Chapter 75: ...To The Land Of The Myriad Kings III & IV (2/2)

In this situation, I’ll feel ill at ease at being treated as a guest among people who are fighting.

「What an eccentric thing to say. There’s nothing to gain from serving a king who is searching for a place to die, you know?」

「That doesn’t matter. For adventurers, the things we experience are our treasures. I want to watch over your battles as one of your vassals」

To tell the truth, it's just my preference.

Is it because of Rana that I’ve become so greedy, I wonder?

「Your Majesty, I want a subordinate. If he gets in the way or tries to betray us, I'll kill him. Or rather, just like me, this guy simply wants to become your vassal because Your Majesty is strong」

Regure gave her support.

「Your Majesty, I’m against it. If this guy wants to become your vassal, then he’ll have to work. I don't think he's good for anything」

Zamonglass opposed.

「Hmm, it’s divided, I see. Then, I’ll give you my reply. Souya, I’ll take you in as a vassal. Since the sword for swearing oaths is in the royal castle, it cannot be done officially. Like the other two, there is nothing to prove your identity or your position other than my words. Therefore, until the moment of my death, I’ll allow you to serve me as a vassal」

His Majesty pulled out his great-sword.

It was a thick, long, and large sword with a width of 30 cm and a total length of 150 cm. Its blade was made of a blackish material that was unmistakably Rmir steel.

I knelt and a sword that would be priced at 4,000 gold coins in Lemuria was placed on my shoulder.

「The sixteenth monarch of the Kingdom of Ashtalia, one of the Myriad Kings, Ra・Dainsleif・Riog・Ashtalia appoints you. Adventurer Souya, I’m the foolish king of a dying country, but I’ll allow you to serve me」

「I’ll gladly lay down my life in service to you」

「I won't allow that」

I was rejected for an unexpected reason.

「From this point forward, I won't allow you to die before me. If you die, I’ll kill the god of the netherworld and bring you back to this world. That’s really quite a hassle. It would make things difficult in a lot of ways. Therefore, don't die」

Ahh, I see. It’s because he’s this kind of person that I’m enthralled by him. He’s got me beat, he fits perfectly.

「Understood. I’ll be sure to follow that order」

「That’s good」

He lifted the sword off my shoulders and the oath was made right there.

<...To The Land Of The Myriad Kings IV>

For some reason, I didn’t feel despair.

It was probably due to the mythical battle that I had witnessed. My body was trembling. My insides felt hot, like I had drank fire.

However, that heat had cooled by the time I lay down to sleep in the small tent that I had borrowed. It wasn’t just cold, the temperature was probably below zero.

I might not survive the night with just one blanket. Freezing to death would be such a pathetic way to kick the bucket.

My teeth chattered from the cold.

「Hey~, are you asleep?」

「I, I'm awa, wake」

After calling out to me, Regure opened the tent flap unreservedly. The cold air that rushed into the tent cut like a knife.

「His Majesty told me to check in on you」

A blanket-wrapped Regure came into the tent. She slipped under my blanket.

「What are you doing?」

「His Majesty said that someone from the right continent probably can’t stand the cold of this land. Be grateful」

She slid one hand under my shirt.

「You're really cold」

「You’re really warm」

Regure’s body was as warm as a hot water bottle. Despite the fact that it was this cold, she was even sweating lightly.

「That’s because I drank fire liquor that’s meant for beastkin. I’ll be hot until morning」

「Can you give me some of that too?」

「I can, but a normal Hemu will pass out after drinking it, you know? You’ll have a headache so bad that you’ll be unable to move for three days」

「Alright, I don’t want any after all」

「It's a custom in this land to give a beastkin woman this liquor and use her for warmth」

「What a wonderful custom」

To all the forefathers of the left continent, thank you very much.

「Take off your clothes yourself. I can’t move my dominant hand very well」

「Oh, okay」

I took off my shirt and pants and threw them outside the blanket. She drew close and entwined her naked body around mine. She was very hot. Even though it was an emergency, I felt a little guilty.

I think Rana probably won't get angry, but Lanseal might be scary.

「So, how do you like it?」

Regure put her arms around my neck.

「What do you mean?」

「What are you, a virgin?」

「I, I'm not」

I’m not!

「Then do you prefer guys?」

「I don’t. I'm a married man, after a fashion」

「Could it be that you’re one of those social outcasts who marry beastkin?」

「No, my wife is an elf」

「Married to an elf, you say? It’s not a delusion? You’re serious?」

「I'm serious」

「In that case, one or two beastkin is even less of a problem, isn’t it?」

Elves practice polygamy after all.

「After watching His Majesty's battle, I’ve become so stirred up that I can’t stand it, so don’t give it a second thought. Men shouldn’t kick up a fuss. Once it goes in and out, a person’s character will be revealed. Let’s just do it once first」[2]

She straddled me.

With a predatory look, she licked her lips.

「Umm, I’ll feel guilty towards Shuna, so becoming any more intimate than this is a bit……」

「Huh……………… What?」

Regure’s face tensed up.

If she’s the kind of person Shuna thinks she is, then I don’t think she’s a bad person at heart. Just this situation alone is already something I can’t let Shuna know about though.

Regure lay down next to me, and then pressed up against me.

「Why do you know his name? Did you hear it from the old man?」

「Shuna is a member of my party. I’ve heard a lot about you from him」

「………him」

Regure murmured something in a barely audible voice.

Which suddenly became a very loud voice.

「You can never tell him! Forget everything! I’ll do anything if you do!」

Her face was bright red and she was close to tears.

「No, I won’t say a word. If I say something like, “I slept with the person who taught you the sword,” the party will break apart」

「NOOOooooo! I mean, that guy! With extremely sparkly eyes, he said, “I’ll raise your fame, teacher!” and left on a journey! And then, for that very teacher to straddle such a cheap guy in a place like this, oh, it’s no good, I can never tell him. I’d rather die than have him find out! Or better yet, I’ll kill you!」

It looked to me like a scene of a wife being caught cheating.

「I told you I won’t say anything. Shuna is important to me too. Just the current situation where the teacher he admires and I are hugging each other naked may get me cut down」

「I’m going back」

Literally running off like a hare[3], Regure went out of the tent.

She immediately returned and slid back under the blanket.

「No, I’ll bind you to secrecy after all」

「Like I said, I won’t say a word」

「Wait, wait, wait」

Regure pressed her hot body against mine.

「On second thought, you’ll also be troubled if he finds out, won’t you? Hmm? If you don’t want me to tell Shuna, then do it with me. ………Ah, let’s forget it after all. Somehow, I’ve cooled off and lost interest. What am I doing with such an insignificant man, I wonder? I’m going to sleep」

Regure curled up, laying her head near my ribs. Her ears were also completely covered by the blanket. I changed posture and hugged her from the side.

Even though her hot body is so small, she’s probably several hundred times stronger than me.

First off, I’ll be careful to not let Shuna grow up to become like her…….

Frankly, I don't feel sleepy at all because of the time difference. It’s late at night on the left continent, but it’s only four o'clock in the afternoon on the right continent.

When I close my eyes, His Majesty's battle comes to my mind. I remember it vividly. I can feel the excitement in my body. This is a fever that makes a person forgets everything.

But I’m definitely going home. To the right continent, to the camp, to Rana. As long as I don’t forget that, I’m still, no――

[1] There are myriad ways to say “I” in Japanese, like “ore(俺)”, “boku(僕)” and so on. Ashtalia uses “foolish person(愚生)” to refer to himself the entire time, which is usually used in formal letters and so on, and is a humble albeit uncommon way to address oneself. In his case though, he uses that probably because he thinks of himself as foolish.

[2] Sob, (//ω//) why you do this to me, author…… It’s a feast of double meanings, and what you’ve read is the family friendlier interpretation. Yes, no kidding. First sentence, the word “stirred up” can be “aroused”, second sentence is actually not dirty, it’s a reference to his teeth chattering, third sentence, “you’ll know a person’s endurance(you know, during the deed)”.

[3] The literal translation of the phrase used here is “like an escaping rabbit”, and it means “as fast as one can” or “at lightning speed”. And there is an equivalent idiom in English, which is what I used, but downside is that it says hare instead of rabbit…

A king who fits Souya’s preferences perfectly, as well as Irvin and Shuna’s teachers. And before this arc is over, it’ll be revealed that the king himself has connections to people Souya knows as well. So many connections, huh?

Muhaha, was Regure “the Graceful” what you had pictured? In a lot of ways, poor Shuna lol. Yeah, the arm she cut off in the story Irvin told in vol 2 has been reattached, but it seems like it doesn’t work as well anymore. But ffs, I thought Tyutyu’s scene was bad, but author had skirted around the most racy stuff for that. This scene, with Regure’s naughty way of speaking and all these euphemisms, is MUCH worse because I have to explain them…

By the way, the time difference seems like an unimportant thing that is there to add flavor and realism, doesn’t it? (･ω<)

Anyway, hope you’ve been enjoying the consecutive double releases, but super long chapter next time, so unfortunately, I’ll have to cut it into two. With that, stay tuned for more of Souya’s adventures in an unfamiliar land with not-so-unfamiliar people! And frogs!