kscans

Chapter 89 - The Kingdom and a Reunion

We arrived in the Kingdom five days later. On our way back by ship, we were attacked by the fish-men, forcing us to turn back and set sail again the next day. ...We were a day late. This journey has been nothing but trouble. Still, it wasn't all bad. I had set out to train, after all, so a lack of incidents would have been a problem in itself. But it's all about frequency. When things happen this consecutively, it really starts to wear you down. I'd say part of the reason we returned to the Kingdom was to change our mindset, even though the main goal was to draw a teleportation circle.

With that, I took off my full set of armor and changed into my work clothes. I'm something of a celebrity here, so I didn't want to stand out. Tina seemed to have the same idea; she had shed her armor and was now wearing a one-piece dress she'd bought in the Republic. We loaded our gear onto the cart and put it in a box to keep it out of sight.

...In a word, the town looked normal. I had heard it was half-destroyed, but it was almost completely restored. ...I suppose that makes sense. It's been ten days since then. If people put their minds to it, rebuilding isn't out of the question.

...Still, what was with that monster attack?

We went into a tavern. The sea voyage had tired us out a bit, so we were having a drink. Inside, a slightly drunk middle-aged man spoke up.

"Hey, hey, young fella. You heard about the incident that half-destroyed this town?"

"...Just rumors," I replied. "Something about a monster attack..."

"That's right," the man said. "It was sudden. A half-man, half-horse monster suddenly attacked from the town entrance. That thing went on a rampage, destroying everything in sight. Of course, the soldiers and adventurers fought back, but they were no match for it. After a while, it just disappeared. What was left was a half-destroyed town. The statues of the heroes who saved this place were smashed to bits. Everyone was sad and listless."

"...But after a while, the Princess and her party showed up. ...The Princess said this to everyone:

'Anyone can feel sad and hurt. But this town was once attacked by a Kraken and suffered a similar tragedy. The tragedy was averted thanks to the efforts of the adventurers who appeared then. Now, you are all thinking, 'Someone, please help us.' Why don't you say it out loud? Is the Kingdom, is the King, so cruel as to ignore the wishes of the people? Of course not! Even now, the soldiers are rebuilding, yet you do nothing. Do you think a helping hand will come to those who do not act themselves?!'"

"...When I heard those words, I felt ashamed of myself. I had seen the soldiers working, but I just thought it was their job and did nothing. ...After hearing the Princess's words, one by one, people stood up and helped with the reconstruction. ...And now, as you can see, it's back to normal. ...Glory to the Princess! ...Or something like that."

He raised his cup and took a drink.

...I never thought the Princess could give such a speech. Depending on how you heard it, it could have provoked a backlash, but perhaps because of her past achievements, the people took it as a sermon and acted on it. It seems she has quite a bit of popular support. ...Perhaps the Kingdom will see the birth of a rare queen.

...Or so I thought.

We left the tavern and the town. It was morning, too early to stay the night. There were statues at the town entrance. ...I thought there was no need to rebuild them, but I left without saying anything.

After a while, I steered the cart towards the city of Alum. ...Come to think of it, I haven't been to the cities in the Church or the Republic. ...I'll think about it when I get to the Empire.

The journey was smooth. We were attacked by monsters and bandits along the way, but we repelled them all.

...With nothing particularly unusual happening, we were just a little ways from the city. Just then, I sensed a presence from the forest. ...The presence of a strong warrior. We became cautious. What emerged was a large man holding a great axe in one hand and his prey in the other.

...A very familiar face.

"...Shinsuke? ...Tina? ...You guys are back?"

It was Bardos.

"...Hey, long time no see," I said, greeting our old friend. "...You look well."

"...What's this? It's been, what, a month since you left?" Bardos replied. "...You guys look good too. ...Is it over?"

"...No, I came back to take care of some business," I explained. "...I'll be leaving again soon."

"...Business?"

I told him everything that had happened: the Saint's Church, the Republic, the various incidents there... and the reason I had returned.

...After hearing everything, Bardos said with a disappointed look, "...Sounds like you had a lot of fun. ...I really should have gone."

"...But it's impossible," he added, lost in thought. "...I can't just leave Leona behind."

"...You've changed a lot," I said. "...You used to be all about fighting. ...Now you're a man living for his wife, huh?"

"...Knock it off," Bardos said, scratching his head. "...I know it's not my style."

He seemed quite embarrassed. We all smiled a little.

...Just then, I asked, "...Speaking of which, I hear the Empire is full of monsters. ...Did you ever think about living there, Bardos?"

"...Oh, right, I didn't tell you," Bardos replied. "...I'm originally from the Empire."

"...What? From the Empire?" Tina asked. "...Why did you come to the Kingdom?"

I shared her sentiment. Why would a battle maniac leave a battlefield where he belonged for a peaceful country? What happened?

...Bardos explained, "...Sure, when I was in the Empire, there were a lot of monsters, and it was a good place for me to live. ...But five years ago, the Second Princess built something. ...An arena."

"She wanted to show people up close what it's like to fight monsters, to make them understand how dangerous it is. ...But the reality was different. ...The people fighting the monsters were criminals. ...If they won, they were pardoned. If they lost, they died. ...It was just an execution ground."

"...Some of the commoners found it unpleasant, but even more of them enjoyed it. ...I was filled with disgust. ...I left the Empire right then. ...I came to the Kingdom because I wanted to get as far away as possible. I came here through the forest on the border, near the mountains."

He told us his story.

"...And yet you offered to travel with me?" I asked.

"...It's true that it sounded interesting," Bardos admitted. "...I thought it would only be a temporary visit to the Empire. ...Are you planning on moving there?"

"I don't plan on moving, but I intend to live there for a while," I replied. "...But hearing your story makes me sick. ...Is it really such a cruel country?"

Sensing my irritation, Bardos said, "...It's a bit of a cold country, but it's not a heartless place. ...The Emperor may have spent his youth on the battlefield, but he doesn't neglect his country. ...Even five years ago, he was focusing on policies to improve the people's lives. ...The First Princess built an orphanage and does volunteer work, she's active."

"...The one who's strange is the Second Princess. That one loves to fight. ...Unlike me, she doesn't fight herself, just watches from on high. ...She's a real piece of work."

He spat the words out.

...I see. So, the one to be wary of is the Second Princess.

"...Thanks, Bardos," I said. "...That was good to know."

Bardos smiled a little. "...Be careful."

He gave me one last warning. I nodded silently, and Tina did the same. We parted ways with Bardos and headed to my house.

It was evening. I drew a teleportation circle in front of the house and went inside. We decided to stay the night and head to the Saint's Church the next day.

I checked the several books hidden under the floorboards. One was 'How to Go to Another World.' The others were foreign books with similar content. I couldn't leave them on Earth. Especially since I didn't think that president would just give up. I returned to Earth just in case, but there were no listening devices planted. Relieved, I returned to the other world.

...After dinner and finishing up some chores, Tina was dressed in her green armor.

"...Are you sure?" I asked. "...I'm not really in the mood for that today."

"...That's precisely why," Tina replied. "...If you go to the Empire feeling like this, and something happens, you'll prioritize your emotions. ...To prevent that, you need to be your usual self. ...Tonight, you can do as you please. ...I will accept anything."

She said, spreading her arms wide. Her face showed a hint of anxiety, but her resolve seemed firm.

...Seeing that, I felt a flicker of excitement. To have my way with a resolute female knight.

...I locked the door and windows so no one could see inside. ...I brought out a cross-shaped rack from the storage room. I bound Tina's hands and feet with iron fetters, immobilizing her.

"...Are you ready, Tina?" I asked. "...I'm starting."

"...Please be a little gentle," Tina murmured, her face blushing.

Those words sent my reason flying. I kissed her forcefully, my tongue entering her mouth. After a deep kiss, a thin thread of saliva connected us as we parted. Then, I touched every inch of her body, my hands slipping through the gaps in her armor to tickle her. She tried to endure it, but she couldn't hold back her laughter. I didn't stop, my fingers moving in a frenzy. After a while, seeing Tina in slight agony, I stopped. She was breathing heavily, tears streaming down her face.

I licked them away. "...Delicious."

At my words, Tina turned beet red and looked down. I then smelled her armpits, her crotch, her hands and feet. Tina's scent wafted even through her armor, mixing with the scent of her clothes, exciting me even more.

From there, it was a night of SM driven by pure desire. I brought out a whip, changed the property of her armor from aluminum to iron, and struck it. I only hit the armor, not her bare skin. ...Even with her permission, I couldn't bring myself to hurt her. ...Still, for Tina, it was terrifying. Each time I swung the whip, she squeezed her eyes shut and endured.

...After that, I did everything I could think of. Before I knew it, three hours had passed. Tina was exhausted, completely limp. I liked this situation too, but I knew I couldn't push it any further. I returned her armor to its original property, released her from her restraints, and laid her on the bed.

...I was about to sleep in the adjacent bed when Tina said in a sweet voice, "...Please sleep with me tonight."

Excited once again, I slept with her.

The night passed, and the morning sun rose. I woke up, but Tina next to me was still asleep in her armor. ...Yesterday was pretty intense. Feeling she was tired, I prepared breakfast. By the time I was done, Tina was awake, and we ate together.

After we finished, we prepared our gear and activated the teleportation circle. Our destination: the Saint's Church. In an instant, we arrived in the forest of the church from my house. We left the cart there and headed for the church.

The town was peaceful; it seemed nothing had happened. ...As we walked, I found a stable and peeked inside. There were ordinary horses, of course, but also horses with one or two horns. ...Unicorns? I thought, and asked Tina.

"...They are indeed unicorns," she explained. "...Where you're from, Shinsuke, they say only a pure maiden can ride one, but here it's different. ...If they acknowledge someone, they will let even a man ride them. ...They are said to be three times faster than an ordinary horse. ...The knights often use them."

...I see. So, there are similar animals, but the details are different. As I was thinking this, a voice called from behind.

"...Shinsuke? Tina? ...You're here?"

I turned around to see Altorine.

"...Long time no see," I said. "...How have you been? ...You look kind of tired."

"...Well, yes," Altorine replied with a sigh. "...Things are pretty chaotic in the Empire right now, so we've been in meetings day after day discussing our future actions."

"...?" I said. "...Chaotic?"

"...The Emperor has been assassinated."

The news was shocking.