Lower layers of the East District.
A shop with a banner bearing the [Twin Goddesses] emblem on its roof.
This shop was an institution under the jurisdiction of the Thousand Eyes community — and Thousand Eyes was the faction Shiroyasha belonged to.
“Master…
is it really okay for us to seek out Shiroyasha?”
The vampire girl — dressed in an exquisite red lace dress, every inch a proper lady except for the extremely unladylike expression on her face — looked at Ryo as if she didn’t know what to say.
Beside her stood Ryo, dressed in simple casual clothes.
Perfectly composed, he replied:
“What’s there to panic about?
We’re here as descendants of the Little Garden Knights, seeking Shiroyasha’s help.”
“But…”
Lamia couldn’t quite find the words.
After all, they were standing right at Thousand Eyes’ front door.
Some things were hard to say out loud.
But their organization, Ouroboros, was the very culprit that had destroyed Arcadia.
Shiroyasha was still actively hunting the Demon Lords responsible.
Weren’t they just walking into a death trap?
Lamia couldn’t help complaining internally.
No matter how cheerful and optimistic she was, she was starting to feel genuinely exhausted.
But before she could voice any of it, the shop attendant Ryo had asked to deliver their visiting card came back out.
“Lady Shiroyasha will see you.
Follow me.”
“Thank you.”
Ryo responded politely and followed the attendant inside.
Behind him, Lamia sighed helplessly and fell in step behind her willful master.
“Are we…
really not going to get beaten to death?”
Her heart heavy with unease, Lamia followed Ryo to the shop’s back courtyard.
If their identities were discovered, she would give everything — even her life — to get Ryo out.
As soon as they entered the courtyard, a silver-haired girl with golden eyes and two small horns on her head — appearing around Lamia’s age and absurdly cute — stood at the door, yawning.
“Hey, brat.
What do you want to talk to me about in person?”
But before Shiroyasha could even finish, a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.
…Where did this Pureblood Dragon come from?
And a young one at that?
And behind him…
is that Leticia?
No, no.
Leticia isn’t this young.
What exactly is this girl’s relationship to Leticia?
She can’t possibly have had a daughter during her years in captivity, right?
Still, looking closely…
this girl is pretty cute.
An energetic version of Leticia.
And she’d been thirsting after Leticia for ages.
And if she changed into…
Hehehe…
A slightly lecherous smile spread across Shiroyasha’s face.
Seeing this, Ryo’s mouth twitched.
It seemed the old pervert’s true nature was as unshakeable as ever.
Shiroyasha — Star Spirit of the Primordial Star, one of the strongest beings in Little Garden, and like Ryo’s convenient elder sister, a Two-Digit existence.
Unlike Kurma, however, Shiroyasha had sealed her own power, taken on a Yaksha godhead, and come down to the lower layers to coast through life.
“Hey, wipe your mouth.
You’re drooling.”
Shiroyasha reflexively made a swiping motion at her lips — and only after doing so did she realize she’d been tricked.
“I wasn’t drooling!”
She huffed in annoyance.
She wasn’t that vulgar.
“So, Lady Shiroyasha, you don’t deny having certain thoughts about my knight?”
Ryo shrugged, his tone slightly teasing as he reminded her.
Lamia was his person.
“What do you mean, ‘thoughts about your knight’?
What kind of person do you take me for?”
Shiroyasha snorted, planting her hands on her hips with clear irritation.
“I’m just angry that you’d make this child dress so conservatively!
Who’s that for?
Who exactly are you guarding against?”
Ryo said nothing.
He just stared at Shiroyasha in silence.
Who do you think?
And what was wrong with dressing conservatively?
He thought the English-lady look suited her quite nicely.
But Shiroyasha carried on as if she understood nothing, pointing at Lamia with the tone of a seasoned mentor:
“Look at this child.
Anyone can see she’s got a lively personality.
How can you stuff a lively girl like this into such ladylike, conservative clothes?”
“This long skirt is completely unnecessary.
And such thick stockings? New chapters come out on g.com first.
Is that what a girl should be wearing?”
“A lively child like her should be dressed in a low-cut top — show off those collarbones, shoulders, and arms.
Express herself as much as possible.”
“And the skirt — the shorter the better.
Something light and fluttery, swaying with every step, looking like it might flash at any moment.
That’s the only way to really bring out her energetic personality!”
“Huh?”
Lamia, who’d been listening, instinctively took half a step back, her expression turning slightly horrified.
She was stunned.
This was her first time meeting Shiroyasha — the big shot known throughout the upper layers of Little Garden.
She’d heard the rumors about her…
questionable reputation.
But developing thoughts about her within minutes of their first meeting?
This was a bit too intense.
The shock was enough to make her forget she belonged to Ouroboros.
“Do you even understand what coordination means?
What it means to express a girl’s personality?
Coordination without personality has no soul!
You have to match the outfit to each person’s unique qualities!!”
Finishing her rant, Shiroyasha — her throat now thoroughly dry — took the cup of water the attendant handed her and drained it in one go.
She then glanced at Ryo, who had been frantically taking notes with his head bowed, and nodded with the approval of a teacher whose student had finally understood.
“Master, you’re absolutely right.”
It had to be said — Shiroyasha’s ten-thousand-year career as a pervert hadn’t been for nothing.
A casual lecture from her was already a peak Ryo couldn’t hope to reach.
“Right?
Right?
So hurry up and let me change her clothes!
A beauty like this — it’d be a crime not to show her off!”
“I’ve got clothes right here!
Every size and style you can imagine!”
Seeing her opinions validated, Shiroyasha eagerly urged him on, her eyes literally sparkling as she looked at Lamia.
The old pervert’s mind was now filled with nothing but images of Lamia in revealing outfits.
“You make a compelling argument, but I refuse.”
Ryo crossed his arms.
“Like I said, Lamia is mine.
So her adorable appearance is for my eyes only.”
“That said, I do appreciate your advice, Master Shiroyasha.
I’ll treasure your wisdom as I…
appreciate Lamia’s outfits.”