The atmosphere in Demon Suppression City seemed to improve significantly with the preliminary agreement reached between the two sides.
Although the roadblocks remained in place, as the disturbances from demons and monsters gradually subsided and with the arrival of the royal family overseeing the situation, the hearts of the people finally began to settle.
Once the negotiation results were announced and trade routes reopened, this crucial hub city connecting the domestic realm with the northern world would likely continue progressing in a positive direction.
Walking along the streets with Theresa and her dragon girl, Violet intended to pay a visit to Lan today.
These days, Miss Lan’s level of busyness hardly differed from Menna’s. With Taylor imprisoned, Gryffith stepping down, and the Tulls family’s reputation and status suffering unprecedented blows, Lan, despite her rebellious nature, was still a member of the family. She couldn’t simply remain detached from such significant events.
Intelligence gathered by Menna had already proven that Lan was not involved in the family’s schemes. Moreover, her previous active assistance to Princess Menna in eliminating remnants of the Ghost Thief Group and rescuing Novia of the Moon Shadow Royal Family had earned her merit.
Consequently, this direct descendant of the Tulls family not only escaped punishment but also received personal recognition from the queen. Following the queen’s decree, she smoothly assumed the position of family head vacated by Gryffith.
Gryffith himself seemed to have no objections to this arrangement.
Thus, despite being just twenty years old, Lan now held the positions of both family head and esteemed Grand Duke. Whether being thrust into such a prominent role amidst turbulent times was fortunate or unfortunate remained uncertain.
However, if Lan didn’t step up, there was no one else more suitable. While the Tulls family had other branches, Lan was the sole direct descendant of her generation.
Having inherited the position of family head and taking on the responsibilities of acting lord of the town, Lan had moved out of her own residence a few days prior and returned to the Lord’s Mansion, where she resided with Menna, handling the myriad affairs of Demon Suppression City together.
And it was precisely there that Violet intended to go.
The reason for bringing Theresa along naturally had its purpose.
Soon, they arrived at their destination.
The Lord’s Mansion of Demon Suppression City was a place Violet had visited quite frequently lately. Though she hardly involved herself in affairs, wandering around aimlessly all day and leaving Menna and the others to handle things, she still kept an eye on and followed up on some important matters.
After all, she had promised Tiyelu that she would help resolve the issues here and bring back the “Source of Magic”.
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To completely eradicate the influence left by Taylor in Demon Suppression City, not only had there been significant changes in the Internal Security Bureau, but even the guards and servants in the Lord’s Mansion had been replaced. The Third Special Support Squad, originally led by Lan, had undergone a transformation and now served as the internal security of the Lord’s Mansion.
It was said that Lan personally selected and trained these people, forming a force specifically for handling human internal disputes and crimes. Their bias against other races was far less severe than that of other members of the Internal Security Bureau, making them suitable for key positions at this critical time.
Since Violet had visited many times before, the guards were familiar with her, a somewhat mysterious girl whom both the princess and the new lord trusted and favored greatly. With a guarantee from the priestess, they barely asked any questions about Theresa, the newcomer, and simply let the trio pass.
The Lord’s Mansion remained bustling as usual. Because the Human United Kingdom didn’t allow other races to enter towns freely as a basic policy, a rule even Lilya couldn’t easily change, Menna couldn’t allow the numerous slaves rescued to wander around freely. Thus, they had to be temporarily housed in one place, and the Lord’s Mansion was one of those places.
So, it was quite crowded here recently.
When they found Lan upon inquiring with a guard, she was in a pavilion, engaged in a face-to-face conversation with a peculiar girl with scales patterned on her exposed skin, six teardrop moles at the corners of her eyes, and long hair with a strange mixture of white and blue hues. On the stone table, there were trays of brewed fragrant tea and refreshments.
“Hmm? What’s she doing here too...?”
“Does the master know this demon?”
Upon hearing this, the young dragon girl turned slightly in surprise, and Theresa immediately cast a bright, curious, or rather gossip-filled glance. However, the priestess just shook her head helplessly.
“A little bit, but it’s best if you pretend you don’t know.”
This merfolk girl had a slight acquaintance with Violet. She was one of the members who had been saved by the priestess when her life was in danger, having been induced to explosively release her magical power by the Ghost Thief Group in a special way.
However, at that time, Violet had contacted them under the guise of her persona “Dawn,” with a different appearance and a voice altered by a prop, making it impossible to be recognized.
Because this girl had received treatment separately, Violet remembered her quite well. She hadn’t expected to encounter her again, especially here in the Lord’s Mansion.
After exchanging greetings with the two girls beside her and reminding them not to speak out of turn, Violet led them forward, smiling and waving to the twin-tailed girl who had noticed their footsteps.
“Hey, long time no see! Did you miss me?”
Recognizing the identity of the newcomer, Lan, who looked slightly weary, couldn’t help but show a smile on her face.
“Oh, it’s you. Isn’t our Miss Violet supposed to be leisurely enjoying herself in the mountains and rivers? Why do you have time to come here?”
“Why not? Can’t I come? Are you going to distance yourself from us common folks now that you’ve become the lord? Ah, I never expected you to be this kind of person, Lan. It’s heartbreaking, truly heartbreaking!”
“You’ve said enough...”
The acting lord couldn’t bear to look directly at her, covering her face with her hand. The girl behind her stood up, surprised and curious, cautiously observing the three women.
“Lady Lan, who are these people...?”
Upon hearing this, the twin-tailed girl also realized and nodded.
“Oh, perfect timing. Let me introduce you. This is Miss Violet, said to be a traveler who wanders the world without a fixed abode. And this is her companion, Miss Xiao Guang, a very powerful martial artist. Um... as for this one...”
Lan’s gaze paused on Theresa for a moment, but she wasn’t sure how to proceed. After all, although she had seen this green-haired, green-eyed girl on the wanted poster, it had been confirmed that it was a false identity.
Fortunately, after all this time, the village girl had become much sharper than before and could see the predicament of the acting lord at a glance. She spoke up cheerfully.
“I’m Theresa! Just an ordinary person, with no impressive background or strength. I’m currently traveling with Miss Violet here. You don’t have to pay too much attention to me~”
“I see. Nice to meet you, Miss Theresa.”
Understandingly, Lan smiled slightly and then turned her head slightly to look at the merfolk girl beside her, who had changed into an elegant dress. Compared to the last time, she appeared much more dignified and graceful. Violet and the others also followed her gaze.
Her figure was indeed outstanding. Although her face still had some youthfulness, the flat abdomen outlined by the fitted dress couldn’t help but remind Violet of that tantalizingly smooth touch, making her eyes appear slightly embarrassed and a little hesitant.
“This is Nitera, the daughter of the merfolk tribe chief. She was abducted by a poaching gang and brought here. She was rescued during the recent operation organized by Princess Menna. She is currently residing here temporarily. According to the plan, after the negotiations with the Ten Thousand Demons Mountains are completed, she will be sent back home.”