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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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Caw… Caw… Caw…
Crows, seemingly having appeared out of nowhere, sat on the branches of a tree, looking down at me. They were coveting Roland’s corpse, which was growing colder.
Then, as if on cue, the branch I was standing on began to shake, startling the crows into flapping their wings. It was a sign that the ancient tree was about to collapse.
Time was of the essence. I pushed Roland’s stripped corpse into the hollow. The corpse disappeared into the darkness.
Almost simultaneously, the ancient tree, which had been shaking, tilted and fell backwards. The hollow that had swallowed Roland’s corpse also disappeared.
“It’s just like the game.”
By removing the artifact that acted as the source of power, the ancient ruins had collapsed. Now, there was no trace of Roland. In the end, everything had turned out exactly as I had planned.
If so, it was time to take the final step.
I shoved Roland’s equipment into my backpack and turned around, heading towards the village below the manor.
I returned to the manor when the sun was at its peak.
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“Aaaah!”
The servant who had been sweeping the entrance hall screamed. She had been startled by the injuries on my face and my blood-soaked appearance. The commotion drew everyone in the manor.
“What is all this noise?!”
“Brother…?”
The servants, along with the treasurer, Bertio, Sophia, and even Anya, appeared. They were all shocked by my appearance. It seemed my decision not to wash up before returning had paid off.
I put down the empty backpack and said,
“Bertio. Summon a meeting of the vassals. A rebellion has taken place.”
“A, a rebellion? What are you talking about?”
“Roland attacked me and then fled.”
“That’s a lie!”
Sophia was the first to deny it. However, the injuries on my face were impossible to dismiss. Moreover, Roland, who should have been the most eager to defend his innocence, was absent.
“Bertio.”
Bertio, who had been glancing at Sophia, left the manor in a hurry after receiving my signal.
“What exactly happened?!”
“I just told you.”
“I’m asking for more details! How can you expect me to believe that Roland attacked you and then fled?! Does that make any sense?!”
“What’s so unbelievable about it? I’ll explain everything at the vassal meeting. You can come too, Mother.”
I left Sophia, who seemed to have a lot to say, behind and headed to the meeting room. Just then, someone grabbed my arm.
“Brother! What about your injuries?”
Anya was the only one who had prioritized my well-being. The fact that she was my only blood relative and my only ally was what made her so special to me, far more than her beauty.
I removed my blood-stained glove and stroked Anya’s hair. Her trembling eyes gradually calmed.
“I’ll get treated after the meeting. It won’t take long.”
Anya looked like she had more to say, but I promised her we’d talk later.
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Bertio returned quickly. In reality, excluding the scribe who was on his deathbed, there were only four people who would attend the vassal meeting.
Me, the heir; Sophia, the lady of the house; Bertio, the treasurer; and Dominico, the village’s only priest, all gathered in the meeting room.
“Oh my, what happened to you?”
Dominico, who was the only one to see my injuries for the first time, was startled. He was a distant relative of Count Dresden, and he was a loafer who lived comfortably as the priest of a small parish. He had once been my tutor.
“Now that everyone’s here, explain everything in detail!”
Before I could answer, Sophia yelled. She was fidgeting with her hands, a sign that she was becoming impatient.
Dominico frowned. He had always boasted about his noble lineage, yet it seemed he hadn’t fallen for Sophia’s charms. However, that didn’t mean he was an ally either.
I asked Dominico for his understanding and began to explain the truth, or rather, the truth as I had fabricated it.
“You all know that goblins have been appearing on the outskirts of the village. Sir Roland and I decided to hire mercenaries to deal with them. To be honest, we were just competing to see who could kill more.”
“Get to the point! Just get to the point!”
Sophia’s outburst was so rude that even Bertio frowned. It didn’t seem like the shrewd woman who had taken control of the household by winning over the vassals while I was busy being a scoundrel.
However, Roland, whom she had loved with all her heart, was involved. It was understandable that she would be flustered. Moreover, the word ‘escape’ must have heightened her anxiety.
It then occurred to me that Roland had abandoned Sophia in less than a minute. I almost chuckled.
“Roland, or rather, that bastard, revealed his true colors when we reached a deep part of the forest while chasing the goblins. He suddenly killed all the mercenaries who had been herding the goblins, and then he tried to kill me.”
“That’s a lie! A lie! If Roland had really tried to kill you, you wouldn’t be alive!”
Was Sophia aware that her words were reinforcing the idea that I wasn’t capable of killing Roland?
Not only that, but a married noblewoman was reacting too strongly to the disappearance of a mere swordsmanship teacher. Dominico, who had been slighted by her earlier, had a strange look on his face.
“Ahem.”
Sophia quieted down only after Bertio gave her a look. However, she was still glaring at me.
“That’s right. If it wasn’t for the mercenary I thought was dead shooting a crossbow, I would have been killed. He took that chance to escape, believing I wouldn’t be able to catch him.”
“That can’t be true. Roland abandoned me and ran away? Why?”
“Isn’t he just a hedge knight with no known background or patron? It’s hard to understand why you trust him so much, Mother. Perhaps you have some sort of relationship with him?”
I took advantage of Sophia’s confusion to test her. If Sophia admitted to her affair with Roland, I could use that as leverage against Baron Rasino. The marriage had been arranged by Rasino, so he would also be responsible.
“He is…”
Sophia almost fell for my bait. Then, Bertio interrupted.
“But Sir Roland had no reason to do that, did he?”
I had to admit, I was surprised. Bertio was my father’s oldest vassal, excluding the scribe. I had assumed he wasn’t very close with Sophia, but he had shown his loyalty.
“Isn’t he just a wandering knight with no morals? He must have been hired to kill me. Not to brag, but I have plenty of enemies.”
My reputation as a scoundrel was useful in situations like this.
“That can’t be true. That can’t be…”
Sophia denied it, but Bertio remained silent. It seemed even he found my story believable.
At this point, I realized that Bertio didn’t know about Roland’s connection to Baron Rasino. Yet, he had shown his loyalty. I became increasingly curious as to why.
“I’ve explained everything. We have to catch him before he escapes from the manor. Dominico, would you lead a search party made up of the village militia?”
“M-Me?”
“You and I are the only ones here who have had any sword training. And as you can see, I need to treat my injuries.”
Dominico reluctantly agreed. As the only priest in the village, he was here more as a formality. He was also an outsider, having close ties with Count Dresden.
Moreover, since he wasn’t confident in his physical abilities, he wouldn’t put much effort into the search.
He was just the right person.
“Is a militia enough? He’s a knight. A knight. We need to mobilize the whole village, even the servants, to find him. Don’t you agree?”
Bertio said this after glancing at Sophia. He was clearly trying to be the first to find Roland. However, how could he find someone who was buried with the ancient ruins? I chuckled inwardly and nodded.
“Oh, Bertio. You truly are the most loyal vassal to have served my father!”
“Haha, It’s my duty.”
The vassals left like the tide receding. I could hear Sophia scolding the servants, telling them to find Roland before anyone else. She wasn’t even trying to hide her voice, a sign that she was truly shaken.
I walked through the now empty manor and headed to the dining hall. Anya was waiting for me at the table with a variety of herbs prepared.
“What have you been doing outside? Are you acting like a scoundrel again? Tell me, you idiot!”
Her manner of speech was as if we had returned to the past when we were distant from each other. However, unlike before, her words were filled with concern.
Soon, Anya’s warm hand touched my face. The warmth spread through my body, which had been growing cold. I finally relaxed.
I glanced towards the inner door that connected to the kitchen. A servant was preparing my meal on the other side.
“I killed Roland. With my own hands.”
Anya’s hand, which had been covering my face with crushed herbs, paused. Just for a moment. She smiled, thinking I was joking. It was a nervous smile.
“That’s impossible. How could you kill Roland with your skills?”
“Everyone is equal in front of the sword. Even a king cannot survive a stab wound.”
“Why? Why did you do that?”
“Do you really not know?”
While I was out, Anya had barely left the manor. Moreover, she was the one who had been most mindful of Sophia. She knew about the relationship between Roland and Sophia.
“Sophia, and even Roland, who turned me into a scoundrel, were all part of a plan to steal our territory. And Baron Rasino is behind it all.”
“Wait, does that mean that the Baron could use this as an excuse to interfere?”
Her eyes were filled with fear. Indeed, Baron Rasino was a formidable opponent for a mere knight’s son.
“I’ve already thought of everything. You don’t have to worry.”
“How can I not worry?!”
Anya glared at me, her hand pressing even harder as she applied the herbs to my face.
We were close enough to feel each other’s breath as she treated my injuries. I looked at her delicately arched eyebrows, the starlight in her eyes, her straight nose, the faint rash on her skin, and her slightly parted, cherry-red lips.
“Why, why are you looking at me like that…?”
Perhaps it was the stress from the life-or-death battle, but I had been aroused since I realized that we were alone in the dining hall. My hand involuntarily landed on Anya’s knee. Anya gasped.
However, she didn’t push my hand away. In the silence that fell between us, Anya’s eyes shimmered strangely. After all, she had been subtly seducing me before I left for the ancient ruins.
Gulp.
Anya’s throat bobbed. The sound was as loud as thunder.
“Anya? You should continue treating me.”
“Oh? Oh…”
Anya’s hand, which had been playing, began to move again, but she was clearly distracted. Meanwhile, my hand on Anya’s knee slid under her skirt and started to move up her leg.
It was slow enough for her to imagine what I was going to do next.
How long had it been since my hand started moving up her smooth skin? Suddenly, the humidity increased dramatically. It was only her inner thigh that I had touched. She must have been aroused since my hand had landed on her knee.
“You, don’t tell me…?”
Perhaps Anya had been aroused since the moment we were alone.
Anya avoided my gaze.
“No, this is…”
“Hehe. Anya. You should concentrate on treating me.”
Anya pouted and resumed applying the herbs to my face. My hand continued to caress her inner thigh, so close to her pussy that I could touch it with just my fingertip.
The humidity grew stronger, and Anya unconsciously squirmed. She was clearly asking for me to take the next step.
“Oh, brother. I…”
Anya let out a strained breath, her eyes glistening like honey. Just then, the inner door connecting to the kitchen burst open.
Startled, Anya pressed her legs together. My hand, trapped between her thighs, couldn’t move. Meanwhile, the servant who had opened the door approached.
“Your meal is ready.”
The servant placed the food on the table across from Anya. If he had come any closer, he would have seen my hand under Anya’s skirt.
Anya couldn’t lift her head, her face and neck flushed crimson. A mischievous thought popped into my head.
“Hmph.”
Anya looked up at me with alarmed eyes. My hand, which had been trapped between her thighs, had moved even further up. The servant, who had been carrying the food, turned his head towards Anya.
“Lady Anya? Do you need anything…?”
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
Anya shook her head. The servant, unable to hide his suspicion, returned to the kitchen. He would be back soon to finish setting up. Anya grabbed my arm and looked up at me.
“Brother, are you crazy…?”
Anya was breathing heavily, her cheeks flushed. The way she was trying to restrain her pleasure was incredibly alluring.
“You seem to be enjoying it, considering it’s my fault.”
Anya’s body was honest. She was already dripping with arousal, even though I had only been lightly caressing her pussy. I could even see the center of her skirt growing wet.
“Hngh…”
Anya buried her face in my arm. The returning servant saw her do that. After pausing for a moment, he hurried back to the kitchen with his head bowed, clearly flustered.
Only after the servant returned to the kitchen did Anya lift her head.
“What am I going to do?! She definitely saw something!”
I nodded in agreement.
“Yes. She definitely thought something was amiss. She might even have guessed what was happening under the table. Then, the gossiping servants would spread rumors.”
While saying that, I slipped my fingertip into Anya’s pussy.
Anya’s body trembled as her mouth slightly opened, and saliva dripped from her lips. The fact that she was so aroused by such a small touch showed how sensitive she had become due to the possibility of being caught.
I leaned in and whispered into Anya’s ear, my warm breath making her flinch.
“You sly girl. You secretly want others to see your lewdness, don’t you? In your heart, you wished the servant would have watched longer, didn’t you? Anya, you’re a hopeless pervert.”
“N-No, that’s not it… that’s not it…”
“Not it? Really?”
I gently caressed the entrance of her pussy with my middle finger and pressed my thumb against her clitoris, which had already made its presence known.
“Aaaah…!”
This time, Anya moaned much louder. She buried her face in my chest and looked up at me, her eyes burning with passion.
“Oh, brother. I, I… please… quickly…!”
Anya no longer cared about the servant in the kitchen and openly wanted me. It was then that the outer door connecting to the hallway burst open.
“Master Allen! Someone saw Roland!”
Anya’s face contorted in frustration.
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Dang! It’s been so long for Anya time 🤣
I needs them illustrations!