Wait?
Why had this Demon Emperor suddenly become so polite?
Moreover, his tone sounded exactly like someone trying to greet others with a forced smile.
"Are you the Western Demon Emperor, Asacreus?"
Luo Li intentionally lowered her voice, fearing that her original voice might be recognized.
If she were exposed, she would have no choice but to kill Bryce, slaughter every demon in the estate, and then make a break for it!
While Luo Li's heart was pounding, on the other side of the communication stone...
The Demon Emperor's expression had turned incredibly sour.
That idiot Bryce! Why didn't he mention there was a Queen right next to him!
Wasn't he obviously trying to make him look bad?
Although the Demon Emperor looked down on these Queens who didn't fight at all, the demon race would be completely finished without them.
Without the purebred demons, the half-demons would eventually be depleted.
Once the purebred demons died out, the half-demons would follow.
Furthermore, given the status of a Queen among the demons, if the Queen Empress ever found out how he addressed them...
She might very well rally the other Queens to oppose him.
The failure of this recent war had already made his life difficult enough, and the Great One had even expressed fury.
If he weren't still somewhat useful, he would probably be dead by now.
If this group of Queens started whispering in the Great One's ear, would he have any future left?
Upon hearing the girl's voice, the first thought that crossed the Demon Emperor's mind was...
It sounded a bit familiar.
But then he reconsidered. Aren't all women the same?
Perhaps one of the females he had toyed with in the past had a similar voice.
What truly concerned him was: Was the Queen angry?
That wouldn't do!
If he truly provoked them, given his current predicament, he absolutely could not withstand the condemnation of a collective of Queens.
"Cough, cough... just now, um... well, Bryce!!"
Suddenly, the Demon Emperor on the other side of the communication stone shouted, nearly causing Luo Li to strike.
It also startled Bryce.
"Your Majesty, I am here."
"Quickly, pick a good one for the Lady Queen. The best one! Don't ask why, just go!"
"Uh... as you command."
Bryce was stunned. Didn't he just say to pick any piece of junk?
How did he change his mind in the blink of an eye?
On second thought, Bryce could only manage a helpless smile.
Indeed, did the Demon Emperor have any other choice now?
If this conversation reached the ears of those Queens, his position as the Demon Emperor probably wouldn't last much longer.
The voice from the communication stone became polite once more.
"Lady Queen, I have some urgent matters to attend to, so I won't disturb you further. If you need anything, just speak directly to Bryce. Feel free to ask for whatever you need, uh... you there."
"Your servant is here."
"Give the Lady Queen whatever she asks for. As long as she needs it, nothing is off-limits. I have some urgent business, so I'll leave it at that. Give her my regards."
With that, the communication stone went dark before Luo Li could say another word.
Luo Li blinked, and she and Bryce stared at each other.
Well!
All that tension for nothing.
It turned out... even this Demon Emperor was afraid of the Queens?
Relief washed over her, and a faint smile tugged at the corners of Luo Li's mouth.
"General Bryce, I assume it's settled now?"
Without a second word, Bryce nodded.
"Leave it to me. If there is anything else you need, I will have it delivered to you."
"No need for delivery. Just take us there now."
"So soon?"
Bryce was taken aback; he hadn't expected this Lady Queen to be so impatient.
"I want to try out the griffin."
"Oh, that is no problem at all. Please, follow me."
Bryce nodded, gave a quick instruction to his butler, and turned to lead Luo Li straight to the flight platform.
That flight platform was the one Luo Li had seen when she first entered the sinkhole upon her arrival.
On the massive platform, approximately two thousand griffins were currently resting.
These griffins were kept very clean.
Some were even bathing in a nearby pool of fresh water.
Specialized half-demons were there to tend to them.
It was clear that these griffins were a very precious race to the demons.
As she observed them, she couldn't help but think of another race.
The feathered serpent tribe.
That race had left a deep impression on her.
They were a race capable of contending with the dragon tribe.
As the saying goes, a demonized form is thrice as strong, while the purified version is only a fraction of its former power.
But these feathered serpents were truly impressive.
If they weren't demonized, a feathered serpent in its normal state could probably fight a dragon one-on-one to a draw, right?
How did such a powerful race end up among the demons?
"Bryce, how much do you know about the... feathered serpent tribe?"
"Are you asking about the vassal race?"
Vassals?
Oh right, 'feathered serpent tribe' seemed to be what the dragons called them.
'Vassal race' was likely the demon term for them.
"Yes, those flying ones that look like snakes."
Luo Li followed Bryce's lead, and Bryce, suspecting nothing, continued his explanation:
"Regarding the vassal race, I do not know much. However, aren't they all the vassals of the Queen Empress? If you are interested, why not ask the Queen Empress herself?"
The Queen Empress's... vassals?
So, the feathered serpent tribe didn't report directly to the Demon Emperor, but were instead the vassals of the Queen Empress?
"How many feathered serpents are in West Demon City?"
"Reporting to the Lady Queen, there are six in total, though two of them have not yet reached adulthood."
Six feathered serpents. Even the juveniles likely possessed combat power no weaker than a dragon's.
It was hard to imagine that a single Queen could control such formidable fighting force.
What was strange, however, was why only the feathered serpents were seen in the last war, while the Queen was nowhere to be found?
The furrow in Luo Li's brow slowly relaxed.
Right.
The Queen bore the heavy responsibility of demon reproduction; she couldn't possibly go to the battlefield.
Even if a Queen wanted to, the demon race wouldn't allow it.
In a city like West Demon City, with a million half-demons and tens of thousands of purebred demons, there were only seventy-three Queens.
Such a ratio proved just how precious a Queen was.
Thinking further, if they were so precious, they must have a vital function.
Reproduction was likely the primary task of the Queen lineage.
Fighting and such were left to the rest of the demons.
Judging by the Demon Emperor's attitude just now, it seemed Queen Isis held significant influence.
But strictly speaking, Luo Li wasn't actually a Queen.
Her status was clearly defined by her title.
She was the Moon Witch.
If she were a Queen, she would have the title of Queen.
But now her title was Moon Witch and Brilliant Witch.
It seemed 'Witch' and 'Queen' did not mean the same thing.
Following that logic, perhaps there really was a position known as a Witch.
Luo Li wanted to ask, but she didn't know how to broach the subject.
After all, she currently had no idea what kind of status a Witch held.
Was it above the Queen Empress or below her?
Was the number of Witches limited within the demon race?
If there was only one, asking the question would inevitably arouse suspicion.
Luo Li abandoned the idea of questioning Bryce about it.
Otherwise, if she were exposed, she would have to resort to force.
In a surprise attack, she was confident she could kill Bryce.
With her three Authority skills, even a level sixty powerhouse wouldn't be able to react in time.
Unless they reached the level of the Demon Emperor, whose neural reflexes were on a completely different level from ordinary creatures.
Even then, it would be a seventy-thirty split in her favor.
Such was the power of special class skills.
In a one-on-one situation, she even had the ability to assassinate a level seventy powerhouse.
Of course, that assumed the Demon Emperor didn't have his own Authority skills.
Otherwise, what if the Demon Emperor suddenly used a cheat-like ability to kill her back?
Therefore, she couldn't be reckless or panic; she had to take things step by step.
"Lady Queen, we are almost there."
As he spoke, Luo Li looked up, and the massive platform finally appeared before her.
The carriage slowly came to a stop, and Luo Li stepped out onto the platform without a moment's delay.
Seeing the vast number of griffins, she couldn't help but feel excited.
If she could bring all of these to the Kingdom of the Moon, wouldn't the kingdom become even stronger?
Should she take them?
Forget it. If she actually asked, the Demon Emperor would likely consult with the Queen Empress immediately.
If things went south, she would be exposed. At this stage, she should focus on finding a way back to the continent.
As for the griffin, she would release it once she reached the continent and let it go wherever it pleased.
"Lady Queen, I will go pick out a few of the best for you to choose from."
"Good, go on."
Luo Li nodded and stood on the platform waiting in silence.
Mochizuki Shingen, holding his katana, looked up at the giant creatures. He quietly approached Luo Li and whispered a question:
"Is the danger gone?"
Luo Li gave him an 'OK' gesture, though Mochizuki Shingen looked completely bewildered by it.
However, seeing the smile on Luo Li's face, he finally felt at ease and slowly loosened his grip on the sword hilt.
Before long, Bryce returned with five griffins.
These five were significantly larger than the others.
"Please look, Lady Queen. These are the best griffins in the griffin army. They have great endurance and explosive power, and they are capable of long-term flight."
"Even if you wanted to fly from this side of the demon island all the way back to the continent, it would be no problem at all."
These words were, of course, meant as flattery, though Bryce didn't know how close to the truth he was.
The moment he finished speaking, Luo Li almost prepared to activate her ultimate skill.
Fortunately, Bryce was only saying it as a joke.
His goal was simply to boast about his griffins.
Seeing that his expression wasn't strange, Luo Li relaxed slightly and studied the five griffins before her.
She didn't have time to look for long and simply pointed to one at random.
"That one."
The griffin looked confused.
Such a massive flying beast possessed a certain level of intelligence.
While it didn't quite understand why it had been brought before a female demon, it didn't forget to show off its masculinity.
Um... Luo Li felt like that thing was intentionally mocking her.
Maybe she should just castrate it later?
I lost my own equipment, and now you dare to flaunt yours in front of me?
Who else would I cut if not you?
While Luo Li was thinking such thoughts, Bryce didn't forget to continue his praise.
"As expected of the Lady Queen, you recognized the best one at a single glance. This is our strongest griffin, not only in terms of explosive power and endurance, but its combat capabilities are also outstanding. Even if it encounters small dragons, it won't be at a disadvantage. I am truly impressed by your eye for quality, Lady Queen."
"Enough flattery. Can I ride it now?"
"Of course. These griffins have been domesticated and are very obedient. You can try it out right now."
Luo Li nodded and vaulted onto the griffin's back. The creature was indeed obedient; with a sharp screech, it spread its wings and took flight.
Luo Li circled in the air, confirming that there were no issues with controlling it.
Only then did she land.
"Alright, this is the one. I'm leaving tomorrow. Make sure you pack enough supplies, and bring plenty of food for it as well."
"Please rest assured. I will personally supervise everything to ensure there are no problems."
Hearing Bryce say this, Luo Li finally felt relieved.
She nodded, got back into the carriage, and returned.
As for the griffin, she would let Bryce handle the preparations.
She would say goodbye to Isis before she left.
If nothing else, as a guest in someone's home, it would be too strange to leave without even saying a word.
Upon returning to the Queen's Palace, she took a rest and washed up.
Then she headed out to the largest palace.
The handsome demon at the door saw Luo Li arrive and quickly went inside to announce her.
In a short while, Isis came out to greet her personally.
"If it isn't little Li Luo~ what brings you to my place today? Come in, come in. I just found a few new sub-lovers; let's try them out together. Big sister will make you feel like you're in heaven."
Heaven my foot!
You bad woman, don't try to corrupt me.
"No thank you. I've come today to bid you farewell."
"Eh!? You're leaving already? Why not stay for a few more days? I was thinking of inviting the Queens from the outer islands for a visit in a few days. Wouldn't it be nice to go back with them then?"
Isis's words made Luo Li's skin crawl.
Good grief, wait for the outer island Queens to arrive?
By the time they get here, I'll be cooked!
"There's no need. I'm not taking the same route as them. I still want to see more of other places."
"Oh... did little Li Luo not find a sub-lover she liked? That truly is a pity."
Isis looked visibly disappointed. Her body emitted a captivating aura.
This aura clearly had a powerful influence on males.
The handsome demons began to daze as they looked at Isis.
Even the female half-demons couldn't help but look on with misty eyes.
Was this the power of a Queen?
She certainly was powerful... and well-endowed.
Luo Li looked at Isis's chest, which was nearly bursting out of her bodice, and thought such malicious thoughts.
"Since little Li Luo must go, I won't stop you. By the way, when will you visit again? I'll definitely hold a grand banquet to welcome you then."
Isis's words made Luo Li's scalp tingle.
Are you kidding? She never wanted to set foot in this place a second time in her life!
Rather than playing mind games with these demons here...
She would much rather go back and live peacefully as a Saintess.
After chatting with Isis for a while longer, Luo Li stood up to take her leave.
Under Isis's reluctant gaze, Luo Li returned to her temporary palace.
The next day.
Luo Li finished all her preparations and left the palace.
She mounted the griffin.
Destination: Kingdom of the Moon, Brilliant City.
She was going home!
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