Locals were troublesome to deal with after consumption. Outsiders were far more convenient—disappearing without a trace, and even if investigators came from elsewhere, all evidence would vanish long before they reached Tata Town.

This was the leisurely confidence of the old masters. Shiren understood the value of a sustainable pace.

She typically took only five lives a year. When in high spirits, she might double that number; when displeased, she’d multiply it tenfold. After all, excuses like "demon attacks" were always at her disposal.

Killing and eating were mere pastimes to her. Thus, she held strong disdain for the Demon King’s actions—especially the war forty years ago.

It had robbed her of the joy of hunting.

Those turbulent five years were also the only five years she hadn’t hunted. The mine before her now stirred faint memories.

"Back then… this was where most perished," she murmured softly.

Ist, standing closest to her, couldn’t help but ask curiously, "You mean…?"

"This was the main battlefield against the Southern Demon King’s army. They say the mine’s crystals are so pure because countless human warriors and Demonic Beings bled here—their essence seeped into every vein of ore."

As long as it wasn’t mealtime, Shiren faithfully played her current role. Seeing these young, out-of-town "ingredients" intrigued by the mine’s history, the Blood Demon deep within the cave cheerfully elaborated.

The adventurers learned this was where the Hero had clashed with the Southern Demon King’s commander.

"That must have been brutal," remarked one female adventurer Shiren had marked as particularly tender. Born in peacetime, they struggled to imagine such peril. How would they have fared?

"We have our own battles. We’re here—the foreman said the infested zone lies beyond the second rock shelf… Watch out!"

Before Ist finished speaking, his combat instincts flared. A crystal shard shot from the shadows toward the Priestess—but his sword intercepted it mid-air.

Everyone snapped to alert. In the dim cave, dozens of glowing eyes blinked awake. The adventurers became dancers on a stage, spotlit by those eerie "bulbs," frantically dodging crystal projectiles with their weapons.

"Miss Sami! What do we do?!"

Panic seized the young adventurers. Instinctively, they turned to their senior.

"No fire spells! Those with basic magic—erect shields and create light! They’re Crystalback Lizards. They fear brightness."

Shiren didn’t raise her wand. Instead, she scanned the group for the most delectable morsel. Panic revealed true nature—and meat quality. She wouldn’t mind stirring more chaos.

Thirteen people. In two years, she might not even kill thirteen in Tata Town. But today? Barring accidents, she’d fulfill years’ worth of quotas.

*…Strangely nostalgic.*

Shiren often dreamed—not just when Mei Yige was near. Her ancestors visited her sleep, most frequently asking:

*"How many this season?"*

*"Five."*

*"Acceptable. And yesterday?"*

*"…?"*

Such exchanges had become routine in her dreams.

By Great Lord Blood Demon standards, she truly lived up to the "benevolence" in her name.

The assault paused. Shiren snapped back to the present. She twirled her purely decorative Magic Wand in the air.

"Light Trap."

A confined glow engulfed the creatures’ space. Their piercing shrieks made everyone’s scalps prickle.

"What are you waiting for? Kill them."

Watching these slow-reacting youngsters, Shiren recalled the human warriors of old. How many today could even dream of challenging the Demon King?

She never withheld admiration for true strength.

Ist finally rallied the group. The purge was swift—just as Shiren said, the cave-dwellers recoiled from light, helpless under its glare.

Strength wasn’t measured by magic alone. Humans excelled because, within their brief lives, they could think, refine skills, and surpass limits in their chosen paths.

Ist’s master had taught him: true power revealed itself in a person’s outward presence.

He saw it now.

Miss Sami’s fleeting expressions—those micro-shifts of emotion—radiated terrifying depth.

He swallowed hard.

"Stay sharp! Danger could lurk ahead. Rearrange formation—the foreman warned the tunnels narrow further in. Our target’s the stone hall at the ore vein’s fracture point. Monsters breed thickly there. No slackening!"

A warrior’s danger sense ran deep, often beyond experience. Ist forced himself to trust: Miss Sami from the Guild must be trustworthy.

"With Miss Sami here, nothing to fear!"

His companions lacked his caution. Relieved after the ambush, they dropped their initial wariness. With such a capable mage, this job seemed simple.

"I’ll ensure everyone’s safety," Shiren smiled faintly. She wasn’t lying—at least, she wouldn’t let monsters devour her provisions.

"Let’s press on. Finish before lunch, wrap up early. Luya, Kadi, Jessy—watch your steps. Don’t tread on crystals. They detonate."

"Wow… You remembered our names? Got it—we’ll be careful!"

"Jessy, you idiot, don’t mess up!"

"Y-yeah, yeah…"

A mage who’d just met them knew every name. Such luck! The mood lifted.

Ist’s expression darkened further.

*Why does hearing Miss Sami call their names spike my dread…?*

Shiren sensed his unease—she always felt blood’s whispers—but dismissed it. Warriors naturally sensed danger.

Observing reactions was part of her amusement.

*Merely calling out ingredients… and he trembles?*

She almost chuckled inwardly.

She wondered if the one waiting at home would wear the same adorable fear when sensing her hidden aura.

She looked forward to finding out.