Chapter 175
Chapter 175
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 174
Chapter Title: The Mysterious Girl
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Even after their first meeting, the girl named Rain and Master Melissa often visited the headquarters of the Human Resistance.
The princes hadn't heard a detailed explanation from Melissa, but from what they gathered, the Hero's party seemed to be targeting the Demon Generals operating in the shadows of the central continent.
"A sort of assassin, then."
"The Hero's party of two can't possibly face the demon hordes head-on. That will be our job, once the Resistance has grown in scale."
The Human Resistance, currently headquartered in a mountain valley in the central part of the continent, was slowly growing in strength.
Those who could still fight became soldiers, former high priests of the Holy Kingdom became chaplains, and even reclusive mages and knights of fallen kingdoms joined their cause. Other races, like wandering dwarves and elves, were also joining their ranks.
But the Resistance's power was still meager. They were the mere remnants of humanity, a force that would be annihilated in an instant if not a Corps Commander, but even a few Demon Generals were to attack. Fortunately, the Demon Generals were currently unable to exert their full power in their occupation of the central continent.
"The Saintess at the Holy See of the Supreme God is preventing the demonic contamination from encroaching further into the central continent."
"It's an invisible battle. You could say the Saintess alone is facing the Corps Commanders from all directions."
"According to the testimonies of survivors from the south, the region where the Demon King's castle is located has completely transformed into a demonic realm. The east and west are in dire situations as well."
"The spread of demonic energy is slower in the north, isn't it? Though I heard an incredible cold has set in."
"Yes. According to a wandering elf, there's an elven kingdom in the north. Perhaps they're fighting back in some way."
Clang, claaang!
The gazes of Princes Bernhard and Leoner, who were discussing the state of the continent, were fixed on the duel unfolding before them.
Flash! P-p-p-pow!
A small golden light and a large blue light collided at high speed. The wielder of the golden light was the silver-haired girl, the Hero Rain. From the small Holy Sword, sized to fit her body, erupted streams of golden sword energy that towered over her.
Opposing her was the blue light of humanity's strongest, Master Melissa. In contrast to the golden sword energy that seemed to burst forth with uncontrollable power, a refined blue sword energy burned silently, yet fiercely, on her blade.
Fwoosh!
The blue sword energy that shot out from Melissa's sword lunged for Rain's small body. Boom! Rain moved swiftly, but she was struck by several blasts of sword energy. The watching princes were startled to see Rain engulfed in the terrifying explosion, but they breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the golden protective aura that had appeared around the girl's body.
Melissa reprimanded her with a stern expression.
"Rain, I told you not to rely on your protective aura! If I had unleashed my sword energy with my full power, your aura would have been pierced in an instant!"
"Ngh...!"
Fwoosh!
Rain gritted her teeth and unleashed her golden sword energy. It was a mighty force, unimaginable to have come from such a small body. In terms of raw power, it surpassed even Master Melissa's sword energy.
Swoosh.
Melissa's form moved like flowing water, weaving through the storm of radiant energy. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The powerful force began to lay waste to the mountain clearing.
Whoooosh!
The aftershocks of the duel reached even the princes, who were standing a considerable distance away. They frowned, their eyes wide with concentration as they watched the outcome of the spar.
"Ugh, is this really not a full-power duel?"
Clang!
Melissa instantly closed the distance to Rain and swung her sword upward forcefully. Rain's Holy Sword went flying, and as Rain's arms were thrown wide, Melissa's sword came to a stop before her chest.
Thrust.
"Oof."
Disarmed, Rain's large eyes welled up with tears. Melissa, looking equally distressed, swept her up in an embrace.
"I'm sorry, Rain. But we have to review, right? Earlier, when you moved to the left to counter my first burst of sword energy..."
The princes clutched their chests at the sight of Rain sniffling in Melissa's arms.
"Khh."
"...What is it, Leoner?"
"...You're thinking the same thing, aren't you, Bernhard?"
"A-ahem. In any case, she's thirteen years old. ...Is she really only a year younger than us?"
"She looks so small and frail, not at all like a Hero who fights demons. ...Even though she holds such immense power within that body."
Bernhard's feelings mirrored Leoner's.
From what Melissa had told them, the small Hero girl was their age.
The continent of Astria was in a dark age where everyone, regardless of age or gender, had to fight for survival. In this era where survival had become a grim joke, even young boys and girls had to take up arms against the demons.
But she was the Hero, after all. The power the princes had witnessed was real. It was simply unrefined. If polished by Melissa, she would surely become the radiant sword that would save humanity in the near future.
Still.
"It just doesn't sit right with me."
"Yeah."
Leoner nodded in agreement with Bernhard's words.
The fact that the powerful must fight and the feelings of those who watch are two different things.
A little girl fights.
For humanity.
Risking her life.
***
Stealthily.
Stealthily.
The princes had developed a routine for whenever the girl came.
They would stand behind a tree, mouths agape, secretly watching the girl as she stood at the edge of a cliff, her silver hair fluttering in the wind.
"...Leoner, why are you here?"
"You're always here too, aren't you, Bernhard? You know Rain comes to this cliff every time she visits the Resistance headquarters."
As the boys exchanged wary glances while spying on the girl, her gaze turned toward them.
"Come out."
Shing.
Startled by the sight of Rain drawing her golden Holy Sword, the boys sheepishly emerged from the shade of the tree and hesitantly approached her.
The girl sighed, sheathed her sword, and turned her gaze back to the view below the cliff. Bernhard cleared his throat and spoke to her.
"A-ahem, Rain. You knew?"
"You're always there. Don't bother me."
Rain's cold words, spoken without even looking at them, struck them like daggers. Leoner scratched his head and made an excuse.
"Ahem, L-Lady Hero. No, Lady Rain. What are you always looking at from here?"
"...Enjoying the view."
The two princes stared blankly at Rain's unexpected remark.
Her gaze was not the sharp one she had in battle, nor the child's gaze that yearned for love when she looked at Melissa. With the eyes of a dreamer, Rain quietly looked down at the vast meadow below the cliff.
"This world is pretty. But there's an unpleasant air about it."
"Unpleasant air...?"
"Is she talking about the demonic energy?"
Ignoring the princes who were tilting their heads and whispering to each other, Rain continued.
"To live here as the girl named Rain, I think I have to get rid of this unpleasant air first."
In an instant, the girl's obsidian eyes held a sharp glint. A steadfast gaze that contrasted with her cute appearance. It was truly the gaze of the Hero. The teary-eyed child she was in front of Melissa was nowhere to be seen.
The boys were overwhelmed by her gaze.
Rain.
The Hero's appearance was that of an adorable girl. While she acted her age, she sometimes exuded the aura of an adult.
Who wouldn't be captivated by the mysterious charm of this beautiful, ever-changing girl?
In Bernhard's heart, the desire to know the girl before him grew stronger than his concerns about the current state of humanity.
"A-ahem. You seem to follow Master Melissa well. Do you like her?"
Leoner's jaw dropped at Bernhard's sudden question.
At that question, Rain showed the princes a slight smile for the first time.
As if unaware that her beautiful smile had stunned the princes, Rain spoke in a soft voice.
"I like her because she's a pretty and cool big sister."
"I-I think I'm pretty cool, too?"
Ignoring Leoner jabbing him fiercely in the side, Bernhard kept talking to Rain. A flustered Leoner pointed to his own face, mouthing, 'Me too, me too!'
It was true that the royals were exceptionally good-looking. Though their faces still held a youthful air, both Leoner and Bernhard were tall and quite handsome, with well-kept black and blond hair respectively.
Rain's gaze shifted to Bernhard and Leoner.
And then, she made a displeased face.
"I don't like boys."
Despite saying that, Rain did play the role of a friend to the princes.
"You're going to save humanity and become its king?"
Rain let out a small chuckle at the princes' ambition.
"Sure, do your best."
The mysterious aura of the small girl, like that of an older sister, or perhaps an older brother. The princes, completely smitten with the Hero, followed her around obediently.
Rain would sometimes sigh and mutter incomprehensible things like, "To think I'm hanging out with kids who are middle schoolers at best. Then again, am I a kid now? My memories of Earth are getting fuzzier and fuzzier...."
The princes practiced swordsmanship with Rain under Melissa's guidance and even joined her on her mountain hikes.
For the princes, who had been forced to become adults too soon due to humanity's desperate situation, they had found a young friend.
Rain's visits to the Resistance were not a daily occurrence. Still, she came to see them two or three times a month. With demons scattered everywhere, perhaps even the Hero's party of Rain and Melissa needed a place to rest.
But the leaders of the demon army did not simply stand by and watch the Human Resistance slowly build its strength.
One day, the Resistance was attacked by a powerful demon, the divine barrier set up by the chaplains proving useless.
The Eastern Corps Commander had personally taken action to annihilate the remaining forces of humanity.