Monster no Goshujin-sama - Volume 12 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Remembering That Blessed Day ~Rose’s POV~

It was still early in the morning, and the sun had yet to rise. The Woodlands, which was gloomy even at midday, was covered in a thick darkness. After escaping the Maclaurin Provincial Army’s clutches, we had taken our master, who was still unconscious from the Battle Ogre Edgar Guivarch’s surprise attack the other day, along with the elves of the reclamation villages, and spent every day on the run.

Having no need to sleep, I kept a vigilant eye on our surroundings every night. The provincial army wasn’t the only enemy looming over us; many monsters inhabited the Woodlands, so by all rights, people were doomed out here without the safety of large and sturdy walls. It was extremely dangerous to move as a large group through the Woodlands as we were.

We couldn’t afford to be lax, not even during the night, so we were fortunate that several of us didn’t require sleep. All around me, the elves of Kehdo and Rapha leaned against one another, their eyes closed. Their figures were dirty and haggard due to the harsh conditions, so when they slept like this, they almost looked dead.

We hadn’t been able to properly prepare for our journey, so when combined with having to sleep on the hard ground, the group could only recover so much stamina. Also, with so many people moving together, monsters discovered and attacked us frequently. Even if we had multiple nighttime guards to deal with them, nobody could sleep comfortably with a battle raging nearby. The burden on them each time this happened must’ve been tremendous.

Looking at it from another perspective, everyone was hanging in there well in spite of our severe circumstances. Having been raised in reclamation villages, the elves had strong mental fortitude, but it was probably their trust in us that gave them strength. They believed that we could do something about the situation, so they were able to grit their teeth and endure this tightrope act.

These people had accepted us. They had accepted monsters, so I wanted to protect them. We had to protect them. They gave us the trust that our master had always sought, the trust he’d finally found in this world.

“Master...”

My hand unconsciously went to my chest, and I felt the small pendant beneath my clothes. Back when we’d first arrived in Aker, my master had given it to me on our date. It was a round jewel, colored madder red as if it had captured that day’s setting sun. It was my treasure. Just its presence reminded me of my master’s embarrassed smile and my happiness in that moment. I could feel that emotion that I still didn’t have a name for.

I thought of my master as being more than simply my “master.” I knew that. I could feel it. Just a little more, and I could reach it. Therefore...

“It’s time.”

I let go of the pendant and tamped down the emotions that had welled up in my heart. I had to go around and wake everyone up; another day had begun, and not a single one of us had given up yet.