Chapter 159 - 157 Maria of the Former Auris Territory
I returned to the Butler territory and showed them the coal.
My parents, Gale, Ben, Emilia, Reimi, and Milfe, who had become like new family, each took it in their hands and excitedly said, "So this is the rumored burning stone."
Father Butler asked with a stern expression.
"So? What do you think should be done?"
"Father! We must report this to His Majesty!"
"Boy? What are you saying? What if it's confiscated?"
Gale looked like he absolutely wanted to say no, but...
"Gale. It will be discovered eventually. When that happens, His Majesty will look upon our family with suspicion. Instead, if he wants it, we should just sell it!"
Originally, it was land that the magistrate and internal affairs officers had messed up, leaving it in an unmanageable state.
Land granted under the name of a 'reward,' but the result was essentially a punishment game. Everyone must have thought this was just like when he received his knight title.
"This land was granted by His Majesty. He cannot do something like confiscate it just because something good was found. In that case, let's just teach him and sell the favor. In exchange for giving up a portion of the profits, we can have the country bear all the burdens of security, sales to miners, and even transportation!"
"I see! That's good! So you're saying we'll let His Majesty do the hard work this time! Indeed, raiding a mining site would be high treason, and attacking during transport would also be risking one's life. So it means it won't be the cargo of a single lord!"
Father Butler also agreed with a laugh.
Well, the one who will actually do the hard work is probably Klaus, who will have it all dumped on him. Though that Klaus will likely dump it all on someone like the Minister of State Affairs.
That day, I spent the night with Emilia and the others for the first time in a while.
At dinner, the conversation was dominated by talk of Milfe.
"Milfe-chan is an incredibly hard worker, you know! You can think of me as your real Mama and rely on me!"
She's being hugged by Mother Leen's huge chest and looks like she's suffocating.
Sword training with Butler and Gale. Magic with Leen. Archery with Ben. Every day, she's trained by someone all day long, and in her free time, she trains in physical training and healing magic, and apparently goes to dungeons with Emilia and Reimi.
Hearing from Father Butler that she was laughing while being beaten to a pulp, I suspected she was a hardcore masochist, but I was wrong.
"It's a blessing to spend time with such high-level people!"
Apparently, a battle maniac has awakened...
Emilia and Reimi say it's moving how, even after being knocked down like a worn-out rag many times, she casts 'Heal' on herself and heads back into the fray.
That Milfe was a battle maniac at night too.
"More♡ Attack me more intensely♡ It's fine♡ Break me♡ Drive me crazier♡ You can still go, right♡ I'll suck it♡ I've started wanting to bear Shivans's child soon♡"
She may have blossomed a forbidden talent...
When I released the contraception, she entered serious mode. Even though Emilia and Reimi had long since been knocked out, Milfe alone continued to be embraced until morning.
"I'm serious, you know!"
"I know! I'll impregnate Milfe!"
"Hold me until I'm pregnant♡"
She had started coming to be held whenever she had free time.
I headed to the Imperial Capital and told His Majesty, "I have a report. It's regarding the new territory," and His Majesty, Klaus, the cabinet ministers, bureau directors, and even deputy director-level officials were summoned.
(I was made to wait quite a while, but it will be worth it.)
When I was ushered into the audience chamber, there was a long line of important people.
It feels like being called to the head office to give a presentation to the bigwigs...
"I believe some of you are meeting me for the first time, so allow me to introduce myself. My name is Shivans O'Brien. What I am about to show you is what is commonly known as a 'burning stone.' Please, take it in your hands and see!"
As the attendants distributed them one after another, people said things like, "Oh! Is this the rumored...?" and "This is my first time seeing one too."
Then His Majesty spoke to me.
"Shivans. Where was this mined?"
"In the former Mercury territory, Your Majesty."
The internal affairs officers and magistrates seemed angered by their own incompetence, but since the Mercury family hadn't discovered it before them, they weren't solely to blame.
"So? What do you intend to do by showing this to me? Surely you don't mean to make me say I'm envious?"
He was heavily sarcastic.
Well, I understand his anger.
"I wanted to offer all of it to Your Majesty, but circumstances have arisen that prevent me from saying that."
"What? Speak!"
His Majesty leaned forward to listen.
What the transferred magistrates and internal affairs officers did was heavy taxation. It was a well-known fact that it was extremely heavy taxation. Many people fled, women were violated, and bandits and thieves took advantage of the situation, running rampant.
"Devastated land. Ruins with no inhabitants. It was a dwelling place for the elderly who couldn't escape, criminals who fled the Imperial Capital, bandits, and thieves."
Hearing my words, the murmuring was because they feared, 'Will we be held responsible for this?'
"As it is land bestowed by Your Majesty, I aimed for rapid restoration, but it required enormous funds."
"Enough. Say no more!"
Windam, the Minister of Military Affairs, was ordered to handle security, and the Minister of Internal Affairs was ordered to handle confidentiality. The Minister of State Affairs was ordered to handle operation and transportation, with overall supervision entrusted to Klaus.
"Minister of Justice, Minister of Internal Affairs. What is the state of the former Auris territory?"
The Minister of Justice thought (I don't even know about that), but the quick-witted Minister of Internal Affairs answered, "We have not investigated in detail, but I believe it is no different from the former Mercury territory."
"Then, Minister of Military Affairs, immediately dispatch the Imperial Army to the former Auris territory! Suppress it within 24 hours. Minister of Finance, take into account the 'burning stone' mentioned earlier and support the O'Brien family!"
Each bureau immediately began to move, but only the Administrative Bureau was slow to act.
(The Administrative Bureau has always had a bad reputation. Whether it was the former Mercury territory or the former Auris territory, the magistrates and internal affairs officers were from the Administrative Bureau, so the people who came probably felt like they were being collectively demoted.)
Just as I thought, the Administrative Bureau was a motley crew.
From the director of the Administrative Bureau down to the clerks, most had already been restructured and were either sentenced to death or enslaved. The current director and below were people who came from outside bureaus.
However, no bureau would release necessary personnel.
They sent people deemed useless in their own departments to the Administrative Bureau.
Such a motley Administrative Bureau was no different from before.
When an inquiry came to the Administrative Bureau, they said, "We just came from another department! We don't know about that!"
The very next day, the newspaper slammed them with the headline [The Administrative Bureau, Same as Ever].
[It's appalling that they think saying 'I don't know' is acceptable. This person is from the Foreign Affairs Bureau. Perhaps the Foreign Affairs Bureau is fine with not knowing or understanding things. Is this country really okay with this?]
The publication of this article caused damage not only to the Administrative Bureau but also to the Foreign Affairs Bureau.
"Where is the incompetent fool who sent such an idiot to the Administrative Bureau!"
Clutching the newspaper, the Foreign Minister, with an expression of rage, immediately stormed in.
"B-but, Your Excellency the Foreign Minister... if I may, we don't have enough personnel to spare necessary people..."
This incident led to a major restructuring, and His Majesty bought up a large number of our internal affairs officer candidates. With their addition, the old-fashioned bureaucracy was gradually being renewed.
Thanks to that, various bureaus visited the former Auris territory and encountered a shocking situation.
"Why did it come to this...?"
"This is beyond terrible..."
And when they went to the lord's manor, a single letter had been left there.
It was a letter addressed [To His Beloved Majesty the Emperor].
[My father, the great emperor of this country! I am one who has inherited the blood of the emperor by birth! Father! It is precisely because you were born with noble lineage that you sat arrogantly upon the throne, is it not? What is wrong with me taking pride in that as well? Well, never mind. The fact that you are reading this letter means you have likely realized the seriousness of the situation? Or is it already too late? I have sent you a gift to make you regret trying to eliminate me by taking advantage of the war! I hope you like it!]
The name written was Jason.
This letter was immediately sent to His Majesty.
"The insolent wretch! That fiend!"
He flew into a rage, using words unbecoming of His Majesty, and tore the letter to shreds.
(Well, that's how it goes. But what a nasty guy. For some reason, he reminded me of my old boss and made me see double. There's no way that person would die, and even if he did by some chance, if he came to this world, wouldn't that make the world too small?)
There's no way such a thing could happen... As I was shaking my head, His Majesty ordered me and the Quack Doctor Trio of the Imperial Research Institute to head to the former Auris territory with utmost urgency.
The advance party was also at their wits' end.
In this territory, people were suffering from a disease of unknown cause.
We rushed over as well, but were left speechless, saying, "We've never seen anything like it." After all, even healing magic had no effect.
(What's going on? The symptoms are similar to a cold or influenza, but it's something else. In dramas or otherworld stories, it would be cholera, right? Wouldn't the solution be to make oral rehydration solution or something?)
Even looking at it with 'Appraisal,' it displayed 'unknown.'
It was the first time this had happened, and as I was unable to hide my own agitation, the Quack Doctor Trio proposed, "Is there no other way but to try that medicine, Shivans-sama?"
"That medicine?"
"The bacteria collected from the mushrooms!"
There was no other option.
With a feeling like praying, I asked the tamed bacteria to 'eat the pathogens' and administered them. It seemed it would take time for the effects to show, but while I had people investigate when this all started, since they were suffering from fever, vomiting, and diarrhea, I cast 'Purification' and 'Clean,' administered the bacteria, and had them drink nutritional drinks.
There was no hospital, so everyone had evacuated to the church.
I thought that turning to God in times of trouble was common to this world too, but apparently that wasn't the case.
"Both the pastor and the sisters can use healing magic, so they gathered here."
Neither healing magic, nor potions made from herbs, nor medicine made from antidote herbs had any effect, and everyone despaired. The elderly and children who lacked physical strength apparently died one after another.
(How could they do something this terrible... It means they'll use any means necessary to cause internal collapse...)
Suppressing my anger, I continued treatment desperately.
The silver lining was that many people had also fled this territory, leaving only the elderly, women, and children behind.
Those who fled the territory capital and became infected were suffering along the way.
I traveled around to various places, treating the infected.
(Apparently, it's not the type that spreads through airborne transmission.)
Villages and towns away from the territory capital were not infected.
So, I vaccinated the officials and soldiers who came, and for a while, we carried out the restoration of the territory capital.
First, I cleaned the buildings with 'Revive,' improved ventilation inside, and cast 'Purification' and 'Clean.' I concluded that since it couldn't be airborne, it must not survive outside the body.
One week later.
When I examined them using 'Appraisal,' the orange inside their bodies had changed to yellow, suggesting it had been effective. Their bodies, which had seemed about to wither away, gradually changed. The patients were delighted to be able to speak and eat a little.
"You mustn't get up yet."
"Teacher... thank you..."
Seeing them cry with joy, the Quack Doctor Trio were also moved to tears.
"As one gets older, one becomes more prone to tears... We've shown you an embarrassing sight, Shivans-sama..."
"No. Not at all! But what's important is after you recover!"
I was relieved to see the patients gradually recovering, but a question arose: why did this happen in the first place?
Then, the people who had been investigating in various places reported to me.
"It's been a while, Shivans-sama!"
Apparently, many internal affairs officers who had been trained under Sera had come to this territory.
According to their report...
During the war a year ago, people who had been soldiers of Namibia and Kaoz fled the battlefield and left the territory. This was because the Imperial Army was hunting down fleeing soldiers. After the war, the Mercury territory and Auris territory were transferred, and when they went to the Kaoz territory, the former Mercury territory and former Auris territory became unclaimed land for a short while, so the fleeing soldiers escaped here.
"Of course, there were also many who resolved to live honestly."
Then, Prince Jason, who had been seriously injured in the war, also seemed to have come here as if fleeing. The people who escaped from Namibia and Kaoz hid Prince Jason in the church, where he received treatment from the pastor and sisters and recovered.
However, due to the oppressive rule of the newly appointed magistrates and internal affairs officers, the soldiers of Namibia and Kaoz, along with Jason and many other soldiers, fled westward again.
"At that time, Prince Jason was a very gentle person, and although he was missed by the townspeople, he apparently left... but..."
However, just before the party was held in the Imperial Capital, when Jason's group appeared again, they were welcomed, but Prince Jason was no longer the Prince Jason of old.
To start, he attacked and assaulted the women of the lord's manor as if taking revenge. Then he attacked the women of the town, and finally even stormed into the church.
"Prince Jason apparently tried to assault a sister named Maria, whom he had taken a liking to, but was chased by soldiers and fled."
After that, it seems the current disease suddenly became prevalent.
(As if he became a different person... There seems to be a key there. Well, no matter where he's hiding, I'll definitely find him!)
I thanked the people who had investigated and devoted myself to the restoration.
To make the nutritional drinks that were running low, I headed to the Forest of Confusion to gather herbs and search for Mandrakes and Mandragoras.
During that time, the army was hunting bandits and thieves.
"There are also bandits targeting Maria-san. Don't go outside for a while!"
The army was not only guarding the church 24 hours a day but also patrolling the territory capital and surrounding areas.
Internal affairs officers dispatched from various bureaus worked on restoring the town and visited villages and towns to assess the situation. The Quack Doctor Trio devoted themselves to treatment as a medical team.
Two weeks passed, and I used earth magic to build roads, tilled fields, and used spirit magic to grow crops. At night, I made meals and used alchemy to make nutritional drinks.
Then, one day.
Sister Maria, who had become able to get up, came to thank me.
"I hear that Shivans-sama is our Lord, is that right? Why would our Lord do work for the common people?"
It's a line that shows previous lords never went that far.
"A lord is only a lord when his people can live with smiles. I don't want to be resented or hated!"
She giggled and said, "You worry about such things?" so I said, "Isn't it obvious? I'm human too, you know? I don't want to act high and mighty and be hated. Besides, being smiled at and thanked gives me a sense of purpose and a reason to live!" Then she offered to help me make medicine.
"But you should still be resting..."
"How can I sleep soundly beside our Lord while he is working?"
Hearing that, I thought it made sense and taught her the manufacturing method.
"But if you feel unwell, please don't push yourself and rest."
"I understand. Since you went to the trouble of healing me, Lord, I won't overdo it."
Saying that, she happily worked beside me like an assistant.
Not only the church and the lord's manor, but I also built public baths throughout the town, which were well-received. The church also served as an orphanage, so I bathed with many orphans.
"Big Brother Shivans! Shampoo me!"
"Okay! Let's get you clean!"
Everyone regained their energy and frolicked in the large bath. An 11-year-old girl who said she wanted to be my wife was being teased by the boys around her.
When teased with "Say that when your boobs get bigger!", she retorted, "In just three years, they'll be as big as Big Sister Maria's!" Seeing that reminded me.
(Emilia was like that too.)
As a lord who didn't throw his weight around, I gradually gained the trust of the townspeople.
Around the time three weeks passed,
The crops were growing well thanks to spirit magic, and the people weakened by the disease were starting to regain considerable energy. I connected this place to the Blue territory with a tunnel, making travel easier, which increased the traffic of merchants. The harvesting of monsters from the Forest of Confusion and the transport of iron ore from the Blue territory also began.
Because I had asked the army to help with harvesting and transporting crops, the security of the territory capital and the church became thin, and they were nearly attacked.
"I've been waiting for this chance!"
"Maria! If we capture you, Prince Jason will be overjoyed!"
"We gotta take her unharmed! Take one of those brats over there hostage!"
A child was captured and told, "Don't make a fuss! If you do, we'll kill you!" Unable to even raise their voice, Maria was also taken captive.
"Heh! She definitely has the kind of body Prince Jason is obsessed with!"
"Shall we strip her naked?"
"No! Stop!"
When her clothes and underwear were torn to shreds, the six attackers cheered.
"For a clergy member! What a lewd body!"
"Before we hand her over to His Highness, shall we have a taste?"
"Rather than be violated by the likes of you, I'll bite off my tongue and die!"
Saying that would be troublesome, they immediately put a Collar of Subjugation on her.
"Now you're obedient!"
"Ugh... kill me!"
Just as she became a 'Kukkoro' (T/N: a trope where a proud female character is humiliated and forced into submission), the four didn't notice that the two who had taken the hostage had stopped moving, and they were trying to undress Maria.
Then, the two who were holding Maria down disappeared, and the moment they started to say, "Hey! Hold her down properly!", the two were sent flying and restrained by my 'Bind.'
"It's okay now, Maria!"
"I was so scared, Shivans... so terribly scared!"
She clung to me completely naked and kissed me greedily. We ended up going to Maria's bedroom like that, where I pushed her down onto the bed, but Maria didn't resist; rather, she accepted me.
After holding Maria until the next morning, she became a bit more frank.
"I like that attitude!"
"Me too! Using polite language is tiring. Let me savor the feeling of being lovers!"
The next morning, she said that with a satisfied smile.
The six captured by me were subjected to horrific torture.
This was because His Majesty had given strict orders: "Do not use truth serum! Interrogate them to death and make them confess everything!" From there, all known hideouts were confessed, many thieves and bandits were captured, and those connected to Jason were gradually arrested.
On my side, I tilled the harvested land with earth magic and grew the next crops with spirit magic, which delighted the farmers.
"Lord, is it truly alright not to pay this time's tax?"
"Of course! Now, do your best with the harvest!"
Public order improved, and smiles increased among the farmers.
By the time four weeks had passed since coming here,
The farmers were overjoyed to welcome the harvest again.
Streetlights increased, roads widened and became cleaner, and merchants were also pleased.
"Amazing, Shivans! Everyone is so happy!"
Maria rejoiced at the stories she heard from people who came to the church as if they were her own, but after being held by me, she started coming to bathe with the children.
"Have you still not told the pastor about us?"
"Hmm. I'll tell him eventually. Just wait a little longer!"
Even though it's called a church, it's no different from a business that simply performs ceremonies. The pastor feels like a well-meaning merchant.
(After all, he's even taken in and is looking after orphans.)
I don't know why she won't tell him about our relationship, but she comes to be held by me every day.
Then, one day.
"Now that everyone has settled down, I would like to hold a funeral for the deceased."
The pastor came to consult me, so I told him, "Please leave it to me," and he nodded. He seemed to think I would burn the bodies with fire magic. In this world, they don't do burials. There's a possibility they could become ghosts, wraiths, zombies, or skeletons.
As the deceased were laid out on the altar, sobs and weeping leaked from everyone.
'Purification'
When I knelt on one knee and assumed a pose of praying to God, the souls of the deceased were purified and rose sparkling into the sky.
'Thank you, Shivans! Thank you, Pastor! Thank you, Maria!'
'Don't cry! We will always be watching over you!'
'The Lord is a messenger of God!'
All those who attended the funeral felt relief and shed tears seeing the peaceful faces of the deceased. It was troublesome that many who witnessed it started worshipping me, saying, "It's an angel-sama!" but...
Afterwards, when I confessed my relationship with Maria to the pastor, he said, "Good, good. Let's drink tonight!" and drank alcohol.
"Listen, Maria. That Shivans-sama is our Lord is merely a temporary form he takes to conceal himself in this world. If you conceive his child, you must never overexert yourself!"
Apparently, he's decided it's the child of a god, the child of an angel.
"I know, Father! I've thought so for a long time!"
I wanted to shout "Liar," but I held back.
Because Maria became an Ero Sister, wearing lewd underwear and seducing me erotically every day.
"Angel-sama♡ I...♡ when you touch me like that...♡"
"When a miniskirted, no-panty sister exposes her thighs, you know!"
On all fours, her legs trembling like a fawn's, her love juices dripping drop by drop.
"I'll do anything to conceive the child of God♡ I don't care if I'm called shameless♡"
With her huge breasts, she sandwiched my cock and had learned titty fuck fellatio. The sight of her performing fellatio, making slurping and squelching sounds, was also cute.
"A neat and clean sister... becoming like this!"
"But...♡ I want you to plant the seed of Shivans, the child of God, inside me♡"
She had become a lewd woman who would moan, and whenever I stroked her thighs or fondled her breasts, she would kneel and perform fellatio at any time. And then, spreading her crotch wide, she smiled, showing off her soaking wet, hairless pussy.
"How is it, Angel-sama♡ The Ero Sister's pussy♡ It's exclusively for Angel-sama♡"
"Until recently, you were a virgin, right?"
"But♡ Angel-sama said he likes slutty Maria♡"
"You like it, right? Sex?"
"Only with Angel-sama♡ Impregnate me♡"
In the end, Maria continued to be held every day until she experienced morning sickness.