The rustling of grass announced their arrival. Qiweiya and her companions emerged into the Fomei Forest, a dark and sinister woodland at the entrance to what the locals ominously called the Demon Realm.
Despite the unsettling atmosphere, Qiweiya showed no fear. Her voice was filled with an almost childish glee as she declared, “Behold, the Fomei Forest, our first trial in the Demon Realm!”
“Ladies and gentlemen, your very own Goddess of Ice and Snow tour group is here to deliver the ultimate experience of life and death! Grip your ‘Holy Sword of Physics’ tightly, and let’s embark on today’s journey of courting disaster!”
Lotharia, having reached her limit, snapped, “Qiweiya! That’s enough! We don’t have a camera crew with us. Are you planning a live stream? Some kind of wilderness survival show? Stop joking around! People genuinely die in this forest.”
Her face was ashen as she deftly dodged a grotesque, terrifying flying insect.
“Snap.” Qiweiya watched the bizarre bug twitch twice in her hand before expiring. “You really are such a coward,” she scoffed. “This is just an ordinary insect, nothing special about it. If you’re this scared, I suggest you just head back to the palace and wait for us.”
Lotharia, indignant, retorted, “Hmph! This young lady will show you what a genius detective is capable of today!”
****
Half an hour later, Qiweiya sighed helplessly, feeling Lotharia’s grip on her arm tighten even further. “I say… could you perhaps loosen your hold a little? You’re making me quite uncomfortable.”
Lotharia, who had been trembling the entire way, seemed to regain a sliver of confidence. “Has my well-developed ‘weaponry’ wounded your pride? Hmph hmph hmph.”
Qiweiya replied languidly, “On the contrary. Your chest is so flat it’s alarming. If I didn’t know you were female, I’d almost suspect you were a loli.”
Lotharia bristled with indignation. “You, you…”
Qiweiya shot her an exasperated look. “What ‘you’? Let go of me so I can stretch my arm; it’s gone numb from your grip.”
“W-woah!” Qiweiya panicked as tears welled rapidly in Lotharia’s eyes. “Hey, hey, hey! Don’t cry! I don’t know how to comfort children! This old lady never studied any parenting guides or anything… What a headache.”
Karin’er, who had been leading the way with twin swords on her back, turned to see Qiweiya’s flustered state. Thoughtfully, she suggested, “My lady, perhaps we should stop here for today? Continuing further might lead to unknown dangers.”
Qiweiya quickly nodded. “Yes, that works. Karin’er, please take the trouble to scout ahead.”
Karin’er nodded. “It’s no trouble; it’s my duty. I shall take my leave now.”
Qiweiya, still suffering a headache, soothed the weeping Lotharia. “Go on, go on. Be careful.”
With Karin’er gone, only Qiweiya, the stoic Lysander, and Lotharia—who had just proven the adage that women are made of water—remained.
Qiweiya paced back and forth, scratching her head, utterly at a loss as to how to comfort the little loli. Surely she couldn’t actually give her a lollipop?
*Wait*, she mused. *Yes, she could! Doesn’t this girl adore sweets? Hehehehe.*
“My adorable little kitten, Miss Lotharia~ Look what I have here?”
Lotharia offered no reaction, continuing to cry. Qiweiya rubbed her temple, a headache brewing. “How am I supposed to coax her if she won’t even look? Am I meant to play the clown to amuse her? Absolutely not!”
Then, as if struck by inspiration, Qiweiya exclaimed, “That’s it! I can do this!”
Lotharia heard a familiar sound. ‘Is that the crinkle of candy wrapper?’ she thought. ‘Does that insufferable Qiweiya actually believe I’ll forgive her for those vile insults about my figure? (Your definition is certainly broad enough!) I won’t surrender so easily.’
The sound of the candy wrapper grew louder. ‘Ugh, *gulp*… I won’t just succumb to your temptation like this.’
Qiweiya, for her part, was quite impressed by Lotharia’s endurance. Given her intense love for sweets, resisting for this long was truly remarkable.
Instead of merely teasing with the wrapper, Qiweiya brought the candy close to Lotharia’s ear and tore it open. “Lotharia-chan~ If you don’t stop crying, I’ll eat this sweet, delicious, fragrant, and smooth ‘Beloved Consort’ candy myself, alright? This is the last one, you know.”
“No! Give it to me, quick!”
Highly pleased with Lotharia’s current state, Qiweiya held the candy high, adopting the tone of a mischievous uncle luring a child. “If you can wipe away those tears from your face, this candy will be your reward.”
Although Lotharia’s expression had shifted slightly, it still lacked significant emotion. Seeing this, Qiweiya decided to administer a potent dose to ensure lasting results.
Qiweiya cleared her throat twice. “Ahem, ahem. If you can be a good girl from now on, no more crying or fussing, I might consider giving you my exclusively crafted ‘Hundred Flavor Candy’—a single piece that lets you taste every kind of candy in the world. How does that sound?”
Lotharia’s eyes gleamed with a predatory light. “Yes, yes! I agree to your terms! Quick, give me the candy!”
Qiweiya, using one hand to gently push back Lotharia’s forehead as she lunged forward, slowly drawled, “No rush, no rush~ What I promised will definitely be yours. As the Origin God, I would never go back on my word.”
Observing the finally quiet Lotharia, Qiweiya nodded in satisfaction, secretly giving herself a thumbs-up. ‘Mission accomplished~ Nice~’
Lotharia snatched the few candies from Qiweiya’s hand, hastily unwrapped one, and popped it into her mouth, her eyes narrowing in blissful enjoyment.
Qiweiya chuckled. “Why the hurry? No one’s going to snatch it from you. Eat as much as you like. Since I promised them to you, do you really think I’d take them back?”
A blush spread across Lotharia’s face as she bashfully covered her adorable little cheeks. “Ugh, I’m too embarrassed to show my face.”
Qiweiya shook her head. “Oh, you! I truly don’t know what to say about you. You’re such a timid thing, yet for candy, you’ll face anything. You’re truly a contradictory person.”
Lotharia retorted stubbornly, “That’s because you don’t understand the true essence of candy, nor my overflowing love for it~”
Qiweiya muttered, bewildered, “Yes, yes, you’re amazing, you’re right.”
Lotharia meticulously placed the remaining candies into her personal spatial dimension.
Qiweiya found herself between laughter and tears. *Putting them in a spatial dimension, really? Do you have to act like you’re sneaking around stealing chickens? Besides myself, I truly doubt anyone in this world could steal anything from a spatial dimension unique to the Creator God’s lineage… Uh, I think I just revealed something.*
Only after securing her candies did Lotharia inch back towards Qiweiya, whispering softly, “Thank you, Big Sister Qiweiya.”
Qiweiya’s mischievous streak resurfaced. She cupped one hand to her ear. “Huh? What did you say? I can’t hear you, speak louder.”
Lotharia’s already bright red face deepened to an even fiercer crimson. “Thank you, Big Sister Qiweiya!”
Qiweiya suppressed the urge to rub her ears, continuing to tease. “What exactly are you trying to say? Why so quiet?”
Lotharia took a deep breath and shouted, “THANK YOU, BIG SISTER QI WEI YA!”
“Ahahaha, ahahaha~ Oh my, Lotharia-chan is just too adorable!”
Lotharia pouted indignantly, looking at Qiweiya who had somehow appeared ten meters away. “Qiweiya is absolutely detestable! To play such tricks on the clever and adorable Detective Lotharia! This cannot stand; she must be punished by heaven!”
“Eh? Hey! Lotharia, don’t come closer! Hello, hello! Don’t you know distance makes the heart grow fonder? Give me a little personal space!”
“You toyed with my feelings and expect to get off easy? Dream on! Awoo, behold my ‘dog paddle’ attack, grabbing high and low!”
“Holy crap! Hahaha, that tickles so much! Let go of me, hahaha! Be careful, or I’ll give you the ‘VIP treatment’ later!”
“Still daring to threaten me? Your courage is certainly growing! Behold my ‘Red Horned Triple Speed’! Ya ya ya ya ya!”
“Ahahaha, no, hahaha, I really, cough, cough, can’t take it anymore! Spare me!”
“How could I possibly…”
Lysander and Karin’er, who had returned at some point, observed the cheerful and harmonious scene before them.
Karin’er sighed in admiration. “The goddess is truly approachable. Every deity I’ve ever encountered was always high above, looking down on mortals. When would one ever see such a harmonious side?”
Lysander cast a sidelong glance at Karin’er. “You are mistaken. Lotharia is also a god.”
Karin’er rubbed her ears in disbelief, wondering if she had misheard. “You mean Lotharia is a god? But I’ve never sensed even a trace of divine power from her.”
Lysander’s expression remained impassive. “That is because Lotharia has not yet been granted her divine attestation. A god with only a divine body and soul, but no flowing power, is no different from a mortal.”
Karin’er nodded thoughtfully.
Without waiting to see if Karin’er had truly understood, Lysander called out to Qiweiya, who was still frolicking. “My lady, it’s time to cook.”
“Eh?” Qiweiya pushed Lotharia off her and asked, bewildered, “Are we starting lunch this early today? Isn’t it a bit too soon?”
Lysander silently pointed to the sky. Qiweiya looked up at the rapidly darkening heavens and let out an awkward chuckle. “Oh, it’s already this late, is it? Cough, cough, cough~ I’ll get to it right away, no rush, no rush.”
Lysander nodded, leaning against a massive tree. His cold gaze subtly swept towards the depths of the nearby forest, where a considerable, concealed aura of malevolence emanated.