Oukoku e Tsuzuku Michi-Novel

Chapter 181: Kroll’s Problem

Several men and I line up and kneel in front of the King.

「These individuals are people who I believe should be recommended as suitable personnel for the General Governorate.」

This way of speaking doesn’t fit my character to be honest.

「Umu, it’s been one week since then and you’ve done well to gather them. I’m glad you work fast, it doesn’t displease me.」

「I’m grateful for your praise. Step forward, you guys.」

「Sir, yessir. It is such a pleasure to be granted an audience today and I am truly delighted, therefore I will devote my body and soul to the sacred royalty and to the fatherland......」

The King waves his hand to indicate he’s said as much as necessary.

「Enough, all of you will be appointed as members of the Magrado General Governorate and will be granted honorary titles from Knight to Baron. Complete your work loyally from now on.」

Everyone except me replies with delighted voices and falls prostrate with their head to the ground.

These guys were once rulers, nobles and feudal lords of former Treia who were acting as governors after their country was destroyed, but were later dismissed during my past patrols.

When I wrote a letter to Rafen to ask who I should recommend as personnel for the Magrado General Governorate with the following conditions – possessing the minimum ability to rule, won’t disobey their superiors and more importantly won’t be missed if they were disposed of – Adolph’s reply was to send these guys.

It’s true they do have some ability to settle down the territory in some way or another.

They have horrible personalities so I doubt anyone would follow them if they wanted to start a rebellion, besides they don’t have the guts to do something like that in a new area.

And most importantly, if they all disappeared, nobody would even notice.

「They themselves are enthusiastic about it so I guess it’s fine.」

Coming from a situation where they were partially restrained to their current situation where they’re given status and permission to wield power in a new life, there is no way they will refuse. Even I was able to discreetly exile them so granting one or two of their requests won’t hurt anybody.

「Oh, it’s a promotion.」「What a truly moving moment.」「It’ll make me faint. Uunnn......」

These three remind me of the stupid fool, idiot, and trash trio from some time ago, how nostalgic.

They’ll be working under Count Dunois as his flunkies.

After they leave visibly happy, the King smiles with only me in his presence.

「They obviously look like idiots but don’t look like they will revolt. So they’re former feudal lords.」

「Yes Your Majesty, they were intolerable individuals who exploited and wronged their citizens as governors.」

Normally, recommending such individuals would be the greatest example of disloyalty.

「Fufufu, is that so. But it’s fine that they can at least prove useful. They can do whatever they wish in the new lands.」

And then they will be cut loose in the end.

I guess that means I’m finally part of a conspiracy.

To cover up this depressing mood, I head over to the Hard-boiled Pavilion.

I wonder who is in there today.

Night

「Fuuu...... my hips feel light. I wonder if I have anything left for Mel.」

Today, I embraced Polte and another girl from a poor Baron family at the same time.

Ever since I embraced them together in order to resolve some of the friction between the two, the girl started calling Polte ‘Onee-sama’ in adoration, she started taking her classes seriously, and her grades have gradually been going up too.

From that point on, she would always ask to be embraced together with Polte and the two of them also accompany each other to the bathroom quite frequently, but I pay it no mind.

I did drink a little alcohol too, and walked back to the mansion to sober up, but I heard some mumbling voices near the back entrance.

I don’t think they’re thieves, plus Irijina is there so the tables will be turned on them.

「Like I said, the amount I borrowed should be 5 gold! Why did it become 10 gold?」

「It annoys me how brats like you don’t know how the world works. God has created something called interest in this world. Returning the same amount you borrow is too good of a deal for bugs!」

「Even so, it’s outrageous that the amount doubled when not even a month has passed! 」

「I explained it to you properly, don’t blame me when you forget about it.」

「B-but 10 gold is......impossible for me to pay back immediately.」

「Hehehe, you got a bunch of expensive items lying around the Magrave’s house, don’t you? If you sell some of those, I’m sure you’ll get some more change.」

「I can’t do something like that!」

「Then you gotta do your best to come up with the money another way. Well, I’m okay with extending the date until next week, but it’ll be 20 gold then. If you can’t pay it back, I’ll be coming in front of the mansion next time and telling the Magrave about this.」

「Uu......」

The conversation ends and the man leaves Kroll standing still with a blank look in front of the back entrance.

「Hmm, what to do.」

20 gold is not a big deal, worth less than the amount needed to repair the wall Irijina broke with her tackle.

But it’s wrong for me to butt in and pay off a loan Kroll made.

And he was also tempted to do bad things, but Kroll has been working for me for so long, I’ll trust him.

「Well let’s see, can he resolve this without having to rely on me?」

He’s also a man, I’ll leave him alone until he comes and speaks to me himself.

If it was a woman, I would shoulder the debt for her and enjoy every inch of her body though.

I’ll pretend I came back just now and call out to him.

「Kroll, what are you doing?」

「N-no it’s nothing! I’ll reheat the water for the bath!」

「Is that so, I’m counting on you.」

I wonder what will happen.

One Week Later

「So in the end, he didn’t do anything.」

A week passed by and when I returned to the mansion at night after classes were finished, Dorothea and Kroll were kneeling on the ground at the entrance.

The reason his face is all swelled up is due to the furious Celia behind him who punched...... no, she can’t use her hands, so she probably kicked him.

「What happened?」

「Actually......」

Dorothea starts talking apologetically and tells me how the loan shark just came by the mansion for Kroll’s loan repayment and pressured the person responsible for looking after the mansion – Dorothea – into shouldering the debt.

It amounted to 30 gold, not the 20 gold they said one week ago when I listened in on them, which just shows how unbelievably corrupt he is.

The amount is equivalent to a well-off commoner’s annual income and isn’t something Dorothea can prepare so quickly so he went back for now, but he was yelling out how he would take this to the capital’s courthouse.

Bringing a case like this to court may actually work against a merchant as corrupt as this, but the pain of a servant being in debt will also affect the name of the noble they work for, so in most cases the noble would shoulder the debt before it gets to that point.

It really doesn’t matter to me either way though.

「I am really sorry for bringing such trouble to you. I will accept any punishment as well, so if you could please help this one time......」

Dorothea presses Kroll’s head to the ground while keeping her own head down as well.

「Raise your head, Dorothea, this isn’t your mistake.」

I help the worried looking Dorothea stand up and then kick Kroll.

「Agh!」

「Kroll! Oh please have mercy!」

I hand the clinging Dorothea to Mel.

Celia also looks surprised, did she think I wouldn’t get angry?

30 gold is really not a big deal at all, and that much will probably be spent on trips to the brothel anyways.

What I’m not able to stomach is something else.

「Kroll, what is Dorothea to you?」

「M-my mo-......mother.」

「Why are you getting your mother to bow down for something you did? You should be apologizing and explaining by yourself, you idiot!」

I kick him again.

He isn’t at the age where he still needs to hide behind his mother anymore.

Besides, I hate it when people prostrate themselves to me like this.

「Uu......」

The standing Kroll bows his head deeply.

「I wasn’t able to pay back the money, 30 gold worth! I beg you...... please help me!!」

That’s sufficient.

「Mm, explain.」

The poor mother and child, named Mira and Lola respectively, were taken to the mansion.

The mother was sick so I let a doctor see her but apparently the medicine had cured most of her lung illness and she just has to eat nutritious meals and she’ll completely recover.

So the debt Kroll incurred wasn’t in vain.

「Kroll-sama......」

「T-this is nothing.」

Kroll’s face looks horrible from the kicks Celia and I gave him.

But men want to look strong in front of women, so he must have deliberately kept quiet about the debt.

「I’ll be looking after you two until her illness gets better, but...... I have something to talk to you about.」

The sick mother was allowed to sleep in the guest room while I take Kroll and Lola to my bedroom.

Let me test a little something.

「So, I’ll be looking after you two from now on.」

「I’m truly grateful.」

I hug Lola after she lowers her head.

「Lola, I have come to like you. Become my woman.」

「Eh?」

「Eeeeeh—!?」

The tiny Lola lets out a gasp of surprise while Kroll shouts loudly in shock.

I push down the puzzled Lola and strip her.

Kroll is in a state of panic but he knows he can’t just brush me aside because I went as far as shouldering his debt for him.

Lola becomes stark naked, hiding her most precious place while pleading with me timidly.

「Um, you see, I’m...... Kroll-sama’s woman. Letting another gentleman mount me is......」

「I’m telling you to change your mind. I can make you happy...... plus this guy’s pretty big.」

I lower my pants and take out my dick, resting it on top of Lola’s stomach.

The girl is small and skinny, probably due to being malnourished, and although my dick is only about half erect, it’s probably already twice as large as Kroll’s member.

「Hiiih...... so huge......」

「What do you think, it’ll feel awesome when this thing stirs up your insides.」

Lola remains silent for a while and looks over at Kroll.

「Da-......damn it......」

Tears of frustration stream down Kroll’s lowered face.

I’m sure the girl now knows that Kroll can’t go up against me.

「......if Kroll-sama is okay with it, then please go ahead and use me as you like.」

Lola slowly spreads her legs and I press my cock against her entrance.

「Fufufu, I’ll stretch out this hole with my size.」

Tears continue to well up in Kroll’s eyes while Lola shuts her eyes tightly...... until the last moment when my cock was about to enter.

「Don’t! I don’t want this!!」

Lola hits my chest and puts up resistance.

Naturally, it does absolutely nothing to me but when I quietly move away from her body, she jumps into Kroll’s chest.

「Kroll-sama! I’m sorry...... but I...... I-!」

「Lola......」

Kroll then stands in between the girl and me, protecting the girl.

「Aegir-sama, she is my woman! I will work even harder and return the money. So that’s why please let the girl off the hook.」

「I will also do my best to help!」

Fumu, if he just asked for help from the beginning, he would have gotten full marks, but I guess this is about what I can expect.

「How troublesome. You don’t have to return the money, more importantly, now that you declared she belongs to you, you better take responsibility and protect her. If you’re inept, then I’ll send you to the Chrysanthemum-opening Garden as an apprentice.」

「Chrysanthemum- ......? I-I understand.」

Well, that’s that I guess.

I leave the two alone and let them hug each other as I head towards the mother, Mira.

「Your daughter has become Kroll’s woman, are you fine with that?」

「Yes, Kroll-sama saved both mother and child after all. I think it’s quite generous of him.」

Even though I can see tears in Mira’s eyes, she looks happy.

「I didn’t think he would be from Hardlett-sama’s house......」

Inspecting Mira closer, the small woman is similarly malnourished like her daughter but she looks rather young.

「Pardon me, but...... you look quite young, is she not really your daughter?」

「No, my daughter is 15 and I’m 29. I had her when I was 14.」

I heard she was a street prostitute and now I can pretty much confirm it.

「So, won’t you become my woman? You’ll become my lover and I’ll look after you.」

「Oh, what a generous offer...... but if possible, um...... I also want-.」

Mm, she’s not going to accept, huh.

「I want to become Kroll-sama’s woman.」

He was able to make this mother and daughter fall with just 30 gold, that Kroll is getting pretty skilled.

It unconsciously makes me smile.

「That’s fine, if you feel like it, bear his child too.」

「Yes, when I’ve recovered from the illness, I will do so together with my daughter ......ah, and also in regards with the doctor.」

Hm, I wonder what this is about.

「While it’s a little embarrassing to say, the two of us are the lowest class of prostitutes. We’ve been used by many filthy gentlemen up until now...... so we asked the doctor to perform a check-up on Kroll-sama, and about the examination of the illness......」

Oh yeah, Kroll has been itching his crotch a lot recently.

I’ll make sure he doesn’t take baths with the other family members.

I have to secretly call on a doctor to visit or Celia and Mel will fly into a blood frenzy when they find out.

Well, now I have to pay the loan shark a visit, and make sure he doesn’t do something like this again.

The Next Day, Early Morning

I drop by the loan shark’s place.

The reason I’m attracting the attention of those around me is probably because I’m leading 100 soldiers of the escort unit with me.

The guards also showed up to see what was going on, but could only watch us from a distance.

I have permission from Erich to station my troops in the city.

「Wh-what is going on...... Margrave Hardlett!?」

The loan shark rushed out to determine the source of the commotion, and he must have just woken up since his balding hair is messy and disgusting.

「Are you the loan shark who lent Kroll money?」

「Y-yes. But what is all this......」

I throw 30 gold at him.

Despite being corrupt, the fact that Kroll borrowed from him is true.

「Well, at first I heard you went to my servant and lover to try and extort money from then. I thought that I would burn down the house and massacre the family of the person who did that, which is why I brought these guys.」

He glances at the escort unit soldiers behind me.

The family members of the loan shark who peeked their heads out turn pale at the sight.

I was interested in his wife and daughter for a brief moment, but changed my mind when I saw they were the spitting image of the man.

「I found out right before leaving that you were pressing them to pay back the loan. Phew, good thing I made it in time.」

「Y-yeep.」

I pat the loan shark’s shoulder a couple times.

「The next time you lend my family money, don’t add any interest. I’m stupid and can’t do complicated calculations. If the amount to be paid back increases, I’ll think it’s some kind of extortion tactic again.」

「O-of course, Mr. Margrave!」

「It seems I always act out before I give any thought to the dignity of a noble. But here’s to future business with you.」

I end by roughly rubbing his balding head with my forearm, destroying some of the roots of his hair before leaving that place.

I’m sure he won’t mess with me anymore.

With this, Kroll’s problem is solved.

Oh right, I have to write a letter to Melissa since she’s like a mother figure to Kroll and would like to know about anything that happened to him, plus Alma should also be worried..

What should I write?

First I’ll write “Kroll borrowed money from a loan shark to buy prostitutes and caused a huge fuss” ......something like that.

Next is “ultimately, he made the prostitute mother and child his own women”.

I’ll end on a positive note...... no, “he got a sexually transmitted illness but he’ll recover soon, so no need to worry”, that sounds good.

It’s getting pretty warm now.

It must be close to springtime.

–Third Person/Kroll POV–

Side Story

「Uu...... so itchy.」

Kroll shut himself in the mansion’s toilet and sticks a brush into the bottle of medicine, then slathers the liquid medicine onto his penis.

Lola, who felt extremely obliged to the young man because of his actions, helps out with the treatment.

「I’m sorry for being such a dirty girl! I’ll help you!」

Lola repeatedly lowers her head in apology, takes the brush and paints it over Kroll’s dick.

At first, she was only applying the medication, but the brush strokes gradually get more sexual in nature.

「Aau......it feels good there.」

「How about here? Kya, it twitched. Geez Kroll-sama, I’m putting the medicine on so you can’t get hard.」

「Don’t say something impossible, guh-! More around the tip......」

「What are you doing in the toilet!? Hurry up and get the hell out!!」

The door was kicked open.

Standing outside is the indignant Celia, who apparently waited for a long time.

「Taking forever in the toilet like some brat......a brush!? What kind of perverted thing are you doing!? Just get out!」

Celia makes a huge fuss, but Kroll and Lola couldn’t settle with just bowing their heads.

「I’m sorry. Um, Celia-san...... have you gotten fatter lately?」

「Kuh, kaaah—-!!」

Celia’s roundhouse kick explodes in Kroll’s face and knocks him unconscious.

But it seems Celia forgot why she was standing in front of the toilet in the first place.

She opened up her legs too much when she raised one up for the kick.

「Aaaah! Crap!」

「Kroll-sama! How could you kick him...... you’re terrible, Celia-sama...... huh?」

「D-don’t look, don’t loooook!」

In the rays of the afternoon sun, Celia’s torn pants flutter in the wind.

From the next day onward, Celia found Lola difficult to deal with.

Protagonist: Aegir Hardlett. 23 years old. Spring.

Status: Goldonia Kingdom Margrave. Great Feudal Lord of Eastern Area. King of the Mountains. Friend of the Dwarves.

Citizens: 158,000. Major Cities – Rafen: 23,000. Lintbloom: 4000.

Sexual Partners: 166, children who have been born: 37