My older sister is a villainous rich girl

Thinking about the slight oddities the other person had shown along the way, he suddenly realized something.

"—The one who colluded with the rebels wasn't Earl Heap, but you, wasn't it?" Wayne stared at the person in front of him.

On the surface, being a beggar is the most unrelated identity to Count Sivers; no one would associate the count with a beggar. However, appearances can never truly reveal a person, and the line between beggar and count is incredibly thin.

When faced with death, a count is no different from a beggar.

Count Heap, probably still hoping the truth would come out someday, scrambled all forty-odd confidential documents and hid them inside gold bars, then deposited the gold bars in the safe of the Bufania United Trading Company. The only token that could retrieve the gold was a copy of "The Travels of Bufania" with his own inscription, hidden in a secret compartment on the top shelf of Count Heap's bookshelf.

The reason for such a grand undertaking is that the secret is simply too sensational.

Who would have thought that Earl Sivers, who had controlled the entire Southwest Province for decades and was a cousin of His Majesty the King, had personally participated in countless campaigns against the rebels and had actually colluded with them for decades?

Wayne was certain that this was not the king's intention.

His Majesty the King of Lornes was indulging in pleasure and only wanted to make money from the southwestern province through taxes and the flattery of nobles. However, due to the frequent activities of the southwestern rebels, the capital had to go to great lengths to send large armies to quell the rebellions every now and then. After the rebellions were quelled, rewards had to be given. In the end, he lost even more wealth.

The money being spent like water was all His Majesty the King's money. If it hadn't been going on for so long that even the King himself felt something was amiss, he wouldn't have sent Finance Minister Franz to personally audit the accounts.

Perhaps the king suspected that some people were embezzling funds, which was not a new phenomenon throughout the kingdom. He was willing to turn a blind eye to many small fry as long as they could do things for him and maintain the normal operation of the kingdom. Tax inspections were more of a warning to local officials not to go too far.

But he never imagined that his cousin would be willing to risk treason and be so deeply involved with the rebels!

According to the letters and records provided by Count Heap, Sivers could even directly mobilize the rebels' high-ranking officers. Furthermore, Sandoval's testimony revealed that even the death of the rebel leader, Inofan, was part of Count Sivers' plan, and was even a bargaining chip he offered in a deal with Viscount Frode.

This is simply unbelievable.

“Colluding with the rebels… Hahahaha.” Sivers laughed loudly, but there was no joy in his cold eyes. “Wayne Winche, you are young and proud now, probably thinking that you can trample the whole world under your feet, so you can judge anyone with your self-righteous justice, but one day you will understand that you will face the exact same situation as me sooner or later.”

"That's a matter for the future, and it's a pity you probably won't live to see that day," Wayne said calmly.

The struggle between local and central authorities, between ministers and monarchs, has never ended, because the thirst for power is insatiable. Everyone at the table is greedy, and everyone compromises.

But there are some things that cannot be compromised.

The food that they swallowed without even looking at it might have been just a dispensable dessert for the nobles, but it was the only means of survival for the poor people of the southwest. When the common people could not survive, they would join in rebellion, and when they joined in rebellion, even more people would die.

More importantly, people are the most valuable resource in society, yet they are being pointlessly consumed by Sivers' selfish desires in an endless spiral of rebellion-suppression-rebellion. For so many years, the rebels have never been truly eradicated, and the economy of the entire Southwest Province has been steadily declining—a situation arguably entirely created by Count Sivers.

Perhaps even now he doesn't think what he did was wrong, because in the eyes of many nobles, commoners weren't even human, but merely slaves, just a portion of the food that could be freely taken and distributed. Not to mention that the residents of the old Duchy of Milistan had long been rejected by the citizens of the Kingdom of Lornes. Although their numbers were large, they had always been a marginalized group outside the mainstream public opinion of the kingdom, so even if they were wantonly oppressed, no one paid attention.

From the borderlands to Bufania, Wayne saw many people barely clothed, who could only lay out a worn-out, gray linen cloth in the middle of their thatched huts as a makeshift resting place. They toiled diligently from dawn till dusk, working tirelessly to create value for the land belonging to the nobles. Yet even this mundane life could be easily taken away in the event of a sudden rebellion or suppression of an uprising.

They will never understand the reason behind all of this, even until their deaths.

This is the true evil of Siphus, not just the simple words "treason" on the official documents.

During his time in Buffalo, Wayne felt quite heavy-hearted, and the more he witnessed, the more he doubted himself. Although Tasia held onto her blind optimism, could he really change everything?

He was nothing more than a time traveler who had learned a smattering of Marxist philosophy in class.

With the existence of magic, an irrational supernatural force, the rule and suppression of commoners by nobles is countless times more stable than in the Middle Ages of the previous life. There were successful cases of rebellion in the books, but that's because everyone is essentially a mortal. If commoners really fought hard, they could "risk their lives to bring down the emperor."

However, the close ties between magicians and the aristocratic class in this world have transcended the realm that mortals can resist.

—Unless there is a way to make magic accessible to ordinary people.

“Later? No, no, I’m talking about now, right now.” Siphus straightened his back, but he was no longer the polite man he used to be. He was ragged and disheveled, like a demon from hell crawling down to earth.

"With your merits of wiping out the rebel headquarters in one fell swoop and capturing me, the great traitor, as well as your noble status as the son of Duke Wincher and the president of the Lily Club of Qingxi Academy, you have the most impressive resume. Of course, you are qualified to sit at the table to share the spoils, but that is the beginning of evil."

Chapter 731 Returning to the Capital

Before Wayne could ask any more questions, Count Sivers' rapier flashed, and Wayne immediately summoned a magic shield to block in front of him.

The long, silver-white sword, imbued with magic, continuously emitted scorching flames, turning the entire street red. The civilians huddled behind cover on both sides of the street, most of whom had never witnessed a battle between high-level mages, simply stared blankly at the scene before them, as if their minds had been stolen, momentarily forgetting even to flee.

"Speaking of which, I have a lot to do with your Wincher family. This Radiant Sword in my hand was once the scepter treasured by Grand Duke Laird. Because of its precious materials and good magical adaptability, it was reforged by the craftsmen who came to Bufana with the army back then. It's like it's been reborn. How is it performing today?"

"Not bad, but it's a shame he's been wasted in the hands of someone like you." At a point like this, Wayne wasn't going to give him any face anymore.

Count Sivers's expression darkened further.

"Ah, to be able to drink the blood of the offspring of the enemy who destroyed the country, if Duke Laird had a spirit after death, he would surely be gratified that I have avenged him today."

His swordsmanship was extremely superb, showing no signs of his previous old and frail appearance. However, what Wayne was competing against him in was not swordsmanship, but magic.

“Tools are just tools after all. No matter how precious a weapon is, it can’t make up for the difference in magical rank.” Wayne clenched his right fist, and the surrounding space seemed to be compressed. An abnormal gravity pressed everyone in the street area firmly to the ground.

At the very center, Count Sivers' movements suddenly became extremely slow, raising the tiny tip of his sword with difficulty as if he were lifting a giant mountain.

“The Wincher family never used any items in the Radiant Palace; they were sealed away intact. Now, the interior has been almost completely looted. You, who have held power in Buffalo for decades, must know best where those valuables went.”

Although the Principality of Milstein has virtually no chance of being restored, many people in Buffalo still miss Grand Duke Laird. Today's street battle will surely be spread by the eyewitnesses present. If we want to win back the hearts of the people, we cannot allow Siefus to make such outrageous remarks in front of so many people.

“If Grand Duke Laird still has any wishes, he would surely hope that Buffalo, which he was so proud of, would regain its glory and that the people of this land could enjoy a peaceful and prosperous life.” Wayne’s words were resounding. “And that is why I have come.”

He approached Siphus step by step.

Sweat beaded on Count Sivers' forehead. Although the rapier in his hand was enchanted, which slightly made up for his less-than-stellar magical talent, it was not enough, far from enough!

"You're only ten years old. No matter how talented you are, how could your magic power be higher than those academy instructors!"

“Oh? That only means—” Wayne raised his right hand, his index and middle fingers together, and gently brushed across the cold, silvery blade. “You haven’t witnessed a true genius firsthand, which is why you can’t imagine things beyond your comprehension.”

The sword trembled, seemingly from the fear in the heart of the one wielding it, or perhaps from an unspeakable obsession.

He vigorously flicked the tip of his sword, stepped forward, and the dazzling light rose like the blazing sun, as if to illuminate every dark corner.

But the next second, an extremely strange force of gravity suddenly pushed him to the other side.

"boom--"

Sivers staggered uncontrollably for several steps. In his perception, the sparse and weak magical elements in the surrounding air suddenly became extremely active, as if they had all gained self-awareness and were joyfully gathering towards the place where he and Wayne were standing under some kind of subtle call.

He wanted to mobilize the magical elements within his body, just like a skill he had practiced hundreds of times until he was completely proficient. However, those magical elements, which were usually extremely obedient, sent out signals of resistance.

Resonating with the magical elements in the outside world, Sivers felt the magical elements within his body becoming active... even boiling over.

"What have you done!" he shouted.

"Of course, I'm going to show you what real magic is."

Earth magic is magic that uses the earth as its medium; its power is not limited to creating various earthen figures and walls.

……

The capital of the Kingdom of Lornes.

“Wayne Winche, he’s back.”

Minister Franz sat at the head of his own dining table, cutting a small piece of goose meat with his knife and fork, and casually remarked.

Upon hearing this, Goethe, who was sitting to Franz's left, paused slightly. The spoon in his hand unconsciously tapped against the edge of the cup, making a barely noticeable knocking sound.

Franz looked at Goethe.

"Really? I just remembered, he has indeed been away from the capital for quite some time now. There are rumors in the academy that he will be granted a title by the king for his merits on this trip." Gore felt that he should continue the conversation in a casual tone, as remaining silent on this topic would only make him seem like he cared a lot.

“Urben is dead. I did have someone pull some strings to restore his noble status based on his achievements in the Southwest, but it was all for nothing.”

He was furious when he first received the news. Back in the Southwest Province, Earl Sivers had been obstructing him at every turn, and even when he went to investigate himself, things almost went wrong, with his most capable subordinate dying mysteriously on the way. The reason he was willing to put aside his grudges and support Wayne was that he wanted to use the Wincher family to vent his anger.

Although the king did not want his conflict with Earl Sivers to escalate, killing his confidant as a return gift was not excessive given the relationship between the two sides.

Franz's plan was that once Urban succeeded, he would immediately flee back to the capital. Wayne Winche would then betray Urban to Count Sivers, who would immediately realize that this was revenge for the previous attack.

If Siphus were sensible, he would have swallowed this bitter pill for the sake of the king, thus preserving the dignity of the great nobles on both sides.

Although Urban wasn't a powerful mage, he was quite skilled in assassination, always striking at his target's weaknesses to kill them instantly, and had never failed in his previous missions. With his calculated approach, dealing with Sandoval, their target this time, shouldn't be too difficult.

But Urban inexplicably fell from grace, and was brutally murdered in the back garden of Radiant Palace under the absurd pretext of being "cursed by Archduke Laird".

Without any evidence, Franz immediately suspected Count Sivers. He was holding back his anger and preparing to rally his followers to launch a fierce attack, but a few days later, another letter arrived saying that Count Sivers had also fallen, and had fallen at the hands of that brat Wayne.

The charge of treason was utterly outrageous, and the king was furious, ordering a thorough investigation. All those who had close ties with Earl Sivers were about to face a major upheaval.

Chapter 732 Taking another step would mean farewell.

“This person has done too much dirty work for you; wouldn’t it be better if he were dead?” Goethe’s reaction was very cold.

This man's fondness for young boys was already well-known in the Edgeworth family. Previously, due to her father's arrangements, Golly couldn't say much, but when she learned that he was going to set off with Wayne, she could no longer hide her disgust for him.

Franz looked displeased. “Geli, it is because you are my beloved daughter that I have taught you so carefully and taken you with me when handling official business. But you must listen to what I say and keep it in mind.”

“What kind of person Urban is in private doesn’t matter; what matters is that he can get things done.” Franz possessed the arrogance of all great nobles, an arrogance to the point that he cared nothing for the character of a tool. “We always encounter all sorts of troubles, so we need all sorts of people to help us solve them. We have the resources, they provide the results, and an exchange is reached—it’s that simple.”

"Those hypocrites who spout a thousand noble words about etiquette and morality are not as useful to you as someone who can directly bring you results."

"But those who will stop at nothing to gain benefits will one day betray you for the same reason." Ge Li was not unaware of these principles; she had earnestly studied and implemented them as truths.

But... she realized that she just couldn't do it.

My father, whom I once regarded as incredibly noble and righteous, has, since some point, become increasingly unbearable in my eyes, with his words and actions.

If a satisfactory result can be achieved in other ways, why choose the dirtiest path?

“Of course, they can betray me, as long as they can withstand the even more brutal retaliation that follows.” Franz finished eating, picked up the napkin folded on his lap, and carefully wiped his hands.

“It’s because someone is willing to do the dirty work for us that our hands can stay clean,” he said. “So even if Urban dies, we can’t let our potential friends think that it wasn’t worth it for Urban to risk his life for us.”

Franz put down his napkin, got up, and left.

He always had endless official duties and guests to meet, so even though he was trying to cultivate Ge Li, it was difficult for him to find much time to spend alone with his daughter.

……

Seonggye Academy.

After hosting wave after wave of guests at his home, Wayne finally returned to school.

Although the time I've been away hasn't been too long, at least not to the point of lamenting leaving home young and returning old, the changing seasons still give the academy's tree-lined paths a somewhat unfamiliar feel. The faint chill in the cold wind makes it hard to recall the carefree days of the past.

In the academy today, there will only be more complicated matters waiting for him.

“Wayne, I was in charge of building this mage tower while you were away!” Chris said with a hint of pride, crossing her arms. “But how come this Lady Ekos you mentioned is so elusive? I wanted to get closer to such an expert, but I went to visit the city guards several times only to find them empty-handed. Even Lord Bulwer said he couldn’t figure out Ekos’s whereabouts.”

“Ahem.” Wayne smiled tactically. “Even within the entire kingdom, there are only a handful of mages who can be compared to Ekos. Such a person would naturally have many unique aspects in their daily life. As far as I know, Ekos seems to have no personal friends and handles everything strictly by the book, so there is not much need to cultivate relationships with such a person.”

"Hmm? So how did you convince such a mysterious and powerful figure with whom we have 'no personal relationship' to cooperate with us?" Chris asked casually, as if suddenly remembering something. "I heard that Miss Aikos is a great beauty, and even Prince Richard fell in love with her at first sight and couldn't forget her."

Please... don't mention this again...

Thanks to the gossip of busybodies, Richard's affection for Echoes has become widely known. In addition, two months ago, Richard used this as a reason to reject another marquis who had mustered up the courage to express her love for him. His image of being devoted to love has actually won the favor of more young women in love.

But for Wayne, all of this was nothing short of hell.

In particular, he simply couldn't imagine what complex emotions Tasia, now that she knew the truth, would feel every time she recalled Prince Richard's various expressions of affection for Echoes.

“Ha, ha... that’s of course thanks to the power of our family.” Wayne said seriously, “I promise Miss Echoes in the name of the Wincher family that I will grant her one request if necessary.”

Chris frowned, even more puzzled. "Our family doesn't seem to have anything more than other families. We're a powerful figure that even the royal family wants to recruit. But is such a broad and vague promise really useful?"

“Well, they agreed anyway, so maybe they saw the greater potential of the Wincher family?” Wayne quickly changed the subject. “Oh, right! I haven’t properly thanked our lovely Lady Chris yet. She was always worried about me in the capital and even thought of supervising the construction for me. Now that I’ve returned victorious and received a reward from His Majesty the King, it’s time to invite the most beautiful Lady Chris to share this joy with me.”

He pulled a rose he had prepared beforehand from his sleeve, knelt on one knee, and solemnly said, "Miss Chris, will you accept my feelings?"

Chris's face visibly flushed red.

"What...what are you doing?!"

"I'm confessing my feelings to you."

"That was so sudden!"

"Or would you prefer candlelight arranged in a heart shape, a more elaborate bouquet, and the presence of many family and friends as witnesses?"

"No, no need, please don't do this." She quickly snatched the only rose from Wayne's hand and brought it close to her nose to smell its fragrance.

Judging from her light movements, she didn't seem annoying, just shy.

“Yes, I accept.” Chris closed her eyes, as if sighing. “Your feelings.”

“Wayne, you know… I used to think I was always resistant to people confessing their feelings to me. You could even say it had become some kind of inexplicable shadow for me. I would rather be friends for life, family for life, than be lovers who would be saying goodbye if we took another step. But just now, for a moment, I actually felt looking forward to the future.”

"Perhaps it is because we were together for a long time and then suddenly separated for a long time that my judgment was affected, but I may really be different from before."

Chapter 733 The Unexpected Wedding

Having spent so much time with Chris, she never seemed to have truly spoken about her experiences in another world.

Yes, she is always cheerful, optimistic, humorous, and easygoing, as if she doesn't take anything to heart.