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

"Hey!"

"What are you doing? I'm just getting dressed."

"...Gulp! Be a little gentler!"

"How I dress is my own business."

The two bickered as usual as they left the Demon King's office. From now on, the work would be handed over, and his only remaining task was to lead the demons to victory.

As he left, people kept bowing to him, each gesture filled with respect, except for one person…

"Hey Demon King, where are you going?"

A petite girl in a black Lolita dress walked up to him, blocking his path. Her delicate face was filled with displeasure; it seemed she wouldn't be able to get past him without a plausible explanation.

“Hei Yu…” Xuanze stared into her eyes, “Is there any need to say anything? Of course, she should go outside and ask her father to buy her a jianbing guozi.”

Do you think you can fool me with such a low-level lie?

"At least I think the charm of Jianbing Guozi is irresistible."

"That's for you."

"Ah... I agree with what Kuroba-chan said."

Even Silena climbed out of the pocket and agreed with the girl's words. Although Xuanze's words were true, he did not actually answer the girl's question.

This girl is named Kuroba, also known as the "Book of All Principles," which is said to be the most authoritative encyclopedia in this world. Aye's description has been simplified by Xuanze to the above content.

Kuroba was brought back by Aye not long ago and is currently living here as a guest of the Demon King. He usually has nothing to do, but occasionally he is asked to do some financial work. However, for some reason, he is doing more and more of it, and other tasks are also mixed in.

In return, the Demon King treated her to a jianbing (Chinese crepe)... oops, I mean, he casually wrote some nutritious things and tossed them to her. Interestingly, the language used in these writings was exactly the same as the language used in the mysterious cave in the maze.

"Tsk..." Xuanze clicked his tongue. "So don't waste my world, Dad's waiting for me."

For Xuanze, jianbing guozi (Chinese crepes) is an irresistible delicacy. Once it's involved, he has no reason to back down, and his motivation increases significantly. Silena, on the other hand, hopes he'll channel that energy into his work.

"Do you think I don't know?" Kuroba said, suppressing his anger. "The workload is constantly increasing, and there's even stuff that shouldn't be my responsibility. Almost all the official documents were dumped on me today. What are you trying to do?"

Tch...we've been found out...

Xuanze did intend to simply hand over all the work to Heiyu and then go to the front lines to settle things with the kingdom, but he didn't expect things to be exposed so quickly.

“I’ll say it again, Demon King.” Kuroba reached out and grabbed his collar, pulling him close. “I’m here for what’s in your head, not for this country. If you keep trying to fool me like this, I’ll just crack your head open and take what’s inside.”

"Haha... I didn't expect you to have such heavy tastes..." Xuanze looked away.

“So,” Kuroba released his grip, “where are you going now? I’m not going to let you go.”

"Tsk..."

As a result, the Demon King now has another companion by his side. Hmm... it seems that's not all... even his personal guard has been waiting outside for a long time, so the Demon King's carefree idea of ​​going to the front lines alone is probably shattered.

Chapter 36

The Kingdom of Alyas.

The audience hall.

"I see. Thank you for your hard work, hero."

King Serik Alyas rose from his throne to thank the returning hero, and Xia Que also bowed politely in return.

She had just returned from the labyrinth and was about to meet the king as soon as she got off the carriage. She hadn't even bothered to tidy herself up properly and was worried about making a scene. It wouldn't be a problem for her to make a scene, but she mainly had to consider Haul's feelings.

As her guardian and mentor, Haor bears some responsibility for the hero's loss of composure. If anyone were to be held accountable, it wouldn't be the hero, Xia Que, but rather Haor.

They had just finished their journey through the labyrinth and returned to the kingdom. The outcome was subtle, at least in Xia Que's view, it was truly subtle.

Her original mission was to slay the evil dragon hidden in the labyrinth. But after actually encountering it, she didn't know if it was truly a dragon, but as a hero, she had no choice but to fight it. That time, she nearly lost her only support in this world.

She had no recollection of what happened after that. When she awoke, she was lying in a tent protected by knights, and the kingdom had mobilized its people to fight the dragon. The strange phenomena were becoming increasingly frequent.

Finally, they unleashed a crushing massacre upon the labyrinth. Although they were only killing monsters, it had the feel of carnage. Everyone laughed and roared as they slaughtered countless monsters.

In the middle of the battle, a little girl appeared and blocked the progress of their allies. Everyone seemed to have lost their minds and started attacking the little girl, as if she were a monster. They even ganged up on her.

The strange phenomenon had already manifested, but Xia Que lacked the courage to stop them, for she too would be devoured if she made the slightest mistake. Even the brave Xia Que was no exception.

Thank goodness, her familiar companions stood up for justice, and then more people joined the fight to protect the little girl. But... did they come to the labyrinth for this?

Then, more variables appeared, the most unforgettable being that swordsman... that swordsman who wasn't even a hero. In the end, before meeting him, Xia Que wasn't exactly a hero either.

This swordsman, protecting something with his own will, repelled all the adventurers who wanted to continue. There must be something unyielding in his heart that made him so powerful.

What about the summer sparrow that defeated him?

Xia Que had pondered this question countless times… but she never found the correct answer because her mind was blank. Realizing this, she was startled.

In the end, all the original inhabitants of the labyrinth were wiped out without exception, including the evil dragon (the Dragon King). The remaining labyrinth was like an empty shell of ruins, and the light on the stone walls gradually dimmed.

The dragon is gone.

No one knows the reason; perhaps he was killed by someone, or perhaps he escaped.

On the way back, she saw countless corpses in the maze, almost all of them killed by sharp objects. Xia Que couldn't help but think of the person who had held the same knife as her, but she dismissed the thought.

Now, all she wants is to get back as soon as possible.

“The evil dragon… is gone…” Seric repeated again, “My son’s revenge has been achieved, and as a father, I sincerely thank you for your help.”

"You flatter me, it's just my duty," Xia Que said modestly, bowing her head.

“Please go and rest,” Serik said. “You must be exhausted after such a long journey. We’ll make plans for a victory celebration after you’ve rested.”

"Thank you for your concern." Xia Que nodded. "I'll go back and rest now."

bump!

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!"

Prime Minister Varos rushed into the audience hall with an anxious expression, then immediately bowed before the throne. Varos shouldn't be so flustered, Xia Que thought curiously, stopping in her tracks.

“No need for formalities, Varos,” Serik stopped him. “Tell me, what’s the matter with you in such a hurry?”

"My king! Something terrible has happened!" Varos cried out, almost in tears. "The Demon King's army! They've launched a full-scale attack!"

"What!?" Serik was so surprised that he stood up abruptly from his throne.

"—?!" Xia Que was also taken aback.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Varos exclaimed urgently, "Our first line of defense has been breached by the Demon King's army! The second line of defense is doing its utmost to hold off their offensive! It's about to collapse, Your Majesty!"

Serik fell silent. Xia Que could see the pain on his face. The king's feelings must be incredibly complicated right now. Is that so...? The war has begun... which means...

“Your Highness, please wait.” Seric called out to Xia Que, who was about to leave. “You heard that too… We… need your strength.”

"I see……"

The power of Xia Que (the Warrior) is indispensable.

After the hero left, Seric dismissed everyone except for Prime Minister Varos. There were some things he could only say to him.

"Hmph." Seric snorted coldly, "That hero, is he still alive?"

"Please restrain such emotions," Varos advised with a wry smile. "If this is exposed, the position of our Kingdom of Alyas will be in jeopardy."

"Heh, do you think I don't know about such things?" Seric sneered. "I just didn't expect that a mere Dragon King could cause such a significant reduction in my 'Ghosts' ranks. This hero is really too weak."

In this dragon-slaying expedition, the "Ghosts," the king's direct forces, suffered heavy casualties, with the dead far outnumbering the wounded, most of whom were no longer combatants. This was a situation Seric had not anticipated. How exactly did the hero Xia Que become a hero?

“Regarding this matter…” Varos lowered his voice, “According to the descriptions of the ‘Ghosts,’ there was a being in that labyrinth that was more dangerous than the Dragon King. It was that being that killed most of the ‘Ghosts,’ as well as the adventurers.”

"Hmph, thanks to him, the reward this time has been reduced quite a bit."

Because of the Kingdom's commission and the high reward, many adventurers and civilians participated in this expedition. The number was far beyond expectations; if it weren't for that entity defeating many, this year's deficit would likely have been much higher.

“Anyway, the hindrance is finally gone.” Seric walked to the bedside, gazing towards the front lines of the battlefield. “Next, all that’s left is to eliminate the Demon King, and everything will be over. But before that…”

This hero... must be eliminated!

Chapter 37

Management.

"Zzzz..."

Reason? "Hmm...?"

Wake up!

"Whoa?!"

Ryo was startled awake by the inexplicable noise. She sat alone on her bed, looking around in confusion. She was the only one in her room, along with her clone, Treasure Chest Ryo. Interestingly, Treasure Chest Ryo was also awake.

"Did you hear that?" Rhee asked another version of herself.

"Hmm... if you're talking about the same thing, then I definitely heard it." Treasure Chest Nods.

"Ugh... Could it be haunted or something?" Ryou used her magic eyes to search the room. "It's the middle of the night..."

She got out of bed and searched the room but couldn't find the source of the sound. Treasure Chest Lady also helped search, but to no avail.

"Maybe it's in someone else's room...?" Treasure Box Osamu suggested.

"Hmm...maybe..." Li nodded and opened the door to the room. "Let's go check on Ning first."

Thanks to the night vision ability of the magic eye, Li didn't need to turn on the lights on such a night. She and it moved carefully so as not to make too much noise.

It must be said that the moonlight streaming through the gaps in the blinds cast an eerie, dark blue hue over the entire second-floor corridor. Even with their utmost care, the wooden floorboards creaked and groaned.

"Ugh... I never imagined my house would be this scary at night..."

"Wow... I feel a chill down my spine, is it just my imagination...?"

Because they were exploring almost entirely on their own, the interaction between the two people didn't lead to mutual comfort; instead, it made things even more terrifying.

They finally arrived at Ning's room. The whole house was quiet, and it seemed that only Li had been awakened by the strange noise.

"It's about to open..."

"Um……"

Both Rin and Ri held their breath, bracing themselves. After taking another deep breath, Ri placed her hand on the doorknob, but the door opened unexpectedly.

"What...are you doing?"

"————?!?!?!?!"

"Calm down, you idiot!"

Li and Baoxiang instinctively wanted to scream, but luckily Ning had already set up a soundproof barrier, otherwise she wouldn't be the only one to suffer. Helplessly, Ning sprayed them with water mist with magic to bring them back to their senses.

"Whoa!? It's so cold?!" Li immediately calmed down. "Eh, eh? It's Ning... You scared me."

"I was just about to say you scared me!" Ning grabbed a towel and tossed it to her. "What's wrong? Why aren't you sleeping in the middle of the night? Don't you have any explanation?"

Ning wasn't angry; she only realized Li was still awake when she reached her room. She just wanted to know why Li was still awake at this hour and what she was up to.

"Ugh... I was woken up by a sound from who-knows-where." Li wiped the water off with a towel, feeling wronged. "I couldn't find the source of the sound, so I wondered if it had gone to your place."

"Strange sound..." Ning thought for a moment, "I haven't heard it. You're probably overthinking it."

"Achoo!"

"...Come on in. It gets cold here at night."

"Uh-huh……"

Because they lived in the suburbs, and in the middle of a forest, the temperature here dropped considerably at night. Seeing that Ri sneezed, Ning worried she might catch a cold, so she let her into the room first. Ri naturally followed, seeking warmth and security by huddling together.

"Come to think of it, this is the first time I've been to your room since you moved." Li looked at Ning's room curiously. "It has such an artistic feel to it."

"Stop looking around... there's nothing to see here."

"Huh?? Don't cover my eyes, I won't look."

It's rare for her to come in for a visit, but Ning doesn't seem to want Ri to see it. Well, what can you do? It's Ning's personal privacy. But just because she doesn't want to see it doesn't mean Ri won't.

Ning's room is more like a study than a bedroom, with an arched bookcase that looks like a bedside table, filled with all sorts of books.

Most of these books are Earth books from Treasure Chest, and the rest are books from this world. She categorized them neatly so that people could find them easily.

Besides that, the only furniture is a bed, a wardrobe, and a set of desk and chairs for work. There doesn't seem to be a dressing table... Ning should really take better care of herself.

There were a few books on her bed, probably read before bed, but they had no titles... Were they diaries or something? I'm so curious about the contents.

"Do you think I don't know?"