I took in a deep breath before knocking on the door. I honestly feel a little guilty coming to see mom this time because my goal might poke mom in the wrong way. Militaries are an extremely touchy topic. Freya was right. You only have a voice if you have military power. A military is the foundation of a nation. You basically have a nation's lifeline if you have control of its army, and this empire was almost completely destroyed because the empire's army was lax for too long. That part of history is the one tragic memory mom doesn't want to recall. That is why mom is very sensitive about the military.

"Come in, son."

I pushed the door open. Mom stood up from her desk and looked at me with a smile. After looking at me silently for a moment she said: "Son… you don't look too well… and… the smell on you… is Nier's scent, isn't it……?"

I went red in the face…… I really don't want to talk about how Nier suddenly pulled me into a small room and forced another load out of me on the way here…… Man, I feel like I've become her bank. As long as Nier is feeling it, no matter where we are, we have to…… I can't win against her in a fight and she won't listen to me either. How am I supposed to recover if this continues…..?

"It's not really mommy's place to interfere……" Mom blushed a little as well and then continued, "Since that is a perfectly normal for a married couple. But you need to have moderation. Too much of anything can be bad. Your condition isn't too good right now either, so you should rest more if you can……"

Say no more! Say no more! If you say anymore, you're going to lose your son! I could die from shame right now! Don't say anymore! You think I don't want to rest?! I want to have a peaceful sleep every night too! We agree to just hold each other and sleep for the night, and then the next thing I know is I wake up to find Nier riding on top of me while apologising! Aren't you telling that to the wrong person here?! Haven't you got this the wrong way around?!

That's why my nights are just chaotic. Absolutely chaotic. I only get a short nap in the nearly mornings when Nier tires out. But Nier doesn't seem to require much sleep since she's a Valkyrie. Thus, Nier recovers in just a few hours while I'm exhausted like a zombie……

I knew I shouldn't have agreed back then… but then Nier wouldn't have become my wife if I didn't…… Ah… this sucks no matter how I think about it…… I used to antic.i.p.ate this sort of stuff when I was with Nier, but I get scared whenever I see Nier now……

It's freaking scary…… Too freaking scary….. I didn't believe you could get wringed completely dry, but I d.a.m.n do believe it now! You'll have mixed fortunes with a wife like this! Wait, no! The misery far exceeds the joy!

Mom looked at me while affectionately stroking my face and with a smile asked: "So, what have you come here for this time, son? Or did you want to sleep with mommy?"

I hesitated for a second and then almost cried from grat.i.tude. Mom knows me best! I won't be hara.s.sed by Nier if I sleep with mom. I can finally rest tonight. Thank heavens. I'll be fine if I sleep with mom. I'm going to come and sleep with mom when I can't take it anymore in the future.

"Wonderful! Mommy shall make arrangements now. Sleep with mommy tonight, son."

Mom hugged me tightly with excitement. She kissed me a few times on my face loudly. She then let go of me and with a smile asked: "So what did you come for, son?"

I looked at mom and spoke my mind: "Erm, mom… I want… I want my own army."

I looked at mom's face nervously as I awaited her response.

Mom's expression changed several times, which I a.s.sume was because she was thinking. I don't think she's angry. I'm a little afraid. I don't know if mom will scold me. I can't do anything if mom allocates the Valkyries to me…… I can't go against mom's wishes and secretly raise an army and acquire weaponry either. I'll seriously be arrested for that.

"Mommy is thinking… mommy is thinking which unit would suit you best…… How about the first and second platoon? Those two platoons are situated outside of the royal capital. They are mommy's most trusted elite platoons as well as the platoons with the best armaments and members. They were the platoons that followed mommy when mommy went on mommy's conquest. You can have them, son. Mommy shall write an order……"

"Wait! Mom! Please stop for a second!!"

I looked at mom with complete astonishment. She started looking for her seal after she finished thinking about it. I was so shocked I quickly grabbed her arm. Mom didn't hesitate for a moment! She didn't hesitate at all! What she was thinking about was which group to give me, not how to reject me, not to mention she gave me her best platoons! Isn't mom worried I'd do something with those platoons?!

"What's wrong? Ah, did you want to form your own army? That's fine. Mommy shall call back the most elite platoons from the different locations, and you can choose to your heart's content!" Mom looked at me. She sounded like she was bragging when she said, "Mom is very strict about the armies formed, so whether it's the artillery squads, cavalry or infantry, they're all the elites among elites. You can form your own, that's fine! You can have as many men as you want. Mommy shall allocate them to you!"

"No, no. Aren't you worried, mom?!"

Mom paused for a moment and looked at me with a hint of excitement. She tilted her head and asked with puzzlement: "Why? What does mommy have to worry about?"

I looked at her and asked with hesitation: "Mom… are you not worried… I'll siege the capital with those soldiers?"

Mom shook her head, looked at me like it was a matter of course and replied: "If you want the throne, you just have to tell mommy. Mommy will pa.s.s it to you without any hesitation. What need is there for you to revolt? Mommy loves you. Mommy can give up anything for you. If taking mommy's head could put a smile to your face, mommy would give you mommy's own head without any hesitation."

"Mom, your love is too burdensome! I would never make such a request!!"

"In that case, what is there for mommy to worry about then?"

Mom smiled and pulled me into her embrace. She said in a serious tone, "Mommy knows that you're kind and that you love mommy. That is what is most consoling for mommy. You are mommy's only son. At the end of the day, everything mommy has is yours. Even mommy is yours. So why would mommy not be willing to give you something? If you need something, you just need to say the word, be it money, food, power, status, people… or even mommy's life."

"Mom……"

I leaned into mom's embrace and sniffled. Mom truly loves me. She could give away an entire empire to love me. I guess that not even the entire empire could compare to a one smile from me. I sort of hate the previous Troy. Elizabeth loves him so dearly and yet he wasn't even willing to call her "mom".

"Mom… I think… I don't need a platoon worth of men. I just need a few hundred men. What I want isn't an army but my own guard-unit."

Mom nodded and replied: "Like the Valkyries, right? Mommy's Valkyries are all orphans. Mommy raised them, so they have very strong feelings for mommy. Son, your own guard-unit is a unit you yourself must make submit to you and wors.h.i.+p you. Mommy can't allocate you such individuals because mommy's guard-unit will only follow mommy's orders. Son, you must go and search for your own warriors you make submit to you. Mommy shall provide you with arms and power."

"Uhm… thank you, mom… thank you, mom……"

I hugged mom around her waist tightly and sniffled. Mom nodded. She gently stroked my head and softly said: "Drink with mommy tonight then……"

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