My older sister is a villainous rich girl

“It’s my duty,” Kent said, not taking credit. “But why did you suddenly change your mind? Are we not going to Buffalo?”

“I’m going.” Wayne turned around, picked up the map that was placed to the side, and unfolded it.

“Bufnia, as the former capital of the Principality of Milistan, is the economic and administrative center of the Southwest Province. If we want to exert influence over the entire Southwest region and even the neighboring provinces, we must first control Bufnia.” He placed a pebble on the map to mark the location of Bufnia.

"However, the situation in Bufania is very complicated. If our enemy were just standing in the open square, anyone could spot him at a glance, and the kingdom's regular army would crush him without missing a single one. However, the rebels in the southwest often mingle among various groups of people, disguising themselves or being bribed to conceal their identities, which makes it very difficult for us to distinguish who the real enemy is."

Although Wayne himself did not leave Ridsburn these past few days, he had successfully established information channels with the external liaison department he had arranged to return to the southwest, and could remotely control these hidden agents in various places to take necessary actions at any time.

The rebels no longer trusted Laird's faction. Wayne's redeployed external liaison department had planned to find out in advance where the rebels were hiding their main force, but in the end, they only managed to gather a list of people who had already been bribed by Norman Laird, along with evidence of their interactions. These were just small fry thrown out; even if they were eliminated, it wouldn't affect the core leadership of the rebels.

If we're talking about the high-ranking rebels who had the most dealings with those former subordinates of Grand Duke Laird, it would undoubtedly be Lord Bulwer, the commander-in-chief of the city guard in the capital, who was in charge of intelligence matters for the entire rebel army. But because of Bulwer's crucial position, there was no doubt that this time, and many times before, the internally finalized suppression plans were practically running naked under the rebels' noses.

The rebels were fully aware of the kingdom's army's movements, yet the kingdom couldn't even trace the rebel leaders' disguised identities, making their repeated failed attempts to suppress them an obvious result.

Perhaps it was precisely because of the expectation that the attempt might be futile that King George II did not prevent the Duke of Windcher from trying to regain influence in the southwest through military action.

In George II's view, if things succeeded, at least order would be restored to the southwest, and tax revenue would increase. If things failed, at least the Winchester family's prestige could be damaged—a win-win situation.

“In Bufania, there are not only former citizens of the Duchy of Milistan, but also newly ennobled nobles bestowed by the Kingdom of Lornes. The kingdom has historically only supported the latter while suppressing the former, and coupled with meager harvests and high taxes, the local populace is largely dissatisfied with the Lornes royal family. These former citizens still cherish the memory of the deceased Grand Duke Laird, making them easily swayed to secretly support the rebels, bribe them, and provide them with assistance.” Wayne briefly analyzed the situation of each social class for Kent, then continued, “Therefore, we must first sever ties with those nobles, establish our new image abroad, and then gradually encircle the city from the countryside…”

Kent listened attentively to Wayne's battle plan, occasionally raising questions, but generally agreeing with it. "Indeed, the Duchy of Milstein has long since fallen. Since these people have become part of the Kingdom of Lornes, we should accept them and do our best to eliminate the possibility of future rebellions. Now we have sufficient troops and the support of His Majesty the King; this is a rare opportunity to make our move. So, you mean we should first divide into several groups to wipe out the surrounding bandits and brigands, and make a name for ourselves?"

“Blindly launching an attack is not advisable. We might as well start by checking the case records of various towns. There will always be some clues left.” Wayne took out another document. “I have already compiled the records of Ritzburn. In addition to the bandits I encountered, there was also a strange robbery case recently registered that was related to a merchant guild in Sheri City.”

Chapter 696 The Schemes Hidden Beneath the Surface

Buffalo is located in the center of the Southwestern Province.

Although the city is not on the coast, due to its basin-like terrain, which is low in the middle and high on both sides, the surrounding area of ​​Bufania is very flat. Once you cross the mountains bordering the Kingdom of Lornes, the land stretches out unobstructed. The region has convenient transportation and fertile soil, and originally had ample conditions for development. Decades ago, it was indeed a prosperous and thriving city.

However, ever since the Battle of Mist Moon, which led to the downfall of the Principality of Milistan, Buffania has been mired in a quagmire.

The nobles who had once been on good terms with the Lord Laird were uprooted and replaced by new nobles sent by the Kingdom of Lornes. Meanwhile, a segment of the local middle class, seeking only to preserve their own interests, intensified their efforts to extract money from the lower classes to supply the new landowners.

Thus, Milstein's once wealthy families became poor, and poor families would perish because they could not survive. The only thing they could utter in the occasional upheavals was their feeble roar, but it would soon be drowned out by the nobles' lavish banquets and buried in unknown, overgrown ditches.

No one will listen to their suffering, because those noises are meaningless to the glamorous upper class.

"What's the meaning of that young master from the duke's family who came all the way from the capital? We already sent a letter inviting him to Bufania, ready to receive him at any time, but instead, he's settled down in that backwater town, spending his days either fighting bandits in the mountains or carrying out large-scale criminal trials. He even brought nobles to hold public trials in front of lowly commoners—what kind of decorum is that!" A portly middle-aged man, his face flushed, slammed his wine glass on the table, glaring and cursing, "Who is he trying to impress? Does he want to pull the same stunt on us in Bufania? That damned brat!"

Another voice expressed similar dissatisfaction: "Exactly! His Majesty sent him to quell the rebellion, so he should have gone to fight the rebels. Why is he targeting our own people all the time? Has he been bribed by the rebels?"

Perhaps it was the dry humor in that remark that made everyone burst into laughter, though whether their laughter was genuine or feigned was anyone's guess.

The nobleman seated at the head of the table also looked rather grim.

He tapped the silver plate in front of him, and the butler behind him understood, dismissing all the servants and thoughtfully closing the banquet hall doors.

Seeing that the man's attitude was unusual, the mocking or amused smiles on the faces of the other nobles gradually faded, and the usually noisy banquet became unusually quiet for a moment.

"The news from the capital has come back, telling us to give way to him for now," Siphus, whose hair was already gray but whose spirit remained vigorous, said in a low voice with a sense of helplessness.

"What?!" The middle-aged man who had initially been unable to resist hurling insults suddenly jolted awake, as if the effects of the alcohol on his head had sobered him up a bit.

"This, this..." He glanced at the others in a panic, then looked anxiously at Earl Sivers, who held the reins of the entire Southwest administration at the head of the banquet. "Are we just going to let him continue to do as he pleases?!"

Sivers scoffed, "What else can we do? If you're so capable, why don't you just send yourself to stop him?"

The middle-aged man was speechless for a moment, stammering before finally muttering, "That kid is young and impetuous, he'll be alone sometime, we can..."

"Fool!" Sieves suddenly roared, "Do you think their magic corps is just sitting around doing nothing? Besides, if he suddenly dies under mysterious circumstances, do you think we can get away with it?"

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

The banquet was still filled with delicacies, but everyone seemed to be shrouded in thick dark clouds. The atmosphere was so tense that it felt like a storm was about to break out at any moment, and no one had the appetite to enjoy the food.

“That one has the King’s tacit approval and a powerful background. He’s currently riding high and unrivaled. The old fogies in the capital don’t want to confront him directly.” Taking a deep breath, Sivers’ expression was grim. “Right now, all we can do is simultaneously gather evidence of his crimes in the southwest and wait for an opportunity that can change the situation.”

"Evidence?" The middle-aged man looked puzzled. "Where do you need to collect it?"

“Ha, I’m not afraid of him making a move, I’m afraid of him not making a move.” Siphus gently stroked the gold ring on his right index finger. “A young man’s ambition and desire to achieve great things are understandable. But if he holds great power and does not use it carefully and prudently, every choice he makes will inevitably push another group of people to his side as enemies. The more he does, the more mistakes he will make, just as he has already caused us enormous trouble and losses without even realizing it.”

"He may currently enjoy His Majesty's favor, but this favor will not last. The day he returns to the capital after the rebellion has been eradicated will be the day we settle accounts with this man who has wreaked havoc in the southwest!"

Siphus raised the blood-red, rich wine in his stemmed crystal glass and drank it all in one gulp.

……

A gray horse galloped across the countryside.

A messenger from Buffalo delivered a sealed, handwritten letter to Viscount Frode, the esteemed lord of this land.

"What did they say from Buffania?" asked Captain Nar.

After reading the message, Viscount Freud gave a disdainful sneer, then a burst of flame shot from his fingertips, burning the letter to ashes.

“In two or three days, those nobles will be arriving in Ritsburn one after another to visit.” He strode back inside and changed into a formal suit. “Have someone clean out the vacant rooms in the castle in preparation for receiving guests. Less important guests should be moved out to find a hotel or inn.”

"What? They're coming to Sheri and Ritsburn in person?" Nar exclaimed in surprise.

“Those people have been sitting on the wall watching for a long time. Now that their backers have made their stance clear, they can no longer pretend to be indifferent, so they've rushed over to curry favor and see if they can get some leniency.” Floyd's face was expressionless, but his tone was full of mockery.

"Therefore we must get ahead of them and be the first to visit His Excellency Envoy Wien in Ritsburn."

Although Freud's butler was following orders to make arrangements for Freud's trip, he was quite indignant about the actions taken by Ritsburn. "However, that special envoy forcibly took away the case records of Sheri and several surrounding cities, and arrested and publicly tried several nobles. This not only broke the rules, but also dealt a major blow to your prestige."

"So what? It's a good thing that people from Bufana are coming to us. If it can make His Excellency the Special Envoy shift his attention from us to the nobles of Bufana, that would be even better. Our little pond can't withstand the machinations of such a big crocodile."

Chapter 697 The Robbery

Ritzburn.

The simple yet meticulous defensive fortifications have been completed, and the magic arrays have been set up. Although they do not look as reassuring as the towering walls of various fortresses, it would be no easy task for even a fly to sneak in.

In a makeshift tent set up in the center of the camp, Wayne was leading a group of actuaries who had come from the capital to meticulously examine various data from the Southwest Province.

Fortunately, Minister Franz had already conducted a detailed investigation of the local situation during his previous tax inspection, which provided him with a very clear understanding of the basic conditions of various towns in the southwestern province. Even though the data, which mainly focused on the economy and taxation, was not comprehensive, it was enough to reflect many problems and saved him a lot of effort.

"Your Excellency Wayne, apart from the robbery involving the Lisa Merchant Guild, all the bandits with criminal records in the neighboring towns have been apprehended, and the task of leading the villagers to cultivate the land and distribute seeds has also been completed."

General Kent's tone was as firm and forceful as his character, but he was, after all, a man who had long been entrenched in the aristocratic circles of the capital. "I have heard many people praise you along the way, and I believe that everything you have done will bring positive changes to the southwest region."

"Heh." Wayne leaned back in his chair, looking slightly tired, and rubbed his temples.

The intense workload these past few days has indeed left him somewhat exhausted, but he must arrange his actions before others realize what's happening.

“That’s not just my achievement, it’s ours,” he corrected. “Without you, General, and everyone’s help, I couldn’t have done anything by myself. There’s no need for formalities; we have more troublesome things to deal with next.”

“More troublesome? You mean…” Kent hadn’t finished speaking when a guard outside announced, “Your Excellency, Viscount Floyd is outside requesting an audience!”

Wayne scoffed at this without any surprise, then turned to Kent and gestured, "Look, these are the noble gentlemen who finally couldn't sit still anymore. He's just the first, not the last."

Kent frowned and remained silent for a moment, seemingly finding the situation rather tricky. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Do you need me to say anything to him later?"

Although Kent did not underestimate Wayne, he also understood that it would not be easy to shake up these deeply rooted local aristocratic forces.

"No, that's not necessary. Just stand aside and watch, use your years of battlefield experience to give him a good once-over, head-to-toe assessment. I'll handle the rest."

Wayne didn't want to be seen as just a good-for-nothing who came to gain experience, so he had to firmly grasp the reins. His deliberately assertive demeanor during this period was also meant to send a clear signal to everyone in the Southwest region, reminding them who was in charge here now.

Before long, led by a tall guard, Viscount Frode, with a belly larger than that of an eight-month pregnant woman, squeezed into the tent with some difficulty. His bloated body made the space, which was originally the size of a normal reception room, seem narrow and cramped, and even the light seemed to dim a degree.

"Your Excellency Envoy Wayne and Your Excellency General Kent, I am truly sorry!" His fleshy face glistened with oil, and his ruddy smile made him appear far less fierce than rumored. He immediately apologized to the two men upon entering. "I should have come to Ridgeburn to greet our distinguished guests immediately; it was my oversight that I delayed until now."

As he bowed in greeting, he quickly scanned the area inside the tent, noticing the actuaries who were still calculating data as if no one else was around. His gaze lingered for a moment on the stacks of documents on the desk, but he quickly looked away, straightening up as if oblivious to what was happening. He said with a relaxed smile, "But I have not failed in my mission and have found an important lead about the rebels, so I came to report to Lord Wayne immediately."

“Oh.” Wayne nodded, recalling that he had indeed asked Butcher Hank to give him a talking-to and see if he could squeeze any information out of him.

He didn't think such threats would be useful, so he didn't have high hopes for the clues the man could provide.

"tell me the story."

But Viscount Freud hesitated. “Perhaps… it would be better to talk in a different place?”

"No need. All the important secrets about the rebels have to be sent back to the capital, and once they're in the capital, important information will always be leaked in various ways. Whether we keep it a secret or not doesn't really matter much." Wayne didn't care.

“Uh…” Floyd was momentarily at a loss for words, looking slightly embarrassed.

But he quickly regained his composure and stopped beating around the bush, speaking frankly: "Two months ago, a strange robbery occurred in Sheri City. On a stormy night, the Lisa Merchant Guild lost a batch of armor and magic stones. These were items specially commissioned from the capital by the city guard commander of Bufania, and they were very expensive. If they fell into the hands of bandits, they would pose a great threat. Therefore, Bufania and I have been sending people to investigate, but unfortunately, we have made little progress. In the end, we only found out that someone had transported several cartloads of goods through Ritsburn in the heavy rain that night, and then disappeared after entering the mountains. Since then, the trail has gone cold."

He paused for a moment at this point.

Wayne and Kent exchanged a glance; he had just talked to Kent about the case not long ago.

Although the Lisa Merchant Guild is not as powerful as the Edgeworth Family Merchant Guild, it is still a well-known and established name in the Kingdom of Lornes, especially skilled in operating in remote areas. Over the years, it has accumulated a reliable reputation, otherwise the officials of Buffalo would not have dared to entrust them with the procurement of military supplies.

What's strange about this robbery is that the goods, despite being under tight security, vanished from the locked underground warehouse of the Lisa Chamber of Commerce.

That night, not only did the dozen or so merchant guards, including a mage, not hear any noise, but the guards at all levels inside and outside Sheri City also failed to notice anything unusual. With the city gates closed and a curfew in effect, it was almost impossible to evade everyone's sight and transport those twenty large boxes of goods out of the city. Yet, in Ritsburn, several villagers did witness boxes that looked very much like those goods being carried away overnight in the pouring rain.

If all of this was the work of magicians, then they shouldn't have been spotted by ordinary civilians after leaving the city. But if it wasn't a miracle created by magic, it's hard to explain how they managed to evade the notice of so many people in the city.

After several unsuccessful investigations organized by Buffalo, the heist became an unsolved case and was temporarily shelved.

“However, recently someone rediscovered that batch of boxes marked with the Lisa Merchant Guild emblem and special serial numbers, but the goods inside have long since disappeared.” Viscount Frode said in a deep voice, “These past few days I have been leading a team to investigate this matter. Following the clues, we happened to discover a hideout of the rebel army. The robbery was very likely committed by the thieves in this hideout. I dared not delay for fear of missing the opportunity, so after ordering someone to keep watch, I immediately brought back this important information.”

Wayne immediately stood up. "You lead the way, and we'll set off right away."

Chapter 698 Lame Pete

"The rebels do indeed choose some hideouts to hide their troops and operate under the guise of bandits. They are usually almost invisible, but as soon as they receive orders from headquarters, they will quickly gather like rivers flowing into the sea, creating chaos. After the sudden rebellion ends, they will immediately scatter. The previous pacification army was almost helpless against these small-scale but frequent attacks."

Although the information obtained from the channels of the Milistan Restoration forces was limited, it was still much more in-depth than that from the official channels of the kingdom. "The person in charge of contacting these hideouts at the rebel headquarters only knew that everyone called him 'Crippled Pete,' and that he was said to have injured his right leg and therefore had difficulty walking. I had seen him a few times, and this is his portrait, which is 90% similar to his appearance."

Wayne didn't forget to put the portrait that Kallian had given him into his pocket, but he wouldn't take the Restoration forces to the front lines of battle. Just as his own people recognized their faces, it would be troublesome if they accidentally bumped into each other and were recognized by the other side.

With half of the magicians' corps and an elite force dispatched by General Kent, Wayne and his party headed straight for their destination without stopping.

After joining forces with Viscount Floyd's men, the group, though temporarily assembled from three factions, was still quite formidable. They surrounded Wayne, while Urban whispered an analysis of the situation for him: "...If we disperse our forces, there's a risk of being lured into a trap."

Wayne hadn't originally wanted to bring Upon along, but Upon had been his strategist all along the way, doing his best to analyze the situation in the southwest for Wayne. What Upon said corroborated the intelligence from other sources, and Wayne knew that Upon hadn't held back too much of what he knew.

Considering that Goethe had hinted that Urban was here to get rid of some "trouble" for Minister Franz, Wayne was indeed a little curious, so he decided to wait and see and see if he could find any fault with the finance minister.

Even if it weren't for the matter of the Gothic family, but just considering the feud between the Winche and Edgeworth families, if Minister Franz wanted to take this opportunity to scheme against him, he might as well take the opportunity to turn the tables on him.

So he outwardly appeared to trust Urban quite a bit, nodding in agreement from time to time.

"The magicians must not be scattered. Set up a magic circle here to isolate them from the outside world, and trap them like turtles in a jar. Have Viscount Freud's men guard the outer perimeter, while the rest form a circle and move inwards. Remember to capture a few alive."

Standing atop the hill, they could see in the distance some wooden defensive structures hidden among the grass in the valley.

"It's a natural cave inside," the scout who had gone ahead to explore reported back. "There are six sentry posts outside, with about a dozen people guarding each of the key positions. The cave inside must be quite large. When we arrived, a group of people rode in on horseback. Judging from the respectful reaction of the sentries, they must be important figures."

“A cave? Perhaps there are other exits.” Viscount Frod looked at Wayne.

“We can’t possibly cross these mountains.” Wayne put down his monocular telescope. “I brought so many mages with me, not just for show.”

In an instant, a dark green light flashed, and the sky seemed to become unreal for a moment, but this anomaly quickly disappeared without a trace.

"The magic circle has been set up," Senior Sister Olive said efficiently.

"Alright, next, explore the interior of the mountain." Wayne's instructions were concise. In battle, he was an absolute commander, directing the mage legion with ease.

A breeze arose from the flat ground, and in a short while the wind grew stronger, rustling the leaves and shrubs in the mountain forest.

……

"What a strong wind!"

Lame Pete walked to the cave entrance, subconsciously squinting to avoid being blinded by the sand and dust whipped up by the strong wind blowing in his face. "It was sunny just a moment ago, how come the sky has suddenly turned cloudy?"

"Hey, that's how it is in the mountains. It's not as peaceful as living in the city. Even this awful weather is always working against us." The bald man who was seeing him off complained. "When will the higher-ups transfer me back to the city and give me a position? I really don't want to stay stuck in this godforsaken place all the time. I'm so bored."

Baldy was the leader of this hidden military post. He had known the cripple for almost thirty years and they had a close relationship, so he spoke without much restraint.

He glanced at him sideways, then the lame man continued limping out. “Don’t think I’m living the high life outside. I have to be on edge and fawn over people every day. I’m just a gofer, and now I’ve lost a leg. Who knows when I’ll be sold off and die on the roadside without even knowing how I died.”

The bald man sneered without any mercy, "Crippled man, you've gotten older, but why have you become so timid!"

"Alas, I have no choice but to be afraid," the lame man said after a moment's hesitation. "The situation is not good right now. You should move to a safer place as soon as possible. Those people from the capital are not to be trifled with. We are too close to them here."

"I know, I know. I've already sent people to look for a place, but it's not easy to find a place as suitable as this for hiding troops. I still have so many men under my command, it's not easy to put them all away." The bald man waved his hand dismissively.

Since they dared to join the rebels and cause trouble, who wouldn't be risking their lives? If they were constantly worried and afraid, how could they possibly live a normal life?

"You can continue delivering your messages; you don't need to worry about things here. I've also recalled the spies in the city, and I'll be moving in a few days. Is that alright?"

In the eyes of others, the cripple was ruthless and cruel. He used to be ridiculed for his lameness. When he finally made it big and gained power, he immediately took revenge on those who had mocked him, making others afraid to talk about him anymore. He was petty and vindictive.

But the bald man had known the cripple since childhood and knew that he just wanted to get ahead and stop being bullied.