Chapter 56

Half a day's journey west of the capital of the Kingdom of Zain, there was a lake called Lake Aral, located deep in the northern forest off the main road.

The lake, which had been treated as a precious water source by the nearby villages, had suddenly dried up about three months ago. The cause was unknown. Since the rain had fallen as usual, it was not due to a drought. The impact on crops had already begun to show. The village by the lake had requested an investigation from the capital guild, but the poor villagers could not offer sufficient compensation, and no adventurers had taken up the request, leaving it unattended.

"Imperial Holy Sword Technique [Raijin]!"

*Roar!*

At the bottom of the dried-up lake, Seria swung her holy sword with a flash of lightning. The monster that had been nesting at the bottom let out a low, resonant scream as it was struck by both lightning and a slash. The monster, which resembled the roots of a giant plant, had been sucking up the lake's water endlessly from beneath the dried ground. It was a creature that had appeared in the frontier development city before and was etched in Raido's memory.

"Titan Palm... Why is a magical plant that's rarely seen even in the Dark Forest here?"

Sighing in exasperation, Raido watched the battle between Seria and the plant monster from a distance. The Titan Palm was the largest of the plant-type monsters, both in size and the scale of its damage. It was a disaster-level monster that could drain all the groundwater within a radius of several dozen kilometers. He had once slain one that appeared in the development city about two years ago, but it was a monster that should not be found in this region with thin mana.

The Titan Palm that emerged from the ground was over ten meters long, a towering giant. However, Seria did not back down from such a massive monster and continued to swing her sword.

"Yaaaaaah!"

*Graaaah!*

Each time Seria swung her sword, lightning scattered across the bottom of the lake. The Titan Palm resisted by lashing its roots like whips, but it could not catch the swiftly moving princess and was being cut down one-sidedly. Eventually, after about ten minutes, the Titan Palm was reduced to a twitching, lifeless body.

"Truly the wielder of the Imperial Holy Sword. Truly the child of lightning. You don't even flinch at a disaster-level monster."

"Brother, are you being sarcastic? You want to say, 'But you lost to me, right?'"

"It's genuine praise. Don't misinterpret it."

Seria, who had almost single-handedly defeated the Titan Palm, turned to Raido with a puffed-up cheek, looking dissatisfied. Shrugging his shoulders at the princess, Raido gazed up at the giant body of the monster lying on the ground.

"No, I really think it's amazing. I've fought this thing before, and it was much tougher. The holy sword Clausolus, in terms of power and penetration, far surpasses Dainsleif."

Ignoring the small vibrations of protest from the holy sword at his waist, Raido nodded thoughtfully.

"True... Now, you might be able to defeat me too? How about a rematch?"

"Forget it. Do you want to lose the holy sword's blessing again?"

"Ugh... That's so unfair."

Currently, Seria's seal was temporarily lifted, but if she were to turn her sword against Raido here, her power would be sealed again. Pouting, she clicked her tongue and sheathed Clausolus.

"Well... This solves the problem. The lake's water should return soon."

"Will the water return so easily without the rainy season? Everyone will surely be troubled until then..."

"No, it's not a problem. This monster..."

Before Raido could finish his sentence, the body of the Titan Palm split with a crack. A torrent of water gushed from the cut in the giant plant's roots.

"Wha—! Water...!"

"There it is! Let's get out of here!"

"Huh? What? Brother!?"

Ignoring Seria's panicked cries, Raido escaped from the bottom of the lake on his own. Just a moment before Seria could follow, a massive water column erupted from the body of the Titan Palm.

"Aaaaaah!?"

"That's what happens when you kill it. Get out of the lake quickly!"

"Why didn't you say that earlier!?"

While being overwhelmed by the flood of water, Seria managed to crawl out of the lake. Raido, who had escaped earlier, grabbed Seria's arm and pulled her up with all his might.

"When you defeat the Titan Palm, it releases all the water it had absorbed and stored in its body. I was once swept away and had a terrible experience."

"Ugh... You should have told me that before... I'll hold a grudge, Brother."

Seria slumped to the ground, drenched from head to toe, and glared up at Raido resentfully. Her wet clothes clung to her body, revealing her slender figure.

"...You should eat more meat. And drink cow and goat milk."

"...Brother, why are you saying this all of a sudden? I might kill you depending on your answer."