After Retirement, Living a Stud Life in Another World - 205

Chapter 205: The Return of the Earth Mother Goddess

“Hmmm, how many lovers does Lutz have now?”

“Well, aside from Liese and Princess Clara, who are in a class of their own… there’s Adele, Cornelia, and the appraiser Nicole. It seems like he hasn’t yet made a move on Michaela or Zeri.”

“Really? Not yet? Michaela may be more interested in food than romance, but Zeri is already completely captivated by Lutz. A gentle breeze could sway her.”

“Yes, even though Ayaka has strongly recommended it, Lutz is still hesitant. He’s such a coward for our husband.”

It seems that Beatrice and Gretel were gossiping about me, using me as the topic of their girl talk… but honestly, I wish they’d do that sort of thing when I’m not around. It makes me feel uneasy. Ayaka, with her large belly, was rubbing it and squinting as she listened to their conversation.

“As for me, I want to expand our reach by sharing more of our seed with the Empire’s mages, bringing them into Berzenbrück…”

“Exactly. That’s why I’ve set everything up so nicely, but still, someone isn’t taking the opportunity.”

That “someone” is, of course, me. I understand that Gretel made an effort, enduring jealousy, and created the “Lira’s Gathering” for Beatrice and me. I also know that my young body craves it every day… but still, I can’t bring myself to engage in a night of physical intimacy with someone I hardly know, just for the sake of spreading my genes.

“You’re such a stubborn stallion. Though, I do find that admirable.”

Beatrice smiled and raised the corner of her mouth, her usual doll-like face twisting with amusement.

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“What is this? Just yesterday, there was barely a sign of the green ears!”

“This is amazing! The crop is completely ripened and ready for harvest!”

The war slaves—no, let’s call them the residents of Baden—were exclaiming in surprise. It was only natural since the wheat field, which had been green the day before, was now ready for harvest.

To feed the 30,000 prisoners, the main food source had to be secured. That’s why, last autumn, Gretel worked tirelessly to clear the forest, planting winter wheat, which now flourished in early summer.

However, feeding 30,000 people requires quite a lot of food. Even though the harvest was larger than expected, it still wouldn’t be enough to feed them for the whole year. There were expenses aside from food, including mining costs for the magical silver… I really needed to push harder.

Fortunately, hardworking Gretel had been busy as the queen of woodcutters during the winter, so a considerable area of farmland had been cleared. With this new land, we naturally wanted to plant wheat as well.

Since this region was fairly southern, the usual winter wheat, which is planted before winter and harvested before summer, was common. However, in the colder Empire, spring wheat, which is planted in spring and harvested in autumn, was the norm. Since we had farmland now, I suggested trying the spring wheat that the Empire is familiar with.

When I brought this up last night, Beatrice murmured softly.

“That’s perfect. I’ve been wanting to test the magic I’ve gained from my increase in power.”

So, as the sun rose this morning, Beatrice went out to the field and, with her magic, performed the same spell that had earned her the title of “Earth Mother Goddess” in the northern territories. The last time, she’d run out of magic halfway and collapsed, but this time, she was completely in control. Without me needing to touch her to transfer magic, she made the spring wheat grow beautifully all around us.

“That’s not all,” Beatrice said, a rare look of pride on her face.

When I took the ears of wheat in my hand, I immediately noticed they were much heavier than those harvested earlier in the summer. Each ear seemed to have about 50% more grains than before. This was absolute perfection in domestic magic.

“Beatrice, you’re amazing. A magic that can make the people prosperous is truly wonderful.”

“Heh. You can praise me more if you want.”

“Yeah, Beatrice, you really are like the goddess of abundance. I’m proud to stand beside you.”

At my words, her porcelain-like cheeks turned a soft pink, and a smile bloomed on her face like a young girl. She then pressed her little head against my chest, and before I knew it, she was sniffing me, taking in the scent.

“Ah, Lutz’s scent…”

She pushed her small, cute nose up toward me, rubbing it against me. Beatrice, with her luxurious golden hair, was absolutely adorable. Without thinking, I ran my hand through her thick hair, giving her scalp a good scratch. I’d probably get scolded by the maid who’d painstakingly fixed it, but Beatrice looked so pleased, her eyes half-lidded in contentment. I’ll just have to beg for forgiveness later.

“All right! Change of plans—let’s harvest right away! After that, we’ll have a harvest festival!”

“Yeah!” “That sounds fun!” “Make sure to bring plenty of wine!”

Maximilian, who had recovered from his shock quickly, gave orders, and both the Empire’s people and the principality’s people cheered in excitement. Holding Beatrice in my arms, I started thinking about how many barrels of wine I would need to order.