Chapter 523: Three Individuals, Three Desires

Meanwhile.

Capital Goldonia – King’s Quarters.

The king of Goldonia, Alexandro I, in light clothing unbefitting of his authority and without the use of a servant, lines up three glasses on the table.

He then calls out to the two male guests.

「I can’t pour for you if you’re kneeling. Why don’t you sit on the sofa?」

The two men were Military Commissioner Marquess Erich Radhalde and Domestic Affairs Commissioner Marquess Kenneth Baldwin.

Both of them were second only to the king and it was natural for them to always be accompanied by several attendants, yet they did not dare bring anyone else into the king’s quarters and answered the summons on their own.

「Then, don’t mind if I do.」

「I would humbly rather remain on the floor.」

Erich, who was about to stand up, glares at Kenneth in disgust at the blatant act of ingratiating himself with the king, prompting Kenneth to glare back as if accusing Erich of being a vulgar and rude person.

Their exchange lasted an instant, but the king, having seemingly seen it all, smiles wryly and fills the glasses with alcohol himself.

「Take a seat, you two.」

「「Very well.」」

The king’s request turns into an order and the two immediately sit on the sofa without a hem or a haw.

Rosario peeks in, but senses the king’s gaze telling her not to come, and quietly bows before disappearing into the adjoining room.

「Firstly, Lord Radhalde. I heard you suspended the inspection of your demesne to answer my summons. It appears I am lacking consideration. Forgive me.」

「Not at all, there is nothing else I should be prioritizing when His Majesty calls upon me.」

Kenneth directs a sarcastic smile at the bowing Erich, mocking him for having spare time to visit his manor during the crucial time after the war, while Erich sends a glare filled with bloodlust back at him in such a way that the king can’t see.

The king shifts his gaze to Kenneth next.

「As for you, you were so busy with the restoration that it cut into your precious personal time.」

「It is restoration to the kingdom belonging to Your Majesty. I can find as much time as needed for it.」

This time Erich looks at Kenneth as if to say he was probably spending all night polishing an intricate plan, which Kenneth responds to by chuckling and turning his eyes away purposely avoiding Erich.

The king did not address that situation, rather he turned to the glass containing amber liquid and said.

「There is something curious that caught my attention.」

Both of them cease fighting and become tense.

「I believe it was south of Trisnia, near the border of the city states. Viscount of House Helsen and Baron of House Witt are in a dispute over territory. Apparently, Lord Witt has finally aligned his troops on the land in contention.」

Witt is a new noble family and Helsen is a traditional noble family.

「With all due respect, Your Majesty, this matter all started when Lord Helsen sent his people into the territory to create a settlement. Lord Witt’s dispatch of troops is the unavoidable means he is using to defend his land.」

「Your Majesty, I have recommended the two houses meet to discuss the issue, but Lord Witt continues to refuse. Lord Helsen is the one who has done everything in his power to avoid clashing.」

The two of them present their cases and stare at each other at the same time.

「Someone came from the newly granted territory too. Baron Nahmur was the only one absent without leave from the meeting held between my governors. The Baron was informed by his messenger about the meeting’s schedule, but he was not told of the purpose and came to me saying he was humiliated.」

Baron Nahmur is a new noble surrounded by traditional nobles in the vicinity.

「With all due respect, Your Majesty, Baron Nahmur is a notoriously crude and violent man. His messengers have also been known to behave in the same manner and I have received reports regarding their detention due to trouble caused in other territories. Shouldn’t the blame lie solely with Lord Nahmur?」

「I won’t say the conduct of Lord Nahmur and his subordinates is acceptable by any means, but if it was known that the messenger was an important one, blame can be assigned after his duty was carried out or he should at the very least be allowed to pass his message to another messenger. One can see the clear malice behind such an act.」

Both of them form sentences that oppose each other.

Both already knew about the impending trouble in advance.

It was not an isolated incident, but part of a larger factional conflict between the new nobles and the traditional nobles.

「I guess I should end the preamble here. The main subject is of a different nature.」

Neither of the two individuals were surprised at what the king said.

Those concerns raised were too trivial for the king to personally invite the heads of the military and government to his private quarters.

「It is regarding the conflict between……you two.」

The tension shared by Erich and Kenneth could be cut with a knife.

「「As nobles of Goldonia, we strive to cooperate for the kingdom’s――」」

The king holds up a hand to interrupt them.

Interpreting that to mean no need for a front, the two do not say anymore and zips their mouths shut.

「I am aware of the feud for power between the new nobles and the traditional nobles. I do not intend to hide that fact.」

The two nod slightly.

Although their chests were puffed proudly but not enough to be obsequious, their gazes checking to see if the king was mad still wavered.

「I――think it’s a good thing. If the masses fought all over the place, the country would be in turmoil, but I know you two are not so foolish or tactless.」

The king smirks and stands up, moving himself to the window.

「I foresaw this happening, which is why I distributed the rewards and territory as I did.」

Although the king’s smile persists, his eyes pierce Erich sharply.

「You are my protege, the new noble who started it all from the Wings of Dawn. It is no exaggeration to say today’s Goldonia exists because of you and them.」

The king only rotates his eyeballs to face Kenneth.

「You are the traditional noble who supported the kingdom of Goldonia longer than my father’s and my grandfather’s generations. ……no one views me as an usurper any longer.」

「That’s……」

The outbursts of the king tormented by paranoia handicapped Goldonia in the war with South Yuguria, but also instilled fear of the king’s authority in all of the nobles in the nation.

「Merit goes to the new nobles, but the traditional nobles proficient at governance will be important in the upcoming times.」

「Wait, that’s――!」

Erich leans forward.

Everything will be over if the king says the new nobles are not needed in the future.

Understanding that, the king holds down Erich’s shoulder.

「But people change. Their thinking and abilities change as well. It is possible for a man who has risen through the ranks via military accomplishments to be a great official. And it is only through competition that his skills can be honed.」

The king’s mouth forms into the largest smile of the day.

It is one of anticipation, provocation and delight――

「I expect you two to fight. Strength, money, people, conspiracies, use it all in your competition!」

The supposedly wise Erich and Kenneth freeze in place for a few moments.

「There are only two things you need to keep, your loyalty to me and the law of the land. Aside from that, I will overlook the rest. Kick down your opponent and show them you are the future of Goldonia!」

Contrary to the king’s words, Erich and Kenneth, who unconsciously stood up, forgot their rivalry and faced each other.

「It was all planned……I did not see this coming at all.」

「As reluctant as I am to admit, I am also a little flabbergasted.」

Seeing the two in shock, the king smiles in amusement.

「Well, I’m not suggesting you to kill each other. Although that may be fine if one of you surrenders. Look, there’s no point in plotting until you leave here. Now that the seal is broken, why not drink?」

The king pours alcohol in the two men’s glasses until liquid overflows, then sits comfortably on the sofa and crosses his legs.

「……by the way, I’d like to continue from where we left off. I heard Count Corbae messed around in Hardlett’s territory, and soon after his second son and 20 of his knights died in an accident. Do you know anything about this?」

「Unfortunately, no……I am no more than a fool.」

「I asked the Count, but he insisted repeatedly that it was an accident……」

After finishing their drinks during the chat, the two bowed deeply and exited the room.

Once Erich and Kenneth stepped out of the kings chambers, their respective attendants jumped in, glaring at each other before walking separate directions.

「Commissioner!」

「Oh Cedric, I must have kept you waiting.」

The man serving Erich is Cedric Leavat, 23 years old, and the eldest son of a knight house.

Although Cedric had an episode of bravery in which he led several cavalry in battle, he lacked the sufficient prestige to become Erich’s close aide.

However, Erich saw in Cedric a valuable talent among the new nobles for schemes and domestic affairs that outshone his proficiency in the spear, and decided to keep him around so that talent can be honed.

「If I may ask, what business did His Majesty have with you? If that Kenneth was also called, I’m sure it wasn’t peaceful.」

Erich smiles to ward off his attendant’s overflowing ardor.

「A power struggle officially sanctioned by His Majesty is about to begin. I’ll need you to come into your own as soon as possible. If you want a shot at Kenneth’s jaw, you’re going to have to skirt around the law.」

「Yessir. I’ll make those nasty traditional nobles and their boss cry!」

Cedric grins belligerently as he starts moving his pen rapidly as he walks.

「Also that Hardlett seems to have caused a stir again. Just when I thought he was incredibly sharp, he suddenly goes berserk. I still can’t figure out the depths of his ability.」

「Goldonia’s greatest feudal lord……the war demon Hardlett……gulp.」

Erich comes out of the palace and continues as he boards his carriage.

「You never met him, right? It’s a good opportunity for you, so try and get familiar.」

「Yessir. Actually, my family received land in the neighborhood of Hardlett’s territory, and sent greetings as well as an invitation to an evening party……but he refused, probably because of the difference in family status……」

Erich chuckles and stretches his leg.

「He’s not someone who pays attention to status. He simply refused all requests because he couldn’t bother to read through them. If you aim for the time when his wife is not occupied, you can generally drag him in too……otherwise, you’d have to lure him with women. If I recall, you have an older sister who is unmarried, right?」

Cedric becomes visibly disturbed.

「N-no, not my sister!」

Erich laughs more, while Cedric has a grave demeanor.

「I’m not worried about my sister being attacked or anything rude like that. It’s just……her personality is problematic and she can’t be around people. Even more so when the person is a Margrave……」

「She was 26, right? There certainly must be a reason as to why she hasn’t received a single marriage proposal at that age. Still, I believe that guy would laugh and forgive a mature unmarried lady even if she splashed boiling water on him. Anyways, I’ll let him know you’re coming. ……after crushing Kenneth, I need him to fully support me. Well, twice that, I’m the one who has to wipe his ass――」

That is when the carriage jolts, coming to a sudden stop with a thunderous crash and throwing Erich and Cedric against the wall.

「What happened!!?」

Cedric peeks out the window when the driver doesn’t respond and finds him lying on the ground.

「It looks like a wheel came off. There are no attackers in sight.」

Broken wood fragments littered the main street of the capital, attracting onlookers from the many buildings along the road and creating a commotion.

「Is it Kenneth?」

「He got us good. The wheels may have been tampered with, but I doubt we’ll have enough evidence to prove he was behind it. It’s a shallow trap if he’s aiming of our lives……perhaps he intends to ground our carriage in a busy street and humiliate the Radhalde name.」

Compared to Cedric who grimaces in frustration, Erich remains calm.

「What is our countermeasure?」

「The carriage maintenance employees have likely been bribed. In that case, I will make an example out of them and run them over with a carriage, making it look like an accident. What follows……although one move late, should suffice as retaliation.」

――At the Same Time.

「What did His Majesty say?」

Talger pops out from beside Kenneth.

He is a man opposite of jovial and lighthearted, rather he is a symbol of gloom and displeasure.

「He told me to fight openly. I didn’t see that coming. He probably gathered evidence from the incident with House Dulicy and House Maedlin. The atmosphere wasn’t right to bring up trivial matters.」

Kenneth replies and thrusts a bundle of papers kept in his pocket at Talger.

「It’s unfortunate. House Maedlin were cornered too.」

Talger utters before lightly tugging on Kenneth’s arm.

「My leg is in bad shape. Can you walk a little slower?」

Kenneth was about to complain why he had to adjust his speed, but thought better of it and waited for Talger to catch up.

「What did you do?」

「I devised a plan which should humiliate Radhalde-dono. You shouldn’t leave the palace until it is complete.」

Kenneth continues, pretending to admire a garden tree.

「Can it be traced back to us?」

「No. The relevant persons have been bribed and threatened into becoming pawns.」

Kenneth nods to indicate his approval and sniffs an elegantly blooming flower.

Then he proceeds to smile at the disgruntled young man next to Talger.

「Not a fan of such tactics, Reval-dono?」

The man is one of Kenneth’s aides named Reval Schmidt, age 23, the second son of the Margrave Schmidt whose prestigious family owns vast lands in the northern region of the capital, and possesses the title of Viscount himself.

「No, I don’t like it. You don’t need etiquette when beating those savage new nobles, you need dignity. Should it not be the lowly side that sneaks around and plays tricks?」

There is a considerable difference in status between Reval, a Viscount with no territory or post, and Kenneth, the head of domestic affairs.

Nevertheless, Reval states his opinion proudly while being careful not to be disrespectful.

That action is partly due to his assertive nature, but more than anything, it is probably because he thinks that Kenneth would not be able to ignore the prestige of the Schmidt family. Also, Kenneth had never been overbearing towards Reval.

「Hoho, how reliable. You are unmistakably someone born of the famed Schmidt family, now there is a task I’d like to entrust you with.」

「Anything you ask.」

Reval folds his arms, brimming with confidence.

「Goldonia’s greatest feudal lord, Margrave Hardlett.」

Reval raises an eyebrow.

「He controls vast lands and a powerful army, but acts wildly and audaciously. He tears through my calculated schemes with brute force……and he just doesn’t seem to be very compatible to me.」

Talger adds to Kenneth’s comments.

「The only one who can stand up to Lord Hardlett is Schmidt-sama, known to be bold and brave……」

「I don’t need a servant to tell me what to do!」

Reval spat, glaring angrily at Talger and then awkwardly looking away as he remembered he is Kenneth’s aide.

「In any case, I was going to severely reprimand Hardlett. I’ll make him deal with me.」

Kenneth utters in a somewhat subdued voice, letting Reval dash off.

Talger only mumbles after he watches the gallant back walk away.

「Pawn.」

Kenneth simply stays silent, the corners of his lips curling up.

「As long as it is not wartime, Hardlett is a mere barbarian, there is no need to win him over. None of Radhalde’s subordinates has the ability to conspire properly. If I take my time and develop my plans without rushing, I’ll see the position of prime minister in a few years.」

「About that――」

An alarm rings in the distance just as Talger’s sentence forms.

「Fire at Count Elper’s residence――!!」

「Send the fire brigade――! Ensure the Count’s safety――!!」

Kenneth looks at Talger with wide eyes.

「They got us. That house belongs to a new noble that we were aiming to win over……we only needed to finalize the terms.」

「Was it Radhalde?」

Talger nods.

「The Count will see this as a threat from us to force him to compromise. And it’s irrational…… everything we’ve negotiated is back to square one.」

「Can we search for proof that traces back to Radhalde?」

Talger shakes his head.

「It’s meaningless. If the Radhalde side did it, then it will confirm that this secret meeting was leaked to the opponent and our other negotiations will be negatively influenced too. It’s better to accept that we played a poor hand leading to broken negotiations.」

Kenneth stares downward for several seconds and then raises his head, beginning to think of his next move.

――At the Same Time.

As soon as his guests left the room and after watching them walk in opposite directions, the king excitedly called for Rosario.

「Were you listening?」

「I’m afraid so. However, I am stupid and will soon forget everything.」

The king pulls Rosario close and places a hand on top of her clothes.

Sensing his intent, she shifts her body to allow her clothes to be easily taken off.

「It is not in jest that I incited both parties to fight each other. The new nobles and traditional nobles essentially cannot coexist. Without any external enemies, they would have eventually started skirmishes in various places.」

The king strips the woman to the state she was when born and throws her on the bed.

「One can only stand on top of the other. That means it would be the most efficient if the two forces collide now, when they are being led by skilled individuals. Carelessly dragging the conflict and upsetting incompetent fools may lead to imbeciles splitting the nation and relying on foreign countries.」

The king puts his head in between Rosario’s legs and sucks relentlessly.

Sweet moans echo in the room.

「Both of them are undoubtedly brilliant. If Kenneth wins, domestic affairs will be as solid as a rock, and if Erich wins, although he is a tiny bit behind, he has the talent to adapt. Now that there are no more external threats, I don’t have to hurry.」

The king spreads Rosario’s legs wide and thrusts his hips with great spirit.

He evokes a sharp squeal followed by a long cry of pleasure from the woman.

「If Kenneth wins, I’ll grant him the immense authority of prime minister, and if Erich wins, I’ll make him field marshal. It doesn’t matter who wins……after all, their ambitions will be second to mine――gguh!!」

The king lets out a grunt and thrusts his hips a final time before collapsing on top of the woman’s body.

Short gasps escape Rosario lips as her legs wrap around the king’s back and her hips rock in time with the pulsing of his ejaculation.

「……fuuuu. By the time the fight is settled, you’ll be pregnant. You and I are also still young, I’ll have you bear more children than you can count on your hands.」

The king gazes at the half-conscious Rosario lying on the bed, pleased at his work, and leaves the room.

「Alright.」

Confirming she’s alone, Rosario rises from the bed.

Her first action is to scrape out the semen from her vagina, then swallow a contraceptive pill she kept hidden.

「……it’s better to be pregnant, I know that but-」

Rosario puts a hand on her unstained abdomen.

She guides that hand into her genitals, where she had been penetrated, and moves it towards her womb, but stops barely at the entrance.

That was how deep the king’s penis reached.

「……」

Several seconds of silence passes as Rosario closes her eyes, fantasizing.

Her hand reaches further inside her body toward her womb, eventually entering the womb and pressing up against her stomach from below.

「Fufu, who am I kidding.」

She heaves a sigh, almost like she was longing for something.

–Aegir POV–

Rafen.

「Do you understand?」

「Yeah, you’re a pervert too, huh? Fufufu, I didn’t think you’d like sticking it in a young girl.」

Leopolt doesn’t deny or affirm my claim and simply fixes his eyes on me.

Don’t give me that look. You can at least react to my joke.

「……at the present time it is financially difficult to rebuild our forces. However, we can build a basic framework while keeping some high-ranking commanders, and then immediately reorganize the rest when we have money to spare……right?」

Leopolt nods.

「If I may add, I would divide the formation into two, consisting of a defense unit centered around infantry and an offense unit centered around cavalry. Both will increase reaction speed and rapid deployment capabilities――」

I interrupt with a question.

「It’s a fundamental question……do we still need an army?」

No enemy nations remain. The only neighboring country is Malt, a symbol of peace.

There are no more hostile tribes within the mountain nation either.

I may have had a small dispute with a nearby feudal lord, but it’s nothing that requires the mobilization of a military force.

After running over his idiot son and followers with Schwartz, he became obedient.

「I hear Erich and Kenneth are having quite the fight with each other, but it’s with plots so I don’t think an army will be useful.」

Leopolt had closed the document regarding the army details before I realized it.

Then he asks one thing――

「Between Lord Radhalde and Lord Baldwin, who would you rather be under?」

What a silly question.

「Erich is my superior. Plus, I’m a new noble so I’ll be associated with him.」

Leopolt takes a step forward.

「That’s for today. Then what about the future? Who would you like to be the eternal leader?」

「……eternal?」

I consider it for a moment.

And I don’t answer.

「What if I include one more person?」

Leopolt takes another step forward.

「Let’s add His Majesty. Out of the three, who would you rather have as the eternal leader?」

I still don’t want to answer.

「That’s fine.」

「What is?」

Leopolt pulls away.

Somehow he seems to be emitting an aura of happiness despite his lack of expression.

He makes me so angry that I want to headbutt his solar plexus.

「Hey. I’m back――what are you doing?」

Sekrit walked into the room just when I was about to headbutt him.

「I was punishing a gloomy bastard. And where the hell have you been?」

She vanished without a word ever since the war with South Yuguria was over.

I know it’s Sekrit, but I’m starting to get worried.

「That city you’ve been piecing together, Zwei Elfie or whatever, well it piqued my curiosity when I heard it was a city of danger and adventure. I’ve come to introduce you to an eager candidate.」

「What?」

It’s abnormal for Sekrit to use her time and effort on a single person.

「I’ve had my fun along the way too. It’s better to get rid of my post-war sexual desires sooner than later.」

「What did you say!?」

I stand up, agitated.

That tanned body should be mine.

It’s a serious affair if she accepted another man’s embrace.

「How big was that guy’s dick!?」

「Not even ten centimeters.」

I sigh and sit back down.

「Don’t scare me. I thought you cheated on me.」

「I don’t know what your definition of cheating is……anyways, I simply fooled around with a kid I picked up while travelling so it doesn’t count.」

Poor boy. Rough sex with Sekrit was probably traumatic for him.

「Alright, back to your preference for males.」

I didn’t even notice that Leopolt isn’t here anymore.

Before I could protest, Sekrit was undressing and taking my formal wear from the wardrobe.

「I’ll dress as a man, so fuck me. Since I enjoyed being the giver with the brat, I want to be on the receiving end this time. Don’t hold back. I don’t mind if you choke me or beat me. I have a whip too.」

Sekrit takes the liberty of cutting a hole in the groin area of her pants with a knife, then puts her foot on the wall and spreads her legs almost 180 degrees to provoke me.

I throw my clothes off and hug Sekrit’s toned body.

「Where did you really go?」

「Fufu, I was hoping to see an adventurer worth a hundred thousand gold coins.」

I don’t get her at all.

I’ll insert myself for the time being.

I don’t have an ounce of interest in males, but this dressing up is nice.

It feels like a new door has been opened. I like it a lot.

Protagonist: Aegir Hardlett. 25 years old. Winter.

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. Poison Resistance.

Characters

Sekrit (disguised as a man), ??? (adventurer), Nonna (invitation accepted)

————————————————————————————————

Territory Population

Total: 364 000

Rafen: 45 000, Lintbloom: 10 000, Richemott (former Libatis): 30 000, Zwei Elfie: 300

Army

Personnel: Infantry: 1000, Cavalry: 500, Escort: 30

Armaments: Cannons: 30, Large Cannons: 15, Dwarven Cannons: 15, Field Artillery: 7, Chariots: 30

Assets: -332 000 gold (dwarf trade +5000)

Sexual Partners: 808

Children who have been born: 70 + 567

Current Location: Rafen