The Marquis’ Eldest Son’s Lascivious Story-Chapter 296: Entering Nambonan

The Marquis’ Eldest Son’s Lascivious Story

As soon as I entered Nambonan city, the Council members came to greet me.

Usually they come individually at the right time, but this time, all 10 of them gathered together.

Since my schedule was tight due to the New Year holidays, my stay in Nambonan City would be short. The Council members had heard about this, and though t it would be quicker to greet me all at once.

At first, some people related to the Quordenze frowned, thinking that they were not taking the audience seriously.

However, the flashy performance of the Council members who entered the Mayor's mansion after being seen off by the entire citizenry and knelt down to pay respects to me was ultimately well received, as it was considered to be an accurate representation of the hierarchical relationship between "nobles and comm oners" and to demonstrate the status of the Wilk Quordenze.

If they can maintain their dignity, it will be a relief for me as it will save me a lot of trouble.

A lot of changes are happening in this city as we speak.

Turning Nambonan soldiers into a standing army, plans for a guesthouse, construction companies and meat processing plants, scrapping plans to rebuild the city walls and expanding the city, a stock system and the creation of a stock exchange...The Council members, who represent the citizens, seemed to think th at they should have a proper talk with me, the root cause of all this. It's a good thing that they have a sense of responsibility.

When someone acts in good faith, you want to respond accordingly. I spent a reasonable amount of time with them, so I think I was able to convey most of wh at I was thinking. I left the details to Ramon, though.

As expected, the Council members, who were appointed based on their abilities and were originally merchants, seemed to have a strong interest in stocks. Th ey spoke with glee about the future prospects of talented young people who had not been able to make a name for themselves due to a lack of funds starting something new, breathing fresh air into Nambonan City.

By the way, the people from other territories, mainly the serf-blooded wealthy people, seemed to be more interested in the stock exchange.

As expected, people are paying attention to the advantage of being able to hide part of their assets in a place where the local lord cannot reach them. It is unk nown how trustworthy this new system of stocks is, but it seems that people are hoping that it may be safer than burying gold bars in unfamiliar places or entr usting their assets to acquaintances in distant places.

If they can manage it steadily and build up trust and a track record, huge investments will surely come in from all over the continent... one Council member sai d with a snort.

Meanwhile, the Council members, who were elected by the citizens for their virtue, are very interested in the future of the Nambonan soldiers.

The Nambonan soldiers, who played a major role in Operation Snake's Jaw, have now become local heroes. And the strong Nambonan citizens, who have a st rong sense of hometown pride, are working hard every day to liven up the content, such as by writing poems, plays, and reading material about their achieve ments.

Considering that they were enemies of the Quordenze family until recently, it seems that they are also trying to market themselves as "Nambonan soldiers, the loyal and courageous."

In any case, the motivation and excitement of the Nambonan soldiers is at its highest point right now. The Council members have given their stamp of approva I that they are in the best condition to take to Othelloria City, and that they are prepared to face any foe. ...No, they don't have any plans to fight anyone in part icular.

Well, it's true that I feel that I can rely on the Nambonan soldiers. I can't underestimate the serf soldiers as much as a true Eruo continent noble. This is somethi ng that I find it hard to reveal in public, as it's not something a Highlord would do.

However, since this was just for a show of respect, I told the Council members how I honestly feel, saying "I'm looking forward to it. I have high expectations o f you." I'm sure these words will reach the soldiers via the Council members. It's a small investment in ensuring that they will continue to work with high morale in the future.

When the conversation ended in the evening, nine out of the ten Council members left the room. Only Anna remained.

[It's been a while. I missed you.]

This time, I took a fast carriage without making any detours, so I didn't have time to embrace the Knight's daughter on the way. Right now, I'm starving for the softness of a woman's body.

Since the only people left here are those related to Quordenze, I embraced her without worrying about what others think.

[I missed you too. Umm...]

Though she said that, Anna's attitude was strangely hesitant. She was a little nervous even while being held in my arms. She should be used to being held whil e being watched by others by now.

However, I knew why she was distracted. I didn't want to be too mean, so I decided to talk about it.

[So, where's Rami?]

Anna responded remarkably to that one question.

Then she glanced back and forth, as if peering into the next room on the other side of the wall. I'm sure it wasn't just my imagination that her gray eyes seeme d to be shining.

[I wasn't able to meet you at the signing ceremony, so I'd like to see her today.]

[Yes. I've brought Rami here, so please take a look. Rami is a very good baby.]

A maid quietly left the room and returned soon after with the baby in her arms. Judging from how well she communicated with Anna, she seemed to be Anna's maid.

[So it's a girl.]

You can't tell the baby's gender just by looking at its face, but according to the prior report, it seems to be a girl. Anna also gave birth about a month after Minith gave birth to Zius. So Rami must be about four months old now.

[...interesting combination there.]

Her wide open round eyes are the same silver color as mine. But, her hair is more of a pale pink color.

My hair is blue, and Anna's is bright orange. I wonder where that pink color came from, as it looks quite strange to me, being from Earth.

[I heard that Rami's hair and eyes are the same as those of Princess of Five Domain-sama, the previous leader of the Quordenze.]

So it was from my grandmother, Cassia.

The people of the Eruo continent often pass on hair and eye colors, so they are used to children being born with colors that their parents do not have. It is not uncommon for a baby to inherit traits from grandparents, great-grandparents, or even great-great-grandparents. It seems like a species that would be easy to hide infidelity.

Rami's silver eyes may have come from me, so it's possible that she only inherited the hair color from my grandmother.

[That's what I heard. People around me were talking about that.]

Anna said that several people came to see Rami because she looked like her grandmother.

My father and grandfather had checked her out before the signing ceremony of the Nambonan Peace Treaty. Today was the first time I, her father, had seen h er face.

[I might as well hold her while I'm here.]

[Of course. But, are you sure?]

Minith was full of anticipation, saying things like, "Hold my baby, Young Master^", but Anna looked a little worried. She was probably worried about whether a young man would be able to hold the baby properly. She had had several miscarriages before meeting me, so she might be overprotective of the child that sh e finally gave birth to.

[Trust me.]

I've held my own children several times since last year, including Zius, so I think I'm somewhat used to it.

Also, compared to Zius when he was about a month old, Rami's body seems solid. Zius's neck and body were all floppy and it was pretty scary.

Of course, I'm not so lacking in delicacy that I'm talking about a baby I had somewhere else. Without even a hint of such a secret, I received Rami from Anna's maid.

I could feel with my magic sense that Rami was indeed my daughter.

[Fufufu.]

I pinched her plump cheeks between my index finger and thumb and squeezed them. A baby's cheeks have a shape that stimulates human instincts. It's a cur ve that makes it impossible not to touch it.

[You're staring at me like that.]

As Rami's cheeks continue to be rubbed, she doesn't cry, but just stares at me in silence.

This is probably because she's confused and unable to move after sensing the strong magic power of a Highlord. It was similar when I had Zius. Like the other babies, I'll seal Rami with magic later to build up her magic power.

[...Rami, it's your father.]

Anna muttered in a mosquito-like voice so that the surroundings couldn't hear. Perhaps she was worried that the maid would scold her for being too familiar w ith a noble.

No more words were spoken, but her gentle hands and expression as she stroked Rami were overflowing with maternal love. It was a smile that conveyed her joy, happiness, and love from the bottom of her heart for having given birth to a child. I was proud to have impregnated her.

However, in such a wonderful, happy atmosphere, it was hard to bring myself to say, [Let me suck your breast milk]. It would ruin the heartwarming atmosphe re.

While I was thinking about when to massage her breasts, Rami fell asleep, so Anna took her and returned to the mansion with her maid.

Left behind at the mayor's mansion, a sad time of work awaited me. First, I had to deal with the letters that followed me wherever I went.

[... The Eberg family has also made a move.]

The letters that were destined for Newnelly City were carefully held for me.

The noble family of Baron Eberg of the Zinkaen Empire is one of the so-called Entente nobles with territories in the Araf region. In short, they are a weak noble family that is a minion to the Spierzeig family.

Apparently there has been a lot of turmoil within the Eberg family since Operation Snake's Jaw. It seems that there is a rift between the current and next gener ation's foreign policy, and the next head of the family is arguing that the pro-Spierzeig line should be reconsidered. He wants to switch to a pro-Quordenze lin e.

During Operation Jaw, the Eberg family made some strange moves, but it seems that this was the result of the next head going crazy, saying, "Wilk Quordenz e, who took Reisleaf Castle in Operation Serpent's Fang, is doing something outrageous again! If he takes Othelloria City as well, it will be the end of the Eberg family! Let's apologize to the Quordenze family now and ask for their forgiveness! If we help hunt down the remnants of the Spierzeig family, they will surely a ccept us as their subordinates! Let's go, guys! Eberg army, march out!" kind of thing.

[...The Southern and Western Marquises, the Imperial nobility are full of these, it's a problem. I wish there were more people like Count Nongite... but it would be a problem if there were more cunning old men like that.]

[...well, Young Master. Those two Marquises are a little too idealistic, but apart from that, they are capable of acting as Great Nobles... so comparing them to t he next generation of the Eberg family is... too much, no matter what...]

The civil officer criticized me for treating them the same, saying it was too harsh.

But, they didn't even provide a shred of support for the next head of the Eberg family. This guy must be a foolish son with no room for defense. His actions we re neither acting nor calculated.

[I don't want to have someone like that on my side at all...]

This time, the Eberg family sent a letter saying, "We are ready to unite the Entente noble families and submit to the Quordenze family".

Originally, only the next head of the family was pro-Quordenze, but apparently the current head of the family has decided that it is time to get closer to the Qu ordenze family after the Spierzeig family lost the city of Othelloria.

It is possible that he acted early to secure the position of "leader of the Entente noble families" since he saw that it was inevitable to surrender to the Quorden ze. Just because a son is stupid doesn't mean that the father is stupid too.

[In any case, we don't have time to deal with the Eberg family right now.]

Generally, it's not good that the next head of the family is a hopeless idiot. Who would want to attract a weak force into their camp, when their strength of beli ef, decisiveness, and momentum are all good?

From now on, we will need to be very careful with our diplomacy with the Imperial Family, the Southern Marquis Family, the Western Marquis Family, and the C orridor Nobles. I want to keep my distance from these time bombs.

[Yes. Either way, we can't rely on the Entente Nobles.]

[Good insight.]

The Eberg territory is located in the westernmost part of the Araf region, and beyond that lies a region called Arpeo.

The Arpeo region is under the direct control of the Zinkaen Empire, and the Imperial Capital, Zinkaen, is also located there.

Lately, my father seems to be considering the option of entering the Imperial Capital and engaging in direct diplomacy if necessary.

Or rather, I think he has already prepared himself for that future to some extent. Considering the impact of Operation Jaw, he must have decided that continui ng to evade contact in this dilly-dally manner is unrealistic.

And if he does go to the Imperial Capital, the biggest challenge will be the route.

Should we go through the Kiborf Corridor, or the mountainous region of the Araf region? In other words, should we go through the territories of the Corridor N oble families, including the Nongite family, or the territories of the Entente noble families?

The Corridor Nobles will want to avoid being seen as blatantly allied with the Quordenze, so it is expected that coordination will be quite difficult. The true inte ntion of the Eberg family's proposal this time is likely to be "We will provide a safe route to the Imperial capital in exchange for your mercy".

However, as the civil officer said, the Entente noble families, including the Eberg family, are weak as a force and are likely to become a burden. If the situation worsens, they may return to their original home, the Spierzeig family. It was just a proposal from people who could not be trusted or relied upon.

[Is it really more dangerous for Father to go to the Imperial Capital than the Royal Capital?]

I didn't really understand the situation at this point.

Just like the social gathering in the capital in May of last year, I thought a large number of Imperial nobles will gather in the Imperial Capital, but perhaps there are forces among them planning an assassination. I doubt they'll get into a fistfight, though.

[...I think it's dangerous. If Master could enter Arpeo, it would be a different story...]

The rumors circulating on the streets that Galfis Quordenze has developed a magic power malfunction must be denied with all our might. If this were to be dis covered, Quordenze's military powers would decrease, and the level of pressure we can exert on those around them would drop by several levels. That would be a major drawback when it comes to defending the Quordenze territory.

Therefore, we can't bring my grandfather to the Imperial Capital. His magic power malfunction would be revealed in an instant.

[Will it be safe to move around in the Imperial Capital with grandfather there?]

[Without a doubt.]

[As expected. He still has influence on the Imperial nobility.]

His exploits as a founding hero are still talked about, and I suppose his name still has value among the younger generation of the Empire... While I was thinking about this, the civil officer shook his head as if to deny my thoughts.

[It is effective not only for Imperial nobility, but also for the Knights of the Imperial family...especially the Knights of Eastern Arpeo.]

The term Arpeo region was defined a long time ago. Perhaps because of this, it has become quite broad. There were probably not many important areas at the time of its definition, so it was called Arpeo loosely.

Nowadays, there are many large cities, including the Imperial Capital Zinkaen, so the Arpeo region is sometimes referred to as Eastern and Western Arpeo no w.

Illustration (By Mitemin)

If you compare it to Earth, it would be something like the word Asia. It covers a very vast amount of land that people had to further split it into smaller regions. Of course, the Arpeo region isn't as vast as Asia, but the vibe feels similar.

[What do you mean?]

When I asked, the civil officer began explaining the origins of the Empire.

Emperor Zinkaen received almost no support from his family, the Managris family, when he founded the Imperial family. What this means is that his family did not provide him with any human resources to form a knight family.

The Zinkaen Party led by Emperor Zinkaen was small in number at first, but eventually grew to a considerable size. Among them were many talented people, in eluding Lords from knight families that had served extinct noble families, and Lord-class mercenaries from the general public who were full of talent and ambit ion.

Emperor Zinkaen appointed these Lords as knights, and had them found a knight family to serve the Imperial family.

The important point here is that, to put it bluntly, the Imperial Knights were a ragtag bunch.

A Lord who was attracted to the cause of ending the chaotic times, and a Lord who sought a strong master so he could return to his former glory as a Knight... it may have been inevitable that a big difference in their attitudes as Knights arose. One example where this gap is clearly evident is the layout of the Knight te rritories.

The former Knights sought a base in Eastern Arpeo. The Zinkaen Empire is bounded by the sea to the west, a desert and lake to the south, and a great mounta in range to the north, so the only direction they could go next was east. They had a strong desire to be as close to the front lines as possible in order to suppor t the Emperor who was calling for an end to the era of turmoil.

The latter Knights sought a base in the vicinity of the Imperial Capital. Many of them wanted to support the Emperor's government affairs, solidify the new org anization known as the Imperial family, and build a system that could last for a hundred or two hundred years.

As a result, the Knights most passionate about their ideals went to Eastern Arpeo, while the Knights who prioritized solidifying their base went to Western Arpe o, where the Imperial Capital was located.

[For the Knights of Western Arpeo, their masters are the Emperor and the Imperial family. However, the Knights of Eastern Arpeo are a little different. Even no w, many believe that Emperor Zinkaen and those who inherit his will are their true masters.]

While the Knights of Western Arpeo are loyal to their Imperial blood, the Knights of Eastern Arpeo are loyal to a kind of personal cult of heroes. In other words, they have very strong feelings for the core members who built the Zinkaen Party, such as Emperor Zinkaen, Grandfather Galfis, and Grandmother Cassia. And this feeling is passed down to the next generation as a characteristic of the family.

[They are still the Knights of the Imperial family, so if there is nothing to do, they will continue to obey the Emperor. However, they will never obey orders or pl ans that harm those they consider their true master. If such a plot is forced, Arpeo will split into East and West.]

That's why Emperor Ferolt fears my grandfather. If they respond incorrectly, the organization could be torn in two from the inside, which is terrifying.

Unfortunately, however, this adoration is directed towards my grandfather, not my father.

Even if the Imperial family or the Imperial nobility were planning to assassinate my father, it is unclear whether the Knights of Eastern Arpeo would act to stop t hem. At the very least, they should not be relied upon.

[...Do the Knights of Eastern Arpeo get along well with the Southern and Western Marquises?]

It seemed that both had in common the desire to go to war for a just cause. Perhaps they get along because they are similar. This question seemed to be expected, and the civil officer replied immediately.

[No, that is not the case. The Knights of Eastern Arpeo wish to fight under someone who paves the way with strong will and strength, and to support his conqu est.]

They seem to have a strange desire to work to their heart's content under a strong Highlord with a heroic image. It's like wanting to see the strength of a stron g person up close. If you think of it as a desire befitting a vassal, it may be a vassal-like wish.

[...I see. Even though they are Knights serving the same Imperial family, they are surprisingly not united.]

When a knight family has a history as long as the Quordenze family, they tend to be similar to each other. Each family has their own personality or color, but at their core they are all roughly the same. They might be divided into vermilion and madder red, but in the end they are all united by the red color scheme.

When you think about it like that, you realize that the Imperial family is a newly emerging noble family. Unlike the Levios Kingdom, the Zinkaen Empire continue d to have an unstable period after its founding, and this may also be a factor.

I suppose we need to keep a close eye on future developments in the Empire.

As my father had told me, I wrote a long list of vague words in my reply to the Eberg family to postpone my decision.

[Knight... That's right. Have you heard about the matter of the Rikaga Allied Nation?]

[You mean the matter where the Orville family, the leader of the Rikaga Allied Nation, asked us to send an official envoy here?]

[Yes, that's the one]

The Orville family had received a huge loan, or investment, from a Nambonan merchant. The merchant was executed for opposing the Quordenze family, but we sent someone last June to get the debt repaid. Since the envoy would have likely been ignored and the debt would have been defaulted on, their main pur pose was to confirm the current situation in the Rikaga region.

However, surprisingly, the Orville family did not ignore our envoy. On the contrary, they even responded to our request for an audience with the head of the fa mily.

Even though the envoy we sent was a commoner, they were grateful for the effort of coming all the way from the Quordenze territory and treated the envoy w ith great hospitality. Well, they avoided the question of the debt from start to finish and not even a single gold coin was repaid.

[The Empire will be in turmoil for a while. I think it would be best to refrain from making any unnecessary contact, what do you think?]

It would be bad if they were to take it the wrong way, like we were getting close to a distant power.

[I don't think there's any problem...]

However, apparently I was the only one who was concerned about this.

The Rikaga region is a remote area in the southernmost part of the continent, and those in Quordenze believe that there are no Imperial or Royal nobles who ar e particularly concerned about it.

[However, the Rikaga Allied Nation...the Orville family will probably move north.]

The Rikaga Allied Nation may soon move north and advance into the conflict zone of the Free Cities. That's what my military officers were saying.

If they intend to end up as just a force in the Rikaga region, there's no point in sending an envoy to the faraway Quordenze. In other words, there's a possibility that they'll do something that will bring the two families closer together in the future.

The Free Cities were currently trapped in an intensifying conflict due to food shortages. It would not be surprising if a plan was hatched to take advantage of t his exhaustion.

If things go well, conflict with the Zeldomitra family and Saint Navempos will become apparent. Rather than contacting the Quordenze family and asking us to mediate when that time comes, it will be easier if they build friendly relations with them now.

From the Quordenze's perspective, if we make poor connections, we may receive complaints from the Levios family, who are targeting the Zeldomitra family a nd Saint Navempos. I would rather us not be the ones to suffer the consequences.

[Young Master, do you think the Orville family will win?]

[Yeah, I think so.]

The Orville family was a weak force, but after the new young head of the family took power, they quickly unified the Rikaga region and proclaimed the foundin g of the country to the surrounding area.

According to the testimony of Raylight, who had been working as a mercenary in the region a while ago, the new head of the family has made unprecedented reforms and is stronger, so he is not just a simple noble with a martial temperament. His abilities are the real deal.

[I don't think they will grow big enough to face the Zeldomitra family head-on. But, they should be able to stand out as the leading family in the southernmost p art of the continent... but they seem to be carrying a bomb inside, so I don't know if their regime will last.]

I learned a few things from the visit to the Rikaga region this time.

The Orville family alone is not that powerful. During the Rikaga Unification War, several noble families were driven to extinction and their territories were annex ed, but many were allowed to continue by becoming constituent noble families of the allied nations.

In the wars between the noble families of Eruo continent, it takes time to deal with the aftermath of driving the enemy family to extinction. This is the centiped e's leg problem. However, since the Orville family was satisfied with them surrendering, this problem did not arise much.

This policy is probably why they were able to unify the Rikaga region so quickly. Once they beat everyone up, made them kneel down, and being acknowledg ed as the boss, it was business as usual. Compared to cutting off the Voistra Plains with Operation Jaw, the post war problems should be a lot easier to handl e.

However, this only increases the number of bombs that may explode at any time.

As long as the head of the Orville family maintains his momentum, I think the bombs, or rather the subordinate nobles, will keep quiet, but if the Orville stumble over something and are criticized, they will take this opportunity to rebel and divide the Rikaga Allied Nation.

Emperor Zinkaen drove the Friaelles family, the leader of the Principality of Arpeo, to ruin and took their territory for himself. The Arpeo region is a powerful an d huge backbone, which is why the Imperial family is able to reign as the ruler of the western continent. It is difficult to control so many nobles with just one pe rson's charisma.

In that sense, it is doubtful whether the Rikaga Allied Nation will last long.

If they don't change their policy and crush the free cities and make them all Orville territory, they will fall apart somewhere. It's a castle built on sand.

[I will consult with Father in Othelloria about how to respond.]

I am also interested in hearing about distant places, so if Father has no problem with it, I will proceed with accepting the envoy. As I was thinking this, the door to the room opened and a military officer came in.

[Miss Eve has arrived on the opposite bank.]

If she is delivered to Nambonan City, there is a risk that she will be picked up by a detection spell accidentally cast by Raeve.

It would be a shame to keep her waiting on the opposite bank of the Amelia River for too long, so I will get Raeve ready early. It will be a touching reunion of pa rent and child.