I sat at my desk in the office for the first time in what felt like ages. If my memory served me right, it had been almost two weeks.
There was no need for me to sit here. Yuria and the maids handled everything from managing the mansion to overseeing the territory on their own.
My role was to set the direction we should take. I didn't concern myself with the trivial details; that was the duty of a true Master.
Several documents lay on the desk, and I was reviewing them. These papers had already been organized by Yuria to make them easier for me to understand.
"Hmm..."
The documents covered three main topics:
First, a membership proposal from the Kozline Merchant Guild.
A Merchant Guild is an organization formed by multiple merchants, representing a higher-level concept than individual merchant groups. Alternatively, merchant groups can also unite to form a Merchant Guild.
The Kozline Merchant Guild is the largest guild representing the Rapelli Kingdom, to which I belong. It's a complex entity intertwined with merchant groups, nobles, and the Magic Tower. There's even a joke that if the Kozline Merchant Guild collapses, the Rapelli Kingdom will fall with it.
Has the Korea Merchant Guild grown enough to receive a membership offer from the Kozline Merchant Guild? But they halted their aggressive expansion a month ago...
Unable to return to reality and struggling to supply modern goods, the Korea Merchant Guild had shifted its operational strategy. They stopped selling goods at low prices, raised prices, and began selling limited quantities.
I thought the Korea Merchant Guild would suffer losses, but surprisingly, they turned a profit. Their reputation has also improved.
While commoners with little money cursed the Korea Merchant Guild, wealthy commoners and nobles welcomed their strategy.
I have no choice but to join. The Kozline Merchant Guild involves not only the Magic Tower and nobles, but also the Rapelli Royal Family.
To trade freely in the Rapelli Kingdom, it's unwise to oppose the Kozline Merchant Guild unless you're the true power behind the throne. For now, I'm merely a baron with a small territory in the borderlands.
Next... information on the House Helbrit.
I secretly gathered intelligence on the House Helbrit, the target of Yuria's revenge. Avoiding the Information Guild delayed my progress considerably.
"The Information Guild's intelligence is reliable, but its people aren't."
Duke Marcellus Helbrit, the kingdom's chancellor, and his clan were doomed. There was no way they could stop Yuria, an Aura Master and Archmage, from assassinating them.
"Duke Helbrit holds the second-highest power in the kingdom, after the King himself. I need to act discreetly and cautiously. That's the only way to maximize my gains."
The question was how to profit from this. As a mere baron, a frontier noble at that, I couldn't seize the Helbrit clan's lands or territory residents. Their assets would naturally be reclaimed by the Royal Family.
"...Ugh, this is annoying. Should I just kill them and not worry about the aftermath?"
I shook my head. No. I need to proceed with caution. I can't just rush through this because I'm annoyed and irritated.
My goal is to become Count Prucus and establish myself as a dominant noble in the kingdom. To achieve that, I need to profit from the downfall of House Helbrit.
My thoughts continued to churn, but no brilliant ideas emerged. Since aimless pondering wouldn't yield any solutions, I moved on to the final document.
King Koalkalis Rapelli's sixtieth birthday banquet.
Sixty years old.
The Sixtieth Birthday.
In this world, reaching sixty was considered a full lifespan. Most commoners who hadn't mastered mana rarely lived beyond that age.
And it's also the thirtieth anniversary of his coronation.
The King's birthday was three months away. On that day, most of the nobles of the Rapelli Kingdom would gather at the royal palace with gifts.
Delegations from allied nations will surely attend as well.
Unless there was a compelling reason to abstain, attendance was mandatory. In fact, it was essential.
If I skip this event without a valid excuse, I'll incur the Royal Family's hostility, and the nobles will start looking down on me.
Even the notoriously busy Count Prucus would be attending the banquet.
In the original work, the protagonist, Kyle, was scorned by the other nobles for missing this very event.
Kyle's absence might be overlooked since he was outside the kingdom, but I wouldn't receive the same leniency.
What would be a good gift... Ah!
A brilliant idea flashed through my mind.
I reviewed my plan. It wasn't impossible. In fact, considering that bastard's personality, the chances were quite high.
"Great! This wraps things up!"
I tossed the documents into the trash can beside me. Later, Yuria would burn them to ashes, ensuring no one could ever see them.
"Yuria! Yuria!"
I shouted Yuria's name loudly, and less than thirty seconds later, the door swung open.
"Did you call, Master?"
Yuria and Nepia entered. Starting today, Nepia had been shadowing Yuria, learning her duties. Once Nepia became a full-fledged maid, she would oversee the mansion whenever Yuria was absent.
I grinned and surveyed their outfits. Unlike their usual attire, they were wearing short maid uniforms at my command.
A top with a deep neckline that threatened to reveal her breasts with the slightest movement. A skirt so short that the edge of her black panties was visible even when she stood still. And most alluring of all, black garter belt stockings that made any man's heart race.
Nepia, standing beside Yuria, wore the same outfit, but instead of looking sexy, she came across as simply cute.
"Come in, come in," I said, pulling them by the arms and closing the office door behind them.
Slurp. Slurp.
I sat in my office chair and accepted Yuria's oral service. Kneeling beneath the desk, she was diligently performing her task between my legs, taking her time with a leisurely fellatio, unlike her usual hurried approach.
This is exactly why I made the space under the desk so spacious!
Nepia sat across from me at the desk. She resembled Yuria, yet was distinct. Her single braid was silver, almost gray, and her eyes were reddish-brown. Still, when they were together, the similarity in their features was impossible to miss.
Using Sensory Amplification, I reached out and removed Nepia's top.
I remember Yuria filling out a maid uniform more boldly than this... Nepia probably would never be as busty as Yuria.
Perhaps because of their resemblance, I unconsciously compared Nepia to Yuria, and old memories flooded back. I had once poured all my efforts into winning Yuria's absolute trust.
My palm began to caress Nepia's modest breasts.
"Ah..."
A soft moan escaped Nepia's lips. Her pink nipples, already peaked, slowly began to stiffen.
"Nepia, your nipples are getting bigger. Does it feel good?"
"Y-yes, it feels good, Master..." Nepia replied, her cheeks flushing crimson.
I had no intention of taking her all the way yet. Nepia was already an adult, but I intended to wait until she was ready for more.
I can't break the rules of the mansion I personally established.
Whatever the local customs, anything beyond this would only happen with her clear agreement.
How should I guide her today?
I was slowly guiding Nepia through the intimate service she had agreed to learn. While she didn't possess Yuria's exceptional talent, she was remarkably gifted. I was helping her build confidence so she would choose to remain by my side.
My fingers focused intently on Nepia's nipples, rolling the sensitive tips between them.
"Ah, haah... M-Master..."
Nepia writhed. Her hands gripped the edge of the desk, her legs clenching together. I grasped her thighs, and at my touch she slowly opened her legs for me. Unlike Yuria, she wore white panties, a small stain marking the center where they covered her pussy.
Before slipping my hand beneath her skirt, I noticed the iron ring hanging from Nepia's cord necklace. It was a cheap ring, crudely fashioned from twisted wire. I knew its story, having asked her about it before.
"So, this is the precious ring that Terius gave you?"
Terius, the one who had given her this ring, had said he would come looking for her.
Not content with just that, she had personally investigated Terius. The bastard was living under the thumb of a band of mercenaries. She considered killing him, but Nepia was already safe here, so there was no need.
Besides, with mercenaries controlling his life, he must be enduring the worst possible existence. He'd be doing all sorts of menial tasks just to survive.
"Nepia, doesn't the ring feel uncomfortable? It's touching your skin since you're wearing it around your neck. Wouldn't it be better to keep it in a drawer or something?"
Nepia wore the ring as a necklace because it was too large to fit on her finger.
"It's alright. I feel more at ease and comfortable keeping it close to my body."
"If you want, I can give you a prettier ring."
Yuria, who had been slowly sucking my cock, froze. But only for a moment before she resumed her task. I chuckled inwardly.
"No! I couldn't possibly trouble Master like that. Besides, this ring... it's more precious to me than anything else."
"If you're sure..."
I pulled down Nepia's panties. Midway through, she lifted her hips slightly to help me remove them more easily.
Her slick pussy was covered in fine silver hairs. The tightly closed slit was glisteningly wet.
I spread Nepia's pink pussy with my fingers, revealing her clitoris buried beneath the foreskin.
"Nepia, your pussy is soaking wet."
"It's because Master's hands feel so good... Aaaah."
A gentle puff of air on her pussy made Nepia shudder in response.
I lowered my head and buried my face in her crotch. Then, I extended my tongue and began to slowly lick her pussy.
"Ah! M-Master...! Ugh! It's... it's a dirty place... Haaah..."
Nepia gripped my head, her body trembling uncontrollably. I continued to suck on her pussy, and before long, she reached her climax.
"Ah... Ugh, I'm... I'm coming, Master!"
At Nepia's cry, I also ejaculated into Yuria's mouth.
Gulp. Gulp.
Yuria would swallow every last drop of my semen, as she always did.
"Wait, Yuria."
"Yes, Master?"
"Let's have Nepia handle the cleanup. I want to see how much her skills have improved. And Yuria, get up on the desk."
"P-please, just leave it to me, Master!"
"Very well."
Yuria perched on the desk, spreading her legs wide in front of me. Her black panties were already soaked, even before I touched her. I used my index finger to pull her panties aside.
Rip. Squish.
The vaginal fluid clinging to her panties stretched like glue before snapping. I immediately lowered my head between her thighs.
"Aang."
Slurp.
Below, I could hear the sounds of someone sucking my cock. Though not as skilled as Yuria, she was diligently cleaning it with her small tongue.
I deliberately made slurping noises as I licked Yuria's pussy. Vaginal fluid flowed endlessly.
"Haa... Master. How does my pussy taste today?"
"Sweet as honey."
"I'm glad you like it. Haaah..."
I greeted an unwelcome guest who had arrived at the mansion unannounced. Despite the lack of notice, he brazenly sat on the sofa, sipping the black tea Yuria had prepared.
I wanted to smash his head in immediately, but I restrained myself. Doing so would ruin all my previous efforts and prevent me from achieving my goals.
"Hmm. You make excellent black tea. Yuria, was it? You're both beautiful and capable. Why don't you come work for me?"
Before Yuria could even open her mouth, I cut him off.
"Did you come here just to steal my maid? If that's all, your business is finished. Why don't you get lost?"
"Hmph. Your words have grown quite sharp since we last met, little brother."
"Living by the harbor has made my tongue rough. But you've gotten so greasy since we last saw each other, ?."
"Things have been... complicated."
Our unexpected guest was Gent Prucus, the eldest son of the Prucus family and my biological older brother from this world.