Afterward, there was some casual, inconsequential conversation and information exchange.

According to Edwina, the situation on the eastern battlefield was still in a deadlock. Although the Holy Empire had sent additional forces from surrounding areas to support the front, the sudden disappearance of the Judgment Saintess meant that the frontline lacked a powerful leader and suppressive force, preventing any progress in pushing the battle line forward.

The demons, on the other hand, didn’t seem interested in spreading their forces further. They continued to occupy the two provinces they had already heavily corrupted, fighting off the Holy Knights sent to purge them while also expanding their influence locally, all the while plotting something in secret.

If Yuna, the Bright Light Saintess, was correct, the demons might be searching for the other half of the 【Bewitching Orb】. But… Violet didn’t think it was that simple.

While the 【Bewitching Orb】 was indeed an incredibly powerful artifact, whether it was worth causing such widespread chaos across the Holy Empire was questionable.

Moreover, as Edwina mentioned, intelligence from the front indicated that although the demons in the eastern Holy Empire were a mixed bunch, the majority still belonged to the army of destruction led by the Demon Lord of 【Slaughter】, rather than the forces of the Demon Lord of 【Corruption】.

Given the ongoing power struggles among the four demon lords of the demon realm, it seemed unlikely that the army of destruction would be allied with Chloe Eloun, the succubus who tried to steal half of the 【Bewitching Orb】 at the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild’s auction.

Thus, the demons’ true intentions remained a mystery, and the Holy Empire’s situation, shrouded in uncertainty and complexity, was only beginning to unfold.

After finishing her second remote conversation with the Holy Knight, Violet, also known as Miss White Fox, stepped out of the Cecilia Merchant Guild’s branch office. Just like the last time, the sky was slowly darkening.

This time, however, Violet didn’t head off to any strange or unusual places. Instead, she returned directly to the Bright Light Hotel, where she was temporarily staying.

The Bright Light Hotel was the highest-rated, most expansive luxury hotel in the entire Western Capital, Bright Light City. In a way, it was one of the city’s landmark buildings, rivaling the Bright Light Temple and the Summerfield family’s ancient castle.

Even the cheapest room in the Bright Light Hotel cost at least several hundred Holy Light Coins per night. It’s more than a hundred times the price of most other hotels, making it incredibly expensive.

Despite this, rooms at the Bright Light Hotel were always in high demand, with people scrambling to book them. You typically had to reserve at least a week in advance to secure a spot, which had even led to the rise of ticket scalpers reselling room bookings.

The main reason for this, aside from the hotel’s top-notch facilities and impeccable services, ranging from dining to tourism to wellness, was its prestigious background.

The hotel was a renowned brand owned by one of the three divine families, the Cecilia family. Its full name, in fact, was the Cecilia Bright Light Hotel.

Like the Cecilia Merchant Guild, this hotel brand had branches all over the world. However, unlike the Merchant Guild’s headquarters, which was located in Angel City in the Eastern Capital, the headquarters of the Bright Light Hotel was established here in the Western Capital, Bright Light City.

Of course, as a hotel, it didn’t have as close a relationship with the Cecilia family as the Merchant Guild did. So when Violet needed to contact Edwina, she still had to visit the Merchant Guild’s branch.

By the way, due to the influence of a certain Holy Knight, the priestess and her group didn’t have to pay for their stay at the hotel, and the issue of scrambling for rooms was completely out of the question. Perhaps this is one of the perks of power.

As Violet walked through the one-way transparent crystal doors, which opened and closed automatically by magic, and along the soft red carpet, she entered the hotel. Almost immediately, she spotted a small figure busy cleaning the lobby.

It was a petite girl with long, alluring pink hair, looking no more than eleven or twelve years old.

She had light purple eyes, a rare sight in the Holy Empire, and her skin was smooth and delicate, as if pressing it would release water. Her exquisitely cute face, paired with her small stature, made her resemble a life-sized porcelain doll, clearly a child raised in wealth and comfort.

At the moment, the little one was wearing an ill-fitting hotel attendant uniform. The sleeves were so long they covered her hands, and even though it was a short skirt, it was oversized enough to completely cover her knees. She was energetically sweeping the already spotless floor with a broom.

“Hey, what are you doing, little Eudora?” Violet called out with a hint of amusement in her voice.

“Hm?”

The pink-haired girl, whose figure was petite and delicate, though for some reason evoking a certain charm, raised her head in surprise at the voice.

Seeing the figure of Miss White Fox, she quickly set the broom aside, wiped her hands with her sleeves, and then hurriedly ran over to Violet. Standing beside her, she nervously but obediently lowered her head to greet her.

“Sister Fox, you’re back! Are you hungry? Do you want to eat?”

Instinctively, Violet raised her hand and gently patted the little girl’s pink head, shaking her head with a soft smile.

“No, no, Sister Fox isn’t hungry. It’s already dark, why are you here sweeping all by yourself?”

“Um…”

Feeling a bit shy, the little girl lowered her head, nervously fidgeting with her delicate hands like a child caught doing something wrong.

“Well… it’s Eudora’s first time staying in such a big, fancy place and eating such delicious food. I feel a bit uneasy… The teachers at the orphanage used to tell us that, besides the goddess’s gifts, nothing in this world comes for free, so… so…”

As if suddenly remembering something, the little girl quickly raised her head and anxiously pointed at the oversized sleeves of her uniform, speaking in a high-pitched voice.

“Ah…! This outfit and the broom were given to me by the uncles and aunties here. I didn’t just take other people’s things! Eudora isn’t a thief! You have to believe me, Sister Fox!”

“Pfft~”

“Alright, alright… I know you’re a good girl.”

Violet chuckled and patted the little girl’s head a few more times, gently reassuring her. This cute little pink-haired girl, Eudora, was, of course, the one with latent demon blood that Theresa and the others had picked up not too long ago.

Ever since receiving treatment from the priestess, Eudora’s condition had steadily improved, transitioning from a critical state to a stable one as her race transformation began. However, the duration of the process far exceeded Violet’s expectations.

For a full week, Eudora lay unconscious in bed before finally completing her transformation from human to demon, only waking up last night.

At first, she was naturally confused and anxious, but after explanations and comfort from several girls, especially Theresa, she gradually came to accept her new reality.

In truth, the priestess’s earlier concerns had been unnecessary. Eudora was just a young girl, barely over ten years old, and had not received a formal education. Her understanding of the world was far less clear-cut than that of an adult.

Even after learning about her transformation into a demon, the little one only showed simple concern, saying something like, “The teacher said demons are bad guys, so does that mean Eudora has become a bad guy too?” It was a very innocent kind of worry.

She didn’t fully comprehend the true implications of her racial transformation, nor did she know how to wield the power she had suddenly gained.

Her understanding was still at the level of “It seems easier to sweep the floor now, and I can fly up to clean the windows without worrying about reaching them.”

This only reinforced the priestess’s initial theory: Demons are not inherently evil creatures, as the Holy Empire would have people believe. A being’s morality ultimately depends on their upbringing and environment.

Take Eudora, for instance. Despite now being a young succubus, she still felt ashamed about receiving free benefits and was eager to help out with chores. She remained a kind and innocent child.