Ryuji's words didn't really matter to Chifuyu, whether they were true or not was irrelevant to her. She only cared about one thing: Her mission.
So after sensing that Ryuji seemed relatively easy to talk to, Chifuyu spoke up without hesitation.
"These things don't really matter. After all, whenever you decide to take my virginity, I won't be able to stop you anyway, will I?"
After saying this, she continued.
"I just want to remind you, the monsters called goblins at the Seventh Fortress aren't simple monsters. According to the goddess, they are monsters from another world and endless in number. However, the gods have no intention of intervening, so mortals must rely on themselves to resist them. But I've personally fought those monsters; most ordinary soldiers are not capable of dealing with them."
Mission!
That was the first thing Ryuji thought of upon hearing her description!
There was no such thing in the Kuroinu storyline. So, it absolutely had to be a mission.
This made an idea surface in Ryuji's mind, so he directly asked.
"You seem very concerned about this. Do you have a special mission? Or are you not from this world?"
Ryuji asked directly because Chifuyu's behavior really did resemble that of a transmigrator.
But Chifuyu glanced at Ryuji, then at Esdeath. In her eyes, Esdeath was a madwoman and Ryuji clearly wasn't a good person either. So, she denied it without hesitation.
"No."
It might have seemed foolish, but from the start she had never imagined that another transmigrator like herself could establish an empire in such a short time.
Because in her mind, someone who could overthrow a country and sweep through other nations must have been preparing for a very long time, not someone who arrived recently like her.
So, not wanting to reveal her identity, Chifuyu directly denied it.
"I don't understand why you'd think that. I'm just an ordinary mercenary. I only intervened because those monsters are extremely ferocious."
She had considered claiming to be a divine envoy or something, but she had just seen the elf goddess who she previously considered as a goddess, the source of the immense energy her IS detected kneeling in a prisoner cart. So, she didn't bother.
If they've captured the goddess, would they care about a so-called divine envoy?
That would be ridiculous. It's better to show obedience and state the real threat; maybe the other party would focus on dealing with the threat and forget about... taking her.
It was psychological warfare.
"I see..."
Ryuji felt something was off, but since she denied it outright, he couldn't be bothered to pursue it further.
Honestly, his brain felt like it was turning into white sticky fluid!
"Then get ready. You'll come to serve to me in bed tomorrow."
Ryuji was actually more interested in the Elf Goddess, but looking at Esdeath's expectant face, he decided to deal with Esdeath the day after tomorrow and make a final decision.
But before that, he'd fulfill Esdeath's wish!
After all, this was the last step in securing Esdeath's trust.
And to be honest, he really did like women of her type.
"Then I'll go handle the handover. You two chat first."
Seeing that Ryuji indeed liked the "bone" she'd brought back, Esdeath happily released his arm and went off, smiling as she prepared to completely disperse her troops, handing them over to Ryuji's subordinates.
This was also a step to gain trust because she genuinely wanted to become someone mutually trustworthy with Ryuji. Therefore, she had no intention of making a mistake at the final step.
However, as she was leaving, she turned her head and made a 'I'm watching you' gesture at Chifuyu.
She was threatening Chifuyu saying that: if she didn't obey, Esdeath would kill her.
Chifuyu remained silent and did not response. For her, with things having reached this point, what else could she do?
Looking at the silent Chifuyu, quietly holding her arm as she stood there, Ryuji walked over and put his arm around her waist.
If it had been the Dark Elf Queen or that idiotic Reincarnation of the Goddess, he wouldn't be so polite, since their brain-dead nature was too obvious.
But even towards Alicia, he maintained a certain level of respect. Therefore, towards this dignified female knight, Ryuji still...
Still liked to train/discipline them.
After all, having finally obtained a king's position, he had no intention of destroying it recklessly.He still needed some capable people from this world to govern.
Although these women might all be flawed in the head, but as long as their loyalty was intact, that was enough.
And these women's abilities were truly good; using them only in bed was a waste.
So, he pulled Chifuyu, who was stiff because he put his arm around her waist, into his arms, he gently patted her arm, trying to help her relax, but unfortunately, it didn't work very well.
But Ryuji knew what to do. He led Chifuyu to look towards the city and began strolling through it.
Ryuji was walking through the streets holding Chifuyu in his arms, his guards only followed at a distance, awaiting Ryuji's commands, allowing Ryuji to walk freely on the main streets.
The streets were exceptionally lively due to the army's return from its campaign. Merchants who had heard the army plundered a lot of wealth flocked to the city and the families of soldiers were beaming with joy. The city was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
The city's residents were also accustomed to Ryuji walking the streets because he often went out for walks and shopped with his women. So, although people watched, it no longer caused crowding.
And what Ryuji wanted was for 'Charlotte' to see his benevolent rule.
He bought a piece of candy and handed it to a child who bowed deeply to him. Ryuji noticed that under everyone's gaze, 'Charlotte' wasn't very comfortable with all the attention. He also didn't like others looking at her thighs, so he untied his cloak and draped it over Chifuyu, allowing her to cover her body.
Only then did he begin to explain.
"Esdeath is just like that. In her world, the only law is survival of the fittest. In a society that cruel, it's normal for her to have such a personality."
Ryuji had his own opinion of Esdeath.
At her core, she was essentially a feral child, one who had learned the rules of society just well enough to speak like a human.
Her way of thinking was still rooted in raw survival instincts. Because of that, every time the topic came up, Ryuji felt somewhat helpless.
This was precisely the most important reason he didn't truly trust Esdeath.
Esdeath's thought process was fundamentally different from his. Until he was absolutely certain that Esdeath genuinely believed he stood above her, Ryuji would never fully trust her.
Chifuyu remained silent because she knew Ryuji was right. This wretched world was truly beyond saving. However, she felt Ryuji was merely finding excuses for himself.
But what Ryuji said next made her look at him in surprise.
"That's why I chose to overthrow the original king and kingdom and completely resolved the Dark Elf Queen issue. However, the issue of governance cannot be solved immediately. People's faith in the nobility won't fade away overnight, so I need to do some rather harsh things.
I'm sorry, but I am indeed a man with selfish desires. I'm attracted to beautiful women like you. Furthermore, practical interests tell me this is the best course of action. So, I won't let you go, because you are beautiful, and strong enough that Esdeath considered you a worthy opponent. I need both your body and your abilities."
Chifuyu hadn't expected Ryuji to be so frank. She pursed her lips, wanting to say something, but ultimately didn't speak.
The public order, environment, and the respect people showed him here were unlike anything she had seen in other kingdoms. At least there was no excrement or garbage on Ryuji's streets. The children weren't afraid of him, and everyone who bowed to him did so sincerely and happily.
To be honest, she had never seen a king like this before. Even the so-called approachable Elf Goddess gave her a strong sense of distance.
"Therefore, I'm sorry, but I will indeed do unforgivable things to you. This is my sin. You can hate me as much as you want for it, but I will not refrain from doing it."
As he spoke, Ryuji casually distributed the candies in his hand to the children following behind them, smiling as he patted their heads and sent them off to play.
Watching Ryuji's smile, Chifuyu didn't know what to make of him. To say such things so openly, she couldn't tell whether he was being honest… or foolish.
Ryuji himself didn't fully understand why he was explaining any of this to a woman who was clearly... pliable.
But his instincts told him: Just do it.
"You don't need to tell me all this," Chifuyu said quietly.
Chifuyu wasn't so foolish as to not realize that Ryuji planned to sleep with her tomorrow largely to satisfy Esdeath's craving for validation.
"I just don't want you to hate the wrong person. I'm just telling you that the person you should hate most is me. I don't want anyone else to bear hatred meant for me. Esdeath's plundering, her coercion towards you, all of it was authorized and permitted by me."
Chifuyu frowned slightly. She didn't quite agree with this statement, but to be honest, hearing such words as a prisoner, one about to be forced into bed, felt incredibly strange.
But Ryuji's words came from the bottom of his heart.
"A subordinate's mistake is the king's mistake, Miss Charlotte. So, if you feel fate has treated you unfairly, you're welcome to assassinate me at any time. I will not blame you for it, but I also will not let you avoid becoming my consort, my general."
Ryuji looked at the 'Charlotte' before him and spoke with a smile.
As for the talk of assassination...
Hadn't he already figured out the nature of women in this world?!
Tomorrow, once he strips her naked and engage in a series of... piston-like movements throughout the night, the next day she'd likely be wishing she could shove her sister, mother and all her female relatives into his bed.
What was the point of giving such a... woman the right to assassinate him?
He was just indulging in a bit of roleplay.
What was wrong with that?
But Chifuyu, unaware of all this, was now utterly at a loss for how to evaluate Ryuji. She could only voice her genuine impression.
"...You really are a peculiar person."
"Can't be helped. If you want to accomplish something in this world, you have to be unconventional."
Ryuji adopted a profound tone, then swiftly moved to the matter he was most concerned about.
"Can you describe those monsters in more detail?"
He planned to question "Charlotte" here, then later interrogate the elf goddess in the dungeon, while dealing with Olga at the same time.
That way, there would be no chance of collusion.
"They are a group of extremely vicious monsters with a particular obsession for women. I've rescued many women they used as food, weapons, or even as... breeding tools."
Speaking of these things, Chifuyu instantly became serious.
"Once they invade this world, its order will undoubtedly be challenged. Moreover, they can summon monsters that give me a sense of mortal danger. So, if we are to attack these creatures, we must wipe them all out in one go."
Taking a deep breath, Chifuyu quickly recounted what she had witnessed.
Many of the women she rescued were already pregnant. The goblins they gave birth to were filled with malice towards humans from the moment of birth. Some even immediately sought out their own mothers, wanting to devour their flesh or... immediately attempt pass on their DNA.
Such disgusting monsters and the chaotic state of this world filled Chifuyu with a deep sense of revulsion. After she finished speaking, she was startled to realize that most of her hostility towards Ryuji had vanished.
After listening, Ryuji had only one thought:
These are no ordinary goblins.
We must strike hard.
While he was lustful, he wouldn't stand by and watch such monsters rampage in this world if he had the power to stop them.
Furthermore, he already considered this world his private property. How could he tolerate these goblins wreaking such havoc on this world's women like this?!
If only Esdeath had reported this information the moment they met, he would have mobilized the troops immediately.
Didn't they know every woman in this world potentially belonged to him?! Every woman could be his future mother-in-law, or wife.
Damn it! Daring to threaten my potential mothers-in-law and wives.
This is no longer an ordinary threat.
They must be eliminated immediately!!
"I will lead the expedition myself, taking the main army and knights to completely wipe out the monsters in that place. Esdeath really is something… she didn't even bother to report something this important to me. As for taking your... virginity, we can discuss that later. Compared to this matter, these monsters are far more important."
Chifuyu was stunned. She had already prepared herself for Ryuji to ignore the situation entirely and focus only on sleeping with her.
But she never, ever expected that Ryuji, with so many female prisoners at his disposal, would immediately choose to launch an attack.
"Come with me. We must convene a meeting to discuss this immediately," Ryuji said, with a headache forming.
Esdeath's thought process was truly beyond his comprehension, how could something like this be considered a trivial matter in her mind.
However, Ryuji quickly understood Esdeath's perspective.
In Esdeath's mind, successfully becoming Ryuji's woman was the most important thing. As for the situation at the Seventh Fortress, the troops she left behind should be sufficient to hold out until they returned.
But for Ryuji, just hearing about the goblins' actions was enough to make him nauseous, let alone allowing such creatures to run rampant.
More importantly...
Ryuji had seen firsthand just how formidable these things could be.
Esdeath had not. After confirming that those goblins could be killed by her at will, she hadn't given them a second thought.
Leaving a heavy garrison to guard the place was, in her view, sufficient.
And in truth, it probably was. Ryuji didn't think the goblins described by 'Charlotte' had the capability to breach city walls.
For Esdeath, preventing Ryuji from leaving to deal with this matter instead of... being with her was more important.
Clearly, although Esdeath had chosen to submit, her personality still subconsciously drove her to want to dominate everything!
At this moment, Ryuji's intuition screamed at him that: to deal with a woman like Esdeath, he needed to thoroughly show her what it meant to be a woman, what it meant to be... defeated, precisely when she was being so presumptuous! Only then could he perfectly subdue her.
But what he didn't understand was why he had to wait until now. Why hadn't his intuition prompted him to do this from the very beginning?
Yet his instincts told him: this was the best approach.
Ryuji began walking swiftly, even forgetting about Chifuyu's hands. This made Chifuyu glance at her completely unrestrained body and the guards who were definitely no match for her.
"..."
Was he… actually a good king?
Chifuyu's feelings were incredibly complicated. If not for Ryuji insisting on... sleeping with her, she would undoubtedly like such a king very much. After all, in this world, his level of governance could unquestionably be called that of a sage-king.
But he had bluntly told her that he wanted her for her figure and looks and that she was free to hate him for it.
"This guy..."
After hesitating for a long moment, thinking of Revy who was still being held captive and her desire to complete the mission, Chifuyu sighed. She didn't run away. Instead, she followed him.
She didn't like abandoning her companions. And since Ryuji trusted her so implicitly, she felt embarrassed to betray that trust.
And besides... Ryuji really did suit her tastes.
Yes! Ryuji's strategy was working.
The choices he made based on his intuition and instincts, the seemingly foolish actions he took, the seemingly stupid things he said, they all perfectly targeted Chifuyu's heart! They hit right in her psychological "sweet spot" given her current circumstances.
Just as apex predators possessed unique instincts no other creatures had; Ryuji, driven by his desire for women, had also awakened a peculiar power within his body and soul.
His body would instinctively seek out the thoughts and emotional feedback of the women he desired, then let him know exactly how to win their affection, easily obtain their forgiveness, their fondness, and even get them into his bed.
This was the instinct for wooing!
Or rather...
The Hunting Instinct.
And in this world, this instinct had been amplified.
~~~~~~~~~~
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