Chapter 29: A Prank?
“Leader!” the elven warriors exclaimed, then quickly realized they had just been sleeping on duty.
Norma was notoriously strict. Even a brief doze would earn a reprimand.
And they had been sound asleep…
But as they braced themselves for her wrath, she surprised them, her voice calm.
“Are you feeling alright?”
They exchanged confused glances, unsure what to make of her question.
“Answer me,” she said, her voice a bit sharper.
“…We’re fine, Leader,” one of them replied.
“I see,” she nodded. “And what did you dream of?”
“Uh—”
“Answer.”
“I think… I dreamt of my mother. She passed away a long time ago,” a warrior said, his voice hesitant. “But I don’t remember the details… just that it felt… peaceful.”
The other warriors’ eyes widened, and they all began to speak at once.
“I dreamt of my father, who died at the sacred lands…”
“I think I saw my grandmother, who died of illness…”
“…”
From their responses, Norma understood. They had all dreamt of their deceased loved ones.
Of course, these were just dream illusions, not the real consciousnesses of the departed, like with Bai and Eleanor.
But even so, for these elven warriors, it had been a beautiful, precious memory.
This only deepened Norma’s confusion about Bai’s intentions.
It seemed like a well-intentioned prank, a massive burst of Dream Demon power.
But from her brief encounter with her, she knew Captain Bai was a serious, composed individual, not one for pranks.
And even if she had good intentions, she wouldn’t have expressed them in this way.
“Alright, that’s enough. I understand,” Norma said softly, and the warriors fell silent, their posture rigid.
“Continue your watch,” she said, then turned and left.
If she couldn’t figure out Bai’s intentions, and since there was no obvious malice, she would simply ask her directly.
Behind her, the elven warriors sighed in relief. They didn’t know why Norma hadn’t reprimanded them, but they were grateful.
…
The dream explosion hadn’t just affected the Twilight Marsh, but the surrounding areas as well.
The news quickly spread to the sacred lands.
High Priestess Nimora, upon hearing of it, remained silent for a long time, then dispatched several elven units to the Twilight Marsh, requesting permission to station them there.
She had more important matters to attend to, and although she was concerned for Eleanor, she had to make sacrifices.
At the same time, the North Empire, with its network of surveillance devices, also detected the unusual energy fluctuation.
And analyzing the energy signature, they had found traces of demonic power. They began to mobilize their Knight units on the border.
The Savage Lands were a bit slower to react, but seeing the movements of the elves and the humans, and with Rex, the Sand Crocodile Tribe leader, having witnessed the incident firsthand, they also began to gather their forces near the Twilight Marsh.
This, in a way, accelerated the establishment of the trade zone.
Normally, such small-scale negotiations were handled locally, and the high commands of the Bewildering Forest, the North Empire, and the Savage Lands wouldn’t have paid much attention.
But now, with this unexplained explosion, they were all focused on this disputed territory, carefully considering their next move. And the trade zone proposal suddenly seemed much more appealing.
Soon, the elven council, the beastkin alliance, and the North Empire’s cabinet all agreed to send envoys to the trade zone.
…Of course, Bai and Eleanor, having just woken up, were completely unaware of all this. They had both regained consciousness at roughly the same time, though Bai’s awakening had been a bit… unusual.
—While asleep, her dream body had entered the dream world, so when she awoke, she had simply reappeared.
And her sudden appearance had caught Eleanor’s eye, her gaze now filled with a strange, complex emotion.
Unlike an ordinary dream, Eleanor remembered everything, including Bai’s demonic identity. Her earlier suspicions were now a swirling vortex of confusion.
Bai, rubbing her eyes, noticed Eleanor’s intense stare. “What are you looking at?”
“At… nothing,” Eleanor looked away, then, after a moment of hesitation, said, “Bai, can I ask you a question…? If it’s inconvenient, never mind!”
In her heart, she was silently praying Bai would refuse.
“Ask away,” Bai said. She had discovered that the method she had used to speak in the dream, with her dream body, also worked in the real world, allowing her to bypass her lisp.
As for the dream, she had no idea that the others had been pulled into it as well. Her mind was still a bit foggy.
Eleanor sighed. “Bai, are you… a demon? Like, a Dream Demon…?”
“Yes,” Bai nodded, then, seeing the large, pink, fluffy tail that had also materialized, she couldn’t resist touching it.
“…Huh?” Eleanor was surprised. She had expected a denial, or at least a hesitant admission.
But Bai’s calm acceptance… was unexpected.
“You… you’re really a demon?” she stammered.
Hearing her question again, Bai realized her earlier response had been a bit… dismissive. She thought for a moment, then said, “I am now. Before, I’m not so sure.”
“No, Bai, if you’re a demon, then we’re enemies!” Eleanor waved her hands frantically. “And aren’t all demons evil? They kill, they burn, they do all sorts of bad things! They’re all bad guys! But you’re so kind, and cute…”
Bai paused. “Actually, demons usually just kill. They don’t really burn much…”
