I think we should get to know each other first~

Clear hesitation showed in her azure eyes.

Go find that scary big red dragon?

I don't want to, but this is the task Chaos gave me.

The hesitation in her azure eyes vanished instantly, replaced by resolve.

"Mm-hmm, I'll go right now."

Nodding her little head, Feeny turned and flapped her tiny wings, flying toward the sandy riverbank.

She had only flown a short distance before she stopped.

Looking around, she saw dragon hatchlings lying all over the riverbank, in every color-all five types of Chromatic Dragon were present.

Don't be scared. Don't be scared.

You can do it, Feeny.

Thinking of Chaos's promise to form a contract with her, she suddenly felt a little less afraid.

Charge~!

Giving herself a silent pep talk, she beat her little wings and dashed forward.

Chaos watched the little fairy fly away.

He immediately put down the slice of heart meat in his claw.

[Splat]

The remaining third of the heart fell heavily back into the pool built from pebbles.

Chaos ignored it and immediately channeled the magic within him. An emerald ring gradually formed in the air.

This was a spell for summoning Perceptive Vines.

But this time, the casting ring was slightly different from before.

The moment the Emerald Casting Ring formed, a passage of text appeared at its center in common magic runes.

[Are you summoning me, esteemed Lord of the Elements?]

[Yes.]

Chaos replied, and the text on the casting ring responded almost instantly.

[Vinnie is deeply honored to receive your summons again. How may I serve you this time?]

(Kanla didn't feel like a suitable name, so Fox changed it again!)

Chaos: ...

Somehow... this life element fairy acted just like a young noble lady.

Could a personality like hers keep Feeny in check?

Forget it. Now isn't the time to be picky. I'll summon her first.

[I wonder whether Miss Vinnie has considered finding a contract partner.]

[I.. you.. this is... @#@#@￥]

The magic runes on the casting ring began to distort.

What's going on? Is it broken?

It shouldn't be.

Just then, the casting ring shone with emerald light.

The light faded, and a small figure about the same size as Feeny appeared on the ring.

The small figure wore an elaborate emerald Lolita dress. Her features possessed the exquisite perfection unique to little fairies, her emerald eyes sparkled like jewels, and her luxurious, naturally curly emerald hair made her look just like a little noble princess.

The small figure lifted her skirt slightly, dipped into a curtsey, and lowered her head.

"Forgive my discourtesy, esteemed Lord of the Elements."

"Are you truly willing to form a contract with Vinnie?"

After completing her curtsey, Vinnie raised her head to look at the green dragon before her. She saw it. She saw it.

The ten great elements surrounded this sovereign, as though cheering for him and crowning him.

What an exalted bloodline.

Only such an exalted being was worthy of forming a contract with her, Vinnie.

Anticipation, anticipation-anticipation was all Chaos could see in those emerald-green eyes.

The feeling was somewhat familiar to Chaos.

Feeny seemed to have been like this when she first appeared, too.

Do all little fairies know this trick? Is it a universal skill?

"I think we should get to know each other first. What do you say, Lady Vinnie?"

Chaos parted his dragon jaws and gave the little life element fairy before him a friendly smile.

"Forgive my discourtesy."

She opened a folding fan to cover half her face, but the fervor in her gaze as she looked at Chaos did not diminish in the slightest.

Chaos was already accustomed to that fervor. After all, Feeny looked at him that way every time.

It wasn't the first time a little fairy had set her sights on him. One more hardly made a difference.

That was roughly how he felt.

Chaos spoke calmly.

"My name is Chaos. From now on, you can just call me Chaos."

While introducing himself, he glanced toward the sandy riverbank.

Why isn't Feeny back yet? She's a little slow.

"My name is Vinnie. Lord Chaos, you may simply call me Vinnie."

"All right, Vinnie."

"By the way, Vinnie, you're a life-type fairy, so you must know a lot about life-type plants, right?"

"I know a little."

A confident smile appeared on Vinnie's face, her bearing composed and elegant.

It seemed she was merely being modest. Chaos understood at once.

Perfect. He needed a few seasonings.

"Then could you grow some plants used for seasoning?"

Her delicate little folding fan covered half her face.

"Seasonings? Lord Chaos, do you mean the plants the lesser species use in cooking?"

"Yes, exactly," Chaos confirmed.

Snap~!

She folded the fan in her hand, and a smile appeared on her little face.

"I understand. Please wait a moment, Lord Chaos."

Flapping the little wings on her back, Vinnie flew onto the riverbank. She wandered left and right before finally choosing a patch of ground and hovering above it.

She raised her little hand, sprinkling emerald motes of light onto the earth.

Soon, tender shoots emerged from the soil.

The shoots grew at a speed visible to the naked eye.

There were ten shoots in total. Some grew into small trees, while others reached only half a meter tall.

Long green fruits covered the half-meter-tall plants.

These are...

Chaos rushed ashore, plucked a green fruit with his claw, and stuffed it straight into his dragon jaws.

Hot. A burning sting spread across his tongue.

It really is a chili pepper!

Of the ten plants, seven had grown into small trees, bearing all sorts of strange fruits.

Scanning them, Chaos recognized the fruit on only one of the little trees.

He brought his dragon head close to the tree and sniffed. The scent of Sichuan pepper wafted toward him.

That smell-definitely Sichuan pepper.

Of the ten green plants, Chaos recognized only two. He knew none of the others.

But he would find out once he tasted them later.

Chaos looked at Vinnie beside him and parted his dragon jaws.

"You're amazing, Vinnie. These are all things I need."

"It is my honor to be of service to you, Lord Chaos."

An elegant smile appeared on Vinnie's face as well.

It seems I haven't disappointed Lord Chaos at our first meeting.

I just need to keep this up. Sooner or later, Lord Chaos will understand that Vinnie is the fairy best suited to him.

"Who are you?!"

A shrill voice rang out.

Almost instantly, a small figure flew up in front of Vinnie. Feeny had returned.

Feeny glared angrily at this new little fairy. She had spotted her from far away.

Sensing the hostility coming from the little fairy before her, Vinnie's smile quickly faded, and she glanced at the fairy's wings.

Specks of blue dotted the fluttering, thin, transparent wings.

A water element fairy?

She opened the delicate little folding fan in her hand, covering half her face.

"I am Vinnie, a friend of Lord Chaos."

"You're lying! Feeny is Chaos's only friend!"

Lies. Feeny could tell at a glance that the little fairy before her was lying. She must have come here because she wanted to form a contract with Chaos.

She's a bad fairy! A bad fairy who wants to steal Chaos!