Chapter Thirty-One: The Confused Young Girl

Elise had never imagined that time could feel so interminable. How long had it been since she awoke? Ten minutes? An hour? Perhaps even longer? She had no answer to this question; all she knew was that each moment stretched into eternity. She had tried to pass the time with prayer and meditation, but any slight movement brought an icy sensation against her skin, a cold reminder of her current predicament.

How utterly shameful!

Clenching her fists, Elise gritted her teeth. As the little princess of Onyx Stone City, she had never endured such treatment before. No—if it were merely imprisonment or torture, she could accept that. Even humiliation, she had prepared herself for. The subterranean world was harsh, and Elise, born here, understood this better than most. But this—this situation—she had no idea how to respond.

“Thud… Thud…”

At that moment, heavy footsteps echoed from the depths of the corridor. Hearing them, Elise instinctively curled herself into a ball, but quickly realized how disgraceful this posture was. She was a high-ranking mage; to display such timidity before the enemy was unacceptable. Resolute, she forced herself upright, glaring coldly at the bars before her.

Soon, two figures appeared in her line of sight.

The first was the young woman with whom Elise had fought. Her attire was unchanged from before. She squinted at Elise’s clothing, shaking her head almost imperceptibly, but said nothing. Elise did not acknowledge this gesture; instead, her gaze was fixed on the second figure standing beside the girl.

A mage.

Judging by the build, a man, though Elise could not discern his race. His face was concealed beneath a dark, voluminous robe, and not even Elise’s half-vampire vision could pierce the shrouding shadow. Only the glint of firelight reflected from his glasses was visible.

Yet Elise did not let her guard down. The instant she saw him, a sudden, inexplicable terror seized her—not from his power nor her current vulnerability, but a primal fear rooted deep within her blood. Like a rabbit confronted by a lion, Elise felt herself cornered by a beast, powerless to do anything but shiver. Even if her magic were unbound, she doubted she would dare attack this man—save perhaps in a moment of desperate, irrational panic.

Was this the Demon King?

Elise racked her mind, searching for answers. The legends about the dungeon were as muddled and exaggerated as those spun about dragon lairs on the surface. Aside from the universally accepted claim that "this is the palace of the Demon King," the rest was chaotic, even contradictory.

She could not fathom why the Demon King would build a palace in the material plane. Shouldn’t demons remain in their own realm? Why come here? Even on the surface, no god from the Sky Kingdom would descend casually to construct a temple—so why this?

But now, feeling his gaze, Elise was acutely embarrassed. She ought to maintain an unyielding composure, displaying the dignity befitting her status. Yet as she tried to lift her head and square her shoulders, the chill between her waist and thighs reminded her of her predicament.

She simply could not stand tall. Not even before her father had she ever worn such revealing attire! Now, forced to present herself before a strange man in clothing no different from what tavern wenches wore—how utterly shameless!

How amusing.

While Elise wrestled with her shame, Zann narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the girl before him. He had keenly observed her conflicted reaction upon seeing him—a skill unique to Zann, who could deduce intentions from a glance or a gesture. This ability had enabled him to survive in the chaotic Demon Realm, unlike those "consumables" who simply vanished.

In Zann’s eyes, Elise was momentarily stunned upon seeing him; her right hand, which had been shielding her chest, instinctively dropped, only to return just as quickly. She curled up, staring at him motionless. Though she had yet to utter a word, Zann was already confident he had grasped her character.

Proud, brave, self-respecting, somewhat conservative, and highly disciplined.

Her pride had yet to overcome her innate sense of shame, or she would have disregarded her attire and faced him boldly. Zann had chosen her outfit not merely for personal preference, but as an extreme psychological test.

It seemed she truly was a hothouse flower—battle-hardened, yes, but with her own blind spots...

Zann withdrew his thoughts, fixing the girl with an ambiguous smile. The legends claimed vampires were elves of the night; in a sense, there was truth to that—not just poetic exaggeration.

“All right, young lady, I believe we have matters to discuss,” Zann said, pushing his glasses. “If I’m not mistaken, you are from Onyx Stone City. What gave you the audacity to trespass into my palace and defy the taboo?”

His words were not empty threats; in the Underdark, the dungeon was indeed a forbidden domain. This explained Elise’s terror and her desperate attempt to escape with a teleportation scroll. But Zann had anticipated their arrival and ensured they would not escape so easily.

Elise, unaware of this, tried to rise and speak, but midway realized how easily she might expose herself, forcing her to shrink back. She glanced hesitantly at Zann before finally speaking.

“This… sir…”

She struggled for an appropriate address, ultimately swallowing the “lord” she had almost uttered.

“I’m sorry, sir, we did not know this was a dungeon. In truth, we were merely tracking the vanished merchant caravans from Onyx Stone City and accidentally…”

As she spoke, Elise watched Zann closely. She was no fool—she doubted the merchant caravans’ disappearance was unrelated to this man, but as a captive, she knew better than to press the issue. Yet she probed subtly, hoping to glean some clue.

“Those caravans?”

Zann pondered her words for a moment.

“Yes, we dealt with those caravans.”

“Why… why?!”

Elise was taken aback. She had expected denial, but Zann confirmed her suspicion without hesitation. What did this mean?

“It’s simple. They trespassed into our territory. You should know the rules of the dungeon… Do you think we’d tolerate those ugly, filthy creatures wandering near us?”

“Oh dear…”

Enoya closed her eyes in resignation. Her master’s skill at brazen prevarication had reached legendary heights. He had attacked the caravans first, yet twisted the narrative so their fate seemed self-inflicted. But, alas, the dead could not rise to protest Zann’s distortions.

“I see…”

Elise was left speechless. She knew nothing of the truth, but according to the investigation, the caravans had been attacked near the dungeon. The mage’s explanation was not without merit—every Underdark faction guarded its territory fiercely. If such incidents occurred around Onyx Stone City, Elise could not guarantee her father wouldn’t respond likewise.

“But…”

“You need not explain yourself to me,” Zann interrupted. “We can tolerate one or two infractions, but if anyone from Onyx Stone City dares venture into the dungeon again, we will regard it as an all-out declaration of war.”

“Please, wait!” Elise exclaimed, panic-stricken. Was this a joke? Onyx Stone City had only just begun to thrive amid the three surrounding powers, and provoking the dungeon would spell disaster. She knew the dungeon’s status in the Underdark was unparalleled; if angered, it could rally other forces to obliterate her city.

“Please, do not do this! We did not intend to provoke you. Onyx Stone City was unaware of the dungeon’s existence—we wandered here by accident… Allow me to return and inform my father. I promise, from this day forward, Onyx Stone City will never oppose the dungeon again!”

“That is merely your word, and I see no reason to let you go.”

Zann shook his head at Elise’s plea. She fell silent for a moment, then spoke.

“Then… what must I do for you to release me? I will swear a soul oath—by my blood and soul, I vow before the Blood Queen…”

“In the Underdark, nothing is cheaper than an oath,” Zann waved dismissively, cutting her off. His lips curled in a faint, enigmatic smile as he regarded the girl.

“But, if you are willing to help me with something, I may consider your request.”

“Really?”

Hope flared anew in Elise’s eyes. She raised her head, clenched her hands, and stared at the man before her, speaking with determination.

“If it is within my power, I will do anything!”

Zann pushed his glasses, a trace of a smile barely perceptible at his lips.

That’s the answer I was waiting for…