Chapter 194: Taking It Easy for Once
A bath… a bath, huh?
It’s customary to catch Roll and wash him every time, but today I’m too exhausted to muster the energy.
「You really are tired, aren’t you, Nation’s Father?」
「Yeah, this time even I felt it…」
For the past few days, intense events have continued day and night, and I’ve been forcing myself to keep going with life elixirs like nectar and 240-year-old dragon liver. Now that I’ve let my guard down, the backlash is hitting hard.
No matter how many energy drinks you have, you can’t keep pushing yourself forever…
「Oh, Takeru, if you’re so tired, I have my divine milk Amrita.」
「Ria, shut up…」
I don’t even have the energy to be annoyed with Ria’s antics. The soft pressure she’s pushing against me from behind feels heavy.
Sure, if I drank the nutrient-filled liquid from that breast, I’d probably get my energy back. I know I’d feel instantly revitalized if I drank that sweet, creamy liquid, but the thought of getting tired again as soon as I feel better is unbearable.
What I truly desire right now is a simple, natural rest.
That’s all.
「Hero, if you’re so tired, I’ll carry you.」
「Wait, you don’t have to carry me.」
Before I could protest, my arm was lifted, and my body was hoisted up.
「Then, I’ll carry you like this!」
「Whoa!」
I was picked up in Are’s large, powerful dragon arms. I couldn’t move properly.
It seems Kaara is using magic to make me float, so being held by Are, I feel like I’m drifting weightlessly.
The magic probably isn’t to make me lighter for Are to carry but to prevent me from resisting.
It’s comfortable, but I’m not a baby, you know.
Despite my protests, I was lifted like a portable shrine and carried away. Surrounded by Are, Kaara, Louise, and Ria, there was no chance to resist.
The grand bath we use is located near the harem, and fortunately, the corridor leading from the royal castle to the back is away from the central hall where most of the foreign guests gather. So, at least, no outsiders would witness the embarrassing sight of me being carried by Are.
However, the maids working in the harem who passed by us at the corner of the corridor giggled and looked down to stifle their laughter. It’s understandable—they’d laugh seeing a grown man being carried like a child.
I sighed and smiled wryly. It’s amusing that even encountering a dragon maiden like Are with huge dragon wings growing from her back doesn’t faze anyone.
It seems everyone in the castle has gotten used to the demons and dragon maidens, which is good. It’s probably better to be laughed at by girls than to be feared.
「We’re here.」
Finally, I was put down in the dressing room of the bathhouse. The bathhouse, built during the time of the first founding king, Renz, is an old but splendid Western-style structure lined with marble.
The bathhouse is as luxurious as a palace itself, but the stone floors feel cold, so the dressing room is covered with cotton bath mats to prevent it from getting wet. The furnishings, such as desks and chairs, are made of oak with a visible grain.
The shelves are lined with woven rattan baskets. Rattan, which grows natively on the continent of Eura, is a vine-like plant similar to wisteria found in Japan.
Simply placing rattan baskets on the white oak desks adds a touch of warmth to the otherwise cold marble dressing room, creating a blend of Western and Japanese aesthetics. However, I didn’t have time to enjoy this ambiance as I was stripped of my clothes and left naked by the group.
Ria and the others quickly discarded their dresses and underwear into the rattan baskets, stripping down.
「Ah, so it’s come to this…」
I knew I wouldn’t get any time to leisurely soak in the bath while everyone fussed over me, washing my body. It’d only be a matter of time before Ria would say, 「Oh, you’re feeling better now? Then there’s no need to delay.」 and I’d be dragged to the big bed. I could see it coming!
A sweet hell.
Just as I braced myself, Ria and the others, now completely nude, hastily put on white yukata.
「What?」
「Takeru… you don’t usually wear a yukata, so you can just wrap a towel around your waist.」
「Huh?」
「Why the puzzled look? Naturally, we’re wearing yukata. If we were to remain naked with our voluptuous bodies, you wouldn’t be able to relax. Or would you have preferred us to be naked?」
「No, no, yukata is better. Great consideration, really. Thank you.」
I quickly praised them.
For a suggestion from Ria, this was impressive.
I did wish they’d let me bathe alone, but I couldn’t be that selfish. And seeing their seductive bodies would make it impossible to relax anyway.
Hence, the yukata!
I realized they genuinely wanted to help me rest and recover, and I was grateful.
「No need to thank us. As your wife, I’ve become quite considerate.」
Ria proudly puffed out her chest, which had grown even larger with pregnancy.
Come to think of it, Ria mentioned she had risen in rank within the harem.
Ria, originally the sixth wife, had been at the bottom of the pecking order because Eleonora, who joined as the seventh wife, was a princess and couldn’t be placed last. But with the addition of Louise, Kaara, and Are, Ria was no longer at the bottom.
「By the way, Kaara, what’s the current ranking in the harem?」
Curious, I asked Kaara about the current order in the harem.
「Yes, the order of Nation’s Father’s wives is as follows: First is Queen Silhouette, second is Princess Caroline, third is Princess Eleonora, fourth is Princess Are, fifth is Regent Lyle, sixth is Castle Lady Sharon, seventh is Her Highness Oracle, eighth is Steriana-sama, ninth is Louise-sa,a, and I am tenth.」
「Are is fourth? That’s pretty high.」
「Princess Are is the daughter of the Queen of Rango Island. Rango Island was recognized as an independent state by all countries at the recent Eura Continental Alliance Conference, so she is now a princess.」
「I see, that makes sense. But, Kaara, are you okay with being below Ria?」
Being under Ria must be tough. Even without the saintess and demon conflict, I think it’d be tough for me too.
「I am fine being the lowest. If possible, I wish Her Highness Oracle’s rank could be a bit higher though…」
「Takeru, I am recognized as a first-class Saintess, you know!」
「Louise, are you okay with being below Ria too?」
「I have no issue being under the saintess. My family is of baron rank, so I don’t mind being at the bottom.」
「Well, if everyone is okay with it, then so be it… Good for you, Ria.」
「Takeru, you’re terrible!」
If I had more energy, I might jokingly demote Ria to the lowest rank again, but I don’t have that kind of energy right now. Ignoring Ria’s protests, I entered the bath, quickly rinsed off, and submerged myself in the warm water.
「The temperature is just right.」
「Hey, Takeru, why am I always treated like this? Are you listening?」
I hadn’t had the chance to take a proper bath in the past few days. In the dry climate of Silesie, a damp towel wipe-down keeps you clean enough, but still…
The soothing warmth of the bath was pure luxury, the best remedy for my exhaustion. The heat promoted circulation, making me feel like the fatigue was melting away from my limbs.
Closing my eyes and floating in the water, I felt like I could dissolve into bliss. With a damp towel over my face, I let go of all tension, feeling weightless as if I were floating in space.
「Hey, Takeru, hey…」
「Quiet…」
Even Are knew to keep silent, yet Ria kept whispering in my ear. I really might demote her rank.
Lifting the towel from my face to look at Ria, I was met with a sight of skin tones despite her wearing a yukata.
「How about this? Isn’t it just perfect?」
「It’s completely see-through!」
「Hehe, impressive, isn’t it? Today, I thought I’d try something different by making the yukata translucent.」
「Sigh…」
「Just stripping is too predictable. This time, the theme is see-through.」
「Weren’t you supposed to let me relax?」
She’s absolutely messing with me. Looking closer, I saw that Louise, Kaara, and even Are were all wearing see-through yukata in the bath.
And frustratingly, Ria was right. The steam in the bath added a tantalizing effect, stirring something in me even in my exhausted state.
The warmth improved circulation, and as much as I hated to admit it, Ria’s plan was working, and it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.
「Of course, we won’t do anything, but if you get the energy to do something to us, we won’t mind.」
「Damn you…」
She must know why she’s treated this way. She completely shattered my hopes of a quiet evening…
「If you need it, you can always replenish with the divine milk Amrita. As your wife, I am ready to respond to my husband’s needs anytime.」
「No, that’s alright…」
Falling for Ria’s temptations now would only encourage her more. Despite becoming a mother, Ria’s mischievous behavior remained unchanged, which was troublesome.
It seemed she also wanted to show off in front of the newly arrived Louise and the others, demonstrating her influence over me. Ignoring her advances, I clung to the edge of the tub, resisting her persistence.
Then, with a flurry, Sherry burst into the bathhouse still in her official attire. Predictably, she slipped on the wet floor.
「Oniisama, ah!」
「Careful!」
Kaara quickly used magic to prevent her from falling.
「Sorry about that…」
「No problem, are you alright?」
Even in her formal uniform, which buttoned up to her collar, Sherry looked every bit the high-ranking official despite her youthful face. In reality, she was more than just a high-ranking official; she was the shadow chancellor who even the prime ministers and ministers deferred to.
Sherry was supposed to be overseeing the cleanup of the Demon Dragon King’s remains. Seeing her stumble like this was unusual. Dark circles under her silver eyes and her disheveled short silver hair revealed her deep exhaustion.
「I apologize for appearing like this.」
「Never mind that. What’s wrong, Sherry?」
Sensing an emergency, I quickly wrapped a towel around my waist and stepped out of the bath. For Sherry to intrude into the harem without permission, it must be something urgent.
「I’m sorry to interrupt, but there’s urgent business.」
「No need to apologize, Sherry. You’re just as busy as I am.」
「The total damage from the Demon Dragon King Lindwurm’s attack has been calculated, and I need your approval to begin compensation negotiations with the Kingdom of Castilia.」
「I see. So, we’ll slap the damages on Castilia and demand additional compensation.」
Although the materials harvested from the Demon Dragon King’s corpse had already put us in the black, Sherry planned to claim the damages from the Kingdom of Castilia.
We had already demanded compensation of ten million platinum coins (equivalent to one million gold coins) from the Kingdom of Castilia. Now, we intended to add the damages from this recent chaos to the bill.
「The ambassador from Castilia, Revenant, confessed that the attack was orchestrated by their kingdom. Naturally, the damages should be borne by the Kingdom of Castilia, although the Kingdom of Silesie temporarily covered them.」
「Two hundred thousand gold coins in damages?」
I exclaimed, my eyes widening as I read the total on the documents Sherry handed me. The sum was astronomical.
「The damages include not only the costs borne by the affected local residents but also the military expenses. The weapons and ammunition used in the counterattack were not cheap. Since these were used to counter the Demon Dragon King’s attack, it’s only natural to charge the costs of quelling the uprising initiated by the Kingdom of Castilia.」
「Sherry, this seems heavily inflated.」
200000 gold coins could buy twenty thousand fine warhorses. The Demon Dragon King’s attack was indeed severe, but the direct damage to the city was minimal; the worst hit was the farmland on the outskirts. The math for this enormous sum seemed off.
Yet Sherry, with her expertise, had prepared the documents so meticulously that it was impossible to spot where the figures had been inflated.
「An additional claim of this magnitude would likely cause Castilia to collapse from within.」
「Is that Lyle-sensei’s instruction?」
Such a massive compensation demand could potentially ignite new conflicts.
I felt a sense of unease. While devising strategies was the job of Lyle-sensei and Sherry along with the other bureaucrats, it was my responsibility to approve them.
「Lyle-sensei mentioned that if the Castilian Kingdom gives up paying directly in gold, they might offer their colonies in the Afri continent instead. This way, they wouldn’t be able to utilize the ‘Demon King’s Core’ anymore.」
「I see. So, Revenant was using the miasma holes in the Afri continent.」
The exact details would need further investigation, but if the Castilian Kingdom had been tapping into their own miasma holes to obtain the ‘Demon King’s Core’, they would have suffered significant damage. On the other hand, conducting such operations in the remote regions of the Afri continent, inhabited only by demons, would avoid causing any damage while still obtaining the core.
Revenant’s greatest advantage was his ability to venture deep into the dangerous deserts of the Afri continent, an area inaccessible to humans. Considering the source of the ‘Demon King’s Cores’ they kept producing, it was a logical deduction, and I believed it to be true.
「I also believe this additional compensation claim is necessary. That’s why these figures were calculated. If they hesitate to pay, we’ll send our fleet and demand it at cannon-point.」
「Understood. I approve.」
The figures were not arbitrary; every shot fired and every field destroyed had been meticulously accounted for. Including the cost of anti-aircraft installations might seem excessive, but given Castilia’s sabotage of the international conference, it was a fitting punishment.
Sherry, covered in dust, hadn’t been leisurely calculating within the safety of the castle. To swiftly put a stop to Castilia, she had rushed around the site herself and compiled the damage report within a single day. Such dedication deserved recognition.
「Thank you.」
「Once your work is done, you should take a bath too, Sherry.」
「Once I hand this over, my job will be done…」
Seeing Sherry so worn out, I got an idea. Maybe it was because my own judgment was dulled by fatigue.
「Ria, give Sherry a little bit of the Amrita milk.」
「That’s a good idea!」
Ria exclaimed, getting out of the bath with a splash and coming over with a smile.
Since babies drink it, a small amount shouldn’t be harmful, I reasoned.
「Just a little bit. She’s still a child.」
「What? What are you… wait, what?」
Sherry’s eyes widened as Ria fed her the Amrita milk.
「Howaaaa!」
Sherry gasped, her silver hair standing on end.
I turned away, not wanting to watch, but I could hear the effect taking hold.
「How do you feel, Sherry?」
「What’s happening, Oniisama? Despite the crisis, I feel so excited!」
「Maybe a bit too much energy.」
「Ha ha, this is amusing. Let’s give her some dragon liver too.」
Are suggested, stepping forward with a mischievous grin.
「No, Are, stop.」
「Really? I can get even more energy?」
Sherry asked eagerly, her face flushed and her limbs flailing with enthusiasm. She was getting way too excited.
「Yes, very much so! I have it prepared in pill form. Come here.」
「No, don’t be reckless, Are.」
Isn’t dragon liver too much for someone without high resistance?
「Just one pill should be fine for a child.」
「That’s for dragon maidens, Are. Different species!」
Are tossed a pill made from the liver of the Demon Dragon King into Sherry’s mouth. Her hair exploded again as she swallowed it. These people really don’t know their limits.
「Wow, oniisama, I can’t handle this!」
「Are you okay?」
「I’m overflowing with energy! I’ll just finish my work quickly and come back!」
Sherry, now bursting with energy, grabbed the stack of approved documents and rushed off.
「Well, that worked… sort of.」
I muttered, sinking back into the bath.
「It’s good to see Sherry so energetic again.」
「You overdid it. She has the expression of ‘feeling fine when not really’.」
Boosting one’s energy in emergencies is good, but it shouldn’t be overused.
The fact that Sherry said she felt good means she knows the danger.
「Takeru, how about just a little Amrita milk for you too?」
「No, thanks. I need to rest, not get more energized.」
That stuff keeps you awake, which isn’t what I need right now.
「Maybe the hero should have some dragon liver too. The pill form is milder.」
「I’m not eating it.」
They said they’d let me rest, but now they were all over me again. This wasn’t what I had in mind at all.
「Takeru, come on.」
「Hero, try it.」
「Give me a break, you two—」
Suddenly, something flew into the bath with a splash. Sherry emerged from the water, completely naked, her silver hair wet and her cheeks flushed. She hadn’t been in the bath long enough for the heat to affect her; this was something else.
「Oniisama!」
「Sherry, what’s wrong?」
「You said I could come back when I finished my work!」
「That was fast.」
Isn’t that a bit too fast?
I wondered. Did she really finish her work properly?
「I prepared a well-founded draft request; all that’s left is the diplomat’s job!」
「Okay, but that was some lightning-speed work… Are you drunk?」
「Yes, I feel like my head is spinning!」
I could see she was flushed, likely from the combination of the Amrita milk and the dragon liver pill. Taking both at once for the first time was a lot for her. It was like downing a whole energy drink in one go—no surprise a kid would feel overwhelmed from that.
Still, having Sherry clinging to me might actually work to my advantage. If she sat on my lap, it would deter any inappropriate behavior in front of her, acting as a buffer against the others.
「Please make me your eleventh wife, oniisama…」
「Sure, sure, we’ll talk about it later.」
She was clearly out, so I just gave her a casual response. Even in this state, I could handle little Sherry. It was almost comforting.
「But later isn’t good! It has to be right now!」
「Yeah, yeah, later.」
Sherry wrapped her arms around my neck with that familiar drunk motion. Her skin was hot to the touch, and I began to worry about whether it was safe for her to be in the bath like this.
「Hey, Sherry, maybe it’s time to get out?」
「Eh? I just got in! Let’s stay in longer! What’s my reward, huh? Oniisama, I did such a good job!」
This was definitely a risky situation.
Her usual playful attitude felt heightened, almost childlike, which wasn’t like the Sherry I knew.
I gently tapped her wet silver hair and then lifted her out of the bath. I felt a momentary urge to wash her hair thoroughly with soap, but today, a quick rinse would suffice. I was tired, but more importantly, Sherry needed to rest.
「I’ll let you sleep with me just for today, so that should be enough.」
「Yay!」
I gently dried Sherry’s body with a towel. Meanwhile, the others were surrounding me, drying me off with their towels, but I let them do as they pleased.
I genuinely worried about Sherry and wanted to watch over her until she fell asleep. Keeping her close would also help ensure that our married life didn’t start up in the middle of the night.
「Hey, Sherry. Right now, you’re just temporarily energetic, so make sure you get some proper rest. I know work is busy, but lack of sleep isn’t good for someone growing like you.」
「You’re right…」
With my casual words, the smart Sherry seemed to come to a realization, her lips trembling slightly. Did I really say something that shocking?
「Your work is still incredibly important, but you need to grow properly for the future of the kingdom.」
「Thank you for the advice, Kaara-sama. I completely forgot that I’m still in my growing phase. I want to grow up quickly, just like my senpais, so I can be someone my oniisama likes.」
Sherry said this while Kaara draped a bathrobe over her, stroking her chest. I didn’t quite understand what they were getting so excited about, but as long as she was willing to rest, that was good enough for me.
After taking a refreshing shower, we all enjoyed the cold coffee milk that Sharon had prepared, brushed our teeth, and felt refreshed as we settled into bed. With Sherry by my side, I felt like I could sleep soundly, no matter how many wives were in the large bed of the harem.
「Alright, Sherry, it’s time for bed.」
「Yes, oniisama. It seems I was too hasty. I will take my time to sleep and grow bigger, so please look forward to it.」
I wasn’t sure what exactly to expect from that, but I nodded at her words. Sherry was always busy, so it was important to make sure she took her breaks.
Sometimes, both the mind and body needed time to rest.
With the warmth of Sherry in my arms, I drifted into a deep sleep.