This young master truly has the ambition of a hero.

The two entered the large bathroom hand in hand and took a bath together, much to the envy of others.

Dick was undoubtedly unqualified as a "bath attendant" because his hands were constantly rubbing and kneading the two softest and most prominent parts of Shizuka Marikawa's body.

However, just as the two of them were happily splashing around in the pool, several more people suddenly entered the bathroom. They were the female warriors who had just returned victorious and wanted to take a good bath.

As soon as everyone entered the bathroom, they saw Dick spanking Shizuka (on the butt), and they all froze on the spot. After a brief silence, Black Gun Dai slapped his thigh and said.

"That's not fair! I'm the MVP tonight, shouldn't I go first?"

As Black Gun Stupid spoke, he ripped off the towel wrapped around his body and jumped naked into the bathtub with a "plop".

Bai Qiangdai appeared relatively reserved, looking at his other self with a helpless sigh, but his gaze unconsciously drifted towards Dick.

As a Heroic Spirit, magic is an essential requirement for her to maintain her existence, especially after battle, when the thirst for magic can easily trigger other desires.

Behind White Gunner were the three female ninjas and Lily, who had all crashed. Some of the things they had accidentally seen were so impactful that the images were completely imprinted in their minds, and it was impossible for them to forget them!

Chapter 063: The Bait in the Fish Traps

Inside the dark, sunless castle dungeon, the team leader was awakened by a bucket of cold water.

He struggled to open his eyes, his dazed mind flashing through terrible images: the scene of being brutally beaten by the two violent female knights before he collapsed unconscious from his serious injuries. He barely managed to withstand a few moves before finding himself completely defenseless.

Upon waking, the team leader found himself suspended by cold iron chains, his mouth stuffed with burlap, his body feeling like it had fallen apart, utterly powerless. It wasn't until his limp head was roughly grabbed by the hair and lifted up that he saw a handsome half-elf boy sitting opposite him—none other than the current young governor of Ragug.

The team leader immediately thought to himself that something was wrong; he hadn't died, and had even been captured alive!

"You're awake! Did you sleep well last night?"

"..."

Dick waved to the prisoner in front of him, his face beaming with a smile, but there was no hint of amusement in his eyes.

Last night's terrorist attack resulted in the most severe casualties since Dick took office as governor of the territory. Moreover, the attackers were no ordinary group; their personnel were highly trained, the squad leader even possessed the strength of a high-ranking warrior, and their methods were ruthless and vicious. If this had happened in an ordinary small territory, they would have been no match for these terrorists.

Dick was furious. Since the bandit suppression operation ended, he had been focusing on farming and developing his resources.

Before he could provoke anyone, someone came and provoked him first.

If he didn't chop off the other party's outstretched claws and then deliver a powerful punch in return, Dick felt he would have a hard time swallowing this insult!

At this moment, the team leader only wanted to die. If his mouth hadn't been gagged, he planned to provoke Dick with insults, but Dick calmly said...

"Don't even think about talking. The reason I spared your life is not to get anything out of you. It's mainly because I'm lazy. Rather than solving problems, I prefer to get rid of the people who create them. So I need you to live... at least for now."

Upon hearing Dick's words, the team leader was slightly taken aback, but then he realized something.

These agents all bear a special soul imprint. Before each mission, they light a soul lamp in Earl Hoffmann's territory. The lamp's flame is inextricably linked to their lives; it only goes out when the person dies.

Count Hoffmann used these spirit lamps to keep track of the lives and deaths of his dispatched men in real time, and even to determine their approximate locations.

The special agent captain was the only survivor of his squad, and presumably, at the Earl's mansion, his team's light was the only one still lit.

Therefore, when Dick discovered that the captured prisoners had the Soul Lamp brand on them, he immediately came up with a plan.

“I don’t know who your boss is yet, but I’m pretty sure that your squad isn’t the only one that infiltrated Lagug. Now you’re the only one left in your squad, and you’ve lost contact with your superiors. Your boss must be frantic right now. I don’t know if he’ll send someone to rescue you, but he’ll most likely send someone to find out if you’re alive or dead. So you’re my bait. Until I catch the big fish, I’ll make sure you’re well protected.”

Dick's words were sincere, but to the head of the special agent team, they sent chills down his spine.

Others might not understand Count Hoffmann, but he knew him very well. That lord was inherently suspicious and disliked any risk. Otherwise, he wouldn't have sent these agents to infiltrate Lagug, to assassinate the governor and carry out terrorist attacks in the area.

If the count senses any risk of betrayal, he will eliminate him completely. Not only will he become a target for assassins, but his family will also be in danger.

The Count had told these agents more than once that he would never mistreat those who died for him, but he would also never let go of those who betrayed him, even if it was just a possibility.

The implication is that they are being "encouraged" to be brave enough to face death!

Seeing that the prisoners' eyes were beginning to waver, Dick got up and left the cell.

Outside the cell, Tia waited respectfully for Dick to come out, and walked alongside him, explaining her prepared plan to him in detail.

The operation was named "Operation Ground Cage." They deliberately left one person as bait to lure the enemy spies lurking in Lagug into a trap.

Currently, the enemy is hiding in the shadows, and it is difficult to detect them unless they take the initiative to show themselves.

But the other side must not know Dick's true strength, otherwise they would never have sent a team of this caliber to assassinate him.

Dick will then feign anger, sending out most of his private army to conduct a large-scale search of the town and surrounding villages, making it appear as if he's willing to dig three feet into the ground to catch the assassin. This will create the illusion that the castle's defenses are weak, and see if they'll take the bait.

The other party will definitely have suspicions, but as long as they are unsure, they will take action.

That afternoon, Dick displayed the severed terrorist heads in town and declared his intention to avenge the victims of the "Beer Hall Massacre." He dispatched his private army to launch a large-scale manhunt, determined to make the damned terrorists pay for their crimes!

A large number of fully armed private soldiers first searched the town house by house. During this time, Dick rode a tall horse and paraded through the city surrounded by black and white gunmen on his left and right.

Some townspeople noticed that on another horse behind Dick, sat a tall, burly man in a cloak and mask. Every now and then, the man would lean close to Dick and whisper something in his ear, after which Dick would direct his private army soldiers to gallop quickly toward a certain place in the city, as if the search operation was being advised by this man.

The cloaked man's build was exactly the same as the agent team leader imprisoned in the dungeon. Even without showing his face, it was enough for some eyes hidden in the crowd to recognize who he was.

The search in the town lasted for three days, during which time the entire town was under lockdown and a curfew was enforced.

The search actually uncovered quite a bit of "dirty stuff"!

There are dens of thieves harboring fugitives, illegal underground casinos, and strange brothels. They even discovered a small number of goblins while cleaning the sewers. It's a classic case of the darkest place being under the lamp!

But none of the spies Dick most wanted to catch were found.

Dick was not surprised by this. After the search in the town ended, he sent troops out of the city to continue the search in the countryside.

As a large number of private soldiers left the city, many people in the city breathed a sigh of relief.

This also made some people feel that an "opportunity" had arrived!

The author says:

Author's note: Lacking inspiration, I'm already biting my lighter.

"Sir, the action team has already begun."

Inside the secret chamber of Count Hoffmann's mansion, the Count leisurely sipped his red wine, listening to beautiful music playing from the record player beside him, while Itzhak stood respectfully by his side.

Before them was a grid wall, each cubicle containing an oil lamp. The flame of one of the lamps flickered incessantly in the still room, as if it might go out at any moment.

After confirming that the leader of his first action group had been captured, Count Hoffmann decisively ordered the remaining groups still lurking in Lagug to find an opportunity to rescue the leader of the first group. If they couldn't rescue him, they should "help" him out.

The Earl was kind-hearted and couldn't bear to see his good subordinates suffer in the dungeon.

The initial assessment of the near-total annihilation of the first group, based on reports from personnel surveying the scene, suggests that the location of the stronghold was exposed, the entire group was surrounded by the governor's private army, and the enemy also used poison gas.

This wasn't the first time Lagug's private army had used poison gas in combat; they had used it against bandits before.

Itzak therefore deduced that Governor Lagug had a skilled chemist from Earth and strongly advised Count Hoffmann to prioritize finding and eliminating this chemistry expert.

As for whether Governor Lagug has any high-level or even Saint-level powerhouses assisting him, Hoffman believes it is unlikely.

The reason is simple: how many Saint-level experts are there in this world? And why would a true Saint-level expert be willing to serve a bastard son with impure blood and low status?

Currently, the Black Forest Empire has a total of five known demigod-level powerhouses, but these old monsters have basically gone into seclusion, thinking about how to take another step forward and enter the eternal realm of gods.

There are relatively more Saint-level experts, thirty-seven of whom have known names, plus some who are hidden, bringing the total to around fifty.

These powerful beings are like nuclear weapons on Earth. While individual nuclear weapons may differ in their yield, they are all capable of destroying the world for ordinary people, so they would not easily use them.

According to the information Count Hoffman possessed, Dick did indeed know a Saint-level expert. He was a disciple of the Archmage Grandor, who himself was a Saint-level mage and one of the three sages of the "Academy School".

The so-called Three Sages refer to the three most respected "Grand Magisters" of the National Magic Academy. These three are also fellow disciples from the same school and are leading figures in the Empire's magic world.

Senior Brother Shabi is the Dean of the Magic Academy and a demigod-level magician, but he hasn't made a public appearance for over a decade.

The second senior brother, Behemoth, is said to be at the peak of the Saint rank, but his whereabouts are unknown.

The third junior brother, Grandor, is also at the Saint-level, and he has always been in the capital.

Hoffman, based on "common sense," judged that Dick was not capable of ordering any of the three to help him deal with a few spies.

Looking at the small flame that symbolized life, Hoffman asked with a smile.

"Yzak, how long do you think the mission will take?"

"If all goes well, five minutes."

Yitzhak spoke with great confidence, stating that he had personally devised the action plan, that the executors were all his prized students, and that they possessed ample intelligence.

Back in David's time, Count Hoffman bribed David to buy Cold Iron from him while secretly planting spies in Lagug to monitor every move inside the castle, thus gaining a thorough understanding of the internal structure of the Governor's Palace castle.

After Dick took office, he dismissed a large number of people from David's time, and his close attendants were only the men he brought from the capital. However, there were still "escaped fish" in the castle who were secretly passing on intelligence. Besides, such a large castle cannot be easily modified.

According to the action plan devised by Yitzhak, his men would disguise themselves as private soldiers and, taking advantage of the current lack of guard inside the castle, would sneak into the castle undetected with the help of an inside agent. After rescuing the leader of the first action team, they would crawl into the sewers through the castle's sewage outlet, row a boat, and enter a nearby river, thus leaving no trace or scent that could be used to track them.

Yitzhak was therefore particularly grateful to Dick for sending people to clean the sewers, which facilitated the evacuation of his men.

Glancing at the mechanical clock in the room, Ytzhak thought that if everything went smoothly, their men should have already entered the dungeon. The eight infiltrators were all elites drawn from various action groups; one four-man team was responsible for the assault and rescue, while another team provided cover and, if necessary, would set fire to the castle to create chaos.

However, at that moment, several soul lamps inside the grid wall suddenly became agitated. Two lamps went out instantly, and two others began to flicker.

Hoffman and Yzak's expressions both changed, because the nameplates on the four lamps were those of the four people who had broken into the group.

"Damn it! An ambush!"

Yzak had a bad feeling in his heart, but it wasn't too late. The four lights of the cover team also went out, followed by the other soul lights. Finally, the lights on the entire wall seemed to be blown out by a strong wind, and one by one the lights went out. In just a few minutes, more than half of them were gone.

Hoffman was so stunned that he didn't even react when the wine glass slipped from his hand and shattered.

"This, this..."

"Our intelligence network in Lagug... has been discovered!"

Meanwhile, in Laguge, a highly targeted large-scale manhunt was also underway.

For the intelligence department led by Tia, what they worry about is never the enemy taking action, but rather the enemy entering stealth mode and remaining motionless.

Once they begin to act, they inevitably leave behind "traces".

It's worth mentioning that when David's old men were dismissed, Dick and Tia discussed it and deliberately kept a few suspicious guys, placing them in some unimportant positions.

These traitors thought they had escaped a disaster, unaware that they were already on a blacklist. They were secretly monitoring the castle, and there were others secretly monitoring them as well.

So, Tia quickly identified a "mole" and, following the trail, tracked down his superior while he was out making a meeting. Ayane even infiltrated the enemy's lair and found the roster of their entire intelligence network in Lagug.

When it comes to covert infiltration, the Demon Ninja are quite successful when they don't fail!

With this list in hand, Dick secretly mobilized his troops, sending some of his elite soldiers back to the city to strike at the same time as the enemy's operation, using the list as a guide.

Many spies are not professionally trained; they are simply locals who have been bribed to collect non-sensitive intelligence for their patrons.

As for the professionals, Dick would naturally arrange for professionals to deal with them.

Inside the dungeon, none of the four agents from the infiltration team remained intact. Rita, carrying a scythe, strolled gracefully across the river of blood, approaching the last remaining survivor.

The agent's legs had been severed, and he was only able to move by supporting himself with his hands. His eyes were filled with terror as he looked at Rita, as if he were staring at a terrifying monster.

The team consisted of four people, led by the leader of the second action group. Like the captured leader of the first group, they were both high-ranking warriors, but in a single encounter, they were cleaved in two by the woman wielding a scythe.

The opponent, fighting four against one, easily slaughtered them as if they were a cat playing with mice.

This level of strength far surpasses that of a high-level warrior!

Once the weaker party realizes the gap between the two sides, all they feel is despair.

The man with the broken leg was quickly cornered. Rita used her scythe to lift his chin and carefully examined his face. The maid's sweet smile sent chills down the man's spine.

"Speaking of which, we've been quite bored lately, and you guys have kindly offered yourselves to help us pass the time. So, as a thank you, we'll just give you a quick and easy meal. You're welcome!"

As Rita spoke, a flash of light appeared in her hand, and the man on the ground shuddered violently. Then his gaze slowly began to glaze over, his body slumped to the side, and his head rolled off. Blood spurted from the severed neck drew a huge fan shape on the dungeon wall, but not a single drop landed on Rita.

Rita turned back to the cell door where the prisoners were being held, not even glancing at the terrified man in the cage, and gracefully sat back down in her chair, picking up the novel she hadn't finished reading and continuing to read.

Rita dealt with the intruders in less than half a minute, her movements clean and efficient. This swift action was also to lighten the burden on her master.

These combat-oriented summoned beings need to consume the magic power they receive from Dick to unleash their full potential. The stronger their combat power, the more magic power they need to consume.

Half an hour later, Tia arrived at Dick's study excitedly with the good news.

Tonight's operation was entirely in Tia's hands, with Dick giving her complete command and not interfering at all. In return for this trust and reliance, Tia delivered a near-perfect performance, uprooting the enemy's entire intelligence network and even uncovering the true identity of the mastermind behind it all.

However, Dick smiled after seeing the other party's name, and looked up to give instructions to Tia.

"The operation was publicly described as the annihilation of the bandits' remnants. Those captured alive who had the Soul Lamp brand on their bodies were all publicly executed, and the rest were sent to labor camps with sentences starting at ten years."

"Shouldn't we take this opportunity to confront and demand an explanation from the other side?"