Pioneer Lord: I Have Conquering System

But in most cases, once the questions start getting turned back on you, you have to admit to something, whether it's true or not.

"My Lord, I confess! I admit it! The one backing me is…"

Faced with a life-and-death crisis, the Knight finally displayed a burst of Wisdom that far surpassed his usual capabilities.

"I understand. As for who it is, we can wait until we get back to discuss it." But before he could finish, Filo cut him off. The Prince smiled like an old fox as he turned to Margery, who stood by the red velvet bed. "And you, madam. You and that prostitute are also under suspicion. We'll need you to come with us."

Margery was startled, but it was too late.

"Take them away! Take them away! Take them all!" the Lord commanded, waving his hand dismissively as he looked at the still-poised Margery.

The Barbarians from High Cliff Castle split into groups, executing their Lord's orders with perfect, rigorous efficiency.

They made sure not even a fly was missed as they drove all the prostitutes out of Red Velvet.

Faced with the weeping, delicate prostitutes, these massive, terrifying brutes had no soft spot for beautiful women.

In just a few moments, they had herded the gorgeously dressed prostitutes into the middle of the street. Some hadn't even had time to put on clothes, their bodies covered only by scraps of cloth.

"Lord Levi, you don't need this many. We only need to take Margery and the Maid who started the conflict with Crow," Filo said, sighing and pressing a hand to his forehead at Levi's over-the-top display.

Levi waved his hand, and the Barbarians immediately scattered. The other prostitutes flocked back into Red Velvet like swallows returning to their nest, leaving only five people standing in the middle of the street, surrounded by the glowering Barbarians.

Margery watched all this in silence, her brow furrowed. 'Not even a hundred fully armed Guards were a match for the Lord of High Cliff Castle's men, let alone the wandering Knights that Red Velvet keeps on its payroll.'

'As for playing the card of who's backing me? I doubt this Marquis Levi, a man who dares to slay a Giant Dragon, would be the least bit intimidated.'

After a long moment, she spoke with an air of resignation. "My Lord, there is no need for all this. If you require something of me, please, just give the order."

"You're a clever one," Levi said, glancing at her before snapping his fingers. "Let's move out. We're going home!"

But then, to everyone's surprise, the Sheriff who had been so cowardly and inept just moments before actually mustered his courage and blocked the path of the High Cliff Castle contingent.

"My Lord, you can't do this!"

"No matter how Crow offended you, he should be punished on the spot or handed over to the court in the Noble Garden for judgment! You can't just take him away privately!" Despite the terror he felt, the middle-aged noble steeled himself, swallowing nervously as he spoke.

He had realized something was terribly wrong.

If he allowed the Lord of High Cliff Castle to take Crow, this incident, which started as a personal offense against High Cliff Castle, would likely escalate to an unimaginable degree.

He couldn't help but tremble at the mere thought of the people who would be implicated.

"Do you remember what I said earlier?" Levi stood completely relaxed, his hands in his pockets. He looked down at the Sheriff, who was a full head shorter than him, and said calmly, "It would be best if this matter had nothing to do with you."

"..." The Sheriff, having just worked up his courage, suddenly froze as if caught in a nightmare. He opened his mouth twice, but no words came out.

Gazing into the man's eyes, which were as calm as a placid lake, he had the disorienting sensation of being stared down at by a Giant Dragon whose body blotted out the sky. He felt that in the next second, he would be incinerated to ash by its Dragon Breath.

"My... My Lord, Crow is... a Knight invested by His Highness Prince Bedoyel. If you take him, I'm afraid you will incur His Highness the Prince's displeasure..." he stammered.

"Displeasure? He'd better pray I don't become displeased!" Levi flashed a small smile, and with his hands still in his pockets, he turned and headed for Filo's residence in Gonda without a backward glance.

He'd heard the Prince had bought a magnificent estate in Gonda, and he figured he could drop in and scrounge a meal.

The food at the Holy Light Church Court was too bland. A meal there was fine once in a while, but eating it every day was no way for a person to live.

The Gonda Guards could only watch as the group from High Cliff Castle departed arrogantly. To be honest, even though these men were ordinary Guards who patrolled Gonda and kept the peace, their status wasn't particularly high. But they were still the local power, backed by His Highness Prince Bedoyel. It was rare for anyone to beat them all up and then ignore them as if they were nothing more than ants on the roadside.

The residents of the Royal Capital truly had the kind of temperament that wouldn't flinch even if the sky were falling. When the two sides had clashed, they had formed a thick crowd, three circles deep, to watch the spectacle. Now that the conflict wasn't escalating, they all wore expressions of disappointment.

In contrast, some of the Mercenaries and Rangers in the crowd, having seen their idol live up to his domineering legend, were visibly excited and thrilled. They gathered in groups, discussing when they could travel to High Cliff Castle together to pledge their allegiance to the Lion Hunter Knight and contribute to the great Lord's cause!

The fully-armed Knights watched until the Lord's figure had vanished from sight before turning to the Sheriff. "Sir, why didn't you keep trying to stop Marquis Levi?"

"Yeah! If we let him take Captain Crow just like that, His Highness Prince Bedoyel will be furious!"

The Sheriff's legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground. Only then did the Knights notice that their superior's face was deathly pale and his shirt was soaked with sweat, plastered to his back. "You don't know shit!"

"I feel like I just had a brush with the Death God himself!"

"That Marquis Levi is one ruthless bastard. All of you, lay low for a while and don't go out if you can help it. And if you do, don't you dare provoke his people."

"We have His Highness Prince Bedoyel backing us. There's no need to be so afraid of them, is there?" a Knight with a scar on his face said.

It was no wonder they felt that way. They were an elite unit of the Royal City's Imperial Guard with their own designation, under the direct command of His Highness Prince Beier. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them his Personal Guard Army.

And in the Royal City, a place with no shortage of nobles and royals, not even a Marquis would dare to offend them lightly.

"His Highness the Prince?" The Sheriff let out a cold, cryptic laugh. 'Plenty of Princes have been slaughtered by Legendary Powerhouses throughout history. You don't see many Kings going to war with a Legendary Powerhouse over a dead son.'

Of course, he wouldn't say that out loud. The fact that the Lord of High Cliff Castle was a Legendary Powerhouse was known only to a few people. He simply kicked his nephew. "Go on then, if you're so eager to die! When the time comes, not even His Majesty the King will be able to save you!"

「 」

Levi arrived at Filo's residence in Gonda. The estate, named "Silver Moonlight," was located in the most affluent district of the city, a place where even the most modest house would cost nearly a thousand Gold Coins.

The first thing he saw was a spacious main hall. The ceiling soared thirty or forty feet high, from which hung a massive Crystal Chandelier. The chandelier was studded with countless Magic Gemstones that cast a soft, gentle glow. The floor was covered with a magnificent carpet embroidered with intricate patterns, making it feel as though he were walking on clouds with every step.

Long corridors extended from both sides of the hall. Their walls were lined with portraits of generations of family members, each painting seemingly watching any visitor, exuding an air of majesty and mystery.

At the end of one corridor was a study filled with ancient books and Scrolls. The bookshelves were inlaid with Magic Runes, ensuring that the precious knowledge they held would never be eroded by time.

Behind the residence lay a vast garden planted with all manner of rare and exotic flora, each plant exuding a faint Magic Aura.

The Lord clasped his hands behind his back, putting on an air of appreciation as he looked around. Internally, the urge to plunder the entire estate was growing stronger by the second.

"I never would have thought Your Highness the Prince would be interested in such obscure Magic."

The sharp-eyed Fu Jin had spotted a copy of the *Agricultural School Magic Theory* on a bookshelf in the study and was quite surprised.

"I was discovered to have a Talent for Magic when I was young," the Prince said, a rare, wistful look on his face. "But the cruelest thing in the world is to be given a glimpse of the sky, only to be forever unable to reach it."