Chapter 300

CHAPTER 300 – WATERMELON AND SALT

In the afternoon, when I was walking along the corridor of my mansion, I saw Io and Helene leave a room together .

「Yo」

I called out as I walked towards them and saw the two turn to me with a smile .

Io showed a refreshing smile under her big witch’s hat, and Helene smiled silently yet gracefully .

Both are good women who are rarely seen, so it made me a bit excited although it was still

「Good day to you, Kakeru-sama」

「You came, Helene」

「Yes . I have something to ask Io-san again, so」

「A case that isn’t solvable if it isn’t an S-Rank Great Magician huh」

「Yes, it absolutely requires Io-san’s help」

Helene said with a calm yet clear tone .

And her words made Io feel somewhat awkward .

「Thank goodness that Io-san is also Kakeru-san’s partner . If not so, who knows how much would I need to pay to ask a Great Magician such as Io to accept a request」

「Ehhhhhhh?!」

Io was surprised . She seems to be unused to being praised .

「Nevertheless, I also do not know how to reward Io-san . Of course, I have prepared a suitable compensation, butーー」

「She told me earlier, but it’s clearly too much!」

Io interrupted with a loud voice . I see, she was probably told quite a lot of reward .

I feel like Io’s consciousness has yet to catch up with her own ability .

She’s already an S-Class Great Magician, but her consciousness is still that of a B-Rank adventurer .

「By the way, how much did you show her, Helene」

「Uhm……about this much」

I asked Helene about the amount of the reward she presented .

It was enough to buy a decent house in this town, about roughly one million dollars .

It’s not that expensive for a quest given by a member of the royalty, on top of it being something that only an S-Class Magician can solve .

『It’s even cheap instead』

Eleanor said with quite a serious tone .

『It is a lass who can use my powers although it is only a fraction, it is too cheap for that』

I also think so . But if I tell Io that, she’ll probably say something like “no, no, I still have a long way to go” or something .

Yosh, in this case……

「It would be troubling if she doesn’t accept the quest, but she would not receive the reward . It is not a good thing to create exceptions in giving fair rewards and punishments」

「Use her as much as you want, I’ll give her her reward instead」

「Kakeru-sama will?」

「Yeah, with my body」

「Ah……!」

Io let out a voice as she placed a hand on her mouth .

Although her face became red, her eyes were shining happily .

「You’re good with that right?」

「U-Un! I’ll do my best!」

「Thank you very much . There is no greater reward than receiving Kakeru-sama’s affection . I will not hold back and give Io-san difficult quests」

Helene hid her lips with her trademark fan and smiled mischievously .

I really like her like this, so I pulled her into an embrace and kissed her .

I told that Io’s would be the reward for the completion of her quest, so she released an obvious fired-up aura and left together with Helene .

☆

I didn’t have anything left to do, so I relaxed in the living room .

And while I was relaxing, Althea appeared and gave me a massage without saying anything .

The massage started from my shoulders, but now switched to my feet, she’s gently rubbing my calves .

The Great Sage Altheaーーjust Althea .

Other than cases where she would absolutely be needed, she would want to act just like a simple woman .

She feels happiness the more she serves me as a simple woman, so I let her do what she wants .

Naturally, that’s not all .

No matter how good of a dish it is, eating it continuously would make one fed up with it sooner or later .

Althea wants to stay as “just Althea” .

To make a “recoil” in between, I purposely talked to her as the “Great Sage” .

「I met Helene earlier . Her smile got even more deeper, as well as her expressions」

「……」

「Between Helene and Iris, who do you think is suitable to be the next king?」

「……」

Althea stopped massaging me and looked up to me without saying anything .

Her expression was telling me she’s sulking, it’s as if I’ve poured cold water on her when she was enjoying this moment .

When I stared at her unwaveringly, she sighed in resignation, straightened her back and faced towards me .

「It would be Iris」

「Is that so?」

「One of Teresia’s Twin Flowers, Helene Teresia Mercouri is too wise」

Althea is completely in her Great Sage mode . She started to speak in an instructor’s tone, just like when I would ask for her advice .

「Of course, her popularity within the kingdom is noteworthy . However, she has done too much scheming, that she has become too familiar with the dark side of things」

「Ahh……that might be true」

I remembered Helene’s face earlier .

She smiled pleasantly while hiding her lips, that expression of hers when she is plotting something .

Although I love that expression, it might be unpopular with the mass or the common people .

「On the other hand, Iris Teresia Mercouri possesses a straightforward personality . Even the citizens of the kingdom knows that she does not do things hidden in the eyes of the public, in comparison with her sister . One who has two faces and one who only has one . It would be the latter who would receive more support」

She raised two fingers as Althea explained the two .

I see, Iris would be better huh .

「……there is also a better choice」

「Eh? Who is that?」

「……」

Althea pointed at me without saying anything .

「Me?」

「Yes, more specifically, you are not only suitable to become the king of Mercouri Kingdom, but you are also the most suitable to become the Unifying King of the five great kingdomsーーthe Emperor」

「That’s troublesome . I don’t plan on governing at all」

Making love with good women, that’s all that I want .

Although currently, I’ve been given noble titles from all five countries and even called as “Goshaku-sama”, I’ve never thought of becoming an authority .

I only want to search for good women, raise them if needed, then make love with them .

That’s everything that I want to do .

「There is no need for you to govern directly, but a country that unifies the five kingdoms would still be made . In this case, not the continent, but the five kingdoms」

「……isn’t that」

「The territory would probably be this mansion and its annex, that much is enough」

I thought that it was like a holding company .

I also thought that it was like the united nations made just a lot better .

It may also be something like the federal system in the United States .

A country made to oversee multiple countries .

「That’s quite a crazy advice」

「That is the best choice you know . There is no greater candidate than you in this world . You, standing on the apex of this continent is its greatest good」

I didn’t reply to Althea .

Although I understand what she’s saying, I don’t plan on doing that at all .

So I didn’t reply . We were like that for a while .

「……is it enough」

「Hm?」

「Can I return now」

「You’ve been a great help, thank you Althea」

「I am Althea, just Althea」

She said her usual line with a ceremonious tone and returned to massaging my feet .

She looks livelier than usual, it looks like she’s enjoying it instead .

I let Althea do what she wants .

And when we were leisurely relaxing like that .

「Ah!」

My eyes met with Agnes who passed by the window .

It’s not rare to see Agnes and Julia in my mansion .

They would visit Io who’s mostly living in my mansion many times .

She probably came to do so today as well .

But that Agnes glared at me, then she was about to leave, but stopped . She headed towards me .

「Youーーuu!」

「What’s the matter?」

「I-It’s nothing!」

Seeing Althea who was docilely serving me, she stopped for an instant then started to tremble with a blushing face .

「W-Where is Ane-san」

「Io went out with Helene . She was requested to do something she could only do」

「Ohh! As expected from Ane-san!」

Agnes, Io’s believer who calls her Ane-san, showed great joy .

「It can’t be helped, I should go today alone」

「Go? Is it another subjugation quest again or something?」

「So what if it is」

「You want me to help you?」

「I-I don’t need you!」

「Is that so?」

「Of course . Uh, w-we have enough swordsmen!」

After pausing to think, Agnes said a somewhat convincing reason .

It was really obvious that she only thought of it just now, so I knew that it wasn’t the real reason .

「I’m fine even without the help a man who thinks with their lower half like you!」

After spitting that out, Agnes turned around and left .

She hates me as usual .

I continued to relax while receiving Althea’s massage . But suddenly, I turned to where Agnes left without thinking .

「Ah!」

My eyes met with hers because she stopped .

Agnes quickly turned her face and walked away .

Seeing that, I returned my gaze to Althea, but I looked outside again .

「D-Don’t look!」

My eyes met with Agnes who had a bright red face .

She stopped walking again .

Agnes shouted angrily again and started to walk away .

I decided to see her off until I can’t see her anymore, but .

「Hya!」

Agnes turned around once again but quickly looked away seeing me facing her, and ran with a brilliant form, leaving this time for sure .

Agnes who acted differently than usual and me who got confused by that .

Well whatever . I chased out those thoughts and returned to relax while receiving Althea’s massage .

「……」

Is it because of the “recoil” of Agnes interrupting us .

Althea’s massage was much more gentle and devoted than earlier .

It felt really good .