After half an hour, when electric charges stopped flashing between the trees, Algo and I made our way back to the spot where the lake once was. The others joined us on the way. Despite my warning, their curiosity wouldn't let them miss such an event. Even Ragni had returned from the city.
We approached the shore... of the lake.
"What happened here?!" Kurone asked in shock, surveying the battleground.
In place of the lake, there was now a deep crater. But that wasn't all: the crater's walls had turned to glass due to the intense heat. In the center stood Katrina, smiling, holding Leira in her arms. It seemed she had managed to save this extraordinary girl. I had never heard of anyone pulling a mage back from the brink of death due to mana exhaustion. Our lightning mistress's powers exceeded all expectations.
"Why did you save me? If I had died here, it would have brought relief," Leira questioned.
"I just didn't want anyone else to die because of me. And I'm glad I could save the sister of my only friend," Katrina replied.
"Now, I can't even be angry with you. What reason do I have to live now?"
"You can live for yourself."
For the first time since we met, I saw a kind smile on Katrina's face.
"I'll try," Leira opened her eyes. One eye was the same blue color as before, while the other turned to a golden hue, similar to Katrina's.
In the morning, we were on our way back to Valenwood.
Many of us were worn out, with acid burns in several places, but we survived, and the battle brought us closer. Even Seleria was impressed by our teamwork and no longer kept her distance from the other princesses. Leira quietly followed Katrina; she hadn't decided how to feel about her yet. Katrina had killed her sister, but she also saved her life—a difficult choice.
I, Grain, and Ragni were pulling carts with the trophy; I never thought this head would be so heavy.
The heavy gates were closed, but we heard whispering beyond them.
"Elder! Open up, guests with gifts have arrived!" I said, a bit cheeky, but I believe we deserved some respect.
"Lord Krito, I didn't expect to see you again. After Miss Ragni left, we saw a flash above the lake. Are you alright?"
The gates slowly began to open. I hadn't expected so many residents in the city; last time we didn't see anyone except for the militia and the elder. It seemed the entire city had poured out onto the streets to welcome their heroes. It was quite heartening.
Theatrically bowing before the gathered crowd, I uncovered the trophy.
"Behold the monster that threatened the inhabitants of these lands for thousands of years."
The people gasped; a few girls fainted, but soon the silence turned into wild rejoicing. A small group of students had managed to defeat this monstrosity. People called us heroes and promised to erect a monument in our honor, but the elder stood behind the crowd with a sad expression on his face.
Having bid farewell to the admirers and extracting a promise from them not to touch the hydra's head, we followed the elder to his house.
"Thank you for everything. Since you left the city, we haven't seen any monsters near the city walls at night, and after your victory, it's unlikely that any will appear here again," the elder said.
"Don't relax; if we killed the hydra queen, there's a possibility that a new one will emerge in a couple of centuries. Make sure to pass on the knowledge of what happened to future generations; it will be useful to them," I warned.
"Thank you; I won't forget that. Here are the promised funds, and even a little extra. When the residents heard about your victory, they also donated a bit, making it 2000 gold pieces, though it certainly won't cover all the danger," the elder handed us a pouch.
"Thank you, but how will you continue to live? This is all your money," Katrina, as always, prioritized others.
"Don't worry about that. The main thing is that you saved the city's inhabitants, and if we have to move away from here, then so be it," the elder replied.
"Aren't you upset about leaving your land and your city??" Katrina asked.
"Well, to be honest, I lied a bit when we first met. This is not my city; I've been its governor for the past ten years, and after the former elder's death, I took over his post," Ricardo lowered his head. "Our feudal lord has been gone for over a year. When the attacks intensified, and traders started avoiding Merenlake, he abandoned us, taking the treasury and a reinforced escort, and fled the city. But he couldn't change his fate; I haven't heard that he made it out of the swamp. We lived on tariffs and trade; we mainly procured food from neighboring cities, and now we won't have enough money to replenish our supplies."
"Then we can't take your money!" Katrina protested.
"No, no, take it. This money won't be enough to feed the entire city; it will be more useful to you."
"But I think everything is turning out not so bad," I realized something simple. "You said the feudal lord disappeared in the swamp with the entire treasury?"
"Yes, he tried to escape to Leran, where it doesn't matter where you got your money from."
"And what's the problem? You know how he escaped and that he got lost on the way. Hydras only took the bodies of people, while they usually dragged the wagons to the nearest swamp to avoid suspicion. If you walk along the road to Leran, you might find the entire lost treasury."
"What? But that would save us!! Thank you; you've saved our city for the second time," Ricardo exclaimed.
"Krito, sometimes you come up with some good ideas," Ragni clapped me on the shoulder sarcastically.
"Haha! I always come up with good ideas!"
Laughter filled the room.
"Thank you very much. I'll do everything in my power, but I don't want to delay you any longer. If you need anything else, just let me know."
I pondered; dragging the enormous head was too strenuous.
"Perhaps you can provide us with two wagons to go to the Academy. One for us and one for the... 'trophy.'"
"Of course! Now it's safe in the swamps; I'm sure I can find escorts for you quickly."
"Thanks, and it will also be a chance to check if all the hydras have left the swamps."
The elder's face still looked sad.
"Ricardo, did you want to say something else?"
"Me? Yes. My daughter... She's still unconscious, even though it's been almost half a day since she took the medicine."
"Then I'll visit her again before we leave," Ragni said, leading us to the bedroom where the girl lay. Ricardo, Katrina, and I followed her.
On the bed lay a pale girl, breathing heavily and still unconscious. Ragni examined the wound; the blue traces of the spreading poison were receding, but the girl was struggling with the effects of the antidote.
"I did everything I could. The poison is slowly leaving her system, but her body has weakened significantly. Don't leave her side; if she survives this week, she should be fine," Ragni said.
She placed her hand on the girl's forehead.
"Don't worry, everything will be fine," and it was pleasant to see the caring side of the princess occasionally.
We quietly left the room as advised by Ragni, leaving the room in darkness with only a small candle on the table illuminating it. As we exited, the candle briefly flickered with a green flame.
The journey back was uneventful. Ragni carefully kept an eye on the surroundings, but her face revealed that we didn't have any unwanted companions.
Soon, we reached the exit from the swamp.
"There they are, deciding to check if the threat has subsided. I doubt they will risk attacking people again," Ragni observed, peering into the dense trees on the right side of the road.
"At least until a new queen appears, they won't dare to decrease their numbers further," I added.
"Then the city will be safe for several more centuries," Katrina rejoiced, glad that she could protect her subjects.