Subtitle: A Little Loli’s Gaze: Uncle Has Candy, Care to Join?
Qiweiya, listlessly twirling a foxtail grass she’d picked up from who knows where, gazed blankly at the varied trees ahead—some tall, some short, some large, some small.
Ever since she had punished and released that group of bandits, the journey had been utterly devoid of any minor “bosses” to whet her appetite.
Indeed, a pang of regret now settled upon her for letting those bandits go. Otherwise, she might have encountered a few more minor characters to pass the time with. But now… it was too late for regrets.
Vernis watched her mistress with a helpless expression. She knew well that Qiweiya was not one to stay idle. If Qiweiya ever managed to remain still for an entire day, Vernis would suspect the Creator God had mischievously swapped her soul.
“Mistress, why not explore a bit? As long as you promise to return, I wouldn’t mind you leaving for a while.”
Qiweiya’s eyes lit up, and a look of pleasant surprise blossomed on her face as she regarded Vernis. “Vernis, you truly are the best maid! Taking you on was the wisest decision I made on this entire journey!”
With that, she deftly dismounted her horse. She waved enthusiastically at the caravan members. “Everyone! I’m going to look around for a bit~ You all keep going, and I’ll find you later!”
Before anyone in the caravan could even react, she darted into a thicket of trees.
****
“La la la~ la la la~ I’m a handsome little deity~ I don’t pick at my food~ I don’t cause trouble~ All I want every day are little lolis~”
“Loli, loli, don’t be scared, big sister has lollipops~ You’ll never finish them all~”
Not far from Qiweiya, nestled within a patch of tall grass, a petite loli lay hidden. She was utterly adorable, with delicate features.
This little loli appeared to be about ten years old. She wore a charming pink princess dress, albeit one with several torn holes. Her fair, tender arms were raised, alternately wiping away tears, smudging her slightly chubby, innocent face like a calico cat.
Her once-white stockings were now a dull gray, clinging to her gracefully curved, slender calves. On her tiny feet, she wore a pair of worn, red, round-toed leather shoes.
As she wept, the little loli resembled an adorable angel, inspiring an immediate urge in anyone who saw her to pull her into a comforting embrace.
Her ears twitched, catching Qiweiya’s singing. Her large, vibrant emerald eyes, reflecting green light in the sunlight and streaked with tears, darted towards the sound.
She timidly hunched her small shoulders, as if seeking solace in the gesture. As the singing grew closer, the fear in her wide eyes intensified.
While retreating, she accidentally brushed against a small branch.
Snap!
“Who’s there? Come out!”
Startled, the loli’s recently halted tears welled up again, but she instantly turned and fled. She knew she couldn’t afford to be caught; the consequences would surely be dire.
Hearing the frantic patter of footsteps, Qiweiya’s expression shifted into a predatory, almost lecherous smile. “Those footsteps~ hurried, yet light and agile! It’s either a shota or a loli~”
She extended her hands towards the sound, making a lewd, grasping motion in the air. “Hehehehe~ Little loli, here I come!”
Hearing the lewd voice behind her, the little loli broke out in a cold sweat, and her short legs propelled her even faster.
“Don’t run away~ Big sister has lollipops to eat here~ Come on~ They’re really tasty!”
Seeing Qiweiya gaining on her, the loli frantically scrambled into a hole. She held her breath, anxiously watching as her pursuer ran past.
Once the figure had passed, the loli cautiously poked her head out before crawling from her hiding spot. Her pink princess dress, already tattered, became even more ruined.
She surveyed her surroundings, then let out a relieved sigh.
“Oho!”
Qiweiya suddenly appeared right beside her. The little loli shrieked, instantly curling into a trembling ball. “Don’t catch me! Please!”
Qiweiya chuckled awkwardly, watching the beautiful, adorable loli react as if she were about to devour her.
She crouched down and patted the loli’s shoulder. “Hey~ Big sister won’t eat you, don’t be scared. Just relax~”
Seeing the little loli still huddled in a defensive crouch, Qiweiya frowned playfully. “If you don’t get up right now, I really *will* eat you~ Just imagine! After I peel off your clothes, that fair, tender skin, so delicate it could burst at a touch—the texture~ *Slurp*! I can barely hold myself back now. Are you really going to keep squatting there?”
The little loli trembled, then slowly stood up. Qiweiya observed the loli with her soft, light brown hair, feeling a touch of indecision. Should she take her in, or return her? As a devoted loli-con—though not as extreme as some veterans—she simply wished for more lolis by her side.
Under the loli’s timid gaze, Qiweiya finally extended her “demonic claw.”
“Where are your family members?”
****
Qiweiya felt a wave of acute embarrassment at the loli’s incredulous stare. Annoyed, she ruffled her long hair. “Hey! Don’t overthink it, I genuinely want to send you back. I’m a kind-hearted person! How could you misunderstand me like that?”
The little loli’s delicate, pink lips parted, and her innocent voice, as if imbued with magic, soothed Qiweiya’s heart. “Will big sister truly send me home?”
‘This characteristic…’ Qiweiya’s mind snapped back, her pupils contracting sharply. Grasping the loli’s shoulders, she asked urgently, “You’re from the Sea Tribe! How did you end up in the central continent?”
The little loli was so startled that tears welled up, threatening to spill. Qiweiya, seeing the glistening tears in the loli’s eyes, realized she had frightened her.
She quickly released her grip and cleared her throat twice. “Ahem, ahem! I apologize for my rudeness earlier… But shouldn’t your Sea Tribe reside in the Boundless Sea? How did you come so far inland?”
The little loli timidly glanced at Qiweiya, then lowered her head. “Can I trust big sister?”
Qiweiya smiled. “I can’t guarantee anything else, but I would never harm the Sea Tribe.”
The little loli observed Qiweiya’s expression carefully, sensing her sincerity. “My name is Reiz Sapphire. I was playing on the coast when, at some point, I was captured by humans. Then, they put me into a cage covered with black cloth, along with five other young ladies. We were transported for a very long time to an unknown place. I managed to escape when they were changing guards, pushed out by the other ladies, so I could find someone to come back and rescue them.”
Qiweiya’s expression had turned peculiar the moment she heard the surname Reiz. As the loli continued her story, Qiweiya’s face grew increasingly grim.
A low, guttural voice squeezed out from Qiweiya’s throat. “I can’t believe these traffickers dare to capture children of the Sea Tribe now. Do they not know that the Sea Tribe is a race protected by the Goddess of Ice and Snow? Their audacity truly knows no bounds!”
Sapphire’s tender body pressed against her, and her tear-filled eyes, shimmering with hope, gazed pleadingly at Qiweiya. “Big sister, can you send someone to rescue the other young ladies? They might be punished to death by those bad people now!”
Qiweiya affectionately stroked Sapphire’s small head. “Of course we’ll rescue them, but it won’t be anyone else—it’ll be big sister herself!”
Seeing Sapphire’s disbelieving expression, Qiweiya felt a touch of annoyance. “What? Do you not trust me because I look young?”
“No, it’s not that! It’s just…” Qiweiya chuckled, watching Sapphire, who was on the verge of tears. She gently flicked the loli’s forehead with her finger.
“Look how flustered you are. I’m not blaming you, am I? Why are you so nervous? You tend to carry everything on your own shoulders, little Sapphire. You should try relying on others sometimes~ Will you trust me?”
Sapphire silently nodded, clutching her head. Then, she extended her pinky finger, her eyes sparkling with hope. “Then, big sister, let’s make a pinky promise! Promise me that even if you can’t save the young ladies, you’ll come back safe and sound, okay?”
Seeing Sapphire’s expression—as if she would burst into tears if the promise wasn’t made—Qiweiya shook her head in amusement. She extended her own pinky and linked it with Sapphire’s. “I promise you.”
Finally, Sapphire’s face cleared like the sky after a storm, and a genuine smile bloomed. “Mm~”
Qiweiya found herself a little entranced. Such a pure smile was truly something she had never witnessed before. Indeed, that fellow Reiz’s child was just as pure and beautiful, perhaps even more so.