"Good! Good! Very Good!" The voice continued excitedly.

Nora Alstreim became heartened that her Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim wasn't against her decision but applauded her.

"Yes, I will not be able to come outside, nor will you all be able to see me during this time, so I'll leave the other end to you, grandpa."

"Hah! Your grandpa will take care of it like he always does! Don't let anything bother you and concentrate on becoming a grand character. Even if you miss the Nine Eastern Territories Young Expert Competition, it is worth it!"

"Grandpa..." Nora Alstreim became moved but also felt a pang of hurt in her heart.

Her participating in the Nine Eastern Territories Young Expert Competition directly correlates to gaining a Law Tree Fruit as a reward and that single Law Tree Fruit would enhance the chances of Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim becoming a Ninth Stage Powerhouse, but he easily forgo that like it was nothing.

She couldn't help but shed a tear as she muttered in a shaky voice.

"Mhm... I will become a grand character... Take care..."

The messaging talisman lost its glow, but what replaced her expression was a type of blinding confidence that came from caring and the determination to not disappoint each other!

Inwardly swearing that she would repay this debt this one day, she looked at the two who were waiting for her and walked towards them in a confident stride before she stood in front of them.

"I have informed!"

Davis possessed an indifferent expression as he watched her make warm expressions like that, but he coldly looked at her.

"I assume you are ready then?" Princess Isabella asked.

"I am!"

"I see..." A curve appeared on her lips, "Kowtow once then..."

Nora Alstreim suddenly became silent as she went blank for a second.

It took a second for her to process that statement that she couldn't help but blurt out, "What!?"

Princess Isabella didn't have a change of expression, "I said kowtow once."

Nora Alstreim possessed a contorted expression on her face. To whom had she ever kowtowed? It was only towards her dead parents and grandfather!

She did not even kowtow to Ancestor Dian Alstreim as she was stubborn, but she was now required to kowtow to the Dragon Queen!?

She inwardly understood that it was a necessary matter since the master-subordinate relationship was like that, but her pride didn't allow her to kowtow to another person no matter how she tried to convince herself contrarily!

"Is this because I disrespected you, the Dragon Queen at that time in the Grand Welcoming Hall?"

She couldn't help but ask with reluctance etched on her face.

Princess Isabella's lips curved into a sneer, "You are arrogant if you think this is for disrespecting me at that time when we first met."

"It's not like I'm asking you to kowtow three times but only once. Every subordinate of mine had kowtowed to me once before they all pledged their loyalty to me. You are no different, or perhaps, should I ask you to kowtow three times since your talent is deemed less by me?"

Nora Alstreim's lips quivered. She didn't like being looked down upon, but her inferiority in front of the Dragon Queen had already started to display itself outside through her body.

Although her bold expression said otherwise, her body was trying to kowtow as her knees slightly caved, imperceptibly shaking in both necessity and reluctance as she knew that she couldn't lose this chance but also couldn't lose the pride she had cultivated.

"If you can't, then you are free to leave. The exit is right there..." Princess Isabella gestured with a smile on her face.

It was clear to Nora Alstreim that the Dragon Queen was absolutely unconcerned about her. It didn't matter if she became a subordinate or not, and it was she who was pleading to be let into the group.

'This is also a trial...'

Even convincing herself with this point didn't do anything, but when she finally recalled that her grandpa and her grandma were suffering even though they acted like they were fine, she finally let go of her hesitation.

Nora Alstreim finally convinced herself somehow and landed her knees on the ground. She had her head lowered as if she was defeated. However, she didn't bend her waist and touched the floor with her head to kowtow.

Instead, she suddenly spoke.

"Dragon Queen, I have a request to Alchemist Davis."

Davis became taken aback as he heard her voice. He produced a smile as he curiously opened his mouth, "A request from the prideful Nora Alstreim? I wonder what it is..."

"If you give me the Enlightened Martial Surge Pill, on top of paying twice the price, I will call you senior..."

"Hahaha!" Davis felt like he heard the funniest thing today that he instantly decided to go along with it.

"Alright, you have given me your word. Since you can't leave, I'll deliver the pill to your so-called grandma..."

"That is... thoughtful of you..." Nora Alstreim became slightly taken aback by his quick answer.

He was so against her that he kept slandering her but suddenly looked the other way for this matter. She didn't know what to make out of it, so she slightly bowed towards him as she thanked before keeping her head straight towards the Dragon Queen.

Even now, she felt incredibly reluctant, but for her future, she knew that she had to sacrifice this pride and cultivate a new one later, the pride as a subordinate. Perhaps, it would naturally take place, but she didn't think much of it as she finally bent her waist and kowtowed on the ground, her forehead touching the cold surface of the floor.

"!!!"

She felt extremely humiliated that she started shivering, but she also knew that this kowtow ritual was taking place in a private area.

Perhaps, this was the reason the Dragon Queen invited her inside, no? To not humiliate her in front of the masses who would be monitoring the Purple Guest Palace?

After a whole full second of experiencing complex emotions, she raised her head and looked at the Dragon Queen but froze halfway as she noticed... noticed that it wasn't the Dragon Queen in front of her but a masked black-haired woman.

"You... You are...?" Nora Alstreim instantly recalled that this woman was also a subordinate of the Dragon Queen but didn't know her name as she had refused to reveal.

Then instinctively, her face scrunched up into anger as she knew that she kowtowed to this woman, a subordinate instead of the Dragon Queen! It was incredibly humiliating that her face started to burn up in shame!

"It's been a long time, Nora..." A cold but melodious voice echoed from the masked woman.

"Eh!?" Nora Alstreim's expression became blank as she recognized the familiar voice.

However, she felt her body suddenly became heavy, her soul becoming so much pressure that she felt like she was going to explode. Her gaze instantly became dizzy, and she lost all forms of physical control that she became stiff like a zombie for a moment.

The next moment, she felt a pat on her back that made her kowtow again as her head hit the ground, but this time, she gained control of her body.

Nevertheless, the instant suppression of two overwhelming powers caused her to become disoriented for a short few seconds that she looked above and incredulously thought that there was Claire in front of her!

How could there be a dead person in front of her!?

She went a bit crazy from experiencing shame as she moved her head to the side with difficulty and looked at the two people, especially the Dragon Queen, whom she thought she was kowtowing to!

"What is the meaning of this!?"

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