Chapter 148

Timani stared at the little cookies that Sheffy had tossed over and she was now holding in her palms, her expression instantly conflicted.

In her understanding, food should always be obtained by oneself. Food given by others shouldn't be eaten.

"I knew it, I still... Huh...? Wasn’t there another whole plate just now, that many..."

"Oh, oh, I already finished them while you were hesitating. Look."

"......"

The Demon Clan Princess took out another full plate of pastries from 【Storage Magic】 and stuffed them into her mouth with both hands, giving Timani a live demonstration of exactly how the previous food had vanished.

Under such a strong visual impact... seeing how deliciously she was eating, Timani looked down at the pitifully small cookie in her own hand and, unable to resist, slowly brought it to her mouth and began to nibble at it.

She had only just finished eating it.

Before she could even savor the taste—

She heard the witch’s wicked laughter!

"Hahaha...!!"

"!"

Crap...!

She’d carelessly given in to her cravings and eaten it... Now she was definitely going to mock her again for being a beggar!

While Timani was still trying to come up with an explanation to prove she wasn’t a beggar, the source of Sheffy’s laughter finally became clear.

"Haha! Even without using 【Healing】, my back pain’s already eased up a little! That’s progress! No way around it, we gotta celebrate with another plate, right? …Hey, Fire Lizard, don’t be such a killjoy, standing there like a rolling pin. If you want to eat, then just sit down and eat with us. Why so wishy-washy?"

"I don’t... Ugh, fine."

Timani carefully smoothed the wrinkles on the sofa, making sure there was no dust on her clothes, before cautiously sitting down next to Sheffy.

Maybe Sheffy had long seen through what she was thinking.

"Beggar, you think too much sometimes. No one actually sees you as a beggar, you know."

"Really... Sorry, maybe I am a bit over—wait, aren’t you still calling me a beggar?!"

"Slip of the tongue! Hey, calm down, calm down! The cookies are food, don’t throw them at my face!"

Even if you throw them at me, I’ll still catch them with my mouth and eat them. No waste~

The morning light was still soft; it was early.

At this hour, though Timani’s blood pressure had already spiked, she still remembered the promise the Demon Clan Princess had made the night before.

"So... can you tell me now who Syla really is?"

"A pervert."

"I know that... She’s freakishly strong. What I’m asking is her actual identity."

"Even though you didn’t understand what I meant... well, I did promise yesterday I’d tell you. So listen up—Syla is the kingdom’s Holy Sword. Did you see the sword Xiarette hung on the wall yesterday? That’s Sylatrella."

"......"

See? I knew you’d be that surprised.

Bet you didn’t see that coming~ The opponent you struggled so hard against yesterday—the one you kept asking about who she really was—turns out, she’s not even human.

But what surprised Sheffy a little was how quickly Timani managed to adjust herself.

"I see... No wonder I kept feeling powerless during the fight. I’ve heard of the Holy Sword of the Kingdom of Aurus. It’s said to be such a powerful weapon that even the higher races speak of it. I just didn’t expect... that she could take the form of a child and have her own will."

"Don’t panic. I know you’re the type who loves sparring with strong opponents. I’ll have her fight you again sometime. Maybe you’ll turn the tables."

"I’ll pass..." A rare trace of reluctance appeared in Timani’s eyes. "There’s no winning against her. Not even Domain Magic worked... I don’t want to go through that absurd experience again... But, Demon Clan Princess, I am curious about your strength. If there’s a chance, how about a spar between us?"

"Sure~ A little friendly match, just until one of us yields."

"Mm, thanks. I hope I can regain a bit of confidence this time. Yesterday really got me... pretty down."

Then do your best~

Since it was still early, Timani had already changed into her scarlet long dress, which she had washed and dried using Elemental Magic. After grabbing a few cookies, she stood up, ready to set off on her journey once more.

"Heading out?"

"Yes. I’m grateful that you let me stay here for the night."

Timani seemed to be in a good mood today—perhaps last night’s conversation had helped ease her mind a little.

"But I have to go."

"Where to? Still thinking of earning achievements to win your way back into the Fire Dragon Clan’s territory? Forgive me for being blunt, but in your situation, even if you performed miracles, they still wouldn’t welcome you back. My advice is to face reality. Stop lying to yourself."

"I know... That’s why I want to search for a place where I truly belong. Sigh... Actually, you’re right. Even if I did return home, it’s full of the people who caused my father and mother’s deaths... What’s the point of going back?"

A lost traveler, walking forward in the fog without direction—

That was more or less the state Timani was in now.

Sheffy noticed the flickering uncertainty in Timani’s eyes and knew—once she stepped out that door, she had no idea where to go.

"Then why not stay here a few more days?"

"There’s no need. I appreciate your kindness, but I’m not the kind of person who can stay in someone else’s home for long. It’d only end up being a bother—for both of us. So..."

"You don’t want to know the truth behind your parents’ deaths?"

"...!"

Sheffy’s sudden words—

made Timani’s swaying tail freeze in place.

At the same time, her tone grew slightly colder, clouded with brewing tension.

"Witch... What do you mean by that... Don’t tell me... you know something?"

Heh, it’s said that dragons have reverse scales, and sure enough—even Timani had a taboo topic that couldn’t be touched.

But unless she resolved the doubts buried deep in her heart, she would never find her path forward.

"Right now, I don’t know~ But I’m planning to head to the Northern Territory in the coming days."

"You're going to the Flaming Lands of the Fire Dragon Clan?!"

"Yep, just treating it like a sightseeing trip. And while I'm at it, I can poke around for information about your background too~ Don’t ask why I’m helping you, okay? I wouldn’t even call it ‘helping’—it benefits me too, just going with the flow, that’s all."

"That’s not... that’s not the point! The Flaming Lands of the Fire Dragon Clan absolutely forbid outsiders from entering—let alone someone like you, the Demon Clan Princess! Do you even understand what it means for you to set foot in that place?!"

"That it means the Demon Clan is invading the higher races?"

"You know and you’re still...! Going there—no matter how many lives you have, it won’t be enough!"

"Relax."

Sheffy continued sipping her morning tea, raised a finger, and waved it at Timani with a squinting smile.

"There’s always a way~ It’s not like I’m going to barge in recklessly like some hot-headed fool. Besides, I’m the one going—why are you so anxious? Don’t tell me... you’re actually worried about my safety?"

"Th-that’s impossible!"

Timani huffed and averted her gaze, fiercely denying the suggestion that she was worried.

Ever since she found out that the Demon Clan Princess was that same little girl named Shaya, Timani had started to feel like—this one wasn’t so bad after all.

She gave her food, gave her clothes, gave her a place to stay... it was just like how her parents used to care for her so attentively.

Timani simply didn’t want someone who had been so kind to her to walk straight into death in the Flaming Lands of the Fire Dragon Clan.

That place... looked prosperous and powerful on the surface, but was, in truth, soaked in bloodshed and cruelty.

Still, at the same time, Timani knew—

She had no right to stop Sheffy.

Whatever Sheffy wanted to do never needed her permission in the first place.

And if that’s how it was...

Then she really couldn’t leave just yet.

"Let me confirm... You’re going no matter what?"

"Exactly. I’ve got some information to gather—can’t rely on hearsay alone."

"If that’s the case, then... in the next couple of days, I’ll draw you a map of the inner territories of the Flaming Lands. With it, your journey might be smoother. If danger comes up, you’ll at least know the quickest escape routes."

"Ha... wouldn’t that make you a traitor—ahem! I mean, thanks?"

"No need...!"

This time, Timani swallowed her cookie in one bite—finally, without hesitation!

And just like that, she no longer rushed to leave.

But Sheffy didn’t have time to keep indulging in this leisurely morning chat.

She had woken up early for another reason.

When Sheffy got up, Timani frowned slightly and asked,

"Where are you going...? Leaving already?"

"Not right away! It’ll still be a few days before I head to your homeland. Don’t worry about it. Go back to bed for your dragon nap—wait, would that be a return-to-the-dragon nap?"

Sheffy turned her head toward the window now lit by the morning glow.

Outside the windowsill, along the lakeside in the distance, an emerald-haired girl was slowly approaching.

"There’s still a certain troublesome princess I need to go meet..."

---

59. Seriously?!

Strolling along the lake, Sheffy noticed that the birds flying over the water today were especially numerous.

They all had snowy white feathers, gliding low across the water’s surface under the gentle morning light. As they moved in harmony, soft glimmers shimmered—like holy messengers from the heavens.

But they weren’t messengers—they were just birds.

Hmm... Were there always this many birds around here?

Probably not. If there were now, it was likely because they came along with Livra.

After all, every time the kingdom’s Third Princess appeared, there always seemed to be flocks of birds flying above her head, almost as if guarding her.

Gazing at the birds circling above the lake—

This sight made Sheffy feel a twinge of nostalgia.

Hah... She couldn’t remember much from her previous life anymore, but some memories—those truly worth cherishing—remained vivid.

For example, there was a time when she took Xiarette to play at a lakeside park. There had been just as many birds then. Wanting to show off her “manly spirit,” Sheffy mimicked those legendary figures from ancient times who bent their bows to shoot giant eagles, picked up a pebble, and hurled it toward the birds!

But who would’ve thought—those birds would actually punish a brat.

They swarmed around the kid who threw the stone. In the chaos, Sheffy ended up falling into the lake. Thankfully, Xiarette had learned how to swim. She jumped in and fished the “manly man” out before she drowned—and gave her a good, stern scolding afterward.

Thinking back now... it was quite a colorful memory, even if it was a bit of a dark chapter.

Ever since then, Sheffy hadn’t much liked birds.

That feeling had carried over into this life.

Even though she had been the one to throw the stone first... that didn’t stop her from being completely unreasonable about it!

But now—Sheffy had matured.

She was no longer that brat from the past.

Now, looking at these flocks of waterbirds circling the lake...

Sheffy’s heart felt no ripples—only a single thought remained.

With a grin, she slowly bent her still-aching back.

And leisurely picked something up.

Look closely—

It was a stone.

She struck a stance. The cheerful Sheffy from a moment ago vanished, and the next second, she hurled the stone toward the birds, slicing through the air with a sharp whoosh!

More terrifying than the sound of the wind—

was the witch’s furious warning shout!

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