Screeeeech… The heavy sound of iron tore through the silence of the underground dungeon. The pristine prison of the Kurinaden Knights had walls polished with white disinfectant, coldly reflecting the torchlight. The air was thick with the sharp, stinging scent of sterilizing alcohol. It was a beautiful prison. So excessively clean that it was, in fact, suffocating. "[excited]Hey! This place is amazing! The floor's so shiny! Can I lick it!?" Beyond the thick iron bars, Perolil wagged his fluffy tail furiously. His massive body, standing five meters tall, looked slightly cramped inside the cell. The iron bars, made of a special magic-sealing steel, were engraved with complex magical arrays that emitted a faint, pale blue glow. "[angry]Be quiet! Why are you acting like everything's normal?!" Miriru's furious shout echoed from the cell across the corridor. The elf girl gripped the iron bars with both hands. Her long silver hair clung to her forehead with sweat. The marks from the thin hemp ropes binding her wrists were still clearly visible. Perolil tilted his head. His golden eyes blinked curiously. "[surprised]Huh? Why are you mad? This place is super clean and nice. I've never been anywhere this clean before." "[angry]We're being executed! Tomorrow, by burning at the stake! Both you and me!!" "[excited]That's right! A stake burning sounds nice and warm! I'm looking forward to it!" "[crying]That's not what I meant at all!!" Miriru slammed her fist against the wall. A dull thud. Only the pain told her this was real. —The next morning. The sound of regular footsteps approached the underground dungeon. Clack. Clack. Polished silver boots struck the stone floor. It was Regulus Vahn. Behind him, two knights carried a single piece of parchment upon a silver tray. Regulus stopped in front of Perolil's cell. "[cold]Garum specimen, Perolil." He adjusted his right glove as if unconsciously. The white leather glove was immaculate, without a single wrinkle. With the tip of his left finger, he smoothed the back of his right hand. He performed this action as if it were the most precious thing in the world. "[cold]Your saliva and fur have been determined to be biohazardous contaminants threatening the entire Verda continent. A barbaric act that defiles the dignity of all races—elves, humans, and beastmen alike. Therefore, at noon today, you shall be sentenced to public execution by burning at the stake in Neburika Central Square." The iron bars shuddered with a screech. Perolil was genuinely furious for the first time in his life. His golden eyes blazed brilliantly. "[angry]Why?! All I'm doing is making everyone healthy! Their skin gets smooth, their wrinkles fade! So why am I being burned at the stake?!" BAM!! His massive body slammed against the iron bars. Chains groaned. The mana-sealing magic array emitted a blinding light. His front claws scraped against the stone floor. But. The iron bars didn't budge an inch. "[angry]Damn it!! I can't break it! It won't even shake!!" Regulus watched this unsightly struggle with cold, gray eyes. "[cold]Beheading you would suffice. However, for sanitary reasons, you will be incinerated. That square is now... defiled by your saliva." He turned his back. His white ceremonial attire fluttered for just a moment. His silver-streaked hair reflected the torchlight. Then, stopping a few steps away, he turned his face toward Miriru's cell. "[cold]Elf girl. As an accomplice, you too are sentenced to the same execution tomorrow at noon." "[angry]I'm not an accomplice!! I was just... trying to stop Perolil! I'm not an accomplice!" Miriru clung to the iron bars, screaming desperately. Her emerald eyes were distorted by tears. Regulus did not turn back. Only. The gloved fingertips twitched slightly. "[cold]It is our mission to purify everything." Clack. Clack. The footsteps faded away. Eventually, a heavy silence returned to the underground dungeon. In the corner of her cell, Miriru hugged her knees and broke down crying. (*How did it come to this?*) (*I just wanted to stop Perolil's rampage...*) (*I don't want to die...*) The tears wouldn't stop. Her silver hair scattered across the stone floor. Her pride as an elf, her obsession with cleanliness—all of it was meaningless now. Only. The fear of death was real. —Midnight. The lights in the corridor went out. In the darkness, the faint rustle of clothing echoed. The scent of perfume. A noble, slightly cloying, mature woman's fragrance. "[gentle]Good evening, Garum-kun." Felicia Miele stood before Perolil's cell. She wore a crimson dress. Her amber eyes shone like a cat's in the darkness. In her right hand, she clutched a key ring she had bought from the jailer. "[gentle]I have a business proposal for you. Won't you become an exclusive asset of my—the Miele Trading Company?" Perolil raised his prone body. "[curious]Exclusive? What's that? Does it mean I get to eat tasty food?" "[gentle]Fufu. Yes, of course. The finest meals, a clean bed. And most importantly—I will give you your freedom. I'll let you out of this cell right now." "[surprised]Freedom! You mean you can open these iron bars?!" "[gentle]Yes. I have a jailer I've bribed. The arrangements are in place. There's just one condition. You must transfer all rights to your saliva to me. I will manage you as a 'product.' With your saliva, I will build the world's greatest beauty empire." Her smile deepened. It was a cold smile. Deep within her amber eyes, a thick, viscous desire swirled. Perolil made a thoughtful gesture for a moment. "[serious]...Then I've got a question. Inside your shop, can I lick whoever I want?" Felicia's smile vanished in an instant. "[cold]...That would, of course, be permitted only after obtaining everyone's consent—" "[excited]Rejected!!" Perolil shook his head vigorously. "[excited]I refuse! Licking while being tied down is no fun! I want to lick whoever I choose, whenever I want! If I don't have that freedom, I'd rather be burned at the stake!" Silence. Felicia narrowed her eyes. Her fingertips tightened around the key ring. "[cold]...I see. Well then, feel free to reconsider anytime." She turned on her heel with a composed smile. But. In that instant when she turned her back, Miriru did not miss how her lips moved, forming the word "Ridiculous." Felicia's footsteps vanished into the darkness. —Late at night. When everything had fallen completely silent. Miriru, exhausted from crying, was leaning against the wall. That's when. A cold sensation on her cuff. "[surprised]...?" She raised her head. With her right hand, she searched the inside of her left cuff. It was damp. (*What is this...?*) She rolled up her sleeve. The inside of her white robe was slightly, just slightly, moist. The location was the inside of her left arm. Near the main gate, just before Perolil was captured. The spot he had licked with his giant tongue, laughing, "At least let me lick your arm." Not even a full day had passed since then. The effective duration of Perolil's saliva was approximately seventy-two hours. (*—So it's still there? But, that's strange.*) Miriru was confused. This was a prison surrounded by magic-sealing enchanted steel. With a stone wall between them, Perolil's cell was quite a distance away. It was impossible. It was normally impossible for the saliva's activity to be maintained across such a distance. But. When Miriru held her breath and focused her consciousness on her cuff— The dampness increased slightly. (*Did it just... move?*) Her high magical sensitivity as an elf told her. There was a faint mana reaction within this moisture. It was alive. As if. Resonating with Perolil's remote control. "[scared]...If I can... manipulate your saliva—" She wiped her tears. She sat back down on the cell floor. Holding both hands over the dampness on her cuff, she took a deep breath. (*Concentrate. Feel the flow of magical power.*) Her white fingertips began to glow faintly blue. Weakly, but certainly. Her elven magic resonated with the moisture. The droplets on her cuff trembled. A light of hope flickered in Miriru's emerald-green eyes. Half a day until the execution. She secretly began to focus her magical power. It was a quiet night. The white walls of the prison reflected the moonlight.