Evil Red Dragon

A night breeze swept through the courtyard, rustling the vines.

Alecto remained standing, letting Helena lean on his shoulder.

His gaze was fixed on the view outside the window, but his mind was unusually clear.

What you just said was seven parts truth and three parts falsehood.

Living is indeed important, and becoming stronger is his eternal goal, but the word "willing" is just a temporary disguise.

He needs time, but even more so, he needs information.

The cracks in the magic corridor still throbbed with pain, and a direct confrontation was futile. Helena's mental shackles and the unfinished soul contract were like two swords hanging over their heads.

The only way out is to follow Helena's wishes and temporarily become the person she desires.

A red dragon with unlimited potential, gradually softening and falling in love with her.

Only in this way might the shackles be loosened, and the knowledge and information he craves would come in a continuous stream.

As for trust... that word simply doesn't exist in his dictionary.

Yes, it's just a matter of weighing and utilizing.

Helena seemed to be enjoying the tranquility of the moment.

"What kind of organization is the Witch's Guild?"

Alecto seized the opportunity to ask.

Helena turned her head to the side, the starlight reflecting in her purple eyes, shimmering and sparkling.

"A special alliance of people who pursue truth and power, and are not bound by worldly norms and moral shackles."

She gave a rather official definition:

"We study forbidden knowledge, explore the essence of the world, support each other, and also have some necessary competition. Our members come from different backgrounds, but what we have in common is that we all possess powerful magical talents and qualities that are not tolerated by the world."

"Like the bewitching bloodline in you?"

Alecto asked directly.

Helena did not deny it and nodded.

As night deepened, the stars became clearer, and the courtyard was quiet except for the chirping of insects.

Helena stood up:

That's all for today.

After the two finished their meal, they returned to the bedroom, where the bed curtains were drawn and the bedding was fluffy.

Helena lay down first and patted her side.

Alector hesitated for a moment, then lay down beside her.

Helena chuckled softly in the darkness, reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in the crook of his shoulder.

"Go to sleep," Helena whispered. "We'll continue tomorrow."

Alecto did not respond, but simply closed his eyes.

This time, there were no illusions, nor any disturbance from the soul contract.

Days passed by, and dawn and dusk alternated.

Alecto became increasingly resigned and managed to extract more information from Helena.

In this world called Mystara, humanity has one empire, two federations, and three kingdoms, and Calando is one of the three kingdoms.

The noble system of Calando is divided into five ranks: Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, and Baron.

A duchy typically occupies the territory of a province, a marquisate a county, an earlate a city, and a viscount's or baron's territory is even smaller, often consisting of only a few villages or towns.

But the royal family is special. The king directly governs the royal domain, which is equivalent to two duchies in area and is also the richest region in the country.

Royal succession follows the principle of primogeniture, but throughout history, there have been numerous civil wars that have broken out over succession issues.

Nobles formed complex networks through marriage alliances, vassal relationships, and exchanges of benefits.

A duke may be related to another duke by marriage, be a marquis's lord, and have business dealings with an earl.

Every human nation has churches of varying sizes that worship different gods.

In Calando, the Church of Light is the state religion and wields immense influence within the territory.

The Pope is on equal footing with the King, the Church has its own armed forces, and a nationwide network of churches.

The nobility needed the church's blessing to consolidate their rule, while the church needed the nobility's support to expand its influence; the two cooperated yet remained wary of each other.

The church was the main force persecuting witches. They colluded with nobles to spread rumors, causing witches' reputations to plummet. They also secretly captured and enslaved witches, using them as breeding grounds for high-level professionals.

The nobles followed suit...

There's no way around it, the witches are just too talented. The offspring born from their unions often inherit some of these traits. With a little brainwashing and some nurturing, they can become the backbone of the family.

On the other hand, witches are generally far more beautiful than normal women...

This smells so good, you absolutely have to try it.

Under such persecution, some surviving witches frequently erupted, constantly attacking the church and nobles, each time accompanied by huge casualties.

As a result, the rumors about the witch became even more terrifying, and the witch was completely despised and hated in Calando.

In addition, Calandor has various guilds, such as merchant guilds, artisan guilds, adventurer guilds, and so on.

Every guild has its own rules.

Wealthy merchants are incredibly rich and can influence the decisions of nobles through lending and trade.

Adventurers' guilds are even more special, as high-level professionals are often not bound by secular laws.

The three check and balance each other.

The nobility restrained the church, preventing theocracy from becoming too powerful. The church, in turn, restrained the nobility, limiting their power in the name of faith. Guilds influenced both through economic means, with the military providing ultimate protection.

The king, at the top of this system, needs to balance the various parties and maintain stability.

Of course, this is just an ideal situation.

In reality, conspiracies, betrayals, and assassinations are commonplace.

The game of power is never clean.

As time went on, Helena gave him more and more freedom.

The constraints are still there, but they have loosened to the point that they no longer affect daily activities.

They ate together, read books together, and learned magic together.

Alecto displays a thirst for knowledge, a yearning for power, and a growing dependence on Helena.

At least on the surface.

"You seem to know a lot about the nobility."

Alecto said, holding her in his arms.

"I spent a few years in the capital, secretly serving as an advisor to a marquis. That old fellow used my mental magic to steal secrets from his political enemies."

"And then?"

"Later he discovered that I had the bloodline of the Eye Demon, and he wanted to sell me to the church in exchange for a favor."

Helena chuckled softly:

"I found out beforehand, so I killed his entire family and fled the capital overnight."

She spoke casually, as if she were telling an ordinary story.

Alecto turned his head to look at her.

Helena's profile was clearly defined in the light, with long eyelashes and a straight nose.

If it weren't for the occasional hint of danger she exuded, she would have looked like an ordinary noblewoman.

"Aren't you afraid I'll betray you too?"

Alecto asked casually.

Helena turned around and met Alecto's gaze.

"I'm scared."

She reached out and brushed the red hair from his forehead.

"But you are different from them."

"What's different?"

"You are stronger and purer. The arrogance of the red dragon is undisguised, while those nobles wear gorgeous clothes but are the dirtiest people in the world."

Her hands were a little cold.

During this time, Alecto had become accustomed to this contact.

Helena loved physical contact with him, stroking his head, caressing his face, and holding him while he slept.

Alecto was completely obedient to this.

This is a necessary disguise, absolutely nothing else.

He was calculating silently in his mind.

The cracks in the magic corridor have been 70% repaired. The mental shackles still exist, but Helena has relaxed her control, at least no longer monitoring his thoughts all the time.

The time is approaching.

What do you want to eat today?

Helena withdrew her hand, her tone relaxed:

"A new batch of premium yaks has arrived; they're said to be very tender."

"It will be all right."

"Then let's grill it and sprinkle some spices on it."

Helena turned and walked towards the door:

"I'll go tell the kitchen. Oh, by the way, that book on mental magic is on the top shelf of the third row of bookshelves. You should be interested in it."

She pushed open the door and left, her footsteps fading into the distance.

Alecto stood there until he was sure she was far away before slowly exhaling.

He walked to the bookshelf and took out the book Helena had mentioned.

He quickly scanned the page, his gaze lingering on one page.

It was a diagram of a binding spell, its structure bearing a striking resemblance to the mental shackles Helena had placed upon him.

The annotations are written in beautiful, delicate handwriting; they are Helena's handwriting.

"The core of the mental shackles lies in sustained suppression, not in instantaneous intensity..."

Alecto's pupils constricted slightly.

This is Helena's own magic notebook.

She actually put something like that where he could easily reach it?

Is it trust? Or a test?

He closed the book and put it back where it belonged.

He thought to himself, "I can't rush this."

Dinner was held in the courtyard.

The table was laden with caramelized beef, vegetable salad, freshly baked bread, and a pot of magical beverage.

Helena changed into a light, comfortable house dress, replacing the purple with a pale purple.

"Try this."

She used her fork to pluck a large piece of meat and held it to Alecto's mouth.

Alecto opened his mouth and ate it.

The meat is tender, flavorful, and melts in your mouth.

"How is it?"

"It's delicious."

Helena smiled and cut herself a piece.

As dusk settled, the lights hanging on the courtyard wall gradually lit up, casting a soft glow.

"Are you planning to stay in Graystone Town indefinitely?"

Alecto asked as he ate.

Helena swirled the drink in her glass, causing it to spread.

"It seems Elena's matter isn't over yet, so I have to stay here for her."

"Those materials... didn't Elena cause you any trouble?"

"Yes, I looked for it."

Helena shrugged:

"They asked me a question through the communication crystal, and then nothing happened."

Why?

"Because she needs me."

Helena took a sip of her drink:

"There aren't many people in the Witch's Guild willing to take on this kind of dirty work. In the two years I've been in Graystone Town, I've helped her resolve a lot of troubles. Compared to those materials, my role is much more important."

She added, "Besides, she wouldn't dare to really turn against me. In terms of seniority, I'm one level above her in the association."

Alecto silently noted down this information.

There is a hierarchy within the Witches' Guild, and Helena holds a relatively high position.

Elena held a special position in the meeting, but she was not the highest-ranking member.

Why are you helping her?

"In this deal, she provides me with resources, and I do things for her."

"Just like what you're doing to me now?"

Helena looked up at him, her deep purple eyes unfathomable.

"It's different. For you, I want more than just a deal."

Alecto did not respond.

The two finished their dinner in silence.

The servant silently cleared away the tableware and brought over a pot of freshly brewed flower tea.

The fragrance of the flowers is delicate and elegant, drifting in the night breeze.

Helena leaned back in her chair, gazing up at the starry sky.

"Do you know?"

She suddenly said:

"When I first saw you, I thought, this dragon is really special."

"What's so special about it?"

"You are not like other red dragons, who can only roar and breathe fire."

Helena turned her head:

"You can disguise yourself, you can scheme, you can hide your strength... and you use magic frequently. Moreover, you have a very strange aura about you."

"What kind of temperament?"

"I can't explain it."

Helena tilted her head:

"It's like... you don't completely belong to this world."

Alecto's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained expressionless.

"The dragon race did not originally belong entirely to this world; we are outsiders, as written in ancient texts."

"Yeah?"

Helena smiled and didn't ask any further questions.

After sitting for a while, she stood up.

"Let's go back inside, it's getting windy."

In the following days, Alector continued his studies.

He asked Helena for advice on magic, especially compound magic and mental magic.

Helena taught him very seriously and even allowed him into her laboratory to observe her mixing potions.

The laboratory is underground, much smaller than the one in the mine, but with much better equipment.

While Helena was preparing the potion, Alecto stood by and observed, silently noting down each step.

"You want to learn alchemy?"

But this time, Helena suddenly asked.

"think."

"Why? Red dragons are generally not interested in these things."

"Because it's useful."

Alekto said:

"Knowledge is power."

Helena chuckled. "That sounds like something a human mage would say."

She finished mixing, poured the fluorescent blue liquid into a small crystal bottle, and sealed it with a cork.

"Here, a True Sight Potion. Drinking it will allow you to see through illusions for a short period of time."

She handed it over:

"But remember, the effect only lasts for ten minutes, and there will be a one-hour visual blurring side effect afterwards."

Alecto took it.

"By the way, your spatial bag is still with me."

Helena walked to the cabinet by the wall, opened the drawer, and took out the space bag.

I didn't touch anything inside.

Helena placed the space bag on the worktable:

"The Stardust, those materials, and the treasure you stuffed in before are all here."

Alecto looked at the spatial bag but didn't take it.

"Why are you giving it to me?"

Helena leaned against the table:

"It was originally yours, there's no use for me keeping it."

This is clearly a lie.

Stardust is priceless, and the materials used are also extraordinary.

But she did want to give it to Alecto.

Alecto infused his magic and sensed the interior of the spatial bag.

Everything is still there, even the positions of the items haven't changed.

"What about the half-elf?"

he asks.

Helena raised an eyebrow:

"You still think about her?"

"She's useful."

Alekto said:

"With royal elven blood, and fluent in ancient Elven language and magic, such a talent should not be kept in a cage."

Helena stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled.

"it is good."

She turned and walked out of the laboratory, then returned a moment later with Odette in her hand.

The half-elf was in somewhat better condition than he was in the mine.

But those emerald eyes remained empty, only showing a slight flicker when they saw Alecto.

Helena unlocked the chains binding Odette.

"From now on, she's yours. However, I suggest you place a restriction on her as well. Half-elves may not be as arrogant as pure-blooded elves, but they're not to be trifled with."

Odette kept her head down and didn't say anything.

Alecto tied the space bag around his waist and looked at Helena.

"Can these mental shackles be removed now?"

Helena asked softly:

Are you sure?

"Sure."

Alekto said:

"I won't run away."

A moment of silence.

Helena slowly raised her hand, removing most of the mental shackles from Alexo's body, leaving only the mark in his mind.

"Much better."

Alecto said, stretching his body.

Helena didn't speak, she just looked at him.

At that moment, a strong impulse surged within Alecto.

It's now!

The corridor can instantly operate at overcapacity, activating the magical patterns on the wings, forcibly breaking through all constraints, and directly targeting Helena's vitals!

At that distance, she absolutely couldn't react in time.

But it went too smoothly.

Everything went too smoothly.

Space bag, half-elf, release from restraints...

Helena seemed to be fulfilling his requests step by step, completely unsuspecting.

No, it wasn't completely unprepared.

It's too deliberate.

Alecto forced himself to suppress his impulse, walked up to Helena, put his arm around her waist, and pulled her into his embrace.

Helena stiffened slightly, but did not resist.

She tilted her head back and asked softly:

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

Alecto lowered his head, forehead to forehead with hers:

"I just suddenly wanted to hug you."

He could feel the soft warmth of the body in his arms, and the faint fragrance of flowers in her hair.

But something just doesn't feel right; everything is so perfect, it's like it was all planned out.

Alecto's inner alarm bells were ringing.