Monster no Goshujin-sama - Volume 5 - Chapter 16

Chapter 16: A Beast’s Confession

The route through the Kitrus Mountains was rugged. To avoid rapid changes in elevation, the road meandered about, snaking around the cliffs. Because of this, the distance we had to cover was multiple times that of a straight line to our destination. But despite the road’s layout, we came across multiple slopes the manamobile couldn’t surmount with its torque, forcing us to get out and push.

The one saving grace was that the roads were wide. This was a relic of the era of the war between the Empire and the Alliance, when they had maintained this road. Still, steep slopes were only the tip of the iceberg. Fallen trees lay across the road, greenery swamped our path, and years of landslides obstructed our passage.

If we were walking, at worst, we could force our way straight over the mountain with the girls’ strength. That didn’t work with a vehicle, however. It would have been nice if there had been detours we could take, but there was nothing so convenient at hand.

Having said that, we could technically abandon the manamobile, but the commander had lent it to us. Even if that wasn’t the case, once we were through the mountain, some of us needed the vehicle to hide ourselves from the public eye. Back in our world, we might have been forced to give up and turn back.

I looked down at the umpteenth obstacle of our journey. Further down the cliff lay toppled trees hollowed out from rot, and poisonous-looking mushrooms were growing from them. They must’ve tumbled down in a landslide years ago. Considering how few travelers used this path, the lack of maintenance was to be expected. We had to do some amount of repairs to get through.

“Lily, I’ve finished checking to the front,” Shiran said, coming back from scouting ahead on her own.

She was once more donning her knight’s armor, having judged that no pursuers from the Empire were coming. Her gallant figure came to a stop on the other side of the broken road.

“I don’t sense anyone nearby. We’re good to cross whenever you’re ready,” she reported.

We hadn’t passed by anyone yet, but this road wasn’t entirely unused. Whenever we wanted to do something conspicuous, we had to make sure nobody was around to see it.

Lily was kneeling and looking at the ground. “Okay. Here I go,” she said, standing back up and stretching out her right hand.

A yellow glyph took shape at her fingertips. This was grade 2 earth magic, one of the elements she had acquired by eating a large number of monsters at Fort Tilia. Dirt bulged up over the landslide-ravaged road. Lily did this several times, filling in the gaps.

Her newly acquired earth magic was tremendously useful at times like these. Even on the way here, Lily had practiced her new tricks by moving aside trees that were in the way and repairing potholes.

It had its limits, of course. Earth magic was versatile, but even to the untrained eye, it was clear that Lily’s feats weren’t particularly advanced. For example, there were magic specialists affiliated with the army who were employed as construction workers.

In Lily’s case, she could create earth to fill in holes, but she couldn’t make it hard and sturdy like the original road. Manamobiles were made under the assumption that they’d be moving on even ground, so going over such a rugged surface risked damaging the vehicle. Be that as it may, what couldn’t be accomplished by one person could be done with the help of another. The path was open now thanks to Lily. There were no obstacles, and we had a reasonable foothold. It just wasn’t suitable for the manamobile.

“Okay Gerbera, have at it,” Lily said.

“Mm.”

Gerbera nodded and stooped over, fixing her eight legs in place. She reached out and grasped the mud shield at the front of the vehicle. The manamobile creaked, and Gerbera effortlessly picked it up off the ground. The sight made one wonder whether it was made of paper, but the sturdy vehicle was as heavy as it looked. Its frame, which Rose had reinforced beforehand, was even creaking under its own weight.

Gerbera’s legs remained stable as she walked over the rugged ground Lily’s magic had made. She kept any vertical movements to a minimum, carrying the car absolutely level with bizarrely smooth movements. Her physical strength was awe inspiring, and her sense of balance was also extraordinary. Having done this multiple times already, there was no uncertainty in her transportation work.

“Picking up a vehicle and walking around with it kind of feels like putting the cart before the horse,” I muttered.

“True. You have a point,” Katou replied with a giggle as she stood next to me.

Rose, who was supervising the work next to Katou, gave instructions to the white arachne. “Gerbera, it’s tilting a little to the right. Please be careful.”

“Oh. Affirmative. In any case, this vehicle was modified by your hands, so I do not believe it will break from such a trifle.”

“It’s still better to keep the burden to a minimum, isn’t it?”

“Hmm. That’s also true,” Gerbera replied with a smile.

I’d only realized this recently, but the magnanimous yet somewhat absentminded Gerbera balanced out the serious and methodical Rose very well.

Gerbera let out a laugh and handled the manamobile with unexpected dexterity, keeping it from shaking as she looked up at it.

“Well, I suppose I should be more careful than usual. I mean, Kei is still inside.”

“I trust you, Gerbera,” a childish and cheerful voice replied from within the vehicle.

“How’s the view from up there?”

“It feels kind of strange. There’s no vibration or anything. It’s fresh and interesting!”

“So long as you’re enjoying yourself.”

The two of them continued chatting. Gerbera had suggested that Kei stay inside the manamobile. As a result, the tiresome work of having to move it over obstructions became an impromptu attraction. Their fun was contagious. Just watching it unfold kept me entertained.

Dealing with these roadblocks had become a routine. Even though we had the leisure for such fun now, it had been a serious problem when we first started on this mountain path. In the end, Gerbera often had to tow the vehicle. We were able to proceed by doing so, but with all the shaking from the uneven road, the manamobile wasn’t suitable for riding.

When we got out to walk, however, the surprisingly steep inclines sapped our stamina away. Unlike myself, now that I could use mana, and Kei, who had been training to become a knight despite her young age, Katou couldn’t keep up at all. The roads were bad enough that Rose had to carry her rather frequently.

Depending on the circumstances, securing a path wide enough for the manamobile could stall us for several hours. There’d also been moments where the vehicle had flipped over, leaving us all pale, and times when we’d spent half a day fixing a broken wheel.

Once in a while, we encountered monsters. It was dangerous facing an attack on such a narrow path, and we had to protect the vehicle and the road itself so that they wouldn’t suffer damage during the battle.

We weren’t really in a rush, so we were just going at our own pace. Still, before we knew it, nearly ten days had passed since we started on this mountain road. If the village chief of that last reclamation village we visited was right, one of the Aralia River’s branches ran through the Kitrus Mountains at the halfway point. Now that we were used to traversing the mountain, it was possible the second half of our journey would go by faster.

We had managed to resupply back at that last reclamation village, so we still had a surplus of food. It looked like we were going to get through this mountain range without incident. That was what I believed. I didn’t know how mistaken I was until the next day.

◆ ◆ ◆

Unease was apparently something one could sense even while asleep.

It was morning. I opened my heavy eyelids and was met with red eyes peering down at me. They almost looked entranced.

It wasn’t Lily. Meeting her gaze when I woke was a fairly common occurrence, but in most cases, that was from me waking up in her embrace. I was a pretty restless sleeper. I spent a fairly long time drifting in and out of consciousness while hugging her slightly cold body against mine. As such, finding that beloved girl right in front of me when I opened my eyes wasn’t surprising.

However, things were different this morning. With no forewarning, at point-blank range, I saw a beautiful face that could even put a goddess to shame. Her bewitched expression froze over the moment I met her eyes. Something felt slightly off.

Aah, this is just like her, I thought to myself, trying to escape the reality before me.

“Oh. Uhhh...”

Her shocked breath tickled the sensitive skin around my lips. That sensation served as the switch to reboot my stalled consciousness.

“What are you doing, Gerbera?”

The white spider was totally stiff, leaning over my prone body. One hand was touching my chest, and the other was pressing against my cheek. Her dazzling white hair dangled down, a tuft of which had presumptuously slipped into the collar of my clothes. A spider leg was planted by each side of my head, supporting her leaning upper body. Her posture was practically screaming that she was going to steal a kiss from me.

“Y-You’ve got it wrong, My Lord,” she said stiffly. “You’ve got it wrong.”

I was pretty sure I had it exactly right. There wasn’t much room for interpretation, given the situation. I looked at her dubiously, to which she responded with rapid-fire delivery.

“I-I’m holding it in properly.”

I didn’t need to ask what she was holding in. It would actually be more troublesome if I had her tell me.

“Watching you sleep so peacefully, all alone, ever since the break of dawn... Is that not a wonderful thing?”

Judging from the color of the sky, it was about an hour after dawn. Meaning she’d just confessed to staring at my face for that long without getting bored, but she didn’t seem to pay that any mind. What’s more, her confession wasn’t over.

“And, as I continued to stare, I fell into a daze. Before I knew it, your face was right there before me... I-It wasn’t on purpose. I d-definitely wasn’t trying to assault you in your sleep. As for going with the flow and stealing a touch of your lips... I-I may have imagined it...just a little.”

“Yeah. That’s enough. I get the gist of it.” I got her to stop there. I was getting more and more embarrassed as I listened to her. “Anyway, give me some space.”

“Oh. Right. Sorry.”

Gerbera pulled back a bit, and I finally got a handle on my surroundings. It was still early in the morning. The only ones nearby were Kei, Katou, and Ayame, who were all sound asleep. The only one who woke up because of our conversation was Ayame, who raised her snout to sniff the air, then plopped back down as if saying, “Nope, it’s not breakfast time yet.”

“Where are the others?”

“Just a short while ago, Lily left your safety to me and went to check on Rose’s work. Shiran wasn’t here when I woke up, but Lily mentioned she went to check on our surroundings.”

“I see.”

I knit my brows. Lily was probably trying to approach partial mimicry from a new direction. I hoped she wasn’t pushing herself beyond her means. Her vitality as a slime was astounding, but to me, she was a precious girl. I couldn’t help but worry.

Shiran also had a tendency to push herself too hard, so I worried about her too. Having said that, it felt like she had managed to calm down lately. When we first left Serrata, she had always charged forth like an arrow the moment she spotted a monster. After we reached this mountain road, she had yielded that role to Gerbera, now that we didn’t have to worry as much about being seen.

It seemed that Shiran pushed herself the moment I took my eyes off her, so I needed to check in on her eventually, but Lily was the one I had to do something about sooner rather than later. If the opportunity arose, it might be a good idea to call her out... But first, I had to deal with Gerbera.

“Um, Gerbera?”

“Wh-What is it, My Lord?”

Gerbera looked at me like a child caught doing something wrong. I smiled wryly.

“I’m not really angry, so don’t act all scared.”

I couldn’t really criticize her for relaxing out of sight of the others and falling into a daze while gazing at her loved one’s sleeping face. It was normal for a growing girl. Gerbera seemed a little bashful that she saw me in such a light, but it didn’t feel bad. The way she inadvertently began swaying back toward me was really like her. The fact that she was keeping herself from crossing over that final line while doing so was slightly astonishing, but it wasn’t something to get angry about.

“But...I wouldn’t mind if you at least untied me.”

“Untie you...?”

Gerbera cocked her head. I guided her with my gaze down at my own body. Her eyes followed mine, and she spotted how I was wrapped up in her threads. I couldn’t move at all. I was bound up completely.

“Hwah?!” Gerbera shrieked hysterically. She really hadn’t noticed. I pretty much guessed that this was the case. “S-Sorry. I-I did it unconsciously, or I mean, instinctively, I mean, I didn’t do it because I was thinking to...”

“I told you I’m not angry. You don’t need to apologize.”

I forced a smile, feeling a little uneasy at how much of a trance she’d been in.

“But be careful from now on,” I told her as she reached for her threads in a fluster to untie me. “Lying in wait while someone is asleep and tying them up is something meant to be done between lovers.”

Her fingers stopped with a jolt.

“Lovers...?” she quietly muttered. Her slender eyebrow rose at the thought.

“Gerbera?”

Her hands had come to a complete stop, leaving me still restrained.

“Now that I think of it...it is rather rare for us to be able to talk all alone. This may be a good opportunity,” Gerbera mumbled, then nodded. “I went and proudly told someone else, ‘Why don’t you tell my lord your feelings?’ So I’d be hopeless if I let such an opportunity pass... Okay!”

Gerbera fired herself up and turned her red eyes up to my face. By the time I could process that, the fearsome giant spider swooped down on me.

“Huh?”

Bound as I was, I couldn’t even escape by reflex. Before I knew it, her supple arms were wrapped around my neck. The sensation of silky cloth brushed against the left side of my face. The two bulges inside the cloth pushed down on me with artless elasticity. My entire field of vision was dominated by the low neckline of her white clothes, putting the smooth-looking skin of her cleavage within breathing distance.

“Wha—?!”

The moment I realized what was pressed against my face, my heart thumped hard. There had to be a limit to surprise attacks. My throat dried up in an instant.

“My Lord...”

The final blow. Her earnest voice licked against my ear. The weight of the feelings contained within her hoarse tone crushed my chest.

“You know, My Lord? I don’t understand much about humans. I don’t know of their weaknesses, nor do I know of the strengths which can be born of such weaknesses... Mm. I simply don’t understand. I can’t understand. I can only grasp it after someone tells me.”

I could feel Gerbera’s heart beating like a hammer through her breast. She appeared to be quite nervous. Or maybe excited was the better term. I could hear her legs skittering about.

“Fundamentally, I am a beast. So, in the end, I can only convey my words in the manner of a beast. That’s what I believe.”

“Convey...what?”

I finally managed to open my mouth, and Gerbera tightened her embrace on me.

“You see, My Lord, even now, I want to take you with my own hands.”

I unintentionally gulped. The emotions in her words forced me to do so. I was of course aware of her feelings for me. I’d known ever since our time at the arachne nest. We also had the mental path. But even without it, her usual behavior never hid it, so her feelings were quite clear. Even before that, she’d told me straight to my face that she wanted to take me. This was on an entirely different level, however.

“I want to ravish you, My Lord.” Frank, outspoken, and direct... This was Gerbera’s way of confessing. “If possible, I would like you to answer my feelings.”

Gerbera had called herself a beast. Now that I thought of it, there was a certain truth to that. However, at the same time, she was just a girl—an extraordinarily attractive one at that. Say I returned her embrace in this situation... I was certain my brakes would cease functioning altogether.

“Am I...not good enough for you?” Gerbera asked, backing off ever so slightly.

“Gerbera...”

I was entranced by the feverish look in her eyes. My sense of reason felt like it was evaporating. My entire body was numbed from being in a dream. I could feel her anxious trembling against my skin. The sound of constant skittering tickled my ears. Her body was dangerously soft, and her sweet aroma wafted over my nose.

“If not, then show me proof. If you return my embrace, then I’ll...”

Her voice was much too passionate, and it melted away any resistance I had left...

◆ ◆ ◆

I listened to the intermittent clattering of the wheels bumping against the rough surface of the road. We proceeded down the winding path that wreathed its way around the mountain. There was a wall of rock to our right. Its exposed surface looked brittle. We’d already had to clear away two landslides today.

On our left was a rapid river at the bottom of a steep slope. The Aralia was said to be an enormous river that ran through the center of the continent. One of its branches cut through the Kitrus Mountains, which was the river we saw beneath us right now. From what I had been told, it continued to run beyond the mountain range and branched out toward our destination of Aker. It then ran through the Dark Woods to the north into Longue County.

The Dark Woods, untouched remnants of the Woodlands, were all inhabited by powerful monsters. This was the reason they remained untouched. The river ran through a region that was said to be the domain of a legendary monster called the Rage of the Earth. It was possible we would have a chance to go look once we settled down in Aker.

As I thought of such things, Lily, who was walking next to me, called out to me in a hushed voice. “Hey, Master?” She wasn’t looking my way; her focus was on the others behind us by the moving manamobile. “Gerbera looks really depressed. Did something happen?”

“I guess you could say something did...or didn’t?” I replied vaguely, glancing backward myself.

Rose was pulling the manamobile from the front like a rickshaw, while Gerbera trundled along beside her.

Aah, she’s in pretty bad shape. It was easy to see at a glance. I scratched my cheek, unsure of what to do.

In the end, nothing had happened between the two of us. We hadn’t kissed. We hadn’t even embraced each other.

“If not, then show me proof. If you return my embrace, then I...”

Her passionate voice had compelled me to do so. But I couldn’t. I physically couldn’t... Both my arms had been tied down by her threads. When I had informed her that I couldn’t do anything until she untied me, she had been unable to endure the awkward atmosphere a moment longer. The mood was important for such matters. Once she had come back to her senses, it was difficult to continue.

Stricken by grief, Gerbera had muttered, “Why? Why am I like this...?” She had sounded almost philosophical. I couldn’t help but wonder the exact same thing. She had gained such an opportunity but had completely wasted it at the pivotal moment. It really was just like her.

“I can pretty much guess what happened by looking at you two,” Lily said, peeking up at me. “On the flipside, seeing how depressed she is, that means she must’ve gotten pretty close, huh?”

This made my heart skip, but Lily’s expression remained gentle.

“I don’t think I really need to tell you this, but accept her properly, okay, Master?”

Other than the specifics, Lily really did seem to know what had happened. It was more her womanly intuition than anything to do with our mental path. Or maybe Gerbera and I were just too easy to read.

“Are you fine with that, Lily?” I asked unexpectedly.

“Hmm, I get what you’re trying to say, but you’re kinda missing the point,” Lily replied with a troubled expression. “We’re not humans from your world... Actually, we’re not humans at all. From our point of view, such thoughts are just insincere. To begin with, we’re all your servants, but you’re our only master. I have Mizushima Miho’s memories, but the others probably have no idea what you’re worrying about.”

“But you do, right?”

“I understand, but I don’t really have a sense for it. They’re Mizushima Miho’s values, not mine,” she said in a clear tone, then shrugged. “I do know you’re not the type to switch girls willy-nilly. Honestly, I was a little worried... From the looks of it though, seems things are going fine. If she got pretty close, then it’s just a little further, right?”

Everything Lily had said was reasonable. If I had responded to Gerbera’s feelings, even if only a little, I felt like it would’ve been a decisive blow. That was how attracted I was to her. Her blunt confession had enough destructive force behind it to make me self-aware of how strong my feelings were for her. Now that I knew this, I couldn’t shut my eyes and pretend I didn’t know.

Lily glanced at me as I let out a small groan and smiled. “Tee hee. Gerbera’s a really straightforward girl, after all. She’s awkward, and she doesn’t take detours, but maybe that’s what gets her to her destination as quickly as possible. I’m sure when it’s most important, that side of her will be of great assistance to you. In a different sense from her pure strength, I mean.” Lily then quietly muttered, “With this, I guess I can feel at ease too.”

I didn’t really understand her last statement. I turned to look at Lily’s profile. She had a transient smile on her face. I thought I had seen it before. I was reminded of that suburb outside Serrata. She had smiled like this when we were all alone in the house. I instinctively felt I couldn’t let this go. However, the situation took a turn in an unexpected direction.

“What do—”

It happened the exact instant I began asking her for clarification. My thoughts changed gears right away. Even though we were getting used to it, the mountain held many dangers. For example, there were landslides and monster attacks. We had to make sure we maintained a certain level of vigilance.

I heard a sound about ten meters in front of us. A presence suddenly appeared alongside the sound. I hadn’t realized it was there until now, meaning they had been hiding so that we wouldn’t notice. I doubted anyone would have a good reason for doing so. Thus, there was only one way to deal with it. There was no need for us to pass any instructions to each other. Lily took to the fore and positioned herself in a way to protect me. I put my hand on my sword as I quickly stepped back.

“I finally caught up to you.”

Hearing the voice in front of me, I realized my grasp of the situation was half right and half wrong. I had her ill intent right. She was blocking off my path, looking hostile. I was wrong about her hiding her presence to get close to us, though. She didn’t do anything of the sort. There was no need to. She was strong; she didn’t have to resort to such underhanded methods. She probably never even thought of doing so. She was merely so fast that it felt like she had suddenly appeared. She had come here at a speed nobody else could replicate.

“Iino...Yuna...”

The fastest member of the exploration team, the Skanda Iino Yuna, stood right before us.