"You mean the one called Kepper, don’t you?"

Ophelia nodded with an expression of absolute contempt that slightly contorted her features for a second.

"Yes, I mean that very bastard," the demon queen replied, crossing her legs with a fluid motion that denoted her lineage.

"He is the one pulling the strings of the holy knights from the shadows, giving them orders in the name of a deity."

Ophelia paused, letting the name of Kepper settle in everyone’s minds before continuing with her accusation.

"He is the main reason why the elven kingdom now has a corrupt king who only seeks his own benefit at the expense of his people."

Ryan stared at her, analyzing every micro-expression on the white-haired woman’s face while his developer mind connected the dots.

"The information you have given me is extremely valuable, Ophelia," Ryan admitted, keeping his tone of voice as neutral as possible.

"Are you really sure you want to reveal something like this to someone who is technically a potential enemy to your kingdom?"

She looked at him seriously, and for an instant, Ryan could feel the true pressure of a ranked Demon King filtering into the room.

"Of course I am sure. At least you will be able to believe me after everything you have been through with the church and their lapdogs."

"It’s not as if other humans would believe me if I showed up in their capitals to tell them that their god is a parasite," she added with a bitter smile.

’Of course, that makes sense. Her credibility among humans is negative.’

Ryan drummed his fingers on the armrest of his chair, never taking his eyes off the queen’s intense red eyes.

"I appreciate you telling me this, but I insist, are you sure this was your best strategic option?"

Ophelia looked at him with a smile, as if she had realized that Ryan had already deduced that there was a much more convenient solution for her.

She leaned back on the sofa, relaxing her posture but not her intensity.

"It shows that you aren’t just a simple warrior with more muscle than brains, Ryan," she commented in a tone that mixed respect with condescension.

"I know perfectly well that you are strong. Currently, you might not be at the level of a demon king, but that could change soon."

She paused briefly, observing the reactions of Helen and Mirian, who remained on guard behind Ryan.

"From my perspective, the best thing to do would be to kill all of you right now, before you officially become the property of the deity."

Helen tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword upon hearing the direct threat, but a quick gesture from Ryan’s hand forced her to stay in place.

Ophelia made a dismissive wave of her hand, brushing off her own declaration of murderous intent.

"But since you are the one who did what you did for a low-rank demon, I deduced that you aren’t the type of man who would let himself be manipulated."

Ophelia leaned forward, invading Ryan’s personal space with her scent.

"I thought that if instead of killing you out of precaution, I told you the truth about the system, then that deity would not only lose a valuable pawn."

Her eyes gleamed with a malicious light. "But it would also be threatened by someone who knows its true intentions."

Ryan stared at her, feeling how the scale of the conflict he had started by saving Beatrice was escalating to levels that surpassed his desire for a peaceful life.

"I understand your logic. At least now that revelation won’t take us by surprise in the future."

"Even so, you know perfectly well that my current power is not enough to face SSS-rank entities," Ryan pointed out realistically.

"I hope you don’t have such high expectations of me."

She paused, analyzing Ryan’s words

"Sure, in fact, I honestly have to admit that at first, I wasn’t interested in you in the slightest. You were just another human who caused an unnecessary stir at the border," she continued, returning to her tone of light mockery.

"It wasn’t until Beatrice told me so insistently that she wanted to remain at your side that it aroused my personal curiosity."

Upon hearing her name, Beatrice immediately blushed, lowering her gaze to her own intertwined hands as she tried to process the embarrassment. "L-Lady Ophelia! There was no need to mention that in such a way..." the demon girl questioned, her voice catching.

Ophelia, in response, only burst out laughing with a clear chuckle that resonated throughout the living room, visibly enjoying her former subordinate’s discomfort.

Iris, the green-haired woman, remained in silence, observing the scene with her usual calmness.

Ryan stepped in to regain control of the conversation, noticing how Helen and Mirian exchanged annoyed glances at the comment about Beatrice.

"So it was just because of that? This entire visit and all these revelations just because Beatrice didn’t want to be your sentinel?"

"In part, yes," Ophelia replied, regaining her composure.

"You see, I asked Beatrice to be part of my kingdom and distance herself permanently from that idiot Solaris. And that’s because I like that girl. But she flatly refused, even though I am a demon king and she knows my power."

She looked at Ryan more closely, her eyes filled with a genuine curiosity that scanned him from head to toe.

"That made me wonder what kind of man you must be to bring a demon over to your side like that, and manage to have her follow you so faithfully and selflessly."

However, despite how tempting the offer of a kingdom of his own and an alliance was, Ryan knew he couldn’t decide something like that lightly.

He looked at his companions, noticing the tiredness in their eyes and the tension.

But Ophelia, realizing that Ryan was still not sure of an answer, decided to step in.

"Let’s agree to meet again in this very place within three days," she proposed, while Iris positioned herself behind her.

"By then, I hope you will have made the right decision, Ryan."