Chapter 412: Valentina Is So Cute (62K Subscription Request)

"Hmph~"

When Valentina returned to the Third Oath Hall and saw her "enemy" again, she suddenly felt in the mood.

She wasn't sleepy anymore, didn't think about sleeping at all—she was ready to have a proper talk with Lucarria.

"You think I'll let you off? Hmph! It's not that simple!" She lifted her head, glaring at her reflection in the mirror through her nostrils.

Hmph!

Wasn't it you who bullied me before?

Wasn't it you who locked me up?

Wasn't it you who impersonated me to trick Herbert?

Answer me!

The previous Valentina was still at the Legend stage and in the midst of advancement, unable to unleash her full power.

In her weakened state, she accidentally entered the Mirror Realm, fought on foreign ground, and was ambushed and imprisoned by the Mirror Spirit—she certainly wouldn't have accepted that.

That humiliating experience had left her deeply resentful.

But now, she had fully restored to her peak state!

She felt amazing!

It was time for revenge.

Valentina felt her condition was excellent, her mood great—she could eat four or five Herberts in one sitting.

Some rejoice, some grieve.

When Valentina's bright smile appeared on her face, someone else's smile vanished without a trace.

"..."

Lucarria's mood was like swallowing shit—she could only force a nervous laugh at the furious dragon girl pounding the mirror's surface.

"How the hell did this dragon advance to Epic so fast?"

"A moment ago, they were still stuck together—how did she suddenly advance?"

Is this even possible!!?

The Mirror Spirit didn't understand.

Advancing from Legend to Epic is a grueling trial for all mortals—requiring utmost caution, not a single moment of complacency.

But as Lucarria observed, Valentina seemed to have done absolutely nothing to prepare—she simply advanced, effortlessly and directly.

Even as an Epic-tier powerhouse, Lucarria couldn't help but feel a flicker of envy toward Valentina's bloodline.

Is this the terrifying talent of Dragon blood?

Though the truth was far more complicated and Valentina had suffered greatly, to outsiders, her actions seemed utterly absurd.

Eat, sleep, sleep, eat, wake up and eat again, then sleep once more... endlessly repeating.

Then, after eating a few Herberts, she simply advanced—fresh and vibrant.

In summary: one word—this is fucking absurd!

As always: to shine before others, you must suffer behind the scenes.

You must work relentlessly, endure hardship in secret, so that to others, your success appears effortless.

Exactly!

Valentina was the legendary type who seemed calm on the surface but secretly burned the midnight oil—how could that be?

Even Valentina herself didn't believe that.

Sorry, I, Valentina, reached this point entirely through talent and the help of benefactors—little effort, no sweat.

Endure hardship?

Valentina did indeed eat a lot behind the scenes—but she wasn't eating the bitterness of life or cultivation.

It wasn't bitter at all—actually, it was kinda sweet...

Besides, who was really the one suffering and toiling? Unclear.

Correct—the one enduring hardship was someone else.

Valentina's bloodline ancestral return consumed nothing but Herbert's hard-earned sweat.

He gave everything.

Without Herbert's "support" and generous guidance, she might still be trapped at the peak of Legend.

So...

Herbert is MVP! Valentina is the lucky one who won without lifting a finger!

The specific details and truth behind this were beyond Lucarria's imagination.

She had only seen the two of them stacked together—unaware of all Herbert's peculiar traits.

The Mirror Spirit studied the hungry dragon girl, silently marveling.

"This is truly outrageous!"

"Why does the aura radiating from her feel more dangerous than nearly every Epic I've ever encountered?"

This dragon is strong.

Even at the same realm, Lucarria still felt this way.

Valentina had only just entered the Epic realm, yet in terms of danger, she matched or surpassed any Epic Lucarria had ever seen.

Even exceeded them.

She gave off no astonishing magical fluctuations, nor even an exaggerated Dragon aura.

Yet even if Valentina did nothing—simply stood still—everyone could instinctively sense her danger.

That pure power seemed the violent embodiment of "power" itself.

Strictly speaking, this was admiration—not fear.

Lucarria wasn't afraid of Valentina attacking her, nor worried she'd wreck the Mirror Realm.

Though her direct combat strength was slightly weaker, her escape, flight, and self-preservation abilities far surpassed Valentina's.

Even facing the Fallen Angel, as long as he didn't truly try to kill her, she'd suffer no real harm.

Her mirror clones had been shattered multiple times by Lucifer in the Aurora Sanctuary—but her true body remained untouched.

Even in a life-or-death situation, she could always choose to flee!

Over the years, Lucarria had only failed once in escape—and ended up locked up here.

Lucarria actually held a decent impression of Valentina, thinking they might get along well, sharing plenty of common ground.

The question now was how to turn hostility into harmony, to make them allies instead of enemies.

This seemed difficult, but it wasn't truly hard.

Because the hardest step had already been taken—Herbert had done it for them.

When they met, Herbert had specifically warned Valentina not to act recklessly.

Thanks to Herbert's mediation, they hadn't immediately started fighting (one-sided destruction).

The second step was done—but Lucarria had no idea what to do next.

"...Tch."

Intimidation? Bribery? Neither seemed reliable.

She'd interacted with Valentina for a while—knew she was the stubbornest of the stubborn.

Whether due to blunt nature or simple-mindedness, this dragon had no concept of compromise in her head.

Besides fighting hard, there was only fighting harder.

If fists could solve it, no thinking needed—just keep punching.

If you can fight, never waste words.

While pondering, Lucarria recalled Herbert's quiet words before he left.

"Though you might not see it, Valentina is a good child."

Herbert had quietly told Lucarria: "She's a bit too strong, a bit too naive—but her heart isn't bad."

"If Valentina held back and didn't attack right after I left, it means she still has some restraint."

"Of course, she's not caring about your feelings—she's worrying about me, not wanting me to be troubled or saddened by her recklessness."

Herbert gave her a serious suggestion—or rather, a warning.

"You must be sincere."

"So don't make excuses or dodge—apologize sincerely."

"She's a naive, straightforward child—never try to deceive her with lies."

"Valentina's intuition is sharp—she sees through pretense and senses true feelings toward her."

As he spoke these words, Herbert was extremely serious, his expression tinged with unease, glancing back with lingering anxiety.

"And after you apologize—if Valentina accepts your apology, then you can proceed to the next step: offer her some benefits to draw closer."

Benefits?

What benefits could I possibly give her?

Lucarria was momentarily baffled—she had no idea what she could offer.

She was trapped here, unable to communicate with the outside world, carried no special magical items—nothing tangible to give.

But she was wrong—Herbert's "benefits" weren't material gifts.

"Forget it—I'll just give you a clear path: food."

Herbert finally stopped being cryptic and gave direct advice.

Valentina loves eating, though food is no longer necessary for her, it remains one of her greatest pleasures.

Even if it’s not real food—just a few memories—using food as bait would surely greatly reduce her hostility toward you.

That’s all I can say. How you proceed is up to you.

To be fair, Herbert’s proposal was thorough and responsible, with no flaws to be found.

Yet for some reason, Lucalia felt a strange sense of déjà vu—as if Herbert wasn’t teaching her how to reconcile with Valentina.

It was more like a caretaker painstakingly instructing someone on how to befriend a large, dangerous creature he raised.

Moreover, Herbert acted like a worried father fearing his daughter couldn’t get along with others.

She saw it: Herbert didn’t just give her advice—he repeatedly urged Valentina as well.

He was the one caught between them, bearing the heaviest burden.

He had worn himself out completely.

When she realized this, Lucalia suddenly couldn’t help laughing.

“Pfft! Hah… uh!”

After laughing out loud, Lucalia realized her mistake—she had been careless.

“Hm?”

Valentina had already calmed down, but seeing Lucalia laugh, she narrowed her eyes, her vertical pupils sharply fixed on the mirror’s reflection.

“What do you mean?”

“Are you mocking me?”

Lucalia silently sweated, but kept a calm expression, shaking her head softly: “Of course not. I have no intention of mocking you.”

“Then why did you laugh?”

“...I just thought of something amusing.”

After speaking, sweating, Lucalia quickly changed the subject: “Valentina, I’ve already apologized, but I know it’s not enough.”

“To show my sincerity, I’ve prepared a special gift for you.”

“Please don’t refuse—I promise you’ll love it.”

To ensure the Hungry Dragon wouldn’t turn it down, she added: “This was Herbert’s suggestion. He also hopes you’ll forgive me.”

Valentina had been about to say, “Who cares about your gift? Fight me (let me beat you up)—that’s the best gift!”—but when she heard Herbert’s name, her brow lifted.

Herbert’s suggestion?

Upon hearing that name, the Hungry Dragon’s attitude instantly softened; the chilling pressure radiating from her diminished considerably.

Her vertical pupils widened, rounded, turning into wide, innocent orbs that sparkled as she leaned forward curiously:

“What is it? What did Herbert have you prepare for me?”

At that moment, even an outsider unaware of their relationship could sense the depth of their bond.

Trust.

Unreserved trust.

And most precious of all, this trust was not one-sided.

Valentina could drop all her guard upon hearing Herbert’s name; Herbert could instantly recognize her true form.

Valentina trusted everything Herbert said; Herbert trusted Valentina just as completely.

Lucalia felt a moment of deep emotion.

Even in her long life, having witnessed countless people and events, such genuine affection was exceedingly rare.

One in a hundred, perhaps even one in ten thousand.

To be honest, it was… a little enviable.

“Heh.”

She chuckled softly, skipping the suspense: “I’ll give you a memory—or rather, tell you a story as a gift.”

“A memory?”

Valentina blinked, tilting her head in confusion: “Someone else’s memory? A story? What use is that to me?”

Though her own knowledge was limited, she had the Sage as an automatic search library—far superior to her past self.

“Heh, not just any memory. Have you heard of the Gourmet Kaden?”

“Hm? Who’s that?”

Valentina’s big eyes blinked faster.

Huh?

“Sage, do you know this person?”

『Unknown.』

Even the Sage could not answer.

The Wise Dragon’s inheritance wasn’t omnipotent—it wasn’t a cheat that knew all secrets, but a rapid search within the dragon’s ancestral memories.

Those memories held mostly vital knowledge, skills, and major historical events, with little recorded on ordinary human history.

Dragons were proud; they rarely cared for races far weaker than themselves.

After all, those creatures died easily; within a few centuries, generations changed.

One wave after another, one crop after another—no need to pay them much attention.

Of course, this arrogance and neglect had brought them bitter consequences.

Humans had grown and risen gradually, precisely because dragons had ignored them so arrogantly.

Lucalia explained: “Kaden, the most famous halfling adventurer in history, spent his life studying how to prepare and savor the finest foods in the world.”

“Though his power was only mid-tier, and his temperament—unusual even among halflings—was explosively short-tempered, his pursuit of culinary excellence matched no one.”

“In his brief 170-year life, he documented over two thousand dishes from countless races, compiling them into a cookbook called The Book of Kaden.”

“Cookbook!!!”

Upon hearing “food,” Valentina’s eyes blazed with excited fire—this wasn’t metaphor; it was literal.

A wisp of flame shot from her eyes, reflecting multiple times off the mirror, briefly illuminating the entire Mirror Realm.

Her thick dragon tail lashed behind her, slicing the air with sharp whistles.

Swoosh—swoosh—swoosh—

Seeing her excitement, Lucalia secretly rejoiced—she’d likely chosen right—and continued:

“When Kaden was alive, no one paid attention to this cookbook. But two hundred years after his death, an adventurer discovered it in his study and bought it.”

“The adventurer recognized its value, passed it through several auction houses, spun numerous ‘legendary’ tales around it, and finally sold it for a price that stunned everyone.”

Here, Lucalia suddenly shifted tone, sighing sadly: “But later, due to an accident, the original copy of The Book of Kaden was destroyed. The surviving fragments were less than one-tenth of the original.”

“Oh no! No way…”

Upon hearing this tragic news, Valentina let out a wail, sighed deeply, slumped in defeat, her tail drooping limply.

No, not this—

The thought of never tasting those wonderful dishes extinguished the light in her eyes.

Watching Valentina’s emotions shift so easily, Lucalia finally understood what Herbert meant by “she’s a naive, straightforward child.”

She smiled: “But don’t worry—even if others lost theirs, I still have mine.”

“...Oh? Oh!”

In that instant, light returned to Valentina’s eyes.

“Really?!”

“Yes. I witnessed Kaden’s entire life—I recorded every dish he tasted and created from birth to death.”

“I remember every recipe in The Book of Kaden—and even those not in it.”

How’s that?

Isn’t that amazing!?

I told you recording these things was useful!

“Hmph~”

Internally proud, the Mirror Maiden lifted her chest—then her expression changed.

The motion was unremarkable for her true form: cunning yet subtly adorable.

But she forgot—she was currently using Valentina’s reflection.

The unconscious gesture, though not forceful, instantly sent waves rippling across her chest.

Duang~ Duang~ Duang~

Lucalia: ???

Wait, that’s way too exaggerated!

Why is fate so generous to her—and so stingy with me?

This isn’t fair!

The Mirror Maiden suddenly regretted it.

Maybe she shouldn’t give her the cookbook after all?

Ughhh…

But it was too late—Lucalia knew this thought could only remain a thought.

She’d already whetted Valentina’s appetite; retracting now would be deliberate provocation—extremely malicious.

The Mirror Realm would be smashed to rubble today.

To prevent such a tragedy, she suppressed the turmoil in her chest and heart, asking: “... Ke , Valentina, would you accept this gift from me?”

“I want! I want!”

Under the lure of the recipe, Miss Hungry Dragon completely forgot their earlier quarrel, casting those petty matters aside.

“Lukaria! You’re such a good person!”

Valentina hurried forward eagerly, ready to give her a big hug, but failed to notice and crashed straight into the mirror.

Duang~

Fortunately, Miss Hungry Dragon had built-in shock-absorbing airbags on her chest, preventing a disaster.

“Ow! Ugh...”

She stepped back two paces, her face contorted with grievance, instinctively raising a fist to strike the mirror in retaliation.

“Uh... are you alright?”

But before she could strike, she looked up at Lukaria’s complex expression—seeming at a loss for words—and silently lowered her fist.

“...”

Yet she couldn’t bear to let it go, so she extended one finger and flicked the mirror.

Ding.

Valentina’s light flick caused the mirror to tremble slightly, but left no mark whatsoever.

Never mind whether it worked—she’d already avenged herself.

After her “revenge,” she proudly lifted her nose and gave a little huff.

“Hmph!”

I, Valentina, have never yielded to anyone—not one bit!

Lukaria, who had witnessed all this, kept revising her impression of Valentina.

Her gaze grew ever more tender, her lips curling into a smile she could no longer suppress.

Where on earth did this adorable creature come from?

In the Ice Church temple of Ellda, the mirror on Herbert’s pocket watch flickered.

“Herbert!”

Lukaria’s face replaced Herbert’s reflection in the mirror, exclaiming excitedly: “Valentina is so adorable!”

Herbert raised an eyebrow slightly and replied at once: “Adorable? She’s mine—don’t even think about taking her.”

“...Huh???”

Lukaria was stunned.

What nonsense—who’s trying to take her from you?

“Hmph~”

Herbert glanced at Lukaria’s bewildered reflection in the mirror, smirked triumphantly, and snapped his pocket watch shut.

Click.

“Hah, you think I need you to tell me Valentina’s adorable?”

Who wouldn’t love a clumsy, gluttonous, tough little dragon girl?

“My Lord?”

Sophiea, who had been recounting recent events in Ellda, noticed Herbert’s small action, paused, and asked: “Do you have something to say?”

“Uh...”

Herbert blinked, wanting to say he had no issue—just a momentary distraction, teasing the Epic Mirror Spirit.

But as a superior, he shouldn’t act so frivolous—especially while others were earnestly reporting to him.

After a moment’s thought, he nodded with a smile: “I understand the general situation. You’ve done well. Thank you for your hard work.”

He first expressed gratitude for Sophiea and the others’ efforts, showing his respect.

“You’ve done better than I imagined.”

“As for the labor shortage you mentioned, I can resolve it.”

The construction progress in Ellda’s territory remains limited; despite magical assistance, the lack of manpower remains an undeniable problem.

“Are you planning to absorb more population?” Joanna asked.

“No.”

Herbert shook his head, then turned to Sophiea with a smile: “Sophiea, would you like to see your old friends?”

“Old friends? I have no friends... oh, wait—are you talking about...?” The Centaur Spirit’s eyes widened sharply.

“Yes. Exactly what you’re thinking.”

He smiled softly and said:

“I will summon more Spirits.”

(End of Chapter)