Chapter 146: There’s No Need to Kneel When Greeting Her Highness, You Know!

​“It happened just outside the Border Wall, to be precise.”

​Iresha had fully expected to take on this mission by herself, but to her surprise, Lin Wei showed an unexpected spark of interest.

​Not missing his subtle shift, Iresha’s eyes seemed to brighten. She leaned in closer, words spilling out in a hush edged with suppressed excitement.

​“Here’s what happened: not long ago, two villages near the Border Wall—close to the Northern Countries—were harassed by demons.”

​“The Imperial Guard made it there in time and managed to drive them off, but as per protocol, the Adventurers’ Guild is still sending people to investigate the scene.”

​“Since we’re waiting around anyway for their arrival, taking on a commission like this is really just to pass the time. ...Wait, are you actually interested?”

​But it wasn’t interest—not in the way she thought. Lin Wei couldn’t shake the feeling that something about this assignment was off.

​With Iresha’s curious gaze fixed on him, he rested his chin on his hand, falling silent, lost in thought.

​According to the Empire’s latest military reports, their legions were already stationed at the Northern Fortress. The Northern Countries were still unstable—random demon raids now and then weren’t exactly unheard of. Still, this was the Empire’s border. It had been two full years since the demons’ armies had pulled back.

​Stragglers or not, scattered demon bands shouldn’t have made it this far inside.

​Unless... unless these were the demons allied with Duke Ous?

​“Where exactly were these villages attacked by demons?” he asked.

​Iresha blinked at his sudden seriousness, caught off guard. Before she could respond, he explained, voice level and matter-of-fact:

​“As someone from the Northern Countries, I hate demons more than anyone.”

​“If trouble’s brewing this deep within Imperial territory, then I have to see it for myself—no exceptions.”

​“That’s perfect! Honestly, I was thinking the exact same thing!”

​The confusion disappeared from her face, replaced by a dazzling smile.

​Iresha nodded enthusiastically. When it came to dealing with demons, there could be no daylight between them.

​“That’s why I took on this commission in the first place,” she went on. “I mean, demons shouldn’t be popping up this close to the Empire’s borders. But if, by some chance, we run into them… I’ll use every spell I have to wipe them all out, no holding back. Not one gets away.”

​She grinned, leaning closer in the sudden warmth of shared intent. “You know, rural folks really are all alike in the Northern Countries! You’re exactly the sort of person I get along with.”

​Wait—so just because we’re both from the Northern Countries, we’ll get along?

​Lin Wei blinked, then recalled something else she’d let slip a moment ago. “Hold on… Didn’t you mention before that you’re a princess?”

​He studied her, a trace of realization flickering in his mind.

​So—she wasn’t from the Empire after all?

​“Hah! Caught you off guard, didn’t I?”

​With an artful toss of her head, she shot him a sly, self-assured glance.

​Her features were fine and sharply defined—beneath the shifting light, there was a hint of rare, almost regal beauty.

​A small, satisfied smirk played at her lips as Iresha dipped into a subtle curtsy, executed with the effortless poise of royal courts.

​Her voice shifted, suddenly lofty with playful formality—it was hard to believe this was the same woman who’d seemed so approachable a moment earlier.

​“My full name is Iresha Aurellian,” she declared. “Pleased to meet you, Lin Wei, adventurer from the countryside. And relax—there’s no need to kneel and pay respects to a princess!”

​Aurellian?

​Where had he heard that name before?

​Ah… That’s right. He’d come across it while searching through old demon archives.

​Now, standing before Iresha—radiant in her self-appointed regality—a thread of recollection stirred in Lin Wei’s mind.

​A mid-sized kingdom, famous for its wealth, nestled at the eastern rim of the northern nations.

​From the tallest tower in the capital, you could look across the horizon and see where the silver sea met the sky, veiled in shimmering mist—a miracle to mortal eyes, beauty made manifest.

​That place had been called the Silver Harbor Kingdom.

​But more than a decade ago, demons had wiped it from the map. Gone without a trace.

​Unbelievable.

​Why did it seem that strange debts kept finding their way to him out of thin air?

​“Like hell I’m kneeling to you.”

​Lin Wei lazily smacked Iresha on the back of the head.

​Still, it was what it was. As long as he guarded his own secret—that he was the Demon Lord—none of these so-called debts would ever come back to haunt him.

​“So, where is it? I’ll come check it out with you.”

​“Hey! That’s so rude!”

​Miss Iresha huffed, rubbing the back of her head with mock indignation.

​But her garnet eyes danced with laughter, and though a smile threatened to break across her lips, Lin Wei could tell she wasn’t the least bit angry.

​Half an hour later.

​Lin Wei and Iresha sat side-by-side in the back of a carriage as they arrived at last.

​He could easily have used a Flight spell and soared them swiftly over the land, but that would only draw attention. Discretion, sometimes, truly was the better part of valor.

​Peering through the carriage window at the humble village, Lin Wei scanned the scene with measured curiosity, his magic flowing quietly around him—seeking, sensing.

​“So… this is it?” he murmured.

​It was utterly unremarkable—just like a thousand other villages scattered across the Empire: a single main road, poorly kept, running from the entrance straight to the far side. Along either edge stood the core buildings and a few run-down shops; beyond them, homes were scattered widely apart, leaving plenty of barren ground in between.

​Yet something felt deeply, indescribably wrong.

​The aftermath of fire stained nearly a third of the buildings—blackened beams, crumbling walls, half-collapsed rooftops. Char and ashen earth marked broad swathes of ground, laid waste by whatever inferno had swept through. Soldiers were everywhere, weapons drawn, and men and women in a medley of uniforms moved with grim purpose between the ruins—tending to the wounded, keeping uneasy watch.

​Pained moans floated out from a makeshift field hospital set up under shattered awnings. Somewhere close, muffled sobbing rose and fell, and the air hung heavy with the stinging stench of blood. The chaos left in the wake of violence still clung to the village, leaving nerves frayed, spirits raw.

​“Hey! Who are you people?” someone shouted.

​A pair of guards in battered breastplates turned toward them, hands tightening instinctively on their spears. It was no wonder—next to the locals’ roughspun clothing, Lin Wei and Iresha’s unfamiliar garb might as well have been a beacon.

​The lead guard’s eyes narrowed with suspicion as he advanced, posture wary, his gaze flicking over their faces with open caution.

​“We’re here on commission from the Adventurers’ Guild,” Iresha replied, holding up her official writ. “We were sent to investigate the reports of demonic activity.”

​She’d spent long enough among the Hero’s Party for tragedy like this to be painfully familiar.

​But here, in the heart of the Empire, facing an actual demon army—this was new.

​Forcing down the flare of anger that threatened her composure, Iresha drew a steadying breath. She passed over the writ as the guard scrutinized it, struggling to keep her voice even.

​“What happened here, exactly?” she pressed. “Has the Holy See sent any of its priests? Why are there so many wounded left unattended?”

​All around her, people groaned in pain within the tents. Some lay motionless beneath ragged shrouds, never to rise again.

​The scene yanked Iresha back to that day—the fall of her capital beneath a tide of demons.

​Was this truly the demons’ work?

​She’d never been able to convince herself.

​But now, looking out over this devastation, she saw their mark as clearly as if it were branded in flesh.

​“The local lord is tending to the wounded,” the guard replied brusquely, at last returning her writ. “We’re just guards from the nearby towns, sent here as reinforcements.”

​Certain now of their credentials, he continued.

​“But since you’re adventurers, let me give you some advice: don’t stick your noses where they don’t belong. The lord here’s got friends in high places in the Imperial Capital.”

​“In any case, go on with your investigation. Just do us all a favor: don’t bother the townsfolk assembled in the main square.”

​“Oh? Some kind of event being held there?”

​The local lord has allies in the Imperial Capital?

​Lin Wei’s magic pulsed, faint threads picking up the crowd in the main square.

​He raised an eyebrow, curiosity pricked—so it wasn’t what he’d expected.

​The guard’s answer took him by surprise.

​“The lord’s men are here to collect taxes.”