Monster no Goshujin-sama - Volume 7 - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: An Impossible Conversation

On the third morning of our sojourn at the inn, I walked out into the backyard. I drew the sword at my waist and began swinging, remembering what Shiran had taught me. I felt like the mana flowing through me had been elevated lately. I didn’t really know why, but it wasn’t a bad thing.

Not everything about this was good, though. For example, when I reinforced my body with mana, if I couldn’t properly control the flow, it would augment my physical strength unevenly, making it difficult to move around. Also, with more strength, the feeling of using a sword changed. This could have a major effect during battle. I had to get used to this sensation so that it wouldn’t be a detriment. Of course, I had to get better at swordsmanship too. It was important not to slack off on my daily training.

“All right... I guess that’ll do.”

I had been swinging my sword in earnest for about twenty minutes. I stopped my training before I exhausted myself. It was rather damp outside, so I’d worked up quite the sweat. I stripped off my top, drew some water from the well behind the inn, and poured it over my head. The cold water sliding down my hot body felt great.

“Phew...”

After repeating this several times, I brushed back my annoying bangs. Thanks to the fog that was still clinging to our surroundings, I couldn’t see any of my companions nearby. The reason I’d gone out on my own without calling anyone was because I wanted to clear my head. Humans were simple beings. This was all it took to feel a little better when a constant discomfort prodded at one’s mind.

I hadn’t solved the problem, but I could at least calm my heart. Since nobody shared my discomfort, I couldn’t go to anyone for help. Thus, it was important I take the time to compose myself like this.

“Oh, there you are, my dear. Are you done training?”

I turned around as the proprietress came out of the inn’s back door. She smiled gently as she walked my way. She wasn’t all that much older than me, and I had opened up to her a bit during our stay.

“You’re quite enthusiastic about that,” she said.

“Yeah. You can get caught up in all kinds of violent affairs when out on a journey.”

“It was amazing. Like, swoosh! Whoosh!”

She had come out to tend the garden behind the inn while I was training earlier. That was when she’d witnessed my swordplay. She imitated me, swinging her arms through the air. She had such a calm demeanor about her, but at times like these, she was unexpectedly childish. She wasn’t all that athletic, so it looked more like some bizarre dance, which was perhaps what emphasized her childish behavior.

“Excuse me...” she said bashfully, stopping her arms. “Oh right, I forgot what I came out for. Breakfast is ready. What will you do?”

“Just as always, I’ll take it with everyone else. I’ll go get them, so could you wait a little?”

“Certainly,” she said, nodding with a bright smile.

“Oh yeah, it looked like you were deep in thought earlier. Is something wrong?”

I was talking about when she came out to tend the garden. Even when I swung my sword, I made sure to keep a keen eye on my surroundings. I’d been fairly aware of her movements at the time.

“Oh dear. You saw me? How embarrassing.” The proprietress put a hand to her cheek and smiled bashfully. “How should I put it? I was just thinking of how things weren’t really going my way. Things have gone a little beyond my expectations, so I was wondering what to do about it.”

“If something is troubling you, then would you like my help?”

“Thank you, but I’ll be fine. What will be will be,” she said somewhat philosophically. “Okay then, please call me when you are ready.”

With that, she went back inside the inn.

“What will be will be...” I quietly muttered to myself.

It would be nice if that was all it took to settle things, but in my case, I had my companions to consider. I couldn’t just go with the flow.

“Masss—ter. What? Do?”

Asarina slithered out of the back of my hand. She was the only one who shared my discomfort.

“Hmm...”

I believed we were currently under the effects of some sort of glamor or the like. The problem was that even though I knew something was strange, I couldn’t tell what. Something was weird, but I didn’t find it weird. I couldn’t identify what was causing the contradiction. That was probably how this spell worked.

For some reason, only Asarina and I could sense something was a little off. I had of course consulted my other companions on the very first day about the discomfort the two of us felt. I had told them to keep on guard, and they had all nodded back in confusion. That was the bare minimum we had to accomplish.

Lacking a sense of danger could be a major problem. That applied doubly so when we had no idea what to be on guard against. I had no choice but to keep a sharp eye on the situation and watch over everyone.

“For now, let’s go check on them,” I said.

It was worrisome that we were the only ones who could sense this abnormality, but it also meant that the two of us could prepare ourselves for the situation. The “enemy” who’d cast this glamor wouldn’t expect it. We had to make good use of that.

◆ ◆ ◆

After everyone had finished breakfast, I stepped outside the inn with Katou. There, we found Rose processing a mound of lumber she’d cut down and brought here. Next to her was a mostly finished wagon. I felt something was slightly off seeing Rose out in the open with her gloves off. I shook my head. What was odd about that? As always, I couldn’t tell.

“Master. Have you finished your meal?”

Seeing us coming, Rose looked up and smiled at us. She had been in a great mood lately. It wasn’t like she always went about with a sullen expression or anything, but I could easily see that she was in high spirits. This naturally brought a smile to my face as well.

“How goes the progress on the manamobile?” I asked.

“Same as yesterday—it’s going smoothly. I should be done tomorrow.”

Rose dove into more details. She’d gotten the frame to a state where she could do a test run, and she’d already confirmed that it could move using the runestone from Diospyro. This meant we could leave tomorrow.

Still, that wasn’t much of a relief. So long as I had no idea what this abnormality was, there was no guarantee that leaving would resolve anything. It was possible nothing would change, but it was also possible it would get worse. As a matter of fact, we should probably be even more careful.

As I steeled my resolve, the inn’s door opened behind me.

“Huh? Lily? Is something wrong?” Katou asked curiously while she used a broom to diligently sweep up the shavings from Rose’s work.

Lily came out of the inn and looked around restlessly, then asked, “Hey, have you seen Miho?”

“Mizushima? No, I haven’t,” I replied.

Katou and Rose also shook their heads. Lily looked troubled by this.

“Did something happen?” I asked.

“Hmm. I wanted to talk to her about something, but I haven’t been able to catch her.”

“What about?”

“It’s just, considering our future, I thought it’d be nice for Miho to use mimicry to come outside every now and then. I wanted to convince her to,” Lily said, folding her arms under her bountiful breasts. “Miho seems satisfied with the current situation, saying that’d be cheating. She doesn’t really seem to want to... But I still think she should come outside every now and then.”

“Well, shut-ins can be troublesome,” I said nonchalantly. “Is that even possible?”

“It is. She can do it right now if it’s just for a short time. In truth, the partial mimicry I activated using Miho’s disposition as a visitor is only feasible if I leave some of the control over all the mimicry to her.”

“Is that so?”

“Mm-hmm. At this rate, she should get used to mimicry all on her own some day. If so, she can come outside...” Lily paused and slumped. “But it’s no good if she has no motivation to, right? At the very least, I think it’d be fine if she let everyone else know that she’s here.”

“You have a point there.”

As I nodded along, I put my hand to my temple. I had a slight headache. There was probably something peculiar about this conversation. I couldn’t tell what, though. Maybe the entire topic itself was strange.

“Miho has helped me a ton and all,” Lily continued. She didn’t feel anything out of place like I did. “I want to pay her back, even if only a little. Or am I just being a bother?”

“I don’t think you are,” Katou said. “Mizushima-senpai is actually really lazy sometimes.”

“Really?”

“Yup. She’s only really proactive about things that stimulate her curiosity. Back in our world, she read a ton of books and was really passionate about club activities. When she’s not interested, though, she becomes really sluggish. I wouldn’t quite say she’s a hedonist, but she’s kind of childish in that respect. A good spanking would do her well.”

“Somehow...that really resonates.”

“I mean, I got along with her very well.”

“Oh yeah, I guess that’s true... Hmm, yup, you did. I have memories of you taking care of her.”

Lily touched her head with both hands and looked around at the sky. It seemed she was searching her memories. As she did, her smile turned pleasing yet sarcastic.

“Hee hee. I think I understand why you’re so good at taking care of Rose now.”

“Rose is a little different from her, but in the sense that it feels rewarding to take care of them, they might be similar.”

The two of them looked at Rose as she cocked her head. Katou smiled warmly, then turned back to Lily.

“If you push too hard, she’ll run away, so you need to choose the right opportunity.”

“Hmm. You’ve got a point there. Okay, I’ll do that.”

Lily gave up on chasing Mizushima and started a strategy meeting with Katou. After calling out to them, I decided to return to my room.

◆ ◆ ◆

“Oh, Majima. Welcome back.”

“What the...?”

When I returned to my room, Mizushima greeted me with a smile. She had brought in a small table, where one of the books we’d bought in Diospyro was splayed open. I pinched my brow, but not because of the discomfort I’d been feeling lately.

“Mizushima, what are you doing here?”

This was the room Gerbera and I slept in. Mizushima shared a room with Lily two doors over.

“Gerbera let me in. Oh, she said she went to go pick plants with the inn’s proprietress. Sounds like dinner will be pretty good, huh?”

“That’s not what I’m asking...”

“Aw, come on. Isn’t it fine?”

Mizushima gave me a friendly smile, and I narrowed my eyes.

“Mizushima... Did you come here to run away from Lily?”

“Ugh... I-It’s got nothing to do with Lilz, okay?” she answered, her eyes wandering across the room.

“Your voice is awfully shrill considering that,” I said with a sigh.

“Erk.”

Mizushima put her head on the table and stretched out her legs. When she did, her skirt got caught. Her healthy thighs came into view. They really looked alike, but she wasn’t Lily. It was rude for me to stare too much at my defenseless classmate, so I averted my eyes as naturally as possible. Mizushima kept her head on the table and swiveled to look at me.

“You were just thinking how this posture isn’t squishing my tits, weren’t you?”

“I wasn’t.”

That hadn’t been my intent. I was simply trying not to stare. Not that Mizushima believed me.

“Whatever. Lilz is different, anyway. You sure do love big tits.”

“That’s a misunderstanding. I don’t really like them big or anything...”

“Oh, I guess not. Lilz can make hers small too, so you can enjoy a variety. Even when small, they’re enough to—”

“Please stop.”

“Oh, but things have been looking good with Gerbera lately, and hers are about as big as Lilz’s. Meaning you really do—”

“Do you want to dodge the topic that badly?”

Mizushima looked the other way and pouted. I’d hit the bull’s-eye. I forced a smile and sat down on my bed. Ayame and Berta were curled up on Gerbera’s bed. Perhaps they’d gotten sleepy after eating their fill. I was a little drowsy myself and let out a yawn.

“What’s Lilz up to?” Mizushima asked.

“She’s with Rose and Katou.”

“Is she angry...?”

“Not at all.”

“That so...?” Mizushima sighed in relief.

“Lily doesn’t have any ill intent or anything. Don’t hate her for it,” I said.

“I know that. It’s okay.” Mizushima remained prostrated over the table and waved a hand about. “I’m happy she’s being considerate of me. I get what she’s saying and all. It’s just...”

“What?”

“I’d like some more time,” she grumbled dejectedly.

“Is there a problem?” I asked, finding her reaction a little curious.

It wasn’t that she disliked broaching the topic entirely, but judging by how she’d seriously tried to dodge it earlier, it certainly troubled her. I gave her a dubious glance, and after pouting a bit more, Mizushima gave in.

“Lilz and I share a fair portion of our memories. Did you know that?”

“I know Lily has your memories. It goes the other way?”

“Yup, it does. There’s a bit of a difference, though.”

“How so?”

“I mean, Lilz gained my memories by eating me, but she didn’t really experience my life for herself, right? But in my case, I have her memories ’cause I’m inside her and share her body.”

Mizushima twiddled her finger over the tabletop as she continued her explanation.

“Lilz only retains my memories as knowledge, nothing more. In contrast, I feel all her experiences. Well, I guess that’s obvious, since I share her body and experience everything that’s happening.”

“Is there a problem with that?”

Mizushima took some time to formulate her words, then started staring at the grain of the tabletop.

“Watching the boy whom I thought was a little nice trying his best from a front-row seat is, you know, ummm, kinda stimulating?”

Her cheeks turned a little red.

“Well, Lilz was the one watching, but...I’m always there too... So, I mean, what I’m trying to say is...” Mizushima paused and cradled her head. “I haven’t even confessed to the boy I ended up liking, and we’re not even dating, but I have all these memories of sweet flirting, and passionate whispering, and even sleeping with him. How am I supposed to look at him?”

This was the hardest question I’d ever had to answer. Actually, what was I supposed to say in this situation? This wasn’t something anybody normally experienced.

“Aagh.” Mizushima continued fretting about it for a while, and then her eyes snapped open. “Well, I guess it’ll only trouble you to tell you this stuff, Majima.”

She pulled herself back together, sat back up, and looked at my face. Then she blinked in surprise.

“Huh...? Majima?”

“Yes?”

“You’re Majima, right?”

“Of course I am. Who did you think you were talking to?”

“Oh, um. Right.” Mizushima nodded several times. “How weird. I feel like I said something really shocking just now...”

I couldn’t really say it, but I felt the same. I didn’t know what was shocking about it, though. I couldn’t recognize the inconsistency. Was there even an inconsistency to begin with? Or was the fact that Mizushima was here telling me this inconceivable in the first place?

“Just my imagination?” Mizushima wondered, cocking her head. Then she decided the unanswerable question could be dropped. “Oh. Sorry, Majima. It’s like I’m the only one talking here.” She covered her mouth, then raised a brow awkwardly. “It seems my senses are influenced by Lilz sometimes. Now that I think about it, I’m acting all defenseless here...”

She finally showed some concern for the state of her skirt. I pretended not to notice.

“I don’t really mind,” I said.

“But it troubles you, doesn’t it? And yet, I take advantage of you like this. Sorry.”

After a moment of silence, Mizushima guessed why I was loitering around the inn.

“You came to check on us, right?” she said, slowly inclining her head to the side. “Feeling like something’s out of place, was it? I can’t feel it at all, so I’ve got no idea. If that’s true, then who’s doing it, and what for?”

“Who...? And what for...?”

I grimaced.

Seeing this, Mizushima waved her hands about. “Oh, sorry. I was just speaking my mind. I might’ve said something irresponsible...”

“It’s fine. I’m grateful to have a different perspective.”

Trying to resolve a problem on my own always seemed to come with a monotonous train of thought. I was so focused on trying to find out what was weird and what I should do that I hadn’t even thought of that.

“Maybe I should give that some consideration. Thanks, Mizushima. You’re a great help.”

“R-Really...? I’ve only been babbling all this time. I’m happy to be of use at least...”

Mizushima fiddled with her flaxen bangs and averted her eyes. She was clearly embarrassed.

“Okay then,” she said, “letting you humor me any more than this will really make me feel like I’m being a nuisance, so I think I’m gonna go get some air outside.”

Mizushima bounced up from her seat. Her shoes hit the ground, waking up Ayame and Berta. I’d asked the two of them to stay by Mizushima or Katou as much as possible. Having remembered this, they walked out into the hallway when Mizushima opened the door.

“Oh yeah. If I let this opportunity pass, I don’t know when the next chance will come,” she said, turning around right before leaving the room. “It’s because of you that I’m here now, even though it was all supposed to end for me back then. Thank you, Majima.”

With that, she gave me a radiant smile that seemed like a miracle of its own.