"Allies? Your Majesty the Demon King, I don't believe they're allies. That's the current Hero." Backlit as he was, his expression was hidden, but his tone carried a hint of displeasure.
"The Hero rescued me. Is that reason enough?" I rolled my eyes.
The other side fell silent for a moment. Lott, however, lowered his voice. "Who is that?"
"Perhaps one of the Twelve Demon Commanders." I still wasn't sure of his identity. It was said a Demon General's token would make the Demon King sense it. Yet I felt nothing unusual.
Could his identity be fake?
"Are all Demon Generals that strong?"
"Each has their strengths. Not all Heroes enjoy courting death like you." I jabbed his lower back hard. Ouch, my fingers hurt~
"My specialty is courting death?"
"I hope you don't actually get yourself killed someday." I pinched a soft fold of skin on his lower back and twisted it 180 degrees. The corner of his eye twitched slightly, but he held back.
"If Your Majesty can explain why the Hero would help you, his sworn enemy, I'll accept it unconditionally." The man bowed slightly.
"Cough—hack, hack..." I'd meant to clear my throat but choked instead. After catching my breath, I slapped my chest. "Naturally, our Dark Lord turned the Hero through wit and superb persuasion—" Pain shot through my head. I looked up, shaking my fist at the Hero. "Why hit me!"
"Rude nonsense." Lott laughed. "This era's situation is special. Things happened in the palace, especially with the Church—can't disclose details. Anyway, the Demon King and I are a temporary... Justice League!"
"League? Justice League? Sounds like 'Link-Link-See'—so awful." I rolled my eyes again and helped Rui Jing up. "We're just cooperating. Join us like Rui Jing first if you want an alliance."
"Demon Lord! You agreed?"
"A sister who'd steal the imperial seal for me is rare." I glanced at the self-proclaimed Demon General. He stood motionless.
"Do you know where this is?" I stared at him.
He nodded. "The royal secret passage."
"You know the royal court has a Guide too."
He nodded again.
"If you're a Demon General, where's the Guide?"
The air froze. My words exposed my suspicion. If he was an enemy, he'd attack next. I patted the Hero's lower back, signaling readiness.
"My other identity is—the Guide." He pulled out two tokens and spread them. My heart skipped a beat.
One was the Moon Solitude Token, exclusive to Demon Generals. Pitch-black, wood-like yet heavier than lead, shield-shaped with demon wings. Half-hidden were the characters "Moon Solitude," ghastly white like moon-bleached bone ash, iron-hook strokes like a hellish sign—utterly eerie.
But my racing heart confirmed it was genuine.
The other token was gold mixed with magic materials. A coiled dragon wrapped a wood-grain base, bearing the characters "The Guide" like gnarled roots.
I drew the Prince's Token. Both tokens flickered fluorescently.
This only happened before the true Guide. He'd infiltrated the royal court!
I stepped forward, hand on the Moon Solitude Token. "Your name?"
"No name. Unimportant. An alias—Clock." Up close, I still couldn't tell his gender. He removed his mask, revealing a delicate face.
"Welcome back, Your Majesty. Rest here a while?"
"Perfect. Regroup. Objections?" I looked back. Rui Jing nodded. Lott hesitated.
"We must leave the Royal Capital fast." Lott retracted his Battle Aura barrier.
Clock's hideout was the passage exit—a sizable villa on prime main-road land, connected to a rarely-open storefront.
After a night of running, we were exhausted. Lott and Rui Jing showered first. I delayed. Why two bathhouses aside, how to shower was a problem.
I should've dragged Yeluo out!
Clock fiddled with a pocket watch at his workbench. I sat opposite, bored.
"Hey, Clock, are you a boy or girl?"
"Your Majesty, you've asked seventeen times." He adjusted gears, no longer respectful. He saw me as a spoiled young lady.
"Won't you answer~" I squished my cheeks.
"Unimportant." He brushed me off.
I ignored his attitude, fantasizing. "In a dress, you'd be a gorgeous mature beauty—guys would chase you. In a tuxedo, a handsome gentleman—girls would chase you. But in that robe, you're like an old scholar."
"Innocent or secretly sharp-tongued?" He inserted a floating planetary gear. What bizarre watch needed that?
"Heh~ You can tease too." I laughed awkwardly. "I thought you were serious."
"Too lazy usually." He closed the watch lid. "Done for today."
"What's this watch's function?" I peered at the planetary gears through glass.
"Clock's specialty. Nameless movement number fifty-seven."
"I mean its purpose!" This lazybones was hopeless.
"Nothing special." He swept tools into a drawer. "The face can hold any pattern. Wind the key to scramble it like a puzzle. Only this position restores it—else it stays chaotic." His eyebrows rose, smug.
"Why not finish it?"
"Lazy~~"
"WTF..." Truly hopeless.
"Your sister Rui Jing forgot her shower clothes. Deliver them." He waved. "On the table outside."
"Why not you? Lazy?" I folded my arms.
"Send a gender-ambiguous being to a girl? What if I'm male?" He smirked.
He had a point. I couldn't argue!
"But I—" I'm a guy too! I screamed inwardly.
Such a rare perk! Missing it would invite lightning strikes.
He Yu, believe in your willpower! Come on!
Nervous, I left the room.
