"It's been a long time, sister... I haven't come over since I was punished with a meal after I secretly came to see you."

As Taran spoke, her black cat ears trembled slightly. Her body, stained with blood, sat simply on a tombstone, calmly gazing at the jasmine flowers blooming all over the ground, talking to herself.

"It wasn't until a long time ago that I realized that not all rules in the world make sense. There are just too many rules... We were too young then to distinguish what was right and what was wrong."

“Wrong ideas, wrong rules, wrong constraints, wrong birth… We ourselves are not wrong, and the ‘punishment’ you and I have received is not punishment, but persecution.”

“They are the ones who wronged us. We really should have run away that day, run away to the Demon King’s territory, run away to the Elf Kingdom; but I couldn’t persuade you, I couldn’t convince you to run away… I’m sorry.”

Taran was getting tired as she said this. She simply lay down, put her hands behind her head, and gently closed her eyes. She said, "This world is indeed very beautiful, sister... I am really, really glad that I was able to meet you."

"..."

In the silence, Taran, with her eyes closed, suddenly felt a warm touch on her face, as if someone were kissing her... When she opened her eyes abruptly, Taran saw a jasmine petal flying away from her cheek in the wind.

"..."

Taran opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure if it was right to place her hopes on something. In the end, this pent-up feeling turned into a smile.

"I'm leaving. I have nowhere to go and no wishes to fulfill... I'll return to the Demon King's territory and await further instructions."

Gently patting the dirt off her body, Taran said this as she stood up. She didn't even turn her head to look back, but walked away, passing by the tribe that she had burned to the ground.

"Next time, I'll invite Lord Yinla to come see you."

——————————

"Taran~ Huh?"

“Taran, you’re coming back too…”

"What happened? Are you hurt?"

"..."

Perhaps because the bloodstains on Taran were so conspicuous, everyone seemed very concerned when she returned to the ship... But Taran was not injured; the blood on her was someone else's.

"It's nothing, thank you for your concern."

Taran responded with a soft smile, unfastening the empty quiver from her back and simply placing the bow on the table. She looked quite pleased with herself as she replied, "Finally, the past grudges have been settled."

Although no one knew exactly what had happened, the smile on Taran's face was a rare sight. She usually looked miserable and resentful, so everyone was happy for Taran's good mood.

In any case, the Demon King's territory feels more like home than their own tribe.

[I highly recommend Yeguo Reading; it's really good for tracking books. You can download it here: yeguoyuedu. Give it a try!]

At least that's what Taran himself thinks.

Taran spent decades in the tribe, but none of those few dozen days in the Demon King's territory were as profound as his time there... Decades of solitude could not compare to a short but fulfilling life spent with friends and loved ones.

At least that's what Taran himself thinks.

"Has no one returned yet?"

As Taran spoke, she glanced around at the number of people, rubbed her eyes, and said, "Or perhaps I acted too quickly. I was gone for about... three days? But those were..."

It seems that Taran has already noticed the constructs placed on the other ships in the fleet, and there are some golems that have already started to help out, both in the warehouses and on the decks.

In response to Taran's question, the merman leader fishing smiled gently and said, "Actually, quite a few have already returned, but we have missions assigned to them, and some others have also said they will be back soon... It seems that no one is planning to stay."

That's only natural. After being saved by Yinla, how could she just leave? What Demon King's territory, what tribe, what dream... none of those things matter.

All the persistence, all the obsession, all the fantasies, could not compare to the crimson flames that blasted open the cabin, nor to Yinla's expression of self-reproach and sorrow, nor to that open embrace.

"However, your return is not very timely. Illa, Lady Sirina, and the Demon King have just left... Moreover, our fleet may be staying here for a long time."

As she was saying this, the mermaid leader was fishing alone on the deck. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she pulled up her rod and caught a not-so-small fish. As she happily took the fish off the hook, she said, "It seems like we're going to hell. They said we'll have to wait here for a maximum of two months."

Two months shouldn't be a big problem, since we'll probably be back sooner or later anyway, but the supplies on the ship probably won't be enough...

"I sent the orcs who returned early to their respective tribes to buy supplies. Yinla used [Virtual Realm Travel] to return to the Demon King's territory and also retrieved some food and money that can be stored for a long time. Just wait patiently..."

Judging from the mermaid leader's tone, she didn't seem worried at all about anything happening to the three of them.

However, Taran was a little worried. She found a small chair, sat down next to the mermaid leader, and watched her fish, asking, "Hell, there must be a lot of powerful people there... Are you sure it's alright?"

"..."

"Hmm... how should I put it?"

The mermaid leader said this, then paused for a moment, resting her chin on her hand and her elbow on her fishtail as she sat, and said, "Actually, you don't need to worry, have you seen what Yinla has done?"

She had seen them before, but those were just weak pirates. Taran felt that she could easily crush them now... after all, she had studied with the elves for a long time.

The merman chieftain, who had seen through Taran's thoughts, nodded knowingly. She smiled helplessly and said, "Indeed, seeing Yinla take action and being attacked by Yinla are two different things... There's really no need to worry."

The merman leader thought for a moment, then gave an example: "There are quite a few legends in the Orc Kingdom, right? Probably many in the world... But I don't think they can hold out for long against Yinla even if they unite."

"Inra may face a difficult battle at first, but the moment the first [Legend] dies, the situation will immediately begin to reverse... and Hell is full of weak monsters."

"..."

If you imagine it, you'll understand... The more concentrated the weaker the professionals are, the more terrifying the Ira becomes. So, if the Ira went to Hell, it would be much more comfortable than the Prime Material Plane.

Yinla: It feels like coming home.