Small Matters in a Military Town

Before the radical Hildegard could object, the conservative Lieselotte continued with a smile, "Let's not talk about such unpleasant things."

"Recently, the Golden Law Guards have brought some good news."

Lieselotte couldn't wait to share with her sisters. "They captured a group of remnants of the Witch King's forces in the east."

"Lieselotte!" Hildegard, half annoyed.

"They are the true remnants of the Witch King —they used Catastrophe to infect an entire village, all to study Otto's magic."

The black sheep remained silent for a long time, then grew even more furious. "Damn it! We really can't kill them all!"

The blonde queen smiled and took the opportunity to gather her sister's hair.

Who's standing behind them!?

Lieselotte replied, "Just dealt with a baron."

Black Sheep became wary again. "How many more do you want to deal with? The eastern border is very close to Ursus and Kazimierz, don't be reckless!"

Lieselotte calmly replied, "And Siracusa, Kazdel, and Yan."

Don't change the subject!

"Those villagers mortgaged their land to obtain long-term medical and insurance services from a pharmaceutical company that was about to transit through the area."

Contrary to her cold, ruthless, and strong exterior, the black sheep "Ruthless Authority (Helinmat)" Hildegard is actually a "loving mother" who cares for every one of her subjects.

And the seemingly loving, gentle, and kind Aries "Eternal Grace (Evignad)" Lieselotte... is a conservative.

The black sheep had indeed "fallen for it." She stopped worrying about how many nobles Lieselotte had to deal with and instead pressed the villagers for answers, "How are they now?"

Lieselotte toyed with her sister's long hair as she explained, "The villagers bought back their village's mining company, Rhodes Island contributed technical support as equity, using long-term profits to offset medical expenses."

"Buy back? Where did they get the money?" Hildegard immediately realized, "Medical expenses are being deducted twice? That land is practically worthless... Is Rhodes Island doing charity?"

A dangerous glint flashed in Lieselotte's eyes. "I don't really believe that kind of talk..."

Then she smiled again, "There's something rather interesting: these villagers have moved their entire village to the mining platform."

"Now, they call themselves Habsburg."

"A castle without a lord?" Black Sheep pondered for a moment, "Lieselotte!"

"Um?"

"I intend to grant it autonomy."

"To what extent?"

"Blood justice." Black Sheep narrowed his eyes.

"To give the nobles a warning?"

"Give them a warning!" Black Sheep nodded, then slapped White Sheep's hand away. "They've all started curling up!"

The so-called "blood justice" is a judicial system that "allows prisoners to bleed." In other words, it includes corporal punishment, including the death penalty. This was a highly symbolic power, generally belonging to the nobility and their authorized representatives.

Naturally, as the highest-ranking noble, the Twin Empresses could also grant this power to someone.

... or a certain town.

Lieselotte sighed. "I don't like reform."

"We can't just tear it all down and start over, can we?" Black Sheep said helplessly at first, then mustered his courage. "We still have time."

Lieselotte remained silent.

Leithanien was built on a solid and ancient foundation.

"The Golden Law Melody" is not only a legal document that unites the nine tribes and Siracusa into Leithanien, or a classical and elegant ensemble, but also instills aesthetics, morality, and music into the heart of every Leithanien.

This ancient spell grows stronger with each passing day in Leithanien, with each day it is played.

However, the once advanced and extraordinary organizational model and social ecology were gradually left behind by the times. The secular incongruity of Siracusa further disrupted the entire "Golden Law Melody" spell.

Leithanien needs to change, but reforming it requires a literal struggle with its ancestors!

Since the covenant was established, since the chorus began... only one person made changes to the music. And only that person had any effect on Leithanien's reforms.

Otto.

The Witch King, Otto Dietmar Gustav von Utica.

"Lieselotte? Snap out of it." Black Sheep said irritably, "Why did you suddenly freeze up?"

She said, half-jokingly, "You don't actually want to tear Leithanien apart and start over, do you?"

The Leithanien - Kazimierz border.

Before administrators had repeatedly confirmed that the massive ship posed no threat, Oute sat at the dining table, awaiting a celebratory feast for his Outrage.

"Why is it Rim Billiton's cuisine?!" Provence stretched its tail, indignant. "We Siracusa also contributed a lot!"

Although I don't care...

You've already humbled yourself before me, and you still don't care?

Yan rolled her eyes quietly.

Tsukino smiled and said, "But I also have some confidence in the cuisine of the East Country."

"Clang, clang!" With excitement in his heart, Outrage put on baking gloves and placed the entire baking tray directly on the table.

"Freshly baked! Charlotte's special! Carrot pie!"

In a rectangular baking pan are two carrot pies, each emitting an enticing aroma, with a crispy base and a soft crust.

Only then did she notice the other operators at the table. "You're kidding! This is just... just a taste test!"

"I was thinking of having a celebration party with everyone," Oute said.

I understand now. This isn't a problem of which country's "cuisine" it is; it's a problem of people.

Provence obediently shut up, while Tsukino's eyebrows curved into a smile.

Bumping into everything will only make me healthier!

Charlotte, somewhat somberly, distributed the food to everyone.

"Be careful, it's hot."

This portion, originally intended for a family reunion, is now rather small; it's only enough for people to sample.

She quickly cheered up again. "Oute! You're so kind! If you had told me beforehand, I could have done something else!"

"Shhh! Make something else? Why? Shhh!" Leonhardt, despite the high fever, started eating right away.

"How can you taste anything like that?" Ayerscarpe rubbed his temples.

"... It's so bland!" Leonhardt exclaimed. "Although Rim Billiton isn't known for its strong flavors, this is way too bland! It's not sweet at all!"

"Hey! Leonhardt!" Ayerscarpe snapped.

Oute became interested. "Not sweet?"

He cut off a small piece, let it cool slightly, and then put it in his mouth.

"It's really not sweet!" After saying that, Oute put another piece in his mouth and chewed it slowly.

Ayerscarpe Ya sighed helplessly, "Isn't that incredibly rude? Why have I suddenly become the one with common sense?!"

A sweet smile crept across the face of the Outrage.

Amiya buried her head in the Outrage's chest. "How I miss that taste!"

"Ugh! I still have flour on me! I'm filthy!" Outrage held up his baking gloves, helplessly letting Amiya whine.

A familiar... taste?

The agents all perked up their ears.

"Hmm, Doc Otter," Outrage whispered, "This used to be your favorite flavor."

"...No wonder." Oute suddenly realized, "I can't really handle desserts that are too sweet."

Tsukino pondered, "A dessert that's not sweet... Yan? East Country?"

The operators whispered among themselves:

Can pies be considered desserts?

Does it count?

Doesn't that count?

"The Doctor's word is final."

"Then let's leave it at that!"

Chapter 291 Minor Matters in the Military Town

The Outrage, chin in hand, watched as Oute and Amiya enjoyed their meal.

Then, satisfied, she said, "Since Doc Otter wants to throw a victory celebration, why don't we work together?"

"Indeed! So much love...it hurts!" Leonhardt's teasing words were only halfway through when the usually silent Yato gave him a physical reminder.

She was torn between supporting Theresa and Kal'tsit, but Charlotte was definitely not on Yato's radar.

"Indeed, it was my oversight."

This is a lie.

Oute stood up and invited, "How about we all contribute our skills and put together a celebratory feast?"

This small-scale "victory celebration" was mainly for the Catastrophe Messenger and temporary guards who had recently suffered the most. After all, as the operation grew, the news of "possession" couldn't be known to everyone. Therefore, granting authority to the Catastrophe Messenger and avoiding the trouble of their future "descent" was just right.

In a sense, this is also a signal from Oute, widely publicizing the uniqueness, directness, and closeness of the "Catastrophe Messenger".

So, is it more intimate to prepare an exceptionally lavish and extravagant feast in advance, or to cook together with Oute himself?

The latter is naturally the better choice.