Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

Sister Luminova?

Ryuka gazed at the perfect, youthful face before her, looking up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, her eyes lost in thought, as if imagining something. Her flawless cheeks flushed slightly, and a trickle of drool even escaped from the corner of her mouth…

"Huh?! I! I didn't mean to do anything to betray the goddess's teachings!"

Luminova was jolted awake from her unknown delusions by Ryusha. She vigorously wiped the drool from her mouth and didn't forget to emphasize it again.

"I wasn't thinking about anything! I was just sleepy!"

After saying that, Luminova returned to the cart that she had previously shattered, pieced the broken pieces back together haphazardly, and sat down.

The civilians and slaves who had previously avoided the battle returned to their places. A coachman looked at his damaged cart with a troubled expression, regretting that he had agreed to take the nun along.

"Once we get to Linhu Town, the local church will settle your bills!"

Luminova gave the driver an awkward smile, then buried her head in the straw, and soon a snoring sound could be heard.

"The phrase 'settling the bill' is said to have been taught to Sister Luminova by her great-aunt, who instructed her to always speak up if she damaged someone else's property. Otherwise, Sister Luminova simply didn't have the sense to compensate for what she had broken..."

Sister Lindsay finally couldn't resist the urge to tease, and whispered in Ryūka's ear. The girl's breath tickled her earlobe, and when Ryūka turned around, Lindsay seemed to realize that her behavior had been too intimate, and her face instantly turned red with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry... I attended a convent school and didn't have much contact with boys my age. It was really inappropriate of me to do that unconsciously..."

Lindsay blushed, lowered her head and rubbed her nun's gown, and finally ran away.

But Ryuka was thinking about something else entirely.

There's no toothpaste in this world, but the girls I've met all seem to have fresh breath. I hadn't thought about this before.

Perhaps it is things like magic, fighting spirit, or holy energy that can improve and cleanse a person's internal constitution?

"Mr. Ryukatsu..."

A gentle, melodious voice came from behind. Although it was just a simple sentence, it gave people the feeling of appreciating an opera. The woman in front of them, with her long gray hair and wheat-colored skin, was named Kira.

In the brief moment she was gone, she seemed to have touched up her makeup, the scent of lavender wafted from her slender neck, and she had changed into a tasteful, simple long dress, yet it couldn't conceal her dazzling charm.

Even Evelyn changed out of her dirty clothes and into a cute dress that suited her age. She also removed her dusty cloak. The little girl looked quite pretty, probably about a year younger than Liuxia.

Kira lifted the hem of her skirt and gracefully gave a curtsy.

"Thank you so much for saving me and Evelyn and the others."

Unlike other women, Kira's beautiful eyes seemed to speak volumes, and every syllable she uttered was carefully chosen, giving the listener the most comfortable feeling.

At the age of twenty, she possessed both the vivacity of a young girl and the intellect of a mature woman. Her figure was not voluptuous, but rather slender and graceful without being bony. Perhaps it was due to her thin dark elf bloodline.

"I really don't know how to repay you. You are such a kind and brave gentleman..." Kira looked at the boy who was shorter than her, gently bit her lip, seemingly hesitant and a little shy, so she pulled Evelyn next to her.

"Evelyn, quickly thank Mr. Ryūsha."

"Thank you, Mr. Ryūka."

Evelyn's eyebrows furrowed slightly, still looking somewhat shy, but she tried her best not to shrink back behind Kira and obediently bowed to Ryusha.

"If anyone should thank you, it should be Miss Hetia, the lord. I'm just a guard." (The rest of the text appears to be gibberish and unrelated to the previous sentences.)

"I wouldn't dare call myself kind and brave. I think it's more appropriate to describe Miss Kira. Not everyone has the courage and kindness to shelter runaway slaves."

"Then, excuse me."

Ryuu nodded slightly and turned to leave. Although her attitude was polite, it was much colder than when she treated Lindsay and Luminova.

This unsettling feeling of being kept at arm's length surprised Kira. She watched Ryusha turn away, her mind racing, images of Hetia, Lindsay, and Luminova flashing through her mind…

Could it be... that he doesn't like his type?

I haven't asked about Chapter 18 yet.

Ryuka is definitely not the kind of person Kira thinks she is.

He'll go with any style as long as he's pretty!

There are two reasons for his coldness towards Kira, but it's not a matter of her figure, appearance, or bloodline...

First, after the battle broke out, Kira, who could use magic, did not participate in the fight, but instead hid with Evelyn.

This is understandable, as it can be interpreted as protecting Evelyn, a child. Although Ryukyu's actions saved her, the main reason for the conflict was that Bran's actions threatened the development of Lake Forest. Saving Kira and the others was just a side effect.

But Ryuga thought this woman would at least be of some help, since he didn't know Luminova was so strong at the time, and Ryuga thought the chances of winning were only fifty-fifty.

Secondly, Kira's subsequent deliberate social maneuvering made Ryuka very uncomfortable.

After she got away, she even changed her clothes and put on makeup... Did she think she was an innocent victim who could be easily taken advantage of with her beauty?

Although Ryuka admired Kira's actions in protecting slaves, it was truly rare in this world.

But he also understood that Kira's initiative to thank him, her generous display of her feminine charm, stemmed not only from genuine gratitude but also from a desire to find an easy-going person in Linhu Town to help her and the rescued slaves.

Hetia? Kira didn't have the guts. She could tell that the young red-haired female lord, like Bran, was a high-ranking noble who didn't care much about the lives of the lower classes.

Besides, Kira felt that her beauty was the kind that would attract men but not women...

Ryuga could have easily agreed to this, since he didn't have any sense of hierarchy. But Kira's attempt to gain sympathy with her pitiful appearance made him uncomfortable.

Be wary of beautiful women who deliberately try to please you, no matter what their reason may be; this is one of Ryuka's core beliefs.

If they think they can soften a man's heart with their looks, then they will do it again after the first time. Liuxia hates this kind of ungrateful behavior, so she decided to leave her alone for a while.

Kira's subconscious attempts to manipulate men are much like Kania's, but at least Kania would fight alongside her until death.

Kira's intentions were good. This woman was quite good in both appearance and temperament, at least better than other anthropomorphic creatures. So Ryuka also wanted Kira to understand that she shouldn't treat herself the same way she treated other men.

How are things going on your end?

Ryusha left Kira and came to Hetia's side. Lindsay, who had just run away out of shyness, was also there. It seemed that she had just finished communicating with Hetia about the princess's people. Bran and his men were tied up next to her.

But Lindsay's face was deathly pale, which made Ryuka curious about what had happened.

"It'll be ready soon." Hetia and Ryukyu were talking about the other groups of people who had crossed the border with Bran.

"You're not going to tell me?"

Ryūka watched as Hetia placed a prisoner's hand on a stone, then slammed the weight of her sword hilt down on it. (The last line appears to be a nonsensical string of characters and doesn't translate directly.)

The crisp sound of bones cracking and screams rang out; he would probably never be able to wield a sword again. Corinneshire immediately trembled as she used holy magic to heal the soldier's wounds. Once he was fully healed, Hetia raised her sword hilt once more.

Ryusha finally understood why Lindsay's face was so pale.

But they had no choice but to do this. Besides interrogating the other groups to find out their locations, they also wanted to find out where the princess's faction members who had been scattered and captured earlier had gone.

"Please... I really don't know... If you don't believe me, ask Lord Bran!" The soldier cried as he looked at his master, Bran Duke, but Bran just smiled coldly and didn't say anything.

"Why don't you just ask him?" Ryuka gestured with her chin at Bran, who was sneering.

“He is a nobleman.” Hetia blinked. Even if a nobleman is captured in a conflict, he cannot be harmed or mistreated. Instead, the nobleman’s family should be contacted to pay a ransom in exchange. This is an ancient rule that has been in place for thousands of years.

It is also the imprint of the thoughts of people in this world.

Ryūka sighed, feeling suffocated and horrified. He could see from the soldier's miserable eyes that he genuinely didn't know anything. He wasn't a well-trained special agent; if he knew anything, he would have confessed long ago under this level of torture.

"Is it possible to treat severed limbs? Like fingers or ears?"

Suddenly, Ryusha asked Lindsay this question, and the timid nun nodded after a moment of surprise.

"It's possible..."

"what!!!!!"

Before Lindsay could finish speaking, Bran screamed in agony. Just as Lindsay opened her mouth, Ryusha instantly drew her sword and precisely severed one of his ears.

That wasn't all. Ryusha grabbed a handful of coarse salt from her spice bag and rubbed it hard on Bran's wound.

A scream as if from hell erupted from the nobleman's throat. It all happened so fast that by the time he could react, endless pain had already seeped into the depths of his brain...

A scream as if from hell erupted from the nobleman's throat. It all happened so fast that by the time he could react, endless pain had already seeped into the depths of his brain...

Then, he fainted.

Ryushar clicked her tongue, picked up Bran's fallen ear and put it back in its place, then said to Lindsay.

"Sister Lindsay, could you please...Sister Lindsay?"

Poor Lindsay was so frightened that she ran away crying and vomited wildly on the side.

Even Hetia was shocked by Ryusha's methods, not because of cruelty, but because Ryusha abused a nobleman without hesitation, without considering the consequences, and without even changing his expression.

But isn't that precisely why he and Kania dared to attack her? Thinking this, Hetia felt a pang of sympathy and unease for Bran and the vast noble class…

"What? You still think that nobility are above the law?" Liu Xia sneered, and Hetia quickly shook her head.

A moment later, Lindsay finally recovered and "helped" Bran heal his ear, while Bran was also woken up by the cold water.

The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Ryuka raising his longsword again.

"I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!!!"

"I haven't even asked yet, what do you have to say?" Liu Xia said without changing her expression, repeating the same thing on his other ear...

When Bran woke up for the second time, he started trembling when he saw Ryusha. He kept backing away, his purple lips trembling, and he was no longer the same as before.

Now you can ask.

Bran spilled everything out like beans, revealing the locations of the other groups, the whereabouts of the princess's faction's prisoners...

"This guy's estate? I thought it would be Sochi's prison..."

Ryusha looked at the map. Bran's private estate was less than half a day's journey away. If they moved quickly, he and Hetia could arrive before dusk.

The problem is that there are several other groups looting and harassing nearby villages and pedestrians, and we are really short-handed.

Chapter 19 Rescue Operation and Pre-arranged Punishment

"Looks like I need to deliberately lure out some talented people."

Ryuka thought for a moment, smiled, and pretended to be about to leave, deliberately passing by Kira, who was anxious about the future.

"Mr. Ryukatsu! Wait!"

Kira still didn't want to give up the opportunity. No matter what, she was guilty of attacking nobles and harboring slaves. If Linhu Town didn't provide her and Evelyn with a place to stay, she really didn't know what to do. So she called out to Ryusha again.

It seems we've secured a point; at least the initiative and the pace are in our hands. Thinking this, Ryuka turned and asked, "Is there anything else, Miss Kira?"

"It's...about this child, and her companions..."

Kira pressed on Evelyn's shoulder, gently biting her lip, her eyes rippling like the surface of a lake.

"As you know, they were all slaves who escaped because they couldn't endure the abuse. They wanted to find a way to survive in the territory of Linhu Town. As for their resettlement..."

"It would be better to ask Miss Hetia's secretary, Kania, to handle this problem."

Ryuu remained unmoved, unfazed by Kira's heartbreaking expression.

"But I can tell you that Linhu Town is in great need of talent and labor, and... there probably won't be many people available for household registration verification."

Hearing Ryusha's obvious hint, Kira finally breathed a sigh of relief. Her feigned pitiful beauty melted away in an instant, her eyes unconsciously relaxing, and she said, "Thank you..."

"You're welcome, Miss Kira. Can you read and write?"

Ryuka's sudden question made her pause for a moment, then she replied immediately.

"Yes, I took a short course at a private university in Sochi for two years."

"That's good. I believe there will be a suitable position for you to use your talents in Linhu Town, so there's no need to try to please me, who is younger than you and we just met, to solve the problems you're facing."

Upon hearing this, Kira froze on the spot, her lips trembling, but she couldn't utter a word.

"If you want something, you can't rely on other people's pity; you have to fight for it yourself, right? So now, here's an opportunity. Would you like to consider it?"

Seeing Kira's increasingly determined gaze, Ryuka knew that she had also secured her second point.

After a half-hour rest, the groups prepared to set off.

One group consisted of Lindsay, who stayed behind to guard the prisoners, and the unmotivated Luminova; the other group consisted of Kira, who knew some dark magic and had some connections and influence in Sochi, her slaves, or young commoners determined to make a name for themselves, and a few obedient prisoners.

Their mission was to change into the cavalry's equipment, take the letter written by Bran, and order the other groups to retreat first.

The last team consists of Ryusha, Hetia, and Evelyn. Their mission is to rescue the people sent by the princess from Bran's manor, with Evelyn acting as their guide.

Originally, someone else was supposed to lead the way, but Evelyn, who had previously been timid, insisted on volunteering. Kira was also surprised and had to carefully instruct her on various matters.

Hetia was ready to leave, and when Ryusha left Kira and Evelyn and came over, Hetia was looking at him with (￢＿￢) eyes.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Liu Xia tilted her head and asked.