I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [266]

Resolving the misunderstanding wasn't particularly difficult. All it required was for the Dustiness family's elderly butler to meet with Nero.

However, only Nero could meet him—Alice couldn't be involved. There was no guarantee that the butler wouldn't recognize the princess of this country.

Eager to claim her reward, Megumin quickly contacted the butler, reporting that she might have found someone matching his description. This brought immense relief to the butler, who had been struggling without leads.

But since it was already late after dinner, the meeting had to be postponed until the next morning.

When morning came, Nero and her group met the anxious butler, who clearly cared deeply for the runaway Darkness.

Unfortunately, he was bound to be disappointed—Nero and Alice were not the ones he was searching for.

To ensure safety, Alice stayed out of sight. Given her different age and build compared to Darkness, Nero easily dismissed Alice as a suspect by providing the relevant details.

With that, the misunderstanding was cleared.

Though the butler had found the wrong people, he still gave Megumin a sum of money as a token of appreciation.

When Nero noticed the weariness and disappointment etched on the old man's face after their meeting, she almost felt sorry for him—enough to consider giving him information about Darkness.

"Seriously… so it wasn't them?"

"I told you, Megumin. You're always coming up with the weirdest ideas," Yunyun scolded.

"But my deductions felt so spot-on!"

"Enough already! Hurry up and apologize to Miss Nero and Miss Iris."

Reluctantly, Megumin allowed Yunyun to grab her head and force her into a bow of apology before Nero and Alice.

---

The lush greenery of the forest surrounded Nero's group as they ventured deeper into its depths.

Nero led the way at the front, Alice trailed behind, and Yunyun, as their mage, was safely positioned in the middle.

To make up for Yunyun's absence the previous day, and to reduce the monster threat near town, they had returned to the forest for another adventure.

"Is this really okay?" Yunyun clutched her staff, her voice tinged with nervousness. "Shouldn't we start with something simpler, like giant frogs, to practice teamwork before diving straight into the forest?"

"Umu! I've told you, I don't care about my teammates' combat abilities. Your role is simply to serve as delightful scenery to please me. Leave the enemies and the fighting to me," Nero said confidently. Her assurance began to rub off on Alice and Yunyun. "With me leading, you're standing in the safest haven this world has to offer. So relax."

"Exactly, Miss Yunyun," Alice chimed in, stepping closer to reassure her. "My sister is incredibly powerful! Just recently, I saw her defeat a mighty demon with my own eyes."

"A d-demon?!" Yunyun's astonishment was palpable.

Satisfied with Yunyun's reaction, Alice eagerly recounted the tale.

"Yes, that's right! I saw it myself. A terrifying demon surrounded by high-level adventurers and knights, with mages casting spells from the rear—and none of them could do anything to it."

Nero, walking ahead, overheard their conversation but chose not to comment.

Alice… is it really fair to use those adventurers and knights as a foil for me? Claire and Rain were part of that group too, weren't they?

Alice went on to describe the demon's appearance in vivid detail: wings as black as the night sky, crimson eyes that could curse with a mere glance, and a massive body towering over buildings.

Was it really that terrifying?

"It sounds so scary! Could it have been a greater demon?"

"But even a demon like that was sliced clean in half by my sister! Just one swift strike—'shoom'!"

"Amazing! Miss Nero is so strong!"

The more they talked, the more animated they became—especially Alice, who seemed even happier about Nero's praise than Nero herself.

Feeling the admiring gazes from behind, Nero accepted them without a hint of modesty.

"Of course! I am the greatest being under the heavens and above the earth. To revere me is only natural!"

The ancients say one should remain humble despite praise and rewards.

But Nero had no such concerns—her pride was unwavering, regardless of others' opinions.

Suddenly, Nero's gaze sharpened.

In this world, there was a skill called Enemy Detection. While Nero didn't possess it, her [Imperial Privilege EX] could replicate a similar effect.

When she stopped walking, Alice and Yunyun immediately fell silent, shifting into a defensive stance.

Holding their breath, the three of them watched a patch of grass rustling ahead.

The rustling grew louder, accompanied by faint shuffling sounds. Eventually, a small creature emerged from the foliage.

Snow-white fur, bright red eyes, long ears, and a single horn on its head.

It was a horned rabbit.

"How cute!" Yunyun exclaimed, instantly charmed by the fluffy creature.

"Chirp!"

The rabbit let out a soft sound, tilting its head as it observed the trio.

"Aww, how can it be so adorable…" Alice murmured, her voice full of wonder.

As expected, the two girls were quickly smitten. They crouched down and started cooing over the rabbit.

"Little one, why are you here? This place is dangerous, you know. If scary monsters see you, you'll be in trouble!"

"Are you hungry, little guy? Want something to eat?"

Completely enchanted, Yunyun pulled out some vegetable sticks—likely meant for her lunch—and placed them on the ground.

"Miss Yunyun, do you have any more? I want to try feeding it too!" Alice said eagerly.

The rabbit tottered over to the vegetable sticks, sniffed them curiously, and then looked up at Yunyun and Alice.

"It's okay, I have plenty! If you're hungry, you can—"

Before Yunyun could finish, a sudden whoosh broke through the air.

"Swoosh!"

---

T/N: pokemon got nuked :D

"..."

- Gardevoir

(End of Chapter—Support the translator at [patreon.com/WiseTL]!)