The Hero Who Became a Monster Girl Will Never Fall to Evil

After sending Anna off, Vieya quietly took a sip of warm milk and sighed inwardly. She had underestimated Anna.

It came from that long-standing craving for a worthy opponent.

But now that one had truly appeared, she found herself unwilling to deal with it.

Her opponent was more difficult to handle than expected—smarter too. Upon learning what Vieya wanted, Anna had immediately taken the initiative, turning the situation around to try and forge a mutually beneficial partnership.

However—

Though the process was different from what Vieya had planned, the result was about the same.

Originally, she had intended to use outsiders to corner Anna, to push her to the edge and then use that moment to reel her in. But now, before she could even be cornered, Anna had come to her on her own, asking for cooperation...

Vieya squeezed the night outfit in her hand. Maybe, just maybe... that woman really did have a ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) way for Jasmine to grasp magical formulas?

At that thought, a hint of helplessness rose within her. Her daughter’s body was far too weak to support swordsmanship—or any martial arts that relied on physical strength as the foundation.

The only thing Jasmine could depend on was the power she had inherited from the Demon King’s bloodline, and the capacity to learn magic through understanding spell formulas and attuning herself to elemental mana.

But—

Jasmine’s inherited power was incomplete and unusable on her own. Her body and soul both lacked affinity with any elemental mana, meaning she could not even learn magic.

If Jasmine were not a Demon King—if she truly wished to live peacefully under her protection—Vieya wouldn’t have minded disappearing somewhere no one could ever find them, living in quiet seclusion with her daughter.

But if Jasmine wanted to learn, if she was that determined to become stronger, then as her mother, Vieya could only support her with all her strength. Besides... to be true to oneself, even for a fleeting moment, was better than being forever ignorant.

With that realization, the knot in Vieya’s heart loosened. Whether her daughter chose to stay by her side or not, it didn’t matter—so long as she was happy, and had the courage to pursue what she wanted to do.

As a mother, her only role was to keep supporting her.

Thinking that, Vieya gently pinched Jasmine’s cheek and smiled softly. “Don’t worry. Whatever you decide to do, I’ll support you.”

Support me no matter what?

Jasmine tilted her head, and as if testing her mother’s words, she leaned forward and hugged her. Seeing only mild surprise in her mother’s eyes and no sign of rejection, Jasmine pressed her face against her mother’s soft chest, listening to the even rhythm of her breathing, and whispered,

“Really... you’ll support me no matter what?”

“Of course.”

Vieya stroked her daughter’s hair, eyes full of tenderness. Even if you wish to become a Demon King like Flaviel, I’ll still support you...

“Then... Mom, can we sleep together tonight?” Jasmine’s warm breath brushed near Vieya’s collarbone, tickling her.

“Sleep together?”

Vieya looked puzzled. “Don’t we always sleep together?”

And what kind of wish is that...? Weren’t you supposed to be asking about magic?

But that was all?

Then Jasmine, blushing, added shyly,

“I want to sleep under the same blanket with you...”

“?”

The slime woman was utterly baffled by her daughter. She couldn’t see what difference that made.

Also—wouldn’t having one blanket each be more comfortable?

“Please, Mom?”

“?”

...

Two days later.

There was still no trace of Helcat or Rania. It was as if both had vanished from the face of the earth.

To prevent the news of a missing Hero from stirring panic in this town that had only just regained peace, the City Lord’s Office decided to temporarily seal the information.

At the same time, they reported the situation in secret, hoping that the higher authorities would soon take notice and send instructions in time.

“This world grows more restless by the day.”

At Listening Wind Pavilion, three elderly men sat drinking tea together.

Under this kind of atmosphere, liquor would normally have suited the mood better.

But given how uncertain things were, they chose tea instead.

The old city lord stood with his hands behind his back, gazing down at the town he had guarded for decades.

Since middle age, he had taken on the position of city lord—and he had held it for decades since.

Once-black hair had long turned gray; his youthful face was lined with deep wrinkles; the sturdy body of his prime had withered like aged timber.

But he neither wanted nor could afford to leave. His home, his roots, were here, in this very city.

“Dean Mok, does the Holy Maiden know about the Hero’s disappearance?”

The old city lord leaned on the railing as he spoke slowly. “If I recall correctly, the Holy Maiden and that Hero were unusually close.”

“Unusually close indeed.”

Dean Mok sipped his tea, answering as he thought aloud. “One was the Chief Hero’s comrade, the other was the Chief Hero’s only student. Over these years, it was the Holy Maiden who secretly supported that inexperienced Hero. Now that this has happened, Her Holiness’s mood is surely grim.”

“Has Beckham Castle been investigated?”

The third old man finally spoke. Unlike the other two, who carried the air of scholars and strategists, his voice was rough and steady, restrained yet powerful. His hair was gray-white, but beneath his simple gray robe, his muscles coiled like dragons.

He was the regional head of the entire Demon-Hunting Order here—the one known as the “Demon Spear.”

Rumor had it that decades ago he had already stepped into the pseudo-kingly realm of the Eighth Rank. And unlike most Demon-Hunting knights who only slew monsters, the number of humans who had died by his hand was not much fewer than the monsters.

He was also the strongest of the three.

“It’s been investigated,” the city lord replied, tapping the railing—thud, thud, thud. “That castle has stood here for over a century, passed down through generations. I know every root and detail of it. Yet I never imagined this affair could have any connection to them.”

“So what was your conclusion? If you found anything, what’s the cause?”

The Demon-Hunting elder crossed his arms and looked at the city lord, his tone calm as still water.

“If they’ve colluded with monsters, drag them all into the dungeons, find a good day, hang them in front of the whole city, and burn the bodies to ash with holy fire.”

“...But that all depends on evidence.” The old city lord shook his head. “Without proof, we cannot move against an ancient noble house that has lasted a hundred years.”

“True... If you act rashly, those with ulterior motives will throw the charge of treason on your head.”

Mok spoke faintly. “But... a commander in the field does not always obey the sovereign’s command. We may not strike ourselves—but that doesn’t mean we can’t allow someone else to strike.”

...

Vieya retrieved the dried blue-and-white pajamas from the balcony, lifted her head, and frowned slightly at the sky as clouds shifted and swirled.

This weather—don’t tell me it’s going to rain again?

Back inside the house—

Jasmine was reciting from the sorcerer’s manual Anna had given her the night before, paying no attention at all to Vieya’s coming and going.

Seeing this, Vieya felt both relieved and worried. If it still didn’t work, would Jasmine be crushed again and grow even more withdrawn?

“Stop worrying.”

Beside her, Anna—who had taken charge of tutoring Jasmine—took a sip of water and said confidently, “Magic isn’t that complicated. As long as you understand it deeply enough, all sorts of miracles can emerge through the interweaving of formulas.”

She paused, then added, “Magic is humanity’s greatest discovery. From the first person in legend who realized humans could use magic to create miracles, to those who later expanded it into arrays, inscriptions, magitech—all those miraculous creations began from nothing.”

All right, all right, you’re the great goddess of magic—no need for me to worry.

“Sorry... I really don’t understand magic,” Vieya sighed. She stuffed the folded clothes into the wardrobe, then turned toward the mailbox by the door.

Someone had mailed her something early this morning.

Whenever there was something inside, the magic crystal on the mailbox would blink with green light.

“Hope the rain comes late today... Could it be news from Rania and Helcat?”

She opened the mailbox. After hesitating a moment, Vieya took out the letter sealed with red wax.

Apparently not from those two... One’s a complete illiterate, the other never writes letters—and even if they did, they’d never bother with this sort of fancy old-fashioned wax seal.

Unfolding the letter, Vieya froze.

It was an anonymous letter. The handwriting was unfamiliar—but the recipient’s name was indeed her own.

Meaning, someone who knew her, but whom she did not know, had written her this letter.