Chapter 173: Ordering Lyra to Create a Teleportation Portal
"So much work to do," Liliana muttered, her voice tinged with helplessness and fatigue.
Facing the imminent threat of war, Liliana, as the Demon Emperor, confronted the formidable challenge of tripling her efforts to manage governance, sustain the economy, and ensure the survival and prosperity of the Demon race amidst the impending conflict.
"A war of eras, huh?" Liliana whispered, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed thoughtfully at the clear sky through the window near her desk.
The War of Eras, a devastating conflict that repeats each era between humans and demons, resulted in significant loss of life for both sides. Innocent civilians, whether from mankind or the demon race, often found themselves victimized in these wars.
During the 7,000-year war, demons suffered more losses than humans, regularly being beaten by the three heroes leading the human side.
From Liliana\'s ancestor, Demon Emperor Morgan Crimson, to her father, Gerald Crimson, victory always seemed out of reach for demons, leading Liliana to wonder if her race was cursed by the gods, destined to never win a war.
"Hah~" Liliana sighed, shaking her head as she straightened up, a domineering aura surrounding her.
"No matter what, I, Liliana Crimson, will be the first Demon Emperor to win a battle against humanity," she vowed silently, her cold face set in a stern expression.
In the past, she might have lacked confidence, but with Leon, the sword hero, and her husband by her side, how could she have any doubts?
With his assistance, Liliana harbored the confidence to shatter the curse of defeat that had haunted the Demon race since the era of her second ancestor, Demon Emperor Morgan Crimson, and ultimately emerge victorious in this war.
*Knock!*
At that moment, a sudden knock on the door of her workspace snapped Liliana out of her reverie.
"Come in," she replied, her tone calm and cold.
*Clack*
The door opened, revealing Lyra, dressed in a maid\'s outfit and carrying a tray with a cup of coffee and dry biscuits.
Upon seeing Lyra, Liliana\'s cold expression softened, and a slight smile appeared on her lips.
"Lyra, come in," she said, her tone gentler than usual.
Lyra nodded and approached Liliana.
"Sorry to disturb you, Your Majesty," Lyra said respectfully, bowing her head slightly.
"It\'s fine, don\'t worry," Liliana replied lightly before continuing, "Coincidentally, I actually wanted to meet with you to discuss why I called you back."
Lyra was momentarily surprised, but quickly composed herself and nodded.
"In that case, please inform me, Your Majesty," Lyra said politely, setting the coffee cup and dry biscuits on the table.
Taking a sip from her coffee cup, Liliana felt a wave of relaxation wash over her tense body.
After a few more sips, she placed the cup on the saucer and took a small breath, refocusing her gaze on Lyra.
"Lyra, I called you back because I need your assistance to create a teleportation portal linking our outer palace to the troops\' camping site," Liliana explained casually.
Upon hearing this, Lyra\'s typically emotionless expression shifted for the first time, replaced by a look of astonishment as she gazed at Liliana.
"Your Majesty the Demon Emperor, are you truly considering constructing a teleportation portal between the outer palace and the troops\' location? Isn\'t that incredibly risky?" Lyra asked, her tone hesitant and unconvincing.
Observing Lyra\'s questioning of her orders, Liliana displayed no hint of anger toward her demeanor.
In retrospect, this was likely the first instance where Lyra dared to question her decision. Nevertheless, Liliana didn\'t mind, as she was well aware of the immense danger inherent in her order.
A teleportation portal is a connection between two predetermined locations.
The creation of such a portal was exceedingly arduous, demanding the use of exceedingly rare materials and the ancient level of teleportation magic necessary to establish and activate the coordinates.
The portal\'s purpose was to swiftly send reinforcements from the outer palace if the demon troops at the front faced defeat.
Given the considerable distance between the outer palace and the Chaos Desert, which requires a two-day march, the portal would indeed provide a quicker method for deploying reinforcing troops.
However, the significant danger in creating this portal lay in its two-way nature, posing the looming threat of humanity\'s troops breaching it and directly teleporting to the capital of the Demon Empire.
If such a worst-case scenario were to unfold, the Demon race would undoubtedly suffer a devastating defeat in this war, leading to an inevitable checkmate.
Given the immense risk involved, it was only natural for Lyra to question her decision.
However, Liliana remained undaunted. She harbored confidence not only in her own power but also in Leon\'s abilities.
With their combined strength, Liliana was assured that they could effectively avert the worst-case scenario.
Quickly snapping out of her reverie, Liliana regarded Lyra with a light gaze.
"I understand you may have doubts, but trust me, I wouldn\'t decide if I wasn\'t sure," Liliana stated confidently, causing Lyra to pause before nodding firmly.
"Very well, Your Majesty," Lyra replied, her tone apologetic as she continued, "I will carry out your orders, and I apologize for questioning them."
Liliana simply smiled, waving her hand as she replied in a playful tone, "No need to worry; I\'m not upset about your questioning. In fact, I rather like it. It\'s rare to see you like this."
Lyra nodded slightly, her expression indifferent, though a hint of blush colored her cheeks upon hearing Liliana\'s words.
Their conversation continued, spanning various topics, including Lyra\'s activities during her absence and the state of the battlefield.
"By the way, Your Majesty," Lyra interjected, recalling her earlier conversation with Leon: "His Majesty Leon was looking for you earlier."
"Alright, thank you. I\'ll find him later," Liliana replied in a casual tone.
Lyra simply nodded, offering no further words as she respectfully bowed her head. "In that case, I\'ll take my leave, Your Majesty."
"Okay," Liliana nodded, showing no further intention of holding her back.
With permission granted, Lyra made her way to the door, exiting Liliana\'s workspace with measured steps.
Observing Lyra\'s departure, Liliana gently shook her head, taking a sip of her coffee and nibbling on the dry biscuits Lyra had prepared earlier.
"It seems I\'ll need to wrap up my work soon and speak with Leon about last night," Liliana whispered to herself, recalling the formidable purplish-black power Leon had unleashed, a memory that lingered uneasily in her mind.
Moreover, Leon\'s conversation with Athena regarding the dragon ancestor\'s desire to meet him only piqued Liliana\'s curiosity further about what transpired that she was unaware of.
Taking a deep breath, Liliana lightly patted her cheeks and murmured with anticipation, "Alright, let\'s get this done!"