Chapter 495: Ruinous Strategy?
I was spotted by Monica when entering the palace.
The sleeves of her high-quality attendant clothes are rolled up high on her arms, she has soot on her cheeks and dust on her head.
「Monica-sama, what should we do with the pile of bows and arrows in the parlor?」
「Throw them away and every corner of the floor. There are likely cracks in the floor so apply a filler......if you don't have enough, go to Stout-san's store and have him prioritize the request.」
It seems Monica is in the midst of restoring the palace which had been used by South Yuguria.
Although the palace was not destroyed or looted unnecessarily because it was treated as a central base, the place was still in rough condition and was damaged and dirtied in various ways.
Repairing everything will be a laborious task.
Is that why Celestina tailed me by herself?
「So......what is the meaning of this?」
Sekrit, who was knocked out by Brynhildr, is under my right arm, the two female subordinates of Wilhelmina, who were knocked out by Sekrit, are under my left arm, and Celestina, who is still trembling in fear, is clinging to my shoulder.
I guess this warrants an explanation.
「Of course it does! Why do you girls all over your body and why is Her Majesty frightened to such an extent――haa!」
Did she figure out the state of affairs?
「You showed some kind of extreme and unspeakable play to Her Majesty that resulted in shock......」
She didn't understand after all.
I soothe Monica and hand Celestina back to her.
Knowing Monica, she probably had Celestina's bedroom cleaned first.
It's best for her to sleep and forget after seeing scary things.
However Celestina, even after being transferred to Monica, reaches her hand toward me.
「Dear brother too.」
She wants me to come with her?
I hesitate, looking at the three women in my arms, but Celestina's pleading face and Monica jerking her chin menacingly causes me to give in.
Servants who formerly worked in the palace have already voluntarily returned to their duties.
If we draw too much attention, they might think something is off, so let's erase our presence and go secretly.
Utilizing my skill in covert operations, I sneak to the room arranged as Celestina's chambers, attracting the gazes of those throughout the premises.
「Zuuun.」
Celestina's trembling stopped after she reached the bedroom and changed her clothes, but now she's feeling depressed instead.
「Don't make such a long face, you should be happy with South Yuguria chased out.」
For better and for worse, Celestina's expression has a great influence on those around her.
If she has a beaming smile, fatigue can be lifted and happiness can spread. On the other hand, it's easy to feel sad if she's gloomy.
「Uuu......I was powerless.」
When I ask her what happened, she tells me she met Wilhelmina at the entrance of the building.
Aware that Wilhemina is the empress of South Yuguria, Celestina tried her best to plead for peace.
A wholehearted smile was directed at Wilhelmina, but as we also saw, it was erased by a fierce aura, which forced Celestina to wet her pants and curl up into a ball.
「I couldn't even finish what I wanted to say...... I really am......」
Celestina wiggles closer to me in her nightwear.
「Dear brother, you should govern Malt. You'd be capable of properly protecting everyone......hrgh.」
I lightly pinch Celestina's cheek as she becomes timid.
「What are you being weak for? You saw the reception, right? Everyone was waiting for Celestina to return. You are the one who is worthy to be king of Malt.」
I'm not lying. If Celestina is king, Malt will stabilize in no time.
In times of turmoil like this, when the country has just been reclaimed, there is always a power struggle between the king who has returned from the outside and the resistance forces within the country, but with Celestina, there is no such thing. Even if someone pushes her out and declares himself king, none of the people will follow him. Although I won't say that there were no powerful resistance forces to begin with.
A stable and restored Malt is not the slightest threat to us.
Of course, I can't imagine Celestina turning on me, but even if she were deceived by something, it's impossible.
She has no ability to threaten other countries.
Celestina is well-liked by the citizens, and will surely lay out a good government.
Her most valuable asset is her charisma. The fact she can get people to follow her simply by smiling is unfair.
Even if she makes a blunder in domestic affairs, she can find a way out.
Conversely, she cannot do things like fight with neighboring countries using conspiracies, apply pressure with military force or start wars to gain national profit......
The Malt under Celestina will be prosperous and stable as they always have been, and a friendly neighboring nation that poses no threat whatsoever――
「What am I thinking?」
「?」
I can't believe such a crude thought crossed my mind when I'm supposed to be encouraging the dispirited girl.
I punch my forehead lightly with the golden gauntlet still on my arm and drive out the Leopolt in my heart.
Perhaps I was affected by Wilhelmina.
「You're the only king for Malt. Nobody is going to follow a person like me whose name is hard to remember, it'll be a mess. Celestina can do it because of the person you are. This is something only Celestina can do.」
While removing my gauntlet, I pull the covers over her head.
Celestina, buried under the blanket, slithers around until she finds an opening and pops her head back out.
「T-then you should become a couple with me so you can be king......no, that would be rude to Nonna. What if you made me your lover instead?」
If I do that, there will be a rebellion so great it will be carved into the history of Malt.
「Don't worry, I'll come help you again whenever a problem arises. If you really feel bad about not giving me anything, let me have Monica. She'll be my plaything starting today.」
「Wha-!?」
Monica yelps when her name is suddenly brought up in the conversation.
「Understood. I'll give her to you.」
「Your Majesty!」
Obviously, it's a joke.
The two of us exchange glances after poking fun at Monica and laugh.
Celestina eventually tires herself out and I head for the bedroom next door also prepared at her request.
「......so.」
「Yeah.」
I climb on the bed and spread Monica's legs apart.
「Why are you in a position like you're five seconds before mating?」
「Am I not allowed to be?」
I open up the front of my shirt, pull off my underwear and throw my armor under the bed.
Somehow my reply was calm, but I actually have an uncontrollable urge for women right now.
Especially since I recently saw Wilhelmina's naked body, I've been feeling strange.
I don't like her nor do I want to be together with her.
However, that stunning body has captured me.
If I don't sleep with a woman in the next few hours, I might just ejaculate in the middle of nowhere.
「Is your lower half the only part that's important to you?」
Monica doesn't resist despite badmouthing me.
Taking that as a sign I can keep going, I bury my face in her breasts.
「Ah, you're going there!?」
Her large and soft boobs feel superb when I'm aroused.
Except there is something......different. They were somewhat smaller, tighter in shape and had pink nipples.
「Nn?」
Furthermore, I put my lips on her precious place.
「Nnh! If you lick me there......aau!」
She had thicker hair and it was black......the slit in the back was certainly thin.
The tone of Monica's cry of pleasure weakens.
「......are you comparing me to someone else?」
Crap, she noticed. A woman's senses are sharp in these situations.
Nonna overlooks it when I slept with a big-breasted prostitute the previous day, but the slimmer girls openly voice their displeasure. I wonder how they can tell.
「Uooh!!」
「Kyaa! You're too rough! If you go that deep......」
To deceive Monica, I cover her body and let my lust dictate how I rock my hips.
Not being able to use her female instincts when she's being rammed hard like I expected, Monica squeals and wraps her arms around the back of my head.
My meat rod thrusts to the end of Monica's canal and rubs her inner walls.
She gasps from the pleasure born from the intense sex, and I am also quickly reaching climax.
「I-I'm flying! Deep, scrape deep inside! Aaah! AAAaaah――!!」
Monica's nails dig into my back and her chin tilts up to the ceiling.
My cock starts to throb and I hug her delicate frame.
With our genitals connected perfectly, our bodies and hearts melt together to experience a burst of pleasure.
It is a wonderful climax that sends me to a place between a dream and reality......
What flows into my mind is of course the face and body of the best woman in my arms.
Her sculpture-like features, her lovely breasts, her slender limbs, and lush black pubic hair――
「A-Aegir-sama――!」
「Wilhe――Monica――!!」
「......Huh?」
Something slips out of my mouth in the spur of the moment.
I corrected myself as soon as I realized what I said, but it was too late.
The convulsions of the hole on the verge of orgasm quickly subsides and the walls dry up as if they were exposed to the sun.
Her arms gripping me fall away and her tightly shut eyes open partially.
「What did you just say?」
Monica's hand caresses my face――then her fingers curl, drawing her nails across my cheek.
「Guoo......ow.」
After scratching me hard enough for blood to trickle down my cheek, she slaps me back and forth three times.
「Move off me.」
「Let me explain.」
She kicks my crotch without arguing.
「You're the worst! I'm never letting you touch me again!」
「Sorry, I'll do anything so please forgive me.」
She pushed me to the window and then gave me one more shove with a run-up.
Pressured by her menacing look, I unconsciously took another step back.
My body is floating. It seems the window was opened.
「Nuooo!」
I fell headlong from the third floor.
Although I was able to adjust myself in midair to avoid major injury, the impact from landing on my back still hurt quite a bit.
「Hmph!」
Monica slams the window shut.
Usually, the girl would throw out the man's clothes at the end in similar situations, but she didn't in this case, leaving me completely naked.
I don't even have my armor on so my face is fully visible.
Not only that, I'm in the courtyard of the palace with a raging boner not long from ejaculating.
「If I'm not careful, I'm going to be treated like a suspicious person.」
「Careful or not, you're suspicious, no you'll actually be seen as a plain pervert. Come, you idiot.」
Pulled by an arm with tremendous strength, I was forced to run through the recently liberated Biado.
-Third Person POV-
South Side of Dard Mountains - Base of the mountain.
「Everyone, halt――!! The workers of the first team fell into a deep pocket. Pull them up!」
The soldiers curse like they were annoyed that a problem occurred again.
「This is the fourth time since morning. It's not even noon yet.」
With quick and fluid motions, the soldiers tie ropes to the workers seeking help and fish them out.
「You can't blame them. It's a world of ash......the hard places are like quagmires while the soft areas are like swamps.」
The soldiers survey their surroundings but don't find anything conspicuous within the 360 degrees.
Terrain such as hills and valleys are scattered here and there, but everything is gray, with no forest, field or a single blade of grass in sight. The Dard mountains towering over them in front also appears to be a giant pile of ash.
「A world of death......ever since fire shot out from the mountains, I've heard this whole region was devastated, but this is worse than I thought.」
It has been a little over two years since the great eruption of the Dard mountains, which is located on the former Altair-Vandolea border.
The overwhelming amount of fire and ash rampaged wildly, making a mockery of the boundaries set by humans and leaving death and destruction in its wake.
Towns and villages where the burning smoke flowed in were destroyed, and the endless rain of ash that followed buried fields, crushed houses, and drove out the people living in the area.
This incident was directly connected to the decline of both Altair and Vandolea, and can be said to be the stepping stone which led to the creation of the South Yuguria empire.
Even now when the mountain is dormant, the hell of ashes will not disappear.
「When they said we couldn't use horses or wagons, I thought it was some kind of harassment, but now I can see why. You wouldn't be able to move forward one meter.」
Soldiers poke sticks at the ground in front of them, checking the state of their footing before slowly taking a step forward.
「The consolation is that we don't have to worry about an enemy attack. There are rumors that Malt has fallen in the north, although I don't think we'll run into them.」
「You got that right. With no armor or weapons, we'd be helpless. Heavy cavalry will just sink. ......this is no place for an army, let alone humans.」
True enough, the area around the Dard mountains was excluded from the plans of either side even during war as the terrain would be impassable.
「According to the scouting team, this is one of the better paths too. Apparently, the north, east, west, and southeast routes were blocked by enormous crevices and avalanches of ash. I mean, the scouts who investigated the east route never came back.」
「The scouting team traveled to and from the mountain? ......I want to give them a kiss of respect.」
Another worker sinks after the soldier finishes talking and screams for help.
「The scouting team went alone, didn't they? How come we......」
The struggling worker was saved by the person riding on his back.
「Sorry......I'm not used to marching......」
The man was wearing a robe and holding a staff.
Several others were dressed in the same way and they were also similarly carried on the backs of people.
The men also reach out their hands to join in the rescue themselves.
「You guys don't have to do anything. The order was to save your energy until we get to our destination.」
The soldiers nod at the commander and continue on with their work.
「We have a package. It's a heavy one......for the slow magic users.」
A medium-sized barrel was being transported by three workers.
「Be careful not to drop that. It's full of gunpowder, you'll blow us all up if you're not careful!」
Bring magic users and a barrel of gunpowder to blow up a certain point on the side of the Dard mountains.
That was their mission.
「Have the mountain shoot fire once more and annihilate the Goldonian army in the area. Then take advantage of that and start advancing to the north......that is Her Majesty's plan to revive from the brink of death.」
Having lost Arkland, Trisnia, and Tortoent in succession, it was clear to every soldier that they were at a disadvantage. Still, they were ordered to complete a rather flashy operation.
「「「......」」」
The face of the soldiers are dark.
「......commander.」
「......what?」
One of the soldiers mutters as he walks.
「8 magic users, 20 barrels with 80 kg of blasting powder, is that enough to make the mountain spout fire?」
「......Her Majesty believes so.」
The soldiers go silent.
They aren't knowledgeable about engineering or mountains.
But when their eyes compare the giant mass before their eyes and the ruined yet magnificent view with the barrels they're carrying-
「......there's no way.」
The soldiers glare at the commander, commenting softly.
「Her Majesty stated it is possible! Our duty is to obey and execute her order! Don't question it and do what you're told!!」
The commander himself doesn't admit whether it's possible either.
His expression is the same as the soldiers.
「......Her Majesty must be desperate after suffering consecutive defeats-」
Before the soldier could complete an irrevocable sentence, a boom came from the mountain.
「A landslide!!」
A portion of the Dard mountains at the end of where the soldier pointed crumbled and slid down the slope, but fortunately the soldiers were far enough that no damage was done to them.
The commander turned around and yelled.
「As you can see, the Dard mountain is in shambles! Our load may be small compared to the mountain, but a poke with a single needle might be enough to shatter a brittle dam. Trust in Her Majesty and carry out the order!」
The soldiers seem to regain some morale and resume their steady march.
「Hey, if the mountain is broken like a dam, will ash spew out again?」
「After spewing so much already, even a stud will be empty.」
「Then what will come out? Haha, if gold nuggets shoot out maybe the soldiers will be so busy picking them up that the war will stop.」
The soldiers' delusions echoed quietly in the world of ash.