Chapter 61: Hero's Departure 1

"Grabalt", the land of beastmen.

A land of greenery surrounded by rich nature.

The threat of the slime was invading not only beastmen, but the country where elves, fairies, dwarves, and many other races lived.

The slimes were multiplying here and there in the deep forest, devouring insects, birds, wild animals, and plants everywhere.

There were few people who could use magic or equipment with mana to defeat them, and the slimes were gradually invading their territory.

Fornelis, the daughter of the king and who had traveled with the heroes to defeat the demon king, was in the deep forest right now to defeat the slimes.

There were more than a dozen people around her, armed with weapons made of mithril, a special metal that could hold mana.

There were beastmen, humans, and elves in the army.

There hadn't been much friction between the races, but now they all shared a common understanding that slime was a nasty enemy.

It had destroyed the magic kingdom of Fonteau, the country of the elves developed by the hero, and was now spreading its tentacles to the other two countries.

Moreover, they kill men and rape women.

A monster that kept increasing its number using female wombs as a nursery... The demon king was destroyed, and the number of monsters did not increase.

That perception was already becoming old――.

"Welcome back, Fornelis-sama."

"Ah. I'm back, Mariabelle. Did you find anything suspicious at the castle?"

When Fornelis returned to the castle ruled by the beast king after spending the day defeating slimes with her companions, a girl dressed in a black dress called out to her.

Fornelis called out the girl's name while removing the breastplate and hand armor she was wearing over her military uniform.

Mariabelle.

She was a beautiful girl with obsidian black hair, blacker than her black coat.

She was about a head shorter than Fornelis, who was one of the tallest beastmen with superior physical abilities, one of the tallest women of her age.

Her tall, slender figure had a dignified appearance like that of a sharp sword, and she walked quickly up to Fornelis, her dress skirt swaying somewhat annoyingly.

Her small bosom was hidden by many frills, and her waist, strained by a corset, was surprisingly thin.

However, the buttocks underneath the tightly fitted skirt were upturned, and while she was slender overall, she was an immensely beautiful girl with a combination of girlish purity and feminine charm.

As though to reassure Mariabelle, Fornelis, who was the beastmen's princess but stood at the frontlines with a large sword in hand, smiled.

Her beautiful gray hair extended almost to the back of her knees, and at the top of her head were large ears like that of a wolf. On her buttocks too, a beautifully furry tail swayed slowly from side to side, as though to express her joy at meeting her best friend's daughter.

When Fornelis removed her breastplate, the ample breasts of a mature woman sway softly as though in pleasure, and when she removed her cuirass, her white fingers appear, so clean that it was hard to believe she was standing on the frontlines.

Raising her hand, slightly damp with sweat, Fornelis gently tidied up Mariabelle's black hair, which was disheveled from her running and stuck to her cheek.

"Hey. You have to keep up appearances. Meltia will be angry when she gets back, okay?"

"S-sorry... but I'm glad that Fornelis-sama has returned safely."

"Yes, thank you, Maria."

As she said that, Fornelis gently stroked Mariabelle's black hair a few more times.

She was the only one in the world who had inherited the black hair and black eyes of the hero who was summoned from another world, and she was truly the "daughter of the hero".

She was quiet when she lived in her homeland, Fonteau, but now she understood that the country was in danger, the world was in danger and that she was the daughter of the hero, and now she was training hard every day.

The peaceful daily life was over, and what was needed was the skill to handle the "holy sword of the hero".

"Then, let's train now."

"...Aren't you tired? You should take a break..."

"It's okay. After training you and get rid of the slimes, I can rest as long as I want when the world is at peace."

"But……"

Fornelis was extremely busy due to her daily duties, and Mariabelle was worried about her.

"Grabalt", the land of beastmen, had a deep forest that even beastmen with excellent senses could get lost if they were not familiar with the land.

She traveled around the country to kill the slimes, and when she returned to the castle, she taught Mariabelle how to use a sword.

Just a few months ago, she was a princess of her own country and had never been involved in any kind of fighting, so she had no idea how to swing a sword, use her feet, or even how to hold a sword.

Even so, she used the power of her holy sword to completely annihilate the slime that had mimicked the entire ruins deep in the forest and saved Fornelis and Meltia from danger.

She awakened as the next generation of heroes, no less than the hero who defeated the Demon King.

In order to fully use her power, Fornelis trained Mariabelle so that she would not notice her tired body.

To teach her all the experiences she had in her journey with the hero, and all the fighting skills she had accumulated in her life.

"Well, let's see how well you've been working out while I've been away of the castle."

"I understand. Thank you, Fornelis-sama."

And so Mariabelle's special training began again today.

The royal castle of Grabalt―― a castle built on a part of the giant world tree that legend said had existed since the goddess created the continent, was much larger than the royal castle of Fonteau that Mariabelle knew.

And in its garden, there was a large and splendid training ground, as was typical of Grabalt, which had a strong ideology that emphasized the superiority of warfare skills.

Even now, the knights of Grabalt who were not on duty to defeat the slimes gather at the training grounds to hone their fighting skills, and there were probably more than a hundred of them.

Young men and women of a variety of races, including dogs and tigers with heads different from humans, some with wings on their backs, and horses on the lower half of their bodies, looked at the entrance to the training ground.

Fornelis and Mariabelle.

The strongest warrior in Grabalt and the princess of Fonteau, who had the same black hair as the "hero".

Their presence may have triggered a reaction from what might be called the sixth sense of the beast.

"First, let's have a light match."

"Yes."

Mariabelle, who had changed into comfortable clothes for training, held a standard-sized wooden sword similar to the holy sword of the hero.

Fornelis, on the other hand, was holding a large wooden sword that was smaller than the large sword she used, but still large enough to cause serious injury if hit in a bad spot.

"Haaa!"

"Fuu!"

The impact of the two swords echoed in the training hall.

Both of them were serious.

Even though their weapon was a wooden sword, one could still get hurt badly if one were not careful, and the threat of the slime was increasing even as they were doing it.

Because they understand it, both of them take their training seriously and wield their swords desperately.

Mariabelle, in particular, understood that she was inexperienced and concentrated on trying to gain skills from Fornelis, the best swordswoman on the continent.

Compared to when she first started, she had more strength and could now swing a sword for half a day.

She had also learned how to use her footwork and body and had grown to the point where she could go toe-to-toe with Fornelis, even though she was being moderated.

Instead of receiving the heavy, large wooden sword, she hit the side of the sword to avoid it and then stepped forward to bring it into close quarters.

However, Fornelis read through Mariabelle's actions with her experience and placed the hilt of her sword against the abdomen of the tall, slender woman who stepped in and pushed the black-robed swordswoman back with only her arm strength.

"Kuh."

"Don't step in carelessly because I'm your opponent! The slime's mucus is poisonous. Fight at a safe distance!"

"Yes!"

It was Fornelis's strategy to lure her enemy by deliberately showing an opening.

She thought of herself as a slime to train Mariabelle.

Her large sword was a tentacle.

Her bosom was a poisonous trap.

Mariabelle was inexperienced in dealing with the real slime, and Fornelis knew more than anyone else that if she was seriously injured while training... or if she was incapacitated by paralyzing poison, humanity was doomed...

That came from her experience of fighting the Demon King.

Only the hero could fight the Demon King.

It was true that Leticia, Mariabelle's mother and wife of the hero, was an excellent mage, and her mana was said to be comparable to that of the demon king.

However, the only thing that could give an effective blow was the hero. It was only the holy sword.

The girls would draw the Demon King's attention, and the hero would exploit its opening.

And no matter what kind of attack came, they must absolutely protect the hero...... At times, they have even put their bodies in danger to find weaknesses against powerful monsters.

(Absolutely, protect Mariabelle. We must protect her.)

The hero, their last hope. The bearer of the holy sword, who inherited his blood.

She would make her grow to the point where she could destroy the slime, at the same time, protect her even at the cost of her own life.

It was the thought of all the warriors in Grabalt.

"Not yet!!"

And Mariabelle also sensed the expectations and wishes of those around her. She felt it.

At the time when she obtained the holy sword of the hero, Fornelis was still training Mariabelle in swordplay.

Mariabelle, who had no physical strength, trained until she fainted, and sometimes she only remembered one thing.

Mariabelle always remembered the words directed at her and her sister.

Meltia―― You and Mariabelle can only be "normal" until you return to the castle.

Mariabelle could no longer be normal.

As the second hero, not the daughter of the hero, she must save the people of this continent, and this world.

This time, her enemy was not a demon king, but a slime that attacked people. The Black Oozes violate women and keep on increasing.

In order to defeat them.

"Fuu――!!"

"Good, keep on moving, move faster, and stop showing any kind of opening!"

Mariabelle's movements accelerated.

Literally, it was an "acceleration."

The daughter of a human hero and a half-elf queen.

Although her mana was not as great as her parents', Fornelis, who knew both of them, thought that her sensitivity to using magic, or should she say her degree of physical enhancement, probably surpassed her parents'.

Fornelis, an accomplished warrior with experience of many battles and the body of a beastmen, anticipated Mariabelle's movements and tried to stop her attack by catching it, taking it, playing it, and flipping her body, but her movements gradually become too much to keep up with.

(It's so fast―― heavy!)

The weight of each blow increased.

The wooden sword that was swung out became so violent that it was releasing pressure, and it started to shake Fornelis' long gray hair.

If she took a step back, she would be crushed at once.

Instinctively perceiving it, Fornelis moved to avoid the attack but did not back away.

(This is the blood of the hero.)

Only a few months. Her experience and the time she spent training were different from Fornelis, who had been on the battlefield for many years.

And yet, Mariabelle's abilities had grown to the point where she was making Fornelis nervous, if only slightly.

Fornelis knew the speed of her growth. She had experienced it firsthand.

Hero.

Mariabelle's father, her comrade, and husband of her best friend.

He was a young man who at first seemed pathetic, but by the end of their journey, she felt proud to fight to protect his back.

She remembered his appearance and felt nostalgic――.

"Ah!?"

For a moment. She was so focused on attacking that her grip on the wooden sword became lax, and without missing a moment, Fornelis flicked the sword from her hand.

The dexterity with which she moved, even though she was using a large wooden sword, was a skill that Mariabelle had yet to acquire, and she couldn't help but let out a surprised squeal and follow the flying wooden sword with her eyes.

"Don't stop moving just because your sword is flicked. In times like this, keep your distance and buy yourself time to retrieve your weapon."

Tap*.

Fornelis's wooden sword fell on the defenseless head, making a light sound.

There was little pain, but Mariabelle was surprised and pressed her hand on the spot where she was struck.

"It's a good move. But there's also a lot of waste movements...... You're going to wear out a lot of energy if you move that much, right?"

"Y-yes..."

In fact, when the attack was interrupted, she immediately felt exhausted, and Mariabelle was desperately trying to get oxygen into her lungs as her shoulders moved up and down.

"When you're on the offensive, you forget about your fatigue. But you have a finite amount of energy, and you have to remember how much you can move―― don't forget that."

"Yes……"

She thought she could win.

She remembered that the momentary gap would be fatal.

(I need to concentrate more.)

She repeatedly took deep breaths to regulate her breathing for a short time.

By the time Mariabelle unveiled her wooden sword, her breathing had calmed down to the point where it was no different than normal.

(What toughness... like a beastmen or better.)

Fornelis had heard from Meltia that before the slime had attacked, Mariabelle had been a mediocre student at the Academy of Magic, with only average grades.

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In just a few months, she had caught up with herself, who prided herself on being the strongest of the beastmen, and her physical strength alone was probably comparable to that of a well-trained beast warrior.

"You guys are as amazing as ever."

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"? What's the matter, Fornelis-sama?"

What came out of her mouth was not jealousy or envy, but just pure amazement.

How strong will she become? How far will she grow?

As a warrior, she envied her, but she also wanted to see where she would go.

"Mariabelle!!"

The sound of the second round of sword fight was about to echo through the training ground, but it was interrupted by a loud voice.

It was not just Mariabelle and Fornelis...... but also the warriors in the training ground who were fascinated by the fight between the two, who turned their gaze towards the voice.

There stood a pretty woman with beautiful silver hair and a gentle smile on her face.

"Onee-sama!"

Mariabelle immediately replied.

The elder sister, Meltia, was a beautiful Elven woman with the blood of her mother, Leticia, Queen of Fonteau, in her veins.

She wore a soft, pale pink dress and hurried to Mariabelle's side, but with a firm gait that did not compromise her elegance.

"You were here. How were you? Are you hurt..."

"I'm fine. I'm so relieved you're okay, onee-sama."

"Yeah, yeah. It's okay, Maria. I promised I won't leave you alone......"

Meltia called out to Mariabelle and looked down at her entire body as though to say goodbye to the months they had been apart.

She was dressed not in royal dress but in training clothes that gave the impression of being active, and bruises could be seen slightly on her chest and the backs of her hands.

Noticing that, Meltia narrowed her eyes sadly but quickly tightened her expression.

"Fornelis-sama. Thank you for training Mariabelle."

She then bowed to Fornelis, who stood behind Mariabelle.

The one who had hurt her sister.

However, that was proof that she had trained her sister so that she would not die. She was grateful, but she could not hate her.

Rather, she bowed her head in gratitude for the fact that she was royalty, the daughter of her best friend, and that her sister had not been neglected.

"More than that―― ah no. Looks like you've had enough of that, Jenna."

It was not the sisters who had an emotional reunion, but the blonde priestess who came into the training ground late―― the woman who was called the "saint", Fornelis' expression brightened.

"I'm glad to see you're doing well, Fornelis."

"The only thing I have going for me is my energy. And you?"

One step behind Jenna, there was a woman with unkempt chestnut hair.

The woman with the large black-rimmed glasses, which seemed to cover half of her face, looked around the training area somewhat relaxed, then straightened up and bowed to Fornelis.

"This is―― Kara is studying the power of the Goddess Fasalina. She's the one who came up with the poison that lured the slimes."

"……poison?"

"Yeah, poison. You figured it wouldn't work against a slime, right?"

"Well, that's right. I don't think the poison would work on a slime..."

Jenna smiled at her frank opinion.

It was not a matter of believing or not believing. She thought it was normal to wonder―― genuinely wonder whether poison worked on a slime that used poison.

"But it worked on the slime that came to the holy kingdom of Lishlua...... It was able to defeat the slime without using any magic."

"I see. It's been proven to work―― Okay, let's hear it."

When Fornelis had said that, she looked at the sisters, who were both happy to see each other safe and sound.

"Mariabelle, training is suspended. Let's talk about what we should do in the future."

"So you're saying we need the "Valhari flower" to make a poison that works on the slime?"

"Yes. There aren't any in the vicinity of Lishlua, but I'm pretty sure there are some in Grabalt, right?"

"There is, but..."

In the royal castle of Grabalt, a place where meetings were held with knights and warriors from other countries and races, there was a round table where dozens of people could gather in one place.

Surrounding the round table were beastmen, demi-humans, fairies, as well as mages from Fonteau and warrior priests from Lishlua.

The topic of discussion was the "Poison that could kill the slime"...... and securing the ingredients for it.

The Valhari flower...... originally just a white flower with no medicinal properties, but by using a potion invented by Kara that reversed the power of the goddess, it could separate the slime's core from the mucus that the slime controlled.

It had already been proven to be effective, and all that was left to do was to collect a large number of Valhari flowers......

"Valhari flowers are found deep in the forest and the forest is dimly lit and a great hunting ground for the slimes...... just collecting the flowers will cost you a lot."

A centaur warrior, whose lower half was a horse, muttered.

They also use the forest as a hunting ground, but in the case of the slimes, they were really "assimilated into the ground".

It was not uncommon nowadays to be attacked by a slime when they were walking and before they knew it, they had already stepped on it.

The slimes, which have no concept of time, have no difficulty in mimicking the surrounding nature and could remain active for several days without sleeping, eating, or drinking.

If they had gone to collect the flowers in the depths of a forest full of slimes, it was inevitable that the troops would be wiped out or hit hard.

Everyone in the room thought, though they didn't say it out loud, that it would be a waste of time if they lost their strength in order to defeat the slime.

The heavy air in the room gave voice to that thought.

"But if we don't do something about it, we'll be wiped out by the slime―― no, they're going to use the goddess' barrier in Lishlua to isolate us."

"What do you mean?"

Kara raised her voice to break the heavy atmosphere.

Jenna supplemented her explanation.

"The barrier of the goddess Fasalina in Lishlua have already been breached by the slime."

"......Then, does that mean that Lishlua has been wiped out? No, you were able to push them back, with the help of the warrior priests?"

In response to Fornelis' question, Jenna shook her head.

"In Kara's estimation, the slimes could have invaded Lishlua at any time. The more I hear about it, the more I agree―― they have already passed through the strongest barrier of all, the goddess' barrier."

"You mean they know how to get through?"

"But the slime that had invaded...... strangely enough, the human-shaped slime did not use its comrades to invade Lishlua."

"...Wait, a human-shaped slime?"

"Yes. The slime continued to evolve―― we don't know yet if that particular individual is special or if it's just a mutation of the slime as a whole......"

At those words, everyone gathered in the room turned pale.

They had never seen or heard of a slime in the form of a human before.

After destroying the land of the elves and spreading across the continent, the slime in human form was just a bad nightmare.

"......No, let's get back to it. So why did the slime not destroy Lishlua?"

"Kara predicted that it was to protect humanity from other monsters."

"Slimes protecting humanity? Is that a bad joke?"

"No, Fornelis. To the slime...... we humans are their food, and they want more of us."

As expected, she did not say that they need a tool to make them give birth to a child, so she muddled her words there.

"However, if the slimes continued to dominate, humanity will be annihilated and people will disappear from this continent...... When that happens, what will the slimes do? What are they supposed to do?"

"There will be nothing to do......?"

"Yes. I don't know what will happen after that, but the slimes will not be able to multiply―― at worst, the monsters will kill each other, but even that will eventually come to an end."

"Jenna, you don't think those lumps of mucus are thinking about the future, do you?"

That was the worst thing she could imagine.

Just the thought of humanity being controlled by the slime made her want to vomit.

"The possibility is infinitely high. The barrier of Lishlua are just the right "fence" for the slimes, and it's not to keep the livestock from escaping, but as a barrier to protect them from other monsters."

At Kara's words, Fornelis punched the round table with all her strength.

The impact was so strong that several fairies who were sitting on the round table were lifted into the air because there were no chairs that fit their small body, and everyone in the room fell silent.

Her gray hair stood on end and her clenched teeth snapped in anger.

"All right―― that's enough. So what do you want us to do?"

"If it is too difficult to collect the flowers in Grabalt, we'll have to collect it from somewhere else."

"Well...... it's safer than going through the woods where the visibility is poor."

"...Fonteau?"

When she heard that, Mariabelle raised her voice.

"Yes. The Valhari flower was your father and mother's favorite flower. In the past, flower beds were made and many flowers were blooming in Fonteau, Valhari is the national flower and is planted everywhere in the country."

"That's where the slimes gather the most!? ...... Who's going to collect it?"

A young man with wings on his back asked that, his voice becoming a whisper at the end.

It was easy to imagine that either way one chose to go, through the forest or to the country overrun by slime, one would not be able to come back safely―― anyone could easily imagine that.

Silence dominated the place for more than ten seconds.

"We'll talk about this tomo――."

It was when Fornelis tried to avoid the topic.

"I will go."

Mariabelle raised her hand.

With a dignified voice, chest outstretched, and firm eyes, she looked around at all the different races surrounding the round table.

"I have some knowledge of the area and, well, I have my father's sword."

"No! Mariabelle, you're still――."

"Maria, no. You are our last hope... If we lose the blood of the hero."

Fornelis and Jenna were the first to reject it.

Naturally.

Mariabelle was still immature as a swordswoman and would lead humanity as a hero.

No matter how effective it was against slime, she should not risk her life to find the flower.

However, Mariabelle had no doubts.

Rather, she felt that it was precisely because of the situation.

"That's why, Fornelis-sama, Jenna-sama. It is precisely because of times like these that I want to take the initiative to stand in the front lines and show my power.

Not only with the title of being the daughter of a hero but also with my abilities―― so that I can be trusted by everyone in times of need, in times of importance."

It was not a heroic desire.

To be trusted as the "hero" rather than a "hero's daughter" when she led many soldiers, knights, and warriors to fight the slime one day.

Just as her father went ahead to fight the monsters, gained their trust, united humanity, and defeated the Demon King.

Mariabelle also had no choice but to step forward and fight.

In order to become a "hero" who was trusted by everyone, she couldn't just train in the safety of Grabalt's castle.

She understood that.

"Maria―― Your determination won't change, right?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, onee-sama...... I might make you worry, but I'll be back."

Responding to Meltia's words, the hero's sister shook her head.

"I will go too. I will protect you with my magic. I promise."

"I'm sorry to interrupt your excitement, but... Of course, I'll go too, okay?"

"Kara-sama..."

"No, it's not an emotional moment. If I can collect a Valhari flower, I can make a poison on the spot. It will increase your chances of making it back alive, right?"

That was three people.

"I'm coming with you, Mariabelle."

"Fornelis-sama and Jenna-sama, you will take command here in Grabalt. The worst thing that can happen is that we have nowhere to come back to."

"Mu……"

"Me too?"

"Jenna-sama needs to unite all who have just arrived from Lishlua...... Even though the entire continent is in danger, there may be some problems in other countries."

That was reasonable, too.

Even if there was a crisis, it was common for different countries to have different living conditions, which could cause problems and conflicts.

It was well understood by Mariabelle, who had been training, albeit inexperienced, in Grabalt as the princess of Fonteau.

It was because she was the daughter of the hero. She was the bearer of the holy sword. There were more than a few people who did not think well of her just hiding in a safe place.

In order to be recognized by them, she stood up with the holy sword in her hand.

"I understand. But at the very least, you should leave tomorrow. You need to prepare for your journey."

Thus, the next objective was decided.

The search for the Valhari flower, a poison that would be effective against the slime.

The first adventure of the princess of Fonteau, the daughter of the hero, Mariabelle, and her companions began.

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