Miruku trembled violently, an urge to flee overwhelming her.
To run!
"Bha!"
Suddenly, she felt something grasp her leg, yet it was completely invisible to the eyes.
"Eek—!!"
Miruku let out a terrifying scream.
[[Private] Sword Hero: Don't run!
Aren't you here to help me out?!]
Anyi switched to the private channel to call Miruku back.
Miruku froze, her eyes darting around the kitchen, quickly assessing the situation.
Help out!
That's right! Help out!
[Thorn Hero: Holy Maiden-sama, Mr. Anyi is preoccupied with a very important matter, he can't come.]
Anyi: "..."
Miruku offered Anyi a stiff smile, giving him a thumbs-up.
Refusing the Holy Maiden's request negated the need to address this predicament!
[Holy Hero: A very important matter?
Sword Hero: There's a bit of a problem, but it's not to the point of being unable to escape. Wait.
[Private] Thorn Hero: Mr. Anyi, could you please release me first, while you work?
[Private] Sword Hero: No, if you leave, I'll be in trouble too.]
"A… A… Water…!"
Audrey raised a hand, using magic to conjure a small orb of water. The water flowed like a tiny waterfall from the orb onto her tongue, giving her some relief.
She was unaware of Anyi's exchange with Miruku, only staring blankly at her own drenched clothes, the thin white fabric revealing more than spring blossoms.
Audrey's eyes narrowed dangerously: "Hmph hmph~~ So that's Anyi's plan~
If you like it, just tell your master. Master will be very obedient and let you command her, why all this roundabout way~?"
Anyi shook his head: "No, I didn't do anything, you misunderstood."
"Misunderstood? I don't think there's any misunderstanding, but…"
Although Audrey wanted to delve deeper, something else caught her attention.
"…Why isn't Little Mi present?" She turned to Miruku.
Miruku: "Ah! That! Ah no… I! I, I I I was just passing by!!"
Her panic was palpable!
Since Anyi also intended for Audrey to teach Miruku swordsmanship, the two were considered acquaintances.
Audrey smiled, stood up, and walked to Miruku, whose feet were entangled in something unseen:
"Passing by? But the timing is rather…off. Or perhaps…you were driven by curiosity and came to peek?"
Miruku blushed, frantically waving her hands: "I, I wasn't! I didn't!"
Audrey half-sat down, gently grasping Miruku's hands, and whispered: "It's okay, don't be shy, I know.
At your age, it's what humans call…puberty, right?
During this period, one is naturally curious about…well, everything. Matters between men and women, your own body, men's bodies…you can't help but want to understand.
Don't feel ashamed. Accept your true self."
Miruku's mind felt like a million miniature versions of herself were running amok, her brain buzzing, unable to utter a single word, finally resulting in a complete—
"A…"
Shutdown.
Audrey was also stunned: "Um…Anyi, what kind of reaction is this? Too shy to lose consciousness?"
Anyi: "…Probably a form of self-preservation by the brain."
After all, Miruku wasn't the first time to overthink and then inexplicably faint.
Even her brain knew she was thinking too much, forcing a shutdown.
Audrey sighed softly, as if reluctantly giving up a newly acquired toy, then turned to Anyi and asked with a smile: "Anyi, do you like your master?"
Anyi: "I don't dislike her."
Audrey: "Although Master knows progressing too quickly is bad, lying is even worse~
Or is it that you feel the age gap with Master is too big, causing that inner conflict?"
Anyi: "If I had to choose between a fifteen-year-old and a fifteen-hundred-year-old, I'd choose the fifteen-year-old."
"Cough!"
Audrey suddenly felt a blow to the heart, stepping back half a step, clutching her chest and offering a strained smile.
"Being mischievous towards your master will make her like you even more~ "
Anyi: "You eat first, I'll take Miss Miruku to rest."
Audrey: "Don't change the subject so naturally!!"
Anyi didn't respond, picked up Miruku from the floor, and carried her out of the kitchen.
Well…
Although the process was inappropriate, taking her to rest became a convenient excuse to leave.
So, that counts as resolving the situation?
Actually, Anyi just wanted to tease Audrey, then cook her a normal meal. However, Ariana unexpectedly had something come up.
It's not like he mentioned cooking, then suddenly said he had to leave. Even Anyi wouldn't do something that low-EQ.
Although he could explain later, that didn't mean he didn't need to consider Audrey's feelings at the time, hence the need for a "distraction".
At this moment, Audrey finished a bowl of soup, savoring it slowly, then a satisfied smile appeared on her face.
Delicious!
Knowing how to cook was a significant plus in her book!
Because she couldn't cook, and didn't have the patience to learn, cooking was a highly admirable skill in her eyes.
She was thinking, if Anyi could have accompanied her during her escape, providing delicious food after arduous battles, how wonderful that would be!
Thinking of Anyi, recalling the image of him carrying Miruku…
Suddenly, Audrey realized something!
「He just said…If he had to choose between a fifteen-hundred-year-old and a fifteen-year-old, he'd choose the fifteen-year-old?」
Miruku is precisely fifteen years old!
Like discovering a new continent, Audrey's eyes sparkled with excitement.
「So that's it…So Anyi likes that type… 」
Come to think of it, Miruku's personality makes people want to protect her!
Sometimes, seeing her flustered and anxious expression, even she herself couldn't help but want to hug her and comfort her gently!
Small and delicate, quiet and reserved, yet incredibly intelligent. If given enough security, earning her trust and love, she would undoubtedly become a docile, meek, and intelligent little wife, managing everything perfectly.
"Fu…!" Audrey couldn't help but let out an excited cry just thinking about it.
She's too endearing!
Then she suddenly realized…
Her own strong personality might scare Anyi off.
She initially thought Anyi was the passive type, so he would prefer her being proactive.
Now she realized Anyi's passivity was the quiet guarding and protective kind, not the passive like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered!
"Ah…" Audrey sighed, taking a sip of soup, "It seems there's still so much more to learn…"
As a warrior, she was incredibly outstanding!
But to be a wife, she still had much to learn!
…
In the meeting room, not long after Layton arrived, Anyi entered carrying Miruku.
Ariana: "Ah? Didn't you say Miruku was going to help distract you? What happened?"
Anyi: "She tripped and fainted on the way."
Ariana: "?"
...
"Ba!"
Miruku suddenly woke up. She was placed on a long chair in a corner of the meeting room, alone.
Hearing snippets of the meeting's conversation, Miruku paid little attention, instead recalling what had just happened.
Thinking of Audrey's monologue, she shook her head.
「Who's curious about that kind of thing!」
Things like men's and women's bodies; she could even name every bone in a human body, and her curiosity had been satiated through countless dissections.
Puberty? Interacting with corpses was her youth!
「Don't look at me like this, I'm actually very cool!」
She proudly patted her flat chest.
Then she recoiled, her eyes scanning the surroundings, wondering if anyone had seen her embarrassing behavior.
As for feeling shame, isn't feeling shame towards living people natural?
The only appropriate subject for dignified and truthful confrontation is a corpse!
At this moment, Ariana's voice echoed;
"Alright! Let's decide this for now!"
Miruku: "???"
Huh? What?
Decide what?!
Don't leave me out! What are you talking about?!
Miruku quickly scrolled through the chat log, but only found the private conversation between Anyi and herself.
What the heck happened?!
She silently cried in her seat.
It's alright… it's alright! I was just excluded, I'm used to it since childhood! Yes!
It must be an unimportant matter, right!
No need to wake me up specially to discuss trivial matters!
Yes, that's right! Nothing big!
Thorn Hero Miruku, resurrected! Haha—
"Ha…Haha…" Miruku lay across the chair, her eyes lifeless.
At this moment, a devoid of emotion voice came.
"Feeling better?" Anyi asked.
"Roar! Our Miss Miruku is finally awake!" Layton patted Anyi on the shoulder, laughing.
Ariana was talking to the other believers on the side and didn't approach.
"Little Miruku! I have some good news for you! We can go home!" Layton said excitedly.
Having spent three months together, Layton's address of Miruku had changed. Calling her "Miss" all the time felt too formal, given their age difference.
Anyi, however, remained unchanged; he wasn't used to it.
Miruku blinked: "Go… Go home?"
Layton nodded: "We have to make a temporary trip to the Hero family's residence city!
Ah…!
I can finally see my wife and daughter!"
Miruku sat up, looking up at the two: "But…aren't we still supposed to punish the monsters? This is such a waste of time?!"
The two were somewhat surprised by Miruku's reaction.
Anyi: "You don't want to go back?"
Miruku: "Ah…That's not it!
Forget it! It's better if I didn't say anything!"
Having said that, Miruku retreated back to her seat, lying sideways and covering her face with her hands.
Go home…?
Why would we go home now?!
She hadn't even made a name for herself yet!!
Whether it's Holy Hero Ariana, Sword Hero Anyi, or even Shield Hero Layton, they all enjoy high reputations throughout the world!
But her…
Who is she?!
When mentioning the Holy Maiden squad, everyone knows the other three, but when it comes to the fourth member, everyone freezes.
Who is the last Hero?
"Something related to assassination?"
"I think it's the Assassin Hero!"
"No! Something related to assassination would be the Shadow Hero!"
"No, I know, it's the Thorn Hero!"
"Thorn Hero…
Who's that?"
…
Who's that?
Despite being in the strongest Hero team in the world, she doesn't have any reputation!
It's like in a school group of four, only her name hasn't been remembered by the teacher!
Out of four people, why can't they remember?!
I should be punished with one hundred squats!
One hundred!!
"Can I… not go back?" Miruku weakly asked.
Anyi: "You can, stay here alone."
Miruku: "I'll go back."
No… I can't refuse!
After finally receiving care from her teammates, she can't be abandoned! How could that be?!
Layton grinned: "Little Miruku, we understand your desire to punish monsters!
However…
You should also go home to see your family and relax a bit!"
Without asking, it was clear Layton couldn't wait to see his wife and daughter.
Anyi was rather indifferent, because he knew they would see each other again eventually, sooner or later.
His agreement to this "homecoming" was largely due to Ariana's situation.
As the Holy Maiden, she has responsibilities she cannot ignore.
In his past life, Anyi chose to travel alone, and didn't need to consider Hero families or the League of Heroes.
But in this life, he chose to work with the Holy Maidens, and within this team, he had to consider the overall operation of the world.
A moment ago, Ariana had sought his opinion.
Because Ariana felt that while the monster extermination was urgent, the Hero families also needed attention, making it hard for her to decide.
And Anyi's answer was naturally…
It's not too late to continue exterminating monsters after dealing with the Hero families.
It's still the early stages; the team lacks technique and strategy, but they do have time.
According to the timeline of his past life, the "Holy Maiden squad" should still be training and fighting in Aldrich Holy City.
It's only the third month, and the Hero groups are still encountering setbacks, struggling to fight Class 4 monsters, and completely avoiding Class 5 monsters.
Yet, didn't they conquer Sword Demon City within half a year?
Didn't they become incredibly powerful Servants ten years later, defeating various races and eventually standing before the Demon Lord?
According to the past timeline, the Hero family issue wouldn't even appear for at least a year.
Now, a solution can be offered after just three months, what's there to be dissatisfied about?
Just finish it, no need to overthink.
Besides…it's only the Holy Maiden squad, just something the Holy Maiden needs to handle.
Other Heroes are active on the front lines, and with the League of Heroes' assistance, it won't be a big issue if the Holy Maiden squad is absent for a short while.
The best course of action is naturally…
To run away!
Hero transportation is now faster than carriages, and running directly saves more time, eliminating the unnecessary delay of half a month.
Time isn't urgent, but it shouldn't be wasted.
So, after setting the time, the four members of the Holy Maiden squad set off for Aldrich Theocracy.
A day after their departure, a visitor arrived at the Silver Moon base.
"Elf-sama, a Hero-sama wishes to see you!" A white-robed believer respectfully addressed Audrey, who was guarding the base.
Few knew Audrey's title; aside from a select few, the believers and military personnel only knew her as a powerful elf with immense mana, unaware of her true identity.
"A Hero? Wants to see me?" Audrey questioned, "Who is it?"
"That sama…is the long-missing…
Extermination Hero-sama!" the believer said solemnly.
...
Since that day, after "escaping" from the believer, Elza left Aldrich Theocracy.
Because Aldrich Theocracy was filled with believers, she didn't want to risk being caught again, so she didn't linger.
The last bit of money on her person was used for carriage fares; she didn't know who put it in her bag, but she used it with a heart full of gratitude and guilt.
For the next two months, she was constantly cycling through "Ask for directions → Earn money → Rush to the next destination → Ask for directions → Earn money…".
Although she traveled quickly, she didn't know the way, so each time, she asked for directions, then found temporary work to earn enough for her next journey.
This cycle repeated for two months.
Believers spotted her along the way, but didn't interfere, silently tracking her movements while publicly claiming she was missing.
After all…
The once strongest human Extermination Hero had gone two months without encountering a single monster.
Furthermore, monsters like Goblin Centurions were now easily defeated by most Hero teams, falling behind in strength.
The Extermination Hero's legend began to fade, and believers could only express regret at her situation.
Why had the once strongest human Extermination Hero fallen to this?
And she was using her Strength and speed advantage…to work as a manual laborer!
Such a waste of talent!
Because one person's work supports many, but her earnings were only for one person, she claimed she "received exactly what I should, honestly earning my keep."
Therefore…the manual laborers were all terrified.
Thus, the nickname "Red-Haired Demoness" began to spread.
It wasn't praise, merely an insult – a bad woman stealing jobs and only taking such a small wage, how could the manual laborers not be furious with her?!
After two months of hardship, Elza finally arrived at the Silver Moon base, encountering those white-robed believers, filling her heart with frustration.
However, this time was different. A large number of white-robed believers were at the station, not only waiting for her but also other people.
As someone who had registered with the League of Heroes, Elza recognized them as other "Heroes."
Perhaps others were also receiving help, offering her some psychological balance.
However, when Elza stepped off the carriage with her red hair, she shocked the Heroes and believers present.
"She…she has red hair! Could it be! She's the legendary Extermination Hero?!"
"Impossible?! Wasn't she missing for two months?! Why is she here?"
"Maybe she's on a mission from the Theocracy, here to cleanse Moonwish City?"
"This…isn't good?"
Two months ago, having such a powerful Hero among them would have been a joy.
But now, each team could handle 3 or 4 Class 4 monsters, and Elza's appearance was bad news.
Who knew if she was there to steal experience?
During a time when most teams struggled with Class 4 monsters, she could instantly kill thousands of Goblins and wipe out three Class 4 monsters in a flash.
So now what?
The moment she entered the city, what were the others supposed to do?
"Surely, you are the illustrious Extermination Hero-sama?!" A believer greeted her with a smile.
Elza actually disliked the title, as she didn't understand what [Extermination Hero] actually meant.
She calmly replied: "Aisha."
"Ah! It's really you!" the believer exclaimed excitedly.
Elza had no intention of revealing her real name, because…misspelling her name was incredibly embarrassing!
Even she wouldn't want others to know she couldn't even write her own name.
But it didn't matter!
As long as she's cured and can return to her village!
The villagers know her real name, that's enough!
"Did Extermination Hero-sama also come to participate in the Moonwish City cleansing mission?" the believer respectfully asked.
Elza shook her head: "For treatment."
The believer froze, then suddenly remembered.
According to intelligence reports, before the Extermination Hero's departure, she had inquired about the Holy Maiden's whereabouts!
Afterwards, although her journey took a long time, she undoubtedly headed towards the Silver Moon base.
Ah, she came for the Holy Maiden's treatment!
However…
The believer's expression stiffened.
The Holy Maiden…left yesterday!
Just a day too late!
Cold sweat dripped down the believer's back. Under Elza's "icy" gaze, his heart pounded, his teeth chattering uncontrollably;
"Ah! Yes! Extermination Hero-sama!…
"In our base, there is a powerful Elf-sama!
Legend says Elves are messengers of nature, perhaps she can help you?!" the believer stammered, his lips trembling.
Elza's eyebrows furrowed.
Elf? What's that?
Elza's frown deepened, the atmosphere freezing. Every Hero, believer, even passersby unconsciously held their breath, unable to move.
All the Heroes present received a new status effect:
[Status: Killing Intent
You sense negative emotions from [Extermination Hero]!]
Of course, it was their own feeling, not Elza actually having negative emotions.
"Thump!"
The believer's legs gave way, he knelt down, weeping: "Assassin…Extermination Hero-sama! I'm sorry! I shouldn't have hidden the Holy Maiden's whereabouts!
The Holy Maiden left the base yesterday! It's been over twenty hours!"
Elza snapped out of it, sighing softly: "Fine, take me to that…'jingling'."
Having missed the Holy Maiden, she could only hope this "jingling" could help her.
...
"A Hero? Wants to see me?" Audrey questioned, "Who is it?"
"That sama…is the long-missing…
Extermination Hero-sama!" the believer said solemnly.
"Ho?" Audrey began to recall.
During this time, she had learned a fair amount about humanity's [Heroes].
Among them was the [Extermination Hero].
While all other Heroes struggled against Class 4 monsters, she could instantly kill them, later demonstrating the ability to slay thousands of Goblins with a single thought.
Then, as the believer just said, she disappeared for two months, vanishing from everyone's sight.
Now, she suddenly appeared here, wanting to see her…?
Out of curiosity, she couldn't refuse.
Audrey was curious about this person.
How strong was she, stronger than Anyi?
Currently, Anyi was the strongest Hero she'd ever seen. Could there be someone stronger than him?
"Alright, let her come see me." Audrey nodded.
With Anyi absent…she would personally assess her strength and compare it to Anyi's.