Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: How to Use a Slave Gladiator (2)
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I assigned points to the non-targeting skills I hadn't touched since hitting level 30.
After that, I picked up a bunch of other skills too, but these are the key ones.
A skill prepared specifically for Windeler, the moving lightning rod.
Perfect for enemies equipped with metal weapons and armor.
'Hit Windeler with this, then spread it to the surrounding mobs with Thunder Chain for a total wipe.'
I couldn't test the damage output on Canelian since it was too unpredictable.
Time to experiment on Windeler.
"Well then, time to sleep?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Does the duchess sleep in a rash guard?"
"Yes. In this form, you won't be able to take it off."
"You might wake up to find it swapped for a slingshot thong in your sleep. 99% defense reduction."
"Ah, no!"
She freaked out, covering her chest with both hands, clamping her legs together, and sinking to the ground.
Man, I really wish there was a screenshot function right now.
As dawn broke.
Canelian opened her eyes.
'Something feels off...'
She stared blankly for a moment before realizing the source of the unease.
The prince hadn't laid a hand on her once.
'Has he finally come to his senses?'
Until now, his naughty habit had always stripped her of her nightclothes while she slept.
It had gotten to the point where both women no longer felt embarrassed waking up in their underwear.
Just as she was feeling relieved that his bad habit had finally subsided, she caught sight of the scene in the dimness and froze.
"...".
Silvret's one-piece nightgown lay crumpled by the bedside.
The prince had her in her underwear, firmly embraced as he slumbered deeply.
A single ray of morning sunlight filtered through the tent seams.
Meaning the prince had stripped only Silvret all night and held only her.
"...".
Canelian quietly looked down at the rash guard she was wearing.
For a long while, without a word.
I opened my eyes to see Object's sleeping face.
Looks like she won the lottery this morning.
I groped around for the nightgown by the bedside.
"Duchess...?"
Canelian was nowhere to be seen.
There were only traces of her having slept beside me.
Resigned, I dressed Object myself and stepped out of the tent.
'Whoa, that's a surprise.'
Out in the clearing, Canelian was swinging her sword in her rash guard.
Barefoot.
With Aura Blade active, she danced an intricate sword form without a sound.
'A true Swordmaster is the ultimate king-slayer.'
I knew this from experience—having achieved Swordmaster in the three warrior classes (Gladiator, Holy Knight, Heavy Armored Knight) and clearing countless assassination quests.
Seeing it in person solidified my resolve to keep Canelian by my side every night from now on.
Clap, clap, clap.
"Impressive swordsmanship. As expected of the continent's top Swordmaster."
Canelian sheathed her sword without the slightest surprise at my applause.
She must have noticed me watching long ago.
Maybe even when I first stirred in the tent.
That's what makes her a Swordmaster.
"Duchess, how's the bikini armor?"
"I love it. My whole body stays fresh without washing, and even after that intense movement, the sweat vanished instantly."
"Must be incredibly useful on the battlefield for a female knight, right?"
"But how could I show my legs in front of others? I'd have to wear armor over it."
"Putting regular armor on top pauses all its functions, though?"
"Th-that...! So I can't wear anything over it?"
"Not quite. Something like a thin shawl to look prettier is fine."
"Then I can't wear it into battle! Who the hell makes an artifact like this?!"
Her face flushes easily.
"What about shoes?"
"High heels or sandals are okay, but plate boots are obviously not."
"Ah...".
She looked utterly crestfallen.
A rustling came from the tent.
Object emerged, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
"You're both up already."
"We'll eat and head out right away. Duchess, ready to switch to 60% defense mode?"
The one-piece gives 55~60% defense.
The backless high-leg version hits the max at 60%.
"...80% would be fine too."
"What? Really? You'll wear the tube top bikini?"
"...Yes, since the defense is higher. But 99% is too indecent—only for real emergencies."
I hadn't expected this at all. What's going on?
'Tube top bikini, emerald color.'
The armor shifted in an instant.
Too bad there's no sea around here.
As I stared unabashedly, Canelian covered herself bashfully.
"Don't stare like that, Your Highness... I'm only wearing this for the defense."
"Right, of course. Purely for the defense."
Unfortunately, the delightful view didn't last.
Since I needed to wake Windeler from his forced sleep, Canelian donned full battle plate over her bikini armor.
I couldn't let a slave ogle my heroine's bare skin.
"Ugh...".
"Did you sleep well, Sir Windeler?"
"Your Highness! Why are you doing this to me?!"
"Revenge against the Empire."
"...".
"You're the last remaining pillar propping up the Empire—one of their three pillars. Of course you're a strategic target."
"Even so, did it have to be this humiliating?!"
"How else do you control a Swordmaster? While escorting Expert-level knights and 5th-class mages?"
"Kuh...!"
How's that? Got nothing to say?
I deliberately downplayed Canelian and Object's levels.
As the saying goes in the wild: show only 3% of your power and hide the rest.
"Contact your homeland. I'll scrape together a ransom somehow."
"Of course. But not right now."
I pointed to the dense forest ahead.
"Lead the way, Sir Windeler."
With Windeler's hearing blocked, the three of us followed casually, chatting freely.
"We'll sweep this northern Hesin monster zone clean while heading back to Arcana."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Understood."
I wanted to hit level 60, but it might be impossible.
'Need 60 to upgrade advanced skills.'
I doubt regular mob grinding would net ten levels.
We'll see once I run the numbers.
Leveling slows as you go higher anyway, so a rough estimate should pop up soon for max level.
"Sir Windeler! Charge!"
"H-huh?! Your Highness, give me a bit more rest!"
"Rest while moving. Now charge!"
"Kuh!"
I could force sleep and wake him, but not dictate specific actions.
Instead, I could use pain to indirectly compel obedience.
'He's not really tired—he's dragging it out because mob pulling hurts.'
"No choice then. How about full-body itch this time?"
"I-I'm going!"
Windeler dashed toward a pack of ten gathered monsters.
As Windeler charged, the aggro-pulled monsters turned with glowing red eyes and counterattacked.
When five lunged at him from all sides, he instinctively activated Aura Blade.
The lead mob's head flew clean off.
"Sir Windeler! I said don't kill them!"
"S-sorry! They all rushed at once—I had no choice!"
"Liar! I know you did it to end it quicker!"
'Superconducting Collapse!'
A skill that uses metal as a conduit to make energy rampage and explode.
'Thunder Chain!'
Link it with a skill that chains to nearby enemies?
Boom!
A spectacular lightning explosion erupts, roasting the monsters into crisp experience points.
"Gaaah! Your Highness, it hurts too much!"
"That's why you're the lightning rod. Professor, heal him."
"Yes, Your Highness."
'No heal skills or lightning resistance buffs make it inconvenient.'
Object disguised it as her magic, of course.
No reason to reveal I'm a lightning mage.
We repeated lightning rod hunting until dusk.
Hunts ended quickly, but mana regen and trekking to mobs took longer.
'At least Discernment Eye's mana detection helps find mobs fast.'
As evening fell, we set up camp.
Before turning cloaks into tents, I forced Windeler to sleep first.
Sealed his helmet to block sight and sound too.
Object lit a campfire with fire magic, and Canelian prepped and grilled beast meat.
I crunched today's exp gains to estimate time to max level.
'Right now, excluding field bosses, highest huntable mobs are level 50.'
Higher ones spawn later.
'Good thing achievement rewards removed exp penalties...
Assuming same-level mobs forever, based on today's exp...
Level-up time increases ~20% every 5 levels...'
Max level 99 would take about 3 years of 10-hour daily grinds.
Under same-level assumptions.
'60 for advanced skills: ~92 days.'
Damn, can't leave the palace empty that long.
I'm a monarch.
Time is a resource to use efficiently.
Leveling matters, but I can't obsess over it.
Better to invest 5,000 hours even if slower than 10,000 over 3 years.
Don't desperately need max level now, and a ruler's time isn't just his own.
'Manage internal affairs, prepare for Empire's rear strike, keep Ancestral Dragon God happy.
Lots to do.'
Waiting for juicy field bosses is more efficient.
Three more have spawned already—hunt those, then pause grinding.
'Need to produce an heir too.'
"Your Highness? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You look pretty in the bikini armor. Regular armor over it feels stifling, doesn't it?"
"Better than showing this embarrassing look to Sir Windeler."
"Good girl."
Canelian (tube top bikini, 80% defense) without her outer armor was a sight for sore eyes.
She did throw on the nightgown one-piece before bed, sadly.
We lay side by side, chatting by pillow-light.
"I'm pondering what to do with Sir Windeler."
"Wouldn't it be best to kill him and eliminate future trouble?"
"Using him ongoing as a slave gladiator seems fine too."
Where did that conscience prick about not wronging Empire troops during the [Fallen Earth Dragon's Fang] subjugation go...?
"Over a third of the Empire knights on field boss duty died. Swordmaster Trapford too. If Windeler goes, the Empire weakens too much."
"Isn't weaker better?"
"The Empire needs to be a proper monster shield in the upcoming chaos."
"Too weak, and neighboring countries suffer heavy monster losses."
"Too strong, and they subjugate the kingdoms around them."
"Not too weak, not too strong."
"Exactly, Professor. Until Arcana grows big enough to swallow the Empire."
"Is that possible?"
"With Your Highness's special eyes, maybe."
"And once I master ultimate lightning magic, nothing will scare me."
Canelian turned to me, her eyes sparkling intensely.
No trace left of the hostility from our first meeting.
"So help me, Duchess."
"...Yes, Your Highness."
"I need your help too, Professor."
"I'll do everything in my power."
After eight straight days of hunting, we fully cleared the northern Hesin monster zone.
Eight days of mob pulling yielded one level up.
No more mobs, so we crossed the border back to my kingdom.
The moment word spread of my return, Swordmaster Baron Caron rushed over and dropped to his knees.
"I sincerely thank you for rescuing my family and retainers!
This Caron swears to wield one of his two swords eternally for Your Highness and the Arcana Kingdom!"
"And the other not for me?"
"Forgive me! The final one must be for my wives—no choice!"
"...Fine. Never wield it for me anyway, so don't even draw it."
Not super important, but since it came up...
"Sir Caron, why didn't you write a letter for the duchess? Did you really think no need to force her along because she's the Emperor's cousin?"
Couldn't be his type.
Caron's ideal woman is conventional, and Lowen is universally stunning.
"It's embarrassing to admit, but..."
"If it's embarrassing, no need to say."
"My wife is too... delicate.... And too... chaste...."