Chapter 6: I Decide My 3-Star (1)
Chapter 6: I Decide My 3-Star (1)
After the drinks with Ruji Fermaton.
Returning to her room, Zenith Fermaton found it impossible to calm her racing heart.
"Phew... Honestly, what is wrong with me...?"
What was this fluttering?
Was it the strangeness of her son, who had suddenly become a different person?
Was it the fear of the pressure he put on her to decide whether she was a Fermaton or not?
Or was it the excitement of seeing a man showing his ambition?
One thing was certain: the current 'Ruji Fermaton' was a distinctly different entity from the previous 'Scoundrel Ruji.'
"...The Kingdom was already anxious about him, but this will make them uneasy in a completely different way."
Originally, after the death of Count Fermaton, the Kingdom had been searching for a mistress for the estate to ensure the continuation of the Fermaton bloodline.
Zenith had failed in 'producing insurance.'
To be precise, the former Count had died before Zenith even arrived at the Fermaton estate, and the Kingdom's plan to have her bear a Fermaton heir had been thwarted.
It was because Ruji Fermaton was such a hopeless mess.
Produce a new Fermaton and kill Ruji.
The Kingdom's goal was to have her give birth to a late-born child to replace the sole heir, Ruji, whose personality was utter trash. Zenith would then raise that child, eliminate Ruji, and groom a 'proper Border Count.'
In a sense, Zenith was a person of the Kingdom.
While she technically held the position of Countess Fermaton due to the political situation, she was essentially a symbol of a political alliance—a marriage of convenience sent by the Kingdom to maintain the Fermaton line.
Or perhaps, she was a spy.
"...Did he tell me to choose? Whether to live as a Fermaton or return to my hometown."
No Fermaton blood flowed through Zenith's veins.
The Infinite Labyrinth would not close even if she died.
Though Zenith was the one who had sought him out with wine, Ruji Fermaton might have delivered an ultimatum as if he had been waiting for the opportunity.
Fermaton or the Kingdom. I will make Fermaton like a kingdom. Will you be the mother of a King, or just an ordinary widow of the Kingdom?
"...But that's only if he succeeds."
If success were guaranteed, she would obviously choose to be the mother of a King.
No matter how much of an old maid she had been, it was unfair enough to be sold off in a political marriage to a man over twenty years her senior; shouldn't she at least enjoy some power?
The situation had only become awkward because of the Count's sudden death, but Zenith had ambitions of her own.
She would show the family that sold her off exactly how grandly she lived here in Fermaton.
She would use the fact that the successor of the Fermaton blood was her 'own child' to enjoy wealth and power, now that things had turned out this way.
She had been prepared for that, but she never expected Ruji to show his ambition in such a manner.
"...If I wait until later to reach out, it'll surely be too late. He's telling me to choose now. Soon. Phew...."
Starting tomorrow, Ruji would begin searching for a wife in earnest.
As his nominal mother, she could interfere for now, but could she really stop the current Ruji?
Besides, the Kingdom's stance would likely be that 'as long as the Fermaton heir is at least at the level of the former Count, it doesn't matter.'
"Ugh, uuuugh...! Why did that boy suddenly change so much?! No, wait, is this actually better? It's better than the constant anxiety of him being a total scoundrel... but if he was serious about that Kingdom talk..."
The Fermaton Kingdom.
If he succeeded, it would be a grand achievement that no Fermaton had managed for centuries. If he failed, he would surely end up as a limbless biological totem, just as the first Count almost had.
The Kingdom left Fermaton alone because it was a Border County.
The Empire hoped Fermaton would fall into their territory.
Whichever side they chose, the crisis would continue. If they turned both into enemies, they wouldn't just be a shrimp caught between whales; they would be ground into dust.
However.
If they became a monster that could rip open the bellies of both whales...
And if Fermaton became a true Kingdom—no, an Empire...
"...The mother of a King."
Ambition.
Zenith had seen something in Ruji's eyes that she had never seen before.
A thick 'desire' underlying that ambition.
To Zenith, who had once wandered the world as an adventurer, 'desire' was something irresistibly attractive that could never be separated from life.
"...The mother of a King."
Lick.
Zenith lightly sipped the remaining wine and lowered her head for a moment.
"...If things go well, could I really become the mother of the next King...? No, wait. What am I thinking...?"
Thump, thump.
"...It really was quite large."
Recalling that magnificent ambition that couldn't be hidden by his trousers, Zenith stroked her wine glass, her lips parched with anticipation.
* * *
"Wow, this morning wood is insane."
As soon as I woke up at dawn, I felt a dull ache below. Seeing my blanket propped up by my towering cock, I felt goosebumps all over my body.
"To think this is my dick..."
I was amazed all over again.
I didn't know Ruji's dick was this big.
'The body's level is only 1, but the dick is max level. It's not like he dumped all his stat points into his junk.'
No matter how much of a trash-tier character Ruji was, he could become strong enough if I did a Max Leveling 5-Star Enhancement.
Though it was a shame that it would take several times more resources than others, and even after a full build, his performance would only be comparable to a normal 3-star character at max level without a limit break.
'Still, it means he can get that strong.'
A 3-star max level.
If I had that kind of body, it wouldn't just be my dick that was big...
"...Finger Pistol!"
I jabbed my index finger into the blanket.
This was bad.
There was no reaction.
I had so little strength that I felt like my dick would penetrate deeper than my finger.
"Damn it, does this guy's experience points all go to his dick...?"
If I were spurting semen while others were blasting mana from their pools, I'd accept it.
But this was a fantasy world; I should at least be able to use a Fireball spell!
If I could find a master to learn from—
"...A master?"
Lick.
A good idea struck me.
"Right. I'll find a magic master. As for swordsmanship... I'll just do basic physical training for the body and find a magic master instead."
An outstanding 3-star mage.
Someone I could recruit right away...
...Zenith?
Day Magic, Night Sex? Learning magic by day and sex by night?
'No. Not yet.'
It wasn't certain yet whether Zenith was on my side.
And even if she was, as long as she was Ruji's mother, I couldn't just take her easily.
Her body was certainly hot, though.
Befitting a 3-star character, she had goddess-tier looks and a body that would gain tens of thousands of followers on the first day of her social media debut in the real world.
Honestly, I was turned on.
I wanted to strip off her dress, grab those breasts, and shove my thick cock inside her right then and there.
But she's ten years older than me?
....
"......Alright, let's look for one!"
They say a crimson skirt is better if you have the choice, don't they?
The wisdom of the ancestors is never wrong.
'If the price is the same, go for the virgin.'
Since a crimson skirt symbolizes a virgin, I was merely following the wisdom of the ancient sages.
And as for Zenith...
'If I try to set up a scene and she turns out to be experienced, I'll be hooked.'
If I made Zenith my partner and she wasn't a virgin—if she actually had another man in her heart—I might end up being a sucker providing her with semen.
Zenith was a woman full of ambition.
If she were a virgin and committed solely to being on my side, I'd accept her, but Zenith, whom I had probed several times while drinking, hadn't clearly chosen a path.
Would she live as a Fermaton?
Or would she live as a spy for the Kingdom and eventually be exiled?
Well, whatever.
'Once the bus leaves, it's too late.'
I had nothing to lose.
If Zenith wanted to become a true Fermaton, she would be a fine sex partner even if it wasn't her first time.
'Just wait until the next chance for sex. I'll show her exactly what happens to a stepmother who lusts after her son's cock.'
I just needed to have someone who would be my eternal partner restrain Zenith so she wouldn't get greedy for power.
"Whew."
The conclusion was reached.
Now it was time to take action.
Tinkle, tinkle.
"Did you call, Master?"
"Yes. Before breakfast, I'll do a light inspection in front of the castle while taking a walk."
"R-Right now...?"
"Why?"
"O-Oh, no. It's just..."
Amy's gaze briefly dropped to my crotch before coming back up.
I understood immediately what that meant, but—
"Go prepare my shower."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Amy hurried to the bathroom, and I took a sip of water from the table to steady my breathing.
"......."
Was it just my imagination, or did Amy's skirt get shorter...?
"...Tsk."
If my intuition was correct.
"...Is this a honey trap or what?"
Practicing sex with a maid?
If it were just about getting laid, I could comply anytime, but the political weight attached to my dick was too heavy for that.
The burden on my cock was too great to just swing it around at will.
So I had to find her quickly.
Whether she wanted the power of Fermaton, the wealth of Fermaton, or just my dick.
A woman who would love only me.
Who would be loyal only to me.
Who could give up everything only for me.
'I'm the King of Fermaton; I can at least wish for a woman like that, can't I?'
...And a woman who would quietly accept it even if I suddenly shoved my dick in while she was sleeping.
'Honestly, if I'm taking her as a wife, she should at least do that much.'
Letting me have all the sex I want before marriage, only to live in a sexless marriage as soon as she takes the Fermaton name?
That was unforgivable.
So, if possible...
"I hope she's a virgin with amazing technique."
There were many candidates.
The 3-star female characters gathered in Fermaton.
I didn't know if such a thing as a 'Virgin Bitch' existed, but a 3-star wouldn't be a 3-star for nothing.
"Master, everything is ready."
"Good."
Whoosh.
The one saving grace was that the facilities here were fortunately similar to modern ones.
"...I wonder who's out there."
As I washed my body with the warm water falling from above, I sorted through the countless 3-star female characters in my head.
They didn't necessarily have to be 3-stars.
Among the natural 1-stars, there were cases where characters with different appearances were released as 3-star limited pickups later on.
In other words, if I recruited a 1-star character, a 3-star level event might occur if things went well... right?
'Where would those girls be right now?'
Before the main story began, the most likely place was...
"Amy."
"H-Have you finished washing already?"
"Dry my hair quickly and tell the escort knight. The place I'm going is..."
The Adventurer's Guild.
'Time for some newbie carrying.'
Any woman would go "Ahn~" once they experienced the max leveling that comes with Fermaton's capital and power.
Or so I thought as I headed to the Adventurer's Guild.
"Holy shit, I've got a boner."
There was a blonde beauty, perfectly optimized for newbie carrying.