Chapter 195 - 193 Count Arton's House
Count Arton thought of himself as an unlucky man.
The beginning of it all was Butta.
Because of that idiot!
He had only given him money and written a letter of introduction when Butta said he wanted to go to the famous hot springs. As a result, Butta brought back nothing but terrible rumors, and even Arton himself was spoken ill of.
So, he ingratiated himself with the powerful Namibia, diligently offered up money, and then Namibia started a rebellion and was destroyed. The next person he clung to was Margrave Egghardt.
The excuse was that he "wanted to be friendly" since their territories were adjacent, but Margrave Egghardt also knew of his bad reputation, so he just dodged and weaved, only squeezing money out of Arton.
He thought about trying to cozy up to Klaus, but stopped because Klaus was on good terms with that damnable Butler.
I diligently offered up money to become part of the noble faction, and just when things were about to pay off, you go and get yourself destroyed!
That was when he learned that Butler's son had become an adventurer and was heading this way on a guard request.
You fool! That jumped-up brat, who only got promoted to baron by sucking up to Klaus just like his father, dares to call himself a noble! His father being the same count as me is utterly preposterous! First, I'll have his son die in an accident!
If Butta were still around, he would have had Butta kill him without getting his own hands dirty. But in Gone, there was no denying Butta's lack of power.
So he decided to set up a checkpoint and surround them from three directions to annihilate them. If they were held up at the checkpoint and attacked by ambushers from both sides, no matter how strong they were, they shouldn't be able to withstand it. Moreover, he used bandits so that even if this matter came to light later, no harm would come to him.
Perfect! There's no way he'll survive this! This is punishment for keeping me away from the imperial capital!
Once they were disposed of, he planned to dismantle the checkpoint and pass it off as an unfortunate accident. He had been constantly irritated that no report of the disposal had come yet.
Well, fine. They say good news comes to those who wait. Getting too involved would just be troublesome later.
He had to maintain the stance that he was completely uninvolved.
Around that time, at that very checkpoint, Klaus's soldiers had already captured the bandits.
"They're already here. Faster than I thought."
I used Instant Movement, and after canceling Bind and Silent, the bandits clung to the soldiers, crying, "A laughing demon came! He tied us up in a place like this and it was scary..."
"Are you here of your own free will?"
"We were told by Arton to attack the caravan, so we were waiting here! The checkpoint people? Probably killed by that demon or somethin'!"
Everyone was trembling.
A laughing demon... they must mean Shivan-kun.
The fourth son of the Klaus family was irritated that he had to allocate men to escort the bandit group. Moreover, he was surprised to find the checkpoint.
An inspection should have been done here before. Was it not there then? Either way, we'll find out once we capture them and make them talk.
Time was lost searching for the checkpoint people and securing evidence.
On our side, we used the rest stops along the way to gather information. I called Maggie over and asked her about Arton Town.
She told me that the lord's manor was in the center of the territory capital, surrounded by a moat and walls, and ordinary people were not even allowed to see it, let alone enter it.
Maggie, her husband, and a friend were apparently childhood friends.
All three were from peasant families, but the tax collection was harsh and they couldn't make a living. So the three became adventurers, but they stopped at E-rank.
"We heard stories about villages in the Bismarck territory, dreamed of farming or owning a small shop, saved up little by little, and finally set out on our journey."
But that journey was the beginning of their tragedy.
The three had been together since childhood, but Maggie and her husband got married. To the friend, it seemed like she had been stolen from, a feeling of being left behind.
"I think he didn't like that we got married without telling him anything, since my husband and I had secretly loved each other. He told me when he attacked me that he resented and hated us..."
Those listening sympathized, but there were also opinions that they could understand the friend's feelings.
"That's true. We got carried away and didn't consider his feelings."
It was almost time to depart, so we ended the conversation.
I wanted to know about Arton Town, but from the feel of it, I won't know until I go there. But they'll be surprised if we arrive unharmed. What will Arton do?
When we arrived at Arton Town in the afternoon, we headed to the edge of the territory capital to look for a cheap inn. While searching for an open shop, we found a store that was practically a ruin.
"Let's use this one!"
I repaired it with Revive, cast Clean on it, and since it looked like sugar and pepper would sell, I decided to sell 100g for 1,000 G.
"Ten times the imperial capital!?"
The caravan people were surprised, but here they were sold for even more than that, and more importantly, there were no goods.
"If they don't sell, you can lower the price."
Raising prices is hard, but lowering them is easy.
While we were preparing the shop, the enemy seemed to have noticed. That we had arrived safely.
When news of our arrival reached the lord's manor, the one who was shocked to the point of losing his nerve was none other than Count Arton himself.
"What's the situation? Are they battered and bruised?"
"No. They arrived perfectly normally?"
The messenger, who knew nothing of the situation, had only come to deliver the report.
When the messenger withdrew, he called for his steward.
"Did you hear that?"
"I am astonished to hear they arrived unharmed."
"That jumped-up brat! What trick did he pull!"
Arton, overcome with rage, kicked a chair.
Taking his anger out on objects solved nothing.
"Isn't there some good way?"
After rampaging and regaining some composure, he asked his steward.
"How about we just let the brat have his fun here in this manor? We'll tell him we'll lend him as much money as he wants, drag him into a hell of massive debt, and then use women to poison him. Getting rid of him should be easy."
Arton laughed heartily, "Hahaha!"
"That's great! Let him play without any limits! With roulette, we can make him lose big! That's perfect! Go invite him right away! He'll be amazed by my luxurious home! Wahahaha!"
Count Arton didn't know.
That there was already a luxurious and glamorous casino called the Wizard Hotel in the imperial capital.
Soon, the steward himself came to fetch me.
"Baron Shivans von O'Brien. If it pleases you, would you kindly grace my master, Arton's, residence with your presence?"
Unable to assassinate me, they've gotten impatient and come calling.
"Understood. I would be delighted to visit."
I put on a friendly smile and accepted.
I can tell. Even with a blank expression, I can sense you think you've caught me in a trap. Well then, let me enjoy this!
I pretended to change clothes, told everyone, "I'm heading into enemy territory," and they all looked worried.
"It's fine! We'll be able to do business tomorrow!"
"R-Really?"
Wesson probably wanted to make some money in this populous town.
I smiled and said to Nadja, Kuro, Shiro, the Shinobi men, and the Kunoichi women, "I'm counting on you for the rest," and they nodded.
I changed into a tuxedo, got on the steward's carriage, and headed for the lord's manor.
When I arrived, the servants were lined up to greet me.
"It is an honor to meet you for the first time. Count Arton."
As I bowed respectfully, he said, "Enough with the stiff formalities! Let's get straight to the fun, Baron Shivans!" and shook my hand with a smile.
So this is the right-hand handshake Klaus mentioned. I wonder what he has in his left hand? I'll look forward to finding out.
I was immediately led to the gambling hall.
"Even in a place like this countryside, there is entertainment!"
He said it proudly with a delighted face.
Indeed, even in this countryside, they had spent money on glamour.
I praised him, laying it on thick.
"As expected of Lord Arton! What a luxurious establishment!"
I praised him with a slightly childish, friendly face.
"How about a game, my lord?"
I see. He intends to bankrupt me.
"I'd love to try! What's the betting limit? How much is it?"
Count Arton grinned and said, "The sky's the limit!"
Meaning, any amount is fine...
"Forgive my rudeness in asking, but are you saying you would accept even if I said, hypothetically, 10 billion? I was just wondering how much cash you have prepared."
He laughed, "Hahaha," and said, "I said the sky's the limit, didn't I? I'll take on even 100 billion!" The surrounding guests began to murmur.
"As expected of Lord Arton!"
"How bold! Did you all hear that?"
I wanted to call him a liar.
He plans to cheat and take it all. I can't imagine there are any big spenders in a place like this countryside.
Everyone's attention was on me, wondering how much money I would exchange for chips. So I brought out a platinum coin.
"Ooh! That's 100 million!"
"You've got some nerve, kid!"
The surrounding guests were now more like spectators. The prostitutes also became excited. Arton was delighted, his face breaking into a grin, but as I piled up more platinum coins, the surrounding guests began to back away.
"Kid... how much do you have?"
"Forgive me, but are those real?"
I piled up 10 billion, just as I had declared.
Even the steward, who hadn't changed his expression, was in a frenzy of joy.
Then the steward showed me the dice and roulette, explaining the rules for each.
"I'll go with roulette!"
"Right this way, then."
I took my 10 billion in chips, approached the roulette table, and observed. Using Clairvoyance, I could see people under the table, the so-called table, manipulating the game with cheating devices.
I listened to explanations about straight-up bets, six-line bets, outside bets, and so on, but I roughly knew the gist of it.
"I'll boldly go with a straight-up bet and challenge my luck!"
The spectators whispered, "He's just an amateur after all," or "He's just greedy, throwing his money away."
I bet 1 billion on a single number first, and of course, I lost.
"I told you so!"
"Kid, you're an amateur, right? I'll teach you!"
I seemed to look like sweet honey, and the guests swarmed around me like ants.
"That's fine! You have to enjoy yourself!"
But the spectators grumbled in dissatisfaction.
"Tch! No way losing is fun!"
"Yeah, yeah! Here I am, offering to coach you!"
When I lost nine times in a row, sighs escaped them.
I've built up the atmosphere enough! Time to show off my superpowers!
First, I cast Sleep on the people manipulating things under the table, putting them to sleep. Then, as the roulette wheel spun, I made the ball drop on the number I had bet on.
"WOOO――!!"
A huge cheer rose from the onlookers.
"That's 36 times 1 billion!"
"Kid! It's because I was praying for you behind you!"
"Don't be stupid! Actually, I was the one who told you that number!"
Everyone was saying whatever they wanted, but Arton and the steward had pale faces.
"That's right! Thanks to everyone, a huge comeback victory! This is why I can't quit gambling! Let me treat everyone to a drink and make a toast!"
When I said it was my treat, everyone started ordering one after another, but many spectators gathered at the exchange counter, wanting to see me cash out.
But there was no way they could pay out a huge sum like 36 billion.
Arton and his people resorted to their last resort.
"Lord Shivan! As it is a rather large sum, would you kindly wait in another room?"
The steward's feigned smile.
The spectators complained.
"Are you saying we might attack him or something?"
"Or maybe you can't actually pay out, even though you said the sky's the limit?"
He hit the nail on the head, but without answering, they led me to another room.
Inside the room, four scantily clad beauties were waiting.
"Drink this! We'll have some fun afterwards ♡"
They poured wine laced with deadly poison into a glass and made a toast.
I removed only the poison, mixed a strong aphrodisiac into the women's drinks, toasted, and downed it in one gulp.
The women also drank it down to avoid suspicion.
Everyone watched to see where I would start suffering, but the effects showed on the women first.
They took off their clothes and transformed into lewd creatures in an instant.
"You... why are you still alive... Ahn ♡"
"Th-That's right! Nooo... what did you do to us! Yan ♡"
After a while, the men came in, casually asking, "Is he dead yet?" but I cast Sleep on all of them, putting them to sleep.
When I canceled the contraception on the four women, they said, "Don't cum inside ♡ I'll get pregnant ♡" but they were actually actively seeking it.
"I have a husband, you know ♡ No, no ♡ No, no ♡ You came inside again? Oh my ♡"
"I haven't even had sex with my boyfriend yet ♡ It'd be a problem if I got knocked up ♡"
"Ahn ♡ You already came once ♡♡ You're going again? My husband doesn't even go for a second round ♡"
"Don't want it so much ♡ I feel bad for my boyfriend ♡ But you want to cum, don't you ♡"
I was exasperated, thinking, They're all just talk!, and made the women who wanted to be embraced cum like crazy over and over, making them say "Cum inside me" before ejaculating deep into their wombs.
While the women were being embraced and begging for more, men kept coming in asking, "What's happening?" but they all ended up fast asleep.
So I woke up one of the men, put a slave mark on him, and had him report to Arton and the steward that "I have disposed of the brat."
Arton, relieved, returned to his own room, and the steward told the guests, "Lord Shivan has received his money and left. However, he has paid for everyone's drinks, so rest assured!" The guests forgot about me and continued drinking.
Arton and the steward believed there was 10 billion in the gambling hall's safe. I had teleported and taken it all, but aside from my own money, there was only about 30 million.
And you had the nerve to say the sky's the limit with this pittance!
After that, I released into the depths of the four women's wombs several more times. After embracing them until they fainted, I cast Sleep on them to keep them asleep. All four of them, or maybe just some, might get pregnant, but this is a casino. I'll look forward to seeing who hits the jackpot.
I changed clothes, used Presence Concealment and Concealment, and infiltrated Arton's room. It seemed he was just about to get it on with a young woman. I made the room pitch black, put Arton to sleep, and took his place. Of course, I canceled the contraception.
"Huh? You feel different somehow..."
Since it was pitch black, she fumbled around and started giving me fellatio. She seemed to sense something was off, but after making her swallow my semen, I had her keep sucking. When I got hard, I fucked her hard without a word, and she lost the composure to speak.
"Hey... you're so rough! You're different from usual! I'm cumming! Hey! Say something! I'm cumming so much I think I'm going crazy!"
I got carried away and fucked her over and over until she passed out.
It's my bad habit.
I muttered a line from some drama in my mind, put the woman to sleep as well, and searched the room. There wasn't much of value, but in the safe, there was about 800 million in gold and precious metals.
I restrained the count with Bind.
I'll leave him like this until the soldiers burst in.
Next, I infiltrated the steward's room.
Better safe than sorry. I cast Sleep on him, restrained him with Bind, and read his memory. It seemed he was the one managing the drugs.
If anything happened, Arton probably planned to blame everything on the steward and escape himself, but that won't happen!
I put the drugs in the count's safe for him.
It seemed the steward had planned to dispose of a woman who was about to become a drug-addled wreck tonight. Apparently, she was imprisoned underground, but would I be in time?
Two men were standing guard at the underground entrance. I put slave marks on them, ordered them, "Don't let anyone in," and descended underground.
As I went down the stairs, I found food and alcohol, so I took it all. The next thing I found was a treasure vault. But seeing it piled up haphazardly, I could guess it was probably seized in lieu of debt repayment.
Well, I can turn it into money!
After collecting everything, I found a naked woman on the verge of death in a cell at the back. I cast High Heal on her, made her drink a nutritional drink, and healed her body with Revive. She was able to speak.
"I was... kidnapped by bandits when I was 18. I was supposed to be with him soon..."
Was it due to the aftereffects? She couldn't remember her name or her current age, and only fragmented, shocking memories seemed to remain.
She also seemed to vaguely remember being made lewd by drugs and drowning in the pleasure of sex day after day. A slave mark had been put on her butt, preventing her from committing suicide or escaping.
The woman approached me with a seductive face.
"A customer? You're young! I'm really, really nympho! I'll make you feel good!"
She seemed still delirious, but she undressed me and gave me fellatio. Then she showed me her hairless pussy and said, "Look how wet I am already! I'm a woman who gets wet just from sucking! Your tool is so impressive, I got wet right away!" and spread her legs wide.
"Your tool ♡ It's amazing ♡ I take contraceptive medicine every day ♡ So it's totally okay to cum inside me as much as you want ♡"
I didn't know when she was imprisoned, but the effect of some shady contraceptive pill would only last a day or two. She craved me so intensely, as if she had been lonely in this dimly lit underground cell.
"I'm gonna be made to cum by your tool ♡ Make this super nympho big sister cum ♡"
She hugged me tightly, shivering with pleasure.
"Wait ♡ Big sister is cumming right now... ♡ If you keep squelching me with that magnificent tool, I'm gonna go crazy ♡"
When a woman says that, doesn't it make a man want to do it even more?
"Yan ♡ So rough ♡ I'm getting addicted to you, customer ♡ You must like lewd women too, huh ♡ I think I'm getting addicted to a customer for the first time ♡"
I kept kissing her, intertwining our tongues, and she frantically rocked her hips, hugging me tightly, shivering and trembling.
"Ahn ♡ Feels so good ♡ Yan ♡ I'm cumming the whole time ♡ But I want more ♡ I want to be kept by you forever, customer ♡"
"I'm going to cum inside you and get you pregnant."
"Okay ♡ If it's you, customer ♡ Fill me up inside ♡"
Trembling and convulsing, she said, "Sho gooood ♡" and gave me cleaning fellatio.
"Customer... I want more ♡"
She turned around, spread herself open with both hands, and wiggled her butt, begging, "Give it to me quick ♡"
After fucking her doggy style, she went limp, so I let her sleep in Arton's room.
I put Arton, the steward, and the men who tried to attack me into the underground cells.
I restrained them all with Bind and cast Silent on them so they couldn't speak.
After that, I told the guests, the employees who had been working honestly at the casino, and the prostitutes, "His Majesty's soldiers will be here tomorrow." Some guests were suspicious, but when the majority started to flee, they all ran away.
The employees and prostitutes were at a loss, so I gave them large silver coins, and they were surprised.
"You can take anything you want from here."
Both the employees and the prostitutes started a scramble for the goods.
I went to the four women I had fucked, woke them up, and they apologized apologetically.
"We... were told to by the lord... we had no choice... I'm sorry."
"I know."
"But it felt really good ♡ Will you hold me one more time?"
After I finished embracing them, I listened to their stories. Their husbands or boyfriends were employees here. The four husbands or boyfriends had apparently threatened, "If you get fucked, I'll kill you!"
"How selfish, right? Even though they're sleeping with other women!"
"We were told it was just a job to seduce you this time. It was all lies!"
I found out who their husbands and boyfriends were, put slave marks on them, and also cast Erectile Dysfunction on them.
"You should run away too. The soldiers will be here tomorrow. I'll give you money too, and you can take whatever you like from this mansion."
Far from resenting me for having fucked them so thoroughly, the four women thanked me and joined the scramble.
I took the money I had stolen from Arton and threw it into the houses of the poor, one after another.
I feel like a phantom thief.
After finishing the distribution, I returned to the shop and woke up Kuro and Shiro. They welcomed me back safely and immediately wanted to be embraced by me.
The next morning
I had breakfast with everyone. The Shinobi men were rock hard. The Kunoichi women were soaking wet, but they still helped with the shop.
Around that time, a certain topic was buzzing in the town.
"Did your house get some too?"
"Ours too, yeah? What's going on?"
The 100,000 G thrown into each house had driven the people wild with joy.
As for me, I finished preparing the shop, headed to the lord's manor, gathered the main servants and guard soldiers, and spoke to them.
"The army will be here as early as tomorrow. Arton, the steward, and the soldiers who tried to attack me will probably be captured. You don't want to be captured, do you?"
Everyone nodded as if it were obvious.
"If you listen to what I say from now on, I can negotiate to have you rehired here. What do you say?"
Everyone nodded again.
The casino was already an empty shell, but I needed them to make sure Arton's family didn't catch on, and that they didn't realize Arton and the steward were under house arrest.
"Also, please make absolutely sure no one enters Arton's or the steward's rooms."
I decided not to mention that I would be using them.
Everyone seemed to think it was for evidence anyway, and it seemed Arton was disliked even by his own servants.
In the evening, I closed the shop and had them prepare lodging for my companions, the caravan, and the adventurers. When I gave them all silver coins, they got right to work enthusiastically.
"Also, does anyone know where the woman who was drugged up is from?"
They sympathized, but no one seemed to know. Arton and the steward might not know either, so I entrusted her care to the butler I had put a slave mark on.
When he looked troubled, I said, "You can have the soldiers help you too," and his expression relaxed.
I went to Arton's room, woke up his young wife, fabricated a story about last night, and said, "I introduced myself yesterday, right? I'm Shivan." She was flustered.
"Wh-Why am I being embraced by Lord Shivan? Last night, I'm sure..."
"Eh? You don't remember? You came to entertain me at Arton's request, right?"
"R-Right, I guess?"
Being pounded hard by me, the wife couldn't think of anything. Her body had already completely fallen from the previous night.
"Th-That's right! That must be it! I was chosen to come! I feel like I lucked out!"
She gave me a deep, melting kiss, enjoyed the feeling of being lovers, and even knowing her contraception had been canceled, she surrendered her womb.
"Ahn ♡ I'm being filled up inside so much ♡ You don't go easy on a married woman, do you ♡ I'm probably going to get pregnant with Lord Shivan's baby ♡"
When I asked her age, she said she was 20.
"That old man likes women younger than his own daughters! I think his eldest daughter is already 23. She's ugly, so she can't even get married!"
She laughed as she said that while giving me cleaning fellatio.
After embracing the wife until she was limp, I woke up the drug woman and embraced her.
"I'm cumming... I'm already cumming! My body won't stop trembling!"
The drug woman went limp.
Then I woke up the wife and embraced her again.
Except for meals, toilet breaks, and baths, I repeated this until evening. When both of them said, "I can't take anymore...", I let them sleep in the steward's room.
Evening
To have Wesson and the others guided to the lord's manor, I sent the butler with the slave mark to fetch them.
"Baron Shivans von O'Brien is waiting for you."
To avoid suspicion, I had given him my letter, so they trusted him.