It has been about a week since I returned to Merinesburg.
Ellen and Amalie-sanās delivery date is getting closer and closer, and according to what I hear, the pioneer village I built is off to a good start. Well, itās no surprise since I built a solid field and a wall to protect it.
One day, while I was listening to such reports, taking care of Ellen and Amalie-san, spending time with Sylphy and the others, observing the education of the beastmen girls, and approving letters to the Merchant Guild and the Adventurers Guild asking them to report on the progress of the management of the funds I had provided, I was visited by a face I had not seen in a long time.
āItās been a long time.ā
āReally. Iām glad to see you are well.ā
It was Sir Leonard who came to see me. He looked like a lion as usual, and I couldnāt tell whether he was old or not, but he didnāt seem to be injured, so I guessed he was fine.
āYou look like you are not well. Thatās the way itās always been.ā
āJust leave me alone.ā
Itās just before noon. My body is still in a lazy state. People say that I have been taking beautiful women, including Sylphy, but the reality is the opposite. It has been replaced several times. Itās a situation that is very satisfying for a man, but itās also very hard on my body. Moreover, they are all very aggressive, inspired by Ellen and Amalie-sanās growing bellies.
āSo, have you come here to chill out after a long time? I donāt think itās a good idea to drink at this hour, so Iāll at least offer you some tea.ā
āI would be fine with a drink, but I think tea is the safest bet. After all, Kosuke is very weak.ā
āAs I said, leave me alone.ā
Forcing my sore muscles to move, I got off the bed, sat down at the table, and brought out a tea set.
āSo? Whatās up with you today? You didnāt come all the way back from your business trip just to say hello to me, did you?ā
āUmu. There is no point in trying to make things up to Kosuke, is there? Actually, I came here to ask you for a favor.ā
āA favor, huh? Well, letās just hear what you have to say.ā
āI need weapons. As many as possible.ā
āThat doesnāt sound good.ā
āI donāt know if youāre aware of this, Kosuke, so Iāll explain⦠there are signs of civil unrest in the Holy Kingdom.ā
āIāve heard that.ā
When I said that, Sir Leonard nodded his head in satisfaction.
āAs expected of you, you have a quick ear. Thatās why Iām thinking of infiltrating a small elite force into the Holy Kingdom in secret to stir up civil unrest.ā
āAnd weapons? Are you going to supply them to the subhuman slaves in the Holy Kingdom to incite them to rebellion?ā
āThat is one way to do it, but it could cause great harm to the former citizens of Merinard. Therefore, I intend to support the forces that are trying to start a civil war.ā
āI see. But if they carry it around, the weapons I make could be used by the enemy.ā
The quality of weapons I make are of medium to high quality, according to the craftsmen of this world. I donāt want to see an enemy army with such high-quality weapons.
āIt is only natural. So, first of all, we will try to understand the situation, right? The provision of weapons will not be immediate but will be in the final stage. We are trying to get things done while we still have time.ā
In other words, he was laying the groundwork in advance. This is the kind of thing you would expect from a former noble, isnāt it? He is not just an old man who is a glutton for food and a combat fanatic.
āI donāt mind as long as Sylphy and Melty give their permission. You wonāt give them crossbows or firearms, will you?ā
āOf course not. High-quality swords, shields, and spears would be good. We also need a lot of arrows.ā
āOkay, then, Iāll make the preparations. Is 10,000 of each sufficient?ā
āI would like about 100,000 arrows prepared.ā
āRoger that.ā
If it is not an immediate matter, there will be no problem if I make them steadily. Even if they are no longer used, there is plenty of demand for swords, shields, spears, and arrows in this world. It will not go to waste.
āSo, my side is the same as ever, but what about your side? There were a few people who loved you, werenāt there?ā
āMy love is for my late wife, you know.ā
āBut thatās not the way it works in this world, is it? You have to fulfill your responsibilities as a man, donāt you?ā
If it wasnāt for that, I wouldnāt be in this situation either. No, I wouldnāt be. Probably. Surely. Maybe.
No, that might not be the case! I think itās going to be the same in the end!
āā¦I shall remain silent.ā
āI see; you are in a situation where you have to keep silent.ā
āā¦..ā
Sir Leonard gently turned his head away from me. Sir Leonard is a man of power and position, but due to the organization of the Royal Army of Merinard, there are many opportunities to have women by his side. This is because the Liberation Army, the predecessor of the current Royal Army of Merinard, itself had many women by unavoidable circumstances.
So, when a woman is by your side, and she is pushing you, it is very difficult to escape. In any case, they would involve the surrounding people to fill the outer moat and lay siege to the area. It is extremely difficult to win a siege battle or break through the encirclement.
āGive up and come to this side. Once you get used to it, you will be in heaven.ā
āThere is a saying, āthereās no other appealing place like home. You might admire the place where you settled down,ā but that is simply because you just get used to living in the harsh and inhospitable circumstances. You just became numb with your situation. I mean, for a ādenseā beastman like me, procreating outside of the regular mating season is quite exhaustingā¦ā
āIf itās not that you canāt do it, then just go for it with gusto.ā
āTheyāve been trying to force me into heat lately, so I have to be on my guardā¦ā
Ah, I see. So-called ādenseā beastman has a hard time making babies if they are not in heat, but there is some way to force them into heat. They seem to have good noses, so maybe itās something pheromone-based. Well, it would be difficult if they were not in the cycle, so I guess there must be something like that.
āDo you want me to give you some energizers? Thereās some good stuff in there, mister.ā
āIām afraid Iām going to die if I overdo it, so Iām going to refrain. I am not young anymore, you know.ā
āDonāt worry, itās actually safe. In fact, I havenāt died yet.ā
āI heard that Kosukeās life force is as strong as that of a cockroach, and thatās why you havenāt died yet.ā
āWho told you that? I feel like I canāt deny anything, but this is okay. Iāll even put a life potion on it if you want.ā
āIn the first place, I donāt want to live a life that requires me to rely on drugs.ā
After that, Sir Leonard tried to refuse to accept the medicine from me, but in the end, I succeeded in forcing it on him, which he did not like.
No, if I donāt force him to take it, he might die suddenly if he falls. Basically, women in this world have a lot of vitality. They are tough.
After I gave Sir Leonard a set of medicines, I told him about the Battle of the North, or conversely, I asked him about what had happened in the eastern part of the Merinard Kingdom, and we warmed up our old friendship for a while.
In the end, we ended up drinking alcohol in the daytime, but letās just say that there are days when you want to get out of control.