HI3: I Don't Want to Be a Valkyrie

The Great Kara Forest had once been ruled by a Demon Lord seven hundred years ago. However, during that time, an ordinary Hero who happened upon the realm vanquished him.

Since then, peace gradually returned to the edges of the Great Kara Forest. Over these past seven centuries, three kingdoms slowly emerged around it.

Despite the constant danger posed by monstrous creatures in the nearby forest, people were drawn to its abundant resources—far richer than those found elsewhere. For such potential gain, there never lacked individuals willing to risk death.

Across from the Great Kara Forest lay one such kingdom: Carvensia.

Established over three hundred years prior by an adventurer, this kingdom held great regard for adventurers. Many chose to make their home here, even forming a local branch of the Adventurer's Guild. After all, with the vast forest at its doorstep, Carvensia offered unparalleled opportunities for any daring soul.

Within the pitch-black dungeons of the Carvensia Kingdom, an elderly man—a mere shadow of his former self—lay on the cold stone floor. His body was etched with bloodstains, and one eye had lost its sight forever. Yet despite his condition, he remained silent as he painstakingly drew a pattern resembling a magical array using his own blood.

Just as he finished drawing, a crow let out a sudden, mournful cry from somewhere nearby—a sound that carried an inexplicable terror. In that instant, the candlelight flickering throughout the dungeon extinguished without warning.

The entire world seemed to fall silent.

One by one, bats emerged from within the magic circle, their numbers growing steadily until they swarmed the air.

Then, with a flash of blood-red light, every bat vanished into thin air. Before the old man stood a young girl bearing the wings of a bat-like demon on her back. Her eyes glowed crimson, and fangs sharp as daggers protruded from her mouth—an eerie sight indeed.

"Have you come at last..." The elderly figure prostrated himself on the ground, gazing up weakly at the floating vampire girl above him. His voice was barely a whisper as he pleaded, "I'm willing to offer my very soul for this request: eliminate the imposter who usurps my name. Foil their plans and save those adventurers."

Commissioned Quest: Eliminate the False King

Quest Description: Centuries ago, a member of the demon race successfully harnessed the power of common folk's faith and reputation to bestow upon themselves a title, thereby ascending to become a high-ranking Demon General.

This incident had unexpectedly come to the attention of certain demons with ulterior motives, who were now planning to emulate it.

[Quest Objective: Eliminate the false king, ascend as a high-ranking demon general, and thwart the legendary adventurer's scheme.]

[Quest Reward: 88 Crystals, Valkyrie Molotov Cherry Fragment x1, Summoner's Soul]...

"What an intriguing commission," Theresa mused. "I accept!"

The vampire girl gazed down at the old man below her—he must be the true king, she thought.

Eighty-eight crystals plus a fragment of the Molotov Cherry—a truly bountiful reward indeed.

"Then, I leave this matter in your capable hands!" The elderly monarch said before promptly fainting on the spot.

"Leave it to me..." Theresa murmured.

She observed the unconscious old king, then produced a crystal bottle from thin air. With a swift motion, she poured its contents over him. His wounds began healing at a rate visible to the naked eye.

This elixir was something Theresa had obtained from Rimuru—not much, just one-tenth of his supply. After all, her inventory was vast; each slot could accommodate up to 9,999 bottles if needed.

However... there seemed to be some materials within her warehouse that might also prove useful for such tasks—items like Myriad Herbs and Tengu Fire, among others.

-

After emptying the liquid from her bottle, Theresa retrieved it, then her body simply... vaporized—vanishing into thin air.

Only after the vampire girl had departed did the candles in the dungeon flicker back to life. The squeaking and rustling of rats resumed their symphony of nocturnal activity.

-

An hour later...

"Remnants of the Demon Lord, seeking to become upper demons? What an intriguing excuse."

Theresa released her grip on the lower demon she had been interrogating. Having obtained all the information she needed, she swiftly dispatched this creature possessing a soldier's body.

The situation bore a striking resemblance to an anime side story Theresa had once read. In essence, these demons were mimicking the tactics used by the one defeated by Great Pineapple—the protagonist from that very same side story—in order to survive and thrive.

(TL Note: Apparently from "Beelzebub" anime, not entirely sure, never watched it)

Rather than pleading for powerful entities to bestow names upon them, they employed this deceptive method as a means of self-naming. It was undoubtedly a practical approach to becoming stronger.

After all, among demonic beings, those with proper names were exceedingly rare—less than one in a million. Instead of waiting for such fortuitous encounters, it made more sense to take matters into their own hands.

Currently, the king was merely a demon in disguise. The true ruler of this nation genuinely empathized with adventurers' struggles; thus, no demon could ever truly control him. Their only option had been to capture the old king and have one of their own impersonate him.

Why hadn't they simply killed the old king instead? Theresa couldn't fathom the demon's reasoning behind this choice. Perhaps there was some strategic advantage she hadn't yet discerned.

Theresa had received another piece of information: tomorrow, the false king would once again invite adventurers to a gathering at his palace. The ostensible purpose was to launch an expedition against remnants of the Demon Lord—those entities that had survived their defeat seven hundred years ago by the hands of the Hero. These survivors were led by a powerful demon seeking to resurrect its fallen master.

Although the king had already organized such an expedition before, no news had come back from those who ventured forth.

Generally speaking, adventurers never doubted the king's intentions; after all, this kingdom had always treated them with great respect and generosity.

However, Theresa suspected that the previous group of adventurers had likely become sacrifices to the demons. This gathering now represented the second wave of would-be heroes.

It seemed fortuitous for these demons that they'd chosen a kingdom where adventurers held unwavering trust—a fact that allowed them to amass so many willing participants eager to join their cause.

-

"Well then," Theresa mused, "tomorrow I'll impersonate an adventurer and see what happens. Who knows? Maybe something interesting will come up. Surely there can't still be remnants of that Demon Lord around, right?"

As she glanced down at herself, Theresa realized with a pang—this form might not be suitable for such an endeavor...

Too small, she thought. It would draw too much attention.

After pondering briefly, why not...try switching into one of her Valkyries instead? Her gaze fell on Gyakushinn Miko within the Valkyrie selection.

By covering her ears, Yae Sakura's height alone made her far more appropriate than Theresa's current form. Plus, it could conceal her identity effectively. Most importantly, though, Theresa was eager to experience what it felt like to transform into a Valkyrie.

With this decision made, Theresa couldn't resist the urge any longer; she chose to switch immediately.

Do you wish to transform into Valkyrie Gyakushinn Miko?

"Transform away!"

In an instant, Luna Kindred's delicate figure blurred from view. In its place stood a pink-haired maiden significantly taller than Theresa—a striking contrast as she now sported long ears atop her head.