It was not just the young male nobles who refused to give Liya any credit.
There were also many high-level Combatants who were confident enough in their ability to protect themselves.
They completely ignored Liya’s sales pitch and silently left the banquet hall.
They intended to find Lord Zyra, the highest-ranking official in the Qianhe Domain, to serve as the backbone of their team.
At the same time, this was a display of loyalty and a form of political opportunism.
Almost no one considered the possibility that Zyra was colluding with the Demonkind.
For one, they could not fathom her motive — what could she possibly gain from joining those beasts?
Secondly, she had been a member of the Hero’s Party in the past; she surely wouldn’t have fallen to such a state.
The guests in the banquet hall had not witnessed the “transformation” of those handmaidens.
They simply assumed the castle was being invaded by an external enemy.
They did not know that Lord Zyra was no longer the cold-faced but warm-hearted young Mage she once was.
The lights flickered out one by one.
Various parts of the castle were gradually falling into darkness.
The entire castle was under the surveillance of Magic Sentries, with almost no area left unmonitored.
The departing nobles soon encountered Raven Spirit Envoys who were “struggling” against Shadow Monsters.
After successfully “rescuing” these Envoys, the lovely young girls in black dresses led them into the traps Zyra had meticulously prepared.
At the same time, in the banquet hall, the team composed of young nobles also set off with great pomp and spirit.
Under a saturated bombardment of magic, they did manage to clear the Shadow Monsters at the beginning of the corridor.
However, as soon as they entered narrow terrain, the flaws of this group — their total lack of training and military discipline — were immediately exposed.
Those in the front rank began to shriek as soon as they were injured, and those in the rear began to chant spells the moment they heard the screams.
The Shadow Monsters darted through the crowd while magic followed the monsters’ tails, flying wildly.
In the end, the vast majority of the spells blasted their own people.
There was no precise aiming, only area-of-effect coverage.
They didn’t care who was in the zone; as long as the area was covered, they were satisfied.
Fortunately, the defensive equipment of these trust-fund babies was sufficient, and in the end, 90% of them scurried back in disgrace.
Upon closer inspection of their fallen comrades’ corpses — whoops!
Their teammates had earned the MVP titles, while the Shadow Monsters were just along for the ride!
“Um, I have to say,” Liya couldn’t help but remind them.
“You all rushed out like a swarm of bees in a total mess, like a crowd at a market fighting over discounted vegetables. What could you possibly see clearly? Why not try groups of five, with two groups forming a squad? One group can specialize in protection and detection, while the second group specializes in destruction and support. How about that?”
With guidance from a bystander, these hotheaded youths finally realized their mistake.
In truth, these were not profound tactics; many of them had even learned such things from their fathers.
However, in a crisis, having learned something and being able to use it are two completely different matters.
Those born with the ability to remain calm are a tiny minority.
Most people, without training, tend to let their blood boil and follow their instincts when facing a crisis.
Liya’s advice was quite pertinent, but for young people in their ten or twenty years of age, pride was everything.
Instead of earning their gratitude, Liya’s reminder caused the Blonde Youth, who had already lost face before her once, to flare up in shame and anger.
“Shut up…!”
After his angry shout, he realized he had missspoken.
He quickly muttered a justification for himself.
“It’s easy to just flap your lips, but things on a battlefield aren’t that simple. What the hell do you know anyway?”
Liya glanced at him as if he were nothing unusual, but after that single look, she lost interest.
She turned her focus back to collecting her technical bundles and signing new Contracts.
This dismissal made the Blonde Youth feel as though he had lost even more face.
He simply hardened his heart and led his people away again in a huff, determined to achieve something to prove himself to Liya.
A short while later.
The Blonde Youth suddenly returned to the banquet hall with a flushed face.
He shouted in an excited voice, “Everyone! Look who I rescued? It’s a Raven Spirit Envoy! An envoy of Lord Zyra! I’ve brought back a way out for everyone!”
The crowd was instantly stirred.
Even the most composed and prudent individuals couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief in their hearts.
After all, they were on Lord Zyra’s territory.
With the help of the “host,” their survival rate would surely skyrocket.
No one was willing to give up this opportunity.
The area around Liya became deserted again as the Raven Spirit Envoy became the new focus of attention.
“Wait!”
Just as the group of nobles was about to blindly follow the Raven Spirit Envoy while dreaming of a bright future, Liya suddenly stepped forward and threw a bucket of cold water on everyone.
“The current situation is so bizarre. It would be better for everyone not to leave me and the Silent Knight as they please. Besides, don’t you all find it suspicious? The movements of those handmaidens were so stiff, almost like puppets. Some places in the castle haven’t been cleaned in a long time…”
“Enough!”
The Blonde Youth grew even more infuriated.
“Are you questioning whether Duke Zyra is in league with the Demonkind? Do you have a problem with me? Why do you have to look down on everything I do?”
“I am not looking down on you. I am simply pointing out the problems,” Liya corrected him calmly.
“The problems you point out are ridiculous! Duke Zyra is a high-ranking official of the Empire. Why would someone like her have any reason to betray the Empire? What necessity would there be?”
Liya shrugged.
“There is a High Priest from the Light Holy See here. It shouldn’t be difficult to perform a simple demon detection spell, right?”
The war between demons and humans had been long-lasting, and various methods of infiltration and counter-infiltration had emerged in an endless stream.
This was especially true considering special demons like the Succubus, who could perfectly integrate into Human Society by hiding their racial characteristics.
Therefore, methods for detecting demons had long since reached maturity.
However, as the saying goes, for every inch the light rises, the darkness grows by a foot.
As detection methods improved, so did the means of evasion.
Of course, Liya did not believe that these ordinary lesser demons could have learned such sophisticated concealment techniques.
Perhaps out of caution, a High Priest in the crowd immediately cast Holy Light Purge.
This was a mid-level detection Divine Art with a relatively low threshold.
Upon being struck by it, a demon would feel unbearable stinging pain all over their body and wouldn’t be able to stop themselves from revealing their true form.
However, this streak of Sacred Light first enveloped Liya.
Bathed in the Sacred Light, Liya didn’t exactly find it comfortable, but she didn’t feel any discomfort either.
She even lazily stretched her slender waist, her silhouette graceful and as beautiful as a painting.
The Sacred Light then moved toward the Silent Knight, who was clad in Demonkind armor.
Unexpectedly, a light even more dazzling than the Divine Art itself erupted from the Knight’s body, nearly suppressing the Sacred Light of the caster.
“Eh?” The priest was stunned.
“Well? Is he a member of the Demonkind?”
The Blonde Youth asked urgently.
The priest shook his head with a wry smile.
“The feedback from the Sacred Light is so intense… it represents that this person is extremely suited to join the Holy Army and serve as a Holy Knight. If he were a member of the Demonkind, then all of us would have to be considered the God of Demons.”
Finally, the light reluctantly shone toward the Raven Spirit Envoy.
*Sizzle!*
A piercing burning sound immediately echoed in everyone’s ears.
The room fell silent.
“Tee-hee-hee-hee-hee~~”
The Raven Spirit Envoy let out a silver-bell-like giggle, her face showing no reaction of pain whatsoever.
To be precise, undead creatures like the Shadow Demon had long since abandoned the perception of pain through their evolution.
Thick, shadow-like substance leaked out from the holes burned into her skin, but the Raven Spirit Envoy immediately forced those shadows back in.
She raised her head, her beautiful eyes sweeping over the crowd with mockery.
“…What was the point?”
She taunted them slowly, as if everyone present was merely raw sashimi on a plate.
“Wouldn’t it be more peaceful to die while filled with longing and beautiful illusions? Must you insist on being torn apart and having your Shadow Soul extracted to suit your preferences?”
The Raven Spirit Envoy’s tone became increasingly cruel.
She glared fiercely at Liya, preparing to strike first at the woman who had ruined her fun.
Liya, however, showed no fear.
She remained incredibly calm, even smiling as she took another sip of the red wine in her glass.