The aftermath of the battle still echoed through the forest clearing.
After expressing their sincerest gratitude and swearing to spread the truth, Kurt and the other survivors
prepared to leave, supporting their wounded companions.
"Thank you... I nearly got my whole team killed here."
"Really, thank you so much..."
Before leaving, their leader, Kurt,
thanked Cui Ciyou and his companions once more.
But just as they were about to leave, Kurt seemed to remember something.
Kurt hesitated for a moment.
Then, as though summoning tremendous courage, he walked up to Alice.
Under Alice's puzzled gaze,
Kurt suddenly dropped to one knee.
He took her right hand, clad in a brown glove.
Then he solemnly, gently kissed the back of her hand.
This was an ancient custom passed down among the Ogre tribes of the Demon Continent.
It conveyed gratitude and admiration. The custom of kissing a lady's hand did indeed exist in this world.
However, this particular display of etiquette
had an unmistakable impact on Lady Alice.
"-!!!"
Alice went rigid when he kissed her hand, her mind instantly going blank.
Her fiery red eyes widened, filled with disbelief and... a faint shudder of revulsion.
Several seconds passed. Only after Kurt and the others had gone some distance did Alice finally snap out of it.
"Aaah-!!!"
Alice let out a shriek.
She glanced at the glove on her right hand, which had been "defiled."
Visible disgust instantly spread across her face.
Without hesitation, she roughly yanked off the brown glove.
First, she scrubbed it vigorously back and forth against her sleeve.
But that did not seem to be enough.
After a moment's thought, she treated it like a piece of garbage.
She hurled the glove to the ground and ground it under her toe twice.
Only then did Alice raise