Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

Two seductive cries rang out, bringing the 'match' to a draw...

Meanwhile, with a wicked grin, Ryuka 'sparred' with the two female knights for another hour before finally releasing himself on their limp and convulsing bodies...

Chapter 6 The Hounds and the Feast

"Are you confident you can take care of the people on that list, Megan?"

Afterwards, Ryusha leaned comfortably against Megan's tall, soft body and asked a question, while Hetia cleaned herself in her arms.

"Of course, my master! You only need to give the order!"

Despite being exhausted, Megan dared not delay and immediately agreed, kissing Ryusha's neck as she did not care that the nobles on the list were all followers of her aunt.

Hearing this satisfactory reply, Liu Xia gently pinched Megan's soft flesh, the comfortable pressure causing Megan to let out a soft moan of surprise and delight.

"Take action secretly at night, without being discovered, and without involving innocent people. You have five days. After five days, whether you have succeeded or not, you must return."

“Five days…” Megan thought about the distance between the two territories and how scattered the targets were in Sochi, and cast a troubled look at Ryusha with some fear.

“That’s right. It’s fine if you can’t finish dealing with the target, but if you don’t come back in five days, you’d better think of a way to commit suicide.” Liu Xia smiled coldly, stood up, and then pulled out a box that had been prepared beforehand from under the conference room table.

With a clang, the box opened, revealing a set of black, tight-fitting leather armor and a pair of short swords.

"Try them on. This is for you. And these too, your original weapon was too conspicuous."

Ryusha picked up a black mask, made of leather and shaped like a dog's mouth with bared teeth. It fit Megan's face perfectly, revealing only a pair of clear yellow eyes.

Her eyes were also covered by a sheer blindfold, which somewhat obstructed her vision, but this was nothing to Megan, a Grand Knight. She could deal with those minor nobles with her eyes closed, relying solely on her hearing.

Her long, wavy hair was styled in a bun and tucked into a leather headband. When she put on that tight-fitting leather armor and held two fanged short swords, she looked like an assassin in the dark.

Aside from her towering figure, there was no trace of her former self. It was just… a little too erotic? Hetia thought, looking at Megan's alluring curves.

This is the 'Hound Set' that Ryūsha made for Megan. He naturally wouldn't let a great knight's combat power be a slave by his side, but rather to make use of her value, so this set of equipment was prepared long ago.

"Thank you for the gift, Master!"

After Megan finished dressing, she respectfully prostrated herself on the ground and kowtowed to the boy. She even swayed her sexy, plump buttocks, which were covered in leather, and was practically indistinguishable from a loyal dog if she only had a tail.

Of course, Ryuka had also prepared those; this outfit had multiple zippers, so the style could be changed at will...

Ryūka then used the 2000 Hero Points she had just acquired to enhance Hetia and Megan twice. Hetia's enhancement focused on her Battle Aura, bringing her one step closer to becoming a Grand Knight. Megan's enhancements focused on her Agility and Stealth skills, making her more suitable for assassination missions.

"W-What is this?!" Megan was experiencing the feeling of being enhanced for the first time. She had no right to question the reason and immediately rubbed her head against Ryusha's leg to express her gratitude.

"I'd love to have a 'Heavenly Rank' knight as my loyal hound, but whether that's you or not depends on your performance. Remember, you must be back in five days," Liu Xia said with a cold smile, pulling Megan's head up.

"Is there anything going on in five days?" Hetia was in a great mood after being enhanced, and she hugged Ryuka affectionately, rubbing her soft body against him as she asked.

Ryuka kept the two female knights in suspense.

"You'll find out soon enough, Kira is already compiling the report..."

In five days, the school in Linhu Town became increasingly respectable, while several assassination attempts on nobles occurred in Sochi Territory. The lack of witnesses indicated the assassins' formidable skill, and a sense of unease gripped Sochi Territory. Only Lady Mara understood this as retaliation from Linhu Territory; she had initially thought her opponents were easy prey, but they hadn't expected them to actually retaliate.

But this wasn't the only thing she couldn't have imagined...

With the help of her husband, Earl Duke, promoting the event, some nobles and upper-class people were to travel to the Silver Star Nocturne resort in the Linhu Domain to attend a charity banquet symbolizing the establishment of friendly relations between the two territories.

The name 'Silver Star Nocturne' held considerable appeal for the upper class of Sochi, not to mention that it was a 'charitable' undertaking aimed at helping refugees and the backward Linhu Territory. Such a common social activity was highly attractive to many wealthy but fame-seeking nobles.

But Ryusha had another plan. He intended to make Megan's official debut at this banquet. Very few people knew about Megan's capture, and they had all kept quiet due to various reasons. Mrs. Mara, of course, wouldn't expose this family scandal, so all the revenge was carried out underground.

The Countess, that old hag, will be furious when she hears this news—she'll be swallowing a bitter pill she can't express. Liu Xia felt a surge of satisfaction at this thought. Neither he nor Earl Duke could truly shake the Countess's power base at this moment, but that didn't mean they would let her make her moves without resistance. (The last sentence appears to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated gibberish.)

Meanwhile, at 'Silver Star Nocturne', Ryuka and her group were dressed up in their finest attire, preparing to welcome their guests.

"Hmm~ Our Ryuka is so handsome and cute~"

Inside the banquet hall of the resort, Kania was fixing Ryuka's clothes and hair. Ryuka had changed into a smart dress, and her already pretty face was now adorned with light makeup. In Kania's words, "She's sure to seduce all the noble ladies of Sochi!"

"Do I really have to dress like this..." Hetia's voice came. She swayed as she lifted the wide hem of her dress, wearing a gorgeous red gown. The tight-fitting corset and bodice accentuated her graceful figure. Her fiery red hair, which was usually casually tied in a ponytail, was now styled in an elaborate updo, adorned with hair flowers and jewelry.

"It's so awkward, it's hard to move around in, and these shoes too..."

Hetia kicked her red high heels with a grumble, revealing a section of her beautiful long legs encased in white stockings beneath her wide skirt. She had never dressed like this before; after all, before coming to Linhu Town, she was not a formal noblewoman and rarely attended banquets or similar events, even when she did, she wore the knight's uniform of the Imperial Academy.

"Can't I dress simply like Kania?"

Hetia looked at Kania's slightly simpler attire. The little witch was dressed in a white and purple men's suit today, but she didn't lack accessories. The loose light purple trousers were paired with white knee-high socks and flat leather shoes, which made Hetia very envious.

Kania smiled smugly: "You are our lord, and the star of the day, so you can't be careless. Hmm~ Even I, a girl, am captivated by your dignified and charming appearance~"

“You should also learn about aristocratic social etiquette; it will be very useful for us right now. Fortunately, the resort is quite well-built. Although the materials are simple, the decorations that Kira chose are nice, and the waiters she hired are all experienced and have impeccable manners.”

Ryūka sighed; he too was feeling suffocated by the thick formal attire, but it was a necessary measure. Socializing with other nobles, exchanging information, building relationships, and raising funds were all essential for them.

"Everyone, are you ready?"

Kira walked over from the side, her outfit today was quite eye-catching.

Chapter 7 Charity Gala

Kira wore a sexy silver long dress, partially revealing her breasts and showcasing her beautiful collarbone and rounded shoulders. All of this was covered by semi-transparent white gauze, and the layered design of the dress achieved a perfect balance between sexy exposure and conservative concealment.

“This is really great. Maybe we should open a high-end dress shop together.” Kira looked at the three people in front of her with shining eyes.

Their outfits were all designed by Ryuka. Ryuka blended various modern fashion arts from her memory with the aesthetics of this world, creating bespoke costumes for the three beauties for this banquet.

Of course, Ryuka couldn't do without the sketching techniques she copied from Anjaberg. Having an image in one's mind is one thing, being able to draw it is another. Fortunately, Anjaberg was not only skilled in engineering drawing, but also had a very solid foundation in art.

Kira hovered around Hetia and Kania, clicking her tongue in amazement. Her eyes held no admiration for the two beauties, only a thirst for business opportunities.

“These dresses will definitely be the focus of the banquet. Those ladies will spend a fortune for a beautiful gown! I think this will be more profitable than all our businesses combined! Why don’t we have Liu Xia design a new one every day?”

Looking at Qila's burning business acumen, Liu Xia smiled wryly and said, "Any profitable business needs to be secured by force, otherwise it will only become easy prey for others. Therefore, the most important goal at present is to develop industry, strengthen the overall strength and population of the territory, and recruit more soldiers to arm ourselves..."

"Alright, alright~ Of course I understand, I was just saying." Kira grabbed Kania's shoulder from behind, putting on a wronged expression. "Look at our governor, what an oblivious guy."

"He's quite the charmer~ He just doesn't care to reciprocate our feelings~" Kania's beautiful eyes curved into crescents as she teased Ryusha along with Kira.

“Who would spend money on something like this? They’d rather buy weapons and armor,” Hetia said, frowning at the opposite opinion.

Looking at the two who were teasing her, Ryuga gave Hetia an exaggerated waiter's bow, indicating that she was on Hetia's side: "I agree with Miss Hetia's opinion."

Watching Ryusha's exaggerated, theatrical movements, Kania and Kira burst into silvery laughter, while Hetia's already shy face turned even redder, and for a moment she didn't know who to vent her anger on.

"I'm sorry, Master, I'm late..."

A respectful voice rang out, and Megan's tall, sexy body swayed alluringly. Her figure was already sexy enough, so Ryuka opted for a more conservative design for the black and purple dress she wore. The long, floor-length train concealed Megan's feet, but her legs were actually clad in sexy black stockings and heels exceeding ten centimeters in height, easily making Megan's height surpass two meters.

Meghan's neck was completely bare, but her stunning curves still made her incredibly attractive.

"Alright, everyone's here. Take your places and wait for the guests to arrive."

Ryusha clapped his hands, and well-trained waiters brought in a variety of delicacies. After the banquet hall opened, noble guests from Sochi Territory entered the hall accompanied by their servants.

After several days of travel, the guests arrived at 'Silver Star Nocturne' in the morning and were settled into their rooms to rest. Now they finally met the rulers of Linhu Territory.

"This place is really nice! It looks ordinary from the outside, but the interior is a completely different world!"

"Although there aren't any expensive decorations, the overall layout is quite tasteful."

"The waiters' manners were impeccable, and the food... oh, that familiar taste... it's Chef Marshall's cooking! I thought I'd never be able to taste it again after 'Silver Star Nocturne' in Sochi closed down!"

The nobles gasped in surprise. Kira led the sullen Hetia to participate in the social gatherings among the nobles, while Ryusha also brought Kania along, sometimes exchanging polite conversations, sometimes listening and observing.

Of course, Ryuu's handsome appearance quickly attracted a group of noblewomen, while Kania, dressed in men's clothing, seemed to attract more attention from the young ladies.

"Oh, young gentleman, I've finally met the legendary Consul today!"

"Even younger and cuter than I imagined~"

"Mr. Ryuka, could you tell us about your experiences?"

"To manage such a backward territory so well at such a young age—your wisdom and skill are truly astonishing!" (Mei is not here, Mei is not available, Lin is not here...)

"I heard you're a knight, is that right? To have such strength at fifteen, your future is truly limitless."

A group of noblewomen surrounded Liuxia. Some were enthusiastic and unrestrained, some had reserved expressions, and others covered the corners of their mouths with fans, but their eyes were like those of hungry wild beasts.

Liu Xia responded to their questions politely with a professional smile, maintaining a certain distance and courtesy. He didn't want to make the husbands of these ladies jealous. Although everyone present was a nobleman from Earl Duke's faction, he couldn't guarantee that everyone had goodwill towards Linhu Territory.

Furthermore, Ryūka wouldn't categorize the enthusiasm of these noblewomen as mere lust. Noblewomen used various social occasions to gather intelligence and connections for their families; it was their job. While they appeared genuinely interested in Ryūka personally, some of their questions subtly probed for information about the Linhu Territory.

The essence of high society social interaction lies in this.

Ryūka, with his innocent appearance and steady words, avoided various tests. He also used his [Charm] ability to gradually extract the information he wanted from the noblewomen.

For example, the secrets of the Sochi Territory, the gossip about the Countess and her faction. Or, to gather information about their family's strength and the properties of their territory, thus enriching their intelligence database.

Shortly after the banquet began, and after the necessary private pleasantries were completed, Hetia, as the lord, was pushed onto the central stage by Kira. She delivered a formulaic speech, welcoming everyone, expressing her gratitude, and conveying the enjoyment of the journey.

Of course, the speeches inevitably revolved around the theme of the banquet – 'charity'.

Unlike the mountainous and forested Linhu Territory, the Sochi Territory, situated downstream of numerous rivers, is a fertile plain crisscrossed by waterways. However, this also means increased summer rainfall and the arrival of the flood season, with frequent torrential rains and floods causing many civilians to lose their homes and become displaced…

After Liu Xia and his group began building the Linhu Territory, many refugees flocked there. Therefore, one of the purposes of this 'charity dinner' was to raise funds for these homeless refugees and help them build new homes in the Linhu Territory.

"This is a win-win situation." Hetia said, following the rhetoric taught to her by Ryukyu, which not only solved the problem of refugees and security in Sochi Territory, but also helped the refugees and Linhu Territory.

Of course, for Ryukyu, a 'win-win' situation meant winning once by gaining population and winning again by getting money from the nobles of Sochi.

As Ryuga watched Hetia's outstanding performance on stage, he thought to himself that it was worth the time he had 'tutored' her for so long, because if she couldn't memorize her lines, she would be 'punished'.

Ryūka took a sip of the 'red wine' in his glass… which was actually juice. He needed to stay conscious tonight because he knew things rarely went smoothly…

"Ha! In the end, those floods all came from Linhu Territory! This should have been your responsibility! Yet you expect us to pay money to help those lowly people who fled our territory?!"

A portly middle-aged nobleman stroked his beard and gave Hetia an arrogant sneer.

"What did I tell you? There must be people like that~" Ryuka winked at Kania beside her and said in a relaxed and carefree tone.

Chapter 8 Godfrey's Attack

Ryuka moved slightly closer to a noblewoman who was surprised by the 'conflict'. After seeing Ryuka's smile and polite inquiry, the noblewoman blushed and naturally introduced the information about the instigating nobleman to Ryuka.

Godfrey Douglas. A viscount who occupies a medium-sized town and its surrounding villages on the edge of the Sochi territory, centered on Sochi.

He was a 'typical aristocrat,' someone who looked down on the lower classes, only cared about his own interests, and was greedy and arrogant.

Such a person was naturally not a favorite of Count Duke. Although greedy, he was shrewd and belonged to the 'centrists' within the Sochi territory. He was not on the invitation list for this banquet. Meanwhile, another seemingly honest and timid minor nobleman beside Godfrey was watching with a panicked expression as Godfrey attacked Hetia.

This must be the one who brought Godfrey here, right? He looks like the type who doesn't know how to refuse other people's requests, and his meticulous but slightly worn aristocratic attire also confirms the circumstances brought about by his kind-hearted nature.

Ryusha sipped her juice, watching Godfrey continue his incessant rant against Hetia and the various policies of the Linhu Territory, while pondering her own thoughts.

Logically, a shrewd fence-sitter like Godfrey wouldn't willingly act as a pawn for the Mara people. He was probably swayed by the enormous benefits, since the Mara people would find it difficult to include their own people in this journey.

As Ryuga watched Hetia's brows furrow more and more, her hands hanging at her sides began to clench into fists, and a wisp of crimson battle aura began to condense.

Rather than words, Hetia could only 'persuade' those who disagreed with her physically.

“Ahem, Miss Hetia, can I take care of this?” Ryusha stepped forward just before Hetia went berserk. He didn’t want to see the headlines of Sochi City’s news about the lord of Linhu Territory beating up his guest.

Upon seeing Ryusha's calm and warm smile, Hetia's breath hitched, but she quickly regained her composure and gracefully suggested that Ryusha entertain this agitated 'guest'.

“Viscount Godfrey Douglas, I am Ryukya, the governor of the Linhu Territory.”

Ryuka extended a gloved hand, calmly looking at the man in front of her, a glint of purple light flashing in her eyes.

Godfrey hesitated, extending his hand, then frowned and withdrew it. He wasn't stupid; his current [Charm] wasn't enough to handle this 'clever bastard' who harbored hostility and was prepared.

"Hmph, just say what you have to say! No need for this hypocritical act! What I just said is perfectly reasonable! My territory suffered severe damage in the floods a few days ago! But just as I was about to go and provide relief, I discovered that the people had all crossed the border and fled to your territory! If it weren't for the peace treaty signed by Your Excellency, I would have led my troops to bring them back!"

Godfrey put on a passionate performance, denouncing how unfriendly the policies of the Linhu Territory were to the nobles whose lands bordered it. He had only been a step too late, yet he had already lost a large number of his people, and now everyone was supposed to donate to Linhu Territory instead of him and the other disaster-stricken nobles—it was truly unfair!

His highly provocative rhetoric moved all the nobles present. While the act of donating to commoners could satisfy their psychological and reputational needs, their shared empathy as members of the noble class led them to agree with Godfrey's words.

After all, no one can guarantee that nothing will happen on their own territory, right? Mei didn't expect... Mei Kong Ni Lin Zai Zai Mo...

"They're not here to reason; what we need to grasp is their psychology," Kania whispered in Ryusha's ear.

Ryusha maintained her smile, letting Godfrey put on a good show. After Godfrey quieted down, she finally spoke quietly:

“I once heard a wise man say that when a king is tyrannical and cruel, the nobles will change their vassals; when a lord is not virtuous, the people will seek refuge elsewhere…”

Viscount Douglas and your family were not the only ones affected by the disaster, but it was precisely your people who suffered the most losses. Perhaps the 'lowly people' you speak of did not develop this idea because of this flood..."

This world operates on a classic "my vassal's vassal is not my vassal" framework, and even though Otus holds the title of Empire, it internally follows this logic. Therefore, Ryūka's words easily shifted the minds of the nobles present.

After all, they were all dissatisfied with the hardline methods of the 'Pain faction' and the 'Third Prince faction', which is why they were willing to unite behind the Earl himself.

They felt more threatened by the power struggles among the nobles above them than by the fate of the common people.

"You! Is that how you talk to a nobleman?!" Godfrey Douglas sensed the shift in the atmosphere and began to put pressure on Ryūka again: