The Direction of the Duchy (2)
The three-dimensional topographic map above the round table slowly rotated, red and blue points blinking into view in turn. The first report came from Marquis Baek Seon-hwa.
Rising from her seat, Baek Seon-hwa extended a finger toward one corner of the map. The area magnified, unfolding into a detailed stretch of terrain.
“The Northern Front First Knight Order has completed redeployment. We’ve established an advance camp within a three-kilometer radius of the dungeon entrance, and the supply line will stabilize within two days.”
“Estimated casualties?”
“Twelve percent in the best-case scenario, twenty-eight in the worst. However, if calibration of the magical weapons is completed on schedule, we can hold it to around fifteen percent.”
When Rosena gave a light nod, Baek Seon-hwa sat back down. Next, Isabel, the dragon hybrid, rose to her feet. She snapped her fingers, and several red lines slashed across the topographic map.
“Reporting the training results of the western knight units. Average combat power index is up fourteen percent from last month. However, night-combat proficiency is still below par, so....”
“Increase the ratio of night training to double. It must be finished before sunset on the day of the purge.”
“Understood, Your Grace.”
After Isabel sat, Marquis Karen of the fiends stood. A faint pulse of mana shimmered from the tip of her horn.
“Calibration of the magical weapons is proceeding on schedule. However, the mana circulation supplied by the World Tree has had an unstable segment recently, so I believe additional stabilization work will be necessary.”
“If it concerns the World Tree, I shall inspect it myself. Any other matters?”
“Production at the three quarries is up ten percent, and the grain belt is expected to yield eight percent more than usual this year. There should be no disruption to supplies.”
Once Karen’s report ended, the remaining marquises and counts took turns speaking.
Troop deployment, supply-line inspections, internal security within the duchy, diplomatic movements among neighboring territories—each commander concisely recited the field under their charge, while Rosena occasionally cut in with sharp questions, exposing weak points before they could be hidden.
Damian watched quietly from the side seats.
It was hard to believe that this was the same woman who had been barking like a dog beneath the World Tree yesterday. Here at the head of the round table, Rosena was a flawless ruler.
When the final count-level commander finished, silence settled over the chamber for a moment.
Rosena tapped the round table lightly with her fingers, rotated the map once more, and then spoke.
“You have all done well. The reports are generally satisfactory.”
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
The marquises bowed in unison. After a brief pause, Rosena dismissed the map with a flick of her fingertips. The blue glow faded, and the chamber lighting brightened a notch.
“There is one more matter to discuss.”
The commanders’ posture shifted subtly. Ver’s wolf ears pricked up. Isabel was already licking her lips.
“With the purge approaching, managing the morale of soldiers and commanders is crucial. By my judgment, simple rest will not be enough to ease the accumulated tension and fatigue.”
“Wise words, Your Grace.”
Karen chimed in at once. Rosena ignored the eager response and continued.
“Thus, I have signed a contract with the Dreaming Chalice in Hereun. They will dispatch male prostitutes to the duchy for one month.”
The chamber rustled. In truth, everyone had already known about the arrangement, but a matter spoken by the duke herself carried a different weight than a rumor.
“I will give you all the chance. Experience them personally, one by one, and render your judgment. After tonight, submit your impressions to me.”
“It is our honor, Your Grace!”
Ver was the first to bow deeply. Her eyes were practically sparkling. Isabel and Karen lowered their heads just as quickly, refusing to be outdone.
“If enough positive evaluations are gathered, I intend to conclude an exclusive contract with the Dreaming Chalice. I am considering keeping the male prostitutes stationed permanently in the duchy.”
“Waaah....!”
Someone let out a low cry of delight. Laughter bubbled up among the commanders, along with sidelong glances and knowing grins.
An exclusive contract meant not just this one month, but continuing service thereafter.
“Thank you, Your Grace! We are overwhelmed by your grace!”
Ver cried out again, bowing so low her back nearly folded in half.
The others followed at once. The entire chamber hummed with excitement.
Only Baek Seon-hwa remained calm, quietly lowering her head, while Damian, seated at the side, watched the whole scene without expression.
“However.”
Rosena’s voice dropped.
That single word froze the mood in the room.
“Excessive behavior is absolutely forbidden.”
“....Pardon?”
Isabel blinked. Rosena slowly swept her gaze across the gathered commanders and continued.
“Do not handle them too roughly. Fists, mana beatings, irreversible injuries—those are all forbidden. If any such thing is discovered even once, the guilty party will be punished by my own hand.”
“Y-yes, yes. Understood, Your Grace.”
Ver’s tail drooped a fraction. The commanders’ expressions lost some of their wild enthusiasm, though their excitement still remained intact overall.
Rosena rose from her seat.
“Head maid.”
From the side, the head maid immediately stood and bowed.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Guide them. Check the condition of each male prostitute and match them with those capable of consent. If consent cannot be obtained, do not force it—report to me instead.”
“I obey, Your Grace.”
The head maid bowed deeply. Rosena finished speaking, straightened the hem of her uniform, and added,
“And let me repeat this once more. They are my guests. Do not forget that.”
“We shall keep that in mind.”
The commanders all bowed at once.
When the bell announcing the end of the meeting rang low and clear, Rosena turned and walked out of the chamber without looking back.
Damian stood and followed after the duke. Even as they left the chamber, several gazes lingered on his back, but Ver gave a small cough and drew everyone’s attention back to herself.
“A-all right. Marquises, counts. It’s time for what you’ve been waiting for.”
“Heh. Ver, you’re the most excited one here.”
“Of course I am. I practically built the bridge to get us here.”
“Head maid, lead the way.”
Isabel rose and gestured toward the head maid.
The head maid bowed politely and took the lead.
“This way, please. The reception rooms are prepared in the annex opposite the spire.”
“There’s a separate annex just for that? The duke really went all out.”
“Her Grace specifically made sure it was arranged.”
“Excellent. Very excellent.”
Karen rose from her seat, rubbing one horn in satisfaction.
Ver led the commanders ahead, and the five marquises and eight count-level nobles fell into line behind the head maid.
Even as they walked the corridor linking the chamber to the annex, their laughter and obscene banter never stopped.
“Ah, it’s been ages. I can’t wait to get my hands on a stiff, hard cock again.”
“Don’t be too rough, okay? That’s the duke’s direct order.”
“I know, I know. But if it can’t be helped, it can’t be helped.”
“Aren’t you worried you’ll lose your head over this? Or what, you think you’ll just get scolded a little? Hahaha.”
The annex doors opened.
The head maid began guiding them into the rooms one by one.
Leni and the other male prostitutes were already waiting in their respective rooms, and the commanders disappeared inside one after another.
Every time a door closed, a thin thread of laughter or the sound of rustling fabric slipped out. The only one left in the corridor was the head maid.
She let out a long sigh, then headed for the waiting room at the end of the hall.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I was walking down the corridor half a step behind the duke.
It was only the two of us now, after she had dismissed both her guards and the head maid.
She hadn’t told me where we were going, but the certainty in her stride as she smoothed the hem of her uniform made it obvious she had a destination in mind.
After a moment’s hesitation, I opened my mouth carefully.
“Your Grace, um... if I may...”
“Speak.”
“Isn’t this only for high-ranking nobles to enjoy?”
Rosena slowed her steps a little and tilted her head. I gathered my thoughts and continued slowly.
“The number of male prostitutes sent from the Dreaming Chalice is limited, right? Even if you count everyone in our group, that’s only a little over ten... I’ve heard there are more than a hundred counts in the duchy alone. And below that there must be far more, and if you include ordinary soldiers, it’s surely in the thousands. If the goal is to boost morale, wouldn’t this structure only benefit the upper ranks?”
“.......”
Rosena fell silent for a moment. Worrying I’d said something foolish, I hurried to add more.
“I don’t really know anything, of course, but the thought just occurred to me....”
“No. Your words are correct.”
Without stopping, Rosena answered. Her profile remained composed, but her voice carried a heavy weight.
“Even if we were to sign contracts with the Dreaming Chalice and every other brothel, the ones who would ultimately benefit would still be the upper nobility. There is no room for the lower ranks—especially ordinary soldiers.”
“But wouldn’t an exclusive contract make it a little different?”
“It would not. Supply cannot keep up with demand. And a military is an even harsher structure than that.”
We reached the end of the corridor, where it opened onto an exterior stairway. Rosena descended without hesitation. The tail of her uniform fluttered lightly in the wind.
“The military is a place of constant stress. Every day, they rehearse death, bury their comrades, and prepare for the next battle. In such a place, morale is directly linked to combat power. Satisfying only a few upper nobles does not solve the problem. Only when the ordinary soldiers are looked after as well can this truly be called morale support.”
With each step, the scenery around us began to change.
The clean stone buildings of the spire district disappeared, replaced by dirt paths and rough wooden fences.
The smell in the air changed too. Sweat, dust, and a sour odor I couldn’t quite name. Without meaning to, I wrinkled my nose.
Before long, we arrived at a zone packed tight with old tents. Faded canvas, torn in places, stood in rows over a muddy field.
It was far from clean—almost neglected, really. And from within those tents, sounds drifted out.
“Aaah... ah...”
“Hh... ahh...”
It was less like human speech than the sound of an animal being trampled.
The flap of one tent was half open, and through the gap I could see a gaunt man trembling on the floor, face down.
On top of him, an armored female soldier was riding him, her hips moving, while soldiers waited in line outside the tent for their turn.
“...This is...”
“Male prostitutes the soldiers obtained on their own. They buy them cheaply from back alleys or drag in those who have debts and use them. Management? There is none. They are used dozens of times a day, discarded when they break, and replaced.”
Rosena’s voice was cold.
I had no words.
They were in even worse condition than the male prostitutes I had seen in the back alleys.
Their bodies were so thin their bones showed through; their eyes were unfocused; they weren’t resisting or reacting at all, only mechanically receiving what was done to them.
At least the back alleys had afforded them some freedom, but here they were trapped inside the military machine, ground down every day beneath rough hands.
“So...”
Rosena turned to me. Her red eyes pinned me straight on.
“We must solve the root problem. For the sake of the ordinary soldiers—and for the sake of men, as well.”
---