Chapter 102: Those Who Target Fermaton (2)
Chapter 102: Those Who Target Fermaton (2)
After establishing a constructive relationship with Charlotte.
I led my party out of Nine-Tail’s establishment and issued an order to the rest of my followers to return to the castle.
"Are you telling us to return to the castle, My Lord?"
"Yes. You all head back first. I have somewhere to stop by since I’m already out."
Sir Lambert and the other men of Fermaton.
These weren't exactly the people I needed for where I was going. If anything, they were a hindrance. All they did was monitor me, eavesdrop on my sexual escapades, and gawk.
Lambert, in particular, had been giving off a creepy vibe for a while now, making me feel a fierce urge to shake him off immediately.
"Return to the castle."
"But Young Lord, it is our duty to serve you."
"Didn't I say I’d be fine? Where do you get off talking back to me?"
I stepped up to Lambert.
My skin crawled as he gulped and scanned me from head to toe, but I forced myself to place a hand on his shoulder and jerked my chin toward the castle.
"I told you to go. It’s an order."
"On one condition."
"A condition? Are you in any position to be setting conditions?"
"Yes. As the Captain of the Fermaton Knights, I have a duty to ensure the Young Lord’s safety. If you intend to leave us behind, please tell me where you are going and who will protect you in my stead."
On the surface, he seemed like a truly diligent and faithful knight. No matter what kind of fit the scoundrel Ruji threw, he remained steadfast in his resolve to take responsibility for his lord's safety.
But it can't be this guy.
What was the point of him being competent? He was gay.
It would be one thing if he were just an Imperial spy, but being a spy on top of being gay is a no-go.
Being an Imperial spy was fine. If that were his only secret, I might have even recruited him as one of my own men within the Fermaton family.
But he was gay. A diligent, competent gay man.
"In that case..."
"Surely you aren't going to say that Miss Laura will be responsible for your safety?"
In that instant.
Thwack!
I threw a punch without even thinking.
My fist landed squarely on Lambert’s face, and he collapsed onto the ground.
Wait, what?
I was just as shocked as he was. I was surprised that my hand had moved on its own, but even more stunned that I had actually knocked Lambert down. A man wearing that heavy plate armor?
"A-Are you alright?"
"...I am... fine."
Ptu.
Lambert spat blood onto the ground. The look he gave me became complicated.
"...My apologies. My fist flew out before I knew it."
"As expected of the Young Lord. Your strike was incredibly sharp. And I, Lambert, am deeply moved."
Lambert dropped to one knee before me.
"A lord who refuses to tolerate his knight being insulted... I am profoundly touched by this display. Please forgive my slip of the tongue."
"I forgive you."
I had a feeling I should get rid of him quickly before the situation got any weirder. I patted Lambert’s shoulder, resting my hand there once more.
"You were merely trying to fulfill your loyalty as a knight. However, my knights, including Laura, are more than capable of protecting me. Do not insult my knights again."
"......."
"To insult Laura is to insult her Captain. To insult the Captain is to insult me, the one who formed this order. Am I wrong?"
"No. You are correct, Young Lord."
"Good."
As I gripped Lambert’s shoulder firmly, he lifted his head slightly. His gaze was...
"Stand up, Sir Lambert."
"Yes, My Lord."
"I’m stopping by the Magic Tower. I’ll meet with Master Astarotte, have lunch, and return to the castle in the afternoon. If there is anything urgent, come to the Magic Tower."
"Understood!"
Leaving Lambert’s thunderous reply behind, I placed a hand on Laura’s waist and turned toward the Magic Tower.
"Laura."
"Yes, Young Lord."
"You don't have to hold back."
"......."
When Lambert spoke about Laura—specifically, when he questioned if she could protect me—her fists had already been trembling before I even threw my punch. If I hadn't stepped in, she would have had her abilities questioned and been treated like an incompetent Captain.
"Now is not the time to prove yourself. When you become so strong that others don't even dare to look up at you, that is when you reveal your true worth."
"I'm sorry, Young Lord."
"What’s there to be sorry about? Sir Lambert might be a tiny bit stronger than you for now, but from here on out, you’re only going to surpass him."
Even if it wasn't just a "tiny" bit, I believed it. I believed that Laura would become far stronger than Lambert.
Suddenly.
"......!"
A chill ran down my spine. I felt a cold gaze watching me from a distance, which momentarily unnerved me.
"Is Lambert glaring at me from back there?"
"At you, My Lord? I-Is it because you hit him in the face...?"
"Probably. No man likes getting punched in the face. But..."
I clenched my fist tight.
"I gained an unexpected harvest from it. For now, let’s head to the Magic Tower and carry out our original purpose."
"Um, I have one question. Is the reason for going to the Magic Tower a secret?"
"No. We’re going there to research a certain type of magic."
"What kind of magic...?"
"That's right."
I turned my eyes toward Shiro.
"Infinite Power."
*
At that same time.
"Are you alright, Sir Lambert?"
"Ah. I’m fine. To swing his fist immediately because he thought his knight was being insulted... he truly is a man's man."
Lambert grinned as he cast a healing spell on his own cheek.
"Did you see? Even though he lashed out impulsively, he was flustered and asked if I was okay the moment I hit the ground."
"Yes. Sir Lambert, your joke went a bit too far."
"It wasn't a joke."
Lambert’s expression hardened as he answered seriously.
"I realized the Young Lord was going to swing, and I tried to withstand it. But I couldn't."
"Then..."
"The Young Lord’s punch was quite powerful. Has he been training separately lately?"
"Well, if you can call it training..."
The knight beside him blushed as he answered.
"According to the rumors, he spends every night 'lifting and lowering' Captain Laura."
"Good heavens. He’s building his physical strength while having sex?"
"Captain!"
"Did I say something wrong? It’s no secret that the Young Lord is doing 'this and that' with Captain Laura every day."
Lambert shrugged nonchalantly.
"Building stamina through sex... Well, the effect might be less than actual training, but it’s better than nothing. Better than just lying there like a log."
"Then... could it be a tactic to increase his own power?"
"What would he do with more power? Is he preparing for a time when he might have to pick up a spear and shield to fight someone himself? Don't worry about it. More importantly..."
Lambert lowered his voice.
"Send someone to Nine-Tail to investigate. Find out what the Young Lord discussed with the Guild Leader. It took longer than expected."
"Don't you think they were just having sex?"
"......."
Lambert’s expression darkened instantly.
"Unlikely. No matter how much grit the Nine-Tail Guild Leader has, there’s no way her legs would be that steady after a Virgin Sex session with him."
"That’s true. If she got plowed by the Young Lord, her legs would have given out and she wouldn't be able to move."
"Exactly. So look into it. Find out if they really just had sex, or if they discussed something more important. If it’s the latter..."
Lambert licked his lips.
"I’ll have to find out exactly what our little wolf cub is plotting."
"Sir Lambert, surely you don't mean..."
"Fermaton is charming after all. I’ll be honest with you."
Lambert whispered into the ear of the male knight beside him.
"I feel like I could actually trust a man like Ruji Fermaton with my back."
*
"Are you cold?"
"No. I’ve just been getting strange chills today."
I led my party into the Magic Tower Master’s reception room, where I faced the Tower Master Barbas and Astarotte.
"Thank you for assisting with the operation of Paladin Sonata. Thanks to the Magic Tower’s help, we were able to move the Living Armor smoothly."
"We are truly delighted to be of service to the Young Lord of Fermaton. Hehe."
"I'm glad to hear it. So, what about the matter I inquired about through Master Astarotte?"
"We have developed a hypothesis."
Tower Master Barbas tapped her staff against the floor. On the white screen hanging on the wall, Kuro was shown merged with the tentacle slime.
"Cases like this are surprisingly common in the Infinite Labyrinth. Instances where Demonkind consume humans and gain human intelligence... it happens quite often. However."
Barbas pointed to the upper part of the image.
"This is the first time a 'Name' has become visible on an entity of the Infinite Labyrinth like this."
"So it really is the first time."
"Indeed. I have lived for a very long time, but I have never seen a case like this."
Liar. Barbas might look like an old woman on the outside, but the being inside was actually younger than me. An adult.
"I see. So, what is the Magic Tower’s conclusion?"
"The Infinite Labyrinth has recognized the blood of Fermaton. To be precise, it could be said that it recognized the semen of Ruji Fermaton engraved within the Living Armor."
"......."
"We have dubbed this a 'Named'."
Like Benia of the Virgin Scam.
"These cases will likely continue to appear. I guarantee it. They won't appear before others; they will only appear before those who possess something of Fermaton."
Right. That was the problem.
"Named entities will continue to emerge. Because the Infinite Labyrinth is targeting Fermaton."
"What if another Named appears? In a place where I am not involved?"
"...It’s one of two things. Either that person possesses something of yours, Lord Ruji..."
Barbas shrugged nonchalantly.
"Or the blood of Fermaton was flowing through the body of the person who encountered the Named. Hehe, but surely that couldn't be the case, could it?"