Chapter 3 – Circumstances of the Erwin Family
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Imperial History, Year 259 – Moon of the Indigo Jewel (March)
At last, my wife Malida has been reinstated as a noble of the Elancia Empire. Right now we’re in Dektris, the imperial capital. Malida has gone to thank the demon king for permitting her return together with Stephan.
Because of that, I had some time to waste and thus I went shopping with Lichere.
“Albert-sama, what do you think about this?”
Lichere was holding underwear you could only describe as strings at this point. Malida was usually wearing quite revealing and hot clothes, but for some reason she always acted very shy and bashful whenever she wore that sort of clothing during our nightly activities.
However, wanting a woman to wear outfits that make her blush is man’s nature. That’s why I’m going to buy this here as a present for her.
“Hmm, I think it will fit Malida-sama very nicely. Of course, it will suit you wonderfully as well, Lichere.”
“Then we are going to buy this. Moreover, you look like you would like Malida-sama to wear that one as well.”
Nothing less of Malida. She’s got a full grasp of my preferences.
I didn’t know that this world had stuff like white bunny suits, but now that I’ve found it, I cannot help but want Malida to wear it.
“How about we have Malida-sama wear this white bunny outfit and splash it with water to make it more transparent?”
Lichere’s suggestion played back in my inner cinema. A wet, see-through, white bunny suit! I didn’t think of that! I’m damn sure Malida will look awesome in it!
“It’s a good idea. Let’s get that one as well since we’re going to get her to wear it someday anyway. I think these outfits will enrich our nightlife even further.”
“Okay, I will go and pay for them. Furthermore, Malida-sama also likes these types of attires, so would it be alright to have them send new outfits over?”
“Yeah, the items on sale in this shop seem pretty decent. Please have them send us their new products regularly.”
It’s highly likely that I’d go on a shopping spree for those lewd underwear pieces.
“Thank you very much. I shall head over and pay the bill as well as discuss the further arrangement with the shop.”
“Please do.”
Lichere went to the counter while happily carrying her lewd string underwear, and after wrapping up all the talks and paying, she came back to me.
“They say they will periodically send their new products to you, Albert-sama.”
Lichere smiled sweetly, but is it really okay to send lewd female underwear to me? Oh well, whatever. They aren’t that expensive, so let’s later choose some of the underwear they’re going to send to me to have my wives wear them.
When I stepped out of the store cheerfully, Lichere scanned the vicinity and whispered into my ear, 『Albert-sama, I think the clerk just now is someone’s spy. He disguised himself as a shop clerk quite proficiently, but he actively asked about all sorts of information in regards to us. However, I don’t know who his employer might be』
That’s what you’d expect of Lichere’s perception. Because we’re in the capital, it’s not weird for spies with various employers to lurk around everywhere, I suppose.
『I see… That means every place is the same when it comes to people frantically gathering information. In that case, I’d like us to quickly build back our organization to gather information, too』
『That is very reasonable. I think it will be quite challenging for you to make various decisions when kneading plans while suffering a lack of information, Albert-sama』
『Yeah, detailed information over a wide range is crucial for my plans. Alright, let us immediately search for a suitable company, once we reach the other side. Buying a company that’s been running a local business makes it more difficult for others to identify it as a hidden intelligence agency. A new company would immediately draw suspicions. Besides, the company employees we hired in Alexa are probably heading to Malida’s fief together with the oni of the mercenary band, so we also have to prepare work for them』
『That would be for the best』
I started to walk together with Lichere as if nothing had happened, going back to the inn we had booked for our stay in Dektris.
When I had been pondering about our future plans for a while, Malida came back to the inn, her face drained. Seeing that, I could immediately tell that some sort of problem had cropped up.
With Malida’s reinstatement as imperial noble after some serious effort, it should have offered a good opportunity to give me, her husband, a higher position. The future was supposed to be a rose-colored life where I’d support my wife, make a career, and eventually die peacefully while being surrounded by beauties, who had become my wife’s lovers, and my children.
But, life wasn’t as kind as allowing me to experience such a sweet dream.
Going by the story Malida told me with a drained expression, a very annoying problem has cropped up. The current Erwin family has been inherited by Malida’s uncle, Brest von Erwin. As Malida, the matriarch of the family, had been banished from the empire, her uncle took the Erwin family’s fief over.
Naturally, this meant that the permission for Malida to return as matriarch led to her uncle’s position becoming undecided. Moreover, Brest is the sole family member whom Malida cannot match, despite usually being fearless. On top of that, Malida and her muscleheaded, superb warriors believed that managing a territory was work for sissies and opted to traverse the battlefields instead.
You can tell from looking at the Erwin Mercenary Band, but oni are a race of simpletons who regard it as their calling in life to do battle. As such, it’d be weird to expect them to have the ability to manage a territory which includes a lot of paperwork.
Before you make a muscleheaded carnivore like Malida do paperwork, having a cat do it would be a dozen times more effective.
Anyway, when Malida thanked the demon king for her reinstatement, their discussion apparently shifted to the question who would persuade Brest. Because all three, Malida, Stephan, and the demon king know Brest’s personality, Malida, Stephan and the demon king apparently tried to push the task onto each other.
According to what I heard later from Stephan, Malida had said, 『This sort of complicated and troublesome issue is a job which seems like Albert would like it. It’d become a huge hassle, if I had a dispute with my uncle, so I guess I’ll get Albert to mediate』. Demonstrating an irresponsible attitude which you could also describe as her keen perception as wild beat, she recalled my existence. Stephan agreed with Malida’s suggestion, and the demon king finalized it by making a decree out of it.
“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh.”
I couldn’t help but deeply sigh upon hearing about the complicated inheritance issue between uncle and niece from Malida, who was sobbing while sitting in seiza in front of me.
“Albert, please don’t sigh sooo deeply. You have interest in running a territory, don’t you? At least, I think you do? I’ve heard how you previously mentioned in bed that you’d obtain a territory with me as your wife and spend a joyful life while being waited upon by pretty girls. So, can’t you persuade my uncle for me?”
Malida had stopped crying, but now her eyes were bloodshot as she requested me to handle her uncle for her.
Just as she said, I do have interest in running a territory. However, I don’t really want to step on any land mines that could very likely cost me my life. If I consider the information I’ve heard so far, it’s pretty obvious that I’ll immediately get beheaded if I fail in my handling of Brest, who would lose his position if my persuasion succeeded.
“I do have interest in managing a territory, but it sounds like your fief is being governed well by Brest-dono. Wouldn’t it cause the least problems if he kept his position as territory-holding chief retainer?”
Feeling a danger to my life in light of the prospect of being tossed into succession trouble between a meatheaded uncle and his meatheaded niece, I frantically came up with excuses to stay clear of this.
“It’s not as easy as that. My reinstatement as matriarch requires my uncle’s consent.”
Apparently, things weren’t as easy as I’d hoped they’d be. Despite being a Baron family, the Erwin family possessed a castle near the border with Alexa. That castle was called 『Castle Ashley』. The territory around it seemed to be prospering as trade hub as they had been maintaining the roads to western Free City Alliance Weser, which spread out in the Weser River’s basin, and the 『Great Carriage Road』, a main trade route connecting Elancia’s imperial capital in the north with Alexa’s royal capital in the south.
Brest is currently residing in 『Castle Ashley』 as present family head while surrounded by his own retainers. Although the demon king had permitted Malida’s reinstatement and inaugurated her as nobility once more, the one feeling the most apprehensions about Malida’s capability as lord due to the huge trouble she had caused for her family was Brest.
Brest could brag about military achievements that didn’t fall short to those of Malida as he had participated in battle more than 200 times while loyally serving the empire with Malida’s father. The surrounding nobles called him 『Erwin’s Mad Dog』. He was a muscleheaded warrior feared as 『Crimson Spear Oni』 because his big spear would always be stained crimson with the blood of his enemies during wars against enemy nations.
Even a guy like him seemed to have judged Malida’s wildness as danger. He probably felt that he’d lose a place to call home, if she were to become the family head again and commit a mistake worse than the one before.
Elancia was a nation built on the desire to gather all the demihumans, which were few across the entire continent, to allow them to escape persecution by the humans which were the clear majority. It was also the sole nation where demihuman could become nobles.
Any demihuman, who was driven out from Elancia, would be only able to choose between becoming a stateless vagrant or a low-class citizen in a human country.
I guess Brest is worried that his family might plummet into such a situation if he allows Malida to become the matriarch again. I feel like he possesses somewhat more intelligence than Malida, in proportion to the years he’s accumulated. As a matter of fact, I’d also assume that the territory will fall into ruin within three days if he entrusts the family headship to a carnivore baroness.
Malida is my cherished wife and very reliable when it comes to our nightly activities, but other than those two aspects, she’s a completely unreliable wild horse.
Grabbing the reins of such a restive horse, domesticating her by skillfully breaking her in, and developing her fief is my work as her husband. I know as much myself, but…
“Albert, can’t you somehow repair my relationship with my uncle? I’m really bad with that man. Please, I beg you. If you like, I’ll also wear the perverted underwear Lichere bought at night, so can you do this for me? Can you persuade him for me one way or another…?”
Pulling on my arm, she pressed it against her voluptuous chest.
After she kept begging to me like that over and over, I eventually succumbed to my wife’s pleading. If I had refused here, it’d have displeased Malida and I’d have lost the chance to see her wearing the lewd underwear together with Lichere, which would have drastically reduced my motivation.
It’s going to be a big job with my life on the line, but it’s not like I don’t have any chance of succeeding either. In short, I just need to get Brest to understand that I’ll protect the Erwin family as I have a firm hold on Malida’s reins.
“Haaah, no choice then, I suppose. I will head over to Castle Ashley first as a persuasion envoy. So, please entrust me with a letter of your own writing that describes the details about me and the written appointment of your peerage that you received from His Majesty, Malida-sama.”
“O-Oh! So you’re going to do it!? I’ll write the letter right away! Wait a moment.”
Malida let go of my arm and started to run towards the desk.
“Also, since I’m going to head to Castle Ashley as envoy, I will excuse myself from our nightly activities for tonight. Lichere should be able to fill my role instead.”
“Very well, I shall keep an eye on Malida-sama so that she will not cheat on you. Let us wear this in celebration, once the persuasion of Brest-dono has succeeded.”
Lichere took out the see-through bunnysuits we had bought at the outfit store.
“Ugh, that’s one hell of a perverted outfit! It’s way tooo embarrassing! I like dressing beauties in lewd outfits, but wearing this myself is impossible!”
“In that case, you have no choice but to get accustomed to it until Albert-sama finishes his persuasion. Let us start the training tonight!”
Next to me, Lichere displayed a certain piece of clothing we had purchased, fanning my motivation. Lichere might actually be smarter than I am.
“Now that I know that Malida-sama is going to wear this for me, I must persuade Brest-dono as soon as possible!”
“Get back to me quickly after persuading my uncle in a flash. Otherwise I might die out of agony over getting embarrassed when being forced to wear this lewd outfit!”
“It’s alright. I’m sure you will be fine. Besides, I also got Albert-sama to teach me a few secret moves. Look forward to tonight. Kukuku,” Lichere grinned at Malida with a shady smile.
“WUT!? Just when did you pass on something like that to Lichere…? Very well, feel free to try the weak points which Albert taught you, on me.”
“Kukuku, please wait for it in anticipation.”
I’ve already updated Lichere with several countermeasures against Malida who has a ridiculous sexual libido. Lichere is a young woman, but she has a high level of comprehension and her sexual drive is pretty strong too, so I intend to have her rein in Malida as a Malida trainer when I’m absent. 1
Seeing Lichere’s face brimming with confidence, Malida appeared to hold some hope, so it looks like it’d be okay for me to be away from here for a while.
“Okay, I shall go ahead to Castle Ashley then.”
“Mmh, I’m counting on you, Albert.”
I left the inn, entered a carriage, and headed towards Castle Ashley to persuade her uncle.
■
After one week of traveling south along the 『Great Carriage Road』, my destination came into sight. A compact-looking castle stood atop a gentle hill near the road.
『Castle Ashley』 was a plains castle that had been built on a hill. The mansion inhabited by the lord and soldiers had a length of around 500 meters on one side. The castle was surrounded by a stone wall with a height of three meters and a moat that drew its water from a river to prevent an easy invasion. That river would later join with the Weser which originated in the mountains.
Looking at the terrain, the lord’s castle had been constructed so as to adjoin the town that had developed into a resting and relay place along the road. That town was currently overflowing with peddlers who would come and go in all cardinal directions. There was a lot of pedestrian traffic, too. Moreover, one could easily guess that the land was quite fertile since many fields and farm villages had been built around the castle.
However, seeing how a territory with so many beneficial traits was owned by a mere Baron family, it felt like something was off here.
Maybe giving this land to the oni, who are known for being meatheads, was a display of the former demon king’s kindness who felt uneasy about their ability to rule a fiefdom. Basically, it followed the idea of them being able to fully devote themselves to battle without having to care about domestic affairs since a bountiful land such as this would rake in tax revenue all by itself.
As I observed the castle town of Castle Ashley while being shaken around in my carriage, I eventually arrived in front of the castle’s drawbridge. I had already dispatched a messenger, requesting a meeting with Brest, so my carriage was allowed to pass the castle gate without any inspections.
A drawbridge, reinforced with iron, had been installed to cross the moat when desired by the owner of the castle, only to end in a huge, metallic castle gate. Several solid turrets could be seen atop the wall. A wall made out of tightly stacked stones, giving it a sturdy feel. Especially with its thickness of around three meters.
Many deep wells had been dug inside the castle grounds and the different inner parts were partitioned by walls which would allow the defenders to hide and fight even after an enemy broke through the gate.
Although it counted as plains castle, Castle Ashley gave me the impression of being a bulwark that had been designed to be defended to the bitter end.
If battle experts like oni were to hole up in such a place, they might be able to hold out for several months, even if surrounded by an army in the tens of thousands. Considering it like that, the cleverness of the past demon king, who granted this land to the oni, clearly shone through.
While scrutinizing 『Castle Ashley』, which became Malida’s with her reinstatement as matriarch, I followed Brest’s retainer, heading to the reception hall.
The reception hall was used as a location for the lord to hold audiences. If you headed deeper inside from there, you’d reach the lord’s office and private rooms.
When I was let into the hall, a male oni with a large body sat on a big armchair which was situated on a slight elevation you had to actually climb a stairway for.
Wanting to obtain as much information about the other party as possible, I used my power.
Name: Brest von Erwin
Age: 41
Sex: Male
Race: Oni
Valor: 98
Leadership: 66
Intelligence: 4
Domestic Affairs: 3
Charm: 54
Status: Baron of Elancia Empire
So it looks like it was no lie that he possesses around as much military prowess as Malida.
“You’re the idiot calling himself the husband of that dumb niece of mine, huh?”
His gaze contained enough bloodlust to make my skin tingle as it pierced me. I cannot help but feel like I’ve run into a bear in an open field. It’s almost as if he’s going to leap at me, rip out my throat and steal my life the instant I avert my eyes.
“Y-Yes. It is just as stated in Malida-sama’s letter I had my messenger deliver to you.”
“You’re awfully calm after tricking my niece, who had been banished from her family, using some cunning schemes, making it possible for her to get back to Elancia, and coming here to steal my position as the master of this land. Do you believe that you cannot lose your own head or something?”
Brest accepted a big spear, apparently his favorite weapon, from the retainer at his side, and appeared right in front of me the next moment.
I didn’t see him move at all… As I thought, he’s quite the monster.
The cold sensation of the spear’s steel was passed on to me as the tip’s blade was pressed against my neck.
“No, you’re wrong. I have come here for the sake of making the Erwin family prosper even further. I shall show you, Brest-dono, that I can restrain Malida-sama’s uninhibitedness that is worrying you so much. And I plan to wage my life on pushing the Erwin family all the way to becoming high-ranking nobility.”
“Don’t prattle, brat! Do you honestly think that you can survive these turbulent times with the bit of impertinent shrewdness you possess!? You’re a dreaming fool!!”
Brest put slightly more strength into the spear’s blade. Its sharp edge lightly cut through my neck’s skin. A few drops of blood trickled out of the cut wound.
I could clearly feel the fear of death clawing at me, but if I pulled back here, it’d likely spell the immediate end of my life.
Now’s the time to go all in.
“If you entrust me with guiding the Erwin family, I shall offer you, Brest-sama, and Malida-sama the two top general spots in the empire. As for the troublesome management of the fief, I shall take care of everything, such as the domestic administration, diplomacy, and intelligence. I will also provide you two with plenty of occasions where you can fight to your heart’s content.”
I didn’t intend to do any pesky haggling over positions with a combat maniac like Brest. Instead I offered him what I suspected him to desire the most.
Oni want to fight, first and foremost.
With battle being their purpose in life, oni thrive on battlefields alone.
For a while, silence reigned the place, but before long, Brest withdrew his spear, tossed it to his subordinate, and started to roar in laughter.
“DAHAHAHAHA! Nothing less of the man who tamed that wild horse. You say some interesting things! My stupid niece is a masterpiece as a woman, right!? Her sexual drive is a bit too strong, though. Still, she’s got a good disposition. If her owner holds her reins firmly, I won’t mind passing the seat of family head to her either. To be honest, I’m not made out to be a lord anyway. I’ve left all of it to my older brother until Malida succeeded it. My true wish is to fully focus on fighting without having to bother with all the annoying, domestic stuff. You think you can train Malida if you steer the family’s fate?”
Apparently Brest didn’t really like the seat of the family head he had inherited from Malida. As such, he seemed quite happy about leaving the internal affairs of the Erwin family in my hands.
Huh? Wait, aren’t you the leader of the anti-Malida movement?
“Brest-sama, I heard you hate Malida-sama. Was that wrong information?”
“Not a single one of our family’s retainers hates that unmanageable girl. She’s made for battlefields, so much so that you could even call her a war goddess. However, because everyone pampers her too much, I simply had to be a bit stricter with her. But, that ends now, I guess. I’ll leave handling that wild horse to you. In the letter she sent me, Malida wrote that she’ll always obey what you tell her, and I also heard about you from Stephan. Of course, His Majesty told me about you, too. Please lead our family while domesticating my selfish niece properly. Of course, I also intend to help you. Now then, I’ve sent a messenger to Malida, so let’s have a drink in my private rooms.”
Brest put his arm around my shoulder and invited me into the private chambers of the lord. My eyes had turned into dots because of the sudden developments.
Umm, so basically, it means Brest is approving of Malida’s reinstatement as family head, right?
Once we entered his private room, a male oni with an age similar to mine and a woman with a voluptuous body, who seemed to be the young man’s mother, greeted us.
“This person is the man who has become Malida’s husband, right? He’s a bit lanky, but for a man to make that woman-loving Malida fall for him… You really cannot judge a book by its cover.”
“Dahahaha! Fray, don’t think of tasting him, okay? It’d likely cause Malida to fly in rage.”
“Oh my, how scary. I surely never thought Malida would become so obsessed with a man.”
Brest cast a fleeting glance at the pretty face of the mature oni lady called Fray. Basically, most oni women have voluptuous bodies with very womanly contours, making them overflow with physical attractiveness.
“For Malida-neesan to be satisfied with such a scrawny guy…this world sure is filled with mysteries,” the young oni looked my way with a face that seemed to be full of admiration.
However, his eyes seemed odd, as if he was watching a rare animal.
“Umm, those two are?”
I asked Brest to introduce the two people who were sending rude stares my way.
“Sorry, sorry, they’re my wife Fray and my son Lator. For Malida, they’re her aunt and cousin. From now on, they’re going to be your relatives, so please take care of them. Anyway, you’re the first husband of a different race in three generations in the direct line of the Erwin family. Work hard to make plenty of kids, okay? Malida’s body is tough, so she can easily give birth to at least ten kids.”
“Oh my, how enviable. We’ve already made three children,” Fray said playfully while grasping the arm of her husband.
Their son was relatively big, but their relationship was still quite passionate.
“I shall take the liberty to do my best at gradually bringing up children. But rather than that, sorry for the late introduction. My name is Albert and I will be in your care from now on as Malida-sama’s husband. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintances, Fray-sama, Lator-dono.”
For the time being, I used the formal greeting as it was common between nobles.
“We’re nobility, but our rank is the lowest. Besides, oni are being hated by the other nobles because they regard us as crude. The only noble families we’re associating with are Stephan’s place, as he married Malida’s older sister Laia, and His Majesty’s family, so you can take it easy around us.”
“It’s as Mum says. We don’t put much emphasis on etiquette. Feel free to call me Lator. We’re around the same age anyway, right? Oh, Mum, we have to take out the liquor. Dad, we’re going to drink today, correct?”
It sounds like alcohol cannot be missed when oni celebrate. Malida is also a strong drinker, and the guys in her mercenary band all like to drink too. It appears as if oni value communication while drinking pretty highly.
“W-Wait a second, I’m not that good with alcohol. I cannot handle strong liquor.”
“Wahaha! It’ll be okay. We’ll also prepare some liquor that’s easy to drink. If you became useless after we got you totally wasted, we’d be beaten half-dead by Malida. Don’t worry. Also, my wife’s cooking is very good.”
“Aww, my husband praised my cooking. I guess I must thank him properly tonight. Hihihi.”
Becoming so passionate in front of their own son and a guest…
Lator pulled a fed-up expression when he saw his parents flirt like that, but it seemed to be a common occurrence.
“Alright, I’m going to drink as well!”
“Albert, chug it down in one go! One go!”
I indulged in Brest’s kind hospitality by drinking up the wine offered to me and enjoying Fray’s superb home-made snacks.
Well, there are many oni with various, strong peculiarities, but they’re simple and straightforward. Also, as long as you understand their guiding principles, they’re easy to get along with. It was quickly decided that I’d spent a week at Castle Ashley.
While I was doing so, Malida arrived from the capital. It took her two weeks to handle the various formalities before her return as matriarch of the Erwin family was officially set. Brest was granted a new imperial Knight peerage by the demon king.
And then, after being asked to organize everything as head retainer of the Erwin family, I was appointed as the one in charge of military strategy and governmental affairs. In light of that, Malida granted me various rights, resulting in me launching a new system.
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