It's Troublesome That My Doting Dad Became A Villain

"…Huh? No! Absolutely not!"

I jumped in shock.
That was utter nonsense. Even if I had been half-asleep, I would have jolted awake at the sound of that ridiculous claim.
Prima—no, Meteor—liking me? Just the thought sent chills down my spine.

If Prima seemed even remotely fond of me, it was just gratitude for saving his life.
Him offering the Thorn of the Soul as a gift was probably just an extension of that.
Meteor smirked slightly, as if denying my words.

"That demon might not think the same way."
"I'm telling you, it's not true!"
"Sure. Anyway, let's focus on finding that thorn. Wasting time won’t do us any good."

"Got it."
That was music to my ears, so I responded quickly.
Honestly, Meteor probably didn’t care whether Prima liked me or not.

We had been walking for a while, yet the surroundings were still engulfed in mist-like Magi. Even the red crescent moon in the sky was barely visible through the dense, eerie fog.
I glanced sideways at Meteor.
…Had he not figured it out yet?

No matter how much Prima kept his hood pulled over his face, his beauty was impossible to hide.
Just looking at his lips and jawline, it was obvious—he was Meteor.
But he didn’t seem to have noticed at all.

Hmm. Interesting.
Then again, a proud holy knight like Meteor would never think a demon looked like him.
That would be too far beyond his imagination.
Anyway, I needed to find the Thorn of the Soul as soon as possible.

‘Saints, any hints? No matter how far we walk, it’s just mist everywhere.’
How were we supposed to find something like the Thorn of the Soul in a place like this? I couldn’t even use my Teleportation Ticket.
And just then—

Ssshhh…
The Magi began to recede.
Something finally appeared before us.

Meteor and I halted, focusing on the sight in front of us.
A towering mass loomed ahead, like an impenetrable wall.
Its presence was overwhelming, as if it had been there all along, waiting for us.

And as the view became clearer, we finally saw what was blocking our path.
"A thorned vine?"
At my voice, Meteor responded,

"Looks like it. It’s like a massive barbed wire fence."
"These thorns are practically daggers."
The black vines were covered in razor-sharp spikes, as if someone had embedded swords into them.

They were the sharpest-looking thorns I had ever seen.
Ssss…
The vines moved with a slow, ominous slither, coiling like a snake preparing to strike.

The way they wriggled made my stomach churn.
"I don’t usually insult plants, but this is making me sick. Even in the Demon Realm, the flora is disgusting."
"…Agreed."

Meteor gave a quiet nod.
Then, without hesitation, he unsheathed his sword and swung it in a wide arc.
A brilliant burst of holy energy swept across the vines, burning them away with a crackling hiss.

I thought we had taken care of it.
But in the blink of an eye, the vines regrew at an astonishing speed, as if they had never been cut at all.
The thorns returned just as sharp and menacing as before.

'That was fast.'
How were we supposed to get through this?
Meteor slashed at them a few more times, but the result was the same—the vines regenerated instantly.

Going inside was as good as suicide.
Fortunately, I had a better solution.
"Hmm. Looks like there’s no choice. I’ll have to call Lorelein."

"…Lorelein?"
"Oh, right. You don’t know Lorelein? A long time ago, Cardinal Reuben and I took down a demon, and Lorelein was one of the creatures that demon abused. I saved her and even gave her wings. If we ride her, we can fly past this mess. She’s on our side."
"You’re saying… we’ll ride a demon beast?"

Meteor looked surprised.
He must have found it hard to believe that a demon beast would willingly help humans.
That happened when I was eight years old.

Count Ismir had torn off Lorelein’s wings, caging and torturing her.
Thankfully, Cardinal Reuben and I killed him and freed Lorelein, along with the other imprisoned creatures.
Ever since then, Lorelein had been freely roaming the Demon Realm.

A few years ago, I summoned her just to see if she was still around, and she had eagerly come to my aid.
"Don’t worry. I may not look like it, but I’m a top-tier animal expert."
"That’s not—"

"Although, it has been a while since I last summoned her… I don’t even know if she’s doing well."
I hadn’t seen her since that last time.
I immediately opened my system window and activated one of my special skills.

Ding!
[Sub-Class: Animal Management Specialist]
[Establishing long-distance communication with a specific creature…]
‘Lorelein! How have you been? It’s me, Crescent!’

I sent my voice out into the void, waiting anxiously.
One second… Two seconds… Three seconds…
‘KUAEEEEEK!’

‘Crescent!’
A thunderous shriek shook my mind.
I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, then quickly sent another message.

‘You’re doing well, Lorelein! I’m so happy to hear that! What are you up to? Can you help me for a bit?’
‘KUEEEK! KIEEEEK!’
‘Of course! Hurry up and bring me over!’

‘Perfect. Thanks!’
I immediately summoned Lorelein.
She would be here any second now.

"She’s coming."
"What?"
This translation is the intellectual property of

Before Meteor could even fully react, a rift split the air.
From within, Lorelein emerged, her massive wings flapping as she soared through the opening.
Her wings had once belonged to Count Ismir’s whip.

She still looked as fierce as ever.
Overcome with excitement, I ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ waved my arms wildly.
"Over here!"

"KUUAAAAK!"
Lorelein roared, twisting her body midair.
The thorned vines lashed out, trying to ensnare her.

But she skillfully dodged them and landed smoothly in front of us.
"KUEEK!"
She opened her massive jaws and let out an ear-splitting cry—her way of expressing joy.

The sheer force blew both Meteor’s and my hair back.
Over the roar, I shouted at the top of my lungs.
"Take us across! We need to get past those vines!"

"KRAAAH!"
‘I was waiting for this, Crescent! Trust me!’
"Thanks!"

Lorelein lowered her body, ready for us to climb on.
I wasted no time and leaped onto her back.
I turned to see Meteor standing there, slightly stunned.

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and get on."
"Ah… yeah."
He nodded once.

He still looked uneasy about riding a demon beast, but there was no other way.
Soon enough, Meteor climbed onto Lorelein’s back as well.
With a powerful beat of her wings, we took off into the sky.

From above, I looked down at the thorned vines stretching endlessly across the ground.
Just how far did they go?
I narrowed my eyes, scanning the landscape carefully.

And then—
A sudden glow caught my eye, flickering deep within the tangled mass of vines.
Light? In the middle of this Magi-filled darkness?

What was that?
It was blatantly suspicious.
Meteor seemed to have noticed it too.

"Let’s go down."
"Yeah."
Lorelein dove instantly.

As if waiting for us, the thorned vines lunged forward.
Meteor and I slashed our swords through them, clearing a path.
As we neared the ground—

Thud!
I leapt down without hesitation.
Meteor followed right after me.

All around us, the thorned vines coiled and struck.
‘Where’s that light?’
I kept swinging my sword, cutting away at the creeping mass.

The thorns were so dense, it felt like we had stepped into a forest.
And then—