Ch.118More Pieces

“My back hurts…”

“My, the person who tormented me so diligently…”

“It was because Michaela is beautiful.”

I kissed Michaela to please her.

No, really, last night I thought I was going to die.

“They say women’s sexual desire increases with age…”

“Are you saying I’m getting old?”

“Heh, you must have misheard.”

“Hmm…”

Something’s strange. I’m clearly the boss and Michaela is the underling, so why am I the one being cautious?

Smack.

Just as I was thinking that, Michaela embraced me with her naked body.

The soft sensation of her breasts and the fragrant scent of her skin surrounded me, and I could understand why I was captive to Michaela.

Once again, my genetic material injection port began to heat up. However, I was barely able to suppress my surging sexual desire with a secret spell.

‘Michaela is 40, Michaela is 40, Michaela is 40…’

“Mmm… I really do love being in Your Highness’s arms the most.”

Michaela, who was nuzzling against me and leaving kiss marks on my neck, didn’t look like she was in her forties at all, but there was no doubt that she had entered her fifth decade.

She was 17 when she first served me, and now 25 years have passed, making her over 42 years old.

If she were a commoner, wrinkles would have invaded her skin from hard labor or housework, but by regularly receiving my blessing (you know, that thing everyone knows about), she had been able to evade aging, the natural enemy of living beings.

Knock knock!

Just as Michaela was clinging to me, a servant (probably one employed by the advisor) entered the room carrying a bundle of parchments.

“Excuse me, Your Highness. The Advisor has… oh! I-I’m sorry.”

The servant hurriedly placed the parchments on my desk and left, stealing glances at Michaela who was fully exposing her naked body, while Michaela snickered at the sight.

“Hmm. When I go outside the castle, children always look at me with those eyes.”

She was asking for a compliment.

A woman over forty acting cute…

“Yes. You are the most beautiful in all of Amurtat.”

“Hehe…”

Since she’s genuinely cute, I’ll let it slide.

*

Setting aside fondling Michaela’s breasts, which were larger than her head, I tidied up my clothes, sat at my desk, and began examining the documents.

After about three hours of paperwork, it was lunchtime, and Michaela, dressed in servant’s attire, came with my meal.

“Master. Your meal is served.”

I carefully examined today’s menu.

Finely chopped and fried chicken, soup with minced onions and beans, and mashed potato salad with visible bits of carrot scattered throughout.

“Hmm. Looks delicious.”

“Because of who made it.”

Michaela said with a seductive smile.

Perhaps because she received plenty of love last night, she seems especially flirtatious today.

“By the way, Master. The advisor said they found fragments of the Earth Core.”

“Really?”

I put down my utensils and opened my eyes wide. It seems Allen did his job properly.

“From what I heard, they’ve secured two fragments. Al… Alain?”

“You mean Allen?”

“Ah. A messenger named Allen is bringing two fragments to Amurtat now, so it seems you should prepare.”

“I see… understood.”

I hastily stuffed food into my mouth to finish my meal quickly.

Earth Core fragments…! My heart was pounding with excitement because two more of the only means to expand territory had just fallen into my lap.

Gulp!

After chewing and swallowing the last of the salad, and emptying a glass of chilled lager to cleanse my palate, I momentarily felt nauseous, but it soon subsided.

Michaela silently began clearing away the meal, and I finished the remaining work before summoning the advisor.

*

A few dozen minutes later, the advisor appeared.

“You called for me?”

“Yes. I heard you secured fragments of the Earth Core.”

“Ah. The servant must have told you. That’s correct. We’re currently bringing two Earth Core fragments to Amurtat.”

“The escort?”

“The Adventurers’ Guild provided it. Even fools wouldn’t think of breaking through the Adventurers’ Guild’s guards.”

Adventurers possess strength that far surpasses ordinary people due to their extensive training and experience.

Right here in Amurtat’s Adventurers’ Guild, there are numerous experts who could cut ordinary knights in half, so transporting something as valuable as Earth Core fragments means they’ve assigned an entire knight order as escort.

Therefore, no matter how desperate bandits might be, they wouldn’t even think of trying to rob such powerful individuals.

“Then I can rest assured. Have you contacted the Alchemists’ Guild?”

“Yes. Viriditas is personally preparing the alchemical solution.”

“Viriditas is personally preparing it…”

To be honest, Viriditas personally preparing it is not much different from Nigredo doing it.

After all, the method for creating a solution that can dissolve Earth Core fragments isn’t some secret technique passed down through generations; the solution is completed by handling appropriate materials in appropriate ways appropriately.

Viriditas personally preparing the solution was evidence that the Alchemists’ Guild was showing their sincerity.

“Now I’ll be bedridden for two months after the injection.”

“Fortunately, even if Your Highness loses consciousness for a while, we can manage sufficiently. The administrative officials have gained considerable experience now.”

His words reassured me.

“That’s good news. Remember when we first accepted refugees? They caused such a disturbance that we had to deploy the military.”

“Haha… Those who experienced that chaos now have subordinates under their subordinates, that’s how much time has passed. Only high-ranking officials remember those days now.”

“Hehehe… I was right to trust and send them out back then.”

I stroked my beard and smiled lazily.

It might be undignified, but who cares when no one’s watching?

“By the way, where will you use the two Earth Core fragments?”

“Hmm… I’m thinking of using them on the southern swamps and the northern mountains.”

“I see…”

“Using one in the south is obvious… and I want to take this opportunity to definitively claim the northern mountains where we haven’t been able to freely construct buildings.”

Until now, I’ve been unable to drop construction materials in the northern mountains as I pleased and have suffered various inconveniences trying to fend off wild monsters, but now I have the opportunity to eliminate those problems.

And I consider myself a man who never wastes an opportunity.

“Then, with this, all four directions will be under Amurtat’s domain. Congratulations in advance.”

“Come to think of it, that is indeed the case. That’s good news… Now there are no forces that can threaten the city of Amurtat. Only exciting expansion remains ahead.”

Of course, for that “exciting expansion,” I would have to be split apart again.

*

A few days later. Early August in the 25th year of Amurtat.

Allen brought two Earth Core fragments as promised, and I handed him the payment we had agreed upon.

“Your loyalty is commendable. As per our contract, I shall provide the funds for your use.”

“Your grace is boundless. Please remember that the Adventurers’ Guild consists of your loyal subjects.”

That statement was a lie.

“You may withdraw now.”

“Yes.”

Allen left the box and departed, and I took the box to my bedroom.

Soon after, Michaela entered the bedroom with a mortar and alchemical solution, and I rolled up the right sleeve of my garment to prepare for the injection.

Tap. Tap.

I placed the two brilliantly glowing Earth Core fragments into the mortar and began grinding them vigorously with the pestle.

Crunch! Crunch!

Before long, the fragments began turning to powder due to the Earth Core energy flowing through my hands, and Michaela, seeing this, started pouring the solution she had brought in a large container.

Glug, glug, glug…

“More, more, more.”

Drip, drip, drip…

“Stop…”

Once the solution and powder were mixed in a 1:1 ratio, I moved the pestle around to blend them, and soon the completely mixed powder and solution began to emit a brilliant light.

“Whew…”

I wiped the sweat from my forehead and lay down on the bed.

Michaela then began filling a large syringe with the solution, moved the piston to expel excess air and a bit of solution, and heated the needle over a candle to prevent any possible infection.

Once the needle cooled, Michaela shaved my right arm with a razor, disinfected the injection site with strong distilled liquor, and then the needle penetrated my body.

Soon, the solution began flowing through my veins, and I gradually started drifting into a dreamy sleep.

“Travel well, my love.”

With Michaela’s whisper as the last thing I heard, I lost consciousness.