The Male S*ave of the Count Sianella Family

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After dealing with the shaman hiding in the Erosion Zone, the absence of the magic user controlling the monsters turned the enemies into a disorganized mob.

Of course, there were still a few demons remaining. But we had more knights than necessary on our side.

As they naturally lost their lives to our swords, the tension that had been thick in the air gradually shifted to the heated adrenaline of battle and began to cool down.

Among everyone, the one letting out the biggest sigh of relief was our assault brigade leader, Theia.

After splashing her face with cold water, she commented on the battle’s experience.

“When you suggested we go into the Erosion Zone, I seriously thought I was going to die. Yet, somehow, we made it out alive.”

“There will be plenty of opportunities to enter the Erosion Zone in the future. We’ll have to face demons too, so it’s better to think of this as practice ahead of time.”

“…Practice ahead of time? I understand the Erosion Zone, but are demons included in that?”

Even if the Demon of Gluttony had a particularly chaotic magical presence, comparisons need to be made.

I thought back to the poisonous demon we encountered in the Great Forest. Remembering the insane amount of power it had unleashed, I replied.

“The magic emitted by the great demon we hunted alongside the elves in the Great Forest was capable of melting life itself. This demon won’t be easy either.”

“So you managed to defeat such a demon, my lord…? The very existence is a disaster, just hearing about it makes me sick. In that case, I’m worried that even approaching this demon could be dangerous for our Baron family’s troops.”

“That said, we don’t need to worry too much about magic right now. The Count’s special magic has our backs.”

“Ah. If we consider the magic that wiped out the Erosion Zone in one go…”

It seems Theia was starting to grasp just how formidable demons are.

She wore a serious expression as she continued her monologue.

But just for a moment. After quickly downing the last mana potion I had, I shattered her thoughts.

“The members of the assault brigade who just achieved victory can’t bask in it too much when they see their leader’s expression. So instead of worrying right now, let’s enjoy our victory together.”

After all the hard work handling the shamans, would it really be fair if the stars of the show were all drooped down?

“The victors of this battle are returning!”

“Any spare priests should immediately go to the assault brigade and check on them! Make sure to take care of them for their hard work!”

Our noble family’s people were fired up and cheering.

Not far away, Dorothy and Hanelrn were also waving with smiles, as if they had a permanent grin on their faces.

Theia, with her slightly open mouth, looked on blankly, showing no signs of closing it any time soon.

I casually left her with a parting remark.

“I’m going to go check on Dorothy and Hanelrn. I trust the brigade leader to handle the assault brigade’s post-battle wrap-up.”

Seeing as the brigade was right beside me, I had a rough idea of the situation.

Especially since our Knights’ Order had been facing off against the demons alongside the Special Mission Team. I should check how significant the damages were.

I started to head toward Hanelrn, changing directions from Theia midway.

But before long, Theia caught up to me and halted my steps.

“My lord!”

“What’s the matter?”

“It… It was an honor to fight alongside you in this battle!”

Did she rush over just to say that? I thought it was a bit much to blow it off lightly.

It seemed like Theia was genuinely expressing her feelings, so I felt a sense of satisfaction.

“I never expected the one who looked the most hostile would end up being the first to say this.”

Finally, I felt like I had earned the favor of my subordinate.

*

The morale of the Baron family was currently at an all-time high.

The special assault brigade was unlike the Special Mission Team — their unique mobility and shock tactics had decisively ended the battle.

Just moments ago, soldiers who had been comparing ourselves to the Special Mission Team were now fervently discussing the rising strength of Theia and her brigade, feeling more confident than ever as the Baron family’s status had risen even more than before.

Meanwhile, amidst the lively atmosphere of my troops, I groaned.

“Shione, I think I’m going to die.”

In the command tent with only Shione and myself, I was complaining about the power drain from using all my mana.

“You looked so magnificent on horseback earlier. Where’s the wizard who shot magic at me? Ray, you seem to be sounding more dead than before!”

“I had to pretend everything was fine back then. You know our cavalry is quite large. How much mana do you think it takes to cast healing magic on those guys?”

“Hmm… If you’re struggling that much, should I give you one of my mana potions? Or maybe a short kiss to cheer you up—”

“I’ll happily accept the potion.”

“Of course, I was the one holding onto that potion this entire time. I used up a lot of mana too.”

Shione wore a smile radiating victory.

Confirming that the tent was sealed tightly, she quickly ran back to me.

Thud.

She placed a kiss right on my forehead before handing me the potion and returning to her spot.

As I held onto the subtle sting on my forehead, I gazed at her in a daze.

“We’ll probably be waiting a while for Kalia Ianette to arrive, so let’s rest a bit!”

Shione casually shrugged her shoulders and continued.

Well, if that’s the case.

I sat back down on a folding chair, pondering aimlessly and taking a breather.

As I slowly unwound my fatigue amidst this moment, Shione casually approached me with her arms crossed.

“By the way, Ray, you seemed to have gotten quite close to the brigade leader, huh? You were chatting amicably with Theia earlier.”

“That’s a good thing. I feel like a proper Baron now.”

“But, you know, unless it’s an exceptional case like you or Kalia Ianette, all those brigade leaders are women.”

“…Huh?”

“It’s fine to get close, but I can’t allow the leaders to develop secret affections for you.”

In an instant, Shione threw her arms around me tightly.

Despite having ridden on horseback and collecting dirt, she seemed unconcerned, pressing against me.

“Right now, this is—”

“Marking. I’m making sure to overlap my scent from the beginning so that you don’t fall for anyone else.”

“…It just sounds like you want to hold me.”

“It’s only natural for someone in love to want to hold their beloved close. No need to be so rigid.”

Shione was purring like a cat, whispering into my ear.

“Ray, the Princess has spoken. Just like other units, but especially ours, there’s a chance we might face exceptional battles ahead. Honestly, once it starts, I feel like it won’t stop bothering us.”

“Then this battle against the shaman and demons is exactly that scenario. It was originally expected to be only minor contacts with monster hordes, and… the Erosion Zone on our map wasn’t nearly as expansive back then.”

“Right. It’s safe to say that the cult is plotting their schemes in the west. They likely want to delay our advance to the main camp, which is a poison to them.”

“Even so, that doesn’t mean we have to play along with their game.”

“…Your words are spot on. Worn-out troops can’t fight effectively. It’s a given that throwing ourselves at the enemy, risking our lives, would be pointless. The longer it takes to reach the fortress, the more difficult it could get for Mother. So, if the demons indeed continue to trouble us—”

This time, Shione gave me a soft kiss on my right cheek and moved to the central folding table where the map was spread out.

Following her to the map, Shione drew a line different from the originally planned march route.

“How about changing our path like this instead?”

This way, we could cut through to Arael Fortress, where Ainel Shianella resides, in the shortest distance. If we took this route, we could significantly advance our expected arrival date.

“Though it’s bound to be a risky attempt.”

We would need to traverse the Erosion Zone to proceed.

While the Special Mission Team was more than capable of handling it, since it involved our assassination team and the Baron family’s troops, we had to thoroughly consider Shione’s magical range and the number of uses. Not to mention any possible variables that might arise.

But staying together for too long, had our thoughts begun to align similarly?

“I’ll need to talk to Kalia Ianette and the other leaders about this—”

If we took this route, we could end three battles in what typically would’ve taken six.

Knowing that all extended, drawn-out battles would ultimately tire everyone out, my preference had always been about large, decisive victories.

“Well, I like it.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at her suggestion.