The White Snake Sage? That Old Snake! (Continued)

"If you're lying to me, you know the consequences, Tagorihime."

Tagorihime's delicate body trembled,

but her expression soon turned resolute:

"This servant wouldn't dare speak falsely. Please, White Snake Sage, see the truth for yourself!"

Just then,

another figure came running over.

"White Snake Sage! I have something important to report!"

A coquettish, adorable voice rang out.

It came from Ichikishimahime.

White Snake Sage exchanged a glance with Tagorihime,

and immediately understood something.

Sure enough,

Ichikishimahime proceeded to recount everything that had happened,

without leaving out a single detail.

When Tagorihime heard that Ichikishimahime had signed a contract with that human,

for no apparent reason,

her heart

began to ache uncomfortably.

For the first time,

she had experienced such a strange feeling!

After Ichikishimahime learned what had happened,

she, too, looked at Tagorihime somewhat awkwardly.

Deep down,

she likewise felt a wave of discomfort.

White Snake Sage did not know what to say.

At first,

she had thought that

the two Snake Princesses under her had been toyed with.

But with both of them saying the same thing,

it seemed

the matter was not fabricated.

A cloud of white smoke rose into the air.

The enormous white snake disappeared,

replaced by

a tiny old woman.

She had orange hair and yellow eyes.

On her chest

hung a green cat's-eye gemstone.

From a human perspective,

one would instinctively feel

that she was

a sharp-tongued, mean old woman.

"Come. Let's go take a look. He should be undergoing his trial with Mizuha now."

White Snake Sage walked ahead.

The two Snake Princesses

hurried after her.

The group reached the corresponding cavern.

After turning a corner,

the scene before them

left even White Snake Sage, an old monster who had lived for several thousand years,

stunned.

Mizuha lay flat on the ground.

She