“Concern? Not really.”
Vieya looked at the portraits spread across the table and said quietly, “They just look a bit familiar. Like the daughters of old friends I once knew.”
“You had old friends in the Royal Capital?” Anna asked in surprise.
“It’s all in the past. Let’s not talk about it.” Vieya waved repeatedly and changed the subject. “I’m planning to take Jasmine to have fun in Talin for a few days. What about you all?”
“...Must be nice. Going on vacation and even bringing a few maids along to serve you.”
After a pause, Anna sighed. “I’m planning to visit several regional trading posts and personally exchange the dungeon treasures for proper money. So I’ll be heading out after we eat.”
“That fast?”
“Ti waits for no one. You lazy sli just stay here and keep your daughter company.”
“......”
The sli-girl spread her hands. “Our goals aren’t the sa. Nothing I can do about it.”
Laughing and chatting, the banquet slowly reached its end.
Anna stood up and said her goodbyes to everyone. Then she secretly tugged Vieya aside to whisper a few words.
“Sli, I know you have secrets you don’t want to tell us. But everyone’s the sa...”
Anna rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a pair of four-leaf-clover necklaces, slipping them quietly into Vieya’s hand.
“This is the best thing I got from opening treasure chests in the dungeon. One for you, one for Jasmine. Honestly... I’m ashad. I’ve been Jasmine’s teacher for so long, but all I ever gave her was a staff she can’t even use yet. Give this to her for once she advances to a mid-level mage.”
“Alright.” Vieya nodded.
Anna smiled. “Then see you next ti.”
“See you next ti.”
Vieya waved, feeling a little sad. Even knowing they would et again soon, parting still carried a touch of lancholy.
“...I suddenly want to mix milk with wine.”
...
A pitch-black sewer. The stench of sludge.
A yellow-haired girl panted heavily, sweat dripping down her forehead as she ran and kept glancing back toward the deep, pitch-dark passage behind her.
She had never imagined that simply going out for late-night tea with her girlfriend would lead to encountering a beast in human skin masquerading as the shop owner.
Not only did he drug them, he planned to capture them and “train” them into obedient slave girls to auction off in the black market.
The stronger-bodied one who drank less—that was her—managed to regain consciousness in ti and escape into the sewers. But her weaker friend, Sister Little Fish, was not so lucky. She had drunk the drugged tea defenseless and had {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} been shackled and locked inside an anti-magic iron cage.
“Sister Little Fish, hold on. I’ve already sent out a distress signal. The captain will co save us soon.”
The yellow-haired girl encouraged herself and kept running desperately. She had to escape—then she would repay those scoundrels tenfold.
Hearing faint dogs barking in the darkness behind her, the girl gritted her teeth. While swearing internally that she would slaughter all dogs once she got out, she kept running forward.
She didn’t know how long she had been running.
Suddenly, a wall blocked her path.
“I-It’s a dead end.” Her face went pale. The barking behind her grew closer and clearer.
She tried casting magic imdiately, only to realize she couldn’t use any without her magic staff and mana crystals.
Thud!
She punched the sewer wall in frustration—only now rembering that all her staffs, magical tools, and even her communicator had been dropped near the criminals’ cage.
Just as despair filled her heart, she looked up and saw a manhole cover overhead.
It was an exit!
Joy surged through her. She scrambled up the ladder, reached the top, and used both arms to shove the cover open with a forceful heave. The cost was several large bruises blooming on her arms.
Even though the pain made her grit her teeth, she didn’t dare stop for a second. She pushed herself upward and tumbled ssily out of the sewer.
Fresh air!
Tears of relief welled up—but then a large shadow lood over her like a brown bear.
“Your father is Volkmar, and your na is Irena, correct? The eldest daughter of the Os family.”
“!”
The girl froze in terror and slowly lifted her head. Under the moonlight, a group of n had already surrounded her from all sides.
“Ah—!”
Her scream was cut short as a man grabbed her by the hair and clamped a hand over her mouth.
“Mmph!”
“Be quiet! The day your father monopolized the southern magic crystal mines, he should have expected you’d eventually end up as a slave.”
“Mmph—mmph!”
“Bring the rope. Tie her tight. Don’t let her run again!”
“Damn, this one’s feisty! Hold down her arms and legs! I’ll bind her!”
“Bind her hands and feet first, then stuff her mouth! Tsk, these noble ladies from the Royal Capital really are different—such an alluring body at such a young age. Look at those legs, that waist. Nice and firm.”
“Don’t bruise her skin! Otherwise she won’t sell for a good price. Hehe, I wonder what that greedy father of yours will think when he sees you like this. Hahaha!”
“Think he’ll regret it? Hahaha!”
Humiliation piled up in tears that stread down Irena’s cheeks as she was forced onto the ground. Rough hemp rope coiled around her like a python, binding her tightly. A calloused hand held a bundled scarf to her lips and shoved it forcefully into her mouth.
In the long alley, the noise gradually fell silent.
Useless and despairing, Irena collapsed—but then she noticed movent at the alley entrance.
Without hesitation, she bit down hard on the hand stuffing her mouth.
“Ah—!”
Lifting her head, she scread toward the alley mouth:
“—Help!”
...
Help?
Vieya took a sip of her high-concentration milk liqueur mixture and let out an incredibly satisfied little moan. Her mind floated pleasantly, bubbles of happiness rising inside.
“So tasty, I love it... eheh~ Tonight, I’m going ho late. I’ll just tell Jasmine I walked her teacher ho~”
Gulp, gulp.
“Aha~ wonderful.”
Her head dizzy, cheeks flushed, Vieya blinked and turned toward the alley.
“Was... soone calling for help just now?”
“......”
Inside the alley, Irena—her mouth stuffed again—nodded frantically. But when she saw the speaker was just a staggering, drunken girl with white hair, all hope drained instantly from her eyes.
It’s over.
“Miss, you misheard. Our daughter here is just being disobedient. Running away from ho late at night. We’re worried about her, so we ca to bring her back.”
The burly leader looked at the drunken white-haired girl slowly approaching and chose not to escalate things—hoping he could fool this seemingly foolish drunk woman with words.
“Mmph mph!” Irena struggled desperately.
“Huh, a yellow-hair. A rare yellow-hair. A cute yellow-hair...” Vieya stared blankly at Irena, hugging her wine bottle tighter. “But mister... why are you tying up your own daughter? That would hurt her...”
The leader tried to advise kindly, “Miss, it’s late. You should go ho. Don’t wander around at night. Even though the city has patrol squads, it’s still dangerous out here.”
“Danger?” Vieya giggled softly twice. “There’s no such word as ‘danger’ in my dictionary.” She placed one hand on her hip, looked around at the group, and asked, “Actually... you guys are kidnapping, right?”
“Miss, you’ve drunk too much. You’re seeing things and your brain’s not working right.”
The burly man waved his hand, signaling his n to quickly drag Irena away. Then he stepped forward to block Vieya.
“Miss, it’s late. Where’s your ho? I’ll take you back.”
“......”
Vieya went silent. She shook her head, then said seriously, “I’m not drunk. And you are kidnapping.”
“You’re drunk.” The burly man shook his head, then raised his hand and chopped toward Vieya’s neck. “Sleep for a while!”
Thump!
?
A question mark appeared above Vieya’s head. “Why did you hit ?”
“He hit sothing hard!” The burly man staggered back, then shouted, “Brothers! Grab this troubleso white-haired woman too and sell her with the other one!”
“Get her!”
He shouted and leaped at the sli-girl, fists raised like a great roc swooping down.
“Take th—!”
Vieya simply lifted one finger.
A massive sense of danger surged through the burly man. He wanted to retreat, but midair, he had no choice but to crash forward!
Smack!
He flew backward in a puff of white smoke, carving a deep trench across the smooth ground.
After a mont, the dust settled.
“Boss! Boss! Boss!!”
“No, Boss is dead!”
“Kill her! Avenge our boss!”
Irena, thrown to the ground, landed painfully on her backside but barely reacted—her mind still frozen by what she had just witnessed.
This white-haired woman... terrifying...
A whole pack of n rushed at Vieya, ferocious as carnivorous dinosaurs charging their prey.
But in Vieya’s blurred, intoxicated vision, they were too slow and full of openings.
Thinking this, she lifted her finger again and flicked—
Crack crack crack! Crack!
Rapid, firecracker-like explosions echoed throughout the alley.
One by one, the thugs were sent flying, smashing into walls, corners, and garbage piles.
In the blink of an eye, the sli-girl was the only one left standing.
“Done~”
After finishing them, Vieya felt the tension leave her body. Her heart felt light and free. She took another drink of milk liqueur and then looked curiously at Irena, who lay on the ground like a trembling caterpillar.
“You... are you really their daughter?”
“Mmph mph!” Irena twisted desperately.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying.” Vieya pondered, hugging her wine bottle, and asked, “Can you speak human words?”
Irena: I’ll speak your damn human words—just take the ropes off and remove the cloth in my mouth first!!
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