Volume 10 Chapter 52 How to Handle Princesses
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Why on earth did you do that?”
This happened just before their departure from Dayrid¹. Near the gates, a large number of soldiers were laboring over departure preparations. Klock watched them from in front of a carriage, waiting for a moment when the crowds thinned, before beckoning Kispe² over with a flick of his finger.
”Were you really that pissed off at them? But using the Cursed Eye³ was definitely going too far.”
Klock pressed her, keeping his tone as gentle as he could manage. The fake maid, clad in a bright purple apron dress, stared back at him intently. Having descended from the Crimson Spire⁴, Kispe met his gaze with a steady, unblinking look.
”I mean, I get that it’s an effective way to quickly demonstrate the disparity in power, sure. But adventurers have their pride, too. I don’t think it’s good to make them feel that inferior. If you do something like that, the rift will only—”
”Master. Regarding that matter, it is you who are in the wrong, desuwa,” Kispe said.
She directed a piercing gaze toward Klock. How long had it been since he’d seen her make such an expression? Her eyes were cold, almost bordering on contempt.
”What did you say?” Klock asked.
”I took the liberty of using the Hero’s name in that place, but to begin with, the very act of bringing us face-to-face with them was the problem. That no blood was shed there was due to nothing other than our own restraint. Please reflect on your actions, mashu,” Kispe said.
”…Huh?”
There was no trace of a smile on Kispe’s face. Instead of being interrogated, she was the one closing in on Klock. She looked genuinely displeased, a rarity for her. Klock blinked in bewilderment.
”Though our circumstances may differ, we remain here following Master under the prerequisite of being under the Hero’s authority. However, that does not mean we intend to join the ranks of the Humans,” Kispe said.
Klock understood that much, of course. They were only here to maintain a friendly relationship with the Hero—or rather, with Klock as one of the Chosen Ones.
”We are merely allies to the Hero and Master. We have no interest in those Humans, nor do we wish to forge any friendly ties with them. And yet, Master, you treated them as if they were our comrades, desuno,” Kispe said.
”…Yeah.”
”Insolent man.”
Kispe poked his cheek lightly with her fingertip.
”Did you really think it was acceptable to bring such anonymous, sweat-drenched warriors near princesses without so much as a word of consent, desuwa?”
She puffed out her cheeks, feigning a cute sort of annoyance. However, the words she spoke were entirely serious.
”Mere Human adventurers should never be granted the opportunity to behold our noble countenances so easily. Or tell me, Master—in Human culture, is it common to meet royalty so casually, desuwa?”
”…”
Klock fell silent and looked up at the sky. Even without her spelling it out, hearing this much was enough to grasp the logic. He knew exactly who had been in the wrong.
”Please do not take us lightly. Do not underestimate us, mashu. The only reason Master can be with me like this is because you are you, Master. Please do not forget that, desuwa.”
It wasn’t that Kispe had lowered herself to look at him as an equal because she had descended. It was because Klock was standing at their level.
Klock let out a heavy sigh after hearing her argument. Internally acknowledging the validity of Kispe’s point, he found himself at a loss for words.
Kispe, Primlena, and Flavia were princesses from foreign races. No matter how much they had knelt before the Hero, the fact that they were royalty remained unchanged. Normally, Klock should have kept them away from those with hostile intent and protected them. If anything happened to them, a rift with the Sanctum⁵ or the Void would be inevitable. That would be a catastrophe for Klock.
Kispe and Primlena understood there was friction with those guys. Which means I basically threw princesses to the wolves.
In the past, he should have been capable of more consideration. He had been shallow, distracted by the sheer volume of his tasks.
”The only reason I did not throttle them to death was to save face for you, Master. But I do not know what I shall do next. Master… please, let me remain your obedient and merely cute princess, mashu,” Kispe said.
”I’m sorry. I was a bit lacking in consideration,” Klock replied.
It made sense why Kispe had such a look on her face, and why Primlena and the others hadn’t raised any objections to her outburst. Even for Primlena, there was no dignity in being treated as an equal by mere common Human soldiers.
”It is fine as long as you understand. As long as you have the heart to cherish us, we wish to respond to your feelings, Master,” Kispe said with a chuckle.
She gave a small smile, and Klock felt a wave of relief as her usual self returned.
”By the way, should I keep them away from people like Boit too?” Klock asked.
”No. That old man is not an outsider, is he? Unless he acts insolently toward me, I shall at least permit him to have me in his sight, desuwa♡”
Klock gave a wry smile at her usual playful attitude, unsure if she was being generous or simply haughty. But he understood. The clear distinction helped him.
”Though, in Flavia’s case, her loyalty to Master likely just came first. She is so obedient and cute that I almost want to add her to my own fingertips. If Master ever rejects her, by all means, I would like you to hand her over to me, desuwa,” Kispe said.
”Wait a minute. She’s my woman,” Klock said.
He couldn’t stay silent when she pushed that far.
”Master. Now, a kiss, desuwa~”
Suddenly, Kispe stood on her tiptoes. Their lips met.
”Forgive me for defying my Master despite being a familiar. This is proof that I have entrusted both my body and soul to you, Master♡”
Kispe gave him a faint, lingering smile. This seemed to be her way of providing ‘aftercare.’ She stared at him, her gaze never wavering. She understood her own charm perfectly and used it to its full potential.
Klock thought for a moment while scratching the back of his head. He wrapped his hand around her back and firmly gripped her buttocks.
”You’re a woman who’s proven you’ll even suck a dick to achieve your goals. I won’t know for sure until I’ve broken you in,” Klock said.
”Eek♡ Oh, Master! Surely you don’t mean to go bang-bang right here inside the thin sheets of this carriage, desuwa?♡” Kispe cried.
Inside the cargo bed covered only by a thin membrane, while the soldiers were working busily outside, they spent about an hour in a secret tryst.
* * *
”Raki. I want you to be our messenger to the Barreith⁶ army.”
It was the same day they had departed from Dayrid. In the middle of the camp at night, Klock held another war council and summoned the key members of the Ada squad.
”A messenger?” Raki asked.
”That’s right. It’s just a job to deliver a sealed letter I wrote. But they might resort to violence, so I want to send someone strong enough to escape if things go south,” Klock said.
”Aren’t you going to send someone from your own group?” Raki asked.
”That was the original plan, but I decided to make it your achievement instead,” Klock replied.
Under a field tent far larger than a standard living room, the adventurers of the Ada squad faced Klock. Only Meina and Suzette were by Klock’s side. On the opposite side sat Ada, Raki, Alard, and four other adventurers. Unlike before, their hostile glares had vanished entirely.
”By the way, what happened to those women? There are quite few of you for a war council,” Ada said.
”About that, I should apologize to you all. Meeting them was due to my own lack of consideration,” Klock replied.
”Huh?”
Klock responded to Ada’s question with a straightforward apology.
”I didn’t mention it before, but those gathered there were royalty of other races. They support the Hero and have joined us on behalf of their tribes. Bringing them face-to-face with you all so suddenly incurred their anger,” Klock said.
He had debated whether to explain it, but he spoke up to gain at least some level of understanding. Throughout history, ninety-nine percent of people born knew they had to kneel before royalty.
”Royalty, huh? No wonder they were so stuck-up,” Ada said, her voice laced with distaste. Alard made an indescribable face, and the other adventurers exchanged glances.
”So that means there are races siding with the Humans?” Alard asked in his unrefined manner.
”Broadly speaking, yes, but the reality is a bit more complex. Every race is split between supporting the Demon Lord and the Hero. Especially that woman who pointed her spear at you—she’s the Fishkin princess. She supports the Hero and came to be under his command, but her older sister is one of the Four Generals of the Demon Lord⁷,” Klock explained.
”The Four Generals? You’re kidding!” Alard shouted.
”The sisters split between both sides?” Ada asked.
This kind of information should have been kept confidential. However, since the fact that a Fishkin was present was already known, he had to offer an explanation. He explained up to the absolute limit to prevent any further misunderstandings regarding the Brigante.
”Keep this matter strictly between us. Right now, every race is watching to see which way the wind blows. Once one side starts losing, their support will shift all at once,” Klock said.
”So if we lose even once, we’ll be at a massive disadvantage?” Alard asked.
The invasion of Orrid would undoubtedly be a pivotal battle. If they lost, the races currently taking a wait-and-see approach—aside from Flavia and the others—would likely swing toward the Demon Lord’s Army. The Beast Demon Tribe⁸, with whom they were currently negotiating, would surely resume their advance.
”Then shouldn’t the Count hurry up too instead of just letting us go ahead? The enemy has about a hundred thousand, right? They say without the Count’s army, Orrid only has thirty or forty thousand,” Alard pointed out.
It seemed Alard was the talkative one of the Ada squad. Most of the conversation was dominated by Ada and Alard.
”The Count probably won’t move for a while,” Klock said.
”Huh? Why?” Alard asked.
”Because there’s a chance Dayrid might betray us,” Klock replied.
”What? That cowardly mayor?” Alard asked.
Not just Alard, but Ada and the others also frowned at Klock’s words.
”Think about how Dayrid feels. Right in front of them is Barreith, who’s teamed up with the Demon Lord’s Army. We plan to make peace with Barreith, but they’ll remain untrustworthy for the foreseeable future. If the Count isn’t there to keep order, they’ll be worried sick,” Klock said.
”What does that have to do with anything? You’re saying they’ll defect if the Count leaves?” Alard asked.
”Barreith and Dayrid are on entirely different scales as cities. Dayrid is just a rural port town that can maybe scrape together a few hundred soldiers, but Barreith has ten times that. If the Count leaves in that situation, they’ll be despairing. Having lost their only anchor, Dayrid would easily throw away their loyalty to the Count,” Klock explained.
When that time came, it seemed more likely that Primrose would be the one making the decision rather than the mayor. She was a pragmatist. She wouldn’t stay loyal to someone who wasn’t reliable.
”But would they really defect to the enemy? After all the help we’ve given them, isn’t that a bit too cold-hearted?” Ada asked.
”Human groups aren’t always judged by their leaders. If the commoners start a rumor that the Count abandoned Dayrid and it spreads, that becomes the public will,” Klock said.
If that happened, Dayrid would submit to Barreith. On the surface, they might pretend to be uninvolved, but their sovereignty would surely be seized by Barreith. They would lose the town and the revenue they had worked so hard for, and their rear would be under constant threat.
Of course, it wouldn’t necessarily happen that way. Everything depended on the flow of events. If the war dragged on and they couldn’t move from Orrid, it would be dangerous. Conversely, if things were settled quickly, Barreith wouldn’t be able to show its ambition.
Marquis Grasso Count⁹ was sharp. He would surely observe the situation before committing to a move.
”By the way, about what you said earlier. How are you going to make peace with Barreith? After they betrayed us once, they won’t be easily won over. What if they get stubborn even if they’re at a disadvantage?” Ada asked.
Ada chimed in, looking at the letter given to Raki. Klock raised one eyebrow. He gestured for her to go ahead and check the letter. As Raki snatched the letter and Ada looked over it, Klock held up a finger to his lips.
”…I see. That’s quite clever,” Ada said.
Ada understood immediately.
* * *
”From the Grasso Count’s house.”
In the middle of a camp where soldiers in unfamiliar uniforms gathered, Raki and four other adventurers handed the letter to a soldier.
”…”
The administrator received the letter from the soldier. As he read through it, a bitter expression quickly spread across his face.
”Good work. Give my regards to the Count,” the administrator said.
Raki narrowed his eyes and turned on his heel, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings. Having come as a messenger, he returned without being attacked, and Lord Ludovico, the administrator of Barreith, let out a deep, weary sigh.
”Is something the matter?” a young woman asked.
”…”
The young woman waited on Ludovico. It was clear as day that she was his mistress. Ludovico threw the letter toward her.
”‘I see you have noticed Dayrid’s plight and sent reinforcements. However, the Demon Lord’s Army that was occupying Portline¹⁰ has already been driven out. My Count’s army has annihilated the enemy force of twenty thousand. Our losses were only a few dozen. Though numerous, the enemy was weak and nothing to fear. I suggest that you, Lord of Barreith, return to your territory immediately and prepare for the next battle.’”
Ludovico looked up at the sky covered by the tent.
”…And these reinforcements?” the woman asked.
”It means that if we go back now, they’ll pretend that’s what we were doing all along,” Ludovico said.
Ludovico correctly read the contents of the letter. This wasn’t just bragging about war results. It was a message: ‘If you leave, we’ll turn a blind eye. If you want to fight, come at us.’ It was a final ultimatum.
”Sir Ludovico. If our betrayal is known, there will be no turning back even if we retreat now,” the woman said.
”No, we retreat. We can’t go down with the useless Demon Lord’s Army. Besides, we haven’t clearly betrayed them yet. We can still make excuses if we send reinforcements to Orrid now,” Ludovico replied.
As Ludovico made his suggestion, the woman pretended to think for a moment. After a pause, she curled the corners of her mouth slightly into a smile.
”Sir Ludovico. Please take me with you as part of those reinforcements,” Neria said.
”What, do you not want to leave me that much? Hahahaha!”
He laughed proudly and put his arm around the woman’s shoulder. He grabbed her breast through her dress and pulled her close as if she were his property.
”You told me to ask for whatever I wanted, didn’t you? Neria wants to see Sir Ludovico’s heroics with her own eyes,” Neria said.
”I see, I see. You want to be by my side that much? You really are a cute girl. Hahahaha!!” Ludovico laughed.
—
Summary:
Klock is confronted by Kispe for his lack of consideration in exposing the ‘princesses’ to common soldiers and potential enemies. He realizes his mistake in treating the royal-blooded allies too casually. Klock then sends the Ada squad as messengers to the wavering city of Barreith with an ultimatum from the Grasso Count. The administrator of Barreith, Ludovico, decides to retreat and frame his actions as a failed attempt to help, rather than a betrayal.
—
Character Insight:
Kispe demonstrates that despite her subservient ‘maid’ role, she maintains a fierce pride as royalty and a deep understanding of political optics. Klock shows growth by acknowledging his tactical error in social management, admitting that his busyness led to a shallow approach. Ludovico’s mistress, Neria, shows a manipulative side, encouraging her lover’s vanity to ensure she remains at the center of the action.
—
Behind the Scene:
The chapter highlights the ‘Fishkin’ race’s political divide, mirroring real-world civil wars where families are split between opposing ideologies or factions.
—
T/L:
Notes:
• Dayrid – The city the Demonkin army is planning to attack next, intending to strangle Dayrid from land and sea. This confirms the Demonkin’s immediate military objective for Klock.
• Primlena – Orange-haired merfolk priestess, fierce yet elegant | First v8c3 | Sister of Sea General Primjune, subordinate to Primrity | Once captured and violated by Klock, now obsessed with reclaiming honor | Commands Obsidian Riders on giant fish, fights with trident | Seeks to drag Klock to Seabed Temple for marriage trial or execution | Unique note: revenge-driven siren bride who masks fury under ritual grace
• Flavia – Younger Forestkin princess (132). Gentle yet resolute. Sent by Queen Isabella as marriage pledge to Klock, the Chain Binder, symbolizing the Void’s loyalty to the Goddess Teekua.
• Boit – A merchant involved in human trafficking, with a villainous face and a loud, obnoxious voice. He is pragmatic and willing to help Klock escape the country in exchange for something. His relationship with Klock is business-like, though both are aware of each other’s illicit activities.
• Raki – a male burly warrior and squad leader under Ada, voicing concerns about the risks of engaging the Demon Lord’s Army, loyal to Ada’s group.
• Ada – Female. Ada the Wild Wind. An A-rank adventurer. Her appearance is striking, with black hair mixed with fiery red, multiple earrings, and an axe spear as tall as she is. She is incredibly strong and fast, with a Unique Skill called the ‘Blessing of the Wind’ that enhances her speed and agility. Ada is ruthless in combat but shows a surprising willingness to negotiate. She is highly respected in adventurer circles and feared by criminals. Her relationship with Klock is adversarial, as he stole from her and escaped using trickery.
• Suzette – The older maid from Viscount Fennec. The head maid at the Viscount Fennec’s villa. She is confident, clear-spoken, and professional.
• Alard – a male squad leader under Ada, openly hostile toward Klock, dismissive of outsiders, and quick to undermine Klock’s authority, yet a capable fighter in battle.
• Meina – She is a golden-haired catgirl employee of the beastman (Larana the cat woman) Inn, appeared performing fellatio, desperate and tear-streaked, with an inexperienced yet earnest approach to her work.
• Orrid – Southern pleasure town near Conro, known for its chaos and vice. Serves as Brigante’s next destination and Count Grasso’s sphere of influence. Rumored den of spies and mercenaries.
• Primrose – a female Merfolk and mayor’s wife of Dayrid, instrumental in maintaining the town’s false allegiance to the Demon Lord’s Army to protect its citizens, seeking Sanctuary’s aid against the impending threat.
• Ludovico – He appears as Barreith administrator; confronts Klock and Cianie, demands Hero assist in town defense
• Neria – A female Roldi’s subordinate, tasked with killing Klock. Ludovico’s young mistress.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply