Jessica frowned at the seed in her hands. Her eyes were closed but her ability to sense mana, Alchemical skills from the Cane and the feedback from the Plant Modification skill allowed her to know everything about the seed that comfortably sat in her hands.

It was fascinating, but she could see why the Alchemist who had sealed it away had chosen to do so.

Incredible growth rate, high mutation rate and high resistance was not a good set of traits. It would indeed grow rapidly and survive environmental stresses, but the high mutation rate ensured that it would do so in an unpredictable fashion and without a Star or Legendary weapon to ease the modification process he could do nothing.

Jessica didn't have those limitations. She crushed its resistances, made it vulnerable to fire, boosted its growth rate further and slashed its mutation rate to practically zero.

"Get ready," she said to her soldiers who had been standing behind her stiffly. Captain Hadria nodded and raised her spear. Her squad followed the command and their leader.

A wind burst from Jessica's hand propelled the seed a fair distance away.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then green vines erupted. Malty could sense the way it drained the local Dragon Veins and found herself fascinated by the process. A smile rose involuntarily.

This Bio-plant was much more than it seemed. No wonder it could grow with so little aid.

Vines quickly turned into bark and roots that dug into the soil. A purple gas rose from the soil and the vines rapidly covered the space between the centre of the plant and the humans who had triggered its growth.

The rapid growth alarmed her soldiers.

Malty flicked the wrist that held her Cane and studied the way the plant was shredded and the purple gas was shoved away with a wind burst. At first, the bark was slashed apart. The central pillar of the plant seemed to fall to pieces. The soldiers behind her relaxed a little as the danger seemed to fade.

Jessica didn't relax.

She was right not to do so.

Roots emerged from all around the clearing, near the tiny hill the alchemist had called home. The bark regenerated rapidly, ending up as a tall tree, at least twice as high as before. The sound of acid dripping on stone and the hissing sound that followed had her soldiers on edge.

"Princess," said Captain Hadria, placing herself in between Malty and the plant, "Please retreat-"

"Don't worry," said Malty, her tone calm, "Drifa Fireblast. Multiply. Double. Amplify."

Hadria could only stare as Malty reduced the plant to ashes by a massive swarm of fire meteors.

Only Malty's will stopped the fires from reaching the humans and ensured that some seeds were left.

The Princess walked towards the plants, a stream of fire rising from the Cane and moving underground, burning the remnants of the plant hidden there. She absorbed the seeds and stored most of them.

She turned to her soldiers with a slight smile, "Let's go back to camp," she said, almost skipping as she contemplated the results.

Jessica knew that she'd have to do a lot more testing, but if she was right than hunger, shelter and water would never be a problem for those under her dominion and with more work she'd have a wonderful weapon to use.

Biological Warfare was a very interesting possibility. One she'd have to learn to use and prepare to defend against.

Hopefully, House Leto's vassal would give her a reason to use it against them.

Gerald Leto, the Lord of House Leto, was eight years old and utterly terrified.

He truly should be considering that the only reason he was anywhere near the top of the list of people who held the title was that she had killed everyone else. The boy was quite brave and stood next to her even as he shivered slightly.

The other kids she'd spared were unconscious in a small underground bunker she'd created. They'd wake up when she wanted them to but rather than have them underfoot, she'd put them aside. For now, her Cane gave her a lot of options when it came to babysitting.

Gerald was only here to add a bit of legitimacy to her actions.

The villagers were used to House Leto, and it would be useful for the Lords who would arrive for the meeting she'd called tomorrow to see him and realize how far the Noble House of Leto had fallen.

"Thank you, Your Highness," said a man wearing little better than rags as Malty shaped the plants to spread around the tiny village, forming both a protective barrier and a food supply. He was the chief of this tiny village.

"You are welcome," she said, "My soldiers will be here regularly to ensure that the plants don't cause any trouble. Ensure that all your people are well fed and I will consider your debt repaid."

The man bowed and left once she nodded.

Malty turned to Gerald, "Get ready," she said.

Gerald used to being picked up by the winds she wielded, nodded and braced himself. He was slowly lifted into the air. Malty joined him, but she used a flight skill from her Cane, rather than being clumsily lifted by Air Magic.

The cold winds were a comfort. Up here there was no need to wear the mask of Malty. She certainly enjoyed the power she held but it was nice not to think about nothing other than simply moving to her next goal, plan out the next plant-based experiment and figure out how to make proper buildings.

Politics might be necessary, but it was undeniably boring.

They flew out of the new plant-covered village and made their way to the next one and if it helped her register more locations for teleportation close to her potential noble targets for later then it was just another benefit. Gerald had his eyes closed.

The poor boy was altogether too aware of how much power she had over him.

It would serve her well. The people of this world cared too much about bloodlines. Having a child to cultivate as an asset to control the territories House Leto held was a useful thing in the long run.

A glance at the terrified child made her sigh.

She didn't need him. Not really.

Perhaps she'd simply imprison him for now. It would be undeniably cruel to force him to watch a meeting which could get supremely violent if they rebelled physically.

Jessica shook her head at her lack of sufficient ruthlessness.

She could only hope that this kindness wouldn't hit her back.

Her soldiers, Captain Hadrian and Gerald, looked upon the building she was creating with hushed awe.

The Earth Shaping skill was a specialized ability that let her change the form, compress and move preexisting earth. Combine that with her bio-plants and the Plant Manipulation skill she could easily create structures.

The problem, of course, lay in creating feasible, well-designed structures and that was where Architecture kicked in. She'd never have dared to assume that mere bricks would permit her to unlock such a wonderful skill, but the Cane existed to surprise her.

The ground liquified, the vines which were soft and malleable now, but could harden to a steel-like consistency, acted as scaffolding around which the earth hung itself. By the standards of beauty, this was nothing. In comparison to the skyscrapers of her world, this was pathetic and nearly useless. As a defensive fortification of this world, it lacked the enchantments to make it truly useful.

As a fancy meeting room, it was perfect.

It would be a part of her strategy for the meeting that was set to take place in a couple of hours.

She hoped that most showed up, despite her limited warning time. It would be tedious to go to them and threaten them all one by one.

It was in her favour that transportation in this world was much faster than the medieval overtones would suggest. Magical beasts and enchantments were quite helpful in ensuring swift travel that mundane worlds like Jessica's couldn't match without industrial technology.

A simple large hall on a platform suspending it above ground level. The room was set with the backdrop of the ruined castle positioned such that the ruins would be directly behind her when she sat. Everyone, except her, would be able to see what she had done for the whole meeting. Stone chairs for additional discomfort and a simple throne for her that was bigger and more comfortable for her.

The poison gas generating flowers that acted as lighting embedded within the floorboards and ceiling were a last-ditch defence to kill the nobility in case they had some Anti-Hero tricks.

"Position yourself outside the main hall," she said to the Captain, after confirming that the building was stable, the enchantments for defence responded to her and that the Bio Plant was fully under her control, "I'll be taking a short rest. Make sure to awaken me once my guests start to arrive."

The Captain bowed deeply, "Yes, Your Highness!" she said and started to belt out orders after a moment of studying the terrain she was commanded to defend.

Jessica smiled at the young woman she had promoted to captaincy. She had been a mere level 20 and her birth and lack of experience had led to her skill at leading being disregarded, even now the noble in her squad struggled to obey her without disdain marking his face. With Motoyasu and Malty's help, she now had the stats of a level 70 or so despite her actual level of 43. A common-born girl she had no real conflicting loyalties and being forced to see the incredible feats the Cane made possible was very good at securing her devotion.

Malty would need it for the wars to come.

"Princess Malty," he said, then paused, horror-struck at seeing the ruined castle, "How-no, why?"

Malty took a sip of her wonderfully bitter tea and said nothing. Lord Cromwell was the head of a house that was a Vassal to House Leto, but she had not expected him to arrive here from the capital.

She had underestimated his information sources and his resourcefulness.

"Princess," he said again, more insistent.

Malty slammed her Cane on the ground, the doors to the room quickly shut, Jacob Cromwell flinched as his guards were pushed outside.

"Take a set, Lord Cromwell," said Jessica, "and speak clearly."

"Princess," he said, pulling out a napkin and dabbing at his forehead, "This is too much! House Leto was a loyal house. Her Majesty will never accept this."

The man was braver than she had anticipated. Or perhaps simply more foolish.

Bringing up her mother was a risky move. He knew full well how much Malty despised Mirellia. Even with Jessica's memories and thoughts dominating their fusion, the disdain and hatred for the woman who had shattered her dreams were present.

"Do you truly think that her approval is relevant?" she asked with a smile, "My dear mother isn't here."

The nobleman froze as her treason was confirmed. She didn't miss his aborted glance at the sealed door or the way he swallowed after she changed the form of her Cane.

"Princess-"

"Lord Cromwell," she said coldly, yet calmly, "Please wait for the others to arrive. During the meeting, I shall offer you all a very important choice. I will, of course, honour your will, but your Houses will have to accept the consequences of the same so please think very, very carefully."

He tried to speak to her but she said nothing. Soon he fell silent. After he realized that she would not be speaking, Malty took down the barrier to the entrance. Cromwell studied with a look of intense longing, but a glance at her had a mask appear over his expressions.

A poor mask that failed to hide his anxiety, but it was better than him running away screaming.

The poor man had also completely lost his appetite. He ignored the tasty dishes her servants had laid out. Her Cane had used valuable seconds producing it.

It didn't take long for the others to arrive.

Most greeted her politely and sat down. Their fear was obvious to her, but she suspected someone with lower stats would fail to see through their aristocratic masks.

The ruins behind her served their purpose.

Only the traditional serving of bread and salt to promise hospitality stopped them from leaving.

Lady Brooks. Lord Nathaniel. Lady Nightingale and four other minor lords and ladies took their seats around the table she had made.

The last to arrive, on purpose, was Lady Roma.

The middle-aged woman was a local powerhouse, and only mother's favour had kept House Leto at the apex of the hierarchy. House Roma had the most to gain by the destruction of House Leto and Malty herself was the barrier to that prosperity.

Of course, this was complicated by the simple fact that Lady Roma's son had married the next in line for House Leto. A powerful move that she had ruined, even if she ignored the emotional aspects.

The noblewoman who walked in, her head held high, and only a fragment of concern on her expression knew it.

"Princess Malty," she said with a curtsy, greeting her superior first.

"Lady Roma," said Malty with a nod, "Take a seat."

The woman ignored her words. Took a bite of the bread after dipping it in salt and permitted a small measure of her fury to surface, "May I ask about the condition of the members of House Leto?" she said, her voice flat.

Malty smiled and saw Cromwell and two others around the table flinch, "Dead," she said simply.

The fury manifested fully. An aborted snarl appeared before a cold mask slammed down on it. "I see," she said harshly, "Why should we listen to a murderer? "

Malty smiled and answered with a short chant, "Drifa Fireball."

The nobles in the room all stood up at the massive mana flare but paused when nothing seemed to happen. Their eyes turned as one as a massive fireball descended on the ruins outside.

Malty couldn't see it using her eyes. The ruins were to her back, but the wide-open window permitted the others to see it.

Faust Fireball was a small basketball-sized orb of fire. Zweit Fireball allowed for a sphere of fire the size of a decent-sized cottage. Drifa Fireball backed by the skills from the Cane was large enough that only her will stopped it from burning the entire countryside.

That Drifa fireball was boosted by several skills and four simple-looking discs floated around the ruined castle concentrating the mana and amplifying the damage further.

A meteor of fire crashed into the already destroyed castle and melted it to slag. Molten lava began to form as she concentrated the heat to the site with a brief exertion of mana.

Malty waited for a minute as they stared horror-struck at the molten pit that was the only remnants of the home of a powerful noble house.

It was a beautiful sight.

"Sit down," said Malty, her voice scarcely above a whisper.

They obeyed all the same with the exception of Lady Roma who was staring at the site with despair.

"Lady Roma," said Malty, "take a seat."

The or, I'll annihilate you, went unsaid.

She sat without any of the aristocratic grace.

"I asked House Leto to lend me their aid in tracking down the Shield Hero and avenging my father," she said, her tone flat, "They refused."

Malty waited and slowly met the eyes of every person in the room. All of them older than her. Each of them had been more powerful and more cunning than her just seven days ago.

None of them spoke.

Malty savoured the power she held over these fools. Jessica reminded herself that assassins were inevitable.

"House Melromarc calls for your aid," she said, "to ensure the prosperity and safety of this great country. The Shield Hero has committed grave crimes. My father's murderer is still alive and Siltvelt is preparing for war."

Lord Nathaniel was the first to stand, He went down on one knee, "Your Highness," he said, "I swear, House Ricardo will never flee from their duty-"

Others followed. One after the other. Each with their professions of loyalty.

Malty nodded at them but kept her focus on the biggest threat in the room.

Lady Roma stood up, her chair fell over thanks to her violent movement, "She murdered my son," hissed the woman, "and you all kneel before this usurper. Her Majesty will never let such an atrocity go unpunished."

Malty sighed, a little annoyed, "Are you certain you wish to take this path?" she said, tilting her head slightly, even as she prepared to incinerate the woman, "House Leto defied me. They chose to ignore their duty and they suffered for it. Your faith in my mother is quite adorable, but misplaced."

Roma raised her head high, proud and ready to challenge her. She walked out with her dignity intact. Her pride adorned her.

Malty felt the stirrings of respect. It was very brave of this woman to risk everything. Leto had been reckless, unaware of the power she was angering.

Isabella Roma wasn't blind to her enemy. She must have truly loved her son.

It was a pity that her entire family would pay for her actions.

"Let us discuss the reallocation of the territories of House Roma and House Leto," said Malty with a smile once the woman had left, "I am more than willing to reward those who swear their oaths and follow them."

The opportunistic, greedy and scared men and women were quick to swear their oaths. It took mere minutes to discuss the distribution of forces, hours to discuss the new taxes and mere seconds for them to accept that she would rule directly.

The molten lava and the heat that filled the room ensured that they remembered her power.

Lady Roma reached her home by the dawn of the next day. A very quick ride indeed, only possible by abusing the poor flying dragons.

Malty had been waiting for her higher up in the sky with ill-concealed impatience.

House Roma burned that day.

Jessica left the devastated ruin as it was, a powerful message to those who would consider defying her.

It wasn't enough, but it was a decent start.

She just needed to pick up the pace.