Unbeknownst to anyone, Alice had leveled up to Level 10 in the past three years. However, she was very cautious upon using her ability and rarely used it.
She was confident to unleash a portion of her power and trusted Lady Hanako's energy barrier.
She summoned the system's interface with just a whim of her thoughts.
Name: Alice Nightflame
Class: Demon Queen
Sub Class: Bloodmancer
Level: 10 (25,500/46,134 EXP]
Health Points: 1,000/1,000 (+10/sec)
Horny Points: 200/200 (+2/sec)
Stamina Points: 200/200 (+2/sec)
Physical Attack: 40
Physical Defense: 10
Magic Attack: 40
Magic Defense: 30
Speed: 20
Demonic Aura (Active Skill):
[Inflict Stats Debuff upon lower level enemy: 50%]
[Current Radius: 100 Meters]
'Alright, let's try suppressing ninety nine percent of my demonic aura. Activate!'
Whirl!
Red and blackish energy swirled around Alice's body, emitting a vicious aura that made Momo and Hanako slightly tremble before Alice's presence.
The Demonic Aura howled furiously for a brief moment, but it gradually calmed down when Alice suppressed the aura and cloaked her body with it from head to toe.
Lady Hanako narrowed her eyes, studying the aura from up close. "Interesting… So, this is your Demonic Aura? It's so dense, I can hardly feel any fluctuations. How long have you been training for?"
"Seven years. I have been training to control my ability since I can walk on my own."
"Incredible…" Momo quipped faintly. "You are so amazing, Alice!"
"I can extend the radius of my demonic aura up to 100 meters. But, it won't make any difference, right?"
Lady Hanako acknowledged Alice's capability. As of now, Alice was still a blank paper, she could become anything depending on who guided her. There was a fine line which separated insanity and genius, and Alice stood atop that delicate line.
"What else can you do? You still have other abilities, right?"
"There are two other innate abilities aside from the magic spells. But I need a solid target, preferably a living creature to test them."
"Mm…" Lady Hanako nodded, she sipped her tea leisurely before continuing. "One last question."
"Yes?"
"Where would you be when you have all the power in the universe?"
Alice was unfazed by the question. She had set her goal the moment Aleena gave birth to her. She would not waste her second life.
"To reclaim Diablo and Nightflame Castle. They're my birthright, and I would do everything to get them back."
Lady Hanako was astonished by Alice's determination. But the answer was still too shallow for her standard.
"And what next? Centuries of bloodshed? The Holy Church had dominated half of the Azgaar Continent as we speak. Granted, they have enslaved most of the beastkind and demi-humans, but the war is stopped, at least."
Alice sighed, arranging her thoughts carefully. "There will be no true peace, unfortunately. To live, is to suffer, to mourn. To love, cry, and laugh. Life is the manifestation of light and darkness, coexisting with a delicate balance. But, if the balance is tipped over, one must take action."
"Once I claim my crown, I shall carry the Demon Race to a higher level of civilization and the Diablo shall be the safe haven for the broken, the forsaken, and the marginalized. I wish for no war, but I'll do what is necessary."
Lady Hanako smiled to one side hearing Alice's naive dreams. But there was a truth in her innocent voice. If the Demon Race, Beastkind, and Demi-humans didn't retaliate against the Holy Church, there would be no place for them to live anymore.
"Well said… Young Lady." Hanako clapped her hands softly. "You may return to your succubus form. I have heard and seen enough."
"S-surely, master…" Alice did as she was told.
On the other hand, Momo was so elated that Alice was officially accepted as Lady Hanako's disciple. "Congratulations, Alice! You just passed the initiation test!"
Alice's long and slender tail twitched, taking the shape of a question mark. "Initiation Test? Eh?"
"Fufufu, I am terribly sorry. It's an old habit of mine." Lady Hanako chuckled heartily. "Anyway, before we begin our training… You must inform Chieftess Andariel and your guardian regarding this matter. I refuse to be blamed if something happens to you."
"Certainly! Lady Hanako. I will tell them right away!"
"I will go with you then…" Momo chimed. She didn't want to be apart from Alice.
However, her idea was immediately disapproved by Lady Hanako. "You'll stay here, Tamamo. There's something I would like to talk with you, alone."
"Aaaawww…" Momo sulked, she couldn't possibly refuse the cat lady.
"It's alright, Momo. I will return as soon as possible! See you later!"
Alice wasted no time and hurriedly went to the village hall. Upon her arrival in front of Chieftess Andariel's office, Alice could hear lewd moans and heavy breathing from the other side, followed by wild and unadulterated voices of pleasure.
"Hmpphhhh! At least, put the protective barrier on!" Alice pouted her cheek. She had no choice but to wait until Andariel finished Freya off.
Not long after, the voices had stopped, Alice knocked the door a tad heavy.
"Who?" Andariel raised her voice.
"It's me… Alice."
"Oh? Please come in!"
The door was opened subsequently, fragrant smell wafted into her nose the moment she stepped in.
Queen Freya was sitting on the sofa which had been freshly cleaned with a magic spell. She fanned herself a bit faster than she should with the bamboo hand fan. Meanwhile, Andariel was pretending to be busy with her paperwork.
The furniture had been repositioned and wiped clean. But they clearly forgot the wet stains on the floor.
"Hello, my dear." Freya greeted softly. Her face was flushed and sleek from the previous activity.
"Greetings, your majesty." Alice bowed respectfully. "Enjoying my new inventions, I take it?"
"Very… Fufufu. I never thought that being on the giving end would be so… Stimulating." The queen smiled impishly behind the bamboo fan.
"I'm glad that you are enjoying them." Alice giggled.
Andariel faked a cough to clear the awkwardness. "So, what's the occasion?"
"Nothing too serious. I just came to tell you that I'd be under Lady Hanako's tutelage from here on."
Andariel was unbothered at first. But it hit her like a truck. She stood up and slammed both hands on the table. "Wait, YOU WHAT?! But how did she—"
Alice covered her ears, Freya also did the same.
"Is there something the matter?" Alice was askew.
"No. Not really…" Andariel slumped back to her chair. "I was just surprised that the old hag would accept another disciple after all these years. Especially with your unique constitution."
"Huh? What happened back then?"
"It's not my place to talk about it. Most importantly, if she accepted you as her disciple, you better give her everything you got. And I'm sorry, I couldn't help with your training."
"That's alright, mother. You have duties to answer, and so do I." Alice waved her hand. "Right, that's all I want to say. Please continue with the... Fufufu."
"Out. Now!" Andariel shooed the naughty young demoness with a humorous tone.