Reborn as the Hero's Daughter

It had been three days since we discovered the poison. Since then, the citizens had started recovering in the blink of an eye and the city was on its way to regaining its usual bustle.

Michelle and Letina’s fevers also went down, and the auntie had also regained her spirit. Having said that, they were still waiting and watching their conditions, so they weren’t stepping outside just yet.

“Still, it’s strange that I didn’t catch it.”

“Hmm, that’s what’s bothering you?”

During breakfast, I asked Cortina something that has been bothering me a bit. Finia was also attending, but it wasn’t something I couldn’t ask in her presence.

“I mean, look, it’s not something to boast about, but my body’s pretty frail, right?”

“Yeah, you really can’t boast about that.”

“Don’t poke fun at me now, Cortina. Anyway, despite that, it’s strange that I didn’t get ill.”

It has been several days since I returned to the capital. During that time, I drank the water over and over.

Despite that, neither Finia and Cortina, nor I have gotten sick. I found this strange. But Cortina responded as if she found it in no way strange.

“You took the Queen Blossom nectar, don’t you remember? And then you kissed us to extract magic power out of you.”

“Uh…T-That happened, huh?”

“That nectar is apparently good for fending off the viruses. According to Maxwell.”

“Oh huh.”

“And so, since we used to kiss you, we also gained your immunity. That’s why only our family didn’t contract it.”

“Then, what about Cloud?”

We had that immunity from the start, but it wasn’t the same with Cloud. Moreover, that guy didn’t leave this city, so the virus should have affected him far more.

“There are quite a lot of people who didn’t get sick. We can assume that those people have resistance to it for whatever reason.”

“That ‘whatever reason’ is what I’m trying to find out here.”

“It would’ve made things easier if we could do that.”

Cortina sighed with her hands spread. She was, in the end, a strategist and not a doctor or a healer. It was natural that she wouldn’t know.

But if we learn why Cloud was fine, we could use it as a strategy for a similar incident in the future.

“…I’ll go check in on Michelle and Cloud for a bit.”

“Fine, but be careful, okay?”

While the illness had passed, that didn’t mean that it had gotten eradicated. The one who made this scheme hasn’t shown his face either.

As I headed to convalescent Michelle, Cortina warmed me of the danger of contagion. And the possibility that the culprit may target me.

However, if what she said was true, the virus of the Disease Slime would have no effect on me. It should be fine to check on her.

And maybe I’ll also ask Cloud if he has any idea.

Michelle was sleeping powerlessly in her bed. Her illness was already gone, but her lost stamina hasn’t returned yet. It was similar to how Cloud couldn’t move after detoxification.

“Thank you for always bothering to drop by.”

“Not at all. We’re neighbors, after all.”

Auntie from Michelle’s house offered me a drink with those words. I sat next to Michelle as I sipped on the tea and watched her sleeping face. I was wholeheartedly glad that she was okay.

The auntie pulled a chair and sat next to me. She would normally quickly leave the room, so this was unusual.

“Do you need anything from me?”

“No, well… Lady Nicole, have you been involved with strange people?”

“Strange people?”

Mateus and Maxwell were the first ones to flash into my mind from that question. However, Maxwell was a given, but Mateus was also known to be serving under him. If it were those two, Auntie wouldn’t call them strange.

“I mean, a strange man had been visiting Lady Cortina’s house.”

“House? What kind of a guy?”

“Well, they weren’t someone with any conspicuous features be it height or face, and they didn’t leave an impression on me.”

“Hmm?”

There was one more man that frequented Cortina’s house. The other me. However, Reid’s appearance was characteristic in a way. Ruffled hair and black coat to blend easily into darkness. And also the sturdy gauntlets on hands.

He just had to leave an impression.

“Uhh, I don’t think I have any clue.”

“Is that so? Still, please be careful. You have been growing very beautiful lately.”

“I wonder if I should be happy or sad about it…”

Even if I grow pretty as a woman, that wouldn’t lead to my actual goal.

I got the gist of that man from the aunty and took my leave from their house. There was no danger to her life, so staying any longer would just burden Michelle.

I will consult Maxwell and Cortina later about the man.

While I was on my way to Cloud’s home, a small figure blocked my way. It was a familiar—or well, maybe not that familiar, but still—figure.

“It has been a while. Glad to see you in good health.”

“Can’t be more barefaced. Didn’t we just meet during the Goblin battle?”

The White God who tended to help me out for whatever reason stood before my eyes. However, that was convenient for me now. I had things to ask of her.

“We can’t talk here, so how about we go somewhere where we can be alone? Guhehe.”

“I don’t mind. But what’s that laugh?”

“I think this is how you should laugh when inviting young kids.”

“That’s definitely wrong so stop it. Also, I’m already not a young kid.”

“That seems to be the case. You’re already ripening quite well.”

“Where are you looking?!”

I reflectively covered my chest and turned away. This is what you’d call getting chills.

Seeing me like that, the God of Destruction nodded in satisfaction.

“What?”

“No, I was just glad that you were growing well as a woman.”

“That’s not something good!”

The two of us strolled towards the park. The fact that the passersby’s gazes were focusing on us was a natural outcome.

I was apparently a famed beauty in this city, and this White God was also… Despite looking younger than me now, the mysterious aura she was letting out was not losing out to me. It was a mystery why she was always wearing a collar though.

“So, there was something you wanted to ask me, right?”

“Yeah, a few things… First, about the boulder in the north. You’re the one who destroyed and sealed it, right?”

“That’s right. You knew that there was a Ley Line there right?”

“Yeah.”

When I nodded, she voiced her admiration.

“Hoh.”

“What is it?”

“That old man is quite knowledgeable.”

“Why did you realize that I learned it from Maxwell?”

“I mean, you aren’t very familiar with that type of knowledge, right? More importantly, that place seemed to have spawned the Goblin Lord.”

“So that thing was born there…!”

So just like Den mutated due to the Ley Line power, the Goblin also received its power? Now that I think of it, that Goblin Lord… Lord or not, it was unbelievably strong.

No, becoming a Goblin Lord was already considered a mutation, so it was hard to imagine that it mutated even further.

“That Goblin Lord had become a lord, but it had mutated even further.”

“That is because of their ecology. The Goblin Lord that had mutated due to the Ley Line power started eating the other Goblins that had also received the Ley Line influence, so it caused an excess mutation.”

The Goblin Lord ate its group members that had multiplied too much and kept it in check. And by eating them, it mutated a second time… And that strength was the result.

“I see. Then the last question. What’s the reason behind Cloud not becoming sick?”

“You are talking about the Slime virus, yes? It flowed into the city in a considerably diluted state, so it had little effect on people with comparatively strong lifeforce.”

“Given that Cloud is a shielder, he has his stamina. So that was the reason?”

“As for Michelle, despite everything, she’s still a child, after all. And Letina is racially weak towards illnesses.”

“Then one more.”

“Didn’t you say it was last?”

“It just increased. Not that I had an exact number in mind.”

“Well, alright then.”

“There’s been a lot of secret maneuvers recently, but who was the one behind laying that poison?”

“I haven’t found that out just yet. Even Gods aren’t omnipotent and omniscient.”

“You’re useless when it counts the most.”

Hearing my jeer, she got pissed and threw punches my way. I lightly dodged them and ran from place to place.

That day, a rumor was spread in the city that unbelievably pretty sisters were witnessed having innocent fun at the park.