Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

"I believe you won't leave, Miss Hafelle~"

Ryūka's cheeky yet confident smile infuriated Hafren. Regardless, she seemed to have gained a degree of autonomy. However, this was contingent on Ryūka keeping his promise; after all, the difference in their strength remained, and she could only hope that Ryūka wouldn't go back on his word.

It's okay. As long as it's not a slave contract or anything like that, I'll always have a chance to reverse the situation once I'm promoted to Grand Knight!

Heflian convinced herself of this, unaware that what Ryusha wanted was for her to convince herself to temporarily submit. He had plenty of ways to make Heflian completely fall for him, and even if she didn't believe she was being forced.

Looking at the relieved Heflian, Ryuka said, "However, I also have a small request."

"any request?"

“I don’t like your knight captain very much, and he knows that I have taken you, so he is a threat to me.”

"You're going to kill him?!" Hafley glared at him. "You promised me!"

"A merciful ruler cannot command an army, and a righteous man cannot manage finances; you should understand this principle. Not only did he fail to fulfill his duty to admonish you against your impulsive actions, but after the incident, he also ousted Luca, fearing to take responsibility himself. To a certain extent, he would rather fail to save you than report this matter to your family..."

Hafren was speechless at Ryusha's words; she seemed to understand what Ryusha meant.

"You mean, you want me to do this? I can't do it..."

"No, it's not about you coming, and it's certainly not about me. Let's make a bet... Besides, I need you to help me put on a show."

Ryuu smiled faintly, a smile that seemed dangerous to Haflin. It was as if just seeing his wicked grin sent a shiver down Haflin's spine and made her feel hot; in just a few days, this had become an instinctive reaction in her body…

In the afterglow of the setting sun, a lone rider and a lone figure appeared on the distant horizon. The young knight, named Luca, had pawned his armor to obtain a horse from a village and was now pursuing the trail alone.

The only clues he could find were the traces of battle and the bizarre flesh and blood of monsters in the cemeteries surrounding the villages along the way. Although he didn't know if this was related to his young lady, Luca had no choice but to press on.

He had to find Miss Hafley before his captain and comrades to have a chance to clear his name. If his captain found her first, he would have no chance to return to the Royal Guard.

He worked almost non-stop for this, but knew he couldn't get much further ahead of the captain. Exhausted, Luca didn't know how he would fight the monster beside the young lady even if he found her, but he clutched a talisman to his chest, thinking of the person in his heart who was providing him with strength.

"You're so clumsy, always getting hurt. Oh, by the way, here's this amulet for you; I heard it's very useful."

“Mary…” Luca murmured his beloved’s name. If he were expelled from the Alvarez family, he feared he would have little chance left.

Finally, just as he was about to faint, the next village came into view.

The cemetery outside the village still bears traces of monster battles, while the village not far away exudes a strong stench of blood.

Luca was startled and urged his horse on, but the horse collapsed from exhaustion before he could catch it.

Luca, who had fallen to the ground, painfully got up, gritted his teeth, and staggered into the village. He looked at the deserted village, stained with blood, and his longsword trembled incessantly. He first kicked open a door, then rushed to the table, grabbed some food and water, gulped it down, wiped his mouth, and mustered his courage to begin searching the village for survivors.

He was completely unaware that two pairs of eyes were watching his every move from a rooftop not far away.

“I won the bet,” Ryuka said with a smile to Hefren beside her.

Heflene remained silent. She glanced at Luca, who was almost completely exhausted, and then looked at a cloud of smoke in the distance.

The Royal Guard was ultimately a minute too late.

"Do you really want to do that?" Hefleen looked at Ryusha, a pleading look in her eyes.

"This isn't up to me, it's between the two of them, you should understand... Ouch!"

As Ryuka was saying this, she was suddenly tapped on the back of the head.

"It's clearly Ryukatsu who's being malicious!"

Appearing behind Ryuga, scolding him in a sweet voice, was the little witch Kania, whom he hadn't seen for several days.

Meanwhile, standing against the wall behind her with an air of 'I'm not interested' was Hetia.

So, in addition to leaving the regular garrison in Linhu Territory, she brought quite a few people with her. Melanie and Megan, the two senior officers, as well as the dark elf Zona who had just joined them, were worried that Ryūka, who was supposed to be "unconcerned," might cause some unexpected trouble.

While she was preoccupied with worry, Ryuka's leisurely pace stemmed from his gradual subduing of a beautiful female knight. This explains his displeasure when Kania received a new message from the ravens, urging them to cross the border and meet at the village.

"Good hit! It's time to teach this kid a lesson."

Melanie, who was naturally the one adding fuel to the fire with a smile, didn't seem nervous at all. She treated it like a picnic, after all, she didn't believe that anything would happen to Liuxia.

Looking at the many beauties who had appeared, Hefren didn't know how to respond. Apart from Hetia Tartu, who was the lord of Linhu Territory, she couldn't figure out what the others' relationships were with Ryusha, nor did she know how to explain her own identity.

Kania, on the other hand, acted as if she knew everything and enthusiastically went up to chat with Haflian.

"You must be Miss Haifulian~ I'm so sorry you had to suffer on your journey~"

Then Kania put on a cold expression and started yelling at Ryuka.

"That wicked thing must have bullied Miss Haifulian! It's alright! I'll get justice for you! But... it's wonderful to have such a renowned beauty as Miss Haifulian join us! Welcome to Linhu Territory!"

Hafren suddenly felt at a loss, after all, her experience with Ryūsha hadn't been very good. And this purple-haired girl, who was so enthusiastic and friendly towards her, seemed to have a lot of influence among the group. So, a glimmer of hope ignited in Hafren's heart, and she made a request to Kania.

“Miss Kania, could you…” Hefleen looked at Ryusha, indicating that Kania could speak up and stop what was about to happen.

Melanie smiled, it seemed that Heflian was completely under the control of this pair of seemingly good cop and bad cop, but actually united in heart and mind.

Well... I was like that back then too.

Meanwhile, Hetia looked at Hefren as if she were looking at her past self, and could only silently complain in her heart.

One more victim!

Chapter 41 Shared Responsibility

Upon hearing Hafren's request, Kania made a hesitant expression, her pitiful look instantly making Hafren feel as if she had made a rather impolite request. She saw Kania bite her lip, then take a breath and ask Ryusha:

"Ryuka, do we really have to do that?"

Looking at Kania's act of standing up for Haifren, if Ryusha didn't know this little witch inside and out, he would have really thought that Kania was acting out of kindness and wanted to speak up for Haifren, whom he had no connection with at all.

"I'm only responsible for setting up the stage; what they do is their business."

"Ryuka! Can't you..." Faced with Ryuka's cold attitude, Kania pouted and complained, but Ryuka grabbed her by the neck and pulled her in front of him.

"You interfere with my decisions just because I gave you a little attitude. Looks like I'll have to teach you a lesson tonight!"

Kania was forced to kneel before Ryūka in agony, her beautiful face streaked with tears, looking utterly pitiful. Anyone who saw her would feel pity and condemn Ryūka as a cruel and heartless tyrant!

However, both Ryukyu and Hetia knew perfectly well that Kania absolutely adored this kind of thing and was probably enjoying the feeling of kneeling down in front of Ryukyu right now.

Yes, and there's also the exhilarating feeling of acting in front of Heflin.

"You! You've gone too far!"

Heflian roared angrily, boldly pushing away Ryusha's arm and shielding Kania behind her, glaring at the little scoundrel who had laid a hand on a girl.

Faced with Hefren's useless intimidation, Ryuka simply said dismissively, "It seems Miss Hefren has no confidence in her subordinates? Or is she simply refusing to admit defeat after losing the bet? The reputation of the Alvarez family is nothing more than this."

Heflian gritted her teeth. She was speechless after being shut down by Ryusha's words. She could only comfort Kania, who had stood up for her. Seeing Kania coughing incessantly, she felt apologetic and dared not let anyone else stand up for her again.

"Miss Kania, are you... are you alright...?"

"Ahem, it's nothing. Sorry I couldn't help you..."

Kania raised her eyes and looked at Haiflian with a guilty look. Her delicate and pitiful appearance made Haiflian feel extremely guilty and she engraved the thought that Kania was trustworthy into her mind.

"No, it's my fault..." Hefleen didn't dare to look Kania in the eye and walked away silently.

Too young, daring to leave the family and venture out on his own. In Haifulian's blind spot, Kania instantly put on a funny face and stuck her tongue out at Ryusha.

Among the people behind them, Melanie, who had also been subdued by Kania's maneuvering, rolled her eyes. It seemed the little witch was going to use 'guilt' to gradually drag Hafren down with her...

Most likely, it was because of the terrible ordeal Hafren suffered at Ryukyu's hands during the subsequent performance that Hafren believed it was all a consequence of speaking up for her. Coupled with Kania's profound mastery of "tea art," manipulating Hafren and making her offer to "take the punishment in Kania's place" would be effortless, rendering the agreement not to humiliate Hafren meaningless...

Ryūka and Kania don't need to discuss things privately; a single glance is enough for them to understand each other's wicked intentions. To put it nicely, they're inseparable; to put it bluntly, they're in cahoots!

Melanie and Hetia exchanged a glance, a helpless, bitter smile on their faces...

Kania, on the other hand, nestled into Ryusha's arms, teasing her long-lost lover with her fingers and revealing a mischievous, playful smile.

"How about that? This is much more effective than a direct assault, isn't it? You should thank me properly!"

"Is this a thank you? Or bullying?" Liu Xia grabbed Kania's pert buttocks and kneaded her tender flesh wantonly. The forceful pinching excited Kania immensely. She had already gotten into the mood when her neck was being choked earlier.

Her jade-like arms encircled her neck, and her moist cherry lips passionately kissed her. Her sweet and slippery tongue relentlessly demanded more from her until she was panting heavily before Ryuka pushed her away.

"What's the rush? You'll get your share." Ryuga looked at Kania, whose eyes were full of seductive charm. The slight dampness he felt on her trouser leg made his heart race, not to mention the alluring aura of a witch emanating from Kania.

"I can't do it alone~ Everyone's been waiting for so long~ Especially Sister Zona~"

Kania smiled and pulled the dark elf assassin out. The passionate kiss they'd just shared had left Zona blushing furiously. Zona, still a virgin and tormented by the dark elf's nature, had fantasized countless times about being taken by her master, Ryuka, the moment he returned…

"Alright, alright, anything goes after we finish our business." Ryuga looked at the women. Megan remained silent, only offering a submissive look. Melanie and Hetia seemed unconcerned, but a blush crept onto their cheeks...

What Ryuka and the others had to do was very simple.

Before the guards even reached the village, they heard a roar that echoed through the sky.

Is that the monster?! It's right ahead! The knights exchanged glances, then solemnly drew their longswords.

Before they could even prepare themselves, a bright blue magic circle lit up the sky, and enormous ice spikes rained down on the ground like a storm. The knights' warhorses neighed, and before this breathtaking scene could end, a melodious shout rang out, and a tall female knight wielding a giant axe descended from the ice array. A huge cloud of dust rose from the village, and houses collapsed one after another!

Two high-ranking officials! Are they fighting that monster?

The knights were instantly filled with confidence, and their fear vanished. But just as they were about to charge forward, they were stopped by a dashing crimson female knight and her soldiers on horseback.

"Who goes there! Hetia Tartu of Linhu Territory is leading a team to hunt monsters! Keep out of the way!"

"Viscount Tartu, I've long admired your name..."

The veteran guards exchanged glances, and then the captain of the knights stepped forward, addressing Hetia with a passionate and impassioned tone:

"We are knights of the Alvarez family. Our young lady has been kidnapped by this monster. We hope you can give us a chance to fight alongside you!"

"So that's how it is..." Hetia looked at the knights' united and determined appearance, a disdainful smile playing on her lips. "No, I can't let you disrupt our plans. We're launching a fierce attack right now, and as for your lady, I think we'll leave it to fate!"

“This…” The captain of the knights looked indignant. “Viscount Tartu! You’ve gone too far! Miss Hefleen is…”

"I don't care who she is!" Hetia silenced the knight captain with her longsword imbued with battle aura, the crimson spiral of her bloodline battle aura intimidating all the knights present.

"Besides, we're not on the same side. You all know very well who you're targeting by coming to the Eastern Empire!"

Hetia's blunt words left the knights speechless. Indeed, as a member of the thirteenth princess's faction, Hetia couldn't possibly trust the third prince's faction. Even killing Hefren during the battle wasn't out of the question…

Thinking of this, the knights became excited:

"Are you kidding me! We just want to rescue Miss!"

"We're not getting involved in factional infighting! We'll do anything to save Miss!"

Hetia watched the restless knights, brandishing her battle-wielding longsword and drawing a ten-meter-long red line in front of their warhorses, a powerful warning to them to behave. (The rest of the text appears to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated gibberish.)

"Anything is acceptable? Fine, then you shall swear an oath in the name of your ancestors and family, and write a contract. As long as you serve me, I will have someone keep an eye on your young lady."

The knight captain's expression changed. Although this contract was not like a slave contract, it was no different for knights who valued their honor. If they went back on their word, the other party could ruin their reputation, and even Alvarez's own family would not say anything.

“Miss Tartu! You’ve gone too far! Besides, this isn’t Linhu Territory! You have no right to stop us from entering this village!”

"Of course I can, given that we have two high-ranking officials. Besides, when monsters appear on the border, I lead troops to exterminate them, and the local lords will thank me."

Hetia laughed wildly, while Melanie and Megan behind her continued to build momentum, the earth-shattering sounds of battle echoing and intimidating the crowd in front of her.

"It seems your own reputation and future are more important than Miss's life. Is this what you call a personal guard? This is truly dereliction of duty!"

“Your words are too much! My men and I have traveled day and night! If we weren’t exhausted, we wouldn’t necessarily be afraid of you! Miss Tartu! Please reconsider, the Alvarez family…”

“There is a Heavenly Rank expert, right?” Hetia interrupted the knight captain’s threat directly. “But that person is in the capital, not here. Besides, a captain of the personal guard who lost his own daughter would make your general angrier than me, wouldn’t it?”

Hetia's blatant threat left the knight captain speechless, and even the knights behind him showed some worry. Even if they could rescue Hefren, this incident would become a stain on their records. Hetia, on the other hand, relentlessly attacked the knights' psychological vulnerabilities.

"All you talk is empty words, traveling day and night? I think you're far inferior to this guy, Luca!"

At Hetia's command, the soldiers of Linhu Territory parted, and Luca, exhausted but with bright eyes, stepped out, staring intently at his former captain.

Hetia produced a contract stating that Luca was willing to exchange his freedom for the assistance of the Linhu Territory, provided that Heflian was safely rescued...

"He arrived earlier than you all, riding alone. His horse was exhausted from running, but you're all late and still have the nerve to say you traveled through the night. It's laughable!"

Hetia looked at the knights with shame on their faces and mocked them mercilessly, loudly rebuking them for their disloyalty and dereliction of duty.

"In my opinion, he is the truly loyal knight, willing to give everything for his master. What about you?"

The knights remained silent. Even if they could break through Hetia's blockade, the internal battle between the Grand Masters would likely offer little help...

The roaring sounds in the village gradually subsided, and even though they couldn't see the full extent of the battle, they guessed it was almost over.

"Choose, before the 'result' is revealed~" Hetia's smile weighed heavily on the knights' hearts, her words carrying a threatening undertone.

"How about this? There are about twenty of you here. I'll set a two-hundred-year timeframe and distribute the service years according to the number of people who join. That means if you all join, each of you will only need to serve for ten years. What do you think?"