Deep within the central core room of the True Night Magic Engineering Research Institute on the outskirts of Naica Island, Lanqi was still talking with the Fall Lord.
"Tell me first who you plan on meeting," Lanqi sighed.
He didn't know who Caliera hoped to negotiate with on the Polant Empire's side, but whatever she chose, he could arrange it.
"A lunatic whom the empire's upper echelon can't see through—the Polant Empire's newly appointed prime minister. But in wartime, he was the only one with the nerve to shoulder such a heavy burden. I'm not sure what price it'll take to win his trust. If he discovers that we demons are eager to form an alliance, he will definitely demand an exorbitant price. Yet if we don't show enough sincerity, he'll suspect that we aren't truly willing to help them fight the Blood Clan."
Caliera rubbed the bridge of her nose as she spoke. Pausing for a few seconds, she leaned forward and lowered her voice.
"Once you and I reach the Polant Empire, our mission is singular: find a way for me to meet Wilfort. At worst, if things go south, the two of us can team up and put him through a course of treatment, and he'll become our slave."
Caliera smiled slyly. By now, she had realized that the combo move between her and Lord Nameless was truly the ultimate technique.
"..."
Lanqi choked on his words.
Leaving aside whether the Fall Lord's typical demonic mindset was right or wrong, first and foremost, it was physically impossible to carry out.
"Is it really a good idea to conspire about this out loud with me?"
He looked at the Fall Lord with absolute seriousness.
"What? Are you going to tell me you have some personal friendship with the prime minister and can't bring yourself to do it?" Caliera asked, puzzled.
"No. Is there a possibility... that I am the prime minister?"
Lanqi spread his hands in confession.
"Hahaha!"
At his words, Caliera leaned right back against the sofa.
Lanqi's deadpan, serious way of joking cracked her up.
He was clearly a great demon—she knew that better than anyone—while Prime Minister Wilfort of the Polant Empire had never left the country and had recently been swamped with work, run ragged.
"Where do you think my intelligence on the Polant Empire comes from? I know their movements like the back of my hand. According to the reports from the spies I planted in the Polant Empire, their prime minister has been in the capital, Hersalem, for the past month and hasn't stepped away once."
Caliera opened her eyes slightly, her solemn, sober gaze practically saying, 'Save the jokes.'
"You have spies in the Polant Empire?" Lanqi raised an eyebrow and asked.
"Hmph, of course."
Fall Lord Caliera crossed her arms smugly. Seeing Lanqi look genuinely surprised for once, she felt this unflappable fellow was finally regarding her with newfound respect.
"Don't underestimate my intelligence network. I guarantee that no one in the Polant Empire can detect the demon spies I planted. Not only am I monitoring their prime minister, but he hasn't caught on in the slightest. Even if their prime minister dug three feet deep across the entire country, he wouldn't find a single clue."
She peeked one eye open, glancing at Lanqi, her expression clearly asking, 'Aren't I amazing?'
"..."
Lanqi's gaze seemed to answer, 'You really are something else.'
It was the first time he had ever seen an outlaw as brazen as the Fall Lord.
Now, it seemed that unless he let the Fall Lord read his memories, she wouldn't believe him in the slightest.
"Fine then. We'll make a trip to the Polant Empire together," Lanqi finally nodded. "However, I'll be going with Hyperion. The official envoy will be the Princess herself, while you will act as the escort bodyguard. Once we reach the Polant Empire, I'll assist you using my human identity there."
Facts speak louder than words. Either way, whether she found out a little earlier or later made no difference. On the journey back to the Polant Empire, he was still Lord Nameless, Luoqi McCarthy; only after returning to the Polant Empire and having his body double switch identities back with him would he be Prime Minister Lanqi Wilfort.
"Of course, no problem. Once we get to the Polant Empire, I'll count on you," Caliera agreed. She knew those two couldn't bear to be separated for even a moment. "We can set out tomorrow. I've already arranged the itinerary."
She rose to her feet and, in high spirits, gestured for Lanqi to head out of the central containment chamber.
...
Afternoon.
On this breezy yet pleasantly warm evening, Lanqi drove back to Lis Island, where the palace restaurant was located.
In front of this pleasing, off-white mansion lay the bay.
The emerald lawn stretched from the sandy beach for a third of a kilometer all the way to the front doors, skipping past sundials, brick paths, and several vibrant gardens of blossoming flowers before arriving at the foot of the walls, where it seemed to borrow running momentum to turn into climbing ivy scaling the masonry.
A row of French windows across the front of the house shimmered in the slanted golden sunlight, opened wide to welcome the afternoon's gentle, warm breeze.
Lanqi, dressed in a shirt and waistcoat, walked out alone to the wooden pier extending from his mansion and gazed out over the bay.
A magic-powered craft was speeding up and slowing down across the water, carving an arcing wake that reflected the colors of the setting sun, while the joyful cheers never ceased.
"Big Sis, faster!"
"Even faster?"
"I believe in Big Sis's driving skills! Even if we fall into the water, you'll save me, right?"
"Ugh... alright!"
"Meow meow meow! I don't want to fall into the water!"
On the driver's seat of the small magic-powered speedboat, Xigelei sat in Hyperion's lap, delightedly directing Hyperion's driving. If her feet could reach the pedals, she probably would have slammed on the accelerator herself.
Hyperion wore a thoroughly helpless expression, yet seemingly unable to resist Xigelei's barrage of cuteness, she could only speed up with utmost caution as requested.
A little black cat clung to Hyperion's shoulder sleeve, drifting left and right with the wind and letting out bursts of meows.
"Every glance at Naicalis, the Demon King's Capital, is one fewer left to see," Lanqi sighed as he leaned against the railing, facing the sea breeze. "What a pity that I couldn't let you two stay and play a bit longer on Lis Island."
With this, this Shadow World was drawing to a close.
Or rather, after dealing with the Tenth Progenitor, Ulysses, this Shadow World had already practically reached its end. Once they returned to the Polant Empire, started up the Shadow World live broadcast again, and cleared Loren's name in one fell swoop, the time limit would just about be up.
The subsequent full-scale southern expedition and the final war against the Blood Clan in the heartland of the Horning Empire would likely be the subject of the final Blood Moon Ruined World Shadow World.
Lanqi did not know how many years later the next Shadow World would be set, but by then, he and Hyperion would surely not have seen Xigelei for a very long time.
An adult Xigelei would most likely already be a top-tier powerhouse of Tier 8, and her personality would surely have changed somewhat as well.
He hoped the three of them could still get along as harmoniously then as they did now.
Then again, on second thought, Lanqi felt there was nothing to worry about. He couldn't imagine what Xigelei and Hyperion quarreling would even look like.
Chapter 597