Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

At the same time, the distorted scene disappeared, and the real world returned to Ryuka's eyes. It was as if the monster had descended into the real world out of thin air.

The monster let out a strange scream, and countless mouths on its body screamed and yelled simultaneously, mixed with the wailing of a female ghost...

Ryusha had already set up a magical barrier immediately, since the place was only one kilometer away from the village, and he didn't want to wake up the others.

"Tsk, my life should be about conquering beautiful girls and expanding my territory in a sword and sorcery fantasy world, but why does this feel like a Dark Souls movie set..."

Ryuu was joking with himself. The scene before him did remind him of the countless days and nights he had suffered, but the difference was that if he were to compare himself to a player controlling a character...

That means the machine's capabilities are terrifyingly strong!

Chapter 34 Heflene's Illusion

Compared to the massive but slow-moving aggregate of resentment, Ryuka's figure moved swiftly, her battle aura constantly slashing wounds that emanated ghostly energy onto its body.

In close combat, she uses Crimson Aura, while in ranged combat, she uses ice magic. Although dark magic that paralyzes the nerves is not very effective against the aggregate of resentment, Ryuka directly paralyzes her own nerves, shielding her from the disgusting smell emanating from the surroundings.

After all, they weren't intelligent enemies; their movements were too beautiful to pass through.

The stamina boost provided by the [Leader's Proof] allows Ryukatsu's combat endurance to far surpass that of other high-ranking professionals of the same level. Furthermore, the power of the Cruel Witch grants Ryukatsu an unwavering fighting spirit, even when facing terrifying monsters; even as her longsword drips with disgusting pus, she feels only the exhilaration of torturing the monsters!

Suddenly I understood why Chloe chose me as her divine messenger. Even the Holy See would have to send a team of dozens of people, led by a high-ranking official, to subdue such a large, powerful, and twisted heretical monster.

"Sorry to say, it seems like I'm the boss..."

He unleashed his full fighting spirit, and a crimson longsword, several meters long, condensed in his hand before slashing down with all his might!

Watching the chunks of flesh before him vanish into countless souls, Ryuka felt an immense sense of satisfaction!

"Alright, line up properly, I'll take you to the Temple of Chloeur one by one."

With a wave of her hand, Liu Xia summoned the souls in droves. Over the long period of time, most of the souls had either transformed into the power of the demon itself or dissipated naturally. But even the small number that remained, still intact, was terrifying in number. Even though this was just a small village, the number of slaves who had died unjustly over such a long period was a horrifying figure.

After they were guided and saved, three-tenths of their remaining power went to Ryukatsu, and seven-tenths went to Chloe.

About seven or eight more times, and I'll be able to use the transformation skill Chloe taught me. But that skill will probably be quite conspicuous; I didn't consider that at the time. Oh well, when I see Chloe again, I'll ask for some convenient and useful abilities.

Although Linhu Ling is a small, relatively undeveloped place, some of its villages and towns have a history of hundreds of years, so there might still be such things there. I should go back and clean it up.

"Next, it's time to fulfill the promise... and what about Hafulen and her subordinates? How should I bully them?"

……

The next day, as soon as the knights woke up, they immediately clamored for the landlord to provide breakfast so they could eat their fill and continue their search for Heflian's whereabouts.

"Yes, gentlemen, breakfast is being prepared, but please wait a little while..."

The landlord put on a dirty apron, still with a big smile on his face, but he personally came to the kitchen to start a fire and cook with the servants and slaves, and his words were full of concern, which greatly shocked his servants.

Even the Knights captain frowned:

"What kind of trick are you playing?"

The landlord smiled eerily, like a puppet devoid of its own humanity, a barely perceptible glint of magic in his eyes: "It's nothing, Sir Knight~ It's just that you have too many soldiers, so having more people to help makes it easier to prepare breakfast for you sooner~"

"Tsk, whatever you want. Hey, you two, come with me to see how the horse is resting."

The captain of the knights, looking impatient, led two of his men to the stables. Suddenly, his pupils contracted sharply, and he was struck dumb, unable to move an inch.

"This...this is!"

The captain rushed to the stable in an instant, where a strand of long, white hair was tied to a beam.

This is without a doubt Miss Hefley's hair!

Why?! Why are you here?! The young lady is nearby?! Was it done by that demon?!

Regardless, that was the only clue left. The captain picked up the strand of white hair, and his whole body trembled as if he had lost his parents.

"Captain! Is that Miss Heflin's hair?! What happened?!"

"Captain! We're missing one of our horses!"

The two subordinates only saw their captain's body trembling, followed by a thunderous, furious voice:

"All personnel assemble! Search the surrounding area immediately! Don't overlook any hoofprints, footprints, or any other clue!!! Also! Send a messenger! Summon all the brothers remaining in Sochi and the search teams from the surrounding area!!!"

What's going on with this? The subordinate swallowed nervously, trembling, and asked timidly:

"Shouldn't we ask the Papacy and the nobles of Sochi for help? That heretic demon is a high-ranking official; we alone..."

"It's too late! Just tell them! Expecting them to lend a hand is too late!" Where's Lin Mei? Where's Lin Zai Zai...?

The knight captain gripped Heflian's hair tightly, feeling the sticky substance clinging to it even through his gloves...

The white liquid mixed in with the white hair was not easily noticeable, but the familiar smell and feel made the knight captain realize what it was in an instant.

A man's...that thing...

Heretic!!! Demon!!! How dare they do such a thing to Miss Hefren! And even brag about it!

Despite knowing it might be a trap, the Knight Captain couldn't remain calm.

Only three or four days had passed since the chaos in Sochi. That demon was seriously injured, and it was impossible for him to recover so quickly! Otherwise, why would he have provoked them with such a despicable trick after clearly discovering their team?

Is he trying to make us lose our minds and fall into his trap? Fine! Bring it on! Whatever the trickery, we, as Miss Hafulen's personal guards, are fearless! We are willing to give our lives!!!

The knight captain's angry and resolute face, stared at by the warhorse beside him, completely betrayed his inner thoughts...

"Hahaha~ What an innocent fellow~ Looks like your kindness to them wasn't in vain~ Miss Heflin~"

Two hours from the village, on a country road, Ryuka was leisurely riding the stolen horse, admiring the fiery red autumn leaves and laughing happily.

After being promoted to Grand Master, his control over familiars reached a new level. Not only did the distance of shared consciousness reach more than ten kilometers, but the size of the animals he could control also greatly increased.

Furthermore, there was no longer a need to close one's eyes and meditate to share consciousness. Ryuka admired the knight captain who had been angered by him. As expected, he had summoned all of Hefren's other subordinates.

Behind Ryūka, Hafren's hands were still bound by the crossbar, and she staggered along behind the horse, each step seemingly accompanied by immense pain.

Although she was fully armored, looking exactly as dashing as when Liuxia first met her, a thin rope, three or four meters long, extended from beneath her skirt, reaching all the way to Liuxia's hand...

"Slow down, Miss Heflin. What's wrong? Don't you like the 'jewelry' I gave you?"

Ryuga glanced back at Heflian, whose face was flushed and covered in sweat, and gently shook the thin rope between them that wasn't quite taut...

"Haah~"

The thin rope trembled only slightly, yet Hefley almost lost her balance. Her legs involuntarily clamped together, and her strained expression was a mixture of pleasure and pain, as she let out a suppressed groan.

"If you stop, it'll get torn off! Then you can wrap it up and give it to your subordinates!"

Ryuu chuckled mischievously, showing no intention of stopping the horse. The trembling rope was slowly pulled up as Hefren stopped, and the trembling became more and more intense.

It's going to fail! But if the rope is stretched taut...

Fear jolted Hefley awake, and she forced herself to start walking, her body trembling, despite the lingering discomfort. Though the horse moved slowly, she had been walking like this for a long time, and even a knight's body could not bear it. The crossbar on her shoulder, which had felt easy at first, now felt as heavy as a mountain.

The most unbearable thing was the constant stimulation between her legs... This devilish boy had actually melted down her cherished necklace and turned it into rings... and strung them in three places she never dared to even imagine...

The necklace her mother gave her on her coming-of-age ceremony has now become an instrument of torture, repeatedly sending her between heaven and hell on this country road!

And last night he even made himself cut off a lock of his hair, then personally and evenly smeared it on his own... his filthy fluids! And then had his subordinates find out!

If they didn't comply, he threatened to kill them!

Hafulen stared at Ryuu's retreating figure. Who exactly was this beast?! She had initially thought he was a demonic heretic, but now it seemed this boyish figure was his true form! Black hair, black eyes, handsome features… and now he was leading her northeast…

This guy! Could he be that rumored young governor of Linhu Territory?!

Information and rumors about Ryusha flashed through the depths of Hefren's mind!

We must find a way to get this information out... Once his identity is exposed! Father... no! The Vatican! The Vatican can uproot him and his territory with just a little effort!

Despite enduring the physical torment, a glimmer of victory seemed to appear before her eyes!

However, every slight change in her expression was secretly observed by Ryuka, who then curled up a mocking smile.

That's how it has to be. We have to keep giving Heflian hope only to have it destroyed again and again. Only in this way can we tame this unruly noble female knight.

Chapter 35 Observing the Division

Because the knights' horses were under control in advance, except for one knight who returned to Sochi to report the news and lost direct contact with his familiar due to the great distance, Ryūka had a clear view of their movements.

As expected, thanks to their own design, the first things they discovered were the battle traces in the mass grave near the village. The horrifying traces left after the battle with the aggregate of resentment deeply shook the young knights.

"These... these exaggerated sword marks... are they something we can't handle? Could it be that the demon has already recovered? Back in Sochi, even several high-ranking officials working together couldn't kill him!"

"Fools! We've already found Miss's whereabouts! Are we going to retreat here? Finding Miss's whereabouts is the top priority! Besides, the Holy See's heretic extermination team is already on its way! If you don't even dare to act as scouts, can you still call yourself Miss Hafulen's personal guards!"

The knight captain shouted at his men, but he couldn't dispel the gloom on their faces.

Ryuu laughed. That's right, no matter how loyal the knights are, no matter how close Hafren is to them, their loyalty is ultimately just the result of being bought off by the monarch under a feudal system and brainwashed by chivalry.

At least most of the knights weren't crazy enough to risk their lives knowing it was impossible.

Ryūka was quite pleased to see this situation, after all, these personal guard knights were the elite of the elite. Especially most of them were young; with proper training and sufficient resources, they might all become great knights in the future.

Therefore, while training Heflian, I need to divide them as much as possible and then bring them under my control.

……

One of the knights finally couldn't contain himself and asked the captain a question:

"Speaking of which, why not ask our own clan for help? General Alvarez is one of the Ten Heavenly Ranks! Even if he can't come in person, he could ask the local nobles for help, and they wouldn't refuse! It's only right to punish heretics!"

Ah, this guy, I don't know his name, but he's the young man who's interested in Hefren's maid.

He looked to be no more than twenty-five or twenty-six years old, and to become Haifulian's personal guard, he must be an outstanding person.

Faced with his subordinates' questioning, the knight captain's face twisted in anger:

"Luca! Is this how you talk to your superior?! If it weren't for your mistake on guard duty, the enemy wouldn't have infiltrated Miss's room! And none of this would have happened!"

The young knight named Luca's face instantly darkened. Seeing this, the knight captain became even more relentless in his accusations against Luca, disregarding how vicious his words might be.

That's right. At this point, it's crucial to suppress any dissenting voices within the team to ensure that subordinates unite and follow orders to rescue Miss Heflian! My approach is flawless!

"I heard you've been pursuing Miss's maid, Mary? Tsk! Poor country bumpkin! You think you can stay in the capital and Alvarez's family forever by hooking up with Miss's maid?! It's because of this kind of thing that you haven't been doing your guard duty properly!!"

"No! It's because of Mary, she..."

"Ah~ Did she bandage your hand when you got injured during training? What an innocent guy, that's how a poor country boy who's never been popular with women is~"

The knight captain didn't hold back his harsh words, making Luca blush with embarrassment.

"So you let that maid fill your mind and neglect your guard duties, is that it?! Did you use your military academy transcript as toilet paper for your nighttime fantasies?! You useless piece of trash! If it weren't for your dereliction of duty, how could Miss have ended up like this! The brothers wouldn't have had to work so hard!"

Wow~ That's really going too far~ No wonder he's called 'Captain Level'~

Ryūka laughed at all of this, a carefree laugh that sounded so manic and jarring to Hafren. She knew Ryūka was using some means to monitor her subordinates. Why was she laughing so happily now? Had something bad happened?! Hafren grew increasingly nervous, hesitating for a long time before finally asking with difficulty:

"Piercing Lord, what happened? You promised you wouldn't lay a hand on my men as long as I obeyed!"

"I didn't do anything wrong~ It was your subordinates who started arguing, and that guy named Luca got a real dressing down~"

“Luca…”

Hafren understood; she must have been blamed for the room being invaded. But even if Ryuga hadn't managed to infiltrate, this demon must have obtained information through other means, and given his strength, she feared she wouldn't escape the same fate.

Luca's only mistake was being too weak, but his bigger mistake was bringing them here in the first place...

Heflint's expression turned self-reproachful; this was the moment when her heart was being slowly broken. Ryūka stopped his horse and smiled at Heflint:

"Their argument is quite interesting~ I'm going to stop and watch for a while. Hey, I'm getting off my horse, what are you supposed to do?"

“Gulp…” Heflene’s breath hitched. She watched as Ryusha’s foot, which had been pulled out of the stirrup, swung back and forth. Shamefully, she leaned over and slowly knelt down.

Her round, pert buttocks pressed into a beautiful shape against her heels, and her full breasts were squeezed into flat mounds on her knees. Heflian, carrying the heavy crossbeam on her shoulders, lowered her beautiful head, shamefully serving as the boy's dismounting stool.

"The height is just right. It seems you're more suited to be a meat stool than the young lady. After all, if it weren't for you, the subordinates wouldn't have to suffer along with you."

Ryusaku stepped on Heflian's back a few times, deliberately testing the feel of his feet, before dismounting. He tied the reins and the rope connected to the small ring around Heflian's lower body to a tree, making Heflian feel as lowly as livestock.

But she dared not resist, and instead, in a humiliating manner, pleaded with Ryūka:

"Could you... tell me how they are...?"

"Sure, as long as it makes me happy, we can discuss anything~"

……

On the other side, Luca blushed with embarrassment because of his captain's insults.

"My inability to defend against the intrusion is due to my own lack of strength, and has nothing to do with Miss Mary! You cannot humiliate my character!"