Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Method to Protect the Clothes
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"Take to the skies, Dfelius."
Windler, seated on its back, whispered.
Dfelius (wyvern-sized) nodded lightly and slowly ascended into the sky.
"That's it, that's it. Slowly, slowly. Be extra careful not to make the Lord uncomfortable."
-Understood, Dragon Knight.
Windler felt a shiver run down his spine.
'Dragon Knight!'
How thrilling was that title?
"Don't flap your wings too hard. No strong gusts from behind."
Windler kept giving instructions.
And Dfelius levitated the airship in midair using the pure power of mana traction.
"Good, good. Now let's pick up speed slowly."
Dfelius gradually increased its pace.
Windler focused intently on feedback, on high alert to ensure the airship didn't jolt.
'Smart fellow.'
Dfelius adapted quickly.
The airship trailing behind maintained a perfectly stable trajectory, even at high speeds, without a hint of shaking.
Windler flipped up the visor of his helmet, savoring the wind brushing his cheeks, and shouted in delight.
"Hahaha! Dfelius! You're the unicorn from myth that pulled the chariot of the supreme god!"
Dfelius flew on silently, pondering to itself.
'What's a unicorn? A Pegasus relative?'
"Your Highness, this is more comfortable than I expected."
"No mana stone consumption is the best part. A wyvern couldn't tow like this, right?"
Canelian and Silvret were thrilled at how smooth the flight was.
This Dfelius guy might have a talent for pulling carriages?
The King of Pinia and his retinue had boarded my airship as well.
The young king was utterly amazed by Dfelius towing the airship.
"Taming a wyvern lord to pull an airship! It's fast and incredibly stable! What's the secret?"
Feels like showing off a brand-new Ferrari and getting compliments.
For the record, the King of Pinia hadn't witnessed the Dfelius subjugation.
He thought the small Dfelius was the tamed wyvern lord.
Even though all those knights and soldiers saw the subjugation, security was airtight.
'The loyalty of Arcana's subjects and people to the royal family is ridiculously strong.'
We arrived at the Pinia capital far ahead of schedule.
The King of Pinia, back home, was full of vigor and threw a grand banquet.
Pinia noble ladies unleashed all sorts of temptations on me with their bodies...
'But their conditions are all kinda... Is this the limit of human female skin?'
Canelian was a swordmaster.
Her skin was clear and pristine all over. It was no exaggeration to call it painting-like.
Silvret's elven purity went without saying.
No noble ladies could satisfy my elevated standards, thanks to those two.
I figured the young, vigorous king would at least gawk at my women once or twice.
Surprisingly, he was thoroughly proper.
'A count's son with no sense of place dares to...'
After enduring a couple of approaches from noble heirs, Canelian and Silvret fled to my side.
"Prince, what do you desire in return for your aid in the subjugation?"
Time for the reckoning.
Since I'd already claimed the vast Pendragon Lake territory after the waters receded, I'd moderate the subjugation reward.
"You're aware we've started Mana Herb trade in our Arcana."
"I've heard you discovered a mountain range bursting with young sprouts, to the point rumors say you've succeeded in artificial cultivation."
A guy not even twenty acting all stern with formal speech is hard to get used to.
"That's not it. We've truly succeeded in artificial cultivation."
"I-is that true?"
The King of Pinia was shocked.
The high nobles nearby, overhearing our talk, buzzed in surprise.
'The nobles who took Mana Herbs instead of debts last time weren't bluffing.'
"Grant Pinia permission for free Mana Herb sales. That will suffice as payment for the subjugation."
"J-just that much?"
Unaware of how terrifying a lopsided free trade agreement could be, the excited king slammed his seal on the paper repeatedly.
In his great mood, the king even gifted treasures to my women.
To Canelian, a Saga (C)-grade "fine sword."
To Silvret, a Saga (C)-grade magic crystal.
'Silvret broke a 150-year aged crystal fighting Dfelius, so yeah, something comparable was needed.'
Among all those Arcana palace items, hardly any for mages...
Guess I'd have to source one elsewhere.
"King Leonhardt, I wish only for the friendship and alliance between Pinia and our Arcana to last eternally."
"Hahaha! I share the prince's sentiments!"
The banquet stretched into the dawn, and then the guesthouse.
Canelian and Silvret sneaked into my bedroom.
No need to advertise they were my women in Pinia.
Canelian held up the Saga-grade sword from the king and grumbled.
"Trying it out, I realized the sword Your Highness gave me is a real top-tier legendary one."
"Huge difference, right?"
"Yes, absolutely."
Silvret clutched her magic crystal in dazed disappointment.
"It's not aged at all. Who knows how many years to mature it properly..."
Even the elf, numb to time, was stunned.
But King Leonhardt had put in real effort.
In a world where relic-grade items were treasured national heirlooms impossible to trade, Saga-grade was thoughtful.
Anyway, the two changed into nightgowns and prepared for bed...
"Hm? You both have different nightgowns?"
They wore slightly lower-quality ones than their usual luxury sleepwear.
Silvret said, her cheeks faintly flushed.
"The straps broke, so we hastily got new ones. The Duchess helped me."
"Mine tore at the back."
"Hm, silk's not that durable?"
Then Canelian huffed in protest.
"It's because Your Highness always strips them off in your sleep, wearing them out."
"Oh, my fault?"
True, if they stayed intact after my sleep-stripping rampages, that'd be impressive...
"But if we take them off first, then you strip our undergarments, which is worse."
"What? I strip your undergarments?"
Silvret jumped in shock.
Come to think of it, last time I stripped her down to nothing while she slept...
"Your Highness, you don't mean last time...?"
"Yeah, accidentally saw the professor's bare body."
"...!"
Her face was like the sky had fallen.
I conveyed my deep impressions.
"It was gorgeous. A body you could be proud of..."
"Your Highness!"
Canelian threw a pillow.
Anyway, after soothing Silvret, who looked ready to cry from embarrassment, like a hand squirrel...
I made a proposal.
"How about sleeping without nightgowns altogether? No tearing while stripping in sleep then."
"But you strip everything, including undergarments."
"Last time might've been because you took them off yourselves.
If I strip them personally while awake, my hands will 'remember' and stop at undergarments. What do you think?"
"... "
"... "
"Worth a try? Can't keep ripping nightgowns."
Canelian's eyes darted around before she spoke softly.
"What if you strip everything like last time, leaving us naked?"
"Ah, so what if you end up naked?"
"Pardon?"
"Your Highness?"
"I've seen it once already, and it'll happen often. What's the big deal?"
Canelian hugged herself defensively, and Silvret hesitated, mimicking her.
"Until we formally get engaged after sorting sister's betrothal cleanly, and have a blessed wedding... absolutely not."
My attachment heroine was a pre-marital purity advocate.
"I-I, as a concubine, can't go to Your Highness before the Duchess. It would shake royal discipline and topple the nation."
Not a concubine, second queen, I say.
"No rush to consummate. I meant it purely as an experiment to save the nightgowns."
"An... experiment?"
"Seems worth trying."
The two exchanged glances, then cautiously nodded.
"Absolutely no holding us until the proper wedding."
"Got it."
Canelian squeezed her eyes shut.
I reached out.
'Whoa, why am I suddenly so nervous?'
The moment the prince's hand touched her shoulder, Canelian flinched with her eyes closed.
His hands on her shoulders gently slid down her arms.
'H-hurry up and strip already.'
Her pounding heartbeat thundered in her mind.
The prince didn't strip rashly; like reconnaissance, his fingertips traced her arms and back.
Suddenly, he pulled Canelian close.
Embraced abruptly, her face burned from his sudden masculine scent.
His hand stroked her back soothingly, then moved to the front.
He undid the vertical buttons at her chest one by one; the front parted, cool air kissing her skin.
Eyes closed, she felt it vividly.
Soon, her nightgown slipped off, leaving only her bikini armor (tube top) undergarments.
'Ah...!'
Indescribable shame surged.
She'd shown her undergarments to the prince daily.
Mornings always started that way.
But him accidentally stripping in sleep,
Versus him consciously undressing her by hand—worlds apart in embarrassment.
'Feels just like our wedding night...'
As the humiliating fantasy filled her head, he gently pushed her away.
Feeling empty, Canelian opened her eyes.
The prince was now undressing Silvret.
"Not buttons. Silvret, raise both arms high like a cheer."
"Yes, Your Highness. Cheer."
Silvret raised her arms straight up, perfectly aligned.
Her face beet red.
Canelian inwardly chuckled at the sight.
The prince grabbed the hem of Silvret's nightgown and lifted it over her head like flipping it.
Less lewd, more like a father bathing his young daughter—paternal...
'Wait? What? Did the professor have such big breasts?'
Canelian retracted her thought.
"Alright, time to lie down."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Me and my women lay side by side on the bed.
Me in the center, them on left and right.
About a meter apart as usual, but pointless anyway.
Morning would find me hugging one or the other.
"Both of you, come closer?"
"Pardon?"
"Yes?"
"I'll hug you in sleep anyway, so what's hugging consciously? Come here."
Silvret hesitated.
Canelian spoke softly.
"Until the proper wedding..."
"I know. Don't worry, come."
Finally, they shuffled closer bashfully.
Soft skin touched my sides.
I extended my arms, pulling their backs tight.
"This really feels like a proper wedding night."
"N-no holding before the wedding! Absolutely not!"
"A-a concubine can't brazenly go before the first queen!"
"I said I got it."
Come to think of it, Canelian was always strict on ceremonies.
Even after heroine route opened, reaching marriage was hellish difficulty.
"You both did great in Pinia Kingdom all this time."
"...Just did what needed doing."
"Fulfilled our duty."
We chatted cozily until sleep took us sometime later.
Next morning.
'Both winners this time... First time ever.'
Oddly, both awake before me, still in my arms.
Check: both properly in undergarments.
Canelian beamed brightly.
"Your Highness, it worked. You slept peacefully last night."
"Proper controlled variable experiment. Success makes me happy too."
"Oh, good. Then from now on, if I undress you every night, no problems."
"... "
"... "
"Why the faces..."
"I-I'm going to wash up."
"I must return too. Please let go."