Chapter 25 Chapter 24
Eve Frostleaf slightly moved her chin, indicating that she heard what Jima was saying, but didn’t say much afterwards.
Since the day they “comforted each other,” Eve Frostleaf’s attitude had returned to what it was before. Jima guessed it was because she had moved on, or perhaps because she couldn’t find anything beyond sex in herself.
But Jima didn’t care much; as long as George was around, everyone would end up in the same bed sooner or later. She couldn’t be bothered to check on Eve Frostleaf or care for her feelings.
“I hope your kin can knock the teeth out of the world-destroying army again,” Jima said. “After all, they are guarding the most important great whirlpool.”
“Are you really concerned?”
“Of course.”
“Why?”
“Look at the fragments of the crown above my head,” Jima said. “The Eternal Chosen will stop at nothing to kill me and take it. If things go awry, it won’t be good for me either, so I have no choice but to stand on the side of order—temporarily.”
“George’s persuasion has failed.”
“Of course.”
“But you’re more worried about the demon army.”
“What demon army?”
Eve Frostleaf pointed out sharply: “As the Demon King, you can command the demon army.”
“Indeed I can.”
“But George can’t be with your demon army and also draw a line with you.”
Just imagine, if you lead a demon army, what would you do if the subordinates had to kill human sacrifices? Communicating with the Four Dark Gods to bless them is simply asking for corruption.
“Right, right,” Jima said. “Frostleaf, you have a keen sense of politics, but if the situation deteriorates to the point that I must command the demon army, I won’t hesitate. I have no strong aversion to it. Anyway, George already knows I can’t become kind.”
“I hope you won’t.”
“I hope so too.”
They chatted for a while, rested, and then continued to fly, arriving at the outskirts of Vanguard City as evening fell.
The corruption surrounding Vanguard City had visibly decreased significantly over the past few days.
Twilight was not purplish-red; beams of sunlight leaped over the treetops, forming shafts of light through the incense smoke due to the Tyndall effect.
Beneath the trees, the corrupted, sinful followers were sawing wood to prepare siege weapons.
Purple-red tents stretched for miles, resembling mold growing around Vanguard City. Everywhere was marked with signs of sin, silk ribbons, and ritual activities that were evil, cruel, and highly stimulating to the senses.
There was a lavish banquet. The sounds of human musical instruments and the enjoyment of food mixed together.
As they flew over the besieging army.
Jima couldn’t help but look down and saw some soldiers of the sinful demon army, wearing silk clothes adorned with gems, feeling envious.
She was also visually scouting.
Among the sinful demon army, due to a lack of magical power, there were few demons; more were “followers.” Once mortals, they embraced sin, received its blessings, grew extra limbs, or had their arms deformed.
Predominantly Northerners.
Compared to demons, their greatest advantage was not needing magical power to sustain their forms in the mortal realm.
However, judging by the rituals they held, more and more demons would join this army. Their numbers already had the advantage.
Jima suspected that if a terror leader commanded this army, Vanguard City would have already fallen—insufficient siege weapons wouldn’t stop the terror demon army from launching continuous attacks, and Vanguard City wouldn’t be able to hold out at all.
Returning to Vanguard City, she first reported to George upon seeing him.
Eve Frostleaf was not as out of sorts as she had been in Silvania; she only greeted him.
Compared to when they set out, Vanguard City now looked like a place one could live in. The displayed art of dismembered limbs on the walls was quite impressive.
There was also a clean bathing area; Jima had originally planned to take a bath with Eve Frostleaf. Being sisters, it would be nice to bathe together.
Unfortunately, George, that bad guy, pulled Jima aside and said:
“I need to discuss the recent situation in Vanguard City with you.”
“Can’t we wait for Frostleaf to finish bathing, and all discuss it together?”
George looked at Frostleaf.
Frostleaf shook her head and said, “I’m not familiar with warfare.”
Jima said in a coaxing tone, “I’m all dirty; I don’t want to be in the same room with someone so filthy.”
“I don’t mind.”
“I do mind.”
George didn’t say anything, tugging Jima’s hand, leading her directly to the command room, which was indeed empty. At the entrance stood only a guard fulfilling the role of errand boy.
In the empty command room, Jima stretched lazily, sat in a chair, and propped her legs clad in black silk directly on the table. Her life form had long since changed; she could go days without sweating, and instead, there was a faint fragrance about her.
Her first question was, “Have you called for aid from the rest of the Empire?”
“I sent someone for help,” George said. “But from what I understand, we can’t be confident; the stationed troops elsewhere find it difficult to assist Vanguard City. I heard there was a plan that once Vanguard City falls, the Imperial army will retreat.”
“So what do you plan to do?”
“Abandon Vanguard City and retreat.”
“That sounds fine.”
“But I heard one thing; lift your legs up a bit.”
Jima raised her calves, and George removed the map underneath. He circled a spot on the map.
It was the northern province of Tarabek Province, Nord Province.
The empire’s northern coast was also the main frontline, where the empire was resisting the main forces of the world-destroying army, as well as the countless Northerners coming from the north.
“The Eternal Chosen personally leads the army here.”
“Is that so?” Jima said. “Could it be a decisive battle?”
“Don’t know,” George said. “We are closer to the Eternal Chosen than we imagined.”
Jima then placed her other thigh on the table, inhaling the faint perfume of peach blossoms in the air, rubbing her feet together and said:
“Are you worried the Eternal Chosen will come to kill me?”
“Indeed.”
Suddenly, the winds of magic became fierce.
Jima quickly withdrew her legs and said, “This is bad!”
George grasped the hilt of his sword: “What is it?”
“The winds of magic are picking up!”
“You go up to observe first.”
Jima ran to the balcony, jumped into the air, and spread her wings to survey the distance.
She saw a large group of sinful demons appearing among the besieging army.
She sighed and murmured, “I should have known it would come to this.”
Flying back, she looked at George’s blue eyes, tilted her head, shrugged, and said, “We can cancel the breakout plan.”
“What?”
“A number of demons have appeared,” Jima said. “The possibility of breaking out has already vanished, though the chances of success were low to begin with.”
“Do you have any plans?”
“None,” Jima said. “A skilled homemaker finds it hard to cook without rice.”
“We can only escape now.”
“However,” Jima said, “I have a proposal: what if I lead the demon army?”
