In a dark room, a man was using an intercom.
"That's right, they're heading there right now."
"The whole family?"
"No, just the Marquis's daughters."
"But we need all of them to go."
"Don't worry. I'll make sure they go without fail."
"In the name of the Wing Shark Captain, we will carry out our attack on the Campbell territory as planned."
◇◇◇
Alicia was wearing the most beautiful casual dress she had. It was pure white and matched her sneakers.
At her side, she had a brown leather bag and a feathered hat.
They were waiting for Rudel to arrive; the sailors had already loaded everything on board, only she and her guests were left to board.
She saw a carriage approaching and Rudel stepped out.
She was happy to see him and ran to greet him.
"Rudel-san! Over here!"
She shouted excitedly but stopped when she saw Rudel offer his hand to a woman.
It was the same maid from yesterday—Lecia in disguise.
But she wasn't alone.
Two more women dressed as maids got out: Ellen with a blonde wig and Sara with a red wig.
Ixion was by his side.
Rudel approached to greet her.
"I'm here, Alicia."
She was amazed by the number of women.
(He has more women. Incredible.)
She reacted as she saw Ixion analyzing her.
"I see, so this is Alicia, huh? A pleasure, I'm Ixion."
"You're the famous fairy Rudel-san mentioned."
"Yes," Ixion replied indifferently. He was used to being called a fairy, being an artificial intelligence, but he treated people as ignorant to justify the nickname.
"A pleasure. I'm Alicia. By the way, Rudel-san, the number of women grew today."
"Yeah, it's just that…"
Rudel didn't know how to respond, as their presence was unexpected.
Ixion answered for him.
"Alicia, the Master is an important man now. Therefore, he needs security. Consider them extra eyes for his protection."
"Protection? But my family's territory is safe."
"For me, the Master's safety is very important. I can't guarantee it's safe for him there. I hope you understand."
"Yes, I understand."
Alicia seemed sad because Ixion told her he didn't trust the security of her territory, but it was actually the opposite.
(Rudel-san brought his three lovers on this trip.)
(I should be bothered by that, but after what I heard yesterday, I can understand he's a special person who doesn't fit our way of thinking. So, I have to adapt to him if I want him to give me a chance.)
"If everyone is ready, allow the sailors to take your belongings so we can depart."
(My older sisters' plan now has a higher chance of happening.)
"Alicia."
Rudel approached her before she climbed the stairs.
"Look, they are for my security as Ixion said. But it's not because I don't trust your family's security. It's because they haven't had a vacation, and this is the best way for them to get some rest. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."
Alicia smiled at Rudel's sincerity.
"I understand. I'm really glad you said that."
(Rudel-san really cares about his subordinates, even if they are lovers. That shows he truly cares about their feelings. That's surely why he has so many women around him.)
She took his arm and led him inside the ship.
"Come on, the ship will depart any moment. Besides, I have a surprise for you."
Meanwhile, the girls below watched everything warily.
"I understand we're hiding to not bother him. But this really bothers me," said Sara, veins popping on her forehead.
Ellen took out her fan to hide her mouth. "Just because she'll be the new member, I'll give her this chance, but don't think it will always be like this."
Meanwhile, Lecia watched the situation with mixed feelings.
(Another young girl will steal our precious time. I'll make sure he makes it up to me no matter how tired he is.)
Once they finished venting, they boarded the ship, which set sail directly for the Campbell family territory.
◇◇◇
Once inside the ship, Alicia gave Rudel a tour of the place.
Merchant ships are different from common ships.
Merchant ships are transporters in the truest sense.
They have hundreds of rooms for specific products.
Inventory is taken before departure, during the voyage, and after landing to verify the merchandise is intact and nothing is missing.
Anyone might think it's exaggerated, but we're talking about renowned merchants, so their reputation among major and minor shareholders is very important.
Rudel was as surprised as Ixion to see the meticulous care of each room, how clean everything was, and the level of education even of the lowest-ranking employee.
"I must admit, it's all impressive. Master, you could learn a lot from Alicia. Remember you plan to open a rest center on your island; with her advice, it could be a much better place than we'd expect."
"I will in due time. But this guy is right. Everything is impressive, undoubtedly what you'd expect from a top-tier merchant."
"I'm so glad you liked this place," said Alicia with a smile from ear to ear. "Let me take you to your room; you must be tired."
Alicia took Rudel to his cabin.
"But I'm very surprised by how much they thanked me for saving your father and brother, even though I didn't do it directly."
"Your family is truly loved and respected by the employees and servants."
"My father always says: 'Treat your employees like your neighbors, but treat as your friends those who can watch your back.'"
"It's a good saying. A shame the Master only knows people of dubious reputation, useless, dependent, and good-for-nothings."
"You're including yourself in that last one, right?"
"I was talking about you, but if you think that about me, it means you are all of the above."
"You are a very rude servant."
Rudel got angry with Ixion, and Alicia laughed as she watched them.
"You two really get along well."
"Not at all," they both said in unison.
"If you really did, you wouldn't talk to each other."
"We already passed that stage; now we're in the stage where we insult each other to see who gives in first to the insults."
"Naturally, you are the first to get offended."
"Just shut up!"
They finally arrived at Rudel's room.
Ixion detected something.
"Master, I detect life signs inside."
"Some servant?"
"No, rather figures hiding."
Rudel put Alicia behind him and entered with a metal weapon Ixion provided at that moment.
"Wait, Rudel-san, I think there's a mistake."
He quickly saw a lump on the bed, and before hitting it, the blanket flew off, and everyone was surprised by what they saw.
"Huh? Again."
Two girls were holding a sign that said "Welcome."
The girl on the left wore common clothes; her hair was pinkish-blonde, and she wore glasses that hid her green eyes.
Beside her, an older woman, dressed similarly to a flight attendant, with light brown hair and blue eyes.
Rudel asked Alicia.
"Alicia, what does this mean?"
"Well…"
Alicia was thinking of what to say when the light-brown-haired girl shouted with all her might.
"Welcome, Marquis Bradford! We are your welcome party!"
"Welcome party?" Rudel exclaimed in confusion, while the other girl shouted, "I can't do it!" and hid under the white sheets.
Alicia explained the situation to Rudel.
"I met them at the academy when I was looking for you, and Alisa rejected them for reasons I don't know."
"The girl hiding under the sheets is a first-year student, Wendy Harvey, the daughter of a former marquis."
"And she is…"
"Rosetta Belfast, a pleasure to meet you, Marquis Bradford."
The girl named Rosetta lunged at Rudel, wrapping her arms around his.
"I've wanted to meet you for a year!"
"Really? Why?"
Rosetta pressed her large breasts firmly against his arm.
Alicia explained what they were doing there.
"These girls wanted to meet you because they needed to ask you a favor."
"And that favor is…?" said Rudel, with a slight suspicion of what they were thinking.
"They want you to accept them as concubines. I had told them about the dinner, and they agreed to it."
Rudel put his hand to his face to hide his embarrassment.
"I have mixed feelings; I don't know what to think."
"I do," Ixion replied very calmly. "To restore the glory of ancient humanity, I need him to have children, so more women equal more children to restore ancient humanity."
"I told you not to say weird things."
Rudel looked at both girls and then sighed.
"Let's take it easy. Accepting concubines isn't like adopting puppies; it's something more serious and intimate."
After saying that, everyone went to their rooms to wait until they reached the territory.
◇◇◇
After a few hours, they arrived at the Campbell territory port.
Lecia and the others were amazed by the place.
"This is a port? It looks completely different from the capital's or any other territory I've seen."
Alicia explained the wonders they were seeing.
"Unlike other ports, merchant ports are special places where hundreds of ships dock and depart every day."
"Therefore, it's normal for the port to resemble a small city to facilitate buying and selling products."
It was exactly as Alicia said. Her family's port was like a shopping mall.
There were shops everywhere selling everything from fish to jewelry, separated into different sections.
"Of course, if the whole port were like this, it would cause chaos and low sales for the city's businesses, so there are only a few places with limited products so customers can venture into the city."
Rudel asked Alicia about it.
"You mean the entire territory is a commercial enterprise?"
"You could say yes. All businesses are regulated by my family, so we receive a small percentage of their profits. Our neighbors are other rich nobles, so there's always economic movement here."
"This is amazing. A merchant's mind is truly on a level that can't be compared to an average person's."
"The carriage is waiting for us; let's go."
Alicia guided everyone to the carriage that would take them to the mansion.
They observed that even the city was a huge commercial center full of shops.
Many houses had their own shops; others had exclusive shops and lived away from the bustle.
They observed the place curiously until they reached the enormous Campbell mansion.
It resembled a small castle with a huge garden and a large gate surrounded by bushes.
When the gate opened, servants arranged in rows and columns were waiting for Alicia.
"Welcome, Miss Alicia and company."
Servants, from cleaners to cooks, were present to greet their master's daughter.
"I've only seen this level of professionalism in the Bismarck House," Rudel commented before being grabbed by Alicia.
"I'll show you your room."
Alicia showed Rudel his room, where he changed into more casual clothes after a while, but without losing the elegance of the place.
He went to Lecia and the others, who were waiting outside his room.
"Just as we discussed on the way here."
"I'll spend some time with Alicia, then with you. So please, rest."
"We know."
"Make sure you have energy for our turn."
Sara and Ellen understood his situation, but the only one who didn't seem happy was Lecia, who had a distracted look.
"Is something wrong?" he asked her, and she denied it.
"It's nothing. It's just been a long journey, and also…" She approached his ear to whisper. "Our date has to be the most special of all, so when you have lots of energy, I'll need you. Go and have fun."
After saying that, they went to their respective rooms.
Rudel went downstairs and saw Alicia with Wendy and Rosetta waiting for him.
"Are they coming too?"
"I'm sorry it won't be just the two of us, but I'd really like you to at least hear them out."
"Well, we were going to the city anyway."
After saying that, they all got into the carriage that took them to the city.
◇◇◇
After arriving in the city, Alicia took Rudel's arm and led him around; the other girls were behind them so as not to interrupt. Rudel felt they seemed more like accessories here, given how they didn't join the conversation.
Alicia explained various things about the place: the year the first commercial store was founded, how many times there had been sabotage from rival merchants, different stories about her family.
He listened while also hearing Ixion beside him, who was invisible.
"The territory is very prosperous and its economy is strong; with a good military force, they could become a second capital."
Rudel ignored him because he seemed to be scheming to make Alicia's family the second Duchy of Talis.
But he noticed something while walking.
"Alicia, I have a question."
"What is it?"
"Why are there so many knights patrolling?"
Alicia answered without hesitation.
"For months, we've been dealing with pirates called the Wing Sharks, who are new to the territory and very rough."
"Pirate attacks are normal, but these people are very stubborn and always attack when we have to deliver merchandise or receive new shipments, causing millionaire losses for us and our partners."
"Is that so?"
"I suppose before classes start, I could take a stroll and give them a beating."
Alicia kindly refused his offer.
"As my father said, this is our problem, and we don't want to involve third parties or friends."
"Thank you very much for worrying about us, but the Campbell family isn't weak enough to ask for help," Alicia expressed, flexing her arm as if ready to throw a punch.
Rudel laughed at her.
"I guess that's true. Your family seems confident, but if you can't handle them, please let me know."
Alicia nodded with a smile at his offer.
"Without a doubt, being able to count on Rudel-san is something wonderful."
"Ah, there it is," she said, pointing to a café. "That café is my favorite place. I always go there to read and eat dessert."
"It will be the perfect place to talk with them and for them to hear Rudel-san's stories."
(Alicia is the kind of girl who likes to hear stories of great deeds.)
(With the girls, telling my exploits doesn't work anymore because they know everything I do is heroic; even if they hear it, they aren't as surprised as before and see it as "normal.")
"I have more stories to tell."
After saying that, they all went to the café.
◇◇◇
At the café, Rudel told them all about his exploits. Their expressions varied each time: amazement, fear, horror, sadness.
For them, Rudel's stories were almost an epic saga narrated by its author.
"I-incredible. You didn't say that at dinner. Not even fantasy novels or books can compare to what you did."
"Because there was no need; I just summarized my life."
"It's incredible that all that happened to you in two years. It seems like a whole lifetime."
"Ahaha, I get told that often."
(The truth is, it's not like that.)
After rubbing the back of his head, Rudel addressed the two girls in front of him.
"Could you tell me about yourselves?"
Wendy was the first to speak, despite being very shy.
"Let me introduce myself again… I'm Wendy Harvey."
"My father is a former palace employee and was an accountant. He was fired because he worked for a traitorous noble, but he was never part of them, and the palace accused him of complicity."
"He managed to present evidence, but the palace had already stripped him of his title and lands."
"Currently, we live in the capital running a small business."
"So you want to be my concubine to get out of that situation?"
Wendy hung her head.
"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't like that, but…" She timidly glanced at Rudel. "Marrying a stranger just to save my family seems very… frightening."
"I love my parents, but I don't want to marry a man who won't even pay attention to me."
"I-I've always had trouble conversing and don't know how to treat other people. But hearing Rudel-san's stories made me feel… how to say it… safe?"
"Safe?" Rudel asked, very puzzled by that response.
"Y-yes. Rudel-san, when you speak, you do so with confidence in your words and actions."
"You're someone who might seem terrifying because most of the stories about you are, for the most part, malicious gossip. Many even say you have the king and queen held hostage under threat of death."
A vein popped on Rudel's forehead.
"Oh, really? I'd like to meet whoever said that. At least regarding the king, I'd like that to be true, but with the queen, it's a healthy relationship."
"T-that's why…" Wendy, despite her fear of looking at others, stared intently at Rudel to tell him. "A-and I, if I have the chance, want to know more about Rudel-san. I feel that by your side, I could gain more courage for myself."
Ixion analyzed Wendy, despite still being invisible, and whispered to Rudel.
"She's not lying; she's really telling the truth. She's a truly shy and cowardly creature. But if she's an accountant's daughter and, according to what Alicia said, Alisa has her as a secretary at the academy to this day, then she's very competent. She's undoubtedly useful. Take her like the others."
"Shut up."
"Huh?"
"It's nothing. But, Wendy, you should know I have several women with me. Doesn't that bother you? For me, the most important thing is all of their opinions."
Wendy took a moment to respond.
"Rudel-san, you said you defeated an armor suit using your body?"
"Yes, it's true, but he's special since my opponent was an inept who didn't know how to pilot it."
"Physically, it's impossible for a human to defeat an armor suit, but you did it, as well as other documented feats. So for a man like you to want multiple women seems the most normal thing in the world to me, because I feel that Rudel-san wants more women not for carnal reasons, but for something deeper. That's what I feel."
Rudel went blank at those words; he didn't know how to respond, except for Ixion.
"She says things that don't match you, but she radiates honesty. She's a fertile woman and also has large breasts despite how she walks hunched over. Master, she's a good woman; she just needs to improve her personality. Her head is already messed up believing you're a great man; when she discovers the truth, she'll likely be disappointed and run away."
Rudel gave Ixion a slight tap, pretending there was an insect, then addressed Wendy.
"I'm glad to hear your true feelings. I'll give you my answer without a doubt."
Rudel isn't one who smiles often, but he showed his most sincere smile to Wendy, who hid like a hamster.
(She's cute, like a pet. Personally, I feel like I want to pat her head more than do anything else.)
"Sorry to make you wait. Please tell me—"
"Yes! It's my turn, yes!"
"I'm Rosetta Belfast, I'm 24 years old, and I'm the daughter of a merchant who became a viscount."
The girl named Rosetta, as soon as she saw Wendy finish speaking, lunged at Rudel like a puppy to its owner.
Her eyes were shining, but not in a good way.
"My family is very efficient, like me; in fact, I worked at the palace for a while, and then they sent me to work at the academy as the director's assistant."
"That's because I'm a very efficient person, but besides being efficient, I'm very pleasant and kind."
"I want to have a husband whom I will pamper and comfort a lot because I wish to be an excellent wife."
"That's why, when I heard that Marquis Bradford is a man who likes to have beautiful women, I felt it was my destiny."
"I don't want to boast, but since I was a child, I've been told I'm very pretty; all the boys at the academy asked for my hand, but none were good, and only my future hubby would have the honor of taking my hand."
"So, Marquis Bradford, if you need a helpful wife at work and in activities, you can count on me. I'm not a bad option as a concubine, or even a lover."
Everyone had surprised expressions, but Rudel's expression was different: it was one of horror.
(She's exactly like my coworkers from my previous life.)
(Our exploitative boss, many brought him gifts or invited him to drink to gain his favor.)
(Those who got the worst reputation were the women who sought to advance using their bodies.)
(This girl definitely has the aura of one of them.)
(But I feel there's something more.)
Rosetta kept pressing her large breasts against Rudel.
(This is my chance in life.)
(Rose, you must win the Marquis's favor so he'll at least make you a lover.)
(You must think of your parents, who can't handle the expenses, and you have to live in that house falling apart.)
(That's why you kept your purity when your friends married farmers.)
(Come on, Marquis; you're a lover of pretty girls with voluptuous bodies like mine. Tell me you'll take me as your woman to guarantee my promising future.)
These were Rosetta's thoughts as she made a cat-like face; instead of being cute, it generated disgust in Rudel.
Rudel told her:
"Huh. Really? That's nice." With a dull expression, turning away. "Ah, the tea is finished. Excuse me, could you bring more tea?"
Rosetta froze when she saw that he not only ignored her but also withdrew his arm from hers.
(… I've been ignored.)
(He's surrounded by so many pretty girls that a super pretty girl like me seems like just another average girl to him.)
Rosetta was so shocked her skin tone turned almost transparent.
Alicia felt things had gone in an unexpected direction, so she quickly changed the subject.
"R-Rudel-san, what do you think of my family's territory so far?"
"It seems like a prosperous and peaceful place; it's definitely different from my home, which must be in chaos since I'm not there."
"Why would your home be in chaos?" Alicia asked curiously.
"Because there's a girl who came for a possible engagement with my older brother. The thing is, it hasn't gone very well; not well at all, actually."
"I feel there's a higher chance my brother will end up crying from rejection."
"I-is it really that hard to pair your brother with that girl?"
"It is. I think that's why I don't want to go home yet, to avoid seeing that terrifying image."
"By the way, Ixion, have you received a message from home?" Rudel asked Ixion, who became slightly visible.
"I haven't detected anything. But I must say the magical radio band I use is unstable; it must be due to the weather."
"Really?"
"Yes. If it were something dangerous, Bell would contact me with the emergency button I gave her; unless that fool forgot I gave it to her."
"Now I'm starting to get scared."
"Don't worry. Your family's territory is safe thanks to my ship…"
"Why did you stop mid-sentence?"
"It's nothing…"
Ixion became invisible again and didn't answer Rudel.
"By the way, Rudel-san," Alicia called him again. "Would you like a massage tonight? I'm very good at giving massages to my family."
"Really? I've been stressed, so a good massage would be very nice."
Rudel was happy to hear that, but Alicia was even happier for some reason.
◇◇◇
When they returned to the mansion, Ellen and Sara informed him that Lecia had started drinking in her room and didn't want to come out. Rudel told them it was her way of passing the time without them.
"More importantly, due to lack of time, I want to take you two on a date tonight. Did you bring extra clothes?"
"Of course we did!" they both responded, very happy.
◇◇◇
Rudel's date with Sara went without any problems.
The real problem came when it was Ellen's turn to decide the theme.
The three of them were walking through the city; there was fog, so they had to be careful where they stepped.
But the fog couldn't hide their blank eyes and empty expressions.
"Jujuju." Ellen hummed a tune happily.
Why were they making those faces on a date, unlike Ellen?
That's because she was wearing a dog collar around her neck, which extended to Rudel's hand.
"I'm sorry," said Rudel, looking at the ground, and Sara, who was also looking at the ground, responded, "It's not your fault, but please hurry up already; I want to return before someone sees us."
"I don't understand the rush; I'm enjoying our date."
"But I would have liked to be on all fours wearing only a trench coat as clothing," Ellen exclaimed, smiling as she walked with that leash around her neck.
(It's precisely for that reason we're embarrassed in this situation.)
That's what both of them thought about this pervert's mind.
"Just doing this makes my heart beat fast. Oh no, now I understand why my father always says I'll give him a heart attack."
"Rather, you should worry about how to handle this woman in the future if she asks for weirder things like this."
After walking for a while, they reached a park. It was well-lit, but the fog obstructed their view.
The three of them sat on a bench, and only two of them sighed.
"I'm sorry this date turned out like this, Sara."
Sara dismissed his apology.
"No, as strange as it seems, it was fun, at least partly. But it makes me happy that we spend a little time together. Since we arrived in the kingdom, we've hardly had any time for us, and soon I won't be able to see you due to work, so every available minute with you makes me very happy."
"Sara…"
It was a nice romantic moment between them, which Ellen ruined.
"I also feel very happy, you know?"
"Please be quiet and don't talk."
"Mmh! That rejection makes the feeling of contempt even better."
Ellen was so happy she purred like a cat.
The date continued without issue until they ran into a knight, who saw them, and they fled from him while carrying Ellen.
◇◇◇
When Rudel returned, Alicia told him to bathe first before receiving the massage.
Rudel sent Ixion to rest because he didn't want him nearby, and he reluctantly obeyed, but not before showing him photos of his date with Ellen and the leash.
In the bath, relaxing, he had time to himself.
"It's a good place, and it's true I'm interested in her. But I'm not the kind of man who goes around saying 'I'll take this woman' like a prize."
"I want to genuinely tell them I love them, and I can't deny that because it would make the others sad."
"It's a real hassle to please others and myself with the morality I still have left."
"I wish I were like Leonis, a piece of trash. No, I'd rather die than be like that trash."
"Rudel-san, please come out and lie on the dry towel inside."
"Will the massage be in here?"
Upon hearing Alicia's voice, Rudel was astonished.
(She wants body-to-body contact. At first, she seemed like Airi with a bit of Lucy, but now she seems like both when they aren't pretending to want to kiss me before sleeping.)
"Well, let's go for the massage."
Rudel lay down on the towel after drying off and heard the door open.
"Alicia, I leave it to you."
There was no response, though the door closed.
Then he heard the sound of two buckets being placed on the floor.
That seemed strange to him, but he paid it no mind.
He began to feel a pleasant sensation on his feet, but then felt strange because hands were now touching his back.
"Why are there—?" He quickly got up, and his face was buried between two large pillows.
A soft "Kyah" was heard as his face was in a towel.
He got up and couldn't believe what he saw.
"Good evening, Marquis."
"Good evening…"
Alicia's older sisters were present, covered only by towels.
Both approached and whispered to him.
"We're sorry for the surprise."
"But we thought the Marquis would like…"
"…the special older sisters' massage."
They both said before burying their breasts in his face.
__________________
This time the fanservice is from Alicia's older sisters:
Rosemary
https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/139891355
Annerose
https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/137988457