Chapter 11: Night Party of the Beasts 1
The monster disturbances in the former Soderholm territory may have been caused by the angry god of the swamp―― Christo left Soderholm Castle early in the morning to inform the chief of the pioneer village of this fact.
Melvina was supposed to accompany him, but they received an urgent letter from the guards just outside the main gate and had to stay behind at the castle.
The urgent letter was from Patricia.
It said that there had been an attack by Finn's forces last night.
Patricia and the Count and Countess Lowell are safe.
However, it seems that the armed maids and guards suffered devastating damage.
Patricia is currently being questioned.
She was supposed to be here today, but if something like that happened, it would naturally delay her departure. Or rather, there are more than a few casualties, so it shouldn't be the time to travel leisurely.
However, according to the letter, she said that she would fly here as soon as the situation settled down.
He wondered if she would be concerned about what people would think, but her parents and the surviving servants said that they would take care of the rest and that Patricia should flee to a remote place where there would be no fighting.
"Finn...! That child!"
"Wasn't there anyone around to stop him?"
Christo holds the letter in his hand to prevent it from being blown away by the strong wind that blows through the riverside of Soderholm Castle. Melvina shook her head silently.
"An old knight named Sebastian or our mothers-in-law would have....... But it seems no one was able to stop him."
A dictatorship will explode in power if it has an excellent leader, but conversely, if an incompetent leader takes command, it will lead to ruin.
He could somehow tell from the reactions of Patricia and Melvina that Finn was incapable of politics, but to this point, he was beyond dismayed and even felt pity.
Even if he was going to kill Patricia, couldn't he have prepared a different plan?
For example, he could have tried inviting her to the hero territory during the summer vacation of the Holy Sword Academy, or he could have attacked the airship when it was returning to Count Lowell's territory and made it look like an accident that she fell to her death.
"What is Finn so impatient about?"
"That boy was afraid of sister-in-law. He probably thinks he will be killed if he doesn't do something about it as soon as possible."
"I don't understand why he's afraid of Patricia."
When she found out that her child had been killed, even Christo was terrified, but now she was back to her normal, calm, gentle and talented self. He couldn't understand Finn's feelings.
"I will let you know when I receive further news from sister-in-law. Also, I don't think there will be...... letters from Finn's side."
"Is your parents' house alright? I think it would be better for you to go back there. Finn is not the only one, but I'm sure people who are close to you are worried about you.”
"There's no point in going back. If something happens to sister-in-law, I will fly back to the royal capital."
"I see. ――I'll be home late tonight. If the talk with the village chief drags on, I may not be able to return home today."
"I understand. Leave the castle to me."
"Melvina. The castle will be guarded by Netzel soldiers and adventurers. Don't take any chances like you did the last time, and be sure to call the people nearby."
When Christo said so firmly, Melvina's mouth twitched as if she wanted to say something, but she nodded obediently without saying anything.
"This is not overprotection. You know what I mean. It's not as if the advance guard of the god of the swamp won't set off like they did the other day with Yattrud. In particular, watch out for the glasses―― for Caspar. He hasn't woken up this morning, has he?"
"Yes...... that's worrisome."
"Yattrud must have done something to him. He might suddenly sprout tree roots and attack, so be careful."
"Yes"
"Okay, good girl. I'm off then."
Melvina bows to Christo, who raises her hand, saying, [Have a nice day].
Christo smiled, turned around, and left the front gate.
"Ah, Melvina-dono! We will open the main gate."
"Eh? Ah...!"
"You have to turn the device over here to open it. You can't open it by pushing it with your hand."
"Yes, that's right. I just got into the habit of doing it. Hohohohoho."
"H-habit? I mean, why did the gate open? I wonder if it broke..."
When he turned around, he saw Melvina laughing awkwardly in front of the main gate of Soderholm Castle.
Melvina was totally careless.
But the fact that she was out of it was also her charm.
(Hmm? Huh? It's kind of dangerous... oh well. It's just my imagination. It must be my imagination.)
× × ×
He visited the pioneer village for the first time in about eight years.
The pioneer village was tucked away in the greenery of the wilderness, and from a distance, he felt his heart stir with nostalgia.
It was a place where the memories of his fifteen years of life lay dormant.
He still remembers Ixel taking him to the top of a small hill and looking out over the village.
Ixel was proud.
With a gentle smile, he watches over the villagers who are desperately trying to live each day in a boxy world surrounded by wooden fences.
Christo didn't understand the meaning of his smile at the time, but now that he had read the record, he knew he loved the village. Ixel was a completely different kind of devil.
When he entered the village, all eyes were on Christo, who was dressed in fine clothes (the uniform of the Holy Sword Academy).
Ulrika and Pontus remembered Christo, but the rest of the villagers did not seem to recognize his black hair and handsome face.
In fact, some even turned hostile.
They may have thought he was a member of the [Band of the Great Hawk of Salvation] that was camped out in the wilderness.
(However, looking at the uniform of Holy Sword Academy, don't you think that I have nothing to do with the rough mercenaries? No, even if I don't seem to have anything to do with them, I must be thought of as a troublesome outsider.)
It saddens him that eight years ago everyone was smiling at him, and now that he has grown up and come back, this is what he gets.
Christo looked for Ulrika or Pontus in the village, but did not see either of them, probably out working.
Instead, he found a familiar face with a black side-tail.
It's Laira.
A sex friend from the monastery.
From Christo's point of view, looking at the woman he remembered being bullied sexually.
However, she had been very devoted to him when they were in the monastery, and for some reason, they were friends who could talk to each other.
Considering that she had come to guard the castle yesterday, it would be heartless to ignore her.
Laira seemed to be having a conversation with the wife in front of the blacksmith's house on the left-hand side of the passage in the village where Christo was walking.
He waits for her and the woman to finish their conversation before calling out, [Laira].
Laira fluttered her knee-length black skirt and focused her eyes on Christo.
"Ara, it's you, handsome-kun."
"What were you and Berito-san talking about?"
"Who's Berito?"
"The blacksmith's wife you were just talking to. Berito Jonsen."
When Christo said so, Laira put her index finger to her lips and said, [Ah].
"So her name is Berito-san. I was just talking about the request, so I didn’t ask her name."
"By request, do you mean a request from the Adventurers' Guild?"
Laira nodded with a small smile on her face.
She had what is called scornful eyes and her facial expressions were not very expressive, but her facial parts were well-defined.
The way she smiles with her lips turned up, combined with her face, is strangely cute.
Christo had always liked Laira's smile.
He wants to melt this relaxed smile that he doesn't know what she's thinking about―― he remembers well when they pounced on each other with lust and fulfilled their carnal desires together.
"You really were an adventurer, weren't you?"
"I'm a C-class. Actually, I already had it when I was in the monastery. I kept it a secret from everyone."
"You were an adventurer before you came to the monastery? But you came to the monastery one year before I was sent to the monastery. Does that mean you were already an adventurer when you were thirteen?"
"That's right. I've been doing various things to survive since I was little. I was born in Baltic, a city in the Frontier Count Netzel's territory."
"I know"
"I was born poor, so I became an adventurer to help my family."
"Hoh. That's why you were good at killing bandits."
"Bandits. Do you want to talk about it again? You were much better than me. I used to think of handsome-kun as a simple noble lad, but that incident made me think twice about you.
"Certainly, since then, you've been actively involved with me."
"Hahaha. ――Hey, handsome-kun, if you're free, you can help me with my work after this. I'm going to the northern forest to put up a barrier against the monsters."
"I'm sorry, but I have something important to discuss with the village chief first...... If I have time, I'd be happy to help you, but it seems a bit difficult."
"Oh, that's fine."
"If I feel like it, I'll come help you. The northern forest is dangerous, so don't go deep into it."
"Ah, are you worried about me? You're still as kind as ever, handsome-kun."
"I'm just concerned about you as a normal human being. Tomorrow, if a woman I know was found with her internal organs eaten, it would be too bad to wake up from."
"Is there such a dangerous person in that forest? The one who attacked your wife?"
"No. Yattrud was not an organ eater. But she was dangerous in many ways. Did you see her belly?"
"Yeah, it was eroded by what looked like tree roots. When I cracked her head open, the spores were just fizzing out. Maybe it was a new kind of parasite or something."
"Such dangerous creatures are roaming the forest and swamp of the north. Are you here looking for the Philosopher's Stone? I won't say anything to it, but it's better to go back to the Mages Association as soon as possible. The current Soderholm territory is dangerous."
"I appreciate your advice, but I don't want to hear it from someone who is on a prenuptial trip with his lovely bride."
When Laira said that, she waved her hand flutteringly, saying, [Well then], and disappeared beyond the passage of the village. After seeing her back like that, Christo started walking towards the village chief's house again.
× × ×
The village chief's house is not much different in size from an ordinary villager's house, but the garden is large enough for the villagers to gather and talk.
When Christo stepped into the garden, an elderly man who was cutting a tree in the garden looked up at him suspiciously.
"Who are you?"
"It's been a long time, village chief. I am Christopher Soderholm."
"Christopher. Christopher!?"
The village chief's eyes widened and he walked up to Christo, touching his shoulder and arm to check it.
"You've grown a lot, haven't you? And wearing such a fine military uniform..."
Saying that, his expression clouded over.
Or rather, he became wary.
"You should have gone to the monastery, right? Why did you come back here? What is that military uniform? Don't tell me...... you're a member of that mercenary group?"
"No. I came back to organize Ixel's documents and belongings at the order of the Frontier Count Netzel. My fiancé is also with me. Didn't you hear from Ulrika and Pontus?"
"No, I haven't heard. Pontus has been building a monster trap in the northern woods since early this morning, and Ulrika has been stuck at home. I haven't spoken to them today."
"Is that so? ――Um, actually, I have something important to tell you. There will be people watching over here, so why don't we go to the back of the house? Preferably inside the building so we don't have to worry about eavesdroppers."
"Eh?"
"God of the swamp."
"――――"
"You know, right?"
"…Did you hear it from Baron Ixel?"
"No way. When I was sorting out his belongings, I came across an old record. It says that he made a pact with the god of the swamp to protect the fertility and peace of the pioneer village."
"A pact? Protecting fertility and peace?"
After repeating the words, the village chief looked up at Christo's face.
"Into the house. Can you tell me more about it?"
The village chief's house was empty.
It was about the size of Christo's four rooms combined, with a kitchen, living room, and bedroom without any partitions.
Christo summarized the contents of the record, including his theory that the recent disaster might have been caused by the god of the swamp getting angry because someone had killed a monster in the forest of the north without prior permission.
The village chief listened to the story while waking back and forth.
"I haven’t told the church or the government about the record. If I told them, a strike force would be sent to the area, and we would end up in complete hostility with the god of the swamp. If that were to happen, depending on the original harvest and the level of your food reserves, you would all lose your livelihoods."
"Thank you for coming all the way to tell me. But what are you going to do about telling me that?"
"I would like to hear your opinion. Should you make peace with the god of the swamp and continue the life that has lasted for twenty years, or should you break away from the life that is ruled by the god? Which one would you like? If you want to break free from control, I should first tell the government about the records."
"We will not seek to break away. We will live with the god in this land."
"Then you don't want me to show the records to the government."
"Yes. If you can, please give them to me. And you, Christopher, forget all about this."
"If that is the village chief's choice, I will respect it. But I would also like to hear the opinions of the other villagers and the surrounding communities."
"There is a meeting tonight. I'll ask the participants there."
"A meeting?"
When Christo asked back, the village chief became expressionless.
"A meeting is a meeting. A gathering of people. You know what I mean? Don't pry too much. You're not from the village."
(Haha. You're talking about the orgy party. Is it tonight? Come to think of it, it's almost the end of the month. It's held once a month, at the end of the month.)
"Do you know how to ask the god of the swamp for forgiveness?"
"It's not your concern"
"That's true, too."
Christo nodded and continued.
"Then, please listen to the opinions of the other villagers and people in the surrounding villages, and if the conclusion changes, please let me know. I'm familiar with Frontier Count Netzel and the church officials, so I think it will be easier to form a proper strike team."
"The conclusion will not change. It cannot be changed. Everyone chooses to live with this land."
"I see."
The answer from the village chief was as expected.
All races tend to dislike major changes.
They choose stagnation because they do not know what kind of world lies ahead.
Because the status quo is working well, they choose to maintain the status quo, even if it is a little distorted.
"By the way, do you know about Yattrud?"
"I know. She died in the castle. According to the administrator―― Blaise said she was a monster."
"I heard that she spent her mornings and evenings in this village. Did you notice anything suspicious?"
"Even if I had, I wouldn't tell an outsider."
"I see."
Christo took a small breath.
The village chief's intentions seem to be firm.
One day, this pioneer village will be caught up in the great current of the times, and there will come a moment when it will break free from the rule of the god of the swamp. But it will not be now.
"Are we done here?"
"Yes. Before I leave, may I take a look at the village? Here are the memories of my childhood and Ixel's wishes still remain. I want to feel it and go back."
"Do as you wish. But the ruffians in the wilderness may come again today. If it looks like there is going to be a disturbance, leave before you get involved."
"Thank you for your advice."
He gave a small bow and left the village chief's house.
The strong morning sun burned his eyes as he walked out of the old, dark house of the village chief.
× × ×
(The old man wanted to coexist with people. But if he wanted to coexist, I wanted to coexist too. I'm just imitating him. I don't have my own wishes or thoughts in there.)
While slowly looking around the village, he thought about it.
(Why did the old man want to coexist? Why did he decide to create this pioneer village? I want to know his thoughts. I want to know the history he walked.)
What were the elements that formed the basis of the idea for Ixel to create this pioneer village?
What happened in his past
By understanding Ixel, he can revive his wish.
If he can sympathize with that wish, he could choose the same path of coexistence as Ixel.
If he does not agree with him, then he can improve on what he thinks should have been done in Christo's way and use it as a concept for nation-building.
"Agree. Agree, huh."
Christo moved his body to the side of the road to avoid the excited children of the village running around.
(His thoughts will be elaborated on later, but at first glance, coexistence with humans seems like a reasonable option for a devil.)
Devils gain their power from the sexual pleasure and depravity of people.
And in order for people to enjoy their sexual pleasure and depravity, they must be at least free.
Keeping them as livestock, like vampires, does not give them enough sexual pleasure and depravity.
They can only bear children in a controlled environment, chew their entertainment in a controlled environment, and then die. In this respect, it seems incompatible with Piercarlo's philosophy.
Christo starts walking again.
(Although this village has been distorted by the native god, it is basically a world that is pure, righteous, and kind, like the old man's heart.)
Children full of smiles.
Adults who work hard at their jobs.
No one gambles, indulges in alcohol, or indulges in drugs.
It's beautiful.
But is it necessary to imitate that?
Christo would like to go more faithfully to his desires.
He would want to create an immoral city full of sexual pleasures that make people's desires sparkle.
Ixel's idea should not be too serious.
(The whole town is an entertainment center. The people are overdecorated to the point of bad taste. A dreamland where you can develop romance not only with humans, but also with beautiful looking elves and vampire females...... Hahaha)
Inspiration comes.
This is what Christo's instincts shouted.
An entertainment center alone would be boring.
He wants a school too.
For example, wouldn't you like to see a beautiful elf girl in the uniform of the Holy Sword Academy?
A world where you could fall in love with and have love-filled procreative sex.
It would be the best.
"I definitely want a school. Skirts should be so short that you can almost see their underwear. Black tights or knee socks are a must."
"What do you mean, a must?"
"Oof!?"
As he was sinking in his thoughts, Christo jumped up when he heard an unreserved female voice in his ear.
Before he knew it, Ulrika, dressed in bright green clothes, was standing beside Christo, who was sitting by the stream on the outskirts of the village.
"I was surprised. It's you."
"What do you mean?"
Ulrika folded her arms, her freckled nose contorted into a resentful expression.
(I didn't notice this person's approach. Even though I'm relaxed after returning to my hometown village, I'm slacking too much...)
"I haven't seen you since yesterday. How are you doing? Have you and Pontus made up?"
"Pontus is building a fence in the northern forest... Today is a festival day... It's dangerous if monsters come."
"Festival. What kind of festival is it?"
"I-I don't care what kind of festival it is! Christo, you pervert!"
"Why am I suddenly being labeled as a pervert?"
"After all, you're a pervert! A pervert!"
"Will Ulrika participate as well?"
Christo asked, and Ulrika's expression suddenly darkened.
"If you are a member of the village, you must participate. Even if I try to use a temporary illness, Grandmother will find out and force me to participate."
"You don't want to go to the festival?"
"O-of course!"
"Don't you all like the festival?"
Christo asked, and Ulrika shook her head.
She squinted at the middle-aged men working in the fields and the teenage girls weeding with smiles on their faces.
"It's one of the few entertainments. It's necessary, and there are no people in this village who don't like the festival."
"Hmm. So Ulrika doesn't like the festival."
Well, it's not surprising that Ulrika doesn't like orgies, since it's a perfectly normal thing to do.
Rather, it's strange that the people in this village like to have orgy parties.
They think it's fine that their husbands and wives are fucked by other people.
It is not normal.
Christo thought that the god of the swamp who imposed such common sense must be a pervert.
"Because I... I have someone I like."
"Hmm?"
Christo leaned forward as his childhood friend scuffed the ground with her right foot, hands clasped behind her back.
"Is it possible that you went into the forest yesterday to meet the person you liked?"
"――――!?!?!? H-hahaha. I-I don't know what you're talking about!!!!"
"This is what I'm talking about."
"Y-y-y, y-y-y-you idiot! I-i-i-it's wrong! I didn't go into the forest to meet someone I like!"
"I know you lie to the villagers, but what's the point of lying to me if I won't be here next week? I don't see the point in telling me the truth either, but it'll at least give you a sandbag in which to vent your daily frustrations."
"Uu... mmhhh..."
"The guy you're in love with isn't from this village, is he? Is it the one who lives in the forest?"
Christo asked, and Ulrika's eyes rolled around as if she were lost.
However, when she finally sat down next to Christo, she nodded once.
"Yes"
"A lumberjack or a hunter? As far as I know, they both live in the village."
"Neither lumberjack nor hunter. He is... Eltharion."
Ulrika's mouth was buried in her knees.
"He is an elf, you know."
× × ×
He's sorry for Melvina, who is sitting back in the castle, but he was interested in the orgy party that was going to be held tonight. He would like to be a part of it. He has not had the chance to attend such a lascivious party recently, and recently he had only had sexual intercourse with Melvina, Gwendolyn, Patricia, and other beautiful, good-smelling, and exquisite females.
Occasionally, he would like to taste a sweaty female with unrestrained growth of armpit and pubic hair and a plump one.
So, after parting ways with Ulrika, Christo grabbed a random villager and asked the villager for some information about the festival.
According to the villager, the orgy would start right after sunset and last until dawn.
The location is the northern forest.
Burning plenty of monster-repellent incense, light a flame, and gather around it.
The meetings are attended by beautiful women called [oracles] who are not usually in the village.
It is said that if you fail to catch a partner, the [oracles] will take care of you.
When he asked the villager whether the forest was safe during this time of year, when it is full of monsters, the villager replied that the oracles would prevent the monsters from approaching during the festival.
At the orgy, more beast meat, fish, and nuts than can be eaten are offered as gifts from the god of the swamp. The villagers are said to attend these gatherings more for the gifts than for the sex.
To participate in the gathering, attendees wrap their heads in hoods, put on carved wooden masks, strip off all their clothes, and enter the forest.
Because of the darkness of the forest, the participants are able to engage in sexual acts without worrying about infidelity or cheating on their partners, since they are not able to see who they are with.
Also, it is said that by hiding one's true identity and engaging in sexual acts, one can enjoy the special feeling of one-night romance.
(Is naked assembly the rule?)
Christo thinks as he sits by the creek carving the mask he will wear tonight.
(I think the bugs and such would be annoying, but I wonder what's going on there. Also, isn't it a little cold to be naked this time of year?)
Or rather, even if they could barely endure it now, winter feels like hell.
He wonders if the god of the swamp will be able to solve that problem too.
He couldn't help but be more interested in the festival itself than in the sex.
"Hey"
He had never made a wooden mask before, so he was struggling with it when he was unexpectedly tapped on the shoulder from behind.
He turned around and saw a woman with black hair in a side tail standing there―― Laira.
"What are you making? A mask?"
"Yes. Do you know what this is?"
"It's a goat, isn't it? Or rather, it's amazing! You're good at it, handsome-kun! I knew you were good with your hands."
"Thank you. I'm not bragging, but I can do almost anything I set my mind to."
"You can't clean, though?"
While saying that, Laira crouched down beside Christo.
It smelled soft and refreshing like juniper.
It must be the smell of the perfume she was wearing.
Laira leans forward to get a better look at the mask, and as she does so, her breath grazes the tip of his nose.
The smell of the skin of the woman named Laira Almqvist, and the smell of sweat.
"I made a mask too, do you know what this is?"
"A fox."
"Correct. It's pretty good, isn't it? I'm confident in how I use a knife. I've been using it for a long time. Or rather."
Laira continued as she leaned in close to Christo.
"Handsome-kun, are you planning to participate in the festival tonight? If so, that's a coincidence. I've been thinking about joining in too. That's why I carved this fox mask."
"You came here to look for the Philosopher's Stone, but you're going to participate in the village's pervert festival...... As usual, I don't know what you're thinking."
"Ahaha. I don't want to be told off by you, who has such a cute fiancé but still participates in the orgy. Hey, handsome-kun, if you're going to attend the festival, why don't you come with me? I don't want some random middle-aged guy sticking it to me, and I need an impromptu partner."
"No, I'm going to eat an unpolished village girl with lots of pubic hair."
"It's fine, it's fine. You don't have to be with me all the time."
The white kneecaps from her black boots poked and prodded at Christo's slacks.
Laira gently pressed the bulge of her fluffy chest against Christo's elbow.
"I have pubic hair, too, in case you're wondering."
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