“Yes.”
The little creature readily admitted.
However, it hadn’t opened its mouth to speak.
That voice, rather than coming from its mouth, seemed to be transmitted directly into Shien’s mind, like telepathy.
This stunned Shien.
“Sigh, that reaction again.” The mysterious creature said faintly, as if bored. “Every time I meet someone new and talk to them, they have this reaction. It’s getting old.”
Shien resisted the urge to retort, glanced at the cheering little girl, then at the mysterious creature lying on the ground. After hesitating for a moment, he couldn’t help but ask,
“What are you? A monster?”
Shien’s eyes were filled with confusion.
“Heh.” The mysterious creature chuckled, seemingly too lazy to explain. “Just consider me a monster. To you humans, there’s no difference between me and a monster anyway.”
After saying that, the mysterious creature turned to the cheering little girl, its tone suddenly turning stern.
“Alright, stop jumping around, Millu. Pick me up.”
The little girl, called Millu, stopped and obediently picked up the mysterious creature.
“Lid.” Millu said to the creature in her arms, “Airi, Airi.”
The word “Lid” seemed to be the creature’s name.
“I know, I know.” Lid said impatiently. “Really, how much do you want to see Airi? She’s such a spoiled brat, yet everyone dotes on her and lets her do as she pleases. She’ll be spoiled rotten by you all sooner or later.”
“Hee hee.” Millu didn’t seem to mind Lid’s complaints and giggled happily, seemingly in a good mood.
Shien’s frown deepened.
This strange girl and beast duo, it seemed, wasn’t simple at all.
“Who are you?”
Shien was losing his patience.
This made Millu and Lid turn their gazes back to Shien.
“Young man, be patient, don’t be so impatient.” Lid grinned, its voice still transmitting directly into Shien’s mind. “Don’t worry, we’re not suspicious characters, at least not to you.”
“Not suspicious, not suspicious.” Millu repeated happily, like an innocent child.
Shien naturally wouldn’t believe their words so easily.
Not only because they were suspicious, but also because their behavior seemed strange.
Therefore, Shien didn’t let his guard down.
However, considering that his [Outer Awareness of Heaven’s Decree] couldn’t see through their levels, and their familiarity with Airi, Shien had a guess about their identities.
If they were truly who he thought they were, then it would be worth trying to communicate with them.
Just as Shien had this thought, the voice rang out again.
“Good, that’s the right approach.”
The mysterious creature, Lid, said approvingly, then added slyly,
“Anyway, you should get dressed first, lest Millu stares at that thing of yours for too long and grows something she shouldn’t.”
These words made Shien’s lips twitch.
What did she mean by “grow something she shouldn’t”?
If she meant a stye, then just say so, don’t be so ambiguous.
People who didn’t know might think it was something else.
…
At the same time, in several other locations, quite a few people noticed the situation on Shien’s side.
“Why are they here?”
Nadue, waiting outside for Shien to finish his bath, sensed that magic power and aura and was stunned.
“This magic power…!?”
In the Queen’s Palace, Sophie, who had her eyes closed, suddenly opened them and stood up from her throne, her eyes filled with shock and even panic.
In two different rooms in the tree house where Shien and his group were staying, two little girls opened their eyes simultaneously.
“Miss Lilith?”
Lasha, who was by Lilith’s side, called out when she saw this.
But Lilith ignored Lasha, turned her head, looked in a certain direction, then with a “whoosh,” transformed into a stream of evil aura and dashed out.
Lasha’s eyes flickered slightly, but she didn’t say or do anything, just quietly waiting, as if waiting for the dust to settle.
Naturally, in another room, Airi also got up.
“Those two…”
Airi murmured, sighing, either annoyed or troubled.
“Appearing here, it seems their bad habits haven’t changed.”
Saying so, Airi got out of bed.
The next moment, a pair of dragon wings unfolded on Airi’s back, and she transformed into a gust of wind, flying out of the window just like Lilith.
A stream of evil aura and a dragon’s shadow flew towards the same direction.
“…”
In a clear lake, Lucy, who was soaking in the water, raised her head and saw this scene.
Around her were laughing elven girls.
Lucy didn’t move.
She just stared, her thoughts unknown.