her run those massive forces through me first, so she wouldn't cause pointless sacrifices with her reckless decisions. I wasn't some genius strategist, but I could recruit someone who was and consult them.
But for various reasons, I couldn't step up easily. The Empire's princess. Compared to Ariana or Rise, she was way, way up there at the very top. A woman so noble that I'd never get a chance to fuck her. And above all…… she looked just like her—that resemblance made me uneasy.
Of course, the higher the difficulty, the more thrilling it'd be to fuck her.
“Whew.”
For now, focus on the tasks at hand. Who knows what the world might bring? If I do my best, a path will open up.
The long expedition procession moved, rested briefly, and repeated the cycle. There were monsters around, but with so many humans, they didn't dare show themselves.
“Hot as hell.”
I'd dismounted for a break. The other knights were sipping cool water from magic canteens. The treeless, sun-baked plains offered no shade. Ugh, I'm dying here.
I wanted to snatch Rise's canteen and chug some ice-cold water, but with all the knights watching, it wasn't easy. Damn it, I need to climb higher in the ranks already. Being stuck among these knights for so long was grinding my gears in ways I couldn't count.
“Daron. Hot? You're sweating buckets.”
“No, Commander. It's nothing compared to those marching on foot.”
Ariana wasn't sweating much compared to me. Must be some internal trick to regulate her body temperature.
That's when a familiar woman appeared behind Ariana.
“Daron.”
“Huh?”
Ariana turned and made a puzzled noise at the unfamiliar woman. She'd seen her a few times, but had no idea we were close.
“Aren't you the head cook from the camp kitchen?”
“Hello. I just came to see Daron for a bit.”
Ray wasn't bound by military ranks, so no need for stiff formality. But as the daughter of a countess before being commander, she deserved respect.
“I…… see. Alright.”
Ariana eyed Ray closely before giving permission. It was break time anyway—no reason to send her away.
“What brings you here?”
“Hmph. I have something to give Daron.”
Ray and Rise were still wary of each other. Sparks seemed to fly between them.
“Ray, what's up?”
“Daron. You must be sweltering.”
Ray held a wooden cup.
“Drink this. It's cool lemonade. I brought it just for you.”
“Whoa, thanks. I'll enjoy it.”
“Just for him……?”
Ariana mulled over the words “just for you.”
“Ray, this is freezing cold.”
“Right? That's what makes it good.”
Ray didn't have any tool to make water this cold. Magic artifacts weren't that common, and the carriages carrying ingredients only had mild cooling magic to prevent spoilage—nothing this intense.
“It's practically like it has ice in it.”
“Hehehe. Pretty impressive, huh?”
“Damn—wow. Super refreshing. Ah, sorry.”
“I-it's, it's fine.”
Rise didn't mind, but next to Ariana, it was a major breach of etiquette. Luckily, Ariana let it slide.
“Ray, the lemon's so tangy and crisp, and ice-cold. How'd you chill it?”
“Well……”
Ray glanced at Ariana and Rise before beckoning me closer—ear to her mouth. As I leaned in, Ariana frowned slightly.
“Actually……”
“Actually?”
She whispered right in my ear so no one else could hear.
“Lately, it feels like some strange energy is flowing into me.”
“What?”
“Just a tiny amount…… Like, holy energy, I guess?”
Holy energy?
“It's hard to control, and kinda scary, so I'm testing it out little by little. I thought in my mind, 'make it cold,' and it cooled down. Took a while, though.”
“For real?!”
I raised my voice in excitement, drawing curious looks from the two knights nearby. I lowered it and spoke softly.
“Looks like it's starting to trickle in, even if just a little.”
“I was boiling hot too, but that's why I barely sweated.”
Come to think of it, Ray looked surprisingly fine. Under the blazing sun, I was drenched, but Ray—who'd walked the whole way—only had a light sheen, far better off than me.
The saintess's power was filling up bit by bit. Cooling it with a mental command was huge proof. Holy power was lethal to demons and had the property of responding to intent. Probably because it contained a fragment of the goddess's might. Ray had shown it in the previous loop too…… Though not in a great way for me.
“Don't tell anyone until it's mostly full.”
“Got it.”
Once it reached a certain level, the goddess would issue a divine oracle anyway. The whole world would know even without Ray saying a word.
Ray confirmed I'd finished the lemonade and took the cup back, waving as she left. I waved back, thrilled with the good news she'd brought.
“Commander. You look troubled.”
“Ah, no.”
Ainel, who'd been watching Ray and me midway, said something meaningful to Ariana. Ariana denied it with a headshake, but I could tell her feelings were shifting.
A few more catalysts for change, and…….
The day I'd take Ariana's virginity wasn't far off.