Before long, the two passed through the Garden and formally entered the residential area of the Lower City.
Most of the buildings here were packed tightly together, rows of human-style homes with white walls and red tiles nestled against the older Tree Houses.
These residences were mostly newly built for the outsiders who had flooded into the Sea of Trees after the Industrial Revolution, but a portion also belonged to Elf commoners who had come to Fenglin City from other Forest Domains to make a living.
Most of these Elves were quite young, so they were willing to embrace the changes humanity had brought to the Sea of Trees.
The Human companies’ demand for labor had made these Elves their employees, and their vibrant urban life continued to attract more young Elves eager to experience new things.
Accommodating the ever-growing population required the constant construction of new housing… yet the elders who managed the city within the Royal Court and opposed change were unwilling to designate more districts as space for development.
As a result, the architects hired by local residents could only squeeze new buildings into whatever gaps existed in the original areas, maximizing the number of residents they could hold.
This method of construction naturally compressed the already scarce ground space of the forest-built district to nearly nothing… which was why on this street so narrow that only two people could walk side by side, Selene was struggling to squeeze past the oncoming pedestrians.
“Move aside! Honestly, must you all crowd me like this?”
“We can’t help it! We’re pushing carts here! Why don’t you just fly over?”
Selene’s complaint was drowned out by the grumbling voices of the passersby.
They were a group of Human workers pushing carts laden with goods, and when it came to sheer volume of cursing, their lungs were far more powerful than Selene’s.
“…”
In the past, Selene would have sent them flying—carts and all—with a single punch.
But after everything she had experienced in the Northland and along the journey here, her arrogant, hot-headed nature had improved somewhat.
She lowered her head and pressed herself against the wall to make way for them, catching up with Luc, who was waiting for her at the intersection ahead, only after they had passed.
“We turn right next. I’m surprised you didn’t send all of them flying.”
“What do you take me for? If I did that, the Ranger Corps would be on us in no time.” Selene shot Luc a dirty look. “Anyway, this is like the eighth turn we’ve made, isn’t it? How do you even remember the way…”
“It’s nothing special. I came here a few days ago. Let’s hurry—the safe house is just ahead.”
After confirming Selene was following, Luc continued leading the way according to the route in her Memory.
“Ugh… if that old hag’s Plan had gone smoothly, we wouldn’t be scurrying through these alleys like rats.”
Seeing that the alley was empty, Selene couldn’t help complaining again.
“Stop complaining. I actually think it’s a good thing we weren’t dragged into her Plan.” Luc said.
“Although she and the Demon Lord Highness belong to the same Organization, she’s clearly preparing this Coup only for her own ambition—her goals don’t align with our Demon Race’s vision. And the members who are willing to assist her… they make one quite uncomfortable.”
Although their time in the Sea of Trees could hardly be called long, the two Demon girls who had made contact with “Moon” and participated in its activities as members had roughly figured out the structure of the Organization and the affairs it was advancing.
In short, “Moon” was a massive Organization that transcended nations, races, and even the boundary between the Human and Demon worlds.
It had been founded by eight creators who used the Moon Phases as their codenames, and they also served as the Organization’s highest Executives, commanding countless members beneath them… far more than the number of Crystal Screens in Nine Night Moon’s room.
And as she had said, the Organization’s function was “Surveillance”—not of a few important individuals, but of the entire nation of the Sea of Trees.
From ordinary citizens’ households at the smallest scale, to enforcement and military departments like the Ranger Corps with its hundred-thousand-plus members, to the courts of the Dukes and princes who ruled the entire nation… the members of “Moon” were pervasive, existing everywhere.
These people monitored the operations of institutions both large and small throughout the nation, along with the decisions and movements of every important department.
After collecting and compiling this information, they would pass it up layer by layer until it reached Nine Night Moon’s hands.
This was also the reason Nine Night Moon knew everything that happened within the Royal Court, the cities, and the Giant Tree.
No matter how tightly Senia tried to seal word of her trip to Mirror Lake, her movements could never escape Nine Night Moon’s all-seeing Eyes.
During these days, Luc and Selene had been following her “guidance,” using the labyrinthine tunnels beneath the Giant Tree to go into the city and establish contact with various Organization members, preparing for the Coup she would launch during the Audience Ceremony.
The reason they had to go in person was that not all Organization members possessed Magic Items capable of directly contacting Nine Night Moon… within “Moon,” it seemed only those of fairly high rank were allowed to hold Moon Brooches like the ones the two of them carried.
The Organization members the two had met ranged from common citizens to officials and Nobles… among them even a Noble Daughter of a Forest Domain Duke.
But what sent chills down their spines was that even that young lady was not worthy of holding a Magic Item that could communicate with Nine Night Moon.
Such distrust should have been a tremendous insult to that arrogant, infamous Noble Daughter.
Yet after the two delivered their messages, the young lady saw them off with the most fawning, humble posture imaginable:
—Please give my regards to the beautiful Moon. May she guide our path.
“Right,” Selene also recalled the scene from back then. “What was that Noble Daughter’s name again?”
“Rosalind Aylrend. She’s the youngest daughter of Duke Elrend of the Northern Ancient Forest Domain.”
“I remember when we went in, she was whipping a servant until he was covered in Blood… just because the guy knocked over a teacup. And yet that Madwoman actually saw us off with a Smile on her face.”
Selene made a disgusted face.
“If she can put on an act disgusting enough to turn even your stomach, that really is uncomfortable.” Luc said. “And the Demon Lord Highness seemed to want her to escort us back to Nolan as soon as possible… but she’s been treating us as nothing more than regular Organization members and ordering us around this whole time.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“I’m thinking—was the Demon Lord Highness’s true intention really for us to join this Organization? This Organization seems to serve her and her alone.”
“I don’t think so.” Selene had no doubt whatsoever about her Lord. “She gave us the Brooches. And those Soldiers who let us out of the Duke’s Household were clearly members of this Organization too. If you ask me, the goals the Organization pursues under different Executives might not all be the same.”
“That’s a fair point… regional differences might also play a part.”
As they spoke, the two had reached the end of the narrow alley.
“Turn the corner here and we’re there.”
Luc and Selene turned into the final alley, stepping over the wall base piled with clutter at the entrance.
Behind the two girls, the twilight was steadily reclaiming the last remnants of the setting sun’s glow, causing their surroundings to darken further.
“This is it?”
The two stopped before a tightly shut wooden door.
“Yeah.” Luc knocked in the rhythm of the signal—three beats followed by one light tap.
But a long time passed, and no footsteps from a responder came from behind the door.
“…”
That eerie silence sent chills running up both their spines simultaneously.
“Luc, we need to get out of—”
Before Selene could finish her sentence, commotion erupted from both ends of the alley and from behind the eaves and walls of the surrounding buildings.
A dozen or so figures appeared either at the alley’s mouth or leaped onto the wall tops—their clothing was utterly ordinary, and they looked like common citizens or craftsmen… but their synchronized movements and swift positioning sealed the entire alley shut in an instant.
“…We’ve been surrounded.”
Luc instinctively took a step back, pressing her back against Selene’s.