Not only did a certain blonde saintess find the behavior of Claire and the Radiant Monastery’s holy knights and clergy odd, but to Syl, posing as the nun who’d served Sophie-Lina since childhood under the Church of Light, their actions were downright bizarre.
Setting aside the gap in status, their excessive deference to a saintess candidate sent by the Church of Light—an entity they were nominally tied to but had long since separated from in terms of military and political power—was astonishing.
Even if Claire’s behavior could be explained by her ancient family’s adherence to impractical knightly creeds, the uniformly respectful attitudes of her subordinates were inexplicably peculiar.
Not a single person showed even a hint of hostility.
When Her Highness the Demon King casually mentioned tropical fruits a few days ago, the dining table was graced with rare fruits reserved for royalty the very next day.
It felt like the way museum-goers treat a priceless exhibit—cautious and reverent.
“They’re definitely suspicious, don’t you think so, Your Highness?”
Syl whispered, her voice low enough for only the two of us to hear, as we walked along the open corridor beside the monastery’s garden, her eyes scanning our surroundings.
“Hm, what?”
I turned my head, puzzled, mid-bite into a candy I’d just unwrapped.
She used to meticulously check if things were suspicious before eating them.
Has she already grown so comfortable here?
Syl let out an almost imperceptible sigh, retracting her gaze.
“I believe it’s best for Your Highness to leave this place as soon as possible, given we don’t know their true intentions…”
Her words trailed off as she noticed the silence beside her.
Turning, she saw I’d somehow acquired a pile of snacks from passing priestesses.
“Good morning, Your Highness Sophie-Lina! You’re adorable as ever today.
Want to try my freshly baked blueberry cookies?”
“Your Highness, you mentioned liking these cream buns the other day, so I had my mother send more.”
“I made these specially for Your Highness Sophie-Lina…”
She used to have some shame about this. Has she already grown so shamelessly accustomed to it?
Watching her Demon King Highness return with an armful of snacks, her cat ears and tail—matching her golden hair—twitching with her mood, Syl sighed again.
Gone was the elaborate saintess attire, replaced by light, casual clothing that gave off a friendly, cute vibe.
Ever since the Magical Disguise was exposed three days ago, word of Sophie-Lina’s “hobby” spread among the knights and clergy, and she gave up hiding it.
But before, she at least tried to conceal it. Has she fully embraced this adorable, dignity-free persona now?
Syl suspected much of this was encouraged by the monastery’s residents.
Comments like “so cute” and “it suits you” were one thing, but the real culprit was likely the endless snacks and praise showered on her as she walked by.
If I didn’t keep reminding myself this is Her Highness the Demon King and not some monastery pet cat, I might’ve forgotten why we came here.
“Syl, Syl, these cookies are delicious!” I said, eager to share my haul, only to meet her enigmatic stare.
“Does Your Highness remember why we’re here?” Syl felt compelled to remind a certain saintess-by-name, Demon-King-by-nature.
I froze, then patted my small chest confidently.
“Of course I do! Don’t worry, Syl. I’m acting like this on purpose to lower their guard and make them slip up. Then we’ll have the upper hand.”
It doesn’t look that way at all.
Syl’s gaze clearly conveyed her skepticism, likely due to my overly “authentic” performance these past few days.
I coughed awkwardly. “So, about gaining the advantage, I’ve thought it over. We can’t keep playing small. It’s time to shift to a strategic, big-picture approach to deal with them.”
Syl’s look turned curious, clearly wondering what grand strategy I had in mind.
“Not understanding is normal, Syl. Many principles in this world are interconnected,” I said, adopting a wise, mature tone, tiptoeing to pat her shoulder… or rather, her arm.
“Whether it’s an individual, organization, army, or nation, logistics and supplies are key to sustained combat. I plan to avoid direct confrontation and target their food resources instead. Hmm, this cookie’s a bit too sweet.”
“…”
So it’s just about being lured by food, isn’t it?
Before Syl could react further, I remembered something and wolfed down the cookie.
“Oh, right, I’m heading to the Black Prison Forest this afternoon to check on things. You don’t need to come with me, Syl… Don’t give me that abandoned-puppy look! It doesn’t suit your character.”
“I’m merely concerned for Your Highness,” Syl replied.
Though she said that, after spending so much time together, I could tell she was sulking. I stifled a laugh. “I’m not bringing you because I have an important task for you.”
“An important… task?” Syl asked, intrigued.
I gestured for her to crouch down and whispered my plan in her ear.
“Your Highness means for me to pretend to leave with you, then secretly return to the monastery to investigate?” Syl clarified.
“These past few days, my act should’ve lowered their guard. With me gone, they’re likely to slip up. So, I’m counting on you, Syl.”
I misjudged Her Highness.
She’s been planning all along.
Syl nodded, her expression unusually serious. “Understood.” Her flat tone carried a reassuring weight.
After all, Syl has never had much fondness for a monastery that treats her Demon King like a stray cat.
Though, to be fair, Her Highness is quite enthusiastic about it.
Declining Claire’s offer to send an elite holy knight squad or accompany me herself, Syl and I left the monastery for the Black Prison Forest.
Once we were far from prying eyes, Syl doubled back to carry out my orders and investigate the monastery’s secrets.
The Forest Ruins, unseen for days, were livelier than before. A bustling crowd gathered in one corner, giving me the illusion of standing in a city street.
While plenty of players were grinding levels, the majority were guild raiding parties and teams tackling the dungeon.
Leveling in Epoch was tougher than in other MMORPGs, but a few days were enough for players to climb from level 8 to 9, some even nearing level 10.
During this time, some, frustrated by repeated failures in the Black Prison Forest’s higher difficulties, left for other regions, hoping for new dungeons to open.
But unexpected developments brought them back.
The Radiant Monastery had dispatched a quartermaster to Soma Town, offering item exchanges that set players’ eyes ablaze—full sets of silver-tier equipment.
While silver-tier gear wasn’t unheard of, it was rare, and complete silver sets were even scarcer, typically reserved for elite guild members.
The monastery’s standardized sets outclassed regular silver gear, and all they required was Demon Black Soil, a drop from the Black Prison Forest’s high-difficulty modes.
Driven by the allure of silver sets, guilds pushed the dungeon to Hard mode clears in just days, now attempting Nightmare mode.
However, even Hard mode proved elusive, with no team achieving 100% completion.
The top spot on the leaderboard remained Stormwind Guild’s pioneering team at 80% completion.
After confirming the exchange mechanics with the quartermaster in Soma Town, I surveyed the dungeon’s progress and couldn’t help but smirk.
Rumor has it even Stormwind’s team struggled with the Shadow Swamp, barely brute-forcing their way through.
Looks like my plan’s working out nicely.
With a touch of schadenfreude, I headed toward the coordinates I’d agreed upon with Little Aunt.
…
At a corner of the Forest Ruins near the Black Prison Forest dungeon, a group of girls from different classes gathered, forming a striking scene that drew eyes—some cute and lively, others elegant or vibrant.
Yet they ignored the stares, engrossed in discussion.
“Sister Yoyo, is this really going to work? A method for high-completion Hard mode clears in the Black Prison Forest sounds sketchy,” Mushui said, skeptical after her own bitter experiences in the dungeon.
Scarlet Rain, the warrior, shrugged. “Why not give it another shot? I refuse to believe Hard mode is that tough.”
“Before you two start, find me a team that’ll let a fire mage like me in. This time, it’s do or die!” Yoyo pouted.
Recalling the chaos she’d caused in the dungeon and the multiple rejections from other teams, the girls couldn’t help but laugh.
Yoyo shot them a glare.
Autumn Waters smiled gently.
“Speaking of, Yoyo, didn’t you say your niece is around the Gruin Region? Why not bring her along? When that person arrives, we can take her through the dungeon too.”
“Yeah, yeah! I really want to meet Yoyo’s niece!” Dream Cradle chimed in.
“Exactly! You keep talking about her but never let us meet her. That’s just mean,” Elk added.
The topic sparked excitement, the girls chattering and teasing Yoyo.
Nightwish, silent until now, spoke up. “Didn’t Sister Yoyo tell you? The one coming to guide us through the dungeon is her niece.”
“Eh?”
“Huh?”
Amid their surprised gasps, Yoyo muttered to herself, If I hadn’t been eating dirt these past few days, why would I bring my adorable niece to meet this bunch?
Spotting a familiar figure, Yoyo’s eyes lit up. “Tongtong, over here!”
I was scanning for Little Aunt near the agreed spot when a cheerful voice called out. Before I could turn, I was engulfed in a hug.
“Little Aunt?” I blinked.
“Hehe, you feel just as nice in-game~” Yoyo said, rubbing my cheek before letting go. Her eyes turned curious as she noticed my appearance. “Wait, those ears… and a tail?”
Sensing her gaze veering toward “didn’t expect this fetish” territory, I hurriedly explained to salvage my image—and my future chastity. “Th-These are special equipment!”
“Special equipment like that?” Yoyo raised an eyebrow, still skeptical, but quickly dismissed it. “Whatever, it’s too cute! Like a ragdoll cat. Let Aunt Yuyu pet you!”
I knew this might happen. Sighing, I resignedly lowered my head.
But before Yoyo could fully indulge in the double joy of cats and her cute niece, she was pushed aside by a sudden swarm of figures.
“Is this the kid Yoyo was talking about? Oh my gosh, Nightwish, it’s that loli we met before! So cute~” Mushui squealed.
“Those cat ears are too adorable! Totally unfair!” Dream Cradle exclaimed.
“Can I touch the tail?” Elk asked.
“Even you, Dream Cradle? No way, I’m touching the tail and ears too!” Scarlet Rain joined in.
Caught off guard by the ambush, I felt hands on my head, chest, and even my butt. Desperately, I shot a pleading look at Little Aunt, trapped outside the circle.
The world’s gone mad. I’m actually begging Little Aunt for help.
Snapping to attention, Yoyo saw her niece being “assaulted” by the group and sprang into action. “How dare you! Let go of Tongtong! I haven’t even gotten my turn!”
That last part is the real point, isn’t it?!
I sighed in relief. At least Little Aunt’s reliable in a pinch. She won’t abandon me.
“Don’t be mad, Yoyo. Here, pet the ears,” Mushui teased.
“Oh, this texture… it’s amazing!” Yoyo gushed.
“Want to try the tail?” Scarlet Rain offered.
“Of course! I’m petting till I’m satisfied!” Yoyo declared.
I take it back. How can you cave so easily?!