The beast tide was completely wiped out in less than three minutes.
It would normally take a long time to clear the monsters' bodies, which had piled up into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, but Leon used spatial magic to remove them all and store them within spatial rifts.
He planned to divide the spoils equally between Anis and Eta later. Those two would be thrilled to see so much material.
According to the final reports, the only damage caused by the beast tide was the collapse of the stone bridge in front of Mondstadt.
But Leon hadn't liked that bridge for a long time anyway.
Because there was always a boy named Timmy feeding pigeons there every day. As a result, pigeon droppings covered the place. As a prince, he couldn't step on a bridge filled with bird droppings.
So if it was destroyed—then so be it. Leon even told Jean that from now on he would forbid anyone from feeding pigeons on that bridge, since it ruined the city's appearance.
No one wanted to enter a city through a bridge covered in filth.
And now...
"Long live the prince!!!"
"He did it! He really did it!"
"As expected of His Highness Leon!!"
"Our prince is invincible!"
Everyone raised their weapons, cheering and celebrating, casting respectful gazes toward Leon.
As Leon entered Mondstadt, windows across the city opened, and women shouted his name while scattering flowers from above.
Bathed in flowers and applause, Leon enjoyed every moment with a smile.
The knights looked at him with admiration.
The women gazed at him with desire.
The adventurers looked at him with excitement.
No one knew that the beast tide had actually been caused by Leon himself. They only knew they had witnessed yet another of his astonishing feats.
Speaking of which—
Barbara, who did know, had no intention of saying anything. The adorable girl clapped enthusiastically, her eyes filled with fascination and affection.
(Well, it doesn't matter. After all, there was no real harm done to the city. No casualties. If anything, many monsters were eliminated, so Mondstadt's safety has greatly improved.)
After all, monsters injuring travelers in the wild was a common occurrence. Beyond human cities, dangerous creatures often appeared and frequently attacked merchant caravans and travelers.
But this time, he had killed so many.
Presumably, there would be far fewer such incidents in the future.
There might be some ecological impact, of course, but it wasn't serious. After all, the North Wind Wolf, Andrius, would remain stationed near the city.
"Forget the celebration. Everyone, go back to what you were doing. I'll take a walk around the city myself."
Now that he was here, Leon planned to inspect Mondstadt's current condition.
He wanted to see the progress of the city that had just been liberated and was under reconstruction.
However, what he saw went far beyond his expectations.
After walking through Mondstadt several times, Leon's expression grew darker and colder.
He had never imagined things would turn out like this.
---
Favonius Knights Headquarters — Jean's Office
After reviewing all the reports on recent events in Mondstadt, Leon sat in a chair, looked at Jean with an unreadable expression, and then patted his leg.
"Your Highness?" Jean asked, confused.
"Come here and lie down."
"Eh?"
"I said, come here and lie down. Don't make me repeat myself a third time."
...
That tone and commanding gaze gave Jean no courage to refuse.
Although the position was rather embarrassing, she still obeyed and lay across his lap.
Just as Jean was wondering why he had made her do that—
Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!
"Kyah!"
Five firm strikes landed in quick succession, echoing through the room. Jean let out a startled cry.
"Sister?!"
"Your Highness, why are you doing this?!" Barbara's eyes widened in shock.
Jean was utterly mortified.
She had actually been punished across his lap like a child—and in front of Barbara!
In that moment, her image as the dignified older sister was completely shattered.
"You should be grateful," Leon said flatly. "Because I actually like you, your punishment will end here."
Jean froze, speechless.
"Punishment?" she repeated faintly.
"That's right," Leon said sternly. "Jean, I must say, I'm quite disappointed in you."
His words made her heart tremble.
She no longer cared about the embarrassment of the situation—her chest tightened as if his words alone were squeezing her heart.
Leon sighed deeply.
"I just walked through Mondstadt, and all I saw was laziness. Almost everyone was idle. In broad daylight, groups were drinking in the tavern surrounded by dozens of empty bottles."
"There were all sorts of meaningless requests—finding lost cats, carrying crates, running petty errands... Are these the kinds of things you, the leader of the Favonius Knights and governor of Mondstadt, should be doing yourself?"
"Do the people of Mondstadt have no arms or legs?"
"I'm very disappointed. I freed them from the Lawrence family's oppression, and this is what I see upon my return. If I'd known this would happen, I might not have saved them."
Leon shook his head, disgust clear in his eyes.
Barbara was too nervous to speak, and Jean had no argument.
Her people truly had grown lazy, and she bore some of the blame.
She had grown too accustomed to helping everyone personally, which had nurtured this dependent attitude among the citizens.
You could say that everyone in Mondstadt had become lazy—but Jean was the only one still working tirelessly.
"This can't go on, Jean," Leon said firmly. "You must change your policies and methods, or I'll be forced to reclaim this territory. If Mondstadt's people continue like this, I might as well let the Lawrences rule them again."
His tone was cold as steel.
The Lawrences had been terrible nobles, yes—but at least under their threat, the people had worked hard and produced a stronger economy.
"...I'm sorry, Your Highness..." Jean said softly.
She finally realized her mistake.
Of course, as a knight she could help others freely.
But she wasn't merely a knight anymore — she was the ruler of this land, and she couldn't continue as before.
Her duty was to protect and lead the people — not to do their work for them.
"I'll draft several strict policies for you," Leon continued. "You'll enforce them later. Anyone who dares disobey will be punished severely.
And starting this month, I'll increase Mondstadt's tax rate tenfold."
Leon spoke without mercy.
He had finally realized that for the people of Mondstadt — who used the excuse of 'freedom' to justify their laziness — kindness alone would never work.
A whip was needed to make them move.
---
(End of Chapter)