They don't want me to try anymore.

Richard raised an eyebrow, already guessing who was on the other end.

[The other party has removed your shackles and also taken off their mask; as expected, it's Luvia.]

"Sorry, please bear with it for a moment."

After saying that to you, she put you in a large sack and stuffed you into a big iron box.

Richard had a bad feeling.

She carried the iron box containing you through the empire's many checkpoints. You could hear her talking to people and even being questioned outside, but ultimately no one could find you.

Finally, you arrived safely at a manor on the outskirts of a city. She then opened the box and led you into a basement.

hiss……

Richard gasped, realizing he had made a small contribution to global warming.

He admitted that as a fugitive, it was indeed not appropriate for him to show his face in public, but the basement and stuff... Sword Saint Big Sister, Caveman Strange Aunt, you wouldn't be unable to resist again, would you?

Hey, woman.

He swallowed hard, awaiting the verdict from the beauty before him, and then he…

"Richard, please join me in changing this country!"

...and then I heard an unexpected answer.

To understand the origin of this saying, we have to go back a long time.

Like Richard, Luvia now plans ahead of each simulation.

Her goal in this simulation was still to find a way to keep Richard by her side.

Then she saw Richard being sent to jail...

Ah this...

To be honest, for a moment, Luvia felt that she might have to apply to be transferred to the position of warden of the central prison in order to have a chance to spend her life with Richard, who was serving a life sentence.

Well, thinking about it, it's not entirely impossible. Besides, in prison, she could do whatever she wanted...

Cough!

Putting aside her random thoughts, Luvia also fell into new contemplation after the embarrassing incident from the last simulation occurred again.

She believed that Richard was a truly morally upright, fearless, and patriotic hero, while the empire was too corrupt and decadent, which meant that even if Richard wanted to stay within the empire, he would eventually end up inside it.

For the two sides to coexist, one side must make changes.

Luvia lacked confidence in changing Richard, and she felt that Richard looked best this way, which was also what truly attracted her...

She liked him just the way he was.

Then the only option is to change the empire.

Moreover, putting Richard aside, as a native of the Empire, she also hoped that her homeland could become a fair, just, and truly sacred country!

Therefore, she arrived immediately after Richard's escape from prison, rescued him, and made her request.

the other side.

Richard blinked as he watched Luvia's conversation.

The Holy Empire and all that...

That sentence is grammatically incorrect! Empires have never been sacred!

However, he was still very happy that Luvia was willing to work in this direction.

Even if you can't get nine or ten points in the end, getting five or six points is definitely meaningful.

Moreover, this aligns with his goal of participating in the empire's internal power struggles and attempting to achieve his goal through a roundabout approach.

and so……

You accepted Luvia's invitation.

[Luvia let you leave the basement and gave you an exquisite human skin mask and a complete set of imperial border citizen credentials.]

From then on, you adopted the alias Charlie and outwardly became Luvia's unassuming attendant. But in secret, you were her closest comrade-in-arms and advisor.

Now, together you will change the empire!

It feels like we've embarked on a side story from the second simulation...

Getting back to the main point, as the saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Richard had no intention of accomplishing such a momentous task as changing the empire overnight.

After all, he couldn't very well have Luvia carry a gun to a banquet attended by the emperor, shout, "Your Majesty, how can you govern the country while you're with these insects?", and then start shooting.

Therefore, he formulated a strategy covering the upper, middle, and lower levels.

At the top, that is, in terms of the highest military force, the main point is—to urge Luvia to become a legend!

Behind every enemy lies a legend or even a god. If you don't become a legend, nothing you do will make a difference!

Anyway, since you're not good at internal strife, Sword Saint Sister, leave the brains to me. Let me be your external brain, and you can focus on leveling up!

As for the middle management, they will naturally continue to support the cause of the conservatives!

Fortunately, Luvia provided support when Richard founded the New Era Newspaper. Even though Richard is gone, she still has influence over the newspaper. With some maneuvering, she can make it continue to fight for the conservatives.

In other aspects, Richard also secretly guided Luvia in establishing companies and making proper investments, thus prompting the early emergence of commercial trusts...

In this way, he can use the newly created benefits to win over others, and secondly, he can provide targeted support for the northern industrial and military-industrial complexes—even if it cannot change the desire of the military-related parties for war, it will at least give the northward faction more confidence when facing the southward faction.

There are only a few general positions, only a few lucrative posts, and the empire can only allocate a limited amount of military funds each year. Everyone in the north and south is eager to gain military merit and climb the ranks. The contradictions here can still be used to their advantage.

Anyway, Connaught is in the south! Just blindly support the north!

As for the lower classes, Richard hoped to truly bring a new culture to the empire.

This requires the efforts of the newspapers, and on the other hand, he wants to return to his old profession of composing operas and writing novels.

In these works, he either creates righteous protagonists who expose and fight against the chaos of the empire, or he depicts the suffering of the colonists or the oppressed from the perspective of the colonists or the oppressed.

For example, he planned to write a novel called "Uncle Tom's Cabin," which would begin by telling the story of a brave and kind native who converted to the goddess of order, allowing readers to deeply empathize with him. In the middle of the story, he would write about how he was captured by slave traders while trying to save a little girl from the Empire, cruelly sold to the Empire, and finally sent to a zoo to be exhibited like an animal...

Your three-tiered strategy has yielded results.

Luvia's strength is improving rapidly, and she is only one step away from breaking through to the legendary level. However, on the other hand, she has also developed the strange habit of asking, "Charlie, what do you think?" whenever something happens.

The conservative and northward-moving factions are gradually gaining strength, and are showing signs of suppressing the progressive, southward-moving, and naval factions.

Half of the books you secretly had published were banned, but the other half sold like hotcakes, especially "Uncle Tom's Cabin," which drew countless people who were dissatisfied with the ending and wanted to send you daggers and bullets... However, they didn't know where you lived, so they sent them all to the publisher, which inadvertently led the latter down the path of arms dealing.

Under your influence, humanitarian sentiments have gradually begun to emerge within the empire.

Richard smiled.

He is already very satisfied with what he has achieved so far.

As for purging the empire of evildoers and scum, and completely shifting from militarism to pro-foreignism, that's not something that one or two people can handle, and he never had such expectations.

Unless a future war breaks out, causing a major setback for the invincible empire and wiping out an entire generation, it might not be possible...

Next, we just need to be patient and proceed slowly... Huh?

Luvia, holding up a hat, asks you, "Charlie, what do you think?"

Although he had been acting as an external brain for some time, this was the first time Richard had encountered such a problem.

Aren't they usually asking about major policies and business strategies?

Why ask about the hat?

You casually replied, "It's quite pretty."

Luvia bought this hat and gave it to you; your affection level towards Luvia has increased.

hiss……

Luvia, holding a recipe book, asks you, "Charlie, what do you think?"

You replied that the dishes looked delicious.

Luvia cooked a delicious meal for you that night using this recipe, and your affection for Luvia increased.

Luvia comes to you with a magic book and asks you...

I knew you couldn't change your nature!

Richard's eyebrows twitched as he thought: Luvia, you should have a lot of important things to do right now, shouldn't you?

Holiday homework... oh wait, I mean, have you advanced to Legendary rank yet?

Getting entangled with me is simply a waste of time!

With that kind of skill, you would probably have been promoted long ago...

That evening, Luvia formally proposed to you.

She apologized that you couldn't have a proper wedding, but she promised that the day of victory would surely come.

This was the request you had been waiting for, the one you couldn't refuse. You didn't care about hiding your identity and agreed to Luvia's request without any hesitation. From then on, you became husband and wife...

no……

Why do you describe me here as the kind of original wife who hides behind the scenes, works hard without complaint, and will eventually be replaced by a mistress?