Chapter 19: It’s Raining in Macondo

Lafeier comforted the 59 mercenaries who remained, then loudly called out to Liliya.

But the moment he said “Li,” a small head popped up on his chest.

“Young master, did you call for me?”

“Wow, as expected of you, so fast!” Lafeier couldn’t help but exclaim.

“Um… not at all…” Liliya’s face reddened for a moment, and her little foot twisted in her leather shoe, carving a small pit in the floor.

“Hmm, what did you say?”

“Nothing at all. Alright, young master, what are your orders?”

Lafeier twisted his neck.

“Take those twenty out, destroy the bodies and erase all traces. Leave no one alive.”

Hearing this, Liliya revealed a faint smile.

“As you command, young master.”

As she spoke, she instantly teleported to the main entrance, startling the mercenaries so much they almost cosplayed as dominoes.

When they saw who it was, though their feet trembled, their hearts were overflowing with a sense of security.

“It’s that lord!”

“If it’s that lord who kicked a tree flying with one punch, then the army matter…”

“Only the Imperial Legion could produce such a superhuman!”

Their expressions showed three parts fear, seven parts joy.

But they never imagined that an hour later they would be neatly split into ten pieces.

…

Many years later, facing His Majesty the Emperor, Liliya would recall that distant afternoon when Lafeier ordered her to execute the mercenaries.

At that time, the outskirts of Tulip Prison were a barren wasteland, with a few bare trees crowded by a stream. The stream water was clear, but it was stained with wisps of blood and shredded flesh, flowing all the way to the great inner lake. Colorful ornaments hung on the jagged gravel under the river, only to be crushed to pieces underfoot.

“Phew~” The girl caught her breath and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

“Good thing I didn’t get my clothes dirty.”

“Young master… hehe.”

…

[Ding——!]

[Execution successful. Integrated furnace will arrive at Starfall Bay Train Station tomorrow morning.]

[Ding——!]

[Execution successful. Forging table (Basic) will arrive at Starfall Bay Train Station tomorrow morning.]

[Ding——!]

[Execution successful. Silver-plated soft armor has been automatically issued.]

…

Small items were automatically delivered to the office, while large items would be transported by train to the station the next day.

Design blueprints, like the earlier firearms, were directly engraved into his mind.

It felt itchy, as if he was about to grow a brain.

“Quite a harvest. Starting tomorrow, the factory in the prison can operate normally.”

Lafeier returned to the office, playing with that silver dagger.

During the hour Liliya was executing the prisoners, he successfully convinced the remaining mercenaries to continue working at the prison.

To avoid making the labor contract effective, Lafeier euphemistically called it “labor reform.”

And indeed, when Lafeier proposed the condition that they work for free for a month to atone for their sins, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

“What’s the big deal? Just working for free for a month.”

“If they were under those heartless bosses, they’d have to pay to work!”

With this, cutting the mercenaries’ wages, 80 people totaling 8,000 crowns, then this month only needs to pay 10,000 crowns!

“Heh heh heh, as expected of me!”

At that time, sending them away under the guise of “release after serving sentence” not only avoids compensating for breach of contract but also gets a month of free security service.

“What a genius!”

Although this security is practically nonexistent, “having” and “not having” are two different things.

A paper tiger, as long as it isn’t poked through, is still a tiger.

But during this time, Lafeier must put building the prison’s defense force on the agenda.

He opened the system panel.

[Tulip Prison: Level 1]

[Current Influence: 8 (Unknown)]

[Staff: 35]

[Military: 0]

[Prisoners: 1277]

[Liquid Capital: 13,000 Crowns]

[Fixed Assets: 5,000,000 Crowns]

[Current Debt: 6,000,000 Crowns]

[Current Net Assets: -987,000 Crowns]

[Estimated Monthly Expenditure: 10,000 Crowns (includes military and staff salaries 3,500 Crowns, prison daily expenses 6,500 Crowns)]

[Estimated Monthly Income: 2,000 Crowns (labor subsidies 1,400 Crowns, weaving workshop 600 Crowns)]

[Prison Riot Index: 98 (Affected by factors such as staff and prisoners’ working environment, living conditions, salary, etc. When it reaches 100, a riot will inevitably occur.)]

“The prison riot index increased…”

Lafeier pondered.

“It seems the root of the problem is not the death row inmates, nor the guards and military, but those over a thousand half-bloods.”

That makes sense. As the largest group in the prison, even the core of this prison, how could the half-bloods’ influence be small?

Perhaps there have always been some unstable factors lurking behind the scenes, growing in secret.

No, not perhaps, it’s inevitable.

Cleaning up the half-blood district should also be put on the agenda.

Knock knock knock—

A knock sounded.

“Come in.”

Liliya pushed open the door and bowed.

“Young master, it’s all taken care of.”

“Travelers passing by occasionally being torn to pieces by the Blood Race is also common in the Empire.”

Lafeier nodded.

“Good job.”

He had been waiting for Liliya for a long time.

Now, Sophia was locked in the warehouse next to the Warden’s Office. Without Liliya present, he really didn’t dare act rashly.

Although Sophia’s behavior earlier was laughable, underestimating someone who hates you to the bone and is fighting for their last breath is clearly very unwise.

That black smoke—Lafeier didn’t even need to think—it was definitely magic.

As for why her magic caused her to burst her own eyeballs, Lafeier didn’t know, and didn’t dare act on his own.

What if there were additional effects like sacrifice?

By sacrificing eyeballs, summoning an evil god, like the Frenzied Flame or something—just thinking about it gave him a headache.

As for magic, Lafeier only had a partial understanding.

After all, this kind of thing was just background in the game.

Maybe it was for the sake of a sequel, but Lafeier was sent over before the sequel was released.

“Magic decays, leaving only Holy Arts.”

Holy Arts are monopolized by the Church; only monks who have received the Church’s baptism can use Holy Arts.

And Holy Arts specialize in so-called “exorcism,” which is especially effective against the Blood Race.

The natives of this world might think it’s natural, but Lafeier, who came from another world, always felt there was something fishy about it.

“Enough thinking. Let’s go meet Sophia first.”

Lafeier stood up and entered the room where Sophia was being held together with Liliya.

“Heh, just do it. I won’t say anything.”

The moment the two entered the room, Sophia, who was tied up into , said coldly.

Her eyes were tightly shut, two lines of bloodstains hung on her cheeks, and the corners of her eyes still had moist blood.

Two large headlights were tightly bound by ropes, displaying their full appearance.

“Tsk~ This binding technique, it’s something.”

Lafeier sighed in admiration.

“Not at all, you flatter me, young master.”

Liliya said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Lafeier really wanted to say,

“That’s not a compliment for you, idiot.”

But…

“Well… as long as you’re happy.”

Although he didn’t know how Liliya had mastered such cutting-edge techniques, the urgent matter at hand—

“Chief Guard Sophia, do you think I don’t know anything?”