Chapter 493: Final Negotiations: Part 1

「Your Majesty Celestina――!!」

「Uooooh――!! She looked at me!」

「Don’t be stupid, I’m taller than you by 5 cm. Her Majesty was looking at me!」

「Fool, that’s nonsense! Nothing here stands out more than my bald head. She was definitely looking at me!」

The populace was happier that Celestina returned more so than the fact they were freed from their occupiers.

「They are such easy-to-deal-with weeds.」

Sekrit kicks down the sealed door and appears.

Guigue, who was caught off-guard, flies to the floor, hits his head and stops moving.

She walks forward with the intention to stand next to me, but she suddenly pinches her nose and takes a few swift steps backward.

My sense of smell was numbed from being in the sewers and fighting the monster so I’m not affected, but I guess I still stink pretty badly.

It can’t be helped since I practically dived into a mass of filth.

「Who is standing beside her? Who’s that shiny guy?」

「I think the volunteer soldiers mentioned him. Golden something……who cares, let’s wave more to Her Majesty.」

「I’m jealous he gets to be beside Her Majesty.」

The cheers gradually grow louder.

「Errr, ummm……」

Celestina, who was only waving back to the people, looks at me.

Does she want me to tell her what to do?

「Tell them about the details concerning your return. Why not introduce this bad-smelling man with some nice stories as well?」

Sekrit offers a suggestion on my behalf.

While she’s at it, she also sprays something on my head.

This scent……rose perfume? It must be undiluted since the scent is strong.

Celestina obediently nods and leans forward.

「Shh, quiet, Her Majesty wants to speak.」

「I can’t miss hearing Her Majesty’s cute voice.」

The cheering dies down and the city falls silent.

Celestina’s voice, which is by no means loud, can be heard clearly.

First, she apologizes for running away on her own.

Then she explains how when she heard about the citizens’ execution, she rushed out without a plan.

And she also explains how she was saved by the villagers who became volunteer soldiers――

She doesn’t exaggerate or use any flowery words.

Occasionally, she makes grammatical mistakes, reiterates herself when she feels what she said was weird, and bites her tongue and yelps, yet she continues to appeal to the people.

「Your Majesty, aah our cute Majesty, you have nothing to apologize for.」

「You are here standing before us unharmed. That is all that matters and enough for a perfectly happy ending.」

「Y-your Majesty……waaah.」

「Aah, I have no regrets. I can go to heaven.」

Two men who saw the smile were deeply moved and fainted.

「Your Majesty, it’s about time for the introduction.」

Monica reminds Celestina with a subtle gesture toward me.

「Ah yes! Err, this is my dear b……no. He’s someone who saved me……and……well-」

She is already finding it hard to think of what to say. Being as pure as she is, she must not be accustomed to deceiving others and lying.

Alright, leave the lying to dirty adults.

「I am Golden Lager. I am the knight of gold that appears when the kingdom of Malt is on the brink of a crisis.」

There is silence once again. This time, it is an unsettling silence unlike when Celestina spoke.

It’s the silence that happens after a drunkard brags arrogantly in a bar and you want to say, “is this guy an idiot?”.

However I can’t stop here. It is the most unsightly to compromise in the middle of a lie.

「In order to defeat the wicked empire and liberate the citizens as per the contract with the lovely first queen of the Malt kingdom, I have guided the rightful queen of Malt to this land. Everything is like the legends of Malt told since ancient times. I am precisely that hero of salvation in those stories!」

Nailed it. The majestic tone was on point too.

If I shout a lie with this much confidence, it shouldn’t be any less convincing than the truth.

Murmurs begin to disrupt the silence.

「The first king of Malt, Pilsner, was a man, right? If I recall, he was entrusted this land as the representative of a great neighboring country and when that country fell into ruin due to internal strife, he had no choice but to become independent.」

「The legend of Malt is about an old man who cut down a shining tree in the mountain and discovered a beautiful woman inside……right?」

「Does he have a screw loose? Someone this crazy can’t stand beside Her Majesty……」

Not good. They’re finding faults in my story.

I thought my version of events would be more likely, but do they really have nothing other than peaceful tales?

At this rate, I’ll look like the idiot who suddenly showed up in front of the people of Biado to toot his own horn.

「That is right!!」

Unable to watch idly anymore, Celestine chimes in.

「Dear b――this man indeed helped me and guided me here! He listened to the unreasonable request of my thoughtless self, supported this helpless self, and time and time again encouraged me and assisted me……until we arrived here!」

That part contains no lie so she can’t speak her mind without any hesitation.

Celestina takes a deep breath and raises both arms.

「Everyone, give an applause for the hero of salvation, Golden Lager――!!」

「I’m not sure what’s happening, but if Her Majesty says so, it must be right. Uoooh――!!」

「Same here, maybe there actually is such a legend after all. Hurray for Golden Lager――! Hurray for the hero!!」

The entire audience cheered me on.

Things worked out somehow because of Celestina.

「I want to thank this man, so I want everyone to listen to what I’m about to say. Um, right now he wants……」

Celestina turns to me.

「Umu, a bath. After that, I want women.」

「Funyu. A bath and wom――」「Eei!」

Monica covers Celestina’s mouth before she could finish the sentence and then kicks my heel.

「Don’t make Her Majesty proclaim vulgar things!!」

My bad.

「Errr……seeing the smiles of the Malt people is enough……he says.」

How disappointing.

Okay, time for the next speech.

Celestina looks at the South Yuguria soldiers and guards restrained by the citizens.

「I want you to set the soldiers free. The fight is over, return them to their families.」

「This could be trouble. Let’s see what happens.」

Sekrit brings her face close and comments excitedly.

Hm, she’s right.

After all, these are the same enemy soldiers who held the people captive and pointed swords at them.

It’s natural for the populace to be reluctant――

「Go on then. Be thankful for Her Majesty’s compassion.」

「I don’t want to see you here again. All of us detest fighting.」

The citizens untie the ropes with no shred of hesitation.

「……what?」

Sekrit wasn’t the only one in shock, the enemy soldiers looked back and forth between Celestina and the citizens unable to believe what just happened.

「Bye bye. Come without weapons next time.」

The enemy soldiers unconsciously wave back in response to Celestina waving, then as if returning to their senses, run quickly to the gates.

「Your Majesty, there is still some enemies with weapons barricading themselves inside.」

The people point to several areas among the city filled with Malt flags where South Yuguria flags are still standing.

「Funyuu.」

Celestine turns to me again.

「It’s fine if they surrender. Otherwise, kill the men and rape the w――」

「What kind of savage things are trying to get Her Majesty to say!?」

Monica gets upset again.

「……umm, a song! Sing the song of peace that everyone knows!」

At Celestina’s command, the people advance on the resisting facilities.

The enemies sigh, intending to put up a final struggle now that there’s no hope, however the people don’t charge in or set the places on fire.

They simply surround the buildings and sing loudly.

「Let us lay down our swords and harvest the golden wheat, let us leave behind our bows and whisper words of love, let us stop fighting and drink beer together until morning……what a crappy song.」

Sekrit, who was expecting the enemy’s annihilation, got into a bad mood.

Scattered arrows fly and injure a few citizens.

Even so, nobody throws torches out of anger. The volume of the singing just increases.

「They came out.」

A group of roughly 50 enemy soldiers walked outside the facility.

While still singing, the people circle them and gradually walk in the direction of the gate as if leading the enemies away.

The enemy, thinking there’s no way to break through, doesn’t resist and allows the wave of people to push them toward the gate until they finally get driven out of the city.

When the last person left the city, cheers erupted.

After a truly peaceful and sweet ending, South Yuguria’s rule was finished.

「……」

Sekrit stared at Celestina in disgust, almost in a threatening manner.

I poke her cheek as if to tell her there’s nothing to be mad about.

「You’re filthy. Don’t touch me.」

That inflicted a grievous wound to my heart.

Celestina addresses the public again.

「Everyone, fix your broken houses. Replant your trampled flags and also work hard to harvest your wheat!」

Each one of her sentences were met with enthusiastic cheers.

There are no contents in her speech.

Similar to Adolph, she doesn’t announce the order of priorities, she doesn’t include instructions that lead to efficient movements and she doesn’t provide an ounce of concrete support.

She is merely repeating words of encouragement.

Even from a perspective like mine, with no talent or experience or motivation in domestic affairs, I think the speech is pointless.

――nevertheless.

「I will……also do my best……to help out……unyuu!」

Celestina lifts a shovel left on the roof, and stumbles because it is heavier than she expected, but is quickly steadied by Monica.

A near-shriek comes from the populace.

「Aah, please stop Your Majesty! It’d be dreadful if you dropped that on your foot!」

「I will work for 16 hours in place of Your Majesty, so please don’t go overboard.」

「That’s nothing, I’ll work 20 hours!」

「What!? Then I’ll work 25 hours!」

I feel a growing ambition rising from the people.

I’m sure reconstruction will proceed rapidly.

No matter how inefficient they work or how messed up the order of priorities is, as long as these people are giving their all, they can reverse everything.

「So this is the result not from binding them with fear or enticing them with money, but from lifting a single shovel? If other kings and feudal lords see this, they’ll want to claim this as a form of cheating.」

Celestina continues waving her hand at the citizens who immediately get to work with spirited yells.

And then, one man approaches, going against the flow of people walking off to their own respective workplaces.

Finding his movements rather unnatural, I take a half step forward to block his line of sight to Celestina.

「Your Majesty……Your Majesty……」

However he doesn’t shoot anything, he just unsteadily falls to his knee.

「Hm? What?」

Celestina pops her head out from behind me curiously.

It’s dangerous, but I should be able to react at this distance if this man tries anything.

「I was……one of their……pawns and……oooooh.」

The man’s head drops to the ground and he begins to sob.

It’s hard to hear him, but I have a general idea of what he’s trying to say.

「A convert?」

Based on appearance, he’s on the same level of ugliness as Busco and he has a flabby pot belly of the stereotypical evil governor.

「They ordered me around and said I would get promoted if they became fond of me, but I……I……」

Although the man is unattractive with snot and tears dripping down his face, something about him is worth admiring.

It is common for converts to be tortured to death once the rule of the former occupying party ends, so they either flee with the occupier or go into hiding if that’s impossible. Coming out in the open is a brave thing to do.

「Please punish me, Your Majesty! I……betrayed you and Malt――」

「He is too gutsy to kill.」

I doubt Celestina will say to kill him.

But it’s not a good look to conveniently let a convert go without blame.

「Your wife and daughter for one night――」

When I feel a sense of unease in between the joint of my armor and turn around, I see Monica sticking a dagger at me.

Her eyes tell me she means business so I’ll refrain from going further.

Celestina, troubled by me and Monica, turns to the man and takes a deep breath.

「Unyu……alright! Hhhー……Hey!! You bad kid!」

Her cute voice assaults the man.

「That’s it. I have forgiven you.」

Slowly raising his head, the first thing that comes in the man’s eyes is Celestina’s sunshine smile.

At that point, I was unsure whether the ugly evil governor was crying or smiling as he continued to weep with a gross expression on his face covered in his own snot and tears.

During the next few hours, I spent time in the well of the palace’s rear courtyard, pouring water over my head in my armor.

This is because I’m almost certain there are a few people in Biado who recognize my face.

「Look at the color of the water. How dirty did I get?」

My sense of smell is returning from the filth falling into the water, but that in turn causes the foul stench to assail my nose.

「It has to be weird to see someone in full plate armor wash their back with a cloth.」

I say as I spill water in the small slit in the helmet to wash my body.

Thankfully, my body was protected by the armor and didn’t get too dirty, although the odor seems to be lingering.

At this rate, I won’t be able to sleep with any women.

I hear a rattle from behind me.

「Hero of Salvation, Sir Golden Lager.」

That’s too long. Just call me Lager.

「Sir Lager.」

It was a woman.

She has black hair that extends to her waist, large enough breasts that they push up against her clothes, and long white legs peeking out from her short skirt.

「What business does a beauty like you have with me?」

She remains silent and tilts her head sweetly.

「You want to be embraced?」

When I wrapped an arm around her shoulder, a sensual moan escaped her lips.

Any man in this world would anticipate a sexual encounter when a lady does such a gesture.

「It would be disrespectful to do it in the back of the royal palace. I have a space prepared especially for you, please come this way.」

「Sure, I’ll go wherever you want to go.」

The woman pulls my hand.

Without questioning, I obediently follow.

It’s probably a good thing that I didn’t remove my armor.

I don’t have to worry about my face being seen.

There is a presence behind me.

No, there’s actually two. I can’t discern the other one accurately no matter how hard I try.

The place we arrive at looks like a liquor store.

Due to the occupation of the enemy, it seems the store closed.

「This is my home. It has a basement where noise won’t leak outside――ah.」

「Let’s go.」

I tug the woman’s hand and enter the store.

「H-how assertive. Y-you might break me……」

Her face is dyed with a mixture of arousal, expectation and fear.

It’s brilliant acting.

Suddenly, I feel the other presence coming at me from behind.

Is it because I’m in a bad situation? Still, I can’t turn back now.

「Is something wrong?」

「Who knows.」

I take her hand and head towards the basement where she claims is the most suitable place for an affair.

「Is this it?」

「Yes, please go ahead――」

I don’t let the woman finish and kick open the door.

The woman gulps, stops acting aroused, and reaches into her crotch, taking out a knife.

I hold off on responding.

Assassination is likely not her goal.

In the dark room lit with only a few candles, there are two chairs, one in the front and one in the back.

The individual sitting on the chair in the back slowly looks up.

That face is extremely familiar.

It’s one I can’t forget.

「For you to come in the flesh.」

Seated before me is Goldonia’s main enemy, the empress of South Yuguria, Wilhelmina ――

「Yes, it is me……fumu, do not be alarmed. It is a rather irrational thing to do, don’t you think?」

I already realized the woman’s seduction was an invitation of some kind.

I knew she was likely being manipulated and I could guess what would be said to me.

But who could have imagined the empress of the enemy nation would be sitting in a building located in the center of the city that was just recaptured.

「It is unexpected, but I’m not surprised. I had a feeling this would happen.」

I had a hunch way back when that I’d get another opportunity to talk with Wilhelmina.

And that that would be the last chance.

「I can’t do anything if you call it a hunch. I have a low affinity with people who act based on intuition.」

Her response reminded me of Leopolt’s cold robotic tone.

She must feel there is no longer a need to keep up appearances to try and win my favor.

「Do not worry about those behind you. They are not here to harm you. They are meant to ensure no one interferes and provide escort when you leave.」

I glance back and see four women, who are no less beautiful than the first woman, guarding the exit.

They have no expressions. It’s not that their faces are cold and calculating. It’s more like they are wearing masks, and I can’t begin to think of what happened for their faces to become like that.

「Now then, Hero of Salvation Golden Lager.」

「……」

When I hesitate to reply, Wilhelmina jerks her chin.

「Take off the helmet, Lord Hardlett.」

I do as I’m told, thinking it probably wasn’t too hard for her to figure out.

「――what an annoying face. Do you know how big of a blow you dealt to my empire, to my ambition?」

I snap back, not wanting to let her dominate the conversation.

「――what a beautiful face you have. If you weren’t an enemy, I would have gladly prostrated myself or even licked your feet in exchange for a single kiss.」

Wilhelmina snorts.

I think that was a pretty good comeback. It’s thanks to the lesson on opera phrases that Nonna forced me to watch.

「Then why don’t you take this chance and be my ally? Come to my side, Hardlett.」

「I refuse.」

Although my answer was prompt, Wilhelmina continued to gaze deep into my eyes.

Our difference in height is evident despite being seated so she inevitably has to look upward.

Yet she exerts a pressure that makes it feel like I’m the one being looked down on.

She might be out of my league.

I got cocky during that last exchange, but in reality I know I shouldn’t compete with her in verbal battles.

「Let me at least lay out the conditions first. If you decide to change sides, you will receive your own domain――that obviously goes without saying. You will be given the rank of marshal or prime minister. You may choose whether you want to be in the military or in government. And in addition, you will receive ten times your current amount of territory and one million gold coins.」

「Sorry, I wouldn’t accept even if you offered ten times that. I might consider it if you make me emperor though.」

Of course I don’t really mean it.

If she goes, “Oh, guess I’ll have to do that”, I have to miserably refuse her.

「Fumu, I see. So you won’t change your mind regardless of how many more benefits I add.」

「I won’t.」

I declare firmly while thinking back to our previous meeting.

Right, that time she had a fine woman negotiate with me on the same occasion we had sex.

I was so distracted by her exquisite body that I can’t remember the conditions offered.

「Are we done here?」

Contrary to the question I pose, I don’t immediately end the discussion and leave the room.

Call it respect for the empress or admiration for coming here in person, but I, more than anything, want to hear what she has to say until the end.

It feels like the right thing to do. This will probably be the final chance.

Wilhelmina states, “not yet” monotonously, places her hand on her chin and once again stares intensely at me.

I’d like her to stop that since she’s applying an uncomfortable amount of pressure on me.

「Apparently the iron mines in your territory are poorly managed. The amount of production reported to the palace seems to differ greatly from the actual amount produced……from what I’ve heard. Don’t you think it’s a bit too much to be considered an error?」

She can’t offer me anything so she’s resorting to blackmail?

「How problematic. I better tell the domestic affairs official and get it corrected.」

Wilhelmina nods in approval.

「That armor……it looks fancy and not very useful in battle, but I just remembered seeing it somewhere before.」

You lie. Is there really someone out there right in the mind to wear something this gaudy?

「When was it again? I believe it was in Baron Pedot’s territory in Goldonia. The person wearing golden armor was accompanied by a savage tribe who then assaulted the guards. It was reported that a few soldiers and knight captains were killed. If I recall, you also have a band of barbarians under your command, right?」

Hmm, that sounds familiar. She did some digging, huh?

「That’s pretty gutsy for a robber.」

I avert my eyes and whistle not-so-innocently.

Wilhelmina giggles.

No, she’s not laughing. Her eyes aren’t.

I feel like she’s going to throw a huge punch next.

「Rose――is she doing well?」

I knew it, it’s a super huge knockout punch.

「Her mother, Catherine, was killed in war as a member of a group that committed high treason and Rose, although she escaped death, was thrown into an orphanage as a nameless commoner. There is no way she can live a peaceful life under the patronage of a great noble.」

It seems she knows absolutely everything.

In the early days of King Alexandro’s ascension to the throne, Catherine was the wife of a noble who belonged to the rebel faction and gave birth to Rose.

I was the one who killed that noble and if things were left to play out, Catherine and Rose would definitely have been considered guilty by association and executed.

That’s when I hatched a plan.

I had Catherine ‘die’ by secretly sending her to the orphanage, while I begged the king for mercy on Rose, who was still an infant, to live as a commoner in the orphanage.

When things eventually calmed down, I brought both of them to my mansion.

At the time, Rose was a baby and nobody could really tell her apart from others, while Catherine, who avoided making contact with people, would also be relatively unknown in Rafen.

That’s what I thought……she did well to find out.

I sigh and take off the gauntlet on one of my hands to scratch my head.

「Catherine and her daughter are fine. She has recently gotten interested in painting and has been scribbling on the walls to the frustration of some in the house.」

「Glad to hear. I will relay this information to the Goldonian king.」

Other factors aside, the incident with Catherine will undoubtedly get me in trouble.

It would cross the threshold of what the king can allow.

That’s why I remove my boot and throw it in the corner of the room.

「You can try it.」

Knowing her, she likely has gathered all the required evidence too.

I might be finished if that information travels to the king.

However, that does not change the fact that South Yuguria has been defeated.

Goldonia has the absolute advantage and hanging me at this point won’t make any difference.

It just means that I will die before Wilhelmina dies.

Of course I don’t want that to happen and will take the girls and run.

If she wanted to drag me down from my position and chip away my military strength, she’d have done so long ago.

Deliberately threatening me in this manner must mean there is no longer any point in doing it.

「I see.」

Wilhelmina stares into my eyes again.

Stop, my shoulders are getting heavy.

As payback, I’ll fix my eyes on the slight mounds on her upper body.

In my mind, I superimpose her well-shaped naked breasts I once saw exposed when she was wearing a neat white dress on top of her current clothes.

「Fufu……what!?」

To my surprise, in the next moment, they actually popped out as I imagined.

By no means are they big. But they are perfectly round like the bust of a carved statue and under the skin which is as white as the snow in the Federation, I can see faint lines depicting her blood vessels.

I reflexively raise my eyes, but the pressure of her gaze remains the same.

With no sense of shame, humiliation or arousal, Wilhelmina strips herself with the minimum amount of movements almost like peeling the skin of a fruit.

「Threats don’t work? Alright, I’ll compromise.」

Protagonist: Aegir Hardlett. 25 years old. Autumn.

Status: Goldonia Kingdom Margrave. Great Feudal Lord of Eastern Area. Mountain Legend.

Friend of the Dwarves. Friend of the King of Aless. Dragon Slayer Hero.

Elf Mediator. Sex King of White City. Mad Demon God

Travel Companions:

Sekrit (tailing), Brynhildr (tailing), Christoph (confined underground), Guigue (clean)

Celestina (?), Monica (cleaning the palace), Busco (commander)

Assets: -68 000 gold

Sexual Partners: 799

Children who have been born: 70 + 567

Current Location: Biado