Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

But the scouts that Lady Mara sent out the day before yesterday were captured the next day, and that very night the governor of Linhu territory entered the city alone.

What kind of reaction speed is this? But considering the rapid development of the neighboring territory in the past six months, Linton felt that it didn't seem so unreasonable.

Seeing the questioning look in Ryūka's eyes, he commented in surprise:

"Your Excellency, you have truly surprised me..."

Chapter 1 Three-Pot Baked Noodles

"Mr. Linton, what exactly happened in Sochi?"

Linton gave a wry smile in response to Ryūsha's question.

"Let me explain slowly. Now, we need to go to my room first; it's not very safe outside..."

Ryusha nodded, and then learned about the general situation here from Linton.

……

Two weeks ago was the twelfth birthday party of David Duke, the eldest grandson of the Earl and the eldest son of Tavis. Not only the nobles of Sochi, but also many nobles from other places came to offer their congratulations.

Among them were many members of the Mara family, as well as numerous celebrities from the capital.

But after that banquet, Earl David, the eldest grandson, disappeared.

The mastermind behind this was the Third Prince's faction, including not only the neutral Alvarez family, but also many of their members who infiltrated Sochi territory. After kidnapping David, they gradually gained control of the castle. Their success was undoubtedly due in no small part to Lady Mara's assistance…

By now, they have essentially taken control of the entire upper city of Sochi. However, the Earl's faction is still locked in a tug-of-war with them, resulting in a bizarre and stalemate...

The Earl himself is currently unable to leave the castle, and most of his decrees have been intercepted and taken over, but he is not in any danger.

“How could this be? David is also Mrs. Mara’s grandson, how could she… And, I see that the soldiers here are divided into three factions, what’s going on?”

In Linton's room, Ryusha asked in confusion.

"It can only be said that things have exceeded Lady Mara's expectations... The person in charge of this operation appointed by the Third Prince seems to have too many of his own ideas..."

Linton's words were ambiguous; he simply shook his head with a wry smile, as if he had something difficult to say.

Internal strife among the nobility, especially the intriguing kind, is rarely brought to the forefront. Currently, the empire is at peace in name only, and the previously injured emperor is reportedly recovering, gradually reclaiming power from the regent fourth prince. Therefore, the Sochi territory is outwardly maintaining a balance…

For Ryukyu, it's a good thing that its rivals are divided. If Count Duke were completely taken over, the situation in Linhu Territory would be even more dangerous.

"Currently, the Upper City is controlled by the Mara faction and the Third Prince's faction, also known as the 'Imperial Capital Faction,' and they have taken over many important positions. However, within the castle, the three forces are still locked in a stalemate, and outside Sochi, there are still many loyal vassals to the Earl. It's just that all information now has to pass through all three sides, and the Earl himself doesn't want the outside world to know about the current predicament, so..."

"But since they have already begun to spy on Linhu Territory, it means that the other side is getting impatient."

“Mr. Ryusha, I don’t know much about the affairs of the capital, but I do know that Miss Tartu of Linhu Territory is a bodyguard of the thirteenth princess. What is it about Linhu Territory that makes the two princes and princesses value it so much?”

Although Linton's expression of doubt was genuine, Ryusha didn't believe that this confidant of the Duke family would be completely ignorant of the affairs of the capital. And his question was perhaps a common concern among many nobles.

"I don't know about this matter either. I am from Linhu Town. I was fortunate enough to be appreciated by the lord. All I want to do is to ensure the peace of my territory."

Ryuga smiled and avoided Linton's question, then asked him without hesitation the question that concerned her most:

"I just want to know how strong our opponents are. If war breaks out, how many nobles in Sochi will respond to them, and how many troops will they mobilize?"

Linton pondered for a moment, seemingly considering whether to reveal the entire Sochi Territory to Ryukyu in exchange for the trust of an ally. After much deliberation, he decided to tell the truth:

"Currently, there are about three hundred soldiers loyal to the Earl within the castle, most of whom are full-time or trainee, with about one hundred ordinary soldiers. Our men still occupy advantageous positions within the castle, such as the armory and granaries..."

As you know, Lady Mara has a private army of one hundred men, mostly stationed in the inner and outer layers of the castle. The Imperial Faction, on the other hand, only has a few dozen men inside the castle, but most of their forces are in the upper city, numbering approximately one hundred to two hundred.

Although they are few in number and cannot control the entire city of Sochi, they are all elites; even the weakest among them have the strength of apprentices, and the vast majority are full-time officers…

Ryusha recalled the knights under Hefren's command; not only were they all full-fledged officers, but they were also clearly elite full-fledged officers. Such an army composition was absolutely impossible to find in the Sochi territory in the eastern part of the empire.

After all, a private army like Lady Mara's, consisting of one knight and four apprentices, totaling a hundred men, was already quite formidable. Currently, in the Linhu Territory, there are at most only a dozen or so men with the strength of a full-fledged officer…

"As for if war breaks out... without the Earl himself convening a council of nobles, only about a third of the vassals will follow Lady Mara. Those nobles who participate in the war can probably bring twenty or thirty full-time officers and a hundred trainees, and five or six hundred ordinary soldiers can be recruited immediately... and more will be added after the autumn harvest."

This isn't even a full mobilization of the people; otherwise, the number would be several times higher. But that's unlikely... after all, war is about calculating gains and losses, and no one would risk their entire fortune just because of Lady Marfa's orders.

Hearing this number, Liu Xia breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the stalemate in Sochi City remained, even if war broke out, the military force facing Linhu Territory would not exceed a thousand people, since the core areas of the upper city and the castle were untouchable. Mei, are you free, Lin...?

The force of less than a thousand men was a coalition of nobles of varying ranks. With one side invading and the other resisting with all its might, the Linhu Territory might not be afraid.

So the key issue is that Count Ronald Duke's power cannot be lost... Once he is no longer a check on things, even just the hundreds of elites of the 'Imperial Capital Faction' would be a problem for Ryūka.

Tsk, Ryuka clicked her tongue inwardly: Had the Third Prince's faction gone mad after losing contact with Melanie? Why were they making such a big move all at once? But neither Hetia nor Anyaberg had received a single whisper of it. What on earth was the Thirteenth Princess up to?

Could it be true, as Hetia said, that the princess 'fortune-telling' predicted that she could handle this situation?

"Understood. Could you help me enter the castle and meet the Earl?"

Ryuga made a direct request to Linton. Although the scribe looked like an ordinary person, he had the strength of a magician and she couldn't control him.

He clearly held back much of the information he provided, and it seems that to truly understand the situation and resolve it, he still needs to meet with the Earl himself.

Chapter 2 Goodbye Earl

Seeing Liu Xia's resolute expression, Lin Dun couldn't help but try to dissuade her: "Mei Ne Ne, do you miss me, Yong Kong, or Lin Zai Ne..."

"Leaving aside the elite soldiers inside, both Madam Mafa and the 'Imperial Capital Faction' have a high-ranking official. What if something unexpected happens..."

Liu Xia laughed: "You don't need to worry about that. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Besides, the Earl must have quite a few trump cards up his sleeve. Otherwise, he probably wouldn't have been able to withstand the pressure from the two high-ranking officials for so long."

Linton fell silent. Ryusha's guess was correct; the Earl also had a Grand Master. Moreover, that person was essentially fighting on home ground within the castle. Even if the two Grand Masters on the other side joined forces, they might not necessarily gain the upper hand, especially since the opponents couldn't cooperate effectively.

But is bringing Ryūka into the game now a good move or a catalyst for trouble?

Seeing Linton hesitate again, Ryusha felt that this clerk was loyal enough, but not bold enough.

"To be honest, Miss Melanie is currently a guest at my place, and Miss Hetia and I are both about to be promoted."

Linton was momentarily taken aback by Ryusha's relaxed demeanor.

What...what did he just say?

He knew Melanie. Although she was originally from the Third Prince's faction, the Snowfield family and the Duke family were distant relatives. Linton himself had met Melanie, but he never expected that she would now join Liuxia's camp.

If the lord and the governor are both promoted to Grand Knights, and Megan, who was captured by Ryukyu, Linhu Territory will suddenly have four Grand Knights! This is not the kind of strength a viscountty should have!

Moreover… if Hetia advances to the Heavenly Rank at less than twenty years old, she has a real chance! And Ryūka… he's only…

"If I may ask, how old are you this year...?"

"I just turned sixteen," Liu Xia said with a smile.

"Hiss—" Linton gasped, stood up and paced back and forth, looking repeatedly at Liu Xia's harmless and handsome face. Finally, as if he remembered something, he showed an expression of 'I see'.

Oh~~~

Linton's appearance sent a chill down Liuxia's spine. A middle-aged man suddenly looking at her with such an ambiguous gaze... This feeling...

"Sir, what's wrong with you?"

"No! It's nothing!" Linton smiled brightly and said politely to Ryusha, "Please rest for a while. I will take you into the castle to meet the Earl between dawn and dusk!"

"It can't be nothing, can it?!" Ryuka frowned, but had no choice but to agree.

Exhausted after a day's work, Ryusha rested for several hours in Linton's room before following him past layers of guards and through several secret passages until they finally reached the upper and middle levels of the castle.

"Who is it!"

A furious shout came from the top of the stairs, followed by the sound of a long sword being drawn.

“Lord Tavis, it is I, Linton.”

"It's Mr. Olson..."

The voice calmed down, and torches were lit at the top of the stairs, casting a long shadow of Tavis Duke.

Ryuga sized up the unfamiliar earl heir, who was tall but thin with a full beard. Not only was his hair unkempt, but his body odor was also quite unpleasant.

"Who's behind you?"

Linton looked around, put his finger to his lips in a hushed gesture, and said, "Mr. Ryukyu, the governor of Linhu Territory..."

"What?" Tavis was taken aback, then looked at Ryuka. To Ryuka, his gaze didn't seem like suspicion, surprise, or wariness at all... more like... scrutiny? And there was a faint sense of satisfaction in his eyes?

“So that’s how it is. You’re Ryuka, the one Father mentioned…” Tavis said softly, sheathing his sword and revealing a weary smile as he tidied his hair.

"I'm sorry to have made you laugh." Tavis extended his hand to shake hands with Ryuka, then stepped aside on the narrow stairs.

"Go ahead, your father will be happy to see you."

Ryuu was a little confused. Why were the people around Earl Duke looking at her so strangely? It was the same when she first met Earl Duke. Did his family have some kind of weird fetish?

Ryusha caught up with Linton, then looked back at Tavis, who had extinguished his torch and disappeared back into the darkness, sitting on the stairs and resting with his sword in his arms.

In the dim candlelight held by Linton, Tavis's figure resembled a homeless man hiding in a bridge archway...

"Ever since young master David was captured, Lord Tavis has become like that. He also believes that the infiltration and invasion of the 'Imperial Capital Faction' is due to his own incompetence... And since the stalemate in the castle, Lord Tavis has always acted as a sentry in various places, fearing that the enemy will launch another attack."

As if punishing himself... Ryusha turned around and followed Linton through several guarded staircases before finally arriving at a magnificent door.

This castle was truly easy to defend and difficult to attack, Ryuka recalled the place she had just passed through. Not only was it like a maze, with many sections only passable by one person at a time, but there were also many unexpected vantage points for arrows. Although the enemy had blockaded the castle, taking it would not be an easy task.

This castle was truly easy to defend and difficult to attack, Ryuka recalled the place she had just passed through. Not only was it like a maze, with many sections only passable by one person at a time, but there were also many unexpected vantage points for arrows. Although the enemy had blockaded the castle, taking it would not be an easy task.

Knock, knock, knock. Linton knocked on the door and said, "Lord Ronald, Mr. Liu Xia, the governor of Linhu Territory, has arrived."

There was a moment of silence in the room, then the Earl's voice came from as he stood up: "Please wait a moment."

A moment later, Ryūsha finally saw the old count again. He looked very well and showed no signs of change, unlike the dejected Tavis and the furious Bran.

"You've arrived a little earlier than I expected. Please come in," the count said with a smile, welcoming Ryusha through the narrow doorway.

The house is quite spacious, with a living room, a study, an attic, and several small rooms, which seem to be able to accommodate quite a few people.

Meanwhile, several male and female servants prepared breakfast and placed it on the table, which looked very appetizing under the magical light.

"Did you know I would come?" Ryuka asked as she sat down at the table, watching the old count pick up his knife and fork without asking.

“I know you are very intelligent, and also very courageous and determined.” The count ate his breakfast and looked at Ryusha with a kind smile. “If anyone can change the deadlock, I think it must be my respected little neighbor.”

Linton approached the Earl and whispered about how Ryūsha found him and their subsequent conversation.

"This is truly..." The count listened, his gaze toward Ryusha growing increasingly appreciative.

Ryusha was used to that look and asked directly, "My Lord, I would like to know what I can do to keep Linhu Territory away from the threat of war."

Count Duke smiled and asked in return, "Mr. Ryukyu, are you very afraid of war?"

"What?" Liu Xia looked at the old man, unable to guess his thoughts, so she simply didn't try. She leaned back comfortably in her chair, treating the meeting as a casual chat.

“I don’t understand what you mean by asking that. Of course I hope for peace, but if it’s unavoidable, then we have to face it.”

Chapter 3 Cooperation and Investment

The count simply smiled at Ryūka's reply: "I'm afraid that's not the case."

Liu Xia frowned slightly: "What do you mean?"

"You are a young and talented gentleman, or rather, a boy, and young and talented men often have very strong ambitions."

The count's gaze sharpened as he looked at Ryusha: "You can tell from the fact that you intercepted the Tartu family's little girl and then took control of a territory."

“You…” Liu Xia’s expression froze. Earl Duke even knew about this kind of thing?

“Relax, young man. I’m just speculating. After all, I’m not stupid.” The count smiled again. “I’m not the only one who isn’t stupid, but they don’t have time to care about other people’s affairs. After all, you know the empire’s situation. Although it looks stable on the surface, there are already undercurrents surging.”

"War is coming, Mr. Ryūsha, or rather, war has never stopped. Whether you like it or not, it's only a matter of time. A great war that neither of us has ever witnessed is about to begin. And what's happening in Sochi is merely a harbinger..."

The count finished his breakfast quickly and efficiently, got up and walked to the window. Looking at the rising dawn outside, he turned to look at Ryusha with a questioning tone.

"Even if others don't attack you, won't you take the initiative to start a war once you have the strength? You build your territory, reform your policies, and absorb people... Behind all of this, isn't there a greater ambition?"

Ryūka looked at Earl Duke, her expression turning serious. She had only come to cooperate with him, hoping to help him resolve the current situation and protect his territory. She hadn't expected the old man to raise such a pointed question…

These are questions he's probably been wanting to ask himself for a long time.

Even Linton was surprised by the situation. He quickly dismissed all the servants and looked at the two men, one old and one young, with a nervous expression.

“Of course there are.” Liu Xia stood up frankly. “There’s nothing I’m afraid to admit. Reality isn’t a beautiful fairy tale, and I’m not a saint or a hero. I don’t like this world, but I happen to have the ability to try to change it, so why not try?”

"You don't like this world?" The count, recalling the compassionate and caring things Ryūsha had done for his people in his territory, asked with a smile, "Then do you want to build an ideal country?"

Ryuu shrugged: "How could that be? I'm not the Philosopher King~ But at least I'm doing pretty well right now, right? Much better than most noble lords. If I become stronger, why can't I have greater ambitions?"

Count Duke gave Ryūsha an approving smile: "Nobility is merely a title maintained by strength. Most nobles today are simply those who contributed to the establishment of the Otus Empire three hundred years ago. Even the ancestors of the Duke family were only minor barons after the war..."

And you, Mr. Ryūka. Even without the empire's investiture, you are already a 'noble' in effect. You have no shortage of subjects who recognize you, vassals who follow you, and the necessary military strength. "Mei, do you have time, Lin...?"

Liu Xia, unsure whether Earl Duke was trying to flatter her, smiled and shook her head: "But I'm not. I don't think I'm any more noble than others. It's just that this world is materialistic after all. People with strength are always more likely to occupy a good social position, and with the love and respect of some people... I'm standing here."