Chapter 153: Noah’s plan, and Richard’s demise. "Once the two hours are completed, bring me the items. I’ll be at the Gilded Swan tavern conducting other business." Richard continued. But then the baron’s expression shifted to something far more threatening as he addressed both his guard and Noah simultaneously. "If the stock is not ready as promised..." His voice dropped to a menacing whisper. "You know what to do." The baron was now giving direct threats; he was no longer trying to hide it. The implicit message was crystal clear: Noah’s failure to comply would result in consequences far more severe than the financial loss. The baron was prepared to use violence to enforce his extortion demands. To Noah, the reason why he had left the guard was clear. The baron feared that he would escape the area with his items, hence leaving a guard outside the store safeguarded that issue. It was also more efficient in terms of transporting the items. Richard departed with his second bodyguard, their footsteps echoing down the alley as they headed toward whatever "other business" required their attention. The remaining guard took up position outside the shop, his presence serving as both surveillance and intimidation. Noah watched through his window as the guard settled into a waiting position that provided clear sight lines to both the shop entrance and the alley approaches. ... With the baron departed and the door closed, Lola looked at Noah with genuine surprise etched across her features. Her ruby eyes carried the confusion of someone who had witnessed what appeared to be unnecessary restraint in the face of obvious provocation. "You know that you could’ve killed him easily. No—I could’ve done it for you. I would have turned him into ashes before his so-called bodyguards could blink. Why are you entertaining him?" she said, her voice surprisingly calm despite what she was uttering. Noah smiled as he observed her expression, recognizing the look of someone who wanted nothing more than to deflate the baron’s pompous arrogance like a punctured balloon. Her tail twitched beneath her clothing with obvious agitation at having been forced to endure Richard’s condescending behaviour. "Lola," Noah began carefully, settling into the chair across from her with the patient demeanour of someone explaining something complex. "In this kingdom, nobles—no matter their rank, whether they were baron, viscounts or higher. They all have protection from the crown. While the crown can definitely deal with problematic nobility when they do something wrong, they need evidence. Otherwise, when the other nobles find out about summary executions or mysterious disappearances, they’ll create a political crisis. Those who want the crown’s position will use any excuse to challenge royal authority." Political stability requires following established procedures. Lola’s frown deepened as she processed this information, her centuries of combat experience providing little preparation for the intricacies of human political systems. "How would the other nobles know that it was the crown that dealt with him if we kill that man on the sly, they would never know. I will simply remove all traces of his existence; they could never figure out who did it." "They probably won’t know for certain," Noah admitted with a slight shrug. "But even uncertainty serves their purposes. Ambitious nobles will use that very uncertainty as an excuse to demand more resources and protections from the crown." He leaned forward slightly, warming to his explanation of the political dynamics that constrained even royal authority. Noah’s understanding of the political dynamic had come from his study at university, one of his close friends back then had chosen history as their major. Talks about royalty, history, wars for power, all of it was spoken about. His old friend used to really enjoy such medieval cultures. Thinking about that friend, Noah paused for a second. He then shook his head as if trying to remove her picture from his head before explaining to Lola. "They’ll argue that if the crown isn’t protecting nobles from mysterious threats, then obviously they need larger personal guards, more castle fortifications, and increased tax exemptions to fund their security measures." Every crisis becomes an opportunity for the ambitious to extract concessions. "The crown ends up spending more resources managing noble paranoia than they would have gained by eliminating one corrupt baron," Noah concluded. "It’s a losing proposition politically." Short-term solutions creating long-term problems. Lola nodded slowly as the explanation penetrated her warrior’s mindset, though her expression suggested someone grappling with concepts that felt fundamentally foreign to her nature. While she had been a princess, her understanding of political subtleties was severely limited by circumstances beyond her control. She was a princess for such a short period of time that it made sense why she had no understanding of such social dynamics. After all, even in the demon kingdom, there were royalty and nobles. Her royal status had lasted only until her twelfth birthday, when her parents’ assassination had transformed her from sheltered princess into desperate exile. The intervening years had been spent focused on survival, combat mastery, and planning revenge rather than studying the delicate art of politics. "I’m only good at things related to fighting, magic, and killing," Lola admitted. "Deep politics was never something I had time to entertain." Noah nodded in understanding. The confession revealed aspects of her character that her usual playful demeanour kept hidden. Beneath the master-level succubus who could eliminate threats with a casual swipe of her hand, lay someone who had been denied the comprehensive education that should have prepared her for eventual rule. "Your situation was completely different," Noah said gently, recognising the implied regret in her admission. "You were forced to focus on immediate survival rather than long-term governance. Anyone in your position would have made the same choices. Besides, politics is easier to get into. You won’t have to worry, after all...power rules. The royal family isn’t the governing family for no reason; it’s because they are the strongest. So when met with overwhelming power, politics becomes nothing but a children’s game." Noah was trying to validate her choice; he wasn’t trying to criticise her. He was reassuring her that her priorities back then were correct.