“Very well! The establishment of the Ashen Corridor is not meant to strip any clan of its authority, but to better coordinate and protect everyone. From this day forward, all reclamation achievements and the safety of trade routes will fall under the Corridor’s jurisdiction. Those who render outstanding service will be given priority for promotion in rank and title.”
She deliberately stressed the promotion of titles again. For the lower-ranked, weaker clans, this was an irresistible lure that would split the opposition camp.
At the very end of the assembly, Dekrian displayed his impeccable political sense once more.
“Your Highness’s foresight runs deep. The Ashen Corridor will inject fresh blood into the Demon Realm’s ossifying order!”
The Shadow Demon leader stood silently beside him, offering no opinion. Exactly what Seraphina wanted. As long as he did not oppose, it was enough.
This neutrality stemmed from the prestige she had earned among the Shadow Demon soldiers during the Blackstone crisis half a month ago. Their leader had to weigh every word carefully now.
His choice: silence.
To say nothing was to say nothing wrong.
“Then it is decided. The Ashen Corridor takes effect tomorrow. Specific appointments and detailed regulations will be announced in three days.”
Seraphina rose slowly, the hem of her robe brushing coldly across the throne steps.
Without a farewell, she walked away with firm steps, leaving behind a hall full of whispers and complicated gazes.
Her uncharacteristic display of iron authority left the nobles secretly shaken. They had never imagined the Princess Regent possessed such a side.
The last time something similar had happened, the sharper ones had noticed she was forcing herself.
So they had concluded that this airborne regent could never establish true majesty in person, only through indirect documents could she display wisdom.
The truth was… last time she had simply been having stomach cramps.
As the nobles filed out, the Flame Demon marquis turned and headed straight for the Demon King’s Palace…
Back in the study, Seraphina collapsed into her chair and rubbed her empty, growling stomach.
“Hss… a little hungry.”
Food first. Everything else could wait.
“Lina.”
“I’m here.”
She had not brought Lina (nor Ailinuo) to the assembly. They were not yet ready to face so many hostile eyes.
“Prepare a few dishes. And while you’re at it, teach the demon maids more. The sooner they learn, the sooner you’ll have less work.”
Lina left with a quiet acknowledgement.
Suddenly a wave of dizziness washed over Seraphina. The tension that had held her together during the assembly finally snapped, pushing her to her limit.
“Ailinuo, come here a moment.”
Ailinuo looked up at once. Seeing the exhaustion on Seraphina’s face, she set down her scrolls and hurried over, eyes full of concern.
“Your Highness? Are you all right?”
“It’s nothing… just tired.” Seraphina shifted sideways and patted the newly emptied space on her wide chair. “Sit here. Let me… lean on you a little.”
There were no cushions in the study; the chair backs were hard, unyielding wood.
Her voice was soft, carrying an unconscious plea. For once stripped of all pretense, she was simply a girl not much older than Ailinuo herself.
Ailinuo’s cheeks blazed scarlet with overwhelmed joy. She had only been here half a month, yet she was already trusted this much?!
She sat down with extreme care, body stiff with nervous delight, ready to serve as Her Highness’s temporary pillow.
Seraphina smiled faintly at the girl’s obedient manner; some of the weariness eased. She began to lean toward her.
Abruptly, every shadow in the room seemed to come alive. They writhed, gathered, and in an instant seized Seraphina’s heart in an icy grip!
She bolted upright, face draining of color. The tiny warmth she had felt vanished.
“Y-Your Highness…?”
Ailinuo jumped in fright at the violent reaction, staring helplessly.
“…It’s nothing!” Seraphina’s voice cracked higher, panic barely suppressed. “You… you can go. Put those scrolls back.”
The sudden shift from gentle to commanding left Ailinuo stunned, but she did not dare question. Clutching the scrolls, she fled the room, bewildered and a little hurt.
Seraphina looked around in terror. The shadows had returned to normal; the freezing pressure had vanished as silently as it came.
But she knew it had not been an illusion.
Movira… had been watching the entire time…
“How… how could I forget… how dare I forget…”
Seraphina covered her face with trembling hands, voice shaking with lingering fear.
Fine, fine. Back to work.
After the brief scare, she forced her mind onto proper matters.
Still, she couldn’t help replaying Ailinuo’s panicked expression.
“Sigh… I’ll have to find an excuse to explain later… Movira! You absolute menace!”
She whipped her head toward the patch of shadow that had just pulsed with eerie presence and cursed out loud.
Having vented, Seraphina propped her cheek on her hand and began thinking.
Today’s assembly had achieved its preliminary goal. After days of laying groundwork, she had finally gauged every clan’s true reaction.
She had almost forgot her original motivation had merely been a craving for decent food.
All right… time to push the plot forward. Policies were rolling now.
She pulled a fresh sheet of parchment, dipped her quill, and started drafting the four Governors-General.
Dekrian must have one seat. He was currently her firmest and most useful pillar; his intellect was second to none in the Demon Realm, and his emotional intelligence was sky-high.
“Then… let him handle inter-clan relations.”
In essence, liaison work. The Bloodborn were also the closest geographically, so Dekrian serving in person was feasible.
…She would reconsider later.
The Giantwing Demons were indispensable; they were the clan most friendly with humans and conducted the most trade.
That alone qualified them to oversee material procurement.
The only problem… they were a bit dim.
That was tricky, but Seraphina suddenly recalled the Whiplash Demon chieftain who had been so close to the Giantwing leader at Ailinuo’s coming-of-age banquet.
Whiplash Demons could essentially read thoughts, perfect for covering the Giantwings’ shortcomings.
“Make her deputy governor?”
That could work perfectly.
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