Inside the Cave of Obscenity (WN): Volume 6 - 1

 

Episode 1: Subsequent Anomalies

 Several months have passed since Mariabelle and the others fought the Black Ooze in the royal castle of Fonteau.

 Strangely enough, after the Black Ooze was defeated, the slimes disappeared from the royal capital.

 Although they could still be seen in the country, no major attacks by the slimes have occurred in the past few months.

 Kara seemed to think that it was because they had defeated the giant slime, the origin and that they had no feelings of revenge against them.

 Just because a companion or one of their kind was defeated did not directly lead to action.

 It was a completely different kind of thinking from that of a human being. In her laboratory, which was newly built in the country in conjunction with the reconstruction of Fonteau, the slime that they caught was still being carried and studied.

 Oddly enough, over the past two years, the number of slime species had increased.

 Some of them even began to imitate the shape of other creatures, like beasts, instead of its typical oval shape, which had recently begun to increase.

 Kara seemed to be concerned about that change, as it seemed to be a sign of something unusual......

 And now, the royal capital of Fonteau.

 The women who were freed from the slimes were so terrible that some of them were still receiving treatment, but they were healing their physical and emotional wounds with the help of the warrior priests dispatched from the holy kingdom of Lishlua.

 The destroyed royal capital was filled with vitality for reconstruction with support from various countries, and people were gathering in Fonteau more than before.

"Good work. Did you notice anything unusual?"

"No, it's okay. There's nothing unusual, Mariabelle-sama, Meltia-sama."

"Good morning. Leticia-sama had a good complexion and ate her breakfast beautifully."

"I see."

"Thank you, Fiana-san, Tiana-san"

 Mariabelle and Meltia, who were in-charged of the reconstruction on behalf of the queen, came to their mother's bedroom, Queen Leticia, as they did every morning.

 After being subjected to sexual activities and having her mana absorbed for a year, Leticia's fatigue was worse than the others, and after embracing her two daughters after the battle, she fell into a coma for several days.

 She managed to get better after Jenna kept using a miracle of recovery, but for the next month, she was unable to move properly.

 Even so, in the past few months, Leticia's health had recovered and she was now able to look around the place while exercising.

 However, she was still not in a good enough condition to go out, and like the other women in the country, the Queen was also recuperating.

 Informing Leticia of the situation in the country was their daily routine and having a family conversation.

 When they visited the bedroom, Fiana, a silver-haired female knight, and Tiana, a purple-haired maid, were standing at the entrance.

 Although the slime had disappeared, the queen's bedroom, in particular, was guarded by at least two knights or maids who could fight, as they never knew what might happen.

 Even these two were in a bad state when they were rescued.

 Fiana was so weak that she could not stand on her own feet, and Tiana was so mentally devoted that she went crazy about the absence of the slime.

 Thanks to the priests' treatment, the two have calmed down, but they still sometimes feel uneasy about the absence of the slime, and at the same time, they were unusually wary of the corners of the room.

 They wondered if time would solve their emotional wounds as the country recovered.

 With such anxiety in their eyes, Mariabelle greeted them.

"May I come in?"

"Of course, Meltia-sama. Leticia-sama is waiting for you."

"Both of you, rest well after work settles down."

"Thank you, Mariabelle-sama."

 The two bowed and opened the door leading to Leticia's bedroom.

 It was plain on the inside with almost no decorations, and many of the decorations had been sold to help with the reconstruction.

 Even under these circumstances, money was necessary for reconstruction.

 The bishops from Lishlua were particularly strict about it, and even though they offered free aid, they would raise the quality of their services if Fonteau offered money.

 Jenna bowed her head due to that, but Leticia laughed at the idea of such a relationship between countries.

"Good morning, okaa-sama."

"Are you sure it's all right to get up already?"

"Yeah―― I'm sorry for worrying both of you, Maria, Meltia."

 The two of them were not dressed in traveling clothes with swords, staffs, and armor.

 The two beautiful princesses, dressed in black and peach-colored dresses, cast a worried glance at the queen, Leticia, who wore a pure white dress, but Leticia smiled back at the two girls.

"It's already been three months since then. I can't keep resting."

 It had been three months since they defeated the Black Ooze.

 The world had regained its peace, and the menace seemed to have been a bad dream...... However, the royal capital of Fonteau, the royal castle, and various villages and ruins in the country have been ravaged by slimes, and it was a terrible situation.

 It would take several years to restore all of them, but after surviving the invasion of the Demon King, humanity would be able to move forward while recovering its strength.

 Believing that, Leticia smiled at her two daughters.

"You two should take a break. From now on, I will――."

"No. This much... it's nothing compared to the pain that the people of the country suffered from the slimes."

"Let us do something for our country, okaa-sama."

"Oh dear."

 Leticia was surprised by their words, and then her face broke into a smile.

"Both of you have grown up......"

"That's..."

"It's not that we've grown up, it's that we've found something we have to do―― maybe."

"That's right."

 Leticia nodded slowly and firmly, pleased with her daughter's growth.

"Thank you. Since I can't move around yet, could you take a look around the capital?"

"Of course."

"Leave it to me, okaa-sama."

"Fufu―― If Mariabelle goes, everyone will be happy to see her."

 Hero Mariabelle. No one on the continent did not know that name.

 The Black Ooze was said to have brought down Fonteau in just one day.

 The hero who defeated the Black Ooze.

 With black hair and eyes inherited from her father that was summoned from the other world, and the one who inherited the goddess' equipment, Mariabelle was now a great hero, as the bard's song goes.

"I hope so."

"You're getting cheerful. You used to be so shy that you could not go out in public."

"Maria is a girl who can do her best for the people of her country."

"Yeah―― Meltia, you have to support her, okay?"

"Yes."

 In response, Leticia felt her shoulders lighten at her firm reply.

 It would be an overstatement to call it a generational shift. But as her daughter grew up and surpassed her parents, she realized that.......

 She suddenly felt her tear glands loosen and cleared her throat.

"It's okay. People will get through this tragedy and move forward again...... This time, you will be the ones to support them."

"......Yes. But people are strong. They've helped me many times―― maybe it's me who they were supporting."

"Yes. You've found reliable, trustworthy companions."

 Kara and Fenelieka.

 Remembering Fornelis, Jenna, and many others who had fought with them in Fonteau, Mariabelle and Meltia nodded in unison.

"Letitia, I have a few questions for you....... Should we talk about it later?"

 As they were talking, after a light knock, Fornelis came to visit the Queen's private chambers.

 Although it was the queen's private room, she didn't seem to be nervous, in fact, she seemed as casual as she was visiting a friend's room.

 The owner of the room didn't seem to be surprised by Fornelis' arrival and looked at her with a warm smile on her face.

 Perhaps she misunderstood that and thought that she had interrupted a family moment.

 Fornelis then turned around to leave the room in a hurry.

 Leticia laughed and shook her head at her best friend's words.

"No, it's okay, Fornelis. What's wrong?"

"Yeah, we've had some slime sightings from the guys who've been patrolling. We need to borrow a few more people......"

"Yes, please. Are you going to be there?"

"Yes, I will. I want to eradicate the slimes with my own hands."

 Her words were strong, in the opinion of all present, typical of Fornelis.

"Jenna is not going to be able to leave the church today. I know she hasn't been able to rest lately, so could you fill in for her? She's been working too hard."

"Yeah―― I'll talk to the ministers and see if there's anyone who can use healing...... Then, Mariabelle, Meltia. I'm going to ask you to take a look around the capital. But be careful with the sewers."

 Perhaps she had a bad feeling about the cause of the fall of Fonteau, but Leticia could still remember it vividly even after a year had passed.

 The sewers that run beneath the royal capital.

 It was supposed to be a water control system devised by the hero from another world, but it became a home for the slime, and the monster grew as it ate up the filth that was there.

 It was still off-limits, and several knights patrol the area every day.

"I understand."

"Yes―― then excuse us, okaa-sama, Fornelis-sama."

 Meltia bowed elegantly, followed by Mariabelle.

 Fiana and Tiana were still standing outside the room, and after bowing to them, Mariabelle and Meltia left their mother's room.

 When they walked a little, they saw Kara, who had long unkempt chestnut-colored hair, and Fenelieka, who walked with her shoulders down behind Kara.

"Kara!!"

"Hmm? Ah, Mariabelle-sama. Meltia-sama too."

"It's been a long time, Kara...... By the way, why are you still addressing me with sama?"

"Well, you're the princess of a country."

"You said that if I called you Kara, you'd stop calling me that."

"I don't remember."

 At those words, Mariabelle dropped her shoulders like a normal girl, not a hero or a princess of a country.

 Meltia and Fenelieka smiled at the situation, and Kara scratched her head messily with sleepy eyes, not thinking she had done anything wrong.

"By the way, I overheard that the hero's shield is enshrined in this country.

"I think it's a fairly famous story, rather than overhearing it by eavesdropping..."

"I'm not familiar with anything other than studying the power of Fasalina and studying the slimes biology."

 Kara continued to speak while listening to Meltia's words without hesitation.

"I'd like to take a look at it, but when I talked to a knight about it, he got angry."

"For some reason, I'm with you too!!"

 Fenelieka said with anger, expressing it in her shoulders, apparently having gotten into trouble again.

 Next, she approached Mariabelle, looking like she was about to cry.

 Mariabelle smiled bitterly because it didn't look like the usual laid-back Fenelieka, and she could easily imagine that she was involved.

"It might have been a bad idea to be with a monster after all."

"No matter what you think, it's true, because you're a monster, right? It's only natural that they would suspect that you're trying to destroy the hero's equipment."

"If you had consulted me, I would have led you to the treasury immediately."

 Meltia, dumbfounded, looked coldly at Fenelieka, who was slipping closer to Mariabelle, and let out a sigh.

 She still didn't fully trust her as she was a monster, but she understood that they fought together and saved her life many times, so she was somewhat feeling complicated.

 But she didn't think it was the kind of look one would give to the person who saved their life. Fenelieka seemed to be amused by her sincere reaction, and as though to show it to Meltia, she pressed her skin close to Mariabelle's and deliberately asked for help.

"Um, Fenelieka-san? Can you please not get too attached to Maria, since other people were watching in the hall?"

"Ara, so you don't mind if there's no other people watching?"

"......I don't think that's the problem."

"Fufu―― But if you wanted to see father's shield, you should have told me."

 If they had consulted either one of them, they could have easily seen it...... but since they didn't do that, maybe it was just too much trouble.

 In fact, she would be convinced if they said that they came up with the idea this morning and came straight from the capital to consult it with a soldier.

 It was typical of Kara, but Fenelieka, who was involved, was angry.

"Mou, how many times do you think I've helped Meltia? I'm not saying that she should lose her prejudice against monsters, but she could be a little nicer to me~"

 However, having said that, Fenelieka and the other succubus were allowed to stay in the royal capital and live off the small amount of life force they received from the men while helping with the reconstruction.

 In the future, succubus and other monsters that could communicate with each other may join the human race, just as humans, beastmen, and demi-humans do.

"I'm so grateful―― It's not that I don't remember you helping me, but I only remember...... a little bit."

"You remember a little bit. Thanks."

"You're being very honest today――⁉ Are you planning something⁉"

"That's a horrible thing to say...... It's cute that you're not being honest about it."

 However, the relationship between Fenelieka and Meltia was a delicate one.

 A succubus who lent her power to a princess and a hero of a country. Fenelieka was the only succubus who was allowed to enter the royal castle, and she sometimes made fun of Meltia when they meet like this.

 The two princesses have been busy with their duties, so the conversation with the comrades who fought together like this calmed them down, and their faces naturally lit up with smiles.

"Fufu, don't quarrel, onee-sama, Fenelieka. Oh yes, would you like to see father's shield?"

"Oh, you don't mind, do you?"

"Why are you the first to react? ......Well, I'm not really interested."

"If you looked at it, You'd be sick with its majesty, monster."

"Yeah, yeah......, but I'm bored, so I might as well look at it."

"You always have a lot to say."

"It's funny because that's how you get involved, princess."

 Accompanied by the giggling Fenelieka, the four of them went underground.

 They took a different staircase from the one that led to the dungeon and headed for the treasury.

 The two princesses reported that the place was clean when Fonteau was freed, perhaps because the slime was not interested in the treasure and feared the goddess's power that the hero's shield was releasing.

"It's been a long time since I've seen our father's shield."

"You used to sleep with the shield as a pillow, Maria."

"...Your neck is going to hurt with that pillow."

"Haha. For me, our father's personal belongings were a precious treasure."

 They were able to get to the treasury quickly. There was no interference from the slime, and with the two princesses there, there was no interference from the knights on guard.

 The area was a little chilly but not as cold as the dungeon, and Fenelieka was gazing at some of the ornaments.

"This wa......"

"Maria?"

 Mariabelle, who was walking to lead them, stopped.

 Her face twisted in astonishment, and her eyes widened.

 There was nothing there that should have been there.

 The treasure of the country―― the connection with her father. A treasure that had allowed Mariabelle to connect with her father since she was a child.

 The hero's shield.

 It had disappeared.