After Becoming an Evil Dragon, I Was Entangled by the Saintess - Chapter 4

As night fell, Yulxi and her group set up camp in a clean and secure cave.

Adventurers traveling through Mangshui Forest naturally carried ample rations.

Ilti had eaten rations often before and never found them particularly unpleasant. But now, after just one bite, the dry, crumbly bread felt like it was choking her. She couldn’t help but think back to the soft, savory sandwich she’d had that morning—the tender meat and fluffy bread still lingered in her memory.

Without that comparison, she wouldn’t have realized how deeply the hard, dry black bread had wounded her palate.

Ilti glanced at Flah. Having known each other for so long, a single look was enough for them to understand each other’s thoughts. They simultaneously set down their rations and looked expectantly at Yulxi.

“Do you have any sandwiches? We’re willing to pay with gold coins,” Flah said, licking her lips. She was broke, but a few shakes of Ilti would surely dislodge a few gold coins.

“Who eats breakfast at night?” Yulxi replied, glancing at Flah with blunt honesty. Even if she had magical equipment to keep the sandwiches fresh, she had no desire to eat them now. She’d originally planned to save them for her familiar, Linger Ditter, after they finished watching the grand spectacle of the “Dragon Hunt.”

Flah, deeply shaken, silently picked up her rations and bit into them with vengeful force.

Yulxi didn’t sit for long. Hearing rustling sounds outside, she rose and headed toward the cave entrance.

“The Mangshui Forest is even more dangerous at night,” Ilti warned, “Undead creatures might leave the graveyard.”

“Thank you,” Yulxi replied, glancing back at her well-meaning teammate. “I’m just going for a quick look around.”

The Mangshui Forest couldn’t be entirely devoid of demonic beasts. The so-called “safety” meant the creatures weren’t aggressive species that posed a threat to adventurers.

Just minutes after leaving, Yulxi returned carrying two cleaned Gugu Chickens.

She swiftly retrieved charcoal, a grill, and seasonings, lit the fire, and skewered the chickens.

After discovering the despair-inducing food humans ate, she had asked Cat Cat Kasha to craft various portable cooking tools. These magical devices were easy to carry and use. However, this meant that after equipping her Familiar, her meager savings were now completely depleted.

Yulxi paid no attention to her companions’ astonished glances as she leisurely flipped the Gugu Chicken, occasionally brushing it with sauce. The overpowering aroma filled the Nest Cave, making Ilti and Flah swallow involuntarily.

Veranse maintained her composure, but she was quietly chanting a spell, clearly attempting to conceal the cave.

In truth, nothing would come here, but Yulxi couldn’t be bothered to mention it.

“What are these?” Flah asked.

“Marinades,” Yulxi replied. Seeing Flah’s continued interest, she rattled off several plant names familiar to everyone present, eliciting a series of “Is that how you use it?” exclamations. Their understanding of Magic Plants was limited to their use in potions, and some potions were notoriously bitter. If these plants were used in cooking, wouldn’t they retain the same strange flavors as the potions?

Regardless, Ilti and the others were now ravenously hungry.

Despite forcing down their dry rations, their stomachs betrayed them with loud growls.

“Can we buy some?” Ilti asked tentatively.

There were only two Gugu Chickens. Adventurers always had hearty appetites, and even as a mage, Veranse felt she could devour an entire cow when hungry. How much more so Yulxi, the swordswoman? But if Yulxi was willing to roast the food for them, Veranse would immediately drag Flah out to hunt down a Raging Bull!

“No need, I only want one,” Yulxi said, generously offering up a Gugu Chicken.

Flah, who had been crestfallen moments before, perked up instantly. She first praised Yulxi, then blurted out, “Do prisoners facing execution get to eat such delicious food for their last meal?”

A hush fell over the Nest Cave. Ilti quickly covered Flah’s mouth. “Shut up!”

Veranse smiled, her gaze fixed on Yulxi’s impassive face. Indeed, she thought, could this be our last supper?

The Gugu Chicken was roasted to perfection. Before handing it to her companions, Yulxi retrieved three sticks of incense and offered one to each of them.

“What’s this? Can we eat it?” Flah leaned in for a sniff, drawn by the enticing fragrance.

“Don’t eat it. Light it,” Yulxi said, unwilling to elaborate further. This was Spirit Incense she had crafted herself. To restore her original divine status, she needed offerings of incense. But in this world, the gods had already claimed the people’s faith, and the Black Dragon was notorious for its evil alignment. Even a simple act of worship was something few were willing to do. Moreover, no Dragon God Temple had been established.

Fortunately, besides faith and Merit, offerings of incense could also provide Divine Power, though in smaller quantities. Still, something was better than nothing. Incense had its advantages: regardless of which deity the burner worshipped or whether they knelt before the Dragon God Temple, lighting the Spirit Incense would inevitably channel its Divine Power toward her alone. Unfortunately, the materials for crafting Spirit Incense were scarce in this world, forcing her to eventually rely on faith and Merit.

A seasoned adventurer would have approached the unfamiliar Spirit Incense with caution, but Ilti and Flah were both remarkably naive. Without a second thought, they lit the incense and eagerly watched the roasted chicken.

Veranse’s eyes gleamed with curiosity. The “person” before her was shrouded in mystery, making her all the more intriguing. She slowly lit her incense and winked at Ilti and Flah. “May I have two drumsticks?”

Ilti blinked, then nodded. “Of course.”

Flah swiftly sliced off two chicken legs, wrapped them in oiled paper, and handed them to Veranse.

Veranse smiled sweetly at them. “Thank you.”

Ilti instinctively replied, “You’re welcome.”

A few seconds later, Yulxi covered her ears.

Flah’s furious voice erupted: “Miss Veranse, you used a Charm Spell on us just for two chicken legs!”

Both chicken legs bore teeth marks. Veranse sighed softly. “A Charm Spell is just the simplest magic. I assumed…” She paused, then added, “What if someone else had cast that spell?”

Ilti muttered, “My oversight.” Though she briefly berated herself, she snatched the roasted chicken from Flah’s hand without hesitation. Where had they ever tasted such food before? They devoured it ravenously, practically gnawing on the bones. When they finished, Ilti said wistfully, “If you took your cooking skills to the Royal Capital, you’d be a sensation. It would earn you far more than being an adventurer.”

Yulxi replied, “I like the Red Maple Territory.”

Ilti’s expression shifted to surprise, almost doubting her ears. Adventurers did come to Red Leaf Province, but only for the demonic beasts of Mangshui Forest. Red Leaf itself was widely disliked. Situated in the Empire’s Borderlands, it was notorious as a place of exile, synonymous with filth and disorder. The Empire barely bothered to govern this territory. Every native of Red Maple Territory she knew longed to move their entire families away, rather than remain in this wretched place, living in constant fear. Even her father, Lord Count Unos of Red Maple Territory, wished to leave for a position in the Royal Capital and exchange his barren fief for a more fertile one.

“Don’t you feel the same way?” Yulxi asked, her gaze fixed on Ilti.

“If we were to list Red Maple Territory’s flaws, we could go on for three days and nights without stopping. But to name its merits… that would require some serious brain-racking,” Flah scoffed. Red Maple Territory lacked any semblance of order, riddled with black-hearted shops that preyed on outsiders. The Lord himself was notoriously greedy, squeezing every last drop from his subjects. Of course, he wouldn’t dare touch the extraordinary ones; the common folk bore the brunt of his tyranny.

“Is it really that bad?” Yulxi feigned ignorance. “But at least you have family here, right?”

Ilti’s face flushed with embarrassment, recalling the boastful words she’d used when inviting Yulxi to join her team.

There aren’t even any Red Maple Territory mercenaries for me to use.

Flah scoffed, spitting out venomous words, “Family? Just piles of dog sh1t! I’ll curse them all to death sooner or later.”

“The Lord’s Manor sent a large group into Mangshui Forest to capture the Great Dragon,” Veranse suddenly interjected, her attention fixed on Yulxi. She easily caught the subtle shift in Yulxi’s expression.

“My Lord father wants to capture the Black Dragon alive,” Ilti confessed honestly. “If he succeeds, he’ll add ‘Dragon Hunter’ to his titles, giving him a significant advantage in the Royal Capital’s upcoming official elections. He’s tired of staying in Red Maple Territory. As for my brothers, they’re vying for Father’s favor and the right to inherit the territory.”

“His plan is to recruit adventurers, have them find the Black Dragon, and exhaust its strength,” Flah sneered. “Then the Lord’s Manor forces will swoop in during the chaos.”

“What if the Black Dragon proves stronger than expected?” Veranse asked with a sly smile.

“Then we’ll just run,” Flah retorted. “We never really expected to kill it anyway.” Even the “Dragon Hunting Team” had been hastily assembled. Veranse’s question sparked a discussion between Flah and Ilti. “We should at least gather some Magic Plants while we’re here,” Flah suggested. “That way, this trip to Mangshui Forest won’t be a total waste.” Demonic beasts had value too, but without spatial storage equipment, they were too cumbersome to carry. At most, they could drag back one or two on their departure day.

Yulxi listened calmly.

Ilti and Flah knew better.

Hunting a dragon? A fool’s dream.

In the Rotting Swamp, the first group of adventurers had already arrived.

They successfully located the Great Dragon’s aura, confirming this was indeed the Dragon’s Nest Cave.

However, they didn’t rush into an attack. Instead, they used magical devices to send messages to their companions stationed around the perimeter.

Throughout the Mangshui Forest, adventurers eager to hunt dragons swiftly converged on the Rotting Swamp.

Among them were many Third-Tier professionals.

Facing a juvenile Black Dragon without any familiars, they were more than sufficient.

At that moment, silver moonlight bathed the land. In the adventurers’ camp near the Rotting Swamp, the first scream of agony rang out.

They were under attack.

The attackers, concealed in the forest, wielded not stone weapons but a mix of bronze and steel.

This ambush could only have been orchestrated by a united, organized tribe that maintained contact with civilized society.

But were there any tribes in the Mangshui Forest?

“A faint dragon aura… It’s a Black Dragon’s familiar.”

“Who spread the rumor that the Black Dragon had no familiars?!”

The camp erupted in chaos.