This young master truly has the ambition of a hero.

He had already taken advantage of the chaos to row his small boat away with the artifact, but halfway there he saw many large octopus tentacles emerging from the water, and mistakenly thought he had encountered a sea monster. When the pirate ship was forcibly dragged ashore earlier, the pirates on board, because they couldn't see that it was Ding An and Kashino dragging it from the front, already thought it was the work of a sea monster. Now, seeing these large tentacles, it further confirmed this speculation.

These pirates were most afraid of encountering sea monsters. Legend has it that if a sea monster eats you, even your soul will be chewed up. Terrified, the second-in-command immediately rowed the boat in the opposite direction and ran for his life to shore.

Upon hearing his story, Dick and the other ship girls all wore expressions that suggested they wanted to laugh but dared not, because the sea monster he encountered was clearly the sailboat ship girls Golden Deer and Royal Fortune.

Terrified by the sea monster, the second-in-command was incredibly open during interrogation, revealing crucial information about the Fjord Pirate Alliance, including the hideouts of various pirate groups, all in an effort to secure his survival.

Three days later, Dick led his army back in triumph, causing another sensation.

It's important to understand that the fjord pirates in the north are not like the bandits and outlaws on land. In the past, Lagug had no navy, so even if they wanted to fight, they couldn't do anything to them. But Dick not only fought them, but he also defeated the strongest Sea Tiger Gang and hung Tiger's head at the city gate.

Upon returning to town, Dick entrusted the follow-up work to his men. Those pirate prisoners were either killed or sent to labor camps, while the freed slaves were promised to be restored to their freedom after their identities were verified.

You should know that not all of these people are good guys; some of them were actually kidnapped and double-crossed.

Tia was in charge of this matter, and the spy complained that she felt she was becoming more and more like the head of the secret police.

Of all the rescuers, Dick was most curious about the female elves.

There were twelve of them in total, all possessing the iconic beauty of the elves, but their eyes were dull and lifeless. They showed no joy after being rescued, remaining silent and adopting a non-violent non-cooperative attitude when questioned.

From the captured pirates, Dick learned a startling truth.

These female elves were actually sold by the Dead Tree Gang to the Sea Tiger Gang. They supplied the "goods" every six months, providing ten to twenty female elves each time. This business between the Sea Tiger Gang and the Dead Tree Gang had been going on for over thirty years, with several hundred elves sold in total.

It's worth noting that the Dead Tree Party are extreme Restorationists who claim to "make the Elven race great again." However, while they chant "Elves are supreme," they secretly sell their own kind into slavery to pirates, which is truly astonishing.

These female elves are temporarily staying in a small courtyard next to the clinic, where they are cared for and looked after by dedicated staff. When Dr. Natasha examined these elves, she found that although they did not show any visible injuries, their internal organs were showing obvious signs of failure and they had severe brain damage, which was suspected to be caused by drugs. The most severely affected ones had probably lost their ability to communicate.

"They are like flowers that are about to wither; their petals may still look beautiful, but they will fall off with the slightest touch."

Natasha handed the medical report to Dick for a look, her tone full of sympathy.

After reading the report, Dick couldn't help but feel a little sad. Although these female elves were unwilling to speak, the medical report and the testimonies of some high-ranking pirates were enough for him to guess the general situation.

"It's just enough to feed twelve poor souls, I have that much money. But I must remind you, don't let your sympathy cloud your judgment. These female elves will be under surveillance for the time being, and try to prevent our medical staff from having contact with them alone."

"You're worried they'll..."

"It's better to be safe than sorry. It would be a huge loss if our medical staff, whom we've trained with great care, made a mistake due to a moment of negligence. They are all your students, but they are also my people. Natasha, you'd better go and rest. You've been taking care of the wounded these past few days, and you even have dark circles under your eyes."

Hearing Dick's words of concern, Natasha smiled. She had indeed been exhausted these past few days. Although the "Fjord Operation" was a great success, it also resulted in a large number of wounded.

Most of the slaves suffered injuries of varying degrees during the forced beaching, and many even died from being crushed and trampled. Natasha was not the kind of saintly figure overflowing with compassion; she understood what necessary injuries meant, but with the compassion of a healer, she would do her best to treat every wounded person.

This has directly led to her working overtime these past few days, averaging only three hours of sleep per day.

Thinking about this, Natasha suddenly felt a little envious of her colleague, Shizuka Marikawa. Her workload these past few days had been no less than hers, but she would take time to go to Dick's place to "recharge." She would go for an hour and then come back refreshed and ready to work again.

Of course, while she admired him, Natasha, who knew what "recharging" meant, lacked the courage to actually do it herself because she was too shy.

However, just as Natasha was lost in thought, Dick, who was sitting opposite her, noticed her spacing out and assumed that Natasha was a little mentally exhausted from the past few days. So he got up, came behind her, and put his hand on Natasha's shoulder, wanting to massage her to help her relax.

Dick had always respected Dr. Natasha and wanted to massage her out of pure concern, without a trace of ulterior motive. However, when his shoulders were pressed down, Natasha suddenly shuddered and subconsciously let out a rather charming scream.

"Young Master Dick, what's going on...?"

"Don't be nervous, let me give you a massage. Your shoulders are really stiff. I learned this massage technique from someone special. Even Shizuka-sensei said it felt good after getting a massage from me."

As the saying goes, what is said without intention may be taken to heart by the listener. Dick was fine when he mentioned other people, but when he mentioned Shizuka Marikawa, Natasha subconsciously recalled the shocking scene she had seen in the ruins that day.

Noticing her face flushing and burning again, Natasha was about to get up and slip away when Dick started massaging her shoulders. The immense relief from her shoulder pain made Natasha's body go limp, and she almost groaned in pleasure.

"You must be exhausted."

"Um……"

Natasha nodded, pursing her lips and letting out a soft hum. The fatigue of the past few days, coupled with the "burden" on her chest that had been causing her so much distress, had indeed pushed Natasha's shoulders to their limit. Dick's massage was like parched earth receiving timely rain, leaving her wanting more, while simultaneously causing a certain line within her to begin to waver unconsciously.

The massage lasted for about ten minutes. After Dick finished the whole process, he could clearly feel that Natasha's shoulders, which had been very stiff due to tension, had regained their natural suppleness.

He had finished pressing the button and was about to move his hand away when Natasha unexpectedly grabbed his hand and spoke in a soft, almost inaudible voice.

"Can... we continue?"

"Huh? Natasha, what did you say?"

"I said...can we continue?"

"Want to press it again?"

"No...it's...it's the next step."

Having said all that, Dick understood perfectly and couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

Always adhering to the principle of voluntariness, he would never use his position as master to force his female subordinates to do things they were unwilling to do. Therefore, since Natasha had previously shown great resistance, Dick would certainly not resort to such a forceful approach.

But if Natasha makes the request herself, he won't refuse such a good thing.

So Dick's small hands naturally reached over his shoulders and lifted Natasha's rather heavy burden. Natasha just hummed softly and showed no resistance whatsoever.

Is it really possible?

"You...you just don't mind that I'm an old lady."

"You can't say that. I absolutely adore mature and charming beauties like Ms. Natasha. To be honest, if I weren't afraid of offending you and making you dislike me, I would have done this a long time ago."

Natasha usually dresses conservatively, covering herself up completely. However, her figure, like a ripe peach, is so outstanding in every way that even when she dresses conservatively, she will inadvertently exude a natural and unconscious sensuality.

Dick had to admit that he was completely powerless against this just-right mature woman's charm.

Under Dick's skillful manipulation, Natasha's breathing became increasingly rapid. He pulled her up and led her into the lounge of the office, where he pounced on the soft couch and took the opportunity to capture Natasha's fragrant lips.

Natasha, kissing a man for the first time in her life, was so dizzy from Dick's kiss that she easily pried open his teeth and was invaded by his small but extremely nimble tongue.

Meanwhile, Dick had already unbuttoned Natasha's coat. It was summer, after all, and although Natasha was used to being very covered up, she only had a sleeveless shirt and her innermost underwear under her white coat, which Dick easily stripped off to make her "edible".

It truly lives up to its name as a "rich and sinful thing"—its heavy, almost suction-like feel is indeed sinful!

"Ugh...don't suckle! I can't breastfeed!"

Natasha was practically going crazy. She realized the difference between just watching and experiencing it firsthand was enormous, and the intoxicating sensation was indescribable. Dick, on the other hand, had a very cute boyish face and physique. This almost generational age difference added a thrilling sense of "immorality" to this forbidden experience.

Subconsciously, Natasha pictured Dick passionately kissing her skin, then looking up at her with an innocent expression and calling her "Mommy." Natasha shuddered, feeling utterly ashamed of her sinful thoughts.

However, Natasha's right hand suddenly touched a hot, rod-like object. It had been circling her flat stomach, which piqued her interest. Reaching out to touch it, she immediately understood what it was and was filled with horror.

Hey! This size and body proportion seems to defy common biological sense, doesn't it?

Just as Natasha was filled with mixed emotions, the imposing battering ram was already pressed against the unsuspecting city gate, and with a single impact, it broke through the gate and penetrated deep into the enemy's lair.

The pain of her first experience made Natasha cling to Dick like a koala, holding him tightly in her arms and refusing to let go, muttering to herself.

“To my adoptive parents in Belleburg, you no longer need to worry about your daughter’s marriage.”

Meanwhile, at the office entrance, Belfast, holding a stack of approval documents, was about to open the door when she found it locked from the inside.

Belfast was slightly taken aback, then immediately understood and began to deduce the reasoning in her mind.

"In broad daylight, this colleague must be incredibly brave, right?"

Chapter 093: Returning "Home"

On the last day of August, the first batch of corn sown in spring ripened.

Dick personally led a group to inspect the cornfields of the labor camp. Looking at the golden, plump ears of corn in the field, he smiled just like Khrushchev.

After he had finished laughing, Dick turned to his companion, Ruby Eyes, and asked.

What's the yield per acre for this batch of corn?

"The yield is around 400 kilograms on average. The corn varieties provided by Lucoa are excellent. If we can get the fertilizer, the yield can be doubled. In addition, the demonstration fields we set up in various villages have also played a promotional role, and many villagers are willing to switch to planting corn next year."

"I'll leave all of this to you. Just go ahead and do it with confidence."

Agricultural development in the territory is currently the core of Ruby's Eyes' work, while the Chamber of Commerce has been largely handed over to Ship Girl Ding An.

This was also at Ding'an's own request. She knew that she couldn't be of much help in terms of combat power, so she decided to make full use of her business talents and switch to an administrative position.

It is worth mentioning that the transfer of power to the chamber of commerce leaders has sparked much speculation.

Prior to this, Ruby Eyes' work had been flawless, and everything had been done perfectly. In addition, she herself was a voluptuous and beautiful woman, so some lewd guys judged others by their own standards and envied the Governor's good fortune in being able to recruit such a talented and capable person.

Without any warning, the Chamber of Commerce was about to parachute in a new leader, who was also a busty beauty whose figure and appearance were no less than those of Red Jade Eyes. This led everyone to secretly speculate whether Lady Red had fallen out of favor with the governor.

However, the lady quickly developed a very good relationship with the new Lord Ding'an, and even personally took him around to meet people and familiarize him with the various businesses of the Chamber of Commerce.

So those who had previously guessed that Hongyu Zhitong had fallen out of favor suddenly realized that the two were "good sisters"!

Damn it... I'm even more envious of the Governor now!

After inspecting the cornfields, Dick returned to the castle and immediately summoned the heads of his various departments to a meeting to discuss the territory's future development plans.

Food self-sufficiency is only the first step, but this first step is the most important and is the foundation for all subsequent development. Therefore, Dick decided to continue to invest in agriculture next year, expand and upgrade the scale of agricultural and livestock production, and introduce more types of crops and livestock.

People can't just eat staple foods; it's also necessary to improve "residents' happiness level."

Back when Dick first took office, Lagug was in dire need of rebuilding. The climate in the territory was harsh, the people were living in poverty, and bandits were rampant. The governor's mansion was just an empty shell, riddled with holes by a group of pests.

In less than a year, the territory has become largely stable. The bandits and outlaws entrenched in the east and west have been wiped out, and the largest pirate group, the Sea Tiger Gang, has been severely damaged and disintegrated, with even its stronghold raided. Other smaller pirates have scattered and fled at the first sign of trouble. As for the horse bandits, who were also under Dick's close watch, they seem to have received advance warning and haven't dared to come to Laguge at all this year.

Dick's success in less than a year is largely due to the contributions of his team.

In order to preserve these hard-won gains, Dick had to secure his position as governor.

Therefore, he must return for this year's performance review and must not use feigned illness or other means to avoid it, lest the suspicious old duke develop any unnecessary suspicions.

Of course! Dick wasn't saying he wouldn't use any methods at all. He planned to go back this time and set off on the exact date. The fastest round trip would take 22 days. In the past, winter in Laguge started at the end of September, so if he set off in early September, even if he arrived in the capital, he wouldn't have to stay for more than a few days before having to come back.

"This time when we go back, Rita, Momiji, and Lucoa, the three of you come with me. The rest of you stay behind."

"Huh?" xN

"What do you mean, 'huh'? Come back with me! Aren't you going to keep people here in our hometown? This is our foundation. Did you think I went back to the capital just for fun?"

Dick didn't plan to bring many people with him back to the capital. Besides the three girls, he would bring forty soldiers to escort some large items that couldn't fit into the space bracelet.

Although Dick didn't particularly like his estranged relatives, he still observed proper etiquette, having prepared quite a few gifts. Many of them were loot seized during raids on pirate hideouts.

For the past year, Dick had been writing to the Duke regularly to report on his work. In his letters, he carefully crafted a persona for himself, portraying himself as an illegitimate son who was trying to prove his loyalty to the family and wanted to demonstrate his worth. He was not very tactful and preferred efficiency, which meant that although he had achieved some success in Lagug over the past year, he had also offended a number of people.

Many superiors prefer this type of subordinate. They are not afraid that he will offend people and make enemies everywhere, but they are afraid that he will be good at playing both sides and getting along well with outsiders.

Three days later, Dick set off on his journey back to the capital. He sat in the carriage, holding a copy of the capital's daily newspaper published three days earlier, carefully reading each article and searching for useful information.

It is clear that the situation in the capital is currently relatively stable. The political turmoil caused by the death of the crown prince is hidden beneath the surface, and all parties are generally exercising restraint.

Originally, the Crown Prince died unexpectedly, and the position of Crown Prince should have been inherited by the Third Prince, who was currently second in line. However, the Third Prince's mother came from an ordinary background. Her family was originally a noble family of the Maple Dew Kingdom, but they defected and joined the Empire. As a result, she was looked down upon by many of the Empire's old noble families.

In contrast, although the Fifth Prince is young, he is deeply favored by the old emperor, and his mother's family is a prestigious clan with a long history in the empire, not of "foreign blood." In addition, the civil service group that originally supported the old crown prince has shown a tendency to switch their support to the Fifth Prince after the crown prince's death, so his chances of winning are not small.

Besides these two princes, there is actually another "hidden character" who is also qualified to participate in this competition for the throne. That is Prince Heinz, the only remaining prince of the empire and the younger brother of the current emperor, Hesse VII.

It's worth noting that Prince Heinz is not very old. The old emperor is already ninety years old, but his younger brother is only twenty-three, younger than the twenty-eight-year-old third prince. The previous emperor, Hesse VI, died forty years ago.

At first glance, this seems like a very environmentally conscious story, and upon closer examination, it even has a slightly morbid feel. However, in this literally magical world, it is a "reasonable" thing.

Chapter 094: Bloodline and Interests

The human race is a race with very balanced stats across the board.

However, the absence of obvious weaknesses also means the absence of outstanding strengths.

This balance was the main reason why humans were able to rise rapidly after the decline of the elves, but for the nobles who wanted to show their superiority, they did not like this mediocre balance.

Therefore, throughout history, nobles have longed to obtain bloodlines that are born with certain advantages, which they consider to be of a very high level.

Centuries ago, before the elves declined, many human nobles desperately sought to intermarry with them, hoping their offspring would inherit their innate beauty, magical talent, and longer lifespan. Unfortunately, times have changed. Since the collapse of the elven holy kingdom, elven bloodlines have become obsolete in the current version of the game, transforming from a noble, superior race into an inferior "demi-human."

After the rise of humanity, in order to demonstrate its dominant position in the world, it classified all other races as "demi-humans".

But there is one lineage that, even today, is still highly sought after.

That is the "Dragon Bloodline"!

Compared to the elves, the dragons are more ancient and powerful, with pure-blooded dragons having a lifespan of almost infinite. Moreover, they have never been defeated by the humans, having migrated to other worlds in ancient times, leaving behind only many ancient legends from the mythological era and a small number of surviving bloodlines.