Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

"Hmph!" Hayden snorted coldly. "Just as you all said, arrogant and disdainful of others. But he still accepted that gold note. We'll see how it goes..."

"Ah~ As expected of Mr. Hayden, the combined efforts of the Chamber of Commerce are truly remarkable..."

The group showered them with compliments, but when they heard about the gold note, their expressions changed, revealing greed, envy, and an undisguised worship of money and power. Although they had once been considered important figures in Linhu Town, it was, after all, just a cheap little town, and 300 gold coins were an astronomical sum for them.

Hmph! It seems that the tough-talking Liuxia kid isn't as decisive as they thought. He was previously acting as a protector of the poor, slowly squeezing their profits. But he's finally swayed by the temptation of 300 gold coins!

"Besides hearing that he's incredibly strong and talented, he's also undeniably handsome. No wonder he can handle all the affairs here. What can you do? Your lord is a young lady, and even a formidable female knight who's a force to be reckoned with at the Imperial Academy seems to be no exception..."

Hayden grumbled, his tone full of disdain for the place, but he knew in his heart that the future value of this vast undeveloped territory was immeasurable; it was just that the empire had not paid attention to it in the past.

Therefore, the chamber of commerce he represented wanted to secure trade and agency rights in this area. Furthermore, it was rumored that two heirs to the throne were also vying for power here, and the internal competition within the neighboring Sochi territory was also related to this place.

Where there is conflict, there is often substantial profit. The bigger the storm, the more valuable the fish—this is a well-known principle among businessmen, and the reason they often take desperate risks. (The remaining text appears to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated gibberish.)

"By the way, that lord's daughter isn't even twenty yet, right? So there should be an agent here, right? I think his name is something like Baron. Didn't you try approaching him?"

When asked about Hayden's question, the representatives from Linhu Town showed expressions of disdain and embarrassment.

"We've had contact with that guy a few times and tried to give him some benefits. But that man is as timid as a mouse, speaks haltingly, and doesn't communicate much with people."

"Moreover, he willingly accepted being assigned to be a patrol captain, doing the same work every day, eating and living with the soldiers, so we really didn't have many opportunities to have private contact with him."

"He is the empire's designated agent, yet he obeys this brat Liu Xia's every command. How shameless of a middle-aged man!"

The group grumbled about Baron, showing no respect whatsoever for this former nobleman with the strength of a knight, despite being ordinary people.

"Alright, alright! I think it's because you guys didn't offer enough bargaining chips, with your stinginess!" Hayden revealed his disdain for the group and asked again, "After the last border negotiations, did that Ryūsha have any extra people around him?"

"Well... when we came back, there seemed to be an extra tall samurai, but he was wearing a cloak and we couldn't see him clearly. He hasn't appeared in public recently either."

"Oh~" Hayden tapped the table with his finger, seemingly deep in thought. "Do you know anything about the details of that border meeting?"

"Well... all we know is that a peace treaty and trade cooperation were signed."

"Is that so? Well then, thank you all for your hard work. I will come back again in a while. If you need anything, gentlemen, you can contact my servant who is staying here."

Hayden pointed to his expressionless valet and then gestured for him to leave.

After the group left, the male servant asked again.

"I heard that Linhu Territory brought back an important figure from Sochi Territory during that meeting. It should be that warrior, right?"

“That’s right, but it seems both sides are avoiding the topic.” Hayden’s hand twitched slightly, and the tea in his cup, which had cooled down, began to steam again. He didn’t notice the crows perched outside the window at all.

"I heard it's a female knight, the countess's niece. It's normal for them to want to keep such a scandal a secret. If this is true, then it's quite a piece of news."

Having said that, Hayden stood up, snapped his fingers lightly, and the clothes and luggage in the room automatically folded and packed into his suitcase. Then he picked up the suitcase and instructed the servant:

"I need to go back and report. You stay here and act as you see fit. Don't contact me unless it's something important. Also, you can start considering the 'cooperation' that the Countess discussed with us and others."

"Yes, Lord Hayden."

The servant bowed respectfully, while Hayden took out a magic crystal and began chanting.

Bright magical runes appeared and formed an array around him, then vanished with a roar, taking Hayden, who was also in the magic circle, with him disappearing without a trace.

Burn marks appeared on the floor, but the servant stretched out his hand and chanted softly, and the marks on the floor quickly disappeared without a trace.

He then tidied up the room and went to the window to draw the curtains.

"Hmm?" The servant looked out the window at the platform, where a muddy water stain, resembling a bird's claw, remained. He glanced at the sky, then opened the window, wiped it clean, closed it, and drew the curtains.

Meanwhile, in the office, Ryuka opened her eyes, feeling that a third of her magic power had been consumed, and sighed that while the 'familiar' was useful, the magic consumption was currently too high.

"Interesting, two magicians... the Merchant Guild and the Countess, huh..."

Chapter 1 The War Without Gunfire

The roosters in Linhu Town began to crow before dawn. Liu Xia, who had tossed and turned all night without a good night's sleep, woke up in the break room next to the office, her eyes bloodshot.

"Damn it... I really want to kill that damned old hag..."

This resentful murmur woke up the 'weary' Kania beside her. She propped herself up, rubbed her sleepy eyes, and asked, "My dear little Liuxia, are you still upset?"

"Nonsense." Liu Xia couldn't control his temper. As the saying goes, even a clay Buddha has some temper, let alone what he had experienced in the past few days...

After Hayden left, Ryusha remained troubled by what he had said to the servant at the inn about the Countess's collaboration.

Just a few days ago, Ryusha finally understood the Countess's plan.

Three days ago, the number of Hero Points that Liuxia gained from the [Proof of Leadership] started to drop from more than 700 points per day.

Two days ago there were more than 650, but yesterday there were only more than 500. It means that the past two weeks have been a complete waste of time.

Slower than the [Leader's Proof] was the intelligence coming from various places below:

Trade routes were frequently disrupted by bandits and thieves from unknown sources, as were various villages and towns. Some villages even reported multiple instances of village chiefs colluding with local trade officials to embezzle, disturb the peace, and deduct villagers' share of income.

Some people impersonated soldiers from Linhu Territory, all equipped identically, setting up roadblocks at various passages to forcibly collect tolls and rob civilians. By the time the real patrols arrived, these people had long since disappeared into the mountains and forests.

These fake soldiers would also enter villages at night to commit crimes, making the villagers distrust the real patrol teams.

These security problems began to cause fear and anxiety among the people in various regions, so the points that Ryukyu gained from the Linhu territory continued to decline.

There are still about 600 today, but what about tomorrow? And the day after?

Damn it! You're trying to play dirty tricks on me, aren't you?!

Ryusha understood perfectly well that it was Mrs. Mara from Sochi City who was behind this. Since they couldn't have a public conflict, they would do it behind the scenes, causing the security situation in Linhu Territory to deteriorate and inciting distrust among the people towards the lord, especially the governor.

Many rumors also spread, such as the governor bypassing the lord to start embezzling and committing evil, and condoning the soldiers to bully the people... There were even rumors that 15-year-old Ryusha had forced many girls to become concubines and slaves!

The manipulation of public opinion is terrifying!

"Two villages separated by three mountains! Yet the same rumor broke out at the same time on the same day! How the hell could this be natural transmission!"

Liu Xia was seething with hatred! As the saying goes, it only takes a mouth to spread a rumor, but a lot of legwork to refute it. Although he firmly believed that physical means were the best way to solve the problem, this kind of thing was difficult to handle, and if he was not careful, the other party might stir up even bigger trouble.

This is a combination of 'Japanese soldiers pretending to be Eighth Route Army soldiers,' 'member corruption,' and 'the charm of journalism' all at once! Will there be a 'face revolution' someday?

Ryūsha abhorred such despicable methods and wished he could rush into Sochi and kill the Countess, but he regretted that he did not have enough troops...

"Should we arrest that male servant at the inn and let me use my witch powers to interrogate him?"

Kania stretched lazily, revealing her graceful curves, and pressed her soft body against Ryusha, trying to give him some comfort.

Ryūka has been in a terrible temper these past few days, and she and Hetia have been severely 'whipped' to the point of losing their minds at night. Although Kania enjoys this kind of thing, Ryūka has been so upset these past few days that she is naturally a little worried.

"We can't alert them yet. The Merchant Guild Alliance has only sent two envoys, both of whom are mages. Behind them is the Merchant Guild Alliance, which spans the entire continent. If something goes wrong and we get discovered, the problems we face will only be greater..."

Ryuu rubbed his temples, trying to remain rational and composed. The other party had mentioned that the Countess had discussed 'cooperation' with them on more than one occasion, and that the male servant hadn't made any moves during the past two days when he and Kania had taken turns using their familiars to monitor him. Therefore, these actions were likely orchestrated by the Countess's other 'cooperating partners'.

"Mr. Barron returned from gathering intelligence yesterday. Let's hold a meeting to assess our current situation and see how to proceed." (The rest of the text appears to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated gibberish.)

Ryuka mumbled as she got up, splashing a bucket of cold water on herself to wake herself up. Meanwhile, Kania woke Hetia, who was fast asleep face down beside her, and slapped the female knight's high, rosy buttocks again!

"Haah~"

Hetia woke up with a soft moan. Because of her good physical condition, she had been well taken care of by Ryusha last night, and the bruises on her buttocks had not yet faded.

Not to mention that ever since the magical patterns were applied to her lower abdomen, Ryuka has been recklessly filling her depths, and now she still feels a bit heavy inside...

Unlike Ryukatsu and Kania, she doesn't draw energy from that kind of thing. When Ryukatsu really goes berserk, even the physical strength of a genius knight can't withstand it.

Fortunately, Ryusha had the ability to cultivate followers to enhance her strength, but thinking of the countless orgasms she experienced last night, Hetia felt both pleasure and pain, and her whole body trembled uncontrollably.

Despite her exhaustion, she got up in anger and kicked the 'lump of flesh' in the corner of the room.

"Mmm~ Mmm~"

The one dripping with slick sweat and exuding a decadent odor was none other than the lowly Grand Knight Megan. Bound with a special aura-suppressing device designed by Anyaberg, she had endured the most severe 'whipping' of the night. Her plump, tall body was bound like a dumpling, with various torture devices inserted into it, and bodily fluids pooled beneath her.

If this woman hadn't insisted on starting the duel, the conflict wouldn't have escalated to this point. But since she'd been caught, she couldn't let her go, which only fueled Ryuka's anger, leading her to vent her frustrations on the woman's beautiful yet muscular body.

After washing up, Ryuka entered a meditative state, finding some comfort in the information on the stone wall bearing the leader's certificate within her consciousness.

Not long ago, the Leader's Certificate underwent a special change, which, in Ryūka's understanding, meant:

[Heroic Deeds to be Completed] [Restore Reputation]: Calm the unrest among followers, restore the damaged reputation of the hero, and you will receive a large number of hero points upon completion of the deed.

It makes sense. If the current problems can be solved and the public can be given a satisfactory answer, and the hidden factors of unease can be eliminated, then one will naturally receive higher praise.

Liu Xia breathed a sigh of relief. Challenges and rewards go hand in hand. Perhaps she shouldn't have been so anxious these past few days, which even affected her handling of government affairs.

He opened his eyes and came to Megan, removing the restraints and gag from her.

"Waaah... Master! My aunt, no! That damned old hag Mara is inhuman! It's all her fault! I'm willing to kill her for you! Please! Even if you kill me, please don't torture me!"

Megan burst into tears. Although she was not seriously injured, some of Ryuu's methods were even more terrifying than when she crushed the losers. She even saw Ryuu start to tremble, no longer the arrogant person she used to be.

“It’s not that easy to die.” Ryuka pinched her chin. “But it’s time for you, the great knight, to show some skill. If you don’t perform well, I’ll send you back into the ‘illusion’ to experience it properly. As for the sensory time… how about letting you feel what it’s like to be tortured continuously for a whole year in one day?”

Ryuu sneered, threatening that the [Playwright] ability would at most make Megan experience four or five times the normal physical sensation time. In other words, if the [Playwright] ability were used on her for a whole day, Megan would feel like four or five days had passed. Although he didn't have that much time to 'play' with this wicked woman, this bluffing threat was driving Megan to the brink of collapse.

"No...please...I'll be good, I'm your dog! I'll do whatever you tell me to do!"

Megan trembled uncontrollably, tears and snot streaming down her face from fear, yet she wore a fawning smile as she lay on the ground licking Ryusha's toes.

Ryuka simply kicked her once, then wiped her toes with her thick, dark purple hair, and while changing her clothes, she tossed out a sentence:

"Clean this place up, then come find us in the conference room..."

Chapter 2 When Soldiers Come, Generals Will Block Them

In the conference room, Ryusha, Kania, Hetia, and Qila were already there, while Megan arrived late, like a maid. Soon after, Baron and several soldiers brought in a man who was tightly bound, dressed similarly as a soldier of the Linhu Territory.

Baron bowed respectfully and then began to explain: "We went down to investigate in plain clothes, and we happened to run into a group of fake soldiers on the way. This is their leader. Several of them died, and the rest were put in jail."

"Where are our people?" Ryuka asked.

One person sustained minor injuries.

Ryuga glanced at Baron. Although this man seemed timid and introverted, he was, after all, a knight, and could easily crush ordinary people. Moreover, the undercover investigation was his own idea; he seemed like a talented soldier, but for some reason, he was doing poorly.

But Ryūka first focused his attention on the fake soldier who had sustained minor injuries.

After Baron's interrogation and Kania's re-examination, it was indeed found that the group of fake soldiers were all brought over by Sochi.

Most of them were local thugs or bandits, but the group that Baron and his group encountered came from a roving band of bandits.

Unfortunately, this poor fellow didn't know much; the orders came from the boss, and the equipment was handed to him. They had just enjoyed two days of good food on the roads of Linhu Territory when they encountered a knight leading a patrol.

"My lord! My lady! I really don't know much! I've never plundered any villages!"

“We’re all operating separately! Many of us don’t even know each other! Those above said not to ask questions you shouldn’t ask…”

Looking at the terrified yet fawning face, Liu Xia flicked her finger, and the ink from the ink bottle on the table flew into her hand, condensed into an ice needle, and then pierced the bandit's face.

"Ahhhh!!!"

The ink needle pierced deep into the flesh, leaving a tattoo on the face even after it heals.

"Throw them into the cell. Torture the rest severely. Kill those guilty of serious crimes, and tattoo those guilty of minor crimes and send them to do hard labor," Liu Xia ordered calmly, then asked Baron.

"What about the bodies of the dead?"

"They were buried on the spot."

“Send people to dig it up, cut it into pieces, and hang it at various intersections below, with signs explaining the situation as a warning.”

"Yes." Baron bowed deeply, then relayed the same instruction to his soldiers.

Looking at this reserved man, who showed no fear or surprise at her methods and orders, Liu Xia couldn't help but feel slightly astonished.

"Now, let's talk about the specifics."

Upon hearing Ryusha speak, Baron began to give his report.

“Our patrol team dispersed to various places to investigate and inquire. There are probably between ten and twenty such fake patrol teams, with five to ten people in each group. Some are responsible for setting up roadblocks to harass pedestrians, while others attack villages and towns at night.”

"They operate independently, communicating using coded messages, making it difficult to uncover a unified command behind them..."

"As for the reports of corruption and embezzlement from various localities, some are true, while others are suspected of being acts of revenge. We cannot make a clear judgment..."

"That's normal," Liu Xia sighed. "Investigating and collecting evidence in these kinds of grassroots civil affairs is always very difficult."

"That's true. Pick one or two serious cases, give them appropriate punishment, and then parade them through various villages as a public spectacle. I ask Mr. Barron to handle this personally and make sure there are no more problems."

"Understood." Baron bowed to Ryūka and left the room.

Then Kira spoke, and she solemnly produced a report of data compiled overnight.

"Our caravan has been attacked seven times to varying degrees, losing about 40 gold coins worth of goods, with six members dead and more than a dozen wounded... The remaining caravan hopes to be protected by soldiers, otherwise... they dare not continue on their journey for the time being."