"Your Highness, this Spear Hero's strength..."
Not far away, the knights and soldiers instinctively raised their hands to shield themselves from the dust, their faces filled with terror. It wasn't as though they had never witnessed a Hero's power before.
For example, their princess had cast magic that surpassed the limits of human mages.
Yet when that mushroom cloud rose, they were still stunned. Such power... was simply not something humans could possess, was it?
Not even Her Highness...
No, they couldn't think that way. Her Highness was also a Hero. She could surely do it too!
"..."
Hearing the knight beside her, Freia did not respond. Her eyes flickered a few times before she put on her previous approachable smile.
"Come, let's head over!"
Here, Durandal had dealt with the King Bug in a single charge. Watching the mushroom cloud dissipate, she had thought it was all over. Then she suddenly sensed a faint disturbance beneath the ground some distance away.
Then another giant earthworm actually burrowed out. Durandal was somewhat puzzled. The King Bug was already dead, and Rita had killed most of the insects earlier.
Why had one been left behind?
She did not dwell on it, merely raising the knight's lance in her hand. Just as she was about to hurl it at the creature, Durandal stopped.
Because...
"Thunderburst!"
A thunderclap rang out beneath the clear sky as a spherical bolt of lightning suddenly struck down upon the giant earthworm, turning it into charcoal.
Fifth-tier single-target magic, Thunderburst!
Looking toward the caster, it was indeed the princess, leading the soldiers back.
Seeing Freia return, both Durandal and Rita showed thoughtful expressions.
"Miss Bianka, Miss Rita, it's truly wonderful that you're both all right."
"I'm terribly sorry. Things were too chaotic during the retreat, and I