Chapter 193: Summoned in the Deep Night

After returning to his room, Rayan collapsed onto his bed. Since Sola left, he hadn't felt as exhausted as he did today. The streets outside were noisy, filled with the rough shouts of soldiers and the weeping of innocent women. But none of that mattered to Rayan now; he just wanted to bury himself under the covers and get a good night's sleep, so he could have enough energy to deal with Imperius.

Only by defeating Imperius honorably in the tournament and obtaining the last Holy Light artifact could he understand what Martha intended to do with the skull of the Dark Demon Lord and gauge the true scale of this "vortex."

Imperius was not easy to deal with. Although Rayan was confident in defeating an Intermediate Hero, the gap in strength and combat experience was significant. He had to give it his all. Lying on the bed, he quickly emptied his mind, not thinking about the winged man, the seductive Phoenix Lady, the Lady Spring Rain he swore to protect for life, or the weepy demon girl Sylvia.

He completely calmed down and fell asleep.

After he drifted off, the search for the "female thief" in Stonerock City continued.

No one involved in the search knew what the female thief had stolen to make the Lion King so anxious, deploying the Young Lion Group, the Black-armored Guard, and the national guild Lionheart together.

Strictly speaking, the heroes of the Lionheart Guild didn't participate in the actual search. They only protected the palace and the sleeping quarters of the two princes, barring anyone from entering or leaving. After receiving the report from the Black-armored Guard about the demon race stealing the demon skull, the Lion King immediately ordered a news blackout. While using the national guild to ensure the princes' safety, he also dispatched a squad to bring Phoenix Lady, who was far away with the Firebird family, into the palace.

Phoenix Lady wanted to know what was going on, but facing several heroes with serious expressions, she didn't ask many questions. After all, some issues the Lionheart Guild was not obligated to answer, and it was better to ask the Lion King directly.

She sat in a soft carriage embroidered with the emblem of an angry lion, escorted by heroes, and left the Firebird family for the palace.

Along the way, she witnessed the chaos in Stonerock City.

The chaos wasn't caused by commoners but by private armed forces acting under the Lion King's banner, exploiting the absence of Trevor and the overextended Black-armored Guard. These people were lawless by nature and became even more rampant.

Some opportunists broke into shops, claiming valuable goods for themselves, while others cornered several women who couldn't prove their identity in alleys, stripping them naked despite their pleas and cries.

Phoenix Lady saw the despair and terror in the eyes of those girls and the leering men unfastening their belts. She could have saved them, but her phoenix eyes just swept over them indifferently, doing nothing.

This was the price of chaos. If the chaos couldn't be ended, then it was better for commoners to pay than nobles—she thought, then slowly lowered the carriage curtain, letting the girls' heart-wrenching screams tear at her eardrums.

The Lionheart carriage didn't stop. For the heroes escorting it, the king's orders were paramount. Their task was to ensure Phoenix Lady reached the palace safely. As for public security, that was the Black-armored Guard's responsibility.

Fortunately, as the carriage left, a squad of Black-armored Guards rushed in, rescuing the naked girls. But from their cries, it was clear their chastity likely couldn't be saved in time.

But what did chastity matter? Sitting in the carriage, enjoying the protection of top heroes, Phoenix Lady smiled faintly: chastity was just a stumbling block for girls becoming women. Girls were mere eggs; only women could become phoenixes.

The horse hooves mercilessly trampled through the chaos, heading straight for the palace.

When Phoenix Lady got off the carriage, she was startled by the heavy guard presence. She had lived in this palace for eighteen years and had never seen such a heavily guarded scene.

Her eyes were drawn to a flowing light on the steps. When she looked closely, she realized it was the afterglow of the Holy Light robe—

Holy Light Envoy Eileen, under the guidance of a maid, was striding up the palace steps. Her bulky figure looked ridiculous on the white jade steps, but Phoenix Lady didn't find it funny at all.

"Lady Eileen?"

She hurriedly called out from behind the Holy Light envoy, asking cautiously, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, it's Phoenix Lady."

Eileen turned around and smiled condescendingly, "His Majesty the Lion King summoned me."

Compared to her anger at the banquet, Lady Eileen was now much more amiable, as if nothing unpleasant had ever happened between them.

"Oh?"

Phoenix Lady took a deep breath, surprised by Eileen's quick turnaround—it was clear that the Redwood patriarch must have instructed her. That old fox was indeed not easy to deal with.

Phoenix Lady quickly concealed her hostility, as if hurriedly putting on an ill-fitting garment. She forced a host-like smile, "So late at night, His Majesty summoned the Holy Light envoy. May I ask what for?"

Eileen laughed, "I'm afraid Phoenix Lady will have to ask His Majesty herself. But—I expect His Majesty will talk with me for a long time. If Phoenix Lady doesn't mind waiting, then please, wait here."

With that, she flung her Holy Light robe and strode toward the palace hall, as arrogant as a queen.

Fortunately, she wasn't the real queen; the real queen was dead. Phoenix Lady felt a burning rage on her face. Everyone knew that since she was brought into the palace by the Lion King, this place had been her home. Apart from court meetings, she could enter any room here at will.

She was the true queen here!

Facing Eileen's sarcasm, she gracefully lifted her skirt and stepped up the stairs, but after just two steps, she was stopped by a Lionheart guard.

The guard rudely blocked her path with an elite long axe embedded with gold, too long for her to get around.

"Madam, His Majesty ordered that only Lady Eileen be seen, no one else."

The cold voice was like a sledgehammer, almost knocking Phoenix Lady off the steps. She angrily questioned, "No one else? Does that include me?"

The guard, an Intermediate Hero with strength matching Imperius but half his age, responded seriously, "I'm sorry, madam, but those were His Majesty's orders."

Phoenix Lady wanted to slap his face, but it would only hurt her hand. Moreover, attacking any member of Lionheart would be considered an attack on His Majesty. She was incredibly smart, knowing that a man's bottom line must never be touched, and the Lion King's bottom line was the members of Lionheart Guild.

—The Lion King could leave her alone for days just to roughhouse with guild members. A woman's everything was a man, but a man's everything included women and other men.

Thinking this, Phoenix Lady calmed down, adjusted her dress, and said kindly, "I know you, guard. When the Lion King first brought me into the palace, you opened the door for us. Later, when I gave birth to the Second Prince, you guarded my door for thirty hours while I was in labor. When the Second Prince was five and fell from the palace's highest flagpole, you saved him, making sure he was unharmed—you are a great benefactor to us."

Saying this, Phoenix Lady bowed deeply.

The guard hurriedly bowed his head, "Madam flatters me. Those were my duties as a guild member. However, His Majesty's orders cannot be defied, so I still cannot let you in."

A hint of disappointment flashed across Phoenix Lady's face, quickly disappearing. She smiled and said, "I would never make things difficult for the Lion King's most loyal guard. I only hope you can relay a message, telling His Majesty that his Kiana is frightened by the violence she saw on the way and is waiting at the door for his comfort."

With that, she pitifully blinked at the guard.

The guard hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Please wait, madam. I will inform His Majesty."

"Thank you very much." Phoenix Lady's face showed a victorious smile—guards were just small fry to her.

The guard slightly bowed, then instructed his guildmate before striding towards the hall.

In the vast, empty palace hall, Holy Light Envoy Eileen was thoughtfully gazing at the vacant golden throne. The hall was dimly lit, cool and damp, with autumn moonlight streaming through the high windows, reflecting silver light that made her squint for a long time before her eyes adjusted.

She vaguely suspected the Lion King summoned her because of the "female thief" incident. But such a guess raised more questions. If it was just a theft, Trevor's Black-armored Guard would suffice. Why summon her, the Holy Light envoy? Or had her identity been exposed?

After pondering for a while, the Lion King still hadn't appeared.