Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

In the darkness, the image of Ryusha digging with two fingers kept flashing through Gerberi's mind, accompanied by the boy's unrestrained laughter, making Gerberi feel parched. She usually slept lying flat on her back, but today, for some reason, she was incredibly restless and, for the first time in a long time, hugged the blanket and lay on her side, her long, shapely legs clamping the soft blanket between them…

"Ha~"

what happened?

Even though I was just holding the blanket between my legs, I felt an electric-like pleasure flowing through my lower body!

She even wanted to rub her waist back and forth...

Or perhaps, it really is with those two fingers...

Just as she was about to fall asleep, Gerberly's eyes widened in shock! Without her noticing, her hand had already slipped under her underwear, right up to her crotch! She quickly bit her tongue and jerked herself out of bed.

"I need... water, yes, water, and I also need to wash my face..."

Gerberi swallowed hard and left the room again. Apart from Tipalotura's room, none of the fortress's guest rooms had private bathrooms, but she didn't want to disturb the princess's rest. Gerberi wasn't familiar with the other places, and she felt awkward wandering around Lady Sophie's territory. For a moment, she could only think of the well in the courtyard outside.

Having changed into casual clothes, Gerberly passed by Ryusha's door. Thanks to the silencing magic, she couldn't hear a sound. For some reason, Gerberly even felt a little disappointed, which made her quickly pinch herself, spit at Ryusha's door, and walk out into the cool night breeze...

There weren't many soldiers on guard inside the fortress, as Lady Sophie was personally overseeing things. This was something Lady Sophie had specifically instructed, allowing the princess and the governor's entourage to rest properly. Gerberly walked all the way to the gate before spotting a blurry figure. She assumed it was a guard sitting on a bench by the entrance instead of standing guard. It turned out that even the disciplined Thunder Fortress had such lazy people. But since they were guests, Gerberly didn't intend to say anything. However, she didn't expect the person to call out to her.

"Hey, have you seen Miss Olivia? Why hasn't she come out yet?"

Gerberi glanced at the somewhat agitated Thomas. She had only met Lady Sophie two days ago after returning from the south, and the two hadn't seen each other. Furthermore, Gerberi's strength far surpassed Thomas's, and she was dressed casually, making it impossible for Thomas to perceive the woman's level of cultivation. He treated her as an ordinary person, perhaps even assuming she was a princess's maid, and his tone wasn't very respectful.

This made the already irritable Gerberly even angrier, and she couldn't help but mutter under her breath:

"How should I know? You should ask that bastard Ryūka!"

"Governor Ryukyu?! What happened between him and Miss Olivia?"

Upon hearing this, Thomas instantly became uneasy, realizing that someone who dared to call Ryusha that could not be an ordinary maid. He stopped Gerberi, wanting to get to the bottom of things, which angered Gerberi so much that she shuddered and her powerful battle aura sent the magician flying three or four meters away, landing hard on his backside!

"I said I don't know! Get out of my way!"

Although she couldn't control her temper, Gerberly held back, only lightly striking with her battle aura. This made Thomas even more confused, believing she was just an ordinary maid who had cultivated battle aura, with strength no greater than a regular knight, and that he had been pushed down by her aura because he hadn't been paying attention to his defenses. Anxious for Olivia, he got up, about to lash out, but then remembered that the princess's maid was not someone he could afford to offend, so he had no choice but to swallow his anger.

"Miss, I just..."

He quickly explained his concerns about Olivia, saying he was waiting to return to the camp with her. Gerberly understood now; she'd heard Madame Sophie joke that since her daughter's arrival, some of her subordinates had been eyeing 'rapid promotions'. Coupled with Thomas's obsequious manner, treating her like His Highness's maid, Gerberly felt even less favorably disposed towards him, and couldn't help but sneer:

"Ah~ You should have said so earlier! They were just discussing how to defeat a Heavenly Rank magical beast. You can just stay here and wait!"

"Is that so? Thank you, thank you..."

Seeing Thomas's relieved expression, Gerberly chuckled inwardly. That woman was probably being brutally raped by Ryūsha while this fool waited here. Instead of wasting time on opportunistic tricks, he should focus on cultivating his strength or figuring out how to achieve great things honestly. Despite having a lifespan far longer than hers as an ordinary person, he didn't know how to cherish it. Thinking that both she and His Highness were still worrying about time, the burning desire within Gerberly subsided considerably.

That's right, I can't let myself be bothered by such dirty things. Since I can't sleep, I might as well practice my sword for a while.

Chapter 14: The Conversation Between the Witch Knight and the Celestial Mage

Outside the main building of the fortress, there were still quite a few soldiers patrolling at night. Gerberly easily asked where she could find a quiet place to meditate alone. However, she encountered an unexpected person on the way.

"Miss Gerberly."

"The Marquis of Orlando".

On a high tower, Mrs. Sophie leaned out of the window and greeted Gerberi with a smile, making Gerberi curious about what the guardian of the South was doing.

“Stargazing is not possible every night. The starry sky is as clear as a lake sprinkled with diamonds, making even the fluctuations of magic so clear.”

Gerberi didn't really respond to Madame Sophie's words. She was essentially a witch, her power derived from her bloodline, but her special trait was to manifest her magic in close combat, so she didn't understand true magic.

But she still had something she was curious about, so she gently jumped up the tower from below, but didn't know how to ask without feeling awkward.

“I thought you were resting. I mean, after all, your room is in the fortress.”

Gerberi stared at Madam Sophie, her tone and eyes filled with a strange light. As a Heavenly Rank mage, although her senses weren't as sharp as a knight's, Gerberi dared not doubt Madam Sophie's perception of magical fluctuations and her wisdom. Gerberi absolutely refused to believe that Madam Sophie didn't know what her daughter, Olivia, would have encountered after the conflict at the gate.

She just hadn't expected that Mrs. Sophie would be even more direct and frank than she thought.

"Oh, that little guy is making quite a racket, isn't he? As an old man, I'm too embarrassed to bother the young people, so I'll just pass the time here."

Lady Sophie smiled, fiddling with the stargazing telescope before her. Every fortress in Thunder Keep had towers for mages to practice and observe the stars; after all, their general was a mage, and the proportion of mages in the army was not small. Lady Sophie gazed at the stars, occasionally murmuring in amazement, scribbling and drawing on a piece of paper, as if what she was talking about was insignificant.

But Gerberly didn't see it that way. Although strong people might have some quirks, Olivia was, after all, Lady Sophie's flesh and blood. She couldn't understand why Olivia, who had clearly noticed what Ryukyu was doing, would stand by and watch as if nothing was wrong.

"Lord Orlando, why?"

Faced with Gerberly's question, Madame Sophie seemed even more surprised. She looked at Gerberly with a half-smile, put down her pen and paper, and asked:

"She brought it on herself, didn't she? Tell me, Miss Gerberly, what would you do? Stop Ryusha? Beat him up and throw him out? Or something else?"

"It shouldn't be like this. Don't you think he's showing disrespect for your authority?"

To Mrs. Sophie, Gerberly's answer was too naive. The old lady chuckled, her words devoid of any sympathy for Olivia. Despite being her own daughter, she spoke as if she were a complete stranger.

“I have given her more than enough. When her foolish father was constrained by His Majesty’s suspicions, he had Prince Elias intervene and Olivia was released from Sochi. I also gave her a new place to stay in Thunder Fortress. But she insisted on making trouble for herself, and she can’t be blamed for that.”

Mrs. Sophie's nonchalant tone made Gerberi feel nauseous. Although she wasn't her mother and had never met her, she didn't believe that the relationship between mother and daughter should be like this. But Mrs. Sophie seemed unfazed, continuing to push Gerberi's boundaries:

"As for Ryusha, that little guy didn't show me the slightest disrespect before Olivia provoked him. In fact, I quite liked him at first sight. Handsome boys are easily favored by an old lady like me, especially the way he looks at my army and the excitement he gets when he hears about celestial-rank magical beasts. He's exactly like me when I was a child... an acceptance of power, an interest in the unknown, no fear whatsoever, only curiosity..."

“Miss Gerberly, this is the difference between us humans and you witches.”

Gerberly had already lost patience with listening to Lady Sophie's praise of Ryukyu, but Lady Sophie's words ignited her inner turmoil like a dynamite. She abruptly looked at Lady Sophie, even though Gerberly understood that as one of the Empire's Ten Heavenly Generals, Lady Sophie had witnessed a third of Otus's history and couldn't possibly be unaware of royal secrets. Especially considering that Lady Sophie had mentioned His Highness's mother when they met, it meant she was one of those who knew about this secret.

But Gerberly still couldn't accept that he said it so easily.

After all, directly calling her a witch is no different from saying Tipalotura is a witch. The guards represent the monarch, the monarch's face. Especially when distinguishing witches from humans, it's practically saying that Her Highness is not human, different from the other royal children…

“Oh, Miss Gerberly, please don’t be so sensitive. I was just speaking academically, and I didn’t mean any disrespect to you or Princess Tipalotura. On the contrary, I have great respect for the young princess and her mother, because they changed my view of witches as creatures…”

Mrs. Sophie's eyes revealed a sense of nostalgia as she sat down in the chair and quietly expressed her views.

"I once thought they merely possessed human appearances, yet were entirely different beings. Desire and destruction were their instincts, and power seemed to be something they were born with. Unlike humans, even the most talented mages and knights must begin their training from scratch to gradually come into contact with the essence of power. You only need to awaken to gain abilities unimaginable to mortals, so you cannot understand the yearning and thirst for knowledge that humans feel when they see power they are unfamiliar with..."

"But that girl was different. Compared to other witches who were kept like pets, she was more like a human. That's why the young emperor loved her so much that he did something no Ottus should do—he desperately wanted to possess her and had her bear his bloodline. That's how Your Highness and you came to be, the new generation of Ottus witches, walking in the shadows of Ottus like real people, not as animals, domesticated beasts, or tools of war. You could even say that Princess Tipalotura's abilities have changed the way humans and witches coexist, and have also changed our long-held purpose..."

"She" must refer to Tipalottura's mother. No one in the palace had ever mentioned this, not even Tipalottura herself. Gerberi was equally unaware, but she had to admit that part of what Lady Sophie said was true.

Many years ago, on that afternoon, the door to the dark room was pushed open, and young Tipalottura appeared before her and the other ignorant witches. Before that, Gerberi truly knew nothing of the world. They were raised like livestock, isolated from the world, waiting for their bodies to mature, until their primal desires and powers were about to overflow, then chosen by the young royalty in the name of 'gift,' thus offering up their short lives. Even the most ignorant children in the countryside lived more like humans than they did. And all this change, according to Lady Sophie, didn't begin with Tipalottura, but with her mother…

However, Mrs. Sophie did not linger on Gerberi's intriguing story, but instead turned the topic back to Ryusha and Olivia, still using them as a springboard to express her views.

"Humans are different. Regardless of their origins, humans are forced by reality to pursue power. This is our biological instinct; only in this way can we survive better, whether as a group or as individuals. We also have endless desires: to conquer other races, to conquer our own kind, to conquer the opposite sex, and even... to conquer the world!"

As Lady Sophie spoke, her magic surged forth, transforming into blazing flames in her hands. The flames engulfed everything in the tower, creating a world of fire. Gerberi stood silently in the center, yet felt no heat, as if it were all an illusion. No, it was Lady Sophie's control over her magic that was too strong; even the flames that appeared to be burning on objects didn't actually ignite.

"It sounds no different from a witch."

"I can't understand the difference Mrs. Sophie is talking about," Gerberly said coldly. She simply felt an instinctive resistance. In her view, human desires were equally base, which was why they were dominated by witches in ancient times.

"Of course they're different. Humans' desires are for survival, while witches are born with the desire to dominate other creatures and the instinct to destroy their existence. It's just that the cruel witches were defeated and that's how they became what they are now... so much so that even if they are tamed, this instinct remains in their blood, and they can't be given any chance. For a long time, the Papacy and the human royal family represented by the descendants of Kranar had a common goal, which was to prevent Bel from awakening. However, the long period of peace made them forget the existence of the enemy, and then they began to fight among themselves, splitting into different forces."

Mrs. Sophie abruptly extinguished her flames, reverting to a peaceful smile. She no longer wanted to discuss the witch's problem with Gerberly, and instead returned to their initial topic:

"Serving that princess, you'll gradually understand. As for Ryusha and Olivia, your indignation at Olivia's fate is proof that you're more like a human woman. You empathize with her, you could even say you're afraid of becoming like her, returning to a position of being ruled. But true witches won't; they'll revel in it all, enjoying both ruling and being ruled, turning everything into pleasure. And the ultimate result of pleasure is destruction..."

Like Kania, Gerberly seemed to grasp something in an instant. She recalled her interactions with the wild witch from Linhu Town; she and the princess seemed fundamentally different, which was the reason for their mutual repulsion. At first, Gerberly thought it was just Kania's own madness and abnormality, but after Lady Sophie's words, she felt differently.

"Okay, but that doesn't mean Ryūka can do that. That would be... too despicable!"

Perhaps it was Mrs. Sophie's mention of 'empathy' that triggered Gerberi, reminding her of the humiliation of being spanked by Ryusha, which made her protest indignantly.

“If Olivia had enough power, she wouldn’t have become like that. At the very least, she could have ended her own life before being humiliated and preserved her dignity, right? I believe that if it were that kid Ryūka, he would rather die than be humiliated if such a moment came his way.”

Mrs. Sophie appeared utterly cold-blooded, as if that wasn't her daughter at all.

"She's a 'weakling,' like her good-for-nothing father, who, no matter how powerful, would only drift with the tide. So, choosing a better place for her is the only pity I, as her mother, can offer her. Human history is full of mistakes, and it is precisely because parents spoil their good-for-nothing children that the entire race has fallen into a greater crisis. But I am not that foolish. I will not be bound by the identity of 'Olivia's mother.' The Heavenly General of the Empire, the Crimson Flame Sage, the Guardian of the South, the elite among human mages—these are the roles I should play. Therefore, compared to Olivia, Ryuka is the one I should acknowledge."

"But you're a woman too. Don't you think your daughter's situation is just too pitiful?"

"Why?" Madame Sophie was quite surprised by Gerberly's indignation. "If Olivia were powerful enough to capture a handsome enemy on the battlefield, I wouldn't say anything whether she killed him or made him her lover. On the contrary, the latter is actually merciful, as long as she relied on her own charm, rather than threatening his family's weaknesses, and gave him the power of choice..."

Mrs. Sophie shrugged:

"After all, I told her that if she couldn't take it, she could end it herself. She's not some innocent little girl; she and her father have done plenty of murders. Why don't she have the guts to do it herself?"

Gerberi still couldn't understand: "It sounds like you really dislike Olivia and General Traul, so why did you step in to rescue her from Sochi?"

"As I said, it was her incompetent father who sent his daughter to do dirty work and couldn't handle the consequences of failure. After Prince Clovis fell from power, His Majesty has set his sights on the Payne family and him, so he had no choice but to swallow his pride and write to me, begging me to consider our past relationship and bail Olivia out. I don't care, but he cares a lot about his reputation; otherwise, he wouldn't have insisted on taking Olivia away to raise her back then."

Mrs. Sophie seemed quite pleased, as if Traul's humiliation was something she had long awaited: "So, I should thank Ryusha for giving me a chance to criticize him~ Hehe~"

Gerberi was speechless. She looked at Madame Sophie before her, and asked her with great curiosity what had happened between her and General Traor. If she hated Traor so much, why did she give birth to Olivia with him?

"Well, he and I have been rivals for a long time. Although I don't think much of him, other men are even less valuable. At least he's good-looking and has decent strength. Once at a banquet, we got drunk and made a bet to duel. I beat him up badly, and seeing his pitiful and pathetic state, I actually felt a bit of a desire to conquer him. Although I looked relatively young at the time, I wasn't young anymore. Heavenly Rank strength can extend lifespan, but there will always be a day of death. In that instant, I also had the idea of ​​leaving a bloodline in the world."

Mrs. Sophie spoke calmly, fully demonstrating her various ideas.

"Of course, Traul was ashamed to mention it, after all, he didn't think it was honorable to be pinned down and taken advantage of by a woman. But later he found out and insisted on having Olivia, so I gave her to him. After all, I didn't have the energy to raise a child; compared to the barbarians in the north, the southern kingdoms were much more difficult to deal with..."

Chapter 15 The Conversation Between the Witch Knight and the Celestial Mage (Part Two)

Gerberi was somewhat at a loss. In her eyes, Madame Sophie was simply a madwoman, just like Ryukyu. Reckless, unscrupulous, and lacking even basic moral principles. But undeniably, one had transformed Sochi into a rising star within the empire's territory, while the other, through the papacy's covert sabotage and the long-standing confrontation with the southern states, had maintained the Ottus Empire's powerful deterrent force on the border for decades…

“We’re not bad people, my child.” Mrs. Sophie looked at Gerberly with a smile, as if she could sense all the turbulent thoughts in her heart. “Of course, that’s assuming no one provokes us. That boy is similar to me in that respect; I can tell at a glance, which is why I’ve turned a blind eye.”

"I understand."

Gerberly nodded. She didn't really understand, but the conversation had already made her very uncomfortable. However, she had no way to refute it. Firstly, she didn't know how to refute it, and secondly, given her strength and status, it seemed she couldn't argue or challenge Mrs. Sophie.

"Then I'd better leave," Gerberly thought, eager to get away from the evening's events, which left her deeply uneasy. But as she turned to leave, Mrs. Sophie called out to her again:

"Don't you understand why I'm telling you all this?"

“Of course, Marquis Orlando.” Gerberly turned around, frowning as she nodded. “This conversation made me very uncomfortable.”

"If it's a very deep discomfort, that would be good~"

Madame Sophie's laughter only fueled Gerberi's irritation. What did she mean? Was she deliberately mocking her? However, Madame Sophie's expression turned serious the next moment, and she spoke to Gerberi, word by word:

"Humans are complex creatures; filth and holiness coexist within them, manifesting themselves vividly. Ryuka and I are prime examples, Gerberly. You can hate us now. But remember, there will come a day when you need to make a special choice. Think carefully, use your human side, recall all the good and bad within us, and then make your decision..."

A vague unease crept into Gerberly's heart; she had a premonition that Madame Sophie hadn't said these incomprehensible things out of thin air. However, she couldn't understand them at the moment, and simply nodded impatiently.

“This isn’t just for you alone, but also for the prince behind you.” Lady Sophie lowered her eyes, then smiled easily and waved to Gerberly.

"Alright, alright~ Go on, let this old woman have some peace and quiet. I've forgotten to properly stargaze. Ah! It's rare to have so few clouds tonight..."

Seeing the old lady muttering to herself, Gerberly was both amused and exasperated. She had completely lost her will to practice her swordplay and had no choice but to leave dejectedly.

Shortly after she left, a soldier dressed as a knight appeared at the entrance of the Stargazing Tower. He clearly possessed both martial arts and magic skills, both at the level of a high-ranking professional. Considering his age, he was obviously one of the elite among the elites of Thunder Fortress.

"General, the hunting grounds are ready. That celestial-rank magical beast is heading towards the mine at the predetermined speed."

Mrs. Sophie stared through the binoculars and mumbled, "Hmm, what about the matter behind this? Have you made any progress?"

"There is no conclusive evidence yet, but all the clues indicate that the appearance of the Earth Dragon Otras is inseparable from 'them'. It's just that we don't know why they would suddenly release this monster, when there are already people secretly hindering Her Highness the Princess's journey. Isn't this too obvious?"

"obvious?"

Mrs. Sophie sat up and gave a cold laugh:

"Over the years, haven't they done plenty of obvious things? It's just that His Majesty and successive emperors have covered them up, preventing the common people from knowing... But the more they do this, the more fools who don't understand the gravity of the situation appear among the princes!"

But then she paused: "However, this time they were clearly provoked. Judging from the timing, I sensed the fluctuations of that earth dragon beast just a few days after Princess Tipalotura and the others left the Sochi territory... and in those few days, what did that boy Ryūsha do at Raven Ridge..."

“Yes.” The kneeling magic knight nodded. “Our investigators have sent word that since Her Highness the Princess and her entourage left Ravenhill, Earl Harvey of Ravenhill has been feigning illness and has left all affairs of the territory to his second son, Joe Harvey. Joe Harvey has abandoned his former frivolous ways and, under various pretexts, has wiped out his father’s close associates, especially… many of the ‘scholars’ specially hired by his father, Matt Harvey, and some socialites who have close ties with various people…”

"Ah, I see."

Mrs. Sophie nodded, and couldn't help but smile wryly:

“I knew it! We should leave things to the young people. They don’t understand the seriousness of the matter, so they’re fearless and carefree. They’re much more efficient than those old folks. If we keep going on like this, are we going to wait until we’re all old and dead before the kids have to deal with it?”

After expressing her feelings, Lady Sophie solemnly commanded the magic knight:

"Tallin, relay my orders: all commanders of Thunder Fortress at all levels must come to the main city to see me before dawn the day after tomorrow. All regular combat soldiers of rank and above are ready to be mobilized at any time. The tasks of garrisoning and surveillance in various places are handed over to the local militia. Of course, this must not be leaked, and the defenses must not be relaxed in any way in the next few days! Do you understand?"

"Yes, General Orlando!"

The knight clenched his fists tightly against his chest, then a black magic circle appeared beneath his feet, and he vanished from the spot in a flash.

"Let that kid have his fun for a couple of days~ I'll need his help later~ Olivia, don't blame me for being ruthless. If His Highness and his entourage hadn't come, you would have had to step in sooner or later, and the outcome might have been very different..."

Mrs. Sophie smiled and looked in the direction of Ryūsha's room.

"Now, with two more Heavenly Realm experts, we can easily deal with this magical beast. If this kid hadn't inadvertently provoked them, I don't know when I would have had to face this threat alone."

Even with a large army, a single Celestial-rank warrior fighting a Celestial-rank magical beast would incur devastating losses, creating a massive breach in Otus's southern defenses. With Ryūka's assistance, the losses would be significantly reduced. However, the enemy was aware of Ryūka's strength; they had simply overlooked one crucial factor…

That was Gerberi, though Lady Sophie considered her somewhat immature and young. Tipalottura had sent her here long ago, tasked with contacting Tipalottura's witch spies in the southern kingdoms, and she remained undetected. She only made her first public appearance yesterday in Linze Fortress, something the enemy likely hadn't anticipated.

Three Heavenly Realm experts, one a young monster like Liu Xia, and the other a witch... Madam Sophie revealed a confident smile.

Chapter 16: Taming Little by Little