Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

Regardless, Olivia looked terribly pitiful, which made Anyaberg uncomfortable. While she wouldn't criticize Ryūka's actions, shaving a female prisoner of war's head and putting her in heavy shackles was simply inhumane…

"Really? If you don't want it, fine, I'll keep it for myself."

Ryuka grinned, then pretended to regretfully recount Olivia's abilities to Anyaberg.

The magical engineering girl's eyes widened instantly, her ruby-like eyes almost as big as her goggles. She immediately disregarded any notions of humanity, snatched the chains from Ryūka's hands, and roughly pulled at the collar around Ryūka's neck, nearly sending her sprawling face-first into the dirt.

"I want it!"

A fire mage with overflowing magic power, who can't live without releasing it! This is a perfect match for her magic workshop! In Anyaberg's eyes, Olivia instantly became a walking crystal of infinite magic, and many of her planned projects that lacked manpower and energy could immediately begin preparation!

As for whether it's humane or not... helping her use her excess magic is saving her life! Besides, can you really argue about scientific matters like that?!

Anjaberg's eyes lit up with laughter, while Ryuka looked at the red-haired girl who was about her height and said:

"Isn't there any way to express my gratitude?"

Ryuka pointed to her own face, wanting to tease this engineering girl whose mind was filled only with tools and technology. Because Anyaberg was too energetic and eccentric, she hadn't yet forced herself to win over this capable assistant Tipalotura had placed in Linhu Town, even though almost everyone else was on her side.

She thought Anyaberg would be shy or angry, but overjoyed, she grabbed Ryuka's head and gave her a big kiss.

But she immediately turned her gaze back to Olivia, her eyes wide with excitement as if she were looking at a perfect work of art. Completely unaware of what she had just done, she excitedly asked:

"Where did you get her from?"

"Well..."

As Ryusha began recounting Olivia's background—a Heavenly Rank father, a Heavenly Rank mother, the Frost Iron Knights… with each revelation, Anyaberg's face fell slightly in fear. Finally, she couldn't help but loosen the chains from Olivia's shoulders, then patted her bald head and chuckled awkwardly.

"Sorry, did I hurt you just now...?"

She then quickly hid behind Liuxia, tugged at Liuxia's clothes, and said nervously:

"Are you crazy! Daring to arrest someone like that! This has nothing to do with me! Miss Olivia... Just take revenge on Ryūka alone! Don't drag me into this!" (The rest of the text appears to be gibberish and unrelated to the previous sentences.)

This is way more terrifying than Senior Hetia...

"What's there to be afraid of? They're already enemies. Do you think letting her go here will make the forces behind her abandon their cooperation with the Third Prince?"

Seeing Anyaberg's cowardly appearance, Liuxia couldn't help but grab her ear and pull her out from behind.

"Besides, didn't you say that magical technology is the future, and even Heavenly Rank experts will eventually be replaced by more advanced magical technology?"

"I did say that! But that's the 'future'! I now seriously doubt whether I'll live to see the day when magical technology advances even further!"

Anjaberg emphasized the precision of his wording, arguing with Ryuka with a long face. Did his confidant in magical technology even understand what the words 'Celestial Rank' meant?! That meant the empire's strongest fighting force, capable of easily destroying a city single-handedly! It meant the strongest human beings besides the Saint Rank, who could rival demigods!

I only came to Linhu Town because the Thirteenth Princess was willing to sponsor my research project at the academy, and also for the credits! How did I become an enemy of the Heavenly Rank?! And two of them at that!

"Don't worry, they won't act rashly. Even attacking Sochi requires setting up a scheme and obtaining the emperor's permission in public, which shows they don't dare to openly defy imperial law. So the two Heavenly Ranks shouldn't leave their posts... Besides, it's already a blessing that their daughters led the Frost Iron Knights to Sochi before the emperor's decree was even issued."

Ryuu said dismissively, "Otus has at least eight other Heavenly Rank experts and three reclusive Saint Rank experts. Besides, the Otus royal family is a descendant of King Kranar, and they also have the 'Bel Witch' in their ranks. They can't possibly be people who can't keep things under control."

"'Probably not'... Researchers need to be rigorous! Ryuka, you did something like this! I seriously doubt if there's something wrong with your brain!"

"Do you have the right to criticize others?" Ryuka looked at Anyaberg, who was filled with grief and indignation, and couldn't help but ask who was the one who launched Megan from the magic bomb launcher after a simple calculation.

"But science needs bold experimentation, doesn't it? Don't worry about that, we've already secured the materials for the main body of our designed magic cannon..."

Ryuka pointed to the several sets of armor that the strong knights behind her had painstakingly carried over and said.

"Frost iron refined in the North! Incredibly tough and with excellent magical compatibility! This is truly amazing!"

Anjaberg, who had just been terrified by Olivia's background, suddenly had a gleam in his eyes again. He pounced on the several huge suits of armor, touching and tapping them, calculating how many cannons they could be melted into and how much magical output they could withstand...

Given enough rare materials, it wouldn't be difficult to get her to strip naked and climb into his bed... Ryuga sighed as he looked at this carefree girl. The more extremely innocent a girl was, the less likely he was to have any bad intentions.

"Owner……"

Having just finished speaking with Anja Berg, Megan swayed her hips as she walked over. The burnt parts of her hair had been neatly cut off, and the rest was styled into a bun, which, combined with her voluptuous figure, gave her a charming, married woman's air.

"Should we repair and defend the city of Abyss?"

Ryūsha shook his head: "This place is too easy for the Northern Territory to conquer. Burn the city down, block up the wells, and have all the residents and surrendered soldiers migrate south to Sochi..."

"Everyone?"

Megan glanced at the Abyss residents gathered outside the city like refugees. Aside from the two thousand soldiers brought by the nobles, the Abyss already had a considerable population. These people had already given up many houses for the soldiers, suffering greatly in the winter. Now, thousands more were crammed outside the city, their faces filled with despair as they looked at the ruined walls, houses, and streets…

“That’s several thousand people…” Megan couldn’t help but swallow.

"Otherwise, why do you think I would actually bring enough food to feed two thousand troops for a month?"

Ryusha pointed to the grain carts being transported by laborers and smiled coldly. Some of them had already been unloaded of grain and replaced with gold and silver treasures from nobles such as Brock. That portion of the grain had already begun to be distributed to the residents of Abyss.

"There's no need to relocate them all to the south; that's a huge undertaking..."

Ryūsha shook his head and summoned his subordinates, instructing them: "Listen carefully, not only the residents of Abyss City, but also all the residents along the way south to Sochi City. Relocate all the residents along the route to Sochi City! Burn down the houses and block up the wells. Then have these residents cut down all the trees in the forests along the way. Transport what you can, and burn down the forests that you can't move in time!"

Everyone looked astonished, and Hetia couldn't help but exclaim:

"Are you crazy?! They won't agree! It's winter! People will die from something this big! And how are they supposed to live afterward?"

"I did not seek their or your consent."

Ryūka's tone was unusually firm, quite different from when he was governing the territory of Linhu.

“I know it’s cruel, but we’re facing an army of 100,000! 100,000! Do you think the Payne family would rely entirely on their distant northern base, braving the freezing cold, for supplies to march such a large army?”

Hetia and the others understood what Ryūsha meant: the war of this era was a matter of fighting and consuming wherever the enemy went. The fate of civilians under the iron heel of war was always tragically miserable, but letting them flee on their own and actively driving them away were two different things. This order sounded utterly terrifying to the female knights…

Chapter 22 Scorched Earth, Hayden's Plot

"But we don't have enough troops to escort so many people..."

Hetia wasn't just worried about ordinary civilians; they had captured a large number of enemy soldiers during the Battle of the Abyss. She dared not imagine what these thousands of soldiers might do once they were unguarded…

"Don't worry, apart from the few hundred from the Payne family, most of the rest are native Sochi people. We'll only detain the officers, and the ordinary soldiers will be disarmed and released back to their families. These able-bodied men will help their families with the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled during the relocation."

Ryuka methodically assigned tasks, and the female knights and their subordinates gradually understood his ingenious plan, their eyes becoming clearer.

"The guarding of key prisoners will be handled by some knights and magic lancers. In addition, select one hundred elite and capable soldiers and recruit five hundred more from the one thousand civilians brought with them. Form one hundred small teams of six men each, led by soldiers, and disperse among the thousands of surrendered soldiers and civilians to maintain order and help with the transfer."

"I see," the female knights' eyes lit up. Once the officers from the original noble army were removed, even if some of the remaining ordinary soldiers were knights or mages, they would be scattered and out of contact, losing any chance of resistance. Then, by dispersing them into a hundred small teams among thousands of people, each team would only need to watch over a few dozen! They were only supervising ordinary civilians with families, making them very easy to control.

"As for the scorched-earth policy, it will be quite simple as long as we get the cooperation of the minor lords along the way. Hetia, I'm leaving it to you. Remember to make them bleed a little; we can't afford to bear the costs of the southward migration ourselves. If any minor lords disobey, just kill them!"

“But aren’t they vassals of Earl Duke? We still need to…”

"Hehe. Although our attack on Sochi is just a show, a show has to be made real, right? Besides, this has also been agreed to by Earl Duke. Remember, you are going there as 'to suppress the rebels in Sochi.' Do you understand what to do?"

Ryuu smiled slightly, uttering the most frightening words with a seemingly harmless expression. If Count Duke's vassals were unwilling to obey orders and harbored their own selfish motives at a time like this, then naturally they couldn't be expected to follow commands when facing the enemy.

With a formidable enemy at hand, it is crucial to ensure the purity and efficiency of the command system. Loyalty that is not absolute is absolutely disloyal. If those nobles do not even understand this, then Hetia can only try to reason with them with her sword.

"Haflian, Megan, go to the territories of the lords under Brock's command and seize their land and property. Most of the soldiers from these families have been captured here. Ten knights each should be enough for you two, right?"

Ryusha then looked at the other two female knights, and Megan obediently replied, "Ten people are enough."

Heflian raised an eyebrow and said:

"I don't need to bring anyone with me. When I come back, I can even bring back an army for you!"

"Oh?" Ryuuya looked at Hefren with a hint of admiration. It seemed that Hefren intended to use her personal strength to incorporate the remaining forces in the defeated territory and strengthen her own side.

Ryusha's approving expression surprised Megan and Hetia for a moment, and then they both rushed to express their agreement:

"I don't need knights either, I can still bring back a team for my master!"

"It's just recruiting soldiers from prisoners of war and civilians! I can do that too!"

Hetia shouted the loudest, after all, she was also in charge of escorting money and supplies, and had the most capital. Ryūka wouldn't mind using that to recruit soldiers.

Once the war breaks out, most young and able-bodied men will be quickly converted into soldiers, whether they want to or not... Once the news of the Battle of Abyss, in which the few defeated the many, spreads, coupled with the good reputation that Linhu Territory has accumulated among the common people, it can be said that as many men as there is money and food, they can recruit as many troops as they want.

“This… I can too…” Luca, who was behind him, couldn’t help but mutter excitedly, and was tapped on the head by the older Baron.

"You want to earn more military merits so you can show off to Mary, right?"

A burst of joyful laughter erupted from the knights, as if the smoke and fire of battle had long since vanished. When the laughter subsided, Ryūka mounted his horse and addressed the crowd:

"Gentlemen, I will first escort Anyaberg back to Linhu Town, and then we will meet in Sochi City! I look forward to your successes on your journey south!"

"Have you heard? Viscount Brock of Abyss in the north has been defeated by the Linhu Territory! They are marching towards Sochi under the banner of 'punishing the rebels,' and it is said that the lords along the way are surrendering at the mere sight of them!"

"Not only that, the knights under Viscount Tartu have split up to fight their own battles and have recruited a large number of soldiers! Even the people in the northern part of the Sochi Plain have followed their army south!"

"It's been less than two weeks since His Majesty the Emperor's investigation team ran into trouble, and His Highness the Third Prince's punitive expedition hasn't even set off yet. How could Linhu Territory act so quickly!"

"Tch~ You guys don't know this! Linhu Territory is the territory of the Thirteenth Princess, so naturally she doesn't want to see Sochi Territory fall into the hands of the Third Prince! Moreover, the commander of this operation is not Viscount Hetia Tartu, who is the lord, but her governor, Ryusha!"

"What? That poor kid who came from a hunter background?"

"Still calling him a poor boy! After the east is pacified this time, why doesn't the empire bestow a noble title upon him!"

"Heh~ I don't think so! The Third Prince and the Payne family are determined to take the Sochi Plain. I reckon even if the Thirteenth Princess's people occupy the Sochi Territory, they'll just have to give it all back as soon as they've taken it in."

Even in the dead of winter, the luxurious venues of Sochi were bustling with activity, filled with singing and dancing. These nobles, who had been vassals of Count Duke for many years, discussed the intelligence they had gathered, seemingly oblivious to the impending war.

Before the Duke family's downfall, they had dutifully served Earl Duke for many years. But after the Duke family acquired the label of 'rebellious,' they were naturally in a very awkward position, and it was too late to jump ship, especially since most of them were already confined to Sochi. Not only were they powerless against the Duke family with Clemmer in charge, but now they also heard that Earl Duke's second son, Bran Duke, had broken through to the rank of Grand Knight. (The last sentence appears to be unrelated and possibly spam/advertisement.)

As a result, they had no choice but to adopt a policy of lying down and giving up, hoping to find an opportunity to send spies out of the city to show their loyalty to the empire after the arrival of the Third Prince's punitive expeditionary force, and to instigate a rebellion in Sochi with their cooperation.

This tactic, while not guaranteeing complete success, should at least preserve the title and some of the property. After all, no matter who becomes the ruler of the Sochi Plain, someone will always need to govern the various territories beneath it...

As for their oath of loyalty to the Duke family… Goddess above! They've already earned their share of the benefits by standing by his side all these years! Heretical blood and the mission that murdered the emperor—that's the Duke family's own problem! They don't want to be branded as 'rebels'!

"In my opinion, it would be better to surrender to Linhu territory first, and then submit to His Highness the Third Prince."

The nobleman's speech was met with nods of approval from the crowd, except for one man who leaned back on the soft sofa, holding a wine glass and laughing.

"Mr. Hayden, what are you laughing at?"

The minor nobles all turned to look at this merchant from the Chamber of Commerce. If it weren't for his considerable wealth and extensive intelligence network, they wouldn't have treated a magician-merchant who dabbled in magic with such courtesy.

"Am I laughing at you gentlemen for forgetting what kind of policies Lin Huling has adopted over the past year?"

Hayden's words made their expressions change. Taking away the land and wealth of the rich and powerful, and then using it to buy off the lower classes—this was all the work of the Linhu Territory. If that brat named Liuxia were to ride roughshod over them…

"Surely not? After all, Linhu Territory is Miss Tartu's fiefdom. She and Liuxia were only dealing with some untitled rural landowners. We are all legitimate nobles of the Otus Empire. They wouldn't lay a hand on us no matter what..."

"Don't forget, you are now considered rebels following the Duke family!"

Hayden's words caused the nobleman who had spoken out to change his expression, and he stammered:

"But didn't Linhu Territory also accept the surrender of the northern lords? With Linhu Territory's military strength alone, if they hadn't agreed on terms, why would they..."

Hayden swirled his wine glass, glanced at the self-deceiving minor nobles still inside the opulent room, and couldn't help but sneer:

"Gentlemen, you don't think the victory of the outnumbered forces in the Battle of Abyss was an accident, do you? As far as I know, Viscount Broc had already been promoted to Grand Knight before the battle. In addition to the support of most of the northern lords, the Payne family also added several hundred elite soldiers to them, including Frost Iron Knights..."

Hearing Hayden's words, the nobles' faces turned grim, but that wasn't all; Hayden's next words made them change their expressions even more:

"It is said that the city of Abyss was burned to the ground, and along the way south, the Linhu lords continued to destroy wells and burn forests, forcibly confiscating the stored property and grain from the lords and distributing it to the poor, which is why they were willing to follow them south..."

"Just think about it, when these tens of thousands of refugees arrive at the gates of Sochi, whose flesh and blood will that young governor feed them?"

"This, how is this possible!" A nobleman suddenly stood up, knocking over the exquisite small round table in front of him. The bright red wine spilled on the floor, staining the expensive carpet beneath his feet.

"If that's the case, then the nobles along the way would have resisted to the death long ago! Where did they get the troops to advance so quickly!"

Yes! The nobles all began to have doubts. Not only did they want to conquer and occupy territory, but they also had to manage tens of thousands of refugees! Even if they turned all the thousands of people in Linhu Territory, regardless of age, gender, or age, into conscripts, they probably couldn't do it!

"Magical weapons, esteemed sirs..."

Hayden spoke slowly, then pulled a stack of photographs from his pocket and tossed them onto the table in front of him.

The images above show a group of magic gunners in neat cotton uniforms carrying guns, setting off from Linhu Town. Others are candid photos of magic gunners firing side-by-side in Abyss and along the southward route. There are even images of the ruins of the Abyss city walls after they were destroyed by magic bombardment.

"A farmer who simply carries this stick can defeat a trainee knight with a single strike every ten seconds. Even a full-fledged knight would be unable to withstand the hit... And as far as I know, there are already hundreds of such 'new troops' in Linhu Territory, and the number is still increasing..."

The nobles rushed to the table, staring incredulously at the photographs on it, their breathing becoming heavy.

If such a thing existed, not only would the issue of military strength be explained, but the power they relied on as knights and mages to rule their territories would suddenly become insignificant...

Therefore, that kid named Ryūka doesn't need to win the support of these nobles...

"Where did you get all these things?!" the nobles asked, holding the photos in their hands and looking at the clear and stunning images on them.

"It's all magical technology, sirs..."

Hayden smiled and took out a box from his pocket, then pressed a button for the nobles.

With a soft click, the box dispensed a card, on which were the terrified faces of the nobles...

"Remember the 'magical weapon development project' that our chamber of commerce promoted to you all before? You all said that dignified knights and mages don't need those fancy gadgets, so you were unwilling to lend us money for research and development..."