Chapter 163
「This is Rafen . It isn’t as prosperous as Trisnea, but try to bear with it . 」
After settling things like the promotion of rank and the receipt for the list of rewards, we were finally able to return to Rafen . The four Trisnean royals remained wary of me and the others while timidly checking out the city on the carriage .
「So where was Rafen again?」
「But this vastness……」
「The roads and the houses are all arranged so neatly……」
The four of them probably pictured Rafen as some unbelievably primitive land far off in the remote regions . They seem surprised at how unexpectedly big the place is . With that said though, Trisnea isn’t just the capital of the city but also the central hub for trade where n.o.bles and rich merchants can be seen walking around in resplendent outfits . Compared to Rafen’s population, which primarily consists of commoners, this city’s splendor is significantly inferior .
「Hiih!」
Marceline shrieks sharply and jumps aside in surprise .
I groped her a.s.s from behind .
「You don’t want it?」
「N-no, I’ll bear with it . For my daughters……」
The mother closes her eyes and bites on her lips as she sticks her a.s.s out a little more . Her daughters also stare at me, worried for their mother .
「I guess I’ll stop here . Just take your time and get used to this city, I’ll call you up again when I see another chance . 」
After saying that, I turn the other way and look out the window .
Marceline drops her hips in a slump and sighs in relief behind me .
It seems like I’ll have to melt her heart a little more .
The people of the city welcome us as we return and my girls also rush out to greet us .
「Aegir-sama, got pregnant! Finally got pregnant!!」
Nonna jumps out and buries her head in my chest, pressing her entire body against me .
The way she said it makes it seem like I’m the one who got pregnant .
Pus.h.i.+ng out a baby from the a.s.s isn’t the most pleasant thing for either of us I’m sure .
「Go ahead and touch it . 」
I gently rub Nonna’s stomach on top of her dress .
So this slight bulge means my kid is in there .
「What do you think? It’s incredible, right!?」
As I exchange a kiss with the slightly aroused Nonna, her giant b.r.e.a.s.t.s get squeezed against my chest . We separate from each other and Nonna wobbles unsteadily from the blood rus.h.i.+ng to her head, though she is quickly supported by three female attendants .
「So you have three attendants waiting on you . 」
「It would be quite serious if something unexpected happens after all . 」
「Even if you didn’t do that, the child will come out when the time is right . 」
Shocked faces, cynical faces – it’s been so long since I’ve seen my girls .
I purposely abstained from s.e.xual activities on the way here from the capital .
I’m sure I’ll have a tough battle today .
「Umm……」
The neglected Marceline and three girls look over at me with puzzled expressions .
「You’ll be staying here starting today . Let me know if you need anything . 」
「The four of us in this detached villa……so cramped . 」
「Bear with it Felicie . We’re being confined……we can’t ask for anything luxurious . 」
「Plus, I’m sure there will at least be bedrooms, a living room, and a dining room . There might not be a flower room though . 」
「No way! I can’t look at the roses every day then!」
「……Sorry to burst your bubble but those girls and I live there too . You’ll be given personal rooms but the dining area, bath and living room are all shared . 」
The four of them look at each other .
「Ah G.o.d, why have you allowed for me and my daughters to suffer such hards.h.i.+ps……」
「And who are these people?」
Nonna asks anxiously .
She seems to have figured out from their appearance and behavior that they aren’t like the girls I typically bring back with me .
「They’re the Treian Queen Consort and her daughters, who were going to be executed . I felt bad for them so I brought them with me . 」
「……」
Nonna and the other girls shriek in surprise .
「R-royalty!? Why did you bring royalty……nevermind, don’t tell me . I’m sure you’re just going to lay your hands……no, your c.o.c.k on them again!」
I haven’t slept with any of them yet .
「Don’t make such a fuss about it . More importantly, you must be thirsty, could someone bring us water?」
I request the maid beside me to bring water to me, Celia, and the other four girls .
But the maid bows lightly and steps away .
Did she not hear me?
「Get some water for everyone . 」
I grab another maid and ask again .
「Most certainly, master . 」
What a cute voice – I’ll embrace her in the near future .
「I apologize for the wait . 」
However, the maid only brought enough water for two people .
「Hey, come on, I asked for six……」「Then, if you would excuse me, master, Celia-sama . 」
The maid has a strained smile on her face as she greeted Celia and I, then she quickly runs off .
「What’s going on?」
Looking again at the servants, I can see the ones facing Marceline and her daughters have very evident hostility behind their eyes .
Felicie, the youngest daughter, fearfully clings to Stephanie, the eldest daughter . The second eldest daughter Bridget shouts “what do you want?” to try and act tough, but her legs are trembling .
「c.r.a.p . I forgot . 」
「Now that I think about it!」
There were only a few residents who originally lived in Rafen from the beginning . A large majority of them came from other regions . In particular, many of the people escaped here after being oppressed by Treia and losing their relatives . After hearing of the lineage of these women, there’s no way the servants could remain calm .
「Sebastian . 」
「Yes, master . 」
「I plan to make these women mine eventually . I don’t want to put too much of a burden on them . 」
「Understood . I’ll make sure the personnel who takes care of the ladies are born and raised in Goldonia . 」
As expected of a reliable butler .
「If it’s a room on the east side of the mansion, they should be able to eat and bath without crossing paths with the servants in the hallway . 」
It seems Sebastian will make the necessary arrangements after .
「Uuuu ……」
I lightly hug Marceline, who is curled up with her frightened daughters as if protecting them from the hostile gazes of the servants .
「It was my fault for not considering this . Don’t worry, you’ll eventually become my women . I’ll protect you . 」
I look up and glance at the servants .
「I understand your anger, but these girls aren’t Treian royalty anymore . Treia has already fallen into ruin . I plan to make all of them my women and plant my seed in them . I won’t tell you to welcome them with open arms, but could you not persecute them?」
After a little commotion from the servants, most of them agreed . However, a portion of them, especially the ones whose relatives were killed, wouldn’t treat them kindly at all .
Then, a maid in her 30’s came up and whispered to me .
「My daughter was killed by a Treian soldier . Please leave me in charge of cleaning up the floor when you’re going to sleep with them . Then, please make them scream as you rape them with all your might right in front of me! 」
「Hey, hey, I won’t do something so horrible……but I’ll definitely present them in an extremely embarra.s.sing state . 」
After agreeing to her strange request, the maid leaves with a satisfied look on her face .
Even though the four women knew they’re going to be violated, they must have felt they had no one else to rely on and grabbed onto my hand or clothes as they followed me . At this rate, it probably won’t be long until they open up their bodies to me .
For now, I’ll have to work hard in other areas to help them feel comfortable . It isn’t anything shameful to get a girl to like you because you want their body after all .
Night
「Ahaa……」
Carla, who earnestly swung her hips until the end, finally lost consciousness and collapsed . Looking down from the extra large bed made for orgies, there were seemingly an endless amount of female corpses lying on the floor . The room is filled to the brim with the intense heat produced from lots of s.e.x, so I shouldn’t have to worry about the girls catching a cold even though they’re lying naked on the floor .
（Ahee……）
Casie also climaxed and is drifting in midair with a slovenly face .
Ah, she got blown away through the window opened for ventilation…… .
「Master……」
The drooling Leah clings to my hips as I look around, finding Melissa, who is barely managing to stay conscious . She looks incapable of doing anything besides rolling over and spreading her legs though .
「It feels like forever since I’ve returned to being a girl . 」
「You’ve been acting as the male for the others, haven’t you?」
As requested, Catherine was pounded by me and the d.i.l.d.o-strapped Melissa simultaneously . The double penetration attacked both her a.s.shole and v.a.g.i.n.a, causing the lewd Catherine to faint in just 30 minutes .
「But you see……」
Melissa struggles to move her body, but manages to bring the d.i.l.d.o she has in front of me . Then she lowers herself down to my drooping d.i.c.k, takes it in her mouth, and gets me hard again .
「As I thought, the size is completely different . 」
「What are you referring to?」
「This d.i.l.d.o, it was supposed to be made to replicate the shape of Aegir-san’s d.i.c.k in the summer……but the length and thickness have changed again . As expected, your d.i.c.k is still getting bigger?」
「Is that so?」
「It’s getting darker in color……and it’s more veiny, how much more fiendish is it going to get?」
「Then let’s make it disappear . 」
I press Melissa down and insert my d.i.c.k inside her .
「Uuuu!」
Melissa groans, and at that moment, the door swings open and Nonna comes into the room .
「Ooh, you’re here . Your stomach is still small, but we can still use the a.s.s……」
「Absolutely not! On the off chance something happens during the act, it would be a disaster! More importantly, I’ll be sleeping here too, okay? I can’t be your partner, but it’s been too long after all . 」
The servants carried a moveable bed with them .
Their eyes widened in shock as they felt the heat and smelled the pungent scent of s.e.m.e.n in the room .
「Sleeping in the same bed……is dangerous, I guess . 」
「Yes, it wouldn’t be good if somebody stepped on my stomach . 」
Nonna was finally able to get pregnant so she’s extremely sensitive to the point of oversensitivity when it comes to the child in her belly .
I get into the cowgirl position with Melissa and continue chatting with Nonna .
「I’m glad, you finally have a child . 」
「Yes, this is because Aegir-sama……and everyone else helped . 」
Based on the period when she got pregnant, it should be from the time we had that intense s.e.x in the bathroom . This child was possible due to everyone’s cooperation .
「You’ll be staying in the mansion for a while, right?」
「I wonder about that . I don’t think there will be any more wars in the near future, but G.o.d only knows what will happen . 」
「I want to stay with you while you’re here as much as possible . 」
「Hahaha, I’ll make sure I’m here when you’re giving birth . 」
「Thank you very much, I love you . Aegir-sama . 」
A sweet, loving atmosphere surrounds this husband and wife .
「Umm……it’s great you two get along, but Aegir-san’s c.o.c.k is still in me, you know?」
Hm, this is the perfect chance . I hand Nonna the d.i.l.d.o that rolled beside Melissa .
「You can use this and ram it in her a.s.s . 」
「Eh?」
「Eeeeh–!?」
Nonna looks confused while Melissa panics .
「This thing must be fun, Melissa normally puts in a lot of effort when she uses this . This is payback . 」
「What do you intend to pay back!?」
「Eeh, but……」
I s.h.i.+ft myself towards Nonna close enough she could reach me while remaining in the cowgirl position . I grab Melissa’s b.u.t.t cheeks and spread them apart .
「Now, go on and thrust in there . The d.i.l.d.o’s already soaking wet, so it should be okay . 」
「There’s no way I can handle two thick things stabbing me! No way……something like that……!」
Melissa just saw how the remarkably lewd and highly resistant Catherine climaxed and pa.s.sed out because she was swallowed by the overwhelming pleasure, so she’s slightly afraid .
「Why not, n.o.body will complain if you end up wetting yourself . 」
「Is this really okay?」
Nonna’s also getting strangely aroused and her face is now becoming a little flushed .
「Yeah, just shove it in there all at once . 」
「Uu…」
Melissa prepares herself by grabs the sheets and stuffs them in her mouth . She already antic.i.p.ates letting out an incredible moan .
「Well, don’t mind if I do then……」
Nonna takes the d.i.l.d.o and approaches the place I’m connected to Melissa .
「Here I go! Ei!」
In one vigorous thrust of her hips, Nonna pushes the d.i.l.d.o inside .
Let’s see what face Melissa makes as she moans in pleasure……!!
「Guwaaaaah!!」
「Eh? Aegir-san?」
「It’s in!」
Nonna thrust the d.i.l.d.o in an a.s.s, but that a.s.s belonged to me . I let my guard down, so the entire length went inside . It feels like that thick d.i.l.d.o is tearing my a.s.s apart, prompting me to unconsciously let out a tremendous groan and also leak out my seed .
「Kyaa! It’s spraying out……so much of it !」
「Gaaaah! No-nonna, pull it out! Pull it out quickly!」
「Eeh, wha-? I can’t pull it out, ei! This thing-!」
As Nonna moves around trying to pull the d.i.l.d.o out of my a.s.s, I reflexively push my own hips up, causing my d.i.c.k to penetrate the entrance of Melissa’s soft womb .
「Kyaaah—-!!」
Melissa falls over and her eyes roll back from the sudden vigorous thrust while the s.e.m.e.n I thought which emptied my b.a.l.l.s continues to inflate Melissa’s stomach .
「OOooohh…………」
「Got it, it’s out! 」
I can’t think straight anymore .
「I, I see……well, I’m……gonna sleep . 」
I close my eyes and nod off while remaining connected to Melissa, trying to forget the pain and humiliation from having my a.s.s violated .
「Huh? Did I make a mistake or something?」
Nonna remains clueless until the end – I’ll thoroughly ravage her a.s.s after her child is born . She better be prepared .
The next day, I slathered some ointment on my slightly torn a.s.shole . Celia seems to have misunderstood when she saw me walking around while covering my a.s.s .
「Who was the one who dug into Aegir-sama!? Kroll, is it you!?」
「Eh? Dug?」
「Even if you did swing that way, I believed you would be the giver, who would have thought you would be the receiver! Who was it, was it Leopolt-san!? Or maybe it was Adolph-san!? Spit out the name of the man who did this!」
This is a little ridiculous, but this kind of ‘peace’ isn’t bad .
Pretending I didn’t see Celia yelling, I go over to rub Nonna’s b.r.e.a.s.t.s as she’s drinking tea relaxingly . A moment later, Adolph comes over with an armful of doc.u.ments .
「Hey, long time no see ……you look horrible . 」
The guy has very p.r.o.nounced bags under his eyes .
「Yeah……the person who’s handling the winter tax for the mine and everything from each area’s domestic affairs to the governors’ reports is me after all……in addition, I have to determine a rough estimate for the spring head tax or else people will try to deceive me . 」
「Sounds like a lot of work . Are you sleeping properly?」
「It just occurred to me . The money I’m working to death to aggregate is all going to Hardlett-sama, right?」
「Well yeah, it’s the tax from my territory after all . 」
「And then Hardlett-sama will give that money to women and your wife will buy some s.h.i.+ny objects . 」
「I can’t deny that . 」
「Then doesn’t that mean I’m actually working so your women can buy fancy things……」
「Adolph, aren’t you just tired?」
「……maybe you’re right . 」
「Besides, take a look . 」
I pull Adolph outside . Rafen appears the same as usual . But it’s clearly expanded more than before, there are more people around and more houses built .
「This is the city you built . Sure, there are criminals, orphans and guys swamped with debt, but most of the people are smiling . 」
「Haa . 」
「It’s the same outside the city too . I’ve gotten more money because of your ability but at the same time, I think the citizens are more well off . 」
It isn’t a lie .
I didn’t really raise the tax rate higher than usual either . In fact, it should be lower than most rates in territories that other n.o.bles own, meaning the increase in income should allow the commoners to live more comfortably than before .
「That’s how it is . Don’t overthink things too much and do it like you enjoy it . I’m heading out for a bit . 」
「Please wait . 」
Adolph stands in my way just when I was about to head to the brothel district .
「I’ve cheered up a bit from the chat with Hardlett-sama . So please look over the income statement for the winter . 」
「Give that stuff to Celi-」「No! Look over it right now!」
Telling me that when he’s got sunken eyes and bags under his eyes makes him seem more forceful . He usually appears weak and frail, but now that he’s pressing me so insistently, I have no choice but to read the doc.u.ment .
「It’s just the tax revenue, right? Then this isn’t really urgent, is it . 」
「It isn’t only that, I’ve also spent the entire night compiling the sales of the looted goods, and the wages and bonuses for the soldiers . If you don’t give your approval for this, I won’t be able to make a budget in the future, so please check it . Hurry……come on, quickly!」
Adolph is acting strange from his lack of sleep .
「Alright, I get it……I’ll postpone my trip to the brothels . 」
I reluctantly spread out the doc.u.ments given to me .
Where did I put my seal again……aah, I wanted to give this to Celia .
Income
Mine Tax 24, 000 gold
Trade 6, 000 gold
Wheat Sales 20, 000 gold
Rewards 20, 000 gold
Spoils of war 30, 000 gold
Total Income: 100, 000 gold
Expenses
Rafen Mansion Maintenance 2, 000 gold
City Guards Maintenance 2, 000 gold
Labor 5, 000 gold
Nonna’s Expense 1, 000 gold
Troop Wages, Bonuses 54, 000 gold
(including compensation for bereaved families)
Military Campaign Expense 16, 000 gold
Total Expenses: 80, 000 gold
Net Income 20, 000 gold
「Heeh……It’s in the black now . 」
The amount of reward money I received was comparatively less than the amount awarded to the soldiers and military expenses so I prepared myself for a big loss .
「Miners were gathered in Lintbloom and the amount of material unearthed suddenly increased . Another factor was the higher price of iron, the most essential material in wars……and also the wheat originating from that place has been mostly sold off . The war is finished now though, so the price of wheat should gradually lower . 」
The only person amongst us who really understands how the market price moves and the current state of the market is Adolph . Claire might be more knowledgeable, but she acts with her own interest in mind, so I can’t fully rely on her .
「Is there anything else you want to point out?」
「Trade has also increased . I think we used fewer carriages in the war too . 」
「Smoking the meat from those black beasts is also quite popular, but we can probably load the raw meat onto horses and let it be used immediately if it’s during the autumn to winter period . This stuff is also valued extremely high amongst the n.o.bles in Goldonia . 」
「Well it’s still pretty expensive here . 」
According to a conversation I had with Claire a while ago, she told me the price was calculated based on one person getting eaten for every three beasts slain . At first, it was a 1:1 ratio but now that bowguns, spears and armor are being supplied, a team of hunters specialized in taking down those black beasts was formed, improving the rate considerably .
Just thinking about hunting and eating a beast which ate a person makes me lose my appet.i.te, so I’ll stop here .
「It increased this much just from the meat?」
「No, that product is available only for a limited time, but farming tools and other metal products are slowly being delivered too . We are still in the trial process for sending those items so the amount of goods s.h.i.+pped out is relatively smaller and it won’t generate much profit yet…… in any case, we possess high quality iron and steel . I believe those things will eventually become heavily exported products . 」
「That’s good . 」
「However, we are required to pay the tax for the mine to the royalty this winter……」
Adolph glances at me .
No matter how much we work hard here, it would all be for naught if we are heavily taxed .
I’m the only one who can negotiate with the royalty .
「It won’t be a problem . The royalty believes the mine is still small . The tax should be held at 10,000 per year at the very most . 」
Currently, we’re making close to 100,000 every year in profits from the mine . If we’re just paying one tenth of that, there’s no reason to be concerned .
Adolph also pats his chest in relief .
「So now, I have something to consult you about……」
「Hm?」
「In the spring, I would like to conduct a large-scale development of the area towards the south when the weather gets better . There will be major differences compared to the surroundings of Rafen and population will move around from within our territory . Naturally, it will incur a substantial cost, but our financial situation has gotten more stable, and our flood control and cultivation will directly increase our revenues quickly . 」
What a guy – Even though it would mean increasing his own workload by further developing the area, he’s still willing to proceed . The commoners are blessed to have such a man on their side .
「I don’t mind . Feel free to use as much gold as we have, I’d rather that than let it build up around me . 」
「Thank you very much…… so is there anything else ?」
「Let’s see, I don’t think so . 」
「……isn’t there anything you want me to order for you ?」
「No . 」
I’ll pretend I didn’t notice Adolph pointing that one part out specifically .
Protecting your wife is a husband’s duty after all .
I press my seal on the doc.u.ment to indicate my approval and shove the papers back at Adolph insisting everything is ultimately in order . Adolph sighs and gathers the doc.u.ments before leaving .
I tell him to hurry and get some sleep but all I get is a tired, weak response .
I’m sure there will be a pile of trouble left for me if he dies .
「Have you finished?」
「……」
Taking Adolph’s place is Leopolt .
「You have something to say to me too?」
「Yes . It is of the utmost importance . 」
Leopolt spreads open a map and shows me an unfamiliar land with an unknown name…… is this the southern nations?
「I performed my own a.n.a.lysis on the information gathered by the spies . I don’t know if it matches up with reality, but I need Lord Hardlett to make a decision . 」
It’s not a good idea to ask me to think .
I’ll just accept your opinion without question so hurry up and spit it out .
「There are four southern nations on the other side of Goldonia’s borders…… to be more accurate, three nations and a city state . 」
「A city state?」
Before I knew it, Celia pops her head out from under my arm . As expected of her to not miss these kinds of conversations . Myla also shows up .
But there is one person missing .
「Someone call Tristan over here…… no, don’t call him, just drag him here . 」
That guy definitely won’t come unless you dragged him .
Eventually, Tristan grudgingly shows up while sighing and the conversation resumes .
「Firstly, among the nations directly adjacent to Goldonia, Malt is practically a va.s.sal state . It’s fine to ignore them . 」
「That’s true . 」「Agreed . 」「Fuaah-……」
They’re so mean to say that even though I’m currently protecting Celestina .
「Next is the city state……they’re quite small with an estimated force of less than 10,000 and there shouldn’t be any more than 50,000 even if it’s larger than initially predicted . Just like its name suggests, it’s a city which has become a single nation and they’re just scattered around in the area . They’re located at the base area of the North Teries and Teries River . 」
「Here? It’s close to Trisnea…… and they’re also controlling the river’s upstream . Do they have a navy?」
「There are nations with a powerful navy in their cities . But they won’t be a threat to us . 」
「Why is that?」
「Each city might have a trained and powerful army, but they are ultimately just small individual countries and we shouldn’t have anything to fear . It’s possible for them to form an alliance with each other temporarily when they get attacked by a foreign enemy, but there is also conflict between nations so I can’t say for sure they have a friendly relations.h.i.+p . 」
「In other words, they won’t be able to cooperate with each other?」
Celia leans her body forward . Her cute a.s.s is swaying a little bit .
「Anyhow, the government in each city is all over the place too, ranging from republicanism to monarchy and theocracy to autocracy . As long as nothing drastic happens, it will be hard for them create an allied force, and they shouldn’t have much interest in the outside world since they’re used to being self-sufficient . 」
I see, then it should be fine if we rush in first .
「So we’re safe for the time being . 」「Our territory was never connected to the borders anyway . 」
「Zzzzz uwaah!!」
Myla and Celia nod in approval while Tristan dozes off .
Celia kicks Tristan’s s.h.i.+n, causing him to writhe around on the floor in pain .
「Next, there is the Democratic Nation of Libatis on the west side of the border . 」
「Democratic nation? I’ve never heard that name before . 」
「Their system of government is democracy, or in other words, the citizens elect the person who rules over them . 」
「Haah? The citizens choose their own ruler?」
「That’s ridiculous……」
As opposed to Celia and Myla who are in shock, Tristan starts speaking, probably because the pain in his leg is preventing him from sleeping .
「Libatis is famous, you see . The people have equal rights and a special privileged cla.s.s doesn’t exist . Even if the President…… the one with the highest authority, suddenly starts beating up people in the city, he will be judged according to the law and then thrown in jail . 」
“An idiot like that wouldn’t be chosen as the President though” – Tristan adds at the end .
「I see, so all the citizens select the person above them . Interesting . 」
Apparently, a ruler is chosen through majority rule amongst the most influential people in a republic nation, so it’s quite different for all the residents to be the ones to choose . But I wonder what would happen if the person chosen is an annoying idiot who’s nothing but talk .
「This is just a guess but they should have a fairly trained army of roughly 50,000 . Moreover, their economic strength as well as their population should be around one million, and they probably won’t be an opponent we can look down on . 」
「In other words, we need to pay special attention to them?」
Leopolt shakes his head slowly .
「No, Goldonia is already beginning to negotiate the terms for an amicable treaty with that nation . Democracy means that the nation will reflect the citizens’ opinions . At the very least, we should be able to avoid a war with that nation . Historically speaking, they rarely seek to start a war themselves . 」
「Fumu……well, being in wars all the time isn’t good . The citizens and soldiers would get tired of it . 」
Myla and Celia nod .
Both girls are soldiers, but they aren’t war fanatics .
Perhaps it’s just my imagination, but I could hear someone shout “I’ll skewer them” from somewhere .
「Aah, I see…… it would have been better if I ran to Libatis . If I did, by this point I would……」
「-not pay the munic.i.p.al tax and be deported out of the country . 」
Leopolt crushes Tristan’s dream emotionlessly .
The Democratic Nation of Libatis grants the citizens a lot of authority but also expects a clear set of duties from the citizens as well . Unless a large sum of tax is paid every year, you may be stripped of your rights and thrown out of the country . Because of this system of government, there are very few beggars or vagabonds and it’s pretty safe there .
「Nonetheless, this place won’t become a threat anytime soon . 」
「Yes, the problem is the remaining one . Vandolea People’s Federation – this place will be quite the threat based on what I researched . 」
「This place will……? It’s a little bit on the borders of my territory . 」
「But it’s smack up against the Malt Kingdom . If they plan to invade through Malt, they can come in from anywhere . 」
Celia points to a spot on the map and groans .
「They have a population of 1 . 5 million, their army numbers are over 100,000, and they have been growing in size by absorbing the countries around them for the past 10 years . 」
「This is the worst, it might be late to ask at this point, but will Malt be fine with this geographic layout?」
「At this point in time, it would be impossible to completely defend against them with just the army in our territory if the enemy was serious . Of course, I don’t think fighting an all-out war with Goldonia is a safe bet for them either . 」
I guess we can’t do anything against that except to be cautious . We can just monitor the borderzone and deploy spies over the border to search for them .
「Out of curiosity, I don’t know why it’s called “People’s”, but does it have anything to do with the Federation system?」
「No, it’s actually closer to a dictators.h.i.+p system . It is an absolute monarchy based on succession . 」
「Hey, that’s…… 」「That is…… 」「Looks like things might get messy . 」
Succession is a convenient system which keeps the country stable . There’s a risk that an idiot might ascend to the throne just because of their lineage, but it also means that at the very least, you must be connected by blood to be considered a successor, reducing the chance of fights for power .
If there wasn’t such a system of succession in place, it would be a free-for-all for everyone with some power to aim for the throne . When all the predecessors finally die, it would turn into a state of internal strife and a.s.sa.s.sinations .
「Vandolea, is it……? After establis.h.i.+ng themselves as a nation after the peasants rebelled, the original goal was supposed to be to aim for something like the Democratic Nation of Libatis but without the tax . I guess a lot of things got twisted around and it became something unbelievable . 」
Tristan laughs foolishly .
「In any case, a nation with a strong inclination to expand is dangerous . The best option is to utilize Malt Kingdom as the buffer zone and remember to keep them in check . 」
「So this is the only place we need to be careful about?」
「Yes, however I hear that the Vandolea People’s Federation is in continuous conflict with the Divine Nation Altair . I was unable to get spies into that country so I am not certain, but it should be easier to keep them in check if they have an obvious enemy . I will endeavor to gather more accurate information . 」
「I’ll leave it to you . 」
Based on the information gathered, I can see they’ll eventually become a considerably strong nation .
In the first place, there have always been more people located in the southern region of the Central Plains than the north . The climate there is warmer too so the amount of wheat they harvest is plentiful . Even with the same area of farming land in both places, the number of people to cultivate the crops is different .
Although having more is not always a good thing .
「We might not be able to sleep peacefully now . 」
「Is that so? I’m going to sleep though . 」
「Like I said, don’t fall asleep in the presence of Aegir-sama!」
Celia’s kick lands on Tristan’s thigh with a satisfying impact sound . The weak man writhes on the floor in pain .
「Oh yeah ……I need to go soon . 」
「To the brothels?」「How impure of you!」
No, not that .
The wound should be completely healed at this time too .
「To where Gido is . He must be sleeping back at home right now . 」
Gido returned to Rafen and should be resting in his home in the city while being nursed to health by his wife .
I have to pay him a visit once at least .
「Ah ……I’m coming too . 」
Celia’s life was saved by him after all .
And I’m sure he’ll cheer up if a girl visits him .
I have to follow through with the special reward I promised him too .
Protagonist: Aegir Hardlett . 23 years old . Winter . New Year
Status: Goldonia Kingdom Margrave . Great Feudal Lord of Eastern Area . King of the Mountains . Friend of the Dwarves .
Citizens: 152,000 . Major Cities – Rafen: 21,000 . Lintbloom: 3200 .
Troops Commanded
Reorganizing
a.s.sets: 42,000 gold (Tax Revenue +20 000) (Citizen Banquet Expense -900)
Weapons: Dual Crater (large sword), Dwarf’s Spear, High-grade Steel One-handed Sword
Family: Nonna (pregnant wife), Carla (concubine), Mel (concubine), Kuu (lover), Ruu (lover), Mireille (lover), Leah (Self-declared s.e.x Slave), Casie (ghost), Miti (betrothed), Alma (s.e.x beast), Kroll (s.e.x beast), Melissa (acting as a male), Maria (betrothed), Rita (pregnant head maid), Catherine (betrothed), Yoguri (pregnant Neo Neet), Pipi (follower), Sebastian (butler), Dorothea (lover, in the capital)
Children: Sue, Miu, Ekaterina (daughter), Antonio, Claude, Gilbard (son), Rose (foster daughter)
Subordinates: Celia (adjutant), Irijina (commander), Luna (commander), Ruby (Luna’s follower and lover), Myla (peace officer), Leopolt (staff officer), Adolph (domestic affairs official), Gido (♂), Tristan (orz), Claire & Laurie (Official Merchant), Schwartz (horse), Lilian (actress)
Mother: Marceline Daughters: Stephanie, Bridget, Felicie (Taken into custody)
Other Country:
Celestina (Queen of Malt), Monica (lady-in-waiting), Claudia (Pregnant pig), Clara
s.e.xual Partners: 140, children who have been born: 32