After devouring even more portions, including enough to account for three entire wild boars, Ms. Rey finally seemed satisfied.

Having eaten her fill, she looked thoroughly pleased, like someone who hadn’t had a proper meal in ages.

I couldn’t help but wonder, Where does all that food go in her slim body? The answer was obvious now: her stomach. It had ballooned to a size that made me want to ask, "Are you expecting twins?"

It seemed like her belly might burst at any moment. Honestly, if someone poked it with a needle, I half-expected her to fly off like a deflating balloon.

While I was entertaining these thoughts, Rey stood up and began stretching and flexing her body.

"Um, post-meal digestion exercises?" I ventured.

"Not quite. It's to prepare myself for a post-meal workout," she replied casually, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Her declaration stunned me. Working out after a meal of three whole wild boars? Wouldn't she just throw up? But there she was, earnestly loosening her muscles.

Whoa, her flexibility is amazing! But wait, focus!

"What kind of workout are you planning to do? You might overdo it and..."

"No need to worry," she said confidently. "I don't do weak training."

I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I decided not to press further.

Before I could process what was happening, Rey had drawn her sword and begun practicing her swings. Meanwhile, Ivy was begrudgingly healing Sanshita’s gums after his earlier blunder. Sanshita seemed grateful enough, at least.

“Beautiful…”

That was the only word that came to mind as I watched Rey’s practice.

Sure, she’s gorgeous, and her gear is exquisitely designed, as if made for royalty. But it wasn’t just that.

Watching her swing her sword was like seeing a hero from a storybook come to life.

Her golden hair shimmered in the sunlight, and the sword sliced through the air with a sharp, piercing sound.

The way she focused completely on her practice was mesmerizing.

To my amazement, her swollen belly shrank back to normal in no time. But after seeing how fast and tirelessly she moved, it made sense—she was burning energy at an insane rate.

Her hunger earlier? Completely understandable.

But this level of intensity, just for a post-meal cooldown? It reminded me of the elite adventurers I’d seen in the past. Rey’s strength seemed bottomless.

Even when Sanshita tried biting her earlier, he couldn’t leave a scratch. If Ivy’s strength wasn’t enough to match hers… well, that could be dangerous for us.

“Meep.”

Ivy reassured me with her calm chirp.

They say true warriors can gauge each other’s strength with a glance. I have no idea how that works, but Ivy seemed to have determined that Rey wasn’t a threat.

I could tell because she’d gone from tense and alert to completely relaxed, leaning her tiny frame against my shoulder.

“Thanks for your hard work, Ivy,” I whispered. “I’ll let you have my share of the snacks later, okay?”

“Meep~” Ivy let out a lazy trill, stretching slightly as if she were yawning.

While I relaxed with Ivy and Sanshita sulked nearby, Rey’s practice session finally came to an end.

She was sweating, so I handed her a towel I’d pre-cooled with Ivy’s help.

“Thank you. That’s refreshing,” she said, gratefully accepting it.

“Not at all. Watching you practice was inspiring.”

“Really? I wouldn’t think it was much fun to watch…” she replied, looking genuinely puzzled.

Her unguarded expression made her earlier display of intense focus feel almost surreal.

With the mood lightened, I decided to finally ask the question that had been nagging me from the start.

“So, Ms. Rey, what brings you to this town, Akoup?”

“Oh, that?” she said, casually brushing her hair back. “I heard rumors about a fake hero causing trouble around here. I figured it might be the work of demons, so I came to investigate. If it is, I intend to capture them and make them pay.”

“B-BWAHHHH?!”

Did she just say she came here… to punish us?!