https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-598-Cardinal-Lanchi-Welcomes-the-Fallen-Lord-to-the-Pluant-Empire/12584921/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-600-Lanchi-is-About-to-Deliver-a-Victory-Speech-for-Lorlen/12584923/
Chapter 599: Lanchi Returns to the Plentiful Empire
Chapter 599: Lanchi Returns to the Plentiful Empire
Ten days later.
In the northern region of the Plentiful Empire, a rural manor house known as Chickel Manor served as a country residence for the imperial family. It was located in Berkinh County, approximately six hundred kilometers north of the capital, Hersham.
On occasions requiring privacy and security, border manors such as this were often chosen as venues for high-level negotiations.
Decades ago, Sir Arthur had gifted the manor to the royal family with the intention of providing a quiet retreat for government officials away from the hustle and bustle of the capital.
Even in August, the weather in this northernmost border county of the Plentiful Empire remained chilly. A relentless drizzle permeated the air, and thick clouds hung low in the sky, casting an evening-like gloom even during the day.
It was only ten o'clock in the morning.
The heavy clouds hung low, and the streets were filled with hurried passersby, their forms blending with the surrounding gray walls.
The architecture of Berkinh County's main city was predominantly stone, and despite the wear and tear of the elements over the years, the structures retained their sturdy appearance. The city's streets were narrow and winding, and the cobblestone pavement glistened with a bluish hue in the rain, reflecting the outlines of the surrounding buildings.
A Snowfield carriage bearing the crest of the Demon Kingdom rolled by, still bearing traces of unmelted snow, its wheels humming as they rolled through puddles, sending up sprays of water.
From within the carriage, Hiberian gazed out the window before partially drawing the curtain shut again.
"Oh dear," she sighed.
In stark contrast to the ever-lively Demon City, the Plentiful Empire beyond the Land of Perpetual Night was shrouded in perpetual gloom.
"Can you handle the negotiations with Kaliella later at Chickel Manor?" Hiberian asked, turning to the Fallen Lord Kaliella, who sat across from her with her eyes closed in repose.
"Yes, Your Highness only needs to go through the basic ceremonial motions. Leave the rest to me; I will ensure a satisfactory agreement with the Plentiful Empire," Kaliella replied calmly.
Currently, Kaliella was in charge of all diplomatic affairs for the Demon Kingdom, and the Plentiful Empire had promptly coordinated a schedule to receive Princess Hiberian's visiting delegation. However, the initial meeting place was set in the northern border region of the Plentiful Empire, in Berkinh County.
As expected, the Plentiful Empire's representative to greet the Demon delegation was Foreign Minister Duke Morretti. When Kaliella requested an audience with the Prime Minister, her request was politely but firmly declined.
"Of course," Hiberian agreed readily.
Although she often felt guilty about being a rather useless princess, Lanchi had comforted her, saying she was a fine princess, young and capable.
Even though it was just Lanchi's gentle way of reassuring her, she somehow felt that he genuinely believed it.
Today marked the thirty-ninth day in this shadow world, and she had already been in this world for over a month without realizing it.
Normally, the journey from the Demon Kingdom's border through the Land of Perpetual Night to the Plentiful Empire's border would take about seven days.
However, to complete their mission objectives, they had made a detour after leaving the Demon Capital, Nicaris, and spent some time in the Inferno City of Pascual, the ancestral home of the demon tribe.
It was also worth mentioning that the Inferno Corridor Academy was located in Inferno City.
Although Lanchi dearly missed his alma mater, he had reluctantly set aside his personal sentiments for the sake of their itinerary.
Upon their arrival at the demon tribe's ancestral land, their mission objective ["Mission Objective 1: The demon tribe's ancestral land may hold the key to sealing the progenitor of the blood tribe. Discover the underlying principles of a crucial technique."] had been smoothly achieved.
While the ancestral land couldn't kill blood tribes, its supreme magical power could automatically seal off all life forms other than demons who dared to trespass.
In the context of the current shadow world's mission objectives, the method to defeat the blood tribe likely referred to completely incapacitating and capturing them after a successful defeat, and then safely transporting them to the demon tribe's ancestral land in Inferno City of Pascual.
Thus, sealing the blood tribe in this manner was the correct solution.
However, after Lanchi revealed the formula for Blood Flourish to the Fallen Lords, even they began to waver.
The Fallen Lords, too, started contemplating the immense commercial value of the blood tribe and the potential for demons to trade and domesticate them.
Furthermore, Lanchi suggested to Hiberian that they could forge an agreement with the human nations. The Demon Kingdom could offer to buy back high-ranking blood tribes that were difficult for humans to imprison or exchange them for strategic resources, creating an entire industry. The northern continent's front-line human nations would eagerly hunt down blood tribes, knowing they could sell their captives to the demons for a profit.
Hiberian had immediately covered her ears, refusing to listen any further, feeling her virtues draining away just from hearing such ideas.
Nevertheless, after they left Inferno City, Lanchi left the Great Loving Poet in the care of the demon tribe's ancestral land.
The ancestral land also served as the final resting place for demon kings.
When a ninth-rank demon died in the Demon Kingdom, their remains would become a trial for lesser demons, while a demon king could, upon death, infuse their final power and soul into the ancestral land, strengthening the tribe's barrier.
Unfortunately, Pranait had confirmed to Lanchi and Hiberian that upon leaving the shadow world, they would lose all the statuses and buffs obtained within it, including the shadow demon mark crafted by the shadow world. Even if one acquired a demon mark within the shadow realm, it couldn't be brought back to the real world.
Lanchi himself couldn't fathom much from his brief research in the demon tribe's ancestral land; he only felt that it was incredibly beautiful.
However, the Great Loving Poet, much like when she observed the original stone tablets, seemed to have a profound realization. Thus, Lanchi simply left her there.
After all, as long as the soul-bound magic card he brought into the shadow world remained unbound, no matter where he left it, it would return to his soul space when the shadow world ended.
Hiberian gazed out through the gap in the curtains, her thoughts drifting quietly.
Raindrops fell slowly from the eaves of the carriage, creating a crisp dripping sound that interwove with the occasional tolling of the bells from a distant church tower.
There were fewer and fewer pedestrians on the road beside the carriage, and the occasional hurried passerby wrapped themselves tightly in thick coats, heads bowed against the biting cold and the fine rain.
Even without looking at a map, Hiberian knew they were getting closer to Chickel Manor, located in the outskirts on the other side of the city-state.
"The Plentiful Empire...? Are we there yet?"
Sigrid, snuggled up next to Hiberian, rubbed her eyes sleepily, as if the mention of a keyword had jolted her awake.
The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Kaliella sitting across from her.
"We've arrived. Sigrid, you just need to accompany Her Highness," Kaliella said to the little she-wolf.
Currently, this orphan of the wolf tribe had obtained the identity of their demon world, and she was also the focus of protection for the Fallen Lord.
However, Sigrid's identity was still that of a citizen of the Plentiful Empire, and she was accompanying them as a guide from the Land of Perpetual Night, hired by their demon world envoy.
"No problem," Sigrid nodded, lazily leaning against Hiberian's knees and yawning before continuing to rest.
This Fallen Lord was truly mysterious. When Sigrid first saw her, she thought her mother was still alive and had become a demon. Later, after asking Hiberian, she learned that Kaliella would appear as the most beloved woman to whoever looked at her. When Hiberian first saw Kaliella, she also thought she resembled her mother.
However, Miss Kaliella was clearly very young, and it would be too impolite to address an unmarried woman as a mother.
"..."
Kaliella had wanted to say something but held back.
Since Her Highness had no objections, neither did she.
"Sigrid, I'll call you when it's time to get off the carriage," Hiberian said with a helpless smile, gently placing her hand on Sigrid's head and stroking her short hair.
It was normal for children to feel sleepy, and she had heard that Sigrid had been working continuously without rest, accumulating fatigue that wasn't typical for her age.
"Thank you, sister," Sigrid murmured.
"Sister, where did Rocky go?"
After a moment of quiet, Sigrid asked again.
She realized that after she had woken up, Rocky was nowhere to be seen.
"He said he had his own work to do. He got off the carriage as soon as we entered the Plentiful Empire and will meet up with us later," Hiberian said softly, lowering her head towards Sigrid.
"Oh yeah, Rocky's secretary once told me that he's a rather prestigious figure in the Plentiful Empire. I was given a very complicated handbook of things to watch out for, but later, Rocky himself didn't seem to mind anything, so I just interacted with him casually..." Sigrid mumbled in a dreamy tone.
She had almost forgotten that Rocky was actually from the Plentiful Empire; she had been too busy following him around in the demon world.
"Hmph, how prestigious could he be in the Plentiful Empire? There's no one in my intelligence network that matches his description," Kaliella scoffed, crossing her arms.
To be honest, she had some grievances towards the Nameless Lord on this journey. She always felt that he respected her too much, as if he saw her as an elder of their race. She even tried to directly stare at him with her eyes open, but it had no effect on him. This was the first male demon she had ever met whom she couldn't control or influence.
"Er..."
Hiberian was at a loss for words.
In fact, even before meeting Lanchi in the demon world, she had already prepared herself mentally. She wouldn't be surprised by whatever identity Lanchi held in the Plentiful Empire.
After all, she had been to the Northern Continent.
Hiberian shook her head, deciding not to think too much about it.
Although the people of the Plentiful Empire still wore anxious expressions and the city was shrouded in gloom without a glimpse of victory, Lanchi had said that the darkest hour is just before the dawn. As long as they endured this period, everything would turn around.
There's one more chapter before 12:00.
(End of Chapter)
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