Chapter 107: What Kind of Weird Entrance Location Is This?

In the peaceful and serene little shop, an elderly lady with a gentle face and a head full of silver hair was lying on a recliner behind the counter, leisurely enjoying a moment of tranquility.

Of course, that is, if you ignored the fact that it was already past midnight—well past the time any elderly person should have been asleep.

The wall clock ticked quietly, soon sounding the punctual chime of three o’clock.

The Old Lady opened her eyes, as if awakening from a dream—or perhaps she had only been resting with her eyes closed.

She looked toward the entrance of the shop and murmured,

“Back already, huh.”

As soon as the Old Lady’s words fell, the door to the shop was flung open with a burst of energy by a girl in a princess dress.

Su Lihua strode in with a bit of flair, her eyes gleaming with pride as she looked at the Old Lady, still clearly holding a grudge over the earlier comment about her weakness.

She had just fought her way out of a Pier crawling with Devils!

And she’d helped wipe them out, too!

Although it was thanks to Bai Shuanglian and Ling Xiaoyou as well, she’d played a big part, okay?!

She was definitely not a weakling!

“Is everything taken care of?”

The Old Lady’s gaze skipped over the proud young girl and settled on the space behind her, asking calmly.

“Yes, Senior. We’ve eradicated the Devils at the Pier and handed over the frozen Spirits to the Regulatory Division.”

Bai Shuanglian replied to the Old Lady’s question, entering the shop with Ling Xiaoyou.

Su Lihua pouted at being ignored but said nothing, simply standing quietly to the side and listening to the conversation.

“In that case, I’ll tell you what I know. But prepare yourselves for disappointment—I don’t actually know all that much about these matters.”

The Old Lady sat up straighter.

“Eh? Senior, just like that?”

Ling Xiaoyou was a bit surprised, apparently not expecting the Old Lady to get straight to the point.

“What else, then?”

The Old Lady looked at her, seeming to see through her thoughts.

“Were you expecting some sort of ‘You girls shouldn’t get involved in such dangerous matters’ speech instead?”

Ling Xiaoyou paused.

That was exactly what she had thought.

After all, in novels and manga, didn’t characters always go off on long tangents at times like these?

“I’m not the type who likes to waste words.”

The Old Lady smiled.

“Since you’ve all made your decisions, that’s your choice. I won’t bother trying to persuade you otherwise.”

Ling Xiaoyou scratched her head, finding herself unexpectedly liking the Old Lady’s straightforwardness.

“Perhaps you already know some of this, but allow this old woman to ramble for a bit anyway.”

Maybe it was something about age, but the Old Lady picked up the teacup on the counter, savoring the warmth in her palm.

“These Devils appeared in Eastern Radiance about a year ago. There were no vessels used to transport them—it seems they arrived here through a narrow Space Node.”

“After they arrived, a certain faction made all the arrangements for them, allowing them to blend seamlessly into human society.”

“Made all the arrangements?”

Bai Shuanglian’s brows furrowed as she looked at the Old Lady.

“You mean the Blood Banquet Cult had already laid the groundwork, or perhaps there was another faction assisting them?”

“I’m not sure about that. But I lean toward the latter.”

The Old Lady pondered for a moment before voicing her thoughts.

“Given the Blood Banquet Cult’s style, it’s unlikely they’d have the patience to build power within human society. They’re like mice focused only on the cheese before them, always thinking about how to please the Blood Banquet Master.”

“I think this faction is simply cooperating with Blood Banquet—or rather…”

She paused, then continued,

“They’re using Blood Banquet.”

“Using?”

Ling Xiaoyou blinked.

“Mhm. The purpose seems clear enough—it’s likely tied to the Spirits that were abducted.”

The Old Lady nodded.

“Then who do you think is behind that faction?”

Bai Shuanglian asked again.

“Perhaps…”

The Old Lady paused in thought.

“It’s related to the Demon Grand Duke.”

“Demon… Grand Duke?”

Ling Xiaoyou murmured the title, looking at the Old Lady with curiosity, eager for further explanation.

“He was among the first Devils to arrive in Eastern Radiance. He originally came as a Diplomatic Envoy from the Western Nations, but when the time came to return, he stayed behind instead.”

A hint of reminiscence entered the Old Lady’s eyes.

“If there’s anyone capable of building such a force and helping the Blood Banquet’s Devils, it would be him.”

“But even with Spirits disappearing, why haven’t they…”

Ling Xiaoyou’s question trailed off, but the Old Lady picked it up.

“Why haven’t they arrested him, right?”

Ling Xiaoyou nodded.

The Old Lady sighed.

“Little one, that’s a Diplomatic Envoy we’re talking about. Even if I don’t know exactly how he managed to stay, arresting him without solid evidence would only worsen relations between the two countries.”

“It’s an unwise choice. Exorcists would never do such a thing.”

There were words she left unsaid.

To many Exorcists, Spirits that had already died were not considered true life.

Even when disappearances occurred, those with old-fashioned views often saw it as unrelated to them.

In this world, the ones governing the living are Exorcists, not the Regulatory Division of the Underworld.

“At most, all they can do is monitor him and wait for him to make a mistake.”

After listening to the Old Lady’s words, Ling Xiaoyou fell silent.

She seemed to understand the words left unsaid—and also as if she didn’t.

At that moment, she suddenly felt someone grasp her small hand.

Looking up, she saw Bai Shuanglian’s cold, beautiful face and gentle gaze.

The warmth in her palm seemed to spread to Ling Xiaoyou’s heart, lifting her heavy mood.

Ling Xiaoyou exhaled slowly, smiled at Bai Shuanglian to show she was okay, then turned back to the Old Lady.

“By the way, how could a Devil become a Diplomatic Envoy with such an important status?”

“Who knows?”

The Old Lady shrugged.

“For all we know, the Western Nations may have already been completely infiltrated by Devils.”

“Then do the Regulatory Division and the Exorcists Association really not care about any of this?”

After listening for a long while, Su Lihua finally couldn’t hold back and spoke up.

“As far as I know, they’re both keeping an eye on the Blood Banquet Cult and the Demon Grand Duke…”

The Old Lady’s words were cut off as Ling Xiaoyou interrupted, looking into her eyes.

“If they’re watching, then why haven’t we seen them?”

The Old Lady fell silent, but before she could respond, a woman’s voice sounded.

“Isn’t it possible that it’s the Exorcists who are neglecting their duty, and our Regulatory Division has been monitoring these matters all along?”

Ling Xiaoyou jumped, turning toward the source of the voice.

There, she saw a young woman emerging from…

The restroom?!

Ling Xiaoyou froze on the spot.

What kind of bizarre entrance was that?