Chapter 258 – Academy Arc (31) – Ishiz’S Proxy
259. Academy Arc (31) – Ishiz’s Proxy
Evening, after the sun had set, in the mansion’s dining room.
‘Wow…’
So many dishes laid out before me. Literally, the wide table was laden with all sorts of delicious food. From meat to seafood, and even fresh salads. I’d eaten plenty of good food back in my general store days, but that was just good home-style cooking. The meals of a well-off count’s daughter were definitely on a different level.
She might have prepared even more because of me. This was the first time I’d stayed this late.
Charlotte was at the head of the table, and I was sitting closest to her, eating. It wasn’t exactly an intimate setting for just the two of us; two maids were standing by to serve us. They occasionally glanced my way, exchanging knowing smiles, and when I looked closely, I realized they were the two I’d brainwashed before. They were the ones who seemed to be heavily involved in and influencing Charlotte’s sex life.
‘Is this shrimp? Look at the plating.’
The combination of high-quality ingredients and spices was exquisite. I’d heard that Edmund’s family was involved in the spice trade, now under the economic control of the Allton family, so maybe some of this came from there. I continued eating, lost in these trivial thoughts. Charlotte was watching me with a pleased expression.
“How is it? I hope our chefs’ cooking suits your taste.”
“It’s incredibly delicious. I’m not lying, I don’t think I’ve ever had food this good before.”
“Hehe. Is that so?”
Charlotte delicately cut the food on her plate with a knife.
Then, she spoke softly.
“…This time isn’t so bad either, is it?”
“Yes…”
The look in Charlotte’s eyes was very different from the lustful gaze she’d had before. I felt a little uneasy inside. It wasn’t like we were in a relationship where she was keeping me locked up and raising me, or a relationship of worship, adultery, or pet training. It was still depraved, but at least it wasn’t tied to the same taboo keywords as before.
In other words, it was highly likely that Charlotte was considering me as a romantic partner.
“………………Mmm♥”
Otherwise, she wouldn’t be shooting hearts out of her eyes like that. I felt a pang of guilt at the thought of betraying her expectations… But, well, I’d already slept with too many women to go down the pure love route. Come to think of it, I still had to get Ferris.
‘Ferris, huh…’
The main culprit behind trying to destroy the Baron family.
Trisha’s neck had almost been cut off by an assassin she sent, but I didn’t have a huge aversion to Ferris. From Ferris’s perspective, it was a business approach to expand her influence, and my using her favor to hide behind Charlotte’s skirts wasn’t much different. The level of depravity was different, but it was still about aversion.
In fact, trying to walk a tightrope between two count families who hated each other was absurd. It was the same even if I tried to hypnotize those around me to cause an incident. It wasn’t like I hadn’t thought about it, but if I made too big of a mess, the goddesses would scold me for causing chaos in the kingdom.
Moreover, Ferris had a very black-and-white personality. When she realized I was getting too close to Charlotte, she immediately turned me into a target of vigilance. As a result, my relationships with my seniors had become strained, creating a strange wall between us. Many undergraduates ignored me or didn’t try to talk to me much. That was proof of how much control Ferris had over the swordsmanship department.
Well, she had personally tried to recruit me, and when she didn’t get the answer she wanted, she must have been displeased. I remembered her giving me a cold glare when I accompanied Charlotte’s group on the last dungeon raid.
‘Is Charlotte enough for now?’
I pondered this as I dipped my meat.
…………
We had a couple more meetings in a short period of time. As our lewd encounters continued, we naturally began to crave a deeper relationship. I had been worried about contraception, and Charlotte had somehow been avoiding the topic, so I had been quietly going along with it. But today, she was unusually proactive.
“Mmm, mmm. Uh-huh, uh-huh…♥ Aah…♥”
Charlotte’s face melted as we shared a sweet kiss, as usual. I thought the time was ripe, so I broke the kiss and spoke softly to Charlotte, who was standing before me. I gently wrapped my arms around her waist.
“Charlotte, I think it’s time for me to…”
“Huh? Ah…”
As we embraced, our groins touched through our clothes. Charlotte flinched for a moment. I was about to proceed with some simple caresses, but Charlotte suddenly pulled away and backed up.
“…I guess you’re not ready for that yet.”
“N-no, it’s not that. I mean… I have something to say too.”
Charlotte looked hesitant, as if she had something to say. Then, she quietly began to share her thoughts.
“Actually, I’ve been worried for the past few days about whether we should keep meeting like this. Especially recently. I was afraid my mother might find out. She’s very sensitive about my surroundings… You could say she’s extremely overprotective.”
“Your mother is…”
“…My mother is the greatest archmage in the kingdom. Perhaps due to genetics, my younger sibling and I also had exceptional magical talent. Because of that, we’ve always lived as model students, trying not to disappoint our mother. So, what’s happening between Raul and me is actually… unimaginable. B-but…”
Charlotte gently stroked the strand of hair falling down her face as she continued slowly.
“But with Raul… I think… I might be okay with going all the way… I wanted to say that first. So… yeah…”
Her lips moved adorably.
“O-okay.”
“Charlotte!”
“Mmm…! Please let go of my hand for a moment. I don’t like it on the sofa.”
“Then, in your room?”
“…I don’t think it’s a good idea in the mansion. There are too many eyes, and it would be troublesome if our relationship was discovered yet…”
It seemed she wanted her first time to be special. Hidden beneath her lewdness, Charlotte had a genuine pure side.
So, we decided to arrange a secret rendezvous at a later time and place. If we went into the city, we could find a place somehow. I should scout out a good location in advance.
…………
…………
“………………….”
Somewhere in Tellamis, the capital of the Glyschen Kingdom.
A woman was relaxing in her room, sitting leisurely on a chair. The room itself wasn’t luxurious but had a barracks-like atmosphere, though most of the interior and materials were high-end.
She was over 180cm tall.
She wore leather armor, gauntlets, and greaves, but it was impossible to completely hide her healthy, feminine curves.
Her sharp gaze seemed capable of making even ferocious beasts flinch, and most notably, her blood-red long hair, tied back in a simple ponytail, stood out. It wasn’t neatly tied, and it looked like it would fly like a mane if she ran even a little.
Armion, the proxy of the mid-level god Ishiz.
She was currently staying at one of her mansions. Armion was financially well-off, so she had bases like this in major locations. She had received the title of Marquis in the Bahin Kingdom, but it was essentially an honorary title. She had no territory but received considerable financial support. The kingdom treated her as an important figure because she had been subjugating dangerous high-level monsters. There had been attempts to entice her further, but Armion preferred to operate independently, hence this unique arrangement.
If she revealed that she was a proxy of a mid-level god, she would probably be treated even more respectfully. However, her patron god, Ishiz, wasn’t the type to let her proxy make a fuss on the ground using her name. In fact, rather than a style, it was more about damage control. If a major incident involving a proxy occurred on the ground, it would be the patron god’s responsibility.
For this reason, a proxy was just a tool for Ishiz to look good to her superior, Illisia. In other words, they were used to deal with the fragments of the demon gods scattered across the ground, nothing more, nothing less. Of course, it wasn’t that Ishiz was particularly ruthless. Other mid-level gods did the same. Besides, she was being taken care of to some extent. After all, she was relaxing comfortably in this nice mansion.
Armion had been residing in the Bahin Kingdom but had come to the Glyschen Kingdom on Ishiz’s orders. She was a famous sword master known throughout the major kingdoms, a reputation that was exceptional. Since there was no national hostility, she easily met with a central administrator. After some conversations, including paperwork, she was able to claim the right to arrest an academy student from the academy director. She also handed over a hefty sum as a lubricant for smooth communication.
Armion looked at the scroll on the table, recalling her conversation with Ishiz.
[Did you understand roughly?]
[Are you talking about the proxy of another goddess?]
[Yes, she’s just a proxy of a low-level god, so don’t worry about it.]
[Then… should I understand that as an order to kill them?]
[If possible. You handle that part flexibly. Maim them, do whatever you can within reason.]
Ishiz had added that the other god was of a lower rank, emphasizing that she could handle any situation. When she first heard the story, Armion had a question and quietly pondered it.
She didn’t know many proxies, but they usually just went about their business. This was the first time she had seen such open hostility. She didn’t usually question things, but she couldn’t help but have a question mark in her head. Ishiz, seeing her strange expression, answered her curiosity.
[You must be curious, the proxy you’re going to deal with is a male.]
[A… male, you say?]
[Strange, isn’t it? Well, just know that someone popped up and did something to displease me. It’s a good opportunity to teach the juniors some manners.]
[Hmm.]
As far as Armion knew, all proxies were female. She didn’t know the reason why, but after hearing that, she understood that someone had done something to displease her. The only thing she didn’t know was that there was a power struggle even among the goddesses.
[Even if a fight breaks out, your skills should be enough to crush them. But if it really gets dangerous, you can secretly use divine power.]
[Hehe. I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.]
Even in a fight between proxies, it was said that divine power shouldn’t be used. But what did it matter? She was so strong, and the opponent was just a proxy of a low-level god. She had always been at the forefront, cutting down thousands of monsters. Her practical experience was second to none. According to her patron god, even if that male proxy was exceptional, she was confident that he wouldn’t be stronger than her.
Armion finished recalling the memory and returned to the real world.
‘Hmph… It’s been a while since I’ve seen human blood.’
Her eyes flashed cruelly for a moment.
Soon, the butler informed her that the horse was ready, and Armion rose from her chair.
If she left now, it wouldn’t take long to reach her destination.
