A white raven spread its wings, passing through cottony wisps of cloud as it descended into a massive, ancient castle.
The head manservant, ever watchful by the window, saw the white raven. He skillfully removed the letter from its claw, placed the bird in a cage, and gave it some water and food before turning to leave.
A beautiful figure was approaching him.
The manservant stopped and bowed in greeting.
"Where is the letter from?" she asked casually.
"East Gorge Porcupine Territory."
"Porcupine Territory? I believe that's my aunt's husband's fiefdom." She held out her hand. "Give it to me. I'll take it to Father."
The manservant looked at the fair hand extended before him, hesitated for a moment, then handed over the wax-sealed letter.
She took the letter and hurried to the study. Knocking twice perfunctorily, she opened the door and went in without waiting for a response.
"Father... Oh, Grandfather, you're here too."
In the study, a white-haired old man was gazing out the window at the distant green forest. Meanwhile, a middle-aged man, who appeared to be receiving a scolding, sat with his head bowed low in a chair before the desk, his hands pressed to his knees.
"You really should try to rein in that impulsive nature of yours." The middle-aged man let out a long sigh. He winked at his daughter, thanking her for the timely rescue, but his words were still a reprimand. "What young nobleman would dare marry you?"
"Do I have to rely on a man?" she retorted. "I could take on two like Bode all by myself!"
"Bode is your brother."
"But he really can't beat me."
Seeing the father and daughter were about to start arguing, the white-haired old man by the window turned around. "Enough! Valor comes first for the Wisdoms. We are the crocodiles of the wetlands; bravery is a family trait."
With her grandfather's help, the young woman won a temporary victory and smugly lifted her chin at her father.
But the old man's tone then shifted. "However, you have indeed reached a marriageable age, Stacy. Green Forest Castle will be hosting a ball soon, and I hope you will be able to select a suitable husband."
"More than just marriageable," her father added. "Girls her age are already mothers to several children."
Stacy's face fell. Just as she took a breath to defend herself, her father, Lewis, asked, "Did you barge in here just to bicker with us?"
"It's a letter from Porcupine Territory." She handed the letter to her father.
Breaking the wax seal, Lewis quickly read the short reply and laughed heartily. "It seems we won't have to worry about Stacy getting married off after all."
"What?" Stacy asked, confused.
"Your cousin Leech is the Baron of Porcupine Territory," Lewis said, looking at his daughter with a smile. "He says he's very fond of you and will likely take the initiative to visit Green Forest Castle soon."
'Cousin? Leech?' Stacy tried to recall the cousin she had met in her childhood. Back then, his father wasn't even a Baron, but the Porcupine Knight was already making a name for himself on the battlefield. Her little cousin, however, had inherited none of that Porcupine spirit. She remembered being able to make him cry for ages with a single slap.
Stacy immediately shook her head. "I'm not marrying him. He's just a little crybaby."
"You should at least meet him before you decide. Besides, you're talking about when he was a child. He must have grown into a man by now." Lewis smiled. 'My sister's only son, and a Baron at that. It would be a wonderful match if I could marry my daughter to him.'
"Enough," the white-haired old man said. "We can discuss this after Leech arrives. Stacy, you may leave us. Your father and I have matters to discuss."
"Yes," Stacy replied, leaving reluctantly.
Only the father and son remained in the study.
"Father, are you really going to let Stacy get away with this?" Lewis asked. "If she doesn't marry soon, her reputation among the nobility will be ruined. The local knights and nobles are already terrified of her, and Leech is a Baron, not to mention my sister's son."
The white-haired old man reached for the letter, glanced at it, and smiled. "This tone... It's just like the old Porcupine."
"What is our family crest?" he asked.
Lewis replied, "An open-mouthed crocodile and a plover."
Many people notice the crocodile of the Wisdom family, but they always overlook the small plover.
He asked again, "And our family motto?"
Lewis replied, "Even beasts have beloved friends."
"So when did I ever say Stacy couldn't marry Leech?" the old man asked in return.
The Wisdoms are like a giant crocodile lying dormant in the wetlands, and Porcupine Castle on the headland is its plover.
"Leech is your sister's child, after all. He has half Wisdom blood in his veins, and he's a Baron with his own fiefdom. It's a very suitable match for Stacy."
Lewis was both pleased and worried. "I'll have to find a lady's maid to teach Stacy some etiquette. We can't have her scaring Leech away. Thankfully, we have plenty of time to work on it."
The old man nodded in deep agreement. Any young man who saw his granddaughter's masculine bearing would want to turn and flee.
No one wanted to marry a tigress who could shatter their bones with a single punch, especially since she had done something just like it before—she had given a nobleman who tried to get a little too "close" at a ball a full-on shoulder throw.
The father and son understood this predicament completely, but what good was understanding? Stacy was one of their own. Their only hope was that Leech would be in desperate need of an alliance and thus be forced to accept the marriage.
...
"ACHOO!"
"My lord, you should take better care of yourself." A manservant promptly brought a garment for Leech and draped it over his shoulders.
"Thank you, Pitchfork."
It was late autumn, and the weather had turned cool. He was reading a book titled *Donkey Knight and the Duchess*. Though the content was rather pornographic and violent and the prose was crude, the plot was certainly unique. In the story, a knight who boasted of his "donkey-like" attributes travels to the southern front for the war between the East Gorge and Giant's Foot, only to be captured by a Duke.
He then has a chance encounter with the Duchess and, with his silver tongue, awakens her passions. The Donkey Knight then proceeds to conquer her with his... signature technique.
After that, the Duchess even helps him get in touch with other noblewomen. Every day, a group of them would sneak down to the dungeon where the Donkey Knight was imprisoned, and... things would get very merry.
He even managed to win over the Duke's daughter, her handmaidens, and more.
Eventually, the list of names grew so long that Leech couldn't keep track. By a rough count, there must have been several dozen women.
'This is clearly just the wild fantasy of some Minstrel.' He thought. 'There are always men who dream of forcing noble ladies to their knees; conquering the high and mighty is a deep-seated desire.'
At the story's climax, the Duke discovers their affair. In the ensuing confrontation, the Donkey Knight defeats the Duke but mercifully spares his life, asking only that he and the women who chose to follow him be allowed to leave in peace. However, the furious Duke, forgetting that his life had been spared, prays to a sinister god of the night and transforms into a long-haired beast.
In the end, the Donkey Knight, relying on his valor and a treasured sword of silver-steel, manages to slay the beast. He and his women then take possession of the castle and live happily ever after.
'Killing a Duke and taking every woman in the Duke's Castle for himself, and nobody bats an eye?'
'Well, it's just a Minstrel's novel. You can't be too critical. It's just a bit of fun.'
There were other, similar books: *The Blacksmith's Daughter and the Knight*, *Baron and Sheep*, *Midnight with the Knight and the Centauride*, and so on. The titles were pure gimmicks, and the content was completely unrestrained.