I Favor The Villainess Chapter 17

That demon is a transparent monster with an indefinite form.
If I said it's like a slime that appears in RPGs which became almost ten meters and gives off a fiendish impression, would it be conveyed?
The l.u.s.trous, bluish-white surface seems soft and flabby, inside its transparent body a magical gem core that Tred-sensei talked about can be seen.
The slime sluggishly crawled this way.

"It's a water slime! It's big!"

Somebody shouted.
A water slime is originally considered a medium degree threat.
The medium degree threat refers to dangers that can be subjugated with five, six mercenaries.
However, this water slime is big.
I wonder if it isn't the size of a small house.

When hearing slime, many people think of a cute creature from a certain famous RPG, but to begin with, slimes aren't such weak monsters.
Physical attacks aren't effective, if you recklessly approach it you'll be swallowed whole.
Once swallowed it's next to impossible to defeat it from inside, usually you have to defeat it with fire.

"Everyone, withdraw!"

Tred-sensei immediately called an evacuation and held magical wand in front of him.
He quickly fired a fire bullet, but it only lightly evaporated the slime's surface with no significant injury to be seen.
Still, Tred-sensei fired two, three fire bullets in succession, he's trying to attract the slime's attention.

"Hey Rei, you also withdraw!"

Misha urged me to evacuate in a sharp voice, I ignored it and lined up next to Tred-sensei.

"You! Quickly evacuate!"
"That demon has water attribute. Teacher cannot use the wind attribute which is the effective attribute against it, right?"

Although I omitted it before, attributes have compatibility.
It feels like rock paper scissors with "Fire > Earth > Wind > Water > Fire"
Against this slime's water attribute, the wind attribute is the most effective.
On the contrary, fire that's effective against common slimes, doesn't have much effect here.

"That's that, but don't say something like this!"
"I will a.s.sist"

I wove magical powers and created an earth wall around the slime.

"What a thing. To instantly form such a magical wall… I can't think of you as a beginner"

I've already considered this demon attack event.
I've been continuously practicing magic in my spare time outside of lectures.
What does it mean to use magic, although it took me a while to actually feel that, after getting the hang of it once I've quickly improved.
From the start this heroine's body excels at magic.

"Teacher, instruct everyone to use attack magic"
"Uh, uh huh"

He probably realized the way I deal with magic is not one of an amateur.
Tred-sensei instructed other students to fire all attack magic they have.

"Fire!"

At Tred-sensei's instruction, various small and large magical bullets and magical arrows were fired at the slime.
Although the sizes depend on the grounding and proficiency the amount itself is large.
With them impacting the slime one after another smoke rose.

"Did we get it?"

Someone voiced their wishful thinking.
Rather, I think it's something like a flag――.

"Guoooo!"

Slime is alive and well.
I don't know where its mouth is, but it let out an enraged roar.
The students shrank from the fierce resounding voice.
This is one of skills that demons possess, Hate Cry.
It's a roar tinged with magical powers, it has the effect of freezing opponents from fear.
It seems most students became unable to move.

"Kh…"

I and Tred-sensei are fine, but it's a little tough lacking offense methods.
Strange.
In my simulations, it was over with me stopping it and everyone attacking.
Since I possess double attributeDual Caster aside from creating protective walls I can also use attack magic, but since I'm already using earth attribute for the wall, the remaining water attribute is the same as slime's, making it ineffective.
I've become a little troubled.

"Pull back for now! Let's leave it to the army"
"We mustn't. There are still students who can't move from Hate Cry. We can't withdraw"
"Gu…"

This may be quite bad.
By the way, in the original game, a capture target is supposed to help the heroine who fell into a pinch.
It's a scene where I shout out a name.
In the game screen, these choices were shown.

→ Rod
Yuu
Sein

But well, if I'm to call out a name, it won't be of any of those three.

Rod
Yuu
Sein
→Claire (NEW!)

"Please help me, Claire-sama!"
"Ah… Eh…?"

Claire-sama, whose name I called out, was completely shriveled.
Oops.
In this scene, was Claire-sama afflicted with Hate Cry too?
That's bad.

"Pull yourself together! Claire François!"

The one who shook Claire's shoulder was Sein-sama.
Although Sein-sama has a strong impression of incompetence due to the other princes, as a matter of fact he has the highest apt.i.tude for magic out of the princes.
Consequently, he was quick to recover from Hate Cry.

"Sein-sama…"
"I will back you up. You attack the slime with all you have"
"I, I…"
"It's alright. If it's you, you can do it"

Sein-sama's attribute is wind.
If he could use attack magic, it would be the most effective attribute against the water attribute slime, but Sein-sama specializes in support magic.
That's also one of the reasons behind Sein-sama's low popularity.
But, with Claire-sama's a.s.sistance there's nothing as dependable.
Well, it's fine either way, but I wish they didn't leave the heroine behind and develop such a nice scene.

"I, I understand!"
"Alright"

Vigor returned to Claire-sama's eyes.
Standing up energetically, together with Sein-sama she faced the slime.

"Haa!"

Claire-sama released magical javelin.
It's a product of love for Sein-sama, it's super-oversized flame javelin.
As expected of Claire-sama.
Her high apt.i.tude is not just for show.

However, if the fire attribute is used as is, the compatibility with water attribute is bad.
What should be done is――.

"Enchant wind!"

With Sein-sama's magic being invoked, the color of flame javelin turned to white.
It's a wind attribute bestowal magic.
With it, you can change the attribute of attack magic.
This magic is a little difficult for magic novices, but as royalty, Sein-sama was introduced to magic from young age for the sake of self-defense.
It bore fruit.

Super-oversized wind attribute magical javelin pierced a large hole in the enormous smile.

"Guoooo!"

Apparently, it was a direct hit to its core.
With screams, it turned muddy and melted.

"Somehow… you did it"

Tred-sensei breathed out in relief.
Following that, students raised delayed cheers.

"It was amazing, Claire-sama!"
"To defeat such a dreadful monster!"

Claire-sama's followers, who stopped shriveling, rushed over to her and began cheering.
And it's not just her followers.
Everyone whose lives were saved thank to Claire-sama was praising her.
Claire-sama seemed embarra.s.sed, but she laughed with delight.

A person secretly separated from that crowd.
It was Sein-sama.
Even though he's the star of repelling the slime this time, his contribution is hard to understand for amateurs.
Tred-sensei of course understands his achievement, but he can't afford to praise Sein-sama now, being cautious of another demon appearing.

But, there was a person who rushed to such Sein-sama.
It was Claire-sama.
Claire-sama broke free from the crowd and called out to Sein-sama.

"Sein-sama!"
"…"

At Claire-sama's voice, Sein-sama turned to her like it's troublesome.

"Um, thank you very much. I could never defeat that slime alone"
"That's not true. Even without me, you would have been fine. But――"

Sein-sama's expressionless look slackened there――.

"You did well"

Saying so, he only barely smiled and stroked Claire-sama's hair.

"…Yes"

Although at first Claire-sama seemed astonished and stiffened, before long her expression softened and she smiled delightfully from the bottom of her heart.

What I'm doing separated from such a romcom scene is――.

"Ah, here it is"

Since a while ago below me there's been a tiny water lump tens of times smaller than the water slime.
No, there was.

"You don't have to be afraid. Now, come here"

When I gently reached out my hand, the lump of water swayed.
This child is a baby of the previous slime.
The reason why the water slime attacked was because it happened to be pa.s.sing by accompanied by its child when it got struck with a stray arrow during our magic practice.
In other words, for her (it was a female) it was nothing but self-defense.

"It's okay. Come here"

I gently lifted the slime baby with both hands.
The slime shivered.
It's still scared.

As a matter of fact, demons can be tamed.
The requirement for it is the same attribute of caster and demon, in my case, there's no problem as I have both water and earth attributes.
A demon tamed this way is called a subordinate demon.

"I'll make you my subordinate demon. I'll contract you now"

I touched the slime's magical gem core and poured my magical power into it.
The core turned from blue to gold.
The golden core is the evidence it became a subordinate demon.

"I'm sorry about mama. But, I'll be your mama"

I gently stroke the slime's surface.
A cold and wobbly sensation was transmitted with its trembling.

"That's right. I have to think about your name"

Be that as it may, I've been set on the name ever since I played the game.

"Your name is, Relaire"

Rei + Claire makes Relaire.
I think it's a good name.

"Nice to meet you, Relaire"

To reply, Relaire once again trembled.

"Commoner! Where have you been!"

When I returned to everyone, Claire-sama was angry for some reason.

"I had a minor business to take care of"

Because I don't want to scare everyone right now, Relaire is in my pouch.
Eventually I will introduce it to everyone, but as expected, now's not the time.
If things didn't go well, they could tell me to kill it.

"When I decided to return I could not see your figure anywhere, everyone was looking for you?"
"I'm sorry"
"Hmph! That's why commoners are…"

I wondered whether her snide remarks would flow, but Claire-sama's didn't continue.
What's wrong, I wonder――.

"… Well, you did well for a commoner"
"Ha?"
"Therefore! What I mean is you did well to stop it!"

Ara ara my my.

"It's dere time. So it's come"
"It has not come!? Or rather, what is dere time!? I can only hear it as a disturbing sound!?"

Hiding her embarra.s.sment, Claire-sama loudly complained to me.
Even if she isn't pleased with the person, she says what's needed to be said.
That's why I like Claire-sama.

"Claire-sama"
"What is it?"
"What's most important is that you're safe"
"… Hmph!"

Turning her face away with a huff, Claire-sama started walking.

"What are you doing being absent-minded! Come quickly!"
"Yes!"

If I was a dog I would be wagging my tail, but as it is I only followed Claire-sama in good mood.