The Villain Saint is my secondary account

Their body types are not too different, with Ye Xiao being slightly taller. As for facial details, they don't need to be perfect; the main goal is to conceal their original appearance and make the imitation as close as possible.

The border baron claimed that he came from a rather remote place, and that at the banquet he would probably only have a few nodding acquaintances among the nobles of the Kingdom of Doum.

Finally, Ye Xiao used the hair dye he bought from the system store to dye his hair a dark brown. From Ella's perspective, he looked almost exactly like Baron Kalon.

Ella casually snapped her fingers, opened a spatial portal, and used her tentacles to drag the man and woman into the portal. She then picked out two sets of clothes from a nearby wardrobe, and she and Ye Xiao changed into them.

……

Half an hour later, in front of the brightly lit gates of the city lord's castle.

Disguised, Ye Xiao linked arms with Ella's slender arm and approached her leisurely, just like the other nobles who had come to the banquet.

"My lords, please show me your invitations."

The guards wore light armor in the duchy's standard, and the captain had a dark blue feather in his hair. He took the letter from Ye Xiao, unfolded it, examined it carefully, and then put it back in his pocket. He then ordered his men to step back and make way for him.

"Welcome, Lord Anshapkaron."

Inside the castle's main hall, a magnificent and bustling scene unfolded.

On the arched ceiling, two rows of huge chandeliers, each carrying countless burning candles, illuminated the entire hall as if it were daytime.

Flames leaped in the silver hearth and fireplace, reflecting off the gilded decorations and polished marble floor.

The musicians played their harps, their melodies blending with the songs of the bards, perfectly complementing the performance of the elegantly dressed dancers on stage.

Noblemen and ladies strolled among the oak tables at the grand banquet, chatting and laughing. Their silk robes embroidered with family honors, their dazzling array of jewelry, and their floor-length velvet gowns all highlighted the status and wealth of these noblemen.

There seemed to be more nobles willing to pledge allegiance to the Duchy of Tedeh than expected, and among them were quite a few young masters and ladies who had come with the duchy's army to gain experience, raising their wine glasses and engaging in lively discussions.

On one side are graveyards where countless soldiers' blood stains the yellow sand, and on the other side are lavish banquets where people are adorned with gold and silver. The two sides are only two hundred miles apart, which gives people an indescribable sense of magic.

Ye Xiao led Ella silently into this dazzling arena of fame and fortune. They found a spot at the edge of the venue, where a banquet table was set up, where they could see the whole room. Ye Xiao then began to examine the target he was looking for.

On the second-floor corridor, several pairs of eyes could be seen scanning and observing the crowd, seemingly the duchy's sentries; there were also many duchy spies disguised as servants in the meeting hall, who would occasionally prick up their ears and pass by areas where the discussions were lively, trying to eavesdrop on the participants' conversations.

While outwardly elegant and dignified, it's quite normal that many high-ranking officials and nobles were present at the banquet, and numerous skilled individuals were likely keeping watch. These high-level enemies were experienced and extremely perceptive. If Ye Xiao were to look around too obviously, he would easily be spotted by the hidden spies, which would make things difficult.

Therefore, he simply leaned casually against the table, intimately embracing his female companion, seemingly wanting to savor the wine at the banquet first.

Ella leaned against Ye Xiao's arm like a little bird, gently swirling her wine glass, but her gaze, hidden by Ye Xiao's figure, carefully observed the crowd at the banquet.

Aside from the key messages used to decipher the security, another very important thing Ella wanted to know was how many high-level combatants in the Duchy's eastern expeditionary army were capable of matching her strength.

Aside from the Holy Light mage who also claimed to be a saintess, the duchy has yet to reveal its top-tier strength. Perhaps they don't need to deal with Holman's army, but since they came prepared to attack Loren, the enemy couldn't possibly ignore their existence.

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Bird That Sticks Out

Just because something hasn't appeared doesn't mean it doesn't exist; Ella understands this simple principle very well.

At the moment, Ella only noticed two high-ranking generals whose strength was roughly at the extraordinary level, standing openly on either side of the venue.

For ordinary people, the extraordinary are already unattainable figures, but compared to the foundation of the Duchy of Tedeh and the company, they are far from enough.

Putting everything else aside, the Holy Light mage girl who can grant protection to the entire army isn't here.

However, Ella also knew that the people of the Duchy of Tedeh were not fools; they wouldn't just hold a banquet and gather all the important figures together.

After observing for a while without success, she finally focused her attention on the high-ranking general who was surrounded by a group of people on the west side of the venue.

However, she didn't rush to do anything. Instead, she first called up the system panel and sent a message.

[Late-night snack: Who is that bald general on the west side of the venue?]

[Shanquan Er'er: That's Chavedoppler, commander of the Second Detachment. His tactical style is mainly based on advancing with musketeers and heavily armored spearmen. He has a fierce personality.]

Since it's in the main city, we can't afford to miss out on the huge advantage of the player social system.

Several Loren players who had previously communicated with Ye Xiao also disguised themselves as servants and infiltrated the castle to provide Ye Xiao with timely intelligence support.

The player nicknamed "Shanquan Er'er" was the captain of several secret agents.

[Shan Quan Er Er: The guy to his left who's fawning over him with a wine glass, nicknamed "Little Mr.", whose full name is Zhou Lixun, is the guild master of "Barros," a player from the Duchy of Tedhe, and a master-level assassin ranked thirteenth in the arena. He has many player spies under his command who have infiltrated Loren.]

Wow, there's a little intelligence chief here too.

Ella curled the corners of her lips and replied in the system in Ye Xiao's tone.

[Late Night Snack: Understood, I'll try to approach you]

After finishing, Ye Xiao gently stroked Ella's hair with his fingers on her shoulder, then straightened up, picked up his wine glass, and walked across the vast hall.

However, he did not approach the general immediately. Instead, like a typical border nobleman, he first struck up a conversation with several other unfamiliar nobles at the edge of the venue.

There were people watching him upstairs. Straight through the venue looking for someone would easily arouse suspicion. Besides, as a minor nobleman, it would be normal for him to take this opportunity to curry favor with everyone he could.

Several unfamiliar nobles, who were also minor nobles of the Kingdom of Doum, warmly invited Ye Xiao to join them when he approached them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Anshapukaron. I've come to greet you since you are also colleagues from our Kingdom of Doum."

"Haha, we're all Durm people, no need for so many formalities,"

An elderly nobleman raised his glass to Ye Xiao. “Sir Karon… Oh, I remember now, you’re the lord of Pine Needle Field, aren’t you? My nephew and you have some connection.”

"Oh, that's a great honor. I've long admired your name through your nephew, but I never expected to have the chance to meet you today."

Ye Xiao replied with a smile.

Of course, he was just saying it casually; he didn't actually know the other person's name at all.

"Hey, hahaha, that's all in the past, it's not worth mentioning."

The old nobleman chuckled, twitched his beard, and clinked glasses with Ye Xiao, saying, "Bosideng Jonoon."

Clearly, he also knew that Ye Xiao didn't actually know his name at all; they were just being polite.

As the conversation became more relaxed, a young nobleman asked softly, "Hey, so... what do you all think of the current situation in Loren?"

This was not an easy topic, so as soon as Zi opened his mouth, the air visibly became somewhat heavy.

But what everyone tacitly understood was that since they were already at the banquet, this topic was bound to come up.

After a few seconds of silence, the old nobleman Jonon sighed and spoke first.

"To be honest, the Empire has treated our Kingdom of Doom quite well. But given the current situation, we don't really have many options."

"The royal family has fled to Valond for refuge. When will they be able to return? Besides, there are so many people to feed on their fiefdoms..."

Ye Xiao chimed in, but deliberately only said half of what he meant.

"Yes, but if the Duchy can keep its promise and preserve our titles, it's not too bad."

The other young nobleman nodded.

"...It's hard to say. Look here, there are quite a few noble sons from the duchy waiting to be promoted and ennobled. Once they are ennobled, they will always be granted land, but Tedeh doesn't have that many unclaimed lands to give them."

Some people objected.

Everyone immediately fell silent again.

"Well, at least we're more familiar with our own territory and people, so from a management perspective, our affiliation will definitely be more convenient..."

"You're overthinking it. We don't know how capable those young men are, but in the eyes of their council, their loyalty is definitely higher than ours."

"Then why invite us here? Do you expect us to hand over our land and people?"

The group began to discuss amongst themselves, but the pessimism on their faces was palpable.

After all, they were nobles of an occupied country. To put it nicely, they were nobles; to put it bluntly, they were nothing more than fat fish to be slaughtered.

Everyone knows that surrendering would preserve everything; there's no such thing as a free lunch. The duchy only recruited them because they still had some remaining value and to prevent them from causing trouble.

But to think that an army filled with peasants armed with pitchforks could contend with the duchy's steam tanks is nothing short of a pipe dream.

Seeing that everyone had finished arguing, Ye Xiao then revealed his true purpose at just the right moment.

"Well, let's not be too pessimistic. We arrived early and were among the most welcoming, so perhaps... perhaps we can try talking to the duchy's leaders and sound them out."

“Brother Kalon is right.”

"Indeed, we need to talk..." "We also need to show them our stance..."

The group nodded in agreement, but in reality, since they had all come here, they must all have the same purpose in mind.

They all hesitated to take the lead, like a bunch of small shrimp trying to break through the fishing net but lacking the courage to act.

Who was this military commander? He was a warrior who fought on the battlefield and was decisive in killing. Putting everything else aside, the scar on his bald face made these nobles a little intimidated.

Negotiations often require offending people by using certain tactics; otherwise, who would care about the demands of a negotiating partner who poses no threat?

Wanting to preserve their own interests while fearing to offend the powerful counterpart, this is a true reflection of these minor nobles.

So when Ye Xiao pointed this out, they naturally all agreed, and then boasted for a while, regarding Ye Xiao as their representative.

“Ah, Baron Caron, no wonder I’ve heard of your bravery and wisdom. Now I see that you truly live up to your reputation, finding the solution to this predicament in a single sentence.”

“Baron Kalon, I’m not very smart, and I don’t know how to speak properly. You really are the one who can represent our thoughts.”

"After thinking it over, it seems that the only way to talk to the Tedeh people is to rely on you, Baron Kalon. With your extensive knowledge and erudition, I believe you can definitely get a good result for everyone."

Insincere praise came like snowflakes, and Ye Xiao smiled with feigned modesty, but this was exactly the result he wanted.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Old Drunkard's Intention

On the other side, the general with his gleaming hair held a wine glass in one hand and had an elegantly dressed woman on the other, chatting and laughing with the sycophantic noblemen around him.

"Congratulations, General! Conquering the Kingdom of Doum and taking over the western border of Loren is an achievement that will make your name resound throughout Northwind Harbor and Lionheart Fortress."

"Alas, gentlemen, you flatter me too much. I have only done my humble best to serve our duchy."

Despite saying that, General Doppler's expression showed he was quite pleased. "If you ask me, these achievements are also thanks to your heroic performances, hahaha!"

Although these noble sons were of little use on the battlefield, their backgrounds and connections were very real.

Therefore, General Doppler was happy to communicate with them more, since how much benefit he could gain after the war was closely related to the big shots behind them.

The young noblemen, who wanted to gain military merits and achievements, also needed the help of military figures, such as being given lucrative jobs like clearing out territory. Thus, the two sides were kindred spirits and hit it off immediately, praising each other and creating quite a lively atmosphere.

In contrast, Zhou Lixun, the player who secretly peeked, had a rather calm expression. He kept his eyes slightly closed and his gaze swept around the surroundings from time to time, as if he was wary of the things around him.

Before long, he spotted the thin man dressed in the style of a nobleman in the Durm style, who was strolling through the crowd and approaching him directly.

Without a doubt, the person who came was Ye Xiao.

Having integrated into the circle of minor nobles in the Kingdom of Doum, Ye Xiao finally found a reason that wouldn't arouse suspicion to approach the general of the Duchy of Tedeh.

Meanwhile, Ella took the opportunity to part ways with Ye Xiao and went to another corner, where she silently summoned a few mice from under her skirt and they scurried into the shadows.

"Greetings, General. I apologize for interrupting your conversation."

Ye Xiao spoke respectfully, offering his greetings. His sudden appearance quickly drew the attention of the small group of people.

"Um, who are you...?"

General Doppler raised an eyebrow.

"Nice to meet you, General. My name is Anshapukalong, and I am the lord of Pine Needle Field."

Ye Xiao grinned.

"Kalon...?"

General Doppler couldn't find the surname among the nobles of the duchy in his memory, and he didn't immediately realize it.

Zhou Lixun, the spy next to him, quickly turned his head and whispered a reminder.

"This is the Baron of the Kingdom of Doum, General. Pine Needle Field should be a small place located on the border."

"Oh...I see."

Upon hearing this, General Doppler smiled and said, "So you are a guest from the Kingdom of Doum, Baron Kalon. My apologies for my rudeness."

Although General Doppler offered his greetings, the noblemen around him looked at Ye Xiao with disdain.

A minor nobleman from a defeated nation has absolutely no social value to them, and there are even some conflicts of interest.

"It's alright, General. Now we've gotten to know each other."

Ye Xiao displayed the obsequious tone in his words to the fullest, "If someone as wise and powerful as General had the time to visit us, the people of Songzhenye would surely give him a warm welcome."

Hahahaha.

Doppler couldn't help but chuckle. This country bumpkin baron really dared to say anything to get closer to him.