The women followed my orders well, but they weren't exactly thrilled about having a chastity belt fastened around their groins by a brat.
However, as they watched the human who held the title of prince bow before them and help them put on their underwear, they began to feel a sense of superiority.
The brat, glancing at the women's private parts, was struggling to properly fasten the chastity belts.
Patricia, who had just been fawning over me, looked down at the brat and said.
"Ugh… this is frustrating. Hurry up and do it properly."
"H-How dare you speak to me like that!"
"Are you really going to act like a prince when you can't even do something like this properly?"
"Ugh…"
"And!"
Thwack!
Patricia flicked the prince's forehead.
"Ouch! What do you think you're doing?!"
"…I'd appreciate it if you didn't look at my body with such lecherous eyes."
"N-No! I wasn't…!"
The brat, perhaps because of what he was doing, began to shrink back more and more.
And when things like this pile up, they can lead to irreversible consequences.
'About a month? No, it'll probably take just a week to completely break him.'
[As you said, Suho, they don't seem to be worried.]
As long as these noblewomen have this brat as a stepping stone, they'll likely live with a certain level of mental stability.
Women like them find joy in life when they have someone they can control like this.
Until now, they've been ignoring Lena and feeling a sense of pleasure, but now that they've subdued the prince of Bethel, they'll live here with a sense of pride.
It was time to move on to the next target.
***
In a shabby warehouse, the sound of groans could be heard.
"Ugh…"
"Haah… what is this…?"
The ones groaning were the men residing in the Demon King's castle.
Except for Berius, all the men were gathered here, and their groans echoed faintly.
"Damn it… how is this possible?"
"…Ugh! It hurts… did you really have that dream too?"
"Yeah… I'm not kidding. There's something really wrong here, right? Ah! Damn it… it hurts so much…"
All the men in the warehouse were unable to stand properly, focusing on enduring the pain in their groins.
They were vividly feeling the pain of having their groins mutilated in the dream they had that day.
Moreover, some of the men were not only experiencing incontinence but also leaking semen without any arousal or action.
The dream they had experienced was so vivid that it felt almost real.
"Hey, but the princess would have some sense of judgment, right?… Let's be careful for now."
"Haah… it hurts so much… huh? It's the idiot."
"…."
While everyone in the warehouse was complaining about the pain, Berius entered carrying a box.
One of the men called out to Berius.
"Hey, idiot."
"…."
The man who called out to Berius was Lorian.
In the past, such disrespect would have been punishable by death, but after coming here, Lorian had come to face reality.
The prince in front of him would never become a real king…
Not just Lorian, but several of the men here had started calling Berius "idiot."
Berius had initially lashed out, but he had since decided to endure it, hoping for a better future.
Berius ignored him and carried the box into the warehouse.
"Hey, are you ignoring me?… Ugh, it hurts…"
"…."
Berius frowned at the man who called out to him and put the box down.
"What is it?"
"Haah… you were called by Patricia earlier, right? What was it about?"
"…She told me to move some things, so I'm moving them."
Berius gave up on moving the box and answered.
"What's in it?"
"…She said it's a chastity belt."
"…? What's that…?"
Not just Lorian, but all the men in the warehouse tilted their heads at the unfamiliar term.
Berius briefly explained what he had heard from Suho.
He left out all the important details and only mentioned the meaningless functions.
"It protects your vital parts?"
"Yeah… he said it's to protect men's vital parts in war."
"…."
The men's eyes were fixed on the box.
Berius spoke to them.
"What were you guys planning to do?"
"What are you talking about…?"
"The princess said she's leaving tomorrow…"
Berius recited the lines Suho had told him with a look of despair.
"…Really?"
"Phew… I guess we were just being too sensitive… That's a relief."
Seeing all the men sigh in relief, Berius continued.
"But…"
"…?"
"It seems like the princess is planning something before she leaves. She said that no matter what happens tonight, don't open the door and stay hidden in your rooms."
"…."
The men's faces began to pale.
"And since she mentioned you guys, it'd be best to be careful. That's all…"
"…."
Berius left the warehouse after saying that.
The men's eyes turned to the box.
***
A burly demon was leading the way, guiding me.
It was the last day, and I was on my way to a private meal with the Demon King.
It seemed like an important discussion, as neither Viola nor Beatrice was participating—it was just the two of us.
Armonia's communication came through.
[Suho, what will you do if they don't wear the chastity belts?]
I answered simply.
'If it really comes to that, I'll just force them to wear it.'
[….]
'Once it's on, that's it. I'll have the women force it on them while they sleep if I have to.'
You might wonder.
Wouldn't it be enough for the brat to just remove and discard the chastity belt?
But the men's chastity belts had an additional function for the crime of insolence.
'Men would prefer to wear a chastity belt for life rather than lose their dicks, right? Keukeke….'
Inside the men's chastity belts, there was a separate inner chastity belt.
Once worn, the inner belt was designed to be impossible to remove.
Even the brat couldn't remove it, and if the outer belt was removed and not worn again within a certain time, the penis would explode.
'Even if you can't use it, you still need to have a dick. Kahahahaha~'
[…I think the humans here see you as a true calamity.]
You brought humanity to ruin, and now you've come back to shackle them again.
'The men will be wary of the brat to avoid their dicks exploding, and the brat will have to live a life carrying the men's chastity belts. Well, the women have it a bit better, I guess?'
Earlier, Patricia and the other women seemed to feel a thrill seeing the prince holding their underwear.
But Armonia's thoughts seemed different.
[As a fellow woman, I'll tell you that if they feel even a little bit like you've abandoned them, they'll experience true hell.]
'Good, good.'
Whether they despair in a year or two, that's not my concern.
What's certain is that they won't despair within two years.
Once women bloom with hope, they'll struggle to keep it alive even in the driest of places.
It'll take about 5-6 years for the flowers to start withering.
The place I was guided to was slightly different from last time.
If the last place was a grand hall, this time it was a more personal dining room.
Though, by the Demon King's standards.
If the last dining area was like a dome, this one felt more like a school auditorium.
But the atmosphere was distinctly different from last time.
It was dimly lit, but the statues surrounding the room still shone brightly.
This time, the table was so large that some winged demons carried me to a long chair.
Once the meal was prepared, the demons left the dining room at the Demon King Gardia's signal.
'…I'm a bit nervous.'
[There shouldn't be any major issues. The content of your deal with him isn't something that would be good to leak outside.]
Gardia asked me,
"You're leaving tomorrow. Did you rest well?"
"Yes, thank you. I'd love to stay here forever, but it would be a great inconvenience if I stayed longer."
Gardia laughed heartily and then got to the point.
"You're welcome to visit anytime you want."
"Haha. Thank you."
"And… I'll grant your request."
"Ah… thank you so much. But I wish I could do something for you in return."
"Don't mention it. If it weren't for you, I would've been executed on the walls of Feron, stoned by humans."
"Haha…"
If they had really lost the war, the Demon King's body would have been treated with such disdain, scorned by humans.
Seeing Lena and the Demon King, I deeply felt that the gap between victory and defeat in war is something that can never be bridged.
And Gardia was showing mercy to those who could have been treated that way.
It must have been a difficult decision, even for me.
"Starting tomorrow, the Feron Duchy will be guaranteed a minimum standard of living. But! I'm not guaranteeing any rights."
"That's more than enough. Thank you."
It meant they would be allowed to live as humans, with the bare necessities of food, shelter, and clothing.
It didn't mean they would regain their national rights.
They would live as humans, but not as citizens.
The most important thing was the Grand Duke of Feron.
"I heard his condition has worsened significantly. I was going to throw him to the beasts, but since you seem to care for that woman, I decided to treat him."
"Ah! Thank you so much…"
He was Lena's emotional pillar.
It wasn't for the Grand Duke's sake, but for Lena's, that I felt satisfied with having done the bare minimum.
After confirming that all my requests had been granted, Gardia cautiously spoke up.
"But…"
"…? Is there a problem?"
"No. It's shameless of me, but I have one request to make of you."
"Huh? Please, go ahead. I'll do whatever I can."
Of course, I had to agree.
Otherwise, everything could fall apart…
"Can you take Beatrice with you?"
"…Huh?"
***
A hybrid of a cat person and a succubus.
A being that shouldn't exist.
The demons in the Demon King's castle see her as a grotesque creature.
"…Sigh. I don't know if you're aware, but the cat people and succubi were wiped out. It was largely my fault. So I wanted to ease my guilt by placing her in the position of a two-star general."
"…."
Damn, a two-star general?
So that's why there were two stars floating around the dawn outpost.
That must have been terrifying.
…For the soldiers.
"But some started doubting her abilities, and on top of that, her personality is too carefree, so she couldn't adapt to the position easily."
"…."
Beatrice's position was secured through her war merits and being the child of a national hero.
The problem was that her war merit was merely uncovering a single piece of information, and even as the child of a national hero, there were murmurs that she had been granted excessive privileges.
While the information she provided undoubtedly played a decisive role in changing the course of the war, there were still plenty of people who doubted its significance.
Moreover, the biggest issue was that Beatrice herself still retained the temperament of a child.
"If only she were shameless and greedy, it'd be easier to handle, but her excessive sensitivity is a problem."
"…"
It's true. During our first meal together, she seemed like a child, and I've even seen her being scolded.
"Honestly, this request was made on the off chance that you might take her with you."
Guardia concluded, putting a period to the conversation.
I cheered inwardly.
'Lucky me!'
[Please speak in a language I can understand. If you have a stealth skill, it might be possible to assist you in unforeseen situations.]
'Agreed! But….'
The problem is, she's not here right now….
"What if Beatrice doesn't want to go?"
"Hmm…. I don't think that'll be the case. I did say she's overly sensitive, didn't I?"
"Yes, she didn't seem that way at all."
"She's more reserved than you'd think. Maybe she's approaching you because she's taken a liking to you."
"Ah…."
Is it my scent…?
"I'll try to persuade her myself. The sister of the hero who came with me seemed to like her."
"Hahaha. I'd appreciate that. I was worried that if I said it, it might come off as an order and make her uneasy."
***
After finishing the meal with the Demon King, I headed to the guest room.
'Wow…. Jackpot. I might not even need to come back here again.'
[A very positive situation has unfolded. If things with Beatrice are resolved well, it seems we might never have to return here.]
Though we might be invited again, I decided to think about that when the time comes.
However, while the situation is positive, whether Beatrice will actually follow me is still uncertain.
Honestly, I really wanted to take her with me.
I still had no solution for her libido control and immunity to seduction skills, but if we spent enough time together, an opportunity might arise someday.
Today, everything was coming to an end.
The matters with the noblewomen, the noblemen, the kid… well, the kid still has some loose ends, but it's mostly done.
'Should I go see the two of them first?'
***
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