「It looks like it will still take several days before the peace conference. Until then, you'll teach me more about Nambonan's good qualities. 」
Anna's expression the moment she found out that we would be doing it for several more days was so charming that I felt like I could go for another round.
After we had finished, I fixed my disordered clothes and left the room. Outside, my bodyguards were waiting, and the customers were there too. It seemed like they've been waiting until I finished.
「I have judged that your offensive statements were due to the alcohol. However, I don't want to hear any of it a second time.」
Everyone felt relieved, and at the same time, they voiced their gratitude and concern for Anna. She stayed inside the room. When I left the room, she appeared to be crying while stifling the sound.
There was a beautiful girl covered in semen inside that room. It might arouse the male customers, so I strictly ordered the shop owner not to let anyone approach her for a while. Additionally, I had something I was curious about, so I decided to ask the shop owner.
「Is that girl single?」
In this world, a 26 years old woman was considered too late to get married. Even though Anna was beautiful and had a good figure, she didn't look like she had a husband or any engagement because she had pubic hair.
In this area, there was a custom for a woman who was married or engaged with a lover to shave their pubic hair. I wasn't sure if it was the same everywhere else, but that culture was popular in the Kingdom and the Empire, at the very least. That was why if a man wanted to find out whether the woman they like was single, they would find out instantly from seeing their pussy. Although I believe it would be faster to ask them directly if they have a lover.
「Y-yes! Anna's husband died in the epidemic two years ago! Yes!」
The shop owner frantically spoke while his voice cracked from nervousness. I see. I knew there was no way a good woman like Anna would be single. Besides, she wasn't a virgin.
I went back to the Quordentz's army camp which was set up in the city and cleaned my body with a wet towel. It was unfortunate that I couldn't get in a hot bath. The public bathhouse in Nambonan had stopped operating after the city surrendered. I could easily make an open-air bath, but according to my adjutant, if the soldiers found out that I was behaving so carefree in the battlefield, they would underestimate me. It was unfortunate, but I would have to postpone the bath for now.
The night was approaching, but I didn't have anything to do so I walked around the camp. I went to look at the condition of the soldiers under my command. I also walked to watch the soldiers led by the knights under the Quordentz and grandfather.
The soldiers with free time were spending their time however they want. Some were drinking, while some were sleeping with prostitutes. With so many soldiers moving, prostitutes and merchants would follow the army to do business.
If I had slept with a prostitute, Anna wouldn't have suffered miserably. But I was kind of nervous to do it with an experienced woman. Above all, I didn't like any of them.
I talked with the prostitutes. They said that soldiers would flood on them just because they were a woman. Prostitutes who were not popular in the city went and slipped inside the main camp to earn money.
The soldiers placed in the important locations in the city were forbidden to move without permission, so they were looking forward to changing shifts with the soldiers in the main camp.
I felt worried that the citizens of an occupied city could easily come inside the main camp, but they'd probably done the measures for that. Even if they try to escape through the camp, there was a moat made with the water from the river to narrow their escape route. Naturally, there would be soldiers positioned in those limited escape routes.
That was why it was like a festival around the main camp.
「Wilk-dono. Did you come to inspect the camp?」
I turned around, and Viscount Galliana was there. I felt like I had been encountering him quite frequently.
「Yes, I have nothing to do, so I'm bored.」
I would have the documents in the warehouse or the books bought in the town to read if I was in Nyuneri Caste, but there was nothing like that here. Even if there was a book, except reading for work, people here recognize pastime reading as a hobby for women. This world already had few entertainments, so I would have nothing to do if I couldn't even be allowed to read books.
「I see. Then would you like to come to my camp? I've received excellent alcohol earlier in the city. It would be waste to drink it all alone.」
「Oh? Deanrish-dono is not here?」
「My son is staying in the tent. He's probably having fun talking with a young girl than spend time with his father. It was quite a problem since I took him all the way here from the castle.」
Viscount Galliana laughed.
Apparently, Deanrish who had won his first campaign together with me was having sex all day with a girl he liked. If only I had time, I also would've taken Eve with me.
In this Nambonan campaign, many nobles nearby the Quordentz territory had participated, including Viscount Galliana. However, they only joined the war for the sake of formality, and their numbers were also few. Compared to Quordentz army's 60,000 soldiers, the soldiers from all the other families were hardly 10,000. A single noble only sent about 1000 soldiers.
As for why they even joined, they wanted to hold their son's first campaign. A noble with a son would want to perform their son's first campaign in a safe battlefield if possible. They would be worried if their son's first battlefield was in a dangerous war. On the other hand, it wouldn't look good if they sent their son to deal with bandits and thieves.
On that point, Nambonan campaign was the best. Since Nambonan was a well-known city even in the Empire and the Kingdom, having their first campaign here would sound good. Nambonan's surroundings were the territory of Quordentz, so there was no problem when thinking about safety. Furthermore, the enemy didn't have a noble as their lord, so there wouldn't be anyone with considerable magic power. On top of that, the supreme commander was General Garphis, widely known for being invincible.
When father told them 'If you want to join to hold your first campaign, you can join' and spread the invitation, quite a number of them gathered. Father didn't reveal the reason why he intentionally invited them, but he had a crooked expression, so there was probably a scheme running in there. Since they didn't have many soldiers with them, they'd arrived faster than us despite leaving later. However, I never thought they had enough time to bring their favorite woman.
In the end, the Quordentz army was named the Quordentz's Allied Army, and the Nambonan war took place.
Judging from the way he invited, It wouldn't be good as a noble to refuse him without any good reason. I also didn't have any reason to reject.
Wearing a smile, I answered:
「I see. Then, I'll accept your invitation. I also have something I'm curious about Nambonan.」
I would definitely be able to hear interesting stories about Nambonan since he was a former councilor. Led by the viscount, I entered his tent.
「The rumor that the blue demon appeared in a bar has been spreading among the citizens.」
He poured an amber colored alcohol in the glassy goblet made of metal. At the same at as we toasted, he spoke.
「Nambonan is trembling from being watched by the red and blue demon.」
It tasted like the apricot wine in my previous world, sweet and delicious.
「Viscount Galliana remained in the city?」
I went inside the city with him this morning and returned to the main camp before lunch. Since he heard the news, then he most likely stayed in the city.
「Yes, I took both lunch and dinner in the city. I secretly took a meal at the restaurant, and I was able to hear many interesting gossips.」
Was he talking about how a bar's idol was raped?
「I heard that there were people plotting to rebel against the Quordentz allied army in the bar. They said that the blue demon, who apparently heard of it, became so enraged that he immediately sent their heads flying.」
「Eh?」
「The blue demon was unable to calm his anger with just their blood, so he pointed his sword towards the customers and released his magic power.」
「Eh…」
「Amidst the overwhelming magic power, a waitress working in the store stood in front of the blue demon and talked about their love for Nambonan to show that they did not have any intention of rebelling. In the end, she was able to appease the blue demon.」
They were completely treating me like a demon god… That wasn't completely wrong from a commoners point of view about nobles.
According to him, it was apparently a hot topic in the restaurant. Viscount Galliana continued while displaying a smile.
「So, what's the truth?」
His expression was completely telling that I was the main culprit. However, he looked like he just wanted a conversation topic rather than seeking the truth. I judged that rather than telling him the truth, continuing with this rumor would avoid the dirty parts, and that would be good for me.
「Haha, the details seemed to have become slightly exaggerated. Rumors sure are scary.」
I spoke about the Nambonan's Story of Success that I'd heard from Anna to change the topic. Then, I turned to a subject relating to Nambonan's council.
「Viscount Galliana was a council member before, right? I'm not knowledgeable about the council. Can I ask what kind of group it is?」
「Sure.」
Face slightly proud, Viscount Galliana started his story.
Nambonan's Highest Decision-Making Body, Council.
It was a group consisting of ten members. The citizens would elect one member for every district, and since there were five districts in the city, only a total of five members would be elected. The remaining five seats would be chosen through a discussion held by the five elected councilors. Merchant's held the priority in Nambonan, so it was a custom to choose from the influential merchants to sit on the remaining five council seats.
「The citizens choose the first five councilors based on their popularity and character.」
『Even if you tell us to choose who would manage the city, we don't know which among them is good.』
『I heard Person A in my district is a good person, and he also has a wide network of connection.』
『In that case, we can just have Person A choose someone who knows how to manage the city.』
That kind of thought process was apparently the foundation of Nambonan's civil administration. In this case, Person A would be elected as a councilor, and then he would nominate a capable Person B to become a councilor.
From the citizen's point of view, they just had to vote a trustworthy person in their district.
「The five elected councilors would manage the city, for the most part. That was the case when I was a councilor.」
Whether elected or nominated, the ten councilors held equal authority, so the nominated councilors only held five votes in the decisions. A decision wouldn't be approved without the majority voting for it, so they need at least one vote from the elected councilors. Policies that prioritized business and neglect the citizens were rejected, said the Viscount.
When I nodded, a waiter poured alcohol in my empty goblet.
「How will Wilk-dono evaluate the council for choosing this time's conclusion?」
Viscount Galliana's eyes were serious.
His eyes felt like he was trying to assess the other party's value. I judged that I shouldn't give a careless response.
Let's see, how should I answer him?