Chapter 186: The Kingdom's Guard (11)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 186: The Kingdom's Guard (11)
When I returned with Bucom in tow, the knights and hunters guarding the castle gates erupted in cheers. The Imperial army, their morale shattered, turned tail and fled.
The few remaining Imperial commanders tried desperately to pull their forces together, but they were soon hounded by the invigorated Kingdom army.
I considered joining the pursuit, but as a guard, I felt that charging out to the front lines wasn't quite right. Besides, I had already racked up more than enough achievements, so I decided to stay and defend the walls, leaving the glory to the others.
Having lost their core strength—including Señor and the Sword Master—the Imperial army crumbled like a sandcastle. Then, darkness began to spread from the center of their ranks, and a strange necrosis took hold.
Nearly half of the Imperial soldiers transformed into monsters, attacking everything around them indiscriminately. The Kingdom army took some damage and retreated back inside the walls.
However, compared to the devastation wrought upon the Imperial army, the Kingdom's losses were a mere drop in the bucket. The commanders near the transformed soldiers were killed instantly, leaving the enemy completely without a chain of command.
After receiving treatment, Bucom waited for the perfect moment before issuing the order.
"The monsters and the Imperial army have exhausted themselves through infighting. Go out and suppress them."
And so, the siege came to an end. The Kingdom army was busy with the aftermath, and the guards were equally occupied managing the prisoners.
There was no need to worry about public sentiment. The citizens, having witnessed the Kingdom's victory right before their eyes, praised the Hugo Kingdom and followed orders without complaint.
The only issue was the overly excited crowds setting fire to trash cans or holding small-scale festivals in the Kingdom's squares. Because the state of war hadn't officially ended, the Kingdom couldn't host a large-scale celebration, but the citizens held their own festivities every few days.
Festivals inevitably required security. The already busy guards became even more swamped because of this.
I, of course, was the exception. Thanks to my contributions—winning the duel, rescuing soldiers and hunters, defending the gates, and eliminating the enemy's core power—I managed to get exempted from all duties.
The same went for my women: Serika, Mehya, and Rena. I intended to spend these leisurely days enjoying myself at the mansion.
"Master. You have a visitor."
"Again? How many is that today?"
"The third one, Master."
"Don't nobles have heavy asses? Why do they keep coming here?"
"Naturally, it is to establish a connection with you, Master. Given the great feats you have achieved, a promotion in rank is all but guaranteed."
If only these annoying pests would leave me alone! I sighed and straightened my clothes. Akiko and Iruna hovered over me, checking for any wrinkles or loose threads.
"Aren't you tired, Iruna? You have to entertain the noble wives and young ladies who come along."
"I'm fine. If anything, I'm just happy that you're being recognized, Oppa. I enjoy the tea parties with the young ladies, too. So many invitations have arrived that I don't even know which ones to choose."
"Does anyone look down on you at those tea parties?"
"Not at all. Everyone is very kind. Perhaps it's because the Princess attends quite often?"
It wasn't a "perhaps"—it was a certainty. True to her dream of being a total slacker, Jasmine came to play at my mansion every single day. Whenever nobles or key figures from the Capital visited, she would greet the guests alongside Iruna.
On my way to the drawing room, I ran into Jasmine. Accompanied by Erwi, she shouted as soon as she saw me.
"Tell them I'm not here!"
"Do you think they'll believe that? The rumor that Your Highness is living at my mansion has spread everywhere."
"If they ask, just say it's a rumor. Ah, I shouldn't have helped Iruna in the first place. If I knew this many people would show up, I would have stayed hidden in my room eating snacks."
"If you eat too much, you'll turn into a pig."
"I'd rather be a pig. All I'd have to do is oink. No, why are the people who came to see you talking to me so much? Anyway, tell them I'm not here! Got it?"
"Yes, yes."
Jasmine scurried away. But wait, her room? Which room was she talking about?
"There isn't a room for Your Highness in my mansion. Where are you planning to stay?"
"Your room is big and spacious, so I like it. The bedsheets are changed every day, so they're nice and fluffy. By the way, why do you change them every day? That's overworking the maids."
"Princess...!"
A horrified Erwi rushed to cover Jasmine's mouth. Jasmine spat out Erwi's fingers and continued.
"Ptooie! Why? Did I say something wrong?"
"...No, nothing."
"Anyway, watch yourself. It's like this now, but it'll be even worse when they hold the triumphal ceremony and evaluate everyone's contributions."
"The evaluation? Do you know what's being discussed?"
She had brought up a topic I was curious about. What would the Kingdom give me?
"Well, since you're the youngest Sword Master, a promotion is a given. A Dukedom is out of the question since your family line needs to grow first. There's talk about whether to make you a Count or a Marquis. One of your wives is a Baron's daughter and a Knight Captain, and that Rainie? The Vice Commander is the daughter of a Count, right? If you officially announce your marriage, you'll probably become a Marquis."
"A Marquis..."
I thought I'd get a Count's title at best. But since I was a strategic asset—a Sword Master—they were giving me a Marquisate to ensure I wouldn't leave for another country.
"It wouldn't make sense for a Marquis not to have a territory, so you'll likely be granted a fief as well. Our army has occupied a lot of Imperial territory, so they'll probably give you one of those. The people who achieved great feats on the front lines will get first pick, and you'll be next in line."
"A fief, huh? I'm not too thrilled about that."
I was a Kingdom guard. I had no intention of leaving the Capital, but if I received a fief, I might have to leave to manage it.
"Why? Is it because of the management? You can just hire people to do that. There's no need for you to go there yourself."
"Is that allowed?"
"Of course. There are plenty of nobles who live in the Capital and keep a separate manager for their estates. Oh, and I heard a rumor recently—is the owner of Yuna's Magic Shop also one of your wives?"
"Yes."
To think that rumor had reached the Royal Palace. News really does travel fast.
"Then you have a business, and you'll be getting a lot of prize money. You won't have any financial problems hiring people. You could even expand the business to your fief and solve the magic shop issue. The Kingdom will provide the amenities... I'm so jealous."
After rambling on, Jasmine hit a wall of reality and pressed a hand to her forehead.
"Your path is completely paved with gold. What am I going to do when my brother becomes King? I don't want to work. Is marrying into wealth the only answer?"
It was a declaration perfectly befitting a slacker. Iruna and Erwi, who had been listening quietly, had sparkles in their eyes.
"That sounds like a great idea."
"Oh, Iruna. Do you know a good man?"
"My Oppa..."
"Ahahaha! You're quite the joker! Sma is certainly a good man. He's got the looks and the talent. His rank is about to go up, so he'd be a suitable match for me to marry into. But he already has so many wives, right? It's a shame, but it won't work out."
Would it really not work out? We'd have to wait and see.
"Anyway, think carefully. I'm going to your room to get some rest."
"Don't leave any cookie crumbs."
"I don't want to. The maids will clean it up anyway."
"Do you want me to confiscate your snacks?"
"I'll use it cleanly, I promise."
Jasmine hurried away before I could catch her again. She was treating my bedroom like her own. Maybe I should just pounce on her and make it a done deal.
But then, Jasmine suddenly froze in her tracks.
"Ah... daily bedsheet changes... multiple wives..."
Jasmine's face turned as red as a tomato.
"Forget your room! I'm using a different one!"
She finally realized. A bit late, but she got there.
The guests in the drawing room must have been waiting a long time. Some of the ill-tempered ones would complain even if I was just a little late. I needed to hurry.
When I arrived at the drawing room, I was greeted by people I hadn't expected.
"Human Sma!"
"Why are you so late!"
"Making guests wait so long. A most inefficient way of doing things."
Seeing those familiar faces, a smile naturally spread across my face.
"Mimiril! Mimirun! Mimiram!"
The Elf Triplets, whom I had bonded with in the dungeon and briefly fought alongside on the battlefield. They were uninjured and still boasted their superior beauty.
I had seen many elves while working in the dungeon, but these three were definitely the prettiest. Their pussies and anals were the best, too.
"I was so busy I couldn't send out invitations, but I'm glad you came."
"Big sister kept singing about how much she wanted to see Sma every day—mph!"
Mimiril quickly covered Mimirun's mouth.
"H-Hmph! I only came to see you in person and scold you because it was disgraceful for a human to make empty promises and then never show his face."
"If you missed him, you should just say so. Big sister lives her life so inefficiently."
"Shut up!"
Mimiril snapped for no reason. Before sitting at the table, I looked over their outfits.
It was quite refreshing to see them in casual clothes instead of the gear they wore for the dungeon or the leather armor from the war.
Since it was summer, their outfits were delightfully revealing, and perhaps because elves were sensitive to heat, their clothes were even thinner than a human's.
I had seen them naked many times during inspections, but seeing their skin subtly peeking through was somehow more erotic than full nudity. As expected, a little bit of coverage is sexier than being completely bare.
"By the way, I heard you became a Sword Master?"
"That's right."
"Sma is amazing after all! You're twenty, right? Even among us elves, there hasn't been a swordsman who became a Sword Master at twenty by human standards! Were there any among humans?"
"Studying human history is inefficient."
"I believe the King who founded the Hugo Kingdom was a Sword Master at twenty."
Everyone turned to look at Mimiril in surprise.
"Sister... you know human history? You used to say there was no need to know such things."
"Hmph! It's not like I studied it because of Sma or anything!"
"So you did study it because of Sma... You always say you hate him, but honestly, aren't you the elf who likes Sma the most out of all of us?"
"Who does?!"
Mimiril jumped. Since I was teasing her so much, she couldn't even maintain her tsundere act and just looked embarrassed.
Ah, after dealing with nothing but nobles, teasing these innocent elves made life feel worth living.
I was starting to want to conquer them, too. Should I test the waters?
"Are you three free today?"
"We are."
"It's not like we cleared our schedules just to see you."
"So you're free. I happen to have some spare guest rooms. Would you like to have dinner and stay the night?"
How wonderful it would be to eat together and sleep together. Mimiril hesitated, but the other two elves readily accepted.
"I'd love to!"
"It is dinner time. Going to another restaurant now would be inefficient. A most rational proposal."
The fish have taken the bait. I'll have to make sure to give them memories they'll never be able to forget.