Halzy Port City
The morning Victor first welcomed with Linda.
That morning marked the beginning of a day when Victor would come to recognize Halzy Archipelago as a tough nut to crack for the Togo Earldom.
I'd been sleeping soundly with Linda as my body pillow when I noticed her stirring and cracked my eyes open just a sliver.
"Young Master, are you awake?"
Linda noticed me stirring.
"Yeah, morning, Linda."
"Good morning, Young Master."
"Um, Young Master."
"What is it?"
"You're awfully... energetic this morning?"
She was talking about my morning wood.
"Yeah, it's morning, after all."
"Is that so? I was worried you weren't satisfied last night."
"Nah, last night was amazing, Linda."
"I'm glad... but what about this?"
"Linda, could you take care of it with your mouth?"
"Ah, I'm not sure if I can do it well..."
She seemed to know about fellatio.
Or rather, I figured Linda was a bit of a closet pervert.
"It doesn't matter if you're good or not. Just having the woman I love serve me like this is more than enough."
"Young Master... I'm happy. Then..."
With that, Linda eagerly took my morning erection into her mouth.
She was clumsy but so earnest as she sucked me off—it was adorable—and I ended up pouring the first load of the day right down her throat.
Linda had military duties, so she left my room first to bathe.
I saw her off, cheeks flushed as she murmured that she'd never forget last night, fighting the urge to pounce on her again.
I bathed too, then had a slightly late breakfast.
Afterward, in the parlor of the mansion where I was staying, I listened to reports from the civil and military officials.
"No signs of riots among the citizens for now, right?"
"Yes, sir. The people are regaining their calm."
"Make damn sure there's no looting. Keep the troops in line."
"Yes, sir!"
"By the way, about those merchant ships anchored in the bay."
"What about them?"
"The merchants are inquiring if they can resume trade."
"Any issues?"
"As you're aware, Young Master, their status after the occupation hasn't been decided."
"Ah, right, we were gonna figure that out."
"Yes, we didn't expect to occupy the entire archipelago this quickly."
"The merchants are worried about taxes, huh?"
"As expected of you, Young Master."
"Hmm. Alright, on my authority, spread the word that things stay the same for now—but emphasize it's only temporary."
"Yes, sir! Thank you for your wise decision."
"Geography was the issue here. We couldn't settle it in advance because it's so remote from the mainland."
"Precisely. It's quite a distance from our core territories."
"Yeah. A sloppy move could invite meddling from some opportunistic noble."
"You're right, Young Master."
"True enough. There might be some hints in the city itself. Let's do a walkthrough. Knight Rosen, you're with me!"
I called out to Linda, who'd been watching me intently from the corner of the room throughout my exchange with the officials.
"Yes, sir! I'll accompany you!"
Her crisp response rang out, every bit the dignified knight—as if last night's wild abandon had been a dream. That gap... it was irresistible. I'd dote on her again tonight.
Escorted by Knight Rosen and her squad, plus two civil and two military officials, I set out on foot for the city inspection.
We headed straight for the docks. Word of the temporary measure had already spread—preparations were underway to berth the anchored merchant ships and ready small boats for offloading cargo from the roads.
"What's the depth like?"
I asked one of the civil officials.
"Around ten meters in the harbor, from what I hear."
"Deep enough for large ships, then. Hmm, the bay's calm, perfect for waiting out bad weather, and it can handle big vessels."
"Yes, sir. Very appealing from a naval perspective," one of the military men added.
No kidding. It was like the Imperial Japanese Navy's Truk Lagoon.
"Yeah, we definitely want to lock this place down."
"Absolutely. Can't afford to lose it if we're pushing into the eastern seas."
"There are a few dry docks here, right?"
"Yes, the ones in Halzy Port City are the largest, but the other islands have decent ones too."
"Though the ones on the other islands are privately owned by merchants."
"Merchants own dry docks!?"
"Yes, sir. Unheard of elsewhere."
In this world, shipbuilding was cutting-edge industry. Nobles ran it directly to prevent tech leaks while monopolizing trade wealth.
"Hmm. Ruling this place is gonna take some real ingenuity."
"Yes, we'd be grateful for any wisdom you can offer, Young Master."
The civil officials knew I occasionally dropped wild ideas.
And that adopting them had given House Togo the edge over other nobles.
"You sure? I might say something outrageous again."
I did have one outrageous secret plan in mind.
"We all agree among the civil staff that conventional thinking won't cut it here."
"I see..."
That secret plan might just work.
It was a bold stroke, though. Would they get it?
"Young Master, brooding here won't solve anything, will it?"
Knight Rosen—Linda—chimed in.
"Oh? Got a brilliant solution, Knight Rosen?"
"How about some tea?"
"Well said, Knight Rosen. I hadn't thought of that. Young Master, there's a teahouse over here. Shall we take a break?"
One of the civil officials perked up and guided us.
"Good call, Knight Rosen."
"Thank you, Young Master."
Linda beamed, her face lighting up with joy.
The nobility's common wisdom couldn't measure Halzy Archipelago.
Victor realized this during his city inspection.
The secret plan he'd been nurturing began to take shape.
What exactly was Victor's secret plan?
The continent's history turns another page lol