A Token of Allegiance

Fu Haoran had just breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the matter was behind them, when Lucifer's icy voice came crashing down:

"Those ants just now saw my true form and heard my full name. Keeping them around will only cause trouble."

"No! You can't!" Fu Haoran hurriedly called out.

"They're my subordinates," Fu Haoran said rapidly. "They're also witnesses to our reunion. Killing them would bring bad luck."

Besides, if this whole bunch really disappears, I'll lose half my workforce. Who'll do the dirty, exhausting jobs for me from now on? Fu Haoran added silently.

To protect his subordinates and leave himself a way out, Fu Haoran felt as though he'd gambled away most of his life's good name and integrity on that blatant lie.

Lucifer watched him for three seconds. Fu Haoran's back went cold.

"...That makes some sense." She looked away. "They can be spared the death penalty, but they won't escape punishment."

Fu Haoran breathed a sigh of relief.

This terrifying woman actually bought that?

"But they attacked me just now. Under Dynasty law, that's a capital offense. Erasing their memories is already merciful."

Fu Haoran's throat bobbed, but he said nothing.

Erasing their memories was merciful?

What counted as cruel, then?

Lucifer ignored his expression.

She looked down at her own figure, and green light surged around her again.

Her height, over two and a half meters, slowly shrank.

One meter ninety.

Then it stopped.

She raised her eyes and looked at Fu Haoran.

Fu Haoran took half a step back. He still had to tilt his head up slightly.

She was still taller than him.

"My height draws too much attention. I'll keep it down for now." Her tone was flat, as if she were stating a technical detail.

Fu Haoran nodded, and nodded fast.

In his mind, he'd already cursed the system eight hundred times.

This thing could not only erase memories, it could control someone's body, too?

The system had dropped a walking nightmare into my lap!

[System Notification: SSS-Rank Emergency Mission "攻略远古霸主" First Stage Complete]

[Reward: One adjutant (don't ask about loyalty; ask about survival odds. Don't expect her to work for you. We recommend writing your will in advance, so you won't die before you get the chance~)]

[Temporary Authority Granted: You may request the target's assistance once (Trigger conditions: Host is near death / Hive City is in danger)]

[PS: Don't get too excited. She kept you because she "couldn't verify your lies," not because she "likes you." After you use this chance, if your favorability isn't high enough, you know what's coming.]

Fu Haoran's mouth twitched. He wanted to drag the system out and beat it senseless.

Strangely, when Yuri and the others saw Lucifer suddenly appear, they didn't find it odd at all. It was as if she had always been there.

Fu Haoran, however, felt as though he were walking on thin ice, on edge the whole time. Fortunately, most of the time Lucifer was like a shadow, silently following behind him.

Yuri and the others assumed she was just an ally Fu Haoran had brought back. No one asked questions.

By the time they returned to the surface, Wade was already waiting at the entrance.

He saw Lucifer and paused.

"Governor, who is this...?"

Fu Haoran braced himself. "A noble who's come over to our side."

He didn't care whether the explanation held up or whether his subordinates believed it.

What if they didn't?

Did they dare question him?

But Wade didn't doubt him.

Lucifer's bearing made her seem more noble than any noble.

That innate aloofness and air of authority couldn't be faked.

Wade looked away and began his report.

"Governor, we recovered quite a lot from the battlefield after clearing out the nobles' coalition forces."

"We salvaged twelve Leman Russ Battle Tanks, three of them damaged and in need of major repairs."

"Also, eight Chimera Armored Transports, three hundred Boltgun rifles, fifty crates of Bolt Shells, and twenty thousand barrels of Promethium."

He closed the Data Pad. "The total value is about 850,000 Throne Coins."

"Holy crap!" Yuri darted over, eyes shining. "850,000 Throne Coins? That could buy you a secondhand escort ship, couldn't it?"

"So war really is this profitable?"

Fu Haoran relaxed a little.

850,000 Throne Coins would be enough to repair the factories and expand the guard force.

Even if winning over Lucifer had been a headache, the haul was worth it.

Fu Haoran looked at Wade. "Prioritize repairing the three damaged Leman Russ tanks. Take half of what's left and give it out as a reward to all the soldiers."

"The men worked hard this time."

Wade didn't say anything, but his hand paused.

He was handing out such a huge sum just like that?

Wade had never seen a governor so generous.

He put away the Data Pad and continued his report. "There's one more thing."

"Victor of Silverthorn House left the coalition's camp alone three hours ago, taking only two trusted aides with him. He's headed this way. He should arrive in about twenty minutes."

Fu Haoran raised an eyebrow. "Him? Makes sense. As the coalition's de facto commander, he has no way to explain losing the entire army. He's dead either way, so he might as well throw in his lot with me."

"This could be an opportunity."

Wade warned him, "Governor, Victor's a crafty old fox. Could his token of allegiance be a trap? What if he lures us into an ambush set by the Old Nobility Alliance?"

"So what if it is?" Fu Haoran raised an eyebrow. "We need a blade to cut through the old nobles, and he's perfect for the job. I'm willing to take the risk."

Twenty minutes later, Victor stood at the entrance to the command center.

His collar was crooked, his cuffs were flecked with mud. He had clearly hurried here.

The noble medal on his chest sat askew, and there was still dust on his face.

But his chin was slightly raised, and his eyes swept across the command center as if he were inspecting his own territory.

Victor tried to maintain his noble composure, but the panic and embarrassment in his eyes were impossible to hide.

But when his gaze fell on Lucifer, his body stiffened. A trace of fear flashed through his eyes, and he instinctively looked away.

"Governor, I'm here to discuss a partnership on my own behalf." Victor spoke in a deliberately steady tone, but he clearly lacked confidence.

Fu Haoran didn't respond.

Anyone could guess what happened to a defeated commander.

Victor waited five seconds. When Fu Haoran still said nothing, his face reddened slightly, and he spoke more forcefully. "I've come in good faith!"

Just as Fu Haoran was wondering how to knock that noble arrogance out of him, Lucifer, who had been silent until then, suddenly spoke. "The defeated should know their place."

Victor's face stiffened. He was about to object, but Lucifer spoke first:

"A noble's composure and pride are worthless in the face of absolute power."

"You've come to surrender because you're out of options, not because you're doing us a favor."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over Victor's disheveled appearance. Her voice turned even colder. "You can't even protect yourself, yet you dare talk about noble pride? In my eyes, you're beneath even those ants from earlier. At least they knew to respect power."

Victor's face turned liver-red. His lips moved, but he couldn't force out a single word.

He wanted to argue, but when he met Lucifer's dark green eyes, all his pride and composure were crushed in an instant.

Lucifer looked away, as if nothing had happened.

Fu Haoran watched, unable to hold back a grin, and quietly gave Lucifer an approving look.

This nightmare of a woman may be dangerous, erase people's memories at the drop of a hat, and throw her weight around, but she's great for putting these pompous nobles in their place. It saves me the trouble of knocking Victor's bad habits out of him.

"I do have something to offer." Victor finally revealed his cards.

"This is a map to the Old Nobility Alliance's secret supply depots—coordinates for five warehouses hidden in abandoned mines in the Lower Hive and disguised as civilian storage facilities. They've stockpiled the Promethium, weapons, and Throne Coins they've been moving for years."

"These are their escape routes—a secret spaceport beneath the Hive City. We can intercept them there and cut off their escape."

"And this." He paused. "A list of the Old Nobility's informants in the Underhive. They have people everywhere—in the gangs, in the factories."

Fu Haoran's eyes lit up as he reached for the Data Pad.

This token of allegiance was too useful! It was practically made for him!

These noble parasites are no different from the oligarchs of the Soviet Union. They control the Hive City's energy, food, and interstellar trade routes, squeezing the lower classes and siphoning off the Hive City's tax revenue.

They don't pay the Tithe, and that would be bad enough, but they're secretly moving their wealth, too! Stockpiling weapons and preparing to flee the moment things go wrong. They don't care whether the Hive City lives or dies.

Victor's brought me one hell of a blade!

He looked at Victor.

"What do you want?"

Victor gritted his teeth. "I want to replace the main branch of Silverthorn House—go from a cadet branch to the head of the family."

Fu Haoran smiled.

"Deal."

As he watched Victor leave, he was already making plans:

Five warehouses, an escape route, and a list of informants—enough to strip the nobles bare.

[New Mission Triggered: "抄家致富"]

[Warning: The harder you plunder, the fiercer the remaining nobles' retaliation will be. The rewards will be greater, too.]

Fu Haoran's smile froze.

"This system's missions are as vicious as ever... But I like it."