The Incubus King of Holy Sword Academy (WN): Chapter 7

 

Chapter 7: Creeping in the Dark

 Outside the walls of the royal capital of Yggdrasil, vast fields of wheat fill the stomachs of its citizens. In the fifth month of the new year, the tips of wheat grow heavy, and as far as the eye can see, a carpet of green is spread over the hills, fields, and lowlands of the riverbanks. At dawn, the sun, blue sky, and great white clouds appear, powerfully awakening all who visit the royal capital.

 On the southern horizon, the people give thanks for the bountiful harvests, looking beyond to the great blue tree towering over the mountain of the royal capital.

 Yggdrasil's winter is over and summer has arrived.

 × × ×

 Almost no one enters the northern wilderness outside the walls of the royal capital.

 The wheat fields end a few dozen kilometers from the capital, and beyond that lies the beastman kingdom made entirely of sand and gravel. Travelers from the north have been using the port more and more in recent years, and it has fallen out of the development plans of the royal bureaucracy.

 A scout-like man was running along the rocky, empty beastman road, his footsteps were silent.

 He covered his mouth with a cloth to obscure his appearance, but he seemed to have dropped his hat somewhere. His pointed ears protrude from his hair―― an elf.

 The elves were one of the seven demon races that followed the "Demon King of Chaos" a hundred years ago.

 After the Demon King was defeated by the Hero of Light, Lou, most of them were driven out as their forests were burned down or forced to go to the desert to become night robbers or were kept as pets by the light races.

"Chief!"

 The man who had jumped into the ruins of the wilderness, an encampment of crumbling brick walls and crude, simple tents, removed the mask from around his mouth and called out to the dark-skinned male elf who was in front of the bonfire.

"It seems the Holy Sword has dropped another pseudo-holy seed!"

"......I see."

 The elf in front of the bonfire slowly retracts his hand.

 The man, dressed in a thick northern coat, turns to the man returning from his scouting mission.

"Again, has the abominable evil sword that killed us been born?"

"No, the pseudo-holy sword has not yet been created. There was a duel, and Setanta Lou lost. Gwendolyn Helson has not yet swallowed the seed of the Holy Sword!"

"Who has the seed of the pseudo-holy sword?"

"It's Christopher Soderholm!"

 The scout holds up a bundle of papers―― a newspaper.

 The man looked as if he were biting a bitter bug.

 The vertical cut across his cheek was distorted.

"The [Hero of the North]....... The man who is considered to be Lancelot's successor. The slave of the abominable god who slaughtered our fellow demon, Surt! Is this an imitation of the [Hero of Light] as the lore goes? Is he going to gather the seven sacred swords and this time exterminate us demons? Shit!"

"What now, Gilsanas?"

 The muscular elf beside the elf with the cut on his cheek makes a troubled face.

 The man called Gilsanas clenched his fists as he looked around at the elves who had been listening to the conversation at the encampment.

"We will collect the seeds of the pseudo-holy sword! We will get it before the pseudo-holy sword is born and smash it to pieces. But that is not the end. Our goal is the original. If the original holy sword is not shattered, the sword will continue to drop its seed forever. The slaughter against us will never end."

"Fufu, it looks like things are about to get messy again, Gilsanas."

 The voice that echoed unexpectedly was an eerie mixture of a low, middle-aged male voice, a young child, and a voice reminiscent of a beautiful woman.

 Gilsanas, the leader of the elves, looked back toward the crumbling brick wall where the voice had come from.

"White Knight."

“Fufu, it’s been a while.”

 The one who was called white knight was, as the name suggests, a man or a woman who was wrapped in magnificent white armor. Two red lights shine through the white knight's helmet, and one can see, there is something that is not human inside the armor.

 The White Knight flips its red cloak and walks in a majestic manner toward Gilsanas.

"...!" "Chief, please stand back!" "Stay away from us, White Knight. We do not yet consider you as one of our own."

“I didn’t come here to get into a fight. I'm just here to give you information. So please don't be so alarmed."

"Don't be alarmed? At least take off that helmet first!"

"Wait, everyone. Let's hear what the white knight has to say first."

 Gilsanas looked around at the others and turned to the White Knight.

“You said that you would provide us with information, right? Is that information useful to us? We already know that the seed of the pseudo-holy sword [The sacred sword that takes magic and slays fairies] is in the hands of the hero of the north."

"Ah, that information. I'm sure you've read about it in this morning's newspaper, no. ――I'm here to tell you something else. I've found out about this month's extracurricular activities at Holy Sword Academy."

"Extracurricular activities?"

“Yeah, once a month, the academy asks its students to perform service activities. The activities vary widely, but since the academy is a military academy and the students are generally from noble families who are responsible for military affairs, they are often involved in defeating bandits and magical beasts or conquering dungeons. Do you understand? Setanta and the others will be leaving the royal capital, which is heavily guarded."

 The White Knight's armor clattered and takes out several bundles of paper before continuing.

"This year's freshmen will be divided into three classes. I don't know which class Setanta will be assigned to yet, but I have identified the activities that will be assigned to each class. Here it is. I've included the details on this piece of paper. It comes with a colored map. Take it."

"Ooh! You mean, Setanta Lou and his wives."

"Yes. You have the opportunity to kill or capture Setanta Lou and his wives. Given that there are substitutes for Setanta, it would be better to capture them and brainwash them or disguise yourselves like the real ones."

 Hearing the White Knight's words, Gilsanas clenched his fists.

"I see, if we took the place of the hero, there's a high chance that we'll be able to get closer to the original Holy Sword!

"That's how it is."

"Thank you, White Knight!"

 Gilsanas opens his hands and smiles broadly.

 The White Knight laughed and turned its back on the elves.

"I'll support you guys when I feel like it. ――Oh, don't worry about the pseudo-holy sword seed. The one who was holding it didn't seem to be interested in the seed, so if you negotiate with him or whatever, he'll easily give them to you."

"It was the hero of the North who have it, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

 The White Knight laughed softly.

“An incompetent man banished to a northern monastery by Surt. He was set up by Count Netzel and his land were confiscated. He was only able to take Surt's head because of Lancelot. It is nothing to be feared."

"Is that so?"

 Without another word to Gilsanas, who raised his eyebrows, the White Knight disappeared behind a brick wall. The elves, after seeing the White Knight disappear like a haze, all flocked to the bundle of papers in Gilsanas's hand.

"Map! This red circle is the area where 'extracurricular activities' are held!"

"There are three areas. We should make traps in all three places. And once we know Setanta Lou's class, we will concentrate our forces on that area!"

 Every one of the elves' eyes sparkled.

 Living in hiding in the wilderness is a heavy mental burden.

 They all wanted a chance to vent their frustrations.

"Gilsanas, do you believe the information the White Knight gave?"

 Only one, a muscular elf calmly whispered into Gilsanas's ear.

"I don't see why he would betray us. If he was trying to set us up, he wouldn't have to go through all this trouble."

“…………”

"Everyone, please listen. We need to move fast. I will now assign divisions. Each of you will move to your assigned area and prepare yourselves!"

 At the sound of Gilsanas' voice, everyone in the room responded emphatically, "Ooohh!"

 The future of elves is open.

 As long as the holy sword is gone, they can create their own empire, just like the vampires.

 Believing so, the elves scattered to various locations.

 × × ×

 Christo felt something like light and soft graze the tip of his nose, and he felt his consciousness awakening.

 A warm light shone on his eyelids.

 He held up his hand and opened his eyes, and his vision was tinted white.

 While the incubus had good night vision, they were sensitive to light.

 After blinking several times, the bedsheets and window of his room finally appeared.

"I have slept. Judging by the intensity of the sunlight, the sun is already high."

 He muttered and felt his left hand being yanked away as he tried to sit up.

"Uu... mmh."

 Looking down at the pillow, a beautiful blonde girl in a light purple negligee was curled up asleep like a fetus, with Christo's left arm under her.

 A few strands of her fine golden hair were fluttering with the fetal movement of the air in the room.

 A nice fragrance similar to that of lilies and the smell of soap wafted up.

(I see. We had sex in the bathhouse late last night.)

 Melvina was surprisingly strong, and they fucked until his semen was squeezed out.

 The semen, which was jelly-like at first, turned into a normal liquid halfway through, and finally into a clear liquid.

 Melvina orgasmed many times, but in the end, she accepted the act to the end without passing out. He had thought from the moment he saw that this woman was physically and mentally capable that it was hard to believe she was a little girl.

(Even though I was holding back, I didn't think she could keep up having sex with me...... I thought Setanta was a monster, but this woman was a monster too. Is the Lou family have the blood of some monster, something other than human?)

 Christo stretched out his upper body and picked up the water bottle he had left by the bedside.

 As he drinks the water and removes the sticky sensation in his mouth, Melvina moans a little and opens her eyes thinly.

"...?"

"You're awake."

 "――? ……, …………! ――――!?"

 The seasons are circling.

 Like the four seasons in the south of Yggdrasil, the blonde girl's expression changed four times.

 She stood up and jumped backward.

 But behind her was a table.

 Christo reflexively reached for it, but Melvina immediately twisted in mid-air, spun around, leaped over the table, and landed lightly on the wooden floor beyond it.

"Are you a cat?"

"Good morning!"

 Melvina greets him loudly while her ash blue eyes looked around.

"Good morning. It's a pleasant morning. I hope something good will happen today."

"Ueh!?"

 Melvina stood up and stiffened when she saw Christo.

"Hmm?"

 She looked down.

 The loose-fitting clothes she wore to sleep in was untucked,  revealing everything below her navel.

"Ah, sorry for that."

"...N-no. It's okay..."

 Melvina shyly says so and walks towards her suitcase on the side of the table in the back.

"Yesterday was good. You and I have a great chemistry. I have a feeling that once we understand each other's strengths and weaknesses, we'll make a great partner."

"Haa, thanks..."

"What's with that face? Didn't you have fun yesterday?"

"I-I don't know... It's a secret..."

"I'm not going to throw you out. So don't be so alarmed. I'd rather have sex with you and continue to have sex with you. I like you. Let's have more sex from now on."

“From now on!?”

"Yes."

 Christo nodded and jumped out of bed, approached Melvina, and hugged her.

 Melvina is quiet in his arms without any particular resistance.

 Bending his head to her lips, Melvina closed her eyes and stood on her tiptoes.

 In the quiet room, the sound of kisses resounds.

"Um, you shouldn't have done that."

"Why?"

 He whispered to the girl, who puts her hand on his chest and gently pushes him back.

 Melvina pulls back, dazed by Christo's voice and the line of his collarbone.

 Her hips hit the window sill.

 Christo put his hand on the window, as though to cover her.

“Like yesterday, you and I will melt to the bone. Let us both drown in a sea of immoral and profane pleasures."

"Do, n't..."

 He licks her neck and she shivers.

 The woman's shoulders are held up, and through the thin fabric of her negligee, her plump buttocks are stroked and squeezed.

“I-I can’t. I have something to do today, ah...... I have to rent a new room and get some equipment for extracurricular activities."

"Hmm? Extracurricular activities?"

 He stopped stroking her buttocks.

 But his face is still tucked in her hair.

 He can smell the faint scent of lilies.

"Yes."

 Melvina answers, pulling Christo's face away from her.

“Once a month, as part of the church’s service activities, we hunt bandits, hunt magical beasts, conquer dungeons, clean up, and so on. The classes will be posted after noon today, and then we will need to get everything we need to――"

“I didn't realize there was such a thing as what you need to take a class. I thought the textbooks were on loan, and we will just write notes on paper at most."

"That's just the classroom stuff."

"Fuu."

"Ah, wait. Kufuu!?"

 He hugged her thin belly and kissed her through her negligee.

 He felt the hollow of her navel on his cheekbone, so he stuck the tip of his nose into it and smelled it.

 It smelled clean and soapy.

 Some northern girls had smelly navels, which was Christo's favorite.

 On top of this girl's weak body odor, her only flaw is that she smells a little too good.

"Christo-san, we really can't! I have to at least rent a new room."

"That's why I told you, you can live here――"

 Just when he was about to tell her something, he heard the sound of a stomach growling.

 Melvina and―― Christo's stomach.

“…………”

“…………”

".............I'm starving. Come to think of it, I haven't eaten anything since yesterday morning."

"Since morning!? How did you not collapse last night?"

"It can't be helped. Let's eat. Is there anything downstairs?"

"Ah, wait! Please put some clothes on! Ah, the bed is such a mess."

 Melvina picked up the blankets and pillows that had been scattered away.

 Christo could not let the woman work alone, so he helped her clean up not only the bed but also the messy room.

 × × ×

 In the late afternoon, Christo and Melvina finally made their way downstairs to the tavern.

 The tavern was as deserted as ever, with chairs placed upside down on every table. The innkeeper―― the old woman is nowhere to be seen.

 The dust in the room glistened in the sunlight shining through the window.

"Ah, there's some food on the table."

"There are?"

 Melvina, who had tied her hair back on the stairs, asked back.

 She used a white ribbon with a butterfly shape clip.

 The hair is like a horse's tail, just like the hair of the man who returned the seed to him after the duel.

"It's the same hairstyle as Pierre's."

"Pierre?"

"A man named Piercarlo D'Alessio. Don't you know him?"

“Ah, you mean the heir of the D'Alessio frontier count? As I recall, he was addressing the newcomers....... He's the tall guy with the shirt open, right? With white hair."

"Yeah."

“He probably has longer hair than I do. His hair is shiny. I think he is much more feminine than I am, if only in the back. It's complicated......"

 But he is a man.

“In my opinion, Melvina is the prettiest. I love your hair. It suits you very well."

“……N-not that nonsense again. Please stop―― Is that the food?"

"Yeah."

 Christo pointed over the counter.

 There were potatoes, turnips, crusty bread, butter, and discolored milk or something. All are arranged in nets and jars.

“Please leave this to me. I am good at cooking. All you need to do is mash the potatoes, okay?"

"Do you like potatoes?"

"No, I hate them...... I wouldn't eat them anymore if I could."

 Christo said this with a straight face and Melvina, perhaps sensing the darkness, did not ask any more questions.

 After that, it was revealed that Christo had never cooked a dish that looked like a dish, and he and Melvina decided to cooperate in making it. Melvina was an experienced cook and could make dishes even potato dishes, so he reminded her not to use potatoes, but she made three potato dishes as if to harass him.

 One of them was the main dish―― thinly sliced potatoes, baked in the fireplace with olive oil, dipped in a mixture of butter, cheese, and boiled potato paste, and seasoned with herbs and other seasonings――.

 Christo was furious.

 He thought that he must surely take revenge on the wicked and tyrannical Melvina.

 But on the surface, he remained a gentleman.

"I want to know more about you. Tell me more, a lot more."

 In the empty tavern, Christo smiled at the girl in the apron sitting across from him. Melvina stopped manipulating her knife and fork and looked back at Christo with a serious expression on her face.

"I have something to say to you, too. I can see from the way you are talking that you have no idea what you will have to go through if you marry me."

"What I will go through? That's a disturbing phrase."

 He tried his best to look away from the crispy baked potatoes in olive oil and poke into the side bread and vegetable salad.

“How much do you know about the Lou family, Christo-san?”

“I don’t know much about it because I was in the northern frontier. The only thing I know about it is that they are the descendants of Lou, the [Hero of Light] in the Great War 100 years ago. Having a territory around the [Frozen Plain] near the front line with the dragons."

"What about the story that all the men of the Lou Family die prematurely?"

"Come to think of it, I think I heard that all the men of the Lou Family die before they reach the age of 30. It raised some eyebrows, though."

 The truth is, he had heard from Surt that the heroes die prematurely, but she didn't know how much Christo, an ordinary person, would know, so he didn't tell her.

 But judging from her expression, it seemed to be a well-known fact, at least among the nobles in the area.

"They really die. As far as I know from the history books, the oldest person who lived was twenty-nine years and two months old. My grandfather died at twenty-one. My father died at twenty-eight. It was five years ago. He never saw his grandchildren......"

“Do women die too? If so, I'll make you immortal. Even if I have to force you."

"No. They say that if you are a woman, you will live out your lifespan. It seems that only boys who become warriors die. It is said that the curse of blood on our family is the curse that the Demon King of Chaos placed on Lou, the Hero of Light."

 Or rather, what did he mean to make her immortal? Melvina tilted her head.

 Christo put down his fork.

"I understand the problem your family has, but how is that detrimental to me? I know it's not nice to put it this way, but...... there are plenty of people who could take Setanta's place, right?"

"Not a lot. I have two younger brothers. My brother has two sons."

"If something happens to Setanta, will those children take over? They have been educated for that purpose. Am I right?"

“Yes. ……However, it would be really tragic for the boys who cannot become the head of the family.  The only thing they have to do is to train hard and die before they reach 30 years of age. So, there are cases of bloody feuds between the illegitimate sons and the head of the family. They kill each other for the throne. The king and the lords are supposed to stop them, but if they don't, there will be a bloodbath, and even if they do, the killing will happen under their noses."

 Unlike killing bandits, humans, who are supposed to be their allies, are fighting each other.

 What is common in demon society is also common in human society.

 Even on the northern frontier, he had heard rumors of family feuds from time to time.

 In the north, it was considered better to turn the sword against foreign enemies and vermin than against internal strife, so disputes were often resolved through discussion before killing each other.

"I see, I understand."

 Christo nodded once.

 He understood exactly what she meant.

 But Christo could intervene at least that much to settle the matter.

 If necessary, he could take over the Hero Family.

 He can also save money to buy a country.

"I have no problem getting involved in the family feud. I love killing and cheating, especially when it comes to killing the bad guys. I will always bring you victory, Melvina."

"Was this person listening to me..."

"I heard you. So? Anything else you need to tell me?"

 Melvina frowned and was about to say something, but eventually stopped and moved on.

"Next, I'd like to talk about me."

"Be brief, please."

"I cannot use the holy arts. All the women in the Lou Family can't."

"Hoh. So?"

“It has been documented that if a woman in Lou gives birth to a child, that child is also incapable of using the holy arts. It does not matter if the child is male or female."

"So?"

"Because of my blood, I cannot use the holy arts or the pseudo-holy sword―― I fall into the ranks of commoners. I will also be removed from the protection of the royal family. Even if I bear Christo-san's child, that child cannot use the holy arts like my brother, which is what Christo-san would need.”

"Hmm. It is strange that men are born like Setanta, but women can't use holy arts. Is there a reason? ...In the first place, I thought that only men would be born into the Hero Family. That is what I heard."

"That's not true. Women are also born. But when you are a Lou woman, you can't use the holy arts, and even if you have a child, that child can't use the holy arts either."

"You can't get married."

“That's right. Therefore, I will eventually be thrown out of the house. ――But since I cannot marry and cannot get a job in the church, I will have to become a servant in some mansion."

 It may not be the only way to be, but in aristocratic thinking, the choice would be that way.

 For example, it is a little difficult, if not impossible, for someone with an aristocratic education to suddenly become a blacksmith.

"Therefore, if a star-reader says that a woman will be born, the hero's wife will have an abortion."

"It's a hell of a house. If it's a woman, she'll have an abortion? Ah, but a bride from the Hero Family marries a hero who dies at thirty, determined to give birth and become a mother?"

"Yes, even though there are many thoughts in their heart, they would rather give birth to a man earlier than other brides than to give birth to a girl and raise her―― they feel obligated to do so."

"So for wealth, honor, desire, or for the sake of the house..... the brides are risking their lives to get married. Looking at those three, though, I don't think it's very likely. Because, you see, they don't seem to be thinking about anything except Patricia."

"As expected, you're making sister-in-law Kat and sister-in-law Gwendolyn for a fool."

"I see. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult them."

 If they continue with this topic, it will become a much longer story.

 It would not be over in the time it would take for the plate of potatoes to cool.

 Melvina, perhaps thinking the same thing, forcefully ended the conversation.

"Let's get back to the topic. ――You want to protect the people of Söderholm, the territory that your father went to so much trouble to cultivate, don't you, Christo-san? Isn't that why you came to study at the Holy Sword Academy? But then, it is not good for you to take someone like me as your wife."

"If you had kept quiet, I would have married you without knowing anything about it."

"You will find out someday. It is not good for either of us if we have to fight about it afterward. ――I have had a good life experience. As for me, I will not begrudge you if you throw me out. As for the prize for the duel, I hope you will consider it a disappointment and look for a new love.”

"Eh, I don't want to."

"Ha?"

"You belong to me. You're my wife and my number one citizen. Even if you say you don't like it, I have no intention of returning you to Setanta."

"No, I'm not saying I don't like it, but......"

 Melvina lowered her eyebrows.

“It would be a shame for a pretty flower like you to end up unmarried. You say you can't use the holy arts, but to be honest, I don't care.  Also, there is a lot of work that needs to be done to develop my country outside of combat."

"Um, what are you talking about since a while ago? Country?"

 Christo pulled over the plate of crispy potatoes, stuck a fork in it, and put it in his mouth.

"Good!"

"T... thank you very much."

"I don't like potatoes, but I can eat these potatoes just fine. I'd love to learn how to make them."

"I don't mind, but, um."

"What, is there anything else?"

 Christo asked, and Melvina seemed to have given up on the whole idea.

 Giving up, she made a smile as she looked at Christo's face.

 Her ash blue eyes peered into his, as if probing his true feelings.

 Without looking away, Christo stares back into her eyes―― and winks.

"Pfft. Strange person."

"You're quite odd, too. But a strange woman makes every day more fun than a meek princess."

"...I, am odd?"

"You're like a horse. I'll never forget the way you jumped in to save your brother in that duel. How did you notice the oak branch I set up?"

“There was a herbal doctor in our territory who handled earth magic. She told me that in order for the magic to be activated, a field had to be set up. So I figured there must be a totem or something somewhere in the arena."

"I see."

 It's quite a good intuition.

 Even if one didn't know it, it's important to try the most likely correct method one can think of.

 It is an important skill to deal with difficulty at first sight.

"Melvina, I'll be counting on you tomorrow. Let's cook dinner together. I will call the innkeeper, who is supposed to be in her house after this, and you can get a room from her."

 When Christo said so, Melvina replied, "I understand".