Varg burst into the throne room with momentum, his claws scraping against the stone floor as he braked sharply and fell to his knees.
His chest heaved, and his nostrils quivered from the sensory overload of scents he had brought with him from the outside.
"My Lady!" he rasped, bowing his head. "A group of suspicious monsters is prowling near the former village of the Blood Fang tribe."
Lysandra, who had been standing unmoved by the throne, furrowed her brow slightly. The icy chill radiating from her seemed to intensify for a moment.
"Suspicious? Why would they return there? That place is completely deserted now."
"These monsters are operating with extreme caution, My Lady," Varg replied, without looking up. "They skulk in the shadows, scout the terrain, and look for tracks. We aren't certain of their motives yet, but they don't look like ordinary travelers."
Suddenly, a voice rang out in the hall that no one expected.
"I know!" Elina blurted out, her ears standing at attention.
Kala looked at her with an ironic smirk, toying with a strand of her hair. "Enlighten us then, little bunny."
"In the City of Aethelgard..." Elina hesitated for a moment, meeting the succubus's gaze, but continued, "...a great guild was formed, bringing together various heroes. These people might belong to one of the scout units, specifically the Red Blood Hero Association."
At the mention of the city's name, Lilith's eyes opened wide.
A city?
"How do you know about such things?" Lilith asked, her voice filling the hall with a low, vibrating tone.
"When Verial held me captive, I heard him bragging," Elina answered quickly. "He said the Red Blood Hero Association was eagerly inviting him into their ranks. That group only accepts the strongest heroes with the greatest potential. They promised him plenty of privileges, gold, and influence if he joined them."
Lilith rested her chin on her hand, analyzing the facts. It explained everything.
Verial and his entire powerful tribe had suddenly vanished from the face of the earth. The guild that had invested its hopes in him was bound to notice. They sent scouts to check if their future trump card had been slain by a monster or had simply fled.
"Let me investigate them!" Elina unexpectedly stepped forward, clenching her hands into fists. "I am a hero, too. Thanks to my mimicry, I can disguise myself and blend into their crowd. They won't suspect me!"
The last few days had been a painful lesson in humility for Elina.
She had realized one brutal truth: in the Forest of Chaos, a lone hero of Level 1 or even Level 2 is just a snack. To survive and become someone great, she needed support. She needed Lilith. She had to prove her worth to transition from a slave to someone worth keeping around.
Lilith watched her in silence.
She saw the benefits of having a spy who spoke the language of heroes and knew their structures. A "Fallen Hero" was an ideal tool, but still too fragile and unpredictable.
"I can allow you to operate freely and independently outside the castle," Lilith said slowly, reaching into her subspace.
She pulled out an old, blood-scented parchment and unfurled it with a quiet rustle. "But first... we must enter into an official agreement."
Lilith spread the parchment before Elina, and its crimson writing glowed in the darkness as if sensing the proximity of a new victim. She hadn't expected the prize Elina brought from the destroyed nest to be used so quickly - and against Elina herself.
The terms of the contract were merciless and extremely one-sided: Elina could not reveal any information about the Valley of Darkness, Lilith, or the succubi without her Mistress's express consent.
Furthermore, she was bound to absolute obedience to every command. Lilith, on the other hand, took on no obligations - she remained completely free, while the rabbit girl placed her fate in her hands.
In normal circumstances, this would be slavery, but in this world, it was simply the cheapest way to build a foundation for cooperation.
"I'll sign it!" Elina did not hesitate for a second.
She knew that without this signature, she would always be just a suspicious captive who could be killed or locked in an ice cage at any moment. The contract was her only path to true, albeit controlled, freedom.
She grabbed her short sword and, with a steady hand, cut her palm.
As several drops of red blood fell onto the parchment, Lilith also cut her finger. Her blood, darker and thicker, infused with draconic essence, hit the paper with a quiet hiss.
At that exact moment, the contract exploded with bright, blinding light.
Elina felt an invisible, formless thread tighten within her mind and soul, binding her to Lilith. Although this particular "Blood Contract" was not a top-tier item - its magical bonds were set to expire after a year - it was perfect for their current needs.
A year in the Forest of Chaos was an eternity, enough time to build an empire or die a thousand times.
To the surprise of those present, Elina felt relief instead of fear. Her body stopped trembling, and her breathing became calm. She looked at Lilith with new confidence in her eyes.
Now that a system curse stood guard over her loyalty, even the most suspicious Demon King had to admit she had become part of her forces.
"Now you can finally trust me, right?" Elina asked quietly, straightening her rabbit ears.
Lilith smiled, and there was something almost collegial in that smile, though still dominant.
"Since the formalities are behind us, it's time for action. Lysandra, take the ice collar off her. We don't want our 'suspicious people' to think their informant is on a leash."
With the quiet crack of breaking ice, the collar disintegrated into dust. Elina rubbed her neck, feeling the soothing warmth of freedom on her skin.
"Varg, assign her a few scouts, but have them stay out of human sight," Lilith ordered. "Elina, go to the Blood Fang village. Find out what this Red Blood Hero Association wants. If you manage to mislead them or lead them onto a false trail, the reward will be much better than a sword from a toad nest."
Before the wound on Lilith's finger could heal under the influence of draconic regeneration, Lysandra approached the eggs, which were the size of goose eggs.
The succubus gently took her Mistress's hand and squeezed a few more drops of purple blood directly onto the porous shells.
The effect was instantaneous.
A network of cracks appeared on the surface of the Transmission Bat-Toad Eggs. With a loud snap, two inconspicuous creatures emerged - black bats with wide mouths resembling toad heads.
They emitted several high-pitched squeaks and then, ignoring their surroundings, immediately began to hungrily chew the remains of their own shells.
Lilith and Elina watched with undisguised surprise. The Monarch quickly focused her gaze, summoning the analysis window:
[Minion-Familiar: Transmission Bat-Toad]
Level: Low
Skills:
Spatial Echolocation (Rank F): Allows mapping the environment in total darkness.
Acoustic Transmitter (Rank F): Transmits voice and images to the paired owner over long distances.
Hypersensitive Hearing (Rank F): Detects whispers from several hundred meters away.
Lysandra cast a cool glance at Elina before speaking: "These guys have no combat abilities; they would die from a single hit with a stick. But as scouts, they are priceless. Pick one and take it with you."
"Really?" Elina practically jumped with joy, reaching out to the smaller of the bats, which had just finished its meal. "Hehe, this little one is actually cute!"
Lilith watched as the familiar perched on the rabbit girl's shoulder.
This little one is the perfect link, she thought. Through him, Elina can report on hero movements in real-time, and I can issue her orders without even leaving the balcony.
"How did you make them hatch so fast?" Lilith asked, turning to Lysandra.
"It's simple," the ice succubus replied. "Weak creatures like this need a powerful stimulus. Absorbing the blood of a higher being like you drastically accelerates their development. It's a common way to acquire familiars instantly."
"Ohhh... so a Demon King's blood acts as a catalyst," Lilith murmured, noting the lesson.