Oukoku e Tsuzuku Michi

Chapter 462: A Common Soldier’s Resolution

「Are you alright!? Ah, you’re hurt......」

Although Myla was concerned for me, I could not give a sensible reply.

Celia also felt the same as she mumbled “pluck, pluck”.

「When you rode solo into the enemy camp, you destroyed the steel walls that reached the heavens and, like a fierce god, defeated the enemy general Maestus in one strike upon meeting him! Those are truly incomparable triumphs! This is what it means to be a great hero!!」

The one heaping praise filled with exaggeration and hyperbole on me is Busco. So the next step after prostrating is flattering?

It’s annoying, so I glare at him, which intimidates him into squealing and returning to his prostrating pose.

「I guess we can call it an advantageous tie.」

「Is it Leopolt?」

I start forming proper words at this point.

Myla is sulking. I have to address that later.

「Our greatest accomplishment is forcing the enemy cavalry into Tortoent. Their defense is higher, but they lost their mobility. The good news is that I can declare we don’t have to be wary of an ambush on a strategic level.」

「That’s fine, I wanted to win more decisively though. It was quite the close call.」

If it wasn’t for the bow cavalry and Myla’s efforts, everything might have fallen apart.

「The timing of the enemy cavalry’s appearance was a kind of bet. If the enemy made any sort of mistake or blunder, we would have won outright. The outcome was a bad roll of the dice, but it was nothing less than a draw, so it can be considered a success.」

「It’s not like you to gamble.」

I say sarcastically.

「Better options would have been available if I had more time to make preliminary arrangements, however, a speedy battle was required...... plus I do not have the authority or responsibility over the Goldonian army. If we restrict the scope to our troops alone, I don’t believe we suffered a serious amount of casualties.」

It’s true that compared to the other Goldonian squads, my army has relatively fewer losses that are within expectations.

To begin with, Leopolt has no special title and does not have the standing to speak openly in the Goldonian military setting.

「I’d like to point out that had Lord Hardlett slain the enemy general in the last engagement, things would have been easier.」

Damn this guy, he dares give me such a reply?

「Idiot, I had a swarm of enemies on my ass. Like I could do anything more.」

I think back on what happened.

In the moment right before I landed the kick on Maestus, could I have sliced off an arm or even his head?

In that instant, he was totally defenceless.

I might have been able to do it. No, I should have done it.

「How stupid. Is Christoph holding me back?」

I laugh at myself.

「Christoph......」

Crap, I said it in front of Leopolt.

Knowing him, he’ll definitely deploy a team of assassins if he found out Christoph betrayed us.

But Leopolt simply furrowed his brow and tilted his head.

Aah...... he doesn’t know his name.

「Remember, it’s that guy, the one in the escort unit with a nice body and trashy skills, who always got taken out first.」

「Could he be a rank and file soldier?」

What a mean thing to say.

「Christoph is someone who has been through many battles with me and achieved quite a...... hm?」

Actually, I can’t think of anything he achieved.

「I know all of the members in the escort unit in charge of 10 or more men.」

Oh right, despite being the longest serving member, he was still a private.

He’s unmistakably a rank and file soldier. I can’t deny that.

What is South Yuguria thinking? I don’t understand at all.

「Anyways, their intent to defend Tortoent is clear. We will have an even more intense battle coming up. Now then, Lord Hardlett, although it might be late to ask, do you have any information that would influence my strategy that you haven’t told me yet?」

「I have a bunch.」

Don’t look at me like that. I’ll tell you right now.

I recount one or two stories to Leopolt.

Interested in our conversation, Celia and Myla drew closer to us.

There was also another set of footsteps――

「Prepare yourself, Hardlett!!」

At the sound of the voice, Leopolt draws his sword and Myla stands in front of me.

Celia somersaults in the air and then pins the voice’s owner to the ground.

「This damn savage! How dare you――how dare you injure His Excellency――!」

Giving me an incredibly menacing look is Piris. Oh right, she was Maestus’s attendant.

She has a bad bark, but at 145 cm, she is easily suppressed by Celia.

Leopolt puts his sword away and Myla takes out some rope.

「You only kicked His Excellency’s handsome face because you’re an ugly musclehead and you’re just jealous!」

「Guh.」

That stabbed deep into my heart.

「Aegir-sama is the handsome one!」

「That......is right!」

Celia is always on my side.

Myla hesitates somewhat.

It can’t be helped since Maestus is pretty good-looking from my perspective too......

「My dear brother’s nemesis! I’ll kill you――!!」

「Heh, and how are you going to do that?」

As she flails under Celia, I catch a glimpse of something silver in her hand.

「A......spoon?」

Myla scoffs and erases her blood lust.

It might be metal, but she won’t kill me with that.

「Then I’ll bite you to death! I’ll mistakenly bite you to death!!」

「Would you like to try?」

I go down on one knee in front of Piris, who bares her teeth at me, and undo the front of my pants.

This is after a tough battle.

My lust has accumulated to the point that my dick springs out forcefully.

「Hyauu!」

「Try biting down on this. It’s a vital part of my body.」

Piris turns red as she collects herself and slowly opens her mouth with a face full of determination. Her hot breath tickles my penis, causing it to twitch, which triggers tears to well up in Piris’s eyes.

「Let her go.」

「She’s a lowly prisoner who tried to kill Aegir-sama......」

Yeah, with a spoon and her pearly white teeth.

It’s a joke.

「I-I’ll get you for this!」

「I’ll let you put it in your mouth next. Stay still.」

Piris storms off crying.

「How thick and long and black and hard. It is truly something that belongs to a hero! Oh, my apologies!」

Busco leaves when I glare at him, still prostrating all the while.

Celia and Myla both get back to work, though they keep their eyes on the girl.

「Piris just spat it out, huh?」

「Shall I investigate?」

The only one who noticed was Leopolt.

「No, it’s fine. She probably doesn’t know much.」

I’m not a coward who would use a woman as a shield to threaten someone.

「More importantly, can you use what I told you earlier?」

「It is an unknown variable so I can’t base my strategy on it, however I will prepare accordingly.」

Leopolt bows his head and turns his back on me.

He turns back after walking a few steps.

「Do you have anything else you forgot to tell me?」

「No.」

As I huff in annoyance, Leopolt once again turns his back on me.

After a few more steps, he turns back silently.

「Just go!」

How little does he trust me?

Gosh, I feel disgusted.

I have more important matters to attend to.

I stand in front of a certain tent......the one that Sekrit is using.

I was thinking about ramming my pent-up lust into Sekrit after the battle in order to deepen our love, but right now is not the time.

I can hear moans and screams from within the tent.

「Don’t tell me she’s actually cheating on me......kuh, that’s pretty pathetic for me.」

When a woman cheats, it’s the man’s fault.

It’s because the man wasn’t able to satisfy the woman’s heart and body that gives her the opportunity to explore other men.

「I’m not going to sulk and let it happen though.」

If I get robbed, I just have to rob them back.

I’ll burst in there, kick the guy away and fuck Sekrit on the spot until she goes crazy.

I put my hand on the entrance and flung open the flap without saying anything.

「So you finally came. How long were you planning on making me wait?」

Sekrit is partially naked, with her lower half covered by her pants and her breasts boldly exposed, beads of sweat glistening against her dark skin.

The room was filled with stifling hot air and the smell of sex.

In the corner was a face I recognized ―― it belonged to the young boy soldier we captured during the battle in the fort who was covering his eyes and crying.

Traces of semen can be seen around his body and his penis, which was about the size of a finger, was red.

「It was my first time...... and for something like that...... to dig into me...... I can no longer be a groom......」

I look back at Sekrit and a sigh of relief escapes my lips.

「How confusing. I thought you were cheating on me.」

「I would have, except there are no good men here. Now come on, it’s been so long. Hurry up and fuck me.」

Sekrit throws off her pants and lays face-up on the bed.

I don’t simply climb on top of her, rather I pull her up by the arm, turn her around so I’m hugging her from behind and have her place her hands on the bed.

「Kukuku, this is going to be rough. Go ahead, I’ve already gotten myself ready.」

「Prepare yourself.」

I hold onto Sekrit’s shoulders and plunge deep inside her.

「「――――!!」」

Sekrit’s tight hole clenches around me while my firm tip and veiny rod rubs her insides, which prompts both of us to moan in pleasure.

We lose ourselves in the moment and indulge in various sex positions, building up to a massive orgasm, and that was when...

「......I got you now! Wah, how shameless...... I mean, prepare yourself――!!」

Not learning from her experience, Piris attacks me anyways.

Sekrit reacted, but in a split second realized Piris was carrying a spoon like last time, so Sekrit simply snickered and kissed me.

「Teei!」

Piris lunges with a cute cry, covering her eyes most likely due to embarrassment.

Her low strength combined with a tool like the spoon won’t hurt me no matter where it hits.

I keep my composure and continue swinging my hips.

「Hahaha, you can join us for an orgy if you want―― guooh!!」

Unexpectedly, I was hit with a familiar shock.

「I did it! I stabbed him! Hah, did you learn your lesson!?」

Piris’s spoon was stuck beautifully into my body.

More accurately, it was stuck into my asshole.

「Guuh...... and to think it was the flat end too.」

「Hey, what hap―― ku, kukuku!! Hahahaha! That’s hilarious! It’s nice and snug, huh?」

Don’t laugh Sekrit, and don’t twist the spoon Piris. What would you do if something disastrous happened?

Piris rejoices, I groan, Sekrit laughs and the young boy cries. How did things turn out this way?

「That was a bad time. My ass has been suffering lately.」

I gulp down the alcohol Sekrit pours for me.

Lots happened, but she seems to be satisfied enough for her mood to improve.

From outside, I hear words resembling a curse from Piris.

「Be patient. If I really wanted to, I would have taken your virginity.」

Her foul language gets twice as bad. Fine, I’ll leave her alone.

「Normally, she would be executed.」

As punishment for the abuse of my ass, Piris is being exposed outside.

With that said, she was simply tied on a box and her legs lifted up in such a way that her asshole is in plain sight.

I was initially going to take her virginity, but she shouted how she would rather bite her tongue.

She was left in a spot where soldiers frequently pass by so I’m sure many people have seen her by now. She should be fine since a “do not touch” sign was posted beside her and it’s summer, meaning she won’t freeze.

I’ll retrieve her after one hour is up.

「Geez, you’re too soft.」

Sekrit smiled as she laid spread-eagle on the bed, but returned to a serious expression after stroking my ass with her finger.

「......so, what’s with that one?」

My gaze shifts to the young boy in the corner of the room.

「You’re the one who brought him along. Geez...... I was surprised, I thought you were cheating.」

The boy turns red as he peeks bashfully at us.

「Kuku, it was for a little hobby of mine.」

For some reason, it feels like the boy’s eyes are focused on my crotch instead of Sekrit’s bare genitals and breasts.

「I don’t mean him. I’m talking about that.」

Selkrit jerks her chin to the opposite side.

「Observation of sexual intercourse, complete. Comparing to average data......reproductive liquid level: 8000%, genital size......error, re-calculating.」

Tikuku is sitting beside the bed.

Because she’s an automatic puppet, her presence is hard to detect.

「What’s wrong?」

I rub Tikuku’s forehead.

「Sleep mode continued for over 12 hours. Requesting further instructions.」

Fumu, I have no clue what to say.

「How about you stay by the headquarters and eliminate any enemy that approaches? You know who the enemy is, right?」

「Identification, possible. They are the forces naming themselves the South Yuguria Empire and their collaborators.」

Tikuku is supposedly meant for managerial duties, but from what I saw in the ruins, she also has combat capabilities.

Most importantly, she’s unbelievably durable and should come in handy if she stays in the headquarters.

Tikuku, seemingly satisfied, turns around and gets ready to exit the tent.

However, Sekrit places a hand on her shoulder.

「Please refrain from excessive touching.」

「Spewing stuff I don’t understand all this time......something about you has been bugging me ever since we met. You’re interested in my relationship with him, aren’t you? Is all that strange behavior your attempt at attracting his attention?」

Sekrit starts revealing her emotions, the alcohol helping to remove some of her usual inhibitions.

Tikuku appears to make eye contact with Sekrit, but she doesn’t answer, simply moving sideways and taking her shoulder away from Sekrit’s hand.

「You won’t even reply? Rude brat, maybe this will help you open up.」

The lack of reaction must have hit a nerve as Sekrit tugs on Tikuku’s cheek.

Quite some force was used and an ordinary girl would have screamed.

「Pleath revran vrom egzesive dowching.」

「Hey, Sekrit.」

「I’m disciplining her. Shut―― hyaah!?」

Tikuku’s head spun around three times to shake Sekrit off, which surprised her and caused her to fall on her ass.

That always shocks people who meet her for the first time. Wait, did that cute voice come from Sekrit just now?

「Y-you monster!」

Feeling embarrassed or angry, Sekrit hurls a wooden cup at Tikuku’s forehead.

Tikuku’s head vibrates slightly from the impact and she covers the spot she was hit with her hands like I usually see her doing.

「Stop!」

She’s going overboard, even if she’s drunk.

I had intended to physically restrain Sekrit as well, but Tikuku reached for her waist before I could move.

「Low intensity single-target defence, activate.」

「Guwah!」

Tikuku easily throws Sekrit and stands in front of her before she could recover.

「Bitch, now you’ve done it.」

Tikuku just happens to be in a position with her back toward me so I can’t see her face.

Sekrit, on the other hand, is furious and looks ready to retaliate.

「――deploying.」

「――!?」

The moment Tikuku muttered those words, Sekrit’s face warped with fear and she let out another cute squeal.

Sekrit wriggles on the ground until she reaches my feet.

「Where did you get this monster!? Her jaw split in half and the bottom half of her face transformed!!」

When Tikuku turned around, her lips were pursed like normal.

「I do not remember.」

「Sekrit, go to sleep. You drank too much.」

I lay Sekrit on the bed.

Tikuku also approached, looking off into the distance.

「I didn’t drink so much that I hallucinated! Tch, she hid it well...... is she actually a woman or a monster?」

Sekrit, while laying in bed, reaches her hand in between Tikuku’s legs.

Tikuku did not say anything and fell down towards Sekrit.

The sight of the small Tikuku resting on the larger Sekrit was almost like the aftermath of two lovers.

I don’t know what I’d do if they proceeded to make love.

I should stop them, but I want to admire the scene as well.

In reality, the mood was not as sweet as I had imagined.

「Gaaah!! You’re crushing me!! Get off!!」

Sekrit groans like a frog being squished.

I try to lift Tikuku up by her armpits but she doesn’t budge.

「What’s with this weight!?」

Tikuku is barely 150 cm tall...... thinking normally, she would be approximately 50 kg.

However, I can’t lift her no matter how much strength I exert.

At this rate, Sekrit will be flattened.

「Hrrngh!!」

I clench my teeth and tense up all the muscles in my body, and I’m finally able to move Tikuku.

Despite my best efforts, I was barely able to get her off.

Sweat drips from the side of my head as I support her with my nearly-spasming arms and slowly lower her to the ground.

「Haa...... haa......」

Sekrit pants heavily, exhausted from the struggle.

「Are you alright?」

「I thought my insides were going to squirt out...... did you see this monster’s true identity?」

Tikuku straightens the hem of her clothes and speaks.

「The skeleton and armor of the T-99 automatic puppet is made of Migurium alloy. Including the special internal equipment, the T-99 weights a total of 180 kg.」

「You’re...... kidding...... me......」

Sekrit slumps on the bed.

「Due to its unique purposes, the T-99 has superior durability and firepower compared to the new 100 series models.」

「Is that so......that’s pretty incredible.」

I’m also tired and not much of what she says is registering in my brain at this point.

「It is nothing when compared to the state-of-the-art 1000 series models, which use liquefied metal armor to improve their strength by leaps and bounds.」

I hear someone calling me from outside.

Sekrit has also fallen asleep, so I guess I’ll check it out.

「The 1000 series dispersed in various places during the final battle and six of their existing signals have been confirmed.」

Oops, I forgot I was naked. I better put on some clothes.

「Three of them restarted in response to the lockdown signal of the ruins. They are commencing activities to fulfill their original objectives――」

Waiting for me outside the tent were four charming ears.

–Third Person POV–

Tortoent – Within the fort. Outdoor Camp.

「「「A toast to Christoph!」」」

Cheers erupted in a corner of the South Yuguria camp..

「You’re amazing, fighting with the demon three times and surviving!」

「Not only surviving but to come out unscathed......it kinda smells though.」

「I hear that even General Maestus got injured. You’re above him!!」

As praise gets poured onto Christoph one after the other, he smiles sociably, laughs and accepts the wine cup.

However, that smile disappeared after the modest party ended.

As the rest of the members in the camp sleep in preparation for the battle that might start as early as next morning, Zillia whispers to Christoph.

「It must be hard for you, Christoph.」

「......yeah, it’s hard. Cow dung is nothing in comparison. The general was there and miss Celia was there......as my enemies.」

Zillia listens patiently, resting her head on Christoph’s shoulder.

「I pointed my sword at them even though they tried to reach out to me...... the general’s face at that time wasn’t angry or resentful, it was surprised. He probably never imagined me turning into the enemy.」

Zillia gently hugs Christoph’s chest.

Somewhat conscious of alerting those around her, she whispers a little softer.

「The higher-ups don’t have a grasp of the exact casualties in today’s battle yet. The command structure is also a mess. If you run now......they won’t know. I can come up with an excuse to tell the others in the squad. If you want to go back――」

Before she could complete her sentence, Christoph poses a question back at her.

「Will you be coming with me?」

Zillia’s eyes become wide briefly, and then she shakes her head slowly.

「I can’t. I’m a commander and I have to consider my parents and relatives. You were originally from that side―― nnmu!」

Christoph hugs Zillia and kisses her.

Zillia’s arms temporarily floated in the air, but quickly found their place around the man’s broad shoulders and neck.

Although the moment itself was fleeting, in the perspective of those two, the kiss felt like it lasted for a long long time.

Zillia could guess Christoph’s answer.

「I’m not going. I’m not leaving without you.」

「I see...... honestly, I wouldn’t know what to do if you said you’ll leave. I might have cried and pleaded for you not to go.」

After poking Christoph’s forehead with her nose, Zillia takes off her shirt.

「Zillia?」

「......」

Following her shirt, she also removes her pants and even underwear, shyly casting her eyes downward as she covers her precious places with her hands.

「You understand, right?」

「Yeah......」

Seeing Christoph stand up with heavy breathing, Zillia closes her eyes and drops her hands.

A subdued wet noise could be heard, but not loud enough to wake anybody.

About two minutes go by.

「......hey, you’re not ready yet?」

「Almost...... alright, done.」

Zillia closes her eyes again as Christoph reaches around her back.

When the man’s hand touches the woman’s soft skin, Zillia flinches.

「Ah, cold! What are you doing!?」

「What do you mean, you wanted me to wipe down your body, right? A man like me would bathe his entire body, but that probably won’t work for you. Don’t worry, I’ve covered my eyes with a towel! I just need you to come close so I can wipe you......」

The naked Zillia stared blankly for some time before she heaved an extended sigh and let herself be cleaned.

「You’re a virgin, aren’t you?」

「Y-you’re wrong!! How old do you think I am!?」

「Do you actually have experience outside of prostitutes?」

After teasing him, Zillia quickly resumes a serious tone.

「If you see the demon, run. Your feelings aside, you’re considered a traitor from their perspective and they’ll definitely kill you next time. You’re weak, so if the opponent actually tries, you’ll be cut to pieces.」