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

The fairies’ back garden.

Vieya was testing the growth limits of the Dragonbud Grass. The aura originating from a pure-blood Dragon King surfaced at times and hid at others; under this alternating stimulation, the Dragonbud Grass stopped growing at around ten meters tall.

The slime stood in front of the grass, looking like a child.

‘No wonder it can become dragon fodder. This growth speed is truly terrifying.’

Vieya glanced around. Earlier, after she said she wanted to conduct her research alone to avoid accidentally hurting anyone, Aislin had helplessly gone back first to submit the task, while that fat fairy went to notify the others to temporarily stay away from this back garden.

With people coming and going, the place was now left with only Vieya— the sole breathing being here.

Taking advantage of the moment, she took a bite out of the thick grass stem and leaf. Unlike chewing ordinary grass, which would be hard to swallow, Vieya actually tasted a hint of sweetness and freshness.

‘This is bizarre. How did I never notice grass this delicious before?’

‘And it even replenishes the gaps in my internal magic. This is treasure. Maybe if I eat all this grass, my body could recover and grow larger again.’

‘...No, no, that’s not right.’

‘Recovering magic isn’t wrong, but even in slime-girl form, there’s no way I could finish this much in a short time. And this is the last Dragonbud Grass in the world—resources must be managed sustainably. More importantly, I stayed behind not to replenish magic, but to study the relationship between this grass, dragons, and myself.’

Thoughts flashed endlessly through Vieya’s eyes. In the end, the idea of “taking things step by step” won out.

Anyway, once Aislin became the Elf Queen in the future, there would be plenty of chances to take over this land.

With that thought, she cut off a bundle of Dragonbud Grass and stored it in the Golden City, placing the dragon horn to the side.

She wanted to test whether doing this would lure Flaviel out, but unfortunately, after a long while, the dragon horn remained completely unresponsive.

Vieya gave up on that idea in disappointment and turned her attention to the surrounding environment.

According to that fat fairy, this place was the seam between the real world and the Astral Realm, where the World Tree’s root veins extended and intersected, and also the area before the World Tree’s gateway.

If there ever came a day when she used the World Tree to help revive Flaviel, she would likely pass through this fairy village again.

Thinking that, Vieya shifted her gaze to the other herbs and flowers in the medicinal fields, unconsciously licking the saliva from the corner of her mouth.

According to Appraisal, these plants were all treasures with astonishing effects. That fat fairy had said she could take three plants with her.

[Dragon-Saliva Grass: A legendary herb said to grow under nourishment from a true dragon’s saliva. Consuming one stalk grants a small boost to physical attributes.]

Tch. Since when did dragon saliva have that kind of effect?

[Sun-and-Moon Twinflower: Absorbs solar essence and lunar radiance. Blooms only after a century. Eating the flower can balance chaotic internal energies, cure all ailments, and enhance talent.]

Not as good as the White Tiger’s power. Pass.

Vieya curled her lip. These herbs were indeed rare and valuable—any one of them tossed into a human auction house could easily sell for millions of gold coins. But for her current self, they were tasteless to eat yet a pity to discard.

‘Forget it. I’ll pick something that can improve my daughter’s constitution instead. After all these years, she hasn’t grown even a bit—what’s going to happen later on? Sigh...’

The slime sighed worriedly. These herbs had extraordinary effects, yes, but most of them also came with a certain degree of negative side effects.

For example, a medicinal plant called Angel Broken-Wing Orchid could grant absolute immunity to abnormal states to whoever consumed it—but it would also turn the consumer’s blood into a terrifying poison...

After much deliberation and careful selection—

In the end, Vieya chose one stalk of Dragon-Saliva Grass, a Bubble Sunflower that permanently increased the consumer’s magic recovery speed, and a piece of Leyline Dragon Moss that could heal bodily defects.

None of these three herbs had side effects.

She would eat the sunflower herself and feed the other two to her daughter. She didn’t dare hope to cure the problems with Jasmine’s hands and feet completely, but at the very least, they should raise her constitution by a tier or two.

Heh. If Jasmine saw these thousand-year, once-in-a-lifetime precious medicines, she’d probably be overjoyed.

If it weren’t for the fact that medicinal effects diminished with repeated use—shrinking closer and closer to zero—Vieya would have shamelessly asked that fat fairy for a lot more.

Right, I should also bring back a few stalks of grass to feed my daughter... Maybe a dragon’s daughter really does need to eat this kind of thing to grow and develop.

...... 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Grasslands, the star curtain heavy overhead.

Tiya was staring blankly at the stars. There was little food left in the large pot in front of her. Marlam’s eating speed had slowed somewhat, but she was still methodical.

The little white dog was so full it lay sprawled in the grass, unable to move.

“Honored Priestess, aren’t you eating?” Marlam asked.

She drained the last of the soup from her basin-sized bowl and wiped her mouth.

“Thank you very much this time. If we hadn’t met you, I think we’d still be undergoing hard cultivation for quite a while.”

“...Sigh.” Tiya snapped back to her senses and sighed again. “Are you full?”

“Very full. Thank you for the hospitality, Honored One. I’ll remember this kindness,” Marlam said solemnly.

“There’s no need to remember it. You don’t have to repay it.” Tiya paused, then continued, “Are you planning to leave now, or rest for the night before leaving?”

“Honored Priestess.”

Marlam rubbed her slightly bulging belly and said lazily, “With the struggle for the position of Great Khan, the tribes of the Western Border are in constant warfare. With your strength, traveling alone to search for a new lord is really unsafe. How about I clear the path for you until the fighting settles down, as repayment for tonight’s kindness?”

“I already said there’s no need to repay anything.”

Tiya was truly at a loss. She set down the white porcelain soup bowl and said quietly, “I understand. You want to follow me, don’t you?”

“That’s right.” Marlam nodded.

The little dog Pike chimed in enthusiastically, “What a wise decision!”

At that moment—

A young tribal woman brimming with the wild vitality of the grasslands approached from afar. Her wheat-colored skin was healthy and gleaming.

Her expression was extremely serious, her gaze complex. As soon as she arrived, her eyes locked onto Tiya, yet she didn’t dare come too close.

“Mu Li greets Lady Tiya.”

Tiya lifted her eyes slightly, withdrawing her attention from Marlam and focusing on the sturdy young woman before her.

This was the Great Khan’s seventh daughter. Her mother was the eldest daughter of a small tribe. Though her power was far weaker than that of the dominant contenders, her temperament was upright, her ambition moderate. She didn’t play schemes or plots, and she revered strength and inheritance.

Tiya smiled.

“According to my recent star-chart calculations, among the top ten princes and princesses, fewer than five remain now—including you. It’s only been a few days since the Great Khan’s soul returned to the High Heavens, yet the battle situation has already developed to this extent.”

Mu Li clasped her hands respectfully, but said nothing.

Tiya continued, “Not long ago, the First Prince led people to intercept and kill me, chasing from the Great Grasslands all the way to the Elven Forest. If not for a stroke of luck in meeting a benefactor, I probably wouldn’t be standing here before you now.”

“Originally, the First Prince held the greatest military power, and his chances of victory could have pushed him into the top five. Unfortunately, his strength couldn’t support his ambition and schemes. After provoking a true iron wall, decades of accumulation were destroyed in a single blow, and even his life was lost.”

With that, Tiya sighed softly and looked at Mu Li with a meaningful gaze.

“Do you have any intention of competing for the position of Great Khan?”

Mu Li’s heart leapt. She hurriedly clasped her hands and bowed her head.

“Mu Li does not dare to compete.”

“I support you competing. What’s there to be afraid of?” Tiya said calmly. Her aura suddenly changed—mysterious and cold. “They all dare to compete, so why can’t you? As the Great Khan’s eldest daughter, can’t you muster even this much courage and resolve?”

“......”

Hearing this, Mu Li’s heart pounded like a war drum. In an instant, countless possibilities flashed through her mind. She thought of those on her mother’s side who supported her, as well as the other siblings who periodically pressured and probed her.

The entire grassland was a massive arena. They—the Great Khan’s children—were fated to fight within it, until one beast emerged as king.

She wanted to be that beast king. But among her hundred-plus siblings, there were far too many stronger than her. To become the early standout would inevitably lead to death.

Moreover, Tiya—the sole successor of the former High Priest—had never shown her any special appreciation before. So why seek her out now?

If Tiya wished, it wouldn’t be difficult to find a stronger prince or princess to support.

So this wasn’t an opportunity. It was an unknown gamble.

Thinking of this, Mu Li clasped her hands once more.

“Mu Li does not dare to compete.”

“...Then you really are a useless Mu Li.”

Tiya chuckled and turned her head to look at Marlam.

“You said you know my teacher. Then do you know who my teacher believes is the most suitable candidate for the next Great Khan?”

Marlam froze for a moment and asked, “Who?”