Mize narrowed his eyes, lips pressing together as he scrolled through the rankings again, just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.
There was no way. No way in hell Liam was this far behind in territory tier ranking.
For someone this calculating?
This absurdly competent?
It just didn't add up.
The realization made his stomach churn with a weird mix of suspicion and mild betrayal.
Was Liam… slacking? No, definitely not. If there was one thing that freak never did, it was waste time.
But then… what was he playing at?
Mize let out a long sigh, taking another slow bite of his cookie, brushing the stray crumbs off his hands.
Immediately, a maid rushed forward, delicately dabbing at his fingertips with a silk handkerchief, her head slightly bowed in quiet reverence.
At first, Mize would have squirmed at the idea of being attended to like this.
But now? He had embraced it.
Hierarchy existed for a reason. If he wanted to be pampered and worshiped like a true queen, he sure as hell wouldn't stop them.
He waved the maid off with a nod, fingers drifting back to the panel.
"Alright… power ranking next," he muttered, tapping the icon.
Liam wouldn't be bad at this too, right?
Mize braced himself, half-expecting to see another disgraceful three-digit ranking.
But then.
His breath hitched. His pupils shrank.
The numbers hit like a brick to the skull.
[Global Power Rankings][Human authorities]
1st – Lord Azrael | Power: 1, 009,750
2nd – Lord Xaiya | Power: 982,340
3rd – Lord Vortan | Power: 975,620
4th – Lord Selvar | Power: 970,580
5th – Lord Rykar | Power: 964,100
6th – Lord Liam | Power: 961,780
7th – Lord Farel | Power: 659,300
8th – Lord Shiran | Power: 552,440
9th – Lord Grenn | Power: 249,890
10th – Lord Vexil | Power: 240,650
"Huh?"
Mize blinked.
And blinked again.
Rank 6?!
This guy, who was barely crawling at 1207 in territory ranking, was sitting pretty at 6th in raw power?!
His jaw went slack, brain stalling as he absorbed the sheer absurdity of it.
"...Is this what he meant by not using logical thinking in the warp?" Mize muttered, stunned.
What kind of twisted game mechanic was this?!
"Well... It was my fault anyway, I shouldn't have used logic when it comes to the warp operation in the first place," Mize smiled wryly on the outside, though his legs were kicking happily beneath the table.
After all, this was his man that they were talking about, being ranked sixth made Mize proud to the brim.
'Who wouldn't be? It means my eyes were right when I decided to invest my love into him!' Mize mused, his expression gleeful, the occasional head bobbing only adding to his beauty.
Even the butler had to turn his gaze away, struggling not to be captivated.
'I should request a department change… Sending a male butler to serve the Lady is practically sending me to a death trap!' The butler discreetly retrieved a handkerchief from his chest pocket, wiping the sweat from his brow as he took a deep breath.
Meanwhile, Mize continued his deep dive into the Lord's panel.
There wasn't much information about how things operated, but he still explored with curiosity.
His fingers hovered over the trading feature, tapping it open as a new interface appeared before him.
Most Lords seemed to be trading basic resources, wood, stone, food.
The food section was further categorized by type: grains, fruits, meat, dried goods.
But what truly caught his attention was the Special Item category.
[Tier 1 Upgrade Items]
[Tier 2 Upgrade Items]
[Tier 3 Upgrade Items]
And the list went on. The higher the tier, the crazier the prices.
Some people were even offering rare building blueprints and exclusive artifacts in exchange for just one upgrade item.
Mize's eyes narrowed slightly. He didn't know much about these upgrade items, but their sheer demand spoke volumes.
[If the host has questions, this humble one is available for guidance. While I am unable to directly transfer information, I can still provide explanations upon request.]
Mize smirked, tapping his chin. "What, are you scared of the warp?"
[Yes, host. The warp is a vast consciousness, while this system is merely a wish-fulfilling mechanism. Despite being on the same level, this system only possesses basic defensive functions and is unsuitable for direct confrontation.]
"Ahh…" Mize mused, swirling the tea in his cup.
The system was being honest for once.
For the next hour, Mize remained completely absorbed in exploring the Lord's panel.
He flicked through every function, testing features, cross-checking data, and when things didn't make sense, he'd turn to the system for answers.
For example, since it was a shared partnering system, why couldn't he access the entire Lord's storage?
Shouldn't all resources be visible to both of them since they technically co-owned the territory?
The system responded with its usual meticulous clarity.
[While the host and the Villain are both Lords of the same territory, the original Lordship still belongs to the Villain. The warp has deliberately enforced restrictions to prevent system exploitation. Thus, the host cannot freely access certain functions.]
"So basically," Mize summarized, tapping his lips, "Liam can sit back and manage everything from the panel like a CEO, but I have to manually request changes? Sounds unfair"
[It is not unfair, host. This ensures operational stability. If both of you had the ability to alter the system data at will, conflicts in management would be inevitable. Instead, the host is granted a separate Lordship, complete with unique authority over certain aspects.]
[And it seems the warp is trying to push sense into the this world of his. Despite having the capability to allow it to happen, the warp worked it's way around it nonetheless]
Mize leaned back against his seat, mulling it over.
"Yeah… I guess that makes sense. If we both had full control, there'd be chaos. This way, I get the same tier, the same resources, but Liam handles core management, and I only deal with specific operations."
[Precisely, host. This method prevents inefficiency and ensures optimized governance.]
"Alright, then." Mize swiped through the panel once more, curiosity bubbling in his tone. "So what exactly can I do?"
[What does the host wish to accomplish?]
Mize's eyes glinted. "Umm… oh yeah! The Altar of Summoning! Since the warp gave me a separate one, does that mean I can summon my own troops?"
[Yes, host. The summoning altar operates under different conditions for each Lord. Only the host may summon from their altar, just as the Villain may summon from his.]
Mize grinned. "Then it's settled! I need some workers. Preferably a general"
There was no hesitation in his decision.
Liam hadn't explained the dungeon mechanics to him yet, but Mize knew one thing for certain, he'd need his own people to run it.
A trip to town, that was the plan. Sightseeing and checking out the altar.
Mize pushed off the chair, stretching his arms overhead before making his way toward the gate.
"Butler."
The name felt awkward on his tongue. The whole idea of addressing a servant so formally still felt unnatural.
"Yes, my lady," the butler stepped forward immediately, hand pressed to his chest in a show of respect. "What may you need, my lady?"
Mize glanced around briefly, eyes flicking toward the guards stationed nearby before returning to the butler.
With a small gesture, he motioned for the maid to step forward and hold the umbrella over his head.
"How do I get to town?"
A simple request. A logical request. But instead of an immediate answer, the butler hesitated.
"T-this…" His hands clenched against his sides, his face slightly paler than before. "I'm afraid I don't have the authority to grant this request, my lady."
Mize's brows twitched. "As in?"
The butler swallowed. His voice dropped an octave lower, as if he were about to say something forbidden.
"Without the Lord's approval, or at the very least, his acknowledgment. I am unable to escort the lady outside of the castle grounds."
Sweat trickled down his temple. He looked more like a man on trial than a servant explaining castle rules.
Mize's expression flattened.
What?
She needed Liam's approval just to go for a simple walk? In their own damn territory?
"That's stupid," Mize said outright. "I can do whatever I want."
"But"
"Any further questions?"
Mize's arms crossed over his chest, his stance firm. He wasn't yelling, but the sheer weight of his words made the butler's shoulders stiffen.
The sight was almost comical.
A petite figure in a hoodie, standing like some miniature mafia boss in the middle of a group of medieval-dressed subordinates.
"N-no, my lady," the butler stammered, bending into a swift bow. "I will prepare the carriage at once!"
And with that, he turned on his heel and rushed back toward the castle, barely stopping himself from breaking into a sprint.
Mize simply exhaled sharply before turning away.
The guards, silent as ever, instinctively stepped closer, falling into position behind him.
With hands tucked into his hoodie pocket, Mize strode toward the flower field nearby, waiting for his carriage to be prepared.