“Princess, Norton Ashley and Vice-Captain Bald are dead. Himan Ashley is still alive but is likely still trapped inside that Dungeon.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Mr. ‘Greater Demon’ Warlif.”
“Please, just call me by my name when we’re in human cities. Also, Lady Mary Bathory is very upset that you damaged her new subordinate without her permission.”
In a luxurious suite adjacent to Miss Hilvi’s room in a grand hotel in downtown Moravia, the information broker was selling the latest tidbits he had “heard.”
If Norton Ashley were still alive, he would surely recognize this man as the one who once taught him the tracking spell.
“Would the ‘True Ancestor’ ever be short of a toy? Tell Duchess Mary she’s short of men, and I’ll help her find new ones.”
“Understood. I will relay your words truthfully.”
The young lady responded with dignity, seated gracefully on the sofa. Slender and refined, she wore a blue-and-white dress adorned simply with lace and silver clasps, elegant and noble.
Though her hair was also golden, it lacked the gleam of the Greenville Imperial Princess’s locks. If anything, it was a shade somewhere between platinum and gold.
Her face was doll-like, and unlike Hilvi’s serene eyes, her blue eyes sparkled with cunning and liveliness.
“By the way, your brother once again petitioned His Majesty the King today to arrange a marriage with Miss Hilvi, but we rejected it.”
“Thank you for that. So, is there anything else you need me to do?”
“Just a simple matter. The master wishes for Princess Eveleel to visit the Empire, and we will arrange a small attack against you within the Empire’s borders.”
“Very well. Inform me once everything is in place. Anything else?”
“No, that’s all.”
The information broker bowed and retreated with an elegance not befitting a mere dealer in secrets. But as he neared the door, he paused.
“By the way, your new toy has also been inquiring about her two brothers. Should I tell her on your behalf?”
“No need. She’s special; your disguise probably won’t fool her. And besides, winning her favor is something I’d rather handle myself.”
“I see. Then I’ll take my leave.”
The man pulled his hood over his bark-like face, preparing to leave, but the young lady called after him.
“Warlif, watch your words. Hilvi is not a toy.”
It sounded both like a statement and an angered admonition. Undeniably, Eveleel was serious.
“Understood.”
The broker’s lips twitched into a smile. This “oddity” seemed to have fallen for someone—a rare and amusing occurrence for him.
After the demon left, the young lady rose and stood before the mirror. Her blue eyes lost their earlier cunning, appearing dull and lifeless.
She touched her cheek reflected in the glass and forced a bright smile before straightening her clothes…
Hilvi was the smartest and most beautiful girl she had ever met. When they first met, Hilvi was so nervous but desperately tried to appear calm.
Deep down, Hilvi possessed a rebellious spirit that refused to yield and a madness that would not stop until achieving her goals.
Eveleel was curious what kind of obsession could make a girl from the slums so strong and beautiful.
The aristocratic world around her was thoroughly rotten, and Hilvi’s presence was like a gem accidentally unearthed from the mire.
Keeping her as a prized possession was one choice—but destroying such a strong and beautiful woman was equally tempting.
It was the first time in her life she had such a dilemma. Perhaps this was what “love” felt like?
Lost in thought, she found herself at Hilvi’s door…
What should she say?
Right—she would ask how Hilvi felt after she helped deal with her two troublesome brothers. Though Hilvi probably wouldn’t open up so quickly, that was part of the fun, wasn’t it?
“Knock, knock, knock.”
“Hilvi, are you there? Come have some afternoon tea with me~”
……
Inside a room in the Dungeon, Su Yao, Chlorel, and Sofia furrowed their brows deeply.
Under Lilith’s mental magic, Bald had revealed most of what he knew.
But when asked about “that Lord,” his expression twisted suddenly, his eyes nearly bulging from their sockets.
He clenched his teeth, growling deeply, before falling silent.
The DP in the shop increased by over two hundred—he was probably dead.
Chlorel and Sofia were likely worrying over their country’s fate, while Su Yao was troubled by how to efficiently gather intelligence on this world.
She knew too little and couldn’t rely on upper-class humans like Chlorel and Sofia.
Lilith might know more but seemed unwilling to share it for free.
Simply put, she needed “ears and eyes” — both in the human world and the dark world.
The former was easier; the latter was a complete mystery.
Putting aside her troubles, Bald had given quite a bit of useful information.
Before the battle to defend the royal city, he had been persuaded by an information broker to meet “that Lord.”
After one night together, he became a vampire with powers stronger than most ordinary vampires.
The skill that interfered with Sofia’s abilities was called “Blood Mist,” a mid-level blood magic, roughly a level four to five spell.
Its principle was to turn separated blood into magical mist, evenly dispersed in the air.
The first time he caught Sofia, he used this skill. Because the Blood Mist was gradually infused into the air, the white-haired beauty initially thought she was simply tired from prolonged battle, which was why he found her weakness.
Ordinary vampires could only turn humans into Blood Slaves. More advanced vampires could create low-level vampires from humans.
By extension, Bald’s creator was at least a “True Ancestor.”
Moreover, she held considerable power, at least enough to influence personnel transfers within the Vichy Royal Guard.
In the worst case, the entire Vichy Royal Family might already be under her control.
Though the reason the “True Ancestor” was hiding in the shadows was unknown, as long as she remained in the Vichy Kingdom, Chlorel’s country had almost no chance of winning the war.
Besides this explosive bad news, there was another piece of information: the Vichy Kingdom’s Third Princess, Eveleel Vichy, was currently in Moravia.
Perhaps through her, Su Yao and the others could uncover the true situation of the Vichy Royal Family.
Of course, Chlorel’s somewhat hasty proposal to “kidnap the princess” was rejected.
Without fully understanding the enemy’s strength and background, provoking the Vichy Royal Family would be unwise.
The immediate priority was to develop the Dungeon and its surroundings to increase their own strength.
Still, reconnaissance was necessary. Su Yao decided to visit Moravia tomorrow to meet with Hilvi and discuss how to handle her unfortunate older brother.