Revised on December 30, H27.
Revised again on March 29, H28.
Revised yet again on April 18, H28.
The third morning arrived during our stay in the post town of Dorsen.
We had spent the previous two days hunting down all the slimes in the vicinity of Dorsen. Today, the third day, we had ventured into the shallow forest at the edge of the Great Forest Zone, continuing our slime hunt.
Because we could easily defeat the slimes, we had apparently grown complacent. Before we knew it, we had strayed far from the road and found ourselves wandering through the primeval forest.
“This is bad. We’re completely lost.”
I was a little anxious.
“You’re right. But we’re fully prepared for an overnight stay.”
Elise responded bravely, assuring me everything was alright.
“Let’s try moving for another 30 minutes. If we don’t find the road, we’ll prepare to camp out.”
“Understood,” Ly said.
“I’m not scared either.”
Ly was also putting on a brave face.
Mai and Swan Hilda, who had plenty of experience camping out, appeared completely unfazed. Moreover, it was impressive how they didn’t let their guard down against potential threats in the surroundings.
“…Over there… a light…”
“Amazing, Mai!”
Just as our time limit was about to expire, Mai spotted a light in the distance.
“It’s good that we came out into a clearing, but what is this place?”
“This… it looks like an altar…”
We hurried towards the location, only to find an altar.
In the middle of the primeval forest, there was a small clearing, no bigger than a cat’s forehead. In its center stood an altar, with bonfires lit at each of the four corners.
However, what was most notable at this spot was the offering on the altar.
“There’s a girl tied up over there!”
“That girl is probably a sacrifice…”
“W-what monstrousness… Hal, may we go and save her?”
“We need to assess the situation first.”
“Understood.”
While various offerings were placed around the altar, on top of several stacked tatami mats, a luxurious rug was laid out. And upon it sat a girl in a peculiar pose.
The girl was dressed in what could be called white ceremonial attire, and a blindfold covered her eyes, obscuring her vision.
Her arms were bound behind her back, her thumbs tightly tied together with a magic cord, immobilizing her.
Observing further, her legs were secured with shackles to prevent escape, and her neck bore a ‘Curse Seal’ that silenced her voice, demonstrating a thoroughness designed to completely incapacitate her.
To top it all off, her consciousness had been taken by ‘Mind Magic,’ making her appear like a mere doll at first glance.
“What is this?”
Ly cautiously observed the sacrificial girl from a distance, and Elise was in a similar state.
“This is probably a ‘Sacrificial Maiden’ offered to the ‘Earth God’.”
As I stated my assessment,
“What is a ‘Sacrificial Maiden’? It sounds like a terribly ominous phrase.”
“It’s what they call ‘old customs’ that remain in the countryside.”
“‘Old customs,’ you say…”
“It’s likely that the villages in this area worship a ‘false god’ named ‘Earth God’ which demands sacrifices in exchange for certain blessings.”
“Humans do strange things, don’t they?”
Swan Hilda looked exasperated.
“Hal, if we stay here, might we encounter the ‘Earth God’?”
“That’s right. But considering our current strength, I don’t think it’s as worrying as you might think.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. At this point, I believe it’s safer to confront it here than to try and flee.”
Ly looked worried, but when I decided to fight, they too understood and began preparing to face the ‘Earth God’.
“It’s here!”
Mai announced the approach of an異形 (ikkei – monstrous being), and a frog that walked upright appeared.
[Such a lavish sacrifice this time.]
Then, a grim voice? echoed in my mind.
I cast multiple ‘Blessings’ on them to enhance their spirit, stamina, and luck, and then began preparing ‘Healing Magic’ to deal with any injured.
The battle commenced as the frog god leaped towards Mai, who was at the forefront.
Mai, with agile movements, dodged the frog god and, as a parting shot, slashed at it with her short sword. However, its hide was slippery, and she dealt no damage.
As if it were our turn next, five fire arrows from Elise’s beginner fire magic assaulted the frog god, all hitting their mark. However, it only slightly scorched its hide, inflicting no significant damage.
Simultaneously, Ly, with her magnificent swordsmanship, thrust her rapier. She skillfully managed to crush the frog god’s left eye.
“This is bad. Even my rapier will have difficulty inflicting a fatal wound.”
Ly calmly analyzed the battle situation.
“Leave it to me.”
Swan Hilda, unarmed, casually approached the frog god.
“Swan Hilda, you mustn’t approach so carelessly!”
Ly cried out.
[To think you’d come to be a sacrifice so readily, brave maiden. I shall swallow you whole so you may depart without suffering!]
The frog god arrogantly spouted nonsense.
“I won’t let beings like you exist!”
Yelling this, Swan Hilda cast off her hooded robe and glared at the frog god with eyes filled with anger.
“Manifest!”
As she spoke, holy light condensed in her right hand, and the ‘Divine Sword,’ the main armament of a Valkyrie, manifested.
At the same time, her attire began to unravel, and when the holy light subsided, she was clad in the light armor of a Valkyrie.
“What is this?”
Ly could no longer comprehend the unfolding events.
“False god, become the rust of my sword!”
Her tone of voice, usually different, became resolute as Swan Hilda approached the frog god, shouting.
[You seem to have some fight in you, maiden. I shall strike you down.]
The frog god also leaped towards Swan Hilda.
The next moment, blinding holy light filled the surroundings, and Swan Hilda moved several meters away, poised as if she had just swung her ‘Divine Sword’.
Meanwhile, the frog god turned around as if nothing had happened, but something seemed off.
[Ah… you… could it be… a… warrior…]
As the frog god began to utter its dying words, its torso separated, and it died, cut in half.
“Indeed. What an idiot to incur the wrath of Swan Hilda, who ranks among the genuine goddesses, the ‘Valkyries’.”
I calmly commented while gazing at the frog god’s corpse.
“Is Swan Hilda’s true identity one of the ‘Valkyries’?”
Ly, the only one unaware of Swan Hilda’s true identity, asked.
“That’s right. This is one of the trump cards of ‘Princess Harem’.”
At my answer, Ly was speechless.
“You don’t need to be so awestruck. But please, keep this a secret.”
Swan Hilda, returning to her usual way of speaking, said casually.
Then, Swan Hilda recounted the events that led to her contact with the frog god.
Originally, the frog god was the master of a nearby lake and marsh.
About 200 years ago, an aging wandering saint died by the waterside of the lake. The frog god, who happened to be there, consumed the old saint’s body, awakening to great power and acquiring a taste for humans.
Afterward, the frog god awakened the power to control the weather and began demanding a ‘Sacrificial Maiden’ every ten years as payment for bountiful rain.
This year was the tenth year, and the frog god, as per its due, demanded a ‘Sacrificial Maiden.’ Thus, it had chosen the girl offered at the altar.
