Chapter 134: Reaping What You Sow (1)
After returning to the capital, I found myself incredibly busy.
First, with the help of a senior knight, I completed the mission report. Then, I delivered it to Seyra and Lord Ballor.
"To summarize, the eggs we investigated turned out not to be mermaid eggs but were actually from 'aquatic humanoids.' These creatures are not intelligent beings like mermaids but rather monsters that evolved to resemble human legs, allowing them to venture onto land."
"Aquatic humanoids, you say? That's a species I've encountered before. During the kingdom's early days, they caused disturbances in the southern port settlements. Several suppression campaigns—six in total—and habitat destruction reduced their numbers significantly."
"I saw more than a few thousand of them this time."
"Are you certain of this?"
"Hah, a knight's basic skill is assessing enemy forces. I wouldn't confuse thousands with hundreds."
Surprisingly, Lord Ballor, who usually berated me for skipping training, was now standing up for me.
"Rising temperatures must have created an environment conducive to reproduction, leading to this population boom. Understood. I will request a delegation to the Baran Duchy and amend relevant laws to properly classify mermaids and aquatic humanoids. This will also authorize their capture and repulsion."
Even if there were many aquatic humanoids, they lacked intelligence and weren't physically superior to humans. If all they could do was swarm and bite while swimming, the Baran Duchy's navy could handle them swiftly with harpoons and cannons. It wouldn't take long to control their numbers.
"I also read your investigation report on the mermaid eggs. One section states that the eggs were simply laid by aquatic humanoids in vast numbers underwater. Due to a lack of space, they even deposited eggs in seaweed or rock crevices on islands. The Baran Duchy collected and processed these eggs with salt for sale to manage their population, correct?"
"Yes, that's the product being sold."
"That part of the investigation is well done. However, this section here..."
Seyra, who had been keeping her eyes closed as if to avoid pressuring me, suddenly opened them slightly and fixed me with a piercing gaze.
"Why did you describe them as [ovoviviparous] and provide such vivid details about the texture of the eggs? Did you dissect a mermaid carrying eggs? Or... did you witness illegal capture and processing of mermaids in the Baran Duchy?"
"Uh... that is..."
For a moment, I found myself under suspicion of murdering mermaids. But there was no way I could reveal the truth.
How could I explain that I saved a legendary mermaid, had passionate and sticky sex with her egg chamber, and experienced firsthand how her eggs felt?
"Puhahahaha!"
But Lord Ballor, seemingly having guessed the situation, burst into laughter and gave me a hearty slap on the back.
"Gah!"
He hit me so hard that I nearly spat blood. I barely managed to endure it by circulating mana through my body. Then, he slapped my thigh, leaving a red mark, and spoke to Seyra.
"Why ask such difficult questions, O Guardian Dragon? It's only natural for a young man on a mission to, well, satisfy certain urges!"
"Urges...?"
"If you read it closely, it's clear he described the texture based on how it felt down there, isn't it? Depending on his preferences, how he experienced the eggs' texture might vary. Puhaha!"
Hearing this, Seyra, who had been scrutinizing me with half-closed eyes, suddenly blushed and lowered her head while reading the report.
"I will... provide an explanation."
"No need. I've read enough. Let's consider this mission concluded."
Despite being over 500 years old—or perhaps even older—the half-dragon Seyra lowered her head shyly, like a noble young lady hearing something inappropriate, unable to meet my eyes.
"Ban, from now on, you may omit details like these from your reports."
Honestly, I hadn't wanted to include them in the first place. However, my senior knight had insisted that if I had any accurate information about real mermaid eggs, I should include it to avoid confusion when submitting the report. That's how I ended up writing it in such detail.
Of course, I had never seen the eggs with my own eyes... The vivid descriptions came from experiencing the texture while thrusting inside her egg chamber. Naturally, the report ended up filled with salacious details, which led Seyra to suspect I had confirmed the texture through inappropriate means.
'Well, she's not wrong...'
"Thank you for your hard work on this mission. I've already informed the senior knight of the Mage Knight Order. In the future, any rewards from secret missions under my command will be paid separately from the Mage Knight Order's accounts. Please keep that in mind."
"Understood."
Thank goodness it wouldn't be recorded under the Mage Knight Order's finances. If it had been, my fellow knights would undoubtedly pester me, asking why I received so much money, and demand that I treat them to drinks.
'Ah, this is exhausting.'
After returning by carriage from the Baran Duchy, I was summoned by the senior knight immediately upon reporting back to my unit. I spent the entire night writing the mission report, caught a mere two hours of sleep, and then headed straight to Seyra to deliver it. In essence, I had worked for almost two days straight without proper rest.
And now, instead of heading to the barracks for a break, I was on my way to Frederica's alchemy workshop. Delphine had informed me that she was participating in the mass production of mandragoras raised on semen alongside Frederica, with Mollang and Shuru in tow. My task was to pick up the kids.
'It looks like there are even more customers this time.'
The entrance was packed with people clamoring, "Take my money already!" as they threw coins at the homunculus receptionists. The receptionists skillfully collected the money and took down names, busily managing the crowd.
"Excuse me, please step aside. I need to get through."
"If I move, someone will cut in line, don't you get it? Go around!"
"I'm carrying goods that can't be exposed to sunlight... Sir? Please step aside for just a moment so I can pass through!"
I had to enter the building first to call Delphine and pick up the kids, so I quietly queued up and waited. However, as I stood in line, I noticed an argument break out between a customer and a maid-uniformed attendant wearing a helmet in front of me.
Normally, I'd just let it go, but the problem was that the attendant's voice sounded incredibly familiar to me.
'Is that a special helmet? Unlike the ones issued by the knight order, it doesn't muffle the voice...'
"You little brat! Don't you know the customer is king?"
"That's why I'm politely asking you to step aside."
The man, seemingly unaware that a single punch from those tiny fists could shatter five of his ribs, continued yelling at her. Unable to let it escalate, I stepped out of line and intervened.
"Alright, alright. That's enough."
"Who the hell are you, bastard...?"
"Someone like this."
I quietly showed him the insignia of the knight order. The man, who had been yelling moments ago, immediately shut up, lowered his head, and obediently returned to the queue.
'These loudmouths are always weak to authority.'
I tapped the horned helmet of the girl, who appeared a full head—or perhaps a head and a half shorter than me since she wasn't wearing steel boots.
"If you've got a job now, Erin, you should tone it down. You know attendants always get blamed for fights with customers, no matter the reason, right?"
"...What brings you here?"
Her curt voice carried a hint of familiarity, and I couldn't help but feel a wave of nostalgia as I scanned Erin, now dressed in a maid uniform.
'She's more covered up than the other homunculi.'
It seemed Frederica had specially tailored the outfit for her, likely to avoid scaring people with her overly muscular physique. The helmet, however, appeared to be something Erin herself had picked, as it was a bit crude compared to the rest.
'Those horns are quite pretty... Not that it matters; public perception doesn't change easily.'
"But Erin, weren't you hired as a guard? Why are you dressed like this?"
"..."
"We already have more than enough guards to fend off attacks unless a Sword Master-level threat comes. So—"
I turned my head at the sound of Frederica's voice, and Erin quickly bowed deeply to greet her employer. It seemed the commotion had prompted a homunculus attendant in a maid uniform to fetch Frederica.
"Since we needed more attendants, I suggested she take on the role if she didn't mind, and she agreed."
"Ah..."
Unable to starve herself, Erin must have decided to take the job as an attendant.
"Erin, I told you not to get into fights, didn't I?"
"I'm sorry... but—"
"No buts. Customers are kings, gods, heroes, dukes, grand dukes, monarchs, and generals. Haven't I told you to treat them as such?"
'What the hell kind of entity does she think customers are?'
"I won't do it again..."
Hearing Erin's dejected voice, which I'd never encountered in the knight order, even I felt a pang of sympathy.
"Now that this commotion is over, I'll return to my research. Ban, what brings you here?"
"I'm here to pick up the kids."
"The kids... Ah, you mean the Demon Lord—no, the slime and the tiny cat demi-human Delphine brought?"
"Yes."
"They're currently under Erin's care, so ask her about it. I'll be off now."
Frederica, appearing quite busy, began giving instructions to an attendant who looked just like her and disappeared back inside. I patted Erin's slumped shoulders to comfort her.
"...If you want to laugh at me, go ahead."
"What's there to laugh about? The maid outfit suits you."
"...But are you okay? If a trainee knight gets into a dispute with a civilian—"
'Ah, that's right, isn't it?'
Since I was officially assigned under Seyra's command, I was considered a full-fledged knight. Even if a dispute arose, the Mage Knight Order and Seyra would back me up. However, I couldn't explain that to Erin.
"How would a civilian know whether it's a trainee or a full knight's insignia?"
"Bold of you."
"This is what I need to move, right? Let's get it done quickly and pick up the kids. I'll help you."
As I reached for the heavy item Erin was struggling to carry, she gave me a pitying look that was clear even through her helmet.
"You'll regret it."
"Huh?"
The moment she let go, my lower back immediately gave out under the weight.
Crack!
"This thing is ridiculously heavy!"
"Yeah, no kidding."
It was so heavy it seemed impossible to lift without industrial equipment. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a solid chunk of metal, roughly the size of a person.
If you combined the weight of me and Erin in full armor, it might barely equal this single object.
"That's why I cleared the area. If it fell on someone, it'd break their bones for sure."
But for Erin, a half-ogre, while the weight was substantial, it wasn't overwhelming. She used both hands to lift the object and began carrying it effortlessly.
Crack!
As I stretched my aching back, I began shooing nearby customers away to prevent any accidents.
When Erin finally set the heavy item down near the flasks, several homunculus workers rushed in to attach various pipes and fittings. It seemed to be a critical component of some machinery.
"Let's go. The kids are waiting in my room."
As Erin loosened her wrists and took the lead, I followed behind, watching her maid uniform sway with each step.
'Come to think of it, I wonder if Mollang's okay.'
It occurred to me that I hadn't fed her any semen for almost two weeks. I couldn't help but worry that she might be starving by now.