Wolfgang whose ears bore witness to this feat of debauchery was confused on what to do. The volume Konrad managed to get out of the four ladies was enough to attest to his formidable "battle" skills. Thus, the mighty count was tempted to ask for his help!
However, how could he?
Was he going to bring his two centuries old self to ask a less than twenty years old junior how to please his consort? Was there a more straightforward way of throwing his face? He couldn"t do it.
Alas, Zamira"s calm, ferocious words still echoed within his mind and hammered at his male dignity.
"Maybe I can coerce him into keeping it a secret? How difficult can it be to tie the lips of a Grand Knight teenager?"
"And in any case, I"m not asking for his help. We will just be exchanging pointers. Yes…exchanging pointers…"
His voice trailed, and he left for his chambers. Soon afterward, Konrad did the same.
...
The sun quickly rose, its rays shafting through the windows and burdening Konrad"s sight.
He stood up, ready to enjoy a relaxing bath when a knocking sound echoed from his door.
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
"Already? He couldn"t wait any longer? Tss, tss, tss, with such impatience, no wonder he fails to excel in the bedsheets. I probably don"t even need to take the blame."
Konrad inwardly joked and moved toward the door. Leisurely, he opened it, revealing the presence of a short male servant who bowed in greetings as soon as he met his eyes.
"Greetings sir. His lords.h.i.+p is requesting your presence in his study."
"Understood, you may leave."
Konrad then leisurely crossed the distance toward Wolfgang"s study and stepped in.
Wolfgang was currently standing with his arms crossed below his back and his gaze directed toward the window, like a lofty expert gazing into the distance.
Seeing his stance, Konrad was forced to stiffen a laugh.
"Do you need to put up such pretense when you"re about to ask for bedchamber lessons? Tss, tss, tss."
Naturally, he didn"t say that out loud and steadily walked toward the main desk.
"Greetings father-in-law, I was told you requested my presence?"
"Indeed. Have a sit."
Konrad didn"t reject and sat within the wooden chair facing the desk.
"I have summoned you for an important discussion.
First, do you know for how long has house Kracht existed?"
"Tens of thousands of years?"
Konrad called a random number. As an Uradel house, house Kracht possessed at least ten thousand years of history. As for how long exactly, he had no idea.
"Fifty thousand to be more accurate. In past eras, our ancestors received great deeds of lands from past Holy Emperors for their innumerable contributions on the battlefield and established house Kracht.
Since then, we"ve acc.u.mulated countless merits, but it is not merit, alone, that allowed us to stand firm within the n.o.bility of this country. No, what truly preserved us is our care for our established traditions."
Wolfgang began in a tirade that caused confusion to flash within Konrad"s eyes.
What was he getting to with all this irrelevant nonsense?
"We"ve established and observed many traditions across the ages, but chief among those, and one of our most cherished is…The Talk!"
"The…Talk?"
Konrad repeated Wolfgang"s solemn words.
"Yes, The Talk. An opportunity for the father-in-law to test his future son-in-law"s understanding of the pleasure arts to ensure his daughter"s happiness."
The seriousness with which Wolfgang spoke those unbelievable words caused Konrad to stare at him slack-jawed and reappraise that father-in-law of his.
"Loads of horses.h.i.+t. Even in my previous life, I"ve never heard such righteous bulls.h.i.+tting."
Wolfgang paid little attention to his astonishment and finally turned from the window to face Konrad with his grave emerald eyes.
"And now it is time for us to have The Talk. Are you ready for this important test?"
Wolfgang believed the battle won and that Konrad would soon reveal all his secrets. However, his next words caused him to fly into rage.
"No thanks. I"m a proven veteran in the -pleasure arts- and need no confirmation from someone as untested as you are. No offense."
*BAM*
Wolfgang"s palm slammed the table with large veins protruding from his temple.
"Are you looking down on our traditions or are you looking down on me?!"
Toward his fit of fury, Konrad remained unafraid.
"If anyone is looking down on someone here, it is you. Am I a three years old kid that you think you can swindle me with such a bulls.h.i.+t story? Even the most gullible of fools wouldn"t believe it!"
Konrad"s retort caused Wolfgang"s face to contort into an awful grimace.
"Do you think I would invent traditions for nothing? I just want to make sure my daughter is in good hands, so I"m making the moral sacrifice of discussing such matters with you! How dare you insult my good intentions?!"
Shameless! Completely and utterly shameless! Was Daphne really Wulf"s daughter and not Wolfgang"s?
"Hum, hum. You don"t need to worry about Iliana; in fact, I believe a quick talk will reveal that I am more than she can handle. However, I wonder if upon asking her about the truth of this -tradition- she will hold the same speech as you."
Wolfgang staggered, hesitation flas.h.i.+ng within his eyes, but soon, he recomposed himself.
"Hum, this is a tradition pa.s.sed on from father to son and only known by the male line. Naturally, she is not aware."
"Oh? Very well, then let"s check with Wulf. Matter of fact, let"s bring in all the male members of house Kracht and ask them if they know The…Talk."
The thought of being made a fool in front of all the male members of his house made Wolfgang wobble; and as he sought countermeasures, Konrad carried on.
"Actually, never mind. I have no interest in it, regardless of it being true or not. Bye."
With that said he turned heels and was about to leave when a Holy Force Field released by a fuming Wolfgang blocked his steps.
"Do you believe that I will beat you senseless?"
The threat seemed to fly over Konrad"s head, and he burst into laughter.
"Beat if you must. In any case, you need me for the Holy Flame Baptism contest. Until I bring you that quota, no matter what, you cannot harm me. That being the case, who"s afraid of who?"
"You!"
Deceit did not work; coercion also failed. Right now, only honesty remained.
"I"m not an unreasonable man. If you honestly tell me why you want my input, I might just help you out of the kindness of my heart. What"s the problem?"
Knowing that he had no other alternative, Wolfgang sighed and fell into his seat.
"You cannot reveal this to anyone. If you do, baptism or not, I will kill you."
"Sure."
"I…can no longer please Zamira."
Once again, Konrad prevented himself from bursting into laughter. For perhaps if he did, Wolfgang truly wouldn"t hesitate to behead him.
"Hum, hum. That"s a…serious issue that requires…special handling. But I can help you."
Hearing those words, Wolfgang"s eyes lit up.
"Really?"
"Of course, I have all the degrees and certifications in the bedroom department."
"You have what?"
"Nevermind…"
Konrad returned to his seat, grabbed paper and ink, then pushed it toward Wolfgang.
"What are you doing?"
"Preparing a provision to save my a.s.s in case you turn to your blade after receiving my help. Something written by you to hold against you."
Wolfgang was startled. Did the boy have to be so overcautious? He wanted to argue but seeing the seriousness within Konrad"s gaze, he knew this part was non-negotiable.
"First, what do you want me to write?"
"Nothing much. Just something to put you to great shame should it spread to the outside. I will keep it somewhere safe, but if you adopt a threatening stance, have no doubt that it will first spread within your house, and then within the entire Holy Flame City."
"Alright, alright, dictate."
Wolfgang no longer wished to inquire on Konrad"s need for protection. The sooner he was done with this, the sooner he could regain his dignity!
"I, Wolfgang of house Kracht, in exchange for obtaining the means to please my consort, submit my life, my body, and my soul, to the great demon prince Konrad.
I hereby, irrevocably pledge to enter and loyally serve him and his household now, and forever."
Wolfgang"s forehead creased as he heard those humiliating words.
"Are you messing with me? Who would ever write such drivel?"
"To write or not to write depends on you. Don"t forget to sign your name at the end with your blood. We gotta look official."
The casualness of Konrad"s words reminded Wolfgang that he had long since lost the initiative. So, he could only comply.
He wrote every single one of the words, cut open his finger, and signed the paper in his blood name.
"Done…"
"Now repeat what you wrote so that I know you did it right."
Exasperation was rising within Wolfgang"s heart, but he still obeyed.
"I, Wolfgang of house Kracht, in exchange for obtaining the means to please my consort, submit my life, my body, and my soul, to the great demon prince Konrad!
I hereby, irrevocably pledge to enter and loyally serve him and his household now, and forever!"
He exclaimed to show his annoyance, but as he ended the words and returned his gaze onto Konrad"s, he could see that a demonic glint had replaced the previous casualness.
Konrad"s eyes glittered with violet light, pentagrams and demonic glyphs soared, and a whirlwind of purple fog surrounded the two of them.
"Then I, Konrad of the house of Talroth, welcome you into my household!"