Hentai Dragon King

Having finished helping with the reconstruction of the castle town, I parted from Kaka and Pipi before returning to the glans and stopped by Iria’s place.

I wanted to hear her opinion on where would be good if we were to build a capital. There was also an ulterior motive that the flow of conversation might turn into an erotic atmosphere and something lewd could happen.

In Iria’s room on the top floor of the main tower, Iria sat on the bed and I sat on a chest nearby.

Iria’s idea was that the location of the capital should prioritize ease of defense in the event of war over ease of trade.

"With the current settlement’s location, in the event of war we would take magic attacks from the mountain range and arrows would be fired one-sidedly from the mountainside. The current location can be said to have problems for defensive reasons."

"I see. Indeed the mountain is too close."

"Yeah. The Glans-Neck Mountain Range becomes a shield that holds back the enemy, but if it is occupied it conversely becomes a stronghold that protects the enemy forces."

It might be better to have a defensive fort at the Glans-Neck separately from the capital.

I suddenly thought— if war breaks out this Margolant Castle would become the enemy’s frontline base. In that case this castle would become an unpleasant location. It makes sense that it was a base for holding back orc invasions. An unpleasant presence.

From the beastman kingdom’s perspective, this castle is a hindrance.

Therefore I casually spoke.

"Hey, why don’t all of you Iria and the others also live on the glans?"

"That would also be good."

"Eh?"

Even though I was the one who asked, I became confused by the reply.

"You’re a strange one. Wasn’t it Masaharu who invited us?"

"Ah, no, that’s true. Somehow I thought you would refuse for reasons like responsibility as a lord or as a knight, or obligation or duty toward the king—some kind of fetters or feudal reasons."

"Ah. The duty of allegiance (allégeance), is it."

Apparently it was outside the translation coverage of the otherworld-transfer bonus, or else a word that doesn’t exist in Japanese—part of Iria’s words sounded like an unknown word.

"I was never even given the accolade by the King of Arasgard. The reason I remain in this land is because I could not abandon the beastmen exposed to the threat of orcs. I have no particular attachment to the territory, noble status, or power, and no loyalty toward the king."

"Is it okay to say you have no loyalty toward the king?"

"How could I have loyalty toward the king of a country that recognizes the slavery of beastmen."

"That may be true, but..."

In Japan warlords swore loyalty to their lords, and it was apparently strong enough that when the master died the subordinates would cut their own bellies and accompany him to the other world.

However European knights received land or money and in exchange provided military force—a far more businesslike relationship than in Japan.

And unlike money, land, as time passes, from the lord’s perspective the feeling of "I’m governing it so it’s mine" or "it was mine from the beginning" gradually grows stronger. When ownership of land changes through inheritance by marriage, the awareness of "land granted by the king" gradually disappears, and the feeling of "repaying the favor of being given the land" also disappears. With such a process, royal authority weakens in the provinces.

Eventually local lords gain power or fortress cities strengthen their authority. There is also conflict with the church. And then the king regains power again, or the church splits and weakens, and the strength of the king changes depending on the era and place.

From Iria’s way of speaking, this country is probably in a situation where royal authority is strong but it cannot completely dominate the edges of the provinces.

Moreover...

As is clear from the fact that I could not understand part of Iria’s words, it may be something that a modern Japanese person like me cannot understand in the first place.

"Now that the threat of orcs is gone, I have no need to remain in this land. Originally it was as if the people living in this land had been taken as hostages and I had been assigned the role of single-handedly holding back the orcs’ advance. No, that’s wrong. When the orcs crossed the mountain range, I was entrusted with this land as a way to buy time until the country could establish a defense system. From the King of Arasgard’s perspective, the territory’s people were also sacrifices to delay the orcs’ invasion."

"I see..."

Iria was always on the verge of death.

I have no intention of making her feel indebted for me having saved her, but as a matter of fact, without me the possibility that Iria would have lost her life is high.

In other words, she was entrusted by the country with such a dangerous land. Without even being given soldiers to fight together...

"When Masaharu came from Margolant, you said you found the grave of a dead person from our castle, right?"

"Yeah."

"I have no intention of disturbing the repose of the dead, and praying for the repose of his soul does not change, but... He was a military official serving the King of Arasgard. He was charged with the duty of running to a neighboring city and reporting the attack on Margolant. It was not a request for the dispatch of troops to our territory, but a notification for them to prepare."

So that was it...

The mysterious traveler was not seeking salvation for Margolant.

He was trying to notify Monvan to establish a defense system.

"The royal capital should not know that the orcs have been eliminated, so if they intended to help, soldiers should have already arrived long ago. But only Ana came out of personal goodwill. Reinforcements still have not come. ...No. Ana probably arranged for the dispatch of troops to be stopped. I want to believe that our territory has not been abandoned."

Indeed, the more it is said the more this land has been abandoned.

Monvan has a deputy and a castle deputy, and knights like È are assigned to defense duties.

On weekends merchants who seem to have come from the royal capital line up shops and a market is also held, making it lively.

In comparison Margolant has wide land and because it is on a mountain it is splendid as a fortress, but...

It is clearly a buffer zone established between them and the orcs.

"Hey..."

"What’s wrong, suddenly turning red."

"Actually, I’ve been thinking for a little while... There is a way to legally annex the Margolant I govern into the beastman kingdom."

"Eh?"

"With only the glans there isn’t enough territory to call it a country, right? But if the shaft is also included it should be enough to call it a small country."

Iria, who had disliked comparing Margolant to an erect cock, has at some point started casually saying "glans" and "shaft." I won’t dig into that.

"There is a limit, but the wider the national land the better, right? But how will you do it? Direct appeal to the king? Go to the church?"

"Y-Yeah. That’s right. We’ll go to the church and do the procedures. The area around the glans originally has an unclear owner and is land where the King of Arasgard might claim rights, so if recognized by the church Masaharu should be able to formally claim lordship rights."

"I see. Indeed the current situation is just occupying the land on our own. Being officially recognized by someone might be good. But we have no connections to the church..."

"Making Rafilia-san the pope would be fine. She is a saint who has heard the true voice of God and even become a vessel for God. Rather, keeping her as a priest is disrespectful. Once the residents’ lives stabilize, a splendid cathedral should be built for her."

"I see. Now that you say it, that’s true. But it seems like factions would split and cause trouble..."

"The legitimacy is on our side. Without it the beastman kingdom cannot be established."

"Indeed. Conflict with the current church and country that affirm beastman slavery cannot be avoided, and we have no need to hold back."

Nation-building is tough.

Just claiming it ourselves does not make a country. Someone with power must recognize it.

And even that someone with power we are trying to create ourselves, so it is an endless task.

First let’s build a splendid church. How many years will it take. With historical European cathedrals construction continues for decades or centuries. No matter how easily I carry giant stones, a cathedral cannot be made so easily.

"Iria. Thanks. I heard various useful things."

"Yeah."

"Then I’ll go home for today."

"Yeah. ...That’s right. I have already lost both parents, but I want to leave a certain amount of property for Sara as well. I want to make some portion of the territory Sara’s, but... I’ll also confirm with the person herself whether this can be inherited by Masaharu."

"Yeah. ...?"

Somehow I feel Iria’s words as a strange way of speaking.

Nn?

Legally changing the owner of the land and furthermore doing procedures at the church...

"There are many wonderful members of the opposite sex around Masaharu, so make a proper ranking so it doesn’t lead to later trouble."

"Y-Yeah."

This way of speaking is unmistakable.

Marriage!

In short, Iria is saying she will marry me and make the territory mine.