The Marquis’ Eldest Son’s Lascivious Story - Chapter 242

It’s been a while since we had dinner together as a family.

Perhaps that’s why Fanny was the first to arrive at the cafeteria and was excited from the beginning.

It’s a dinner party where the main focus is chatting rather than eating. The center of attention was, of course, my grandfather, who had just returned.

[…Well, in a small boat about this size?]

[It’s fine on the battlefield, but please refrain from unnecessary adventures during peacetime.]

My mother and father both complained about my grandfather, who was talking about his journey back home. The reason lies in the method my grandfather used to cross the Amelia River.

Basically, most Nobles cannot swim, so they travel in large ships that are difficult to sink, but my grandfather did not choose that this time.

[Other ships were in the way, so a small boat that could turn around was more convenient… I haven’t seen it in a while, but hasn’t the number of people on Nambonan increased considerably?]

Apparently when he tried to cross the Amelia River from Nambonan City, the river was overflowing with merchant ships. Apparently, word of my grandfather’s return reached the military stationed in the city, but it probably did not get through to the civilian population.

My grandfather, who wanted to return home as swift as the wind and quick as lightning, borrowed a rowboat that had been used by Nambonan soldiers and forced his way across the great river.

[Um, grandfather. It’s a small boat, but won’t it sink? I’ve also heard that Amelia eats its load.]

[Oh, Fanny seems to know a lot about it.]

[Onii-sama told me about it.]

The Amelia River is said to be a large river that has a faster flow and is rougher than the Obieto River. It is not uncommon for ships to sink, so Amelia is sometimes said to eat its cargo. However, unless the water level has increased after heavy rain, or the boat is very dilapidated or overloaded, crossing the river itself is not very dangerous.

[Is that so? It’s true that Amelia’s current is fast, but ships are surprisingly hard to sink… I can swim if the situation calls for it.]

It was the first time I heard that.

[This is the first time I’ve heard of it. Grandfather can swim, too?]

When I expressed my thoughts, my grandfather tilted his head. It was probably because I spoke in a way that made me sound like I knew someone else who could swim. I was asked if there were any Nobles in the Royal Capital who enjoyed swimming like that.

[That’s not the case, but…]

It’s hard to say that I can swim. Because there is no evidence. In my previous life, I was able to swim back and forth in a 25 meter pool, so I think I can still swim. However, I have never swam in a river or lake on the Eruo continent.

I’ve been wanting to confirm that I can swim now, and to figure out how far I can swim with my Highlord’s physical strength.

[Was any of the military officers able to swim? Wilk really tends to admire strange things…]

It was my father who said that. I don’t think it was my imagination that I felt like he was telling people around me not to go into the river.

[…But father, wouldn’t it be better to learn how to swim? From now on, we’ll be traveling more often between inland and outlying areas, and I think being able to swim will give us a wider range of activities in times of need.]

For example, it is possible that Nambonan City was attacked by surprise, like at the beginning of the year. Even if we tried to rush for reinforcements, if our ships were destroyed, ordinary Nobles would be unable to move. If everyone else can’t swim at this time, in the worst case scenario, I might end up reaching the other side on my own. If I had the physical strength of a Highlord, I feel like I could do anything even if I floated a barrel and kept flapping my feet.

When I continued to insist, my mother objected.

[If Wilk has such thoughts, I don’t want him to learn how to swim… There is a saying in Hartinos: Those who drown are those who can swim.]

[…..what does that mean?]

This is not a social gathering place in the Royal Capital, so I frankly asked what it means.

[Those who cannot swim should not go near the water’s edge, and should be cautious when approaching it. However, those who are confident in their ability to swim slowly become overconfident in their own strength and jump into the water easily. This is probably why only those who can swim drown.]

It was my grandfather who gave me the answer from the side. But, it’s like…

[But grandfather said you would, right?]

[What are you talking about? I prepared a floating ring and got on the boat. It’s not like I seriously thought about swimming across the river.]

[Gahaha], my grandfather laughed. Apparently, what he said earlier was some kind of joke.

The “floating ring” that my grandfather referred to is more appropriately called a “barrel ring”. Multiple small barrels are tied together to form a giant necklace. When you fall overboard, you cling to it or wrap it around your body as you wait for rescue. It’s basically a passive tool, and it’s not used like a beat board.

[In a similar vein to what Merley said, I remember hearing it from my mother a long time ago. It was after the first battle…]

My father muttered nostalgically.

Apparently, my father’s first battle was to subjugate an immature demon beast that appeared in Gatoren City. Just like mature demon beasts, the strength of immature demon beasts is immeasurable, but in principle, it is impossible for a Highlord to lose.

The targets of the first battle were demon beasts beyond the reach of commoners, but my father was able to carry out his first battle without any problems. Then, when he returned to Newnelly Castle and was enthusiastic, saying, [Next time, I’m going to subjugate mature monsters], he was summoned by grandmother to the deepest room. He was subjected to a sermon that used various lessons from all over the world, telling him not to go into subjugation of mature monsters just because he was successful the first time.

[I see. Father had times like that too.]

[Hehehe, that’s right. It’s a nostalgic story.]

While my father and Fanny were chatting happily, my mother’s eyes remained fixed on me.

[…Wilk probably knows that Hartinos, my hometown, enjoys the blessings of Lake Meo. Therefore, some of the Serfs who live by the lake are surprisingly good at swimming. However, even such people sometimes misjudge themselves and drown.]

My mother, who grew up in Hartinos, which is also a port city, said she often heard stories like this.

[Even those who have been trained can make irreversible mistakes due to a slight letdown.]

“Those who drown are those who can swim”. These words may be wisdom used by the citizens of Hartinos to warn each other.

[So, don’t say you’d go swimming so easily.]

Although her expression was calm, I felt strong pressure from her words. One of the possible causes of death for the strong-bodied Highlord is drowning. I can feel the vigilance of a mother who knows the reality of water accidents.

[But mother, I don’t think onii-sama would do anything rash.]

[…Does Fanny think so?]

[Yes. It’s onii-sama we are talking about.]

You can count on me for that.

[I’m sure Wilk won’t act rashly, however…]

[I wouldn’t say it’s thoughtless, but rather cautious. But…]

Why did my mother, father, and grandfather look so strange? I want you to look at me with a flawless smile like Fanny. Well, if that happens, I might actually become anxious. I don’t think people can trust me as much as Fanny does.

[…In any case, for crossing the river, a large boat and a floating ring will be sufficient as before. Wilk should not even think about entering the river. It’s also a matter of dignity.]

I see, what my father really wanted to say was decency.

As expected, it is extremely shameful for a Noble to practice swimming naked on a nearby riverside. However, since we have my grandfather here, he couldn’t exactly say it out loud and thus kept it that way.

[I understand.]

When I answered that, my father and mother both nodded in satisfaction.

Even so, I haven’t given up on swimming. On the contrary, when I heard my father’s words, a thought dawned on me. If I’m not allowed to swim in a public river or pond, I can just build a private pool where I don’t have to worry about anyone seeing me.

The most desirable location for the pool construction is Newnelly City. This is within Fanny’s range of action. There is a possibility that she will say [I don’t want to do that] and refuse, but if I can invite her out, I might be able to have fun playing in the water with my cute little sister. Plus, I’ll have plenty of fun just dressing the maids in swimsuits.

I don’t know if there are swimsuits on the Eruo continent, but I’m sure I can make some swimming trunks right away. The problem is women’s swimwear…but let’s leave this topic for later.

For some reason, my purpose has changed from swimming to playing in the pool, but thanks to that, my motivation has increased.

[If there are too many civilian ships, you can sink them. Father, please use a larger ship next time.]

That’s what my father summed up in the end. It’s an outrageous way of summarizing things, but if the number of ships is increasing to the extent that it obstructs the movement of Nobles, it’s a bit of a problem. Since I’m the mayor of the city, I’m gonna need to give instructions to take measures in this regard.

As I was thinking about this, I met my grandfather’s eyes. Somehow, I felt like he was telling me to do something before any ship sank. Even my grandfather doesn’t seem to want to unilaterally sink a civilian ship just because it’s a nuisance.

Shortly after finishing our meal, my grandfather went to bed early. Maybe he was mentally tired from traveling.

Fanny looked a little displeased as she was planning on enjoying the chat with grandfather after the meal, but she didn’t complain because she had listened to so much about how quickly he returned during the meal.

There was nothing particularly new about future strategies. For the time being, the plan remains to focus on hunting guerrillas in the newly occupied land while keeping an eye on the situation in the Levios area. Rather than having a meeting with grandfather, it can be said that the main purpose of his return was to let him know about the events in the capital personally.

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[Young Master.]

I finished writing my diary earlier than usual, and was thinking about taking a bath when I heard Tesh’s voice.

[What is it?]

[The priestess has arrived.]

Then, I remembered that I had summoned Cynthia to the castle. After returning from the Royal Capital, I didn’t have enough time because I had to deal with this and that, so I put Cynthia on the back burner.

I was finally ready to call her over today, but because I was distracted with my grandfather’s sudden return, I completely forgot.

[What would you like to do, Young Master?]

Tesh seemed to sense that I had forgotten, and rather than asking, it sounded more like a confirmation that if it was okay to let Cynthia go home.

[…it’ll be too troublesome to issue a summon again. Bring her in.]

Since she had come all the way, I guess we should meet.

There were many things I wanted to ask, and there were also things that had changed before and after my visit to the capital.