The young dragon tries to conquer the world

　After talking with Ayato Kamisato, Ayaka also determined the direction of her investigation.

　Since she is a living being, she must have her own place to live. She has appeared in Hanamizaka before, and fishermen have also found traces of her in the sea, which means that she must also appear in these places.

　However, the people of Tenryo have already begun a search operation in White Fox Field and Hanamizaka. Although she had appeared in Hanamizaka before and injured someone, the little girl seemed to have disappeared and has not been seen since.

　"Ayaka, do you think she's a monster or a human?"

　"I asked Lord Kuji, and he said it should be a yokai. You can see that it has horns and a tail, but no one knows what kind of yokai it is."

　Yoomiya and Ayaka chose a completely different route from the Tenryo Magistrate. The two of them set off from the Forest of Guardians and headed north along the coastline to search for the little girl's whereabouts. According to the fisherman, the little girl was floating in the sea, possibly taking a bath or practicing her swimming skills.

　Based on this incident, Ayaka and Yoomiya became even more certain that the young girl was a yokai.

　After being exposed to the scorching sun, the sand on the beach absorbed enough heat, making the sand a bit hot to the feet. Xiaogong and Linghua took off their shoes and walked barefoot on the beach. Waves gently caressed their delicate soles, and the sea breeze brought a touch of coolness from time to time. Occasionally, the waves would bring beautiful seashells to the shore.

　While picking out pretty seashells, Yoomiya chatted with Ayaka. Every now and then, groups of two or three general crabs would be frightened by the girls and bar their teeth and claws. However, if the girls took a step forward, the general crabs would quickly run away.

　Ayaka usually ignores these arrogant crabs, as it hurts quite a bit when they pinch you. However, Yomiya happily uses the sticks she picks up to send the general crabs back into the sea one by one, or she uses the sticks to have a fierce sword fight with the general crabs.

　After walking along the shore for a while, Ayaka spotted a group of ice slimes ahead. The two planned to go ashore and go around them, but just as Yoomiya and Ayaka were about to turn around, a small figure emerged from the shadows beside them.

　The little girl had a fish in her mouth and quickly swallowed it. Her eyes had already spotted the crabs baring their claws at her on land. Without any hesitation, she grabbed one, stuffed it into her mouth, smacked it twice, and swallowed it.

　I got a new food, and it tastes good, it's crunchy.

　The little girl quickly ate all the crabs nearby, then went to the ice slime and happily rubbed against its surface.

　"Yōgō, I found her! Here she is, right here!"

　Hearing Ayaka's soft call, Yoomiya immediately followed. The little girl didn't seem to notice the two of them and was still happily playing with the ice slime. Yoomiya said nervously, "When we last saw her, Thomas said she didn't seem to be able to talk yet. What should we do?"

　Ayaka took out some prepared candy from her bag and said to Yoomiya, "Based on her experience in Hanamizaka, she must like these sweets. Let's get her to lower her guard against us first."

　Yomiya also took out the candy he had prepared, and the two slowly walked towards the little girl.

　The little girl playing nearby saw the two people approaching her and tilted her head. She remembered them and was now trying to figure out if they were hostile to her, but the sweet smell emanating from their hands made it hard for her to decide.

　The little girl climbed down from the ice slime and walked step by step to Yoshimiya and Ayaka's side. Before Ayaka and Yoshimiya could give her the candy, the little girl very consciously took the candy from their hands, stuffed it into her mouth, and slowly chewed it.

　Seeing the little girl eating with relish, Ayaka and Yomiya couldn't help but feel happy. The little girl had two prominent canine teeth in her open mouth, and the moment Ayaka saw them, she thought of the soldier who had been bitten and bled.

　Ayaka and Yomiya chose portable candies, amber candy and konpeito, which were cute in appearance and tasted good. However, the candies they carried disappeared into the little girl's mouth in no time. When the candies were gone, the girl walked to Ayaka's side, stretched out her hands, and made a soft "ah ah" sound.

　Because the little girl had just been playing with the ice slime, her body was cool and refreshing. In this hot weather, it felt especially comfortable for Ayaka to be close to the little girl.

　"Linghua, she really can't talk. What should we do? Is she hungry?"

　The little girl seemed to understand what Yomiya was saying, and instead stretched out her hands to him, her innocent eyes staring straight at him. Yomiya felt that he could read the little girl's meaning without words.

　That means she still wants to eat.

　Xiaogong pinched the little girl's soft, chubby cheeks and said to her with some concern, "You've eaten a lot of candy. You can't eat any more, or you'll get cavities."

　The little girl didn't speak, but turned to look at Linghua, as if asking her if what that person said was true. Linghua nodded helplessly and said, "What's your name? If you're hungry, I'll take you to eat. We haven't eaten either."

　"Da~ light."

　"Hikari, so your name is Hikari? That's a really nice name."

　Ayaka vaguely recognized the word "light" from the young girl's incoherent speech.

　Moreover, the little girl could react when the word "light" was mentioned, so Ayaka thought that since she could say the word, she should just call her that for now.

　Ayaka took the little girl's hand in hers. Her skin was smooth and delicate, like jade. She saw the little girl rubbing against the ice slime. Since the little girl had always lived outdoors, Ayaka had thought that the little girl's skin would be a bit rough. But the little girl's skin was very good, smooth and delicate, and it even had a slight coolness to it.

　Holding the tiny hand in her own, Ayaka felt a strange sensation. The more she looked at it, the cuter it seemed. Ayaka couldn't help but think of what Yae no Miko had said about being a lolicon.

　Thinking of this, Ayaka immediately shook her head to get the word out of her mind. She wasn't a lolicon at all; she was just cute.

　The little girl twisted her body and pulled her hand away from Linghua's. Linghua couldn't help but feel lonely and said to the little girl, "Sister will treat you to something delicious. Come with sister, there's food, something delicious."

　As she spoke, Ayaka made a gesture as if she were eating.

　Yomiya boldly reached out and stroked Hikari's tail. It was cool and had some thorns on it, but the feel of stroking it was nice. However, the little girl didn't give Yomiya a second chance and immediately pushed Yomiya's hand away with her tail, with a hint of impatience on her face.

　Yomiya wasn't angry, but she felt that Hikari, like a kitten, didn't like strangers touching her tail. If a cat can be touched freely after being raised for a long time, then what about Hikari? Ayaka looked at Yomiya's expression, wondering what she was thinking.

　"Let's go to Hanamizaka for dinner. Yoomiya, it's also a good opportunity to take her back to the doctor for a check-up. If she keeps living outside, she might catch some disease."

　In the distant New World, after the hunters investigated and sent the information to the Ancient Dragon Research Institute, they learned that it was indeed a Celestial Dragon. After figuring it out, the scribes and dragon scholars immediately began their own investigation.

　It was eventually discovered that it had only stayed in the Guiding Lands for a short time before disappearing. The survey team also witnessed the spectacular scene of the Skyward Wyvern and Velkhana fighting for territory.

　When the investigation team ventured deep into the Guiding Lands and returned to the body of the Crimson Dragon, they were surprised to find that the dragon's body had already begun to decompose, and the energy within was about to return to the ley lines. However, strangely, the marks on the dragon's chest did not appear to be those of a normal death.

　"Black, Black Devouring Dragon, get out of the way!"

　"What? Where is the Crimson Emperor Dragon God Jade of the Crimson Dragon? Wait, why is the Black Eclipse Dragon here? Damn it, why is it so big?"

　"Forget about the jade, let's get out of here quickly. Could it be that the Heavenly Returning Dragon was born here? Damn it, why is the Black Erosion Dragon here?"

　Volume 1: 008 - The Big Eater

　On their way back to Hanamizaka, the little girl, with Ayaka and Yoomiya at the center, searched for various foods along the way. Along the way, sunset fruits and raspberries could not escape the clutches of light, but food such as lizards and frogs were stopped by Ayaka just before they were about to be stuffed into the light's mouth.

　"Ayaka, is everything alright? She's already eaten a lot since the beginning. Oh, but she doesn't eat violets."

　“The raw violet doesn’t taste very good, and I’ve also discovered something else, look.”

　After saying that, Ayaka took out her hair tie and walked to Hikari's side, intending to tie her hair into a ponytail. However, Hikari seemed to dislike being touched and shook her head to avoid Ayaka's outstretched hands.

　Linghua had no choice but to put the hair tie back in her pocket. Only then did Xiaogong notice that Linghua had untied the braid at her temple, and her silver hair was loose around her ears. Linghua looked less dignified and more playful.

　"Guang doesn't like people touching her hair, but pinching her cheeks or shaking hands is fine. I remembered something you said before, what if a bad guy tries to trick her away with candy or something?"

　“We’ve found her, let’s find a place to settle her down. I think she’s the monster from Konta Village. Look at her appetite, that pile of bones is definitely what she left over.”

　"Hikari is definitely not human, and she doesn't have the Eye of God, so she must be some kind of monster. Moreover, Hikari's eyes are golden vertical pupils."

　"Hmm, it should be a monster, but we still need to take it to Lord Kuji for identification. Maybe Lord Kuji will know."

　"But he has both black and purple hair. Wait, purple hair, General, you have purple hair, right?"

　"No way, if that were really the case, she would never wander in the wild. The people of Tianling would never allow such a thing."

　As the light raced further and further away like a wild horse, Ayaka finally caught up and firmly grasped the little girl's hand.

　The little girl was very unhappy about not letting her run around, but Ayaka emphasized several times that she would take her to eat something delicious. Finally, she stuffed the last bit of amber candy in her pocket into the little girl's hand, and the little girl calmed down.

　The three of them soon arrived at Shimura-ya.

　"Boss, please give me a bowl of animal bone ramen. Hey, Ayaka, what would you like to eat? And what should Hikaru eat?"

　Linghua spent a lot of effort to get Hikaru to sit obediently on the stool. She glanced at the menu and thought that choosing the imported poultry meat seemed like a good option, but considering what Hikaru could eat, she thought about it carefully and realized that she could eat almost anything.

　The little girl reached out her tiny hand and patted the menu. When Yomiya looked over, the dish in that spot was braised meat. Yomiya and Ayaka exchanged a glance, considering Hikaru's teeth and age, it should be fine.

　"Then please have another serving of imported poultry and another serving of braised game, thank you."

　After ordering, Hikaru stared intently in the direction the waiter left. Ayaka smiled, went to the counter and asked Hikaru for a pair of forks as cutlery. Soon, the three dishes were served.

　Hot and spicy braised game, with large chunks of game stewed together with carrots, potatoes and onions;

　Steaming hot meat bone ramen, topped with meat cooked at a low temperature, with a fresh and delicious broth and chewy noodles, makes for a very satisfying meal.

　Crispy fried poultry dishes, marinated poultry paired with crispy pastry, make a crunchy sound with every bite, and are served with shredded cabbage, making them very appetizing.

　The three of them ate in different ways. Linghua elegantly brushed her silver hair behind her ear, picked up poultry and vegetables with her chopsticks, dipped them in sauce, and slowly put them into her mouth. The rich taste and the juices of the poultry made her very hungry.

　Yomiya, on the other hand, was more dashing. For the animal bone ramen, she first tasted the broth, which was full of umami flavor. Satisfied, Yomiya picked up the noodles and savored them carefully. The animal bone ramen at this shop has always been good.

　The young girl had it even easier. She would fork up a large piece of meat and stuff it into her mouth. She loved the dish from the very first bite. The vegetables next to it were also stewed until they were soft and tender, which was no problem for the young girl at all.

　Ayaka watched Hikaru devour her food, a slight smile playing on her lips. However, the consequence of Hikaru's eating style was that her mouth was covered in sauce. Helplessly, Ayaka took out her handkerchief and wiped the sauce off Hikaru's mouth. But to her surprise, Hikaru ate faster than the two of them and didn't seem to be full.

　After finishing a serving of braised beast meat, Hikaru stared at Ayaka with shining eyes, clearly wanting another serving. Ayaka didn't care about the money, but considering the child's appetite, she originally didn't plan to order any more food for Hikaru. However, under Hikaru's unwavering gaze, Ayaka looked towards Yoomiya.

　"You can still eat? Come to think of it, your stomach is so small, how do you manage to eat so much food?"

　"Should we give her some more? Is there anything wrong with her stomach?"

　In the end, the two still succumbed to the little girl's gaze and ordered her another fried meat sandwich. This dish, made by sandwiching bread and vegetables together, is a perfect combination of exotic flavors and local delicacies.

　But the young girl seemed to prefer braised game meat.

　Finally, after the little girl had consumed enough food for 50 people, she patted her little belly and happily stretched out her hand to indicate that she was full. The warm gazes from the shop owner and the other diners made Ayaka a little shy. After paying the bill at the counter, she left Shimura-ya with Hikari.

　Looking at the light beside her, Ayaka wondered if she would feel the same way if she had a younger sister, and whether her older brother had similar experiences when he took care of her.

　Hikari is currently only wearing an animal skin. Although Hikari is very cute, it's not right for her not to be properly dressed.

　Ayaka considered that if Ayaka were to live in Inazuma from now on, it would be very necessary to teach her some etiquette and common sense.

　However, we shouldn't rush things; let her get used to the environment first.

　"Hey, Ayaka, should we take her to Narukami Shrine first? But I think we should change her clothes first. The people around us are giving us strange looks."

　Indeed, the way people were looking at Ayaka and Yomiya was strange. In their first impression, they wouldn't see Hikari as a monster, but rather they felt that it was somewhat inappropriate for these two to dress up a child like that on the street.

　It would be even more troublesome if the Heavenly Commander were brought over.

　On her way to the small storehouse, Hikari was repeatedly stopped by the roadside food stalls, but under her watchful eye, each stall owner would kindly give her a serving.

　"Is this Ms. Kamisato's younger sister? What an adorable child, though her clothes are a bit off."

　Just now, when Ayaka wasn't paying attention, Hikari ran to an ice cream stand again. When Ayaka and Yomiya found Hikari, she was happily licking an ice cream.

　"I'm so sorry, she was a child we found in the wild while on a mission. We're still looking for clues. Thank you for the ice cream you just gave her. This is Mora."

　The stall owner chuckled as he took the money, then looked at Guang, who was happily eating beside him, and said with a doting expression, "She must have been eating all the way here. Such a lovely child, I can't bear to let her keep staring. I hope we can find her family soon."

　Xiaogong refrained from telling the stall owner about how he had eaten enough food for 50 people.

　on

　In this way, Hikari, relying on her cute appearance, freeloaded food and drinks at the stall, while Ayaka and Yomiya followed behind, paying for Hikari and explaining to the stall owner who Hikari really was, keeping them very busy.

　Volume 1: 009 - The Unknown Catastrophe

　Yes, Light is that Black Dragon. As for why Light came to Teyvat, you'll have to ask our all-powerful Mira.

　In the evening, at Toma's suggestion, the Shinri family changed their dinner to classic Liyue cuisine. The stewed pork and bamboo shoots, which had been simmered over charcoal for a long time, brought out the unique flavors of fresh meat and ham through the bamboo shoots. The broth made with Jueyun pepper was poured over the braised meat and mint leaf rolls, making it tender and smooth. The distinct spiciness from the Jueyun pepper further enhanced the overall flavor of the dish.

　"So that child really is a monster?"

　"Well, that's the most likely conclusion we're making so far. Based on Hikari's enormous appetite at Hanamizaka and the strange strength she displayed on the remote island, and the fact that Hikari doesn't have the Eye of God, Hikari is some kind of yokai."

　"Ayaka, what do you want to do? By the way, from your description, she seems to have mentioned her name. What other information do you have?"

　Ayaka Kamisato put down her chopsticks and recalled for a moment, saying, "We only spent a short time together. Yesterday, I was planning to change her clothes, but before I knew it, Hikari ran off to a vendor for food. According to witnesses, a kind person gave Hikari a handful of candy, but a thug on the street didn't notice her, bumped into her, and didn't care at all. He even trampled the candy."

　Seeing that his younger sister didn't continue, Ayato looked at her in confusion. Aya took a deep breath and said solemnly, "I didn't see what happened next. Hikari swung her tail and sent the three thugs flying. The leader of the thugs was severely slashed in the chest, his ribs were exposed, and blood was flowing freely. He fainted on the spot. The other two were so frightened by the scene that their legs went weak and they couldn't even stand up. After Yoomiya and I arrived, we had no choice but to send the wounded to the Tenryo Magistrate first."

　At this point, Ayato Kamisato also became quite interested and asked, "What about Hikari? After what happened, did she run away again?"

　"Yeah, once the chaotic scene is sorted out, Xiaoguang will be nowhere to be found."

　"It's roughly the same as what I heard, except I only heard the last part. Getting back to the previous topic, what do you think, Ayaka?"

　"As for how to solve it, the best thing to do is to find Xiao Guang and take good care of her. If possible, considering Guang's strength and appetite, the only suitable profession for Xiao Guang is an adventurer. Although she may not become rich and powerful, she will not have any problem with food and clothing."

　Ayato chuckled softly; his younger sister was still the same, very serious.

　"At her age, it's really too late for her to learn human customs and etiquette. Even if she becomes an adventurer, the job is too dangerous and it would be difficult for her to support herself. That's what you think, Ayaka."

　Ayaka Kamisato, who was chewing on a mushroom, was taken aback and said, "Brother, how did you know?"

　"Of course I know, but it's certain that this matter won't be that simple. Let's discuss it with Yae-no-miya later. She's the most familiar with youkai matters. Let's find an opportunity to bring Hikari to Yae-no-miya first, find out what kind of youkai Hikari is, and then make a decision. I believe that with Yae-no-miya's abilities, even if she can't become an adventurer, becoming a shrine maiden at Narukami Shrine wouldn't be bad."

　Ayaka Kamisato smiled and said, "Brother is absolutely right. This is exactly what it means to teach according to aptitude."

　At this moment, the young girl had no idea that her future was being secretly arranged by someone. If she had known, she would definitely have bared her teeth in disgust.

　According to the habits of most living things, nighttime is a time for sleeping, but it's different for light. The dark night is actually a time for her to forage for food. However, she had already eaten her fill during the day, so she was now lying on the side, lost in thought.

　The little girl squinted her eyes as if she were about to fall asleep, her slender black tail swaying gently behind her, and purple light shimmering on her black dragon horns. From a distance, it was even less visible than the light emitted by a firefly, and people with poor eyesight might not be able to see it at all.

　The next day, Ayaka Kamisato arrived at Hanamizaka as promised, met up with Yomi-no-miya Naganohara, and then followed the previous route to find the light.

　“Ayaka, what do you think about us catching her using bird-catching methods? Look, I’ve prepared a net, amber candy, and rope.”

　Yomiya excitedly showed the tools to Ayaka one by one. Although Ayaka had never encountered anything like them before, she still had a clue after seeing the rope and net – the traditional method of hunting wild boar.

　"Xiaogong, we're here to bring light to the Palace Master, not to capture her."