I Will, Ma'am (cont.)

Mwah~

Her small, soft lips gently touched Maria's lips... She didn't kiss her, but only touched the corner of her mouth, then quickly moved away like a startled animal.

Goodbye, Madam Maria.

She looked at the other person, her face flushed red, and hid her blushing face with her book before timidly running towards her clan.

Watching the girl walk away, Warfarin jokingly approached Maria.

"How was the little girl's sweet kiss?"

"..."

Maria did not reply; she simply rose silently, her demeanor calm.

"You don't seem surprised?"

"I've always been good at winning over these kids."

"Well... although I know it's possible, it feels strange that you're saying it outright."

"I don't know why, but the fact is, people around me tend to develop feelings for me easily... I've seen it many times, but they never say it out loud."

Maria spoke softly, her eyes slightly lowered.

This wasn't some kind of narcissism or boasting on her part, but rather a conclusion she genuinely drew from her own experiences.

She seems... to be very easy for these insecure children to like.

However, she never directly responded to any of them.

Maria had also discussed these matters with the Doll, but the Doll didn't seem particularly happy about it.

Seeing Maria's earnest answer, Warfarin didn't know what to say.

She simply scratched her head and sighed.

"Alright... Although I still don't know who you are, you've been quite nice these past few days... just a little strange."

What are your plans for the future?

"..."

Maria did not answer; she simply looked at Warfarin in front of her.

The Warfarin today was quite different from the one she had seen before.

On Rhodes Island, Warfarin may have seemed unserious, even comical, but she was already clearly capable of handling things on her own. Despite her comedic antics, no one doubted her competence.

But now, this Warfarin is clearly more immature.

Are you planning to do something?

"Me?" She didn't seem to have any particular thoughts on this. "I'll probably be the same as before... You might not know, but I'm actually a pretty famous 'three-no' doctor (no job, no connections, no connections), always wandering around. The reason I set off to protect these people this time is because of the former clan chief. I watched that old man grow up, so we have some kind of relationship."

"I'm soft-hearted and can't bear to see them cry, so I thought I'd help in any way I could."

"Now that everything's over, I should go."

"But speaking of which... you seem pretty good at fighting. Interested in taking a walk with me? The situation is so dangerous right now, having a doctor around would be reassuring, wouldn't it?"

Warfarin smiled, her words as eccentric as her future self.

Maria also had some ideas about this suggestion.

But after a moment's thought, she still refused.

She came here to find the Demon King and see if he knew anything about the Great Ones.

As the leader of a territory, Maria felt that the probability of encountering the other party in the city was higher than that in the wild.

So she also planned to go there and ask about the situation.

Warfarin wasn't disappointed by Maria's rejection.

She simply pushed her backpack aside and shrugged.

"So, we're parting ways like this?"

"Um..."

"Well, here, take this." Warfarin said, biting her finger and gently tapping it on Malaya's hand.

The blood that seeped out only flowed on the surface of Maria's skin and could not penetrate it.

This puzzled Warfarin.

"Huh?"

After trying several times, she was somewhat helpless. She had no choice but to turn around and painfully take out a small glass about the size of her little finger, squeeze a few drops of her blood into it, seal it, and hand it to Maria.

"Although I'm quite easy to talk to, you should still be careful. You must have heard many terrifying rumors about the Blood Demon. I can tell you with certainty that these rumors about us are true. The Blood Demon are just a group of seemingly calm madmen."

"This thing has my blood on it, which means you're my prey or something. If you ever encounter another Blood Demon attack, just take this out. Unless those guys are starving, they'll give me this favor."

Warfarin waved and left.

As she was leaving, she sucked on her fingers with a touch of heartache.

If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have pretended to be cool by biting her finger; she would have just used her Originium Arts to extract some blood.

Watching the other person leave, Maria, now alone again, slowly stuffed the Blood Vial into her pocket, silently turned her head, and looked at the gray city behind her.

It's time for me to set off too...

Maria did not enter the city through the proper channels... that is, through the main gate.

Warfarin's words reminded Maria that although she was somewhat similar to the Sarkaz Blood Demon, the Blood Demon could still clearly distinguish that she was not one of them.

Considering that the Sarkaz race's centuries-long wars with other races had etched hatred into their very being, if it were discovered that she wasn't Sarkaz, the trouble would likely be even greater... so she didn't waste any time entering through the main gate.

Instead, they turned and came to the city from a gloomy, shadowy place.

Although they had entered the city, Maria felt that the people in the city were not much different from those outside.

The people here are still not dressed properly, and the passersby look anxious and uneasy.

The gray sky seemed to be a reflection of this race; they were never allowed to see the sun.

In the streets and alleys, you can hear people discussing the war everywhere.

On a more optimistic note, this war, like other smaller conflicts, will end after a while, and the Sarkaz will remain standing on this land.

Pessimists believe that the Sarkaz have won every war with difficulty in recent years, and this time the Allied Forces is unprecedented in size, making it difficult for them to muster enough troops to deal with it. They argue that this war may force the Sarkaz into another era of exile.

Even worse, after this war, the Sarkaz will become history.

But whatever their perspective, at least at this moment, they are still living on this land.

To survive, they need to work.

The city continues to function, and the shops remain open.

Maria wandered around for a while, but after failing to gather any useful information, she reluctantly lowered her head to think about what she should do next.

"Although we're going to see the Demon King, if we just go like this, we probably won't be able to meet him."

Maria pondered, and had to consider her next course of action.

She could have simply found out where the Demon King's camp was and fought her way there to meet him.

But since Maria wanted to ask her about something, she didn't want to leave a bad impression unless absolutely necessary.

Moreover, the Sarkaz's identity as a demon lord is quite special. Maria's attempt to plunder his memories through step-by-step battles in the Hunting Ground could have immeasurable consequences.

Therefore, Maria must carefully consider the circumstances and her identity when meeting the other party.

As for now...

Maria looked up.

In front of her was an unnamed tavern.

After a moment's Maria, Maria, with her eyes slightly lowered, slowly walked inside...

"I'm so sorry to put this pressure on you... my child."

In the heart of the city, within the vast Royal Court.

Ancient and mysterious paintings are carved on the towering black stone walls.

Slender green vines spread between the stone pillars, and outside, there were lush green flowerbeds.

Sunlight filtered through the graceful stone pillars, casting their reflections within the spacious temple grounds.

Amidst the lush flowerbeds, the old woman sat beside the Sarcophagus, silently waiting.

Elegant women entered the venue one by one, dressed in elaborate black gowns.

Each of them is a woman of exceptional figure, and their slightly aloof expressions possess an irresistible charm.

They gathered here to welcome a farewell.

Right in the very center of everyone's group, the old woman slowly rose and looked at what was in front of her.

An elegant woman, surrounded by her companions, quietly walked forward.

Even among the Banshees, who are known for their beautiful women, the girls' appearances are astonishing.

Her slender figure accentuated her mesmerizing face.

Her long, slender eyelashes trembled slightly as her eyes opened, and her slightly red lips appeared even more vibrant with each breath.

She wore that black dress, and her demeanor was gentle and captivating.

She tilted her head back, looking at the slightly aged woman in front of her, her lips exhaling a fragrant breath.

"Please don't worry about it, this was my own choice... You didn't do anything wrong."

She smiled, like a blooming white flower.

Seeing the girl's posture, the old woman felt even deeper remorse.

She took a deep breath and looked at the girl with a worried expression.

To be honest, under the current circumstances, choosing to hand over the position of the ruler of the Royal Court to the other party seems like an attempt to shirk responsibility.

But this was actually something that had been planned long ago.

Years ago, she realized that her body was gradually failing her... So she chose from among her kin the next pure-blooded Banshees to inherit the title of Queen of the Royal Court.

The idea of the girl inheriting this identity was something that had been discussed long ago.

Even in war, the Banshees, who are detached from worldly affairs, should be able to smoothly complete the handover.

But this time, the situation is different.

Even for the Sarkaz, who haven't truly won in many years, the current situation is still dire.

Faced with the Allied Forces's attack, the Sarkaz formed six fronts... but now, all six fronts are sounding the sound of defeat.

The southwestern front was declared to have fallen.

And this was only a month after the war began.

The old woman realized that this war was different from any other.

It came more fiercely, more violently, and more terrifyingly... Even the Banshees were unlikely to remain uninvolved.

As the ruler of the Banshee Court, she should have persisted under these special circumstances and handed over power to the girl when the situation was more suitable.

But...

She looked at the muscles in her arms that were gradually atrophying and couldn't help but sigh.

After a moment, she looked up at the girl in front of her with a serene expression.

"Lamaline, my child, this is the last time I will ask you this... Even if you give up here, no one will blame you. The Banshee Court can no longer remain aloof during this war. If you accept this identity, it means your future will be firmly fixed in this position, to face this unprecedented disaster."

The old woman's eyes were filled with pity.

Even so, are you willing to shoulder this responsibility?

"I have come before you; is that not enough to demonstrate my resolve?"