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{Chapter: 237: Echoes of Elsera}
Feeling the subtle shift in Dex's expression, Alison noticed that his gaze had become unexpectedly warmer—almost... friendly.
A flicker of confusion rose in her heart, and an imaginary question mark practically appeared above her head.
She hesitated for a moment, lips parting slightly as if she was going to ask something. But in the end, she decided to let it go. There was no harm in someone being friendlier, after all. No need to dig into a harmless change. So, brushing the thought aside, she smoothly changed the subject.
"I remember that Valeera should be in this city recently," she said, lightly. "Maybe you can go find her. She kept talking about you when she was with me—not just once or twice either."
Dex didn't respond immediately. Instead, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he leaned back slightly, acting as if he were weighing the idea.
"Oh? She's here?" he said, keeping his tone relaxed and casual. "Well, that's not bad. If fate brings us together, maybe we'll run into each other on the street."
The message behind his words was clear—he had no intention of seeking her out.
Hearing this, Alison let out a silent sigh and shook her head internally. Valeera's complaints and comments suddenly made perfect sense.
So this guy really is like that...
In the Mi Ling world, there might not be a saying like "pulling a DIO", but there were definitely similar phrases among elves and humans—expressions used to mock someone ruthlessly abandoning a past lover.
With a slight scoff, she turned her head away, revealing a look of judgment and contempt that wasn't particularly subtle.
Dex, however, merely shrugged in response. He didn't feel guilty. If anything, he seemed mildly amused.
He couldn't quite grasp why she was looking at him like he'd broken some sacred vow. In his mind, everything had been fair—clear, honest, and transactional.
Why do women always make it seem like I'm the villain?
Still, her gaze lacked true malice. There was no real threat in her eyes, just a simmering disdain—as though she'd mentally placed him in the "scumbag" category and moved on.
Let her think what she wants, he thought.
Dex was used to this sort of misunderstanding. The truth was, he deliberately changed companions often—not out of cruelty, but as a defense mechanism.
He changes women frequently because he doesn't want to stay with them for too long and develop feelings.
Compared to the ordinary demons' heartless way of thinking, this guy may be a residual influence of human nature and is more nostalgic.
Therefore, before developing feelings, changing his female companion is the best option!
After all, who has the time to take care of a bunch of women? Fair trade is the most reasonable way, and neither side owes the other anything.
However, if they are really destined to be together, he wouldn't worry about it.
It doesn't matter if he carries them with him...
After all, he is not an indecisive person.
Besides, sooner or later he will find some subordinates to build his own power and place and place.
It doesn't matter whether he looks for it earlier or later, it's just a little inconvenient.
Thinking about these unimportant things, Dex casually picked up a piece of cut fruit and stuffed it into his mouth. He looked at Alison and said, "After you recover from your injury, are you going to return to the front line directly?"
With idle thoughtfulness, Dex picked up a wedge of sliced fruit from the silver tray beside him, bit into it, and let its sweetness linger on his tongue. He glanced at Alison and spoke again, this time shifting the topic.
"Once your injuries heal, are you planning to return straight to the front lines?"
Alison shook her head gently, a wistful smile curving her lips. Her voice softened, distant.
"No... not immediately. I plan to return to the Elven Kingdom of Elsera for a while. I haven't seen my homeland in... centuries. I miss the forests and the skies there."
Her words stirred something gentle in the air. Her eyes no longer focused on the present moment but turned inward, recalling the gleaming trees and sun-kissed marble towers of her childhood.
For over a hundred years, she had stood at the Golili Defense Line, fighting a brutal, seemingly endless war. Her identity as a frontline commander had consumed her entire existence, and her connection to home had faded like an old dream. Now that the situation had calmed—even if only temporarily—she wished to return.
Even for an elf with a long life ahead, centuries were not easily dismissed. And for someone who had spent that time amid blood and fire, the days passed even more slowly.
Elsera... so that's her homeland? Dex silently noted the name. Valeera's too, most likely.
"I imagine it must be beautiful," he said aloud. "Peaceful. Not many places can boast that these days."
Alison's expression brightened with pride, her emerald eyes glimmering.
"Of course it is! The Elven Kingdom of Elsera is one of the most breathtaking lands in the Western Continent. The architecture alone is unlike anything else—each structure carefully shaped, reworked countless times until every curve is perfection. Living art, Dex. Every building has a soul.
If you ever get the chance, you absolutely must visit. The immigration process is strict, but… if you're interested, I could help smooth the way."
Her words carried a kind of youthful excitement, the unguarded passion of someone who deeply loved her home.
Dex smiled in response, not refusing her offer but not committing to it either.
"If I get the chance," he said with an easy tone, "I'll be sure to visit."
But in his mind, other thoughts stirred. Living art, huh? That does sound like the kind of thing elves would pour their hearts into... but how long can art survive if the world burns?
He couldn't help but think of the Fire Demon Lord, still brooding in the deepest layers of the Abyss. The ancient threat was patient, eternal, and watched the surface world with the hunger of a god denied worship.
Even so, as someone with a genuine appreciation for beauty—a rare trait among Balors—Dex did feel a sliver of interest. If he ever truly had time to wander freely, perhaps he would go. Not for diplomacy. Not for romance. Just for the art.
Alison's enthusiasm didn't waver. "When you go, be sure to visit the Court of Alra. It's our grandest artistic exhibition. Not just elven works, either—masterpieces from all over the world are gathered and displayed there. Sculptures, paintings, magical illusions… It's a place where even time seems to slow down."
"If you leave without seeing it," she added, her voice teasing, "you'll have wasted your entire visit."
Dex let out a low chuckle, appreciating her tone. "I'll keep that in mind. If I ever go, the Court of Alra will be my first stop."
With the tension between them eased, the two continued talking. Their conversation drifted from memories of old cities to the quirks of various races, and the changing political winds sweeping across the continents.
Time passed like flowing water, and soon the sky outside began to darken, the orange twilight giving way to the indigo of night.
Realizing the hour, they finally stood and exchanged farewells.
As Alison turned to leave, she paused just once and looked back at Dex.
"Thank you," she said softly.
Dex didn't ask what for. He only nodded, watching her figure disappear into the deepening dusk.
He stayed still for a moment longer, then glanced up at the first stars twinkling above.
The Elven Kingdom of Elsera... he mused.
Maybe one day, he would see its skies for himself.
---
Watching Dex's silhouette disappear into the distance, Alison gently reached for the bracelet on her wrist.
It was no ordinary accessory. Crafted long ago by a legendary elven artisan, this bracelet possessed a unique enchantment: the ability to sense deception. Whenever someone lied in its presence, the central emerald jewel would flicker—an ancient mechanism designed to separate truth from falsehood.
Throughout her conversation with Dex earlier that day, the gemstone had remained eerily still, utterly unresponsive. No glow, no flicker. According to its magical judgment, Dex hadn't spoken a single lie.
And yet… Alison's brow furrowed ever so slightly.
Something didn't feel right.
The bracelet was powerful, yes—but nothing in this world was absolute. Like any artifact, it had its limits. Some beings—especially those at Dex's level—might be capable of speaking in carefully chosen half-truths, or simply believing their own delusions with such conviction that the bracelet failed to react.
So while his credibility had certainly risen in her eyes, that didn't mean she trusted him fully. Far from it.
"Trust," she murmured under her breath, her fingertips tapping the smooth surface of the emerald. "Is earned, not detected."
After a moment's hesitation, Alison finally spoke aloud.
"Kara, I want you to investigate someone for me. I've already sent you his profile and key details."
A hoarse, raspy female voice echoed faintly from the bracelet, slightly metallic in tone but laced with intelligence:
"Understood."
"Good. Make it a priority," Alison added calmly. "I want results as soon as possible."
With the command given, she leaned back slightly in her seat, her silver-blonde hair cascading over one shoulder as her mind returned to the puzzle that was Dex.
His appearance at the Golili Defense Line had been… far too convenient.
There was no prior record of a demigod-level powerhouse like him entering the region. As a senior officer stationed at one of the most crucial battlefronts in the Western Continent, Alison should have received immediate notification the moment someone of his level crossed into their territory. Protocol demanded it. Magical surveillance mechanisms were in place precisely for such reasons.
And yet—nothing.
No warning. No magical alert. No trace.
The entire city's magical defense web had missed him completely. That wasn't just unlikely—it was outright impossible unless he'd deliberately avoided detection.
Had Dex somehow bypassed all the surveillance magic?
But why? she wondered.
What was his real purpose here?
He claimed it was just by chance. Coincidence. A leisurely visit, even. But Alison didn't believe in coincidences—especially not in a world as treacherous as theirs.
She hadn't pressed him further during their conversation. Some questions, after all, were best left unspoken—especially ones that involved personal matters or privacy. Asking too directly might have provoked annoyance or even hostility, and she had no desire to antagonize someone like Dex unnecessarily.
Besides, even if she had asked, would he have told her the truth?
Probably not.
So she chose to play the long game. Gain his trust. Let him speak freely. Observe, not interrogate.
Now, with Kara on the job, she would begin her own quiet investigation. Dex's secrets would reveal themselves in time—she just had to be patient.
---
What Alison didn't realize, however, was that her cautious approach may have backfired.
Had she asked her questions bluntly, without a filter, there was a very real chance Dex might have answered her.
Not out of malice or strategy—just because, at times, his mouth operated faster than his brain. He had a habit of letting thoughts spill out without thoroughly considering the consequences. It wasn't uncommon for him to reveal a little too much when asked.
Whether what he revealed would have been helpful or not… well, that was another matter entirely.
His version of the "truth" was a flexible thing.
Regardless, Dex had easily picked up on the fact that Alison was suspicious of him. Her eyes were sharp, her manner too careful.
But instead of irritation, he found amusement in her skepticism.
"Naturally cautious. That's not a flaw," he thought. "It's survival instinct."
He was well aware that he hadn't covered all his tracks. Several red flags were left in plain sight, and it was only natural for someone as intelligent as Alison to notice. In fact, he had done that on purpose.
A little doubt. A little mystery.
Sometimes it was better to give others just enough of a trail to follow. A harmless mystery could distract them from the real secret.
Besides, if no one noticed anything strange about him, it would have meant the world's intelligence networks were hopelessly incompetent. And in that case, what would be the fun in playing this game?
"Let them investigate," Dex mused with a grin. "It adds flavor to life."
To him, life was like a complex strategy game.
And the best games always had side quests.
If Alison wanted to play detective, so be it. It might even help him in the long run—after all, a bit of false information strategically leaked could guide others down the wrong path.
Distraction was the oldest trick in the book.
Let them focus on the wrong questions while he pursued his true goals undisturbed.
In a high-level world like this, underestimating your enemies—or your allies—was a surefire path to ruin. Dex knew that. He was no fool. He respected the intelligence and cunning of this world's natives. Even someone like Alison could prove dangerous if provoked.
That's why he played things cautiously… and playfully.
Because in a world where danger lurked behind every corner, laughter, misdirection, and the occasional well-placed mystery were the best kid of fun.