In the afternoon breeze, an ordinary-looking RV-style alchemy carriage with a heavy lead-plated roof slowly traveled along the desolate post road from Silvervein City to the border town of Black Gallows.
By the standards of an alchemy carriage, this journey was undoubtedly luxurious.
However, the power source for this carriage at the moment was not some expensive Alchemy Horse or mana construct.
“Inhale... exhale... Buck, my... my legs are about to break...”
Gru’s massive frame, a head taller than an average person, was currently strapped into a hemp rope harness, his bulging muscles bound with striking red marks.
His scarred, muscular face, which had once ruled Craggy Hill with terror, was now washed with a comical mix of sweat and tears. With every step forward, the wooden traction bar let out a tooth-grating screech.
“Shut up! Pull harder!”
Buck, beside him, was not doing any better. As the former bandit chief of Craggy Hill, he was also strapped into the pulling ropes, his legs shaking like reeds. Wiping the salty sweat dripping into his eyes, he cautiously glanced back at the tightly shut black wooden carriage and hissed in a low voice:
“What the hell do you know? Don't say I didn't warn you. If we pull too slowly and make Lady Saintess inside unhappy, the death curse in our brains will activate instantly! Did you forget how the second-in-command vanished last night? Not even a speck of bone was left!”
In reality, the second-in-command had been blasted away by Sophie’s umbrella the night before. However, with the help of the Great Memory Restoration Technique, Buck’s memory had long been corrected.
In his current understanding, the second-in-command had shown disrespect to the sect's Saintess, causing the black death curse inside him to erupt instantly, melting him into a puddle of pus.
Buck remembered that the large, red, swollen bump on his chest from a poisonous mountain mosquito bite two days ago was the fateful mark of the impending death curse. If he harbored even the slightest thought of escaping or slacking off, that patch of flesh would melt, and countless flesh-eating maggots would crawl out from within to devour his internal organs.
They exchanged a glance, then each pulled out a bottle of Vampire Supplement and began chugging it down.
As the low-grade supplement entered their throats, their fatigue and wounds vanished instantly. Filled with physical strength once more, the two continued to pull the carriage.
—Even a low-grade Vampire Supplement had a healing effect that surpassed a mid-grade health potion. After all, its ingredients required vampire blood, which was a rather valuable monster material. Normal vampires naturally would not use their blood to make alchemical potions, as they needed it to condense Blood Essence.
It could be said that Sophie was the only alchemist in the entire Red Moon Continent who could mass-produce this "vampire brew."
In stark contrast to the miserable scene outside, the interior of the alchemy carriage offered an entirely different atmosphere.
The constant temperature alchemy array radiated a perfectly cozy warmth, keeping the chill of late autumn at bay.
“Twenty-two, twenty-three... tsk, a full twenty-three Gold Suns. And seventeen Silver Moons. These bandits looked dirt poor, but they managed to scrape up this much hard cash. They hid it quite well. Adding the bags of portable alchemy materials and a few valuable trinkets, it really is true that crime pays.”
Sophie leaned lazily against the soft couch covered with a thick white sheepskin blanket, her fingers deftly flipping a gold coin in the air. On the folding wooden table in front of her, several neatly sorted stacks of Gold Suns, scattered Silver Moons, and a few packages of alchemy materials wrapped carefully in oilcloth sat quietly.
At the other end of the couch, the New Moon Witch, Miaoyue, sat on a sofa cushion. In her hand, she held an exquisitely made, temptingly colored piece of dried roasted berry. With a conflicted expression that showed both disgust and an irresistible temptation, she nibbled on it in tiny bites.
The pastry had been retrieved from the hidden preservation cabinet and meticulously washed with the Forbidden Spell: Baptism of the End, and the plate was also brand new and unopened.
“Hmph, a bratty disciple whose mind is filled with nothing but money.” Miaoyue swallowed the dried fruit, her cool voice carrying a hint of embarrassment and annoyance. “As a dignified divine apostle, counting these worldly, foul-smelling metals every single day—where are your manners? Of all the things I've taught you, did I only teach you this secular greed?”
“Hehehe,” Sophie chuckled twice. “In that case, let's just replace all of Teacher's desserts with mana-based pre-made meal kits.”
“No way, I don't want mana-based pre-made meal kits,” Miaoyue protested.
Actually, they already are, and aren't you completely unable to tell the difference anyway?
Sophie quietly glanced at the dried fruit and then went back to counting her money.
Seeing that Sophie wasn't taking the bait, Miaoyue puffed out her cheeks.
“What's so fun about counting that pile of useless Gold Suns? Come chat with me.”
“Ah, is Teacher feeling lonely?” Sophie looked up, sweeping all the bags in front of her into her system inventory. “Sure, if it's for romance training~ Hmm, I wonder what's next? Holding hands, kissing, or a sweet-talk showdown?”
“Of course it's training your service skills!” Miaoyue straightened her waist and, without warning, slammed her beautifully curved, jade-white bare feet heavily onto the fabric of the robe draped over Sophie’s lap.
“Since my Saintess is so sincere, then for our second lesson, give me a foot massage! If you do a bad job, I won't give you a passing grade for your upcoming training!”
The carriage fell dead silent.
Only the heavy, ragged breathing of the two bandits outside could be heard intermittently.
Sophie froze.
She stared at the delicate, translucent feet on her lap, and then at the pure Moon Goddess opposite her—who was clearly blushing furiously but still forcing herself to maintain a high-and-mighty posture. For a moment, her brain short-circuited.
Where did your germaphobia go?
Even though I changed my clothes, I haven't had a proper bath. Shouldn't she logically still find me disgusting?
And... what kind of romance lesson is a foot massage? The Red Moon Continent doesn't even have this kind of preference.
But Sophie was never one to back down from a challenge.
“Since Teacher has requested it...” Sophie slowly rolled up the sleeves of her robe. “Then as your student, I have no choice but to reluctantly serve you.”
Seeing Sophie actually reach out with both hands toward her ankles, Miaoyue’s carefully gathered courage deflated instantly.
W-wait!
She had only done that out of embarrassment and frustration, wanting to humiliate this arrogant, bratty disciple in a way that most emphasized status and was the most difficult to comply with!
She had assumed that with Sophie's slippery personality, she would definitely push her away in disgust or make excuses to beg for mercy.
Who would have thought this fellow wouldn't find it disgusting at all, but actually looked incredibly eager?!
“Y-you're really going to massage them?!” Miaoyue panicked slightly, trying to pull her feet back.
But it was too late.
“Of course I am.”
Sophie’s cool yet soft fingers had already gently clasped Miaoyue’s ankle.
“Teacher, this is a part of romance training—learning how to serve your partner.” Sophie lowered her gaze, letting out a mischievous laugh as her fingers gently squeezed Miaoyue’s smooth, fair ankle.
“Ngh...”
A faint, electric sensation traveled all the way up her sensitive ankle, making Miaoyue shudder all over.
Sophie’s movements were very gentle, her fingertips lightly tracing the elegant curve of her sole with just the right amount of pressure.
“Bratty... bratty disciple... let go...” Miaoyue tried to pull her feet back, as she was not used to having her body touched by others. “No more... I said no more!”
“That won't do. The training isn't finished yet,” Sophie said with a smile, lightly scraping the sole of her foot with her knuckle.
“Ah!”
With that, Miaoyue instantly transformed into a burst of red moonlight, circling frantically around the top of the carriage three times before shrinking into the darkest corner of the cabin. She wrapped herself tightly in a blanket, leaving only a pair of furious, blushing eyes glaring out.
“Rebellious! Insubordinate! You... you bastard disciple!”
Rate on N.U.
