Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

To be honest, if she weren't so weak that she couldn't move, Ryuka would have loved to teach Kania a lesson, but she was simply powerless to do so.

Seemingly noticing Ryukyu's predicament, Kania quickly resumed her shaking, the astonishing heat and suction drawing Ryukyu's remaining blood down below...

While enjoying extreme pleasure, Liu Xia also felt dizzy and lightheaded. Her body was severely overdrawn, and she had already lost a lot of blood. If she lost the essence that was ten times more than her blood, she was afraid she would really kick the bucket.

Strangely, Kania's proactive attempts to please him accelerated his recovery. Ryuka thought this must be a change caused by the [Leader's Proof] after Kania became a follower, and he seemed to have also gained the ability to recover and become stronger.

Now he's stuck in a rut, and judging from the little witch's attitude, one or two times probably won't be enough to satisfy her.

Thinking of this, Ryuka threatened Kania with a wicked smile.

“I’m not a bad person either. After all, this way you can recover, and as an ally, I’m happy to offer my body.”

"But you can't disturb my rest, okay? Here's the deal: you can't press down on me, and you can't move too fast. If it's like a massage, then I'll allow you to keep moving."

"How can you do that! That's not pleasant!" Kania protested indignantly.

"If you don't behave, I won't touch you for the next month, and you'll have to watch me and Hetia like this."

That's too torture! I'll go crazy from holding it in! Kania had no choice but to give in, supporting her body and slowly swaying as long as she maintained the connection, like a massage machine.

"Bravo!" Ryusha closed her eyes contentedly. Although Kania had also had a tiring day, for her witch bloodline, this was equivalent to rest, as evidenced by her perfectly healed body and her ever-increasing energy.

So Ryuga felt no psychological pressure at all, simply enjoying the subtle pleasure, while Kania's soft breathing reached his ears, relaxing his mind like an ASMR session, and he drifted off to sleep...

Chapter 22 The Other Battlefield

Whoosh! Bang! The signal flare lit up the sky, and on a cliff more than ten kilometers away, a team of people keenly captured the fleeting bright spot in the night sky.

"There's been an accident over there, let's go!"

The group consisted of three people, each riding a horse and leading two spare horses. They were all draped in heavy black cloaks, obscuring their faces. However, judging from their figures and the equipment they carried, they were two knights and one mage.

They were assassins sent by the Third Prince. Their mission was to intercept and kill the genius female knight before Hetia arrived in Linhu Town, thus thwarting the Thirteenth Princess's plans, even though their master didn't know what those plans were.

They rode at full speed, traveling day and night, abandoning the horses when they grew tired and replacing them with new ones. Finally, before dawn, they reached the vicinity of the signal flare point.

Looking down from the nearby hillside, flames raged everywhere around the small lake, blood and flesh flew everywhere, trees were broken, and several of the accompanying carriages were destroyed.

The campfire illuminated two figures, one tall and one short, helping each other into the most luxurious carriage. Another figure followed, staggering, and stood guard outside the carriage.

"Did you see who it was?"

"That's Hetia Tartu outside, that's right. And the other two, are they her stepmother and brother?"

"This place isn't on the road to Linhu Town, so how did they get here? Luckily we had a signal flare, or we would have missed it."

The three men saw Hetia's portrait and immediately recognized her, thus assessing the current situation.

With only three opponents remaining, and Hetia appearing quite weak, now was the perfect time to strike.

"That stupid woman is actually somewhat useful; this saves us some trouble."

The magician laughed. The foolish woman he was referring to was, of course, Hetia's stepmother. All three of them had seen the mission briefing, though they weren't interested in the details, only the bounty.

"Don't let your guard down. Let's go around from behind and get as close as possible before we make our move."

The leading knight spoke in a muffled voice; judging from his voice and physique, he was likely a heavily armored knight skilled in defense.

The last member of the three-person squad is a lightly armored scout knight who excels at roaming and ambushing. The team is quite well-balanced in terms of tank, assassin, and mage, and after years of working together, they can even put up a fight against a high knight.

The captain's decision seemed to be correct. Although this was high ground, the angle of the slope and the dense trees prevented the warhorses from charging, and the mage's attack range was also at its limit.

But little did they know, this would be the decision they would regret most.

The three of them took a detour, but ran into the 'messenger' who had also been attracted by the signal flare and came from Linhu Town.

Under the moonlight, standing in front of them was a girl with light golden hair.

"Are you knights of the lord?"

The girl's expressionless face and soft, flat voice, appearing in the night, sent chills down one's spine.

"No? Little sister, who are you?" The captain knight frowned and asked in a muffled voice.

"That's good." The girl didn't answer his question, then turned and left, disappearing into the darkness.

"That's strange, do all the country folk like to go out at night? Boss, we've been seen, should we...?"

The lightly armored knight licked his lips. Encountering such a lovely young girl in this desolate wilderness was truly irresistible.

The captain seemed to know his character, glared at him fiercely, and indicated that business was more important. Only the magician looked puzzled for a moment, then shook his head.

"It must be my imagination, but I feel like there's magical energy emanating from her..."

The three dismounted, leaving their horses behind. Although they were still far away, Hetia's senses were sharp enough that the sound of horses' hooves at night would be too conspicuous.

Without lighting a fire or using any fluorescent magic, the three of them stealthily made their way over by the moonlight.

then……

"Why is it this girl again?"

"Shh..."

The girl who had just left reappeared in their sight, seemingly heading in the direction of the signal flare.

Encountering such a girl in the mountains late at night was already strange enough, but she also shared the same destination as the three of them. As for what this light-golden-haired girl wanted to do, the knight captain had no idea.

"Captain, there are strange magical fluctuations emanating from her."

The mage behind him whispered, confirming his judgment after their second encounter.

"A magician?"

"It's not like... This feeling is weaker than before. It seems that she is gradually getting used to controlling her own magic power so that it doesn't leak out."

The captain's gaze darkened. Whose people could this person be? Whether it was the thirteenth princess or someone else's subordinate, he couldn't let her interfere with his mission.

He made a gesture to the scout knight.

'Quietly eliminate'.

The scout knight showed a hint of regret. It would be such a waste to kill such a lovely face. It seems that after making this money, he will go to the most high-class brothel in the capital and pick a few virgins to calm his nerves.

He drew his slender rapier and moved silently behind the girl like a nimble cat.

Don't blame me, little girl~ The scout knight revealed a triumphant smile.

Then, the scout knight saw a pair of crimson blood eyes.

With a soft "pop," like a balloon deflating, the scout knight felt a sweet taste in his throat.

A silver longsword pierced his throat. The beautiful blade was covered with floral reliefs, looking cold and serene in the moonlight. His own blood was slowly flowing down the grooves carved into the blade, nourishing the longsword that resembled a bouquet of flowers.

"I'm being too overconfident..." This was the scout knight's last thought. To avoid causing a commotion, he concentrated his fighting spirit within his body, ensuring his movements were silent but lacking much defensive capability.

The girl was faster than he was, who was known for his agility, and in an instant, victory or defeat, life or death, was decided.

But he didn't want to die, even if it would affect his assassination of Hetia.

The scout knight leaped backward, enduring excruciating pain and fear, his neck detached from the blade. He clutched his wound, gritting his teeth against the intense discomfort of blood rushing into his lungs, trying to escape back to his companions.

As long as a mage intervenes, wounds of this severity can heal. The patient may never be able to speak again, but at least their life can be saved.

"What is that idiot doing!"

The captain watched as the scout knight silently leaped back and fled, rustling through the trees and bushes, and couldn't help but feel angry.

If Hetia notices, we'll lose the advantage of a surprise attack, and a fierce battle is inevitable! After all, she's a 'Blood Knight'!

"Get down!"

The mage's magical senses were far more acute than the knight's. He immediately rose, growled at the fleeing scout knight, and fired several beams of magical energy. (The remaining text appears to be gibberish and unrelated to the previous sentences.)

Bright light illuminated the darkness of the dense forest. The scout knights crouched down in unison, a beam of magic grazing their backs before heading straight for the girl chasing after them.

At this moment, the captain knight finally understood what was going on. He took a heavy step forward, and a long, narrow shield on his arm unfolded. Pale white battle aura was released, swirling around the shield to form a battle aura shield about half the size of a person.

Plans have changed, so we have no choice but to fight.

Chapter 23 White Nights in the Woods

The beams of light came straight at her, enough to temporarily blind pupils accustomed to the darkness, but the girl's crimson eyes were unaffected, and she could even clearly see the trajectory of each beam.

"First restriction, lifted."

Silently chanting in her mind, ignoring the mocking voices echoing in her head, the girl accelerated a second time, dodging the beam of light, and swept past the scout knight, piercing his unsuspecting back with her sword.

At this moment, the farm girl named Atina bloomed like a blood-red rose.

Despite having only recently acquired this power, she remained remarkably calm. Upon seeing the three people behind her, she unhesitatingly released the unfamiliar 'First Restriction'.

Speed ​​surpassing that of the Scout Knight! How is this possible!

The captain's forward step halted abruptly, the immense momentum kicking up dirt from the ground. His heart had been pierced; unless a high-ranking Holy Mage from the Vatican was present to provide immediate first aid, and his side only had a mage with rudimentary healing abilities, he knew his teammate was beyond saving.

None of those who can become official knights and mages are mindless weaklings. In that instant, the captain understood that what he should do now was to protect the vulnerable mage back row.

Otherwise, given the speed at which the girl had just unleashed her power, it wouldn't be surprising if she had taken the mage's life at any moment. The mage also realized this and rushed forward to stand close to the captain, not giving the enemy a chance to defeat them one by one.

The girl drew her longsword, but instead of attacking, she disappeared into the darkness, her crimson eyes gradually fading away.

Silence fell, even the chirping of birds and insects disappeared. It was as if something terrifying had swallowed everything in the night. Shadows clung tightly to the two of them, and the corpse of the scout knight on the ground seemed to foreshadow that this was a nightmare.

What to do? The captain and the mage breathed heavily, their hearts pounding. Hetia was just a few hundred meters away by the lake; any fight would be noticed.

They were unaware that Hetia had lost her fighting ability and had become a slave to a certain boy.

"Illumination spell." The captain paused for a moment before giving the command to the mage.

"What about the assassination mission?" The mage didn't object, but simply confirmed the subsequent plans.

"Never mind that, survive first. You saw those scarlet eyes, didn't you?"

"Ah."

Without the captain needing to explain further, the magician understood that it wasn't an ordinary eye color, but rather a demonic eye that emitted a scarlet glow in the darkness, capable of seeing through all darkness.

Heresy! This is absolutely heretical ability! There's no battle aura, and the magic fluctuations are extremely weak, yet the explosive power it displays is so immense!

It's most likely a demonic ability, or some other talent adapted to darkness. In any case, it's their home turf now, and in the darkness, humanity can't possibly win against those crimson eyes.

The magician's staff hummed, and the soft light dispelled the darkness. The light, like a white mist, seeped into every corner of the dense forest, leaving no shadow in the 360-degree soft light.

The forest was illuminated for a hundred meters. Hetia had recovered from her dazed state and was still crying. No matter how weak and heartbroken she was, she could not ignore the strange phenomenon in the distance.

Her 'slave' instincts made her want to notify Ryuka, but as she approached the carriage, she heard soft, sweet breathing inside.

"Mmm~ Ah... Ha... Ha..."

It's that vile witch! Those two filthy rats!

The disordered panting filled Hetia with sorrow. Once Ryūsha recovered, this fate would fall upon her! Her resistance burned fiercely, but it triggered the backlash of the slave mark, and immense mental anguish tormented her soul.

"No... I just... didn't want to disturb Master's enjoyment... There's no danger yet... there's no need to notify him..."

She tried her best to justify her actions, her body huddled painfully beside the wheel, listening to the delicate gasps inside, clutching her head and curling into a ball.

Whatever happened in the woods, I beg you, someone kill those adulterers in the carriage! Or just kill me!

Hetia told herself she was staying by Ryūka's side, not betraying him, yet simultaneously longed for an enemy to come and kill everyone. She endured the immense mental anguish caused by the slave mark, desperately suppressing the urge to sound the alarm, her fingernails digging into her scalp. (The last two lines appear to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated text.)

"Heh...I didn't betray you...This is reasonable...Kill you all...Die...Kill me..."

She was trembling uncontrollably, muttering to herself, a far cry from her previous fierce and domineering self. She began to regret her past actions, yet she could not resist paying the price for them.

The price will be her entire life.

"Let me die... Your Highness..."

A tear rolled down her cheek, and the red-haired female knight fell into a deep sleep amidst endless pain.

Is nobody here?

In the brightly lit forest, the knight captain and the mage did not see the girl. The thought of 'whether she has retreated' flashed through their minds, but the captain quickly thought of another possibility and raised his shield high above his head!

"Up there!"

With a soft thud, the silver-white longsword descended from the sky, striking the shield with a crisp sound, unlike the coldness of a weapon, but rather like the faint, almost imperceptible sound of dewdrops falling from flower petals.

The captain's combat instincts saved their lives, at least for the time being. The mage also did not hesitate, locking his gaze on Atina and quickly chanting in a low voice. Several stronger magical waves were emitted from his staff, bypassing the shield and shooting towards the girl.

Like a dragonfly skimming the water, Atina flipped and leaped upwards, dodging the magical beam, but the beam circled behind her and attacked again.