Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

Fox Scorpion lay back in the chair, lit a cigarette, and answered Ryuka as if conversing with an old friend:

"As far as I know, there hasn't been any yet, but the day before yesterday, a guard captain who was watching the city gate got drunk here. He said that that night, several groups of people violated the curfew and secretly left the city. They had Lady Mara's order, and they all looked like they were delivering messages, like communications cavalry."

Liu Xia continued, "Does Earl Duke know about this?"

"Ha~ Of course I know! Who doesn't know that the spies and informants in the lower city are made up of one-third from various gangs, one-third from Mrs. Mara, and the remaining one-third are supported by the Earl."

Fox Scorpion laughed. These three groups were actually mixed together, and they often communicated with each other.

"What was Earl Duke's reaction?"

"I don't know. According to news from the Upper City, the Earl hasn't shown his face in public for a week. This is not good news. There are many rumors about the reasons, but none of them are credible."

Liu Xia was taken aback. Could it be that Count Duke had been murdered? But this old count had managed Sochi for thirty years; he shouldn't have been assassinated so easily.

And it's unlikely that Lady Mara would take such a risk just to be able to wage war against the small territory of Linhu. If there's any major change, there must be a deeper reason.

Liu Xia frowned. After being mind-controlled, Fox Scorpion was like an NPC. After all, he wasn't an 'own person' with his own will, and he wouldn't provide any information or useful summaries unless asked. It seemed he would have to listen to his rambling for a long time, searching through a pile of messy information to find what he wanted.

"Tell me everything else that's important, and also have two clean dinners delivered."

"No problem~ Good bro! We're both men, we hit it off right away! How about we call a few more girls? Let's have some fun together?"

Liu Xia looked at the lewd smile on Fox Scorpion's face and coldly shook her head: "Forget it, I'm not interested."

Chapter 23 Infiltrating the Inner City

After a series of exchanges, Liuxia practically turned Fox Scorpion into a machine, until the information she received was repeated over and over again. Only then did Liuxia snap her fingers, bringing Fox Scorpion back to its senses.

When Fox Scorpion regained consciousness and saw the room was now empty, he assumed he had just had a strange dream...

In the alleys of Sochi at night, Ryusha found a secluded hotel to check into and sneaked out from the back after curfew.

The information obtained from Fox Scorpion gave Ryuka some guesses.

Not only the count himself, but his wife and two sons have also been absent from public view for some time. And two weeks ago, several important military positions within Sochi underwent changes.

Some members of the Earl's faction were not only replaced, but some even physically disappeared. Those who replaced them included lower-ranking officers from Sochi who hadn't been given important positions, as well as some unfamiliar faces. Some people who were clearly from the Mara clan also suffered the same fate, suggesting that a third party had intervened in Sochi! Whether the Mara clan cooperated willingly or if something else had happened remains to be seen.

It's highly likely that they are from the Third Prince's faction, who intervened again after realizing Earl Duke's wavering stance and Melanie's loss of contact with them.

This is Ryūka's current guess, but the information at hand is insufficient to determine other possibilities. Regardless, however, his territory is on the verge of danger!

The recognition and status boost that comes from controlling territory is the greatest source of power for Liuxia. In this ruthless world, relying solely on personal cultivation and a few elite followers is not enough to live a comfortable life.

Besides, if he lost his current identity and status, apart from Kania, Ryuka couldn't guarantee that anyone else would remain loyal to him, even if they had some kind of relationship... After all, Ryuka didn't consider himself some kind of doujinshi protagonist, someone who could control people like an aphrodisiac...

Therefore, we must find out what happened in Sochi! We can't just sit and wait to die!

Under the cover of night, Liu Xia moved silently across the rooftops like a nimble cat, arriving at the city wall that separated the upper and lower city areas.

Looking at the towering city walls, Liu Xia thought that if she were a great mage, she could fly over them—that's what noble mages are like. After all, even if she were to advance to the rank of great knight now, she wouldn't be able to leap over them without making a sound.

The guards at the gate are capable of performing their duties and conduct strict checks, so [Charm] cannot guarantee that she can sneak in without any problems.

It seems that in addition to physical training, it will be necessary to personally study magic; I can't just copy abilities from my followers.

"Ice Wall".

Ryūka hid in the shadow of a section of the city wall, trying to make stairs out of ice, but the magical protection of the wall rendered her magic ineffective.

Sensing the defensive runes above, Ryuka knew that forcibly applying their influence might trigger an alarm, so she abandoned the idea. (The remaining text appears to be gibberish and unrelated to the preceding sentence.)

Damn it! We can't just build a staircase out of ice that's taller than a city wall! It would be too conspicuous, even at night!

Just then, a furious shout suddenly came from the city gate in the distance.

"Halt! Who goes there?!"

Ryūka's eyes narrowed, and he immediately gripped the hilt of his sword. Someone had actually detected him while he was in stealth? This was no ordinary knight!

"Captain! Don't draw your sword! It's me!"

"Ah~ it's you, kid~"

Upon hearing the conversation, Ryuka realized that she wasn't the one who had been discovered, and breathed a sigh of relief as she checked the city gate.

It was someone I knew?

During the day, the slave trader was being led by a soldier and introduced to the knight guarding the gate, followed by a group of cloaked people.

Despite the darkness of the night, Liu Xia still managed to identify the group of people; they were all beautiful young women with lovely figures…

The conversation in front of the city gate continued.

"Hey kid, weren't you no longer on duty here? And it's curfew now, what are you trying to do with all these people?"

"Hehe, Captain~ There's a party at 'Pearl of the Night' tonight~ These are some 'top-quality goods' that the adults inside requested at the last minute~ Could you please do me a favor..."

The Enchanting Pearl was originally a shop that Kira bought and converted after selling 'Silver Star Nocturne'. It has now become a place in the Upper District where people seek pleasure all night long.

The soldier was being obsequious, while the slave trader beside him was smiling and offering bribes.

The knight captain weighed the money pouch in his hand, sneered, and retreated, showing no intention of letting them in.

"It's a pity that martial law has been declared recently, but I'll be more lenient next time."

"This!" The slave trader gave a wry smile upon seeing this. "Sir, when the previous lord was in charge, it was all..."

"Now is the time for me to take charge."

Seeing that the knight was unmoved, the slave trader immediately dropped his fawning expression, straightened his back, sighed, and took out a letter given to him by a nobleman.

“Sir Knight, although you have only recently been promoted, you should recognize this emblem. Judging from your age, you should be a married man. You wouldn't want anything to happen to your wife and daughter, would you? This gentleman and the noblemen he associates with are all quite ‘philanthropic,’ so if we spoil their mood tonight…”

Such an obvious threat, coming from the mouth of a merchant with no real power, made the knight feel as if he were facing a formidable enemy.

To be honest, he didn't recognize whose emblem it was, but he knew very well what kind of "morally upright" and "emotionally stable" gentlemen frequented the 'Pearl of the Night'.

But my new boss has given me a strict order, and military orders are absolute...

"Here's what I'll do. I'll send someone to 'Enchanting Pearl' to ask. If what you say is true, then we'll let you in."

The knight turned and called over one of his men, giving him a meaningful look.

Although Ryūka, who was in the distance, saw this and was convinced that something was definitely wrong, he knew that if he wanted to enter the inner city tonight, he would have no choice but to take a risk.

He crept closer, and while the slave traders and the girls they had brought waited, he seized the opportunity to pull the cloaked girl on the far side, whose size was similar to his own, into the shadows…

Fortunately, with the cloak, there was no need for women's clothing... just a slight change in appearance would suffice. Ryuka returned to the group; the slave traders and girls were easily controlled with [Charm]. However, just to be on the safe side, Ryuka approached the slave trader and used magic to alter her voice, speaking softly.

"Sir, I forgot to put on makeup..."

When the slave trader saw Ryuka, his eyes froze for a moment. He couldn't think of where he had such a beautiful woman and that he shouldn't waste her on this occasion... But his dazed mind made him forget to think and he cursed angrily as Ryuka controlled him.

"What a bunch of useless trash! You little brats have been raised for so long just for tonight! You can't even handle such a small thing! You really think you're something special?! You're nothing but disposable junk!"

The slave traders shouted angrily, asking who had brought makeup. The girls around them showed fear and pain, pulled Ryuka aside and comforted him gently, taking out the makeup to apply it to his face.

The knight, watching from afar, was already used to this scene. These girls, bought and meticulously nurtured from a young age, seemed like unattainable ladies to ordinary people, but their pristine appearance was only meant to please the adults a few times; they would be replaced after a while. Thinking this, the knight simply snorted and turned his head away, quietly awaiting the outcome…

A short while later, the soldier who had left earlier returned and whispered a few words in the knight's ear, finally putting him at ease. He then coldly called over the slave trader and told him that he could bring his men in.

"Thank you, Sir Knight. Shall we get to know each other better?" The merchant smiled and took out the money bag again, but the knight still said coldly, "No need."

"Hmph! Ungrateful!" The merchant sneered, tossing his money bag to the soldier who had led the way, thinking to himself that this newly appointed captain of the knights would probably be in trouble in a few months.

At best, he'll be reassigned; at worst, he could be inexplicably imprisoned for dereliction of duty… And his family…

The merchant looked smugly at his line of 'goods'. The knight was quite handsome; if he had a daughter, she'd probably be worth a lot of money.

This is the norm in the world; as long as you know how to scheme and have the means, even someone like myself, who doesn't know any martial arts or magic, can rely on powerful backers to drive a knight to ruin and destroy his family!

What about a knight? The gentlemen he serves are all knights and mages, each with a powerful family background. How can they be compared to a peasant like you who has trained hard for over a decade but still lacks social skills?

Just as the slave traders were leading their men on their way, Ryusha, who was at the back of the group, had already heard a faint commotion coming from afar.

Footsteps, hooves, the clash of armor plates... Remembering the look in the gatekeeper's eyes earlier, Ryuka's heart tightened, and she quietly disappeared from the back of the line, vanishing into the darkness.

As the sound drew closer, the slave trader finally noticed. His expression changed, and he whispered to the girls behind him, completely unaware that one of them was missing.

"It's the inner city patrol! Hide!"

The group of young girls paled and huddled together in a nearby alley. The slave trader then pulled out a magical artifact and, with a few maneuvers, created a faint magical barrier that enveloped them all.

"Such a thing exists? Without the observational skills of a Grand Knight or higher, they probably wouldn't have been detected in the dim light of night." Ryuka concealed herself on the rooftop, and judging from the fact that the magical crystal didn't require the user's magic power to activate, it must be some kind of magical technology. It seems that it's not just the Thirteenth Princess who values ​​magical technology; magical technology talent is emerging in all aspects of society.

Thinking about the counterfeit coin that the slave trader had used at the outer city gate during the day, Ryuka felt even more strongly that this slave trader was no ordinary person.

If she hadn't been caught tonight, Liu Xia would have really wanted to go back and 'visit' him to broaden her horizons.

But more important than that is infiltrating the castle to investigate Earl Duke's current situation. Just as Ruka was about to leave, her attention was drawn to the figure that appeared before her.

On the streets at night, a young, white-haired female knight led a troop of fully armored cavalry, moving at a leisurely pace, as if she were truly on a routine patrol.

But more important than that is infiltrating the castle to investigate Earl Duke's current situation. Just as Ruka was about to leave, her attention was drawn to the figure that appeared before her.

On the streets at night, a young, white-haired female knight led a troop of fully armored cavalry, moving at a leisurely pace, as if she were truly on a routine patrol.

But Ryuga could tell at a glance that, regardless of the female knight in charge, the cavalrymen behind her were all well-equipped, armed to the teeth, and marched in an orderly manner with precise and consistent steps, clearly all of them were of the level of superior knights.

Although Lady Mara also kept twenty knights and eighty private soldiers of apprentice rank or above, their equipment and imposing presence were no match for the squad before her. This was clearly an elite squad of knights, and even with the Earl's wealth, they would normally be treated like treasures, never sent out for night patrols.

Chapter 24 Hefle

The leading young female knight appeared to be in her early twenties, with flowing, smooth, white hair. Her face was beautiful yet aloof, seemingly bored with the patrol. She held a long spear, her armor accentuating her alluring figure, and wore a long, light green skirt, adding a touch of nobility to her valiant appearance. (The last two lines appear to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated text.)

Recalling the information obtained from Fox Scorpion, Ryuka immediately realized that this knight squad must be the 'new faces' mentioned in the intelligence.

The slave traders in the alley froze, watching the procession pass by. They cursed the knight who had guarded the gate, convinced he'd tipped them off and absolved himself of responsibility.

Judging from the demeanor of this knight team, they can't be appeased with money or the reputation of local nobles...

But the knight squad still passed by them in the end, not noticing the group shrouded in magic, and proceeded at a leisurely pace, not seeming to have a specific purpose in mind.

The slave traders breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed it really was just a routine patrol...

But the next moment, Ryuka on the rooftop saw the white-haired female knight who had already passed the alleyway raise the corners of her mouth.

"There are rats; the smell is wafting out."

A pure imperial aristocratic accent! From the female knight's pronunciation, Ryuka understood that regardless of whether she was from the Third Prince's faction, she was no ordinary person.

In the next instant, a powerful battle aura erupted from the female knight! It spread outwards in waves like a hurricane! Neither her armored warhorse nor the knights behind her stood still! They didn't even question it!

A Great Knight?! No, that's not right, she's still far from it... Ryuga felt the pressure emanating from the female knight. Once someone advances to the Great Knight level, their combat power and pressure will be more than ten times that of an ordinary knight. That's what the so-called gap between realms is like. But the female knight in front of him felt like she was stuck at a level she shouldn't be at, far exceeding the peak knight level by several times, but not quite reaching the level of a true Great Knight.

Considering the female knight looks to be only in her early twenties, if she were a Grand Knight, she would truly be a prodigy, and Hetia's title of genius knight would have to be thrown into the trash.

Those in this situation are either 'multi-talented' like Ryūka, possessing professional-level skills in all aspects besides battle aura, and having combat power several times that of an ordinary professional; or they have special training methods and battle aura inheritance, such as Hetia's bloodline battle aura, or other more advanced reasons...

The waves of fighting spirit emanating from her body also made Liu Xia wary.

This is! Using battle aura to probe the surroundings, like sonar and radar! Liu Xia immediately concealed her aura, controlling the battle aura and magic power circulating within her body, forcibly suppressing her breathing and heartbeat...

"Ha, still pretending."

The female knight raised her hand, and the aura of her spear surged like a rainbow. The visible fluctuations were ferocious and leaping, like ear-piercing and chaotic sound waves, yet no sound could be heard. However, Ryuka sensed a strange change in the air.

The next instant, Liu Xia felt his mind spinning, his stomach churning, and he vomited up to his throat! He dared not use his fighting spirit to resist, so he could only grit his teeth and hold it in, not daring to make a ripple even if it choked his lungs.

"Ugh!! Spare me! Spare me..."

But the slave traders in the alley below couldn't hold on any longer, collapsing to their knees, vomiting and convulsing in agony. Some of the girls behind them even fainted…

"Ha~ Who's so bold as to break curfew and lurk in the city? An assassin? A thief?"

The clatter of hooves echoed as the female knight rode alone to the alley entrance, looking at the people sprawled haphazardly before her and scoffing.

"M-Master, I am... delivering female slaves to the masters of the Enchanting Night Pearl..."

The slave traders endured the pain and answered honestly, knowing there was no room for lying to such powerful figures.

"Ah, I understand. Then say that the guards at the gate let you in? Go and ask them if that's true. If so, teach them a lesson."

"Yes, Miss Hafley."

One of the female knights immediately headed towards the city gate, but Ryuka, seeing the smile in Heflian's eyes, knew it was clearly a charade.

But the slave trader, prostrate on the ground and overwhelmed by the immense suffering that followed, was incapable of making any judgments. Yet, the knight's address of "Miss Heflene" plunged him into an icy abyss.

It wasn't that he remembered the name 'Hafren'. Rather, it was the knight's intimate address and tone, which didn't use terms like 'Captain' or 'Sir,' and Hafren sounded more like a first name than a surname.

Private soldiers! This elite group of knights are all Hefren's private soldiers! At least they are her trusted followers who have followed her for many years!

A Beijing accent, young and powerful, special combat skills, and even a private army of elite knights! What the hell is going on?! Slave traders wouldn't even dare to dream of such a thing...