The overlord of the gods is interrogating the alien female spy.

　Chen Lingxu admired the little peach's trembling appearance, while storing this time in the scale outside his heart, using this scale as the real medium of the ash ledger.

　Hiking from Kazdel to Letania would be a waste of time. You could walk about two or three hundred miles a day, and then be tortured by the Kirin at night. After two or three days, Theresa felt like her legs didn't belong to her anymore.

　"So tired...so sore..."

　Taking off her little boots, Theresa looked at her worn-out cotton socks and muttered complaints as she soaked her bare, white feet in the river.

　"Damn it...bad"

　Egg... all you do is bully me... torture me..."

　"Who's the bad guy?"

　"of course……"

　Theresa's delicate body trembled, and she slightly raised her head. The Qilin Overlord was standing behind her, looking down at her, his expression unreadable.

　"who is it?"

　"...Yes, it's me... Waaah... Master, please, please don't hit me..."

　The Qilin's long tail merely swept over her head, the wind it stirred up causing her hair to flutter and dance.

　"call……"

　Chen Lingxu sat next to the little slave, also soaking his feet in the river.

　The cool river water washed over his scales, and the coolness seeped through the gaps into the flesh below, making him feel instantly refreshed.

　"Look at you, so cowardly, it's shameful."

　It's all because of your fickle nature. One minute you're all smiles and gentle, the next you're hitting me before I can even finish my sentence.

　After muttering a few words to herself, Theresa wondered what her sister would think after she was kidnapped by this monster.

　If only Therese hadn't come looking for her, and had just lived a good life on her own in Kazdel. She could have earned some money with her swordsmanship, bought a small house, and started a family... She probably wouldn't have any descendants; the Therese bloodline would have to rely on her sister's efforts.

　Ah, if that's really the case, I wonder what name Therese will give her child...

　As she thought about it, she remembered the life she and her sister used to have. Although they weren't wealthy, it was warm and peaceful... Back then, she was carefree and happy every day...

　"hey-hey……"

　Thinking of something amusing, Theresa couldn't help but laugh out loud. But she immediately shut her mouth, because... the Qilin Overlord was looking at her with a mocking gaze.

　Chapter Fifteen: Surprises Abound Among the Strong

　"Owner……"

　Theresa had no idea what she had done to him again; she was just lost in her own thoughts…

　"Laughing so happily, what stupid thing are you thinking about now?"

　"...I'm just reminiscing about...my old life."

　Although Theresa found it difficult to get along with the Qilin Overlord, she tried her best to adapt in order to avoid being tortured as much as possible, and discovered some details that could make the monster happy.

　Whether it's a brilliant idea or a simple blunder, as long as you tell the truth, the other person won't get angry. What she was thinking about wasn't anything important, so Theresa decisively voiced her thoughts.

　However, when talking about her happy life in the past, now that she has become Xing Nu, her beautiful peach blossom eyes are filled with a pitiful resentment.

　"Oh? Are you blaming me?"

　"No, no... it's just... these past few days... I've been walking a lot... and I'm a little too tired... so I keep having these random thoughts..."

　Little Peach Slave probably didn't know that when she spoke with a sigh, her tender cheeks would puff up slightly, making her look even sweeter and more delicious, like a peach.

　"is it?"

　The Qilin Overlord leaned down close to that pretty face, and under Little Peach's nervous gaze, he stuck out his tongue and licked a drop of sweat that remained on her cheek into his mouth.

　"It smells like a lie, Theresa."

　"Ugh?"

　Can you tell if she's lying by... just by tasting her sweat?

　Theresa thought it must be a lie, but... if the monster in front of her could steal other people's time, what if it could really taste a lie in their sweat?

　“I, I didn’t… I didn’t lie, Master.”

　"Is that so? So you mean I was lying?"

　"no……"

　Absolutely, right? You're definitely lying to me, you super bad guy!

　Theresa wasn't stupid; on the contrary, she was intelligent. However, since she usually encountered kind people, her intelligence didn't have much use. But after spending some time with this cruel and cunning monster, in order to survive, she put her intelligence to full use, learning skills such as 'reading people's expressions' and 'half-true flattery'.

　Theresa's eloquence level has improved.

　"Is that so... Come here, slave."

　"Ah... Waaah... Huff..."

　What is he doing?

　This monster... how could he... kiss her? Normally, he would retaliate by whipping her with his tail and then slurping down peaches when she secretly bit his scales or tail.

　No, calling it a kiss... actually, "nibbling" is more appropriate, isn't it? Like a wild feral beast hunting a horned leaping beast... Oh no! What if the monster suddenly bites off her tongue?

　"That's really stupid, their movements are as clumsy as a pig's."

　But if this little slave was good at kissing and cuddling, Chen Lingxu would rather get rid of her. It was this unripe orange-like tartness that made Chen Lingxu very satisfied.

　"No...this is...my first time..."

　Just like that, it was thrown to the monster... Oh well, let's just say it was taken a bite out of Pelo.

　“Nonsense, if it weren’t so… ha.”

　What does this mean...? If it weren't her first kiss, would he kill her? This monster is too domineering...

　Theresa looked at the Qilin Overlord. Little Peach, who couldn't beat him, could only scoop up a handful of river water and wipe her mouth vigorously as her revenge.

　"Come over when you're clean."

　"Oh……"

　Is it about to begin again... that agonizing torment...?

　Theresa had once wondered if she would end up like the characters in storybooks, with a...

　A sweet love that is unforgettable...

　Now I have something unforgettable, but it's neither sweet nor love.

　I really hope this is just a nightmare...

　Theresa thought to herself, then hung her clean socks on a branch by the campfire and looked at the Qilin sitting cross-legged by the fire, still wearing her shoes.

　He appears to be a very imposing and domineering person, yet he is so cruel and vicious... God, why does such a person possess such great power, while those who are truly brave and kind are pitiful, bullied, and weak?

　Theresa couldn't understand.

　"Master...please...enjoy...your...apricot...ooh...slave...now~!"

　The pinkish-white peach stood before him, as always, lifting her skirt with shame and resentment, uttering words full of romantic verses that made her extremely ashamed.

　"I'm tired today. Come up here yourself, understand?"

　Ugh, that wretched monster, making her do it all by herself again... She's clearly the one who's the most tired. This monster gets tired and floats away, while she's the only one who's walked step by step, and now she has to listen to him complaining about being tired.

　Theresa gritted her teeth, wishing Billy were Originium, so that he would still enjoy watching British police arrive in Belgium.

　"Yes, Master."

　No matter how much she wanted to, Theresa could only obey him, pretending to be obedient, and suppress the comfortable Qilin monster lying there.

　"Gu..."

　When Theresa awoke from her familiar fainting spell, she was once again faced with a scene where the ground was retreating on its own.

　Ah, I got caught by that monster and flown away again.

　"Owner……"

　Although Theresa wanted to continue pretending to be asleep and let the monster carry her a little longer, she knew that if she did, she would be severely punished with both a stick and a carrot. So she decided to tough it out on her legs and walk a little longer.

　"Ah."

　But today the sun seemed to rise from the west. After she woke up, the monster only responded with a sound and did not throw her down to walk on its own.

　"Owner?"

　"Shut up. By the time you slowly make your way to Letania, my scales will have been replaced."

　Chen Lingxu planned to speed up the process to enter the civilized area, as this Byd wilderness was really not a place for a civilized person like him.

　"Woo..."

　Theresa pouted and decided to obediently play her part as a mere accessory.

　Although the posture isn't very comfortable, it's still great to be able to fly like this without having to walk. I wish I could fly like this every day.

　If she could fly, she wouldn't be able to walk either; she probably wouldn't even bother wearing shoes.

　Oh, right, no wonder this monster is barefoot.

　At first, Theresa thought it was because his feet were uncomfortable in regular shoes, but now she understood.

　If I could fly someday, who would bother wearing shoes?

　From then on, Theresa became the Qilin Overlord's accessory. Apart from having to serve this hateful monster, she wasn't as tired as before. And since he was being carried by this guy, he had no reason to whip her behind with his tail anymore...

　But happy times are always short-lived.

　When Theresa saw that town, she knew her good life was over.

　"What is this?"

　Chen Lingxu looked at the town equipped with several huge tracks and wondered if he had traveled through time again. Why was the style different from what he had seen in Kazdel?

　"This... should be a mobile city, Master."

　Theresa was just as surprised.

　She had assumed that the massive mobile cities the mercenaries spoke of were rare, since there wasn't a single mobile city in Kazdel.

　But... in the neighboring country, even an ordinary town can move...

　"...This era is full of surprises."

　Chen Lingxu wasn't in a hurry to go inside. He planned to wait here, grab a couple of passersby to question them about the situation, and borrow a couple of clothes to wear.

　Chapter Sixteen: The Weak Are Surprised Everywhere

　Tom is a Caprini bard who has traveled to many places. Letania is the final destination of his travels this year. He plans to study there for a while to better learn the music of the Letanians and hone his bard skills so that he can improve his livelihood.

　But despite all his calculations, he never anticipated this predicament he would face today.

　"you……"

　"Please, please spare me! This is all the money I have left... Please don't kill me... I have an eighty-year-old mother and a three-year-old baby who is crying for milk. This family can't be without me!"

　The man before him was undoubtedly a Sarkaz who had killed many people, with jet-black horns, pale white hair, scarlet eyes, and a ferocious gaze. When the man was being stared at, it felt as if two sharp blades had cleaved him from head to toe, almost making him wet himself.

　Yes, that's right. Sarkaz are all such terrifying guys. If the other party is not satisfied with his money, he might kill him. He might even cut off his head, roast it over a fire a few times, pour it over him, and then dismantle and eat his head in the blink of an eye.

　"Do not……"

　I didn't mean to kill you.

　Theresa looked at the bard before her. She only wanted to ask about the town; she didn't intend to kill anyone... It was all that monster's fault—it was gathering information while hiding itself...

　Sigh, could it be that Sarkaz is someone else's...

　Do they really all see a group of terrifying serial killers?

　Theresa couldn't help but have some doubts.

　"I've never seen such an idiot."

　A cold voice rang out, and Tom, who was lying on the ground, was kicked away.

　He saw the man who blocked out the sunlight; he was definitely a powerhouse ten or even nine times more terrifying than that Sarkaz!

　“Slave, watch closely. When you’re being questioned, show some spirit. What kind of person are you, all limp and spineless?”