Taverns — an unavoidable topic in any other world.
Compared to the Adventurer’s Guild, this place offered more than just oat ale, bread, and roasted meat; it might even serve up a delicious little fairy.
The quality of the customers in the tavern, naturally, could not compare to those in the Adventurer’s Hall.
Many conflicts, plot twists, or even the starting points of stories occurred here.
Lucoco had yet to recover from her shock.
Her eyes were filled with nothing but adoration as she looked at Lucia.
Adventurer Title: **[The Black Witch]**
This legendary existence had briefly graced the Estra Continent before vanishing without a trace.
That was actually her own mother?
She had single-handedly repelled the **[Tide of Abyss]**, becoming famous in a single battle.
A powerful witch who could go toe-to-toe with **[Demon King Krul]**, she was so strong that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she was on par with Saint Alicia.
A Magic Grandmaster?
What a joke. Twenty game years ago, the Black Witch was already a Sage.
King Rank! A Level 80 Sage!
“Yo — hoho… what a pretty lady… come here…”
*Slap!*
*Thud!!!*
A drunkard stumbled forward, intending to flirt with Lucia, only to be slapped against the wall by Lucoco like a fly.
He fainted without even a groan.
Conflict?
It was slapped away before it could even begin.
A plot twist or the starting point of a story?
Naturally, there was no chance for those to even be discussed…
Lucoco’s pupils flickered with a crimson light as she warily scanned her surroundings.
Everyone her gaze swept over felt a shiver reach their very soul.
Any thoughts they shouldn’t have had instantly vanished.
If the little girl was this brutal, then this beautiful woman was likely even more terrifying.
Lucia, who had been deep in thought, glanced at the drunkard but said nothing.
She simply chuckled and rubbed Lucoco’s small head with a gentle smile before leading her to the counter.
“One room, two steaks.”
“That will be eighty copper coins and fifty Bei. Third floor, second room on the left. Here is the key,” the landlady said calmly, handing over a key while recording the transaction in her ledger.
After paying, Lucia led Lucoco upstairs and began to whisper.
A moment later…
“Coco, you’re amazing!”
Lucia pulled her into a hug and planted a hard kiss on her cheek.
Of course, she wasn’t praising Lucoco’s feat of senting the drunkard flying.
She was praising the fact that Lucoco had successfully gathered intelligence.
They had intentionally used the goods to distract the adventurers, allowing Lucoco to use her **[Demon King’s Authority]** and her cute appearance to coax secret information out of the receptionist.
The noisy hall, filled with people clamoring over the cargo, perfectly masked their conversation.
The secrets they learned — things that could never be heard on the streets — allowed Lucia to confirm something for certain.
“Coco, do you want to go save her?”
Lucia asked quietly, her voice tinged with hope.
Cradled in her mother’s arms, Lucoco looked up.
“Mama… do *you* want to?”
“Of course… I’ve wanted to ever since I heard her name was Ino.”
Her small face rarely showed a gossiping expression, but Lucoco pointed at herself.
‘Is she… my sister?’
“Pfft!”
Lucia was amused and couldn’t help but pinch the girl’s cheek.
“What are you thinking!”
“Eek!”
Lucoco struggled to pry away the mischievous hand, giggling.
“Your sister? I suppose… that’s not entirely wrong.”
Lucia’s gaze turned toward the window, her expression gradually coloring with sadness.
Seeing this, Lucoco also fell quiet.
Gently stroking her daughter’s head, Lucia seemed to talk to herself.
“It was just… a request from a dear friend before she left…”
“I went to the town she mentioned, but the person I was looking for wasn’t there.”
“The two of them had moved away, and no one knew where they went.”
“I didn’t expect… that they had moved here…”
Her voice grew softer, as if scattered by the wind.
Small arms suddenly reached up to hug Lucia’s neck, and a soft kiss landed on her cheek.
Lucoco looked at her with a determined gaze.
“What does… Coco… need to do?”
Lucoco hadn’t expected Lucia to have the same plan as her.
This was good; her own trickery was fine for fooling idiots, but it was useless in a real fight.
Special effects wouldn’t kill anyone.
What was she supposed to do, throw treasure chests at people?
That would just be giving the enemy free gear!
Wait… treasure chests!
A sudden thought flashed through her mind.
Lucia was still staring out the window, her voice low and gentle, yet hiding a storm beneath.
“Mama will teleport you there, and you bring her back. Okay? There are bad guys in the town, and Mama has to go teach them a lesson.”
Bad guys?
To Lucia, the legendary **[Black Witch]**, “bad guys” probably wasn’t a strong enough word to describe the people she was going to deal with.
Lucoco didn’t know what her mother had discovered, but following the **[Black Witch’s]** lead was definitely the right choice.
Staying behind might even hold her back.
“Coco… understands.”
Lucoco slid out of Lucia’s arms and landed on the floor, trying her best to memorize the surroundings.
A slender hand gently brushed the stray hairs on the little one’s forehead.
Lucia smiled tenderly.
“Good girl… wait a little longer… the full moon isn’t high enough yet.”
“In a moment, you only need to activate the **[Saint’s Mark]**, and you’ll be able to sense her presence. Remember…”
—
The vast forest to the south had not known peace for several days.
Dots of firelight were scattered throughout the dense mountain woods, flickering in and out of sight.
People with various hidden agendas were wary of one another, yet they were all searching for the “treasure” named Ino.
The sound of horses, shouting, and the roars of battles with monsters rose and fell in succession.
“Ino! Come out quickly, we’re here to take you home!”
“Noe! It’s Uncle Karl. Don’t be afraid. How about you come back to town with me?”
“Saint Candidate Ino, your trial has ended. Let us return together! The Church guarantees your life will no longer be disturbed, and we will surely protect your safety!”
“Miss Ino, I am Viscount Tarre. I wish to be your knight and protect you for the rest of your life!”
Voices like these never ceased.
The clouds in the sky had gradually vanished, leaving the full moon hanging high, bright and beautiful, though no one paid it any mind.
In the mud of a damp riverbed, a group of Macrophage Worms writhed and squirmed, hissing and shrieking while revealing mouths full of sharp teeth.
“Macrophage Worms, ugh! Disgusting!”
A young noble passing by with a torch spat on the ground and turned to leave, still calling out Ino’s name.
Once he was far away, one of the worms in the pile, which moved a bit awkwardly, opened its mouth.
Inside was actually a head covered in mud and filth.
It was Ino.
She was huddled inside the body of a dead worm, stuffed with silt, disguised as a real worm.
Her bright eyes watched the full moon, and her pupils gradually began to slit.
A low, bestial growl started to rise in her throat.
Suddenly, a strange cry of “Whoops!” came from a nearby bush.
It was Lucoco, who had been teleported in.
She dropped from mid-air and landed hard on her bottom.
“Ino! Is that Ino?”
A man’s urgent whisper sounded nearby, and the sound of hurried footsteps approached quickly amidst the flickering torchlight.
*Rustle!*
the bushes were pulled apart, but nothing was there.
the middle-aged man did not give up.
He didn’t move to search elsewhere or even change his direction; he even took the initiative to extinguish his torch.
He stood in place, being incredibly cautious.
“Ino, is that you?”
“…It’s okay if you don’t answer. I just wanted to tell you that everyone is very worried about you.”
“If you’re going to run, whatever you do, don’t go south. The Church is all over that area…”
“Seize him!”
An angry shout suddenly rang out from behind, and the light of an illumination spell instantly brightened the surroundings.
A group of people appeared out of nowhere.
Some lunged at the man, while others rushed toward the depths of the bushes.
“You dogs! I’ll fight you! Ino, run!”
The man’s eyes widened in rage.
He raised his extinguished torch and swung it at the nearest person charging toward the bushes.
Unfortunately, he was outnumbered and was quickly knocked unconscious and dragged away.
‘I’m really sorry, Uncle.’
Lucoco, who was hanging from a treetop with her tentacles while having **[Perception Block]** active, watched silently.
she burned the man’s appearance into her memory.
Her tentacles extended flexibly and silently, swinging her through the dense forest like a pendulum.
The **[Demon King’s Treasury]** opened.
From the list of creatable chests, she selected the **[Deceptive Treasure Chest]**.