Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

These female soldiers, now following Liuxia and Gerberly, arrived in Cornwall with various new equipment!

Chapter 10: The Trap for Gerberly

"Your Excellency."

Just as Liuxia and Gerberli were arguing, a green figure flashed out from the jungle. She was wearing a dark green shirt that almost blended into the color of the jungle. The hem of the shirt was tucked into loose shorts, and on her legs were a pair of cotton tan socks that covered her slender and strong calves. Only the snow-white knees of her shorts were exposed, and on her feet were short pain boots that were convenient for mountain movement.

In addition, she wore a round hat that covered her flaxen hair, which was braided into pigtails. This outfit was a modified version of the women's squad's usual training uniform, which had been dyed urgently for this mission to facilitate long-range support activities for Ryūka and the others in the rainforest.

"You are Sergeant Bennet, right? Petro sent you?"

Looking at the girl kneeling before him, Ryuga waved his hand, signaling her to rise. The girl, with a few freckles on her face, seemed remarkably energetic. Bennet, from a wealthy peasant family, was the squad's communications officer and a former light-armored knight of Thunder Fortress. Her ability to silently move using her battle aura was almost comparable to a mage's silencing spell. Aside from that, she didn't possess any special abilities, but the fact that Ryuga remembered her name greatly excited the girl.

"Yes, Your Excellency! Captain Petro has chosen the location of the camp. We have split into two teams and are stationed in the mountains south and west of Cornwall, respectively. We are setting up the magical equipment needed to provide you with logistical support! The captain asked me to deliver this to you and Miss Gerberly for communication purposes."

As Bennet spoke, he pulled out two pairs of what looked like 'earplugs' from his pocket. These were magical devices that further reduced and enhanced the range and capabilities of communication. They were wrapped in a soft gel, a refinement of Ansel gel, and were designed to be hidden in the ear canal so they wouldn't easily fall out.

Ryuga took the item and tossed one to Gerberi. This all-female squad wasn't yet completely devoted to her, so she couldn't communicate with them telepathically. Even if she could, she couldn't send Gerberi out during mission communication. Ryuga was also happy to test Anyaberg's toys during the mission; after all, these things would be used in her army later, and their reliability and practicality needed to be verified.

As Ryuka inserted one earbud into her ear, keeping the other as a spare, she smiled and chatted with the energetic girl in front of her:

"You must be exhausted from your march through the mountains. It must have been tough. How long did you carry those supplies?"

"Thank you for your concern, Governor! Hehe~ It's nothing~ Apart from being a bit damp, it's not much different from when we were on missions at Thunder Fortress! Back then, we had to march in armor and carry our own supplies! Now, with Captain Petro transporting the equipment to the vicinity and letting us carry it to the camp, it's already very easy!"

Bennet patted his upper arm, making a "strong" gesture, and smiled broadly at Ryūka. This governor wasn't as terrifying as everyone said! Although he had punished their captain, Petro, by making her run laps and fasting, he seemed quite kind now! Not to mention Ryūka had promised them a vacation after this mission! And considering their age, Bennet felt it wouldn't be inappropriate to call Ryūka "little brother," since this governor was about the same age as her own younger brother back home!

But Gerberly, watching the two chatting so enthusiastically, suddenly felt uncomfortable. In her eyes, this peasant girl's affable manner was practically an attempt to seduce Ryūka! Just a lowly knight! Why was she acting so smug! And that bastard Ryūka, not only had he won over Princess Tipalotura's heart, but he also constantly flirted with the girls around him! Even Lord Sophie Orlando, she actually selected the best female soldiers from Thunder Fortress to follow him! Claiming they were Olivia's personal guard and a test force for military reforms, weren't they really just Olivia's dowry?! That old lady! Did she even know how shameless her daughter was in front of Ryūka in private?!

But she was a dignified Celestial Knight, Princess Tipalotura's personal guard; there was no need for her to be upset over such a lowly female knight. Gerberi told herself this, but the tone of Ryusha's friendly conversation with Bennet just now seemed somewhat familiar; she felt as if she had heard that voice somewhere before…

However, in her hazy memory, that kind voice seemed more mature? At least more mature than herself, that's what Gerberly remembered. In any case, it couldn't possibly have anything to do with this little brat who was almost ten years younger than her!

Just as Gerberly was feeling puzzled and annoyed by this reason, a refreshing, pungent fragrance wafted past her nose. This fresh scent was coming from Bennet, which immediately made Gerberly frown.

"Hey! You! It seems Ryuka has really spoiled you girls! Wearing perfume on a field mission! Did you think the mission His Highness gave you was a picnic?! And what's with your clothes?! Did you wear your training uniform as if it were your combat uniform?!"

As Gerberi spoke, she tethered her horse to the side and strode towards Bennett. At over six feet tall, even though her casual shoes were shorter than Bennett's military boots, her head still towered over Bennett, who was only about six feet tall. She approached aggressively, her ample bosom radiating an unstoppable aura, almost touching Bennett's face, her questioning gaze fixed down at the young girl before her.

It was just a little fragrance, which wouldn't have been a problem for the female soldiers hiding in the jungle. In fact, if their camp were discovered, the mission would have already failed more than halfway. But Gerberly just couldn't stand it and had to find something that didn't suit her taste to nitpick.

After all, these little bitches were Ryukyu's troops, and Gerberly, who had already donned the new magical armor, was constantly having to compete with their captain, Petro, for time while repairing her equipment. What a joke! As Princess Tipalotura's personal guard, she was actually having to compete with that smiling little noblewoman's daughter, Petro! This had long annoyed Gerberly!

Her aggressive demeanor caused Bennet to instinctively shrink back slightly, but her daily military salute training immediately straightened her spine, and she saluted Gerberi.

“Yes! Lady Gerberly! This is…”

"I told them to spray it."

Suddenly, Ryuka, who was standing to the side, smiled and took over Bennet's words, looking at Gerberi with a provocative gaze.

"Benet, did you bring it with you?"

"Yes, yes, Your Excellency!"

Gerberi looked at the two people who were talking with a puzzled expression. Bennett took out a small transparent bottle from his pocket, inside which a dark green liquid was shaking.

"The 'cooling oil' produced in Sochi has the effect of repelling mosquitoes and relieving itching, and it was one of the many goods that the mission brought with it. However, by the time it was produced, summer in Otus had already passed, so it was planned to be launched next year. But it should be useful in the warmer south. And this mission just happened to allow them to use it."

As Ryusha spoke with a smile, she opened the bottle, and a fragrance several times stronger than that of Bennet wafted out, instantly driving away the mosquitoes around them.

"After all, they're not like that certain invulnerable Celestial Rank Lord. Getting bitten by the poisonous insects in this jungle would be really troublesome. Besides, their clothes are designed for ease of movement; they're only providing support from the rear, so there's no need for them to wear armor all the time. Is that alright, Lady Gerberly?"

Liu Xia's smug look immediately made the veins on Gerberi's forehead throb!

"You, you bastard! You have such a thing... Why?!"

Why didn't you bring it out sooner! You were just mocking her for using her fighting spirit to drive away mosquitoes! Gerberly gritted her teeth. Liu Xia was clearly trying to go against her! Maybe this whole conversation was planned by him to deliberately provoke her!

Seeing her exasperated state, Ryuka felt a surge of joy. That's right~ a grumpy female knight should stay grumpy, constantly getting thwarted by him; after all, she insisted on coming along.

A good female knight is one who gets her comeuppance; that's what makes it more fun to bully her!

Thinking this, Ryuga sneered and pointed to the luggage bags on his and Gerberly's saddles, saying:

"Miss Gerberly, didn't you read the battle plan carefully? What are our disguised identities? Take another look at what we brought with us."

A proposal? A disguised identity? Gerberly scoffed:

"Isn't it just disguising themselves as traveling merchants? As for the goods, they're just some general merchandise from Sochi..."

Her words stopped abruptly, and she immediately opened the duffel bag on her horse and rummaged through it. Inside, besides small items from Sochi such as soap, towels, and magic crystals, there was indeed a small bottle of cooling balm that was exactly the same as the one Bennet had in her hand.

"Ryu...Xia! You!"

"Ahem! Bennett, when you get back, have Petro write in the mission log: 'The esteemed Miss Gerberly almost made a grave mistake because she didn't thoroughly read the plan. Understand?"

Hearing Ryusha's words, Gerberly instantly became furious. She angrily said to Ryusha:

"You didn't tell me! A business plan? There's no such thing!"

"Yes, I had Olivia put it on your desk. You didn't see it, did you?"

Ryūka blinked, looking as if she sighed:

"Really, I told Your Highness a long time ago that you didn't need to come along. See, infiltration missions and such are simply not suitable for our muscle-bound, simple-minded Lady Gerberly!"

Suddenly, Gerberly recalled the scene from before. Before leaving, Olivia had indeed given her an envelope, saying it was from Ryuka. But at the time, she was angry about what had happened with Ryuka outside the car, and in her anger, she had completely forgotten about it while packing her things.

But this... was definitely intentional on the part of Ryūka and the others! If they had clearly told me that the plan for this mission was inside, how could I have forgotten! Gerberi bit her lip, glaring angrily at Ryūka, her fighting spirit uncontrollably radiating around her, making Bennett tremble slightly.

"Alright, Sergeant Bennett, you can go back now. Have Petro hide the magic vehicle in the distance."

As Ryusha dismissed Bennett, she crossed her arms and looked at Gerberi with a cold smile, saying in a low voice:

"tell me."

"what?"

"Tell me the battle plan. There's still time!"

Gerberly was getting annoyed. It suddenly dawned on her why Ryusha had been urging her on so much before they set off, causing her to be so flustered. And why had they arrived in Cornwall a day earlier than planned!

Looks like this guy is deliberately trying to mess with me!

Liu Xia also curled the corners of her mouth, thinking about how to teach this guy a good lesson before the mission, so that she would never dare to boss her around during the mission, lest she cause trouble!

Chapter 11 Gerberly's New Identity

Jerberi's attitude made Ryuga sneer. Although he hadn't actively reminded her before departure, the necessary messages were all written in the letter. Since he had violated her, Jerberi had been filled with hostility towards him, which made Ryuga too lazy to remind her in person; he simply had Olivia deliver the letter. He guessed she forgot to read the mission briefing in the letter because of her resentment towards him. In that case, Ryuga wouldn't tolerate it!

He wouldn't waste his time and effort trying to win over Gerberi for Tipalotura's mission, even if it might earn him her favor. But Ryuga, adhering to the principle that problematic women need proper guidance, patiently waited for Gerberi's opening. He crossed his arms, looked at Gerberi arrogantly, and spoke with utter disdain:

"Why should I help you? You should do the preparations for the mission yourself, right? If you go infiltrate now, you'll only ruin your beloved prince's plans. You might as well go back. I can do it all by myself anyway."

"You bastard!" Gerberly's voice rose, her beautiful eyes glaring fiercely at Ryusha. "You did this on purpose, didn't you! You deliberately wrote important information in an inconspicuous letter! And you sent it when I was busiest! Just to cause me trouble, weren't you!"

"So what?"

Ryuu's frank admission enraged Gerberi. She instinctively reached for her waist, forgetting that she was disguised as an ordinary person and her longsword was not on her person. Gritting her teeth, Gerberi clenched her fist, gathering fierce fighting spirit in it. But before she could make a move, Ryuu's taunts came down like a storm.

"Are you a little kid who needs to be held and diapered to go to the toilet? Do you need someone to remind you of everything? I've already relayed everything I needed to to you; it's your own oversight. Do you expect me to wipe your butt after you poop in your pants?"

Ryuka stared intently at her fist, but made no move to dodge. Instead, she tilted her head back and coldly snorted at her:

"If you want to fight, then come on! But if you throw this punch, the explosion of your battle aura will reach all the way to Cornwall, giving the Chosen Ones there a good warning!"

"Gulp! You!"

Gerberly trembled all over, ultimately not taking the step to throw the punch, but her fighting spirit still condensed on her snow-white fist, trembling violently like a thick golden mist, showing how unwilling she was at this moment.

"Be angry if you want, but whether you forgot to check the intelligence before setting off or you're losing control of your emotions right now, it proves that you're simply not suited for this mission. I really don't know why Tipalotura sent you with me. A muscle-bound, simple-minded gorilla should just be your bodyguard and fight on the battlefield. Why do you have to try to do something that requires brains? Ugh! I worked so hard on you all night to restore your witch powers, not so you could hold me back! You're almost thirty years old, and your mind isn't even as clear as mine. You should go back to His Highness and cry your eyes out!"

Ryuu's words lashed at Gerberi's heart like whips. Despite her resentment towards Ryuu, she truly understood that her personality wasn't cut out for it. Aside from their martial prowess, many of the other witch sisters were smarter than her. For example, Felicity and Beverly were better suited for infiltration operations, and even the timid Nunnalia might be more capable.

But why! Why did His Highness insist on sending me to investigate Cornwall with this little brat! Was it to help me grow? Or...?

Gerberi recalled the scene when her witch powers went berserk, and Tipalotura's eyes were filled with such anxiety and concern. Although her age played a part, Gerberi also knew that her impatient and impulsive nature was inherently detrimental to controlling her witch powers—something she had always been aware of. Tipalotura had repeatedly advised her to change her temperament, but she had never succeeded.

It wasn't until the witch's power went berserk, and she paid a physical price, that Ruka stabilized the witch's power within her. But this only made her more frustrated with Ruka; Gerberi was always afraid, and she knew that the next time the witch's blood was on the verge of going berserk, she would have to endure Ruka's humiliation again. But the more she felt this way, the more Tiparotura arranged for her to get close to Ruka. This contradictory situation was driving her crazy!

Seeing her clenched teeth and her handsome face contorted with suppressed anger, Ryuka suddenly seemed to understand Tipalotura's intention in making such a arrangement.

“I see… Tipalotura might indeed be thinking that way…”

Hearing Liuxia's sudden murmur, Gerberly's heart skipped a beat!

"What did you say?!"

"Hmm?" Liu Xia looked up at Gerberly, her thin eyebrows furrowed, her fierce eyes and golden-brown hair making her look like an angry lioness. He smiled, shrugged, and said:

"It's just a guess~ Her Highness arranged it this way perhaps to temper your character. If you, with your pride, can complete an infiltration mission disguised as an ordinary person, you might change and become more useful in the future..."

Is that so? Gerberi recalled Tipalotura's earnest admonitions and expectant gaze before she set off. Perhaps it really was true. But just because she was tricked by Ryūsha, she almost lost her mind and unleashed a punch with the power of a Heavenly Rank near Cornwall. How could she possibly meet His Highness's expectations in such a state?

"Gu..."

The fighting spirit on her fist slowly dissipated, and her body, which had been in a fighting stance, went limp. Gerberly gritted her teeth and said to Ryusha with resentment:

"I...I understand...I'll control my temper, so tell me the mission details..."

Is that alright? I've already admitted my mistake and apologized, so that guy Ryūka should too...

"I refuse."

"what?!"

Gerberly looked up at Ryuu, whose expression remained disdainful. Her previous aggrieved look was now filled with accusation and dissatisfaction. Ryuu simply pointed a finger at her and said with a cold smile:

“Look, your expression changes immediately after just one sentence. If you get into a conflict with someone in town, your temper will immediately arouse suspicion. What kind of merchant has such a bad temper?”

"You!" Gerberly, stung by the attack, stubbornly retorted, "Didn't we have the gadgets Nanalia gave us! Gadgets that can change how others perceive us..."

"That can only change our appearance in other people's eyes; it can't change our expressions or tone of voice."

Ryuka scoffed, tossing two necklaces back and forth in her hands. These necklaces were imbued with Nanalia's witch skill, similar to her parasol, altering perception of the surroundings for the next few days. This was a fairly common witch skill; Kania could also do it, but she couldn't imbue external objects with power for a sustained period like Nanalia's witch talent.

"In the end, even though it was Tipalotura's order, what obligation do I have to help you? You should just accept the fact that you're a good-for-nothing and go back as soon as possible."

As Rukia humiliated her step by step, Gerberi trembled all over. But even though they were near the town, she didn't dare to lay a hand on Rukia. Moreover, Gerberi understood that although Rukia deliberately spoke harshly, her reasoning was sound. Could Rukia truly keep her identity hidden?

But no matter what, since it was His Highness's order, she absolutely could not go back like this!

"I understand……"

Gerberly lowered her head, her hair obscuring her expression. Was she giving up? Liu Xia looked at Gerberly before her, and before she could even utter a word of new provocation, she heard Gerberly speak slowly.

"You just want to humiliate me, don't you? Come on... As long as you tell me the information and take me on this mission, you can do whatever you want with me..."

Hearing her dejected and resigned tone, Ryusha whistled lightly and smiled at Gerberly:

"Wow~ You're pretty savvy~ You know how to flatter me. But don't get the wrong idea, I do want to bully you, but that has nothing to do with the mission. And I don't think that if I take my anger out on you, you'll be able to do well in the mission!"

"Then teach me..."

Her voice was low and somber, as if she was suppressing her anger and resentment. She suddenly raised her head, her eyes still full of dissatisfaction, but with less anger and more grievance, and even a few tears were welling up in her eyes!

"Don't you love training women the most?! Whether it's a woman like Olivia or the reforms in your territory! Aren't you very smart?! Can't you teach me what to do?"

Seeing Gerberly's state, Ryusha felt a surge of admiration, slightly composed himself, and questioned her:

"You mean, you want me to teach you how to control your temper and how to pretend?"

"Yes……"

Gerberly pursed her lips, her voice trembling and on the verge of tears. She knew what bowing to Ryusha meant; that little rascal would definitely take advantage of her and do something outrageous. But she didn't want to go back like this!

Besides... besides, she had nothing left to lose in front of him. Although she was eventually fucked to the point of having a blurred memory, Gerberly knew that everything about her that night had been wantonly played with by this little bastard.

So, what's the difference between once and twice?

"Is that so? Then let's give it a try." Ryuka smiled and waved a piece of information at Gerberly.

"Our disguise: Among the merchants who used to visit Cornwall, there was an old merchant named Lucas. He himself has been controlled by Tipalotura, and we are to play his distant relative, taking his place in visiting Cornwall regularly. As for the groundwork, it has already been laid in Cornwall, probably by a witch lurking in the south or a spy under Princess Tipalotura."

Ryusha handed the long intelligence report to Gerberly, which was filled with Lucas's personal information, various intelligence about Cornwall, including people the old merchant knew and the hotels he frequented... The thousands of words of content instantly made Gerberly's scalp tingle!

"How...how could I possibly remember this!"

“I knew you wouldn’t remember, so I discussed it with Her Highness.” Liu Xia snorted and said to Gerberli, “So I’ll play his distant relative, a nephew who will take over his uncle’s place, and you are the slave guard I bought.”

"Slave...slave guards?!"

“That’s right, Bella, a full-fledged knight, was originally a mercenary in Otus. She was captured, enslaved, and then bought by me. That way you can talk less and leave the negotiations to me.”

Seeing Gerberly's unwilling expression, Ryuka tossed the intelligence report aside:

"Of course, if you can remember all of these and make no mistakes, we can change it to siblings."