Who taught him to restore the country like this

Chapter 217 Freedom
Why do I get shorter as I grow taller?

These are clearly two different people, aren't they?
Karina looked at Alicia with a hint of skepticism in her eyes.

"This is a secret technique that the Titan royal family obtained in the Star Empire's divine kingdom, which allows the giant race to adjust their bodies at will."

Alicia explained, knowing what Karina was thinking.

As she spoke, she even demonstrated the secret technique.

Her body gradually swelled, growing taller and larger, until her dress was about to burst, at which point it stopped.

Then her body began to shrink, and soon she became Alicia, even smaller than the 1.6-meter-tall girl she had been before.

This secret technique seems to have been created by the ancestors of the giants, and was completely tailored for the giants.

Its principle is similar to the morphological changes of the subhuman race.

The demi-human race is the result of humans and other races. Human appearance is their normal state. Only by deliberately stimulating another bloodline within them will they exhibit non-human characteristics.

This secret technique is likely based on the form-changing ability of the demi-human race. It can switch between the forms of giants and humans by suppressing and controlling the bloodline of giants and then requiring them to eat according to certain requirements.

"Don't you think I look much better now than before?"

Alicia said.

She seemed quite satisfied with her current appearance.

It's hard to comment on Karina.

It's safe to say that very few people in the Titan Kingdom would use this secret technique.

It's not that they can't learn it, but that they disdain to use it.

Giants are most proud of their tall and mighty bodies, and this applies to all the women as well.

Alicia's actions are utterly heretical.

However, it must be admitted that her current appearance is indeed more in line with human aesthetics.

"How did you come to the Titan Kingdom? And how did you get captured by Gluttony?"

Seeing that Karina seemed to believe her identity, Alicia asked curiously.

The Kingdom of Orantia is very far from the Kingdom of Titan. If you don't use a teleportation array along the way, it will take at least a month to get there.

Since the first battle of the divine kingdoms ended, Karina hasn't been here. Why did she finally decide to come now?
"I came to the Titan Kingdom with the hero Beretta to invite Master Horn's disciple to join the party."

Karina glanced at Gratoni beside her, who was adopting a "you guys chat, I'll just listen" attitude, and replied.

"Brave?"

Upon hearing this, Alicia's calm and unwavering eyes suddenly lit up: "The hero has appeared?"

She was captured early on and didn't know that the fourth generation hero had already appeared, and now it was the fifth generation hero.

But this did not diminish her yearning for heroes.

To be precise, it's an aspiration to join a team of heroes.

"Can you take me with you?"

She asked expectantly.

Karina didn't answer, but instead looked at Gratoni standing to the side.

The immediate problem hasn't been solved yet, so why are you already thinking about what will happen next?

"Don't worry, Mr. Gratoni won't hurt us."

Alicia saw the worry in Karina's eyes and said, "You can take it as me staying here voluntarily."

Karina was stunned for a moment after hearing that.

"What do you mean?"

Although she could glean some clues from the way Alicia and Gratoni interacted, she was still somewhat uncertain.

After all, this is no small matter.

“It was Gratoni who asked to have me arrested.”

Now that things have come to this, Alicia has no intention of hiding anything.

"Why did you do this? Do you know how worried His Majesty the King was about you? Do you know how many people sacrificed themselves to save you from the dragon?"

Karina frowned and questioned her sternly.

"Karina, I've always envied you."

Meeting Karina's puzzled look, Alicia spoke very calmly.

"Why do you envy me?"

Karina couldn't understand why she, as a fellow princess, had anything to be envied.

However, Alicia rattled off several points in a row.

"I envy your outstanding talent and the opportunity to be nurtured by the Glorious Church."

"I envy you for not being bound by your princess status and being able to decide your own life."

"I envy you for not having the obstacle of marriage, and being able to freely pursue your dreams."

These are things she can't have.

Lacking talent means having to follow the rules set by adults.

Her status as a princess destined her to become a tool for political marriage.

While it may not be a matter of tools, it's impossible to choose one's own ideal marriage partner.

She had only met the son of the Duke of Muxi once, and there was no emotional connection between them whatsoever.

She didn't want to marry someone like that.

She wants to be free.

To have the freedom to decide one's own life.

This pursuit was born in my heart when I was a child after hearing Karina's life goal of "wanting to become someone like the third generation hero".

She too wants to become like the third generation hero... someone who is free from all constraints!
But reality is cruel.

She simply had no way to break free from the life her parents had planned for her.

So she came to the Dragonbone Mountains.

He made a wish for freedom to the Dragon God, who was said to grant any wish a beautiful woman made.

The Dragon God responded to her.

However, the requirement is that after the wish is fulfilled, they can be united.

Alicia agreed.

She would agree to anyone who could grant her freedom.

Even if the other party is just a dragon that is very handsome and dashing when it transforms into human form.

After the deal was reached, what happened next took place.

The first attack on Alicia by the red dragon Gluttony was intended to kidnap her in front of everyone in the Titan Kingdom, in order to restore her freedom.

However, some unexpected things happened along the way, and he failed to kidnap Alicia during the first attack.

Later, the Titan Kingdom hired mercenaries from the Rose Mercenary Group, and he almost lost his life due to carelessness.

Fortunately, the outcome was without serious harm. With Alicia's cooperation in sacrificing herself, he successfully kidnapped Alicia.

However, this did not bring Alicia freedom, as the Titan Kingdom relentlessly demanded her return.

If we want to truly restore Alicia's freedom, we have to defeat the Titan Kingdom so badly that they won't dare to come and demand her back.

Therefore, after recovering from his injuries, he deliberately exposed his whereabouts, giving the Titan Kingdom ample time to prepare, intending to crush the Titan Kingdom head-on with swift and decisive action, so that they would not dare to offend him.

As a result, he encountered Kertia and Karina, and was momentarily blinded by lust, losing his advantage and having no choice but to slink away, resting before fighting again.

Alicia revealed her deal with Gratoni.

Upon hearing this, Karina's cold expression gradually faded, replaced by a complex look.

Alicia did all this without malice; she was simply pursuing freedom.

However, this approach is a bit too extreme.

"I think you could share your thoughts with His Majesty the King; perhaps there will be a better solution."

"Kelina said."

"it's useless."

Alicia shook her head.

From the age of ten, when she failed the examinations for the three major papal candidates for sainthood, she lost the right to freely discuss matters with her parents.

If she told them, they would only keep a closer eye on her.

"If you are willing to accept me."

Alicia stared intently at Karina.

"If I can join the hero's party, my father will definitely agree to let me leave the Titan Kingdom."

"Karina, we're friends, right? As a friend, you have to help me."

She said.

"I'm sorry, I can't make a decision on this matter. I need to ask Lady Beretta for her opinion."

"Kelina replied."

"Then please ask for me."

Alicia pinned her hopes on Karina. Karina herself was fine, and asking her wouldn't be a problem, but...

She turned to look at Gratoni.

Will Grattoni let her go?
"Mr. Gratoni."

Alicia looked at Gratoni with a pleading gaze.

"Although I am a very principled dragon, I will not force beautiful women to unite with me."

Seeing that both of them were looking at him, Gratoni smiled and said.

"But I won't easily let go of what I've got. If you want me to let you go, your companions will have to defeat me."

Sure enough, things weren't that simple.

Karina knew in her heart that this battle was unavoidable.

Red Dragon Gratoni was quite confident in his strength, and his previous defeat was just due to carelessness.

He was confident that he would be able to defeat the Titan Kingdom's army in the next battle.

"Mr. Grattoni, isn't it enough that I'm here with you?"

Alicia stepped forward, hugged Gratoni's arm, and started to wag it affectionately.

"Oh ho ho..."

Her charming and lovely appearance secretly pleased Gratoni.

But principles are principles, and they won't change because of a little bit of coquetry.

As a member of the most powerful race in the world, if you capture someone and get nothing in return, and then release them so easily, how can you ever face the dragon race again?
"Letting you leave isn't out of the question."

Gratoni, seeing Karina's stunning figure that even her nun's habit couldn't conceal, relented.

"I'll let you go as long as you marry me."

He made his demands.

"Pah! You lecherous dragon, haven't you ruined enough young girls already?"

Alicia spat.

"How can you call this a scourge? It's just about fulfilling each other's needs."

"Compared to other dragons, I have been very friendly."

Gratoni said calmly.

This is an undeniable truth.

Gratoni will at least grant one of the other person's wishes; he will not force them.

Other dragons wouldn't follow these principles.

Once caught, Star Wrath Force is powerless.

Freedom is impossible before losing one's beauty or dying.

In comparison, being captured by Gratoni can only be described as lucky.

"Then I will take her place and unite with you."

Seeing that Gratoni, who was usually easy to talk to, wouldn't budge, Alicia gritted her teeth and said.

He seemed very unwilling, but in reality, he had his own ulterior motives.

If she saves the hero's teammates with her own body, then the hero, out of moral obligation, will have no choice but to accept her.

however……

"No."

Gratoni resolutely refused before Karina could stop him.

"Eh?"

"A woman as beautiful and charismatic as this is a rare find in a lifetime. If we don't have a proper chat with her, we'll regret it later."

Gratoni praised.

Karina was not happy at all about such praise.

Alicia was also very unhappy.

Whatever shape or size you want, I can make it. What's wrong with me?

"She is a candidate saintess of the Radiant Church. If you harm her, the Radiant Church will not let you off the hook."

Alicia said.

Oh?
A candidate saint of the Glorious Church?

Then we really need to have a good talk.

Seeing that Gratoni's interest had grown even stronger, Alicia was at her wit's end.

“Gratoni, considering that you haven’t committed any serious crimes yet, and that you are now confessing your crimes, the Holy See can still treat you leniently.”

Karina then spoke up.

His opening remarks were like a trial.

“I may not be able to defeat the Holy See, but if I hide, the Holy See will not be able to find me.”

Gratoni said with great confidence.

"is it?"

"Of course, I am..."

wrong!

Who is speaking?
Gratoni suddenly turned around and saw two more people standing in the aisle behind him.

A young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, and black hair, whose facial expression alone seemed to embody the word "righteousness."

A silver-haired girl whose appearance was in no way inferior to the candidate saintess beside her, but whose figure was slightly inferior.

He recognized the silver-haired girl; she was the woman he had fought earlier.

As for this young man... if I'm not mistaken, he should be the hero the candidate saintess mentioned.

"How did you find this place?"

Gratoni asked in surprise.

He glanced at the candidate saintess's reaction.

The candidate saintess showed no surprise at the arrival of the hero and his companions.

"It does not matter."

Ron drew the Hero's Sword from his waist.

"What you should be concerned about now is how to repent for your sins in prison!"

He delivered the lines he had prepared long ago with an air of authority.

"Just you two?"

Gratoni chuckled and asked.

Although he is now in human form and his strength has greatly decreased, he is not someone that just anyone can bully.

The boy before me is indeed a hero, but... he's too weak.

He's so weak that he could be easily crushed even in his current state.

"And I!"

A voice suddenly rang out above Gratoni's head.

Gangji’s massive body pressed down on Gratoni like a mountain.

Bang!
Gratoni, as if he had expected it, easily dodged Gangji's crushing blow without even raising his head.

"The three of you dare to barge in? It seems I've really been underestimated."

A red glow, tinged with anger, emanated from Gratoni.

"Cut the nonsense!"

A fist the size of a steel sandbag slammed towards Gratoni's forehead.

Gratoni didn't dodge; instead, he chose to exchange punches.

boom!
The giant fist collided with the fist covered in dragon scales, unleashing a muffled, thunderous roar.

The air surged and blew Alicia, who was watching from the sidelines, to cover her face and back away.

Ron remained unmoved, protected by Kertia.

"As expected of Horn, the 'Mountain Barrier'."

They exchanged a punch, and each of them staggered back a few steps.

Compared to Gangji's disheveled state, Gratoni appeared to be in complete control.

"Stop talking so much nonsense!"

Gangji launched another attack, engaging Gratoni in a fierce battle.

After a few rounds, Gangji was at a disadvantage.

Just as Gratoni was about to finish off one of them in one go, a scorching spear of light pierced through the air, aiming straight for his back.

(End of this chapter)