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屑芙兰：咕咕咕，这是发到Royal Road上的英文版，顺便给各位造成一种我更新了的错觉。

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Vol.1 Chpt.1 Berde the Western Island

Berde, named the island in the west, could be called a nation. The Border Duke back then crowned himself a king, with his suzerain’s mercy, for the greater lord did not compare the small island with the stupendous continent his boots trod on.

There was never a cartographer mapped this nation precise, that its size is normally overestimated. It was nonetheless a bigger island thousands of miles away the continent.

The central Berde was a warm territory, seen no snow nor ice all year round, with plenty of agriculture and minerals. Magia on this land was terrifyingly abundant:

The South meant to be hotter, was frozen and formed were the icebergs, confronting was the shining sun. It so vapored, it so collapsed, then so flooded, freezing as it ran, and a plain on the frozen zone was so washed and flattened. In the North was the lava and volcano, which provides half of the bricks that made the buildings. The stretching-out peninsula in the East was the man-swallowing desert, while the toxic fogged forest with swamps in between it takes the rest.

Those pioneers who blazed the paths and dug the canals. They trod above the wreckages made of cedar that gnawed by the reeves and torn by the winds and waves, and that route was navigated. Shipping eastwards the peaceful eastern bay to the capital, so was the civilisation reaching.

The royal capital was built right in the centre of its terrain, closer to the eastern bay, to be specific. According to the standard made on the continent, no place other than the capital should be called a ‘city’.

The villages located near the border had way sturdier ‘walls’ compared to the common towns on the continent. Except that the Chivalric Order belonged to the king, the troops armed till their teeth were stationed in every minor territory and owned heavy siege defences. Conquering a village on the border here might cost much more blood than conquering a fortified city elsewhere. Surely, thanks to the wars.

The wars, by means, targeted the monsters born on this magical island. Humans on the continent had little interest in conquering this area, which had led to the prosperity of the marine trades. The development on this faraway island is thus not much behind, and the armaments designed against the monsters were the popular goods this island.

If one wanders around the streets in the capital, he might hear all kinds of tones the continent. That definitely was not due to the immigrants who had settled down for generations, but to the merchants. A few of them sold or purchased goods, yet most of them sold their force individually or as a team--They preferred to call themselves ‘mercenaries’ or ‘adventurers’.

The trading zone was located in the centre of the middle-class region. Those foreigners then gathered at the margin of the region, thus forming multiple stripped areas there. Except necessary public order, the city guardians would unlikely intervene with such a complex cohabitation. After all they have no duty towards these non-citizens, and thus some autonomous modes were adopted on the surface and in secret. If any citizen would like to do business there, they might better not get into any conflict.

About the slums, there are fewer differences than any other same kinds in any other place around the world. If one had to visit there, he would better get himself someone reliable, or be confident enough to get rid safely when ‘just in case’.

A wall was there inside the city wall, which might had led to the half sky to be seen by any habitant anythey look at with their neck up. Just, some shining spires grew there inside that wall. Needless telling, that surrounded the nobles living, the inner city. If you send me a letter, the letter would go across that wall, and climb up to some higher place, just as I was not any noble.

In the inner city, most of the educational institutions are public, but one family was in total monopoly of all the duties in education, with merely the royal orders followed by. The main academic region was split into three parts: the Academia, the Chivalria and the Monasteria. There were clear borders between them. Although they were all next to each other, only the Monasteria was linked through both of them. I am a teacher in the Chivalria.

About myself, I have heard that four or five generations ago, my family was some kind of noble of some nation. They got exiled because they lost the political struggle, then escaped all the way to this island nation. Maybe the title and the surname was still well-known, yet worth no more. The powers on the island were long ago settled, and the newly immigrated nobles made their lives by shining the boots of the upper ‘older’ ones.

I graduated the highest Academia but was elbowed out for having no relationship. So I taught liberal arts in such a school for training ‘barbarians’. With tight funding, there were only two teachers of liberal arts in the whole Chivalria, so I covered all the lessons for the lower grades. Easy to know that, this is an to-maximum exploited, though paid not bad.

Who joined the troop and were able to be a chevalier were mostly the second sons of the lords. The firstborn should go to Academia for their future political career. The Chivalria trained about a hundred junior officers or bodyguards for the greater lords per year; thus the Bachelors and Bachelorettes (male and female chevalier trainees) were allocated into different classes based on their duties.

The rules on the Island literally did not allow females to join the troops, because many species would capture them for reproduction. Women forces would possibly be the later burdens. Even the female adventurers are only allowed to leave the town and fight if they are senior warriors or high-level sorcerers, or nuns, or otherwise they would not be allowed to stay in the border villages.

Even so, there were always an amount of Bachelorettes assigned to a special class each year. They were normally trained as the personal bodyguards for future female political figures. These young ladies the noble families had their behaviours that matched their status and their status also ensured they are not excluded in social circles.

Due to the ‘pure bloodline’ on the island, especially among the nobles, everyone sports golden hair. If I were to stand among these girls, I’d like to be too ashamed to stay: their neatly styled blonde hair and various light-coloured eyes (commonly blue) combined with their natural fair skin and well-inherited facial features, as well as their trained upright postures, made me, a black-haired commoner with a foreign face, appeared like a ‘loot’ they captured. If one of them would like to stand beside me, I, as a man, might be advantaged by my height, yet still feeling inferior. It was easy to imagine that when standing in front of a group of Bachelors, I could barely muster any authority as their teacher.

Fortunately, these well-educated gentlemen and ladies at least recognise the simple word ‘respect,’ especially these girls, which prevented me lacking any decorum when dealing with females. Rather, they often subtly drew out the grace that was meant to flow in my bloodline (in terms of age, I was not much older than the girls). Over time, I as a new comer had even become somewhat acquainted with these students.

Na, they did respect me, perhaps it was because I kept some hard-to-believe tolerance for some of their private maters...

————

 

‘Uh——There are still, two more classes in the lower grades, uh!’

 

This was truly a tiring and unpleasant job. Teaching those young masters was equally being a clown on stage. These spoiled brats had long mastered the skill of staring blankly while distracted. A history class for them was just a break between their tactical drills and personal combat training. Exams? Such standardised nonsense did not even require attention in the class.

One noon, I walked along as I was complaining in my mind as usual, while gazing at the patterns on the floor tiles. No one would willingly go all the way up to the rooftop garden for a short break during lunchtime. So I often came up here alone to have a cuppa and ponder.

This garden was merely a decorative setting for occasional school board meetings or for the noble ladies to have their teatime when the king visits. During these spare times, vines and the lawn would be nourished by the warm, damp weather and the abundant nutrients dropped the sky, growing wildly. During the recent rainy season, weeds had already grown so tall that they could cover boots, while the vines had climbed up the legs of the ‘Guardian Goddess’ statue in the centre of the garden, as if trying to reach into the dress of this stone-made woman, teasing her private part.

Once in the gardener’s idle chatter, I had also overheard more vulgar ‘jokes’: though the ‘Guardian Goddess’ was a religious legend that existed long before the school’s completion, the sculpture was modelled after the face of a mistress of a former dean of the school board. This statue thus has a ‘charm’ that attracts plants to climb on it, just as that enchanting woman soon seduced a noble man the Eastern Continent and after a passionate affair, they abandoned their business and diplomatic affairs then ran off both.

The pedestal of the statue was already at the height of my eyebrows. Except for the front of the statue facing the entrance of the courtyard, surrounding the pedestal and each side of the courtyard were put benches for resting. Thanks to this wealthy and grand magical craftsmanship, these benches, which were already placed here before our family arrived on the island, had not rotted rainwater and only need their paint refreshed yearly to maintain.

I slumped onto one of the benches, taking this rare tranquillity to temporarily let the troubles of my work be in oblivion.

‘A cup of tea, if only, the high mountains in the east of the continent...’

They would merely gift a tiny amount as a ‘consolation’ to teachers every year! If I would want to buy some, a *catty (a Berde catty is a bit more than 600 grams) of the middle-level would cost all my salary of a month! Even when I had some addiction, I had to bear it. In this rich zone, nothing can be more painful than a lack of money.

Fantasising the taste of the tea, a ‘siu——’ whistled through the air and pierced into my ear. I immediately jumped up the bench. In the next second, the automatic magic barrier of the statue was triggered, blocking a short spear - one of the weapons commonly used by the Bachelorettes - flying towards it.

‘What the hell!’ I had been practising sorcery since childhood. I cast a spell that made myself leap into the air and landed on on the pedestal. I crouched low and hugged a leg of the statue to hide well, then casted a defensive and stealth barrier. If I stood up straight at that moment, my head would go right into the dress of the lady, but there was definitely shoddy work there, for nothing had been made.

Bam! Something hit the pedestal. When I looked closely, I saw two heads of blonde hair with slightly different colours. Looking even closer, I matched them to two Bachelorettes the lowest grade, but I could not remember their names. When not undergoing combat training, their hairstyles were just as varied, which prevented me completely failing to recognise them due to their identical doll-like faces.

‘Why...why did you say “no?” We were...even just...’

Crying was the girl with wavy hair, her ponytail extended the upper back of her head to her shoulder. Her bangs swept across her forehead, and her side hair, reaching her chin, resembled ripples that had collided with an embankment and stopped. Tears fell her blue eyes, dripping onto her somewhat pale cheeks with pattering sounds. For some reason, a worrying blush had appeared on this white, doll-like face. I vaguely remember a student with similar features in that grade, named ‘Veronica.’

‘I told you, I have liked someone! Why do you have to force me?!’

This girl is a bit shorter in stature, and her hair is also cut relatively short, just covering her neck the back. I remembered there was also a quiet girl, named ‘Vialatte,’ and other girls called her ‘Via.’

‘Are you disgusted with me, or do you dislike everyone except for your Senior Jeanne?’

Veronica kept crying, but she was in a completely dominant state, pinning the shorter Via against the wall (which was actually the pedestal) with just one hand. Her palm pressed against Via's clavicle, her fingers trembling, trying not to strangle her, but pressing hard enough to make her struggle to breathe.

‘How?! I always regard you... as my best friend!’

“Y’re lying! You were always staring intently at Senior Jeanne whenever she passed by! You acted like you were dismissive talking to me! In the dorm, you always mentioned ‘Senior, Senior, Senior...’ when chatting with other girls! You know I do not like her much, and you always could not help but mention her in front of me!’

It was such a complicated relationship...

‘Why cheating you? Senior Jeanne is outstanding, but she is too far us! If I were just by your side, I would follow you...I take you as my goal, even if I can defeat you once...’

Still holding the sword tight... It seems these girls had fought all the way up to the rooftop. The short spear that just flew over was clearly thrown like a dart -- what do you want by making such ruthless strikes?!

‘Listen up! One day, I will be just good as her! You shall follow me then willingly! Making you proud to mention me like that!’

‘No, you already have... You are my pride...’

Girls can also be like... Is that word called ‘hot-blooded?’

The girls embraced then, loosed the hands which weapons were gripped, as if they were likely making up again. Uh, their uniforms were all torn... those were not armour meant for battle. As nobles’ guards, no matter the occasion, even in dresses as messy as rags, they must be in combat stance immediately.

The uniform included a waistcoat of white fabric; a thin leather breastplate (it was said to appear upright), revealing the shoulders but with open collars; decorating with a three-layered fan-shaped deep red ceremonial cravat which was adorned with a brass stag heard (it is said that was a very fierce monster); simple sea blue skirts covering more than half of their thighs, decorated with white lace at the edge; unified black pantyhose and white gloves and a pair of heeled dark brown leather shoes. I often stared blankly at these Bachelorettes, for the youthful vitality highlighted by the noble uniforms was so captivating.

However, both of these girls’ uniforms were somewhat damaged, the linings of the waistcoats and breastplates peeking out various cuts. The ceremonial cravats and skirt hems were torn into tatters, with even bloodstains visible. Fortunately, the Monsteria had medical sorcerers who could heal the scars. Such an expensive technique is a privilege for these noble ladies, funded by the family members they protect.

I thought that was the end, but the girls just... I should have seen it right? The girls were -- kissing?

The one being restrained was still restrained. Veronica grabbed Via’s wrists with both hands, pressed her against the ‘wall,’ and brought her mouth close.

‘Eeeya! Why did you bite me?’ Veronica suddenly cried.

‘Too far! It was my first kiss, you... How could you just stick your tongue in... with no prepare...’ Via choked out softly.

‘... I know! I’d be gentle, and Via try to be cooperative!’

Squelch squelch -- their saliva mingled, gradually becoming more unrestrained within minutes, starting faint and delicate, accompanied by Via's pleading ‘ooh-ooh’ sounds.

‘Tis NOT fine...’ I was at least an appropriate-age young man, and his kind of situation made it hard for me to get myself controlled, especially maintaining such a low posture. Blood started to constantly concentrate to the lower body.

‘Hold it, hold it!’ I did not have the confidence to face any bachelor or bachelorette; if the two had murderous intent for confidentiality, I am afraid that I would become excellent fertiliser for the grass and vines here. At least not now could I get myself discovered.

I underestimated the capabilities of the teenage girls, especially these noble ladies who were usually proper and well-behaved. In such a private setting, they completely loosened their strings.

Veronica wrapped her arms around Via’s waist, turning her over and pressing her body down on the floor... no! Stop! Going any way further would definitely be crossing the line!

I saw Veronica bit her at fingertips, pulled off her gloves and tossed them aside. She began pawing at the girl who was even more slender than herself. To be precise, she had already undressed the girl’s chestplate and reached out with one hand towards her skirt. At that moment, she was about to touch, perhaps realised their states, both of them stopped actions in shock, panting and staring at each's faces.

‘Would it not be... too much...I’ve not prepared...myself...’

There was no resistance at all!

‘It shouldn't... no, it's impossible for anyone to find out!’

'Tis already seen by somebody!

‘Then... softer... please...’ The obedient Via whispered a request to Veronica, who completely held the initiative.

‘If you feel bad, just call me, I have been--’ Veronica was already impatient.

‘Ah-ooh! Do not touch...not lick there!’ 

The girl pinned down could merely clamp her legs together, but this did not stop the other's advance. A slender hand of a girl could still move freely in the gap between her legs. The already exposed skin on her chest was arbitrarily licked by another’s tongue, with only her anxious hands having noto place.

‘Hmmm...Mmph..um?’ Veronica suddenly stopped her movements, withdrew her hand, looking at her moist fingertips.

“You’ve got...’

‘Yuck!’ The shy girl punched the other’s shoulder with her fist. If it was a strong punch, she might had been knocked up to the air?

‘No one had ever touched me like... Not even myself... Mmmmuuum...’

Seemed like crying.

‘Wasn’t it good?’ A malicious question.

‘Oohhh-Em...’ Her neck to the roots of her ears was already blushed.

Veronica wanted to move on. A chevaliere on the battlefield was called a ferret, with an innocent appearance that could always strike her opponents deadly once, or would cut through the throat in addition, or sever the throat, or tear the heart out, so that the enemy could no longer get up. But what I saw at this moment was clearly a cat playing with her prey.

Veronica braced her limbs on the floor, slowly backing away, climbing onto Via’s upraised knees, bringing her face close to her groin.

‘Sssss -- hurts!’ Just fought each other, Via's left leg was injured. A sharp edge of the spear neatly cut through her stocking, pierced her skin. The wound was not deep, but was still oozing blood. The pressure pressed by Veronica’s hand on her thigh ached the wound.

‘Sorry, darling! I should’ve been more careful.’

Whispering reassurances in a teasing tone, Veronica simultaneously slid her fingers across her reaching out tongue tip, and the lewd sucking sounds were just heard my position.

‘Even like that?’ The younger ones had countless tricks I had never heard of. She just wrote a small healing spell on her tongue, just applying sorcery to the spell, then activating the healing effect, but --

‘Eeeeyahhh -- Stop it! Ticklish! Niiiii--’

The ultra-fast healing of the wound stimulated the subcutaneous nerves, causing a mild numbness effect. Combined with the wet tongue constantly teasing the sensitive inner thigh, the girl’s body could be seen trembling noticeably. She still offered no resistance.

‘Just bear with it. The injuries we got training were much worse! How can you dis your grace!’

‘Ooh-ooh! Not the same! Getting hurt was not the... Yah--’

Seemed like she was crying again after being bullied so. This time, the tip of Veronica’s tongue, which bore a healing spell, pointed directly at the pistil at the hem of her skirt. The relatively thicker underwear was teased apart, the moist touch of the tongue and the effect of the healing spell directly penetrated the thin pantyhose and conveyed inwards.

‘Naaa, no! Stop! I beg you! I beg you stopppp!!’ 

‘Puru puru,’ the offensive grew fiercer with the sounds of pleading, and the victimised Via even let out shrieks in a soft voice, accompanied by gasps filled with sobs. According to the terminology in certain types of books, this kind of voice should be called ‘moaning.’ Veronica’s hands did not stop either; one gently stroked the wound on Via’s thigh, while the other tightly gripped her hand, preventing her resisting in a one-handed posture to support her body.  

‘You are really, extremely -- incomparably lovely!’

‘Ngh ngh -- Please stop! Stop--’

Sobbing and gasping sounds mingled with the fluctuating sound of saliva. This poor girl had already lost the ability to resist, only repeating those two or three pleading words, which made her ‘predator’ certain that she had completely submitted, thus allowing her to act even more recklessly.

‘Nee, neeee-- Take no more! Down there... too unbearable! Ooh-ooh -- AH --’

With a spasm, the girl could no longer support herself and collapsed onto the grass, letting her tears flow to both sides, gasping for breath, with only whimpers still lingering.

‘You, uuugh, too much!’

‘Sorry, because I am... I like you too much!’ Gently kissing the other's face, Veronica stroked Via's face to wipe away the tears. This composed girl lied gently beside her ‘lover’.

‘Nice chance!’ 

I seized the opportunity to circle around the outer perimeter of the garden the opposite direction and escaped.

————

 

There happened to be a lecture for the girls of the lower grade in the afternoon, and as expected, two seats were spare in the class. In the middle of the lecture, two girls with their shy faces went inside, having changed into brand new uniforms, eyes darting around.

‘Although my course is not that important for you, it might still... not really good to be late?’ I managed a smile, after all, I could not speak harsh words to my lovely students.

‘Sorry, teacher! We...’

‘Fine, if you feel left behind, just come to me when class' over.’

They bowed in gratitude to me and then walked straight to their seats. The slightly shorter one -- she who had been teased then cried -- passed behind me.

‘Teacher, mind coming to the rooftop after class? Something important to tell you...’

‘Copy that.’

I endured the classes in the afternoon with great restraint.

————

 

‘If I do not show up to work tomorrow, please send this letter to the address xxx...’

Alright, although there were no more reservations, ending one’s life in silence does not align with the beliefs of a historian.

A civilian teacher was not allowed to wear weapons in the classes, but it was after school, and I happened to have a magia gun brought by my family the Eastern Continent. Some nobles on this island also liked to carry this convenient and powerful weapon.

‘Ammo...’ Without hesitation, I loaded a full-power round and added several lightweight defensive rounds. If I could not escape, then these spare rounds would be for my own use.

‘As long as negotiation is possible, violence must be sheathed.’ History had proven the truth time and again. ‘Can the girls really be irrational?’

To be honest, no confidence held by me.

I walked alone up to the top. My right hand repeatedly performing the action of touching the handle, ready to fire, but I punched my own arm to stop this action that would surely bring me disaster.

Taking a deep breath, I calmed my trembling body to a reasonable extent and paced into the garden. The two of them were already waiting under the statue -- each holding the weapons I had seen at noon time.

‘Teacher, you were here at noon?’

The short-haired... her name was correctly Vialatte, and the one who knocked her down was Veronica. I was relieved that I had not mistaken their identities. Via pointed to the pedestal of the statue with one hand, while the other held the hilt of a sword, which was slightly drawn its sheath.

‘Let me be straightforward, the two of you are dating, tis not? If not, having that kind of behaviour would make one another troubled, wouldn't it?’ I tried to appear calm.

Ping -- A cold flash rushed, the sword was drawn swiftly and cut down the air -- I clearly saw the ice mist formed by the condensed water droplets fell to the ground.

‘Teacher, sorry. If you let to inform, we will be hanged.’

Yep, homosexual love is considered a taboo by the Mission in this closed-off nation.

‘Such a pity, I initially wanted to witness such a romance. It was truly a beautiful love...’

 

I lied, but I was not originally opposed to this relationship. To be honest, I was more sympathetic towards these young ladies. I drew my gun and pointed it at my own head.

‘Maybe by so, I die more painlessly. You must be happy.

‘Wait, wait a moment!’

Whoosh -- Before I could even blink, Veronica threw the short spear and I immediately loosened my fingers and dropped the gun -- otherwise my fore arm might have been dislocated along with it. The gun had fallen off before getting hit and remained unbroken.

‘Via, he’s a good man! Have you forgotten the lessons he taught? ‘Relationships among people should be liberal, and the Mission meant not to constrain freedom by its creeds.’ Via, we’d better trust him!’

‘Yet... he saw...’ The girl named Via quickly had tears in her eyes; it turned out she was more ashamed of her own embarrassment being exposed.

‘Your teacher, I, am still a virgin! How could I bear to watch such a scene? When something felt wrong, I did close my eyes!’

I lied again, but it seemed to work; her murderous intent wavered. I was sure that as long as I did not threaten their lives, they would not act against me anymore.

‘It was you two who disturbed my rest! Why am I the one at fault? Your teacher, I, have seen how hard you have had it! They all have this mission of the kingdom, the honour, yet you, as young girls, are locked up in such a Chivalria. The older sons and daughters of your families live in debauchery behind closed doors, while you are constantly demanded to be dutiful, not even allowed to speak to boys! We are all in the same school, after all.’

Not to mention that, once one took the oath to become a Chevaliere, one then lost the right to marry for the rest of life. Though the noble children were often simply tools for alliances. If one takes this oath, one could not touch a man unless she is willing to be hanged. Maybe in the troops, personal relationships might get chaotic, but this is a school, after all. Everywould be watched.

‘If you take me trustworthy, I will cover for you, and it will not do me any harm.’ Covering up for students ‘violating taboos,’ at least to this extent, I would not be punished along with them. The worst that could happen was long the job -- in any case, it was not a very meaningful job.

‘You can come to the garden and do whatever you want, I will stay away. That... teenage girls in their tens, I am not interested...’

Whoosh -- The blade was already at my throat, and I could not help but pray to the Lord I did not believe existed.

‘Teacher, you said in class, you hate traitors in history, did you?’

‘Ye... yes, yeah!’

Via sheathed her sword, took two steps back and bowed to me.

‘Sorry, teacher. I should not doubt you.’

I breathed a long sigh of relief.