Chapter 256: Surprisingly Legal (1)
I told Jake I'd be out for a bit and got on the carriage with the peddler guy.
Since it was near the capital, there wasn't going to be any danger, and I was confident I'd be back quickly, so I only brought my mana saber and left the rest of my gear behind.
"Hyaa!"
Hearing the carriage set off, I leaned comfortably back into the seat while the peddler organized the various goods he'd brought.
"So this poultry farm—it's actually an ostrich farm, isn't it?"
"You know ostriches?"
"Yeah. The school nurse is an ecologist."
"They might look like ostrich eggs, but they're not. They're a bit more refined, how should I say..."
The peddler seemed unsure whether he should say more or not.
"You'll understand when you get there. I just want you to know this operation isn't illegal."
"What's illegal about a poultry farm?"
"Even though the kingdom properly authorized it as a new business, a lot of people opposed it from the start."
That's not a great sign.
I hope this isn't some kind of shady scheme where they rope a knight in to make him complicit, then later if anything goes wrong they say, 'You were part of it, help us or we'll reveal your involvement.'
'Of course, if they try that, Seyra would crush them administratively.'
That kind of trick might work on other knights, but not on me—Seyra's personal knight.
"Still, if you come along this time, you'll get plenty of eggs, and we'll even treat you to a meal."
"Unless this is one of those shady posters saying, 'Healthy men with type O blood, non-smokers and non-drinkers welcome!'"
"It is..."
Wait a sec. That sounds exactly like a human trafficking rumor!
There are urban legends about kidnappers luring healthy men with free meals or jobs, then selling them as combat slaves or harvesting their organs to sell to necromancers.
'No way they'd be dumb enough to target knights—especially in groups.'
Even when abducting normal strong men, they have to be careful. Trying to kidnap knights, who could crush a man's skull with their bare hands, is suicide.
And if knights suddenly disappeared, the kingdom would launch an investigation immediately. Doing all that just to sell someone into slavery? The risk is way too high to be profitable.
People do bad things because there's money in it, not just for evil's sake. No business, not even in the underworld, runs on pure malice without profit.
Maybe if it were a government-funded operation to weaken the kingdom's knights...
"Damn."
I was bored, so all kinds of random thoughts came to mind.
But as the carriage sped up after leaving the capital, the boredom faded and I started enjoying the scenery. That was when the carriage began to slow down.
"We're here."
About an hour by carriage. Not far at all.
"Hmm...?"
Normally, near a chicken coop, you'd be hit with the stench of chicken shit. But here, strangely, I didn't smell anything.
'Maybe ostrich poop smells less?'
While I was wondering if this was really a poultry farm or actually an ostrich ranch, the peddler and the driver began preparing to leave.
"You're leaving?"
"Yes, the owner here will guide you now."
Well, he only guided me to the entrance of Frederica's homunculus workshop before too. I wasn't expecting more.
Screeeee—
From far above, the cry of a raptor—maybe a hawk or eagle—echoed down. It must be a pretty remote place.
"...There's no way they didn't notice us coming."
The sound of horses and the carriage wheels crunching on rocks is loud enough to be heard a kilometer away.
And since it's so quiet and remote here, the sounds wouldn't have been drowned out.
Creeeak—
"Sorry~ I was just finishing something inside and didn't realize the time~"
I expected the poultry farm owner to be older, but stepping out from the large building was a surprisingly young woman.
She was quite tall for a woman, had work-toned muscles on her arms, and wore comfy pants and a sweat-drenched shirt that clung to her body—and her tits were the size of heads...
'And no bra... ahem!'
I quickly glanced over her body but forced myself to lock eyes before she noticed. If I kept staring at her upper body, my gaze would keep drifting to the soaked, protruding parts. That'd be rude.
"The merchant who guided you must've already left, huh?"
"Yeah, he went back already. He said you'd requested assistance from the knight order."
"Yes~ I did ask, but I wasn't expecting someone so young to come."
We exchanged cheerful greetings. She reached out for a handshake, then remembered her dirty gloves, took them off, and offered her hand again.
Squish.
Her gloved hand had been drenched in sweat. She must have been working hard.
It wasn't particularly hot today, so sweating that much meant she was either the naturally hot type or the work here was just that intense.
'Still wouldn't beat knight training.'
"If you'd come earlier, I could've introduced you to the staff. Too bad. Though I wouldn't have asked for help in front of them anyway."
Good. It looked like I wouldn't have to deal with any overnight stays or working tomorrow morning.
"I didn't get a proper explanation on the way here. Could you tell me what you need help with? As a knight, I can't assist with anything illegal or socially problematic."
"Oh my, I did ask for help, but I didn't expect an actual knight to come."
Yeah, who'd think a few big eggs could lure a real knight? Officially, knights aren't even allowed to accept private rewards. Food is an exception, but even that has limits.
We're basically civil servants with tons of restrictions. Fortunately, since we're trainee knights, the rules are looser, and Seyra doesn't nitpick about small stuff, so I can skim or mooch a bit without her saying much.
"Looks like the merchant didn't explain much?"
"No, only that you needed a knight. Something about a subjugation, maybe?"
"No, it's nothing like that. A recent study got published in the newspaper, and I thought knights could really help based on the findings."
As she said that, her eyes dropped to my lower body.
At first, I thought she was just glancing or maybe looking at my mana saber or belt. But no—she was clearly staring at the bulge in my pants. When my cock twitched from her gaze, her eyes followed the movement.
She was 100% ogling my dick.
'No way... is this about that paper Professor Pandel reviewed, based on Delphine's research—the one saying knight semen contains mana and increases cross-species fertilization rates...?'
The key takeaway from that paper—repeatedly mentioned by both Pandel and Delphine—was that while mana-rich semen drastically improves fertilization rates, it doesn't boost stamina or libido by itself.
Sure, if a knight uses mana circuits, their whole body gets enhanced, so they might seem more virile, but that's from physical health, not mana itself. Mana's only role is boosting sperm's fertilization ability.
'Well, knights are strong and virile guys anyway.'
Thanks to that paper, Owen's been bombarded with messages from noblewomen and weird lady clubs wanting to get friendly with knights. And now this...
"Shall we go inside for the explanation?"
That was it.
100% that.
'No matter how I look at it, I came here as a knight for public aid. And with that paper causing misunderstandings, the knights were ordered to behave properly...'
As I agonized over how to refuse, or whether to secretly bribe the merchant to stay quiet and sneak in some fun time, she put her gloves back on and stepped into the large wooden building she'd been working in.
"Uh... huh?"
She swung the poultry farm doors wide open, and I forgot all about how to reject her or bribe someone. My jaw dropped.
Eggs were being produced inside.
From that alone, it looked like a normal poultry farm. Or maybe just a big ostrich ranch like I expected.
But it was different.
Way too different.
From the size of the eggs, I already guessed they weren't normal chickens. I thought maybe ostriches or another large bird.
But their faces had lips instead of beaks, and where birds usually have plump breast meat, they had actual female breasts. Their torsos, which should've been covered in thick feathers, were instead covered in smooth, humanlike skin.
But they weren't human either. Where arms should be, they had bird wings pressed tightly to their sides. From their thighs down, their legs were birdlike with scaly feet.
And unlike human anatomy, they had cloacas—serving as both reproductive and excretory organs—from which they were laying eggs the size of a child's head.
"Didn't you say you'd help us?"
The farm owner asked casually as she picked up a freshly laid egg still steaming with heat. I was too stunned to answer.
"They're harpies... right?"
"Yep. Nothing illegal about it, is there?"
She gave me a bright country-girl smile, and I was too speechless to say a word.