Oukoku e Tsuzuku Michi-Novel

Chapter 477: The Stage is Ready

Altair Region: Port City – Malmatum

「The wind is getting cold. Winter is not far away, huh.」

I shove my hands in my pockets, slightly regretting that I came lightly dressed.

「It’d be bad if you caught a cold. Here.」

Celia gets ready to take her coat off, but I can’t bear to see her cold and besides, it’s too small for me to be of any use.

And so I hug Celia herself close to my body to keep warm.

Celia squirms around, adjusting her position in my arms so that she can see the front before popping her head out.

「......this isn’t the time to play around. We’re landing.」

The sound of wood scraping and rope creaking followed Myla’s words, eliciting soft cheers from those around her.

Although those weren’t unusual sounds in a port city, the volume and weight of those noises indicated the enormity of the arriving ship.

「Battleship Suvorov, docking――next, battleship Aless of Aless――docking!」

I jump from the quay to the Suvorov as I hear the heavy sound again.

I make my way along the ship’s deck, up the outer stairs and into the captain’s quarters.

In the room was Leopolt, as well as......

「What a restless guy. As the leader of an army, you should wait for me to disembark――」

「Ivanna!」

I hug Ivanna tightly and rub my cheek against her.

「W-what are you――nnmu!」

I finish by holding the back of her head and pressing my lips against hers.

Our kiss lasted for ten seconds before Ivanna broke away.

「I-insolent man! This is why soldiers from a small nation like Goldonia are―― seriously!」

Ivanna grumbles as she wipes her mouth.

「From the looks of things, it seems you’re back to normal. I wasn’t so sure if you would at one point.」

Ivanna blatantly scowls at me.

「That was just your imagination......no, I just couldn’t get out of the holiday mood. It’s not something to worry about. If you guys say anything unnecessary......」

She directs a fearsome gaze at two young apprentices cleaning the deck, who quickly break out in cold sweat and start cleaning furiously.

Now then, I wonder why Tristan, who was sent as a staff officer, is also cleaning.

Well, I guess it’s not too important.

「Is this a good time?」

「I knew you were about to come.」

Before I noticed, Leopolt was right next to me.

「We had an accidental encounter with more than 30 enemy warships just after reaching the Teries river. Approximately four hours later, we sunk over 20 ships and won. In terms of damage, two of our ships were moderately――」

Leopolt’s speech was interrupted by a slightly tanned hand.

「The only damage to either ship is to the superstructure and no ship has a broken mast. All ships can proceed to the next battle without repairs......it’s a complete victory.」

Ivanna says, pushing out her reasonably large chest to emphasize the “complete victory” part.

「I have no objections. The enemy surface fleet was dealt a severe blow while our forces are still in good shape―― I would say we achieved a greater than expected victory.」

If Leopolt says as much, it must be true.

When I peek at his emotionless face, I see his eyes make very small movements.

To me, it appears he didn’t expect it to happen.

「Man...... I didn’t think we could win so overwhelmingly with such forces. The enemy had ships with some pretty big cannons too. We made quick work of them, almost like hunting pigs......mm, I think this battle will go down in history as a lesson for future generations. If possible, I want my diary to be the basis for that.」

Tristan, the cleaner, also openly admires the achievement.

「To force your way on land with only emergency repairs and routing an enemy who outnumbers you...... that’s tremendous strength.」

I also heap more praise, although I better stop around here or else I’m worried Ivanna’s arching back will give out.

「The initial objective was to deploy surface forces into the Teries river to keep the enemy in check and disperse their forces in the rear――but the winds have changed.」

「Hmph. I guess they were just a decoy or something of that nature.」

Ivanna complains as she lets out a pleased huff.

She must have liked the phrase “the winds have changed”, that Leopolt used.

It was an unusually fancy wording used by Leopolt to perhaps please Ivanna.

There’s a chance he’s also aiming to get inside her pants.

Leopolt continued on while I was lost in thought.

「With this, the enemy has no way to circle behind us even if we raise the frontlines. On the other hand, our troops can now move all the way to the vicinity of the capital or even to the Polpo region, regardless of success or failure.」

「That is to say......the enemy can’t keep stalling, I guess.」

Leopolt nods.

「If it’s only a transport ship to carry soldiers, it can be bought from a nearby city or maybe a city state along the Teries......at the very least, we have to assume the enemy can buy them. If so, we’re out of time. They’re going to make a move.」

The janitor chimes in with his mop resting on his shoulder.

「You guys take care of the land. I will stay on the water and strike down anyone who challenges me. That’s all there is to it.」

Ivanna tries to sit with her back arched, but falls to the floor.

Actually, the chair was pulled backwards.

「When you become conceited, you are prone to be swept from below.」

The culprit was Sekrit.

She takes a defensive stance to deal with the snarling Ivanna as she walks over to me.

「I’m here too, you know. She gets a hug and a kiss and I get nothing?」

Before I could reply, she steps on my foot and pinches the hand I was trying to embrace her with.

「Pst, pst――that woman was waiting forever on the deck of the Aless of Aless.」

「When Lord Hardlett boarded the Suvorov, she hurried over――pst.」

「During repairs, the ship’s name was changed to the Leviathan !V! At least remember the proper name, grunt!」

While still in mid-sentence, a beautiful kick landed satisfyingly right to the crotch of the apprentice.

......I wonder if it was crushed.

Also, is Ivanna okay with the name Leviathan?

「The reason we won was because the enemy was weak. The way they handled their ships and cannons was mediocre, and it’s laughable how a victory over such an opponent can be considered heroic in any way.」

「What did you say!? All you do is complain, if you’re so dissatisfied then let me knock you off――」

Realizing they’re already on land as she speaks, she instead kicks the ass of the sullen Tristan.

「Anyway, a complete victory against that number is not easy. Although there were times when she almost got provoked by the enemy...... I acknowledge the fact that she didn’t lose our cool at critical points.」

Sekrit takes a breath.

「It’s impressive.」

It took a second for Ivanna to register those words as praise and retract the fang she bore at Sekrit, but then realized on second thought that there was nothing good about getting complimented by Sekrit, so she turned away, folding her arms in a huff.

「This is a victory celebration. I’ve trained the enemy apprentices, where might they be?」

Sekrit snaps her fingers and in comes a boy and a girl, both terrified.

「Hm, then I’ll take the boy――」

Ivanna stops herself short, looking back and forth between me and Tristan before starting to threaten Sekrit.

「By the way, what did you think of this guy and the elves?」

I jerk my chin at Leopolt.

「Hmp, a staff officer of the land can’t do anything once he’s on water. ......although, he wasn’t just eating for free.」

So he was useful.

「The elves who can manipulate water and wind are existences that are against the rules in the eyes of sailors, however they hid in the bottom of the ship, insisting they wouldn’t get involved with clashing or killing of the enemy――though, what happened down there during the fierce battle was quite curious.」

Sekrit smirks and points to the bow of the ship.

There, a group of white and black elves are lined up――puking like crazy.

「An unfamiliar ship, an intense battle, and the bottom of the ship which rocks the most......?」

Now that I look closer, Yularen’s ass is also among the asses of the elves.

I wanted to pay her a visit, but this is probably not the right time.

Which means, Ivanna won without the elves’ magic.

I guess I don’t have to worry about her on the river.

After Ivanna’s victory, the war situation began to develop quickly.

The enemy, who were supposed to be dedicated to a battle of endurance, abandoned the towns and started to withdraw.

Although it was a move that made it appear like they were defeated, they were actually concentrating their forces on the outskirts of Alteria and starting to head north.

「Now that we took the river, their stalling is over, and now they’re preparing for a big operation, huh......?」

「That’s right. But we gave the enemy a certain amount of time. They’ll have a trump card ready.」

That’s inevitable.

They’re not some low-grade monster so they’ll think of various ways to win.

「Regardless, I’m glad that the decisive battle is so easy to understand. This battle has gone on far too long.」

I love war to the same degree I love peaceful times when I can fuck a woman .

I get bored if I only have one or the other.

No, it won’t be boring if I change the sex positions.

「A directive also came from the Military Commissioner telling us to avoid unnecessary conflict in preparation for the decisive battle.」

「Ah, in that case, I’ll go squeeze out a quick one. You might as well rest for the next...... actually, rest for the next 24 hours as long as you don’t hear anything from me. It’s an order.」

Leopolt will continue meddling with something unless I tell him not to.

Whereas Tristan will rest without me telling him.

Oops, I forgot he was on the Suvorov. I’ll get him later.

As I left the tent with a smile, Benel was waiting for me outside.

「How relaxed you must be to take your eyes away from a prisoner. That carelessness will cost you your life.」

Benel warns boldly as she wraps a scarf around my neck, takes my arm and rubs her cheek against me.

「Then, why don’t we nip that anxiety in the bud. First, I’ll have you pour me a drink, and then I’ll make you submit by fucking you to the point of breaking.」

「You think you can break the heart of a female assassin like me? It’s over once you fall asleep from tiring yourself out from sex.」

Benel grins, pushes my arm in between her abundant bosom, skillfully removes her underwear from under her skirt and hands me the warm article of clothing.

「......what are you playing at?」

Celia, holding a coat, wedges herself between me and Benel.

「Since it doesn’t look like there will be fighting tonight, I will be his partner. Why don’t you go dive into the penal unit and entertain them?」

「Are you sure about that? If a group as shady as them make contact with me......that sword might point at you.」

Benel suggests provocatively, tears welling up in her eyes.

「......besides, you-」

Celia starts mumbling to herself, her eyes fixed steadily on Benel’s body.

「That long blonde hair...... slightly plump body......sensitive with a propensity to squirt a lot...... serious yet lewd and weak to muscular men and large cocks...... it can’t be a coincidence that a woman directly in the middle of Aegir-sama’s strike zone would be sent as an assassin.」

I would also add that she has a nice, cheerful aura about her.

I’m not even sure if she’s really an assassin in the first place.

「Of course I am. During the training period, out of the 50 skilled individuals...... I came third. Two went missing on the way, so technically it was out of 48 people though.」

「If that’s true, then South Yuguria must also not amount to much.」

Benel disregards the doubtful Celia, combining alcohol, fruit juice and a splash of water measured roughly with her eye, and mixes it well before serving it to me.

She is also perfect when it comes to this kind of consideration. No matter how I think about it, it’s not a skill needed by an assassin.

We quietly pass the time, enjoying our drinks and slowly getting intoxicated.

By the way, Celia got dizzy 30 minutes after we started.

Benel clung to me with a flushed face, hurling a multitude of topics at me.

But instead of talking non-stop, she allowed me to talk to my heart’s content.

「The ships I saw today were awesome~ Where did you get them~?」

Hahaha, the Suvorov and the Aless of――I mean, Leviathan IV are big, so anybody would be interested in them.

「There were a lot of people with long ears too~」

Haha, people don’t get the chance to meet elves very often.

When this many elves are together, it’s quite the amazing sight, I’m sure.

「I want to know more about the king of Aless~」

It feels like the alcohol will taste like sweat when Gildress is mentioned.

It’s strange though, I don’t think Gildress was present when she was captured.

「You have some unique subordinates too~ For example, that person looks like someone who loves money.」

「You mean Mack? No, he doesn’t really care for it. He’s a pervert who likes women with dark skin. There’s no saving him.」

I talk freely, interspersing gentle criticism with some exaggerations.

Then I notice that Benel is taking notes.

「What are you writing?」

「Hm~? Nothing~ Anyway, we’re getting pretty drunk...... want to torture me...... on the bed?」

Well, if she doesn’t want to tell me, I won’t force her.

I throw a blanket over the light-headed Celia before laying beside Benel on the bed......

–Third Person POV–

South Yuguria, Capital City: Alteria – Empress’s Chambers.

「I appreciate you coming. Please have a drink first.」

「Pardon me.」

Maestus puts the glass to his lips as encouraged by Wilhelmina.

But he doesn’t pour the entire glass of the finest wine down his throat, rather he only touches his tongue with a single drop of the liquid.

「So, what can I do for you, Your Majesty?」

The man beats the Empress to the punch before she could say anything.

It was as if he was there to solely focus on business.

The smile pasted on Wilhelmina’s face doesn’t crumble despite the man’s unconcealed attitude.

It was just her eyes that changed sharply.

In contrast, Maestus also held a dignified smile on his handsome face while his eyes sparkled brightly.

「――let me get straight to the point then. Are you willing to become the commander of the entire army for the upcoming decisive battle in place of Zaphnes, Maestus? Your quick wits are needed.」

「I respectfully decline.」

It was an immediate reply without a shred of hesitation.

Wilhelmina’s smile doesn’t waver and neither does Maestus’s grin.

In the brief moment of silence where both people were staring at each other, it felt like an imaginary blizzard of the Federation’s coldest winter was blowing in between the two radiant smiles.

「Could I ask why?」

「My wits are not superior to His Excellency Zaphnes’s. I don’t have the capacity to lead the entire army.」

Wilhelmina takes a sip of tea.

「I don’t think that’s true. You have enough talent to lead a large army. And you can be ruthless in your pursuit for victory when necessary. Isn’t that a perfect quality of a general?」

「Please forgive my rudeness in disagreeing with you. It’s just that I believe His Excellency Zaphnes is suitable for the job and I am not.」

The snowstorm grows stronger.

「The one who decides that is not you, the concerned party, but me, the appointer, isn’t that right?」

「Yes, it is. But don’t forget that the one actually leading the soldiers will be me.」

The first one to break the standoff was Wilhelmina, who looked down with a smile.

「I’m already in trouble by being stubborn. Please don’t pick on this young girl anymore.」

Wilhelmina grips Maestus’s hand.

「The commander-in-chief on the battlefield is like an emperor on the front lines, so to speak. You deserve to have a suitable reward. ――what do you want?」

Maestus’s eyebrows move.

「A mountain of gold enough to buy a country, a position of power second only to me, or perhaps fame that would resound throughout all of the Central Plains...... or better yet, I can have the people praise you as a hero for the next hundred years.」

A white hand rests on top of the man’s sun-tanned hand.

「I apologize if this upsets you. However, I have heard rumors about how much of a womanizer you are. If you so desire, I can deliver all the nation’s most beautiful women to you. That naturally includes anybody in management, any noble or any town girl you set your eyes on......」

Wilhelmina leans close.

「Or maybe you want......me?」

For the first time, Maestus appeared flustered.

Wilhelmina did not miss that fact.

「Do you not think I’m beautiful? A young Empress unaccustomed to men being bedded by an experienced man like you...... writhing and panting helplessly under you like a small boat stirred around by a raging stream......」

Maestus grabs Wilhelmina’s shoulder.

「Please refrain from making such jokes when drunk. Because I’m a timid person, banter of that nature will make my heart stop.」

Maestus gulps down the rest of the alcohol in his glass and then performs a tidy salute no one can complain about.

「Your Majesty has evaluated me too generously. It moves me deeply even with the knowledge that it is encouragement on the battlefield. And so, I will remain under His Excellency Zaphnes, working alongside my fellow soldiers to become steel and fight the decisive battle!」

「Alright, I have great expectations as to what you contribute.」

She smiles, not showing any signs that she’s displeased, embarrassed or angry.

Once again, Maestus’s face flinches.

「Your Majesty, before I leave, I would like to revise an incorrect rumor.」

Wilhelmina’s face lights up with surprise for an instant.

She didn’t think the man would talk about any unnecessary topics.

「There is no denying my promiscuity. Whenever I have a chance, I seek out women and often take pleasure in having many serve me.」

「Oh my, how naughty. Great men have a great fondness for sensual pleasures, I guess. I’m sure women naturally flock to someone as handsome as Maestus-dono, although they might resent you if you play around too much.」

In comparison to Wilhelmina, who giggles with a hand over her mouth, Maestus erases his fake smile.

「I adore the female body more than anything, however, I hate women more than anything. Now, if you will excuse me.」

Wilhelmina also removes the forced smile once the door closes.

「I see, so he’s that type of man.」

Wilhelmina bites her neatly trimmed nails and places her leg on the desk, not caring that her underwear can be seen.

She spoke in a soft tone, but it was clear she was irritated.

「My apologies, Your Majesty.」

Visitacion emerges from the shadow of the curtain.

「It’s fine. More importantly, we have to think of the next move. I’ve already played several, but what will the outcome be?」

「In regards to that......」

Visitacion suddenly kneels on the spot just as he was about to speak.

In the next moment, the door was opened with a knock.

「I’m coming in――! Mu, someone was here before me?」

「It is an insignificant matter, Zaphnes Your Excellency. I will leave immediately.」

Visitacion politely lowers his head and exits the room.

「I heard about the navy’s defeat! Damn, I don’t know what kind of magic was used...... but we barely made it in time.」

Zaphnes excitedly spreads some documents on the desk.

「I was upset when you said you were going to recruit mercenaries from the Imperial territory, but now I see, barbarians in a remote area won’t know our faces. The home nation is also in rough shape after the defeat. Reducing the number of mouths to feed is an optimal solution. With this, we’ve secured 30 000――」

Wilhelmina nods slightly.

Her decision was made because she knew all of this, after all.

「In addition, they use monsters trained for battle. Goldonia, who has never seen them, are in for a surprise! Let’s see, the monsters are......」

「600 land type monsters and 300 aerial monsters. They also have food prepared.」

Wilhelmina rests her elbow on the desk and speaks.

She was also aware of the trump card which Zaphnes wouldn’t talk about, but did not feel the need to bring it up now.

「Now, all we need is a squad of magic users. We’ve had some trouble training together, but we’re finally at a level where they can hold their own in battle. Then, we need to get Alteria’s main army――」

「They joined two days ago and have already started to march.」

Zaphnes nods, almost like he was reminded.

「Last is...... the young male soldiers. I feel it’s not the best idea, but we can’t be very picky in this situation. Not a big deal, once parents and siblings are given a reasonable amount of standing or gold, they won’t complain as much.」

「Just like I did a month ago.」

Zaphnes nods in content, looking at Wilhelmina with eyes burning with fighting spirit.

「If we win the decisive battle, all the mistakes up to this point will also be cancelled out. Leave it to me, I have yet to lose a final battle as important as this.」

As Wilhelmina watches the enthusiastic Zaphnes walk off, she heaves a heavy sigh.

「You ran to the Central Plains because you lost at a crucial point, didn’t you......」

「So we have to push forward in that direction after all.」

Visitacion emerges from the shadow of the curtain again.

「And the result?」

「Excellent. The assassin......Benel has been captured as planned and turned into source of amusement. Information is being sent, albeit irregularly.」

Benel’s capture was determined from the start.

The medicinal pill she was given actually contained a minute amount of poison, which wouldn’t kill her even if she swallowed a tiny bit.

「She’s a woman perfectly fit to Hardlett’s tastes. He will surely show her plenty of affection.」

「Based on the information collected, we’ll be setting up a secondary plan. There is no guarantee......but there will be benefits even if we catch one or two.」

Wilhelmina skims the information in a few seconds and nods.

It was a rather disinterested reaction towards the information obtained via a two-stage scheme.

「By the way, you and Benel were both in the same year during training, right?」

「Yes. She was skilled in her own right and I believe she ranked third in the class.」

The corners of Wilhelmina’s mouth raised when she heard Visitacion’s answer.

「And what about you?」

「Please don’t tease me. I am a “failure”.」

Visitacion furrows his brows and refills Wilhelmina’s tea.

「Congratulations on passing. It was a narrow gate.」

That’s right, the only ones who really passed the conspiracy training agency were the ones who disappeared midway through.

The others, regardless of their ranking, were judged to be “nothing more than sacrificial pawns”.

Honestly speaking, any form of personal records will act as an obstacle to those involved with conspiracies after they graduate anyways.

「Don’t get me wrong, she’s competent. However, she has a fatal flaw.」

Wilhelmina remains silent, urging him to continue.

「She is too emotional. She is probably acting like a slut drowned in pleasure to cozy up to Hardlett right now, but over time, as she continues that relationship, there’s no mistake that she will become emotionally invested. The only thing that kept her from being disqualified was a certain training.」

Visitacion picks up a mewling cat by the window.

「Students were given kittens. Then, after a couple months of living with them―― they were ordered to kill them.」

Visitacion pulls out a dagger and thrusts it at the cat, stopping just short of its eye.

The startled cat hastily jumps out the window.

「She couldn’t do it. Her clever use of substitution with an already dead cat’s body was impressive, but...... the training agency is not naive enough for petty tricks to work.」

「Fumu, and you――do I have to ask?」

Visitacion gives a small bow and stows away his dagger.

「Benel will fall in love with Hardlett not long from now. Information will either be delayed or it will appear suspicious.」

「But, that’s fine. Because――」

Visitacion continues.

「Benel’s very existence is a scheme. Hardlett is known as an unmatched womanizer, so if she falls for him, he’s bound to also fall in love with her. Furthermore, injuring Hardlett on the battlefield is as difficult as slaying a dragon, however......」

「The same can’t be said for Benel. If we call on her during the periodic contacts, she will come in front of our spies by herself.」

Benel was never expected to complete her duties as an assassin from the start.

She was not expected to fulfil the role of a spy pretending to assassinate either.

This was all a three-stage scheme that she had no knowledge about.

「If we assassinate Benel at the appropriate time, and in front of Hardlett if possible......」

「Hardlett will be shaken or he’ll lose his composure. If I can disrupt Goldonia’s most prominent army with a scheme, I’ll happily give up the number three ranking.」

The tea was being consumed at a rapid pace.

「Don’t let the third level be noticed. Set up a plot based on the information sent to you. Whether it succeeds or not...... we’ll take a look if there’s time.」

「Understood.」

The decisive battle was approaching soon.

Protagonist: Aegir Hardlett. 25 years old. Autumn.

Status: Goldonia Kingdom Margrave. Great Feudal Lord of Eastern Area. Mountain Legend.

Friend of the Dwarves. Friend of the King of Aless. Dragon Slayer Hero.

Elf Mediator. Sex King of White City.

Condition (Evil God Mode)

Subordinates:

Myla (rest), Celia (dead drunk), Irijina (rest), Luna (rest)

Gido (complete recovery, insane), Pochi (in construction), Leopolt (rest), Tristan (cleaning), Agor (excuse)

Yakov (enraged), Mack (disturbed), Jim (confused), Christoph (opposed), Guigue (scum)

Altair (small happiness), Remia (climax)

Others:

Sekrit (training), Ivanna (bliss), T-99 (observing), Brynhildr (searching)

Natia (research), Felteris (vomiting, glad), Ijaris (vomiting), Yularen (vomiting)

Annette (conviction), Piris (house arrest), Baroness Rukino Escaote (bashful), Seika (?), Naesys (playing), Nasis (playing), Busco (low-life)

Zillia (astonished)

Army – Southern Goldonia

Under Protagonist:

Escort Unit: 55

Infantry: 4500

Cavalry: 540

Archers: 580

Cannoneers: 360

Bow Cavalry: 7100

Independent Celia Squad: 400

Conscripts + Security Unit: 9700

Cannons: 40, Large Cannons: 21, Dwarven Cannons: 15, Field Artillery: 15, Chariots: 35

————————————————————————————————

Reinforcements / Allied Forces

105 Army Corps: 3700

Elves: Black: 200, White: 200

New Penal Unit: 200 ⇒ 250

God Altair’s Army: 230

Teries Fleet: Battleship Suvorov, Battleship Leviathan IV (temporary), Large Combat Ships: 3, Medium Combat Ships: 7 (all temporarily repaired)

————————————————————————————————

Ally Forces:

Western Front:

Royal Army: 39 000

Conscripts: 46 000

Eastern Front: ???

Enemy Force: Regular Soldiers: 20 000?

Conscripts: 70 000? + Young Male Soldiers: 30 000

Cavalry Army: 10 000

Frontier Mercenaries: ⇒ 30 000

Land Beasts: 600, Air Beasts: 300, ???: 1

National Volunteer Corps: ⇒ ∞

Assets: -10 000 gold

Sexual Partners: 796, children who have been born: 69 + 567