'Frampton and Offley connection revealed as requested. Target audience seemed very receptive. Awaiting further orders.' Serena smiled as she read the message from one of her counter-intelligence agents. She told Agent Royce Becker to simply watch the situation unfold naturally. Too much interference could cause the people to look at the agent with suspicion.
The agent in question was originally part of the Ironblood infantry, but his first engagement left him mentally scarred. Rather than kick a loyal man out of the Legion, Serena offered him spot in the Office of Naval Intelligence. Along with a couple dozen other agents, ONI has proved itself invaluable in weakening Frampton's position, while maintaining their trust in Mylene.
"Don't you ever take a break?" Came a lazy baritone voice from behind.
Serena huffed dramatically. "Maybe I would if someone didn't leave all the administrative duties to me."
Looking back she got a good look at Leon give her an easygoing smile. Any actual frustration she had dissipated at the sight of her very muscular, and very naked lover. "I don't leave you ALL of the work. I do whatever paperwork you send me, without complaint."
Serena dramatically rolled her eyes. "I'm so glad that do the bare minimum so that I can suffer through paperwork, while you run off to play around at the academy."
Her lover quirked an eyebrow without dropping that lazy smile of his. "I guarantee you had more a hell of a lot more paperwork in the Graccan Imperial Navy. Am I wrong?"
Serena clicked her in faux frustration. "You could still stand to help me out a little more. What kind of a man let's his lover handle the piles of paperwork to run HIS mercenary unit?" She forced out tears to make it look convincing.
Leon narrowed his eyes in amusement. "The kind who knows how overqualified his lover is, after all, it wasn't me who left Mylene and old Frampton humbled. Though if it truly bothers you, just send more work my way. By the way, as your liege Lord, I should've been summoned to court with you. Someone intentionally left me out didn't they?"
Serena gave her man a small smile. Though he's far from being ready to face experienced politicians on his own, she was pleased to see him able to catch traps like that. "Yes. They didn't call you in order to isolate us and prevent you from protecting your father and I with your hero status. This would make it appear as though you could protect your own vassals, let alone the whole frontier."
Leon looked Serena straight in the eye before bursting out laughing! "Ha! Ha! Had they brought me before the court, Mylene would've run circles around me, but instead they were stuck with you! Sad sons of bitches played themselves! Ha! Ha!"
Serena started to chuckle alongside him. The irony of the whole situation far too great to ignore. "Yes well, my father is only a baron, while I myself only have the title of Baronetess. They assumed that my low rank would make me an easy target."
Leon nodded while stroking his chin like some kind of sage. "That's true. Sucks for them that we have the ability to accurately record shit, preventing their usual baseless slander from working very well. Speaking of your family, have you actually gone to see them since I brought you here?"
Serena looked down with a hint of sadness. "Unfortunately no. We have been far too busy with the Legion. That said, my father did send me a letter asking me to met him for dinner tomorrow."
Leon gave her a toothy smile and a thumbs up. "Good for you babe! Here's to hoping it goes well."
Serena gave a troubled look. "I'm sure it was encouraged by Duke Redgrave, after all, my new family is one of their branches. They probably want to gain influence within the legion through me."
Leon shrugged. "Probably, but I'm sure your new father wants to see how his little girl is doing. I mean how long has it been since he's last seen you?"
Serena sighed. "Three years. Three years since I left home to make my own way, or at least, that's what my false memories tell me. Since I'm a clone I don-Aah!"
Serena was pulled back by her naked lover. His strong arms held her protectively. "What are you doing! Leon!"
"None of those self-depreciating thoughts! You're an amazing woman who has a life all her own, got that?!"
She struggled to escape, but quickly found herself unable to break free from his iron grip. She quickly gave up on her attempt to escape, and instead chose to snuggle into Leon's large chest. She grunted in response before looking up and glaring at Leon's irritating, and rakish face. "Stop flexing you fool. How am I supposed to get comfy when you are as hard as a rock?"
Leon's eyes narrowed in amusement. "You seemed to like hard last night." He waggled his eyebrows in amusement.
Serena rolled her eyes in exasperation at her lovers crass joke. "You are one horny bastard. You are aware of that, aren't you?"
Leon pointed at himself in mock confusion. "Who me? I'm as pure as the saintess herself."
Serena stared at him judgingly. "You mean the same saintess whose descendant you intend to corrupt?"
Leon held up his finger in protest, before promptly dropping it when he saw Serena's judging gaze. "I plead the fifth."
"I'm sure you do."
As the two lovers looked at each other fondly, a small floating metal orb materialized in the room. "It's good to see you and your mate getting along so well master."
The lovers' attention snapped to the small robotic intruder. "Damn it Luxion! We talked about this. I don't care about your voyeurism, but only when I don't know you're there, otherwise it makes shit weird."
Serena turned back to Leon. "So you are okay if he watches us so long as we can't see him?!" Her voice was filled with embarrassment and indignation.
Leon shrugged. "I literally can't stop him. Out of sight, out of mind I say."
Serena sat there for a few seconds with an incredulous look on face. "Darling you know I love you, but you've got issues."
Her lover shrugged. "I did happily accept a job with an interdimensional slaving ring, so like... yeah."
She quirked her eyebrow. "Yet you signed away your ability to actually enslave the unwilling?"
"What can I say? Just because I'm part of the system doesn't mean I have to be a sex-driven monster who'll force himself on others. I'm pretty sure most people would rather be the hero rather than the villain."
Serena slowly nodded. "I suppose that makes sense. When I was just a girl, I dreamed about protecting the people of the Empire. That was one of the driving forces behind my decision to join the Imperial military."
Her lover gave her a look of faux annoyance. "You need to stop sounding so damn cool all the time, it makes me look bad."
Serena chuckled at him. "Jealous?"
It was Leon's turn to roll his eyes. "Maybe. At least I don't need Iris to babysit me when I go out drinking unlike a certain someone. One to many drinks, and everyone at the bar would know our plans."
Serena could feel the blush creeping up her collar. "That was quite the low blow, mister 'spreading democracy and freedom across this backwards world'."
She took great pleasure in watching Leon's expression twist in a cocktail of horror and embarrassment. "We don't talk about that dark time. I was young and dumb."
"Master, that declaration was made nine months and thirteen days ago. Hardly what I would consider a distant past." Luxion took an odd sense of satisfaction in assisting mistress Serena in backing his master a verbal corner.
Leon most certainly didn't start pouting at his two companions. "Shut up you traitor. I was still in the honeymoon phase of my isekai adventure. Leave me alone."
"Very well master, I shall leave you and mistress Serena to indulge in your carnal desires." Luxion's subunit activated its optical camouflage once more. After a handful of passionate kisses, Luxion left the room just as the moaning started.
He was very happy that his master was so passionate about spreading the genetics of old mankind. Now if only his master's claim about the people for Holfort being descended from old mankind could be verified, then his existence would be truly fulfilled.
===
Daniel Fou Durland
'I wonder what crazy shit Leon's got up his sleeve this time,' Daniel Fou Durland thought, as he took a swig of ale. He was currently sitting at one the center tables in his group's gathering spot, the Tipsy Dragon.
'Must be a pretty big announcement, if he's rented out the whole place. He even got the entire gang together,' Daniel thought as he looked around at his fellow poor baron's, or Ironbloods, as they preferred to be called.
Just then, their group's leader waltz through the door, adorned in his fancy grey and silver dress uniform. Daniel noticed that his signature lazy smile was nowhere to be seen. Several uniformed Legionnaires followed him up to the small stage meant for bards. Each one held a stack of folders in their arms. Daniel noted that they were far smaller than the average legionnaire, looking more like clerks than soldiers. They stood behind Leon, off to the side.
Leon stepped forward, his powerful frame drawing the attention of all present. He slowly looked around to meet the gazes of those present. After taking a deep breathe, he began to speak.
"My friends, and brothers. As May encroaches, it has come to my attention that many of you have had great difficulty in finding a partner for those horrendous tea parties. I can't blame you." Leon closed his eyes and nodded silently.
As he opened his eyes, Daniel could feel the disgust in his eyes. "As I have walked the halls of the academy, I found nothing, but harlots and whores!" A series of gasps resounded throughout the bar. Well the guys agree with Leon, none of them are brave enough to say it out loud.
"They treat us like slaves! They demand the world of us, while sapping our families of every dia, trampling our pride, and giving nothing in return. Enough is enough! If they won't treat us as fellow human beings, then they can marry the demi-himan slaves they're so fond of!" His voice resounded across the room like a revelation. The words spoke to the hearts of the gathered guys, his passion lighting a fire in their very souls.
"Yeah!" "To hell with them!" "I'm tired of their shit!"
Amidst the cacophony of heated yells came the voice of the normally quiet Victor Fou Tipper. "Wait! What about wives? Feelings of anguish aside, we still need to marry women of acceptable status!"
The room went dead silent. The fire of passion that Leon ignited was dimmed by the cold truth of society. Victor continued, while looking like he wanted to cry. "Commander, I know you don't care about having a partner of good status, but we can't do the same. We have to marry to the proper status, else others look down on are families. We could even be attacked."
The atmosphere shifted to one of sorrow. The boys murmured to each other, their whispers filled with resignation.
Daniel noticed that Leon, seemed totally unfazed, in fact he could see the barest hint of amusement in his friend's eyes. "And who said anything about not marrying to status?"
Victor looked at him in deep confusion. "But you said-"
"I said that the whores who stalk this academy while treating us like shit can go marry the slaves their so fond of. Not that you should give up on proper marriage itself." Leon looked around the crowd with a confidence that put the group at ease. Victor, along with many others, watched him with great interest.
"In order to resolve this situation," he gestures to the four Legionnaires standing behind him, "the diligent members of the Legion's Human Resources department have spent the last few months delving through the academy's records and interviewing candidates for what we're calling Project Valentine."
'What the hell is a Valentine,' was the thought of most of the guys. Seeing their confusion, Leon decided to extrapolate. "Valentine's Day was a holiday that I discovered from ancient records during my short time as an adventurer. It's a day to spend with the woman you love, to deepen your relationship not unlike a highly successful tea party.
Now, unbeknownst to most of you is the fact that every year, the academy has a number of women who aren't misandrist parasites. These women don't have demi-human sex slaves around them, tend not to desire a life in the capital, and are almost always bullied by the academy whores. This means they tend to be very shy and nervous.
Project Valentine's goal is to find these ladies, and match them with you all!"
The whole room became a mad house. Some guys started a cheer, some cried tears of joy, and others yet started to pray. Leon would've felt bad for them if it wasn't such a hilarious sight.
After letting the boys vent their excitement for a minute, Leon cleared his thoughts before shouting. "ATTEN-TION!" The effect was immediate, with the guys standing straight and a handful snapping a salute. They acted of instinct, the training they underwent with Leon since the beginning of the school year engraving the actions deep in their minds.
"As I was saying, project Valentine's goal is to introduce you boys with these genuinely good women. In order to accomplish this, we have a questionnaire that each of you will fill out. This will allow us to better match you with potential candidates.
You will all form neat single file lines in front of each of the members of the human resources department here with me today. They will give you a questionnaire and a pencil to fill it out. You will take them back to your seat and fill them out carefully and TRUTHFULLY.
Once you are, you will then return to the line to hand your completed form back to the Legionnaire you received them from. The Legionnaire will then record your answers, and use them to find ideal candidates for you."
As he stood in line, Daniel couldn't believe it! It just sounded too good to be true. Since he arrived, he's been yelled at, insulted, and disrespected by the very women he and the others sought to court. Some guys considered giving up, content to accept the political backlash, others pushed on despite the cruelty of it all.
To think that the same man who waged war against piracy within the kingdom, went out of his way to seek out potential brides for guys he's known for just a few months. As much as some despise his intense training, to the members of the poor baron's group, Leon became their beacon of light within the, dreary halls of the academy. He was undoubtedly, their Lord and savior, now and forever!
"Here's the questionnaire form sir, and a pencil. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask." Daniel lightly bowed to the Legionnaire before replying with an excited, "ah, yes. Thank you very much."
Back at his seat, Daniel began to nervously fill out each question. The first questions were easy, name, age, and region of his family's territory. The rest were not nearly so simple, everything from 'where do you see yourself in ten years' to 'how many children do you wish to have?'
After finally putting his pencil down, Daniel looked over his answers carefully before gingerly carrying the form back to the kind HR member. "Thank you mister Durland. Please return to your seat while we review your answers."
After everyone had turned in their forms, Leon spoke up once more. "Alright then. Now that everyone's forms are in, we will look through them, and find suitable partners from our list of candidates. We will call up when a match has been found. You will be given a copy of the candidates file, which contains extensive information on the lady in question. Understood?"
The guys responded with various energetic affirmations. As the first few guys were called up, Daniel himself was at the edge of his seat, the anticipation was killing him. He tried making conversation with his table mates, to calm down, but to no avail. His best friend Raymond Fou Arkin already came back, with a grey folder that took no time in reading.
Finally, after waiting for seemed like forever and a half. "Daniel Fou Durland, please come up." At the mention of his name, Daniel shot up so fast, he ending up knocking over the rest of his ale. "Oh shit!!! Ah, sorry."
The Legion HR rep smiled at him., eyes steeped in amusement. "Relax young man. These ladies aren't going to disappear. Just take your time, besides your hardly the first one tonight to spill their drink."
Daniel could feel the blood running to his face, 'I must look like a damn fool right now. Can anyone really blame me? This is the turning point of my whole life!'
As he made his way to the front, Daniel felt as though his heart might burst right from his chest. Each step echoed as he crossed the room to his destiny.
When he finally reached the front of the room, the kindly HR rep smiled at him. "After reviewing your answers, we have found one candidate with high potential compatibility. Here, please take a look." The rep passed over a grey folder with the a small pink heart in the upper corner.
Daniel took a deep breath, before gingerly opening it up. 'Okay, let's meet our fianc-I mean potential finance. Katherine Fou Tygert, a baron's second daughter, quite tall for a lady at one-hundred and sixty-seven centimeters, has never had a demi-human servant, enjoys outdoor picnics, and wishes to live close to nature. Well damn, she sounds perfect! Though he noticed that she was twenty-three years old, a whole eight years his senior!"
Leon waited for every Ironblood to get their folder before stepping to the forefront once more. "Now, as everyone has received the file on their compatible lady, let's talk about what happens next..."
---
Four Weeks Later
Waiting in front of one of the Legion's estates in the capital Daniel was freaking out, and who could blame him?! Today was THE day! Today he was meeting Miss Katherine Fou Tygert for the first time! He checked over his uniform one more time, nodding when he saw that everything was in place. Leon went out of his way to give him this chance, he'd be damned if he was going to allow a sloppy appearance to mess this up for him!
As the Ironblood SUV pulled up, Daniel felt as though his heart would beat right out of his chest. The rear door was opened by one of the Legionnaires acting as the lady's security. Out of the vehicle stepped a gentle looking woman with silvery-purple hair and matching eyes. She was clad in a silver dress had an opening that showed off her lower leg, and was tight enough to show off her pleasant curves.
Daniel took a step forward before doing the most regal bow he could manage. "Greetings lady Tygert. I am Daniel Fou Durland, its my pleasure to be escorting you this afternoon." He gently took her soft hand a placed a kiss upon it. 'Please don't grossed out, please don't grossed out.' thought Daniel. He looked up, only to see Katherine smiling while blushing.
"I'll be in your care mister Daniel. Thank you for the warm reception! It's been a long time sense I've talked with a man other than my father, so please forgive me if I'm not the best company." She said while locking arms with him.
Daniel could feel her sizable assets cushion her arm. This was a situation he truly didn't think was possible. 'Leon was right, older ladies are the best!'
===
AN: And that's chapter fourteen. We first get a look at Leon and Serena spending time together after the hearing, and how their relationship is developing. I realized that Leon is becoming a less garbage Roland, but that actually kind of works. Romance is not something I have a lot of experience with, so give me your opinions how I could improve such interactions in the future.
Second second was all about Leon working to further secure the support of the poor baron boys, by helping them attain something they all desperately desired, a good wife. For those of you who only watched the anime, or read the main story manga, this may seem like these ladies came out of nowhere, but that's because these girls are a big part of the Marie Route. In that route, Marie hooks the boys up with the shy girls in the academy, but my MC would see no issue in also invite the shy girls who already graduated without getting married, after all, they would likely take to this opportunity with enthusiasm out of a sense of desperation. It's scummy, but also not.
For anyone wondering, I based Katherine Fou Tygert's appearance on Sawada Sensei from Cheat Musou. Well that's all I got for this one, as always, let me know your thoughts in the comments. Later!