Chapter 2: The Demon Realm (3)
News of the embassy returning from Black Stone City quickly spread through the streets and alleys of the Imperial Capital.
Especially the part about Prince Eric meeting his untimely demise far from home, with no sign of even his bones returning — that really got everyone talking!
You see, Prince Eric was the Emperor’s most trusted brother and a well-known Grand Alchemist in the capital. Now he’s just… poof! Gone without a trace, and the embassy folks were strolling back home like they had just come back from a day at the beach. If the Emperor found out, heads would roll — and not just the usual ones.
Years back, the Emperor took out three of his brothers before claiming the throne, so it’s no surprise that only the loyal Eric got to keep his head on his shoulders. He once led an army to crush a rebellion down south, executing almost ten thousand rebels publicly, and even now, at the ripe age of fifty, he shows no mercy to those who dare cross him.
If the Emperor caught wind of the embassy’s disrespect toward Prince Eric, poor Count Morris, their leader, would be lucky to lose just his head — and not in a way that spills a lot more bl**d.
Morris had declared himself a “distant relative” of Prince Eric and didn’t quite understand the Emperor’s temperament. Meanwhile, Freeman, the Captain of the Prince’s Guards, was terrified the whole way and finally decided it was time to spill the beans to Morris.
Sure enough, when Morris heard the news, his face turned as pale as freshly churned butter. If Lin Nan hadn’t been there, he might have fainted right off his horse.
And Trissa, who had been whisked off to the Harpist Academy as a child, was so engrossed in her harp studies that she had no clue about the Emperor’s peculiar interests. When she noticed Morris looking completely ghost-like, she sensed something was off.
Before the embassy could even reach Trissa’s father’s mansion — they had already agreed to have Lin Nan and Trissa stay together — they were suddenly surrounded by a squad of flashy, angry-looking cavalrymen.
Freeman caught sight of the riders and instantly shook his head, sighing, “It’s the Imperial Guards.”
Morris opened his mouth to say something several times, but ultimately hung his head, seemingly giving up on the idea of resistance.
Lin Nan watched the scene unfold, her expression calm as if none of this involved her.
“By decree of His Majesty the Emperor, all embassy members except for Trissa, including anyone holding a general rank from Prince Eric’s Guard, are to be arrested and imprisoned! Interrogation to follow on a later date!”
Once the Imperial Guards delivered their message, they charged forward on horseback.
Morris, Freeman, and the rest of the embassy team jumped down from their griffins, heads bowed, following the guards as if walking to a d*ath sentence.
The bystanders mostly kept quiet, not daring to provoke the guards at this tense moment. A crowd started to gather, chattering amongst themselves, practically envisioning the disaster awaiting Morris and the others.
Meanwhile, Trissa, who hadn’t been called out, opened her mouth to say something but was promptly tugged back by Adeline, who was Morris’s personal maid — not technically part of the embassy.
Upon seeing the guards, Adeline quickly pushed herself behind Trissa. The guards gave her a quick glance, mistaking her for Trissa’s servant since there were no other women on the team list, so they didn’t ask further questions.
Trissa took a deep breath and glanced at the silent Lin Nan beside her.
Suddenly, she realized she was the only one outside the prison who might be able to save her companions, the ones who had shared in both their highs and lows.
The guards led Morris and the others away for quite a distance while Prince Eric’s loyal guards remained stuck in place.
After a while, the soldiers returned to their camp under the direction of a squad leader designated by Trissa.
Once it was just Trissa and Adeline left, Lin Nan remarked, “The might of your Emperor is certainly impressive.”
Trissa’s expression sank. “If only His Majesty would see me, I would advise him to reconsider his orders.”
Adeline had expected to feel glad about Morris being taken away, but nearly ten minutes had passed, and her emotions were like a rollercoaster, swinging from peaks of joy to valleys of despair — definitely not what she had envisioned!
Finally, unable to hold back, she asked Trissa, “Lady Trissa, you must have a plan, right?”
“Perhaps. I will tell my father the whole truth and ask him to convey it to the Emperor; he enjoys a bit of trust with His Majesty.”
With Trissa’s promise, Adeline finally eased her worries a bit.
“Sorry, Lord Lin, that so much has happened right after entering the city.”
Lin Nan shook her head, “No matter. Besides, they were once part of our Mountain Stronghold; as the Great King, how can I just turn a blind eye?”
Both girls were taken aback.
They did indeed recall living in the Mountain Stronghold before, and the title of Great King certainly fit Lord Lin.
They thought all those memories were dreams caused by the Sky Tower, but now hearing Lin Nan mention the Stronghold hinted that what they believed to be a dream was actually another plane, similar to their Little World.
Perhaps it was simply because they had not taken on any mission, so their involvement was not as high as the first time.
“Anyway, let’s find a place to settle in first before figuring out what’s going on with them.”
“Yes, Lord Lin.”
After returning to the minister’s residence, Trissa first led Lin Nan and Adeline to the guest room and then had her maid inform her mother that she was safely back.
Her mother nearly flew across the room, wrapping Trissa in a hug and bursting into tears.
After calming her anxious mother, Trissa finally had time to introduce Lin Nan and Adeline to her mother, Bellamy.
“Mother, this is the esteemed Lord Lin, the finest harpist I have ever seen. The entire Imperial Capital will surely fall for her charms.”
“Lord Lin, thank you for taking care of my daughter during the journey; as a mother, I am truly grateful.”
Lin Nan smiled, “You’re too kind, ma’am; just call me Lin Nan. We were merely helping each other along the way — no need for any thanks.”
Trissa then introduced Adeline, who was quite the obedient little demon girl around her elders; within minutes, she was glued to Bellamy’s side, making her giggle.
Just then, a maid rushed in to announce, “Madam, Miss! The master has returned!”
Bellamy paused, “Isn’t he supposed to be on duty at the palace? Why is he back now?”
Trissa quietly said, “Perhaps it’s because of me.”
Before Trissa could go out to welcome him, the sound of hurried, heavy footsteps echoed in the adjoining hall.
Moments later, a tall, middle-aged demon man pushed aside the curtain and stepped into the reception room.
No wonder Trissa was so stunning; this favorite of the Emperor had short golden hair. Though his eyes carried some wrinkles, it was evident that he had been quite the handsome figure in his youth.
“Father!” Trissa exclaimed.
“Hmm!” Monroe nodded. “Tom and Jerry returned early and have filled me in on the gist of things.”
