Deep in the primordial forest of the Uncharted Isle, Albel and Alicia followed the mountain path toward a distant peak.

Albel was still puzzled by the earlier Jormungandr encounter. This island seemed utterly ordinary, yet it harbored a 14-star demon beast.

Even across the entire Demon Clan, 14-star entities were rarer than phoenix feathers—reserved only for Demon Kings and a handful of Overlords. Yet here, before even reaching the island’s heart, he’d already faced such a high-tier monster. What terrors might lurk deeper?

"Hey, Albel," Alicia walked beside him, hands clasped behind her back, leaning forward. "You’re not a pureblood demon, are you?"

*That high priest sacrificed his Holy Maiden just to teleport me here. Did he believe this island alone could kill me? Or was it random?* The thought nagged at her.

"Albel… how did your parents end up together?" Alicia pressed when he didn’t answer.

*Wait—if my guess is right, this whole island is crawling with high-tier beasts. That priest wanted them to eliminate me.*

"Is there anything… interesting about humans and demons mixing?"

"Albel…" She tugged his sleeve.

"Would you *stop*?!" Albel finally snapped. Silence breeds either death or explosion. Ever since this Holy Maiden learned he was a Demon-Human hybrid, her questions had fired like a machine gun—*rat-tat-tat*—while he was trying to focus on something critical.

"Wah… you’re annoyed with me…" Alicia flinched, curling into herself with a tiny, trembling voice.

"I didn’t—" Albel instantly regretted it. *This is my future wife. I revealed my hybrid nature to ease her fears, not scare her off.*

"You only know how to bully me!" Alicia turned away, refusing to look at him.

Albel sighed, rubbing his temples. *This Holy Maiden is trouble. Tears, tantrums, threats—she’s mastered them all.*

*"Bro,"* he recalled Verdandi’s words after he’d upset her once, *"girls need sweet-talking."* *Guess I’m still green.*

"Sorry. I was distracted. Reflex. Just a reflex, okay?" He placed his hands on her shoulders. She shook them off half-heartedly but didn’t pull away.

"Hmph." Alicia kept her chin high, refusing to yield.

"Fine. Stay here and sulk. I’m leaving. If another 14-star beast shows up, don’t expect me to save you." Albel shrugged and turned away. After days together, he knew her well—just a spoiled brat throwing a tantrum.

"W-wait!" Alicia scrambled after him, anxiety painting her face. "No wonder you can’t find a wife. You don’t even know how to comfort a girl." She muttered the last part under her breath.

After walking awhile, Albel crouched to examine the undergrowth. "The plants here… their color’s deeper than outside." He was certain they’d reached the forest’s depths, yet the distant mountain seemed no closer.

"Looks like we’re camping in the woods tonight." He tilted his head back, peering through the canopy at the darkening sky. Reaching that peak would take days.

"C-camping *here*?" Alicia’s eyes darted around the shadowy trees. Night had turned the forest into a bottomless pit, hiding who-knew-what monsters.

"Unless you’d rather hike all night? No thanks. Sleep’s sacred." Albel plopped onto a flat patch of grass, leaning against a rock with his hands behind his head.

"Albel… make a fire?" Alicia nudged him with her elbow. Flames meant light, safety—without them, she’d never sleep.

"*You* make it." He raised an eyebrow.

"I… don’t know how." She shook her head sheepishly.

"Neither do I." Albel shrugged. He’d never built a fire in his life.

"But you’re a demon! Can’t you breathe fire?"

"Breathe *what*? I’m not a Fire Drake!" He flicked her forehead.

"But back on the shore—"

"That was the shark’s fire. Didn’t you see? Its body was pure oil." Albel waved it off. The shark-beast had sprayed flames wildly after failing to ambush him—only roasting itself in the process.

"Oh." Alicia’s shoulders slumped. No fire meant no warmth. Unlike Albel, she was human. She’d freeze.

"I get it." Albel watched her huddle into a ball. "Scared of the dark? Draw your Sacred Blade. Cold? My arms are always open."

"W-who’d want your arms!" Alicia protested weakly.

"And yesterday night, who was—"

"*Stop it!*"

***ROAR!***

A beast’s growl ripped through the darkness. Alicia yelped and dove into Albel’s chest, trembling like a startled child.

"Told you so." Albel grinned, tightening his arms around her as she tried to pull away.

"You—" Alicia struggled, then froze. His warmth seeped through her clothes, soft as a sunlit bed. Her body went limp. "…This is a one-time favor," she mumbled into his shirt. Exhausted from the day’s trek and the Jormungandr scare, she drifted off instantly.

"Hopeless girl," Albel murmured, shaking his head with a wry smile.

***Dawn.***

"Mmm…" Alicia blinked awake to find Albel tending a crackling fire, crisping strips of dried meat.

"Albel! You *liar*! You *can* make fire!" She jabbed a finger at him. He’d faked ignorance just to trick her into his arms!

"Shut it, idiot. Look." He nodded at a creature beside him—a plump, brown dragonet with tiny horns and stubby wings. "This is how." He smacked its head. The creature rolled its eyes and puffed a fireball. "See?"

"Where’d you get it?" Alicia crouched, fascinated but wary of its flames.

"It tried stealing my dried meat. Perfect fire-starter." Albel shot the dragonet a warning glare. "Hurt her, and I’ll roast *you* for breakfast."

"*Yowl!*" The dragonet’s reply was ambiguous.

"It understands us?!" Alicia gasped.

"If *you* can understand words, why not it?" Albel smirked, noting her bedhead. *Actually… kinda cute like this.*

"Die!" She swatted his arm, then gently reached for the dragonet. "Can I hold it?"

"Knock yourself out."

Alicia scooped it up, nuzzling its warm, doughy body. "So cute!" She beamed, utterly smitten.

"*Tch*. I’m less valued than livestock." Albel glared at the dragonet now licking Alicia’s cheek from her cleavage. *…Though I’ve tasted that spot too. Fair’s fair.*

"Enough playing. Eat up—we move deeper." Albel handed her breakfast. Alicia had already befriended the dragonet.

"*Of course*. Matched IQs make fast friends." He sighed.

"*Die!*"

"*Yowl!*" The dragonet even spat a warning ember at him.

"Oh, you’re spitting fire now?" Albel loomed. *Forgot who pinned you down earlier?*

"*Whimper…*" The dragonet burrowed into Alicia’s arms.

"Why scare it?!" Alicia retaliated with another swat.

"Fine. Team up. But remember—even doubled, your combined IQs don’t reach half of mine." Albel turned away.

"*Doubled… half…*" Alicia counted on her fingers, muttering calculations.

Albel stifled a laugh. *How are you this adorable?*

"Time to push deeper. And bring the fire-starter." He jerked his chin at the dragonet. "We’ll need it."

Albel finished his breakfast and was about to have Alicia carry the Fire Drake onward. But just at that moment, an arrow shot out from nowhere and landed right in front of him.

"You are not allowed to proceed any further."