### Chapter 1: In the Demon Realm (2)
==============================
On the way back to the Demon Race Imperial Capital, Lin Nan finally had the chance to chat with Morris and the others about the general situation in the Demon Race.
Unlike the loose political systems of the Human Race and Monster Race, the Demon Race has established an expansive empire. Although geographically it lies to the west of the Human and Monster territories, the hustle and bustle of the Imperial Capital rivals any Human city.
However, only the bloodline passed down from the Four Warriors can wield the advanced martial techniques bestowed by the Goddess of Destiny. Because of this, the empire has remained firmly in the hands of the nobles for hundreds of years.
“So you two are descendants of the Four Warriors?” Lin Nan asked.
Morris nodded. “Yeah. After a thousand years of reproduction, there are at least a thousand members of the noble class in the empire who also have the bloodline of the Four Warriors.”
Trissa added, “But… among these people, there are quite a few dead weights. The ones really capable of leading an army into battle? Probably fewer than a hundred.”
“They are the backbone of the empire, just like you two.”
Morris grimaced, “Lord Lin, you flatter us. But as we return to the capital, we still don’t know if we’ll be facing the emperor’s wrath…”
“Indeed, after all, the Prince’s d*ath at the Sky Tower is something we all bear responsibility for,” Trissa sighed.
Adeline suddenly chimed in, “With Lord Lin around, what’s there to fear? With the blessings of the God of Harmony, we’ll all be just fine!”
“Exactly! With the Muse Goddess watching over us, there’s surely nothing to worry about,” Trissa and Morris reminisced about Lin Nan’s outstanding harp performance and how he single-handedly defeated strong enemies in the Small World. There must be Muse’s protection involved.
Thanks to Adeline’s reassurance, the tension in their hearts began to lift.
Lin Nan, however, was unfazed. This was a clear indication of how much the Demon Race believed in the divine. Perhaps he could leverage this and quickly bring the Demon Race into the coalition against the imminent apocalyptic threats.
The journey back to the Imperial Capital was quite dull; even with griffins as their means of transport, flying high without any protection made them feel like human popsicles.
So every two to three hours, they took a break in open spaces to thaw out.
Three days later, after crossing deserts and soaring over rugged mountains, they saw smoke rising from fields below—an indicator that they were entering the imperial territory.
Everyone perked up, and the joy of returning home quickened their pace.
Within just two more days, the army reached the outskirts of the Imperial Capital.
Before even getting close to the city walls, Lin Nan spotted four massive statues standing majestically on either side of the main gate, towering twice as tall as the walls. Judging by the level of wear on their surfaces, they had been there for at least several hundred years.
“These are the Four Warriors,” Trissa pointed out. “From left to right, we have the armored warrior Cliff, the mage Valentine, the assassin Hardy, and the harpist Casey.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Nan noticed that the fourth statue portrayed a woman holding a four-stringed harp.
The rough workmanship had smudged the heroes’ features into one indistinguishable blob.
The army landed before the city gate, and in respect for the Four Warriors, no one dared to pass beneath their towering heads. Even the griffins had to follow the soldiers through the gate before taking to the skies again.
After checking their identities, the gate soldiers were ready to let them through.
But soon, someone noticed Lin Nan didn’t look like a typical demon.
They immediately halted the procession, pointing at Lin Nan and exclaiming, “Who is she? She looks like a lowly human!”
“How dare you! She is a distinguished guest invited by the Harpist Academy, and you think you can just stop her?” Trissa declared, her signature white gown and the simple harp in hand clearly marking her as a noble harpist.
Morris joined in, scolding, “She is a guest of the embassy, move aside quickly!”
Seeing a Count and a harpist backing her up, the soldiers immediately withered.
They dared not obstruct her further and could only watch helplessly as the foreign woman slipped out of sight.
“My apologies; those guards clearly lack vision… Please don’t take it to heart, Lord Lin,” one soldier stammered.
“Yeah, Lord Lin, they’re just ignorant fools,” Trissa and Morris rushed to explain how unreliable the gate guards usually were.
Lin Nan, however, asked, “Not long ago, did a bunch of humans suddenly appear near the capital?”
Both of them were taken aback.
Trissa shook her head.
Morris thought for a moment before saying, “I’ve heard a little about that, but it was all quickly resolved. I heard the imperial army rounded up those suspicious humans and sent them off to mine.”
Mining, huh…
Given the Demon Race’s tendency to view themselves as superior and disdain other races, it was a logical decision.
But the players who had chosen the demon cities as their starting points must have had a rough time. They teleported to the Asking Dao Continent only to be scooped up by the empire and worked as free miners.
If she ever got the chance, at the very least, she had to improve their conditions. After all, rescuing them all and bringing them back to Cold Wind City was utterly impossible.
Not to mention the long journey and the supply issues; at least they were getting a couple of meals a day in the mines, which was better than those who were devouring each other back in the Human territories.
Lost in thought, Lin Nan followed the crowd through the streets of the Imperial Capital.
A wave of exotic charm swept over her.
The architectural style of the Demon Race’s capital starkly contrasted with the Human Race’s pavilions. Instead, it boasted a strong European medieval Gothic style.
Whether big or small, the buildings all featured soaring spires on the roofs.
Many tall structures had stained glass windows, forming beautiful patterns.
Noticing Lin Nan’s interest in the buildings, Trissa explained, “We believe that the taller the building, the closer it is to the gods. The patterns in those stained glass windows tell the stories of various deities so that illiterate followers can worship and admire them easily.”
Lin Nan nodded, finding it rather intriguing.
“Hm, which gods do you worship?”
“The Goddess of Destiny, the God of War, the God of Plague, the Goddess of Rain and Dew, among others. And, of course, there’s the God of Harmony that all harpists revere. Counting them all, there are at least a hundred deities!”
It seemed like the empire had a diverse belief system, allowing almost everyone to find a deity to worship, most of whom related to their professions or everyday needs.
“The Goddess of Destiny must be the one who granted the Four Warriors their powers, right?”
“Yes, Lord Lin.”
“Where is her temple? If I have the time, I’d like to pay my respects.”
Thinking back to the scene hundreds of years ago, when Frost North Snow earnestly worshipped the Goddess of Destiny as one of the Four Warriors, Lin Nan couldn’t help but sigh.
In this day and age, it seems being a spiritual guru is far more promising!
