Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

"You don't think I don't know about the magical bombardment vehicle you made, do you? You know, the thing that gave Mara a fright at the border. Although it wasn't powerful enough to break through the city walls back then, it was enough as a publicity stunt. And I bet you can improve its power, or make more similar war machines, right?"

“My suggestion is that it’s time to showcase your talents to the world. Not only to gain prestige, but also to enhance your status and value in the eyes of the Thirteenth Princess, gradually taking control from being a pawn…”

Count Duke spoke slowly and deliberately, the information he revealed indirectly causing Ryuka to sigh deeply.

This cheap father-in-law, just how much does he really know about me and Linhu territory? He truly lives up to his reputation as the old fox of Sochi City, someone who has dealt with the Payne family for decades with nothing but his brains.

If he weren't just an ordinary old man, and if Clemmer, without any Shadow Guards, had been present, any soldier could have killed him. Ryuka might have felt immense pressure in his presence...

"Understood, I will make the preparations." Liu Xia sighed. With the current magical engineering equipment, the research and development of large-scale war machines could indeed be further improved. That way, even if the Third Prince was dissatisfied with his occupation of Sochi City, he would have to think twice if he had magical weapons.

Earl Duke nodded: "Alright, would you like to go outside and take a look at the matter I need your help with, and then we can talk alone?"

Count Duke pointed at Kira, and Ryusha naturally understood that he was going to talk about his background, so she politely withdrew.

But when he saw that Earl Duke outside needed help, he was completely dumbfounded...

Baron, leading a squad of soldiers, was struggling to maintain order, driving the nosy crowd away from the covered wagons. These wagons, brought by Earl Duke, were packed with people, mostly women, dressed in simple clothes with thick hoods that covered most of their faces, leaving only pairs of curious eyes peeking out at everything around them.

Despite the dim lighting inside the carport, Ryuka immediately noticed their skin tone, which was very similar to Kira's...

The people on this vehicle are mostly humans with dark elf blood!

Chapter 14 The Princess's Prophecy and Deduction

In the deep, secluded palace, amidst a sparsely lit moon and sparsely starry sky, a few candles flickered on and off. From behind the golden couch and jade curtains, a soft, melodious sigh drifted through the air.

The soft sigh caused the female knight standing in the outer corridor to turn her head. She wore dark gold armor, the sacred tree patterns carved upon it frosted in the winter night. Beneath her helmet, her heroic face flushed slightly in the cold air, and her lips, though unadorned, were a deep, blood-red color, exhaling soft breaths. She strode confidently through her heavy, opulent armor, her dark gold heels clicking on the marble floor, until she reached the doorway without making a sound.

Pushing open the door, the female knight knelt on one knee and softly asked the bed, "Your Highness Tipalotura, what have you foreseen?"

A soft light slowly rose from behind the jade curtain, illuminating a noble and dignified figure who gently stroked her head with her graceful arm, replying with a sigh of helplessness:

"The spark ignited in the east, but the collapse began at the heart of the empire. Fate is fickle, and the light of Otus' destiny is fading..."

"Your Highness, please use a language I can understand..."

Seeing the valiant and serious female knight pout with a wistful and coquettish tone, Tipalotura, hiding behind the curtain, couldn't help but chuckle.

"Nothing can affect you, can it, Gerberly?"

The female knight, known as Gerberi, raised an eyebrow, her words brimming with confidence: "With Your Highness here, I don't believe anything will happen to Otus. Even if our ancestral gods have departed, Your Highness will surely be able to turn the tide, after all, you are the one who was prophesied..."

"Alright, alright, trying to talk to you about serious matters is exhausting. I don't think you have any idea how hard I work..."

Flattered by Gerberi's confident compliments, Tipalottura's tone shifted from heavy to melancholic, punctuated by a long sigh. Her followers' trust was unwavering, yet they never knew the immense pressure she bore. Inside the curtain, Tipalottura glanced to the side, her gaze seemingly piercing through the thick, cold palace walls, and murmured softly:

"To turn the tide, one must first obtain the qualifications. That heretical city holds the tickets to the Gods' Game, the starting point for exploring a new continent. But my third brother desperately wants that land and has already resorted to any means necessary..."

"It's all Hetia's and Anyaberg's fault for being so slow..." Gerberi complained, speaking up for her monarch.

“It’s only been less than a year, how fast do you expect them to be?” Tipalotura couldn’t help but defend the two from Linhu Town. “Don’t forget, we are being watched by countless eyes: Father, the Papacy, the various nobles, and my dear brothers and sisters… We can’t give them too much assistance to attract attention, nor can we appear to value that place too much…”

"But of all the deployments in the east, west, north, and south, their missions are the safest. I can't imagine what formidable figures could be in such a remote and impoverished place that Hetia couldn't even maintain control of her territory..."

Gerberi was still somewhat resentful. The princess she served had told her that she foresaw Hetia's imprisonment after going to the eastern border. Chains bound her like a spider web, turning this once-renowned Rose Knight of the Imperial Military Academy into a puppet.

It seems that I, his former student, am not as amazing as the rumors suggest...

What Gerberi didn't understand was that Tipalotura had foreseen more than just that. When Hethia's sturdy armor was shattered by chains, and her proud body was bound and manipulated by layers of chains, her body twisted and turned, dancing a dance that perfectly suited the princess's tastes...

The chains were manipulated by a blurry figure; Tipalotura could only see a pair of dark pupils. But through those eyes, she saw that their fates were intertwined, at least for the present and for the foreseeable future. She and the shadow manipulating Hetia were working in tandem, which was why she had made the ruthless decision to send Hetia to the Forest Lake Territory as planned…

“Ryuka, even I can’t see his past… He’s like a beam of light that appeared out of nowhere in the east of the empire, yet the spectrum that doesn’t fit with mine is exactly what I need…”

Looking at the figure craning their neck to gaze into the distance behind the curtain, Gerberly couldn't help but murmur:

"Your Highness, that's to the west..."

"Who says that just because I say east, I'm actually looking east? Maybe I'm thinking about things in the west right now."

Tipalotura's tone remained unchanged, but Gerberi, seemingly well aware that her monarch was adept at being stubborn, couldn't resist teasing her affectionately:

"Is that so? Well, since Your Highness isn't thinking about that kid from the east, you probably aren't interested in seeing his portrait either, right?"

"A portrait? Is it that Ryukyu's?"

Tipalotura's interest was piqued by Gerberi, and she emerged from her gloom. She had only gathered various intelligence and rumors about the East, and although she knew something about Ryukyu, she didn't know what he looked like.

"That's right, it was just collected today through the joint channels of the Chamber of Commerce."

Gerberly's tone was strange, seemingly indicating a lack of goodwill towards the Chamber of Commerce Alliance, but she still took out a rolled-up letter and handed it to Tipalotura through the curtain.

"It was delivered earlier, but I saw you were in a dream, so I didn't disturb you."

Inside the curtain, slender fingers with dark blue nail polish untied the letter tube and took out the rolled-up hard paper. It felt cool and smooth to the touch, unlike ordinary paper.

Gerberly's voice rang out: "I heard they used a new magical technology that can preserve images on special paper. This technology and related equipment are not only unavailable to us, but also to other parties. It's called... a photograph or something..."

"It seems that we're not the only ones starting to value the development of magical technology. In the past, we could recruit most of the students from the magical engineering department, but now other places are also starting to recruit outstanding magical technology talents..."

Tipalotura sighed softly, and after looking at the photos, she handed them out from behind the curtain for Gerberi to see as well.

Several images showed a dark-haired boy walking through streets and fields, sometimes talking to people, sometimes examining buildings and streets. Although the images were somewhat blurry and the angles seemed like those of a spy, Gerberly could still clearly sense the boy's handsome appearance and gentle demeanor, which seemed quite different from the forceful and decisive character described in the intelligence report…

"That's it? He's still just a kid. How could Hetia lose to him?"

Gerberi frowned, but Tipalotura spoke up, reminding her, "Don't forget, Melanie Snowfield from the Third Prince's camp disappeared after encountering him, as did Megan Payne of the Payne family, a newly promoted Grand Knight who was clearly defeated by him. I'm afraid that heretic in Sochi was also him… Although this matter has now been pinned on the Duke family, the description of that heretic doesn't match the Dark Elf bloodline…"

"That mysterious heretic who defeated that loser Quaid and kidnapped Hefren Alvarez? You mean... the whole thing about Hetia leading the army to defeat the heretical demons rampaging on the border and rescuing the young lady of the Alvarez family was orchestrated by this kid himself?"

"Otherwise what? On paper, only Hetia and Megan Payne are considered strong in Linhu Territory. Even if they are seriously injured and manage to get by, they are still heretics who can fight three senior officials to a standstill."

Tipalotura's words made Gerberi raise an eyebrow. She seemed to take a liking to the boy in the photo and couldn't help but grip the longsword at her side.

Tipalotura seemed to notice this and couldn't help but chuckle:

"You still haven't changed your fighting habit. You're almost at the Heavenly Rank, do you really think you can mess with a kid who's only a minor official?"

"No, I was just thinking about it, just a friendly spar..." Gerberi shook her head to cover up her embarrassment. The two, master and servant, were very familiar with each other and often teased each other. "Besides, he has to be alive to see me."

Gerberi's words reminded Tipalotura of the important matter at hand. The imperial high command was already well aware that the Third Prince was about to launch a military campaign against Sochi, and they were just waiting for the Emperor's order. Because of this, a group of nobles were clamoring every day for the Emperor to order the extermination of the impure-blooded Duke family and to severely punish them for their treasonous act of harming the Emperor's investigation team.

Tipalottura's prediction tonight was precisely about this matter, but unexpectedly, once she started talking to Gerberi, the topic veered off course. Now, remembering the important matter, the princess exclaimed in surprise:

"Right! We need to send a message to Linhu immediately! Third Brother's attack won't wait until spring; before the end of winter, the Payne family's iron cavalry will reach the northern edge of the Sochi Plain!"

Sochi Territory and Linhu Territory are interdependent; if Sochi Territory falls into the hands of the Payne family, her connection with Linhu Territory will be severed. Although Tipalotura was unaware that Ryukyu, far away, had already begun preparations for war, she was still eager to pass this information to Linhu Territory so that both Sochi and Linhu Territories could be prepared.

She didn't believe any force in the East could stop the Payne family's army, but at least it would take some time. She would also secretly assist them in the capital, stalling until Anjaberg could complete his orders and break the seal on the heretical ruins... (The rest of the text appears to be nonsensical and unrelated to the previous sentences.)

"A winter march? Have they gone mad? No, wait..."

As if suddenly realizing something, Gerberly exclaimed softly:

"The Frost Iron Knights of the North! Could it be that one of the Ten Celestials is also involved in this matter? You know, the Imperial decree states that the Ten Celestials can only guard the territory under their jurisdiction..."

"If it's the Frost Iron Knights... they don't have much time left... I'll go myself!"

Gerberi hesitated; there was no time left to delay the messenger on his way. But Tipalotura called out to her:

"No, you can't..."

Although there were no omens, Tipalotura had a feeling that Gerberi, as a female knight, would meet the same fate as Hetia when she arrived at Lake Lin...

Chapter 15 An Unexpected Pre-War Mobilization (Part 1)

"If I don't go, who will? Isn't Linhu Territory very important to Your Highness?"

Gerberly's tone was firm; she wasn't worried at all that anything might happen to her. But Tipalotura pondered for a moment and then shook her head:

"Let the 'witches' go. Your current task is to break through to the Heavenly Rank as soon as possible. There can't be any accidents... Sibelle has already obtained the heart of the Dragon King Whale for you in the Southern Islands. You should not leave before she returns to the capital."

“The witches…” Gerberi paused, then said somewhat uneasily, “But Your Highness, your witches are still unstable…”

Tipalotura smiled: "It's alright, no one knows witches better than me, and there just happens to be someone among them who is very suitable for this mission..."

Meanwhile, in the eastern part of the continent, on the land of Linhu Territory, some people were happy while others were sad.

Just after the New Year, the people received a conscription order unlike any they had received in the past.

The lord is expanding his army, requiring male commoners aged 18 to 40. If they have studied martial arts or magic and have reached the apprentice level, there are no gender restrictions...

Unlike the forced conscription they were familiar with, this time it was voluntary enlistment. Therefore, not only was the pay generous, but the territory would also provide a pension if the soldier was killed in action or suffered a permanent disability. [The remaining text appears to be gibberish and unrelated to the previous sentences.]

Alongside this decree, news also spread among the people that the east would be engulfed in war.

"Have you heard? The Payne family, the powerful rulers of the north, are going to wage war against Sochi!"

"How could this be! Shouldn't disputes between two great lords be mediated by the royal family? How could they so easily break into a fight?"

"Oh, this is nothing more than a family matter for Earl Duke. They've always been at odds, haven't they? It must be because of this! As the saying goes, 'Outsiders shouldn't interfere in a couple's fight,' even His Majesty the Emperor understands this principle."

"Oh, I get it! Just like old White and his wife! Even the patrol doesn't want to get involved in their family affairs! Hahahaha!"

The ordinary peasants at the bottom of the empire didn't care about what was happening above them; instead, they thought about things with their overly naive logic. Most of them had just enjoyed a year of peaceful life with their wives and children; what did their war with the north have to do with Linhu Territory?

"That's why I've said it before, we should implement mandatory conscription! You don't expect them to willingly risk their lives for you just because you've given them a year of good living!"

Inside the lord's manor, Hetia spoke excitedly to Ryusha. The conscription order had been issued a week ago, but very few people had enlisted. Yet Ryusha didn't seem to be in a hurry at all.

"How many people are there now?" Ryuka looked at Kania beside her. The little witch said helplessly after organizing a set of data:

"As of yesterday, there were thirty people in Linhu Town... and a total of fifty people in the subordinate villages..."

Eighty people... If you include the militia trained earlier, the ordinary soldiers number around three hundred. And the princess's faction and Heflian's knights combined, minus those maintaining order in the territory, amount to about thirty people...

"enough."

Ryusha's words shocked everyone present. They did not believe that thirty knights and three hundred militiamen could overcome the current difficulties.

Just three days ago, the nobles within the Sochi territory who were originally vassals of Lady Marfa formed an anti-Duke alliance, severing all ties with Sochi City. Having prior knowledge of the entire plan, they had already assembled their army and sent a letter to the Linhu territory, requesting Lord Hetia's support in their fight against Sochi City. Failure to provide support would be considered treason…

This is incredibly impatient. Are they trying to gain merit for them before their master, the Payne family, arrives? Ryusha looked at the letter, which requested that Linhu Territory provide no less than a thousand laborers for logistical support in the joint campaign against the imperial rebels. This would be enough to supply a two-thousand-strong army with a month's worth of rations, as well as a large quantity of cotton clothing, armor, and firewood needed for winter warfare…

Their reason was grand and righteous: to jointly suppress imperial rebellions. They simply wanted to extort enough supplies to sustain them until Payne's army arrived; after all, no nobleman wanted to spend their own money on war. Moreover, Linhu Territory had previously maintained good relations with Sochi Territory, which they saw as an easy stain to exploit.

Anyway, once the Payne family's army occupies Sochi, the next step will be the Linhu territory of the Thirteenth Princess's faction. As long as they cut off the connection with the capital, they can do whatever they want and say whatever they want...

“Three hundred people? How can that be enough!” Haiflian couldn’t help but remind you, “You have to remember that you’re not just facing the two thousand people of the ‘Anti-Duke Alliance’ now. You also have to consider how to deal with the Payne family’s army next!”

Just yesterday, under Ryūsha's long-term guidance, Hafren and Hetia finally advanced to the rank of Grand Knight, and the two were incredibly proud. They didn't take the mere two thousand ragtag soldiers seriously at all; as long as they led their main force of knights in a few charges, causing a few hundred casualties, the remaining militia would collapse!

Just yesterday, under Ryūsha's long-term guidance, Hafren and Hetia finally advanced to the rank of Grand Knight, and the two were incredibly proud. They didn't take the mere two thousand ragtag soldiers seriously at all; as long as they led their main force of knights in a few charges, causing a few hundred casualties, the remaining militia would collapse!

What they were truly worried about was the great war that would follow. If the intelligence was accurate, the Third Prince, backed by the Payne family, had gathered nobles of all ranks, commanding no fewer than tens of thousands of elite troops! If the conscripted laborers were included, that would truly be an army of one hundred thousand…

In this world, although knights possess overwhelming firepower against ordinary people, their short-lasting battle aura means that even Hetia and Hafren, who have become Grand Knights, can only sustain high-intensity combat for two hours... The enemy could easily wear them down with sheer numbers!

In contrast, although Earl Duke was the defender of the city, he could only mobilize about ten thousand soldiers and civilians. After all, he had a reputation for rebellion, and the morale of his soldiers and civilians was very low.

Even if he followed his and Ryūka's plan, feigning defeat to Ryūka and having her take over the defense of the city, there was no guarantee the Third Prince would be able to control himself and refrain from attacking once he reached the walls of Sochi. With ten thousand men against a hundred thousand, even with Sochi's strong walls, the situation would still be extremely dangerous…

Therefore, it is very important to recruit more people into the army now, but Ryūka has rejected the suggestion of mandatory conscription and insists on voluntary enlistment...

"I'm telling you, Ryuka! Even if you're kind, you can't be this soft-hearted! Conscripting laborers into the army is a matter of course! And if you don't conscript them and we lose the war, who knows what will become of Linhu Territory!"

Hetia couldn't help but offer her advice, after all, it was common for victors to slaughter entire cities, and if they were to lose the bigger picture for the sake of temporary mercy, it would be putting the cart before the horse.

"Kindness? Aren't you mistaken about something?"

Faced with the two knight ladies' back-and-forth banter, Ryuka gave a cold smile:

"As you all know, militias forcibly conscripted will scatter at the slightest casualty. Even if you force them to the battlefield with a sword, they'll only wet their pants when they see a large army approaching..."

That's better than having no troops at all. At least they can throw stones and excrement at the city walls... The two female knights, who considered themselves to have studied military affairs, secretly grumbled to themselves...

"So I want them to volunteer for the army. Believe me, they will. This letter from the 'Anti-Duke Alliance' is the perfect opportunity! Have you forgotten? I said that the nature of war would change because of the development of magical technology..."

Despite Ryusha's confident assertions, it wasn't enough to convince them; even Melanie, standing to the side, couldn't help but become curious:

"Boy, you're so confident in magical technology? Don't forget, I have to consider the family's stance. I can't directly clash with the Third Prince himself. That means I can only cast a few spells from behind, and they can't be ice spells that would reveal my identity. If it's just ordinary, commonly used magic, the power will be somewhat reduced..."

In other words, Ryūka can only normally utilize the main skills of Hetia and Megan. Even Hafren, due to her family background, can only wear a mask and fight using ordinary aura.

Their background forced them to be constrained in this war...

Kira remained silent, meticulously calculating the logistical supplies needed for the impending war. Having learned of her true parentage, she was still struggling to accept it. She even wondered if Ryūka's willingness to risk her life was because of her, and if that were the case…

Seeing the varying expressions on the faces of the goddesses and the tense, awkward atmosphere, Liu Xia couldn't help but sigh:

"Just how little do you trust me...?"

“That’s not it, Ryuka…” Kania couldn’t help but grab Ryuka’s hand. “Your sisters said those things because they were worried about you. Besides, none of us have ever faced such a big situation before, so it’s understandable that we were nervous…”

Even the little witch seemed less energetic than usual, her hand trembling slightly as she held Ryūka's. Ryūka understood what she was thinking…