–Aegir POV–
Another winter falls on the central plains. The war is over.
The Kingdom of Treia and the Yurest Alliance has disappeared from the map and became a part of Goldonia, while the Magrado Dukedom defeated the Goldonian navy and prevented them from crossing the river. Because of this, Goldonia lost its way to invade Magrado, but Magrado's elite expeditionary army also suffered casualties, so they couldn't afford to land on the eastern coast and fight with Goldonia either. Both nations completely regard each other as enemies, but choose not to fight a fruitless battle that might damage trade routes and instead agree to a one-year armistice.
I was going to head straight back to my territory after finishing my military service, but there is a planned celebration waiting for our triumphant return.
「You know...you can't just say 'I'm going home since it's over'...」
Erich has a resigned face as he stands beside me. The celebration for our triumphant return was done after the Arkland war too. You'd get bored doing the same thing twice too. Although, if you let me have an orgy there, I would be glad to come several hundreds of times.
「Even so, that last defeat is quite painful. Can we still celebrate without reserve? 」
Erich slumps his shoulders dejectedly.
「It hurts...unbelievably so. But that is probably why it will be done more lavishly than before. If we half-ass it now, the people won't really experience the feeling of victory.」
Erich continues to voice his complaints.
「One entire corps of 15 000 troops sunk. Do you know how long it took me to organize and train them...? Even if I gather the soldiers and train them up from the beginning, I can't get the commanders back. This isn't something that can be fixed just by investing time into it.」
It takes several times more work and effort for the cultivation of commanders than for soldiers and if they don't have the minimum amount of education, putting time in is meaningless. It is inevitable that there will be many nobles and knights of a young age, but he will have to pick and train only those suited for military. Erich must be really depressed, knowing he lost 15 000 people's worth of effort in one fell swoop. I throw much of that duty to Leopolt so it doesn't affect me though.
As I lead my soldiers and head to the plaza in front of the royal palace, citizens similarly welcome and greet me but they are nowhere near as enthusiastic as before. It was easy to understand in the previous war that Arkland was the villain, but we had a long-term friendly relationship with Treia and Yurest. Even though we won, they probably don't feel much sense of achievement besides the expansion of our territory.
「The King is spreading the word of our achievements to the people in his speech...but there will be a considerable amount of casualties if that last part is included. There might be trouble in the future.」
Erich speaks in a calm manner. Even so, the cheers continue to get louder and more heated as we pass through. I'm sure he's exaggerating quite a bit though. I don't mind being treated as a hero but it just seems strange to me.
「It's Viscount Hardlett!」
「I heard his army marched like lightning and crushed the fortress!」
「It was said that he even defeated Magrado!」
This much is good.
「I heard he ripped apart the heavy infantry with his hands.」
「He even hurled a boulder like a catapult would!」
「I heard he captured the enemy's female general and made her his sex slave.」
「I heard he aligned 100 women and made all of them pregnant in one night.」
It is getting a little strange from this point.
I jump off Schwartz and head directly towards the people. I shake several people's hands amongst the cheers, but I don't care about that. There is a group of young girls who has come out to enjoy the festival-like atmosphere.
「No way~ He's coming over here!」
「Amazing! Aren't you a fan, Eris!? Go on, go on.」
The girls are squealing and screaming, but I grab one of them and pull her in for a kiss.
「Eh!? Nnh!」
The girl is left in a daze, but when I slip my tongue in her mouth, she relaxes and accepts me. After a hot, ten-second kiss, I move to the next girl.
「Me too!? Nnh!」
I kiss each of the girls deeply, slipping my tongue in their mouths each time.
「Amazing...he's just as the rumors described.」
「Haa, haa...what an incredible kiss...it made me wet.」
It seems the last girl admires me. After the kiss, her hips gave out and she fell flat on her ass.
After taking the lips of all five girls, I mount Schwartz, who is waiting with a less-than-pleased expression. That will help me build up my spirit to conduct negotiations with the King.
「...How much of a womanizer are you?」
I don't pay Erich's cold stares any attention. I have the girls' voices, who are desperately screaming their addresses at me from behind. Celia is glaring at me with teary eyes. But even if I don't pay attention to that, I'll embrace her so much tonight that she'll go crazy.
When we reached the royal palace, we were called in separately for an audience. As usual, Celia is standing by in the waiting room, but I specially brought Myla along this time. I have to fulfill her promise after all.
「Lord Hardlett...won't it be bad to bring an enemy general such as myself to an audience with the King?」
Myla looks at me worriedly.
「Are you worried about me? It'll be fine.」
「Not that! I'm not talking about you, but about my family's name!」
Oh, how disappointing. I thought she was in love with me.
「Besides, didn't you just forcibly take my virginity and inject your seed!? How do you expect me to fall for you with that?」
「It felt good, didn't it? You moaned so much after all.」
「Wha-! If you rub a woman's...if you rub that good spot, anybody would cry out! That has nothing to do with my heart.」
「「Ahem!!」」
Celia, and the civil official who was also in the waiting room, cleared their throat at the same time. Myla covers her blushing face. I hope Erich finishes soon. I want to go back quickly and embrace Melissa and Maria.
「Please come in, Viscount Hardlett.」
「Finally...? Let's go Myla.」
I pull Myla's arm, who is still resisting.
「Lord Hardlett...I would like to talk about Altoberg, but your achievements this time are unmistakably superb. I praise you with the utmost admiration.」
「Thank you for such unworthy praise.」
「I have heard that your private army has been through countless fierce battles, yet suffered few casualties.」
I guess that's true now that he brings it up...although I still lost several hundred bow cavalry. It's not like it doesn't hurt.
「That's quite a difference.」
「Viscount Abbington.」
The King glances coldly at a spot diagonally behind me. A single noble is kneeling, almost like a humiliated criminal.
「You lost my fleet of battleships, what have you done besides sinking my officers and men into the water?」
「...I am ashamed of myself.」
It seems this man was the one leading the navy. Keeping him here for so long must signify the King's distaste.
「You should be hanged for smearing dirt on our victory...however it would be bad fortune to perform hanging right after winning the war. You should be thankful to Hardlett and Radhalde.」
「I can not say enough about how kind-hearted Your Majesty is...」
「Hmm, your betrayal aside, there's no use blaming your incompetence. I'll spare you from your deserved punishment! 」
This grumbling, almost like insistent nagging, is just like a sister-in-law from the dramas that Nonna likes. Don't tell me, was he like this in front of Erich too?
After the King scolds Abbington for some time, he turns to me once again and showers praises on me.
Now we get to the rewards.
「I said I would pay your rewards for your previous achievements in advance, but that is only for breaking through Treia's border. Routing Magrado's expeditionary army and making Yurest surrender is a sufficient achievement. Thus I will promote you and grant you the rank of Count!」
「It is my humble pleasure.」
I've gotten a little more distinguished.
「I originally wanted to make you a Margrave and leave the southern area to you, but the civil officials and the ministers are annoying. You aren't the type to be concerned with ranking either. So please bear with it for now.」
「So, in regards to rewards besides the rank.」
The middle-aged man waiting behind the King is Kenneth Baldwin, if I recall. It's the person Erich keeps complaining about. I believe he is the foreign affairs minister, but he is also the King's trusted aide so he must also provide him with various advice.
「Leaving part of the land to a general such as Lord Hardlett is unavoidable. You will be granted the area that runs south from your territory to Treia's land, responsible for guarding the various provinces to the south and the suppression of mountain tribe, how does that sound?」
「Fumu...if that is taken care of, two threats will be controlled.」
I'm already suppressing the mountain nation. I don't know much about the various southern provinces, but it should be fine since I'm increasing my territory. Adolph will be absorbing the trouble of increasing land, so it doesn't have much to do with me. But I have one thing that I won't give up.
「I humbly ask for a request, if you will allow me to speak.」
「Hm? What is it?」
The King thought it was surprising that I expressed my opinion regarding the rewards. I didn't have anything special to say before this after all.
「Regarding the rewards...I have two requests.」
「You're pretty greedy with two requests. Ask away.」
The King leans back in his chair and smiles.
「The first is the Erg Forest located in Treia...I want to have that forest.」
It seems the King isn't aware of the name of the place so he looks silently at Kenneth. Kenneth spreads open a map at the King's feet.
「It's an infamous cursed forest within Treia. Thus, no developments have been made and there isn't even a path.」
「It can't be helped if you want to possess a forest like that. Is there a special reason?」
「When we bypassed the fortress, we went through that forest to do something the enemy wouldn't expect. It is a forest of good fortune in that sense and I would appreciate if I could attain it.」
「There aren't any people who would want such a barren forest. I don't particularly mind but I would be granting you too much if I include everything from your territory to that forest...」
Then I don't mind if the middle gets cut out. I don't think that place will be used to increase profit or anything. I just want to protect that place so that it doesn't get roughed up by anybody else.
「Is that alright? Even though it's a large area, it isn't a place where people would gather, and that land is originally a remote region. As a Count....and a Margrave in the future, it shouldn't be a big deal to take it.」
「I guess it's better than splitting it up between the masses....if it's split up poorly, a complicated relationship will be created.」
Why did this guy, Kenneth, help me out? Don't tell me he's aiming for my ass or something.
During my occupation of Treia, Erich told me that there are no existing nobles who have claimed possession of the territory, and the dissatisfied feudal lords, who refused to surrender, were all burned down without exception. In other words, Treia's entire land has become the King's territory and he can do whatever he wishes with it.
「Very well. I will give Er...g? Was that it? I'll grant you all the territory up until the forest.」
「It is my humble pleasure.」
「And what is the other request? Did you want Trisnia as well?」
The King smiles. It seems I can continue to speak selfishly.
「It's about this person here.」
「I'm the Yurest Alliance General, Myla Hyuutia...It's embarrassing, but I have been defeated by Lord Hardlett and brought here.」
She's bolder than I thought she would be. I was sure she would be flustered or stutter, but as expected of a female general capable of leading an army.
The civil officials surrounding the King makes a little noise unintentionally.
「...Lord Hardlett, I thought you brought a lover with you, but for it to be an enemy general. I guess I can expect the unexpected from you.」
The King narrows his eyes. It might have been the right choice to bring this up as soon as I could.
「This woman has fallen on the battlefield and is now obedient. I have also investigated everything before coming here, so there is no danger.」
I have investigated the woman's secret pockets thoroughly.1
「That's fine...so what does that woman want?」
I hold back Myla, who was going to say something.
「The fall of this woman became one of the reasons for our victory. The duty that this woman and her family must fulfill will be important even while the territory is occupied...in which case I ask that you allow the continuance of her household.」
In reality, I fucked her after everything was settled, and nobody really knows about her family. The negotiations that resulted in surrender relied on brute force. I remember someone saying that lies are also tools after all.
「I won't. Even if it's to help or even if it's a right to possess the old fief, it's hard to keep everything under control. Yurest already has many relationships with our nation's nobles at it is. This will attract even more to do the same.」
The King's rejection was fairly strong.
「What if it's not to possess the former fief, but granting her some sort of job, while letting her keep her family name as a noble...」
Before the King could open his mouth to decline again, Kenneth steps forward. After whispering to the King, he steps in between us and speaks at great length.
「Isn't that fine, Your Majesty, just grant her the rank of Baroness or what have you, make her a head guard at the trade routes and settle this altogether.」
「But the nobles' relatives will make a fuss about this, no?」
「As long as they display their loyalty to Your Majesty, you'll grant them some sort of role and a little bit of territory. If they think in this way, it will decrease the number of people thinking ridiculous thoughts.」
「So you're saying that if the others want territory as well, they would have to show the corresponding amount of loyalty...?」
「Yes. The way we handled Yurest this time was a little forceful after all. Rather than leaving them alone, it would be better to keep a way of saving them.」
The King closes his eyes and thinks about it, then after sighing, relaxes his expression.
「...alright. By my name, Myla Hyuutia will be granted the title of Baroness. With regards to the territory, she will be granted a portion after everything has been given up temporarily.」
「M-my humblest pleasure.」
After bowing to the King, Myla looks at me with tears welling in her eyes. With those eyes, she won't refuse anything I ask tonight. Maybe I'll try something a little more unreasonable.
Anyways, I sure hope Kenneth isn't seriously aiming for my ass. I don't remember asking him to help me this much.
「Lord Hardlett...the special consideration for you is because of your special achievements. There will not be a second time.」
「I will keep that in mind.」
「Any more rewards than this and it will undoubtedly be unfair. Therefore, this will be the entirety of your rewards, understand?」
I can already picture Adolph's troubled face in my mind, but as expected, I can't tell the King 'I also want money' in this situation. I could only nod.
「Your private army has gotten pretty big too, so there is no longer a need to leave the eastern army with you. If necessary, I will appoint you as a commander and grant you authority again.」
I don't have any objections to this either. To be honest, I find it hard to use the eastern army the King entrusted to me in normal circumstances. There is no threat from the mountain nation so they aren't really necessary.
So the audience with the King ends, and I join up with Celia in the waiting room, but an unexpected person chases after me. It's Kenneth, possibly aiming for my ass.
「Count Hardlett, if you are willing, I would like to talk with you...」
There it is, quick to act as expected of a person who became a minister without any achievements. But I won't give up my ass so easily.
「Count Baldwin, don't you have to be present during the audiences of the other nobles?」
「It's not a big deal, everyone else's audiences, besides Count Radhalde and Count Hardlett, are for ceremonial purposes so the other civil officials should be sufficient.」
It seems like Kenneth wants to take my ass no matter what. But I owe him, so I can't drive him away either.
「So you want to talk with just the two of us?」
「I would want that if possible...」
It's unavoidable that this becomes a fight between the two of us, but I absolutely won't yield.
「Celia, Myla, wait for Leopolt and the others outside.」
「Thank you very much...I will wait for you.」
If Kenneth wasn't here, I would have given her a deep kiss and held her in my arms, so it's a little bit of a shame. Celia, being chased away again, looks at Kenneth provokingly, but leaves reluctantly because of my orders.
When Kenneth guides me into a room in the palace, he closes the curtains and sits down slowly on a chair. At the same time, I clench my ass tightly.
「The reason I called you here is...because I want to talk to you about the future.」
It doesn't look like it's about my ass. But I can't let my guard down.
「The future...? In that case, thanks for your assistance earlier.」
I'll thank him at least.
「It's nothing, since it's desirable for Lord Hardlett to attain new territory. I thought it was about time to help out the Yurest nobles a little.」
Kenneth lowers his voice as he adds on. I don't need more people like Leopolt, plotting some schemes.
「I am...a little dissatisfied about the current situation.」
Is he going to invite me to rebel with him?
「Currently, Goldonia's primary force is the central army, after all is said and done. Even though there have been many casualties in this battle, the lords' armies have weakened so now the central army's military strength is overwhelming.」
「Well...that is His Majesty's wish after all.」
「To take the strength from the lords' armies and gather it at His Majesty's feet. I don't have any objections regarding this...what I am unhappy about is the fact that such a large army is controlled by only a single person.」
「...」
So this is about Erich?
「This is just a delusion of mine, my own foolish nightmare...but if Count Radhalde revolts against the kingdom, where would the power to stand up against that come from?」
There is none. The central army has over 50 000 troops now. And now that the lords' armies have weakened from the King's policies, there are no other armies besides the guards in charge of the city's security. It wouldn't even be a contest from the start.
「However, there are many among the central army who have high respect for you. Not to mention, you have a strong private army.」
Is that how it is?
「Count Radhalde seems to have been granted cash for his reward this time, and no changes to his rank, so he is of equal rank to you.」
So Kenneth wants me to oppose Erich.
「You are not included in the new nobles controlled by Radhalde. And most of all, you possess a vast area of land.」
「Unfortunately, Erich...Lord Radhalde is an old acquaintance. I can't be hostile towards him.」
「Hahaha, naturally. It would truly be a nightmare if the two people, who can be said are the spears of Goldonia, oppose each other! But, you have the ability to surpass Count Radhalde. If...in the unlikely case that it happens, know that I will always be your ally.」
After saying that, Kenneth stands up. Then he lowers his voice at the end.
「His Majesty will by no means feel angry. He is calming his heart knowing that it ended at territory and rank.」
「What do you mean?」
「This war, especially the battleships that disappeared in the river, required a considerable amount of expense after all. Although Goldonia is a large nation, they don't have an inexhaustible supply of gold. The deficit of gold is quite large, so the tax collectors may play an active role in the future.」
With that final word, Kenneth and I exit the room.
I knew that Kenneth and Erich were antagonistic with each other, but it's quite muddled. However, because of that, I received assistance, and I found out that the King is in need of gold. I might have to do something for the development of the iron mine in the mountain nation territory.
This time when I leave the royal palace, I am lined up with Celia, Irijina, Luna and Myla. Pipi is riding on my shoulders.
「Well, now I need some time to heal my fatigue. Let's go back home.」
We'll take a break in the mansion in the capital for a while before heading back to my territory. It is especially important for the soldiers to rest after the celebration. Most of all, the people who are ecstatic about the victory, particularly the young girls, will open their crotches to the heroic soldiers more easily. It'll be a tight competition for the handsome guys, so even if you're a little ugly, you still have a chance. It's been a while so I want to suck on Melissa and Maria too.
「Alright, we're doing it lots when we get back!!」
The joyous Irijina and Luna, Leah, who's already wet and leading me by the hand, the slightly embarrassed Celia, Myla, who's still resisting a little, Pipi, whose body is rocking on my shoulders...this girl isn't wearing anything under there again.
Well, time for an orgy.
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