How to Survive as a Knight’s Son – Chapter 12

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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Quaran, a port city located at the southernmost tip of the continent, was surrounded by a semicircular wall that started from the seashore. The moat in front of it was a murky brown, emitting a foul odor.

The river that flowed through the city carried all the sewage into the moat, which then flowed into the sea. It served as both a defense against enemies and a sewage system.

As we crossed the arched stone bridge over the moat and passed through the gate, the salty smell of the sea intensified.

The city was filled with buildings made of wood, plaster, and brick. Sailors with tanned, bare skin walked along the main streets and narrow alleys.

Unlike the people of the manor, whose expressions were weathered and unchanging, the city dwellers’ expressions shifted with every little thing. The latter seemed more vibrant. This difference likely stemmed from their freedom.

I rode my horse along the river. My swordsmanship instructor, Sir Roland, led the way a few paces ahead.

“I thought you’d lost interest in this.”

“Not at all. One never tires of bedding women. However, since I’m receiving a salary without working, I have to be mindful of Sir Maxim.”

“Father has been away for four months.”

“Well, I can’t lie to you, Master Allen. There’s another reason. Look around. Don’t you think there are more people than usual?”

Quaran was a remote port city with nothing much to offer. Yet, today it was bustling with people. The peculiar thing was that most of them were well-dressed men.

“Is there a festival or something?”

“You could call it a festival. A festival where men compete for the hand of a woman. You know that the Princess recently arrived in Quaran as its ruler, right? The King’s only heir, and rumored to be a breathtaking beauty.”

“The Blood Princess?”

The mention of the Princess of Quaran brought a certain figure to mind. It was a memory from my past life.

Roland stopped his horse and turned around.

“Pardon? What did you say?”

“Are all these people here to win the Princess’s heart? And you’ve been abstaining from your usual pleasures because you’re interested in her as well?”

I skillfully changed the subject. Roland tilted his head, then continued his explanation.

“It’s a chance to strike it rich. If you win the Princess’s heart, you could climb the social ladder.”

“But you suggested we visit the brothel today.”

“Well, you see, you can’t catch a tiger cub without entering the tiger’s lair. But the Princess is holed up in the castle, refusing to show her face. Even her vassals have only seen her from afar.”

Roland shook his head.

I couldn’t tell how much of his story was true and how much was fabricated. He seemed like a carefree man, but the fact that he appeared as soon as I provoked Sophia was suspicious.

In fact, I should have been suspicious from the beginning.

Father had tried to hire a swordsmanship instructor for me, but couldn’t find a suitable candidate. Sophia stepped in and, with the help of her relative, the Baron, found a knight.

That knight was Roland.

Roland taught me about women before he taught me about swordsmanship. He piqued my interest with lewd stories and then led me to the brothel. I was at an age where my hormones were raging, so I easily fell for it.

He was partly responsible for me becoming a scoundrel. Yet, I had considered him someone I could confide in. Thinking back, it was absurd.

It then occurred to me that Roland had escorted Sophia to the Baroness’s party in the capital. It had happened several times.

He claimed it was to earn his keep, but was that really true? Once the seed of doubt was planted, it quickly sprouted.

“So, you want to visit the brothel again?”

“I hear there’s a new girl who’s just as beautiful as Lucy, if not more so. And she’s from the East…!”

“A beautiful whore from the East.”

Honestly, I wasn’t interested. I knew what to expect from a whore working in a small town on the frontier. Besides, I could have my way with Anya, who was destined to become one of the most beautiful women in the continent.

“By the way, what happened to Neri?”

Roland casually brought up the subject. It seemed the story about the whore was just an appetizer for this question.

I smirked like a thug and adopted the usual speech pattern of a scoundrel.

“Oh, that bitch? She was a real piece of work. A mere serf, acting all high and mighty just because she worked at the manor, making up excuses to bully my sister. Honestly, it’s absurd.”

I was worried that my act would be exposed, but Roland seemed more interested in the content of my words than my demeanor.

“Oh dear, that serf must have been out of her mind. But, the servants here have always been a bit… peculiar. As an outsider, I’ve turned a blind eye to it several times.”

“Do you think I didn’t know that the servants were looking down on my sister?”

A flicker of surprise crossed Roland’s eyes.

“Then why…?”

“I didn’t care if they bullied her while I was away. But bullying her in my presence is an insult to me.”

“You didn’t seem to mind before.”

Allen chuckled.

“When was that?”

“Well… um?”

Roland finally seemed to remember. It had been a long time since I had shared a meal with Anya.

“So, are we going or not? You said you wanted to see the girl from the East.”

“Ah, yes. Let’s go. I’ll lead the way.”

Roland resumed walking.

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We had stopped in front of a large, gymnasium-like building. A drainpipe protruding from the side wall connected the building to the river, and greasy sewage flowed out of it continuously.

The air inside was even more humid. The source of the humidity was a large hot bath in the center of the building.

The bath was filled with people barely covering their vital parts. Men and women mingled freely in the water. It was a brothel disguised as a public bathhouse.

“Jaken, I hear you have a beautiful new girl.”

Jaken, who was manning the counter, got up from his armchair. He was a middle-aged man with a protruding belly. A long scar ran diagonally across his face, and his exposed arms were covered in tattoos.

“Honestly, Sir Roland, you amaze me. You don’t even live in the city, yet you’re more informed than the citizens.”

“Cut the crap. I hear she’s beautiful. Is it true?”

“Beautiful? She’s from the East, so she’ll have a unique flavor as well.”

“Is that so?”

Roland grinned lewdly.

“But, will it be alright? She hasn’t received any customers yet. You know the first time always has a special value.”

“Hey, you know Master Allen, don’t you? That’s just pocket change for him. Isn’t that right?”

Roland looked at me. I had always paid for his services. I had always thought it was natural. He was just a salaried knight, and I was the heir to the territory.

However, now that I suspected Roland of being Sophia’s pawn, I wasn’t going to pay for my enemy’s pleasure.

“Sir Roland, why are you asking me?”

“Pardon? What-”

“Isn’t it customary for the person who suggested the outing to pay? I thought you were offering.”

Roland, looking dumbfounded, forced a smile.

“A salaried knight like me can’t afford such expenses…”

“So, you were planning to use my money? Honestly, that’s absurd.”

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

“Then what?”

Roland, unable to admit that he had been planning to freeload, reluctantly paid for both of us. Of course, he couldn’t afford the new girl’s exorbitant price.

“Lucy! Come out! Master Allen is here.”

At Jaken’s call, Lucy emerged from behind the curtain. She was a tall, slender beauty with long, dark blonde hair and tanned skin, her beauty out of place in this small town.

For the past three years, I had been infatuated with Lucy. I must have spent the equivalent of the manor’s annual budget on her.

“Oh my, Master Allen! It’s been a while. Why haven’t you visited? Don’t tell me you’ve grown tired of me?”

But why did her usual act feel so unpleasant now? That was putting it mildly. As I crossed my arms and observed her flirtatious behavior, I finally realized why.

Filthy whore.

Lucy smelled rancid. In this era, people believed that frequent bathing caused disease. Even Anya, a knight’s daughter, believed it, so it was no surprise that others did as well.

At least she wasn’t dressed in rags, thanks to working at a brothel disguised as a bathhouse. The problem was that she was a whore.

I left Lucy behind and entered the changing room.

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I took off my clothes and examined my body. Fortunately, I didn’t seem to have contracted any venereal diseases. In this era, without proper treatment, such diseases could be fatal.

It seemed my exclusive use of Lucy had paid off. It had been worth the expense to claim her as my own from the moment she started working here. It had cost me a fortune, but at least I hadn’t become impotent.

Roland, who had entered the changing room with me, was already gone. I found him again in a shadowy corner near the changing room.

However, he wasn’t alone.

“Sir Roland. It’s been a while. Are you upset with me?”

Lucy was clinging to Roland.

Perhaps it was because of my experience with Anya, but I started noticing things I hadn’t before. The way Lucy’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Roland, the vibrant smile she hadn’t shown me…

She looked like a woman in love.

Roland didn’t seem to mind Lucy’s affectionate advances either, even though she was his student’s mistress.

When did this start? Perhaps from the moment they met. After all, it was Roland who had introduced me to this place.

Was it too far-fetched to think that a mere whore and a baseborn knight had conspired to deceive me?

My feelings for Lucy had cooled the moment I saw her again, but I still felt insulted.

I no longer needed to confirm whether Roland was Sophia’s pawn. He had clearly shown his disrespect, and he would pay the price. Along with Lucy. That was my decision.

“I didn’t know you two were so close.”

“Master Allen…?”

The startled couple quickly separated. However, I had already seen everything. I smiled at the flustered pair and continued,

“Sir Roland. I’m quite disappointed. What is there to hide between us? If you desired Lucy, you should have told me. I would have gladly yielded. Well, it’s not too late. I was feeling bad about our earlier conversation, but this makes me feel much better.”

I pulled Lucy away from me and pushed her towards Roland.

“Sir Roland…”

While Roland looked even more flustered, Lucy seemed pleased, as if she had been waiting for this moment.

What a fool.

Did she not understand why she, unlike other whores, was adorned with silk clothes and jewelry, and spared from unwanted advances? It seemed I had spoiled her.

“Haha. Master Allen. You misunderstand. Lucy and I are old friends. We were just catching up.”

Roland belatedly tried to salvage the situation. I waved my hand dismissively.

“Even if it’s a misunderstanding, it’s fine. As a token of apology, I’ll yield Lucy to you.”

“Then, Master Allen, you will…”

“I’ll meet the new girl you mentioned. Don’t worry about the money. I’ll pay for myself.”

Roland’s expression turned troubled. It worsened as Lucy, oblivious to the situation, tugged at his arm. It seemed Roland, at least, had some sense.

Even so, he wasn’t much better than Lucy.

“I’ll see you later.”

I left them behind and looked for Jaken.

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“Can I see the new girl from the East now?”

“If you have the money, why not? But what about Lucy? Even for you, Master Allen, it would be difficult to monopolize both Lucy and the new girl.”

Jaken’s eyes gleamed with anticipation. I understood his intentions and chuckled.

“Why? Is Lucy in high demand?”

“Hehe. The grass is always greener on the other side, as they say. Besides, with you sponsoring her, rumors have spread that Lucy is an exceptional whore. There are plenty of men eager to have a taste.”

“Her price must be quite high.”

“Of course. Almost as much as when she was a virgin. So, what will you do…?”

I pretended to consider my options.

“Hmm, it would be difficult for me to monopolize both of them. Besides, I’ve had my fill of Lucy after three years.”

“Then…”

Jaken’s face lit up. I sighed dramatically, feigning regret, and nodded.

“I’ll relinquish my exclusive rights to Lucy.”

Without my protection, Lucy would soon fall into the hands of countless men, used as a tool like any other whore. Could she, who had been pampered and sheltered under my patronage, endure such a fate?

I was skeptical.

Lucy would surely regret her actions. And when that time came, who would she turn to for help? Her beloved Roland? Could a mere hedge knight like him save her? Would he even want to?

I remembered the look in Roland’s eyes when he looked at Lucy. It wasn’t the look of love.

What a fool.

“Hehe, wise decision. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll bring the new girl. Please wait a moment.”

Jaken hurried off, afraid that I might change my mind.

Left alone, I thought about how to deal with Roland. The new girl from the East was already forgotten.

I had no time to waste on a whore whose value had been inflated simply because she was from the East.

“You’re Master Allen, I presume? I’ve heard a lot about you.”

When I saw the new girl Jaken brought, my mind went blank. It wasn’t because she was breathtakingly beautiful, surpassing all my expectations. It was because I knew her.

The Great Mother Jin.

One of the named characters from the game.

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A hot mom suddenly pop out, guess what will Allen do toward her? 🤔