Although it was something Ryan had already expected.

After having the conversation with Beatrice regarding the power of the demon kings, he took the matter even more seriously.

He knew he had to surpass his current level.

Beatrice stood beside Ryan, clinging to his body and hugging him tightly while she awaited an answer.

She kept her hands on Ryan’s coat, searching for a sign regarding her request to go find her younger brother.

He felt the pressure of the demon girl’s body against his own. Ryan pulled away from her with slow movements and sat back down on the edge of the desk that was in the room.

Beatrice remained in her place, keeping her gaze fixed on him without saying a word for the time being.

She continued to wait for Ryan’s verdict on her journey into the territory of the demons. Ryan observed her expression and decided to address the subject directly.

"I don’t oppose your going; in fact, it was something I knew you would ask of me."

Ryan crossed his arms while he remained seated on the edge of the table.

"What I wouldn’t like is for you to go to a place like that alone."

Beatrice reacted immediately to his response, startled, as she perhaps hadn’t expected him to answer so positively so quickly.

She took a step forward, a clear sense of surprise showing in her eyes.

But then Beatrice added to her response, trying to defend her point of view.

"But, Ryan! Of course I must go alone. There is no way I would allow any of you to accompany me."

She shook her head energetically, causing her black hair to sway.

"You can’t enter demon territory without drawing attention. I am a demon; I can go wherever I want without them suspecting a thing about me."

Ryan observed her in silence for a moment, analyzing what she was saying. She was definitely right about the risk of bringing a human or an elf into those lands.

It wasn’t as if he could go into demon territory without expecting a great deal of trouble from the demons in that area.

Besides, it wasn’t a good time for any of them to leave the village now that the relocation was so close.

’Her logic is sound, but it is still dangerous for her to move out on her own.’

Ryan tapped the edge of the table with his fingers while he thought of a solution to that problem.

"You might be right, but you could also be considered a fugitive demon. Don’t you think that will be a problem if someone recognizes you?"

Ryan threw out the question pragmatically, seeking for her to see the hole in her travel plan.

"No, well, in part yes, but it won’t be to Demon King Rohan’s domain that I’m going, where they might recognize me." Beatrice made a gesture with her hand, downplaying the situation.

She seemed to have great confidence in the map she had traced in her mind. Then she continued explaining her plan to reach the nation she was seeking.

"I plan to enter through Demon King Rigal’s territory, moving along his borders without being seen. And I will do it without crossing into human territory so that no one stops me along the way."

She made a brief pause.

"That way, I will reach Morrisen, the nation Ophelia rules. From there, it should be simple to reunite with her and see my brother."

"I don’t think it’s that simple, Beatrice. Don’t take this lightly or you’ll end up dead."

Ryan sighed and then continued speaking.

"She is still a demon king, and you are someone who is now with a human... I am certain that even they know a human saved you."

Ryan stood up from the edge of the desk and walked toward her with a firm stride.

"Which means that if you run into any demons, they might recognize you immediately. Your face is something the soldiers of the other kings must already know."

Beatrice clenched her fists tightly upon hearing Ryan’s words. She lowered her gaze.

"That is... something I hadn’t considered..."

"You dummy, I don’t want you focusing so much on your brother that you forget to take care of yourself. If you don’t take care of yourself, how do you expect to take care of him when you find him?"

Ryan spoke with a serious tone that made Beatrice fall silent for a moment.

"That is... I just..."

"Calm down."

Ryan extended his hand toward her, showing that he had something for her.

"Take this." Beatrice looked at the palm of Ryan’s hand with curiosity.

"Eh? What is that?"

She approached and held out her own hand to receive the object. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"A relic?" Beatrice observed the object, which glowed slightly.

"Yes. You had already left with Helen when I departed the village with Irina and Karol, which is why you weren’t familiar with it. But that relic will change your appearance slightly so that no one suspects anything."

Beatrice continued looking at the relic without saying anything.

"Put it on already, come on," Ryan exclaimed.

Beatrice looked at him with a bit of incredulity, but she obeyed the order immediately.

She placed the ring on her finger and felt a slight vibration coursing through her hand. She stared at the ring for a few seconds and then looked back at Ryan as if waiting for instructions.

Then he gave a brief smile, seeing that she was finally ready.

"Apply mana to that ring."

She did so, closing her eyes to channel her energy into the relic.

Immediately, her long black hair began to change color steadily.

The dark strands turned into a shade of blue that contrasted with her skin.

Beatrice was looking at her hair, a bit disconcerted, taking it between her hands to get a better look.

She touched the ends of her blue hair and looked at herself in a mirror that was on the wall of the house.

The transformation was subtle but enough to make her unrecognizable to anyone who might look for her.

Ryan observed the result and nodded with satisfaction at the girl’s new appearance.

He knew that with that change, the spies of the other demon kings would have trouble identifying her.

Although from her look, it seemed Beatrice felt strange seeing her hair with that new color.

"If you go like that, I will feel more at ease."