Chapter 3 - 03: Development
The harvest autumn had ended, and we were taking a breather these days.
I was eagerly preparing to make tonkatsu with orc meat. I had finally managed to extract cottonseed oil from the cotton seeds. It would be a waste to let it sit any longer.
"Fufufu~n!"
As I made a sauce from stewed vegetables and hummed a tune in high spirits, Mother Leen appeared holding the baby, along with Emilia.
"Look, look! A long time ago, little Shivans used to suck on Mama's breasts like this too! Emilia, have you had your nipples sucked by Shivans yet?"
Emilia, who had been drinking water, did a spit-take with a "Pfft" and honestly confessed, "...Not yet."
"Oh my? After I went to the trouble of making cute underwear with cotton! Is Shivans just dense? This is where you're supposed to take the initiative like a man! Papa, for instance, has been taking the initiative every single night lately!"
Being shown my mother's breasts and hearing about her candid marital relations was honestly something I didn't want to hear...
In the next room,
"Ahem! Wroooongh!"
Butler, who had been listening to our conversation, was coughing so desperately it seemed he really didn't want Gale in front of him to hear.
"Chief. Just 'cause the young master's workin' hard, don't mean you gotta push yourself too, yeah?"
When Gale said that with a smirk, Butler's face turned red. I wanted to say that when I'm around, all they do is kiss, but pointing that out here wouldn't improve the situation.
"Well... you know, that, Shivans is certainly working very hard..."
"He sure is. Even when a whole bunch of grown adults ganged up on it, they couldn't get this territory into the black at all. For a mere brat to clear the deficit in just three years, that ain't somethin' any ordinary kid can do! I seriously think the young master might be a child of the gods, y'know?"
I wanted to say, in a way, I was summoned by a god and ended up here.Then, Gale's face turned serious, and he stated,
"Don't you think it's about time to introduce the young master to the Emperor? At this rate, this house will end with the young master's generation, yeah?"
It seems he was talking about something he'd heard through rumors.He began talking about how a Quasi-Knight Title ends after one generation. A Knight Title ends after the second generation, and a Baronet title ends after the third.
"In other words, you're saying we should petition for a promotion in rank?"
"To put it bluntly, yeah. The Chief's achievements wouldn't be out of place for a Count! And this territory. Back then, didn't you want to scream that it was some kind of harassment?"
He chuckled and waved his hand.
"Well, I did think that at times. But now, I'm glad it was here. Today, Shivans is apparently making dinner. Why don't we all eat together?"
Saying that, the two of them headed towards the kitchen.I shredded a cabbage-like vegetable and prepared a dressing.
"Alright, it's ready! This is a dish called tonkatsu!"
A cheer of "Oooh!" went up, and as everyone started eating, Ben also arrived.
"Did ya forget about me?"
"Keep complaining and there won't be any left!"
When Gale teased the almost-crying Ben, he hurriedly sat down and started eating in silence.
"Ahh! The young master's cooking really is the best and most delicious!"
When Ben praised me happily, he kept wolfing it down and asking for seconds. Everyone ate their fill, and then the old men started drinking. Leen, Emilia, and I went into the hot spring.
"Mother... this is the women's bath, you know?"
"Shivans is cute, right? Isn't he, Emilia?"
Emilia, put on the spot, nodded with a smile.
"Shivans is a beauty!"
"He takes after his Mama!"
I wanted to tell her to stop saying that and clinging to me.
"Emi-nee. Calling a boy like me a beauty is strange, isn't it?"
"Good looks?"
"That's wrong too, you know?"
Leen, watching the exchange between Emilia and me with immense delight, was overjoyed, saying, "You two really are like real siblings!"
"Emilia, your body has really firmed up, hasn't it?"
As I was washing myself, Leen was touching Emilia's body as if playing with it.
"M-Milady, that place is, ahn! It tickles♡ Aahn♡"
"Her sensitivity isn't bad! Isn't that great, Shivans?"
I thought, don't throw that to me, but the two women seemed to be having fun.
In the end, even when autumn came, there were no bandit attacks. The only things falling into the pit traps we set near the mountainous border were not refugees, but bears, boars, and deer. For some reason, I also got a skill called 'Hunting'.
The harvested vegetables and butchered meat were stored in a freezing cellar basement called an 'ice house' that Leen and I made.
Around the time the population had already exceeded 500 and more buildings were needed, Marc arrived.
"As for the reason bandits haven't appeared, it seems the wolf population has been increasing lately. Everyone, please be careful."
There were even rumors that magical beasts called Silver Wolves were leading packs. He told me the leader was said to be quite intelligent.
"Young master! Could it be that the bears, deer, and boars were fleeing from the wolves and fell into the pit traps?"
"I was thinking the same thing. It seems we might need wolf countermeasures more than bandit ones. Gale, do you know anything about wolves?"
He shook his head and turned to my father, Butler.
"Chief, don't you have any wolf countermeasures?"
"None! But, Shivans, can't you use that?"
When I nodded, he gave the order: "Do it quickly before the snow falls!"Also, I had given Marc a different order.
"I want to raise livestock. What are the market prices, Marc?"
"Right now, you might be able to buy them surprisingly cheap. The other territories are in a recession, after all. I'll look into it immediately!"
He loaded as many of our surplus crops and alcohol as he could onto his carriage and paid us. After seeing Marc off, Gale murmured to me with deep emotion.
"Young master. If you weren't here, we wouldn't have been able to spend this winter smiling with everyone like this. I'm grateful. The Chief would never say this, even if his mouth were torn apart."
He said it while scratching his head, looking embarrassed.
"And also... you ordered another weird thing from Marc, didn't you! You little brat!"
"N-No, I didn't! That's called a lemon, and it will surely enrich this territory!"
"Liar! We've finally gotten into the black! Don't get in the way!"
Everyone watched me being chased around, laughing without stopping me.
We decided to make landmines using gunpowder.Black gunpowder is weak against moisture, so we also used ash as a desiccant. We created a mechanism where gunpowder is placed inside a covering made with earth magic, and when stepped on from above, it ignites with fire magic and explodes.
We applied the fact that goblin and kobold magic stones shatter easily. I had conducted experiments several times in front of my father, infusing fire magic into a magic stone, using it as an igniter to ignite the gunpowder, which is why we decided on this method.
(But it would be a waste if they exploded under the weight of snow.)
So, I made a simple triangular roof over the switch with earth magic, ensuring it would be fine even if something fell from above. If we sprinkled animal blood near the switch, the wolves would likely come to it.
We made 1,000 landmines and used instant movement to set them up in various mountainous locations.We sprinkled blood under the triangular roofs. I'd be happy if this helps exterminate some of them. We decided to hire adventurers for patrols.
As winter set in, for the female guests visiting the hot spring, we made honey shampoo and honey conditioner. We made double-bladed razors for beard and unwanted hair removal, and for those with sensitive skin, we prepared an expensive honey hair removal cream.
"These! They will surely become the talk of not just the nobility, but the entire social scene! Assassins might even infiltrate to steal them, you know?"
Gale and Ben laughed off my words as "Exaggerating!" and paid no heed, but only my father, Butler, listened seriously.
"It might be possible. Noblewomen's pursuit of beauty is no joke."
"Chief, are you saying you believe the young master's prophecy?"
"I'm half in doubt, but if we don't believe it and suffer damage, against high-ranking nobles, we'd have no choice but to swallow our tears and give up, right?"
Gale agreed that would certainly be infuriating.And so, Leen, Emilia, and I were to handle the shampoo, conditioner, and hair removal. I was in charge of male guests, while Mother and Emilia handled female guests, and we focused solely on keeping it secret.
"Young master! You're a beauty, so make sure you don't get attacked by the male guests!"
"Gale. It seems you'd like me to challenge you to a duel with magic allowed?"
"Whoa. Spare me from that!"
Recently, even though I was only Class 10, I had reached a point where I could truly feel that all my levels had dramatically increased. Because it had become something I couldn't just call a mere Fire spell anymore.
For the hot spring inn, we trained excellent butlers and maids from among the refugees, and for the cook, we selected and trained someone capable of absolute secrecy. Furthermore, we completely redid the air conditioning, and the bedding was down comforters. The sleeping comfort should be top-notch.
After that, things unfolded exactly as I had predicted.The fees for shampoo, conditioner, and hair removal were included in the lodging cost, so for nobles, it was a pittance. Then, when they appeared in high society smooth and shiny, they were showered with praise.
"Madam! How did you become so beautiful?"
"This is just between us. I'm only telling you!"
Things that are "just between us" never stay just between us.In no time, the hot spring inn was the only topic of conversation among the nobility. Delicious food and fine alcohol, all-you-can-drink and all-you-can-eat. Moreover, the hot spring wasn't just water; it also had my healing, a sand bath, and a bedrock bath. For leisure, there was also something called a sandboard, which caused a stir among the young people, who exclaimed, "It was so fun!" and "It was such a thrill!"
"Ho! That 'Crimson Death' had such business acumen?"
"Rumor has it his 11-year-old son came up with it?"
"That can't be! It's surely 'Gale of the Wind' or someone like that!"
It reached a point where not only nobles from the eastern region, but even those from the north and west were traveling all the way from distant places.
"I never imagined... it would come to this..."
"Father. Let's switch to a reservation system now!"
Immediately, nobles without reservations were barred from entering.
'Limited to 10 groups per day, maximum 5 people per group'
With this restriction in place, messengers from nobles bearing bribes and letters of introduction from various people began visiting my father.
"Lord O'Brien. This is quite a fine sword. My master believes it would be better in your hands than his own. Would you be so kind as to invite my master, Count Haag, into your territory?"
At least 20 such visitors came per day. On busy days, it was close to 50. The territory was now teeming with people called spies or agents. They disguised themselves as traveling merchants or adventurers, so we couldn't catch them.
The number of taverns in town was also increasing, but the only question asked there was, "Where is this shampoo and conditioner made?"
They even investigated the blacksmith artisans and furniture workshops but couldn't find a single clue.
Then, a change of heart also came to the neighboring nobles who didn't think well of us. For one, having people pass through their territories meant transit taxes, food, drink, and lodging fees trickled down to them. Also, since many nobles were siding with the O'Brien family, they feared that openly criticizing us would make them targets of attack. Some nobles even blatantly tried to curry favor with us.
So, we gathered the family and held an emergency meeting.
"Did you foresee things going this far?"
Butler asked with an exasperated look. His face was tired from entertaining guests day after day.
"Of course not. Do you think I have the ability to predict such a future?"
At that, everyone nodded.
"To be honest, it makes more sense if you say your actions were based on predicting this."
"That doesn't matter. What's more important are our future countermeasures. The neighboring nobles are feigning friendship, but there's no way those black-hearted nobles will leave it at this. I have a feeling they'll find our family's weakness and exploit it, or use their political power against us."
Ben asked with a worried look.
"Young master? What kind of harassment would that be? Will our family be destroyed from behind?"
"I don't know the specifics. For example, using His Majesty to force us to publicly disclose the shampoo and conditioner recipe in this country. Or kidnapping someone and demanding the recipe as ransom?"
When I said whatever came to mind, Leen murmured, "How frightening."
"Alright! Worrying won't get us started. Gale, you handle the nobles. Investigate the situation around the Imperial Capital in as much detail as possible. Ben, you handle the defense of this mansion and protect Emilia's parents! Right now, they have the highest value as hostages. Understood?"
Gale and Ben shouted, "We can't just sit around!" and rushed out.
"Master... thank you very much..."
"It's fine, Emilia. You're practically family now, after all!"
And then Butler muttered.
"I feel like I've stepped on a noble's tiger tail. Like it or not, I'm going to be dragged into the desire-ridden noble society I despise so much. But this is also a sign that my life—once poor, ignored, and mocked as a muscle-brained fool—is about to change drastically. Shivans, Leen, Emilia! Lend me your strength! You are my family!"
Emilia was moved to tears at being called family.
"Enough of the difficult talk! Let's eat delicious food and relax in the hot spring!"
Leen's smile made me feel saved.After finishing our meal and relaxing, it seemed the two women were going to enter the hot spring together.
Apart from the hot spring inn, our mansion also has a hot spring.
"Shivans, you come in later. Mama is going in with Emilia, just us girls!"
"Understood."
When I headed to the bath a while later, I could hear what sounded like a cheerful conversation.
"Come on! Spread your legs wider! This part of Emilia is called a pussy. There's a clitoris here! It feels good when the man you love touches it!"
"Milady, if you touch me there... Aahn!"
"And someday, you'll accept Shivans's cock, right? Do you love Shivans?"
She nodded slightly and said sadly, "O-Of course! But I'm a slave's child, so I can't even become a concubine."
"Papa and I will manage that somehow. But we can't make you the legal wife. I'm sorry. This, at least, is unavoidable as long as we are nobles of this country."
When Leen said this, looking close to tears, Emilia clenched her fist and insisted, "I understand! But I believe I'm the only one who can truly support Shivans by his side! So, I understand how tough things are with the nobles from what I heard earlier!"
And then, the sex education continued.
"Now, so that Emilia can make a good plea to Shivans! Repeat after me!"
When Leen mumbled something, Emilia, her face bright red and legs still spread, said in a small voice,
"Put Shivans's cock into Emilia's pussy♡ ...How embarrassing..."
Seeing Emilia say that while spreading herself open, I unintentionally got an erection.And it still continued.
"During sex, you see, if the man's cock doesn't get big, neither of you can feel good. To do that, you do this!"
She made a ring with her fingers, opened her mouth wide, and moved her tongue. I never expected to see my mother demonstrating fellatio in the bath.
"Even something like this?"
"Oh my? You can do it for the person you love. Rather, I like it because it feels like I'm devoting myself to him, and Papa kept asking for it the whole time I was pregnant! Besides, men often cheat during pregnancy. You wouldn't want him to have a child with someone else, right?"
"I would absolutely hate that! I'd do anything rather than let that happen!"
Praising her spirit, Leen then started lecturing even about the anus. I wanted to retort, what are you doing, but I was erect now and couldn't come out.
"Papa, you see, when I'm doing fellatio, he squeezes my breasts and then releases his sperm into my mouth. When I happily say 'Delicious,' Papa asks for more!"
"I feel like starting tomorrow, I won't be able to look the Master in the face properly."
Emilia had a very good point.When the full lecture was over, Leen said, "Shivans is late," so I once returned to the changing room and then headed to the bath while making noise.
"You're late, Shivans! I have something I want you to do today!"
I had nothing but a bad feeling about this.
"What is it, Mother?"
"Shave Emilia and me completely!"
To think she'd make me do even the place I was born from! She's terrifying.
"That place is where Papa uses it, so make it clean!"
When I looked at Emilia, she was still looking down with a bright red face.And when Leen was done, it was Emilia's turn, and she bravely spread her legs.
"Hey, Shivans? Is my pussy pretty? Even though I'm a slave's child?"
I almost got an erection involuntarily, but I said, "Yeah! It's really pretty! You mustn't say things like 'slave's child'!" She looked relieved and nodded.
The thought that Emilia was staring intently at my cock was surely just my imagination. I shampooed and conditioned both of them, and when their bodies were clean, they became glossy and shiny.
"With this, I'm sure we'll have a third child!"
I felt like I caught a glimpse of Leen's ambition.While I was shampooing and conditioning my mother, Emilia was secretly making a ring with her hand, opening her mouth, sticking out her tongue, and practicing in her imagination, which was cute.
That Night
When she slipped into my bed, she gave me a more passionate kiss than usual.
"Haah, you really are a beauty, aren't you?"
"What are you saying? I'll get angry, you know?"
"I've never seen you angry at me. You're always so kind!"
Saying that, she kissed me again.
"Don't you think I'm a troublesome woman? I sulk like this right away. It's like you're the older one."
My actual age is that of a much older old man, but I can't say that.
"It's fine. I love you, Emi-nee!"
She turned her bright red face away from me. Surely, she didn't want me to see her blushing face.
"Hold my hand. I want you to hold me from behind."
Emilia, saying that and reaching out her hand, was cute.