Chapter 190: Do I Not Seem Like A Human Being?

After they closed the deal that marked their alliance with a subtle handshake, the wooden cabin was plunged into an expectant silence.

Ryan’s question remained pending to be answered in the middle of the room, floating around like a doubt that required clarification.

Then, Ophelia laughed once again.

"Ha, ha, ha, are you saying that seriously?" She paused after calming her long laugh, showing an evident amusement on her pale face.

"Perhaps you are just another monster in this vast world. Or perhaps you are someone truly interesting."

She paused, locking her pupils directly onto the human’s fixed gaze.

"I want to believe it is the latter. But of course, having said that, ha, ha, ha, I don’t rule out the possibility that you are a monster either, considering the dangerous women that follow you."

The woman tilted her head a little, and an expression full of playful malice crossed her perfect features as she remembered the boy’s party.

"I imagine how dangerous you truly are, in more ways than one, if you can keep all of them under control." She said with an enigmatic, mischievous smile.

’Keep them under control?’ Ryan thought internally, evaluating the queen’s comment.

In his mind appeared the faces of Helen, Mirian, Karol, and Beatrice, each one of them possessing an immense pride as warriors and a high-level demon.

"Ophelia, do not play around, answer me with seriousness." He said in a flat and cutting tone, abruptly breaking her amused attitude.

Then, she stepped out of the cabin, walking toward the green grass of the mountain and observing the city that stretched out below.

The mountain range’s wind immediately blew against her dark dress, making her long white locks flutter as she planted herself on the open terrain.

"It is simple, you are the leader of elves, humans, demons, and beastmen. They are all willing to die for you."

Ophelia spoke without turning around, keeping her gaze fixed on the enormous valley where the sunlight was beginning to descend slowly.

"There is no one who has gathered so many races in the service of a single leader. There is no way that someone being manipulated would be capable of achieving that."

She made a vague gesture with her hand, downplaying the human’s suspicions.

"How should I put it, a person like that does not have emotional stability."

’That is an acceptable deduction from the perspective of a ruler,’ Ryan reflected in silence, analyzing her words.

Even without knowing how that manipulation exerted by the deities over Liz and her father actually worked.

A slave like that could not possibly manage the frictions between such different races, nor maintain the genuine loyalty of Irina, Alicia, or Beatrice, or even Runa.

With all of them being of different races, they faithfully served Ryan.

"And what would happen if you were mistaken?" Ryan posed a hypothetical situation, crossing his arms while the breeze battered his trench coat.

That naturally included her and the future of the entire nation if something outside of their calculations ended up sabotaging her plans.

Then she finally responded, after a heavy sigh that pronouncedly raised her prominent chest beneath the dark fabric of her dress.

She turned her face a little to look at him out of the corner of her eye, completely losing the mocking tone she had maintained up until a few minutes ago.

"If it reaches that point, I will do what must be done. And if I were the one who ends up under that control, then, I would appreciate it if you killed me."

"I see that you are not an idealist." Ryan responded upon realizing that Ophelia was still contemplating a situation where things could go wrong.

She understood perfectly well that in a war against deities they could not afford the luxury of hesitating if the main leader ended up being corrupted.

Knowing that the demon queen was completely willing to die if something went wrong gave him a necessary layer of security to move forward.

"In any case, make sure that it is after we accomplish our objective." Ryan responded, looking at her firmly.

"Until then, do not die, and do not let yourself be influenced by the deity."

Ophelia gave a half smile, as if the human’s words had genuinely surprised her.

"You won’t make me fall in love with you just with pretty words, you know? Are you perhaps worrying about me? You are very bold, Ryan."

He also stepped out of the cabin, planting himself by her side on the mountain’s open terrain.

From that height, both of them stood there intently observing the grand capital city that stretched out into the distance under the gray sky.

Kainon, the royal capital of the demon queen within the vast domains of the Morrisen lands, looked peaceful in the distance.

"Interpret it however you want, Ophelia." He responded sharply, keeping his eyes fixed on the city in the distance.

He didn’t care what she assumed about his motivations, as long as she maintained their alliance agreement at all times.

"Since our agreement was a success, do you plan to return to your territory?" Ophelia asked. "I wouldn’t mind if you spent a few days here. After all, we won’t be doing anything just yet."

She half-turned toward him, and added with a much more serious tone.

"The information I have from my spies is that Rigal will attack the borders of Demon King Rohan’s lands."

"And he will do so as an excuse, because many of his men died recently in combat. They died both on the borders with Erhes Valley and in the Varvylon dungeon, in addition to other places."

She turned back around, and looked toward the city once again.

"I wonder whose fault it will truly be." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

’Yeah, without a doubt those are the demons I killed,’ Ryan thought to himself, keeping his face completely serious.

That entire mass of monsters that Rigal had lost were nothing more than the experience points that he had accumulated.

"Anyway." Ophelia added. "That is the best moment to initiate our attack."

"I understand." Ryan responded. "Then, it would be best for me to return to my village. You can still send Ivis when everything is ready."

"Yes." Ophelia responded. "I am sure that when I see you again, whether it is tomorrow or in a week, by then you will be stronger."

"Huh, and how are you so sure?" Ryan asked.

She took on a more serious tone of voice, eliminating any trace of amusement from her pale features.

"Because your power is very different from that of the heroes, even from the demons; you certainly do not seem like a human being."