"Eh? I heard Natsu say that too before.
And if he wasn't exaggerating, if everything he said was true..."
For a moment, Brandish, Levy, Cana, and even Kabe slowly turned their heads together and looked toward Irene.
Being stared at by everyone simultaneously made Irene's scalp tingle. Her face immediately flushed red as she angrily retorted,
"Impossible! Back in my country, we once sheltered a Sage Dragon named Belserion.
I grew up around him and never once saw him eat anything!"
But Kabe quickly refuted her.
"Not eating only proves dragons don't need food. That doesn't mean they don't have a sense of taste.
According to ancient records, some dragons even enjoyed eating humans. If they had no taste, then what difference would there be between eating people and chewing rocks?"
That single sentence nearly fried Irene's brain on the spot.
She suddenly realized that after researching Dragonification for so long, she had genuinely never thought deeply about this problem before.
If dragons actually possessed taste...
Then what exactly was happening with her own condition?
The more Irene thought about it, the more chaotic her thoughts became. Steam practically began rising from the top of her head.
Seeing this, Kabe waved a hand in front of her blank face and suggested,
"Why don't you contact Selene and ask her directly?"
Irene lowered her head silently for a moment before finally raising one finger and firing a streak of crimson light out the window.
...
Hosen Village.
Inside the largest private hot spring on the entire resort street, Selene leaned lazily against the edge of the steaming bath while four beautiful young women carefully washed her body from every angle.
At the same time, she listened to her subordinate's work report.
"Lady Selene, all of our hot spring inns are fully booked already.
But tourists are still continuously pouring into the resort district. We completely lack manpower now."
"If we're short on people, then recruit more. Our wages aren't low. Just shout once in nearby Magnolia and we'll attract countless young and pretty girls."
Selene didn't even turn her head, clearly treating the issue as insignificant.
Her subordinate naturally understood this as well, but reports still had to be made regardless.
"Oh, right. Make sure all new recruits are properly trained.
Even if we're short-staffed, don't casually send newcomers to serve guests.
Clumsy idiots who don't understand etiquette will only ruin our reputation."
"Understood."
After reporting several other unimportant matters, the subordinate quietly withdrew.
Selene also dismissed the girls washing her body.
Leaning against the edge of the hot spring alone, she gazed at the unusually bright full moon overhead, illuminated further by her own power, and a sense of satisfaction slowly arose in her heart.
In just half a month, she had completely fallen in love with the feeling of running a business.
It felt exactly like playing a realistic simulation management game.
Although troublesome and mentally exhausting at times, it was genuinely addictive.
Far more interesting than leading people to hide away in remote mountains like before.
Just as Selene was considering how to use the hot spring district's profits to further expand her commercial empire, a crimson streak of light suddenly shot across the night sky toward her.
"Hm?"
Her half-closed eyes instantly snapped open as she sharply stared at the incoming red light.
However, the crimson glow seemed almost intelligent. The moment it approached her, it abruptly stopped before floating steadily in front of her.
"This is... Irene's magic power? Why is she suddenly contacting me?"
Muttering in confusion, Selene lifted her smooth jade-like arm, still covered in droplets of water, and lightly touched the floating sphere with a fingertip.
Instantly, the orb exploded into countless glowing specks of light that rearranged themselves into a sentence before her eyes.
'Come to Kabe's house. I need to ask you something.'
"...What exactly does she want? That woman never explains herself properly."
Selene frowned as she silently speculated about Irene's sudden purpose.
"...Forget it. She's still an ally. I may as well go take a look."
With a casual wave, she dispersed the floating light particles before reluctantly rising from the hot spring.
The instant Selene completely emerged from the water, her flawless and dangerously alluring figure made even the moonlight seem dull by comparison.
She lightly clapped her hands.
In the next second, a group of female attendants hurried over with lowered heads.
Selene didn't need to say a single word.
She merely stood there and spread her arms slightly.
The attendants immediately and skillfully used soft towels to wipe away every droplet clinging to her body.
Once the moisture had been dried, Selene casually raised a hand to stop them from dressing her in the elaborate kimono they had prepared.
Instead, she pulled out a thin semi-transparent yukata from her private space, casually draped it over herself, tied it loosely, and considered the matter settled.
"I'm leaving for a while. If nothing unexpected happens, I probably won't return tonight.
If anything important comes up, you can go to Fairy Tail tomorrow to find me."
The attendants lowered their heads and dared not speak unnecessarily.
After giving her instructions, Selene ignored them completely. With a casual flick of her hand, she opened a spatial portal before walking into it barefoot and without the slightest hesitation.