That was incredible. The man by Lucia Fluffytail’s side actually competed with Elder Forest without giving an inch. Clearly, he was just a saint-realm expert, but he managed to stand toe to toe with an earth-realm expert. Amazing people are bound to be surrounded by amazing people, huh? I guess that’s why I’m all alone. …That was a joke. Even mediocre people are surrounded by mediocre people. I don’t even have a mediocre friend. I’m so lonely.

“Little Moon, come up here.”

Little Moon? That’s me. Why was my grandfather calling for me? I rose to my feet and retrieved a flying sword from my interspacial ring. My grandfather was standing atop the bow of the boat, waving at me to come over. For some reason, I have a bad feeling about this, but what can happen to me as long as my grandfather’s there? In the first place, why do I have a bad feeling about this? Just what is making me so uneasy? It must’ve been the breakfast I had. It definitely has nothing to do with the new chosen who’s superior to me in nearly every single way.

“This is my granddaughter, Soft Moonlight. She was the only chosen of the sect until you came along.” My grandfather introduced me to Lucia Fluffytail. She’s … not imposing at all. It looks like my nerves were just getting the better of me. She looks so friendly! It must be the ears and tail. They remind me of my grandmother’s pet fox.

“Whoa,” Lucia said. Her tail twitched a few times as she stared into my face. “She’s as beautiful as Snow!”

As beautiful as snow? That’s a compliment I’ve heard about two hundred times from all my suitors. Usually I’m compared to an untouched field after a night of snowfall though. Or as beautiful as moonlight softly streaming through silk curtains. My suitors think they’re original because my name’s Soft Moonlight, but they’re all the same. It’s almost depressing how similar they all are.

“She’s a lot like Snow,” the man beside Lucia said. He wasn’t handsome by the Immortal Continent’s standards, but there was something about him that drew my gaze towards him. His muscles were toned like a farmer’s, and his skin was as tan as Lucia’s. Most men in the Immortal Continent are pretty, not handsome. Was this man interested in me? I tried to look into his eyes, but his gaze was directed elsewhere, namely, my chest.

“Yeah! You’re right!” Lucia said. She was looking at my chest too. “She’s just as flat as Snow!”

…I will neither refute nor give a reaction to that statement.

“Are you going to…?” The purple-skinned girl by Lucia hesitated and gave me a look filled with … pity?

“Let’s bet, Durandal!” Lucia’s eyes lit up as she completely ignored me and my grandfather. What did my grandfather think about this situation? He was looking away, pretending not to notice. Well, it wouldn’t be appropriate for my grandfather to comment in this situation, so I can’t blame him.

“Bet? On what?” the man asked. So his name was Durandal. It sounded very foreign.

“I bet Soft Moonlight’s a man!” Lucia said while puffing her chest out.

I, what, no! I’m a woman! “N—”

“What are the stakes?” Durandal asked. His voice overpowered mine, and I thought he gave me a signal with his eyes to keep silent. “I bet she’s a woman. If I win, you have to let me rest during the night for the next three days.”

“What!? Three days!?” Lucia’s tail slapped the floor of the boat. “Well, I’m not going to lose, so fine! If I win, you’re not allowed to faint even if we do it thirty times!”

…What are they talking about?

“You!” Lucia pointed at me. A reddish-black mist was rising out of her tail. It reeked of blood. I’m scared.

“Y-yes?”

“Are you a man or a woman?”

“Didn’t I introduce you as my granddaughter?” my grandfather mumbled from beside me.

Yes, yes you did, Grandfather. “I’m a woman.”

“That’s impossible!” Lucia shouted, and the reddish-black mist exploded outwards. “You’re definitely a man!”

“I’m a woman!” What was wrong with Lucia’s head? Even a buddha will get angry if provoked three times! I’m not an easy person to bully! And I also have to save face for the sect, but that’s not even why I’m mad. I’ve never been mistaken for a man before. This is a matter of personal face!

“Looks like I win,” Durandal said.

“Not yet!” Lucia said as she pounced towards me. Was she going to attack me? If she does, no one can blame me for being ruthless! “Hold still.”

Hold still? For wha—!!!

“Eh? There’s really nothing there? No! That can’t be right.”

H-her finger’s going deeper! “S-stop!”

“Sister Moonlight!”

“The new chosen is assaulting Sister Moonlight!”

“Wife Moonlight!”

“Sister Moonlight!”

Who called me their wife just now!? I can’t tell over the thousands of people shouting at once! And what is my grandfather doing!? Save me! Your granddaughter is being violated right in front of you! “G-Grandfather!”

My grandfather cleared his throat and turned his head away. …I’ve been forsaken. Lucia’s probing hand disappeared, but I could still feel her touch down there. I’ve never felt more uncomfortable in my life. I, I…

Lucia sighed. “Fine, you win, Durandal. She’s not a man. You said three days, right? Why do you need to rest for two days? I’m perfectly willing to yield one day to you. I guess I’ll fulfill my end of the bargain and leave you alone for an hour.”

Durandal smacked the top of Lucia’s head with his palm. “Shouldn’t you apologize? She’s crying.”

I’m not crying! A chosen is not allowed to cry! …I’m a failure of a chosen.

“Sister Moonlight! The new chosen made our goddess cry! Sister Moonlight!!!”

Stop wailing, people! It’s annoying!

“H-hey,” Lucia said to me with an awkward expression on her face. “Did I really scar you that badly? I just planted over a thousand heart devils…. It can’t be healthy living with a thousand heart devils, so cheer up, okay?” She bit her lower lip. “S-sorry.”

A thousand heart devils…? She only planted one!

“I’m so jealous of the new chosen!”

“My precious Moonlight’s first time was taken from me!”

“Wife Moonlight!!! How could you betray me like this!?”

This goddamn peanut gallery. I’m my own person! Why are you getting heart devils when I’m the one that was violated!? “As you can see, those heart devils were planted in my suitors and secret admirers, not me.”

“You have a thousand suitors?” the purple-skinned girl asked with wide eyes.

“I have a little over half a million secret admirers and over a thousand publicly announced suitors.”

Lucia stared at me with the gaze of a hungry fox. …Did I say something wrong? Or did I look so tantalizing with tears decorating my face that my beauty transcended genders? “So … you’re saying if I grope you again, I can plant up to half a million heart devils?”

“N-no! That’s not what I’m saying at all! S-stop!” Then her hands…, her hands…, they…. To preserve my sanity and remove the heart devils within myself, I’ve mentally sealed off the next course of events.