TL/Editor: raei
Status: 5/week mon-fri
Illustrations: none
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For several days, Ian traveled with Father Berum.
Until now, Ian had focused on moving quickly with just Belenka.
Naturally, their luggage was light, and their food and lodging were rough, barely enough to sustain life.
It was uncomfortable, but Ian, now an experienced traveler, could tolerate it well enough.
However, Father Berum's group was completely different from Ian's.
Heavy tents and servants!
Servants to manage the horses, skilled cooks for various dishes, and even women in charge of laundry.
If he hadn't introduced himself as a 'priest', one might have mistaken him for a high-ranking nobleman on a journey, given the luxurious procession.
"Come now, Lord Ian! Have another drink!"
"Hmm. This is good wine."
Father Berum had boasted about giving Ian 'special treatment', but.
Within a day, Ian quickly realized.
Father Berum... was just a man who naturally loved luxury!
The venison grilled with fragrant pepper and the sweet aged wine weren't things you could find just anywhere, even with money.
He must have stocked up on plenty of gourmet ingredients, given his keen interest in fine foods.
Lavish feasts were held every night.
Ian was dumbfounded.
Come on, aren't you supposed to be a priest?
What kind of priest lives more luxuriously than barons and counts?
"Oh ho! Where are you looking! Don't you see Lord Ian's cup is empty!"
"Oh my~ I'm sorry, Father!"
"Tsk tsk. Your big bosom is making you sluggish, I see."
Tee-hee-hee!
The beautiful women serving drinks burst into laughter with perfect timing.
Not because Father Berum was sooo funny.
They were just women who were extremely good at socializing.
When the highest-ranking person in the place makes a joke, how could you not laugh?
Seemingly used to it by now, the women giggled at Father Berum's crude humor like he was some department head.
"Here~ Have another drink~"
A woman leaned in close to Ian as she poured the wine.
The intoxicating scent and the soft presence touching his arm.
By Father Berum's standards, this must fall under 'generous hospitality'.
"Our wizard is just too cute!"
"That's right! Such fair skin, and such handsome eyes!"
"I think the wizard's lips are the most attractive!"
The women whispered in Ian's ear with sultry voices, as if blowing a breeze.
Their eyes betrayed their desperate desire to seduce Ian.
In truth, with Ian's level of magical skill, these women would behave the same way even if a pig was sitting there instead of Ian.
Becoming a wizard's wife would mean drastically improving their lot in life, after all.
For someone who enjoyed female company, this situation would be paradise itself.
Beautiful women who supposedly adored him were on standby, just an arm's reach away.
But surprisingly, Ian found the drinking party uncomfortable.
Ian was a perfectly normal heterosexual man who liked women.
But isn't there a limit?
They were coming on so strong, as if they wanted to devour even his bone fragments, that he couldn't feel any affection at all.
"Hmm..."
Maybe he should ask for the women to be removed.
It would be rude to Father Berum, but... so what?
Ian was the one being entertained, and he had the right to enjoy himself as he pleased.
But just then.
"Move aside."
"... Pardon?"
"I said, move your ass."
Belenka created space by smacking the woman's bottom.
The woman glared at Belenka with an expression full of discontent.
Ian sincerely admired that woman's incredible courage.
Wow... Is she doing this even knowing Belenka is a knight?
Belenka smirked as she brushed off the women's glares, then calmly ordered.
"It's cramped here. All of you, go outside and dance."
"... What did you say?!"
Belenka glanced at Ian, who immediately looked at Father Berum and said.
"That sounds like a good idea, doesn't it?"
But in this desolate medieval fantasy world, opportunities to taste such gourmet food were rare.
"Father. Those girls don't seem to want to dance. Their expressions are..."
"What?! Get those asses moving properly before I have them spanked!"
"Eep..."
Ian tormented the women who had been clinging to him persistently just moments ago while leisurely enjoying his meal.
------
The exciting culinary journey with Father Berum was coming to an end.
After eating and drinking merrily, they had suddenly arrived at Count Dufel's domain.
"Oh..."
"Haha. You seem surprised. It's quite a magnificent place, isn't it?"
Surprisingly, Count Dufel's domain had a proper city.
It was a city called 'Heltingen' ruled by Count Dufel.
Until now, Ian had only seen domains with huts surrounded by wooden fences (Barony of Talian) or those with modest castles built (Barony of Kaltz).
This was almost the first time Ian had seen a city protected by real medieval-style walls.
A natural moat using the river and high outer walls.
Inside the walls were rows of tall two-story houses, and further in was the inner castle where the lord and distinguished guests resided.
It was a beautiful scene straight out of a European postcard.
... Actually, it might be more suitable as a default Windows wallpaper, but anyway, Heltingen was a proper medieval fantasy city.
"Uncle. Now that we're here, shouldn't we part ways with that wizard..."
"Get lost, you horse-lover."
"..."
Zenik felt like he was going crazy with frustration.
No, I'm! Not! A horse-lover!!!
But no matter how much he protested, his uncle, who had already been bewitched(?) by the wizard, wouldn't listen to a word Zenik said.
Zenik was treated like leftovers even in Heltingen.
"Welcome! Father Berum! We've been waiting for you with bated breath!"
"Haha! Don't lose your head now! Young Master Fin."
Ian followed Berum and immediately met the lord.
The lord's name was Fin.
He was the son of the late Count Dufel and would soon become the new count.
Though called 'young master', he was in his mid to late 30s.
If the count doesn't die, you're still 'young master' whether you're 30 or 40.
Just like how there was a man called 'prince' even at 70 because the queen lived too long.
"We need to execute the will quickly..."
"Oh my. My legs are so sore from traveling so far. I wish I could rest in a soft bed..."
Does he really need a soft bed? Or does he need soft breasts?
Ian was suspicious, but anyway, when Berum complained of fatigue and lay down, Fin was at a loss for words.
What can you do when a priest says he doesn't want to work?
Fin whispered secretly to Berum.
"Father... If we don't execute that bastard quickly, I'll be in trouble!"
"Don't be so impatient. You've already caught him, haven't you? If a future lord gets anxious over trivial matters, what will your subordinates think?"
"... I understand. I was too hasty."
Ian stood there blankly, listening to their secret? conversation.
What the... They're treating Ian like he's some kind of invisible man or scarecrow.
Is this like some grand strategy game where anyone below the rank of baron isn't considered human?
Finding it ridiculous, Ian asked Father Berum directly.
"Who is the lord planning to kill?"
"Ah. There's such a person. Count Dufel's bastard son."
Berum spoke nonchalantly.
"What was it, Baron Mud or something? Quite a famous thief."
"???"
Ian's jaw dropped.
'Count Dufel's bastard son' was, ridiculously enough, someone Ian knew.
Baron Mud.
In the past, he had hired the wizard Inglan to try to rob Talian's ancestral tomb, only to be chased away by Ian!
He had completely forgotten about him...
He's about to be executed!
"That's good news, isn't it?"
"Indeed. They say he lived by digging up other people's graves, so the empire benefits from the death of such a man."
Ian vowed to make sure he watched Baron Mud's execution...!
---
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