Chapter 223 The Cross-Dressing Beauty ③
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Stampede¹.”
I broke into a cold sweat at the word Viscount Nixfen had just said. It was a famous disaster that had troubled people since ancient times—a phenomenon where monsters went into a collective frenzy.
I had read about it in books. The cause usually came from the birth of a very strong monster. Other monsters would run away from it, changing where they lived. Then the monsters already in those areas would move… creating a chain reaction of monster movement that finally hit human towns like a tsunami.
The damage was worst when the “first monster” was a type that moved around instead of staying still, especially the kind that liked to hunt and chase its prey.
As it moved, it drove out the local monsters. Eventually, many chain reactions would overlap, causing an even larger “Stampede.” In the worst case, that “first monster” would follow the rampaging group and appear in human lands.
Records said entire nations were destroyed in one night, but that damage was going down lately. This was thanks to the Church of Demon-Subjugation² reducing the threat, and the founding kings who had settled the monster lands.
However, some places still suffered every few decades. Also, if the “first monster” wasn’t defeated, it would have children, and the damage would grow like a snowball.
The Canaria Kingdom³ was a well-managed area where a Stampede was rare. If I recall, the last one was forty or fifty years ago. The response was fast, so not many people died.
Still, some farms were destroyed, and it took years to fix everything. Among the old people today, there were surely some who helped with the defense or the rebuilding.
In my own group, my magic medicine teacher Granny Miranda; the head of the Beast-person Association⁴ and manager of the Grizzly Merchant Guild⁵, Chromans-shi; Old Man Gan from the back-alley shop; and the retainers of the Duke Badcage House were all likely involved.
Oh, and even closer to home, there was the elven adventurer, Tania… It hurt to put her in the same group as the old folks, but she was a living witness who had seen more Stampedes than any of them.
”My Lord…?” Aerith of the Garou Merchant Guild⁶ asked.
”Are—are you alright, Lord Harvest?” Viscount Nixfen added.
Aerith, who had stayed quiet until now, and the Viscount, who had just shared the news, both looked at me with worry. It seemed I looked pale because I was thinking so much. I patted Aerith’s head as her ears drooped, then turned to the Viscount.
”Sorry, I’m fine. Viscount Nixfen, does Her Majesty the Queen know about this?” I asked.
”Yes, of course. The country will provide funds to prepare. But it might not be in time, and we just had that war with the North…” the Viscount replied.
”You can’t spend what you don’t have, I guess… What is the actual chance of it happening?” I asked.
”Um… sorry, but could you lend me your ear again? It’s an old habit, but we shouldn’t talk about this too publicly…” Viscount Nixfen said quietly.
”Ah, I see… Alright, tell me the details.” I said.
After moving uncomfortably, the Viscount asked to whisper again. I nodded and leaned in.
Apparently, ‘Stampede’ was a taboo word in this world. Like that dark lord’s name you weren’t supposed to say in that famous wizard story from my old world. Or maybe ‘Kotodama’ was a better word—the belief that saying bad things makes them happen. Viscount Nixfen seemed to value tradition. For me, it was a lucky chance.
”Actually, it’s not rare for us landed lords to get this kind of news. Even if it’s not this big, we get called to fight whenever a large monster appears…” Viscount Nixfen muttered.
She whispered into my ear, trying not to make me worry. It was a kind gesture, but it felt a bit strange…
”Something similar happened before. The last time people thought a ‘Stampede’ was coming was five years ago. But the monsters weren’t that strong, so we handled it normally. My father said it also happened eighteen and twenty-six years ago. None of them became true Stampedes.” the Viscount said.
”And you think this time will be the same?” I asked.
”That’s what we believe. They might not even come here… But since it’s outside our borders, we aren’t sure. I hope the Kingdom of Ferguson can handle it…” Viscount Nixfen replied.
”Either way, we have to prepare, right?” I said.
”That’s how it is…” the Viscount said.
When we finished, Viscount Nixfen pulled away with slightly red cheeks. Hmm, this sounded like a real pain… I’m glad I didn’t get a territory with my title from Her Majesty.
It seemed being a noble wasn’t just about collecting taxes and relaxing. Well, not all nobles in my old world were like that either.
”So, is the hard talk over? This child came here carrying the lives of their people and the peace of the land. Please keep that in mind,” my senior disciple Barbara said while smoking her pipe.
It seemed the Viscount had told her everything too.
”I understand that, but why did it lead to acting like a ‘Prince’ for the big sisters at the brothels?” I asked.
To recap: a Stampede might happen in the Kingdom of Ferguson, money is needed for the army, so they are selling ‘Help Sticks⁷.’ But how did that lead to this roleplay…?
”Well, we used our savings to handle things before. But we spent that money during the war too…” Viscount Nixfen said.
”Wait, are the western nobles okay? It’s a bit much for one war to hurt your crisis funds that much…” I said.
”No, I think other houses are fine. Our house just has special reasons…” Viscount Nixfen replied, her voice getting quiet.
I was starting to get a bad feeling about this.
”Lord Harvest, will you listen without getting mad…?” Viscount Nixfen asked.
”Yeah, I think I know what’s coming…” I said.
”I see… It’s as you think. For the last year, sales of ‘Help Sticks’ have been bad. We found out a product called ‘Ddo-Buddy⁸‘ was being sold…” the Viscount said.
Yes, it was my shop’s fault… After the ‘Ddo-Buddy Trial,’ we started selling outside the capital with help from the Church and the Tasogare Merchant Guild⁹.
Once ‘Ddo-Buddy’ hit the west, the ‘Help Stick’ felt the impact. My profits over the last year likely included money that should have gone to the Nixfen family. Because of me, the Nixfen land was in trouble.
”Wait a minute. Can one year of bad sales do all this? You don’t only rely on ‘Help Sticks,’ right?” I asked.
”That’s true, but the timing was bad… Just as sales dropped, the other nobles started spending a lot on the war. We had to follow them. They were all answering a call from Lady Tina of the Duke Badcage House…” Viscount Nixfen replied.
This was also my fault! That was a year ago. The Wives Association¹⁰, which rules from the shadows, was mad at the Coalmine Kingdom. They pushed their husbands for a quick fix.
Well, that couldn’t be helped then. Without that money, the war would have been worse… But the timing was terrible for Nixfen. Still…
”Senior, are the big sisters outside mad because…?” I asked.
”It’s not just the harassment from earlier. Seeing this child try so hard to sell ‘Help Sticks’ was just sad. A noble head selling these one by one in the flower town or street. They would say, ‘It’s a good product, please just buy one,’” Barbara said.
It was like a sad version of a fairy tale. That sight must have gained a lot of sympathy. Many prostitutes in this flower town or street had hard lives. They probably saw themselves in that struggle.
”When they asked, they found out it was your shop’s fault. Though this child didn’t blame you. They said their product would sell if people knew it was good,” Barbara continued.
Beside me, Aerith of the Garou Merchant Guild turned pale. She was the one who turned them away before. It’s okay, Aerith! Business isn’t a charity. I told myself that while listening to Barbara.
”So, those girls thought of ways to sell them. They thought smaller shops might take them. Then someone said, ‘If we polish this up, it’ll shine!’… And you saw the rest. They acted like a heartthrob, the women bought them for that face, and the men swarmed the product that the girls loved,” Barbara said.
I see. And just as they were winning, I showed up… It looks like I came to crush them. In fact, I was thinking about doing exactly that. To them, I was the enemy.
”Viscount Nixfen, I’m surprised you didn’t try to cut me in half…” I muttered.
”Eh!? I wouldn’t do that!” the Viscount replied.
”…I understand. I’ll think of something on my end too,” I said.
”Really!? Thank you, Lord Harvest!” Viscount Nixfen replied.
The Viscount beamed with a bright, glowing face.
—
Summary:
Harvest discovers that a looming ‘Stampede’ is threatening the financial stability of the Nixfen territory. He realizes that his own ‘Ddo-Buddy’ products have accidentally bankrupted the Nixfen family’s traditional ‘Help Stick’ trade. Despite this, the prostitutes of the district have supported the cross-dressing Viscount to save the land. Harvest decides to take responsibility and help his unintended rival.
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Character Insight:
Viscount Nixfen shows incredible purity of heart by not resenting Harvest for their economic ruin. Harvest’s inner guilt shows he is becoming more than just a greedy merchant; he’s starting to weigh the impact of his success on others. The ‘big sisters’ of the district demonstrate a surprising sense of justice and solidarity with the struggling noble.
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Behind the Scene:
The ‘Stampede’ functions as a metaphor for market volatility. The ‘flower town or street’ (Hanamachi) provides a gritty backdrop for the noble’s ‘Match Girl’ struggle, contrasting high-society problems with street-level survival.
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T/L:
Notes:
• Nixfen – A viscount aristocrat who has started manufacturing and selling adult goods similar to Kento’s products in the Royal Capital’s pleasure district. He is described as a ‘pretty boy’ or ‘gentle-looking man’ (yasao) but is a territory-holding noble likely trained in combat.
• Chromans – President of the ‘Royal Capital Beast-person Mutual Aid Association’ and the manager of the ‘Grizzly Merchant Guild,’ a top-tier weapons and armor dealer. He’s powerful, influential, and very business-savvy. Have round, cute bear ears (sooty brown), bushy beard and hair (sooty brown), and large build with muscular physique under a expensive gown.
• Tania – An Elf adventurer who, despite her race’s reputation for low sex drive, is secretly quite passionate. She initially seemed ‘wasted’ (emotionally dry) to her friend Raika, but was easily introduced to the pleasure-items sold at ‘Harvest.’ She is easily embarrassed and attempts to maintain a dignified facade, despite her recent, frequent purchases. She wears practical but light armor over a simple cloth tunic and short pants, highlighting her grace and agility. Her primary relationship is one of friendly senior-junior with Raika.
• Aerith – A wolf beast-person and Ouka’s daughter. She is intensely attracted to Kento’s creative genius and is not shy about showing her interest. Have gray fur hair and tail, wearing elegant dress.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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