Title: Collared
Summary: Functionally, a ring is just a dog collar.
I had finally finished my stint as an adventurer. It was a long three months, but once I had found Luxion, everything had started to fall into place. The only thing left to do was to report my findings at the guild to officially claim my loot... after they took their percentage, of course.
Due to the amount of treasure I found, I was busy filling out the paperwork in a secluded corner of the VIP section. It would and was taking quite a bit a time.
"That's a rather impressive haul if what you have written is true," a woman said across from me.
Looking up, I saw a buxom blonde about Rutart's age examining some of the forms I had filled out. She had long, sleek blonde hair and blue eyes.
While she was my type, I refrained from trying to impress her. Despite its simplicity, her clothing screamed nobility. She was out of my league since I wasn't a noble. I still would have refrained even if I was one since I knew how shitty noblewomen were in this world.
"Beginner's luck," I said nonchalantly as I returned to filling out the forms.
Plucking up one of my signed sheets, she perused its contents and said, "I doubt luck could account for a pre-academy student finding all of this... Mr. Bartfort? Odd, I would have thought you to be a noble."
"And I can only thank the heavens that I'm only a baronet."
"I wouldn't be so certain. With this much, you might be promoted to baron."
"I'm the second son from an illegitimate line. My assets would not be combined with my family's. This may be a lot, but it falls well below the minimum for a barony."
"By itself, it would be too little. However, the crown will likely expect you to continue growing your assets and territory. In light of that and your age, the crown may just promote you early and enroll you in the advanced class so that you can receive a proper education. At the very minimum, you'll be knighted and become independent from your main branch."
It was at this did my pen stop. That was undesirable. The independence and knighthood was fine, but being promoted to baron would lock me into courting the vipers of the Academy. If only I could delay the promotion, I could get engaged to a commoner first and then waive off that stupid restriction by citing my engagement status.
"... Shit... Is it too late to delay some of the paperwork?"
She chuckled at that.
"You've already drawn the attention of several notable individuals, though I suppose I could pull a few strings and make it look like it was all a misunderstanding on your part."
"You can?"
"You know not of who I am?"
Was I in the presence of someone important? Looking at her, I could not make any connection to anyone from the game. It made sense she wasn't part of the plot if she was already a graduate. Regardless, she must have been from a high-ranking family if she expected me to recognize her.
"Sorry, I can't say I do," I said politely.
"It matters not."
"... So what would this favor cost me?"
She gave me a speculative look before shrugging. She then pulled out a pouch and laid it on the table. Out of curiosity, I opened it and saw a dog collar.
"Put it on," she said with a wicked smile.
Tch. She was just like the rest. There was no way I was going to tie my fate to her. At least the girls in the Academy would have less bargaining power.
Just to piss her off, I decided to act brazenly.
"Only if I get to put one on you."
"What?" she responded with a startled look.
"You would look mighty fine in a collar. Is that why you wear a choker?"
She turned red at that. Oddly, she didn't look angry. I considered leaving the situation as it was since I didn't need to antagonize her more. Any further and she could decide to make my life hell. If she was capable of delaying my paperwork... well there was no need to open that can of worms.
"And what makes you think you can?"
Odd, she seemed to be challenging me rather than being haughty. Perhaps I shouldn't be too worried. She must have been some bored noble who was looking for some kicks.
I decided to play along. I pulled out the collar and spun it around my finger.
"Care to find out if I can?"
She laughed heartily.
"It looks like I won't be able to help you remain a baronet," she said cheekily.
I guess she was just in it for the laughs as expected. It was no skin off my nose. It was even mildly entertaining.
"Right," I said without thought as I began to look down at my papers. Then she clasped a different collar around my neck. "What the?"
"After all, you need to be a noble if we are to marry," she said as she clasped a collar on herself. It was connected to mine with a chain.
"Marry?! Lady, I don't even know your name!"
"You can call me Dorothea, Leon."
"Gone for three months and come back with some whore. At least she had the presence of mind to collar you like the dog you are," Zola snidely said while gesturing at my dog collar. While I was no longer literally chained to my suitor, she insisted that I wear some sort of collar to indicate my unavailability. I had only accepted the notion when she agreed to also wear one, though it was a far less egregious choker.
In any case, Dorothea quirked her eye at Zola before looking at me.
"Do I look whorish?" she asked me as she made to examine her clothing.
"But what else can you be? With lumps of fat like that and such unfashionable clothing? So how much did he pay you for this charade? I'll have you know that you'll need to return that money to me as he certainly did not have the permission to waste my money, especially not after he broke his engagement," Zola said with a haughty attitude.
"You were engaged?" Dorothea asked me with a quirked eye while ignoring my matriarch.
"Sold," I corrected.
"And thanks to you, we now owe my friend a hefty penalty," Zola growled.
"How much?" Dorothea asked while finally looking at Zola.
Zola then rattled off some obscene number. It was such an egregious amount that it fooled no one.
"Is that all? Then I would like to purchase him," Dorothea said while beckoning Luxion to carry over one of her bags from the ship without skipping a beat. Luxion dutifully floated about. Traitorous AI enjoyed the thought of my venture to escape my engagement to an older woman ironically being solved by being bought and engaged to another older woman.
At least Dorothea wasn't going to send me to fight for my life... right?
I stared at the pendant glittering between my fingers. How the hell did I already get involved with the plot? I hadn't even gotten into the Academy yet, and I was already screwing things up by getting rid of one of the secondary antagonists and claiming the Saintess's necklace.
Oh right. My fiancée's family had a notorious generational feud with the Offreys. What's more, the Roseblades of previous generations had started the feud because they believed merchants were rodents scavenging and clawing for simple coin instead of earning glory through adventuring. If it weren't for how shitty Stephanie was in the game, I would have wondered if the Roseblades were the bad guys.
In any case, the Offreys had decided to sic the Winged Sharks on me to prematurely end the engagement so that Dorothea might eventually be disgraced for getting married too late. It obviously did not end well for the pirates as they would now be forced to work as slaves for the rest of their lives in the Roseblade territory. It most definitely did not end well for the Offreys after the pirates quickly threw them under the bus in a futile bid for freedom/leniency.
As I played with the key item, I wracked my brain for a way to get this to the protagonist without having to get involved with her. While I could have simply handed it to her, I feared that my actions would have potentially elevated me to capture target. As flattering of an idea it was to be placed as something desirable for an Otome game, I did not enjoy the thought of potentially being another dick in a reverse harem.
Plus I think Dorothea was the type of woman to cut off my dick and balls if I were ever stupid enough to be seduced by another woman.
"I suppose I'll just have to return this to the Temple," I said aloud as I decided to avoid the protagonist at all costs.
I now owned the former Offrey territory and was now Count Leon Fou Bartfort, or was it Roseblade since I was marrying into the family. Regardless of my pending last name, my aggressive growth in wealth and rank due to adventuring and conquest saw me supplanting the crown prince's opening speech.
Smug bastard gleefully dumped his duty on me. He had all the counter arguments ready:
State that it would be presumptuous of me, a former baronet, to take the spotlight away from the crown prince? Oh, what would future nobles think if someone as accomplished as Count Leon was looked over due to the crown prince's attendance. It would send a message that blood trumped merit.
Argue that neither the Bartfort nor Roseblade family would want to steal the march on the royal heir? Nonsense. The families would delighted that such an honor and duty was bequeathed to them by the crown prince himself.
Lacking skill in the art of speech due to not having the appropriate upbringing? Let Angelica Rapha Redgrave help prepare and train the newly appointed count.
Afraid to accidentally displease the future queen and the daughter of a family literally named Redgrave for a reason? Nonsense, she'll be too enamored by the legendary adventurer and his exploits.
Afraid my fiancée will castrate me for getting close to another woman? Okay that one he didn't have an answer for at the time I told him, but the bastard sent a letter to Dorothea who then proceeded to assuage my fears by saying that she would never do such a horrible thing.
Instead, she, under no uncertain terms, promised to lock me in her dungeon and have her way with me until I only craved her womanhood. Perhaps it was the fact that I was fifteen again or maybe it was because I had died a virgin, but I was sincerely considering testing her claim. Her punishment sounded more like a reward.
Despite Dorothea's promises, I decided it smarter to not give in to temptations and seduce the villainess. She, and likely anyone who was on legitimately good terms with her, would be cast aside by the kingdom once the protagonist bagged any of the five.
AN:
1) Honestly not too sure how I would continue this since Dorothea isn't in the school anymore. It would be weird to make a fic where one of the main characters isn't involved in the plot. Perhaps making Deirdre the main pairing would be better instead, or I could make it so that Dorothea becomes a teacher.
2) Marie trying to seduce Leon might be a thing, or maybe she would try to confront him about being a reincarnated and try to warn him not to screw her over. Of course everyone misunderstands and gives Leon shit for even meeting Marie.
Review Response
Pembaca Sampah: Your right! I totally forgot that was a thing. That's even where I got the term skele-bro from.
LuxEterna1: Not specified within last chapter, the 0.1% thing was more of a thing forced on him since Leon negotiated down to not gain enough money to accidentally get promoted. Unfortunately this convinced her the Leon wanted it to be her achievement... and accidentally woos her. As for the discussion, while smarter people would be able to figure out Leon's true wealth, ultimately no one knows canonically. As fanfic writers and fans, the most we can do is speculate why this is the case. In my opinion, explanations will largely fall between everyone is an idiot(which is probably the more canonically accurate reason) or there are enough things obfuscating Leon's value. I try to do a combination of the two, which ends up with Leon's wealth hidden just enough that most students won't bother looking. For those who suspect, there are just enough reasons to just wave off those suspicions as merely coincidental.
As for giving forces, I really don't know what to tell you other than the fact that the translation I read used the word spare specifically, which means they had more to give. Why they might not give all their support could be due to multiple reasons such as they need it for their own territories, or because the heirs are expendable. Knowing how the novel is written, I'm more inclined to believe the heirs aren't all that valuable. Hell, the author makes it seem like people are more likely to cut others off the moment they become inconvenient.
Leon making Jenna do something whenever she wants money seems to be his m.o. From Marie's memories of Leon, we see that Leon literally doesn't just do what his sister wants unless a) she literally can't take care of herself or b) gives him what he wants in exchange. Seeing him demand Jenna to teach Olivia and Jenna making only a token complaint seems to indicate that this is normal. So as much as Leon complains about Jenna spending his money, he probably makes her do something (no matter how trivial) every time she demands something from him.
As for his success as an adventurer being a point for him as a valuable catch, do realize no one seems to actually attribute it to skill. As for why, I'm not sure. It could be because Greg exists and doesn't acknowledge his success as real. It could also be because Leon acts subservient in his first semester, which makes it so there is a certain disconnect between the image of a real adventurer and just some rural baron. It could also be because family legacy blinds people to the concept of merit. It could also be because Holfort doesn't actually value adventurers simply because their is an oversupply, or maybe the fatality rate is just so damn high that making a proper career of it is not something people deem as truly viable.
cj442: The first point you mentioned was acknowledging as her just being petty, and I don't think this particular brand of petty as villainous. It's feels too weak of a motivation to be interesting. As for the second point, while Olivia would be more devious, the problem is that Olivia will more or less still be doing what Marie did. That basically just makes it so the fic would be a weird mix between mainline and Marie route post possession. Basically, I feel my current rendition of Villainess Olivia is just not written well enough because it doesn't have enough of its own identity. Needs a lot more work and polish.