Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

Ryūka waved his hand, and Kania drew the curtains for him before tiptoeing out the door. Inside the dimly lit room, the blue jay perched on its perch tilted its head, seemingly still pondering the meaning of their recent conversation. Once Kania's footsteps were completely gone and Ryūka began to snore softly, the blue jay's shadow began to swell and lengthen, eventually detaching itself entirely from its body…

The blue raven's body swayed on the horizontal bar for a moment before falling into a pair of flawless white jade hands.

Soft, bare feet gently touched the carpet, the white, round, and plump soles making no sound. A girl who looked about fourteen or fifteen years old, full of childlike innocence, floated down from the shadow of the blue raven. Although it was winter, her clothes were extremely thin, with only the bare minimum of fabric covering her vital parts.

She gently placed the Blue Raven on the table, then tiptoed to the bedside. Looking at Ryusha, who had his back to her, and recalling his conversation with Kania, a look of disdain appeared on her still-childish face.

"Ugh... I really don't want to enter this guy's dream, it's probably full of obscene and disgusting things..."

However, she still had an important mission to deliver information to this guy, because he wasn't there when she arrived in Linhu Town, and several days had already been wasted. This made her resentful, and she reached out to touch the back of Liuxia's head.

"Hmph, to make you pay for making me wait all these days, I'll give you a slightly... scary nightmare~"

However, just as she reached out, Ryuka on the bed suddenly got up, pulled a dagger from under her pillow, and pressed it against her throat in an instant.

At the same time, the door to the room opened instantly, and Kania reappeared, one hand condensing an ice blade. With her other hand raised, she froze the entire wall of the room into a layer of solid ice, while a gust of wind blew open the curtains, exposing everything in the room to sunlight.

"You...you guys...when did this happen..."

Seeing the girl's surprised expression, Kania grinned mischievously and pretended to ponder, "When? It's hard to guess. Probably when they discovered you were secretly sending people to gather intelligence in Linhu Town." (You Lin has your Lin Yongkong, but Lin Zaizai doesn't...)

"Besides, what wild blue jay is so picky about food!"

"Ugh!" The girl blushed at first, then loudly denied it: "I don't understand if you're telling the truth, what do you mean by secretly gathering intelligence!"

"Hehe~ Is that so? It seems you're quite loyal to the Chamber of Commerce. Well then, I'll have to ask about your health myself~ As for me, I love pretty and cute girls the most~"

As Kania approached with a wicked grin, the girl disregarded the dagger at her neck, instantly crouching down and hugging herself, trembling violently and letting out a sharp scream.

"No, don't come any closer!!! You lewd and wicked things!!!"

Perhaps the conversation between Ryuga and Kania had overwhelmed her, or perhaps there was some other reason, but the girl's emotional breakdown didn't seem like that of a competent intelligence agent. Of course, it could also be an act, so Ryuga didn't let his guard down for a second. Before the girl could scream, he cast a soundproofing spell, and at the same time, he pressed the dagger against the girl on the ground again.

"Dressed like that, you still have the nerve to call others promiscuous... You really have no self-awareness whatsoever."

Ryuka grumbled as she sized up the girl in front of her. Her dark blue hair was roughly cut to shoulder length, looking like it hadn't been styled properly. And her somewhat thin body was covered only by a simple tube top and shorts, nothing else.

For some time now, some people working at shops under the Merchant Guild's umbrella have been acting suspiciously, which has already caught the attention of Zona's intelligence agency. However, the biggest enemies at hand are the Third Prince and the Payne family, and the cooperation with the Merchant Guild is also related to the revenue of Linhu Territory. Therefore, Ryusha turns a blind eye to the Merchant Guild's underhanded intelligence-gathering activities, waiting to play the long game and catch the big fish.

Using animal familiars was his and Kania's specialty, so they were naturally extremely cautious about the small animals around them. Therefore, the blue-feathered raven was immediately the prime suspect…

I initially thought she was a spy from the Chamber of Commerce, but it turned out to be a young girl.

Feeling Ryuka's gaze, the girl panicked and murmured through her teary eyes...

"Sister You... save me..."

Wow! That pitiful look, her acting is top-notch! If it were a normal person, they'd probably soften their heart, or be aroused by her innocent, helpless appearance. Either way, it's an unnecessary distraction, and a moment's hesitation would lead to defeat! Besides, a good girl wouldn't sneak into someone else's bedroom!

Hmm... wait, 'Sister You'?

Liu Xia frowned. In her memory, there did seem to be such a person who interacted with 'You'.

Tipalotula Yor Otus!

Ryuga looked at Kania, the two exchanged a glance, and then she asked the girl on the ground:

"Aren't you a member of the Chamber of Commerce?"

Upon closer inspection, the girl had no staff, nor any other medium to replace it; she had nothing but her undergarments, and no magical crystals were visible.

Such a peculiar spell was cast without any chanting. If it wasn't a magician with unfathomable magical power and experience, then the most likely explanation is...

Witch!

"Are you the Thirteenth Princess's person?"

Ryuka's question made the girl suddenly cover her mouth and then shake her head frantically.

Yes, the existence of witches is a closely guarded secret to ordinary people, used only secretly by the Ottus royal family. Therefore, they would never admit their existence, after all, they are fiercely loyal to the royal family because of the curse.

"If you don't admit it, then we'll have no choice but to treat you as a spy and torture you severely."

Ryuka crouched down, brandishing the dagger back and forth in front of the girl's eyes. More than the sharp blade, the girl was afraid of Ryuka's smiling expression.

Her watery eyes instantly welled up with tears, seemingly terrified of the approaching man, and she broke down in uncontrollable sobbing:

"I...I'm just here to deliver information! Don't do that to me! Waaaaah!!!"

Seeing her like this, Ryusha and Kania were certain that she was the witch sent by the thirteenth princess. After all, right now, the only people who would send them information were Tipalotura and Count Duke.

This is really... Looking at the young witch with tears and snot streaming down her face, her face covered in smears, Ryuka silently put away her dagger, but still restrained the girl to prevent any accidents from happening.

Witches possess all sorts of strange abilities and their personalities are completely different from ordinary people, so one can't help but be wary. Besides, it's uncertain whether she's Tipalottura's witch; what if she's a witch controlled by another royal heir putting on an act? After all…

"Isn't the condition for a witch's awakening ability and loyalty 'that'? Tipalottura is a princess, right? She doesn't have 'that' in her name, does she? And..."

"Isn't the condition for a witch's awakening ability and loyalty 'that'? Tipalottura is a princess, right? She doesn't have 'that' in her name, does she? And..."

Ryuka pulled Kania aside and asked in a low voice, glancing back at the girl on the ground who was wailing and crying, wanting to go home...

She looks too young... Even Ryuka would feel incredibly guilty for making a move against her. Even if she was actually older than she looked, thinking about it in that way would make Ryuka want to slap herself.

Kania shook her head, indicating that she didn't understand. If this little girl was a witch, then it was too pitiful. Not only did she suffer such treatment at such a young age, but she also wouldn't have many years left to live.

Moreover, seeing her wailing and crying was really distressing, and I didn't know how to deal with it.

Ryuka could only say to the sobbing girl in an annoyed tone, "Alright, alright, stop crying. Didn't you say you were here to deliver information? Well then, it's settled. I won't ask your name, and I don't care who sent you. Just tell me what you need and I'll let you go. How about that?"

"Really...really?"

The blue-haired girl rubbed her red, tear-filled eyes and looked at Ryuka in front of her with a frightened expression. Only after receiving Ryuka's assurance did she finally choke out her words.

Now that his existence has been exposed, there's no need to deliver a message through a dream. But since Ryūka has promised not to question his identity, can all of this be considered as if it never happened?

While lost in thought, the girl rambled on about the information she wanted to share, and after Ryūka finally managed to understand her, she couldn't help but muster the courage to ask, "Um... could you please not tell anyone about what happened today?"

"To whom? To Her Highness the Princess?"

"Yes... um! No! I have no idea what a princess is!"

Seeing the blue-haired girl's feigned ignorance, Ryuka couldn't help but sigh. It seemed that this princess knew of her existence but instead of dealing with it, she joined forces to exploit her. It turned out that she really didn't have any capable people under her command!

"Okay, you can go."

Ryuu waved her hand. The blue-haired girl had just told her two things: one was that the Payne family's army would arrive sooner than expected. Fortunately, her actions should be faster than others anticipated, and she should be able to complete the deployment before they arrived.

The second thing is that the Chamber of Commerce has an intelligence network in Linhu Territory, and that they have developed a magical device called a 'camera'. Information and photos about them have already been leaked.

"The photos...this is more serious than I thought."

Ryuka pondered to himself that mere words and written descriptions might not be enough to convey everything about Linhu Town. But photographs were different… not only did they simplify intelligence gathering, but they also condensed information at an order of magnitude…

However, the merchant guilds did not hide anything from Tipalotura and even sent a copy of their intelligence to the princess. This greatly concerned Ryūka, meaning that they did not deny their actions and were even deliberately showcasing their abilities?

"This is getting interesting..."

Chapter 25 Negotiation Requires Confidence!

Compared to the Otus Empire and its various lords who openly control territories, Ryuka believes this emerging commercial alliance is a greater future rival. After all, history and human nature are remarkably similar in every world. Merchants have always played a significant role in history…

And they are clearly also conducting research and development on magical technology.

"I have a feeling that they will take the initiative to contact us next."

Ryuka pondered and came to this conclusion: the fact that the other side possessed a wealth of information and made no attempt to conceal it indicated that they wanted him to be aware of their presence. Therefore, they would likely use their cards to extract some benefit from him, since profit-seeking is in their nature; they wouldn't do anything that would be unprofitable.

As soon as Liu Xia finished speaking, the guards stationed at the lord's mansion came to report.

“Your Excellency, Mr. Hayden of the Chamber of Commerce is waiting outside, saying he has important matters to discuss.”

"What I said came true. They probably came at the right time." Liu Xia sighed. If their intelligence network in Linhu Town was advanced enough, they would definitely know that he had returned.

Even the fact that he himself hadn't had a proper rest for a long time was probably taken into account.

For an ordinary person, fatigue would affect their judgment to some extent. Yet, they were discussing a 'major event' during a break before heading to the front lines. Such a plan would normally be advantageous, but after the witch of Tipalotura delivered the intelligence, Ryuka had some suspicions.

The most likely scenario is that the other side will offer military intelligence in exchange, but they wouldn't expect that the thirteenth princess possesses the ability to prophesy.

"Understood, I'll be right there..."

Ryuga glanced at Kania, signaling her to arrange things with the witch. Then, she rubbed her face with ice, letting the cool touch stimulate her somewhat numb nerves and perk herself up to face the mysterious Hayden.

Merchant, magician, teleportation magician, information broker, collaborator with multiple parties while secretly spying and weakening them... everything about Hayden flashed through my mind again. At this critical juncture when a great war is about to begin, meeting such a person requires utmost vigilance...

When Hayden saw Ryusha sitting in the chair, looking energetic and without the slightest sign of fatigue, his eyes couldn't help but show a mixture of admiration and wariness. Hayden knew perfectly well how much pressure this young man had been under recently, and what kind of war and hardship he had experienced. He had deliberately chosen a time when Ryusha was most exhausted to come, yet Ryusha still appeared radiant.

Either he has extraordinary energy, or he understands the importance of his presence but doesn't want to be outdone.

Whatever the reason, this is a clever opponent.

"Very good, I like doing business with smart people." Hayden smiled, especially as he looked at the soft, comfortable chair prepared for him.

When he last came, he was treated like a servant, standing at the table to answer questions, without even being offered a cup of tea. But that didn't matter, since he was just an unknown member of the Chamber of Commerce. This change in treatment made Hayden ponder to himself.

"I am truly flattered. I am merely a lowly salesman from the Chamber of Commerce, and I have long neglected to keep in touch. I never expected that Your Excellency would treat me with such courtesy this time..."

Although he offered his compliments with trepidation, Hayden's backside honestly took its place, looking at the boy who had just conquered the northern part of the Sochi Plain with an unfazed expression.

“I was wrong last time. After that, the people around me told me that Mr. Hayden was a guest of honor of many nobles in the Sochi region. I believe that if you admit your mistakes, you should correct them. This time, I will naturally show courtesy.”

"Oh, I see..."

Hayden sipped his tea naturally, already interpreting Ryusha's words in his mind as something else entirely.

This guy also has his own intelligence network, and has gathered some information about me. The change in treatment during this meeting means that the other party is starting to take me seriously, whether it's as 'enemy' or not...

Before Hayden could even probe, Ryusha interrupted him with a friendly smile, saying:

"Mr. Hayden said he 'neglected to send greetings,' but I don't feel that way at all. After all, the Chamber of Commerce has always been very active in Linhu Territory."

Ryuka saw Hayden's eyelid twitch, then quickly added:

"After all, whether it's the cooperation on the mines or the shops, big and small, that the Chamber of Commerce has jointly opened in Linhu Territory have helped us a lot..."

A cunning fellow... but I like him.

"The words of the governor are truly heartwarming. After all, many nobles regard us as villains who divide their interests, even though their territories would not have developed so prosperously without us."

“I’m not a nobleman.” Ryuka smiled and shook her head.

"It will be soon, if you can successfully take the Sochi Plain. However... you will need a little help..."

Hayden put on an ingratiating smile, clapped his hands, and said, "For example, some intelligence support..."

"Here you are," Liu Xia raised an eyebrow and spoke calmly.

“Indeed, I only know that the army led by the Third Prince will arrive a month in advance, but their troop deployment, route of march, and specific arrangements are still unclear. I wonder if Mr. Hayden came here in advance?”

"Uh……"

Hayden's expression froze for a moment. Ryūka had already learned that the punitive expeditionary force would depart ahead of schedule—this was the first card he wanted to play. As for more specific military intelligence…

Seeing Hayden's smile fade, Ryuka knew the answer in her heart.

He didn't know, or rather, it wasn't something that would be easily given to him...

Hayden tapped his knee lightly with his fingers. Ever since he entered the room, the conversation had been led by the boy, which was not a good sign…

It seems we'll need to invest some money.

Thinking of this, he raised his head, looked into Liu Xia's eyes, and slowly said:

“There will be a rebellion against the Duke family in the territory south of Sochi.”

"Oh?"

This news plunged Ryusha into silence. The nobles in the southern part of Sochi were likely all vassals of Earl Duke and had no power to openly oppose the Duke family.

Even if it were to turn against the Duke family for self-preservation, it should only be after the Third Prince's punitive expeditionary force arrives. If they rebel before he takes control of Sochi, he will lose the justification to punish them and it will also make it more difficult to control the entire Sochi territory.

If they wait for the legitimate punitive expeditionary force to arrive, the northern plains will be indefensible, while the southern plains will naturally coordinate with the expeditionary force. After all, there is no doubt that they would rather pledge allegiance to the Third Prince than to themselves.

Even if the Third Prince doesn't attack him, he'll only be occupying an isolated city. The entire Sochi Plain will still fall under the control of the Third Prince and the Payne family, making it impossible to form a balanced confrontation. Both Sochi City and Linhu Territory will become fish on a chopping board.

Not to mention the population he had migrated south; without the support of the southern plains, he couldn't possibly feed so many civilians. At that point, everything he had done would be a joke, his own grave…

"Strange... The lords of the south should all be under house arrest in Sochi by Earl Duke. They shouldn't be..."

Thinking of this, Ryuka suddenly looked up at the smiling Hayden. There was a faint smell of blood on him. Even though it was hard to detect, the Great Knight's keen senses still detected the smell of fresh death.

"Mr. Hayden, how did you find out about this? Could it be that..."

"Trade secret~"

Facing Ryusha's sharp gaze, Hayden shrugged indifferently.