Chapter 17: The Dragon Carriage Dilemma and a Fateful Meal

Larry was naturally unwilling to accept Meixia’s suggestion. However, at that moment, he was playing the role of a good man, burdened by guilt for deceiving his fiancée, so the final decision was entirely out of his hands.

His ‘fiancée,’ Ellis, intent on reclaiming her black card, had no regard for her brother’s fate. She readily agreed to Meixia’s request, and the three of them set off together for Danga Nation.

Three people certainly couldn’t rely on Ellis’s flying artifact. The broom was clearly not designed for multiple passengers, nor was it suitable for long-distance travel.

It was a custom-made item Ellis had commissioned specifically for cosplay. According to her, with just an owl or a phoenix, she could become a Grand Mage.

Larry remained skeptical, but since Ellis had paid for it with her own money, he couldn’t very well comment.

Flying artifacts consumed a significant amount of magical energy and were only practical for short, swift journeys. In the preceding months, to fully experience the RPG-like journey of a hero battling a demon lord, the two had traveled almost entirely on foot. This was clearly not the time for such endeavors.

Ellis was desperate to retrieve her precious black card, and Larry was equally desperate to escape the terrifying women surrounding him. Thus, the group joined a caravan heading towards Danga Nation.

There was just one detail Ellis and Larry hadn’t accounted for: the awkwardness of three people squeezed into a single dragon carriage.

Meixia watched Larry and Ellis silently. Meanwhile, Larry and Ellis were utterly at a loss, unsure how to act. They were supposedly engaged, but how exactly were fiancés supposed to behave?

Suddenly, Ellis felt her hand being touched. Her gaze dropped, revealing a large hand completely covering her smaller one. Her eyes moved up again, clearly seeing that the owner of the large hand was Larry.

Ellis: “…”

She gestured with her eyes to Larry, asking, ‘Is just holding hands enough?’

Larry, in turn, signaled with his eyes to Ellis: ‘Since you’ve already claimed to be my fiancée, I need your cooperation!’

Ellis’s eyes widened: ‘I’m entirely doing this to help you, aren’t I?!’

Larry’s gaze conveyed: ‘The only reason I’m even going to that wolf den right now is because of your completely unnecessary black card, isn’t it?!’

Ellis: ‘My black card was lost entirely because you suddenly dragged me away, wasn’t it?!’

Larry: ‘Which scoundrel is responsible for me being targeted by this terrifying group?!’

The eye contact between Ellis and Larry crackled with lightning, a terrifying silent exchange.

Meixia, watching from the side, felt a wave of resignation. ‘I can’t win. I’m doomed. No chance.’

Their bond was so strong they could communicate purely through glances. Meixia suddenly felt a chill. She had initially harbored a sliver of hope by joining them, but the atmosphere between Larry and Ellis was unlike anything she had ever shared with them. Perhaps only that scoundrel Ellis could compare!

‘Why does that good-for-nothing have such an outstanding sister?’

As Meixia’s mind wandered, the silent confrontation between Larry and Ellis also concluded.

Ultimately, Larry wore a triumphant smile. He had won. The reason was simple: all the money Ellis had invested was in his hands. To avoid losing it all, she had no choice but to comply.

After glaring venomously at Larry, Ellis turned her gaze to Meixia. Seeing her lost in thought, she softly called, “Meixia, Meixia?”

Ellis’s repeated calls finally drew Meixia back to reality.

Meixia asked, bewildered, “Ah, Ellis, what is it?”

“Could you tell me what happened on your journey? I regret not being able to join my brother and Larry on this adventure due to some personal matters, so I hope to hear the story of your trip from you.”

Ellis spoke as if genuinely regretful, a pure smile gracing her face. She chose this topic because she was so familiar with it, allowing her to maintain control of the conversation and prevent Meixia from leading her astray.

“Why don’t you ask Larry?” Meixia looked at Larry curiously. “I only joined midway, you know.”

‘It’s for you, you silly girl!’

Ellis felt a touch of helplessness. Leaving aside the awkwardness of her and Larry discussing their personal experiences, if she and Larry were chatting intimately, wouldn’t Meixia feel uncomfortable just sitting there watching?

However, Ellis didn’t voice this. Instead, she tactfully said, “What Larry says is what Larry perceives. I want to know what this journey was like through Meixia’s eyes.”

Meixia finally understood. Ellis was trying to deduce whether Larry had cheated from her perspective, wasn’t she?

Meixia cast Larry a reassuring glance, then began to vividly recount the adventurous tales of their journey.

The content of the story was surprisingly not boring. Because it was from Meixia’s perspective, it included quite a bit of romantic drama, along with rather awkward praise for Larry.

She depicted him as utterly loyal and unwavering, remaining composed even when surrounded by beauties. Ellis, on the other hand, was demonized, becoming a complete disruptive element in the team. Of course, to consider Ellis’s feelings and because he was still a companion, he was still given a few positive attributes.

Ellis’s fists were tightly clenched on her knees, a stiff smile plastered on her face, while Larry, beside her, struggled to suppress his laughter, looking utterly delighted.

‘This girl must be mad. Get it straight, the person next to me is a scoundrel who keeps giving you ‘good guy’ cards. Shouldn’t you just go dark and declare, ‘If I can’t have him, neither can you’? Shouldn’t you unleash the most vicious curses upon this guy who toyed with your feelings?!’

“Ellis, you understand now, don’t you? How loyal I am to you. My actions have been clear for all to see. But your brother, tsk tsk tsk.”

Larry held Ellis’s hand, the suppressed laughter nearly distorting his face.

Ellis gritted her teeth and replied, “Heh heh, it certainly seems so! It must have been hard for you to endure for so long!”

Larry said, his eyes filled with tender affection, “It’s nothing. For you, I can endure even longer.”

Ellis donned a mask of a smile, while secretly accumulating dark energy within her, awaiting the perfect moment to unleash it.

‘You just wait, Larry!’

“Alright, we’ll rest here. Everyone can start a fire and prepare dinner.”

The dragon carriage suddenly halted, and the caravan leader’s shout echoed.

Ellis had endured until dinner time. The opportunity had finally arrived!

“Heh heh.”

Ellis couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. Larry looked at her in surprise, then suddenly remembered Meixia’s demonic skill, and his face instantly turned ashen.

Without giving Larry a chance to beg for mercy, Ellis had already spoken.

“Meixia, let’s cook together and then serve it to Larry.”

Meixia scratched her head and said, “I’m probably not very good at cooking.”

‘You’re not ‘not very good,’ you’re world-destroying! It’s practically alchemy!’

Meixia possessed a talent (not a trait) where no matter how normal the ingredients, the resulting dish would be catastrophically unpalatable. Ellis, back when she was Ellis, had even used Meixia’s cooking as a convenient, albeit non-toxic, poison, enough to turn one’s stomach inside out.

Yet, Meixia herself remained unyielding, always believing that where there’s a will, there’s a way. She was convinced that with enough practice, she could produce normal food.

To this day, Meixia had tormented Larry countless times, but only the flavor changed, not the intensity of the torment—offering a choice between dying from sourness or from spiciness.

As for why Larry had to be the taste-tester, it was because Meixia was taste-blind; everything tasted roughly the same to her. Only others could taste-test. Ellis and the rest certainly wouldn’t dare, leaving only the soft-hearted Larry to suffer for his companions.

In his previous life, Larry was the type who would call any attractive woman his wife, even if she was a terrible cook, finding it endearing. But that was only for two-dimensional wives. In reality, he was not a masochist; he preferred to find a virtuous wife capable of handling all household chores.

Later, Ellis, in a moment of conscience, took Meixia aside for a serious talk. After a lengthy and heartfelt conversation, she finally put a stop to Meixia’s endless poisoning of Larry.

And now, as Ellis, she had personally unsealed that curse!

‘Hahahaha, Larry, feel the wrath of hell!’