This young master truly has the ambition of a hero.

Joan of Arc couldn't help but smile bitterly upon hearing this. She actually envied children like Ai, who could live carefree lives in peacetime. In her time, France and England had been at war for decades, and the entire country was on the verge of collapse. She had indeed chosen to go to that cruel battlefield, but that didn't mean she liked war.

Just like in Europe at that time, this world was also full of strife. However, the monarch she served this time was not a weak or indecisive child, even though he looked young.

Thinking of this, Joan of Arc glanced back at the tent, thinking that this was not something a child could do.

Joan of Arc had a very good impression of Ai. The two sat together and chatted happily. Joan of Arc thought that Ai was a well-behaved, gentle, and considerate girl with an innocent and somewhat naive personality. When they parted ways, Ai reminded Joan of the importance of getting some rest.

Then, under Joan of Arc's watchful eye, Xiao Ai got up and went into Dick's tent.

Joan of Arc: "???"

Unaware of Joan of Arc's surprised gaze behind her, Xiao Ai entered the tent. The moment she stepped inside the soundproof barrier, a high-pitched, long cry suddenly reached her ears. The curtain acting as a partition, illuminated by the magic lamp, resembled a shadow puppet screen, projecting a breathtaking scene that would make a young girl blush and her heart race.

"The teacher is so amazing!"

Xiao Ai was also someone who got hooked. Dick taught her magic on weekdays, and in the final practical stage, she would be put through the wringer. The key was that she discovered that she was really super talented in this area, just like her breasts that were the envy of all women, which was also the destiny of her family!

Just as she was slightly stunned, Dick's slightly panting voice came from inside.

"Xiao Ai, come in."

"Okay, teacher."

After passing through the tent partition, a striking scene appeared before Xiao Ai.

Three stunningly beautiful women were lying or sprawled on the bed, their faces serene and content. Their naked, delicate skin was covered with fine beads of sweat that glistened under the light. Their long, shapely legs were difficult to close, revealing the marks left by their intense battle. Dick sat on the edge of the bed, looking like a seasoned veteran who had just experienced a fierce fight.

When he saw Xiao Ai come in, Dick smiled and waved for her to come and sit on his whip.

Although Xiao Ai was not a major combatant during the daytime battle, she contributed a great deal. She and several other mages from Lagug erected a protective barrier for the medical area, which withstood many attacks and protected the lives of the medical team and the wounded.

In Dick's plan, rescuing these wounded soldiers was not only out of conscience and morality, but also because he hoped to use them as important propagandists to spread his benevolence back to the rear, thereby attracting those ambitious people in the empire to come to Lagug to join him.

Dick admitted he couldn't compare to a certain succubus from the Eastern Han Dynasty, but he could emulate some of her methods.

In times of chaos, both Liu Bei and Cao Cao had their merits; just don't follow the example of the man surnamed Sun.

Xiao Ai had no idea what Dick was thinking, but today she had protected many people as instructed by her "little teacher," which made the kind-hearted girl very proud. Now, she had even received a personal reward from Dick, and she was so happy that her eyes were practically sparkling with pink hearts.

"Teacher, teacher, am I sitting properly?"

"That's great! Teachers love diligent and studious students the most."

"I...I love teachers the most too! Teacher, teacher, I want more..."

Faced with a JK girl who was both eager for juice and respectful of her teacher, Dick naturally had to fulfill his responsibility as a teacher. He hugged her slender waist tightly, buried his face in her soft, fragrant valley, and then increased the frequency and force of his thrusts.

Even after traveling to the present day, Xiao Ai occasionally misses home, longing for her mother, sister, and classmates. The certain overweight office worker brother, because his chance to meet her was stolen at a crucial plot point, never even existed in her memory.

If possible, Xiao Ai also wants to go home for a visit, but not alone. Instead, she wants to invite her absolute favorite teacher and introduce him to her family.

"Look! This is my teacher whom I met in another world, and also the person I love most!"

The girl thought this way and longed for that day to come. She didn't consider a fatal problem at all: if Dick, with his succubus-like physique, really took him home, there would probably be some doujinshi to follow.

Xiao Ai hadn't considered this situation, but even if she had, she might not have been unable to accept it...

With Dick's help, Xiao Ai soon joined the group lying down. Then Dick also lay down in the middle of the four women and was embraced by Qi Gante, who had recovered. The back of his head was pressed against the big, soft "cushion," which was very comfortable.

To maintain the core fighting force of the team, he, as their leader, truly worked tirelessly day and night.

The next morning, after breakfast, Dick did the exercises Feng Wuxi had instructed him to do again, feeling refreshed before heading to the central command camp. In contrast to his seemingly "refreshed" state, Reinhardt and the other officers of the legion looked much worse, all appearing exhausted from lack of sleep.

Fortunately, yesterday's battle boosted morale, and the troops were no longer as anxious and uncertain as they had been in the previous days.

When Reinhardt saw Dick, he immediately invited him to sit down at the head of the table on his right. The position of the chair indicated that his status within the Second Eastern Army Corps was steadily rising.

It's obvious to anyone with eyes that the Second Eastern Army Corps' current predicament of survival is entirely due to Dick's help. Without his guidance, they might still be fighting to the death in front of the enemy's fortress, and their supplies would have been exhausted long ago.

This morning, the army received another communication from back home. Upon learning that the Second Eastern Army Corps had not been defeated by the Kingdom like the other three armies, the capital's high command immediately took the matter very seriously.

Fearing that magical communications might be disrupted, they specially dispatched dragon knights to fly thousands of miles to airdrop an imperial edict to Reinhardt, ordering them to hold fast!

However, Dick, who had an intelligence network in the capital, knew that the edict was actually issued by cabinet officials in the emperor's name. Hesse VII was still claiming illness and ignoring state affairs, and some strange rumors had recently been circulating in the palace.

Because much of the information is unverifiable, Rita is intensifying her intelligence gathering efforts.

However, one thing is certain: Reinhardt is now famous in the capital.

In an effort to save face, the Empire portrayed Reinhardt, the only one still fighting, as a loyal, patriotic, courageous, and resourceful "great hero" who not only saw through the Kingdom's army's despicable tactics but also refused to give up the fight despite being outnumbered.

That's how the newspapers in the capital city advertised it: the empire's "honorable" frontal invasion was thwarted by the treacherous kingdom's army through a "sneak attack." As for Maple Dew's guardian saintess, the newspapers described her as a "Sara's Chosen One" who was licentious and brainwashed the soldiers with her beauty.

Rita deliberately cut out this description from the newspaper and sent it to Dick along with the letter, making Dick feel that Rita, this wicked traveler, was subtly criticizing him, but he had no evidence.

As things stand, everything is proceeding as Dick had predicted.

He neither wanted the empire to win quickly nor to lose quickly; he believed that a prolonged and slow war was the most favorable situation for the development of the northern region.

The revitalization of the North might depend on this battle!

Lagug's fleet is now not only exchanging weapons and equipment for gold coins from the wealthy southern lands, but it has also begun to target the population. Many southerners are migrating north to escape the impending war.

The wealthy and powerful naturally chose to move to the prosperous capital city, but ordinary people couldn't even guarantee a place to stay in the capital, let alone make a living. Therefore, they had no choice but to continue north, and some of them were tricked into going to the northern border.

Dick believed that given Lagog's current level of development and living conditions, even if the nobles looked down on it, the common people could still stay. Once the refugees arrived and saw for themselves, many long-standing prejudices and discriminations would vanish in the face of reality.

Chapter 263: Fragile Things

For the next two days, the opposing Kingdom's army made no major moves, so the corps took advantage of this rare respite to continue reinforcing and repairing its defensive fortifications. The engineers wielded shovels and picks with incredible speed, and in just one night, they repaired the damaged front-line positions and reinforced them to a certain extent.

Behind the fortress, some mages were also trying to widen the river.

This narrow and winding lifeline sustained the lives of more than 100,000 people in the Corps. However, due to the narrowness of the river and the shallowness of the water, some large ships carrying supplies could only wait to be transported inland by small boats one trip at a time after arriving at the open sea.

This not only makes transportation inefficient, but also carries the risk of being attacked.

In fact, the Kingdom's navy had already discovered the transport fleet and tried to attack it to prevent them from sending supplies ashore, but all their attacks were repelled by the escorting ship girls.

Only the size of a human, capable of maneuvering at speeds exceeding thirty knots, and attacking from several kilometers away using artillery and torpedoes. The Maple Dew Navy had never encountered such an opponent before, and the fleet commander immediately reported to his superiors that they had been ambushed by an Imperial Saint-level expert.

Each time the small boats completed a supply transport mission, they would use the remaining cabin space to take away some wounded soldiers who had lost their fighting ability and send them back to the rear for recuperation.

But the reinforcements Reinhardt requested from the rear never arrived.

Dick learned from Ruby Eyes's letter that most of the southern nobles are currently intensifying their recruitment and military expansion to strengthen the armed forces of their own territories.

Previously, when the empire invaded the south, many minor lords sent out their private armies in order to gain more benefits from the war. As a result, their troops were wiped out at the front. Some lords who personally led their troops to the front even lost their lives in foreign lands, leaving their hometowns leaderless. Their sons immediately staged an ugly drama of "fighting for the family property".

As for the powerful noble families, they have indeed suffered losses, but they are far from being crippled. Most of them are now observing and considering whether it is worthwhile to continue investing resources in this war between the Empire and Maple Dew.

It is worth mentioning that although the Best family provided a large amount of military supplies and a transport fleet to the southern front, they did not provide any additional troops, which is quite intriguing.

Meanwhile, in northern Laguge, as orders arrived one after another, the industrial zone, which had already completed its preliminary preparations, quickly began mass production. In addition to a large number of cold weapons such as swords and armor, a batch of high-quality "seamless steel pipes" also quietly came off the production line in some secret workshops with strict access control. They were then immediately packaged into boxes and transported away to a special warehouse for temporary storage.

Lagug has never lacked the technology to manufacture certain prohibited items, after all, it has the technical expert Ruby Eye to guide it, mainly because the Empire's laws do not allow it.

But Dick had a premonition that after this Southern War, the Empire's high command's control would inevitably begin to decline. The bigwigs at the top may have initially intended to use this war to establish their authority and further strengthen central power, but they never expected it to backfire, instead stirring up the ambitions of various factions.

He Laguge may not reveal his true intentions openly, but he must not lag behind others in his preparations behind the scenes.

After Dick went south to support the front lines, the other members of the trading group in Mouth Harbor rented a mansion as a trading post through the governor's connections. Ruby Eyes and Ding An were responsible for negotiating with various forces, while Tia and her subordinates quickly established an intelligence station.

As the head of the intelligence agency, her work focused on intelligence gathering and analyzing the large amount of information collected daily from other intelligence stations.

Dick on the front lines only needs to focus on replenishing the girls' mana, while Tia in the rear has many more things to consider.

Based on the intelligence gathered, Tia also discovered some interesting details.

First, in the southern region, the defeats at the front lines have indeed caused heavy losses for many small and medium-sized lords. It's like investing in stocks, hoping to make a fortune, only to find that everything is gone in the blink of an eye.

So they are the ones who are most panicked right now, desperately seeking help everywhere like a patient grasping at straws.

The great nobles, especially those noble groups that have formed powerful factions, although they also suffered losses, were able to withstand the pressure because they had a strong foundation. They even took advantage of this military threat to legitimately expand their private armies on a large scale, while also recruiting small and medium-sized lords who wanted protection into their camp.

Some forces build defensive systems within their own territories, and the locations of those fortresses are quite delicate. It's hard to say whether they are defending the south or the north.

In short, some powerful forces clearly want to turn the crisis into an opportunity to further strengthen regional independence and form a de facto state within a state.

Just like the little tricks Ragug pulled during the previous orc invasion.

As for the capital, the political center of the empire is a chaotic mix of factions, large and small, with countless relationships between them, making intelligence agents feel overwhelmed when trying to map out the network of relationships.

It is precisely because there are too many factions, and everyone is checking and balancing each other, that the empire's brain is now like a brain-damaged person, completely unaware of what it should be doing. The cabinet bureaucrats have been arguing since before the war started, and they have been arguing ever since the war began. The key issue is that King Hesse VII is just sitting idly by and not doing anything.

Without someone stepping forward to make a definitive decision, the hammer will just keep striking randomly!

However, chaos often brings opportunities. Dick was not a loyal subject of this messed-up empire, nor was this the homeland that gave him pride and a sense of belonging in his previous life. Ever since Dick learned how people in this world treated Earthlings, he had made up his mind that he would rebel one day!

On the morning of the third day after the initial attack, the Kingdom's army finally made some moves. First, a group of soldiers carried things to the middle of the battlefield and set up a platform. Then, they sent a messenger to invite His Excellency the commander of the Imperial Legion to conduct high-level negotiations.

This invitation put Reinhardt in a difficult position.

I went, but I was worried it might be a scam.

If we don't go, our momentum will be weakened.

In the end, it was Dick who suggested that they might as well play along with them.

"Don't worry, brother. I'll bring people with me. Even if a fight breaks out, I'll definitely protect you."

Seeing Dick confidently vouch for him, and knowing that the strength of him and his female subordinates was evident to everyone in the legion, Reinhardt's initial anxiety subsided considerably.

Reinhardt then nodded in agreement to attend the meeting, but both sides were not allowed to have more than seven people accompanying them.

After seeing off the envoy from the Kingdom Army, the group briefly discussed the matter and concluded that the Kingdom Army's change in attitude was due to their previous fierce resistance. They realized that continuing the offensive would require paying a considerable price to defeat the Second Eastern Army Corps, so they stopped the attack and instead tried to persuade them to surrender.

War is about calculating gains and losses. A truly excellent commander must consider how to eliminate more enemies with fewer losses through superior tactical command, rather than blindly engaging in free-for-all tactics.

The Maple Dew Kingdom is only one-fifth the size of the Empire. If it were to fight a life-or-death struggle, they would definitely be at a disadvantage, which is exactly what the Empire wants to see.

In the previous battle, the 250,000-strong Kingdom army fought with unstoppable momentum, easily defeating three Imperial legions. At the cost of only a few thousand casualties, they defeated more than 30,000 Imperial soldiers and captured about 50,000 others.

However, a considerable portion of the more than 200,000 people who fled have already escaped back into the empire.

Reports indicate that an imperial general named Malcolm is gathering defeated troops in Charles City and organizing manpower to repair the city's defenses, actively preparing to resist the Kingdom's army.

As for the Third Prince Bailey, who should be the one to step up and take charge, he is still in seclusion!

Upon learning of his friend's situation, Reinhardt was filled with mixed emotions. He never imagined that the once spirited prince would be so fragile, that a single setback could cause him to become so despondent.

This reminded Reinhardt of his father, who was claiming to be ill at home. When the old crown prince had just died, the third prince had personally visited the old duke in order to gain the support of important ministers.

Reinhardt was also present at the time, and he joined Bailey in trying to persuade his father, hoping to help the third prince gain support from the southern nobility.

No matter how eloquently the Third Prince spoke of his grand vision, Duke Rune remained unmoved, his attitude ambiguous, much to the Third Prince's disappointment at not getting what he wanted.

Afterwards, Reinhardt spoke to the Duke alone and asked why he did not think highly of the third prince.

After the death of the old crown prince, the empire now has only two princes left, with the third prince being the only adult. Although the fifth prince is more favored by King Hessen VII, he is still a child, and his mother's background is far inferior to that of the third prince. He is weak and powerless and simply not capable of ascending to the throne and gaining the support of the people.

The Duke simply pointed to the exquisitely crafted glass on his desk and said...

"Some things look shiny and beautiful on the surface, but they are actually fragile and break easily. You might even get pricked while cleaning them up."

As the old duke spoke, he gently flicked the glass with his finger, causing it to fall to the ground and shatter into pieces.

Chapter 264: Poaching from the Wall Right in Front of You

Out of respect for his friend, Reinhardt did not tell him about the Duke's assessment of the Third Prince Bailey. Even he himself felt that his father's words were excessive. His Highness the Third Prince had received an elite royal education since childhood and had noble royal blood flowing through his veins. How could he be as fragile as glass?

As it turns out, experience truly matters!

Reinhardt could only sincerely pray that His Highness would recover soon.

The following morning, Reinhardt, surrounded by a group of Saint-level experts, went to the center of the battlefield to negotiate with the Kingdom's army.

The people of Fenglu kept their promise and only formed a team of equal numbers. However, to everyone's surprise, the leader was not the Holy Maiden who protected the country, but a beautiful young girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. She looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old, and her princess dress seemed somewhat out of place on the battlefield.

"She is Lilia, the Tulip Princess of the Maple Dew Kingdom, and the eldest daughter of the Queen on the other side."

The well-informed Quinn whispered a few words in Dick's ear, just in case Dick didn't recognize him.

Dick had heard of the "Tulip Princess" before, but this was indeed the first time he had met her.

The little princess opposite him seemed to notice his gaze and glanced in his direction as well.

After the two sides met, Reinhardt and the princess sat down facing each other, with their Saint-level experts lined up in a row. Dick was directly opposite the Holy Maiden who protected the nation. Although Dick was not intimidated, the difference in height between them made him appear slightly inferior in terms of imposing presence.

Is this Joan of Arc from real history on Earth?

Historical descriptions of Joan of Arc's appearance state that she was of good looks, five feet two inches (1.57 meters) tall, with a short neck, a stocky build, and muscular and very strong. Her eyes were wide-set and somewhat protruding, and she had short black hair to wear a helmet.

Now, upon seeing him in person, it's clear that apart from a slight difference in hair color, he basically matches the historical description—a handsome tomboy with a strong heroic air.