Volume 9 Chapter 2 Katarina’s Ugly Obsession
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The Quvarian Empire was counted among the Four Great Nations of the world. Yet its power was steadily waning, the shadow of its former dominance fading. Once, it had subdued neighboring lands with sheer military might, but now its strength was scattered thin. In the south, war with the Gonan Kingdom dragged on without end. To the east, blood spilled with the Znyki Kingdom.
And in the west—where peace had once held—Lesta Kingdom launched war upon the Seron Duchy. The duchy fell with startling speed. Alarmed, the Bureau of Internal Affairs and the Bureau of Foreign Affairs fortified their defenses, choosing to abandon McGaref as bait. The Military Affairs Bureau, stretched too thin, reluctantly agreed.
The result was disastrous. McGaref, left for dead, seized the moment and fostered independence. Though its economy had seemed exhausted, it astonished all by forging its own trade route with the Gonan Kingdom, cutting a path through the Gobelspire Mountains. When the report reached the capital, officials dismissed it as nothing but fantasy. That delay cost dearly.
With most imperial forces committed south and east, McGaref faced only two battalions. Yet it swiftly gathered strength. A nightmare was taking form.
Even the imperial gambit of sending Princess Sheryl as their envoy failed. The empire had meant to strip Seron’s southeastern rights from McGaref, but Councilor Takumi Nasu outmaneuvered them—seizing not only those rights but also buying the Former Northern Kingdom’s lands outright, turning them into his private domain.
Soon, the Ironclad Order of Knights, built upon the exiled knights of the Former Northern Kingdom, garrisoned there. At their head stood Princess Neige. Citizens rejoiced at her and Commander Dalcur’s return, and the empire’s hand was stayed. Trapped between enemies, the Eastern Army froze, the Gonan front was held at bay, and the imperial capital now sat perilously vulnerable to a western strike.
Still, the capital’s air remained curiously light. Not because no danger loomed—but because secret measures to destroy McGaref were already in play.
* * *
”It seems you’ve been doing well enough,” said Gritch, Minister of Internal Affairs, as he and Roshima, Minister of Military Affairs, listened to their spies’ reports. Their attempt to assassinate Takumi Nasu had failed—an embarrassment for both. To salvage pride, they reluctantly allied.
”Yes,” one aide replied. “The information from our contact inside McGaref proves highly accurate.”
”Hm. As expected of a former guildmaster of McGaref’s great merchant guilds,” Gritch muttered.
”Takumi Nasu ruined him. His hatred runs deep, his motives plain—easy to use,” another added.
That man was Katarina. Once, he had murdered Marina and Ranka’s parents and enslaved the sisters. Now, having barely clung to life, he had fled to the capital—offering cooperation in exchange for revenge on McGaref.
”His price is simple enough,” Gritch continued. “His wife, his daughter… and his wife’s sister. This Natalie…”
”Yes,” Roshima replied. “The same girl—Princess of Lesta—who nearly died by execution, saved only by Takumi Nasu and Ralph Kinvale.”
As Roshima answered, he recalled Katarina’s vile obsession.
I wanted that Natalie girl, Katarina had once confided with a leer. But no matter the coin I offered, Night Butterfly—Ralph—denied me. He refused to let me be her customer.
Couldn’t you have bought a slave instead? You traded in them yourself.
No, no. The pleasure lies in her nobility. To whip her until she thanks me, to snap her fingers and hear her scream, to drive her mad with drugs and shatter her mind with unwanted pleasure, to strike her and strangle her while I ravage her—that is true delight. My wife served well enough, but Natalie—a princess? Ah, exquisite. But of course, Lord Roshima, you could not understand that.
Your depravity is meaningless. Only results matter. She was to be executed anyway. Earn us results, and one discarded princess is yours.
* * *
When the reports ended and their aides left, Gritch and Roshima spoke privately.
”Katarina… once his use is done, he dies.”
”Indeed,” Gritch said softly. “I understand your distaste. He is little more than a coin-counting worm.”
”And worse. I caught him in the palace—his eyes crawling over Princess Sheryl, as if devouring her. Were he not still useful, I’d have struck him down where he stood.”
Feeling the heat of Roshima’s anger, Gritch shrank back. Roshima’s loyalty to Sheryl was sharper than most realized.
* * *
”So then, preparations for McGaref’s invasion?” Gritch asked.
”They progress,” Roshima answered. “Though our forces are few.”
”And your plan—to unleash the ghosts from McGaref’s labyrinth… forgive me, the First Emperor himself. To set them free upon the battlefield—it is bold. But will it work?”
”No one knows. Perhaps they will return to their labyrinth once McGaref falls. Or perhaps they will hunt for another battlefield…”
”I hear the Witch of Revolving Heavens—Livia—vehemently opposes it. Even threatens prison rather than yield.”
”Yes. Her concerns are justified. Should word spread, the whole world might turn against us.”
”Then secrecy is paramount. McGaref must be destroyed quietly. The Bureau of Economics will rage.”
”They will endure. We will silence the countryside under curfew, offer our soldiers’ equipment as distraction, and let Foreign Affairs manage the fallout.”
”So, this matter rests between our Bureau of Internal Affairs and you, Lord Roshima. I entrust it to you.”
With a bow, Gritch departed. Alone, Roshima exhaled heavily and straightened his great bulk. He had another summons. Leaving the chamber, he approached the next room, rapped the agreed number of times, and a knight-guard opened the door.
”This way, please.”
”Such thoroughness,” Roshima muttered, ducking his massive frame to enter.
Inside, a woman remained seated, her voice calm and gentle.
”My apologies for troubling you, Lord Roshima.”
”Not at all,” he replied, bowing. “Forgive my delay, Lady Sheryl.”
Once a princess of the empire, now a slave of Takumi Nasu, Sheryl worked tirelessly in secret. For McGaref, she gathered the empire’s most dangerous secrets.
Notes:
• Quvarian Empire – Ruling kingdom. Harsh world, restricted freedom.
• Lesta Kingdom – A kingdom neighboring the Quvarian Empire; currently at war with the Seron Dukedom and potentially the Empire.
• McGaref – Fortress city, adventurer hub.
• Dalcur – Mercenary leader; defects to the protagonist’s clan; physically imposing, known as ‘The Strong’.
• Marina – Ranka’s older sister. The formal owner of Merchant Guild Katarina.
• Ranka – She’s a guild shop assistant with a friendly demeanor and a practical mindset. Ranka’s recommendations are based on logical, merchant-minded suggestions, catering to the buyer’s needs.
• Natalie – A famous courtesan and former noblewoman; platinum blonde, busty, and elegant; known as Natalie Barklem, daughter of the Duke of Lesta Kingdom.
• Ralph Kinvale – One of McGaref’s councilors; Shiori-chan’s adoptive father; a researcher at heart; seeks to retire and has proposed that the protagonist replace him.
• Ralph – Shiori-chan’s foster father; eccentric; treated the mc to the brothel.
• Night Butterfly – It is a prestigious brothel located on Dream Street, known for its elegant and sexy atmosphere, frequented by those seeking ultimate pleasure.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply