Chapter 187: The Elf, the Princess, and the Guard (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 187: The Elf, the Princess, and the Guard (1)
Every woman in my mansion joined the dinner with the Elf Triplets.
While not all nobles in this fantasy world enjoyed such abundance, the dinners at our mansion were grand enough to be called feasts.
With so many people, dozens of dishes had to be prepared. To fit all those dishes on the table, the dining room had to be massive.
The dining room in my house was larger than my bedroom and the adjacent room combined. It was no surprise, considering it took up half the space on the second floor.
Originally, there were several long, wide rectangular tables. I had replaced them with one large circular table.
The rectangular tables had a clear head of the table, which meant I couldn't sit together with all my women. However, after a few meals, I switched back to the rectangular ones.
There were several reasons. As the number of people grew, they couldn't all fit at one table. And if I brought in one that was too large, no one could reach the food in the center.
The nobles in movies and dramas didn't use rectangular tables for nothing. The Knights of the Round Table probably sat in a circle because they weren't actually eating.
I couldn't exactly make the chopsticks extra long, so I gave up. Furthermore, in the cultural sphere of the Hugo Kingdom, forks and knives were the standard utensils, so people who could handle chopsticks well were rare.
"Master, were you originally from our empire?"
"I've never seen a foreigner use chopsticks so skillfully."
Even Akiko and Akisa, who came from the Stejaishi Empire where chopsticks were used, were impressed.
Anyway, dinner proceeded normally. Iruna and I sat side-by-side at the head of the table, while the rest of the women lined up along both sides.
The seat next to me was usually fixed for Iruna, but it changed occasionally. Lately, it seemed the women were taking turns based on a schedule they’d set among themselves.
"Oppa, try this too. It's a new dish the chef developed."
Iruna placed something that looked like grilled deodeok on my plate. Aside from being pale instead of the bright red Korean style, it looked exactly like grilled deodeok no matter how I sliced it.
"What is this?"
"It's Grilled Mandrake Root. Usually, ingredients from dungeons are rare and hard to get, but you've become a hero of our country, haven't you?"
"That's right! Sma is the hero of the Hugo Kingdom!"
Apparently, I was being treated like a hero just because I played a bit of a role in the siege warfare.
"It's just a rumor spread by the royal palace because they don't want to lose a Sword Master to another country."
Jasmine, who was busy eating the Grilled Mandrake Root, offered some unnecessary details. Erwi, sitting next to her, sighed and wiped the pepper flakes from the corner of the princess's mouth.
"Nyang? Then Sma isn't a hero, nyang?"
Cathy, who had her face buried in a dog bowl placed on the table, looked up. I told her to use utensils, but she was still like that. She claimed that's how they ate back in her hometown and that using utensils was uncomfortable.
I was just glad I managed to talk her out of eating under the table. No matter how much she played the pet role, imagine a human licking a dog bowl on the floor.
Hmm... actually, that's kind of hot. It's fine with me, but I'm afraid of what others would think, so let's try that when it's just us.
Jasmine, always acting at her own pace, replied nonchalantly.
"That's not it. If they had forced the hero title on him, the citizens would have been the first to protest. Many of the citizens in the capital are Academy graduates. They're too smart to fall for propaganda."
"Propaganda? Does the royal palace use propaganda too?"
Rena, who was diligently cutting her meat, looked horrified. Rainie, who was supposed to be receiving treatment at the temple but had begun staying at our mansion because Elizabeth was here, scolded her.
"What did you learn during your lessons? Were you not taught that while it happened in the past, it is not so now? I will hire a history tutor when we return, so be prepared."
"Heeing..."
"You are to be a mother soon, so speak with more dignity."
"It's a 'hing,' then."
"Pfft."
Elizabeth, who was sitting next to Rainie for her treatment, burst out laughing. Her knife slipped, cracking the plate.
"Ah. My mistake."
"I will clear that for you."
Rebecca, who was eating soup next to Rena, tried to stand up. Akiko stopped her.
"You are here as a guest, so why are you trying to work? I will have the mansion's maids handle it."
"But..."
"Akiko is right. You're here as a guest, so enjoy your meal."
"I will obey Master's command."
While I was getting Rebecca to sit back down, the other women continued to chatter and make a fuss while they ate.
Iruna placing another dish I’d never seen before on my plate.
Tanya saying she wanted to take the chef to her own mansion.
Serika showing off her elegant knife skills, befitting her noble background.
Mehya trying to imitate her.
Yuna struggling to reach a dish far away, then getting embarrassed when a maid helped her.
Rainie coughing slightly after nagging.
Elizabeth using Holy Arts to treat her.
Rena chewing her steak to endure Rainie’s nagging.
Akiko and Akisa using their chopsticks in perfect harmony.
Rebecca trying to learn how to use chopsticks from the ninja sisters.
Cathy getting sauce all over her face.
Jasmine cackling at the sight.
Erwi sighing, saying the Princess was just as bad.
The Elf Triplets, who occupied the seats right in front of the head of the table, widened their eyes.
"Wow. There are so many people, and it's so noisy. It's fun. The hunters at the inn are noisy and unpleasant, so this is strange."
"It's not just because Sma is here."
"..."
Mimiril and Mimirun chatted away. Mimiram had remained silent ever since she declared before the meal, "When eating, the mouth is an organ that exists to intake nutrients. Speaking is inefficient."
Unfortunately, the women from the Lily of the Valley Inn couldn't attend. They said it was difficult to leave the inn because they were making several times their usual sales.
"We've eaten enough, so shall we have some drinks to go with it?"
Instead, they had sent several kegs of the Lily of the Valley Inn's special fruit wine. When I brought it up, Mimiril huffed.
"How good can human-made alcohol be? When it comes to alcohol, fruit wine brewed by elves is the best."
"Do you happen to have some?"
"Hmph! It's not like I brought this as a housewarming gift!"
Mimiril pointed her finger into the air, and several bottles of wine popped out. Jasmine clapped her hands.
"Wow! Elven fruit wine! Even in the royal palace, that's a banquet wine only served on special days! Sma's house really is the best! I want to live here!"
That's a very commendable sentiment. You can live here, have sex, get pregnant, and all that. Iruna and the other women's eyes sparkled as well.
"Then drink as much as you want today and stay the night."
"Should I? Let's do that! If I say I'm staying at Sma's house, Father won't say much!"
"By Father, do you mean His Majesty the King?"
I don't feel anything special toward the King, but it seems to be different for the residents of this era where the class system is prevalent. The noisy chatter died down for a moment.
Jasmine waved her hand.
"No need to think so hard about it. To me, he's just a nagging dad."
"Princess."
"Don't stop me. Ah, let's talk while we drink! Alcohol!"
At Jasmine's urging, Mimiril took out a few more bottles and passed them around. The moment I took a sip, an overwhelming aroma tickled my nose and tongue, leaving a deep, lingering aftertaste as it went down my throat.
"Huaaa..."
"So this is elven fruit wine..."
The women who tasted it also let out deep sighs of admiration. The scent of alcohol mixed in their breath was sweet.
"I've never tasted alcohol better than the fruit wine from the Lily of the Valley Inn..."
Iruna murmured, deeply moved. Mimiril shrugged her shoulders.
"Heheheh!"
"Still, this fruit wine is decent too! It's not as good as what we brew, but it's tasty. Where did you get this?"
"The Lily of the Valley Inn."
"I thought it was just a place famous for being cost-effective, but I guess not. I'll have to visit next time."
And just like that, the number of customers for the inn run by my woman increased. With the alcohol flowing, the atmosphere heated up significantly.
"So, lately, my dad has been...!"
I was listening to a drunk Jasmine spill some stories when I felt a hand touch my thigh. Turning my head slightly, I saw a flushed Iruna stroking me.
"Oppa..."
"Are you drunk?"
"No. I'm perfectly fine."
Drunk people never admit it. Iruna usually has a high tolerance, so I was surprised she got drunk this quickly. Even if it's brewed by elves, fruit wine is still a home-brewed liquor. It lures you in with sweetness and then knocks you out.
Since becoming a Sword Master, my tolerance has become too high. It's hard for me to even feel a buzz with this much.
"Then what's this hand for?"
"No one is looking at us."
Iruna unzipped my pants and pulled out my cock. My undisciplined cock quickly became turgid under her familiar touch.
"The Mimi sisters are right next to us."
"So what? Besides, I can just use magic."
Iruna cast a simple illusion magic. It seemed she was determined to give me a handjob. Fine by me.
Sshhh, sshhh.
Iruna slowly stroked my cock. The sound of her sleeves and clothes rubbing together was erotic. I thought the sound was quiet enough to be buried by the noise of the women chatting, but I was wrong.
Mimiril, who was drunk and clinging to her sister, and Mimirun, who looked disgusted, didn't notice, but Mimiram's gaze was fixed right on us.