Chapter 76: Late Night
The Heart Demons, like the Shadow Demons, were a race of formless demons. Their commander, Azakana, was nominally inferior to Isabelle in both status and power.
And like Isabelle, after witnessing the Abyssal Lord’s true form, he had developed a split personality, though his condition was less severe.
However, few demons in the Abyssal Demon Realm were mentally stable, so his affliction wasn’t considered a major issue…
Unlike Isabelle, who preferred to act directly (and had almost been killed by Bai for her recklessness), Azakana preferred to manipulate events from the shadows.
For example, the attack on Lilia and Rolof, and everything that followed, had been orchestrated by him.
He knew Isabelle would go to the capital, so to assist her, or rather, to assist the Abyssal Lord, he had set up this simple yet effective scheme.
However, Lilia’s resistance had been unexpected. In his original plan, Lilia had been the primary target for corruption, Rolof merely an unfortunate bystander.
Of course, all his plans had been thwarted by Bai…
Rolof, even in his final moments, hadn’t realized how much he had changed.
From a dedicated knight with unwavering conviction, he had become a “demon,” willing to do anything to survive.
His death didn’t have a significant impact on the capital. The Empire’s high command, after a brief discussion, decided to cover it up, officially stating that Rolof had retired and was traveling.
With the Imperial Festival approaching, they couldn’t afford any more scandals.
And Bai, as a result, had been incredibly busy.
She had just taken command of the Crown Guard and was still unfamiliar with her duties, and then this happened. She probably wouldn’t get any sleep tonight.
She was grateful for her demonic physique; she could go for a month without food, water, or sleep and still be at her peak, something a human body could never achieve.
“Tomorrow is the Imperial Festival. The envoys from the Savage Lands have arrived, as well as representatives from various city-states…”
The beastkin delegation wasn’t just Diana’s group. They were the advance party, the diplomats.
The Savage Lands were a loose alliance of tribes, so there were multiple delegations, which only added to the capital’s security burden.
And representatives from the North Empire’s various cities and city-states were also arriving, further complicating matters.
This was what had kept Bai so busy.
The Bewildering Forest, on the other hand, was less of a problem. The elves were generally less troublesome than the beastkin, and their territory was smaller (having been pushed back to their sacred lands by the Vampire Legion, their territory was now only about three or four times the size of the capital), so their delegation was smaller.
However… they had already withdrawn from the festival, which saved Bai some trouble, though their presence wouldn’t have added much to her workload.
“Hmm… it seems everything is in order,” Bai said, leaning back and rubbing her temples after reviewing the last of the documents.
It wasn’t physical exhaustion, but mental fatigue.
Of course, a short rest was all she needed.
It was late, and Ara was already asleep, curled up beside her.
“Little Bai, still awake?” Leticia’s gentle voice came from outside, and she entered the room.
“Yes, Lady Leticia,” Bai said, sitting up straight, but Leticia waved her hand, indicating she should relax.
She was carrying a plate of snacks, which she placed in front of Bai. “Eat. I just made them.”
“Thank you,” Bai said, taking a snack and eating it without ceremony.
Although her demonic physique didn’t require food, she still felt hunger.
In the candlelight, Bai, with her long, black and red hair, nibbled on the snacks, a strangely beautiful sight.
Leticia watched her with a smile, saying nothing.
When Bai finished, Leticia took the plate.
“Would you like some more?” she asked. “There’s more in the kitchen.”
Bai, though tempted, shook her head. “No, thank you, Lady Leticia.”
Leticia smiled, then looked at the nearly empty pile of documents. “Are you finished?”
“Almost,” Bai said, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
She realized she had forgotten to save some for Ara.
But Ara was already asleep. Next time, perhaps.
Leticia nodded. “Since you’re almost done, you should get some rest. The festival is tomorrow. You need to be well-rested.”
Bai was about to say she wasn’t tired, but she stopped herself. “Thank you for your concern, Lady Leticia. I’ll rest soon.”
“Good,” Leticia said, then left, closing the door behind her.
Bai, her stomach full, felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her. She straightened her clothes, then, cradling Ara in her arms, lay down on the bed.
She didn’t see Leticia, leaning against the door outside, her expression unreadable.
After a long while, as the candlelight flickered and died, a single tear trickled down her wrinkled cheek.
“You old bastard, Lugner… you were right about her…”
Leticia knew Bai was Xu Bai. Lin Yan hadn’t told her; she had figured it out herself.
Her relationship with Lugner had been… complicated, and she knew the old Garrison Knights well. She had paid special attention to Xu Bai, the one Lugner had favored.
And with a few hints from Lin Yan, and Bai’s own actions, she had pieced together the impossible truth.
Everything that had happened since, from sending Bai to investigate the Sugg incident, to allowing her to go to the execution ground alone, to entrusting her with the capital’s defense…
It had all been Leticia’s attempt to help Bai, the former “Xu Bai,” to find her way back.
“…Perhaps this will help you remember that you were once a great knight… and that will be enough.”
