As her voice faded, Irene's lips curled up slightly, unable to hide the hint of slyness in her eyes as she watched the hesitant “big elf sister.”
In the mind of this not-so-serious little dragon girl, the person before her was currently disguised as a pure-blooded elf. And those long-eared, pointy-eared fellows were famously chaotic good creatures.
Their worship of nature and their continent-renowned goodness could only be rivaled by those high paladins who swung broadswords all day, wore airtight heavy armor, and yelled, “By the Holy Light! This evil looks like a worthy opponent!” whenever they saw a wicked creature.
Her words just now were undoubtedly a blatant, open trap.
If the other party didn't want to blow their cover and wished to keep up the persona of an elven traveler, their only choice was to head to the Underdark together.
When the time came, not only could she use the opportunity to test what this guy's true motives were, but she could also use him as a shield at a critical moment. If the people from the Eastern Kingdoms decided to make a move, having an adult white dragon blocking the front would buy them more time to escape.
If the other party blew their cover and chose to refuse, then a hard battle would be unavoidable.
At this critical juncture when the Eastern Continent was suffering from mutated creatures, that was the last scenario Irene wanted to see. Her goals extended far beyond the immediate present; uniting all forces that could be united to resolve the current crisis was her top priority.
Fortunately, without making her wait long, Irene received the response she hoped for.
“I... I am willing.”
Determination shone in Christine's eyes. His already flushed cheeks seemed to grow even redder from his fluctuating emotions, looking like a ripe peach that would burst with juice at a single pinch.
“I mean... as an elf who reveres nature and beauty, preventing this mutated catastrophe that could threaten the entire Material Plane is my duty and responsibility.”
Christine added another sentence. Noticing Irene's approving gaze, his face instantly grew awkward again. For some reason, even though the person in front of him was clearly his own daughter, he always had the illusion that he was facing “the kid's mother.”
The longer they spent together, the stronger this feeling became, to the point where some parts of his body that had been severely tormented in the past began to throb with phantom pain.
At some point, beads of sweat had formed on his forehead. They slid down his cheeks, lingered on his chin for a moment, and then fell with a soft splat onto the prominent chest that could not be hidden, before sliding down the cleavage into the bottomless abyss.
“A wise and selfless decision,” Irene said as she slowly stood up. Her eyes briefly wandered over Christine's sweat-drenched, glistening, and ample chest before she quickly regained her composure. She turned to look at her subordinates and instructed:
“Arthas, you will come with me. Fido, Gar, the two of you will head back to the empire first. You will be responsible for maintaining the normal operations of the empire while I am away.”
Gar, who was used to handling logistics, simply nodded upon receiving this expected order. Fido, however, looked completely dumbfounded, his dog eyes wide with confusion.
Before he could object, Irene spoke up as if she had anticipated this, explaining, “The journey to the Underdark will undoubtedly be fraught with danger. Fido, you and Gar are relatively weak. Accompanying us might lead to unnecessary losses.”
Seeing her loyal kobold subordinate's ears start to droop, Irene added in a flat tone:
“Of course, you have your own task. While maintaining the security and normal operations of the empire, I want you to gather our forces and be ready to reinforce us at any moment.”
“Once I encounter an irresistible danger in the Underdark, I will use my bloodline within you as an anchor to open a portal. At that time, I want to see an iron legion capable of sweeping away all enemies before us!”
Hearing this, Fido, who had been a bit downcast and self-deprecating because he felt he couldn't keep up with Her Grace, instantly regained the spark in his eyes. His ears perked up high, and he straightened his back, heavily striking his right hand against the iron plate covering his chest, producing a metallic clang!
“By your will! I will surely become a sharp sword hidden in the shadows! At your single command, I will clear away every enemy blocking your path!”
“Even if it costs me my life!”
After a slight nod of approval, Irene looked at Daviel, who was lying to the side, trying hard to suppress his excitement like a Husky waiting to be fed, his face practically writing, ‘I'm super awesome, I want to fight ten of them.’ She spoke calmly, “You will also return to the empire with Fido and Gar.”
“No problem! Watch me slaughter my way through—wait, what?” Receiving the order, Daviel confidently blurted out his response, only realizing what she had said halfway through. He blinked twice, and once he was sure he hadn't misheard, he suddenly sat up straight.
“Why, Sis? Are you joking? That's not funny at all! I, Emperor Daviel, am destined to suppress the ages, sweep through the Underdark, and dominate...”
Meeting Irene's unquestionable gaze, Daviel's voice grew quieter and quieter. Knowing he couldn't change her mind, even though his strength had ostensibly surpassed his sister's, he still subconsciously yielded, “But I'm really strong now...”
“I know you are very strong now.” Irene offered a rare, gentle, yet helpless smile. She walked around the stone throne to Daviel, placed a pale, delicate hand on the scales of his forelimb, and looked up at his massive head that blocked out most of her view.
“That is why I need you to return to the empire and guard its safety.”
“To prevent any unforeseen accidents or mishaps from happening to the Black Dragon Empire we built together while I am away.”
“Of course, when I need you, you can come with Fido to reinforce us.”
After saying this, without waiting for Daviel's response, Irene suddenly turned around and looked at Christine, who was still sitting on the stone chair quietly watching the scene. “Miss Charlotte, my affairs are all settled. Do you have anything else to prepare?”
“If not, I think we should set off now.”
“Prepare?” Christine, the redness gradually fading from his face, murmured softly. “I don't think I have anything to prepare.”
With that, she prepared to stand up.
But just then, a soft sensation brushed against her fair thighs as she moved. She looked down, and when she saw the green knitted hat resting on her lap, her eyes widened slightly. Certain circuits in her brain seemed to snap back together at that moment.
“Wait a minute!”
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