Girl in the Box: Please tell me why I was reincarnated as a mimic monster!

"...I'm sorry." Li was still the same as always, too presumptuous.

Because of the effects of the magic eye, and the background of this world, she may have subconsciously treated this event as part of the game. In this situation, Ning needs to pull her back.

“We can’t act rashly now,” Ayer said, “because something unexpected has happened.”

"It's about the 'Holy Sword,' right?" Ning knew what they were worried about. "I heard from Li that a second 'Holy Sword' has appeared."

“Ah, that’s how it is.” Xuanze nodded. “This is an unexpected situation. Logically speaking, a hero should be associated with one or a type of holy sword, but at this time, a second holy sword has appeared besides mine.”

Xia Que cannot be called a hero; she was merely someone caught up in the hero summoning ritual. But she is no ordinary person either; perhaps it was because of her power that the hero summoning ritual targeted her.

The "Great Xia Dragon Sparrow" is not a "Holy Sword"; it is merely a straight blade possessing peculiar powers.

However, Xuanze could tell that the military knife carried by the "ghost" they saw that day was a genuine "holy sword," not one of those random demonic swords or other such things in this world.

This is why Xuanze didn't pursue them. Although he was also a hero with a holy sword, it didn't mean he could fight another hero while also being wary of Haor's attack.

“I’m really curious now about where that ‘Holy Sword’ came from,” Xuanze said, stroking his chin. “The Hero’s ‘Holy Sword’ is still with me, so why is there a second ‘Holy Sword’?”

"For that reason, we've stopped our offensive as well." Aye rubbed her temples, looking exasperated. "If a hero appears over there, these demons alone won't be able to stop him."

In this round of battle, the difference between the battlefield with heroes and the battlefield without heroes was very obvious. On the battlefield without heroes, the kingdom was very lax and even retreated leisurely.

The battlefield with a hero is different. Xia Que single-handedly blocked the demons' attack. The mere presence of a 'hero' can create an overwhelming situation on the battlefield.

Therefore, they held an emergency meeting, changed their strategy, and began to stay put, no longer venturing deeper.

Xia Que, although she is not a hero, is still ridiculously strong. Add to that the kingdom's second hero, whose existence is unknown, and it's easy to imagine what would happen if a war broke out at will. Xuanze would never allow such a situation to occur.

“Although I would love to investigate this myself,” Xuanze said, glancing at them, “I’m currently unable to do so. Besides, if I were to act on my own, things here would likely fall apart.”

"If you're so self-aware, then you shouldn't have gone out by yourself yesterday!"

"That doesn't count."

Although Serena was playing with Akira, she seemed to have overheard this remark and immediately began to criticize Xuanze. Xuanze, as always, was unmoved by her criticism and lecture.

"So, you're planning to have us investigate for you, right?" Ning revealed Xuanze's thoughts.

“Binggo,” Xuanze snapped his fingers, “That’s what I wanted to say. Is there anything inconvenient for you?”

"……reason."

Ning did not respond to this matter, but handed over the initiative to Li. She only followed Li because she had nothing else to do. All she had been doing all along was helping Li.

Therefore, she has no opinion on this matter; everything depends on Li's decision.

Li hesitated for a moment. She had impulsively established a cooperative relationship with Xuanze without considering the consequences.

She also had some concerns about the situation in the duchy, but the three sisters were fine and could travel between those places at any time.

“But then…would Xia Ling have to stay home alone?” Li asked.

“I don’t think it’s a big deal.” Ning shrugged. “That’s her job, isn’t it? If you’re worried something might happen, there are still these things, right? At least we’re not going to be at odds with them right now.”

There are two other guests in the house, two dragon kings: one is the Black Dragon King Negi, and the other is the Flame Dragon King Salid. They're probably treating their house as a nest for now... This security force is a bit excessive.

"We can use 'time-space magic' to travel back and forth between these places at high speed, right?" Ning tapped her on the head. "Are you an idiot? Why are you thinking so much?"

"Waaaaaah T﹏T, what's wrong with you! You're the one who made me decide! I'm not as decisive as you!" Li rubbed the spot where she had been hit and turned to Xuanze. "Let's handle the investigation of that matter. It's about the Holy Sword, right?"

“Hmm,” Xuanze nodded, “If we can do that, let’s also take care of that ‘hero’ over there.”

"...Are you serious?" Li's voice gradually cooled down.

“Yes, I’m serious.” Xuanze didn’t deny it at all. “That ‘hero’ has already affected us to some extent. If we don’t take her down, it will cause a lot of trouble in the future. I want to minimize casualties as much as possible.”

"What do you mean...?" Li didn't understand what he meant.

"He means that 'heroes' are currently a hindrance to him." Ning's tone was devoid of any emotion. "That girl is now the 'hero's' symbol of the kingdom. As long as they raise the banner of heroes, many people will respond to them, just like back in the labyrinth. We can't rule out the possibility that the kingdom will use heroes to recruit militia in the future. The war has already begun. If many people respond to the kingdom's call to fight, the casualty figures will rise sharply. The demons will probably suffer heavy losses as well. Humans are creatures that are influenced by the atmosphere. If morale is high, the human attacks will be very fierce."

“She’s right,” Aye interjected. “The hero herself is a threat. If she’s still on the battlefield, it will cost us a lot to contain her.”

“Killing her is also a problem, isn’t it?” Li retorted. “Since heroes are the symbol of humanity’s hope, wouldn’t the kingdom use her death in battle as an opportunity to incite the masses?”

"Ah……"

Xuanze snorted coldly, his eyes gradually turning icy.

Do you think... the kingdom will let such an opportunity slip by?

"...!?"

She realized it, she remembered it, and by combining the information she had gathered during this period, she was able to deduce it...

"Has the kingdom... always wanted to kill the hero?" she asked, trembling as she voiced her speculation.

“Ah, that’s how it is.” Xuanze silently closed his eyes. “Even if we don’t make a move, the kingdom will make a move sooner or later. Right now, they’re just using that girl. Even if we want to rescue her, it’s impossible. That guy is by her side, although I don’t know what he’s thinking right now.”

Chapter 15 The Situation of Summer Sparrows

"...Where is my master?...Even if I ask, no one will answer me."

The lonely words dissolved into the spacious tent, without any response. The tent remained silent and unanswered, making even the person who asked the question seem ridiculous.

Xia Que sat inside the tent on the main battlefield, feeling somewhat uncomfortable in the spacious tent. It wasn't that anything was missing, but rather that she felt uneasy having such a large tent all to herself.

Moreover, the sense of unease that had been lingering in her mind had not faded. She couldn't quite describe what it was, but she felt that something bad was happening.

It was this feeling that made her feel so uneasy. Ever since the maze incident, her intuition seemed to have become much more accurate; she could always vaguely sense things.

However, intuition is not a feeling that can predict the future. The future is uncertain, and she cannot be sure that her feelings are correct. She just wants Hale to come back as soon as possible.

Not long ago, Xia Que was fighting on a side battlefield to defend against a night attack by the demons, but she encountered a treasure chest monster that could speak telepathically. It said some nonsense to her and then used its magic to send her to the outskirts of the battlefield.

Although the meaning was somewhat unclear, thanks to the mimic, she successfully relayed the information about the demon raid to the battlefield commander and then quickly retreated.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that... she seemed to have already begun preparing for a retreat before she even told them, only unaware of the demonic night attack. When she returned, the fortress was already in a state of ruin.

Afterwards, they abandoned the fortress and retreated. She followed them to this place, the main battlefield where the kingdom was directly clashing with the demons.

Here she still received unusually luxurious treatment, something an ordinary girl on Earth would not be able to accept with a clear conscience.

Moreover, this place is relatively more inconvenient than Earth. Even if she were treated this way, she wouldn't be able to adapt.

Now, knights are guarding outside the tent, protecting Xia Que closely, which makes one feel that the object of protection is not quite right, and it feels somewhat incongruous.

The general here only told Xia Que to wait here, so she has nothing to do and no one to talk to.

It's too... quiet...

Xia Que sat on the floor, burying her face between her legs. She was all alone... as if she were the only person in the world, all by herself.

A person suddenly arrives in this world, with no one to talk to and no magical powers; this is how it should be...

It should be like this...

Xia Que shook her head, dismissing the thought, and then stretched out her hand, recalling what Hao Er had taught her.

"Fire... bring warmth to the lonely..."

…………

There was no response; the spell dissolved listlessly into the cold air of the tent. It had unknowingly become evening, and it certainly did seem a bit chilly…

Xia Que withdrew her hand and rubbed her body, trying to warm herself up. The battlefield nights were unusually cold; without fire and blankets, she would be cold by morning.

This spell, "Flame," was the first magic that Hale taught Xia Que. Just as its name suggests, it can only be formed into a small flame by converting magic power.

To be honest, it was really useless, that's what Hale told her too. But she unexpectedly liked the magic, even though she still couldn't use it.

The little match girl lit a match, which brought her a small flame, giving her a moment of peace and warmth. The flame was fragile and went out after a while.

The little girl greedily lit the second match, then the third, unaware that she would die when the third match went out.

But... even such a small flame can give people a glimmer of hope.

"Phew..." Xia Que breathed into her palms, "Let's go out and borrow a fire to warm ourselves up..."

It's impossible to start a fire with magic; Xia Que simply doesn't have that power. Besides, starting a fire inside the tent is far too dangerous. It's better to go outside and warm up with the other knights by the fire.

Xia Que had just reached the tent flap when someone walked in first. That person was Hao Er, who had been missing for a long time.

"master……!"

When Xia Que saw Hao Er return to her side, she was overjoyed, but she didn't call out. It would be impolite to call out like that in front of her master, and she didn't want Hao Er to see her like that.

However, she noticed that Hao'er had many wounds, large and small, as well as blood-stained bandages, and even his clothes were in a terrible state. What had happened?

"Master! What happened?" Xia Que asked worriedly.

"It's nothing." Hao waved his hand. "This little injury is nothing. If you're going to fight alongside a hero, getting injured is just commonplace."

"That's true! Has the wound been properly treated?" Xia Que began to take off Hao'er's clothes without giving him a chance to speak. "Let me see... It's such a serious wound. It wasn't treated properly at all. Come here, let me change your bandage."

Before Hao Er could say anything, Xia Que forcefully pulled him into the tent and left him aside. Xia Que rummaged through the tent, then took out her first-aid kit, removed the makeshift bandages made from torn fabric from Hao Er's clothes, and carefully treated his wounds, replacing the bandages with new medicine.

She has been in this world for some time now, and what she has learned is not only the language of this world, but also all sorts of things about this world, including medicine, which Alice taught her.

Hao'er remained silent for a while. While Xia Que was changing his bandages, he kept staring at her intently, his eyes revealing a thoughtful look.

“Xia Que,” he called out the name of his first apprentice, “Don’t you care? What happened…”

“If you don’t tell me…” Xia Que raised her head and stared into his eyes, “I… wouldn’t feel comfortable asking you directly…”

Xia Que wanted to say something, but she paused and swallowed her words.

"Alright, all done." Xia Que playfully patted his injured spot. "You can't neglect your health."

She packed her things, put them back in the first-aid kit, and then returned it to its original place. Hale instinctively reached out and grabbed her; she looked at him with an experienced expression.

Hao'er, who seemed hesitant to speak, finally let go of her hand, and Xia Que didn't ask any further questions.

Chapter 16 Monitor

"So, how is it now?" Xia Que sat down next to Hao Er. "What's the situation outside? Nobody here is telling me what's going on."

"The demons have retreated," Hao'er said expressionlessly.

"Huh? They retreated?" Xia Que looked surprised.

The demons' attack lasted less than half a month, and now they've even retreated on their own—this is truly perplexing. No matter how you look at it, the demons should have had the upper hand on the battlefield.

However, they retreated.

"Ah..." Xia Que breathed a sigh of relief, "That's great... we don't have to fight anymore..."

%

"It's still early," Hao'er poured cold water on her enthusiasm. "The demons retreated on their own initiative for some reason, but that doesn't mean the battle is over. We can't let our guard down yet."

Of course, Hao Er would not let his guard down. Because the assassination attempt had failed, he and Xia Que were now in a precarious situation, facing enemies on all sides. Moreover, the demon king they were about to confront was a true hero, and no one could predict what the future held.

Hear knew very well what it meant to be an enemy of the hero. But he didn't know why the other party would call himself the Demon King instead of openly using the title of "Hero".

"Then what can we do here now?" Xia Que asked. "The demons have already retreated, right? It seems like there's nothing I can do to help."

The kingdom was unilaterally crushed for several days, and Xia Que was unable to fight on the sidelines. The outcome was obvious, but for some reason, the demons did not take advantage of this great momentum to advance all the way.

But as a story about a hero, it's a bit... strange, isn't it?

Aside from possessing power similar to that of a hero, Xia Que has nothing else that befits a hero. Entrusting her with the important task of saving the world would be asking too much of her.

"It's time to go back," Hao'er said. "Now that it's confirmed the demons won't continue their attack for the time being, I'm going to return to the kingdom to gain new power during this period."

Xia Que was not a hero, and Hao Er knew this very well. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he planned to take Xia Que away from here and go to the "Mirror Heaven" in the east.

He had basically made arrangements on his way back. All he had to do was take Xia Que to sneak out of the kingdom and leave, and then they could go directly to the seaside and take a boat there.

Why do you do that?

Because the kingdom is always keeping a close eye on the hero, hoping that the hero can be used by them and that their power can be used to satisfy their desires.

That hero summoning ritual was a complete failure because the eleventh hero, Xuanze, was still alive, making it impossible to summon a second hero.

Xia Que was not a "hero". Originally, she could have lived an ordinary life with Hao Er. However, due to Hao Er's negligence, she awakened a power that was almost comparable to that of a hero. As a result, the kingdom treated her as a hero and burdened her with responsibilities that should not have belonged to her.

Because of this incident, Hao'er has been regretting it ever since. Every time she talks to Xia Que about this, she just smiles gently and says, "It's okay."

That's why Hao'er felt even more guilty. He originally thought Xuanze was dead, which meant Xia Que might be the true hero, and she couldn't shirk the responsibility of being a hero.

But now he knows that Xuanze is still alive, which means that Xia Que is not a true hero, and she can detach herself from the responsibilities of a hero.

This also means danger, because the kingdom itself is already eyeing Xia Que covetously. If they discover that Xia Que is not a hero... they will kill her without hesitation...

His reason for assassinating Xuanze was to eliminate the eleventh hero, making him truly disappear from this world, and allowing the lie of the twelfth hero to continue. Only in this way could he buy time to make more preparations. However, the assassination failed, and the plan had to move forward.

The kingdom now possesses the power to look down upon the world. Their view of the hero is, at best, merely a convenient pawn. The one who truly resolves those matters is the 'ghost,' not the hero.