Chapter Thirty-Four
No sooner had Hilda finalized their assignments than Lisbeth and her companions found themselves in the outer district of the Demon Lord’s Castle. As they disembarked from the carriage, Lisbeth’s gaze was immediately drawn to a vast, sprawling plain.
A quick scan of her surroundings confirmed that the nearby groves remained untouched.
” ‘Hmm, no matter how I look at it, this is an utterly disadvantageous location for a siege,’ ‘ Lisbeth mused. ‘The surroundings are boundless, utterly devoid of any cover. If magic and arrows rained down from the city walls, there wouldn’t even be a moment to construct defenses.’ ”
” ‘Hey, hey,’ ‘ Hilda chided, tapping Lisbeth’s head. ‘Don’t forget you’re a maid now, not a hero. Stop constantly strategizing about warfare, alright?’ ”
Hilda gently tapped Lisbeth’s head, amused by her unconscious drift towards wartime strategies. ” ‘While it appears empty now, those forests are teeming with magical beasts,’ ‘ she explained.
” ‘A few of us will head to areas with fewer creatures, while you’ll proceed to the forest on the right. Take this.’ ”
After a concise explanation of the herb-gathering spots, Hilda tossed a pale blue crystal to Lisbeth. ” ‘This is a communication crystal, effective only over short distances,’ ‘ she stated.
” ‘Should any trouble arise, immediately infuse it with magic, and we’ll rush to your aid.’ ”
” ‘And one final instruction: you have three hours for gathering. Return immediately once your time is up.’ ”
” ‘Understood,’ ‘ Lisbeth affirmed.
With Lisbeth’s nod of comprehension, Hilda reiterated the instructions to Staros. Once she confirmed everyone understood, Lisbeth set off alone, heading towards the designated grove.
****
” ‘Alex, do you truly believe what Hilda just told us?’ ‘ Clotilde’s voice echoed, emanating from Lisbeth’s arm where she resided.
As they journeyed towards the specified forest, Clotilde, who resided within Lisbeth’s arm, finally spoke. They were now well beyond Hilda and the others’ range, meaning Lisbeth could converse freely without suspicion, even if it meant prolonged silence to those observing from afar.
Upon hearing Clotilde’s query, Lisbeth nodded subtly. ” ‘Regardless, I did live with Chris for a time, and I understand her character well,’ ‘ she replied. ‘Given her words, it seems she has indeed temporarily ceased her surveillance of me.’ ”
” ‘But why would she suddenly do that?’ ‘ Clotilde pressed, a hint of confusion in her tone. ‘You’ve only been here for a few days, haven’t you? I find her abandoning surveillance so quickly quite suspicious.’ ”
” ‘Indeed, that thought has crossed my mind as well,’ ‘ Lisbeth admitted. ‘However, let’s prioritize the task at hand. The sooner we gather these herbs, the sooner we can finally rest.’ ”
While Chris’s abrupt cessation of surveillance puzzled Lisbeth, she pushed the thought aside. As soon as she finished speaking, she found herself at the edge of the forest she was destined to enter.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped across the threshold, into the verdant depths.
****
” ‘Well, it seems this is our herb-gathering location,’ ‘ Lisbeth observed. ‘But for a forest this vast, three hours hardly feels like ample time to collect everything.’ ”
Grazing at the immense forest, a tapestry woven from countless towering trees, Lisbeth stretched languidly. She then retrieved the task sheet from her herb-gathering backpack.
Hilda’s instructions had been clear: she wasn’t required to gather an exorbitant quantity, but rather to collect as many different types of herbs as she could find.
This realization dawned on Lisbeth: Hilda understood that collecting every single herb within such a vast forest in just three hours was an unrealistic expectation. Hence, the directive to simply gather as many varieties as possible.
” ‘Hmm, let’s see here. Elcra, Darkray, Hilsay?’ ‘ Lisbeth murmured, scanning the list. ‘Are these herb names or people’s names? They hardly sound like medicinal ingredients.’ ”
” ‘Ah, you’re right,’ ‘ Lisbeth chuckled. ‘Never mind these, Alex. Let’s just focus on gathering the herbs. It doesn’t look like we have much time.’ ”
” ‘Heh heh, how could you forget?’ ‘ Alex replied with a confident hum. ‘Haven’t you realized I can change professions now? With the right skill, gathering these paltry herbs will be simple.’ ”
” ‘Wait, what!?’ ‘ Clotilde exclaimed, startled. ‘You’re going to use your profession change skill right here?’ ”
Clotilde’s gasp of alarm was immediate. ” ‘Lisbeth,’ ‘ she warned urgently, ‘don’t forget Hilda and the others are not far from here. If they sense the surge of magical power from your profession change, everything will be ruined!’ ”
” ‘Oh, come now, I’m not an idiot,’ ‘ Lisbeth scoffed playfully. ‘Before I change professions, I’ll absolutely activate a barrier to contain the magical overflow. So, Little Sword, you can relax~’ ”
” ‘Is that so? Well, that’s a relief,’ ‘ Clotilde mused. ‘But which profession are you planning to use? I recall the Grand Thief profession had the best search capabilities, didn’t it?’ ”
” ‘Precisely~’ ‘ Lisbeth affirmed. ‘Then, let’s begin.’ ”
With those words, Lisbeth gently closed her eyes. Simultaneously, a vast barrier expanded around her, encompassing the immediate area.
The next instant, the familiar magic circle, last seen in the treasure vault, manifested beneath her feet.
” ‘Profession selection: Tier 1 — Thief.’ ”
” ‘Followed by profession advancement: Tier 2 — Grand Thief.’ ”
In a flash, Lisbeth’s maid uniform vanished, replaced by a set of supple leather armor. A practical outer robe, designed for ease of movement, settled over her new attire.
” ‘All right, let’s begin the search.’ ”
Her profession change complete, Lisbeth crouched down, placing her hand directly on the forest soil. The moment her fingers made contact with the ground, a blue light suddenly emanated from her hand, coalescing above the earth in the blink of an eye.
” ‘Skill — Search.’ ”
As Lisbeth uttered the command, the blue light that had gathered above her hand transformed into darting tendrils of lightning, plunging into the soil and racing outwards in every direction through the forest.
” ‘Aha, found it, found it. This herb is here, and that medicinal ingredient is over there.’ ”
Indeed, the instant Lisbeth cast her Search skill, a torrent of information flooded her mind. Within moments, she had pinpointed the exact locations of all the herbs; all she had to do now was walk to them.
” ‘Alright, that should be enough. Now all I need to do is… huh!?’ ”
However, before Lisbeth could even prepare to move, a disturbing image simultaneously flashed into her mind.
” ‘You’ve got to be kidding me. Someone is being surrounded by a dozen magical beasts!’ ”
” ‘What!? Really?’ ‘ Clotilde exclaimed, startled, then hastily pressed, ‘Are those magical beasts strong? Is that person in immediate danger?’ ”
” ‘That, I don’t know.’ ”
While Search was an incredibly convenient skill, it only allowed Lisbeth to generally perceive what was in an area, not to witness specific events unfolding. Yet, as the blue light from her skill returned, Lisbeth discerned a lone individual under siege by a dozen magical beasts.
Though she didn’t know who it was, Lisbeth understood that this life-or-death situation left no room for hesitation.
” ‘Never mind any of that for now, Alex. Let’s hurry over!’ ”
” ‘Understood,’ ‘ Alex replied.
With a nod, Lisbeth gripped the longsword Hilda had given her and dashed towards the besieged individual. Her speed, enhanced by her new profession, was astonishing.
In just a few short minutes, Lisbeth arrived at the scene of the encirclement. Yet, before she could even draw her sword to intervene, she halted about ten meters from the person, her eyes wide with disbelief at the sight before her.
” ‘Lightning Emperor’s Flame Array!!’ ”
” ‘Boom!!!!’ ”
The first thing that struck Lisbeth’s eyes was a human woman with long golden hair, clad in knight’s armor, fiercely cutting down the magical beasts before her with a longsword. Periodically, torrents of electricity erupted from her blade, instantly incinerating any beast that dared to approach.
In a mere moment, all the magical beasts surrounding the human woman were annihilated. Yet, Lisbeth remained rooted to her spot, as if struck by an immense shock.
” ‘I-Is this real? How is *she* here?’ ”
Despite the absurd strength displayed by the human woman, Lisbeth’s astonishment stemmed not from her power, but from her identity. The person who had just slaughtered countless magical beasts was none other than one of Lisbeth’s four Hero companions from her time as a hero.
People knew her by the title — the Lightning Empress.
” ‘W-Why is Natalie here? Didn’t she retreat with the human army?’ ”
If Lisbeth remembered correctly, Natalie had been by her side when they decided to attack Chris’s Demon Lord’s Castle. She had never imagined that Natalie wouldn’t retreat with the human forces, but instead remain in this very forest.
” ‘W-What should we do? Should we retreat for now, Alex? Meeting her here is incredibly disadvantageous.’ ”
” ‘Yes, I know. A confrontation with her here would indeed be unwise,’ ‘ Alex agreed. ‘Besides, she’s so strong, she’ll be fine alone. As long as she’s not foolish enough to charge into the Demon Lord’s Castle by herself, I believe there won’t be any problems.’ ”
Having made their decision, Lisbeth prepared to leave. But before she could take a step, Natalie’s eyes flashed, and she cried out, ” ‘Who’s there!?’ “