The sensation of being watched vanished. Tch.

Mei Yige felt a flicker of regret—she hadn’t even figured out who it was.

Shaking her head with resignation, she turned her attention back to the students.

“What else could we do? Baron Albert insisted on ‘assisting’ with the healing magic. We had no choice but to oblige.”

“But… he’s not a good person, is he?”

A female student protested, her voice tight with doubt. The others exchanged uneasy glances, their suspicion fixed on Mei Yige.

“We did clash,” Mei Yige admitted. She knew facts wouldn’t sway them. The scene reminded her of her own past antics—and a mischievous idea sparked. Her expression twisted into playful conflict.

The gossip-hungry students’ eyes lit up instantly, leaning in with bated breath.

“But you’re still too young,” Mei Yige demurred, a faint blush warming her cheeks as she glanced away. “It’s not proper to tell you.”

“We’re practically adults! No—we *are* adults! Come on, Mei-jie!”

“Yeah, spill!”

Their pleading was irresistible. Mei Yige hesitated just long enough to seem convincingly torn, then sighed deeply. She scanned the area, lowered her voice, and leaned in conspiratorially. “Promise you won’t breathe a word…”

“We guard secrets like dragons hoard gold!”

The girls nodded in fervent unison.

“Baron Albert came for treatment. As nobility, he *needs* an heir. But…” Mei Yige’s sigh was heavy with implication. “Miss Ryan slipped up with her words and got beaten for it. Everyone knows what’s *really* wrong with him. We’re just sparing his dignity. Who’d bother arguing with a man incapable in *that* department?”

“This… this is…”

“Oh my stars…”

Sympathy and scandal warred on the girls’ flushed faces.

Leaving the “excellent secret-keepers” to their newfound gossip, Mei Yige walked away, muttering, “Serves you right for meddling.” She recalled how the Hero and her own slandered hook-up target had ended up together. Annoying. “Why’s it so easy *now*? Is the Goddess really favoring the Hero that much? So unfair.”

No doubt the rumor about Albert’s condition would spread like wildfire—perfect for the Inspector’s upcoming review. After all, Leya’s “treatment” with magic and potions had already reduced the baron to a bedridden husk, barely clinging to life. He might not even survive the week.

Tata Town would have to deal with the Inspector handling noble cases, but a minor baron like Albert wasn’t worth losing sleep over. The real concern was whether the Inspector’s arrival might bring *more* trouble. What if the Hero’s acquaintances came along?

*Better alter my appearance first.*

“Should’ve forged a solid identity before arriving in this town,” Mei Yige sighed, shaking off the regret. It wouldn’t matter long-term anyway. She couldn’t hide behind a fake name forever. Heroes were short-lived—no need to waste effort on flashy disguises for a mortal.

Decision made, she headed toward her rented room. Dinner time was near.

---

“Yise, are you the only one here?”

“Master, my parents were adventurers. They died exploring a labyrinth.”

“Hmph. This meat’s decent. Boar from the woods?”

“Rock lizard meat.”

“…” Shiren set down her knife and fork, glancing at the girl beside her. “Seems you two have an arrangement.”

“Yes. She still wants to adventure. I couldn’t refuse her.”

Yise’s voice was subdued as she cleared the dishes. Jessie sat stiffly, head bowed, lips pressed tight in silence.

She’d left Tata Town behind.

After Albert’s outburst, Shiren remembered the steward she’d casually appointed—and his daughter—were from the same adventuring party. They lived in Albert’s fiefdom, Chica Town. Convenient for a visit.

Over the centuries, Shiren—the Great Lord Blood Demon—had created not just Blood Pets, but also Blood Retainers like Yise. Good souls tasted better; it was a law of nature. “Good” meant purity of heart, not morality. And Shiren never wasted exquisite flavors. Turning them into immortal Blood Retainers—her own kin—was her way of preserving delicacies. A twisted blessing.

“If you wish to end your life after five years, just say the word. I’m only offering you longevity. In return, I’ll call on you when needed. That’s the exchange.”

Shiren wasn’t cruel enough to deny death. She knew how monstrous forced immortality seemed to humans. But she’d seen how the promise of eternity—like the Sorceresses chasing eternal life through magic—could shatter human dignity. She was merely granting her favorites a gift.

“Thank you, Master. After fulfilling my promise to adventure with her… I’ll serve you faithfully.”

Yise bowed deeply. Before the mine commission, she’d been a passionate, idealistic adventurer—someone who’d have recoiled at serving a Blood Demon. But witnessing the true nature of adventurers had changed her. Her master, Shiren, wasn’t some evil overlord. She was a reasonable, powerful being who’d transformed Yise yet still granted her freedom. Nothing like the scheming Demonic Beings from tales.

*Though… why make me female?*

“Enough about that.” Shiren turned to Jessie, the tear-prone Priestess who somehow wasn’t afraid of Yise—the Blood Demon—and had even dared share a room with her. Intriguing. “You. What’s *your* plan?”

“I can’t abandon Iest… no, *Yise*-jie now!” Jessie stammered, words tumbling out in her panic. “I hope she didn’t offend you, my lady. Just knowing she’s alive… that’s enough for me.”

Shiren’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You care so much? She’s a Blood Demon now. The man you knew might be gone. I could rewrite her mind with a thought.”

It wasn’t a threat. As a Blood Retainer, Yise was bound to Shiren’s will. Her original consciousness could be erased.

“Master, I—”

Yise tried to speak, but her voice vanished. She stood frozen, helpless.

Shiren kept smiling, watching the Priestess. Waiting.

*This is… unexpectedly interesting.*

Jessie’s answer, however, tangled Shiren’s emotions.

“I… I accepted the adventure because I loved Mr. Iest! Even if—no, *whatever* he became—a devil, a monster—he protected me. Even if she devours me… I won’t stop following her!”

*To stay by her side… no matter if she’s a devil or something worse…*

Shiren lowered her gaze, eyes closing.

*Would she… would *she* do the same for me?*

The question burned. She craved the answer.

Yet dreaded hearing it.

How contradictory.