Damon was taken back to the carriage by Guard Four. Elara turned and walked back to her small table and rocking chair where she had some nuts laid out.
System 92 in her mind asked excitedly, "Master, do you want to follow Damon's trail to investigate Lord Gregory's embezzlement of state property? This will give you strong evidence against Lord Gregory and his group!"
Elara smiled in her mind and said, "System 92, your intelligence still needs improving."
System 92 blushed and touched its data stream head, feeling embarrassed. "Did I guess wrong? But this is a very good lead. When Master later overthrows Lord Gregory and his kind, this can be used as a justified reason to act. After all, people in this era seem to care about 'just cause' for actions."
Elara nodded silently to System 92 and said, "You're right in thinking that, but it's too early now. Think about who currently controls the judicial power in the Plumera Kingdom?"
System 92 hesitated, then immediately lost spirit. "It's Baron."
"Yes. And all the officials are either under Baron's control or they are weaklings who don't dare oppose him. So even if we investigate now, nothing useful will come out. It will only alert them and cause problems."
System 92 felt completely down. Elara reached out and pinched the dim light ball in her mind that was System 92's form.
This was the shape System 92 had recently taken in her mind, a round, furry glowing ball, quite cute.
"The Plumera Kingdom is rotten from top to bottom. To destroy the corrupt people like Baron, we can't use normal methods or reason with them. The only way is to use more violent means to break them completely."
System 92 felt comforted by Elara's touch and brightened a bit, rubbing itself against her fading hand.
"But Master, Lord Gregory's secret power from years of stealing and smuggling may be very hard to deal with."
"Yes, it is hard, but don't I have you, my 'golden finger'?"
System 92 blushed from Elara's words, the golden glow on its surface turning red.
But it then thought that since Master's arrival in this world, it hadn't really helped much. Master solved problems mostly on her own. System 92 felt even more ashamed.
Elara noticed System 92's mood change and laughed, stroking the small glowing ball again. "Your idea about 'just cause' is useful and necessary. But even if we set this lead aside now, don't worry. Lord Gregory's sins are many. When I have the strength to crush this rotten root, I will find every rotten wound."
System 92 felt encouraged and its light grew brighter.
It thought about Elara's words and understood that in the current situation they could only do so much, and must work mostly in secret.
"Master, I understand! You are right."
After thinking a moment, System 92 clenched its tiny fist and said firmly, "Master, don't worry. I will ask the Main God for an intelligence upgrade when I get the chance!"
Then it will become a mature high-IQ system and help Master better.
Elara had no real need for the upgrade but praised System 92's enthusiasm. After all, upgrading sounds like a good thing.
"Good idea. Keep it up."
...
Fifteen minutes later, after the public execution ended, Captain Yang and several other heads of the city guards hung on the city wall were beaten badly. Their whole bodies were bruised and bleeding, and they fainted from the pain.
Captain Yang, who had been shot with an arrow in the shoulder, was covered in blood and unconscious, looking like a piece of rotten meat.
If it were not for Guard Uno, Dos, and Tres watching nearby, the executioner would have stopped earlier. The remaining city guards around were ready to secretly help Captain Yang down.
When the execution finished and Guard Uno, Dos, and Tres returned to Elara's side, Elara raised her hand, signaling she was done releasing her anger. The city guards then carefully took down their badly beaten leader.
Captain Yang's complete unconsciousness lost the last chance to capture Damon.
...
Back in the carriage, Elara looked at the now crowded space after two big men were loaded inside and frowned.
Damon was still tied up, sitting on the floor of the carriage. Mathias, who had not gotten off the carriage, sat silently with his eyes down.
Both men were over twenty years old, tall and broad. Even Mathias, thin and worn from torture, took up one-third of the carriage space, not to mention Damon, who was much stronger.
With Elara stepping in, the carriage was truly crowded.
Elara was silent for two seconds, then her eyes fixed on Mathias. She thought about whether to throw Mathias out since she only wanted to talk to Damon.
But when her gaze landed on Mathias, she recalled his miserable state from yesterday and his still unhealed injuries. This morning he was tortured again at the Mathias family home. The thought made her sigh.
Forget it. The real problem is this era's low technology and the small carriage.
For now, she would just squeeze in, and soon arrange for a large luxury carriage that could seat twelve people.
Comforting herself, Elara adjusted her complicated, fancy dress and squeezed between the two men to the carriage's innermost seat.
She calmly lowered her head and straightened her dress, fixing the parts that had been creased by the tight space before looking at Damon in front of her.
"Can you tell me why you killed Captain Yang?"
Mathias, who had been still with his head bowed, twitched his eyelashes and briefly looked at Damon before returning to silence.
Damon had been staring at Elara with the same straightforward look as before, showing no emotion in his eyes.
But when Elara mentioned Captain Yang, his eyes filled immediately with strong disgust and deep hatred.
"He was just an animal. Do I need a reason to kill an animal?"
Elara had already learned roughly the reason for Damon's assassination attempt from some scholars. She asked the question not really to know the reason, but to start a conversation.
Hearing Damon say this, she followed up, "Then what do you plan to do after killing him?"
Damon seemed surprised by her question and looked at her with a bit.
Damon's hand and foot skills were good, but now he was tied up. His best skill was not close combat but long-range shooting, so against Tres, who was a close combat expert, he had no chance.
Tres held Damon's shoulder and quickly pushed him back down onto the carriage floor.
Damon struggled, but his hands and feet were tied tightly. He could only glare at Elara. The look in his eyes changed.
"So you still stand with those beasts like Captain Yang and the others?"
Elara was not surprised by Damon's struggle. She shook her head and gently turned her teacup in her hand.
"You called them beasts. I don't like to stand with beasts."
Damon kept glaring at her without saying a word.
Elara poured herself another cup of tea, took a sip, and spoke slowly.
"Damon, you haven't answered the question I asked earlier."
"Never mind. I won't ask more. I'll think about what will happen in Plumera City after you take Captain Yang's head to honor your parents."
Elara turned the teacup in her hand and looked into the distance.
"When Captain Yang dies, his backers will be angered and will launch a harsh crackdown in Plumera City against anyone who might be an assassin."
"People like Lord Gregory and his kind won't show mercy to ordinary civilians. Because Captain Yang's death shames them, they will arrest and torture everyone who watched today. It doesn't matter if they are assassins or not. Many innocent people will die because of you… and more importantly…"
Damon's angry eyes slowly turned cold as Elara spoke.
He lowered his gaze and furrowed his brows.
Though this woman stopped his arrow, her words were very real and likely to happen.
Thinking about the tragic events that might happen because of him, Damon's anger faded. His voice became hoarse.
"What is more important?"
"The more important thing is that Captain Yang's public assassination could become another dirty tool for them. They will use it against their enemies—like…"
Elara glanced at Mathias sitting quietly in the carriage.
"For example, the Mathias family, which is already in danger and refuses to join Lord Gregory's side. Also, the Qi family, led now only by Francis and Tres, is still feared but fragile."
"In short, if Captain Yang really dies by your hand today, countless innocent people will die wrongly because of you. They will all be accused of being connected to you."
Elara slowed her voice, put down her teacup, and looked at Damon clearly.
"Being wrongly accused and dying with injustice... I believe you understand that pain very well."
Damon's tied hands clenched tightly. He only wanted revenge today. Captain Yang being used as a target on the city wall was a rare chance.
He didn't think much. He only wanted his family's spirits, who had not found justice after so many years, to rest peacefully after the enemy was punished.
This deep hatred had been in his heart too long, almost like an obsession. So, when he saw Captain Yang, he could not think of anything else.
But now, hearing Elara's words about the consequences of his reckless action—thinking about the poor civilians who already lived hard lives and might suffer the same disaster because of him—his anger cooled like cold water poured on it.
He truly hated Captain Yang. But thinking about the pain and despair of his parents and sister's wrongful deaths, he could not let himself cause the innocent people to die unjustly.
Otherwise, what difference would there be between him and those beasts like Captain Yang?
But if he could not assassinate... how could a prisoner with no freedom get revenge?
Damon's anger faded. He stopped struggling and lowered his eyes. The bulging veins on his arms showed his inner unrest.
Elara looked at Damon, who did not move. She saw many complex emotions flashing in his eyes and spoke again.
"But killing Captain Yang is not impossible if done perfectly."
Damon suddenly raised his head and stared at her.
"How?"
Elara sipped her tea calmly.
"It's simple. You must remove Captain Yang and his backers all at once."
The carriage was silent for a moment.
It felt like everyone's breath stopped at these words.
Damon stared at her. When he realized she was serious, his expression deepened.
Mathias, sitting quietly, tightened his grip on the teacup.
He wanted to see how this woman, who never cared about lives, could say such things calmly and what expression she showed when talking about killing Lord Gregory's kind.
But today she had shown too many strange signs, so he did not dare look.
Elara ignored them and continued to look at Damon.
"You should know the real reason your whole family died was not just Captain Yang. A big smuggling case like this can't be done by one official alone."
A flash of pain crossed Damon's eyes but quickly disappeared, replaced by a sharp gaze fixed on Elara.
"I thought about it, but I was already a prisoner with no freedom. I survived only because my father's old friend protected me with his life. I had no chance or way to do more. I had to focus my hatred on one person, thinking that even taking one of them would calm my family's spirits."
Damon said this quickly. After finishing, he looked depressed for a moment but then suddenly lifted his head and leaned close to Elara.
Even kneeling, he was almost half a head taller than her. He moved so fast he was right in front of her, his strong chest pressing against her knee. His handsome face was very close, and his eyes burned as he stared.
"Will you really kill Captain Yang and Lord Gregory's kind behind him?"
Elara raised her hand to stop Tres, who wanted to move forward. She didn't mind Damon being so close to her face. She nodded calmly and firmly.
"Of course."
"Can you tell me why?"
Damon's burning gaze searched hers, hoping and testing if she was sincere.
Elara opened her mouth to speak, but System 92 suddenly warned in her mind:
"Master, remember your character. You have only been here a few days and have not changed deeply. You cannot act out of character!"
Elara stopped mid-sentence, smiled slightly, then gently grabbed Damon's chin.
While Damon's eyes stiffened, she softly stroked his strong jaw and lowered her head, shortening the space between them.
Breathing close, she whispered teasingly.