Pioneer Lord: I Have Conquering System

As remnants of the former Kingdom’s Royal Family, the Feder Tribe had always prized noble etiquette. It was what set them apart from the local barbarians, and so these traditions were meticulously preserved.

As the Clan Leader of the Feder Tribe and a princess in name, Baisitina had been taught from a young age by the tribe’s elders—those who still remembered the old courtly manners. As a result, her etiquette and bearing were in no way inferior to those of other noblewomen.

Si Kai suddenly realized this Lord had incredible luck with women. ’He has a lovely young lady in his own territory,’ he thought, ’and Miss Liya’s feelings for him are clearly more complicated than a simple vassal’s loyalty.’

Even Lady Miriel of the Secret Silver Commerce Association, after returning to Bailiu City some time ago, couldn’t seem to stop mentioning the Lord of High Cliff Castle’s name.

Though it was mostly just muttered complaints.

But Si Kai was an experienced man, and he knew it was exactly this type of man that women found most unforgettable.

Compared to the Lord, Si Kai felt as naive as a child when it came to women. ’I can’t even handle that battle-ax of a wife I have at home.’

"Levi, I can’t imagine how the people of High Cliff Castle can be so peaceful and orderly during such chaotic times."

Liya’s mouth hung slightly open in astonishment.

She had heard stories about High Cliff Castle back in Bailiu City, so its elite Guard Team and population of several thousand didn’t surprise her.

What she hadn’t expected, however, was that with the Wilderness on the verge of chaos, the faces of its people would still be filled with smiles, showing not a single trace of tension.

"Actually, it’s related to that sight I told you about." The Lord gave a mysterious smile. Anyone from High Cliff Castle who knew their Lord would have recognized that look. It meant their unscrupulous boss was definitely up to something wicked.

As they drew closer to High Cliff Castle, a grim, shrill CAWING echoed through the air.

Everyone instinctively looked toward the source of the sound. Their faces paled, expressions twisting in horror.

There, on a grassy patch atop a small hill, countless heads had been stacked high into a small mountain, like a grotesque pyramid. Swarms of black crows flapped about, pecking at the last remaining shreds of flesh.

The grass all around its base was pitch black, like a dried-up lakebed. It was a stain left by blood that had pooled and coagulated.

A quick glance was enough to tell there were well over a thousand heads.

The men from High Cliff Castle were already used to the sight; they gave it a single glance before looking away.

Even when the heads were fresh and still had flesh, watching the crows peck them clean had only stirred the slightest feeling within them. Now that they were just bare skulls, they felt nothing at all.

The men of the Bailiu City Guard Corps all fell silent. The cold wind of the Wilderness struggled to pierce their specially made, thick cotton coats, but an inner chill seeped deep into their bones, an involuntary shiver threatening to rack their bodies.

These were elite Warriors. They wouldn’t so much as blink while cleaving an enemy’s head from their shoulders.

But this pyramid, built from a thousand skulls, felt like a thousand pairs of unblinking eyes, staring at them with eternal resentment.

It was a primal fear, an instinctual terror that screamed at them that a truly ferocious beast dwelled here, an urge to flee that they could barely suppress.

"Levi... is this the ’breathtaking sight’ you were talking about?"

Levi had intended to tease Liya, to ask her if she found it "breathtaking."

But when he turned to look at her, he saw her vacant eyes and heard the hollow tone of her voice. He quickly spurred his horse over, positioning himself to block her view.

"Look away, look away. Let’s just get back to High Cliff Castle."

In the end, the Lord had been thoughtless. Though Liya had seen him kill his fair share of people during their escape from Kolon...

...killing was just a matter of a sword across the throat. The impact wasn’t nearly so powerful.

What did a pyramid built of a thousand skulls even represent? It was a visual shock that even some blooded soldiers couldn’t stomach, to say nothing of a young woman.

It was the kind of sight that scared desperate Bandit Corps so badly it "cured" their hunger, forcing them to give High Cliff Castle a wide berth. It truly wasn’t something an ordinary person could withstand.

Silence hung over the rest of the journey back.

The men from the Bailiu City Guard Corps had been looking forward to reaching their destination for a good night’s sleep, laughing and joking about whether High Cliff Castle even had a brothel. But now, after seeing this pyramid built from the heads of the Wilderness’s various Alien Races, they couldn’t laugh anymore.

As they began to ascend the gentle slope of the hill, the Lord was growing anxious and was about to ask Liya how she was doing when she finally seemed to recover and spoke up.

"Are all these heads... Wilderness Bandits?"

Seeing that Liya was merely a little pale, but otherwise composed, Levi let out a sigh of relief and nodded. "This is precisely the source of High Cliff Castle’s current peace."

"I don’t need to tell you about the chaos caused by the Kexianri Tribe moving south. Coming north from Bailiu City, you must know it well. This thousand-strong Bandit Corps, which had been driven south, took the opportunity to attack a section of High Cliff Castle by night. They massacred nearly five hundred of my people and looted everything in sight."

"Whether for revenge or to make an example for the other Wilderness Bandits, I led my men in pursuit for a day and a night. I fought until the edge of my sword was ruined, but in the end, we killed them all. Not a single one got away."

Levi spoke of it lightly.

But Liya could already imagine the bloody scene it must have taken to ruin a sword’s edge. She suspected even a slaughterhouse wasn’t as horrific—a thousand headless corpses strewn across the grass, their heads having vanished as if on wings.

"Only you could accomplish such a difficult feat," Liya said, forcing a smile.

Annihilation and a simple defeat were two entirely different concepts.

Furthermore, the High Cliff Castle Guard Team had fewer than five hundred men. Simply preventing the bandits from escaping would have been a major problem.

This only served as further proof of the Lord of High Cliff Castle’s exceptional military genius.

He had used a brilliant strategy to achieve total annihilation.

What Levi wouldn’t tell her, of course, was that he had done it by wielding a Giant Sword and personally running down hundreds of screaming fugitives at speeds that surpassed a warhorse.

Even his Beastman Barbarians had witnessed for the first time that their chief wasn’t just a master of Martial Arts with immense strength; he was also a truly terrifying figure whose speed they couldn’t match even while whipping their mounts into a frenzy.

They had run themselves ragged, pushing themselves so hard they were nearly coughing up blood, and they still couldn’t even keep up with the task of collecting heads. And yet, after such an astonishing display of stamina, their chief’s Qi remained deep and even. He took a couple of light breaths and was as good as new.

Meanwhile, they were all exhausted as dogs, collapsed on the ground in a heap. They were thoroughly, deathly impressed by their inhuman chief.

Levi rarely revealed his incredible speed. Hiding this talent allowed him to use it for an unexpected, decisive effect at critical moments.

This time, however, he had been motivated by anger over High Cliff Castle suffering its first major loss, as well as a desire to thoroughly terrorize the Wilderness Bandits.

Fortunately, the only ones who knew of his speed were his Beastman Personal Guard Team and the few Jackal Wolfman Cavalry led by Hog. These subordinates were absolutely loyal and would never reveal anything he specifically ordered them to keep secret.

The Bailiu City Cavalry Corps was led to a pre-arranged quarter. They remained silent throughout, submitting to High Cliff Castle’s arrangements without a word.

The townspeople of High Cliff Castle, who had been told to expect visitors, gave them a single curious glance before returning to their work.

Si Kai was about to excuse himself and head to his assigned quarters when the Lord stopped him.

"Miss Liya was supposed to brief me on the Kexianri Tribe, but that’s clearly not an option right now." Levi shrugged, a helpless look on his face.

The journey had been exhausting enough, but after that shock, Liya was clearly drained and in desperate need of rest. She was in no condition for a long discussion.

The Lord was now reaping what he had sown.

"Perfect," Levi said with a grin. "We can have a drink and a chat."

This immediately put Si Kai on his guard.

’The last time this Lord had called him ’brother,’ he had ended up ’borrowing’ his prized horse. Who knew what scheme he was cooking up with this new round of camaraderie?’

He responded, a bit stiffly, "My Lord, there’s no need for drinks. Besides escorting Miss Liya to meet you, our main purpose here concerns the Kexianri Tribe."

"Alright. Tell me everything."

The Lord, having just saved himself two barrels of wine, certainly had no objections.