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Paradise Gathering

Getting the week going with the first weekly regular chapter.

P.S. Here's a translation of the latest raw update on TRL. It's an announcement about the author's health condition and it's quite lengthy. Let's all pray for the swift recovery of the author so he can continue working on this magnificent story. On the other hand, readers of the translation don't have to worry as we're still quite behind compared to the raws so I don't see release rate slowing down anytime soon.

Edit: I've posted it in a pastebin link because the TL note section can't take too much text. Here's the link:

TRL Status Update 7/30/17

"Do I really have to dress so idiotically?" Lorist grumbled.

Even though it wasn't summer during the 9th month, it was still relatively hot and the bright sun in the sky made people want to undress entirely. Right now, Lorist was walking behind Dulles and Karitoke on a large street while wearing a hooded poncho. All three of them were dressed similarly in ponchos that didn't have good ventilation, causing Lorist to be full of sweat. Everyone who walked past them looked at them as if they were insane for wearing those things in that weather, making the experience even more unbearable.

It was all Dulles's fault for coming over with Karitoke far too soon. After finishing lunch together, they could no longer hold themselves back and wanted to walk all the way to the meeting spot as specified on the invitation with aiding digestion as the main reason.

"Milord, no, Locke, the invitation specified that we should be dressed like that so that others do not recognize our identities," Dulles replied. They had all agreed not to address Lorist as 'milord' during the excursion.

"Good Sol, we could've at least put this on after getting off a carriage! Nobody would be so stupid like you guys to walk all the way there! If word of this gets out tomorrow, we'll be complete laughing stocks!" Lorist said angrily.

"Then what do you say we do?"

"We stop a carriage and take a few spins around the imperial capital first. When the time's approaching, we'll head to the meeting point," Lorist said as he decided.

The three were only able to get a carriage after a good while. The coachman initially even thought that he was going to be robbed and screamed out for help. It was only after Lorist tossed him one gold Forde that he turned quiet. They strolled about the city until it was two in the afternoon before heading for the rendezvous.

At the address specified on the invitation was an old residential compound and upon entering it, an old man dressed like a butler checked their invitation before he said, "Respected guests, please follow me."

When they arrived at the run-down backyard, they saw tens of black-colored four-wheeled carriages with no identifiable markings. The old man walked to the nearest one and said, "Please board the carriage, respected guests. It will take some time before you arrive at the gathering location and this carriage will be taking you there."

The moment the three of them boarded the carriage, it set out for its destination right away. They later realized that the windows of the carriage were all painted black so that the riders within wouldn't be able to recognize the situation outside. When Lorist pushed on the carriage door, he found that it was indeed locked. Fortunately for them, the skylight of the carriage could be opened to let in some fresh air so that the interior of the carriage didn't feel too hot and musty.

"What's with the mystery of it all? Is there a need to go out of their way to do that?" Lorist mumbled.

After the carriage traveled for around 30 minutes, it stopped and the door was soon unlocked. A pleasing voice of a woman said, "Welcome, sirs, to paradise on the human realm. Please, leave your carriage."

Dulles was the first one to get off and he froze almost immediately. After that was Karitoke's turn and he was similarly dumbstruck when he stepped out of the carriage.

"What the heck are you guys doing? Make way, I'm still in here."

Pushing the two aside and getting off to take a look, Lorist was also flabbergasted by what he saw.

They were within an extremely spacious hall that was decorated to look like the richest palaces the world had ever seen. The coachman and carriage were nowhere to be seen and at that moment, in front of the three of them were a large group of beautiful women who seemed completely naked. Upon closer inspection, they were actually wearing a thin white veil that occasionally obscured their naked bodies, causing one to feel all the more tempted after taking a look.

Dulles was almost going to bleed out from his nose from all the excitement he felt while Karitoke didn't fare any better. On the other hand, Lorist managed to retain his calm and tapped on the two's shoulders to snap them out of their stupor.

A voluptuous beauty approached them before she bowed deeply, making sure that the three of them were able to get a good look at the pair of 'energetic little bunnies' that were hidden beneath the veil around her chest. "Sirs, please follow me. The changing room is over there."

Dulles and Karitoke were instantly charmed as they followed the woman without a second thought.

"Three sirs, this here is your changing room. Please leave your clothes and weapons here. Participants of the Paradise Gathering are not allowed to remain dressed. However, you can tie a towel around your waist. Also, there are masks here that you can pick from. Male or female guests can use these masks to keep their identity hidden," said the voluptuous beauty as she handed over a silver platter with a number of masks on them.

Dulles picked an eyepatch mask before he asked, "Why are you guys not wearing masks then?"

The voluptuous beauty replied, "Sir, we are maidservants and there's no need for us to wear masks."

'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.' Since they were attending the Paradise Gathering, they must follow the regulations set by the organizer. All three of them got naked and tied a towel around their waist before putting on their masks. Karitoke chose a white fox mask while Lorist picked one with a black bat motif.

The voluptuous maidservant then brought over three bracelets each with ten shiny beads that seemed to have some words engraved on them.

"Sirs, if you believe some of us served you well, you can also tip us one or two of these beads. However, each bead represents one gold Forde and you must settle the bill before you leave. If you run out of beads, you can have us bring you more."

All three of them put on the bracelets and Lorist realized that the beads on his bracelet had the characters 'white 10' engraved upon them while Dulles and Karitoke's were 'white 8' and 'white 9' respectively.

"Sirs, please follow me here. Let me give you a brief tour."

Dulles walked behind the voluptuous beauty and he had already copped a feel on her behind with his hand.

The voluptuous beauty turned around and eyed Dulles before she said, "Milord there are many rooms upstairs. If you're willing to give me one bead, I will be extremely happy to bring you there to rest and show you a good time."

Dulles broke into a smile and said, "Alright."

The voluptuous beauty waved towards the distance and a long-haired blonde woman with a curvy figure clad similarly in that flimsy veil walked over.

"Dosey, I will be bringing this guest here to rest, so please show the other two guests around," said the beauty before she brought Dulles to a stairwell nearby.

The blonde-haired beauty bowed and said, "Greetings to you, sirs. I am called Dosey. Please let me resume your tour of the place.

"This is the great bath hall and there's a swimming pool here as well as some smaller bathing pools. Next to the hall are small rooms with beds where you can rest when you're tired." The group arrived at the entrance of a small room. The room didn't have a door and was only covered with a beaded blinds. The space inside wasn't that wide and only a large bed could be seen within.

Karitoke could no longer hold it in and brought Dosey into the room before pressing her onto the bed...

Sol, you guys are far too impatient for that, Lorist thought as he took a look around. There were not many people around him and he could not spot another masked guest just like them. Perhaps they have arrived a little too early. Even the large bath hall was completely empty.

At the corner of the hall was a small bathing pool and Lorist was surprised when he entered it. It was practically a hot spring and he could pick up a hint of sulfurous smell from the water. Within the pool was a curved spot that was designed as a seat. Lorist tried to sit down and it was indeed like a leaning sitting spot. When he leaned all the way down, only his head and upper chest were visible above the water, and if he lied down, his whole body would be submerged within. It truly was a pleasing experience.

It was then when Lorist noticed a bell beside him. After giving it a slight shake, it let out a clear ring before a maidservant quickly came to Lorist's side and asked, "Sir, is there anything you need?"

"Bring me some fruit wine and food. It would be great to have some fruit," Lorist said.

The things Lorist ordered were quickly brought to him and the maidservant opened the little wine barrel before she poured some of it into a silver cup.

"Sir, do you need me to stay and serve you?" she asked.

Lorist gave her a bead and said, "No need, I want some time alone."

"Thank you, sir."

Feasting on delicacies in a hot spring was a luxurious experience in itself. Roughly half an hour later, more masked guests could be seen and there were as many men as there were women. Some of the female guests could be seen in groups talking about something and there were also those who brought men into the rooms. One male guest approached one of the female guests and began to tease her so hard that she wasn't able to even close her mouth. In the end, he successfully carried her into a room nearby. There were also some who didn't succeed and were forced to pull a maidservant near them into the rooms to expel their pent-up desires.

Lorist merely remained submerged within the small pool and observed the people around him. In actuality, the masked female guests were all noble ladies and they didn't necessarily look more beautiful nor alluring than the maidservants standing beside them. However, the masks they wore added an air of mystery. Coupled with their status as nobles that made them further out of reach unlike the maidservants, the female guests did attract a fair share of the male guests' attention.

The female guests were dressed almost identically with the maidservants clad in translucent white veils save for their masks. They teased and flirted with the men but were usually unwilling to follow them into the rooms unless they were stimulated to the point they were no longer able to resist.

When Lorist saw Karitoke leaving the room with the blonde maidservant, the latter's attention was quickly captured by a few noble ladies with excellent figures in the pool not far away. Without a word, Karitoke began to swim towards them to strike up a conversation.

One petite girl wearing a butterfly mask and veil rushed over and she realized that Lorist was there when she arrived. She said, "Ah, apologies. I didn't see you here. Just now, I even ran over because I thought there was nobody here."

As the small pool was in the corner and the candlelight wasn't as bright as those at the large communal pool, it was hard for the girl to see Lorist's submerged figure there.

"If you don't mind my presence, you're free to enter as well. Even though this pool is rather small, it can definitely fit a few more people here," Lorist said as he raised his silver cup.

The young lady hesitated for a while, but she entered the pool nevertheless and submerged herself within it.

"I like the hot spring baths here quite a lot. The last few times I came here, I would always bathe at this spot," said the girl. "Is this your first time here?"

"Yes. Good day, young lady. I'm called Locke," Lorist said while he nodded.

Pfft! The girl broke into a stifled laugh before she said, "Nobody here reveals their real names. You can call me Daisy, but that's not my real name either."

"Ah? I wasn't aware of such a rule," Lorist said.

"No worries. People would think that you are using an alias as well. However, you are a weird one. Since it's your first time here, aren't you going to go get acquainted with the other noble ladies over there or get a room with one of the maidservants? Instead, you're here in the pool snacking alone."

"Well, I'm just thinking of some peace and quiet," Lorist said.

"Who's this Quinn that you're thinking of?" asked the girl when she misheard.

"Urk," Lorist choked on the spot before he sat straight up. "Cough, cough... I meant that I wanted to spend some time alone for some peace and quiet."

The girl blushed when she realized her mistake, but her eyes gleamed when she said, "Wow, your physique is amazing. Look at those dreamy scars..."

When Lorist sat straight up, he revealed his upper torso and the scars on his chest and back, which were inflicted upon him when he suffered Blademaster Zarinan's assassination attempt. Some of the maidservants who were present when he changed his clothes looked at his scars with a fearful expression, so Lorist didn't expect that girl in front of him to look so thrilled at seeing them.

The girl swam closer to Lorist's side hurriedly and said, "Are you not going to treat me to a drink?"

"I'll get the maidservant to bring another cup here," Lorist said.

"There's no need." She took Lorist's cup and took a few gulps right away. It didn't take long until the cup was emptied before she said, "Ah, that was refreshing."

The girl was brown-haired and her skin was smooth and fair. She had a slightly rounded chin and her face still had some traces of baby fat. Her collarbone looked really attractive, and while her breasts weren't large, they seemed rather firm and perky.

Despite seeing Lorist's gaze on her chest, the girl wasn't the slightest bit embarrassed and instead puffed her chest out. "Are they beautiful?"

Lorist nodded and asked, "Are you also a believer of Mishla?"

"Nope," the girl said as she stretched out her hand to feel Lorist's scars up. "Did you get these scars from your fights?"

Lorist kept quiet, so the girl made her guess. "You should be of rather low rank, maybe a company or regiment leader? That's why you still have to fight at the forefront."

Lorist looked at the girl before she pulled both of Lorist's hands and placed them on her breasts. "This is fine, right? Since you're mad that I felt up your scars, you can touch my breasts in return."

As Lorist felt up the soft peaks, he said, "You don't understand. Each scar represents a close encounter with death. That's why I don't like to recall how I got them."

The girl approached Lorist so that he could more easily feel her up. "I don't know why the princess invited so many military officers to the party this time. They are all so unrefined and always go for those busty noble ladies. I hate them, they don't seem nearly as cultured as you are."

Lorist asked, "How many times have you participated in the Paradise Gathering?"

"This is already my fifth time," said the girl as she traced a circle on Lorist's chest with her finger.

"Since you don't believe in the Goddess of Desires and Pleasure, Mishla, why did you attend this gathering? For excitement and stimulation?"

"Nope, I'm looking for protection," said the girl. "My dad died in battle and my little brother is still young. Even though he can inherit the dominion, he isn't capable of defending it. If I join the Paradise Gathering, the princess will protect my family and my brother will have all the time he needs to mature."

The girl then reached beyond Lorist's waist towel and her eyes beamed as she said, "Wow, how huge..."

Lorist attempted to stop her, but the girl said, "It's not that often that I take the initiative. Just lie down obediently and enjoy the experience..."

After that, she lowered her head and began...

Davey and the Princess

Here's the second regular chapter of the week. You guys really have a vivid imagination. I read the last chapter's comments and saw theories about Daisy being Lorist's ex or even Princess Carey herself in disguise! Well, you'll find out the truth in this chapter!

P.S. Please do not click on the links that may be posted by spammers in the comments section. Those websites are harmful towards the webnovel community as a whole, and we are also trying to figure out a solution so that the spammers won't be able to continue.

The girl softened once again, but right now, they were within the small room near the small pool from before.

Lorist continued his assault and let it all out into the girl's body.

The both of them let out a large breath and basked in the afterglow of climax...

Propping herself up, the girl continued to feel up the scars on Lorist's chest. "When my father was still a Silver rank, he suffered his first heavy injury and had an even larger scar on his chest. Back then he managed to escape with his life from the lance of a Gold ranked knight. When I was young, I wasn't mature yet and I thought that scars were incredibly ugly. But my father said that scars were like badges of honor to men and a knight without any isn't a true man. It was only after he died that I understood the meaning of his words..."

"Your father wasn't wrong," Lorist said while nodding. "Can you tell me how he died?"

"It's been already seven to eight years... Back then, the empire suffered the attack of the enemy and my father went to the imperial capital with a few of his friends and attendants. In the beginning, all went well. My father and some other knights who got the news managed to put up a formidable resistance against the First Prince's army and eliminated the raiding teams that were all over the place and won quite a few battles. Later when the Second Highness arrived, he used people like my father as his shield to fight at the frontlines and my father perished after that," recalled the girl.

"I'm very sorry about your loss," Lorist said.

"It's fine. The past is already behind us. Right now, I'm incredibly happy after spending time with you," she said before giving Lorist's face a kiss before her hand started to tease his junior once more.

Just as Lorist got up and wanted to go for another round, she stopped him and said, "Can we go dip ourselves in the hot spring again?"

"Alright."

"Then, I want you to carry me there," said the girl with both her arms stretched out.

"Lower me down slightly," said the girl as she used one hand to position Lorist's junior and guided it into her body slowly and gently, connecting the two of them once more. After that, she wrapped both her arms around Lorist's shoulders and her legs around his waist. The petite girl currently seemed like a koala bear that was hanging on Lorist's body.

"Let's go there looking like that," she said while pressing her body tight against him before licking Lorist's chin.

"Don't mess around," said Lorist as he gave her bottom a soft slap. After that, he supported both her legs from the bottom and walked out from the room towards the small pool. However, with every step he took, the girl in his embrace would moan uncontrollably.

By the time he got into the pool, he could no longer hold on and pushed the girl against the wall before he started humping. It was not until she said she had enough and could no longer hold on that he stopped.

"You truly are a wild bull," said the girl while lying against Lorist's body with a glazed look.

Lying back on the sitting spot of the pool, Lorist opened his mouth and ate the blueberry the girl brought him.

All of a sudden, he heard a commotion not far away. Lorist asked, "What's going on?"

The girl took a look before saying, "The princess is here."

Princess? Lorist sat up and said, "That's Princess Carey?"

The girl pouted and glared at Lorist before she said, "What? You want to solicit her as well?"

"No way," he replied as he hugged and kissed her again. "As I have only heard of her fame, I'd like to see how the most beautiful woman in the Andinaq Kingdom looks like."

"Hmph, doesn't she have a nose and two eyes like the rest of us? What's there to witness in the first place?" she said, slightly jealous. "This spot is fine. I guarantee that you'll be able to see the princess making love with another man on the floor upstairs."

"Huh?" Lorist said, not sure if he had heard wrongly or not.

"Look, over there," said the girl as she pointed to a platform on the floor above. "That is the bed reserved for the princess herself every time she comes. She loves to receive her guests there. From time to time, she would reward victor of the competition or sometimes just plainly pick a man she likes and do him right in front of everyone. You'll soon get to see as much as you like."

Alright, I guess the princess is a pretty open-minded person after all for her to dare to perform such acts in front of everyone like that.

"What did you mean when you mentioned the competition?" Lorist asked curiously.

"Do you want to participate?" said the girl with a solemn look. "It's a competition to see who can do the most women. If you take part, perhaps you might just get first place. Then the next time, you'll get to mess around with the princess all you want."

"What are you saying? I have better things to do than that," Lorist refuted her immediately. "The best thing that's happened to me during this gathering is getting to know you. I won't go anywhere tonight and will spend my time accompanying you, alright?"

"You're not joking, are you?" said the girl as her anger melted into joy.

"Of course I'm not," Lorist said with a smile.

Blushing, she said, "I won't be able to handle you by myself. Since you're so nice, I'll give you a reward."

The girl looked around and called a maidservant over before the maidservant left after receiving some whispered instructions.

Lorist didn't mind and merely looked at the princess who was surrounded by a whole group of people.

Compared to Princess Sylvia, Princess Carey was like a ripe, delicious fruit that was sexy and enchanting. Every gesture and smile of hers riled up the temptation of anyone who saw it. Her body was as polished and smooth as white jade with curves at the right places and her ivory-like legs only served to add to her charm. Just like the other women, she donned a translucent white veil and proudly showed off her body, especially the peaks on her chest that drew many eyes to her.

The princess's face wasn't covered and instead, her white fox mask was tied to the side of her hair, revealing her blushing and pretty face. Lorist couldn't help but praise the princess for her irresistible looks. Thinking back at the beauties he's met, apart from Princess Sylvia's fairy-like looks, nobody else could compete against Princess Carey in terms of seductive sexyness.

"Daisy, what did you need me for?" an alluring voice rang out nearby.

Lorist raised his head to look and saw a similarly petite woman wearing a spotted deer mask near the pool.

The girl in his embrace pointed to him and said, "Help me deal with this one."

That woman blushed and said, "Daisy, I'm your aunt. Don't be so rude..."

The girl didn't seem to care and said, "Don't bring up familial relations over here. Besides, you're only 6 years older than me. Let me tell you, you'll definitely regret if you miss out on him."

The woman said as she entered the pool and walked towards Lorist, "Is that so? He's that impressive?"

"You'll know after you give him a try. Either way, he's way better than Davey whom you admire so much," said the girl.

"Wait a second, what's your relationship with her?" Lorist asked.

"She's my aunt, but her cursed husband joined the Third Prince's army one week after their wedding and died in the battle at Kobo City, causing her to be a widow for 9 whole years. After the first time I participated the Paradise Gathering, I brought her along with me the next few times in hopes that I would find another person for her to marry, but it's a shame she didn't find one she liked. Just call her Chessy over here," said the girl without a single care.

"And what did you call her over for?"

"To reward you, of course. You said that you would spend the whole night with me, so I was worried that I alone wouldn't be enough to deal with you so I got her to come help out. You've truly struck gold this time, my aunt is quite the beauty too you know," said the girl as she tugged on Lorist's junior once more.

Not far away from the pool was much commotion. Daisy said, "Look, your dream guy has arrived."

Chessy blushed and said, "Cursed lass, don't make me tear your lips off."

The girl didn't bother with that remark and briefed Lorist about the situation. "Do you see that man over there? He's called Davey Copperfield. Even though he's wearing a black bull mask, almost everyone recognizes him based on his staggering height."

The man who just entered the hall was almost 2 meters tall and had a well-built figure that was even more impressive than those of greek statues from Lorist's previous life. As the bull mask he wore covered the upper half of his face, it was quite obvious that he was a rather good-looking man based on the finely chiseled nose and chin.

"Who's he? Is he famous?" Lorist asked.

The girl asked, "You don't know who he is?"

Lorist nodded and said, "I am from the Northlands and am a knight of the Norton Family. I came to the imperial capital because of some matters and Karitoke of the Royal Local Defense Force is one of my fellow students at the Dawn Academy. He received an invitation to this gathering and merely brought me along to expand my horizons."

"No wonder you've never heard of Davey before. He's actually the only son of the Second Highness's Blademaster, Davey Climonto and he's 30 years old and a One Star Gold rank this year. The Second Highness trusts him greatly and he's the vice leader of the guards; his future potential is almost limitless. It goes without saying that many of the noble ladies are charmed by his handsome looks. The last time he participated in that competition, he won and my aunt called for him so much that her throat went sore. But in the end, he chose to spend the night with two other noble ladies, much to her dismay," explained Daisy in great detail while teasing her aunt at the same time.

Both embarrassed and angry, Chessy grabbed Daisy's hand and said, "Stupid lass, see how I deal with you if you keep spouting crap..."

Lorist paid attention to the tall man on the upper floor called Davey as he approached the platform where the princes was lying on. After saying something, Davey climbed onto the bed and began caressing the princess while a few of the maidservants nearby began servicing Davey as well.

Everyone within the hall had their eyes fixed on the platform upstairs and there were some who envied Davey's opportunity. When Davey pushed his thing into Princess Carey, she let out an incredibly seductive cry and her continued moans only served to tickle the hearts of those present. A man wearing a wolf mask within the pool grunted and grabbed the woman beside him before pushing her against the sides of the pool, pushing her legs apart and humped nonstop, with the woman beginning to moan excitedly as well.

At that moment, it was as if the pool water began boiling all of a sudden. Almost all the men and women within it were pushed tightly against each other with a few maidservants even hugging and pleasing one another.

The mature woman beside Lorist was no longer able to hold on and leaned onto Lorist's body almost entirely. The young girl gave Lorist a light push as if she was saying, 'Aren't you gonna make your move?'

Turning Chessy around, Lorist began to enter her body from the back.

Chessy with her mouth agape muttered, "This... this is huge..."

As promised, Lorist didn't participate in the other activities within the Paradise Gathering and only spent the whole night screwing with the girl and her aunt, sometimes in the pool, and other times in the room. In the end, the three of them lost count of the time they've engaged in intercourse and went to sleep after they were completely exhausted.

The girl and her aunt were indeed beautiful and at some point they were doing it, they removed their masks. The girl told Lorist that her real name was Dina Arriotoli and her family's barony was at the west side of Jillin Harbor. She said that as she liked Lorist a lot, if Lorist wanted to take her as his wife, she would no longer participate in the Paradise Gathering. She also mentioned that she didn't need Lorist to give an answer right away as she feared being rejected outright and mentioned that she would return to her dominion and wait for three years. If Lorist was interested, he should go there to ask for her hand in marriage there would be a surprise in store for him if he did so.

Lorist questioned her about the surprise, and the girl said that she had another sister of 19 years of age who was even prettier than herself that was also a virgin. If Lorist chose her, he would get to marry her sister too since that was better for the barony because that would decrease the amount of the dowry by half.

Lorist was incredibly tired and when he woke up, he realized that he was the only one who remained on the bed with Ariotolli and her aunt nowhere to be seen. A little saddened by their absence, Lorist went back to the pool to take another dip.

A maidservant came not long after, but this time around, she was fully-dressed. She respectfully told Lorist that the gathering had ended and that his friends were waiting for him to head back.

Lorist, Karitoke and Dulles all got back onto the black carriage that brought them there and during the way back, Dulles boasted that he managed to conquer seven noble ladies during the gathering. Karitoke, not wanting to lose out, said that he had engaged in the deepest interactions with 8 noble ladies. In the end, Lorist was so annoyed that he asked the both of them to shut up and reminded Karitoke that the princess was more than meets the eye and seemed to be planning something in secret. He warned Karitoke to be careful should he attend the Paradise Gathering alone the next time so that he doesn't get caught in anybody's ploys.

By the time they arrived at the camp, it was already the evening. The one who received Lorist and the other two were Freiyar, Josk and Els, all with angry looks on their faces. Freiyar and Josk were the maddest because Lorist, the family leader, merely left a note saying that he would be off to play without saying where he went and didn't even return during the night. That behavior of his was a little excessive and caused the whole group to worry the whole night for his safety.

It must be noted that the situation at the imperial capital wasn't exactly peaceful, and they had even imprisoned and brought Viscount Aslan and the descendants of 8 other noble families there all the way from Silowas Island. Even though that matter was kept secret, if someone managed to find out about it, Lorist would definitely be considered to be an obstacle. It was incredibly irrational of him to leave without any guards, so Lorist was forbidden from traveling alone.

Lorist accepted their opinions and mentioned that he would definitely be more aware of his safety and said that he wanted to wrap this matter up since he returned safely after all. Given that he was the dominion lord, Freiyar and Josk could only accept that response to give him some face. But Els was a little mad that Lorist didn't bring him along for some fun.

As for Dulles, Freiyar ordered him to be caned 50 times as a punishment, but Lorist managed to talk it down to only 20. Dulles could only leave with a sobbing look.

Karitoke was surprised by what he witnessed the scene and asked Lorist why he was so powerless against his own knights even though he was the dominion lord.

Lorist replied that since Freiyar was the leader of this trip, he was in charge of military discipline, logistics, distribution of soldiers as well as security, and nobody could be exempt from the rules. Only during battle would the right to command be passed to Lorist and other then that, he couldn't do anything about the punishment Freiyar hands out.

In the end, Freiyar said, "Milord, I just got news that the Second Highness will be back in another two days."

Face-smacking

This first bonus chapter of the week was brought to you by Anh. D. L. and Daryl P. from the USA.

When Second Highness Auguslo received word of Count Norton's visit, he was in a rather good mood. Five years back, he used the northbound convoy to regain his power and influence and later even tossed the burdensome vagabonds to them. He had also used the convoy to raid the nobles that didn't listen to his summons and managed to build up his own Royal Family's Local Defense Force with the resources he gained. In the end, with the cooperation of the Nortons, he managed to establish an impressive track record of victorious battles, causing his name to spread far and wide and establishing a firm foundation for the mighty Andinaq Kingdom.

Nowadays the Second Highness was no longer the poor little bug that had to rely on the northbound convoy's forces. He had 300000 soldiers under his command and the slightest move made by him would be able to profoundly affect the situation on the continent. All the nobles within the kingdom were already under his control and incredibly obedient. That goes without saying that he felt that the Norton Family that was located far in the north should do the same as well.

But after feeling good about himself for a bit, he recalled the scene of destruction wrought by the forces of the Norton Family convoy and knew that for a noble family like them with such a strong force to submit to him, he must first earn their respect.

That was especially the case when he received word some time back about the conflict between the nobles of the Northlands and those of the Iblia Kingdom as well as their battles. However, information was hard to come by in the Madras Duchy and the news he heard from the Melein Duchy was not that detailed. So, he felt that Count Norton's visit was a good opportunity for him to better increase his chances for the war of unification.

Thus, Second Highness Auguslo organized a grand banquet to celebrate Count Norton's visit to signify that he valued the Norton Family a lot and he hoped to unite the intentions of the nobles that attended the banquet to join forces under his leadership to unite the empire.

The Second Highness believed that Count Norton would definitely submit to his will and be willing to fight at the forefront of the war to contribute to the unification of the empire.

And if the Second Highness did manage to ally up with the Norton Family, many more unexpected strategies and tactics would be made available to him. He would use the forces of the Norton Family as shock troops to barge into enemy lines and attract their attention. After that, he would be able to use that opportunity to encircle the enemies with his troops and have the Norton Family crush the enemy from the inside while he stopped the enemy from escaping outside, effectively crumbling the main force of the enemy in one go and gain victory with the smallest sacrifice.

Naturally, the Second Highness didn't even bother to consider the casualties of the Norton Family forces as he felt that dominion lords of the Andinaq Royal Family must have the self-consciousness of their due obeisance to the royal family and that it was their duty and responsibility to serve the royal family.

With his 'script' completely drafted, the Second Highness didn't expect that Lorist would not play according to his lines. To put it in a more direct manner, Lorist was visiting to ruin his plans altogether.

The banquet was held in one of the halls of the royal court and the grand and luxurious decorations belied the sour and heavy atmosphere within. The impressive columns within the hall were a reminder of the glory days of the empire which was now in shambles, causing one to feel much pity and shame from viewing them.

The Second Highness introduced the various nobles that attended to Lorist in the friendliest manner possible as well as his trusted subordinates and generals, many of whom Lorist had already seen before such as the handsome Davey, and the delicate flower, Princess Carey, who carried an overbearing aura that couldn't be violated in the slightest. Naturally, both of them were clothed this time around. There were also some military officers that Lorist could recognize from the Paradise Gathering based on their physique and movement.

Having seen many of them stark naked before, Lorist almost felt like laughing out when he saw them dressed so properly. Even he wore a bright smile, he merely nodded to the people the Second Highness introduced to him without regard at all to their status or power. Even when the Second Highness introduced Princess Carey to Lorist, he pretended that he didn't see the princess's outstretched hand for a hand-kiss and merely nodded towards her before turning away to mind his own business.

Lorist's behavior shocked many of the nobles present and they were appalled at how rude he was even though he was merely a count from the rural Northlands. Even the princess was so enraged that her face flushed red as she had never experienced something so awkward all her life. Thankfully, Davey reacted quickly enough and kissed her hand lightly, saving her from the shame of having to take her hand back because nobody bothered to kiss it.

The Second Highness on the other hand didn't take note of that as he was chatting with some other nobles and only saw Lorist move further away to appreciate the murals within the hall. Those murals depicted the might and achievements of the founding Krissen Emperor, with most of them being scenes of him triumphing over his foes or commanding his troops.

The Second Highness hurriedly said, "What's up? You're interested in these murals? It won't take long until we succeed in our own endeavor that's every bit as impressive as those of the founding emperor. I will definitely have the warriors who have contributed greatly to the effort painted on a mural as a memento too."

Lorist laughed and said, "Your Highness, after seeing this mural, it reminded me of this saying. 'For a general to become renowned, thousands of bones will have to crumble'..."

Huh? What does that saying mean? As the Second Highness was pondering over it, a manager of the palace came to report that the banquet is already ready and that the Second Highness should be the first to head in.

Within the hall wasn't the kind of long table that nobles would usually use to receive their guests, but instead many smaller ones that could seat two people each. For example, if a noble brought along his spouse, the couple would occupy one table for themselves. Naturally, for single nobles like Lorist, another noble lady would be arranged to be his partner.

As the Second Highness wanted to express his goodwill toward Lorist, a guest who had come from far away, Lorist's seat was arranged right next to his. What surprised Lorist however was that the female partner the Second Highness arranged for him was not his cousin sister Glacia but rather, the cold and fuming Princess Carey.

What's going on? Lorist wondered with surprise, but he didn't let it show on his face. After slightly bowing to the princess, Lorist sat down without a care in the world and heard a dissatisfied humph.

At that moment, the musicians started playing a relaxing tune to lighten up the banquet's mood. The Second Highness proceeded to raise his golden cup and began to praise the heavens and the founding emperor before he began a long-winded speech about his hopes for the near future. Lorist merely shook his head slightly and thought that no matter how nice the Second Highness made it sound, he didn't bother to pay the slightest attention to the present. The Second Highness didn't even know that Lorist was about to blow up like a volcano even though he was right in front of him, so he had no right to speculate about the future.

"...In the not so distant future, during our struggle to unite the empire, I have high expectations for all of you to rake in some great achievements. The royal family will definitely not be stingy in giving ranks and land as rewards, so the future of your families will depend on your own performance," said the Second Highness as he finished his unnecessarily long and nonsensical speech before the seated audience called out 'Long live the Andinaq Kingdom!' loudly three times. There were some of them who called out 'Long live Auguslo!'. After that, everyone began to gulp down the wine in their cups and the banquet formally began.

Hmm, this mutton sausage made by the royal family looks rather good. I was just getting a little hungry from following the Second Highness around all day just now, thought Lorist as he took up his fork and brought a piece of sausage into his mouth, but before he did, he heard Princess Carey's bell-like voice resound beside him.

"Count Norton, when His Highness was giving his speech just now, I saw you shaking your head disapprovingly. Do you have any thoughts or objections to His Highness's speech just now?"

"Ack..." Lorist almost choked and he thought, in the end, women have the potential to be the most dangerous... He had only chosen to not give the promiscuous princess due respect because he had already lost all respect he could have for her after seeing her perform those carnal acts completely naked in front of everyone else. Also, he didn't feel like kissing the hand that has probably touched more than a couple other men's manhoods. He didn't think that the princess would hold that gesture against him and start causing trouble for him just when the banquet was beginning.

When the princess started speaking, everyone cleared their ears to hear what she had to say. At that moment, Lorist felt that he had been thrust into the center of attention.

Sigh, there's no such thing as a good banquet... Lorist stood up without giving the princess so much as the slightest glance and walked to the center of the path before bowing towards the Second Highness. "Your Highness, I have come on this trip for two reasons. First, it's to express the loyalty of the Norton Family to you and the royal family. Additionally, I have a few questions for you, Second Highness..."

"Tell me, what questions do you have?" The Second Highness was a little annoyed and wondered, what does he intend for me to address in public in front of everyone else? What's important right now is to see how I can get the Norton Family to agree to participate in the unification war...

"Your Highness, I've apprehended a few people and I need to bring them for you to see. Only after that can I punish them," Lorist said.

With his curiosity piqued, the Second Highness nodded and said, "Bring them in then."

Freiyar and two other guards then proceeded to escort the descendants of the nobles they captured from Seaview Manor. During the past few days, they have suffered quite a bit. Not only did they have to endure that night of caning, after that, they only had black bread and vegetable soup for food and if their behavior was the slightest bit poor, they would be pummeled to the point that their faces bruised up. The moment they entered the room and saw their family, they began to sob and cry out daddy and mommy as loudly as they could.

Great, the banquet is completely ruined now, thought the Second Highness with a grim expression. "Count Norton, could you please explain to me what is going on?"

"Your Highness, may I ask you whether Silowas Island is considered the dominion of the Norton Family?" Lorist asked.

The Second Highness froze before he said, "Of course it's the dominion of the Norton Family. There is no doubt about that."

"But these eight descendants of noble families occupied the Seaview Manor of the island for five whole years and even chased away the supervisors sent by my family to manage the manor, forcing me to have to go there personally to settle the issue. I would like to question these eight families involved about whether they are declaring war against the Norton Family. My family forces are already prepared to repeat what happened when our convoy crossed the three provinces of the Andinaq Kingdom," Lorist declared without the slightest hesitation.

The Second Highness's rage instantly soared as he thought, Count Norton, are you here just to cause trouble? Even if you are in the right, you can't be so forthright about this. Why can't you just talk it out properly? Is it because you think that the Andinaq Royal Family is still as weak as it was a few years prior? Even if your convoy forces from before come again, faced with my 300000-strong army, do you think you'll be able to run around unabated?

Beside them, an old man stood up and said, "Count Norton, I understand that our young ones hasn't been well-taught by us and even went to your dominion on their own accord to cause you much trouble. I hope that you can consider their immature age and forgive them just this once. Right now, His Highness is preparing to unite the empire with his forces and as nobles of the kingdom, we shouldn't be causing any unnecessary trouble. We must all stand united and play our part to contribute to the unification of the empire..."

Second Highness Auguslo almost praised that noble's speech out loud. Listen to his sensible words! He has made it incredibly clear that it isn't that we fear your forces. We're only too busy with preparing to unite the empire and can't be bothered to deal with you! Look at how reasonable he's being...

"May I inquire who you are?" Lorist asked.

"I am Marquis Reid and that young child over there is the unbecoming member of our family. I hope that Lord Count, you, can be merciful and spare them this once," said the old man.

"Your Highness, what do you think of this matter?" Lorist said as he turned back to the Second Highness.

Second Highness Auguslo said with an expressionless look, "Taking their young age into account, I believe that they're only causing trouble because they're not mature enough. I hope that you won't fuss with them about this matter."

"Very well, I'll release them with respect to Your Highness's wishes," Lorist said magnanimously before instructing Freiyar to release them.

And so, the eight foolish noble descendants ran back to their family members and began complaining about the treatment they've received and even asked their family members to set matters right for them.

Blind idiots, won't you even consider the situation? Do you still think that you are the precious members of our family? As expected, there were a few of them who were instantly rebuked and lectured by their parents and were escorted back to be grounded to have them reflect on their mistakes.

As the Second Highness attempted to say something to warm up the atmosphere again, he heard Lorist yell, "Bring him in!"

There's more? Everyone widened their eyes to see which unlucky fellow was next.

This time around, Els came in with two other guards who were escorting the captured Gold ranked knight Ferwemant.

"Your Highness, this is your subordinate, the commander of the Third Division of the First Royal Local Defense Legion, Gold ranked knight Ferwemant. He brought around 100 soldiers to Whitebird Town of Silowas Island and tied up the mayor to threaten the townsfolk for wealth and was captured by us. I want to ask Your Highness whether he acted personally on his own accord or per your orders."

Bam! Second Highness Auguslo thumped on the table harshly and stood right up. "Very well, Ferwemant. The First Legion had already reported your disappearance for days... So you were actually at the dominion of the Norton Family being a bandit! My men, come over here and drag Ferwemant out for 100 canes! He will be instantly stripped of his position as division commander and serve within the third division until he makes up for his crimes!" The Second Highness acted quickly and came up with a way to deal with the matter without giving Lorist any chance to react.

Sol, how ridiculous, Lorist cursed in his thoughts. Even though the punishment sounded harsh, it was actually already extremely forgiving. Lorist was really dissatisfied that he had no choice but to let the knight go off scot-free. Very well, if you deal with Viscount Aslan in the same matter, I will flip out in your face right away...

"Bring in the next one!" yelled Lorist with rage.

The Second Highness gasped and thought, there's still more?!

Viscount Aslan was brought into the hall by Jim and two other guards, causing chatters and murmurs to break out right away. Is that feather-covered monster actually a person? It took them quite some time before they recognized him as the tax collection official appointed by Second Highness Auguslo himself, Viscount Aslan.

When the Second Highness recognized the kneeling man, he could no longer hold his rage and roared, "Count Norton, on what grounds are you treating a noble like him like this? He's even the tax collection official I personally appointed! Are you looking down on the Andinaq Royal Family?!"

"Your Highness, I just confirmed with you before that Silowas Island was the dominion of my family. You should be well aware of the income your own principality generates, right? It's 2000 gold Fordes each year, am I wrong? And you said that this man here is the tax collection official sent by you? I even thought that he was the dominion lord you appointed for Silowas Island. On what grounds was he collecting 6000 gold Fordes' worth of taxes for three consecutive years? Not only did he increase the taxes on his own accord, he almost caused the residents to revolt! This is definitely an infringement of the honor of the Norton Family!

"I would really like to know why he wanted to collect the taxes that included that of our original dominion from that island. Is that per Your Highness's orders as well? He even threatened that if they don't pay up, you will bring your 300000 soldiers to wash the island with blood. Is is true that Your Highness is going to punish my family? It's precisely because he claimed to be appointed by Your Highness that I brought him to you like this. Otherwise, I would've long hanged him back on the island," Lorist talked back with full force, not the slightest bit intimidated by the anger the Second Highness displayed.

It was at that moment when Second Highness Auguslo understood that Lorist was not there to cause trouble and was instead there to give him a harsh smack in the face. However, he thought, what a piece of talent... Viscount Aslan is actually able to squeeze 6000 gold Fordes out of the poor islanders even though I only received a third of the official sum of 2000 gold Fordes, only around 600... I must definitely punish this fellow harshly and make him cough up all the gold Fordes he put into his own pocket. After this, I'll let him be in charge of tax collection elsewhere, then I'll no longer have to worry about military funds.

But now, he had to think of a way to convince Lorist to let Viscount Aslan go. After all, the viscount had indeed been overly excessive in his actions and had violated the honor of the Norton Family. The Second Highness was well aware that if he hanged the viscount, he would be able to make up to the Norton Family. But the issue was that he wanted to preserve Viscount Aslan's life.

A sudden shout reverberated within the hall at that instant. "You actually dare to humiliate my brother like that... The Aslan Family will definitely not forgive the Norton Family no matter what!"

Flipping Out

This second bonus chapter was brought to you by Anh D. L. from the USA. It was very entertaining for me to translate this!

A huge man with the back of a tiger and the waist of a bear stood up from one of the seats at the back row, drew his sword and marched forward without regard to the others that attempted to stop him.

Lorist gave the man a cold stare and said, "Count Aslan? Haha, don't think it's just you who doesn't want to work together. The Norton Family will not let this matter slide either. I believe that you were aware of the actions of your own brother. Since the Aslan Family dares to challenge the honor of the Norton Family, you should be anticipating the vengeance of the Raging Bear.

"Your Highness, how do you think I should deal with Viscount Aslan here?" Lorist said as he turned back once again and passed the baton to the Second Highness.

The Second Highness looked incredibly grim and after staying silent for a few moments, he finally opened his mouth and said, "Count Norton, let me first apologize to you. The things that have happened at your dominion were definitely not a result of my intentions. As the senior noble of the Norton Family, I was too busy minding my own matters that I wasn't able to notice and straighten out small conflicts like that, and that is definitely neglect on my part.

"But Viscount Aslan is indeed the tax collection official appointed by the kingdom and even if he has committed a crime, he must be punished in accordance to the regulations of the kingdom's court. Additionally, he is still a person of noble status and your humiliating treatment of him is grossly unfit with the way of the nobles. Despite that, I can understand your rage since Viscount Aslan did infringe upon the honor of the Norton Family. That's why, I hope you can hand him to me and I will deal with him aptly. Let's end this matter here."

The Second Highness thought that he had managed to settle upon a perfect arrangement with his words even leaving some room for Lorist to step down the podium by stressing unity among nobles and trivializing the matter of the viscount.

But he didn't expect that his words would cause the atmosphere within the hall to chill all of a sudden. Everyone within the hall gave him a weird look.

Lorist's laughter resounded throughout the hall, carrying with it a sharp sting of arrogance.

"Your Highness, have you forgotten that the authority of us nobles is sacred and cannot be violated? If Viscount Aslan is to be let off so lightly after committing an act like this, does that mean that the royal family can do the same thing again to mess with the other dominion lords? I have brought Viscount Aslan here because he is the official you have appointed, but that doesn't mean you have the right to decide his fate..."

Lorist made his intentions known in a straightforward matter. In essence, he was saying, 'since you're my senior noble, I'm giving you face by bringing him here. Even though Viscount Aslan is the tax collection official appointed by you, as he has trampled upon the violation of the Norton Family, he must receive due punishment. If you intend to accept the responsibility but are unwilling to do anything about it, then we'll all flip out entirely and become lifelong enemies. Otherwise, no matter how Viscount Aslan is dealt with, that is a matter of the Norton Family and you, the Second Highness, can only offer your suggestion but have no right to make any decisions about it'.

The Second Highness was so embarrassed to the point of anger because he had uttered something wrong. Even though the nobles appeared quite subservient to him, his previous statement had touched upon the baseline that those nobles were willing to tolerate. The ideal scenario for Viscount Aslan currently was for him to be hanged by a dominion lord. If a senior noble was able to do as he liked when the true dominion lord was not within the dominion, then all the nobles there would refuse the senior noble's call to arms and stay within the dominion without heading out.

There were some things that could be done but couldn't be loudly proclaimed. As Lorist had just said, the authority of nobles is sacred and cannot ever be violated. That was common knowledge for all the nobles on the Grindia Continent.

As a senior noble, the Second Highness could use military might to force the nobles to mobilize their forces., just like the Duke of the Northlands who used the Northland Army to take advantage of the other nobles of the Northlands to gain more wealth for himself, or the Second Prince who forced the nobles' private forces heed his orders. But these methods could only be employed in secret and in the world where the strong devoured the weak, the ones who were taken advantage of could only blame their own misfortune.

But for a statement that the Second Highness had proclaimed in public in front of every other noble, it was as if he had the intention of sticking his hands into the dominions of other nobles and to take a huge bite out for himself. For these nobles, oppressing their subjects and fighting among themselves were private matters. But the Second Highness's decision about Viscount Aslan would set a precedent for them all.

If the Second Highness earnestly apologized and pleaded Lorist to hand Viscount Aslan to him while promising that he would definitely handle the matter according to the Norton Family's wishes, then Lorist would probably do as he said and give him the viscount. After that, he could contact Lorist privately and have the Aslan Family pay out a huge sum to make up for the wrongs of the viscount as well as to ransom him out to get the forgiveness of the Norton Family and spare Viscount Aslan's life. After all, nobody would fuss so much over money and the Second Highness's face would also have to be considered as well. After that, the matter would be wrapped up without problems and everyone would praise the Second Highness's wisdom and wit.

But refusing to accept any of his errors and fueled with the feeling of dominating power from having 300000 soldiers in his possession, the Second Highness began to see the Norton Family like the other small noble families that would cower before him and didn't think twice before he had uttered what he said just now. The situation he caused was grim as not only did his statement imply that he would further extend his influence into the lands under the jurisdiction of other nobles, causing them to start to be wary of him, they also forced the Norton Family to the absolute tipping point.

Lorist had already stated very clearly that he had brought the viscount to him only because he wanted to give the Second Highness some face. But since he wanted to protect the viscount, Lorist decided that he wouldn't hold back.

"Then, what do you intend to do? Count Norton..." The Second Highness forced those words out of his mouth syllable by syllable and felt incredibly hateful as he did so.

"It's simple. Since Your Highness's suggested way of handling the viscount is not to our satisfaction, we can only settle this according to the Norton Family's own regulations," said Lorist before he made a cutthroat gesture. Freiyar then drew his sword and gave a light swing, separating Viscount Aslan's head from his body.

The whole hall fell into complete silence.

Not one of them expected that Lorist would order for Viscount Aslan to be beheaded on the spot, during a banquet that was hosted to welcome Lorist himself no less.

Shrieks of terror could be heard as a few of the noble ladies fainted from the sight of gore and blood.

Clang! The sword in Count Aslan's sword fell to the ground as he struggled to find his footing while looking at his decapitated little brother, before he turned to Lorist with a hateful stare and said, "Very well... You better expect the vengeance of the Aslan Family!"

After he said that, Count Aslan left the hall right away.

The golden cup in the Second Highness's hand was already dented from his grip. He felt that he had been smacked in the face in public! Lorist's act of ordering for the decapitation of the viscount didn't leave the Second Highness with any due respect. The Second Highness currently felt a boiling tinge on his face and was shuddering from the anger, with his rage ready to burst out at any moment.

"Madman! Are the people of the Norton Family all madmen?!" commented Marquis Reid, echoing the thoughts of most of the other nobles as well.

"Wow, you really don't waste any words. I like it..." That one who uttered that was Princess Carey. At that moment, her eyes were a little watery.

Bam! Second Highness Auguslo smashed the gold cup in his hand against the table before he stood up and said, "Count Norton, how dare you kill Viscount Aslan right before me... Are you disregarding the existence of the Andinaq Royal Family? Do you still consider yourself a noble of the kingdom?"

WIthout showing any weakness, Lorist stepped forward two steps to look the Second Highness in the eye and said, "The Norton Family has pledged our allegiance to the Krissen Imperial Family and has never shirked on our responsibilities. As the empire is already now in shambles, taking into account that the Andinaq Royal Family is the rightful heir to the legacy of the Krissen Imperial Family, we have also accepted your entitlement and enfeoffment. But when we were facing off against the Duke of the Northlands and the Second Prince, did the Andinaq Royal Family offer us any aid?

"And after traveling so far to our new dominion, we noticed it plagued with small fries causing trouble here and there. Was it because we weren't present at the dominion? Don't forget, Second Highness, about the children of those noble families that occupied the Seaview Manor unrightfully. Since you said that it's just an incident of unruly children messing around, I've already released them and took your will into consideration. Additionally, your subordinate's attempt at extorting the townsfolk by holding the town mayor hostage will be dealt with according to the military regulations of your family, as per your will, since you said that he acted on his own accord.

"But right now, this tax collection official that you appointed took the chance when we were absent from Silowas Island and treated it like his own dominion and even oppressed the residents so much that they almost revolted. Yet, you still seek to cover for him. Then let me ask you, Second Highness, do you even consider us, the Norton Family, as a noble family of the kingdom? What is your intention when you objected at my sacred right as the dominion lord?"

The Second Highness was completely flabbergasted and speechless. It was true that Lorist had already gave him a lot of face and abided by his decisions when it came to the children of the noble families and the Gold ranked knight Ferwemant. Additionally, the now-dead Viscount Aslan's transgressions were far worse those of the former two cases and Lorist truly didn't have a choice when it came to letting the matter go. If Lorist really compromised with the Second Highness again, then the Norton Family would no longer be able to hold their faces up high among the other nobles. That was a matter that concerned the honor and pride of the family, so it was no wonder that Lorist was willing to go all out.

But at that moment, the Second Highness's anger continued to build up as he thought, so you defended the honor of the Norton Family, what of mine then? He continued to glare angrily at Lorist with the latter looking right back, as if bolts of lightning could be seen between their gazes.

One figure suddenly stepped in front of the Second Highness. That man looked to be around 50 years of age and was dressed extravagantly while also boasting a huge build. He slowly drew his sword and said, "Lord Count, I don't wish to be a part of your dispute with His Highness, nor do I wish to comment on who was right or wrong. But I will definitely not allow you to hurt others in front of His Highness. Please step aside, I must let your family knights know what humility, manners and regulations are..."

"Who are you?" Lorist said while turning his gaze to the old man.

The old man gave Lorist a slight glance and said, "Please step aside, Lord Count. It is not my wish to hurt you. I am a Blademaster of the Royal Family, Davey Climonto."

After he reported his identity, the old man puffed out his chest as if he was waiting for Lorist to show a look of surprise before trying to appease himself in a panicked manner.

Oh, so this is the father of that handsome guy? Don't the old ones usually come after their young are hurt? Why did you jump out when I didn't touch your son?

Lorist glanced at the Second Highness and saw that he had relaxed and sat down with a smile.

Bastard... So you're trying to teach me a lesson, are you? Alright, let's see who has the last laugh, cursed Lorist in his mind as he drew his ceremonial sword.

"You think you're invincible just because you're a Blademaster? If you want to teach my knight a lesson, you have to go through me first." Lorist then spat out right in front of the old man.

With his face reddened with anger, the Blademaster said, "Kid, you dare to be rude to me?!"

Spitting in front of someone was considered a gross insult and the old man really didn't understand why a twerp that wasn't even at the Silver rank dared to disrespect a Blademaster like himself. However, that didn't stop him from teaching that arrogant count a lesson he would never forget.

"Old man, come at me. Don't be all bark and no bite," Lorist provoked.

The old man cursed as he swung the flat of the blade of his sword horizontally towards Lorist's left cheek, intent of giving Lorist a harsh smack in the face. If that strike connected, not only would his face be swollen to no end, at least half of his teeth would fall off.

Even though Lorist wasn't too used to wielding the ceremonial sword that was markedly different from his custom made sword, it was more than enough for him to face off against a rank 1 Blademaster, especially when the old man was attacking while underestimating Lorist's abilities.

The Second Highness then sat down calmly and thought, good, Locke... As you had the high ground just now, I couldn't do anything against you. But now, i can crush you and make you submit with my power. Do you think that your family is so mighty just because you have a handful of Gold ranked knights? Just like a frog in a well, you've not the slightest idea how many Gold ranked knights I have. Additionally, I have a Blademaster as well...

I will use my Blademaster to teach your knights a lesson and make you understand that you have no right to be so domineering in front of me. Forget my 300000 soldiers, even you are not able to match against me in terms of personal strength. The present is different from five years ago and at that time, your family's force was indeed impressive. But you're only a small family while I have a kingdom under me. To think that you would find trouble for yourself and fight against a Blademaster, you really don't know your bounds. Blademasters can wipe the floor with you whenever they please.

But soon after, the Second Highness stood straight up with surprise, with the other nobles present all letting out gasps of shock. It was apparent to them that the one being pushed back was Blademaster Climonto instead. He was sweating heavily while barely parrying Lorist's lightning-fast strikes. Faced with Lorist who was fighting like a frenzied tiger, it was apparent that the Blademaster was at a disadvantage and would soon lose.

Standing in the middle were Freiyar, Els, Jim and a few other guards who looked at the Blademaster sympathetically. While it was normal for him to show off to others usually, acting high and mighty in front of their family leader, Lorist, was only looking for trouble. Even Viscount Kristoph, a rank 1 Blademaster, was eventually scared from sparring against Lorist all the time. While he was able to withstand around 100 or so strikes in the beginning, as they continued to spar, the Blademaster was no longer able to last more than 40 strikes, causing him to curse at Lorist for being a complete freak.

Clang! The two swords intersected once again and the Blademaster's own longsword was knocked flying before it landed in front of the Second Highness. Lorist then tapped onto the old man's face with the flat side of his ceremonial sword and said, "A Blademaster, huh? Haha, did you think you could teach my knights humility with your level of ability? Come to me for a rematch when you reach the level of Blademaster Zarinan."

"You've fought against Zarinan before?" said the old man, stunned. Blademaster Zarinan was well known as a quasi-Sword Saint and was considered to be the only Blademaster that stood a good chance to become a Sword Saint during the days of the former empire.

"He's been killed by the forces of my family," Lorist said casually. "After we defeated the 100000-strong army of the Second Prince and killed Blademaster Louinse, the Second Prince escaped back to his dominion and sent Blademaster Zarinan to assassinate me, only for him to end up dead from my family force."

"That's impossible!" cried out the Second Highness with shock as the other nobles began to chatter incessantly. While defeating the Second Prince's 100000 soldiers was a plausible feat, killing two of his Blademasters was incredibly hard to believe. Everyone knew that Blademasters wouldn't be that idiotic to stand still and be swarmed by a whole army and would escape once the situation was grim.

It's already almost been one year and you guys still haven't received the news? Color me impressed. You think that you can unite the empire with only 300000 soldiers? In your dreams, Lorist thought.

"What's so impossible about that? I even put Blademaster Zarinan's corpse up on display, but most of him is rotted now, leaving behind only a few bones," Lorist said as he turned back. "Bring in our proof! This is also our gift to the royal family. Let everyone see, who really is the one loyally working to serve the kingdom!"

Leaving

Hey guys, this third bonus chapter of the week was also brought to you by Anh D. L. from the USA. Many thanks for your support!

The one who brought the Second Prince into the hall was Josk. Four other guards also came in with a huge chest in their hands.

At that moment, the Second Prince was wearing a black head sack. Coupled with the black cloth draped around his cubic prison when he was transported to the hall, the guards of the hall were guessing who that mysterious figure within was moments before. Now that the secret was out, the Second Prince's head sack was removed and a few of the nobles let out gasps of surprise.

"It's the Second Prince..."

"It's Iblia!"

Lorist used his sword to push aside the latch of the chest and kicked its cover open. Within it, a crown, scepter, and a set of royal robes could be seen.

"Your Highness, I believe that you should be familiar with him, the renowned Second Prince and King of the Iblia Kingdom. My family forces breached Windbury City and managed to capture him. However, his fate and judgment is a matter of the Krissen Imperial Family, so I could only bring him to the imperial capital so that Your Highness can deal with this matter," Lorist said with his finger pointed at the Second Prince.

"And these," Lorist said while kicking the chest on the ground. "The whole set of royal regalia of the Iblia Kingdom. This is the gift from the Norton Family to the Andinaq Royal Family to express our loyalty and service."

However, the Second Highness wasn't paying attention to what Lorist was saying and only looked at the Second Prince before he asked, "Has the Norton Family took over the Iblia Kingdom?"

Lorist shook his head and said, "No. After eliminating the 100000-strong force of the Second Prince, we also suffered immense casualties. We then used guerilla tactics to occupy Windbury City and captured the Second Prince before we were chased out again by the forces of Duke Fisablen. So far, we can only stay within the Northlands to defend ourselves and the Iblia Kingdom is currently ruled by their queen."

Lorist lied without batting an eye so that he would be spared from being used as the Second Highness's spear. Since the Southern Province and the Winston Province that the Iblia Kingdom controlled was a total mess, it was not a threat at all to the Norton Family. The Southern Province had already become a wasteland, whereas the Winston Province nobles and the nobles of the Southern Province, who were hiding within the royal capital, were at war with each other. The queen, on the other hand, merely hid within the Rose Palace to enjoy her life as much as possible. Even Duke Fisablen had given up on taking any action and left the Iblia Kingdom on the verge of collapse.

As expected, when Second Highness Auguslo heard Lorist's reply, he breathed a sigh of relief while also feeling a little dissatisfied. He was relieved to hear Lorist say that his forces had suffered immense casualties. It was only to be expected after a battle with the 100000 soldiers of the Second Prince. Even if he won, some amount of lost vitality was to be expected. He also believed that after occupying Windbury City and catching the Second Prince, the forces of Duke Fisablen that attempted to take the Second Prince back must have also caused the Norton Family troops to pay a hefty price.

But the Second Highness was also aware that he wouldn't be able to use the Norton Family's force to achieve his plans. With a great achievement like sending the Second Prince straight to him, Lorist would definitely say that the Norton Family has already did their best to play their part and have his family forces rest to recuperate and rebuild. The Second Highness who had prepared to watch his plans unfold by the sidelines was incredibly dissatisfied and felt as if he his full-force punch had landed on nothing but air.

However, the Second Highness no longer paid attention to Lorist since the unmasked Second Prince had just realized where he was. The confused Second Prince had already regained his calm and adopted his usual elegant facade and began loudly greeting the nobles he recognized regardless of whether they were willing to pay any attention to him.

"Aha! Aren't you my second nephew? Long time no see. Second Uncle here misses you so much! Is my brother not here?" The Second Prince had noticed the presence of the Second Prince and began to bring up their familial relations.

The Second Highness merely gave the cheerful Second Prince a hateful stare infused with killing intent. The three people the Second Highness hated the most included the First Prince, the Second Prince and Duke Madras. Even though the First Prince was the first to raise the banner of rebellion, the empire reacted quickly enough and mobilized its forces to slowly push the First Prince into the corner.

But the Second Prince, who saw an opportunity amidst the chaos and confusion, stabbed the empire in the back and rebelled at Winston Province, forcing Duke Melein to bring his forces back and allowing the First Prince to jump out of his predicament. Ever since then, the three princes fought for the throne of the empire and the once strong empire fell into disarray and conflict.

Just when the empire was about to gain some advantage, with victory in sight, thanks to the foundation of their strength -- which had been lain over hundreds of years -- Duke Madras suddenly seceded from the empire and caused the advantageous situation to evaporate in no time. The civil war continued for another three years before the empire fragmented into the many kingdoms and duchies it was in the present.

Now, with one of the main instigators in his hands, Second Highness Auguslo looked coldly at the Second Prince. It was as if he was staring at an animal waiting to be slaughtered.

"Hehe... Hehehe... My little Auguslo, what's up with you? Are you not happy about Second Uncle's visit?" asked the Second Prince, forcing himself to continue smiling despite the cold gaze the Second Highness was giving him.

"I don't see any Second Uncle of mine. I only see a traitor of the empire before me. Right now, I'm thinking of how I should put you to death to teach the rest of the defectors of the empire a deep lesson they'll never forget," said the Second Highness after a long pause. However, his statement made the Second Prince pale instantly.

"I-I'm your Second Uncle, you know. Do you intend to bear the stigma of killing one of your own seniors?" said the Second Prince in a last-ditch attempt.

"I don't mind taking a page out of Krissen IV's book to deal with a traitor of the imperial family like you," said the Second Highness coldly, causing the Second Prince to slump to the ground weakly.

Krissen IV was one of the longest ruling emperors of the Krissen Empire. During his 70th birthday, he put to death 7 of his sons, 4 of his daughters, over 20 of his grandchildren as well as more than 4000 others, all for attempting to usurp the throne. At that time, more than 100 noble families were involved in that incident.

That was one of the most well-known incidents in the history of the Krissen Empire. It caused Krissen IV to come to be known as the Ironheart Emperor. The reason it happened was simple: Krissen IV had been on the throne for far too long. His whole ruling term was a staggering 84 years. Even the three sons of his that were made crown prince didn't live as long as he did. In the end, the few remaining sons of his who yearned to be emperor decided to send their father on a premature journey from the world, but they were exposed and dealt with in the end.

The Second Highness had brought up the tale to imply that he would hold no regard for any familial ties, causing the Second Prince to crumble entirely. The Andinaq Kingdom was perfectly in line to deal with Second Prince and it was already inconceivable for him to die a swift death, being the traitor he was.

"Take him away and lock him up for now," the Second Highness said. Now that I have one of the biggest troublemakers in my hands, it won't take long until the other two's turns. When my father passes on, I will become Auguslo I and lead my 300000 soldiers to conquer the various lands and rebuild the empire to its former strength.

"Ah, Count Norton, you looked so handsome when you defeated Blademaster Climonto just now! Given that your swordsmanship is so amazing, do I have the honor to ask for a bit of guidance from you? We have a manor in the imperial capital which boasts an amazing view. Nobody will bother us over there..." said Princess Carey with a coquettish tone. She no longer put up the arrogant and cold front towards Lorist. Instead, she radiated an air of anticipation as she made that request, and looked at Lorist with wide puppy-dog eyes.

Ugh, Princess Carey... Putting aside your age of 25, your physique is not suitable for sword-fighting... But it would no doubt be incredibly compatible for pole-dancing. Forget giving you any pointers, I don't want to end up in your bed halfway through the lesson. 'Boons don't come without effort, and calamities happen for a reason'. Thinking back at how the First Highness died in the middle of the night after coughing out a mouthful of blood, Lorist was not the least interested in involving himself in the drama of the Andinaq Kingdom and desired to stay as far from the imperial capital as possible. Handing the Second Prince to the Andinaq Royal Family is already an irrefutable achievement on my part, so better give the other nobles a chance to contribute during your unification war.

"I deeply apologize, Your Highness," Lorist said as he took two steps back to distance himself from Princess Carey before bowing slightly. "It's rather unfortunate, but I'm rather busy with my duties as a dominion lord. Silowas Island is still not completely peaceful and there's a lot I have to do, so I really cannot afford to spare any time to guide you in swordsmanship. And to be honest, there isn't much I can teach either. To me, there are only two secrets when it comes to practicing the sword, and those are diligence and low regard for one's own life. If Your Highness can work on these two points, I believe your swordsmanship will definitely improve greatly."

Princess Carey stomped on the ground angrily at Lorist's crudeness, but she still smiled shyly and said, "Then, Count Norton, I've heard that the sights at Seaview Manor at Silowas Island is not bad. I wonder if I am fortunate enough to make a trip there?"

Oh no, don't tell me that this lass is smitten with me... Just tell me which part of me you like and I'll definitely change it right away, thought Lorist irresistibly. But he still smiled and nodded as he said, "Of course you can, Your Highness. The Norton Family will always be honored to host your visit to Seaview Manor. I will have my subordinates receive you there. But as I will be moving around a lot personally, if I am not present on the island when Your Highness arrives, I hope you will forgive me for my inability to tend to you."

It was at that moment when the Second Highness came over and said with a praiseworthy tone, "It seems the two of you are having a good time. Locke, this niece of mine is one of the most beautiful women in the kingdom and has always set her sights incredibly high and doesn't mingle with others easily given her cold personality. I didn't think that she would get along so well with you, Locke. This must be fate. Locke, you must definitely grasp this opportunity..."

Princess Carey curled up in embarrassment and said, "Uncle..."

Lorist was tempted to roll his eyes as he thought, which one of your eyes saw me enjoying my conversation with the princess? Sheesh, one spouting crap with their eyes wide open after another... She may indeed be the most beautiful within the kingdom, but -- forget about her having a cold personality -- I've already seen her performing enthusiastically in front of everyone else butt-naked.. Not only did she put up a great show herself, she even caused the people around her to start humping passionately...

"Your Highness, since the Second Prince is already in your hands, I will take my leave now," Lorist said to cut the conversation short as he decided to leave the imperial capital as soon as possible.

"Oh..." mumbled the Second Highness, surprised. "What's going on? Are you unhappy with our hospitality? Locke, you and I go way back and to be honest, I hope that you will be able to contribute even more during the unification war. As for the things that just happened, I admit that it was lack of consideration on my part for neglecting the reputation and honor of the Norton Family. I express my sincerest apologies to you."

Lorist waved his hand and said, "Your Highness, there's no need to dwell on such things. I truly believe in your sincerity and understand that you've always been focused on working towards rebuilding the empire, so it's completely understandable that you would let small things like this slip by since such things are usually unpredictable. However, after taking on the 100000 soldiers and ambushing Windbury City, the Norton Family force is already incredibly weakened. It's already uncertain whether I'll be able to protect myself and I've only sent the Second Prince here as a precaution. Duke Fisablen is definitely not an easy person to deal with and I must even keep one eye open when I sleep in my dominion to stay alert..."

Since Duke Fisablen was busy gathering all the livestock to exchange for military equipment, Lorist didn't bother too much and dumped all the blame on him. Additionally, as the Second Prince's father-in-law, the duke was supposed to be the enemy of the Second Highness in the first place. Given his moniker as the war god of the plains, the Second Highness would only believe in Lorist's description of the situation of the Norton Family if he inflated the might of Duke Fisablen.

"That's why I still have to rush back to the Northlands to rebuild my family forces. Initially, I thought that I would be able to gain some resources from Silowas Island to aid in the recovery of my dominion in the Northlands but I didn't think that the island would be ravaged so badly. Your Highness, please forgive me for not being able to partake in the unification war. It is beyond my ability to do so no matter how much I wish it were. All I can do here is to wish you all the best in your efforts and hope that I will be able to come here again to congratulate Your Highness when you succeed."

Since Lorist was insistent on leaving, the Second Highness didn't do too much to stop him. Given the achievement of capturing and bringing over the Second Prince, it would be troublesome for him to force Lorist to stay. If anything were to happen to the Norton Family dominion as a result of that, there's no doubt that Lorist would hate the Second Highness to the bone, so Second Highness Auguslo felt that it was better to let him go back to fight with Duke Fisablen since he had originally intended to use the Norton Family forces to hold back those of Duke FIsablen anyway.

Having finally obtained permission to leave, Lorist departed immediately without looking back.

After exiting the capital, Josk laughed and said, "Milord, why weren't you moved even the slightest when that beautiful princess approached you? She tried so hard to get close to you that I thought she had glued herself to you."

Lorist laughed bitterly and said, "Joe, that woman is not as simple as she seems. If it were another woman, I would be more than happy to encourage you to court her. After all, it's not every day that you praise a woman for her looks. However, I can't help but feel that this princess seems to be plotting something. 'Empire-ruining beauties' are used to describe those kinds of women. Coupled with the mysterious circumstances surrounding her father, the First Highness's death, I feel that interacting with Princess Carey will bring us even greater trouble, so I believed that it would be best for us to stay far away from her. I don't want to be in embroiled in yet another incredibly complicated situation."

At that moment, Freiyar came forward and asked, "Milord, what's the plan for the rest of our trip?"

"After leaving the city walls and arriving at our camp, we will set out immediately. I am afraid that the Second Highness will change his mind and have us stay at the imperial capital. I didn't think about it too much when I decided to bring a whole regiment of Local Defense Force soldiers with me, and the Second Highness hasn't seen how well-armed they are yet. If he does, he'll definitely realize that I've been lying to him. These 500 soldiers are far more elite and well-disciplined than the royal guards stationed at the hall just now," Lorist said while furrowing his brow.

Josk nodded in agreement and said, "That's right, milord. When I was waiting for my turn to bring the Second Prince into the hall, the guards there were talking about how impressive our guards' equipment were with some of them even coming close to take a look while praising their quality. It looked as if they were about to strip our guards naked right then and there. When the Second Highness has more time, the guards will definitely report to him about it and I believe that the he will start to pine for our equipment not long after."

"Sigh, so many things to worry about. Leaving early is for the best," Lorist said.