The tide of retreating demons finally ebbed, and the dead silence of the past returned to Audo Canyon.
Only a mess across the ground and the lingering scent of sulfur remained.
The small escort party rested at the outpost for half a day.
Once Lin Gui had recovered half of his heavily depleted mana, the group set off once more.
After that battle, Lin Gui and Theia's authority within the party had become unshakable.
For the remainder of the journey through the other half of Audo Canyon, no one questioned the "professionals." They followed every instruction implicitly.
Of course, to ensure the peace and safety of the party, Lin Gui "thoughtfully" administered another 【Stun】 spell to the emotionally unstable young lady.
This ensured tranquility for the entire trip.
Finally, at sunset, the group arrived at the outskirts of Caran City without further incident.
Looking at the giant city wall that seemed even more towering and indestructible under the afterglow of the setting sun, the Knight Commander and the guards were filled with the shock and excitement of survivors.
"We're finally... here..."
The commander let out a long sigh of relief, feeling as if a thousand-pound weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
At this point, Lin Gui's commission was officially complete.
The two parties stopped in a secluded spot outside the city.
The commander, extremely straightforward and overflowing with gratitude, handed Lin Gui a heavy coin purse containing the reward of three thousand gold coins.
Lin Gui weighed it in his hand before directly splitting it in half and tossing it to Theia.
Theia accepted it with great joy. 1,500 gold coins was a massive sum even for her.
Luckily, she had managed to scam Lin Gui.
Amidst the repeated thanks and farewells from the commander and the guards, Lin Gui and Theia quickly turned and vanished into the shadows of the city wall with a few leaps.
Their identities were currently extremely "sensitive" within Caran City.
They couldn't simply walk through the gates as openly as the commander.
After finding a deserted corner, Lin Gui applied a basic disguise to their appearances.
Then, he pulled Theia along as he cast Levitation and the Shroud of the Gloomy Night.
The two of them were like plumes of light smoke as they noiselessly cleared the cold, dozens-of-meters-high wall and landed inside the city.
As soon as they landed, a deafening wave of sound hit them!
Toward the central square, a sea of people had gathered.
The crowd surged, and the waves of sound rose higher and higher like a tsunami.
"Long live the Royal Capital!"
"Long live Her Majesty the Seventh Princess!"
"Long live the knights!"
The fanatical shouting was earth-shaking, nearly threatening to blow the roof off Caran City.
Lin Gui's heart sank. He exchanged a glance with Theia, and the two of them instinctively lowered their profiles, blending into the excited crowd at the periphery to look toward the center.
A tall wooden platform had been temporarily erected in the middle of the square.
A massive, twisted, terrifying corpse covered in moss and thorns was placed in the most prominent position on the stage.
It was the Legendary demon, Moragus!
Standing at the front of the platform was a figure in spotless, magnificent platinum dress armor, a crimson cloak fluttering in the wind.
She had golden hair as brilliant as the sun and eyes that seemed to contain molten gold. Her face was breathtakingly beautiful, and her aura was noble and awe-inspiring.
This was the Seventh Princess of the Carter Kingdom, Elvia Rolan.
She was announcing the news to the boiling crowd below, her voice carrying clearly to every corner of the square via magic.
"...The rampaging Legendary demon has been beheaded! The demon tide has receded! The catastrophic ruin of Caran City has been averted!"
Every pause invited a mountain of cheers and praise.
"Long live the Carter Kingdom! Long live Her Highness the Princess!" The people's emotions were completely ignited.
Half a step behind the Seventh Princess stood a Holy Knight in armor that shimmered like starlight.
He watched the princess's performance with arms crossed and a cold expression. His Mid-tier Legendary pressure radiated out faintly, striking fear into those around him, though a hint of imperceptible mockery flickered in his eyes.
After fanning the crowd's emotions to their peak, the Seventh Princess's tone suddenly shifted, becoming cold and murderous.
"However! The crisis of Caran City did not come only from the demons outside!"
"It also originated from internal decay and betrayal!"
She suddenly reached out and pointed at the former City Lord, who was being pinned down by two knights. His face was as pale as paper, and his entire body was shaking like a leaf.
"It was him! The sinner of Caran City! He oppressed the weak, extorted heavy taxes, and treated commoners as worthless weeds!"
"It was also him who, for his own selfish gain, framed and destroyed the Gold Rank adventure group that protected Caran—those heroes who came from the common people!"
"Furthermore, he actually dared to plot and attempt to murder the Royal Capital Knights who came to provide aid!"
She threw out the list of crimes with force, and like a torch thrown into a vat of oil, the people's fury was instantly ignited!
"Kill him!"
"Avenge the heroes!"
"Execute this traitor!"
The roars rose wave after wave, the crowd seething with indignation.
The City Lord opened his mouth in vain, seemingly wanting to defend himself, but his voice was too weak to be heard over the deafening noise.
When the demons had besieged the city, he had contacted the Royal Capital in a desperate, last-ditch effort.
He hadn't expected that the knights from the Royal Capital were already on their way; they had arrived at Caran almost as soon as he contacted them.
After hearing his account of the disappearance of the Lyon Knights, the stunning princess had ordered him to be detained.
The City Lord's face was bitter. The moment he learned that the Seventh Princess would become the new City Lord, he knew he was a dead man.
The two knights roughly dragged him to the front of the stage and forced him to kneel.
The Seventh Princess slowly drew an honorary saber from her waist—it was ornately decorated, yet its blade shimmered with a chilling light.
Her golden eyes coldly swept over the boiling crowd before finally resting on the fat, trembling head before her.
Under the gaze of countless angry eyes and the deafening shouts of "Kill him," she raised her honorary saber and swung it down forcefully!
A flash of blade light!
A large head, frozen in a look of unbelievable terror, rolled across the wooden platform.
Blood sprayed, staining the hem of the princess's magnificent dress armor, but she didn't care in the slightest. She leaned down, grabbed the head by its hair, and held it high!
"The criminal has been brought to justice!"
Her voice, amplified by magic, suppressed all the noise and reached everyone's ears clearly.
"From this day forward, I, Elvia Rolan, the Seventh Princess of the Carter Kingdom, will personally serve as the new City Lord of Caran City!"
"I will lead Caran out of the shadow of the demon attack! I will heal our wounds and rebuild our homes!"
"I will make Caran City more powerful and prosperous than ever before, a magnificent city-state rivaling the Royal Capital!"
After a brief silence, even more fanatical cries of support and praise erupted like a volcanic explosion!
"Long live Her Highness the Princess!"
"Long live the new City Lord!"
"Long live Elvia!"
At the edge of the crowd, Lin Gui and Theia silently watched the radiant golden-haired princess on the stage as she held the severed head and accepted the cheers of the masses.
The deafening noise around them made Theia feel a slight chill. The arrival of the royal family to take control of the city was undoubtedly bad news for them.
Lin Gui, meanwhile, furrowed his brows and looked toward the Holy Knight behind the princess.
Since they had crossed the wilderness from the Royal Capital to get here, they must certainly have the Golden Chart in their possession.
Rate on N.U.
