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After hailing a Beast Carriage beside the road and sending Layna away, Yaeger stood under a big tree. Leaning against the trunk, she gazed at the bustling traffic, lost in thought.

“Due to the players reporting me, I’ve suffered heavy losses. Retaliation is inevitable. Yet, how did they manage to contact Blei, the red dog from the Direct Army?” she pondered.

Her mind then sparked with inspiration, bringing two figures to the forefront: S.K.Y. and Taurus.

“Hoho, how could I forget those two?” she chuckled to herself. The last time, Taurus and S.K.Y. had made it clear they were aligned with the Direct Army. It made perfect sense they could directly report to the commander.

“Forget it. I’ll deal with them once they’ve outlived their usefulness,” Yaeger mused. To her, these instigators were merely cash cows, not worth the effort of serious harm. “Still, they require a lesson.” Deciding to confront them upon her return to the city, she formulated a plan.

“First, I need to recharge the Holy Spirit Shard. Sigh, having to visit the cathedral every time it depletes is such a hassle. I wish I could just put Irene on a leash and have her tag along.” Imagining Irene’s horrified reaction, she smirked, “She’d scream ‘demon!’ and flee.”

“Troublesome as it is, the Holy Spirit Shard’s value is undeniable. Fully integrated into Holy Spirit Equipment, it could surpass even the damaged [Chaos God Ring],” Yaeger whispered, contemplating its power.

While a fully functional Artifact held immense power, a damaged one could fall short of even Legendary items. The Holy Spirit Equipment, though not as mighty as a pristine Artifact, would outclass any damaged Artifacts and Legendary items.

“I’ll hunt for the fragments when possible. For now, the priority is to mend and fortify [Sunscorch].” Not overly concerned about the scarcity of Holy Spirit Shards, Yaeger was pragmatic. Finding them would be ideal, but she wasn’t obsessed.

“With two Artifacts in my possession, acquiring Holy Spirit Equipment isn’t urgent,” she concluded, ready to return. Spotting a luxurious Beast Carriage, she stepped onto the road and hailed it.

The coachman initially wasn’t bothered by the sight of a hitchhiker. Being a high-class driver, he wouldn’t usually stop for anyone in the middle of the road. However, as he drew closer and recognized the hitchhiker, his expression instantly shifted, and his heart began to race.

‘It’s the Black-hearted Princess!’ he realized, aware of her notorious reputation. The thought of the Empire’s scourge possibly chasing him down if he attempted to flee caused him to reconsider. Ultimately, he stopped and respectfully welcomed her aboard.

Back in the city, within a mansion in the inner-city district, a man clad in red and black plate armor was in a fury, sweeping all the utensils off a table. “Useless. All of them are useless!”

The room was filled with the noise of his outburst and a violent aura. This man was Blei Osman, the commander of the Direct Army, also known as the Red Dog, and one of Yaeger’s enemies.

A soldier in black armor knelt before him, visibly shaking. The soldier had come to report the events at the fortress prison but was cut off as Blei’s temper flared. “You can’t even handle a simple task. I might as well keep a dog instead of you!” Blei berated him.

The soldier felt aggrieved, thinking, ‘His Majesty pays our wages, not you!’

Resigning to take matters into his own hands, Blei declared, “Forget it, I’ll do it myself.”

The kneeling soldier was stunned, questioning, “Lord Commander, are you taking action personally?”

He found it hard to believe that the esteemed commander would personally deal with what seemed to be a minor threat, despite the humiliation inflicted on the Direct Army.

Blei’s response was fierce, “If you were competent, would I need to intervene?” His voice boomed, causing even the dust to stir. It was evident that Blei was incensed.

The soldier remained silent, fearing further angering him. Blei, though visibly angry, controlled his impulse to lash out physically, a testament to his restraint as a leader.

“Prepare a Beast Carriage immediately. I’m heading to the outer-city district,” Blei commanded, his temper somewhat cooled. The soldier obeyed and quickly exited, leaving Blei alone with his thoughts.

“Damned Black-hearted Princess,” he muttered, blaming her for the complications in his plans. If not for her intervention on behalf of the Eldest Princess, he might have used force to resolve his issues, rather than being mired in frustration.

“I must find the Eldest Princess before His Majesty returns!” Otherwise, Blei knew he would face severe consequences once Richard came back.

At the moment, S.K.Y. and Taurus were providing him with the best intelligence. Following their clues, Blei realized that it was Yaeger who had obstructed his plans previously. He believed that by capturing the Black-hearted Princess, he could subsequently locate the Eldest Princess. That was his plan. However, unbeknownst to him, Yaeger had no knowledge of Alicia’s whereabouts, rendering her capture futile.

“Lord Commander, the Beast Carriage is ready… Ueeeek!” A scream suddenly pierced the silence from outside. Blei immediately rushed out without uttering a word.

Concurrently, a menacing voice declared, “You are not going anywhere. Stay here.” Then, two powerful auras, shaped like a cross, surged towards Blei. Upon closer inspection, Blei’s spine chilled in shock as he recognized his assailant as Double Axe Lili!

In an instant, the dual auras struck Blei, propelling him back into the house with a thunderous crash. “She is under my protection. Nobody can touch her,” declared Lili, her blonde ponytail swaying, clad in fine armor and wielding double axes, her tone grim yet her appearance deceivingly delicate. Having made her stance clear, she turned and departed calmly.

Inside, Blei found himself embedded in the wall, his arms outstretched. Beneath his now visible helmet, his eyes widened in astonishment. A closer look revealed his gauntlets were dented from the impact of Lili’s attack!

“Double Axe Lili truly deserves her title…” he murmured, trembling. The wall behind him cracked, bricks tumbled down, enveloping him in a cloud of dust.

As Blei emerged from the debris with a wary look, he acknowledged his inability to best Lili. Targeting the Black-hearted Princess meant antagonizing Lili, a risk he deemed too great. Yet, failing to act would draw the Emperor’s ire. “My head hurts so much!” lamented Blei, caught in a dire predicament.

Meanwhile, a luxurious Beast Carriage made its way into the city, from which a dazzling beauty alighted.