Chapter 42: The Corrosive Viper and an Unwanted Admirer

The brown bear, sensing the impending danger, shed its earthen armor the instant the plant roots threatened to ensnare its body. With the elven girl’s timely intervention, Lilia’s party finally seized the advantage. The elven girl’s potent wood magic proved to be the perfect counter, effortlessly shattering the creature’s earthen shield. From that point, their assault became significantly easier. Overwhelmed by the combined force of the three, the brown bear ultimately succumbed, collapsing with a heavy thud.

Only then did the trio finally let out a collective sigh of relief.

“We owe you a great deal for this,” Lilia said, exhaling softly as she turned to the elven girl. “What might your name be?”

“I am Hera Lopez,” the elven girl replied. “You may simply call me Hera.”

“Miss Hera, our sincerest thanks,” Lilia expressed, inclining her head slightly in gratitude. “Without your aid, Sina and I would have faced a far more arduous struggle.”

Hera’s emerald eyes blinked thoughtfully, then fixed on the fallen brown bear.

“Hm… this bear was quite formidable. But tell me, how do you suppose bear meat tastes?”

Lilia and Sina’s lips twitched almost imperceptibly at her words. ‘Is that truly a question an elf should utter?’ they silently wondered. Elves were known to be strict vegetarians, their physiology incapable of digesting meat. To hear an elf inquire about the palatability of bear meat felt like a joke of the most absurd, hellish variety.

“Hm? What’s the matter? Why are you both staring?”

Hera winked mischievously. Upon seeing their bewildered expressions, a triumphant smirk spread across her face.

“Alright, alright, it was just a joke,” she chuckled. “A little humor to lighten the mood.”

“Oh, and speaking of which,” Hera added, a more serious note entering her voice, “I sense residual life force within that cave. There are likely more magical beasts inside.”

At her words, Lilia and Sina’s expressions shifted. Neither of them had detected any signs of life during their earlier foray into the cave. However, elves possessed an exceptionally keen perception of life, suggesting that if Hera claimed something was there, it was highly probable. The only variable was the possibility of Hera deliberately misleading them, given their recent acquaintance and lack of familiarity.

Hera, noticing their cautious expressions, seemed unfazed. She simply stepped forward, positioning herself ahead of the two, and spoke.

“It’s fine,” she declared with a wave of her hand. “I’ll take the lead. Should true danger arise, you two are perfectly welcome to abandon me.”

Lilia couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh at Hera’s demeanor. ‘This one’s personality is truly enigmatic,’ she mused.

The trio soon re-entered the cave’s depths. The ambient magic essence here was noticeably weaker than before.

Yet, the air remained parched. As they ventured deeper, illuminated by their magic lights, countless motes of dust shimmered and danced, scattering in every direction.

Lilia instinctively covered her mouth and nose, finding the air oppressively unclean. The other two women likewise produced handkerchiefs, pressing them against their own faces.

As they pressed further inward, a faint, acrid stench began to permeate the air.

It was the pungent, musky scent of the brown bear, strong enough to visibly sour the expressions on the girls’ faces.

“Ugh, this stench!” Hera exclaimed, making a face. “Did this bear just… relieve itself inside its own home?”

Lilia and Sina watched Hera’s retching motions, momentarily at a loss for how to react to their eccentric companion. ‘Even among girls,’ they thought, ‘one should strive to maintain a semblance of grace. But Hera…’ Still, it was merely a quirk of her personality, and Lilia, finding herself unable to voice any objections, simply continued deeper into the cavern.

Before long, they discovered a small clearing, softened with a bed of thatch and bark. This, they surmised, must have been the brown bear’s sleeping den.

Nearby lay several bear cubs, none appearing older than a few months.

Their condition, however, was peculiar. Each cub was curled into a tight ball, trembling incessantly.

The girls’ brows furrowed in concern. Hera approached to investigate, discovering that one of the cubs had already begun to decay.

This wasn’t a natural decomposition; rather, it was a putrefaction that had started from within and spread outwards while the cub was still alive.

When Hera had gently poked it with a branch, the cub’s body had collapsed like a paper effigy, oozing a noxious fluid.

“Toxins?”

Hera swiftly identified the cubs’ plight: they had all been afflicted by snake venom, a condition now virtually beyond remedy.

“What exactly is happening here?” Sina murmured, using her longsword to carefully slit open the deceased cub’s body. More putrid liquid oozed forth, causing her face to blanch.

Lilia, standing beside them, fell into thoughtful contemplation. As a princess of the kingdom, her breadth of knowledge far surpassed Sina’s. She recalled a description from a book, one that perfectly matched the gruesome state of the cub before them. It was a type of snake venom, though Lilia couldn’t quite recall its name, only that an adult of the species could reach the fourth tier. The serpent’s venom was intensely corrosive; even a slight exposure, if left untreated, would cause the victim’s entire body to fester.

“A Corrosive Viper,” Hera stated with chilling clarity. “Likely an adult specimen, a fourth-tier magical beast.” As an elf, her understanding of the natural world’s creatures was extensive.

Lilia and Sina watched, perplexed, as Hera expertly siphoned the putrid fluid from the cub’s corpse into an unfamiliar container, utterly bewildered by her intentions.

“Oh? Aren’t you two going to collect some?” Hera asked, a sweet smile on her face. “This makes for excellent poison arrows; a mere graze can be lethal.”

Hera’s serene smile was disarmingly innocent, yet her words sent shivers down their spines.

Lilia, choosing to ignore Hera’s unsettling suggestion, turned instead to the wary Sina. “Miss Sina,” she began, “I believe we should depart from this place. This type of venomous snake is beyond our current capabilities, and should it return, we would find ourselves in grave peril.”

“Understood,” Sina replied, then glanced at Hera. “And what about you, Miss Hera? What are your plans?”

“Oh, me?” Hera mused, shrugging lightly. “I have no particular destination in mind, and I’ve gathered most of the magic crystals I need. So, I suppose I’m quite flexible.”

****

The trio, having formed a temporary adventuring party, withdrew from the small mountain. No further unusual incidents occurred thereafter. The three worked in concert, their teamwork proving effective as they vanquished several more magical beasts.

In the afternoon, just as they finished their midday meal and settled down to rest, a group of unexpected visitors arrived at the outskirts of their temporary camp.

“Ah, esteemed Princess Lilia,” a voice drawled, “we meet again.”

The speaker bowed respectfully towards Lilia, and the men trailing him likewise offered their salutations, each gesture meant to convey their profound deference to Princess Lilia.

Lilia, however, offered them no warmth, her gaze particularly cold toward the man leading the group—the very individual who had recently sought trouble with Gern.

“Anthony?” Lilia’s voice was sharp. “What brings you here to seek me out?”

“Naturally, I am concerned for Your Highness’s well-being,” Anthony replied, a practiced sincerity in his tone. “Thus, my brothers and I have ridden tirelessly, seeking any trace of your presence.”

Witnessing the young man’s obsequious expression, Lilia felt a surge of nausea. Her eyes, cold and unwavering, swept over the group, her heart already brimming with extreme aversion.

“Hm? You know them?” Hera asked, her expression one of mild confusion.

Hera, observing the exchange, seemed utterly bewildered. It was Sina, who had a better grasp of the situation, who leaned in and whispered an explanation.

“[Not truly acquainted. Anthony simply has a strong infatuation with Princess Lilia, who, unfortunately for him, does not reciprocate his feelings. Yet, he relentlessly, shamelessly, pursues her.]” Sina paused, then added, “[He’s even gotten into altercations with others, all because of Princess Lilia.]”

“Oh~” Hera exclaimed, clapping her hands together, a look of sudden comprehension dawning on her face.

“So he’s a massive simp!”