Home Sweet Home

(14 years and 1 month after Reincarnation)

[Kyrielle's POV]

Soon, a month has passed since my return to Klada city.... It took mom and I that long to renovate the house that was given to us.

The house itself was built on the exact same spot as my house in the past. But this time instead of being made out of wood, it's built with stone bricks and clay tiles.

Right now I am trying to move a couch into the living room with mom's help....

"3 2 1 push!"

"Urgh!..." (2x)

"It's not moving by much!...."

"Urgh.... Dragonic Burst!"

Activating my power which enhanced my physical strength, we were able to push the couch in place.

'Thump.' We both flopped onto the newly placed couch, tired from all the work.

"Phew!... Who would've guessed that Dragonic Burst could come in handy like this.... This looks just like our old house."

"Yes... It took a while to arrange all of this but it was worth it."

Mom and I decided to decorate the house just like our old one... Although this do mean that we'll have to do a lot more work than just 'moving in'.

"Well, I guess that's that then. If you need anything, you can ask Ghyse for help."

"Mmm."

"So, what do you plan to do from now?"

"I don't know... I want to find my friends first but I don't know where they are so I guess I'll go to Zoward's Academy first. It wasn't burn down right?"

"Haha, no it's still perfectly intact, although it's full of burn spots and damage."

"I see. This is perfect then, I'll show them the power of my magic!"

"Just don't burn down the city, you've destroyed quite a forests during our travels... Are you trying to speed up deforestation or something?"

"Those were accidents.... Well, maybe I'll just stick to Blaze Edges, avoid Incineration and Forbidden Sun altogether."

"I don't even know what spells you are talking about... But I see. Just make sure you don't hurt anyone, I'm very confident that with your full power you may actually destroy the entire city."

"I'll try my best not to."

"I see. Well then, since today will be the last day that I'm staying here how about we go out on a Mother-Daughter date?"

"Right now? I still smell like sweat!"

"We can pay a visit to the bathhouse when we are done. Come on, don't be such a mood killer~" She wrapped her arm around my shoulders and kept on swaying me around.

"Fine fine... I want to shop for clothes soon anyway...."

________________

(The next day....)

(9 a.m.)

We adventurers frequently bid farewells to each other, so I all of all people would be able to do it comfortably. But still, bidding farewell to mom is a bit hard....

Today is the day when mom will leave for the eastern side of the Centralia Continent to search for my little sister. The Centralia Continent is extremely large as it is the culmination of both Europe, Middle East and part of Asia so it'll be a really long journey.

This means that I won't be able to see mom again in the near future.

"This is where we will part ways, Kyrielle." Mom said as she rode on her horse, ready to leave the city. Gareth, Gazeth and Jenny both rode on their respective horses as well, waiting besides her.

"Yes, sadly...."

"Oh, don't look so disappointed. It's not like I'm never coming back, I'll still send you letters time to time."

"But still... I'll miss you."

"Kyrie... Come here for a moment."

"?"

As I walked up to her, she patted my head. I closed my eyes to focus on the sensation of her stroking my head.

"I won't be able to do this to you once I get back since you'll be an adult already by that time but... you like this right?"

"Mmm."

"Hahaha, it seems that I do know my daughter well at least."

"That's right...."

"....Kyrie, I want you to listen to me carefully."

"...I am."

"From now on, you're alone. There won't be a Magic Pioneer to help you, or a family member to save you... well except Ghyse of course but that's not the point."

"I know... I'll try my best to handle myself."

"Good. But even if you are alone, you should still find someone to rely on in times of need, just like how I found your father.... Don't be afraid to do the things you want as well, but do inform me if you are planning to travel to somewhere else."

Travel huh?...

"I understand. I'll forever keep your words in mind."

"That's great then. Now, it's time for me to leave for real... Take care Kyrie, goodbye."

"Goodbye...."

"It was fun travelling with you little girl, take care."

"Kyrie, farewell! I'll forever remember our magic combos!"

"....Kyrielle, thanks for watching my back." Gazeth still isn't comfortable with calling my nickname even during a farewell huh?...

"Thanks everyone. Goodbye, I hope you all have a safe journey."

"Yeah!" (4x)

Like that, the four of them started to travel away from the city following the main road down the mountain. Soon, their figures disappear from the horizon as they started to walked downhill.

"....Sigh...." I started walking back into the city as well.

Man... It's just the start of the day and I'm already feeling like such a downer.

Suddenly, I heard someone call out my name amidst the crowd. "Kyrielle...."

"Huh?" I looked around me in confusion, trying to find the one who called me just now but... there's no one?

"Strange... I could've sworn that I actually heard my name just now but..." Eh, I guess there's just someone else with the same name as me.

'Ting ting ting!' Suddenly, the alarm bells from the guard towers stationed around the city starts to ring.

Is this an attack?...

A few guards could be seen running around in the city... Until one of them stops around my area.

"Citizens, this is an emergency, please evacuate to your house until further notice."

Evacuate to houses? Just what the hell is going on?

"Adventurers should gather at the Guild, and be given command by the designated leaders." Said the guard.

"Excuse me sir, what is going on here?"

"Haven't you heard? There's an A Leveled threat present around the city..."

If I remembered correctly, A leveled threats could destroy cities. Aamon, the archdemon that attacked this city was an A leveled threat as well. This means that the enemy this time might be just as powerful as him....

"What is the enemy?"

"Its a Hundred-Slime."

"A hundred slime? As in there is one hundred slimes coming to the city?"

"No! A Hundred-Slime is a slime that has been eating and growing for almost a hundred years, that means it's mass is about the same as a lake! More importantly there is no time to lose, you should go and hide as well."

"No... I'm an adventurer, I'll go help."

"A young girl like you? You'll just be free meal for that thing, be obedient and take refuge in your house, don't be stupid." After he said that, he ran off to somewhere else.

He doesn't get it. If I wanted to, I could actually blow away an entire lake, let alone a measly little slime.

(AN : She's never met a slime before because she has never been to swampy areas or lakes where slimes resides.)

"....Guess I'll go huh."

____________________

[Third Person POV]

(2 hours ago, 7:00 a.m.)

Two man set out towards one of the tall mountain besides Klada, to Lake Gwen. Lake Gwen is a natural basin on top of the Klada mountain which gains water from the melting snow and ice on top of the mountain.

An aqueduct was built to have the water from the lake leak over into the city, just like how Romans directed water into their main cities. During the spring, water will leak out of the basin and these water is then transported by the aqueduct to the city where the people drank from.

The two men carried with them a big bag of tools and equipments meant to fix contraptions. That's because they are mechanics who were going to conduct their weekly maintainance on the aqueduct.

"Yawn..."

"Haven't had a good sleep?"

"Yeah... And it's pretty cold out here, why do we even have to carry weapons with us? It's heavy on top of the tools you know?"

"There might be monsters, you never know when it will become useful."

"Oh come on, we all know that half of Lake Gwen is almost completely frozen so it's inhospitable to water monsters, and the only land monsters seen there are the occasional slimes which can just be ignored."

"Still, I'd prefer to have and not need a weapon than to need and not have a weapon."

"You are just too paranoid...."

The two men continued uphill following the foot of the aqueduct. They soon arrived at the front mouth of the aqueduct where they'll conduct their maintenance.

"Okay, let's quickly check for damages and then go home... I want a nice afternoon nap."

"Wait... The second half of the lake has melted."

"Hmm? Now that you mention it, that's true..."

"Strange... The water appears to have changed in color as well. It looks somewhat greener than usual." Said the man as he approached closer to the lake.

"Did someone put poison into our water supply?"

"Unlikely... That still doesn't explain why the lake is unfrozen."

"Perhaps something large entered the lake and brought warmth to all the ice which melted it?"

"That might be possible but we would've noticed that creature now if that's the case..."

"It might be hiding deep underneath, who knows? The lake is deep enough to drown in, so it's possible."

"Hmm... I'm going to take a sample of the water and bring it to an alchemist to check."

The man approached even closer to the lake, and with a stick he poked into the lake to scoop out droplets of the water to put inside his container....

That is until he found that the liquid he poked is somewhat solid.

"...What?..."

"What's wrong?"

"The water is too thick... Something is very weird about this-"

'Phiuc!' The sound of a bullet sounded. A tiny stream of liquid shot out from the and severed his arm.

"Argh!!! My arm!!!"

"What in the?!"

The other man hurried over and dragged the screaming man away from the lake.

"Groo...." The entire lake starts shaking, water rises from the basin, but nothing could be seen inside the water.

"Oh god... It's a massive slime!"

"Groo...."

"We need to run, quick!"

__________________

[Kyrielle's POV]

(Adventurer's Guild, Klada City)

"-they ran away following the aqueduct back to the city. The slime tried to pursue them but it was too slow so they escaped in time."

Said the manager of the Guild. About 40 or so adventurers gathered around the guild, and all of them is at least B ranked.

This emergency is considered as an Emergency Quest, so no ranks are off the limits.... But upon hearing that the threat is A leveled, all of the lower ranked adventurers had already left to hide.

I'm the lowest ranked one among here, a little C ranked fire mage.

"However, in pursuing the two men who ran along the aqueduct, the hundred-slime had entered the aqueduct and is now headed for the city in the most direct path."

"This is insane.... A slime is travelling to our city through the aqueduct?"

"Lake Gwen spans about 200 meters in area, and the frozen part of the lake is half of that.... Which means the Hundred-Slime is at least 100 meters huge."

"That's impossible.... Such a large creature..."

"Do the adventurer guild have a plan?"

"....No. We don't know what can be doe about it. All we know is that the Slime is extremely dangerous and is capable of firing a small stream of water to use it as a projectile. As you heard, the stream is deadly enough to severe the arm of an adult man in just one shot, there'll be no help if you were shot in the head."

That's... That's extremely dangerous isn't it?!

"That's why, this is the last chance.... If any of you want to abort this quest, you may do so now."

"....." (?x) The entire room fell silent. Then...

"...I'm out. This sounds like a suicide mission for warriors after all."

"I'm out too... My arrows would do nothing against it."

"My magic can't handle such a thing...."

"I don't think I can heal anyone who might die instantly... I'm out as well."

One by one, the people started to leave. Soon, the group of 30 adventurers became a group of 18, leaving only the A ranked adventurers here.

"....So, I take it that all of you wants to participate in this fight?"

"Yes!" (17x)

"Then this is the right time to tell you all the good news.... The ones who participates will receive 50 silvers after this, and 30 rank points."

(AN : 50 silvers = 5000 USD)

"Ohh!!!" (17x)

"Haha...." These people are only here for the money huh?...

Why am I still here anyway? It's not like I'm in need of money after all, it just felt like the natural thing to do.....

"But money and ranks aside, how do you expect us to fight against such a monster?"

"....That is why we want to seperate the people who wants to participate in the fight into two groups. The first group is consisted of some healers, warriors and rangers. The second group is full mages and the remaining healers. Against such a threat, only the fire power of mages can make a difference."

"That... That sounds possible..."

"And even if the stream is that powerful it still can't punch through our shields right?"

"And fret not, the army will fight alongside us. We are not alone. Now, I want all the mages to come out to the front."

Hmm... Guess I'll go.

Amongst the 18 adventurers, about 6 people came out to the front including me.

"Umm.... What are you doing here, lady?" Said the staff manager as I walk out to the front.

"Hmm? Why do you think, I'm a mage."

"Aren't you too young?..."

"Am I? But I have my card, here." I showed him my adventurer card.

"Hmm.... You are only a C ranked newbie, are you trying to kill yourself?"

"Go home kid, this place is not for princesses like you!"

"Hahaha!" (?x)

Tsk.... How annoying.

"Sigh.... Look at where the card was made from."

"Hmm?.... The Demon Continent?!"

"Haha- huh?!" (?x)

"Look, I know Lynn the Magic Pioneer and she's my mentor. After the Klada Disaster, I was teleported away to the demon continent with her and we travelled all the way back here. Also, I was a fifth-year in the academy, if that helps."

"....Right.... I'll let you stay because you sound like you have potential." He said as he hands me back my card.

"Thank you."

"I hope you'll be helpful to us during the attack then! Now... Let's discuss our plan of attack. Mages, please come and discuss your cooperation plans."

(Chapter end)