Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

Ryuka looked shocked, and for a moment even felt jealous of Kania, her blood rushing uncontrollably downwards.

"Then I'll have to help you a lot."

"Hehehe~ No! I'm really dying! You're even more terrifying than a witch!"

Kania laughed as she dodged Ruka's lunge, feigning reluctance; the night was still long...

Three days later, the entire town of Linhu knew that a lord was about to arrive.

But several other major events have also occurred in the past few days.

The first thing was the discovery of the bodies of Mayor Niebuhr and Jik.

The second incident involved a group of bandits who attacked the forestry officer's residence at night. Although no one was injured, a lot of valuables were stolen, and even his daughter went missing.

The third thing is that Ryūka has also disappeared.

Immediately, rumors swirled. Some said the bandits killed the town mayor, others said it was Ryūka who did it and fled to escape punishment. Still others said it was all part of the same scheme, and Ryūka might actually be an inside man for the bandits.

Ryuga was completely unaware of the first incident, but the second and third incidents were orchestrated by him and Kania.

[Charm] is an ability that most witches possess, but Kania only recently awakened it, so this ability is only effective on some fools or small animals, such as a group of bandits nearby who all failed their prenatal education.

The script goes like this: bandits kidnap the forest ranger's beautiful daughter at night, and a brave young hunter gives chase, only to collide with the lord's caravan.

In the midst of the chaos, the Viscountess and her son were tragically killed by bandits, while the young knight admired the young hunter's courage and skill, keeping him by her side as her squire.

The bad guys both die suddenly, and the righteous youth is rewarded—how pleasing to the ear!

But Atina was unaware of all this.

She did chores and listened to the various rumors circulating among the townspeople, including claims that once the lord arrived, Ryūka would be doomed...

Atina returned home and went to her father.

"Father, I would like to borrow that sword."

Old Mya looked at his expressionless daughter, whose face seemed to reveal nothing. But no one knows a daughter better than her father. Old Mya didn't ask why, but simply took a puff of his pipe.

"It was meant to be yours, take it."

In the small warehouse, dust was scattered everywhere, reflecting beautiful beams of sunlight. Atina rummaged through the pile of junk and pulled out an oilcloth bag.

A sword, a very beautiful sword, with flowers carved on its silvery-white blade and adorned with countless gems. If you hold it upside down, its slender blade will make it look like a cross-shaped staff.

More than a decade ago, old Maya lost his son and leg in a brutal war against heretics.

But he saw the sword among the pile of dead bodies.

It's so beautiful that an old soldier would give anything for it.

Such spoils should belong to the nobility; it would be a capital offense for a commoner to keep them. But old Maya still smuggled it back as a family heirloom...

By the time Atina realized the sword was wrong, it was already after she had grown up.

At this moment, the girl held the sword, her body trembling uncontrollably. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her furrowed forehead. She gripped the hilt so tightly that her nails dug into her palm, and blood flowed down the blade.

"I...I won't be tempted by you..."

"But I need power..."

"The power to protect him..."

"..."

If Ryūka were meditating at this moment, he would have noticed that the [Magic] skill tree under the Atina mural on the first stone wall was flashing continuously.

But he was hiding high in the trees, his gaze sweeping across the mountains and forests, looking into the distance.

On a mountain path, a group of people were struggling to make their way through.

Twenty cavalrymen flanked several large carts piled high with boxes, while a horse-drawn carriage in the middle bumped along a muddy mountain road.

A vibrant red line led the way. (The last two lines appear to be random characters and do not translate directly.)

A spirited and beautiful young woman of eighteen or nineteen rode a tall horse, her fluffy red hair tied into a long ponytail.

The cold armor encased her shapely body, its metallic sheen reflecting off her striking features, arousing an intense desire to conquer her.

Female knights, Valkyries... When beautiful women are paired with heroic strength, two different images often emerge.

Submit to her, or conquer her.

Metal leg armor and black stockings encased perfect thighs, not limp cylinders, but the muscles were sculpted with just the right amount of muscle definition, like a work of art sculpted with sweat after a perfect workout in the gym.

Her legs were tightly gripping the horse's belly, bobbing up and down with the horse's swaying. Ryuka remembered Kania's encouragement and couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if her legs were wrapped around her waist.

No, no! I can't let Kania lead me astray! Although the promises she made were incredibly tempting, the allure of comfort always makes one wary.

Hetia Tartu, nineteen years old, comes from a noble family, but all that remains for her is the surname "Tartu".

Her father was a vassal knight of other nobles, but he died a few years after marrying his second wife. Hetia's childhood was almost like a Cinderella story.

However, through her unremitting efforts, she entered the Imperial Military Academy and was promoted from a trainee knight to a full knight at the young age of nineteen. Both her fighting spirit and skills were proven in actual combat.

As a result, she gained the favor of the thirteenth princess from the same school, and in return, she vowed to be loyal to that princess for life.

Protecting His Highness at the cost of her life is her duty! Hetia doesn't care about any reward, but the fact that her stepmother has fallen on her shoulders after she risked her life to win back the noble title for the Tartu family is unacceptable!

It's all the fault of that damned Third Prince's faction! They're all despicable people like that stepmother! They even replaced the guards in the house with some thugs! They've truly tarnished the reputation of the Tartu family!

Hetia didn't want to come to Linhu Town. Let that woman and her son take the titles and lands! All she needs to do is serve Her Highness the Princess!

But His Highness entrusted him with a task... he was to become her sharpest weapon! To help her accomplish a great undertaking in this remote region!

In the carriage in the center of the caravan, the viscountess, in her forties, wore a gaudy dress and reeked of nouveau riche money; her mean expression was full of disgust.

I thought that little bitch had done something amazing, but it turns out her fief was in this godforsaken place. She and her precious son were exhausted from the journey!

"Mother, can't we wait until the season is better before we come?" Beside the Viscountess, a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy with freckles on his face had a mean expression just like his mother's.

"That won't do! That little bitch Hetia is in such a hurry to get here first. Who knows what kind of scheme she's plotting? We can't let her go to the fiefdom alone and win over those commoners! My dear child~ this viscountship will definitely be yours in the future!"

"Once the person the Third Prince promised arrives, we'll have plenty of ways to handle it!"

The Viscountess covered her mouth with her fan and laughed triumphantly.

Chapter 13 Black-haired Beauty...?

Judging from the time it took to catch up, it should be within the next day or two... The Viscountess squinted. Only four of the cavalry would fight to the death for Hetia. Once the reinforcements arrived, taking her down would be a piece of cake!

Those who are calculating are unaware that they are also being calculated against. Many bizarre twists and turns in the world stem from overconfidence.

“They’ve arrived, Miss ‘Playwright,’ and don’t forget our bet.” After confirming the convoy’s arrival, Ryuga jumped down from the tree, and somehow his voice sounded very unhappy.

Under the tree, Kania, who had been waiting for a long time, stood up and dusted herself off: "I told you I wouldn't lie to you, couldn't you trust me a little more? What happened to becoming allies?"

"But we need to verify the truth of what you say first. If it's really as you say, I won't hold back."

"You'll be able to verify it for yourself soon~" Kania smiled slightly, transforming into her witch form and snapping her fingers lightly. "But before that, I need to do some preparations for you~"

"Tsk!" the boy scoffed.

"Everyone, halt!" the girl commanded forcefully. (Mei Youyouyou didn't want to... Mei Youyouyou didn't want to think about it...)

Without warning, Hetia reined in her horse and stopped the moving caravan, placing her hand on the hilt of her sword.

"She's here again! Always so paranoid!" The Viscountess angrily peered out of the carriage, wondering what it was this time. A caravan? Or some lowly people herding livestock?

She even had four servants take turns standing guard over her at night. Who was she wary of? Of course, it was her stepmother!

Apart from the four servants who accompanied Hetia, everyone else, including the coachman, was very impatient.

Coming from the capital to a place like this is bad enough, but they insisted on traveling day and night, not even allowing a minute's rest along the way. This group of people are almost at their mental and physical limits!

If it were summer, the cavalrymen would probably smell so bad that even pigs wouldn't want to come near them!

Hetia noticed their dissatisfaction.

A bunch of good-for-nothings who have never left the capital have no idea of ​​the dangers outside. On these mountain roads, they have to be on guard against any slight movement.

Hetia cursed inwardly, focusing intently on the sounds ahead; her knightly senses far surpassed those of others.

There were many footsteps, hurried movements, shouts, and the number of people was probably between ten and twenty.

"All on alert," she ordered calmly. Only four servants responded, but they shielded her from the direction behind her.

"Ha~ just spreading alarmist rumors again... Oh~"

The cavalrymen's mocking voices gradually subsided, replaced by quiet gasps of surprise.

This time, it really turned out to be bandits.

But their exclamation was not out of fear, because a group of cavalrymen would not be afraid of mountain bandits in the countryside.

The gasp came from the fact that the scene before them was filled with a fragmented beauty...

The bandits chased after the girl, whose fair face was elegant and gentle, yet she remained calm even in such a chaotic situation.

Her bright eyes had long, upturned eyelashes, and her lips were a deep red. Although she looked young, she exuded an unexpected maturity...

Such a beautiful woman was being chased by a group of lewdly laughing bandits, and several times her hair was almost grabbed by their filthy hands...

What beautiful black hair! Shoulder-length short hair tied with a red ribbon adds a touch of allure to its androgynous beauty. If bandits were to grab it, would that cold, stubborn face reveal a painful, poignant expression?

As for the flaxen-haired village girl next to her, her plain face was no match for the black-haired girl, except that she had a pretty good figure.

Yes, the only pity about the black-haired girl is her flat figure, but it complements her androgynous clothing perfectly.

"Help! Sir Knight! Save us! Save my sister!!!"

The taller, flaxen-haired girl noticed the group of cavalrymen, cried out for help, and ran towards them.

Ah~ Hero saves the beauty~ What a classic and romantic scene~ These cavalrymen had heard countless stories like this, but had never had the chance to be heroes.

The main problem is that I've never met the beauty of my dreams.

Now it exists.

"You're not allowed to take it from me!"

"Why?! I saw it first!"

"You've always liked mature women with big breasts, haven't you? Here you go, sis!"

"Good looks can overcome anything!"

They argued quietly, like little boys in school fighting over a pretty girl from the next class. Although none of them were theirs, they were always having a great time.

Even the horse beneath him, no longer looking weary from the journey, was full of energy and ready to charge off.

"No one is allowed to go! Stay where you are!"

It was Hetia who stopped them, which angered the soldiers.

"Miss Tartu! Are you going to just stand by and watch me die?!"

Hetia didn't speak. She first looked around, then looked up at the surrounding mountains and forests, but still didn't take any action.

She sat quietly on her horse, watching the two girls run towards her...

Upon seeing the cavalry force that far outnumbered them, the bandits behind them changed their expressions and retreated into the dense forest, disappearing from sight.

"Stop! Don't come any closer. Tell us who you are and what happened!"

“Replying to Miss, my name is Kani, and this is my younger sister, Xia…”

The older sister, named Kani, sobbed a few times, her legs gave way, and she knelt down beside her younger sister, burying her face in her sister's chest and bursting into tears.

"Please, please save our village..."

Although her appearance was ordinary, her beautiful yet sorrowful voice, like the cry of a bird, was hard not to move people.

But Hetia looked at Xia, whose face was as cold as an iceberg, and asked, "Is this your sister? What happened to her?"

From an unseen blind spot, Kani pinched Xia Ya hard, rolled her eyes, and then sobbed as she spoke.

"Miss, she's not very bright... She had a serious illness when she was little, and she can't even speak anymore..."

It was truly pitiful; such a beautiful young girl, yet she was disabled. The cavalrymen all showed expressions of regret, but a few of them had a sudden glint in their eyes, as if they were pondering something.

"Is that so... Where is your village?" Hetia seemed to smile slightly.

She wasn't like those idiots behind her. What were the odds of two girls being chased by bandits suddenly appearing on the road they were supposed to pass, especially in such a remote and impoverished place?

"Shishan Village is over there."