Chapter 182: The Demon King's Eyes and Ears are Everywhere

At this very moment, Suoke Duo did not know that the truth was even more terrifying than he had imagined.

The Demon King's influence had not only infiltrated Yinsong Town, but even the famous Trident Knights had hidden "eyes and ears" of the Demon King, though most people in the Principality of Campbell were completely unaware of it.

Just as the caravan party was finally converted by the respected Priest Ma Te, untied their boss, and left the church, Charles, far away at the Trident Knights' station in Lei Ming City, was pacing back and forth in a room at the top of a tower, pondering repeatedly.

Since the Mist of Deception dissipated, a glimmer of peace had finally emerged behind the haze of war that had lingered over Lei Ming County for hundreds of years.

Taking the opportunity of joining forces with the Demon King's army to deal with Chaos, they not only formulated rules of engagement like never before but also limited the scope of the war to a limited area of the labyrinth.

Both sides minded their own business, and the Demon King's army indeed never invaded the villages on the surface again.

However, good times didn't last long.

The respected Princess Ailin Campbell didn't come early or late, but at the very moment when all the chaos had subsided, she set foot on this land with the "Light of Eulogy" she inherited from the former Grand Duke.

If she were here for tourism, that would be fine, but the fear was that she wanted to achieve great things with the sword bestowed upon her by her father.

The ambitions of all the royalty and nobility in this world ultimately ended at the cost of the destruction of countless ordinary families.

There was almost no exception to this in the history of the Aosi Continent.

The subjects of the Principality of Campbell needed to recuperate, especially with the threat of Chaos imminent; they could no longer afford the price of another great war.

Charles didn't know what thoughts she had come here with, and could only pray that she would not hold the childish idea of "crusading against the Demon King to prove she was worthy of the artifact in her hand."

In addition, compared to Princess Ailin's intentions, there was another thing that worried him more, and that was that her arrival had stimulated the Demon King in the labyrinth.

The Demon Kings of Lei Ming County throughout history had all been killed by the "Light of Eulogy," to the point that the weapon had even earned the reputation of "Demon Bane."

If Luo Yan interpreted the arrival of the "Light of Eulogy" as a breaking of the tacit understanding, then all the sacrifices and efforts he had made for the peace of Lei Ming County would turn into bubbles.

Before figuring out Princess Ailin's intentions, he had to appease the Demon King's emotions first.

"... Saint Xisi above, please forgive me, and please believe me, this is not for my own selfish desires, but for the thousands of common people in Lei Ming County. Defeating one Demon King will not completely end Hell, it will only make demons step onto this land again and again... the people here have had enough of endless death..."

After much hesitation, Charles finally made that decision that went against his ancestors, walked to the wooden table by the window, sat down, and began to write seriously with pen and paper.

【Respected Demon King, Ruler of the Necropolis:

Recently, the surface has been precarious and full of turmoil. Not just Lei Ming City, but the entire Principality of Campbell is in a troubled time. I wonder if you, far away in the underground world, are doing well?

The reason I am writing this letter is, first, to greet you, and second, to inform you about the change in the high-level power of the Principality of Campbell.

I presume you have already heard the news that Grand Duke Aaron Campbell has passed away.

Currently, the position of Grand Duke of the Principality of Campbell has been inherited by his eldest son, Edward Campbell. However, for some reason, he did not pass on the Campbell family's ancestral "Light of Eulogy" to his eldest son, but gave it to his beloved daughter, Princess Ailin.

I cannot speculate on Grand Duke Aaron Campbell's intentions. Perhaps he received a divine decree on his deathbed, perhaps he made a moment of confusion, but in either case, I can assure you that at least his eldest son, Edward Campbell, is an enlightened person.

The Principality of Campbell led by him has no military ambitions, and we have no intention of provoking new disputes.

As for Princess Ailin's arrival, that was not Grand Duke Edward's order, but out of her own will... we have absolutely no intention of provoking you.

I hope our tacit understanding is still valid, and I hope you can understand our difficulties.

—Charles, a comrade-in-arms who once fought side-by-side with you to defeat Nuo Weier of the Mist of Deception】

Charles stopped his pen, read the letter over and over, confirmed that the wording was appropriate, and then rolled it up and stuffed it into a copper tube the size of a coin.

After doing these things, he got up and walked to the window, knocking three times on the wooden windowsill with his knuckles.

After a moment of waiting, a bat flapped its wings and landed on the windowsill, a pair of round eyes staring at his eyes, and then it kicked out a leg casually.

Charles carefully tied the letter to its leg, then reached out his index finger and touched its head.

The bat flapped its wings, pushed his hand away, and then flapped its wings to take off, darting into the gradually deepening night amidst a "fluttering" sound.

Charles watched its figure disappear into the distance, and after a long time, made a cross on his chest to pray.

May the Holy Light protect the people of Lei Ming City...

The corruption of the Necropolis was spreading at every moment, and those shrouded in the corruption were completely unaware of it.

But compared to the corruption of money, that bit of corruption from the undead was nothing at all...

In the wealthy district of Lei Ming City, in a manor located in the core area, a harpy knight statue looked down at the magnificent street like a hound with sharp eyes, using its sharp claws to guard the marble gate behind it, which was printed with exquisite relief patterns.

There were almost no pedestrians in front of that gorgeous gate, only occasionally would a carriage pass by.

However, on this street that needed the least lighting, the densest streetlights in all of Lei Ming City were gathered, with one every ten or twenty steps, and even the pitch-black steel lamp posts were engraved with magnificent and elegant patterns.

Due to the unique environment and good public security and cultural atmosphere, the entire district could be said to be the place with the most expensive housing prices in all of Lei Ming City.

The people who lived here were either rich or noble.

Their identities were either nobles around Lei Ming City, wealthy merchants with big businesses in the colonies, or captains with a dozen ships, with a net worth of at least nine figures.

Being able to exclusively enjoy a large piece of land surrounded by so many prominent people was enough to set off the value of this manor and the extraordinary identity of the owner of this manor.

And the facts were indeed so.

This manor was the property of the Andes family.

As the uncrowned king of Lei Ming City, the Andes family's tentacles spread throughout every industry in the city, from the City Hall to the Underground Street, everywhere was filled with their eyes and ears, and this "silent rule" had lasted for hundreds of years.

It was no exaggeration to say that Lin Te Isaac created Lei Ming City, but the Andes family was the one who truly made this city great.

And the most remarkable thing was that they possessed not only the glory of the past but also held the future in their hands at all times.

Not long ago, the new Grand Duke of the Principality of Campbell had just met his subjects here, and now Princess Ailin, the younger sister of the Grand Duke of Campbell, was also invited to stay here after visiting Lei Ming City.

Honestly, as a princess of the Principality of Campbell, although Ailin had been strictly educated since childhood and lived a self-disciplined life under her father's strict discipline, she still lived in a castle after all, and luxury and wealth were still indispensable.

However, even so, when she moved into this manor, she was still fiercely shocked by the extravagance here.

Here, gold seemed to be the most worthless embellishment, and all kinds of rare objects were piled up in every space here as if they didn't cost money, just to add a little bit of icing on the cake to the magnificence.

Here, even the most inconspicuous high stool was made with velvet lining and sewn with gold thread patterns.

And this wasn't the most exaggerated part.

What made Ailin feel most incredible was that even the gardeners who took care of the garden, the grooms who raised horses, and even the servants in the kitchen wore uniforms made of silk.

And the faces and temperaments of those servants didn't look like servants at all, but rather like nobles who had received court etiquette education since childhood, so much so that she couldn't help but subconsciously ask for their surnames several times.

Compared to here, Campbell Castle was simply a big prison built in a big farm village!

And she finally understood why her father was so jealous of the people here when he was alive, always wanting to increase the taxes here for no reason.

Although he never admitted that it was jealousy, as a daughter, she could still keenly see this point in his eyes.

Even the famous Grand Duke Aaron Campbell had envied the wealth possessed by secular people.

Even including her brother, Grand Duke Edward, he also envied the people here from the bottom of his heart, it was just that the way he expressed it was a little different from her father.

Pursuing a better life was never a bad thing.

She could see that her brother truly wanted to make the Principality of Campbell better, surpassing her father's achievements on the foundation laid by her father.

And she also hoped that she could help him, at least share some of the burden on him.

!.

Perhaps this would make her two brothers remember that they were a family...

Dressing room.

A sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl was sitting in front of the mirror, changing her dress under the service of several maids, preparing for the upcoming banquet.

That long golden hair was like flowing sunlight, naturally falling on her slender shoulders and waist. Her cheeks, lightly powdered, were like roses just blooming, and her fair and delicate skin was like mutton-fat jade, setting off the diamond necklace as bright as starlight on her neck.

Looking at the dress woven with gold and ivory white in the mirror, a satisfied and charming smile appeared on Ailin's face. She jumped off the high stool and lifted her skirt to spin around.

Everyone loves beauty, and she was naturally no exception.

Although she shouldered the mission bestowed by the Light of Eulogy, she was only a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl after all, having just completed her coming-of-age ceremony not long ago.

Watching the Princess spinning in the mirror, a maid standing on the side offered a compliment from the bottom of her heart in an elegant and appropriate tone.

"It's truly too beautiful, Your Highness, you will definitely be the brightest star at the banquet."

"Thank you, I think so too," Ailin curled her lips, a trace of smugness written on her face, and said in a pleasant voice, "It's also thanks to your eye for finding this dress for me from the wardrobe."

"Your Highness is too modest, you look good in everything, I just chose the one that best suits your mood today."

"In addition, the carriage is already waiting in front of the door, please allow me to take my leave for now... If you have any other needs, please feel free to ring the bell to call us."

While saying these words, the maid nodded slightly and exited the dressing room with the other servants beside her.

"Is it a bit too flamboyant... I mean me." Watching the servants finally leave, Teresa, sitting on a high stool on the other side of the room, twisted her body and said uneasily.

Unlike Ailin, her figure was the kind that could be seen at a glance that she had practiced, and where there should be muscles, they were solid muscles.

It was precisely because of this that when she put on this water-blue evening dress, she felt awkward no matter what posture she struck.

Especially that corset.

She was afraid that if she exerted a little force, the abdominal muscles on her stomach would snap it.

Actually, Teresa wasn't worried about losing face; her honor was only in her sword, and she didn't care about the evaluation of outsiders.

However, seeing Princess Ailin attach so much importance to tonight's banquet, she couldn't help but worry, worried that she would make her look ugly.

Watching Teresa, who looked embarrassed, Ailin couldn't help but laugh out loud, and comforted her in a light and pleasant voice.

"How could that be? It clearly suits you very well."

This was the first time she had seen such an embarrassed expression on Teresa's face, and she couldn't help but feel it was fresh, even wanting to film it with a recording crystal.

Watching the Princess comforting her, Teresa smiled bitterly and said.

"Thank you... but I still prefer to wear looser clothes. These extra ribbons always make me feel like I've been tied up by the enemy."

"Then just pretend you've been captured by me," Ailin blinked her bright eyes and said playfully, "Can I trouble you to suffer for a few hours?"

"No problem... as long as it's your order, I will go through fire and water without hesitation. This little thing is not worth mentioning, compared to life and death on the battlefield, it's nothing." Placing her fist on her chest, Teresa said with a solemn expression, although the slightly twitching corner of her mouth was completely unlike the ease she said.

Ailin sighed lightly and said in a voice with a hint of apology.

"Teresa, I know this is not easy, but we still have to try to integrate into the locals. Only in this way can we gain their support from the bottom of their hearts."

"Yes, Your Highness." Getting up from the high stool, Teresa said with awe.

"No need to be so serious, we are going to attend a banquet, not to crusade against the Demon King in the labyrinth."

Watching Teresa, who looked serious, Ailin made a joke, then changed her tone and continued.

"And don't you think it's interesting to change your lifestyle occasionally?"

Watching the eager Princess, the tense facial muscles of Teresa finally relaxed into a rare smile.

That wasn't because of any profound reason, but because she had seen another side of this Princess that she hadn't seen for a long time.

That was something from childhood.

At that time, she held the wooden sword used for practice for the first time, began to try to learn sword skills she had never touched before, and her face also had this eager expression, her eyes full of curiosity about new things, as well as pure innocence and enthusiasm.

Teresa hadn't seen such an expression on her face for too long.

I don't know when it started, but this young Princess always tried to show a mature side, but such an expression didn't actually suit her.

Teresa looked at her with a smile and said.

"As long as you are happy." ===== CHAPTER 183 =====