Episode 3: The Day before Departure
That day, there was a lot of noise in the castle of Fonteau from the morning.
A messenger from the holy kingdom of Lishlua, a believer of the goddess, visited the castle to explain what had happened.
"Fasalina-sama herself was working with the new hero from the other world."
Leticia, who had recently recovered and was dealing with the messenger in the throne room, let out a surprised voice that was not like her normal voice.
The throne room, which had been freed from the Black Ooze's control and was decorated with glittering ornaments, was the very image of the country that had been founded by the hero of another world.
The luxurious furnishings were destroyed in the Black Ooze's attack, but the simple but beautiful furnishings that have been decorated now were more suited to Fonteau, which was in the midst of reconstruction.
The stained glass windows that had been broken were now covered with thin glass, but from behind them, the voices of the people who were enthusiastic about the reconstruction could be heard, which brightened Leticia's spirits as she went about her duties.
It was a long time ago when the people were building their country with support from other countries.
When her husband, a hero from another world, was still in this world, she felt the expectation for the future.
The fact that she could feel it again was inappropriate, but Leticia could feel as though she had encountered the joy of that moment again.
……But today, that feeling had faded, and a heavy fog cooled down the depths of her chest.…….
"This matter is major."
"Yes. It was true that Mariabelle-sama, who carried the blood of the previous hero, had inherited a strong power, but she was not the hero officially chosen by the goddess. Fasalina-sama informed us that she could not hear her voice.
"I see……"
"However, Mariabelle-sama has done a remarkable job in saving Fonteau. We hope that she will be able to save the world with our new hero."
Leticia slightly lowered her eyes at the messenger's words.
She didn't care what people think of her daughter as a hero.
As a mother, Mariabelle was just her dear daughter.
But how should she react when she was told that Mariabelle herself could not hear the Goddess Fasalina's voice―― that she was an imperfect hero.
She was worried about that.
......But she didn't have time to think about it for long.
"And Fasalina-sama came down to this land... and went missing."
"Yes. When Fasalina-sama was working with the new hero, we lost contact with the priestess who was her medium."
"I suppose you could say that she was caught off guard by the monster."
"Please keep it to yourself, Leticia-sama. If the goddess were to be defeated by a monster, it would unsettle the believers all over the continent."
"I know."
Leticia, who had received the approximate report from her subordinate a few days earlier, was not surprised by the report, but she was still aware of the heaviness in her heart.
Although the reconstruction of the country was still far from complete, the sense of liberation from the domination of the monsters has led to a higher level of activity in Fonteau than in other countries.
Streets that used to be lined up with stalls selling not only daily necessities and miscellaneous goods but also simple food and various buildings being reconstructed by contractors who specialize in construction from various countries......
(Just then, such a big problem arose again......)
Leticia was also one of the believers of the goddess Fasalina, but at a time when the reconstruction of Fonteau was getting on track, the thought of being the queen of a country inevitably came to mind.
However, she did not show it on her face, and Leticia lowered her eyes as though in thought.
"You're suggesting that we send a search party from Fonteau as well?"
"Yes. The Goddess and the new hero―― It's a problem that has caused Akane-sama to disappear, so Jenna-sama told me that if possible, the hero Mariabelle would like to join the search."
"I see……"
As a mother, she was tired from fighting the Black Ooze and want to give her daughter a break from helping her with her work these days.
As a queen, however, she felt that Mariabelle should join.
Between the two emotions of a mother and a queen, however, Leticia had to prioritize her decision as queen.
It was the duty of the queen, the person in charge of the country.
"I understand. I will tell Mariabelle about it."
"Thank you very much."
"So, do you have a clear idea of where to search? There were reports from Fiana and Kara who were searching the "Hero's Shield"."
However, the report goes that they saw a humanoid slime, a black-haired woman, and a priestess in the forest of "Grabalt", the land of beastmen.
The forests of Grabalt were so vast that they cover much of the continent, and even just "exploring the forests" would require a considerable amount of manpower.
Moreover, there were reports of slimes that have appeared in the form of monsters.
If they were to consider not only personnel but also equipment and countermeasures, how much money and time would be needed for that alone?
Leticia wanted at least to get some information about the extent of the forest.
"Yes. Fasalina-sama disappeared after passing through a certain village in the forest that a warrior priest from Lishlua......"
"Then. we should look near that village."
Leticia had one of the maids at her side prepare a map of Grabalt and spread it out in front of the messenger.
Unlike Fonteau, it was a country with more than 70% covered with forests.
Even if it was only a part of the forest, the exhausting search in the forest was too much for the soldiers of Fonteau, where most of the land was leveled.
It would be the same for Mariabelle, who had excellent intuition as a hero.
"Jenna thought that Grabalt, which was a deep forest that was difficult to explore, should send Mariabelle-sama and soldiers from Grabalt who were skilled in traveling in the forests and send Lishua and Fonteau soldiers to other areas."
"I see. Grabalt's soldiers... If Fornelis is with them, I could rest assured that they would be safe in exploring the forests."
Leticia made some more decisions with the messenger, and then the messenger would return to Lishlua with the message.
Tonight, he would rest in the castle of Fonteau, and as the messenger was escorted by one of the maids, Leticia called for Tiana, a maid who could also fight, that was waiting at a distance.
"Fiana hasn't returned from her search for the "Hero's Shield", right?"
Without a sound, Tiana, who had been waiting behind a pillar in a blind spot from the throne, appeared, and she stood in front of Leticia and quietly kneeled down.
The gesture was less wasteful than that of a refined knight, and the way the skirt of her black dress and white apron...... maid's uniform looked slightly showy in the throne room.
She had dark purple hair and white skin that shone against her black dress.
Her bosom was adorned with a frilly apron, and her waist, where the apron strings were tied, was surprisingly thin even for a woman.
Without the slightest movement of her doll-like expression, Tiana kneeled down in front of Leticia, and after a beat, she replied to Leticia's question.
"Yes. According to Kara-sama, she should be collecting information in the royal capital of Grabalt right now."
"Then send out a fast rider and contact Fiana. I'll send Mariabelle to join the search for Fasalina-sama...... I'll also give her a decree with my seal on it."
"I understand. Well then, I'll prepare a fast horse."
"......Even though you're not even fully recovered from that wound. I'm sorry to trouble you."
"No."
The word "wound" brought a momentary shadow to Tiana's expression, which was as innocent and emotionless as a doll's, but she quickly hid it.
Formerly an assassin who targeted notorious figures, Tiana was adept at masking her emotions, but her expression faltered slightly when she recalled the memory of being violated by the Black Ooze.
But that was true for all women in this country.
Everywhere in the country that was overrun by the Black Ooze, women were violated.
Men were eaten, and the women were used as a tool to give birth to a child...... and even though forced, they were given inhuman pleasure by the skill unknown to a man.
Even Tiana, who hid her emotions like a doll, broke down in a hapless expression and was kept doing so for more than a year―― a wound that even now, months later, she sometimes dreamt about and unconsciously fantasized about it.
If that was the case with Tiana, who had a strong mental state, what about the ordinary girls living in the royal capital?......
They were all happy to be back to their daily lives without showing it, but like Tiana, they probably have deep unseen emotional scars.
Leticia had a duty to help these girls get back to "normal" as soon as possible.
And for Tiana, it was her "job".
"So, Tiana. I'm looking forward to working with you."
"No, then, I'll prepare a horse... Excuse me."
When Tiana left the room, Mariabelle appeared in the throne room a few moments later.
The other maids must have called Mariabelle.
"Excuse me, Queen Leticia―― I was told to go to the throne room immediately, is there a problem?"
"Yes, don't be surprised, listen to me first."
The first thing Leticia did was to tell Mariabelle about the conversation she had just had with the messenger.
It was that the goddess Fasalina had descended to this land and disappeared with the new hero.
The place was in the forest of Grabalt, and she wanted her to go and search for the goddess.
"Fasalina-sama... was it the humanoid slime that Kara was talking about?"
"I can't be sure. But the fact that Fasalina's disappearance coincided with the confirmation of the humanoid slime didn't seem...... to be a coincidence."
"Yes, I thought so too."
"In addition, the report that I received from Fiana and Kara...... It was said that a person carrying the hero's shield had been confirmed in Grabalt."
Leticia cut off her words there and exhaled slowly.
"Perhaps we should assume the worst. If the humanoid slime is working with a human, then maybe that human has it."
"Father's shield...?"
"I'm not sure if it's to keep you from using it or for some other reasons...... Fasalina disappeared, a humanoid slime was seen, and the "Hero's Shield" was finally confirmed. It would be unnatural to say that all of that was just a coincidence."
"……Yes"
As for Mariabelle, she thought that even if the monster was confirmed, the female mage Frederica had the shield of the hero, there was no way she could use it.
However, as Leticia said, it was hard to believe that she had stolen it to prevent Mariabelle from using it.
Was it intuition?
A discomforting feeling like a small thorn remained in her chest.
"Yes. I'll keep that in mind."
"I don't think that person could use the "Hero's Shield", but if you were to choose between Fasalina-sama and the "Hero's Shield"..."
"I'll take care not to do that."
Mariabelle assured her and kneeled down in front of Leticia, who was a queen before she was a mother.
"We will rescue the goddess Fasalina. I promise."
"Thank you, Mariabelle."
Although they were mother and daughter, they acted as a queen and her subordinate so that the attendants around them would not feel that way.
It proved that they were not mixing their private and public life into something else, and as the queen, it showed how Leticia felt when she had to give instructions to her daughter as well.
(I'm sorry, I have to rely on you again, Maria.)
In truth, Leticia didn't even want Mariabelle to fight anymore.
Even though she had the aptitude to use the equipment of the hero, Mariabelle was her own beloved daughter.
Now that the threat of the Black Ooze was over, she wanted her to stay in Fonteau as a princess.
That was what she had been thinking.
However, in less than a year, another problem had arisen, and it was a problem that only Mariabelle could handle.
"How much better it would be if I could accompany you......."
"No, that feeling is enough. It is more important for you to protect this country and take care of yourself."
If the psychological trauma caused by the Black Ooze and her mana had yet to be fully recovered, she could have gone out on the battlefield with her own staff.
Leticia's words were filled with such emotions, but Mariabelle accepted her mother's words gently and worried about her.
Not as a hero, but as a daughter.
Delighted by that thoughtfulness, and happy that her daughter had grown up, Leticia nodded slowly with a soft smile, a change from when she had been talking to the messenger.
"I have to protect Fonteau―― when you're gone huh."
"Yes."
After a really short conversation between mother and daughter, Mariabelle stood up.
"Then I will leave now. How about my companions?"
"I have to send out another mission to the Order. I'm sorry, but could you go...... with the people you think you can trust?"
"Yes, of course―― how about onee-sama?"
"She has grown as a mage over the past year. I'm sure she'll be able to protect your back...... Promise me, that you'll both come back to me."
"Yes."
Mariabelle said and left the throne room to call out to her friends.
A feeling floated up in her chest that she was going to travel with her friends once again.
Her sister, Meltia, the succubus Fenelieka, who coexisted with humans, and her friend, Kara.
Considering that for the past year or so, she had not been able to talk to her sister much due to the reconstruction of the country, Mariabelle...... felt a little lighter in her heart, although it was inappropriate.
It was a journey with her friends.
Mariabelle thought that traveling was probably a better fit for her than living in a cramped royal castle.
It was an inappropriate feeling for a princess of a country.
A part of her was a little disappointed...... that she would never be able to travel with her friends again.
Now that it would come true―― the goddess Fasalina was missing, the humanoid slime has been discovered, and monster-shaped slimes were showing all over the continent.
She was sure that they could solve the problem.
Mariabelle thought positively and first went to her sister, who was performing the duties in place of their mother.
...
Meltia was helping her mother with her duties in the castle to reduce her burden, Fenelieka was dividing up the work among the monsters that understand human language to help with the reconstruction of the capital, and Kara was developing a new poison for the monsters in a laboratory built away from the capital.
Everyone was engaged in the reconstruction of the capital and countermeasures against monsters, and the workload had only increased rather than decreased over the past year.
In particular, the amount of work for the reconstruction of the capital had continued to increase, as there was talk of creating a larger country than before as a memorial to being freed from monsters.
The lumber was brought in from Grabalt, engineers were hired for their construction skills, food and wages were distributed when the necessary workers were hired, Fenelieka and the other succubus who excel in socializing take care of them and examine the problems, and Meltia processed the documents that were compiled every day.
And Kara, in order to deal with the monsters that attacked those transporters―― most recently, slimes in the form of monsters, created a modified version of Valhari's Blessed Water and began mass-producing it to distribute to the guards.
Not only that, but rumors were spreading that an even more powerful poison was also available.......
The first thing Mariabelle did was to call out to Meltia, who was also working in the castle, but her sister had urgent business to work on.
"I heard about it from Okaa-sama. Apparently, I'm going to change job tomorrow, so we'll meet up afterward."
"Yes...... Is there anything I can help you with, Onee-sama?"
When Mariabelle visited Meltia's private room and said so, the sister princess smiled so brightly.
A soft, warm smile.
It was different from her mother's smile, which was like a large flower stretching toward the sky.
Mariabelle loved her sister's bright smile and wanted to help her in any way she could.
But Meltia shook her head.
"Fufu. You don't have to worry about it, Maria. I will do the paperwork like this, and you will go around the country and show the people that you are doing well―― feeling close to you, the hero, is what the people living in this country need right now."
"Is my presence...... that important?"
"Of course. Just the thought of you being there for me, protecting me, gives me strength. Including all of the people."
Meltia affirmed and placed the quill in her hand on the desk.
As she raised her arms and turned her back to loosen her tired shoulders from office work, it would emphasize her chest, which stretched the fabric to the left and right as though she were forcibly stuffing two large fruits.
Even with the dress and underwear holding them down, her large breasts were still noticeably larger than they had been a year ago and were almost on par with her mother Leticia's, who had even more ample limbs not typical to an elf.
In fact, if they were this big when held down by her underwear, they may actually be bigger than her mother's.
However, her shoulders and waist were surprisingly thin and delicate, as though they could be easily broken if hugged with a little force.
If Mariabelle was a dignified knight, Meltia was a dainty princess or a pretty doll.
But in fact, her magic skills were already comparable to her mother's, who was considered the strongest in the continent, and a year ago, she and Mariabelle fought the Black Ooze.
Her appearance of being released from the tension from work, who was excellent as a mage, was shown only in front of Mariabelle, who was a relative and didn't care about any hierarchical relationship, and Mariabelle knew that, so she relaxed her shoulders.
"I'm sorry, Onee-sama."
"I can't use our father's equipment, so I can't share the burden of responsibility you're carrying...... So at least let me do these small, difficult things."
Meltia then picked up one of the documents on her desk and shook it so that Mariabelle could see it.
"I want to help you, just as you care for me."
"……Onee-sama."
"We're sisters. Let's help each other, shall we?"
"Yes."
At Meltia's words of concern, Mariabelle smiled sincerely for the first time in the past few days.
Even though she lived in the royal castle, which could be called her home, there were many knights and servants around her who believed in her as a hero, so she had no time to relax.
If a problem didn't arise like this, she wouldn't have an excuse to meet with her sister―― how troublesome and restrictive was the royal family?
Perhaps Mariabelle was a little tired of the responsibilities of royalty and the pressure of being a hero, which she hadn't known a few years ago when she was living as a mere princess before the Black Ooze took control of the royal castle in Fonteau.
"I'll see you later, then. I'll join you after this work is done."
"Yes, I'll be waiting for you, Onee-sama."
As the stuffiness in her heart lifted, Mariabelle felt as though her vision had expanded slightly.
As she unconsciously looked around, the sight of Meltia's private room entered her mind.
(I couldn't even see what was right next to me.)
That was how much pressure she was feeling.
Meltia's room had few personal belongings, unlike before the Black Ooze attacked.
It used to be a lovely room decorated with cute stuffed animals and lots of frills.
Now, however, the room was filled with practical things like a bed and tables, and not a single stuffed animal.
The "stuffed animal" was an imitation of a pet animal devised by their father, a hero from another world...... She took into consideration that she would have a lot of visitors due to the fact that she did the paperwork in her private room.
Since it was a private room, the only visitors would probably be maids or female knights who she knew very well, but a princess of a country would lose her dignity if she had a lot of stuffed animals in her private room.
Just.
"You don't have any cute stuffed animals, huh?......"
"Jeez, I'm not a kid anymore. I'm done with the stuffed animals."
Meltia thought she was being ridiculous and spoke immediately, but Mariabelle was really disappointed.
(I felt safe when I hugged a cute stuffed animal......)
On the other hand, if she, a hero, went into town and bought a stuffed animal, she might lose her dignity as the hero.
When she thought about it, she certainly have to graduate from stuffed animals......
"Haah..."
"What's so depressing about that? Look, you're going to visit the people you're traveling with, aren't you? Hurry up, Maria."
"Yes, Onee-sama, please don't overdo it, alright?"
"That's what I'm going to tell you, Maria...... This problem is also very big, but don't overdo it, okay?"
Mariabelle smiled at Meltia's concern and left her sister's private room.
Next was to leave the royal castle and go to the street from the royal capital.
Kara's laboratory was just around the corner, so Mariabelle took a horse and proceeded down the street.
Her clothes were the same as the ones she had been wearing at the royal castle.
The same jet-black dress that matched her waist-length black hair.
When she straddled the horse in that dress, which showed off her pure white skin peeking out from her wrists and neck, she exuded the dignity of a knight.
She was tall for a woman, but she stood tall, with her chest stretched in front of her and looking forward with a dignity that made anyone who saw her sigh.
"It's Mariabelle-sama..."
One of the men who was building houses along the street noticed Mariabelle's figure.
When one person noticed, the conversation spread to those around them, and then to those around them...... but everyone was too awestruck to speak to her.
It was not that they were afraid.
――It was scarily beautiful.
A dignified expression.
Her body had a few abundant parts, but that was why they could feel her neutral beauty.
And terrifyingly well-rounded good looks.
In the past year, Mariabelle had grown not only as a hero, but also as a woman, and although her breasts were below average, her beauty was such that people hesitate to call out to her regardless of gender.
When she rode her horse through the royal capital, people stop to look at her.
However, she was never approached.
(Am I really that scary?).
However, Mariabelle herself felt such things and felt a little lonely.
It was true that she was a hero who saved Fonteau with the hero's power.
That was why she thought that she was feared for her power.
In reality, though, it was just because she had grown into a terrifyingly beauty that they hesitated to call out to her.
(Even though Onee-sama was being approached by the people......)
A few months ago, She and her sister had a look around the royal capital.
At that time, many people gathered around Meltia, but Mariabelle felt depressed when she remembered that there were only a few people around her.
(I must learn to be as charming as Onee-sama.)
A royal family loved by the people.
It was the model of royalty and the image of royalty that Mariabelle was aiming for.
Her mother, her sister, and her father, whom she didn't remember but was told about from songs and people's memories, were all loved by the people.
She wanted to be like them, and in order to change the impression of them being afraid of her, she smiled at the people who were glancing at her in an unfamiliar way.
"――――"
The man who was suddenly smiled at by the princess of a country, and also by the famous hero Mariabelle, received a shock that almost made his heart stop, and as soon as he bowed, he looked away.
“…………”
At the sight of him, Mariabelle slumped her shoulders on her horse.
(I'll ask Onee-sama or Fenel what to do next time.)
Thinking about her sister, who was loved by the people, and the female succubus Fenelieka, who traveled with her before and was thinking of visiting her, Mariabelle felt depressed.
Even though the outside appearance of her body had grown, the inside of her body may be...... in some ways even more vulnerable than before.
But before, she was just self-consciously depressed because she was concerned about the fact that she was the only one with black hair in this world that was different from others.
Now she was just depressed about the reactions of the people around her, or should it be considered that she had moved on?
"Ara, hero-sama. It's unusual for you to come to such a place...... what's wrong?"
As she was feeling depressed on her own, a familiar voice reached her ears.
When she turned her gaze, she saw Fenelieka, who had gathered the chief carpenters who were planning the reconstruction of the royal capital and was discussing their future plans, looking at Mariabelle with a surprised face.
The place was... a tavern.
A map of the capital was spread out on a large table in front of the eaves of the building, which had been rebuilt with priority, and a wooden mug full of honey wine could be seen around it.
"Fenel-san, are you drinking in the daytime already?"
"It was a discussion, a discussion. Right, everyone?"
"Hahaha... that's right, princess."
The men in the group said it in a strained voice that was unimaginable given their stern faces and thickly muscled bodies that could be seen through their tank tops, and each hid a bottle of honey wine behind their backs.
Seeing that, Mariabelle sighed.
"I don't think it's a good idea to drink in the middle of the day...... I'm not saying it's a bad idea though."
"Fufu, you know what I mean. Meltia gets angry easily and points her staff at me."
"I think it's because Fenel-san is making fun of Onee-sama."
Mariabelle dismounted from her horse as she spoke.
Fenelieka tilted her head at the sight.
"I thought you were going somewhere?"
"Ah, yes. I'm going to go to Kara's laboratory, but I also have to talk to you, Fenel-san."
"Me? Am I going to take care of Meltia again?"
"......Onee-sama will be very upset with you for saying that, Fenel-san."
"She has a funny way of reacting when you make fun of her, doesn't she?"
"Jeez……"
Fenelieka's attitude had not changed since the first time she met her, but Mariabelle was aware that she felt lighter.
The people around her paled at the idea of a female succubus being so disrespectful to the princess of a country, but Mariabelle would rather have her talk to her more casually.
She didn't know the subtleties of that situation...... No, it was normal for there to be that much of a difference in status between royalty and mere citizens.
"......That's not what I meant. I'll be leaving the Royal Capital tomorrow, and I thought it would be reassuring if Fenel-san could come with me."
"Me? I'm not proud of it, but I can't do anything except fly, you know?"
"No, it's not. Fenel-san's presence makes the trip more enjoyable, and I'm sure Onee-sama will be pleased."
"Meltia is coming with you? If so, I'll go. We haven't seen each other much lately."
"Really?"
"Yes. I'll leave the work to the other succubus...... it's fine, right?"
When Fenelieka called out to the craftsman beside her, the man nod his head without a second thought.
She was not in a position to refuse the royal family's "order", but she felt bad about her behavior and bowed her head.
"I'm sorry, everyone. I'll borrow Fenelieka for a while."
"Arara. You don't have to be so disconcerted, do you, hero-sama?"
"But……"
"In times like these, all you have to do is buy the men a drink."
Fenelieka then took out a leather bag from her pocket that was large enough to fit in the palm of her hand and pulled out a gold coin used in Fonteau.
Just one of those would be enough to supply all the men in the place with wine.
"I see. Then, i'll also......"
"See, guys! It seems that the hero is going to buy you all a drink, so you better work hard today!"
"Eii!"
"Ohhh!"
"Eh? Eh?"
Mariabelle was amazed to see how a single glass of alcohol could make them so lively, and she turned her beautiful face from side to side.
At the same time.
(I see. That's how you're viewed favorably by everyone, Fenel-san.)
She thought about it and kept it in mind.
The next day, she told Meltia about it, and Fenelieka got a lot of criticism......
According to her, it was not a good idea for royalty to give to the people carelessly.
...
The last place that Mariabelle visited was Kara's newly built laboratory in Fonteau.
It was far that she had to ride a horse for a while after leaving the east gate of the royal capital.
It was inconvenient to move around, but it couldn't be helped, because even though it was designed to have no effect on the human body, it couldn't be built inside the capital because it was researching poison.
As for the exterior, it was a two-story building because if it was made into a tall tower like the one in Lishlua, the first floor would be overrun and there would be no escape.
The walls and roof were made of stone.
Sturdiness was the first consideration, followed by scale.
It was about five times larger than a typical house in Fonteau.
The first floor alone was large enough to accommodate about a hundred people, and now it was two stories high.
"Excuse me."
"Uee, it stinks..."
Mariabelle, who had been to the facility many times since it was established, called out to the soldiers on guard and went inside the building.
Once inside, Fenelieka immediately spoke up with a scowl on her face.
The first thing she noticed was that many of the people working here wore white lab coats, just like Kara's.
On the metal desks that had been set up for efficiency, there were many pieces of equipment whose purpose was unclear to Mariabelle and Fenelieka, and it was hard to tell at a glance what they were doing.
And above all, the building was filled with a stench that Mariabelle couldn't smell, but which made the monster Fenelieka feel dizzy.
"Ugh~...... I knew I shouldn't have come......"
"Fenel-san, if you're not feeling well, you can wait outside."
"I'll do that......"
(I should have known this would happen......)
Mariabelle thought about it, but she didn't say it out loud and headed for the second floor of the building.
Walking up the stairs, keeping out of the way of the researchers working there, she found the same metal desks as the one on the first floor, lined with unfamiliar equipment......
"Hmm, is this herb very effective?"
"Yes. This is the last material in Fonteau, so it would be great if you could somehow hurry up and collect the materials from Grabalt or Lishlua."
"I've been talking to Princess Meltia about that, but it's up to the merchants."
Her best friend, with her messy chestnut hair and familiar white coat wrapped around her limbs, looked almost exactly the same as she had a few weeks ago when she last saw her, but a little paler.
Mariabelle walked up the stairs and stood by the wall so that Kara wouldn't notice her, while she observed her.
"Then we could mix several existing herbs and dip them in a liquid that reverses the power of Fasalina-sama."
"We're going to try that before, but that time we had to evacuate the entire building......"
"Yeah, it was a catastrophe at that time. That's why we used herbs for wounds before, but now we'll try poisons. And when we're ready, we'll give everyone on the first floor a heads-up."
"No, I want you to create a situation where we don't have to evacuate."
"Fumu. If that's the case, I'll prepare a metal box of a certain size. I'll ask Fenelieka to lend me a craftsman."
She heard some disturbing conversation, but aside from her pale face, Kara was working lively.
She had conducted research using Fasalina's power, which had been forbidden in Lishlua, and thanks to that they had been able to defeat the Black Ooze.
Because of her achievements, she was not well received by the high priests of Lishlua, but Leticia even prepared a laboratory in Fonteau for Kara.
In this place, Kara continued to create poisons to fight the increasing number of monster-type slimes, although the cause was unknown.
In addition, she had prepared a much larger quantity of Valhari's Blessed Water than she did a year ago, and its effectiveness had also increased.
"I'm going to send a letter to Princess Meltia immediately......."
As she spoke, Kara looked away from the desk.
She noticed Mariabelle standing by the wall, took off her large black-rimmed glasses, put them back on, and looked at her again.
"How long have you been there, Mariabelle-sama?"
“…………”
She didn't think Mariabelle was concentrating on her research or she didn't notice her, but she was dismayed of calling her "Mariabelle-sama" in a stranger's manner.
But even Kara couldn't call the princess of a country "Maria" in public. She noticed that Mariabelle was disappointed, but she didn't correct herself and looked around.
"It seems that I have some business I have to attend to. I'm going to my office, you can all go back to your posts."
"I understand."
The researchers here, like the people in the capital, understand Mariabelle as a hero, but they didn't have the same respectful attitude.
They were a group of people who believe that once there were no more monsters to fight, the value of heroes would diminish, and then it would be the time of science that everyone could use conveniently.
Mariabelle was also a person who wished that the battle would be over and the people's lives would get easier, so she didn't feel anything even if she was not respected.
... Rather, this facility was a very comfortable place for Mariabelle.
"This way then, Mariabelle-sama."
"Do you still call me that?"
"Well, that's... Not in public."
Kara said it without a hint of embarrassment and went to her own private office.
The room was large...... but it was only half the size of Mariabelle and Meltia's private room......
"It's a great room, as always."
"Yeah~...... I've only been sleeping in here lately. I'll be right back, Maria."
It was a terrible room.
The large wooden desk was piled with high stacks of papers, some of which had fallen over and spread to the floor.
On the large sofa that was probably being used as a bed, there were several layers of white coats that hadn't been organized, one of which was rolled up.
Probably a substitute for a pillow.
The walls were lined with thick books with titles written in difficult characters that made her head hurt just looking at them, and near the walls were several slime "nuclei" in glass tubes that were probably used for research.
Mariabelle looked into the slime's "nucleus".
"Is it safe to keep them like this?"
"If you don't give it water. Besides, the nucleus is already dead."
"Eh?"
"A few weeks ago, we perfected a chemical that completely removes mucus from the nucleus. The nucleus is completely dried up...... and even if you give it water, it won't work, it's dead."
As Kara spoke, Mariabelle took another look at the nucleus in the glass.
It looked about the size of a small stone, no bigger than the tip of her pinky finger.
The slime was a strange creature because it could control a large amount of mucus that could swallow a person whole.
"Is it really dead?"
"I've been giving it water every other week to see if it's really dead...... So far, it's been four weeks. That's how long it's been unresponsive."
"Amazing……"
"Not yet. To neutralize the nucleus, you have to pull it out of the mucus that protects it, and draining it is not a quick process. It'll take half a day, if not a day, to soak in the chemical."
"Still, it's amazing, Kara. So what you've been doing is researching ways to shorten that time?"
"That's right. I've already tried the herbs from Fonteau, so the next step is to get them from Grabalt or Lishlua......."
Then Kara cut her words.
She cleared the couch and table and took a breath.
"It seems to be a bad habit for me to be the only one talking when it comes to my research."
She then used a magic tool to start a fire in the kitchen of her office and prepared a cup of tea.
The reason why she got used to it was that she always served tea to Mariabelle when she visited the facility.
She sat down on the sofa and looked at Kara's back.
She was her older best friend, who was now a size smaller than she was.
However, she was much more knowledgeable than she was.
She was a friend she could respect.
Kara said that she gets lost in her own hobbies, and Mariabelle honestly thought it was great that she had something she loves to lose herself in so much.
She felt like she was being crushed by her responsibilities as a hero, and dragging her sister down with her.
......The only thing that was wrong with the room was that it was dirty.
"So, what can I do for you?"
"You could tell?"
"When you don't have something to do, your expression is a little softer."
At Kara's words, Mariabelle rubbed her own cheek.
She wasn't sure what a soft expression was, but apparently, Kara could see something.
(Is she like Fenel-san, who watches onee-sama closely? I'm a little happy about that.)
With that in mind, Mariabelle turned to Kara.
"Yes. I'll be going to Grabalt tomorrow. If you don't mind, Kara can also accompany us......."
"Tomorrow? That's very sudden......"
"Whatever you say in response to my words...... please keep this matter to yourself, okay?"
"And it's a heavy one."
Mariabelle then waited for Kara to prepare the tea and explained to Kara what she had just heard from her mother, Queen Leticia.
She did not explain it to Fenelieka, but...... well, it was because her mouth was too loose.
"The goddess is missing, huh?"
"Yes. I'm going to Grabalt to search for her...... Kara saw a dark-haired woman and a blond priestess there the other day, right?"
"When I was looking for the "Hero's Shield" with Fiana-sama. Yeah, that's right......"
"According to Okaa-sama, Fasalina-sama had descended into the body of a priestess."
"Then, that woman... is that black-haired woman a new hero?"
"Maybe."
They couldn't say for sure, but the odds were pretty high.
"If that's the case, I'll take you to where we found them. And after that......."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I need to get out of the lab once in a while and get some exercise."
"Fufu."
Mariabelle was reassured by her words and sipped the tea that Kara had prepared for her.
"......Bitter."
"It's good for your health. I think it's...... something from Lishlua. It's a famous tea."
That said, Kara, who sat next to Mariabelle, also took a sip of her tea.......
"Surely bitter."
"Right?"
There were few conversations between Mariabelle and Kara.
Mariabelle was not a talkative person by nature, and Kara was not a talkative person except when it came to her research.
However, once one got used to it, this quiet time was not so bad.
Especially for Mariabelle, who was busy every day, it was only in this facility, in Kara's private room, that she could spend her quiet time.
As they sipped on a cup of bitter tea, they said a few casual words without really engaging in conversation.
That was all.
However, wondered if spending time with her best friend was enough to calm her down and heal her heart.
After a while, quiet breathing began to echo next to Mariabelle.
"You haven't slept for a while, have you?"
There was no reply.
Kara was asleep, sitting next to the princess of a country.
But she didn't feel bad.
That was how forgiving she was of her.
Mariabelle got up from the sofa so as not to wake her, and put a coat over Kara.
She told her about tomorrow, but she also left a note on the back of a piece of paper that had fallen out, in case she forgot.
(......What if it's an important document?)
However, she reminded herself that it would be fine since she hadn't even collected it from the floor, and left the facility with another note.
"I'll be able to travel with you all again."
"... More than that, what do you have to say to me after all those hours of waiting?"
“…………I'm sorry.”
And so Mariabelle set out on her journey again.
This time, instead of being driven out of the country by the Black Ooze, she was going to help the goddess.......
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