“Ah... saved at last...”
Only after Miss Demon Tree finished her meal and let out a satisfied burp were the three little ones hanging from the rafters finally let down.
And what appeared before their eyes were new types of skewers emitting a rich aroma!
It was a marvelous cuisine never before seen in this forest.
There was marbled, violent red beef, crispy golden-roasted dragon-leg chicken skin, and incredibly chewy double-headed bird cartilage.
Grilled over charcoal, the cumin and Sichuan pepper powder perfectly locked in the juices, while the slightly charred skin exuded an alluring, rich fragrance.
Gulp.
Three synchronized gulps echoed.
Not only that, but next to them stood a large wooden tub filled with ice cubes and bubbling fruit soda.
“U-Um, Great Lord...”
Xiaomi's eyes were practically glued to the tub.
“Is that bubbling potion the one you were drinking just now?”
Qimeng raised an eyebrow and waved her hand in a display of mercy.
“It's a reward for you. Go ahead and share it.”
“Wow! Long live the Lord!!”
The scene suddenly became rather comical.
The three little lolis, who had been arguing fiercely just moments ago, actually sat in a neat row around the wooden tub, taking turns taking sips.
“S-So refreshing! What is this sweet, crisp, tingling sensation, as if spirits are dancing on the tip of my tongue? Having tasted this divine nectar, I can die with no regrets!”
Yinzhi's long ears stood perfectly upright, and she was practically swooning with happiness.
“Hmph... This deity will begrudgingly admit that this is a supreme delicacy!”
Morona clutched her spicy-red mouth. Even though tears were welling up in her eyes from the Sichuan pepper, she still desperately stuffed skewers into her mouth.
“Whew, hot... It's so spicy! But I can't stop!”
“Haha, serves you right! Eat slower, you manipulative mushroom! The cartilage is mine!”
Xiaomi laughed heartily as she guzzled the soda and snatched a meat skewer.
Thanks to the arrival of this supreme feast, the Tree Court, which had been thick with tension, fell into a silly, harmonious peace.
After receiving their punishment of being hung upside down by the great vine whip, the three little ones finally stopped fighting, at least on the surface, over the next few days.
However, they started a new round of rivalry over their titles.
Whenever they met, the atmosphere would immediately turn passive-aggressive.
“Oh, if it isn't Honey Snow Ice Orange—ah, my bad, First Lieutenant Milnia, Thorn of Shura? Are you contributing to the Lord's desserts today as well?”
“Hehe, that's still better than you, manipulative mushroom—sorry, Her Excellency Crimson Moon Star Crown: Morona. After all, certain freeloaders in the territory have yet to do a single productive thing.”
“You two, please act with some restraint.”
Yinzhi, sporting a pair of dark circles under her eyes, picked up her tea and sighed.
“As the Spirit Maiden, who inherits the legacy title and surname of the Wood Elves, combined with the true name bestowed by the Spirit Lord, 【Verdant Desire: Sylvia Yinzhi】, I have absolutely no interest in participating in your childish games.”
“Hmph!”
The three of them snorted in unison and turned their heads away.
In truth, behind the scenes, these three lolis were secretly competing every day over the future of the territory.
Morona firmly believed that her mother was the walking supreme Demon King, and that the territory must develop toward the prestigious 【Demon King Faction】 in the future!
Meanwhile, the Wood Elf Yinzhi was convinced that Lady Qimeng was a deity governing nature, and they should spread the glory of the 【Goddess Faction】 across the entire continent!
As for Xiaomi, her thoughts were the simplest and most straightforward.
“Boss is number one in the world! I just need to be the lackey under Boss's command. I'll fight whoever she tells me to! That way, I can fly around smugly wherever I go in the future, hahaha!”
However, as a genuine little demon troublemaker, Morona was destined to never stay quiet.
“Huh? You're saying Morona went to the Wood Elf camp to flirt with the girls?!”
Qimeng, who was happily slacking off on her throne, spat out a mouthful of soda upon hearing Yinzhi's report.
“Yes, Elder Sister.”
Yinzhi rubbed her temples, her face a picture of utter helplessness.
“She's performing some kind of demon mushroom magic tricks for the young Wood Elf girls.”
The so-called trick was actually something Morona had discovered after advancing to the Intermediate Rank: she could now freely control the exaggerated mushroom top hat on her head.
She was showing off her trick of shrinking and growing her mushroom cap right in front of the Wood Elf girls.
Under her control, the massive mushroom cap shrank into a tiny, delicate little demon mushroom on top of her head.
“Wow! So cute! Lady Morona is amazing!”
“To think she can control her spore form at will, she truly is a vassal under the Spirit Lord!”
The group of Wood Elf girls cheering around Morona had stars in their eyes. Qimeng could barely bring herself to look.
These Wood Elves... truly competed with each other to see who was more provincial!
I, the tree, am thoroughly defeated!
Since the two little ones had both successfully advanced to Intermediate Rank magical beasts, it was about time.
“Since you have so much energy, all of you get to work!”
Qimeng slapped the armrest of her throne and announced loudly.
It was decided: she had to end this demon mushroom's days of idling around!
Although Qimeng had been slacking off during this period, her main tree body hadn't been idle. It had already absorbed a massive amount of mana.
These massive reserves had all been used to fuel the expansion of her Root Domain!
At this moment, the underground network was spreading out in all directions of the Great Black Magic Forest, with the Tree Court at its center.
“Listen up, Morona, Xiaomi.”
Qimeng pulled up the underground root map in her mind.
Several main secondary roots were extending outward with all their might. Especially toward the north, where the Emerald Sacred Spirit had been chasing the remnants of the demon race for several days.
Although she hadn't received any feedback yet, without a doubt, a demon stronghold was likely hidden in the north.
For the sake of her future carefree life, Qimeng had to prepare and clear the path ahead of time.
Qimeng casually conjured a Water Mirror topographical map, with various routes highlighted in red.
The root expansion wasn't blind. When encountering unnecessary caves, underground rivers, and the like, she consciously bypassed them, which accelerated the expansion speed.
“As for your mission, you can choose any of the other three directions besides the north!”
Qimeng glanced at the two little lolis and spoke solemnly.
“On the path of my roots' expansion, they have encountered quite a few obstacles from local magical beasts. Some arrogant fools even severed my roots, hindering the expansion!”
“Go clear out those annoying roadblocks for me! Whether you drive them away, kill them, or beat them into submission, use whatever methods you want! Xiaomi, you need to use this to build up some courage too!”
“Understood, Mother! I will surely offer you some plump magical beast meat!”
A violent battle intent ignited in Morona's dead-fish eyes.
“Waaah! I guarantee the mission will be accomplished, Lord!”
Xiaomi also waved her small fists and laughed heartily.
Qimeng gave Morona a strange look.
This little kid was acting weird. She started off calling her "Master," so how did she end up calling her "Mother" now? And she was saying it more and more naturally.
She shook her head. It was just a title. Since she didn't actually have to fulfill any maternal duties anyway, she didn't bother to care.
Rate on N.U.
