Dukedom of Cerevisia.
That's where I was headed. Apparently, a smalltown in the borders of Cerevisia has witnessed a rift forming in the centre of a winery.
But before heading to the site, I was supposed to visit Duke Regory White VI and meet him before our expedition. It's a matter of courtesy, and the children of my class who are partaking in the expedition should also have arrived at the castle by now.
I closed my eyes as the carriage's wheels rolled on the cobblestone roads of the Cerevisia, heading to the castle of the Duke.
So, what really is Vanguard Expedition really? In simple words, it's a risk analysis of the rift conducted by the academy, with top-notch equipment, students, and knights or mercenaries most of the time.
This time, there'll be knights from Cerevisia accompanying the expedition, because Regory White is an important person.
He's a major investor in Lunar Academy. He's the richest Duke of the Kingdom, and he never gives a fuck about alliances with other dukedoms.
He's a sane monster that loves to watch people indulge in their desires.
And he cares for his people.
Why did I say that he's a sane monster? Regory is impotent, but he has twenty-three wives, all of them are commoners, and all of them are lesbians.
He's known to watch his wives have sex, and his castle…is quite unique.
Regory White is the only duke who has some of the strictest laws in the Kingdom. For him, any crime committed against a woman or a child is a straight-up death penalty.
In the Dukedom of Cerevisia, women are respected, commoners or nobles alike. And unlike most of the misogynistic Dukedoms, Cerevisia gives proper education to every child.
According to Regory, Fear is the enemy of desire.
A woman who's afraid cannot truly indulge in her passions.
By creating the safest environment in the world, he ensures that the "Desires" he intends to watch are pure and potent.
I watched from the window as the massive gold gates of the castle opened. The amount of gold Regory had used in building his castle could buy two or three dukedoms easily. That's how rich he was.
Knights here wore a silver coat and white pants. The linings of their coat and even the hilts of their swords had gold etched on them.
There was a symbol etched on their coats. The symbol of Cerevisia. It depicts a woman carved in white marble, draped in flowing, translucent silk that mimics the dancers. She is leaning back in a state of euphoria, her head tilted toward the sky with eyes closed, symbolising the internalisation of intensified desire.
The Castle of Symphony.
A massive musical structure that resonated with music every second.
My carriage stopped near the staircase entrance of the castle, as a knight opened the door, accompanied by a beautiful and elegant lady.
She had long black hair, golden ornaments, and a long red silk dress of a dancer. It was quite revealing but elegant at the same time.
She bowed, followed by the Knight. But her movement, however, was choreographed with elegance and suggestiveness.
"It's an honour to have you in the Castle of Symphony, Professor Marcus Rile," She said. "I'm here to guide you inside the castle,"
She was a servant. But she didn't look like one. Elegant, healthy, and educated in courtesy and most of all, beautiful.
'Now I know why Regory receives several offers from nobles for his servant maids,' I thought, and nodded, stepping out of the carriage.
The whole castle was draped in bright red and gold. With a constant melody of the zither resounding across the whole estate.
As I walked alongside her, I couldn't sense a speck of nervousness in her. Her heart was beating in a normal rhythm. She wasn't intimidated by a professor, who's a count too.
She places her complete trust in Regory's security.
She led me through the open courtyards that had containers of wine for the maidens. Every servant that I encountered did a slight bow. It was respectful, but unlike the Krells I had paid a visit to, they looked freer and more willing to work here.
After some moments, we arrived at the red royal gates of a Regory's quarters.
The gates were pushed open by the knights as the servant leading me stood in front of the gate.
"Oh…" I was amazed.
The first thing I noticed was the melody of the zither and the santoor coordinating to blend a perfect symphony that hit the notes in my ears.
The whole room was made of gold. The walls, pillars, and even the torches and chandeliers that lit the room had diamonds etched in them.
There were five beautiful dancers in revealing bedlah dresses. They had a red net veil draped over their faces, and their long black hair flowed with the hem of their dresses as they moved.
At the end of the room was a massive king-sized bed, draped in golden nets, with three naked women sleeping on a man dressed in red robes.
The whole scene was just mesmerising.
I followed the lady servant as she walked alongside the corners of the room, approaching a massive bed, draped in golden net.
"My lord, I guided Professor Marcus to your quarters, just as you had requested," She said, but her voice was just barely above a whisper, trying not to wake up the women sleeping with their heads resting on the man's chest.
I could look at him, but the whole scene was just a blur because of the golden nets draping the bed. These nets were hanging all the way to the ceiling.
Duke Regory raised his hand, "You may take your leave, Sylvia." His voice was bold. He was middle-aged.
He gently lifted the heads of women who were sleeping on him, as they hummed in their sleep. Caressing the naked body of one of them, he stood up and walked out of his bed, with his red robe intact.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor." He said. He had long crimson hair. Eyes black and a beautiful face. He had a feminine touch to him, but he wasn't weak.
The man in front of me was a clearance five mage. White's legacy magic was desire. He was a strong man.
"Honour's all mine, My Lord," I said, and bowed slightly.
"I've heard a lot about you, Professor. Not just a count with a successful county, you're a warrior who has achieved high heights at such a young age, and I respect you for that," he said, pouring a glass of wine from the bedside table.
"You flatter me, Duke," I said, accepting the golden glass of wine he offered.
'Goodness…' I opened my eyes to the scent of this wine. It was strong. Might be the strongest wine I've ever had.
"You deserve all the appreciation, and I see that you…have a unique perception of my castle," he said, savouring the scent of wine as he walked and stood in front of me.
He had a strong scent of orchids on him. A perfume of his, I guess.
"Why do you think so?" I asked.
"Oh, I've met countless nobles, professors, warriors, knights, priests. But their facial expressions give them away the moment I look at them. Some look at the castle with disgust but don't show it in my presence, some lust for my servants, many feel discomfort walking in such an environment, but you…" He paused.
"You never felt any of such things; moreover, you viewed my dancers as artists, not sex workers." He placed his hand over my shoulder and leaned on me, looking at the dance being performed in the centre of his room.
"You viewed this place as a castle of entertainment, not a bordello, and that has made me curious about your thoughts on me," he said, gulping down his wine in one single shot.
"My observation?" I murmured.
"I'd say you have created a firewall. You surround yourself with women because you don't trust men. Women who have no sexual interest in you but lust after each other. You love to watch them indulge in their desires, and you obtain satisfaction from the pleasure of others. So…ensuring their loyalty is based on the safety and luxury you provide," I stated and looked at him.
Tilting my head, I nodded. "It's a genius, if slightly eccentric, social architecture,"
"To others, this might look like a harem, but I envy you Duke. You're living a life many want, and the disgust you feel from them is their jealousy because they can't have what you have…love, trust, and lust."
He scoffed and started laughing.
Regory patted my shoulders, moving back to his bedside table, pouring another glass of wine for himself.
"Welcome to Cerevisia, Professor. My knights will help in the expedition in any way you want. I give you the best of my wishes, may the goddess Luna bless and protect you and the children who are part of the expedition."
"Your blessings are more than enough duke," I replied.
He smiled as the same maid appeared through the doors of the room.
"If you'll now follow me, Professor, I shall guide you to your cadet's lounge," she said with a slight bow.
I nodded, "After you~"