Enveloped by the shadow of death, the Mercenary Corps leader, Grian, had no other choice but to bow down and submit before Violet.
"So, I'll allow you to stand now. Tell me, how many people has the Bronze Shield deployed to Black Crow Castle atop the mountain and how strong are they?"
Violet expressionlessly inquired, looking down on Grian as if she was a queen.
This stirred an unexpected ripple in Grian's heart.
He didn't know that this was Violet's genuine intention to win over the Corps leader. When someone from an opposing side becomes one's own subordinate, they will be vigilant, whether it is Violet or Grian.
Especially Grian, as this would put him under a severe mental burden.
On one hand, there is the betrayal of his own promise, and on the other hand, there is the uncertainty of where to go in the future. Therefore, he would have this insignificant emotional fluctuation.
As a result, under Violet's questioning, he hesitated.
Violet clearly knew what she needed to do. Threats and coercion alone couldn't force a person into a complete predicament.
Only when one is in dire straits will they unleash their real power, either fighting desperately with their life on the line or kneeling in submission.
Lin Xiaozheng, who is well versed in human nature, is not a demi-goddess like Violet who knows nothing about humans.
From the beginning to the end, everything he did was to tell Violet a rule, a rule extremely important to humans.
That is, what is a king, and what is a god!
Using Violet's body, Lin Xiaozheng was gradually achieving his goals based on his immense power.
If you want to uphold justice, you must create justice. If you want to create justice, there must be people who would obey. Therefore, he needed a completely committed person.
Seeing his hesitation, Violet snorted lightly, thinking to herself that, indeed, she hadn't misread this man.
She wanted to push this guy more. People's hearts can sometimes be unfathomable, but not always.
Simple-minded and physically adept people won't fit the description of having unfathomable hearts because they are dumb like monkeys.
Violet had already calculated all the potential reactions Grian could have after her question.
The first type would flatly refuse, which was unlikely but not impossible, especially when she hadn't developed a way to deal with it.
The second type would hesitate, which was exactly the outcome Violet wanted.
As for the third type, if he confessed everything obsequiously, Violet would not listen, because by then he would already be dead.
Deceiving one's enemies, or potential enemies, is an acceptable act for everyone.
Violet was convinced that even if Grian seemed to submit on the surface, he would still be dissatisfied deep in his heart and consider her an enemy.
Since he was an enemy, he could be deceived. If Grian acted upon instinct and blurted out everything about the Bronze Shield, even his obsequiousness, Violet could imagine it all.
However, he hesitated, which proved that he wasn't a complete fool. His hesitation saved his life.
If he showed an obsequious smile, Violet wouldn't hesitate to kill him. Mercy to enemies is cruelty to oneself, she would not make such a mistake.
She would never let a person, who outwardly submits but still harbors resentment, stay by her side.
This hesitation can only indicate one thing, that is, Grian might really be wavering inside.
Because the domination and brutal yet measured methods shown by Violet are the qualities a true Mercenary Corps leader should have.
When facing an enemy, strike without hesitation. When dealing with people who could potentially contribute to one's own forces, use both soft and hard tactics.
She disliked it when people figured out her thoughts, so she acted unpredictably.
Grian believed that such a person might be worth his loyalty, even if she was just a beautiful girl.
Even though neither Violet nor Grian voiced their thoughts, they had already guessed what the other was thinking.
Having chosen to submit,
Grian found himself in a conundrum when faced with the master to whom he had submitted. His face twitched with uncertainty, not knowing what to do.
Although he wanted to show his loyalty, stating it would imply breaking a rule.
Surrendering to the powerful is a human instinct and the only thing one can do when faced with a life-or-death decision.
But that also means he must abandon his past, abandon the rules he once adhered to, and follow new rules.
In the original rules set by the Mercenary Guild, everything was governed by materialistic values, where all mercenaries acknowledged and followed it.
Once you take the money, you must follow the client's rules.
The Bronze Shield had hired him and spent a lot of money, not only asking him to block anyone who might charge into the Black Crow Castle, but also signing a confidentiality agreement.
He couldn't disclose any information related to the Bronze Shield's expedition against Black Crow Castle to anyone.
If he violated this, he would have no place in the Mercenary Guild. The detailed agreement recorded in black and white would be presented to other mercenaries, and he would lose his credibility.
"Do you need me to force you?" Violet raised her eyebrows. In Grian's perception, this signaled her discontent.
Whether to tell or not. If he revealed it, the Bronze Shield would show the agreement to the Mercenary Guild someday, and he would never rise again.
But if he didn't say anything, would this unpredictable woman let him go?
How could he show his loyalty while leaving himself a way out? That was what Grian was pondering over.
He couldn't get on the Bronze Shield's ship anymore. The woman in front of him was too violent. She used the simplest and most brutal method to break Grian's psychological defenses.
However, showing loyalty to Violet did not necessarily mean the only way out.
No man would easily choose to submit after being humiliated, and he didn't want to become this woman's pet dog either.
To truly make him kneel, mere brute force and threats wouldn't be enough.
But suppose he didn't answer, would she kill him? Grian drew in a deep breath, pondering the possibility of this situation.
However, he quickly gave up on the idea, as this woman, unpredictable as the weather, was actually easier to gauge than he had thought.
If he truly wanted to serve her, he would only have to do two things: first, show absolute loyalty, and second, never make unfounded guesses.
Therefore, with a grave face, he decided to take a gamble. He lowered his head and said in a low voice, "Forgive me, I can't talk about this."
Violet slightly curled her lips into a smile. This was exactly the man she wanted, someone who surrendered body and soul.
"Poor uncle begging for mercy... It must mean you have no other way, right?"