Nope: it's time to head back to base

The next morning, after being woken where you collapsed by your dutiful maid, you stand back in the audience chamber alongside Zalreanne.

"So, daemon, you have had a day to think on my terms and have met my daughter again. Are you prepared to move forward with our alliance?" The great wyrm stares at a gold coin as she talks while idly moving it between her claws. You nod. "Excellent. Remember, seek out a suitable adventurer: someone of no small power, but who you think you can control. I will inform you when I have made the necessary preparations for you to move ahead with the rest of the search. Perfect. Now, let us just confirm the arrangement with my daughter. IKARIA!"

The younger dragoness struts into the room, her hips swaying as she walks with a confident smirk. "What, mom? I've got better things to do than jump around whenever you get bored."

"I intend to betrothe you to Azazel. Do you accept?"

"And why should I be sent off to some stinky imp? I'll have you know I rather enjoy living in this exciting dungeon." The princess puts a hand on her hips and pushes them out in a casual way as she speaks: her mother simply grins at the insolent reply.

"Oh? Should I assume that was someone else screaming about having two daughters put in her for every servant in the dungeon to hear?" A deep crimson blush covers the junior wyrm's face.

"Eww, mom, TMI. Okay, fine," she walks over and wraps her arm around you, leaning her head against your shoulder. "I'll go get to know Azazel better. He isn't the most boring suitor I've had." The elder dragoness gives an uncharacteristically gentle smile at her daughter.

"Very well then. I assume you know the way back, daemon?"

"I do, mistress." She laughs at your formal reply.

"Careful, or that will be 'mother' soon. Now begone. You have already stayed here long enough, and we do not want to raise any attention at the great wyrm taking unusual interest in a simple summons of one of her many vassals. I imagine my next few weeks will be occupied by similar meetings to keep up appearances. How dull." She stands and gives a wave, then opens a control window and releases her daughter from her dungeon before turning to walk back into the depths of her chamber. The three of you turn to go, beginning the long journey back to your own lair. The princess is uncharacteristically silent as you walk and then stand on the slowly rising elevator out of the dungeon, so much so that you're completely caught off guard when she steps outside and yells "HELLO" at the top of her lungs—and it turns out that 'the top of her lungs' means something quite different for a dragon.

"Oops, sorry," you see a hand reaching out to you as your blurred vision starts coming back into focus, the smirking beauty standing over you. "Figured I'd have a bit of fun since I probably won't be here again any time soon. I forgot that you lower-level monsters are such weaklings." You groan and stagger to your feet with her help, the maid righting herself beside you. Once you've mostly recovered, Ikaria opens a window of her own and taps something, and a popup floats in front of you.

Offer of Allegiance
Ikaria has offered to join your lair as an underling. Accept?
Warning: your level of Draconic Liegelord is not high enough, so you will not be able to control Ikaria.
Proceed?
Yes/No

You tap 'yes'. "Huh, odd, I feel a really slight pull to the south. What's that about?"

"That's probably my dungeon trying to bring you back since you're an underling. If you were weaker you'd just be teleported."

"Oh, are you saying I'm too much for you to handle?" She smirks. "Anyways, champion time!"

"What's the point? You can do more or less whatever you want as an underling at your level anyways, and it isn't like anyone who attacks my dungeon will be much threat to—" her smile is wide, much too wide, and fangs peek out from between her lips.

"I'm sorry, dear, what were you saying?" She runs a hand down your chest as she speaks, fingernails scraping you in a titillating way.

"Right, sorry." You spend 16,000 of your saved-up fame to promote her.

New Champion
You have designated Ikaria (Level 73 Yellow Dragon) as a champion of your dungeon!

Your eyes widen at her level, now that you're actually able to see it, before your thoughts are cut off by a cheerful hug. "Mmm, that's much better. That nagging feeling was annoying. Now, want to hop on my back? We can be back in a flash." Golden light starts to radiate from around your new champion, and you suddenly grab her and pull her into a deep kiss. The glow subsides and she snakes her tongue into yours, her hands wandering over your back as she wrestles your tongue for control, showing her rapid improvement after the last two days' activities. "Okay, not that I'm complaining," she dives back in for a moment, "but can you save that for when we get home?"

"Actually I was hoping we could walk, get to know each other a bit better."

"We can 'get to know each other' better a lot more comfortably on your bed, honey." She smirks and wraps her arms around your neck. "All of this walking is beneath me."

"Look, part of my mission for your mom involves not calling attention to our alliance, and somehow I think riding down Imporne on her daughter's back would violate that. Especially given your little stunt a minute ago."

She gives you a stern glare before relenting and going in for another tongue wrestle. "Ugh, even out here it's mom this, mom that. Fine, have it your way. Now then," she unclasps her hands from around you and then grabs your left hand in her right, tugging you forward as she begins to walk down the path. "Why don't you tell me all about your exploits while we crawl in the dirt like worms?" You begin to follow her, and your well-trained maid quietly shadows the two of you. "Say," her claws finger the gem on your neck, "you don't strike me like the jewellery type, but you haven't taken this thing off since I met you. What's with that?"

"Well, believe it or not, this actually contains one of your mom's friends. I've been meaning to use it to upgrade my lair, but I needed to figure out how to get her out first."

"Needed?" She stresses the last syllable of the word, raising a thin eyebrow as she does.

"Well, she was refusing to tell me who she was, but now that your mom told me her name I should be able to summon her out."

"You can do that? Sounds neat. Won't she just squash you like a bug though? I doubt one of mom's friends is only in her thirties, after all. Unless you're planning to fuck her into submission too," she gives you a teasing look and swings your hand as she walks.

"Well, I wouldn't be opposed to the idea." You smirk right back at her. "She might actually be lower level, though: she's been gone a long time, and used as a mana source in the intervening years. Besides, worst case I was hoping my beautiful bride-to-be could do something about that." She rolls her eyes a bit as you give her hand a playful squeeze, then flicks your forehead with her finger.

"It might be fun to watch her toss you around a bit first," she closes her eyes and grins, "but maybe I could be convinced after she gives me a live demonstration of what Rea back there did to you back in the day. Or maybe I should just let her go: gods know the last thing I know is another part of mom running around trying to run my life."

"Well, what do you think she'll do?" The words come out in a playful tone that you tend to use for deals and games.

"I'll bet you, say, a week of Rea's morning services that she's boring and just joins you right away." She closes her eyes and smiles as she walks, losing herself in the moment.

"Oh? So she'll just roll over and join the club? I thought you were rooting for imp pie?" You play with her fingers as you talk.

"Hey dude, you asked, I answered. She won't necessarily 'roll over,' but I think she'll join your little club without much fuss. Now are you going to take my bet, or are you going to run away with your dick between your legs?" Her other hand reaches over and pokes your smooth pelvis, and you can't help but laugh a little at the gesture.

"Fine, seven days says she takes down at least one person before she joins or leaves or whatever. Could be me, could be a champion, could even be an underling. Just one person. And if I'm right it's you instead of Rea waking me up for a week." Your hand detaches from hers and you give her ass a squeeze.

"Done. And when I'm right, she's shaking you awake the old-fashioned way to give me my good morning present." Her finger pumps in and out of her mouth a bit, drawing your hungry gaze. "Good, enjoy that? Because that's more action than you're about to get for seven mornings." Her hand gives your ass a squeeze in return and you both laugh a bit, then she wraps her arm around your waist and the two of you walk in silence for a while.

"Say, is that a party of adventurers down there?" Ikaria breaks the silence by pointing to three heavily-armoured humanoids barely visible on the mountain below, a slight smirk on her face as she does.

"Shit, we should probably camp out for a bit until they move on," you crouch down to the ground as you speak.

"Oh, scared of a few low-level enemies?" The dragoness squats down next to you. "What happened to the mighty dungeon boss?"

"We need to avoid drawing any attention to ourselves, remember?" She holds fast against your insistent tugging.

"And here I thought you just didn't want to be seen with little old me," she smirks, "so you agree that they haven't seen us yet?"

"Doesn't look that way," you duck a bit as you speak, hoping they won't look your way. Sure, it probably won't be an issue, but who knows how a rumour might start?

"Then I'm sure you won't mind if I do—" thunder cracks in the sky ahead, and a massive bolt of lightning fries the party, leaving three loot piles in the middle of a smoking black pit "—this. Maybe walking isn't so bad from time to time."

"Seven heavens, you don't have any idea what 'keeping a low profile' is, do you?" You shake your head as you look at the carnage below.

"Hey, and here I thought we were on the same page?" She leans back and plays with her hair as she does a very poor job of pretending to look offended. "My my, it seems I've chosen the wrong imp."

"I don't know why I even bother..." you get to your feet and she wraps her arm back around your waist as you start walking again.

"There, all nice and loosened up!" She isn't wrong: the tension from nearly being seen has completely drained from your body. "Just give me a shout when you have another stick up your ass and I'll find some more adventurers to smite. But seriously dude, you need to chill a bit. Scheming is all well and good but sometimes you have have to let fate take the wheel." The absurdity of the situation causes you to let out a string of laughs, and the princess beside you strides forth with a satisfied smile on her face and not a care in the world.