Chapter 18: End of Childhood (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 18: End of Childhood (3)
A week had passed since then, and a new morning finally dawned.
It was the day I had been waiting for ever since the moment my memories of my past life returned.
It was the day I would head to Berlina, the capital and heart of the Empire, where the true story of Milfgard would begin.
It was the day I would escape my parents' grasp to live my own life—the day I bid farewell to my childhood.
"Haha, there sure are a lot of them."
Thanks to the occasion, Rheinstein Castle, where I had lived until now, was bustling with servants and attendants from early morning.
Twenty maids, who would serve me in the capital, were struggling with large suitcases; carriages, horses, and guards were lined up in an orderly fashion to transport everyone.
"By the way, where is Brother...?"
I didn't have to look hard to find him.
He was commanding everyone from atop a pristine white horse, looking flawless.
I walked straight up to him.
"Good morning~"
"Right. Look at you, your face is practically glowing. Are you really that happy?"
"Of course I am. Anyway, where is the Teacher?"
"She’ll be out soon. But..."
"What?"
"Are you really planning to travel separately?"
My brother’s expression and eyes were full of concern. It was only natural, considering I was planning to travel to the distant capital without any formal attendants or guards.
"No matter what anyone says, you are the second son of Margrave Konstanz. Just imagine if something were to happen to you."
"I understand your concern, Brother. And I’m truly grateful for it. But this is something I must do."
"Is it that you want to enjoy yourself with Helena without anyone watching?"
"Well... I can't say that's entirely out of my mind... but regardless, there's something I have to take care of before I reach the capital. It’s something that would be troublesome if others saw it."
"...Fine, I get it. What more can I say at this point?"
"Aren't you going to ask what it is?"
"If I ask, do you even intend to tell me?"
Since I couldn't, I simply gave him a mischievous grin.
My brother chuckled as if he had expected as much.
Anyway... I was wondering when Helena would show herself, when—
"Wow..."
"Doesn't she look even more beautiful lately?"
"It’s not just that she’s pretty; she seems... seductive somehow."
The whispers of passing servants tickled my ears.
There was only one woman in this vast castle who could make the men gossip like that.
It was Helena, currently walking toward my brother and me.
Stepping up beside me, Helena first offered a soft smile and a greeting to my brother.
"Oh, the Eldest Young Master is here as well."
"You look beautiful today as well, Lady Helena. If my brother ever gets boring or makes things difficult for you, feel free to come to me anytime."
"Fufu, I shall take those words as a compliment."
"Hahaha."
The day Helena leaves my side will never come, even if the world collapses.
With that sentiment in mind, I boldly wrapped my arm around Helena’s waist for all to see.
"Ah, Young Master..."
Helena seemed a bit embarrassed, but my brother just let out a short laugh.
That familiar sight felt even more reassuring today... but still.
I had to make sure of one thing.
"Brother, Helena is definitely coming with me, right?"
"Yes. Father left the personnel selection to me. Lady Helena will now guard you and manage the servants."
"Perfect. But what about Mother? Helena used to guard her too."
"Someone else is taking over. A young and handsome knight tailored to Mother's tastes."
Helena looked confused, as if wondering what that meant... but I couldn't tell her the truth.
The fact that, unlike Father, Mother was secretly enjoying the privileges of nobility to her heart's content.
Well... to put it in Korean terms... Mother had a hobby that sounded like an old adult movie title.
An erotic film like Why Did the Lady Give Dolsoe White Rice?
"The fact that I'm not even angry shows how twisted we are, Brother."
"Tell me about it. Well... honestly, we're not exactly in a position to judge, are we?"
"True."
In the first place, I had no desire to denounce Mother's adultery.
Just as my brother and I were children born out of necessity, Mother and Father’s relationship was one built on necessity as well.
"By the way, I don't see a shadow of Father or Mother. Even though their child is leaving for a long journey."
"Father went to inspect the border fortifications yesterday. And Mother... well, she probably hasn't woken up yet."
"I guess she had a good time with the new guard."
"Most likely. So let's stop talking about this. It's not exactly a pleasant topic."
"Right. It looks like all the preparations are finished."
My brother immediately approached the servants who had finished getting ready.
He gave them meticulous instructions and requests—telling them to go to the capital first and prepare to receive Leon since I would be traveling separately, and asking them to take good care of me—all while handing over a heavy pouch filled with gold coins.
Watching him, Helena gave a small, silent nod.
"The Eldest Young Master will surely become a fine Lord."
"Hmm? Does that mean Father isn't a good Lord?"
"Fufu, how could that be? His Excellency the Margrave is the one who brought you into this world, Young Master."
"Hahaha."
Slyly, I gently stroked Helena’s buttocks, which I had doted on to my heart's content yesterday.
Everyone’s attention was fixed on my brother, after all.
"Young Master... not in a place like this..."
"That’s what makes it more thrilling."
"Ha-ah..."
As I was enjoying Helena’s soft yet elastic backside, my brother finally sent off all the attendants and rode his horse back in front of me.
I immediately took my hand off Helena’s butt... but it seemed I had been caught.
"The moment I look away... keep it in moderation, will you?"
"Hahaha. I won't forget this favor, Brother."
"I'm not looking after you because I want a reward... but I won't turn one down. And, Lady Helena."
"Yes, Eldest Young Master."
"I leave Leon in your capable hands."
Helena nodded silently with a firm gaze, gripping the hilts of the twin swords at her waist.
My brother nodded at her display of resolve and looked back at me.
"But you didn't bring anything. Should I give you my sword? It’s not some legendary blade, but it was crafted with great care by a skilled blacksmith."
"I appreciate the thought, Brother. But my sword is elsewhere."
"You have a plan for everything, don't you?"
As we talked, the carriage Helena and I would take finally approached.
It was a fully autonomous carriage created by the magic of this world, a vehicle reserved only for the Lord or direct blood relatives.
Its optional features included invisibility, a barrier that automatically reacted to threats or attacks, and a comfortable interior where one could eat and sleep.
It was a perfect all-weather transport, powered by magic generated from a magic circle installed inside.
"Oh... are you really giving me this? I thought only Father and Mother could use it."
"Yeah. Well, it's something they only use when they travel together."
"Then since it's useless now, I'll make good use of it. Thanks."
I helped Helena into the carriage first and then faced my brother.
Perhaps because it was the day of my departure... my brother looked unusually lonely as he dismounted his white horse.
"Well... I'll be going now, Brother. Thanks for everything."
"Don't mention it. Live a fun life, Leon. That's all I want."
"Haha, yeah."
"Go safely. Drop by if you think of me. I'll always be here. And I'll probably have business in the capital occasionally."
"Got it. See you then."
"Right. I shouldn't keep you too long, or Lady Helena will get lonely."
"Hahaha."
After a brief hug with my brother, I boarded the carriage.
There were no heart-wrenching goodbyes or tearful partings.
Because this wasn't the last time we would see each other.
*
The fully autonomous carriage finally began to move.
Thanks to the runes engraved on each wheel to absorb shock, the ride felt smooth no matter how fast we traveled over the rough terrain.
By the way, controlling the carriage was simple.
I just had to drop a single bead of my blood into the carriage's magic circle and state the destination aloud.
Since the current destination was only set to outside the Konstanz territory, I dropped a bead of blood into the magic circle.
"Ahaia Ruins."
As soon as I spoke, the magic circle that absorbed my blood blinked blue.
The blood vanished instantly... and the destination was successfully set.
Having done what needed to be done, I immediately returned to the seat where Helena was waiting.
"You're here, Young Master. Where is our destination?"
"The Ahaia Ruins."
"...Do you mean the Ahaia Fall Site? Why there...?"
"There's a sword I've wanted for a long time inside those ruins."
As soon as I sat down, I looked at Helena and patted my lap.
Helena’s face flushed slightly.
"Young Master... it is still broad daylight..."
"Hurry."
"Ngh... yes..."
Though she hesitated, Helena eventually sat on my lap.
I immediately slid my hands under her skirt and top.
"Ah, I'm so happy. I've fulfilled another dream. Thank you, Helena."
"Young... Master... hng..."
With my right hand, I fully enjoyed Helena’s magnificent breasts.
My left hand delved between her thighs... but.
"Huh? Why is it so smooth? It was definitely hairy yesterday."
"Ha-ah... h-how is it...?"
"Did you shave? When?"
"Ah-ang... this morning, since I had a little time... I thought you might like it, Young Master..."
"Haha, thank you."
To show my gratitude to Helena for pleasing me, I licked her flushed ear.
As expected, a feverish moan escaped her lips.
"Ah-eut...!"
"I've been doting on you like this every day, yet your sensitivity is still so high."
"I-I can't help it... ha-ah... just your touch...! Ah-aaang!"
"That's why I like it even more."
Now that there was nothing in my way and no one to watch us, I stripped Helena of all her clothes.
Of course, Helena stripped me of mine.
Well... after that, we explored each other wildly, just as we always did.
"Ha-ah, ha-ah... You really are a woman I never tire of, Teacher."
"Ha-eut... thank... you, Young... Master..."
I lovingly stroked the buttocks and nape of Helena, who lay collapsed on top of me, trembling.
As we savored the afterglow of our tryst, Helena, still in my arms, whispered.
"I have never heard of a sword being in the Ahaia Ruins. I only knew it as the place where the Holy Emperor sealed a Great Demon..."
"You know that story too, Teacher?"
"Of course. How could a subject of the Empire not know the legend of the Holy Emperor Solomon?"
Holy Emperor Solomon was the founding ancestor and the first emperor of the current Roycen Empire.
Long ago, seventy-two Great Demons invaded the human realm.
It is said that Solomon executed or sealed the Great Demons using the power of seventy-two angels sent by God.
The current destination, the Ahaia Ruins—the Ahaia Fall Site—was where Solomon sacrificed the Archangel Ahaia to seal the Great Demon Sitri.
Well... if you're quick-witted, you've probably realized that this is a story that mixes the 72 demons of Solomon and the Shemhamphorasch.
Of course, the exact same setting existed in Milfgard.
However, since I couldn't talk about Milfgard, I gave Helena a partially made-up answer.
"There was a story like that in the library built by my ancestors. It said that when Archangel Ahaia fell at the hands of Sitri, Emperor Solomon used the sword Ahaia left behind to pierce Sitri's heart and seal her."
"I see... Young Master, surely!"
"Yes. I intend to obtain that sword where the demon is sealed."
The Archangel's sword that sealed a Great Demon.
This was an item from Milfgard, a cheat item that allowed you to breeze through every battle once you acquired it.
Despite being an eroge, Milfgard had RPG elements that were unnecessarily detailed and difficult.
Eventually, because the users complained so much, the developers reluctantly added an item: the Demon Sword Sitri.
‘Of course, that sword had its own eroge elements. If they hadn't forced me to fuck those stick-thin girls, it would have been a masterpiece.’
The options of the Demon Sword Sitri were simple yet powerful.
Every attack ignored defense, and it locked the wearer's health, magic power, and stamina to infinite.
Is it a trash item that ruins a carefully crafted combat system?
In the first place, Milfgard is an eroge.
In an eroge, turn-based combat is just content for "rabbit princesses" who complain about the game being too easy the moment they open their mouths.
Therefore, the method to obtain that item remained clearly in my head...
"Young Master, won't you reconsider? It is too dangerous to hold a demon sword where a Great Demon is sealed."
Knowing nothing of the circumstances, Helena only hugged me tighter.
This makes me want to finish inside her again.
Well, I should reassure her first.
"Teacher, I understand why you think it's dangerous. And I'm truly grateful for your concern."
"Young Master..."
"So I can guarantee it. The Demon Sword Sitri is by no means a dangerous sword."
"...On what basis do you say that so confidently?"
"The Empire is still perfectly fine even five hundred years after Emperor Solomon passed away. That's the clearest evidence that the seal is still holding."
Of course, it's not that I'm not afraid at all.
I know all too well that this world is reality, not a game.
However, I must obtain the Demon Sword Sitri.
Because Sitri is a female demon.
And she is so beautiful that the past me sent a 5,700-character complaint email to the developers as soon as I realized Sitri didn't have a sex scene.
"...Young Master."
"If she was roaming this land five hundred years ago, she's older than me. That means she's a woman exactly within my strike zone."
"Ha-ah... Young Master...!"
"Besides, she's incredibly pretty."
"...Is she prettier than me?"
"Hahaha..."
Helena has her own charm, and Sitri has hers.
How could I compare them?
I'm definitely not just making excuses because I misspoke.
"...It's alright. You said that even if I'm not the only one you love, the moment you stop loving me will never come. That one sentence is enough for me."
"Thank you, Teacher. I love you."
Love isn't just something you convey with words.
I shared a kiss with Helena that was deeper and more intense than ever before.
And... I slyly moved my hand to a place on Helena’s body I hadn't conquered yet.
"Ha-eup... n-ngh?!"
"What's wrong?"
"Y-Young Master! Not there!"
"It's okay. I'm confident I can make you feel really good."
"That... such a thing... h-heuk...!"
Though her words said no, Helena’s body reacted honestly.
"Ah-heuk... Young... Master... there..."
"It's okay."
"It's a... dirty place... h-ngh...!"
"No part of your body is dirty, Helena."
Into the place I had been gently caressing until now, I carefully inserted a finger.
Into the single chrysanthemum flower blooming beautifully beneath Helena’s pubic area.
"Keu... h-heut... ah-heuk... Y-Young... Master... please..."
"Hahaha, alright. I'll stop here for today."
"Ha-ah, ha-ah..."
It's a delicate area, so I have to handle it with care.
Because I always want to see Helena happy.
‘Hmm... at this speed, we should arrive at the Ahaia Ruins by tomorrow.’
There's no rush, so let's take it slow.
The journey of my life has only just begun.