Chapter 82: Family, Kin

So it’s the little princess of the Merman Tribe. No wonder…

The Merman Tribe is also a major clan in the Mountains of Ten Thousand Demons, and you could even say they’re the strongest among all amphibious magical beasts on land. Their branches spread across rivers, lakes, and seas, extending as far as the Endless Sea in the east of the world. If we gather it all, their strength isn’t any weaker than the three major pillars.

It’s just that their power is relatively dispersed, and this part in the Mountains of Ten Thousand Demons is ultimately somewhat inferior.

Vilyric took another look at the six tear-drop shaped patterns on Nitira’s face, and although her identity is indeed impressive, to be honest, it was somewhat expected.

“Well, let’s leave it at that. So, Vilyric, did you come to find me for something special today?”

“Yes, there are indeed a few things I want to discuss, but right now…”

The girl named Nitira truly embodies the qualities of a Merman princess—intelligent and graceful. Seeing this, she quickly smiled and said.

“Since we have esteemed guests visiting, Lord Lan can focus on important matters. As for what you mentioned earlier, I will relay it to my mother as it is once I return to the tribe. Please don’t worry, and both you and Princess Mona will be just fine.”

“Alright, thank you for your cooperation and understanding, Princess Nitira. I hope this can truly help our two tribes break through the barriers and achieve groundbreaking progress.”

Lan also smiled and nodded lightly. It was evident that since her father Tyler had been imprisoned, and she inherited the position of clan leader and city lord amidst turmoil, this originally cold and rebellious girl had changed considerably in just a few days. She has mellowed out somewhat, gaining a bit of composure.

Like a sharp sword withdrawing back into its sheath, its cutting edge remains but no longer seems so aggressive.

Nitira gave a slight bow to everyone before quickly turning to leave, but her gaze clearly lingered on Vilyric for a moment longer, leaving the priestess somewhat surprised.

Could it be… she recognized me already? Is the disguise of the “Jade Fox Mask” that poor? After all, it’s supposed to be a semi-artifact, and back then my clothing, hair color, and even voice and demeanor changed dramatically. There was no reason for a somewhat mediocre girl to see through it.

Yeah, it must be just an illusion.

As Nitira’s figure vanished along the garden path, Lan seemed to let out a breath of relief and returned to the stone bench. Vilyric didn’t hold back and sat directly in the spot Nitira had just occupied, pouring herself a cup of fresh tea.

Watching the black-haired girl busying herself, along with the little dragon girl and Tilysha standing like attendants on either side, Lan couldn’t help but shake her head in resignation, also refilling her cup.

The priestess took a sip of the fragrant tea and spoke first.

“By the way, what were you talking to her about just now?”

“Oh, just a little official business. Now that it’s time, is it possible our dear Miss Vilyric feels that the situation in Demon Town has settled and is planning to fulfill your promise?”

Promise? What promise?

Oh…

Vilyric paused for a moment before suddenly remembering that it does seem like she and Lan had some agreement where she would help refine Lan’s swordsmanship in exchange for assistance from the Tuls family’s eldest daughter. However, with Mona’s appearance, things had developed too quickly, and Lan naturally stood on their side, causing someone to almost forget about it.

“Cough, let’s talk about that later. Anyway, I won’t back out. I did hand you a new sword as an initial reward, right…”

“Alright, alright… whatever you say. What can I do when the princess is on your side? I’m not strong enough to go against you anyway, so if you do back out, I’ll just have to grit my teeth and swallow it.”

“Ah haha… Am I coming off as a bully? Okay, enough joking. Actually, the main reason I came to find you is to understand what exactly happened after you went to the city lord’s mansion to meet Tyler that day. Did he tell you the whole story?”

“The whole story?”

As soon as the topic turned serious, Lan’s expression became more solemn, resting her chin in reflection.

“I’m not sure what you mean by the whole story, but that day when I went to see my father, I overheard something outside his study…”

Lan took some time to organize her thoughts and describe the situation that day.

It turned out, just as Lan had suspected, after expressing a desire to understand the situation, Tyler didn’t hide anything. His plan sparked a heated argument between father and daughter due to their conflicting ideologies, or rather, it was Lan’s one-sided scolding of her father for being too extreme and viewing human life as insignificant.

The indulgent Tyler didn’t argue too much but evidently, he wouldn’t change his mind just because of Lan’s few words of advice. In fact, this city lord of Demon Town had already set out on a road from which he could not turn back.

He explained his plan in detail to Lan.

Although it was a gamble, Tyler Tuls was not being reckless. Lan was his backup for the Tuls family.

He intentionally kept the entire matter away from his daughter, and since Lan usually lived independently, she had ample evidence and reasons to distance herself from the matter.

Now that the situation has unfolded, regardless of success or failure, Lan was already safe.

Knowing all of this, Lan felt a swell of anger, but in reality, there was little she could do. She had initially planned to return home to further discuss with Vilyric, but then news arrived that Princess Mona had appeared in the underground black market of Demon Town, leading adventurers to eradicate the poaching group.

The rest is not worth saying.

Tyler and Griffith failed, but the Tuls family did not. In fact, Lan’s smooth succession to clan leader might very well be because they had paved the way ahead of time.

After laying out everything she knew, Lan seemed a bit wistful. Perhaps in a sense, her long-standing rebellion and personality were due to both Tyler’s indulgence and the older generation’s deliberate leniency, providing an alternative path for the family.

The Tuls family is indeed renowned for their wisdom, standing firm through storms for eight hundred years without faltering—this is evident.

“I finally understand why my father, despite clearly being unwilling, has always been so eager to arrange a marriage for me. He and grandfather must have predicted that I would inherit the clan leader position. Just like now, if there’s a reliable aide, the pressure I have to bear would be greatly reduced…”

The acting city lord sighed ruefully, and the three listeners, including Vilyric, had varying expressions. Vilyric waited for Lan to calm her emotions for a bit before speaking again.

“What about the follow-up handling of Tyler? From the looks of it, he at least managed to save his own life, right?”

“Well, he probably can’t be a noble anymore, and he won’t be able to stay in Demon Town, but I did ask Princess Mona for help in getting a sentence for land reclamation. Although it’ll be hard work, at least he should be able to have no worries about food and clothing.”

“I see…”

The two fell into a brief silence before Vilyric suddenly broached a somewhat delicate topic.

“Lan, do you think this matter is completely over?”

Lan’s sharp senses from her time as the captain of the Inner Guard had not dulled due to her political career. She didn’t ask Vilyric what she meant specifically, only frowning slightly.

“To put it plainly, the trigger and key of the incident, Noviya Moonshadow, we’ve already found. The poaching group in Demon Town is virtually wiped out, and the victims who were captured have also been properly settled. Next, you mean to say someone will cause trouble during tomorrow’s negotiations?”

Seeing the twin-tailed girl’s expression growing serious, Vilyric casually shook her head.

“Not necessarily, but there’s one thing I’ve always been concerned about.”

“What is it?”

“Aileen.”

The priestess suddenly dropped those two words.

“This name, have you heard it before?”

   

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