This young master truly has the ambition of a hero.

"The other side won't admit it, and arguing about this is pointless. What we need to do is show our attitude with concrete actions. Of course, some reciprocal courtesy is also necessary."

"Ok, I see."

Tia pondered for a moment, then quickly came up with an idea. She then excused herself from the study and went back to plan her "return gift" to the person opposite.

After glancing at the briefing again, Dick silently ignited a flame, burning the report to ashes, muttering to himself.

"It's not time to turn against someone yet."

Chapter 065: Seclusion

Inside the secret chamber, Count Hoffmann's face was so dark it was almost black. The soul lamps that covered an entire wall in front of him went out one after another within half an hour, leaving only one still lit.

But this one light that is still on is precisely the one that should be extinguished!

After a long silence, Hoffman gave instructions to Ytzhak in a tone that was clearly trying to remain calm.

"Let all the people who are still alive over there... come back."

Upon hearing the count's order, Ytzhak secretly breathed a sigh of relief, glad that the lord had not lost his mind due to the crushing defeat. He quickly nodded in agreement and left the secret chamber.

Alone in the secret room, Count Hoffmann fell into a terrifying silence once more...

In the days that followed, bad news came one after another like snowflakes.

First, Dick, under the pretext of "sweeping away escaped bandits," uprooted Count Hoffmann's intelligence network planted in Lagug. It was rumored that some spies, fearing for their lives, confessed their identities after being captured, hoping to find a way out, but the arresting officers pretended not to hear them.

Then the civil war situation in Baron Luca changed. The Baroness's side, which could only passively defend, suddenly found thirty suits of plate armor and a large amount of weapons to arm three hundred militiamen in the grove, as well as fifteen fully equipped "wild warhorses".

This amount of equipment is nothing to those wealthy and powerful nobles, but in a civil war within a small baron, it is enough to turn the tide of battle in an instant.

Before the count could react, the civil war in Baron Luca's territory was decided in a single day. After upgrading their equipment, the Baroness's army launched a counterattack that decimated the Baron's forces. Baron Luca himself, while fleeing, accidentally fell and crashed headfirst into a large rock by the roadside, killing himself.

Thus, the civil war in the Baron's domain came to an end, and the Baron's private army laid down their weapons and surrendered, swearing allegiance to the "future Baron" in the Baroness's womb.

It is worth mentioning that the baron's uncle, who was rumored to have had an affair with the baronet, did not, as many people speculated, declare himself a baron or become a "regency" after achieving his success. Instead, he dismissed his militia and left the baron's territory to travel across the continent.

His departure debunked many of the previously rampant rumors.

The civil war in the baronies was quickly brought to a close, and when the news reached the Earl of Hoffmann, the Earl was having a meeting with his retainers.

Some retainers were indignant and threatened to intervene militarily. After all, the Hoffmann family had always supported Baron Luca, and they could easily use the pretext of "avenging the baron" to send troops to occupy the baron's territory. They could take over the entire territory in a day and then support a new, obedient baron.

However, some of the more cautious retainers disagreed with sending troops, as the Baroness clearly had other forces backing her. Moreover, after spring, there was a high probability that the orc tribes in the northern wastelands would raid southwards, making it unwise to divide troops in other directions at such a time.

Seeing his retainers arguing incessantly, Count Hoffmann waved his hand, indicating that he would not take direct action against Baron Luca for the time being, but would report the matter to the Senate and hand it over to the important figures in the capital to handle.

Upon hearing the Earl's words, the retainers exchanged glances and fell silent.

In the Empire, the relationships between lords were not always harmonious and friendly. It was common for them to send spies to their neighbors to gather intelligence, carry out assassinations, and even fight each other.

The imperial family established a Senate specifically to mediate conflicts among nobles, but this institution was essentially a mere formality.

They couldn't be bothered with the conflicts between the minor nobles.

They have no power to manage the conflicts between the great nobles!

The nobles often ridiculed the Senate for this, saying that if the Senate were useful, what would be the point of having a private army?

However, Count Hoffmann did not leave the matter to the Senate to decide; he knew very well who was supporting the Baroness and that he had only lost the first round.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the street, Dick was in his office looking at the thank-you letter from the Baroness, thanking him for the "birthday gift" he had given the future Baron in advance, which the child loved!

In gratitude, the Baroness agreed to Dick's earlier proposal to jointly develop the sulfur mines within the Baron's territory.

After reading the thank-you letter, Dick nodded in satisfaction.

June arrived in the blink of an eye. Without ice and snow or bandits, Laguge was thriving.

Seeing that things were running smoothly and everything was on track within the territory, Dick temporarily handed over the governorship to the female demon queen, Ruby Eyes, while he prepared to "go into seclusion" for a while to improve his magical skills.

Dick's talent in the field of magic is beyond doubt; otherwise, he wouldn't have reached the level of a high-level mage at only eighteen years old. But no matter how good his talent is, he still needs to practice diligently. However, he has been serving as governor for nearly eight months now, and his busy official duties have forced him to temporarily put aside his magical training, thus causing his progress in strength to stagnate.

It wasn't until some problems were exposed during this crackdown on spies that Dick began to re-emphasize his personal cultivation.

Indeed! Among the anime girls summoned by Dick, there are many talented individuals, such as Rita, Belfast, Black and White Artoria, and Lucoa (clone), all of whom possess combat power or destructive power equivalent to that of a Saint.

However, as visitors from other worlds and Servants summoned by Dick, their mana consumed in battle cannot be replenished on its own and can only be replenished from Dick, essentially making everyone share a single "mana bar".

Therefore, as the team continued to grow, Dick gradually became "overwhelmed," and the girls under his command had to be more careful in battle, thus unable to unleash their full potential.

This problem isn't very obvious when playing against weaker opponents, as it can be avoided by finishing the game quickly. However, once they encounter an evenly matched opponent in the future, they will be forced into a protracted battle, which is a fatal flaw!

Realizing the problem, Dick suddenly felt motivated to improve himself.

However, breaking through from the high-level to the saint-level is no easy task. Many people are trapped by this hurdle and cannot cross it in their entire lives. Only by overcoming this dangerous peak can one truly transcend the ordinary and enter sainthood.

There are two main conditions for breaking through to the Saint rank.

The first is physical cultivation, which involves expanding the spiritual meridians throughout the body.

Secondly, there is the spiritual realm, where the soul is integrated with the world.

Dick has already fulfilled the first condition thanks to the blessing of the Winter God. The second condition requires deep meditation, using spiritual power to comprehend the laws of this world.

This is a mysterious and profound realm that tests a magician's comprehension, but also depends heavily on opportunity.

Like Dick's mentor, Grandor, who became a high-level mage at the age of twenty-five, and then remained at the high-level for thirty years. Just when he thought he had no hope, he made a mistake during a magic experiment, which caused an extremely terrible explosion. Grandor was blown dozens of meters away and fell into a lake near the laboratory. He almost drowned, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. He was seriously injured and lay in a coma for a month. When he opened his eyes again, he was already a Saint-level mage.

Meanwhile, his master Behemoth, in order to break through from the Saint rank to the Demigod level, directly cultivated in the slumbering place of the Winter God Ajax, hoping to find "inspiration" from the true god.

Drawing on the experience of these predecessors, Dick plans to go into seclusion for a month to further concentrate his spiritual power and, at the same time, use his fully opened spiritual veins to try to increase his total magic power.

After arranging everything, Dick went into his secluded chamber.

When the girls under Dick locked himself up, the thought of not seeing him, feeling his warmth and smell for a whole month left them feeling a little empty.

"How strange, we've only been apart for a minute, but I already feel a little lonely!"

"Is that loneliness? I'm too embarrassed to call you out on it."

After a moment of sighing, everyone dispersed. Lagug didn't tolerate idlers; before going into seclusion, Dick assigned them different tasks, so they were never short of work.

Natasha and Shizuka returned to the clinic together. The clinic was currently undergoing expansion, with several surrounding buildings acquired by the Governor's Office and surrounded by a wall. After the upgrades and renovations, it would become a formal hospital.

However, there were still only the two of them as actual doctors in the hospital.

So while treating and saving lives on a daily basis, the two of them also each selected two of the smarter and more capable nurses from among the nurses they were training to be their students.

Natasha's two students are named Eve and Jasmine. Eve is the daughter of a small merchant in town. Her mother was a pharmacist, so she can read and write and knows some of the herbal knowledge passed down in her family. Jasmine was the first patient with cold-related illness last winter. After being cured, she took the initiative to become Natasha's apprentice.

The two girls were about the same age, both under thirteen. After taking them on as apprentices, Natasha treated them almost like daughters. The girls also greatly admired Dr. Natasha, believing that her superb medical skills and gentle beauty made her the perfect idol they admired and aspired to be.

"Teacher, you're back!"

"During the time I was back at the castle for a meeting, were there any patients?"

"Have."

"No."

"Ok?"

Hearing the two students give completely opposite answers, Natasha looked at them with some surprise. She saw Eve, who had said "no," looking visibly embarrassed, while Jasmine had a silly expression on her face, as if she had belatedly realized that she had said the wrong thing.

Natasha glanced at the two of them and asked in her still gentle tone.

"What exactly happened? You can't lie to your teacher."

"Um, um..."

"Teacher, I'm sorry, it was my fiancé who came to see me. I saw that his hand was cut, so I bandaged it up a bit with some iodine and gauze."

"Oh, I see. Then... wait a minute! Fiancé?"

When Eve said she had bandaged someone's wound, Natasha didn't think there was anything wrong at first, but she quickly realized that her disciple, who was still half a year away from turning thirteen, actually had a fiancé!

Chapter 066: "Missionary Work"

Natasha knew that locals married very young; during her time at the clinic, she frequently saw young expectant mothers, some as young as fifteen or sixteen, heavily pregnant. However, from a doctor's perspective, she strongly discouraged girls from marrying and having children while they were still developing physically and mentally.

Therefore, upon learning that Eve, who was only twelve years old, had a fiancé, Natasha, out of concern, pulled both Eve and Jasmine in front of her and earnestly explained to them the knowledge of physiological health, emphasizing the various disadvantages of early marriage and childbirth, and advising the two little ones not to taste the forbidden fruit too early.

But after Eve listened with a look of half-understanding, she turned around and asked a very hurtful question.

"Teacher, are you married?"

Natasha: "..."

As a woman in her forties who has never been in a relationship, Natasha has dedicated her youth to the medical profession, busy saving lives and leading the "Earthfire" in the lower city of Belleburg, leaving her no time for her own love life.

Natasha was finally able to relieve some of her burdens once the crisis in her home planet was resolved, and then she was summoned to another world by Dick in the blink of an eye.

So when Eve innocently and without any malice asked her teacher if she had ever been married, Natasha was completely embarrassed and remained silent for a long time before bitterly replying.

"Teacher... is still single."

"Does the teacher have someone she likes? You're so beautiful, you must have many suitors!"

"Eve, it's work time now, let's stop chatting here."

Even though she knew Eve meant no harm, Natasha still found herself overwhelmed by the barrage of gossipy questions and could only awkwardly change the subject.

Especially when the other person asked her if she had someone she liked, Natasha's mind would subconsciously conjure up the image of a certain person.

In the evening, Natasha returned to her room after dinner, took a shower, and prepared to go to bed early. Her roommate, Shizuka Marikawa, would be back a little later because she had some business to attend to at the clinic.

As Natasha passed by her roommate's bed, she noticed an extra silk cushion on the sheets. Out of curiosity, she picked it up and saw Dick, half-undone in his bathrobe and still half-asleep, on it.

Natasha, whose pupils dilated in shock, was momentarily at a loss for what expression to make.

Natasha knew about the more than platonic relationship between Dick and Shizuka Marikawa, and had even caught them doing something intimate more than once. Although their relationship was quite promiscuous, it was consensual, and Natasha didn't say much, so she simply pretended nothing had happened.

However, given Shizuka Marikawa's naturally ditzy personality and her fondness for sleeping naked, Natasha still felt somewhat uncomfortable whenever she accidentally caught a glimpse of the pink handprints on Shizuka's ample breasts and pert buttocks.

Looking at the lifelike portrait of the handsome young man on the pillow, Natasha was momentarily lost in thought. She couldn't help but imagine what her reaction would be if she woke up in the morning and saw Dick himself lying in her bed in this position.

But Natasha was quickly startled by the scene in her mind. Just as she came to her senses and was about to put down the pillow, Shizuka Marikawa walked in at that exact moment. As soon as she pushed open the door, she saw Natasha holding the pillow she had just bought that day, and a very subtle expression appeared on her face.

“Miss Natasha, you…”

"I...I just...I was just looking around, I didn't do anything!"

The usually calm and collected Natasha was now flushed and flustered, a rare sight for her.

Shizuka Marikawa was slightly taken aback, then smiled broadly and said.

“Miss Natasha, if you like it, this is for you. I have other things too, please don’t be shy.”

"The others?"

"Yes, it was made by Miss Rita, and everyone loves it!"

When Natasha asked, Shizuka thought she was interested, so without even changing her coat, she excitedly ran to her wardrobe and took out several more cushions of the same material.

The images above are all life-size illustrations of Dick, but the clothes and poses are all different. There are even pictures of him in women's clothing wearing short skirts. Each of them has a captivating expression and a kind of beauty that appeals to both men and women!

Shizuka Kikkawa proudly presented the cushions to Natasha, letting her choose whichever she liked. If she wasn't satisfied with any of the designs, she could even have one custom-made by Ms. Rita. However, she cautioned against letting Dick know, as he would be displeased.

Natasha was shocked; so this was a "contraband"!

Touching these cushions made of the finest silk fabric, Shizuka Marikawa spoke as if reminiscing.

"This fabric feels great and is very smooth, but it's still nowhere near as good as Dick himself. Miss Natasha, you don't know, Dick is really super cute. Although he has a mature and reliable personality, his body is so soft and fragrant, it's incredibly comfortable to hug!"

Suddenly, Shizuka Marikawa started talking, recounting her "personal experience" in a manner that resembled a fan trying to get a newcomer hooked, making Natasha quite embarrassed.

Honestly, Natasha didn't dislike Dick, but her rationality kept reminding her that the boy was only eighteen, and his body seemed like that of a twelve-year-old, while she was an "old maid" over forty. She and Dick were not a good match.

Natasha had the courage to confront the dangerous rift in Belleburg, but now, in matters of the heart, she is as cowardly as a timid deserter.

Thinking of this, Natasha couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. Then, when she looked up, she saw Shizuka Marikawa smiling at her, and she was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Miss Juchuan, why are you looking at me like that?"