The Hero Who Became a Monster Girl Will Never Fall to Evil

This slime isn’t exactly a good person either

You can’t dress too casually for a large auction, but you also don’t need to deck yourself out in jewels from head to toe—just look like an ordinary minor noble.

Under Aislin’s sweet-talking, the slime girl reluctantly unfastened the earthy yellow coat on her body and changed into a pale blue dress. The dress had been brought out from the Elven King’s Court—double-breasted, with white lace at the cuffs. It was clearly made to match Vieya’s figure; once she put it on, every part fit perfectly.

Looking at herself in the mirror, it was like she’d turned into some real princess—beautiful, dignified, and full of presence. A pile of doubts rose in Vieya’s heart, and she suspected this white-haired elf had come prepared. But through the mirror, seeing Aislin meticulously helping her re-do her hair, she still didn’t ruin the mood by questioning her out loud.

Jasmine was staring blankly at the side as well. To be honest, her mom almost never dressed herself up. Most of the time she was very casual—she’d rarely even wear a small skirt.

“Mom, you’re so pretty...” Jasmine’s eyes sparkled as she looked at her mother, like she wanted nothing more than to pounce over and take a bite.

Vieya stayed silent.

So Aislin smoothly picked up Jasmine’s line, her tone full of the happiness of being acknowledged. “In a bit, little Vieya will be the leader among the four of us! Look at that expressionless little face—what presence, haha. The rest of us are your little lackeys!”

“Why am I the leader?” Vieya frowned and asked.

“Elliti and I are elves, and the item we’re bidding on is the Blood-Jade Stone, so it’s inconvenient for us to show our faces openly in a human town—especially in a place like an auction house.” Aislin’s reasoning was neat and proper. “And Jasmine is still too small—too young and too short. When you think it through, you, who’ve been through countless battles, are the most suitable.”

Vieya: “......” You’d better be.

Once everyone was cleaned up and in order, they put on outer coats and went out. Posters and advertisements of all kinds were pasted along both sides of the road. Dawn had already passed; the sun hung low above the horizon, and sunlight spread along the edge of the sky.

They followed the broad main road toward the center of Aydin City—toward the great plaza with the peace bronze statue that symbolized diplomatic ties between the Royal Capital and the western tribes. Beneath that great plaza, a massive underground structure was hidden.

That was where the auction would be held—starting at noon and continuing all the way until midnight.

As they walked, they began to see other people coming for the auction. The men wore formal suits, the women wore dresses. Everyone carried big bags and small bags, reserved and restrained, as if their bags held checks worth ten million.

Compared to them, Vieya’s group had empty hands—only Aislin carried a small white purse embroidered with a green three-leaf clover.

When they passed security, Aislin calmly took out a black card and handed it to a staff member.

After crossing the security gate, a luxurious, decadent, drown-yourself-in-pleasure atmosphere hit them in the face. Under the brilliant crystal chandeliers, the gambling had already begun. Beautiful female servers, doll-like in their looks, weaved back and forth, delivering all kinds of food and champagne to the guests.

“The underground first floor here is the casino. The second floor is the auction.” Aislin reminded in a low voice.

“I’ve never been to such a big auction...” Vieya sighed with emotion.

“Not coming is a good thing.” Aislin gave a light cough. “It’s my first time at this auction too, but the elders told me some information about this place. The auction only starts at exactly one in the afternoon. Seems like we came a bit early?”

“Then what do we do?” Vieya glanced left and right. In just three seconds, she saw at least two things not suitable for children—men and women kissing and groping thighs, rolling dice and betting on points...

She muttered quietly, “My daughter’s here!”

“It’s fine, little Vieya. Compared to letting your daughter grope her way through these things alone in the future, it’s better for you, as a good mother, to personally guide her now—teach her how to tell right from wrong.” Aislin’s brows and eyes held a smile, her tone like she was coaxing a child.

“That’s true.”

Vieya wasn’t stubborn beyond saving. Though she was still a little depressed, she accepted Aislin’s argument.

Better to guide than to block—this was right.

Beneath deep crimson curtains, guests conversed in low voices. The dice cups rattled clatter-clatter. Piles upon piles of chips were pressed onto tables covered in green cloth. The girls wore glittering eye makeup; the boys wore rings bearing family crests, each of them confident and flamboyant.

Not only were Jasmine and Elliti watching, completely absorbed—even the slime girl was a bit dazed. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Along with the daze came a touch of indignation. Vieya recalled how, back when she was a Hero, she’d been out there in the wind and rain fighting monsters, roughing it. Meanwhile, these people—or these little brats—were enjoying life in this lavish underground palace, tossing money around. For no reason at all, it made her chest feel blocked up.

“Eh? Little Vieya, are you tired?” Aislin lowered her head, saw the slime girl’s expression was a bit off, and asked with concern. “It’s still early until the auction starts. Why don’t we go eat something on the other side?”

Then she leaned in and added softly at Vieya’s ear, “I heard from the elders that the drinks and pastries here are all free—eat whatever you want...”

Vieya nodded in silence and followed Aislin to find an empty spot nearby. In this casino, you could find fine wines from all over the world. The bartenders stood ready at any time, prepared to mix a cocktail that matched your taste. Behind them, walls of crystal glasses refracted dazzling light.

Because of her daughter’s gaze and the auction later, Vieya didn’t order any high-proof hard liquor. She chose a few bottles of yogurt, took a few slices of cake, and sat back down to eat slowly.

She could tell now—this place existed for rich idle young ladies and young masters to have fun. On one hand, it provided them amusement and took their money. On the other, it used them as cover to hide the shady auction lots in the auction hall.

“Aislin-sis, besides the Blood-Jade Stone, are there other rare things at this auction?” Vieya bit into a piece of chocolate cake and asked, licking her lips.

“Not sure.” Aislin shook her head, holding a cup of orange juice as she tried to recall. “The organizers keep their information too tightly sealed. The elders only managed to find out that the Blood-Jade Stone would appear in today’s auction.”

After a pause, she added, “But if the Blood-Jade Stone can show up, that means the forces behind this auction are not simple. Being able to open such a big underground casino in Aydin City means the organizers have connections among the human upper ranks. Being able to obtain a Blood-Jade Stone and auction it openly can also, in a certain sense, prove they have power in the shadows as well.”

At the end, she smiled and added another line. “There won’t be few good things this time. If you like anything later, just tell me.”

“How much money did you bring, exactly?” Vieya asked curiously.

Aislin lifted her brows proudly. “Hmhm～ That’s a secret.”

Vieya curled her lip, too lazy to bother with this elf.

In the time that followed, Vieya and Aislin ate pastries and chatted. On the side, Jasmine and Elliti were also very well-behaved. Aside from their eyes constantly looking around out of curiosity, they sat honestly on the sofa the whole time.

After ignoring the elf lady, the slightly bored Vieya held half a cup of yogurt and stood up. She went to ask the bartender for a Red Rose. She’d drunk many wines before, and she knew Red Rose—this was Flaviel’s favorite drink in the past. Very low alcohol content, with a mellow, rich, sweet taste.

Holding this glass, Vieya began to wander around the venue. A sip of yogurt, a sip of wine—if an ordinary person ate like this, they’d have stomach trouble long ago. But the slime girl wasn’t afraid; she even ate with relish.

The venue was even bigger than she’d imagined. Behind those doors were independent spaces. Some were restaurants—when guests were hungry, they could sit down anytime to eat; chefs waited to serve these people. Some were billiards halls. And some were private rooms with closed doors—Vieya watched a man and a woman walk into one, then shut the door and cut off her view.

This was practically a paradise of indulgence. Money, fine wine, men and women—you could find anything you wanted here, and the host’s hospitality feared it still wasn’t extreme enough.

“So corrupt.”

Vieya licked the yogurt lid twice. She was about to grab a few decks of cards to take back and play with Aislin and the others, when a woman in a red dress blocked her path. Vieya looked up—and froze.

Oh-ho. Ran into someone she knew.

The slime girl [N O V E L I G H T] took two steps back and asked in confusion,

“Yuelong? Why are you guys here?”

The red-haired, red-dressed Yuelong blocking her didn’t speak. But the blonde Irena behind her cried out in surprise,

“Oh my god, she drinks yogurt and even licks the yogurt lid!”

“......”

Vieya originally wanted to curse her out a couple times, but felt like cursing would be pointless anyway. She crushed the yogurt carton in her hand and tossed it into the trash can. Then she put her attention back on Yuelong, the leader of this three-person group, and waited for her answer.

If they were here to play, then a greeting would be enough. But if they had some other objective, Vieya felt it would be best to understand each other’s goals in advance, so they wouldn’t end up in unnecessary conflict later.