"Sorry, sorry, I do lack some knowledge in this area," Raymond chuckled twice. "After all, I am not a professional soldier."
Triman looked at him somewhat astonished, although he had some guesses, he never expected this guy to openly admit it. Apart from the uniform and the major general's epaulettes and badges on his shoulders, this guy, whether it be his appearance, demeanor, or gestures, was far from the military image Triman was familiar with.
To be honest, compared to a "soldier," Raymond gave the feeling of being more like a skilled politician or... opportunist. And in fact, his guess was not wrong. Before he pinned on the major general's epaulettes, Raymond was just an unknown technician at the Military Department of Maston. He was considered mediocre in terms of professional capabilities, but because he was good at pleasing people and knowing how to play to their favor, he had done well for himself. Of course, the higher-ups were not fools. If everything went as planned, this person's entire life would probably be limited to being quite comfortable in Maston's Military Department.
Until half a year ago, Raymond's ordinary days came to an end. A teenager with a shocking weapon development plan approached the Military Department of Maston seeking collaboration. Naturally, the direct involvement was from the Military Department, and Raymond was selected into the engineering team because of his excellent communication skills.
Honestly, joining a top-secret national project like this was a bit embarrassing for a technician, but Raymond was oblivious to this. He cheerfully packed up and reported for duty that very day.
And then, he met a young man named "Yuan." Initially, he didn't think much of this mysterious individual, but hoped to showcase his abilities to leave a good impression on the higher-ups through this collaboration. To achieve this, he put a lot of effort into building a relationship with Yuan... even though Yuan's attitude towards him was lukewarm or even somewhat resistant, purely necessary for communication in order to complete the process from conceptualizing to building the airship.
Thankfully, with Raymond's persistence, things went smoothly. If it were someone else, they might have approached the situation in a straightforward manner. Raymond, on the other hand, ran around enthusiastically, not like a partner but more like a lackey. Even his colleagues found it somewhat embarrassing.
Looking back now, Raymond felt fortunate for his actions. Not long after the cooperation project with Yuan ended, another unexpected guest arrived. The lightning swordsman who controlled Rai also abruptly showed up in the capital of Maston, claiming to be looking for Yuan. However, after receiving the airship constructed for him, Yuan had already left, and the palace guards had no idea about Maston's secret war weapon, the flying airship plan. This led to conflicts with the strange man who continuously demanded to find someone.
Both the army's experts and the palace guards were overcome by the fierce Rai, to the extent that they had to ask the king to send for a Holy Rank guardian of Maston. If two Holy Ranks were to engage in battle in the capital, the consequences could be unpredictable.
Just as the Rai swordsman was about to unleash havoc, Raymond, who had just returned to the capital, stepped forward after quietly observing the situation.
After all, as the person who had spent the most time with Yuan from Maston's side, he was the most likely to know Yuan's whereabouts.
—Well, that's what they said on the surface. In reality, no one had any expectations of Raymond. The high officials and nobles in the capital saw him as a scapegoat to delay the negotiation with the Rai swordsman. All they wanted was to buy time until Maston's guardian Holy Rank arrived.
Raymond knew that nobody was concerned about his well-being from above. But even if it meant gambling with his life, he was willing to take a chance. He might not have clear clues about Yuan's whereabouts, but after being busy with Yuan for so long, he had a hunch that Yuan was probably heading east.
He had thought about directly revealing this information, but dealing with a Holy Rank swordsman, a vague answer that didn't satisfy her could easily lead to his demise. Considering this premise, Raymond had no intention of testing her temper with his own life.
Additionally, as the unlucky guy pushed out by the kingdom's elite to negotiate with the Rai swordsman, it was impossible for Raymond not to harbor any resentment.
So, Raymond made what was probably the boldest gamble of his life.
"Ah, swordsman from afar, I know the whereabouts of the young man named Yuan, but as a price, can you agree to a condition?"
...
"You are quite the lucky guy," Triman frowned. He couldn't make judgments about a foreigner, but the experiences he recounted made him feel a sense of awe.
"Hehe, flattery will get you nowhere," Raymond's smile easily evoked an image of a successful sly fox, "but that was indeed one of my rare big bets."
"Your Majesty, how much do you think the service of a Holy Rank strongman is worth to an army?" After reaching a negotiation condition with the young lady named Sader, Raymond stepped into the royal palace hall for the first time, looking up at the king sitting on the throne.
Looking back on that moment when he forcibly suppressed the emotions of excitement and laughter, Raymond still couldn't help but show a smile. Only he and Sader knew about the negotiation condition, so he told Maston's King that he had successfully persuaded Sader to serve Maston, conveniently omitting the "three times" minor restriction.
Raymond never imagined that a small fry like himself could deceive the highest sovereign of the nation and cause trouble for a Holy Rank strongman who posed a threat to West Land's top military power. The tension of dancing on the edge of a blade... it was truly exhilarating.
Even if his major general rank carried no real authority, and his job was merely to communicate with Sader, even if he would be looked down upon by countless true professional soldiers like Triman, the honor and treatment alone were something he could never have achieved in his entire lifetime of striving.
With a proud smile, Raymond gently stroked the tough and comfortable fabric of the major general's uniform on his body.
"Well then, your experiences can stop there. Regardless of what happened before, please focus on your duties, General Raymond," Triman interrupted Raymond, who was indulging in nostalgic memories, "The first batch of our nation's reserve troops has been training for the past two months before deployment. They are ready to land anytime. What about your country?"
...
"Hey... is this what you call 'doing something'? What happened to your plan to reclaim the Beirgen Naval Port?"
Aya stood by the bed, covering her face in frustration. Lady Tiran, in her nightgown, sat cross-legged on a cushion not far from the bed, with an open manga in front of her, a cup of half-eaten ice cream on the low table... still intact thanks to the frost Chi maintaining its temperature.
Thinking about how she had to stay awake just like a mother to read and tell stories until Chirp fell asleep, and then seeing Lady Tiran enjoying manga and ice cream, Aya felt an urge to overturn the table.
"Why do I have to handle everything about taking care of the child while you get to enjoy it all by yourself?"
"Well... haha, sorry, it's been tough. The moon is really full tonight," the princess greeted with a slightly awkward expression, immersed in some R18 holy maiden domination plotline.
"There's no moon visible tonight at all, okay?" Aya sighed. The clock on the wall was already inching towards midnight – the time when she would be incredibly sleepy for work or studies but become wide awake as soon as she picked up her phone.
"Do you know that your expression right now is exactly like those men who have wives at home but go fool around outside every day?"
"Gasp..." the princess paused for a moment, looking at Aya with astonishment, "Aya, you can casually make such comparisons now without batting an eye. It seems like you've grown."
"I don't want this kind of growth! It's all because of you! I... huh?!"
The irate dragon sister, Aya, utilized her Dragon Roar, but her spellcasting was interrupted!
The princess sprang from the sofa with her excellent agility, tackled Aya onto the bed, and immediately raised her arms to stand over Aya.
"What are you doing..." Flustered by the sudden push onto the bed, Aya was visibly flustered, especially from this angle, as the straps of Tiran's pure white nightgown had slid down during the previous leap, leaving little to the imagination.
Hmm, it seemed that Lady Tiran had undergone some growth as well... Cough!
"Wow, you're blushing?" The princess had a mischievous grin, "We've had intimate encounters before, why are you shy now?"
"Nonsense! You were the only one conscious at that time!" The fragrance of the iris flowers on Tiran's body wafted into Aya's nostrils like silk threads, making her cheeks feel hot. But she still argued.
"Huh? Does that mean it's your first time emotionally?"
The princess's smile turned quite subtle, almost resembling a mischievous imp, making Aya think of the devilish grins.
"Or maybe you don't want to take responsibility?"
“Not exactly…”
Under normal circumstances, Aya would have ridiculed how the conversation took such a turn. But in her current state, she couldn't put her thoughts together.
Kiss.
The soft and warm sensation from the lips caused Aya's pupils to contract into two thin lines.
Even the last time wasn't this intense! Aya's mind went completely blank, witnessing a scene she had never seen before.
