Chapter 237: About the Place Called the Infinite Labyrinth (3)
Chapter 237: About the Place Called the Infinite Labyrinth (3)
The Infinite Labyrinth was, of course, a place frequented by many, but fundamentally, it was a Fermaton asset.
Even if it had become a major resource of national importance, it was only natural that Fermaton should manage it and use it as they saw fit. No matter how powerful the Kingdom was, they couldn't just waltz in and tell Fermaton to "do this or do that" with their own property.
Quite literally.
"Do this, or do that."
Since Fermaton was a County under the Kingdom, the royal family expected the Count to follow their orders and do his "job."
I can't stand this.
Even if they just told me to work, I’d feel a surge of "who do they think they are?" But to dare suggest I mass-produce Orcs to gang-rape women?
If I were an ordinary Count, no matter what orders the royal family gave, I would have said, "Urgh, as a noble of the Kingdom, I must remain loyal to the crown!"
But not me.
I have the spirit of democracy within me.
Actually, I’m just making up excuses because the royal family is trash, but I’ve been planning to quit being a Count of this Kingdom the moment they touched me.
I needed a justification.
A pretext.
And now, I had one.
"Aaaargh!!"
In the Fermaton drawing room.
I sat leisurely in my chair, pointing Dark Jeanne at the man kneeling before me.
"I’m a humanitarian noble, so I don’t particularly enjoy things like torture. Even a noble can’t just go around torturing people recklessly, right?"
"Urgh, uuuugh...!"
"What? Why don't you say something? Acting Viscount Irmiri Sirjosia."
I approached the man tied up tightly with rope—Irmiri.
"You have no idea how humanely I’ve treated you all until now. Even when you came to my territory last time and tried to sabotage the Breast Cup Festival, I let it slide once. I had no intention of causing unnecessary friction."
"Mmmph!! Mmmph!!"
Irmiri, gagged, desperately wanted to say something. Judging by his eyes, he was filled with defiance, rage, and hostility toward me.
"What? Do you want to ask why I’m so angry over just messing with some demons?"
Probably.
I might be using Succubi and Sirens, but the reason people don't see a huge problem with "using monsters as labor" is that they are nominally "slaves."
"Ruji Fermaton brings man-killing monsters from the Infinite Labyrinth and uses them as slaves! Whether their kin kill people or not, the ones brought to the surface don't bite, so it might not matter. Why? Because they’re just 'slaves' managed by Fermaton."
That’s what everyone thinks.
They think Succubi are no different from sex slaves, and Sirens are just slaves mobilized for aqueduct construction.
"But imagine this. If I were to give 'equal rights' to humans and demons, the people of Fermaton would flip out immediately. They’d ask how mere demons could be placed on the same level as humans."
For example.
What if humans and Succubi each had the same single vote in a Swimsuit Contest?
—Are you saying Succubi are the same as us?!
—I let it slide before because I thought they were just sex slaves, but it seems Ruji Fermaton values the rights of demons!
—He’s a demon worshiper! A warlock! Throw him in prison immediately, chop off his limbs, milk him dry, and then burn him at the stake!!
It’s obvious there would be an uproar.
It’s only natural. This is a fantasy world, but it’s still the "Middle Ages."
From a historical perspective, it’s no different from granting citizenship and private property rights to African natives during the era of the Hundred Years' War between England and France—not even the American Civil War era!
"That’s what you’re thinking, isn't it? Sir Lambert, remove the gag."
"Yes, my Lord."
Knight Lambert removed the gag from Irmiri’s mouth.
"Haa... haa... haa...!"
"Go ahead, speak. Do you think it’s wrong for me to punish you? Do you think, 'I didn't touch the commoners, I just felt up some slave demons' asses and tits, so why are you so mad?'"
"......"
"Your answer?"
"...That’s right."
Irmiri glared at me with a face full of resentment.
"They’re just demons used as a means to make money, so why are you treating me like this? We are fellow nobles!"
"Even among nobles, there are ranks. I am a Count, and you are an Acting Viscount."
"I am the Queen’s secret envoy! If you touch me, not only the Sirjosia family but Queen Messalina herself will not stand idly by!"
"Let her."
At my words, the atmosphere in the drawing room froze.
"Whether she strips me of my title or sends troops to kill me, I don't care. I am not a man who lets his property be violated and moves on. Siren, bring it."
"Yes, my Lord."
A Siren approached me, placing a water tank on a transport cart.
"Fill it."
Swaaaaa—
The water began to rise instantly.
Irmiri sneered at me, looking at the tank deep enough to submerge a human head.
"Hehehe...! Are you planning to use water torture on me?! Just because I touched some demon bodies?!"
"It’s punishment for touching what is mine recklessly. And for the bastard who dared to do such a thing to me... I will punish you in a way that is distinctly different, on a whole other level from what the world has known until now."
If it had been a woman, she’d be hanging in the air with her legs spread like Yurdias by now, but it’s different for men.
"Among the things you can do with water, there’s this. Succubus, take off your stockings."
"Yes, my Lord."
The Succubus immediately peeled off her pantyhose.
Although the material was far inferior to modern stockings, that actually made it easier to achieve what I wanted.
"Before I deliver your punishment, I’m going to do this first."
I folded the Succubus’s stockings neatly and soaked them in the water.
"Since you associate everything I do with sex, did you think I was going to handle you with sex too?"
I spread the wet stockings as wide as possible, making them like a single sheet of paper, and then placed them over Irmiri’s face.
"There are plenty of things I can do. As long as I have water and cloth, I can do this. The only reason I haven't done it before is because I didn't need to."
".......!!"
It was domoji.
Except for the fact that it was a stocking, it followed the traditional method perfectly. I carefully smoothed out the stocking to ensure there were no air gaps.
"Mmph...?! Hmph...?!"
Irmiri, who at first didn't know what was happening, soon began to struggle violently, trying to tear the wet stocking off his face.
"It’s useless. There’s no way to escape that while your entire body is restrained."
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
His legs flailed up and down as his whole body began to tremble violently. I took a breath and timed it.
Three. Two. One.
"Hey, Irmiri."
"Haa, haa, haa, haa...!"
Irmiri breathed raggedly, his face pale.
"Did you think you’d be safe after daring to lay a hand on mine?"
"I-I am the Queen’s envoy...!"
"You still haven't learned your lesson. I used a stocking as a courtesy, but I guess you need something else."
"W-Wait...! If... if you kill me... it will lead to a Territorial War!"
"Ho-oh."
Threats now, is it?
"A Territorial War?"
"T-That’s right...! I am the second son of the Sirjosia family...! To someone like me..."
"Do you even have the guts to start a Territorial War? Against Fermaton? I wonder how many people in the world would actually take your side. Hmm?"
I soaked the stocking in the water again.
"Go ahead, start a war. So, because I killed the younger brother of Viscount Sirjosia, Count Sirjosia will be so enraged he’ll declare a Territorial War? Go ahead, try it. See if we even blink. Think about who has the justification right now."
At the very least, the public might say "Fermaton went too far," but no one would say Irmiri Sirjosia was innocent.
—He touched Ruji Fermaton’s woman? Tsk tsk. Since he touched that madman’s woman, he won't live out his natural lifespan.
That’s how people would perceive it.
"Since you touched my woman, you shall naturally die while suffering a pain worse than death."
"Y-You’re crazy...! Are you really planning to go to war?!"
"I have no intention of starting a war, but if someone starts one because I executed a man who dared to touch Fermaton’s property within Fermaton, then I must fight back. I’ve heard enough of your thoughts. If I keep this up here, I’ll just have to clean up a corpse, so I’ll take you neatly to the execution ground."
"A-Are you really going to kill me...?! Y-You’re insane! I only touched a woman’s breasts and ass!!"
"But if you hadn't stopped there, you would have tried to fuck my woman."
Even if it ended as an attempt, the intent was insolent beyond measure, so I would deliver the worst possible punishment to Irmiri Sirjosia.
"You are going to the underground dungeon."
"The underground dungeon...? H-How are you going to torture me there...?"
"To the underground dungeon known as the Infinite Labyrinth."
"......!!"
Irmiri’s expression turned ashen.
"S-Surely you aren't r-really going to kill me...?!"
"Did you think I’ve been threatening to kill you as a joke until now?"
Killing him was a given.
I was just contemplating and agonizing over how to kill him and how much pain to inflict.
"Before you go."
I stuffed the stocking into Irmiri’s mouth and picked up a sledgehammer.
"Asti. A barrier."
"Yes."
Astarotte immediately deployed a barrier over Irmiri’s head.
I aimed for that spot—
CLAAAAANG!!
I swung the sledgehammer down with all my might.
"Whew."
The barrier didn't break.
However, thanks to the full force of the strike, Irmiri’s eyes rolled back and he fainted after just that one blow.
"Good thing he didn't piss himself. Now, how to handle this."
Just killing him would make disposing of the body a chore.
Just killing him felt too light because his actions were so arrogant; I wanted to give him a bit more pain.
For times like this, we have one person in Fermaton who is perfectly suited for the situation.
"Sir Lambert."
"Yes, my Lord."
"You will take responsibility for taking this man to the 18th floor of the Infinite Labyrinth and 'processing' him."
"...To the Infinite Labyrinth, for me?"
"Yes. I won't say much. If you are a man of Fermaton, you know exactly what I mean, don't you?"
"......Hehe."
Lambert licked his lips as he looked at Irmiri.
"As you command, Count Fermaton. I shall 'process' this man in the Infinite Labyrinth and return."