NOVPUBAfter a simple exchange of clothes, Antanas now looked like a trainee prison guard.
"I’m ready."
Although Antanas has taken the form of a human before, she’s never used transformation spells to disguise herself in a state she was entirely unable to understand.
She’d need to tread cautiously when escaping the Protoss Empire and fleeing to the Aestheland Kingdom, where the Bingxue Witch would provide her refuge.
After all, Hyperion’s identity was obvious, she was a spy from the Aestheland Kingdom. Their identities had some holes, and their ruse might be exposed at any point.
The Protoss Empire was highly wary and hostile towards the Demon Race. If she wasn’t extremely cautious once back on the surface, it was highly likely she’d end up in prison again.
Antanas had made up her mind. Until she saw Talia, no matter the length or difficulties of the journey ahead, she would do her utmost to fulfill the pact she’d made with the two young princesses.
The Great Love Poet handed Antanas, now disguised as a human, the Student Bracelet of the Protoss Royal Magic Academy previously owned by the Hegemony priest.
"Antanas, your new identity is a citizen of Chinston City in the Xue Yuan Province of the Protoss Empire. You are in the third year at the Protoss Royal Magic Academy. Once you’ve finished this prison guard exam on Herram, you can apply for graduation. Once we return to the basic level of the prison, you can retrieve your full set of documents from the embassy of the Protoss Empire," said the Great Love Poet, handing her the bracelet.
"Understood."
Antanas put on the bracelet and confirmed with a nod.
Unexpectedly, her false identity had been prepared so thoroughly, she wondered how long it would fool the Protoss Empire.
"The Protoss Royal Magic Academy will then appoint you as a senior professor, where you will work four days a week and rest for three. Additionally, there’s the work on the Church’s side, but that’s another salary which will be given separately. You can spend your remaining time familiarizing yourself with modern life in the capital, Herram. Can you accept this arrangement before we leave the Northern Continent?" continued the Great Love Poet.
"..."
Antanas gazed at the Great Love Poet in confusion.
They were going to live within the Protoss Empire?
"My false identity will not be exposed?" asked Antanas.
"These are all genuine, both your household register and student status. The Provincial Governor and the principal of the academy have personally gone through the procedures for you," explained the Great Love Poet.
"?"
Antanas was taken aback.
She was stunned for a moment.
How deeply had the two young demons infiltrated the Protoss Empire while she was in prison? They had such connections and influence, they could allow her, a prisoner of the Great Demon Clan, to enter the capital Herram openly and live a carefree life?
What a sweet poison this was.
She could enjoy it for a while, then return to the South Continent with those two, and then she would be able to meet Talia smoothly.
"Is this really happening?"
Antanas shook her head, seeming to confirm that this was reality, not the illusion of the [Falling Gentle Hometown] spell.
She suddenly found the reality a bit unreal.
"When you’re trapped in the [Falling Gentle Hometown], you won’t realize you’re under an illusion," the Great Love Poet reminded helplessly.
It’s like when you realize you’re dreaming, you’re basically about to wake up.
"So...this is really...reality..."
A glint of disbelief flashed in Antanas’s eyes, followed by a spread of joy.
Her mouth gradually formed a brilliant smile that seemed to brighten the whole room.
Then, she took a deep breath, as if trying to absorb all the happiness of this moment.
"Thank you, you are the pride of our Demon Race. I will do my best to protect you, to repay this kindness," Antanas sincerely thanked the two descendants of her friends.
"..."
Hyperion sensed Antanas’s inexplicable reverence and didn’t know how to explain anything. She felt as if her identity as a noble human priest had been swept away along with Lanci’s.
She wanted to be a dignified human priest, not a chosen young demon princess...
"Let’s go."
When the people in the cell had finished talking, Lanci also took Antanas and Hyperion and left the special cell.
As they walked out of the cell, they chatted casually, seeming to have formed some sort of tacit understanding during their short exchange of words.
Outside the door, two priests who had been waiting directly saluted them when they walked out.
Even though their fellow priestess hadn’t physically changed, they all knew that beneath her exterior lay a member of the legendary eighth-order great demon race.
Antanas also bowed to them.
She clearly understood that these two humans were their comrades now and that they were wholeheartedly submissive to the young princesses.
"We’re ready. We can proceed to the fifth level now," the Great Love Poet told the priests, satisfaction in her voice.
"Yes, my lord," replied the priest of Hegemony.
Just as Antanas was preparing to communicate to them about coordinating through the [Falling Gentle Hometown] to proceed, she saw the woman with black hair and green eyes stepping out without any precaution.
And the others remained rooted in their spots with no intention of assisting the Great Love Poet.
A moment passed, and the Great Love Poet snapped out of the illusion, continuing on to trigger the illusion of the next large floor space.
Hyperion and the hegemony priest naturally followed the path that had already been opened.
Only Antanas was left, completely disbelieving—there was someone capable of disregarding the [Falling Gentle Hometown] and clearing the path ahead.
"No way...what is with this girl’s brain? This is a trial of the Great Demon Clan, after all."
Antanas muttered to herself.
She couldn’t help but marvel. No wonder she was of Talia’s lineage.
On second thought, even Talia didn’t possess such talent—it must have been her strong husband who optimized their bloodlines.
Antanas was increasingly curious about what kind of existence Talia’s husband was.
Although Antanas still had a reflex-like vigilance towards the environment of the fourth level, she quickly recognized the situation and quietly followed Hyperion.
The group made their way through the winding hallway and eventually returned to the entrance portal hall.
A deep purple mirror portal stood at the end of the stairs, which was now responding to their bracelets, emitting a twisted glow accompanied by the sound of arcing electricity. It was clear they had fulfilled the conditions necessary to proceed to the fifth level.
"Everyone, be careful. If we get separated, let’s regroup at the entrance portal hall," said the Great Love Poet, seeing the warning sign on the portal.
The space on the fifth level was not stable, and the portal might not transport them to the entrance portal hall—they could end up at any location on the fifth level.
