The maid squad is too strong, what use is there for me, the Demon King?

“Because… it’s a thankless task.” Taric picked up the thread and answered Sophia’s almost complaining question: “This hole is small, but it’s quite deep. It can’t be easily blasted open. Forcing it open would definitely consume a lot of magic power, which wouldn’t help me. It would only benefit the people who come later.”

It's extremely uneconomical. Compared to that, climbing through a dog hole is better left unbearable.

Sofia understood this principle, but she just grumbled a little.

After queuing for a while longer, the three members of the brave team finally reached the entrance, which was about the size of a dog hole.

Taric didn't seem to care and went in first, while Sofia hesitated.

But there wasn't enough time for them to make excuses, as other adventurers wanted to enter.

Time passed slowly, and Philippa felt that if she dragged it out any longer, the people behind her would start urging her to hurry up. But how could she persuade Sophia?

Yes, there is a good method, but Philippa doesn't want to use it. However, in this emergency, we can't worry about that now.

Philippa stepped forward and took Sofia's equally soft and boneless hand, employing her "honey trap," and said softly:

"Miss Saint, shall we go inside?"

Sofia was delighted when Philippa took her hand for the first time. Wasn't she just waiting for Philippa to coax her?

She was indeed reluctant to crawl through the dog hole, but not to the point of not wanting to go in at all. All she wanted to do was use this opportunity to gain a small advantage for herself.

With her goal achieved, Sophia smiled and agreed, "Okay."

To Sofia's surprise, Philippa's change of heart was faster than turning the pages of a book.

She had barely agreed when Philippa immediately let go of her hand, stopping her "reward," and shook her hand as if she had touched something dirty, even taking out a silk scarf to wipe it.

Sofia froze instantly.

No, is it really necessary to do this?

I get this kind of stress reaction even when a dirty man touches me, but I'm a sweet and soft girl! Sofia considers herself to be as beautiful as Philippa, yet she's being rejected like this...

She was very hurt...

But it's no big deal. She's been injured by Philippa's rejection more than once or twice. The shameless Sofia won't be defeated by something like that.

In Philippa's mind, Mei probably doesn't count as a girl. She wouldn't be so wary or have such a strong reaction when interacting with normal girls, but getting close to Mei...

While it wouldn't be considered disgusting, I still find it quite repulsive.

Philippa could only silently apologize to Sofia in her heart.

While you are indeed quite beautiful, if I were a boy, I would definitely marry you and make you my princess. The problem is, I am a straight girl. You should go find someone with the same interests to mess around with.

The way she's saying that makes it sound like Sofia would even be interested in her if she were a boy.

Sofia: Resist all men; heterosexuals are only for reproduction; homosexuals are true love!

When a method of asexual reproduction is developed someday, the male, this evil creature, will have no reason to exist.

In short, it will make you suffer at the hands of male chauvinism.

Having already promised Philippa, Sofia had no intention of going back on her word, as doing so would lower Philippa's opinion of her.

It's good that we've already received the benefits; there's no need to push our luck.

Victory is already a foregone conclusion, so why be impatient for quick success?

In Sofia's mind, she still believed she was guaranteed to win.

The last encounter with Grey Brandt was purely accidental. From now on, I must take Philippa far away from Azure Peak Territory, and not even neighboring Territory like Dawn Territory.

Thinking about this, Sophia felt a little worried.

That Grey Brant is quite weak; whether in terms of status, talent, or practical skills, he's no match for our princess, the heroine. They're completely mismatched. I don't know how Philippa could like a man like that... She must have been deceived by some cunning trickster!

Yes, that must be it. That Grey Brandt has a lot of girls around him, a fiancée, a tall woman he goes shopping with, and someone he met Philippa sometime ago. He seems like a womanizing scumbag. Our princess, the heroine, must have been deceived by sweet talk.

Gray, in another location, sneezed, looking somewhat puzzled.

With my constitution, how could I catch a cold?

But he is, after all, a professional, and must be registered with the Adventurers' Guild. The dungeon might also attract that Grey Brant, so we must remain vigilant...

The moment you enter the cave, a chilly breeze hits you, carrying the damp and musty smell unique to the depths of the earth. The space inside is so cramped that moving forward is difficult, making time seem to drag on endlessly.

On either side of the cave, the rock walls clung tightly to their bodies, their rough surfaces constantly brushing against their clothes with a rustling sound. Here, Philippa's light armor became an obstacle, while for Tariq, whose armor was thicker, the problem was even more severe.

As they crawled forward, time seemed to slow down, and every inch of progress felt incredibly difficult. Deep inside the cave entrance, darkness acted like a thick curtain, meticulously blocking out all light from the outside world.

Fortunately, all three are users of light-attribute magic, which can dispel darkness and ensure unobstructed vision. Furthermore, consuming a small amount of magic to create light is not a burden for them, making them quite durable.

This is much better than using an open flame for lighting. Burning fire consumes oxygen, and even flames generated by magic will affect the oxygen level in the space.

Good news, the fire has become a bit stronger.

Bad news, the oxygen has run out, and I'm having trouble breathing.

As time passed, the narrow passage gradually widened, wide enough for a person to slowly stand up, but still requiring careful bending over to walk. The humidity and musty smell in the air grew stronger, and occasionally the sound of dripping water could be heard from afar, echoing in the empty underground space, adding a touch of mystery and eeriness.

At the beginning it was extremely narrow, and then he became enlightened. After taking dozens of steps, he suddenly became enlightened.

Finally, after a long period of crawling and groping, the three members of the brave team arrived at a relatively open space.

Here, the true entrance to the labyrinthine dungeon was revealed. The ancient stone door was half-open, carved with intricate patterns—symbols or script they could not decipher—that shimmered in the dim light.

"Finally, we've arrived at a slightly larger place." Sophia patted the dust off her clothes.

I'll definitely need to take a shower when I get back; I'll try to shower with Philippa!

Thinking of this, Sofia looked pitifully at Philippa and unleashed a series of reduplicated words that caught Philippa off guard, making her feel nauseous.

"Dirty, Feifei, hug me..."

Philippa: ...

Can you please get lost?