Chapter 175: Little Rita had an Idea

Lita’s mind was racing. She felt the constant, moderate pressure on her shoulder.

She had already suspected that Aierteer might be older than Luyisuowa. She had a vague premonition, ever since she learned that Aierteer… The Emblem Knight standing before her was probably no ordinary person.

No, perhaps she, like Lita, wasn’t even human. And the reason she was treating Lita this way might be the same.

Preventing her escape was also a warning or a threat. As for the hand on her shoulder, it was undoubtedly to stop her from leaving now that the conversation had reached this point. That wasn’t hard to understand.

What the other person thought didn’t matter, but Lita didn’t believe she was so weak as to be controlled by a single hand.

Combined with the daily work Aierteer did, Lita knew that Aierteer truly served this kingdom.

So, her counterattack would work. Lita’s gaze swept across the surrounding streets.

Although it was still early, there were already quite a few pedestrians. With the Holy Knight Examination about to resume soon, the flow of people was actually heavier than usual.

“Lady Aierteer.”

Aierteer didn’t react, but her gaze followed Lita’s.

‘Right, this can work.’

Lita encouraged herself internally, and then she countered:

“Are you sure you want to discuss this here?”

Lita had already conveyed the message she wanted to send—if a commotion broke out here, the entire Royal Capital would suffer.

Aierteer’s hand had been intent on restraining her, but whether that hand could actually control her was something Aierteer had to weigh for herself. And now that hand was withdrawn—that was Aierteer’s answer.

“Let’s go. We’ll leave the city.”

‘Good, victory!’

Lita didn’t know exactly when she had been exposed. It might have been the Charm Aura she used to control that frenzied horse, or perhaps earlier.

But now her objective was different from when she was in Solus City. If she wanted to run, she could escape at any time. Whether the King would send pursuers was another matter.

Even if she fled all the way to the Demon Territory and asked Waerfeisi to protect her, the Kingdom probably wouldn’t go to war with the Dream Demon Clan over her having Golden Blood. So in essence, she could still get away.

But her current job was to become an Emblem Knight! Not to stay alive!

So, just as Saixiliya had told her, she would have to get past Aierteer sooner or later. Though dangerous, this was also an opportunity.

The other party knew her identity but had never told anyone else—that was certain, otherwise the Royal City’s higher-ups wouldn’t have let her wander freely. This meant there was a possibility of negotiating with her.

If negotiations succeeded, she would not only gain nominal approval but also have someone to share the secret, easing her future pressure.

However, this so-called negotiation would definitely not be easy.

At the very least, she couldn’t let it come to a physical confrontation.

Given the long war between humans and demons, if the Demon Race had powerful warriors like Waerfeisi, and more than one, then the humans must have equally matched power.

If Lita’s guess was correct, Aierteer was likely a safeguard of the Human Royal City, someone she couldn’t possibly defeat head-on at her current level.

The two set off toward the outskirts. This was the slowest pace Lita had ever walked with Aierteer. They continued until they reached a plain far from the Royal City, where Aierteer finally stopped.

“Not leaving?” Aierteer said abruptly.

“Me?” Lita pointed at herself. When Aierteer gave a slight nod, she tilted her head. “Why would I leave?”

“There’s no one else here.”

Lita understood Aierteer’s subtext: no need to keep up the act anymore. It could also be: if you want to leave, no one but me will know. But Lita just nodded.

“Yes, I know.”

Then suddenly, Lita felt an immense pressure radiate from Aierteer, spreading outward like ripples or a massive wave that swept everything.

Between the invisible waves crashing against her body, the pressure accumulated, as if each wave multiplied the gravity on her feet several times, making Lita want to buckle and fall to her knees.

Whatever Aierteer did now, as long as it wasn’t directly tearing her apart, Lita could only consider it a test.

But this seemingly endless pressure was hard to withstand—at least if Lita didn’t resist.

But if she endured it, no, even if she lasted just one more second, it would be to her advantage.

“Tong.”

With Aierteer’s low hum, Lita suddenly felt her shoulders lighten, and all the pressure on her vanished.

‘Was that a test? Or just a warning?’ Lita couldn’t be sure.

The warmth of the sun; the crisp sound of dead leaves rustling in the wind; the sensation of her own sweat trickling down her cheek and dripping onto the cold ground. Aierteer’s gaze was fixed on her. Time flowed quietly. Lita could feel the sun above and Aierteer’s unreadable eyes watching her.

Being stared at like that made Lita feel uneasy.

She couldn’t just wait passively. She didn’t think Aierteer would ask things like “Why do you want to become an Emblem Knight?” or “What is your real goal?” She had to take the initiative.

“Lady Aierteer, did you bring me here for today’s work, or do you have something to say?”

“Don’t play dumb, Lita. I know what you are,” Aierteer said in a low voice. “I just haven’t decided how to deal with you yet.”

“Then why didn’t you report me to His Majesty?” Lita countered.

“The Royal Selection is imminent, and the Holy Knight Examination is just around the corner. This is not the time to invite chaos,” Aierteer replied.

‘As expected, Aierteer is the only one who knows my identity.’

Lita understood that if her identity were exposed, Saixiliya would be implicated. The severity of giving Golden Blood to an ordinary human versus giving it to a demon was worlds apart.

If she were turned in, Saixiliya would inevitably be involved, and the turmoil that would spiral from Saixiliya was obvious.

That was something Aierteer wanted to avoid.

By now, Aierteer’s logic was clear: her ultimate goal was to maintain stability.

Weighing the pros and cons, exposing Lita prematurely was inappropriate, so she hadn’t acted yet.

Lita had never felt her mind so clear.

If so, then the way to move Aierteer was this.

“Lady Aierteer.” Lita called respectfully. Before Aierteer could respond, she deliberately emphasized her tone. “Why do you see me as a source of chaos? Just because you think I’m not human?”

“That is a fact,” Aierteer replied.

“And what about you, Lady Aierteer?”

Lita admitted she was gambling, but this was an opportunity she had to seize.

Saixiliya had taught her that to reach a consensus, she had to find common ground. That was exactly what Lita was doing now.

“Lady Aierteer, where does your loyalty to the royal family come from?”

“But I am not a demon,” Aierteer said, not denying it, instead stating it outright.

“So because of that, you think my loyalty to Lady Saixiliya is false?”

“You can use your best tricks to charm her. No one knows if obtaining the Golden Blood was also part of your scheme.”

“Lady Saixiliya cannot be charmed.”

“Words are empty.”

“They are not empty! Lady Aierteer! Don’t you know? All charm-type magic automatically fails on Lady Saixiliya! Therefore, Saixiliya could not possibly have been charmed by me! She gave me the Golden Blood while in full possession of her faculties!”

Aierteer was silent for a moment, but Lita could feel her aura becoming more dangerous.

“Saixiliya knows your identity, and still gave you the Golden Blood?”

‘Damn it.’

Lita’s heart skipped a beat.

‘I misunderstood Aierteer.’

Aierteer’s goal is indeed to maintain stability, but maintaining stability seems more important to her than loyalty to the royal family.

Even if Aierteer wouldn’t do anything to Saixiliya now for the sake of stability, once everything was over, this matter would be brought up again.

Now, a mere declaration of loyalty to Saixiliya was no longer enough to convince Aierteer.

If her next answer wasn’t satisfactory, the one in danger might be far more than just herself.