Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

Even Hetia, who was nominally the lord, was cursed and insulted. The nobles wove obscene rumors about her and Ryusha, constructing their relationship with the most vicious words they knew, but to the parties involved, it sounded like a joke.

"Not so pure."

Hetia, who was next to Ryūka, rolled her eyes at him and said with a blushing face:

"Shameless! You know those underhanded methods too!"

"I know, but I won't change."

Ryusha looked at Hetia, whose pretty face was still stained with blood and whose beautiful red hair was stained with black blood clots, but she still looked incredibly beautiful.

Near the edge of Sochi territory, the two rode side by side, with no one behind them. They galloped off, leaving their knights far behind. In this week, they had accomplished an impossible conquest, swiftly taking control of the entire southern part of Sochi. The price was that their knights were left behind along the way to control the territories, awaiting handover to the infantry and militia following behind.

Melanie, Hafley, and Megan split into teams on the left and right flanks of the two leaders, conquering lands several times larger than Linhu Territory in the same way, like a trident. The knights left behind would absorb all the manpower and wealth of South Sochi like sponges.

This was the end of their journey. The two, who had been advancing at breakneck speed almost without sleep, were exhausted, but satisfied smiles adorned their faces. When they returned to Sochi, the army they had gathered along the way would be a formidable force, enough to rival the Third Prince!

As the sun set, a caravan laden with treasures billowed dust on the horizon—that was Ryūka's final destination. The knight-lord driving the carriage used his full aura to protect the speeding horse, urging it, foaming at the mouth, to charge towards the border of Sochi territory like it was on fire. Meanwhile, the mage he had hired was randomly casting various spells behind them, attempting to threaten Ryūka and his companion.

"Alright, last order done, time to call it a day. I can't let my money end up in someone else's territory."

Ryuka licked his chapped lips, and at that moment he really had the urge to drink the enemy's blood.

“Your money.” Hetia rolled her eyes. “You might as well just say the territory across the street is yours too… Wait! Look!”

As Hetia's sword pointed, banners suddenly rose on the distant horizon, and a dark army was arrayed along the border, forming an insurmountable Great Wall.

“It’s the banner of the Harvey family,” Hetia said gravely. “The Fourth Prince’s men…what do they want?”

The fourth prince? Liu Xia looked at the army in the distance. The forces in the eastern part of the empire were really intertwined. The territory of Sochi was next to other forces.

A cursory glance revealed that the border troops numbered over a thousand, clearly not hastily assembled but rather well-prepared.

The lord who had fled from Sochi saw the army before him, but before he could even smile, a dark rain of arrows came crashing down upon him...

"The Harvey family's banner is the Black Raven, and they are fond of and skilled at using crossbows. The current head of the family is Marty Harvey, a border lord, a great knight, and his wife is a great mage."

Hetia watched as the fleeing convoy was riddled with arrows, and she couldn't help but feel a lingering fear. The steel crossbow bolts used by the enemy were so powerful that even the knights' armor couldn't withstand them.

Should we advance? What exactly does the enemy mean by deploying troops at the border at this moment? Just as Liu Xia was pondering this, a bright golden streak sped towards them from the opposite side.

"Yo~ Tartu, long time no see~ I heard you broke through to the Great Knight level?"

The speaker was a handsome blond youth, wearing magnificent armor, with his blond hair braided into an intricate style, and a thin braid framing his face.

"Joe Harvey, a classmate from the military academy, and also Matt Harvey's third son."

Hetia first whispered to Ryūsha about the young knight's background, then coldly asked Joe:

"I didn't expect you to return to the family territory from the capital. What's the meaning of this formation today?"

The young man laughed heartily, first greeting Ryuuya as well. His easygoing manner was nothing like that of a count's son. Then he began to chatter on and on:

"You know I don't want to come back. The capital is much better than here. Besides, inheriting the territory is my eldest and second eldest brothers' business. I have no interest in it at all! But the capital has changed a lot recently. Of course, the east is the same. Haha. You know what I'm talking about, right? That's right. I'm talking about you guys! And of course, His Highness the Thirteenth Prince..."

Joe spoke at a rapid-fire pace, almost like a barrage of arrows. One moment he was talking about his academy life in the capital, and the next he was discussing his experiences after returning home, including how his father had discovered his love letters to a certain young lady. Liu Xia couldn't help but twitch her eye and glance at Hetia, who was also looking equally annoyed.

Is this guy... an idiot?

Chapter 6: The Magical Technology and Annoying Subordinates of the Fourth Prince, Elias

Hetia gave Ryusha a helpless look, indicating that this blond-haired guy was indeed a well-known chatterbox and idiot. Although Joe was very friendly, his incessant nagging finally made Ryusha unable to resist interrupting his self-narration, which sounded like an old lady's bound feet.

Ryuga coughed lightly, frowned, and asked in a clearly impatient tone, "Mr. Harvey, can you get to the point?"

"Ah! Sorry, I seem to have gone too far!" Qiao was taken aback for a moment, then scratched his head and laughed awkwardly. But just when Liu Xia thought he was finally going to get to the point, he said this.

"About today's events... to be honest, Tartu and Mr. Ryusha, right? Please don't overthink it. Bringing so many people was all on the old man's orders. I personally have no objection to your actions, it's just that the family insisted I come. You can understand me, right? Although our old man has a good relationship with the Fourth Prince, and the Fourth Prince has a good relationship with the Thirteenth Prince, so in principle I should help him out, this time we were ordered to protect ourselves and not let the turmoil in Sochi affect our territory. So, I'm here with these men just to ensure the safety of our territory..."

Ryūka and Hetia's anger continued to rise with Joe Harvey's incessant chatter, and their helplessness was visibly evident on their faces. If it weren't for the army behind him, Ryūka would have already wanted to chop off his head with a sword and see if it could still keep babbling after rolling on the ground a couple of times.

According to the intelligence Ryuga had reviewed, the Harvey family was a relatively new noble family, with its members and influence not particularly strong. Border Earl Matt Harvey's greatest achievement was during an incident involving heresy in the east over a decade ago; aside from that, he had no other notable accomplishments.

Although he holds the title of Earl, his territory is smaller than the entire Linhu Territory. He is known for his steady and low-key demeanor, to the point that he is often forgotten. Even his current political allegiance was only made when the competition among the princes and princesses intensified, and he silently joined the camp of the Fourth Prince.

"The Invisible Man of the East"... Although he is often teased like this, it is said that Matt Harvey's personal combat skills are among the top in the nobility, and he was once said to be able to reach the Heavenly Rank in his lifetime. In addition, as the wife of a great mage, the two often work in perfect harmony, which allows them to unleash extraordinary power.

As the saying goes, "Like father, like son," and it's said that both parents' children are outstanding individuals. "Humble yet capable" is practically a family motto of the Harvey family, a principle adhered to even by their relatives and nephews. But there's one exception: Joe Harvey, the third son of the Harvey family…

As the only member of the Harvey family to go to the Imperial Academy, Ryusha had thought that Joe was either a hostage or responsible for liaison between the family and important figures in the capital. However, his return to the territory overturned the possibility of him being a hostage, and his annoying personality today made him completely unsuitable for the family's socialite role.

'Handsome appearance, easy-going and friendly personality, and full of social energy'...

Ryuka, recalling the other nobles' evaluations of Joe Harvey in the intelligence report, scoffed. These nobles were way too good at flattering each other! This blond guy was indeed handsome, but in an annoying way! And his personality was downright terrifying and unsettlingly overly friendly! Full of social energy? This guy was clearly a social disaster!

A dog? Is it a dog? It's just a husky in a golden retriever's coat, right? No! It should be an adult beagle in a golden retriever's coat! It's more like an annoying big-eared, bellowing donkey!

As expected, information gathered from the opinions of nobles is easily distorted. Even Hetia's reputation among nobles fluctuated between two extreme views: "the aloof rose knight" and "the lowly red-haired violent woman."

Hearing this with suppressed anger, Liu Xia finally understood that the enemy's deployment of troops at the border was to prevent the war from spreading to her territory, since the Harvey family's controlled territory wasn't very deep. Understanding this was good, since the Fourth Prince and the Thirteenth Princess had a relatively good political relationship; even if the Harvey family didn't help, they wouldn't betray her…

However, nothing is absolute. Although Ryuka would pay attention and really wanted to communicate with the Harvey family to test their sincerity, the annoying blond guy in front of him completely dampened his interest.

Liu Xia suddenly raised her voice and questioned Qiao, "In short! Your actions today were only to ensure we didn't cross the border, right?!"

This surprised Qiao. He opened his mouth wide, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded.

"Yes, that's right!"

Upon hearing this, Ryūka immediately turned his horse around without a word and threw a sentence at Hetia:

This surprised Qiao. He opened his mouth wide, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded.

"Yes, that's right!"

Upon hearing this, Ryūka immediately turned his horse around without a word and threw a sentence at Hetia:

"Let's go."

Hetia let out a long sigh of relief and almost simultaneously caught up with Ryūka, as if fleeing a crime scene. Joe was left watching their retreating figures, listening as Hetia whispered to Ryūka, "Where's that nobleman's money?"

"The person dies on our side; we'll just wait for the knights to come and collect him."

"I have another question."

"Ok?"

Can I strike him with my sword?

"Whatever... as long as you can clean up the mess afterwards."

Listening to the two's undisguised吐槽 (tu cao, a form of online commentary or criticism), Qiao couldn't help but let out a sad groan and shamelessly followed them:

"Huh??? Wait! Saying that to their faces is so hurtful! Wait a minute, Tartu! Hey! Ryuka! I haven't finished speaking yet!!!"

bass! ! !

Hetia's crimson longsword was aimed at Joe, but this thunderous strike did not actually take his life. The fighting spirit precisely stopped at Joe's throat, trembling menacingly, ready to sever his neck in the next second.

"Ah...you're joking, right? Right?"

"Speak quickly if you have something to say!"

Hetia's sword tip pierced forward a fraction, slicing through the skin of Joe's neck. Joe broke out in a cold sweat and immediately stopped talking, though he looked aggrieved, as if he had no idea how annoying he was.

"Alright, this is what my father asked me to convey: On the surface, the Harvey family cannot interfere, nor can the Fourth Prince, but no one wants to see the Third Prince benefit, not even His Majesty himself..."

This was the first time Ryusha had heard news from the capital. Although it was not surprising that the emperor himself did not want to see the third son become too powerful, what was surprising was that this news was conveyed to him by someone from the fourth prince's camp, rather than by Tipalotura.

If Tipalotura knew about this, she would definitely inform me.

Although Liu Xia wanted to believe the news, the man in front of him was too unreliable, so he had no choice but to ask cautiously, "Is the news reliable? And how did you know the emperor's attitude so quickly?"

Upon hearing this, Joe's eyes lit up, and after a moment of realization, his gaze filled with admiration and interest. He carefully gestured for Hetia to move the sword away, let out a long sigh of relief, and then turned to search his saddlebag.

"Wait a minute, hey? I definitely put it here. My father told me to take this with me, but he also told me not to bother him. He must have guessed you'd ask this! Dude, you really are as smart and quick-witted as the rumors say. Can you teach me...?"

"Stop talking nonsense! What exactly do you want?"

Hetia couldn't help but curse, but Ryusha gently held her down because he saw Joe take out a crystal ball-like object from his saddlebag.

"Ah~ I found it! I'm so glad I didn't smash it!"

"A magical device?" Ryuga looked at the mechanical base and magical crystal beneath the crystal ball and asked Joe, "A communication crystal?"

“That’s right! This thing can achieve long-distance communication, like high-level communication magic, only it’s clearer and doesn’t require a medium or for a great mage like my mother to specifically learn that obscure magic! Look, like this!”

Joe excitedly showed off the crystal ball, like a child showing a toy to a friend, but Ryusha wasn't interested in how to use it, but rather in why they had it in the first place.

When the Chamber of Commerce proposed to cooperate with her, this thing was among the pile of materials they presented. However, since the two parties have not yet reached a cooperation agreement, Liu Xia has not yet seen the actual product.

But Ryūka clearly realized that this thing was useful not only in intelligence communication and commerce, but also in the rapid transmission of instructions in military applications!

However, the Chamber of Commerce seemed unaware of this, just as previously predicted, they were still thinking from a business perspective. Furthermore, according to Hayden, they had only just begun developing those technologies; without investment, they hadn't started large-scale production, and all they possessed were a few prototypes.

Did that guy lie to me? Ryuka couldn't help but feel nervous. If the Third Prince's army was equipped with such a thing to transmit military orders, it would be a nightmare for me, who was still relying on messengers and familiars to issue commands.

For example, if troops are dispersed for separate operations, by the time we receive the message, the enemy may have already changed their orders.

The fact that Hayden showed this to him meant they hadn't yet realized its greater potential, or perhaps they weren't yet capable of mass-producing it. And now it's in Joe's hands… wait a minute!

Liu Xia looked at the crystal ball in Qiao's hand and suddenly noticed a subtle difference between it and the photo Hayden had shown her. "Where's Lin? I'm not available. Is Lin here...?"

And why does he keep calling me "bro"? I'm clearly much younger than him! This guy looks like he's at least twenty!

Joe, an impatient talker, immediately launched into a boastful monologue: "I don't know the specifics, but I heard it was a copy of the design obtained by His Highness Elias—ah, that is, the Fourth Prince—who sent people to infiltrate the Merchant Guild's magic workshop! And he made improvements afterward!"

"Ah... but this is something we can't tell anyone else, so please don't spread it around..."

At this point, Qiao mysteriously covered his mouth while glancing around warily at Liu Xia and the other person.

It seems many people already know this...

Ryuka was speechless. Why would someone like this be accepted by a faction and know some secrets? He's completely unreliable, isn't he? Could it be that he has some extraordinary talent?

Hmm... aside from that somewhat annoyingly handsome face, Ryuka really can't see any redeeming qualities in Joe Harvey.

However, there's an advantage to him seeming to be a bit dim-witted: he seems to answer any question. So, Ryuka pressed further, "So you're using this communication crystal ball to exchange messages faster? And what about the improvements you mentioned?"

"That's right! Messages that would normally take a week or even half a month to deliver, or even a grand mage to construct a magic circle for transmission, would still have a one-day delay, and depend on the magical response of the other mage! But this thing has almost no delay! It's just that the consumption of magic crystals... ugh~ it's really painful!"

Joe pried out the magic crystal from the base. That high-concentration magic crystal, enough to make several magic gun magazines and fire hundreds of shots, could only be used for communication ten times under this magic consumption, with each communication lasting no more than one minute.

"As for the difference, the Chamber of Commerce's version transmits images, while our version transmits audio."

Joe's proud expression left Hetia full of questions: "Is this an improvement? It's clearly castration!"

"Tsk tsk tsk~" Qiao shook his finger, but Liu Xia guessed first.

"The improvements are in cost and production difficulty, right?"

"You know that too?!" Joe's eyes widened again.

"It's easy to see that the magic circle has been simplified, as has the magical structure. The version from the Merchant Guild Alliance, in terms of its structure, requires a highly skilled magical engineer to forge the parts and inscribe the runes, but what you have... should be something that an ordinary craftsman could do with a magical engineer who can inscribe the magic circuits."

Ryuu nodded. He had used points to learn a lot of magical technology from Anyaberg, and recently he had also been diligently studying the basics of magic with Melanie. Combining the two, the differences were easy to see.

"I heard you're only sixteen and already have the strength of a full-fledged professional. I didn't expect you to be so proficient in magical technology as well... You know, even my mother gets a headache looking at those formulas and algorithms, and she even said in a huff that they were a clumsy imitation and blasphemy of real magic..."

Joe made no attempt to hide his jealousy and dejected expression, but his disappointment was fleeting; he immediately regained his composure and began showing off to Liu Xia:

"But there's more to the improvements than just this~ Want to know? Really want to know?"

"Speak quickly!" Hetia roared, startling Joe, who immediately shrank back, then said with a mixture of fear and defiance:

"Well... why are you shouting so loudly... no wonder everyone in the academy is afraid of you... Ryuka, it's really a wonder you can work under her..."

"Well, the pressure is quite intense... but I quite like it."

Ryuka raised an eyebrow in response, which made Hetia blush instantly. The problem wasn't her reputation in the academy, but rather... 'pressure' and 'tight' meant something completely different to her.

But Qiao naturally didn't understand that this thorny rose, whom everyone feared and admired in the academy, was a completely different person in front of Liuxia, and that bit of thorn in her personality became part of Liuxia's charm.

He proudly showed off his limited knowledge, saying, "There are all sorts of flaws in magical technology, right? It's limited by materials and magical circuits. The farther the distance, the harder it is to achieve magic. After all, it uses various simple materials and magical circuits to simulate the magician's own abilities and spell operation, and it requires deciphering and reconstructing the corresponding magic. And most of the magic that has been deciphered so far is relatively basic."

The Chamber of Commerce created this device by chance after cracking the high-level magic 'Advanced Projection'. However, the distance is insufficient, requiring multiple connections. Transmitting images and sounds between them causes distortion, and if a mage casts a large-scale or interference spell between different crystal balls, the crystal balls can easily malfunction.

While we've simplified it to just sound, we've greatly increased the range and stability, making it less susceptible to interference.

The Chamber of Commerce created this device by chance after cracking the high-level magic 'Advanced Projection'. However, the distance is insufficient, requiring multiple connections. Transmitting images and sounds between them causes distortion, and if a mage casts a large-scale or interference spell between different crystal balls, the crystal balls can easily malfunction.

While we've simplified it to just sound, we've greatly increased range and stability, making it less susceptible to interference, interception, and eavesdropping, and we've also reduced production costs—this is definitely an 'improvement,' not a 'crippling'!

Is that so? It seems my understanding of magical technology is still not comprehensive enough. Ryuka listened to Joe's words with great interest and nodded, which made Joe very satisfied.

Therefore, the Fourth Prince Elias must also have highly skilled magical technology personnel under his command, perhaps even stronger than Anjaberg and the others.

Furthermore, judging from these improvements, which are clearly made for practicality and mass production, Prince Elias seems to be more perceptive about the specific applications of magical technology and has more abundant financial resources!