Ch.123The Holy Nation #3

Since I was planning to sleep at an outside lodging, it seemed inappropriate to keep dragging around a carriage bearing the Krauser ducal family crest. A carriage with the ducal emblem would inevitably attract attention.

So I left the carriage at the Barkan mansion as planned and secured suitable accommodations. I disguised myself as a merchant of moderate standing.

“Excuse me… what is this money for?”

“It’s a tip. I expect the bed will get quite dirty.”

After sending the three women up to the room first, I exchanged words in a low voice with the innkeeper manning the counter. I slipped him several bills, causing his eyes to gleam with a mixture of suspicion and anticipation.

“The bed will get dirty… Ah!”

The innkeeper’s voice trailed off before he let out a soft exclamation of understanding. He seemed to have guessed what might happen when a man shares a room with three women. I probably wasn’t the first or second person of my kind he’d encountered.

“Thank you. I’ll accept this gratefully.”

“Yes. I appreciate your understanding.”

The innkeeper pocketed the money, which conveyed both a request to excuse the mess in advance and to keep quiet about the situation. He seemed quite satisfied since I’d given him more than the lodging fee. In a way, the tip was larger than the actual expense, but that wasn’t a problem. Though it’s unpleasant to say it myself, I wasn’t exactly strapped for cash.

After concluding this discreet conversation with the innkeeper, I immediately headed upstairs to our room. I had secured the largest room, so the space was quite ample, and with two beds, it seemed comfortable enough.

However, Ellen and Eve looked somewhat disappointed when they saw the beds. They seemed to realize that unlike the beds at the Krauser mansion, these weren’t large enough for all of us to sleep together. While suitable for two people, they were too narrow for four.

Instead—though it feels odd to call it a substitute—I gave them climaxes intense enough to make them faint and filled their bellies until they felt stuffed.

“The heated water is ready… Oh my?!”

After knocking on the door, an inn employee entered and gasped in shock. She had come to inform us that the bath was ready, but was startled by the thick steam and strong scent permeating the room. I would have been dizzy too if I were in her position, so her surprise was understandable.

Moreover, I greeted the employee wearing only trousers, my body drenched in sweat.

“Yes, thank you. While we’re in the bathroom, please change the bedsheets and blankets.”

“Y-yes, of course…”

Since I had already given sufficient money including the tip, there seemed no need to pay more. The employee, apparently aware of this, nodded and withdrew obediently. She would likely enter the room to take care of things as soon as we headed to the bathroom.

I opened the window to ventilate the room, then woke the women sprawled listlessly on the bed and directed them toward the bathroom. Since we had to pass through the corridor to reach it, I made them put on some clothes despite their discomfort.

However, even in the bathroom, their passion showed no signs of cooling, and I had to endure another ordeal.

.

The sea.

I could hear the sound of waves rushing across the vast, blue surface. The white foam rising like clusters of clouds looked somewhat like crab foam, giving me an odd feeling. In some ways, it resembled the bubbles in a fish tank at a seafood restaurant.

“Excuse me… are you alright? The ship is moving quite fast, so you might feel unwell…”

As I leaned against the ship’s railing, enjoying the rather cold breeze, a man approached and spoke cautiously. He was the first mate of this rather large merchant vessel. The man was holding what appeared to be some medicinal herb, which he offered to me.

“I’m fine, thanks to your consideration. But what is that?”

“Ah. It’s an herb good for seasickness. It’s bitter, but one chew provides effects that last about a day. Even merchants accustomed to ships often use it. Why don’t you try it?”

“Thank you for being so thoughtful.”

I accepted the herb from the sailor and immediately popped it into my mouth, chewing thoroughly to extract the juice. As he had warned, a bitter taste like ginseng hit my tongue.

Fortunately, its strong refreshing scent made it bearable to chew; had it been merely bitter, my face would have contorted in disgust.

“It is bitter indeed. But the aroma is pleasant enough to make it palatable.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

The sailor’s tense expression relaxed, showing relief. It was just my imagination, but I suspected there had been quite a few people who complained after chewing the herb. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have shown such a reaction.

“Thank you. You said it works quickly, and I can already feel the effect.”

“Indeed. Ah, I must distribute this herb to other passengers as well, so please excuse me.”

“You’re working hard.” “Haha, not at all.”

The sailor bowed repeatedly before heading toward the cabins. He seemed quite deferential, perhaps because I had introduced myself as a merchant referred by Count Barkan. The fact that he didn’t question my use of a trading vessel despite having no apparent cargo was evidence of this.

“This is nice…”

Leaning against the ship’s railing and gazing at the sea made me feel as if my mind was clearing. The horizon I had seen from the dock had already seemed vast, but being in the middle of the sea was incomparably more expansive.

“Grand Duke, what are you doing here?”

While I was emptying my mind gazing at the sea, Ellen approached with a bright smile. I had initially planned to disguise her with magic since a dark elf woman’s features would be too conspicuous, but I settled for using an alias and identifying her as a mercenary.

Additionally, simply tying her long hair in a braid and wearing mercenary clothes instead of a uniform dramatically changed her appearance. This helped us avoid suspicious glances. Although all dark elves on the continent now resided in our territory, quite a few still traveled as mercenaries.

“Just enjoying the view of the sea. What about you?”

“Well… I felt lonely without you around.”

Ellen approached gradually, cutely acting spoiled. Unlike in the privacy of our room, she didn’t cling to me completely, as we were maintaining a pretense in public. She seemed slightly dissatisfied with this arrangement.

“Feeling confined? I’m sorry. I don’t mean to discriminate against you for being a dark elf, but…”

“I understand. Men who keep dark elves like me as companions are rare on the continent. We’re already receiving suspicious glances for various reasons… I need to show some restraint.”

“Thank you.”

Perhaps due to her many years of life, Ellen’s face showed no sign of displeasure. She was truly magnanimous. For some reason, I suddenly recalled a king who proclaimed his own generosity with open arms.

“By the way, where are Helena and Eve?”

“The Duchess is in a strategy meeting with Eve. They’re discussing things to test or repair when we return to the territory.”

“How diligent. Should I join them?”

“No need. The Duchess never intended to have a real meeting in the first place.”

A strategy meeting where she had no intention of meeting? I tilted my head at this strange statement, but fortunately, Ellen clarified.

“She originally planned to play a simple game in the room, with the winner earning the right to spend time with you.”

“Ah, so Ellen won that game.”

“I was confident I could match the Duchess in matters requiring experience.”

I smiled back at Ellen, who was winking with one eye closed. So the peculiar strategy meeting began because she lost a game meant to monopolize time with me. It felt somewhat trivial that an important meeting started for such a reason.

“…Well, I suppose that’s possible.”

Yes, I suppose that’s possible.

I nodded to myself in acceptance before changing the subject. The situation was too absurd to continue discussing.

“So when should I go back inside?”

“Whenever you feel like it, Grand Duke.”

“Whenever I feel like it? But you’d be upset if I stayed out all day, wouldn’t you?”

“Actually, I’d prefer that.”

True. Ellen might prefer that, but I wouldn’t. Spending relaxed time alone with Ellen is nice, but if it goes on too long, confusion inevitably follows. The peace I’d found gazing at the sea would be shattered.

Therefore, maintaining appropriate boundaries was the only way to survive.

“Let’s do some fishing before we go back.”

It seemed unlikely that fish would bite on a moving ship, especially in foamy waters. I just wanted to cast a fishing rod and leisurely pass the time. Ellen, seeming to understand my intention, quietly nodded.

Although the ship was constantly moving, it occasionally stopped to allow fishing. Equipment and chairs for this purpose were prepared at the rear of the vessel.

I took out two old chairs and fishing rods from the storage area and set up on the side of the ship. I was concerned that casting from the stern might damage the vessel.

“Grand Duke… you do realize fish won’t bite in this situation, right?”

Ellen, who had been silent until now, showed a suspicious expression as soon as she sat down. It seems she wasn’t aware of my intentions but had remained quiet out of fear of my reaction if she pointed out my ignorance. I couldn’t help but sigh.

“I know. I just wanted to enjoy watching the fishing rod sway.”

“Oh, was that it?”

Ellen held the fishing rod in one hand and placed her other hand on her chest, exhaling in relief. It was almost ridiculous how quickly her demeanor changed upon realizing I wasn’t as foolish as she feared.

“I’ve heard women don’t like this sort of thing… Is that true for you too, Ellen?”

“I’m a mercenary. I’m used to roughing it in foreign lands, so I’ve done plenty of fishing. I don’t mind it at all.”

“That’s good then.”

“Besides… just being by your side makes me happy enough. So I’m fine with anything.”

Why does this simple statement—that being with me is enough—touch my heart so deeply today? It almost brought tears to my eyes.

“Um… Grand Duke. May I ask you something?”

As I was drifting into a pleasant drowsiness while holding the fishing rod, Ellen cautiously addressed me. I had to force away the sleepiness that had been pleasantly enveloping me.

However, that didn’t mean I was annoyed with Ellen. Rather, seeing her shadowed expression made me regret having let my guard down too much.

“Yes? What is it?”

“This year, the Duchess will bear your child. That’s natural, of course, but… um, perhaps…”

The hesitation in her voice as she mentioned children, the way she fidgeted with her fingers while clasping her hands together—it was like lightning struck my mind. Though she couldn’t continue her words, I understood completely what she wanted to say.

It might be a misunderstanding, but I was certain—certain that Ellen wanted to bear my child.

“Do you… want to have my child?”

Though I was confident these were the necessary words, once spoken, they felt incredibly awkward. It sounded like something a male would say after forcibly taking another man’s woman, giving me an inexplicable sense of guilt.

Ridiculously so.

Fortunately, Ellen seemed incapable of such thoughts and simply nodded, her face flushed. From my perspective, this was quite fortunate. Why it was fortunate, I wasn’t sure, but anyway.

“I… want to.”

It was quite a sight to see her shyly expressing her desire for a child while daily greedily seeking my affection. Blood rushed to my lower regions, and I felt my head growing increasingly hot—hot enough to easily dispel the cold winter wind.

“I don’t have an answer right now, but…”

Swish.

After confirming there was no one watching or within earshot, I wrapped my arm around Ellen’s waist. In that position, I brought my lips to her long ear and whispered softly, my hand on her lower abdomen.

“I’ll make it happen. Just wait a little.”

“Yes.”

While pregnancy between different species is extremely difficult, almost impossible, it’s not entirely out of the question. Moreover, with many talented individuals around us, seeking their help might lead to a solution.

Ellen seemed to know this as well, as she responded briefly with a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips.