Chapter 123: A Childs Tale
「Hey, Takeru.」
「What’s up, Oracle? Ah, no, sorry.」
Despite my earlier vow to remain faithful, I found myself with another wife.
It was a long story, but for now, let’s focus on Oracle-chan’s concern.
「If you’re thinking about wives, I don’t mind no matter how much you’ll get. As long as you seek my approval, I’ll gladly take care of them.」
「Well, I’m the one who’ll be taking care of them.」
Well, I’ll take care of you too, Oracle-chan.
「Right. And speaking of taking care of, it’s about the child.」
「Eh? That’s Eleonora’s hasty assumption.」
Oracle is kind of fidgety. What are you going to say? My hit points are already zero.
Why are you all trying to fold up my psyche at a time like this?
「I think this might be the right time to tell you…..」
「Hold on a sec, I think I get it.」
I gently placed my hand on Oracle’s belly, which has recently grown so fast that she no longer meets the requirements for a hug pillow. I noticed a bump in her lower abdomen…..
Could it be? Could it really be?
The sudden growth, her recent switch from swimsuits to loose-fitting clothes, and the undeniable signs of pregnancy. It all pointed to one thing.
「I’m afraid I can’t hide it anymore.」
「Oracle, why didn’t you tell me sooner?」
「I’m an Ancient Succubus. If Takeru says he doesn’t want a child, I can let it go. I’m talking to you now since it’s almost the deadline.」
「That’s not what I meant! It’s dangerous for you to fight with Dyson while pregnant!」
I couldn’t believe Oracle-chan was mimicking the reckless heroism of the Princess Knight.
Of course, I wouldn’t ask her to abort the child.
「But if I told you earlier, you wouldn’t have let me come with you.」
「Of course I won’t! I would have insisted you stay at the castle and rest.」
「From my perspective, I was more concerned about you than the child in your belly. Besides, what do you think about a child born between a demon and a human? 」
「To be honest, I’ve considered my children’s future, but I want you to understand that I’m prepared for it—that’s why we got married.」
Despite his nonchalant tone, Oracle had clearly been thinking about various things. I had assumed I was the only one struggling with this.
Oracle was three hundred years old, highly capable, and seemed like she could handle anything. Maybe I was the one being overly dependent.
I hadn’t noticed the signals she’d been giving until she said it outright. I gently embraced Oracle. It felt strange to think that our child was there, nestled against her belly.
I’m a little short for an adult male, but I hoped Oracle would grow a bit more so I wouldn’t have to bend over.
And maybe it was time for her to retire the twin-tails. The appeal of looking cute and youthful had its limits.
After all, the little imperial princess is here so she can take that character slot.
「Are you thinking something rude about me, Takeru?」
「Is it that obvious? But seriously, if you’re not going to cut your hair, maybe straight or ponytail would suit you better.」
Maintaining twin-tails while becoming a mother wasn’t the best visual choice.
I untied the ribbons that are tied on Oracle’s whitish hair.
It was silky smooth, and maybe the texture had changed slightly.
Her body was growing, and they said pregnancy altered a person’s constitution.
「Succubi are incredibly easy going when it comes to childbirth, unlike some troublesome humans. You don’t need to fret.」
「Even so, it’s our first child, so let me worry a little.」
「Wait, am I the troublesome human you are talking about?」
Eleonora was unusually perceptive.
Eleonora is at a level where if there was a troublesome human Olympics, she’d be a representative.
「I think she means it in general.」
「I mean it in general.」
Eleonora sighed, feigning exasperation.
Honestly, it was probably us who should be exasperated.
「Well, you certainly know how to put on a show.」
「It can’t be helped. Unlike Eleanora’s theatrics, Oracle is genuinely pregnant.」
「You two are definitely taking about me!」
「No, it’s a generalization.」
「Yeah, generalization.」
With Oracle’s pregnancy now revealed, I decided not to use any taxing flight magic.
Since Eleanora had kindly provided a carriage, we opted for a more comfortable journey.
Coming from Dunburg, the union of lords territory was within easy reach. With the two thousand knights led by Eleanora as our escort, there was no need to worry.
「Ano, Gunner-sama, are you planning to get married?」
「Oh, Zither. Well, we might just do that…」
Zither was still here. It seemed her concerns lay elsewhere.
Returning to Lanct Duchy, I could probably reveal my true identity without much trouble.
Oddly enough, Zither had been listening to our conversation all along, yet she only had this limited information. Normally, someone might have guessed, ‘Ah, he was the hero from Silesie.’ But I guess I was too over-the-top, and she didn’t catch on at all.
Wearing a simple black robe seemed to be enough to keep my identity hidden.
Well, perhaps my former elite musician self being a bit of an airhead played a role too.
「In that case, I’d like to offer a celebratory song to Gunner-sama for all his help!」
「Save that for a more leisurely time. We’re about to embark on a carriage journey, so focus on comforting our little princess.」
With a beaming smile, Zither held the large trapezoidal string instrument in her slender arms and began to play. She was about to perform a piece, so I simply scooped her up and deposited her into the carriage where the Emperor and our little princess were seated.
Given that the Germania Empire was on the path to revival, Zither would serve the imperial family as a court musician.
From inside the carriage, Eliza’s high-pitched voice echoed, 「Who are you?」「I’m Zither.」 Zither replied. 「I didn’t ask for your name! 」「I’m a musician, and I’d like to play a piece for our journey.」 she insisted. Well, let the Germania court handle it germania people.
We were already preoccupied with Eleonora’s affairs, and I had no patience for dealing with an airheaded musician.
Soon, lively music emanated from the Germania royal carriage, and the commotion settled. Crisis averted.
Eliza needed someone to talk to anyway.
「We’ll take this carriage.」
「Really? And what’s this… It has springs!」
As I observed the intricate marquetry, I noticed that springs had been ingeniously incorporated into the seats. Wait a minute—this was the confidential technology we were secretly developing and patenting!
「I saw your carriage had a nice one so I decided to imitate them.」
「Well, I was planning to make it our specialty, but you actually took it away from us. Anyway, let’s see how it rides.」
We climbed into the grand four-horse carriage and took it for a test run.
Come on, after all the effort Lyle-sensei and I put into ours, there was no way the copycat version could be better.
「How is it? Pretty good, right?」
「It’s much comfortable than ours!」
Seriously, they used fewer springs than ours, yet the ride was smoother. Not only did they copy it, but they also improved upon it. Lanct Duchy was turning into some far-eastern automobile industry.
「It’s all fine. What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is yours.」
Seeing my stunned expression, she scooted closer, attempting to snuggle up. I quickly moved away. There were many things I wanted to say, but first, if she was going to get close, she needed to take off that Flame Armor. Even though I was fine, the enchanted black robe might still catch fire.
Of course, this carriage, being the official Lanct Duchy model, was covered in fire-resistant materials. It had been specially treated to prevent it from burning even if Eleonora were aboard.
This technology could certainly be profitable. But honestly, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t surpass Lanct Duchy’s technological prowess.
Sherry had mentioned something recently: 「If you can’t beat them with technology, just buy them out.」
Perhaps marrying Eleonora was a better solution than competing solely on technological grounds.
※※※
We entrusted the defense of Dunburg to Lord Mainz and set off directly for Lanct City.
As we departed, I told Mainz, 「I’ll appoint you as Grand General eventually.」 He simply replied, 「As you wish.」
Mainz calmly accepted this turn of events perhaps he had anticipated it. Despite his vigilance, he served the Germania royal family’s interests, and as long as our goals aligned, he remained a reliable ally.
With Herman returning to Dunburg with the rescue team, even if Dyson attacked directly, the fortress wouldn’t fall easily. Having Mainz as the base commander and the Guardian Knight Herman by his side, even someone at the level of Lyle-sensei will have trouble.
We could rest assured about the western front with Mainz in charge. What worried me more was the chaotic state of the union of lords territory. Even after entering the Lanct Duchy, there had been an attempt on the Germania royal family’s carriage by a small group of pursuers.
The attack came from a motley crew of foot soldiers.
The Dyson faction seems to have garnered support from some peasants across all of Germania. Their well-connected members have infiltrated even the rural areas of the union of lords, engaging in incitement and espionage.
Eleonora, who initially boarded the carriage but soon complained it was 「tedious」 switched to horseback and swiftly dealt with the Fist Slave Imperial Army pursuers targeting the royal carriage.
It’s clear that the security of the entire empire won’t be restored until we defeat Dyson, the charismatic slave.
As a king-general of peasant origin (a status I seem to have acquired somewhere along the way), I have my own share of popular support among the commoners. But there are also those who rally behind Dyson, another charismatic figure. He’s my rival in that regard.
This time, we retreat, but eventually, the day will come when we must settle things with Dyson.
Kukuku, and when that time arrives, I’ll make sure to slaughter him without hesitation.
Of course, we’ll strike unilaterally from our absolute safe zone!
「Takeru, perhaps it’s time to remove that black robe. It’ll simplify matters for the wandering black marksman, Drift Gunner.」
「Apologies, Oracle. This has become quite addictive. It liberates me from my usual self, and those painful mutterings oddly bring comfort…」
However, I should be cautious—I don’t want to overlap with the sharpshooter character, Thief King Wake. The original shooting cheat belongs to him after all.
As for accusing Lanct Duchy of plagiarizing the idea of suspension, I better not do it. After all, I’ve been borrowing ideas left and right from various sources.
-0-
We safely reach the bustling city of Lanct, and after a brief rest for Oracle-chan, who needs tranquility, the Germania royals continue their journey to the capital, Silesie, by carriage.
Considering the numerous Dyson sympathizers lurking throughout Germania, Silesie remains the safest option.
Another reason is that I don’t want them to stay in the city of Lanct.
Because I, who had remained in the city of Lanct, have something to do with the Princess Knight Eleonora.