Draven stood in front of Valeria, his body slightly leaning forward, as if he had suddenly lost his support. The excitement from earlier had vanished from his face, replaced only by fatigue and emptiness.

  After Valeria had eaten, drunk her fill, and tidied herself up, Draven ordered her to leave—sending her back to Selene City.

  He no longer wanted to have his thoughts muddled by her seductive presence. At this moment, Draven had only one question on his mind: why did Deputy Governor Freya send someone to search for the Elven Princess?

  That question was like a thorn stuck in his heart. He didn't know whether Freya had made the decision on her own or if it was under Selene's orders.

  Valeria had too little to say. She was merely a tool executing orders and didn't even understand the true reason behind the mission.

  Fortunately, she hadn't been acting together with her succubus sisters. She had only temporarily joined up with them after running into them by chance. That meant she could return alone without attracting too much attention.

  Draven ordered her to find out as soon as possible whose command Freya was acting on when she set out to search for the Elven Princess. If it was only Freya's plan, that was manageable. What he feared most was that the order came directly from Selene.

  If that were true, things would become far more complicated.

  Draven lowered his head and took a deep breath, feeling a dull ache in his chest. He knew that Sylvia could no longer remain on beastkin territory.

  She was a princess of the Elven Kingdom—her identity could not be ignored. If anything were to happen to her while within beastkin lands, the consequences would be beyond his ability to bear.

  He didn't even want to imagine that scenario.

  His fingers absently rubbed the leather belt at his waist, and he couldn't even muster the interest to care about trivial matters like bone-setting flowers or fairy tofu anymore.

  He used the contract link to sense the direction of his Nightmare Horse. He had to return to the Black Flag Territory immediately.

  Draven set off at once. Guided by their bond, and with the Nightmare Horse also approaching him, they finally reunited in the dead of night. By the time the first light of dawn touched the sky, Draven had returned to his territory.

  Titus, standing guard atop the city wall, immediately straightened up and saluted when he saw Draven galloping past on the Nightmare Horse.

  But Draven's gaze swept the area and did not find Ragnar. A brief sense confirmed it—Ragnar was currently at Village No. 1 in the south.

  Without a second thought, Draven flew straight to the stone house.

  The lights inside were still on. The beast oil lamp emitted a faint glow that spilled out through the cracks of the door in a warm yellow hue. Draven paused for a moment, then knocked.

  The door slowly opened. Viola stood there, her eyes red as if she had been crying.

  "Draven!" she cried out in surprise the moment she saw him, immediately throwing herself into his arms, her voice choked.

  Draven froze for a second, then wrapped his arms around her. Her cheek pressed against his chest, the warmth seeping through the beast hide—slightly damp.

  "What happened?" he asked with a frown."Who bullied you?"

  Viola lifted her tear-streaked face, looking deeply sorrowful."The Eyebrow-Patterned King Serpent is dying."

  Her voice trembled with sobs.

  Draven's heart clenched. He knew exactly what the Eyebrow-Patterned King Serpent meant to him. It had accompanied him through countless battles and had even saved his life several times.

  "Take me to see it." He didn't hesitate, pulling Viola's hand and stepping inside.

  On the table lay a thick beast hide, and curled up on top of it was the Eyebrow-Patterned King Serpent. Its body was rigid and ashen, its skin peeling layer by layer like cracked, dried earth.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  "Bran brought it here yesterday," Viola whispered."Its life force was already weak then, and now even its color has changed."

  Her hands trembled slightly, and more tears slipped from her eyes as she spoke.

  "You stayed with it all night?" Draven asked gently.

  Viola nodded."I was afraid it would stop breathing all of a sudden."

  Hearing that, Draven felt his chest tighten even more.

  He pulled the little fox girl into his arms and gently kissed the tears from her cheeks. His voice was soft,"It's alright. It's not dying—it's evolving, shedding its skin."

  "Really?" she asked, not quite daring to believe him. Her tear-filled eyes widened.

  Draven nodded and lightly stroked her hair."I'm sure. You know I have a contract link with it. If it were truly dying, I would have sensed it immediately. But its vitality is actually strong—just deeply hidden."

  He paused and glanced at the serpent's body."It's shedding, possibly undergoing a bloodline transformation, preparing to break through to a higher tier. It just looks like it's dying because the process is unusual."

  Only then did the little fox girl smile again—and the sight of her smiling made Draven momentarily dazed.

  Viola looked at the dust-covered Draven and said,"Go take a bath first!"

  "Alrighty~" Draven replied cheerfully and turned to leave.

  Life among the beastkin was simple, and bathing had always been a bit of a hassle for him. There were no pipes or bathrooms in the stone house. Normally, he bathed in the creek outside the village, letting the wind blow over him as he washed.

  It was a bit chilly, sure, but he liked the freedom it gave him. Viola, however, didn't have it so easy. She usually had to make do with a large wooden basin indoors, wiping herself down as best she could.

  Just as he was about to step out the door, a soft voice called after him.

  "Wait a second."

  Draven turned around, puzzled, and looked at Viola.

  The little fox girl grinned, her eyes full of excitement."Come with me for a bit."

  She led him to a corner of the stone house and pulled aside a hide curtain. Draven froze on the spot.

  "What is this?"

  Before him stood a wooden tub, larger than any basin he had ever seen. It reached nearly up to his waist and was polished smooth. A thick animal hide covered the top, and faint steam escaped from the edges.

  Smiling, Viola gently lifted the lid. A wave of warm steam rushed out, instantly making the room feel cozy. Draven dipped a hand into the water. The temperature was perfect—warm and soothing, not too hot, not too cold.

  "You actually made a hot bath tub?" he exclaimed, eyes wide in astonishment.

  "Of course," Viola said proudly with a nod."Didn't you always say how nice hot springs were? So I thought I'd see if I could make something like it."

  Only then did he notice the inside walls of the tub were covered in dense runes—some he recognized, some unfamiliar—but all clearly pulsing with real magic.

  "You even made a magic array?" Draven reached out toward the edge, sensing a faint but steady flow of magical energy.

  Viola patted his shoulder."Hurry up and try it out. See if it feels like a real hot spring."

  Draven didn't hesitate. He stripped down completely and climbed in. The hot water wrapped around every inch of his body, even relaxing his usually tense shoulders. He leaned against the tub, his damp hair clinging to his forehead, and let out a deep sigh.

  "This… feels amazing."

  The water was just right, and his whole body was enveloped in warmth. When he opened his eyes, he saw Viola standing at the tub's edge, watching him with a beaming smile. Her fox ears twitched slightly.

  A mischievous grin tugged at Draven's lips. Suddenly, he reached out and yanked her into the tub.

  "What are you doing?!" Viola shrieked as she tumbled into the water with a splash.

  "The door's still open!" she started to protest, but Draven waved his hand. A burst of force flew across the room, slamming the stone door shut.

  "I'm the mighty chief—closing a door is a piece of cake," he muttered, pulling Viola into his arms.

  Soon, the stone house was filled with the sound of water sloshing and splashing. Even the wooden beams in the ceiling trembled slightly. Warm mist rose and enveloped their entwined figures in a hazy veil.

  ...

  Next door, there was a faint rustling. Sylvia rolled over and drowsily opened her eyes."What's that noise?"

  Martha was already awake, sitting up and listening intently. Unlike the shy Sylvia, she seemed more intrigued than embarrassed, her eyes sparkling as she looked toward the wall.

  "Draven must've come back," Sylvia whispered.

  She was just about to close her eyes again when her cheeks suddenly flushed. Of course, she knew what was going on. The sound of the door slamming, the splashing water, and even the occasional laughter...

  Martha's expression softened, her almond eyes slightly misty. She wasn't jealous—just a little envious.

  Sylvia turned away, murmuring quietly,"Can't he behave himself for once? Always sticking to some girl…"

  The sun slowly rose higher, and the water level in the tub dropped by half.

  Draven leaned back in the tub, holding the soaking-wet Viola in his arms. The little fox girl rested her head on his chest, a lazy smile on her face.

  "Will this magic array keep the water heated?" he asked.

  Viola nodded."Sylvia helped me design it. She knows more about runes than I do. She made it so the magic can circulate stably inside the tub."

  Draven paused. At the mention of Sylvia's name, a shadow passed over his face.

  He knew Sylvia probably wouldn't stay much longer.

  He shifted slightly to let Viola lie more comfortably, then quietly recounted what had happened a few days ago—how he had run into the succubi and overheard their conversation.

  He left out the parts that might worry her—the fight, the danger, and definitely the bit where Valeria rubbed the spear with her mouth.

  But even so, Viola sat up in shock."You heard them talking about looking for Sylvia?!"

  Draven nodded."That's why I need to figure out how to get her somewhere safe."

  Viola grew anxious and grabbed his arm."We need to talk to Sylvia right away. This is too dangerous."

  Just as they were about to get up, the door was suddenly kicked open.

  Liliana strode in, holding an octagonal lantern and grinning from ear to ear."Draven, you big jerk! Heard you were back?"