Monster no Goshujin-sama - Volume 7 - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: What’s Needed to Enter Town

I stood atop a small cliff by myself. This spot, sporadically surrounded by trees, was wide enough for me to move around. I could faintly hear my companions preparing dinner beneath me.

“Okay,” I muttered, holding up my left arm. “Asarina, reinforce me.”

“Massss—ter!”

Asarina cried out with her creaky voice and wrapped around my left arm, which was still covered in the burn scars I’d gotten from a blowfox attack in the past. Once her viny body was fully entwined around my arm, I picked up the shield I’d left on the ground.

“Good. It feels really light. Looks like a success.”

“Ssster! Ter!”

Asarina had acquired this ability during the battle against the Mad Beast. She could now function as a reinforcing exoskeleton. We’d managed to replicate it here perfectly. At the time, I needed Gerbera’s mana to use it, but now I could do it without it. That mana granted me explosive power, but it exhausted me considerably, so it was much more practical not to use it. We’d tested this several times to get used to the sensation, and in this moment, Asarina had perfectly mastered it.

I tried grabbing my sword with my left hand and swinging it around. In the fight against the Mad Beast, all I’d needed to do was withstand its blow, so I had only enhanced my physical strength. I had no idea whether the exoskeleton hampered my movements. From the looks of it, it didn’t seem to be a problem. As I swung my sword about, I could feel the vines tightening around my arm, but my movements were actually smoother and more precise than before.

Asarina sensed my will and matched my movements. Because her roots were digging through my body, our connection through the mental path was deeper than my connection with any of my other servants. I’d wanted to take advantage of this, so we’d been practicing passing instructions through the mental path for use in battle. We’d accomplished this feat because of that training.

“Looks like we can use this in an actual fight. Also...right. We could make it easier for you by... Hm?”

“Sster?”

Both Asarina and I came to a stop. I took a look around. Shortly after, I spotted a spider with the upper body of a girl walking my way.

“My Lord.”

It was Gerbera, her face drawn tight in an extremely serious expression. Her bloodred eyes glanced at Asarina.

“I have something I’d like to speak with you about. Is now a bad time?” she asked.

“Hm? Oh, not really. Asarina, let’s call it a day.”

“Sster!”

Asarina unwound her body and withdrew inside me out of consideration.

“So? What is it?” I asked.

“Mm. I’ve come to fulfill our promise,” Gerbera declared nervously.

I wasn’t so dense that I didn’t know what she meant. This was definitely regarding our promise to spend some time alone when we could. A part of me had wondered when we would get to this. Still, it was embarrassing to hear it like this.

“I see.”

In the end, I could only squeeze out a brief acknowledgment.

“S-So, about that... I have a request,” Gerbera continued, her nearly transparent skin dyed red. She was talking considerably faster than normal. “Recently, I nearly crushed you to death in my embrace, remember?”

“Yeah.”

“Even now, I don’t have the confidence to stop myself from doing so in the middle of the act.”

“Huh?”

I raised an eyebrow. This boded ill.

“Well, just listen,” Gerbera said, noticing my bewilderment and holding her palm out. “It seems I’m unable to restrain my strength when I’m aroused. I believe you know this already. Therefore, I shan’t do a thing.”

“Nothing at all?”

“Exactly. If I imprudently attempt to embrace you, I am liable to make you go splat in the process. Thus, I shall become a bottom.”

“Splat...”

It wasn’t really a sound effect you’d hear during the act. In any case, she was actually making sense here.

“Well, I understand what you’re getting at,” I said.

“Very well. Now then, come at me as you will!”

Gerbera vigorously puffed out her chest. The topic being what it was, the lively and supple bounce of her breasts drew my eyes. I usually tried not to pay it too much attention, but Gerbera’s outfit was really risqué. Her breasts were about the same size as Lily’s, and her constantly visible cleavage was honestly poison for my eyes. The willowy curves that her belly and back drew made her more womanly than anyone else I knew. The spider half that connected below that, from the white hair to its form, was also beautiful. It inspired awe in any who saw her. In no way did it detract from her beauty.

Her usual childish behavior that offset her sensuality had now vanished behind her flushed cheeks and fidgety movements. She closed her eyes, defenseless as she presented herself, her suspiciously beautiful face before me.

“Okay...”

I stepped closer and placed my hands on her shoulders. Her skin felt silky and soft underneath my palm.

“Mmm...”

Gerbera’s eyebrow twitched, and her legs lightly scratched at the ground. She bit down on her lip. The sight of her holding it in fanned at something which lay dormant deep inside me. I slowly wrapped my arms around her back and brought myself closer, her womanly scent spreading over me.

Her ragged breathing, spurred by her nervousness and arousal, brushed against my skin. I could feel her trembling slightly in my arms. My eyes naturally closed as I slowly brought my lips closer...when I heard a thunderous sound.

“Huh?”

Gerbera had shaken off my arms and leaped through the air. She’d gotten several meters away from me in an instant, her legs dragging ruts into the ground.

“G-Gerbera?”

The shock of rejection had me frozen in place.

“My Lord...” Gerbera said, raising her tearstained face. “I-I can’t do this after all!”

“Huh?”

“If your lips had kept going and touched mine, I feel like, like...it’d be completely useless!”

I didn’t really understand, but it didn’t seem like she was rejecting me. I felt slightly relieved as Gerbera continued to tremble.

“A kiss is such a dangerous thing...” she murmured. “Both my body and heart felt like they were going to melt. There’s no way I could have possibly maintained any sense.”

Her legs skittered about. This was a tic of hers when she was holding back.

“I obviously can’t continue being a bottom like that!”

“I’m not sure what you mean...”

“Does everyone surpass such a difficult hurdle?” she muttered in astonishment.

She was probably wrong about that to some extent...

As she continued to rack her brain, I let out a small sigh.

◆ ◆ ◆

“What’s going on, Master? I heard a scream.”

Lily had come over after she’d heard the commotion. She still couldn’t use her mimicry properly, so she slithered across the ground toward me. She looked at me with her slimy face, then tilted her entire body to the side.

“Huh? Where’s Gerbera? Wasn’t she with you?”

“She said, ‘It’s useless for me now! But I shan’t give up!’ and then ran away somewhere.”

“Aah... Operation Bottom failed, I see.”

Her features were still somewhat vague, but I could clearly see her wry smile.

“You knew about this?” I asked.

“Mhm. It was Rose’s idea. I thought it was a pretty good one myself.”

“She also said, ‘I’ll remember this!’ I mean, why even tell me that?”

“Aha ha...”

“Everything would be fine if I could just withstand her strength. I feel a little sorry for her.”

“Hmm, I wonder about that. It goes both ways, doesn’t it?” Lily said, understanding what I was getting at while I scratched my head. “We’re a different species from you, Master. There will be obstacles to surmount. It’s definitely difficult, but I don’t think Gerbera will lose heart over this. That’s one of her charming points, right? I’m sure you love that part of her too.”

Lily paused, peeking at my expression and giggling.

“What’s with that face, Master? Are you still worried about that? I already told you it doesn’t bother me, whatever happens between you two.”

“I know that, but...”

“Well, it’s a matter of sensibilities and feelings, so I can understand you getting caught up on it by instinct.” Lily drew closer and rested her head on my chest. “Just being able to do this is more than enough for me.”

“Lily...”

“If you’re going to spend time worrying about that stuff, I’d be happier if you spent it with me. I mean, we won’t be able to see each other for a while.”

Lily smoothly slipped past the line Gerbera hadn’t been able to cross.

“Mmm.”

She pressed her girly yet monstrous body against mine, then met my lips with hers. She wasn’t wearing any clothes, so the sensation of her pressing against me was very vivid. She was acting clingy because she felt lonely about having to part ways for a bit. Stimulated by the swelling love in my heart, I put my hand to her cheek.

We shared a deep kiss, and our silhouettes became one, melting into each other. Lily had overcome the obstacles holding her back. The distance between us was minuscule.

The next day, we split from Lily’s group and headed down the mountain.

◆ ◆ ◆

“The number of towns in Aker that house more than a thousand people can be counted on a single hand,” Shiran said, sitting on her soles.

She was in her traveling clothes, and she’d laid out a simplistic map in front of her that showed where the main roads and towns were. The map we’d gotten from the Alliance Knights had washed away in the river during the Skanda’s attack, so Shiran had drawn this one from scratch. I’d jotted down the names of each landmark in katakana on it.

“According to what we were told before we entered the Kitrus Mountains, this route comes out near the town of Zaquo. Meaning...”

Shiran traced her finger along the map.

“We are probably somewhere around here. The closest major town is Diospyro. It’s the largest town in eastern Aker and the center of distribution for goods to the surrounding villages and towns, so I believe it will be an acceptable destination for our purposes.”

“How much time will it take us to reach Diospyro?”

“Let’s see... I think we should get there in three days. According to Berta, there is a settlement nearby. We can ask for details there.”

It had taken us three days to descend the mountain, so considering the time we would need to acquire supplies in town, a round trip would take us somewhere around two weeks. This largely matched our preexisting schedule.

“Second King.”

Perhaps reacting to her own name, Berta, who’d been lying on the ground near us, joined our conversation. She raised both of her enormous wolf heads.

“There are human eyes to be wary of from this point onward. This is as far as I will go.”

“Oh, right. Thanks, Berta.”

“I’ve said this many times already, but I’m doing nothing more than following my king’s command,” she said, averting both of her intelligent pairs of eyes. “I’ve been ordered to protect you for a while. That is the only reason I am accompanying you. Hence, I don’t need your thanks. I’m not your damn companion or anything of the like.”

She was being awfully cold. Her demeanor was the same as usual, but something about it struck me as odd this time. Ever since she’d returned to Kudou and come back, Berta had been behaving strangely. I wondered if something had happened.

Because she’d helped us get Lily back, I couldn’t dislike this enormous wolf. I didn’t forget that she’d once tricked Sakagami Gouta and eaten him, but Kudou had made her do that. When I’d pressed her for answers as to whether she’d tricked Sakagami, I’d seen guilt in her eyes.

Now that I had the opportunity to interact with her more, I saw that she was actually pretty good at looking after others, despite her curt attitude. Fundamentally, she had a good heart. I didn’t know whether this was a good thing for her as one of Kudou’s servants, though.

“We should reach the settlement in the afternoon. I’ll guard you until then,” Berta said in a low voice. “After that, I’ll return to the slime and spider. After seven days, I’ll come back here and wait for you. Is that all?”

“Yeah. Thanks. You’re a big help.”

“I keep telling you...”

Berta started to say something, but she fell quiet. She’d realized it was useless to continuously tell me not to thank her. Watching her wave her tail and tentacles about sulkily brought a smile to my face.

“Okay, that’s it for our plans until we reach the village,” I said, turning back to face the two elves sitting in front of me. “After that, we’ll be relying on you two a whole lot. We might end up being a bother, but we’ll be in your care.”

“Understood.”

“Leave it to us!”

“All that’s left is... Hmm, Katou and Rose sure are taking their time.”

After figuring out our plans, I took a look around the area. I couldn’t see the two of them anywhere.

“They excused themselves after we finished breakfast. Should I go look for them?” Shiran proposed with a cock of her head.

“No, it’s fine.”

I could tell through the mental path that they hadn’t gone far. They were sure to return before we departed, so there was no need to go out of our way to look for them. And just as I was thinking that, footsteps came toward us with perfect timing.

“I’ve returned, Master,” Rose said.

I turned around casually. “Aah, welcome ba—”

My greeting got stuck in my throat. My mouth popped open as I stared at the person before me. She was an unfamiliar girl. Her dark silver hair swayed behind her in a braid. She was tall for a woman, and she was wearing a dark blue dress with a collar.

The skirt of the dress gracefully draped over her legs, and judging by the thick fabric it was made of, it was both practical and beautiful. Furthermore, she wore a large apron, which made her expression look more composed than cute. She wore long gloves that covered both of her arms, and her socks went all the way up to her thighs. Her outfit exposed very little of her skin.

The only part of her body that really stood out was her abnormally beautiful and angelic face. Her features were so delicate that they almost looked like wrought glass. I’d never seen anything like it before.

She looked entirely different, but I immediately knew who she was.

“Rose...?”

“Y-Yes.”

Rose smiled awkwardly, perhaps from the tension of the moment. My heart thumped loudly as I watched her do her best to shape her lips. This had completely thrown me off, and it made me act even more flustered.

Just then, Katou peeked out from behind Rose and said, “Come on, don’t just stand there.”

Those words made me realize that we were standing stock-still facing each other, as if we were at some kind of marriage interview.

Seeing me like that, Katou smiled in satisfaction and pushed Rose’s back. Rose walked my way, but her movements were jerky and stiff. Katou had probably pushed her like this all the way here.

Once Rose got close to me, she plopped down to take a seat, like a switch had been flipped inside her.

“Wow! You look amazing! It suits you so well, Rose!” Kei yelled with a look of wonder. “This is the outfit you prepared so that you can go into town, right?!”

With Kei’s words, I finally understood the situation. Rose had apparently prepared these clothes so that she could go into town. I’d thought it would be bad if she walked around with her mask on and joints exposed, so when I’d asked Rose and Katou to accompany me into town, I’d also asked whether something could be done about Rose’s appearance. They had simply told me that they would make preparations on their own. I’d trusted them to work something out and left them to it, but I never thought they would put in this much effort. It had definitely taken them a lot of time to prepare this, and now was its grand unveiling.

“It suits you, Rose,” Shiran said.

“It really does. She’s so pretty,” Kei added in agreement. Her eyes were sparkling in admiration as she turned my way. “Right, Takahiro?”

“Y-Yeah.” I finally realized I’d yet to say anything myself. “She’s right. I-I think it suits you.”

The most boring of phrases came from my mouth. It irked me that I hadn’t praised her in a better fashion. I couldn’t really express my bewilderment in the first place.

“You’re so pretty that it shocked me.” That was the best I could do.

In the next instant, all expression vanished from Rose’s face. She now looked like an inorganic doll. The change was so sudden that it startled me. Did I say something wrong? Or did I not praise her enough? Many thoughts raced through my mind.

Speaking in hindsight, all of my guesses had been way off the mark. I was later informed that Rose wasn’t very good at making facial expressions. Since her face had originally been featureless, this made perfect sense. She’d put in a lot of work to make herself appear less inhuman. But even now, some of that awkwardness remained. Whenever her attention was directed elsewhere, all such features would vanish entirely, leaving a cold expression that no human could make.

That was exactly what had happened now. I didn’t find it unsightly, though. Maybe I was a little biased, but Rose’s features were so delicate that her inhuman and cold expression suited her quite well. She was like an angel.

Still totally expressionless, the ethereal Rose...collapsed backward with a thud.

“Uhhh...”

Why had Rose lost her expression to begin with? In short, the moment she’d heard my childish praise, she had lost her presence of mind.

“R-Rose?!” Katou shrieked.

Shiran and Kei got up in a fluster. One of Berta’s heads yawned, and she closed her eyes as if this had nothing to do with her.

We had to wait some time before Rose recovered from “fainting,” to borrow a human term, so that we could depart.