Abandoned Bastard of the Royal Family Volume 3 Chapter 13 (Patreon)

TL Note: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Chapter 13 – Women of the Past: Vigilante Corps

The female peddler Kelechi, Schild’s newly acquired meat toilet, was now accompanying Schild and Carney on their journey.

As such, to match the peddler’s pace, the two dismounted on their horse and proceeded on foot, walking leisurely as they pulled the horse Cymbium gave to them from its harness.

This decision was made after chatting a bit with the newbie peddler after recovering from sex.

“You were on your way to West Adele too, Miss Kelechi?”

“Yes! West Adele is a big territory, the biggest outside the capital, so I plan to buy some rare goods there and sell them to the villages……But to tell you the truth, I was thinking of setting a higher goal once I get there.”

“A higher goal, huh? What is it?”

“I was thinking of going directly to Count Mariastel, the very lord of this region, and sell my wares there instead.”

When Kelechi said this, she was smiling wryly and blushing in embarrassment.

And in a way, she looked more embarrassed than when she was naked with the two staring at her anus.

“I know what you’re thinking, but before everything else, I already knew that if a novice like me were to barge in, I would only be turned away. But you see, my master said that there are some things that you can only challenge when you are young, and that failure is an important experience, so……”

“So, you’re going to the Butterfly Quilt Castle too, Kelechi? Well, you’re in luck, as we’re also going to the same place.”

“Is that so? If that’s the case, it will be a great help. That said, when you said you’re going to the castle, you mean you will accompany me until we reach the Count’s mansion, right?”

“Well, yes-“

“Thank you very much! You see, I was really worried about traveling alone from here. After all, the Count’s residence is located in a very remote area. I was afraid that I would suddenly be attacked by a monster on a deserted road!”

In this regard, it was a great relief for Kelechi to be on the road with a strong-looking warrior like Schild.

“Is that so? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think that what merchants like you should be more wary of are threats from people, and not monsters. For example, a peddler would be easy prey for bandits.”

It’s not just monsters that live deep in the mountains, hiding in the middle of nowhere, but also groups of people who have been forced out of their villages for various reasons and have turned themselves into banditry.

In particular, peddlers like Kelechi, who always have something valuable in their possession due to their occupation and often work alone, are perfect prey for bandits because they would earn money and goods from them without fail.

“If they catch you, you’ll not only be stripped of your gold and wares, but you’ll also be gang-raped and taken to a hideout where you’ll be used as a communal sex relief until you die.”

“Y-you don’t need to point that out in detail. Also, this is the reason why I’m dressed like this, so that they can’t tell my gender at a glance!”

As such, the thick coat, which was bulky and hid her proportions, did more than just protect her from the wind, rain, and cold.

“But that doesn’t change the fact that you are a peddler, which makes you a valued target. And if you get caught, there’s no way they won’t recognize you as a woman from up close.”

Sigh……Schild breathed a huge sigh.

“It can’t be helped. I will stay with you until we get to Butterfly Quilt Castle, where Mariastel is. Just the thought of your beautiful body being ruined by a bunch of bandits is already making me sick.”

And just like that, Schild has made the decision of making Kelechi accompany them all the way to the Adele Territory even though it meant slowing down their journey a bit. He also didn’t forget to sneak his other hand, the one not holding the horse gag, inside Kelechi’s thick coat and patted and rubbed her bottom unreservedly.

“……I think it’s already too late for me to worry about my chastity being wasted to them, though.”

To Schild’s actions, Kelechi’s face turned red in embarrassment, but she did not show any refusal to have her ass touched.

It was as if she had become completely trained.

“But I think I’m okay, you know? After all, the Lord of West Adele has strict control over this territory, so bandits are unlikely to appear. I’ve even heard that they recently went on a massive bandit hunt and killed them all.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I heard that one time, the bandits they caught were executed so dreadfully in public, that its horror immediately spread throughout the land. When the other bandits heard about it, they became so afraid that they went to other places!”

Kelechi’s reasoning is that the only things she would need to be wary of are monsters as they could not understand things like laws, punishments, or even language altogether.

“Is that Count Mariastel really that capable?”

Carney, who had so far only been a listener and not a participant in the conversation, finally interjected with a question.

But while she was silent, she also followed Schild’s lead and rubbed Kelechi’s bottom with him.

“The only thing I’ve heard about them is that they don’t belong to any of the three major aristocracies; a completely independent house. So what kind of person is Count Mariastel?”

You’re asking that now?”

As they were already in the West Adele Territory, which is under the Count’s direct control, Schild and his women’s conversations have shifted to the lord’s residence, becoming more and more detailed as they walked.

“There’s no information coming into the capital at all. It’s almost like a foreign country when the territory is this far away. Especially for this one, where I feel that they are intentionally blocking out the information all together.”

“Carney is on point,” thought Schild, who already knew the inner workings of this territory.

“I couldn’t help but wonder, did the lord of this territory keep their distance to almost cutting all ties with the center and maintain almost a complete independence because they hated the greedy power struggle that was occurring in the capital? If that’s the case, then isn’t the Count a pretty honorable person?”

“Count Mariastel, Lord of West Adele, is……not that great as you think.”

Instead of answering straightly, Schild began to talk in a general manner, as if holding something back.

“The Count is a capable lord. Though I’ve left the West Adele Territory for a long time now, so I don’t know its current state, no, even before the time I was here, that person was already able to control and maintain the huge territory they inherited from their predecessor on their own, even without assistance from the capital. If that isn’t capable, then I don’t know what is.”

“Heeh, that’s impressive.”

“As for the Count being an honorable person……I don’t know about that. The Count, in my opinion, just loves beautiful things. But they also say the person hates the ugly more than the actual enemy. And that, strangely, was the main reason for the Count’s refusal for any involvement in the activities in the central.”

The chaotic struggle for power and the sycophantic exchanges in social circles. The grandiose pretense of showing off one’s greatness……they were seen as “ugly” by the viewer, the Count.

“The Count is the type who finds such things ugly by default. Therefore, it was natural that such things were kept away or avoided from them. To sum up, that person hates dirty things.”

“Uwaaa……”

“That’s why, Kelechi, I think you’ll do well if you go into business with the Count. After all, that person loves beautiful things.”

“Eeeh!? T-that’s……”

Kelechi turned even more red to this. After all, it was like indirectly saying that she’s beautiful.

“If you still don’t know, the Count has also become a womanizer in this regard.”

◆

The path the three of them were on became dense as they entered a forest.

Although there was a cleared path, if you looked on your left or right, you’d only see trees on either side seeming to go on forever, and there was no sign of human habitation anywhere.

It was almost to the point where it made you wonder if there really was a lord overseeing this lonely road.

“See this? Building residence in such a remote place and living in isolation from the outside world, what’s more, with all the servants being women……It was enough to say that the Count is a bit wrong in the head.”

“I-is that true. Lord Schild? You’re not making this up?”

“Why would I, especially in this time (around where you can meet the person later on)? Also, I have heard that this was the paradise that person had worked their hardest building. Only beautiful women of good looks were hired and used to maintain the place. As for the duties of the Count, they are carried out through a select group of stewards, all women also, making the involvement of the Count in the outside world as little as possible.”

“H-how is that even possible?”

Though the reason for not liking social events was a thing Carney could relate to, she was still perturbed. After all, cutting relations with the outside world would bring nothing but disadvantages for the lord of a territory.

“It’s because the Count hated seeing men.”

“What do you mean?”

“If women are a thing of beauty, then men are the reverse. The Count sees men as the representative of ugliness. That Men are ugly and dirty, nothing but entities that should be dreaded to be touched. Still, that person knows that going to the outside world means going out to deal with people. And because seeing men is unavoidable in this, the Count opted to hole up in their mansion instead.”

And because the other party is a Count, it was possible for them to do selfish things like this.

After all, a lord can act almost like a God in their own domain, as they are its rulers.

“I’m sure you understand it by now after I’ve explained this much. Of why the West Adele Territory is independent and has no connection with the Capital all along.”

“Ah, y-yeah……to think this Count Mariastel has a strange quirk……”

Carney muttered, overwhelmed.

“But still, no matter how hard you try to become this selfish, you won’t be able to run this territory for long if you keep this up. So how did this Count able to keep the territory up and running?”

“That’s the weirdest part and the most amazing as well. You see, as long as it involves not contacting men, the Count would do an excellent job that even normal lords wouldn’t be able to do even if they had the advantage of going out of their homes.”

“The only problem is that person’s fondness for beautiful women, though”, as for the last part, Carney tried her best to hold herself back from saying that “You weren’t different!” and “You have no right to complain about that!”.

“B-but, but, womanizing aside, it is an undeniable fact that the Count is still a great lord!”

Kelechi also began her speech.

“Indeed, the Count’s personage rarely appears in public and is considered as mysterious in that regard, but they, especially the Count’s Stewards, always listen to the complaints of the people and take immediate action when necessary. It is said that they created a wonderful system where taxes are accurately and fairly collected, and because of this, many people move here as all in all, these taxes are much lower than in most territories!”

“To sum up, the West Adele Territory which the Count overrules is using a method to accumulate thin profits, but because of this, it also promoted new business opportunities to be conducted in the territory, making it flourish even more instead!”

“The best part is the vigilante corps the count has formed is extremely powerful!”

Kelechi spoke like a person who is boasting their own merits.

Then again, she is a merchant, so it could be interpreted that she’s also showing off how good her ears are in gathering information, but it couldn’t be denied that she may also be a fan of the lord of the territory, judging from her tone alone.

“Lords usually have their own forces to protect the security of their territory, but the vigilante corps of the West Adele Territory are like no other! Not only they are as numerous as those Subjugators in the Capital, but they are as good as or even better than them as well! It was thanks to them that monsters can be killed immediately, bandits are easily mowed down, and the West Adele territory is now safer and more habitable than before!”

“Th-that’s…”

Since Carney and Schild had only introduced themselves as married couples and not as subjugators, Kelechi didn’t know a thing about their real occupations, but this couldn’t deny that Carney felt complicated because of her job, which she took pride in, has been underestimated. She being one of the best subjugators made it worse, even.

“But it’s not like Count Mariastel is always holing up in her castle. As far as I know, when the territory is in a dire sense of danger, the Count gets out of the castle and personally heads over and leads the troops to the battlefield by themselves! And it is said that their fighting style is like a large rose blossoming in the battlefield, a source of pride for its people!”

“That can be acceptable, but……wait.”

Carney muttered a question as if she had noticed something.

“If Count Mariastel is the type who doesn’t want to see or talk to men, then how can such a person command dozens of male soldiers to battle?”

“Well, that's easy. That’s because the vigilante corps doesn’t comprise of any men, Carney.”

“Eh?”

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