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

However, the secrecy surrounding Gray and Philippa's seemingly romantic "first date" was almost nonexistent.

Not far behind them, on street corners, in shop shadows, and even on rooftops, twelve figures were quietly following them with extremely professional stealth skills.

Apart from Zeta, who was deliberately sent away by Alpha under the pretext of an "important patrol mission" to avoid alerting the enemy (mainly because they were afraid that she would rush up and pounce on Gray or Philippa), the remaining nine members of the Ten Shadows were all present.

What's even more baffling is that Taric, Sophia, and Phoenix from the Hero Squad also appeared in this bizarre "tourist group," whether they were forcibly dragged along or half-heartedly persuaded.

Surprisingly, the leader of this operation was not the usually serious Alpha, but the pink-haired succubus who seemed to thrive on chaos—Kappa.

Even more surprisingly, Alpha did not stop them this time. She simply stood with her arms crossed and expressionless in the shadows a little further away, as if she were carrying out some kind of higher-level "guard mission," but her gaze was also fixed on the couple in front of her.

Kappa pulled out a small prop that looked like a magic megaphone (but was clearly muted) from somewhere, brought it to her lips, and began her performance in a persuasive, breathy voice that only the "tourists" could hear:

"Ahem! Dear viewers, welcome to the special project sponsored by Shadow Garden—'The First Date Operation between Lord Shadow and the Hero Princess'! I'm your host, the cute and charming Kappa-chan~!"

Beside her, Aita's cat ears twitched excitedly, Beta elegantly rubbed her forehead but smiled, Delta's bloodshot eyes gleamed with amusement, Ipsilon had somehow pulled out a small notebook and started taking notes, Sita remained expressionless but watched intently, Gamma maintained a businesslike smile as if assessing the potential value of this "operation," and even Eota showed a rare hint of interest, like someone "observing an experimental subject."

"Now, let's start by having our expert team give their first round of comments!" Kappa handed the "microphone" (fake) to Alpha.

Alpha glanced at her, his voice remaining calm through his visor, but the content was utterly astonishing: "The two targets have successfully made physical contact, achieving the initial 'holding hands' milestone. Based on current intelligence, the next stage target may be 'eating together' or 'exchanging gifts.' The surrounding environment is safe, and no interfering factors have been detected. Over."

Kappa nodded in satisfaction, then turned the "microphone" to the others. Beta said softly, "Princess Olmec's attire today is very thoughtful and suits her perfectly."

Delta chuckled: "It's rare for Lord Shadow to wear such formal clothes. It seems you take it very seriously."

Ipsyron pushed up his non-existent glasses: "Data shows that both of our heart rates have increased slightly, which is consistent with the characteristics of an initial date."

Unlike the atmosphere of teasing and (to some extent) blessing on the side of the Ten Shadow Attendants, the atmosphere on the side of the Hero Squad was much more complicated.

Sofia watched as Grey naturally took Philippa's hand, and upon hearing the words, "Let's begin our 'first date,'" she nearly ground her teeth to powder. Her mind was racing:

'Sorry for the wait, you just arrived?! Are you two a young, innocent couple? (It seems like that's true)'

"He's...he's gone! That damned demon king! How could he just...! Damn it! Philippa, you're still laughing! You're laughing so happily! Have you been given some kind of love potion?!"

"A date?! What kind of date?! This is clearly the devil's temptation! A sugar-coated bullet! An evil plan targeting my Philippa!"

'Damn Grey Brant! Damn devil! Damn bastard! Hands! Let go of me!'

She was trembling with anger, but her remaining rationality made her cover her mouth tightly, not daring to actually yell. She could only mentally unleash all sorts of aggressive and negative thoughts, her face turning pale and then red.

The main concern was the reaction of Gray's waiters if she actually uttered the insults...

Tarik and Phoenix, however, present a different picture.

Taric, looking utterly dejected, muttered to Phoenix beside him, "Your Majesty Phoenix, why did we come to see this? I have absolutely no interest in how the Demon King... no, Lord Gray goes on dates!"

He would rather go to the training ground and swing an axe ten thousand times.

Phoenix, looking equally helpless, stroked his beard: "Alas, so do I. It's just... Ms. Capa insists this is 'an important step in assessing the stability of the relationship and the strength of the cooperation between the two leaders.'"

His gaze swept over the pink-haired succubus Kappa, who was enthusiastically "live-streaming" the event beside him.

Under the warm sunshine of Bifengling, a seemingly romantic date and a chaotic, scheming stalking incident unfolded simultaneously.

Just as Gray's hand naturally and firmly grasped Philippa's trembling hand, their palms mingling, and the echo of "Nice date" still lingered in their ears—

Almost at the same moment, Gray's vast and boundless spiritual power rippled slightly, like a precise radar, capturing the auras behind him that were trying their best to hide, yet were as conspicuous as fireflies in the night in his perception.

Philippa's keen intuition as a hero also alerted her almost simultaneously, making her feel as if many eyes were focused on her and Gray.

Gray's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, a deep helplessness flashing in his eyes, as he whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"These guys..." There wasn't much anger in his tone, but rather a sense of amusement and exasperation at the behavior of his ten shadow servants.

Philippa immediately understood, and the blush that had just faded from her fair cheeks suddenly returned. She bit her lip lightly, feeling a wave of shyness and embarrassment.

Being watched on her date by so many people was incredibly stressful, even for her.

Sensing Philippa's momentary stiffness and embarrassment, Gray tightened his grip on her hand slightly, conveying a sense of reassurance. He turned his head to meet her somewhat bewildered gaze, his voice gentle and calm:

"Never mind them. Let's just focus on doing our own thing and not overthink it."

He paused, a gentle ripple appearing in his eyes, and added:

"Let's just enjoy this date that's ours."

His words seemed to possess a strange magic, dispelling most of Philippa's embarrassment. Yes, what mattered was that she was with Gray, and this date they had both been looking forward to. As for those lurking in the shadows… let them be the background!

Philippa took a deep breath, suppressing the distracting thoughts in her mind, and gave Gray a smile that, while still tinged with shyness, was much brighter. She nodded vigorously and said, "Yes!"

Seeing that she had relaxed again, Gray smiled slightly, took her hand tightly, ignored the furtive figures behind him, and started walking.

“So, our first stop…” Gray led Philippa straight into the bustling pedestrian street under the Grand Commercial Corporation, which was filled with a dazzling array of goods.

The sunlight shone brightly, illuminating their tightly clasped hands and Philippa's face, which was filled with sweet anticipation. Their extraordinary first date, destined to be extraordinary, officially began, with the support of numerous "invisible" spectators.

Behind them, the faint sound of Kappa's suppressed excitement could be heard: "Target has entered the business district! Stable hand-holding! Good atmosphere! All units maintain distance and remain concealed! OVER!"

And Sophia's silent rage, almost tearing her palms apart.