After I died, my personal maid rebelled.

If Luna had any new takeaways from this trip, she would say that aside from fighting, normal people shouldn't be wearing armor while riding horses.

After finally making it to nightfall, they arrived at a small village to rest. As soon as Luna dismounted, she couldn't help but take off her armor, sweating profusely as she let out a heavy sigh.

The villagers were very hospitable, and upon learning that important figures from the Northern Territory had arrived, they all invited them to stay overnight in their homes. However, the group remembered the Duke's teachings and politely declined the villagers' invitations, instead finding an open space to set up camp.

The village was unusually busy tonight. In addition to Luna and her group, Red's cavalry also arrived. They were there to recruit militia and launch a night attack on the bandits in the mountains.

The so-called encirclement was really just blocking the road into the mountains and then gradually spreading out patrol lines. After all, sending a group of poorly trained militiamen into the mountains at night would only result in a large number of non-combat casualties.

The militiamen were very excited, and their eyes lingered on Luna's personal guards with great eagerness before they left.

These are the elite troops! Riding tall horses, carrying bows and swords, dressed in uniform... they're covered in the finest gear, it's enough to make anyone's heart itch.

If they can achieve military merit this time, I wonder if they will join such a team. When they return home on horseback, the whole village will probably look at them with more respect.

The guards knew exactly what the militiamen were thinking. When they set up camp, they stood tall and proud, looking arrogant. They pretended to casually brush the dust off their uniforms, as if to say: Kids, you're still a long way from reaching our level!

Luna didn't notice the soldiers' interaction. The two counts had already been resting in the carriage. She sat by the fire, tearing off pieces of dried meat to share with the children who were watching the commotion, while listening to the villagers recount recent events.

"The bandits don't dare to come over. Our village is next to the main road, and if the patrolling militia spots them, they can quickly notify Regiment Commander Red."

"However, I've heard from bards and passersby that there are strange things in the southwestern mountains, and that they occasionally make very scary noises."

Luna was stunned; this was the first time she'd heard of such a thing, so she quickly asked, "Is it a magical beast?"

"No." The villager quickly waved his hand, looked around, and said in a low, serious voice, "They say it's the Undead..."

The flickering flames cast a shadow over Luna's face as the words "undead" were uttered.

If they are wild undead, their rating is at most C, and an elite squad can solve all the problems.

What Luna is really worried about is the magicians who artificially create undead.

After sending the message back to Harbin overnight, the group set off again the next day.

It was three days later when they left the central region, which was directly under the Duke's control and thus stable and prosperous, and arrived at the southern trading territory under the jurisdiction of the Marquis of Hughes.

Luna wanted to speed things up, but the old count couldn't stand the bumps in the carriage, let alone riding a horse. He could be heard groaning and complaining all the way.

Fortunately, once they reached the commercial region with its dense network of waterways and well-developed river transport, they were able to board a stable large boat and head south to the capital, no longer having to endure this arduous journey.

Even though Marquis Hughes was not present, the nobles, large and small, of the territory dared not neglect him and all came to greet Luna's convoy with great courtesy.

As I said before, the young lady may not remember who came, but she will definitely know who didn't come.

But Luna, who had been learning how to govern the territory from her older brother and Elene during this time, was well aware of these people's character.

If flattery could lead to good deeds, then they would all be saints in the world.

Moreover, nobles never tell the truth. When they talk about their own territory, they always say that the weather is good and the people live in peace and prosperity, and that they have worked so hard just to repay the Duke's kindness.

In the past, Luna would have taken all of this for granted; to put it bluntly, rule is simply a matter of managing things layer by layer.

But after reading her brother’s book, The Prince, she began to realize a core question: just like Eleanor, who assisted her brother in handling government affairs, if she had a group of professionals who only needed to be paid salaries, could she completely replace these nobles who held the power of the government?

Fortunately, the nobles in front of her couldn't hear Luna's thoughts. Apart from feeling that the young lady's eyes were somewhat disdainful of them, they were still in a harmonious mood.

The ships of the trading territories were requisitioned, and the supplies voluntarily provided by the nobles were taken away. As the large ships raised their sails, Luna's expression gradually turned cold.

Her long, sky-blue hair danced in the wind. Following the young lady's gaze, the old count saw only a group of ragged boatmen and a dilapidated village on the mudflats, made of some kind of rotten wood.

"Count Morpheus, I have a question for you. Why is it that the residents of the wealthy trading territories live a much harder life than the villagers around Ice City?"

The old count was ashamed and could only say, "Because a duke is greater than a marquis."

He couldn't give an answer, and Luna knew he was afraid to.

Since taking office, Oswald first distributed food as disaster relief, and even brought in two thousand sheep from his own ranch, all to ensure that the people had enough to eat and to replenish their nutrition.

Later, there were recruitment drives and land allocation for cultivation. Residents who had no land could rent land for free, and those who had no money could go to the city to work. If they encountered bandits, the Duke would help them form militias for patrols and send troops to suppress the bandits. Moreover, the militiamen were also paid.

These old counts had all seen it, and they were well aware that the people were increasingly disregarding them, the nobles.

His only consolation was that he made his fortune in the jewelry business and didn't own much land; otherwise, his subjects might one day run to the Duke's mansion, crying and saying that Count Morpheus's house should also be ransacked.

With a newly enthroned king and duke, both made it clear they were ignoring the other and focused on dealing with their own messes first. Without the king's approval, who would dare to defy the duke, who held considerable military power, in the north?

Luna's trip south to congratulate the King on his wedding might lead to the King summoning her to inquire about the Duke's health and whether he needs any assistance in order to win over the Charles family...

Following the river, the group soon left the northern territory.

Traveling always allows you to learn a lot of geography without even realizing it. As the warm breeze caressed her face, Luna had already changed into a summer floral dress.

Fortunately, after arriving at the central territory, Luna became much calmer, a change in behavior that relieved the old count.

Perhaps the young lady herself knew that she could act recklessly to a certain extent in the Northern Territory, since no matter what, the Duke and Lady Elene would always be there to support her.

However, the central region was directly under the king's control.

As they drew closer to the royal city, the density of cities and villages increased. It was indeed the most suitable land for human habitation in the world. Even though the land was scarce and the population was large, the living standards of the residents here remained above the kingdom's average.

Soon Luna and her group disembarked at the ferry, and the royal city was already in sight. High city walls enclosed a large residential area, and on the central hill stood the royal palace, built of white marble.

This time, Luna didn't wear armor, didn't carry a spear, and didn't even ride a horse.

She sat obediently in the carriage, dressed like a real young lady—no, she had regained the demeanor of a young lady—and gazed out the window with her eyes slightly narrowed.

Based on his previous experience and the way she placed her hand on the hilt of the sword, the old count quickly realized that the young lady was restless.

"Young lady, don't forget the Duke's instructions to you."

He forced himself to remind her, only to be met with Luna tilting her head in confusion.

Luna poked the old count's soft belly with her sword sheath, as if she had discovered something new and interesting, and cheerfully changed the subject.

"Earl, I think it's men who are better suited to having children, especially after they've gained weight in middle age."

The old count, helpless, let her be mischievous and earnestly advised, "My dear lady, it's alright if you tease me, the key is to always be careful not to make mistakes. Even if the Duke doesn't punish you, there's still Lady Elene."

Luna clicked her tongue. Were they all old foxes? They even knew what others were thinking. "Alright, alright, I just wanted to go back to my alma mater for a visit, so I'm letting you know first, okay?"

Earl Morpheus: You're just nostalgic for your alma mater? I'm too embarrassed to call you out on it!

Everyone in Ice City knows that ever since Miss Luna stopped going to the Central Academy, she's been as happy as a wild horse. As long as she's not with Lady Elini, she can play from morning till night, and you can find her in every nook and cranny of Ice City.

The old count was quite knowledgeable and knew that this kind of retaliatory entertainment was mostly due to having suffered grievances in the past.

Given the Duke's doting on the young lady, the source of this grievance almost certainly points to the Central Academy.

"Raise the flag!"

As they approached the city gate, the cavalry escorting the convoy lined up in unison and raised two flags.

One side is the North Star flag, symbolizing the Northern Territory, and the other side is the black and red rose flag, representing Luna's personal guards.

Immediately afterwards, the royal guards rang the great bell, and hundreds of tall, golden-armored soldiers opened the city gates and raised ceremonial guards around both sides of the gates.

The people entering and leaving the city were driven away, and the roads were cleared. According to regulations, this was a privilege that only a duke could enjoy when he personally entered the royal city.

Although the king already knew that only Luna Charles had come, he still treated her with such high honors.

Thus, the guests from the Northern Territory, escorted by both golden-armored soldiers and rose cavalry, entered the royal city in great style.

From the city gate to the duke's residence, the bustling streets were spotless, and the city's residents crowded on both sides, eager to see who was making such a grand entrance.

"The Northern Star Banner, it means the Duke of the North has arrived. The last time I saw the Northern Star Banner in the royal city was seven years ago."

"Goodness gracious! I heard the newly appointed duke is a fierce general who beheaded thirty demons in a single battle. Look at his cavalry; the men are stronger than the horses. They've probably seen mountains of corpses and seas of blood!"

"You're so naive. They're dressed in formal attire, so the sense of oppression is still restrained. It's only in the royal city that this is possible. If it were in the wilderness, with hundreds of cavalrymen in armor and lances charging, the sheer force of their charge would scare you so much you'd wet your pants!"

The Northern Territory has always been a topic of great interest to the residents of the royal city.

There are battlefields, ferocious and terrifying demons, and massive cavalry legions that loom like dark clouds. War has never ceased there since the kingdom was founded.

The people are simple and honest; they understand that human prosperity and stability are built upon the enormous sacrifices made by the Northern Territory.

Heaven knows how many righteous people joined the army with lofty ambitions to fight against the demons, only to waste half their lives in the central army, never even setting foot on the land of the northern territory.