Sunday morning.
Having no work scheduled for the day, Lanqi and Talia headed out right after breakfast.
This time, Talia seemed to have made an exception for Lanqi, indulging him and letting him sleep until he woke naturally without disturbing him.
At nine o'clock, Palieu was like a maiden kissed by dew and sunshine—fresh and vibrant. Dewdrops hung bright and crystalline on the sycamore leaves lining both sides of the street, shimmering in the light.
"Huuuaaagh... I'm still so tired."
Lanqi rubbed his eyes, letting out a drawn-out yawn and a string of indistinct groans.
Setting out from the Parkinson Palace Spirit Hotel where they were staying, they wound their way through several narrow alleys, strolling along the cultural district toward the banks of the Selena River until the centuries-old bridges came into view.
As far as the eye could see, the river sparkled under the morning sun, with occasional boats gliding across the water, leaving trailing ripples in their wake.
"That is why you should ask for my help less often. When I exert myself, you are the one who ends up exhausted."
Talia spread her hands.
"Though to be frank, this current body is remarkably convenient for me. It never seems to tire at all."
As long as her host provided a steady stream of mana, she was like a unique entity caught between physical substance and a magical construct—waking up meant being in peak, refreshed condition.
"Let me head back for a nap around noon, and I'll take you restaurant-hopping this afternoon," Lanqi suggested, looking at the endlessly energetic Talia.
Ever since the Poet of Great Love had transformed into Talia, every day felt like weight training for him.
And strictly speaking, since arriving in Palieu, the Flower Capital, neither of them had visited many restaurants to enjoy authentic Posen cuisine.
In his role as Butler Rocky McCarthy, his working days were Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Today was Sunday, his day off, and he had promised to take Talia around to various eateries, eating their way from south to north.
"Fine. The hotel's buffet afternoon tea is actually quite good anyway. While you sleep upstairs, I will wait for you in the third-floor dining room," Talia agreed.
"Great. Tomorrow's Monday, and I have to go back to work at Earl Baptiste's manor, so let's make the most of today," Lanqi said, nodding with a smile.
Talia was surprisingly considerate these days, understanding that he worked hard.
Every so often, they could chat pleasantly like this.
Originally, on the morning they went to the Petras Auction House, he and Talia had planned to spend the afternoon exploring Palieu and visiting the Cathedral of Our Lady of Palieu and the temple of the Church of the Goddess of Fate to request talismans. But that sudden job offer had derailed everything.
Today, they were finally getting back on track.
While it was true that great power did not necessarily entail great responsibility, sometimes it really wasn't him looking for work—work was looking for him.
"What am I supposed to say about you...? How do you manage to find a job wherever you go?" Talia couldn't help asking when she heard him bring up work again.
Thinking back to that auction, she felt as though she and Lanqi had achieved a rare moment of unspoken harmony.
Back then, Boss Cat had stood backstage completely bewildered, acting as the Lanqi race's original employer and putting his service contract up for consignment.
Before signing the employment contract with Boss Cat, Lanqi had assumed his alternate identity from the Northern Continent, Rocky McCarthy. As a pedigreed native of the Protos Empire, he had successfully secured a Northern Continental Visitor's Visa from the United Council of Kingdoms upon arriving in the Southern Continent.
Young Master Kyle Baptiste naturally showed interest in such a novel species.
Then, Talia had realized what was going on.
She had jumped straight in, bidding on the brown-haired, green-eyed Rocky McCarthy.
Seeing Talia take an interest in this rare Lanqi, Kyle immediately began driving up the price out of spite.
If not for the fact that Talia and Lanqi's combined funds—plus the credit line extended to them by the Wilfort Chamber of Commerce—only totaled just over forty thousand pounds, she would have pushed the bid even higher.
In the end, the young nobleman had happily walked away with a fifty-thousand-pound butler.
"Come on, big sister. I thought if you put in a bid, Kyle would definitely outbid you and buy me. I never imagined you'd throw in the entire thirty-thousand-pound line of credit the old man gave us."
Lanqi had caught Talia's thoughts and had no idea where she had found the nerve to drive the bidding all the way past forty thousand pounds.
When they were too far apart, they really couldn't hear each other's inner voice.
If Kyle had backed out, Lanqi and Talia would have suffered a net loss of several thousand pounds in transaction fees.
Fortunately, Kyle was a straightforward, honest soul. He had actually bid all the way to fifty thousand pounds, hell-bent on securing Lanqi alone.
"Well, did the end result turn out well or not?" Talia decided to revoke her earlier sentiment.
As expected, there was no tacit understanding between her and Lanqi whatsoever—just pure chaos.
Come to think of it, over the past few days, Talia hadn't seen Lanqi do anything strange to the Baptiste family; on the contrary, he had performed his duties with utmost conscientiousness.
Yet the family had gradually grown dependent on him, treating him as their spiritual pillar. In just two or three days, their mental state had begun veering off course.
When asked about it, Lanqi simply claimed it was 'love.'
"In any case, I'm the one working. Taking so much money from them means I can't just up and leave whenever I feel like it. While we're in the Kingdom of Posen, the least I can do is fulfill my duties and look after the Baptiste family properly," Lanqi sighed wistfully.
He truly hadn't intended to take fifty thousand pounds from them in the beginning.
It was bad enough that the elder brother was naive and honest, but the younger sister was even worse—scrambling to scrape together another fifty thousand pounds to throw at him.
"I contributed as well. Don't forget who did the fighting in the arena yesterday," Talia pointed out.
Lanqi had agreed to split the final earnings fifty-fifty with her.
However, since the two of them couldn't even separate their physical bodies at the moment, they hadn't divided the money yet, keeping it all on a single card for easy use around the Flower Capital.
"Good grief. Bullying a Tier 6 opponent—do you really have the nerve to brag about that?" Lanqi remarked in astonishment.
"Hmph. If I had snatched your family's Poem of Compassion back then and used it myself, I might have been able to defeat a Cardinal by now," Talia sneered, crossing her arms.
It was precisely because the Wilfort family had treated her so well that she hadn't had the heart to do it. Just as the Baptistes now treated Lanqi, prompting him to show them some care despite being merely an employee, she had probably felt the exact same way back then.
Although the Poem of Compassion would not have directly boosted her combat strength, it would have granted her a vast wealth of ancient demon heritage and wisdom. Who knew? She might have crafted several game-breaking magic cards that completely defied the current era.
"Pfft."
Lanqi lightly covered his mouth.
"What are you laughing at?" Talia looked over at him.
"Nothing."
When Lanqi lowered his hand, his expression had instantly returned to normal.
He only felt that Talia had never met Old Sang.
If faced with Old Sang in his prime, Lanqi knew that even if he brought Talia in her Demon King of Mad Love state, they would have to turn tail and run.
After all, the direct combat capability of the Demon King of Mad Love was no different from Talia's own; it merely added a Grand Demonic Voice that required specific conditions to take effect.
"Who is this 'Old Sang' anyway?" This was the second time Talia had heard that name.
"An exceptionally powerful enemy. I'll probably never forget him for the rest of my life," Lanqi said with feeling.
"What makes you so sure I couldn't beat him?" Talia grew slightly irritated.
From the sound of it, even Lanqi had managed to survive against him.
In this day and age, even if she wasn't the absolute strongest, she was still capable of trading blows with the world's apex combatants.
"If you ever defeat a Cardinal, I'll go eat the piano at Hyperion's house..."
Lanqi pointed at the empty air before him with utter confidence.
"Don't, don't, meow, Lanqi!" Boss Cat hastily cut him off, raising a paw to cover Lanqi's mouth.
If Lanqi ever felt like eating a sofa or a coffee table, it could at least help him cook it somehow, but it really couldn't help him with a piano.
"Go on, finish that thought. If I defeat a Cardinal, what will you do?" Talia's interest was piqued. Her eyelashes lifted slightly, her golden eyes fixing Lanqi with an inquisitive gaze.
"Then I'll direct a live-action production of *So Cute I Could Eat You Up* at the Ikerite Opera House to celebrate. I'll personally star as the male lead and recite those lines all over again."
Lanqi beamed at her, radiating carefree composure.
His gaze seemed to ask Talia: *Didn't you want to read scripts with me? I'll grant your wish. If we're going to play, let's play big. Let's see if you dare to play the female lead.*
In any case, he didn't believe for a second that Talia could defeat a Cardinal.
"..."
Talia fell silent upon hearing that. Tinged with a hint of annoyance and a touch of embarrassment, she looked away.
"Lanqi, have you lost your mind?!" Boss Cat asked.
It felt that Lanqi sometimes acted as if he had been drinking counterfeit liquor!
"As long as you dare to stage it, why should I feel embarrassed to go up and read a few lines with you? We'll see who runs away first."
Talia refused to back down from his provocation; she would see it through to the end.
"Heh, win against a Cardinal first, little Tata," Lanqi said, his tone dripping with mockery.
"..."
Boss Cat could only pray on Lanqi's behalf that such an improbable scenario would never come to pass, just as Lanqi assumed.
When these two started mouthing off, they feared nothing.
If it ever actually happened, with thousands of spectators packing the auditorium, both of them would probably be crying real tears.
Bickering and chatting as they walked, the two humans and one cat soon arrived in District 1 of Palieu without even realizing it.
Before heading to the temple of the Church of the Goddess of Fate today, they intended to visit the area around the Cathedral of Our Lady of Palieu.
Partly, it was to check out the sights.
On the other hand, Executioner Nigel's workplace was located behind an art gallery near the cathedral.
"Valentine Gallery."
Cradling Boss Cat in his arms, Lanqi looked up at the tall sign above the building.
"Another spot checked off the list," Talia said flatly, as if completing a mundane task.
Passing through a foyer woven with light and shadow, she stepped into the gallery alongside Lanqi.
Even in the morning, a good number of visitors were already wandering about.
Lanqi and Talia's light footsteps echoed through the long corridors, the air thick with the distinct mingling scents of oil paint and aged wooden frames.
From time to time, Talia's attention was drawn to the artworks hanging on the walls.
Though not quite on par with Lanqi's paintings, there were certainly striking pieces among them.
However, Lanqi had produced far too few paintings, making it difficult for her to judge him as an artist from a viewer's perspective—unless he was willing to paint more for her.
"What, do you want one of my paintings?" Lanqi asked, turning his head as he heard her thoughts.
"I don't. Paint if you want to, just stop painting me in secret," Talia replied.
The way she spoke was like a light watercolor—understated and reserved.
The two lapsed back into silence. They had never intended to talk much inside the gallery anyway; with every step, it felt as though they were drifting between different worlds and eras.
After passing through a series of exhibition halls, Lanqi and Talia arrived before a discreet black door.
"This is the place."
As they pushed the door open, the path ahead suddenly broadened, turning into a corridor that led toward an unfamiliar structure.
Step by step, they walked deeper into the passage. The light gradually brightened until they finally stepped outside, where an austere, government-style building presented itself before them.
It was an office complex, its architectural style somewhat reminiscent of an old humanities department hall.
"The second and third floors here belong entirely to the Executioners' branch," Lanqi explained to Talia beside him.
The two ascended a spiral staircase. As they climbed higher, the surrounding scenery expanded into a broader panoramic view.
With every floor they passed, different departments and offices came into view, bustling with Palieu locals coming and going, either conferring in hushed tones or lost in thought.
When they finally reached the third landing of the spiral staircase, a grand row of windows facing the city opened beside them. Below lay an unobstructed view of Palieu: a rushing tide of carriages and pedestrians, rising towers, and bustling avenues. It was a living, breathing metropolis, and this very place was its beating heart.
Without lingering to admire the view, the two walked briskly to the office door at the end of the hall and knocked.
"Come in."
A clear male voice answered from within.
Lanqi pushed the door open to reveal a brightly lit office.
Clippings and old maps hung on the dark brown walls. Piles of documents and notes were neatly arranged across the desk, beside which sat a medical magitech analytical lens, a few alchemy reagent jars, and an open official dossier.
On the low shelving unit beside the desk were newspapers, manuscripts, fingerprint powder, and several magitech devices of indeterminate function.
Two leather sofas rested against the wall in a disciplined arrangement alongside the bookshelves. But most striking of all was the young man in a black suit sitting behind the desk facing the door.
First Sergeant Nigel wore no military cap today, and his greatcoat hung on the cabinet, yet his gaze remained just as sharp as ever. The Tiffany ducal crest remained neatly pinned to his shoulder.
"Mr. Nigel, we're here," Lanqi greeted him.
A few days ago, they had gotten to know each other through a clash aboard the *Floating Castle*. In the aftermath of the chaos, it was this very executioner who had let them go and provided his contact information.
"Have a seat first."
Nigel set down the newspaper in his hands.
Lanqi had reached out to him beforehand, so Nigel showed no surprise at their arrival.
"Certain matters are inconvenient to discuss through communication magic; there's always a risk of eavesdropping within the city. It's better to speak face-to-face."
Nigel stood up and gestured for them to sit on the sofa.
Walking over to the cabinet, he activated the office's sound-dampening barrier, swiftly poured three cups of coffee, and sat down across from them.
"How is Miss Lisanthi doing?" Lanqi asked with concern after setting the cat down on the sofa.
This was the question he cared about most.
Ever since parting ways on the airship, he hadn't seen Miss Lisanthi, who had been subdued after going berserk.
Because he trusted First Sergeant Nigel, Lanqi hadn't pressed the matter when Nigel didn't bring her up during their brief communications over the past two days.
"She may face execution... The curse known as Archmage Paroni's Resentment was confirmed to be present in her body, and there is no guarantee when it might flare up again."
Nigel held the handle of his cup, his brow furrowing slightly.
He had always loathed executing his own kin.
"That's impossible. Of course it won't flare up again!"
Talia slapped the coffee table at once, deeply displeased.
That was her Demon King's Command. As long as she did not lift it, Lisanthi would remain entirely under her control.
She would never allow anyone else to harm a demon she had saved.
"The situation hasn't deteriorated to that point just yet. For now, it is merely a 'possibility.' If she faces immediate danger, I will notify you right away."
First Sergeant Nigel set down his coffee cup and shook his head, signaling for them to listen calmly.
"I conducted a brief inquiry into your backgrounds—please pardon the intrusion. Mr. Lanqi, you are indeed High Priest Loren's chief disciple, as well as an exceptionally talented card maker. And Miss Tata, you are the girl next door who grew up with Mr. Lanqi in the South Vantina frontier territory, currently living in the royal capital of Ikerite and working near your school."
Nigel looked at them, verifying the information.
Though he couldn't tell how much of the intelligence he had gathered was true or false, the two before him did not appear to differ much in age.
Even so, he was certain that this woman named Tata possessed an enigmatic strength far beyond what her youthful appearance suggested.
"..."
Lanqi and Talia exchanged a glance.
It sounded mostly accurate, more or less.
Except there was no way they looked like childhood sweethearts.
Since Tata's household registration was rooted in the South Vantina frontier territory—handled through connections by Butler Hans of the Wilfort family—her recorded background was indeed tied to the vicinity of the Wilfort estate.
Who knew how Hans had arranged the details, but Nigel's investigation had somehow turned them into neighborhood childhood companions who grew up together.
Furthermore, Lanqi's registered status with the Card Makers Association of the Southern Continent was likely still listed as Gold rank.
Back when he passed the registration exam, Vice President Lawrence of the Ikerite branch of the Southern Continent Card Makers Association had issued him a temporary Gold-rank license.
It wasn't until recently, after his review was fully approved, that he officially advanced from 'quasi-Platinum rank' to Platinum rank.
For Lanqi's safety, only Countess Rosalinda—who was handling his assignments in the Kingdom of Posen—and several influential figures in the Senate were aware of his Platinum-rank status. The Southern Continent Card Makers Association would not officially announce it until he had safely returned to the Hutton Kingdom.
Nigel hadn't explicitly mentioned Lanqi's rank either.
"The reason I analyzed your backgrounds is that, according to my intelligence, your encounter that night may not have been a mere coincidence," Nigel said to them.
"Why do you say that?" Lanqi asked.
In his impression so far, Nigel was not only a highly competent royal officer, but also an exceptionally sharp investigator.
"According to my findings, as a student at the School of Sages in Ikerite, you share a remarkably close relationship with your classmate, Lady Hyperion, the half-demon daughter of Duke Aransal in the Hutton Kingdom. You are also known to treat demons fairly and impartially," Nigel said, his eyes fixed on Lanqi.
Talia remained silent beside him. Although she knew—as Borao had once pointed out—that Lanqi had a peculiar way of looking at people, caring only about the individual rather than the group behind them, she genuinely appreciated that he never slapped labels on others. At the very least, it was precisely because of this that she had gone from regarding him as a stranger to acknowledging him, and ultimately accepting him as a friend.
"If someone knew in advance that you would likely shield a demon and placed a curse on Miss Lisanthi before she boarded the ship, wouldn't there have been a high probability of us coming to blows under normal circumstances?" Nigel posed the question.
Lanqi and Talia both nodded thoughtfully at his words.
Ordinarily, Lanqi might well have clashed with Executioner Nigel that night to protect Lisanthi.
And by all rights, even as the High Priest's disciple, Lanqi was not known for frontline combat prowess.
If the formidable Tier 7 Executioner Nigel had accidentally cut Lanqi down, it would have served as an instant spark for conflict between the Hutton Kingdom and the Kingdom of Posen.
At that point, setting aside the Creti Empire to the south—which threatened to drag the Southern Continent into total war at any moment—the Kingdom of Posen would already be grappling with the curse of Archmage Paroni's Resentment, a crisis that could fracture the realm from within. If they also had to face distrust and pressure from an allied nation...
It was terrifying to imagine where the worst-case scenario might have led.
"This brings us back to Miss Lisanthi. I am currently doing everything in my power to secure her freedom. The Senate is divided on the matter, as Miss Lisanthi appears to be the first-ever asymptomatic victim of the curse."
Nigel pulled a copy of an investigation report from a nearby folder and laid the discloseable portions on the table for the two on the sofa to inspect.
In addition to the dukes and marquises who formed the pinnacle of power in the Kingdom of Posen, the four demon lords of the Posen Demon Realm also participated in Senate meetings.
Historically, whenever a victim of Archmage Paroni's Resentment was subjected to extreme psychological stress, they would slip into an irreversible state of berserk mutation.
Yet when Lisanthi was imprisoned and informed of her potential execution, she was terrified out of her wits—and yet showed not the slightest sign of mutating.
One faction of the Senate insisted on following protocol, refusing to make an exception to protect a cursed demon, while another argued that Lisanthi was a unique, benign case who should be kept safe and questioned for crucial intelligence.
"So, Mr. Nigel, you hid from the Senate the fact that the two of us were able to cure the berserk mutation curse?"
Lanqi finished reading the document and reached this conclusion as he set it down.
The Senate had concluded that Lisanthi had suppressed the curse through sheer force of will.
They had no inkling that Lanqi and Talia had intervened.
Clearly, Nigel had exercised careful discretion in his report, omitting their involvement from the airship and street incidents.
"Don't make assumptions. I merely reported what I saw."
Nigel picked up his porcelain cup, took a sip of coffee, and muttered to himself while looking out the window.
"Thank you, Mr. Nigel," Lanqi said with a faint smile.
That was Nigel's disclaimer.
If Nigel had reported that lifting the curse was tied to the two of them, not only would the Senate be subjecting them to intense scrutiny right now, but the mastermind behind the curse would also have targeted them immediately.
That he and Talia could still wander leisurely around Palieu was thanks to Executioner Nigel.
"None of what we've discussed so far is the main point. What matters is my warning to you: be exceptionally careful about your safety while staying in the Kingdom of Posen from here on out."
Having finished his coffee, Nigel's expression turned solemn as he addressed Lanqi and Talia.
"Why do you say that?" Lanqi asked.
Though if danger truly arose, he could simply revert to the noble Northern Continent native Rocky McCarthy, and Tata would vanish into thin air.
However, for next week's Platinum-rank card maker exam, he would still need to meet Countess Rosalinda at the Palieu branch of the Southern Continent Card Makers Association under the name Lanqi Wilfort.
"Do you know the repercussions of saving Miss Lisanthi and suppressing an irreversible curse for her?" Nigel asked.
"That Lisanthi, who was originally doomed to die, can cooperate with your investigation and provide valuable intelligence?" Talia ventured hesitantly.
From her contact with Lisanthi, she could sense the sheer malice woven into that curse; it was virtually impossible to remove without consequence through any means other than the caster's own methods.
If she hadn't encountered a Demon King like Talia, Lisanthi would have ended up just like any other victim—either cut down by an executioner or spiraling out of control in berserk fury until self-destruction.
The moment the curse took hold, all hope of regaining sanity was lost.
"Precisely. Once Miss Lisanthi regained her senses, she cooperated with our investigation and revealed a great deal of what can only be described as critical information."
Nigel nodded. Reaching into his pocket, he produced a recording crystal and slotted it into the projection device on the cabinet across the room.
"Based on our current analysis, the catalyst behind her affliction traces back to when she first arrived in the Palieu region. She encountered a mysterious man on a train platform. According to her, the man exuded an aura that made her blood run cold."
A screen lowered, displaying surveillance footage of the station that the Executioner Corps had obtained through the police.
"He asked Miss Lisanthi if she hated humans. After hearing her answer, he simply smiled and brushed past her."
Nigel continued adjusting the footage on the recording crystal as he spoke.
"What did Miss Lisanthi answer?" Lanqi asked, his gaze turning to the screen.
At that moment, the footage showed Lisanthi alone, standing near the edge of the platform.
The night was deep, and the edges of the platform appeared somewhat blurry through the lens.
"She was gripped by sheer terror, feeling as though her very soul would be dragged into the abyss if she denied it. So she answered yes."
Nigel calmly relayed the transcript of Lisanthi's interrogation in advance.
In truth, Nigel understood demons like Lisanthi who had grown up in the Kingdom of Posen all too well.
They lived in constant apprehension, forced to remember at all times never to harm humans, liable to be branded dangerous even when harboring no ill intent.
Her feelings toward humans could hardly be summed up as simple affection or hatred, but growing up, she couldn't have avoided experiencing painful moments.
And so, in that split second, she had answered with hatred.
"According to her testimony, she deeply envies humans, even wishing she could have been one herself," Nigel added.
Certain gentle-natured demons actually preferred human culture and lifestyle over living in the Posen Demon Realm. Yet living in human territory, they could never truly be regarded as human.
Just then, the scene on the screen shifted.
Under the dim lighting, the train platform was sparsely populated. Dressed in a western-style gown, Lisanthi stood in a corner, clutching a ticket that was about to expire, her figure radiating hesitation and anxiety.
Suddenly, she looked toward one side of the platform.
Someone was walking slowly toward her.
The man possessed an ordinary face, yet he seemed strikingly out of place on the platform.
He walked toward the young woman, each step appearing to bridge an invisible divide.
The audio on the recording was muffled and hard to discern, drowned out by low static.
*"What are you waiting for?"*
A voice came through.
The man asked without the slightest inflection, his tone gentle yet chilling, like a midnight wind brushing against a lonely soul.
In that instant, Lisanthi felt the dread buried deep within her heart ruthlessly stripped bare, her body trembling with fear.
She tried to answer, but could only manage a faint whimper.
The man paid no heed to her response, appearing not even to see her as he walked slowly past.
Moments later, a train roared by, blocking them from view.
Lisanthi boarded the train, and the man's figure vanished without a trace.
The footage came to an end, and Nigel switched off the projector.
"'When you try to look at his face, the details blur. You find yourself unable to remember his features, left only with profound fear and unease. He is like a watcher from a dream, lingering at the edge of consciousness, both impossibly distant and right before your eyes.'"
Nigel took a page from a file box and began reading aloud.
"'The moment he passed me, my mind fell into utter chaos, and an unspeakable dread seized my entire body. My instincts screamed that this man did not belong to this world, that his very presence was an omen of absolute disaster.'"
These were all excerpts from Lisanthi's confession regarding the man she had met that night.
"'That bizarre encounter became an indelible scar on my soul, like an unfinished nightmare. Whenever night falls, the station lights seem to flicker back to life in my dreams, and that man's words echo endlessly in my mind, reminding me of that night.'"
With that, Nigel laid down the paper and looked back at the two of them.
"After cross-referencing our records, we found indications that this man was recently spotted in the Posen Demon Realm. Judging by his trajectory, there is a very high probability that he is currently within the Demon Realm. We are close to catching the scent of the curse's distributor."
Nigel trusted that Lanqi and Tata understood the breakthrough their investigation had achieved thanks to Lisanthi's testimony.
"In other words, our accidental intervention severely disrupted the game between the curse distributor and the Senate?" Lanqi mused, arriving at this conclusion.
The Senate had likely been on the verge of lifting the information blackout, prepared to launch a full-scale investigation into the source of the curse even at the risk of causing public panic. In response, the perpetrator would surely have accelerated their timeline to achieve their goals.
Yet neither side had anticipated a portable third-party Demon King dropping in out of nowhere to suppress Lisanthi's curse, handing the Senate intelligence far ahead of schedule.
Moving forward, both sides would likely kick their plans into overdrive.
"Correct. We may conduct searches in the Posen Demon Realm soon. Everything is being fast-tracked. And once the enemy realizes something is amiss, there is a high likelihood they will trace it back to you two."
Even though Nigel had done his best to conceal Lanqi and Talia's role in Lisanthi's recovery, witnesses on the street had seen what happened that day.
The enemy understood the nature of the curse far better than the Senate did, knowing full well it could not heal on its own. Sooner or later, they would deduce the root cause of Lisanthi's recovery.
"If you two plan to visit the Posen Demon Realm during your stay in the kingdom, you must be extremely cautious. The Demon Realm lies outside the protective barrier of Palieu. Relations between the Senate and the demon lords are already strained, unknown factions are scheming in the shadows, and you could encounter an outlier like a Cardinal of the Resurrection Church at any moment. In short, it is perilous,"
Nigel added.
The city defense barrier on the North Bank of Palieu only extended to District 6. Between District 6 and District 7 lay an ancient spatial boundary that conventional defense barriers could not cross.
Consequently, an intermediate zone existed between Districts 6 and 7 that fell neither under Palieu's jurisdiction nor the Posen Demon Realm's.
Under normal circumstances, however, taking the official transit routes allowed travelers to bypass this intermediate zone entirely.
"Wait, if the mastermind discovers they were the ones who ruined everything, won't all that hostility get redirected onto us, meow?" Boss Cat suddenly realized.
"Strictly speaking, yes," Nigel nodded, looking at the small cat.
Putting himself in the enemy's shoes, an agitator like Lanqi would indeed be the most infuriating nuisance imaginable.
When the time came, Nigel couldn't guarantee how much hostility Lanqi would draw.
That was precisely why he had cautioned them to stay alert.
"Oh dear, that sounds terrifying. Tata, you'll have to protect me. I didn't even mean to do anything," Lanqi said with exaggerated dread.
"When an enemy actually tracks us down, make sure you put on that exact same performance," Talia replied.
Seeing Lanqi reflexively feign weakness made her blood pressure spike. She couldn't begin to imagine what an enemy would feel seeing it.
"Why?" Lanqi asked, puzzled, sensing a heavy dose of sarcasm.
"When you face an enemy, are you going to talk like that?" Talia asked him.
"Of course. Don't I always talk like this?" Lanqi nodded.
"Let me ask you: which of us do you think is better suited to draw the enemy's aggro?" Talia's voice was exceedingly gentle and patient, like a teacher quizzing a pupil.
"You, obviously," Lanqi replied.
He knew that at Tier 6, he was far squishier than the Tier 8 Talia. If he strayed into a battle between Tier 8 combatants, a stray blow could easily kill him.
And if he died as the host, Talia would immediately perish alongside him.
Therefore, in their current partnership, Talia was the one who should act as the tank and taunt unit, keeping Lanqi safe.
Talia nodded, a faint smile gracing her lips, as if saying: *So you do understand.*
*"So you go right ahead and mess with their heads, pulling all the aggro onto yourself! Whether I can hold them off or not doesn't matter to you at all—and when they burst you down first, I go down with you, you absolute blockhead!"* Talia roared in his mind, delivering a royal earful.
Watching Lanqi and Talia stare at each other in silence, Boss Cat knew they had slipped into telepathic bickering again.
Whatever.
The bond was clearly fading.
Wherever Master Lanqi went, the waters were bound to get muddied, dragging everything into a chaotic free-for-all.
Perhaps Lanqi wouldn't even need to do much investigating himself; the Kingdom of Posen would likely track down the culprit behind Archmage Paroni's Resentment in short order.
Those mystery novels where official authorities were utterly incompetent, relying entirely on the protagonist to solve everything, were enough to cause a brain aneurysm.
This was how things ought to be. If a centuries-old state apparatus as massive as the Kingdom of Posen couldn't investigate criminals more efficiently than Lanqi, taking hits passively day in and day out, it would have collapsed long ago.
Lanqi only needed to perform as usual: deal with whoever came looking for trouble.
"Sigh, meow..."
Boss Cat shook its head on the sofa, praying only that no adversary too terrifying would show up.
Otherwise, the moment Lanqi started summoning divine retribution, the entire nature of the situation would change.
Chapter 675