Chapter 101: Rise, Knight (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 101: Rise, Knight (1)
“Ah… ah…! Haa…! Haa-ah…♥”
“Urgh…!”
—Gurgle, squelch…
As the morning sun rose, the rhythmic swaying of Andrasta’s hips atop me finally came to a halt.
Through the thick walls of the barracks, the sounds of a bustling camp began to filter in.
I pulled Andrasta, who was still straddling me, into a tight embrace with all my strength.
“It looks like it’s time.”
“Haa… so it seems…”
As if shifting from a woman back into a Queen, her tone returned to its regal weight.
While I found that transformation impressive… I couldn’t quite hide the lingering sense of regret pooling in my chest.
Whether she found my expression cute or saw something else in it, Andrasta smiled brightly and stroked my hair.
“Fufu, how strange.”
“What is?”
“Seeing you look so disappointed… it actually makes me feel a bit pleased. Though, of course, I find this parting just as regrettable and painful as you do.”
“I didn’t know you had a hobby of enjoying other people’s distress, Your Majesty.”
“Hahaha, it is a habit one develops as a ruler, whether they like it or not. However…”
Andrasta suddenly wrapped her legs around my waist and clung to me, pulling me into a crushing hug.
Then, she licked my ear with a wet, lingering stroke and whispered softly.
“Wait for me. Just for a little while… I will definitely return to your side…”
“Haha, alright. I’ll be a good boy and wait for you.”
“Thank you. Mwah…♥”
To be honest, I was really curious about what she was planning… but I decided to hold back.
I’d surely hear all about it later.
By the way… Andrasta’s cheeks suddenly flushed a soft pink.
“…I… I already knew this, but… you truly never tire, do you?”
“Why do you think I suggested we live together forever?”
“To be honest… I would love nothing more than to stay in your arms forever, but…”
The noise outside was growing louder.
The sounds of horses neighing and cattle lowing began to mix with the chatter of the warriors…
Every sound seemed to be saying the same thing.
“Well… life is just a cycle of meeting and parting, and parting to meet again…”
“Indeed. And… h-ha, it’s not like this is the last time…”
“Hahaha, that’s true.”
With hearts full of lingering attachment, we finally pulled our bodies apart.
From that point on, everything proceeded like clockwork.
We washed in separate areas and dressed.
When I stepped back outside, Andrasta stood before her assembled warriors, fully prepared for departure.
“Well then…”
“Yeah.”
Without even exchanging a formal goodbye, we set off on our respective paths.
Everything that needed to be said had already been spoken.
All that remained was to wait until our paths crossed again.
A gentleman always walks; he never runs, after all.
“Haa…”
Still, I couldn’t help the feeling of regret…
To think I had to let a woman like that go after only one night…
No matter how much I tried to put it out of my mind, the disappointment kept bubbling up, causing me to let out deep sighs even as I reached the city gates.
At that moment, I heard a voice and a title I hadn't heard in quite some time.
“Young Master, I have come to escort you.”
“Huh? Oh.”
Standing before me was the all-purpose butler with a dignified yet sharp impression, his hair a mix of black and white.
“Good to see you, Matthias. It feels like it’s been ages.”
“Hahaha, I feel the same. Let us depart. The Eldest Young Master is waiting for you.”
“Haa… Oh, did he say anything about me breaking the sword?”
“Not at all. On the contrary, he was quite pleased. He even said that if it was broken to that extent, no one would be able to suspect anything.”
“Hahaha.”
I climbed into the carriage Matthias had prepared.
At the same time, the sensations of everything Sitri and Helena were seeing, hearing, and feeling came rushing back to me like a tidal wave.
“Ah, Young Master… Young Masteeer…”
“Master… please, hurry…”
“Darling… come back soon… please…”
“Haa… Leon, return quickly…”
The Queen had departed, but there were still four women left desperately calling out for me.
Dear me, it seems they can’t even last a single night without me.
“Matthias! Floor it! Full speed to the mansion!”
“Floor it? What do you mean by that…?”
“Uh… anyway, just go fast.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
*
Home really is the best.
The moment I stepped back into the mansion, that was my first thought.
However…
“Fix that face of yours.”
“Why is my brother the one greeting me?”
“Because I’m your brother, you brat. And I’m not here to greet you, okay?”
“Huh? What do you…”
Now that I looked, the Imperial Guards were gathering outside the mansion like a swarm of clouds.
Moreover, seeing my brother with a new sword at his waist and his overcoat fully donned…
“Are you leaving?”
“Yeah. The next Lord can’t leave his territory vacant for too long. Now that my business here is done, I should head back.”
“Hmm… is that really all?”
Aren't you just desperate to get back to that beautiful mother and daughter you left behind?
When I poked him in the ribs with that implication, my brother gave me a sly grin.
“You have quite the refined taste, Lord-to-be.”
“Ho-ho, could I ever compare to you?”
“Ah~ I want to eat a mother-daughter bowl too~”
“Don’t say that so loud, you idiot!”
After snickering with my brother for a while, the guards finally finished their preparations to depart.
And… all the women who had been waiting for me came out to see him off.
Sure enough, my brother immediately flashed a bright smile toward Helena and Natalia.
“It is a pity we must part like this, Miss Helena. As I have said many times… please take good care of Leon.”
“Yes, Eldest Young Master.”
“I ask the same of you, Lady Natalia.”
“Fufu, yes. Though in truth, I am the one being looked after by the Master.”
“Hahaha. By the way… this lovely lady over here is…”
The moment he saw Valeria, my brother’s smiling face froze solid.
Why… is the Young Lady of the Friedrich Duke Family in this mansion?
He was likely thinking something along those lines.
Finding his reaction amusing, Valeria offered him a greeting befitting a Duke’s daughter.
“It is an honor to meet you, the Next Margrave. You truly do resemble my darling quite a lot, just as I heard.”
“Ah… hahaha… yes, it is a pleasure… But… calling Leon ‘darling’… surely…”
“Fufufu, wouldn't it be better for you not to know?”
Immediately, my brother’s face turned a mottled red as he glared at me.
Well… Valeria wasn't just any noble lady; she was a married woman with a husband…
The fact that such a woman slept in the same bed as me every night… well… it couldn't be helped…
“It’s easier if you just give up, Brother.”
“You…! Youuu…! Haa… fine… I know nothing. I saw nothing, and I heard nothing…”
“There’s still one more left.”
“What?!”
Finally, our Great Demon, Lady Sitri, revealed herself before my poor brother.
She unfurled her pair of black wings and let her red eyes flash sharply.
“Oh…”
“Fufufu, you truly are Leon’s brother. To not be surprised at all upon seeing me. As you can see, I am a Demon named Sitri.”
“Hahaha, actually, I am very surprised. I never imagined such a beautiful lady as Miss Sitri would be here. By the way… surely…?”
“Indeed. Do not feel too bad about it, Luan.”
“Ugh, you lucky bastard… sigh. I need to leave now. If I stay here any longer, I’ll die of envy.”
“Hahaha.”
Of course, my brother left the same request with Valeria and Sitri.
Take care of him, and if you ever get tired of Leon, come to me anytime… he added some nonsense like that.
“I’m off then. See you later.”
“See you, Brother.”
“Yeah. You should drop by once in a while when you have time. They are your Father and Mother, after all.”
“Well… if I feel like it.”
“Haha, right. I’m going now. Don’t bother coming out too far.”
“I was planning on going back inside anyway~”
With that, my brother finally set off on the road back to the Konstanz Territory.
I watched until his back completely disappeared from view before finally stepping back into my beloved mansion.
*
“Ha~ Home really is the best~”
The esthetic room, always clean, comfortable, and smelling wonderful.
The consultation room, perfectly organized without a speck of dust.
And the bedroom, furnished with the largest bed in the Imperial Capital.
As soon as I confirmed the state of my dear home, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
Hmm… if Andrasta comes too… it might be a bit cramped…?
Furthermore, there were still many women in the Imperial Capital craving my touch.
If I included them as well…
“I might have to build a castle. Good grief…”
Just as I was groaning while looking at the bed that seemed unusually small today, the door I had definitely closed slid open. Helena appeared, wearing an outfit I hadn't seen in a while.
“Fufu, Young Masteeer…”
“Good heavens.”
“They aren't lion ears, but how do you feel about rabbit ears…?”
“Grrr…!”
Seeing it again, the Reverse Bunny outfit truly drives a man wild.
The Reverse Bunny is a pinnacle of civilization.
“Lena! You were trying to hog him for yourself again!”
This time, Natalia appeared with a pouting face.
Perhaps she had rushed over just in case; unfortunately, rabbit ears hadn't sprouted on Natalia’s head, but…
“Grrr…!”
“Oh my, Master…”
“Young Master, it seems the others aren't here yet… so please, start with Sister and me…”
Just as she said, I was about to devour these lewd rabbits right then and there.
However… speak of the devil, and she shall appear.
—Bang!
“Helena! Natalia! I knew you’d do this!”
“Huh? Valeria?”
“Ahn~ Darling~ I told you not to call me that~”
“Haha, right… But… Grrr…!”
“Kyaa~♥”
Come to think of it, this was my first time seeing Valeria in a Reverse Bunny suit.
So, I tossed Valeria onto the bed as well.
Now, then…!
“Hmph… it seems I have been forgotten.”
The last lewd rabbit to appear was, of course, Sitri.
Sitri was looking at me with a slightly bashful expression.
“As if. I was just wondering where you’d gone.”
“For someone saying that, you looked ready to pounce on them immediately.”
“Exactly! I was ready to pounce on you! Get over here!”
“W-wait! I’m not… ah-haang…!”
I was about to spend another delightful and intimate time today, but…
—Knock, knock, knock.
“Young Master, I have something urgent to tell you.”
Matthias’s voice knocking on the bedroom door completely killed the mood.
“Ha… is it urgent?”
“Yes, it is pressing. Forgive my intrusion, but you must meet the person who has arrived immediately.”
In an instant, everyone’s eyes flashed.
Who on earth had come that they dared tell me to meet them right this second?
“Is he the Emperor or the Empress or what? Who does he think he is, telling me to come out right now…”
Ugh, I’m so pissed.
I was just about to devour them all.
As I was dawdling, Matthias’s urgent voice, tired of waiting, drifted in again.
“Young Master, there is no time. A messenger sent by His Imperial Majesty the Emperor is waiting.”
“I’m coming right now! Tell him to wait just a moment!”
Good heavens, why is the Emperor suddenly looking for me?
*
As soon as I threw some clothes on, I rushed out to the garden.
Sure enough.
A messenger from the Imperial Palace was standing in the garden, holding a letter written by the Emperor himself.
“Leon von Konstanz, son of the Margrave of Konstanz, receive the Imperial Command!”
“Leon von Konstanz, I humbly receive His Imperial Majesty’s command.”
Naturally, I knelt on one knee before the messenger and bowed my head.
The messenger immediately unfurled the Emperor’s letter and read it aloud in a clear voice.
“Hear, Leon von Konstanz, son of the Margrave of Konstanz. Last night, I heard the news that you emerged victorious in the martial arts tournament held by the King of a foreign land. This has spread the martial fame of the Empire far and wide, and thus, your merit is by no means light.”
“Your Majesty’s grace is immeasurable.”
“As the Emperor of the Empire, I have a duty to rightfully reward such merit; therefore, you are to enter the palace at your earliest convenience.”
It was a stroke of incredible luck.
Not only had I made Andrasta my woman, but I had also gained the opportunity for a direct audience with the Emperor.
And he wanted to reward my merit?
I wanted to share this joyful news with my women right away… but there was something else I had to do first.
“His Imperial Majesty’s grace is as vast as the sea. I am deeply, deeply honored.”
As soon as I finished speaking, the Imperial messenger carefully folded the letter and handed it to me.
“Take it. This letter shall serve as proof that His Majesty has granted you entry into the palace.”
“Thank you.”
“Furthermore, His Majesty has commanded that Miss Helena Clausewitz and Miss Natalia Clausewitz also enter the palace. I have been informed that the two of them reside in this mansion. Is this true?”
“Pardon? Well, yes, that is correct…”
“I repeat, this is also an Imperial Decree, so there must be no mistake.”
Hmm… is he going to give them participation prizes or something?
Whatever the case, I wasn't worried about the Emperor doing anything strange or pulling any tricks.
Whether he knew it himself or not, the current Emperor was a man almost all the people praised as a sage king.
While I was thinking that while still on one knee, the messenger left with one final word.
“The date of entry is tomorrow morning. As you well know, you must not be late.”
“Yes. I understand perfectly.”
“Good.”
The messenger who had arrived so abruptly left just as suddenly.
I guess things like this really do happen in life.
Well… since he said he’s rewarding my merit, there’s no need to go looking for things to worry about…
So for now, I’ll just go back to devouring those lewd rabbits waiting for me.
“Grrr!!”
“Ah-haang…!”