Chapter 334

Valentina woke up.

This wasn't a problem—even though Herbert wasn't here, she could sometimes be treated like a giant Husky, but she had no habit of tearing the house apart.

The problem was that she… was hungry.

This wasn't much of an issue either; once she ate, she would fall back into hibernation without finding her "dessert Herbert."

The bigger problem was—no one willing to give her food was home!

After using the Sage's guidance to open the gate to the Darkless Prison, Valentina's lips pouted even higher.

Dammit, the chef isn't home!

"Svan-ni isn't here, and that vampire is gone too."

Valentina wasn't close to Elisabeth; she only had a vague impression of someone sticking her butt out toward the outside.

"Oh right, Herbert said he took both of them out this time."

She could've attacked that treehouse—somehow, she always felt she could take a few bites.

But Svan-ni had given her food before; their relationship was decent, so it was really inappropriate to bite into it.

Valentina was hungry, but not that desperate—she wouldn't bite into someone else's house… not yet!

After wandering through the Darkless Prison and ransacking even the black iron coffin, Valentina returned home empty-handed.

She pressed her stomach, thought for a moment, then turned and opened another door.

Click.

"Fu Leimei—do you have any food?"

As soon as she stepped in, Valentina cried out mournfully, hoping the mermaid would share some tasty food.

"Huh?"

Valentina arrived too suddenly, startling the mermaid who was just adjusting her alchemical legs.

Startled, she slipped—both alchemical legs flew out of her hands.

Whoosh—

The pure white alchemical legs arced gracefully through the air, flew past the hungry dragon girl, and plunged into the water.

Plop.

Valentina's eyes involuntarily followed the legs, watching them splash beautifully into the water.

Glub.

"Why did you show up out of nowhere without warning? You scared me!"

Fu Leimei snapped back to herself, pouted at the intruder, complained, and manipulated the water to retrieve the alchemical legs.

Valentina's eyes tracked the legs, distracted, murmured: "Oh, sorry—I came looking for food… do you have any?"

"Food? I don't have any."

Fu Leimei thought for a moment, helplessly shook her head, indicating she couldn't help.

She herself had minimal food needs—even in the sea, she only ate small amounts of rare fish she liked.

After advancing to Legendary, she could survive solely on magic, long accustomed to living without food.

Still, Fu Leimei didn't harshly accuse Valentina of being gluttonous; after all, everyone's physiology differs.

Maybe Valentina wasn't greedy—maybe she was truly starving.

She thought a moment, then tried to help: "Do you drink water? Maybe… drink some?"

Drink water?

It won't fill you up, but it might ease the hunger a little.

"…"

Valentina silently shook her head; drinking water wouldn't satisfy her—it would only make her feel emptier.

The hungry dragon girl hesitated, then felt it might be offensive, so she lowered her tone, asking humbly:

"Um, Fu Leimei… can we talk about something?"

Fu Leimei didn't think twice, cheerfully replied: "What? If I can do it, I'll try to help."

They had once fought side by side, and given her connection with Herbert, Fu Leimei was willing to get along well with Valentina.

Then, the innocent mermaid heard the most absurd "humble request" of her entire life.

"Um, uh… could you give me one of these legs?"

???

Fu Leimei widened her eyes, looked at Valentina, then at her own alchemical legs, and finally realized where the hungry dragon girl's gaze had been fixed… Oh! So THAT'S it?!

Wait, sister!!?

What the hell are you talking about, give you one?!

Even the usually good-natured mermaid laughed bitterly, gritting her teeth: "Give you one? Hah, why not take both?"

How could you even think that?

"Oh! Really?!"

Valentina blinked in delight, cautiously asked: "Can I really take both?"

"Of course not!"

Fu Leimei shouted, then sighed deeply—she simply couldn't get angry at such a naive creature.

Valentina reluctantly tore her gaze away, obediently murmured: "... Oh, okay."

Seeing the hungry dragon girl so well-behaved, Fu Leimei wasn't angry—just utterly speechless, shaking her head and sighing: "How could you possibly think—"

You're honestly… a fucking genius.

"You should go look for someone else—maybe they have food… Oh, and whatever you do, don't go to the fifth floor alone."

Fu Leimei paused for a moment, then said seriously, "If you absolutely must go, take me with you. With the two of us together, it shouldn't be too dangerous."

"Oh! Okay."

Valentina obediently nodded, looked at the mermaid Young Lady, and suddenly laughed: "Fu Leimei, you're such a good person!"

"I'm off now! I'll come back to chat with you after I've eaten my fill!"

Valentina waved her hand and cheerfully turned and left, just as brashly as she had arrived.

Click.

"She's gone already?"

Fu Leimei held the good-person card she'd somehow received out of nowhere, blinked at the vanished doorway, and shook her head with a wry smile.

"What a… hehe, this girl, she's actually a little foolishly cute."

She really didn't know how to deal with this one.

Powerful, naive, not very bright… and eats an awful lot.

Facing a "rival in love" like this, Fu Leimei actually didn't know how to respond.

"Forget it, let her be."

"Hope she can really find something to eat…" Fu Leimei sighed, then suddenly fell quiet.

"……"

She hesitated for a moment, then hugged her knees and looked furtively left and right like a thief.

After confirming Valentina wouldn't suddenly pop up again, she lowered her head and experimentally took a bite.

"Pah! Pah pah pah!"

"Blech— what was she thinking, wanting to eat something like this!?"

She stuck out her tongue, looked at the faint tooth marks left on the crystalline toes of her alchemical legs, and pouted as she complained: "I wonder what kind of person would even have this kind of quirk?"

……

……

After bidding farewell to the "kind but somewhat stingy" Fu Leimei, the gourmet adventurer Valentina once again set off on a journey to fill her stomach.

This stop, the destination she chose was—the fourth floor of the Third Commandment's stronghold, a lava hell blanketed in searing flames!

Having been here once before, Valentina still had some impression of the place.

She remembered something.

There's something edible in here!

And just as Valentina arrived, a "moving and tragic" spectacular battle was underway in the lava hell.

Moving and tragic—meaning the demon Young Lady was getting beaten so badly she was wailing like she was singing, tears of humiliation streaming down her face.

Flora, expressionless, was drawing various styles of lewd markings on the demon Young Lady's body, and was starting to get bored of it.

The demon Young Lady was even starting to suspect that the demon opposite her didn't actually dislike her, but was simply bored and looking for something to do…

Every time, the same routine—she had to be beaten up before she'd feel comfortable.

If Flora couldn't clearly sense the fighting spirit burning in Crety's mind, she would even suspect the other party was actually secretly in love with her.

Provoking every time, getting beaten every time—what is this, some little-boy-wants-attention-by-pulling-a-little-girl's-braid trick!?!?

"Flora! If you've got the guts, let me go! We'll fight again! I was careless earlier! This time I'll definitely win!"

Every sensitive spot on Crety's body was maddeningly itchy, her whole body had gone limp, yet her mouth alone remained impossibly stubborn, clamoring for another round.

"……sigh!"

Flora sighed deeply, wondering whether to knock Crety out cold for two or three months so she could enjoy a stretch of peaceful days herself.

And just as she was about to make her move, Valentina—who had been warned and chosen to stay silent on the spot, watching quietly for a while—spoke up.

"Um… sorry to interrupt you two!"

Her staying silent was fine, but the moment she spoke, she startled both of them.

The two demon girls, completely focused, hadn't noticed when another presence had appeared in the area!

???

Who?

Turning their heads, they saw a small head of fiery red hair poking out from the doorway.

That woman wasn't looking at them, but was staring fixedly at the lava pool between Flora and the other.

"Could I have a little of your lava here?"

Glub.

That was the sound of massive bubbles rising and bursting as the searing lava churned.

Grrr—

And this one was the thunderous rumble from the belly of a hungry dragon.

Full-belly thunder. JPG

"I'll only drink a little bit!"

Valentina, afraid the other party still wouldn't agree, emphasized: "I won't drink it all."

"Really! You can trust me!"

A dragon's stomach can digest virtually anything in the world, whether or not it is food in the first place.

All kinds of metals, various ores, lava, magical artifacts… all of it can be eaten by them.

Some "discerning" picky dragons would even use their dragon's might to capture a batch of dwarven craftsmen, making them research and forge uniquely flavored "little snacks" for them day and night.

Certain special alloy recipes beginning with "Dragon" were born and preserved through this very process.

"Uh……"

Coming back to her senses, Flora's lips twitched as she looked down at the lava pool beneath her feet.

You're going to drink this?

This……

Although Valentina was still in human form, the well-experienced Flora had already discerned the other's race from her dragon's might.

A dragon — and a powerful one at the peak of Legendary at that!

Flora knew dragons weren't picky eaters; to them, lava was just a throat-moistening beverage.

But then again, the lava here was a little special.

This stuff really wasn't fit for consumption!

The Young Lady Demon wasn't sure whether she should tell the beggar dragon who had barged into this place the fact that all the lava here was her "bath water"……

This, is this something that can be said?

And also, this female dragon…… although the human form was certainly the first time seeing her, why do I have this feeling that she looks very familiar?

Did I see her before when I was traveling in the mortal realm?

Besides……

"Why does my head ache faintly?" Flora muttered to herself, utterly perplexed.

What a headache — why am I getting a headache?

"Hiss!"

Meanwhile, on the other side, the Young Lady Devil perfectly embodied what it meant to be quiet as a chicken.

Kreti kept her mouth tightly shut, trembling, not daring to move even a little.

This aura, this aura is…… her.

It's that crimson dragon from that day!

Last time, Valentina had left quite a deep impression on the Young Lady Devil.

It was pure violence born of absolute power.

It deeply shocked the Young Lady Devil.

That said — to be fair, although Kreti provoked things whenever she was bored, Flora was definitely not weak.

And Flora controlling a lava giant in a chaotic state was even more extremely dangerous!

Setting everything else aside, the mere super-large-scale build alone was enough to make many creatures cower and give way.

But that dragon with crimson wings had actually been able to pull the lava giant out of the lava pool!

Then, she carried it up into the high sky and slammed it down hard!

What terrifying power that was……

Although Kreti liked to stir up trouble, it was always within her controllable range.

A cautious devil would never lightly provoke those existences beyond her control that she couldn't afford to offend at all.

But just as Kreti was preparing to stay silent and completely erase her own presence, she suddenly widened her eyes.

"Eh!!?"

Wait, something seems off!

Kreti carefully observed the red-haired woman who looked harmless, and suddenly sucked in at her upper gums.

No — how did this dragon become even stronger than last time?

Legendary?

No, this was definitely stronger than the peak of Legendary.

Is it Epic?

How did she advance!!?

And, her dragon's might feels even more terrifying, her bloodline even richer…… bloodline!!?

Wait!

Could it be that what Herbert told me before wasn't bragging?

At this moment, Kreti suddenly recalled the "special abilities" Herbert had mentioned during their idle chat.

Although she didn't know the specific method — that guy deliberately beat around the bush when it came to details and didn't spell it out.

But Herbert had claimed he possessed a miraculous method that "could purify a demon's bloodline"……

Kreti hadn't believed it at the time; she had even scoffed at his bragging, not believing a single word of it.

You're a hundred-year-old devil, who are you trying to fool?

Want to trick me? Go practice some more!

That kind of bloodline purification method — those mages had researched it for who knows how many years without much result.

You, a Holy Knight, would know about that?

Who are you trying to fool? Hmph!

……That was what Kreti thought at the time.

But, when a living example appeared right before her, the Young Lady Devil began to doubt.

Could it be that I was wrong back then?

That was actually true!!?

Not only can it purify, it can even purify the bloodline of a peak Legendary demon and let her strength advance further.

"If this is true…… then I must find a chance to have him purify me too!"

After entering this prison, the Young Lady Devil had always been yearning for power.

She hoped to obtain the power to turn the tables against the demons' bullying!!!

She wants revenge!

If she could raise her strength and surpass Flora, she would undoubtedly accept without hesitation.

"However, this ability is certainly not simple, and the consumption must be considerable! Herbert won't agree easily."

"Tch, I'm probably going to be fleeced by him later, and I don't even know what price I'll have to pay… tch!" Kreti muttered to herself, holding a skeptical view of Herbert's character.

Although that fellow was ostensibly a Holy Knight, and his aura showed no issues whatsoever, she always got the feeling of encountering a kindred spirit from him.

Like a legendary demon of the same rank, and sometimes he even gave her the feeling of an epic-grade archdemon!

And facing such a kindred spirit, one shouldn't even think about freeloading — it definitely wouldn't work.

A price, she would certainly have to pay part of one.

There's no free food in the world; every gift comes with its price.

"But, there is still a way to make the price a little smaller, for example… let him be the one to propose it."

Kreti narrowed her eyes, thinking about how she should get Herbert to propose it himself.

"Mm, decided. Later I'll find a chance to deliberately steer the topic toward that, and then let him take the initiative to ask me!"

The demon young lady thought it through very well, and there was nothing wrong with her way of reasoning.

Normally speaking, this was the optimal solution — occupying the dominant position as the one being invited.

But then again, Kreti was still wrong.

Her mistake was not asking in advance what the specific method of the "Purification Ritual" was…

Once she truly made the request for the "Purification Ritual," the price she paid would no longer be up to her.

And while the demon and the devil had both fallen silent, one person couldn't hold it in any longer.

Gurgle—

The Hungry Dragon young lady, whose stomach once again wailed, couldn't wait any longer. She called out to the two of them: "Hey? Hey—"

"You two, pay attention to me!"

"I say, why aren't either of you talking?"

Flora and Kreti's stunned reactions were taken by Valentina as a silent refusal, and she pouted unhappily.

"Really not even a little bit?"

"Fine, if you really won't let me eat, then I'll just leave…"

Hungry Dragon · Wronged. JPG

I just want to eat a little bit, and you won't even let me do that.

So stingy!

There isn't a single good person on this floor!

You two are nowhere near as good as Herbert and Swanny!

"Wait!"

Before the Hungry Dragon young lady could leave with her stomach rumbling, Kreti hurriedly called out to her: "This lady, if you want to drink, of course there's no problem at all!"

"Really!"

Valentina whipped her head around excitedly, darted back in, and prepared to feast: "Then I won't hold back!"

However, just before she bit down, a voice interrupted her.

"Wait!"

?

"What is it now?"

Having been edged again, Valentina pouted in some grievance and shot an unfriendly look at Flora, who had called a halt.

What do you mean, you devil?

You're the one who disagrees, is that it?

"This…"

Flora hesitated, the skin of her face twitched, and she pressed her lips together.

How am I supposed to explain this?

Am I really supposed to say that this is where I bathe? That all of this is my bathwater?

"The lava here isn't good enough. Let me pick out a better quality spot for you."

Flora glanced sideways at the demon who was gloating, and silently intensified the effect of the lust mark.

Kreti's expression immediately changed. Her whole body squirmed, she clamped her mouth shut tight, but still let out some hissing intakes of breath.

"Hiss— ah!"

After punishing the troublemaking demon, Flora took a deep breath and forced a smile at the expectant Valentina:

"Come with me, I'll take you there to eat."

(End of chapter)