Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

Just as Kira was about to introduce herself, she was interrupted by a loud voice next to her.

"Oh! I'm Luminova! This is Sister Lindsay! You're a really nice person!!!"

Chapter 13 First Blood

Hey?

Ryuka was taken aback by the sudden self-introduction and nodded somewhat awkwardly to Luminova: "Hello, nuns."

"Kira, this child's name is Evelyn." It was finally Kira's turn to introduce her. The grievances she had prepared in her mind were all interrupted by Luminova. She simply tried her best to recount what had happened, hoping that Ryūsha would have mercy and persuade Hetia to protect these poor people.

As for herself, attacking a nobleman was an indisputable capital offense.

"It's alright," Liu Xia reassured Qi La, then turned to the two nuns. "Are you two from the capital?"

"Huh? How did you know!"

“Sister Luminova…” Lindsay sighed as she looked at the surprised Luminova.

"It's earlier than expected." Ryuka smiled. These two nuns seemed special. They were probably not ordinary personnel changes within the church, but rather people sent by the thirteenth princess. They were just more than ten days earlier than the expected month. So Ryuka asked tentatively.

Although it sounded like a riddle to others, Sister Lindsay understood that the young man before her was likely a confidant of Hetia Tartu, someone who knew some inside information.

"Something has gone wrong. Please let me go back to Lakeshire to discuss the details," Lindsay said softly, her eyes seemingly glancing warily at Bran and his men.

"What's wrong with saying this? It just happened when we entered Sochi territory... Waaah~~~" Luminova hadn't finished speaking casually when Lindsay covered her mouth in a nervous manner.

It seems something unexpected happened on Sochi's territory, Ryuka thought to herself. But why does this powerful white-haired, big-breasted nun look like an idiot? On the contrary, the timid nun next to her seems to be the brains.

If something goes wrong with the people the princess secretly sent, it's highly likely that it's related to the Duke family, who are cousins ​​of the third prince.

Thinking of this, Ryusha nodded to Lindsay and then rode back to Hetia's side.

Just then, one of Bran's guards tossed a money bag to Ryusha, which landed heavily in his palm.

"This is?"

“The compensation from Bran Duke,” Hetia explained. “The civilians they killed or wounded here will be compensated to their respective lords according to Imperial law, one gold coin for an adult male and half a gold coin for a woman, the elderly, or a child.”

Liu Xia was stunned for a moment, the money bag in her hand felt heavy. She opened it and looked inside. In addition to the amount that Qi La had just given her, there were several times more coins now, more than twenty golden imperial coins shining with a brilliant luster in the sunlight...

"Ah~ I didn't kill that many people. At most, I taught a few disobedient ones or those who helped my slaves escape a lesson." Bran saw the boy's gloomy expression and defended himself lightly.

"There are also some slaves who escaped from my territory. I will not compensate for these. As for the extra gold coins, they are advance payments for the other teams that came with me."

"Although I don't know the specifics, they are not as gentlemanly as I am."

"Furthermore, this Miss Kira openly assaulted a nobleman, as everyone witnessed. Of course, I must take her back for trial. I hope the two nuns will accompany me to serve as witnesses for the Vatican. As for those slaves..."

"Hehe, I'll give it to Miss Tartu. I imagine you'll be short of livestock while developing your territory~"

As he finished speaking, Bran's smile broadened, and his cavalrymen burst into laughter.

Ryusha ignored Bran and instead questioned Hetia directly, his serious tone suggesting to others that it was not easy for a subordinate to overthrow a superior.

"You agreed?"

Hetia was stunned, her long eyelashes trembling in the air. She didn't understand why Ryusha was angry, but this meant that she wouldn't have a good outcome later. Thinking of his perverse methods of punishment, Hetia began to defend herself.

"Conflicts between lords regarding the killing of civilians who harass each other are always resolved in this way, and agreements are always signed..."

Ryūka ignored her subsequent explanations, instead wondering why the thirteenth princess had sent such a simpleton to carry out her orders; perhaps she was simply capable enough. But then Ryūka thought of Hetia's seemingly more intelligent and upright attendant, who was likely the 'strategist' placed beside Hetia.

Just like Lindsay by Luminova's side... Unfortunately, the violent effects of the K18 potion and her cold-blooded personality led Hetia to kill that servant with her own hands.

“You can’t take anyone with you today, you’ll even have to stay behind, Bran Duke.”

"Boy, are you talking to a nobleman?" Bran narrowed his eyes, staring at Ryusha with a forced smile.

"Maybe it was just now, but now, I feel like I'm talking to a dead man."

The moment the words left his mouth, Ryusha drew his longsword and slashed at Bran, but Bran instantly drew his own longsword from his attendant's waist to block the attack.

"Maybe it was just now, but now, I feel like I'm talking to a dead man."

The moment the words left his mouth, Ryusha drew his longsword and slashed at Bran, but Bran instantly drew his own longsword from his attendant's waist to block the attack.

Sparks flew and the air vibrated as Bran's longsword unleashed its battle aura, poised to shatter Ryusha's sword. But the black-haired youth's movements were far more agile than he had imagined; the sword touched him and then recoiled, as he swung it back at the loudest-laughing squire standing nearby.

The sword, devoid of any fighting spirit, precisely severed the squire's neck. Blood rained down, and the warhorse neighed in despair. The onlookers, bewildered by what had happened, immediately spurred the thought of 'escape' into their minds. In a moment of panic, the crowd urged their carriages forward or picked up their children, fleeing towards the surrounding mountains and forests.

"Neigh—"

Bran's other cavalrymen finally reacted, reining in their horses and adjusting their formation, gathering behind Bran, ready to await their master's orders at any moment.

After a round of probing, Bran and Ruka separated by their arms...

Bran felt a little numb in his hand holding the longsword. He only felt better after using his battle aura. He looked at Hetia and Ryusha with a serious expression.

This kid… how can his physical strength be so astonishing? He surpassed me, a knight, without using any battle aura. And if you add in the bloodline knight Hetia beside him…

Bran was followed by more than twenty cavalrymen, including two captains and eight apprentice knights, but at this moment he was thinking about how to escape unscathed.

After all, it was said that the three assassins sent by the Third Prince had vanished without a trace; each of them was a seasoned knight and mage. It seemed the Thirteenth Princess had also given Hetia some trump cards, and Bran, feeling uncertain, didn't intend to risk his life here…

"Miss Hetia, is your little guard trying to provoke a war between Linhu Town and Sochi City?"

Although Hetia couldn't understand what was wrong with Ryusha, perhaps all heretics had mental problems, she didn't waste any words and drew her longsword, ready to fight.

Although the Duke family is aligned with the Third Prince, royal infighting can only occur covertly. Once an open conflict breaks out, the other side will have a legitimate reason to act.

The Earl of Duke has several hundred armed men under his command, and he can soon conscript a peasant army of several thousand...

"Hetia, according to imperial law, how many gold coins is a soldier worth?"

How much is it worth? Hetia's thoughts were interrupted by Ryūka, but she quickly realized that Ryūka wasn't asking about the cost of equipment or hiring fees, but rather...

How much compensation is due for killing one of the enemy's soldiers?

"Three, no... four..."

Clang—the four gold coins collided with a pleasant sound as they fell into the soil.

Ryusha raised his arm and threw the gold coins on the ground, his hand seemingly trembling slightly... Warm blood splattered on his face. The psychological shock of killing for the first time, Bran's powerful block, and the hormonal stimulation brought on by tension and anger made him clench his outstretched arm into a fist.

"This is compensation, shall we come and collect it, Lord Bran?" (The rest of the text appears to be nonsensical and unrelated.)

Then, under Bran's blazing gaze, Ryusha looked at Luminova and Lindsay, who had not fled.

"Sister Lindsay, what do you plan to do in this situation?"

Chapter 14 The Melee Begins

Is this kid...crazy?

Almost everyone present shared this thought, except for Lindsay.

Their bumbling boss, Sister Luminova, seems completely oblivious to the fact that Bran and the others' true target is actually the two of them.

Or rather, they were people sent to Linhu Town by the thirteenth princess.

Although they were to travel in separate groups, disguised as travelers or adventurers, Lindsay's group actually consisted of ten people when they entered Sochi territory...

Although everyone except Luminova had only met at the start of the mission, the ten of them were mixed in with two caravans, half an hour apart by carriage. Even if something unexpected happened, this distance wouldn't prevent them from providing support.

But from the moment they approached Sochi territory, they were constantly harassed by bandits, monsters, and raiders...

The team was divided, and the companions were scattered and lost contact in battle after battle. In the end, only the strongest Luminova was still with him.

Although it was just a guess, Lindsay's cautious and timid nature made her have to be suspicious.

Although the plan was kept secret when it was launched, nothing stays hidden forever. This was also the territory of the Third Prince's faction. If word got out, there was a high probability that the other side would use this as a pretext to carry out their plans...

Lindsay had of course mentioned her concerns to Luminova, but the silly white-haired girl just responded nonchalantly.

"Are you overthinking it? Maybe the security here isn't that good."

"They are all believers in the goddess. If the Duke family were to do something like this, the local papal authorities should have notified us, right?"

"Speaking of which, the other eight people are far too weak..."

Goddess above! This new boss is so naive!

Lindsay bit her lip. She was a native of Ottoman and had always served as a liaison between the Papacy and the royal family. The non-interference between divine and royal authority was merely a nominal alliance from a thousand years ago... In reality, there were many factions within the Papacy that would bet on the successor to the throne, and Lindsay and her superior bishop were in the faction betting on the thirteenth princess.

Luminova, on the other hand, was a special envoy sent by the Holy City of Tigana to forcibly participate in this operation. To be honest, Lindsay's original direct bishop knew very little about this, only instructing himself to keep a close eye on Luminova.

Being with Luminova, who is so oblivious, is really bad for my heart. No matter how I reasoned things out, she wouldn't believe me. In the end, I could only reluctantly agree to hide my identity and travel through the night.

After several days without any 'accidents', Lindsay began to doubt her judgment. However, today's encounter with Bran's cavalry, coupled with the reaction of the black-haired boy, Ryukya, finally made her regain her sense of judgment.

But this young man, Liu Xia, suddenly killed someone... There were twenty of them, where did he get the confidence to do so?

As a nun, Lindsay found it hard to understand why a young, hot-blooded boy would harbor murderous intent; anger and displeasure were enough reasons.

Such wicked thoughts are usually restrained by law and power, but in this world and under these circumstances, there are no such things to bind Ryūka.

If you don't treat other people as human beings, then I don't need to treat you as human beings either.

This was Ryūka's idea, and what supported him in doing so was his rapidly improving strength over the past half month...

As expected, expanding one's leadership influence is effective. In just half a month, he has gained the respect and trust of hundreds of people in Linhu Town, which is stronger than the total increase in the past few years! Although he lacks fighting spirit and combat skills, Liuxia is confident that he surpasses formal knights in terms of physical strength.

In other words, he is now an extremely powerful blank-slate warrior!

He wasn't worried about Bran's father, Lord Duke; the transmission of information and the assembly of troops would take time.

All I need to do before that is capture Bran Duke and bring him back to Lake Linde, and use Kania's witch powers to brainwash and control him. Then there will still be room for this conflict to turn around.

After all, in the battle with Hetia, in the [Witch's Corruption] state, he was stronger using Kania's skills than in his true form, and he could even use [Playwright] to trick Hetia, who was enhanced by K18.

Not to mention the comprehensive enhancement over the past two weeks, and Kania's own magic power has also increased.

At worst, he could just stay in the [Witch Invasion] state when he got back and frantically 'dual cultivate' with Kania to improve his witch abilities. Territory construction could wait... Although Ryuka didn't like that crazy, uncontrollable state, he didn't want to let Bran go even more.

After all, if Bran secretly intercepted the princess's men sent to Lakeshire and then let them go back this time, he could forget about any future developments.

A single punch can prevent a hundred more. Ryukyu doesn't want its neighboring territory to block its borders...

Although she didn't know what Ryusha was thinking, Lindsay made her decision almost instantly! Although she was timid, she still tried to raise her voice.

"Sister Luminova! Please help me and Ryusha!"

"Huh?! Why?! What happened?! It was Ryūka who started the killing first?!"

Luminova was still in a state of mental overload, but Lindsay had already raised her hands and begun to chant, and holy light blessed Ryusha and Hetia, providing them with a boost to defense and attack.

Meanwhile, the cavalry and warhorses in the rear row near Lindsay were also enveloped in holy light, and an irresistible sense of languor and comfort washed over them, making them drowsy.

"Tsk! Attacked from both sides?! As expected, those two nuns were their people. It seems this brat and that bespectacled nun won't be so easy to deal with..."

Bran dared not leave his back to the enemy. His eyes narrowed, and he enveloped his warhorse and himself in his fighting spirit. He then spurred the reins and led his troops forward.

"Squads, disperse and break out to seek reinforcements! Those in front, follow me!"

Bran still has two knight captains on his side. If one of them manages to break through the encirclement, he can send the message back to Sochi, and then the army can be sent to press on the border.

"Drink it!!!" It was Hetia who shouted angrily.

Although it was unclear what Ryusha would do next, Hetia had long been unhappy with Bran, and her crimson battle aura propelled her warhorse to meet Bran.

Battle aura spurred their horses! Sword energy transformed into spears! Their longswords unleashed battle aura, appearing as three- or four-meter-long spiral spears, swirling and clashing in a flurry. (The last line appears to be a nonsensical string of characters and doesn't translate directly.)

Although she had become Ryūka's slave, Hetia still longed for the princess. Occasionally, in the dead of night, when Ryūka was not around, she would suppress the pain in her soul and think about it.

Now that she has a legitimate opportunity to crush the Third Prince's faction, Hetia just wants to shout two words.

loyalty!

"Why are you suddenly getting all worked up?"

Seeing Hetia's sudden outburst, Ryūka complained somewhat irritably, feeling that his limelight had been stolen. He had wanted to use Bran to test his combat abilities...

Chapter 15 Nun or Demon?

Even so, Ryūka was not idle; three cavalrymen were already charging towards him. Because the distance had not been widened and the horses had not yet caught up in speed, two of them attacked from the left and right with swords, while the one in front thrust at him with a lance.

Besides these three, four or five other cavalrymen charged diagonally, preparing to bypass them and Hetia.

"Tsk!"

Although Ryuka had the advantage in both speed and strength, he was weaker in riding a horse. He dodged the attacks of the two people on the left and right with the limit, and his sword struck the weapons of the two people like a fierce tiger, but he was unable to hurt them beyond the distance of the blade.

The lances from the central cavalry were already upon them, their tips grazing the breastplate and sparks flying off. Liu Xia had no choice but to loosen the reins and grab the lance handle, tucking it under her arm.

"Now's the time!" the lancer shouted to his two teammates, but their hands were shattered by Ryūka's previous heavy blow, and their entire arms were numb and unbearable. They looked at Ryūka as if he were a monster.