Chapter 146: All You Need is the Lower Half (3)
I was trapped in a rather traditional type of restraining device.
It was the kind where a wooden board is split in half, holes are drilled in it, and you're forced to put your head and arms through while bound in a bent-over position.
The only small relief was that Zika was captured in the same position next to me.
"See? Human knights can't be trusted...!"
"You're right. Dirty human bastards."
"But you're human too!"
Zika shouted in frustration, but no matter how much she struggled, all it did was tire her out. Eventually, she hung limply from the restraints, completely drained.
'Well... this isn't enough to hold me.'
"Ugh!"
The whole contraption weighed around 100 kilograms, including the base, but with my mana circuits activated, I could lift that much without breaking a sweat.
I straightened my body from the 90-degree angle I had been forced into, hoisting the restraint as I casually walked around the tent we were imprisoned in, acting as if I planned to stroll right out of there.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Just taking a little walk."
"Not happening."
Of course, the senior female knight guarding the entrance immediately blocked my way and sent me back to my original position. Obediently, I returned to where I'd been and bent over at a 90-degree angle again.
'Well... it doesn't look like they're planning to kill me.'
The fact that they'd trapped someone at knight-level combat power in such a flimsy contraption suggested that they just wanted me to stay put for now.
"Zika, you're free. The captain said you're not a traitor after all."
"Now they realize...!"
"It was for safety. Anyway, Captain Cassandra apologizes, so you can go."
"Hmph!"
And with that, Zika was released.
"And as for you, rookie, stay here. There are people who want to meet you."
"Aren't you going to release me?"
I tugged at the restraints as I asked, and the senior knight clicked her tongue in irritation.
"A prisoner sure has a lot of demands. Sit tight before I gag you."
"When's dinner?"
"Ask the people who'll be coming soon."
Despite her dismissive tone, I was actually quite nervous.
Considering the unique customs of the Flower War, there was a significant chance my chastity was at serious risk as long as I was held captive.
'Wait, does that mean it's starting already?'
As the first male knight to be captured, the thought of the orc women or senior female knights coming at me with all sorts of demands suddenly made my lower body feel heavy.
"No, no, now's not the time to be expecting anything."
Like I'd told Levin before, in situations like this, I didn't get to choose my partner, and the uncertainty of who might come after me left me deeply unsettled.
In normal circumstances, I moved freely, initiated things myself, and enjoyed sensual experiences with mutual consent and shared intimacy. But here? Getting forcibly used by rough older women and milked dry didn't sound like fun at all. That sort of scenario was more suited for someone like Jake with masochistic tendencies.
"Huh? Is that really you, Ban?"
Unexpectedly, the voice that came from outside the tent was one I recognized—a familiar, gruff voice known to most of my comrades.
"Banerim...?"
The person who entered the tent was Banerim, stroking her braided beard and flashing a friendly smile.
"How the hell are you here?"
"You know how I said we were heading out to make money? Well, we ended up participating as mercenaries in the Flower War. There are a lot of senior female knights involved, so it's a great learning opportunity."
"Mercenaries...?"
"You didn't know?"
It was news to me.
"I thought you just betrayed the kingdom because they treated you like shit."
"Ha! You're not entirely wrong!"
Banerim used the key she brought to unlock the restraints that had been holding me.
"Technically, I wasn't supposed to free you, but what fun is talking while you're tied up like this?"
Ah, Banerim. No wonder she was unanimously voted the best senior female knight among our comrades, surpassing everyone else in charisma. Her personality was practically swordmaster level. Unlike the kingdom's actual swordmasters, who were assholes with short tempers.
"Let's talk more in my tent."
* * *
In her tent, Banerim slowly explained the secrets behind the Flower War.
It wasn't so much a secret as it was a change in war customs initiated by female knights about 20 years ago.
"Having women die to capture men doesn't help anyone in the long run, right? So, we chose a method that minimizes harm to both sides."
The Flower War worked like this:
Tribes that needed men gathered, whether for marriage or to supplement their weak population with male warriors. They also collected female warriors dissatisfied with their tribe or lacking suitable partners.
Then, they invaded the kingdom, dueling to find worthy male warriors and taking captured men as spoils of war.
"Doesn't that cause problems right from the kidnapping stage? It's basically forced marriage."
"True, it starts with abduction, but even if the men refuse, no harm is done to them. If a man doesn't find a suitable female warrior to his liking, he's returned to the kingdom after the war ends."
"In that case, wouldn't it be better to arrange marriages rather than waging war?"
"Do you think the female warriors of this region would agree to something so weak? If they were open to that, they'd already have married into the kingdom."
"Then why are senior female knights in charge?"
"The tribes used their resources to hire them after consulting for advice. If they were satisfied with simple soldiers, it wouldn't matter, but to capture knight-level husbands, a bigger threat is needed."
In the end, due to the betrayal of the senior female knights, the bolstering of knight-level forces, and the unprecedented unification of various tribes, it was decided to urgently deploy the entire Magic Knight Order to the Eastern Front, which had originally been defended by frontier female knights. However, the deployment itself was precisely what they had been aiming for.
"For something planned, the attacks were brutal."
"From the ogres' perspective, regular soldiers are weaklings, and only knight-level opponents meet their standards. Since they wanted to avoid unnecessary casualties or severe injuries, the ogres waited in the rear and might've gotten a little too excited when they finally joined in."
How much "excitement" does it take to break through the formation of the Magic Knight Order?
"And if you look closely, they probably dressed up to look their best."
Thinking back, I remembered the ogres who attacked my comrades. Some of them wore red lipstick, braided their hair, or even tied ribbons on their weapons like decorations.
"Follow one simple rule, and everyone ends up satisfied, regardless of winning or losing. It's a win-win for both sides. Whether it ends in marriage or just having a child, it's up to them."
"Yeah. That sure kills the tension."
"You'd better stay tense."
"…?"
Banerim stroked her beard, smiling, as she said something truly chilling.
"Otherwise, all the men get forcibly deflowered."
"…What?"
"In the Flower War, any man captured as a prisoner must sleep with at least one woman. As long as you follow that rule, your safety is guaranteed. But if you refuse, you'll never be released."
Hearing that, my jaw dropped, and I couldn't close my mouth.
"After the act, if the two sides like each other, they can marry and live together. Whether the man comes to the East or the woman moves to the kingdom, it's up to them. If not, the man is free to return after just one time."
Suddenly, my head began to ache.
"Then why don't they just round up the men they want to marry, make them surrender, and take them as prisoners?"
"I already told you—these women won't settle for that. That's why they go through the Flower War to find a husband who meets their standards."
In the end, all this chaos was caused just to find strong husbands. The senior female knights were paid to keep things under control, minimizing unnecessary damage while enjoying the process of screwing over the kingdom.
"What about the cyclopes? They seemed to have a different purpose in joining the Flower War. Didn't they use explosive gem bombs that looked like they were meant to kill us?"
"Each tribe has its own objectives, but that thing you mentioned? I made it."
"That stuff could've killed us!"
The scariest enemy was right in front of me!
"Technically, they're designed like gem bombs, but the power is reduced. If they explode close by, it might hurt a little, but everyone's wearing armor, right?"
"Well… yeah, I guess."
The first time I sliced through a gem bomb, it exploded near me, but I didn't take any significant damage.
"The explosion was more about creating smoke and leaving marks. Cyclopes are scared of advanced weaponry and get terrified of close combat, so I designed it to help them in war by providing cover and marking targets for plunder."
Banerim proudly showed me a gem bomb, which was exactly like the one Zika had fired.
"So it's like the marking bombs we use in training."
"I got the idea from those. Any man hit by one is handed over to the cyclops tribe."
'Wait, in that case…'
Just as I was about to ask Banerim a question, the tent flap opened, and a senior female knight entered.
"Banerim. Are you done talking yet?"
"Yes, we're finished, ma'am."
"Then bring him along. We need to divide the spoils."
"Hold on. I've got one last question."
I had to ask the most critical question before being dragged away.
"I got caught in a gem bomb earlier. What happens to me?"
"Then the cyclops who hit you gets priority."
Just as I feared.
As I followed the senior knight back to the prisoner tent where I'd originally been bound, I saw my armor and mana saber disarmed and laid out. Around them, several individuals were pouring some sort of strange liquid over the equipment.
The liquid revealed a bright green powder that settled all over my armor's back, creating a pattern. It looked like they were determining who had captured me—whether it was Zika with the gem bomb or someone else during combat.
"One hit, huh."
"Wait, no, that doesn't count! I wasn't even aiming for him!"
Zika, embarrassed, hurriedly tried to explain that it didn't count as her capturing me.
'So if they decide the gem bomb marked me, Zika gets priority. Otherwise, it falls to Cassandra, the senior knight.'
"Don't force her. If she doesn't want to, that's that."
In the end, the matter seemed to be settled when Cassandra, the captain of the female knights, entered the tent.
"Hey, rookie."
"Yes?"
"Don't bother cleaning your dick. Actually, don't even wipe it off before coming. Got it?"
Hearing Cassandra's confident command to not even wash up, paired with the leering faces of the senior knights, I suddenly felt chills run down my spine. Staring at Zika, who looked as equally distressed as me, I muttered desperately.
"Could you… just choose for me, please?"
At my plea, Zika's face turned bright red, and her large eyes darted around as she avoided my gaze.
"Y-you… do you even know what you're asking…?!"
No, seriously… Cassandra is pretty, sure, but this is way too much…!!