Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: The Protagonist is a Villain
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"L-Lord!"
"Sieri. Come on in. How have those former bandit brothers been doing lately?"
"Well, I haven't heard anything from them since they visited the church last time... They seemed to be settling into village life in their own way."
I took Sieri's hand. She looked flustered as she gazed at me, her face flushing bright red. Pulling her closer, I said,
"Would you come with me for a moment? The knights and guards had a skirmish with some bandits today."
Sieri's expression turned grave at my words, and she followed me. She must have thought it was something innocent like prayers for the wounded or relief efforts. But what I intended to show her was far from cute. I led her toward the hills. A few scattered coins lay where someone had dropped them in their frantic flight, and traces of desperate running marked the underbrush. As we ventured deeper into the deserted area, Sieri started looking uneasy.
"Lord?"
I ignored her question and guided her further in. Passing through thick grass, a narrow dirt path came into view. Sieri caught a whiff of the fishy stench from beyond it and wrinkled her nose. I tugged the reluctant Sieri forward bit by bit. She clutched at my clothes, betraying her anxiety.
"Lord."
"It's fine, Sieri. I'm right here."
If I asked her to call me Lucius here, I'd just look like a madman, wouldn't I? To leave her with the best impression possible, I flashed a warm smile and pulled her along. She followed hesitantly, one small step at a time. The closer we got, the more the putrid smell assaulted our noses. When Sieri realized the things strewn on the ground were corpses, she pressed tight against my back, trembling.
"Lord?"
"Sieri. Look over here."
"Lord... what is this?"
What Sieri was staring at were corpses. The bodies of four men who had lived in the village until recently. And one more, presumed to be a bandit. All of them my handiwork. Wearing a somber expression, I asked,
"Do you recognize them?"
Sieri steeled herself against her fear and slowly examined the bodies. She didn't even need to look closely—their features were distinct enough to identify them easily. I'd deliberately left their faces untouched, and with some killed by a single stab through the heart, it made recognition even simpler. Flies buzzed around the hollow-eyed gaze of the second one, fixed on empty space. Sieri's expression shifted from terror to shock, then to a mix of sorrow.
"...It's them. Why... Did the bandits retaliate?"
"They ignored my goodwill, sold off the fields and houses I granted them, and tried to rejoin their bandit gang."
"Why..."
"By the time I heard from the overseer and rushed here, they were already dead at the bandits' hands. I had no choice but to kill this one who tried to silence me too."
"Why... such..."
Sieri seemed shocked by the story I'd spun.
Of course, it was all bullshit. A setup from the start. I'd ordered Claybang to threaten the four, and even if they'd come to me ready to die and snitch, I never planned to help them.
Why go to such lengths? Before Sieri's favorability, I needed to stop this woman from constantly challenging my inhumane methods. I stroked her hair, letting my hand trail to her shoulder, and said,
"That's what bandits are like. You get it now, Sieri? Their mindset is worlds apart from ours. We live for God, but they live for their boss and gang. People who band together to plunder others—how could folks like us ever understand them?"
"Still, we have to try to understand, to unite our strength..."
"Sieri. If I'd been just a bit weaker and that bandit had killed me, what would happen to this territory? Think that kindly neighboring lord would step in as regent?"
Sieri shuddered at the mention of the fat blond tanning NTR lord. With a sad look, I told her,
"I'm a cleric, but first and foremost, I'm the lord governing this land. Sometimes, that means acting against the Great Heavenly God Church's teachings. That's what I wanted you to see, Sieri. Not everyone's good. Sometimes, that leads to stupid tragedies like this."
"...You knew all along, Lord?"
"I'll say I didn't expect it to be this gruesome. Sieri, I don't want you to hate me."
"What?"
"Ruling this land might force me to be crueler than you imagine. But that's how I protect it. Understand? You have to wield the sword without hesitation to safeguard your people. You saw it yourself. We're clerics, but we deal with those who ignore doctrine. Show even a hint of weakness, and they'll devour you."
"I... see."
Sieri nodded. Flies buzzed noisily around us. The rising sun heated the ground, causing the corpses to bloat slightly. The damp earth smell mixed with the fishy rot into a vile stench. I pulled Sieri into a tight embrace and said,
"No matter how cruel my decisions get from now on, I hope you won't hate me for them, Sieri."
"Yes..."
Sieri nodded. That's right. All this trouble just to hear those words. I could have yelled at her to stay out of my business, but that would've ruined any chance of bedding her. I had to coax and convince her that my actions were justified to make it happen. I felt her body trembling—probably from lingering too long in this grim place. Taking her hand, I said,
"Shall we go?"
"Yes, Lord."
"Sieri."
"Yes."
"Can I act spoiled around you sometimes?"
"Spoiled?"
"When dealing with things against doctrine wears me down body and soul, I need a place to rest too. Would you keep me company then?"
"If... if that's what you want..."
Sieri blushed and nodded. Before we even reached the village, I said,
"Call me Lucius?"
"L-Lucius..."
"Good girl."
I hugged her tightly and pressed on. Midway, I told a guard we passed to collect the bodies and hang them in the streets. Starting the next day, for three days, the market square displayed the bandits' and the four's corpses. The bandit leader's body—head and shoulders taller than the rest—bore a sign reading [Boss]. The other bandits had [Guilty of conspiring with the village bandit boss to plunder it].
The four's bodies hung separately. A placard before them read:
The above four were specially pardoned by Lord Peta Lucius, granted fields and homes. Yet they sold them off and fled to rejoin the bandits—a grave betrayal. In the process, they were slain by their own thieving kin eyeing their goods. How absurd. Let this be a lesson: No more pardons for bandits in Peta territory. That evening, after hanging the bandits' corpses in the streets, I pulled Sieri into my room. She commuted to the church from there, so at night she lounged in light attire. Through her thin nightgown, I could feel her soft skin.
Sieri wore pajamas fit for a child: knee-length shorts and a top with floral trim at the hem, accentuating her innocence. The moment she entered, I locked the door and pulled her into a tight hug. She squirmed in surprise, her face turning red.
"L-Lord?"
"Sieri. Today was truly exhausting. Witnessing the bandits' true faces, resorting to extreme measures to protect our villagers from them... Balancing lord and cleric has never felt so hard."
Sieri stopped resisting as she listened. Embracing her from behind, I savored her softness. Her slender shoulders and waist pressed against me. She felt like a living doll.
Clumsily trying to comfort me, she reached back. When she turned and wrapped her arms around me fully, a sweet fragrance wafted over. I couldn't ignore my lower body's stirring and had to pull my hips back slightly.
"Lord. You can act spoiled with me..."
"Sieri. Come here?"
I took her hand and led her to the bed, sitting her beside me and clasping her hand tight. Facing me, hand in hand, her face turned beet red. Stroking her orange hair, I said,
"Sieri. I'd like your help with something."
"H-How can I help?"
Sieri had zero sexual experience. Certified by her traits. I cupped her cheek and gave her a light kiss. No matter how innocent, she knew what this meant. Eyes wide, she touched her lips.
"You know I really like you and treasure you, right?"
"Yes..."
Sieri mumbled dazedly, rubbing her lips. To keep her off-balance, I kissed her again—no tongue. Her moist lips carried the sweet, milky scent from the church's staple pastries.
She flinched in shock at the first kiss, trembling slightly at the second. Stroking her hand, I said,
"So, I want you to give back as much as I give you."
"What... do you mean?"
I guided her hand to my knee. She followed without resistance. From knee to thigh, then to my crotch—feeling the large bulge, she pulled back slightly.
I moved her hand to gently stroke it over my clothes. The soft palm sent a shiver up my spine, a novel pleasure. With a soft sigh, I grabbed the waistband of her shorts. She looked flustered as I tried to tug them down. I told her,
"Sieri. Comfort me. I'm so worn out."
"C-Comfort, but this... this is..."
"You like me, don't you, Sieri?"
She nodded but still hesitated, gripping my hand. I had no intention of taking her fully tonight. Lucius's tool was beyond normal size, and Sieri was on the slimmer side of average. Thrusting in recklessly might actually kill her.
Rubbing her waist, I carefully pulled her shorts down. White cotton panties came into view, hugging her hips. When she noticed my gaze, she yanked them back up.
Grasping her hand on my crotch again, I said,
"Sieri. I want you to comfort me."
"I... I don't really know what kind of comfort you want, Lord."
"Will you do what I want?"
I persistently tugged at her waistband, asking. From the status window, her favorability hadn't dropped—she was just embarrassed and holding back.