Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

However, he was met with a merciless attack of fighting spirit from the knight captain.

Bang! Luca was knocked off his horse, and the captain's longsword was mercilessly pressed against his throat.

"You lack both loyalty and strength, and are not qualified to be Miss Hafulen's personal guard. You are hereby expelled!"

Then, the captain looked at his other subordinates:

"Anyone else who doesn't dare risk everything to save Miss, and instead keeps whining, can get out of here with them!!"

For a moment, there was complete silence. Only Luca, lying on the ground, forcefully pushed away the sword tip, rose from the ground, drew his longsword, and confronted the captain.

"I understand, are you trying to make an example of someone? No one except Miss has the right to expel someone!" (The rest of the text appears to be nonsensical and unrelated to the initial statement.)

There was no fear of the captain in Luca's eyes. As a fellow knight, aside from seniority and background, his strength was not much worse than the captain's!

Chapter 36 Observing the Division (Part Two)

After Hefleen was kidnapped, Luca was naturally filled with deep remorse, which is why he kept advising the captain, even suggesting a strategy of borrowing troops from the surrounding nobles in the name of the Alvarez family first, and then obtaining permission from his own family.

But all of this was rejected without mercy, and he was even humiliated in this way. At this moment, a certain suspicion that had been hidden in Luca's heart all along erupted.

"Captain, does the General not know that we followed Miss to the eastern part of the Empire?"

"What nonsense are you spouting! How could the general not know what the young lady was doing! You're no longer one of Alvarez's personal guards, get out of here!"

Despite the captain's vehement denial, a fleeting look of panic on his face told Luca that his guess was correct.

"As expected... Although we were told that this eastern operation was the family's idea, apart from Miss's personal guards, even Mary and the others thought it was just an ordinary autumn hunting trip before they set off..."

Luca's words made the other subordinates realize what was going on. Yes! Even if Miss Hafley was usually very close to them, she was still a young lady from a prominent family. If she were to travel for an extended period, she certainly wouldn't only have two maids with her…

"I'm afraid you used some excuse to deceive the General and obtain this opportunity. I've been wondering about this for a while now. Why would the Alvarez family, who have always been neutral, suddenly join forces with other factions? But since it's not something a first-rank soldier like me should be concerned with, I haven't thought about it in detail..."

Luca's gaze and tone gradually sharpened.

"The young lady is competitive and never wants to lose to the children of other noble families. In addition, she is young and impetuous, and she is prone to making wrong decisions in order to 'make a name for herself'..."

But! As the captain of the personal guard! And also a member of a collateral branch of the Alvarez family, it's unacceptable that you, as an elder, were unaware of this... It's your duty to dissuade the young lady from doing something foolish, and if you didn't do so, well…”

A layer of fighting spirit gradually emerged from Luca and the captain, and the atmosphere became tense. Luca knew that once he spoke his next words, there would be no turning back!

"You and the other captains of the guard urged the young lady to join the conflict, you wouldn't be thinking of giving yourself a chance to climb the ranks, would you...?"

Whoosh! The two longswords simultaneously released several meters of battle aura, which intersected instantly like huge pillars of light, emitting a violent clang!

"Spreading nonsense! The important thing now is to find Miss! What are you spouting?! Are you afraid of that heretical demon?!"

On the warhorse, the knight captain pressed down hard on Luca's longsword. Luca knelt on one knee, the fighting spirit on the two swords drawing ever closer to his shoulder...

"Did I hit the nail on the head...? That's why you dared not report this to the main family... If the general finds out, you and your colleagues will be in trouble... And if something happens to the young lady... Not only will you lose your head, but your family will probably be expelled from the Alvarez family..."

A ruthless glint flashed in the knight captain's eyes! He remembered the strand of hair stained with white fluid that morning… Yes, if word got out that the young lady had been defiled by a demon, he might not even know how he died…

That Luca!

"Die!!!"

The knight captain suddenly exerted his strength, and his powerful battle aura was about to cut Luca in two!

Bang! One of the two battle qi swords shattered instantly!

Blood spurted from the captain's mouth...

"High-ranking Knight! Luca, you!"

Seeing Luca strike the captain with a burst of fighting spirit, his comrades all showed expressions of shock!

This young man in his mid-twenties! He's just one step away from becoming a Grand Knight!!

With sufficient nutrition and scientific training, most people can cultivate battle qi, and many can reach the level of a full-fledged knight, although the speed depends on individual talent.

Regardless of the profession, the intermediate and advanced levels of a primary position are the dividing line for judging aptitude. Generally, only those who reach the advanced level of a primary position before the age of thirty are worth cultivating. Otherwise, no matter how many resources and time are invested, even if one is promoted to a high-ranking primary position, the number of years one can serve the organization is limited. After all, humans are not a long-lived, heretical race; even the strong will see their combat abilities decline steadily after the age of sixty…

As for Luca, an ordinary person who graduated from a military academy, his background was not good, and he was not a personal guard trained by Alvarez from childhood. He must have something special to be able to become a guard at the Heflian residence!

"Listen up, Luca, don't tell anyone you've reached the high rank of Knight. Even though we're brothers who spend every day together, jealousy can still arise." (The rest of the text appears to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated gibberish.)

Luca remembered Miss Hafley's instructions to him...

Luca remembered Miss Hafley's instructions to him...

'When I get back this time, I'll ask my family for better subsidies for you. If you can become a Grand Knight before you turn thirty, I might consider your relationship with Mary.'

I'm sorry, miss... Even if I can't return to the Alvarez family, I will never forget your kindness. But this guy in front of me, I can never forgive...

Luca's sharp gaze fell upon the captain high above him, and he took a step forward! The battle aura erupting from his longsword instantly contracted! Although the range was much smaller, the degree of condensation was visibly astonishing!

A flash of white light, and the captain's armor shattered into several neat pieces... Amidst the shocked gazes of the knight captain and his men, Luca sheathed his sword:

"I won't take your life; after all, finding Miss is the most urgent matter. Since I can't work with you, I'll find Miss's whereabouts myself..."

"Yeah, that's what he said~"

Ryuka sat leaning against a tree, smiling as she recounted the exciting scene unfolding in the distance to Hafulen, while stroking Hafulen's head like a puppy.

"Hey, press your chest really tight, and spit out more saliva. Make good use of your throat and tongue."

He looked at Heflian kneeling between his legs. Apart from the gurgling sound of water, Heflian only showed him the top of her head, and his expression was not clear.

Sensing her sluggish movements, Ryuka grabbed Heflian's hair and lifted her head, looking at her beautiful face streaked with tears and covered in saliva and snot, and mercilessly mocked her:

"Crying? Your little scheme was discovered by your subordinate~ Although he tried his best to shift the blame onto the captain of your personal guards who didn't try to dissuade you~"

In order to get Ryukatsu to relay the conflict between his subordinates, Hafren was forced to humiliatingly serve and please his manhood. This perverse feeling was already incredibly torturous, not to mention Luca's words, which plunged her into deep self-reproach...

Hafren believed it was all her fault that her subordinates had drawn their swords against each other. Even if several captains of her personal guard had their own selfish motives, ultimately it was she who made those decisions… harming not only herself, but also her subordinates and their families…

To have put her guards in this predicament makes her a complete failure, both as the young lady and as their superior...

Chapter 37 Haifulian's Left and Right Brain Battle

Although Luca displayed formidable fighting prowess, the knight captain, feigning bravado, retreated to the rear and ordered his remaining subordinates to attack Luca...

"You don't believe his lies, do you? If he's still one of Alvarez's personal guards, then arrest this traitor!"

Luca's comrades listened to their captain's order and gave Luca a troubled look.

"Hey, Luca, you still... sigh!"

Luca smiled helplessly. He understood that not everyone was like him. They still had families in the capital, and many of them had good personal relationships with the captain. Even if they understood that what Luca said might be true, they couldn't bring themselves to confront him like Luca did.

“I understand. Farewell…” Luca left the Royal Guard alone, without even taking his horse or the rest of his equipment, and embarked on his journey to find Hefren.

Without riding a horse, Ryuga couldn't keep an eye on him. Although he was quite fond of the young knight, Luca alone posed no threat to Ryuga.

"Well, once they're separated from the group, it's easier to recruit them for our own use."

As the show came to an end, Ryuka shoved the still dazed Haifulian off her. The plump, white flesh, covered in slick saliva and sweat, lay on the ground, dusty and looking pitiful.

It seems this incident was very effective in breaking Hefren's spirit. Ryusha decided to continue to keep his distance from the knights and slowly lead them to Linhu Territory.

Thanks to the raven's message, Hetia and the others were aware of her current plans and were preparing to meet her at the border.

As for the journey itself, let's just clear away the pent-up resentment of the slaves accumulated in the villages along the way.

Ryuka tugged at the reins between Hefren's legs, pulling the exhausted female knight to her feet once more, and she took a heavy step...

"It's the same everywhere, just to varying degrees."

In another cemetery outside a village, Ryuka raised his sword and ferried away the long-accumulated souls.

Near each village, there are such large and small aggregates of resentment. Although they don't seem likely to give birth to monsters in the near future, they are like time bombs, and it's unknown when they will explode.

"No wonder the heretics were expelled from the continent a thousand years ago, but heretical phenomena still break out from time to time."

Ryūka pulled the longsword from the twisted, rotting flesh, sensing the malevolent energy emanating from it. Some powerful aggregates of resentment, though immature, could already influence those with weak minds, driving them from nightmares to mental breakdown under various hallucinations. Ultimately, they became springboards for resentment to prematurely enter the mortal realm, occasionally stirring up small-scale cult and heretical incidents on the other side of the world…

"What...what is this?! You really are a demon...?"

Heflian watched in utter shock as Ryusha deployed magical barriers in each graveyard, slaying the twisted monsters that appeared out of nowhere. Villagers occasionally passed by outside the barriers, but when they approached, they would always seem bewildered and wander around them.

The world inside and outside the magical barrier was clearly two different worlds: one normal and one distorted.

"Stupid woman!" Ryuga absorbed the power generated by the soul and laughed as she looked at Heflian. "Are you seeing things with your ass? I'm clearly dealing with these things."

Hafram's explanation failed to convince her; in her eyes, it was like a greater demon devouring lesser demons. Meanwhile, the humans living in reality remained completely unaware…

However, whenever Ryūsha finished cleaning a cemetery or mass grave, the eerie and terrifying atmosphere around it did indeed lessen considerably.

Just as she finished dealing with the spirit, Heflian saw a ragged little girl struggling to drag a straw mat toward her.

The little girl was as thin as a stick, with a messy head on her skin. A rope was draped over her dirty shoulders, which were chafed raw and bleeding, but her expression was like that of someone in a daze, and she just walked silently.

When the little girl ignored the magical barrier set up by Ryusha and walked in, Hafulen immediately tensed up.

He was about to be seen in this humiliating state!

"Hey! Ryukatsu!"

Oh no! In my panic, I accidentally revealed the identity of this devilish boy! This is making things worse!

The message was supposed to be left without his knowledge, but now that it's been discovered, there's no chance left!

Heflian was at a loss for what to do, but Ryusha in front of her seemed not to hear her and just quietly watched the little girl walk over.

Disheveled, Hefley just wanted to hide as quickly as possible, not wanting anyone to see her like this. Her pretty face was burning red, her heart pounding, but the thin rope between her legs was still tied to the side…

It's all over... Although the little girl doesn't know her identity, Hefren feels like she can't live with herself anymore... This makes her feel even more grief-stricken than being humiliated by Ryusha.

It's all over... Although the little girl doesn't know her identity, Hefren feels like she can't live with herself anymore... This makes her feel even more grief-stricken than being humiliated by Ryusha.

However, the little girl walked past her and Ryuka as if she were blind, her head down, completely ignoring the two of them.

At that moment, a bewildered Hefren heard Ryusha's calm questioning voice.

"You feel ashamed, don't you? You feel like your dignity has been stripped away?"

"That, that's for sure..." Heflian muttered softly, afraid of attracting the little girl's attention.

"That's great, you can still lose your dignity, but she never has."

Ryūka mocked Hafren, watching as the little girl found an empty spot in the mass grave, unfolded the straw mat she was dragging, picked up a short stick from beside the equally emaciated corpse inside, and began digging into the hard ground...

The short stick dug into the hard soil little by little, and the little girl's withered knees knelt on the ground, slowly developing red marks from the movement of her body.

The emaciated female corpse behind her looked to be only in her thirties, lying on her side in a bent position, as if she were asleep.

Hunger and exhaustion, dying in a dream...? Ryuga looked at the corpse; the spirit on it showed little sign of resentment. Indeed, most serfs died without strong resentment, not because they didn't hate, but because even strong emotions had been drained away.

This is also why, over a long period of time, a village can only accumulate such a small amount of resentment...

Heflian was the first to be unable to bear the silent and tragic scene, and she couldn't help but plead with Ryūka:

"You...you should help her..."

"Help her with what? Help her dig her grave? Help her take revenge? Or help her change her fate?"

Ryusha's question left Hafren speechless for a moment. Before she could even think, Ryusha asked again.

"You wouldn't see something like this in the capital, would you?"

"You feel sorry for her just because you saw one? Tell me, what do you want me to do? If you want me to dig up a grave, I'll dig up a grave. If you want me to go to the village and kill her master, I'll go and ruthlessly kill her master and his family. If you want me to change her fate, I'll buy her and take her back to Linhu Territory. Anyway, you've already guessed who I am."

Ryuu asked Hefren a question with a smile, but the nonchalant smile paired with the pitiful image of the grave-digging girl behind him made Hefren extremely uncomfortable, and she felt like vomiting...

However, she understood the unspoken meaning in Ryuka's words.

No matter what his answer was, he would only save the little girl. And in every village they passed through, there were countless people like him.

Help her dig a grave? Kill her master? Buy her? What a joke! Hafley understood the dilemma the other party had presented her with. Helping to dig the grave was just feigned pity, but killing her master meant killing all the masters? Including their families? And after killing the masters, what would happen to the remaining slaves?

Should we buy them all?

Haiflian suddenly understood the strange reforms in Linhu Territory, but she couldn't believe it was something a demon would do! Especially now, he showed no pity for the little girl, instead using such questions to torment her and try to manipulate her!

"You...you really are a demon! A heartless demon! Gua!"

Ryuka grabbed Heflian by the neck and pulled her face close to his:

"It's not like I made her live like this. You don't want to see this kind of scene, right? You want me to have compassion and save people like her? What do you think I should do?"

Ryūka's unwavering eyes were reflected in Hafren's pupils. What to do? Of course, it's...

"Do you preach a religion that promotes equality among all people and love among its followers? Or do you practice kindness towards slaves? Or do you strive to climb to a high position in the empire to change the laws? Do you want to save this little girl you see, or do you want to save those you can't even see?"

Ryuu's words completely blocked Hefren's train of thought, and then, under Hefren's fearful gaze, she silently gave her own answer: