In the dim storage room, the door locked tight, Vieya—leaning against a supply cabinet in slumber—suddenly woke from a dream. A cool, moist warmth lingered at the corner of her lips.
Live well?
Of course.
Though it had only been a dream, waking still left her moved.
Vieya licked her rosy lips, as if recalling what it felt like for this body to kiss for the first ti. Even if it was only within a dream, when she tasted the dampness at her lips, she suddenly froze.
“Pomacart’s Red Rose Wine? Why would this kind of noble-exclusive liquor be in a storage room?”
Rising slightly on tiptoe, Vieya reached up and took the tilted bottle down to inspect it. But she suddenly realized—she seed taller?
Taller!
Her heart leapt.
“Not just taller... even the sli body has grown. Flaviel... you went too far!”
Forget it. A person shouldn’t stoop to arguing with a dog.
The Demon King in maiden-complete form really did have so canine traits.
Still, maybe now I can carry out my plan even better?
Her thoughts tangled with both expectation and dread.
No... she was actually afraid. Afraid that so of her guesses were right.
All along, she had wanted to see her old teammates again. And her teacher—her Master—the Empress of the Human Alliance, the sovereign queen.
She didn’t need the na of Hero anymore. Any na would suffice.
The mysterious girl from the southern frontier, who upon Cangyuan Mountain crushed the human elite of the Tribunal and spread her fa across the lands!
Or appearing as a terrifying monster unseen in a hundred years, seizing the entire Tribunal and demanding an audience with humanity’s ruler, the Empress still on high!
But all that talk of worldwide fa was false.
What she truly wanted was to face her Master, and ask her questions.
Vieya tilted back the white ceramic bottle ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ and drank two gulps of the rare wine. A blush spread across her cheeks.
Heh-heh.
She rembered a poem from her past life: What can dissolve sorrow? Only Du Kang.
Eh-heh-heh.
Back when she was the Hero, why had she never noticed how useful alcohol was?
Truly... a fine dicine!
Vieya blinked and changed into the unconscious worker’s uniform, set the cap on her head, and in the storage room there now stood a pretty young female employee.
“...”
anwhile, footsteps echoed in the hallway outside, approaching fast. More than one person.
Lowering the brim of her cap, Vieya smoothed her moon-white hair, dissolving the excess alcohol from her body as she thrust out her hands and shoved the storage room door wide. A flood of sunlight struck her at once.
“Hello, world!”
Vieya dropped her concealnt—and froze.
“Ah—ya!” soone cried.
Bang! She was knocked off balance by a sudden pink blur, a headbutt that sent her tumbling down.
“Watch where you’re going!”
Seated on the marble floor, Vieya ground her teeth, clutching her chest where the impact throbbed, glaring resentfully at the group ahead.
A bunch of blind fools... oh? Was that her little disciple, bringing people back for a counterattack?
So progress, indeed.
But not enough.
“Ah—my waist!”
On the other side, the pink-haired shorty lay on the floor groaning, clutching her back, her cute little face scrunched like a bitter gourd.
“Shiyu-senpai, wasn’t the part that hit people your head?”
“The part that hit doesn’t hurt. The part that hit the ground hurts!”
“Enough! You don’t even apologize after knocking into soone? What, you think being many makes you mighty?” Vieya, relying on a sli girl’s natural disguise ability, spoke with not a whit less montum.
“You—!”
The pink-haired shorty tried to push herself up, ready to lecture this rude big-breasted woman, but the pain in her back flared worse. “...Hiss...”
“Senpai, enough fooling around! The matter is urgent!” Rania reminded, pressing her hand to her brow.
“You’re the senpai!” Hua Shiyu’s bitter face scrunched further. “And do you think I’m faking? I’m only a pure scholar, not like you warrior types blessed by the Hero’s power. My bones are brittle!”
“But...”
Suddenly, Hua Shiyu’s words swerved, her gaze locking on the worker-dressed Vieya. In a pitiful voice, she asked:
“Big sister, are you okay? It’s all my fault. If only I’d walked slower, I wouldn’t have run into you...”
Vieya frowned. What are you implying?
“Oh right, big sister. Could you lend your work badge for a mont? Next ti I’ll co apologize properly～” Hua Shiyu lowered her head, her voice weak.
“?”
Checking ?
Impossible.
For a re worker, they wouldn’t be this polite.
With a subtle sidelong glance, Vieya saw the pink-haired shorty’s face blank with confusion, while the Tribunal Director behind them wore an unconcerned smile.
“If sister doesn’t want to, that’s fine too...” Hua Shiyu said with wounded sadness.
“Check, then. Check all you want.”
Ever cautious, Vieya had prepared. She drew a card from her pocket.
Hua Shiyu glanced at it, returned it without looking closely. “Sister must be very busy today? Could you walk with us a while, then?”
“...”
Vieya hesitated, troubled. “But my superior gave a task.”
“It’s fine, sister.” The pink-haired shorty grinned, pointing her finger back at the two behind her. “Any problem, they’ll take the bla.”
The Tribunal Director’s brows furrowed. “I’ve endured you long enough. If you want to seize soone, just seize them, is that so hard?”
With a sweep of his hand, a row of Tribunal knights marched in.
“Surround the entire court! Any disturbance, detain imdiately!”
Before the words were finished, a thunderous explosion rang out from beyond the Tribunal.
The terrifying shockwave rattled even Vieya, still seated on the floor.
But the Tribunal Director’s indifferent expression twisted dark. He ignored the scene, flicked his sleeve, and left at once.
The pink-haired shorty also froze for a mont. The situation had gone beyond Hua Shiyu’s expectations. She realized—the intruding monster was not acting alone.
Even among monsters, where strength reigned supre, alliances were possible!
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