"I'll have something light."
"Certainly, please wait a moment."
Seeing that this Lady Queen had no intention of leaving immediately, the demon bartender had no choice but to comply.
He quickly mixed a drink and placed it before her.
Luo Li took a small sip. The taste was not sharp at all; it was very light, with a faint hint of mint.
She was unsure what ingredients had been used.
Seeing that Luo Li was focused on her drink, the nearby demons gradually relaxed.
They began to speak loudly once more.
At the table closest to Luo Li, several individuals were discussing the recent human invasion.
"Have you heard? The human Saintess fell into the sea."
"I heard that too. The daughter of the neighbor of the foster grandfather of the cousin of the great-uncle of my brother said that war is about to break out on the West Continent."
"Your sources are all unreliable. Let me tell you, that Saintess has actually been captured long ago."
"What? If she's been captured, why hasn't she been demonized yet? It's been so many days."
"Are you stupid? With a Saintess in hand, wouldn't His Majesty the Demon Emperor have to have a taste first?"
At those words, everyone burst into coarse laughter.
However, one demon did not laugh.
"Give it a rest. You talk about capture, but do you have any idea how many of the lower-class died in this war?"
The lower-class? Did he mean the half-demons?
"How many?"
"Three hundred thousand elite lower-class went out to battle, and fewer than fifty thousand came back. All the ships we've spent years building were destroyed in a single blow. The only ones left are a few hundred, and they're all small boats."
"Where are they? How come I haven't seen them?"
"Of course you haven't. Those ships are docked at the place where the coalition army retreated recently. That's the only place on the west side of the demon island where ships can dock."
Luo Li listened to their conversation with feigned indifference, but her heart was filled with relief.
No matter how she looked at it, her strategic objective had been achieved.
Although she, the war commander, had ultimately fallen into enemy territory, she had at least remained undiscovered.
A force of three hundred thousand elite troops had been reduced to just a few tens of thousand.
This was enough to severely drain the vitality of the Western Demon Emperor, Asacreus.
At the very least, they would be unable to gather enough troops for another invasion in the short term.
Those who could be called elites were at least level ten.
They possessed an intelligence that, while not high, was at least sufficient to understand commands.
If they didn't reach that level, they couldn't be called elites at all.
It seemed this outing had yielded a significant harvest.
The key lay in those ships.
They were still at the location where the humans had evacuated.
Luo Li remembered that position clearly; it was to the southwest of the Demon King's Castle.
It was roughly two hundred kilometers away.
If she could return by ship, it wouldn't be a bad option.
Now, she had to prepare two plans: one involving a griffin and the other involving a boat.
She would prioritize the griffin. Flying back would certainly be faster than crossing the sea.
But if she couldn't obtain a griffin, she would have to make a move for the ships.
Luo Li had no desire to stay on this demon island any longer.
Although her arrival here was an accident, she had obtained a great deal of the information she wanted.
Of course, all of this had been within her considerations from the start.
Once she landed on the demon island, there were only two paths for her.
One was being captured in her Saintess state, which would basically be the end; she would have to give up on herself entirely.
The other was to blend in among the demons in her witch state.
By doing so, she could gather information about the demon race.
She had essentially achieved this perfectly.
All that remained was to return to the Kingdom of the Moon as quickly as possible.
If she stayed too long, things would easily go wrong.
With that thought, Luo Li glanced at the speakers and downed her drink in one gulp.
She set the glass down and turned to leave.
"Charge it to the Queen's Palace."
"Safe travels, Your Highness."
Even if Luo Li ate and drank for free, no one in the Demon King's Castle would stop her.
The status of a Lady Queen was just that noble.
This was simply the nature of such a morbid race.
She stepped out and headed back toward the palace.
Nothing happened along the way. As soon as she entered the main hall, she saw Mochizuki Shingen sitting in a corner.
He was cradling that katana in his arms.
"Why are you here? Didn't I tell you to wait in your room?"
Luo Li looked at the boy in surprise, only to see him slowly raise his head and look at her.
He scanned her from head to toe, seemingly confirming that she wasn't missing any limbs.
Once he was satisfied, he turned and walked into the inner room.
"Hey! This brat!"
Luo Li was stunned. Seeing that Mochizuki Shingen didn't even bother to answer, she huffed and sat down on the throne at the top of the hall.
She began to ponder ways to leave.
At this stage, there were only two options: the ships or the griffins.
She would try to solve the griffin problem first.
How could she get a griffin from the enemy's camp?
Should she borrow it, steal it, or... just brazenly demand one?
Luo Li pondered for a long time before letting out a long sigh.
It seemed she could only try to ask for one.
She just didn't know if he would be willing to give it to her.
To get a griffin, she would have to find Demon General Bryce.
The problem was that Luo Li didn't know if he would agree.
After thinking it over, she stood up immediately.
"Kid, let's go."
A flurry of footsteps came from the room, and soon after, Mochizuki Shingen walked out holding the katana.
He didn't ask a single question, nor did he say a word.
It seemed that during this time, he had grown accustomed to this way of doing things.
He simply followed Luo Li's orders without thinking?
Luo Li glanced at him and didn't waste any words, turning to leave.
She boarded the unicorn carriage reserved for the Queen and headed straight for Bryce's residence.
The inner city was where purebred demons and some high-ranking half-demons lived.
Bryce's home was located here.
The entire inner city had a population of only a few tens of thousands. If one named a famous demon, any coachman would know where to go.
When the carriage slowly came to a stop, a massive villa estate appeared before Luo Li's eyes.
Judging by its size, it was nearly a thousand square meters.
Stepping down from the carriage, the driver walked to the front gate and knocked.
He announced her arrival, and soon, Bryce appeared before Luo Li.
"So it is the Lady Queen who has graced us with her presence. My humble abode is truly honored."
Luo Li smiled. Bryce's words were quite pleasant; he was indeed a former human.
"General Bryce, I have something I wish to discuss with you."
"You are too kind, Lady Queen. Please, just say the word. A noble existence such as yourself does not need to be so formal."
This Bryce was truly skilled at flattery.
"It's nothing much. I simply want a griffin from you."
"A griffin?"
Bryce was startled for a moment, then he looked up to study Luo Li.
"What... do you need a griffin for?"
"Bryce, I told you before that I am currently traveling. As such, I need a means of transportation. I think a griffin would be quite suitable, so I wanted to get one from you."
"This... I fear I cannot make that decision."
"Oh? Then who can?"
"Only the Demon Emperor can authorize such a thing."
Luo Li's brow furrowed slightly. Seeing her expression darken, Bryce quickly explained:
"It is not that I am unwilling. Although I am the commander of the griffin army, the unit is directly under the command of His Majesty the Demon Emperor. Any mobilization or use of the griffin army requires his permission."
"I can lead them, but I cannot give one to you. Please forgive me."
She needed to see the Demon Emperor?
Luo Li's heart tightened.
From a distance, the Demon Emperor might not recognize her, but if she got close, her face was one he had personally greeted.
There was no doubt she would be recognized instantly.
If the Demon Emperor decided to interrogate her, she would surely be exposed.
"In that case... never mind. Shingen, let's go."
Luo Li pondered for a moment before turning to leave.
"Lady Queen, please wait a moment."
Just as Luo Li turned around, Bryce spoke behind her.
He then pulled a communication stone from his robe.
At the sight of it, Luo Li's gaze sharpened instantly.
Her entire body stiffened.
Depending on their cost, communication stones could perform either video calls or normal audio transmissions.
Bryce had taken it out right after mentioning the Demon Emperor.
There was no doubt he intended to contact him.
If a video call was initiated, her current situation would be exposed!
However, if she fled now, it would surely arouse Bryce's suspicion.
This was bad!
She could neither move forward nor retreat.
She was stuck.
The thought of her disguise being blown and being captured by the Demon Emperor made her blood run cold.
If she were a purebred demon, the Demon Emperor might not dare to do much, but if he knew she was the Saintess transformed into a Queen...
The entire demon race would surely go into a frenzy.
At that point, she would truly become the demons' plaything!
Thoughts flashed through her mind as the communication stone began to glow.
Soon, that familiar voice reached her ears.
"Bryce, have you found something?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, it is not about the human Saintess."
At the mention of the human Saintess, Luo Li's body stiffened violently, and even her pupils contracted.
However, Bryce, who was focused on the communication stone, did not notice this change.
Mochizuki Shingen, who was constantly watching Luo Li, did see it.
But his clever young mind kept him from speaking or acting out.
Instead, he slowly placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Although he didn't have much combat power himself, as long as the blade was in his hand, he would resist to the end!
Until his life faded away.
This woman beside him... though he didn't know why she helped him or why she hadn't eaten him.
At the very least, he was certain she was his only guarantee of survival.
If anything happened to her, his fate would be singular.
He would be thrown into a pot, boiled, and eaten by these demons.
He had seen such scenes countless times.
He had seen his kin thrown alive into boiling cauldrons.
He had seen the demons laughing cruelly as they held the lids down, listening to the screams and struggles from within.
He had seen them tie women to trees and use red-hot knives to carve meat from their bodies piece by piece, only to shove it into their mouths.
They laughed as they watched the women scream and weep.
Those scenes were etched into his mind.
These memories would follow him for the rest of his life until his very last breath.
He could never forget them.
This was a blood feud. He knew that as long as he lived, he would spend his life working to destroy the demons.
He could find no other reason to keep living.
The woman beside him was very strange. If he had to choose one demon to spare...
Then she was the only one he could ever forgive.
Of course, this didn't mean he had accepted her.
It was simply because he knew how to be grateful.
His mother had once told him that a drop of kindness should be repaid with a fountain of gratitude.
Since this woman had saved him, he naturally had to repay her.
Now, for some reason, she had suddenly become tense.
Her muscles were coiled, and even her sharp nails were shifting slightly.
It was as if she were ready to strike at any moment.
This made him realize one thing.
This woman... was about to start a fight.
Mochizuki Shingen couldn't understand why she harbored such hostility toward the Demon Emperor.
But that didn't stop him from being ready as well.
If this woman died, he would fight to the bitter end.
"Oh? Then what is it?"
"It is like this. There is a Lady Queen here who wishes for a griffin to use as a mount. I can only ask for your instructions."
"A Queen? What do those breeding machines that only eat raw meat want with such a thing?"
Although the communication stone was not a video call, Luo Li could still imagine the confused expression on Asacreus's effeminate face as he sat on his throne.
After a long silence, just as Luo Li felt that the Demon Emperor might want to meet her in person...
His voice came through the communication stone again.
"Hmm... if she wants one, give it to her. Don't give her the strongest one; just pick an average one. She is just a Queen; she only knows how to reproduce and cannot fight. Giving her something like that is a bit of a waste."
"As you command."
Bryce nodded.
Luo Li couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed the Demon Emperor had no intention of starting a video call.
"Lady Queen, His Majesty has granted your request."
As soon as those words were spoken, Luo Li's scalp tingled!
Because at this moment, the communication stone was still active.
In such a state, if the Demon Emperor heard her, he would surely ask questions.
Sure enough, the moment Bryce finished speaking, the Demon Emperor suddenly inquired:
"The Lady Queen is right there with you?"
"Yes, she is standing right before me. She came in person to ask for it."
At those words, the communication stone went silent.
Luo Li's nerves were stretched to the absolute limit.
She was like a leopard poised to pounce, ready for battle at any second.
If she could kill Bryce instantly, she might still have a slim chance of survival!
"Lady Queen, greetings. I am the Demon Emperor, Asacreus."
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