Chapter 318: Tiny Tear and Ligh
-Aegir POV-
「Big brother, it's been so long~!」
After Celestina gets off the carriage, she toddles toward me and jumps into my chest.
「It's nice to see Your Majesty Celestina, what brings you here on such short notice?」
Celestina is the king of Malt. I can't simply treat her like a child.
「Booー」
Celestina looks unhappily at me.
It can't be helped, so I whisper in her ear.
「Hey hey, put up with it for now. We can eat sweets together later.」
Her sullen look clears up as quickly as it arrived.
I wonder why such a smile makes you want to protect it so much.
Unconsciously, I want to squeeze her cheeks like I do with Celia, but I stop myself when her attendant Monica stares at me.
「I am terribly sorry for the sudden visit.」
Monica apologizes politely before urging us to hurry into the mansion.
When I sneakily feel up her ass, she sends another sharp stare at me.
However the aftermath of the wedding ceremony still hasn't been cleaned up inside of the mansion. Rita also asked to delay the visit as long as possible.
「Now now, no need to be in such a rush, wouldn't you like to take a look at the courtyard? There's a rare plant, snake and lizard――」
I thought saying those things would pique Celestina's curiosity, but she grabs my sleeve with a troubled expression.
「Big brother...... I have something I'd like to discuss as soon as possible...... there is no time for me to play around......」
It can't be helped if the little girl says so.
I show her into the office of the mansion without the welcoming party.
「Malt is in terrible trouble and everyone is suffering. That's why I want you to share some of your medicine with me!」
Celestina makes her desperate plea in the office.
I nod and show my acknowledgement of her intelligently composed words while concentrating my thoughts on the letter given to me by Monica.
「Gosh, brother! I want you to pay attention to what Celestina is saying!」
Realizing my attention is divided, Celestina climbs over the table.
I frantically hand the letter to Celia. Its contents are not something which Celestina should see.
"An epidemic has been confirmed to have spread throughout Malt which is impossible for us to deal with, also it has no cure."
"It's only a matter of time before it invades the capital Biado."
"We want to protect Her Majesty at the very least from the disease, so we came up with a reason and requested a visit to your land."
"We ask that you keep her in check until it is safe to go back."
The letter was signed by multiple people, who I'm guessing are the ministers.
Meaning the earlier petition for support supplies and medicine was just a pretense, and the little girl was the only one who believed it to be true.
「Big brother? Can you provide me with some of your medicine? If it's something I can do, I'll do anything......」
I embrace the teary-eyed Celestina.
How embarrassing.
If Leopolt or Adolph was here, they would be able to deceive her more tactfully.
This is the most I can do though.
「Eeh!? What is all of a sudden, brother......」
I don't say anything and just hug Celestina tightly.
If I do this, the speechless attendant Monica also understood the situation and simply watches in silence while wiping her tears.
She should be told.
She's the queen. The state of the crisis in her own country should not be hidden from her.
「I understand everything. But I need some time to prepare them. I will give you the medicine as soon as it is ready, so Celestina, why don't you take a bath while you wait and wash away the sweat. It was hot outside, right?」
I couldn't do it.
If I told her the truth, her face would instantly cloud up and tears would rain down her cheeks.
Letting her know all the actions she took were meaningless and that she was sent out just so she could be protected is too cruel.
The retainers of Malt probably sent her here without saying anything feeling the same way.
「Got it! I really love the bath in big brother's houseー」
Celestina scurries off.
Once her footsteps become distant, Polte and Myla approach me.
「So the epidemic situation in Malt has become so serious...... not much time passed since the messenger came too.」
「We should inform Kisatto about this.」
Polte's face is gloomy while Myla prepares to send a message.
「Send this letter as it is. It's better to avoid any unnecessary explanations.」
I don't want to leave this letter lying around.
「Also, prepare a wagon to head for Biado. There is no effective medicine to combat the disease yet, so pack the wagon with fruits.」
Celestina is a child, not an idiot.
Using only words to trick her isn't enough.
That's all we can do.
「There is no medicine or cure, so we can't do much...... this is so troubling.」
「The dragon's blood...... won't work either.」
To begin with, that is a powerful salve.
We don't know how effective it is on sicknesses, and more importantly there isn't enough of it to go around.
Malt may be a small country, but there is undoubtedly at least thousands of people infected by the plague.
Distributing the medicine to a few hundred people is like pouring water on a hot stone.
「In any case, this is a period of tribulation for Malt. In the worst case, we should assume the country will――」
Myla's eyes widen in shock, then they narrow as if apologizing.
The door opens slightly and Celestina, who is wearing bath wear and holding a towel, freezes.
My hand automatically moves to my head.
「Ah, I was just going to ask big brother if he would like to get in the bath together...... but...... that's......」
Tears well up in Celestina's eyes.
There's no doubt she heard the crucial parts.
Celestina sinks to the floor.
「For that...... the ministers sent me to brother's place because of that...... Malt will...... everyone will......」
The rest couldn't be made out clearly.
She bursts out in tears and sobs loudly.
「Myla, Polte, deal with it like you said earlier. I'm going to the bedroom with her.」
Explaining will do no good to a wailing child. I have to put the crying girl to sleep.
In the bedroom, Celestina falls face down on the large bed still in her bath wear.
She has stopped crying for the most part, but I can still hear her sniffling.
I lay sprawled beside her, continuously stroking her from her head to her back.
「I...... what did I do...... I thought I could become a fine king and create a country where the people could smile...... yet I can't do anything...... waaaaah.」
I don't say anything. This isn't the right time to say anything.
「In the end, I have left the people and ran away again...... I'm a useless doll......」
I embrace the girl.
When Celestina lifts up her head, her eyes are practically dead.
They're eyes of despair, which have given up all hope, and the type of eyes I hate the most.
She takes off her bath wear and climbs on top of me.
「Big brother, I want you to violate me. No, I want you to break me. Break me to pieces and throw me aside. Having run away and abandoning everyone, I need to be punished in the same way, it should be simple for brother to help, right?」
Then I should leave Celestina with somebody who can teach her about big dicks.
As if I would do that, besides the door has been swaying unstably for a while now.
If I mount her right now, Monica would come running at me with a knife.
「Celestina, don't be ridiculous.」
I use a little bit of anger in my voice. It made her shoulder twitch in surprise.
「But...... but...... then let me return to Bia――」
I interrupt her.
「Celestina, are your ministers and knights traitors?」
Celestina shakes her head in denial.
「Right? However those guys didn't tell you anything and even lied to get you to come here to me. That is an outrageous act equivalent to treason. Why do you think they did that?」
「Because I'm useless......」
I hug the naked Celestina.
I don't know if it's because she's young or if it's because she sobbed, but her body feels hot.
「That's wrong. It's because they didn't want you to die. They wanted to keep you alive no matter what they had to sacrifice.」
I kiss the outer corner of her crying eye.
「They want you to be happy and smile. If you go back to Biado, all they have done will go to waste. ......they will make the same face Celestina is making right now.」
Celestina sinks powerlessly into the bed.
The despair has disappeared from her face, though the crying doesn't change.
「After you do everything you can, there's nothing to do but sleep and wait. Right now, the most important thing for you to do is to be cheerful...... come on, smile.」
Celestina tries to smile, only for the smile to fall apart in no time.
My hands go around her body and tickle her belly, sides, and neck.
「Hyaha! Ah, stop that big brother! That tickles! Hyaaaaah!」
「Fufufu, I won't stop. I'm going to tickle you more!」
Being naked, Celestina was full of weaknesses for me to tickle continuously and eventually she becomes exhausted from laughing too much.
「Leave the matter of the disease to me. Your job is to comfort everybody after everything is over. All the people will definitely cheer up when they see your smile. That is something I can't do.」
「Right......」
Celestina buries her face in my chest.
She must be too tired to cry or laugh. I can already hear quiet snoring.
Foreseeing that, Monica quietly opens the door and enters the room.
「Has Her Majesty calmed down?」
「Yeah, she's asleep.」
Celestina is sleeping on my chest.
「It's better if we let her sleep like this.」
If I make any movement while acting as her bedsheet, she'll wake up.
Sorry Polte and Myla, I'm going to take a little break here too.
「I can understand that but...... Her Majesty being naked means......」
Monica is curious about what will happen to Celestina now that she's stark naked.
「Haha, she's still a child. I won't eat her. Look, my cock is still docile, see?」
I spread my legs and show her the limp dick hanging from my crotch.
Monica makes sure I won't do anything even though she covers her face with her hands.
Actually it was a closer call than I expected.
Celestina is starting to grow up and her breasts are getting bigger ever so slightly.
I felt more of a womanly presence when tickling her.
Not to mention I would have gotten hard for sure if I let my mind wander to the sweat which made her crotch and stomach moist as she was flailing around.
「I will also sleep here today. I always sleep beside Her Majesty.」
Monica strips down to her underwear.
Probably because her mistress is laying on top of me, Monica silently lies beside me.
Her fully developed breasts graze my arm.
「......」
「......」
Of course my dick instantly reacts and starts swelling up.
Monica sighs and then reluctantly...... but almost expectantly offers a suggestion.
「If you really can't hold it in, please use me. This is so you don't assault Her Majesty accidentally.」
Monica then turns her back toward me.
I support the sleeping Celestina with my right hand and then bring my left hand to Monica's crotch right away.
「Already, huh......nnh! Your finger...... aahn!」
I don't insert my finger in her hole when it isn't wet, instead I trace around the outer lips and knead her clitoris.
I'm limited to using one hand and she's lying face up so I can't do anything fancy, still I can feel Monica gradually get hotter.
「Nn! Nnnh! Nnnnnnh!!」
I push my finger into the slowly dampening hole and feel that her insides are getting pretty wet.
Monica's reactions are getting more intense, her hips are lifting up off the bed and she's moaning a lot more.
「Uuunn......」
And then Celestina squirms.
Monica frantically stuffs the sheets in her mouth to muffle her voice.
That doesn't stop me from moving my finger.
I'm not moving it particularly fast, my finger slowly but surely rubs her most pleasurable spots.
Monica bites down on the bed sheet, trying her best to keep quiet while her body twists and turns.
The scent of an aroused female wafts in the pitch-black bedroom and an indistinct moaning leaks out.
「Aauu!」
My finger is being tightly squeezed.
It didn't take ten seconds for Monica to climax.
「Let me take you one level higher.」
I push my finger a bit deeper inside and grind against the rough surface of her weak spot.
「gk!?」
Monica's legs stretch out and she sucks in her breath.
Sensing that she's about to let out a scream, she buries her face into a pillow.
「Cum.」
I press my finger harder to finish her off.
「Nnnnnnnhーーーー!!」
Monica grasps the sheets with both hands and her legs are twitching like crazy.
「Nnhー...... nnfuー...... fuu......」
Her meat pot clenches my finger countless times.
The first time was so tight it was painful, then gradually he grip loosens and changes to a firm but affectionate hold.
It was like Monica's vagina was expressing gratitude to my finger for making it feel so good.
「Did you enjoy it?」
Monica lets out a soft "......yes" in a squeaky mosquito-like voice.
I would normally proceed to mount her, although I can't with Celestina on top of me.
For today, I should be happy that I at least satisfied Monica.
I might just get a wet dream if I go to sleep like this. Hopefully, my dick won't bother Celestina after tearing through my pants.
「Don't move. You will wake up Her Majesty.」
I feel something stirring around my lower half.
My pants are slowly pulled down and my cock gets wrapped with a soft and hot sensation.
It looks like Monica's returning the favor with her mouth.
「I'm terrible at this though.」
「It makes me happy, Monica.」
「Uuun...... big brother...... it's getting hotter......」
Her service isn't particularly fervent nor is she particularly skilled, yet her thoroughness and methodical movements slowly builds up enough pleasure to allow me to release a load of my seed in Monica's mouth while still hugging Celestina.
「Nngh! Nnnguh!!」
I go into thought during my ejaculation.
I told Celestina to leave the matter of disease to me, but there is nothing for me to actually do.
Adolph and Tristan are thinking of ways to seal off the disease and likely won't think about saving the already infected Malt.
「We need medicine. A certain miracle drug, that is.」
With such things on my mind, I groan and continue to defile Monica's mouth.
-Third Person POV-
Southern Region.
「Mama! Mamaー!!」
「Don't come any closer! You'll be finished too if it gets transmitted!」
The mother doesn't move a muscle at her daughter's voice and sinks into a puddle of blood.
Men use their tools―― long sticks with metal fittings at the end――to drag the corpse and throw it into a hole.
They treated the dead body horribly like a piece of garbage, but were just as frightened as if they were carrying gunpowder.
「Alright, it's in. Set it on fire. Pour oil on the drag marks and burn it too.」
As the daughter cries out, the mother's remains are engulfed in flames.
Black smoke rises up towards the heavens.
「Throw in the bed and clothes and everything else she used. I know it's tough...... but we have no choice.」
Columns of smoke similarly rise in other places around the village.
If one strains their eyes, they would see the same smoke coming from the villages beyond the hill and beyond the woods.
The father who is hanging his head starts to move sluggishly.
He didn't have time to think back about his wife.
「Papa...... mama is...... mama is......」
After hugging his sobbing daughter, the father takes off all the girl's clothes.
Despite exposing the naked body of the young girl in public, nobody criticized him.
「......fuu.」
The father could breathe a sigh of relief once he confirmed her body didn't have any boils on it.
「This kind of thing...... how long is it going to continue? Is there a safe place we can go to?」
The father talks to the men.
「The feudal lord has notified us not to let anyone leave the village once the epidemic has broken out. We are under strict orders to kill anyone who breaks the rules.」
「At least food is brought to the entrance of the village once a week so we won't go hungry, still......」
The men look up at the top of the hill a short distance away where the village is being monitored and see a jet black flag waving.
「I understand that he doesn't want the disease to spread. But my daughter is only twelve years old! At this rate, she'll become like my wife ...... and that's just......」
When the father breaks down in tears, the men look around before bringing themselves close to his ear.
「There is a rumor going around...... about a large treatment center near Kisatto. The person in charge feels for the people and is going against the feudal lord's orders, accepting anybody who comes......」
「In the worst case, you might be able to blend into the dead of night, sneak past the army's eyes, and get onto the east road.」
The secret whispering continues.
Kisatto Countermeasures Headquarters.
「The speed at which the disease is spreading is slowing down. Currently, the number of villages with confirmed cases of the disease is four for pioneer villages and eight for farm villages. Also Hikul, the city with 800 population, is done. The only other city with infected people is this place. It hasn't gone north of Kisatto. Then again, I don't know what will happen if people start flowing out from Malt.」
Adolph exhales to express how everything is still within his expectations.
「Those who tried to escape and have then been cleaned up total six groups and 25 people, with not a single case of an entire village causing a rebellion. You can say the number of people and the number of incidents are below expected values. Of course, those headed towards Besselink are overlooked and not included in the count. There are roughly 300 people here. The rumor is working.」
Leopolt states as he deals with reports from the monitored villages in an unconcerned manner.
「Apparently a wagon packed with oil was lit on top of the bridge leading inside Malt territory, burning down the wooden bridge. Also, the levee burst for some reason after yesterday's rain, rendering the road unusable. Things like this are Leopolt-san's specialty, right? And who cancelled the request for more tea as punishment...... if I didn't prepare a backup plan, I wouldn't be able to drink it.」
Tristan comments while sipping his tea.
The three of them don't look the slightest bit panicked or have any signs of despair on their faces.
「Presently...... everything is somehow okay. Fortunately, we stopped the disease at a place with a low population density. We would be having way more trouble if it stopped at a city with several thousand in population.」
Tristan agrees with Adolph.
「The blockade is going well and the rumor has seeped through nicely. Even if we can't keep them under control, they'll end up going to Besselink. We still have room to operate in this two-layered plan.」
Leopolt lifts his head after he finishes looking over the reports.
「I showed the reports of the various villages to ten doctors. According to them, the disease can spread besides direct contact with the infected through blood, excrement, and saliva. To confirm the findings, a few sick patients were placed next to a few people in a room with low walls and an opening in the ceiling, but nobody got sick. Those who slept in the beds used by the patients actually got sick and collapsed.」
Tristan chokes on his tea, Adolph widens his eyes.
「You used the citizens to conduct experiments!?」
「I used criminals.」
「Criminals are citizens too. They weren't even sentenced to death, how could you......」
As Adolph continues to flare up, Leopolt shows his permit.
Seeing the feudal lord's stamp on the paper, Adolph unwillingly goes quiet.
「Errr, robbers...... rejected. Serial thieves...... rejected. Rapists...... approved. Gang-rapists...... all approved. Murderers...... huh, rejected? Aah, the criminals were women. That person is really so easy to understand.」
Tristan chuckles after reading the permit and continues on.
「But this information is big. One touch of the disease and it's curtains, whereas it doesn't transmit through the air. It would be much harder to enclose the disease if it was an airborne one, we can probably manage something knowing it's not.」
Anticipating Adolph and Leopolt staring each other down, Tristan gets another helping of tea.
The volatile atmosphere gets neutralized by his easygoing atmosphere.
「......so it looks like we will end with a final casualty count less than what we expected.」
Adolph states and Leopolt replies promptly.
「The current death toll is at 1000, with an additional 4000 from the village where the disease has broken out, and 500 here at the treatment center. Knowing all the aforementioned will die, the actual estimated death count is 5500. Now considering the speed at which the disease is spreading has reduced, we will have at most 10 000 or more likely closer to 8000 deaths.」
「Please don't count all the citizens we blocked as dead......」
「Is there any hope of saving them?」
Adolph clams up when the expressionless Leopolt asks the question.
The disease might not spread as long as direct contact is not made, but it really is a matter of time if so many people get crammed together in the same village.
As long as there is no medicine to treat the illness, it is naive to think they will survive.
Naturally Adolph knew that.
「I will report the forecasted death total and reasoning to Hardlett-sama. You should consider what to do after the epidemic is over. ......I'm going out to check if there are any holes in security.」
That was all Leopolt said before he got up from his seat.
「......I guess that's all I can do. I will go take a short nap. Tristan, I'm counting on you to continue carrying out the emergency measures.」
Adolph also reluctantly leaves his seat.
「Right, right, I'll just sit here and wait...... w-wait a minute! I have to deal with everything? Rather, how long do I have to do it for? Are you telling me to do it until you two come back? I was thinking of going to sleep soon, heeeeey!」
-Aegir POV-
Rafen.
「Natia! Is Natia here!?」
I run to the mansion as soon as morning arrives.
Celestina and Monica were sleeping in each other's arms before I knew it.
I couldn't go a round with Monica after waking up so I went to look for Natia.
「Natia, make me a medicine!」
When I swing open the door forcefully, I hear a sharp scream.
Crap, I mistakenly opened a servant's room.
Not only that, she were changing to get ready for morning duties.
「M-master!? What is it all of a sud―― umu!」
I reflexively steal the maid's lips and squeeze her exposed boobs.
The hand she puts on my shoulder in resistance gradually falls down limply.
「Sorry. I made a mistake. Keep up the good work.」
「Haa...... haa...... huh? I would have been okay with being fucked...... my body is all hot now.」
I'm reluctant to part, but I won't achieve my objective if I embrace the maid here.
For now, I'll remember her face and room and pay her a visit tonight.
「Natia, are you here!?」
I open another door.
「Kyaaー!!」
I picked the correct door, except Natia was also changing.
Without delay, various objects fly at me.
I enter the room in spite of the projectiles, grab the woman's shoulders and look at her with a serious expression.
This is extremely important.
「So rough...... for my first, I had hoped you would be gentle.」
「Natia, make a medicine for me.」
Natia has become stiff and is closing her eyes tightly for some reason, but then opens her eyes again when she hears what I said.
「......oh, that's all?」
「A medicine to treat a disease. The only way to keep the cute Celestina from being sad is to save Malt. To do that, medicine is needed.」
It might not be such a selfish discussion.
But nobody would die even if Natia screws up. The worst that could happen is for someone to lose their hair.
That's why I should do everything I can to bring a smile back to Celestina's face.
Even if the possibilities are one in a thousand, giving the medicine to a hundred people will provide a little bit of hope.
A man with weak diluted semen still has a chance to impregnate a woman if they cum inside everyday.
Natia clears her throat, then for some reason bonks me on the head.
It doesn't hurt me, but I feel how unreasonable my request is.
「......I've also heard about the epidemic. I was wondering if I could do something and just managed to pick this up.」
Now that I check, Natia was changing out of her adventuring gear.
That reminds me, I haven't seen her around lately. So she went out somewhere.
Natia opens up a book in front of the table.
It is an old one which smells of mold.
「This is a book written by a very well-known forest elf doctor. I remembered this was in my home town. There was a cure for a similar disease in the book...... unfortunately, there was a problem――」
This must be what telepathy is. As I thought, she was meant to be my woman.
「Well done! You are a wonderful woman as I expected you to be!」
I instinctively hug Natia.
「Gyahー stop itー! I just came back so I'm still sweaty! Don't hug me! Hey, don't get big! Listen to what I'm sayingーー!!」
My momentum pushed Natia onto the bed.
I feel a bunch of stares on my back.
「Uwaa...... looks like it's starting.」
「...... how bold to do it with the door open.」
「Even Natia-san falls victim, he really likes sowing his seed indiscriminately, gosh!」
I made a fuss with the door open so the servants gathered to see what was going on.
The especially sharp stare is from Celia. She's in her sleep wear so her unhappy face is kind of cute.
「You're all wrong! I haven't been violated yet! Move it, get off me, listen to what I'm saying――!!」
Protagonist: Aegir Hardlett. 24 years old. Summer.
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.
Citizens: 189,000. Refugees: 27,000.
Major Cities - Rafen: 32,000. Lintbloom: 5000. Special Cultivation District: 13,000.
Army Staying Behind: 4800 men
Infantry: 3700, Cavalry: 500, Archers: 300, Cannoneers: 300
Cannons: 26, Large Cannons: 20, Dwarven Cannons: 16, Chariots: 10
Troops Dispatched to South: 5700 men
Infantry: 2000, Cavalry: 500, Archers: 500, Bow Cavalry: 500, Refugee Guards (Light Infantry): 2200
Other
Reserve Army: 2000 men. Security Unit: 150 men.
Family:
Nonna (pouting), Carla (concubine), Mel (smooth), Miti (concubine), Maria (concubine), Catherine (concubine)
Gretel (dog wife), Melissa (lover, expecting), Kuu (lover), Ruu (lover), Mireille (lover), Pipi (lover)
Casie (ghost), Rita (head maid), Yoguri (lobbying), Alice (ass lover), Leah (lover)
Marceline (lover), Daughters - Stephanie (lover), Bridget (lover), Felicie (lover)
Natia (return), Sofia (lover), Sekrit (complete)
Sebastian (butler), Dorothea (capital mansion supervisor), Claudia (ball), Clara (female attendant)
Celestina (crying), Monica (handmaid)
Non-humans:
Brynhildr (vampire), Lammy (garden caretaker), Alraune (tree), Mirumi (mermaid)
Pet:
Pochi (giant lizard), Messerschmitt (worthless dog), Schwartz (horse), Felteris (off to new land)
Subordinates:
Celia (adjutant), Myla (security officer), Marta (aide), Irijina (commander), Luna (commander)
Gido (escort unit), Polte (refugee case worker)
Leopolt (disease countermeasures), Tristan (disease countermeasures), Adolph (disease countermeasures)
Claire & Laurie (merchant), Lilian (actress), Kroll (servant), Alma (servant)
Assets: 61,000 (disease countermeasure supplement -1460)
Sexual Partners: 542, children who have been born: 66 + 555 fish