Chapter 299 Test Subject꞉ Sir Merluza, the Lioness Knight ①
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Archbishop Trantestar of Canarias¹ had dropped a significant task in my lap: the construction of a brand-new factory. It wasn’t the sort of thing one simply whistles into existence, and I spent a good deal of time racking my brain over it. Truth be told, however, I wasn’t entirely without leads.
The one person who could handle this wasn’t in the Royal Capital at the moment. She was likely buried in her own work, and I felt a twinge of hesitation at the thought of summoning her. Still, she was perfect – she could mobilize the necessary manpower, and her other qualifications were peerless.
”Well, no matter,” I mused. I happened to have other business with her anyway. Upon returning home, I took up my pen. It’s a small thing, but since ascending to the nobility, I’ve developed a taste for using high-quality stationery and crisp, new wax seals. There’s a certain quiet joy in watching one’s standard of living rise.
”Writing a letter?” Lily-sama asked.
”Yeah. Just a little business negotiation,” I replied.
My beloved experimental slave, Lily-sama, tilted her head curiously while offering her breast to our daughter, Momo-sama. I saw no reason to keep it from her – in fact, it was probably better she knew. As I laid out the details, she gave a slow, understanding nod.
”In that case, Master, you should probably hurry,” Lily-sama said. “I suspect the Queen’s own correspondence has already been dispatched.”
”Wait, from Her Majesty? What for…?” I asked.
Now it was my turn to be confused. I knew the Queen had reasons to write to her, but how did Lily-sama know about it? I opened my mouth to ask, but Lily-sama simply offered a knowing smile, clearly having no intention of elaborating.
”Captain Merluza is scheduled to visit today,” Lily-sama continued. “Why not hand it to her then? The Queen’s messengers use the fastest horses in the realm; it’s the surest way to see it delivered.”
”Wait – Merluza is coming here? Since when?” I asked.
”I suppose I forgot to mention it. A message arrived while you were out, Master,” Lily-sama explained. “To paraphrase: ‘I can’t wait any longer. I’m coming over early, whether it’s convenient or not.’”
Merluza. Captain of the Queen’s Royal Guard and a formidable lioness beastman. Our history went back about a year and a half, to when she’d volunteered – more or less – for my research into beastman heat cycles².
During the “Howling” incident sparked by Aerith of the Merchant Guild Garou, Merluza, myself, and Laika – who’s since settled in as our shop’s pet – had shared a legendary, feverish night together. And now, she was one of my key collaborators for the “Harvest Project³.”
”Did Merluza really say she couldn’t wait?” I asked, skeptical.
”Well, that was the subtext,” Lily-sama said with a playful shrug.
I sighed. Knowing Merluza, she’d never be that honest. Apparently, after seeing the state of Muse – another collaborator and one of the palace maids – the Captain had reached her breaking point.
”Lady Muse has been… distracted lately,” Lily-sama added with a giggle. “Sighing dreamily in the middle of her shifts, working herself to the bone just to clear her schedule for you… it’s quite adorable. Seeing that, Merluza practically tripped over herself to make an appointment.”
”And her excuse?” I asked.
”Oh, the usual,” Lily-sama replied. “‘I wouldn’t want my visit to overlap with my next heat cycle,’ or some such grumbling.”
Lily-sama leaned in, her eyes twinkling. “You’ve left her waiting for eighteen months, Master. It’s time you made amends for the wait.”
I hadn’t exactly “left her waiting” – I just didn’t realize we were on those terms. Unlike Aerith or Laika, Merluza hadn’t exactly been forward after our last encounter. Still, I wasn’t about to complain. I finished the letter and spent the rest of the day working, waiting for the lioness to roar at my door.
* * *
”Understood. If that’s the situation, I’ll see to it that Her Majesty adds her own seal to the request. It’ll carry more weight that way,” Merluza said.
She sat on the edge of my bed, looking uncharacteristically stiff. Her tawny hair was a bit disheveled, her rounded lion ears were pinned back slightly, and the jagged scar over her right eye caught the dim light of the laboratory. She’d traded her armor for a practical black outfit that clung to her muscular frame, her tufted tail flicking nervously behind her.
”I’m counting on you,” I said.
”Umu…” Merluza muttered.
A heavy silence settled between us. She was nervous – painfully so. It was a far cry from our last encounter when she was lost to the madness of her estrus cycle. Seeing her sober like this, the dynamic had shifted into something far more clinical, yet far more charged.
She tucked the letter away, her eyes darting everywhere but at me. When I sat down beside her, she went rigid, her tail snapping straight with tension.
”No need to be so formal, Merluza. We’re hardly strangers,” I said quietly.
”Nngh…! I – well, that is to say…” Merluza stammered.
I let my hand drift to her thigh, stroking the firm, well-honed muscle beneath the fabric. She jumped, her breath hitching. There was something incredibly satisfying about seeing this fierce, wild commander reduced to a fluttering mess.
”You were quite the wildcat last time, weren’t you?” I whispered in her ear. “Roaring like a predator one moment, purring for more the next…”
”Ah… h-haaa…!” Merluza gasped.
Her ears twitched violently at the sound of my voice. I reached out and grabbed a handful of her backside, kneading the soft curves that yielded beneath my palm. Her eyes began to glaze over, and she finally slumped against me, her strength failing her.
”Could it be you’ve been dreaming of this for the last year and a half?” I asked.
”Ngh… it’s not like that… I just… once a female has been claimed by a male, she… she can’t help but be conscious of him…” Merluza confessed.
”Is that so?” I teased.
”Nngh…!” Merluza moaned.
I moved my hand from her hip to the base of her tail. I traced the root, then slid my fingers up the length, feeling the coarse, exotic texture of the fur. She didn’t pull away; she stayed perfectly still, accepting the touch.
”Tell me,” she gasped, trying to reclaim some dignity. “What did you do to Muse? Ever since she came back from this shop, she’s been… different.”
”Oh? How so?” I asked.
”She hasn’t failed in her duties, but… she reeks of a female in love. It’s so thick the Queen is bound to notice any day now,” Merluza said.
She shot me a sharp, accusing look. I chuckled. That was good to know – I’d have to reward Muse for her loyalty later. To thank Merluza for the intel, I began to rhythmically tap the base of her tail – the sweet spot for any feline.
”Nnh…!?” Merluza cried out.
The effect was instantaneous. Whether it was her beastman biology or just her specific sensitivity, she started to shiver like a kitten in the rain. I pulled her close, scratching the underside of her tail with my nails.
”Ah… ahh…!” Merluza whimpered.
”Want the details?” I asked, my voice low. “For instance, I’ve reconditioned her. Her body is so sensitive now she can peak just by having her n**ipss teased. I’ve made it so the mere vibration of her womb sends her over the edge.”
”Wh-what…?” Merluza whispered.
”Exactly like you were that night. Remember now?” I asked.
”Ah… ngh, h-haaa…!” Merluza cried.
I didn’t wait for an answer. I began to work her breasts through her clothes, my other hand roaming over her lower belly while I nipped at the velvet of her lion ears. She offered no resistance. In fact, she was more docile than I’d ever seen her.
”If you want,” I whispered, “I can do the things I had to hold back on with Muse… or I can show you something even better. What do you say?”
”Ah… ♡” Merluza sighed.
As I slid my hand beneath her, she instinctively arched her back, lifting her hips to meet my touch while her tail coiled tightly around my arm. Her heat was already radiating through her clothes. Her unspoken answer was more than enough.
—
Summary:
The protagonist receives a request to build a factory and decides to enlist a distant contact. Merluza, the lioness knight, arrives at the shop earlier than expected, motivated by jealousy and long-dormant desire. The chapter culminates in an intimate ‘experiment’ between the protagonist and Merluza in his laboratory.
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Trivia:
- The protagonist is now officially a noble.
- It has been 18 months since the last time the protagonist and Merluza were intimate.
- Lily-sama is currently breastfeeding Momo-sama.
- Muse is a maid and another collaborator who has been ‘reconditioned’ by the protagonist.
- The Queen is likely aware of the protagonist’s influence over her staff via ‘scent’
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Character Insight:
Merluza shows a significant ‘gap’ between her stern commander persona and her vulnerable, sensitive side when sober. Her jealousy toward Muse acts as the primary catalyst for her seeking out the protagonist.
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Behind the Scenes:
The ‘Howling incident’ refers to a previous arc where a merchant guild member caused a mass estrus event among beastmen.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Trantestar – The middle-aged man Archbishop of Canarias and the initiator of the current trial. He is an alleged ally of Kento but remains suspiciously neutral.
• Lily – the sl*ve and primary experiment subject for the magic shop, ‘Harvest.’ She has striking pink hair, Blue eyes, medium breasts, which the Protagonist associates with being ‘wanton’. She has a working knowledge of magic, which she kept hidden from the slave trader.
• Momo – The newborn daughter of Kento and Lily. She has pink hair and her father’s ear and eyebrow shapes.
• Merluza – The Captain of the Royal Guard, a veteran soldier and Lion Beast-person. She testifies to the military necessity and effectiveness of the ‘Tremble Ddo-Buddy’ (which she calls ‘Bob’) for female beast-person soldiers, ensuring job performance isn’t compromised by ‘heat’. Have dull yellow hair, large feline ears, wearing armor, and large scar over the right eye.
• 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.
• Laika – The beastwoman dog.
• Muse – Cecile’s trusted attendant and chief maid, Muse handles sensitive, discreet tasks like espionage and product acquisition. Have sharp, black eyes, wearing maid uniform, and have expressionless face.
• Suu – Secretary for the Royal Capital Beast-person Mutual Aid Association and a cat beast-person. Sample No. 19 in Kento’s report. She steps up as the first witness for the defense.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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