Chapter 314: Still Just a Child
Senti's Nth job was night patrol duty—ensuring the safety of late-night market-goers.
And tonight, she caught a thief.
After dumping the bruised and unconscious man into the holding cell, she got treated to some grilled skewers by Kiana—though not for any special reason. Kiana just happened to be the one in charge of civil affairs, commerce, and public security.
"Wanna drink?"
"Old Timer and Little Xuan both banned me from touching alcohol…"
"Pfft! That's so sad! In that case, I get to enjoy it all to myself. You get tea, hahahaha!"
In the bustling, rowdy tavern, Kiana lifted her cup and downed it in one smooth motion, finishing with a loud and satisfied sigh.
"Aahhh! This is what living's all about!"
"…Is it really that good?"
Senti held her teacup with both hands, gulped, and looked tempted.
Kiana shot her a sideways glance, then flung an arm around her shoulders like an old drinking buddy.
"Immortal, life is long and full of flavors—fine food and drink are sacred. Are you sure you don't want to try it?"
"…Nope! If I do, that sneaky bastard Sigurd's definitely gonna snitch. And then Old Timer and Little Xuan will definitely be mad at me."
Senti pouted, sulking hard.
How would Sigurd know if she drank or not? Little Xuan had already warned her thoroughly before leaving. Senti wasn't stupid—she knew Sigurd was still keeping a close eye on her. If he wasn't secretly watching her, that would be the real surprise.
Of course she was annoyed. But for now, there wasn't much she could do about that guy. And since she couldn't detect any surveillance, she just pretended it didn't exist.
"Well, I don't get what's going on between you guys, but whatever—cheers to you all!"
Kiana burst into laughter and downed another glass.
Senti blinked, staring blankly.
"Cheers… to what?"
"To you guys being here. To the change you've brought. No matter where you came from or what you're looking for… I'm sincerely grateful."
"Huh? Did you drink too much? Weren't you a prince who got demoted to a public official? Your palace and treasure vault got confiscated, and you're thankful?"
"That stuff doesn't matter. Anyway—cheers! One more for you!"
Kiana's face was bright with joy, a kind of happiness Senti couldn't quite comprehend, as she poured herself another drink and knocked it back.
That barbecue, that wine-fueled dinner—it lasted until the night market died down and the streets outside were cloaked in darkness. Finally, Senti had to half-drag the drunk Kiana out of the tavern, her face full of speechless exasperation.
The table they left behind was completely clean. Not even a scrap of leftover food remained.
"Hey! Do you even remember how to get back home?"
"How… how to go home? Oh, go down Changhua Avenue, then cross the… hic… Second Immortal Bridge…"
"That's the way to the royal palace! You don't live there anymore!"
"What? Out of wine? No way! There's plenty more! Let's keep drinking—hahahaha!"
Kiana enthusiastically pounded Senti's back with thudding slaps, each one echoing like a drumbeat.
Senti didn't seem bothered at all. But the stone pavement beneath her feet cracked slightly from the force.
"Just like the Kiana from my world. Tough body."
Senti muttered.
Then, without warning, Kiana hunched over and began dry heaving—before collapsing into a squat, tears streaming from her reddened eyes.
"Hey, what's wrong!?"
"I… I remember… right here, years ago… I saw so many… so many people starve to death. The guards said they were just lowborn refugees from a famine… and the royal city had no surplus grain to help them…"
"…But… but Father was still holding banquets for the ministers… and the maids still served me dishes piled high with meat and delicacies every day… It's all… all my fault."
Kiana sniffled between sobs, her words broken and halting. Then, suddenly, her voice vanished altogether.
Senti knelt beside her and gently patted her on the shoulder.
"Hey, Kiana? Second Prince? Are you seriously asleep like that? Come on, I really don't know where your house is!"
Senti rolled her eyes and accepted her fate, hoisting Kiana up onto her shoulder.
Just before leaving, she swept her gaze around the dark street, silently standing still for a moment.
"Did… a lot of people starve to death here?"
A quiet sigh slipped into the night air. Then, with Kiana slung over her shoulder, Senti turned and headed toward the imperial palace.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Imperial Palace — Hall of State Affairs
After an intense stretch of nonstop overtime, Zhuge Kongming finally wrapped up her backlog of duties. Without delay, she contacted Rita and Durandal and gathered with them before Sigurd to discuss how to deal with the otherworldly beast—Huodou.
Though Kongming couldn't pinpoint the exact date the beast would manifest, her calculations made it clear: time was running out. They needed a solid plan—and fast.
She laid out all the intelligence she'd gathered through fate-weaving and stargazing techniques, then explained her grand strategy: luring Huodou to the Deep Sea Altar, where it would be annihilated by the lunar energy saturating the boundless oceans.
Finally, she turned to Sigurd—seated on the imperial throne, yawning in boredom as if the conversation barely concerned him—and asked with a polite yet clearly forced smile:
"Your Majesty, that concludes my report. What are your orders?"
This so-called emperor was the very person who had promised to help eliminate Huodou in exchange for her service—and yet, he hadn't paid any attention to the beast situation at all during this time. Meanwhile, Zhuge Kongming had been overwhelmed by every excruciating detail.
Honestly? She was starting to suspect he was trying to freeload off her!
But she couldn't afford to confront him. Right now, the entire country's strength was consolidated under the emperor's authority. And having lost her window to execute her original bait-and-kill strategy, Kongming had no choice but to rely on him now—though she certainly wasn't ignoring Senti's bottomless power. The problem was: even the immortal was taking orders from him!
"Let Durandal lead the army," Sigurd said plainly. "With the new military's training, plus Daoist artifacts and the Hall of Heroic Spirits as support, we'll win."
He looked noticeably tired—maybe from too many sleepless nights of overwork.
Had he forgotten when he last rested?
Even if his body held up, mental exhaustion was catching up fast.
Perhaps he should carve out time for a nap soon.
As he drifted into that thought, Zhuge Kongming's expression darkened.
"Your Majesty, that strategy would cost many lives! I've looked into the Hall of Heroic Spirits as well—it's not an infinite resurrection machine. Its resource cost is massive; there's no way we can ensure every soldier survives."
Sigurd gave her a long, half-lidded glance.
"As I thought… You're still just a child."
"…What do you mean by that, Your Majesty?"
"You should ask Durandal and Rita," he said, gesturing lazily to the two standing calmly at his side. "Ask whether this battle can be won—and whether it should be fought."
Yes, of course Sigurd could step in and destroy Huodou with zero casualties. He'd done plenty of research—the creature was strong, certainly, but only on the level of an Emperor-class Honkai beast. At most, it might barely reach the heels of a Judgment Class Honkai beasts, but definitely not beyond. Anything stronger would have shattered the world bubble by now. Something like that? Sigurd could erase it with a flick of his hand.
But then—how would the people of Huangguo ever overcome their fear of these beasts?
How could the empire shed its ties to the old world and plant the bold, proud flag of a new era?
And how could its military earn true, lasting confidence and dignity?
Sure, these deeper issues could be solved with education and propaganda… but those methods take time, and society was changing too fast to wait. Besides, without real, tangible results, all of it would lack a foundation.
No—what they needed most was a war that the entire empire could witness and rally behind. A war that could become a symbol of transformation. A war of overwhelming, decisive victory.
And what better opportunity than the annihilation of a beast like Huodou?
That's why, while Zhuge Kongming feared the casualties… Rita and Durandal were likely already eager for this battle.
"Rita… Durandal…"
Zhuge Kongming's eyelids trembled. She turned to look at the two women standing silently—and finally began to realize the many things she had failed to consider.
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