Reincarnated as a Villainous Duke (37) Who Gets Condemned by His Daughter ～I Stopped Acting Like a Villain, Yet My Daughter Keeps Becoming the 'Ice Lady'～ - Chapter 19: The Fox Beastkin Girl and Strength Training

Chapter 19: The Fox Beastkin Girl and Strength Training

“Damn… Duke, you’re way too strong… uh, I mean, far too strong!”

In a corner of the training grounds, I was sparring lightly with the fox beastkin girl.

Her name was Kuralia, and for some reason, she was dressed in what looked like a shrine maiden’s outfit. However, the design was rather… unconventional. The chest area was overly revealing, and the skirt—if you could even call it that—was absurdly short, making it hard to know where to look. I’d tried to have her wear something more appropriate, but she insisted this outfit allowed for better movement, so I reluctantly allowed it. It felt suspiciously like the work of a creator’s hand forcing such logic into the world.

That aside, she was a swordsman who wielded a longsword, and from our sparring session, it was clear her skill level was above the knights of my domain. Considering she was only in her teens and entirely self-taught, she might truly be a prodigy. As expected from a character who was once a nameless mid-boss.

That said, she was no match for me, a named mid-boss with the cheat skill GodSpeed. She had been knocked down repeatedly, and now she was on all fours, utterly defeated and out of breath.

“Your technique isn’t bad. With more training and experience in defeating monsters, you’ll be capable of serving as my bodyguard.”

“If the one I’m supposed to guard is stronger than me, what’s the point… uh, I mean, that wouldn’t make sense!”

“Fair enough. Now, is that all you’ve got?”

“Tch, not even close!”

We sparred a few more times, and once again, I landed a decisive blow. My wooden sword smacked her side with a solid thwack, causing her to let out a pained “Guhhh!” It looked like it hurt quite a bit. This kind of training was only possible because the duke’s household always had potions on hand.

“Ugh, it hurts… I give up. I can’t beat you at all… I mean, I cannot match you.”

“It seems it’s still too early for you to spar with me. I’ll tell Dalton to let you join the knights’ training. By the way, your swordsmanship seems a bit unusual. Have you used a curved blade before?”

“Ah, yeah… uh, yes. It was curved, single-edged, about this long…”

“I see. A katana, perhaps. Very well, let’s head to the forge. I’ll have one made for you.”

“Wha—!? Seriously!? That’s amazing… uh, I mean, thank you, Duke!”

Kuralia immediately jumped to her feet, beaming with excitement.

Despite her rough way of speaking, her confident demeanor combined with her striking blonde beauty gave her quite the presence. It was no surprise that the male soldiers training nearby kept sneaking glances in her direction.

I led Kuralia to the forge, which was located outside the training grounds.

As the duke’s household managed a standing military force, we employed several full-time blacksmiths. After all, soldiers broke their weapons and armor almost daily, and there was always a need for new equipment.

The stone forge was bustling with activity, with five blacksmiths at work. All of them were dwarves, a race famously known in fantasy lore. There were three men and two women, all of whom lived and worked on-site.

“Sir Boal, do you have a moment?”

“Oh, if it isn’t the Duke. Got a new order for me?”

The one who approached was the biggest of the blacksmiths. With his short stature, black hair, and thick black beard, his stocky body was all muscle. Beneath his thick brows were sharp, no-nonsense eyes typical of a craftsman. Despite his gruff demeanor, he respected my swordsmanship enough to accommodate the occasional special request.

“I need a sword made for this swordsman. Are you familiar with katanas?”

“Ah, you mean those western blades? I’ve worked on a few.”

“Good. Then this should be simple. Make one for her. Top priority.”

“Top priority, huh? That’s rare coming from you, Lord Duke. This girl must be pretty skilled.”

“She’s already strong, but she has incredible potential. I expect her to become one of the main forces in this territory, alongside Dalton.”

“That’s high praise. Alright, I’ll get on it right away. Alright, miss, tell me what kind of blade you want.”

“Got it. Um, the length should be about this long…”

After Kuralia finished explaining, Boal nodded and gave his approval with a hearty slap to his chest. “Got it. Leave it to me.”

“By the way, Sir Boal, there might be a large-scale battle coming soon. I’d like to secure a few of the town’s forges under the domain’s military. Can you act as a bridge with the guild?”

“Sure, I can handle that. But… what’s brewing?”

“Chaos Demons appeared in the royal capital recently. There’s a chance the demons might launch an attack in the near future.”

“Ah, I’d heard rumors, but I didn’t know it was something that serious. Got it. I’ll work things out with Mr. Mildart.”

“I’ve already informed Mildart. I’ll count on you.”

As we left the forge, I noticed Kuralia staring at me intently for some reason.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, uh, I was just wondering why you’re… why you’re being so kind to me, Duke.”

“Because I value your swordsmanship. Besides, as someone who hired you, it’s my responsibility to ensure my subordinates can perform at their best. You’re not an exception.”

“I-Is that so? But katanas are really expensive, aren’t they…?”

“If you’re worried about that, focus on your training and don’t slack off. That’s what you can do to repay me.”

“Uhe… Yeah, you’re right. I’ll do that. I owe you a huge debt, Duke, and I’ll make sure to repay it properly.”

“Start by fixing your way of speaking. In your current state, I can’t have you representing me in public.”

“I’ll… I’ll work on it.”

Kuralia’s ears drooped as she grew quiet.

With her golden furred ears and blonde hair, she had the looks of a main heroine-level beauty when she wasn’t talking.

If she managed to refine her way of speaking, she might end up becoming quite popular.

As I mused over this, my gaze shifted, and I noticed Forsina peeking at us from behind the shadow of a building.

For some reason, she seemed to be in her Ice Lady mode again… I wasn’t sure why, but it looked like I’d need to boost her affection level once more.

After returning to the office, I tidied up the paperwork and asked a servant to bring me tea.

The one who delivered it was one of the beastkin girls who had only just started working as a servant the day before. Judging by her appearance, she seemed to be a cat beastkin. She had twin-tailed brown hair and a cute, youthful look.

Of course, she wasn’t alone—an experienced servant accompanied her for guidance.

“Good to see you working already. That’s a promising start.”

I spoke to her, and she flinched slightly before giving me a quick bow.

“T-Thank you v-very much, my lord. And… for saving us… t-thank you so much.”

Her nervous stammering and clumsy attempt at formal speech were endearing.

While hiring them had earned me a glare from Mildart for the extra expenses involved, moments like this made it all seem worthwhile.

“It was mere chance that I was able to help you, but if you feel grateful, focus on your work and studies.”

“Y-Yes, my lord. I’ll do my best to be of use to you!”

After dismissing the two, I started thinking about what lies ahead.

With the human experimentation issue now resolved, it felt like my mid-boss route had been significantly pushed off course.

That left me with the next inevitable concern—the demons’ attack that was bound to happen.

For context, the demons are a race distinct from humans, living to the north of the Kingdom of Inteclus, beyond a massive mountain range.

While they resemble humans, as seen with the Chaos Demons that appeared earlier, their forms are distinctly different. They possess high intelligence, a culture and civilization comparable to humans, and have established a powerful nation of their own.

They’re extremely warlike and have attacked human nations multiple times throughout history, causing massive destruction. In essence, they’re humanity’s sworn enemy.

Naturally, their leader is referred to as the Demon King, the quintessential final boss in any game. However, if this world follows the game’s storyline, the Demon King’s role has some nuances…

Regardless, according to the game’s scenario, the demons are the primary enemies for the foreseeable future. The Chaos Demon incident is likely the prelude to a larger invasion—a theory I’ve discussed and agreed upon with Mildart, the steward, and Dalton, the general.

As a Duke, preparing for this threat naturally became my top priority. Fortunately, Mildart, Dalton, and I had already begun working on strategies. In fact, I could easily repurpose the plans I had previously developed for a potential royal capital takeover.

“My Lord, you were preparing for this all along? I’m ashamed of my ignorance.”

“I always thought the Duke was incredible, but to think he could foresee the future… wow,”

Their praise was hard to bear since this was purely a coincidence—more accurately, an attempt to cover up my misdeeds. My conscience twinged painfully at their words.

That aside, the next critical step was recruiting strong individuals.

Since this world is based on a game, individuals like me, with high levels, can easily take down hundreds or even thousands of monsters. Conversely, if a high-level enemy appears, even an army of soldiers could be wiped out in moments. For this reason, recruiting and nurturing powerful allies was essential for countering the demons, but it wasn’t an easy task.

“Forsina and Kuralia need to be trained quickly. Aramund can also be counted on as part of the forces, at least for now. Dalton is strong, but as a general, I can’t move him freely. Still, I’ll need a few more capable people.”

Training is important, but scouting individuals who are already strong would be even better. Ideally, I’d meet the main characters of the game, but this is still the period between the tutorial and the start of the main storyline. Even with my game knowledge, I have no idea where they are right now.

If that’s the case, the first place to head would be…

“Maybe a dungeon? It’ll help with training Forsina and Kuralia, and if I come across any strong adventurers, I can scout them as well. Plus, now that my memories have returned, I can’t help but want to explore one—it’s just natural, right?”

With that plan in mind, I informed Forsina and Kuralia that we’d be heading to a dungeon tomorrow.