Your and My Asylum - Book 4: Chapter 12: [Short Story] The Story of the Yellow-Green Grass Mage

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1. Stream that flows to a high place

A long time ago, the territory where this city is currently standing was once similar to that of a checkerboard with cracks all over it.

The number of crevices would occasionally increase, become wider, grow deeper, and lava would spew out from them. Naturally, non-wicked beings could not inhabit this area, and as a long period of time flowed by, the mineral resources in this region continued to be created by the earth and simply piled up.

There were a lot of people who wanted to harvest these resources. However, they had no way of doing so. Ever since one of the Kingdom of the Twelve Earthly Branches’ first princes and one of the prominent figures among the Sky Wizards had alternately attempted to pioneer the land with only humiliating results in return, there wasn’t a single person who attempted to approach it.

Humans were like that.

There was a certain water dragon. Due to the fact that she had a name which only dragons could pronounce, as all dragons do, all other beings would call her by what her name meant. ‘Stream that flows to a high place.’ As this was the meaning of the water dragon’s name, it was her essence.

The water dragon, Stream that flows to a high place, was an abandoned child. As there was no race that looked after their descendants more than dragons, and there weren’t a lot of races that didn’t respect their elders, she was an existence that was especially unable to receive that sort of care, but despite that, she was an existence that wandered around searching for her own roots.

The term ‘flows to a high place’ referred to the fact that she was searching for her roots. As this was a task which required labor, it was thus a task with limitations. In the end, Stream that flows to a high place was unable to find her parents. She was unable to find out who had given birth to her and why she had been abandoned.

Instead, she became exhausted. Even if she didn’t, due to the fact that she had used the majority of her long life as a dragon trying to achieve a goal which could not be accomplished, her scales had become as worn out as the oldest living mountain dragon’s and her horn had become more rusted than a sealed dragon’s that had inhabited a coast. She threw everything aside and searched for a place where she could retire and decided that she would do so in the land of fissures which no one approached. Although there were a couple of wicked beings that didn’t mind the flame and lava living there, they weren’t a match for her.

Stream that flows to a high place situated herself in a lake of lava which was inside an empty cave within the land. The boiling lava turned into clean fresh water, and the quaking earth stopped trembling. Once Dragon Walls surged upwards around the cave as if they were enclosing it, the land finally stabilized. The world was no longer able to claim ownership of this land and wicked beings were unable to set foot here.

This wasn’t the case for humans.

At that point, the first prince who was humiliated before was reigning over the Kingdom of the Twelve Earthly Branches since the throne had been passed down to him. Furthermore, although his old vigor was gone, his craftiness increased by quite the amount instead. As stealing land which dragons had stabilized was a common thing which humans did, it was a certain method to expand land for humans.

An official pioneering decree was given. It was a decree which declared that the human who killed the dragon will, without question, be given a status and ownership of that land. A new Palatinate. A new earl title. The rewards were appealing. Along with the unlicensed pioneers within the vicinity, a countless number of adventurers headed towards the land as well. After a long assault, they were able to penetrate the Dragon Walls and establish a camp on top of the cave.

There was a woman who was especially prominent.

2. Golden Lion Earl

There was a girl with messy, blonde hair that emitted a radiant glow who was referred to as ‘Golden Lion’ because she was gifted in both martial arts and magic. Although she was a lascivious woman and had a tendency of being cruel, her heart was so clean that it was nearly transparent and that was what evoked a charm which attracted others.

The Golden Lion had seven vassals. They were all no different to being the Golden Lion’s lovers, but among those girls, a green-haired mage girl, Sophna Radgrinkle, was especially infatuated with the Golden Lion.

“Please protect your chastity.”

Sophna had said this.

“Me. Me alone. Please love me and me alone.”

Sophna requested this.

“When the sun rises, please wake up looking at me. When the wind blows, please look at me and smile. When it rains, please look at me and kiss me. When twilight approaches, please fall asleep while looking at me. I beg of you, my master. My soul. My young queen. Me, only me, please devote your life to me alone.”

Sophna implored this.

The Golden Lion embraced Sophna as if she were lovely and rubbed her cheeks. She then had sexual relations with her other vassals while in front of Sophna.

The Golden Lion was gifted at making the people who loved her miserable.

If she didn’t also have the ability to make her enemies even more miserable than that, then she probably wouldn’t have lived long.

Although there were a lot of brave soldiers, in the end, it was the Golden Lion who had obtained the honor of being the dragon slayer after a long battle. Stream that flows to a high place sank into the lake. The Golden Lion received supremacy and the exploitation right over the land and became the founder of the earl family.

She named her land after her nickname and called it the Lion Palatinate. After she had named her household the House of the Lion Earl, she quickly got married to one of the Kingdom of the Twelve Earthly Branches’ third princes.

It was a natural course of events. As long as she had her own household, she had to have a child. However, the Golden Lion’s vassals were all the same gender. As the spell that allowed people of the same gender to have kids was rare and she had to form a connection with a man anyway, she figured that she might as well get into a matrimonial relationship with the royal family while she was at it. The third prince of the Kingdom of the Twelve Earthly Branches was the best choice for various reasons.

Thus her vassals understood. Excluding Sophna.

The Golden Lion gave that Sophna the duty of midwife.

The fact that she had to watch the person she loves give birth to the child of another person, the fact that she had to personally receive that child in her own hands as well, even Sophna herself didn’t know what sort of harm these things had caused her mind.

“How adorable.”

Only the Golden Lion knew exactly.

“With what belief are you crying in such an adorable manner like that?”

The Golden Lion grinned widely as she wiped the corners of Sophna’s eyes with the back of her hand.

“Ever since the first time I met you, you have been cute to no end.”

The Golden Lion brought the back of her hand towards her mouth and licked Sophna’s tears which had been smeared on it. It tasted like morning dew.

A glow returned to the face of the Golden Lion who had become thin due to the fatigue of childbirth.

“My cute and adorable Radgrinkle.”

Sophna didn’t give a response and simply cried.

3. Meteor Dagger Prince

The third prince who had become the Golden Lion’s ‘wife’ was known as Meteor Dagger. With assistance from the various transcendent movement spells, which only people of the royal family could use, the strength with which his daggers flew befitted his title.

The fact that the prince polished daggers which belonged to shadow troops was somewhat bizarre. Of course, the Meteor Dagger Prince had a perfectly rational reason for this.

The Meteor Dagger Prince understood that he was the third prince. This meant that he knew that no matter what happens, he would never be able to sit on the throne and his children would never be acknowledged by the royal family due to a physical reason.

This was a reality which anyone who was a third prince would know. However, the Meteor Dagger Prince made a choice which was uncommon among third princes. Instead of living comfortably in the Palace of the Twelve Earthly Branches, he chose to pioneer his life outside.

He wanted to take twelve steps away from his place of rest. As his dagger was a good weapon to subdue any sort of threat that may exist around him, it was thus the first step which the prince had to grow proficient in.

You could say that marrying the lord of a new Palatinate was the second step. Taking over the reins of the Palatinate was step three, subduing the surrounding regions was step four, and ensuring internal stability was step five. It was supposed to have proceeded like this.

The Meteor Dagger Prince was stuck on step two.

The earl treated the prince like a surrogate father. She didn’t give him even the slightest amount of authority nor did she care for his dignity. The Meteor Dagger Prince, although he was the earl’s husband, his situation was no better than the two princes who were being reared in the Palace of the Twelve Earthly Kingdom in order to secure royal offsprings.

The Meteor Dagger Prince knew this as well. It was as if she believed that the only difference which her husband and the seven vassals she’d normally have around was the fact that he had two more fingers and a male genitalia. The Meteor Dagger Prince wanted to believe that the Golden Lion simply didn’t know the value of the former.

“Golden Lion,” the Meteor Dagger Prince spoke in a feeble tone that befitted his appearance. “I can do a lot more for this land.”

The Golden Lion wasn’t interested in that.

“I can do much more for this Palatinate which you had established.”

The Golden Lion wasn’t interested in that either.

“Should I bring in aid from the royal family? I am the third prince. Although I am no longer a member of the family, I can establish at least that much of a connection. Should I scout talented individuals through the conferral of decorations? I have many connections with the Twelve Worldly Factions as well. So, Golden Lion, please allow me, your husband, the father of your children to have more authority.”

The Golden Lion wasn’t interested in anything.

The Golden Lion Earl grinned.

“Shut up and keep moving your hips.”

The Meteor Dagger Prince lowered his head. All twelve of his clenched fingers shook.

Coming to the conclusion that the Golden Lion Earl was a savage lecher was an excessively meager evaluation. She simply placed playing around with her new toy, also known as her ‘husband’, higher than the development of her territory and household. As this was severely decadent, it was thus very noble-like as well.

It was also something which the Meteor Dagger Prince could not endure.

“I didn’t come here in order to do this.”

“This fair lady came here to do this.”

Within the office, the Golden Lion blocked the prince’s complaint with her hand.

“I married you because I wanted to do something a bit more different.”

“This fair lady married you in order to do this.”

Within the city, the Golden Lion blocked the prince’s lament by making him hold their child.

“There are more things, which I wish to do with you.”

“There are more things, which this fair lady wishes to make you do.”

Within the bedroom, the Golden Lion blocked the prince’s appeal by switching positions.

The Meteor Dagger Prince gave up. He had given up on trying to persuade the Golden Lion. He searched for other methods and executed them. He requested help from his brothers back in the Palace of the Twelve Earthly Branches. He called together the factions which he had already created. He increased his time with his children. He reached his hand out towards the vassals who were tired of the Golden Lion Earl.

Like that, the Meteor Dagger Prince started to gather arrowheads in the Water Dragon City in order to kill the Golden Lion Earl.

The Violet Swamp, Yudia Batsand, was one of those arrowheads.

4. Violet Swamp

Yudia Batsand was one of the Martial Origin’s 22nd generation disciples. As he was a brilliant mind who had manifested a transcendent skill before the age of 10, he was a genius that had succeeded in ascending before the age of 40. As he was a bad seed that did not place value on anything other than the completion of his martial arts, he was an eccentric person who had found the method of doing so through hatred.

It was a simple anecdote. Yudia committed a lot of wicked deeds for the sake of the people he was close with and created a lot of enemies. He then lost everyone that was close to him due to those people having their revenge.

The lesson you could get from this anecdote was ‘you reap what you sow’. However, you would have no other choice but to arrive at a different conclusion if you knew the truth.

Yudia didn’t commit wicked deeds for the sake of those he was close to, but simply because he needed people that hated him. Even though he knew that they were plotting their revenge and he had the ability to stop them, he left them alone because he required people to hate.

Yudia was the very culprit behind thoroughly planning and executing these plans.

Therefore, the real moral of the story is, in principle, don’t drag people like Yudia into your own personal affairs.

Despite that, the reason why the Meteor Dagger Prince had called for Yudia was due to his relationship with the mage that was acting as the Golden Lion Earl’s midwife, Sophna.

Yudia and Sophna were from the same region. They were also the same age. As they were childhood friends, before Sophna met the Golden Lion, they were companions that adventured together.

They were also ex-lovers.

Even someone like Yudia is capable of having a romantic relationship. Was.

As it was the greatest part of love, it was the cruelest as well.

The Meteor Dagger Prince wanted to rely on that.

5. Violet Swamp and Yellow-Green Grass

The Meteor Dagger Prince spoke.

“I am going to get rid of the Golden Lion Earl.”

Yudia Batsand tilted his head.

“Guhuhuhu.” Yudia laughed before continuing. “Well, good luck with that. I shall see how far your hatred takes you.”

After saying only those words, Yudia stood up and left. He then went to meet his ex-lover.

Sophna, who was exhausted from the Golden Lion’s affection-filled mistreatment, had no idea what sort of reaction she should show in response to her ex-lover’s sudden appearance. Yudia gave Sophna an answer to her dilemma.

“Long time no see Yellow-Green Grass. It has been a while since we last had sex. How about it?”

Sophna struck Yudia’s cheek. Yudia grabbed her wrist, pushed her against the wall, and pressed his lips against hers. Sophna desperately resisted, struggled, and tried to bite Yudia’s tongue off, but she only succeeded at the last part.

However, Yudia was an ascended being. Yudia’s torn tongue turned into a type of poison and spread throughout Sophna’s body. Sophna fell to her knees after the poison started to affect her and she then fell over just like that as she could no longer move even a single finger.

“I know.”

Yudia spoke while licking Sophna’s cheek with his regenerated tongue.

“I heard that you have been sleeping with a woman.”

His purplish tongue brushed against Sophna’s eyelid.

“That is quite like you.”

After Yudia Batsand had his fill with licking Sophna’s eye, he drew his tongue back and spoke.

“You put your all into fruitless things. Is that your style? Or is it just that your very existence in itself has properties which attract those sorts of things together?”

Sophna was still paralyzed. After mixing an aphrodisiac effect with his saliva, Yudia started to lick her ear this time. He bit her earlobe, wet the back of her ear, and pushed his tongue into her ear.

Yudia’s aphrodisiac had a special effect. Normal aphrodisiacs would make the body sensitive and itchy, but Yudia’s aphrodisiac transformed any part of the body that is touched into an erogenous zone. That’s why Sophna spasmed when Yudia dug his slender finger into her wet ear.

“This is foreplay.”

Each time his finger wiggled around inside of her ear which was wet with saliva, a splashing sound would resonate throughout Sophna’s ear.

“For starters, I will send you over once.”

It didn’t take long.

“Now then, I will violate you.”

Yudia Batsand did so.

By the time Sophna was released from her paralysis, Yudia had already put his clothes back on.

“How was it?”

His purple eyes sparkled.

“Even though you had become a lesbian, you were embraced by a man. By force and on top of your own bed at that. While you were unable to budge even a single finger, you were raped by your ex-lover. Aah, Sophna, Sophna! How was it? What do you think about this!? Am I!?”

Yudia embraced Sophna and questioned her.

“Am I not detestable!?”

Sophna answered after a long silence.

“I do not detest you.”

Like a dew rolling down the side of a leaf, a tear dropped down from her yellowish-green eyes.

“You are simply pathetic.”

Sophna Radgrinkle sobbed as she said one final line.

“You are pitiable.”

Yudia looked at Sophna and realized that she was telling the truth.

A long time.

Because Yudia believed that he was an existence that was missing something, because he was like this even before meeting Sophna for the first time, in other words, the mentality of the existence known as Yudia, because his essence had already been completed a long time ago, because no matter what happened afterward, nothing could affect his essence, because no matter how strong the wind blew, a swamp would not stir,

He should have just taken those words as if they were nothing.

Yudia gripped his chest.

He felt a ripple.

6. Meteor Dagger and Violet Swamp

Yudia Batsand spoke.

“You said that you were going to get rid of the Golden Lion Earl, correct?”

The Meteor Dagger Prince tilted his head.

“Hmm, I wooonder.” He had the right to act at least this petulant. “You told me to handle it myself with my hatred. Why are you suddenly interested?”

“Yellow-Green Grass refused me.”

That was a possibility which he had considered ever since he invited Yudia Batsand here. The possibility that Sophna would refuse Yudia, and due to that, Yudia would fully cooperate with him. However, he didn’t expect things to actually play out like this. The Meteor Dagger Prince, who was never able to get anything done properly ever since he met the Golden Lion Earl, truly felt omnipotent for the first time in a long while.

“I raped Yellow-Green Grass. I did so in her room after paralyzing her with my poison and melting her sufficiently with my aphrodisiac. Despite that, Yellow-Green Grass denied me. Instead of hate, she gave me sympathy······.”

“No, it’s fine. You do not have to say anything more.”

The Meteor Dagger Prince waved his hand as he felt as if that omnipotent feeling of his was going to go flying off. Yudia drank a single gulp of alcohol and adjusted his monocle.

“How detestable. I will kill the Golden Lion Earl.”

“All right. I will give you the exact method and time······.”

“I will poison the central water source.”

The Meteor Dagger Prince froze.

“The central water source?”

“Yes. I plan to go right this instant.”

Yudia was speaking with a depressed tone.

The Meteor Dagger Prince did his best to respond as calmly as possible.

“Then the people will die.”

“Let them die.”

“This is an official Palatinate. If that sort of terrorist attack were to happen, then the kingdom won’t sit back and just watch. The Martial Origin will most likely expel you as well. You will receive the Mark of the Thirteenth and be hunted to death.”

“Then so be it.”

It was then that the Meteor Dagger Prince grasped what sort of situation he was in.

“Are you some damn 12-year-old!? You’re giving yourself up to despair just because you got dumped······!?”

The prince’s words came to an abrupt halt because his tongue had stopped moving. His body wouldn’t budge either. Like how most people are when they are paralyzed by a type of poison, he wasn’t able to move a lot of things.

“Then go ahead and detest me.”

Yudia Batsand, whose voice sounded depressed till the very end, turned around. The Meteor Dagger Prince could only watch helplessly as Yudia left the room.

7. Golden Lion and Meteor Dagger

There was a limit to Yudia’s poison. You could say that it was the limit which humanity had in the world of acids. Proof of royalty could not be harmed by the power of this world’s mankind. That was a pledge. Since his roots lie within this world’s mankind, Yudia couldn’t go against this even if he had ascended.

Although reciting a detoxification spell while only moving one’s sixth fingers took a long period of time, it wasn’t impossible. The Meteor Dagger Prince had to consider what was going to happen afterward. As expected, bringing Yudia into this was a mistake and now this mistake was trying to swallow him whole.

The Meteor Dagger Prince had no other choice but to come to a single conclusion.

“So you came to this fair lady?”

The Golden Lion Earl was proud of the fact that she was unusual. Even this dauntless woman was quite surprised by the situation.

The Meteor Dagger Prince lamented.

“I will accept any punishment.”

“Of course you will. Let’s see, the Seven Pillars······ Damn it, why isn’t everyone here?”

“I spread them out so that it would be easier to assassinate you.”

“Your punishment will be very severe. For now, let us go stop that idiot.”

The Golden Lion gathered whatever vassals she could. The Golden Lion Earl went down to the basement of the central tower with Sophna Radgrinkle, Arabet Orgit, and the Meteor Dagger Prince in tow.

The magic research lab on the 3rd-floor basement of the central tower used together by Martha Naricpictor, Shuran Shyobel, and Sophna Radgrinkle had already fallen into ruin. The magic traps and guardians that were set up had become piles of junk as well. However, they were destroyed after having at least done their jobs.

The Golden Lion, Sophna, Arabet, and the Meteor Dagger Prince went further below the 4th-floor basement of the central tower and caught up to Yudia Batsand right in front of the central water source. He was tired and had already lost one of his spare lives.

“Yellow-Green Grass!” Yudia rejoiced. “Did you chase after me?”

Sophna didn’t want to say anything that could possibly make Yudia happy.

“I followed Her Lordship here.”

Yudia didn’t say anything more. Instead, he pointed his spear at the Golden Lion Earl.

The instant the purple arrow, which had shot out from the tip of his spear, was knocked away by Arabet Orgit’s glowing shield, that became the flare which signaled the start of the battle.

8. Violet Swamp and Golden Lion

Even if he was tired and had lost one of his remaining lives, Yudia Batsand was an ascended being. He was capable of cornering the Golden Lion’s party.

But that was it.

“How detestable.”

After he was covered in wounds and had lost his last remaining life, Yudia Batsand spoke.

The Golden Lion Earl stepped on his chest and leaned down.

“I have been enjoying your ex-lover every night.”

She had to start off with those words first. As a sadist, there was a procedure which she had to adhere to.

“I am well aware that you are a professional bullshitter who goes around doing idiotic things however you desire. Nevertheless, there’s a limit to shenanigans. For you to dare to lay your hands on this fair lady’s toys. You should acknowledge the fact that you have gone too far this time.”

“I admit it.” Thanks to their bout, Yudia had also calmed down. “What are you going to do to me?”

“Sophna will determine that.”

Sophna placed her hand on her chest.

“Is it fine for me to decide?”

“Were you not the one who was harmed the most? What punishment do you wish to bring down upon him? As I thought, is it castration?”

The Meteor Dagger Prince was the one who shrunk back in response to that instead of Yudia Batsand. Sophna thought for a moment before answering.

“This man is an ascended being. Even if you cut it off, he is capable of regenerating.”

“Even better. You can cut it off as many times as you want.”

Yudia still didn’t shrink back. Instead, he averted his gaze.

“If you wish to cut it, then go ahead. Detestably, I have no place to use it now.”

That attitude annoyed Sophna.

“Why are you acting as if you are the victim? I am the one who was abruptly raped.”

“You have known for a long time that I am this sort of existence.”

“This is why I feel sorry for you! This is also why I broke up with you!”

“Detestably, let’s get one thing straight. I was the one who suggested that we should break up first. Therefore, I am the one who dumped you.”

Sophna opened her mouth.

Yudia adjusted his monocle.

“Furthermore, you weren’t that shocked, were you?”

“Was that the issue in the end?”

“Yes. Even though a lesbian was raped by a man in her own room, by her ex-lover at that. I apologize if it seems like I am repeating myself, but I thought that that much would be enough to make you hate me eternally.”

“Please get rid of that idiotic way of thinking. Why is my life being messed with when you are the one who had done wrong?”

There was some lamentation in Sophna’s voice. Yudia realized that he was truly unable to harm Sophna by even the slightest amount.

Arabet Orgit grumbled.

“This is a nice amicable conversation and all, but Sophna, when do you intend to cut off this guy’s head?”

Sophna let out a long sigh.

“I don’t intend to.”

Arabet Orgit was a faithful knight. As much as this was the case, she believed that she had a fastidious side to her.

“Sophna Radgrinkle, let’s wrap up everything that has happened. This guy raped you, he paralyzed the Earl’s ‘wife’, Meteor Dagger, he tried to mess up this city’s water source, and the fact that he endangered our lives a countless number of times during our fight is unquestionable. Despite all this, you’re saying that you won’t take this guy’s head? Ah, I’m not trying to say anything here. I’m just saying. Yeah. I’ll probably leave records of this fact and tell my children about it, but what I’m trying to say is, well, yeah.”

And other people believed that Arabet had an annoying side to her. Sophna didn’t hide her annoyance.

“That is for me to decide. Is that not right, Your Excellency? You left it in my hands, right?”

“Can I take back that right to decide and give it to Arabet?”

“Your Lordship······.”

Sophna looked sad. The Golden Lion Earl scratched the back of her head.

“No, it was a joke. There are some procedures I have to follow as a sadist······ In any case, I’m sorry. Tell me what you want to do.”

Sophna gazed down at Yudia with eyes that were sad for many different reasons.

“I’ll overlook this incident. In exchange, you have to follow every order that Her Excellency the Earl gives you from now on.”

“What will you do if I say no?”

“Then as Her Lordship had suggested, after castrating you one hundred times, we’ll do as Arabet had advised and end your life.”

It wasn’t a difficult choice.

While Yudia was going through the process of forming a worldly pact⎯⎯⎯it just so happened that royalty, the Meteor Dagger Prince, was present so it could be done immediately⎯⎯⎯the Golden Lion Earl hugged Sophna from behind. Sophna lowered her head while leaning back into the Golden Lion’s embrace.

“Do you think I am soft?”

The Golden Lion Earl licked Sophna’s neck.

“Has that not always been the case, my adorable Radgrinkle?”

Even though she was aware that something was a genuine problem, she caused things which could not be fixed to happen. Similar to how Yudia didn’t change, she would most likely be unable to change as well. At the very least, Sophna won’t be able to make herself change. Sophna made that presumption with a dry smile on her face.

It was in that moment that an unusual change was seen.

9. Climax

The water dragon, Stream that flows to a high place, died. After being struck by the Golden Lion’s Life Snake Whip, Rartegias, she sank to the bottom of the lake.

There are times when death is unable to exhibit its absoluteness. Even more so when it comes to beings like dragons. The fight that had occurred between an ascended being and a dragon slayer, her two vassals, and the man who was both the dragon slayer’s husband and also a member of the Kingdom of the Twelve Earthly Branch’s royal family was big enough to sufficiently stimulate the dragon’s remains.

Stream’s soul boiled.

The first thing that happened was an earthquake. The next occurrence that happened with the underground lake wasn’t an increase in water quantity but pressure. The Dragon Force which had stabilized this area was reacting to its owner’s soul.

With the lava that had once hardened bursting out as the starting point, the central tower, the Golden Lion Castle, the Dragon Walls which established its foundation, and the entire city enclosed within those walls started the tremble.

“Damn it.”

The dragon slayer could be connected to the dragon. The Golden Lion Earl who knew the cause of the disturbance and what was going to happen afterward pressed her hand against her forehead. After giving a simple explanation about the situation, she spoke.

“It can’t be helped. I’ll have to solve the problem which I had caused.”

“What do you mean?”

“You already know the answer. I’m going to go finish the job.” After telling off her husband, the Golden Lion Earl turned to look at Arabet. “Arabet, will you follow me?”

Arabet Orgit definitely had an annoying side to her. However, she knew when to repress that side of herself.

The Golden Lion stroked Arabet’s head as she sternly nodded her head. Although there were some white strands in that hair and some wrinkles on that hand, the two looked as graceful as they did back when they first met. The Golden Lion Earl grinned broadly and turned around.

“All right. It would be good if we had more manpower.”

“This lady shall go as well.”

Sophna spoke with a determined look on her face. It was at that moment, that someone spoke up from behind her.

“I will go as well.”

Sophna looked back to face Yudia. Yudia Batsand continued.

“Taking down a dragon’s soul will be interesting, after all.”

“You really.”

“You know that I am this sort of person,”

“I already know. Your Lordship, please accept our lives.”

Sophna gazed at her lord with a look full of resolve. Behind her, Violet Swamp was gripping his spear tightly.

However, the Golden Lion Earl was a sadist.

“I refuse.”

And also a ruler.

“For starters, maniac, you’re made of poison. We’re going to jump into the central water source right now, so imagine the citizens drinking the water that you’ve bathed in. It would probably be a miracle for the people who want to kill themselves, but this would be like if someone with ten fingers had sat on the throne for the majority of the people.”

Yudia had no other choice but to stand down. The Golden Lion Earl turned to face Sophna next.

“And you had sex with that maniac. They say that sperm is normally stored inside the womb for over a week.”

“That was by force! If that’s going to be a problem, then I’ll leave my womb behind!”

“Don’t.”

“But why!? Do you think that this man will hold me back!? Furthermore, I do not intend to have a child any······!”

“Take care of my children.”

The Golden Lion Earl spoke.

Sophna opened her mouth. She then closed it. She repeated this action several times before she began to tear up.

“I,” Sophna uttered. “I love you, Your Lordship, not your children. If anything,”

If anything, Sophna continued.

“If anything, I hate your children. Your and that male prostitute’s children, I.”

“Protect them.”

The hand of the one whom Sophna had affection for touched her freckled cheek.

“Even if you do not like them that much, are they not proof that this fair lady existed? If you believe this as well, then remember me through them. Oh, my adorable Radgrinkle, who could I leave this task to other than you?”

Sophna covered her mouth with her hand. Her lips were dry.

“But, I.”

“You may dislike this idea now, but would that be the case later? Was the conclusion not already established when we took care of this guy? You are not a heartless person, and you are well aware of this fact.”

“Uu······.”

Tears started to flow down from Sophna’s eyes.

While displaying the same confident smile which made Sophna fall for her in the first place, the Golden Lion Earl spoke.

“I ask this of you.”

“Okay.”

Before she could nod her head, Sophna Radgrinkle answered.

“Okay, I will. Until the day Your Lordship’s······your bloodline ends. Until the day this city has a new bloodline as its ruler. I shall protect your bloodline. I shall protect your land.”

Sophna put more strength into her voice.

“I will protect them for your sake.”

The Golden Lion Earl smiled. Her white canines shined brightly.

“Maniac.”

“Yes?”

Yudia answered.

“I wanted to shove you around more, but things have ended up like this. You’re fortunate. I don’t have anything much to say, but don’t show your face in this land for the next hundred years. Understood?”

“All right.”

“Good. Now back to gathering the remaining manpower.”

The Golden Lion Earl turned to look at the prince.

“It’s just you.”

The prince made a futile resistance.

“I was also paralyzed.”

“Did you have sex as well?”

The Meteor Dagger Prince let out a groan. Yudia spoke towards the prince who was glaring at him.

“Do you want to take this opportunity to do it now?”

“It’s fine! I’m,”

The Meteor Dagger Prince cleared his throat.

“There was something that I wanted to do. Even now, there are things······I have aspirations.”

The prince gazed at his ‘husband’ with pleading eyes.

“Golden Lion. Please. Can you not be the only one to die? Then I will manage the city in your stead and······.”

In that spot, the Golden Lion Earl stopped the prince’s solicitation with a kiss.

It was a long kiss.

“Let us go together.”

The Meteor Dagger Prince dropped his head. The Golden Lion Earl patted that head.

“Damn it.”

In the end, the Meteor Dagger Prince spoke.

“Damn it, this marriage, is ruinous. It’s seriously a ruined marriage.”

“I’m satisfied. We were a good match in bed, were we not?”

“What are you saying in a situation like this!?”

“Is it not because we’re in a situation like this that I’m able to say this?”

“You really! This is why ten fingers are! Bite off all twelve fingers!”

“Was that not the case?”

The Meteor Dagger Prince closed his eyes and opened them.

“Let’s do it one more time before we go.”

“Oho, that is an attractive offer. There are two problems. First is the fact that this fair lady is currently on her period, and the second issue is the fact that we have wasted far too much time now. If we were to waste 5 more minutes like this, then······.”

“It doesn’t matter! ······And it’ll be over before that. You know that already.”

Of course she knew.

It most likely wouldn’t take even 3 minutes. Arabet Orgit grumbled as she took the lead and the Golden Lion Earl followed behind her. The Meteor Dagger Prince followed after them while holding onto the earl’s sleeve with all six of his fingers.

Sophna and Yudia watched them depart.

10. And then

Terrifying noises resonated for a long period of time. Each time it happened, the cave itself shook. After a piercing sound and tremor that felt as if a ginormous monster were rubbing two mountains together ended, everything stopped.

Yudia and Sophna stood there as they listened to everything.

There were no more noises now.

Despite that, the two of them continued to wait for a while longer. There was still no sound.

Another long period of time went by. Eventually, they heard the sound of footsteps. It came from behind them. It was the sound of the other Pillars returning with the guards after having felt a sense of crisis from the earthquakes and floods originating from the water source.

However, the silence from the lake continued.

Yudia Batsand, who believed that they had waited long enough, opened his mouth.

“Sophna.”

“Yes?”

“Detestably, I believe that you have just become single now, so if you want,”

“No.”

“Okay.”

There was another silence.

Sophna, who was leaning on her staff, slowly closed her eyes. After standing like that for a long time······ she collapsed.

It was like an old tree had fallen over.

It was also as if she had just sprouted.

Like that, the Yellow-Green Grass mage sobbed for a long time.

***

TL note: Thanks for reading the last chapter of this volume. I really didn’t enjoy translating that rape scene, but I managed. Furthermore, WordPress has been really annoying lately because I would lose entire days worth of progress at random times. It happened a total of 8 times throughout this volume and two of those times were on this short story alone. A lot of people asked why I haven’t been backing up my translations, but I honestly never had a need to do so because throughout the past 2 years I’ve been using this site, I’ve never lost progress like this. This just started happening since February. I’m starting to back things up now, but that still doesn’t change the fact that I kept losing progress during this volume which slowed me down by a lot and also lowered my motivation to translate fast.

In any case, with this, I’ve caught up to the most recent volume of YaMA and we now have to wait for the next volume to be published. I’m honestly not sure when it’ll even come out or whether the author has abandoned this series or not. This volume came out nearly 2 years ago now, so I don’t know.

Welp, now I can finally go back to Handholding. There’s still no DD update, so ye.