Chapter 22

Upon returning to Maust Castle, I paid a visit to Crown Prince Hasse. I’d had a home away from home built in the castle for him, and he and his family were living there now. Incidentally, Hasse had taken the daughter of one of his top vassals as a wife—though not as an official wife. Apparently he wasn’t going to take an official wife until he became king. This vassal of his wasn’t exactly an influential supporter but rather a member of a clan following Hasse out of necessity. “Thanks to your guardian knight Kelara, the battle went well for us. You have my gratitude.” “Kelara? Nothing but brains, that woman. I’ve always heard dwarves were painstaking and diligent, but she’s so diligent it’s suffocating.” Apparently Hasse didn’t have a lot of respect for Kelara. “For me, she is more breathtaking than suffocating. With her knightly physique, she is lovely to watch. I’m jealous that you have someone like her as a vassal.” “You’re good at flattery, Count. If you’re so enchanted by her, I’ll officially hand her over as your vassal.” “With gratitude, sir. I shall grant land to her at once and treat her as a viscount.” Personally, I thought Hasse was a man without vision. But thanks to that, I had just gotten my hands on a good general. As Kelara was a woman, she could enter the consorts’ quarters within the castle, so she was able to use her knowledge to help arrange the annual women’s functions. Now the castle was just like the royal palace—in presentation at least. The maids also squealed about Kelara’s knightly appearance and demeanor—her service to the crown prince did make her seem rather put together. One day, I called Kelara to my room. I wanted to talk about the next war. “Next, we’ll attack Siala Prefecture. I’m not too worried about the Antoini clan, but there are some powerful lords in that land I want to win over to our side.” “The Nistonia clan, who hold Port Nistonia,” Kelara replied immediately. Of course she already knew that much. “Right. The Nistonias have a powerful navy. From what I hear, with the cooperation of their neighbors, they could bring two hundred ships to bear, which gives them control of the seas. I’m from a landlocked prefecture, so my naval prowess is lacking.” I definitely wanted the Nistonias working with me. “I’m confident we could defeat them attacking by land. When the battle is over, though, their navy will be scattered. They can flee by ship, after all. In that case, it’s better to bring the Nistonias to our side, here.” The Antoinis had some influence over them, but ultimately the Nistonias were an independent power. I’d been content to ignore them until now, but I might be able to win them over. Kelara was listening quietly. Her facial expression remained stubbornly neutral; that must’ve been why Hasse thought she was a bore. Since we each had a unique profession, though, I felt a sort of affinity for her. “Having a port, the Nistonias must be getting plenty of money from it, too. With the literature they receive from overseas, they have different values from rural nobles—I want you to take advantage of that to convince them with your hospitality.” “My hospitality, sir?” “That’s right. You’re the most cultured person in this land. Thanks to your Akechi Mitsuhide profession, you might even be more cultured than anyone in the royal capital. If you show the Nistonias we have the highest cultural standards, I doubt they’ll stand a chance.” “Understood. I shall prepare something extraordinary, as if I were entertaining the king himself. If they agree to come, I will make absolutely certain they’re satisfied,” Kelara replied, nodding. “Right. I have no doubt you’ll succeed. Oh, there was one other thing I wanted from you. Could you come here a second?” Kelara came over to me quietly, and I gave her a swift kiss on the lips. “You have peculiar interests, my lord.” Kelara’s pupils seemed to widen ever so slightly. “Not at all. I suppose the crown prince wasn’t interested in you—what a shame. I’ve fallen for you.” “I believe the prince was never fond of my race. Elves, dwarves, and beastfolk were never in the royal family’s guard in their glory days.” “Were you never mocked for that unusual profession of yours?” I asked. Kelara had hardly reacted to my kiss, but at that, she grimaced. “Yes… I was treated quite coldly… The effects of my profession weren’t any good for battle, either, so I was told many times I shouldn’t be a knight… To be fair, I don’t have the skill with a sword or bow to do great deeds, like some hero would.” Kelara’s personality didn’t make her a bore; she must’ve been raised in an environment that made her the way she was. No matter how well versed she was in the old ways, somewhere inside she saw herself as a knight, so she’d never been able to feel proud of herself. “My profession is a bit of an oddity, too, you know. My brother and his lackeys mocked me right after I got it. It was frustrating, but I couldn’t talk back to him at the time. Power is the only thing people like that understand.” And so I’d shown them. I’d made myself a great lord ruling over three prefectures, including Icht Prefecture. “Serve me; devote yourself to me. I’ll ensure your name stays in the history books a thousand years from now.” “Thank you very much.” A smile crept its way onto Kelara’s face. And so I made love to her. “I’ve studied a bit…about how to please one’s partner, too…” Her face red, Kelara toyed with every inch of my body. As inexperienced as she was, she sure did know her stuff.