With Lorin covering for her, Rebecca felt safe skipping class today. She needed to find some black dragon blood.

Rebecca found Golago, who had been idle lately. She slipped out of the city smoothly, heading to a deserted area beyond the walls. There, she cast a teleportation spell. This time, she didn’t fly around searching—she knew exactly where the black dragon lived.

A spatial distortion rippled around them as the teleportation spell activated. Rebecca and Golago appeared in a desolate landscape.

Everything here was dark red—dark red rocky soil, dark red mountains. It resembled photos of Mars Rebecca had seen on Earth. The only difference? Though plants were scarce, the place teemed with life. Monsters lurked everywhere.

This was the Flame Wasteland. It belonged to no nation, too perilous for humans to settle. All races considered it forbidden territory. Yet, Goblins thrived here…

Goblins truly were a miraculous race, scattered across the world. That’s why Rebecca had sought Golago’s help.

"Are there any of your kin here?" Rebecca asked in the Demon tongue.

"Far off. Follow me, Princess…" Golago murmured, eyes closed as he sensed the air.

"Mm." Rebecca nodded.

The scenery was all red, like the legendary Flaming Mountains of Earth. Yet the temperature was bitterly cold—just above freezing. Calculating roughly, this forbidden zone far from the Kasmo Empire hadn’t even entered winter yet. When winter came, heavy snow would likely fall.

Golago tracked his kin’s scent and soon found a Goblin tribe. They lived in caves on a towering red-rock mountain.

Though Golago was the Goblin King, Goblins were too numerous and widespread for him to rule them all. Not every Goblin recognized him, despite his recent fame across the continent. But his powerful aura made the wary Goblins before him instinctively know: this was an exceptionally strong clansman.

"I am King Michael of the Goblins! Bring forth your tribe’s chieftain!" Golago declared proudly.

The Goblins glanced at each other. Finally, a burly one stepped forward. "Praise the great Dark Lord! Our race has birthed another king!" In this remote area, they’d never heard of a new Goblin king. Yet they didn’t doubt Golago—his overwhelming aura was undeniable. For a Goblin to grow this powerful was nearly impossible.

Golago accepted the Goblin’s kneeling submission, then stepped aside. "This is Princess Rebecca, daughter of the great Dark Lord."

The Goblins gasped. They’d already sensed Rebecca’s rich, familiar dark aura and felt uneasy. Now confirmed, every Goblin dropped to their knees.

"Rise, all of you. I’m not here to conquer you. Your people have lived on this land for generations. Forcing you to leave for the Demon Race territory would be unfair."

"P-Princess… if you wish it, we’ll do anything!" the chieftain stammered nervously.

"Enough pleasantries. I need to know—where’s the black dragon in the Flame Wasteland?" Rebecca asked.

"B-Black dragon?" The chieftain tensed. Then he remembered who stood before him—the Dark Lord’s daughter. A dragon was fearsome, but not compared to her. His fear faded. "You seek it? I can guide you."

"Good. Golago, carry him. Let’s go."

Unfamiliar with the terrain, Rebecca had only heard rumors of a black dragon here. Finding local Goblins was the fastest way. But this chieftain was weak—too slow. So Rebecca had Golago grab him, lift off into the sky, and fly at high speed while asking directions. After ten minutes, they stopped at a stark black mountain peak amid the red landscape.

"Here?" Rebecca asked.

"Gag—urp—" The chieftain vomited violently.

"…"

"Y-yes… here… urp—" Was he airsick?

"Stay put. We’ll take you back later," Golago said. He followed Rebecca toward the oddly black mountain, standing alone in a sea of red.

As the black dragon’s lair, the area reeked of draconic pressure. No other creatures dared linger. Rebecca easily reached a huge cave halfway up the slope. But inside, no dragon was in sight.

"Huh? Where’s the dragon?" Rebecca frowned.

"Out hunting, perhaps?" Golago muttered, brow furrowed.

"Whoa! So much treasure! Golago, hurry over!" Rebecca suddenly called from around a corner. The cave’s depths glittered with endless riches.

"Uh…" Golago was stunned too. But having pledged loyalty to the Demon Race, he no longer craved such worldly things.

Rebecca, though, desperately needed money. Duke Ruta spoiled her, but Demon Potion research was a bottomless pit. He could afford it, yet such massive spending would raise suspicions—especially from Charles. The Ruta Family would demand to know what she was researching. That risked exposing her secrets!

"Golago, grab as much as you can!" Rebecca opened a storage ring she’d recently wheedled from Duke Ruta and began looting. She’d lost her old ring in the Dark Lord’s palace. For convenience with potion ingredients, she’d shamelessly asked for this expensive human-world item.

Though unmoved by gold, Golago knew his princess was broke. He shamelessly stuffed coins into his pockets. His short stature and lightning-fast movements made Rebecca think of a treasure-hoarding gremlin…

Suddenly, a dragon’s roar echoed from the sky. The ground trembled. A colossal shape blocked the cave entrance. A massive head thrust forward, looming over Rebecca and Golago.

"Hi~" Rebecca grinned, waving cheerfully with zero guilt at being caught mid-heist.

"You… you DARE?!" A deep voice boomed. The dragon’s golden eyes narrowed, pupils thinning to slits. It opened its jaws and spat a jet of black flame.

"Wah-wah-wah!" Rebecca yelped. She threw up a magic shield just in time. "Hurry! Grab more! This big guy’s furious!" she yelled to Golago.

"Fools! Who are you?" The dragon snarled, realizing its black fire had failed. Even the tiny Goblin radiated immense power.

"Just passing through~" Rebecca chirped. She could easily kill the dragon, but she wasn’t cruel. Stealing its treasure was enough—killing it would be overkill.

"You! You’ll face my wrath!" Black smoke swirled around the dragon’s body. Rebecca recognized it: draconic magic, the dark variant unique to black dragons.

Unfazed, Rebecca snatched up Golago and charged. She darted past the dragon’s front claw, slashed a cut into its leg, and filled a bottle with black dragon blood.

"ROAR!" The dragon howled in pain.

Rebecca and Golago zipped out of the cave, using their small size to dodge. The moment they escaped, a violent magical explosion erupted inside.

"Whoa! Tough dragon! We got it—let’s go!" Rebecca teleported away with Golago and the chieftain, vanishing instantly.

"Ow… owie… sniffle…" After they left, the dragon… actually burst into tears.

Seriously? Dragons topped the food chain—powerful, cold-blooded creatures. Yet it sobbed over a tiny cut on its claw?

"I’ll get revenge! I’ll eat you!! Bad guy!!" As it spoke, the dragon’s form shrank… shrank… shrank…

Huh? A little girl?

This horned cutie had silver hair, golden eyes, and chubby cheeks. But her adorable face was soaked in tears. A bright wound bled on her pink arm.

The little dragon-girl sniffed angrily. "I remember your smell! I’ll catch you, thief! I’ll eat you and take back my treasure!!! Wah-wah-wah-wah!" Was this… a dragon’s roar?