Throughout the history of the Polant Empire, Chequers Manor in the north had frequently served as a venue for northern continent political and diplomatic affairs.
Imperial ministers often received foreign leaders here to conduct bilateral talks, discuss international affairs, and strengthen ties with neighboring states.
Talks held at the country estate took place in a more private and relaxed atmosphere, helping to break down the rigid boundaries of formal conference rooms.
On this misty morning, led by envoys of the Polant Empire, Princess Hyperion and the Fall Lord traveled through the lush, seemingly endless gardens surrounding Chequers Manor.
As the ambassadorial convoy drove slowly along the winding road, the true face of the estate gradually revealed itself—ancient stone walls and spired turrets glinting faintly under the rain and dew.
As both princess and ambassador of the Demon Realm, she wore a demon noble hunting outfit, finely braided silver hair resting over her shoulder. She stepped out of the carriage with a steady stride, her arrival unquestionably the focal point of attention for the border imperials on this overcast day.
Beside her, Fall Lord Caliera kept her eyes closed, safeguarding the princess.
Even though the surrounding guards knew full well that this foreign woman was a legendary Tier 9 archdemon, their eyes still couldn't help lingering on her a moment longer.
"Lord Caliera, may I trouble you to restrain your mana further?" the knight commander escorting them toward the manor house said in a deep, respectful voice.
As an imperial Tier 8 general and the strongest warrior on the border, he personally knew how to shield himself against Caliera's mana.
Yet for lower-tier humans, even without falling into her illusions, simply becoming infatuated with her carried the risk of having their sanity gradually eroded by her innate magic.
Neighboring Kingdom of Bliss had already fallen, leaving panic spreading throughout the Polant Empire.
Even when dealing with demons who had expressed an interest in an alliance, the empire dared not relax in the slightest before negotiations concluded, which was why they had chosen an isolated country manor as the venue.
Located in the countryside outside town, Chequers Manor offered a relatively secluded, quiet environment suitable for sensitive discussions demanding intense focus.
Its tucked-away location helped ensure security and privacy, particularly when dealing with matters of delicate diplomacy.
Amid the dire war situation, the only thing that could be counted as good news was that the orc city-states in the Land of Evernight had opened a trade route connecting them to the Demon Realm, and the Demon Realm had sold a massive shipment of military supplies to the Polant Empire at rock-bottom prices.
Some time ago, the royal artisan dispatched by Empress Khesia had successfully won the friendship of several high warlords among the orc city-states in the Land of Evernight.
To protect the artisan's safety, Empress Khesia had kept his identity closely guarded to this day. Meanwhile, public trust in the empress was steadily growing, and her voice carried more and more weight.
In Empress Khesia's view, she favored actively seeking aid from the Demon Realm; at the very least, they had to try placing trust in the demons, or there would be no turning the tide.
"Understood," Caliera nodded, replying indifferently.
Spending so much time around Lord Nameless had almost convinced her that her passive spell had stopped working, but evidently its effects were very much alive.
As the princess and the accompanying delegation passed through the manor's main entrance, they were ushered into a spacious reception room. The antique furniture, tapestries, and oil paintings throughout the hall remained just as they had been when Chequers Manor was first built. Heat and light radiated from the fireplace, chasing away the damp chill from the gardens to welcome the emissaries who had traveled from afar.
At the far end of the conference table in this exquisitely decorated reception room, Foreign Minister Duke Moretti was already waiting.
"Honorable Lady Caliera, and Your Highness the Princess, I am deeply honored to meet you at such a critical juncture. Please allow me, on behalf of my nation and my people, to extend the warmest welcome to your arrival."
Duke Moretti stepped forward from the French window behind him, the faint morning light outside seeming to trace his silhouette with a golden rim as he bowed.
His posture was steady yet relaxed, gesturing with a faint smile for the demon delegation to take their seats.
"The honor is mine," Caliera replied in an even tone.
Her counterpart seemed convinced that she was the true decision-maker, even placing her as the primary recipient of respect in his greeting while treating the princess as a mere secondary attendee.
Caliera could understand his assessment; if this had been a month ago, such conduct, though improper etiquette, would have pleased the real power-holder of the Demon Realm.
Hyperion remained mostly quiet, maintaining the poise Caliera had instructed her to uphold as she sat down alongside her.
She had come to realize that having a forceful demon like Caliera take her along was actually quite nice. She didn't need to do anything herself; she could just leave all the business to Caliera. When she thought about it, Caliera treated her wonderfully, acting practically as her personal bodyguard. Following Talia and the Ice Snow Witch, Hyperion seemed to possess a passive ability that inevitably attracted an adult demon woman to look after her.
The two delegations gathered around the dark wooden table and commenced preliminary discussions, the surface soon piled high with necessary documents and maps.
"Honorable Lady Caliera, we are all aware that the current situation on the northern continent is fraught with uncertainty. The Polant Empire has always pursued peace and stability. If the Demon Realm is willing to help us achieve this goal, I am certain it will be a mutually beneficial collaboration..."
Duke Moretti began cautiously laying out the Polant Empire's stance and expectations for the upcoming negotiations.
The room was lit by carefully calibrated illumination.
As the rain outside intensified into a steady patter, the voices blended into the background white noise.
The scenery beyond the manor was blurred by rainfall, yet swaying silhouettes of trees and distant green hills remained faintly visible—verdant yet muted in the deluge, casting the surrounding sky in an even gloomier light.
Gazing out the window, Hyperion heard the discussion around the table, yet her mind wandered only to whether Lanqi had brought an umbrella.
She remembered bringing an umbrella down to Lanqi at Boss Cat Restaurant, and how the two of them had stood chatting under the eaves for quite a while. At the time, it hadn't felt like anything special, but looking back now, it felt wonderfully fond.
"I wonder, Duke Moretti, if you have misunderstood the purpose of our visit?"
Caliera's slightly displeased tone pulled Hyperion back to reality.
Glancing over, Hyperion saw that after only a brief exchange, Caliera was already frowning.
"You see, our Polant Empire's original intention has never been to seek confrontation, nor do we possess the strength to withstand the Horning Empire's advancing armies. Even before the Kingdom of Bliss fell, the cabinet had actively explored opening peace talks with the Horning Empire. Now, even His Excellency the Prime Minister no longer opposes seeking terms of peace. I believe that through our concerted efforts, needless sacrifice can be avoided. The same holds true regarding the Demon Realm—we would much prefer to use diplomacy and negotiation to find a solution beneficial to all parties."
Duke Moretti maintained his courteous smile, explaining patiently and respectfully to Caliera.
The pale, weak light failed to pierce the gloomy overcast outside, barely tracing the outlines of the furnishings within.
"Duke Moretti, am I to understand that the Polant Empire has given up on resisting the Horning Empire and the Blood Clan?" Caliera asked.
"That is not quite accurate. After all, we must retain the threat of final resistance rather than submit completely; otherwise, we would possess no leverage to negotiate peace."
Duke Moretti spread his hands casually.
"If that is so, why not attempt a joint resistance with far greater odds of victory?"
"Because I believe there are no odds of victory."
"..."
Speaking to this man felt like punching cotton.
He didn't offer a single word of substance, yet managed to brush aside the demons' genuine desire to form an alliance against the Horning Empire.
According to Caliera's intelligence, the Polant Imperial Parliament remained indecisive about the demons' proactive alliance proposal.
After all, to the Polant people, the Demon Realm's sudden change of heart seemed entirely illogical, and allying with demons was always an immense gamble.
The Demon Realm was vastly more powerful than the Polant Empire.
What was more, the demons had previously shown signs of seeking peace with the Blood Clan, even receiving a Blood Clan delegation in the Demon Realm with grand hospitality.
The possibility could not be ruled out that the demons were probing the Polant Empire on behalf of the Blood Clan, intending to deal a fatal blow from behind and swallow Polant whole without lifting a finger.
Yet Duke Moretti's personal stance was unmistakable: he had all but stated plainly that the demons should not disrupt Polant's peace talks with the Horning Empire.
As a conservative, he had his own calculations and vested interests.
"Duke Moretti, could I trouble you to put me in touch with Prime Minister Wilfort? I would like to speak with him briefly," Caliera took a deep breath and continued.
Even Empress Khesia possessed the courage to resist, proving that not everyone in the Polant Empire shared Duke Moretti's attitude.
"My apologies. The prime minister has his duties, and as foreign minister, this falls under my portfolio. I cannot dump everything onto the prime minister's shoulders."
Duke Moretti shook his head with feigned regret.
"Then could you use communication magic to convey to Hersalem my wish for a brief dialogue with the prime minister, and let him decide whether to speak with me?"
Caliera conceded another step.
"I must apologize once more. You may convey your thoughts through me first. Or do you harbor some unspeakable conspiracy that demands a private audience with the prime minister?"
Duke Moretti looked at her with an unhurried smile.
"Please tell me what you have in mind first, and I shall relay it to the prime minister on your behalf."
Caliera felt her blood pressure surging.
It took every ounce of restraint to swallow her fury.
This foreign minister harbored no desire to fight whatsoever, his thoughts consumed entirely by negotiating peace with the Blood Clan. Though he lacked the authority to reject or finalize an alliance with the demons, Caliera knew that if any message were filtered through him to Prime Minister Wilfort, its meaning would be warped beyond recognition.
Now she wanted to see the prime minister, yet this foreign minister stood directly in the way.
The more earnest her requests, the more effortlessly and playfully he brushed them aside.
Caliera had good reason to suspect Duke Moretti was already in league with the Blood Clan.
"Lady Caliera, I understand your enmity toward the Horning Empire and your resolute determination to resist. However, during this long, dark night, we must seek the light, even when it is so faint as to be barely visible."
He paused briefly to let his words sink in.
"Our nation and our people are enveloped in uncertainty and fear. We cannot lead them toward a future soaked in blood and ruin. Yes, compromising with the sinister forces of the Horning Empire may look like cowardice, but if it can spare tens of thousands of lives and allow our children to grow up outside the shadow of war, is it not worth exploring at least?"
Duke Moretti looked around the room before settling his gaze back on Caliera, his voice steady and rich with persuasion.
Caliera's expression turned rigid with rage, but she fought with everything she had to suppress it.
"Don't you find yourself utterly hypocritical?"
Before Caliera could formulate a response, Hyperion finally couldn't hold back any longer.
Watching Caliera swallow her notoriously fiery temper and endure such mistreatment for the sake of the bigger picture made Hyperion's heart ache. Particularly since Caliera looked like Tata in her eyes, and having come to regard Caliera as a friend, Hyperion refused to watch her friend be humiliated like this.
Caliera glanced up at Hyperion in surprise. Hyperion gave her a subtle shake of the head, conveying: *Don't hold back. We demons don't have to swallow this.*
"Oh? Does Her Highness believe I have no right to say such things? But you must understand that the choice before us is not simply between war and peace, but whether to give peace a chance, however distant it might seem. I am not advocating surrender, but wisdom and foresight—wielding negotiation as an extension of our strength rather than treating it as a weakness. I suppose that is something you demons could never understand, is it not?"
Duke Moretti looked at Hyperion, asking without flinching.
"Shut your mouth, you useless excuse for a foreign minister."
Caliera endured no longer, no longer hiding the innate ferocity of a demon.
She understood now: this noble lord was the absolute bottom of the barrel, utterly worthless, either foolish or malicious, drawing a salary while doing nothing.
The air in the reception room instantly froze, shifting from calm conversation to a standoff of drawn swords and taut bows as the imperial guards sprang on high alert.
"Oh dear. Since the demon delegation seems disinclined to continue, does this mean the negotiation has been unilaterally declared over?"
Duke Moretti remained as polite as ever, the smile in his eyes hovering between sincerity and mockery.
He was confident the Fall Lord would not resort to violence; after all, if she struck, any chance of the demons forming an alliance with the Polant Empire would vanish completely.
And then the deal he had struck with the Blood Clan would be partially fulfilled.
Though he had no authority to finalize an alliance between Polant and the demons, he had countless ways to prevent Caliera from ever seeing Wilfort.
At this moment, that fool Wilfort was still in Hersalem, kept completely in the dark, entirely ignorant of the demon delegation's detailed itinerary.
Just the thought of that legendary Tier 9 great demon humbling herself moments ago struck Duke Moretti as delightfully absurd.
"Duke Moretti, I will remember this. But I will find a way to contact the imperial leaders I seek. In the end, you cannot stop the Polant people of backbone from allying with us," Caliera murmured darkly.
"I eagerly await it,"
Duke Moretti stood and responded with a smile—a textbook, flawless diplomat's grin.
It was as if to tell her: *There will be plenty of time ahead, and I have endless ways to disgust you.*
Caliera exhaled heavily, a suffocating knot in her chest. Had she not genuinely come to forge an alliance, needing to demonstrate demonic goodwill to the Polant people, her usual temperament would have driven her to slaughter this duke ten thousand times over.
Yet she was forced to endure it.
Right then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the conference room. Any guards attempting to intervene were swiftly shouted down and restrained by another detachment.
The doors swung open.
A figure radiating immense authority stepped into the room.
His presence felt as heavy as history itself, every stride imbued with decisive weight.
He did not speak immediately. His gaze drifted slowly across the room, lingering first on Duke Moretti before shifting to the Fall Lord.
"Duke Moretti, why wasn't I informed of such a vital diplomatic matter?" he asked.
"..."
Duke Moretti's face darkened instantly.
"Wilfort... how did you find out?"
"That is beside the point,"
Lanqi took off his top hat, placed it on the table, and leaned on his cane with a smile. "What matters is that you must have gone to great lengths to ensure I remained unaware of the demon envoys' arrival, as well as the exact time and location. You must be exhausted from all that effort."
Duke Moretti rose abruptly, shadows deepening across his face as he turned toward the door without a word.
"Lord Moretti, won't you stay and listen?" Lanqi called after him with concern.
"No need. Since the prime minister distrusts me so, there is no reason for me to remain."
Without pausing or looking back, Moretti said coldly, "I shall resign."
With that final remark, he vanished into the dim corridor outside.
The resignation of the foreign minister would trigger a vote of no confidence to impeach the prime minister.
Soon, parliament's trust in the prime minister would plummet to rock bottom.
When that time came, even if Wilfort wished to act arbitrarily and run wild, it would all be in vain!
The conference room remained quiet for a long while.
Lanqi walked unhurriedly across the room and sat down opposite the demons, taking the seat Duke Moretti had just vacated, while waving aside all other ministers and guards to dismiss them from the room.
Caliera was still in a daze.
Gazing at this figure, she began to realize that just when today's talks seemed ruined and destined to require long deliberation, Prime Minister Wilfort of the Polant Empire had sought them out of his own accord.
"My apologies, Mr. Wilfort, for causing you trouble,"
Unable to suppress the surge of joy in her heart, Caliera addressed the man opposite with a tone of favor and warmth. "However, how did you know about the meeting Moretti arranged?"
"I not only know the time of this meeting, but I also know that if talks fell through, you planned to forcibly brainwash me and turn me into your slave."
Lanqi leaned against the back of his chair, shaking his head in utter exhaustion.
"...?"
The Fall Lord froze for several seconds, looking as if she had turned to stone and was about to crack apart.
*How do you know... what I told Lord Nameless...?*
Her mind raced at breakneck speed.
Finally, right before her brain crashed, she arrived at an explanation she could scarcely accept.
"You're...?"
Caliera rose in disbelief, pointing at the man across from her as her voice trembled.
Though his physical appearance had changed, the light in his eyes was unmistakably familiar.
Lanqi nodded—a gesture worth a thousand words.
"Aah..."
Caliera covered her cheeks with both hands. Remembering everything she had said to Lanqi earlier, her ears buzzed and her head pounded.
Though this diplomatic meeting could be said to have ended before it even truly began...
The Fall Lord felt like fleeing the Polant Empire overnight!
"..."
Lanqi looked at Caliera, unsure how to comfort her.
Who would have thought that a Tier 9 great demon could blush?
Fortunately, everything had gone smoothly so far, and the negotiations with the demon race were basically settled.
Once he stepped out of this room, he and the Fall Lord would have to pretend they didn't know each other, and he would also turn the live broadcast back on.
Now, everything was in place.
Lanqi had never forgotten the person waiting for him outside the Shadow World.
*Dean Loren, sorry to keep you waiting.*
Ten more days had passed; Loren shouldn't have fallen into darkness under the immense pressure, right?
In this darkest hour, it was time for Lanqi's counterattack.
Chapter 599