Monster no Goshujin-sama - Volume 2 - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: The Master’s Way

By the time I woke up, it was the following day. My constantly leaking mana had apparently slowed down by then. I still didn’t know the reason, and I couldn’t really be sure of anything, but it was a relief for now.

According to Lily, Gerbera had continuously supplied me with mana until my condition stabilized. Even for her, whose sturdiness was guaranteed, doing so required a tremendous amount of concentration and mana. She had fallen asleep after confirming I was okay.

When I woke up, I found her collapsed right over me and sleeping. Thinking back on it, she did say she wasn’t very good at manipulating mana like this.

“Well done.”

I brushed her white head, and her legs chittered in response. Her beautiful face was accompanied by a truly satisfied smile, as if she had accomplished something great.

◆ ◆ ◆

“You really saved me this time,” I said to Lily, who was standing behind me as I sat on a stool.

We were currently in a small room within the arachne nest. This was the bathing area Rose had made while I was absent. Having said that, it was nothing more than a small space with a cylindrical tub big enough for someone to get inside and a partition around it. There wasn’t anyone else with us. It had been quite a while since I had time alone with Lily.

“And I mean both for healing me and handling Gerbera. I have no idea how things would’ve gone if you weren’t here. Sorry for troubling you with all this.”

“It’s fine. I don’t mind at all.”

Lily, who was wearing a school jersey, forced a smile as she snipped at my hair using scissors Rose had made.

After nearly two months of living in the wild, my hair had grown quite a bit. And because of the fireballs from the blowfoxes, a portion of it was singed off and rather lopsided now. So, I asked Lily to even it out for me. I only ever got my hair cut at a cheap barbershop anyway, so I didn’t mind leaving it to an amateur. It was fine as long as it looked presentable.

“I said it back then too: I’m everyone’s big sister. I only did what was obvious for me to do.”

“You’re right, you did.”

“Actually, I’d like you to praise Rose too. I didn’t think she’d accept Gerbera like that.”

“Yeah. I thought it’d take more time too. I was worried their relationship would break down because Gerbera wasn’t able to protect me.”

“Same here. I thought Rose was more stubborn than that. But it looks like she put some thought into her relationship with Gerbera in her own way.”

“Seems so.”

“Gerbera did her best too, of course. Today’s medal for hard work definitely goes to her.”

My hair fluttered down my back as I sat there with nothing but a towel wrapped around my waist. I was going to have to wash my hair after this anyway, so I figured I would also wash the sweat and dirt off my body while I was at it.

Lily was here as my caretaker to help me with my bath. By that I mean I wasn’t able to move my body properly yet. This wasn’t a side effect of receiving mana from Gerbera, much like she feared, but simply a matter of being debilitated and lacking stamina. In any case, my body still felt sluggish.

Fortunately, for now at least, my body wasn’t malfunctioning in any other way. The only marks left were light discolorations where I was burned or where bullet creeper seeds were removed. I couldn’t let down my guard, though. It was possible I simply didn’t notice the poor condition of my own body. In the end, we didn’t know why I was starved for mana. That was the other reason Lily was accompanying me here.

“Gerbera’s efforts really did save me,” I said with a sigh as I listened to the pleasant sound of the scissors snipping away. “Same with you and Rose. All of you have grown so much, before I even knew it... I didn’t notice it at all. It just goes to show how narrow my vision was.”

“There’s no helping that.” Lily finished evening things out, and after snipping the scissors in the air a few times, she went on to arranging the ends of my hair. “I know how dearly you think of us, Master. The friction between Rose and Gerbera was surely a major problem for you. The more important the matter is, the more energy humans spend spinning their wheels on trying to solve it. It’s normal.”

“Normal, huh?”

“Mm. Normal... Oh, please close your eyes, Master.”

Lily finished with my haircut, filled a small bucket with water, and began washing my head. Her slender fingers pushed through my hair and tickled my scalp. Water flowed down my chin and streamed to the floor. I kept my eyes closed and continued our conversation.

“You may be right.”

“Hm?”

“About how I was spinning my wheels in a panic.” Thinking back, carelessly chasing that blowfox into a giant pack might have been a result of such panic. “I was in a rush to do something, anything, and as a result, I nearly died. Not only that, I almost materially damaged the relationship between Rose and Gerbera by doing so...”

Lily finished washing my hair and began wiping me off with a towel. She then helped me into the tub filled with water. To be honest, I would’ve preferred a hot bath, but just being able to dip in a cold bath was sufficiently refreshing. My state of mind detracted from the pleasure, though.

“How pathetic. I’m supposed to be leading everyone.”

Perhaps because I relaxed my focus a bit, the weakness I had pushed deep into my heart began spilling from my lips.

“I never have any composure, I fret about personal matters, and I drive myself into a corner. The plans I come up with are full of holes. I don’t even have the strength to solve your problems.”

As I laid on the brink of death from mana deficiency, I saw everything that had led up to that moment flash before my eyes. “Why did it come to this?” I thought. Looking back on it now, the answer was clear. I couldn’t live up to the title of Master. That was all. Lily said it was normal to spin one’s wheels in a panic. However, normal wasn’t good enough. I was their master, after all.

Because I wasn’t capable enough as a master, we ended up making such an enormous blunder. The girls managed to make it through the crisis, but that was all just in hindsight. It didn’t change the fact that I couldn’t do anything. They definitely grew up. But I was still no good.

“I panicked, spun my wheels, and couldn’t accomplish anything. I couldn’t obtain anything.” My sigh felt heavy, and my breath felt like it was rotting in my lungs. “I’m so pathetic.”

“Master...”

Lily was still holding on to me to help me into the bath, but she stopped moving as she looked up at my face. Her big eyes gazed into mine. I returned her gaze, and then she closed her eyes. She was thinking of something, but I couldn’t tell what. Our mental path didn’t relay such thoughts.

“...Hey, Master.” She looked back up at me with a smile like a blooming flower. “There’s nothing that can be done about that, right?”

Those were not just kind words meant to comfort me. Her smile had a strange impact to it.

“L-Lily...”

I reflexively tried to shrink back, but I was currently in a tub. There was nowhere to go. I tried to pretend I didn’t notice her behavior, but unfortunately, we were tied by our mental path. I could feel her emotions piercing through me, and she felt mine as well. Moreover, she had no intention of hiding them.

“I’m actually quite angry this time, you know?”

Standing on her knees, Lily drew closer with a slight furrow to her brow. The sound of splashing water filled the room. Her jersey was getting wet, but she paid no attention to that. I arched my upper body back, and Lily leaned even closer. Her hands, which could only be described as dainty, grabbed my arms as if preventing me from escaping.

“Why didn’t you consult me? Why did you try and do everything yourself? Why can’t you rely on us?”

“...Can’t rely on you? What are you saying? There’s no way that’s the case.”

“So, it’s a misunderstanding?”

I nodded in protest. “If all of you weren’t with me, I would’ve been eaten by monsters long ago. I at least know that much. There’s no way I’d ever think of you as unreliable.”

“There’s no way, huh? Mm. I bet so.” Lily nodded in an awfully frank manner, her smile bittersweet. “It’s just as you say, Master. You’ve likely never thought of us as unreliable.” Her smile seemed sorrowful now. “And yet, you didn’t rely on us.”

“...”

“Even though you think we’re reliable, you couldn’t rely on us... Am I wrong?”

This time, I couldn’t find the words to object. It was undeniably true I kept everything from my servants. There was the matter between Rose and Gerbera, my problem with Katou, how I let Gerbera fawn over me when I broke down, and how I just tried to gloss that over at first. There was also the abnormality with my eyesight.

I didn’t rely on the companions I knew were reliable. I tried to carry all my burdens on my own. Now that it was pointed out to me, it was clear I had such a disposition. However, I did have something to say for myself.

“I’m your master. I have the responsibility to lead all of you. This falls under such responsibility.”

I had to be able to resolve the problems of my servants as their master. I had to resolve my own problems. I couldn’t possibly burden them with these. That was the responsibility of a leader. Though I lamented my own lack of ability to do so, the stance itself wasn’t a problem. It wasn’t supposed to be.

But Lily’s flaxen hair swayed in the air as she shook her head. “That’s wrong. Why can’t you tell? If you try and carry absolutely everything all on your own, it’s only natural you’ll fail.”

“That’s... That’s because I lack the ability.”

“Is it wrong to lack that? Aren’t we servants here to make up for it?”

I caught Lily’s upturned gaze, and my heart leapt. Unable to withstand the intensity of her own emotions, her eyes shook like the surface of a lake. That single gaze held more than enough force to shake my trivial sense of pride.

“I understand, okay? I also know you have a strong sense of responsibility, and you often blame yourself. I know, but...” Tears spilled from Lily’s eyes. “I know you want to try and carry everything on your own... But please rely on us a little...”

“Lily...”

Seeing her tear-stained face suddenly reminded me of something. Back when I returned here in a mess after falling prey to the blowfoxes’ trap, Lily looked quite shaken at first. However, she carried out my treatment from beginning to end with full control over her emotions. The Lily I knew would’ve easily panicked. And yet, she shed no tears during the process.

However, that didn’t mean she felt nothing at all. She had been suppressing her panic beneath a calm mask. To borrow her own words, she was acting appropriately in her position as the eldest sister. Up until this very moment, she was absolutely doing her best. But now we were alone. Lily no longer had a reason to put on a strong front as the eldest sister.

“I was so scared you were going to die...”

The Lily before me, who had suppressed her emotions and fulfilled her responsibility as the eldest sister, was not the same girl who had just eaten Mizushima Miho’s body and gained the form of a human. She had definitely changed since then. But what for?

I wouldn’t claim that I didn’t know. It was of course to support me, just as she said. Same for Rose and Gerbera. They were doing their best in their own way to support me too. So, when I refused to rely on them despite this, it meant I wasn’t repaying their devotion.

I thought I was doing the best I could, but apparently I was mistaken. The tears spilling from her eyes now were proof of this. In any case, this wasn’t the time for me to be drowning in regret. There was something else I had to do. This time, I wouldn’t make a mistake.

“...Sorry.”

I stretched my hand out to the crying girl before me and hugged her. Lily didn’t resist. Rather, she leaned in against me. As I embraced her tightly, she began sobbing in my arms. I learned once more just how much I had caused her to worry.

◆ ◆ ◆

We stayed nestled against each other for a while longer. It was mysteriously calming. Such a relaxing moment was surely completely unrelated to that failure.

After some time, the sound of sniffing vanished.

“...I’m just using Mizushima Miho’s knowledge as reference...” Lily said after she calmed down, “but there are different types of leaders.”

“Types of leaders?”

Lily nodded. Her bangs brushed against my exposed chest. It was a little ticklish.

“Like the powerful type who can just force people along, or ones who can lead through pure charisma...”

“Neither of those apply to me at all.”

“Mm. You’re right.”

I smiled bitterly. Lily hadn’t denied what I’d said.

“But you know? We don’t want to follow people like that.”

“...”

“‘I never have any composure, I fret about personal matters, and I drive myself into a corner. The plans I come up with are full of holes. I don’t even have the strength to solve all your problems.’ That’s what you said, right?” Lily peered up at me. “Being able to stay calm at all times and solve any problem without having to worry, possessing the strength to save everything before one’s eyes... That’s all just some kind of dream.”

She flipped my earlier complaints over and called my ideal way of being a master nothing more than a fantasy.

“If such a person existed, I’m sure they’d be wonderful. They’d be a hero right out of a fairytale. Nobody could possibly deny them.” Lily steadily shook her head. “But even if such a person existed, I don’t think we would follow them. I mean. They’re not you.”

I could see my figure reflected in her eyes. She was properly looking at me in the here and now.

“I’m not in love with some ideal dream written in fantasy. I can’t love some illusion. The one I’m in love with is the master who desperately tries to do things for our sake even if he doesn’t have the strength to do so. Whether or not you possess the ability has nothing to do with it.”

“...But I have to lead everyone. Isn’t it wrong for me to lack the ability to do so?”

“That’s not true.” Lily shook her flaxen hair and pressed her head against my chest. “So, let me ask you this. Would you abandon us if we were useless?”

“No way!” I yelled immediately. “Never!”

“...Mm. I was sure you’d say that, Master. Heehee... It’s actually no good for me to be happy about that as a servant, though.” She raised her head with a faint smile. “But, I’m happy you’d say that.”

She then placed her hands on my face. “So, Master. I want you to know that we think the exact same way,” she said as she gently brushed my cheeks in a loving manner. “Let us support you. Rely on us more. Don’t force yourself to do everything on your own. It’s fine for you to lack the ability to lead. We servants are no good unless we combine our strengths... And I’m sure you’re just the same, Master.”

“I’m... the same?”

“Mm. I’m sure that’s how we’re meant to be.”

I had never once thought of that before. I never even had to consider it, after all. I was under the impression there was no need to do so. All I believed was that I had to lead them. I decided it was a responsibility I had to fulfill.

However, “how it was meant to be” wasn’t something I could decide on like that. Just as Lily said, there were many types of leaders. A group had no choice but to find the best path for them based on their leader’s disposition, as well as the disposition of their followers.

If I did in fact possess godlike charisma or the strength to lead an entire group through sheer force of will, or had the intelligence to solve any problem in the world, then there would be no better solution. However, I was nothing more than an ordinary student. It was vexing to admit, but that was all I amounted to. I was nothing more than a 17-year-old boy named Majima Takahiro.

On that fateful day, as I lay on the boundary between life and death, I became aware of the power hidden within me; I became a master who had to lead my servants. However, that didn’t change who I was on the inside.

There was no way some kid you could find anywhere would be able to manifest the characteristics needed of a stereotypical leader without any preparation at all. It was obvious things would unravel if I tried to act like a splendid leader despite that.

I have to do something as their master.

I have to resolve everything.

It was conceited, in a way, to think of such things. There were people with me who would lend me their help. There were those who supported me. I was meant to join hands with them, cooperate, and focus on the same goals together. That was likely the type of leader I was meant to become.

We could even do so as we were now. I was capable of accepting my own limits and immaturity, after all. Now that they had all grown, the girls didn’t need someone to drag them along either.

“We were meant to work together from the beginning. To support each other... If so, then I’ve been mistaken all this time, huh?”

This was a new starting point for us. Strangely enough, I came to this conviction within a cramped space all alone with Lily, much like that cave. We had to help each other to survive in this world. This power within me existed for this very purpose.

“Thanks, Lily. You opened my eyes.” The girl before me who taught me something so important was endlessly endearing. I could only offer my gratitude as a flood of emotions overcame me. “Please take care of me from now on, and support me.”

“Mm... Mm! Of course! Master!”

Lily was also overcome with emotions and hugged me full force. I hugged her right back. We pressed our cheeks against each other and exchanged smiles as we drew even closer despite already being pressed together. Her wet jersey pushed against my skin. It wasn’t enough. It was nowhere near enough. We embraced each other as if trying to fill that gap between us. I could feel Lily’s desire through the mental path, and I desired the same thing.

“Master...”

Our gazes met, our noses brushed against each other, and our lips drew together. I only just realized this was the first time we’d been “alone” in quite a while. Not that I could really do anything. My body still wasn’t moving the way I wanted it to.

As I enjoyed the sensation of Lily wrapping her arms around my neck, kissing me, and pressing her bountiful breasts against my chest through her wet jersey...

“Ow,” I groaned slightly as a sharp pain ran through my left hand.

“Oh. Sorry.”

My voice brought Lily back to her senses and she jumped back. She looked slightly depressed, thinking she was pressing down on me too hard.

“No. You didn’t do anything.” I stretched out my body at the sudden pain and then waved my hand about. “For some reason, my hand suddenly...”

I was shocked into silence.

“What’s wrong...?”

Lily’s eyes also shot open. She was speechlessly staring at the back of my left hand. There was a green protrusion poking out of it. A small stream of blood came from the opening and slowly dripped into the bathtub. This had to be the source of my pain.

The green protrusion continued stretching out as I stared at it. Finally, I realized it was some sort of seedling. Seeing how abnormal this situation was, it clearly wasn’t a normal seedling. The tip was somewhat reminiscent of a snake whose head only comprised a mouth.

“Mass—sss—terr.”

And it spoke.

Its pronunciation was odd, as if it was difficult for a plant to speak at all, but it was clearly a servant calling out its master. I was at a loss for words. I couldn’t understand why a monster was growing from my body. There wasn’t anything at all that could’ve...

“...Oh.” It was a bit of a miracle I managed to somehow find the answer with my mind in such a daze. “Hey, Lily. My memory’s still a little hazy, so can I check something with you?”

“What is it?”

“Do you remember pulling a bullet creeper seed from my left hand?”

The first seed that hit me from the bullet creeper volley dug into my left hand. It was so shocking it remained clearly within my memory. On the other hand, I couldn’t remember Lily digging out a seed from my left hand while she was treating me. Having said that, my consciousness was drifting in and out at the time. Perhaps I simply couldn’t remember. But Lily shook her head, blowing such a possibility away. Meaning... It was exactly what I thought it was.

“Is this guy maybe the reason for my mana deficiency?” I had been on the verge of death because of a lack of mana. Bullet creepers were a parasitical type of monster. It was in their ecology to suck nutrients from their hosts. “Or not? They parasite on trees. It’s nonsense to grow from a human...”

“Oh, hang on, Master. That’s not quite right,” Lily said as she cut off my train of thought. “Bullet creepers attack others by shooting seeds at them, right? Normally, seeds aren’t meant to be used as a weapon. They’re for reproduction, aren’t they?”

“Well, yeah.”

“So, why do you think bullet creepers shoot their seeds?”

Now that she mentioned it, it did seem somewhat strange. As far as I knew, it took quite a bit of energy for plants to create seeds. It was a waste to dispose of them as a means of attack.

“But what about it?” I asked.

“It’s basically the life cycle of the bullet creeper. The prey they hit with their seeds are used for nutrients where the new bullet creepers sprout. I’ve seen it many times before.”

“So, it’s not impossible for one to be growing out of my body?”

The image of caterpillar fungus growing out of a corpse came to mind, sending shivers down my spine. If not for Gerbera’s supply of mana, I would’ve likely dried up completely and perished. My current situation was altogether thanks to her unreasonable power and great efforts.

“Besides, is this really even a bullet creeper?” Lily asked.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, it looks completely different.”

The monster in front of me really was different from a bullet creeper. What stood out most was the lack of a flower. As such, it couldn’t function like a bullet creeper by spitting seeds. Meaning...

“So, it’s a unique monster like you?”

The monster in my body was likely a rare mutation that seldom happened among monsters. But could such a coincidence really happen? It was easier to accept this from an entirely different perspective.

“Or is it precisely because it’s growing in me that it sprouted as a unique monster...?”

My body was that of a cheater. Regardless of how weak my power was, I was still something like a jack-in-the-box who could overthrow any sense of reason, much like the cheater who could punch a dragon to death. It wouldn’t be strange no matter what happened.

“...We can find out for sure if I get shot again.”

“Don’t be stupid. You’ll definitely die next time.”

“Right?”

I was joking, of course. There was no guarantee I’d survive such an experience for a second time. Gerbera surely didn’t want to go through that again either. I couldn’t possibly suggest doing something that would put all of her efforts to waste.

“So, what do you plan on doing with this child, Master?” Lily asked as she glared at me lightly for my distasteful joke.

I used my right hand, which didn’t have a parasitic monster growing from it, to scratch at my now shortened hair.

“What am I going to do? It’s not like I can possibly tear it out.”

I could feel a clear mental path between myself and this parasitic monster. I knew full well it had no ill-intent.

“Mass—ter! Ter!”

It didn’t seem to possess much intelligence yet, seeing how it was just born, so it was unable to do anything but call out. However, I could still feel its innocent yearning toward me. I would be fraught with guilt if I tore it out and killed it.

Besides, after giving it some more thought, the bullet creeper was the one who shot me. This one simply sprouted. Even if its parents wanted to kill me, the newborn child bore no sins. The situation was maybe a little different than that, but this was a perfectly plausible line of reasoning.

“From what I can tell, my condition is stable, and I don’t have any reason to kill it. Can it even be torn off at this point?”

Its roots dug into my body, and I had no idea how deeply they ran. At worst, I’d have to amputate my entire arm to be rid of it. The risk was too high.

“Mass—ter! Mass! Ter! Ter!” And perhaps sensing my thoughts, the parasite yelled out in protest with its jarring voice.

“I got it, I got it. I won’t tear you out.”

“Is that okay, Master?” Lily asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. It was somewhat strange to let the being that nearly killed me by leeching off my life remain in my body, but one could say the circumstances which led me to accept Gerbera were pretty similar. And just as that thought passed through my mind...

“My Lord! Where are you, My Lord?!”

Speaking of the devil, Gerbera seemed to be in a panic on the other side of the partition.

“...What happened now?”

“There you are!” Upon hearing my voice, her characteristic footsteps drew nearer. “My Lord!”

After readying herself in a hurry to pass through the partition, Gerbera’s pure white hair fluttered behind her as she entered the bathing area. It seemed she had just woken up. She had a bit of a case of bed hair. Seeing her before us, both Lily and I were in a complete daze. That’s just how shocking her current figure was.

“Gerbera, what’s that on your head?” I asked.

Atop Gerbera’s white, spider-thread-like hair was a single animal lounging about with its legs hanging over the sides. It had a big poofy tail and triangular ears. Its body was covered in fluffy, soft-looking light brown fur. No matter how I looked at it, it didn’t look any older than a few months.

It opened its mouth, revealing cute little fangs. As it sucked in air, it puffed up into a fluffy little ball that would just about fit in my palm. Its balloon-like body then deflated with a tiny puff of smoke coming from its mouth. There was no mistaking what it was anymore.

“A blowfox...” I said.

“...A child, it seems. Gerbera, where did you pick that up?” Lily asked.

The little fox lost its balance from its burp, causing Gerbera to move about in a panic to keep it from falling.

“I didn’t pick it up. It dropped by just moments ago.”

“Dropped by...?”

“From where the blowfoxes ambushed us and here is quite the distance, is it not? With such tiny legs, it wouldn’t be so strange for it to take an entire day to get here.”

We ran away from that spot at full speed yesterday. We hadn’t been able to confirm whether any of the monsters in that giant pack of blowfoxes happened to be my servant. Taking a closer look, the blowfox’s fur was quite dirty. It might have been on a grand adventure while I was lying here on the verge of death.

“So, why is it riding on your head?” I asked.

“Like I know. Ask the small one. I’m not the one lounging about up there.”

“Just let it down.”

“I feel like it’ll break if I touch it, so I can’t.”

Gerbera stared at me as if I had just said something unbelievable. It seemed she had forgotten this blowfox was still a monster. I continued gazing at her, unable to really say anything, when Rose and Katou came by after hearing the commotion.

“Is something the matter, Master...? Oh?”

“Oh my. Things have gotten quite serious here.”

The two girls stared in wonder at the blowfox sitting on Gerbera’s head and the parasitic plant growing from my hand. The bathing area became lively in no time at all.

“Master.” Lily stirred slightly in my arms. I sensed her intentions and let her go, and she got to her feet with a bitter smile. “It seems the mood is gone, huh?”

“...Yeah.” I returned a bitter smile of my own. Our first time alone in quite a while had come to an end.

“Master.”

“Hm...? Oh, thanks.”

Lily held out her hand to help me up. As I took her hand, she looked at me with a happy smile.

“Isn’t that great?”

“What is?”

“‘I panicked, spun my wheels, and couldn’t accomplish anything. I couldn’t obtain anything.’ Isn’t that what you said?” Lily cocked her head and smiled ear to ear. “Your efforts with Gerbera weren’t in vain.”

Thus, we added my fourth and fifth servants to the group.