“Their king is dead. Can they still attack me?” Liana shrugged.
“Liana, saying that is seriously problematic,” Orleya warned. Their one and only king was the King of Lisat. Saying the king was dead at a time like this was not auspicious.
“I didn’t mean it that way.” Liana shrugged. “You know what I mean. I’m the one who most hopes Lisat’s King stays healthy. It’d be best if he remained king for another ten or twenty years, so Mephilia doesn’t have to do anything.”
After that bit of chatter, Liana and the others returned to Angu.
When the guards from before saw Liana appear, their expressions changed. “Princess Liana?”
The person in front of them, aside from her clothes being a little dirty, looked exactly the same as the one they had stopped earlier.
And if it was Princess Liana, she was most likely sent by the king to investigate.
Were they really discovered? But as long as they did not admit it and just pretended they didn’t know anything, it should be fine. It wasn’t like they’ve been in contact with demonkind’s power.
“That’s the right expression.” Liana looked at them. “You clearly know what’s going on. Are you scared?”
“Princess Liana, what are you talking about? It’s true we acted poorly earlier, but in such a sensitive time, it couldn’t be helped, right?” The guards certainly wouldn’t admit it directly. Besides, even if Karen was dealt with, there was still someone above Karen.
“It might be easier for you if you just admit it,” Liana said.
“Princess Liana, what on earth are you talking about? And where is Lord Karen? Didn’t he go with you?” a guard from Angu asked, trying to distance himself from Karen first.
“Noel is dead. There’s no need to continue the act. The longer you drag this out, the worse it will be for you,” Liana said.
But the guards were all confused. Who was Noel?
They had never even seen a Judge, let alone known the name of an Executor. This name Liana suddenly brought up left them completely baffled.
“Let me put it another way. The Judge of the Laurent Marquisdom, your boss, is dead.”
“Princess Liana, you can’t joke about things like that,” the guard said, his expression grave.
“Could it be that I know less than you about this? But I’m saying it, so why?” Liana smiled faintly. “The King of Lisat already knows what you’ve done. That’s why we came. The demon you were raising is dead.”
“Princess Liana, what do you mean? I don’t understand,” the guard said, his forehead beading with sweat.
“Durandal.”
The holy sword appeared in her hand, now looking much more resplendent than before.
After the holy sword had recovered slightly, Liana had learned its name.
“Princess Liana, what are you doing?” The guards stepped back, fear in their eyes.
Liana raised her hand, swung the holy sword, and slashed the guard’s weapon away. “You, you, and you few. You all have the foul stench of demonkind on you. Give up resisting, and maybe we can help you.”
Their faces turned white. The moment the holy sword appeared, they felt a fear and discomfort welling up from deep within. After hearing Liana’s words, they were one step away from kneeling.
“I... I’m sorry! Please, save me!” Someone couldn’t take it anymore and begged Liana for help.
“Lend me a hand, Minoga.” Liana had used too much stamina today, and her sacred magic bullets were almost gone. She couldn’t use her secret weapon in front of this crowd. Plus, she wasn’t very skilled with sacred magic, so it was better to call a professional.
“So Princess Liana knew I was here,” Minoga suddenly appeared beside Liana.
“A guess. I’m not that amazing.” Liana shrugged. “If anything had happened to me, Mephilia wouldn’t have let you off. So I figured you were either watching in secret or off dealing with something.”
Liana didn’t want to get too involved with Orleya. If she could ask someone else for help, she would.
“Allow me, Princess Liana.” Sephirena spoke up. “The elves and demons are old enemies. I have a few methods I can try.”
“Alright.” Liana nodded.
Sephirena walked up to them, her palms emitting a faint glow.
Black, unknown demonic energy suddenly erupted from the guards’ bodies, but unfortunately, it couldn’t be dispelled.
“...Regrettably, I can’t help you get rid of the demon. I can only grant you release.” Liana sighed.
“Didn’t you say you’d save us! You tricked us!” a guard frantically grabbed his weapon.
“Granting you release is helping you. You’ve already become vessels for demons. Sooner or later, your bodies will no longer be your own. You will die in torment and pain. If you must blame someone, blame yourselves for accepting the demon’s temptation,” Liana said.
“Don’t joke around! If you want to get rid of us, just say so! No need to turn corners and skirt angles!”1拐弯抹角 (guǎi wān mò jiǎo), to talk in a roundabout way. Before the guard finished speaking, the holy sword in Liana’s hand pierced his chest.
“Of course I’ll get rid of you. You don’t need to worry about that. I really was thinking if there was a way to save you. In times like these, every bit of strength helps. But unfortunately, you touched the taboo. It can’t be helped.” Blood dripped from the holy sword onto the ground. “You can’t just decide this is wrong when you’re no longer enjoying the benefits of the crisis. When you were enjoying the demon’s power, you weren’t like this,” Liana said.
“If we’re going to die anyway! Might as well...”
“This is my cue, right?” Minoga didn’t hesitate, immediately executing all the individuals Liana had pointed out.
Liana sighed helplessly. “I wonder how many people like this are in the Laurent Marquisdom.”
“This behavior absolutely cannot be tolerated. Once discovered, it must be eradicated as quickly as possible,” Minoga said.
“I know.” Liana had Minoga prepare a magic orb broadcast. She needed to make everyone in Angu understand their current situation, and at the same time, lock down the city.
But that was far from enough. No one knew how many such people were in the Laurent Marquisdom. If even one mixed into the crowd, it would be a devastating blow to the common people.
“It’s ready, Princess Liana,” Minoga said.
“...” Before speaking, Liana glanced at Orleya. As reluctant as she was, she needed her power right now. “I know you’re strong. So, if an accident happens in a moment, like a demon trying to harm a civilian, could you please stop it?”
“Of course I can, Liana,” Orleya said cheerfully.
Liana involuntarily took a step back. She had a bad feeling. Why was this woman always so happy when she asked for her help? Did she really need something from her? Was she helping her now just to hold it over her later, to rope her in? Tsk... so annoying.
But she had no choice. There were too many people for Minoga and Sephirena to watch alone.
“Well then, let’s begin.” Liana cleared her throat.
Soon, her voice spread to every corner of Angu. “Now, all residents of Angu, please come to the city gate. Lord Karen has a very important announcement.”
Liana naturally wouldn’t use her own name. Using Karen’s identity was better, or it would cause even more trouble.
Because it was “Karen’s order,” many people quickly gathered at the gate. When they saw Liana, they were all confused.
But some recognized Liana, and some were afraid.
“The Judge of the Laurent Marquisdom, Noel, is dead,” Liana said, opening the door to see the mountain.2开门见山 (kāi mén jiàn shān), to speak directly.
This made Minoga, standing beside her, shake her head with a wry smile. She thought Princess Liana was a bit too direct.
Just as she expected, panicked voices erupted from the crowd after Liana spoke.
“But that’s not the main point, and it doesn’t really affect you,” Liana continued. “If you want to live, you will obey my orders.”
“...” Minoga was silent, wondering what she would do.
“You have no right to refuse. Just listen obediently. Right now, no one can help you,” Liana said overbearingly, arousing a lot of dissatisfaction.
But intimidated by the guards around Liana, no one spoke up.
“Now, everyone maintain some distance from each other. No matter what I say next, you must remain calm. Do not leave your original positions. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee your safety.”
After they followed Liana’s instructions and spread out, Liana revealed the truth.
“The demon you were raising has been killed by me. Noel and Karen were executed by the King precisely because of this matter.” Liana said, “As for why I’ve gathered you here... it’s because some of you are still infested by demonkind.”
As soon as she finished speaking, ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) a panic, just as expected, broke out in the crowd. But after Orleya used a spell, they found their feet became extremely heavy, and they couldn’t move.
“I said, do not move. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee your safety,” Liana said. “I can promise you, as long as you listen obediently, nothing will happen to you. Of course, this excludes those who have fallen and chosen demonkind... no, they can’t even be considered people anymore.”
