Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

After saying this, Ryuka and Clovis walked up to Joe Harvey. Joe Harvey, quite aware of his situation, was even less irritating than before. Instead, he bowed to Clovis and Ryuka in turn, asking with a somewhat wan smile:

"Your Highness, Governor, what should be done with me?"

He was a nobleman, and the Harvey family's territory was right next to Sochi, so Ryūka couldn't really do anything about him yet. Ryūka glanced at Clovis, indicating that he would listen to the third prince's opinion. This wasn't just to give him face, but because Ryūka understood that he couldn't afford to provoke the Harvey family.

"To make you and your family loyal to me... I'm afraid that's impossible, isn't it?"

Hearing Clovis's words, Joe shook his head: "Father has several sons, and personally, I don't want to betray Prince Elias."

"Is that so? Then never mind..."

Seeing Clovis's completely indifferent expression, Joe couldn't help but close his eyes. But Clovis's next words made him open his eyes again.

“Then let him go, Governor of Ryukyu, you have no objections, right? Of course, it’s up to you to decide how much ransom the Harvey family should pay privately.”

Ryusha offered no objection to the decision. Clovis understood that this was an attempt to win people's hearts. Nobles were strange creatures; they valued profit more than merchants, albeit in the sense of status and survival. Former enemies could easily become partners, and partners could easily betray each other. Joe Harvey was merely one of Elias's subordinates; venting anger on him was unwise. Killing him would bring no benefit to either of them, but would only create more trouble.

Unless Clovis, as the third prince, accuses Joe Harvey of conspiring with the Papacy to assassinate him, but weaving such a lie would require immense resources, which is not part of their plan.

Yes, their plan...

In the end, the only one still putting up a fight on the field was Yurina, who was still protecting Adela.

The maid's outer maid dress was tattered, and her light armor underneath was covered in wounds. Facing the army surrounding her and her mistress, her hands, gripping her staff, were trembling uncontrollably.

"Yulina, just give me a quick death..."

Adela's plea from behind sent a shiver down Yurina's spine. She looked at her master with terrified eyes. Adela, lying on the ground, wore only a cold smile as she watched Clovis and Ruka reconcile with Joe Harvey in the distance. One was her former partner, the other an enemy she had offended in her collaboration with Clovis. Now, the two of them were standing together, and even the noble young master Joe Harvey hadn't faced any punishment…

The only losers are themselves and the Vatican.

Although Adela couldn't understand why, she didn't want to die knowing the reason, so she gave Yulina that order.

"Miss……"

"Go ahead and do it. I advise you to do the same. Do you want to change masters? I'm sure that brat is very interested in your face."

Seeing Yulina hesitate and not dare to make a move, Adela couldn't help but sneer. Even so, having followed Adela for many years, Yulina couldn't bring herself to rebel against Adela.

Magic condensed on the staff; a single strike would be enough to kill Adela. But Ryūsha didn't rush to stop her; instead, he calmly spoke to Yūrina:

"You have another option, which is to return to a peaceful life with your brother."

These words made Yurina freeze. Ryūka snapped her fingers, and her brother Julian stepped out from the crowd. Without shackles or guards, he didn't look like a prisoner at all.

"Yulina, let's listen to Lady Ryukatsu."

The moment Yurina saw her family, her whole body went limp. She didn't know why her brother was on Ryūka's side, and Ryūka, to avoid any misunderstanding, took the initiative to explain.

"Your brother didn't betray you; on the contrary, it took quite a bit of effort to catch him..."

Just as Adela and her group entered Sochi, Zona led her Shadow Guards and a large contingent of regular troops to swiftly surround Esther's territory, successfully eliminating Adela's forces there. Like Yurina, Julian also possessed a set of magical armor and was even more threatening than his sister. However, Zona ultimately persuaded the young man to surrender using the method Ryūka had taught her.

“According to Hayden, you and your sister are both unfortunate. You couldn’t choose your birth as slaves and test subjects, but now I can give you a choice… Adela won’t win. Will you fight to the bitter end, or will you help us and help yourselves, so that we can also save your sister Yulina?”

After hearing what Zona said and seeing Hayden's letter urging him to surrender, Julian finally chose to give up resistance.

"elder brother……"

Listening to Ryusha's explanation, Yurina understood that this was both because Ryusha didn't want to suffer further casualties and out of pity for the two siblings. So, the hand holding the staff gradually lowered.

"Ha, one after another, they're really something..."

Seeing her maid give up resistance, Adela gritted her teeth and suddenly pulled a dagger from her bosom! If she could, she wouldn't want to do it herself; just pointing the dagger at her chest made Adela feel dizzy. When she was truly facing death, she realized she wasn't as capable as she thought; she couldn't even muster the strength to stab herself.

"Yurina!"

With a shout from her brother Julian, Juliana shuddered and then swung a magic ball, mercilessly knocking the dagger from Adela's hand.

"I'm so sorry, miss, I'm so sorry..."

Amid Yurina's tearful apologies, Adela was first shocked, then burst into a miserable, maniacal laugh. Her beautiful golden hair was covered in mud before the soldiers swiftly removed it.

Unexpectedly, she didn't even have the chance to commit suicide. Adela quickly forgot the fact that she had just shown a moment of cowardice. She gave Yulina a vicious sneer, then was led away, not forgetting to leave behind a harsh threat:

"Your Excellency, you have won, but what are you going to do about the chaotic market in Sochi?"

Indeed, although Ryūka had captured them all, Adela was confident that Ryūka couldn't handle the economic storm she had unleashed. The funds she had collected had already been transferred outside of Sochi, and she believed that with this as leverage, she could still negotiate with Ryūka.

But Ryūsha didn't even glance at her, which Adela found unacceptable. She gritted her teeth and said, "Governor, you will come looking for me!"

Yes, but not in the way you imagine. Ryuka couldn't help but chuckle mischievously, while Clovis coughed lightly beside her.

"Ahem, shouldn't I go have a chat with my dear younger brother? I'm really looking forward to seeing his expression~"

In the capital of Otus, after a day of dealing with government affairs and interpersonal interactions, Elias returned to his palace and waited silently in front of a magic crystal ball.

He had instructed Joe Harvey that when Ryukyu couldn't hold on any longer, Joe Harvey should go to the castle to find Ryukyu and persuade her to ask for his help. At that time, Joe Harvey would then allow Ryukyu to communicate with the crystal ball…

For Elias, the affairs of Sochi Province were trivial. He valued the activities of the central government more than the struggles in remote areas. Therefore, he appeared quite relaxed, as if he were taking a break after a day of intrigue in the capital. He eagerly awaited the moment when this rising star of Ottus would bow down and seek his help.

Elias's involvement in this incident wasn't for any real benefit, but rather out of respect for Carmela of the Papacy, and also to win over the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild and his brother's former followers—those Northern nobles who hadn't gotten their share in Sochi. As for Ryūka, Elias felt he was merely giving the young man a warning, given that Ryūka had repeatedly rejected his attempts to win him over.

This young man must be incredibly busy right now, dealing not only with the market collapse but also with pressure from the Vatican. I only need to intervene slightly to get him to compromise. Not to mention, I can also help Liuxia with many internal imperial matters, such as the discussion in the palace today about who should be sent as the royal representative to Sochi Academy. This isn't just a formality; it's also a way for the empire to control the border provinces.

Elias smiled with satisfaction, believing that Ryukyu would definitely contact him on her own initiative.

Sure enough, the magic crystal ball emitted a fluctuation of magical power, and Elias happily connected to the screen.

"Hey, little brother Elias~ You seem to be having a great time today~"

When Elias saw Clovis's face appear on the magic orb, his expression froze instantly. His lips twitched, suppressing his growing anxiety, and he forced a friendly smile, greeting Clovis in the image:

“Brother Clovis, what are you doing in Sochi… and in the governor’s mansion of the Governor of Liuxia?”

What a joke! Do you even need to ask?! Something must have happened in Sochi! (The rest of the text appears to be nonsensical and unrelated to the previous sentences.)

But for Elias, even knowing he had failed, he had to pretend he knew nothing. Even with Joe Harvey's accusations, there was no substantial evidence to prove his direct involvement in the events of Sochi.

"About this..."

Clovis smugly kept everyone in suspense, then revealed his shoulder, which had just been healed by the priest and still bore faint scars.

"I came to Sochi today at the invitation of Governor Liuxia, and I even spent a day experiencing his new army~ But guess what happened?"

What happened? Elias looked at Clovis's wounds and said with a sneer, "I don't know, Brother Clovis. Did you fall off your horse? After all, your riding skills have never been very good."

Clovis remained unfazed by Elias's mockery. He laughed heartily a few times, then his smile faded, and he merely smiled faintly at his younger brother, saying:

"No, that's not it. I was actually attacked by the Holy See's Judgment Knights!"

Accompanied by Clovis's cold laughter, the screen showed the Judgment Knight injuring Clovis with the Holy Spirit unique to the Church, along with Clovis's cold questioning.

"It's ridiculous! They claim to be investigating heresy, while Archbishop Randall, the highest-ranking bishop in the Diocese of Otus, says he knows nothing about it. My dear brother, do you know what's going on? Am I, your brother, a heretic?"

"Of course not..."

Elias's heart sank. Even if the Inquisition Knights wanted to investigate heretical events within Otto, they needed the approval of Randall, the Archbishop of Otto. As the Archbishop of Otto, Randall, being based in the capital, was naturally under the control of the Empire—this was a balance between the Empire and the Papacy. But this time, it was his collaboration with Carmela that allowed these Inquisition Knights to secretly enter Sochi without being detected by any faction.

And there was one person who found this even more intolerable than Randall.

That was his father, His Majesty the Emperor of Otus.

As a prince, his secret dealings with the Papacy were dangerous enough. Not to mention the recent incident where the Judgment Knight injured Prince Otus; even if this prince was the emperor's least favorite, it still represented a matter of imperial dignity. Regardless of the underlying reasons, once his father learned that he was involved…

*Crack...* Elias's knuckles made a crisp sound as he clenched his fist.

Damn it! What on earth happened in Sochi?! How did Ryūka and Clovis collude?! Just three months ago, they were enemies on the battlefield!

Chapter 39 Necessary Alliance

Clovis thoroughly enjoyed Ilias's current expression. He had lost considerable prestige after the Battle of Sochi three months prior. Firstly, the losses to the Imperial Legion had severely damaged his reputation with his father, and secondly, the noble vassals who hadn't received enough benefits harbored their own ambitions.

His beloved younger brother, like a scavenger, slowly gnawed away at his flesh while he was weak. In the world of the victors and the vanquished, Clovis had nothing to say about losing to Ryukyu. A prince commanding an army of 100,000 who couldn't gain an advantage over a fledgling youth would inevitably lose some of his followers. But what he truly didn't want was for Elias, who lurked in the shadows, to relentlessly nibble away at his advantage.

He never expected his luck to change so quickly...

"Ryuka wants to see me?"

Two weeks ago, Clovis was genuinely surprised when he received this news. But after gathering information from various sources, he disregarded the advice of those around him and decisively agreed to the request.

"Your Highness, this may be dangerous, after all, we were at odds with him not long ago."

"The conflict arose because our interests didn't align, but now we have no conflict at all. Rather, he has other enemies, which is why he's looking for me... If we're going to meet, let's choose his city of Sochi."

The closer he got to Liuxia's territory, the more confident Clovis felt he wouldn't encounter any unexpected problems. When he entered Sochi City unpretentious and concealed his identity, the city's dramatic changes left him in awe.

"A dangerous kid," was his assessment of Ryukyu after witnessing the dramatic transformation of Sochi, especially the Sochi Academy that completely surrounded the Sochi Cathedral. While it couldn't compare to the Imperial Military Academy with its long history, constructing such a complex in just three months was nothing short of a miracle.

It's hard to say whether having such a young talent like this is a good thing or a bad thing for Autus. However, after meeting Ryuga at the Governor's Mansion, Clovis was completely surprised by the other person beside Ryuga.

"Uncle Hypnos..."

Clovis bowed politely to Prince Hypnos and took his seat. He seemed to understand why the young man, Ryukyu, had acted so boldly.

It's hardly a good thing that a young man who has just achieved extraordinary feats and risen to prominence has immediately brought order and prosperity to the Sochi province. Especially since Ryūka has used such a strange method to thwart the nobles' marriage plans, and his father is unlikely to be so at ease with such an uncontrollable youth, unless…

"His Majesty is very satisfied with the significant achievements made in the Sochi province."

Clovis laughed as soon as Prince Hypnos spoke, and he understood why.

"The rapid completion of Sochi Academy is inseparable from the new inventions and innovative architectural models of Governor Liuxia. His Excellency the Governor has already sent these technologies to the capital to share, and His Majesty was very satisfied after seeing them, even considering strategic transportation infrastructure development throughout Otus. Furthermore, this has strengthened His Majesty's resolve for political reform, to establish a provincial system in other places using the development model of Sochi Province. Your Highness Clovis, what are your thoughts on the territories in the northeast of the Empire?"

Northeast of the Empire?

That was the stronghold of the Payne family, and Prince Hypnos's meaning couldn't be clearer. He was asking his son, on behalf of the emperor, whether it was possible to establish a province with a bureaucratic system right under the Payne family's nose to counterbalance such a powerful feudal family.

In response, Clovis, who had always relied on the power of her maternal family, quietly spoke up: "It's a bit difficult..."

Prince Hypnos raised an eyelid, but before he could speak, Clovis immediately added:

"But if this is Father's wish, I will try my best to fulfill it."

Upon hearing Clovis's reply, Prince Hypnos smiled kindly. He then rose from his seat and said to Clovis:

"Then, I'll leave the matters of systems and experience to you two young people to discuss. By the way, Your Highness, Minister Liu Xia probably needs your help with a small matter. It's normal for young people to have some misunderstandings and conflicts in the past. I'm here today hoping that you two can reconcile, and I'll leave the rest to you..."

Having said that, Prince Hypnos left gracefully, leaving only Ryukyu and Clovis facing each other at opposite ends of the table.

Ryūka maintained her smile throughout, only rising to acknowledge Hypnos as he left. She then sat back down, nodded to Clovis, and said "Your Highness," after which silence fell. (The rest of the text appears to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated gibberish.)

Clovis tapped the table lightly, glanced at Liu Li a couple of times, and asked casually:

"Your Excellency Liu Xia must have done a lot to please Father Emperor, for he would send Uncle Hypnos to speak on your behalf..."

"The manufacturing technology of magical weapons, the formulas for materials like cement, and the centralized system and successful market that are currently operating in Sochi Province, excluding local nobles from the ruling system. Of course, most importantly, my legitimacy in governing Sochi stems from His Majesty's appointment. Once His Majesty removes me as governor, the territory I can control will only be Sochi City and my own small fiefdom. And those local forces that hate me to the bone will swarm in and eliminate me, without the capital needing to worry about it..."

Ryusha recounted each item one by one, each one a result that the rulers of Otus were very pleased to see.

But Clovis chuckled sarcastically, “Excluding the local nobles from the ruling system? Including you and your lovers as well? Don’t forget, you’ve revealed a huge weakness: financial and military power are still in your hands. That’s hardly safe.”

“Every ship needs a helmsman.” Ryūsha remained unfazed by Krovi’s sarcasm. He needed to convince others of his loyalty to Otus to ensure his safety, making his words crucial. “My army mainly consists of ordinary soldiers armed with magical weapons, which His Majesty can replicate anywhere if he so desires. Finances depend on every commoner and workshop involved in economic production. The enthusiasm of commercial talents and the people for production and trade is fundamental; military intervention would only backfire. This is different from noble families using their formidable personal power to collect meager taxes from the land.”

"You question whether I am a dictator here, and it certainly seems so. But in the past, the capital city could not fully control the surrounding territories, and local lords had to be mindful of the whims of their vassals. I have made Sochi province my absolute authority and excluded those who disobey me from my interests. But what about the rest of Otus? Your Highness Clovis, think about your father. Did he want to turn the whole of Otus into a giant Sochi?"

Clovis pondered for a moment, but still with a hint of sarcasm: "Is this why Father trusts you? Simply because you demonstrated the viability of a power system?"

"Of course not," Liu Xia shook her head decisively. "It's just that compared to me, His Majesty is more worried about those powerful nobles who have deep roots throughout the continent. I'm merely the catfish stirring up the pond."

Ryūka shrugged, appearing utterly candid. Whether facing the emperor, a prince, or someone like Clovis who had grown up in the center of power and was a seasoned veteran, feigning innocence was useless. Ryūka didn't deny his control over a region, but he acted remarkably humble before Clovis, portraying himself as a fragile seedling easily dealt with. He openly acknowledged his predicament…

A bureaucratic system is indeed far more advantageous to central power than feudalism. As long as the emperor sees the feasibility of this system, Ryukyu, as a champion of the provincial system, cannot fall until he deals with the other powerful nobles. After all, not every official or governor appointed by the emperor is as uncontrollable as Ryukyu…

Ryūka's message to Clovis was quite clear. Clovis, who possessed the greatest power, and the Payne family behind him, were the first group the Emperor wanted to deal with.

Now is the perfect time for them to suffer losses in strength and prestige, but Clovis still needs to make a statement, since most of the nobles in the North still regard him as their leader.

For Clovis, Prince Hypnos's question was a form of questioning from his father: loyalty to his father or protection of his followers.

So Clovis had no choice. After all, as the emperor's health gradually improved, he had to understand his situation as an unloved prince...

"I understand. Then I'll trouble you, Liu Xiaqing, to show me around the new Sochi province~"

Having figured this out, Clovis immediately put on a warm and enthusiastic smile, and his previous shrewd and calculating demeanor vanished instantly.

"By the way, Uncle Hypnos just said you had some minor trouble and wanted my help? That's quite unexpected."

Seeing Clovis's overly familiar manner, Ryuka didn't think he was some kind of pushover, but she did need his help.

“That’s right, after all, this matter involves another prince…”

Ryusha said with a smile, knowing that Clovis would not give up the opportunity to deal with Ilias.

Chapter 40 Persuasion

When Ruka frankly told Clovis that she had learned from Esther about the plot that the fourth prince, Elias, was plotting in Sochi, she quickly noticed a wonderfully unusual expression on Clovis's face.

"You mean, my brother plans to join forces with the Holy See and the Chamber of Commerce to deal with a governor whom Father Emperor just appointed?"