The square in Solus City still bore the traces of last night’s blood and scattered rubble that hadn’t yet been cleaned away.
The sun was still hiding behind the clock tower in the square, not fully visible, yet the place was already bustling with noise.
Citizens gathered here, their conversations revolving around nothing but the chaos of last night and the impromptu speech scheduled for this morning.
“When exactly is it going to start? I heard all sorts of strange noises outside last night—I was too scared to sleep the whole time.”
“There was a Pink-Haired Demon attacking Solus City, or so I heard.”
“The version I heard was that a group snuck into the city, trying to assassinate the Cursed Princess.”
“No, no—it was someone setting fires everywhere, trying to burn the city down. I even saw the flames through my curtains last night; the fire was so high!”
Though the speech wasn’t mandatory, everyone wanted to know exactly what had happened, so they gathered of their own accord, nervously discussing the incident.
Just by looking at the still-uncleaned bloodstains and the broken bricks left scattered, it was clear that much had transpired during the night.
When Cecilia’s figure appeared on the elevated platform, the murmurs only grew louder.
Everyone wondered why it was Cecilia stepping forward, making uneasy guesses.
“So the princess wasn’t assassinated after all…”
“But why isn’t Lord Angus giving the speech himself? Could it be that he’s already…”
Cecilia lowered her eyelashes, her gaze sweeping over the crowd like a feather.
The people gradually quieted down, holding their breath and waiting to hear what she would say.
“Last night, we endured a difficult and long night,” Cecilia began. “Those lawless intruders tried to tear apart our peace with violence, challenging our order. But they underestimated our courage—the dawn has already come.”
Just like the first time Rita heard Cecilia’s speech, her voice was soft but carried a special kind of power that calmed people and made them listen closely.
Only this time, Rita was no longer part of the crowd below the platform.
She stood by the steps leading up to the stage, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword, watching Cecilia’s slender yet oddly reassuring back.
Since waking, Cecilia had returned to normal.
Her memories of last night were vague—she only vaguely recalled encountering a nightmare demon, then meeting Rita, and seemingly giving some kind of instruction.
Unlike the first time, when Cecilia had completely forgotten she was that nightmare demon herself, this time she only forgot the details.
“A speech to soothe people’s hearts. Honestly, I have to thank that old man for the Fourth Princess—he doesn’t have this kind of eloquence,” Rita thought.
As she pondered this, a black-haired girl approached from behind, arms crossed, then stopped beside Rita and extended her hand.
“Of course, I also have to thank you for what you did for this city.”
Seeing Rita turn and grasp the offered hand, the girl’s previously dark expression cleared considerably.
She introduced herself: “Maggie. I meant to meet you last night, but didn’t get the chance.”
“Rita.”
Rita returned the introduction, then they released hands and leaned against opposite sides of the steps to continue listening to the speech.
Before long, the speech was nearing its end.
Cecilia gave her final remarks and turned to step down from the platform.
“Lady Cecilia, thank you for your hard work.”
Rita, who had been waiting nearby, naturally took Cecilia’s hand to help her down the steps.
The black-haired girl saluted Cecilia with one hand pressed to her chest, then loudly shouted down to the crowd below:
“Old man! Hurry up, it’s your turn!”
After a moment, Angus finally appeared at the foot of the steps, dark circles under his eyes.
He held the cane Rita had seen on the first day—once used to stab someone—and, like Maggie, saluted Cecilia as he passed her, then strode to the front of the stage.
Angus’s voice rang out, echoing sentiments similar to Cecilia’s.
“Though we have achieved victory, it is built on a foundation of blood. Those soldiers who guarded this city, who protected strangers like you within it, remain forever in the darkness.”
Maggie raised an eyebrow and whispered to Rita, who was holding Cecilia’s hand:
“I wrote that part for him. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?”
Rita nodded.
Although the content was similar, as the city lord, Angus’s emphasis was necessarily different.
“As we move forward, we will increase patrols, continue the curfew temporarily, and thoroughly investigate the root causes. Why did these wanderers come? Who is behind the instigation? We owe everyone an explanation. Trust me, just as I trust each one of you!”
After the speech, everyone gathered below the stage.
What Angus had described was the strategy they had hastily devised overnight, and the speech was an essential part of that plan.
What truly comforted people was not the speech itself but the fact that Angus and Cecilia appeared unharmed—those two remaining unscathed were the greatest reassurance to the civilians.
This morning, after seeking Cecilia’s approval, the speech was finalized and put into effect.
Angus’s speech was likely written and memorized at the last minute.
When the speech ended and the civilians dispersed, Maggie was the first to formally kneel before Cecilia and bow deeply.
“Your Highness, first time meeting you. I am Maggie, general of the Solus City garrison. I was late last night—please forgive me.”
“No need for such formality. With your support, Solus City was able to quickly avert disaster.”
Cecilia nodded and helped Maggie up.
Maggie then blurted out an earnest but somewhat informal remark:
“It was Your Highness’s command that made the difference. If it had been that old man… cough, I mean the city lord, the losses might have been much greater.”
Angus cleared his throat, his expression serious:
“Your Highness, I have already reported last night’s events to the capital. I do not ask for your pardon, only that you judge everything that happened in Solus City fairly. The investigation is ongoing, and I represent Solus City in promising you a reasonable explanation.”
After a few more pleasantries and decisions settled, the brief meeting concluded.
Maggie had to lead the reinforcements back to the barracks, so she took her leave first.
The others also had their duties and dispersed.
As for what effect the speech actually had—that remained unknown.
But the tone of the discussions did shift somewhat, though opinions remained divided.
“Though the curfew might be inconvenient, it’s better than getting stabbed, right?”
“Is it really that simple? What about the demons? They didn’t mention the demons at all. Can just some wanderers slip into the city unnoticed?”
“Ah, maybe those wanderers have their own hardships? They’re people too, poor things.”
“Hardships? When they were killing and setting fires, did they spare your family? If you ask me, those guys should be hung from the city walls! Use you as a stool while they do it!”
“Forget it, all this fighting isn’t my business. As long as I can mind my own little trade, I’m satisfied.”
These debates were of no concern to Rita.
Her mission was to protect Cecilia.
After the riot, Cecilia seemed to exercise stricter control over Rita’s movements.
Though Rita was not yet a full-fledged Holy Knight, she was already almost Cecilia’s personal bodyguard.
Putting aside her identity as a nightmare demon, Cecilia felt she was only one step away from becoming a true Holy Knight.
“Lady Cecilia, what’s our next plan?”
Walking along, Rita finally remembered to ask this crucial question.
“To the examination hall,” Cecilia answered, then anticipated Rita’s surprise and began to explain:
“Last time, the assessment was delayed a day because I was nearly assassinated. This time, it can’t be delayed—not even a little.”
“But isn’t that too rushed?”
“Keeping the schedule as unchanged as possible is the only way to restore our daily lives, which are already on the verge of collapse. Rather than letting people moan and brood, it’s better to fill their lives with something more meaningful as soon as possible.”
That explained why the speech was scheduled so early.
Rita and Cecilia entered the examination hall—a huge space, almost empty, but with a few familiar faces.
Promi sat alone, Met was also there by himself, Johnson sat elsewhere with arms crossed and eyes closed, Momoka and Albert were chatting, and the mysterious Bandaged Man they’d seen a few days ago stood out conspicuously.
After escorting Cecilia to the examiner’s seat, Rita found a place to sit and closed her eyes, waiting for the test to begin.
Before long, a familiar voice sounded next to her.
“Sis, why are you here so early today?”