Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Not an Elf
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Baron Caron was blushing.
But the reason for his embarrassment was beyond imagination.
No matter how I looked at it, it seemed closer to "I'm so ashamed of my wife's frailty."
I had an intuitive feeling that I shouldn't continue the conversation any further.
Right now, Canelian and Object were right beside me.
This guy would spill every single detail of Rowen's bedroom habits without hesitation.
I had to protect Rowen's honor.
"...Since you've only recently defected and haven't earned any merits yet, I'll treat you with the status equivalent to a marquis for now.
Soon, an opportunity will arise for you to establish achievements worthy of promotion to duke."
"I humbly report that my wife mentioned Your Highness is keeping my wooden sword artifact."
So, what?
You want it back?
I don't have a pretext to keep it, but after you handed over your entire fortune except your territory, if you're going to act so rudely,
"I offer my third sword eternally to Your Highness!"
Wasn't it two swords before?
Anyway, since Baron Caron offered the wooden sword Object first, it made things easier for me.
He wasn't completely thoughtless,
"I-I apologize, but could you permit my courtship of Lady Arndelro...?"
"...?"
"This is absolutely not a request for a reward in exchange for offering the wooden sword artifact!"
Lady Arndelro?
I searched the prince's memories, but no such person existed.
Seems like some noble I don't know.
"Why ask me for permission? That's for the two of you to decide."
"Everything in this kingdom belongs to Your Highness, so how dare I act on my presumptuous desires without permission? Thank you for granting it."
His beaming, delighted expression somehow drained my energy.
I waved him off.
"I'll summon you later. Withdraw."
"What about the lady from Viscount Baluet's family as well...?"
"Handle your own romances. No need to seek permission for each one."
Even as I said that,
I had a feeling this guy would ask permission every time before swinging his bio-sword at a new target.
Baron Caron withdrew in high spirits.
The moment I sat down in the office, I summoned Maid Marian.
She was the confidante who informed me, "Preparations for the grand undertaking are complete," revealing the prince's planned incestuous crime.
She had an uncanny knack for picking up rumors from the palace or the capital's social circles.
And her loyalty to me was unwavering.
"Is there any issue between Baron Caron, his wife Rowen, and his concubines? Anything I should know."
Even with such a vague question, she picked out exactly the answers I wanted.
"According to what the maids have seen and heard, Baron Caron seems to have extraordinarily vigorous stamina."
"I know that much."
"He spends at least 14 hours a day in the same bedroom with all his concubines."
Insane.
He's utterly obsessed with bio-sword training.
"With all six of them? In one bedroom?"
"Yes. To be more precise..."
"No, that's enough. What about the duchess?"
"It seems he only spends time with his wife briefly, twice a day, morning and evening.
And afterward, she remains bedridden in exhaustion for hours..."
I unwittingly covered my face.
Maid Marian continued her report with an expressionless face.
"Furthermore, Baron Caron appears deeply dissatisfied that his wife doesn't join him with the concubines..."
"Aah, I get it. Stop."
Too frail, too chaste a principal wife.
I fully understood the meaning now.
I summoned the Prime Minister for a report.
"The Empire has requested our participation in subjugating the monsters that attacked Duke Edelmark's territory."
"And?"
"We accepted after receiving 50,000 gold coins upfront, and the envoy has returned."
50,000 gold coins—about 325 billion won in modern terms.
Nice, free money. The Prime Minister sure knows how to make a profit.
With payment already made for a dangerous subjugation, it would be embarrassing for them to ask for a refund.
That cunning emperor bastard can't stand losing face.
"As I mentioned before, the monster great upheaval is coming. Monsters increased hundreds of times over will routinely invade human realms.
Marquis, prepare sufficient countermeasures on your own."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"And about Lord Windler, whom I captured as a slave..."
After explaining in detail, the Prime Minister's initially horrified eyes began sparkling midway.
"Does that slave gladiator armor perfectly control Lord Windler?"
"Yes. Once worn, he can't remove it himself until the owner releases him."
There was the constraint of immobilizing him first to put it on, but once equipped, it's done.
"Then, when the opportunity arises, dispatch him to the Empire."
"Dispatch?"
"Weren't you pondering when and for what ransom to release him to the Empire?"
"Right. If the Empire has no Swordmasters at all, it'll be too weak to handle future monster waves."
Too strong or too weak—both are bad.
Delicate balance adjustment is key.
"We'll send him as a 'silent Swordmaster hidden by our kingdom,' with a handler, of course."
"Ah, making the emperor bastard offer all sorts of treasures himself to win over 'Arcana's divine Swordmaster'?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"And in the long term, extort far more than the ransom repeatedly?"
"Exactly."
"Brilliant! What a devious scheme!"
Do all money-handlers think like this?
White-collar crime is terrifying.
"Good idea. You handle it, Prime Minister. Oh, I'll be using him for a while myself."
"Revealing him when the Empire is suffering greatly from monster attacks will fetch the highest price."
"I see. Time it yourself."
"And Your Highness, sales of Mana Herbs are skyrocketing...
Neighboring kingdoms now believe Arcana has succeeded in cultivating them..."
Finances were massively in the black.
"What about Lumière de Ver?"
"We've only aged three oak barrels so far, but insufficient maturation means it's not ready yet..."
"That's enough. Prepare one oak barrel."
Shed Skin of Ascension.
Before descending to the palace's secret underground cavern housing the Ancestral Dragon God's bones.
I called Canelian and Object.
Naturally, Canelian carried the oak barrel.
"You called me just to carry this?"
"Only royal family members can enter from here. Duchess, understand."
"Royal family members..."
"Aren't you about to become part of the Arcana royal family, Duchess?"
Object blinked her green eyelids and tilted her head.
"Isn't Your Highness's fiancée Duchess Ceres?
I know of no precedent where the younger sister becomes royalty just because the elder becomes queen."
"Now I can say it. I'm marrying Duchess Canelian, not Ceres."
"Pardon? Is that true?"
Why is she so surprised?
We're getting married anyway, and Canelian stands guard every night while sleeping beside me.
"Then Duchess Ceres...?"
"We'll announce it later. Keeping it secret for now to protect Duchess Ceres's honor. No rush for marriage."
Object looked quite shocked.
Canelian shyly averted her gaze at my bombshell declaration.
"Don't be surprised from now on."
"Got it."
"I won't be surprised."
"Really don't be surprised when you see what's beyond that door."
"...You're making me more nervous."
"My heart's pounding."
Please be surprised.
That's how I'll feel rewarded.
I opened the door accessible only to the king and his heir.
A majestic dragonbone of enormous proportions dominated the center of the vast underground cavern.
"Kyaa! Wow, Your Highness? What is this?"
"It's huge! This isn't dragon remains—it's an actual dragon corpse...! How does something like this exist beneath the palace?"
Object, who lived above the palace, was freaking out over an object below it, wondering 'Why is this here?'
Cute.
Both stared dumbfounded at the dragon remains, mouths agape in shock.
"Canelian, bring the oak barrel here. I'll offer Lumière de Ver to Ancestor."
Not fully aged, but she'll like it anyway.
Canelian dazedly brought the barrel close and uncorked it.
I scooped the contents into a large bowl and offered it as reverently as possible.
Fwaaah!
A transparent light spread, and a petite silver-haired beauty appeared.
Her semi-transparent form, like solidified thoughts, exuded profound mystery.
-Princelyyy! I was waitingggg! So bored for so looong!
She bounced around excitedly, on the verge of happy tears the moment she saw me.
'Please maintain some dignity, Ancestor.'
Suppressing those inner thoughts, I politely extended the bowl.
"Have a drink first, Ancestor."
-Yeah! Thanks! Cheers!
The silver-haired loli Ancestral Dragon God grabbed the bowl with her short arms and chugged it down.
-Kyaahhh! That's the taste!
She emptied the oak barrel in seconds and sprawled out spread-eagled.
Her belly protruded like a mountain, reminding me of those starving African refugee kids in poverty porn ads.
The two women were frozen in panic.
Unable to ask questions, they just trembled like statues.
-But who are these pretty babies? Introducing granddaughters-in-law?
"This is Duchess Canelian of the Elryad Duchy, my fiancée."
-Tall and pretty. She'll bear handsome babies aplenty. Our prince has good taste in women?
"And this one is..."
-Huh? Looking closer, she's not an elf... Hap!
I quickly clamped the Ancestral Dragon God's mouth.
I didn't think it'd work, but it did?
'Thought it'd pass through air.'
I had to cover fast before Object noticed something off.
What excuse? Something dramatic that fits...
"As expected of Ancestor, so perceptive. As you saw, not an elf—she's my second granddaughter-in-law."
-Hap...!
Only then did the Ancestral Dragon God wink vigorously in understanding, and I released her mouth.
The silver-haired beauty let out an awkwardly exaggerated giggle, making a fuss.
-I-I kinda thought she was the second granddaughter-in-law too, not an elf! Hehehe! Good booze today and two granddaughters-in-law—what a lucky day!
"Wow, Your Highness..."
Object, finally snapping out of her rigidity, blushed and avoided my eyes.
I wrapped my arm affectionately around Object's waist and wrote on her palm.
-Prince! So next year, I get to see two grandbabies at once?
"...I'll try."
-Bring her early in pregnancy! I'll bless the baby in the womb! I've diligently saved more karmic merits since then!
She said she used up 4,000 years' worth blocking the shed skin's rampage.
Guess she saved diligently.
-Lumière de Ver is super popular in the heavens! Sold some I saved last time and earned merits worth a millennium!
What? That changes things.
I need to promote the wine industry.
'But how shocked is Canelian to still be like that?'
Canelian was alone in the underground cavern.
The dragon remains before her vibrated violently, then erupted in an immense flash and explosion.
Canelian was swept away by the blast and flung far.
When she came to, she lay collapsed atop the high rocky Holy Site.
'...!'
An unbelievable sight unfolded.
The kingdom had vanished entirely.
A colossal crater of unfathomable depth yawned endlessly beyond the horizon, with vast seas of water pouring in relentlessly.
How long until it fills?
Years? Decades? Longer?
It was that massive a collapse.
Overwhelming despair, terror, and sorrow surged, burning her chest.
Tears streamed endlessly, tearing at her eyes in pain.
A voice called.
'...duch...ess..., ...duch...ess... Duch...ess... Duchess... Duchess?'
A warm hand shook her body, and like a lie, the entire scene vanished.
Ragna the prince stood before Canelian, shaking her shoulders.
"Are you alright?"
"...Your Highness."
Looking around, Canelian realized she'd seen an absurd hallucination and gave an awkward smile.
"Ah..., sorry. I must've dozed off standing."
-Our prince kept you up all night, huh!
"Pardon? Oh, n-no! He tormented me as usual, but..."
-Come visit once pregnant! Early blessings are best!
"...Ahaha."
Forcing a laugh to shake off the confusion, Canelian pondered quietly.
'What was that?'