So Naya really cared about that former comrade of hers?

If he’d only shown up once or twice, Elise might’ve forgotten him. But that blond kid had sold out his teammates far too many times—she couldn’t possibly miss recognizing him.

Besides, she hadn’t known Leo would be there. It just so happened that while she was trying to show off in front of Naya, she ended up facing Leo—the Chosen Hero—again.

Maybe it was just fate’s little twist.

“I recognize him.”

“So you knew he’d be there and called me over?”

“No. Soldiers usually vet the Chosen Heroes challenging me, but they only report the count. I never know what they look like beforehand.”

After scooping out all the fried potatoes, Naya turned off the stove and faced Elise.

“Then… have you ever seen him bring a pink-haired girl to fight you? A support cleric?”

Elise carefully recalled Leo’s companions from each challenge.

“Probably not.”

Bringing a cleric to a duel was already unsportsmanlike. But facing the Dragon Sovereign, some shameless teams brought one anyway—a walking healing spring. Every time, Elise’s damage outpaced the healing.

Over five years, Leo appeared only once or twice yearly. With nearly a hundred Chosen Heroes challenging her, how could she remember every face?

Still, Leo stood out. Sometimes Elise even noted which unlucky souls followed him.

Yet she couldn’t recall everyone—hence the uncertain reply.

“Just ‘probably’?”

Naya lowered her head, a trace of disappointment in her eyes.

Elise’s sixth sense tingled—something was off.

“What’s wrong? Does that pink-haired girl mean something to you?”

“Huh? No… not at all.”

Naya snapped back, laughing awkwardly.

*Better not mention my promise with Lina. What if Elise gets jealous?*

But trying to hide it only made her fluster more obvious. She needed a quick cover.

“Actually… that pink-haired girl was my teammate—Lina. The blond guy is Leo. We were a trio who braved life and death together. Five years ago, while Lina was away, Leo told me he had intel on your whereabouts and wanted to ambush you with me. I was young, impulsive… and trusted him. That’s why I was betrayed.”

Naya set the fried potatoes before Elise, then rummaged for the chef’s pre-made dishes. Cooking everything fresh would take too long.

“So his name’s Leo. A seasoned betrayer. Counting that black-haired youth, this is the seventh time.”

“The seventh?”

“Mm.”

“So twice a year on average? Yeah, forgetting is normal.”

Naya frowned, hoping Lina had never been sold out by Leo… never accompanied him to challenge Elise.

She picked up a slice of toast.

Countless Chosen Heroes had fallen to Elise over the years. How could she remember every face? Naya couldn’t even recall how many bread slices she’d eaten.

She stuffed the toast with grilled sausage, veggies, meat, squeezed cream on top, and handed it to Elise.

“You really care about him?”

“Of course. I need to know why. We were comrades who faced death together—why abandon me so coldly?”

Elise speared a potato slice, chewed slowly. She studied Naya’s face, catching a flicker of sadness in her eyes.

“Next time, I’ll catch him the moment he appears.”

“Who knows when that’ll be?”

“He should be famous among humans. Escaping me repeatedly, mastering high-tier spatial magic—he’d rank as a top-tier mage. Half a month from now, we travel through human kingdoms. I’ll ask around, bring him to you. How’s that?”

A hopeful glimmer lit Naya’s violet eyes.

“Really?”

“Of course. Anything you want—I’ll get it. Even a human kingdom. Finding one person? Trivial.”

Naya propped her chin on her hands, gazing dreamily at Elise.

“What if… I wanted the moon?”

“Are you sure?”

Seeing Elise’s dead-serious face, Naya burst into giggles.

“Elise, don’t joke. How could anyone pluck the moon?”

“Do you want it?”

“No. What I want is to sit with you beneath the moon and breeze. As long as you’re beside me when I look up—that’s enough.”

*Elise has no clue—the moon’s 3,476 kilometers wide! Even in dragon form, surviving vacuum? Tidal chaos? Tsunamis, quakes… apocalypse. Plucking the moon isn’t romantic—it’s terrifying.*

“The moon’s safe,” Naya muttered. *Still showing off.*

“Don’t overestimate yourself. Have you ever reached the sky’s limit?”

“The sky’s limit? The sky is endless. The stars are an illusion.”

Naya covered her mouth, shaking with laughter. Elise’s earnest nonsense was too much.

A faint smile touched Elise’s lips. She watched Naya’s joyful tremble, the gentle sway of her chest full of life. She’d never seen Naya laugh like this—a tender warmth glowing in her crimson eyes.

Wiping tears, Naya softened her tone.

“Earth’s escape velocity is 11.2 kilometers per second. You can’t reach that—you’d never break atmosphere.”

“Faster than sound?”

“Obviously. But this is another world—we don’t know Earth’s size here. Still, up high: thin air, freezing cold, winds hundreds of kph. Unless you’re an elite athlete, you wouldn’t survive.”

Noticing Elise’s utterly bewildered stare, Naya cut the lecture short.

*So picky—refusing pre-made food.*

She grabbed the sandwich, held it to Elise’s lips.

“Open up~”

Elise took a small bite, chewed gently, swallowed.

Watching those crimson eyes crinkled with quiet amusement, Naya felt warmth and helplessness swirl inside.

“If I’m not here to cook for you someday… will you starve?”