Chapter 1 The Next Day

As the first ray of light from Narakaris broke through the clouds, spilling into the Regent's Hall on the east side of the Demon King's Palace, Melogus was already at her desk, dealing with a mountain of official duties.

She sat regally on the throne inlaid with obsidian and scarlet gems, her slender fingers gripping a black and sharp demon realm eagle feather quill, quickly reviewing the documents.

Her face was as cold as ice, and her brow revealed a sternness, as if a queen were surveying her kingdom.

At that moment, a mysterious figure in a dark cloak, face hidden in the shadows of the hood, silently appeared at the far end of the hall.

"Lord Profane."

The spy's slender figure was lithe and agile, like a panther lurking in the shadows, footsteps so light they almost blended into the light and shadow.

Melogus, however, sensed the presence of the visitor immediately.

She raised her head, staring directly at the figure.

When she confirmed it was her most capable confidante, her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she slowly raised her hand, gesturing for the spy to approach.

The spy took two steps forward, kneeling on one knee and bowing her head.

"My Lord, I have come to report."

The spy spoke in a volume only the two of them could hear.

"Speak."

Melogus tapped the table lightly with her cold jade fingertip, her face betraying no emotion.

"Princess Hyperia has run away. She disappeared without a trace early this morning."

The spy lowered her head further, her voice becoming hurried and anxious.

"What?"

The ever-calm Melogus stared intently at the spy upon hearing the news.

"When I was disguised as a maid inspecting the Princess's bedroom, I discovered that the Princess had left behind only a false body, and the real Princess had vanished without a trace."

The spy's forehead was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat, and she continued her report, trying to remain calm.

"I immediately led people to search every corner of the bedroom, even the little gray cat has disappeared. The princess must have fled..."

Hearing this, Melogus's originally pale hands turned white from gripping too tightly.

"Princess, your wings have truly hardened. Have I been too lenient with you, or do you simply not respect me, your aunt?"

Her face darkened, and her eyes became unpredictable.

Back then, the Princess had tried to escape several times under the nose of the ninth-tier Kaliella. Now, the Princess had become even stronger. Without a ninth-tier demon, no one could catch her.

The spy didn't dare to raise her head, feeling the cold sweat on her back soaking through her clothes.

Melogus's killings were entirely based on her mood, and it was impossible to guess whether she would strike at this moment.

"Are there any Great Demons in Narakaris who left with the Princess?"

Melogus, the Profane, asked again.

"No."

The spy replied briefly and firmly.

After the Princess disappeared, they immediately investigated whether there were any accomplices. However, the result was that the Great Demons of Demon King's City all appeared to be unaware, with no movements. Some even seemed particularly calm, not concerned about the Princess at all.

"Oh?"

Melogus looked slightly surprised.

She had thought that the Princess's confidence in escaping came from having a Great Demon helping her.

She didn't expect the Princess to resolutely embark on a solo flight this time.

"Very good, very good, Your Highness."

Melogus sneered, tapping the table impatiently with her slender fingers, creating a chilling sound.

"I will settle accounts with you later for your dereliction of duty, but for now, immediately search for the Princess's whereabouts. You must bring her back safely before the other Great Demons discover her."

She narrowed her eyes, her tone gloomy and dangerous.

"And seal off the ancestral land entrance to Purgatory City, and increase the search efforts in Pascual."

Melogus's gaze seemed to easily see through Hyperia's most likely destination.

"Yes, Lady Melogus!"

The spy was relieved to hear this, and hastily agreed.

She knew very well that if the news of the Princess's escape leaked out and reached the ears of the other Great Demons, it would be a scandal that could shake the monarchy, and would inevitably undermine Melogus's prestige and status among the demons.

If the Princess didn't realize the error of her ways, it might be the Profane herself who would set out to capture her.

"By the way, my Lady, our intelligence agent in the Holy Palantine Kingdom sent information that the Pope has agreed to attend the fourth anniversary of the Peace and Revival of the Seville Land at the Iron Fortress headquarters in Oberon in a month."

The spy said quickly.

This indicated that the relationship between the Holy Palantine Kingdom and the Honin Empire might ease in the future.

This was not good news for the demon realm.

If the Holy Palantine Kingdom, where multiple races lived together in symbiosis, and the Honin Empire, dominated by human blood clans, began to establish diplomatic relations, it would be a major obstacle to the development of the northern demon realm.

In Melogus's strategy, only mutual hostility between the Holy Palantine Kingdom and the Honin Empire was the most beneficial situation for the demon realm's development.

"If only I could meet the Pope..."

Melogus, the Profane, murmured.

It was all Kaliella's fault, that bitch. After the war, she pretended to be noble and broke off relations with the Holy Palantine Kingdom, so that now the Holy Palantine Kingdom was completely detached from the demon realm. Even if they demons wanted to win over or instigate the Holy Palantine Kingdom, they had no convenient channels. The Pope, in order to avoid suspicion, had not seen a demon envoy for many years.

If she could speak with the Pope face to face, and talk about the old friendship between the demon realm and the Palantine Empire during the war, and enrage the Pope, remind him of the hatred of the past, and under the influence of her demonic voice, maybe the Pope might change his mind a little.

Although she didn't expect the Holy Palantine Pope to go crazy in his old age and start a war to attack the Honin Empire again, at least the feud between the Holy Palantine and the Honin Empires could not be further eased.

"Should we have our lurkers in the Holy Palantine Kingdom try to send an invitation to the Pope?"

The spy asked Melogus, the Profane.

Even if the Pope had become very cold now, he would still remember the old friendship and was unlikely to personally harm a demon messenger.

"You can try. The cost will be at most the loss of a line."

Melogus said indifferently.

After the war, the Pope seemed to have lost his emotions, becoming very indifferent to everything. His attitude towards handling problems and seeing things was more like an absolutely calm god than a human.

Even though the Princess was in the demon realm, the Pope had never considered contacting them again, let alone seeing them demons at this sensitive time.

The Pope no longer wanted the Princess.

The Profane was now waiting for the Pope to die so that she could completely occupy the Princess.

"Understood."

The spy responded respectfully.

Melogus waved her hand impatiently, as if shooing away a fly.

The spy quickly retreated like a wisp of green smoke, disappearing into the dark end of the hall.

The huge hall returned to silence.

Only the rustling sound of the pen tip rubbing against the paper echoed in the air above the hall.

Melogus expressionlessly reviewed the documents, the earlier episode being just an insignificant ripple.

However, her overly forceful fingertips and tight jawline betrayed the turmoil in her heart.

The Princess's ignorant escape was clearly a blatant challenge to her authority and ability.

"Princess..."

She whispered this name with a bewitching demonic voice, like a lover's murmur, but with endless danger and ruthlessness.

Melogus stopped writing, and the corners of her gray-purple lips curled up, eventually turning into a distorted arc.

"Although it's okay to let you go out and relax from time to time, you are, after all, a Princess. You can't always be so capricious. When I bring you back, I'll have to punish you properly..."

Melogus, the Profane, caressed her flushed cheeks with both hands, her eyes full of love as she looked out the window.

Just imagining the Princess's frightened and desperate expression when she was captured, Melogus felt like something inside her was about to be unleashed.

…

Another location in Narakaris, Demon King's City.

A magnificent mansion stood quietly in a courtyard filled with wisteria blossoms.

This was the residence of one of the demon realm's most prestigious families.

Inside the mansion's drawing-room, the luxurious original wood furniture was warm and elegant, complementing the handmade wool carpet spread on the demon realm's skylight stone floor.

"No need to worry, Almis. Hyperia took the scroll you gave her. With the information and route planning we provided, she will be safe on her journey."

Prane sat on the left side of the sofa, wearing a well-tailored black suit vest, with a pure white shirt underneath, and a silver-gray bow tie that shone with a soft luster.

He crossed his hands, his expression restrained and calm, every inch a polite and classic gentleman.

In fact, logically speaking, the scroll that Almis had created overnight was of little use. Hyperia's talent for concealment magic had already achieved a small success. Even an eighth-tier demon using all their strength to find Hyperia would not be able to detect her.

"Indeed, every time I played hide-and-seek with Hyperia in the Duke's mansion underground, I couldn't catch her."

Sinora sat on the chaise lounge to Prane's right. Today, she was wearing a deep purple dress, her graceful figure and beautiful face serene and dignified as she held a teacup.

Originally, all of them should have gone with Hyperia.

But Prane suddenly said he had a plan.

So the four of them stayed.

"Actually, it doesn't matter. If any of us Great Demons chose to help the Princess, the Profane would regard the Princess as a runaway unit and a highly dangerous rebel force on the Great Demon level. Even if the Profane didn't want to go too far, she would have to strike mercilessly."

Antanas was still sitting next to Sinora, her pretty, lively, and neat hair dyed a striking crimson. She was wearing a tight leather hunting outfit, paired with knee-high boots.

Whether the Profane would annihilate the Princess was one thing, but the Great Demon who helped the Princess would be annihilated by the Profane at all costs.

Antanas was very sure of this.

But now, the Princess was just a sixth-tier fleeing demon.

When the Profane saw that all the officials were willing to support her, what threat could the Princess pose?

Keeping the Princess could still open the ancestral land, so the search warrant became "find and protect" the Princess, instead of "kill without mercy."

"The more comfortable we are now, the more relieved the Profane will be."

At this moment, Antanas was lazily leaning on the sofa, shaking the goblet in her hand, the amber liquid reflecting a colorful light.

"I'm still worried about Hyperia..."

The Ice Snow Witch sat on the right sofa on the side, her skin fair as jade, and her silver-white hair shone in the sunlight.

Her eyes were as light as ice-blue, revealing a kind of ethereal and pure temperament, as if an ice and snow elf had descended to earth.

At this moment, she was watching the three Great Demons chatting and laughing, sipping tea and drinking.

This kind of relaxed feeling like a tea party made her not know what to say.

Were they really here to challenge the eighth-tier Shadow World?

The Ice Snow Witch really didn't expect that Prane would suddenly tell them to violate common sense and adopt this "hedonistic" strategy.

"Being in the enemy camp allows us to see the enemy's movements more clearly. By staying here and restricting the other Great Demons, it's more secure."

Prane said to the Ice Snow Witch.

The Profane actually had doubts in her heart as well. Which demons truly believed in her, and which demons were hypocritical.

Having just taken office as Regent, the Profane must now see the situation in Demon King's City Narakaris clearly. It was the moment for her to witness the loyalty of the other Great Demons.

"Prane, you truly deserve to be called an external brain."

Antanas praised.

An unavoidable fierce battle, under Prane's command, had become a tourist vacation.

The few of them, who should have been most loyal to the Princess, had all joined the Profane's side.

When those hesitant demons saw that everyone was supporting the Profane, they had no choice but to take the Profane's side.

When the Profane saw that everyone supported her.

Then this demon realm must already be hers, time to take off.

"Leave the matter of pleasing the Profane to me. I can see when the Profane is in a good mood, what words can make her happy, the current distribution of power in Demon King's City, and provide her with dedicated consulting services."

Although Prane was not omnipotent, within certain limitations, his clairvoyance was almost the eye of omniscience.

"Brother, are you serious?"

Sinora asked.

They felt that Prane was going crazy.

His self-preservation and eagerness didn't seem to be acting.

Sinora understood too well Prane's attitude of "a wise man submits to circumstances." The Profane would definitely take such a Great Demon sage into her service, because ordinary demons could not act out Prane's sincere attitude of surrender.

"The first one to do this was Rocky McCarthy."

Prane stated factually.

"..."

Sinora, Antanas, and the Ice Snow Witch were all silent.

Even if they originally belonged to the Protoss Empire and the Aethertalian Kingdom, they were all very clear about what happened in the Capitol Building.

Back then, Bishop of Annihilation Askesan had been too trusting of the polls, which led to a serious misjudgment of the situation in the end.

From Askesan's perspective, it was simply 100,000 against 800, a guaranteed win.

Rocky McCarthy was also frantically backstabbing in the Protoss Empire, saying in front of people, behind people, on the stage, and off the stage that he was an ironclad fan who supported Askesan. When the words reached Askesan, it made Askesan think that Rocky McCarthy was his die-hard fan.

As a result, McCarthy gave Askesan a big surprise at the most critical moment, leaving Askesan completely clueless.

"You..."

The Ice Snow Witch felt this most obviously. She felt that the three Great Demons had completely changed their attitude and style of doing things after that.

Prane had learned to backstab, Antanas had learned to slack off, and Sinora had also completely turned into a playful little girl.

The Ice Snow Witch didn't know how Talia would evaluate them if she saw the three of them degenerate into this state.