Chapter 82
Denos looked at the neatly arranged items in front of him and felt a chill run down his spine, causing him to shiver uncontrollably.
Logically, this shouldn't be the case, because there are beautiful girls in front of him. Perfect girls, without a single flaw, lined up neatly. He shouldn't be terrified as he walks past them.
However, if it's all the same face, and it's a face you've seen before, it becomes quite terrifying.
That was Lady's face; aside from the face, it was almost identical. Perhaps only the hairstyle was different; everyone here wore their hair in high ponytails for ease of movement.
Each person held a weapon in their hand: a metal musket and standard melee equipment at their waist.
It's practically fair to say these guys are all cut from the same mold, with identical people standing on both sides. It would be a lie to say I don't care.
Not far away, the wizard he was supposed to protect was being led by a group of people, inspecting the materials he needed one by one. He had no right to inquire about the specific details. Deedri and he were both idle at the moment, so they could only look around nearby.
“I’m starting to get a little concerned about that child,” Deedrey murmured beside her. “This scene is really bizarre.”
“Ark should be fine following her. I just want to know where these guys came from,” Denos replied softly.
"These? You mean those alchemical dolls at the entrance? Those are the new alchemical doll design currently being used in the palace, adopted just three months ago. What you see is still in the testing phase; it hasn't been officially put into use yet. If there are no problems, the scale will be at least ten times larger."
Suddenly, they heard voices behind them. The two of them froze, slowly turning their heads to see a boy smiling at them.
Calling him a boy is a bit too young, but he looks like he's just reached adulthood. He's more like a young man. But such a young man shouldn't be here; he's wearing a simple cloth robe, completely out of place with the steampunk art style around him.
“My lord, I happen to have something to discuss with you.” Natara’s voice came from behind.
This really panicked the two guys.
The titles for patrons are generally similar to those for kings or city lords. They are typically used to address the highest-ranking person in a region, as a sign of respect. Another meaning is that one is merely residing here temporarily and does not belong to the patron.
“Natara, would you like a cup of tea?” He didn’t explain further to the two men, but instead smiled at the wizard standing there checking the materials.
“No need. The black flowers I’ve been making lately have quality issues. My technique is fine; it must be a problem with the materials.” She turned to look at him and said, “Your magic has a problem; it’s not as pure as it used to be.”
They really showed no respect whatsoever, and questioning him in public made the guy's expression twitch.
However, he really couldn't do anything about this woman. She was the most renowned wizard in the city, and only she currently had the ability to deal with corruption without the help of clergy. Moreover, she had connections with people sent by the church, and if he really showed any inappropriate behavior, things could get very complicated.
In other words, he's a capable guy with powerful backers, so it's natural to speak to him with a lot of confidence.
"Please come with me to the private room to discuss this matter in detail," the patron said patiently.
“Okay, but you have to allow me to bring guards. Look, those two.” Natara pointed to the two men standing there.
Dedeline and Denos exchanged a glance, then stood up straight at the same time, their expressions becoming serious.
The young child frowned: "Can you guarantee that you won't leak the contents of our conversation?"
“We’ll cover our hearing,” Denos said. “We’ll just stand in the back; we won’t hear anything.”
"That would be best." The protector paused, then clapped his hands. Three puppets walked over from the side.
"Take them to the reception room first. I have something to attend to and will be back in a bit." He smiled again and said, "Tea and refreshments have been prepared there, and I'll be back soon."
Then he waved his hand, and in an instant, he disappeared from the spot.
“What is that…?” Denos swallowed hard.
“The Demon, he’s quite a powerful guy. I don’t know anyone who can stand up to him.” Natara walked over and lowered her voice, saying, “But he publicly claims to be a normal human being, while privately he has already bowed down to the church and gained its recognition.”
“Unlike Lori, he’s a fully grown-up guy,” Denos said after a moment’s thought. “I just don’t know if he has the power of a Demon King.”
“Who knows, becoming a demon king would make his magic impure. I’d rather that guy never improves at all.” Natara said frankly, “Even if he becomes a demon king, he wouldn’t dare to be an enemy of the church.”
"By the way, what element is this demon?"
"I don't know, I really don't know. It wouldn't do me any good to know about this kind of thing."
"That's true."
......
The protector sat in the chair, looking at the child sitting opposite him.
This is Lori, trembling there, her eyes filled with terror.
Crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and precious items that could be used as gemstones are casually used for decoration. The walls are carved with exquisite patterns, and every detail speaks of the owner's immense wealth.
This was an enormous room. In a world where large-scale architecture was rare, such a large reception room was practically a fantasy. Even royalty wouldn't dare to build something like this, lest it incite public discontent.
It was still relatively quiet. She held a cup full of hot water in both hands, and was covered with a thick fur coat. The finest horses and tea were there, and she sat there as docile as a porcelain doll.
“We mean you no harm.” He tried to make his voice sound gentle as he smiled at the child sitting there. “You are the child that Flavos acknowledges, a demon. I am a demon too, and I want to protect you.”
“But I’ve already found a place where I can be safe.” Lori looked up at him earnestly and said, “I’m safe with Carl, and I want to go back.”
“That’s a priest, a high-ranking clergyman.” The protector frowned and said, “Do you really think he can protect you?”
“He’s a really, really good person, so he…” Lori tried to explain to Carl.
“It’s precisely because he’s a good person that I don’t think that guy will protect you. He’s a servant of God, and his duty is to deal with us.” He looked at Lori and said, “You’ll get into trouble sooner or later if you stay with him, but it’s different here. We’ll hide you. The church doesn’t want to have a direct confrontation with us, so you’ll be safe.”
Lori didn't say anything more, she just sipped her tea.
It's precisely because they are good people that you can't follow them, because they are too upright. Too upright, so upright that they won't tolerate a demon. Even a good child should follow an evil person.
It's ironic that only wicked people can tolerate her. She can only find peace by turning to evil; even if she wanted to be virtuous, she would need to taint herself with darkness.
"In short, I hope you can stay." The protector paused and said, "Besides you and me, there is a demon here. You should go and rest there first."
"I want to go back."
“I’m sorry, but this won’t do.” He clapped his hands, and Lori felt as if the things in front of her had suddenly changed.
She found herself in a strange space, a room similar to the one she had just been in, only the person in front of her had changed.
"Good evening, lovely girl." The man in the wheelchair said with a smile, "I'm Apaly. It seems that guy wants you to spend the night with me here. Don't worry, there's nothing I can do for you, just get some rest."
Lori stared blankly at the guy, realizing that he was a girl not much older than herself.
She sat there motionless, only her head swaying slightly.
Instead of her taking action, a liquid-like golden crow sphere next to her extended its tentacles to take care of the person sitting in the wheelchair.
He seemed like a useless person who couldn't even take care of himself, but for some reason, I always felt that this guy was dangerous. Very dangerous, even more unsettling than that guy.
"If you don't mind, you can rest there, don't worry. He just wants you to stay here until he has to leave, then I'll show you around."
"I told you I don't want to stay here!" Lori finally snapped, lifting herself up from her chair and glaring at her angrily. "I want to go back to Carl!"
“Karl? He’s a priest, right? Did you come with Ark?” Apari completely ignored her angry expression and said in Mans’s opinion, “There’s another demon in Ark’s party.”
"Do you know Ark?"
“Why do you think I’m in a wheelchair?” Aparie suddenly laughed, looking at her and saying, “If it weren’t for that guy, at least I could still wear pretty clothes and dance with you.”
Then, she looked at Lori and gave a wheezing sigh.
Because of this small movement, Lori felt as if she were frozen, unable to move an inch.
“I don’t want to see you die because of that priest. Demons and priests together can only end in tragedy, there are no other outcomes. This world is vast, there are many places that can accommodate you.” The malleable metal sphere suddenly transformed into human form, lifted her from the wheelchair, and attached itself to her. Then, Apari seemed to have fully recovered, tried to take a few steps, and touched Lori’s face.
Although she moves like a puppet, at least she can stand up from her wheelchair temporarily.
"Why do you have to interfere in my affairs?" Lori said, tears welling up in her eyes. "Why do you have to meddle in my business? Can't you let me make some choices?"
That's how it is with everyone; no one asked for her opinion from the beginning. It's as if what she said has no value whatsoever.
But she could only listen to what others said; everyone wanted her to gain something, and no one would consider things from her perspective.
At first, I thought only the clergy and demon hunters were like this, but these two demons were the same. Although they were of the same race, they had no intention of understanding her at all. These two guys were trying to get her involved in the city's mechanisms under the pretense of experience and being kind to her.
It's easy to understand, since demons are important units within the church and among demons. Especially a child like Lori, everyone would think that this person could be useful to them.
She hasn't developed her power yet, and there are too many people who can deal with her. Even the two demons here, who are already completely familiar with her, can leave her powerless.
After a long while, Lori's pupils slowly dimmed, and she nodded.
"I see."
Then the unknown substance that had bound her disappeared, and she sat silently on the edge of the bed.
“The bathing facilities are in the room next door, and everything you need for living is here. Don’t worry, you will definitely live better here than anywhere else. We won’t mistreat you.” Apari seemed very happy. She patted the child’s head and picked up a cup of tea from the table, drinking it all in one gulp.
Lori nodded, got up to take a shower, and then went back to sleep.
She has accepted reality; she is indeed a sought-after commodity.
Unable to put up any resistance, I could only stay here.
Well, let's just accept it then. What else can we do? It's really nice here. The food is delicious, and the clothes look like they've prepared some good things.
But things have changed; she's all alone now. Here, she's still a protected child, but the purpose is completely different. These people want her to bring them benefits, while the person who was truly good to her is nowhere to be found.
Perhaps he hasn't even noticed his departure yet, after all, less than ten minutes have passed since he left. If he had spoken a few more words with Ghost Duke, he probably wouldn't have seen the empty bed by now.
Of course, if she knew that guy had already caused a huge uproar in the city, she would definitely feel differently and wouldn't obediently give in.
This place, which had been peaceful for who knows how long, has become noisy again starting tonight. Because in the city, a priest who has suddenly gone mad has turned the streets and buildings into a complete mess.
The reason was a demon. A priest was outside, completely disregarding his role as the church's representative, and was roaring as he carried half a metal train along the road, smashing anyone who tried to stop him into pieces.
Perhaps it is true that the church has given this city too much freedom. It is so free that some people always want to do dangerous things.
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