Upon their return, Aurora briefly explained the “Three Flag Challenge” to the group and asked for their opinions.
“Hahaha, I didn’t realize there was such a tradition. If I had known sooner, we wouldn’t have had to go through all this trouble. Solving things with force is always the simplest way.”
Lockes rubbed his hands together. He felt that as a Vampire, he hadn’t yet fully tapped into his potential, but dealing with those humans would be more than easy.
Lockes naturally agreed with the approach. Aurora nodded and then looked toward Qiaolin.
“Mr. Qiaolin, what do you think?”
“The Bartans value tradition, so they likely won’t go back on their word. However, do not underestimate their determination to use any means necessary to achieve their goals.”
Qiaolin then turned to Loki.
“If any complications arise, please prioritize the safety of Lin City. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“That won’t do. I’ll definitely look after you first. After all, protecting one person is much easier than guarding a whole city,” Loki said with a mischievous smile.
“Hey! You’re getting worse at reading the room! Since we can defeat them through this challenge, there’s no way Lin City will be invaded! As long as that legion doesn’t have a King-level powerhouse, no one can threaten the two of us.”
Hearing this, Aurora’s expression relaxed slightly.
It was true—Lockes and Loki were the most promising geniuses of the current Demon Race.
Even among those of the same rank, they rarely met their match.
Two wins out of three—it didn’t sound difficult.
However, Loki’s next words caught her completely off guard.
“I won’t be participating in any ‘Three Flag Challenge.’ I’m not a resident of Lin City. I belong to the Demon King’s Castle. If I involve myself blindly, it will only break the rules.”
Loki casually twirled her hair as she spoke.
“What?! I’m also from the Demon King’s Castle. Does that mean I can’t participate either?”
Lockes asked in surprise.
“Aren’t you Miss Aurora’s bodyguard? You’ve been by her side for so many years; you’re practically a part of this place.”
As soon as she said this, Qiaolin gave Lockes and Aurora a strange look.
The girl’s face turned crimson, while the Vampire youth stood stunned for a long time, failing to process the implication.
“Personal bodyguard? Aren’t you also Mr. Qiaolin’s bodyguard?”
Lockes had clearly missed the point.
“Hehe, then Mr. Qiaolin isn’t a resident of Lin City either, right?”
“Uh… about that, Miss Aurora processed a long-term residency permit for me. I’m actually considered a citizen of Lin City now,” Qiaolin said, scratching his head sheepishly.
“Hmph, the adjustment period isn’t long enough. Regardless, I represent the Demon King’s Castle, so I simply cannot participate.”
“That’s just faulty logic.”
Lockes rolled his eyes at her.
Knowing he couldn’t win an argument against Loki, he didn’t say anything more.
After the discussion, Aurora decided to issue the formal challenge to the Black Fang Legion.
The date for the challenge was set for tomorrow, located on the open ground between Lin City and the Black Fang Legion’s camp.
Once General Mode received the challenge, he agreed.
Tomorrow’s battle would decide the future of Lin City.
***
The meeting ended, and Aurora dismissed everyone.
She told Lockes to go back and adjust his condition, telling him he didn’t need to stay by her side for the time being.
Lockes had no choice but to obey; he knew Aurora’s temperament.
Whenever the interests of Lin City were at stake, she always sacrificed herself first.
Qiaolin wandered slowly through the main hall.
Loki followed behind him like a tail, which made him feel quite uncomfortable.
“Miss Loki, I don’t think it’s necessary for you to follow me every second. This is the main hall of Lin City; it’s perfectly safe.”
“Are you tired of me already? I was kind enough to stand up for you earlier,” Loki said in a feigned tone of disappointment.
To Qiaolin, it felt a bit forced.
She was far too familiar for someone he had just met.
“I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just used to being alone.”
“Oh? Used to being alone? You don’t look that old. As a human, even if you’ve lived alone for ten or twenty years, it’s nothing compared to someone like me who has traveled solitary for one or two centuries.”
“Humans and the Demon Race perceive time differently. There’s no need to compare on that front.”
Qiaolin turned to look at the black-haired girl. After a moment, he sighed helplessly.
“If you must, wait for me outside the hall. Otherwise…”
Qiaolin’s expression darkened.
“I’ll say bad things about you in front of the Demon King.”
“Hmph, how narrow-minded. Just like a child,” Loki grumbled.
She then dove into her own mirror and disappeared into the void.
‘Wait, what kind of magic is that? Interesting…’
Qiaolin was quite intrigued by the ability Loki had displayed. It seemed the magic of the Demon Race was as novel as ever.
While marveling at the sight, Qiaolin continued his tour.
The staff passing by were all humans—Bartans and people from the Nolan Empire were all present.
‘Who would have thought that one day, the connection between humans and the Demon Race would be bridged by a half-blood?’
Qiaolin thought to himself.
He felt that Aurora leaned more toward her human side. She didn’t possess the innate violence characteristic of the Demon Race.
“Mr. Qiaolin?”
A voice suddenly called out from behind him. He turned around to see the red-haired girl.
“Is something the matter, Miss Aurora?”
“That… it’s about tomorrow’s match.”
“Hmm?”
The girl’s expression seemed a bit uneasy. After thinking for a moment, Qiaolin realized she wanted to confirm his stance.
After all, even though Qiaolin had become a resident of Lin City, it didn’t mean he was obligated to fight for the city.
“I will participate, of course, if I am needed.”
Qiaolin smiled gently and patted the girl’s shoulder.
“You really care about this city. With your aptitude for 3-Element Magic, you shouldn’t have stopped at the 4-Crown level.”
Qiaolin didn’t say it explicitly, but the path of cultivation required single-mindedness to progress quickly.
Aurora’s natural cultivation speed should have been triple that of an ordinary person.
Even if the Demon Race was a long-lived species with slow cultivation speeds, she should have reached the 5-Crown Peak by now.
Aurora naturally understood the underlying meaning in Qiaolin’s words. She didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, she walked side-by-side with him through the lobby and down the corridor.
“I have lived for nearly 300 years, but I have never seen my parents. At first, I didn’t even know if I was human or a member of the Demon Race.”
Aurora touched her ears; they were rounded like a human’s, not pointed like those of the Demon Race.
“My earliest memories are in the Demon King’s Castle. Back then, it seemed the Holy War had only ended a few months prior. The entire city was falling apart. Perhaps because I looked human, the demon residents—who had been terrified by the Hero’s party—wanted to kill me when they saw me. I spent several days dodging their pursuit.”
“But I didn’t hate them. At the time, I thought I was human, and I actually felt pity for those demon residents whose homes had been reduced to ashes. What wrong had they done to deserve such a tragedy?”
Aurora looked at Qiaolin. Her tone was clearly inquisitive, but to him, it felt like she was questioning herself.
Qiaolin instinctively answered in a low voice.
“They did nothing wrong…”
But Aurora didn’t seem to hear him.
“However, I couldn’t stay in the Demon King’s Castle any longer. Once, they discovered me and beat me until I was severely injured. I ran into a magic crystal mine. On the verge of death, I swallowed a magic crystal. You should know that the Demon Race can supplement their magic power or repair their bodies by consuming magic crystals directly.”
“Although I didn’t understand the logic then, I felt as though I was born different from others. I only found out later that this was a trait of the Demon Race, and that I was a half-blood.”
“Later, the Demon King took an interest in my talent and appointed me to work in the Demon King’s Castle. Even so, it didn’t change the discrimination I faced from the demons. The Demon Race has always valued bloodlines, relying on them to pass down magic and power. In their eyes, I was just a half-breed used by humans to steal their strength.”