Chapter 1 Night

Night—

The full moon had risen high, and it was the time when brilliant stars twinkled, covering the entire sky.

Northeast of the Kreutzer Empire, Thuringen Province.

As night fell, a magic-powered railcar carrying a group of people slowly entered the city-state's territory.

"This ancient imperial city-state is called Nistro. We'll stay here tonight, and the next train south will be at 10:13 tomorrow morning."

The train stopped at the Nistro Municipal Station. The young miss of the merchant guild and her companions got off the train. The male manager at the front looked at his watch and said.

"Thank you for your trouble."

Hyperion smiled and expressed her gratitude.

Pulanae was worthy of being a former diplomatic minister from the Old Demon Realm, able to arrange everything in an organized manner.

More importantly, these Great Demons possessed anti-reconnaissance abilities from different dimensions. With several Great Demon civil officials protecting them, even the strongest divination and reconnaissance magic would be unable to detect their movements.

"It's just simple little things, no need to be polite."

Pulanae had also been the principal's secretary at the Protos Royal Magic Academy.

These tasks were easy for him.

The group stepped onto the platform and walked out of the station towards the city-state.

Nistro at night was shrouded in a hazy blue tone, with distant spires standing tall, as if paying tribute to the starry sky.

An old-fashioned black imperial vehicle was already waiting on the road outside the station, along with personnel responsible for receiving them.

Because the Kreutzer Empire's land area was too vast, originally formed by the merger of three giants from the Southern Continent many years ago, the area of a single province could be comparable to some countries of the Kingdom United Council Alliance. There were no direct transportation routes between certain provinces, or rather, an entire route had reached its end, requiring transfers at the destination.

Today, after their daytime journey, they had traveled south from the North Glen Province on the northeastern border of the empire to the Thuringen Province, getting much closer to their destination, Brillar, the imperial capital of the Botswana Province.

For safety reasons, they stayed in the mansion belonging to the merchant guild provided by the assisting party, ensuring they could get a relatively peaceful rest.

After Hyperion got into the back seat of the car, the engine emitted a low roar, and they drove towards the depths of the city-state.

"Now that we're here, the atmosphere of war isn't as obvious as it was in Glen Waverly City during the day."

"After all, this is the inland of the Kreutzer Empire."

"It's said that the capital, Brillar, is as prosperous as ever, showing no signs of wartime."

They chatted in the car as the night view of Nistro slowly unfolded outside the window.

Pure white stone buildings stood quietly on both sides of the cobblestone streets, their walls glowing warmly in the moonlight.

Street lamps emitted an orange light, casting a dreamlike color over the alleys.

The vehicle passed through winding streets and came to a quiet residential area.

The vehicle slowly stopped in front of a manor surrounded by tall walnut trees.

"We even get to stay in a villa."

"Of course, but it might not be the same when we get to the capital. We might stay somewhere simpler. We can't stay in a high-profile area there, or rather, we can't afford it with our status."

"I miss Helrom..."

Hyperion got out of the car. The Great Demons behind her occasionally spoke a few words as they stepped onto the cobblestone path in front of the manor.

Colorful roses and myrtles were planted on both sides of the path, and the flowers rustled softly in the night breeze.

The gate of the mansion opened, and they passed through a foyer covered with a red carpet and entered a luxuriously decorated hall. A hand-woven carpet covered the marble floor, and their footsteps made soft sounds on it.

Heavy velvet curtains hung in front of the French windows. Hyperion drew the curtains open and took a deep breath of the fresh night air.

In this peaceful night, she felt an unprecedented sense of calm and tranquility.

"This time, I don't want to rely on your protection anymore."

Hyperion pressed her palm lightly against the glass window, talking to herself.

Even in stories, there's no heroine who's carried through from beginning to end by the male lead without needing to grow at all.

"Hyperion, come take a look at the imperial media channel."

Before Hyperion could sigh for long, Antanas pulled Hyperion back from the window.

"Antanas, how can you be so relaxed?"

Hyperion didn't understand why Antanas had such a good attitude.

This was an unprecedentedly arduous mission.

The real war had begun. They had infiltrated an enemy country, which was many times more dangerous than when they were in the Protos Empire.

"Haven't you noticed that the more you slack off… ah, no, the weaker, more pitiful, and helpless you are, the more the Goddess of Fate will help you arrange for an even more powerful Lance to carry you? You just need to make wishes to the Goddess of Fate every day."

Antanas comforted her.

In her heart, Hyperion was already like the Demon Saintess. As long as she kept praying, she would bring them luck.

"How can you say that!"

Hyperion felt that her piety towards the Goddess of Fate shouldn't be used like this, and she didn't want to win by lying down until the end!

"You're only at the sixth rank. How could you possibly shoulder the responsibility of ending the Kreutzer unrest?"

Antanas touched Hyperion's head, telling her not to feel pressured.

"I've tried my best, I've tried my best, alas, there's no way around it."

Anyway, regardless of whether Hyperion slacked off or not, Antanas only needed to do her part well.

For example, in the upcoming Shadow World, even though Boss Lance might become a victim of the mechanics, Antanas believed that Lance would be able to carry them even if he was weighed down.

"...Don't exhaust Lance."

Hyperion wondered if Lance knew that four more eighth-rank Great Demons would be entering the Shadow World this time.

What if they were separated again at the start? Lance might scratch his head, wondering why the difficulty had increased so much.

In the distance, the city-state's lights flickered, like stars falling into the mortal realm.

The two chatted for a while, and Hyperion was relaxed by the optimistic Antanas, her spirits no longer so tense.

"So Hyperion, the most important thing is to rest well, don't put pressure on yourself. You always worry too much. What you need is someone like Lance who can give you a complete sense of security, even if you become lazy and unmotivated, it doesn't matter. Only in this way can your long-term psychological trauma be healed."

Antanas patted Hyperion's shoulder and said.

She had once been a Demon Realm physician and also provided psychological counseling services.

In Helrom Underground Prison, she watched Lance talk to all the Great Demons and prison wardens, but Lance didn't talk to her much, because her psychology was very healthy and she didn't need Lance's care.

"Can I really relax a bit..."

Hyperion asked hesitantly, glancing at her teacher who had been sitting quietly on the sofa reading a magazine for a long time.

"Hyperion, just treat it as a trip. The Allied mission can be left to us adults. You just need to provide cover for us."

The Ice Witch said without looking up, still flipping through the pages of the book elegantly and slowly.

"Antanas is right. What you should be doing now is treating this place as your own home in Ikerite, and learn how to naturally integrate into the Kreutzer Empire. For example, leisure and entertainment can sometimes be a good way to obtain information."

She taught.

The Ice Witch was very clear about Hyperion's abilities.

The last time she gave Hyperion the mission to infiltrate Helrom was already Hyperion's limit.

This trip to the Kreutzer Empire was actually her, Almis's, mission. Hyperion was only assisting. It would be too difficult for the child to shoulder the burden of responsibility.

Moreover.

Out of a little selfishness, the Ice Witch also wanted to investigate in Brillar, the capital of Kreutzer, whether there would be any traces of *that* *man*.

There was a mysterious Cardinal whose whereabouts coincided highly with Loren from beginning to end. Some time ago, many unscrupulous media outlets began to suspect that Loren was the Cardinal, even fabricating stories, saying that the last Cardinal of the Resurrection Church was a man shrouded in a storm.

It was not until Loren died in battle some time ago that this conjecture was debunked.

Perhaps it was the last bit of luck that made Almis unable to tell whether she was hoping or afraid.

Surely… Loren wouldn't be in Brillar right now, would he?

"I see."

Hyperion nodded thoughtfully.

"Quick, see if there are any good programs."

Antanas leaned back and jumped onto the sofa. The moment she made contact, her whole body almost sank into the soft sofa.

Hyperion also imitated her and sat next to her.

Pulanae and Xinora were making dinner.

One was cooking, and the other was cutting vegetables.

The crystal screen in the living room switched channels under Hyperion's remote control.

It didn't stop until a while later.

It seemed that this channel had content that was more attractive to her.

The crystal screen was playing a program preview.

[The Brillar Opera House's *Holy War Romance* will be broadcast live at 8:00 PM.]

[The first special performance content will be publicly screened. Please stay tuned to the Brillar Arts Channel.]

[There are still 17 minutes and 34 seconds until it starts...]

"Isn't this the novel I gave you last time?"

The Ice Witch sat on a single sofa on the side, looked up at the screen, and then looked at Hyperion.

She remembered that she was the one who took this book from the bookshelf and gave it to Hyperion to pass the time on the way from the Essedellan Kingdom to the Protos Empire.

Unexpectedly, more than half a year later, she could see its stage play version in the Southern Continent.

"Hyperion gave this book to Talia again, and it almost caused an accident..."

Antanas said excitedly and carelessly, turning her head. Before she could finish, Hyperion covered her mouth from behind.

"What?"

The Ice Witch looked at Antanas and Hyperion in confusion.

"It's nothing, what kind of accident can a book cause!"

Hyperion said with a laugh, covering Antanas's mouth more tightly.

She cared about Talia's face more than anyone else.

The fact that Tata held a knife to Lance's neck and asked Lance to read some very embarrassing scripts that day must not be known to more demons!

"..."

The Ice Witch didn't care too much. In her impression, Talia had always been stable and upright, and probably didn't have much interest in this kind of reading material. Antanas often exaggerated when telling gossip, so there was nothing to be alarmed about.

"Then I want to see what the level of the Kreutzer Empire's live-action stage play is."

She picked up her teacup, took a sip, and muttered to herself.

During the Sero Empire, a group of wealthy Sero people created the Brillar Opera House, which was originally located in the bustling area of the Brillar city-state. In 1662, the opera house moved to its current location in the center of Brillar, the capital of the Kreutzer Empire. The new building was designed by the famous architect Ulti Stezzini.

After more than a hundred years of development, the Brillar Opera House has become one of the most prestigious landmarks in the southern part of the Southern Continent.

For example, the Osseta Duke's Square Brillar First Station, located in the suburbs, was also designed by the half-demon imperial craftsman Ulti Stezzini. Due to the renovation and municipal planning issues at the time, it took many years to complete and put into use.

Judging from the architecture alone, Almis was quite fond of the Brillar Opera House.

Although she lived in the Northern Continent all year round, she lived in the southern coast of the Northern Continent near the sea, making it quite convenient to come to the Southern Continent. She would occasionally cross the sea for official business, and had some knowledge of the astronomy, geography, and history of the Southern Continent.

"I'm getting a little excited too."

Hyperion said to Antanas, looking at the countdown on the screen.

She had read the original version of the book.

The success of this book today is due to every legitimate reader like her, who can be said to be veteran figures.

The stage play will definitely be adapted to a certain extent, but adaptation is not random, and joking is not nonsense. She will arrest any flaws in the stage performance.

"It is said that the top imperial director Abigail is in charge of production, the entire Brillar Opera House is a professional team, and the actors have undergone hundreds of hours of rehearsal. The previous performances have been successful, so there should be no stage accidents in this public performance, and the performance effect will definitely be great."

Antanas pulled out a magazine from under the coffee table, flipped through it, found relevant information, and told them about it.

"Won't the actors be too tired?"

Hyperion looked at the time when the project started and felt that the director named Abigail might be too strict with the leading actors.

"Professional actors shouldn't be. If it really doesn't work, the director will definitely contact friends to call for substitutes, and there should always be backup plans. This is a public performance."

Antanas didn't think so.

"What is it?"

Xinora walked over with a plate of cut fruit and placed it on the coffee table in front of the sofa where they were sitting, noticing that they were chatting enthusiastically.

"It's that *So Cute I Want to Eat You*, you and Pulanae should come and watch it quickly after you finish cooking."

Antanas introduced succinctly.

If she said *Holy War Romance*, Xinora might have to think about which book it was, because Xinora had read too many books, but if she said *So Cute I Want to Eat You*, Xinora would instantly know what it was.

Pulanae glanced at this side from behind the island counter.

"Oh oh, I'll be right there!"

Xinora nodded and trotted back to the kitchen behind the living room.

Gathering in front of the screen with friends to eat dinner and watch this performance that goes well with food will definitely be a wonderful night!

(End of this chapter)