Chapter 2:
The Guide's Scheme
I T WAS THE GOBLINS AND ORCS, not the elves, who had obtained House
Banfield's permission to immigrate to the planet where the world tree had
appeared. When Queen Anushree received that news aboard the nomad
ship she'd returned to, she trembled with fury and furrowed her brow,
gripping the armrests of her chair.
"Why would he not choose us? Why did he pick those hideous
creatures?!"
The nomad ship Anushree commanded wasn't large by any means,
but it carried tens of thousands of her brethren, and her fellow elves had
been just as smugly convinced that they had finally found a planet to settle
on. Yet their queen had failed in her negotiations. The ship was in chaos
now that its occupants knew goblins and orcs had been chosen instead, and
the vassals at Anushree's side were just as panicked.
"Those lowly humans!" Anushree shouted at the ceiling, unable to
contain her rage. "We'll kill their world tree, then! If it can't be ours, it's
pointless for it to even exist! We'll use starbane if we have to!"
One of the vassals gathered around her spoke up hurriedly.
"Starbane?! We cannot do that, Your Majesty!"
Starbane was a dangerous substance synthesized from negative
energies, like grudges and hatred, that collected after a planet was
destroyed. If it spread through a planet, that planet was cursed. Anyone
poisoned with starbane died a painful death in deep despair; those with
weak spirits died instantly, bodies contaminated with misfortune that
spread unhappiness throughout the vicinity. Starbane was simply bad
news, yet Anushree possessed some of it.
"If we don't use it now, when will we use it? I can't forgive that
lowly human brat for toying with me like this!"
Anushree's vassals could say nothing more to her. Her eyes bulged,
a frightening smile on her face.
As the tension in the room rose, a man's top hat fell from the
ceiling, invisible to the elves' eyes. When it landed on the floor, it sprouted
tiny arms and legs. The incomplete figure spread its arms, and then...
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"Ah! What arrogance and repulsive anger!" the newcomer crooned
to himself. "And since it relates to Liam, I can absorb it even better."
The being within the top hat—called the Guide—absorbed the
hatred and rage the elves felt toward Liam. He even absorbed the starbane
in the elves' possession, replenishing much of the negative energy he
required for the first time in a while. And that wasn't all.
"I-incredible!" he gushed, unheard by the elves. "The anger and
hatred these elves have accumulated over years and years of destroying
planets and lives is giving me even more power!"
Since Anushree's people had extinguished countless lives on the
planets they'd destroyed, this ship absolutely brimmed with malice, yet the
elves living aboard didn't even suspect it. All hell could've broken loose if
the Guide hadn't absorbed the emotions lingering in their midst.
After feasting on all that energy, the Guide's appearance changed.
Power filled his body, which fully sprouted from his hat. The Guide held
his hands out, thrilled to have his body again.
"I'm back, baby!" Inspecting his revived body, the Guide
considered his next moves. "Hmm. I've revived, but I can't defeat Liam
like this. If I approach him now, he'll turn the tables again in an instant. If
only I could pull some strings behind the scenes while he wasn't around.
Hunh... Oh, I know!"
The Guide had hit upon the idea of what was called "summoning
magic." With that, he could send Liam to a faraway planet the Empire
hadn't yet discovered. Right now, however, the Guide didn't possess that
kind of power. So what could he do?
"If only I could throw him into another universe... But that's
beyond me at the moment. I should concentrate on using summoning
magic to send him to a planet in this universe and buy myself some time.
While Liam's away, I'll rile up people like these elves, who bear him ill
will, and destroy his domain. I could steal his alchemy box and other
gadgets, too. That way, he'll have a tough time when he gets back."
The Guide's plan was to whittle down House Banfield's power in
Liam's absence, stealing the devices that provided his resources. To do
that, he just had to banish Liam to some faraway planet.
It would normally be easy to catch someone with summoning
magic, but things became more difficult when that someone was Liam.
Since this was a universe with magic, a count like Liam would likely have
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several layers of protection in place to prevent kidnapping via summoning.
The Guide would have his work cut out for him.
"Plenty of planets summon heroes from other universes to stave off
the threat of a demon lord," he mused. "I just need to push Liam to one of
those planets. It'd be nice if the demon lord killed him to boot, but I'm
sure that's too much to hope for."
If a demon lord could've killed Liam, the Guide wouldn't be having
this much trouble with him. And if Liam went missing due to summoning
magic, House Banfield would naturally begin searching for him. If the
Guide sent him to a planet that was quite distant, though, the effort would
exhaust all this new power he'd waited so long to stock up. Thus, he
should send Liam somewhere nearby. Nearby for an intergalactic empire,
at least. It should be a planet the Empire hadn't discovered yet, where the
inhabitants were just scraping by and couldn't assist Liam. Liam would be
found eventually, but it would take some time.
With that decided, the Guide reached out with his senses to search
for a fitting location. He quickly found a planet that was, in fact, under
threat from a demon lord. That world's inhabitants intended to summon a
hero from another universe to protect them. The process was just getting
underway.
"This is it! If Liam is gone, I can do whatever I want in his domain!
All right. I'll send him away by getting him caught in their summoning!"
As the Guide left the room, Anushree slumped in her chair, her
whole demeanor going from fierce to drained.
"Your Majesty?" Concerned vassals gathered around her.
The drive for revenge had disappeared from Anushree's face. Her
brow was no longer furrowed, her expression more peaceful. No—her face
had turned impassive, the light gone from her eyes. "We won't use
poison," she murmured, as if regretting what she'd said only a moment
ago.
"R-right!" one of her vassals said. "If we're going to destroy a world
tree, we have to at least get some elixirs out of it first."
Hearing the relieved vassal's words, Anushree hugged her knees
atop her chair. "That's too much effort as well."
Her vassals went quiet for a moment, then finally comprehended
what she'd just said. "Too much effort?!" one repeated. "Y-your Majesty,
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what's come over you?"
"We should look for somewhere else to settle down. Roaming is fine
and all, but I'd like to just take it easy and start a family soon," Anushree
told them.
Her vassals exchanged looks, seeming to conclude that such a plan
might not be bad. Anushree was beautiful, but she was aging. It would be
best if their queen, a high elf, focused on continuing her lineage. Most of
the vassals sympathized with her desire to settle down, and one young elf
let something slip that he shouldn't have.
"Maybe that'll be for the best. You're not as young as you used to
be, Your Maj—"
"Hmph!" The queen stood, gave the young elf an icy look, and sank
her fist into his gut.
"Augh!"
Anushree then made an announcement. "I've decided! We'll look
for a planet where we can all settle down. It doesn't have to have a world
tree. We just want to live on solid ground somewhere. One day in the
future, we'll find another world tree and tend it properly."
In order to revive himself, the Guide had sucked out too much of the
elves' negative energy. Once he left, things proceeded in a strange
direction.
***
On the Empire's Capital Planet lived a man named Calvin Noah
Albareto. Calvin was the crown prince. He was competing for the throne
with the third prince, Cleo Noah Albareto, whom Liam had elevated to his
current position in the succession contest.
Cleo had formerly been at an overwhelming disadvantage; Calvin's
claim to the throne was practically set in stone. But Liam's maneuvering
left Calvin in a precarious state. Most of the nobles in his faction had left;
only those closest to him remained. His influence within the Empire had
waned, and now there were predictions that Cleo would become the next
emperor.
Calvin was about to lose his status as crown prince because of a
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single person: Liam.
Still, Calvin had a plan. Sitting before his remaining noble followers
in a palace meeting room, he wore an easy smile.
"Factions are just harder to control as they grow larger," he
declared.
Calvin had learned this well, since he'd once commanded the largest
faction of any candidate for the throne. He now realized his faction had
contained plenty of foolish nobles who only held him back. Those fickle
bandwagon-hoppers were joining Cleo's faction instead, something Calvin
actually approved of. Yes, a bigger faction just meant more problems.
The nobles gathered in the meeting room understood what Calvin
meant.
"I can't imagine Liam keeping control of his faction the way it is
now," one commented.
"Even we struggled with it, after all," said another.
"Plenty of idiotic opportunists will get in his way."
Calvin figured that, even if those excess nobles did nothing, they
would hold Liam back. The nobles still in Calvin's faction saw that
coming, too. Liam would soon be unable to manage Cleo's faction.
"Once Liam's hands are tied, we'll make our move," said Calvin.
"Until then, we'll build up our strength."
His faction agreed. For the time being, they'd just have to lie low
and observe things.
***
House Banfield's mansion was enormous. Its halls were wide, its
ceilings high, and its rooms spacious. To get anywhere distant inside the
massive building, you had to take a vehicle through its hallways. The
structure's scale was such that even buses and trains operated within the
mansion, ferrying people from one place to another.
A group of knights boarded one of these trains. Their leader was a
beautiful woman with long blonde hair named Christiana Leta Rosebreia
—though, nowadays, she went by Christiana Sera Rosebreia. Tia, as she
was called, had a composed demeanor, and was strong enough to have
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served as House Banfield's head knight up until recently.
"It's been a long time since I've taken one of the mansion trains,"
she remarked.
"Other methods of transportation are normally available to us,"
replied Tia's blue-haired adjutant. "I don't think there was any reason you
had to take the train, Lady Tia."
"It's fine. Our destination is near the station anyway."
Tia and her six subordinates were glancing around for open seats on
the train when they spotted another group that was already seated. The air
inside the car immediately shifted, the relaxed atmosphere replaced by
thick tension. Tia and her knights stared hard at this other, cruder group.
"What rotten luck to run into these ruffians," Tia griped, a little too
loudly.
The woman in the middle of the second group, Marie Sera Marian,
was sitting with her legs crossed. She looked up at Tia's words, staring as
if trying to murder her with her eyes alone. Marie was a formidable
woman with purple eyes and long purple hair; she'd made a name for
herself as House Banfield's second-strongest knight up until a short while
ago. She and Tia couldn't bear each other.
"Seeing your face makes me sick," Marie said. "I shouldn't have
taken the train today."
The air practically crackled with the tension between the two. It was
as if they might leap forward to kill each other at any second. Noticing
this, most of the passengers around them fled to other cars, though some
were boxed in where they sat.
One passenger stood. She wore a maid uniform that exposed her
shoulders, and the marks on them identified her as nonhuman—an android.
She was one of the mass-produced maid robots House Banfield employed.
When the maid robot got to her feet, staring at them, Tia's and
Marie's bloodlust dissipated. If they fought, the robot might be caught up
in it.
Marie scratched her head. "Guess you get to live today, ground
meat."
Tia looked down at her, eyes wide. "You're the one who's lucky,
fossil." She turned around with a flourish of her cape and led her
subordinates to another car.
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***
One of the unlucky passengers who hadn't been able to leave his
seat was a top knight who belonged to neither group. He'd been about to
speak up and stop the women's fight, but the maid robot next to him had
beaten him to it.
"I'm sorry," the knight, Claus Sera Mont, said awkwardly when the
maid robot sat back down. "That was my job."
Androids didn't have high standing in the Algrand Empire. In fact,
such AI-powered robots were scorned. However, there was an unspoken
rule in House Banfield's domain that maid robots were to be treated as if
they were human. There were those who skirted this rule, but in the face of
Liam's absolute authority, the most they could do was avoid interactions
with maid robots.
Claus always endeavored to obey his lord's commands, so long as
he didn't find them unconscionable, which was why he apologized to the
maid robot.
The humanlike robot stared back at him with her red eyes. "If you'd
tried to stop them, you would likely have become involved in their fight,
Lord Claus. It was sufficient merely to make my presence known."
"Ha ha ha! You think I would have gotten involved?" Claus said
incredulously.
"It's entirely possible one of them might think about removing you
from the running for head knight—a position they both covet," the maid
robot replied emotionlessly. "It may be prudent for you to sleep with one
eye open."
"Huh?" Claus was speechless.
The maid robot cocked her head. "That was a joke. Did it not come
across that way? Human jokes are difficult for us." She put a hand to her
cheek, seemingly disappointed that Claus hadn't laughed.
Claus was shocked for several reasons. One was that a maid robot
had even told a joke, but mostly it was because—though the robot said she
wasn't serious—part of him had thought, I wouldn't put it past the two of
them. His stomach twisted with anxiety. Maybe I will sleep with one eye
open.
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***
Finishing up my work for the day, I headed for my lounge to relax.
It was, of course, lavishly furnished. Each item in the room was
extravagant, and it was equipped for all manner of leisure activities. I'd
created it so that I could spend the entire day inside without becoming
bored, but I barely ever found opportunities to use it. I was swamped with
work every day, and when I had a chance to rest, I usually just took a
break in my office. Once I finished work, I also had to train in the Way of
the Flash. By the time I finished everything for the day, it was already time
to sleep. In short, I barely remembered to make use of this room.
Was I only using it now out of the miserly standpoint that it was a
waste not to—an attitude stubbornly clinging to me from my difficult past
life? When that thought occurred to me, I felt a bit stupid for even coming
into the lounge.
By the same token, though, it didn't sit right with me not to use it.
I'd taken care of the matter of the world tree, so I deserved to lounge
around today. I'd even changed into more casual clothes for the occasion
—an instantaneous process, thanks to the technology available in this
intergalactic nation.
I lay on the couch gazing at the monitor embedded in one wall,
watching the programs and livestreams being broadcast in my domain. I
didn't care what I watched, really; all I cared about was the pillow under
my head.
"Relaxing like this, I feel like I can forget about everything
troubling me."
As I enjoyed the sensation, Amagi's voice came from above me.
"You really are strange, Master. You would get much more rest using a
normal pillow, rather than my lap."
As I rested my head on Amagi's thighs, my eyelids got heavy. Still,
I wanted to talk with my personal maid, since I enjoyed this so much. "No
pillow is as good as your lap, Amagi."
"My lap is not calibrated to give you sufficient rest. The data speaks
for itself."
It was very like Amagi, an android running on artificial intelligence,
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to say that. Regardless, I enjoyed her lap better than any substitute. It made
me feel at ease. "Data isn't everything."
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"Do you refer to a psychological effect?"
"Maybe."
I closed my eyes as Amagi gently stroked my hair, letting the
sensation lull me into a comfortable sleep...but that didn't last long. I
woke with a start.
Amagi's large breasts filled most of my field of vision. "Your heart
rate is elevated, Master. Did you have a bad dream?"
I sat up and covered my face with my hands. "Yeah...the worst."
I hadn't expected to dream of my old life, of all things, but it
happened every so often. I'd dreamed of my ex-wife betraying me, my
daughter casting me aside... Painful memories.
"Please retire for the day, Master." Amagi put her hand on my back
as she suggested I return to my bedroom.
"Yeah...guess I should." I felt pathetic for still letting my past life
overwhelm me.
As I sat there, irritated with myself, Amagi suddenly looked toward
the door. "Master, Lady Rosetta and Mr. Brian are requesting permission
to enter."
"What are those two doing here at this hour?"
"I do not know. It does not appear urgent, in any case."
It may not have been urgent, but I knew Brian would throw a fit if I
ignored him. I sighed. "Let them in."
"Yes, sir."
The door automatically opened. My fiancée Rosetta Sereh Claudia,
with her signature blonde ringlets, entered the room first. She rushed
toward me happily, her large breasts bouncing slightly as she ran.
"Sorry to bother you when you're resting, Darling!"
Behind her stood my butler Brian, watching the two of us with a
happy grin.
I looked from one to the other. "So? What is it?" I asked bluntly.
Rosetta shrank under my gaze. "I-I'm sorry. It's just...umm..."
Brian couldn't bear to watch, and spoke up. "Master Liam, you
cannot treat Lady Rosetta that way."
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He would just be more annoying if I told him what I thought of his
attitude, so I sighed and asked once more, "What is it?"
"A world tree manifesting in your domain is a truly auspicious
event," Brian said, speaking up for Rosetta, who still hadn't mustered the
courage. "It's an opportunity to deepen your relationship with Lady
Rosetta."
Now I had a headache. "Quit making such a big deal out of a lucky
plant."
Brian must have thought I was taking the world tree lightly. "A
lucky plant?!" he protested, eyes widening. "Master Liam, the world tree is
nothing short of a miracle brought on by the many meritorious deeds you
have performed!"
He was annoying no matter what I did, so I gave up and just nodded.
"Got it. You're right. World trees are amazing."
"You're not listening to me, are you? Well, never mind. The
important thing to keep in mind right now is House Banfield's future."
I scowled. I figured I knew what he was about to say. "Don't push
me to have a kid. I'm still in training," I reminded him.
Brian grimaced. "I thought you might say something like that.
That's why I'm here to suggest you allow Lady Rosetta to help manage the
domain."
Let Rosetta help run the domain? I looked at her in surprise.
She straightened up to nervously explain. "I-I've graduated from
college and finished my training now, so I believe I can be of some
assistance. I want to support you by your side, Darling. That's...how I
feel." She lost a little momentum at the end, her voice quieting as she
observed my silence.
"I can attest to Lady Rosetta's abilities," Brian added. "All she
requires at this point is your approval, Master Liam."
Rosetta must have gone to Brian for advice instead of just asking
me. What a schemer.
She gave me a hopeful look, but I'd already made up my mind. I
didn't trust humans. I flashed back to the dream I'd just had of my ex-wife
and daughter abandoning me. Of losing everything.
"No."
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"Huh?"
Rosetta looked surprised, and a stunned silence settled over the
lounge. After a few moments, Brian finally spoke up.
"Master Liam, Lady Rosetta's abilities leave nothing to be desired.
There should be no problem with simply allowing her to assist you."
"It's my decision, and I'm saying no. I'm not getting Rosetta
involved in managing the domain."
Rosetta hung her head in frustration. Seeing her look so dejected,
Amagi spoke up to support her case.
"Master, Lady Rosetta will help you manage the domain in the
future, when she is your wife. I believe it would be prudent for her to
acclimate to the work now."
Even Amagi was trying to convince me, but I wasn't going to budge
on this. Humans betrayed one another easily, even if they were family.
"I don't need anyone's help. If that's all you wanted, then we're
done here."
"I apologize for overstepping my bounds," Rosetta said, choking
back a sob before running out of the room.
After watching her go, Brian rounded on me, anger on his face.
"You went too far, Master Liam."
Even Amagi gave me an accusatory look. I turned away from her.
I understood what they were saying, and I also thought I'd gone too
far, but I just didn't want to entrust another person with my assets. I should
never have done so with my ex-wife in my previous life. I'd believed in
her, but in the end, she'd squeezed all my money out of me and plunged
me into terrible debt.
"I'll never trust another person. Even family betrays you easily."
Amagi's eyes widened at those words, and Brian gasped as well. Of
course, the two of them didn't understand the context of my statement.
"Maybe such feelings are natural, considering your circumstances,
Master Liam," Brian said. "But this is not like what happened with your
parents."
Even Amagi didn't understand why I was upset. "Master, please
have more trust in Lady Rosetta. Even a small amount is fine. You can
work to build trust slowly, one step at a time."
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They both thought I was upset about my parents in this life, but it
was the memories of my family from my former life that tormented me. Of
course, I hadn't had a real family even then. To Brian and Amagi, I must
have seemed like a pathetic child upset about being deserted by his
parents, but I'd actually enjoyed the freedom abandonment afforded me.
I tilted my head. "I think you two have the wrong idea. You think
I'm sad because my parents abandoned me, don't you?"
Brian looked surprised. I supposed it would be strange for a child
not to care about their parents deserting them.
"Y-you're not?! Well then, why won't you accept Lady Rosetta's
help?"
"I'm just not eager to," I hedged, not caring to explain my
circumstances. That proved a mistake, however.
Amagi narrowed her eyes. For a robot, she actually looked pretty
angry. "You aren't eager to? For such a trivial reason, you trampled over
Lady Rosetta's feelings after she worked up the courage to make such a
proposal?"
I shrank back as Amagi advanced on me. "It's just a figure of
speech! I-I mean, I was in a bad mood after my nightmare, so..."
That set Brian off. "It isn't like you to reject Lady Rosetta's
proposal for that sort of reason, Master Liam!"
"I always make decisions based on my mood! After all, I'm—"
"An evil lord, sir?" Brian cut me off before I finished. "You do like
to claim that, but you have never once done anything evil, have you? On
the contrary, you're a wise lord who spares no effort to improve your
subjects' lives."
Amagi nodded in agreement.
"A-are you making fun of me?! If I really wanted to, I could... You
know, uh... Right, increase taxes! And gather a harem!" I blurted out the
first things that came to mind when I thought of evil lords.
"You have yet to make a move on Lady Rosetta, and have not
fathered an heir," Amagi muttered.
"That's right!" Brian agreed. "Master Liam, when exactly do you
intend to father an heir? I cannot tell you how worried I am!"
My face flushed as I watched Brian take out a white handkerchief
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and dab his eyes. Why should I have to discuss my bedroom affairs with
Brian, of all people? He must have sensed weakness, because he pressed
the attack.
"How long do you plan to put off the issue, Master Liam?"
"Knock it off! Stay the hell out of my personal affairs, old man!" I
had no logical defense, so I tried to get out of the conversation through
pure bluster. It didn't work.
"This is not a personal affair! It is a grave concern that affects your
entire domain!"
House Banfield's future had Brian worried, but personally, I didn't
give a crap about the next generation. I didn't want an heir; I hated kids.
Even now, I sometimes remembered the day my child had rejected me.
Every time I did, it just reaffirmed my belief that having children was
unnecessary.
"I don't want you getting involved in my bedroom business," I
repeated. "I'll do what I want, when I want." What I wanted right now was
for this conversation to end, but Brian wasn't letting it go today. He must
have had some other complaints about my treatment of Rosetta.
"Artificial insemination would be fine," Brian insisted. "You could
even use a capsule to create an heir. What do you say to that?"
Birthing capsules used genetic material to grow babies inside a
device, completely eliminating the burden on the mother's body. Hell,
using a capsule, you could even have a child without a partner. In fact, that
was how I had been conceived in this incarnation, which seemed kind of
crazy when I thought about it. In this universe, you could create children
without love or even physical effort. It was normal for nobles to procreate
using a capsule in order to produce an heir, but that very aristocratic way
of doing things made me rather sick.
"I don't like birthing capsules."
After I said that, Brian looked sorry. He probably thought I was
bothered by the fact that I'd been born from a capsule myself. I didn't care
in the least, but I chose not to correct his misunderstanding.
"I apologize for making the suggestion," he said quietly,
straightening up, "but this really is a serious problem for House Banfield.
Your vassals are loyal to you personally, Master Liam, but in the event
that you die before creating an heir—heaven forbid—I can't imagine what
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might happen to House Banfield."
Most of my vassals had joined up with House Banfield during the
course of my rule. Probably fewer than a tenth had served the family
before I took over. What would those vassals who'd joined up purely to
serve me do when I died? I couldn't care less.
"Don't worry about what happens when I die. It's got nothing to do
with me."
"There you go again! I'm suggesting you father an heir precisely
because of this attitude of yours! If you don't name a successor, it will be
too late when something happens!"
"What are you saying? That I'm gonna die?"
"If you keep engaging in nothing but life-threatening activities, then
yes, you very well might!"
Amagi joined the fray. "Mr. Brian's concerns are reasonable,
Master. You need to name a successor and create a plan in case of an
emergency."
My position felt a lot weaker now that Amagi was arguing with me
too. I tried to explain myself more gently than I had with Brian.
"Listen, Amagi, I'm not even a hundred years old yet. It's too soon
for me to worry about a successor, isn't it?"
One hundred would have been quite a long lifespan in my old
reality. But in this one, I was still treated like a kid who wasn't even
twenty years old. I was officially an adult, but I hadn't been acknowledged
as a full-fledged member of society yet. By my past life's standards, this
was like freaking out about a nineteen-year-old not having an heir.
"There's no telling when a noble may lose his life," Brian said, as if
to correct a misconception. "That is why it is important to prepare for the
possibility."
With Amagi and Brian ganging up on me, I had no choice but to
give in. "Fine. I get it, already. I'll name a successor."
Brian still wasn't satisfied. "There is no one you can name, with no
heir! Your vassals will not serve someone who is not your direct
descendent, Master Liam!"
Vassals like Tia and Marie were loyal to me personally, not to
House Banfield as an entity. If I disappeared and a relative of mine took
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my position, they likely wouldn't serve my replacement. The only
successor they would approve of would be my biological offspring.
I wasn't going to die that easily, though. I had the Guide helping me
—my very own guardian angel (or, well, something similar). With his
help, I'd gotten through plenty of dangerous situations, and I would
continue to do so. In fact, I'd never once been in true danger, and I
couldn't even imagine something threatening my life. Things had gone so
perfectly for me that it didn't even cross my mind to worry.
"Don't question my methods," I said. "That reminds me, though...
What happened to those idiots holding protests about this? I still need to
punish them."
Those had happened a little while ago... Or were they still going
on? There were protests everywhere in my domain. They'd begun with a
movement in favor of democracy, but the bigger issue was the protests
demanding I sire a baby, which had made me a laughingstock. I felt I had
to do something to make up for the humiliation.
Amagi cocked her head when I brought up punishing the protesters.
Even at a time like this, her mannerisms were so damn cute. "Master,
would the matter of the protests not be addressed if you simply produced
an heir?"
"The protesters need to be punished for defying me! My own
subjects ridiculing me is a grave crime, don't you think?!"
Brian leaned his face right up to mine. "Master Liam!"
"Wh-what?"
"At this point, I am going to be frank. Just how long do you intend
to wait before making a move on Lady Rosetta?!"
Rosetta. Once, she had been a strong woman with a steely spirit, and
at the time, she was exactly the kind of noble lady I liked. Yet the moment
she became my fiancée, her iciness melted, and she'd been downgraded—
in my eyes—into her present self who forever called me "Darling." She
was no longer the person I had pursued—the strong-willed girl who hated
me from the bottom of her heart. Since she didn't present a challenge
anymore, she was no fun.
"That's my business!"
"Lady Rosetta has been very patient with you, but you've prolonged
this long enough! Master Liam, I beg you to father an heir before you
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return to training on the Capital Planet!"
"You make it sound like I'm a total loser!" I shouted, shoving Brian
back.
He acts like I'm afraid of Rosetta or something!
"I decide who I make a move on, and when I do it!" I went on.
"Rosetta's just one girl out of all the women out there!"
I still planned to create a harem in the future. I felt that an evil lord
needed one. I'd have beautiful women waiting on me hand and foot,
pouring me drinks while I plotted my evil deeds!
As I contemplated my grand designs, Brian stood up straight.
"Master Liam, as I have said countless times before, the count still stands
at zero."
"Huh?"
"It's been more than half a century since you first said you would
collect a harem, yet you haven't bedded any women! Your harem currently
stands at zero members, Master Liam. I have serious doubts that you
actually intend to create this much-vaunted harem!"
"Zero members?! I've got Amagi, don't I?! R-Rosetta, too."
I sneaked a glance at Amagi, who shook her head.
"As I have informed you many times," she said, "I do not count.
Lady Rosetta is but a single woman, and cannot be considered a harem.
Additionally, have you not stated in the past that you do not intend even to
count Lady Rosetta among your harem's members?"
Rosetta was just one partner. It had been almost a hundred years
since I'd reincarnated, and I still didn't have a harem.
"I-I'll go through women like they're disposable! You'll see!" I
persisted. "I'll sleep with a different woman every night and throw her
away the next day! I'll round up all the beautiful women in my domain
right now!"
I made up my mind to find some immediately, if only to get out of
this conversation.
Brian gaped at me. "You'll sleep with a different woman every
night?!"
"O-of course! I've got all the money in the world, after all!"
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That would be three hundred and sixty-five women a year. What a
villain I'd be to sleep with them, then throw them away right after! While I
relished my vile plan, Brian and Amagi nodded to each other.
"One a night is not much, but it should at least solve the problem,"
Brian said.
"Mm. At the moment, more than one hundred thousand candidates
could become his concubines. I wish he'd put in a bit more effort, but
we'll just keep narrowing them down."
Wait a second. What's with that crazy number? One hundred
thousand?
Brian smiled. "One a night means he'll get through a thousand
women in three years. That still doesn't feel like enough, but I'll take it!"
Amagi nodded as if agreeing with Brian's insane comment. "I shall
select those first one thousand individuals immediately."
"Just a thousand, eh?" said Brian. "Winnowed down that much,
they'll have to be the cream of the crop. I'm sure Master Liam will be
satisfied. Ah, I can finally rest easy now. Though three women per night
would make me much happier."
"Once the selection process begins, I imagine we will be flooded
with applicants. I will take it for granted that the number of candidates will
rise to the hundreds of millions."
Crap. I was a count with several planets in my domain, a ruler with
billions of subjects. If I wanted to gather a harem, those were the kind of
numbers I'd be working with. No wonder these two acted as if I was
dragging my heels.
Brian wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I feel like an idiot for
worrying that you might tell me to fill a whole planet with beautiful
women, or something of that nature."
"My records indicate that a noble once had one billion concubines.
He used an entire planet as his inner palace." Even Amagi was getting
carried away.
Brian laughed. "I wish Master Liam had that degree of interest in
women."
"I agree completely."
Watching the two of them, I realized I had made the wrong decision.
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Or rather, I hadn't recognized the scope of an intergalactic nation. I broke
into a cold sweat, regretting taking this universe too lightly.
"N-never mind... I take it back," I managed to stammer.
"Huh?" Brian froze.
I stressed to him the importance of my harem's aesthetics. I had
ideas about this harem of mine, and I didn't intend to compromise them. "I
only want women I've chosen personally to be in my harem! That's
right... I decided that a long time ago! So, I take it back!"
"But you still have yet to choose a single woman!" Brian protested,
his short-lived happiness evaporating.
"Sh-shut up! I'm choosing my own harem, and that's final!"
"Then we are right back to zero, Master Liam."
Just as I was thinking about how to get out of this situation, a magic
circle appeared beneath my feet. From the information my education
capsule had installed in me years ago, I realized immediately that this was
summoning magic.
"What's summoning magic doing in here?"
I'd thought I had countermeasures in place against magic like this,
yet the glowing circle was slowly sucking me in.
"Master Liam!" Brian started toward me, but he wasn't going to
make it in time.
Amagi reached toward me. "Master! Take my hand!"
I stretched my arm out to do just that, but it didn't reach.
Just like that, I was sucked completely into the magic circle. The last
thing I saw was Brian's shocked expression and Amagi's emotionless face
somehow tinged with despair.
I felt bad for Amagi, but it wasn't despair I felt. Rather, the thought
crossing my mind at that moment was more like...
Yes! Sweet escape!
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