Even the crows that wandered near the palace, feeding on rotting flesh, had absorbed Demon qi and dark magic over the long years. They formed Demon cores and ultimately transformed into humanoid Demons. If asked what set these Demons apart from the Demon Race, the answer could be summed up in one word: caste.
These beings, corrupted from holy spirits into Dark Filth, had no names of their own. Normally, the professional maids would assign them names. But right now, all the maids were on holiday, heading home for the entire winter. They wouldn’t return to the Evil Dragon Domain, let alone come to Arios Town.
This left the town in a state of complete lawlessness.
These creatures possessed stunningly beautiful exteriors. Any one of them taken alone could cause a massive uproar in other races’ nations.
“Want Big Sis to bully you? Hehehe, give me more meat quick~”
“No way! Where am I supposed to get that much meat for you all?”
“Then you’ll just have to let me bully you~”
The Crow Girl in the lead had joy written all over her face. She stepped forward and patted Qingdie on the head, looking every bit the wicked big sister. Qingdie’s mix of shyness and annoyance made even Xuefei chuckle despite herself.
“You lot of little crows…”
“Little Butterfly’s got quite the mouth on her. Let’s see who’s really little~, sisters! Take down our dear Miss Town Chief~”
At the Crow Girl’s command, the graceful young women closed in with mischievous grins. Other Demonkin watched the “street brawl” unfolding before them—a heartbreaking sight—and covered their mouths in worry for the utterly despondent Qingdie.
“Don’t come any closer! Stay back… waaah!”
Finally, Qingdie shot Xuefei a pleading look.
Xuefei got the message. No longer content to stand by, she started to release her Demon qi deliberately, intending to create an aura of intimidation. But when she pictured the maids swarming around her like this, she decided against falling into the same trap twice. Instead, she just smiled and said, “No fighting, now. We’re all allies. Let’s talk it out.”
The crows, however, weren’t buying it.
In their eyes, this silver-haired girl was even cuter than Little Butterfly. Her petite, slender shoulders looked like they’d buckle with a single push, while her lean yet slightly plump cheeks highlighted her pure, innocent youthfulness. Those eyes of hers conveyed a serene detachment, as if untouched by the mortal world.
“Whoa, look at her! Who’s that?”
“What a cute little girl~”
“What, and who are you, little birdie? So adorable—aren’t you scared Big Sis will gobble you up? Hey, hey, hey?? Nooo—!”
Xuefei patted the Crow Boss’s shoulder. Suddenly, the Crow Boss felt a massive force slam into her. Thinking it was some prank at first, she soon realized her peripheral vision encompassed all of Arios Town. She soared into the clouds, then in an instant collided gently with the frigid air. She didn’t even register hitting the ground. By the time it sank in, Xuefei had already set her down safely.
The Crow Boss’s pale face twisted in helpless terror. Her vacant eyes trembled as she stared at Xuefei and begged for mercy. “We’ll talk! We confess! Waaah…”
“Learned your lesson?”
“Yes, yes! Waaah… I was wrong, I really was! This one has eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai. Spare me, sis! I won’t cause trouble anymore, never again, waaah!”
She clutched her head and knelt on the ground, wings pressed flat against the dirt—a sign of total submission to superior power.
This woman… she looks so familiar?
She reminds me a bit of that lord, but also kinda different. What’s going on?
Seeing their boss instantly tamed, the crows halted their aggression. Truth be told, they hadn’t even seen what Xuefei did. They just noticed their leader thoroughly cowed by this petite silver-haired girl.
The Crow Girl awkwardly released Qingdie’s clothes. With a thud, Qingdie hit the ground. She stood up, rubbed her head, and sighed.
Just as Xuefei thought it was over and helped the still-kneeling Crow Boss to her feet, a voice cried, “Dragon Consort!” Tension crackled through the air. Silence fell, and the crows slunk away like frightened mice.
“Y-you…?” The Crow Girl, freshly lifted up, went white as a sheet again.
Dragon Consort…
Isn’t that the Dragon King’s wife? Not just Arios Town—even the entire Demon Race had to obey her! Her authority and status came second only to the true Dragon King!
Arios Town had largely been built by the maids’ magic. The maids’ leader was Laer, and Laer’s superior had to be the Dragon Consort!
“I… I was wrong. I really was wrong. We shouldn’t have stolen the meat, waaah, I really was wrong…”
The Crow Girl hugged Xuefei’s thigh and shook it back and forth, causing Xuefei’s body to sway along with her. The other crows quickly realized their mistake too, nodding their heads one after another or shooting pleading glances her way. In an instant, this band of notorious troublemakers transformed into a cluster of teary-eyed little girls, gazing up at Xuefei with wide, remorseful eyes that screamed instant regret and reform.
“No need for that…” Xuefei’s eyes curved into happy slits.
“Knowing your mistakes and fixing them is what matters. Has Laer assigned your duties yet?”
“Of course, but… but…” Buoyed by Xuefei’s gentle smile, the Crow Girl let her guard down a little. She scratched her head, stood up straight, and let her gaze dart around uncertainly.
“There are just… too many of us. We can’t get enough to eat…”
“No worries. Once we get the operation truly up and running, we can just raise some livestock!”
“But right now, isn’t it a bit late for that? We could source supplies from the peripheral Demons, but either way, let’s all stay calm, okay~?” Xuefei let out a soft sigh.
Strictly speaking, Demons didn’t need to eat in the first place.
Unless they were in their growth and development phase, in which case organic food did aid maturation to some degree.
As for whatever else they might crave, Xuefei couldn’t have cared less.
“U-understood…” The Crow Girl sprang to her feet at once, then rallied the others into a chorus of apologies and deep bows.
“By the way,” Xuefei said, tilting her head, “what’s your name?”
“A name? You mean… using a noun to refer to someone? We don’t actually have names. We identify each other by scent.”
The crow girls all nodded at one another in agreement.
They had no need for names.
Xuefei was starting to grasp the key difference between Demons and Demon beasts.
“That won’t do at all. How are we supposed to register you without names?”
Qingdie nodded vigorously from the side. “Exactly! It’s your own fault for causing chaos and not playing nice—you missed out when the maids gave us our names. Now you’ll probably have to wait until spring.”
“Okay…”
The crows sighed in unison, their wings drooping limply as disappointment washed over their faces.
But Xuefei suddenly had a spark of inspiration. “How about this—I’ll name you all myself?”
