12 - The Lady of the Great Merchant House
A beauty savoring her post-breakfast tea time.
Her appearance would bring great change to Victor.
No one knew that yet.
A balcony overlooking the harbor.
There, at a round table, a single beauty elegantly enjoyed her tea after breakfast.
This was Ryojun Port City, at the northeastern tip of the South Arl Continent.
On the southern side of a peninsula jutting north from the city, accompanied by low hills—that is, on the harbor side—stood a certain mansion midway up the slope.
A short-haired maid in a maid outfit somewhat more revealing than usual for this world approached the beauty enjoying her tea.
"Lady Mathilda."
"What is it, Lily?"
"We just received word: Halzy Port City has fallen, and the Halzy Party has been annihilated."
"Oh, that was quick."
"Yes, the outcome was predictable, but this fast?"
"The Togo Earldom is something to fear, wouldn't you say?"
"Of course, that's part of it."
"Oh? Something else?"
"It was his first battle."
"You don't mean... Lord Victor?"
The beauty called Mathilda's expression shifted. She set her teacup down on its saucer.
"Yes. In the landing battle on Halzy Main Island, he wiped out the ambushers hiding on the high ground and crushed the coastal positions in an instant."
"Hold on—nobility? Lord Victor took part in the landing assault?"
"Yes, it's confirmed."
"Hee hee, what do you think, Lily?"
"Yes, I believe we need to revise our assessment of him slightly."
"Oh? And your assessment?"
"Yes, I'd have to admit mine requires a major revision."
"Hee hee, there you have it—my win."
"Lady Mathilda, we weren't competing."
"Details. But with martial prowess on top of everything else, he's a terrifying man."
"Yes. What shall we do?"
"Lord Victor is still in Halzy Port City, right?"
"It seems so."
"Have them prepare a ship at once. We're heading back to Halzy Port City."
"Understood. I'll hurry them along."
The maid called Lily bowed and turned to head back into the mansion.
As Lily turned away, Mathilda whispered.
"Hee hee, you're excited too, aren't you, Lily?"
"It's rare to see you worked up over a man, Lady Mathilda."
Lily replied without turning.
"Oh? Jealous?"
"Not at all."
"Hee hee, fine then. Handle the ship preparations."
Her name was Mathilda Nagumo.
At the tender age of 25, she was the mistress of the venerable great merchant house Nagumo in Halzy Port City.
The scene shifted to Halzy Port City.
In one room of a Western-style mansion requisitioned by the Togo forces.
Slurp, slurp—obscene sounds echoed through the room.
"Ahh, Linda, that's it."
I'd been calling Linda to my bedroom every night, pounding her relentlessly and pumping her full of my seed.
She welcomed it gladly each time, drawing us even closer.
And in the mornings, she'd eagerly service my morning wood with her mouth.
Slurp, slurp.
Linda really was a closet pervert after all. Just days after losing her virginity, her sex skills had leveled up at an astonishing rate.
"Ahh, can't hold it—cumming!"
Splurt, splurt, spluuurt!!
"Mm... gulp, gulp."
"Linda, you swallowed?"
"Yesh, I can't waste a single drop of Young Master's seed."
"You don't have to force it."
"Hee hee, Young Master's seed is so thick and sticky—I love it."
"I never knew you were such a slut, Linda."
"That's cruel, Young Master."
"But that's the Linda I can't get enough of."
"Um, Young Master... I'm happy you want me every night."
"You went wild last night too."
"Ahh, so embarrassing."
She'd initially refused cowgirl, saying she couldn't get on top.
Now she mounted me herself, grinding her hips lewdly to milk my seed and cum her brains out.
"At this rate, you might get knocked up."
"Um... would that be bad?"
"Not bad at all—it's great. You'd be the heir to the Knight Rosen House, right?"
"Is that acceptable?"
"Yeah, no issue."
"Young Master?"
"Hmph... Linda... hands on the wall. Time to fill your lower mouth."
"Nyaa, from the morning? Young Master is such a perv."
"What was that? Hands on the wall, ass out."
"Hee hee, yessir."
I had her present her perfect ass and touched her pussy.
"You're soaked already—you want it bad."
"Ehehe, busted by Young Master."
"Naughty knight needs punishment."
Squelch.
"Ahhhn, Young Master, so gooood~."
In the end, I gave her two loads, top and bottom, right from the morning.
Despite my enthusiastic morning romp, there was work to do.
Grandfather and Uncle were still on East Island, the second-largest in the Halzy Archipelago.
The archipelago's second-largest dock belonged to the great merchant house Nagumo, and they were having trouble requisitioning it.
There wasn't much resistance, but with the Nagumo head absent, talks weren't progressing.
They could force it, and knowing Grandfather, he might—but uncharacteristically, he'd asked for my input.
"Young Master, apologies for troubling you."
The staff officer acting as messenger bowed to me.
"No worries. Requisitioning a merchant-owned dock is new territory."
"Yes, especially with the owner absent—can't even talk properly."
"First, where's this owner?"
"Yes, the dock workers say Ryojun Port City."
"Ryojun Port? That one on the South Continent?"
"Yes. And they say the Nagumo head had long since written off the Halzy Party."
"What do you mean?"
"Apparently, this owner—a woman—always said the Halzy Party had no future if they let noble titles sway them."
"What a woman. Interesting."
"That's why Grand Marshal isn't pushing forced requisition."
"Got it. Doesn't want to rile up a great merchant house that ditched the Halzy Party."
"Yes. And after hearing her words from the questioning, Grand Marshal sensed similarities to you, Young Master."
"Meaning someone who does the unpredictable?"
Snicker.
Knight Rosen—Linda—chuckled softly from the corner.
"Knight Rosen, something?"
"My apologies, nothing."
Damn Linda, enjoying this. Tonight, I'll punish her till she squeals.
The officer continued.
"Grand Marshal said she's someone with a different perspective."
Same thing, basically.
"Hmm. Right."
I pondered briefly. I needed to meet this woman.
I wanted to hear how someone who'd abandoned the Halzy Party envisioned the Halzy Archipelago's future.
"Tell Grandfather: I humbly suggest that deciding archipelago governance and merchant dock requisition are inseparable. If the risk of it becoming a counterattack base is low, then he and Uncle should return to Halzy Port City. This is Victor's opinion."
"Understood! I'll relay to Grand Marshal!"
The Togo forces puzzled over handling the Nagumo dock.
Grandfather Bilbert sought Victor's input, and Victor responded.
This very confusion within the Togo army was exactly what Nagumo’s mistress, Mathilda, aimed for.
The continent's history turns another page lol.