Chapter 94: Talia Begins to See Lance in a Different Light

As twilight deepened, the world outside was swallowed by the encroaching night. Stars began to twinkle in the sky over Ikerite, and a full moon hung high, casting a soft glow. Streetlamps flickered to life one by one, illuminating the capital city after dark. Eventually, the last glimmers of natural light faded from the window, as if the entire world had drifted into slumber.

Seeing that Lance had fallen asleep from mana exhaustion, Talia simply left him where he was, slumped on the table. There was no way he would wake up soon. Having fulfilled her obligations, she finally took out the Shadow Realm Recording Program card.

She had been eager to view it from the very moment she got her hands on it. To her, this took precedence even over having dinner. In truth, beyond the contents of the Shadow Realm dungeon itself, what Talia cared about most was the silver-haired, amber-eyed half-demon girl who had participated in the challenge alongside Lance.

She retrieved a modified magic projector from the bottom drawer of her nightstand, inserted the recording program, turned the volume down low enough not to disturb Lance, and switched off the room's lights. Images began to project onto the dim wall facing the bed.

Darkness claimed the room. The only source of light was the magic projector, humming quietly as it ran. Talia sat on the bed with her knees drawn up to her chest as she watched in silence, much like someone settling in for a late-night movie.

The shifting light and shadow from the projection played across her face, flickering between brightness and gloom. The voices of Lance and Hyperion echoed through the room.

Talia became increasingly immersed in the recording, feeling cut off from the outside world. She gazed at the young woman on the screen, and a look of wistful remembrance crossed her face, reminiscent of how she might look whenever she thought of her closest kin among the demons.

Her voice barely audible, Talia softly murmured, "Iphatia... is she your daughter?"

Although their features didn't bear a striking resemblance, the color of their hair and eyes was uncannily alike. She had seen the latter part of the Shadow Realm challenge when it had been livestreamed. Toward the end, when the cultist shouted that the young woman was a half-demon, Talia had begun to suspect something. Was this girl actually her younger sister's daughter?

If she could get close to Hyperion, Talia might be able to sense whether a genuine blood connection existed between them. However, it would be difficult for her to approach the young heiress to the dukedom. Hyperion was currently at the center of a storm of public attention, and the capital was a place where many eyes were watching.

The more Talia gazed at the girl, the more the resemblance struck her. She would have to find a way to ask Lance to arrange a private meeting between herself and the young woman. As these thoughts crossed her mind, she then caught sight of Lance's ruthless, inhumane treatment of the demons within the first demon examination classroom.

She scowled.

Although spending a lot of time with Lance had made her increasingly familiar with him, it was precisely in moments like this that she felt the interspecies hatred between humans and demons with a renewed intensity. It was like a slap in the face. Ultimately, this served to remind her that humans and demons could never coexist peacefully.

The only reason Lance could get along with her so well and keep working with her right now was simply because he didn't know she was a high-ranking demon. The day he discovered the truth, he would surely look at her differently too.

On the projected screen, Lance and Hyperion had just left the demon examination hall and were rushing along the corridor amid a crowd of demon students. As they ran, Hyperion finally lowered her voice and tentatively asked, "Lance, what do you think of demons?"

Lance was slightly taken aback by the question, then chuckled as he replied, "They can live for a long time. Even after living hundreds of years, a female demon will still look like a youthful lady."

In the bedroom, Talia immediately glanced at the sleeping Lance. She didn't know if he had said that intentionally or not. Regardless, she believed that the very fact he thought that way made him deserve a thrashing. Moreover, by answering like that, it showed he was just like all the other humans: full of prejudice against demons and viewing them as nothing more than monsters.

The audio and visuals on the recording continued. Hyperion was clearly still uneasy as she asked, "So, if you encountered a demon in the real world, would you tell them that?"

Lance looked at her without saying a word, rendered speechless for a moment. Finally, he retorted, "Do you think I'm someone who has become tired of living? Like playing Russian roulette just for the thrill of it?"

Talia took in Lance's reaction on the screen. She found him increasingly infuriating.

Soon after, Lance offered Hyperion some earnest advice. "Setting aside the danger of provoking a demon, there might actually be some good ones out there. Hyperion, you shouldn't discriminate against them."

Upon hearing this, Talia was stunned. Time passed as she tried to process this. Then, she looked once more at the human boy, who lay in a deep slumber. She gazed at him with unspoken thoughts and feelings hidden behind her beautiful golden eyes.

A cool breeze drifted in through the half-open window, gently caressing Lance. Sensing that someone was staring at him, Lance felt a slight chill and instinctively opened his eyes. What caught his attention wasn't the cozy wooden furniture in the dim room, but a beautiful face nearby bearing a pair of golden eyes.

Those cool, noble eyes betrayed a hint of confusion and bewilderment. It was as if she wanted to keep him at a distance, yet simultaneously desired to explore a little further.

Lance raised a hand to touch his face. He assumed something had gotten on his face while he slept, prompting Talia to stare at him like that. Unsure if he had made her angry by falling asleep earlier, Lance asked tentatively, "Uh... Tali? Sorry, I fell asleep. What time is it?"

Talia glanced at the clock and answered, "Just past midnight."

Lance breathed a slight sigh of relief. Talia wasn't angry; if she were, she would surely have snapped at him instead of responding calmly. He quickly noticed the only light source in the bedroom. "Oh, so you've already started looking at the Shadow Realm footage?"

Talia shifted her gaze back to the screen and remained silent. After a moment, she asked, "That young heiress to a dukedom who challenged the Shadow Realm with you, what do you think of her?"

"She's a wonderful person." Lance answered decisively. He knew Talia was trying to find out about a fellow member of her kind. He had always intended to introduce Hyperion to Talia once their business was established.

As an ancient demon who was far more powerful than Hyperion, Talia would likely see through Hyperion's half-demon identity at a glance, whereas Hyperion would have almost no chance of piercing Talia's exquisite disguise.

Just as Lance was thinking this, Talia calmly said, "Don't bully her. Demons are prone to snapping in the blink of an eye. If you provoke her, I might not be able to protect you in time."

She made it sound as though she were merely carrying out her duty to protect Lance, giving no hint whatsoever that she actually wanted to shield Hyperion.

Lance clutched his head in disbelief and complained, "What kind of person do you take me for? I'm no bully; I'm a model student with excellent grades and great conduct!"

He would never bully someone as honest and straightforward as Hyperion. Besides, his fellow student had such a gentle personality. She was completely unlike Talia, a cantankerous old hag with a murderous streak!

"...Sorry." Talia was convinced that Lance was telling the truth.

Back when she watched the events unfold on the giant open-air screen at Ikerite University, she could clearly sense that the other students didn't exactly welcome the duke's daughter, due to her demon blood.

Yet, throughout the entire Shadow Realm challenge, Lance had sincerely treated Hyperion as a trusted companion. Even after learning Hyperion's true identity, that sincerity never wavered.

"Huh? Tali, what did you just say?" Lance's eyes widened. He tilted his head and cupped a hand to his ear, as if doubting his own hearing.

Talia felt a twinge of annoyance at him again. "Nothing."

She could tell that his inner thoughts were clearly running wild just a moment ago!

Lance grinned at her. "Don't worry, Tali! I won't stand for any discrimination against kind-hearted classmates here at the university!"

As she remained silent, he cheerfully flashed a peace sign. "My motto is to love all living beings equally!"

Talia didn't bother responding. She knew for a fact that his brand of "love" could be terrifying, especially toward those who provoked him. In the same token, if someone was friendly, even if they were a demon, he would treat them with genuine sincerity.

After decades of wandering through human kingdoms, Talia was convinced that no human existed who could treat demons with such unbiased kindness. That was until she witnessed the way Lance treated Hyperion. She had come across the first human who was not that way, and he was right before her eyes.

No one spoke in the dim room. The only sound was the faint rustle of the breeze brushing against the curtains in the quiet night of the capital.

Talia finally asked, "Are you hungry?"

"Starving." Lance rubbed his stomach. Now that the grogginess of waking up had faded, a wave of hunger was washing over him.

"Let's go get dinner. My treat." Talia's tone gave nothing away as she got off the bed and walked across the soft carpet. Human teachers supposedly rewarded their students when they performed well, so in the interest of better emulating the humans, there shouldn't be any harm in treating him to a meal. It would also serve to foster a greater sense of gratefulness in him.

Lance pointed at himself in surprise, looking somewhat incredulous. "Huh? You're treating me to a meal, Tali?"

Talia shot him a glance and walked out of the room without looking back. "Ask again, and the offer's off."