The Unprecedented Meeting and a Shopping Trip

In the depths of Loran Forest, an unprecedented meeting was underway.

For days, the Minotaur tribe and the Cat Demon tribe, two factions of monsters who had once been fierce rivals, had gathered in the center of a vast clearing, their gazes fixed intently upon their two leaders.

“Keno the Thunderstrike’s tribe has been annihilated by humans.”

King Utasa of the Minotaurs gripped the blood-stained great iron axe in his hand, his voice rumbling with fury. “We cannot afford to sit idly by; we must launch an offensive!”

“That will not be so easy, Utasa.”

King Toxic of the Poison Cats licked his sharp, elongated claws. “With the Goblins’ strength, we once held a sliver of hope. But now, with only our two races, we might not even breach the Elven Defense Line.”

The long fur on Utasa’s back bristled as if alive.

He raised his head proudly, retrieving a piece of parchment imbued with an eerie magical aura from behind him.

“This time, what I’ve brought,” he declared, tossing the parchment to King Toxic, “is hope itself.”

King Toxic unfurled the parchment in his grasp.

His eyes slowly shifted, moving from solemnity to shock, then to elation, and finally, to a wild frenzy.

“A prolonged roar tore from King Toxic’s throat as he threw his head back.”

He then looked at King Utasa with satisfaction. “With the aid of those two lunatics, Blaze Pinoshu and Frost Krache, Paimon Fortress will undoubtedly fall to us!”

“The time shall be set for the night two days from now.”

King Utasa swung his great axe, cleaving a massive tree clean in half with a single strike.

He surveyed his surroundings, meeting the bloodthirsty gazes of the assembled monsters.

Then, he pounded his chest and let out a thunderous bellow—

“For the tribe!”

****

Within a cave nestled in the Grann Valley, two warm bodies intertwined.

“Sister… faster…”

Krache clung to Pinoshu’s neck, her face flushed with passion and affection. “Ah… I can’t take anymore…”

Pinoshu gasped for a few breaths, then slowly withdrew the tendrils of magic from her sister’s body.

She spoke with a satisfied sigh, “A few more times, and your magical prowess will surely ascend once more.”

“No, I can’t… I’ll break if we do that…”

Krache hastily shook her head, then a thought struck her, and she asked, “Sister, are you certain you want to help those monsters?”

Pinoshu retracted her magical tendrils, slowly wiping the sweat from her body, and nodded.

“That would make us mortal enemies of the Church… I worry for you…”

“It was the Church that drove us to this wretched place in the first instance!” Pinoshu growled, her mind drifting back to past memories.

Once, she and her sister Krache were both exceptionally talented mages, upon whom everyone had placed high hopes.

They, too, had once harbored aspirations for a beautiful future.

However, one day, Pinoshu, having strayed deep into the forest, discovered demonic energy permeating the air.

Driven by curiosity, she collected these energies for study.

These energies proved remarkably potent, and she quickly uncovered their profound effects.

Capable of transforming flesh and mutating creatures, she conducted a series of magical experiments utilizing the demonic energies.

Yet, before long, the Church uncovered her experiments, declaring that her actions would unleash catastrophe.

She was swiftly apprehended by the Church and imprisoned, awaiting judgment.

Her sister, Krache, risked her very life to rescue her.

To evade the Church’s relentless pursuit, the two were forced to seek refuge in Grann Valley, living under assumed identities.

“Rest assured, I won’t openly intervene.”

Pinoshu displayed a cunning smile, slowly retrieving a vial of black potion from deep within her chest. “Simply introduce this into their water supply.”

“What is this?” Krache inquired, a hint of confusion in her voice.

Suddenly, she felt something coil around her body. “Ah… Sister, are we going again?”

“It’s a potion I concocted, capable of transforming people into monsters…”

Pinoshu licked her lips, slowly pressing down onto the other body. “Come, let me help you enhance your magical power…”

“Mmm…”

****

Roland strolled along a relatively bustling commercial street near Paimon Fortress, glancing left and right.

Behind him, Freya followed, her expression utterly devoid of emotion.

“Is there anything you wish to buy?” Roland asked, turning back to meet her scornful gaze.

“It’s a rare outing, and this is the largest commercial street surrounding Paimon Fortress.”

“I dislike crowded places.”

Freya, not wishing her hair color and appearance to draw attention, lowered her head and tightened her hood. “If it weren’t for your mother constantly pestering me, I wouldn’t be here with a scoundrel like you…”

“Still angry about that day, are we? I was… sigh…”

Roland offered an awkward smile, stopping before a candy shop. “Would you like some sweets? This shop’s sugar is quite renowned.”

Freya’s throat moved subtly, and she turned her face away.

“No.”

Roland scratched his head helplessly, feeling a genuine headache coming on.

He privately felt that his actions that night had indeed been excessive, though he was unsure if it was due to the Holy Sword’s influence or some other factor.

He constantly felt he had wronged this little Demon Lord. Considering he still needed to keep her by his side until the Holy Sword’s power no longer affected him, he ultimately decided to apologize and make amends to her.

“I’m sorry.” Roland lowered his head, his voice sincere. “I was in the wrong last time.”

Freya snorted, watching him with amusement. “A Hero apologizing to a demon? How rare.”

“I am serious.”

“No need.” Freya turned her head, avoiding his gaze. “If you can simply uphold your promise to let me leave safely in the future, I will be grateful enough.”

Roland shrugged, stating helplessly, “So eager to leave? What if I can’t bear to part with you?”

“Then I will kill you, or you will kill me,” Freya retorted coldly.

Hiss—

Roland drew in a sharp breath, thinking, ‘This one certainly holds a grudge.’

‘Why did I lose my mind and suck her blood back then? Though, her neck did smell incredibly alluring at the time…’

‘As expected, my self-control is lacking. Even if this fellow wasn’t a woman in their past life, I seem to be losing my grip more and more now.’

‘It’s also this person’s fault for becoming so beautiful for no reason.’

Lost in his wandering thoughts, he slowly ambled along. When he finally snapped back to reality, he found himself standing before a exquisitely decorated clothing store.

He stroked his chin, then glanced back at Freya’s attire.

Her simple dress had faded to a pale white, adorned with numerous patches of varying colors.

The coarse fabric sometimes chafed her milky-white skin, leaving it reddened.

‘Should I buy her a new outfit? I heard girls especially love new clothes, but she wasn’t one before. Would buying them even matter?’

As he wrestled with his indecision, a smiling woman emerged from the shop’s interior.

She had elegantly coiffed curly hair, her face enhanced by delicate foundation, and she approached them wearing a long green lace-trimmed dress.

“Please, come in and have a look, customers. My shop has just opened, and I can offer you some discounts.”

The proprietress offered a warm, friendly smile, beckoning to the two of them. “We have both men’s and women’s styles; do come in and browse.”

Freya rolled her eyes, indicating her lack of interest in such matters.

Just as she was about to turn and depart, she suddenly felt her hand taken and pulled forward.

“What are you doing?” Her beautiful face furrowed in a frown as she looked at Roland with confusion. “Are you buying clothes?”

“You need some too.”

Roland led her into the shop, then turned to her, giving her a pitiful look. “Your clothes are truly too tattered.”

Freya’s face twitched. ‘It’s not my fault your family is so poor,’ she thought silently.

As she pondered, regret began to surface once more.

‘Seriously, my brain must have short-circuited back then, to come up with the idea of getting close to the Hero.’

‘Sigh, now look at me. I’m practically becoming the Hero’s mana-replenishing machine…’

“How about this one?” Roland selected a long black dress, featuring an outer layer adorned with white ruffled trim and a large white bow at the back of the waist.

Freya’s face darkened instantly upon seeing it. She let out a cold laugh, saying with ill humor, “Are you mistaking me for your household maid?”

“Ah? Is this a maid outfit…?”

“Sir, this is the workwear section.”

The proprietress returned the maid outfit to its place, then guided the two to a different area. “These are all everyday garments, with guaranteed materials and reasonable prices.”

She retrieved a tailor’s measuring tape, took Roland’s measurements, then walked to a specific section and pondered for a moment.

“These should do.”

She produced a dark brown leather jacket, paired with a white undershirt, and light brown cotton trousers for the lower body. Adding a cowhide belt and a pair of cowhide gauntlets, she then glanced at Roland’s worn shoes and retrieved a pair of brown cowhide boots.

Roland accepted the clothes and silently headed towards the changing room.

Before closing the door, he added, “Find something nice for her.”

“Hehe.” The proprietress chuckled, covering her mouth, and looked at Freya. “He seems to be quite fond of you?”

“Hmph, that’s truly disgusting.” Freya pushed back her hood and shook her long, snow-white hair.

The proprietress’s eyes lit up, her mouth falling open in astonishment.

‘What a beautiful girl… that snow-white hair, those amethyst-like eyes…’

She couldn’t resist reaching out to touch the girl’s face, slowly caressing her smooth, fair skin, a mix of excitement and envy churning within her.

“Are you going to measure me or not?” Freya said impatiently. “Hurry up.”

The proprietress froze for a moment, then offered an awkward smile, picking up the tape measure.

She then proceeded to meticulously measure Freya from head to toe.

‘Her figure seems quite remarkable as well…’

The proprietress mused internally, her hand inadvertently brushing against the girl’s waist.

“Tsk.” Freya felt the woman’s touch was a little too familiar. ‘If this were my previous life, I would have thrown you out to feed my demon beasts long ago,’ she thought, but at present, she could only ask with forced patience, “Are you done?”

“All done.” The proprietress offered a satisfied smile. “I’ll go get something for you from the back; there should be something suitable there.”

After a brief wait, Roland was the first to emerge from the changing room.

Now entirely refreshed, he had shed his indolent and irreverent demeanor.

The well-fitted top accentuated his tall physique.

His handsome face, set off by the fine clothes, appeared particularly striking.

‘Oh, he actually looks quite like a Hero now.’

Freya secretly compared his current appearance to his past life’s form, concluding that he seemed a little more handsome in this incarnation.

“How do I look?” Roland approached Freya with a smile.

Clad in his new, well-fitting attire, the fact that he was a head taller than Freya seemed even more pronounced.

“It’s acceptable.” Freya didn’t mince words. “You actually look like a Hero now.”

Freya’s face slowly turned crimson. She clicked her tongue, glaring directly at him.

“Hehe, you certainly know how to compliment a girl.” The proprietress covered her mouth, chuckling. “You must have been quite adept with women in the past.”

“Indeed,” Freya said with ill humor. “He used to be quite the philanderer.”

‘Wasn’t he? Setsuna, Clay, and Eve were not only your companions back then, but also part of your harem.’

Unbeknownst to them, the proprietress’s inner gossip demon had ignited upon hearing this, already fabricating a tragic and heroic tale of a love defense battle in her mind.

“How much?” Roland asked, looking at Freya’s outfit. ‘This certainly won’t be cheap,’ he thought, already bracing himself for a hefty expense.

The proprietress thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled slyly, stating, “If you allow me to use a magic crystal to photograph a projection of you both, and display it in my shop, I won’t charge you.”

“Huh?”

“Customers, fabric that self-cleans with magic infusion is not inexpensive, you see.”

‘Damn, she’s a shrewd merchant!’

Both thought silently, exchanging glances, seemingly understanding the answer in each other’s eyes.

‘Alright, it’s just a projection. What’s the big deal?’

“Come, come, get a little closer.” The proprietress held the magic crystal, directing them. “Don’t be so stiff, smile a little.”

‘Just act, just act. I’m someone who could win an Oscar.’

Freya took a deep breath, pressing herself tightly against the person beside her.

Roland was equally straightforward, immediately putting his arm around her shoulders.

“Expressions, mind your expressions. Think of any beautiful memories you might share.”

‘Beautiful memories?’

Freya didn’t know why, but she suddenly recalled the scene from that night, when she was pinned to the bed, thinking this idiotic Hero was about to…

Ugh—

Her face, for some inexplicable reason, flushed crimson, feeling as if it were burning.

“Excellent! Just like that!” The proprietress extracted the projection from the magic crystal and placed it on the wall. “Such adorable expressions.”

Roland looked at the projection, unable to help but burst into laughter. “Why is your face so red, hahahaha…”

“Let’s go!!!”

Freya pulled her previous hood tightly over her head and stormed out the door.

‘Idiotic Hero! I’ll kill you sooner or later!’

Meanwhile, neither of them knew that today’s events would lead to an unexpected occurrence…