Chapter 5 – Sky Tower (5)
In the luxurious suite, an eerie silence had settled in, though no one remembered when it began.
Lin Nan gently rubbed her pointed chin with her slender fingers, but her gaze was fixed anywhere but on Morris or Adeline.
After a long pause, she finally asked, “Have you uncovered any leads during these days?”
Morris, after receiving Adeline’s message, wore a pained expression as he stammered, “Uh… um…”
Adeline chimed in, “My Lord, the Count reported that the lord of Black Stone City is very cautious, especially with guards swarming around the Sky Tower, not allowing anyone in or out. Our goal in running this tavern was actually to confuse them and sneak some folks in for reconnaissance, but we haven’t achieved any results in all these days.”
Lin Nan replied, “So, you plan to leave Black Stone City six days from now, just waiting for the army to take over? Allow me to ask, who will be leading the troops?”
Adeline said, “It’s Prince Eric.”
“Since you’ve already climbed that royal tree, why bother with Trissa so much?”
Since Morris had lost his ability to speak, his facial expressions had become a whole lot more animated. Even without Lin Nan looking at Adeline’s translations, it was clear what he was trying to convey.
As suspected, Morris was merely a distant relative of the prince, hardly receiving any attention. His trip to Black Stone City was effectively a cannon fodder mission, considering nobody really knew what the lord of Black Stone City was up to. With the Alligator Monster realizing the Demon Race’s true aim was the Sky Tower, who knew if they might turn on the embassy at any moment?
However, what the prince didn’t foresee was that just before the embassy’s departure, the Minister of Foreign Affairs would actually send along his precious daughter, the Empire’s famous harpist Trissa.
Clearly, the Minister was quite intrigued by the secrets under the Sky Tower, and of course, as his own daughter, Trissa would be able to deliver the juiciest updates.
Thus, Morris was temporarily tasked by the prince that even if this expedition yielded nothing, he must ensure Trissa didn’t sniff out any inside info.
After all, once the army gathered and Black Stone City fell, there’d be plenty of time to explore that Sky Tower.
But what puzzled Morris was that Trissa seemed completely unfazed by the lack of progress these days; instead, she tagged along with them at the tavern every day, as if she had given up on her original mission.
Morris felt that once Black Stone City was taken over, his worth in Prince Eric’s eyes would disappear along with it. So he decided to butter up Trissa, hedging his bets on both sides.
“Alright, I’ve got the gist of things. I’ve decided to accept your allegiance.”
Now that he had laid everything out, it was only fitting to grant him a wish. After all, having one more servant in the Demon Race meant one more set of eyes.
Morris, teary-eyed, knelt down once more, placing his right hand over his heart and letting out some fervent “uh… uh…” noises.
Adeline stepped forward, looking solemn, “Your servant Morris pledges his life to you, and should there be any betrayal of this oath, your servant will d*e a terrible d*ath, eternally trapped in the fires of hell.”
Lin Nan nodded, slowly walking over to Morris, her delicate hand resting on his shoulder. Before long, where their skin touched, a bright light shimmered.
Morris, cradling his chin, exclaimed in joy, feeling a mighty energy surging within him, clearing out all his internal blockages.
In just a moment, his cultivation level shot up a notch, bringing him overwhelming glee.
If only he could talk, he would definitely worship the goddess right there!
“Alright, you can leave. Remember, regardless of what you think I am, keep your mouth shut; don’t go around spreading things. Or else…”
Morris nodded furiously, not daring to utter a word of dissent.
Adeline opened the door first, and with excitement bubbling within him, Morris dashed out.
But surprisingly, just as Adeline took half a step out behind him, she retreated back.
With a timid expression, she looked at Lin Nan and asked softly, “My Lord, has Mr. Xi already left Black Stone City?”
“Yes, he had to leave first due to some matters.”
Adeline’s face fell immediately.
“However, he might return in a few days,” Lin Nan added.
Hearing this, a glimmer of hope sparked in Adeline’s eyes, and she suddenly bowed deeply, exclaiming, “Thank you, my Lord!”
Seeing the girl leave with a spring in her step, Lin Nan found it a bit odd. After just stating a few truths, Adeline’s emotions flipped like a pancake on a hot skillet!
Truly, you never know what young girls are thinking.
Just as Lin Nan pondered this, there was a knock at the door.
Hmm? Could it be Adeline and Morris again?
“Lord Lin, are you available now?”
It was a woman’s voice, and if memory served her right, it had to be Trissa.
“Sure, come on in.”
As she opened the door, there stood Trissa in her flowing white dress.
“Sorry to disturb you.”
Trissa slightly bent her knees, performing a bow towards Lin Nan.
Though Lin Nan wasn’t well-versed in the customs of the Demon Race, her serious demeanor suggested she meant business.
“Come in and speak.”
Guests were guests. Although the previous night brought some unpleasantness over the harp duel, confirming who the true harp champion was, Lin Nan felt that overall, the contest hadn’t wasted her time at all. In fact, she’d reaped quite a few benefits!
Like the visits from Morris and Trissa, proving that showing a bit of power could indeed help to intimidate opponents; rather than brewing rebellion, they might now be thinking of collaborating instead.
Morris came seeking allegiance, but what was Trissa’s purpose in coming here?
Lin Nan looked at her with keen interest, “So, what brings you here?”
Trissa didn’t expect Lin Nan to be so straightforward; her pre-planned small talk got stuck in her throat.
Lin Nan wasn’t in a hurry to push her, instead adopting an amused demeanor, her gaze drifting back and forth on Trissa.
After a long moment, Trissa finally settled down, her tone picking up pace,
“My Lord, I primarily came to ask you for a favor.”
“Go on.”
“I want to completely destroy the Sky Tower! Before the Demon Army arrives!”
Trissa’s eyes were filled with determination, her azure pupils seemingly covered in a layer of light.
Lin Nan blinked, taken aback; she hadn’t expected Trissa’s purpose in coming to Black Stone City to be this.
“Why are you telling me this?”
Trissa replied, “I know that Morris and Adeline have already come to see you. I’m not sure what they told you, but one thing’s for sure, they don’t know my true aim here.”
Lin Nan nodded slightly, “You’re right.”
