Lilith remained staring at the black mountains for several seconds after hearing those words. The Demon Continent. Even without knowing absolutely anything about that place, the name alone was enough to spark her curiosity.
From the window, she could make out an enormous mountain range stretching from one end of the horizon to the other, partially covered by dark clouds. The Eternal Bastion had stopped several kilometers away, but even from there the mountains seemed to form a gigantic natural wall separating the two regions.
"How long will we stay here?" she asked while taking another sip of blood. The second glass no longer felt as strange as the first, something that probably should have worried her more than it actually did.
"Three days, if nothing goes wrong," the maid replied. "The maintenance teams will inspect the legs and main engines while the scouts examine the surrounding area. We also need to replenish our supplies before continuing."
Lilith nodded as if that information merely confirmed something she already knew. She had discovered that this was an excellent strategy whenever she had no idea what was happening. Ask a question, listen carefully, and then put on a serious expression. So far, it had worked rather well.
"And how long will it take us to cross the Demon Continent?"
The maid blinked.
"That... no one knows, milady."
Lilith slowly set the glass down on the table.
"Of course. Naturally."
The young woman's gaze remained on her a little longer than usual. Lilith decided she had already asked enough suspicious questions during a single breakfast. She finished eating and asked to return to her chambers. This time, instead of pretending she knew the way, she allowed the maid to walk ahead of her. Her dignity could survive that small defeat if the alternative was ending up inside another storage room.
When she returned to her chambers, she closed the door and examined the room much more carefully than she had upon waking. If she was really going to live as Lilith Bloodrose, she needed to know who the hell Lilith Bloodrose actually was. The fragmented memories were useful whenever they appeared, but relying on them alone was like trying to understand a book after reading ten random pages.
She started with the desk. Several documents were neatly organized there, along with letters sealed with different colors of wax and a small stack of books.
Ethan had never been particularly nosy, but technically all of those things belonged to him now, so he decided that reading them did not count as invading anyone's privacy. The moment he touched one of the letters, a new image flashed through his mind: an enormous hall illuminated by hundreds of candles, several figures seated around a table, and a silver-haired woman occupying a throne.
Lilith pulled her fingers away.
"That's still pretty uncomfortable."
She waited a few seconds before opening the letter. It was written in elegant handwriting and, to her surprise, she could read it without any difficulty. Apparently, she had inherited the old Lilith's language along with the rest of her memories. She did not understand all of its contents, but a few sentences were enough to make new pieces appear in her mind.
Third Princess of the Vampire Kingdom. Lilith Bloodrose. Royal-blooded vampire. Representative of the Crown aboard the Eternal Bastion.
Lilith dropped into the chair.
So she really was a princess.
It was not simply an overly respectful way of addressing her.
She continued reading. The Eternal Bastion maintained ancient agreements with different nations, and several important families sent representatives to accompany its journey. Lilith's presence was part of one of those agreements. She had arrived years ago as a representative of the Vampire Kingdom, although the details were still blurry. A fleeting memory showed her a black carriage stopping in front of gigantic gates and a younger Lilith stepping out while dozens of soldiers waited.
"Well, it could be worse."
Being the third princess had its advantages. She was important, apparently had money, and people treated her with respect. At the same time, there were two people ahead of her whenever it came to any problem involving inheriting the throne.
"Perfect. All the benefits of being a princess with less chance of ending up ruling a country."
For the first time since waking up, Ethan felt that he had been rather lucky with his new identity.
She continued investigating for almost half an hour. She found books about magic that she only skimmed through, several diplomatic letters too boring to read completely, and a slender sword stored inside a wardrobe. The moment she touched the hilt, she felt an immediate sense of familiarity. Her body knew how to use it. She could not explain how, but the feeling was there, just like someone could remember how to ride a bicycle after years without doing it.
She was about to draw the blade when someone knocked on the door.
Lilith quickly put the sword back where it had been.
"Come in."
The door opened, and a young woman entered without waiting for a second invitation. She looked around nineteen years old and wore light plate armor over a dark blue uniform. Her blonde hair was tied in a high ponytail, and a sword rested at her waist. She did not bow. In fact, she closed the door behind her and looked directly at Lilith with an expression somewhere between concern and suspicion.
"So you really are alive."
Lilith raised an eyebrow.
"Good morning to you too."
The young woman froze.
For a second, Lilith thought she had made some kind of mistake.
Then the stranger smiled.
"You're definitely feeling better."
A name appeared among the memories before she even had to ask.
Claire Ashford.
There was not much more. One sword clashing against another. An argument. Claire laughing. Lilith walking away in annoyance. The images vanished as quickly as they had appeared.
"They told me you didn't leave your room yesterday," Claire continued as she approached. "And this morning, one of the maids said you were acting strange."
Lilith immediately felt an internal alarm go off.
"Strange?"
"You got lost on the way to the dining hall."
Damn maid.
"I wanted to walk."
"You went into the western storage room."
"I needed to check something."
Claire stared at her for several seconds before bursting into laughter. Lilith kept a serious expression, although she had to resist the urge to laugh as well.
"All right, Princess. I'll keep your secret."
Claire grabbed a chair and sat across from her with a natural ease that confirmed they knew each other quite well. For the next several minutes, they talked about relatively simple things. Lilith allowed Claire to lead the conversation and answered using the few memories that surfaced. Even so, several times she noticed the knight watching her curiously.
"You're different," Claire finally said.
Lilith felt a small knot form in her stomach.
"Is that a bad thing?"
"No." Claire shrugged. "Just different. Before, it would've taken me ten minutes to get five words out of you."
That explained a lot.
The old Lilith was reserved.
Excellent.
That made her job much easier.
Claire stood shortly afterward and adjusted the sword at her waist.
"I should go. We have to prepare tomorrow's expedition."
Lilith looked up.
"Expedition?"
"We're going to inspect the surrounding area before entering the Demon Continent. Nothing too exciting, probably."
For the first time since Claire had entered, Lilith stopped thinking about how to avoid raising suspicion.
"Can anyone join?"
Claire stopped beside the door.
Slowly, she turned her head.
"You want to come?"
Lilith remembered the endless forest she had seen from the walls, the ruins lost among the trees, and those enormous black mountains waiting on the horizon. She had been given a second life in a world she still did not understand. Staying locked inside reading documents while everyone else went out to explore it was not part of her plans.
A smile appeared on her face.
"Why not?"