I am a female swordsman.

She shouldn't have rushed up to a white-haired woman on the street and called her "auntie." She won't do it again! That red-eyed woman is scary; she wants to go home!!

"Who is that person you know?"

The red-haired loli paused for a moment; fear always makes people react slowly. But if fear deepens to a certain degree, it can actually speed up a person's thinking. Before Huang Quan could close his eyes again, the red-haired loli poured out her entire story of how she met the old lady, and in the process, Huang Quan also learned her name.

Yuansu (a type of pastry).

And that older woman Yuan Su mentioned, if nothing unexpected happens, should be Huang Quan's aunt, Midis...

"I see."

Huang Quan was genuinely amused and slightly absurd that she had been mistaken for Aunt Mitis. While they did share a 50% resemblance, their ages and demeanors clearly indicated they were completely different people. Only a careless, mischievous child could make such a mistake; it was quite a bit of amusement, really.

Huang Quan's malevolent gaze seemed to pierce Yuan Su's chest.

The magnificent mountains seemed to be a strong diss to the barren plains, and Yuan Su puffed out her chest in resentment. However, after glancing at the still impressive peaks beneath Huang Quan's coat and then looking at her own barely sculpted chest, Yuan Su finally shed tears of humiliation.

I never knew Aunt Mitis had such a dark past.

I got some things I wanted, as well as some unexpected joy.

Huang Quan readily paid the bill, and in an exceptionally good mood, she even grabbed Yuan Su and vigorously ruffled her hair, deliberately messing up her pigtails. Although she was initially startled, Yuan Su gradually realized during their conversation that Huang Quan was simply a cool and collected woman who acted in accordance with her words, naturally exuding a cold aura, and not essentially a bad person.

"...I hope you can pass on a message to the old lady: I ​​really appreciate her helping me out that day."

With a hint of awkwardness and embarrassment on her face, Yuan Su seemed to want to thank them for what happened that day.

"It's more sincere to say thank you in person."

Huang Quan, still with his usual expressionless face, didn't agree to Yuan Su's request. Even when Yuan Su glared at him with a pitiful look, Huang Quan could only sigh inwardly that kittens were just too easy to tease.

He casually wrote down the address, tore off the paper, and tossed it to Yuan Su.

"Ugh, you guys are all hopeless!!" Yuan Su, slightly exasperated, finally wailed helplessly as she accepted Huang Quan's note.

Watching Huang Quan wave goodbye and walk away with a flourish, Yuan Su puffed out her cute little face. What a strange woman, no, she should be called a willful woman. She does everything according to her own whims, without considering the feelings of others. Isn't she just an immature little girl?

Taking a bite of the ice cream that person had bought for her, Yuan Su savored the delicate honey flavor on her tongue, and suddenly felt...

That older woman was probably more of a tough-looking but kind-hearted person.

Meanwhile, Mitis had already sneezed countless times. Rubbing her nose, she wondered if she was feeling unwell and should call in sick. In any case, she couldn't work overtime today; waking up her niece again made Mitis feel a chill creep down her neck.

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Family Members

Today, Huang Quan was not stood up.

Having placed her trust in Aunt Mitis, she once again prepared a sumptuous meal, and Mitis indeed returned to her residence on time as scheduled.

only……

But when Huang Quan greeted her Aunt Mitis in the entryway in a good mood, the expression on her face was subtly as if she were looking at trash. However, it's understandable; anyone seeing an elder leading a beautifully sculpted little girl home, with an ice cream cone in her mouth, would likely have the same reaction.

Kidnapping a girl?

"Um... please let me explain."

Midis, who miraculously read Huang Quan's true thoughts from his seemingly expressionless face, quickly pushed Huang Quan into the living room. The little girl, dressed in noble clothes, blinked her big, bright eyes and began to look around the apartment with a very incomprehensible gaze. It was clear that she was very polite.

"I have no intention of judging your peculiar hobbies, or conspiring with you. Aunt Midis, is there anything else you want to say before I call the police?" Huang Quan was very serious, joking with Midis, and she had already picked up the landline phone.

If her aunt doesn't have a convincing explanation, Huang Quan will call the police.

"Wait! Wait!" Mitis quickly hung up the phone, rolling her eyes. "Are you deliberately trying to make me look bad? Let me tell you... I brought her back for a very important reason, it's definitely not kidnapping. This child seems to have run away from home and doesn't really want to go back..."

"The Qiao family?"

Huang Quan's mind automatically conjured up a scene:

Aunt Mitis, holding an ice cream cone, said to the little girl with feigned indifference, "...My house is quite big, you can come and play as much as you want, and when you're tired, you can go to sleep...I often help some truants, it's okay if you don't come...Oh, okay, okay, you can take anything!"

No, no, no!!

It must be because I've died too many times in the Sword Domain lately; my mind keeps wandering into these inexplicable thoughts. Trying to shake the bizarre images from her mind, Huang Quan gestured for Midis to continue recounting her crimes. She was already planning to look up the penalties in this world later, specifically the severity of the punishment for kidnapping women and children.

"I rushed home from get off work today, and on the way I saw this kid looking at ice cream. She even wanted to buy one with her own money, so cute! So I bought her one, and then she clung to me, begging me to help her avoid some people... She'll probably be living with us for a while, hehe~~"

"Scumbag." Huang Quan hurled insults at Midis.

The look he had been giving to trash had turned into one of disgust as he looked at something filthy. Huang Quan figured that chopping up the bream shouldn't take too much effort.

Huang Quan glanced out of the corner of her eye, and in a flash, she appeared in front of her room, blocking Alizee's way. Even though it was a temporary room, she didn't like anyone peeping into or entering her room without her permission.

"Did I do something to displease you?"

The exquisitely beautiful little girl possessed an inexplicable air of nobility, and her senses were exceptionally sharp and powerful. Upon seeing Huang Quan suddenly appear before her, she showed no panic, but rather remained remarkably calm. Such composure at such a young age suggested an extraordinary upbringing.

"This is my room."

"I see, then I was impolite. Whatever reward you need, just tell me. I've already heard Midis mention you, her niece Huang Quan. A woman who can earn Midis's high praise is worthy of my trust." Although he was precocious and composed, his childish nature was quickly revealed in his baby voice.

Alizee seemed to show a good impression of Yomi because of Midis.

Not only that, but Alizee even took two steps forward and sniffed at Huang Quan, as if confirming something. The contrast between the adorable little adult referring to himself as "I" and the adorable Huang Quan was striking. Even Huang Quan, who was covered in defensive spikes, gradually retracted his spikes after his initial wariness, so as not to hurt the little guy.

After exchanging a few casual words, Alizee won Huang Quan's favor with her soft appearance and mature personality.

She is a very sensible child, so sensible that it's almost heartbreaking.

No wonder Aunt Midis said she wanted to help Alizee within her means, but in Huang Quan's mind, this was still not a reason for Midis to go further and further astray.

For children from wealthy or privileged backgrounds like this, it's best to send them back to their original living environment as soon as possible.

The reasons are numerous and complex.

"You're not suited to live with Aunt Mitis for long," Huang Quan said bluntly. Aunt Mitis was just an ordinary office worker and shouldn't be involved in any disputes or troubles, even if it was just a spoiled act by a rich kid. Who knew what kind of harm it might cause?

"I know..."

Alizee seemed to have thought of something, and her eyes dimmed.

"Huang Quan! What nonsense are you spouting?" Seeing Alizee's dejected expression, Midis immediately stopped her niece from saying anything unpleasant. Seeing Aunt Midis's firm stance, Huang Quan, who had initially wanted to help her avoid some trouble, could only give up.

If she wants to stay, she can; she has no objections.

What opinions could she possibly have? The apartment belonged to Mitis. Mitis wanted Alizee to move in; could Huang Quan possibly throw a tantrum like a child?

"If you do anything strange to her, Aunt Mitis, don't blame me for turning against her," Huang Quan said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, looking at the uneasy Mitis, before heading to the dining table. After all that commotion, the steaming hot meal she had prepared was about to get cold again.

"Hehe, look at what you're saying. Do you think I'm that kind of weird aunt? Don't worry, Huang Quan, Alizee is very well-behaved and cute. It definitely won't bother you if she moves in alone..."

Before he could finish speaking, there was a sudden, urgent knocking at the door.

A person who had been in this room a few days earlier was now crying out the names of Mitis and Yomi through the door. Ophelia, the bishop with the twin ponytails, had come to visit.

Looking at the food on the table, which was clearly not enough for four people, Huang Quan finally sighed helplessly, as if resigned to his fate, and turned to walk towards the kitchen. Fortunately, there were plenty of ingredients in the kitchen, and if he didn't prioritize taste too much, Huang Quan could still quickly prepare enough food for four people.

"I'm becoming more and more like a cook than a swordsman," Huang Quan couldn't help but mutter under his breath.

Chapter Twenty-Five: A Balanced Approach

"Waaah, it's all that wretched Epic Light Cult's fault! They stole all of Mr. Rost's followers! Waaah, without the followers' offerings, Mr. Rost and I had no money and were eventually kicked out by the landlord! Those despicable people, they'll definitely be punished by God!!"

Bishop Ophelia, with her twin ponytails, righteously rebuked certain people.

These people included members of the Epic Light Cult, landlords, taxi drivers, and others. However, Huang Quan felt that the poor landlord was actually a rare good person for waiting until he was five months behind on rent before kicking people out.

As for the Epic Light Cult...

Taking a sip of tea, Huang Quan's thoughts drifted away. If someone could make him frequently achieve epic flashes of glory, even his pre-transmigration self probably wouldn't have been able to resist joining the cult.

Having been evicted by her landlord and finding no help from her former followers, Ophelia eventually arrived at Mytis's apartment. Alas, people are forgotten once they're gone; the GBL cult is practically defunct. While trying to appear cheerful, a hint of despondency and dejection lingered in Ophelia's eyes.

You can't get anything done right!

'I took over the GBL cult from Uncle Marcel, vowing to let more people see the blue truth, but all I could do was watch helplessly as the church disbanded… For an incompetent bishop like me, failure is probably only to be expected. It's just too exhausting.'

Midis looked at the pitiful Ophelia, then turned to look at the Underworld.

Huang Quan, whose gaze was unfathomable, simply turned her head away. The house wasn't hers; she could make her own decisions. She just hoped she wouldn't regret her decisions later. Taking in people who might bring trouble—what the ultimate consequences would be, no one knew until it was certain.

My head hurts.

Midis couldn't help but rub her temples; she knew she must be feeling very conflicted.

From a helpful perspective, Mitis was quite willing to lend a hand to Ophelia, the down-on-her-luck bishop, during her difficult time. After all, Ophelia was a young girl not much older than Alizee. However, Mitis also had to consider Huang Quan's feelings. She could tell that Huang Quan was already resistant to Alizee's stay, and it was only through Mitis's persistent persuasion that she was allowed to move in. Now that another person was arriving, she feared it would be difficult to convince her.

Huang Quan's true attitude is actually, "This is your problem. If you're not afraid of trouble, then it doesn't matter. As your niece, I've done my best. At most, I'll clean up your mess later. Don't overthink it."

On the other side, at the strange object brought by Ophelia.

Alizee, brimming with curiosity, squatted down in front of it, gazing with the innocent curiosity befitting her age at a large red octopus inside the small building. This was supposedly a sacred object of the GBL cult, and also a living creature—an octopus named Rost, capable of conversation like a normal person and seemingly possessing remarkable, extraordinary intelligence.

This giant octopus is now very panicked.

Because Alizee was staring at it intently, it put immense pressure on Rost.

"Hello..." After thinking for a moment, Rost took the initiative to speak, intending to break the awkward and stressful silence.

"What is it?" Alizee's eyes were focused, showing no intention of letting Rost off the hook.

"It's getting awkward for me to keep staring like that, little girl." Rost was already at its limit, and helplessly waved its tentacles a couple of times. It was just a poor, young, and helpless octopus. Who could save it? Ophelia, why are you just standing by and watching?

"It's alright, I'm just looking, there's no need to pay too much attention. You look really amazing, I feel like I've seen you somewhere before, perhaps when you were touring the Heavenly Sea."

"Actually, I'm just an octopus monster."

"May I touch you?"

Alizee's curiosity was almost overflowing; she displayed the boldness typical of children her age, wanting to reach out and touch Rost's elastic, gelatinous body. Seeing everything, wanting to look at it, touch it, and even taste it—that's the natural curiosity of a child.

Rost readily extended one of his tentacles, which landed on Alizee's smooth, jade-like palm.

Holding Rost's tentacles like squeezing jelly, Alizee suddenly laughed. But that innocent smile brought tears to Rost's eyes, a plea for sympathy.

"Soft and fluffy... I remember now! I've had takoyaki before, and it felt just like this!"

"Waaah! Don't eat me!"

While Alizee was engaging in emotional communication with the octopus monster Rost, Ophelia, who was visiting for the second time, also noticed Alizee, who was clearly from a wealthy family. Her demeanor was not something that could be cultivated in the residents of this apartment building. As a bishop who had seen all sorts of believers, Ophelia had a good eye.

“Mitis, I’m only asking you now, about that child…” Ophelia lowered her voice, finally unable to hold back as she watched Alizee playfully fighting with Rost.

"I brought it back from the road."