I am on the Ark, a succubus, pure and innocent.

Putting aside her distracting thoughts, Bai Yue reached for her saber, suspending it at her waist. Then she picked up her scepter and gently slammed it to the ground, producing a dull thud.

"Get up," Bai Yue said calmly to the twin maids, then picked up her scepter and walked towards the hall.

Ugh, being forced to work is so awful. I need to finish filming quickly and call it a day. My Chenchen and Sister Yuxia are probably still waiting for me outside the city. I need to get going... wait a minute!

Haven't I become the Earl of Chernobog now?

Then this core city is already their territory!

I'm Mr. Bai!

Since that's the case, it's my own territory, so of course I can let whoever I want in!

Even our own daughters can come in!

Bai Yue instantly shifted from a guest to a host, even her gait became much more relaxed, and the dress she had felt a little uncomfortable in just a moment ago was now completely acceptable to her.

Enter the hall.

Bai Yue raised her voice and asked, "Victor, when are you leaving?"

"Huh?" Witt turned around in surprise, looking at Bai Yue who was now exuding an air of nobility, and was speechless. She had only been wearing this leather outfit for a few minutes, and she was already in a hurry to kick her out? If I really left, wouldn't you explode?

He said calmly, "Your Highness, given the current situation in the border region, I'm afraid I'll have to stay here for another two days."

"What's going on?" Bai Yue asked curiously.

“Bandits,” Witt replied, shaking his head in regret. “Saint-Jun Castle has long been enslaved by this border region. This is His Majesty’s benevolence, but some people have taken it as a license to indulge themselves, resulting in rampant banditry and widespread suffering among the people.”

"Oh?" Bai Yue tilted her head. "What does this have to do with you being here? Does the Speaker intend to personally lead the bandit suppression?"

“Of course not,” Witt replied, then gestured to the numerous catalogs and rare artifacts displayed beside him, and calmly stated:

“The treasures you have acquired are as numerous as the stars in the sky, while the scoundrels who covet this glory are as numerous as bookworms on the ground. Before the civil official who takes over arrives, I need to deter them for you.”

"Oh." Bai Yue understood, then asked, "Who is the successor civil official?"

Witmore stroked his cane, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips, almost gloating as he said, "If such a person exists, I guess he would be Councilor Charlotte of St. John's Castle."

Bai Yue blinked and pondered, "The Charlotte that the waiter mentioned?"

“Perhaps,” Witt said with certainty.

Bai Yue sneered and asked directly, "Then can I kill him?"

“Oh, of course not, how could you have such a terrible idea?” Witt said curtly, then changed the subject, frowning and shaking his head:

"However, the bandits here are truly rampant. If, in the event of any misfortune befalling your esteemed Councilor Charlotte, I believe my fellow councilors would understand."

"However, if that's the case, Your Highness, you'll have to send troops to suppress the bandits, even if it's just for show."

“That’s only right.” Bai Yue nodded and smiled. “If our respected Councilor Charlotte has really encountered such a tragedy, then as the local host, I will certainly seek justice for him.”

"That couldn't be better."

"Okay, hurry up and take the photos. I'm not staying here tonight. Oh, by the way, what about these things? I can't take them with me. Can you keep them for me?"

"Of course not, Anna's twins will handle it for you. Guarding their master's wealth is their job, so please rest assured. In this respect, they are at the level of internal guards."

"...Okay, hurry up and take the picture, I don't want to stay here anymore."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Chapter 120 The Weight of Power

"Xiaoyue, what are you doing..."

Lin Yuxia looked at the glittering figure, circled around him, and asked in confusion, "This formal attire isn't the Duke of Ursus's dress code, and these patterns... are they for a border count?"

Chen Huijie nodded slightly: "It is indeed the regulations for a border count."

As she spoke, she teased Bai Yue, "It seems the Emperor of Ursus isn't so kind after all. He's so stingy. He gave you the title of Duke this morning, and now he's reduced you to a border count. That's incredibly fast."

"No la."

Bai Yue brandished the scepter in her hand at the core city behind her and explained triumphantly:

"This is the title the Emperor has bestowed upon me as compensation: Earl of Chernobog. From now on, all ownership and governance of this land and the mobile city belong to me. I can do whatever I want!"

"Whoa." Chen Huijie exclaimed in surprise: "Ownership and governance rights?"

But then, looking at the dilapidated core city, she chuckled and said with pity, "Yue'er, you've been tricked by your emperor uncle. There's nothing here that can be governed. You've been completely sent here to be the village chief."

Lin Yuxia nodded in agreement and analyzed, "Chernobyl was originally thriving, but this time it has suffered from natural disasters and man-made calamities. Citizens have either died or fled, and the relocated plots have also been extensively damaged. With people and property lost to this extent, there is no basis for governance left."

"Xiaoyue, you've taken over a wasteland," Lin Yuxia concluded.

Bai Yue pouted: "I agree, but that old Deng just won't let me change the location, saying it's an important imperial city with extraordinary significance... Tsk, whatever, it's good enough that it exists, it can be rebuilt eventually with some time."

"reconstruction?"

Lin Yuxia asked in surprise, "Your uncle really intends to give you the property of the Duke of Belgaard?"

"I don't know." Bai Yue shook her head, then smiled and said, "But even without this, the other things I get should be enough to fill this hole, it's just a matter of time."

"Oh, tell me more," Chen Huijie said with interest.

Lin Yuxia also became interested.

Seeing the expectant expressions on their faces, Bai Yue thought for a moment and started counting on her fingers:

"Well... first of all, there's the Empress's legacy that came with the title of Duke Ulrich, which was left to me by my grandmother Catherine, including palaces, estates, and countless other properties."

"Wait!" Lin Yuxia raised her hand to interrupt, asking somewhat bewilderedly, "How did the Queen's inheritance end up in your hands? Shouldn't it belong to the successor?"

"I don't know, but..." Bai Yue chuckled and said, "This was decided by the late emperor. He said he would leave it to me, and my uncle, the emperor, didn't object, so it was given to me."

"I see, it's the late emperor's edict." Chen Huijie understood.

That makes perfect sense. It's reasonable for a successor to follow the policies and laws of their predecessor, and sometimes, not doing so is even necessary.

The current Emperor of Ursus has long been ostracized by domestic interest groups because he is "not like his father." If another charge of disobeying the late emperor were added, some clever people might rise up in rebellion under the banner of protecting the late emperor.

Lin Yuxia understood, then spread her hands and asked, "But these things belong to the royal family; they can be seen and used, but cannot be bought or sold, so they are of no benefit to the reconstruction work. Could it be... that His Majesty of Ursus has promised you something else?"

“Yes.” Bai Yue nodded and continued to list: “In addition to the three titles of Ulrich, Belga and Chernobog, I was also given the position of a third-class civil privy councilor. Furthermore, I was appointed as the plenipotentiary representative of the Chernobog Reconstruction Committee, which allows me to allocate non-wartime resources from the surrounding areas for the reconstruction of Chernobog.”

"..."

Lin Yuxia was stunned, her fingertips trembling slightly, as if she were talking in her sleep: "Xiaoyue... what did you say? A third-class civil official?"

Chen Huijie reacted similarly, unable to hold back, and asked, "Are you sure he's a third-class civil official?"

"Yes, what's wrong?" Bai Yue asked, puzzled. "He's just a consultant, is there a problem?"

Seeing that he had no idea how important this position was, Chen Huijie was speechless. She took several deep breaths and finally managed to calm down the turmoil in her heart.

She pointed to herself: "I am Chen Huijie, a senior inspector of the Lungmen Guard Bureau and the head of the special inspection team. Do you know what rank I would be in the Ursus civil service system?"

Bai Yue shook her head and said honestly, "I don't know, I've never known about these things."

Lin Yuxia answered for her: "Eighth rank. Even in a bustling commercial and financial city like Longmen, Chen's position is at most equivalent to an eighth-rank civil official in Ursus."

"Oh..." Bai Yue looked somewhat confused and tilted her head, asking, "So?"

Lin Yuxia smiled helplessly. This silly child really doesn't understand anything. She continued to explain, "In Ursus, civil officials are divided into fourteen ranks, if converted using the official ranks of Yan Kingdom."

"First-class civil officials are similar to the Three Dukes, second-class civil officials are similar to the Ministers of the Six Ministries, and your third-class civil official position is equivalent to a regional governor, a provincial governor, or a vice minister of a ministry. Considering the current political system in Ursus, your power is even greater."

As she spoke, she didn't forget to give examples, giving Chen Huijie a teasing smile:

“If you and Chen were both working at Saint-Germain, she would at most be a minor sheriff in charge of a few streets, while you, with your high-ranking title and third-class civil servant status, could turn her into a pitiful groveling just by standing in front of her. She wouldn’t dare to stop even if you told her to.”

Chen Huijie's face darkened, and she snorted heavily, saying with dissatisfaction, "Hey, Lin Yuxia, don't make up stories about me. Even if I die, even if I jump off a building, I will never be a bootlicker!"

"Just let it be."

Lin Yuxia smiled mischievously, then walked up to Bai Yue and patted his head, first sighing, "You've really made something of yourself."

Then he added worriedly, "But be careful. His Majesty has given you so much, not because of your thin blood relation. He must want you to do something. You must be extremely cautious."

“Yes, I understand.” Bai Yue nodded obediently, then smiled and said, “I roughly know what he wants me to do. But it’s okay, rebuilding Chernobog isn’t urgent, I have plenty of time.”

Lin Yuxia remained silent, only stroking his head with deep concern, and suddenly said:

"Let me help you."

"?" Chen Huijie frowned, then fell silent, before putting her arm around Bai Yue's shoulder as well: "Then count me in too. I hope my years of experience as a police officer can help you."

"That's great!"

Bai Yue readily agreed, smilingly accepting the two women's affection. Wow, two high-level management talents acquired!

Frostnova and Vishdel also posted.

Bai Yue accepts all comers, even those who are close to her, just like a tyrannical ruler. However, judging by her height, she looks like a pitiful little succubus being bullied by four older sisters.

Chapter 121 Rhodes Island, Your Emperor... Lord White is back!

Rhodes Island, Kal'tsit's office.

"What? Dr. Kal'tsit, you want to know what title I received? Well, it's nothing much, just Duke Ulrich, Duke Belga, and Count Chernobog. Really nothing."

"Who asked you..."

"What? You want to know how much property I inherited? Well, not much. It's just the three large mobile cities of the Duchy of Belga, plus the villages in its fiefdom and surrounding areas, and a tiny, insignificant amount of physical wealth. There's also the core city of the Earl of Chernobog and its main attached mobile blocks, as well as ownership and governance of the entire Chernobog territory. In addition, there are the twenty-seven palaces, forty-three castles, and three hundred and sixty-seven manors inherited from my dear grandmother, a royal hunting ground covering an area of ​​approximately 12.8 hectares, and... and, oh yes, there's her private treasury that was sealed away by the late emperor until now. Hehe, there are so many things inside that it's impossible to count them all."

"..."

Kal'tsit put down her pen, smiled with relief, and clapped her hands: "Oh, congratulations! On this land, apart from the change of leadership of the G family, it is indeed rare to have such a grand succession event. I'm sure this event will be recorded in the annals of major events by all countries."

"Congratulations, Bai, you've made a name for yourself on Terra."

Kal'tsit's smile was relaxed, as if a huge weight had been lifted from her heart. And indeed, only she knew how anxious she had been during Bai Yue's time away in Chernobog.

Now that he's back safe and sound, that's... well, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, her smile faded, and she said calmly, "Alright, that's enough showing off. Is there anything else? If not, I have to get busy. I have a lot on my plate lately, and I have surgery to perform later. I'm very busy..."

...Damn it!

Kal'tsit silently punched the little devil in her heart a few times. This is really weird. Why did she have to explain to him? She should have just told him to leave! It's like she's the one comforting him.

"Of course!" Bai Yue pulled out the chair she had been pressing down on for a while and plopped down on it.

During this process, the clattering sound of his numerous ornaments made Kal'tsit's eyelids twitch. Wasn't wearing so many heavy clothes? But she didn't say anything, otherwise it would seem like she cared about him a lot.

"What is it?" Kal'tsit asked calmly.

Bai Yue leaned the scepter on the desk and said casually, "Actually, it's nothing. Now that I'm the Earl of Chernobog, you can see how dilapidated this place is. We have to put the reconstruction on the agenda."

"Hmm, so?" Kal'tsit tilted her head, her tone slightly teasing, "Your Excellency just received such a large inheritance, surely you can handle something as simple as this?"

Bai Yue wasn't defiant either, and spread her hands with a sigh, "Sigh, although what I said is absolutely true."

"But... the Duchy of Belgar is being managed by my uncle, the Emperor. And my grandmother's estate is all in the Ursus interior, but firstly, the Emperor won't let me go back for the time being, and secondly, I don't want to go, and I can't sell it. Luckily, it's a royal building, so I don't have to pay for its maintenance myself, otherwise I would have to pay for it every year."

"So you see, all I can do is mess around with the Earldom of Chernobog."

Kal'tsit chuckled: "Then you should talk to the Doctor. He's handling most of Rhodes Island's affairs now."

Bai Yue waved her hand: "Hey, don't try to fool me. Everyone on Rhodes Island knows you, Queen Dowager. If you don't make the decision, the Doctor's orders can't be carried out."

Kal'tsit's face fell, and she casually pulled two documents from the side and threw them in front of him:

"Let's talk after you sign these bills."

"Huh, what is this?" Bai Yue stretched out her curious little hand, took a closer look, and instantly broke out in a cold sweat: "This...this isn't right, I only became Earl of Chernobog today, why should I pay this bill!"

The names of the two documents are:

[List of Rhodes Island Temporary Base Construction and Material Losses During the Chernobog Core City Incident]

[Settlement statement for Rhode Island Medical Department's drug and equipment losses, personnel subsidies, and hazard allowances following the Chernobog core city incident]

Kal'tsit smiled contentedly and said softly:

"Count, who owns and governs the entire territory of Chernobog, I ask you, shouldn't you show some appreciation for the Rhodes Island's efforts to save your people on your land?"

Bai Yue wiped away non-existent sweat, put her hands on her hips, and said righteously, "What did I say? I'm a new official. What did their previous incidents have to do with me? You're extorting me!"

Kal'tsit tapped the table with her fingertips, speaking calmly, "No, it's not extortion, but a reasonable request for compensation."

"Is this considered reasonable?"