This young master truly has the ambition of a hero.

Their apprentices have a tenure of fifteen gold coins, which is considered a high-income group.

However, this was only on paper. The wages that workers and craftsmen were supposed to receive were actually quite different from what they received. Many miners, after being persuaded to drink by Tia, who was pretending to be a "good buddy," couldn't stop talking. They cursed the acting governor and the militia captain for colluding with each other and being inhuman, withholding their wages, deducting food allowances from the labor camps, and even daring to skim money from the craftsmen.

A master chef died of illness three years ago, but David concealed this and embezzled the master chef's 50 gold coins of seniority, while distributing his workload to other chefs with increased pay but no increase.

Perhaps thinking he was far from the emperor's reach, David became so arrogant that he didn't even bother to hide it. Sometimes he even deliberately acted in front of his subordinates to intimidate the miners and make them think about their families.

After listening to Tia and Lily's reports, Dick stroked his chin and fell into deep thought.

The information the two gathered was indeed evidence of David's crimes, but to be honest, the evidence was... a bit too lenient.

Looking across the entire empire, those who don't engage in things like embezzling rations are a minority; it's reached the point where the law doesn't punish everyone. The old Emperor Hesse VII was incompetent and foolish, and the prime minister formed cliques for personal gain. If this kind of crime were reported, at most it would only result in a slap on the wrist, and might even bring unnecessary trouble to Dick himself, making him seem like a "meddlesome" person.

After thinking it over, Dick told Tia and Lily to go and rest while they waited for information from the ninja group.

At this moment, Belfast came to Dick with several documents and pointed to the data on them.

“Master, I’ve checked the local household registration records, and there are significant problems with the employment structure of the population in Laguge.”

"Are you saying there are too many miners?"

"Yes, the entire territory has a population of 53,000. Of those aged 14 to 60, only 22,000 are men capable of working. Among them, 19,000 are engaged in mining and metallurgy. The agricultural population is severely insufficient, but we do not actually lack land."

“I know that, but Laguge is a cold iron producing area with annual production quotas, so it’s inevitable that the main workforce will shift to mining.”

"But here's the problem: despite investing so much labor, the output of cold iron in Lagug over the past three years has barely met the target. The casualty rate in the slave labor camps is also abnormally high, with 2,000 deaths in three years. This data doesn't seem right at all, does it?"

Upon hearing Belfast's reminder, Dick immediately grasped the point. He took the ledger and then compared the number of miners and the production capacity of cold iron in the local area over the past thirty years.

The results showed that in these three years, there were neither natural disasters nor outbreaks of plague. Despite a large input of labor, the output was barely up to standard. The ratio of input to output was excessively low.

Lost in thought, Dick gently tapped the table. David's embezzlement and misappropriation of rations were not exactly life-threatening crimes.

But if he becomes greedy and sets his sights on the important military strategic resource "Cold Iron," then even if he has several heads, it won't be enough to cut them off.

What's needed now is evidence to see who he actually sold the Cold Iron to.

While Dick was going through the ledgers, David was restless in his dirty and messy temporary lodging.

He rushed there thinking Dick wouldn't make it to Lagog, and hadn't even considered moving out of the governor's master bedroom. But by the time the messenger rushed into the city and informed all the officials and gentry to come out and welcome the new governor, Dick's entourage was less than an hour away from Lagog.

Left with no other option, David hurriedly had his belongings packed up to make room for Dickton, while he himself, along with his shady "assets," hastily moved out of the main castle.

David was puzzled. What happened to the "accident" they were talking about?

What happened to the promise that he would remain in office as governor of Laguge for at least another three years?

How did Dick even survive?

He now only hates himself for being so stupid and foolish, for trusting the person who brought him the message, and for not even having time to process so much important evidence in the archives.

That young rascal was a strange fellow too. Upon arriving in Laguge, instead of resting or attending the welcoming dance prepared for him by the local gentry, he immediately sent men straight to the archives to check the account books. He didn't even bother to inform the former governor before ordering his men to move things. The soldiers, accompanied by a maid, seemed to know the location of the archives perfectly well!

Even if a normal nobleman intended to cause trouble and give him a hard time, he wouldn't act like this!

unless……

The thought of that possibility made David, who had been sprawled on the sofa, sit up abruptly, cold sweat instantly pouring down his forehead.

"Damn it, damn it! This little bastard is after me!"

It was as if he had suddenly figured out where the problem lay; David felt a sense of "sudden enlightenment."

After thinking for a moment, David found a hooded cloak and went out under the cover of night. He was going to talk to his old friend and partner, the Saxon Knight.

The next morning, a new notice was suddenly posted on the official notice board of Lagogburg. In order to take care of the illiterate people, two servants were specially arranged to take turns to spread the word.

Only then did everyone learn that the new governor had decided to hold a "martial arts tournament" in three days to select the best martial artists to join the private army, with the top three receiving the title of "apprentice knight".

This was the highest title Dick could bestow as regional governor, since he himself was merely a governor of a fiefdom appointed by the Duke, plus a "knight of honor" title that was actually quite useless.

The governor can appoint apprentice knights, and then they will be on probation for one year. After the probation period, they will report to the duke, and if approved, they will become official knights.

The knight could receive a small, hereditary fief, but it really was just a small piece.

Like the local Saxon family, whose ancestors were royal guard knights who fought alongside Duke Chiyo, they were granted a village of about 180 people and became wealthy manor owners.

For ordinary newly promoted knights, their fiefdom might just be a barren wasteland or a stretch of river. The land is yours, but how to develop it and how to make money is up to you. But don't forget that when the lord summons you to war, you must bring your own horse, equipment, and at least one squire.

Even so, a knight is at least a junior noble, a younger version of a lord. Becoming a knight means crossing class boundaries and taking a step from commoner to lord.

This is why, even though the empire is in its current state, ordinary people still eagerly participate when it launches a war of aggression, because it is a great opportunity to defy fate.

So the announcement quickly caused a sensation, and a large crowd flocked to the registration area.

Even though the staff repeatedly emphasized that participants must bring their own horses and equipment to the competition and that those without horses should not come, it still couldn't dampen people's enthusiasm. They asked themselves if they had a mule and a pitchfork as weapons.

In fact, it wasn't just ordinary people who were interested; some wealthy local families also had their eyes on it. Because they were relatively rich, they could afford better equipment for their horses.

Moreover, the notice clearly stated that although only the top three in the tournament could become apprentice knights, there were also sub-events such as combat and archery to select soldiers. This was because the governor had ordered that, in order to deal with the increasingly rampant banditry in Lagug, the private army must be strengthened and expanded to five hundred men, thus requiring the recruitment of two hundred and seventeen new recruits.

In addition, considering the climate of Laguge, the governor, out of consideration for his soldiers, raised the pay of the private army. The increase was not much, only two silver coins a month. However, the governor was a man of his word. On the day the proclamation was issued, which happened to be payday, the money and supplies promised by the governor were all delivered to the soldiers without exception, which moved many people deeply.

Some astute individuals noticed that while the governor showed great care for the regular soldiers, he made no mention of the existing "militia self-defense force," which was also an armed force of nearly two hundred men. However, the governor acted as if they did not exist, and this disregard was not simply a matter of forgetting.

Furthermore, the notice included the statement, "In order to deal with the escalating banditry, the governor has decided to consolidate all military forces within the territory." This single sentence alone made many people who had long disliked the arrogance of the Saxons ready to wait and see them make a fool of themselves.

Chapter 008: Eighteen Years Old This Year, Afraid of Assassination

"Master, as you predicted, David has gone to the Saxon family."

"What are they planning to do to me?"

Dick, who was engrossed in writing and drawing at his desk, asked without looking up.

"Send someone to assassinate him."

"Is it really that uncreative?"

Dick glanced up at Belfast, who was giving a report, and his expression turned somewhat disappointed.

Bayes Law responded with a speechless expression.

"Master, are you expecting a group of landlords and bullies to be so intelligent they're almost demonic?"

"Uh... not really, it's just that... it's all the same assassinations all the time, it's a bit boring."

"It wasn't all an assassination attempt. Jonah Saxon also planned a honey trap. It seems he and David aren't on the same page. He wanted to test you before making his move."

Rita, who came in later, told Dick some "good news" with a smile, but Dick looked at the two maids in front of him, whose looks and figures were perfect, and he really didn't think he could be seduced by their beauty.

"Who is that guy planning to use to seduce me?"

"I met a woman from Earth whom he summoned. She infiltrated the Saxon family and was named Park Ae-jung. She's Korean and quite attractive. However..."

"But what? Did you have plastic surgery?"

"Not only did she have plastic surgery, but... she was also Jonah's lover."

"what!?"

Dick was utterly shocked! He felt as if he had been deliberately disgusted. That old man was actually using what he had "leftovers" to seduce him?

Dick didn't take the local criminals' counterattack too seriously. Thanks to the efforts of the spy group and the ninja group, they now had one-way transparency in intelligence.

That day, David conspired with Jonah, and less than twenty minutes after their conversation, Red Leaf relayed it word for word to Dick. They assumed that Dick, who looked young, would be easy to deal with, and planned to join forces with the local gentry in a couple of days to throw Dick a welcome banquet, using the South Korean girl that old Jonah had already grown tired of to seduce him.

Dick couldn't help but sneer inwardly. Did they really think that just because I look like a minor, I'm some naive virgin?

While Dick wasn't the kind of lustful man who couldn't control his lower body, he wasn't a herbivore who wouldn't dare take advantage even when food was right in front of him. As long as the feelings and atmosphere were right, everything would fall into place naturally.

Currently, three girls know about Dick's "capacity": Belfast, Rita, and Tia. The two maids even "teamed up" once.

It's like a collaboration between Honkai Impact 3rd and Azur Lane.

Currently, Dick has performed five summons and has ten anime girls under his command.

If these girls were just his harem or bed partners, then the number would be too many to fit in one bed. But Dick summoned girls not just because he was lustful, but because he lacked talented people to help him govern his fiefdom. That was far from enough.

Because he was a transmigrator, Dick naturally distrusted the Hessians. Moreover, in the Hessian Empire, where compulsory education was not widespread and the illiteracy rate exceeded 90%, there were beasts everywhere but few talents.

Ironically, some of the Earthlings who were summoned here suggested to their masters that compulsory education should be implemented and that the public should be enlightened.

But without exception, everyone who made this suggestion disappeared without a trace the next day.

Because compared to what Earthlings call "industrialization," the noble lords feared "revolution" even more!

Dick has plans to cultivate local talent, but he can't afford to wait for newcomers to grow slowly. It's more cost-effective to bring in ready-made talent directly.

Just as they were working on the development plan for their fiefdom, the black-and-white gunner, wearing a cloak, entered from outside.

The main castle is now completely under the control of Dick's own people. David's old men have been dispersed and exiled to other places under various pretexts, for fear of having enemies' eyes and ears around them.

After the two female knights entered the room, they took off their cloaks. White Artoria stood respectfully in front of Dick's desk, while Black Artoria went to the coffee table, sat down, poured herself a glass of wine, and drank it happily.

"This wine is quite good. I've never seen it before."

"It was sent by the Saxons. Their estate specializes in growing grapes and making wine; I heard it's very profitable."

"Can grapes really be grown in such a cold place?"

"It's a matter of variety. The grapes they grow are called Ice Pearls. It's said that they make exceptionally good wine, and they sell for a very high price in Beijing."

"Oh! So when do you plan to raid his house?"

"Blake, do you think I'm some kind of thug who likes to plunder and take things by force? Even if I wanted to raid his house, I'd need to have enough evidence before I could do it."

"Tch! They still have to plagiarize, don't they? All talk and no action."

"Blake, you mustn't be disrespectful to Master!"

Seeing that Black Artoria spoke to Dick in a flippant tone, White Artoria was slightly displeased. Although the two looked extremely similar, their personalities were very different, and they didn't get along very well.

Incidentally, the two signed up for the tournament in a few days as "wandering samurai." Black Artoria used the alias "Black Pendragon," while Artoria used the alias "White Pendragon." The two are twin sisters.

When they went to register, they attracted a lot of attention from all sides because they were riding tall horses and wearing very ornate plate armor. Fortunately, they deliberately lowered their voices when registering, making it difficult to tell if they were male or female, and they did not remove their helmets, otherwise their two stunningly beautiful faces would have caused an even greater commotion.

As a Heroic Spirit who was summoned, Black and White Lancer Artoria asked Dick what his wish was.

Dick frankly stated that he wanted to make a name for himself in the coming chaos!

Is this country doomed?

"The old king was incompetent, the princes were unworthy, and the nobles and ministers each harbored their own ulterior motives. Internal troubles were already so severe, and external threats were even more numerous, like wolves lurking around. Yet, all these crises were masked by the false prosperity brought by the transmigrator. I am not a loyal subject, and I have no interest in being buried with those corrupt and decadent royals. Besides, they are beyond saving. I want to live for myself, and I also want to lead those who are willing to follow me to live, to live a life worthy of being called human!"

Dick's words were practically a direct statement of "I'm going to rebel."

Faced with these anime girls he had summoned, Dick did not intend to use the coercion of slave contracts and deception to make them work for him.

It's all about "treating sincerity for sincerity"!

Because of the emotional empathy inherent in the slave contract, his current feelings will be transmitted to all the other contractors.

As for the ominous star of the Black Forest Empire flickering, Dick was not the only one who noticed it.

However, some people want to be patchers, saving the crumbling edifice from collapse; others live a life of debauchery, enjoying each day as it comes; and still others, like Dick, are ambitious and want to become a warlord in a chaotic world. All of them are secretly accumulating power, waiting for the Black Forest Empire to fall so they can devour this dead behemoth.

Ironically, Dick had initially considered saving the empire, but he quickly realized that the Black Forest Empire was not his true homeland, China.

This corrupt and dark empire still practices slavery to this day, persecuting its native demi-human race, civilians, and those miserable transmigrators forcibly captured from Earth.

Dick himself had been subjected to a lot of disdain because of his quarter-elf bloodline, and he dared not reveal his identity as a transmigrator. Even some of the Duke's favored servants dared to give him, the fifth young master, a hard time in private.

Save an empire like this? I'll pull your grandma's leg!

That evening, Dick was invited to a dinner party organized by a local tycoon at the Saxon family's mansion. The Saxon family was the richest in the area, and although their house was not as tall and majestic as a quasi-military castle like Lagogburg, its interior decoration was just as luxurious.

The local gentry bowed their heads obsequiously before Dick, praising the young governor's wisdom and prowess in nauseatingly obsequious tones, showering him with all sorts of flowery flattery.

Dick wasn't intimidated by this situation.

However, the dishes served at the banquet were quite difficult to prepare at Dick's.

There were Chinese stir-fries, Italian pizzas, and American fried chicken. But whenever the Saxon family's South Korean butler, Park Deok-yong, introduced the dishes, he would always proudly add, "These are traditional delicacies invented by our Great Han Ming Kingdom on the other side of Earth."

Dick wanted to curse several times. He had traveled through 18 years and never thought that he would almost be exposed because of a shameless Korean.

Damn it! Even if I weren't Italian, I couldn't stand a single bit of that kimchi pizza!