《Chronicles of an Interdimensional Drifter》 Chapter 1: Please Sign a Contract with Me [Mr. Wanderer, cease your pointless delay and sign the contract with me to complete the mission at once!] "No way! Send me back right now!" In an old farmhouse, a young man with pitch-black eyes was shouting and cursing to himself. The youth had delicate features with a sunny disposition, a white towel wrapped around his head, and a simple long sword hanging at his waist. His name was Siegfried, surname Qi, given name Gefei. This outrageous name was the product of his late father''s chuunibyou phase. Nevertheless, he was indeed a pure Han Chinese, born on Earth and raised in China. Seven days ago, he woke up to find himself in this strange world, and then... [Ding! Wanderer Siegfried, welcome to the Qilan Continent. I am your regulatory historian; you may call me Shannon.] [Elves, dwarves, orcs, dragons, demon races - in this fantasy world of sword and magic with mixed races, I will help you survive and grow.] [Please sign a contract with me, rectify history, and enjoy your journey through this alternate world to your heart''s content.] Siegfried remembered clearly that when this entity said the words "rectify history," its voice was so low it was almost inaudible, just like the disclaimer written in tiny font on a shady company''s contract. How could he possibly fall for such a trick? "Listen, I''m not interested in being transported to another world. Even an idiot knows to choose between going to work for a salary or risking their life in another world! Hurry up and send me back, I have a sister to take care of at home." [Of course. Sign the contract and complete the mission, and I will send you back to reality.] "Damn it!" Siegfried was so angry he was gnashing his teeth. If it were two days ago, he could have continued to slack off and test Shannon''s patience, but now that''s no longer an option. "You! Come out! Hands on your head, no resistance!" "Over there, get down! Didn''t you hear me? I said get down!" "Hand over all your food!" Noisy voices came from outside. Siegfried peeked through the crack in the door. Several soldiers wearing round helmets were holding long spears, going from house to house to capture villagers and plunder their possessions. It would soon be the turn of this dilapidated farmhouse where he was hiding! That''s right, this village was unfortunately being raided. "Damn it, hurry up and send me back!" Siegfried''s face darkened, his voice now tinged with a hint of coldness. [Are you just going to watch as this village is plundered? You have inherited the memories of this world''s Siegfried, and those are not false.] "Unbelievable, even the system has learned to use moral blackmail these days?" His eyelids twitched as he listened, but what the other party said was not unreasonable. Indeed, there were some extra fragments in his memories. These additional memories showed that he was an abandoned baby, with black hair and eyes being his most distinctive features. On the Qilan Continent, this genetic marker belonged only to the Meilan Family. This family had given birth to many heroes, legendary figures who had been protecting humanity since ancient times. Siegfried was naturally regarded as a future hero and revered by the villagers. Twenty years passed, and the elders in the village treated him as their own, nurturing him with care. The village children looked up to him as a role model, following his wild adventure plans without question. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. These memories were as clear as if they were real experiences, familiar yet subtle. [There''s one thing I''d like to clarify. It wasn''t me who brought you to this world, but yourself.] [The moment your consciousness replaced the original owner of this body, history had already changed.] [Rectifying history is your duty. Saving the village is also your responsibility.] Siegfried pondered over these words and finally let out a helpless sigh: "One request, one question." [Please go ahead.] "Don''t interfere with my actions." "And, what''s in it for me?" [Every time you complete a mission, you''ll gain a powerful and mysterious ability that will help you navigate this alternate world.] "That''s a given. What else?" [You''ll receive a multifunctional wanderer''s manual that will automatically record your glorious deeds to be passed down through countless worlds.] "Not interested. Then what?" The historian Shannon didn''t continue speaking. Just as Siegfried was about to propose his own conditions, a virtual image suddenly appeared in his mind. It was a female knight with proper features, valiant and graceful, with light brown hair. She was wearing only a tight white tank top on her upper body, outlining the surging waves on her chest and the harmonious abdominal muscles. At this moment, she was removing the armor on her legs, revealing a jade foot wearing white suspender stockings, emanating steaming heat. Even though it was just an image, Siegfried could feel a strong wave of female pheromones hitting him, leaving him staring blankly, unable to utter a word for a long time. [In addition to this, you can also...] "No, no, no, what was that just now? Aren''t you going to explain?" [I thought you weren''t interested, so I skipped it.] [She is the leader of those soldiers and bandits outside. If you defeat her, you''ll have a chance to make her your companion.] "Whoa..." [Well then, shall I continue introducing the benefits you can obtain?] "No need." Siegfried tightened the towel on his head. "I suddenly feel that impersonating a hero to save the world might be quite interesting." [...] [Let me confirm, you agree to sign the contract, correct?] "Let me confirm as well, you won''t interfere with my actions, right?" After three seconds of silence, they both said in unison: "Of course!" [Of course.] The next moment, a bright white light burst forth from Siegfried''s body. [Ding! Wanderer Siegfried, you have been incorporated into Historian Shannon''s roster.] [Retrieving wanderer''s personal information...] [Retrieval complete!] Name: Siegfried Male, 20 years old Race: Wanderer Alignment: Neutral Class: Villager A young man with somewhat unique features living in a remote village. You woke up in his body, and you have the obligation to fulfill his mission. Specialties: Deception 81% (Master), Cold Reading 73% (Expert), Acting 65% (Expert), Thick Black Theory 60% (Expert), Art of War 55% (Proficient), Criminology 55% (Proficient), Swordsmanship 19% (Beginner)... (Total of 47 items) Strength: C Agility: C Magic: E Intelligence: A Luck: B Leadership: B Overall Rating: C [Binding wanderer''s manual...] [Binding complete!] [Your mission has been issued to the wanderer''s manual.] Siegfried sensed something and snapped his fingers. A black-covered manual appeared in his hand and automatically opened: Time: Year 526 of the Glorious Era, February Location: Wind Peach Village, border of Count Conston''s domain, Kingdom of Moen, Qilan Continent Background: Half a year ago, King Charles I of the Kingdom of Moen died suddenly without cause. Crown Prince Frederick, in collusion with Duke Byran, launched a coup attempt to control Princess Kriemhild, the first heir to the throne, in order to usurp royal power. Princess Kriemhild''s brother, Second Prince Roderick, deployed the palace guards to resist, and civil war was imminent. In the chaos, Princess Kriemhild fled the royal city under the escort of her retainers and disappeared. Afterwards, both princes sent search parties to look for the missing princess, claiming it was for her protection. Warning: Due to various force majeure, the internal strife that was originally expected to end within half a year has been indefinitely prolonged. You must rectify this period of history. Historical Rectification: Reclaim the divided duchies of the East, South, West, and North, occupy the royal city of Andesores, end the civil war, and unify the kingdom. Time Limit: Three years (1094 days / 1095 days) Mission Objectives: End the civil war: 0/1 Reclaim the Northern Duchy of Alvis: 0/1 Reclaim the Southern Duchy of Byran: 0/1 Reclaim the Western Duchy of Simon: 0/1 Reclaim the Eastern Duchy of Galloway: 0/1 Occupy the royal city of Andesores: 0/1 The current phase tasks are as follows: 1. Defeat the army invading Wind Peach Village: 0/1 2. Locate the whereabouts of any royal heir: 0/1 Complete the phase tasks to choose to end this wandering session and settle the rewards, temporarily returning. Siegfried closed the manual, and Shannon''s voice sounded again. [Before you set out, I suggest you use the manual to appraise the sword at your waist.] Siegfried looked slightly puzzled but still took off the long sword and appraised it. A flash of white light, and a line of text information appeared on the blank page. Siegfried''s eyes widened slightly: "So it''s this kind of plot, a bit clich¨¦, but I like it." He paused, then asked, "How renowned is the Meilan Family in this world?" [Household name, enough to stop children from crying.] "Oh boy." Siegfried wasn''t surprised at all. Isn''t a hero just the kind of scum who barges into people''s homes, ransacks everything to the last gold coin, and then talks to the homeowner demanding to be given quests? "Woo, bad guy! Let me go!" "You little brat, get out here!" The noisy sounds from outside were now within earshot, less than ten steps away from this dilapidated farmhouse. Siegfried quickly browsed through the various functions of the wanderer''s manual, then brought the long sword close to the manual. The sword turned into a white light and flew into the manual. "Shannon, do you have anything else to say to me?" [Mr. Wanderer, welcome to the world of sword and magic, the Qilan Continent.] [Please feel free to cause a big commotion!] Siegfried tugged at the corner of his mouth and slowly pushed open the door. "Without a doubt." Chapter 2: The High-End Hunter Outside the farmhouse, A yellow-haired soldier was gripping the arm of a seven or eight-year-old girl, who had probably been discovered hiding in the cellar. The girl''s eyes were rimmed with red, her thin frame trembling uncontrollably, yet she stubbornly refused to let a single tear fall. "You bad guys! When Brother Siegfried comes back, none of you will escape!" Perhaps it was this Brother Siegfried who gave her courage; the girl suddenly bit down hard on the soldier''s arm. The yellow-haired soldier yelped in pain and was about to slap the girl''s face: "You lowborn brat dare to bite me!" "Hey, Sir Knight, children don''t know any better. Please don''t take it personally." Siegfried had just walked out of the dilapidated farmhouse when he witnessed this scene. He quickly stepped forward to block the yellow-haired soldier''s palm, his face full of fawning flattery as he tried to appease him: "Sir, why bother with a child? You''re here for grain, right? I''ll tell you where the granary is. We commoners farm just to feed noble knights like yourself." As he spoke, he inconspicuously pulled the girl behind him. He acted just like a true country bumpkin, unable to distinguish between ordinary soldiers and knights. The yellow-haired soldier, seeing this village idiot dare to stand in his way, grew even angrier. He reversed his spear and jabbed its butt hard into Siegfried''s stomach. Siegfried immediately felt his stomach churn, the pain doubling him over. "Cough, cough..." His face contorted in pain, yet he still wore a fawning smile, only his pitch-black eyes growing increasingly cold. The yellow-haired soldier, still unsatisfied, jabbed Siegfried a few more times all over his body before reluctantly stopping. "Come with me. Tell the captain what you know." "Yes, yes." Siegfried, enduring the pain throughout his body, turned and leaned close to the little girl''s ear, his voice gentle: "Little Towa, be good. Don''t cry or make a fuss. Listen carefully, go to the square to find your parents, and then... remember?" Little Towa''s eyes were already red. The clever girl knew that Brother Siegfried was suffering in her place. "But you..." "I''m fine, go quickly!" "Mm..." Only after watching the little girl leave, looking back with every step, did Siegfried put on a smile and bow forward: "Sir Knight, shall we go?" "Hmph." The yellow-haired soldier glanced at Siegfried contemptuously, genuinely despising this kind of fool who tried to play hero without any real ability. [Mr. Wanderer, he is no match for you.] "I know." Siegfried, highly focused, was unwilling to say a word more. His heart was not as composed as his outward appearance. Even monkeys understand the principle of capturing the leader first, but the problem was that this leader might not be so easy to capture... The female knight Catalina was patrolling the village on horseback. As a knight, she genuinely didn''t want to engage in such acts of robbery, but circumstances left her no choice. "If His Highness knew about today''s events, he would surely be angry..." Catalina shook her head bitterly. Just as she was feeling guilty for her inner sense of wrongdoing, she saw her soldier bringing a young man with a headscarf and delicate features. "What''s going on?" The female knight''s voice was crisp and cold, completely devoid of her earlier hesitation and uncertainty. "Ma''am, this commoner says he can lead us to the village granary." Catalina frowned: "You want to take us to the village granary?" "Yes, Lady Knight. Our village stored quite a bit of grain last year. As long as you spare the villagers, oh no, even if you just spare me, all this grain is yours. I absolutely won''t breathe a word about today''s events, I know the rules." The man before her was half-bowing, his face full of ingratiating smiles. This reminded the female knight of those fat, useless ministers in the royal court. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. She utterly despised this kind of person who would abandon all conscience and dignity just to survive, even though she herself was about to become one of them. Catalina''s voice grew even colder: "We will only take part of the grain. As long as you cooperate, we won''t harm the villagers." "Oh~ Thank you for your mercy and generosity, your character is so admirable!" For some reason, Catalina felt there was something odd about this statement. "Lead the way." Siegfried extended his hand, pointing towards the center of the village. "It''s not hard to find, it''s the large storehouse in the center of the village. Just follow the small path straight ahead. However, there''s quite a lot of stuff, it might be too much for just one or two people to carry. Why don''t I get some villagers to..." "No need." Catalina coldly interrupted, turning to the yellow-haired soldier to arrange the grain transport. Siegfried certainly wouldn''t miss this opportunity. "Shannon, give me this woman''s information." [Searching for you now...] [Search complete] Name: Catalina Female, 20 years old Race: Human Alignment: Order Class: Great Knight Guardian knight of the Moen royal family. During the palace coup six months ago, she escorted the crown prince she served out of the royal city. After the outbreak of civil war, they fled to this place. Specialties: Spearmanship 63% (Proficient), Horsemanship 61% (Proficient) Combat Skills: [Knight''s Charge] [Shield Bearer: Unbreakable] [Provocative Shout]... Ability Data: Strength: B+ Agility: B+ Magic: C Intelligence: D Luck: D Leadership: C Overall Rating: B+ Hm? The crown prince''s knight? Siegfried raised an eyebrow, surprised yet not surprised. Shannon probably already knew this female knight''s identity, which is why such a mission was assigned. This female knight''s master is most likely that Princess Kriemhild who was driven out of the royal city. If he could capture her and make her talk, he could complete two stage missions at once and return to reality. But it''s not that simple... Siegfried recalled the female knight Catalina''s data. Overall rating B+, a full level higher than his. After observing the villagers for these few days, he discovered that the physical abilities of humans in this world were generally much higher than those on Earth. The overall rating of ordinary children and the elderly was basically E, but this was already equivalent to the physical abilities of normal adults on Earth. Villagers who had received some sword training or were physically robust could reach a D rating, almost equivalent to first-class special forces. There was only one person in the village with a rating of C or above, and that was Siegfried himself. His physical abilities had already surpassed those top athletes on Earth; using this body, he could sprint 100 meters in under 7 seconds. And this female knight''s rating was B+... This was probably far beyond Siegfried''s understanding of human capabilities. "Hey, are you sure this is the kind of enemy that should appear in the beginner''s tutorial?" [We will not assign tasks that you cannot complete. Please use all resources at your disposal to defeat the enemy.] [Also, please treat this as a real world. You can do anything you want with captives.] "Tch, there''s no need to say that last part." Siegfried spat, as the two nearby finally finished their discussion. The yellow-haired soldier organized the other six soldiers to set off for the granary. Catalina turned her horse around, no longer looking at Siegfried, and casually ordered: "Thank you for the information, you can go now. We''ll leave after taking enough grain." "Alright, alright. Um, Lady Knight, our village granary is quite large, those seven officers from earlier might not be enough manpower." Siegfried''s tone was cautious, as if subtly reminding a leader that their fly was down. Catalina didn''t even turn her head, this despicable man was making her increasingly impatient. "There''s no need for you to worry! The seven men I brought are all battle-hardened, excellent warriors. Don''t measure them by your narrow perspective!" "Oh, I see... "So, you''re the only one left here?" The whisper that came from behind Catalina was so soft it was almost inaudible, yet filled with extreme coldness. In an instant, a chill rose from the base of her spine and crawled up her entire back. She whirled around to see that the man who had been bowing and scraping now stood as straight as a winter pine. In his left hand he held a black-covered book, his right hand brushed across its pages, and a gleaming long sword appeared out of thin air in his grasp. The moment he gripped the sword, Siegfried''s aura suddenly surged, the grass beneath his feet curling outward from an invisible force. He tossed the book towards Catalina, then with a powerful kick off the ground, he launched forward like a cannonball. The Wanderer''s Manual flipped open on its own, coincidentally displaying its owner''s current status data in mid-air. Name: Siegfried Race: Wanderer Alignment: Neutral Class: Hero Candidate Strength: A Agility: A Magic: C Intelligence: A Luck: B Leadership: B Overall Rating: A! [Great Knight] Catalina''s keen senses made her hair stand on end! Danger! Almost simultaneously, she swept away the flying black manual with her knight''s lance. Behind the manual, a grim face lunged straight for her! The earlier fawning and flattery had vanished like bubbles, replaced by a chilling killing intent. In that instant, Catalina suddenly recalled her first lesson when she had just begun her knight training as a child... "Catalina, you must remember, the top hunters in this world often appear in the guise of prey." Chapter 3: Is He the Hero? The man before her swung his long sword, aiming straight for her neck. The female knight felt her scalp tingle, hurriedly raising her knight''s lance sideways to block. What happened next was beyond Catalina''s belief. The plain-looking long sword cut through her fine steel knight''s lance as if it were butter, splitting it in two without any resistance! It had been half a year since they fled the royal city. For the first time, this powerful knight who had overcome dozens of assassination attempts on her journey, smelled the scent of death. It was like a nightmare. Catalina couldn''t understand how the man who had been as timid as a mouse just moments ago could transform into a ferocious beast in an instant. Clang! The sound of metal clashing echoed through the sky. Catalina, in full knight''s armor, weighed over eighty kilograms, yet she flew off her warhorse like a punctured balloon. Droplets of bright red blood scattered in the air as the female knight''s body rolled on the ground like a ball, finally stopping after hitting a wind peach tree. The thick shoulder plate had been torn open, blood gushing from the gaping wound. The crimson liquid meandered on the ground, forming a stream. A broken sword was stuck obliquely in this red stream, dividing it in two like a silver reef. Siegfried glanced at the half-sword remaining in his hand, recalling its identification information. Holy Sword [Balumuk] Category: Weapon Quality: Unique The hero Balumuk was a human raised by an ancient dragon. When he set out on his journey, his dragon mother gave him this sword, snatched from an adventurer, as a parting gift. This unremarkable long sword accompanied Balumuk through ten years of trials, cutting down evil, shattering injustice, and slaying the Demon King. At the end of his journey, the hero and his companions returned home in glory to build Wind Peach Village, and this simple sword has been passed down through generations in the village. Effects:
  1. Greatly enhances the wielder''s physical attributes.
  2. The sword reveals its true power when confronting demons.
  3. This sword has a strong affinity with dragons.
  4. This sword has a natural intimidating effect on magical beasts.
Warning! If the Holy Sword attacks beings of the Order alignment, the blade will break. Note: It is not the Holy Sword that chooses the hero, but the hero who chooses the Holy Sword. Seven days ago, when Siegfried crossed over, this sword was hanging at his waist. His memories showed that the sword was given to him by the old village chief as a coming-of-age gift on his eighteenth birthday. It was in preparation for the day Siegfried would become a hero and save the world. The so-called "best sword in the village." Due to its plain appearance, Siegfried had never paid much attention to this sword until he just identified its origin using the Wanderer''s Manual. Now, Siegfried felt a sharp pain in his heart. As the identification result warned, the hero''s Holy Sword was a tool for protecting order and defending humanity. If used to harm people, it would break. But Siegfried had no other choice. Without this sword, he was as weak as a kitten, and to proceed with subsequent tasks, he had to demonstrate his strength at this moment. Even if only once. "Lady Catalina!" A sudden cry came from Siegfried''s side. The yellow-haired soldier Lem was standing there, mouth agape. He had forgotten to confirm some things earlier and turned back alone, only to stumble upon this scene. "You bastard..." The yellow-haired soldier was about to step forward, but then his eyes met Siegfried''s. Those eyes, calm and indifferent, were as black as bottomless pits. The surging hot blood instantly cooled, and the insults stuck in his throat, unable to come out. He could only raise his spear, trembling. Siegfried let out a cold snort. Without that female knight, these remaining rotten fish and shrimp could be beaten to death by villagers with hoes. He shook the blood off the broken sword and advanced towards the spearhead. With each step forward, the yellow-haired soldier immediately took two steps back. This soldier named Lem summoned the courage to fight to the death several times, but it all disappeared without a trace in those bottomless pupils. Finally, soldier Lem could retreat no further. He leaned against a wooden house, his body trembling so much he could barely hold onto his spear. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "I''m a soldier! I''m a soldier of the kingdom, do you know that! Do you understand what you''re doing! This is trea¡ª" A fist smashed hard into Lem''s abdomen, interrupting his impotent rage. The yellow-haired soldier clutched his stomach, kneeling on the ground, and vomited out what little watery soup remained in his belly. It was evident that he hadn''t eaten in a long time. Siegfried picked up the soldier''s spear and started beating Lem''s curled-up body! "Stop..." A weak voice came from behind. Siegfried acted as if he hadn''t heard, not stopping at all. Right arm, left rib, back, right leg, kidney... These were all the places where he had been beaten earlier. "Stop!" The voice became much more urgent. Only then did Siegfried put down the spear, wiping nonexistent sweat. Not far away, under the tree, Catalina was gasping for breath. The helmet covering her face had fallen off during the earlier tumble. Her light brown curly hair was in disarray, her dignified face pale. The shimmering silver ornate armor was now covered in mud and blood, making the usually valiant knight look disheveled. Her left arm, which had taken the hit, hung limply, blood continuously dripping from her fingers into the soil. "Captain!" "Lady Catalina!" "What on earth happened here?" The soldiers who had heard the commotion at the granary finally arrived. Before their eyes were Catalina with her severely injured left arm bleeding profusely, Lem lying on the ground seemingly dead or alive, and Siegfried, the only one standing straight, looking every bit the culprit. These defeated soldiers who had tasted blood at the tip of their swords immediately saw red, raising their weapons and about to swarm over. Siegfried''s face turned cold as he raised his foot to step on the yellow-haired soldier''s neck. The hostage''s life restored some rationality to these soldiers. They surrounded the severely injured Catalina in the middle, their spears still pointing at Siegfried. Siegfried was not afraid of these soldiers. Although the Holy Sword was broken, its residual power was still continuously pouring into his body. Moreover, without that female knight, these soldiers were just a disorganized mob. Even in groups, he was confident he could dispatch all of them within two minutes. However, if they were truly pushed to the brink, these fools might have a spark of intelligence and grab a villager as a hostage, which would complicate matters. "All of you, stand down! Cough, cough." Catalina felt extremely frustrated. Despite her considerable strength, today she had done nothing but get beaten and try to mediate. She looked at Siegfried, her tone sincere: "Sir, could you please release the soldier under your foot? He''s no longer a threat." Siegfried completely ignored the female knight''s attempt at negotiation. Not only did he not release his foot, but he also applied more pressure, making the yellow-haired soldier''s neck crackle. Catalina''s expression changed, and she immediately called out loudly: "Everyone, put down your weapons!" "But..." "Put them down!" "Yes, ma''am..." The six soldiers reluctantly dropped their weapons, kicking them towards Siegfried. Only then did Siegfried step forward, throwing all those spears into a nearby well in one go, keeping only one for himself. Watching this scene, Catalina felt bitter in her heart. This man was intelligent, cautious, powerful, and extremely ruthless¡ªas an enemy, he was almost the most terrifying type. How could such a freak appear in this remote backwater? She looked at the sword in Siegfried''s hand, unable to understand how such an ordinary iron sword could cut through her beloved lance. And those eyes, black, just like... Wait, Black? In an instant, an incredibly absurd guess surged into Catalina''s mind, shattering all her thoughts. Her throat constricted, and almost instinctively, this question burst from her lips: "Sir, may I ask who you really are?" Siegfried sneered as he tore off the towel wrapped around his head, throwing it aside. The early spring breeze blew away the fluttering towel, ruffling Catalina''s curly hair, but it brought not even a hint of warmth to her heart. Black! They really were black! "Meilan!" Suddenly, one of the soldiers screamed, and the next second, the entire squad erupted into chaos. "Is it real or not..." "Why is someone from the Meilan family here!" "Hero? Is he the next generation hero!?" "So that sword is the Holy Sword?!" "Quiet, all of you be quiet!" At this moment, Catalina even found it difficult to breathe. Almost the entire continent knew what the black hair and black eyes meant. It symbolized that ancient legend. A Meilan? What was he doing here? Had the next Meilan hero already begun the Holy Sword pilgrimage? Impossible, the last Demon King was defeated just twenty years ago, how could the next hero appear so soon? Yes! He must be a fake! He had to be a fake! Otherwise, not only would everyone here be unable to escape, but His Highness in hiding would inevitably be implicated. Catalina bit her lower lip hard, constantly seeking reasons to deny her own speculation, but her increasingly pale face betrayed her panic. Siegfried, of course, didn''t miss this detail. As expected, his appearance combined with the powerful force of the Holy Sword was enough to impersonate a real Meilan. "I have some connection with this village. Hm? Why are you so nervous?" Siegfried''s voice carried a hint of playfulness, his expression caught between a smile and not. "Mr. Me-Meilan..." Although Catalina was desperately denying it in her heart, she couldn''t help but call out that surname. At this point, she only wanted to buy as much time as possible for the scouts hiding nearby. But she saw Siegfried put a finger to his lips: "Don''t rush, not everyone is here yet." An ominous premonition welled up in Catalina''s heart, and as if to confirm her foreboding, the next second a shout came from nearby: "Hey~ Big Brother Siegfried!" Not far away, three sturdy young men were waving their hands, their faces beaming with bright smiles, carrying a tightly bound dwarf as they ran over. "Big Brother Siegfried, we searched the house on the west side of the village entrance as Little Towa said, and sure enough, we caught a rat." Catalina''s face grew paler as she listened. She craned her neck, trying to confirm who the bound person was, only to meet Siegfried''s delicate features full of mockery. "Little knight, now you can start explaining." Chapter 4: Mission Accomplished One of the functions of the Wanderer''s Manual was its radar map. Before taking action, Siegfried had already checked for any hidden variables in the vicinity. As it turned out, he did discover a lurker. On the map, a cluster of blue dots huddled together, representing the non-hostile villagers gathered in the village square. Several dozen meters away, in a certain house, a red dot symbolizing an enemy flickered conspicuously. So he entrusted Little Towa to relay this information to the other villagers, while he took on the responsibility of diverting the army''s attention. The plan seemed to be progressing successfully. At this moment, Catalina was already flustered, stammering and unable to utter a complete sentence. She had originally intended to stall Siegfried, allowing the hidden scout to escape and report back to His Highness. But unexpectedly, even the stealthed scout had been captured. This level of capability inevitably reminded Catalina of a rumor. According to legend, the Meilan family had always been favored by the gods throughout generations. Each Meilan would be granted a [Divine Miracle] on the day of their birth. Among these miracles, [Eagle Eye] was the most representative, almost a standard configuration for every Meilan. [Eagle Eye] was said to possess the world''s most powerful intelligence and reconnaissance capabilities. It could see through everything clearly, detect the slightest details, and encompassed almost everything that all reconnaissance magic on the continent could achieve. This included, but was not limited to: night vision, far sight, surveillance, item identification, psychological observation, blind spot detection, movement prediction, formation decryption, magic replication, and so on. It was truly a multi-purpose tool. The most terrifying aspect was that when this miracle was activated, it spread outward in a large spherical domain centered on the user, rather than targeting a single individual object. It could be said that if those Meilans stood in the center of the royal capital, Within a day, they would know everything from how many dogs neighbor John kept in his house, to illegal transactions in the underground black market. Even details like which concubine the king favored at night, and how many moles that concubine had on her bottom would be clearly discerned. If the person before her was indeed this generation''s Meilan, then capturing a lurker was hardly surprising. (What should I do now? Should I beg for mercy? The Meilan family is known for their eccentric personalities, will he spare us?) (There''s still a chance... He doesn''t know the origin of our troops yet, so he shouldn''t suspect His Highness. I just need to insist that we''re deserters, and it won''t implicate His Highness.) Siegfried, of course, was unaware of Catalina''s intense mental activity. He flipped through the Wanderer''s Manual, beginning to search for information about the dwarf on the ground. Name: Bobo Male, 36 years old Race: Garden People Alignment: Order Occupation: Scout A secret agent of the Moen royal family, sold to the royal city by slave traders when he was still a child. Raised and trained as a royal spy. Ostensibly serves Princess Kriemhild, but has actually been bought off by the second prince Roderick, lurking as a spy by the princess''s side. The proposer of this robbery plan. Specialized skills: Reconnaissance 69% (Expert) Acting 51% (Proficient) Combat skill: [Presence Elimination] Ability data: Strength: E Agility: A Magic Power: D Intelligence: C Luck: C Leadership: B Overall evaluation: C Note: The Garden People are small in stature and swift in movement. Extremely adept at stealth and reconnaissance, they are born scouts. "That''s a lot of information," Siegfried''s brows furrowed as he read. (This second prince is quite interesting. The attack on the village must have been ordered by him.) (Having the princess''s people attack their own country''s village, eliminating the possibility of the princess inheriting the throne. After all, no country''s citizens would support a crown prince who robs them to become king.) Siegfried pondered, a smile involuntarily curling at the corners of his mouth. Things seemed to be much more interesting than he had anticipated. [Ding! You have successfully defeated the army invading Fengtao Village. Stage mission one completed.] [You have obtained a historical story jar, which can be opened after the mission settlement.] Draw from a jar? This incredibly familiar setting momentarily distracted Siegfried. He composed himself and refocused his attention on Catalina beside him. The erotic scene flashed through his mind again, and a bright smile unconsciously appeared on his face, making the female knight''s skin crawl. Siegfried instructed the three sturdy young men: "Tie up all these soldiers. As for this woman... send her to my room." ... That night, the village opened several barrels of beer and held a grand celebration. The theme, of course, was to celebrate Siegfried''s first great victory as a hero. These simple villagers seemed to have forgotten that they had just been robbed a few hours ago. At this moment, the village square was brightly lit with bonfires, the aroma of alcohol permeating the air. Young men and women were holding hands, dancing freely in the center of the square. The old village chief specially brought out the lute he had carried while traveling the continent as a bard in his youth, to accompany the young people. Of course, it was easy to imagine that neither his playing nor his singing was particularly good, otherwise he wouldn''t have come back to be the village chief. Siegfried returned to his room reeking of alcohol, his cheeks flushed red, obviously having been plied with quite a bit to drink. But this did not hinder his upcoming work. In the room, a lonely candle struggled to cast its light into every corner. The female knight Catalina was tied to a chair. With her left hand severely injured, even the grass rope that would have snapped with a single struggle before could now firmly restrain her. As soon as Catalina saw Siegfried enter the room, she hurriedly began to explain: "Mr. Meilan, we really had no ill intentions! It''s just that the soldiers hadn''t eaten for too long, and we had no choice but to resort to this. We never had any intention of harming the villagers, and we only took a portion of the food, certainly not enough to leave the village''s people starving. I swear on my honor as a knight, everything I''ve said is absolutely true!" Catalina was almost hysterical, her knightly pride completely gone. She was very afraid. The Meilan family''s heroes were historically known for being eccentric, with many being fond of killing and lust. Although those who could become heroes were essentially good people, that goodness was only directed towards their companions. Heroes were always merciless towards their enemies. Who knows what special fetishes this Meilan might have? Seeing that he had spared their lives, he probably wasn''t the bloodthirsty type... so he must be lustful. Sure enough, Siegfried didn''t listen to the female knight''s explanation at all and directly started to remove the knight''s armor. "Ah!" Catalina let out a girlish scream, her dignified and beautiful face instantly turning crimson. She struggled to escape from the chair, but was pushed back down by Siegfried with one hand. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "No... please... I beg you..." Catalina''s cherry lips trembled, tears glistening in her amber eyes. For the first time in her life, this proud female knight uttered words of supplication. If those soldiers could see their usually more masculine than men captain now showing such an adorably pitiful expression, they would surely think they were having a nightmare. But Siegfried completely ignored the female knight''s pleas, Somewhat clumsily unfastening her breastplate. The pair of snow-white, round globes beneath the breastplate nearly bounced into Siegfried''s face. (Hiss... that vision wasn''t lying, they really are huge!) Just as Shannon had shown in the vision, Catalina wore a white tank top under her armor. This tight-fitting top outlined the female knight''s breathtaking body curves to perfection. Through the indentations of the tank top, Siegfried could clearly see this woman''s taut abdominal muscles, harmonious waist lines, and waist that could barely be grasped with one hand. It was the perfect physique unique to female warriors, capable of making one feel both a sense of power and beauty. He glanced at the female knight''s leg armor made of mithril. If Catalina was really wearing white stockings with garters on her legs, that would be the killing blow. Siegfried suppressed his wandering thoughts and continued to remove the female knight''s armor. Seeing that he had no intention of stopping, Catalina closed her eyes in despair... However, even until the tears around her eye sockets had almost evaporated, the scene she had imagined still hadn''t happened... Catalina secretly opened her eyes, only to see that terrifying man applying ointment to a bandage. "..." Siegfried smiled, walking to the woman''s side and beginning to treat her left arm injury. "You''re either bad or stupid. Fortunately, you met me. Only I know that you''re truly stupid." Intelligence D, it''s understandable to say some stupid things and do some stupid things. "The village priest was unwilling to cast healing magic for you, so we can only use these traditional methods. Make do with it." Catalina''s cheeks flushed red. Her own princess was particularly fond of reading some strange novels about female knights being defeated, and having been by her side for years, she naturally had been influenced by osmosis. Catalina''s mood calmed down, and she hurriedly expressed her gratitude: "Thank you, Mr. Meilan. You truly live up to being a descendant of the hero family." Siegfried nodded slightly in response. The identity of Meilan would bring him great benefits. This was why he was willing to break the holy sword to demonstrate his strength. How could a person from the hero family be a weakling with only a C-level overall evaluation? And this female knight, who had witnessed his "strength", would become the best proof of his identity. "Introduce yourself, knight. You must have quite a few stories to share." Siegfried asked while skillfully applying the medicine. Hearing this, Catalina''s face lit up with joy. Finally, there was an opportunity to communicate. "My name is Catalina, a knight from the royal capital. I''m sure you know about the great turmoil that occurred in the kingdom half a year ago. My lord was killed by the rebels during that turmoil. I led the few remaining soldiers and broke out, fleeing all the way until we arrived here today. We..." Catalina fluently recounted the pre-prepared story, half-truth and half-lie. If Siegfried didn''t have the Wanderer''s Manual, he might have really been fooled. "Where is Kriemhild?" "Eh?" "Kriemhild Ludwig, the first princess of the Kingdom of Moen, first in line to inherit the throne. She''s your master, isn''t she? Where is she?" "Sir... I, I don''t understand what you mean. We''re just deserters... We..." Siegfried stared directly at Catalina, his pitch-black pupils like bottomless pits, making her mind go blank. The carefully crafted lies were useless; this man seemed to know everything. Seeing her stammer for a long time without being able to say a complete sentence, Siegfried continued: "There''s nothing strange about this. Actually, one only needs to investigate which troops escaped from the royal city on the day of the coup. With a great knight as an escort, and residing in the royal city, even thinking with one''s backside, it''s easy to guess who they might be." "It doesn''t matter if you don''t say it. I can find the person right now." Siegfried gazed at Catalina''s face, asking and answering himself: "Your hiding place is nearby, right? East or west? No, don''t speak, I can tell from your expression. It''s in the east." (Mind reading!) Catalina''s pupils contracted, and she immediately lowered her head. Siegfried''s cold reading skill was at 73% proficiency. At this level of mastery, even if the person opposite had a poker face, he could read the information he wanted. Catalina from another world had never heard of cold reading, of course. She attributed this incredible phenomenon to the Meilan family''s Divine Miracle - [Eagle Eye]. Siegfried lifted the female knight''s fair chin with one hand, directing it towards himself. "Where in the east? The forest? Hmm... It seems not. Then it must be a cave. The cave in the east... As far as I know, there''s only one large cave in the east that can hide troops." "The Wind-Calling Cave." [Ding! You have successfully found Princess Kriemhild''s location. All stage missions for this round are completed. You can choose to settle the rewards and temporarily return to reality at any time.] [You have obtained a historical story jar, which can be opened after the mission settlement.] [Mr. Wanderer, I am absolutely certain that you are very suitable for this world.] Siegfried didn''t choose to return immediately. He needed to lay some groundwork for the next mission. Catalina was terrified. She finally understood why this Meilan hadn''t dealt with her immediately. His target had been the princess behind her from the very beginning. "Mr. Meilan, the attack on the village was entirely our own doing. Princess Kriemhild knew nothing about it. Please don''t hold Her Highness accountable." "It was that Garden Person called Bobo who came up with this bad idea, right?" Catalina was stunned and blurted out, "How do you know?" Siegfried sighed. This person''s Intelligence D rating was truly well-deserved. "He''s a spy. I''m saying, don''t you people have any brains to think? Why is it that no matter where you flee, the enemy always manages to find you? Why did the enemies who had been relentlessly pursuing you for half a year suddenly stop here?" "If you had really robbed your own citizens today, do you think your princess would still have a chance to inherit the throne?" "Do you believe that by tomorrow, the armies of the nearby lords wouldn''t come out in full force under the banner of justice to eliminate the bandits?" Cold sweat poured down Catalina''s forehead. She was just a guard knight, never having dealt with nor cared to deal with those dirty schemes. All her actions were simply to make life better for the princess. Catalina could never have imagined that her actions would push Her Highness into an abyss. "How could this be... This has nothing to do with Her Highness. She knew nothing about it... I..." The female knight was completely flustered. If she hadn''t been tied to the chair, she might have attempted to take her own life in atonement by now. "What are you panicking for? I''m here, aren''t I? Not a whisper of today''s events will leak out. However, the premise is..." Siegfried picked up a strand of Catalina''s light brown hair, chuckling softly: "You need to take me to see that princess of yours." Catalina''s face, which had just shown a glimmer of joy, fell again upon hearing Siegfried''s condition. "May I ask the reason?" Catalina really didn''t want this dangerous man to meet Her Highness. Siegfried''s smile grew more unrestrained. His hand slid from Catalina''s brown hair to her delicate, snow-white neck. Finally, it brushed lightly over her soft, towering peaks. "Of course, it''s to ask her if she''s willing to give you to me." Catalina''s body trembled, her face turning crimson. He really was lustful after all! But this time, the female knight didn''t show the same resistance as before. With a blushing face but an unusually resolute voice, she said: "If this body can exchange for Her Highness''s future, what''s wrong with giving it to you? There''s no need to see Her Highness. From this moment on, Catalina is yours, sir. You may do with me as you please." Submitting to a man who was both stronger and smarter than herself, and who might be a future hero. Huh? It doesn''t seem like such a bad deal. Siegfried was amused when he heard this. This knight sister was so straightforward. Should he perhaps try to take advantage of her? (No, no, I''m a Meilan, a future hero. How could I do such a beastly thing?) Unfortunately, Siegfried didn''t yet know what kind of people the real Meilans were. Otherwise, he would have acted without hesitation. Shaking off his wild desires, he composed himself and said: "No, I was just joking. Don''t take it seriously. How should I put this... I still have some attachment to this place. Since they''ve laid hands on my village, they should be prepared to pay the price. You take me to see the princess, and I''ll help her out of her current predicament. In exchange, if one day she inherits the throne, she must punish the mastermind behind this attack for me." At this moment, Catalina felt the temperature in the room drop. Siegfried''s face was as cold as frost, his words righteous, but his true thoughts were utterly pragmatic. He was well aware that trying to reclaim the four borders and unify the kingdom was not something he could achieve alone. He was not, after all, a true Meilan, let alone a hero. To correct this part of history, he had to align himself with a certain faction and use them to achieve his goals. Siegfried could roughly guess what the next stage mission would be, most likely something like forming an alliance with a certain faction. Whether it was the crown prince, the second prince, or the princess, it didn''t matter to him which faction it was. After all, what needed to be done was the same. When Catalina heard that this Lord Meilan was willing to personally help Her Highness out of her predicament, her face immediately lit up with joy, and even her shoulder didn''t hurt anymore. In the past, the Meilan family had never been involved in political struggles. It seemed that this lord had truly been angered. With a hero by her side to assist, forget about ascending to the throne, even if they wanted to reclaim the territories taken by the neighboring empire, the empire wouldn''t dare say no. The more Catalina thought about it, the more excited she became. She quickly agreed, saying they would set out early tomorrow morning to see Her Highness. "Um, Lord Meilan, could you untie me now?" They had been talking so enthusiastically that Siegfried had almost forgotten that he still hadn''t untied her. "Sure, you can stay in my room tonight. The villagers are still upset." "Mm..." Catalina''s voice was faint, her ears tinged with another layer of red. Siegfried regretfully untied the ropes. White stockings with garters... He ultimately hadn''t been able to confirm whether the long legs wrapped in mithril leg armor truly presented the scene he had imagined. It was at this moment that Shannon''s ethereal voice echoed in his mind again. [Mr. Wanderer, do you choose to return to reality and settle your rewards?] [You can also choose to proceed directly to the next stage mission, which will allow you to receive more rewards at the next settlement.] "Of course I don''t want to! Return immediately!" Siegfried''s vision suddenly went black, and he fell straight towards Catalina. (Tsk, not even a moment''s buffer?) In the final instant before his consciousness faded, Siegfried felt his face press against something. It was soft and bouncy, with a delightful elasticity. Moreover, it exuded waves of a rich, alluring fragrance. Chapter 5: Settlement In a hazy state, Siegfried saw countless illusory lights twisting and dancing before his eyes, like bonfires flickering in the wind. The old village chief, little Towa, the blonde soldier, Catalina... One figure after another flashed by. The tranquil village, emerald wheat waves swaying in the spring breeze, villagers'' simple smiles, fierce curses, thrusting spears, and under the vast clear sky, a female knight''s gleaming silver helmet as she rode her white horse... The mysterious Wanderer''s Manual, a plain long sword flashing with cold light, a man''s gloomy and cold features, finally freezing on the image of him charging towards the female knight with his sword. Siegfried slowly opened his eyes, and the familiar ceiling came into view. Desk, computer, wardrobe, bean bag chair, single bed - a room so simple and plain it lacked even a hint of extravagance. Yes, it was his own bedroom. Everything seemed like a fleeting dream. "I''m back... Was I dreaming?" Siegfried muttered in disbelief, even doubting if the seven days he spent in Fengtao Village were just a long dream. "Shannon?" He called out tentatively, but the ethereal voice in his mind didn''t respond. "...It really was a dream." A sense of loneliness from an unknown source suddenly enveloped Siegfried, and his eyes dimmed. [I''m here.] "Holy crap!" Siegfried nearly fell off the bed. "Where''s the ''ding''? Aren''t you supposed to make a ''ding'' sound before speaking?" The historian Shannon''s calm and ethereal voice echoed in his mind: [That was just imitating the systems in web novels. Since you''ve already signed the contract, there''s no need for me to continue doing such foolish things.] "Ah, well..." Siegfried was left speechless. [Wanderer, your novice task has been completed. Please open the Wanderer''s Manual to claim your rewards.] Siegfried''s eyebrows twitched, and he immediately summoned the Wanderer''s Manual, excitedly flipping through it. "Let''s open the jars first. I love lucky draws!" He eagerly took out the two black earthenware jars that had appeared in his inventory. Historical Story Jar (Only obtainable upon completing stage tasks) Category: Consumable Quality: Depends on your luck To know the great way, one must first understand history. History is the condensation of all knowledge, the crystallization of all wisdom. This jar contains everything from the history of myriad worlds. Breaking it open will grant you an item that exists in fantasy. Note 1: Items you are familiar with are more likely to appear in the jar. Note 2: Now you know why we''re called [Historians], don''t you? "Does this mean I can get anything from it?" Siegfried''s cheeks twitched slightly. Although he had B-rank luck, he still felt uncertain about this completely random draw. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. (Well, since anything can come out, how about Star Platinum!) [Translator''s note: Star Platinum is a powerful Stand from the manga/anime series JoJo''s Bizarre Adventure] He picked up the first earthenware jar and gently squeezed it. The jar cracked, and fragments scattered. A soft white light floated in the air, contracting and expanding. "Oh!! It''s really white!" "..." "It''s white..." The light ball fell into Siegfried''s hand. It was a piece of cotton cloth wrapped in a pink plastic bag, feeling incredibly soft. Two striking blue words were written on it: Sofy (a brand of feminine hygiene products). "..." Siegfried wordlessly tossed the item aside and picked up the second jar, crushing it. A dazzling purple light shot out from the cracks, instantly turning the bedroom into a nightclub dance floor. It was followed by a catchy music beat! "I got something good! I got something good! There''s even sound effects!" Siegfried couldn''t contain his excitement and shouted, but his smile froze on his face the next second. "Ji ni tai mei! Oh oh oh~ Baby~ Oh..." [Translator''s note: This is a famous Chinese internet meme song, roughly meaning "Chicken you''re so beautiful"] The magical melody echoed in the room, making it feel even more like a disco. The purple light slowly descended onto the bed under Siegfried''s dumbfounded gaze. It was a black sweater paired with white overalls. [Translator''s note: This outfit is associated with Cai Xukun, a Chinese internet celebrity idol famous for his quirky dance, often parodied with a rubber chicken toy] IKUN Battle Suit (The outfit worn by Cai Xukun during performances) Category: Equipment Quality: Rare The sight of you approaching makes me so excited! I''ve never felt this way before! Effect: The wearer gains 40% proficiency in singing, dancing, rapping, and basketball. Note: Trust me, an item that provides proficiency in four skills simultaneously is rare among all equipment. Siegfried silently put away the IKUN Battle Suit, turned around, and threw it straight into the trash can. "What the hell are these things?!" [Wanderer, the Historical Story Jars are more likely to produce items you''re familiar with.] "So this is my fault?" Siegfried was so furious his nose almost twisted. He had worked his ass off for these two jars, only to get such useless items. No, wait. The Sofy pads could be used by his sister, but what the hell was this battle suit good for? [Don''t worry, you still have a chance to activate an ability.] [You can convert any proficiency at Expert level or above into an ability in the Wanderer''s Manual.] Siegfried''s mood improved slightly at this. He opened the Wanderer''s Manual and started to choose an ability. This wasn''t a small task. He actually had over forty proficiencies, with about ten of them at Expert level or above. He looked for nearly ten minutes before finally locking his gaze on a line of indigo text. He swiped his finger across the indigo text. The words disintegrated and scattered, then gathered into a ball of light that flew into his brow, giving his head a cool sensation. [Tall Tale] Category: Ability Status: Activated, converted from 81% Deception proficiency. Exclusive to Wanderer Siegfried. Effect: Bluff and boast. Increases the credibility of lies by 30%. If nine or more truths are spoken before use, the credibility of the next lie increases by 100%. After activating this ability, the Deception proficiency disappears. Note: Lies are only believable when told by honest people. Although Siegfried had many proficiencies he could convert, for now, this [Tall Tale] ability would be most helpful for his future tasks. He had originally planned to use his appearance to impersonate a hero and directly enter the power centers of various factions. With this ability, he would be even more formidable. If he encountered Catalina again, he wouldn''t even need to fight. He could scare her off with just his words. [Wanderer, you have a ten-day rest period. After ten days, you''ll need to return to the Qilan Continent for the next stage of your task. Please use this time to prepare.] "Ten days..." Siegfried silently made plans in his mind. At this moment, he looked at the clock on the wall, which pointed to 7:00. His sister was still asleep, but as a corporate slave, he had to commute to work. He tidied up the room, prepared breakfast for his sister, hastily gobbled down a couple of bites of bread himself, and with his briefcase in hand, drove to the company as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Chapter 6: In the Real World "Name?" "Zhu Cuihua." "Did you bring your ID card?" "Yes, I did. Here you go." "Alright, please introduce yourself." "My name is Zhu Cuihua, I''m nineteen years old, and I''m from..." In a small, minimalist conference room, a young man was leaning back in a leather office chair. The man had delicate features, fair skin, and thick black hair neatly parted to reveal a smooth forehead. He wore a navy blue suit and a pair of vintage, literary gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. His dark eyes were intently focused on the resume in his hands. Huh, what a well-dressed scoundrel. This seemingly respectable fellow was Siegfried, who in reality worked as an HRBP (Human Resources Business Partner) at an electrical company. His main job was to interview front-line workers, such as assembly line workers and welders for various workshops. He was responsible for luring migrant workers from all over the country, introduced by labor agencies, into the factory for overtime work. The girl named Zhu Cuihua in front of him was stumbling through her self-introduction while sneaking glances at Siegfried. Admittedly, Siegfried''s appearance was quite eye-catching in this setting. "Why did you choose our company?" "My family needs money, and my younger brother still needs to go to school. I want to find a stable job with insurance." The girl answered while nervously fiddling with the pen in her hand. It wasn''t an unexpected answer. After all, there were only so many prosperous metropolises in this country, and the development in most areas still lagged behind. Siegfried had seen dozens of young people like her in the past few days - with only a middle school education, leaving home at barely eighteen to seek work in big cities. "Assembly line work is very demanding. You usually have to work from early morning to late evening. When there are a lot of orders, you might have to work overtime until eleven or twelve at night. Can you handle that?" "That late?!" The girl was startled, her expression clearly becoming hesitant. This was vastly different from the working hours the labor agency had told her. Siegfried frowned helplessly. These labor agencies often paint the factories as paradise on earth, describing the work as simple and the wages as high, in order to lure desperate migrant workers looking for jobs. In reality, if one thought about it, why wouldn''t local people work there if it was truly paradise? Siegfried''s job was to re-educate these poor, deceived souls. "Although it might be tiring at first, you''ll get used to it after a while." "We offer meal allowances, housing allowances, transportation allowances, and the five social insurances and housing fund. You''d be hard-pressed to find another company around here with benefits like ours." "Look, we have nearly a thousand front-line employees in our factory now, all working diligently without complaint. They''re all migrant workers who came from other provinces to make a living, just like you. They don''t have high educational qualifications either, but they''ve still managed to gain a foothold in this big city." "Why? It''s because of their hard work. Labor is the only source of material wealth, the only way to change one''s living conditions." "By sacrificing just a little bit of leisure time, you can earn eight to nine thousand or even over ten thousand yuan in salary. Isn''t this the time for you to work hard, being so young?" Siegfried smoothly fed the young girl a big promise, dazzling her to the point where she seemed ready to sign the labor contract on the spot. Ever since acquiring the [Deceptive Speech] ability, Siegfried had been using it without reservation in his daily life. In just these few days, he had already tricked over fifty unfortunate souls onto the assembly line. Siegfried had no doubt that if he used this ability to deceive girls, he could become an unprecedented master of seduction. Of course, HR work wasn''t just about this, but Siegfried was only a high school dropout who had never studied human resource management or administration. He could only do simple recruitment work in the company he had entered through connections. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. After seeing off the repeatedly thankful Zhu Cuihua, there was still half an hour left before getting off work. Siegfried happily prepared to return to his workstation to slack off a bit before leaving. [Mr. Wanderer, I''m glad to see you adapting so well to your ability.] [Please try to master your ability as much as possible. Your equipment may be lost, your companions may betray you, but your mental power will always be your pillar.] Shannon''s ethereal voice resonated in his mind. Although this historian lady used respectful language in every sentence, there was still a sense of superiority in her tone. Siegfried grimaced and said: "Tsk~ I feel like your personality has changed since we signed the contract. What''s the matter? Putting on airs now that you''ve got what you wanted?" [That''s just your imagination.] "After all, if you''re not a system, then what exactly are you? If my transmigration wasn''t caused by you, then why am I caught up in all this?" [That''s not something you need to know right now, nor is it important. You only need to understand that as a Wanderer, you must be under our historians'' control.] (Yeah, right! As if I''d believe that!) Siegfried cursed inwardly, but maintained a poker face. In fact, he didn''t even know what Shannon looked like, only able to hear that ethereal, pleasant voice. He even suspected that even his inner thoughts might be monitored. [However, there is one point I can reveal to you. Usually, Wanderers are chosen by historians and given the ability to wander through different worlds, but your ability doesn''t come from any historian.] Siegfried frowned upon hearing this and asked: "What do you mean? Am I a wild Wanderer?" The voice in his mind was silent for a moment before answering: [Even among the talented Wanderers, you are the most special one.] ...... The historian lady was clearly concealing quite a few important matters, but Siegfried couldn''t force her to reveal them. After all, Shannon was technically his superior. Although he still had many questions, he could only temporarily suppress his curiosity and return to his workstation to prepare to leave. "Ah Jing, there''s a dinner gathering tonight. Why don''t you come with me?" At the workstation to Siegfried''s right, a middle-aged man with a beaming smile and a beer belly was persistently harassing his neighbor. She was a tall woman with fair skin, distinct facial features, and an especially well-shaped nose bridge. She exuded a cold and aloof aura. The most eye-catching thing about this woman was not her long, beautiful legs wrapped in black stockings, with hints of pink skin showing through... No! It should be the cold and proud temperament that emanated from within her. Her name was Yang Jing, a new employee who joined the HR department last month, and also Siegfried''s neighbor. Since she joined, there had been a noticeable increase in male employees dropping by the HR department for no apparent reason. Siegfried, being close to her, was often caught by these suitors for interrogation. It was always the same tiresome questions: What''s your relationship with her? Have you added her on WeChat? Can you introduce me to her? Although Siegfried liked beautiful women, especially those with long legs, some inexplicable intuition told him not to get involved with that woman, or it would be troublesome. So Siegfried didn''t offer much help to these suitors, and most of them were frozen out by Yang Jing''s cold and indifferent gaze, their love stories ending before they even began. However, in a big forest, there are bound to be a few bad apples. Like this man who was currently trying to chat her up. He was the deputy director of the sales department, often using the pretext of giving work guidance to get handsy with the company''s female employees. Half a month ago, he came to the HR department to deliver some work documents and had since become a regular visitor, claiming it was for work communication. The actual situation was as you can see. After all, how much work could there possibly be to discuss between the sales department and the HR department? "I''m sorry, Mr. Zhang, but I have plans tonight." Yang Jing''s voice was as cold as her demeanor, her response as curt as always, without a single extra word. But Mr. Zhang was clearly unwilling to give up easily this time. He leaned down, bringing his oily face close to Yang Jing. "Don''t say that. Although we''re from different departments, we''re all colleagues. My original secretary can''t make it today, so just help me out this once. Besides, the big shots from the industry will be at this dinner. Getting to know them and expanding your network could be very beneficial for your future career." As he spoke, his hand had already found its way to Yang Jing''s shoulder. The woman''s beautiful face, usually devoid of expression, now showed a rare look of disgust. However, she didn''t offer any further rejection. The surrounding colleagues all lowered their heads. Similar incidents had happened before, and some of the women present had also suffered from his advances. Every large company seemed to have a leader like this - someone without real ability who relied on flattery or family background to hold a high position in the company, poisoning every normal, ordinary employee. And this Mr. Zhang satisfied both of these conditions. He often used promotions and other incentives to lure or force female employees or interns into relationships with him. Ordinary employees didn''t dare to provoke him and could only keep their heads down and avoid confrontation. However... Seeing that Yang Jing hadn''t refused again, Mr. Zhang''s smile grew increasingly lecherous. The hand on her shoulder became more brazen, and his eyes shamelessly roamed up and down Yang Jing''s long, shapely legs. Yang Jing''s face darkened, her knuckles turning white as she gripped her pen, clearly on the verge of exploding. "Well, well, Mr. Zhang, you''re really dedicated to your work, aren''t you?" But dealing with such people isn''t difficult; you just need to find another person with an equally strong background. Chapter 7: Unchecked Audacity Siegfried walked towards his workstation with a smile, casually flipping through the Wanderer''s Manual. Ordinarily, he wouldn''t bother with such matters. It not only lacked benefits but could also bring trouble upon himself. The risks and rewards were simply not proportional. But now, he was more than willing to use the Wanderer''s Manual and Divine Power to eliminate this disgusting fat man. Siegfried''s voice wasn''t particularly loud, nor did it show any emotional fluctuation. It sounded like a casual greeting. Yet, the sarcasm in his words cut deep, like a resounding slap across the face. Yang Jing''s bright eyes widened slightly, her expression somewhat bewildered. As far as she could remember, this man had only engaged in minimal necessary communication with her since the day she joined the company. Why would he suddenly stand up for her? (Has his personality changed?) Manager Zhang was momentarily at a loss for words, his face alternating between shades of green and red. He could only sheepishly withdraw his lecherous hand. He glanced at Siegfried''s handsome face, unconsciously furrowing his brow. If there was anyone among the ordinary employees who dared to challenge him, it would be this man standing before him. The reason was simple: Siegfried had also entered the company through a high-level introduction. The difference was that Siegfried chose to start from the bottom, while Manager Zhang directly assumed a leadership position. In terms of position, he was still above Siegfried. So, even for the sake of saving face, he couldn''t show weakness. "Well, well, if it isn''t little Qi," Manager Zhang looked Siegfried up and down, making a tsk-tsk sound. "As expected of Old Xie''s nephew, truly talented. How has Old Xie been lately?" This Old Xie was a close friend of Siegfried''s father, serving as the legal advisor for this electrical company while also being one of the shareholders. Six years ago, when Siegfried''s parents died in a sudden accident, it was this Uncle Xie who had been taking care of the Qi siblings. Although Manager Zhang had a thousand grievances in his heart, he had to put on a smile. After all, this Old Xie''s influence in the board of directors even surpassed that of his brother-in-law. He could only remind Siegfried through this seemingly complimentary yet subtly sarcastic manner: you''re also here because of connections, don''t push your luck. "Thank you for your concern. My uncle is in good health. However, Manager Zhang, you seem to have dark circles and a puffy face. Work must be... exhausting," Siegfried replied. Siegfried seemed to have completely missed the point of Manager Zhang''s words, retorting without hesitation. He particularly emphasized the word "work". Manager Zhang''s gaze darkened. As fellow beneficiaries of connections, he hadn''t expected Siegfried to be so disrespectful. But as a seasoned workplace veteran, he quickly controlled his emotions and said with a seemingly helpless tone: "Ah, those big bosses are too difficult to deal with, I''m really out of my depth. Hey, Xiao Qi, you''re so capable, why don''t I let you handle the order? You can negotiate with the clients, and I''ll follow along to learn from you, how about that~" Manager Zhang dragged out his words, his fat face once again displaying an oily smile. As these words echoed, the tension in the entire office suddenly intensified. The other people in the office buried their heads deeply, only raising one eye to secretly peek in this direction. In their hearts, they all hoped that the elegant and amiable Siegfried could gain the upper hand in this confrontation. However, Manager Zhang not only outranked him but also had twenty more years of workplace experience. He was clearly not someone this young man could easily handle. "Uh, Manager Zhang, Xiao Qi hasn''t been with the company for long. How could he handle such a big order?" The senior colleague sitting opposite Siegfried, who was on good terms with him, couldn''t bear to watch anymore. He hurriedly stepped in as a peacemaker, frantically signaling to his impulsive junior with his eyes. But Siegfried continued to stare at the Wanderer''s Manual in his hand as if nothing had happened. From beginning to end, he hadn''t even glanced at Manager Zhang once. Name: Zhang Yu Male, 40 years old Education: Junior High School Race: Human This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Deputy Director of the Sales Department at Yali Electric Company, secured a leadership position through his brother-in-law''s internal recommendation. Regularly uses his authority to embezzle company property and harass company employees. Has a son and a daughter with his wife. Frequently visits casinos and nightclubs, and keeps two mistresses. Ability Data: Strength: E- Agility: E- Magic: / Intelligence: D Luck: B Leadership: D Overall Evaluation: E (Luck B, no wonder this idiot has been sitting in the deputy director position for so long.) Siegfried silently criticized in his heart. He found that searching for information directly with the Wanderer''s Manual was much more detailed than having Shannon report it. For example, on the next page, there were photos of Zhang Yu indulging with those big bosses in private clubs, ambiguous pictures of him entering hotels with his two mistresses, and many unsightly things like syringes and white powder. All the photos were taken from peculiar angles, captured so perfectly that it made Siegfried wonder if they were the product of some professional paparazzi following him around the clock. These ready-made pieces of evidence saved him a lot of trouble. He no longer needed to think about how to use [Deceptive Speech] to drive Zhang Yu out of the company. These photos alone were enough to put Mr. Zhang behind bars for a long time. He directly tore out the entire page with the photos and said in a flat tone: "Experience? Yes, I certainly don''t have that kind of experience. I''ll have to learn from Manager Zhang." Zhang Yu''s smile suddenly froze, his ears turning red in an instant. As his gaze traveled downward, his flushed cheeks gradually turned pale. He snatched the paper and crumpled it into a ball, taking two steps closer to Siegfried. Lowering his voice so that only the two of them could hear, his words no longer carried the previous composure and arrogance: "You''ve been following me? Don''t you know that''s a crime!" "Of course, invasion of privacy. My uncle is a lawyer. So I''m planning to take these to the police station to turn myself in. Oh, and I''ll also send a copy to your brother-in-law, expressing my personal apologies." Siegfried''s voice was loud enough for the entire office to hear. The corners of his mouth turned up high, his eyes full of mockery. There was not a hint of apology in his expression, only sarcasm turned up to the maximum. "You!" Zhang Yu''s oily face turned bright red, his breathing so intense it seemed he might pass out at any moment, his eyes full of venom. But under the gaze of the surrounding employees, he couldn''t display any overly unusual behavior. He could only suppress his anger and squeeze out a smile with all his might: "Xiao Qi, we''re all colleagues here. What are you doing? Can''t we talk things out?" Only then did Siegfried lower his voice, replying coldly: "Let''s put aside the prostitution. Do you know what the punishment is for drug use in our country?" Enough to spend the rest of your life in prison. Hearing this, Zhang Yu''s face paled even more. "But as you said, we''re colleagues, so I won''t make things difficult for you. As long as Manager Zhang does me a small favor, nothing on this paper will ever get out." Siegfried displayed a sincere smile, skillfully activating [Deceptive Speech]. Under the influence of this Divine Power, even such an obvious lie sounded so believable. Zhang Yu, already in a state of panic, immediately replied: "Whatever it is, just say it!" "I''d like to meet with Director Wang, that brother-in-law of yours, for a meal. Could you arrange that for us?" "Meet my brother-in-law? What for?" Zhang Yu looked puzzled, unable to figure out why this young man wanted to involve his brother-in-law. Siegfried shrugged, sighing as if very helpless: "Actually, my uncle doesn''t want to help me too much in the company. He wants me to gain more experience at the grassroots level." He glanced at the thick stack of resumes on his desk and continued, "But I really can''t take this hardship anymore." Zhang Yu''s eyebrows twitched. He finally understood - this kid couldn''t get anywhere through his uncle''s path, so he was trying to change allegiances. A smile immediately appeared on his oily face as he said: "No problem, leave it to me. But..." Zhang Yu pinched the strange textured paper in his hand, winking at Siegfried. Siegfried chuckled lightly, responding mysteriously: "Only heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know." Zhang Yu left, his expression carefree and his steps light. He believed Siegfried''s words without a doubt, even considering this excellent young man as a member of his brother-in-law''s faction now. Siegfried flipped through the Wanderer''s Manual. The page that had just been torn out had already grown back, still bearing those unsightly photos of Zhang Yu. The corners of his mouth slowly curved into a smile. This Divine Power, [Deceptive Speech], was incredibly compatible with him. Although it didn''t provide direct combat ability, it could be used in any situation. Depending on how it was used and on whom, the power this Divine Power could exert would be beyond imagination. [Mr. Wanderer, what are you doing?] Shannon''s ethereal voice once again sounded unexpectedly in his mind. By now, Siegfried was more or less accustomed to this strange occurrence. "What? Are you going to impose moral standards on Wanderers now?" [No, just pure curiosity.] Siegfried was somewhat surprised. He had always thought that so-called Historians might be some kind of higher-dimensional beings, without emotions or humanity, simply maintaining the progression of history according to a set of rules. But this Miss Shannon gave him a very humanized impression, with quite rich emotions. This wasn''t a quality a Historian should possess. The most important thing in recording history is objectivity and rationality. This should be the same for both ordinary historians on Earth and these self-proclaimed higher-dimensional beings called Historians. (Could this one be a problem child among the Historians? Is that why she was assigned to manage a troublesome wild Wanderer like me?) While inwardly grumbling, Siegfried calmly replied: "Nothing much. Just having a meal to see if there''s any leverage on that Director Wang. If not, I''ll use my Divine Power to get his shares directly." Chapter 8: The Qi Siblings [...] The voice in his mind fell silent for a moment before saying: [Is this the influence of your past experiences?] "You''ve looked into my background?" Siegfried was a bit surprised, but then realized, "Of course, you''re the Historian." In fact, even without checking, just looking at Siegfried''s specialized skills would reveal that this guy''s experiences were far from ordinary. At this moment, the surrounding colleagues, seeing that Zhang Yu had left, curiously gathered around. Before they could speak, Siegfried put on his usual gentle and amiable smile, maintaining his customary persona at the company. "Don''t worry, he won''t be coming back anymore." "Really?" "What happened? What did you two talk about in private?" Hearing Siegfried''s words, the young women in the office visibly brightened up. They crowded around, eager to inquire about the details and seize the opportunity to build a rapport with this handsome, easy-going young man with a promising future. However, Yang Jing was quicker than all of them. She had somehow silently appeared at Siegfried''s side, her expression cold and indifferent as if nothing had happened. "Thank you for your help." "You''re welcome." Then came a long silence, and the atmosphere became extremely awkward. Their conversations were always this simple and brief. One didn''t initiate conversations, while the other was practically mute. Siegfried really couldn''t understand how someone with such a personality ended up in HR, a job that required the most communication skills. During this time, Yang Jing kept looking Siegfried up and down. It wasn''t an admiring or ambiguous gaze, but rather the kind of look your mother gives when selecting pork at the market, making Siegfried''s eyebrows twitch. (What does this woman... want to do?) He had always felt there was something strange about Yang Jing, but he couldn''t quite put his finger on it. His instincts told him that even if he hadn''t stepped in to help, this woman would definitely have had a way to deal with someone like Zhang Yu. Siegfried glanced at his watch and realized it was already ten minutes past quitting time. He immediately said goodbye to his colleagues and headed home. There was still a mouth waiting for him to cook dinner at home. ... Huile Road This was where the apartment complex Siegfried lived in was located. Snack shops, hardware stores, real estate agencies, painting studios, music schools, farmers'' markets, supermarkets... This was a street that encompassed businesses from all walks of life, almost single-handedly supplying all the daily needs of the surrounding residents. In the early years, when the government''s crackdown on prostitution wasn''t as strict as it is now, there were even two foot massage parlors openly providing "special services" on this street. Due to the incident with Zhang Yu, Siegfried arrived home an hour later than usual today. His sister, Lingling, was lying on the living room sofa watching TV, her clean white feet swaying in the air, looking quite carefree. As soon as the young girl saw her big brother open the door and come in, she immediately raised her sweet voice and called out dramatically: The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. "Wow! The sun must be rising in the west, big bro, you actually worked overtime today. Hmm~ No, no, something''s fishy here." She knew her brother too well. This man was always impossible to keep at work once it was quitting time. No matter rain or shine, he always got home before her, and by this time he would usually already be in the kitchen cooking. (Big bro would never work overtime. Since that''s the case, there''s only one truth.) "Big bro, you''ve got a girlfriend! Oh my god, after 22 years of being single, big bro finally has a girlfriend!" The girl excitedly jumped off the sofa and pounced on her brother, hanging from his neck like a koala. "Mom and Dad must be happy in heaven, our Qi family is finally going to have descendants." Siegfried almost lost his balance and fell to the ground from this sudden attack. He looked at Lingling hanging on him with a helpless expression. The girl was wearing a white shirt school uniform with a red tie. The snow-white skin revealed at her collar was like mutton-fat jade, her budding little chest rising and falling, and her delicately carved face full of curiosity. (She''s gotten heavier again. This child only grows in size, not in wisdom.) He grabbed the back of his sister''s collar and pulled this koala off himself, glaring at her: "Nonsense. I had important business to deal with today." Lingling gave her brother a suspicious look. "You have important business? What important business? What business could be more important than carrying on the Qi family line?" Siegfried looked at his sister, who was eight years younger than him. The little crybaby who used to cling to his sleeve had now grown into a graceful young lady. (Pretty features, nice figure too. Hmm, when she grows up, she''ll definitely be no less attractive than Yang Jing and Catalina. It''s just that her brain doesn''t work too well.) "Big bro, your gaze is so creepy." Lingling noticed the strange look in her brother''s eyes. She hugged her shoulders and took two steps back, her vigilant gaze like that of a little deer. Siegfried was taken aback, feeling a bit embarrassed as he averted his gaze. "You little brat, growing up too fast. Quickly go prepare the cutlery, I ordered pizza." "Yay~" ... "I''ll protect Nezuko!" The TV in the living room was playing the currently popular "Demon Slayer" anime. His sister seemed to be a devoted fan of this anime. Siegfried had also watched a bit of it before due to his sister''s insistence. Frankly speaking, his thought at the time was that if his own sister could be half as gentle and considerate as Nezuko, he could die happy. At the dinner table, Lingling held a slice of pizza in her left hand, her pretty face smeared with a bit of cheese, while her right hand was pointing at her brother with a dinner knife: "Big bro, you should really find a wife. You''re already 22 and haven''t even held a girl''s hand. Mom and Dad can''t rest easy in heaven." (Who says I haven''t? Just the other day, I touched that female knight''s... Ahem, honestly, the feeling was quite nice.) While Siegfried was mumbling in his heart, he listened to his sister continue to criticize him: "Look at other Siegfrieds, they''re dragon slayers or S-class Valkyries. How come you''re so lame that you can''t even hold a girl''s hand?" (This... How is this my fault? It''s not like I chose this name myself.) Siegfried listened with his eyes wide open, feeling quite conflicted. In fact, he had always been in the spotlight because of this cool name. Although the name was borrowed, his brief 22 years of life could be described as tumultuous, comparable to those of the two Siegfrieds in "The Song of the Nibelungs" and "Honkai Impact 3". When Siegfried was sixteen, his parents died in an unexplainable accident, leaving behind him and his sister, who was only eight at the time. The siblings inherited a house and a considerable amount of insurance money, enough to live comfortably until they entered society. However, this money was soon swindled away by their "kind" relatives. If it wasn''t for Uncle Xie''s intervention, the siblings might have lost the house as well. At sixteen, Siegfried deeply experienced how dark human nature could be. But even so, life had to go on. He, who had always been at the top of his class, had to give up his studies and enter society early to support the family. Over the years, he had delivered takeout, worked in electronics factories, hosted weddings, carried corpses at funeral homes, and even worked as a sketch artist at the police station. His rich experiences not only cultivated a maturity far beyond his peers but also honed various survival skills. Of course, Uncle Xie had invited him more than once to be his assistant, a simple and easy job with a generous salary. But Siegfried always refused. At just seventeen, he clearly realized one thing: a comfortable environment doesn''t breed ferocious tigers, only tame house cats. And he had too many people he wanted to devour. Siegfried glanced at his sister, put down his cutlery, and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "You''ve always been the most quiet when eating. You only ramble on about nonsense when you have something on your mind. Come on, tell me what''s wrong?" Chapter 9: Troublesome Relatives Qi Ling''er nervously bit her lip, avoiding her brother''s eyes. Her brother had always been incredibly perceptive about such details. In a weak voice, she tentatively said, "Auntie came by again earlier." Their aunt was their father''s younger sister, the only blood relative the siblings had left in this world. This aunt, who grew up with their father and received substantial financial help from him for her wedding and house purchase, had always been kind to the siblings. However, after their father''s death, she and her husband unhesitatingly swindled the orphaned siblings out of their rightful insurance money, using their position as legal guardians. To this day, Siegfried still remembered kneeling at their doorstep with his little sister in his arms, begging their dear aunt to show some mercy for their father''s sake and at least take care of young Ling''er. The result? Siegfried got beaten up by his older cousin. Seeing her brother''s prolonged silence, Ling''er continued, "It''s still about the letter of understanding..." "Impossible," Siegfried cut her off immediately. "Dad helped them so much back then. Half the money for their house came from our family. And what did they do? Turned on us in an instant, stole our money, and even tried to take this house from us!" Siegfried''s voice grew increasingly louder until he was practically shouting. He rarely displayed such intense emotions anymore, but whenever he thought about these past events, he couldn''t suppress the pent-up anger. Ling''er shrank back a little. She had anticipated her brother would get angry at the mention of this, but she still mumbled, "It''s just writing a few words, after all. Uncle could get a reduced sentence, and we could receive a hefty compensation. Isn''t that good?" Siegfried glanced at her, somewhat amused. "What? You''ve been bought off by a bit of dirty money?" "It''s not like that~" Ling''er pouted. "Dad only had one sister, and she''s our only blood relative left. When I saw Auntie today, she looked so much thinner. Brother, about the past..." "Just let it go?" Siegfried finished for her. His sister nodded. "Huh, how magnanimous of you," he scoffed. Three years ago, their uncle had been implicated in a fraud case. Among the eight suspects in the public trial, for some reason, only their uncle had extensive and conclusive evidence against him, leading to his conviction as the mastermind. The day before the sentencing, the court received an anonymous email. It contained a statement and evidence about how the suspect had illegally appropriated the insurance money of an orphaned sibling pair three years prior. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. After verification, the court immediately decided to combine the charges, sentencing the mastermind to return all misappropriated property, pay compensation for emotional damages, and serve a 25-year prison term. Given their aunt''s family''s financial situation, they couldn''t afford such a large compensation. They barely managed to gather enough for the siblings'' compensation by selling their property. As for the compensation for the fraud victims, it seemed unlikely they could repay it even in their next life. Their aunt, who used to live a life of luxury without needing to work, now resided in a nearby low-rent apartment. With Siegfried''s "forgiveness" and help, she was now working as a diligent employee in the company''s electronics factory, starting early and finishing late each day. Siegfried picked up his knife and fork again and began cutting his pizza. He understood what Ling''er meant. His sister was truly a kind-hearted and innocent girl. Siegfried didn''t dislike this innocence; on the contrary, he hoped she could always maintain this purity. However, throughout history, kind people have always been more easily taken advantage of. And Siegfried absolutely refused to be on the receiving end of such treatment. He wouldn''t do anything unethical, and if someone was truly in dire straits, he wouldn''t hesitate to offer help. But if anyone dared to exploit his kindness, he had no qualms about showing them what true desperation meant. "First of all, your uncle brought this upon himself. Fine, even if I forgive him, will the victims he defrauded let him off? And what about their idiot son, who used our money to become some kind of junkie and ended up in rehab? Their current predicament is entirely of their own making. What does it have to do with us?" Ling''er listened obediently, initially wanting to say something more, but ultimately just nodded, "Mm, karma will get them." "Heh..." Siegfried couldn''t help but let out a cold laugh at her words. "Ling''er, do you know why I didn''t send Auntie to prison along with Uncle back then?" Thwack! The dinner knife pierced right through the pizza in the paper box. He lifted the slice, dangling it before his eyes, his brows furrowed in a cold, mocking smile. "I just wanted to watch her cry." The ending theme of the anime started playing on the TV, and the temperature in the entire dining room seemed to drop. Ling''er''s eyes flickered, and she swallowed hard. Her brother had never been a gentle person, even as a child. He was arrogant, precocious, and vindictive. Since their parents'' passing, these traits had only become more extreme. "Heaven won''t help you seek revenge. In this world, good people don''t always get rewarded, and bad people don''t always get punished. ''Karma will get them'' is just wishful thinking of the weak. The truth that has stood the test of time is that it takes a villain to deal with another villain." Siegfried put the pizza slice in his mouth and tugged hard, stretching the white cheese into long strings. "Eat your food." His sister, chastised, hung her head silently, tears welling up in her big eyes. Only then did Siegfried realize he might have gone too far. He coughed and changed the subject. "Ahem, let''s not talk about this anymore. Your brother is getting a raise soon. How about we go to Disneyland this Sunday and have some fun?" Ling''er''s cute little ears perked up, and she immediately raised her head. "Really? Really? Can I bring Ah Hu and Ah Bao along?" Chen Hu and Chen Bao, commonly known as the Tiger-Leopard brothers, were tall guys nearly 1.8 meters despite their young age. They were... minions that his sister had recruited at school, responsible for escorting her to and from school. "Sure, bring them along. You can invite your little girlfriends too." "Yay~ Big brother is the best!" Chapter 10: The Fugitive Late at night. Siegfried sat at his desk, poring over the Wanderer''s Manual. He was set to return to the Qilan Continent tonight to complete the first phase of his mission, and he was conducting a final review. Over this period, he had amassed a considerable stockpile of medicines, food, and various survival tools, cramming them all into his inventory to ensure he could handle any situation with ease. Initially, he had considered bringing some modern technology, but Shannon informed him that items incompatible with that era''s technology couldn''t be retrieved from the inventory even if brought over. After careful consideration, he came to terms with this limitation. After all, his mission was to repair history, so how could he bring futuristic technology that didn''t belong to that era? Still, Siegfried couldn''t help but feel a twinge of regret. He had entertained the idea of purchasing a couple of AR15s in Texas to take to the other world. Even if he couldn''t dominate entirely, at least dealing with small-scale forces like Catalina''s would have been a breeze. Moreover, Siegfried discovered that his status panel differed from the one in the other world. On Earth, his status panel appeared as follows: Name: Siegfried Male, 22 years old Race: Wanderer Education: High School An ordinary salaried worker among the vast sea of humanity, you''ve inadvertently become a Wanderer. How will someone as seemingly ordinary as you survive the perilous tasks ahead? Or perhaps, you''re not as ordinary as you appear. Specialties: Cold Reading 73% (Expert), Acting 65% (Expert), Intimidation 35% (Advanced)... (40 more items omitted) Special Ability: Deception Strength: E+ Agility: E Magic Power: / Intelligence: A Luck: B Leadership: B Overall Rating: C Several details had changed, such as his age. In the other world, Siegfried was 20 years old, but on Earth, he was 22. However, more significant than the age difference were the changes in his first three stats. Strength and agility were low enough, but magic power had completely vanished, making Siegfried realize that even if he mastered magic in the other world, he would be powerless to use it back on Earth. The reason for these changes likely stemmed from the fact that while the consciousness of Earth Siegfried and Qilan Continent Siegfried were identical, they inhabited two distinct physical bodies. Consequently, the data related to his physical attributes had changed, while mental attributes like intelligence, luck, and leadership remained constant. Siegfried closed the manual and took it to bed with him. The method to return to the other world was straightforward: simply sleep while holding the Wanderer''s Manual. If he wished to avoid crossing over, he need only place the book at a distance. "Shannon, what will happen to this body while I''m in the other world?" [Rest assured, as long as you complete the mission, you''ll return to the current time point. Even if you spend a year or more in the other world, in reality, it will be no more than a fleeting dream.] [I won''t be monitoring you throughout this mission. If you have any questions, you can consult my terminal at any time.] (Oh, so you''re just pawning me off on an AI because it''s too much trouble? Tch~ You really are the problem child among the historians, aren''t you?) Siegfried remained silent for a moment before speaking again: "Is there anything else you need to tell me?" [Given your lack of experience and the difficulty of the task, we''ll have another Wanderer currently on a mission in the Qilan Continent assist you.] [Well then, I wish you the best of luck!] ... Shannon''s voice in his mind gradually faded away, and Siegfried felt himself drifting off to sleep. However, something seemed amiss. (Strange, was my pillow always this soft?) The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Siegfried''s bedding consisted entirely of cheap items purchased from Pinduoduo; it shouldn''t be this soft and plush. Moreover, there was a rich fragrance emanating from the pillow. Siegfried groggily felt his pillow, encountering a handful of smoothness. "Mmm~" The quality of this pillow was remarkably good; it even produced sounds. ? Produced sounds? Siegfried''s eyes snapped open, and he leapt up. In that spot, the female knight Catalina lay on the ground, clad only in a thin shirt. The collar, with one button undone, revealed a deep cleavage and a large expanse of snow-white skin. It appeared this had served as Siegfried''s pillow last night. Siegfried pinched the bridge of his nose, recalling the events of that night, and then let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, nothing too serious had transpired. Then he felt a twinge of regret. Why hadn''t anything serious happened? Subsequently, he summoned the Wanderer''s Manual and turned to the task page. As anticipated, the phase mission for this time had already materialized. Phase Mission: Join Prince Roderick''s faction or Princess Kriemhild''s faction: 0/1 Gain the trust of the faction leader: 0/1 Historical correction time limit: 1094 days / 1095 days Complete the phase mission to choose to end this wandering and settle rewards, temporarily return. [Mr. Wanderer, the Shannon system is at your service.] At this moment, Shannon''s voice suddenly resonated in his mind, but this time it lacked its ethereal quality, instead carrying a mechanical tone. Clearly, this was the so-called terminal. (Well, well, now it''s really become a system.) [I suggest you attend to the female knight on the floor first. Someone will be knocking on your door in ten seconds.] Heeding this advice, Siegfried glanced at the disheveled Catalina on the ground. Indeed, if others were to witness this scene, his reputation would be irreparably damaged. He needed to swiftly move her onto the bed. Uh, why did that sound somewhat inappropriate? Just then, a series of urgent knocks interrupted his thoughts. Siegfried hastily carried the female knight to the bed, then opened the door. Outside stood the sturdy young man who had been responsible for guarding the Garden People scout earlier. He was drenched in sweat and panting heavily, clearly having sprinted all the way here. Siegfried''s expression darkened. This didn''t bode well. "Calm down, what''s happened?" "Brother Siegfried, that dwarf, he''s escaped!" "How did he manage to escape? Weren''t you watching him?" "The dwarf was unconscious after we knocked him out. We thought he wouldn''t wake up for a while, so we left him in the woodshed. When we went to check this morning, we found he had vanished..." The sturdy young man''s voice grew increasingly faint as he spoke. This incident was largely his responsibility. He had been tasked with guarding the prisoner, but during last night''s village feast, he had succumbed to the temptation of a few drinks and ended up passing out. Siegfried furrowed his brow. This Garden Person was undoubtedly a spy, not aligned with Catalina and her group. Catalina had genuinely come to the village merely for provisions, but this Garden Person likely harbored ill intentions towards the entire village. (If I were in his position, what would my next move be?) "Asher, go instruct the villagers to secure their doors and windows tightly. Advise them not to wander about until I return." "Understood. Please be careful, brother." Siegfried turned back into the room. The female knight was still sleeping peacefully. Siegfried delivered a sharp slap to her forehead. "Your Highness!" Catalina let out a piercing cry. She had just been dreaming of bathing with the princess, who was, as usual, fondling her body. She was about to resist when the princess suddenly headbutted her, and then she awoke. Siegfried gazed helplessly at this naive girl. If all the people surrounding Princess Kriemhild were of this caliber, it was little wonder they had been driven to such a poor and remote location. "Enough sleep. The scout has escaped." Catalina, who had been groggy, shuddered at these words and instantly became alert. "That traitor! Lord Meilan, I beseech you to allow me to return and report to Her Highness." Siegfried didn''t respond immediately. Instead, he retrieved the Wanderer''s Manual. He needed to formulate his next actions based on the information at his disposal. The manual''s information search indeed furnished him with the desired intelligence. He smiled slightly and issued instructions with calm authority: "Not yet. Gather your soldiers, then follow my instructions to the letter..." ... When Catalina appeared at the wooden hut where the soldiers were being held, all the men were utterly astonished. And when she bid farewell to Siegfried with an excited, flushed face, the soldiers were even more horrified. What on earth had transpired last night? This question burned in every soldier''s mind, but none dared to voice it aloud. According to the villagers, Lady Catalina had spent the night in Siegfried''s quarters. And this morning, they were released, with Lady Catalina displaying such enthusiasm towards that man... The same thought occurred to every soldier. (Bastard! It''s so envia... no, it''s utterly despicable. The noble Meilan family, resorting to such methods to take advantage of someone, it''s not just beastly! It''s worse than beasts!) Every soldier''s gaze towards Siegfried grew increasingly venomous, wishing they could rend him limb from limb. But they could only nurture these thoughts in silence. They were acutely aware that their meager numbers were no match for him. Catalina led the soldiers off to execute the task Siegfried had assigned her, her spirits high, completely oblivious to her men''s low morale. Siegfried had noticed their hostility but couldn''t fathom the reason behind it. Hadn''t he already granted them their freedom? Such ingratitude. Siegfried''s strategy was elegantly simple. Since the scout was a spy, he must have a means of transmitting information or a contact. If so, they would turn the tables on him. He used the manual to pinpoint the meeting location and instructed Catalina to take her men to plant false information. As for himself... Siegfried extracted a black robe from his inventory and donned it. This was an item he had brought from Earth. The hooded, voluminous black robe enveloped his entire form. "Well then, I believe it''s time I made the acquaintance of that esteemed Princess..." Chapter 11: On the Brink of Explosion "Damn it! Damn it! Those lowly country bumpkins should all die!" The Garden People scout, Bobo, was running across the deserted wilderness, cursing incessantly. A large bump protruded from his head, the result of being struck by a fire poker wielded by a village youth the day before. Thanks to that blow, Bobo had been unconscious all night. By the time he woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. If those villagers hadn''t been dead drunk, he wouldn''t have been able to escape. "Just wait until I bring back reinforcements. I''ll kill you all!" "And that Catalina, some knight she is! Can''t even handle a bunch of country bumpkins. She might as well change careers and work in a brothel. That body of hers would surely be in high demand!" The Garden Person''s vulgar words flowed endlessly, made all the more grating by his shrill, duck-like voice. His mood was terrible, and not just because he had been beaten up. More importantly, the plan to attack the village and frame Princess Kriemhild had completely fallen through. Originally, after completing this plan, he would have been able to collect his reward from the Second Prince and then flee to live a life of leisure. But now, forget about the reward; he''d be lucky if he didn''t get a severe scolding. The thought of having to extend this nerve-wracking undercover life made Bobo''s teeth itch with hatred, and his curses became even more frequent, spewing all manner of foul language. Just then, he spotted a group of riders in the distance, heading in his direction. The most eye-catching among them was a man in the center of the formation, wearing steel armor and sporting a full beard. The man had brown hair and eyes, a serious expression, and his imposing figure, standing over six feet tall, exuded a powerful presence. But even more striking than the man was the warhorse he rode. The horse had six legs, its coat as dark and deep as the night sky. Its eyes burned with a dark fire, and its nostrils occasionally exhaled grayish-black fumes. The magical beast "Nightmare Steed"! This was a tameable magical beast, rare in number and formidable in battle, capable of matching an ordinary Grand Knight. Those with the ability to tame such a beast as a mount were even rarer. As far as Bobo knew, there was only one such person. Roland Ferdinand, a Golden Knight at the mere age of 28. He was Catalina''s teacher and the strongest individual in the Princess''s faction. Reinforcements! Bobo''s face lit up with joy. Waving his short arms in a "friendly" gesture, he eagerly rushed towards the main force. "Lord Roland has come in person! Hah, just wait and see how I''ll report you lot of country bumpkins. You''re going to die! All of you!" This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ... Roland''s inner turmoil was completely at odds with his calm exterior. Yesterday, his proud student had set out with a small squad, saying they were going hunting and would be back before dark. Yet here it was, midday of the following day, and there was still no sign of them. Roland knew his student well. Given Catalina''s meticulous nature, if something had delayed them, she would have certainly sent someone back with a message. It was impossible for there to be no news at all. So there was only one answer: Catalina was in trouble. It was impossible for anyone in this remote backwater to pose a threat to a Grand Knight, so the danger must have come from outside. (Could it be pursuers again? Tch, they''re like ghosts that won''t be exorcised.) To find Catalina''s squad, Roland had set out early in the morning with almost all his forces, following their trail. Finally, after several hours of searching, he saw the Garden People scout running towards him, shouting. Bobo knelt on one knee before the horse. He was already short, and kneeling like this, he was barely half as tall as one of the Nightmare Steed''s legs. Roland could barely see him. "Lord Roland, you must seek justice for us!" Bobo, at the horse''s feet, wept bitterly as if mourning the death of his parents. Roland''s brow furrowed, a sense of foreboding washing over him. "What exactly happened? Where''s Catalina? Where are the other soldiers? Where did you go yesterday?" "Lord Roland, we went to the nearby village yesterday. Lady Catalina wanted to requisition some food from the villagers, but those scoundrels not only refused, they even... they even..." Bobo cried a river of tears and snot, dramatically fabricating a story of rebellious mob, and a righteous, kind-hearted female knight who willingly became a captive because she couldn''t bear to harm the villagers. As for himself, he claimed to be a scout who had been beaten to near-death by the mob and had risked his life to return with the news. "Those rebels completely disregard the kingdom''s laws. I''m afraid that Lady Catalina now... now..." "Enough! Say no more!" The veins on Roland''s forehead throbbed. He never imagined it would be the villagers who had taken action. When they had discovered the village earlier, they had specifically avoided it and chosen to camp in a cave to keep the villagers out of danger. He never expected the villagers to be so ungrateful. Roland coldly instructed, "Take me to the village. I want to see just how formidable these rebels are, daring to lay hands on a knight of the kingdom." "Yes, my lord." (Haha! He took the bait, this foolish knight.) Bobo inwardly mocked as he stood up, ready to lead the way. "That won''t be necessary. The rebels you spoke of have come themselves." In the distance, Siegfried approached quietly, clad in a black robe. He stood alone in the wilderness, blocking the path of dozens of fully armed soldiers. At this moment, all eyes in the field converged on him. Siegfried glanced at the Garden Person Bobo and spoke in a flat tone: "Your acting skills are not bad, almost as good as mine. It''s just that the plot is too clich¨¦. Anyone could guess what you were going to say." His face was completely hidden by the hood, his expression unseen. Roland was inwardly startled. Until Siegfried spoke, he hadn''t noticed the other''s presence. How could someone evade even the senses of a Golden Knight like himself? But he showed no sign of this on his face. Astride his magical steed, he looked down and asked, "Are my knight and soldiers in your hands?" Siegfried pretended to ponder for a moment, then shrugged: "Haven''t seen any knight, but I did catch a nest of village bandits trying to rob. I wonder if they''re the same people you''re talking about?" Roland let out a cold snort. His eyes narrowed slightly, releasing the powerful aura of a Golden Knight. "I don''t know who you are, but I suggest you release them immediately. Considering you''re in a remote area and ignorant of the ways of the world, I can overlook this incident." "Heh, is that so? Well then, I''d like to see how you plan to hold me accountable." Siegfried removed the hood from his head, revealing his face and black hair. His pitch-black eyes stared at Roland, his face full of mockery. His appearance did not disappoint. At that moment, he heard the collective gasp of dozens of people. Whether it was his imagination or not, the surrounding temperature seemed to drop. "Mei... Meilan? How... How is this possible?" Bobo''s short fingers trembled as he pointed at Siegfried, his words a mumbling, dream-like repetition. Even Roland''s impassive, bearded face now showed signs of wavering. Now he finally understood how his student had fallen to a group of rural villagers. In that village lived a monster, a monster capable of crushing thousands of troops. Roland was a Golden Knight, a Golden Knight who had been to the front lines of the Human-Demon War. His experiences and knowledge far surpassed those of Catalina. Roland knew that the Meilan family had a tradition: before becoming a Hero, each Meilan would travel across the continent. During this long journey, they would rapidly increase their strength, gather like-minded companions, and forge their own "Holy Sword". And when all these goals were achieved, a Hero would be born. [Hero] was the pinnacle of the human species, an extraordinary individual capable of sweeping away armies and overturning the world. The ferocious and mighty beastmen, the magic-proficient elves, and even the powerful and ancient dragon race would bow their proud heads before a Hero. Heroes were the greatest weapon used by beings of the Order alignment to combat demons and magical beasts, and the only existence capable of challenging a Demon King. At this moment, Roland fell into deep thought. He was considering how many lives it would cost to snatch Catalina back from the hands of this Meilan. On the other side, Siegfried''s legs were also feeling weak. Ever since that knight called Roland had released his powerful aura, his skin had been covered in goosebumps, and he wanted nothing more than to turn tail and run. At this moment, Siegfried was also lost in thought. He was considering how he could beg for mercy without losing face if a fight really broke out. On the open wilderness, the silence was so complete you could hear a pin drop. Chapter 12: Kriemhild The wilderness fell so silent you could hear a pin drop. From a distance, it appeared as if Siegfried alone was holding the entire army at bay. Undoubtedly, Bobo was the most panicked person present. The plan to attack the village had been his idea in the first place, and now the victim had come to confront them directly. It wouldn''t take more than a sentence or two for his fabricated story to unravel. Moreover, this was a member of the Meilan clan. On one side stood the family of heroes who protected the world, and on the other, merely a Garden People slave. Whose words would carry more weight? Even a fool would know which side to believe. But Bobo was a very clever, or rather, a very cunning Garden Person. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have been able to lurk under Roland''s nose for so long. After a brief moment of panic, his eyes darted, and he immediately cried out: "Lord Roland, it''s him! It''s him! Yesterday, Lady Catalina was tied up and taken into his house, and she didn''t come out all night!" Upon hearing this, Roland''s face immediately darkened. (This stinking bug!) Siegfried cursed inwardly, his eye twitching uncontrollably. In truth, Bobo had no idea where Catalina was being held. He was merely trying to provoke conflict between the two parties so he could escape in the chaos. The truth didn''t matter to him at all. After all, trying to explain such a situation would only make things worse. Besides, with Catalina''s figure and face, he didn''t believe Siegfried would have done nothing. Under normal circumstances, Siegfried could have handled this type of accusation flawlessly. After all, an innocent person has nothing to fear. But the problem was, this time, he wasn''t entirely innocent. Siegfried''s momentary abnormality didn''t escape Roland''s notice. The usually calm and composed 28-year-old Golden Knight''s expression now twisted uncontrollably. Although the Meilan family was small in number, they were the most famous family on the continent. It was well known that this family produced heroes and... Casanovas. These Meilan-surnamed heroes (regardless of gender) were either killing machines or notorious for their romantic escapades. Throughout the generations of Meilans, there were those who left a trail of conquests wherever they went. Beastmen, demi-humans, elves, Garden People - as long as they were attractive, these Meilans didn''t care about racial differences. The most outrageous of them all was a hero named Lance Meilan, whose Holy Sword was actually his... manhood. Although they were inherently pure-hearted and constantly fought against the demon race on the frontlines to protect the continent, people occasionally wondered why such a group would be chosen as heroes. The veins on Roland''s muscular neck bulged, and his right hand unconsciously gripped the hilt of his sword at his waist. He glared at Siegfried, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth: "The nature of the Meilan family truly never changes. Is it that as long as it''s female, you won''t even spare a curly-haired monkey?" (What? The entire Meilan family is full of such degenerates?) Siegfried realized that his reputation had been unknowingly tarnished by the Meilan family. However, this didn''t stop him from retorting: "Heh, you fool who can''t distinguish between loyalty and treachery. Such a big cockroach crawled under your noses for half a year without you noticing. Even a curly-haired monkey is smarter than you lot." While trading insults, Siegfried snapped his fingers, and the Wanderer''s Handbook appeared in his hand out of thin air. Whether or not a battle would break out next, he needed to first investigate the personal information of this bearded knight, then decide whether to charge in or flee. Name: Roland Male, 8 years old Race: Human Alignment: Order This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Class: Villager A commoner boy from Count Ferdinand''s domain, with outstanding talent. Noticed by Count Ferdinand and brought into the lord''s city, currently training as a knight apprentice in the count''s castle. Specialties: Spearmanship 15% (Beginner), Swordsmanship 21% (Intermediate) Ability Data: Strength: E+ Agility: E And so on... Siegfried looked at the burly man with a full beard, standing over six feet tall, straddling a magical horse, then looked back at the data displayed in the handbook. (This is supposed to be 8 years old?) Siegfried felt like he had been played. If there was a table here right now, he would have flipped it for sure. "Shannon! Shannon! What the hell is going on?" He shouted in his mind for his system mom. [The search data in the Wanderer''s Handbook comes from the experiences of all Wanderers and the records of historians. The information has timeliness and limitations. The information for Knight Roland was last updated 20 years ago.] Shannon''s voice was mechanical and flat, obviously not the person herself answering, but a client interface. "Why didn''t you tell me something so important earlier!" [You didn''t ask.] "Damn it!" Well, no need to hesitate now. Time to think about how to beg for mercy. It''s said that in Japan, there''s an ultimate apology technique called dogeza. The general method is to kneel on both knees, place both hands together on the thighs, then move the hands forward in an inward V-shape, lean the body forward until the forehead touches the ground. Finally, just shout "Gomen nasai onegaishimasu!" and you can be forgiven. Of course, Siegfried wouldn''t do something so embarrassing. He pulled out the broken Sword of Balmung from his inventory. Although the Hero''s Sword was broken and its effects reduced by at least 80%, there was still 20% left, right? At a time like this, even the smallest boost was crucial. Siegfried prepared for a hit-and-run strategy, planning to come back with Catalina later to clarify the facts to Roland. What he didn''t know was that his series of actions had already caused a huge shock to Roland. (A magic book in the left hand and a sword in the right? This generation''s Meilan is actually a Magic Warrior!) It wasn''t easy to become a magician on the Qilan Continent. One needed to possess powerful magic, high-level elemental affinity, and sufficient intelligence simultaneously. Lacking any of these was unacceptable. Having magic power without elemental affinity meant you could only conjure small fireballs for life. Having elemental affinity without magic power meant you were a one-hit wonder. Ordinary magicians used staffs inlaid with magic crystals, converting magic power into spells through incantations. Those magicians with clever minds could build spell formations on magical beast parchment, needing only a thought to activate the pre-recorded spells. Spells cast this way consumed very little magic power and required no incantation at all. Mid to high-level spells that would normally require minutes or even tens of minutes of incantation would sweep across the battlefield like a machine gun without any hesitation. Therefore, those magicians holding a stack of papers or a book were almost synonymous with destruction. Because no incantation was needed, they could move freely. This type of magician generally underwent warrior training to further enhance their strength. The Adventurers'' Guild used a special class to refer to such people ¡ª "Magic Warrior." Roland frowned deeply, very wary of the book in Siegfried''s hand. As for the broken sword, he ignored it. The Meilan family even had someone who used their manhood as a weapon, so a broken sword was really quite normal as a weapon. What made Roland even more uneasy was another matter. Ever since the man opposite had assumed a battle stance, his old companion, the Nightmare Steed beneath him, had shown obvious signs of fear. If Roland hadn''t been riding it, this powerful magical horse would probably have already fled in panic. Roland couldn''t help but feel a bit bitter. (The Hero family, huh? They really are all monsters.) At this moment, Siegfried, lacking information and unable to gauge Roland''s capabilities, chose to hold his position and observe the situation. Roland, on the other hand, under intense mental speculation, regarded Siegfried as the most terrifying enemy he had ever encountered in his life. Both sides were caught in intense thought, and the wilderness fell silent once again. "Roland, can we pause for a moment?" A sweet voice broke the silence on the empty plain. Siegfried swore he had never heard a voice so beautiful in his life. A soldier stepped out from the ranks, and only then did Siegfried notice this soldier''s difference. He had snow-white skin and cherry-red lips, with a pair of emerald green eyes that sparkled. The most precious jade would pale in comparison to these eyes. The worn soldier''s armor and crude helmet could not conceal the nobility and elegance he exuded. Instead, they packaged him like a blooming wildflower. This person perfectly illustrated that beautiful people look good in anything. Siegfried knew who this person was at first glance. "Although watching you two bicker is quite interesting, I''m more curious about the cockroach Mr. Meilan mentioned." She was the target of this stage''s mission. "Hello, Mr. Meilan. My name is Kriemhild, and I suppose I''m still considered a princess of the kingdom." The soldier smiled gently, bright eyes and white teeth, a face as beautiful as a flower. Chapter 13: Too Much Kriemhild''s smile bloomed like flowers, making Siegfried''s heart skip a beat. Though this man pretended to be experienced in matters of love, he was in fact nothing more than a lifelong bachelor. Earlier, when interrogating Catalina, he had only dared some light flirtation, lacking the courage for anything more forward. [Alert! You have encountered one of your stage mission targets: Kriemhild. Please seize this opportunity to complete your task.] Shannon''s voice in his mind snapped the entranced Siegfried back to reality. He quickly composed himself, hiding his embarrassing lovestruck expression. After all, she could be his future employer - and a beautiful young female employer at that. He had to make a good impression! Siegfried sheathed his weapon and stepped forward to stand before Kriemhild, displaying the refined smile he had perfected during his years as an HRBP: "Lady Kriemhild, I am Siegfried. Your beauty is truly breathtaking." With that, he took her slender white hand and placed a gentle kiss upon its back. The sequence of movements was so smooth and swift that it was over before anyone could react. The 16-year-old princess stood frozen for several seconds before hastily withdrawing her hand behind her back, her face flushing like a ripe peach. She stepped backward repeatedly, her emerald eyes flickering like those of a startled deer. (Wait, what?) Roland''s eyes instantly blazed with fury. He drew his knight''s sword and leaped from his horse to stand protectively before Kriemhild. "How dare you! You insolent fool! Do you think being from the Meilan family puts you above the law?" Roland''s sword-hand trembled with rage. He truly hadn''t expected Siegfried to be so brazen as to openly harass the princess before dozens of royal soldiers. (What? Why this reaction?) Siegfried was completely bewildered. [Note! The Kingdom of Moen has no custom of hand-kissing. Your action was essentially public harassment of a princess.] Oh... shit... [Additionally, proper hand-kissing etiquette requires the lady''s permission first. Though our time together was brief, it was an honor working with you. Now then, may you rest in peace.] "Will you shut up!" The surrounding thirty-plus soldiers uniformly raised their spears. They had steeled themselves - even if it cost them their lives today, they would surround and kill this contemptible man. "Step back, Your Highness. This scoundrel is cunning and might try to harm you again. Soldiers, surround him!" While protecting Kriemhild, Roland commanded the troops to begin their encirclement. The veteran Golden Knight demonstrated his experience in this moment. Siegfried''s expression turned cold as he watched the circle slowly tighten. (It seems joining the Princess''s faction is impossible now. Time to change plans - break through, use Catalina to capture Princess Kriemhild, then use that as leverage to join the Second Prince''s faction.) While rapidly calculating his options, Siegfried searched for the weakest point to break through. At this critical moment, Kriemhild stepped forward. "No, I''m fine. I was just startled. Roland, tell the soldiers to stand down. Sir Meilan meant no harm." "But he just-!" "It''s alright. I believe Sir Meilan was simply greeting me in a special way, nothing more. The Light Spirits told me so." Kriemhild walked to Roland''s side and patted his shoulder reassuringly. Only then did Roland signal the soldiers, who methodically lowered their weapons while maintaining their formation. Siegfried breathed a sigh of relief - he had been prepared for the worst. He bowed slightly to Kriemhild. "Please forgive my rudeness, Your Highness. This is a greeting that has recently become popular in the Ophis Empire. I didn''t realize it wasn''t common in Moen." Siegfried delivered this fabrication with a straight face, though in truth he didn''t even know where the Ophis Empire was located. Kriemhild covered her mouth and laughed softly: "The Empire''s customs remain quite progressive indeed." Though this sudden episode was dangerous, it quickly brought the two closer. After exchanging pleasantries, Kriemhild''s expression turned serious: "Sir Siegfried, could you explain what you meant earlier about the cockroach? And is Catalina, my friend, really with you?" Siegfried glanced around and spotted a certain Garden People scout who had tried to sneak away in the chaos. He smiled coldly and pointed: "Regarding those questions, it would be more practical to ask the cockroach himself." Bobo was dragged back, held by the scruff of his neck by a soldier, his short limbs flailing uselessly in the air. "Bobo, what exactly is going on?" Roland''s face darkened as he pressed the scout without mercy. He wasn''t a simple-minded man focused only on strength. Earlier he had been blinded by concern for his disciple, but now thinking clearly, Bobo''s story was riddled with holes. Faced with the Golden Knight''s unconcealed killing intent, Bobo curled into a ball, though still trying to argue: "My lord, what''s wrong? What did I do wrong?" "If you did nothing wrong, why did you run so far?" "I- I needed to relieve myself urgently!" Bobo''s thinking was simple - if he absolutely denied suggesting the village attack and pushed all blame onto Catalina, he could escape punishment. After all, he had only proposed the plan; Catalina had carried it out. Now that things had gone wrong, it was only right that she bear full responsibility. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. What Bobo never imagined was that Siegfried hadn''t come to investigate the village attack at all. Looking at the dwarf who refused to confess, Siegfried leaned close to Bobo''s face and smiled. "Little shorty, care to guess what Catalina and her squad are up to now?" Bobo''s expression froze. "Let me give you a hint - I know who you are, who your master is, your meeting locations, your contact signals, everything about you." Dark eyes bore into the Garden People scout. In those obsidian-like eyes, Bobo could see his own pale reflection. "Come now, guess what Catalina is doing right now?" The man''s smile was bone-chilling, one that would become an inescapable nightmare for many across the continent in years to come. (Impossible! How could this be? Even Kriemhild with her truth-seeing ability didn''t suspect me - how could an outsider discover it?) His service to the Second Prince was the most closely guarded of secrets. He had always left special marks at specific locations to pass information to his contact, never appearing in person before anyone. Only Second Prince Roderick himself and one personal female guard knew his identity. What was happening? How was he exposed? Bobo couldn''t comprehend it no matter how hard he thought. He gritted his teeth, planning to maintain his act of ignorance to the end, when urgent hoofbeats suddenly approached from the distance. Catalina galloped up on her white horse, far ahead of her squad. She waved from horseback and called out, her excitement evident even in her voice. "Your Highness! Master! I have extremely important matters to report!" "Looks like everyone''s here now." Siegfried stood up, no longer looking at the ashen-faced Garden People scout. The current mission objective was to join one of the royal heirs'' factions and gain their trust. Though it seemed like two tasks, they could be accomplished as one - joining a faction meant gaining trust, and gaining trust would naturally lead to joining the faction. Siegfried had formulated a plan to demonstrate his abilities and quickly gain trust. Although there had been several unexpected developments, things had still proceeded smoothly. He looked around at those present and smiled, clasping his hands: "Everyone, it''s awkward standing here talking. Why don''t we continue this discussion in the village?" When this large contingent arrived at Fengtao Village, the villagers were startled, fearing yesterday''s marauders had returned with reinforcements. However, they relaxed upon seeing Siegfried leading the group. A few bolder villagers even trailed behind, hoping to witness some excitement. During their return journey, Catalina provided a detailed report of her mission. Following Siegfried''s instructions, Catalina had led her unit to the spies'' rendezvous point that morning and left special coded messages. The message read: "In two days, we will ambush the Princess''s forces here." As planned, a group would arrive at Siegfried''s designated location in two days. However, instead of finding the Princess, they would meet Roland and his mighty sword. This counter-ambush operation, once successful, would provide the soldiers with much-needed supplies from their pursuers. More importantly, it would end the relentless six-month pursuit. This persecution campaign that had nearly cornered the Princess''s faction - Siegfried had dismantled it effortlessly in just one day. When describing Siegfried''s brilliance and power, Catalina''s expression radiated such admiration that she seemed ready to elevate him to divine status. Notably, this lady knight completely omitted yesterday''s village raid, merely mentioning their chance encounter with Lord Meilan while passing through. "Sir Siegfried, how did you discover Bobo was a spy?" Kriemhild questioned the source of Siegfried''s intelligence. Though Siegfried had prepared his cover story, and despite its flaws, his [Deceptive Speech] ability would have made them negligible. However, before he could speak, Catalina eagerly answered: "It''s the [Eagle Eye], of course! The Meilan family''s hereditary Divine Miracle. I witnessed it myself - Lord Meilan merely gazed at my face and read my memories. Exposing a mere spy would be trivial for him." Kriemhild nodded in understanding. She was familiar with the Eagle Eye Divine Miracle - the history of Heroes was mandatory education for royal children. However, what truly surprised her was her friend''s current behavior. This same friend had always been tougher than most men, wrestling wild boars bare-handed at fourteen, and achieving Great Knight status at nineteen, two years before Roland - truly a once-in-a-century prodigy. Yet now this same Catalina was fawning over Siegfried like an infatuated girl. (Has she fallen for him already? That was remarkably quick...) The Princess marveled internally. Meanwhile, Siegfried was completely baffled. (Eagle Eye? What''s that? The x-ray vision skill from Berserker''s Creed?) "Right, Lord Meilan? You can actually read all our thoughts right now." Catalina suddenly directed the conversation to Siegfried, her sea-blue eyes brimming with expectation. "Ah? Oh, yes, that''s correct." Caught off guard, Siegfried instinctively agreed. "I knew it! See, Your Highness?" (This is troublesome... now I''m stuck with a non-existent ability...) Leaving the soldiers in the village square, the main party entered the reception hall - actually the harvest church''s main hall, hastily redecorated as the most presentable venue in Fengtao Village. They could hardly receive a princess in the village chief''s house. The church now featured a long table laden with roast duck, chicken, fish, suckling pig, and ale. Upon learning of the First Princess''s arrival, the village chief had instantly sobered up and mobilized all villagers to prepare this feast with utmost haste. For a farming village, this feast was extraordinarily luxurious. One could hardly complain about the limited selection - after all, royal chefs were not to be found in such remote locations. "Remember to pay after eating. If you''re short on funds, you can settle the bill later." Siegfried remarked dryly, noticing Roland''s obvious salivation. Everyone present, including Kriemhild, appeared somewhat discomfited. (Joke''s on them - even Emperor Qianlong himself would have to pay here.) At the doorway, little Towa struggled with a roast lamb nearly her size, stumbling as she entered. Just as Siegfried moved to assist, a pair of delicate hands reached out faster to steady the falling girl. Kriemhild took the roast lamb and offered a perfect smile: "Thank you for your service, little sister. Please inform the kitchen to distribute the remaining dishes to the soldiers in the square - we have plenty here." Towa, never having seen anyone as beautiful as Kriemhild, blushed shyly. Siegfried stepped forward and gently ruffled her hair. "Thanks! Run along now. And be sure to tell everyone the Princess will pay." He emphasized the last two words. "Um, yes sir... Hero!" Towa stood at attention, as if entrusted with a grand mission. Now only five remained in the vast hall, with Siegfried, Kriemhild, Roland, and Catalina seated around the long table. Bobo, bearing bruises from the soldiers'' beating, stood aside watching their feast with evident longing. "Sir Siegfried, on behalf of the Moen royal family, I extend our gratitude for your assistance." Though Kriemhild hadn''t enjoyed such a feast in ages, years of etiquette training prevented her from devouring the food like her two famished knights. She first offered a graceful curtsy to Siegfried, then skillfully wielded her fork to consume the food before her - matching the knights'' pace while maintaining perfect composure. Watching these three ravenous souls, Siegfried seriously questioned his choice to align with Kriemhild''s faction. His current mission stage aimed to facilitate historical correction - reclaiming the four borders, ending civil strife, and unifying the kingdom. But with just this handful of people and weapons in the Princess''s faction, they might as well disband entirely. Siegfried felt rather absurd, like joining the Nationalist army in 1949. "How many people remain in your forces?" Siegfried inquired once they appeared satisfied. "Besides these soldiers, about ten more guard Wind Cave. In total, only 48 remain." Catalina''s expression fell. Half a year ago, when they fled the royal capital, they had commanded nearly a thousand troops. She had witnessed countless comrades fall and depart as their forces dwindled into desperate straits. Siegfried''s face darkened. He wasn''t concerned about having too few people. On the contrary, The remaining number, Was far too many. "You still have... 48 people?" Chapter 14: Choosing Sides "What do you mean by that?" Roland put down the chicken leg he was about to eat, his expression turning serious. He detected an underlying message in Siegfried''s words. "No reinforcements, no supplies, yet you''ve managed to evade capture by two major factions for half a year." In this world, still in a medieval era, military campaigns required a massive logistical support. A thousand-mile rapid march might be feasible for a short time, but for nearly a thousand people to survive for half a year without logistical support was impossible. "How exactly have you managed to sustain yourselves until now?" This was the question Siegfried had been unable to figure out. Catalina, influenced by Siegfried''s serious tone, also became earnest: "After escaping from the royal city, we sent small teams disguised to purchase supplies in cities along our route. Since all transactions were conducted in black markets, we weren''t detected. Later, as our numbers dwindled, the logistical pressure decreased. Lord Meilan, is there something wrong..." Catalina caught herself mid-question, suddenly realizing something amiss. She whipped her head around to look at Bobo, the Garden Person beside her. Siegfried furrowed his brows while biting on his fork: "Indeed, there are spies in your ranks. This means your enemies knew every city where you took shelter. Why would they allow you to enter cities and purchase supplies?" The current situation in the Kingdom of Moen wasn''t complicated. Of the four cardinal territories, the Northern Duke Alvis stood with Second Prince Roderick, while the Southern Duke Baylan allied with Crown Prince Frederick. The Eastern Duke Galloway, both a duke and owner of the kingdom''s largest merchant guild, the Galloway Association, was typically playing both sides, exploiting the civil war for his territory''s benefit. As for the Western territory... the Duchy of Simon, or rather the Principality of Simon. They had seceded from the Kingdom of Moen several years ago for various reasons. During this civil war, the Simon family had maintained complete silence about their stance, not even sending representatives to understand the situation, as if the kingdom''s affairs were entirely irrelevant to them. Six months ago, the Second Prince had gained the upper hand in the palace coup and now fully controlled the royal city of Andesores and its surrounding areas. The Crown Prince had retreated to the old capital of Saint Moen, establishing his base north of the Rhine River. The Golden Imperial Capital and the Chalk Old Capital, the kingdom''s two largest cities, faced each other across the Rhine River, the mother river of Moen. Strangely, both sides had tacitly avoided launching large-scale warfare over the past six months. (What are they doing?) Siegfried bit down on the wooden fork, deep in thought. (Cutting without killing, clearly able to capture yet allowing the prey to run for half a year. Why?) Often, if you can''t figure out someone''s intentions, it''s not because you''re foolish, but because you and the other person are fundamentally different. Only those of the same kind truly understand each other, and only another schemer can comprehend a schemer. A flash of insight struck Siegfried, and he almost instinctively murmured: "Oh~ They''re dividing and consuming the Princess''s faction." To remove the weeds, one must pull out the roots; they were removing the roots. His voice was soft, yet it reached everyone''s ears. Roland instinctively moved closer to Kriemhild, ensuring he could protect the princess at any moment. Catalina shivered, recalling how Siegfried had manipulated her so effortlessly the previous day. "What''s wrong with you all?" Siegfried was somewhat surprised. "Lord Meilan, your expression right now is quite terrifying." Catalina, being straightforward, said it outright. (My expression?) Siegfried touched his face, realizing he was, in fact, smiling. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "Ahem, it''s an old habit of mine, don''t mind it." "What did you mean by what you just said?" Roland''s face didn''t look good; both the current situation and the feeling this Lord Meilan gave him left him deeply unsettled. "The enemy is using this method to drive you out of the center of power while keeping a tight grip on your whereabouts. Kriemhild, after all, is the first in line for the throne, and the nobles supporting the Princess''s faction are undoubtedly a significant force. If they were to capture her directly, it would certainly cause the supporters of the Princess faction to rebel. So they use this continuous yet non-lethal pursuit to keep you running for half a year, using this time to gradually convert the nobles of the Princess''s faction into their forces." "Once my forces are completely disbanded, they will launch a real siege, and by then, I will be completely isolated, forced to ''voluntarily'' relinquish the throne." Kriemhild continued Siegfried''s explanation, her tone unwavering. (Hmm? She actually figured it out? Well, a country''s princess and heir to the throne couldn''t possibly be naive.) "Exactly, this way they won''t have to bear the stigma of usurpation. I now suspect there are more traitors in your ranks. Since Bobo is a spy for the Second Prince, there must also be spies for the Crown Prince." Catalina was already confused; she had never been good at these intricate intrigues. Roland grabbed Bobo, his actions rough, causing Bobo to grimace in pain. "Speak! Who else? You traitors, Her Highness the Princess has trusted you completely, and this is how you repay her?" "Uh, my lord, I don''t know, I only relay information to Prince Roderick, I really don''t know anything else." "You''re still lying!" Roland was furious; this exemplary knight could not forgive such betrayal, and he raised his fist to strike. "Don''t, Roland," Kriemhild''s voice was as sweet and gentle as ever, betraying no emotion. "But he¡ª" "Let it go," Siegfried also advised, "He''s just a pawn. Would you, as a player, explain your strategy to a pawn?" "But Bobo, let me remind you, at this point, you can''t go back to Roderick. Two days from now, the pursuing force will be completely wiped out because of the false information you left behind. You can guess how Roderick will deal with you, how he deals with a pawn that has betrayed him." Cold sweat dripped down Bobo''s ashen face; he was originally a slave to the royal family, with his life and death entirely in the hands of others. He had seen the Second Prince once; as Kriemhild''s brother, Roderick was an all-around golden-haired beauty, bearing a sixty percent resemblance to Kriemhild in facial features. But the resemblance ended with facial features; their personalities were entirely different. If Kriemhild was the warm sun of spring, then Roderick was the scorching sun of summer, mercilessly burning anyone who dared oppose him. If Bobo were to return, he would undoubtedly meet a gruesome end. The Second Prince never listened to any explanations, only the results mattered. With this thought, he finally stammered: "I don''t know much more; I only know that the pursuit forces have always been jointly dispatched by the two princes. There might indeed be spies for the Crown Prince in the team..." "Damn, do they even count as brothers!" Catalina cursed intolerably. As a good brother who cherished his sister, Siegfried couldn''t comprehend how these two brothers could be so ruthless. But as someone who did well in high school history, he also knew that the struggle for the throne had always been bloody throughout history, with fratricide being commonplace. Even the illustrious Emperor Taizong of Tang couldn''t escape this fate. "Siegfried, no, Lord Siegfried, I know this is shameless, but could you please help¡ª" "I refuse." Siegfried interrupted Roland before he could finish. Roland was taken aback, not expecting Siegfried to refuse without even hearing him out. Siegfried spread his hands, interlocking his fingers in a steeple gesture, and said: "Meilan family creed: never involve oneself in political struggles, and I''ve already helped enough." The family creed was a fabrication, of course. He wasn''t truly refusing, but rather using this method to raise his own value, aiming to enter the core of the Princess''s faction''s power center. Only by holding the greatest power could he possibly accomplish the difficult task of unifying the kingdom within three years. In response to that warmth, Siegfried had already resolved to extend a helping hand to anyone trapped in dire straits. (Just consider it being deceived once.) "The Southern Territory." "Huh?" Siegfried stepped forward, assisting the still-bowed Kriemhild to stand, and with a light laugh, said: "What would I want with everything you have? Not everyone in the Meilan Family is lustful. I''ll help you ascend to the throne, and once it''s done, I want to be the Duke of the Southern Territory. You, save your people in your own way, as a queen." He needed to set some conditions; otherwise, it would seem too suspicious. Anyway, once the task was completed, he would leave, so this condition was practically meaningless. "Thank you, thank you so much. On behalf of the people of Moen, I thank you for your help." Kriemhild couldn''t hold back her sobs any longer. She had been genuinely afraid Siegfried would refuse, and she had even staked her future on it. "Your Highness..." Catalina''s eyes were also a bit red as she stepped forward to support Kriemhild. It was at this moment that Shannon''s voice echoed in Siegfried''s mind. [You have successfully joined Princess Kriemhild''s faction. Stage one of the mission is complete.] Chapter 15: Operation Mole Hunt (Part 1) [You have successfully joined Princess Kriemhild''s faction. Stage One Mission completed.] [Trust System activated. Princess Kriemhild''s current trust level: 20%] [Complete all stage missions when trust level reaches 100%.] (Gaining trust? That''s my forte!) Siegfried''s eyes lit up - this was exactly his area of expertise. [Warning! Princess Kriemhild is blessed by the Sun God. Deception will have very limited effect on her.] (Oh, never mind then...) Siegfried drummed his fingers on the long table to draw everyone''s attention. There were some things he needed to make clear upfront: "I''ll help you, but under two conditions." Catalina gulped, recalling Siegfried''s jest from the previous night. (He''s not going to ask for me, is he?) Though Siegfried noticed Catalina''s unease, he ignored the overthinking female knight and continued: "First, I won''t provide assistance under the Meilan identity. In fact, I''ll generally remain behind the scenes." Mainly because he was afraid - he feared the real Meilan family would send someone to eliminate him for being an impostor. "Second, I won''t directly participate in any battles. I''ll only offer strategic counsel from behind the scenes." Mainly because he was weak - with his skills, he probably couldn''t even defeat Roland''s horse in combat. "The reasons... you all understand, right?" Siegfried''s expression turned unusually grave, as if hinting at some profound secret. Everyone nodded. "Yes, we understand." To be honest, Siegfried had no idea what they thought they understood. But one advantage of being perceived as powerful was that subordinates would fill in the blanks themselves once you put on a mysterious act. Though in Siegfried''s case, his "power" existed purely in others'' imagination. Now he needed to figure out how to increase Kriemhild''s trust level. Siegfried deeply regretted not taking his sister''s advice to play more dating sims - he might have learned some techniques for winning over characters like Kriemhild. Now he could only do it the hard way: work diligently and contribute more, and the boss would naturally trust you over time. After the meal, Roland rode his nightmare steed back to the cave where they had been hiding. Their luggage was still there, along with a garrison of about ten soldiers. Among them was Kriemhild''s other childhood friend, the mage Darren. According to everyone, Darren was a genius among geniuses in magic, especially proficient in wind element magic. He was the youngest in the team at only 15 years old, but his abilities could rival Catalina''s. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Based on the description, Siegfried had pictured Darren in his mind - an arrogant young prodigy who looked down on everyone. Children that age tended to be chuunibyou anyway, always thinking they were special. And if they happened to have some talent, it would really go to their heads. Actually, this stereotype came from Siegfried himself - he used to be the "I''m invincible" type before life humbled him. So when this genius mage who stood less than 160cm appeared before him, Siegfried was genuinely taken aback. "You''re Darren?" "Um, greetings, Sir Hero. Oh? You''re not the Hero yet, I''m so sorry. How should I address you... Siegfried? No no no, that would be too presumptuous, how could someone like me address the future Hero so casually? Oh, I''m being terribly rude." This young prodigy, who looked more delicate than most girls, was flustered over how to address Siegfried. Siegfried turned to Roland with an interesting expression. "Are you certain... he''s male?" Darren had shoulder-length, smooth light green hair with bangs covering his left eye. His features were as delicate as Kriemhild''s, perhaps even more fragile-looking. In modern times, he would definitely attract a huge following of maternal fans. "Yes, Darren''s father is human and his mother is an elf. He''s half-elven." Siegfried then noticed that Darren''s ears were pointed but about the same size as a human''s - indeed showing mixed traits from both humans and elves. So he''s a half-elf shota. "Ahem, well, now that everyone''s here, let''s begin." Siegfried had gathered everyone in Wind Peach Village for his first task with the team - rooting out the traitor. ...... A wooden table and two chairs sat in the dim room. Siegfried had specifically chosen two of the darkest houses in the village and converted them into simple interrogation rooms. Currently, a nervous soldier sat inside one of them. Asher had been waiting for almost four hours. Four hours ago, Lord Meilan had only asked him some basic questions about his name and background before leaving. No one had entered the room since then. Asher knew they were hunting for spies - it wasn''t a secret, as Siegfried had gathered everyone in the square beforehand to announce there were traitors in their ranks. Asher had prepared thoroughly for this, crafting believable lies to conceal his identity. However, the interrogation was completely different from what he''d expected. Siegfried hadn''t asked any sensitive or tricky questions, as if he didn''t suspect him at all. Yet he hadn''t been given permission to leave, indicating the interrogation wasn''t over. He could only continue waiting anxiously in the interrogation room. In stark contrast to the silence here, the other interrogation room next door was quite lively. Asher frequently heard intense fighting sounds and screams coming from next door. The nearly four-hour wait in the dark, oppressive atmosphere combined with the constant screams had pushed Asher to the brink of mental collapse. "Damn it, what''s going on?" Asher paced nervously in the narrow room, desperately wanting to rush out and see what was happening. Just then, a heart-rending scream came from outside: "Your Highness! I was wrong, Your Highness, I''ll never dare again, please spare me! Your Highness! Ahhh!" Then came the distinctive crisp sound of a blade cutting into flesh, unnaturally clear despite the walls between them. Asher''s face turned deathly pale. He ran to the door, desperately trying to peek through the gap. At that moment, the door opened. Siegfried stood in the doorway in black robes, wearing a kind and gentle smile: "Soldier Asher, come out. The interrogation is over. Congratulations." Asher stared blankly for a while before coming to his senses. He let out a relieved sigh: "Finally over, haha. Thank you for your hard work, my lords. I''ll return to my unit now." "Return to your unit?" Asher saw confusion flash across the black-robed man''s face. After pondering for a moment, he showed a look of realization: "No, you misunderstood me. What I meant was, Soldier Asher, congratulations, You can choose how you die." Chapter 16: The Operation to Uproot Traitors (Part 2) The room''s temperature plummeted to freezing as those words echoed. Ash finally noticed Siegfried''s expression. The previous kindness was gone, replaced by a chilling killing intent. Ash felt his blood freeze at that moment. "M-My lord, you''re really joking." Ash tried to laugh it off, but his gaze was involuntarily drawn to the two soldiers dragging a bloodied corpse past Siegfried. Without turning his head, Siegfried looked at the pale-faced soldier before him and once again displayed that extremely cold smile: "Joking? The last person who said I was joking is already dead." "I don''t understand what you mean," Ash forced himself to remain calm, but even he could hear the tremor in his voice. "You don''t need to understand. You just need to choose whether to end your life yourself or wait for someone else to do it for you." Siegfried looked at him coldly, still offering no explanation. Ash''s breathing grew heavier, and finally, with eyes red, he shouted in anger: "Stop joking! I''m a soldier of the kingdom, a soldier of His Highness. Why should you decide my life or death without reason? Who do you think you are!" A barely noticeable smile appeared on Siegfried''s lips. (Four hours, and he finally broke.) "It''s not me deciding your fate, but your dear colleagues." Ash''s face froze, and at that moment, he thought of many people. (Could it be them? Impossible, even if they betrayed me, they wouldn''t survive.) "Is it so hard to understand? I simply told each of them: Ash has confessed everything. If you confess now, you might be pardoned. Then, they all confessed, and as for the few who were stubborn..." Siegfried gestured with his thumb behind him, "As you can see." Ash stared at Siegfried, dumbfounded, with a look of disbelief, and after a long silence, he asked: "You knew from the beginning?" Just as Ash spoke, all the coldness and sarcasm vanished from Siegfried''s face, and the speed of the change was astonishing. (No, I didn''t know, but now I do.) Yes, it was all a ruse. A version of the prisoner''s dilemma designed by Siegfried based on the intelligence he had. Originally, Siegfried planned to use the information from the Wanderer''s Handbook to catch all the traitors. However, the Wanderer''s Handbook wasn''t omniscient; it could only search for content recorded by other Wanderers. Siegfried searched every soldier, but the results were disappointing. Unlike the search for Bobo, this time there was no direct information showing who the traitor was. But fortune favored him, as Siegfried discovered an anomaly in one soldier. The soldier''s record showed he had once been a bodyguard for the Crown Prince Frederick, and his name was Ash. Siegfried immediately decided to make Ash the first target. He orchestrated this play, isolating Ash in a dark, enclosed room for a long time, gradually breaking down his psychological defenses. When the time was right, he let Ash out to witness the bloodied fake corpse, delivering a fatal blow to him on the brink of collapse. With the added effect of deceit, every word from Siegfried made Ash believe it was true, and as long as Ash showed any flaw, Siegfried, skilled in cold reading, would not miss it. Once one traitor was uncovered, the rest would be easy to handle. Siegfried had prepared for the worst. If Ash was innocent, he would have to detain all the soldiers and interrogate each one day and night. Such a method, however, would be time-consuming and prone to errors, possibly even causing a mutiny. Kriemhild certainly wouldn''t support such an approach. Fortunately, the plan succeeded on the first try. In the adjacent room, Roland had heard everything. He walked over with a grim expression. Siegfried no longer looked at Ash, whose eyes had lost their light, leaving him with just one sentence: "If you have anything to add, tell Roland. Providing more information might save your life." With Ash''s full confession, a total of ten traitors were uncovered within the 48-man team, all of whom were spies planted by the Crown Prince. This left not only Roland but even Siegfried astounded. "This number can''t just be called informants, can it? They could have captured Kriemhild directly!" Siegfried looked at the room full of people, his expression quite complex. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. A soldier replied in a low voice: "We never intended to harm Her Highness the Princess. The Crown Prince''s orders were only twofold: report Her Highness''s condition and ensure her safety." Ash added: "We originally had over fifty people, but many have fallen in battle over the past six months, leaving only us." Roland furrowed his brow, pondering for a long time before throwing the question to Siegfried: "Meilan, what do you think?" (My lord, I think there''s something fishy about this... What do you mean, how should I know your royal family''s affairs? I''ve only known you for less than a day, haven''t I?) Siegfried grumbled inwardly but answered seriously: "There''s something wrong with this matter, and it''s hard to see the truth with the limited information we have." Perhaps the Crown Prince had some humanity left, sending people to protect his sister while also hunting her. It made no sense. "Separate them from the main force, and don''t take them on the encirclement operation the day after tomorrow." Roland was troubled, unsure how to present this matter to Her Highness. With 11 traitors in a 48-man team, and considering those who had died, there were over 50 spies following them all along, yet they hadn''t discovered a single one. Thinking of this, he glanced again at Siegfried, who was deep in thought. From their first meeting in the morning until now, in just a few hours, this man had accurately removed all the moles in the team, pulling them out of a dire situation. Roland was both impressed and somewhat fearful of his skills. A powerful enemy is not frightening; a powerful and intelligent enemy is the most terrifying. (Thankfully, he''s not an enemy...) Roland thought sincerely. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Night fell. There were many empty houses in Fengtao Village, usually used by villagers to store goods, and now they were available for the soldiers to stay. These soldiers, who had been camping in caves or sleeping in trees for the past six months, returned to the embrace of civilization. They bathed, had a hearty meal, and even received their own beds, thanks to the arrangements made by the villagers. They knew this treatment was due to the presence of Master Meilan, which elevated Siegfried''s image even further in their hearts. Of course, not every soldier received such treatment. For instance, the eight who, led by the yellow-haired soldier Lem, had robbed the village yesterday were placed in a narrow room with no beds, just floor mats, and they could sleep if they wanted. Though dissatisfied, they dared not protest. After all, they were at fault, and thanks to Catalina''s efforts to cover it up, if it were exposed, Roland, the exemplary knight, would have cut them down without waiting for Kriemhild''s order. Siegfried was sitting at his desk in his room, with four old parchments spread out, illuminated by an oil lamp. These four sheets were torn from the Wanderer''s Handbook, each recording information about the four main figures in the current camp. They contained information already on record and new intelligence gathered from today''s investigations. "Catalina, a child of a court maid, originally not qualified to become a knight, but due to her exceptional talent and close relationship with the princess, she was chosen as a guardian knight. Currently a Grand Knight... though not very bright and has a weakness in my hands, not much of a concern." "Roland Pedinan, a commoner from the Pedinan Count''s domain, was noticed by the Count due to his talent. After receiving knight training at the Count''s estate, he developed a deep relationship with the Count''s daughter and has since married into the family and had a son? What a life winner." Siegfried silently commented while reading Roland''s profile. "Promoted to Gold Knight at the age of 26, the youngest Gold Knight in the kingdom''s history, now just one divine ceremony away from becoming a Holy Knight?" Roland''s strength was undeniable. During their confrontation in the day, Siegfried saw no chance of victory. "Overall assessment at least A-level, conservatively A+. He doesn''t seem to like me much, so I should be cautious." Siegfried picked up the third sheet, which had much less content. "Darren Silv, a half-elf youth with the highest affinity for wind elements, capable of using sixth-tier intermediate magic at just 15, an unparalleled magical prodigy. That''s all, not much information, but he doesn''t seem difficult to deal with." Siegfried picked up the last parchment, which had the most content, densely filling a whole page. "Princess Kriemhild. It''s all about her life events... Hmm?" Siegfried paused, surprised by a piece of information. Divine Miracle [Favor of Solis]: Princess Kriemhild is blessed by the Sun God Solis. With this miracle, her affinity for light and fire elements reaches the extreme, and she can communicate with light spirits. Light spirits can discern malice and see through lies. Siegfried''s brows furrowed slightly: "Able to see through lies?" "I... can''t see through him." Kriemhild brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen over her ear, her tone somewhat hesitant. Roland, shocked, asked incredulously: "Even you can''t see through him? You''re the Holy Maiden of the Sun." In Kriemhild''s chamber, the master and servant were speaking in hushed tones, naturally about the newly arrived Meilan. "Shh, keep it down, Lina''s already asleep." Kriemhild gestured with her finger to her lips, then pointed to Catalina, who was sprawled out asleep nearby. "Ahem, apologies." Roland immediately lowered his voice, "But this... this is impossible. I''ve never heard of anyone who could deceive the light spirits, not even a Hero." Light spirits are the attendants of the Sun God, invisible to ordinary people. As the Sun God''s favored saint, Kriemhild can command the light spirits to some extent. These light spirits are most useful because they are highly sensitive to lies, malice, and intent to kill, automatically alerting Kriemhild if they detect any. In fact, they were able to organize an escape from the royal city half a year ago because Kriemhild sensed the danger in advance. However, when facing Siegfried, these infallible lie detectors behaved unusually. Some flitted around Kriemhild like headless flies, sending meaningless signals, while others remained completely unresponsive. It was as if the person standing before them wasn''t human. Because he wasn''t human, they showed no reaction. This had never happened before, and even Kriemhild was puzzled by it. She shook her head and said: "At least for now, Mr. Siegfried hasn''t shown any hostility, and..." Kriemhild recalled the warm hands that helped her up in the church during the day. Perhaps wishfully, she believed that someone with such hands couldn''t be a bad person. "Roland, you spent the most time with him today. What do you think of him?" Roland fell silent at the question, and after a long pause, he hesitantly spoke: "Your Highness, I''m not sure if I should say this?" Kriemhild smiled gently at his words: "Roland, you''re like a brother to me in private. What is there that you can''t say?" The princess didn''t seem to realize what being like a brother meant... "Then forgive my rudeness. Master Meilan gives me a very uncomfortable feeling. Whether facing Bobo in the morning or interrogating the soldiers in the afternoon, he understands human weaknesses too well and can precisely manipulate them. This shouldn''t be a method used by the Hero family. Most importantly, all of this reminds me of another person..." Roland took a deep breath, his tone unusually serious: "Your brother, the Second Prince Roderick... Chapter 17 - Roderick The Golden Capital Andesores Despite being deep into the night, the city remained as bright as day. The city was bisected by the Rhine River flowing eastward to the Rift Sea. Three massive circular walls, built with enormous resources and manpower, divided the city into three sections: the outer district, middle district, and inner district. At its peak, the capital boasted a population of over eight million, making it the most prosperous city on the entire Qilan Continent. However, all this glory had long since faded with the kingdom''s decline. The inner district, known as the Papal District, housed the kingdom''s nobles, ministers and church bishops. Magnificent mansions lined the streets, with the Moen Palace standing at their center. Interestingly, this splendid royal castle was not the most striking building in the inner district. When people thought of Andesores, they thought not of the capital of the Kingdom of Moen, but of the holy city that housed the Sun God Church''s headquarters - the Grand Cathedral of Light. Behind the palace loomed a white tower-like structure reaching seventy meters high. This magnificent Grand Cathedral completely overshadowed the Moen Palace in both height and grandeur. Through this, the church proclaimed to the world the supremacy of divine authority and the divine right of kings. A massive golden orb of light blazed atop the cathedral, resembling the sun itself. This orb illuminated the entire royal city day and night, through all seasons. The golden light reached every corner of Andesores, earning it the nickname "The Golden Capital." Roderick, with his golden hair and emerald eyes, stood in his office gazing at the golden sun. The light bathed his inhumanly handsome face, lending him an almost divine aura. We often compare handsome men to fairy tale princes, but if that "prince charming" had a face, it would undoubtedly be Roderick''s. The second prince had been standing there motionless for an hour. Since the coup six months ago, he would stand like this every night, staring toward the cathedral. If not for the occasional flash of hatred in his emerald eyes, anyone would have thought him a devout believer paying homage to the Sun God. No one dared disturb him at such times. With front-line battle reports and kingdom affairs requiring his attention, these late night moments were Roderick''s only taste of freedom. Suddenly, Roderick felt something fuzzy rubbing against his right foot. Looking down, his stern expression immediately softened into a gentle smile. A small white dog was nuzzling his leg. This was a rare magical beast called a Snow Dog. These creatures were highly prized by noble ladies for their intelligence, trainability and adorable appearance. Their ice magic abilities also made them perfect for controlling room temperature in summer. The heavily-dressed noble ladies would do anything to acquire one to avoid heat exhaustion. Roderick had found it five years ago during a magical beast hunt. At the time, the poor puppy was trembling in a troll''s lair, clearly about to become the trolls'' dessert. Roderick picked up the white puppy, scratching its snowy chest fur with his fingertip, making it emit content whimpers. "Little Snow, what brings you here?" As if understanding Roderick''s words, Little Snow licked his fingertips twice then turned its head toward the door, seeming to indicate someone''s presence outside. Right on cue, there came a knock at the door. Knock knock knock. "Your Highness, I have urgent matters to report." "Enter." The door opened and in walked an elderly man wearing elegant formal attire, thick glasses, and gray hair. Upon seeing the visitor, Little Snow excitedly wriggled free from Roderick''s arms and bounced over to leap at the old man''s chest. Seeing this, Roderick gave a wry smile: "Though I''m the master, it seems to prefer you, Alvis." This seventy-year-old elder was the current Grand Duke of the North - Victor Alvis. Holding Little Snow, the old Duke Alvis walked toward Roderick, shaking his head as he replied: "Your Highness has been studying in the Empire all these years, while I''ve been caring for Little Snow. Some distance is only natural." As he spoke, he handed Little Snow back to Roderick. His demeanor was humble, more befitting an old servant than a duke. "Enough consoling. What urgent matter brings you at this late hour?" "Yes, the pursuit team has sent new information." "Oh? What did they say?" The old man hesitated before carefully saying: "They report that they''ve confirmed Lady Kriemhild''s whereabouts and will launch the capture operation in two days." Despite the importance of this news, Roderick showed no surprise. He glanced at the thick stack of documents on his desk - evidence of noble corruption and oppression of commoners by the Princess''s faction, some real, some fabricated. "Your Highness, shall we order the pursuit team to delay their operation?" But Roderick didn''t answer the old duke''s question. Instead, he gazed through the glass window at the city bathed in golden light. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. After a long while, he asked: "Alvis, what do you think of Moen nowadays?" Not understanding Roderick''s intent, the old duke still respectfully answered: "Your Highness, under your wise governance, the kingdom is flourishing." "Flourishing?" Roderick let out a cold laugh. "Just today, eight thousand people starved to death in the outer district, and this is in our prosperous capital. You call this flourishing?" "Ah, due to the civil war, there''s a food shortage in the country. We can only prioritize supplying the inner and middle districts first. Once the civil war ends, everything will return to normal." "Normal?" Roderick let out a scornful laugh. Just two hours ago, a noble ball had been held in the castle. The maids were still cleaning up the leftover expensive wines and lavish dishes. Food shortage? Yes, there was indeed a shortage - but only for the commoners. How could the noble lords ever go hungry? Nearly two million commoners lived in Andesores'' outer district. It was their endless toil that enabled the less than ten thousand nobles in the inner district to revel day and night. Do you know the real purpose of that giant sun that keeps the royal city lit like day? A Divine Miracle? A blessing? Pure nonsense. It was to make the commoners sleep less and wake up earlier to work. The Sun God Church''s priests colluded with the nobles to develop this advanced eighteen-hour work system. They brainwashed the commoners with fanatical religious ideology, making them naively believe that diligent work would earn them eternal peace in the Sun God''s realm after death. Yes, this five-hundred-year-old kingdom had rotted to its core. Roderick had never expected a real answer from the old duke. What truly concerned him was something else. "Speaking of the civil war, there''s something rather strange. Six months ago, how did my sister manage to escape? I had ordered all city gates closed. Alvis, do you know anything about that?" The old duke''s white beard trembled as he instinctively lowered his head: "This... I find it quite perplexing as well." "Perplexing? Indeed. The east gate she escaped through was under your jurisdiction. If even you don''t know, I suppose there''s no way to investigate." "Your humble servant feels ashamed." The old duke carefully raised his head, trying to read Roderick''s expression. But when he looked up, he found himself staring into a pair of emerald eyes. Their faces were less than two centimeters apart. The old duke could feel Roderick''s breath on his face and the murderous intent brewing in those eyes. The old duke stumbled backward, nearly falling. "Hahaha, don''t be so nervous. I was just joking." "Ha, haha... Your Highness, this is... perhaps another custom from the Empire?" Cold sweat poured down the old duke''s forehead, but he forced himself to laugh along with Roderick. However... "Alvis, do you know what I love most?" "Your High-" "I love dogs. They''re clever and obedient, but most importantly, they''re always loyal." Roderick stroked Little Snow in his arms, his expression as tender as if holding his own child. "However..." In that instant, all tenderness vanished from Roderick''s face, replaced by ruthlessness. Without warning, he grabbed Little Snow''s throat and squeezed hard. Little Snow''s pink tongue lolled out, its bright eyes bulging as it whimpered in agony. The adorable Snow Dog now looked grotesque. It desperately kicked its legs trying to escape Roderick''s embrace, but how could it possibly break free with its tiny strength? With a crack, the white puppy''s body went rigid. Its bulging eyes filled with confusion, fear, and disbelief. Alvis collapsed to the ground trembling, his lips quivering too much to form complete words. He watched as Roderick tossed Little Snow''s corpse aside like garbage, then turned his gaze on him, those eyes now swimming with almost tangible murderous intent. "However, I despise dogs that wag their tails for others." He stepped forward and pulled the fallen old duke to his feet. "Victor Alvis, do you understand?" "Your Highness... I, I..." Roderick brushed the dust off the old duke''s clothes, his expression instantly returning to gentle and peaceful: "You''re getting old and unsteady. Young Fran comes of age next month. He''s been training well under me - let him inherit the family business then." The old duke swallowed hard. Fran was his only son, born late in life. "Yes, as you command." "Good. Don''t worry about the pursuit team. Take this creature''s corpse and leave." "Yes, Your Highness." Bang! The door closed, leaving Roderick alone once again in the vast office. He returned to his desk, his expression gloomy. The kingdom had too many problems that needed addressing. "Xingmei." He suddenly called out a name into the empty room. If Siegfried were here, he would have been surprised to hear this name pronounced in Chinese. From a shadowy corner, a figure emerged. The newcomer''s attire was quite peculiar - they wore a black bodysuit covered with stocking-like chainmail, brass armor on their limbs, and carried a fan with only its ribs at their waist. From the curved chest and light frame, this was clearly a woman. Though her entire outfit was eye-catching, the most striking feature was the bright red plum blossom embroidered on her right shoulder. "I''m here." The woman''s face remained hidden in shadow, only her cool voice carrying forth. Roderick glanced at the flower on her shoulder. He had never seen such a plant on the Qilan Continent - it was as mysterious as the woman''s origins. Six months ago, this woman calling herself Xingmei had suddenly appeared before him, claiming she could help him achieve his goals while reciting every detail of his life history. Though her identity and motives remained unclear, Roderick didn''t mind his subordinates having secrets as long as they proved useful. "Go to the Konstanton domain. It''s time to close the net." "Capture or kill?" The woman''s words were concise, without a single wasted syllable. "Kill." "Including the Princess?" Roderick fell silent. He closed his eyes, pain and struggle evident on his face. After a long while, he opened his eyes, now showing only determination. "Including her." "Understood." With those words, the woman vanished into the shadows. "Use the church''s teleportation array in my name. You can arrive in a day." "Mm." A distant acknowledgment echoed from somewhere unknown. This time, Roderick was truly alone in his office. He leaned back in his chair, wearily gazing at a painting on the wall. It depicted Moen''s founding emperor and his four companions bravely facing an endless army of demons. As if inspired by his ancestors in the painting, flames ignited in Roderick''s emerald eyes. He spoke in a low voice, seemingly addressing both his ancestral painting and himself: "This kingdom must be reborn. Anyone who stands in my way... Must die." Chapter 18: Noble Qualities Kriemhild''s second day in Wind Peach Village dawned. As a princess, unlike Roland and Catalina, she wasn''t compelled by Siegfried to assist the villagers with their daily tasks. Siegfried was shrewd enough to know his place - he understood perfectly well whom he could command and whom he needed to treat with reverence. The princess undoubtedly belonged to the latter category. However, Kriemhild herself was quite displeased with this arrangement. Watching the two knights being hustled about by Siegfried to help with various tasks, her cheeks puffed up in frustration. She felt left out. Thus, when Siegfried returned to the kitchen for lunch after finishing the farm work, he was startled to find Kriemhild dressed as a farm girl, attempting to throw a live, squirming fish directly into the pot with her bare hands. Siegfried was horrified. He immediately pulled aside the hapless fellow who was supposed to be cooking that day and gave him a stern reprimand. "Have you lost your senses? How dare you let Her Highness into the kitchen? What if something were to happen?" ''Can anything she cooks even be edible?'' "What? The princess insisted? That''s still unacceptable! She must never be allowed in the kitchen again!" ''She could poison someone!'' During lunch, Kriemhild sat with pursed lips, barely touching her food and maintaining complete silence. Even a blind person could tell the princess was in a foul mood. As a seasoned professional, Siegfried keenly detected his superior''s dissatisfaction, but he couldn''t fathom the reason no matter how hard he pondered. Back in his company days, executives would have been delighted to be exempt from work while still getting paid. He would often voluntarily shoulder extra responsibilities to curry favor. This strategy had never failed him before - it had always worked during performance reviews and promotions. Why wasn''t it working in this other world? Though perplexed, it didn''t prevent Siegfried from commencing his afternoon duties. The so-called work was actually another round of interrogation with the captured spies. However, it seemed they had already divulged everything they knew yesterday, and no amount of intimidation could extract any additional information. At least his various skill proficiencies had improved significantly. [Specialization: Cold Reading 79% (Expert), Acting 75% (Expert), Intimidation 41% (Advanced), Swordsmanship 19% (Beginner)...] Besides these, Siegfried actually possessed about thirty other specializations including cooking, sketching, tango, hunting, and so forth, which we''ll omit for now. Some of these miscellaneous skills were acquired during his previous life''s social struggles, while others were inherited from this body. The Wanderer''s Manual only recognized something as a specialization if one possessed more than superficial knowledge. Given limited human capacity, most people only had three to four specializations at most. The fact that Siegfried possessed so many demonstrated his exceptional talent. Unfortunately, none of these specializations could help him placate the disgruntled Kriemhild. After lunch, Roland and Catalina led a team to familiarize themselves with tomorrow''s ambush location. Siegfried hadn''t treated them as outsiders at all - he had essentially used them like workhorses all morning, assigning them all the heavy labor. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. The two knights lived up to expectations, performing far more efficiently than actual horses would have. Roland was internally resistant. Although he came from a commoner background and often helped with farm work as a child, he was now a Golden Knight and the princess''s guard. How could he be relegated to such menial labor? But considering that their group of forty-plus people were receiving free food and lodging, if they didn''t contribute their labor, that village-loving Meilan would probably draw his sword and eliminate all these worthless parasites. Catalina, conversely, was quite enthusiastic. That tomboy had transported dozens of large logs to the processing plant in the morning, sometimes with village children perched on either end. Having grown up in the palace, she had never experienced such work before and found it quite novel. The peaceful day drew to a close in this manner. In the evening, when Siegfried went to summon Kriemhild for dinner, he couldn''t locate her in her room. Following the villagers'' directions, he arrived at the woodshed. The princess was still wearing those old farm clothes, splitting firewood with an axe. Her face was smudged with dirt, and sweat trickled down her snow-white neck. At her feet lay numerous pieces of wood, all cut to similar lengths and shapes, indicating she had been at it for quite some time. Even someone as obtuse as Siegfried now understood why Kriemhild had been unhappy. He knocked on the door frame to alert Kriemhild, who had been too absorbed in her work to notice his arrival. "Your Highness, it''s dinner time." Only then did Kriemhild realize it was already evening. She set down the axe and said somewhat sheepishly: "Oh, I lost track of time while chopping." The young woman''s cheeks were slightly flushed, clearly conscious of her disheveled state. Siegfried leaned against the doorframe and made a welcoming gesture: "Shall we? Everyone''s waiting for you." The two walked along the village path, where the setting sun painted brilliant clouds of red and cast two long shadows on the ground. "Tomorrow Roland and the others will be participating in the operation, so the village might be somewhat short-handed. May I request Your Highness''s assistance?" Siegfried carefully chose his words. Kriemhild was startled momentarily, then burst into laughter. She placed her hands on her hips and feigned sternness: "Well, well, you dare ask a princess to do farm work? I''m a princess, mind you, first in line for the throne!" Siegfried shrugged: "The firewood you chopped today will last us until summer." The young woman covered her mouth, shaking with laughter. Siegfried realized then that this usually elegant and dignified princess also had a side to her like any ordinary girl. After a while, she finally contained her mirth. She tilted her head, her emerald eyes gazing directly at Siegfried: "Mr. Siegfried, for the past six months, everywhere I''ve been, I''ve only witnessed impoverished commoners and abandoned ruins. Everywhere I went, I only encountered negative emotions." "But in this village, everything is so peaceful. I can sense every villager''s love for life and hope for the future. I''m so grateful there''s still such a place in our kingdom." Indeed, in these times of war, Wind Peach Village was truly a paradise, not only self-sufficient but capable of supporting dozens of outsiders. "All this is because of you, isn''t it?" Their eyes met. Those emerald eyes contained genuine joy and deep expectation. Siegfried suddenly felt uncomfortable and waved his hand: "No, I''m just a passerby..." "Mr. Siegfried," the young woman interrupted, "thank you." The sunset''s glow fell on Kriemhild''s fair profile, her smile as beautiful as a painting. Kriemhild must be a gentle and righteous person - these qualities had sustained her through the past six months of journey. Despite experiencing so much pain and witnessing so much suffering, she remained true to her original nature. Looking at the young woman''s smile that outshone even the sunset, Siegfried couldn''t find much resonance in his heart. After all, if noble virtues were truly effective, this little princess wouldn''t have fallen into such dire straits. After a moment, he twisted his lips into an equally brilliant smile: "You''re welcome." The next morning, Roland set out spiritedly with his polished greatsword on his back, astride his beloved nightmare steed, leading Catalina and a group of soldiers. Year 526 of the Glorious Calendar, Wind Month 18th (February 18th) Today was the day Princess Kriemhild would launch her counterattack against her two brothers. Today was the first day of Queen Kriemhild''s path to the throne. Chapter 19: The Action Begins With the noisy crowd gone, tranquility returned to the village. Siegfried sat in the command post, immersed in the Wanderer''s Manual. The so-called command post was nothing more than a storage room cleared out with a table placed inside. On it lay an abstract map so convoluted that even Picasso himself might have struggled to decipher it had he been alive. Naturally, Siegfried had no intention of using such a thing for terrain reconnaissance. It merely served to create an ambiance of strategic mastery - the real value lay in the information contained within the Wanderer''s Manual. Over this period, he had utilized the search function to study the kingdom''s maps, history, and various knowledge about the Qilan Continent. Just as he had declared in the church days ago, he would not be engaging in frontline combat, but rather orchestrating from behind the scenes. This knowledge accumulation was his foundation for future strategizing. At that moment, the command post door opened as Bobo, the Garden Person, placed a fragrant cup of coffee on Siegfried''s desk. Coffee was, of course, nonexistent in Fengmao Village. This was Siegfried''s personal stock from Earth. Given its scarcity, he always kept it hidden and drank it in secret, avoiding Catalina catching its aroma and rushing over to demand a share. Bobo had now become Siegfried''s dedicated servant, attending to his daily needs. Initially, Roland had wanted to execute this despicable traitor with a single stroke, but Bobo''s life was spared through Siegfried''s vigorous intervention. This wasn''t due to any bleeding heart - Siegfried possessed no such thing. Rather, he genuinely admired Bobo. This Garden Person possessed exceptional acting skills and remarkable capabilities, managing to deceive Roland for so long right under his nose. Deceiving Roland was one thing, but he had even managed to fool Kriemhild, whose Divine Miracle could penetrate lies. This testified to the sophistication of this Garden Person scout''s methods. Siegfried recognized their faction''s current shortage of talent, making it imperative to retain any useful individuals when possible. Of course, there was also a personal element - Bobo''s short, chubby stature reminded him of a former senior colleague from his company, creating a sense of familiar comfort in this alien world. With these thoughts, Siegfried smiled and called out to the departing Bobo: "Bobo, wait a moment. Come here, I have something to ask you." Bobo visibly shuddered, turned stiffly, and reluctantly inched forward one tiny step at a time. Clearly, little Bobo had zero desire for proximity with Siegfried. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "My lord, what inquiry do you have for this humble servant?" Bobo''s voice was sharp and grating, allegedly due to a past throat injury. "Oh, nothing significant. I''m merely curious about how you managed to evade detection by Kriemhild and Roland previously?" Siegfried wore an amiable smile, perfectly embodying the image of an enlightened and magnanimous leader. "Feel free to share if you''re comfortable, and if you''re not comfortable, do share anyway." (What rubbish! That''s absolutely no choice at all!) Though Bobo cursed internally, his exterior maintained utmost respect. "In truth, this humble one has been exclusively in Lady Catalina''s service for the past half year, never encountering Her Highness or Lord Roland," Bobo adopted a contemplative expression. "For security purposes, Her Highness remained within the carriage throughout the journey. This humble one only met Her Highness alongside Lady Catalina upon entering Count Konstanton''s domain." Bobo fell silent after his lengthy explanation, puzzled by Siegfried''s lack of response. He cautiously lifted his head to look. What he saw nearly made him jump out of his skin. Siegfried''s face had darkened so severely it seemed as if it could drip with menace. "What did you just say?" The words came out ice-cold. Bobo dropped to his knees with a heavy thud. "My lord, please spare me! Everything I said was absolutely true! You can verify it with Lady Catalina - she can confirm it all!" Ignoring Bobo''s desperate pleas, Siegfried snatched his black cloak from the chair and bolted from the room. (Damn it! Damn it! How could I have been so blind!) He sprinted to Kriemhild''s quarters but found them empty, save for a village woman doing her cleaning duties. "Auntie, where''s Kriemhild?" Siegfried demanded urgently. "Her Highness went hunting today with Old John and the others. Little Siegfried, has something happened?" The woman grew worried upon seeing his grave expression. (Of all times to be away!) After Bobo''s recent revelation, all the previously overlooked details and dismissed doubts suddenly clicked into place. Why was the information about Catalina, Bobo, and those forty-plus soldiers all fresh and accurate, while Roland and Kriemhild''s data showed such significant discrepancies? Siegfried had pondered this question before but had subconsciously written it off as a system bug. However, when considering the Wanderer''s Manual''s information source, it became crystal clear this was no bug at all. [The Wanderer''s Manual''s search data comes from the collective experiences of all Wanderers and the historical records.] Those were Shannon''s exact words. If his suspicion was correct, then... "Shannon! Guide me to Darren''s location!" [Acknowledged. Locating... Location complete. Darren Sylph is directly behind you.] Siegfried froze, then turned to find the easily-overlooked half-elf boy standing behind him. Judging by his labored breathing, he must have been following for quite some time. "Hero, were you searching for me?" Siegfried had no time for his usual sardonic remarks and cut straight to the chase: "Darren, tell me, did your group split into two separate parties during the past half year?" "Eh! How did you know about that?" Darren was genuinely surprised - this information was known to very few people. To protect Kriemhild''s safety, Roland. Chapter 20: A Great Victory [Given that this is your first mission, we''ll have another Wanderer currently on assignment in the Qilan Continent assist you.] Shannon''s system''s words before departure echoed in Siegfried''s mind. At this moment, he was traversing the forest at an astonishing speed. To save time, Siegfried disregarded the terrain obstacles and chose to rush towards the ambush site in a straight line. (This is bad, really bad. It''s like friendly fire.) If Siegfried''s guess was correct, the Wanderer in the pursuit team was probably his helper for this mission. He just didn''t know how this guy ended up in the opposing camp. Regardless, Siegfried had to hurry over. If Roland and that Wanderer came into conflict, it would be a devastating loss for Siegfried no matter which side won. The latter need not be mentioned. If a rookie like Siegfried on his first mission could fare so well with just the Wanderer''s Manual and his abilities, this veteran Wanderer must be even more formidable. Plus, being under the same Shannon system, this person was someone Siegfried could trust absolutely. As for Roland, he was currently the strongest force in their camp. If he was inexplicably taken out like this, the Princess''s faction might as well declare bankruptcy. The more Siegfried thought about it, the more anxious he became. He summoned the Wanderer''s Manual and turned to the radar map to check how far he was from the ambush site. The yellowed parchment depicted the terrain and town distribution of the entire Conston domain. It was so detailed that even remote villages like Fengfeng Village were marked - something that maps sold in the kingdom''s markets could never achieve. Siegfried was represented on it as an acute triangle, with the acute angle pointing in the direction he was facing, very much like the map in World of Warcraft. However, Siegfried was shocked to discover, That at this moment, a flashing red dot was overlaid on that triangle. On the radar map, any creature within fifty meters of Siegfried would be marked, but there wasn''t even a rabbit in sight. In an instant, a needle-like pain shot straight to the top of his head. (Damn it, above!) Without hesitation, Siegfried drew the Hero''s Broken Sword and swung it upwards without even looking. Clang! Roland effortlessly blocked the combined slash of three knights with a single-handed swing of his great sword. "What''s going on? Why is there an ambush here?" "How should I know? Hasn''t it always been your people responsible for the rendezvous?" "What the hell are you implying?" "Stop arguing! Let''s break through first and talk later!" These three were all great knights like Catalina, yet even together they couldn''t gain any advantage under Roland''s sword. At this moment, the forest was filled with intermingling shouts of killing and screams of agony. One after another, pursuers were impaled by the spears of Roland''s soldiers in the chaos. They couldn''t even organize the most basic resistance. Most of the pursuers were taken out before they could even draw their weapons. This pursuit team of over a hundred people was now showing signs of collapse. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. The pursuit team had a total of one hundred and ten people, led by ten great knights. Once in battle, the soldiers would quickly form into battle formations under the command of the great knights. This legendary battle formation, designed by the founding emperor of Moen five hundred years ago, could allow the army to exert double its fighting power. At that point, even if Roland had brought three hundred men, he would have had to circle around them. They shouldn''t have been so easily defeated. But they were too confident. The cat-and-mouse game that had lasted for half a year subconsciously made them see themselves as the hunters, not realizing that the roles of prey and hunter could always be reversed. When Roland came to scout the day before, he had set up a large number of deadly traps in this area. These were all things he had used against the demon folk on the frontlines years ago. The moment the pursuit team walked into the ambush site, dozens of different traps were triggered simultaneously, instantly claiming nearly half of the enemy forces, including four of the leading great knights. And Roland, taking advantage of the enemy''s confusion, jumped out of the bushes for a sneak attack, cutting down two more panic-stricken great knights. With half of the ten formation points gone in an instant, there was no way to form any formation. This was Roland Ferdinant, A model knight... skilled in surprise attacks, sneak attacks, ambushes, and setting traps. At this moment, he raised his sword with both hands, dazzling golden light bursting forth from the great blade. In his ears echoed the words of that black-haired man from this morning before departure. "Roland, Go, Go tell them, From today on." "The tables have turned!" Roland roared, the golden light from his great sword now too bright to look at directly. The overwhelming aura swept through the entire forest like a tidal wave. "How is this possible..." One of the opposing great knights mumbled in a daze, his eyes unfocused. The weapon slipped from his hands, clattering as it hit the ground. "Damn it! This is no Gold Knight! Even a Holy Knight couldn''t do this! Hey! Who the hell is this guy? How could the intelligence be so far off!" Another great knight turned tail and ran, cursing non-stop. "It''s useless, you can''t escape... That sword... I''ve seen that sword before..." One of the four great treasures of the kingdom, The indestructible holy sword, the ultimate phantom blade. Durandal! "...He is Roland." The golden sword light swept across the land. ............... Catalina was now absolutely boiling with excitement. She had just taken down the last great knight, and now she was charging through the crowd like a crazy little wild boar, shield raised, leaving a trail of chaos in her wake. "Knight''s Charge! Knight''s Charge! Knight''s Charge! Hahaha, still Knight''s Charge!!!!" This tigress was so caught up in her charge that she didn''t even know where she had thrown her weapon, left with nothing but a shield in hand. You can''t blame her for being so excited. She had been frustratingly chased and beaten by these people for half a year. When she finally found a village where she could show off the might of Sir Knight, out of nowhere came a Siegfried who pinned her down and gave her a thrashing. That beating left this Star of Knights questioning her life choices, even dreaming at night of Siegfried cutting her beloved spear in half. Now, she had finally regained her confidence as the strongest knight of the younger generation by defeating these pursuers. "Hahaha! My journey is from Bailan to Loslind, Knight''s Charge!!!" Loslind is the capital of the elves in the north, and the distance from Bailan to there is about the same as from Wenzhou to Canada on Earth. With the active performance of the two knights, the enemy was quickly and thoroughly crushed. Of the pursuit team of over a hundred, less than ten remained alive. The soldiers began to clean up the battlefield, collecting spoils and capturing prisoners. They suffered no casualties in this battle, with only a few unfortunate souls who happened to be in Catalina''s path of charge being sent flying and sustaining minor injuries. Roland sheathed his sword. Beside him lay the great knight with lifeless eyes, not dead but unconscious. This was on Siegfried''s orders, to keep at least one leader alive for questioning. Roland looked at him with some pity. This unfortunate soul would be handed over to Siegfried, and with the Meilan''s methods, this guy was likely in for a fate worse than death. After everything was packed up, the group headed back to the village. In this battle, the Princess''s faction had completely annihilated the pursuit team, captured a large amount of equipment and food, and taken several prisoners. It could truly be called a great victory. ............... However, on the other side, Siegfried was getting the beating of his life. Chapter 21: Its You? A beautifully engraved, gleaming soft sword clashed against the blade of the Hero''s Broken Sword, sending sparks flying. This was their third collision. Each time, the enemy would strike from Siegfried''s blind spot, aiming for his vital points with precision. If it weren''t for the [Dance of the Heavenly Wind] enhancement still active on Siegfried, he would have already become fertilizer for this otherworldly soil. The [Dance of the Heavenly Wind] that Darren had cast on him was indeed remarkably effective. This fourth-tier magic not only increased the subject''s movement speed but also enhanced their reaction time, effectively boosting their agility level. The spell''s effect gradually weakened over time. When Siegfried first set out, his agility level had skyrocketed to A+, but now it had dropped to B. In a few more minutes, it would likely revert to its original state. At that point, he''d be back to being a C-grade weakling, and his demise would be imminent. (What should I do? What should I do? This is going to end badly if it continues. I need to think of something.) As these thoughts raced through his mind, he narrowly avoided another soft sword attack from his flank. This time, however, the sword''s edge sliced through Siegfried''s outer garment, leaving a shallow gash on his waist. Even now, he hadn''t caught a clear glimpse of his attacker. (I''m done for. I really can''t hold on much longer!) In this life-or-death moment, Siegfried finally thought of a way to break the deadlock. "Shannon! Shannon! Save me!" Calling for help from the Historian Mama! Shannon''s system''s mechanical, emotionless voice resonated in Siegfried''s mind. [Searching for escape routes.] By Buddha, Siegfried had never heard a more beautiful sound in his life. [Search complete. No escape routes available.] "Son of a¡ª!" Siegfried couldn''t help but let out a curse. [However, escape is unnecessary. Remove your hood and reveal your true face to resolve this crisis.] Shannon''s archaic tone was irritatingly smug. Siegfried''s eyes lit up. (Oh right, in this world, I can use my appearance to bluff!) In the Qilan Continent, black hair and black eyes were the hallmark of the Hero''s family. This was common knowledge. At least so far, no one outside the Meilan family had been known to possess these genetic traits. Both Catalina and Roland had been intimidated by Siegfried''s appearance, falling into serious cognitive dissonance. In reality, if they had just taken a swing at him, they could have easily knocked this mysterious and powerful "Lord Meilan" to the ground. Siegfried immediately undid his hood, revealing his face. In the next second, the needle-like pressure surrounding his entire body suddenly vanished, and even his breathing became easier. (Great! It worked!) Siegfried rejoiced inwardly. The midday sun pierced through the dense foliage, casting a dappled pattern of light and shadow on the ground. Two sparrows flew overhead, and the entire forest fell into an eerie silence. After a long moment, a cool voice broke the silence. Although the speaker tried to conceal it, Siegfried could still hear the surprise in their tone. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "How can it be you?" Siegfried took a deep breath to steady himself, carefully weighing his words. Every sentence he uttered now could either save his life or end it. He let out a cold snort before speaking, "Not bad. Few can wound me like that." The skill [Bluffing] was in full force! The cool voice fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "Why are you here?" "Do you really need to know? You have two choices: One, put down your weapon, and I''ll spare your life. Two, continue fighting, but I won''t hold back anymore." Siegfried snapped his fingers, and the Wanderer''s Manual appeared in his left hand. He assumed a stance, indicating he was about to get serious. "Your stealth skills are indeed impressive, among the best I''ve ever seen. But..." "I''ll count to five. If you don''t come out, I''ll destroy this entire forest." As he spoke, Siegfried slowly raised the short sword in his hand, as if gathering power. "One!" "Two!" There was still no movement around him. "Three!" (Please, please come out! I''m begging you! (?_?)) Siegfried was almost crying inside, but his face remained stern, his voice deep and unwavering. "Four!" Still no response. Siegfried''s breathing began to become labored. "Four... four and a half~" Just as this pathetic phrase was about to slip out... A figure jumped down from a tree on his right. The newcomer wore a black mask and scarf, dressed in a black bodysuit covered with a chainmail-like stocking. Yellow brass armor protected their hands and feet, and a folding fan with only its ribs intact hung at their waist. A bright red plum blossom was embroidered on their right shoulder. Siegfried was momentarily stunned. (What kind of outfit is this? A Chinese-style female ninja??) But he quickly regained his composure. After all, this was another world; all sorts of strange characters existed here. This woman probably just had unique tastes. Having successfully intimidated his opponent, Siegfried became greedy for more. After getting slashed in the waist, didn''t he deserve to squeeze out some information? With a mischievous smile tugging at his lips, he lowered the broken sword he had been holding aloft and said in a low voice: "Obedient, aren''t you? Introduce yourself, assassin. Judging by your appearance, you must have quite a few stories to share." This was typically his opening line when interviewing candidates in his role as an HR officer at the company. However, The response he received made Siegfried''s brain short-circuit. "Qi Gong? Is that you?" "......" (Qi Gong? What Qi Gong? Does this world have Qi Gong too?) (Wait, why is she speaking Chinese?) An extremely bad premonition rose from the depths of his heart. He scrutinized the Chinese-style female ninja from head to toe. The first thing that caught his eye was a pair of long, shapely legs, so fair they seemed to reflect light. These beautiful legs looked so familiar, as if he had seen them more than once in the past. Yes, they seemed to be the legs that would pass behind him every day at work, the ones he couldn''t help but glance at when leaving the office... The Chinese-style female ninja removed her black mask, revealing a face with cold, striking features, especially a particularly attractive nose. "Yang... Yang Jing?" ............... Everyone in the village was shocked because Siegfried, who had hurriedly left earlier, returned with a strangely dressed, breathtakingly beautiful woman. According to Siegfried, she was his childhood sweetheart. Of course, no one believed such nonsense. How could a country boy who grew up in a small village have such a beautiful childhood sweetheart? But under the influence of [Bluffing], the villagers reluctantly accepted this setting. In Siegfried''s room. "Shannon, why didn''t you tell me it was Yang Jing?" Siegfried asked, barely containing his anger. [I told you that removing your hood would resolve the crisis. You chose to bluff on your own.] "Why didn''t you tell me it was Yang Jing!" Siegfried''s forehead veins bulged, on the verge of exploding. [You didn''t ask.] "You damn system, you were just watching me make a fool of myself, weren''t you!" [Wanderer, we Historians are professionally trained and would never harm any Wanderer...] [Unless we can''t resist.] Siegfried''s expression twisted uncontrollably. Hello? Is this the Space Administration? Do you have any plans for Mars colonization? Yes, I''m willing to settle on Mars! Chapter 22: Two Wanderers Let''s turn back time to see what happened in the forest. "Yang Jing? Is that you?" The ninja girl in traditional Chinese style before him had deep blue hair tied in a ponytail, and her eyes were the same deep blue color. But other than that, she looked exactly like Yang Jing, Siegfried''s colleague who sat next to him at work. He had helped her deal with workplace harassment just a few days ago. Though Yang Jing''s cool face still showed traces of surprise, meeting an acquaintance from another world made her tone noticeably lighter. "Yes, I recognized you when you took off your hood. So you''re a Wanderer too." "It''s a long story, haha... I can''t believe my helper turned out to be you. I''m truly honored and grateful, haha... mmph..." Siegfried had no idea what he was saying anymore. His brain had completely crashed, and tears were about to fall as he kept rambling. (Oh no, my reputation is ruined!) Yang Jing keenly noticed Siegfried''s unusual behavior. The corner of her mouth curved into a barely perceptible smile as she said lightly: "As expected of Engineer Qi, you''re amazing. You''ve become so powerful that you can destroy an entire forest." "All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows. Like dew drops and lightning, thus should they be contemplated." The man was reciting the Diamond Sutra to escape reality. (I can''t hear anything, I can''t hear anything. A monk should be detached from worldly concerns. How could mere social death affect my Buddhist heart?) [Mr. Wanderer, please try to think positively.] (Think positively??) [At least things can''t get worse than this.] The Shannon System was being annoying as usual, but Siegfried couldn''t even muster the energy to scold it. "Engineer Qi must have completed the mission very easily. After all, hardly anyone in this world can hurt you. If you got serious, I probably wouldn''t last even a moment," Yang Jing continued her merciless attacks! She kept launching brutal verbal assaults! Siegfried wondered how this woman could say such vicious words with such an expressionless face. His Buddhist heart shattered, Siegfried slowly raised his broken sword... And held it against his own neck, with an extremely tragic expression. "Stop... please stop..." Seeing that her teasing had gone a bit too far, Yang Jing lightly coughed and ceased her mockery. She made an elegant gesture with one hand, and a peach-pink handbook appeared in her palm. "Let''s exchange information first." [Wanderer Yang Jing requests to exchange information with you. Do you accept?] Siegfried took out his own black handbook and replied: "Of course." The two Wanderer handbooks floated up from their hands, pages turning rapidly without wind. Large amounts of data flowed from the peach-pink handbook into the black one. Siegfried could feel lots of new information suddenly appearing in his mind. Yang Jing had entered the Qilan Continent six months ago. Her mission was to advance history by helping Second Prince Roderick unify the kingdom within half a year. During these six months, she had helped Roderick accomplish many things, including gathering intelligence, assassinating personnel, and pursuing Kriemhild. With her help, Roderick had completely overwhelmed the Crown Prince''s forces. He just needed to eliminate Kriemhild to legitimately claim the throne and end the civil war. Yet at this final step, Siegfried, a wild Wanderer who appeared out of nowhere, descended from the sky and accidentally got involved with the Princess''s faction, causing huge changes to history. Due to Siegfried''s intervention, the civil war could no longer end within six months. Yang Jing''s mission failed, and she returned to reality. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Two days ago, Yang Jing entered this world again. This time, her mission was: Assist Wanderer Siegfried in completing his mission: 0/1 Yang Jing was surprised when she saw the mission. This name was the same as her neighbor''s, and not many people would choose such a chuunibyou name. She had asked Shannon about Siegfried''s identity and location, but Shannon only told her to continue working for Roderick and she would meet her target, saying she would learn the rest later. When Yang Jing followed the pursuit team here, she keenly detected an ambush and decisively abandoned her expendable teammates. While escaping, she encountered Siegfried who had rushed here for the rescue. Since Siegfried was wearing a hood that concealed his face, Yang Jing thought he was also part of the ambush forces and took the initiative to strike first. That''s what had happened. "I see..." Siegfried mumbled. Yang Jing''s experiences over the past six months replayed in Siegfried''s mind. But the information he received wasn''t just Yang Jing''s experiences - it also included many of Roderick faction''s secrets. Knowing both yourself and your enemy leads to victory in every battle. In wars of any era, intelligence is always the most important. This was a great gift, an invaluable gift. Meanwhile, Siegfried''s brief but dramatic otherworld life also appeared in Yang Jing''s memories. Yang Jing was very shocked. She hadn''t expected that Siegfried''s greatest asset for completing missions was actually his silver tongue. "Thank you, this intelligence is very important to me," Siegfried said sincerely. Yang Jing nodded slightly to indicate it was expected, but then she frowned her delicate brows like distant mountains and asked puzzledly: "Why didn''t you choose Roderick? He has overwhelming advantages and considerable talent. Joining his faction would make it very easy to achieve your goal." From the information Yang Jing shared, Siegfried now knew that completing stage missions didn''t really matter - it was just a mechanism to help Wanderers complete historical corrections or advancements. He could have chosen to join Roderick''s faction and simply waited for the talented Second Prince to unify the kingdom himself. He could have just relaxed by the spring and waited for victory. Of course, he could also choose to defect now and betray Kriemhild and the others to Roderick, which would also complete the historical correction quickly and simply. Indeed, why? He was supposed to be a pragmatist, so why didn''t he choose the most straightforward and effective method? The helpless tears of the princess in the church and the brilliant smile of that girl in the sunset appeared before Siegfried''s eyes. He showed a helpless expression and shrugged at Yang Jing. "No special reason, I just wanted to challenge myself with higher difficulty. Besides, given the choice, I''d definitely pick the pretty girls. I''m not gay, why would I go to Roderick?" Yang Jing rolled her eyes, but she didn''t dwell on it. "It''s fine, you''re the main force so it''s your call. " "Thanks. Let me take you back and introduce you to everyone then. Your class... is it Assassin or Ninja? By the way, how are you so strong??" Siegfried suddenly realized he seemed to be the weakest in the team. Being the weakest despite being a high-level executive in the Princess''s company didn''t seem right. He hurriedly asked Yang Jing, his senior Wanderer, for advice. Yang Jing efficiently flipped to the status page and showed it to Siegfried. Since they already knew each other, they could skip the trust-building process. Name: Xingmei (Yang Jing) Female, 21 years old Race: Wanderer Alignment: Neutral Class: Master Assassin A girl born in the middle district of the capital, with a wealthy family and happy life. This is the life you''ve always dreamed of, but it was never meant to be yours, was it? Specializations: Animal Communication 52% (Proficient) Karate 81% (Master) Chinese Dance 65% (Expert) Ninjutsu 12% (Beginner) Combat Skills: [Presence Concealment] [Shadow Step] [Blade Dance] [Assassination Time] [Body Replacement Technique]... Will Power: Hidden Ability Stats: Strength: B Agility: A+ Mana: B Intelligence: B Luck: C Leadership: E Overall Rating: A (Damn, this is almost on par with Roland. She could probably destroy ten of me.) Siegfried inwardly clicked his tongue. Even ignoring the A-rank overall rating and all those combat skills, just looking at the specializations... The master-level karate alone would be enough to give Siegfried a hard time. And animal communication? What kind of specialization was that? Could you even specialize in that? He suddenly remembered seeing Yang Jing often "meow meow" chatting with the fat orange cat kept at the company during lunch breaks, a sight that had healed many male colleagues'' tired hearts and minds. Well well, so she was actually having real conversations! Meanwhile, Yang Jing was also looking at Siegfried''s status page. However, she had barely glanced at it when her usually expressionless cool face showed uncontrollable surprise and shock. "What is this! How is this possible? How can there be so many specializations?" On Siegfried''s status page, under specializations, There were nearly forty specializations densely listed, taking up more than half the page. """ Chapter 23: Siegfrieds Anomaly "Cold reading, acting, sketching, deduction, arithmetic, psychology, manipulation tactics, cooking, hunting... there''s too many! How is this possible?" Normal people only have three to four specializations. Yang Jing having four was already considered exceptionally talented, and her ninjutsu was obviously just padding. But Siegfried''s specializations filled half the page, covering various fields, and almost all had proficiency levels above 40%. Siegfried hadn''t realized his own abnormality, but Yang Jing understood. Two years ago, she was chosen by Shannon to become a Wanderer because of her special Animal Communication specialization. In these two years, whether on Earth or in the various worlds she had wandered through, she had never seen any being with more than five specializations. A specialization wasn''t just about knowing a little bit of something. For example, knowing how to drive a car didn''t count as a specialization. You needed to master launch control, drifting, fast cornering and other flashy driving techniques to count as having a specialization, and that would only be beginner level proficiency. If you could beat that AE86 on Mount Akina, congratulations - that would be at least master-level driving technique. Yang Jing stiffly raised her head, and anyone could see the shock in her heart at this moment. (Is he even human?) What kind of experiences would someone need to go through to master so many survival skills? "Hmm? What''s wrong?" Siegfried asked in surprise. Were his stats really that pathetically awful? "Ah, no, it''s nothing..." (Did Shannon not tell him about the purpose of specializations? Could it be that even Shannon doesn''t understand what''s going on with him?) After pondering repeatedly for a while, Yang Jing made up her mind. Although Siegfried had many specializations, almost none were suited for combat. This time he had also chosen an extremely difficult route to complete his mission. If left unchecked, he would surely die halfway through. Yang Jing didn''t have many friends, and she was very unwilling to see this friend who shared similar circumstances die in this strange otherworld. So she spoke solemnly: "I''ve seen your status page. A C-rank overall rating without a class is already quite impressive." "Class?" Siegfried only then realized his class had always been Villager - the lowest tier unit in games that hadn''t even undergone class advancement yet. "In this world, everyone''s combat power can be judged by their class." "Taking the Knight profession as an example, Apprentice Knights usually have D-rank overall ratings, formal Knights are C-rank, Great Knights are B-rank, Golden Knights are A-rank, Holy Knights are S-rank, and Epic Knights are SS-rank." "I''m a Master Assassin of the Thief profession, equivalent to the Golden Knight level. We Wanderers can hold multiple classes simultaneously, but can only equip one at a time. Whichever class you equip, you gain corresponding ability boosts. Warriors tend toward strength, Assassins toward agility, Knights are all-rounders, and Mages increase magic power and intelligence." Yang Jing explained the methods of strengthening oneself in this world at length, while Siegfried used his powerful memory to record this important knowledge. "Under normal circumstances, S-rank is the limit humans can reach. Beyond that is the realm of legends, special classes, among which the most representative are..." "Hero and Demon King," Siegfried instinctively cut in. "Right, these two classes are exceptional SSS-rank. You need to be careful when impersonating one - with your actual strength, you could easily be exposed." Siegfried''s eye twitched. Clearly this woman had no intention of forgetting what happened earlier. "Getting a class is simple - just learn that class''s combat skills or magic." "Taking my class as an example, first you need to learn the [Presence Concealment] combat skill. Once you learn it, you become a formal Thief and gain the class." "To continue advancing the class, you learn Assassin and Master Assassin combat skills. Mages advance in a similar way." It sounds simple, but for common folk, even learning [Presence Concealment] would be nearly impossible. Yang Jing''s current body "Xingmei" came from a privileged background and could access the Assassins'' Brotherhood in the capital, allowing her to receive systematic education at the Brotherhood''s assassin training school. Common people don''t have such connections and can only rely on talent for self-enlightenment. Like that cheater Roland, who at age seven had already self-enlightened halfway through [Knight''s Charge], becoming half a formal Knight. "Thank you, this is really helpful." Siegfried thanked her earnestly again. Yang Jing wasn''t talkative, so her saying so much today must have been to help him avoid detours. This wasn''t something he could ask Kriemhild and the others about. After all, how could the current Meilan, a Hero candidate, not know such things? However, Yang Jing didn''t respond to Siegfried''s thanks. She showed a worried expression and continued somewhat hesitantly: "There''s one more thing..." If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "What is it?" Seeing Yang Jing''s troubled expression, Siegfried also became serious. "Your specializations..." "Once specializations reach Expert level proficiency, they can be converted into Will Power. After each stage mission, you can choose one Expert-level specialization for Shannon to convert into Will Power." Yang Jing ultimately couldn''t say what she wanted to say, only repeating common knowledge about Wanderers, hoping to draw Siegfried''s attention. This matter was too abnormal - even Shannon hadn''t mentioned it. She didn''t dare speak carelessly for fear of causing problems. "Mm, I know that." Siegfried replied. Just one [Deceptive Speech] had allowed him to "dominate" against someone like Roland, a Golden Knight. He suddenly became curious about what would happen if all these specializations were converted to Will Power... "Shannon! Shannon! What would happen if I converted all these specializations into Will Power?" Unusually, the Shannon System didn''t immediately answer him. After such a long silence that Siegfried thought his system mom had gotten lost, Shannon''s voice finally rang in his mind. For some reason, Siegfried felt this time the voice seemed to have less of that mechanical feel, with more of the vitality of a living person, as if the real Shannon was speaking. [Humans usually use this word to describe that kind of being.] [God.] Hiss~ Siegfried sharply inhaled. This answer, he truly hadn''t expected it. "Ahem, it''s getting late. Roland and the others have probably finished work. Let''s head back and continue this discussion in the village." "As you say." ...... Back to the present, in Siegfried''s room. The man was writhing frantically on the bed like a dying maggot, his ten toes tightly curled together, his head desperately rubbing against the mattress. "Are you an idiot? You must be an idiot! What ''put down your weapons and I''ll spare your life.'' How stupid! How stupid!" "I want to die, I want to die, I don''t want to go back, let''s just settle down here, I can''t face Earth anymore!" Earlier in the forest his attention had been focused on Yang Jing, but now back in his room after calming down, This man had fallen into severe mental exhaustion... (I was careless, so careless, never expected to meet an acquaintance in another world...) Since coming to the Qilan Continent, Siegfried''s wild heart, previously constrained by civilized society, had been completely liberated. His inherent nature of being bold and attention-seeking was fully awakened, as if returning to his peak at sixteen when he led a group of friends to sneak into the teachers'' office to steal meal tickets. The villagers'' praise, Catalina''s admiration, Roland''s wariness, the soldiers'' fear, Kriemhild''s expectations. All of this, like an addiction, had made Siegfried sink in without being able to break free. He had truly immersed himself in the identity of the current Meilan, truly believed himself to be the future Hero. Until, A narcotics officer named Yang Jing kicked open the door of his opium den... [I''ll count to five. If you don''t come out, I''ll destroy this entire forest.] Shannon added another stab nonchalantly. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!" As if having a PTSD attack, Siegfried suddenly let out a piercing scream, violently banging his head against the wall. "What''s wrong with you?" The door had been opened at some point, and a cool feminine figure was standing there. Yang Jing looked somewhat worriedly at the frenzied Siegfried. Siegfried immediately turned around to sit on the edge of the bed, crossed his legs and showed an elegant smile, moving as fast as lightning. "Nothing, just exercising." "But just now you..." "Did you need something?" Siegfried''s smile was gentle but carried an oppressive force that brooked no further questions. Yang Jing fell silent, saying nothing for a while. Siegfried was surprised to find this cool woman''s cheeks slightly flushed, showing an unexpectedly girlish demeanor as she fidgeted. (What in the world?) "Did something happen?" Yang Jing spoke expressionlessly, as if just mentioning it casually: "Don''t tell anyone about what happened in this world." "Oh, that. I know, it''s only natural..." Siegfried stopped halfway through his sentence. At this moment he realized something, and in the next second after realizing it, his grin nearly reached his ears. (Oh right~ I''m not the only one who let loose.) Memories of Yang Jing''s experiences over the past half year floated through his mind. This cool woman had designed that unique battle outfit herself, personally embroidering a plum blossom on the right shoulder stitch by stitch. And that flexible sword - Siegfried had thought it looked familiar. Wasn''t it the Orchid Sword used by Li Yuanfang in "Detective Di Renjie"? And, and, that 12% ninjutsu specialization was undoubtedly self-taught during one of her otaku moments. People are like this - if you have to face social death alone you definitely won''t want to, but if someone accompanies you in social death, it somehow doesn''t seem so shameful anymore. Siegfried flash-stepped in front of Yang Jing, pinning her against the door. "Miss Yang, you wouldn''t want me spreading word about these strange hobbies of yours, right? You know, I''m very good at sketching." This bastard was always so precise when it came to grasping others'' weaknesses. Yang Jing''s face immediately darkened. "What do you want?" "Nothing much. You forget about what happened today, and I won''t go around talking. We''ll stay out of each other''s business." "...As expected of the Glib Hero." Siegfried nearly choked on his breath. (You witch! If only I could beat you...) "Want mutual assured destruction? Fine! When we return from the mission, the whole company will know the ice sculpture beauty is actually a silly beauty." Yang Jing gave him a disdainful glance and replied coolly: "Let''s make a contract." She then tore a blank page from her Wanderer handbook and took out a pen from her inventory, writing "Contract" at the top of the paper. A flash of white light, and a series of contract terms appeared on the entire page, including vicious clauses like becoming impotent if the secret was revealed. In the bottom right corner were two blank spaces for signatures. Siegfried was startled - there were still many functions of the Wanderer handbook he didn''t know about. With contract as proof, and the historian as witness. When Siegfried signed the paper, he suddenly had a feeling. He looked up at Yang Jing, only to find the cool woman was also looking at him. In a small cottage in a village in another world, two people from the same hometown suddenly smiled at each other, The last bit of estrangement dissipated at this moment. Chapter 24: The Heros Companion Since Princess Kriemhild and her entourage moved into the village, everyone would have dinner together unless they had missions to attend to. Now, a new member had joined their dinner table. Let me formally introduce the core members of the Princess''s Coronation Company. First is the CEO Kriemhild, who was driven out of the Moen headquarters by her two brothers on the board of directors six months ago, and started this branch company in this remote countryside. Next is Roland, the Chief of Security, sitting on the CEO''s left. Although this Golden Knight is only twenty-eight years old, his scruffy beard and pessimistic appearance make him look thirty-eight. However, this doesn''t prevent him from being life''s winner. After the coup broke out, he abandoned his comfortable civil service job, bid farewell to his wife and children, and resolutely escorted the CEO on her journey of exile. Then there''s the Deputy Chief of Security sitting on the CEO''s right. This valiant young lady has already achieved the rank of Grand Knight at a young age, and her talent is no less than her teacher Roland''s. Unfortunately, she''s not very bright and often gets pranked by the major shareholder. Next is the company mascot, the genius mage, half-elf boy Darren. He''s adorable. Finally, there''s the major shareholder Siegfried, sitting opposite to the CEO, symbolizing the company''s bipolar power structure. Although he joined less than three days ago, he has already become the most powerful figure under the CEO through his extraordinary methods. He''s usually arrogant and overbearing, and his favorite activities are torturing moles and bullying the Deputy Chief of Security. Oh, almost forgot to introduce the pet - Garden Person Bobo, who is standing aside watching everyone eat. He was a mole planted by Director Roderick, but after being caught by the major shareholder, he suffered tremendous mental and physical torture and now serves as the major shareholder''s personal butler. And now, the company welcomes a new employee. Yang Jing sat coldly at Siegfried''s side, silently eating her meal, completely ignoring the curious glances from the four people across the table. This woman behaved the same way whether on Earth or in this other world - it wasn''t that she was socially anxious, she simply couldn''t be bothered to interact with others. Most likely, she would be appointed as the Director of Intelligence and the major shareholder''s bodyguard under his recommendation. Catalina, the Deputy Chief of Security, was the first to break her silence. She raised her hand and asked: "Lord Meilan, who is this assassin lady?" The next second, the boss and all employees turned their attention to Siegfried, giving him a feeling like he was speaking at a department meeting. He had previously made up a story with Yang Jing to deal with the company''s core members, as the excuse they used for the villagers wouldn''t work on these shrewd people. Although [Deception] was powerful, it wasn''t omnipotent. Its effectiveness was influenced by multiple factors including the background environment, one''s own state, and the target audience. For example, if Siegfried told someone on Earth that he could punch through ten-meter thick steel plates when extremely angry, they would definitely laugh at him for being an idiot. But in this other world, forget ten-meter thick steel plates - even if Siegfried claimed he could pull out the Lich Lord''s teeth with his bare hands, people would believe him. At least Catalina would. The story was crafted by both of them, but naturally, Siegfried was the one to tell it. He stood up with his palm facing upward, fingers together, extending toward Yang Jing. Then he coughed lightly, looking exactly like a leader about to speak. "Her name is Star Mei, she is my... companion." The word "companion" was Siegfried''s last-minute change from "friend," as he felt that word was too distant to reflect the relationship between him and Yang Jing. However, The air in the dining room suddenly froze. Kriemhild even lost her composure, dropping her knife and fork. (Companion? Did he just say companion? Not friend? Companion?) Cold sweat appeared on Roland''s forehead as he recalled how Siegfried had faced off against his entire army with just a sword two days ago in the wilderness. (No wonder he dared to stand against us alone - he already had a companion!) For ordinary people, there isn''t much difference between friends and companions. But if the person in question is a Meilan, then the word "companion" carries a completely different meaning. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. There was a tradition among successive Heroes - before becoming Heroes, they would travel across the continent as adventurers. The journey had two purposes: to temper their Holy Sword and to gather [Hero''s Companions]. Including the Hero, each generation''s Hero team consisted of five people with different classes. These companions were elite talents from various countries and races. Under the Hero''s leadership, they would break through biological limits, obtain their special classes, and become legendary-level powerhouses. For a Hero, each additional companion would multiply their strength exponentially. When all four companions were gathered, the [Hero] who could make armies tremble would be born. (No wonder I couldn''t sense his presence at all...) A Golden Knight''s senses would allow Roland to detect even a rabbit hiding in bushes fifty meters away. However, since meeting Siegfried, Roland had never sensed any aura from him, as if the person wasn''t there at all. This bottomless fear, like a black hole, Roland had only experienced once before from one person. That person who had long guarded the frontline of the Human-Demon War, a companion of the previous Hero, a living legend, Known as the "Knight of Knights," the "Knight of the Lake" - Lancelot. And now, two monsters of this caliber were sitting right in front of him. (If at that time, I had really attacked him...) Cold sweat soaked through his shirt as Roland had never felt so close to death before. Contrary to Roland''s fear, the half-elf Darren''s eyes lit up. This shy boy shouted out uncharacteristically: "Hero, can I be your companion too? I want to be your companion! Master always says I lack masculinity, but I''m sure if I stay by your side, I''ll definitely become a real man one day!" Siegfried was stunned, he never expected such a reaction. (What? You want to be my companion too? This... can Wanderers join through internal referrals? Maybe I should ask Shannon about this?) "Uh, stay by my side for now, and I''ll... observe your talents." The half-elf boy''s cheeks instantly turned red, and excited tears began welling up in his eyes. For him, Siegfried''s answer was practically a yes. Mascot Darren successfully became the major shareholder''s second bodyguard. Siegfried was quite bewildered to find that he didn''t need to tell the story anymore, as the atmosphere had become rather strange, with everyone looking at him with either shock or admiration. Except for Catalina, who had started attacking the roast chicken on her plate right after asking her question, completely ignoring the major shareholder''s words. But since he had prepared the story, it felt wrong not to tell it. Siegfried passionately narrated the entire epic tale of how he and "Miss Star Mei" met, became friends, and adventured together. However, everyone was distracted and barely listened to him. For the first time, Siegfried understood how department managers felt when giving presentations. He swept his gaze across the preoccupied crowd and knocked on the table firmly, indicating he was moving on to the main topic. "What do you think we need most right now?" "Money!" Bobo answered quickly from the side. "Yes, money. What else?" Kriemhild supported her delicate chin, pondering before speaking: "Manpower. We have too few soldiers to contend with my two brothers." "Exactly!" Siegfried slammed the table forcefully and said in a deep voice, "To be precise, we need territory, talent, troops, and funds." The company currently had none of these four most important elements needed for waging war. "Among these four things, funds are relatively the easiest to obtain. Does anyone have any ideas?" This question wasn''t really directed at the four people opposite him - these poor folks hadn''t even paid back their village meal expenses yet. The question was mainly for Yang Jing, who must have established her own intelligence network during her six months in this world. Sure enough, Yang Jing didn''t disappoint him. "Regarding money, I have some leads. I''ll verify the intelligence tomorrow and get back to you." "Good, I''m counting on you." (As expected of our cross-world Wanderer company, the quality of talent is just different.) "As for territory, my father-in-law, ahem, Lord Ferdinand is a firm supporter of the Princess''s faction. We can seek his help and surely receive support." Life winner Roland presented his privileged background. "No." Siegfried rejected without hesitation. "Why?" Seeing his suggestion so decisively rejected, Roland became somewhat angry, his voice noticeably heavier. "First, what you can think of, the enemy can think of too. If I''m not mistaken, the entire Ferdinand domain is probably surrounded by enemy forces right now." "Second, getting from here to your father-in-law''s place requires crossing the entire Constanton domain. How can we ensure safety with our small numbers?" "Third, even if we reach your father-in-law''s place, how can a single count''s forces resist the combined attack of two princes?" "Fourth, placing hope in seeking refuge with others is the most foolish behavior." Roland''s face alternated between pale and flushed as he listened. He never thought his suggestion would have so many flaws, despite his experience as a frontline general. Meanwhile, the eye not covered by Darren''s bangs was sparkling with stars. (Ah~ This is it, this is the kind of spirit, this is the manly image I admire most. (???) "Then tell us, where should we go?" Siegfried swept his gaze across everyone and looked out the window. In the vast wheat fields, the emerald wheat seedlings swayed gently in the early spring breeze, forming waves of green. A cold smile slowly curved his lips. "We''re not going anywhere. We''re taking this place. The Constanton County!" Chapter 25: The Terrifying "Deception" (Part 1) As the first light of dawn barely touched the horizon, Yang Jing set out alone. Her destination was Conston City, where she aimed to verify the authenticity of a crucial piece of intelligence. If the information proved accurate, it could solve two pressing issues for their team in one fell swoop: the lack of funds and the scarcity of talent. The journey from Fengtao Village to Conston City spanned over thirty kilometers. Even for a master assassin like her, a round trip would consume an entire day. To ensure her return within the same day, Yang Jing had risen exceptionally early. By the time Siegfried dragged himself out of bed, Yang Jing had already been gone for nearly three hours. Since the previous day, Siegfried had delegated all his farm work to the idle soldiers under his command, freeing up considerable time for other matters. "Good morning, Lord Meilan," the blond soldier Lyme respectfully saluted Siegfried as he emerged from the house. Today, Lyme was temporarily assigned as Siegfried''s guard, though he secretly doubted this terrifying lord needed any protection at all. Siegfried cast a glance at him and replied nonchalantly, "Morning. Your wound''s healed up well?" Lyme was momentarily taken aback before quickly lowering his head respectfully. "Yes, thanks to the villagers'' care." During the village attack incident, Lyme''s injuries were second only to Catalina''s. However, that little tigress had a body tougher than an ox. With just a bit of Siegfried''s medicine, she was up and about the next day. Lyme wasn''t so fortunate. The priest had refused to heal him, so the poor fellow had been bedridden for two days. The villagers took turns bringing him food and drink, including little Towa, whom he had nearly beaten up before. Feeling a bit mischievous, Siegfried deliberately mocked, "Oh? Now they''re villagers, not lowborns?" Lyme''s face flushed crimson with shame, his head almost disappearing into his shoulders. "I deserve death, I..." "Enough. Just remember, it was these ''lowborns'' you looked down upon who saved your life." "Yes! I''ll keep that in mind!" "So, what''s the matter?" Lyme produced a piece of parchment from his bosom and handed it to Siegfried, saying: "This is the list of spoils and prisoners from yesterday''s ambush. Please review it, sir." The handwriting on the parchment was neat and elegant, clearly the penmanship of Her Highness the Princess. Siegfried took the list and raised an eyebrow. There were nearly a hundred sets of common equipment such as spears, straight swords, and armor, along with a few magical weapons and a considerable amount of military rations. (Quite a haul, it seems we''ve taken out an elite unit. It''s impressive that Roland managed to wipe them out without losing a single man.) "Categorize the spoils, store them in the warehouse, and keep detailed records." "Yes, sir! ... What about the prisoners, my lord?" Besides equipment and provisions, Roland had also captured seven prisoners, including a lead knight that Siegfried had specifically instructed to keep alive. The rest were likely survivors. Siegfried pondered for a moment, then suddenly revealed a vicious smile. "Keep the great knight. As for the rest, bury them all alive!" This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "What?!" Lyme''s legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed to the ground. He had heard of a few heroes in history who were extremely bloodthirsty, leaving rivers of blood in their wake, more like demon kings than actual demon kings. But he never expected the man before him to be so merciless even to prisoners. Cold sweat seeped from Lyme''s back. He immediately dropped to one knee and pleaded urgently: "My lord, they are already defenseless. Killing prisoners will not only terrify everyone but also damage your image among the soldiers. Her Highness wouldn''t agree to such actions either. Please reconsider." Of course, Siegfried had no intention of actually killing the prisoners. He simply wanted to utter this line and give the common soldier a scare. (I always thought the phrase ''bury them all alive'' sounded quite imposing. It really feels different saying it out loud.) After indulging his chuunibyou tendencies, Siegfried looked at the trembling Lyme kneeling before him and said sternly, barely holding back his laughter: "Alright, alright, I was just joking with you. Look at the state you''re in. Where is that great knight being held? Take me to him." Lyme heaved a sigh of relief, sincerely hoping that this lord would never joke again in his life. "Yes, my lord. Please follow me." ...... Outside a dilapidated wooden cabin, Lyme worriedly reminded: "Roland interrogated him yesterday, but he refused to talk no matter what. My lord, please be careful. He might do something desperate. If anything happens, just call for me." "Heh, a tough nut to crack, huh? No worries, I can make even a dead man talk." Another chill ran down Lyme''s neck. He suddenly realized his last sentence was quite unnecessary. Siegfried wasn''t bluffing. Even if it were a dead person, the Wanderer''s Manual could retrieve their information. Now, it was time for Siegfried''s favorite part: torturing... no, interrogating prisoners. He pushed open the door. The air inside the dilapidated cabin was damp, permeated with the musty smell of rotting wood. There was only one chair in the room, where a man in his thirties sat bound. His face was covered in blood and his body bore numerous wounds. Clearly, Roland hadn''t shown any mercy. Hearing the noise, the man didn''t even raise his head as he spoke: "Don''t waste your time. I know nothing, and I won''t say anything." Name: Roy Barrett Male, 35 years old ... (Details omitted) Siegfried scanned through the information displayed on the Wanderer''s Manual. As expected, Roy''s personal information was complete. This man had originally been Yang Jing''s temporary teammate, and all his recent activities had been witnessed by Yang Jing and recorded in the database. Siegfried pulled up a chair and sat down before Roy, saying with a half-smile: "You misunderstand. I''m not here to interrogate you." "Hmph, then what are you here for, to watch me... uh!" Roy lifted his head, intending to see who this pretentious fool was. However, as soon as he caught sight of the man sitting opposite him, the words died in his throat. "I''m just here to have a chat with you." Siegfried truly wasn''t here to interrogate. He had already obtained various information about the Second Prince''s faction from Yang Jing yesterday. He doubted a great knight would know more than Yang Jing, a close attendant. He was here to conduct an experiment. "You... you... you are..." Roy was already stuttering in shock. Black hair, black eyes - exactly like the legendary... Siegfried revealed a sly smile and politely introduced himself: "Hello, Mr. Roy. My name is Siegfried." "Sieg... fried?" "Or you can call me Meilan." Roy''s pupils suddenly contracted, and he nearly toppled from the chair. "You... you... the Meilan family... is involved in this civil war?" Roy''s voice trembled uncontrollably. Why had their operation been exposed? Why had this simple pursuit mission turned so deadly? Why had this six-month-long hunt suddenly become a trap filled with killing intent? Since his capture, he had lain awake pondering these questions without finding answers. Now, he finally didn''t need to think anymore. A Meilan had become involved in this civil war. This fact alone explained all the inexplicable events. Roy felt despair. Even when facing Durandal, he had never felt such hopelessness. The failure of the pursuit team was merely his personal defeat; Lord Roderick still firmly held most of the kingdom''s power. But if this Meilan joined the war, the balance of power would be utterly shattered in an instant. Roderick would no longer have any chance of victory. The long history of the Qilan Continent had taught everyone that these were monsters capable of sweeping away thousands of troops. """ Chapter 26: The Terrifying "Deceptive Speech" (Part 2) "Relax, Mr. Barrett. It''s common knowledge that the Meilan family never meddles in political affairs," Siegfried said casually, spreading his hands. "As I mentioned, I''m just here for a chat." Hearing this, Roy''s tense expression eased slightly. He raised his lifeless eyes and asked with a hint of trepidation: "Lord Meilan... what do you wish to discuss? As you can see, I''m nothing but a defeated general..." Despite his words, Roy remained acutely aware of his surroundings. He had heard numerous rumors about the Meilan family and was terrified of inadvertently divulging information. "Nothing major. Hmm~ Why don''t you start with a self-introduction? Tell me what kind of person you think you are." Roy was taken aback. He looked at the smiling black-haired man across from him, completely unable to fathom what the other was thinking. But under pressure, he answered earnestly: "My name is Roy Barrett, the current head of the Barrett family, a viscount of the kingdom, and an honorable royal knight. I pledge my allegiance to Prince Roderick, and my loyalty is as unbreakable as my shield." These were the words he had spoken to the young Roderick when he was knighted in the past. However, Roy heard a sneer. "Huh, loyalty?" Siegfried''s expression was a mix of amusement and mockery, his brow furrowed in derision. Roy''s eyes immediately turned red. He even forgot his fear and shouted angrily: "A man can be killed but not insulted! Lord Meilan, even you cannot doubt my loyalty!" (He took the bait... Now, let''s see if your effect is as terrifying as I imagined.) Siegfried took a deep breath. The following developments would determine how he would face this ability called [Deceptive Speech] in the future. "You just claimed to be very loyal?" "Is there a problem with that?!" Siegfried chuckled softly as he stood up and began to pace around Roy''s chair. "No, not really. I just find it somewhat nauseating to use those words on people like you." "What did you say?!" Roy never expected this Meilan would insult him like this. As a knight, he could endure all kinds of severe torture, but such slander was unbearable. "Take back your words! Please retract what you just said! You''re a Meilan! A hero! How dare you tarnish our loyalty like this?!" "Isn''t it true? As a knight of the kingdom, you don''t serve the country, the people, or even the princess, the first heir to the throne. Instead, you assist Roderick in staging a coup, causing widespread chaos and suffering. You call this loyalty?"This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "No! I just..." "As a son, your dying father instructed you to serve the future king, but you disregarded his wishes and acted hypocritically. Is this loyalty?" "As an elder, you chase and hunt a sixteen-year-old girl relentlessly. What kind of loyalty is this?" "No! No! Shut up! Shut your mouth!" "As an inner court official, you knew that the second prince and the princess were siblings by blood, yet you didn''t persuade him to stop. Instead, you added fuel to the fire and joined this fratricidal conflict. Is this your loyalty?" "It''s not... it''s not like that..." The voice of defense grew weaker, and tears welled up in Roy''s eyes. He knew all these truths, but what could a mere great knight do? "Roy, you''re just a pig, burying your head in the feed your master provides, blindfolding yourself with excuses of loyalty. Have you ever used your brain to think in your thirty-plus years? This world is still mad enough to call oneself a loyal subject just by wearing knight''s armor." "Roy, this isn''t loyalty, it''s stupidity." "..." "......" Silence echoed in the dilapidated wooden house, so quiet it was suffocating. Suddenly, a choked sob broke the silence, slowly turning into weeping, and soon into loud wailing. "I know! I know all this! But what can I do? I''m just a great knight, just a small viscount. I can''t even enter the royal palace. What can I do? What can I do! What do you want me to do?!" Roy was in tears, slamming his head against the back of the chair in self-destruction. After a few strikes, the back of his head was covered in blood. The moment had come. Siegfried''s eyes turned cold as he slowly walked behind Roy, bending down like a devil whispering in Roy''s ear: [It''s simple. For the sake of the people, offer everything to the true ruler of this country, Kriemhild!] Additional effect of Deceptive Speech: After the ninth truth, the credibility of the next lie increases by 100%! Like a bomb thrown into boiling water, Roy''s already turbulent thoughts completely exploded. "Yes... yes... YES! You''re right, I am a knight, a knight! I am a knight of the kingdom! I must be loyal... I must offer my loyalty! Surrender... I... surrender! Your Highness! Your Highness! Princess Kriemhild, I offer you my everything, Your Highness! Please accept me! Your Highness! Your Highness!" Roy toppled over along with the chair, desperately crawling towards the door like a blood-thirsty monster. The pain and confusion on his face had completely disappeared, replaced by a fanatical fervor as if possessed. Siegfried walked out of the house without a word, stepping over Roy on the ground. [Deceptive Speech], the horror of this ability was just as he had predicted. Siegfried realized the malignant nature of this ability on the first day he obtained it. He had always been avoiding opening this Pandora''s box, and today was just a small experiment, a test run. The fact proved that it indeed had the function of brainwashing others. Lies, in essence, are things that alter others'' perceptions and distort their will. Some scoundrels use lies to make women believe they are worth entrusting their lives to, some swindlers use lies to make customers believe their products are worth buying, and some cults use lies to manipulate the thoughts of their followers, making them sacrifice everything for so-called faith. Even worse, the former leader of the Third Reich once wove a huge lie, bewitching his people to march onto the battlefield, brewing the most terrible war in human history. Siegfried realized the malignant nature of this ability on the first day he obtained it. If good and evil were to be distinguished by purpose, Siegfried could be considered a good person for now. But if distinguished by means, he was undoubtedly thoroughly evil. He had always been self-aware; his blood had turned cold when he was sixteen. Bone-chilling coldness filled the young man''s eyes as he silently uttered words devoid of warmth in the warm morning sun. "But this world has never distinguished good and evil by purpose or means. The only criterion for judging right and wrong is success or failure. Whether it''s brainwashing or killing, as long as you win in the end, it''s all justified." """ Chapter 27: The Invitation [A/N] - Support & Read Up to 15+ Advanced Chapters on Patreon!! [A/N] - Don''t Forget to leave a [Review] ¨C Your Voice Matters!!! ... Yang Jing returned, bringing an auction invitation and... "Uh, can you introduce this fellow?" Siegfried asked, pointing to the man at Yang Jing''s feet. A man who looked like a wealthy merchant lay there, covered in wounds, especially his lower body, which was a bloody mess. He was barely breathing, clearly on the verge of death. Yang Jing spoke expressionlessly: "I went to ask him for an invitation. He said he wanted me to spend the night with him. Then he ended up like this." Yang Jing concisely summarized what could have been a 4000-word adventure story, making Siegfried''s eye twitch. "Ah... I see..." Siegfried glanced at the merchant''s lower body, instantly feeling his own manhood shudder. (Better not provoke this woman in the future...) He bent down and patted the merchant''s face. "Hey, brother. Answer one question before you die." The merchant opened his eyes groggily, mumbling with his last breath: "Legs... legs... white... pain..." Seems that was the murder weapon. "Brother, where''s your treasury?" "You... who are you..." "I''m your cousin, remember? You said you''d leave your fortune to me, don''t you remember?" "Cousin... oh yes... yes..." The merchant''s eyes regained some life, clearly a final burst of energy before death. He grabbed Siegfried''s hand, his expression full of regret: "Brother..." "Yes, big brother." "Beware... beware of women..." With that, the merchant kicked the bucket. Siegfried was dumbfounded. He grabbed the merchant''s collar and lifted him off the ground. "Hey! Where''s the money? Where''s the money? Damn it, where''s the money? Quick, call a priest! Make him spit out the money before he dies!" Siegfried was heartbroken, feeling like he hadn''t received all the rewards in a game. ... In the evening, the company''s executive meeting was held as scheduled at the dinner table. Yang Jing, the intelligence director and one of the shareholders, spoke first: "This is an invitation to an auction." Her speech was abrupt. She stood up, said just this one sentence, and sat down again, knowing someone would explain for her. Everyone instinctively looked at the major shareholder, waiting for him to speak. Siegfried picked up the invitation and waved it in the air, "This is an underground auction, understand?" Kriemhild: "I don''t understand." "The participants of this auction are wealthy merchants and nobles with vast fortunes, understand?" Roland: "I don''t understand." Catalina, the deputy captain of security, suddenly jumped up with a look of sudden realization: "I know! You want to sell the teacher''s sword!"This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Roland''s Durandal was currently the most valuable item in the company. If sold, it could buy an entire earldom. Roland slapped his silly disciple on the head, scolding, "Is this something that can be sold?!" Catalina sat back down, covering her head pitifully. Siegfried couldn''t be bothered with these two and continued: "The goods at these auctions are all things that can''t be brought to light. From the list that came with the invitation, there are even slaves." The air in the dining room suddenly froze. Twenty years ago, a woman named Vivian was crowned queen in the royal capital. At twenty-three, she consolidated most of the power within five years, completely sidelining the incompetent old king, and then carried out sweeping reforms in the kingdom, with the primary focus on completely banning the slave trade. The reforms, of course, met with fierce resistance from the vested interests, but were bloodily suppressed by the Rose Knights, who reported directly to the queen. This queen forcefully gave the declining Moen a new lease of life with her iron-fisted methods, but also wore herself out and passed away early. By now, everyone must have guessed that this woman, later known as the "Rose Queen," was the mother of Roderick and Kriemhild, and the former regent of the Kingdom of Moen. This year marked the fifth anniversary of the queen''s passing, and the slave trade, which was once suppressed the hardest, had made a comeback. Kriemhild''s usually gentle face was tinged with anger, while Roland slammed his fist on the table, nearly knocking all the dishes to the floor. "These bastards, we didn''t kill enough of them back then!" He was one of the last members of the Rose Knights, and the shield carved with a bright red rose still hung in his room. Kriemhild was burning with anger. The ban on the slave trade was one of her mother''s proudest achievements. To this day, she still remembered the scene of her mother, without any elegance, hands on hips, boasting to her when she was only four or five years old. "Little Hild, mommy did a great job this time, maybe she can save thousands of people. Don''t suck your thumb! Quick, give mommy a round of applause!" She was a gentle, strict, yet humorous mother, like sunshine, and the last backbone that God gave to this decaying nation. (It''s only been five years, mother has only been gone for five years...) Kriemhild''s fists were clenched white. She stared at Siegfried, trying her best to summon the surrounding light spirits to read this man''s intentions, but to no avail. She could only open her mouth to probe: "Mr. Siegfried, you must have a reason for bringing this up." Siegfried waved his hand, gesturing for everyone to calm down, then spoke unhurriedly: "We will attend this auction and purchase slaves..." Bang! Roland slammed his fist on the table again, roaring in anger: "Are you joking? Do you know what you''re saying?" Catalina hurriedly tried to pull Roland back, "Teacher, Lord Meilan must have his reasons for saying this." "What reasons could there be for this!" Kriemhild remained silent, but from her gloomy expression, it was clear she was not happy. "Um... everyone, please don''t fight..." The cute half-elf boy Darren tried to mediate with tears in his eyes, but his voice was too small and easily drowned out by the agitated Roland. Siegfried coldly observed this scene, his gaze sweeping over each person, his expert-level cold reading skills in full force. (Kriemhild and Roland will oppose my opinion. Catalina has already started to trust me unconditionally, which is good. Darren... still neutral? Worth winning over... Hm? Why is Bobo so quiet?) This was why he spoke in this fragmented way, to check the internal power dynamics. Some of his methods in the future would certainly be questioned, and to avoid this, preparations had to be made starting now. "Are you done making a fuss?" A cool voice rang out at just the right moment, like a bucket of ice water instantly dousing the boiling dining room, "If you''re done, let''s continue listening." Yang Jing swept her expressionless gaze over everyone. Now she understood why these people were beaten so badly by Roderick, they were simply a bunch of rabble. Siegfried threw a grateful wink at Yang Jing, receiving a disgusted look in return... He coughed and continued to explain his plan unhurriedly: "..." "......" "........." "Do you understand now?" A strange atmosphere began to permeate the dining room. If this atmosphere had to be given a name, it would probably be called "conspiracy." "Lord Meilan, you''re so devious... but I like it!" Catalina praised Siegfried as always. Kriemhild buried her head low, but her shoulders were slightly shaking, she was trying hard not to laugh out loud. "This doesn''t seem quite right... it completely goes against the spirit of knighthood..." said Roland, the model knight who loved ambushes, with an eager look on his face as he spoke these high-sounding words. A cold smile bloomed on Siegfried''s face. Everyone noticed that whenever this man showed this expression, it meant someone was about to be in trouble. "I believe this auction will be very exciting!" Chapter 28: The City of Konston Located in the southernmost part of the Kingdom of Moen, the Konston Earldom did not belong to Duke Bylan but was directly under the royal family, holding a status equal to the great dukes. This remote region had a resounding title - "The Granary of Moen." This earldom, covering less than forty square kilometers, possessed the kingdom''s most fertile black soil. The grain production from this area alone accounted for fifty percent of the kingdom''s annual yield. When Siegfried first heard this, he was genuinely shocked that such a small area could feed half of the country''s population. What kind of soil was this? How many harvests per year? But then he remembered this was another world, and it made sense - probably the priests from the Harvest Church were working overtime all year round, constantly using magic to ripen crops. Siegfried''s group drove their carriage into Konston City, the capital of Konston Earldom, known as the "City of Wheat Fragrance." The underground auction would be held here tonight. A pretty face poked out of the carriage window, curiously observing the scenery outside. Kriemhild was very excited. As a princess, she rarely left the palace, and for the past half year, she had been on the run. She had never traveled like this purely for pleasure before. "Your Highness, please don''t do that! Even with the illusion cloak, we can''t guarantee there won''t be accidents," Roland, while driving the carriage, worried like a mother hen. "It''s fine! You all saw the wanted posters at the city gate. Even without this cloak, it probably wouldn''t matter," Kriemhild replied. Indeed, every major city in the kingdom now had wanted posters for the princess and her group, though the portraits were masterpieces of abstract art that would make even Picasso weep. Siegfried swayed back and forth on horseback - yes, you heard right. Despite having a carriage, he chose to ride a horse. He was being silly again. He had always wanted to ride a horse but never had the chance, so he wasn''t about to miss this opportunity. He had added another saddle to one of the carriage horses - Roland drove the carriage while he rode ahead. Now they had the expressionless Yang Jing and the excited princess in the carriage, Roland the driver at the front, the chunnibyou Siegfried on horseback, and the Garden Person Bobo perched on top of the carriage. They couldn''t have been more conspicuous if they tried. Roland strongly opposed this, of course, but Siegfried shut him down with one sentence: "If you were pursuing us, would you expect your targets to enter the city so openly?" The major shareholder had a point, so Roland could only keep quiet. The auction invitation allowed only three people to enter. Siegfried, Roland, and Kriemhild would attend. Yang Jing was there to guide them and to investigate the location of yesterday''s deceased merchant''s treasury - yes, Siegfried still hadn''t given up on that money. As for Bobo, Siegfried had dragged him along, fearing the mole might try to escape while he was away. Bobo was extremely unwilling but had to submit to the major shareholder''s authority. Konston City wasn''t particularly large, but it was the most prosperous city for miles around. Vendors could be seen everywhere on the streets. Some were merchants from other regions, others were adventurers who had just completed guild quests and were selling their monster-hunting spoils. This scene finally gave Siegfried a taste of the sword-and-magic fantasy world.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. What had he been doing until now? Either farming or interrogating moles, occasionally risking his life pretending to be tough in front of human-shaped Gundams. Under Yang Jing''s guidance, the group passed through the market district and arrived at the residential area, where they would stay at an inn. The city''s buildings were indeed different from rural places like Fengtao Village. Here stood elegant two-story buildings made of stone bricks and red pine, both beautiful and comfortable. Laundry hung from balconies extending from the second floors, and occasionally residents would bow to Siegfried''s group as they passed below. These were the city''s wealthy inhabitants. Roland hadn''t changed into casual clothes. At Siegfried''s request, he still wore his knight''s armor bearing the Ferdinand family crest. The residents were bowing to him as a noble knight. This was also why they hadn''t been harassed by the greedy city guards at the gate. Siegfried looked around and saw a familiar sight. Several emaciated beggars with vacant expressions wandered through this wealthy district. They had come from the slums outside the city, hoping to beg for food in this affluent area. These people, unsurprisingly, represented the majority of this "City of Wheat Fragrance." He winked at Roland behind him: "Seems even the most fertile land hasn''t made them prosperous." Roland didn''t answer, his expression grave. He had seen worse scenes during these past six months. Both Siegfried and Yang Jing were quite resistant to such scenes, not because they were heartless, but as otherworlders, they found it difficult to treat this world as reality. When Yang Jing first became a Wanderer two years ago, she would feel distressed at such sights, but after traveling through various worlds, she had developed immunity. As for Siegfried, well, let''s just say he was a devoted Paradox games player. The group soon arrived at the inn Yang Jing had mentioned. A beautifully carved wooden sign hung over the inn''s door, with letters written in fancy script. "Stallion Banner... this name can''t be copied, right?" Siegfried gave Yang Jing, who had just jumped down from the carriage, a strange look. He suspected she had chosen this inn because of its name''s over 90% similarity to something else. Pushing open the door, they were hit by the rich aroma of wheat beer, followed by adventurers'' shouting, a bard''s singing, and clinking glasses - as lively as a marketplace. The slightly plump innkeeper, upon seeing Siegfried''s group - or rather, upon seeing Yang Jing - rushed over enthusiastically. "Little Mei, are these the companions you mentioned? Oh my, we even have a noble knight! Come in, come in!" Yang Jing showed a rare smile and spoke familiarly to the innkeeper: "Auntie, please give us two rooms for one night." "Of course! I''ve kept your room empty, and I''ll have the kitchen send up some food and wine." Such enthusiasm - one might think Yang Jing was her daughter. Siegfried leaned close to Yang Jing''s ear and whispered, "Did something happen between you before?" "Nothing much. I just rescued her wrongly imprisoned son from jail." She casually mentioned another story that could be expanded into 5000 words. Siegfried was dumbfounded. "Wow, your otherworld life is really exciting. I''m nothing compared to you." Yang Jing gave him a disdainful side-glance. The noble princess had never been to such a place before. She looked around curiously, sometimes applauding the bard, sometimes moving closer to watch a group of adventurers play Gwent. By the time Roland noticed his princess was missing, Kriemhild had already successfully integrated into a group of adventurers with her natural charm and was about to sit down to play cards with them. Roland rushed over in three quick steps and pulled Kriemhild out of the crowd. "Meow~" "Your Highness, could you please give me less worry? We''re not here to play. Look at Meilan, he''s very stead-" Before he could finish saying "steady," boisterous male laughter erupted behind them. "Hahahahaha! That''s nothing! I''ve even beaten up a Great Knight!" "Really? I''m not educated, so don''t try to fool me." "Why would I lie? Not only did I beat her up, I even grabbed her breasts!" "Amazing! Brother, may I ask your honorable name?" "I am... Siegfried!" """ Chapter 29: The Auction Begins Roland''s forehead veins bulged, his mouth twisted in anger. Unable to contain himself any longer, he grabbed Kriemhild and headed upstairs. Meanwhile, Siegfried had fully immersed himself in the environment, as if he were right at home. Holding a large wooden mug brimming with beer, he had his arm around the shoulder of the adventurer team''s captain. Laughing heartily and cracking bawdy jokes, they looked like the closest of brothers. "Where have you been striking it rich lately, bro?" Siegfried asked. The adventurer captain waved his hand and sighed resignedly: "Don''t even ask. Business has been abysmal lately. There weren''t many powerful monsters at the border to begin with, and since the kingdom went to war, merchant caravans have become scarce. We can''t even find work as guards anymore." Siegfried patted the captain''s shoulder with an empathetic look: "Times are tough for everyone. Just the other day, I saw a group of deserters who fled from the capital. After they ran out of food, they started raiding villages." Hearing this, the adventurer captain let out another long sigh and complained: "Tell me about it! Recently, all we''ve been getting are missions like finding missing people, looking for lost cats, oh, and even searching for the missing princess. Is this really what we adventurers should be doing?" Siegfried''s eyebrows twitched, and a shadow immediately fell over his heart. "The capital is still better," the captain continued. "A few years ago, the Rose Queen learned from the neighboring empire and built a sewer system. Since then, adventurers in the capital have never been out of work. There are always monsters in the sewers waiting to be killed. It''s practically a gold mine." The adventurer captain, oblivious to Siegfried''s unease, continued to daydream and boast: "If only I could encounter an ancient dragon! They say these creatures love to hoard gold and silver treasures. Taking down one of those would set me up for life!" A nearby adventurer dressed as a ranger immediately burst into laughter: "Pfft, dream on! With your C-rank skills, you''d struggle even with a nest of goblins, let alone a dragon." "What''s wrong with a little dreaming?" the captain retorted. Just as Siegfried was about to find an excuse to slip away, the drunken adventurer captain leaned in close again, apparently having truly accepted Siegfried as a brother. "Brother, judging by your attire, you must be a mage, right? Being a mage is truly great. You can always find work, no matter the times, and the ladies love you." Siegfried was still dressed in his black robe, with his hair hidden under the hood. Usually, only fugitives and mages dress this way. "Hahaha, you flatter me, brother. Let me show you a trick or two!" With that, Siegfried flipped a gold Moen coin. The coin spun rapidly in the air before Siegfried caught it with a snap. But when he opened his palm, the gold coin had vanished. "Whoa~" The surrounding adventurers collectively gasped in awe. "Hey, let me through, make way! How did you do that? Where did the coin go?" A female adventurer wearing somewhat revealing clothes squeezed through the crowd to Siegfried''s side. Her eyes were wide with curiosity. She had an attractive figure, especially the curves of her buttocks in those tight shorts, which were hard to forget once seen. Seeing the young lady''s enthusiasm, Siegfried changed his target and reached towards her, pulling the gold coin out of her chestnut curls. In an instant, the whole place erupted! "Huh? How did it end up there?" "That''s amazing, bro!" "Brother, what''s your elemental affinity? I''m a mage too. Can you teach me? I can pay!" Siegfried drained the beer from his large wooden mug in one gulp. As he stood up, he reached out and gave the female adventurer''s bottom a squeeze. The woman yelped, covering her behind and darting to the side, her face flushed bright red. Siegfried laughed raucously and staggered upstairs under everyone''s gaze. This wasn''t just being a scoundrel; it was the epitome of scoundrel behavior! All four of Roland''s group were waiting in the room for Siegfried to return. The guy had been drinking downstairs for almost two hours, as if he had completely forgotten why they were here. Several times, Roland had wanted to go down and call him up, but every time he saw that smug, arrogant face and heard that unrestrained laughter, he felt his anger rising. He was afraid he might lose control and give this Meilan lord a beating, but he also didn''t dare send Kriemhild to call him, as that would likely just result in one more drunk person. Yang Jing sat quietly on the bed, flipping through the Wanderer''s Manual, reading about how to make a cool entrance using smoke bombs. She knew Siegfried was gathering information and would return when the time was right. Finally, the door opened, and a drunk with a flushed face and reeking of alcohol stumbled in, supporting himself on the doorknob.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Just as Roland was about to start cursing, Siegfried slammed the door shut. In that instant, all signs of drunkenness vanished from Siegfried''s face, replaced by a serious expression and cold eyes. Roland was left speechless, swallowing all the prepared arguments. "We have a problem," Siegfried said concisely. Yang Jing looked up, frowning silently to express her question. "Star Plum, did you send out that letter?" "Yes, I mailed it when we came to the city yesterday, using magical transmission." It was a false battle report addressed to Roderick, written in Yang Jing''s handwriting. The content basically stated that the operation was very successful, and Kriemhild had been killed. However... "Roderick found out. He submitted a request to the Adventurers'' Guild yesterday to search for Kriemhild." "What!" Roland exclaimed in disbelief. Kriemhild clutched the hem of her dress, muttering nervously, "My brother..." Logically, Yang Jing''s report should have been the first-hand information. There was no reason for Roderick to know the outcome before receiving Yang Jing''s report. Siegfried took a deep breath and looked at Yang Jing with some amusement: "It seems that the Second Prince doesn''t trust you very much either." "He... trusts no one," Yang Jing replied as calmly as ever, as if all of this was within her expectations. (Tch, so difficult to deal with.) Siegfried felt uncomfortable. He always felt like he was playing chess against another version of himself. "Anyway, the plan to fake death and escape has failed, and Star Plum''s cover is blown. The enemy will continue to search for us, so we need to be careful when going out in the future. Roland, don''t bring out that big sword of yours unless necessary." "And you, your outfit..." Siegfried had only spoken half his sentence when he saw Yang Jing''s cold gaze directed at him. He involuntarily swallowed and said, "Never mind, as long as you''re happy..." At this moment, the wall clock pointed to five in the evening. Siegfried took out the invitation from the Wanderer''s Manual and said in a deep voice: "It''s about time. Let''s go." ...... 4 Golden Wheat Street Following the map attached to the invitation, the group of four arrived at the front of this huge, elegant mansion after many twists and turns. This street was the wealthiest district in the entire city of Conston. It was lined with mansions like the one before them. The residents here were mostly clerics of the Sun God Church or extremely wealthy merchants. The residence of the city''s lord, Count Conston, was also on this street. An underground auction being held openly in such a luxurious and conspicuous mansion clearly indicated who was behind it. At the main gate, a handsome male attendant in a tailcoat approached. Siegfried was stunned when he saw him. This male attendant had four ears: two behind his eyes like a normal human, and another pair of cat ears on top of his head. He also had a thin, long cat tail behind him. (It''s a man! Damn it! Why couldn''t it be a cat-eared girl!) "Are you here for the auction? May I see your invitation, please?" The group had already changed into evening wear, all wearing masks, with Siegfried adding a hood on top. These were the rules of this auction. Because they were selling items that couldn''t be shown in public, all participants'' identities had to be kept secret. Except for the organizers, no one knew who was sitting next to them. "Are you a demi-human?" Roland''s deep voice came from behind his mask, and it was clear that even before the auction started, his mood was already turning sour. "Yes, sir. If you''re uncomfortable with my race, I can call a human attendant to serve you." Demi-humans were a race born from the interbreeding of humans and beastmen. They had characteristics of both humans and beastmen, and not every demi-human looked human-like. Most were neither here nor there, looking both human and beast-like, and were discriminated against and ostracized in both human and beastmen societies, in stark contrast to half-elves. Handsome cat-men like the one before them, with human features far outweighing beastmen features, were extremely rare. Demi-humans were distributed in the western part of the Qilan Continent, in the Beastmen Federation. They were all born to human women who had been abducted by beastmen. Their presence here meant... "It''s alright, we don''t mind that... May I ask... are you a slave?" Kriemhild spoke up on Roland''s behalf, her voice a bit hesitant. "Yes, madam. I was bought by my master from the Holy Beast Federation." The Holy Beast Federation was what those Furries called themselves. Siegfried stepped forward and handed the invitation from his pocket to the cat-man attendant for verification. "Ah, Mr. Loxier, we''ve been expecting you. If you don''t mind, please allow me to show you the way." "Certainly, thank you." (Although I''d prefer a cat-eared beautiful girl...) Hearing the words of thanks, the cat-man was visibly startled. He quickly waved his hands and said: "No, no, this is all part of my duty. It''s my honor to serve you." Suddenly, he noticed Bobo, who was hidden behind the three, and his tone became a bit troubled: "I''m sorry, but each invitation only allows three people to enter." Siegfried had anticipated this. He had specifically brought this Garden People scout for a reason. Siegfried pointed at Bobo, then at the cat-man attendant, and said with a half-smile: "He is the same as you." ...... The group of four was led by the male attendant to a spacious and luxurious banquet hall. The situation of slaves could be seen from this incident. An invitation was only supposed to allow three people to enter the auction, but Bobo still came in with them. The reason was simple: his current status was that of a slave, and he didn''t count as a person. Bobo was a slave bought by the royal family. Although slavery was abolished after the Rose Queen came to power, years of enslaved life had been ingrained in Bobo''s bones. He still instinctively bowed and scraped to everyone, even those soldiers of the same rank as him could order him around. A large part of Siegfried''s plan this time would involve him, which was why he insisted on bringing Bobo along. At this moment, quite a few people were already standing in the hall. They were all wearing similar style evening dresses and masks. Some were quietly eating the refreshments provided by the organizers, while others were whispering to each other about their goals for this trip. Siegfried held the Wanderer''s Manual, and information about everyone in the hall continuously appeared in this magical book. Earls, viscounts, barons, merchants, and even clerics - all sorts of people were present. As Siegfried looked at this information, a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth. He had gotten the leverage he needed. At this moment, the lights in the hall dimmed, and a man wearing extravagant and gaudy clothes on the second-floor platform spoke in a high-pitched voice: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this auction. On behalf of the organizers, I extend a warm welcome to all of you!" A round of enthusiastic applause erupted from below. Kriemhild and Roland didn''t applaud. In their eyes, this was just a celebration for beasts. "Well then, without further ado, let''s introduce the first item. Wow~ I didn''t expect such an exciting start. A shield of a Rose Knight, starting bid one copper Moen." """ Chapter 30: Bidding Wars The Rose Knights - five years ago, they were the personal knight order of the Rose Queen, whose name was known throughout the continent. Each Rose Knight was one in ten thousand, a battle-hardened warrior. Among them emerged super-talents like Roland, who was acknowledged by Durandal. They were the Queen''s blade and the kingdom''s shield. This knight order, built from scratch by the Rose Queen, brought new life to a dying kingdom. Time has changed. The peerless Queen now rests in eternal sleep, and the knight order that once dominated the kingdom and even made the Ophis Emperor wary has been divided and dissolved by various factions. However, the crimson rose emblazoned on their shields remained the pride of every Rose Knight, symbolizing that era of reform and hope. "A shield of a Rose Knight, starting bid one copper Moen." Though Siegfried never witnessed that hopeful era, he could glimpse how admirable that time was and how revered the Queen was through Roland''s current behavior. The Golden Knight''s terrifying power was forcefully compressed within a radius of less than two meters. The enraged Roland was like a dangerous container of nitroglycerin - one slight touch could blow up the entire auction house. "You damn bastards!" Siegfried looked at Roland in surprise. This genius knight was using all his strength to control his erupting emotions, keeping his presence below others'' notice. To be honest, Siegfried hadn''t wanted to bring Roland along. This hot-headed knight might ruin Siegfried''s plans. But Catalina was even less reliable, and Yang Jing had other matters to attend to. With the team currently short on talent, they had no choice but to multitask. He had prepared two plans: if Roland didn''t lose control, they would proceed with the original plan. If Roland did lose it, they would activate Plan B - kill everyone present without hesitation, grab the money and run, treating it like a one-time story quest. Roland was breathing heavily, cursing under his breath, but ultimately held himself back. This actually impressed Siegfried somewhat. Siegfried had planned to use Roland''s behavior at this auction to determine whether he would be just a simple fighter in future plans or someone who could be trusted with details as a core member. "Hahaha, I bid two copper Moen!" "I bid three!" "What are you doing? This is a relic of the great Queen! I bid five copper Moen." "I bid ten, don''t fight me for it!" Mocking laughter and a series of malicious bids rang out around them. Most of these people had been affected by the great reforms of that time, and now they were frantically taking revenge on the deceased Rose Queen in this way. Siegfried found it quite amusing - whether on Earth or in another world, such things always followed the same pattern. However, just as he was secretly sneering, a clear, sweet voice rang through the auction house. "I bid 100,000 gold Moen!" "..." Dead silence. Siegfried spat out the red wine he had just sipped. (Hahaha, which idiot would waste so much money on something like this?) He looked around to see what this sucker looked like, thinking maybe he could cozy up to them and scam some money. Not far away, a young lady in a black evening gown with gray hair was standing on tiptoes with her hand raised high. Siegfried''s smile instantly froze, and he rushed over in three quick steps. "What are you doing?!"Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "This belonged to my mother, how could we let it fall into their hands!" "We don''t have that much money to buy it!" "But according to the plan, we don''t need to pay anyway." "Ah... well... that''s true..." After all, They didn''t need to pay. The auctioneer was also stunned, taking a while to react. "Uh, young lady, did you say... you''re bidding 100,000 gold Moen??" Gold Moen, as the name suggests, was the official currency of the Kingdom of Moen. One gold Moen equaled one hundred silver Moen, and one silver Moen equaled one hundred copper Moen. A loaf of black bread on the market cost about two copper Moen, and one gold Moen was enough for a family of three to live comfortably in the capital for a year and a half. 100,000 gold Moen... forget the shield, it was enough to buy this entire mansion. However, before the auctioneer could get a response, another somewhat flamboyant voice rang out. "I bid 150,000 gold Moen!" "Hiss~" Everyone drew in a sharp breath. What was going on? Did they have too much money to spend? Siegfried raised his hand, adding another 50,000 in one go. He had always wanted to try the thrill of throwing money around, and since they didn''t have to pay, why not enjoy it properly! "This... sir... are you... are you sure?" The auctioneer was sweating profusely, feeling he had encountered two lunatics today. "I must warn you, malicious bidding will be severely punished. You can still withdraw your bid now." Siegfried pulled out his invitation and waved it high above his head for all to see, shouting: "I am the president of the Loxier Merchant Association! I''m taking over this auction today! Remember! My name is Loxier!" "Tch, so it''s that nouveau riche." "Such tasteless things, this is why I say these country merchants..." "Never mind, if he wants to waste money on this thing, let him..." Whispers arose around them - apparently, this dead merchant was quite well-known in the area. Seeing Siegfried''s confidence, the auctioneer hesitated no more and struck his gavel. "Since there are no more bids, congratulations to Mr. Loxier on winning this item." The auction continued, with subsequent items being antiques, paintings, magical equipment, and other unremarkable items. However... "This battle mage''s armguard, starting bid 10,000 gold Moen." "I bid 800,000!" "This porcelain from the ancient Turing Dynasty, starting bid twenty..." "I bid 1.8 million!" The four of them, stationed at different corners, bid astronomical amounts, turning the auction into their bragging competition. Now not just the auctioneer, but all attendees were dumbfounded. What were they doing? Coming to cause trouble? Causing trouble in Count Conston''s territory? Were they tired of living? The auctioneer was nearly in tears, as these four had claimed almost all items for the entire evening. Several times he wanted to stop the auction, but there was a special item in this auction, and the Count had specifically instructed that nothing should go wrong. He had thought about calling the guards to throw out these troublemakers, but among the four, there was one particularly tall and imposing figure who looked quite formidable. If things got ugly, they might not come out on top. The auctioneer had ten thousand curses in his heart but could only swallow them down and continue the auction with gritted teeth. After all, if these people couldn''t produce the money later, they wouldn''t be leaving this mansion. Worst case, they could hold another auction tomorrow. Below the stage, Siegfried noticed the time seemed about right. He put his finger to his temple and called out in his mind: "Hey, Yang Jing, can you hear me?" Soon, a cool voice responded in his mind. "I''m here." They were both under Historian Shannon''s jurisdiction, and after signing that contract, they could communicate directly in their minds like this. The downside was that sometimes uncontrolled private thoughts would flow into each other''s heads. "Is everything settled?" "Yes." "Thanks..." "Could you also check where that merchant''s vault is?" "Get lost." "(¨i¨s^¨t¨i)" Just as their conversation ended, a black-clad maid hurriedly ran to the auctioneer''s side and whispered something in his ear. The auctioneer''s face showed clear surprise, but he quickly regained composure. He put on his enthusiastic smile again and announced in a high-pitched voice: "We''ve just received news that before our final item of the night, we''ve decided to add a rather special item." "Added last minute?" "What could it be?" "It''s not on the list..." Amidst the whispers, a provocatively dressed maid walked to the front with a tray carrying a peculiarly shaped glass vial. On the transparent bottle body was clearly engraved a string of letters not belonging to this world. "el" """ Chapter 31: Water Made of Gold "What is that? A healing potion?" "Are you joking? No healing potion comes in that color." The host didn''t explain immediately, instead letting the guests discuss among themselves. This was his tried-and-true tactic to build interest and maximize profits during the bidding phase. Once the murmurs from the audience subsided, he continued: "This is a luxury item called perfume, provided by a lady from the capital. As for its effects, I believe a demonstration would be most convincing." The host unscrewed the cap and applied some of the pink liquid to the necks and arms of two nearby maids. These two maids, provocatively dressed and beautiful, walked through the crowd with seductive steps. They too were merchandise, available for purchase if any distinguished guest desired them. Wherever they passed, they left behind an intoxicating fragrance that lingered in the air. "This is...!" "Quick! Buy it!" "I must have this! You have to get it for me!" The crowd immediately erupted in excitement, especially the female guests, who seemed completely defenseless against the fragrance. Meanwhile, the sharp-eyed merchants had already discerned the true nature of this so-called perfume. "This perfume thing is quite interesting." "What perfume? This is pure gold in liquid form!" Siegfried, seated in a shadowy corner of the hall, couldn''t suppress a smile. Yes, this item was his - or rather, something he had cleverly obtained from Yang Jing. Earlier, when he saw Yang Jing take out this bottle of Chanel from her inventory, he had already formed a plan. Although Shannon had said that technological products from other eras couldn''t be removed from the inventory, perfume apparently didn''t fall into that category. After much persuasion, Siegfried finally acquired this bottle of Chanel from Yang Jing, despite her obvious disgust. (He would owe her two bottles later.) Yang Jing''s task this time was to negotiate with the organizers to add this item to the auction at the last minute. The negotiation had clearly succeeded - quite an achievement for that expressionless beauty. "I believe you now understand the value of perfume. But please, don''t be hasty. What we''re auctioning is not this bottle of perfume, but rather..." The host paused deliberately before continuing: "Its formula." At this moment, Siegfried could clearly hear the collective intake of breath around him. "How much money did you bring?" "Not nearly enough. I came for the final item. Damn it, who could have predicted such a business opportunity?" "Forget that one. We must secure this formula at any cost." The crowd, especially the merchants, was in an uproar. They understood that the production cost of this perfume was likely minimal, and they knew that once it became widespread, imitators would emerge.Stolen novel; please report. But they also realized that whoever obtained the formula first would have the chance to monopolize this new product''s market, potentially becoming one of the leading merchant guilds in the Kingdom of Moen or even across the continent. As for whether the perfume would sell? A foolish question. One look at the ladies present, practically salivating, answered that. "The starting bid is 500,000 gold moens, with minimum increments of 10,000. Though expensive, I trust you understand its value." Five hundred thousand was merely the opening price. Acquiring the technique to craft this luxury item and marketing it to nobility and the upper class would yield annual returns far exceeding this amount. If they could develop an affordable version for common people, the profits would be astronomical. "550,000!" "600,000!" "700,000!" Bids flew from the audience as soon as the host finished speaking. Siegfried participated too, adding 10,000 whenever bidding seemed to slow, drawing mockery from others. People assumed this nouveau riche had exhausted his funds earlier, hence his modest bids. Watching the rapidly climbing prices, Siegfried could barely contain his grin. In his twenty-plus years, he''d never seen money flow so easily. So this was the power of being a transmigrator - absolutely fantastic! Just then, a leisurely voice cut through the chaos: "Enough. One million." The venue fell silent for the first time. All eyes turned to the middle-aged man who had spoken. He was corpulent and broad-shouldered, every inch the wealthy merchant. A cigar rested between his fingers, occasionally releasing white smoke rings. The Wanderer''s Manual displayed his name: Kortman. Siegfried''s eyebrows twitched. The target had taken the bait. Kortman, a slave trader, was the provider of the auction''s final item and the true target of this plan. The perfume formula was merely bait. Siegfried didn''t actually possess Chanel''s formula - if he had, he''d be manufacturing perfume himself rather than participating in this auction. He''d even thought of a brand name: Siegnel. The corpulent middle-aged man stood up, removed his mask, and bowed to the crowd, announcing loudly: "Good evening, everyone. I am Kortman. Our guild provided the final item in today''s auction. I believe you''re all familiar with our line of business. I hope you''ll extend me this courtesy - in return, you''ll all enjoy preferential rates in future dealings with our guild." Though his gestures were courteous, his tone dripped with arrogance, clearly considering the formula already his. The crowd fell silent. Not for the promised discounts, but out of wariness toward the figure behind the slave trading guild. For this guild to operate the slave trade in the southern region as mere commoners, they must have powerful backing. In truth, Kortman and his guild were merely extensions of that person - the true operator of the slave trade. Now that Kortman had bid, this fat man who''d remained silent all evening had finally shown his hand for this formula. The message was clear: his master wanted the perfume formula. "What''s their problem? Isn''t their business big enough already?" "Quiet! Do you have a death wish?" Whispers rippled through the crowd, everyone angry but afraid to speak out. Not only were they outmatched in power, but they were also on enemy territory. Any real conflict might prove fatal. Siegfried was seething. He''d estimated the formula could fetch at least 3 million or more, but this fat bastard''s single statement had evaporated half that potential. (You dog, blocking someone''s wealth is like killing their parents. Just wait and see how I deal with you later.) "One million once, one million twice, one million three times! Sold!" The host''s gavel fell with unusual speed, as if fearing another bid. (Keep hammering away. There won''t be any formula, of course. But the money - that stays.) Finally, the auction neared its end, signaling the arrival of "the one" everyone had been discussing. The audience held their breath. More than half had come specifically for this final item. They''d brought the majority of their wealth, determined to secure this last piece at any cost. "The final item!" Accompanying the host''s elevated voice came the sharp clinking of iron chains. A muscular demi-human guard approached, holding two iron chains. At the other ends were two beautiful girls who looked like divine creations. "A pair of young high elf twins! Starting price: 3 million gold moens, minimum bid increments of 100,000 gold moens." Chapter 32: Two Billion In the dimly lit auction hall, two strikingly beautiful young girls with nearly identical features were dragged onto the stage, bound in chains. They wore deliberately torn prison uniforms, their exposed fair skin resembling exquisitely carved jade statues, emanating a soft radiance. Despite their tattered clothing and faces smeared with dirt and grime, their beauty remained undeniable. Both girls possessed deep, clear blue eyes like the ocean, cheeks as white and delicate as pearls, and soft cherry-red lips that tempted one to kiss them. Their ice-blue hair cascaded like shimmering waterfalls, captivating all who beheld them. The young girls clung to each other in fear, their pointed ears trembling incessantly. They saw the people below, those whose breathing intensified at the sight of them, eyes blazing with desire behind their masks, like animals in heat. (So these are elves?) Siegfried was also taken aback. He had thought Kriemhild was the epitome of beauty, but now he realized how naive he had been. This was, after all, another world. The crowd fell silent for a moment, stunned by the elven maidens'' appearance. This calm before the storm was quickly shattered by a tsunami of frenzied bidding. The nobility and wealthy, who usually prided themselves on their elegance, now showed not a shred of dignity. The men among them surged towards the stage, holding up their number plates like a tidal wave, trying to catch glimpses of skin through the tears in the prison uniforms. Just as Kriemhild and the others had said, this was a feast for beasts. You might wonder, are two pretty elves really worth such madness? The answer is complex and requires an explanation of the magic system in the Qilan Continent. As mentioned before, magic in this world isn''t easily accessible. It requires three elements: magical power, intelligence, and elemental affinity. Among these, elemental affinity is undoubtedly the most crucial. Every creature in this world possesses elemental affinity, and the level of this affinity directly determines the tier of elemental magic one can use. Taking humans as an example, each person has affinities for the four basic elements: earth, fire, wind, and water. However, most people''s affinities are low. No matter how hard they study magic, they can only manage minor tricks like shooting water or producing small flames. Such people are everywhere in the kingdom, their abilities more akin to parlor tricks than true magic. Siegfried affectionately dubbed these people without elemental affinity as "muggles." The small percentage of humans with higher elemental affinities are recruited by various factions and sent to magic academies to become mages. While humans rely on luck for high elemental affinity, elves are different. Every elf is born with an extremely high affinity for a particular element, making them natural mages. Not only do they possess affinities for the four basic elements, but also for higher elements like lightning, forest, and ice - affinities impossible for humans to attain. Their elemental affinity is so strong that it manifests in their hair color. For instance, the ice-blue hair of these two elven girls likely indicates they are kin to the Ice Elf King from the Far North Ice Forest. While there are various methods to increase magical power, ways to enhance elemental affinity are almost non-existent.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Elemental affinity is so rare that any elixir or method to improve it would cause adventurers to fight tooth and nail for it. And elves are one such "elixir." Don''t misunderstand - this doesn''t mean cooking and eating elves. It refers to the offspring produced by mating with elves, known as half-elves. Half-elves possess both human creativity and elven elemental affinity. In fact, the three "Elders" among human nations, known as super-tier mages, are all half-elves. Our dear little brother Darren is one of them, a sixth-tier mid-level mage at a young age, surpassing 80% of human mages. His light green hair is proof of his high-level wind elemental affinity. Imagine what would happen if a family kept an elf captive. With their long lifespans, elves could produce generations of half-elves. After a century, an entire magical army of half-elves would emerge. At that point, not only could they dominate a region, but they could even establish their own kingdom. Moreover, elves are universally beautiful, eternally youthful, skilled in both magic and archery. They''re ideal whether as playthings or trained as bodyguards. These twin girls, being young, would be even easier to mold. Now you can understand why these people are so frenzied. The so-called other world isn''t something to be envied. Unless you''re the protagonist, you''d likely end up like these elven girls, at the mercy of others. Fortunately, Siegfried is the protagonist. "Two billion!" An ice-cold voice echoed through the auction hall. The farce had gone on long enough, and sufficient evidence had been gathered. It was time to act. From the shadows emerged a man in a black suit with a hood, walking slowly. The crowd instinctively parted, creating a path for him. He stood there, as if he were the protagonist of the world. The host''s face contorted, but maintaining professional composure, he suppressed his anger and reminded: "Mr. Loxier, I mentioned earlier that reckless bidding would be punished. Did you not hear me?" "I said, two billion. I want these two elves." "Are you insane? The kingdom''s tax revenue for ten years doesn''t amount to that much! Where did you conjure up such money?!" The host was so enraged his nose seemed to twist. He had never encountered someone so unreasonable. Did this person have a death wish? "Heh, is that so? I don''t know about the kingdom''s tax revenue. But I do know that today, you won''t earn a single coin." "Enough! I''ve had it! Guards! Guards, drag this madman out of here." The double doors on both sides of the auction hall burst open as two squads of fully armed soldiers rushed in, grabbing Siegfried''s arms to haul him away. Being "dragged out" meant being taken outside and executed, followed by a thorough purge of this person''s influence in Count Konstantin''s domain. Amidst the intense struggle, the black hood slowly slipped off... Exposed to the light was a head of jet-black short hair, dark as the night sky. Silence fell. The host who had been fuming moments ago fell silent. The crowd that had been mocking Siegfried fell silent. The soldiers gripping Siegfried''s arms fell silent. The entire world fell silent. No moment tonight had been as quiet as this. The black-haired man was like a black hole. He stood there motionless, yet he absorbed all sound, all gazes. Even the dazzling radiance of the two elven girls was crushed to dust beneath this black hole. Siegfried slowly removed the mask from his face, revealing the delicate features of a smiling young man. It wasn''t the face of the merchant Loxier. No one here recognized this smiling youth. But they recognized that black hair, those black eyes now filled with mockery and derision. They watched as the gentle smile on the black-haired youth''s face twisted uncontrollably, gradually transforming into an intensely cold sneer. "What exactly... do you think you''re doing?" """ Chapter 33: Is One Million a Bit Too Low? "You... you''re not Loxier?" The host wanted to slap himself as soon as he asked this question - what a foolish thing to say! Of course this wasn''t Loxier! "Loxier? Oh, you mean that merchant. He''s dead. As for me... do I need to introduce myself?" "No, no, no, Mr. Meilan. I must be blind. I was just running my mouth thoughtlessly." "Is that so? From the looks of things here, you were aiming for more than just running your mouths, weren''t you?" Siegfried spread his arms wide, palms facing upward, letting out an arrogant laugh. "Hahaha, let me tell you a secret - I''m not even a Hero yet. You''re all welcome to try your luck." As soon as he finished speaking, the two soldiers standing behind him who had been grabbing his shoulders suddenly stiffened. Their heads rolled off their necks with a thud, landing precisely in Siegfried''s outstretched palms - a truly horrifying sight. Crimson fountains erupted from the headless bodies, spraying a shower of blood across the elegant banquet hall. The black-haired youth stood there holding two severed heads, bathed in the red rain, his white teeth gleaming in a chilling smile as he shouted defiantly: "Come on!" In that moment, everyone remembered a crucial fact: The Hero of the Meilan family was known as the God of Death. As the two bodies collapsed limply to the floor, the crowd finally reacted. "How... how did they die?" "A Hero! Why is a Hero here?!" "I didn''t... I didn''t buy anything! Please have mercy, noble Hero!" "Me too, I was just here to look around..." They screamed and wailed, desperately pressing themselves against the walls, trying to get as far from that demon as possible since Siegfried was blocking the exit. Siegfried ignored their panic - because he himself was so terrified his legs had turned to jelly. "Yang Jing! Yang Jing! What have you done?!" "Didn''t you ask for a shocking entrance?" "It''s meaningless if I''m shocked too!" Those two soldiers had been killed by Yang Jing. Though he didn''t know what method she''d used, it was definitely her handiwork. Siegfried had asked her to arrange an impressive entrance, since she was skilled at such things. Well, "impressive" wasn''t quite the word for this outcome. "Terrifying" would be more accurate. This wasn''t a hero''s entrance - it was more fitting for a Demon King! However, despite holding two severed heads and shaking legs, Siegfried''s greatest strength was his exceptional psychological resilience. He casually tossed the heads aside, cleared the path, and smoothly recited the names of all participants. "Viscount Stuart, Baron Morton, Mr. Benetes, Father Prinhole, and all you other pieces of trash - I''ve noted down every single one of your names. If any of you breathe a word about what you''ve witnessed tonight to anyone, in any way... I promise your fate will be far worse than these two.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Don''t speak. Keep your mouths shut. You have ten seconds to grab your heads and scramble out of here, pretending to be in panic. Anyone still here after ten seconds... Dies!" The nobles and wealthy merchants rushed toward the exit like drowning men grasping at straws. Though they were panic-stricken and terrified, none dared to scream - the terrifying Meilan had ordered their silence. A corpulent figure tried to blend into the crowd, being pushed toward the door. Siegfried spotted the slave trader Kortman attempting to slip away and let out a cold snort. "Roland, do it." From a corner of the hall, a gleaming knight''s sword whistled through the air, precisely piercing the collar of Kortman''s formal attire. The man''s heavy body was lifted into the air by the flying sword and pinned to the wall. "Mr. Kortman, where do you think you''re going?" Kortman''s fat frame trembled violently, nearly fainting from fear. He felt deeply wronged. He was just a minor manager handling accounts for the association. The major deals and despicable schemes were all the president''s doing. Even if the Hero wanted to kill someone, it shouldn''t be him. "Hero, Hero, I was wrong! I shouldn''t have done this business. Please spare my life - I''ll never dare to do it again!" If he hadn''t been pinned to the wall, he would have been kowtowing frantically. "That formula of mine was quite valuable. One million seems rather low, don''t you think?" "That formula was yours? I didn''t know, I truly didn''t know! Had I known, how would I dare to lowball your price?" His crotch was already soaked, emitting a pungent odor. Siegfried covered his nose in disgust. "You have the nerve to deal in slaves, but you''re not prepared to die?" "I deserve death, I deserve death!" Still pinned to the wall, Kortman began slapping himself vigorously. He put such effort into it that his already swollen face became even more bloated. Siegfried reached out to remove the sword but found he couldn''t budge it after several attempts... He withdrew his hand sheepishly, maintaining a casual expression as he continued: "Don''t worry, I won''t kill you. I''m here to do business today." Just killing you like this? That would be too wasteful. Siegfried turned away and ascended to the second-floor platform where Kriemhild and the others were waiting. The host was kneeling on the ground, trembling uncontrollably. Sean felt like he had seen a ghost today. A perfectly normal auction had first been disrupted by a madman, then by three troublemakers. He had thought himself patient for holding back until the end, but he had struck an iron plate and shattered his knuckles in the process. For the first time, he cursed the auction''s rule of hidden identities. Had he known from the start this was a Meilan, he would have given away all the goods without a single word of protest if asked. Now it was too late - he had angered the man, and his life hung by a thread. "Mr. Host - ah, let me see, Sean, is it? Were you the one who wanted to drag me out earlier?" Sean pressed his forehead to the ground, too terrified to speak, just trembling non-stop. "Don''t be so quiet. That''s no fun." Siegfried grabbed Sean''s hair and yanked his head up. "Tell Konstantin to enjoy himself while he can. His days are numbered." Siegfried had two purposes for personally attending this auction. The first was to establish a connection with Kortman. The second was to send a message to Count Konstantin through the auction organizer - that a Meilan was in his city and knew about his slave trade operations. Without doubt, Count Konstantin would be so terrified he couldn''t sleep, constantly fearing this Meilan might come for his head. His next moves would be predictable. He would gather all available troops to guard his mansion, which would inevitably weaken the search for the princess, thus reducing pressure on Siegfried. The count''s mansion would need to be dealt with eventually, but not like this. For now, the priority was raising funds and gathering talent. He stood up, no longer looking at Sean cowering on the ground. "I''ll spare your worthless life. Just remember to deliver my message, understood?~" "Bring Kortman. We''re leaving." Chapter 34: The Hoover Trading Company After leaving the mansion, the group of four split into two teams. Kriemhild and Roland took the twin elves and the spoils from the mansion back to "The Stallion Banner" first. Siegfried took Bobo and Kortman to their trading company to "discuss business." "Lord Hero, what exactly are you planning to do?" "I told you, to discuss business with your company." In the carriage, Siegfried and Kortman sat facing each other. Kortman was completely bewildered, as this Hero had been speaking in riddles the whole way. Business? What business? Would a Hero ever be short of money? These divine-like figures could get whatever they wanted - local lords would rush to welcome them with their entire families, eager to fulfill any request. Was there any need for business? Kortman strongly suspected this man simply wanted to follow him to the company headquarters and then take over the entire operation. Thinking of this, Kortman broke into a cold sweat, his bladder threatening to give way again. Siegfried noticed Kortman''s concerns and pointed at Bobo, who was driving the carriage. "Don''t be so tense. I''m not against slavery - see him? He''s a slave. Isn''t that right, Bobo?" "Yes, yes, my lord! I am your faithful servant!" Bobo immediately turned his head with a fawning smile, his demeanor so subservient it made Siegfried sick. This was supposed to be an act, but Bobo was clearly being genuine. He was no longer a slave, but the servile nature ingrained in his bones remained unchanged. This Garden Person made Siegfried very uncomfortable, as if he was deliberately degrading himself. Siegfried couldn''t understand why he had developed such a personality. Siegfried believed that while a person didn''t need to be clever, kind, or capable, they must have dignity. He thought highly of this Garden Person scout - according to the Wanderer''s Manual, Bobo had B-rank leadership ability. In his plans, if Yang Jing ever left, the position of Intelligence Director would be given to Bobo. Loyalty could be cultivated, skills could be trained, but if this Garden Person degraded himself like this, what was the point? What subordinate would follow such a worthless superior? Siegfried''s mood darkened, but across from him, Kortman felt like the clouds had parted. (So this Hero doesn''t oppose slavery after all. That makes sense - many past heroes had companions who were former slaves. Is he here to negotiate the price of the formula?) At this thought, Kortman wanted to slap himself. The boss had actually given him two million gold Moen in funds, telling him that if there were any good items at the auction, he should acquire them at a low price and resell them through the company. The more money Kortman saved, the more he could keep for himself. So greed had led him to try to snatch the formula at a low price and pocket the remaining funds. Who knew he''d end up losing more than he gained, pulling the tiger''s tail instead of wool. "Lord Hero, for that formula, I''m willing to offer..." Kortman gritted his teeth, "three million gold Moen! Would that be acceptable?" Siegfried''s eyebrows twitched - it seemed this slave merchant had misunderstood again. He waved his hand: "I''m not here to discuss the formula, though since you mentioned it, have the three million loaded onto the carriage later." "Huh? Then what did you want to discuss?" "When meeting a slave merchant, naturally it''s to buy slaves." "You... you want to purchase slaves?" A Hero wanting to buy slaves? Had finding companions become so difficult for heroes these days? (Could it be that this Lord Meilan isn''t very likeable? Well, looking at his arrogant demeanor, he probably doesn''t have many friends...) Siegfried could tell at a glance that Kortman was thinking something impolite. He gave Kortman a cold look, making him immediately sit up straight. "How many slaves does your company have?" "Uh, I''m not sure of the exact number, but around two hundred or so?" (So many! What a jackpot, this is going to be profitable.) "Take me directly to your market. I need quite a few." "Um, Lord Hero, may I boldly ask what you need so many slaves for?" (What for? To form an army and take over the Earl''s territory, of course.) Siegfried raised his eyelids, giving Kortman a strange look: "You... want to know?" Kortman felt his heart turn cold. He hurriedly shook his head, his fat jiggling violently with the motion.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. "No, no, no! I don''t want to know, not at all!" "Oh, then hurry up and lead the way." ... 67 Golden Wheat Street, Hoover Trading Company Headquarters Hilton Hoover lounged in his executive chair, gleefully counting today''s profits for the company. He was once the largest slave trader and human trafficker in the Kingdom of Moen, controlling several powerful mercenary groups. These mercenary groups would capture people from all over the continent, and the Hoover Trading Company would then categorize these slaves of various races. Some were sold to the Empire as cheap labor, some to the royal family as loyal assassins, and others to nobles with peculiar tastes. In that era when slave trade was both reasonable and legal, the Hoover Trading Company surpassed the Galloway Trading Company with its strong hard power and extensive trade network, becoming the undisputed number one trading company in the kingdom, enjoying unparalleled prominence. However, all of this vanished into thin air twenty years ago when the Rose Queen took control. That iron-fisted queen mercilessly cracked down on the Hoover Trading Company''s branches throughout the kingdom. His once-powerful mercenaries, who had ravaged various regions, were no match for the Rose Knight Order. Hilton Hoover himself nearly died in the crackdown. The vast commercial empire collapsed overnight, and the Rose Queen used the blood of the Hoover Trading Company to prove her determination for reform to the world. Those were Hilton''s darkest days. He cowered in dark, hidden corners every day, with that bright red rose like a curse clinging to his bones. Every night, he would dream of those death-bringers wielding rose-emblazoned shields bursting through his door to chop off his head. But he finally made it through! The Rose Queen died. She died so suddenly, so unexpectedly, that Hilton initially thought it was a trap to lure him out of hiding. "Hahahahaha, you''re dead after all! No matter how much power you wielded, how brilliant your strategies were, how vigorous you seemed, you still died before me!" This was the first thing Hilton said when he finally basked in the sunlight again. Hilton resumed his old trade. He gathered his surviving old subordinates and, with the strong support of Earl Konstantin, re-established his company in this remote region. This time, he was smarter. He didn''t just deal in slave trade; he also used legitimate businesses to cover his underground trade. He was confident that even if that queen could crawl out of her grave, she wouldn''t be able to catch him red-handed again. The more Hilton thought about it, the happier he became. He stretched lazily in his chair, letting out a comfortable moan. "Ah, I wonder how much today''s goods sold for." Those twin elf girls were obtained through special channels. He didn''t know exactly how they were captured from under the nose of that terrifying Ice Elf King. But that wasn''t important. What mattered was that they could bring him profit. Hilton''s body grew hot. Although he was nearly sixty, he could never suppress his desires when thinking about those pitiful twin sisters. In his mind, he fantasized about how he would indulge with those two beauties tonight. Yes, he never intended to sell the elf twins. He was just using this auction to scam those foolish nobles out of their money. When they jubilantly thought they could take the girls away, the Hoover Trading Company''s mercenaries would pose as bandits and ambush them halfway. Money, people, and lives - they wouldn''t be able to take any of it away. Hilton''s power, or rather the power behind Hilton, was just that formidable. As Hilton was immersed in his sweet dreams, the office door was suddenly pushed open with a bang. "Master, something terrible has happened!" "What are you doing! Haven''t I told you to knock before entering?" Hilton angrily glared at this brainless female secretary. If it weren''t for her decent looks that provided some relaxation after work, he would have fired this useless woman long ago. The female secretary was startled by Hilton''s loud rebuke and froze in place, momentarily flustered. Seeing her frightened again, Hilton shook his head with amusement. Timidity and high obedience were among the few merits of this female secretary. Hilton walked up to the female secretary, softened his expression, and wrapped his arms around her waist. His hands restlessly kneaded the secretary''s body. The night was still young, and Hilton decided to have some fun with this secretary before the two elves were sent back. So, his voice softened as well. "Alright, stop crying. Remember to knock next time; you never learn. Now, tell me, what happened this time?" It was probably just some trivial matter like a slave dying or escaping. This secretary was completely incapable of filtering the importance of matters, always reporting everything to him. The secretary''s face flushed red. This wasn''t the first time such a thing had happened, but she dared not resist, nor could she. "Master, the goods sent to the auction... they''ve been... they''ve been... stolen." Hilton was unfazed, his hands already caressing the secretary''s smooth thighs. At times like this, a man''s brain tends to react slowly. (As expected, it''s just another minor...) "What did you say?!" Hilton suddenly reacted, almost screaming. His mind instantly cleared. "What happened?! Where''s Kortman? Wasn''t he in charge of delivering the goods?" Hilton''s wrinkled old face was filled with rage. His hands gripped the secretary''s shoulders so tightly they almost dug into her flesh. The secretary was in so much pain that tears fell, but she still didn''t dare to resist. "Ugh, I don''t know either. I heard it from an employee who escaped from the auction site." "Escaped? What do you mean escaped? What exactly happened?" Just then, there was a knock on the door. Hilton turned to look. A fat man with a large belly was standing there. His face still showed traces of fear, his flab trembling slightly, and there was a wet patch on his pants. It was Kortman. "Kortman?" "M-Master, I''m back." "You''re back? Where are the goods? What''s with your appearance? What exactly happened?" The enraged Hilton fired off four questions in succession, frightening Kortman so much that he shook even more violently. "M-Master, perhaps you should come out and see for yourself." "No need to trouble yourself. I''ve already come in on my own." A voice full of mockery came from outside the door. Hilton looked towards the source of the voice. Standing there was a young man with black hair and black eyes, holding a book in his hands. He wore an elegant smile on his face and politely bowed to Hilton. "Mr. Hoover, I have some business to discuss with you." At that moment, Hilton felt his blood run cold. """ Chapter 35: The Altar of Death The Adventurer''s Tavern "Stallion Banner" Roland gazed at the room filled with loot, all snatched from the auction site. Everything that had been on offer today was here, including the Rose Knight''s shield. It could be said that the haul was substantial. Kriemhild sat on the floor, excitedly rummaging through the items. She appraised the antiques and equipment with her years of experience in high society, jotting down the values in her personal notebook. The young woman''s eyes grew brighter as she looked. This unexpected windfall would not only clear the village''s debts but also allow their current team to rest and recuperate for a good while. But Roland''s mood was heavy, unable to find any joy in the situation. He held a mug of celebratory ale, but the golden liquid within hadn''t decreased by even a drop. On the bed, two elven maidens with ice-blue hair huddled together, trembling. Although they had left the auction house and the chains around their necks had been cut by Roland, the terror in their eyes showed no signs of abating. Even with the language barrier causing some communication difficulties, Siegfried and his group were still their saviors. They shouldn''t be this frightened. The source of the problem was obvious. "Siegfried Meilan... is he really a hero?" Roland murmured this name, a question he had asked himself many times in his heart. The image of that blood-soaked figure, laughing maniacally while holding a severed head, flashed in his mind. Perhaps there were heroes who enjoyed killing, but they took pleasure in slaying evil. Heroes held an absolute respect for life itself; otherwise, they wouldn''t become heroes. But Siegfried... Roland had a strange feeling. He felt as if, in that man''s eyes, this world wasn''t real. That''s why he could be so indifferent to life. The moment those two guards showed signs of abnormality, Roland had shielded Kriemhild''s eyes, preventing the princess from witnessing that horrifying scene. If Roland hadn''t fought against the Undead Court of the demon race on the frontlines before, able to sense the aura of death when life faded, he wouldn''t have been able to detect the guards'' abnormality so quickly. At that moment, Roland hadn''t sensed any fluctuations in magic or aura, meaning those two guards didn''t die from magic or martial techniques, but from something more bizarre. In the eyes of these two pairs of twins, our group probably seemed no kinder than the slave traders, perhaps even more terrifying. At least the slave traders didn''t laugh while holding severed heads. As Roland was lost in worried thoughts, the princess''s slightly puzzled voice came: "Huh? What''s this?" Roland looked over in response. Kriemhild, who had been tallying the loot, was pulling out a black tapestry embroidered with a strange skull from the pile. One glance, and his pupils constricted sharply. The wooden mug slipped from his hand. Clang! "You fool! Can''t you even manage a cup of tea?!" Hot tea spilled all over the floor as Hilton Hoover glared angrily at his clumsy female secretary. He was increasingly regretting his choice of this stupid woman as his secretary. Weren''t there plenty of smart women who could perform well both in and out of bed? Why did he have to hire such an idiot? "I deeply apologize, Lord Siegfried. Our staff is truly incompetent. I will make sure to discipline her thoroughly later!" On the other hand, his attitude towards Siegfried was extremely respectful, as if he would get down on his knees and lick his shoes if he could. Siegfried didn''t even glance at the fawning Hilton, instead browsing through the Wanderer''s Handbook in his hand. Hilton''s experiences from previous years were laid bare before Siegfried''s eyes. Unfortunately, the experiences of the last five years were blank. It seemed that no Wanderer had contacted him since the Rose Queen''s death. This phenomenon made Siegfried notice something: perhaps behind every major change on the Qilan Continent, there were Wanderers like him pulling strings behind the scenes. He closed the handbook and said in a neutral tone: "No need. I didn''t come here for tea anyway." "How can that be? A noble from the Meilan family gracing our humble establishment is an honor beyond measure. How could I not fulfill my duties as a host?" Siegfried raised an eyebrow, giving Hilton an odd look. "Hilton, if you''re hoping Konstantin will send troops to save you, I advise you to give up that idea. He can barely save himself now." Hilton''s body suddenly stiffened, a bead of cold sweat rolling down his forehead. "Uh... Mr. Siegfried, what are you talking about? I don''t understand your meaning." "You don''t understand?" Siegfried sneered, picking up a cookie from the tea table and biting into it with a sharp crunch. Snap! Hilton''s expensive fur coat, along with his belt and trousers, was split in half right down the middle. The old man''s withered body and limp member were instantly exposed to the air. The clothing was shredded, but there wasn''t a single scratch on his body. A strike of godlike skill. Hilton fell on his backside, his face pale, cold sweat pouring down his neck. "Hilton, do you understand now?" "I... I..." This business tycoon who had dominated the kingdom''s commerce despairingly realized one thing: probably all the guards in the entire earl''s mansion combined wouldn''t be enough for this monster to kill. "Don''t be so tense. I''ve already made it very clear, I really am just here to buy slaves." "Yes! Yes! I understand." "Good. Then take me to your market. I want to see your merchandise with my own eyes." "Ah, yes, of course. Please follow me." The female secretary took a brand new coat from the wardrobe and handed it to Hilton. Judging by her reddened face, she was clearly trying hard not to burst out laughing. It was truly amusing to see the usually domineering and arrogant master behaving as meekly as a rabbit in front of this young gentleman. "Kortman, clean this place up. My lord, please come with me." Hilton, having changed into new clothes, put on a fawning smile once again. He gestured politely to Siegfried, his form of address changing from "sir" to "my lord." However, in his heart, Hilton had already cursed Siegfried''s ancestors to the eighteenth generation. (You Meilan family are all bastards, freaks, may you die a horrible death!) The poor Meilan family was cursed for no reason because of this non-existent family member, Siegfried. The two walked out of the commerce guild building one after the other, with Bobo waiting outside. The short and chubby Bobo, upon seeing Siegfried emerge, immediately greeted him with a beaming smile, trotting over excitedly.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. However, when he clearly saw the person beside Siegfried, his body suddenly froze, the smile solidifying on his face. Siegfried was waiting for Bobo to run over and say something ingratiating like "Is my lord well?", but he found that this usually cunning Garden Person with skin as thick as city walls was standing there dumbfounded, a look of terror on his face. Siegfried was puzzled. This guy had become quite familiar with him over the past couple of days. Although they weren''t exactly on joking terms, he should at least have the guts to exchange a few pleasantries. (What''s wrong? I haven''t bullied him recently, have I? Has he seen a ghost?) Siegfried soon got the answer to this question. "Oh? Isn''t this Bobo?" "Lord... Hilton." Siegfried looked over in surprise. He saw Hilton enthusiastically walking forward, as if reuniting with an old friend after a long separation. He skillfully squatted down and patted Bobo''s head. "Haha, it''s been so long! Weren''t you taken away by the Moen royal family? How did you end up here?" "I... I was..." Faced with Hilton''s casual questioning, Bobo was behaving very abnormally. This usually glib Garden Person was now so frightened he couldn''t even form a complete sentence. "Oh, I see. You were abandoned by the royal family, weren''t you? So you decided to come back to me. Hahaha, that''s great, perfect timing! I''m short-handed right now." Siegfried understood halfway through. Bobo was a Garden Person slave sold to the Moen royal family. Before that, who was his slave master? By the looks of it, this master and slave pair were meeting again after more than twenty years. Judging from Bobo''s behavior, the relationship between the two must have been very harmonious, harmonious enough to be etched in memory. Siegfried looked at the triumphant Hilton, then at the terrified and trembling Bobo, and said in an odd tone: "This is quite unexpected. You two know each other?" Hilton''s old face was beaming with joy. He wasn''t a fool; he could guess why Bobo was here. It must be because he had become Lord Meilan''s slave. The old man''s anxious heart finally settled. He had been worried that Siegfried might be here to do something like liberating slaves, after all, heroes always fight for justice. But now it seemed that this Lord Meilan didn''t oppose slavery at all, so what was he afraid of? It should be said that birds of a feather flock together, and this saying was not wrong at all. Although Hilton and Kortman were about ten years apart in age, their thoughts at this moment were surprisingly consistent. The moment they saw Bobo the slave, they both regarded Siegfried as one of their own. Hilton now found Siegfried much more pleasing to the eye, even feeling a sense of kindred spirits meeting, regretting not having met earlier. "My lord, you don''t know, this Garden Person used to be mine. His family was in dire straits and couldn''t afford to raise him, so they entrusted him to me. I took care of him for a while, and later he caught the eye of a lord in the palace and went to the court. I never expected that after changing hands several times, he would end up with you, Lord Meilan. It seems we truly have a fateful connection. Hahahahaha." The old man was so enthusiastic he seemed ready to become sworn brothers with Siegfried on the spot, apparently having completely forgotten what had happened in the office earlier. "However, this fellow is just a mediocre half-baked one among Garden People. He knows nothing about dark magic, and his stealth abilities are just so-so. I have better goods than him. I''ll introduce some to you later." Garden People are a type of demi-human, classified along with dwarves, half-beasts, goblins, and others as demi-human races. Garden People are short like dwarves, but unlike dwarves who are all barrel-shaped, Garden People''s body types are not much different from ordinary humans. They''re just a bit shorter, actually quite similar to human children. They have long lifespans and develop slowly. A 36-year-old male Garden Person like Bobo would look similar to a 15 or 16-year-old human boy in appearance. The biggest difference between Garden People and humans is their grayish-white skin color and six symmetrical flesh whiskers on their faces. These flesh whiskers help them accurately capture the flow of magic in the air, so even if they close their eyes while running, they won''t bump into walls. The most distinctive feature of Garden People is their very rare affinity for the dark element. Apart from them, only the Dark Elves and the Fallen Angel Court of the demon race possess this special elemental affinity on the continent. They can create shadows to hide in even on a clear, sunny day, and combined with their flesh whiskers, they can infiltrate any fortress without a trace. It can be said that catching a Garden Person in stealth mode is almost impossible. Unless you''re one of those cheaters from the Meilan family using [Eagle Eye] to see the entire map; Or... Siegfried looked at Bobo''s face, completely devoid of flesh whiskers, with only six scars so faint they were almost invisible. Or, this Garden Person had been mutilated, cruelly deprived of the flesh whiskers used to sense magic on his face. "My lord, let me tell you, this guy used to always want to be some kind of minstrel when he was young. He would sing all day long for no reason. Just look at that voice of his, what could he possibly sing?" Hilton was still chattering away. Siegfried bent down, his tone unusually gentle: "Bobo, you can still sing?" "This lowly one... used to be able to..." "Hahaha, my lord, you jest. How could a dwarf like him sing anything? I found him noisy back then, so I scalded his throat with boiling water. From that day on, the guild became much quieter. To be honest, I think his current voice, which sounds like a pig squealing, is much more pleasant to hear." "Is that so, Bobo?" Siegfried''s tone was very gentle and calm. He had never spoken to this Garden Person in such a gentle tone before. He hoped to get an answer from the Garden Person''s own mouth now. Bobo''s face turned pale. He lowered his head, clenching his fists uncontrollably, shaking. Siegfried could even hear the grinding of his tightly clenched teeth. Finally, he raised his face, wearing a distorted smile that looked worse than crying. "That''s right, that''s right. This lowly one''s voice indeed sounds like a pig squealing. It''s dirtying the ears of you two great lords, ahahaha." Siegfried frowned in displeasure. He didn''t get the answer he wanted. He had been prepared. If Bobo had given the answer he wanted, Siegfried would have unhesitatingly ended the plan early and killed Hilton on the spot. (I see, so this is your shackle?) Siegfried pointed his chin towards the front and said: "That''s enough catching up. Let''s get moving." "Of course, please come this way." Hilton led Siegfried around to the warehouse in the backyard. The guards at the warehouse door, seeing the boss personally escorting a customer, hurriedly opened the door. From inside, a wide passage leading underground was revealed. Siegfried didn''t even blink before preparing to go down. He wasn''t worried at all about these people setting up an ambush to kill him underground or anything like that. The reliable intelligence director, Comrade Yang Jing, was always secretly protecting the major shareholder''s safety, and incidentally helping Siegfried show off a bit. Siegfried thought Yang Jing''s psychic abilities were truly miraculous, making him drool with envy. Now that''s living the isekai life, drawing your sword to fight injustice wherever you see it. Unlike himself, who could only bluff with words to intimidate people. Just as Siegfried was about to follow Hilton down, he noticed that directly opposite this warehouse was another similar warehouse. But that warehouse had no guards, and for some reason, Siegfried felt there was something indescribably strange about it. He looked closely and saw that the door of that warehouse was sealed with "No Entry" tape. These seals emitted strong magical fluctuations, but it was a type of magical fluctuation Siegfried had never felt before. It didn''t belong to any of the elements like earth, fire, wind, water, light, or darkness. Siegfried also noticed that these seals had a strange symbol on them, It was a skull with an odd expression, as if crying, with a crescent scythe piercing through the top of the skull. Curiosity piqued, he pointed towards that warehouse and asked: "What''s that warehouse used for?" However, Hilton''s answer, Made his hair stand on end. "My lord, what are you talking about? There''s no warehouse there." The confusion on Hilton''s face wasn''t fake; Siegfried, who was proficient in cold reading, could guarantee that. (There are only three explanations for this situation: either there''s something wrong with me, or there''s something wrong with him, or there''s something wrong with this world.) Siegfried''s eyes narrowed. He decided to probe further: "I''m talking about that warehouse right there, the one sealed with ''No Entry'' tape." Hilton''s expression grew even more confused: "My lord, I truly don''t understand what you''re referring to. There''s nothing there but an empty lot. We''ve been planning to build another warehouse there, but construction hasn''t started yet." Siegfried fell silent. He looked at Bobo, who was standing nearby, and asked: "Bobo, can you see that warehouse?" Bobo looked in the direction Siegfried was pointing, his expression puzzled: "This lowly one apologizes, but I don''t see any warehouse there, my lord." Siegfried''s expression turned grave. He walked towards the empty lot, ignoring Hilton''s calls behind him. As he approached, he could feel an increasingly strong, bizarre energy emanating from that space. It was unlike any magic he had encountered before. When he was about ten steps away from the warehouse, Siegfried suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. An inexplicable fear gripped his heart, as if some primal instinct was warning him not to go any closer. He stopped in his tracks, staring intently at the warehouse that only he could see. (What exactly is this place? Why can only I see it?) As these thoughts raced through his mind, Siegfried made a decision. He turned back to Hilton and said: "Let''s continue with our business. Show me your merchandise." Hilton, who had been anxiously waiting, breathed a sigh of relief and quickly led Siegfried towards the underground passage. As they descended, Siegfried cast one last glance at the mysterious warehouse. The skull symbol on the seal seemed to grin at him mockingly. (I''ll definitely uncover your secrets,) Siegfried thought to himself as he disappeared into the underground passage. Little did he know, this encounter would mark the beginning of a journey that would shake the very foundations of the Qilan Continent. """ Chapter 36: The Slave Market Like every living being in this world, the deities of the Qilan Continent are also divided into two factions. One faction stands on the side of order. For example, Sores, the Sun God, is the main deity of the Sun God religion and the state religion of the Kingdom of Moen. Just look at the name of the Golden Capital, "Andesores," and you''ll know how powerful this sect is in the kingdom. Another example is the Harvest Goddess. Her harvest churches are scattered throughout villages across the Qilan Continent. Although not very powerful, they have a vast number of followers. Almost every farmer believes in the Harvest Goddess, after all, everyone hopes for a yield of 1,800 per mu. Additionally, dwarves worship the God of Craftsmanship, the Empire believes in the God of Truth, and the Beast Alliance worships their Beast God. The elves, however, don''t believe in gods; they only worship their Elven King. These gods are the support for many beings on the Qilan Continent. In times without heroes, people rely on the [Divine Miracles] bestowed by the gods to fight against the demon race. Those who stand on the side of chaos are the so-called evil gods. They''re called evil gods not because they''re particularly crazy or bloodthirsty, but purely because they help the demon folk fight against humans. Like the righteous gods, they are merciful to their followers and bestow divine miracles upon warriors seeking breakthroughs. Of course, the prerequisite is devout faith in them. It''s not uncommon for beings of the order faction to worship deities of the chaos faction. People care about which faction a deity stands with, but deities don''t care whether their followers are human or demon. The God of Death is a prime example. He has a wide following both in the Demon Continent and the Qilan Continent, after all, both humans and demons are mortal. He is also the deity worshipped by all undead creatures in this world, and the Undead Court of the demon race enshrines the God of Death as their main deity. If nothing unexpected happens, the warehouse before his eyes is probably the stronghold of those Death God followers hiding in the kingdom. Siegfried felt he had truly stepped into a nest of vipers. The small Hoover Commerce Guild was involved in both human trafficking and cult worship; it was like they were cultivating poison here. It felt like entering what should be a novice dungeon, but because of taking a wrong turn, you end up facing a boss that''s impossible to beat in the early game. Siegfried had played a game called Soul 3 before, where he accidentally killed an old lady NPC due to carelessness, resulting in an early trigger of the Dancer boss fight. Siegfried wasn''t the type to play games with walkthroughs. He stubbornly fought the Dancer for three days and nights, breaking two controllers before uninstalling the game. Now he was experiencing that same frustrating feeling in another world. (A newbie village should be designed like a newbie village, why add all these complicated traps? Isn''t this just setting people up? This world really has no game balance!) He suspected that the reason Hilton couldn''t see it was probably because the old man was of the order faction and not a follower of the Death God.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. While he and Yang Jing could see it because they were outsiders, with neutral alignment. Siegfried awkwardly averted his gaze and said to Yang Jing: "I think this has nothing to do with us. We should report it to the Adventurers'' Guild later." "Agreed." These two outsiders were both quite fond of their lives. Hilton was a bit panicked, suspecting there might be something unclean in his mansion. "My lord? What exactly happened?" "Nothing, I just saw wrong. Let''s go." Siegfried had no intention of telling Hilton the truth. Let these damned human traffickers and cultists love each other here. Passing through the tunnel to the underground, the environment here was damp and dark, the air filled with a nauseating mix of excrement and mold. Siegfried saw many black iron cages piled around, inside which were emaciated, skeletal low-grade slaves. The Wanderer''s Handbook showed that most of them were humans and ugly half-beasts, with overall ratings not exceeding D-grade. These low-grade slaves had limited use and were usually sold cheaply to landlords as serfs. In these iron cages less than two meters long and wide, three to four slaves were crammed, some even packed with seven or eight. Siegfried thought these slave traders must have at least 80% proficiency in space planning. These starving slaves immediately rushed to the edge of the cages upon seeing Siegfried, with dozens of hands reaching out trying to grab his ankles. The guards following Hilton immediately raised their whips and lashed fiercely at those withered hands. They howled hoarsely, emitting a series of unintelligible syllables. Fearing they might plot a rebellion, Hilton had ordered the tongues of these low-grade slaves to be cut out and their throats scalded. But Siegfried could guess what these poor people wanted to say. "Please! Take me away!" Siegfried had always thought he wasn''t a good person, understanding the weak but not sympathizing with them. If necessary, he would also step on others to achieve his goals. But how could human dignity be trampled upon like this? A fierce anger began to burn in his heart. Siegfried looked at Hilton, who was boasting about this slave market beside him, and a hint of viciousness appeared on his face. (Old man, how exactly will you die? I''m looking forward to it.) "You... Mr. Hilton, you''re not just planning to show me these, are you?" These slaves were emaciated and mostly diseased, far from meeting the requirements for forming an army. "My lord, don''t be impatient. These are the most inferior goods we have. The main event is yet to come." Led by Hilton, Siegfried came to a spacious and bright corridor. Here, magic luminous stones were set for lighting every five steps. The environment was clean and tidy, and even the air was fresh, clearly designed with a ventilation system. On both sides of the corridor were individual cells, and the slaves confined here were the so-called high-end commodities. Siegfried observed them, with the Wanderer''s Handbook constantly displaying information about these high-grade slaves. From stunningly beautiful half-elves to powerful half-beasts, from noble young ladies to captured defeated knights, there were all types of people. Siegfried was very satisfied. As he had expected, the high-end slave market was essentially a talent market. "How is it, my lord? Are these goods to your liking?" "Hmm, let''s see more. If..." Siegfried suddenly fell silent because he noticed a pair of crimson vertical pupils staring intently at him from a cell not far away. It was a girl as delicate as a porcelain doll, with snow-white hair like silk, and crimson eyes brighter than those luminous stones, like torches. Her neck and cheeks were covered with rock-colored scales, and two sharp dragon-like horns pierced through her bangs, pointing towards the sky. The white-haired girl just stared at Siegfried expressionlessly, staring and staring, until Siegfried''s back began to tingle. (What is this? A human-dragon hybrid? A half-dragon?) He looked down, and the Wanderer''s Handbook had already displayed the girl''s information. Name: Fafnir Female, 199 years old Race: Ancient Dragon Chapter 37: Suddenly... a Daughter?! (An... An... Ancient Dragon!!!) Siegfried was so shocked he nearly dropped his Wanderer''s Manual. He meticulously examined the white-haired girl and the manual back and forth, suspecting the system had glitched again. Name: Fafnir Female, 199 years old Race: Ancient Dragon Alignment: Neutral Class: None Daughter of Dragon King Albion, the youngest living Ancient Dragon. Other information unknown. Specialization: Unknown Combat Skills: Unknown Talent: Dragon''s Furnace Core, others unknown Ability Data: Strength: S Agility: S- Magic Power: S+ Intelligence: D Luck: S Leadership: E Overall Evaluation: S Note: Ancient Dragons, perched atop the food chain. Legend has it that Ancient Dragons dwell on spiritual peaks beyond the seas. Their lifespan is endless. They existed in this world long before humans and demons were born. This ancient species possesses power rivaling the gods. In fact, in the eyes of dragonkind, their Ancient Dragon ancestors are equivalent to deities. As far as Siegfried knew, these Ancient Dragons were all indolent creatures. Having lived for so long, they cared about nothing. They never concerned themselves with affairs on the continent, watching year after year as if spectating a play, observing Order and Chaos battling each other. (How did this young Ancient Dragon end up here? In a slave market in this remote earldom?) (Damn, Hoover Trading Company is too impressive. First a Death God, now an Ancient Dragon. How do they manage to attract all these mythical beings here?) "My lord, we discovered this half-dragon girl by chance in this area three months ago," said Hilton. This old fox Hilton, worthy of his reputation as a business tycoon, had noticed Siegfried''s interest in the dragon girl despite his efforts to conceal it. "We initially didn''t bother with her, but for some reason, she kept following behind our caravan. The manager in charge at the time was worried about leaving a girl alone in the wilderness, so he brought her back." It was obvious this was a lie. When that manager saw such a beautiful half-dragon girl, his eyes must have turned red with greed. He sent out all the mercenaries accompanying the caravan to capture her, and they were, of course, all killed. The manager was terrified and fled back to the city alone on horseback. However, when he arrived at the company, he found that the girl had been following him all along, flying. From that day on, the girl settled in at the company. She chose the cell with the best environment for herself, didn''t talk to anyone around her, and spent her days eating and drinking excessively in the cell, fleecing the company for all it was worth. Hilton couldn''t stand for this indignity. He immediately ordered a reduction in the girl''s meals. As a result, that day three patrol guards disappeared, and their equipment appeared outside the girl''s cell... The company tried to get rid of her several times, but each time they sent her away, she would reappear in her cell the next day, like a piece of chewing gum that couldn''t be shaken off. Hilton was almost in tears. This girl''s daily food expenses were more than those of all the company''s employees combined. He prayed every day for some noble to come and take this ancestral goddess away.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Now, a noble had come, and a great one at that. "This girl is excellent, both beautiful and strong. Whether as a companion or a bodyguard, she would be a top choice, certainly an asset on your journey." The great merchant Hilton spoke eloquently, able to describe even a jinx as a lucky star, without mentioning a word about the food expenses. Siegfried couldn''t be bothered with the old man and walked forward to meet the Ancient Dragon girl''s gaze. The Ancient Dragon girl also stood up shakily from the ground and stumbled towards the iron fence, seemingly very uncomfortable in her human form. "Shannon, this girl..." Siegfried was about to ask the system if it would be dangerous to approach the girl. But then he saw the white-haired Ancient Dragon girl extend her small hand, as delicate as carved jade, grab two iron fence bars, and pull them outward with a sudden jerk. The entire cell door instantly deformed, creating a hole wide enough for two people. Siegfried was dumbfounded. The girl wobbled out, her way of walking very strange. She moved her arms and legs on the same side simultaneously, swaying back and forth. Rather than a dragon girl, she looked more like a penguin spirit. Under Siegfried''s astonished gaze, she revealed an innocent and charming smile, two small canine teeth gleaming crystal clear and adorably cute. Siegfried mustered up the courage to try and pat the Ancient Dragon girl''s head. Shannon hadn''t given any warning, which meant there was no fatal danger. However, the next second, the words that came out of the girl''s mouth left Siegfried completely frozen. "Papa!" His outstretched hand stopped in mid-air. Siegfried looked around in confusion. There was no one else around; that old fox Hilton had already fled far away when the girl destroyed the cell door. (Uh... was she just calling me?) (What did she call me? Did I hear wrong?) "Papa, pick up, came, finally." The girl hugged Siegfried''s waist tightly. This little one had no idea how to control her strength and almost broke Siegfried''s back. She seemed not yet proficient in human language, speaking haltingly with strange word order. Siegfried''s mouth was open as wide as a box, partly from shock, and partly because the girl was almost squeezing his internal organs out. "Cough... cough, you... let go first... your impromptu old man... is about to be squeezed to death!" The white-haired girl finally loosened her grip. She swayed her little fists, her face still wearing that innocent smile, obviously not reflecting on her actions at all. Siegfried noticed that this child''s intelligence was also D. (Oh no, she''s as dim as Catalina...) He turned around and called Hilton, who was hiding far away. Hilton walked over reluctantly, looking at the white-haired girl with some fear: "Lord Meilan, as expected of you, subduing this girl so easily." "I''ll take this girl with me today." Hearing this, Hilton''s old face bloomed with joy. "Certainly, my lord. I''ll have someone bring her contract to you right away." Slaves in the kingdom usually had such a deed of sale. Whoever held this contract was the slave''s master. However, given the white-haired girl''s situation, this contract was purely for show. "Don''t rush, I haven''t finished speaking. I want to buy all the slaves here." ........................... On the way back to the inn, Bobo drove the carriage in silence. Tonight''s events had been quite a shock to him. But what Siegfried experienced was ten times more shocking. In the carriage, the white-haired girl sat on Siegfried''s lap, wagging her thick, plump dragon tail, savoring the potato chips Siegfried had brought from Earth. It seemed that Hoover Trading Company had indeed kept her well-nourished. The child''s tail was almost as thick as a bucket. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Opposite Siegfried, Yang Jing was staring at him with an indescribable, strange look. Yang Jing said nothing, but her eyes had already expressed her meaning. "I didn''t! I never did anything! We''re not even the same species, okay?!" Siegfried was almost hysterical. What kind of situation was this? He had never even been in a relationship in his life, how could he possibly have a daughter, and an Ancient Dragon at that! "Explaining is just covering up..." "Alright, just shut up." Siegfried didn''t want to argue with Yang Jing anymore. He looked at the porcelain doll-like Ancient Dragon girl on his lap, forced out a smile, and said: "Little sister, your name is... Fafnir, right?" "Nana!" "Nana, why do you call me papa?" "Papa, you are, so, call you, papa!" "No, no, no, I mean, why do you think I am your papa?" Siegfried''s accent unconsciously started to mimic hers. "Mm, smell, papa''s smell, you are, papa." (I smell like this child''s father?) "Do you have something belonging to her father on you?" Yang Jing frowned slightly. Although she had been teasing Siegfried, she also knew this child couldn''t possibly be Siegfried''s daughter. Siegfried''s eyes lit up. Yes, he did indeed have one possible item. A flash of white light, and a broken sword appeared in Siegfried''s hand. It was the holy sword of the hero Barum. This hero, active a thousand years ago, was a child raised by Ancient Dragons. "Sword, is papa''s, found it!" The white-haired girl Fafnir exclaimed excitedly. Her thick tail thumped hard against the carriage, shaking the entire vehicle. Indeed, she was the daughter of the hero Barum! """ Chapter 38: The Undead Cult No.1 Golden Wheat Street, Count Konstantin''s Manor Count Konstantin was forty-eight years old this year. Wearing a loose robe, with sunken eye sockets and a sickly purple complexion, his beer belly protruding prominently, he perfectly embodied the image of a nobleman who had overindulged in debauchery. Perhaps it was clich¨¦, but most of these parasitic nobles who inherited their titles were just like this. At this moment, there were three people in the master bedroom of the count''s manor. On a bed large enough for four people lay an alluring young woman, covered only by a thin veil that barely concealed her bewitching curves. The woman curled up at the head of the bed, her jade-like feet trembling as they extended from beneath the veil. She watched the unfolding scene with terror in her eyes. Sean, the auction host, was kneeling tremblingly on the ground, facing the pale-faced Count Konstantin. Just moments ago, Sean had burst into the count''s bedroom despite the guards'' attempts to stop him, interrupting the 48-year-old count''s impending carnal pleasures. Count Konstantin flew into a rage, immediately wanting to drag this ignorant fool out and have him chopped to pieces. However, he noticed that the usually well-dressed and courteous host now had disheveled hair, was drenched in sweat, and couldn''t hide the panic in his eyes. Something had gone terribly wrong! Konstantin immediately suppressed his anger and inquired about the situation. Then, he heard the most shocking news of his life. Sean grabbed his own hair violently, his voice almost breaking into tears. "My lord, I warned you before! That Hilton Hoover is nothing but bad luck. His slave trade is extremely risky. Nothing good could come from working with someone like him." "Enough, shut up!" Konstantin desperately tried to maintain his composure, but the terrifying facts made it impossible for him to stay calm. (I''ve been targeted... targeted by a Meilan! How is this possible! How did he discover all of this?) He glanced at a cloth-covered mirror on the dressing table and made an immediate decision. "Both of you, get out! Don''t breathe a word about this to anyone! Especially you, Wena. If you dare speak of this, your husband is dead!" "Yes! Yes! I understand!" Wena, the commoner woman, nodded repeatedly like a pestle. Count Konstantin had long desired her and finally found an opportunity recently, coercing her compliance by threatening her husband''s life. Unfortunately, before anything could begin, they were interrupted by Sean''s dreadful news. Sean and Wena left the room one after another. Konstantin no longer concealed his inner panic. He scrambled to the dressing table and tore off the cloth covering the mirror. It was a strange-looking dressing mirror. At its top was a weeping skull, with a crescent scythe encircling the mirror frame and piercing through the skull''s crown. He began to chant an odd prayer to the mirror: "Death is the equal destination for all living beings. We yearn for death, we fear not death, we live towards death..." Then he tentatively whispered: "Your Eminence, are you there? I am your devout follower, Konstantin. I have an urgent matter to report." For a long while, the mirror showed no change. Just as Konstantin was about to stamp his foot in anxiety, ripples appeared on the mirror''s surface, and a pitch-black, indistinct shadow emerged.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Konstantin''s face lit up with joy. "Your Eminence, your humble lamb Konstantin greets you." "Cut the nonsense, Konstantin! You''d better have a real emergency to report." The bishop''s voice on the other side was hoarse and cold; he was in a very bad mood. This fool Konstantin had used a highly unsafe method to contact him. Scrying through magic mirrors didn''t belong to any elemental magic and was considered black magic in the kingdom. It could easily be detected by the Sun God''s clergy. Usually, he would contact Konstantin through a one-way channel, taking precautions to prevent magical fluctuations from leaking out. Konstantin clearly lacked this awareness and ability. Count Konstantin shuddered, his speech becoming somewhat stuttered: "Y-Your Eminence, there''s a... there''s a..." "Speak up! I don''t have time to waste!" "It seems a Meilan has arrived in my city..." As soon as Konstantin finished speaking, he heard a series of crashes and shattering sounds from the other side of the mirror. Then came a long silence. A deathly stillness filled Konstantin''s bedroom. After a while, a voice came from the other side. "Are you... certain?" "Well... I''m not sure, I haven''t seen him personally. But my subordinates saw a black-haired, black-eyed man at today''s auction. He killed two guards in a very bizarre manner, and then... then..." "Then what?" Konstantin swallowed hard. "He took away those two ice elves..." "What did you say?!" "I''ll send people to search for him right away!" "Search your head! If he really is a Meilan, do you think those idiots of yours can find anything? They''ll only find death!" "Then... then what should we do?" "What should we do? You''re asking me what to do?! I''d like to ask how you''ve been handling things! How did you let a Meilan catch on to us?!" "I... I don''t know either. The auction invitations were distributed secretly, and every participant was recorded." Count Konstantin was on the verge of tears; he felt truly wronged. This affair was originally planned to be foolproof. First, use the auction guests to conceal the whereabouts of the two elves, then use Hilton''s hand to reclaim them, and finally quietly eliminate this group of slave traders to complete the recovery. It was supposed to be a ghost-and-god-knows-not escape from the Ice Elf King''s tracking. Who could have anticipated that a Meilan would suddenly appear out of nowhere? This family usually operates in the Ophis Empire and rarely comes to places like the kingdom where magical creatures are scarce and weak. Who knows what possessed this Meilan to come here for an adventure. The black shadow on the other side of the mirror sighed, "What else did that Meilan do?" "He said my days are... are numbered..." "............" "Your Eminence, why aren''t you saying anything? You must save me!" "Quiet! I''ll withdraw all our followers from the city in the next couple of days. You''re still a nobleman of the kingdom after all. Without evidence, even that Meilan can''t do anything to you." "Alright, is there anything else I need to do?" "If you don''t want that Meilan to storm your manor directly, don''t do anything, including your usual... activities." "Yes, yes, I understand. I apologize for disturbing you so late at ni-" Before Konstantin could finish his sentence, the mirror returned to its original state, reflecting his ghastly pale face. ..................... "Damn it!!" Undead Bishop Robert smashed the mirror before him with a punch, helplessly roaring: "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! How did he discover it? How on earth did he find out?!" Robert clutched his head tightly, pulling at his pale gray hair. He could no longer contain his fear and anger. "Days are numbered..." That Meilan''s words weren''t meant for that fool Konstantin; they were clearly a warning to himself! The appearance of a Meilan signified the complete failure of the plan, and he, a deeply hidden high bishop of the Undead Cult, could be exposed at any moment. This plan had been in the works for three years, a full three years. The entire Undead Cult had almost emptied its ranks, running east and west across the Qilan Continent for this plan. Finally, after paying a huge price, they captured those two ice elves, and the plan had reached its final stage. But right at this moment, they encountered the most terrifying accident. A Meilan! It was precisely to prevent such an accident that the cult had chosen to set up the altar in this remote earldom of the kingdom. But what was the result? "No, this isn''t an accident! This monster, does he come sniffing around? This is simply cheating! How can such a creature exist in this world!" Robert looked at the hair in his palm, and suddenly burst into laughter, a laugh filled with bitterness, helplessness, and madness. "Hahahahaha! So what? So what! The plan won''t end. How could we possibly terminate it because of one person after all this preparation! Just wait, when that Great One descends upon this place, Even if you are a Hero, You won''t be able to escape unscathed!" Chapter 39: You Are Indeed a Descendant of the Hero Family The Adventurer''s Inn "The Stallion Banner" The young dragon girl Fafnir sat cross-legged in front of the elven twins, animatedly waving her small hands as she chattered away to them in Elvish. The twin girls, now facing a Fafnir who could speak their language, had dropped their guard and warmly welcomed this new companion into their group. The three girls, with a combined age of at least three centuries, began to laugh and play on the bed. "So... who exactly is this child?" Ever since Siegfried had brought Fafnir back, Kriemhild had been relentlessly asking this question. "She''s a relative''s child." "But she calls you dad, and she''s half-dragon! And don''t try to lie to me with a straight face!" The little princess looked at Siegfried with an expression identical to Yang Jing''s, albeit with an additional indescribable meaning. Siegfried gave up. He had originally planned to gloss over it again with his [Deceptive Talk] skill. However, this situation was too outrageous. If he could still get away with it, [Deceptive Talk] would truly be invincible. He sighed and said: "Fine, it''s not really something worth keeping secret. Her name is Fafnir, and she''s not a half-dragon, but a genuine ancient dragon." "What!" Kriemhild was stunned. This adorable little girl was actually one of the world''s most powerful creatures, an ancient dragon? "But the books say ancient dragons have bodies large enough to blot out the sky. She looks more like a human?" "What''s so strange about that? Even humans can master transformation magic, so it''s not surprising that an ancient dragon can use it." However, judging by the little dragon girl''s appearance, she clearly hadn''t mastered it fully. How could she not even transform away that thick tail! On the bed, Fafnir wrapped her tail around the three of them, giggling and laughing. Goodness, that tail took up half the bed! "So, why does she call you dad?" "......" Well, the most crucial question still couldn''t be glossed over. "It''s like this, I have some... connection with that Dragon King, who is her mother. I''m sort of this child''s stepfather." (I''m not making this up, I have Albion''s son-cum-husband''s holy sword, so I''m kind of half of Barum''s successor!) (Even a distant connection is still a connection!) Kriemhild was still skeptical, but there really wasn''t a better explanation. Come to think of it, how could a two-hundred-year-old ancient dragon possibly have a twenty-year-old father! Roland stood to the side, tightly clutching the black hanging cloth in his hand. His mood was very heavy, so heavy that he didn''t even have the energy to pay attention to the new companion. The pattern on this hanging cloth was enough to make a Golden Knight so serious. Seeing that Siegfried and the princess had finished talking, he finally spoke: "Everyone, I have something I want to discuss with you, something very important." Although he said "everyone," his gaze was fixed directly on Siegfried. Siegfried felt uneasy under the stare of this bearded big brother. (Why is this guy staring at me like this? Has my impersonation of Meilan been exposed??)This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. "What''s the matter?" Roland spread out the black hanging cloth in his hand on the ground, which was embroidered with a skull pierced by a crescent sickle. Siegfried''s eyebrows immediately twitched, and he blurted out: "The Death God''s Cult." Isn''t this the symbol on that weird warehouse behind Hoover''s trading company? Roland instinctively straightened his back and looked deeply at Siegfried, saying: "So you do recognize this symbol. Then you must also understand the meaning it represents." "Ah? Um! Of course I understand! Star Mei, could you please explain this cult to everyone." Siegfried''s face twitched, he actually didn''t understand anything at all. He desperately made eye signals to the cool and aloof Yang Jing standing nearby, pleading for support. But Yang Jing ignored him, only returning a disdainful glance, then continued to browse her wanderer''s manual. Today she was reading about how to make a glamorous exit using the Flash spell. Just as Siegfried was about to scratch his ears and cheeks in anxiety, Roland took the initiative to explain: "This symbol is called the Undead Holy Emblem, it''s the symbol of the Undead Cult, a branch of the Death God Church. In the past, there was only one Death God Church on the Qilan Continent. Although they were called a cult, they weren''t actually evil. They would help guide resentful souls to rest and use necromancy to convey the wishes of the deceased. Although their ultimate goal was to obtain corpses for research into necromancy, their methods could be considered righteous. However, one day the Death God Church split internally. One faction adhered to the original teachings, believing that death was just a part of life and that the rules of life shouldn''t be forcibly changed. The other faction, however, became resentful towards the living, believing that death was the true state of life. This faction became the Undead Cult, and in recent years they''ve been causing tragedies across the continent, sacrificing lives to their god and turning the living into undead." Siegfried listened silently as Roland narrated. This model knight''s expression was serious and solemn, looking as if he wanted nothing more than to pick up his great sword and slay all these cultists. But Siegfried had only one thought. (What does this have to do with me? Why do you keep staring at me?) However, since the other person was speaking so earnestly, Siegfried couldn''t appear too casual. "Hmm, I understand. What are you trying to say?" "I once fought against them on the frontlines of the Human-Demon War. These people are just a bunch of lunatics. Their appearance here certainly doesn''t bode well, so..." Siegfried heard this and immediately knew what this big fool wanted to do. He quickly raised his hand to stop him, his expression serious and resolute, saying: "This matter, stay out of it." Is this a joke? Going to clash with the cult with just these few dozen people and spears? Aren''t they tired of living? Shannon also said this matter had nothing to do with him, whether he intervened or not wouldn''t affect the mission. Our Princess Coronation Company''s business is to support our boss Kriemhild in ascending to the throne, not to risk our lives fighting cultists. Leave the upholding of justice to the real heroes. Roland stared blankly at the determined-looking Siegfried. The noisy adventurers in the tavern downstairs had long since left, and only the rustling of leaves could be heard from outside the window. The night in this city was so peaceful. But in Roland''s heart, a storm was surging. Yes, when he saw this hanging cloth, he had already understood. Whether it was participating in the auction or cooperating with slave traders, it was all just a surface disguise. This Meilan''s true target was the Undead Cult behind these people. A hero''s sword points directly at evil! As long as evil could be eliminated, this Meilan would stop at nothing. What dedication! He even refused to accept his own assistance, planning to face the entire Undead Cult alone. (Is it because he''s concerned about Her Highness? Is it because he understands that if I die in the battle against the cult, it would severely impact Her Highness''s future?) Roland suddenly felt his face burning with shame, almost wanting to find a crack in the ground to crawl into. (I previously saw you as someone who manipulated people''s hearts for evil. I was so foolish, how could a hero possibly be evil?) He stood at attention and bowed deeply to Siegfried, a full ninety-degree bow. This wasn''t a knight''s salute; a knight''s salute expresses loyalty and respect from the position of a knight. A bow, on the other hand, expresses respect and apology on a personal level. Roland had only performed such a deep bow to the Rose Queen in his life. Even his father-in-law and Kriemhild hadn''t received such treatment. And today, he had found another person worthy of his reverence. "Lord Meilan, I apologize for all my previous rudeness. You are indeed a descendant of the hero family. Your courage and loyalty make me feel ashamed. If your battle needs assistance, Knight Roland is willing to be your vanguard!" "Ah... this... alright... thank you then." Siegfried''s eyes were about to pop out, everything that had happened tonight left him shocked. Hiss~ What on earth is going on today? Chapter 40: The Flying Hero The next morning, Siegfried was awakened by the boasting adventurers chattering downstairs. Adventurers worked in shifts, day and night. Some monsters only appeared at night, so hunters who targeted them had to adjust their schedules accordingly. As a result, "The Stallion Banner" was only quiet during the deepest hours of night. At all other times, it was filled with the drunken laughter and shouting of its patrons. That''s why, although the tavern offered lodging, people rarely stayed here. Who could possibly sleep peacefully in such an environment? Siegfried sat up, holding his slightly throbbing head. He had gone to bed late last night, and being awakened so early meant he''d gotten less than four hours of sleep. And the quality of sleep wasn''t great either. He lifted the blanket to find Fafnir hugging his waist, sound asleep. Her large tail was lying across his legs, making them go numb. "Well, I guess some people can sleep in this environment after all." The girl had insisted on staying with him and refused to sleep in the next room. Siegfried had no choice but to share the bed with her for the night. This feeling was nostalgic - his sister Qi Ling''er used to cling to him the same way. After a while, the others were gradually awakened by the noise as well. The group, with dark circles under their eyes, packed up their spoils and bid farewell to the enthusiastic innkeeper before heading back to the village. Before leaving, the innkeeper gave Yang Jing a heartfelt embrace. She really had taken her as her own daughter! By the way, the young man whom Yang Jing had rescued from the death cell had been secretly watching her from the kitchen. He had clearly been conquered by the beautiful and powerful Lady Star Mei. Unfortunately, when he had expressed his intention to pursue the lady warrior, the innkeeper had pulled his ear in front of everyone and scolded: "Look at yourself in the mirror, you fool! How could a dimwit like you ever be worthy of my little Mei!" The poor fellow was truly unfortunate - though he had saved his life, he had lost his mother. ... By noon. "They''re back!" "I''ll go report to Lady Catalina!" "My goodness, how much stuff did they bring back?" "What''s so surprising? With Her Highness, Sir Roland, and even that hero going along, this kind of haul would be easy for them." "Hiss~ Why are you so proud? What does it have to do with you?" "Eh? Where''s the hero?" The patrol soldiers were the first to spot the rapidly approaching carriage in the distance. They marveled at the cart full of spoils. Under Roland''s constant whip, the two pack horses had galloped thirty kilometers carrying five people and a chest of spoils, finally reaching Wind Peach Village before afternoon. The poor horses collapsed as soon as they reached the stable. If it weren''t for Kriemhild''s occasional Sun God prayers restoring their strength, the carriage would have broken down halfway.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. This wasn''t Roland''s fault. According to the plan, his schedule today was packed. Tomorrow would be the day of the "trade" with Hilton, and he needed to organize the troops and plan the tactics today to ensure everything would go smoothly. Catalina, that tiger girl, had actually been waiting at the village entrance since early morning. However, after waiting all morning without seeing anyone, she had gone back to eat when hunger got the better of her. She had always been someone who feared loneliness, and having been left out of this operation by Siegfried, she was now so excited to "reunite" with her best friend that she forgot all about the distinction between ruler and subject. The two girls found a random spot and started chattering about the details of the operation. "The city is really lively, so much more interesting than the countryside." "And let me tell you..." "Those beasts! Not only do they traffic humans, but they also desecrate the Queen''s relics!" "So then we..." "Hahaha, you guys are so bad! What happened next?" "Then we split up, and I don''t know what Sir Siegfried went to do, but when he came back, he had an ancient dragon with him!" "What? An ancient dragon!" Catalina listened with an ever-changing expression, increasingly regretting not having gone to the city with them, missing out on so many exciting adventures. In private, they had always been like this, without any barriers between ruler and subject, just like ordinary best friends. Back when they lived in the palace, they would even bathe together. The girls would often compare sizes in the bath, though everyone knew Catalina would win overwhelmingly every time. "Eh? Where''s Lord Meilan?" Catalina finally noticed that Siegfried and the legendary young dragon girl hadn''t returned with the others. ... A small merchant caravan, escorted by mercenaries, was traveling on the main road toward Konstantin City. They came from Duke Galloway''s domain, planning to sell their local spices to the wealthy merchants of Golden Ear Street in Konstantin. Suddenly, a mercenary dressed as a swordsman felt something and jerked his head up. He saw a winged figure hovering in the sky. He saw that the figure had a thick, round, scaly tail trailing behind it. He saw birds fleeing in flocks from the figure, those usually fearless sparrows desperately abandoning their airspace. The figure was scanning the caravan with a cold gaze, looking down upon the earth like a ruler of the sky. "Everyone on guard! Enemy attack!" All mercenaries immediately drew their weapons. Warriors raised their swords, shielding the merchants and goods behind them. Rangers decisively nocked their arrows and aimed at the figure in the sky, ready for a volley. Though they knew well that at this distance, neither arrows nor even magic could reach their target. "What is that? A half-dragon?" "Are you kidding? Have you ever seen a half-dragon with such terrifying presence?" Everyone in the caravan watched the sky tensely, as if facing a great enemy. The thing in the sky was so terrifying that they almost wanted to turn tail and run, though they didn''t understand why they were reacting this way. The reason was actually quite simple. Because they were humans, the spirit of all things who had always stood at the top of the food chain, they rarely had the chance to experience being targeted by an apex predator. The being above them was the most powerful species on this continent. However, the figure seemed uninterested in them. After scanning the area, its wings beat powerfully, stirring up a violent gust of air. "Get down!" The merchant caravan below was thrown into chaos by the sudden gust. The figure cut through the air at an incredible speed, leaving a crimson arc of light as it disappeared into the horizon. ... Siegfried truly hadn''t noticed the caravan. All his attention was focused on memorizing the surrounding terrain. Otherwise, he would have reminded Fafnir to flap her wings more gently. Fafnir was lying on Siegfried''s back, her small hands wrapped around his chest - this was how he was flying through the sky. Because Fafnir''s human form was so small, hidden behind Siegfried''s broad back, it made him appear as if he had grown wings and a tail. She had a chocolate bar in her mouth - her payment for serving as a transport. Siegfried hadn''t taken the carriage with Roland and the others, partly because he couldn''t bear to add more burden to those poor pack horses, and partly because he wanted to personally survey the terrain and resource distribution of this earl''s domain. After all, this place would soon become the company''s base of operations. """