Chapter 73: Succession, Vanishing Crimson Eyes
Two days later, at the Crown Guard headquarters.
Bai, having finished her work, brought Ara with her.
She wore a felt hat to conceal her black and red hair, the longer strands tucked inside her windbreaker.
Leticia, surprisingly, accompanied her, escorting her to the top floor of the headquarters.
The other two Legendary Knights, Kweil and Kruse, were already waiting. They nodded grimly at Leticia.
Rolof stood nearby, holding the command dagger and military seal, a faint smile on his face as he looked at Bai, seemingly in good spirits.
Previously, he had always been hostile towards her. This sudden change made Bai uneasy.
But despite the urge to kill him, an impulse that seemed to rise from the depths of her bloodline, she suppressed it. The other Legendary Knights were watching.
“Let’s begin,” Leticia said. “Little Bai has much to do.”
Bai looked at Leticia, surprised. She seemed to have noticed her discomfort with Rolof and was urging them to proceed.
“Alright. Miss Bai is a busy woman,” Prince Kruse said with a smile, turning to Rolof. “Please proceed, Commander Rolof.”
“Not for much longer,” Rolof shrugged, approaching Bai, his voice low and serious.
“I, Rolof, Commander of the Crown Guard, hereby resign my command and transfer the command dagger and the Crown Guard military seal to Captain Bai, and propose that she succeed me as Commander.”
“Seconded,” said General Kweil.
“Seconded,” said Prince Kruse.
“Seconded,” said Leticia.
The three Legendary Knights raised their right hands in unison. Although a simplified ceremony, the necessary procedures were followed.
“With the agreement of three Legendary Knights, the proposal is passed,” Rolof said, handing the dagger and seal to Bai, his smile still faint, yet unsettling. “Commander—no, Commander Bai, please.”
Bai looked at Rolof intently. She had a feeling he had learned something from Queen Shaya, which was why his attitude towards her had changed so drastically.
Did he know her true identity as a demon?
It was possible.
But he hadn’t revealed it, and she hadn’t exposed his own corruption. An unspoken truce.
“Yes, Sir Rolof,” she said, taking the dagger and seal, her gaze unwavering.
“Well, if you’re busy, we won’t keep you,” Prince Kruse said, sensing the awkwardness in the room. “We’ll have to rely on you these next few days, Commander Bai.”
“Of course,” Bai nodded, saluting the two Legendary Knights, then left with Leticia.
“Phew…” After they left, Kruse let out a long sigh. “Boss Leticia’s presence is so intense. I thought I had offended her again.”
“I didn’t feel anything. Maybe you did offend her,” Kweil said, then looked at Rolof, his expression softening. “Rolof, what are your plans now?”
Rolof had cited health reasons for his resignation, and Kweil, having seen his condition, agreed that he was no longer fit to command.
“I’m not getting any younger. It’s time to settle down, get married, have some kids,” Rolof said with a smile, his expression more relaxed than ever before.
“It’s a waste,” Kweil shook his head. “A talented knight like you…”
“There are other, younger, more talented knights. It’s time for me to step aside and give them a chance,” Rolof said, his tone light, almost playful, his face flushed.
But then, Prince Kruse frowned. “Wait, something’s not right…”
“What is it?” Kweil asked.
“That pressure I felt… I don’t think it was Boss Leticia,” Kruse said, his pupils glowing faintly. “You said you didn’t feel anything, so I used [Illusion] to check. There were no traces of her pressure…”
“But there were traces of… Queen Shaya?”
At the mention of Shaya’s name, Rolof’s eye twitched almost imperceptibly.
“Queen Shaya… was here?” Kweil’s voice was tense. “Are you saying… Miss Bai is Queen Shaya?”
Kruse remembered the crimson streaks in Bai’s hair, but he shook his head. “What are you thinking? That’s impossible. It was just Queen Shaya’s aura. It was here when Miss Bai and Leticia arrived, but only for a moment. Only someone as perceptive as me could have noticed.”
“I thought it was Boss Leticia, so I didn’t pay it any mind.”
Kweil rubbed his temples. “Queen Shaya… she’s a troublesome one.”
“However,” Kruse said, “we might not have to worry too much. Queen Shaya, despite her power, is proud and wouldn’t attack without reason. She’s easier to deal with than other demon commanders.”
“I know, but still…” Kweil sighed.
“General Kweil, Prince Kruse, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave,” Rolof said.
He felt a strange heat spreading through his body, and he wanted to leave quickly, before something went wrong.
Kweil and Kruse, oblivious to his discomfort, simply smiled. “Alright. Thank you for your service.”
Rolof nodded and quickly left.
Beneath his clothes, his skin was flushed, hot to the touch, almost scorching.
But he didn’t feel it. His mind was blank, his thoughts fading, only the urge to leave the capital remaining.
And the crimson eye, which had been watching him from the shadows, was gone.
