In the blink of an eye, three days had passed, and it was now early morning.
The Dragon Carriage still traveled above the clouds, piercing through layers of frigid mist.
A thin layer of blue ice crystals had formed on the surface of the carriage, radiating cold outward and sparkling under the morning sun.
The wind howled fiercely in her ears.
“Guu…”
Sitting on the carriage deck, Hualí pulled her clothes tighter around her, tugging her short skirt down to cover her trembling thighs from the cold, feeling a bit warmer.
She gazed at the sunrise in the distant sky, continuing to gnaw on the hard, dry rations in her hand.
The morning sun climbed slowly but steadily over the mountains, like a huge iron ball glowing red-hot from a furnace. Surprisingly, it wasn’t dazzling, but instead dyed the surrounding clouds a fiery red.
If one lost their sense of direction, they might mistake this scene for a sunset.
“By now, we should almost be there…”
Saliva moistened the dry pancake in her mouth as Hualí forced it down, murmuring to herself.
Cooking over a fire inside a carriage flying through the sky was extremely dangerous.
A single mistake could startle the Flying Dragon, leading to the destruction of the entire Dragon Carriage and everyone aboard.
So, Hualí had ended up chewing dry rations with Lilith’s group for three days straight.
If this kept up, Hualí felt like she might fall apart.
At that moment, footsteps in boots echoed closer on the wooden deck behind her.
The dragon princess Lilith approached, holding a bowl of steaming hot radish and mutton soup.
She finally sat down beside Hualí.
“Hualí, do you want some hot soup?”
Lilith looked at the clouds outside the carriage, formed from countless fine white mist and ice crystals.
“The temperature is very low this morning. If you keep letting the wind blow, it’s easy to catch a cold.”
Hualí blinked and let out a soft, surprised cry.
“I thought we weren’t allowed to start a fire? Then where did this hot soup come from?”
Lilith only smiled at Hualí’s question, handing her the soup and signaling her to drink first.
“Thank you~!”
Only after seeing Hualí take the bowl and gulp down the hot soup did Lilith reveal its origin.
As she circulated Magic within her body, her exposed arm began to turn red, as if the blood beneath her skin would boil at any moment.
“Temperature Heating~”
Hualí stared, dumbfounded.
So it could be used this way too?
She blurted out without thinking:
“Frog fun! Then Lilith, can you heat yourself up when you do it alone too?!”
Lilith: “???”
A big question mark floated above Lilith’s head.
Why was that the first thing Hualí thought of?
And besides, even if such a function existed, wasn’t it something you’d normally keep to yourself?
Hualí, you idiot!
“Guu…”
Realizing her words were inappropriate, Hualí quickly covered her mouth to apologize.
“Um… No, sorry, I just thought of that suddenly. I didn’t mean to say you were a bad girl, Lilith!”
As for why she thought of it…
She couldn’t possibly say that every time she was filled, it felt icy cold, could she?
That would make her seem like a shameless bad girl!
She would never admit it!
Staring at the pink-haired girl before her, whose cheeks were now flushed for some reason, Lilith’s mouth twitched, and she more or less guessed what was going through her mind.
Seeing Hualí’s head about to burst into steam, Lilith hurriedly changed the subject.
“All right, let’s not talk about that. At this speed, we should be able to see the Capital in another hour or two. I still haven’t asked why you’re returning to the Human Race.”
What could have made Hualí leave her high-paying job, Sidella, and the Demon King Castle?
Lilith was genuinely curious.
“Oh~ that.”
Hualí scratched her head, set down the empty bowl, and sat on the floor.
“I’m going back to see a good friend who took care of me before I became a Human Race Hero~”
A sweet smile appeared on the pink-haired girl’s face, as if she was recalling old memories.
“A good friend who took care of Hualí?”
Lilith tilted her head in confusion.
“Like a brother? Was he good to you?”
“He was good to everyone. After all…”
After all, he was someone who could be chosen by the Saint Sword, loved helping others, and had a kind and compassionate heart—a true Hero.
Hualí still remembered him spending his meager monthly salary to help children in the slums.
She was pretty sure even her job at the brewery had been introduced by him.
“If even you say so, then he must be a pretty good person.”
Lilith smiled warmly.
“So you’re going back to reminisce?”
“No.”
Hualí shook her head seriously.
“I’m going back to kick him to death!”
***
After three days of travel, they finally arrived at the final destination of the caravan before nightfall—the Human Race Capital, ‘Saint Lord Castle.’
Outside the tall and sturdy city gates.
Hualí hopped off the carriage, raised her arms above her head, and stretched, letting out a pleasant sigh unique to young girls.
“Mmm~ ah!”
She stomped on the solid cement road.
The long-lost sensation of standing firmly on the ground brought a sweet smile to her face.
“Hehe~ Sure enough, standing on solid ground is the most reassuring. Flying in the sky all day keeps you on edge, always afraid you’ll fall.”
“Hualí~!”
At that moment, Lilith’s voice called out from not far away.
Because the Red Dragon pulling the caravan was a massive magical beast, towering eight or nine meters high, all the Flying Dragons were stopped outside the Capital gates to prevent causing a commotion and unnecessary trouble.
Even with the highest-level entry permits.
To safely transport the cargo into the city, Lilith’s group had to unload all the goods outside the city and transfer them to safer horses.
“What is it, Lilith?”
As she approached, Hualí saw Lilith take a small red coin pouch, about the size of a girl’s palm, from her pocket.
The clinking of coins inside was even more tempting than a steaming meal.
“Here, Hualí, this is for you…”
Lilith paused, then continued,
“Your pocket money.”
Hualí accepted it with both hands, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Uu… Thank you, Lilith! You’re so kind~!”
Opening the pouch, she saw nearly a dozen golden coins resting quietly at the bottom.
Hualí had never seen so much money in her life.
She wiped her tears and sniffed.
“Lilith, you’re so good to me. Not like that stingy Sidella, who only gave me five silver coins…”
She patted her chest heroically.
“Enough said! If you ever get into trouble, just mention my name, Hualí, and I’ll handle it for you!”
Lilith’s expression stiffened, feeling a sudden pang of guilt.
The words “the money is actually from the Queen” stuck in her throat.
Though Sidella never intended to tell Hualí anyway.
“All right, it’s getting late. No need to wait for us, Hualí. Go ahead into the city.”
As the sun set, Lilith gave her final farewell.
“If you need anything, you can find me at the Human Chamber of Commerce. I’ll be there for the next three days.”
“Oh, and one last thing—keep an eye on your coin pouch. If you lose it, you won’t have money for food.”
“Aiya!”
Hualí puffed her cheeks in indignation.
“Of course I know that! I’m not some careless kid who causes trouble for others!”
She was very smart, okay!