Can't I Raise Myself? Chapter 45

"Strength isn't the point. Am I really lacking a few third or fourth-tier individuals? It's all the same to me, as long as you can get the job done," Magana said dismissively. "Besides, you're still with the Burning Covenant. Do you understand what I mean? The Burning Covenant—you absolutely must keep climbing, even if it means a small sacrifice."

The implication was clear: catch your own people, and you'll get promoted faster.

"Mm, but first-tier is indeed a bit low. I'll have Creed send over some supplies to help you cultivate. Your magic talent is good; aim to reach third-tier soon."

What is this?

First giving people, then supplies... is this really okay?

I can never repay the Grand Duke's kindness!

Without hesitation, Ryan agreed decisively.

After all, he couldn't refuse.

"I will certainly devote myself to the Grand Duke!" Ryan said seriously. "Don't worry, Grand Duke, I will find a way to capture that woman, Caslathdi!"

"Speaking of which, there's something I need to mention," Magana's tone shifted. "I've received word that the Kainter Kingdom might send troops to attack the Empire. I suspect it's related to the situation in Berman City. Keep a close watch, and notify me immediately if anything happens."

"The Kainter Kingdom?" Ryan's brow furrowed. "How dare they attack the Empire?"

The Kainter Kingdom was located south of the Empire. It was strong, but still far from the Augustus Empire's level.

Even though the Empire had been through turbulent times in recent years, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. No matter how bad things got, the Kainter Kingdom couldn't provoke them.

Wait, isn't this the part from the game's plot?

Ryan realized that in the game, it was the Kainter Kingdom's army that attacked Berman City. Since Berman City was near the Empire's border, the army only needed to cross the border defenses. Cities further south of Berman City certainly wouldn't stop them.

The problem was, the game never explained the reason for the Kainter Kingdom's attack, nor did it elaborate on the aftermath. All that was known was that the Blood Cult took the opportunity to do something big... Wait, Blood Sacrifice?

Ryan's thoughts paused. Could the Kainter Kingdom's attack be related to the Blood Cult's ritual? Otherwise, why the coincidence?

"What are you thinking about?" Magana asked.

"I'm thinking about the reason for their sudden attack. If it's to conquer territory, they won't be able to hold it even if they capture it. So, do they have other objectives? Like someone promising them benefits, or asking for help?"

Magana nodded approvingly. "Go on, anything else?"

Ryan pondered for a moment. "If it's not an external threat, then it must be an internal one. Who benefits the most from the Kainter Kingdom sending troops? War will inevitably cause greater chaos. We can consider it from this angle to deduce who they are cooperating with."

Actually, Ryan knew that if the Kainter Kingdom's attack was related to the Blood Cult's ritual, it would definitely involve Bill, and Bill was one of the Second Prince's men. The answer was obvious.

But he definitely couldn't tell the loli Grand Duke that. Otherwise, it would be hard for her not to suspect his background.

No matter how smart you are, if you don't understand those factions, how could you reach that conclusion?

"Mm, you're thinking along the same lines as me, Ryan. You're very smart. I can rest easy knowing you'll be in charge of Berman City from now on," Magana said, not hiding her praise for Ryan. She was a straightforward person who preferred smart people over idiots.

"As for what you just said, I actually already have an idea. Once the Kainter army appears, the military factions will inevitably act. And the one who controls the largest military power in the Empire is the Second Prince. Heh heh~ That guy really has a good plan."

"The Second Prince? Can he really compare to you, Grand Duke, in terms of Imperial military capabilities?"

Magana spread her hands. "There's no helping it. Who told him to be an Imperial Prince? It's legitimate. Plus, his maternal grandfather is an Imperial Marshal who commands far more troops than I do. But military power is difficult to leverage under normal circumstances, so you understand, right?"

"I understand," Ryan said, enlightened. "So, the Second Prince wants to stir up internal conflicts within the Empire by provoking a war, so that he has a legitimate reason to mobilize the army's power."

"That's right... Hmph~ But he miscalculated. Even if there is a war, I'll be the one to make the first move. With the Iron Blood Legion, no one can make a ripple. But still, help me keep an eye out. Berman City might have some of the Second Prince's people... that place is truly chaotic."

The last sentence was Magana muttering to herself. She hadn't expected Berman City to become the center of various factions' struggles.

"Your will is my command, Grand Duke. I will go through fire and water for you."

"Very good. That's all for now. I have other matters to attend to. Feel free to contact me anytime if anything comes up."

After speaking, Magana severed the magical connection.

She turned her head and looked at the figure waiting quietly beside her. "Creed, what do you think?"

"Grand Duke, are you really handing over Berman City to Ryan for management? Adler's abilities are indeed insufficient, but Ryan's loyalty and capabilities are yet to be tested."

"As for abilities, isn't this me testing him? As for loyalty, I'm usually very accurate in judging people. I don't think he will, nor does he have any reason to betray me. After all, he's my person. Where else could he go? If his identity is exposed, it's all over." Magana tilted her head. "However, your concern is valid. Go and investigate Ryan's background. If he's clean, then start cultivating him with priority."

"Yes, Grand Duke," Creed bowed.

Magana suddenly started laughing. "Haha~ You saw it just now, didn't you? He's very smart, isn't he? I like talking to smart people."

"He is indeed very smart. To deduce so much from limited information, he's already surpassed Adler in that regard."

"See, what did I say? This time, even the gods are helping me. Just watch, Creed. I feel like Ryan will become someone who will be of great help to me!"

Meanwhile.

The smart Ryan sat on a chair, spacing out.

Ah, I'm so desperate.

It's over, it's completely over.

He never imagined that Adler would introduce him to Magana.

What's going on? I'm just a small Camilla. Is it necessary to do this?

Rather than becoming the regional administrator of Berman City, Ryan preferred to quietly be a handsome man.

Yeah, the job of captain in the Bureau of Governance is quite good. The foreman of the Hand of Darkness? Sorry, I really can't do that.

Since Magana had already said so, and another leader might not be reliable, if his double agent identity was discovered, it would be game over.

So, Ryan took on the job. At least he was getting cultivation resources from the Grand Duke, right?

"Sigh..."

There was no way to clear his name, absolutely no way.

The problem now was what to do in the future.

"Speaking of which, the Kainter army's attack would indeed benefit Magana. She held military power and could mobilize troops directly once the war began, without needing the Empire's army to intervene. Unless... the war was all-encompassing?"

It was also possible that the Second Prince had other plans. In the game, the war had indeed broken out comprehensively, with the Augustus Empire descending into civil war, fighting fiercely for the throne.

But Ryan couldn't understand why the Kainter army's attack wouldn't have such a significant impact, even if it did happen.

"It should be related to the sacrifices at Casola Prison."

Wait, the Kainter army's war, attacking the city... "That's it, I remember now!"

Ryan remembered. No wonder he felt a sense of familiarity when recalling Jonathan's storyline. He remembered that Jonathan led the Burning Covenant to confront the enemy forces when the Kainter Kingdom's army attacked and Berman City was in crisis. With only a few dozen people, he had managed to block the shattered city gates, buying precious time for the Empire's counterattack.

That quest was also called 'Thirty Minutes to Save the Day'. The protagonist group would complete their tasks while Jonathan held the gates, leading the main army's counterattack.

However, Ryan didn't like remembering NPC names when playing games, especially those mentioned only briefly in the plot. As for the outcome of blocking the gates, everyone was annihilated, and their sacrifice ignited the fighting spirit, instantly raising the morale.

Knowing the ending, Ryan naturally wouldn't let Jonathan die.

"There's still time..." The army hadn't arrived yet, and thinking about it now was useless. He stood up and continued searching the secret room.

About ten minutes later, all the valuable items in the secret room were thrown into his backpack.

When leaving, Ryan took the mirror with him again.

He had used the system to appraise it earlier, and it turned out to be a Relic. He had truly seen it all.

"Alright, you guys go in and find all of Adler's evidence. As for the people inside, bring them back to the bureau first, and we'll interrogate them one by one later."

After leaving the villa, Ryan gave the order, officially commencing the house search.

He didn't touch any of the money or property.

Mainly because there wasn't much cash.

The house search operation lasted half a day. The Magistrates searched the villa inside and out, and finally returned to the Bureau of Governance with a car full of evidence.

Ryan conducted surprise interrogations overnight, questioning Adler's wife and his two concubines. He recorded their testimonies and compiled them with the evidence. By the time he finished, it was almost midnight.

He glanced at Shally's situation. In AI idle mode, she was wandering around the labyrinth and had even found another treasure chest.

"She's treating the labyrinth and the prison like her own home."

Ryan couldn't help but complain.

The AI's idling was truly impressive.

Since the Kainter army hadn't arrived yet, Shally was likely chosen as a special sacrifice. Therefore, she wouldn't be in much danger before the ritual officially began.

Ryan opened the job transfer conditions and saw that the Blood Cult had sacrificed a few more people in the past few days. Perhaps due to the tight security, the Blood Cult's overall activities had been curtailed.

Confirming that Shally was not in danger, Ryan continued to idle, then washed up and went to bed.

The next morning, he rushed to the Bureau of Governance and took the organized files to the Berman City Tribunal.

The Tribunal was the Empire's judicial body for trying crimes, equivalent to a court in his previous life. Although Adler was dead, the conviction still had to follow legal procedures, as he was, after all, a noble.

And to the public, Adler was killed by the Bureau of Governance, so Ryan had to solidify the charges against Adler, otherwise, the entire Bureau of Governance would be affected.

After a morning of trials, all the evidence provided by Ryan was accepted. Once the Tribunal issued its verdict, the waiting news agencies immediately emerged like mushrooms after a spring rain.

When a wall collapses, everyone pushes it. Previously, they sang praises of Secretary-General Adler's greatness, but now all the reports were filled with accusations and insults, which made Ryan sigh with emotion.

Adler, rest in peace. I will take care of your wife and children... well, I'll help them start anew. As for their future destinies, that's no longer Ryan's concern.

Meanwhile, the interrogation of Kasa also yielded results. Jonathan had used all his skills and finally managed to pry a clue from the other party.

"I never expected this! The person behind Adler was actually Magana!"

Jonathan exclaimed. Everyone knew Magana was ambitious, but he hadn't expected her to secretly send people to assassinate Caslathdi directly.

Logically, when Caslathdi returned to the Empire's center, the princes should have been the most anxious.

Hearing the words from the other end of the phone, Ryan's heart tightened. "And then? Is that all?"

"What else could there be? Isn't this the biggest secret? We already know everything else. Now, almost all of the Hand of Darkness in Berman City has been cleared out."

"However, Grand Duke Magana will certainly not give up easily. She will likely send a new person in charge soon. I'll suggest to Her Highness that she leave as soon as possible."

Ryan thought to himself that she had already sent someone.

But fortunately, Kasa didn't know his identity.

If Kasa had known, Ryan feared he wouldn't have been able to resist digging up Adler's corpse and shooting it again with his revolver.

"Did Her Highness say when she would leave?"

"Not yet. It depends on the situation. She seems to have some ideas about Berman City. But it's strange, Mayor Bill was promoted by Her Highness's mother, so he should be on her side. Is there anything else Her Highness is worried about?"

"Who knows."

Ryan figured Caslathdi had already caught on to something. While Bill was a good mayor, Caslathdi was sharp-minded, so it wasn't strange for her to find some issues in his words and actions.

It was impossible to get this Princess to leave any earlier, which gave Ryan a headache. When Magana's reinforcements arrived, he couldn't exactly organize people to go after Caslathdi, could he?

It wasn't that he couldn't act against game characters, but rather that Caslathdi's identity was special. Messing with a princess was beyond his current capabilities.

"Forget it, I'll stall for now and see what the Blood Cult does."

After chatting with Jonathan, Ryan had intended to check on Keisha at the bookstore. With Adler dead, he was a bit worried about Keisha.

However, as soon as he left the Bureau of Governance, Eiko intercepted him.

The latter led him to a coffee shop, where he met Caslathdi waiting in a private room in the back.

"Your Highness, you sent for me?"

"Sit down, Ryan," Caslathdi said with a smile. "What would you like to drink?"

"Black tea is fine."

Caslathdi glanced at Eiko, who went to prepare a cup of black tea before closing the door and leaving.

"Jonathan told me. I didn't expect Magana to be orchestrating all of this. It seems I have quite a few enemies," Caslathdi said with a hint of self-mockery.

Ryan didn't reply. He was a bit puzzled as to why Caslathdi had suddenly sought him out.

I'm not your best friend, you know.

"Among those in the Empire qualified to inherit the throne, my faction is the weakest. However, I've never intended to give up. My father dotes on me, and I'm confident that if I become Emperor, I will make the Augustus Empire even better."

"What is it you wish to say, Your Highness?"

Ryan suddenly had a bad feeling. This woman wouldn't be thinking of…

"I want to tell you that although my faction is weak, I may still have a chance to contend for the position of Crown Prince," Caslathdi said seriously, looking at Ryan. "Ryan, you are from the Burning Covenant and should only be loyal to His Majesty. But the Empire is in chaos now, and the Burning Covenant should learn to be adaptable, shouldn't it? I think highly of you. Although you are just a small captain in the Bureau of Governance now, if you were given a broader stage, you would surely do better."

She stood up and extended her hand to Ryan. "So, Ryan, pledge your loyalty to me. Together with me, what does it matter even if it's Magana? In the future, I will surely step on her corpse to ascend the throne!"