Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

"Ha! Isn't this just hard labor that farmers do?" Carly burst out in dissatisfaction again upon hearing Ryusha's words, but by this time no one paid any attention to her.

"Um... what about the daily working hours and pay..." Zanni listened and thought for a moment. These jobs didn't seem dangerous. Otherwise, she would have been scared even if she were asked to drive wild animals out of the fields.

"Well, that depends on you. If you work eight hours a day and have two days off a week, I'm willing to offer you a monthly salary of two gold coins, depending on your work performance, provided that room and board are provided... Oh, of course, there will be a one-month probation period, during which your salary will be one gold coin."

"Two! Two gold coins!" Zanni's face turned red. She was just an apprentice mage, and her income should not even reach one-fifth of that of a formal mage.

Even Carly was envious. She, a mere apprentice mage, earned two gold coins a month! This brat was truly wealthy and powerful! Carly suddenly felt like the meager compensation she received was like giving money to a beggar!

Chapter 16 Mage Recruitment (Part 2)

For Zanni, Ryusha's words were the most wonderful news she had heard since leaving the academy. As a plant-type mage with little combat ability, finding a tiring but high-paying job was impossible without an academy diploma and the skills of a formal mage.

"Yes, plant-based mages are very rare to us. If you pass the test and are willing to sign a long-term employment contract with us, we will also provide high-quality magic crystals and magical guidance to help you advance to a full-fledged magic profession as soon as possible..."

At this point, Ryuga looked at the other mages again. Many of them were already tempted, after all, even an apprentice was getting a monthly salary of two gold coins. Although Zanni was a rare plant-type mage, judging by this, the others' salaries couldn't be low, right?

“Governor, I have a question.” A slightly older male mage, with a calm expression, raised his hand to ask the question.

"Please speak, sir."

"You said you work eight hours a day. Forgive my bluntness, but as a mage, the amount of magic power you have can only support full output for thirty minutes. Even if you control your magic power, two or three hours of continuous spellcasting will put a huge burden on your magic circuits. Even a great mage cannot guarantee eight hours of magic power output every day; their body will break down."

Upon hearing the male mage's question, the other mages realized what was going on and looked at Ryuu again, fearing that this was some kind of trap contract, and that their wages would be withheld if they couldn't fulfill it.

"Don't worry about that. Right now, you're only needed to participate in the key tasks at each stage, and the workload is within your tolerance. We'll also provide you with different qualities of magical crystals as a work allowance, since... there's a lot of scrap material left over from processing these magical crystals."

Ryūka's words once again drew gasps from the mages. Such high-purity magical crystals meant that even the scraps would be of decent quality. Furthermore, repeatedly depleting and replenishing one's magic reserves would help expand the magic pool, but most mages simply lacked the financial resources for this.

"As for salary, it will vary from three to four gold coins per month depending on your job duties. Please understand that this is a safe job."

Some magicians nodded in agreement. While it wasn't a prestigious job like tutoring magicians or providing security for nobles, the high salary and the added benefit of using magical crystals were hard to resist. Many others, however, remained on the sidelines.

“In that case, I have no problem. I am happy to serve the Lady and the Governor.” The male mage who asked the question nodded and bowed politely, indicating that he was willing to accept the job.

After all, Ryūka gave me so much! And there's no danger of battle! It's a way to indirectly train my strength!

Carly was unwilling to work with a group of laborers, yet she coveted the salary offered by Ryūsha. What bothered her even more was that many of the mages around her seemed quite happy to accept the offer!

These people! Where has the dignity of a magician gone?! This brat is making us do the work of laborers! This is practically persecution!

"Ha! Whoever wants to do it can do it! But I think it's an insult to the identity of a mage! We've received higher education! We're not laborers!" Carly said sarcastically.

"If word gets out, mages everywhere will probably have a bad opinion of Linhu Territory! I'm not doing it! Besides, they didn't mention this kind of work before I came! They lure people in with money after they arrive! Linhu Territory has some serious tricks up its sleeve! Do they think that as long as there's money, they'll make mages do anything?!"

“Miss Carly, as we’ve already said, you’re not within our consideration. If you’re not satisfied, you can take the compensation back with you.”

Hearing Carly speak like that, Hetia couldn't hold back any longer than Ryusha and stepped forward to scold Carly.

"Heh~ I'm just feeling indignant for my fellow mages. Since when have mages been expected to work alongside a bunch of craftsmen and farmers? How are we supposed to find other jobs after this gets out? This kind of humiliating work deserves at least five gold coins a month~ Of course, this has nothing to do with me; I'm just speaking up for everyone~"

Carly crossed her arms and sneered, showing no respect for Hetia. As mages, even without noble titles, they didn't fear nobles like ordinary people—it was a privilege of their status. Carly then turned to her fellow mages, especially Zanni, and continued to mock them:

Carly's words not only voiced the sentiments of some but also caused some mages who were initially planning to accept the offer to waver. For mages and nobles, reputation is indeed crucial; each person's social circle and past experiences determine their future opportunities.

Just like the ronin samurai that Ryūka knew well, after the old samurai class lost their position maintained by their fighting strength, they would rather starve to death than work with the common people they used to look down on.

"As for compensation, unless you give me ten gold coins and two magic crystals, I will definitely spread the word about this fraudulent recruitment invitation, so that you will never be able to recruit any more mages in the future! Even... the reputation of all the mages present will be affected! Lady and Governor, if you really respect the mages present, you wouldn't be unwilling to pay this price, would you? After all, we are willing to risk our future careers to work for you."

Carly's words made the other mages present nervous. To be honest, they didn't want their acquaintances and classmates to know that they were about to accept such a job.

Just as Carly was spouting nonsense, the hall door was suddenly blown open by a gust of cold wind, and a beautiful figure in ice blue flew in amidst swaying ice crystals.

"Since when have ordinary magicians become so arrogant?"

Melanie remained unchanged, her large, ornate mage hat swaying as she landed, giving Carly a disdainful look.

"This is a time of peace, after all. These days, half the mages graduating from the Imperial Military Academy each year can't find jobs. Many become mercenaries and adventurers, risking their lives to earn money that's barely enough for their daily training. I never imagined that in the eastern part of the empire, there would still be people who can't see reality and live in a dream of the past..."

The sudden appearance of Melanie, emanating a powerful surge of magic, caused everyone present to change color! She was a genuine archmage! And judging from the markings on her body, she was a noblewoman!

Melanie's sharp gaze made the group不敢直视 (不敢直视 - this phrase is a Chinese idiom meaning "darkens the heart"), and the words of the Ice and Snow Grand Mage were even sharper and more piercing than ice. "Mei, where are you? Lin wants to be empty, Lin is here, where are you..."

"Or are you all hoping for a war to break out so you can have a chance to prove yourselves? If you had the courage and guts to go to the battlefield, you wouldn't be here, would you?"

Chapter 17 Acquisition of Advanced Productivity

When Ryusha saw Melanie, a happy smile appeared on her face: "Miss Snowfield, it's so nice to see you back."

"You're not calling me Melanie anymore? Have we become distant after just a few days apart?"

Melanie smiled sweetly, and with the air of an old acquaintance, she floated onto the stage. She came to Liuxia and quietly lowered her head to whisper in Liuxia's ear, "You'd better keep your promise to me."

"The bag is real." Liu Xia smiled gently, and in her mind, she added all three thousand hero points she had recently accumulated to Melanie's development.

The Grand Mage's magic enhancement costs a thousand points each time, and the effect isn't as noticeable as a regular class enhancement. However, after three enhancements, Melanie could clearly feel the increase in her magic power.

Her eyes lit up instantly. This was far more effective than her cousin Vitris's persistent attempts to woo her using the Snow Spirit Statue! Although Melanie, who was used to being aloof and solitary, didn't dislike the guerrilla-like days with this heretical cousin, she was clearly more interested in Ryusha.

This kid... is probably a heretic too... but that doesn't matter, because Ryusha whispered in Melanie's ear, "This is just the energy I've accumulated over six days. It will only get stronger in the future. So, isn't it time for me to recruit you to my side?"

Melanie pinched Ryusha with burning eyes. This brat! It seems that just being lovers isn't enough for him; he wants to tie her to his chariot completely!

But what about the family... Melanie blinked. Who cares! If I can become a 'Heavenly Rank' mage, everything will be fine. No force would easily offend a Heavenly Rank family.

Becoming a Celestial Knight requires not only hard work but also talent. The Snow Spirit Statue can accelerate cultivation little by little, regardless of one's inherent talent, which is why Melanie valued it so much, given that her magical talent wasn't particularly outstanding. It's worth noting that most famous heroes who become Celestial Knights or Mages by the age of forty are already considered renowned figures.

Now, with Ryuka's special ability added to the mix! If Ryuka were to fully support her alone, Melanie felt that even the most foolish person could become a Heavenly Rank Mage before the age of thirty! Although Melanie knew that was unlikely, after all, this kid had plenty of beauties around him.

The intimate actions between Ryusha and Melanie left the magicians in the audience speechless, and the surname 'Snowfield' also caused some to gasp in surprise.

"Melanie Snowfield! Isn't that the top graduate of the Imperial Military Academy's magic department last year?! A genius who started learning magic at fifteen and obtained her full-fledged magic qualification at eighteen three years later!"

"I heard she's only twenty-one years old and already a great mage?!"

"That Melanie Snowfield actually has a close relationship with the governor of Linhu Territory!"

Melanie's arrival in the eastern part of the empire was kept a secret. Although the mages in the east were unaware of the various rumors circulating in the capital, Melanie's name was still well-known among the mages.

Even Carly was stunned. After all, Melanie was younger, prettier, stronger, and even a noblewoman than her. When Carly was twenty-one, she was still an apprentice mage who hadn't graduated yet.

"genius?"

Melanie gave a cold laugh upon hearing the crowd's astonishment.

"If any of you can cultivate for more than fifteen hours a day, without fail, then you can call me a genius. But there are indeed a few geniuses here."

Melanie smiled at Hetia and Ryusha: "Miss Hetia, who became a full-fledged knight at sixteen, and Ryusha, who became a full-fledged knight at fifteen and is skilled in both magic and martial arts!"

Finally, Melanie came to Kania, and the two held hands like longtime best friends who hadn't seen each other for years.

"And there's my lovely student Kania, who just became a full-fledged mage and is skilled in multi-attribute magic~"

Melanie ran her fingers through Kania's beautiful pale purple hair, then turned to look at the crowd:

"So, magicians are really that valuable? And this lady..."

Melanie took the resume from Ryūka's hand, glanced at it, and sneered at Carly:

"McCali Magic Academy graduates who were still apprentices, and now they're flaunting their magician status to lords and nobles?"

"I! You..." Faced with Melanie's blatant humiliation, Carly was furious but dared not refute. After all, the other party was not only a great mage and a nobleman, but also a cousin of Earl Duke. Perhaps just one word from her could make it impossible for her to stay in Sochi.

“I…I accept the previous conditions…” Carly gritted her teeth, looking at the two gold coins and magic crystal in Ryūka’s hand.

“I’m sorry, Miss Carly, you’ve already rejected me. I don’t think it’s necessary to show respect to someone like you.” Faced with Carly’s concession, Ryuka merely smiled coldly and placed the gold coins back into the tray.

Melanie snatched the magic crystal, crushed it with a snap, and a strong burst of magic power was instantly released, which she then absorbed.

"That's great, consider it compensation for my travel expenses!"

Carly watched all this, her face turning a deep purplish-red. She stomped her foot angrily, pushed through the crowd, and turned to leave.

"Damn it! I'll make you pay! None of these people are any good!"

Carly roared inwardly, shoving Zanni, who was standing in front of her, hard. That lowly apprentice mage from a peasant background! She actually succumbed to that brat for a monthly salary of two gold coins! Shameless! A disgrace to mages!

"Get out of the way! You blind fool!"

Zani was shoved hard to the ground, shrinking back in fear and trembling as she looked at Carly. Carly's behavior also displeased the other mages.

They all looked at Ryūsha, hoping their young employer could do something. If Carly left like this, their reputations would be ruined along with hers.

With a snap of his fingers, Ryusha sent a tall, dark figure descending from the sky, wielding two short swords, and landing heavily in front of Carly.

With a single, graceful wave, the tall woman clad entirely in black leather snapped Carly's raised magic wand into three pieces. The woman wearing the hound mask was Megan, who easily shoved Carly's head to the ground, forcing her to kneel before Ryūka.

"Master, what should we do?"

Megan's voice was altered by the mask, and her hoarse voice sent chills down people's spines.

"No! You can't kill me! You can't do this!!!" Carly looked at Ryusha and burst into tears. She never expected things to turn out this way in an instant.

"Please! I won't tell! Please let me go!"

Carly's pitiful cries quickly made the many mages present forget her outrageous behavior and start to worry about whether Ryūka would really kill her. If that were the case... wouldn't they have come to a terrifying place?

Seeing the fear on everyone's faces, Liu Xia smiled faintly: "Don't worry, everyone, we would never do anything to kill someone to cover it up. However, for the sake of your reputation, we still need to do some simple procedures."

Kania and Ryuka exchanged a glance, then smiled and approached Carly.

"What...what are you going to do?"

Kania ignored Carly's question and instead addressed the trembling mages around her:

"As you all know in the Magic Guild, I study illusion magic, which is a mental and soul-based magic, so erasing a portion of my memories is something I can do. Well, this is my first time using it, so I can't guarantee there won't be any other damage to my brain."

"Wh-what?!" Carly's eyes widened and she trembled, struggling desperately with her limbs, but she couldn't budge Megan at all, and soon a puddle of urine leaked between her legs.

Kania's words were merely a form of intimidation; with Ryūka's help, she awakened a new witch ability: the [Playwright]. This ability not only allows people to experience illusions but can even alter parts of their memories and perceptions, though the cost is considerable.

Kania began to sing with a laugh, and in a burst of purple light, Carly let out a painful scream, a scene that filled everyone with dread. After nearly ten minutes, she finally quieted down, her eyes almost glazed over, as if she were drunk.

"Alright, have someone send her back to Sochi. She should be back to normal in two days and won't remember what happened today."

Kania looked slightly tired, but she still smiled at the mages. Her bright smile appeared terrifying to everyone.

"Don't worry, you're all just here to make a living. We won't make things difficult for you. This is also for the sake of your reputation."

"Ladies and gentlemen who decide to stay and work, come here to sign the papers and you can also collect half a month's salary in advance. Then you can go back to Sochi to take care of some things, and you can start working officially when you come back."

Liu Xia smiled and said that the mages lined up, signed their names, and took out gold coins from the tray. With the heavy gold coins in their hands, these long-unemployed mages put their previous unease and doubts to the back of their minds.

After all, many of them haven't felt the weight of gold coins in their hands for a long time.

"If any of you know any fellow magicians who are also looking for work, you can bring them along and there will be a reward. However, we don't need that many people, so the positions will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. As for this little something, consider it a small gift for you all."

Liu Xia smiled and took out some small pieces of magic crystals to distribute to everyone, believing that after using such high-quality magic crystals, they would be more determined to work in Linhu Territory.

Aside from Carly, the more than forty apprentice and full-time magicians who came this time all shared their joy with satisfaction.

After signing the papers and receiving the money, they realized that saving face was nothing; making a living was the most important thing! This sense of peace and security was far more comfortable than spending all day in the magic guild staring at the recruitment board and bragging to each other. (The last part is a nonsensical string of characters and doesn't translate directly.)

Ryusha also showed a satisfied smile. This group of magicians will become an important high-level productive force in Linhu Territory, completing various tasks that ordinary people cannot accomplish, which is of paramount importance.

If mages were to humble themselves and participate in production and construction, each mage's productivity would be equivalent to that of a machine. A day's work would only require three meals, with perhaps a few scraps of magical crystals as a bonus.

Although not all of them, several mages have recognized Ryuka as their leader. While the skill points they provide are less than those of Kania and the others, they far exceed those of ordinary followers, with each mage generating between 2 and 6 hero points per day.

At that moment, a steady voice rang out beside Ryuka. It was the male mage who had asked the question earlier. Behind him were seven or eight mages, including the plant-type mage Zanni.

“Sir, we don’t have much left in Sochi, so there’s no need for us to go back. We can start working now.”

"Just call me Ryuka, and you are...?"

“Glenn, Mr. Ryusha.” The male mage grasped Ryusha’s outstretched hand. The cuffs of his robe were worn and tattered, indicating that he had been living in considerable financial straits recently.

Glenn's resume states that he apparently offended a nobleman, lost his job, and was about to leave Sochi in despair when he happened to run into Kania, who was recruiting magicians.

Ryuka was quite welcoming of such honest people, and said with a smile, "Rest well first. Dormitories have been prepared for you here. We'll start assigning tasks tomorrow."

Despite Ryūka's enthusiasm, Glenn remained calm and solemnly said, "Don't worry, Mr. Ryūka, you won't regret hiring us."

Chapter 18 Ryukatsu's Birthday

Time flies when you're in Linhu.

The migrants and local civilians worked together with great enthusiasm, stepping into the mountains and forests with fervent hope. Their dark, strong arms wielded brand-new axes, and they carved out new fields in the vast forests.

Large numbers of serfs were redeemed and freed in the spring and summer. Their emaciated bodies were fed and nourished, and they burst forth with unprecedented vitality in the dikes, mines, and fields.

Trade wagons traversed the mountains and forests, and cargo ships sailed on the rivers, carrying back all the necessary supplies and a steady stream of wealth for the territory.

A secret agreement was also reached between Linhu Territory and the Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber of Commerce sent a group of technicians to work with the workers and soldiers sent by Linhu Territory in the deep mountains, where they secretly mined batches of gold, silver and copper.

The figures of magicians moved among ordinary people, raising their staffs to nourish all things and rid the world of diseases. The power of magical crystals was transformed into rocks, hurricanes, and flames, condensed into steel in scorching furnaces, and paved into roads and dams among the crisscrossing mountains and rivers.