Volume 2 - CH 2

Raidorl the Adventurer

Translated by SoundDestiny

Edited by Kaepinned

Afternoon, west of the royal capital. There was a lake called Lake Araru, located off the road and further north in the forest.

The lake, which was regarded as a valuable source of water by neighbouring villages, suddenly dried up about three months ago.

The cause was unknown. Rainfall was the same as in previous years, so sunshine was not the cause.

Crops had already started to be affected. A neighbouring village had sent a request to the Royal Guild to investigate the cause but the villagers in the poor farming village could not offer sufficient rewards, and the request was left without any adventurers to accept it.

Fields were in ruins and wells were drying up. A number of villages were now on the verge of starvation.

“Imperial style swordsmanship 【Raiden】!”

“『Gooooooooooo!!!』”

At the bottom of the dry lake. With a flash of lightning, Celia swung her holy sword.

Pierced by the lightning that poured down, the monster nestled at the bottom of the lake let out a low scream that seemed to echo from the ground.

Lurking at the bottom of Lake Araru, beneath the withered ground and sucking up the lake’s waters without limit, was a monster that looked like the root of a giant plant.

The monster, which once appeared in frontier cities, was still remembered by Raidorl.

“『Giant Rhubarb』…… I don’t know why a demon plant rarely seen even in the Demon Forest is here.”

Squinting suspiciously, Raidorl watched the battle between Celia and the monster from some distance away.

The Giant Rhubarb boasted the largest class of plant-based monsters. As well as its size, the scale of its damage was also enormous. The voracious monster sucked up water without limit and a single one of them could swallow up all the groundwater within a radius of several dozen kilometres, turning the area into a desert.

Two years ago, Raidorl had defeated one that appeared in a pioneer city, but it was a monster that should not be seen in this region, where mana was scarce.

The Giant Rhubarb that emerged from the ground was more than ten metres long and had grown to be so large that one had to look up.

“Yaaaaaahhh!”

“『Goaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!』”

While dealing with the monster, Celia wielded her sword without stepping back. Every time the silvery-white sword flipped and fluttered, lightning flashes scattered at the bottom of the lake.

The Giant Rhubarb also resisted, waving its roots like a whip but it was unable to catch the swiftly moving imperial princess and was unilaterally chopped to pieces. After more than ten minutes, Giant Rhubarb was dead, only twitching and convulsing.

“As expected as an imperial holy sword-bearer. The perfected child of thunder. I’m amazed that you’re  unbeatable against disaster-grade demons.”

“Onii-san, are you trying to be sarcastic?　You want to say something like, 『But I’m the one who beat you』right?”

“It’s honest praise. Don’t take it negatively.”

Celia, who had single-handedly defeated Giant Rhubarb, turned around and puffed out her cheek in frustration. Shrugging his shoulders at the pouty imperial princess, Raidorl looked up at the huge body of the demon lying on the ground.

“No……I think it’s amazing. I’m saying it without flattery. I’ve fought this monster before and I struggled against it. The Holy Sword of Thunder, Claíomh Solas……far surpasses the Dáinsleif in terms of power and piercing power alone.”

Ignoring the protests of the Holy Sword at his waist, which vibrated slightly, Raidorl nodded his head in agreement.

“Well……maybe I can beat Onii-san now? Let’s try a return match, shall we?”

“Don’t do it, you want to lose the blessing of the Holy Sword again?”

“Mu…..It’s not fair.”

Celia was once defeated by Raidorl on the battlefield and had her Claíomh Solas taken away from her. Then, a strange curse had blocked the blessing of the holy sword.

Her sword was temporarily unsealed, but if she were to turn her sword against Raidorl, she would be deprived of her power again.

With her cheeks puffed out in dissatisfaction, Celia sheathed Claíomh Solas.

“I don’t mind, though, …… because fighting demons is fun.”

“Aa, all is well now. The water in the lake will be back soon.”

“It’s not even the rainy season and the water will be back soon?　I bet we’ll all be in trouble until the lake is back to normal.”

“It’s no problem. If this monster is defeated….”

Before Raidorl could finish, a crack appeared in the body of Giant Rhubarb, which had fallen to the bottom of the lake. Then, floods of water overflowed from the roots of the giant plant.

“Waa! Water……!”

“It’s coming! Let’s get out of here!”

“E?Ehhh? Onii-san!!!”

Ignoring Celia’s panicked voice, Raidorl escaped from the bottom of the lake on his own. A huge column of water gushed out from Giant Rhubarb’s body and was chasing down Celia.

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?!”

“That’s what happens when you kill that thing! Get your ass out of the lake!”

“Wa, you should have said it earlier!!”

Although almost swallowed by the flood, Celia barely managed to crawl out of the lake. The first to escape was Raidorl, who grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up with all his might.

“When you kill a Giant Rhubarb, it sucks in all the water it has accumulated in its body and then spits it out all at once. I used to get swept away by the water that spewed out, and it was terrible.”

“Uu—, you should have told me those important things beforehand. Onii-san is an idiot…….”

Celia slumped to the ground. She found her whole body was wet and looked up at Raidorl resentfully.

〇　　　　　　　　　　〇　　　　　　　　　〇

“Thank you! Thank you!”

After defeating the monster that had been lurking in the lake and sucking up the water, Raidorl and Celia reported to the nearby village that they had completed their request.

At first, the villagers were suspicious that the request had been left unanswered for three months, but when they saw Lake Araru with its water restored, they even shed tears and bowed their heads.

The adults in the village were smiling and pumping water into jars, while the children were pointing at the wooden monster floating like an islet in the middle of the lake, their eyes shining with curiosity.

“Thank you so much!!!　Now our fields and wells will be back to normal! We won’t have to travel for hours to fetch water from distant rivers to live!”

“No need to thank me. Because I didn’t do much.”

“True -Onii-san didn’t do anything, did he?”

“Celia, quiet.”

Poking the head of the imperial princess who stood next to him, Raidorl placed his hand on the shoulder of the village chief, who repeatedly bowed his head.

“More than that, I’m sorry for the delay in accomplishing the request. This is something the guild should be ashamed of. As an adventurer, I apologise from the bottom of my heart.”

“No, no, no!　We are responsible for not being able to pay our adventurers to their satisfaction! Please don’t let it bother you!”

“Really? That’s fine then…..”

Raidorl quickly glanced from the village chief’s face to his feet. The chief was not the only one with a skinny, bony body. Other villagers and children playing in the water were the same.

‘The village chief is not the only one with a thin, bony body. It seems that the harsh environment is not only in the pioneer cities.’

“Hey, Village Chief. I’d like to talk about my reward…..”

“Ah, yes. The reward has been deposited with the guild, so please accept it. I would like to thank you more if I could, but I don’t have the time ……”

“Oh, that’s fine. I’d like to ask you for one more favour.”

“Haa? If it’s something we can do for you…..”

The village chief, who tilted his head and looked at Raidorl curiously, raised his index finger.

“’I want you to spread the word to the neighbouring villages. Tell them that the powerful demon that was drying up the lake has been defeated by the king’s younger brother, Raidorl Zain.”

“Ha…? Yo,yoo, royal b,brother..?”

The village chief stared at Raidorl’s face…then dropped down to the floor.

“M,my apologies,your royal highness!　How rude of me……!”

“No, no, no, it’s all right. Can you do me a favour?”

“Haa-ha! Of course, your royal highness!”

“Right, well then, it’s good that I met you…..”

Raidorl chuckled seeing the village chief who was surprised to learn that he was dealing with a royalty as he pointed to an object floating on the lake, with his index finger raised.

“I’ll leave it to you to clean up after that thing. You can do whatever you like with it.”

Floating on the lake was a giant palma, which had released its reserves of water and had shrunk to a small size. The village chief looked at the wreck of the plant monster, which was swaying on the surface of the water like a floating island, with hatred, and nodded his head.

“Of course, of course!　We will take up the dead carcass of the monster  and incinerate it for our village’s revenge!”

“Oioi, it’d be a shame to burn it, wouldn’t it? It’s a disaster-class demon. If you take it to someone with an eye for it, they should be able to get a good price for it. It’s a first-class material for magic potions and I’m sure the apothecary guild would pay a lot of money for it.”

[TL:A shop that sells and prepare variety medicine & drugs]

“Eh…?”

The village chief’s eyes widened at Raidorl’s explanation, and he looked up as if he was trying to see the colour of his face.

“So, you mean to say that you’re going to give us the ……thing, your royal highness?”

“Yes, this village seems to have suffered a lot, so you can use the money for reconstruction. It should provide this village with enough savings for the next few years.”

“Aaa…such kindness!!”

The village chief knelt on his knees on the ground and folded his hands as if in prayer. He was overcome with emotion and tears streamed from his eyes.

“You are a hero, as rumour has it! You are like a saint ……a brave man chosen by the Holy Sword! We, the villagers, will never forget this favour!”

“Well, I’m glad you’re pleased……but it’s not just this village that’s been affected. I hope you’ll share with the other villages nearby.”

“Haah! Of course your royal highness!”

Nodding in satisfaction to the village chief’s reaction, who still had his forehead on the ground, Raidorl left the village, having finished his work. Celia poked him on his side with her fingertips.

“You’re suddenly being kind, does Onii-san have such a character?”

Play

Unmute

00:00

“It’s not like I’m doing it for charity. I have my reason for doing it.”

Raidorl sniffed at Celia, who had a reassuring look on her face.

“This is just a publicity stunt. It’s just a plot to spread my fame and make it easier for me to accept the regime change that will eventually come.”

“Hmmm? Is that so?”

Celia nodded with a subtle look on her face, whether she understood or not.

“But…..I don’t feel bad about helping people in need. I’m also glad that people are happy.”

“Hmm……I wouldn’t deny that either.”

Walking with Celia, Raidorl took out a bundle of request letters received from the Adventurers’ Guild.

First of all, one legendary story had been established. If Raidorl continued, the fame of the Holy Sword’s chosen hero, Raidorl Zain, would continue to grow and swell into something that even his older brother King Granard would not be able to stop.

‘It would be easy enough to just cut off his head. If I wanted to, I could just do it today. But……we’re not going to kill you that easily, are we?’

In the past, Raidorl was deprived of all of his allies and exiled from the Royal City.

It would be unfair if his older brother King Granard did not suffer the same.

“I will show you the loneliness and despair of being deprived of your place. I will scrape off your allies one by one and kick you off your throne, Aniki.”

From then on, Raidorl became a vigorous adventurer.

Defeating the sea dragons that appeared in the northern seas.

Conquering bandits who attacked villages in the east.

Exterminating the hordes of undead that had nested in an abandoned castle in the west.

Collecting rare medicinal herbs to help sick children in the southern towns.

Exterminating every last one of the 『ant』 demons that had massed on the plains near the royal city.

Some of the requests that had been salted away in the guild were too much for Raidorl alone, but with the help of another Holy Sword holder, Celia, he was able to accomplish them at a tremendous pace.

Originally, Raidorl’s exploits were known throughout the kingdom through the mouths of soldiers who had gone to fight against the Empire…..and people were by nature fond of tales of heroism.

The story of the hero chosen by the Holy Sword to save the poor in many parts of the kingdom had become a legend and was now being spread by the bards in song.

Many singers spread the heroism of Raidorl throughout the kingdom, as if trying to blow away the dark mood of the war with the empire.

However, there were naturally people who did not take kindly to the rise of such new heroes.

The first of these was Granard Zain, the king of the Kingdom of Zain and Raidorl’s older brother.

“What an abominable thing it is to curry favour with the people! He is wasting the power of the Holy Sword!!”

Granard’s face contorted in rage as he lashed out.

His face, stained with hatred, was naturally not happy about his younger brother’s success. He probably hated Raidorl’s every move. His face was as red as an evil demon, Akkirasetsu.

[TL: Akkirasetsu = Man-eating demon]

“The holy sword Dáinsleif is the sword of protection. It is the last trump card to protect the Kingdom of Zain!　To use its power to spread one’s own fame, what insolence! To disrespect the power of the Holy Sword, he is not the one who should have been chosen for Dáinsleif!”

“Your Majesty…… please calm yourself. It would be troublesome if others were to hear.”

It was the Prime Minister, Lockwood Marcell, who admonished his king in a quiet tone.

In the king’s office, there were only two people in the room, Granard and Lockwood. The political officers who normally assisted the king in his duties were also kept away and the area around the office was cleared of people.

“Raidorl must be trying to win people’s support with his popularity and oust me. It’s like he is throwing a little tantrum….!”

The Prime Minister admonished Granard, who slightly lowered his tone of voice, but did not stop, spewing out his irritating rants against his own brother.

Granard Zain was a distinguished man who had supported his kingdom and an ambitious ruler since the sickbed of the previous king, although he instantly became a foolish king when his younger brother, the holder of the Holy Sword Dáinsleif, was involved. He accurately saw Raidorl’s aim and clenched his teeth.

“Hah……you’re probably right. It’s very tricky.”

Lockwood also agreed with the king and let out a deep, heavy sigh.

‘That said, it is impossible to restrain him by force. There is no one in the kingdom who can stop His Highness.’

The only possibility was the Royal Army led by General Bazel Garst, but the army was packed in the key areas of Blaine due to warnings from the Empire and was in no condition to move.

Even if he were able to move, General Garst had as already indicated his willingness to remain silent on the conflict between Raidorl and Granard. It was unlikely that the honest general would change his mind.

“We give His Highness Raidorl some spare time to keep him away from the political scene and leave him alone. That seems to have paid off. I can’t believe he would take advantage of the time given to him and pull a move like this……”

“Damn it….. is there no way to restrain that foolish brother? At least if this curse is lifted……”

Granard scratched his left breast over his clothes.

The 『Curse of the Covenant』 had been engraved on his chest by Raidorl. Granard was forbidden to act against him and if he broke it, even his life would be in danger.

Although the curse’s formula had been steadily deciphered by mobilising all the court magicians….. there was still no prospect of breaking the curse. With the curse in place, Granard could not actively exclude or repel Raidorl and had to leave his behaviour alone.

“…..Your Majesty, how would you like to make use of the curse?”

Lockwood opened his mouth as if an idea had just occurred to him.

“It is not only His Majesty who is bound by the oath. His Highness Raidorl also binds himself with a curse. His Highness must also not disobey his oath.”

“Hm……you mean sending Raidorl to war and keeping him away from Royal City?　But ……the battle with the Empire has entered negotiations for peace. We have captured the Imperial Princess as a prisoner of war and the negotiations are to our advantage. We can’t afford to start a quarrel unnecessarily, can we?”

“Yes, of course. We cannot let him fight the Imperial Army itself. But there are forces that are on the side of the Empire, which, if eliminated, would not incur the wrath of the Empire.”

Lockwood paused for a moment, then said with a resolute determination.

“The Eastern nobles who have turned to the Empire. Order his highness to purge them.”

〇　　　　　　　　　〇　　　　　　　　　〇

“You’ve done an abominable thing. So you’re taking advantage of the curse.”

Raidorl’s residence in the royal capital. After reading through the letter from the royal court, Raidorl nodded his head in admiration. The letter, stamped with the Kingdom’s Seal, was an official letter of command from the king, and stated that he should conquer the nobles who had turned to the Arslanian Empire.

During the previous war, the eastern part of the kingdom was occupied by the Empire. In doing so, several noble families turned to the enemy side. As they were already on the imperial side, Raidorl, who had sworn to fight the empire, could no longer refuse such orders.

The capture of Celia had led to a ceasefire in the war between the Empire and the Kingdom, but the Empire would not interfere if the territory, which was….. originally the Kingdom’s, was taken back and the traitorous nobles were purged.

“What would you do, Master? If I lift the curse can you refuse those orders?”

The one who tilted her head and asked was Neimilia, Raidorl’s personal maid.

Neimilia, with her black hair in twin-tails swinging from side to side, tilted the teapot and poured tea into the cup.

“That’s ridiculous. If you lift the curse, Granard’s curse will be lifted too. At this point in time, there are more disadvantages than advantages.”

Raidorl replied as he picked up the teacup placed in front of him.

The curse Raidorl put on the king and the curse he put on himself were two in one. If one was lifted, the other would naturally disappear.

And if Raidorl broke his oath, great misfortune would also befall him. Because he gambled his life on it, the curse was so powerful that even court magicians could not easily break it.

“Hmm, so you’re taking a break from your work as an adventurer for a while?　I was finally starting to enjoy it.”

The third person in the room interrupted the conversation- Celia.

Dressed in simple loungewear, Celia interrupted the conversation, biting into a cookie on the table.

“No, if I stop working here, the 『flow』 that I’ve created will be stalled. If possible, I want to keep moving as an adventurer.”

The people had already talked about Raidorl’s adventure. The king’s younger brother fighting for the poor despite being royalty was admired by the people, and as he aimed, he had gained popularity among many people.

“So what if you stop doing it for a while?　You only have one body. You can’t combine your adventurous activities with conquering treacherous nobles, can you?”

“Then what will you do? I have only one body, but there are two Excalibur Holders. I will act according to Granard’s orders. Celia, I want you to continue your work as an adventurer.”

“Eee, I’m going to work alone?”

Celia looked dissatisfied, but as soon as she took another bite of the cookie, her face instantly relaxed in happiness. It seemed that the popular pastry shop with a long queue was also suitable for the Imperial Princess’s palate.

“There’s nothing else to do anyway, so please.”

“Mmm, I’m from the Empire. I don’t have any obligation to work for Onii-san,right?　Are you aware of that?”

“I know, I know.”

Celia’s lips twitched at Raidorl, who waved his hand dismissively. [I’m not happy about it!] she added while Raidorl gave her a wry smile.

“You know, Your Highness Princess Celia. You and I have grown reasonably close, haven’t we?”

“Eh? What’s with the sudden change of tone?”

Celia’s eyes went black and white. Raidorl gave her a nasty grin.

“If I were to overthrow my older brother and become the king, someone close to me like you, the imperial princess, would be at the top of the Zain Kingdom. If that happens, even the relationship between the Empire and the Kingdom will take a new turn, won’t it?”

The Zain Kingdom and the Arslanian Empire had fought as long-standing enemies, but if a pro-imperial king was born, it might be possible to end the fight by means other than war. Depending on negotiations, there was even the possibility of winning the war without fighting and subjugating the kingdom as a vassal state.

“Win or lose, in war there will be blood. You have seen it too. If you can win without fighting, wouldn’t it be better?”

“…..Onii-san is going to sell this kingdom to the empire? Isn’t that called 『traitor』?”

“I’m just saying the possibility under the right conditions. I’m the type of person who takes truth before its name. If war can be avoided by becoming a vassal state, then I’m fine with that.”

Perhaps because he had been exiled to the frontier for so long, Raidorl had no pride in being royalty himself. He thought that putting his interests first and avoiding war was more important than maintaining the independence of the Kingdom of Zain.

“In the first place…..I think it’s strange that humans are fighting each other, leaving the threat from  the demons to humanity unattended. Maybe it’s because I’ve been an adventurer for so long.”

In the frontier cities, adventurers over there were probably fighting against the demons that were pouring in from the Demon Forest. Leaving such a situation unattended and prioritising war between humans was questionable for Raidorl.

“I’m giving you a chance to ingratiate yourself. You can act as an adventurer on my behalf, save the people of this kingdom and make a name for yourself.”

“…… Okay, I understand. But remember, you owe me this!”

“I will follow my master wherever he goes! From cradle to grave. From baby play to necrophilia!”

“…… What are you talking about?”

Celia nodded as if she had no choice, and Neimilia was as usual a natural reverse sexual harasser.

With a tired sigh at the two beautiful girls, Raidorl decided what to do next.

〇　　　　　　　　　〇　　　　　　　　　〇

A few days after receiving the king’s order. The day came for Raidorl to set out for the eastern border region.

Early in the morning, at his residence in the royal capital. Raidorl woke up in his bed in his room.

“Hmm……it’s morning already……”

The sunlight streaming in through the cracks in the curtains caused Raidorl to slowly raise his eyelids.

Thanks to this, he was able to wake up early and have a pleasant morning. It should have been, but…..there was a strange feeling in his body.

“U……why am I feeling my body is awfully heavy……?”

Raidorl tried to raise himself from the bed, but his body felt strangely heavy. He felt an unnatural weight on his body, as if I was being weighed down.

“Haa……again, Neimilia?”

Raidorl immediately realised the cause. The duvet covering his body was unnaturally bulging, so it was impossible not to notice.

He was not surprised by now. Ever since he hired this erotic maid, Raidorl had been getting night-crawled on every now and then.

With a single sigh, Raidorl leapt off the duvet with force.

“Ora, you too should get up! If you latch onto my body, I won’t be able to get up either.”

The unexpected sight made Raidorl’s voice turn inside out.

Neimilia, the erotic maid, was once again under the duvet…..That prediction was spot on. She was still sleeping, happily drooling, hugging Raidorl’s waist.

It was from there that a new surprise was slapped on Raidorl’s face. There were two other women besides Neimilia who were in bed, sleeping soundly.

“This is……no……eh……?”

Even Raidorl started to stutter his words at the impossible sight.

He shook his head, thinking back to his memories of last night, pinched his cheek to see if he was dreaming and shook his head…..for quite a long time to regain his composure, and then opened his mouth, fearfully.

“What the hell are you even doing…..Celia. And even Mertina.”

Under the duvet were Neimilia, Celia and Mertina Marcell, a young familiar face and daughter of Prime Minister Lockwood Marcell. The three women, all of whom were acquainted with each other, were naturally completely naked and were sleeping with Raidorl’s legs and waist as a pillow.

If this was just Neimilia, it would be part of the daily routine, but it was completely unexpected that even …… Celia and Meltina were on the bed.

Although Celia slept in this mansion, they naturally had separate rooms. Because of her status as an imperial princess, there was no such thing as a bedding relationship. Mertina was not supposed to be in this mansion in the first place. She was supposed to have been left behind in the frontier town.

“Nnh…..Ah, master. Good morning.”

The first to wake up was Neimilia. She had her black hair tied up with ribbons, as she had just woken up from sleep, and as soon as she saw Raidorl in her sleepy eyes, she smiled as if she had found a treasure.

“……Good morning, Neimilia. Explain. What’s going on?”

Raidorl immediately asked Neimilia for an explanation, while returning a dusty sarcasm. His long-standing intuition told him that the root cause of this situation must be the lovely witch in front of him. 

The prediction seemed to have been spot on. Neimilia looked proud and boastful of her achievement, her chest outstretched and her bare breasts protruding.

“Were you pleased? It’s a surprise present for our master who is going on an expedition!”

“……….”

“We know you’ll miss us on your long journey, so we’ve brought you the warmth of human skin!　Please enjoy the feel of our skin and remember us on those lonely nights!”

“……….Okay, you’ve made your point.”

Raidorl covered his forehead with his hand, resisting the urge to shout at her.

“At any rate……I understand that you did this because you were concerned about me having to go away. I understand, but…..I need to confirm a few things.”

“What is it?”

“First of all, about Mertina, why is this person in the Royal City when she’s supposed to be in the frontier?”

“Yes. A while ago, Master said that he wanted to call Mertina-san to the royal city, so I had sent a messenger to pick her up. Last night, the messenger returned with Mertina-san, so I put her in bed for the time being.”

“……… I see.”

Thinking what kind of [for the time being], Raidorl made an interjection.

Indeed, Raidorl remembered talking to Neimilia about wanting to bring Mertina to the royal city. More specifically, he had sent a letter to Zafis Bartolomeo in the frontier city, asking him to bring Mertina over.

Raidorl was a master swordsman, but lacked political skills. Neimilia and Celia were similarly unreliable in political affairs and negotiations. Therefore, they needed someone who could be entrusted with internal affairs, financial management and negotiations with the nobility.

Mertina was the daughter of the Prime Minister and had a thorough knowledge of the royal court and aristocratic society. She also had deep insight into politics and economics, making her the perfect person to be entrusted with internal administrative duties.

The only problem was that she was not sincerely trustworthy. She abandoned Raidorl when he was a child to be sent off to a frontier city, and even tried to capture Raidorl with a magic item when they met again a few months ago.

‘Well, she is bound by a spell cast by Neimilia and she has been abandoned by her father, the prime minister. I don’t think I need to worry about being betrayed by her.’

“Just to be clear…..did you say anything to Zafis and the frontier city people when you brought Mertina here?”

Raidorl asked thoughtfully, pondering. Mertina was under house arrest in the frontier city as a criminal for trying to trap Raidorl. If she brought her, a criminal, here without permission, there would have been a commotion. 

“No? The messenger cannot speak. It kidnapped her from the mansion over there without permission.”

“………..”

Raidorl nodded off with a headache. No doubt, there had to be a commotion in the frontier city because of Mertina’s sudden disappearance. It was possible that she was mistakenly thought to have escaped and a search party has been sent out.

“….. It’s a hassle, but I’ll have to write to Zafis later. You made me go through a lot of trouble before I even left. And let me check one more important thing. You’ve got their consent to sleep naked with me, haven’t you?”

It was the most important question of all. Neimilia might have happily undressed and crawled under the duvet, but what about Celia and Mertina? It was hard to believe that two people with modesty as princesses or noble daughters would go along with an erotic maid’s outburst.

“Of course!”

“Of course, you mean you’ve got their approval?”

“Of course, it’s a surprise!　I put them to sleep with magic and undressed them without her permission!”

“You idiotttttttttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!”

This time, Raidorl did not hold back and shouted loudly, shaking Neimilia’s shoulders.

It was unacceptable to strip an unmarried woman of her clothes and throw her into a man’s bed. And even more so when it was a woman of status.

‘It is still good for Mertina, who has been abandoned by her father, even though she is the daughter of the Prime Minister. But……Celia is trouble no matter what you think!’

Although Celia was a prisoner of war, she was still a princess of the Arslanian Empire. If her chastity was threatened, it could become an international problem. 

Some people thought that since they were already at war with the Empire, it didn’t matter whether relations deteriorate or not…… but Raidorl did not want an all-out war with the Empire.

If the war was prolonged, the Empire, with its superior national power, would definitely have the advantage, and even if it was not, Raidorl wanted to quickly end the war with the Empire and settle the score with his brother King Granard. 

It would be no laughing matter if relations with the Empire were to become irreparable for a trivial reason, such as having stolen the chastity of an imperial princess.

“nnnn…..Raidorl-sama?”

“………….!!”

A distressed third party’s voice made Raidorl’s shoulders jump, but it was Mertina, not Celia, who….. woke up. With her long purple hair rippling in waves, Mertina slowly got herself up.

Smooth white skin. Breasts more than two times larger than Neimilia’s. Her naked body was a miracle, like that of a goddess who presided over beauty. Her beauty was like a work of art created by the Creator.

“Your Highness……No, Raidorl-sama! I missed you, I’m glad you’re safe ……!”

“Nah…..!”

Mertina hugged Raidorl. Two too plump bulges pressed against each other, causing goosebumps to rise on the spine.

“I have been waiting with longing for the day when I would be able to meet Raidorl-sama. I’m so glad to see that you are truly safe and sound…….!”

“Ghuu….!!”

Raidorl couldn’t help but salivate at the sight of his moist and sweaty childhood friend naked. Raidorl had seen her impressive figure as part of the 『interrogations』 but……Mertina’s body was still fascinating when he touched them again.

‘Kuhh….she grew up to be a good woman. I’m lucky she tried to attack me with a magic item.’

Mertina used a magic item to take Raidorl back to the Royal City….but it might have tasted bad if she had used a collar trick at that time. Raidorl was now breaking out in a cold sweat.

“…..You betrayed me twice and now you’re worried about me and you have no credibility. Are you trying to trick me again?”

“….. That’s a reasonable reason. Raidorl-sama..”

When Raidorl asked her as if he was losing while suppressing his inner excitement, Mertina’s lips curled into a tight line and she moved away, as if she was determined to do so. The soft touch that had been pressing down on him moved away and…..Raidorl lightly regreted his statement.

“I abandoned you, Raidorl-sama’s betrothed, to be driven to the frontier. I tried to trap you at the behest of my father, of His Majesty Granard. That sin cannot be atoned for in a lifetime.”

“…………”

“But as I was left in the……frontier city, waiting for you to return, I realised. I realised that I could no longer live without Raidorl-sama. I have to serve you, Raidorl-sama, as the master I should serve. Please let me be one of your most trusted subjects this time. If you say that I cannot be trusted, then you can curse me or do whatever you like. Please, I beg you……!”

“…..You’re saying something strange. You’re not dressed like you’re talking seriously.”

Raidorl blurted out, averting his gaze from Mertina and turning towards Neimilia.

“How’s that? I did it just like what you told me to do!’”

Neimilia put her hands on her hips, [FuFu!] and warped her body in a good manner.

Mertina, who had harboured a steel hearted loyalty to the Kingdom of Zain was melted. But it was not 『love』 but 『pleasure』.

When she was captured in the frontier city, Mertina had been put under several curses by Neimilia and had been altered to derive intense pleasure from exchanging words and coming into contact with Raidorl. In fact, she was still wetting the space between her legs with a liquid different from sweat while conversing with Raidorl.

『Humans can resist pain, but they cannot resist pleasure or happiness』 – that was what Neimilia had said about Mertina when she was being holed up in a jail, and she was right.

The daughter, who was given intense sexual sensations just by being with Raidorl, craved pleasure to the point of madness after being kept in the dark for the past few months. The Mertina of today would give up even her parents for Raidorl’s sake.

“I will offer everything to Raidorl-sama. I will offer it to you, please, please have mercy on me…..!”

“Master. Don’t embarrass the girls! Please treat her as lovingly as you like.”

“…..I’m going into battle now, though. Do you understand?”

Raidorl sighed in dismay as Mertina came at him with rosy skin. Then Neimilia quickly walked up behind Raidorl and casually pulled off her nightgown.

“Master still has plenty of time to leave, doesn’t he? I’ll keep you company, so let’s get on with it!”

“That’s what you’re aiming for, isn’t it…Now then, did you put the two of you in my bed for that purpose?”

“Who knows? What are you talking about?”

Neimilia tilted her head dumbly. Raidorl gave up and shrugged his shoulders while cursing, [This witch…].

Frankly, it was true that Raidorl’s patience was running out. He was not a saint, but he couldn’t hold back his desire for a beautiful girl and a beautiful woman of rare beauty to come at him naked. Raidorl should just let himself be carried away and embrace them. With this in mind, he reached out his hand towards Mertina’s breast in front of him.

“Huah!?”

“Ah…..?”

But then a delirious voice was heard. The last person present…..Celia, who had been sleeping until the very end, was finally awakened.

“Wa…… Onii-san, why are you naked!　And who is beside Neimilia-san……over there! What are you….. doing in my room, all naked?”

Opening her blue eyes, Celia screamed at the sight of Raidorl in the immediate vicinity, and also at the close proximity of the two naked women. Then…..she realised that she was also naked.

“I, I’m naked too……? Don’t tell me this is…..?”

“Oi, calm down…It hasn’t happened yet okay?”

“Fua, ha….HyuWaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

Celia screamed, fainted and fell flat on her back. Neimilia, who was holding onto Raidorl’s back, approached Celia to check on her condition.

“She won’t wake up for a while.  It’s okay this way, isn’t it? Better yet, let’s just leave her like this. If it’s just the tip, it doesn’t count.”

“Can we….. do it? This is so pathetic I’m going to cry.”

Raidorl looked at the unconscious girl with her legs boldly open and looked at her with pity and quickly covered her bare body with a sheet.

Was the poor imperial princess really that shocked? She had forgotten most of the events of that morning and an international problem was prevented from developing.

〇　　　　　　　　　〇　　　　　　　　　〇

“YareYare……You made me do extra exercise in the morning. I feel refreshed and exhausted…..even though I’m about to go on an expedition.”

After an early morning of physical exertion, Raidorl once again left the royal city and headed east towards the border with the Arslanian Empire.

Today, instead of riding in a carriage as he did the other day, he marched on horseback himself, as if to show himself to the people. Following behind Raidorl were a thousand cavalrymen. It was a unit led by Darren Garst, Chief of the Thousand Horsemen of the Zain Royal Army.

Incidentally, Raidorl left his maid Neimilia at Royal City. He left her as an escort and monitor for Celia, who he entrusted with his work as an adventurer, and for Mertina, who had just joined his group and whom he didn’t fully trust.

“It is an honour to see you again. Your Royal Highness Prince Raidorl.”

Darren on his horse bowed his head on his mount alongside Raidorl. A beautiful-looking knight with the neat face of an actor smiled at him.

“We met again sooner than I thought, Darren. You went to a lot of trouble to come and pick me up.”

“What a waste of words, Your Highness.”

Darren Garst, son of General Bazel Garst, pledged his allegiance to Raidorl immediately after the war against the Empire. When he heard that Raidorl was going to conquer the East, he led the soldiers under his command and rushed to the royal city.

“And how…..did you get permission to follow me?　Being the brother he is, he must have objected to having a thousand cavalrymen with me.”

“Of course, His Majesty was against it. But…..my father gave me permission in advance to do as I pleased. With the permission of Bazel Garst, who is in charge of the Royal Army, no one, not even His Majesty, can reject it.

“Heh……I should thank General Garst. Is the General still in Fortress Blaine?”

“Yes……he seems to be having difficulty negotiating with the Empire. He is unlikely to return to Royal City for some time.”

Darren said gravely and shook his head somberly.

“It is not so much that negotiations are not going well, but rather that the Empire does not appear to be prepared to negotiate. General Barzen, the head of the Western Invasion Force, seems to be missing, and there seems to be no negotiator in place.”

Darren’s explanation almost made him tell the truth, and Raidorl hurriedly held his mouth.

Apparently, negotiations with the Empire had stalled due to Raidorl’s capture of Gracos Barzen, the commander of the enemy forces.

‘It’s a good thing that I’ve bought myself some time as a result? I’ll be better prepared against Granard.’

“What’s wrong, Your Highness?”

“No, it’s nothing……But more importantly, now that General Barzen is gone, wouldn’t it be possible to repel the Imperial Army from the kingdom altogether?”

“We’ve considered that, but it would be……difficult. We don’t want to repel the serpent and then have to deal with a dragon.”

A few months ago, the Arslanian Empire, the central continental champion, invaded the Kingdom of Zain.

Border fortifications were brought down by invasions from the eastern powers and most of the nobles with fiefdoms in the eastern part of the kingdom were either turned over to the imperial side or destroyed in the face of resistance.

For a time, the Kingdom of Zain was on the verge of destruction, but in a battle at Fortress ….Blaine, Raidorl defeated the enemy general and holder of the Holy Sword, Celia and secretly captured the real commander, General Gracos Barzen. The kingdom was victorious in its capture.

With the loss of Celia and Barzen, the Imperial Western Invasion Army, which had invaded the Kingdom of Zain, had retreated to the Balmes Fortress on the border. It could be said that now was the time to take advantage of the loss of the chain of command but if they were completely annihilated, there was a fear that the Empire would send in a retaliatory force.

Even though they had the negotiation cards of Celia and Barzen and the holy sword Claíomh Solas, they should avoid provoking their opponents more than necessary. If the war was forcibly continued, the kingdom side with inferior national strength would ultimately be at a disadvantage.

“『The Imperial Army is currently under the command of General Bahzen’s second-in-command. I would like you to wait until the negotiators arrive from the Imperial Capital』- he said.”

“In other words,……the aim is to purge the traitors while the empire is stuck and regain the stolen territory? My movements will be restricted, that…..prime minister must be planning something nasty.”

“…………”

Darren kept his mouth shut at Raidorl’s words. Darren seemed to have kept silent, as if it was abhorrent to say it out loud, but eventually he spoke out.

“…..Your Highness. I have received unconfirmed information from an acquaintance in the Royal Intelligence Service, but it seems that this purge mission is a plot to incriminate Your Highness.”

“N……?　What do you mean?”

When Raidorl quizzically asked, Darren repeated his words in a hushed voice.

“This time, His Highness Raidorl has been ordered by His Majesty the King to purge the traitors who hold territories around the eastern border. It seems that the Royal Intelligence Service is behind this, and is working in the dark to lower His Highness’ prestige.”

“…………”

“In the eastern part of the Kingdom of Zain, there are eight noble families known as the 『Eight Families of the East』, of which the Counts of Arbeil and Viscounts of Ilkas fought to the end without succumbing to the Empire and perished.”

“So that means….the six remaining noble families are the target of the purge?”

“Yes……and all of those houses are those who have bowed to the Empire without a fight for the sake of self-preservation. It is futile to expect them to be loyal to the Crown. Even if it is against His Highness Raidorl, they will turn on us without mercy.”

Of course, Raidorl was aware of this, but how would this be connected to the lowering of his reputation?

“I don’t know. Wouldn’t going into battle increase their prestige?”

“If the people Your Highness is fighting are soldiers from the enemy’s country, then yes. But this time, the enemy is a traitor to his kingdom. The soldiers you have to defeat are also from your own country.”

“Fumu….”

Finally, the story was becoming clearer.

In other words, by making Raidorl fight against his own people, the people would recognise the existence of the 『hero chosen by the Holy Sword』 as a threat. Certainly, if Raidorl were to do something like destroying a fiefdom that had fallen into the hands of the enemy but was still a part of the kingdom, the people who praised Raidorl as a hero might turn their backs on him.

“That’s not all. It seems that His Majesty has sent agents to the town of Wolfin in Viscount Wolfert’s territory, where we are heading. I think they intend to inflict some harm on the town’s inhabitants at the right moment and make it look like His Highness did it.”

“Are they stupuid?! Even though they betrayed us, they are  still our own town!”

Raidorl couldn’t help but raise his voice.

However much the king had been betrayed by the noble families, his own people had not seceded from the Kingdom of Zain. It was madness to burn them down just to humiliate and demean his own brother.

“…..His Majesty is so afraid of Your Highness that he wants to ostracise you by any means necessary. Even if it means harming his own people, it is a small price to pay that will bring Your Highness’ prestige down.”

“……….!!”

Raidorl bit his back teeth and fell silent.

To the extent that he could no longer hide it, King Granard saw his younger brother as an enemy. Raidorl didn’t think his brother would watch with his fingers in his mouth as Raidorl made great strides as a hero but he didn’t expect him to conspire to bring the blameless into the fold.

‘Have you fallen that far, Aniki……!’

Raidorl clenched his fist hard on the horse. Theclaws broke the skin of his palm and blood oozed out, but he did not care and put all his strength into his hand in a fury of rage.

“Apparently I have more reason to crush my……brother. Maybe it’s a good thing we didn’t have to fight him on the cause that is for me and my grudges…..”

Raidorl turned back at the road leading to the royal capital and glared at the western sky. He pictured in his mind, Granard’s face, who would be at the end of that sky.

“………”

Darren gazed painfully into the young prince’s face, anger and…..a touch of sadness in his eyes.