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Chapter 239 – Here Comes the Urgent News!
Two days have passed since I reported the completion of the extermination of the Gluttonous Grasshoppers to Danan and the others in Gleiseburg using the golem communicator. They said they needed to make various preparations to move from Gleiseburg, so they would not be able to leave immediately.
After I had finished the construction of the quarters on the same day that we exterminated the Gluttonous Grasshoppers, Grande and I were left to wait in the town of Curéon. We thought of returning to Gleiseburg quickly, but the town of Curéon was originally planned to be the next place to visit after Gleiseburg.
Even if we returned to Gleiseburg, we would have to come back again, so it would be a waste of time to go back. So Grande and I were alone, napping, walking, going out to the town of Curéon, and flirting at night, waiting for Danan, Ellen, and the others to arrive.
“Mmm, so elegant.”
“It’s so warm and wonderful.”
Grande wanted to soak up the sun, so I extended the stilt house a bit to create a much larger sunroom, which was much warmer than I expected. Although it will soon be winter, the inside of the sunroom is as warm as early summer. After much trial and error, I found that the double-layered glass in the sunroom dramatically improves thermal insulation.
“I mean, it’s like getting sunburned.”
It’s so hot, so I’m wearing just my underpants. Grande, who was sitting next to me in the sun, was completely naked. I thought it was a bit strange to be completely naked in the light of day, but since this is a sunroom in the stilt house, no one would see us unless they were flying. And since we were outside the town of CurĂ©on, there were no people, to begin with. There was no problem.
“Human skin is fragile.”
Saying that, Grande poked me on my breastplate with her big nails. Stop it. You’re making me tingle.
“Maybe I should put some sunscreen on.”
“Put on sunscreen?”
“It’s a medicine to stop you from getting burned by the sun.”
I had made it beforehand when I decided to build the sunroom. It was predictable that I would have to accompany Grande in the sun. I made it on the mixing table from some herbs.
“It’s very thick.”
“It is a medicine to be applied to the skin. Apply this all over the body
 Ugh, crap.”
I apply sunscreen that has a gel or oil-like texture. But it’s hard to apply on the back. I glance at Grande, who is looking at me.
“I could try to apply it, but I’m afraid your soft skin would be covered in nail marks.”
“Right.”
I did my best to apply it all myself.
“Next up is me.”
“You want to apply it?”
“Since it’s a good opportunity. Here.”
Saying this, Grande opened her hands. Grande’s arms and legs are like those of a dragon from the elbows to the knees, but other than that, she is almost the same as a human being. And now Grande is completely naked. Fully open.
“You mean me?”
“Of course. I can’t apply it with my own hands, after all.”
“Right.”
The sunscreen dripped onto Grande’s beautiful, blemish-free skin, and I applied it with my hands.
“Hmm
 It’s cold.”
“Only at first.”
“That’s right. Here, now is not the time to be shy, is it? Go on, then.”
“
..”
Grande smirks as she makes me apply the sunscreen. What’s that? Is she trying to provoke me? If so, I’ve got an idea――.
“Kosuke? There――”
At that moment, the door opened with a bang, and Ellen peeked into the sunroom. She looked at Grande, who was completely naked, and at me, who was smearing an unidentifiable slimy liquid on Grande’s naked body. Me, in my underpants. I am a healthy male, by the way. In other words, you see? Well, that’s what I mean.
“
Ara ara.”
“
Well.”
“
Hmm.”
Ellen has a pasted-on smile, and Amalie-san and Bertha-san, who peeked out from behind her, each give me the same kind of smile. Now, what’s going on?
“
How about the three of you joining us and basking in the sun?”
“And do you want the three of us to be coated in that obscene mucus, too? You pervert.”
“I’m just reacting in a healthy way. Or rather, that’s the kind of relationship I have with Grande, and I’m not sure how I can be blamed for this.”
I’m not the only one who’s been told to do this. On the other hand, I am not so inexperienced as to be upset by something like this.
“That’s right. If you envy me, why don’t you join me?”
“Wha-
!?”
Ellen’s face turned red, and she looked up, perhaps not expecting my rebuttal and Grande’s covering fire. However, she held her ground and recovered.
“You should have a sense of modesty. Such obscenity in the daylight――”
“Isn’t it written in your scriptures, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth?” Besides, there is no day or night to nurture affection with your spouse.”
“Kuh
!?”
In fact, Grande, who has a lot of free time on her hands, is quite a voracious reader. She borrows books from Isla and Melty and reads a variety of books. She is an omnivore and does not choose the books she reads, but it seems that she also reads Adol scriptures.
“H-hmm
 It’s a little embarrassing, but
”
“Well, it’s a good thing.”
Amalie-san and Bertha-san retreated toward the living room, saying so, perhaps sensing the flagging of the situation. They were going to take off their clothes over there.
“Uu
 uughăƒŒăƒŒ!”
Ellen also retreated from the sunroom with a red face. Phew, I won, didn’t I?
☆★☆
“You look tired this morning.”
I’m alone. On the other side, there are four of them. One of them was a physical freak, and the other three were miracle users of recovery. It was only natural that I would be exhausted. But I had no regrets. I decided to open myself up.
“Hahaha
 things happened.”
The next morning. I met with Danan in the conference room I had set up in the quarters. Yesterday, I locked myself and Ellen and the others up in our accommodations right after their arrival. I was worried that I might have caused some trouble.
“Well, I’m not going to get too deep into it
 but it helped me a lot. I thank you.”
“About the accommodations? Well, then――”
“No, it’s about the town of CurĂ©on. The town of CurĂ©on was originally aligned with Gleiseburg and didn’t seem very friendly toward us, but when I contacted them yesterday, it was like they had totally surrendered.”
“Total surrender?”
I asked, and Danan nodded grimly.
“Yeah. There was no way they could go up against the new Merinard Kingdom and the Liberation Army, which had just destroyed a bunch of Gluttonous Grasshoppers with a single blow, and had built up such a complex in the blink of an eye―in other words, these quarters. Thanks to Kosuke and Grande’s demonstration of power, they have been obedient from the start, and we’ve made a lot of progress.”
“I see. Well, is this what you had in mind?”
This expedition with Ellen and me was a milestone in the process of raising the prestige of the new Merinard kingdom and pacifying the country. The fact that we were able to bring the town of Curéon under our control without a single battle was a good result.
“I guess so. The grasshopper commotion was an unexpected occurrence, but it will ultimately enhance the reputation of the new Merinard Kingdom. Only two people, Kosuke and Grande, were actually involved, but the town of CurĂ©on now knows that the new Merinard Kingdom can deploy the two of you quickly to the target, if necessary.”
“And word would spread.”
“That’s the way it is. The further away you go, the less accurate the information will be, but it will increase the prestige of the new Merinard kingdom. And the number of towns and villages that will submit to us will increase.”
“I see. Then, I will pursue the matter further.”
“That would be good.”
☆★☆
The town of Curéon has completely submitted to the new Merinard Kingdom. Well, it is a given that all the cities and towns will follow the new Merinard Kingdom, as we are not the only ones who are working on pacifying the territory of the Merinard Kingdom.
The southern part of the Merinard Kingdom south of Erichburg was already under the control of the Liberation Army long ago, and north of Erichburg, the forts along the route to Merinesburg had been destroyed across the board, and all the towns had also fallen.
In addition, the Holy Kingdom’s army stationed in Merinesburg was completely wiped out, and the subjugation force dispatched from the Holy Kingdom’s home country was also destroyed. In effect, there is no force within the Kingdom of Merinard that can oppose the Liberation Army in a military sense. There may be remnants of the Holy Kingdom’s army, but we have a written order to withdraw issued by the general who led the expeditionary force or whatever.
If they don’t obey, they will be destroyed
 and most of them will choose the path of surrender. There will be those who will fight rather than surrender, but they will suffer the same fate as a certain priest or bishop in Gleiseburg.
“The human race is troublesome.”
“It can’t be helped. The human race is different from dragons, who can hunt their prey whenever they want and make their beds wherever they want to live. Human beings are weak on their own, so they gather together and join forces. In this way, factions are formed. If more than one faction is formed, conflicts will arise because of the interests of the factions.”
“It would be better if everyone could unite as one group.”
“But it won’t work out that way. In the end, the person who wants to be the leader of the group will come out and form a faction.”
“It’s bothersome.”
Grande let out a loud sigh as if she was sincerely annoyed.
“It’s quite a surreal sight to see a visitor and a dragon discussing the social system of the human race.”
“Visitors and dragons are among the most popular of all fairy tale characters, aren’t they?”
“Though I don’t think this scene would be popular even if it were made into a picture book.”
Ellen and others are saying whatever they want as they watch Grande and I lie side by side on the thick carpet. I’m just taking it easy and relaxing because most of the things to do in the town of CurĂ©on are done.
Perhaps due to spending the last few days with Grande, who is unrestrained in many ways, a kind of firmness seems to have been removed from Ellen and the others, though only somewhat. They used to wear their priest’s robes in the morning, noon, and night, but now they are relaxing at the table in much more casual attire. Though, they don’t seem to be lying on the carpet like this.
“It’s not polite to lie on the floor.”
“It’s a cultural difference. In my country, it was normal to take off shoes in the house and sit or lie down on the floor with a rug.”
“That’s a good culture. For me, the way things are done in Kosuke’s country is better suited.”
Grande, with her wings dexterously folded, rolls over and snuggles up to me. Grande has a tail, and perhaps because of her nature, she doesn’t like to sit on chairs. Grande seems to be very comfortable with this Japanese way of relaxing.
Perhaps feeling jealous of Grande and me cuddling together like that, Ellen took off her shoes and stepped up onto the carpet. Then, she gradually lay down on my back and snuggled up to me.
“Wasn’t I misbehaving?”
“Mmm
 It’s fine.”
I am pleased and fine with my back. I have no complaints.
I was leading an exquisite life, working during the day and coming back to this stilt house to relax when the sun began to set, when I received a call from Sylphy from Merinesburg.
An envoy from the Empire had come to Merinesburg, and she wanted me to come back.