While the night remained pitch-black, Lanqi drove the deer sleigh, carrying Xigelei and Talia until they finally caught sight of the independent city-state known as "Gret Stone Fortress."
This city was also the very first beastman city-state he and Xigelei had ever visited—Little Stone City.
"It's been so long since I was last here. It doesn't look like it's changed that much from before."
Having served as a driver in the Land of Eternal Night for several hours, Lanqi was finally close to taking a rest.
"Indeed. After enduring war and reconstruction, they seem to have done their best to restore it to how it originally looked."
Xigelei also rested both hands on the back of the front seat, peering ahead at Little Stone City.
"I'm so hungry,"
Talia said, patting her belly.
After such a long trek, the moment she saw the city's silhouette, she knew her long-awaited breakfast was just around the corner.
"Little Stone City's local specialties are quite good. Once we rest here for half a day, we can buy plenty of snacks to eat on the road."
Xigelei immediately sat back down and told Talia, "Besides, we're on great terms with Little Stone City's beastman grand lord, Algom. That Bear Clan grand lord was fond of Luoqi. Whenever he saw him, he could barely wait to shout 'Friend!' and wrap him in a giant bear hug. If he spots us, he'll definitely shower us with local specialties."
Though she had never imagined Caliera would one day kick back and slack off like this, Caliera in slacker mode was oddly endearing—just like a little critter waiting to be fed.
"A friendship forged through restoring their divine statue. You respect their faith and give them your full support, and they reward you in kind. Every beastman city-state across the Land of Eternal Night is like that,"
Lanqi affirmed from the front seat.
Back then, the beleaguered Polant Empire had faced the impending invasion of the Horning Empire's massive armies and desperately needed an alliance with the Demon Realm. At the same time, the several beastman city-states along the Land of Eternal Night served as vital transit bastions.
To demonstrate the sincerity of the Polant imperial house, Lanqi, acting as a royal artisan, had traveled the route restoring the divine statues the beastmen cherished most, winning their friendship through genuine goodwill.
Grand Lord Algom was the Bear Clan chieftain of that first beastman city-state.
Twelve years had passed, and Lanqi wondered how that unpretentious grand lord was faring now.
"Now I'm interested."
Talia's eyes instantly brightened, and she gazed toward Little Stone City with eager anticipation.
Darkness cloaked the city-state, leaving only faint glows and lamplight to illuminate the road ahead.
Beneath the towering gates, pure white snow carpeted the ground, faintly reflecting the lights.
Minutes later, their papers granted them smooth passage through Little Stone City's gates.
Right inside the city stood a post station.
For a modest fee, arriving travelers could stable and rest their mounts.
Xigelei nimbly hopped down from the back and handed the Snowfield Nether Deer and sleigh over to the Holy Polant Theocracy attendants stationed there.
These caretakers, who seemed newly appointed, quickly fed and groomed the Nether Deer to ensure they were properly looked after for the night.
"It's already seven in the morning, yet it still looks like midnight. Daylight truly is a luxury in the Land of Eternal Night."
Lanqi climbed down from the sleigh, pulled a pocket watch from his coat, glanced at it, and sighed.
In Little Stone City, daylight was scarce even in summer, let alone during the depths of winter.
That was precisely why this snowfield was called the Land of Eternal Night.
Back on the Northern Continent, when he had traveled far to Bandera City at the northernmost edge of the Protos Empire, going any further north would have led into a similar region known to the world as "Eternal Night."
Askesan had hailed from that very "Eternal Night."
If this era had a legendary sealing master presiding over the Land of Eternal Night, no member of the Blood Clan would dare set foot on the snowfields so casually.
It brought back memories.
*Old Sang really did counter the Blood Clan quite well. In a one-on-one, a Blood Clan Marquis might just get soloed by him,*
Talia replied to Lanqi in her thoughts.
Ever since figuring out who Old Sang was, she no longer had to listen to Lanqi's riddles in confusion and could actually join in on his topics.
"Who are you thinking about?"
Xigelei seemed to notice Lanqi was dwelling on someone, but she couldn't quite guess who.
It baffled her.
This was the first time she couldn't read the Holy Son's thoughts.
His mind seemed somewhat chaotic.
"Someone who brought me a great deal of joy,"
Lanqi replied with an irrepressible smile.
"..."
Xigelei still couldn't guess.
She didn't press the matter, however.
It had to be someone she didn't know, which was why she couldn't guess it—not because the Holy Son was losing his mind.
Back on the Northern Continent, the Holy Son had never been like this; his thoughts had always lingered on his teacher on the Southern Continent.
One day, she would figure out the answer.
"Look on the bright side. In the Land of Eternal Night, it's easy to fall asleep anytime without being woken up by the sun. Get some good rest in a bit—you worked hard driving the sleigh the whole way."
Xigelei had already stepped ahead of Lanqi to carry his luggage out of sheer muscle memory, returning to the previous topic.
Since Lanqi hadn't brought as many tools for restoring divine statues this time, the baggage wasn't nearly as heavy as before. Combined with her own, there were only two trunks in total, while Caliera carried only a light little suitcase that likely held nothing more than a change of undergarments.
"You don't have to carry it all. Last time, when you were just a child, you hauled four large trunks all by yourself. I felt terribly guilty about it."
Lanqi didn't leave Xigelei to do all the heavy lifting and took the trunk from her hands.
Back then, one of the reasons Secretary Elm had strongly recommended Xigelei was her extraordinary strength and stamina. She could virtually ignore nighttime visibility and blizzard conditions to deliver her client to their destination at top speed.
With her as the driver, they could stop at one beastman city-state each day—six in total—and reach the Demon Realm smoothly on the seventh day.
Now at the sixth tier, Lanqi realized that having watched and learned from Xigelei the entire journey last time, he too could act as driver and manage one city per day.
"Actually, I thought that was great. That way, anyone could tell at a glance that we were employer and driver, rather than father and daughter."
Xigelei halted with a laugh and told Lanqi.
"Caliera, over here! We're taking a carriage to the hotel!"
She turned back and waved to the gray-haired demoness.
In her dream, Xigelei hadn't gotten along well with Luoqi when they first arrived at Little Stone City. But his offer had simply been too generous. Completing that single job was enough to fund the church orphanage for an entire year without worry. Even if war broke out, the sisters could lead the children to flee to neighboring countries instead of becoming displaced refugees.
Looking back now, those memories from the dream felt exceptionally sweet.
Her frame of mind upon returning to Little Stone City was entirely different as well.
"Alright. In a bit, Xigelei, go buy some prepared dishes. The two of you can get some proper sleep after eating, and I'll have dinner ready when you wake up."
Having rested the longest on the road, Talia was in fine shape, whereas the two of them had barely rested the entire way; they needed to recover their strength.
Once Xigelei bought some ready-made local delicacies of Gret Stone Fortress, they could eat right away. While Lanqi and Xigelei slept, she would prepare a more nutritionally balanced meal so they could enjoy a proper dinner before setting off again.
"Wait, Caliera, you know how to cook?"
On the road, Xigelei had heard Lanqi mention that the little black cat was about to be laid off, but she hadn't taken it seriously.
Never in her wildest dreams had she expected the chef to become Caliera.
"Of course. Let me take care of your meals for the coming days,"
Talia said with a nod.
"What kind of dream am I having... Caliera cooking for me every day?"
Xigelei held her cheeks in disbelief, murmuring to the sky.
More and more, she felt Caliera was turning into the ideal she had privately envisioned.
A great demon beauty who was entirely the gentle, maternal type!
"..."
Talia read Xigelei's thoughts.
Why was it nothing but praise?
From reading Lanqi's mind too often, she had developed a knee-jerk expectation that people harbored impolite thoughts.
She hadn't imagined someone in this world could be the exact opposite of Lanqi.
"I'll cook for you. I'll cook for you every single day,"
Talia promised, looking at the precious girl before her with deep affection.
"I can't wait! I really want to taste your cooking—a grand great demon making meals for me!"
Xigelei agreed on the spot.
Such a gorgeous, rational, and charming woman, powerful and dignified yet capable of tenderness, possessing a hidden domestic side while acting adorable from time to time—Xigelei found herself liking her more and more.
"It's... really not that big a deal..."
Talia murmured with lowered head.
She didn't dare read Xigelei's mind any further. If Xigelei kept heaping praise on her, she was going to blush.
Hyperion praised her often too, but Hyperion was far more reserved, never as effusive as Xigelei.
This girl was just too direct!
"There weren't even any Blood Clan along the way this time. It feels so peaceful. I'll definitely sleep soundly later,"
Xigelei remarked.
"I remember how such a small child could analyze the wartime situation so clearly, deducing that the Blood Clan might first infiltrate the Kingdom of Fukelo and the Edis Kingdom on Polant's eastern and western flanks. By passing through those two kingdoms, they could reach the snowfields to set up their plans in advance. Even back then, I thought she was no ordinary prodigy, but commander material."
Lanqi used his hand to gesture the height of an eleven-year-old Xigelei, reminiscing with the light-haired, violet-eyed woman beside him.
"What are you two talking about? Why can't I understand a word?"
Talia muttered in a small voice, feeling left out.
"Ah, we were just talking about when Luoqi and I first met in the Polant Empire,"
Xigelei briefly explained to the gray-haired demoness.
The three of them chatted as they waited for a carriage to pick up arriving visitors.
She looked back at Lanqi.
"Because I knew our enemy wasn't just the Horning Empire, but the Blood Clan. Deducing the intentions of the Blood Clan pulling the strings behind the Horning Empire was easy enough. Back then, you didn't know I carried Wolf Clan blood. But as a Wolf Clan orphan who fled from the sacred Temple of the Moon, I knew all too well how cruel the Blood Clan was and how their influence covered the skies,"
Xigelei replied.
Twelve years ago, before the war began, many of the Prime Minister's political rivals refused to believe the Blood Clan was orchestrating everything, firmly convinced that the Horning Empire was the true mastermind.
"Besides, realistically speaking, I never wanted to be a commander. If I had to take a position, handing your Papacy over to me might pique my interest. That's a station truly worthy of me,"
Xigelei continued, bantering with Lanqi.
"If you want it, take it. Once I return to the Holy Polant Theocracy, I'll step down and give the seat to you,"
Lanqi said, spreading his hands nonchalantly.
"I ask and you just give it to me?"
Xigelei asked in astonishment, as if discovering something hilarious.
Ever since the Holy Son mistook her for Xigelei, believing this might be their final meeting, he had treated her with extraordinary indulgence.
"As long as it doesn't violate my principles, I'll fulfill whatever I can,"
Lanqi replied candidly.
He could only accompany Xigelei for twenty-one days in this Shadow World anyway; he wanted to make her as happy as possible.
By all rights, the seat of the Holy Polant Pope could never be promised away so flippantly like humoring a child. But this Shadow World had been unbelievably leisurely from the start, and Lanqi had gradually settled into a vacation mindset.
"Wolf Clan...?"
Talia murmured under her breath, catching the keyword.
She had heard that term in the real world not long ago.
"Xigelei, you're of the Wolf Clan?"
she asked, staring at Xigelei.
"Yeah. Back then, even Luoqi didn't know I was from the Wolf Clan. It wasn't until the seventh day of the journey, when a Blood Clan Count intercepted us near the Demon Realm border, that he found out I was a little wolf girl. Awoo!"
Xigelei raised both hands with a mock-ferocious expression, pretending to be a man-eating wolf as she answered Lanqi and Talia.
"Sigh..."
Talia stared at Xigelei for a long moment, then looked away, pressing her lips together.
How wonderful it would be if she could bring Xigelei back to the real world.
Then she could save her sister, Iphatia.
When Hyperion found out that her beloved Xigelei had saved her mother, Iphatia, she would be overjoyed, clinging to this younger sister with whom she shared not a single drop of blood and never letting go.
Yet the more Talia thought about it, the more she realized that the sole regret of this Shadow World was that she couldn't remain with Xigelei.
Once the twenty-one days ended, she would have to part ways with this perfect girl.
"Caliera, why do you look so down?"
Xigelei asked, peering at the gray-haired demoness in confusion.
"It's all those damned Blood Clan who destroyed the Temple of the Moon. If not for them... if not for them..."
The more Talia thought about it, the deeper her hatred burned.
Her sister suffering grave injuries, the extinction of the Wolf Clan in the real world, Xigelei's agonizing childhood—it was all thanks to those wretched Blood Clan.
"Come on now, we're in an era of peace. It's not appropriate to say things that disrupt global harmony,"
Xigelei made a shushing gesture.
Still, she deeply appreciated that Caliera was always ready to share her bitter hatred.
In the past, the nightmares concerning the Blood Clan had been relentless, but lately they had ceased.
Under current international conventions and circumstances, on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the peaceful revival of the land of Sevilla, uttering such provocative words was ill-advised. She had already been instructed on this as a grassroots church member earlier that afternoon.
"Don't worry. You'll never have to suffer nightmares about the Blood Clan again. With me protecting you, even if they show up, I'll see to them once and for all,"
Talia flicked back her hair, speaking with crisp swagger.
She was the strongest.
"Caliera, my demon mama!"
Xigelei could hardly believe her ears, but she joyfully threw her arms around the gray-haired demoness.
Having the ninth-tier Caliera around was truly comforting.
Moreover, the confidence and dominance of a peerless demon powerhouse had never faded from Caliera. Even though Sigrid inexplicably felt that Caliera seemed weaker than before, she had zero doubt about how terrifying Caliera would be once she got serious.
"Oh, goodness... how can you call me that..."
Talia appeared embarrassed, yet she was utterly defenseless against Xigelei's adorable charm. With slightly flushed cheeks, she raised a hand to pat Xigelei's head.
Hyperion had never called her Mama after all this time, yet Xigelei had blurted it out so directly after knowing her for mere moments. Talia felt that life was truly worth living.
"Say... do either of you feel like this city-state is a little different...?"
Lanqi had been gazing down the streets for a while now, muttering the question.
"Surely it is,"
Talia replied.
This was the outskirts of Little Stone City. Even if changes had occurred, they wouldn't be easy to spot, not to mention that after twelve years, change was inevitable.
"Do you mean a sense of dissonance?"
Xigelei quickly grasped Lanqi's meaning.
Normal changes couldn't be described as dissonant.
Only changes that felt somewhat eerie or unnatural warranted the word.
"Yes, an indescribable sense of dissonance. But I can't pinpoint exactly what's different about Little Stone City compared to before,"
Lanqi agreed.
"Meow..."
Boss Cat poked its head up from the ground to take a look.
The more it heard Lanqi speak like this, the more uneasy it felt.
Lanqi's observation and intuition were rarely wrong.
It had accompanied Lanqi and Xigelei to Little Stone City last time too.
Yet so far, it couldn't tell what was causing Lanqi's subtle sense of unease.
After chatting for a few moments, the carriage from within the city arrived for Lanqi, Xigelei, and Talia. A human driver climbed down, loaded their luggage into the carriage, and began driving them through the newly transformed Little Stone City.
"Driver, to the Snow Bear Hotel, please,"
Lanqi told him.
"No problem!"
The human driver replied cheerfully to the three passengers and set off.
The scenery began gliding past the windows.
Beneath the streetlamps, the bustling urban district of Little Stone City gradually revealed itself.
Talia gazed out at the city's architecture, mostly constructed from sturdy stone and specially treated timber—solid structures designed to withstand harsh cold and ferocious blizzards.
She was eagerly looking forward to Little Stone City's cuisine.
To be frank, this was her first time encountering a tourism-themed Shadow World.
They had even provided her with two attentive tour guides: one to navigate and drive, and another to keep her warm.
How could there be so many wonderful things in this world?
Chapter 768