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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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Fiore was a firm believer in the saying, “Rest one day, train two.” She didn’t even skip her morning training during the war and plundering expeditions.
The problem was that she always woke me up to train with her.
The next morning, after the victory banquet, which had lasted late into the night, and for which I had received permission to stay overnight at the castle, was no different.
Creak.
However, Fiore, who opened my door and entered, was dressed differently than usual.
She usually wore full armor even in everyday life to conceal her “weakness” as a woman, but today, she was wearing a light tunic.
Moreover, her thick, toned thighs were exposed, as if she wasn’t wearing anything underneath.
“W-Why are you looking at me like that…?”
Fiore’s face was beet red as she asked.
As I continued to stare at her thighs, she fidgeted and tugged at the hem of her tunic, trying to cover them.
“You shameless hussy.”
“W-What are you talking about?! Don’t get any ideas! I just dropped off my armor for repairs.”
“Then why aren’t you wearing pants?”
“They’re still damp, so I’ll put them on later! What’s the big deal?!”
As if to prove her point, Fiore held up the pants in her hand. She also subtly lifted the hem of her tunic, revealing the short, shorts-like underwear beneath.
Now that she mentioned it, her skin was glowing, and her short hair was slightly tousled.
“Taking a bath early in the morning and visiting a man’s room? What are you expecting?”
“It’s for training! Training!”
“You’re going to wash up again after training? That’s not like the Fiore I know.”
“Are you picking a fight?”
Fiore glared at me. Now that was the Fiore I knew.
“Well, they say once a monk tastes meat, there won’t be a single flea left in the temple.”
I had been busy since our first time together and hadn’t had the opportunity to be intimate with her again. It must have been difficult for Fiore, with her strong libido.
“A monk? What are you talking about? Ugh, it’s hot!”
Fiore pretended not to hear and fanned the front of her tunic. I could almost see her cleavage through the deep V-neck.
The way she glanced at me suggested she was deliberately exposing herself. She wanted me to ravish her. The only reason she wasn’t asking directly was likely due to embarrassment.
The contrast between her usual tomboyish behavior and her current shyness made her even more adorable.
“Come here and sit down.”
“Hee hee, why~?”
Fiore sat down beside me, a smug look on her face. The way her lips twitched suggested she was trying to suppress a smile.
“There’s going to be a meeting about the distribution of rewards.”
I placed my hand on Fiore’s thigh as I spoke. I could feel the soft flesh beneath her toned skin. The way her flesh yielded slightly as I pressed against it was strangely erotic.
Fiore flinched, but she didn’t push my hand away. Instead, she subtly spread her legs, making it easier for me to touch her.
“Haa… I-Is that so…?”
“You made significant contributions, so you might even be knighted. With Segeric’s vassals gone, and so many knights killed by my hand, the Baron will need to replenish his forces.”
“I-I see…”
Despite the exciting news about her potential knighthood, Fiore’s gaze remained fixed on my hand moving along her thigh.
“You don’t seem very happy.”
“W-What…? Of course, I’m happy! Very happy, haa…!”
Fiore, who had been forcing a smile, suddenly bucked her hips as my hand slipped between her thighs.
I lightly grazed the inside of her thigh with my palm, and her grip tightened on the blanket.
Fiore spread her legs wider, inviting my hand further in.
The contrast between her actions and her blushing face, bowed in embarrassment, was incredibly arousing.
“So, we should get going.”
After a moment’s hesitation, I removed my hand. I got up and casually put on my outer garments.
Fiore, startled by the sudden loss of contact, looked up at me incredulously.
“You’re leaving? Just like that? Without doing anything?”
“It’s a meeting that will decide whether or not you’ll be knighted. I can’t be late.”
“But…”
Fiore couldn’t argue with me when I said it was for her benefit. She simply fidgeted, her body expressing her unspoken frustration.
I was also disappointed. However, indulging her every whim would only spoil her.
I wanted Fiore to patiently wait her turn, even if I was with another woman.
‘There will be more women, so I need to train her properly from the start.’
While she had accepted that she wouldn’t be the only one, there was always a difference between expectations and reality.
That was why training was necessary.
“I’ll shower you with affection when I return, so be patient and wait.”
“W-Who said I wanted your affection?”
“Suit yourself.”
“I didn’t say I didn’t! I’ll be waiting, so come back quickly. Alright?”
I smiled and stole a kiss, as if impressed by her obedience. After a moment of resistance, she parted her lips, granting me an entry.
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The meeting to discuss the distribution of rewards was to be held in the Baron’s office. I intended to secure my share and set the stage for the next war.
‘Even Joang won’t be able to refuse.’
Segeric, already ahead in the succession struggle as the eldest son, had further widened the gap between himself and Ailgar thanks to sponsoring the victorious war.
Moreover, the exchange of glances I had witnessed between the Baron and Segeric at the victory banquet suggested a prior agreement.
Ailgar couldn’t afford to wait for Segeric to make a mistake anymore.
The problem was that the only way for him to close the gap and turn the tables was to achieve greater merit in war than Segeric.
However, the meeting immediately deviated from my expectations.
First, Joang Conrad, who was usually inseparable from the Baron, was nowhere to be seen. The Baron was alone in his office. He spoke first, indicating that the discussion would be a private one.
“I’m granting you the Monpel region.”
Unlike yesterday, when he had showered me with praise, the Baron’s tone was curt. In fact, this was closer to his usual demeanor.
“The Monpel region, you say…”
I trailed off, pondering the implications of Joang Conrad’s absence. His exclusion from such an important meeting wasn’t a good sign for me.
‘Could it be that he’s already chosen his heir?’
That would explain Segeric’s decisive abandonment of Bolton last night. He no longer needed his supporters.
The problem was that if the succession was settled, the political landscape would quickly stabilize.
If that happened, even if I achieved great success in future wars, escaping my position as the Baron’s subordinate would be a distant dream.
“It’s a large territory, including the Tobaltz manor.”
That was why I couldn’t be happy, even though the Baron was granting me the largest territory in the Barony, formerly belonging to the Bryuen family.
Nor could I be happy for Muel, who had pledged his loyalty to me and also received a generous reward.
And that wasn’t the only problem.
“My squire’s name is missing.”
Fiore’s name hadn’t been mentioned throughout the lengthy discussion.
“Isn’t she the daughter of Lord Andrei, a vassal of Quaran, currently in conflict with Earl Dressten? Granting her land or holding a knighting ceremony for her would undoubtedly cause friction with the Earl.”
The Baron had learned of Fiore’s identity. It wouldn’t have been difficult, as I hadn’t made any effort to conceal it.
After a brief pause, the Baron continued, his eyes narrowed,
“It might even cast doubt on my loyalty. Is that what you’re after?”
“Please reconsider. If you don’t reward those who have earned merit, who will follow you?”
“That’s why I’ve given you a larger reward.”
If the reward included Fiore’s share of the spoils, I would have to retract my earlier statement about it being generous. As expected of the miserly Baron.
“If Fiore, disappointed, returns to Quaran, it will weaken our forces and strengthen the enemy’s.”
“Moreover, now is the time to gather our strength. We must avenge ourselves against Baron Debussy once the rainy season ends.”
The war with Baron Debussy was merely paused, not over. I pointed this out, hoping to change the Baron’s mind.
I had won the war without any significant support. If I had received proper backing, wouldn’t I have been able to capture the enemy’s capital?
The Baron was undoubtedly thinking along those lines. He hesitated for a long time, then shook his head.
“Hmm, honestly, I’m not sure if gaining Lord Andrei’s daughter is worth the risk of straining our relationship with the Earl.”
“Fiore has proven her skills in this war. She even captured the enemy commander.”
“It was just one battle. Moreover, a female knight? What would people think? And women are inherently selfish and opportunistic. They’re not to be trusted.”
Even considering the clear gender roles in this world, the Baron’s statement was excessive.
I knew the root cause was his inferiority complex. The Baron, having risen from humble beginnings, felt inferior to Adelia, who came from a prominent family, even though he wouldn’t admit it.
In the future that would no longer come to pass, he constantly complained about his wife to Anya. Yet, if it weren’t for Adelia mediating between him and his vassals, his downfall would have come much sooner.
Perhaps that was why the Baron disliked assertive women.
‘I thought his greed would outweigh his prejudice.’
Was his inferiority complex stronger than his greed? Or was there another reason?
The deal between the Baron and Segeric, like a thorn in my side, continued to bother me.
“Still, if you vouch for her, would my reputation really matter? If you can persuade the Earl, I promise to treat her accordingly.”
“You want me to persuade the Earl? But I’ve never even met him…”
The Baron narrowed his eyes and looked at me intently.
“Are you truly unacquainted with the Earl? Then why did he summon you to Quaran and ask you to represent his interests?”
I finally understood why the Baron had brought up Fiore’s identity.
He had misunderstood my relationship with Earl Dressten and suspected some sort of conspiracy. Fiore was merely bait to uncover my true intentions.
It was typical of someone who had used his niece to steal a vassal’s territory. His mind couldn’t seem to grasp any other possibility.
‘Earl Dressten summoned me because he knew about the fishing rights.’
As the conflict with Quaran stemmed from the herring, he must have believed that transferring the fishing rights to me would resolve the issue.
I also realized that the Baron was unaware of my possession of the fishing rights. If he had known, he wouldn’t have even considered sending me to Quaran.
“Why did you become my knight while hiding your connection to Earl Dressten?”
The Baron’s gaze was filled with suspicion as he pressed me for an answer. Fortunately, I had an excuse that didn’t require mentioning the fishing rights.
“Hmm, you misunderstand. It’s not a relationship worth mentioning.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
“The priest of the only church in my territory is a distant relative of Earl Dressten. He’s content with a small parish, so their blood ties are weak. He was also my tutor.”
It was easily verifiable information. The Baron, who had been so suspicious, blinked, clearly taken aback.
“He summoned you to Quaran because of such a trivial connection?”
“The fact that I’m your knight likely played a bigger role. And my connection to Lord Andrei might have been a factor as well.”
“Hmm… So I was mistaken?”
“If the Earl had ulterior motives, he wouldn’t have summoned me so openly.”
The Baron, seemingly convinced, couldn’t hide his frustration.
“Hmm, then I must accept the Earl’s request and send you to Quaran.”
“But the war is imminent…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll summon you once the preparations are complete. Think of it as a vacation. You’ve worked hard.”
Despite his suspicion being cleared, the Baron still insisted on sending me to Quaran. Come to think of it, he had wanted to send me to Quaran even while he was suspicious.
Did he have another motive? Was probing my relationship with Earl Dressten just an added bonus? What was it? Why was he so insistent on sending me to Quaran? I didn’t need to think too deeply about it.
There was only one reason to send his greatest asset away right before a war.
‘Usebia?’
At that moment, all the pieces fell into place.
Granting me the largest territory meant he intended to keep me close.
Excluding Joang, questioning my relationship with Earl Dressten, and separating me from Usebia were all measures to prevent outside interference.
It was traffic control.
‘Has he chosen his heir?’
It was a development I hadn’t anticipated, and one I desperately wanted to avoid. Having grasped the situation, I hurriedly said,
“Please postpone my leave.”
“Didn’t you want to secure a knighting ceremony and land for your squire? If you persuade the Earl, I’ll grant her what she deserves.”
I needed time to formulate a counter-strategy. Fortunately, I had a suitable excuse.
“I intend to hold my father’s funeral. I’ve already sent a messenger to exchange the prisoners we captured for his remains.”
The Baron, who had been frowning and pressuring me, was forced to change his tune. He couldn’t argue with me when it came to matters concerning Maxim Tobaltz.
In the end, the Baron had to agree to postpone my departure until after the funeral.
I immediately sought out Segeric. I needed to confirm my suspicions. Only then could I decide how to proceed.
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Man just get usebia alr!
Thank you Teot!