Volume 4 Chapter 30 The Wager
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Still got that sour look, I see.”
The voice was cheeky, with that odd accent people from Schweilitz had.
She wasn’t big, but her body drew the eye: big chest, thin waist, strong hips, toned arms and legs. Her skin was a striking dark brown.
Even though she was a [Slavery], she spoke rudely, with no [Followership] at all toward her master.
”Kenze?”
At my words, she grinned wide and tilted her head.
This [Slavery] used to be an intelligence officer for the [Turku], a warrior from the [Amazoness] tribe. She’d been caught by bad luck.
She’d once tried to kill me, but now we needed each other. Since she was good at fighting, she acted as my bodyguard.
I’d wanted to bring her on this trip, but they said no—not because they cared about her feelings, but because they were afraid she’d betray me if we fought the [Amazoness].
If she’d been with me, I wouldn’t have been caught in [Palermo].
So why was Kenze standing outside my room?
She was supposed to be waiting at the [Old Master’s village].
”How did you get here?”
”On the ‘Tsukushi.’ By boat, of course.”
”That’s not what I meant. Weren’t you supposed to wait at the [Old Master’s village]?”
”Oh, that.”
According to Kenze, the interpreter they’d prepared—Robert (a Major in the military [Intelligence Bureau] and Captain of the “Tsukushi”)—had gotten into an accident. So Kenze was called in as a replacement.
Her hometown, the oasis city of [Tashkurgan] in the middle of the [Central Continent], used to be part of the [Turkic Empire], so she was perfect for the job. Even if she had no [Followership].
”Even the Captain of the ‘Tsukushi’—Robert—can only say hello in [Turku language], it seems.”
Robert worked in the same [Intelligence Bureau] as his father (Helbert [Lieutenant Colonel]), and he could speak [Pannonia] and [Rus] languages, but he wasn’t good at [Turku language].
[Turku] was a big country. I thought they should’ve had someone better.
By the way, on this ship, the “Izumo,” the [Engine Department] chief, Fredys, was fluent. The Captain and Pole could speak a little, too.
”Still, I never thought I’d see Kenze in a sailor suit.”
”What about it?”
”It’s… kind of sexy.”
Like with Katarina, when a woman with a big chest wears a sailor suit, the collar gapes open and you can see her cleavage.
Kenze was short, so you could look right down into it, and even though she was stacked, her body was tight like a young girl’s, so the fabric floated even more.
”You always got that stupid look on your face.”
Hmph. But she came to my door, so she was ready to go.
”Well, it’s awkward standing here. Let’s go inside.”
I put a hand on Kenze’s shoulder.
”Are you sure? We’ve got a guest inside already.”
Huh? A guest?
Katarina was hurt, and Helbert had just finished his treatment, too.
They weren’t in any shape for that.
”Pamela?”
”I was with Pamela until a little bit ago. She said she was tired and went to sleep.”
Then who?
I opened the door, wondering.
Inside, standing in her uniform, was the [Dwarf] girl from the [Engine Department], Kai.
”You really do like the small type, don’t you?”
”Whoa, hold on, Ms. Kenze, what are you on about? I ain’t lookin’ to do nothin’ with her.”
But that reminded me of something.
Janet and Claudia, from the same [Engine Department] as Kai, had said something.
Recollection: “Come to think of it, Kai wanted to see you. Said she was coming to collect on a debt.”
Janet’s words came back to me.
Right. When I was rescued from the [Palermo] fortress, she’d said, “This is a debt,” and I’d agreed.
Also.
Recollection: “That girl’s still a virgin, you know.”
Recollection: “Only the [Associate Professor] could pull that off with her build. Another legend in the making.”
Had Kai come here to be held by me?
On the night the battle ended?
Maybe her adrenaline was up, and she was in the mood.
She had the ability to handle [Mana], but she couldn’t control it. In other words, she was a failed [Mage].
Because of that, they valued her [Dwarf] strength and muscles in the [Engine Department] and hired her as a laborer—hauling coal, cleaning the [Boiler] furnace, that sort of thing.
But she was way more than just a laborer. She knew a lot, and she’d had the guts to join my rescue mission.
”Who’s this?”
I introduced Kai to Kenze and Kenze to Kai.
”So, what did you come for?”
I asked Kai again what she wanted.
She blushed and fidgeted.
Was it really what Janet and the others had hinted at?
No, no—Kenze was here tonight.
”You want him to hold you?”
Kenze asked straight out.
”No, that’s not it.”
Then what?
”Could you… practice [Kumite] with me?”1
[Kumite] meant the two of them holding hands and sending [Mana] back and forth.
That wasn’t something you should say while blushing, fidgeting, and looking up from a bowed head.
”I don’t mind.”
Why was she so embarrassed?
Kenze looked confused too.
The [Amazoness] couldn’t use [Mana], but since we’d been together a long time, she knew about [Kumite]. Looking bored, she sat on the bed and said it was nothing to do with her.
”Shall we start, then?”
I faced Kai and took her hands.
They were rougher than an ordinary girl’s—probably from all the manual labor—but they were clean, and the backs of her hands were pale white.
The [Dwarf] style of [Kumite] was gripping hands. The [Elf Mage] style was just overlapping palms.
”All right. I’ll lead and send it slowly.”
I told the baby-faced Kai that, receiving her [Mana] with my left hand and starting [Mana Control] with my right.
Slowly at first, bit by bit from my right hand.
The moment I thought that.
My left hand felt slippery.
I looked. A white, smoke-like thing was swirling out from between our joined hands.
I’d seen this before—when healing wounds. It was [Trimer] or [Tetramer].
But it shouldn’t have been needed for [Kumite].
”Can you send only [Dimer’s Mana]?”
”I’ll try,” she said. The moment she did, a shock ran through my body.
[Mana] rushed through my whole body at once, and for some reason, my knees gave out and I dropped to one leg.
On top of that, I almost lost it. I almost came.
Up until now, when I did [Kumite] with women, the other person would get worked up sometimes, but I didn’t know it could happen to me like this.
It was the first time I’d been on the receiving end.
”Wait a second.”
What do I do? At this rate, I’m done for.
”Kenze, come here a second.”
I called her over, and the three of us formed a circle.
”[Amazoness] can’t use [Mana].”
That’s fine.
I just needed Kenze to act like a resistor in an electrical circuit.
”Kai, just hold hands. Don’t do anything.”
After saying that, I did [Mana Control] into Kai’s body from my right hand.
I increased the flow until the [Mana] I put into Kai came back through Kenze, and I started probing Kai’s body.
There were [Mana] pools everywhere, and each one was huge.
Normal [Mages] did [Kumite] every day, so they dissolved big pools before they could form.
On top of that, I could also sense pools of something like [Complex-type Mana]—[Trimer] or [Tetramer].
What should I do?
I once had a maid at my house in the [Royal Capital] who had [Mana] leaking out unnaturally. It reacted to tableware, and she couldn’t even hold a spoon.
She was older, so even with training, she couldn’t really control her [Mana].
If I got rid of Kai’s [Mana] pools, would she overflow and not be able to control it, messing up her daily life?
’It’s fine. Please do it.’
Had she read my mind? Kai used [telepathy] to tell me to crush the [Mana] pools.
’Are you sure? It might cause problems.’
’It’s fine. I’m a [Dwarf], and I’m still young.’
Since [Dwarves] lived the longest—after [Elf Mages]—Kai might have been considered very young.
If she was willing to go that far…
[Mana] pools were made by dams that stopped the flow.
To break those dams, I would send a huge amount of [Mana] all at once.
First, as a start, I’d break the dam of the [Mana] pool in her left elbow.
The [Mana] flow branched out like blood vessels. I focused my mind and searched for the flow passing through the target [Mana] pool.
Found it.
With a firm mind, I carefully poured a massive amount of my [Mana] into that spot.
It was working. Break!
After sending in a lot of [Mana], I finally broke the dam of the [Mana] pool in her left elbow, like I’d planned.
But then something unexpected happened.
The [Mana] that flowed out from the break caused a chain reaction, shattering other [Mana] pools.
The first pool must have been too big.
”Damn it!”
An unbelievable amount of [Mana] was running wild through Kai’s body.
Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
Kenze, who couldn’t handle [Mana], also slumped to the floor, letting out a noise I couldn’t understand.
A huge amount of [Mana] flowed into me too.
Without thinking, I let go of the hands I was holding with Kenze and Kai.
I’m sure I’ll get blamed for running away later.
Since they were both on the floor, it was fine to leave them there after I let go, but leaving them both behind wasn’t great.
For now, I let go of Kenze and Kai’s hands and checked on Kai.
Her eyes were rolled back, but she was breathing.
The moment I put my fingers on her neck to feel her pulse, a staggering amount of [Mana] flowed in.
An amount of [Mana] I’d never felt before surged through my body.
My body got hot, and I felt a drunk, happy high.
In front of me was a young woman’s body.
Deep in my mind, something snapped, and I hungrily attacked the defenseless, unconscious body.
When I came to, in front of my eyes was a naked [Dwarf] girl.
Blood-tinged fluid—must have been mine—was flowing from between her legs.
”Uh?”
”Did I… actually do it?”
Naturally, my own crotch was out, and it wasn’t dry yet. Blood was mixed into the stuff that had dripped down.
I looked at Kai again. She’d woken up and was looking at me with teary eyes.
What do you say at a time like this?
She moved slowly, took a handkerchief from her [sailor suit] lying on the floor, wiped herself, and started putting on her underwear.
”Uh, um.”
My voice finally came out, but it was a stupid thing to say.
”It’s fine.”
Kai said, still putting on her clothes.
What do I do?
While I was thinking, she finished dressing and left the room without a word.
”How pathetic.”
Kenze had woken up by the time I was back to myself. That was the first thing she said. The old “I was drunk and couldn’t help myself” excuse wouldn’t work in any world, would it? Especially when I couldn’t believe I’d done something like that myself.
”Hey.”
It was Kenze again.
”What?”
”What? That’s all you’ve got? You left this body alone for a month, and then when you finally decide to do something, you don’t even finish the job?”
Look, I wasn’t really in the mood for that right now.
”What was that?”
Kenze pushed me down onto the bed with surprising strength.
”Are you telling me you didn’t even realize that woman set you up?”
”What are you talking about?”
”That girl. She was just waiting for you to do it.”
”No way.”
Kenze pressed her lips to mine. With that slightly familiar smell, her tongue slipped inside. In that position, the greedy Amazoness started stripping herself.
Because of the chain reaction from the mana pool I’d shattered, nearly half of the nearby pools had collapsed, soaking her body in raw mana. She must have guessed I’d be flooded with that extra mana, get drunk on it, and lose control to take her.
I found that hard to believe. But it left me with one question: if I was that horny, and this Kenze was right there, why the hell did I go after the small-type Kai?
Kenze straddled my lower belly, shed her top, and went completely bare. Then she pressed her chest against me and tucked my head into her cleavage.
”I don’t care who else you sleep with. But don’t you dare forget to sleep with me.”
She really knew how to say things.
”I know, I know.”
I moved my hand from her shaking waist down to the crack of her ass and pressed against the entrance.
”You… You can take it there now?”
She loosened her arms a little, but she kept me held tight.
”No. Katarina told me to do it.”
”Katarina? That s*x toy for Professor Pauman? You think that’s okay? You’re that close with her?”
Wait, was she jealous?
”You said a second ago you didn’t care who I slept with, right?”
”That big-chested woman is an exception.”
Is that so? I took one of her n**ples in my mouth, and a thick, sweet fluid instantly filled my mouth.
”Then what about Pamela? Is she okay?”
I switched positions, moving behind Kenze and squeezing her twin globes as I asked.
”She’s fine.”
While enjoying her soft, full chest, I asked, “What about Teressa? Marie?”
”Well, they came first, so.”
But when I brought up Pia—a mage with a chest as big as the late Henrietta-san’s—she went quiet. It seemed if they were bigger than her, she had nothing to say. I asked about Louise, and after thinking for a long time, she finally muttered:
”Allowed.”
She was so flighty.
I nibbled gently on the ear peeking out from her black hair.
”That’s enough. Just put it in already.”
”Isn’t that a bit fast?”
Apparently, the sparring match from earlier had left her aching in ways she couldn’t ignore. So, I had her get on all fours, and I took her from behind.
The next morning, I walked into the Dining Hall with Kenze in tow. I could feel the gazes locking onto us. I suppose a dark-skinned beauty like Kenze was a rare sight around here. As I stood in line with my tray, Pole from the deck crew approached me.
”Section Chief Larry, I heard the news. Truly a master.”
He was wearing a big smile. I asked him what he was talking about, and he said, “You finally slept with Kai, didn’t you?”
”How did you hear about that?”
”Everyone’s talking about it. Everyone was so down after losing our crewmate last night, but thanks to you, their spirits are back up.”
Was sleeping with Kai really something worth celebrating? I didn’t quite get the logic, but if it helped them get their energy back, I decided to just go with it.
When I reached the medical bay, Pamela congratulated me on “completing the mission,” and when I went to the bridge, the Captain greeted me with a deeply strained look on his face. I was sure he was going to tell me to show some self-control again.
But there was a hidden side to this reaction.
According to the deck crew leader, Fredys, there had been a ship-wide betting pool on whether or not Kai would lose her virginity on this voyage. The four people who bet on her “losing it” were Kai herself, Pole, Claudia, and Janet. Apparently, they’d made a killing.
It seemed Kenze had been right—I’d been played. What a bunch of pieces of work they were.
Just before noon that day, our two black ships entered a brackish lake that looked bigger than Lake Biwa, and by evening, we were anchored off the coast of Suez.
—
Summary:
The protagonist is confronted by his bodyguard Kenze, who surprises him by arriving unexpectedly on the ship Izumo. Shortly after, the Dwarf laborer Kai appears, requesting to engage in a Mana-exchange practice known as Kumite. The practice goes disastrously wrong, causing a massive magical surge that leaves both women unconscious and leads the protagonist to commit a non-consensual act in his delirious state.
The protagonist awakens after an incident only to find himself manipulated by Kenze regarding a previous sexual encounter. He discovers that his recent actions with Kai were not purely spontaneous, but rather the result of a ship-wide gambling pool organized by his crewmates. The journey continues as the black ships arrive near Suez.
—
Trivia:
Kenze’s origins link her to the Turkic Empire in the central part of the Central Continent.
Dwarves have a high longevity compared to other races, only surpassed by Elf Mages.
Mana pools in Mages are typically dissolved by regular Kumite sessions.
Trimer and Tetramer are forms of complex-type Mana that the protagonist recognizes from healing procedures.
The protagonist shattered mana pools in previous combat, leading to the mana-intoxicated state that fueled the night’s events.
Kenze uses katakana in her Japanese dialogue to denote a non-human or artificial cadence, which informs her characterization.
The gambling pool regarding Kai was not limited to the crew, but included the participant herself.
The arrival at a lake larger than Lake Biwa suggests an unconventional geography for the ship’s current voyage.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Schweilitz – The kingdom to which the protagonist is forced to return boasts towering academy spires and a full military arsenal—Royal Army troops and elite officers. Its ruler holds a captive the protagonist fears will be executed.
• Kenze – A muscular, dark brown-skinned Amazoness with short hair, niqab, and slave attire. This former Takshurgan intelligence officer and warrior rejects slave treatment with a direct, artificial speech pattern. Recognized by fellow Amazonesses for sharp intuition, she serves as Larry’s loyal, teasing bodyguard alongside the Major. Using blinding speed, she fiercely protects her daughter Zaboo and allies Earnest, Pamela, Marie, Thomas, and Teressa.
• Palermo – A target location where a battle and reparations negotiation took place.
• Master – An old master who serves as a mentor to the protagonist. He maintains a calm and pragmatic demeanor.
• Ho – Ho is the family name of Oliver, a 17-year-old deck crew member and comrade of the protagonist. As a member of the military unit that defended Garao Village, the young man was ultimately murdered during a night watch, slaughtered alongside Marx-san.
• Robert – Son of Lt. Col. Helbert, this Rus Intelligence Bureau Major and Captain of the Tsukushi is a pragmatic, manipulative enforcer of protocol. Dressed in a short winter dress and wool tights, he acts as valet, liaison, and royal messenger. Despite an unlikable, skeptical nature, he manages complex ties and leads a faction, believing the target remains in port. He frequently clashes with staff.
• Major – A commanding military officer with a sadistic inclination toward interrogation. She orchestrates the sessions and utilizes Telepathy to coordinate with her subordinates.
• Helbert – Lt. Col. Helbert Ougen‑Sigmund is a short, stout, middle-aged Schweinitz strategist, Chief of Staff, and Royal Army politician in the Intelligence Bureau. A stern father to Robert and protective advisor to the protagonist, he delivers critical briefings, manipulates Larland’s politics, reports shipyard issues, coordinates with Marshal Yan, and seeks reinforcements from Sergei.
• Rus – A neighboring power deeply involved in regional politics and mediation, best known for annexing the Kingdom of Larland.
• Fredys – Izumo’s female Engine chief and deck crew chief manages logistics, leads female forces, interprets Turku. A protective supervisor with Inland Sea expertise, she is forceful yet pragmatic, defends subordinates, provides strategic briefings, and runs betting pools. A professional anchor, she adopts refined manners around Francis; rumored a shotacon.
• Izumo – The iron-hulled ship serving as the primary vessel for the protagonist and his crew.
• Pole – An orphaned Celt Royal Army soldier and tough-acting mast house scout, this deck crewman knows the island’s language and terrain. Earnest’s associate, he enjoys gossip and betting on his superiors’ romances. Initially hostile after a hometown friend’s murder, he grew to respect the protagonist. He now serves as a rescue guide and seeks freedom for his first love.
• Fee – Larry Fee Getys is a 15-year-old reincarnated youth and titular Duke. Pragmatic and telepathic, this sharp-eyed young man leads the Getys household and rules Strock Village alongside Hans, Iffens, Teressa, and their maid Nico. While building a new nation, he enjoys prime whale meat and maintains crucial connections to Adolf and various underground networks.
• Mar – A battle‑hardened veteran, clad in worn armor, uses door panels as shields and captures enemy crossbows; Larry’s comrade who teases him about his sister‑in‑law’s pampering, known as Martin to his companion Edmond.
• Poi – A Dwarf welder and former carriage maker who applied his knowledge of mechanical stress to ship construction.
• von – The noble particle ‘von’ indicates high social standing and ancestral roots connected to territorial estates within the Sabaski lineage. It marks the noble bloodline and full names of Annerose von Bülow, Walter von Riedel, and Marc von Harritz, establishing their shared aristocratic identity and familial relationship within the Kingdom.
• Al – Alberto (Al), a massive red‑haired man recently wed to Mary, lives near the Dish Basin. He’s a companion of Hans, helping intimidate and rally elders as a villager and leader.
• Ed – A lanky refugee youth in simple farmer’s garb, Larry’s close friend and fierce protector is now a Military Academy student making claims about the Poll Tax and mortality. Formerly an associate of Captain Bours, he witnessed the Mauer Village skirmish, fled to Strock Village, and joined the militia to train spear-walls and ambush mercenaries, remembered for his quiet resolve to survive.
• Katarina – Larry’s 30-year-old subordinate, a tall, voluptuous mana-user in a sailor uniform, is a Flight Section leader and Chief Researcher. This volatile, lecherous comrade wields telepathy, a coilgun, and drones. The protagonist’s protective mistress, she shares a strained bond and punched them near death. Recovering from combat lung and bolt wounds, Kenze labels her a professor’s sex toy.
• Pamela – A flirtatious medic and healer associated with the protagonist during the voyage. She manages the medical bay, treats their wounds, spends time with them before sleep, offers congratulatory remarks, and aids outside the clinic by organizing rescue teams and assisting in interrogation and rescue efforts.
• Pam – An escort to the protagonist who is observant and loyal.
• Kai – A 20-year-old, diminutive Dwarf girl and Engine Department laborer with unstable mana who knows Mana Pentamers. She looks like an ash-covered, square-jawed young man with superhuman strength, yet has white, translucent hands. Joining Earnest’s party, she carries or teases the protagonist, makes dramatic apologies, loves tuna cheek, and is the subject of a ship-wide romantic betting pool.
• Claudia – A former Royal Capital researcher and student of Camillo, this Engine Department Mage and Kisaragi crew member grew from a chubby youth into an unstable beauty. As the protagonist’s subordinate, they teach boiler maintenance alongside Janet, once questioned him about his wives, participated in the crew’s betting pool, and relayed a message to the protagonist about Kai.
• Janet – An unstable 22-year-old Mage, Camillo’s pupil, and former Bizan Academy researcher. Now the protagonist’s gossipy former subordinate, she works in the destroyer Mutsuki’s Engine Department, managing maintenance via speaking tube, joining betting pools, and relaying messages about Kai. While constantly prying into the protagonist’s life, she battles severe seasickness and wants to leave.
• Mage – Elf mage and shut-in engineer who stands watch and manages the ship’s boilers.
• Mana – A non-commissioned officer and liaison who previously had their mana drained by Larry.
• Pauman – An arrogant, deceased Academy professor and former Magic Tool Lab head killed in the Haritz Rebellion. Known for his exploitative nature and controversial history with female students, he mentored, conditioned, and sexually used Katarina. His past magic ship project contrasts with the protagonist’s, and his course load was inherited by Larry, Eida, and the protagonist after his death.
• Teressa – Blonde, short-haired, and elegant, this sharp-witted regent of Strock Village is the protagonist’s third wife, former Kumite partner, and a mentioned potential romantic partner. As Iffens’ widow and Larry’s pregnant sister-in-law, she shares a complex, Mana-manipulating bond with Larry. While fiercely protecting her unborn child, her quiet grace masks deep resentment toward the protagonist.
• Marie – Larry, an authoritative Kiridal professor with a mage’s build, is Isabella’s niece from Strock Village and Darina’s peer. A former Weasels leader, she runs a lab, works with the Arsenal Bureau, and manages the protagonist’s home economics in the Royal Capital. While she warmly loves her husband Kenze, she is also mentioned by the protagonist as a potential romantic partner.
• Henrietta – Larry’s late wife and former Royal Magic Academy researcher was a muscular, massive-busted, perverted mage and rare-named orphan. After attending Bizan’s military academy, she guarded the protagonist at the East Palace before being assassinated by Bizan’s former Principal. Her consciousness now parasitizes her daughter’s body, and her former slave Pamela still recognizes her by scent.
• Louise – A tall, rugged Jutland-born school principal and shipbuilding manager with short red hair and a guard-like build. This former 101st Golem Battalion Mage Lieutenant piloted a Type 95. Mother to the protagonist’s son and pregnant with his child, she is noted as a potential romantic partner, though their complex connection and her rumored past remain subjects of local gossip.
• Pia – A Nurnhügel mage in a hooded robe with a bust rivaling the late Henrietta, this heavily pregnant level-3 healer’s assistant pilots golems and drones. Under military protection while seeking legal emancipation from slavery, she is rumored to have a child with the protagonist. Submissive yet cynical, she speaks with archaic authority but fears arrest for her past Haritz escape.
• Larry – A sixteen-year-old founder of the Fee Grand Principality and the story’s protagonist. Referred to as the century’s greatest eccentric, he navigates high-stakes political negotiations and military operations while utilizing advanced technologies such as drones and maintaining a pragmatic, emotionally detached outlook.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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