Chapter 111

Even disregarding those she secretly supported, once the Empire and the Western Territory went to war, it wouldn't be a problem for the nobles supporting Magana to scrape together tens of thousands of them. Not to mention that the Imperial army would face obstacles at every turn when entering the region. Even if they could win the war, it would take several months to finish.

But where does he find the energy to deal with Magana right now?

He only wanted Magana to stay in the Western Territory, to be neither starving nor hungry, but he never expected her to pull a big stunt, actually mobilizing the power of the Hand of Darkness.

"Ryan, I order you to immediately restore order to the Southern Territory! Then await my instructions. Since Magana is courting death, she can't blame me!" the Old Emperor said coldly.

"Your will!" Ryan cried out, "But Your Majesty, I do not have the ability to expand right now!"

The Old Emperor scoffed, "How can you say I'm incapable? Don't you have a very capable viscount under your command? With her strength, she only needs to bring tens of thousands of troops; which noble would dare to stop her? As for how to do it specifically, that's your business. Don't forget our contract; your task is to coordinate the Western Territory, and I promise you honor. If you can't do it, I don't mind replacing you with someone who can!"

With that one sentence, the Old Emperor's phantom disappeared before Ryan's eyes.

"Damn it, you bastard, you're turning your back on me now, huh?"

Ryan cursed under his breath.

Fortunately, it was an equal contract. The worst-case scenario is that we openly break off relations and I'm not going to put up with it anymore!

Those two old geezers who're practically kicking straight, if they call you "Your Majesty," that's a sign of respect. If they don't, they'll just call you "old codger" and you'll still have to respond. At worst, you can just turn around and hug the Grand Duke. What's there to be afraid of?

"This old dog seems to be really anxious. Well, is the Blood God's Power so easy to obtain?"

If you are not Chosen of the Gods and try to take something from God, the price will certainly be heavy.

Only endless war can please the Blood God; in other words, as long as the Old Emperor lives, Augustus's wars will not cease.

As a result, the Old Emperor had only lit a fire when Magana extinguished it all. It was understandable that he was angry, since even an emperor couldn't do such a thing openly, but Magana could do it openly and brazenly.

Ryan stroked his chin. The old man was getting anxious; that meant his good days were coming.

With the emperor's tacit approval, his expansion of territory became a matter of course, since even if trouble arose, the Old Emperor would bail him out.

But what about the Princess? Perhaps we should send Princess back to Baron as soon as possible?

Anyway, what Ryan wants is the identity of Princess. With the name of Princess Royal, everything he does now is justified. As for where the Princess is, that's not important.

The next day.

Caslathdi summoned Ryan.

Then a huge gift was thrown at him, leaving Ryan speechless with gratitude.

"This is my teacher, Dean Hainuo."

In the elegantly decorated tea room, Haino sat at the tea table drinking tea. The moment Ryan saw her, his dead memories flooded back.

Haino, female, age unknown, seventh-tier Holy Word Master, St. Marian Academy, measurements 92-63-91, teacher of Caslathdi, and the most popular character in the Saint Marian storyline.

Capable, beautiful, and with a good career, this kind of older sister character has undoubtedly drawn countless older perverts into the ranks of the "goddess of lust."

But.

Ryan remembered that Haino appeared in the later part of the Augustus storyline. The main characters encountered obstacles, and then Caslathdi suggested going back to the academy to find her teacher, which led to the subsequent plot where Haino was pulled into the basement for development.

... Oh right, it's tough for Her Highness the Princess now. If she doesn't step up her efforts soon, she'll be sitting at the baby's table.

"Greetings, Dean Hainuo." Ryan bowed slightly.

"Ryan, I've been listening to Caslathdi talk about you all day yesterday." Haino put down his teacup and smiled. "Given her situation, it's rare to have a loyal subject like you."

"Not at all. I am just a commoner. I am already grateful to have received Your Highness's attention."

"Ryan, you don't need to be so reserved," Caslathdi chuckled. "Your teacher is a very nice person, so relax."

Relax, it's normal to feel pain, right?... Ryan thought to himself, of course your teacher is good to you, but he's not my teacher. I've never even dove in the game.

"Did Your Highness summon me for something?" Ryan asked.

Caslathdi pulled out a large gift package.

I told Ryan about the puppet.

"A thousand?" Ryan's eyes widened. "The lowest grade is all third-tier?"

"Don't get excited, let me finish."

Caslathdi explained to Ryan everything from the puppet's combat capabilities to the difficulty and cost of repair. After listening, Ryan's initially excited heart gradually calmed down.

Indeed, a thousand puppets sounds terrifying, but the reduced combat power is not so bad. The key issue is the trouble of maintaining them.

Body repair is difficult and cannot be done by simply patching it up. Alchemists capable of such delicate work are hard to find even in the Southern Territory. Haino cannot follow them indefinitely, meaning these are consumables, and each one used is one less available.

Moreover, since the body is made of gold, it would be just as troublesome to recycle it as scrap metal.

But...

Who cares?

Even if it's a consumable item, it can be a powerful trump card if used in a crucial moment.

Why not take advantage of a free lunch?

"Ryan, the Southern Territory is counting on you from now on," Caslathdi said solemnly. "Once I return to Baron, you will be in full charge of things here."

With Haino's support, Caslathdi's influence increased.

Even if the Old Emperor didn't want to, he sometimes had to consider Haino's feelings, so promoting Ryan wouldn't be so difficult.

At this point, Ryan wanted to curse the Old Emperor again. He had promised a title, but it still hadn't been granted.

"Your Highness, are you planning to go to Baron now?"

"Not really. I'm hesitating about whether to go to St. Gero City before I go back. Didn't Miss Lin Qi invite us before?"

"I suggest you go," Haino said. "The Gate of Janus has a great influence on the continent. If you had a Saintess supporting you, your situation would be much better than it is now."

"But, teacher, if you publicly support me, won't Father be wary if I go to the Gate of Janus again?"

"It's better to be wary than to ignore."

"Yes, Your Highness, you still have to go." Ryan interrupted the two of them. "Judging from the current situation in the Empire, the Second Prince is in decline and the Fourth Prince is in a precarious situation. This is the best opportunity for you to counterattack. If you can get Miss Lin Qi's support, more people in the Empire will surely come to your aid."

"This..." Caslathdi hesitated for a moment, "Alright, then Ryan, you'll come with me in a few days."

The Old Emperor has changed, Caslathdi is actually quite worried. It seems that now the Old Emperor will attack anyone who stands out, which puts a lot of pressure on him.

But to seize the throne, he must confront his father.

Caslathdi has already prepared Frostmourne, and if given the chance, she will not hesitate to stab her father in the back.

After talking with Caslathdi, Ryan contacted Magana again.

The Old Emperor was getting anxious, and the Princess had also stood up. So, they should add fuel to the fire and make the Old Emperor even more anxious.

Magana has been reorganizing her forces these past few days, preparing to attack the Talma front and drive the Western Barbarians who have occupied the territory out of the Western Territory.

Once the problems in the Western Territory are resolved, we can head south and gradually take action.

Heading north is not an option. There's no profit to be made there; it's just a desert. Beyond that lies the Old Emperor's territory, and the east is guarded by the Crimson Tiger Guard. This is a tough nut to crack; if we try, we'll break our teeth.

However, Ryan suggested secretly plotting against the Old Emperor by telling the Second Prince about Elvin's affair. The Old Emperor would then use this as a pretext to kill his own son without him even knowing.

Since their own father wasn't planning to pass the throne to them, the Second Prince was bound to be upset, as was the Fourth Prince. Even if the two princes couldn't cause much damage to the Old Emperor, they could still annoy him.

In addition, Ryan plans to launch another propaganda campaign, starting with the Old Emperor's lifespan. He's been living like this, neither dead nor alive, and he's still going on like this. Is he involved in some kind of cult?

After all, the Old Emperor's health was already very poor before, and he is still the same now. He is said to be dead but he hasn't died yet, and he is still quite energetic. Do you think there is a problem?

The effect will definitely be small, but it's infuriating, and that's enough. It'll drive the Old Emperor crazy, and who knows, he might just explode on his own.

"Going south... that's a bit troublesome. I don't have enough troops." Magana crossed her arms and pondered, "The Iron Blood Army has too few combat-ready soldiers, and we also have to guard against the Western Barbarians. We don't have many capable soldiers to offer."

"I do have someone I'd like to recommend to you. She has long admired the Grand Duke, and if you can get her help, I believe the journey south will be very smooth."

"Oh? Who is it? I don't really trust anyone else but you."

"Viscount Vainay," Ryan said, "She helped me defend against the Kainter army's attack before. Caslathdi asked me to win her over, but I want her to serve the Grand Duke."

"Vainay... oh, I know her, the lord of Kels City."

Recently, the 'Vainay' tribe has been gaining considerable influence on the border, taking advantage of the Demon Legion's disturbances to win over many surrounding nobles.

It has to be said that the Soul Singer's ability is incredibly useful, especially when dealing with ordinary people. He can say, "Are you loyal or not? If you're not, I'll steal your title."

After the news of the Supernatural Being spread, the identity of 'Vainay', the Soul Singer, became incredibly impressive. She led six elite monsters into battle single-handedly, making a name for herself.

She has now pacified all the towns surrounding Kells, and her army has reached 8,000 men, fully armed. Her next plan is to capture the two major cities of Romagnil and Mist, completely breaking the encirclement.

However, Magana knew about 'Vainay' mainly because she gained attention during the Kainter siege, as Caslathdi Vainay.

In Magana's plan, if the 'Vainay' grows too fast and threatens Ryan's power in the Southern Territory, she will not hesitate to send the Ironblood Heavy Cavalry to eliminate the 'Vainay' and clear the way for Ryan's rise.

Ryan thought so too. Kells was too close to the Western Territory. Rather than making the Grand Duke wary of 'Vainay', it would be better to win them over from the start.

Vainay: Your Grand Duke, I'm your fan! Let's rebel together!

"Are you sure she'll truly follow me?" Magana, somewhat uneasy. "I investigated her, and it seems she has some connections with the royal family."

As expected of the Grand Duke, the intelligence gathering was quite thorough... Ryan nodded. "Don't worry, Grand Duke, I guarantee it!"

"Are you so sure? Do you have something on her that you can't tell?"

"No, but..." Ryan lowered his voice, "I'll let you in on a little secret, she actually likes me."

"Ha???"

Magana was stunned for a moment. She had thought of a thousand reasons, but this was the one she had never considered.

"It's true. She even confessed to me last time, but because of Caslathdi's presence, I was worried that she would use our relationship against me, so I kept it a secret," Ryan said seriously.

"Wait, wait, wait." Magana raised her hand, gesturing for Ryan to wait. "Why would that guy like you?"

Ryan: "?"

No, Your Grand Duke, why are you swearing?

Ryan retorted, "Why can't you like me?"

"Because you are a commoner. Apart from this Grand Duke who doesn't look down on your status, which of these nobles like Augustus doesn't look down on commoners?"

Ryan countered, "You don't dislike me, Your Grand Duke, so you like me?"

Magana paused for a moment. "Where did you get that conclusion?"

"So, not disliking someone doesn't necessarily mean liking them, and disliking someone doesn't mean disliking them, right? Vainay is special. Although she is a noblewoman, she doesn't dislike me and I like her. If you don't believe me, I'll prove it to you when I have the chance."

Grand Duke is surprisingly vigilant. Since we're going to unite, Ryan doesn't mind being a little friendly with 'Vainay'. As long as he can get her on board, the chances of winning a rebellion together will naturally be much greater.

As for Magana's intention to kill 'Vainay', that's unlikely. Moreover, once the Southern Territory is completely under Ryan's control, his power will become the third largest in the Empire, capable of rivaling Magana.

"You trust her so much, what proof do I need..." Magana muttered to herself, wondering how they ended up together so quietly. Could that guy be trying to seduce Ryan because he thought she was so capable?

Moreover, he has connections with the royal family; he might even be one of the Old Emperor's men!

Magana was shocked and gave herself a thumbs up for her deduction... No, no, I have to investigate this in secret. I can't let Ryan fool me.

Ryan, the aristocratic circle is too chaotic, you can't handle those aristocratic girls!

"Alright, I'll trust her for now. I'll contact her when I have time."

Magana left after saying just one sentence.

She needs to quickly have someone investigate 'Vainay's' ancestry for eighteen generations.

"Walking so fast, really."

Ryan shook his head inwardly, put the mirror away, and leaned back on the sofa to rest.

Although I didn't accomplish anything substantial all day, all the back and forth was mentally taxing.

At that moment, 'Shally' and 'Ina' returned.

With the rift in the Inner World being eliminated, the two completed their mission. 'Ina' successfully advanced to the second tier after completing a tour of the Inner World, which can be considered as having a certain ability to protect herself.

"You've come back just in time." Ryan raised his eyelids and asked leisurely, "What do you think is a way to quickly consolidate the forces in the Southern Territory? I have guns and cannons now, and the Old Emperor is secretly supporting me, but if I fight them one by one, people will say I'm rebelling."

"I need to accomplish this discreetly, efficiently, and successfully. Come on, everyone, let's brainstorm, pool our wisdom, and share our opinions."

Ryan thought that AI could be quite intelligent at times, and might even offer some constructive suggestions.

Of course, it doesn't matter even if there isn't one; he just wants to talk to someone right now.

And indeed, it did exist.