Chapter 14

◆Summary of the previous chapter:

How long have all the familiars been under the illusion that they are friendly to the protagonist?

◆Before the protagonist's side, we insert the story of the remaining Lilies.

14 ～Lily's Perspective～

"What... what is this..."

I stood there, stunned.

I couldn't accept what had just happened right in front of me.

The incident that attacked us tonight was too sudden and overwhelming.

Three Fire Fangs appeared.

Just as we were about to join forces to confront them, another monster, clearly of a different caliber, suddenly attacked...

The monster, with its grotesque form of a large spider with a female creature growing on top, was known as an Arachne in the colony. I had seen it more than once when I wandered the forest as a slime.

However, the individual that appeared before us was on a different level from anything I had seen before.

—A beautiful yet eerie white spider.

Just thinking about it sends shivers down my spine.

The white Arachne first killed the two Fire Fangs in an instant.

Then, taking advantage of our stunned state, it captured the Master with its threads.

At that moment, I was a bit away from the Master, having moved to intercept the Fire Fangs, so I was completely caught off guard.

Rose reacted immediately instead.

However, as soon as the Arachne closed the distance, she was blown away with a single strike from its front leg.

The Arachne, with its special attack method of spider silk, was supposed to be weak in straightforward close combat.

Yet, Rose was defeated with just one hit.

The original Arachne was not such a powerful monster.

It was clear that this was an exceptional monster with terrifying power.

If we had continued to fight, we would have been wiped out.

The only reason we weren't was that the white Arachne didn't even consider us a threat.

After defeating Rose with one hit, the white Arachne left the scene as if its purpose had been achieved... taking the Master with it.

Of course, I tried to chase after it immediately.

However, the Arachne interfered with my pursuit by using its spider silk.

Chasing an Arachne, a creature specialized in 'ambush,' was extremely disadvantageous.

If I could use magic, I might have had a chance to catch up. But considering the danger of involving the Master, who was in the enemy's hands, I hesitated to use magic.

While I was held back by the threads for just a few seconds, the giant spider disappeared into the darkness of the forest, taking the Master with it.

That's right. The Master.

Master. Master. Master.

Master. Master. Master. Master. Master—!

"...ah"

I have to... get the Master back!

"Rose!"

I called out the name of my most trusted younger sister.

"Are you okay?! Respond! Wake up quickly, we have to chase after the Master!"

Rose, who had taken a hit, wouldn't be defeated by something like that.

I believed that.

The loyalty Rose shows to the Master might even surpass the love I have for him.

There was no way she would die without getting the Master back.

"...I'm sorry, Lily. I failed."

Sure enough, Rose appeared from the darkness of the forest.

Seeing her, I felt so relieved that I almost melted.

Only then did I realize how much I had been worried.

—Worried that I might have lost my dear younger sister.

—Anxious that I might have to face that powerful monster alone.

Being freed from these worries, my heart and tears almost overflowed.

But now was not the time to cry.

"It's okay. Wait, I'll heal you right away."

I pulled myself together and started casting a recovery spell on Rose.

"How are you? Can you fight?"

"Yes. But... my left arm seems to be unusable."

Looking at it, the left arm that held the shield had a large hole in the forearm, barely connected by a few parts. The shield was split in two and lay where it had been struck.

While minor cracks and warps might have been healable, this was beyond the scope of my recovery magic.

"To be reduced to this state with just one strike... I'm utterly useless."

"No, that's not true."

On the contrary, it was impressive that she managed to defend herself in that instant.

If she had been hit unprepared, Rose's doll body would have been shattered by now.

Of course, from her perspective, such praise would be meaningless after the Master was taken. I could feel her burning regret through the bond.

"If you had been with the Master, Lily, this wouldn't have happened..."

"That's not true. I would have ended up the same way."

This wasn't just a comforting statement.

Indeed, between the current me and Rose, I am stronger.

I am a Mimic Slime.

My ability is to consume others and acquire their mimicry abilities.

What I have consumed so far are Magical Puppets, Fire Fangs, Trolls, and Mizuho Mizushima. While they are only inferior copies of the originals, I can use all their powers simultaneously.

Depending on the conditions, if I use all my abilities, I would likely be able to defeat Rose with a high probability.

However, even then, I wouldn't be a match for that white Arachne.

If we fought a hundred times, I would be killed a hundred times. There was that much of a power gap between her and me.

"High Monster..."

It was probably an existence outside the realm of monsters.

There wouldn't be many in this forest that could match it.

Even if the battle-oriented unique monster like me or the rare individual like Rose joined forces, we wouldn't stand a chance against it.

But that didn't matter.

"Even if I die, I have to get the Master back."

"Of course. I will save the Master even at the cost of my own life."

Our hearts were one.

We would protect the Master even if it meant our own destruction.

That is the way of us, the familiars.

...That's how it should be.

That's why I was puzzled.

"That white spider... was one of us, a familiar."

At first, I thought it was a mistake, but it was indeed a familiar monster.

We familiars are connected through the Master via the bond, so we can recognize each other.

Through the bond, I could even feel her strong desire.

If I were to put it into words, it would be something like this:

"This is mine." —That's what I could feel through the bond.

Recalling it, I shuddered at the selfishness of her violent desire.

I could only pray that her reason for taking the Master wouldn't harm him.

"I interpreted her intentions the same way."

Rose nodded, agreeing with me.

"I don't know the source of that desire, but regardless, it's clear that she took the Master to satisfy her own desires."

"That's true. It's unforgivable."

"However, the fact that she took the Master suggests that she's unlikely to kill him immediately. That's the only thing we can take comfort in."

"That might be true... but I can't imagine that thing treating the Master with proper care."

I was clenching my teeth unconsciously.

"Rose, you saw it too, right? When he was taken, the Master was probably badly injured."

Fortunately, it didn't seem to be a fatal wound, but his injuries were still severe.

The pain the Master felt, transmitted through the bond, made me feel as if my fake insides, which I exist as through mimicry, were boiling.

"Calm down, Lily."

"I know!"

I snapped back reflexively and gritted my teeth.

The Master must be suffering right now.

Just thinking about it made me want to rush out of here immediately.

"Anyway, we have to chase after the Master as soon as possible..."

With that agitated feeling, I urged Rose.

At that moment—

"Lily. Rose."

A voice called out from someone we had completely forgotten about.

"Is it really okay to chase after Senpai? ...Is he even alive?"

I glared in the direction of the voice reflexively.

"He's alive! Don't say such foolish things!"

There was a human girl, the same species as the Master.

A girl one year younger than the Master, whom he had protected.

Her name was Makoto Kato.

She was a close friend of Mizuho Mizushima, whom I mimic.

"I'm sorry, Kato-san."

Before I could say anything, Rose stepped forward.

It was rare, but she must have sensed my prickly mood. Understanding that, I stepped back to let my younger sister take the lead. Of course, I wasn't calm inside. The possibility of the Master dying was something I couldn't even allow myself to think about.

"We haven't forgotten about Kato-san, but this is an emergency."

"I understand. Are you going?"

"Yes. We have to chase after the Master."

"Chasing after him is fine, but are you sure he's alive?"

As Kato repeated her question, my anger flared up again, but Rose showed no signs of being affected.

"Of course, we are sure. The Master is alive. The fact that we are conscious is the best proof that the Master is safe."

"What do you mean?"

"Originally, as monsters, we didn't have a firm will."

Rose answered Kato's question in a calm voice, without the anxiety and anger she had shown a few seconds ago.

She was maintaining her composure.

Unlike me.

"When I was just a monster, I had a very weak sense of self."

Rose spoke calmly about her—no, our—journey to becoming familiars.

"To me, the memories of when I was just a monster are almost as dry as watching a recording. But now, it's different."

"Does that mean... Senpai...?"

"Yes. I established my self and became aware of my existence on that day, at that time, in that place... when I wandered the forest and met the Master."

There was only joy in Rose's words as she spoke.

That moment must have been so vivid for her.

It was the same for me, who was given the name Lily.

—That day, that time, in that cave.

I met the Master.

At first, I accidentally started to eat his arm, but I quickly realized it was wrong.

This is not something I should eat.

In fact, I even thought I wanted to be eaten by the Master, a secret I keep from him.

In any case, I met him, and through his request, I gained a self.

At that moment, color was born in my world for the first time.

I was born into this world because I was wished for and desired.

In that sense, the Master is like a mother to us, as humans would say.

We, the familiars, love the Master from the bottom of our hearts.

And fortunately, the Master loves us too.

In that sense, our relationship is similar to that of parent and child.

...But this is just a way of explaining our relationship in a way that humans can understand, based on Mizuho Mizushima's memories. In reality, the Master is the Master to us.

He is the absolute, precious being I love madly.

We were born to fulfill the Master's wishes.

So, if he were to die, my insignificant self would vanish in an instant.

The fact that I still exist means the Master is safe.

He must be waiting for our help right now.

Therefore.

"Rose! Let's go, we don't have time for this!"

Anxiety and impatience coursed through my body.

It felt as if my heart might burn out.

"But, Sister—"

In contrast to me, Rose, who seemed to have regained control of her emotions, calmly advised me.

"What do you intend to do about Kato-san?"

"...Ah."

It was a problem I had completely overlooked.

I finally realized why Kato had interrupted our conversation. It was only natural, considering she would be left behind if we went to rescue the Master. After all, being left alone in this forest would be almost like a death sentence for her.

"The Master decided to protect Kato-san."

Rose fiddled with the elbow of her broken arm, which then detached and fell to the ground with a thud.

"We can't just leave her here."

As she retrieved a spare arm from a bundle made of Fire Fang fur, Rose spoke to me.

"But... the Master was kidnapped, and you're worried about such a thing..."

"That doesn't mean we can make hasty decisions. Lily, we need to stay calm in situations like this."

"I... I am calm!"

"No, Sister, you've lost yourself."

"Ugh...!"

Yes, I'm not calm.

How could I be calm?

The Master is not by my side.

Just that alone is driving me mad.

In that regard, Rose is indeed calm.

And Kato is also maintaining her composure.

"I don't mind if you leave me behind."

When Kato suddenly said this, both of us turned to look at her.

I was confused by her statement.

Until then, I had thought she had intervened because she didn't want us to leave her behind and go rescue the Master. After all, being left alone in this forest would be almost like a death sentence for her. It made sense that she would try her hardest not to be abandoned.

But she said she didn't mind being left behind.

Honestly, I didn't understand.

"Kato, can I ask what you mean by that?"

Unlike me, who was puzzled, Rose straightforwardly asked for her intention.

"I mean exactly that. If you want to leave me behind, I don't mind. But—"

Kato spoke calmly, with her usual expression.

"If possible, I would like to go with you. I think I can be of help."

It was an unexpected proposal.

The reason she wanted to go with us wasn't out of self-preservation.

She wanted to go because she believed she could be of help.

I asked, unable to hide my surprise.

"How would you be of help?"

"At the very least, you wouldn't have to go against the Master's orders and leave me behind. And when you try to save your Master, I could at least be a shield... or if that's not possible, I could be 'bait' to some extent."

"..."

Indeed, if we took Kato with us, we wouldn't have to abandon her, which would go against the Master's orders.

The Master is a principled person and wouldn't abandon Kato even in a crisis. If Kato were to die, it would cause him a much greater emotional wound than the incident with Kaga.

On the other hand, the downside would be that we would have to deal with her as a burden.

But as Kato herself said, if we consider her as 'bait' in place of the Master, it might not be so bad.

"...No, I can't allow it. I won't give permission."

However, the words I uttered were a clear rejection.

"Can't allow it? Can I ask why?"

"Reason? It's obvious. I don't trust you. That's it."

The pros and cons I listed were based on the assumption that she wouldn't betray us.

She is not a familiar like us.

She is human.

Humans hurt the Master. They betrayed him.

Humans are creatures that betray.

At the very least, the possibility of betrayal can never be zero.

This is a matter of life and death for the Master.

It's just right to be cautious and take every precaution.

I couldn't take the risk of bringing an uncertain element like her along.

To begin with, I was against bringing her on the Master's journey.

I only backed down because the Master strongly wished for it.

"In this emergency, I can't bring a human I don't trust. I don't know what might happen."

This was my conclusion.

"I see. That's disappointing."

Kato accepted my words without much disappointment.

"You're not that disappointed."

"I expected you to say that, Lily."

"...