The early morning of the seventh day.
Inside the office, dark wooden furniture adorned the room, and small inset bookshelves hung along the wallpapered walls.
This was not the Prime Minister's office in the Parliament Building, but the study of a private residence not registered under Lanqi's name, situated closer to the outskirts of Hersalem.
"Lanqi, how much longer do we have to wait, meow?"
Boss Cat squirmed about inside Lanqi's clothes.
Early this morning, they had disguised themselves and arrived at this secluded departure point away from prying eyes, waiting for the secretary to bring the person who would escort them to the snowfields.
It was exceedingly nervous about embarking on a journey to this era's Demon Realm.
Never having seen what the Demon Realm looked like, it could hardly fathom that Lanqi might even venture alone deep into the Demon King's Castle.
Just the thought of possibly encountering living great demons made Boss Cat shiver, wishing it could return to its restaurant this very second.
Yet once a Shadow World began, there was no turning back halfway. No matter what, it still had to spend over thirty days in this Shadow World before returning to Boss Cat Restaurant to see its lovely employees again.
"Look on the bright side. What if you learn a few Demon Realm dishes? That would make your repertoire even richer."
Lanqi poked Boss Cat's forehead. By his other hand, steam rose from a freshly brewed cup of tea.
Today, he had already disconnected the Shadow World Recording Program's live broadcast to the mortal realm and transformed into Luoqi McCarthy, sporting brown hair and green eyes. His attire was no longer the prime minister's customary black suit, but a Protos-style suit custom-made for him by a patternmaker—
A white long-sleeved shirt with black piping on the collar and cuffs, a beige sleeveless vest patterned in a diamond checkerboard separated by dark brown stripes, while a long, dark gray coat hung from the coat rack. Its wide lapels and two slanted slash pockets gave it an airy, mysterious flair.
"That is true, meow, but I wonder if Tata and the others would be used to the taste," Boss Cat mused.
"I think Tata would love it," Lanqi remarked.
"Then I'll work a little harder and study up. I can't achieve nothing in this Shadow World, meow."
Boss Cat rallied its spirits a bit.
Although mastering a few Demon Realm-style dishes would add some flair to the restaurant, it was by no means an authentic Demon Realm-themed restaurant. They wouldn't advertise it as a selling point, let alone arouse the suspicions of regulatory departments.
On the Southern Continent, Demon Realm-style restaurants did exist, inheriting recipes passed down from the Demon Realm, and some had been wildly popular and successful. The only risk was the possibility of inspections; there had once been a Demon Realm-style restaurant caught with an entire staff that turned out to be actual demons. In the end, the restaurant owner had been convicted for suspected passport forgery and illegal hiring.
The man and the cat chatted along like this.
Until Boss Cat detected a faint rustle outside the door, at which point it leaped into Lanqi's shadow, leaving him alone.
The sky had not yet fully brightened. The indoor lighting was soft and warm as Lanqi quietly glanced out the window.
The streetscape of Hersalem was slowly being illuminated by the thin morning light. The bustle of the city was beginning to awaken, yet still seemed muted.
*Knock, knock.*
Before long, a knock came at the door.
"Come in," Lanqi called out, looking up.
The door swung open.
The secretary, dressed impeccably, walked in carrying several documents and an itinerary.
"Sir, the itinerary has been arranged for you. It only awaits your final confirmation."
He reported the essential business to Lanqi with respectful, professional deference.
Lanqi nodded in understanding, bringing the teacup to his lips for a sip as he prepared to receive his incoming guest.
The final confirmation the secretary referred to was for Lanqi to see for himself whether he approved of the guide who would secretly escort him to the Demon Realm.
An experienced guide capable of escorting him through the Land of Eternal Night was hard to come by; one with a solid reputation and trustworthy character was even rarer.
He believed it had not been easy for his secretary to find such a candidate.
"Please wait a moment, sir."
The secretary bowed and stepped out of the study.
A moment later, he returned with a figure.
And yet.
The figure following the secretary into the study left Lanqi somewhat stunned.
Even seated, Lanqi felt his eyes were on level with this diminutive figure.
She looked around eleven or twelve years old, wearing a beret with her hair pinned up inside it, making her gender somewhat ambiguous at a glance.
If not for a few strands of light-colored hair falling naturally from her temples, one might not have immediately recognized that she was a girl.
Lanqi had originally envisioned a capable, seasoned middle-aged individual.
He had never imagined the secretary would introduce him to such a child.
"I believe what I need is an experienced bodyguard and public relations specialist who can guide me smoothly through the Land of Eternal Night and handle any troubles that might arise along the way. She appears far too young, doesn't she?"
Lanqi looked toward his secretary, speaking rather tactfully.
There were numerous dangerous races and tribes out on the snowfields.
When passing through autonomous, independent city-states, being unfamiliar with local customs could lead to unnecessary unpleasantness.
Humans, in fact, were not welcome in those regions.
Although Lanqi possessed respectable public relations skills of his own, he preferred to save himself trouble in the Shadow World and conserve his time and energy on the road.
The young girl stared silently at Lanqi, her violet eyes exceptionally assertive.
"She is actually remarkably strong, sir. Even company and field officers in the army might not be her match. Most importantly, she knows the Land of Eternal Night inside out, and she can drive you through that territory nearly around the clock. Ordinary people lack her endurance, and her reliability is impeccable," the secretary hastily explained to Lanqi.
"I am not questioning her strength..."
Lanqi looked at the girl in surprise.
He could sense that the aura radiating from her was exceptionally powerful, perhaps even at the fourth or fifth tier. At her age, even reaching the second or third tier would make someone a prodigy in Lanqi's mortal realm.
However, Lanqi was primarily puzzled by how someone her age could navigate the intricate maps of the Land of Eternal Night.
In truth, Lanqi held very high standards for snowfield guides. Last time, he had mistakenly trusted a directionally challenged person onto the snowfields, and in the end, he had been forced to do all the navigating himself.
"..."
The gaze the girl leveled at Lanqi grew frosty.
She already seemed to harbor hostility toward the aristocratic class of the Polant Empire and disliked working for them. Now, having confirmed Lanqi's attitude, she didn't bother hiding it anymore.
"Forget it. Find someone else."
Waving her hand dismissively, the girl turned to leave.
She disliked people wasting her time, and even more so, she despised this sort of disdainful attitude from clients.
If not for the generous pay offered, she would never have bothered going through several intermediaries just to make a special trip to meet some high-and-mighty client.
"My apologies, sir. I can introduce someone else to you if you prefer, but she truly is the guide with the highest reliability, perfectly suited to your requirements."
Seeing her offend the Prime Minister, the secretary grew frantically anxious. He hurried after her while glancing back to smooth things over.
The Prime Minister's secret travel plans could not be disclosed to anyone else.
Thus, this young snowfield guide had no idea that the man before her was Prime Minister Wilfort himself in disguise, yet here she was, speaking to the Prime Minister in such a manner.
"No, please hire her for me," Lanqi said with a smile.
Though young, she indeed possessed the bearing of the strong. Such an aura of absolute confidence could not be faked; she clearly held immense faith in her professional competence.
Besides, he had no wish to waste any more time. It was best if they could set off immediately.
"Miss Xigelei, Mr. Luoqi would like to sign a commission contract with you to escort him to the Demon Realm."
The secretary called out to the girl at once, secretly breathing a sigh of relief.
"The Demon Realm? Aren't you afraid of dying?"
The girl looked back and cast a glance at Lanqi.
Earlier, she had not heard this attendant-like secretary mention that the final destination was the Demon Realm; she only knew a client wanted to travel to the Land of Eternal Night.
"Previously, due to the confidential nature of our work, we could not disclose my master's destination to others," the secretary explained to Xigelei, cold sweat dripping down his back as he stepped between her and Lanqi.
Though children were blunt and naive, speaking like this to the leader of the Polant Empire was taking bluntness a bit too far.
He could only hope she wouldn't offend His Excellency the Prime Minister during the upcoming journey.
"Rest assured. Once you deliver me to the destination, your job is complete. You will have no further cause for concern," Lanqi replied with a nod.
Hearing this, Xigelei took the contract from the secretary.
"Let's get this straight first: on the road, I'm only responsible for keeping you alive. But once we reach the Demon Realm, we're done, and I have no obligation to accompany you inside."
After carefully reading through the contract, Xigelei picked up a pen and spoke.
She was merely doing a job for pay; she wasn't going to stop a client from committing suicide. Besides, she already despised this bunch of Polant Empire elites who had long been terrified out of their wits by the Blood Clan.
"In other words, you will definitely protect me while we are in the Land of Eternal Night?" Lanqi confirmed with a smile.
"..."
She nodded.
"And what if you find yourself in danger? Shouldn't you abandon me and run?" Lanqi asked curiously.
From his observation, this child was remarkably forthright, without the slightest intention of deceiving him.
Although that duty was written into the contract, if real danger struck, most guides would naturally prioritize their own lives before worrying about the client—something Lanqi could completely understand.
"In this world, all I have are courage and integrity. I won't sacrifice them for anyone," Xigelei replied.
"It will be a pleasure to journey with you."
Lanqi raised his teacup and took another gentle sip, finding this guide surprisingly agreeable.
Waiting for the secretary and Xigelei to go over the final precautions, he would soon be ready to set off with her.
Chapter 542