Chapter 155: Two Places

Tonight, Ayla timed it perfectly and slipped quietly out of the inn.

She searched around outside twice but didn’t find a single person.

Damn, these guys must have gotten the location wrong and thought it was outside the teahouse?

So she hurried over, and sure enough, she found them here—several people gathered together, murmuring something.

“What are you talking about?”

No one answered.

Ayla frowned slightly.

“What’s wrong? Is there something you’re not saying?”

“N-no,” Bouer quickly replied, “It’s just so cold that it’s hard to talk.”

You could tell he really was cold; his teeth chattered as he spoke.

“Then why are you still standing here? Come inside the teahouse and sit down.”

Ayla walked ahead while the four followed behind, quietly letting out a sigh of relief.

Three of them gave One-Eye a sharp glance.

They hadn’t dared to speak earlier because they were afraid of slipping up and accidentally calling the pink-haired thunder girl “Mom.”

Normally it wouldn’t happen, but intelligent beings’ minds work that way—the more they warned themselves not to do something, the more likely it would actually happen.

It was all One-Eye’s fault.

If he hadn’t brought up that topic, no one would have gone down that train of thought.

The teahouse was actually under the Demon Race army’s control, so there were still people on duty inside, and tables and tea had been prepared.

“No need for pastries,” Ayla told the Demon soldier pouring tea beside her.

“I don’t eat late-night snacks.”

That’s just how a good girl’s healthy lifestyle is.

“Understood, Lady Ayla.”

After the soldier stepped back, the four generals came in as well and sat down opposite Ayla at the table.

It was a bit cramped, but to face Ayla directly and listen to her guidance, they squeezed in anyway.

“You must have heard from Yanpo already. I took on this form for a longer-term plan,” Ayla began, setting the tone herself.

“That’s right, he mentioned it.”

“The Demon King is deeply strategic, enduring humiliation for the sake of the greater good.”

… Well, it wasn’t really that humiliating, nor that heavy a burden.

As her trusted subordinates, they naturally wouldn’t doubt these words, but Ayla herself felt a bit embarrassed.

To prove her point, she cleared her throat and continued, “After more than half a year of effort, I leveraged the power of the Human Hero Squad to first eliminate Wolfshead Feng Lie, then the Bloodslaughter King, plunging the Wolfshead Tribe into internal chaos and severely weakening the Blood Demon Tribe, so they can no longer pose a threat.”

These were solid achievements.

Hearing these two pieces of news, the generals were greatly shocked.

Especially One-Eye, the smartest among them, whose single large eye shifted thoughtfully.

“Two traitors and rebels—good riddance. But with them gone, there won’t be many rebels left…”

As he spoke, he seemed to realize something.

He looked up, and excitement shone in everyone’s eyes.

“Exactly, that’s what I intend,” Ayla said without holding back, tapping the table.

“Do you have the map?”

Yanpo’s order came down, and soon a map was presented.

“This is the Blood Demon Tribe’s territory, located beyond the northern forests of the Elves, commonly called the Wastelands.”

Ayla marked two spots on the map.

“And this is the Wolfshead Tribe’s land, north of the Human Kingdom, outside Lilburg, known as the Northern Snowfields.”

Since these two tribes have been crippled, the plan is to strike at their weak points and take advantage of the chaos to pierce through.

Before they could voice any opinions, Ayla went on, “I’ve been building some reputation with the Elves and have a good relationship with them. Not only can we have our troops pass through, but we might also secure some allied forces.”

“Demon King, th-this…”

“Don’t call me that. If anyone hears, just call me by my name.”

“Understood, Lady Ayla. This is incredible!”

The four generals were thrilled.

They had expected to lie low in this frontier town for a while, but after Ayla’s maneuvering, a swift return to the Demon Race is imminent.

Such mastery, Demon King!

“Hmph, there’s even better news.”

Ayla pointed at another spot.

“The place bordering the Snowfields, formerly called Lilburg, now known as the Northern Frontier Line—do you know whose troops are stationed there?”

Meeting their curious gazes, she revealed the answer: “Celes. The blue-haired girl you saw today. It’s her father’s army.”

Yanpo’s heart burned with passion.

“Lady Ayla, you have a plan?”

“Of course. Listen carefully. Tomorrow, assign some men to do this…”

***

Morning in Harbor City was fresh, with the sea breeze carrying a faint salty tang.

Opening the window to let it in invigorated the whole body.

Celes closed the window and returned to the bedside, carefully arranging five longswords from her luggage and selecting one to hold.

“A bit light…”

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, the girl took up the weapon and headed out.

“Celes, you’re up!”

Ayla waited by the door.

“Come on, we’re going to the beach together today.”

“Mm.”

The rest of the Hero Squad gradually emerged from their rooms.

Except for Vina, who was still yawning, everyone looked in good spirits.

“Why aren’t you wearing a swimsuit?”

The little witch rubbed her eyes and scrutinized Ayla.

“Where’s your white shell?”

Even though her single-layer outfit was already quite cool.

“Vina, we’re going to help clear the sirens on the beach, so there might be battles,” Ayla said softly.

“Wearing swimsuits wouldn’t be practical.”

“Exactly,” Leah chimed in earnestly from the side.

“Shells aren’t for wearing in places like this!”

If you ask where to wear them, the Saintess would only give you two words—on the bed!

“Gee,” Vina rolled her peach blossom eyes.

“So stingy~”

Leah responded with a light huff.

If we’re stingy, then catch us if you can. Otherwise, don’t even think about seeing anything!

After a simple preparation, the girls set off. Leaving the inn, they walked along the new Market Avenue, passed the Old Workshop ruins, and went by the Church of Light Branch.

“Hey, Little Ay, is that statue you?”

“…I don’t know.”

Ayla kept her head down and walked forward without daring to look.

“I think it’s nice. Very charismatic and really highlights Little Ay’s features,” Vina gestured.

“What do you all think?”

Zero nodded in agreement.

As long as you praise Ayla—even if it’s just a statue—she’d agree.

Celes carefully studied the statue for a moment.

After a few seconds of thought, she said, “Harbor City is close to the sea, so it’s often exposed to wind and sun. The statue might wear down faster.”

She genuinely cared about Ayla’s statue, so calmly made the same observation as Leah.

“That’s why I instructed the branch’s bishop,” the Saintess said proudly, “to have them focus on maintenance and repairs regularly.”

“That’s good… Ayla, slow down.”

Slow?

Hurry up or I’m afraid you’ll be stuck here all day!

Half an hour later, the girls arrived at the beach, where a squad of Demon Race soldiers came to greet them.