When Willis was seen again, she was already so tired she could barely keep her eyes open.
“Ha ha, Your Highness, you should’ve seen Willis digging with her eyes closed!”
Victoria teased Hill Yu, who, on the other hand, was genuinely worried about her younger sister’s health.
“Willis, why don’t you come back to Ushi City? You don’t have to force yourself like this!”
Despite Hill Yu’s persuasion, Willis remained firm in her stance.
“Sister, corruption runs rampant in Ushi City now, officials protect each other, and everyone harbors their own agenda.”
“If I want to govern Ushi City well and make it my foundation for the future, I absolutely can’t keep using them.”
“These people seem cooperative on the surface, but who knows what evil they’re plotting behind the scenes.”
“If I go back, I’ll be restricted everywhere, blocked at every turn. The Lord’s Order probably loses its power as soon as it leaves the Castle Lord’s Mansion.”
“Besides, the dark undercurrents are still surging, and our crisis hasn’t been resolved.”
“If we return to Ushi City, we have too few trump cards in our hands. It’ll be hard to fight against those people.”
Seeing Willis’s determined attitude, Hill Yu didn’t continue the topic.
Currently, the three of them were inside a refined dormitory for soldiers next to the mining site.
Outside, several guards brought by Hill Yu stood watch, preventing anyone else from approaching.
Including that Barnett.
Hill Yu’s official reason was to personally question the miners as part of an inspection.
Before entering, she had even accepted a bribe of a hundred Gold Dragons from that Barnett.
The message was clear—she hoped this masked Royal Princess’s Envoy would accept the bribe and let him off the hook.
Don’t dig too deep, and don’t spread rumors to the Royal Princess afterward.
Hill Yu accepted it—the bag was still on the table inside the room.
If you don’t take it, someone else will!
“I know the situation is dire right now… I brought what you asked for.”
As she spoke, Hill Yu took out a cage she’d prepared earlier.
Inside were eight Messenger Pigeons.
“These were originally used by the City Defense Army to communicate with surrounding mines. I took eight to give you.”
“I’ll place them somewhere outside the mine later, with someone guarding them. From now on, let’s use this to keep in contact.”
Willis nodded in satisfaction at Hill Yu’s arrangements.
“I trust Sister with such matters. Unless it’s urgent, I won’t need to return.”
“In the meantime, have Anne impersonate me for appearances.”
That was Hill Yu’s thought as well, though she still worried about the treatment Willis would receive at the mine.
After all, she looked so exhausted now.
“This way, I can focus entirely on developing the mine.”
Willis let out a sigh of relief.
Then she lay down in Hill Yu’s arms.
“Hold me while I sleep, Sister. I’m tired.”
“Serves you right!”
Hill Yu snorted coldly but didn’t refuse.
As they rested with their eyes closed, Hill Yu asked,
“Why did you have to go through all this trouble to make me come here?”
“Of course, it was to shake the mountain and startle the tiger.”
Willis smiled faintly.
“What?”
It was the first time Hill Yu had heard such a term.
“The news from Ushi City will spread soon. As the Royal Princess’s Envoy, your inspection at this time…”
Willis, eyes still closed, traced a mischievous smirk at the corner of her mouth.
“In this situation, what do you think the mining soldiers who accepted bribes will do?”
Hill Yu thought for a moment.
“They’ll think you started suspecting them through Mike Millen and sent an envoy to investigate?”
“Exactly!”
Willis said confidently.
“They’ll be uneasy, guessing my intentions.”
“They might even believe I already know of their crimes…”
“When that happens, panic and confusion will follow—some might run, others might resist.”
“No matter what they do, it diverts their attention, making it easier for me to rally miners here.”
“Right now, all the external mines are closely watched. It’s hard to move or speak freely.”
“Only by shifting their focus, making them afraid and anxious, can we get away with more here.”
“At the same time, when they’re pushed to the edge, they’ll gamble everything—giving me a reason to strike.”
After all, even if she wanted to prosecute, Willis had no concrete evidence in hand.
When Mike Millen and Mik Englandram began planning their rebellion, they erased most traces.
That fat man’s bribe ledger was the only exception.
Now, to clean out these disloyal soldiers, the simplest and most direct way was to push them to rebellion.
“Aren’t you playing with fire?”
Hill Yu asked anxiously.
“Relax, Sister, there’s a process… Even if they finally go over the edge, there’s still time—days, maybe more than ten.”
Willis sneered.
“I’ll make sure both they and I have time to prepare.”
The two-birds-one-stone strategy sent a chill down Hill Yu’s spine.
She hadn’t realized that merely impersonating an envoy involved so many twists and turns.
She’d thought she was just bringing Messenger Pigeons to Willis!
That turned out to be secondary.
Taking a deep breath, Hill Yu gently massaged Willis’s temples to ease her fatigue.
“Sometimes, I really wonder if you’re still my Imperial Younger Sister.”
Willis’s heart tightened, but she forced a relaxed smile.
“Sister, people change.”
“For some, it takes years, decades. For others, it only takes a moment.”
So, it was the constant brushes with death recently that had changed the Imperial Younger Sister?
Hill Yu sighed internally, unsure whether to feel relieved or sorrowful.
She used to be more like the Imperial Younger Sister.
Willful, straightforward, even if the outside called her cruel.
But to Hill Yu, that was her true sister.
Now, Willis was still her Imperial Younger Sister, but more unfathomable.
Except for her fondness for women and forcing people—that hadn’t lessened at all.
Putting those thoughts aside, Hill Yu asked,
“How is your progress here?”
This time, Victoria, standing nearby, explained what Willis had been doing these past days.
Including the plans with Nidnia and the others.
“It’s pretty crazy. I’m afraid Father and the Empire won’t take it well.”
Willis neither confirmed nor denied, sidestepping the issue.
When all was settled, she’d admit her mistakes. Would the Emperor really punish her then?
“Oh, by the way, did you face any trouble coming in?”
Hill Yu suddenly glanced at the Gold Dragon on the table and smiled.
“What do you think?”
Willis said with eyes closed.
“Those Overseers and Barnett threatened me not to talk too much… or else…”
Or else what—everyone understood.
Hill Yu frowned.
“So, when I leave, aren’t you in danger?”
“That’s up to you, Sister. Your Imperial Younger Sister is just a little miner now. My life is in your hands!”
Seeing Willis act so shamelessly, Hill Yu pinched her waist hard.
Willis yelped in pain.
“Why should I care!?”
Hill Yu rolled her eyes in annoyance.
“By the way, I lost that bet last time. Go ahead, what do you want me to do?”
“Hmm… haven’t decided.”
Willis mumbled with eyes closed.
“Hurry up!”
“Marry me…”
“What!? Say that again!?”
“Ahem, I mean, never mind. I’ll keep it and ask you to fulfill it later.”
For a moment, the room fell silent.
Willis drifted into sleep, while Hill Yu’s face was complicated.
As for Barnett and the other mine bosses, they anxiously waited outside like ants on a hot pan.
“D-d-d-d, sir, do you think those two wretched women will…”
Smack!
He was slapped to the ground by Barnett before he finished.
“Get lost, you idiot! What nonsense! If they dare to speak falsely, I’ll be the first to punish you and then crush those two wretches myself!”
After an hour—
Just as Barnett’s group was about to burst in, Hill Yu led Willis and Victoria out.
She wore an unreadable veil and smiled.
“These two miners praised your work greatly. In the coming days, others will be sent to question them further.”
“As female miners, they may even be summoned by Her Highness the Royal Princess. You’d better be ready.”
With that, Hill Yu left with her people.
With Barnett’s group bowing behind, Hill Yu returned to Ushi City.
Because of her words, Willis and Victoria weren’t harassed and even received praise.
Their wages for the day were doubled.
Of course, their workload also doubled.
“So generous.”
Back at the mine, Willis made up an excuse to the concerned miners and pouted.
If Hill Yu hadn’t said more questioning would follow, Barnett might have wanted to kill them.
“But it doesn’t matter. Those people won’t last much longer.”
“How’s your hand, frozen?”
Nidnia asked.
Willis thought for a moment and nodded.
“All right, let’s freeze it!”
***
Soon after, the remaining Overseers showed signs of infection.
“Ah!! My hand! Why is my hand rotting!?”
“My butt!!”
“My chest! My grapes!!”
Screams echoed as the Overseers ran out clutching their festering, pus-dripping wounds.
Nidnia and Willis exchanged a glance, the corners of their lips rising.
As signs of this Catastrophic Disease began to spread, Nidnia soon became a target.
Before sunset, armored soldiers entered the fourth mine, intent on taking Nidnia away.
“What are you doing!?”
Borden blocked them, only to be kicked to the ground.
“Out of the way! If you want to live, stay put! Rotten woman, get out here!”
“Stop! I’ll go with you!”
Nidnia stood up.
She and Willis had long expected this moment.
As the Catastrophic Disease spread, the mine authorities were bound to take action.
One of those actions—eliminate Nidnia as a possible source!
“Be smart! Move! Don’t touch me!”
You all keep working!
In this world, knowledge of hygiene was nearly nonexistent.
Ideally, the entire mine should have been sealed, disinfected, and everyone quarantined.
But clearly, the Vistoria Continent hadn’t reached that level of awareness.
As for whether magic or poison was to blame, the mine authorities were preparing to investigate.
That meant taking Nidnia away for interrogation—and pinning all the blame on her.
Who told her to be a “rotten” woman?
It was natural for people to suspect she was the source of the disease—and no one would object.
As for Willis and Victoria, potential Royal Princess targets, Barnett thought it would be better if they died.
If he could blame their deaths on a miner’s plague, he’d never have to worry about warning them not to speak out again.