They sped across the bay in the sleek magitech craft. Lights from the grand bridge cast a dim, fractured shimmer through the water, while the skyline of Naicalis, the Demon King's Castle, remained invisible in the distance.
"The Blood Clan envoy arrives at the castle today, so I doubt it'll get light all morning," Lysandra remarked, looking out at the six o'clock night sky.
To welcome the visiting Blood Clan envoy, the demon race had even activated the sky barrier over the capital of Naicalis, blotting out the sun like a solar eclipse.
Looking across toward the bay of Naica Island, the dark towers and low-slung manors on the opposite shore looked as dreamlike as piles of dark gold. Naicalis remained draped in mystery and beauty, evoking the fascination of a first glimpse at dawn.
The amber magitech vehicle skimmed across the sea at high speed.
Just as they were racing parallel to the elevated bridge, drawing closer and closer to Naica Island, the air stirred with the thrum of beating wings, and a patrol officer mounted on a small wyvern struggled to catch up with them.
"Halt! Prepare for inspection!" the demon realm officer barked sternly over the wind and waves.
Today was the day of the Blood Clan envoy's official visit, and multiple routes near the royal palace on Naica Island had been placed under traffic restrictions and speed limits. The officer had never imagined a demon would dare take the sea route today and cut straight toward the royal palace.
"I work at the palace..." Lysandra said timidly, quickly turning back.
Before she could finish, Lanqi cut in.
"No need to worry, Lysandra."
Lanqi's voice was clear and steady, and he showed no intention of slowing down.
He simply pulled a credential from the driver's-side drawer and held it up without even looking back, letting the pursuing officer see its contents clearly.
"It's you, sir!"
The demon officer saluted at once, his voice filled with reverence. Yanking the wyvern's reins, he wheeled the beast around on the spot.
"I'll be sure to recognize you next time, Mr. McCarthy! Terribly sorry!"
"..."
Lysandra watched the officer retreat into the distance, then stared in astonishment at McCarthy beside her.
"I did their supervisor a small favor once," Lanqi explained to her. "I don't usually drive this fast. Today is a special case—I need to make sure you get to the palace on time. But I assure you, I'm not speeding. I never violate traffic regulations."
He tossed the credential back into the drawer, inside of which lay a current edition of the demon realm's legal code.
"Oh."
Lysandra remained stunned for a good while.
Only now did she realize that the demon beside her, who seemed as easygoing and approachable as the princess, actually belonged to an entirely different world.
In Naicalis, he wielded an almost unbelievable amount of wealth, power, and influence, with friends everywhere eager to do him favors—just as he had effortlessly charmed Lady Tia only yesterday.
Before long, they made landfall on the opposite shore and drove onto the road once more.
The closer they got to the royal palace on Naica Island, the denser the traffic became.
"To be honest, this is my first time visiting the palace on Naica Island." Lanqi checked the time and switched off the Demon King's Castle broadcast program on the dashboard.
In the heart of this bustling city, the broadcast could be heard echoing from loudspeakers everywhere, even without a personal device running.
Certain that driving at this leisurely pace wouldn't make Lysandra late, he didn't make her get out to walk the rest of the way alone.
"Well, you did only arrive in the royal capital recently," Lysandra said, leaning up slightly in her seat to look at the crowds of demons filling the plaza streets outside the palace.
Traffic was exceptionally congested today due to several road closures. Had she commuted her usual way, she likely would have been late. Taking the waterway had indeed been the right choice.
"I'm really lucky you gave me a lift today, Mr. McCarthy," Lysandra said, letting a rare trace of grievance slip into her tone.
In truth, she resented the Blood Clan envoy's arrival.
Why should they have to sacrifice half a day of daylight to cater to the Blood Clan just because the vampires chose to visit by day?
Such unequal treatment made it feel as though they were constantly groveling before the Blood Clan.
"I don't think closing the roads like this is reasonable either, and spending the realm's tax revenue on such an exorbitantly costly sky barrier makes even less sense. The only consolation for everyone is that maybe they'll get to watch a Blood Clan show this morning." Lanqi leaned back against the seat and drove slowly as pedestrians strolled past the open-topped carriage.
"They say this Count Sergio is one of the Blood Clan's finest detectives. Many prominent demon nobles came today hoping to witness his deduction process firsthand," Lysandra agreed.
Though she saw eye to eye with McCarthy and wanted nothing more than to curse the vampires, her official position prevented her from openly insulting them.
To most of the demons who had gathered early to watch the spectacle, this was simply an extraordinary detective show.
Of course, that had much to do with Sergio's authority.
He essentially started with the conclusion and proved the process.
Count Sergio could rely on his authority to identify the culprit right away. However, because only he could perceive the culprit through his ability, that insight could not serve as direct evidence. His real task was to produce concrete proof.
Since the Blood Clan preferred the dark, today's visit had likely begun before her shift even started.
Looking up at the giant magitech screens on the high-rises outside the carriage, Lysandra and Lanqi could see the Blood Clan count being received on the plaza before the royal palace.
"Her Highness is calmer than I expected," Lysandra murmured.
She couldn't tell whether the princess truly knew for certain that the culprit wasn't a demon, or if she held a trump card to counter the Blood Clan detective.
She was not the only one thinking this; murmurs rose intermittently from the demons walking past the convertible as well.
Yet McCarthy did not answer.
Lysandra glanced over and saw him gazing up at Princess Hyperion on the giant screen, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"The princess is beautiful, isn't she?" Lysandra asked tentatively.
She rarely saw the princess dressed in full formal attire, and it seemed Rocky McCarthy had inadvertently been captivated by the sight.
The grand terrace steps before the palace shimmered. Her features were exquisite, her grace peerless. Silver hair cascaded down like a waterfall, resting gently against a pale blue gown whose hem trailed lightly across the steps as she descended, step by step.
"Yes," Lanqi answered with a slight pause, nodding.
"Sadly, everyone only sees how radiant Her Highness looks right now, without realizing that she's the one truly being put to the test today," Lysandra said with a sigh of sympathy.
On an occasion like this, Lysandra didn't even have the standing to accompany the princess. The only one attending her was Caliera of the Fall, who was there to ensure her safety.
"Don't worry. Anyone can see Her Highness is blessed with immense fortune. Who knows? Maybe this Blood Clan count's deduction show will wrap up in no time, and the princess won't run into any trouble at all," Lanqi said with an easy, optimistic smile.
He sounded as though the matter were already settled before it had even begun.
"I hope so..." Lysandra muttered under her breath, worried.
Mr. McCarthy made it sound far too simple. How could problems ever be solved in an instant by paying some vague, ethereal price?
Chapter 570