The stables.
Silas thought no one would visit before the simulation.
"Are you the groom who allegedly defeated an active knight?"
A dark-skinned, well-built man was holding a sword wrapped in many layers of cloth. He had come to deliver a weapon for the bandit culling.
"...It was just luck."
Silas took the heavy iron sword.
It wasn't new.
But fortunately, the edge looked freshly sharpened; it should be usable.
"No need to be modest. People like you and me who hide our strength all have pasts we don't want to mention."
The man sat on the hay without a care, imitating Silas by sticking a piece of straw in his mouth. "Otherwise, why would we end up as mere servants or grooms for a Count?"
"..."
Silas didn't have any past he didn't want to mention.
If he had to say something, it was that he had just touched his black-stockinged assistant's thigh right before he died. He kicked the bucket before anything real happened.
"I once loved a noble lady, but I accidentally slept with her best friend. After she rejected me, I stole her panties. Then I had to come here. I think people who love someone but don't dare to act are cowards, but clearly, the world doesn't understand my determination when I bet my honor as a knight."
"I don't regret it. What about you?"
"..."
Accidentally slept with the goddess's best friend?
That is indeed very "accidental."
"Do you think there's something wrong with me?"
The man gritted his teeth. "You know, back then I was the youngest and most accomplished knight under the Fiona family. I was willing to bet everything to steal those panties, and I had no regrets after losing everything. Is that love not passionate enough? Why did she reject me!"
"?"
Silas didn't care about his abstract story; he just froze, catching a keyword. "Fiona family?"
"Don't believe me? I still have the noble family crest. If you're interested, I can tell you about my heroic exploits back then."
"I wanted to ask... is the Fiona family very famous?"
"Ho..."
The man glanced at Silas, his expression turning solemn. "It seems you came from an enemy nation... your experience must be even more colorful than mine."
"..."
I really don't want to be misunderstood by him. Silas would never "accidentally" sleep with someone and then steal panties to show his resolve.
"Of course, the Fiona family has existed for over a hundred years. They are the largest family outside of the Royals and the Dukes. They have the closest relationship with the Church and are the easiest way to join the Knight Order to earn merits."
"I am honored to be the second son of the head of the Fiona family."
"..."
Could he be the grandson of that Fiona?
"The second son's adoptive mother's aunt's son. Don't look at me as just a relative of a relative; my ancestors indeed had the blood of the Fiona family."
Fuck.
So the blood relation is about eight hundred mountains away?
"Then do you know..."
Silas tried to remember Fiona's full name in his head. He couldn't.
Different question.
"Is the current head of the Fiona family a woman?"
"Why would it be a woman? Of course it's Duke Fiona."
He crossed his arms, sounding quite proud. "When I participated in the swearing-in ceremony, the Duke was watching from the side. He even nodded at me!"
"..."
Silas didn't need to ask to know it was probably a slight nod to a large group of knights.
Well.
Even if it were Fiona, so what? I don't know them.
I'm not even familiar with the Sister I've "finished" inside multiple times, let alone a female knight I haven't even touched.
"This sword is one I picked for you from the warehouse. Make do with it."
"It's just a bunch of bandits; I hope you and I can both shine when the time comes. Join the Knight Order again."
"I feel a connection with you. I hope we can be good comrades in the future."
"..."
The man who wasn't even close to being Fiona's grandson left.
But immediately after, the maid who had been observing in secret for a long time took his place.
As usual, she brought buns with actual filling—this time, it was meat and vegetables.
Top notch!
"Are you going to leave this place to become a knight? Being a knight is glorious, but it's hard and exhausting, and you'll always be living on edge."
She bit her lip lightly.
"I don't have that plan for now."
"Is that so?"
She immediately sat closer. "You're so young, and you traveled across the sea from the far East. You must be very lonely."
"..."
Silas chewed and swallowed the dough and meat filling.
Have I been getting hit on by women a lot lately?
The Princess was like this, and now the maid, as if they didn't care at all about their breasts touching him. A beauty with zero distance.
If I really had a go in the hay to end my virginity in reality... it wouldn't be out of the question.
"How about I introduce you to a nice girl?"
"A very clean girl. Hardworking too, and most importantly... she's not flashy at all, just a girl from the countryside."
"...I'm not considering it right now. Once the Lord is willing to let me do business, I'll think about it. Thank you for the kindness, Big Sister."
"Ho ho~ So you plan to do business in the future? You're so handsome and your mouth is so sweet, you'll definitely succeed. Why is there a piece of straw in your hair? A future head of a merchant guild can't travel like this."
The maid's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
"..."
"Hah... there's more here."
"..."
If you're picking out straw, just pick it out. Why the heavy breathing? Her bulging curves brushed against his face intentionally or not, and her thighs were wriggling around.
"Alright, I've already satisfied... ah, no, cough. I have to go back to work. If you're still hungry, come find me late tonight."
"..."
Watching the maid's somewhat stumbling legs disappear into the darkness under her oddly swaying skirt, Silas rubbed his temples.
Merchant, knight, or even higher statuses.
None of them were really what he wanted.
In his past life, he struggled purely for material desire. In the end, when his desires were mostly satisfied, he became lost. He just wanted to see what life would be like without a lack of money and without pressure.
He was curious what a person would become if they didn't lack money and didn't need to struggle for survival. When he finally touched his assistant's black-stockinged thigh, what he thought was... after material desire ends, what's left is a long-term lack.
Could it be that after I truly become a merchant, I'll become a despicable merchant just like in the simulation... using money to open a harem? This world is even more convenient than his past life; except for specific groups, there is no monogamy. You can keep as many concubines as you want.
That sounds alright.
Selection, then forming a maid dance troupe of hundreds of high-quality women. But if I truly unite with that woman who claims to be a fallen Princess, the right to a dance troupe would be stripped away.
Fuck.
Pumping points into Charisma is indeed useful. From a groom who felt his job was threatened suddenly finding him likable, to the maid completely adopting the "sister" persona to bring food... to the Princess looking at him differently.
But he had no idea if they were thirsty for his body or what.
Because he had simulated the Sister, his thoughts were completely skewed. Now he was on the right path; they needed him, but he... he was the one truly thirsty for their bodies and statuses.
Sophisticated egoism? There was no other way; he couldn't invest too much emotion. In reality, he had seen too many people around him get scammed and cry their eyes out.
[New simulation available in: 00 hours, 00 minutes, 12 seconds]
[...]
['Love and Trials' at your service]
[Start a new simulation?]
[Yes/No]
It has come to this.
To hell with it, let's go in and see.
Simulation, launch!