The Legend of the Social Death of Hero Alice

by leincarnatedroli

GPTL "The Demon King two generations ago was stabbed by the Gryffin Kingdom's Hero using the legendary sword 'Enheria' in the heart and died." "The previous generation's Demon King was sealed by the Ymir Kingdom's Hero using the legendary Taboo 'War God's Lock' for fifty years and eventually died after his vitality faded." "Sounds amazing. What about this generation's Demon King

Chapter 428: Focalor Is Not Alone, Accompanied by Haydn

King Haydn's actions and the fact that his soul died alongside the tenth demon lord, Focalor, did not immediately spread to the public.

After all, this was not a trivial matter. Considering the turmoil that occurred in the Emir Kingdom for several months after the death of their king, it was easy to imagine how significant the death of a king would be.

Furthermore, Haydn's death was not as simple as it seemed. He had allied himself with a demon lord before his demise, which was almost considered a betrayal of the human race. If it weren't for the fact that he had been killed by a hero, the Kingdom of Llane would undoubtedly face condemnation and even war from other human kingdoms.

However, even though Lily and Ettoria had not publicized Haydn's death, many had already noticed some clues. Even though Haydn had been absent for only a day, people could tell that something extraordinary had happened outside the city of Icarus.

This was only natural. The vast forest outside the city of Icarus had been destroyed overnight, and anyone could see that something significant had gone wrong, especially as Haydn's mansion had also been reduced to ruins. It was impossible not to suspect that something had happened to Haydn.

However, Lily and the others had not revealed Haydn's death to the public for a simple reason. In fact, all the evidence of what Haydn had done was already available. As long as they found the right media outlets and made this information public, holding Haydn responsible for his actions would separate the Kingdom of Llane from the consequences, ensuring it would not be affected by Haydn's behavior.

The question that troubled Lily now was whether to provide the media with the picture she had in her possession. In Lily's hands, there was a picture of Alice defeating Focalor, a picture she had taken earlier. In the image, Alice stretched out her right hand, and a dazzling holy light surged from her hand, engulfing Focalor. While Focalor had used Haydn's body, the faint black magic swirling around him revealed his true identity as a demon lord.

Alice's serious expression contrasted sharply with Focalor's grimace, making it clear that this photograph had the potential to compete for the highest photography award in the world, under normal circumstances.

However, the problem was that this picture had a special detail—Focalor was clearly holding a pair of white women's panties in his hand. Especially when bathed in the radiant light, the panties stood out, almost stealing the spotlight. At first glance, one's attention was drawn not to Focalor but to the panties.

This situation was awkward for Lily, a demon lord enthusiast. She found it hard to believe that these egotistical demon lords had a fetish for women's underwear. Yet, when she took the photo, Focalor had indeed been holding onto the panties tightly, and it didn't seem like an accidental action.

Furthermore, since Focalor had used Haydn's body, once this photo was published, even with an explanation that Haydn had been possessed by Focalor, Haydn's reputation would inevitably be affected.

Even though Haydn's reputation had already hit rock bottom due to his alliance with the demon race, it only tarnished his reputation as a king. If news of "Haydn was actually a pervert who liked women's panties" spread, it would damage Haydn's reputation as a person.

Despite Haydn committing unforgivable deeds in the eyes of humans, he was still Lily's father, and she had feelings for him. She hoped to save some face for Haydn. However, this photograph was the best evidence of the hero's defeat of the demon lord. If this photograph wasn't published, the whole incident would seem bland, like a cake without sugar.

In any case, if possible, Lily preferred to share this photograph with the media. Although it might pose a risk to her father's social reputation and result in his social death, it would cleanly separate the Kingdom of Llane from the consequences of this incident.

Emotionally, it felt like being a dutiful daughter, but rationally, it was the best choice for the Kingdom of Llane. However, the final decision rested with Ettoria since he would be the one to succeed.

Although Lily had a good relationship with Alice, and with Alice's help, she might be able to secure the right to succeed the throne of the Kingdom of Llane from Ettoria, she had lost interest in pursuing such a position. Previously, because of Haydn's favoritism, she had felt frustrated and had wanted to compete for it. But now, she no longer had any desire for the throne. She believed she wasn't suited for the demanding role and preferred being a princess.

Moreover, she was curious about why Haydn, as a king who stood at the pinnacle of human power, could be influenced by the demon lord named Focalor. According to Alice, Haydn had interacted with Focalor with a sense of respect.

Lily couldn't believe that Focalor had simply used his charisma and his ideology of turning the world into a demon realm and all humans into demons to win Haydn over. There had to be some other reason, but with Focalor and Haydn's deaths and Haydn's mansion in ruins, that reason might remain a forever unsolved mystery.

"Sorry, Father. Although doing this may harm your reputation as a person... there's no other choice. It's for the Kingdom of Llane," Lily muttered to herself.

After some hesitation, Lily decided to provide the media with the photograph to minimize the potential harm to the Kingdom of Llane in this matter. The gruesome image of Focalor was sure to attract a lot of hatred, and then there would be fewer people blaming the Kingdom of Llane. If they only relied on dry text descriptions, there might be some troublemakers who would try to drag the Kingdom of Llane into the whirlpool of public opinion. Having this photograph would reduce the likelihood of such an event.

Apart from this, Lily had several questions she wanted to ask Alice. While she planned to deliver the photograph to Ettoria, she also intended to visit Alice's home and finally address the doubts that had been lingering in her mind all day.

---

Chapter 429: Lily's Questions

When Lily delivered the photo to Ettoria, who was busy with various affairs in the palace, and arrived at the house rented by Alice, she found that many things in the house had been packed into luggage and placed in the living room. Alice was sitting on the sofa, playing with her mobile phone, while Luna was holding a broom, sweeping the floor.

To be honest, Lily had a subtle feeling when she saw Luna sweeping the floor. After all, she had seen this maid release two Taboo "Dragon's Shadow" curses with a wave of her hand, smashing a huge mansion into ruins without any signs of exhaustion.

In terms of strength alone, this maid's strength was probably even higher than that of Gamst, the head of Llane Kingdom's Royal Guards. However, even so, she quietly acted as a maid by Alice's side, and her skills as a maid were exquisite, making Lily feel that the contrast was a bit too much.

"Alice, are you... preparing to leave?" Judging from the situation in the house, Alice had packed her luggage and was obviously preparing to return to the Gryffin Kingdom. Luna, as the maid, was giving the soon-to-be-vacated house a final cleaning. Lily could tell at a glance that the living room had already been cleaned immaculately, indicating that they were in the final stages of preparation.

"Hey, Lily, you're here?" Alice didn't seem surprised by Lily's arrival; she had probably guessed that Lily would come over. So, she was sitting in the living room, even leaving the front door open, waiting for Lily. After seeing Lily, Alice put down her mobile phone and looked at her.

Next to Alice, Amdusia also put down her small phone and jumped onto Alice's shoulder, looking at Lily with a helpless expression. Since Lily had seen Amdusia move when Luna brought her to the scene yesterday, there was no need for her to continue pretending to be an inanimate figurine in front of Lily.

Lily had no way of knowing that the figurine she had kept in her house for a long time was not a counterfeit but the real Amdusia.

"By the way, Alice, what about this figurine..." Lily seemed to have wanted to ask this question for a long time, so when she saw Amdusia nonchalantly sitting on Alice's shoulder, she couldn't help but swallow her saliva and curiously asked.

After all, Amdusia's current appearance was that of the magical girl Kogane, a national-level anime character in the human world. Lily was quite fond of her, so seeing a moving Kogane figurine naturally made her excited. Even though she didn't know why, Lily couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed.

"Ahem, about this figurine..." Alice hadn't expected Lily to ask this question first, but after a brief pause, she continued, "Apart from this question, you probably have more important questions, right? Why don't you ask the next question? The answer might be inside."

Hearing Alice's words, Lily hesitated for a moment, as if she was struggling with whether to ask the next question. It seemed like she found it difficult to ask the question, as if it were hard to say aloud.

Alice didn't rush Lily; she just looked at her. She probably knew what Lily wanted to ask, and she also understood why Lily was hesitating. However, she knew that Lily was a rational person. If she asked the question, Alice didn't mind telling her some of the truths.

"Alice, you know, yesterday, your maid Luna took me to the scene of your battle with Focalor." After hesitating for about a minute, Lily finally bit her lip and asked, "But before you used Light Magic, I vaguely saw dark magic emanating from you... In theory, a hero shouldn't possess that kind of magic, right?"

It was clear to Lily that Alice was indeed a hero. After all, Alice could use the Hero's Sword and ultimately used a powerful Light Magic Taboo to kill Focalor. However, Lily believed that she hadn't been mistaken when she saw dark magic emanating from Alice before she used Light Magic.

Furthermore, it wasn't just any dark magic; the magic she sensed was even stronger than Focalor's at the time. Of course, Lily didn't know that Focalor was in a weakened state at that time, so his magic power was naturally weak.

Upon hearing this, Luna, who was sweeping the floor nearby, suddenly stopped and began to gather the dark magic within her. She then turned her gaze towards Alice. If Alice gave the order, Luna would immediately act to eliminate Lily, silencing her forever.

Alice gently shook her head at Luna, signaling her not to take any action. After this period of interaction, Alice had some understanding of Lily's personality. She wasn't a talkative person, and her judgment was usually rational. Alice had already proven herself to be harmless to this world, so telling Lily some of the truths wouldn't make her an enemy.

"Well, since you asked this question, I'll tell you some of the truths." Alice sighed and quietly touched her left wrist with her right hand. She had already put on the "Contamination Roulette" in advance, and thanks to its elasticity, it could be worn as a wristband without being noticed by Lily.

With her right hand touching the Contamination Roulette, information about her weapon appeared in Alice's mind.

[Weapon: Incomplete Demon Lord's Power - Contamination Roulette]

[Quality: Rule]

[Effects: Strength +5000, Constitution +7000, Speed +5000, Spirit +7000, Control +5000, Magic Power +7000]

[Additional Abilities: Taboo Contamination (Passive Skill, immune to any mental attacks and curses, curses below your mental power level will be countered against the caster); Blood of the Immortal (Passive Skill, obtained the Demon Lord's aura by using his blood); Mimicry (Active Skill, allows the user or the weapon to freely transform into the size and appearance of a devoured object); Rule Breaker - Magic (Passive Skill, continuously releases contaminating magic power that disrupts magical rules)]

Instantly, a massive surge of dark magic erupted from Alice's body. Such a sudden increase in magic power would cause quite an exaggerated fluctuation in magic power. Therefore, Lily immediately sensed the dark magic erupting from Alice's body, and even a faint black smoke began to swirl around her.

"In fact, my identity is quite complicated. While I can be considered a hero, I also have the identity of a Demon Lord." Alice looked at Lily, who had suddenly turned red for some reason, and explained, "The reason I sensed that something was wrong with Llane Kingdom is because Haydn intentionally contacted the demon race using Ettoria's identity to attract a large number of demons into the human world. That's why I infiltrated this place."

As Alice spoke, she noticed that Lily's face had suddenly turned bright red for some reason, and her eyes seemed to be shining with enthusiasm. It seemed that Lily's gaze was even more passionate than when she had seen the figurine. However, Alice couldn't understand why Lily was so excited. Perhaps she had been frightened?

But since Alice had said she would tell Lily the truth, she continued, "Besides me, Luna's identity is... and about the question you just asked, why this figurine can move."

With that, Luna and Amdusia also released the dark magic within them in a coordinated manner. Instantly, the entire house was filled with dark magic. If Alice hadn't set up a barrier in advance, the fluctuations of this dark magic might have attracted the Llane Kingdom's army by now.

"Th... Three Demon Lords!?" Lily finally understood Alice's meaning and exclaimed in shock. Then, her face turned red, and she trembled, falling backward with a blissful expression, fainting on the spot.

---

Chapter 430: The Only Demon Lord Item You Can Wear Publicly

Two days later, Haydn's actions were finally made public. The details of what Haydn had done, Focalor's objectives, and the key that recorded his actions were all revealed. For a moment, the fact that Haydn, in collaboration with the Demon Lord, had attempted to overturn the entire human world and turn it into a demon realm sent shockwaves throughout the world.

Of course, even though everyone knew that the commands stored in this key were indeed imprinted with Haydn's magic power and personally issued by him, they didn't know who the key was meant for. The royal family of the Kingdom of Llane had not revealed this information, and nobody paid much attention to it.

So, even though Haydn's deeds had become widely known within a day, no one knew who was executing these commands. In reality, it was Gamst, the head of the Royal Guards of Llane Kingdom, who was responsible.

Alice still needed Gamst, a person holding military power, to help stabilize the situation in the Kingdom of Llane. Therefore, they couldn't afford to let Gamst follow Haydn into trouble. To put it bluntly, Gamst was a loyal but foolish person, and although he had assisted in Haydn's tyranny, he was essentially being used as a tool by Haydn. So, Alice decided to temporarily spare him.

After all, the actions of a tool depended on whose hands it was in and what it was used for. Gamst's strength and his loyalty to the royal family were both evident, and despite his loyalty to Haydn, he was unlikely to do anything wrong under Ettoria's rule.

As expected, with Haydn's downfall and the exposure of his actions, some nobles in the Kingdom of Llane began to stir. In this era, openly rebelling was out of the question, but with the king already deposed, there was no harm in vying for certain interests.

Gamst could be useful in such situations. With his considerable authority, he could better assist Ettoria, who was about to ascend the throne, in maintaining control and preventing those nobles from gaining anything significant. If not for the consideration that Gamst's continued existence would be more beneficial to the stability of the Kingdom of Llane, Alice would have dealt with him long ago.

"Ettoria is currently swamped with work at the palace. Although Gamst is overseeing things here, Ettoria has to deal with various unreasonable demands and business matters from the nobles, as well as handle important affairs from various regions. He's also preparing for the succession ceremony. I doubt he'll get a good night's sleep for the next month."

Crossdressing Prince Collins, dressed in his female attire, stood in front of the teleportation guild in Icarus City and updated Alice on Ettoria's situation these past two days. "Anyway, even though the Kingdom of Llane is in a bit of turmoil, Ettoria should be able to handle it. You can rest assured."

Despite Ettoria's questionable taste for lolicon, he was, in fact, a competent heir to the throne. He had studied how to be a good king diligently. Although he might be a bit overwhelmed in the initial stages of his reign, he wouldn't let things fall apart. It was only a matter of time before he adapted to his role as king, and after the succession ceremony, he could gradually delegate less critical matters to others. He wouldn't have to be as busy as he was now, unless he insisted on handling everything himself like Haydn did.

Alice was ready to return to the Kingdom of Gryffin now that she had settled matters in the Kingdom of Llane. Collins and Lily had come to see her off. However, compared to Collins' calm demeanor, Lily seemed a bit reluctant.

"Alright, even though the Kingdom of Gryffin is a bit far from the Kingdom of Llane, with the teleportation guild, you can visit me anytime you want," Alice assured Lily, who was holding her hand and not letting go.

Alice couldn't help but find it amusing. She had expected that Lily would distance herself from her after learning that she was the Demon Lord. After all, being the Demon Lord was not a favorable identity for humans.

But surprisingly, it was quite the opposite. After learning about her true identity, Lily seemed to become even closer to her, acting like she was intimately acquainted with her idol. It was hard to believe that a human princess would be so close to the Demon Lord.

However, Lily didn't need to hold onto her hand like this; they could easily stay in touch using the teleportation guild. Although each use of the guild required a hefty fee, it was a trivial cost for members of the royal family.

"Well, you're right..."

Lily felt a bit disappointed, but she knew it wasn't possible to keep Alice in the Kingdom of Llane indefinitely. After all, Alice was also the princess of Gryffin, and as both a hero and a Demon Lord, she surely had other responsibilities. Lily didn't want to hold Alice back from her duties.

She had thought about the potential consequences of having a hero and a Demon Lord in the same person, but after witnessing Alice's resolute defeat of Focalor and her dismissal of Focalor's notion of "equality," Lily believed that Alice was trustworthy. At the very least, she couldn't imagine Alice doing anything that would plunge the entire world into chaos.

"So, we're leaving now. Let's stay in touch often," Alice said with a smile. She, along with Amdusia on her shoulder and Luna, entered the teleportation guild. Since Alice had used the guild before, she quickly purchased tickets and found the teleportation room leading to the city of Hall in Gryffin.

"I guess things in the Kingdom of Llane are settled now," Luna said calmly as she looked at Alice.

Since there were few people in the teleportation guild and only Alice's group in the teleportation room heading to Hall, Amdusia felt safe enough to speak openly.

"I didn't expect that guy's attempt to cooperate with the demon race was just a decoy. He actually wanted to turn the entire world into the polluted environment of the demon realm... It's truly insane."

While Amdusia had little fondness for humans, she understood how dreadful the demon realm's environment was for other races. If the entire world were to become like that, it would undoubtedly be a massive catastrophe for the entire world.

Fortunately, with Alice's identity as the Demon Lord, she had learned about the situation in the Kingdom of Llane and managed to uncover Focalor's plans, ultimately defeating him. Otherwise, Focalor's plan might have succeeded. He could have continuously created shadows of the Demon Lord and possessed them. Given enough time, there might have been no one left to stop him.

"So, what are you planning to do next when you return to the Kingdom of Gryffin?" Luna asked, showing a hint of curiosity on her calm face. If the situation in the Kingdom of Llane had been resolved, what would Alice do next? She couldn't just play around and wait for the Demon Lord's power to manifest on its own.

"Well, this time in the Kingdom of Llane, we made quite a unexpected discovery," Alice replied with a light chuckle. She raised her left hand, revealing a black wristband-like item on her wrist. "This thing might actually help us figure out how to eradicate the pollution from the demon realm. It could be quite helpful."

---

Chapter 431: Long Time No See, Kristen and Lacey

Even though Focalor's goals were not achieved, and his slim hopes were shattered by Amdusia using panties, some of his legacies proved to be of great help to Alice.

For example, the Contamination Roulette, not only was it an item created using the most potent part of the Demon Lord's power that Alice could currently wield, but its function was also quite useful to her. Its passive skill, "Rule Breaker," was evidently the same skill that caused the contamination in the Demon Realm.

If Alice's guess was correct, somewhere in the Demon Realm, there might be an item or magical formation continuously releasing the effect of "Rule Breaker - Magic." After thousands of years, this gradually transformed the Demon Realm into its current state.

As for why this contamination didn't spread to the Human Realm, Alice suspected that there might be some limitations to the range of this skill. If the Demon Lord's power personally broke the rules, it might have completely destroyed the magical rules of the entire world over the thousands of years. However, this partial extraction of power from the Demon Lord's origin was not capable of spreading the effects of "Rule Breaker" across the entire world, hence taking thousands of years to transform the Demon Realm while leaving the Human Realm unharmed.

Nevertheless, the Demon Realm was vast. The world they stood on was called Yingxing and was slightly smaller than the Earth Alice knew before her reincarnation, but it was still a massive planet, with the Demon Realm occupying about half of its land.

Finding an item or magical formation with the same aura as the contamination in such a wide area was no simple task. Although Alice had previously found some locations with traces of the Demon Lord's power through the Totem of the Inumimi tribe, these traces were not strong. Alice suspected that the real source of the contamination that affected the entire Demon Realm might have been concealed by some special means, making it undetectable by the Totem.

Otherwise, something capable of influencing the entire Demon Realm like this would surely have a powerful and conspicuous aura, which the Totem should have detected. Thus, it would likely be difficult to find it for a while.

So, for now, Alice decided to focus on researching ways to neutralize the contamination. She also thought of utilizing the Contamination Roulette to create something similar to a Dragon Ball radar, which could help her locate items with the same aura in the Demon Realm. However, this task had to fall on the only advanced alchemist she could currently contact—Lacey.

"Huh? What can you find out from it?" Alice asked curiously, looking at Kristen. After all, compared to herself, who was a newcomer and a counterfeit Demon Lord, Kristen was an authentic veteran Hero. She might be able to discern something from the item.

Kristen, holding the Contamination Roulette, looked at it from all angles and said in amazement, "That Demon Lord named Focalor actually created this thing! The aura of Demon Lord's power on this item is quite dense. To make this, he must have invested a tremendous amount of Demon Lord's power. I guess among all the Demon Lords, only the first Demon Lord could have scraped off such a large piece from the source of the Demon Lord's power."

Indeed, throughout the generations of Demon Lords, almost every Demon Lord had tried to extract a part of the Demon Lord's power from the source to create various items, but none of those items had the "Rule Breaker" skill like this Contamination Roulette.

The Goddess of White Fur had once said that the primary ability of the Demon Lord's power was to break the rules, and it seemed that "Rule Breaker" was undoubtedly the Demon Lord's primary power. So far, Alice had only seen this skill on the "Contamination Roulette."

It could be inferred that the Demon Lord's power source that Focalor had extracted to create this item was much more significant than that of other items. Focalor must have spent a considerable amount of effort to make this, investing a vast amount of Demon Lord's power.

However, Alice couldn't help but imagine how formidable the first Demon Lord must have been. The "Contamination Roulette" created by Focalor only contaminated the territory of the Tree People, with its maximum range covering a single forest. In contrast, the legacy left behind by the first Demon Lord had transformed the entire Demon Realm into a living hell. The amount of Demon Lord's power extracted by Focalor was undoubtedly unimaginable. The strength of the first Demon Lord was likely equivalent to more than half of the Demon Lord's power itself.

"It's quite impressive that the first generation Demon Lord was able to seal something like this. It's no easy feat," Kristen commented.

"What about you? Can you find anything from it?" Alice asked, still curious. Although she was a newcomer, she knew that Kristen was a seasoned Hero, and he might be able to see something that she couldn't.

However, Kristen just gave Alice a somewhat helpless look and said, "I'm not a Demon Lord, nor am I an alchemist. All I can tell is that this thing is definitely made with a substantial amount of Demon Lord's power. The specifics will have to wait for Lacey to study it when she returns. After all, she's the alchemist here."

While Kristen was indeed a seasoned Hero, he wasn't an alchemist and didn't possess a deep understanding of the creation and composition of such items. So, when it came to these aspects, Lacey, as an alchemist, was the expert.

Previously, when they were researching the magical contamination in the Demon Realm, most of the research had been conducted by Lacey. Kristen had mainly assisted Lacey in gathering samples from the Demon Realm, as the realm was unfriendly to humans. Although Lacey was a strong alchemist, her strength was still lacking in some aspects, so Kristen had helped her in that regard.

If any Demon tribe in the Demon Realm had the audacity to provoke Kristen, he would even catch a live member of that tribe for Lacey to study. Although in the end, Lacey had let them go.

"That makes sense. We need a professional for this," Alice agreed.

Amdusia sat on Alice's shoulder, nodding in agreement. Despite Demon Lords dabbling in creating items, they were not true experts in alchemy. Otherwise, they wouldn't have created so many strange and bizarre items.

"Speaking of which, where did Lacey go?" Alice inquired, looking around the room curiously. When she had arrived earlier, there was only Kristen in the room, and various research equipment was still on the table. It seemed that Lacey had left not long ago, and she was conducting research before her departure.

"It seems that her father came to the Kingdom of Gryffin, and she's currently at the royal palace discussing something with Haydn, so Lacey went over there," Kristen explained casually. As a Hero, he didn't need to worry about the King's mood, so his tone was quite casual. "If I recall correctly, her father is King Celt Malthus of the Kingdom of Ymir."

"Ah, Lacey's father..." Alice scratched her head, momentarily forgetting that Lacey was, in fact, a princess of the Kingdom of Ymir. Her father was King Celt Malthus, who was the ruler of Ymir. The situation in the Kingdom of Ymir a few months ago was somewhat similar to the current situation in the Kingdom of Llane. Both kingdoms experienced internal turmoil due to the death of their respective kings, and Celt, as the king of Ymir, had spent several months stabilizing the situation. His visit to Gryffin was likely related to diplomatic affairs between nations.

However, what piqued Alice's interest was whether it was necessary to bring Lacey along for interkingdom affairs. After all, Lacey had mentioned that she was not highly regarded by Celt, and there seemed to be no intention of considering her as an heir to the throne.

---

Chapter 432: You're Also a Dragon

It was probably late in the evening when Lacey returned to the house she shared with Kristen. Perhaps because her father wanted her to establish a good relationship with the Hero, he had not rushed her to return to the Kingdom of Ymir. Instead, he allowed her to stay in the Kingdom of Gryffin.

Of course, Lacey's father, King Celt, was unaware that she was spending more time with another Hero, Kristen, whose true identity as a reincarnated former Hero was not public knowledge. People believed that Haydn had gained another illegitimate daughter named Kristen, not knowing that this Kristen was actually a resurrected previous Hero.

If Celt knew that his daughter had formed friendships with two Heroes, he would probably be overjoyed. However, he remained unaware of Lacey's improving relationship with Alice and Kristen. His attitude toward Lacey still left much to be desired.

Lacey, however, had no intention of using her connection with Alice and Kristen to gain her father's attention. Compared to being by her father's side, Lacey found it more relaxing to be with Kristen and Alice. If given a choice, she might prefer to stay with them rather than return to the Kingdom of Ymir. In Ymir, she felt entirely overlooked, whereas in Gryffin, assisting Alice in researching the Demon Realm gave her a sense of accomplishment.

When Lacey entered the room, she found Kristen lying on the sofa, holding a smartphone and looking at something, similar to Amdusia's interest in pages.

"You're back?" Kristen heard the door open and sat up from the sofa, looking at Lacey, who carried a basket of vegetables. Lacey had stated her intention to be Alice's maid, and she was not just saying it. Despite Alice's frequent travels, Lacey had not abandoned her training as a maid.

Despite being an illegitimate child, Lacey still held the status of a princess, living relatively comfortably in the Kingdom of Ymir. Her maid skills were not very proficient initially, but she had been honing them during this time. At least, the dishes she prepared were now considered delicious by Kristen.

"Yes, I'm back, Lady Kristen," Lacey replied, placing the basket of vegetables on the table. She looked at Kristen with a somewhat serious expression. While her words seemed respectful, her tone carried a hint of severity. "How many times have I told you not to lie on the sofa and play with your phone? It's bad for your eyesight."

"Tsk, my eyesight won't be affected by such trivial matters. You can rest assured," Kristen responded, somewhat helpless with Lacey's constant reminders. It seemed that because of her petite stature, Lacey had adopted a maternal tone when talking to him, similar to how a mother would educate her child.

However, Lacey's intentions were genuinely well-meaning. Kristen knew that she was an important alchemist to Alice, and he wasn't the type to abuse his authority. So, he accepted Lacey's well-intentioned education without getting angry.

Seeing that Lacey seemed like she wanted to say more, Kristen quickly asked a question to change the topic, "By the way, Alice and the others have returned. They came to visit us a while ago, but you weren't here. What was the reason for your trip to Haydn's kingdom? Why did your father call you over?"

"My father met with King Haydn because some unusual events have been happening recently. It seems the dragonkin in Dragon Valley have suddenly become active. You should know that dragonkin in Dragon Valley usually sleep, and only a few dragons occasionally come out. However, this time, it seems there's an unusually high number of active dragons," Lacey explained, shaking her head. "The reason my father called me over was because he thought I might have had some interactions with the Heroes and wanted to see if they noticed anything strange. After all, dealing with creatures like dragons is not something ordinary people can handle."

Indeed, dragons were known for their strength, formidable physical abilities, and mysterious Dragon Magic. In this world, after Heroes and Demon Lords, dragons were considered the most powerful race.

However, dragon reproduction was a significant issue. They rarely produced offspring, with one or two descendants appearing only every few centuries. Their numbers were even lower than that of the Tree People, making them a small but incredibly powerful race. Despite their strength, dragons had lost their enthusiasm for conflict over the centuries due to their long lifespans. They typically slept in Dragon Valley, only occasionally emerging to stretch their wings and then returning to their slumber.

In wars between humans and demons, dragonkin were not typically involved. They were considered a troublesome group to control due to their pride. Provoking them could easily turn them into enemies. If they decided to oppose someone, even a single dragonkin could pose a significant threat.

Therefore, both Heroes and Demon Lords avoided provoking these dragons. Even if they were fully capable of defeating them, it was not worth the trouble it could cause later on.

However, as mentioned earlier, dragons were known for their laziness. It was rare to see a dragon outside of Dragon Valley, so for Celt to say that there was an unusually high number of active dragons was concerning.

"Dragons..." Kristen furrowed his brows upon hearing this. He didn't have much knowledge about dragons either. In this world, besides the dragons themselves, very few people had a deep understanding of them. However, the fact that Celt mentioned an "unusually high number" of active dragons suggested that it wasn't a simple matter of one or two dragons venturing out of their valley.

---

Chapter 433: A Sudden Surge of Dragon Sightings

"Have there been unusually frequent dragon sightings recently?"

Alice received a call from Haydn, and as she just returned to her dorm, she hadn't had a chance to chat with Zauna and Lalu. Her phone's ringtone interrupted her, but when Haydn personally contacted her, she knew it must be something important. So, she answered the call.

As expected, when Haydn initiated contact, it usually meant something significant. This time was no exception. He informed Alice about a recent discussion he had with King Celt of the Kingdom of Ymir and the information Lacey overheard – there had been an unusually high number of dragon sightings.

Typically, there might be a dragon sighting every few years, but those dragons rarely got involved in the affairs of humans and demons. They would fly around for a bit and then return to Dragon Valley. Dragons understood that although they were formidable to ordinary humans and demons, they were defenseless against Heroes or Demon Lords.

Even though adult dragons possessed formidable physical prowess, their Dragon Magic, while powerful, approached the level of Taboos. Heroes and Demon Lords could use Taboos casually. In a real battle, it would be challenging for dragons to break through the defenses of Heroes and Demon Lords, and the outcome was usually the dragons being defeated. Therefore, dragons rarely interfered in conflicts between humans and demons.

In such a context, it was quite rare to see a dragon, and even in the age without the Magic Web, sightings were a novelty. Nowadays, with the Magic Web, anyone who saw a dragon would take photos and upload them to social networks, making it easy to find information.

As expected, Alice quickly found many news articles with photos of dragons on the internet. Most of these posts were from regular people who had taken pictures of dragons flying high in the sky. In the photos, the massive shadow of the dragons cast over entire streets, making for an impressive sight.

What was more important, Alice noticed that there were indeed many dragon sightings recently. Moreover, these photos showed not just one kind of dragon but several. In the past, there might be a sighting every few years, but it was always the same dragon. However, this time, there seemed to be sightings of not just one or two kinds of dragons, but at least five different types.

There was a dragon that was completely red and had flames erupting around its body with each wingbeat. Another dragon had scales that shone like polished diamonds, sparkling with a dazzling light. Then, there was a dragon entirely blue, with wings so soft they appeared boneless, and two green dragons that appeared together, accompanied by raging storms.

These observations were from social networks in the human realm alone. It was possible that there were other types of dragons on the Demon Realm's social networks, and there might even be dragons that hadn't been witnessed at all.

"It does seem rather unusual... A photo of the red dragon appeared three months ago, and the most recent sighting was one week ago when two green dragons were seen flying over the Kingdom of Ymir," Alice murmured as she examined the photos. She understood why King Celt of the Kingdom of Ymir had urgently contacted Haydn. The green dragons witnessed flying over the Kingdom of Ymir had caused damage, destroying several buildings in a city.

Whether intentional or not, these dragons had indeed caused destruction in the Kingdom of Ymir. It wasn't surprising that King Celt sought Haydn's advice, trying to gather information from the Hero to understand why these dragons had suddenly become active.

"Are you looking at dragon sightings, Alice?"

Zauna also approached Alice, resting her head on Alice's shoulder. She was curious and peered at the crystal screen displaying the content. "I saw one of these photos a few days ago. It was said to be two wind-attribute dragons that flew too low and blew away several houses while passing over the Kingdom of Ymir."

"Speaking of dragon sightings, it seems the elves witnessed one a few days ago."

Lalu, who had a petite frame even smaller than Alice's, squeezed herself into Alice's arms and took out her phone from her pocket. She showed Alice a chat log where she had received a photo from a friend within the elven community. The photo displayed a silver dragon, relatively smaller in size, emitting a silvery glow from its body.

With this information, it became evident that there had been six dragon sightings in the human realm and the elven forest within the past three months. This frequency was indeed abnormal compared to their usual rarity.

---

Chapter 434: The Soul Magic User Who Appears Completely Inconspicuous

"Do you want to investigate this?"

Luna stood nearby and asked for Alice's opinion. If Alice decided to investigate, Luna could immediately assist in further inquiries. After all, Luna had previously worked in Gryffin Kingdom's intelligence department, making her well-versed in this type of work.

Even for regular individuals, investigating detailed information about dragons with the cooperation of a national intelligence department would be extremely challenging. However, it wasn't the case for Luna. She possessed strength greater than any dragon and had ways to gather information about these creatures. If Luna wished, she could even use force to extract the information she needed from the supposedly aloof dragons. Even if the dragons were united, they would find it difficult to oppose Luna. At best, it would be a minor inconvenience for her.

Luna's strength was not on par with a complete Hero or Demon Lord, but she possessed at least half the power of a Demon Lord. She could also continuously cast Taboos, a level of power these dragons couldn't contend with. Moreover, these long-lived creatures rarely interacted with each other, and their social ties were quite weak. They were unlikely to unite.

"Let's investigate a bit... The recent increase in dragon sightings is indeed peculiar. However, they haven't caused substantial damage, except for one incident where low-altitude flight resulted in minor building damage, which doesn't appear intentional."

Alice furrowed her brows as she examined the photos. She noticed that almost all the dragon sightings in these pictures were in flight, with no one witnessing them stopping anywhere. It seemed similar to previous instances where dragons came out to relax.

However, according to descriptions of these dragons on the Magic Web, there had never been such a large-scale appearance of dragons in the past. Could these dragons, after their long slumber, suddenly decide to come out in groups? Another oddity was that even though they might have come out in groups, when people did spot them, they were mostly acting individually, except for the two green dragons that caused building damage due to low-altitude flight.

Overall, the increased frequency of dragon sightings this time raised suspicion. If these dragons weren't merely out for relaxation, then they must have a specific purpose for their flights. Perhaps their flights weren't aimless but directed towards a particular destination.

"Luna, when you investigate, try to focus on the flight paths of these dragons. Maybe their flight routes follow a pattern," Alice suggested. "If these dragons are not out for leisure like before, they must have a destination. Plot the flight paths of these dragons and see if they are heading in the same direction."

With the presence of the Magic Web, tracking the flight paths of these dragons based on the timing and locations of photos uploaded by various internet users should be relatively easy. For Luna, who had previously worked in the intelligence department, this task would be far from complicated.

Furthermore, Luna's position as Alice's maid gave her immense authority in Gryffin Kingdom. The intelligence department and other organizations would readily comply with her requests, making it effortless for her to fulfill Alice's requirements.

"No problem."

Luna nodded and then asked, "Is there anything else you need me to investigate?"

Alice pondered for a moment. Besides the matter concerning the dragons, she did have a few other tasks at hand. First, she wanted Lacey to research the Contamination Roulette, attempting to identify its specific characteristics. Based on these characteristics, they could search for similar objects in the Demon Realm, possibly the culprit responsible for transforming the Demon Realm into its current state.

Apart from that, they needed to search for a skilled soul magic user, preferably someone who could handle high-level soul magic, to help release the excessive soul energy trapped within Milu Rabbit's body and awaken her. Milu Rabbit couldn't remain in a deep slumber indefinitely; it needed to be addressed.

Lastly, they had to look for traces of the source of Demon Lord's Power. This task was seemingly impossible for anyone but Alice. Demon Lord's Power was tied to the rules of the world, and ordinary items couldn't locate it. They could only wait for it to manifest and take action.

Among these three tasks, the second one was something Luna could assist with. Therefore, Alice nodded at her and said, "If possible, please help me find a soul magic user. Someone who is skilled and capable of using high-level soul magic."

In this era, there had been no reports of a soul magic user capable of using taboo-level spells. However, simply finding someone who could use high-level soul magic should be possible. While for ordinary people, a magician who could use high-level magic was considered exceptional, for Alice, it wasn't anything extraordinary.

"Ah, if you're looking for a powerful soul magic user, I know one."

Before Luna could respond, Lalu, who was sitting in Alice's lap, suddenly spoke up. "We have a soul magic user among the elves, and she's quite skilled. If you need her assistance, you can go find her."

"There's a soul magic user among the elves?" Alice was momentarily surprised but quickly understood. Elves, despite being slightly less naturally gifted than ordinary humans in areas beyond sensing natural magic, had exceptionally long lifespans. Over time, they had cultivated some outstanding mages. It was only natural that they would have a soul magic user among them.

"In fact, you've already met her," Lalu continued with a smile. "It's Philia, the captain of the elven guard. You used a rabbit to knock her unconscious when you infiltrated the Nature Shrine."

"Oh, her..."

With Lalu's revelation, Alice immediately recalled Philia's appearance. In her memory, Philia was dressed in light armor, wielding a magic sword, giving her the appearance of a typical swordswoman. She didn't seem like a mage capable of using high-level soul magic at all.

It seemed that appearances could be deceiving. Philia was undoubtedly a genius among the elves, possessing talents beyond those of ordinary humans. Her lengthy lifespan had allowed her to reach the rank of a high-level mage in the field of soul magic—though she might have switched to practicing swordsmanship later due to an inability to progress further in magic.

However, Alice couldn't help but find the situation amusing. She had previously used a rabbit to knock Philia unconscious, and now she needed Philia's help to save Milu Rabbit. The irony was not lost on her.

---

Chapter 435: The Hero Battles the Dragons

This time, if Alice wanted to contact Philia, she didn't need to make a special trip to the Elven Forest. She only needed help to get in touch with the Elves, and Philia could come to Gryffin Kingdom to meet Alice in person.

In the past, such a thing would have been impossible. Elves used to be extremely reclusive, and even the status of a Hero had limited influence on them. It was nearly impossible to get the Elves to actively engage with humans. However, things had changed now. Alice had secured the production of Nature Seeds for the Elves, and they held a considerable liking for the current Hero. So, when Alice, as the Hero, requested to borrow Philia from the Elves, they were willing to help.

Moreover, since the last incident, the Elves had shown an interest in actively engaging with other kingdoms. In just a month or two, over a dozen Elves had gone to various human kingdoms to learn and introduce human magical and scientific technology, giving a sense of progress towards modernization.

As a result, the Elves were now more open to the idea of sending one of their own to a human kingdom to help. However, even with this newfound willingness, there was still a somewhat cumbersome application process, so it would likely take a few days for Philia to arrive.

During this time, Alice had handed over the Contamination Roulette to Lacey, allowing the senior alchemist to study its structure and see if any discoveries could be made. If they could use this opportunity to find the mastermind behind the changes in the demon realm's environment, it would be a significant breakthrough.

Apart from this, on the second day after giving Luna her instructions, the investigation into the dragon clans' travel routes had already been completed. With the help of the Gryffin Kingdom's intelligence department, which had almost mobilized half of its staff to analyze the content on the magical network under Alice's identity, the information she needed was organized overnight.

Based on the information gathered from the magical network, the travel routes of the dragon clans were marked on a map. The next morning, Luna brought the map back to the dormitory and handed it over to Alice.

"Hmm, are these the flight routes of those dragon clans?" Alice took the world map handed to her by Luna and looked at the colorful lines drawn on it with some surprise. "Why are there 11 routes? Weren't there only 6 dragons?"

"When we conducted our investigation, we also included information from the magical network in the demon realm, which had information on five more dragons," Luna explained, opening another folder in her hand and taking out a stack of printed papers, placing them on the table in front of Alice. At the top of the stack were photos of dragons flying in the sky, collected from the magical network, which served as the basis for the intelligence department's analysis of the dragon clans' travel routes.

These 11 flight routes on the map were quite straightforward and easy to understand, even for Alice and Luna. They seemed to originate from various locations, suggesting that these dragon clans didn't start their journeys from within Dragon's Valley. However, all these routes eventually converged at a single location, marked on the map.

"The Kingdom of Ymir?" Alice looked at the spot where these 11 flight routes converged on the map, furrowing her brow. "Is it accurate to say that it's the Dwarven Autonomous State of Ymir?"

Luna added, "To be precise, it's the Dwarven Autonomous State within the Kingdom of Ymir. About two hundred years ago, the Kingdom of Ymir established a state specifically for Dwarves in this region because of the Dwarves' exceptional talents in blacksmithing. This place became known for its mastery of blacksmithing and alchemy."

Dwarves possessing blacksmithing talent was common knowledge in this world, much like how Elves were known for their sensitivity to natural magic. This talent was an inherent racial trait, and many Dwarves also dabbled in alchemy, although only a minority reached the level of advanced alchemists.

Compared to other kingdoms, the Kingdom of Ymir was rather unremarkable in terms of culture and resources. It lacked notable tourist attractions or special features, with the Dwarven Autonomous State being the most renowned place. It served as a major hub for exporting crafted items.

What Alice remembered most about this kingdom was King Vincent Ted, an old man with white hair and beard. Despite his age, he gave Alice the impression of having a physique that could easily crush the skulls of demons with his bare hands. His two guards, who were with him during the previous Royal Council meeting, seemed comparatively weaker.

"Why would the dragon clans go to the Dwarven Autonomous State? Most of what the Dwarves forge are finely crafted items; they shouldn't be capable of producing equipment for dragons with their massive bodies," Alice pondered. "Or perhaps the Dwarves came across some material during their smithing that the dragon clans need?"

Curious, Zauna chimed in, "Or maybe the Dwarves obtained some unusual magical items or alchemical materials during their work, which the dragon clans require?"

At that moment, Alice and Luna exchanged glances, realizing that Zauna's speculation was quite plausible. Dwarves were known for customizing and reshaping magical items, so it was common for them to receive unusual magical artifacts or alchemical materials. If there was something in the Dwarven Autonomous State that attracted the dragon clans, it would make sense.

However, upon further reflection, it seemed that this matter was not so straightforward. The first sightings of the dragon clans had occurred three months ago, and given their flying speed, they should have reached the Kingdom of Ymir by now. Yet, there had been no reports of dragons landing in the area.

The Dwarven Autonomous State was a bustling city due to its excellent export business, and while it was predominantly inhabited by Dwarves, it attracted visitors of various races every day. If any dragons had landed there, it should have caused a significant commotion on the magical network.

Of course, it was possible that the dragon clans had found a way to conceal their presence and secretly land in the Dwarven Autonomous State, similar to the shape-shifting abilities often mentioned in fantasy novels. In fact, the Dragon Language magic did include a transformation spell exclusive to dragons, allowing them to assume various animal forms, including that of humans. However, dragons generally disliked this magic because they were naturally proud creatures, and their true dragon form was what they most preferred. Transforming into other species often made them feel inferior.

It was akin to humans not wanting to turn into cockroaches just because they needed to communicate with one. Therefore, the scenarios depicted in novels where dragons willingly transformed into human-like forms to fight alongside heroes rarely occurred in reality. In most cases, if a dragon ever transformed into a human, it was likely because the hero had beaten it into submission, forcing it to assume human form and accompany them, rather than a choice made willingly by the dragon.

However, these research documents about dragons and their abilities were hardly discussed on the magical network, as most users preferred the fantasies presented in hero novels over factual information that shattered their illusions.

---

Chapter 436: The Maid's Work is Up for Grabs

Even though these dragon clans suddenly engaged in large-scale collective activities, which appeared quite strange, Alice currently had no intention of getting involved with them. After all, these dragon clans didn't seem to be causing any major disturbances at the moment. The only incidents involved some accidental damage to buildings due to their low flying altitudes.

As long as these dragon clans didn't cause trouble, Alice didn't see the need to intervene. As the Hero, she had no reason to restrict others' actions. If these dragon clans were really up to something, she could deal with them later.

What Alice truly needed to focus on was the issues related to the demon realm and the power of the Demon Lord. These matters concerned the entire world and also determined whether Alice could return to her original world. As long as the power of the Demon Lord continued to disrupt the rules, the divine being with white fluffy hair wouldn't be able to send her back.

Though Alice occasionally wondered if she would still be the same if she were sent back to Earth. After all, the irresponsible deity had mentioned that her body had suffered severe damage during the world-crossing process, leading to her current form. Therefore, it seemed impossible to revert to her original appearance.

However, Alice couldn't afford to dwell on such thoughts right now. While this world was nice, she still felt that Earth was more suitable for her. Her family was there, and she had been missing for several months; they must be worried.

Alice instructed Luna and the others to continue monitoring the situation in the Kingdom of Milt regarding the dragon clans and their arrival at the Dwarven Autonomous State of Flamican. If these dragon clans behaved themselves and didn't cause trouble, Alice wouldn't bother with them.

Of course, if these dragon clans did intend to cause trouble, Alice didn't mind taking action. They were no match for her now, and with the Euno Triangle to protect herself, they couldn't even breach her defenses, leaving them to be passive targets with no chance of retaliation.

In the following days, there were no significant developments from the dragon clans, and Lacey was still researching the Contamination Roulette's structure and principles. According to her, the craftsmanship of this item was quite rough, but the materials used were highly unique, requiring further examination.

However, the uniqueness stemmed from the fact that the Demon Lords themselves had personally used their subpar alchemical and blacksmithing skills to create these items, ensuring their secrecy. Thus, while the craftsmanship was indeed crude, the materials used were drawn from the source of the Demon Lord's power, elevating the item's rating to a rule-level artifact.

If ordinary materials were used, these items crafted by the Demon Lords would likely be considered junk in Alice's hands.

Everything continued to proceed smoothly, and within a few days, Philia successfully obtained approval from the Elves to leave the Elven Forest and arrived at the city of Hall in the Gryffin Kingdom, where Haidt received her.

While it might seem exaggerated for a king to personally receive an Elf, it was justifiable on two fronts. Firstly, Philia held an esteemed position among the Elves, equivalent to an elder's status. As the leader of her guard unit, her role was comparable to that of the heads of the royal guards in various kingdoms, making Haidt's personal reception reasonable.

Secondly, it was because Philia had been invited by Alice, the Hero herself. Haidt's favor towards Alice was no secret, and sometimes Alice even wondered if Haidt considered her like a daughter, given how accommodating he was.

Of course, Alice didn't feel guilty about it. On one hand, she was genuinely assisting the entire human race in dealing with the threat from the demon realm. On the other hand, thanks to her status as a Hero, certain industries in the Gryffin Kingdom had seen significant progress.

For example, the city of Mana, where Alice first arrived, had become a tourist hotspot thanks to the Gryffin Cathedral. The tourism industry had rapidly expanded, and for the Gryffin Kingdom, Alice had undoubtedly brought substantial benefits. This was why other kingdoms envied Gryffin's ability to produce a Hero.

"Alice, Philia has arrived and is waiting for you in the king's office," Luna informed as she pushed open the dormitory door and entered. However, upon seeing Alice in the dormitory, holding a cloth and apparently cleaning the walls, Luna was momentarily stunned, not understanding why Alice suddenly took on the role of a maid.

"Ah, has Philia arrived?" Alice heard Luna's voice and turned to glance, then tossed the cloth aside. She certainly wasn't trying to take Luna's job; she was just experimenting with her right hand.

Alice had already learned a sufficient number of Taboos. She had offensive Taboos in various categories, from elemental to psychic, and even telekinesis. The remaining ones were rare and hard to find, not available in the library of the March Royal Magic Academy.

So, Alice's combat power had reached a bottleneck. She contemplated boosting her strength through alternative methods, such as using her right hand more frequently to touch various objects and see if she could develop useful skills, like she did with the Magic Cloak.

However, it was evident that most of the items she touched had rather ordinary additional abilities. About half of them had no additional abilities at all, and the cloth she held in her hand was one of her experimental items, with somewhat subtle effects.

[Weapon: Cloth transformed from a face towel]

[Quality: Fair]

[Effects: Constitution +5, Speed +10, Dexterity +1]

[Additional Ability: Strong Cleansing (Passive Skill, capable of erasing most people's perception of 'filth' stains upon contact)]

Alice had tested it, and it was indeed quite powerful. When she used the cloth to wipe the wall, it instantly removed the offensive words she had written earlier, leaving the treated area looking brand new. However, Alice had no intention of spending her days as a maid.

If this perception of "filth" were determined by Alice herself, it might have been impressive. She could have considered the Demon Lord's power as "filth" and attempted to erase it. Unfortunately, this perception seemed to be based on the majority's definition, making such an absurd feat impossible.

Since Luna mentioned that Philia had arrived, Alice didn't want to continue her experiments. She tossed the cloth aside and walked out of the dormitory, telling Luna, who stood at the door, "Let's go, Luna. We'll go to the king's office together."

"Sure." Luna nodded and watched Alice's back as she hesitated for a moment before entering the dormitory, picking up the cloth that Alice had discarded, and cautiously testing it on the wall.

Looking at the spot on the wall that Alice had wiped clean, as well as the area she had cleaned with the cloth herself, Luna fell into contemplation.

---

Chapter 437: Have You Decided on the Milu Rabbit's Name?

Alice didn't know that her unintentional actions had led a girl who aspired to be the perfect maid into self-doubt. She brought Luna with her, who seemed somewhat downcast for no apparent reason, to the Royal Palace in Hall City. She made her way to King Haidt's office.

It wasn't late at night; it was the afternoon. So, the Royal Palace was bustling with people going about their business in the corridors, making phone calls, and discussing national-level matters. Alice, the "Princess" in their eyes, was a familiar face. When they saw her hurrying to King Haidt's office with Luna, they could only reluctantly make way for her. After all, the king held considerable power in this world. Even though they didn't know Alice was the Hero, out of respect for King Haidt, they dared not criticize or hinder the "Princess."

Soon, Alice arrived outside King Haidt's office. She casually knocked on the door, but without waiting for a response from inside, she opened the door herself. Inside, she found King Haidt looking somewhat helpless behind his desk, and Philia sitting opposite him.

"It's been a while, Princess Alice. You still look as lively as before," Philia greeted Alice with a faint smile. Perhaps because her "boyfriend" was also a Hero, Philia had a considerable liking for Alice, and she appeared much friendlier compared to her usual demeanor towards humans.

However, Philia had not yet realized that Milu Rabbit was the weapon that had knocked her unconscious in the Natural Shrine. Instead, she had noticed the unconscious state of the Milu Rabbit and sensed the immense dark attribute magical power inside its body. As a mage specializing in soul magic, Philia was particularly sensitive to such magical powers.

"The magical power in this Milu Rabbit's body... it's quite substantial. Where did this magical power come from, and why is it in Milu Rabbit's body?" Philia inquired.

"Well, a while back, I encountered a soul vessel of a Demon Lord. I defeated the Demon Lord and used the Burning Star spell to reduce the vessel to ashes. But it seems that Milu Rabbit took an interest in those ashes, so I let it consume them. Afterward... it turned into this," Alice explained.

"...This Milu Rabbit is lucky it didn't explode its head directly. It must be because the Demon Lord's soul energy was nearly extinguished when you defeated it, so Milu Rabbit barely endured the transformed soul energy," Philia speculated. Even so, Philia seemed taken aback by the situation. After all, the magical power inside Milu Rabbit was from a Demon Lord, and the fact that its small head could withstand such immense energy was nothing short of a miracle. "It might still take several hundred years for it to wake up."

Having grasped the situation, Philia turned to Alice and asked, "So, you want me to help release the excess soul energy inside this Milu Rabbit's body to awaken it, correct?"

"Yes, that's right," Alice nodded. She had been worried that Philia might not be as skilled in soul magic as Lalu had claimed, but the quick understanding and assessment of Milu Rabbit's situation reassured her.

Philia replied confidently, "I can do it. The soul energy inside her has already become quite stable. All I need is the 'Soul Conductor' spell to release the energy."

Philia nodded and reached out to take the Milu Rabbit from Alice's hands. She then turned to King Haidt and asked, "Your Majesty Haidt, may I borrow your office for a moment? Will it affect you if I release the soul energy here?"

Haidt's expression showed a hint of hesitation. He couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy at the thought of the Demon Lord's soul energy being released in his office, even though he wasn't particularly superstitious.

---

Chapter 438: Milu Rabbit! Revival!

"Rest assured, these soul energies have become very gentle. Releasing them here will not only be harmless but can also improve your soul's condition, making your thoughts clearer," Philia reassured Haidt with a smile. She had no enmity with Haidt, and proposing to release the soul energies in his office would not harm him. "This office will provide a refreshing effect for quite some time, so it's actually a good thing."

"That's fine; I don't mind," Haidt replied, visibly relieved. As long as these soul energies were not harmful and could invigorate him, it would help him manage his tasks with more energy. It sounded like a good deal.

"Then let's proceed... However, this Milu Rabbit has absorbed these soul energies for quite some time. When it wakes up, its intelligence might be on par with humans. Be prepared not to be startled," Philia warned as she placed Milu Rabbit on her lap. Before using magic, she reminded Alice in a solemn tone to prevent her from being frightened when Milu Rabbit woke up.

Alice had already prepared herself mentally for this. Although Amdusia was not a soul magic user, she was an experienced Demon Lord. She had informed Alice earlier that Milu Rabbit, after absorbing soul energies for some time, might have gained intelligence comparable to that of a human. However, this enhanced intelligence would rely on its soul, as its physical body and tiny brain could not support such mental capacity initially. It might appear a bit dimwitted at first, but it wouldn't be a problem.

The only thing they needed to consider was what name to give it. Since it had acquired human-level intelligence, it wouldn't be right to continue calling it Milu Rabbit. Milu Rabbit was the name of an entire species, not an individual.

While Alice pondered over the name for the Milu Rabbit, Philia began to activate a powerful spell. Large-scale magic was typically used for spells that required high precision and were difficult to master, even for university-level magic students. It was challenging to access and learn about such spells, as they often featured in specialized magical journals and research papers.

Philia was one of the few magic users in this era who could employ advanced soul magic. As she initiated the spell, Alice could see beads of sweat forming on Philia's forehead. It was evident that even for someone like her, using a large-scale soul magic was physically and magically taxing.

However, the effects were apparent. In the room, a faint white mist began to emerge from the Milu Rabbit's body. This mist was, in essence, the dense and visible soul energy. Philia used the "Soul Conductor" spell to slowly release and integrate these soul energies into the room's air.

Haidt tentatively took a deep breath and indeed felt refreshed. These soul energies had become peaceful after the death of their owner, Miliya. They were no longer harmful to the living, and, in fact, invigorated one's spirit, offering better effects than a rejuvenation spell.

If Miliya's consciousness had not dissipated and she still had control over these soul energies, inhaling them might have unpredictable consequences. However, as it stood, Miliya was undoubtedly deceased. Even without the soul-conducting item, her soul had no means of survival.

Philia's "Soul Conductor" lasted for about two minutes. During this time, a faint white mist continuously emanated from the Milu Rabbit's body and merged with the air in the office. Alice didn't need to make an effort to sense it; the room was filled with an energy that invigorated the mind. These soul energies belonged to a long-standing Demon Lord, whose soul's strength had undergone countless enhancements. Even in its weakened state, the release of these energies left everyone astonished.

However, after completing the process, Philia was nearly exhausted. She slumped in her chair, unable to lift her hands, and sweat drenched her face. She turned to Alice and spoke softly, "Alright... it's mostly done. We just need to wait for it to wake up. I'm quite tired..."

Alice could tell that Philia's body had almost depleted her magic power. Her weakness was understandable, given that using a large-scale soul magic placed a significant burden on her physical and magical strength. If she overextended herself, Alice suspected that Philia might faint.

Seeing Philia completely drained, Alice reached out and gently took Milu Rabbit from her lap, placing it on the ground. She waited patiently for the Milu Rabbit to wake up. According to Amdusia's earlier speculation, when the Milu Rabbit awoke, it would be more intelligent, but it wouldn't immediately start acting like a human. Its brain couldn't support human-like thinking; thus, it would take time for its enhanced mental abilities to adapt. Initially, it might seem somewhat slow-witted, but that was to be expected.

---

Chapter 439: Haidt: This Again?

The white fur on her body gradually retracted into her skin, and her rabbit face began to change towards a human face. Her limbs made crisp sounds as they underwent bone transformations. Finally, with her head's fur turning golden and extending, the Milu Rabbit's appearance had completely lost any resemblance to a rabbit.

Well, not entirely, as she still had a pair of rabbit ears on her head. Other than that, Milu Rabbit's appearance had turned into a miniature version of Alice.

"…?"

Everyone in the room was a bit baffled and simultaneously turned their gaze towards Philia. They hadn't heard that after releasing soul energy, there would be a side effect of animals transforming into human-like beings.

Even Philia, who was also baffled, was witnessing this for the first time. She had used the "Soul Transference" magic several times in the past to release soul energy and adjust it to the most compatible state for the body. However, she had never seen this kind of situation before.

According to what should have happened, this magic should only release a portion of soul energy and should not affect the physical body in any way, let alone change the species.

Just when Alice and the others were all puzzled, the Milu Rabbit, who had turned into a miniature Alice, finally had a reaction. She slowly opened her eyes and immediately saw the confused Alice in front of her.

At the sight of Alice, the Milu Rabbit's face showed a trace of joy, then a look of panic, and finally, she suddenly stood up from the ground and vigorously bumped her head into Haidt's desk beside her.

Okay, this was indeed the Milu Rabbit. Upon seeing her actions, Alice realized this.

Moreover, the Milu Rabbit's movements were much more agile than before, indicating that she had absorbed some of Miliya's soul energy and her strength had improved significantly. If Alice had just arrived in this world, she probably wouldn't even be able to follow Milu Rabbit's movements.

However, for the now stronger Alice, the Milu Rabbit's actions were still far from enough. Alice released her psychic power directly, grabbing the Milu Rabbit's head and preventing her from hitting the desk. Alice was curious about the Milu Rabbit's transformation, and she couldn't let her knock herself out like this.

The Milu Rabbit also realized that she couldn't continue to bump into the desk. She stopped with a bewildered expression, then turned her head to look at Alice. She opened her mouth and slowly uttered a syllable, "Huh?"

"What's with your 'huh'? We're even more confused!" Alice couldn't help but comment. She used her psychic power to bring the bewildered Milu Rabbit in front of her.

Surprisingly, the Milu Rabbit's appearance now closely resembled Alice, with the only difference being her smaller size and the rabbit ears on her head.

If Alice appeared to be about thirteen or fourteen years old, then the Milu Rabbit looked about eight or nine years old. What was more important was that the Milu Rabbit could talk now.

In other words, this transformation didn't seem to be just a simple illusion but a real change in her internal structure. At least her vocal cords had changed to match those of a human, allowing her to produce sounds using the human pronunciation.

Amdusia, who was sitting on Alice's shoulder, seemed interested in the Milu Rabbit's transformation as well. Alice could feel Amdusia shifting slightly on her shoulder, but perhaps considering Philia's presence, Amdusia resisted the urge to approach and investigate.

Prioritizing the overall situation, Amdusia needed to consider Alice's circumstances and not disrupt her image due to the impulsive desire for research.

Although Amdusia couldn't make any sudden moves, there was someone experienced enough to help – Luna seemed to sense Alice's thoughts. She stepped forward and gently grabbed the Milu Rabbit's shoulders, then infused magic into her body and began to examine her.

While Luna wasn't a professional doctor, her work in the intelligence department exposed her to various knowledge. She might not be able to provide a detailed analysis, but a basic examination should be within her capabilities.

Haidt was also curious about what conclusion Luna's examination would yield. He had never seen a Milu Rabbit capable of transforming into a human before. It seemed incredible, but considering that Milu Rabbit had been with Alice for so long, it somehow made sense.

After examining Milu Rabbit, Luna furrowed her brows. It seemed she had realized something. She slowly removed her hand from Milu Rabbit's shoulder and turned to Alice with a puzzled expression.

"This sensation," Luna said with a furrowed brow, "It seems to be a variation of Dragon Language Magic."

"Dragon Language Magic?" Alice and the others were even more puzzled now.

Alice, although not deeply knowledgeable about this world, knew what Dragon Language Magic was. It was a special magic that only those with dragon bloodline could use. It was entirely different from the common magic used by other races and could only be accessed if one had dragon blood.

Furthermore, this world didn't have any dragon sub-species. Dragons were known for their love of sleep, and they had little interest in mating, especially with lower creatures. Even if mating did occur, other species couldn't bear the dragon's genes, and thus, there were no dragon hybrid offspring.

While dragons were powerful, their low numbers were one of the main reasons they couldn't compete with humans and the demonic race in terms of overall strength. Given these circumstances, it was highly unlikely that the Milu Rabbit possessed dragon blood in her body.

"It might not be that she naturally has dragon blood, but perhaps she gained a power similar to dragon blood through some external means," Luna suggested. "For example, by consuming something related to dragons?"

Alice was stunned for a moment, then immediately thought of the "Soul Imprint Scroll" that Miliya had. If there was anything special that the Milu Rabbit had consumed, it was undoubtedly that scroll. However, it was inconceivable that a piece of paper could contain dragon blood.

"I'm not entirely sure about this, but the 'Soul Imprint Scroll' is a very special item," Luna explained. "Even though I've come across many strange pieces of information, there is almost no information available about the 'Soul Imprint Scroll.' Perhaps we can find some clues about it from Miliya's deeds? After all, she was a demon lord, and there should be plenty of information about her in this world. We might discover whether she had any connection to dragons."

Luna's words hinted at what Alice needed to do to investigate a demon lord's deeds. The best source of information about a demon lord would likely be from the demon realm.

Luna knew that Alice couldn't reveal her identity as a "demon lord" yet, so she subtly implied that Alice should investigate from the demon realm.

"It seems we'll have to investigate further later," Alice concluded. "But for now, how should we arrange things for Milu Rabbit in her current state?"

"Normally, you always keep the Milu Rabbit with you. If you still want to do that, we need to find a suitable arrangement for her," Luna suggested. She looked at the Milu Rabbit, who now closely resembled Alice, and continued, "She looks so much like you. Since your identity is the king's illegitimate daughter, what about the Milu Rabbit's identity?"

Haidt's heart skipped a beat.

---

Chapter 440: One Step to the Stomach

In the end, Alice and her group did not create a new illegitimate daughter for Haidt, but instead, they secretly took the Milu Rabbit and hid her in the house they had rented from Lacey and Kristen.

The primary reason for not giving the Milu Rabbit to Haidt as his illegitimate daughter was because there were too many inexplicable aspects to the situation. For example, why did the Milu Rabbit look exactly like Alice but had obvious rabbit ears on her head that were not mere decorations?

While one could argue that Haidt might have had some involvement with a rabbit-person female, doing so would not only label Haidt as an unfaithful man but would also lead to further questions. Why did Alice and the Milu Rabbit look so alike, but their races were different? Did Alice's human mother and the Milu Rabbit's rabbit-person mother also look identical?

Thinking about the series of questions that would arise if they made the Milu Rabbit Haidt's illegitimate daughter, Alice and her group felt a headache coming on. So, they decided to hide the Milu Rabbit for now, keeping her out of the public eye to avoid any complications.

Although this was only a temporary solution, as it was impossible to keep the Milu Rabbit hidden in the house forever, they needed to find a proper identity for her eventually. The path of making her Haidt's illegitimate daughter was no longer viable.

"It seems the Milu Rabbit is as lively as ever. She looks like she wants to ram this experimental table," Kristen remarked with a curious expression. She was watching the Milu Rabbit, who was being held in place by telekinesis but still struggling to use her head to hit the table.

"Do you think she used Dragon Language Magic to transform like this?" she asked.

"Indeed, it sounds incredible, but that's the conclusion Luna arrived at," Alice replied with a shrug. She had confidence in Luna's conclusions, as Luna, being an important member of Gryffin Kingdom's intelligence department, should have some knowledge of dragon-related matters, including the characteristics of Dragon Language Magic.

"There's no doubt that there's no dragon blood in her body... I tested her blood, and there's no trace of dragon lineage. It doesn't exhibit the same aggressive interaction with other blood as dragon blood does," Lacey said as she approached. After Alice brought the Milu Rabbit, Lacey had drawn some blood from her as requested by Alice. She then conducted tests on the blood to confirm that there was no dragon lineage present.

The fact that the Milu Rabbit had no dragon blood in her body raised more questions about how she could use Dragon Language Magic to transform in such a way.

"According to what you said earlier, her only unusual behavior was consuming the ashes of the Soul Imprint Scroll owned by the Demon Lord Miliya," Lacey added. "The Soul Imprint Scroll is a highly unique item. Even in the history of alchemy, only a few people have completed it, and I have never heard of a Demon Lord creating a Soul Imprint Scroll. Perhaps the Demon Lord did create one but kept it a secret."

"Can the Soul Imprint Scroll contain dragon lineage?" Alice asked, though she found the idea of a piece of paper containing dragon lineage absurd. However, considering the world's inherent lack of scientific logic, she wanted to be sure and sought confirmation from Lacey, an advanced alchemist.

"Oh, I don't think it's possible for a piece of paper to contain dragon lineage," Lacey said with an awkward smile. "While the Soul Imprint Scroll is a unique alchemical creation, it is not a living being and lacks blood, so the concept of lineage doesn't apply... The Soul Imprint Scroll's purpose is to engrave complex magic, even some special magic."

In this world, there were portable magic scrolls, but while most spells could be inscribed onto these scrolls, some special magic, like light and dark attribute spells, were challenging to inscribe due to the properties of their attributes, making it difficult to unleash their full power.

"Can the Soul Imprint Scroll inscribe Dragon Language Magic?" Kristen asked, raising an interesting question. "Is it possible that the Dragon Language Magic inscribed on the Soul Imprint Scroll is actually the Transformation spell? So, after the Milu Rabbit consumed the ashes of the Soul Imprint Scroll, she gained the ability to use Dragon Language Magic?"

As she spoke, Kristen playfully pinched the Milu Rabbit's rabbit ears, causing a displeased expression to appear on the Milu Rabbit's face. Kristen felt a bit of satisfaction since the Milu Rabbit's resemblance to Alice made her feel like she was teasing Alice herself.

"It sounds reasonable... but it's not feasible," Luna chimed in, sharing her knowledge about Dragon Language Magic. "To cast Dragon Language Magic, one must rely on dragon lineage. Even if the Soul Imprint Scroll can inscribe Dragon Language Magic, without the power of dragon blood, it would be empty and ineffective."

"In that case, what if the Dragon Language Magic inscribed on the Soul Imprint Scroll was the Transformation spell?" Kristen continued, "Could it be that after consuming the ashes of the Soul Imprint Scroll, the Milu Rabbit gained the ability to use Dragon Language Magic as a medium? Since dragon blood is so resilient, even solidified dragon blood should be enough to cast Dragon Language Magic."

"Indeed, dragon blood is a very stubborn lineage with formidable vitality, which allows it to severely erode other blood," Luna agreed, nodding her head. "In theory, even solidified dragon blood should be sufficient to activate Dragon Language Magic. As for what happened, when the Milu Rabbit inadvertently ingested the ashes along with the solidified dragon blood, she gained the ability to use Transformation spell through Dragon Language Magic."

"So, you mean the dragon blood isn't in the Milu Rabbit's blood but in her stomach?" Alice scratched her head, trying to make sense of the situation. Since the Milu Rabbit's blood didn't show any traces of dragon lineage, it made sense that the dragon blood might be in her stomach. "Then... how do we undo the Transformation spell? With her in this state, I can't take her outside."

---

Chapter 441: The Demon Lord is an Engineering Student

"Perhaps she will be able to remove the transformation spell herself once her intelligence returns to normal?"

Kristen was also witnessing such a situation for the first time. After all, she had never seen a Soul Imprint Scroll, let alone witnessed a Milu Rabbit casually devouring it—along with the immense soul energy left behind by a Demon Lord in the process.

The treatment this Milu Rabbit was receiving was likely something countless mages would give anything to experience. After all, that was the soul energy of a Demon Lord. Once digested, it would undoubtedly enhance her soul's strength to an incredible degree. While her potential might not rival that of a true Demon Lord or a Hero, it would, at the very least, be on par with the Four Demon Generals of the Demon race.

However, it was evident that although this Milu Rabbit had transformed her physical structure to be similar to that of a human, her soul hadn't quite caught up yet, making her seem a bit naive. But that wasn't a problem, as common knowledge was gradually being absorbed by the Milu Rabbit's soul along with Miliya's soul energy.

So, after some time, the Milu Rabbit would be able to think like a normal person, and there would be no need for Alice and the others to teach her basic knowledge as if she were a child, which would make things much more convenient.

At the moment, the Milu Rabbit's intelligence was probably equivalent to that of a recently born child, retaining only the memories of when she was still a Milu Rabbit. So, when she saw Alice, her first instinct was still to try to bump into the nearest hard object and knock herself out.

Of course, the Milu Rabbit's head had already become much harder due to the long-term impacts of her head-bumping. Now, with the strengthening effect of Miliya's soul energy, if they allowed her to bump around recklessly, this room would probably end up in ruins.

"However, speaking of this, even though her use of transformation magic is instinctual, she still ended up looking like you. It seems you've left a deep impression in this Milu Rabbit's memories."

Since there were no outsiders present, Amdusia was free to act. She jumped from Alice's shoulder to the Milu Rabbit's shoulder, only to find that the Milu Rabbit's shoulder was slightly narrower than Alice's, making it uncomfortable to sit. So, she wrinkled her nose, returned to Alice's shoulder, and sat back down.

Well, it was understandable. Ever since the Milu Rabbit was brought to Alice, she had been caught in a cycle of waking up, seeing Alice, and trying to knock herself out. The face she saw the most in her memories was probably Alice's, so it made sense that she would transform into Alice after using the transformation spell.

However, because the Soul Imprint Scroll had been burned to ashes, it seemed that the transformation spell the Milu Rabbit had learned was incomplete. As a result, her size had become much smaller, and she still had a pair of rabbit ears, making her look more like a rabbit-person version of Alice.

"But regarding that Soul Imprint Scroll left by Miliya, it's still just a speculation that it was inscribed with transformation magic using dragon blood. There's no substantial evidence for it."

Alice sighed and then looked at the Milu Rabbit, who was being held in place by telekinesis. It seemed that she had grown tired from struggling and had slowly fallen asleep. Alice then eased up on her telekinetic grip, holding the Milu Rabbit in her arms and sitting on the sofa. "So, we still need to visit the Demon Realm to investigate Miliya's situation and confirm whether she truly has any connection to the Dragon race."

After all, it was only after confirming whether the Milu Rabbit's transformation was truly related to Miliya's Soul Imprint Scroll that Alice and her group could address this potential issue. If the Milu Rabbit's transformation had nothing to do with Miliya's Soul Imprint Scroll, they would need to find another solution.

"When should we go?"

Luna looked at Alice and asked. As Alice's maid, she would need to immediately arrange the itinerary and various luggage if Alice decided to go to the Demon Realm.

"No rush. Let's wait for Lacey to study the Contamination Roulette and see if we can find any useful clues from it."

Alice shook her head. Since they were going to the Demon Realm anyway, it would be better to resolve all matters at once. Based on the aura of the Contamination Roulette, there might be similar entities in the Demon Realm that were responsible for the deterioration of its environment.

Therefore, Alice planned to wait until Lacey had extracted some information from the Contamination Roulette before setting off for the Demon Realm. They could then address both Miliya's situation and the source of the Demon Realm's contamination together. Lacey had previously mentioned that she had some leads, so it shouldn't take long for her to uncover some clues.

Initially, Lacey had been a bit unhappy that Alice hadn't immediately assigned her the role of a maid as promised. However, seeing that Alice still relied on her alchemical knowledge, she felt more balanced. Even though her promise to serve as Alice's maid had yet to be fulfilled, helping Alice solve problems was practically fulfilling that role to some extent.

While Alice had almost forgotten that she had left Lacey behind as a maid under the guise of "becoming a maid," Lacey had essentially become Alice's dedicated alchemist. The maid aspect of her role had been pushed to the back of her mind.

"The materials used in the Contamination Roulette are extremely unique, seemingly the result of a special force being materialized... The concept of such materialization is almost purely theoretical in alchemy, and I never thought the Demon Lord could actually put it into practice..."

When it came to the Contamination Roulette, Lacey seemed to have something to say. She first talked about how incredible it was that the Demon Lord could materialize the power of Demon Lordhood in alchemical terms. Finally, she sighed, "Almost all alchemists believed that this kind of materialization, which existed mostly as a theoretical concept, was impossible to achieve. It seems that most alchemists simply haven't reached that level of skill."

Indeed, for Demon Lords to extract and materialize the seemingly elusive power of Demon Lordhood from their own bodies, it could be considered an extremely difficult feat. Although Alice had seen the entity that was the source of Demon Lordhood within Luna, that materialization only occurred after Demon Lordhood was separated from Luna's body.

For Demon Lords to extract and materialize the ethereal and elusive power of Demon Lordhood from within themselves, it demonstrated the immense capabilities of these Demon Lords, especially when they reached their peak. In comparison, Heroes seemed to lag behind in this aspect, with most of them leaving behind a pile of notes and appearing to be research maniacs. In contrast, Heroes were weaker in this regard.

---

Chapter 442: Hardened, My Fist is Hardened

Ever since the Milu Rabbit transformed into a human form, Lacey had spent another week researching the Contamination Roulette. During this week, Lacey had successfully separated a small piece of material from the Contamination Roulette, which was quite a remarkable feat.

Don't forget that the Contamination Roulette was made entirely from the source of the Demon Lord's power. As an ordinary person, the fact that Lacey could chip away a piece of the Demon Lord's power source, even if it was taken from the finished product, was already a tremendous achievement.

At least Amdusia, who had previously made items using the Demon Lord's power, was quite impressed with what Lacey had accomplished. However, for now, Amdusia and her group couldn't reveal to Lacey that the essence of this item was the Demon Lord's power source.

Otherwise, with Lacey's achievement, she might become the first legitimate alchemist to experiment with the solidification of the Demon Lord's power, leaving a mark in the history of alchemy. After all, those Demon Lords weren't considered proper alchemists, and they hadn't left any research materials in the field of alchemy.

However, even though Lacey had successfully separated a piece of the Demon Lord's power, it would still take some time to research more from this power and even create items that could detect similar auras. Alice could only wait for now.

During this week, Alice had begun to train the Milu Rabbit, at least to change her habit of wanting to knock herself out when she saw Alice. Otherwise, if this habit wasn't corrected, even if the Milu Rabbit's intelligence returned to normal, Alice wouldn't be able to take her outside.

Alice couldn't keep using her psychic power to restrain her all the time. On one hand, it wasn't good for her development and growth, and on the other hand, it consumed a lot of magical energy. Although maintaining psychic power wasn't too taxing for Alice, doing it around the clock wasn't feasible. It was like someone could easily clench their fists, and it didn't consume much physical energy, but trying to maintain clenched fists 24 hours a day would be exhausting both physically and mentally.

At first, Alice thought that training the Milu Rabbit would be somewhat troublesome, like training her own child, but she was wrong. She wasn't training a child; she was training a self-destructive force.

"I can't take it anymore. Although it's a bit inhumane, can you help me clear the wildness in her mind, Luna?"

Watching the Milu Rabbit squirming around despite being held in her arms, Alice couldn't bear it anymore and shouted to Luna behind her, "Also, find out what's on her mind and why she wants to ram into walls when she sees me. Am I really that scary?"

"No problem."

Luna certainly wouldn't refuse Alice's request. Hearing Alice's words, Luna, who had been trying to clean the walls to look like new, put down the cloth in her hand and walked to Alice.

With Alice using her psychic power to control the Milu Rabbit's body, Luna gently pressed her hands on both sides of the Milu Rabbit's head. As magical energy flowed, the Milu Rabbit finally calmed down, her eyes becoming dazed. Her consciousness was now under Luna's control.

Luna's magical energy continued to transform the Milu Rabbit's body. After a few minutes, Luna finally removed her hands from the sides of the Milu Rabbit's head. However, the Milu Rabbit was still in a state of confusion and didn't immediately recover.

---

Chapter 443: Can't Do It Next Time for Sure

"How is she?"

Seeing that Luna had finished her treatment, Alice couldn't wait to ask. She hoped that the Milu Rabbit would recover from her current state sooner rather than later, as it was becoming increasingly challenging to communicate with her.

Alice had refrained from communicating with the Milu Rabbit earlier because she knew that talking to her was like playing the violin for a rabbit—she simply couldn't understand human language. However, now that the Milu Rabbit's intelligence was showing signs of becoming more human-like, Alice was eager to establish a proper means of communication with her.

After all, aside from the initially hostile Posian wolves, the Milu Rabbit was the first tool being she had encountered in this world. Alice felt a certain attachment to her.

"Um... this rabbit's memories are rather peculiar," Luna replied with a somewhat unusual expression on her usually composed face. "In general, her previous memories were no different from those of an ordinary rabbit—eating grass, avoiding wolves, and interacting naturally with other Milu Rabbits. She even received mating requests from other male rabbits, although she mostly ignored them."

Alice couldn't help but think, "What do you mean by 'no different from an ordinary rabbit'... did you actually research the memories of other rabbits?"

Although Alice wanted to be sarcastic, she restrained herself. Upon further consideration, it wasn't surprising at all. Luna was an expert in psychic magic, and this world had a wide variety of species. It made sense for her to study the minds of different species, not just humans.

"The biggest turning point in her memory is you, Alice," Luna continued, her expression still somewhat peculiar. "At first, she was afraid of you. After all, you abducted her and knocked her unconscious every time she woke up. She had no idea what you did to her while she was unconscious, so waking up with a headache made her apprehensive about you."

Alice could understand that. In the beginning, she had indeed used the Milu Rabbit as a makeshift tool and hadn't shown much compassion. At that time, she had no idea that the Milu Rabbit would still be with her after so long. She had lacked proper weapons and tools, so she had used the Milu Rabbit as a substitute. Little did she know that even when she had access to better equipment, the Milu Rabbit remained.

As for the headaches upon waking up, it was expected. The Milu Rabbit probably had no idea how many times she had been used to knock down trees while she was unconscious.

"Later on, probably because she hadn't seen any other rabbits for many days, she began to see you as the only person she could rely on. After all, you fed her, and she slowly started to feel that it wasn't so bad."

Luna's expression continued to display the peculiar mix of emotions as she shared what she had gathered from the Milu Rabbit's memories. "But maybe it's because every time she wakes up, you knock her out, so she gradually started to think that instead of letting you do it, she should do it herself. It would also save you some effort."

"Cough, cough..."

Zauna, who was nearby, nearly burst into laughter. It turned out that every time the Milu Rabbit saw Alice, she found something to ram into, all for Alice's sake. She thought that Alice knocking her out was too strenuous, so she decided to knock herself out.

Alice felt somewhat embarrassed. She had initially assumed that the Milu Rabbit was ramming into things to minimize her own pain. Little did she know that the Milu Rabbit was doing it to conserve her energy for Alice's sake.

"So, you're saying that she was doing it for my sake?" Alice looked at the Milu Rabbit, who was slowly regaining her senses, with a slightly twitching corner of her eye. "If that's the case, why doesn't she listen to me? Her intelligence should be at a level where she can understand me by now."

The Milu Rabbit's soul had absorbed a significant amount of soul energy, and she was no longer just a regular Milu Rabbit. Her intelligence should have been gradually increasing. While it might have been understandable that she couldn't understand human language when she had just awakened, it had been a week now. The Milu Rabbit should have been able to understand Alice by this point.

According to Amdusia and Philia, the Milu Rabbit's soul would gradually acquire knowledge from Miliya's soul energy. After a week, the Milu Rabbit's instincts should have developed to the level of a three-year-old child, allowing her to understand human language.

"It's probably because... she doesn't know you're calling her," Luna explained, knowing exactly what was going on. She looked at Alice and continued, "She has no idea that when you call 'Milu Rabbit,' you're referring to her. After all, in the wild, no one called her 'Milu Rabbit,' and she was almost always unconscious after you brought her back. She never heard us calling her 'Milu Rabbit,' so..."

"So, when I yelled 'Milu Rabbit, stop it,' she had no idea I was calling her, right?" Alice sighed, feeling overwhelmed. She had assumed that the Milu Rabbit's intelligence hadn't reached the point where she could understand human language, but now it seemed that the Milu Rabbit hadn't understood that Alice was calling her all along.

In that case, if Alice wanted to give the Milu Rabbit commands, she would first have to give her a name and inform her that this was her name and what she would be called in the future. Of course, Alice could also tell her that if she heard "Milu Rabbit," it meant Alice was calling her. However, if she did that, the Milu Rabbit might start thinking that "Milu Rabbit" was her name.

"So, are you planning to give her a name?" Luna could see where Alice was heading and nodded. "Indeed, it's time to give her a name. Calling her 'Milu Rabbit' every time does sound a bit strange."

Although the name "Milu Rabbit" might seem normal to Alice as an Earthling, if translated, it was like calling a dog "Chinese Garden Dog" on Earth. It did sound a bit odd to the native residents of this world.

"Well then, what name should we give her?" Alice held the Milu Rabbit under her armpits, lifting her up. She looked at the creature, a smaller version of herself, furrowing her brows as she pondered what name would be suitable.

---

Chapter 444 - It Takes Two Chapters to Come Up with a Name

"Since this little one looks so much like me after using transformation magic, and considering that she might be taken out and seen by others in the future... Considering the possibility that people might think we have some relationship, it's better to give her a name that's somewhat similar to mine, right?"

Alice, holding onto the struggling Milu Rabbit, hesitated for a moment and said, "Since my name is Alice, let's call her Kris (Klice)."

"Hey, isn't that my name?"

Sitting on the side, Kristin felt unfairly targeted. Kristin was the name she was using externally. After all, Kristin was the name of the hero, and it couldn't be used casually. So they prepared the name "Kris" for Kristin to use in public.

Now, this little one was suggesting the name "Kris" for Milu Rabbit. What did that mean? Did she have to compete with a rabbit for a name? If it weren't for Alice's kindness, she would have cast a Taboo at Alice right now. After all, Alice wouldn't die from a single Taboo.

"That's true. Although I usually call you Kristin, if we use 'Kris' outside, it might be confusing."

Alice nodded, and she immediately thought about Kristin using the name "Kris" externally. All her documents and items had the name "Kris" on them. So, she had already gotten used to the name "Kris." If it weren't for Alice and the others, she would have almost forgotten her original name.

However, she now suggested the name "Kris" for Milu Rabbit, and it felt a bit awkward. It seemed like they were naming a dog "Dog." Even though Milu Rabbit wouldn't have any objections to the name Alice gave her, she probably would find it weird deep down.

"In that case, let's simplify it. How about just calling her 'Milu' and dropping the species suffix?"

Luna made a suggestion, and she didn't seem to care much about names, just like she didn't mind calling Alice by her name instead of "Lady Alice" as she had done before.

Normally, with Luna's strict personality, Alice thought Luna might insist on calling her "Lady Alice" and not use her name directly. However, Luna immediately agreed without any hesitation, showing that she didn't care much about names and titles.

"Well, I think we shouldn't be so casual about it. Milu Rabbit's intelligence will increase in the future. If we let her know that her name is given so casually, she might not be happy."

Lacey spoke with some helplessness. She seemed to be the one who cared the most about names. Even though it seemed that Milu Rabbit always centered around Alice, she should still feel uncomfortable if her name was given so casually.

"Then how about we reverse it and call her 'Lumi'?"

Amdusia made a suggestion, and she didn't seem to care much about names, just like Luna. It was clear that Lacey was the one who cared the most about names and had a bit of decision-making difficulty.

"If that's the case, let an absolute authority decide this name."

Alice thought for a long time and couldn't come up with a result, so she hesitated for a moment and made a decision. Since she wasn't good at naming, she would find someone who was good at it. Moreover, this namer had to be authoritative enough to make Lacey accept without objections. So, Alice thought for a moment and immediately thought of someone... Or rather, something.

"Hey, what are you trying to do? Are you going to..."

Kristin looked at Alice, who suddenly took out the weapon case from her waist and opened it. Then, she extended her right hand and grabbed the Hero's Sword that popped out. Her mouth twitched slightly. She didn't think Alice was going to attack someone in embarrassment, but an unbelievable thought crossed her mind.

"When it comes to naming, is there anyone better at it than this little one? She has named entire species, even this entire planet. Is it a problem if she names one more?"

Alice smiled gently at Kristin and then, with a "As expected," expression, activated the active skill she had gained through the Hero's Sword - Divine Speech.

Yes, when it came to naming, was there anyone more professional than a god? This little one had named entire species and even this entire planet. Since that was the case, she could let this White-Haired Loli decide Milu Rabbit's name.

A god's names should be accepted without objection by both Lacey and Kristin. After all, as humans, they had a deep respect for gods. In contrast, Luna and Amdusia, the two chosen by the power of the Demon Lord, didn't have much reverence for gods, but they didn't care much about names and titles, so they should accept any name.

Alice didn't have much awe for gods either. She just thought that this White-Haired Loli was probably very good at naming, so she let the god decide this name - although it was a bit of overkill, Alice thought that this god was probably idle all day anyway.

In the next moment, Alice's consciousness appeared in the god's room - as always, it was spacious. In one corner of the room, there were game consoles and a huge TV screen that she had brought from Earth, and there was even a PS5, which Alice had not received any specific news about before she crossed over. On the other side, there were several large cabinets, and a low cabinet filled with the god's undergarments.

In the center of the room, the white-haired loli was soundly asleep - just as Alice had expected, she was indeed idle all day.

---

Chapter 445: Thieves Don't Go Empty-handed

"Did you come all the way here just to wake me up and ask me to name your pet rabbit?"

After being awakened by Alice, the white-haired loli seemed quite unhappy. Fortunately, she could still restrain her morning grumpiness. Otherwise, she might have sent Alice straight into the core of the sun in anger. Alice could withstand Taboos, but she might not survive the heat of the Earth's core.

However, White-Haired Loli still remembered the identity of the person in front of her. For her, who could no longer freely interfere with this world, Alice was the only hope to save the world's rules. So even if she was not pleased to be woken up from her dream, she had to swallow her pride.

There was no other way. Without the miraculous power in Alice's right hand, which could stop the Demon Lord's influence, she would lose the capital to prevent the world's rules from being torn apart by the Demon Lord's power. When that happened, she would only be able to stare blankly at the ruined and desolate world, and she would die of boredom.

"It's not just a pet rabbit anymore. Milu Rabbit has absorbed the soul energy from Miliya, and now she should have the intelligence of a three-year-old child... and it's still growing."

Alice corrected White-Haired Loli's statement. She didn't want White-Haired Loli to name the rabbit something like Milu. Otherwise, when she told Lacey, Lacey might think she was joking. "Anyway, help me come up with a normal name."

White-Haired Loli stared at Alice as if she wanted to understand how Alice's mind worked. She couldn't believe that Alice, a goddess, had asked her to name a rabbit. But perhaps it was because Alice's thought process was different from ordinary people's that White-Haired Loli eventually gave up.

She sighed, ran her fingers through her silver hair, and then tapped the table.

"Then let's call her Rabi. After all, she's a rabbit, and this name should work... People in this world probably don't know the connection between rabbits and Rabi."

"Rabi... Although it's a bit different from what I imagined, it should be fine."

Alice thought for a moment. In many works on Earth, the name Rabi was often used for characters related to rabbits, probably because the pronunciation sounded similar to the English word for rabbit. Although the language in this world was somewhat similar to Western languages on Earth, it was still different in some ways, so they probably wouldn't realize that Rabi was basically a play on the word rabbit. It was convenient for Alice, but it might not be as meaningful for others.

"Alright, that's settled. Now, can you leave and let me sleep?"

White-Haired Loli said, waving her hand dismissively at Alice as if urging her to leave. It was her first time seeing someone use the language of the gods to come here just to ask her to name a rabbit. In the past, all the heroes who came here were respectful of her. Although the feeling of being able to get along easily with others was nice, White-Haired Loli felt that Alice was not giving her enough respect. If it weren't for the fact that Alice could help her resolve the issue of the Demon Lord's power, White-Haired Loli would have taken action long ago.

"Wait, there's one more thing I'd like to ask you."

Since she had come all this way, Alice wasn't just going to ask for a rabbit's name. Although White-Haired Loli seemed to be unconcerned about the situation on the shining star most of the time, there were some basic things she could still inquire about. For example, if Alice asked her why all the dragonkin were flying to the Kingdom of Milte, White-Haired Loli probably wouldn't know, as she slept for days on end. However, Alice could obtain the information she wanted from another angle.

"Do you know of anything that could attract a large number of dragonkin to a specific location? Like contracts that can demand the presence of many dragonkin or rare materials that make dragonkin uncontrollably eager?"

"Dragonkin? What are those guys up to now?"

As expected, White-Haired Loli had no idea that a group of dragonkin was currently flying to the Kingdom of Milte. She scratched her head and answered, "Rare materials that make dragonkin uncontrollably eager? There are too many of those. As long as it's shiny and sturdy, they love it. You probably don't know, but over a thousand years ago, the dragonkin even made a fool of themselves over glass created by humans. Those guys just love to join in when they see something shiny."

Well, that was consistent with what Alice remembered from fantasy novels. Dragonkin really loved shiny things. White-Haired Loli even mentioned that dragonkin had made fools of themselves over glass, which created a vivid image in Alice's mind. It was probably when those dragonkin who had been asleep for decades or even centuries came out to relax and accidentally discovered the glass created by humans. They might have mistaken it for some rare treasure, only to find out that it was a cheap material created by humans. For dragonkin who loved to collect treasures, mistaking a cheap material for a treasure must have been embarrassing. Alice wondered which poor dragonkin had experienced that, and it was likely to become a joke among the dragonkin.

"Besides these treasures, is there anything else that can attract a large number of dragonkin to a specific place? Like contracts with the Sacred Dragon?"

White-Haired Loli shook her head and said, "When I initially created the various races, I established separate tribal leaders for each race and enacted the 'Tribal Leader Law,' giving these leaders absolute power to manage the members of their respective races. This made it convenient for me to manage them... It's like when you read a novel, you divide it into volumes, right? If each individual of a race is a chapter in the novel, then the tribal leader is like a volume that can manage each chapter, and I only need to manage the volumes. It's very convenient."

Alice nodded and quickly identified the potential problem with this system. "But this means that if you control a tribal leader of a certain race, you can immediately control all members of that race."

"That's right. About ten years after I established this law, something unexpected happened. The tribal leader of the dragonkin, the 'Sacred Dragon,' was deceived by a human using deceptive means and signed an unequal contract, giving that human the ability to command the dragonkin instantly."

White-Haired Loli shrugged helplessly. "So I quickly canceled this law, causing some degree of chaos in the world. However, it prevented problems from arising between these races... I personally abolished the power of all tribal leaders, but the contract signed by the Sacred Dragon still retains some degree of command over the dragonkin... although not completely."

"So there's something like this..."

Alice nodded, understanding that not only the power to command dragonkin was involved but also the ability to control the dragonkin's actions. "Where is the Sacred Dragon's contract now? Do you know?"

"How would I know? Because I canceled the 'Tribal Leader Law,' the human who held the contract with the Sacred Dragon lost absolute control over the dragonkin—angry dragonkin tore him into pieces, but the contract somehow ended up somewhere unknown."

White-Haired Loli shook her head. "In fact, the contents of the contract with the Sacred Dragon were written in Dragon Language. Apart from the dragonkin, no one should be able to understand the contract's contents. Even if someone found the contract, they probably would just see it as some incomprehensible gibberish."

"I see... I understand now."

Alice sighed. "Then, I'll go back for now."

"Hurry up and leave."

White-Haired Loli pursed her lips, watching Alice's figure slowly disappear. She sighed again and lay down on the floor, preparing to go back to sleep.

But as soon as she lay down, she felt that something was off underneath her. She hadn't noticed it much when she was sitting earlier, but now that she lay down, she felt a chilling sensation under her skirt...

---

Chapter 446: The Matter of Panties Isn't Important

"Rabi? Is this the name given to the Milu Rabbit by the goddess?"

Lacey didn't doubt Alice, as she trusted the Hero greatly. After receiving a definite name from Alice's mouth, Lacey happily raised the Milu Rabbit and said to her, "Rabi—this will be your name from now on."

The others watched as Lacey began to teach Rabi how to pronounce her own name, and they didn't interfere. To be honest, the people present weren't particularly concerned about what the Milu Rabbit would be named. It was just Lacey who seemed to enjoy naming the rabbit so much.

In a sense, Lacey might become a good mother in the future. Judging from her caring attitude towards the Milu Rabbit, it was clear that she liked children a lot. However, naming children in the future might be troublesome since not everyone had a god to help them with it.

"But speaking of it, when you went to the goddess just now, besides asking for her help in naming the Milu Rabbit, did you inquire about anything else?"

Although Alice's consciousness quickly returned after she put her left hand into her pocket at lightning speed, her movements were so fast that Lacey didn't notice anything unusual. However, Amdusia had seen what Alice had in her hand just now. Not only Amdusia but also Luna and Kristen had noticed that Alice's left hand suddenly held a pair of panties, but she quickly stuffed them into the bag at her waist. Lacey might not have detected Alice's actions due to her strength, but the other three were the Demon Lord and Heroes, so they could easily see what Alice had done.

Especially Kristen, who looked at Alice with a strange expression. As fellow Heroes, she felt that Alice's behavior was somewhat different from that of a typical Hero. Generally, Heroes should show reverence to the gods, right? How come Alice could go to the goddess and come back with a pair of panties as a local specialty?

"Cough, I did inquire about some other things," Alice cleared her throat a couple of times. She knew that her actions of collecting panties from the goddess couldn't be hidden from the people present, except for Lacey and Rabi, who had talents but no actual power. The rest of them could easily see her actions. Although Alice's right hand still held the Hero's Sword, which greatly enhanced her attributes, she couldn't reveal the matter of collecting panties from the goddess. So she had to change the topic and bring up what she had learned from the White-Haired Lolita just now.

"Do you know about the Covenant of the Holy Dragon?"

"The Covenant of the Holy Dragon? What's that?" Kristen asked curiously when she heard Alice's words. She was not very familiar with the Dragon race. In her career as a Hero, she had very little contact with dragons, so she had never heard of such a thing.

"I do know about the Holy Dragon. It's the ancient ancestor of the Dragon race, right? It seems to have existed tens of thousands of years ago as a massive dragon. At that time, the Demon race hadn't appeared yet, and the lifestyles of various races were quite primitive. Some legends about the Holy Dragon are carved on murals, which are now considered relics."

Amdusia seemed to know a little about it, but obviously, her knowledge was limited. She scratched her head and said somewhat puzzled, "However, I don't know much about the Covenant of the Holy Dragon. There is very little information about the Holy Dragon's deeds, after all. Tens of thousands of years ago, there were no books or paper, and the murals that can be found are limited."

"If it was tens of thousands of years ago, to make a covenant, it could only have been done on stone tablets or animal skins," Luna added. "Moreover, the magic from that time was likely quite primitive, without the extensive improvements we have in modern magic... But since it's a covenant made by the Holy Dragon, it must have had a significant effect. However, the Holy Dragon seems to have died for some unknown reason thousands of years ago. Even if there is a covenant of the Holy Dragon, it would be meaningless now."

Luna's explanation received unanimous agreement from the others. In their view, even if the Holy Dragon made some kind of covenant, it would only apply to the Holy Dragon itself. Now that the Holy Dragon was dead, even if there was a covenant, it would be an empty document with no one to enforce it.

It's not surprising that they would think this way, as they didn't know that the gods had once set a "Race Leader Rule" for this world. At that time, as the leader of the Dragon race, the Holy Dragon's covenant didn't just represent itself but also held authority over the entire Dragon race.

In other words, by obtaining the Holy Dragon's covenant, one could exert some influence over the Dragon race to a certain extent. Even though this influence had been greatly reduced due to the cancellation of the "Race Leader Rule" by the gods, it was still undeniably effective on the Dragon race.

Perhaps it could be used to control the actions of one or two dragons, or perhaps it could slightly affect the emotions of the Dragon race. The dragons were clearly afraid of this covenant being abused, so they gathered the strength of the entire Dragon race to tear apart the human who had deceived the Holy Dragon into making the covenant, reducing him to pieces.

After all, the covenant's effects had been greatly weakened, and even if it could control a part of the Dragon race, it couldn't control all of them. So under the concerted efforts of the Dragon race, that human was bound to have no chance of survival.

"But why did you suddenly bring up the Covenant of the Holy Dragon... Could it be related to the recent unusual activities of the Dragon race?" Lacey, who had been teaching Rabi for a while, temporarily put down the rabbit and asked curiously.

"Yes, the content of the Holy Dragon's covenant is quite unique... It has a significant impact on the entire Dragon race, so the dragons definitely want to destroy it," Alice nodded. "So if the Covenant of the Holy Dragon appears, the dragons will definitely rush towards the direction where the covenant is. However, whether the dragons are all heading to the Kingdom of Milt or not is still a speculation."

"These dragons are usually fearless, so I didn't expect them to be afraid of a mere covenant," Amdusia chuckled lightly, seemingly surprised by the fact that the dragons would fear a piece of parchment. "However, it doesn't seem to be our concern. After all, it's the dragons' own business. Let them handle it themselves."

---

Chapter 447: Little Alice

Even though the matter of the Holy Dragon's Covenant sounded impressive, Alice and her group didn't pay much attention to it at the moment. After all, the Dragon race hadn't caused any trouble for them, and they had no reason to provoke the Dragons. They treated the Holy Dragon's Covenant as more of a story to listen to for now.

People tend to prioritize their own interests. Among those present, some had already transcended ordinary strength and didn't need the power of the Dragons. Others had no grand ambitions and their biggest goal was to serve as Alice's maids. So, the importance of the Holy Dragon's Covenant was likely overshadowed by the training of the Milu Rabbit.

Although Alice might not have the maternal instincts of Lacey, she had a more obedient companion in Rabi. With this, Alice could finally give orders to Rabi without worrying that she wouldn't recognize her name. "Rabi" had officially become the name of the Milu Rabbit.

It's worth mentioning that Rabi's voice was somewhat similar to Alice's, but more childlike. The transformation magic of the Dragon language was truly fascinating, as it made a rabbit's body structure so similar to Alice's. This made Alice contemplate learning Dragon language magic. There were even a few Taboos within Dragon language magic, considering that the Dragon race had produced some geniuses over tens of thousands of years, it was only natural that they had developed some forbidden spells.

However, the thought of learning Dragon language magic proved to be a bit challenging in practice. Dragon language magic required Dragon blood to use, and even if one possessed Dragon blood, the effectiveness of the magic would be compromised if the Dragon bloodline was incomplete. Precision was crucial for Dragon language Taboos.

Rabi, for instance, was able to use Dragon language magic - transformation, presumably due to residual Dragon blood in her. However, the transformation wasn't perfect; her ears didn't turn into a human shape, and her entire body was smaller compared to Alice's template. It was far from ideal.

Alice had asked Lacey before if Rabi might eventually expel the Dragon blood in her body due to various reasons like excretion. She had also wondered if this Dragon blood would seep into Rabi's flesh and invade her body. Fortunately, the answer she received had eased her concerns.

Dragon blood was corrosive, but it had strong isolation properties. It wouldn't actively corrode the internal organs unless it came into contact with other blood. Therefore, as far as excretion was concerned, Alice didn't need to worry. While Dragon blood couldn't be digested, if it had taken root in Rabi's stomach, it would likely become a part of her digestive system.

In other words, it was like a Rabi plugin named "Dragon Blood." Even though Dragon blood wasn't a part of Rabi's body, external means had attached it to her body. In the future, with the help of this Dragon blood, Rabi could also use some incomplete Dragon language magic.

"Little Alice~"

Just as Alice was pondering whether she should approach a Dragon and ask for a bit of their blood to see if she could use Dragon language magic like Rabi, a childish voice came from behind her. Then, she felt a small body jump onto her back.

Obviously, the one calling her was Rabi. Her small body wasn't heavy, and being pressed against Alice's back didn't make her uncomfortable. However, what she called Alice made her quite helpless.

"How many times have I told you not to call me 'Little Alice'! I'm your master, you know!"

As she spoke, Alice reached behind her and pulled Rabi out from her back. Thanks to a week of education, Rabi had finally stopped bashing her head into things whenever she saw Alice. However, her restless personality was still rabbit-like, which occasionally annoyed Alice.

"But 'Little Alice' sounds so cute."

Zauna, sitting on her bed, watched Alice and Rabi with an amused expression. "But Rabi really clings to you. Does she know that you once threw her out and used her as a hammer to bash someone?"

Zauna hadn't forgotten the scene where Alice had thrown the Milu Rabbit out like a hammer, causing internal injuries to the thief who had been spying on them. However, she probably didn't anticipate that the Milu Rabbit would transform into a human appearance in the future. It was truly the mark of a Hero, capable of achieving things that ordinary people couldn't imagine.

---

Chapter 448: Dragon Radar GETTO, Not

Lacey's research on the Contamination Roulette had made significant progress after nearly a month. She had actually created a magical device, following Alice's offhand mention of the "Dragon Ball Radar," which was designed to detect the approximate location of things with a similar aura to the Contamination Roulette.

"It actually worked," Alice exclaimed in surprise as she held the circular device in her hand. Lacey had even designed the appearance of the detector to resemble Alice's description of the Dragon Ball Radar. Though Lacey or anyone in this world couldn't possibly know about the work "Dragon Ball," replicating the appearance of a circular GPS device wasn't too challenging.

Of course, while it was referred to as a radar, it was actually a GPS locator system with aura-sensing capabilities. Being an advanced alchemist, Lacey was capable of creating GPS navigation devices. Though crafting one specifically for someone was more complicated, Alice's royal status ensured that Lacey had access to any rare components or special materials she needed.

Alice used her right hand to grip the radar, curious to see what her hand would reveal. As expected, the device's rating was similar to mass-produced GPS devices, but it was tailored to locate objects with a similar aura to the Contamination Roulette.

[Item: Custom Radar - It's Ready]

[Quality: Decent]

[Effects: Agility +8, Control +8]

[Additional Abilities: Special Navigation (Active Skill, displays a map of the target area on the screen); Special (Active Skill, provides precise location of objects with an aura similar to the Contamination Roulette)]

It seemed that unique items like this one were named as soon as they were created. For instance, items crafted with the power of a Demon Lord or, in this case, the special radar Lacey made for Alice. Most people in this world didn't use the item's true name unless they were using magic, blessings, curses, or similar effects. Just like Alice's Hero Sword, which had been dubbed "Okay," and was still generally referred to as the "Hero Sword."

"Though you made it according to my request, the actual effectiveness is passable at best. After all, locating and searching with auras is quite challenging. I couldn't possibly create a search function as accurate as the main totem of the dog people."

Lacey looked at Alice, slightly lacking confidence in her voice. Crafting a complex and unique tool like this one, specifically for someone else, was a first-time experience for her as an advanced alchemist. However, it was clear that creating a search function as accurate as the main totem of the dog people was beyond her abilities.

"It's okay, as long as it can locate similar auras, it's sufficient. You may not know, but the materials used to create the Contamination Roulette aren't simple. You can't just press a button and locate a dozen targets."

Alice reassured Lacey with a smile. The materials used to create the Contamination Roulette were said to be from the power of a Demon Lord, so any targets located by the radar were undoubtedly connected to Demon Lord power in some way. Even with broad search criteria, the number of possible targets wouldn't be too large.

To demonstrate her point, Alice lightly pressed the switch on the radar. She wanted to show Lacey that the Contamination Roulette's aura was not something common, and even with a broader search range, the number of targets would still be limited.

Just like searching for all-ages images on EHentai, where Alice wanted to find all-ages pictures of a certain character from a specific work. Lacey's search system wasn't precise, so it pulled up all all-ages images of female characters, resulting in a manageable number of results.

As soon as Alice pressed the button, the radar emitted several consecutive beeping sounds. Then, in the center of the radar's display, numerous pinpoint locations appeared, almost all of them concentrated at the central position.

In other words, according to the radar's location, there were several objects with a similar aura to the Contamination Roulette right near Alice. These included the items hanging from her waist, which were crafted from the power of a Demon Lord. Additionally, there were people nearby with unmistakable Demon Lord aura, such as Luna, the maid who was cleaning, and Amdusia, the former Demon Lord perched on Alice's shoulder.

Alice realized that it could have been even more awkward if her own aura had been included in the search. Luckily, she didn't possess any Demon Lord aura within her. All the dark attribute magic she used to mimic a Demon Lord was provided by her black panties. Otherwise, the central position on the radar would have lit up, making it even more embarrassing.

Kristen sat by the coffee table, nibbling on cookies while maintaining a poker face as she watched Alice play with the radar. She knew about the structure of the Contamination Roulette and understood why the radar was beeping so continuously. Still, she couldn't be bothered with the situation. Despite being a Hero, she found herself surrounded by so many individuals closely tied to Demon Lord power, all on the same side. Kristen suddenly felt tired and thought about how meaningless it was to have fought against the Demon Lord in the past.

Of course, Alice and Kristen were both aware of the situation, but Lacey remained unaware. She looked at the radar in Alice's hand, puzzled by the continuous beeping and the numerous pinpoint locations on the display. She scratched her head and said, "This... there must be some issue. Should I go back and make another one?"

"No need, it works fine. Very accurate," Alice responded, shaking her head. Despite the awkward situation earlier, the radar had proven to be quite effective. Although it had a broad search criteria, items with a distinct Demon Lord aura were rare, and the search results shouldn't be too excessive.

---

Chapter 449: Looks Expensive

Alice was already prepared to head to the demon realm for two reasons—first, she wanted to conduct a thorough search of the demon realm using the Dragon Ball Radar, or rather, the Demon Lord Power Radar that Lacey had provided. She wanted to see if she could find the likely culprit behind the contamination that had turned the demon realm into its current sorry state.

If Alice's guess was correct, the reason the demon realm had become polluted was likely due to the first Demon Lord creating an item infused with the Demon Lord's power, specifically the "Rule Breaker - Magic" skill. This item was hidden somewhere in the demon realm and had been disrupting the magical rules of the demon realm.

The disrupted magic had caused the air to become tainted, leading to the alteration of plants that normally absorbed regular magic. The oxygen released by these altered plants during photosynthesis had become even worse, creating a severe vicious cycle within the demon realm.

Now, tens of thousands of years had passed, and Alice estimated that the magical rules of the demon realm wouldn't last much longer. Even if they somehow managed to endure for a few thousand more years, Alice couldn't allow this threat to persist. She was determined to locate the source of the contamination and deal with it.

The second reason for her journey was to uncover information about Miliya, the Demon Lord, in the demon realm. Inside Rabi's body, there was dragon blood from the Scroll of Soul Imprint. While this was still a conjecture on Alice's part, it sounded plausible. However, she needed to verify this theory by learning more about Miliya's history. Did she have any connections with the dragon race, and were there any special deals or interactions with the dragon race in her past? If possible, Alice intended to find Miliya's personal chamber in the demon realm to understand the origins of the dragon blood inside Rabi thoroughly.

After making her decision, Alice spent a week making preparations. Aside from packing her belongings, she took special care to categorize her panties, dividing them into three separate pockets for white, black, and other-colored panties. To make it easier to distinguish, each pocket was styled in white, black, or colored patterns. This ensured she wouldn't mix them up when selecting her panties. As for the items infused with Demon Lord power, Alice gathered them and stored them in a ring-shaped dimensional box.

Since these items were not typically used and even if they were, it would be done discreetly in a location where no one could see, keeping them all in the ring was convenient.

However, someone might ask why she didn't simply place her panties in the ring too. That way, she could easily retrieve them from the ring when needed. In reality, Alice had considered this method, but after trying it out, she found that she still instinctively reached for her waist pockets when retrieving her panties. This habit wouldn't change overnight, and having this oversight during a battle could lead to serious complications.

So, for now, Alice continued to keep her panties in her waist pockets. While having three different colored bags hanging from her waist might look awkward, it was a small price to pay. Besides, it seemed that Milu Rabbit was finally free from being tucked under her skirt, which lightened the load on her dress.

This time, for her journey to the demon realm, Alice brought Luna and Amdusia as usual. However, she didn't bring Zauna and Lalu with her. The two of them seemed to have found a new focus for their studies recently and were dedicating themselves to rigorous training. Alice had initially invited them to visit Herys together, but they declined.

For a magician, finding one's main and sub attributes among the various types of magic was not an easy task. However, it seemed that Zauna and Lalu had discovered their strengths, so Alice didn't want to interrupt their studies. Perhaps their magic would come in handy for her in the future.

In addition to Luna and Amdusia, Alice was sure to bring Rabi along. Rabi had grown considerably in the past month. Although her physical size remained unchanged due to the flaws in her Dragon Language Magic - Transformation, her intelligence had improved significantly.

While she still retained her childlike nature, she could now communicate more effectively and understand and execute some of Alice's commands. She had also learned to think independently, which was a positive development.

However, she still refused to change her habit of calling Alice "Little Alice," even though she used it for everyone else. This prefix had been a constant source of frustration for Alice, who suspected it might have originated from Miliya.

"Alice, Haidt wants to see you."

Just a few days before heading to the demon realm, Luna conveyed Haidt's message to Alice. "He's in the king's office right now, and it seems to be a very important matter. He sounds very serious."

"That guy is still in his office? He didn't go home again last night, did he?"

Alice had only just woken up, and her roommate Zauna was still lying in bed, not yet awake. After she finished her morning routine and started eating breakfast, Luna delivered the message. Alice recalled that Haidt had been working in his office processing documents late into the night. It seemed he hadn't slept.

As a king, he was working like a corporate slave. Alice had previously thought that Haidt was too busy to get married, but now she suspected it might be the other way around—Haidt might be too busy because he hadn't gotten married. If he had a wife, he might delegate some of his work to others.

Look at how relaxed King Hayden was during his reign! Working only half a day and spending the rest of his time doing what he wanted, it was clear that being king didn't have to be so exhausting. Although his affair with the Demon Lord was not a good thing.

However, considering that Haidt rarely bothered her, this time he had personally come to notify her of something, so there was probably something important to discuss. Alice grumbled a bit but still finished her breakfast quickly. Then, she and Luna headed to the palace.

It was early in the morning, and while there were some people working at the palace, it still appeared rather deserted. Alice and Luna made their way to Haidt's office, opened the door, and soon spotted Haidt sitting at his desk. There was another figure beside him, but this one wasn't human; it was a member of a race that Alice had often heard about but never seen in person.

"A dragon?"

Alice blinked in surprise as she looked at the dragon sitting in a chair beside Haidt. The dragon's size wasn't particularly large, roughly equivalent to that of a tiger or leopard. Its light-blue scales shimmered like crystal, giving it a distinctly expensive appearance.

Upon closer inspection, Alice realized that the Dragon Language Magic - Transformation did indeed allow dragons to change their size. However, they usually took pride in their original appearance and size. In this case, the dragon had voluntarily reduced its size and was waiting in Haidt's office, which indicated that it had a request or something it wanted to discuss.

---

Chapter 450: Scared the Children

This blue dragon, or rather, a dragon that had shrunken in size using transformation magic, displayed a distinctly human-like expression of displeasure when it saw a maid and a little girl enter through the door. It turned to Haidt and voiced its complaint:

"King Haidt, I came here sincerely seeking your assistance to introduce us to a hero. Why did you summon your daughter and a maid?"

Clearly, this dragon had done its homework before coming here. It had a general understanding of the situation in the Kingdom of Gryffin, knew that the hero was currently in Gryffin, and had gathered information about King Haidt's interpersonal relationships. That's why it had come to seek help from Haidt.

Of course, considering the nature of the dragon race, most of them spent long periods asleep in the Dragon's Valley, so even if they conducted investigations into external matters, it wouldn't be very thorough. At least they were unaware that Alice was actually the "current hero" known to the kings.

Naturally, they were even less aware that Aird, one of the Four Demon Generals, was the true current hero. Even the King of the Kingdom of Ymir, who sent Aird as a true hero to infiltrate the demon realm, probably didn't know he had dispatched a real hero for that mission.

"So you've come to find a hero?" Alice immediately understood the dragon's purpose upon hearing its words. It seemed that the dragons had a reason to seek the hero's help, which was why they appeared so amicable. Otherwise, with the dragon's prideful nature, they wouldn't normally be so humble, even to a human king.

Now that the dragons were seeking the hero's assistance, there was no need to worry about how to communicate with this proud race. They were seeking the hero's help, and the hero's power was something the dragons couldn't easily compare to. With their current need for the hero's assistance, the hero held the greatest authority.

"Yes, what's it to you? Are you close to the hero?" The blue dragon looked at Alice with a hint of doubt. Although dragons spent most of their time asleep, their periods of wakefulness were far from what humans could compare to. The long years had also endowed them with wisdom. Judging from Alice's appearance, she seemed to have figured something out. "Is it that only through you can we contact the hero?"

Because the dragon had initially assumed the hero would be a strong and muscular man, it hadn't considered the possibility that Alice was the hero. Therefore, it thought that Haidt had summoned Alice because she was the only one who could contact the hero.

As soon as it thought of the hero as a strong, muscular man, the blue dragon couldn't help but shudder. Could it be that this muscular hero was secretly into something like lolicon?

This wasn't a good situation. Despite the dragon's appearance, it was actually quite young among its kind, and if you converted its age into human years, it would roughly be in the stage of a loli. Even if it transformed into a human appearance using magic, it would still have Alice's petite physique. If that muscular hero had a penchant for younger-looking girls…

Alice had no idea that the blue dragon had already imagined a perverted hero in its mind. She lightly touched the ring on her left pinky finger with her right hand's fingers and, within the pile of bizarre weapons in the ring, found the Hero's Sword.

Then, with a wave of her hand and a burst of light, the tiny Hero's Sword popped out of the ring and quickly returned to its normal size, held firmly in Alice's right hand.

"I am the hero. What can I help you with?" With a radiant glow of light magic surrounding her, Alice looked at the dumbfounded blue dragon, nodded, and said, "Haidt's daughter is just a false identity I'm using to conceal my true identity as the hero. After all, if my identity as the hero were exposed, many demons would harass me, and I really can't be bothered with those small fry... Can you understand?"

"I... I understand." The blue dragon clearly swallowed nervously. The significant increase in light attribute magical power around Alice had made her magical presence extremely pronounced. She had not even cast any magic yet. This magical presence was already comparable to that generated by dragons using Dragon Language Magic. If she were to cast a Taboo, the magical presence would be enough to terrify anyone.

As for why Alice was concealing her identity, the dragon could also understand. It had lived for a long time as a dragon and had heard about the hero and the Demon Lord several times in the past. It knew that if the hero's identity were exposed, many demons would infiltrate the human world and attempt assassinations. Alice probably didn't want to be bothered by these short-sighted demons, so she had hidden her identity under Haidt's daughter's guise.

No wonder she had searched for the hero's whereabouts for so long and finally had to come to King Gryffin for help. It turned out that the appearance of that muscular hero was actually a disguise, and the real hero was right under everyone's noses.

Upon confirming her identity as the hero and using the enhanced magical power of the Hero's Sword to intimidate the clearly inexperienced blue dragon, Alice put away the Hero's Sword, suppressed the magical fluctuations around her, and asked, "So, what is it that you dragons need from me? I've noticed that the frequency of dragon activity has increased recently, with sightings of dragons flying over the skies every now and then. Is it related to this?"

"Yes, recently, our dragon race has indeed encountered some trouble... Most of the dragons that have been sighted are related to this issue."

The blue dragon sighed, appearing more cooperative now. There was no other way—dragons might be wild and unrestrained with ordinary people, but they would have to tone it down in front of a hero. "This matter is related to a long-standing secret of the dragon race... In this era, there are probably very few humans who know about it."

Alice exchanged a glance with Luna upon hearing this. A long-standing secret of the dragon race? Could it be related to the contract with the Holy Dragon?

---

Chapter 451: This Is the Protagonist's Fate

After creating some suspense, the small blue female dragon quickly explained the past events of the dragon race and the existence of a special species called "Race Leaders." Alice and Luna had already guessed that this dragon was going to talk about the Holy Dragon's covenant.

However, Alice didn't interrupt her because, although she and Luna knew about the Holy Dragon's covenant, Haidt clearly did not. So, it was a good opportunity to make Haidt aware of the details regarding the Holy Dragon's covenant.

"So, you suspect that the Holy Dragon's covenant has fallen into the hands of the current Demon Lord? Are you serious?"

Sitting in a chair, Alice furrowed her brow. According to this dragon, they had recently sensed a control over the dragon race at the border of the Kingdom of Milt, which, if their assumptions were correct, should be the influence of the Holy Dragon's covenant.

Because the Holy Dragon's covenant was of great significance, when the awakened dragons went to search for the Holy Dragon's covenant, it had not been found after some time had passed. Instead, some dragons had been affected by the Holy Dragon's covenant, causing them to act uncontrollably.

Of course, with the "Race Leader Rules" being canceled, the control over the dragon race by the Holy Dragon's covenant had weakened significantly. It could only influence the actions of these dragons to some extent. However, these dragons had sensed something that infuriated them deeply within the power controlling them.

—Within the power that controlled them, there was a trace of the Demon Lord's power.

Therefore, these dragons naturally assumed that the new Demon Lord was provoking the dragon race. But even if they thought so, the dragon race was well aware that even if they gathered all the dragons together to wage war against the Demon Lord, they would still not be a match for the Demon Lord.

Moreover, the Demon Lord was suspected to be hidden within the human Kingdom of Milt. If the dragon race were to invade in large numbers, it would likely raise suspicions among the humans. Although individual dragons were extremely powerful, the strong humans were not afraid of the dragon race. In addition, the sheer number of humans meant that the dragon race would be at a disadvantage in a full-scale war.

Therefore, these dragons immediately thought of the Hero. For the Hero, defeating the Demon Lord was almost a mission. So, the dragon race had sent a young dragon, one who could potentially communicate better with humans, to attempt to establish a friendly cooperative relationship with the Hero.

The dragon race wasn't foolish; they were proud when dealing with ordinary people, but when it came to the Hero, they had to be friendly. On the one hand, they still wanted to deal with the Demon Lord, and on the other hand, even if they joined forces against the Hero, they still wouldn't be a match for the Hero.

"Although it sounds unbelievable, it's the truth... We also considered whether someone is using the control power of the Holy Dragon's covenant to spread false information among the dragon race, misleading us to believe that our enemy is the Demon Lord. However, the messages from over a dozen dragons that have returned all coincide, and the power of the Holy Dragon's covenant should no longer be so exaggerated."

This small blue dragon also knew that Alice would definitely be cautious, after all, that was the Demon Lord. Furthermore, it was hidden within the human Kingdom of Milt, and any carelessness might lead to a major war within the human kingdom. "So, I am willing to take you to the Kingdom of Milt for a more in-depth investigation. If you agree, the dragon race is willing to establish a long-term alliance with humans."

It was clear that the dragon race had been provoked. As such a proud race, they couldn't bear being controlled by a Demon Lord who was hiding. So, in order to let the Hero vent their anger, these dragons were willing to make friends with humans—an extraordinary matter. For the dragon race, which had always avoided contact with the outside world, this was the first step in opening up trade with humans. It was of great significance.

Because of the dragon race's uniqueness, there were many items in the Dragon's Valley that were useless to them but highly useful for human magical technology. For example, a material called Dragon Bone Stone, which was said to be fossilized bone infected with dragon breath, was an essential material for producing fine magical items.

However, due to the dragon race's reluctance to interact with outsiders, the inventory of this material was extremely limited and could only be used for blades. If the dragon race could really establish trade with humans, humans could exchange various gemstones and other items that dragons liked in return for these special materials that could promote the development of magical technology—a win-win situation.

Although Alice didn't fully understand these intricacies, she could see from the way Haidt's eyes lit up instantly that establishing an alliance with the dragon race would be highly advantageous.

However, no matter how advantageous it might seem, Alice knew that the one with the Holy Dragon's covenant could not be the current Demon Lord because the real current Demon Lord was standing beside her in a maid outfit. Moreover, what the Four Demon Generals considered the current Demon Lord was none other than Alice herself.

Whether it was Luna or Alice, it was impossible for them to hold the Holy Dragon's covenant in the Kingdom of Milt and manipulate the dragons that came with false information. Even if they did have a split personality, they didn't have the time to stir up trouble in the Kingdom of Milt.

"Could it be the work of another old and stubborn Demon Lord's soul?"

Using magic, Alice transmitted her thoughts to Luna's ears. "Just like what happened with King Haydn of the Kingdom of Llane before, the soul of a Demon Lord has reappeared, luring a bunch of dragons with the Holy Dragon's covenant and then planning something against the dragon race?"

"That's a possibility..."

Luna also replied through magic communication. When she heard the blue dragon's words, she was also somewhat baffled. Because she knew that the current Demon Lord was actually herself, but she had been expelled from her own body due to the Demon Lord's power, so there was currently no "current Demon Lord" in the true sense.

In this sense, it was also possible that the souls of other former Demon Lords were causing trouble... But this also seemed too coincidental. Why did all these Demon Lord souls suddenly appear after Alice arrived in this world?

Alice felt that things were probably not that simple... Although the dragons said they sensed the aura of the Demon Lord's power, in fact, there might not only be the Demon Lord himself who could emit the aura of the Demon Lord's power.

But in any case, whether it was because of her identity as the Hero or her concern about the Demon Lord's power, Alice still had to investigate with these dragons... But as a result, it meant that Alice had to go to the Kingdom of Milt. Her plans in the Demon World would likely be delayed for some time.

"By the way, I don't even know your name yet."

With her decision already made, Alice and Luna exchanged glances, and both understood each other's intentions. So, Alice turned her head to look at the small blue dragon sitting in the chair and asked, "Ah, I'm sorry; I forgot to introduce myself earlier. My name is Ophelia, the Crystal Dragon of Water. It's an honor to meet you."

---

Chapter 452: Dragon Knight Alice

In the Dwarven Autonomous State of Milt, there was a place known as Telford City. According to Luna's explanation, in ancient Dwarven language, the word "Telford" meant "iron," signifying that the Dwarves considered this place as the heartland of their forging craftsmanship.

Two hundred years ago, the King of Milt granted the Dwarves the authority to name this autonomous state, and in return, the Dwarves turned it into a renowned forge's holy land. They aptly named it after iron and greatly expanded it, making it a well-known center for weapon crafting. Many renowned weapons were born here.

It could be said that without this Dwarven Autonomous State, Milt's influence among the human kingdoms would have been significantly weaker. Even with this autonomous state, Milt's influence among all the kingdoms wasn't substantial. This gave an idea of how ordinary Milt was among the human kingdoms.

While this Dwarven Autonomous State had produced many famous weapons, armor, and unique items, the most renowned artifacts were undoubtedly not crafted by the Dwarves. Each of these artifacts was extraordinary and unlike any items currently existing in the world.

For instance, Alice wielded the Hero's Sword, crafted by the gods themselves. Or the rule-class items, which, although currently unknown to the public, could only be created using the power of the Demon Lord. If the essence of the Demon Lord's power had been handed over to the Dwarves, they might have been able to produce even better items, at the very least preventing them from looking like fairy wands.

However, obtaining artifacts like these was extremely challenging. Therefore, weapons produced by the Dwarven Autonomous State remained the preferred choice for nobles, celebrities, adventurers, and mages. Especially the masterpieces forged by talented Dwarven smiths under fortuitous circumstances, they had practically become luxury items that even the wealthy couldn't always acquire.

Because the Dwarven Autonomous State of Milt was well-known and belonged to the Kingdom of Milt, it had one of the most important cities outside the capital. Thus, it naturally possessed teleportation magic arrays that could directly transport individuals to the Dwarven Autonomous State in various teleportation guilds. If Alice wanted to go to the Dwarven Autonomous State, she could easily reach it using the teleportation magic arrays, which was very convenient.

However, this led to another issue. When teleportation arrays were used for transportation, they would first cut and segment the space within the array, instantly moving the segmented space to another teleportation array, achieving instant transportation. But there was a limitation to this space-cutting behavior: the space being cut couldn't contain magic that couldn't be deciphered by the teleportation magic array. Light and dark attribute magic were not an issue, as they were possessed by rare magicians.

However, among these teleportation arrays, the only magic that hadn't been recorded was Dragonkind's magic. Due to their unique bloodline magic called Dragon Speech Magic, the magical power in their bodies differed significantly from the widely recognized magical power. Teleportation magic arrays couldn't decipher Dragonkind's magic, making it impossible for them to be transported by these arrays.

In other words, teleportation arrays lacked compatibility with Dragonkind's magic. Consequently, regardless of whether it was humans, orcs, elves, or demons, they could use teleportation magic arrays as intended, while Dragonkind couldn't. Wanting to use teleportation magic arrays to transport Dragonkind to another location was simply impossible.

"This is troublesome. I didn't expect teleportation magic arrays to have such limitations."

Alice was surprised; it was her first time learning about such restrictions on teleportation guilds. Luckily, this Dragonkind, Amdusia, knew about this limitation and informed Alice when she mentioned using teleportation magic arrays to go to the Kingdom of Milt.

"There's no other way. Dragonkind usually doesn't leave the Dragon's Valley. Even if they do, they mostly aimlessly wander outside for a change of scenery before returning to the Dragon's Valley. In the past few centuries, there hasn't been any substantial interaction between Dragonkind and other races."

Amdusia also knew that it was a problem unique to their Dragonkind, so she helplessly added, "And these teleportation arrays were only recently developed in the last few centuries. That's why Dragonkind can't use them... A few months ago, a Dragon transformed into a human form and secretly tried to use the teleportation array at Dragon's Valley, only to realize it didn't work. That's when we figured out how human teleportation arrays function."

It turned out that all these Dragonkind flew, and they never chose the more convenient teleportation arrays even if they had a specific destination. It wasn't because they were stubborn; it was simply impossible for them to use human-made teleportation arrays.

Humans hadn't had any contact with Dragonkind for centuries, so when developing the teleportation arrays, they naturally couldn't provide samples of Dragonkind's magic. Therefore, the teleportation magic arrays couldn't process Dragonkind's magic, making it impossible for Dragonkind to use them. Although it was a limitation, it was understandable. If Amdusia's previous statement about Dragonkind's willingness to establish relations with human kingdoms was true, then perhaps it wouldn't be long before teleportation magic arrays would work for Dragonkind too.

However, making temporary modifications to teleportation magic arrays wasn't currently feasible. Such adjustments couldn't be made on a whim. They required specialized alchemists and magicians to make precise modifications, which would take months, if not longer. Amdusia obviously couldn't wait that long.

"It's better to fly."

Seeing that Alice and her group seemed to be contemplating how to reach the Kingdom of Milt, Amdusia said with a sigh, "The flying speed of Dragonkind is several times faster than human airships. I can carry you and fly there. We'll land near the Dwarven Autonomous State, transform into our humanoid forms, and find a way to enter the Dwarven Autonomous State."

"Oh? Are you willing to carry us?"

Alice was somewhat surprised. She had been thinking about whether she should let Amdusia transform into her humanoid form and ride an airship with them. Although taking an airship across borders might take a day or two, it should be an acceptable speed. She didn't expect Amdusia to suddenly make this proposal.

The flying speed of Dragonkind was indeed very fast, and Alice was well aware of it. However, she also knew that Dragonkind were a proud and somewhat difficult race. Getting a ride on a Dragonkind was not that simple—they wouldn't easily allow someone to ride on their backs.

"Since you're the Hero, it should be fine to let you ride," Amdusia said with a somewhat hesitant expression on her face. However, because this matter concerned the whole Dragonkind and the Holy Dragon's Covenant, Amdusia nodded, saying, "Even if other Dragons find out, they should forgive me."

---

Chapter 453: On the Back of the Blue Dragon

For the Dragon Clan, the Sacred Dragon's Contract was undoubtedly a very serious matter. For this proud race, having a contract that could control their actions was the greatest insult.

In the past, when the Sacred Dragon's Contract disappeared, there had never been a situation where a member of the Dragon Clan had their behavior controlled by others. So, the Dragon Clan could still tolerate it for now. However, now there were many instances of Dragon Clan members experiencing controlled behavior, even though the level of control was not significant, it still counted as a serious provocation against the Dragon Clan.

From Ophelia's behavior, it was clear that she was very concerned about this matter. After getting Alice's approval, she immediately requested to depart. However, Alice couldn't just leave like that. She had to take the luggage she had prepared for her trip to the Demon World. Unexpectedly, she now had to use it for her journey to the Kingdom of Milt.

After packing up, Alice and Luna headed to the designated location they had agreed upon with Ophelia earlier in the morning – the Hall City International Airship Port.

That's right, it was the airship port. To facilitate Ophelia's takeoff using her Dragon form, Haidt had arranged for a special takeoff platform at the airship port. This platform was meant for Ophelia to stretch her body and to prevent others from discovering the presence of a Dragon in the Kingdom of Gryffin.

Many people in this world were interested in the Dragon Clan. Although they had a fierce reputation, there were also many mages with power comparable to the Dragon Clan's. If they heard news of a Dragon's presence, they might come to do something unpleasant to Ophelia.

In Haidt's eyes, Ophelia's presence in the Kingdom of Gryffin was related to diplomatic relations between humans and the Dragon Clan. Once successful, this cooperation would be beneficial to humans without causing any harm. Haidt would not allow anyone to disrupt this cooperation.

Fortunately, the news of Ophelia's arrival in the Kingdom of Gryffin had not leaked out. Alice and Luna were not the type to talk too much. Even when they mentioned that they were going to visit the Dragon's Valley to Zauna and Lalu, they did not mention the appearance of a Dragon in the Kingdom of Gryffin.

So, when Alice and Luna arrived at the Hall City International Airship Port, Ophelia was already waiting at the takeoff platform. At this moment, Ophelia still had the same form she had in the King's office. However, Alice and Luna knew that once she returned to her original size, she would likely occupy the entire takeoff platform.

"You're too slow," Ophelia complained when she saw Alice and Luna arrive late. Although the strength of the Hero was worthy of the Dragon Clan's respect and even awe, the inherent pride of the Dragon Clan could not be changed. Ophelia was not happy about waiting for a human for so long.

Moreover, Ophelia was relatively young among the Dragon Clan, and she could even be considered a child. She did not pay much attention to matters of hospitality. If she felt unhappy, she would directly express it. Of course, because of Alice's identity as the Hero, Ophelia's complaints were limited to being harmless. She would not dare to throw a tantrum in front of the Hero. If she did, the other Dragon Clan members might tear her apart when she returned.

"Sorry, sorry, humans and Dragons are different after all," Alice smiled helplessly. She did not mind Ophelia's complaints at all. Perhaps Ophelia also knew that the Hero was generally a kind-hearted person, so she dared to express her dissatisfaction.

Humans and Dragons were indeed different. The Dragon Clan's scales and unique body structure allowed them to maintain a constant temperature inside their bodies. They could easily shake off dust and bacteria from their bodies, and even their sweat would evaporate instantly. So, even if they lived in a valley, they could stay clean. In contrast, humans needed various daily necessities to maintain hygiene.

However, Alice didn't mind. She knew that Luna was looking at Ophelia with dangerous eyes. Luna was clearly not happy with this Dragon Clan member who had been disrespectful to Alice. If it weren't for Alice's presence, Luna would probably have taught this young Dragon Clan member a lesson.

Ophelia shivered as she felt a mysterious sense of threat, but she turned her head and looked around, not sensing any danger. So, she didn't pay it much attention.

"Since we're all ready, let's get ready to depart," Ophelia said to Alice in this way. Then, she raised her head and, after a few complicated syllables were squeezed out of her throat, a complex magic circle flashed on the surface of her body. Afterward, under the gaze of Alice and Luna, Ophelia's Dragon body began to rapidly expand.

In just a few seconds, Ophelia had grown from the length of a human body to a size that occupied the entire takeoff platform. When Alice looked at her, she was even bigger than the commercial airliners she remembered – no wonder these Dragon Clan members could be seen by people on the ground when they flew in the sky.

"All right, get on," Ophelia said as she spread her huge blue wings. The takeoff platform had no stairs, but with Alice's strength, she could easily jump up to Ophelia's back. Ophelia also glanced at Luna, who had not yet shown her true strength. Although she felt a bit unhappy about a "mere human" sitting on her back, she did not object to Alice's decision.

After all, Ophelia had a request for Alice now. Although she felt a little uncomfortable with a "mere human" sitting on her back, she could endure it – in order to restore the dignity of the entire Dragon Clan, sacrificing a bit of her own dignity was acceptable.

If Ophelia knew that Luna was actually half of a Demon Lord's strength, she probably wouldn't dare to think this way.

When Alice and Luna had both boarded her back, Ophelia raised her head, and her huge blue wings flapped vigorously. A dense cloud of sand and dust was kicked up around the takeoff platform as her entire body rose rapidly into the air, reaching a high altitude in an instant.

Although the speed of the Dragon Clan was fast, the biggest problem compared to airships was that the Dragon Clan did not have a cabin to block the wind pressure during flight. However, Alice and Luna's strength was completely indifferent to the wind pressure during flight. They didn't need any magical defenses, and they didn't need to close their eyes.

"We're off!" Ophelia's voice was now even more deafening due to her increased size. Especially since Alice and Luna were sitting on her back, the sound was like thunder roaring up close.

With a flap of Ophelia's wings, she disappeared into the sky above the Hall City International Airship Port.

---

Chapter 454: Boldly Naked

The flight speed of the Dragon race was indeed fast. After departing in the afternoon, by evening, Ophelia had already flown into the territory of the Milt Kingdom and reached the border area of the Dwarven Autonomous Region. If she flew a bit further, she would enter the Dwarven Autonomous Region.

However, Ophelia wouldn't just fly directly into the Dwarven Autonomous Region and land. Doing so would expose their whereabouts. While it wouldn't be difficult for someone to gather information about the Dragon race's activities during this period and conduct data analysis, not everyone paid such close attention to the Dragon race's movements. Previously, only the King of the Ymir Kingdom had approached Alice to inquire about the situation because Dragon race's actions had inadvertently damaged some of his kingdom's structures. Otherwise, in cases where the Dragon race hadn't provoked humans actively, these kings wouldn't spend their energy investigating these Dragon race individuals.

In a situation where most people didn't know the Dragon race's whereabouts, Ophelia naturally couldn't reveal herself. In case information about "a Dragon flying over the Dwarven Autonomous Region" surfaced, it might be heard by the individual holding the Holy Dragon's Covenant. Who knows what actions they might take.

So, after nearing the Dwarven Autonomous Region's territory, Ophelia opened her mouth and uttered a few cryptic syllables. A light, elusive magical power emanated from her, enveloping both Ophelia and the two figures sitting atop her—Alice and Luna.

With the appearance of this magical power, Alice was surprised to find that her body had become somewhat blurry. She turned her head to look at Luna, sitting behind her, and realized that she could barely sense Luna's presence. This was even with Alice's exceptionally high spiritual attributes. If it were an ordinary person, they probably wouldn't even notice Luna's existence.

It seemed to be some kind of special Dragon language magic used to weaken one's own presence and make others overlook the caster. While it might be slightly weaker compared to the "Magical Concealment" ability of a magic cloak, which could truly hide one's figure and aura, it was still an extremely advanced concealment magic.

Alice was certain that she couldn't use a magic cloak to cover Ophelia's large body. Who would make a magic cloak capable of concealing an entire Dragon? If she tried to have one custom-made, she'd probably be thrown out of the shop on the grounds of causing a disturbance.

After shrouding herself and everything around her with the concealment magic, Ophelia ceased her flight. She found a small town nearby, descended, and minimized her impact on the surroundings as much as possible. She then gently landed on top of a tall building in the town.

Perhaps because this town was already close to the Dwarven Autonomous Region, it appeared quite bustling. In the evening, the town's streets were illuminated, with various stalls and shops still lively. Many pedestrians walked by, nearly all of them mercenaries or adventurers. Their attire and equipment made it clear. Among them were also a few apprentice mages, with obvious signs of long-distance travel on their armor or magic robes.

They were most likely on their way to the Dwarven Autonomous Region, but due to various reasons such as "gathering magical materials on the way" or "taking on a commission to earn some money," they hadn't opted for flying ships or rail transportation. Instead, they chose to come by long-distance buses or even drove themselves, arriving in this town near the Dwarven Autonomous Region for their final rest.

With Ophelia's size, it was impossible for her to land directly on top of this tall building. This building was probably the tallest in the town, around twenty stories high. At most, she could step on it with half a foot. Moreover, if Ophelia landed directly, the building would likely collapse.

Therefore, Ophelia only lowered her head slightly, allowing Alice and Luna to jump onto the roof of this building from her head. Then, she opened her mouth again, emitting a few strange syllables. Her body was immediately enveloped by another magical array. Following that, her body began to shrink and transform.

Finally, what appeared in front of Alice and Luna was a silver-haired girl covered in blue scales. Clearly, this was Ophelia's humanoid form. Seeing Ophelia's human-like appearance, Alice finally understood why she didn't seem as excessively proud and difficult to communicate with as the rumors about other Dragon races suggested.

It turned out that Ophelia was a young Dragon, and judging by her appearance, she might have only lived for a hundred or two hundred years, which, from a human perspective, was like a child. So, compared to the Dragon races that had lived for hundreds or thousands of years, she was easier to talk to.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Of course, even though she was more approachable than other Dragon races, Ophelia's pride still shone through in her speech. Despite that, she felt that she was as restrained as possible when addressing humans. If it weren't for Alice standing before her, other humans who dared to scrutinize her with such an insolent gaze would have been slapped to death.

"Nothing, it's just my first time seeing a Dragon transform into a human. It's a bit surprising."

Alice shook her head, but she could understand why Ophelia had transformed into a human. After all, Ophelia couldn't allow anyone to notice that a Dragon had infiltrated the Dwarven Autonomous Region. However, she asked with a slightly strange expression as she looked at the scales on Ophelia's body, "Why did you leave the scales?"

"Of course, it's to turn them into clothes, you idiot."

Ophelia glanced at Alice, stating it matter-of-factly. With her words, her blue scales underwent a transformation, gradually becoming a light blue hoodie and jeans. It seemed that she was trying to add a touch of rebellion to her originally childish style.

However, considering that the scales were a part of the Dragon race's body, it could be said that Ophelia now appeared to be wearing clothes. In a way, she was "naked," wasn't she?

"Speaking of which, why is your hair silver?"

After seeing that Ophelia seemed to have completed her transformation, Alice raised a question about something she had noticed earlier. "I thought your hair should be blue, but it's actually silver... and the tips seem somewhat transparent."

"This is the color of my body itself. The blue color is just because the molecules on the surface of my body reflect blue light back, so you see it as blue. You know about seawater, right? Transparent seawater appears blue for the same reason. My body shares a similar property with seawater."

Ophelia glanced at Alice. Perhaps because of Alice's role as the Hero, Ophelia patiently explained to her. "But now is not the time to discuss my body. Let's see if there's a way to reach the Dwarven Autonomous Region in this town first."

---

Chapter 455: Luna Who Can't Read the Mood

"I'm visiting this town for the first time too. After all, I've just woken up recently... There are still many Dragons in the Dragon Valley asleep. When they wake up and see the information we left, they'll come here as well."

Ophelia, along with Alice and Luna, walked along the streets of the town. The three strikingly beautiful girls, including a loli, did attract some attention. However, in this world, while it had a touch of fantasy, the laws were quite strict, so no one dared to provoke them.

After all, engaging in any relationship with girls under the age of 14 could result in the death penalty. Moreover, both Alice and Ophelia had an aura that was far from ordinary, and their demeanor was not like regular people. If someone were to make a move, they would likely face severe consequences. Adventurers were cautious individuals, and even those with questionable morals wouldn't go looking for trouble.

Ophelia, now in her human form, had dispelled her concealment magic. Since she walked the streets in her human guise without arousing suspicion, there was no need to expend magical energy on concealing herself. Dragon language magic, while having special effects, also consumed a significant amount of magical energy.

"Since this is your first time here too, shouldn't we buy a map or check a smartphone map to see where the station is?" Alice asked with some confusion. Ophelia had claimed it was her first time in this town and seemed to be unaware of its name, which was located on the border of the Dwarven Autonomous Region. Yet, Ophelia walked ahead of Alice and Luna as if leading the way. "Where are we going?"

Their voices were hushed, and the general public wouldn't hear them. However, with their exceptional attributes in all aspects, including hearing, they could naturally hear each other clearly.

"This town is not the only one with Dragons. Other Dragonkin cannot recklessly enter the Dwarven Autonomous Region, so they've stationed themselves in this town and are waiting for information and the right moment."

Ophelia explained, "When I flew over this town earlier, I contacted them. They informed me of their locations. Now we're going to find them and see if they've gathered any useful information."

"Huh? You contacted other Dragons when you flew over this town?"

Alice was surprised by this revelation. She glanced at Ophelia, who was walking ahead of her, with a puzzled expression. "I didn't see you do anything special, so how did you contact them?"

"The vocal organs of Dragons are more flexible than those of all other races. They can emit sound waves with frequencies far beyond the hearing limit of ordinary races and use them for communication. If I'm not mistaken, she should have used this method to contact the Dragonkin when she flew over the town."

The one answering Alice was not Ophelia but Luna, who was walking beside her. "Humans generally refer to these sound waves as ultrasound. Of course, some mages who have studied soundwave magic can also hear ultrasound using certain soundwave spells."

"You seem to know quite a bit about Dragons... That's right, that's how humans refer to the high-frequency sounds we produce."

Ophelia glanced back at Luna with some surprise. She had thought that this maid was only here to serve Alice and had not expected her to be so knowledgeable. Ophelia had not sensed any significant magical power within Luna up to this point, and Luna had shown no intention of demonstrating her strength.

Alice, on the other hand, had a somewhat strange expression. She didn't expect to hear the term "ultrasound" in this fantasy world. It seemed that no matter which world it was, whether through magic or technology, there were often convergences in various areas. She wondered if this world would eventually develop nuclear weapons, although with the existence of forbidden spells, people here probably didn't care much about nuclear weapons. They were just as powerful as forbidden spells but left severe nuclear radiation, which seemed less preferable than forbidden spells. At least forbidden spells didn't cause significant disruptions to living beings and the environment.

"We're here. They said they're all inside."

While Alice was contemplating the differences between the two worlds, Ophelia finally stopped and Alice and Luna looked up. They realized they were standing in front of a rather inconspicuous bar. The bar's name was "Meteorite Bar," and it had a strong Dwarven style.

Of course, while the name sounded like it was named by Dwarves, it was probably just capitalizing on the reputation of the Dwarven Autonomous Region. It was like how most shops near tourist attractions would incorporate elements of the attraction's name into their own. In reality, when you entered the bar, you wouldn't find anyone related to Dwarves, from customers to the owner.

Ophelia pushed open the door of the bar and walked in. Alice and Luna followed closely behind. They immediately noticed about a dozen people sitting in the bar—aside from a middle-aged man behind the bar counter serving as the bartender, there were a dozen individuals who appeared to be customers, ranging in height and build, and of all ages.

What was most noticeable about these people was that they were all quite powerful, and they didn't seem to be holding back their magical power at all. As soon as Alice entered the bar, she felt that the fluctuations of magical power inside were almost about to shatter the tables. It was as if they were making sure that everyone knew how strong they were.

"Sorry, but we're not open today..."

The middle-aged man with red hair, who was serving as the bartender, heard the door open and raised his head. He had a rather bored expression on his face. However, as he was about to speak, he saw that it was Ophelia who had entered. He quickly changed his tone, "Oh, it's Ophelia. You've transformed into a human form as well... Who are these two young ladies? Is one of them the Hero?"

As soon as he spoke, Alice knew that the red-haired man behind the bar was also a Dragon. Judging by his hair color, he was likely a Fire-attribute Dragon. As for the other dozen people in the bar, they probably weren't human either but were Dragonkin.

"...Why are there so many of you?"

Ophelia didn't introduce Alice's identity right away. Instead, she looked around the bar with a somewhat displeased expression. After noticing that there were more than a dozen Dragons gathered in this town, Ophelia's expression didn't look too good. "I remember that only a dozen Dragons have arrived in this period. You all said you were going to gather information. How come all dozen Dragons are staying in this small town?"

"Well, the situation is a bit special..."

What surprised Alice was that the red-haired man seemed a bit fearful of Ophelia. Despite his appearance making him seem older than Ophelia, when Ophelia reprimanded him like this, he didn't dare to resist. "You know, there's someone in the Dwarven Autonomous Region holding the Holy Dragon's Covenant right now. So if we sneak in and get caught, we might be controlled by the Covenant..."

"So you haven't gathered any information for these past few months because you're afraid of being controlled by the Covenant?"

It wasn't Ophelia who responded to this question but Luna, who was standing beside Alice. As the former Demon Lord, she had no fear of the Dragonkin and directly summarized what this red-haired Dragon was trying to say.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the bar became somewhat awkward.

---

Chapter 456: The Three-Year Deadline Has Arrived, But...

The Dragon race, as a species, highly values their reputation. They are proud by nature, but they are not perfect beings and are bound to make mistakes. So, how do they preserve their dignity when they make mistakes?

Undoubtedly, the answer is to ensure that no one else finds out about it. In fact, while there haven't been many sightings of Dragons, over tens of thousands of years, there has been almost no record of Dragons embarrassing themselves. The reason is quite simple: anyone who witnesses a Dragon's embarrassing moment usually doesn't get a chance to spread the word.

Of course, Dragons are not as ruthless as they used to be. In the past, Dragons were extremely brutal and would not hesitate to kill witnesses. Nowadays, due to changes in the era, they might be a bit more lenient and not resort to killing over minor offenses. However, a certain degree of intimidation is still present.

Because Luna had concealed her magical power so well, unlike the Dragons in the bar who were releasing their magical power unabashedly, causing intense fluctuations, they had no idea about Luna's true strength. So, it was without a doubt that when Luna, a young human girl, bluntly exposed their embarrassing situation, the Dragon's gazes toward Alice and Luna became rather menacing, especially the red-haired uncle who had been talking to Ophelia, whose pupils reddened even further.

"Human girl, do you have no idea what's going on?"

The red-haired uncle stepped out from behind the bar counter, eyeing Luna with a dangerous look. Alice could clearly see that his pupils had turned into vertical slits, like fiery red flames surging in his eyes. An inexplicable pressure filled the entire bar, making the atmosphere uncomfortable.

It seemed that this was the so-called Dragon's Aura. When the gods designed the Dragon race, they seemed to have made them the "most powerful race," granting them a power known as Dragon's Aura, which could instill a sense of intimidation in almost all races.

Alice also felt this mysterious pressure, but it seemed to have no effect on her. On one hand, she was already powerful enough, and both Luna and she could easily ignore this pressure. On the other hand, Alice was a creation of the gods, a true divine being, whereas these Dragons were descendants of the original race. Even if Alice's strength were lacking, she suspected that this Dragon's Aura wouldn't have much impact on her unless the Dragon Lord personally intervened.

Luna, like Alice, completely ignored the Dragon's Aura in the bar. She faced the red-haired Dragon who had approached her with her usual calm expression and said:

"Isn't it the truth? You wanted to resolve the issue of the Holy Dragon's Covenant, so you specifically sought the help of a Hero. Yet, you haven't even done the basic job of gathering information. Do you think it's honorable to bring a Hero here without providing her with any information?"

Clearly, Luna's reason for speaking out was to voice her dissatisfaction on behalf of Alice. After all, Alice was helping them by coming here as a Hero, but they hadn't done their part. If Luna remained silent, would these Dragons have let Alice enter the Dwarven Autonomous Region without any information?

Even if Alice could accept it, Luna couldn't. Luna was not a Hero, and she didn't possess a noble soul. In fact, the fact that she had been chosen by the power of the Demon Lord indicated that her inner nature and sense of justice were far from virtuous. Therefore, she had no qualms about scolding these Dragons.

"You...!"

The red-haired uncle frowned, realizing that something was amiss. While he initially believed that these two human girls were just acquaintances of Ophelia, he now felt that his release of the Dragon's Aura had been completely ignored by the two of them. This made him feel somewhat uneasy.

However, as mentioned earlier, Dragons are a species that values their pride, so despite feeling that something was off, he didn't retract his display of power. He narrowed his eyes, seemingly prepared to give this human girl a lesson.

Before he could make a move, Ophelia spoke up. She looked at the red-haired Dragon with a hint of impatience in her tone.

"That's enough, Zugar. What she said is correct. You came here to gather information to resolve the issue of the Holy Dragon's Covenant. Yet, you've done nothing to progress in that regard. This is entirely your fault. Did you expect the Hero to do your job of collecting information for you?"

"Miss..."

Zugar, the red-haired Dragon, made an awkward sound, and his previously intimidating Dragon pupils returned to their normal state. Ophelia's words seemed to have directly dispelled his intention to take action, making him obedient.

However, the use of the title "Miss" surprised Alice. She didn't expect Ophelia to hold such a high status among the Dragons, being referred to as "Miss" by the apparent leader of the Dragons in the bar. It seemed that Ophelia was not an ordinary Dragon.

"We sought the help of a Hero because we were concerned that the other party might be the Demon Lord, and we couldn't handle it ourselves. We have requested assistance from the Hero, and yet you haven't even prepared the basic information. Do you think this is dignified? You are tarnishing the reputation of the Dragon race."

Ophelia didn't show any intention of giving Zugar face. She scolded him straightforwardly, "Furthermore, these two individuals with me are the current Hero, Alice, and her maid, Luna. With your attitude, if the issue of the Holy Dragon's Covenant isn't resolved well, don't blame us for punishing you."

"What? She's the Hero?"

Zugar was clearly taken aback by Ophelia's words. He quickly turned to look at Alice, and upon seeing her petite figure, he seemed momentarily bewildered. Then, he asked in confusion, "But isn't the Hero supposed to be a burly man like me? I remember seeing videos of one."

It turned out that when the Dragons woke up, they also saw the video on the magical network of Alice and Luna performing in front of the Elven Forest. In the video, the Hero indeed appeared to be a burly man, somewhat similar in physique to Zugar.

Seeing Zugar's slightly disappointed expression, it seemed he had expected the Hero to be someone of his own kind. Perhaps he was even looking forward to some kind of muscle-related exchange with the Hero. However, he was now surprised to find out that the real Hero was a young girl.