Chapter 233: Search and Rescue Team

"You doubt me?!"

The Queen's head's breathing grew ragged, and the entire room seemed to come alive again. But Ron was prepared this time and didn't let her have her way. After a brief but intense struggle, Ron regained control.

She was strong, but only outwardly so. With just a head, she was adrift like a rootless lily pad. As long as he made the right preparations, he could prevent her from doing anything.

"I'm stating a fact." The wooden planks around his body slowly but decisively returned to their original places on the floor. Ron stared at the now isolated and helpless queen, his expression calm. "There's no need to get angry with me. It's pointless. In the end, you'll be the only one affected."

"One of your legs has already decayed. I don't mind applying a little external force to make your head go the same way. You won't die, after all."

"Are you threatening me?" the head huffed. "No, you wouldn't dare. Even in this state, I can still place a curse on you!"

"Worst-case scenario, I just forgo the Devil Duke's reward," Ron shrugged. "Getting a plague-bringer like you off my territory would be reward enough. Gracia certainly wouldn't mind helping me remove a curse—for a being of her level, it's as easy as lifting a finger."

"As for you, a head like rotten sludge shouldn't affect your ability to serve her. She might even use this to dangle a carrot in front of you—saying she'll only consider restoring you after you complete some mission."

"You—" the Queen seethed. "Don't forget, those subordinates of yours are still trapped in the labyrinth that seals me! If you dare do this to me, you will lose them forever!"

"That Red Copper Dragon guarding my arm was just some poor fool who made one slip-up and was stuck with eternal regret. To seal my greatest asset—my mind—the demons dispatched two of their own to hold me down in that labyrinth. Those Shapeshifters have absolutely no chance of escaping!"

Ron laughed coldly at her words. "Have you been sealed for so long that your brain has gotten tangled in cobwebs?"

"My men? A bunch of Shapeshifters?" Ron's gaze passed over the head to confirm that Sibach was still unconscious on the lab table. "Why would you think I'd consider a bunch of Shapeshifters my men? Are you the crazy one, or am I?"

"Let's flip this around: you cooperate, help me get them out, and in return, I'll consider letting you be the first to meet this 'traitor' you mentioned—assuming you're confident you can beat this Datina, of course."

The head fell silent again, considering the credibility of Ron's words.

"If I help you, will you really do it?" the Queen's head asked slowly. "If what you say is true, then she's a demon recruited by Her Highness Gracia. But we will certainly try to kill each other. If one of us actually dies, the Duke's wrath could extend to you."

"You seem to have the wrong idea about me," Ron snorted. "I haven't sold my soul to any devil. I'm just making some extra coin on the side."

"Besides, I'm just a mortal. I can't predict the future. How am I supposed to know how things will turn out?"

"That's not your concern. My offer—do you agree or not?"

For an ancient queen who wasn't entirely dead, yet could hardly be called alive, her options were limited. After some consideration, the head agreed to first help Ron retrieve Quest and his men. The queen then offered her suggestions on how to rescue them.

Ron brought her back to the trading post. He had Annie take Sibach for further treatment and notified everyone else to come for a meeting.

"The labyrinth is run by a pair of demons. Although demons have no concept of 'love,' they can still form relatively stable partnerships under certain circumstances." In the main hall, the Queen's head sat squarely on the tabletop as she explained the mission's key challenges to the assembled group. "The ones guarding my seal are such a pair."

"One is named Brogmir. He is a cunning Minotaur Demon who once served the Horned Demon King, Bafumie. The labyrinth and its traps were his creation. The other is Sarisha, a succubus who was once an advisor to Glazter. It's said that some problems arose during a battle with devils, preventing her from continuing her advisory duties, so she was dispatched to guard me instead."

The Queen's brow furrowed. "I will draw you a detailed map to prevent you from getting lost or encountering dangers you can't handle. In return, you must guarantee my safety. Don't even think about handing me back to the demons in exchange for those Shapeshifters' freedom. The only language these abyssal scum understand is blood and screams. An aggressive posture will make them yield far more readily than courtesy."

"Their duty is to guard you. If we don't hand you back, a major battle will be hard to avoid, won't it?" Yelena, who had just returned to the trading post for a rest, had also been pulled into the meeting. After all, the Shadow Spirit was an expert in these matters. "If they're like the Undead Knight that was guarding the seal on your leg, I fear we'll have a hard time defeating them."

"I will do my best to keep you from being discovered," the Queen said, glancing at the pale-skinned Elf. "Are you a Contractor in Her Highness's service?"

"A part-time advisor here," Yelena said, pointing to Ron, then to herself. "I have you all to thank for this mess. Otherwise, it's hard for someone like me to find work."

"Especially a job where I don't have to wear a hood all day pretending to be some mysterious figure," she added.

"Lord, may I be included in this operation?" Andre stood up. The young man looked haggard; ever since Quest had led his team away, Andre had been tormented by his conscience and sense of duty. Hearing that they were now trapped in a perilous location had made his guilt even more unbearable. "I bear an undeniable responsibility for Quest and the others falling into danger. If they don't return safely, I..."

The young Paladin blamed himself for everything. If he had only been able to stop that Owl Bear, none of this would have happened.

"Andre, this has nothing to do with you," Sera said, patting his shoulder and firmly pressing him back into his seat. "Who could have guessed that hunting an Owl Bear would lead them to stumble upon ancient ruins?"

"But..."

"Andre, no buts," Ron said, glancing at him. "As you said, this unexpected situation is indeed related to you. Besides, as a Paladin of Tyr, you have a sworn duty to fight demons, do you not?"

Andre's eyes lit up. "Precisely! Rest assured, I will fulfill my duty!"

"There are quite a few people to rescue this time," Ron said, scanning the faces of those present. "We don't know how many of them are still alive, or how many are capable of moving on their own, so we'll probably need a larger team."

"Fortunately, we have plenty of talent here now. Anyone who wants to go, sign up. We'll need to form a search and rescue team of at least a dozen people."