Get Ahead of the Fallen Heroine and Make the Bull-Headed Man the Victim

77. The Messenger of the Goddess, the Dragon Slayer of the Past

Because the woman’s hair color was identical to that of Dilia, Prince Mori, and the king, and her aura didn’t resemble that of an ordinary adventurer,

Valentina suspected that she might indeed be her father’s illegitimate child.

However, she thought her guess was already bold enough, only to be taken aback by the audacity of the woman’s next words.

The blonde woman, who bore some resemblance to both Valentina and Dilia, stopped in front of Valentina and introduced herself in a very serious tone.

“It’s wonderful to see a descendant like you, a royal with such a spirit of adventure, Valentina. I am Agatha, Agatha Acast, your ancestor, the Dragon Slayer.”

“An…cestor? And, that name Agatha…”

Valentina was taken aback; she had never imagined that the woman would utter such an outrageous claim, and with such a serious expression at that.

She did know of Agatha, a princess from over 150 years ago, and Valentina had read numerous adventure novels based on her exploits—she was practically an idol.

But to suddenly have someone claim to be that legendary princess from over 150 years ago was simply unbelievable.

“Yes, indeed. I heard from that boy named Clyde that you, aiming to slay dragons, are my proud descendant. Ah, you seem unable to accept this, but perhaps this sword will convince you that I’m not joking.”

Seeing Valentina’s skeptical expression, Agatha immediately drew the sword from her waist to prove her identity.

This sword indeed had a storied lineage, passed down through the royal family of the kingdom, and the current holder should be the first prince.

That is, the brother of Valentina and Prince Mori, and also Dilia’s brother.

Valentina had seen the crown prince wield it before, so she couldn’t be mistaken; this was the genuine article.

Either this woman had received it from the crown prince, or she truly was, as she claimed, a figure from the past.

“…I see, I’ll take your word for it that you are my ancestor, but since you also possess this sword, does that mean you didn’t live all the way to the present, but rather crossed over from the past directly into the present?”

Having encountered the evil god, Valentina quickly proposed what she thought was a reasonable explanation.

Unlike Agatha, who had imagined her being suspicious about how she could have lived for so long, this made Agatha’s eyes shine with even more admiration.

“I can’t believe you understood so quickly, Valentina! That’s right! I am actually you, one year after the first dragon-slaying you know of. I was specifically chosen by the goddess to come to this era!”

Mentioning the goddess, a hint of pride and satisfaction involuntarily surfaced in Agatha’s mature and resolute expression, even causing her to puff out her chest, which was much smaller than Valentina’s.

So, the goddess really does exist…

Valentina’s mood was clearly not as exuberant as Agatha’s; she simply found it hard to comprehend.

Why would the goddess send her ancestor from the past to this point in time?

“Well then, Lady Agatha…”

“Don’t call me that, it’s so strange! Just call me by my name, or you can call me sister; after all, I should be the older one here.”

…No, you’re definitely the older one.

Valentina looked at her ancestor, who seemed to take a liking to her, and spoke again with a hint of helplessness:

“So, Sister Agatha, why did you specifically cross time to come here? Does the goddess want you to do something?”

“Good question, Valentina! Actually, I was sent by the goddess to assist you in defeating evil. However, I regret to say I wasn’t informed of much, and I didn’t even get a chance to speak with the goddess; I was just told by the other party.”

Agatha, who was now being called sister by her descendant, visibly softened, responding with a hint of happiness.

This only left Valentina more puzzled.

What could be so important that the goddess wouldn’t handle it herself?

Could it be that the goddess also had a personality that preferred to let others take action while she merely observed?

“Anyway, time is of the essence! I can’t stay here for long. Let’s go dragon-slaying first! We can talk while we’re on the way!”

While Valentina was still questioning the credibility of the situation, she was taken by surprise when Agatha grabbed her hand and quickly headed toward the capital.

This left Valentina in a state of shock.

It seemed that this convenient sister was indeed her ancestor, just like her, a person of action.

But wait, where are there any dragons to slay right now?

It couldn’t be that red dragon, could it? But that’s far from the capital, not a place one could reach in a short time. Moreover, that red dragon posed no threat except to male red dragons; it shouldn’t be considered evil.

“W-wait a moment, Sister Agatha, there aren’t any evil dragons near the capital right now.”

Being dragged along, Valentina felt that if she didn’t explain soon, she might end up being taken who-knows-where.

“Ah? So there are no evil dragons nearby? But I keep feeling a powerful aura of evil right around this capital.”

Fortunately, Agatha wasn’t unreasonable; upon hearing that there were no dragons to slay nearby, she immediately stopped, turning around with a puzzled look at Valentina.

Wait, could it be that she sensed the aura of the evil god?

At this thought, Valentina’s heart skipped a beat, and Noah’s figure flashed through her mind.

“Valentina, you…”

It was unclear whether Agatha had seen through her thoughts, but her expression quickly turned icy, and even her voice was filled with a chilling intent.

Damn it! Is it time to fight?!

Valentina, sensing the ominous turn of events, couldn’t afford to hesitate any longer; her face immediately grew serious.

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However, Agatha’s actions were faster.

With a skill that was clearly more adept than Valentina’s, she drew her sword and struck at Valentina’s… back.

“…Huh?”

Agatha’s speed was astonishing. Just as Valentina’s hand was still on the hilt, Agatha yanked her toward herself while swinging her longsword.

At that moment, Valentina realized that someone had launched a long-range attack against her, and Agatha had intercepted it.

“Hmph, so it’s the demon clan that was once driven from the continent. What, did you think four of you could defeat the two of us sisters?”

Agatha effortlessly deflected the magical attack with the ancestral sword of the royal family, pointing the blade directly at the four demons who had shed their human disguises.

The Dragon-slaying Princess wore an expression of calm that spoke of her experience as an adventurer.

“Uh… the princess has a twin? And she’s not Delia?”

“W-What’s going on? Was the intel false?”

“You fools, it’s your fault for being so eager to strike! Couldn’t you have waited a bit longer?!”

“Wait for what?! You cowards! Whether the princess is one or two, isn’t it our usual practice to conquer and ravage?!”

Originally, the four demons had come to engage Valentina in a skirmish as per Eren’s orders, but the strange situation had thrown them into confusion.

Only Valentina vaguely sensed that something was amiss.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that… things were not as simple as they appeared.

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