Chapter 111: An Innocent Yet Twisted Little Girl

“Hey, stupid big sister, why did you become a heretic?”

“Oh? For someone so young, you’re quite good at throwing labels around. No wonder you can become an inquisitor—those hypocritical nobles must love this kind of act.”

In Peretti’s impression, nobles had always been like that—harming others for their own selfish desires, yet still wrapping themselves in the banner of justice, slapping baseless accusations onto others.

This little brat in front of her—sweet-talking and pretending to be obedient—would naturally win their favor.

“That’s not right~”

Mingtong suddenly stopped and turned around, still wearing that irresistibly cute smile.

“In Brest, almost no noble likes me at all.”

“If no nobles support you, how are you still sitting firmly in the position of an inquisitor?”

“Ahh, big sister really is a fool.” Mingtong shook her head, her tone full of disdain as if saying you’re so naive. Her voice was soft and sweet, yet her words carried a sharp edge. “The nobles here in Brest don’t like me—but does that mean nobles from other places don’t? If you can’t even figure that out, you’re hopelessly naive.”

She was clearly mocking her, yet still maintained that adorable appearance—like a child relying on her cuteness and young age to speak without restraint, leaving others unable to truly get angry.

Peretti was left speechless, inwardly cursing this little brat. If she grew up, she would definitely become a troublesome figure.

As they spoke, Mingtong pushed open an inconspicuous wooden door in the corner.

Inside, the room was brightly lit. Sunlight streamed through glass windows, illuminating an entire room filled with experimental equipment.

The long counter was lined with countless glass bottles containing liquids of various colors, along with strange metal instruments, all giving off a faint medicinal smell.

Seeing this, Peretti’s heart skipped a beat.

She couldn’t help but think of alchemists.

But looking at Mingtong’s youthful face, she found it hard to believe.

“You’re also an alchemist?”

Mingtong didn’t turn back. She walked straight to the counter, stood on tiptoe, and grabbed a bottle filled with fluorescent green liquid. Her small fingers deftly handled the nearby reagents as she spoke with natural pride:

“Of course. I already told you I’m amazing—people just don’t believe me. Those adults? Their eyes are all stuck on the tops of their heads.”

“In my impression, alchemists are all old people with gray hair.”

“That’s because they’re too stupid.” Mingtong snorted, stirring the glowing liquid with a glass rod. Her sweet voice was laced with undisguised contempt. “Taking a lifetime to study something this simple—those idiots are even more hopeless than a naive fool like you, big sister~”

“…Can you… talk normally for once?”

Even Peretti, who had seen plenty in her life, was starting to lose composure under Mingtong’s constant verbal jabs.

Such a cute little girl—yet every word she spoke was sharp and insulting, each sentence stabbing straight into people’s nerves.

Peretti couldn’t help but think of Feiye.

Both were adorable little girls, but Feiye was soft and gentle, never speaking harshly, obedient like a kitten.

And then there was Mingtong—

A venomous snake wrapped in a child’s body, arrogant and cutting, every word laced with poison.

“Hm? Did the useless big sister get insecure?” Mingtong turned around, now holding a bottle of orange-red liquid that glowed strangely in the sunlight. “It’s fine~ There’s a natural, insurmountable gap between a naive fool and a genius like Mingtong. That’s just how things are.”

She walked up to Peretti in small steps and held the potion to her lips. The smell instantly intensified—faintly metallic, almost like blood.

“Come on, stupid big sister. Drink it all—don’t spill a single drop.”

Peretti stared at the orange-red liquid, frowning deeply as suspicion grew in her heart.

“A potion? At least tell me what it is.”

Instead of answering, Mingtong tilted her head and suddenly asked an unrelated question:

“You know, right? The Gluttony Church, the largest heretical sect among humans, has a highly developed agricultural system. Their crop yields are even higher than the Empire’s. But do you know why the Empire doesn’t adopt their crops?”

Peretti paused, thinking for a moment before answering based on what she knew.

“They can’t cultivate them themselves?”

For Ino to boost crop yields to such a terrifying level, it must rely on Lirna’s magic.

And both the Empire and the Church had only a vague understanding of the Gluttony Church’s magic system—replicating it would indeed be extremely difficult.

“Heh, as expected of a naive fool. I practically gave you the answer, and you still came up with something so shallow.” Mingtong shook her head, mocking her mercilessly.

“I’m not stupid, okay?” Peretti frowned, finally unable to hold back after being repeatedly insulted.

Now she understood why Mingtong wasn’t liked among Brest’s nobles.

“It’s different~ Being naive and being intelligent are two completely different things. Top students fresh out of the academy can be very smart—but naivety prevents them from understanding the inherent malice of society. You’re pretty much like that right now.”

She paused, then looked at Peretti’s frustrated expression, a wicked smile forming on her lips.

“Ah well, with your smooth and empty brain, you’ll probably never figure it out. So I’ll kindly explain it to you.”

“This potion reacts with crops grown by the Gluttony Church and produces a deadly toxin. It’ll kill you within ten minutes. On the other hand, if you haven’t eaten anything related to Gluttony in the past two months, nothing will happen.”

As she finished speaking, Mingtong’s expression suddenly changed.

She stepped closer, her small body almost pressing against Peretti. Her voice lowered, carrying a hint of temptation:

“So? Big sister, if you’re scared, you can admit it now~ I totally understand. A useless fool like you, struggling to survive, begging the Gluttony Church for food like a stray dog—it’s completely normal.”

“But~” She dragged out the word, her smile growing increasingly eerie.

“If you admit it… hehehe… I just happen to need an ‘assistant’ to help test my alchemical potions. Just imagining my creations blooming right beside a beauty like you, big sister… that would be such a wonderful sight.”

As she spoke, an unnatural flush spread across Mingtong’s cheeks. Her breathing grew slightly rapid.

She lowered the potion, cupping her face with her small hands. Her eyes gleamed with near-madness, the smile on her lips widening as she let out soft, satisfied giggles.

Sweet yet eerie.

The contrast with her adorable appearance was chilling.

At this moment, she was no innocent little girl—

But a twisted being who took pleasure in others’ suffering.