Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

Liu Xia scoffed disdainfully, deliberately raising her voice to a clear and resonant tone, loud enough for anyone driving alongside her outside the car to hear clearly.

"Bully? I only took pity on her for one night by order of Your Highness. Countless women would be willing to throw themselves at me, why would I care about a gossipy old woman like Gerberly!"

"Old! Old woman?! You bastard!!!"

Immediately, Gerberly's furious, low-pitched curses could be heard from outside the car.

Liu Xia snapped his fingers casually, and a thin layer of magical barrier instantly enveloped the carriage, isolating it from all outside noise. He had suppressed the sound perfectly with his power; only the highly perceptive Gerberly could hear it, while the others remained completely unaware amidst the noise of the moving vehicle. Even though Gerberly was furious, for the sake of her pride, she would never dare to ram the car next to her in full view of everyone.

Not to mention that Tipalotura was still in the carriage, so she could only swallow her anger and grit her teeth. Her huge breasts under the new magic light armor heaved violently with her chest, and her two lithe and sexy thighs squeezed the warhorse's belly hard.

Inside the car, Tipalotura remained all smiles, showing no intention of offering any advice. Instead, she spoke softly, as if they were lovers teasing each other.

"But the taste of a witch is quite nice, isn't it? Even a top-tier beauty like Lord Snowfield can't compare to the intimate experience of a witch~"

"Cough cough cough!!!"

Adela, in the driver's seat, suddenly coughed violently, her mind reeling, and her hand trembled, almost swerving the steering wheel. The car swayed slightly, barely avoiding a collision with Gerberly, who was driving alongside her, which only made the latter, who was almost hit, even more furious.

The bold dialogue inside the carriage sent a cold sweat down Adela's forehead and stirred up a storm in her heart.

Master... he wouldn't have even taken down the most favored princess of the Otus Empire, would he?!

Ryūka was also slightly taken aback, somewhat unable to fathom Tipalotura's thoughts today. In the past few days, he had led troops to exterminate the magical beasts, while the princess's delegation remained in the capital to handle state affairs and diplomacy; the two had not met. However, in just a few days, Tipalotura's probing words had become increasingly bold, direct, and subtly sharp.

If a woman suddenly becomes friendly towards you for no apparent reason, there's definitely something wrong!

He composed himself, met the other person's ambiguous gaze, and coldly retorted.

"Yes, and to taste the flavors of two witches at once is truly extraordinary."

"Cough cough cough!!!"

Adela coughed even more violently, her mind completely overwhelmed. Two witches?! The identity of the other one was now obvious! She stared ahead, not daring to turn back, her heart filled with admiration and awe.

Faced with such almost offensive words, Tipalotura showed no anger whatsoever; instead, the smile in her eyes grew even sweeter and deeper, and her tone carried a languid invitation.

"Then, Liu Xiaqing, would you like to try the taste of a third witch?"

"what?!"

Ryūsha's pupils contracted slightly, his face filled with astonishment. He seriously suspected that the princess had taken the wrong medicine today, and he looked at Tipalotura sitting in front of him with suspicion.

The third witch?

He immediately ruled out Nanalia as a possibility. Tipalotura had always carefully nurtured her as a pure white witch, without any romantic involvement. The restlessness of her witch bloodline was extremely faint, and there was no need for him to intervene.

He watched Tipalotura stare at him, smiling as if he were enjoying it. She seemed to be in a particularly good mood today, as if she had solved some major problem.

Could it be that……

A subtle thought suddenly flashed into Liu Xia's mind. The playfulness on her face vanished completely, replaced by a serious expression. She leaned forward slightly and asked in a low, deep voice:

"Did you find out about the Chosen Ones in the previous country?"

Chapter 5 Intelligence on Cornwall

Tipalotura smiled and nodded, saying, "That's right."

The image of the black-robed girl flashed through Ryuka's mind, and she asked Tipalotura, "Is it the witch named Lilith?"

"No, it's another one."

Tipalotura shook her head and placed a photograph in front of Ryusha.

The photo shows a church where a simply dressed nun is distributing food to the poor. Her white robe has several patches, and her expression is as serene as a compassionate saint. Regardless of how tattered the clothes of the people in front of her are, she simply purses her lips and looks at them with pity.

"Physical body?"

Looking at the photo, Ryusha asked. Tipalotura nodded in agreement.

"The town of Cornwall in the Bauhinia Kingdom. It takes us two days to get there, Liu Xiaqing. What do you think?"

Ryusha frowned. He picked up the photo and examined it carefully. The nun in the photo exuded a gentle and compassionate aura that didn't seem feigned. As for Cornwall, he had just looked at the map. It was an obscure border town in the Bauhinia Kingdom, with no major cities nearby, no outstanding resources, and not a strategic location. Why would Carmela place a nun in this place?

Something unusual must be going on. Ryuga looked at Tipalotura:

Is the source of this information reliable?

Tipalotura nodded: "It was information gathered by my sisters, combined with various rumors obtained locally, that confirms this nun is indeed the original body. I also obtained some interesting information from the last capital."

"More than a decade ago, the Vatican organized many pilgrimages from various parts of the continent. At that time, Cornwall was still the land port of the Bauhinia Kingdom. The various small countries we just passed through, and even the study tour and pilgrimage group sent by Otus, all entered the Bauhinia Kingdom from there and continued southwest to the Holy City."

"But later, Cornwall was destroyed by a monster disaster. During the reconstruction, the Bauhinia Kingdom's entry city was changed to the Wood Castle City we are going to now. Meanwhile, in the following years, monsters gradually became rampant on the southern border, but Cornwall, which had become obscure, rarely had any reports of monster attacks."

"So that's it. No wonder Tipalotura cared about this town." Ryusha pondered silently. This area between the Bauhinia Kingdom and the border of Otus could be considered a strongly controlled region of the Otus Empire. The Empire's control gradually softened starting from Cornwall in the Bauhinia Kingdom. In other words, Cornwall was the true border of influence a little over a decade ago.

It's easy to imagine that during the period when the Vatican was keen on organizing pilgrimages, this town must have been quite prosperous, with pilgrimage groups from various countries passing through it, highlighting its unique geographical location.

Although several years had passed, the destruction of Cornwall marked the beginning of years of monster plagues in the South. After that, the papal pilgrimage craze ceased, and the town was gradually forgotten. But now, a nun there remains untouched! This town definitely holds some secret!

Liu Xia glanced at the map of Cornwall, pondered for a moment, then used the communication crystal on the table to contact Melanie in the car behind, asking:

“Melanie, what was the anchoring direction of the teleportation magic when Ada Reed escaped? Say it again.”

"Within a range of 30 to 50 degrees due west and south of Thunder Fortress, no magical crystals were left at the scene, which means they must have used their own magic power, so the distance cannot be estimated."

After hanging up the communication, Ryusha checked the map. The capital of the Bauhinia was not in this area, but Cornwall Town did fit the criteria.

Although there is no more conclusive evidence, with so many factors combined, this town may very well be hiding the secret of the Chosen Ones raising magical beasts, or even serving as an anchor point for a regular transfer town. If Ada Reed and the others were transported here, then the witch Lilith and several other mysterious figures from the Chosen Ones organization were also very likely transported here as well.

"So, should we take a detour? But with so many people in the delegation, we'll be watched by countless eyes. If we rashly take a detour, wouldn't we be alerting them?"

Ryusha voiced his concerns. Although he also wanted to investigate Cornwall, once they entered the territory of the Bauhinia Kingdom, their capital would be only a few days' journey away. With such a large delegation right under their noses, taking a detour was unwise; it was practically dancing on a minefield.

After all, the routes for state visits are fixed, and the Bauhinia Kingdom will likely send people to wait at the border, ostensibly to receive guests, but in reality to monitor them.

"Or perhaps..." After uttering her thoughts, Ryūka, seeing Tipalotura's faint smile, couldn't help but guess:

"You wanted me to make the trip alone, so you mentioned something about the third witch?"

Tipalotura chuckled, "That's right, the entire delegation is too conspicuous; every move they make will attract attention. But if it's you, Lady Liuxia, going, they should have a hard time spotting you. I can even have Nanalia impersonate you within the delegation. How about it? Interested?"

"Nanalia can do something like this? It seems her illusion magic isn't just about concealing one's presence and existence?"

Ryūka grinned, then couldn't help but grumble at Tipalotura:

"But Your Highness, why me? We're allies. Although the Chosen Ones and Carmela are our enemies, you can't just dump this kind of work on me, can you? What am I supposed to do if Cornwall really is hiding the enemy's headquarters? I may be very strong, but they're lunatics who can even raise Heavenly-rank magical beasts. Who knows what's hidden there?"

"But you were clearly very interested. Didn't you act alone back in Raven Ridge?"

Faced with Tipalotura's matter-of-fact attitude, Ryusha put on airs:

“Crow Ridge is right next to Sochi. Of course I care about things happening on my own doorstep. As for now, if you want the horse to run, you have to feed it grass.”

Tipalotura blinked, feigning surprise: "A witch in her raw form, isn't that enough to attract you?"

Liu Xia's face instantly darkened: "Your Highness, do you think I'm a lecherous devil?"

"But the technique to break through the body's barrier is something only you can do, and you might even be able to obtain some information about Carmela from it."

Tipalotura shrugged, as if asking for a bargain:

"How about we have Gerberly go with you?"

"Are you kidding me? Do you mean I should get angry with that jerk again? Or do you mean I can do whatever I want to her on the way here?"

Chapter 6 The Construction Plan of Tipalotura

"Liu Xiaqing, aren't you just saying that? It's kind of cute for a boy to be so strong-willed, isn't it?"

Tipalotura chuckled, mercilessly exposing Ryūka's despicable nature. Ryūka admitted that although he complained, what he enjoyed most was pinning down a woman he didn't get along with and thoroughly disciplining her until she was defeated. But looking at Tipalotura's teasing smile, he sensed that the princess seemed to be in a good mood today, which explained her energy in arguing with him.

Furthermore, she seemed certain that she would obey her orders. Since she had already investigated the details of Cornwall extensively, and given the princess's nature, she was determined to possess the town, she would certainly try every means to make herself obey her commands.

The bait she used to lure herself was not merely accompanying Gerberly. On the contrary, she needed her own people in the investigation of Cornwall, and she couldn't allow herself to monopolize all information channels.

Tipalotura's effortless demeanor today suggests she came prepared. In other words, she must have other bargaining chips, chips that would greatly interest her. Ryūka pondered this, then coldly snorted at the princess:

"Ha! Your Highness, you're in such a good mood today, why not just say what you want to say? If you keep teasing me like this, and I get upset, then nothing I say will matter. No matter how important the mission is, nothing is more important than making myself happy."

"Really?" Tipalotura feigned surprise, a playful look on her face. "But the Liu Xiaqing I know isn't such a reckless boy~"

Looking at the slightly mischievous princess before him, Ryūka's figure instantly overlapped with the lively little girl he had seen in Tipalotura's consciousness, the one seeking maternal love from her mother in the courtyard. In short, she was definitely not the cold and aloof girl who treated everyone as pawns—even though the two had shared a romantic moment within the time-stop barrier of the tent upon their first meeting, it couldn't change the fact that Tipalotura essentially saw him as a backup energy source, plus a somewhat acceptable partner to experience the unknown.

After all, compared to those conventional, rule-abiding women, she was a witch! And unlike Kania, Tipalotura might possess strength above the Heavenly Rank, but her goals were far more ambitious, far beyond what her personal strength alone could achieve. That's why she was so lenient in trying to win me over, right? In other words, to achieve her goals, as long as I remained within her sphere of influence, she wouldn't be so bound by worldly etiquette. But if I were to become her enemy, given her ruthless nature—having wiped out many royal collateral branches in her youth—she would definitely not show me any mercy.

Despite being flirted with by such a dangerous girl, Ryuka remained defiant. No matter how mysterious or alluring the princess was, he couldn't back down. Making a gesture of invitation towards the car door, Ryuka stated expressionlessly:

“If you keep rambling on like this, Your Highness, please leave. The nun in the photo at least seems to genuinely care about the poor. While I wouldn’t conclude that she’s necessarily a good person based on that alone, it’s not enough to make me want to take her down. Therefore, this mission isn’t very appealing to me. You should send your witch legion to handle it.”

"Sigh~ I understand. Liu Xiaqing, you're really not easily amused, but I'm already satisfied with what I've achieved today~"

Tipalotura spread her hands on the table, then her smile faded, she sat up straight, and gestured for Ruka to sit opposite her.

Seeing the princess standing tall with confidence in her deep blue eyes, Liu Xia was very curious about what kind of bargaining chips she had prepared to make him willingly do his best for her.

He pulled out a chair and sat down opposite Tipalotura. Although the carriage was spacious, the seats were arranged rather crampedly, their legs pressed tightly together under the table. Tipalotura's alluring fragrance was intoxicating, mingled with a hint of a witch's scent that stirred a man's heart. Especially in the sweltering southern continent, she had already changed into a relatively cool and expensive dress: the conservative and demure parts were all handled by the voluminous skirt that reached only to her knees. The upper body was a relatively cool white sleeveless gown design, supported not by shoulder straps, but by the fabric lifting the girl's beautiful breasts and wrapping around her neck, the top and the neck tie blending into one. The skirt, though slightly voluminous and heavy, was sheer white silk below the knees, and she wore a pair of appropriately high, bright white high heels.

This outfit has a modern design in Ryusha's mind. At such close range, it accentuates Tipalotura's beautiful figure even more perfectly. Her long hair is tied up at the back of her head to facilitate heat dissipation from her neck, generously revealing the elegant and fair curve of the back of her neck. A few strands of hair that are not tied up sway slightly in the air conditioning.

Ryuka is a normal man, and in principle, he is not a eunuch. Faced with such a witch, his hormones were also stirred, trying to break through the suppression of his spiritual power and occupy the high ground of his mind.

Of course, I can still hold back.

However, instead of flinching at Ryusha's gaze, Tipalotura straightened her rounded shoulders even more, as if enjoying his admiration, or rather, enjoying the fact that her charm could capture this extraordinary young man.

Tipalotura curled her lips slightly, saying with a hint of pride, "This is my own design. After the clothes you designed were sold to the capital through Qila and became a hit among some nobles, I had people collect some patterns, incorporated some of your ideas, and tried to make it myself."

Is that so? No wonder the style seems to suit my taste so well… *cough cough* Ryuka quickly banished her thoughts and glared at Tipalotura:

"It's important!"

"How utterly clueless..." Tipalotura made no attempt to hide her thoughts, raising her chin defiantly at Ryukyu, pouting her cherry-pink lips, and then taking out a picture and spreading it out on the table.

"This is……"

This is a map, detailing the terrain along their route from Sochi to the Bauhinia Kingdom. It's covered in dense markings, and from these markings, Ryusha can tell it's an engineering drawing! And specifically, an engineering drawing for road construction!

"You want to build a road? To connect Sochi and Thunder Fortress?"

Liu Xia frowned and looked at Tipalotura. He was not only surprised that the princess had done these things, but also surprised that this idea of ​​hers should not have been hers in the first place!

After all, he was the only one currently using various new materials for construction. Although he had given the emperor the formulas for basic materials like cement in order to gain the emperor's trust, apart from Sochi, which had a complete magical industrial production line, other places, even if they had the formulas, couldn't do the same thing in the short term.

"It's not just to Thunder Fortress, it's the road that leads all the way here, across the southern continent and through several vassal states."

Tipalotura's silvery voice rang out, quietly expressing her thoughts.

"Although we are currently facing pressure from both the Chosen Ones and the Holy See, let's not forget that our most important goal is still to begin our conquest of the Heretic Continent. Sochi, as our forward base, cannot accomplish this on its own, so we need to draw resources continuously from the entire continent. You should have thought about that too, right?"

Ryūsha had certainly considered it, but given Sochi's manpower and resources, it was an impossible task. Not to mention building a road beyond the empire's borders; in Ryūsha's plan, connecting the entire eastern border of the empire, plus a part of the northern border, to the Sochi Plain would be a remarkable achievement.

He had no intention of taking Tipalotura for at least several years.

Now, looking at the markings on the Tipalotura map, he saw that she had sent people to survey all the places, and even marked the locations of local products and resources along the way, from crops to various mineral deposits, many of which were mineral deposits that the Empire had not yet discovered.

Ryuu couldn't help but recall that back when he took control of Linhu Town, Hetia and Anyaberg, sent by Tipalottura, already possessed detailed survey maps of the town. It seemed that this princess, besides Anyaberg and her group of magical engineering students, also had a professional surveying team. Or perhaps, she had witches under her command capable of doing so. Ryuu was more inclined to believe the latter, because he had been traveling with Tipalottura the entire way; if other teams were following nearby, he couldn't possibly have failed to notice.

The information that could be seen from the engineering drawings was not limited to this. Liuxia also saw markings about the combination of waterways and land routes, the excavation of tunnels, and so on. In some places, she had made special markings.

Each section of the project had a projected construction period marked out, and the entire project, from start to finish, took less than six months!

This figure made Ryūka gasp. This was a road design that spanned countless territories and vassal states. Of course, it was just a projected figure, and Ryūka remained deeply skeptical. Tipalotura, however, was watching him intently, knowing what he was looking at and thinking, and offered a perfectly timed explanation:

"The parts that are specifically marked are those that can be easily done using the power of my witch sisters."

As expected! Ryuka's initial skepticism subsided. A witch with extraordinary abilities could indeed accomplish things ordinary people couldn't. Not only could she control the weather and terrain, but she could also easily solve problems related to labor motivation, even using her charm to recruit various able-bodied men. Back in Linhu Town, Kania's charm had solved many problems related to the morale and funding of her people. Therefore, Ryuka was completely convinced of the overwhelming power witches wielded over ordinary people.

Looking at the picture, Ryuka slowly raised her head, staring intently into Tipalotura's smiling eyes, and asked seriously:

"So, what do you want to say to me?"

Chapter 7 Imperial Edict

"I want to discuss a business deal with you."

Ryūsha wasn't surprised by Tipalotura's words. Building this road would greatly benefit the Ottus Empire's control over its vassal states, not to mention what she just said: Sochi could use it to strengthen its ties with the outside world. However, such a massive project would be difficult to complete even with Sochi operating at full capacity, as it would require a large amount of building materials, especially mineral raw materials and alchemical ingredients.

Ryuka tapped her fingers on the table a few times, then looked at Tipalotura's serious expression and said:

"Leaving aside the cost and Sochi's production capacity, even if this road is built, what about the maintenance work later on?"

With the current level of technology that Ryukyu has unlocked, it can only build ordinary cement roads. Even if this world doesn't have a road-destroying monster like the Great Yun, they will crack over time. But apart from Sochi, other places may not have the technology to maintain them.

"This is what I wanted to discuss with you."

Tipalotura chuckled and made a proposal that greatly surprised Ryukyu: