After leaving that underground space, Ariel still felt a little dizzy.

"It just feels like... that ratman wasn’t as simple as he looked on the surface. It felt like he was warning us about something?"

Ancient writing,

The hatred toward the dignified Divine Intent Grand Duke,

And the mockery toward the current state of the entire demonfolk race.

No matter how you looked at it, those weren’t things a normal demonfolk merchant should be revealing.

She had only meant to collect a bit of intel, but instead she ran into a hidden big shot living in seclusion?

Could it really be that convenient?

But speaking of which, this kind of plot seemed like it wasn’t even the first time for her, either.

"He doesn’t look simple, but he really is just an ordinary ratman."

Ariel’s teacher gave a light sigh.

"This is Gutongs Castle, where demonfolk are most concentrated now. A ratman who was even a little strong couldn’t possibly be living right under that Divine Intent Grand Duke’s nose."

"Teacher knows the ratman clan well?" Ariel asked curiously.

"Not really know. I just had dealings with them."

Ariel’s teacher lowered their head and looked at their own hazy, half-transparent hands.

"I told you, didn’t I? During some period when I still had a physical body, I traveled to the Abyss several times. Back then, the ratman clan was still an extremely powerful race. Among the eight demonfolk Grand Dukes, there was even one who was a ratman."

"That strong?" Ariel widened her eyes, and in her mind she instinctively imagined the sight of a huge rat ascending the highest throne of demonfolk.

No matter how she thought about it, it was a little ridiculous.

"Yes. The ratman clan really was that prosperous. But later, for some unknown reason, an internal civil war erupted within demonfolk. The oldest among the eight demonfolk Grand Dukes—Divine Intent Grand Duke—personally took action and almost uprooted the entire ratman clan, leaving not the slightest room. That ratman Grand Duke was also executed by Divine Intent Grand Duke’s own hand."

Another soft, winding sigh. The hair inside the glass bottle gradually dimmed, then drifted down, meaning it had lost its last use.

"I only meant to try it, but I didn’t expect ratmen to really still exist in this world. They used to be the best-informed race on this land—and they still are."

"So this was another perfectly timed stroke of luck?" Ariel couldn’t help puffing out her chest, as if all her pent-up frustration had scattered away in this moment.

That was more like it. This was the kind of plot Ariel Bugaard should have. Who runs into walls all the time? Heaven still favored her!

The only thing that could block her was that hateful guy Muen Campbell, and that was it!

"But thankfully, this is the heart of the Abyss, demonfolk territory. No matter what, it’s impossible to run into that guy here."

Ariel took out the intel the ratman had written.

Putting aside what kind of person she had met, and what kind of conspiracy demonfolk were brewing, the most important thing right now was what was in front of her.

"Beautiful girls, I’m here to save you!"

The corner of Ariel’s mouth tilted, and she once again revealed her signature unrestrained smile.

...

...

"F-fuck, choosing a damn place like this to meet up, r-really... sick in the head."

A gust of sinister wind blew past, and Dilaka couldn’t help tightening the ragged burlap on his body.

He lifted his head and looked around. All around was desolate gobi wasteland, crimson stones crisscrossing, forming a complex stone forest terrain.

Even in a hellhole like the Abyss, this place was too remote—too much of a hellhole.

"Hope I can trade for something good."

Dilaka tugged on the chain in his hand, a trace of heat flashing through his crimson pupils.

On the other end of the chain, a female adventurer, battered all over, glared at him furiously, still struggling nonstop. But because of the restraints on her body, she couldn’t even shout loudly.

"Don’t move!"

Dilaka tightened the chain again, making the female adventurer’s face twist from suffocation.

But he quickly loosened it a little, letting the female adventurer breathe again, because this was his capital to turn his life around—no matter what, he couldn’t afford to be careless.

Dilaka was also a high-ranking demonman.

But he belonged to the bottom layer among high-ranking demonmen, and his body already had some mutated traits, just not obvious.

Even so, it was enough for him to suffer endless discrimination within the circle of high-ranking demonmen.

Fortunately, demonfolk really were a strictly stratified race, and here, the ways to raise one’s rank—aside from one’s own bloodline—also included strength.

"Using this adventurer—if I can trade for the blood-and-flesh essence personally refined by the Enchantress Grand Duke, that’ll be enough for me to break through the realm I haven’t been able to shake for so long!"

Dilaka forcefully suppressed the surging excitement inside him.

Sure enough, before going to the battlefield, obeying the Enchantress Grand Duke’s orders and coming to capture these adventurers was the right choice.

That battlefield might have more opportunities for him to earn merit, but he wasn’t one of those brainless low-ranking demonmen. He knew very well just how dangerous that kind of meat grinder really was.

"Develop before fighting. Idiots will never understand that."

Dilaka shook his head in satisfaction, quite pleased with the understanding he’d gained during this period.

"Cough cough."

Just then, another sinister wind suddenly swept in, and Dilaka immediately became alert, because a figure hidden within a wide black robe had appeared not far from him at some unknown time.

"Who are you?" Dilaka silently reached for the weapon at his waist. "You’re Dilaka?"

The figure didn’t answer. Instead, they brazenly looked Dilaka up and down.

"You want to trade a human female adventurer for a reward from Lady Enchantress? Where’s the adventurer?"

"So you’re a lord under the Enchantress Grand Duke?"

The figure’s arrogance instead put Dilaka at ease. He forced out a fawning smile, stepped aside, and revealed the female adventurer behind him.

"You see, she’s right here."

The female adventurer struggled even more fiercely, but at this moment, no one would care about the feelings of mere merchandise.

"Mmh, not bad."

The figure casually lifted the female adventurer’s chin, admiring her pretty face from side to side like they were appreciating something.

"With this kind of quality, Lady Enchantress will like it."

"Th-then... the thing?" Dilaka rubbed his hands nervously.

"What do you want?"

"Blood-and-flesh essence that can let me break through my realm."

"Blood-and-flesh essence... mm. Fine."

The figure’s pondering made Dilaka’s heart wobble, but unexpectedly, the other side actually agreed to his demand very quickly.

"Wait a moment."

The figure began rummaging on their body.

Dilaka’s gaze grew hotter and hotter. He hadn’t expected everything to go so smoothly. As long as he obtained the blood-and-flesh essence, his past of endless humiliation would cease to exist!

Thirty years on the west bank, thirty years on the east bank—don’t bully a poor demonman!

He would definitely slap back every single person who had humiliated him—one by one...

Hm?

But just then, Dilaka’s gaze suddenly sharpened, as if he had noticed something. His eyes fell on the chest of the figure covered by the wide black robe.

"M-My lord..."

"What is it? Can’t you see I’m busy?"

"That... if my intel is right... you should be a male, shouldn’t you?"

"..."

The figure’s movements paused. After a moment of silence, they gave a slight nod.

"Yes. I’m a male."

"Since you’re male, then why are your..."

Dilaka’s expression gradually grew grave.

"...your pectorals so ridiculously exaggerated?"

"..."

Another stretch of silence.

After quite a while, the figure seemed to finally find a believable reason and said seriously,

"Maybe I’ve been... working out too hard lately?"

"What kind of working out can make them that big? If working out worked, would there still be flat chests in this world? You think I’m stupid?"

Dilaka flew into a rage and drew his blade.

But before he could strike first, he heard a faint, eerie voice.

"Working out really can’t make a chest bigger, but have you ever thought about it... what if I revealed that flaw on purpose?"

"What?"

Dilaka blanked out for no reason.

And when he snapped awake a moment later, he saw that the figure had already lifted their head. Beneath the hood, a pair of eyes in black and white—deep as a vortex—quietly stared at him.

Vast soul force slowly spread out from that figure, which only looked tall. At some unknown moment, it had already completely encompassed Dilaka within it.

Dilaka wanted to struggle, but he realized that forget moving—even opening his mouth to beg for mercy was impossible.

Just like the captive in his hands a moment ago.

"Sleep for a while first."

Ariel flicked a finger. With her teacher’s soul force reinforcing it, Dilaka had no resistance at all, and he directly collapsed unconscious to the ground.

Then Ariel [N O V E L I G H T] stepped past him and came before the female adventurer.

Seeing that this newly appeared demonfolk had resolved Dilaka with mere gestures, the female adventurer trembled even more violently from fear, yet she still forced herself to put on an angry expression, secretly deciding that if this demonman made even the slightest excessive move, she would bite her tongue and kill herself on the spot.

Even if she died, she couldn’t be humiliated by these demonfolk scum...

Crack.

However, before the female adventurer could even show her resolve, she discovered that the demonman in front of her had actually yanked the chain on her body apart in one pull.

"Go."

The figure’s voice was no longer hoarse, but a young girl’s voice—like spring wind, bringing a full warmth.

"You’re safe."

"..."

The female adventurer’s beautiful eyes widened, because only now did she see clearly that beneath that wide hood was not a demonfolk’s ferocious face.

It was a face even more delicate and pleasing than hers.

That face was so gentle that even the unrestrained smile at the corner of the mouth was like someone beating drumbeats inside her heart.

"This place is very dangerous. Demonmen will arrive soon. Hurry and go."

Ariel helped the female adventurer remove the restraints, restore her injuries, and also handed her a few magic scrolls for self-defense.

"You..."

For a moment, the female adventurer didn’t even know what to do.

"You go. I still have other things to do."

"Then..."

The female adventurer clenched her teeth. In the end, she still chose to put the items away, stand up cleanly, and prepare to leave.

But at the instant before she turned, she suddenly stared into Ariel’s eyes and asked seriously,

"You... can you tell me your name?"

Those eyes were like a little deer poking its head out from the woods—expectant, yet uneasy.

"Name?" 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Ariel brushed her bangs and smiled lightly.

"A name like Ariel doesn’t have any value in saying out loud. Just treat me as an ordinary handsome girl who happened to pass by."

"So that’s how it is..."

The female adventurer murmured softly.

"Ariel... what a good name. I’ll remember it."

"My name is Belinda! I hope you’ll remember it too!"

After shouting that, the female adventurer hurried away.

"Belinda, huh... sigh..."

Watching Belinda’s departing back, Ariel covered her chest in a sorrowful way.

"Leaving another mark in an ignorant young girl’s heart—what a sin, a sin..."

"How long are you going to stand there spacing out?"

Ariel’s teacher said in a low, haunting tone.

"This kind of stranger you met by chance, you probably won’t ever meet again in your whole life, alright?"

"Teacher, you don’t get it. It’s exactly because we met by chance that we can preserve that beauty in our hearts. Think about it—if two years later, three years later, or even ten years later, we meet again, and they see me at that time, won’t they feel even more surprised and amazed?"

Ariel said with absolute certainty.

This was her new understanding of the matter of flirting with girls.

Just think about it. Years later, these girls who once met her by chance see a her who’s even more outstanding—maybe even completely different from the her in their impression... how shocking would that be?

At that time, prying open their defenses wouldn’t it be easy?

"Alright, alright. You’re always very reasonable about this kind of thing."

Ariel’s teacher sighed, and that hazy figure floated up from Dilaka’s body.

"Done?"

"Simple. With my soul force, it’s not like I can’t handle this kind of simple-minded idiot."

"That’s great."

Ariel picked up the chain and wrapped it around herself.

"Looks like I’ll be able to see those girls I’ve been longing for—those pitiful, helpless beautiful young ladies—very soon."