The Returnee Wants Peace

It’s too viscous to be a liquid, yet its shape changes constantly to be considered a solid. With its violent movement, the trees in the forest were snapped and swept away one by one.

Amidst the terrified screams, the parrot quietly muttered.

“It’s a suspicious slime.”

“Slime?”

“Like jelly. It’s a type of monster. But this one seems to have an artificial flow unlike a normal slime… We should stop it first.”

The bird, speaking just loud enough for Cedric to hear, fluttered up.

Blue flames enveloped the white parrot’s tail feathers, elongating them, while its yellow crest turned white and curled softly.

Its body grew ten times larger than before, and its wings became even more magnificent.

It was Koko, transformed into his original phoenix form.

Whoosh-

The blue flame phoenix flapped its wings beautifully like waves, spewing fire.

With flames suddenly rising in front of the tent, the slime couldn’t easily approach and just licked its lips.

Taking advantage of this, the Imperial Knights quickly regrouped.

“Slowly close in and surround it!”

“We must protect His Majesty!”

The Imperial Knight Order was created to protect the safety of the Empire and the Emperor. Therefore, they were on high alert during this crisis.

At that moment, the Emperor, who had been at the edge of the tent, approached and said:

“That bird is quite fascinating, Aide. It seems to be Lady Roshanak’s bird, would you introduce it to me later?”

“Of course, but it’s quite picky about people and has a terribly nasty temper. I’m concerned it might harm Your Majesty.”

Cedric answered politely while observing the Emperor.

Even in this situation, the Emperor didn’t seem particularly flustered. As if he had expected it.

-It seems to have an artificial flow unlike a normal slime…

The words Quack Quack had just uttered flashed through his mind.

This forest where the monster hunting competition was being held had already been checked several times by the Imperial Knights. They couldn’t have not known about such a monster.

‘Perhaps… His Majesty deliberately released that monster into the forest.’

But why?

What good would come from releasing such a thing other than people dying?

“Aaagh!”

Just then, one of the Imperial Knights was caught by the ankle by a tentacle extended from the slime and dragged away.

With a couple of knights already sacrificed, sighs of anxiety could be heard from the young ladies around. Cedric also frowned with concern.

But at that moment.

Flash!

A huge sword energy stretched out from the snow-covered forest, slicing through the air like lightning.

Although it was hard to see due to the dazzling light, those with good eyesight noticed that it had cut through the slime’s tentacle that was dragging the knight in one swift motion.

Moreover, the sword energy seemed to contain tremendous heat, as a sizzling sound could be heard.

———!

The monster let out an inaudible scream.

Regardless, the owner of the sword energy who walked out of the forest stared directly at the Emperor with blazing eyes.

It was Marian.

“Again, this kind of thing…!”

The former Vice-Captain of the Imperial Knights muttered as if biting her lips.

Her voice was so small that it probably wasn’t heard by those near the tent, but it was clear to Rosha who was following behind.

‘Didn’t Marian just say ‘again’?’

Rosha made eye contact with Froy.

Until now, Marian had maintained the attitude that she couldn’t remember anything about the Imperial Palace because it was too long ago.

‘Even when I asked about the princess before, she didn’t tell me anything.’

She had thought it was true because Marian didn’t seem like someone who would lie, but her current attitude was far from normal.

However, she couldn’t just bluntly question Marian.

Because suddenly, a stream of blood flowed from under the eye patch covering one of her eyes!

“Master, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, child.”

You don’t look fine at all.

Marian inserted her finger under the eye patch to wipe away the blood.

As the eye patch was slightly lifted at that moment, Rosha could finally understand a little bit about Marian.

‘The smell of a powerful prohibition. I didn’t know because it was hidden by the eye patch.’

Marian was under a powerful prohibition.

The eye patch was there to conceal that prohibition.

If Rosha had to guess, the prohibition probably activates when she acts against the Emperor.

“Please step back for a moment, Lady Marian.”

“But child…”

“Close combat is disadvantageous when dealing with that thing. The same goes for you, brother.”

Rosha, who sent Marian and Cassis back with a suitable excuse, drew out Hildor. Watching this, Froy gave a word of caution.

“We’re in front of the Emperor. Don’t use your ability.”

“Of course. What do you take me for.”

If it was her first time facing a slime monster, she might have been perplexed, but knowing the sure-win method, there was no need to use her ability.

Rosha, who enhanced her eyesight with magic power, called out to Koko.

“Koko!”

The phoenix circling in the sky drew up a surge of flames at her signal. The inextinguishable blue flames burned a part of the slime vigorously.

Soon, a round core was half-exposed from the melted black surface.

Rosha aimed Hildor’s muzzle at the exposed core.

The constantly manifesting unique characteristic ‘Prediction’ told her in real-time which direction to shoot to hit the mark.

Bang!

She pulled the trigger in less than a second. The round core cracked and then shattered like a watermelon.

A skilled performance that happened in an instant.

However, strangely, the slime continued to move.

Now, with her enhanced eyesight, she could see other cores of the slime.

“…I see. It would be boring if it was too ordinary.”

She had guessed from the murky color, unlike the transparent color of normal slimes, that something was different.

The problem was that this thing was quite intelligent and cunning.

After destroying two more cores with a joint attack with Koko, the creature that had been attacking towards them changed direction and assaulted the tent.

“Kyaaa!”

“M-move aside! I said move!”

“Don’t leave the tent! It’s dangerous!”

The slime seemed to be trying to increase its shrinking body size by eating people.

Naturally, the tent where those without combat ability were gathered turned into chaos.

It was then.

Whoosh-

A hemispherical golden barrier enveloped the entire tent.

The slime’s body, which had spread out like a net, slammed against the barrier and then retreated weakly.

“…Oh.”

“W-we’re saved.”

People who had been moving on instinct all looked at the barrier at once.

The golden barrier. Somehow it felt familiar.

Thinking about it, it was the same barrier that Lady Roshanak had shown during the first trial that hit the capital.

“…It’s my first time seeing it this close.”

“Mine too. It’s really amazing.”

People who realized the identity of the barrier began to look at Rosha one by one.

Even though novice magicians were increasing in the Empire, seeing such high-level magic with their own eyes sparked a reverence that wasn’t there before.

Of course, Rosha, who used that magic, felt a tingling sensation throughout her body due to the side effects of rapidly drawing up magical power.

‘Ah, I made the barrier too hastily, so I can’t use it for long.’

Fortunately, there was only one core left now.

While watching Nardil and Cassis warning people coming out of the forest belatedly, Rosha aimed her gun at the last remaining core.

At that moment.

Black arrows mixed with lightning suddenly appeared from somewhere and rapidly rushed towards the slime.

‘What? Suddenly?’

I’ve almost killed it all, are you aiming for the last hit?

Since this wasn’t a trial, it didn’t matter who got the last hit, but it felt a bit unpleasant.

Before Koko could melt the slime’s surface with flames, Hildor’s muzzle spewed a bullet packed with magical power.

Bang!

The slime, hit in its last core, crumbled like melted ice cream.

Rosha quickly turned her head to examine the person who had just launched that attack.

“…Iron mask?”

Now that she looked, it was that magician who had cleared the fifth trial and received a knighthood from the Emperor.