Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

"and you?"

"I'm going to the border to take a look." Ryuga smiled gently as she saw the worried look on Baron's face. "I'll be promoted to Grand Knight soon."

Baron recalled Ryusha's clean and decisive battle. He wasn't simply gambling; he was confident that the battle wouldn't harm anyone's life and could end easily.

A sixteen-year-old Grand Knight! Baron swallowed hard. The person standing in front of him must be the next Celestial Knight of the Otus Empire!

Based on what he knows about Liu Xia's experiences, it's possible that Liu Xia could become a Saint-level being above the Heavenly Rank in the future!

Those were legendary figures, few and far between on the entire continent during that era! The Heavenly Rank could leave a significant mark on history, while the Saintly Rank was the hero among heroes.

The Otus Empire currently has ten Celestial Rank experts, representing the pinnacle of the empire's regular strength, while it is said that there are only three Saint Rank experts, and there have been no rumors about them for many years.

“Alright… but when do you expect to return? I’d like to be prepared, otherwise Miss Hetia and Miss Kania will blame me.”

Baron was no longer worried about Ryukyu's safety. With the strength of a near-Grand Master, he could move almost unimpeded along the eastern border, as long as Ryukyu didn't foolishly run into the walls of Sochi City...

"Not necessarily, but they know my personality and won't blame you for it. By the way... have the officials in Sanhe Town organize all available manpower to help the nearby residents with the autumn harvest quickly, and make sure there are no conflicts in the process."

Baron nodded, watching as Liuxia, having taken some supplies and borrowed two fine horses from the post station in Sanhe Town, set off towards the border...

The villages along the way were filled with the joy of the autumn harvest, and some people sent down from Linhu Town greeted Liu Xia warmly upon seeing him. Liu Xia smiled and nodded in response. Although the recent incident weighed heavily on his mind like a dark cloud, he could not show it in front of his people.

Ryūsha had a premonition that the arrival of the scouts meant the enemy was preparing for war, perhaps after the autumn harvest. But he couldn't understand what Mrs. Mara was thinking.

The peace treaty had only been signed a few months prior, and as long as Earl Duke was still alive, Lady Mara was unlikely to start an open war. Megan's public appearance at least reassured Lady Mara that her niece was not in mortal danger, and that she wouldn't do such a thing just to save face.

Has something happened on Earl Duke's side? Or has the long-dormant faction of the Third Prince made a comeback?

Ottos appears to be a unified empire, but in reality, it is plagued by constant internal conflicts, both large and small. As long as there is a legitimate reason, nobles are permitted to wage war between their territories. In fact, such small-scale conflicts have been occurring frequently throughout the empire in recent years, though less often in the more remote eastern parts.

This escalation of internal conflict indicates that the imperial center's control over local military nobles is gradually weakening. Despite having a Tenth-Rank official in charge, Ryuga could sense the disintegration of power within and outside the empire from various news reports and rumors.

The struggle among the royal heirs that he was in was the most direct manifestation of this.

"Whoa—"

On the last hill before crossing the border, a small wooden camp had a beacon tower standing tall. Two soldiers were patrolling, and upon seeing that the visitor was their governor, they immediately saluted respectfully.

From here, one can clearly see the vast plains of Sochi Territory across the border, as well as several main roads and waterways. Therefore, a patrol team of about ten people is stationed in the village at the foot of the mountain to guard this area.

If it weren't for the excessively long border, Liuxia would have wanted to emulate its ancestors and build the Great Wall. However, that would not be something that could be accomplished overnight, and the small territory of Linhu is not worth doing so, since it cannot be Liuxia's lifelong foundation.

But if war breaks out, what will Ryukyu use to defend against its powerful neighbor?

Have you observed anything unusual recently?

Liu Xia did not dismount, but asked the two soldiers directly.

"Reporting to the Consul! Nothing unusual!"

"If I had to say something, it seems like there are a lot more caravans entering the country these past two days..."

Another young soldier added cautiously, and Ryuka smiled approvingly upon hearing this, flicking a gold coin from her pocket into the soldier's hand. "Where's Mei? Lin Yongkong, where's Lin Zaizai...?"

"You've worked hard. I'll treat the brothers to a nice meal tonight."

The soldier stared wide-eyed at the glittering gold coins in his hand, while another soldier realized that he and the others who hadn't yet started their shift had all benefited from this man's good fortune.

This is a gold coin! The biggest perk for ordinary patrol soldiers is that they are provided with food and lodging, and their monthly salary during peacetime is only one silver coin.

The young governor's figure instantly seemed much taller in their eyes!

"Thank you, Your Excellency!"

Before the two soldiers could express their gratitude, Ryūka had already ridden away and quickly crossed the border.

Chapter 21 A Personal Visit to Sochi

"Name, pass, purpose of visit, and city entry fee."

Using her charm, Ryuka altered how others perceived her appearance, blending into the crowd entering the city and arriving at the gates of Sochi. The tall, wide city gates seemed built for giants, and the thick city walls were protected and reinforced by magic.

The city is situated on a vast eastern plain. In the town of Sanhe, three unnamed rivers converge to form the Sochi River, which flows through the city through the iron fence beneath the city walls, nourishing the entire city of Sochi, including the agricultural areas outside the city walls.

Ah, this is what a big city is like!

This was Liu Xia's first time visiting Sochi City. The fantastical ancient city built with magic and battle aura was truly extraordinary. Liu Xia's eyes scanned the surroundings, observing everything. Beneath these magnificent city walls, a stench of decay permeated the air, even more astonishing to Liu Xia than that of the old Linhu Town.

At the east gate of the city, several soldiers were checking those entering the city: merchants, farmers, travelers... Everyone was both afraid and apprehensive of the guards, yet they still had to force ingratiating smiles. Liu Xia also saw a caravan transporting slaves; the men and women in the cages of the carriages were barely clothed, their eyes like those of the dead, allowing the soldiers to poke and prod them like livestock.

"My lord, this is our inventory list and the city entry fee."

The burly slave trader forced a smile, a smile that looked more like a grimace, and handed a pass and a few silver coins to the captain of the guards at the city gate.

There were twenty old and weak slaves. Liu Xia stood twenty meters behind them, leading his horse, and immediately saw the words written on it.

The cages on the carriages, crammed full of flesh, contained at least forty young male and female slaves.

But the captain of the guard weighed the few silver coins in his hand, skillfully tucked one coin between his fingers, and tossed the rest into the city entrance tax box.

In Ryuga's view, his eyesight, which was about to be promoted to Grand Knight, could see clearly, as if in slow motion, that when the captain's hand lifted the other silver coins into the air, only the one that was left behind did not fly up.

Ryūka smiled knowingly. That silver coin was heavier… either it had a higher silver content, or it was a gold coin with a silver casing; either way, it was a counterfeit specifically made for covert bribery…

Ryuga glanced at the slave trader and his entourage, silently memorizing their names.

"No problem, please go in!"

With a wave of his hand, the captain ordered the slave traders to bow and scrape, then arrogantly directed his men to drive the carts into the city. The captain even reached into the cage and roughly pinched one of the female slaves several times.

The slave, who was the age of a married woman, didn't even blink; he simply buried his head among his companions with a blank expression.

The next person to be checked upon entering the city was Liuxia.

“Ahem! Sir, your name and pass.”

The captain of the guard glanced at the boy's attire and horse, and his attitude immediately became much more respectful. Although he was dressed casually, Liu Xia's clothes were well-tailored, with engraved patterns on the metal buttons and belt, and the sword at his waist was adorned with magnificent gemstones, clearly not an ordinary item. The horse he was leading was also a valuable and fine steed.

Although the boy was not particularly handsome and had never been seen before, the captain of the guard was certain that the young man before him was someone of extraordinary status and not someone who could be easily exploited.

Who knows, some young master from a wealthy family might be here to experience the life of an adventurer; such things are not uncommon. The previous captain of the city gate guards was tempted by money and made things difficult for a group of seemingly rich young adventurers. As a result, he was beaten half to death by the officers summoned by those young masters and ladies who were pretending to be ordinary adventurers. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to take this lucrative position.

Seeing the captain of the guard's changed attitude, Ryuka laughed and unleashed her greatly enhanced witch-type abilities on the group of guards, whose strongest members were no more than trainees.

“I’m your seventh maternal uncle. Don’t you recognize me? I used to hold you when you were little.”

Although they didn't understand where "seventh maternal uncle" came from, the captain of the guard and his men stared blankly for a moment, then nodded with a smile as if they were drunk.

"Oh, right, right! That's right! I remember now! What brings you here!"

"Let's take a look around. By the way, Grandpa, I don't have much money left for the trip. Could you lend me some?"

"Sure! No problem! If you need anything in Sochi, just mention Captain Sárche's name!"

The captain of the guard patted his chest, took out his money pouch and handed it to Liu Xia, with the silver coin from earlier also stuffed inside.

Liu Xia accepted it with a smile, said "Good boy," and led the horse into the city.

The commoners behind him stared in disbelief at the scene, only able to interpret it as some kind of playful banter between a noble young master and a lower-ranking soldier.

The captain of the guard quickly recovered from his dazed expression, and looking at the group of people sizing him up as they entered the city, he reverted to his previous arrogant demeanor.

……

Upon entering Liuxia, the first thing that struck her was not prosperity. It had rained the day before, and the streets were still muddy, but thankfully no excrement had been spilled, so the smell wasn't unpleasant. The streets were wide, but lined with low houses, and the pedestrians' clothes were neither worn nor new. However, the crowded streets and dense crowds made it seem much more lively than Linhu Town.

The outer ring of Sochi, three kilometers wide, is the lower city, inhabited by commoners and a diverse mix of people, interspersed with farmland. The inner ring, two kilometers in radius, is the upper city, inhabited by respectable commoners, the upper class, and nobles. The closer to the inner ring, the more prestigious the residents' status. Between the two city areas is an even taller city wall.

Looking out, on the hillside in the center of the Upper Town stands the Duke family's enormous castle, with the Sochi River diverted to form a moat beneath it. The fairytale-like high walls and spires, along with the thick city walls, are the result of over a century of management by the Duke family.

Compared to Sochi, Linhu Town in Liuxia is a completely dilapidated rural town. Even if it were to be developed for another ten years or so, it probably wouldn't be able to reach this scale.

Such a behemoth, once war breaks out, will become the enemy's most solid and secure stronghold, a place that even the full strength of the Linhu Territory would find difficult to conquer.

Liu Xia felt a growing gloom in his heart. He mounted his horse and galloped towards the city.

Kania had used the opportunity of the mage class certification to plant a group of spies in Sochi City. One of Ryuka's tasks was to proactively find these people and see if they knew of any recent changes in Sochi City.

Ryusha rode his horse to the most chaotic area of ​​the lower city and found one of the rendezvous points described by Kania in a smoky alley: a small tavern with a red sign and dragon carvings.

Fire Dragon Tavern.

As its name suggests, the shop has two rows of stoves protruding from the entrance like fangs. The bald chef with tattooed arms looks menacing, and flames fly from the pots he holds. The odor here is complex, consisting of the smoke from the pots, the tobacco held by the group of undignified customers at the door, the cheap beer on the ground, food scraps, and even urine and vomit.

Even Ryukatsu's horse couldn't help but snort.

Ryuka tied his horse to the side, walked through the tables and chairs outside the shop, which resembled a 'street food stall,' and pushed open the door to enter.

Chapter 22 'Fire Dragon's Nest' Club

After entering, Liu Xia ignored the thugs and ruffians in the room and went straight to the counter inside, slamming a silver coin onto the table.

"A bottle of wine, a plate of meat, and I'd like a private room."

The owner of the Fire Dragon Tavern grinned as he looked at the young man dressed like a young master:

"A private room? Do you think this is a restaurant in the Upper East Side?"

A burst of cheerful laughter erupted in the tavern, while Liu Xia maintained his smile, unleashing ordinary white battle aura from his palm and slamming the silver coin hard into the solid wood table.

Seeing Ryūka's displayed knightly skills, the thugs in the tavern instantly fell silent, lowering their heads to continue eating and drinking. At the same time, Ryūka looked at the tavern owner again and said in a threatening tone: "Mei ne you ne zai ne kong ni lin zai zai mei ne..."

"I told you, I want a private room. I trust you can handle it."

"Yes... I'll arrange it for you right away..."

Upon hearing this, the tavern owner seemed to have been flipped through a switch, his gaze becoming blank. To an ordinary person, it looked as if he had been frightened by Ryuka. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he led Ryuka into the tavern's backstage area...

Entering from the back of the tavern, the dim oil lamps were enveloped by a denser layer of smoke, which smelled excessively sweet.

Before each narrow doorway, the glamorous, heavily made-up prostitutes stared longingly at Liu Xia's presentable attire and petite age.

"Boss, aren't you going to introduce it to us?"

"Hey bro~ Just one silver coin and I can make you feel like you're in heaven~"

"Good little brother, look at these bunnies from your big sister~ There's nothing your big sister can't do!"

Under the dim oil lamplight, these prostitutes stretched their bodies like succubi, displaying themselves wantonly in the aphrodisiac-laced smoke. This was the brothel behind the Fire Dragon Tavern, not only evading Sochi City's high taxes on the red-light district, but also the most 'openly promiscuous' place in the entire lower city.

Gangs are mixed together, interests are intertwined, and the so-called boundary between the black and white worlds is also the best place for intelligence to flow. These prostitutes are just as good at extracting information as their professional skills.

The tavern owner angrily chased away the group of prostitutes, then obsequiously led Ryuka to the door at the far end. Amidst the resentful and regretful gazes of the prostitutes, Ryuka pushed open the door and walked down the descending stairs.

Below was the brightly decorated members-only nightclub, 'Fire Dragon's Nest,' where magical lamps, a rarity in the lower city, hung from the ceiling, making it as bright as day. Glamorous prostitutes, far more sophisticated than the streetwalkers outside, entertained their clients in private booths: merchants, guards, noble stewards, and even some rather dissolute minor nobles.

This is the best place in the lower city to gather intelligence and conduct black market transactions.

Of course, Kania's ability to establish connections here wasn't something she could have accomplished in just a few days in Sochi. Her family also owned property in Sochi, and she used to shuttle between Sochi and Linhu Town. After awakening her witch abilities and memories, she began making various plans.

For example, the slave scroll that controlled Hetia before, she got it from here.

However, now, Kania has planted even deeper spies here.

Following the room number, Liu Xia went straight to the door of a private room. From inside the locked room came a man's heavy breathing and a woman's exaggerated cries.

"This place really does have its unique features." Liu Xia confirmed the room number, gripped the doorknob, and precisely unleashed his battle qi. A dull thud was heard as the door lock shattered.

"Damn it!!! Who is this person?!"

The room's layout didn't resemble a hotel; it was more like an office. The man at the desk, his backside exposed, hurriedly turned around, pulling up his trousers with one hand and pulling out a small crossbow with the other. The woman lying on the desk beneath him immediately stopped her flamboyant moans and obediently squatted down against the wall.

It seems the prostitutes here are quite well-trained; they've probably seen this kind of forced entry quite a few times.

Without wasting words, Ryuka directly uttered the mental code that Kania had prepared for the man.

"To hell with fate and curses!"

A purple glint flashed in the man's eyes, and he instantly lowered his guard, tossing the crossbow aside. He pulled up his trousers and walked to the desk, sitting down. He pouted, looking annoyed that his fun had been ruined, and said:

"So you're a regular customer."

As he spoke, he kicked the woman by the wall in the buttocks and threw down a few coins to signal her to get lost.

Ryuga observed the rich and vivid expressions of the man named 'Fox Scorpion,' which were completely different from the blank expressions of ordinary mind-controlled people. She thought to herself that Kania must have put in a lot of effort when modifying this person's memories and cognition.

Excellent value for money; Fox Scorpion is considered one of the top figures among the many information brokers and black market merchants in the 'Fire Dragon's Nest'. Kania chose to control him because, although he is shrewd, he has no fighting spirit or magical strength, making him the easiest to control.

"Has there been any major military activity in Sochi City recently?" Liu Xia asked directly. He wanted to sit down, but frowned when he saw the mess on the sofa and chairs. He simply created an ice chair in the room instead.