Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

As magic surged, Kania's hair color and facial features changed, transforming her from an 'ordinary beautiful young lady' into a 'stunningly alluring witch,' as she unleashed her magic and peered into the lake.

There was no breath, no sign of life, like a dead lake, yet the flow of water could be felt... And further down... What, what is this power?!

"Is that so... I see." Kania opened her starlight-like eyes and revealed an excited smile.

"Impressive! That princess from the capital has her sights set on this place... and it seems she's quite ambitious!"

"Heh, it's obvious. It must have been my distant relatives in the capital, the 'Bel Witch' of Otus, who gave me the information. I thought only male members of the royal family kept witches, but it seems this princess is quite the player."

As if sensing the provocation from the void, Kania revealed a wicked smile, her gaze seemingly piercing through the lake water in front of her.

"We need to tell Ryuka this news right away!"

Chapter 2 Linhu Town Development Zone

It was two days later when Kania returned to Linhu Town.

Construction was in full swing in the town, the area under construction was even larger than before she left. Kania dismissed Jenna and the servants and sent them home. As soon as she entered Ryusha's house, she didn't mention her discovery first, but instead asked about the bustling scene in the town.

"What's going on? Humph, ask her!" Liu Xia rolled her eyes, leaned back in her chair, and rubbed her head in frustration.

In Ryusha's room, another table was set up, and Hetia was sitting behind it.

Since returning to Linhu Town that day, Hetia announced to the local officials, landowners, and wealthy farmers that an accident had occurred on the way, others had died, and that she would inherit the title of viscount. The ceremony was held in the presence of the local church.

Of course, it still needs to be officially recognized by the capital, but with the back and forth of the news, it will take at least three months.

Everyone exchanged bewildered glances. Protected by a knight and twenty cavalrymen, the entire caravan, except for Hetia, had perished? This…

What can we do? We dare not say anything, we dare not ask! He's a noble knight, he could probably cut from one end of town to the other with just his sword without even breaking a sweat!

Hetia declined the invitations from local wealthy families to provide her with accommodation or to sell her house. Instead, she temporarily moved into the home of Ryusha, who had been appointed as the 'Captain of the Guard,' and, in her capacity as lord, conscripted commoners to perform labor in order to build a lord's mansion next to Ryusha's house.

The lord has unlimited power over his subjects. As long as he's not afraid of inciting rebellion, he can do whatever he wants: exorbitant taxes, harsh laws, even the right of first night… Goddess, thank goodness the lord who came wasn't a man. (The last part is a nonsensical string of characters and doesn't translate directly.)

So when the town's wealthy people heard that they were to donate funds to build a mansion for Lady Hetia, they could only swallow their pride and say with a smile, "Of course, no problem."

But when they saw Ryuka, in the name of the lord's daughter, announce that the laborers serving in the army would receive three meals a day and a subsidy, they felt somewhat unbalanced.

Why should we?! We've all donated money! Shouldn't these peasants be doing manual labor for free?! What? You're saying what will happen if we miss spring planting and there's no one to work in the fields?

Goddess bless! That's wonderful! Grain prices will rise again this year! The land passed down from our ancestors a hundred years ago will grow even bigger!

So when they see poor farmers receiving subsidies every day, working half a day, and spending the other half at home farming, they feel even worse than if they were losing money themselves!

What's even more infuriating is that this has happened twice! First, it was to build a mansion for the Viscountess, and now they're talking about building some kind of 'development zone'! They've swindled them out of their money twice and even seized their land! Could this Miss Tartu be one of those legendary 'progressives' in the capital?

"So, what exactly is this 'development zone'?"

Kania looked at Hetia curiously. Of course she knew that all of Hetia's decrees were issued according to Ryūsha's wishes, but this time Ryūsha was furious and told her to ask Hetia.

Did she do something?

"Miss Kanya...please...let me go to the toilet, okay?"

what?

Kania then noticed that Hetia's face was flushed, she looked distressed, and her body was slumped in the chair, trembling uncontrollably.

What tricks is Ryuka up to now?

"That's not up to me; your master has to say it," Kania said, pursing her lips.

"Please, help me... at least, at least help me remove my armor and belt..."

Hetia stole a glance at Ryūka and pleaded with Kana. This pitiful appearance completely shattered Kana's previous image of her as a fierce and tyrannical female knight.

The sight of the red-haired beauty, two years her senior, pleading so obediently and pitifully filled Kania with delight, a desire that fueled her energy. However, she first glanced at Ryukyu for permission, and only after receiving his consent did she step forward.

"Um... thank you, Miss Kania..." Hetia groaned, and after a couple of seconds, thanked Kania.

"Just a few days ago you were muttering about wanting to kill her~" Liu Xia said sarcastically.

"Alright~ I should thank your master, shouldn't I?" Kania stroked Hetia's cheek like petting a pet, subtly teaching her how to please Ryusha without explicitly stating her intentions.

"Thank you, Master!"

It still sounded somewhat gritted-teeth, but this was the first time Hetia had uttered the word 'master' herself. Although he could use the slave mark to force her to submit, Ryūka felt that was meaningless; he had to make Hetia truly submit.

After removing Hetia's armor and belt, Kania finally understood why Hetia looked so distressed and strange.

As soon as the armor was removed, steaming heat emanated from Hetia's body. Although there was a fireplace in the room, the temperature in early spring was still quite cold, and it shouldn't have been like this at all.

But Hethia's black undergarment was soaked with sweat, the sweat mingling with the scent of perfume, which was somewhat intoxicating. Two surprisingly round mounds popped out, their shapes clearly outlined by the sweat-soaked fabric. Kania pinched them a couple of times with a touch of envy, wondering how those two things had even gotten inside her armor.

The scene below was even more astonishing: Hetia's once flat stomach was now bulging high, no wonder she was begging to have her belt loosened... As for her legs, her black pantyhose had been pulled down to her knees, hanging on the armor on her calves, her dazzling, smooth white thighs sitting on the chair, and her peach-shaped buttocks that couldn't be contained by the small chair seat...

"What on earth did you do? How did you turn such a majestic female knight into this state? Even pregnancy doesn't happen this quickly!"

Kania grinned mischievously as she gently rubbed Hetia's stomach, pressing down on it every now and then, causing Hetia to let out cries of pain.

"It's nothing, just helping her cleanse her rotten heart, especially her intestines."

Liu Xia snorted coldly, drawing diagrams on the table as she planned something, while calculating the consumption of resources.

Cleanse your intestines? Kania blinked, then suddenly noticed the bucket in the corner and the leather sac with strange dripping liquid...

"Ah—you naughty thing! You even have this kind of way of playing!"

With a wicked grin, Kania reached between the chair and Hetia's buttocks, and in a soft crevice, she felt a round wooden plug...

This is outrageous! None of the books I bought in the city mention this method. Kania glanced at Ryukyu with admiration, thinking how wonderful it was that he was the object of her witch's curse; being by his side, her magic power was increasing rapidly.

If he were a witch, he might surpass the cruel witch, right?

"Tell me, Miss Hetia~ What did you do to make my Ryuka so angry~"

Kania's gentle voice rang in her ears, but Hetia felt it was like the whisper of a devil. These two were birds of a feather. If she hoped to gain Kania's sympathy and escape Ryusha's punishment, she was really mistaken.

Chapter 3 The 'Secret' of Linhu Town

"I...I...ah!"

Kania pressed her little hand on Hetia's abdomen again before she finally began to speak.

A group of people and supplies will soon arrive in Linhu Town. They are sent by the thirteenth princess. To avoid suspicion, this group will arrive one to two months later than Hetia, and they will arrive in a dispersed manner.

Scholars, soldiers, clergy, and a large number of engineering students. The first batch numbered around one hundred, which was almost one-tenth of the population of Linhu Town.

Besides probing the heretical seal at East Heaven Lake, Hetia's second mission was to seize actual control of the territory before their arrival. As for whether her stepmother would be killed or placed under house arrest, the princess did not say.

After seizing control, Hetia had to prepare for the arrival of these one hundred people: houses, food, workplaces... Linhu Town was already a small town struggling to make ends meet, and suddenly having a hundred more mouths to feed, and that was just the first batch, was no joke.

Hetia, however, concealed this fact.

"If I hadn't discovered it in advance, things would have been in trouble, no, rather, there would already be trouble..."

Ryusha slammed her hand on the table in anger, and the vibration in the air made Hetia even more terrified.

"The story of the bandits' night attack might fool the locals, but once the princess's large entourage arrives, some people will definitely find something amiss. Hetia alone could seize power, so why are there two of us by her side?"

“If she had confessed earlier, we could have changed our story, but now the whole town of Linhu knows this ‘story’.”

"It's not a big problem, we can always smooth things over," Kania reassured Ryuka. "You're just too tired. Did you get enough rest while I was gone?"

"How could there be enough time? Originally, all we needed to do was build a lord's manor. Now... we need to take stock of the population composition, the grain reserves, and prepare for the influx of people. If there isn't enough food or housing, do you think it will be the young masters and ladies of the capital who suffer from hunger and cold, or the commoners of Linhu Town?"

The nobles might not care about this, but Ryuka does. He's been doing investigations and other work, and he's even been beating up the rich who are hiding their assets. He hasn't slept for days.

"Also, without that strange potion, I'm only half as strong as a professional. If we're exposed, we'll be in danger, especially if there are a few knights and mages among the 'guests'."

"Now, do you think my 'punishment' of Hetia was excessive? She's trying to make us make mistakes so she can kill us!"

If it weren't for the fact that Hetia was still needed for acting, Ryuka would have dragged her out and stabbed her to death with a fork!

“Not too much, I think we could go even harder~” Kania tossed Hetia’s hair, her cold smile sending chills down the female knight’s spine. That brat was just vicious, but this girl was both cold and vicious…

How did you find out about this?

Faced with Kania's question, Ryuka shrugged: "My heretical ability."

The third wall of the [Proof of the Leader] has been updated with a mural image of [Hetya Tartu], and is otherwise shrouded in mist.

[Slaves] are different from [Followers]. Although they will be given points before they truly submit, they cannot enhance their abilities or learn new skills. However, you can see the two indicators of [Loyalty] and [Disloyalty] through [Leader's Proof]. If Hetia is plotting something bad, Ryūka can detect it.

In addition, the previously unusual information about Atina has returned to normal. At least Ryuka couldn't glean anything from the Leader's Certificate, except that her physical abilities seemed to have improved somewhat.

Since returning, Atina has rarely come to see him, and Ryuka has been busy with miscellaneous tasks, temporarily forgetting about it, attributing her slight increase in strength and speed to physical development during puberty.

Furthermore, due to her acquisition of the title of 'Captain of the Guard,' many neutral and benevolent citizens have developed trust in her superiors, resulting in a recent surge in the points that Ryusha has gained.

But to think you can become invincible within a month is wishful thinking...

During the days Kania was away, Ryūka was unable to use her witch abilities, and the amplification had disappeared. Before, she could still use [Charm], although not as powerful as Kania herself, it was still much easier to bewitch the commoners, officials, and wealthy. Without Kania, Ryūka was utterly exhausted.

I just hope that Kania's level of self-acceptance will rise further and that she can break through the distance limit of her ability amplification.

If killing could solve most problems, Ryuka would be driven to become a serial killer. But the princess's people are coming, so he can't do whatever he wants.

"What exactly is this thirteenth princess planning! What is it about Linhu Town that's worth coveting!"

Ryuka felt like she was being driven crazy by this woman she had never met. From the moment she started scheming against Hetia, it was all an accident, an accident, and another accident. She had stepped into her deeper and deeper schemes step by step.

"Regarding this, I can tell you the answer, which is the investigation results about Dongtian Lake."

Kania left Hetia, who was enduring the pain and covered in sweat, and came up behind Ryusha.

Ten fingers gently massaged Ryuka's head, a faint magical power emanating from her; the witch's ability to manipulate the mind relaxed Ryuka's nerves.

"Deep within Dongtian Lake lies the ruins of a heretical city... The specific details are unclear, but one can sense a kind of sealing power, the origins of which are quite mixed, including elves, orcs, dragons, and... witches."

"That city was hidden extremely well. If it weren't for the fact that my witch power could resonate with it, I'm afraid ordinary people wouldn't have been able to find it."

"The main seal is made of witch power, specifically the magic of the Cruel Witch faction. Judging from the fact that the witch cooperated with other heretical species, this city should have existed a thousand years ago."

"The Otus royal family has the 'Bel Witch,' and they know the most about the secrets from a thousand years ago, apart from the Papacy. Whatever secrets this city holds, I think the thirteenth princess is playing this game for it."

"The bombs that previously suppressed heretical powers were also developed to break the seal. It's all thanks to the rapid advancements in magical engineering over the past few decades. It seems that a princess is interested in hidden powers."

"Am I right, Miss Hetia? Although I don't know what important role you play in this plan, you must know a little bit about the inside story, right?"

At this point, Kania looked at Hetia, whose forehead was buried in her hands on the table, gritting her teeth, clutching her stomach, and pleading incessantly. "Mei you ne ne yong ni kong mei mei mei mei mei xiang ne xiang..."

"The toilet...let me go to the toilet...damn it, ouch!"

She seemed to be driven mad by the torment, but when she couldn't help cursing Ryuka, it would cause her soul to ache. Ryuka then forcibly ordered her to sit in the chair, and the huge wooden plug also caused her constant throbbing pain.

She barely listened to any of Kania's speculations.

"Excavating ancient ruins and exploring heretical powers... that makes sense, but is it really that simple?"

Ryuka tilted her head back, enjoying Kania's massage. In the past, the two of them only had a secret rendezvous once in a while, but now that Kania was by her side every day, they had developed many other tacit understandings.

Empire, royal struggles, heresy, the Papacy, a thousand-year-old secret, King Kranar's expedition... As everything was strung together in Ryukyu's mind, a guess suddenly flashed through his mind.

Ryuka stood up, walked to Hetia's side, and pulled her hair to make Hetia look at her.

Her beautiful face was twisted by the perverse torture, arousing endless desires. If it weren't for the fact that Ryuka had been so busy these past few days, spinning like a spinning top with hardly any time to rest, Ryuka would have already taken advantage of this arrogant female knight.

"I'll say it, you answer. All you have to do is say yes or no. If you answer well, I'll let you release your pent-up emotions comfortably. How about that?"

Faced with Ryūsha's torment, Hetia felt only fear and nodded like a chick pecking at rice.

“Alright, then I’ll tell you…” Ryuga looked into Hetia’s eyes and slowly revealed her guess…

Chapter 4 The Princess's Purpose

"Although Kania discovered the underwater ruins, your purpose is probably not just as simple as 'exploring the ruins,' is it?"

"Yes……"

"Compared to that ruin, it seems that building Linhu Town itself is also very important, isn't it?"

“Yes…” Hetia’s lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to say something but then gave up.

Ryuga recalled the map and history of the Otus Empire in her mind, and then said directly, "It's for military purposes. The princess wants to turn this place into a military base, right?"

"Military purpose? Is there any value in this corner of the place...?" Kania asked, but noticed Hetia's evasive gaze.

Was Liuxia right? The mountain roads to Kelin Lake Town are rugged and the soil is barren. Most of the time, the town cannot produce enough food to sustain itself and relies on trading mountain goods with Sochi City downstream. Behind it lies the towering 'World's Fence' mountain range, leaving no room for retreat...

Having thought this through, Kania seemed to have figured it out and muttered to herself.

"If the purpose of the military outposts is not to carve out a territory within the empire, but rather to expand outwards."