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"illusion?"
Hmm, it must be an illusion. This man is probably already indulging in the mental pleasure that Miss Kuranta is giving him—ha! What a guy who's only interested in the same sex! Once he's been used on an illusion, he still has to face the pleasure he feels, right?
Not noticing anything unusual, Teresa began her daily work.
The first thing to do is test whether the strength of your released abilities is enough to make the other person reveal their secrets. Start with their name, and take it one step at a time.
"What's your name?" Theresa retrieved a piece of paper and a pen from the bookshelf in the room. For now, if it was just recording name information, the small communicator wasn't necessary.
“—Yang Hao.” In a daze, the lower-ranking nobleman uttered a name that didn’t sound like someone from Ursus, but rather more like someone from the Eastern Yan Kingdom? Theresa thoughtfully wrote it down on the paper.
What do you do for a living? What have you been up to lately?
"—Unemployed, and just separated from a Blood Demon a few months ago." Unemployed? Just separated from a Blood Demon? Theresa was somewhat excited. That was the most notorious Blood Demon of the Sarkaz race—this man must be hiding a great secret!
On the other hand, if the subsequent inquiries are correct, they should be able to be recorded in real time using a communicator.
But before that, you should ask him questions he might not be able to answer. After all, even a stranger can get answers to these kinds of questions by simply asking.
"Why were you so disappointed just now?" It's definitely because you're a guy who's only interested in men. Theresa licked her lips excitedly.
"—I'm disappointed that the Kuranta people are actually normal humans with two arms and two legs. I thought you were like those picture books from Colombia, with human upper bodies and horse lower bodies, and I haven't even found a riding crop in this private room..."
"..."
...What is this?
Is this some kind of unusual sexual fetish among the new generation of Ursus people? Or is this guy actually quite conscious and just insulting me—no, why would anyone be attracted to that kind of picture book feel—wait a minute!
You're in the heart of Ursus, where the hell did you get those weird Colombian picture books?! Those kinds of grotesque stuff, I think, are only sold in some remote Colombian cities that don't even have a single Kuranta.
Where did you get this stuff, you little nobleman?! As a Kuranta who had once vacationed in Colombia, Teresa knew that getting those picture books was impossible without special connections.
Basically, these are all hardcore stuff that only members can get their hands on, and those members should only accept locals, right? How did you, an Ursus nobleman, become a local member in Colombia? You're definitely hiding some earth-shattering secret!
You bastard, you're actually a spy sent by Colombia to Ursus, aren't you?! With that thought, Theresa concluded—she could now ask for that crucial intelligence and record it directly on her electronic devices.
After all, she wasn't sure how long her current abilities would last against this nobleman. What if he took all night just to reveal his secrets? She would have to go through three sheets of paper just to write it down. It would be better to just use the communication device's recording function to record it!
"Let me check... Ah, did I change the password last time? Let me think... 17945... Hmm, that works."
Theresa put down her pen and paper. She walked to the bookshelf, pulled open a book, triggered a mechanism, and then entered a five-digit combination on a seemingly inconspicuous keypad that blended almost seamlessly into the wall. The door to a safe opened silently.
Theresa took a small communicator out of the safe. Then, after unlocking the communicator with her fingerprint, she turned around—
"Hey, hello there, miss. I'm the captain of the anti-prostitution squad in the Duchy of Kosichä. Today, I'm arresting you all on the grounds that 'a spy from Kazimir is conducting illicit brothel transactions here.' Is that alright?"
What she saw was the man who should have been knocked down by her Originium Arts, sitting on the edge of the bed at some point, speaking in a tone of utter disappointment.
......
when?
Without hesitation, Theresa tucked the communicator under her arm, then pulled out a weapon hidden in the safe, intending to decapitate the man disguised as a nobleman—whose true identity was unknown—with a single stroke.
“Our men have sealed off all the blocks, including your hideout, even the sewers. And the Duke of Kosiché's army's naval guns are aimed at you from a high point 500 meters away. Three shots and you probably won't even have a chance to go on vacation anymore—are you sure you want to slash my neck, former conqueror knight?”
"...Tsk—" Are you kidding me?! A naval cannon?! Even if the Ursus people were completely out of their minds, they couldn't possibly—
【boom--! 】
The distant sound of cannon fire shattered Theresa's hopes.
The explosion that came from the street shattered Teresa's last shred of hope that it was "just a coincidence."
Theresa realized that what this man said was absolutely true.
......
Yang Hao finally breathed a sigh of relief after seeing Miss Kuranta, who was holding a dangerous weapon, put it down with a humiliated expression. He then wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve.
Just now, in order to make Miss Kuranta realize the seriousness of the problem, Yang Hao directly ordered the ship gunner not far away to fire a shot at the blocked and deserted street through the [Puppet Stage].
This shot had the desired effect. The dangerous Miss Kuranta pragmatically gave up resistance, effectively signaling to the army and Serpent Scales outside that they could proceed with their mission.
However, Yang Hao still told them to "try not to kill"... After all, these money-grubbing Kazimir spies might infiltrate Kazimir's army later, so it was best to avoid casualties if possible.
Besides, one of the purposes of his trip had already been achieved: the communicator containing important intelligence and the little secrets of those lower-ranking nobles was in Miss Kuranta's hands right in front of him. But then again, it was indeed quite disappointing...
...Yang Hao looked at Miss Kuranta from head to toe with utter disappointment. After staring for a while at her clenched teeth, her cheeks flushed with anger and humiliation, and her tearful eyes, he looked at Kuranta's body, which he had just been looking at for a while, with utter disappointment, and sighed in his heart—indeed, the things in books are all lies.
Is this what a normal woman with a horse's tail and ears looks like? She might be a bit more voluptuous than Margarita and Koschitch combined, but she's just a normal woman with two arms, two legs, and a head!
It's not a centaur with a human upper body and a horse lower body. Even in the most private room, there's no riding whip, or even any props to satisfy my fantasies of riding a horse.
Disappointed, so disappointed.
Why did I let Kosic in advance this afternoon to suffer tonight?
Ugh!
He sighed heavily, gave Miss Kuranta another long, listless look, and then decided to get down to business.
Chapter Ninety-Five
"Little pony, what's your name?" Yang Hao twisted his neck and then took off the unbearably hot lower-class noble's clothes—the clothes were so stuffy, and with his original suit underneath, Yang Hao felt even more sweltering.
Fortunately, there was no need to worry about so many things now. So he simply took off his clothes and casually threw them on the bed, then closed his eyes and listened to the loud noises coming from outside.
“...Theresa.” The blonde, brown-eyed Kuranta woman—a girl who looked no older than 24—uttered a voice filled with utter humiliation. Considering she had once been a war knight, this… well, this particular workplace—being caught in someone’s weakness and unable to resist—was probably a first for her.
“Alright—Miss Theresa, could you give me that communicator?”
"..."
Miss Theresa practically tossed the communicator over. And just then, the door to the room opened.
Paul entered from outside. He was taken aback when he saw the scantily clad Kuranta man standing in the corner, his face contorted with humiliation as he laid down his weapon. He then walked over to Yang Hao and announced that the brothel had been completely suppressed and everyone had been captured.
“We did not use lethal weapons; the Kazimierz are pragmatic.”
When Yang Hao heard Paul say that, he noticed Miss Theresa breathe a sigh of relief. Oh wow? She's a loyal and righteous person after all... Yang Hao liked this kind of loyal and righteous person, because he was one too!
and so--
“Take this communicator, ah—but we need to figure out where the last paper intelligence book is first. Miss Theresa? I think you'd be willing, wouldn't you?”
...The humiliated Kuranta remained silent.
After all, it makes sense. For Theresa, that last paper intelligence book was their last lifeline. With this man having obtained it, they had practically lost their reason to live—would they be executed outright, or subjected to even more horrific torture? Who knows!
First, she needed to keep that intelligence book a secret. Then, only then could she negotiate and let them live longer... Having made up her mind, Theresa decided to keep quiet. No matter what happened next, she couldn't utter a single word.
Faced with the silent Kuranta people, Yang Hao slowly examined the communicator in his hand. After confirming that even if the first authentication was broken, triple verification, including fingerprints, voiceprints, and a special password, was still required to unlock the information, he sighed deeply in front of Paul and Theresa:
“I was originally going to say that whatever amount of money your capital enterprises in Kazimierz pay you, we will give you double the amount of red gold.”
"?!"
Paul was stunned—this wasn't part of the plan! Could this be a sudden idea from the adults themselves?
Paul hadn't forgotten that Monica, the head maid, had repeatedly warned them that Lord Yang Hao's wildly imaginative ideas might cause them trouble... but he hadn't expected him to arrive at a time like this.
Double the amount of red gold? Lord Kosiché probably wouldn't agree, would he? And even if he did, considering the amounts those capital companies in Kazimir can offer, circulating that much red gold would be very difficult! Unless Lord Yang Hao purges all the nobles in the city and takes out all their assets, otherwise...
...purging the nobility?
At that moment, Paul suddenly remembered the "Naughty Boys List" that contained the names of several nobles... He suddenly realized something: the nobles on the list did indeed seem very wealthy, and there was evidence to punish them...
Since the adults have already made plans, I shouldn't stop them.
Believing he had grasped Yang Hao's thoughts, Paul stood silently beside him. Meanwhile, the Kuranta people opposite them were also engaged in a fierce internal struggle.
'Double the amount of red gold? Wait... don't be tempted, Theresa! What if this bastard is just kidding?!'
Theresa had to admit that for a moment she was indeed tempted—it was double the amount of pure gold!
After all, if you calculate it carefully, the salaries paid to these high-risk individuals by those high-tech companies in Kazimir are, at most, enough to buy a small apartment near the city center in one of the prosperous cities of the Great Knight Territory by the time they retire. And that's just enough to spend it all; they might even have to take out a loan to make ends meet after buying the apartment...
If they were all converted into pure gold... hmm? It seems like that would actually be enough to live a very happy and prosperous life in Ursus, or perhaps in Colombia?
If it were double the amount of crimson gold? Hmm... I could probably buy a small villa in the Great Knight's Territory and live a life of luxury for the rest of my life? But that's definitely not going to work. Am I the kind of person who would betray Kazimierz? After all, I'm a former Conquest Knight—
"Three times the amount of red gold."
The man, who resembled a demon, grinned with a devilish smile and then ripped off the fake bear ears from his head.
"And there are residency permits for the Duchy of Kosiché—I swear in the name of the Duke of Kosiché's husband that if you serve us, your wages will be doubled afterward, and we will absolutely not cause you any trouble, provided that you remain loyal to the pure gold we pay you."
"...Gurgle."
Three times the amount of red gold?! And you're the husband of the Duke of this duchy?! Theresa swallowed hard. With her shrewd brain, she quickly calculated the results that three times the amount of red gold would bring her: not to mention being well-fed and clothed in her next life, she could already live a life of extreme luxury two steps ahead of time!
And they even have resident cards? Does that mean they've skipped the whole bribery process with civil affairs officials?! As for the job? It's alright... service it is, sigh, even though this guy's a bit of a freak, but considering the money—
but!
All of this is predicated on the premise that this gentleman will keep his promise. What? What conquering knight? I already said "former," I'm not a conquering knight anymore, why should I care about that?
Thinking of this, the humiliation on Theresa's face vanished. She scrutinized Yang Hao with an extremely serious gaze for a long while, seemingly intending to memorize his entire being, before she asked sternly:
"So, what guarantees that you will keep your promise?"
"...At least, why don't you rebel from the bottom of your heart? Even just pretending would be better! What kind of knight would betray you without hesitation just because he heard about three times the money?" The man looked stunned, not expecting things to turn out this way.
Chapter 96
"Huh? Can loyalty put food on the table? If it weren't for the generous money those capitalists give us, who would want to do espionage in a godforsaken place like Ursus? And then again, three times the price, do you know what three times the price means to us? That's enough to live comfortably for the rest of our lives! Loyalty is worthless in the face of that money, at least to me."
Faced with Yang Hao's question, Miss Theresa simply patted the stuff stuck to the outside of her stockings and answered with a smirk. After all, it was the truth.
How many people in Kazimierz still care about their homeland? Apart from the knights still serving in the war, there aren't many left, are there? Everyone is indulging in a life of luxury and extravagance, and money has become an essential necessity for survival in Kazimierz—Teresa meant that although it was like this before, things are different now.
In Kazimir now, money is more important than so-called "motherland" or "loyalty." After all, if the country is gone, people can simply change their nationality and identity and continue to survive working for capitalist companies. But what can you do without money? Go live in those remote villages in the wasteland that are only remembered when taxes are collected? Or become a wandering mercenary?
There's not much to say about the former; at least Theresa would be extremely unwilling. As for the latter? Don't forget, even if you want to be a wandering mercenary, you need money first...
How can you buy equipment without money? How can you maintain your equipment without money? How can you travel outside of Kazimierz without money? This is the reality of Kazimierz now, after it has been gradually eroded by capitalism! Money is the most important thing!
That's why Theresa was so decisive—as long as this Mr. Yang Hao could ensure his promises were kept, then so be it, betrayal was acceptable. After all, what difference did it make where one lived? Money was the most important thing.
Ah, of course—Mas and the others are quite important too. You'd have to pay at least fifty times that amount to sell them, right? Of course, Theresa knew no one would do that.
"hiss..."
Faced with Teresa's self-righteousness, Yang Hao and the silent Paul exchanged glances, both seeing the helplessness and confusion in each other's eyes: Have the people of Kazimierz fallen so low?
And that is indeed the case.
[Event: The Spy in Casimir ③]
Kazimierz has fallen into depravity. If the current knights and their servants still hold onto honor or some other sense of righteousness and love, then for the capitalist-dominated city, those knights only care about money and have no interest in any sense of national righteousness.
Although the former knight before you is no longer a gladiator knight, she was once an honorable warrior, but now she's almost driven to desperation by life: in Kazimierz, without money, you can't move an inch. But at least this former knight, while she might betray her country, wouldn't betray her comrades. After all, good times and bad times are shared; how can one be a traitor alone? If one is to be a traitor, they'll be traitors together.
You can bribe these Kurantas with enough money. For this Kuranta, who loves both money and companionship, her loyalty is unbreakable—literally—if you give her enough money.
People who love money will not betray it. If you offer her wealth beyond measure, she will become your most loyal subordinate.
'Are you sure my wife won't kill me if I do this?'
Successful outcome: To bribe Theresa and her squad with enough money, you must prove that you will absolutely give them the promised amount.
Failure outcome: You didn't offer enough money, but you can try other methods...
......
Good heavens. A once-honored knight of conquest, forced to sell his wares for money because of life's necessities?
This...this...is absolutely amazing!
Although Yang Hao was utterly disappointed by the seemingly normal Kuranta people, the exciting plot actually sparked a new wave of curiosity in him: he wondered what kind of shameless things this Miss Theresa would do for money?
Let's take a look! It's quite interesting anyway, might as well check it out—
At this moment, Yang Hao's smile grew even brighter. After figuring out how to use his own money—no, his wife's money...
This is strange.
Forget it.
Having figured out how to use his charm to win over Miss Kuranta, Yang Hao felt more confident. He gestured for Paul to use the communicator to summon Monica, the maid, to get the check. Then he said to Miss Theresa: