Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Uncomfortable Companions-3
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Sending off the carriage carrying Donovan and Gerrick to shatter their morale had been a resounding success.
The remaining knights had already received support from within and seized the mansion, while the family head, Donovan, lay utterly broken in my hands.
A marquis-level territory had fallen bloodlessly into my grasp.
If Donovan hadn't treated his subordinates like disposable tools, it wouldn't have crumbled so easily.
The same went for Lena—if I hadn't recruited her, the fall would have been impossible.
"Young Master!"
As the shocking and horrifying spectacle wrapped up and I stepped down from the carriage, Lena rushed toward me as if she'd been waiting.
She bounded over like a puppy that had waited ages for its master, leaping high to wrap her arms around my face.
Were we close enough for her to hug me this intimately?
A fleeting doubt crossed my mind, but the soft, yielding sensation of her breasts pressing against my skin convinced me not to push her away.
It felt like my eyes, corrupted by Donovan, were finally being cleansed.
"You're finally here!"
"It's been a while."
"You have no idea how much I've been counting the days for you to arrive!"
"I didn't keep you waiting too long, did I?"
"Not at all! You arrived at the perfect timing."
Lena giggled and hugged me even tighter.
As if she were showing off to everyone around us.
Only then did I catch on to why her physical affection was far more intense than usual.
No one gathered here—except Luke—knew the exact nature of my relationship with Lena.
Even Maribel, who'd been by my side the longest, had only briefly crossed paths with Lena during one of her reports in the past.
It was impossible to gauge the depth of our bond from that single moment.
Clever girl.
She was establishing a hierarchy for the newcomers and Maribel right here and now.
Showing them just how close and special our bond was.
"How dare you be so rude to Lord Heinz! Get off him this instant!"
Lena's ploy worked like a charm.
Maribel couldn't hide her panic as she barged in, forcibly prying us apart.
Kizen revealed a quiet competitive spark in his silence, while Gerrick fiddled with his scabbard, a bitter look on his face.
And Princess Rosmel. She maintained her kind, elegant smile, but her eyes were icy cold.
Lena's bold display had clearly stirred everyone close to me or loyal to me in their own ways.
"Lady Lena! You can't cling to Lord Heinz like that in front of everyone—it's embarrassing!"
"Ahaha! I was just so happy to see the Young Master after so long."
Lena replied with a sly, foxlike smile, and Maribel's eyebrow twitched.
"No matter how happy you are, there are lines to respect! How could you shove Lord Heinz between your... "
Maribel's sharp rebuke trailed off as her gaze naturally drifted downward.
She stared intently at Lena's ample bosom, then abruptly stopped speaking.
A brief silence fell, after which the corner of Maribel's mouth curved into a sly arc.
Suddenly, she placed a hand on the back of my head and gently but firmly pulled my face toward her own generous cleavage.
Caught off guard by the forceful pull, my face sank deep into Maribel's voluptuous valley.
"On second thought, if your loyalty to Lord Heinz is that strong, I suppose it's understandable! Though it does seem Lady Lena's feelings fall a bit short of mine."
"Is that a challenge? It's starting to irk me in a weird way."
A chill ran down my spine even as my face was buried between two plush mounds.
It was a cozy paradise, but lingering would spell disaster, so I had no choice but to push Maribel away.
Deep down, I wanted to surrender to her overflowing maternal warmth and head straight to paradise.
But there were too many eyes on us.
Above all, Kizen's gaze worried me most.
Fortunately, he seemed to deem this level of contact acceptable, maintaining his blank expression.
But if I crossed a line with Maribel, who knew what he'd do.
"Let's save the reunion joys for later. We have work to do."
My words instantly cooled the heated atmosphere.
Even Lena dropped her playful demeanor, her eyes sharpening with the seriousness of a seasoned assassin.
"...I, Lena Evergreen, have successfully conquered the Adenberg domain entrusted to me by the Young Master and returned unscathed."
"Well done. Your contributions were immense—ask for any reward you desire, anytime."
"If I've been of help to you, Young Master, that's reward enough."
I placed a hand on her shoulder as she knelt on one knee and bowed her head, praising her achievements.
She beamed with satisfaction, while Maribel pouted but still clapped.
Personal feelings aside, her accomplishments deserved recognition.
"You've worked hard far from home. Now let's head back to Altesia and get some rest. It's about time you picked out some good land to plant your world tree."
"I appreciate the thought, but I don't think I can return to Altesia just yet."
"Why not?"
"Because the most important task is still ahead."
Something more crucial than turning Donovan into a puppet?
I had no guess what it could be, but Lena posed a question of her own.
"Young Master, do you happen to know what the main source of income is in Adenberg?"
"...Slaves?"
"Exactly. Adenberg has the largest slave market around, drawing in every famous slave trader."
Other cities had slaves too, but Adenberg was different.
It offered a vast variety of slaves with diverse skills, perfect for recruiting as companions.
Whenever I needed a specific ally with certain abilities to clear a section, I'd come here.
It was no exaggeration to say eighty percent of all slaves could be found here.
"Planning to monopolize the slave trade? The merchants would revolt."
"Hardly. Without the slave traders, Adenberg's economy would collapse. It'd be like killing the golden goose."
I'd decided not to ruin Adenberg but to use it.
That's why I hadn't killed Donovan, only broken his mind—but if the territory fell, it meant nothing.
"My plan is to buy slaves in bulk from the traders!"
"Buy slaves?"
"Yes. A portion of the slave market's income goes to Adenberg as taxes. We ease those taxes, and in exchange, buy huge numbers of slaves from them at bargain prices!"
"And what do you plan to do with all those slaves?"
"I heard you're planning to rebuild Lunaria. You haven't hired laborers yet, right?"
"Instead of hiring free workers, buy slaves to use."
"Free workers leave once the project's done, but slaves stay even after."
"The quality of the construction might suffer."
Slaves lacked specialized knowledge, and without motivation, shoddy work could result.
Emperor Kraus had high expectations—if the results were subpar, it'd be a crime of disrespect, punishable by execution.
I couldn't stake my life on slaves.
"As long as you're their master, Young Master, that won't happen."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Because you're the great man who willingly gave elves—derided as 'pointy-ears'—a place to call home."
Lena blushed as she flashed a bright smile.
She believed I'd show the same mercy to slaves as I had to the elves.
In truth, if they worked diligently on Lunaria's reconstruction, I intended to grant them freedom and prosperity.
I had the money to make it happen.
"The slaves will pledge loyalty to you and follow you forever. Just like I did."
"That's not guaranteed. They might reclaim their freedom and leave."
"Who in their right mind would turn their back on paradise right in front of them?"
"That's a stretch. Anyway, you'll stay in Adenberg and buy useful slaves?"
"Yes."
"Alright, then..."
That was when I meant to assign her the new task.
Gerrick, cracking his whip to hurry Donovan along, shouted urgently.
"Young Master! Please wait a moment!"
"What is it?"
"Could you entrust that task to me instead?"
"Why?"
"I planned to stay in Adenberg awhile to fully break Donovan and his family. Handing all local matters to me would be far more efficient, wouldn't it?"
"It'll be grueling work. You sure?"
"I've handled far more brutal schedules—this is nothing!"
Gerrick gazed at me with desperate eyes, eager to claim some merit of his own.
I turned to Lena.
Handing her idea to someone else might bruise her pride.
But she nodded, indicating it was fine to give it to Gerrick.
If things went south, she'd step in herself.
"Alright, Gerrick. I look forward to your performance."
"Thank you so much! I'll do my utmost not to disappoint you!"
With Adenberg handed to Gerrick, Lena would return to Altesia with us.
Following Duke Grimjack, the Adenberg marquis matter had wrapped up satisfactorily too.
Now, back to my beloved homeland, and done.
I'd hoped to bask in peace, but instead ran into a major problem.
"""..."""
One man and three women in a single carriage.
With Lena added to my left in the usual seating, a perfect triangular formation formed.
Sweat beaded on my forehead at the center.
Eye contact...