After the Urgalia Army defeated the Selseta Army, they stayed on the Dalai Plains for three days.
With the Holy Kingdom’s scheming making the eastern and southern borders unstable, keeping the Empire’s main force, the Horned Cavalry, on the western border for three days might seem careless.
Of course, there was a reason for this.
The biggest reason was to let the troops rest. No matter how elite the Horned Cavalry is, racing from the Imperial Capital to the western border with almost no rest, defeating the Selseta Army there, and then immediately turning back to the Imperial Capital-that’s just too much.
Luckily, the Selseta Army’s camp had a huge amount of supplies for a long war that Princess Mito had gathered, and among them were wine and ale. These were given out to the soldiers in the Emperor’s name, so they must have helped heal the tiredness of war.
As a side note, the alcohol wasn’t made from the grapes or wheat I know, of course. So to be accurate, I should write “alcohol made from a grape-like fruit” and “alcohol made from a wheat-like grain.”
But I can’t be bothered with such annoying details every time, so from now on I’ll keep using my own judgment and bias to match local items to my knowledge from my past life.
Returning to the main topic, as for why the Urgalia Army stayed on the Dalai Plains, it was also to see how the Kingdom of Selseta would move.
The Selseta Army led by Mito was 15,000. Considering the Kingdom of Selseta’s territory is thirty provinces and can mobilize 90,000 troops, this number is clearly small.
The Selseta Army’s main force is probably preparing to march out in the royal capital. After the Urgalia Army pulls back, if that unit advances to the Dalai Plains, we’d be right back where we started.
So the Urgalia Army is staying on the Dalai Plains to watch the enemy’s movements.
Not only that, General Oswald released some of the captured Selseta soldiers and let the Selseta side know that the Princess had been captured by the Urgalia Army and would soon be sent to the Imperial Capital.
By doing so, he tried to lure the Selseta Army’s main force to the Dalai Plains. The enemy has more numbers, but on a plain, the Horned Cavalry can use its mobility to the fullest.
If we crush the enemy’s main force here, the Selseta Army won’t be able to move for a while. That lets the Empire focus on the eastern and southern borders.
But the Selseta Army didn’t move from the royal capital even after three days. No messenger came to demand Mito’s return either.
As for the former, it’s likely they saw through our aim, but not sending even one messenger to save a sister is suspicious.
Even if they decided that sending a messenger would only show weakness, it seems like they could at least try negotiating once. If they abandoned their sister without even negotiating, the King of Selseta is a pretty heartless person.
Well, thanks to that, I got to rest for three days, so I’m grateful to the King of Selseta.
To add, while I was resting, the Urgalia Army was strengthening the defenses of the camp the Selseta Army had built.
Like I said earlier, if the Selseta Army sets up camp on the Dalai Plains again after we retreat, we’d be right back where we started. To prevent that, we need to build an Empire military base here. And since it was there, we just reused Mito’s camp as it was.
Luckily, the Selseta Army prepared the needed materials, and we secured the Kino Clan as free labor we can work to the bone. Thanks to that, the Empire can build the base with minimal effort.
It must have been a disaster for the Kino Clan. With their chief and his family taken hostage, forced to dig holes to bury the war dead, and then dragged into building the base.
They had just lost nearly half their men. The burden of labor must be weighing heavily on their shoulders.
Of course, this is their fault for going against the Empire. We released the men who became prisoners as promised, so I hope they’ll all work together and get through this tough time.
Thinking about such things, I looked out the window of the command post that was being expanded.
From the command post built on high ground, I could see the Kino Forest spreading to the west. The sun was just about to hide behind the forest, and the forest was dyed in the crimson of the setting sun.
That color, which looked like it was soaked in blood or burning with fire, seemed to show the current state of the Kino Clan.
When I lowered my gaze, Silku caught my eye, carrying lumber while being rushed by Urgalia soldiers. She was breathing hard through her shoulders, walking unsteadily as she carried the log.
The Urgalia soldiers, naturally, weren’t carrying any wood, and sometimes they poked Silku’s body with sticks as if toying with her, shouting down at her arrogantly.
Seeing the cruel contrast between winner and loser, I curled my lips in a sarcastic smile and stepped away from the window.
It’s not fun to watch. But I’m not sensitive enough to order the abuse to stop. I’ve at least ordered that she rest at night, so she won’t be worked until she collapses. That’s enough.
Thinking that, I called the name of Ney, who had been quietly waiting in the corner of the room for my orders.
”Ney,” I called out.
”Yes!” she responded instantly.
Ney answered without a moment’s pause and came trotting up to me. The Slave Collar was back around her neck.
What was different from before was that it wasn’t forced on her-Ney put it on by her own choice.
Well, whether threatening her more than half-way into swearing an oath can be called “her own choice” is debatable.
The image of Ney from three days ago flashed through my mind. When I saw Ney banging her forehead on the floor over and over, begging for forgiveness, honestly, I was really shaken inside.
It’s true I said things that cornered Ney, but I didn’t think it would have that much effect.
It seems I still don’t understand the weight of the Emperor’s words. Even if it’s just a threat to me, to the other person it’s a real, possible cruelty. Ney losing it and desperately bowing and scraping might have been a natural reaction.
Originally, I was going to punish her with anal play or something for disobeying my order, but if I did that to Ney in that state, her mind might really break, no joke, so I decided to change my approach.
I stopped bullying her and decided to pamper her completely. Give candy after the whip and the effect doubles, probably.
I looked at Ney and lightly pushed out my lips. Then Ney immediately brought her face close and pressed her lips to mine.
Chu, chu, chuuuu-Ney sucked on my lips with sound. Of course, I trained her to do that over these three days.
Ney was blushing bright red on her brown cheeks in embarrassment, but she still wouldn’t stop kissing. Not just stopping-she wrapped her arms around my neck and clung tight, pressing her lips even harder.
I responded by wrapping my arms around Ney’s back and holding her tight.
For a while, we kept our lips together while holding each other.
Drool dripped from Ney’s mouth and ran down her chin to the floor, but Ney didn’t notice and kept kissing desperately, breathing hard.
I moved the hand on Ney’s back downward and boldly squeezed her small butt wrapped in the light green tunic.
At once, Ney let out a surprised “Hyah!?” and pulled away from the kiss to look at me, as if by reflex.
I stuck my tongue out at Ney.
Then Ney gulped down her saliva and brought her face close again. And she slowly tangled her tongue with mine.
The two tongues overlapped like leeches with wet, sloppy sounds.
Ney moved her tongue desperately, her face even redder than before. There’s no technique there, but I can feel Ney’s feelings of trying her best to serve.
I grinned and pulled my tongue back into my mouth. Then Ney, as if she understood, pushed her tongue into my mouth.
And she licked around the inside of my mouth with her tongue.
”Mmmchuu♡ chuu♡ lero♡ lero♡ ahm♡ ham♡ chu♡ chu♡ jurururu♡♡”
Ney put strength into the hands around my neck and pressed her lips hard while moving her tongue lewdly.
When I let the saliva pooled in my mouth flow into Ney’s mouth, the Silku girl stared at me with moist eyes, broke off the deep kiss, and swallowed the saliva with a gulp.
Needless to say, this was also the result of three days of training.
”Is my saliva tasty, Ney?” I asked softly.
”Y-yes♡ Your Majesty’s saliva is very tasty♡” Ney murmured.
Ney flattered me in a feverish tone.
I gently patted Ney’s head like a parent praising a child.
”Good, good. You’re learning to do what I taught you. Good girl, Ney,” I praised her gently.
”Ah…♡ I-I’m happy, Your Majesty…♡” Ney whispered, her eyes shining.
Ney broke into a happy smile.
I asked Ney a short question.
”Ney is my slave, right?” I asked, leaning in.
”Y-yes! I am Your Majesty’s slave!” Ney affirmed immediately.
The moment I asked if she was a slave, Ney threw away her melting expression from moments ago and nodded firmly with a completely serious face.
That face was filled with a strong fear of me, the Emperor.
I fired question after question at Ney.
”Whose lips are Ney’s?” I asked her next.
”They’re Your Majesty’s,” Ney replied without hesitation.
”Are you happy you get to kiss me?” I pressed further.
”Very happy, it’s an honor!” Ney declared dutifully.
”Do you like me, Ney?” I asked finally.
”Yes! I adore Your Majesty!” Ney professed earnestly.
Ney answered each question with a desperate look.
By the way, I didn’t teach her the answers to these questions. Every answer that comes back is something Ney thought of herself.
When she gives an answer I like, I pat her head as a reward. When she gives an answer I don’t like, I furrow my brow.
Then Ney spins her head desperately to not upset me, learning how to answer so I’ll be pleased.
Now, as you can see, she’s completely mastered the answers I like.
I smiled softly down at her. “I like you too, Ney. I’ll cherish you for life.”
When I said that and kissed her myself, Ney’s body trembled, and she made a happy, melty smile.
-Of course, that’s probably not a smile from the heart. It’s just her practicing what she learned these three days: “if I do this, I get praised” and “if I do this, I won’t get scolded.”
For her father, for her people, for her homeland, she’s forced to say things she doesn’t mean, forced to do things, and unwillingly flattering me. For now, that’s fine.
But someday, I’ll make her do it from the heart.
Having decided that, I suddenly remembered Ney’s reaction in bed before she went back to her homeland. The Silku girl who, though obedient as a slave, showed resistance with all her might through her expressions and attitude.
If the Ney from back then saw the current Ney, what would she think? I kept tangling tongues with Ney while spinning such fantasies in my head.
Trivia:
1. The Emperor’s admission that he still does not understand the weight of his own words reveals a disconnect between his past-life commoner mindset and his current absolute authority, showing he is still adjusting to the psychological impact of his power.
2. Ney putting on the slave collar by her own choice after being threatened creates a morally ambiguous situation where coercion masquerades as consent, highlighting the Emperor’s rationalization of his own cruelty.
3. The detail that Ney’s answers are not taught but learned through the Emperor’s reactions shows she is being conditioned through reward and punishment rather than instruction, a subtle but important distinction in how her obedience is being engineered.