Mystery Paradise: Wishing Power Demon
Chapter 335 - 334 Negotiations

Chapter 335: Chapter 334 Negotiations

"Count, the scouts ahead report that they have intercepted a suspicious squad," a rider approached Francken Hearthfire at a gallop and spoke out loud, "They claim to be envoys from the Paradise Sect, wishing to negotiate with our Commander!"

"Envoy? Coming from Thistlefort?" He slowed his horse, frowning as he asked, "How many people?"

"A total of six."

Those casting glances in their direction included Divine Sword Meckfah and Elise Ben, as well as Sir Hollis, the fearless general representing Lady Xia. These four were also the command team for this troop dispatch.

While Count Francken was the nominal supreme leader.

"It must be Shandela’s message; I didn’t expect her to actually make it to Thistlefort." The Earl turned his head towards the two commanders of the Kingdom Army, his tone tinged with a hint of reproach, "Now it seems we’ll have to face an enemy that has been forewarned."

No sooner had he spoken than Mekefa and Elise felt embarrassed.

Especially Elise, one second she had knighted Shandela, the next the latter had disappeared without saying goodbye. Even knowing her deep connections with Paradise, such conduct was no doubt akin to betrayal.

"If given the chance to capture her, I would like her to be handed over to the Kingdom Army for disposal," Mekefa said coldly, "I assure you that such incidents will not happen again in the military."

Elise clasped the reins tightly but ultimately held back any objections.

"Let’s hope so," said Francken as he turned to Hollis, "General, what do you think bringing an Envoy Delegation at this time signifies?"

"Eight or nine out of ten, they’re seeking to buy time," Hollis replied succinctly, "Just don’t know whether they want to use this time to strengthen their defenses or to gather resources for an escape."

"That’s what I was thinking too," Francken nodded, then looked towards the Magic Goddess at the rear of the command team. Although she bore no specific military role, no one would ignore the opinion of a divinity, "Lord Kokomoqi, what do you think?"

"There’s no need to ask me; you can make the decision yourself."

Francken immediately proclaimed, "Given that, I believe the army should continue to advance. Stopping now would play right into the enemy’s hands. As for the envoy delegation... dispatch a small squad to receive them. Negotiation is unnecessary, but extracting information is a good option. Please, Lord Kokomoqi, personally interrogate them. I believe under the influence of your miraculous power, all their petty schemes they harbor will fall apart effortlessly."

"...Such a hassle."

The Magic Goddess muttered softly; the remark didn’t reach Francken’s ears, but Elise caught it loud and clear.

One had to admit, since arriving in Zhaixing City and encountering a real divinity, the very notion of "God" had indeed shattered many of her illusions.

Are these powerful and transcendent lofty beings truly born in response to human prayers?

"I’ll stay as well," Elise spoke up after a moment of silence, "It’s not convenient for a divinity to make an appearance so easily, and ordinary officers aren’t suitable for dealing with envoys due to their status. It’s appropriate for me to receive them."

"Indeed, I think the Lady has a point," Mekefa shrugged, "Even the common folk should have heard of General Fales’s reputation."

"Alright, then it’s settled," Francken instructed a messenger, "Tell those people to wait by the road; don’t block the army’s path. Someone will naturally speak with them shortly!"

...

By the side of a forest path, a military tent was quickly erected, complemented by a makeshift long table and more than ten stools. These were essentials for a marching army, making it convenient for the logistics team to allocate a set. Had they been receiving dignitaries, they could even have set up a tea service and outdoor cooking equipment.

However, the envoy delegation from Thistlefort was evidently not included in the list of honored guests, so having a tent to block the wind and chairs to sit on was already quite decent.

"We will take care of your horses," the guide took away the reins and then pointed at the tent, "Please, inside."

Chaoyang had not yet approached the area when he felt a strong anomaly; after opening his Lingxi Vision, he noticed that the tent was flickering with a column of pale blue light, and from the direction of the light, the column appeared to be converging from top to bottom. This meant that the end of the column was not connected to a believer, but to the recipient of belief, commonly referred to as "divinities."

Moreover, around the tent, the land was suffused with a blue mist, clearly not a natural phenomenon—at least the players were completely unaware of anything out of the ordinary.

If Shi Yin hadn’t told him that two Divine Countries making contact wouldn’t explode, he really would have hesitated to step into this area.

On the other side, Kokomoqi, who had been in a daze, suddenly opened her eyes!

A look of surprise rarely seen on her face emerged.

"My lord?" Elise looked at her somewhat confused, but the latter, changing from her usual bored demeanor, floated in front of Elise, "You stay to the side. I will preside over this negotiation."

"..." The general’s daughter couldn’t help but freeze.

She did not want to snatch this merit for herself. Suggesting that she stay behind was also a way to take the opportunity to inquire about Shandela’s situation—even if her friend had betrayed her, hearing the news that Shandela had been shot by pursuers still made her heart clench. Count Franken’s words had made it clear, once they had extracted all the intelligence, these people were dispensable and simply to be killed off. Since their deaths were inevitable, she might as well confirm through the Magic Goddess whether Shandela was still alive.

However, Kokomoqi’s actions at this moment took her by surprise.

Out of respect for the divinities, Elise chose to comply. She gave up the main seat to the other party and positioned herself like a guard to the side.

"Did you sense something unusual about the other party?" she asked cautiously.

"Unusual? No... The Envoy Delegation is just a front; among these people, there’s someone like me."

"Like you...?" Elise’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Like Kokomoqi, that would mean the other party is also a divinity!

"What a pity he is too feeble, otherwise I really would have thought this was an assassination targeting a god," the Magic Goddess revealed another shocking piece of news, "I guess... he must be a newly born divinity, perhaps he is the Paradise Master you previously mentioned."

Just then, the tent flap was lifted, and the Envoy Delegation entered one after another.

The two parties finally met face to face.

Elise’s eyes quickly scanned the six people, trying to identify the special existence mentioned by Kokomoqi.

At the same time, Chaoyang’s gaze met with that of the Magic Goddess.

Even though it was his first time seeing a divinity of this world, as soon as he saw Kokomoqi, he immediately overlaid her image with the scenery remembered from Shandela’s memory.

She’s really small.

Chaoyang thought, nearly half the size of Ailuodi—if one were to judge by appearance alone, she seemed at most at the level of an elementary school student. Her hair nearly covered her entire back. At first glance, it appeared black, but upon closer inspection, one could perceive an array of colors, like a rainbow, which could easily create the illusion of being sucked into it if one stared too long. Her features were also quite cute, but they were completely overshadowed by her hair.

"Why are you posing as a Paradise Sect envoy?"

Kokomoqi spoke.

The moment her voice reached him, the surroundings plunged into complete darkness, chairs, the long table, and the nearby players all vanished without a trace, and in the vast, unlit world, it seemed like only she and he remained.

Chaoyang realized—this was her Divine Country.