Oukoku e Tsuzuku Michi

Chapter 237: The Plant Grew

Aegir POV–

Rafen. New Mansion.

「The total comes to 50 000 gold.」

As Laurie was supervising in place of Claire who stayed in Lintbloom, a muscular man carries in a box filled with gold.

「Oh, it should total 100 000 together with the tax if I recall correctly, right?」

Laurie smiles slightly, one of her eyebrows tilting up while her eyes are closed.

She must be jokingly asking if I was okay with it being this much.

It’s the first time for me seeing her make this gesture...... how cute.

I try to copy her but my face cramps.

Adolph quickly jumps in between us with a frantic look on his face.

「70 000 for the mine tax, 35 000 for trade tax, coming to a total of 105 000! It will become effective when Hardlett-sama says it so please don’t open your mouth anymore!!」

You don’t have to get so angry.

The paid gold will be carried to the treasure storehouse in the more sturdy new mansion and will be distributed to the according parties from there.

「Do you always move around this much gold?」

Our income is more or less 100 000 but naturally it is accompanied by some expenses as well.

In the future, I will have to buy equipment and food supplies for the soldiers as well as building materials from Claire so it might be better to entrust some money with her.

Having them carry the gold here and then carry it back...... it’s a waste of effort.

「Normally yes, but this time we did it knowing it would be inefficient.」

Fumu...... what does that mean?

「There are rumors amongst the citizens and merchants saying how Hardlett-sama’s funds might have dried up because the soldiers who lost their equipment during the earlier war with Vandolea have not yet been re-equipped yet. At this rate, it would affect their trust in you and may hinder your governing over them.」

「So you’re purposely showing the money to them.」

Several of Claire’s carriages stop in front of the mansion and boxes upon boxes filled to the brim with gold are carried out.

Guards are keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings so not many people would stop and stare, rather they would all pass by, taking curious peeks at what was going on.

「Look at all that...... how much of my annual salary is that?」

「With your measly monthly salary, it will take more than one lifetime to even reach that amount.」

「Who’s the one who started the rumor of the feudal lord having financial problems? Is it the merchant Broff? ......he’s a liar after all.」

「It looks like Rafen’s going to be just fine.」

「Just once is fine, I want to try bathing in a tub of gold......」

「For you miss, how about this lucky stone? For five silver coins, you can get an endless supply of good fortune for money.」

The news will probably spread throughout the rest of the region by those heading out from Rafen tomorrow.

「We’ve pretty much finished moving all of it. Now you just need to sign here.」

「Please wait. All the boxes are certainly here, however the number of coins have not been counted yet.」

「We wouldn’t do something so insincere. If you were to pour out the contents and recount all of the coins, it would take a considerable amount of time.」

「This is done once a season. I don’t mind so please do it.」

Adolph apparently wants to empty all the boxes here and do a second inventory of the contents.

Laurie insists that it was done once by her company already but it doesn’t seem to convince him.

「......Laurie, I’m sorry but let Adolph do as he wants. I can provide you with a meal.」

Of course after we eat, we can head to bed together too.

The sound of jingling as coins are being moved and placed as well as a person keeping a count continue endlessly.

「Adolph, I’m going out for a bit.」

I’m not in the mood to stay here while he counts tens of thousands of coins one by one.

「Sure. If possible, stay outside until I’m finished.」

With every coin he counts, Adolph adds another mark to the document beside him.

He’s amazing...... I would go crazy from doing this.

The door to the treasure storehouse closes and then I stretch as I explore the mostly-empty new mansion.

The building for the new mansion has already been completed.

I had wanted to decorate the place with furniture and then have everyone move here after, but I didn’t have the money until now.

With the new mansion being several times bigger than the one we’ve lived in all this time, it would take a hefty fee to put furniture in all the rooms, cover the floors with carpet and hang chandeliers all over.

We have a reputation to keep up so we can’t anything too cheap either.

Naturally, Nonna wants good furniture and even Sebastian, whom I asked before, says it’s preferable to have decent furniture.

Having a new mansion built decorated with crude furniture will only proclaim to everyone that we lack money.

「The soldiers’ equipment or the new mansion’s furniture...... which should I get first?」

「Obviously the furniture!」

「Woah!」

Something giant jiggles in front of my eyes and I let out a sound of surprise on reflex.

「We’ve finally gotten a new mansion, so it’s better to fill it up as soon as possible with furniture and interior design, and throw a grand party to celebrate the completion......」

Oh, it’s Nonna...... don’t scare me like that.

I thought the pair of breasts that I embraced on passing just now became a spirit and came to attack me.

「What are you doing here?」

The new mansion is still bare and not much else is here except a few patrolling soldiers.

There’s no reason for Nonna to come here.

「W-well, I heard my money...... I mean, Aegir-sama’s fortune was being carried in so I thought I would check on it.」

「Your real intentions just slipped out! I thought you were looking pretty lately but that mouth of yours-!」

「Fgaah!」

Carla pulls on Nonna’s cheek.

「If you don’t pay attention, Nonna might sneak in and take some for herself.」

「I won’t do something like that! I was disciplined by Aegir-sama and reformed!」

The two squawk at each other.

「But won’t the people of the city complain if you openly carry your money around like this? You might get targeted by thieves too.」

I don’t think I need to worry about that.

Besides those who gamble and those who fall into ruin after getting hooked on women, nobody here doesn’t have food to eat.

There will always be people who get jealous, but I doubt anybody will be foolish enough to sacrifice their present lives to plunder.

Besides, most of the people driven to that point have already been taken by Claire to Lintbloom to mine iron or hunt black beasts.

「Thieves...... it’s impossible.」

I lightly knock on the door of the treasure storehouse where the confirmation of money was being conducted.

The new mansion is much larger than the current mansion and also made with different materials.

The white floor and walls haven’t been decorated, yet they still look quite beautiful.

But as if ignoring all of its surroundings, there was something rather out of place and almost dreary in color...... that was the treasure storehouse.

The treasure storehouse is not connected to the outer wall of the mansion so breaking in from the outside is impossible and there is also a double-layered wall separating the storehouse from the adjacent room.

The ceiling, floor, and walls were made with durable stone, emphasizing durability and ignoring the background, making it extremely difficult to destroy.

It would probably take repeated hits from a battering ram before breaking down.

Getting in is impossible except through the door, which is made completely of iron and could only be opened by no less than two people.

Further, it was secured with three locks, each taking a different keysmith a month to make.

Guards would also be stationed so there would no time for anyone to pick the locks.

「That’s certainly amazing, but if Aegir’s the one holding the key, it wouldn’t exactly be impregnable.」

「What do you mean?」

Carla smiles mischievously.

「What if an absolutely stunning woman...... one with big tits and a nice ass, comes along and goes, ‘would you please open it for me?’」

So in other words, Lucy?

「Boy, open the safe for me. There’s something I want. Ufufu, I’ll make sure to thank you properly later.」

「It can’t be helped. I’ll be waiting for an intense session with you tonight then.」

The safe was opened as I got lost in my delusions.

Oh well, pretty ladies are more important than money.

「I thought so. Anyways, that aside. That snake woman was making a fuss in the courtyard just now. She was yelling out for you, Aegir, with a pretty threatening attitude at that.」

Lammy was?

Fumu that’s rare, I’ll go check it out.

「You girls will-......」

「I’ll go and check on Aegir-sama’s funds.」

「I’ll keep a watch on this one.」

Nonna and Carla go back and forth again. It’s good they’re getting along.

I guess I’ll bring these two to bed later today.

I try searching for Lammy after moving to the courtyard but I can’t find her.

Looking carefully again, I can see a little bit of her tail sticking out from her house sitting on the yard.

「Heeey Lammy, did you need me......」

Before I could finish my sentence, Lammy’s body wraps around my waist and pulls me into her house.

「Ow, what are you doing?」

You hit my head on the window frame.

「[email protected]#$%&!!」

「Calm down, I don’t know what you’re saying.」

With the screaming Lammy not getting to the point, I settle her down by fondling her breasts.

「O-over there...... look over there! Something unbelievable is growing there!」

「What!?」

I lift up Lammy’s body and spread open her genitals with my fingers.

「......what are you doing?」

「Didn’t you say something weird was growing ‘there’?」

I thought for sure Lammy grew another appendage down there.

That would really be serious trouble.

If she became a male, I wouldn’t be able to make love to her anymore.

But what would she become if a dick grew out and she kept her vagina\\/

What would I do?

「Don’t say something so stupid, I said look over there.」

Lammy grabs my head with both hands and turns it in the direction of the window so I could look outside.

That’s the place where Lammy planted a seed of some mysterious plant.

Regardless of it being winter, the plant has grown to be a lush green and even has a flower in the center.

「It bloomed even though it’s winter, isn’t that great? It’s not really something to fuss over though.」

「Look more closely!」

My already turned head gets twisted even further.

Stop, you’re going to break it.

My eyes narrow and focus in at the center of the bloomed flower to find something small inside.......

「......a fairy?」

「It’s an alraune! Why is that thing growing out of there!? I didn’t water or nurture it!」

Now that she brings it up, I remember.

Yeah, that shape is the similar to a monster Lammy met and fought in the forest before.

I put one of the fallen seeds in my pocket after defeating it.

「......so you recall something like this.」

「Unfortunately so.」

Lammy hands me a shovel.

「Dig it out. I can’t sleep with that thing beside me.」

I take another good look at it.

It certainly looks exactly the same, but it’s way smaller than the one we saw before.

The entire thing is about the size of a table while the human-shaped figure in the center is about the size of a fist.

It just looks unquestionably cute, making me hesitate on removing it.

At that moment, a tiny rabbit hopped out.

Did it escape from the butcher’s shop or something?

Compared to the withered grass greeting the coming of winter, the rabbit must have been attracted to this yard where plenty of fresh, green grass is growing under and around the alraune.

And then...... it was eaten.

The ivy-like tentacle instantly tangles around the rabbit, and then a tentacle with a round tip releases its digestive fluids.

The small animal quickly dissolves and melts completely.

「......」

「......you saw that, right?」

Sure it’s small now but it would really be troublesome if even a little bit of its digestive juices get on a human.

The other girls and servants often frequent the courtyard as well so I can’t leave this thing alone.

「It can’t be helped.」

I take the shovel and approach the small alraune.

I feel sorry for it, but there’s no other option besides digging it out and burning it.

Lammy urges me to hurry up.

When I get close to the alraune, it raises the ivy-like tentacle as if instinctively sensing a threat.

The last time I fought this thing, I was surprised at the speed and power it had for a plant, however this thing is too small and doesn’t seem as dangerous.

I brush away the tentacles with the shovel and my hand while making my way closer, and when I grab the base of the plant, it becomes more obedient.

The only scary part is its digestive fluids.

Sure enough, the inflated tentacle extends toward me.

「Be good now.」

I grab the midsection of the tentacle and slice it off with scissors.

「Pigyyiiiiiii!」

There was a shrill scream as I cut off the rest of the tentacles with the scissors.

And then, the small alraune shrinks and withers.

The human-shaped figure in the middle also appears to be crying.

「It feels like I’m picking on a small animal.」

「What if it grows again! Hurry and pluck it out!」

Pushed by Lammy’s voice, I dig the base out with my shovel.

The completely dug out alraune rolls sideways on the ground, wriggling the shortened tentacles sadly.

I talk to the fist-sized girl...... the part in the middle.

I know it’s meant to be a trap to lure males but it somehow feels easy to talk to.

「Sorry about this. I should have thought more about where to plant you.」

The alraune lets out a soft mew.

「If only you looked a little sexier.」

The artificial body barely looks like a naked woman and none of the details were included.

It looked like a rough wooden carving of a female sculpture at best.

「If only you had nice breasts like Lammy......」

As I was getting the bonfire ready, I hear another mew.

「Sorry, give it up...... ooh, what’s this?」

When I turn back to the alraune, the chest area of the human figure has changed to look more like a realistic pair of breasts.

It even reproduced nipples on the tip of the expanded mounds.

「Nice, but it’s obvious that they’re made of wood. Can you make them a little softer?」

The chest part quickly turns green in color.

So it remade them using leaves.

I touch them and while they’re still far from being close to the real thing, they’re pretty soft.

「And the crotch, can you do something about that?」

「Hey! What are you doing? Hurry up and burn it.」

I tell Lammy to wait, comforting her so I can get the alraune to remodel its crotch.

But the alraune just lets out a soft cry, changes shape slightly and then droops.

It must have reached its limit after being uprooted.

「Lammy, help me out. We’ll replant it in the corner.」

「Eeeh!? You’re not going to burn it!?」

「This thing understands what I’m saying. I’m sure it’ll be fine if we teach it some manners.」

Lammy pouts as we replant the alraune in an inconspicuous corner of the courtyard and then water it, though it remains small.

Is it no good after getting pulled out once......?

「Is there nothing...... no way for this to work?」

「It would make me happy if it just withered and died here.」

And then as if mustering the last of its strength, the alraune extends a single tentacle.

This one is...... the one that sucks the seed out of the male it attracts, if I recall correctly.

Maybe it’ll revive if I spray my semen on it.

「Just wait, I’ll give you some energy right away.」

「......uwah, this person really took out his penis.」

I take out my dick and point it at the alraune before stroking it vigorously.

This guy...... no, this girl seems to want to help too.

Its shortened tentacle rubs my dick and does its best to stimulate me.

「Ooh...... that’s right. You can stimulate my urethra too. That’s good, spin around inside.」

「...... can I close my eyes? I’m getting turned off.」

I’d like it if you watched.

It’s been a while since I’ve masturbated in front of a woman and it’s quite arousing.

Actually, I don’t even know when the last time I masturbated.

Well I guess this isn’t exactly masturbation, since the tentacle is stroking me.

When I was thinking about that, the stroking eventually brought me close to climax.

The degree of pleasure wasn’t too high but maybe it’s good enough just to get a little bit of semen on her.

「I’m cumming...... oooooh...... uuuh, Lammy!!」

「Aegir cumming from that is somewhat annoying.」

In the last moment, I bend my body half-way while Lammy circles around behind me and inserts her long tongue into my ass.

The snake’s tongue squirming deep into my ass multiplies my pleasure and causes me to ejaculate fiercely.

「Uooooooh!!」

My semen sprays out with more force than expected, blasting off the stem of the alraune who got hit directly.

Crap...... I finished her off.

However, after the stem broke off, a tentacle stretched out to gather the semen I scattered all over the place.

Gradually, the green color returned to the leaves of the plant, and I could tell the alraune is recovering its energy.

「AaaAah, it came back to life.」

「Alright, it revived. Woah, this one’s dangerous.」

Accompanying the revival of the plant are new tentacles growing out, but of course the tentacle responsible for secreting digestive juices was also among those, so I lightly grab that one.

When I think about this stuff getting on any of the girls, it really is too dangerous.

「I’d have to cut you down as long as you have this. Can’t you do something about it?」

The alraune cries out softly, then not long later only the tentacle which secretes digestive fluids turns brown and withers to the ground.

So it understands what I’m saying.

「......it feels like I’m having a bad dream.」

Lammy holds her head in distress as she goes back into her little house.

She probably needs some time to think.

But everything went well.

「I’ll provide the nutrients so don’t worry about it.」

When I pet the human-shaped part, its leaves wrap around me happily.

「Well, getting back to what we were doing, can’t you make the crotch area more detailed? Right, make it more defined...... that’s good! Make a hole right in the middle...... make it a little deeper and then add folds inside...... that’s the way. And then also add some meat to that ass......oh right, make a hole in the ass too.」

And so, the alraune ended up being planted in the corner of the courtyard.

Lammy resisted in the beginning but after realizing the danger would not increase any further, she agreed the least she could do was water it.

「In any case...... that thing, it has a really naughty shape now.」

「Fufufu, I’m looking forward to when it grows bigger.」

Right now it’s small so I can only rub its head with a finger, but when it gets bigger I can probably...... fufufu.

「Pervert. Embrace me more so you won’t fall into such a perverted path~」

I wrap my arms around Lammy, who teases me with a mischievous tone, and exchange a passionate kiss with her.

I proceed to push her to the ground, pull myself in so I can insert my dick into her hole, and then swing my hips.

「Nnh~ You have to fuck a proper woman! Getting so absorbed with a plant! That’s no good!」

I suddenly am able to think calmly again.

Being wrapped by Lammy’s long body and ramming my hips against her pliable scales while sucking on her snake tongue.... Doesn’t that already make me quite the pervert?

Whatever.

It still feels good.

Side Story: Pipi’s Ingredient.

「I can make enough fried eggs for everybody!」

When Pipi returned to the mansion, she headed to the kitchen while rolling something on the ground.

「What is that?」

「It’s a reaaaally big egg! I got it from the dwarves in Lintbloom.」

Heeeh...... it really stinks.

You better clean it thoroughly before cooking it.

But still, that’s a pretty big egg.

I think it’s more than half as big as Pipi.

What animal does that egg come from?

「I have no clue. But it’s an egg! I’m going to cook it now and make fried eggs. Pipi wants the chief to eat it too.」

I like fried eggs, but aren’t we having steak today?

It would trouble the chefs if the menu changed so suddenly too.

Let’s have eggs next time.

「I see...... it can’t be helped then.」

「It’s cold this time of year so it won’t rot so quickly. It’ll be fine if you put it in the basement...... there’s still a while before it’s time to eat. Pipi, do you want to take a walk with me?」

「Sure! I’ll put it away quickly so wait for me!」

And thus, the egg was forgotten.

Protagonist: Aegir Hardlett. 23 years old. Winter.

Status: Goldonia Kingdom Margrave. Great Feudal Lord of Eastern Area. King of the Mountains. Friend of the Dwarves. Friend of the King of Aless. Dragon Slayer Hero.

Citizens: 174,000. Major Cities – Rafen: 25,000. Lintbloom: 5000. Vandolea Special Town: 9000.

Family: Nonna (legal wife), Carla (concubine, monitoring duty), Pipi (egg)

Non-humans: Lammy (snake lover), Mirumi (mermaid), No name (alraune in development)

Assets: 35,700 gold

Sexual Partners: 288, children who have been born: 54 + 555 fish