Chapter 130: Evacuation

“Meow~”

In her hazy state, Via heard the sound of a kitten.

She felt like she was leaning against something soft.

“Shh, Little Ha, quiet down a bit.”

“Meow?”

“Let Via rest a little longer.”

“Meow.”

“…”

Via heard a familiar voice again.

She slowly opened her eyes and found a little yellow cat staring at her, happily approaching after seeing her wake up and licking her cheek.

It was Little Ha.

“Via, are you awake?”

“Huh?”

Besides the little yellow cat, Via also saw a beautiful face.

It was Stella.

As her vision gradually cleared, she realized she was actually pillowing on Stella’s thigh.

“Stella?”

“Mm, it’s me.”

“I’m…”

Via immediately held her forehead and sat up.

She felt a jolt and looked around, realizing she was in a carriage compartment.

In the compartment, it was just her, Stella, and Little Ha.

No, hadn’t she collapsed outside Kado City?

Why was she with Stella?

“Via, are you still dazed?” Stella asked.

“Why am I here?”

“After I went from the city lord’s mansion’s secret passage to outside the city, I didn’t leave. I waited for you outside. I waited until almost morning when it started raining heavily, and at the same time, the Saint Luo Empire’s army and the Holy Land’s reinforcements arrived. They announced that the disaster in the city was over, and a large number of civilians evacuated from the city.”

Stella explained to Via in detail.

“At that time, I happened to spot you in the crowd. You collapsed on the ground, so I went up and took you away.”

“The Holy Land people didn’t notice me?”

“No.”

“You… didn’t take me to the Holy Land’s clerics?” Via was somewhat puzzled.

Because under normal circumstances, as a saintess candidate who had an accident, one would definitely consider notifying the Holy Land’s people, right?

It seemed Stella hadn’t done that.

“Yes, I noticed you were wearing a tattered robe, as if you didn’t want to expose your identity, plus you were mixed in the crowd, so I guessed you didn’t want the Holy Land people to know. Thus, before the Holy Land noticed you, I used my princess status to request a carriage from the army and took you away,” Stella smiled. “Don’t worry, the carriage has an auto-navigation artifact. Besides you and me, no one else knows.”

“Meow!”

Little Ha meowed.

“Oh, right, and Little Ha—I almost forgot.” Stella picked up the little yellow cat and rubbed its cheek.

Via was truly surprised.

Stella had actually been able to infer her intentions in such a chaotic situation.

She had to admit, this had really helped her a lot.

If she had collapsed in the crowd and been discovered by the Holy Land, the matter of the Abyssal Force couldn’t be hidden, and then everything would be over.

“Thank you, Stella.”

“No need for thanks—mainly because you took me to the city lord’s mansion too. If I had stayed in Kado City at that time, it would have been more bad than good.”

Stella was very curious.

“Via, you still have as many secrets as ever. Clearly a saintess candidate, yet after an incident, you don’t want to seek help from the Holy Land and instead want to sneak away.”

“That’s…”

Via didn’t know how to explain.

This was indeed suspicious.

“Speaking of which, something particularly astonishing happened in Kado City. The dead Demon King Ville descended again, and not only that, Ville’s arch-enemy, the Silver Sword Princess, appeared too.”

“Yes, it’s indeed unbelievable…”

“This matter can’t be suppressed anymore. I guess soon the entire human world will know,” Stella stared at Via. “What do you think—how did the Demon King Ville resurrect?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Via, you know? When I found you, I noticed something really suspicious about you,” Stella’s smile held deeper meaning. “On you, there seems to be an aura that a saintess candidate shouldn’t have.”

“That’s… because I encountered demonized ones.”

Via knew this explanation didn’t have much persuasiveness.

Encountering and emanating from one’s body were two different things.

“Regarding the Demon King Ville, Via, don’t you have anything to say?” Stella leaned close to Via’s side, nearing her ear.

“Nothing to say, and don’t pry too much into my affairs.”

“Alright, if Via doesn’t want to say, then I won’t ask~” Stella raised Little Ha. “Little Ha, right?”

“Meow~”

“…”

Via fell silent.

She felt that Stella might have already guessed some clues in her heart, just temporarily unable to confirm.

However, she also found Stella’s attitude somewhat subtle—after all, the other was a pure human, not a demonized one.

Toward her extremely suspicious state, Stella showed no intention of reporting her; instead, she actively helped her avoid the Holy Land.

From a standpoint perspective, it was truly baffling.

This Ninth Princess of the Saint Luo Empire was really not ordinary.

“By the way, Via, you were talking in your sleep earlier.”

“Ah?” Via was stunned; she asked anxiously. “What did I say?”

“I couldn’t understand it—it was some language that didn’t sound like human. I’ve never heard it.” Stella blinked.

“That’s… my hometown dialect. It’s normal you don’t understand.” Via found an excuse and brushed it off.

That certainly wasn’t any dialect—it was abyssal language.

She had dreamed of her previous life’s events.

“Was it a nightmare? Via, you looked really distressed then.”

“…It’s nothing.”

Via didn’t want to discuss those matters more.

She had once gone to the human world for this unwarranted naivety, paid the price, and nearly died at the hands of human higher-ups.

It was after that narrow escape that the Demon King Ville’s thoughts underwent earth-shaking changes.

She didn’t understand why she had dreamed of past events.

Could it be…

A reminder from deep in her heart not to be influenced by unnecessary emotions?

But when she thought of her and Sophie’s matter, she was still at a loss.

“Stella, where is the carriage heading?” Via asked.

“It’s heading back to Doff City. If we don’t go to a city with a spatial teleportation array for jumping, it should take quite some time to get back,” Stella replied. “What’s up, Via? Do you have somewhere else you want to go?”

“Somewhere else…”

Via looked out the window.

The rain had passed, the sky clear as if washed; sunlight sprinkled over the vast land, the air filled with a fresh scent.

Looking at the bright scene before her, the pink-haired girl fell into confusion.

In this world, did she still have a place to go?