Chapter 597
Twilight City Welcomes Prince Colin
Chapter 597 Twilight City Welcomes Prince Colin
The Xuebang, the ground floor hall of the Tower of Souls, is usually filled with a musty atmosphere, but today it is unusually lively.
There is no other reason.
The reason was simple: a huge notice board prominently displayed a "Hero Recruitment Notice." And the content of that so-called hero recruitment notice was: to select heroes to defeat the Demon King!
Slay the Demon King...
This might not be uncommon in the Kingdom of Rhodes, but it is quite rare in the Academy.
Some well-informed apprentices had indeed heard that there was a labyrinth downstream of the Rushing River, and another one near Dragon's Eye City in the Kingdom of Rhodes, but no professor had ever encouraged their students to take on such a lowly profession as adventurers.
Those are jobs only wild mages who can't get into the Academy do. Magic apprentices who can get into the Academy are all officially employed.
[Due to the Southern Demon King's wreaking havoc, the Soul School is now recruiting volunteers from across the tower to form a slaying team to carry out a mission south. All participants, regardless of success or failure, will receive extra credits for this year's graduation trial. Those who excel will also receive a magical artifact crafted by their mentor. For details, please consult the Apprentice Affairs Office…]
The signature was from the Apprentice Affairs Office of the Tower of Soul Studies, and it also bore the seal of the Soul Sage, so it seems the higher-ups are serious.
"Am I seeing things?"
A young apprentice who had just been promoted from probationary to full-fledged rubbed his eyes, leaned closer, and read it over again, word by word.
His name was Corey, and he had a round face. He came from a small town in the southern part of the Empire. Last month, he passed the school's advancement exam and was so excited when he received his apprentice robes that he almost blew up his dormitory.
However, his expression was even more exaggerated than it was last month.
Standing next to him was another apprentice who had been promoted at the same time, named Heike. This guy was half a head taller than Corey, but his courage was clearly not much greater.
"Are you sure this isn't a prank by the Illusionist school?" He craned his neck to read the notice twice, then swallowed hard.
Corey looked at him like he was an idiot.
"Are you blind? That's a sage's stamp! Who would dare to play a prank on that? Are they tired of living?"
Heck's Adam's apple bobbed, and he muttered something under his breath.
"That's true..."
The two young men exchanged a glance, both seeing a subtle excitement on each other's faces—the kind of impetuousness only found in young apprentices.
"A magical artifact personally crafted by our mentor!" Corey lowered his voice, his eyes gleaming. "Do you know how much one of these would sell for outside?"
"I know you owe the cafeteria three months' worth of meals."
The speaker was a girl with a low ponytail.
Her name was Noelle, and she had been promoted to a permanent position at the same time as them. At that moment, she was passing by carrying an absurdly thick stack of notes when she heard the sound and stopped in her tracks.
She glanced at the notice, then at Corey's face, which screamed "I want to get rich," and sighed.
"You guys aren't really planning to sign up, are you?"
"why not?"
Corey looked at her confidently, "Success brings credits and a magical device, failure also brings credits—it's practically free!"
“Take another look at the mission details.” Noelle gestured with her chin towards the notice. “Defeat the Demon King…you know what that means, right?”
“I know, it’s that one in the south…” Heck immediately interrupted, but then scratched his head halfway through, “Uh, what’s it called again?”
He looked to the knowledgeable Corey for help, but the latter was clearly just as confused, scratching his cheek with his index finger.
Noelle sighed.
"You don't even know your own name."
Reggie Dragon.
Anyone who has taken Professor Colomball's classes seriously should know this name.
“What does it matter if we know the name or not?” Hek blushed and argued, “It’s not like it’s just the two of us going. Look, it says ‘Form a subjugation team,’ so there will definitely be mentors leading the team. We can just follow behind and learn; there’s no need for us to actually go on the field…”
That's not entirely unreasonable. Xuebang is very professional in its work, at least that's how the two newly promoted apprentices see it.
Rigorous and professional.
This is something my supervisor has repeatedly emphasized.
Noelle was silent for two seconds, her gaze lingering on the words "extra credits" on the notice for a moment, unable to look away.
She took too many courses this semester, and she's short credits for three of them. If she could make up for them with this…
"...I'll think about it too."
Corey put his arm around Heck's shoulder and winked at Noelle.
"What are you thinking? The three of us signed up together, so we can look out for each other on the way. We're all getting promoted in the same batch, that's what you call fate—"
"That's called overestimating one's abilities."
A light, airy voice drifted from the corner, like a bucket of cold water poured over the heads of three young men and women.
The three apprentices turned their heads at the same time.
The speaker stood beside a marble pillar, wearing a dark blue robe befitting a mage, with the emblem of the Soul School pinned to his chest.
He looked to be in his early twenties, with delicate features but a somewhat lazy expression. He seemed to be the kind of person with exceptional magical talent... in other words, a nobleman.
However, his title must not be high, otherwise he wouldn't have bothered talking to these lowly minions.
"Recruiting apprentices to slay the Demon King..." He repeated the beginning of the announcement to himself, his tone ambiguous, whether it was mockery or helplessness.
"It's crazy."
Although no one knows what's gotten into the Sage this time, the professors below are certainly doing their best to cooperate.
It's just tough on those young men who were kept in the dark.
However, in a sense, for Xuebang, which adheres to the law of the jungle, this can be considered a kind of elimination mechanism.
People who only listen without thinking deserve to be eliminated.
Corey opened his mouth, somewhat resentful, as if to say something, but the badge on the other person's chest made him swallow his words.
This senior is at least two levels above him.
In Xuebang's hierarchy, this means that the other party can legally make him clean laboratory toilets for three months.
He didn't even have a chance to complain.
Fortunately, the young mage did not make things difficult for them. He seemed to just want to vent his frustrations, and after saying that, he shook his head and left.
"That guy is really strange... We're just trying to get some credits, how come he's overestimating himself?" Watching the mage's departing figure, Hek scratched the back of his head.
“That’s how nobles are… Look at him, his arrogance is written all over his face.” Corey said sarcastically, tugging at Heck’s sleeve. “Let’s ignore him. Come on, let’s sign up!”
"Ok!"
Heck nodded excitedly and followed Corey toward the stairs.
Noelle hesitated for a moment, but eventually followed.
The mage's words did make her worried, but considering that defeating the Demon King was not the same as fighting him, she ultimately swallowed her worries.
Perhaps the higher-ups just need some information about the labyrinth over there?
Or perhaps we could train their combat skills?
In short, just be careful when the time comes...
……
The snow-covered plains, where the cold wind howls, are never short of young men with dreams. Those who have traveled a long way across half the continent to get here are no strangers to adventure.
In contrast, old Hans of Twilight City was much more honest and simple-minded, so much so that he had never left Twilight City in his entire life.
His greatest achievement in life was probably in the autumn of the year before last, when he dealt with that old oak tree that had drifted down from the upper reaches of the Benliu River.
The tree was as tall as the tavern at the city gate, blocking half of the waterway. It took the dockworkers at the riverbank two whole days to haul it ashore.
Hans boasted about this for months.
Although he wasn't as powerful as the knight and couldn't remember how to spell words, the city really couldn't function without him.
However, at this moment, as he looked up at the thing in the sky, he suddenly felt that all the boasts he had made before were insignificant.
"That's... a ship?"
The fishmonger standing next to him stared wide-eyed. The fish on the scales were still struggling, their tails slapping against the cutting board, but no one paid any attention.
A wooden ship that should have been sailing on the sea was now incredibly flying close to the edge of the sea of clouds, slowly approaching Twilight City.
It also carries a huge air sac on its back, which looks like a cloud from a distance!
"By Saint Sis..." The customer standing in front of the fish stall also forgot about the fish he had just bought, took off his hat and stuck it to his chest, staring blankly at the sky.
He couldn't think of anyone else besides Saint Sis who could accomplish such an incredible miracle. However, old Hans, standing to the side, swallowed hard and said with certainty.
"That wasn't done by Saint Sith...it must have been the Campbells!"
reason?
He didn't either.
But he had seen the railway built by the Campbellians, and in his mind, only the Campbellians could have accomplished such an incredible miracle.
At this moment, he had only one simple thought in his mind—
I wish he were Campbell too!
The news spread from the docks to the market, and then from the market to the city where the governor's mansion was located. In less than half an hour, most of the citizens of Twilight City had flooded the streets, craning their necks to look up at the sky.
Some people were amazed, some were terrified, some knelt down to pray, and a few daring children climbed onto the roof, shouting and jumping at the spaceship.
A plump woman who owns a bakery stood in front of her shop, hands on her hips, expressing her simple confusion in her muttered words.
That was also the sentiment of every citizen in Twilight City—
"How did a ship that's sailing at sea suddenly fly into the sky?"
No one answered.
Because no one here has ever seen this thing before.
This city, which has endured so much suffering, hasn't seen anything so spectacular in a long time.
……
The "Truth" landed slowly on the open ground west of Twilight City, its huge airbags seemingly contracting inwards slightly.
Up close, the airship is far more impressive than when it is flying in the sky, its shadow cast by the twilight even covering the city gate.
Baron Eralic Valerius, the governor of Twilight City, had been waiting outside the city gates for almost an hour.
He was wearing a well-tailored dark gray tailcoat, with the collar buttoned up tightly.
Behind him stood a dozen or so members of the Holy Light Council. Some looked nervous, some whispered among themselves, and a few were quietly adjusting their clothes.
After all, the person who came was Prince Colin.
Everyone in the entire Twilight Province knows this name.
He was a close friend of His Highness Edward, Grand Duke of Campbell, and also had a close relationship with Princess Irene. More importantly, since this autumn, the grain and medicine shipped from the Duchy of Campbell had been marked with the blood cross of the Knights Hospitaller of St. Colin.
Not only that, they also brought the new word "hospital".
In the past, Twilight City didn't have this. People who were sick would either go to the church to see a priest, or to the Adventurers' Guild, or to the herbalist's shop to see the old men or women who brewed herbs... In short, it was up to them whoever they wanted to see, regardless of their means or budget.
Influenced by these many factors, for the Twilight Province, which has just struggled out of the shadow of the court, the name Prince Colin is no less valuable than that of Edward and Irene, and may even have surpassed the latter two.
Ellarik silently rehearsed his welcoming remarks in his mind, then adopted a solemn expression and watched the gangway on the airship slowly being lowered.
The first person to appear was a young woman with short silver hair.
She was dressed in the uniform of the Knights Hospitaller, with a short sword at her waist. She glanced around expressionlessly, then stepped to the side of the gangway.
Sherette Zibol is said to be the lieutenant of the Knights.
Immediately afterwards, a purple-haired girl appeared at the hatch. Unsurprisingly, the girl with ruby-like eyes was likely Prince Colin's sister.
Although it's a bit outrageous, I heard that she is the captain of the Knights and her strength has reached the terrifying peak of the Platinum level!
With the power inherent in the Colin family bloodline, Ellarick had no doubt that it was only a matter of time before she broke through to the Diamond level.
How enviable... these nobles of holy light.
While Ellaric was having these thoughts, Vivian, who was new to the area, did not pay attention to the welcoming honor guard.
Standing on the gangway, she craned her neck curiously, looking around as if she hadn't seen enough while she was in the sky.
This place was indeed quite novel for her.
Roland City and Thunder City are two sides of the same coin; both appear prosperous, differing only slightly in details.
Unlike Roland City and Thunder City, Twilight City looks more like a weary old man who has been knocked to the ground by a punch and is now lying on the riverbank, barely clinging to life.
There aren't many beautiful buildings here.
The most beautiful sights were probably the towering church and the governor's mansion not far away.
The city walls were riddled with unrepaired cracks, scars left from the final battle with the Chosen of Urgos. The cobblestones on the streets were uneven, and the air was thick with the fishy smell of the river… but these things had nothing to do with chaos; they were the ailments of poverty.
And so do the people here.
If the citizens of Roland still held a glimmer of hope shrouded in gloom, then the people here had almost lost the strength to even struggle.
There was nothing particularly memorable about this place, but that didn't dampen Lady Vivian's excitement, for she had encountered yet another unique human town.
She turned to look at her brother behind her and said excitedly.
"Kukuku... I understand, elder brother! Only through suffering will people realize your greatness, right?"
Today I learned something new that I couldn't learn at the Higher Demon Academy—something the old professors would never teach to this little tyrant of Shanghai.
If they've already taught her, what's the point of having them?
Looking at the clever little guy, Luo Yan smiled slightly.
You're only half right.
Vivian tilted her head and asked curiously.
"What is the other half?"
Luo Yan's smile became mysterious.
"The other half is... don't say it out loud."
Vivian opened her mouth wide in sudden realization, her small mouth forming an "o" shape.
That's it!
Luo Yan calmly put away his mysterious smile.
However, despite this, he felt that his bottom line was still quite high.
He simply avoids getting involved in things that are destined to be messed up, and he doesn't do things that are thankless and exhausting, but he never intentionally breaks someone's leg and then gives them a crutch afterward.
In this respect, Theodore and the Great Sage are indeed the same kind of people; he should have realized long ago that the other was a pawn chosen by the arrogant god.
However, it's not too late to guess now.
This game has only just begun.
He had already taken the first city.
Standing on the gangway, Luo Yan gazed quietly at the nearby Dusk City, his dark purple hair swaying gently in the wind.
At this moment, he was only wearing a dark long coat, without a sword or any conspicuous ornaments.
However, the moment he stood before the crowd, everyone instinctively fell silent, for his purple eyes seemed to hold a unique power—
Even though it was just a casual glance, his eyes made everyone who met his gaze feel valued.
'Even more adept at bewitching hearts than a succubus.'
At that moment, these words suddenly came to Ellarick's mind.
He vaguely remembered that someone had once described Prince Colin in this way, and now it seemed that the words were true.
Taking a deep breath, Ellarik put aside his strange thoughts and led the councilors and prominent figures in the city to meet them.
“Welcome to Twilight City, Your Highness Roxie Collin.” Eralik stepped forward and performed an impeccable noble greeting.
Passing Vivian, who was lifting her skirt, Luo Yan walked down the last step of the gangway and reached out to hold Ellaric's hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Baron. I've heard of your deeds; it was thanks to your skillful mediation that the citizens of Twilight City were spared torture by the court."
Ellarik gave a wry smile.
“I am honored to receive such praise from you, but I think… the citizens behind me probably have a lot of complaints to say.”
Luo Yan smiled faintly.
"Thanks for your hard work."
"I wouldn't dare, it's my duty," Eralik replied reservedly, while carefully observing the imperial prince.
He was somewhat surprised by Prince Colin's choice of words, which included the word "torture".
Could it be that the relationship between the nobles of the Holy City and the Church was not harmonious?
In any case, this is good news for Twilight City; at least he doesn't have to worry about the court being brought here again because of the citizens' complaints.
This Prince Colin is probably an enlightened prince.
As if confirming his thoughts, Luo Yan looked around and then began to inquire about the situation of the locals.
"How is the situation here? Are people doing well? Are they having any difficulties in their lives? These are the main things I want to know."
Upon hearing this, Ellarick's lips twitched slightly for a moment, as if he was struggling with whether or not to tell the truth.
In the end, he sighed, decided not to put on a brave face, and told the truth.
“Your Highness, please forgive my bluntness, but although I would like to save some face for Twilight City, the current situation is really dire… I can only describe it as a difficult time.”
"Is the problem serious?" Luo Yan frowned slightly.
"I can only say it's extremely serious. Even in a capital city like Twilight City, people are barely able to make ends meet. And the influx of refugees from the north continues, it's practically the same as when the Green Forest Army rebelled..."
At this point, Elaric sighed and gestured to the side, "This way, Your Highness. I will explain the situation here to you on the way."
"Let's talk on the way then." Luo Yan nodded and walked alongside him toward the city.
Vivian followed with light steps, walking quietly on Luo Yan's other side, half a step behind.
Meanwhile, Shinette and a group of elite vampires silently landed at the rear, their eyes constantly scanning their surroundings warily, especially the Twilight City Cathedral not far away.
There were more than twice as many churches here as in Thunder City, and besides the towering spires, there were also prayer halls adorned with cross emblems. Although they concealed their presence, they were still worried about revealing their identities and putting the young master of the Colin family in danger.
Vivian herself wasn't too worried.
After all, in her heart, her older brother was the strongest!
Even stronger than the real Prince Caesar Corinth!
As Eralic walked beside Prince Colin, he recounted, in as restrained a tone as possible, what had happened since the Court of Justice arrived.
Referee Jiménez is adept at seizing on faith, but his performance in other areas is questionable.
Those guys in black robes have been causing trouble here for a whole year, not only making people panic, but also causing a lot of crops to go to waste.
He compiled statistics on the grain production of each earldom, and it seemed that this year's grain harvest would be insufficient to even last through the winter.
In fact, "it's hard to get through" was a polite way of putting it.
Based on what Luo Yan learned from Edward, without outside aid, the estimate that tens of thousands of people would starve to death is conservative.
After listening quietly to Governor Ellarick's description, Luo Yan did not rush to express his opinion on the court, but pondered for a moment before speaking.
“I understand the situation. In fact, that’s why we’re here. The Knights Hospitaller brought a shipment of supplies: food, medicine, and winter blankets and clothing. I’m sorry for what happened here, but I can assure you that the Duchy of Colin and the Duchy of Campbell will not leave you to fend for yourselves.”
Before Ellarick could even say thank you, a clear voice rang out from the side.
“That’s right! The Principality of Colin will never allow God’s people to be abandoned in the wilderness… Saving God’s people is on the shoulders of this Grand Master of the Knights!”
Vivian patted her chest, her serious little face filled with solemnity.
Ellarik paused for a moment, then a smile appeared on his tired face.
"Then thank you very much, Commander."
He then composed himself and bowed respectfully to the brother and sister. “The people of Twilight Province will never forget everything the Colin family has done for them. I will inscribe our friendship on the stone tablet at the entrance of the Parliament Building.”
Vivian smirked smugly, stealing a glance at her brother standing beside her. His smug expression seemed to say—
See? I'm pretty useful after all, aren't I?
Luo Yan did not praise her here, as letting this girl get carried away would not do him any good and would only cause trouble in inexplicable ways.
His gaze returned to Ellarick, and the topic shifted accordingly.
“By the way,” he said, his tone still gentle, as if he were chatting, “has what happened in Roland City affected you here? I heard there was a serious rebellion there.”
Since the airships of the Duchy of Campbell were not suitable to appear over Roland, he used the word "I heard".
As for the fact that someone saw the airship... it didn't really matter.
He can simply deny it.
Just as Xuebang would not admit what they did in the Wanren Mountains or what they did in the prison in Roland City.
Upon hearing Prince Colin's seemingly casual inquiry, Ellaric's expression became somewhat subtle.
He hesitated for a moment, as if weighing what he should and shouldn't say, and finally chose a compromise answer.
“Your Highness, it would be a lie to say there is no impact, but the current situation is very delicate... I think even the National Assembly itself probably hasn’t figured out what to do next.”
He paused, then lowered his voice and added another sentence.
"You may not know, but I've heard... His Majesty is dead."
Luo Yan raised his eyebrows slightly, showing just the right amount of surprise, as well as the emotion hidden deep in his eyes.
"Theodore de Vallo?"
“Yes…” Eralic’s expression became somewhat complicated, while he carefully observed the expression of the Imperial Prince, and continued to speak cautiously, “To be honest, when I first learned about this, I was really shocked. I thought that group of madmen wearing green turbans had returned.”
This time, Luo Yan did not show any obvious change in expression. He simply pondered for a moment before asking.
Did they say anything?
Ellarik answered cautiously.
"A messenger did come to invite me and other local nobles with titles of earl or higher to attend their...Constitutional Assembly? I think that's the name. They've set up a whole bunch of institutions, and I'm getting really confused by them."
Luo Yan nodded slightly, then spoke.
"what are you thinking?"
This unexpected question startled Eralik slightly; he hadn't expected the imperial prince to so bluntly inquire about the thoughts of a former king and governor.
Normally, the empire rarely interferes in the affairs of the kingdoms, but perhaps this time the situation will be different...
He paused for two seconds before carefully speaking.
“I asked His Highness Edward, and he suggested that I send someone to see what’s going on over there and what the National Assembly of Roland City is trying to do?”
It's clear that Edward is also confused.
The Grand Duke probably didn't expect the officers he sponsored to be so fierce. A group of guys who couldn't even take down Thunder City actually beheaded the King when they returned to Roland City.
In reality, things were far more complicated than the outside world perceived. Theodore probably never imagined that he would be killed by a group of citizens who stormed into the palace.
Luo Yan nodded.
“You really should send someone over there; after all, the people there are your compatriots.”
"Perhaps..."
Ellarick gave an ambiguous answer.
He didn't want to continue the conversation—at least not at the city gate, not in a place with so many ears perked up.
Fortunately, Prince Colin did not press the matter further and followed him onto the carriage parked on the stone road next to the city gate.
The group soon arrived at the Governor's Mansion.
On the way here, Ellaric told the Colin siblings sitting opposite him that the building was originally the royal palace of the Ryan family in the Dusk Province.
Later, the king at the time thought it was too far away and there was nothing to do for entertainment, so he allocated it to the then governor.
Because it was built in a simpler time, this mansion is not luxurious and is far less grand than Theodore's palace outside Roland.
The gray-white stone walls were covered with vines, and the paint on the window frames was peeling off, but the layout was neat and the garden was well maintained.
The group passed through the main gate of the Governor's Mansion and walked along the corridor toward the guest room area in the backyard.
As Luo Yan passed through the garden, his pace slowed down.
An old man was sitting on a bench in the garden.
He was wearing a faded dark blue butler's uniform, with two buttons fastened incorrectly and the collar askew.
His gray hair stood up in a messy, uncombed manner, as if it hadn't been combed in a long time. He sat there on the bench, his back hunched, talking to himself as he faced the hedge in front of him.
Luo Yan stopped and looked at Ellarick.
"he is?"
“Skelle,” following Prince Colin’s gaze, Elaric’s expression was slightly complicated as he lowered his voice and said, “He is His Majesty the King’s chief steward, you could think of him as the steward of the stewards. Around this time last year, he was sent to the Twilight Province on business and hasn’t returned since. Now that something like that happened in Roland City… he’s lucky to have escaped unscathed.”
Luo Yan looked at the old man for a moment.
The winter twilight shone on him, making his faded uniform appear even more desolate. His lips were still moving slightly, as if he were murmuring someone's name, but the sound was too soft and was easily dissipated by the wind.
"Now he can go home."
Upon hearing Prince Colin's voice, Eralic paused for a moment before speaking.
“He has no home to return to, sir.”
He shrugged slightly in response to the questioning gaze.
“Those people killed his whole family. Including his wife, his two married sons, his 8-year-old granddaughter and 6-year-old grandson... That’s all I know, and there may be more I don’t know.”
The garden was quiet for a few seconds.
Vivian glanced at Ellarick in surprise.
By Bayeri, is the struggle between humans really this brutal?
There are often conflicts between demons, and just recently, the Colin family and the Padridge family had a falling out.
However, even during the most intense periods of internal strife... for example, when his brother was fighting against the Dragon family, he never considered killing the entire Dragon family.
8 years old and 6 years old.
Do those two children know how to write their own names?
No wonder demons are no match for humans.
Luo Yan remained silent for a while.
His gaze shifted from the mad old man to the withered irises in the garden, a dry petal blown by the wind to his feet.
“They went a bit too far,” he said gently.
Ellarik sighed.
"So... you should understand why I don't want to comment on them anymore. I supported them from the beginning."
As he spoke, he glanced at Skelle, who was still talking to himself, and shook his head.
"Anyway... I'll still treat him as the Grand Steward of the Palace, so I'll let him continue living here. After all, I'm the governor appointed by Theodore, aren't I?"
He appointed himself as the Speaker of the Holy Light Council.
He turned around, gestured for him to leave, and steered the conversation away from the deathly silence of the garden.
"Let's not talk about these unpleasant things anymore. Let me take you to your place."
"I want to live with my brother!"
Vivian raised her little hand very high.
Arrilik was taken aback by this sudden declaration and instinctively looked at Prince Colin, unsure how to respond.
Luo Yan coughed lightly.
"Don't listen to her, give me two rooms."
"Yes."
Ellarik nodded quickly.
After observing people's expressions and demeanor along the way, he concluded that Prince Colin was clearly more in charge.
Whether it's the Principality of Colin or the Knights Hospitaller of St. Colin.
Vivian's cheeks immediately puffed up, like inflated balloons.
She opened her mouth as if to protest—
Then, Luo Yan glanced at her.
With just a glance, Vivian's shoulders trembled, and she became obedient at a visible speed.
The speed of this change surprised even Ellarik, who was walking beside him, and he looked at the brother and sister with a strange expression.
Luo Yan felt his toes were about to clench, but he still managed to maintain his elegant demeanor as Prince Colin.
I'll deal with this guy when we get back.
……
After the group checked into the Governor's Palace, Sherry took over all the trivial matters with great efficiency.
She first helped Vivian pack her luggage and put her clothes in the closet, then turned around and went out to give instructions to the members of the Hospitallers.
The unloading of supplies, warehousing and distribution, site selection for relief stations, and work arrangements for medical personnel, etc.
She spoke quickly, but every instruction was conveyed clearly, so clearly that no one needed to ask further questions. The members of the Knights received their orders and dispersed without further ado.
Starting tomorrow, the Knights Hospitaller will set up relief stations both inside and outside Twilight City to distribute food and medicine to the civilians of the province.
Vivian spent about fifteen minutes tidying up the room that Ms. Sherry had already tidied for her.
Then she stood at the door of her room and looked around to make sure no one was in the hallway before tiptoeing and sneaking into Luo Yan's room.
No other meaning intended.
She just wanted to see what her brother was doing.
Come to think of it, the Demon King probably doesn't pack his own luggage. Without Sarah's help, his older brother must be quite troubled, right?
After all, it was the Demon King's luggage; we couldn't let the governor's servants touch it.
Kukuku, now is the time for Lady Vivian to come in handy! Although she can't help with other things, packing a few pieces of luggage is more than enough for her.
At least, she's better than Nanfu!
Vivian pushed open the door to Luo Yan's room and poked half her head in.
Then, she froze.
Huh?
It's already all packed up.
Luo Yan was sitting at the tea table by the window, holding a cup of steaming black tea in his hand.
The twilight, not yet set, streamed in through the window, leaving a faint red border around the ends of his deep purple hair.
"The door isn't closed properly, come in."
Clearly, the stealth attempt failed.
Vivian smiled somewhat embarrassedly, then sheepishly pushed open the door and went inside, looking like an obedient girl who hadn't done anything.
Luo Yan put down his teacup, twitched his index finger slightly, and the teapot on the table floated up out of thin air, poured another cup of black tea, and put a sugar cube in it.
Vivian sat down across the tea table, holding the cup in both hands, gently blowing on the steam rising from it, her heart filled with a sweet joy.
As expected of his elder brother, he even remembered something as small as Vivian's love for sweets!
Poor Lady Vivian had no idea that the Demon King would put a sugar cube in everyone's tea, even Sarah had the privilege of drinking it.
Without him, only familiar with Seoul.
She blew a few breaths of hot air, then suddenly remembered something and curiously looked up.
"By the way, brother, where did Sarah, who always follows you around, go? I haven't seen her since we left home."
Luo Yan held the teacup and took a sip slowly.
"I gave her an important task."
"Task?"
"Yes, she'll probably be back in a while."
"What kind of mission is it? Can Vivian know about it?" Vivian blinked, her tone filled with curiosity.
Or rather, the anticipation of watching a spectacle unfold.
After all, they are demons from hell, so it's normal for them to enjoy watching humans have fun, just as humans enjoy watching hell have fun.
Luo Yan replied in a casual tone.
"Actually, there's nothing mysterious about it. It's just that I buried a chess piece in the north a long time ago, and now it's time to use it."
"North?" Vivian, holding her teacup, took a small sip of her black tea and asked curiously, "Is it further north than Roland City?"
Luo Yan smiled faintly.
"Of course. That place is probably in the northeast of the Kingdom of Rhodes, the area bordering the Academy. Come to think of it, I used to be active there as an adventurer for a while."
Xuebang will definitely not let this go.
Or to put it more bluntly, Avano, the "Crown of Pride" behind the Great Sage, will certainly not let this go.
Campbell is in his sphere of influence, and Xuebang can't do much about it; at most, they can do some small things behind his back to cause him trouble.
The only card they can move is the one on the north side—
That is, the Kingdom of Rhodes.
Luo Yan had already noticed it when he passed by that place.
The magicians of the Academy and the nobles of the Kingdom of Rhodes have close ties, especially the duchies in the northeast that border the Academy.
The trade in inscribed weapons, the customization of magical artifacts, the smuggling of artifacts from the Void Realm... Although the Thorne Society was destroyed, its network was not completely broken.
The Academy needs the Kingdom of Rhodes' abundant mineral resources and manpower, while the nobles of Rhodes need the "non-worldly power" provided by the Academy.
Holy water is one such bargaining chip.
From a more realistic perspective, the monarchs of the Kingdom of Rhodes are unlikely to tolerate Ryan's popular revolution setting a precedent.
They will definitely try to support a descendant of the Devalo family, or find a collateral branch to continue the Devalo dynasty.
This was to be expected.
What he had to do was to spread the flames of the New Testament to the northern borders of the Kingdom of Rhodes before this happened.
Luo Yan did not tell Vivian about these things.
One reason is that she might not understand, and another is that it wouldn't make any sense for her to know too much; hell doesn't need these things.
Vivian didn't quite understand.
However, this did not diminish her admiration for her elder brother; at this moment, her scarlet eyes were shining with adoration.
The pieces we planted beforehand are now ready to be used!
As soon as she said those words, she felt like she had already won.
I need to learn this skill!
"Kukuku... As expected of my elder brother, the humans there must be howling in the flames of hell right now!"
"It's not a wail."
Looking at the little vampire who was covering his mouth and grinning mischievously, Luo Yan put the teacup back on the ceramic tray, and his gaze fell on the setting sun that was gradually sinking into the horizon.
The blood is staining the city walls red.
The flame of the New Testament will officially burn in the lands beyond the Kingdom of Laine.
He paused for a moment, then continued.
I prefer to call it—
"carnival."
Card master Chu Guang and chess expert Luo Yan—actually, when I was writing volume seven, I really wanted to have them meet, but after thinking about it, I decided against it, haha. I still prefer leaving Easter eggs rather than linking books together.
(End of this chapter)