Chapter 19

A new chapter begins.

Thank you very much.

1

I suddenly woke up. It was still dim, early in the morning.

In a foggy state of mind, I shivered once.

There was a chill I usually don't feel.

"…Lily?"

Lily, who always clung to me, wasn't there.

No, that's not right.

Lily is here.

She is supporting my body, lying down, as if it were a bed.

But, her form as a girl wasn't there.

"Where are you…?"

I was still dazed.

As Lily has pointed out, sleep-related issues are a real challenge for me.

My head was completely muddled, and my cognitive functions were operating at less than a tenth of their usual capacity.

Events before going to bed, the consistency of what has happened so far, such things don't exist for me right now.

For now, just thinking about the single event, "Lily is not here," was all I could manage, so I sought her out.

And she responded to me.

I felt the jelly-like body on my back start to move.

From both sides of my lying body, tentacles extended and wrapped around my abdomen.

If someone who didn't know me saw this, they might mistake me for a pitiful victim about to be devoured by an amorphous creature.

Of course, I didn't panic.

Because the slime I was lying on is one of my monsters, and I am, despite being unworthy, their "Master."

The transparent tentacles that wrapped around my abdomen formed rough arms, rippled once, and gradually took the shape of a girl's arms.

From the fingertips, to the wrists, then up to the forearms, elbows, upper arms, and shoulders, a smooth, soft skin color spread.

While watching this, I felt my vision flicker.

It might have been because I was still half-asleep. The light was very beautiful, and I was momentarily captivated by the transformation from slime to girl.

Two soft, fluffy sensations pressed against my back through the fabric of my tracksuit.

Thump, thump, the rhythm of life resonated.

I could feel the girl's sweet breath near my ear.

All of these were mere imitations.

But to me, they were proof of life with the same value as the real thing.

"Good morning, Master."

The girl who turned her head to meet my eyes was still partially connected to the slime on her back.

"Yeah. Lily, good morning…"

As I started to speak, my lips were sealed.

"Hmm…?"

I was turned to face her, and she kissed me passionately, as if devouring me.

It was more accurate to say that I was being greedily devoured.

Her tongue moved like a soft-bodied creature, entwining with my still half-asleep tongue.

—Lily seems to really like kissing.

I had known this since the night we became bound.

Is this her fetish?

She often asks for it, and once she starts, she doesn't easily stop.

That's fine. I'm a man, after all. There's no way I would complain.

However, I sometimes worry… Could the saliva, which I should be swallowing, actually be Lily's slime body fluid?

Well, saliva is a body fluid, but as a slime's body fluid, it feels a bit different.

If it's something like "feeling pleasure from becoming a part of the one you love," I might not be able to respond, even if I acknowledge her as my master.

"…Phew."

While I was thinking about these things, Lily seemed satisfied.

After a thorough exchange of kisses, she released me.

By then, I was fully awake. …I felt like holding my head. What was I doing in the morning? I couldn't control myself because I was still half-asleep. But the past can't be changed.

Lily's eyes were still drowsy, and her presence was unstable.

I understand from experience that she can be classified as a carnivorous girl.

I needed to switch gears.

"…Good morning, Lily."

"Yeah. Thank you for the meal."

"You're welcome. …No, that's not the right response."

"Hehe. Good morning, Master."

We exchanged greetings again, and I got up from the bed Lily provided.

I shook my head lightly to dispel the pink atmosphere around us. Despite the morning, I felt a bit aroused, but I turned back to Lily.

"By the way, are you feeling better now?"

It has been two days since the battle with the white arachne.

Until today, we have stayed in the arachne's nest to rest and heal our wounds.

Especially, the injuries of my monsters, Lily and Rose, were severe.

Lily had suffered major injuries that couldn't be fully healed by her third-tier recovery magic, requiring rest, and Rose needed to create new parts to function properly.

While I was sleeping, Lily couldn't take on her girl form because she didn't have the spare capacity.

Even now, her usual smile seemed weak.

Lily, who had just changed from slime to girl, was exposing her naked upper body, but I couldn't feel aroused seeing her face, which still looked unwell.

"Hehe. I'm still a bit uncomfortable."

"Then go back to sleep."

As I stroked her flaxen hair, Lily narrowed her eyes happily.

"Yeah. I'll do that…"

Her upper body slowly sank back into the slime.

I stroked her head until it was completely submerged, then touched the flat, spread-out body of the slime once before turning around.

There was a blank-faced observer watching our exchange.

…It seems I was being watched.

Suppressing the rising embarrassment, I approached her.

"Good morning, Rose."

"Good morning, Master."

I greeted Rose, who was working with a knife in hand, in a low voice. I kept my voice down because Kato was still sleeping under the sheets.

As I approached, Rose stood up to greet me.

"You're up quite early today."

"I woke up. Then I was woken up."

"Was it Onee-sama? It can't be helped. You couldn't indulge her yesterday."

"Your reasoning makes it sound like it's normal for Lily to be clingy."

Indeed, Lily had been unconscious all day yesterday, focusing on recovery, so there was no way she could have been clingy.

"Onee-sama was somewhat 'teased' by Kato last night. Even if she knew it was her fault rationally, emotionally she probably wanted to be clingy to you."

"Since I couldn't do it all day yesterday, she wanted to do it first thing this morning. …By the way, I haven't heard in detail about what happened while I was gone last night."

I thought it would be best to hear about the events between Lily and Kato from Rose. Now that Lily is unconscious and Kato is still dreaming, this is a good opportunity.

I spent about thirty minutes listening to the events of those few hours when I was absent, as told by Rose.

"It seems Kato took quite a lot of care of them."

After listening, I couldn't help but sigh.

Kato ended up cleaning up after me this time.

I had a vague sense of the precariousness of my subordinates, and this incident was my fault for not taking effective measures. Even if that wasn't the case, since my subordinates were taken care of, I need to repay that kindness.

The best I can do is to ensure she is protected by trustworthy people, which is a bit painful.

I then asked Rose about the progress of her own work.

"All the parts of my body were replaced yesterday."

As she said, there were no more painful cracks visible on Rose's body.

Her body, which was different from the first time I met her, no longer had the raw wood texture but looked more like a slightly whitish mannequin.

I recalled the sword hanging from my waist.

Even though it was just a piece of carved wood, it had the metallic quality that Lily described as "Damascus steel." Rose's mannequin body was also remade by her own hands. Even if her magic gave the wood slightly different properties, it wasn't strange.

"My arms have also improved, so I believe they will be more useful to you."

"Good. I'll look forward to it."

"The problem is the weapons. Many of them became unusable in the battle two days ago. It will take about four days to repair them all."

"Understood."

This isn't a bad thing. Rose's skills have improved, and renewing the weapons will directly enhance our combat strength.

However, that means Rose won't be able to move for another four days.

Lily also still needs to rest.

That's not a problem. They have worked hard, and rest is necessary.

The problem is me.

Yesterday, I was plagued by fatigue and phantom pain.

Although my life wasn't in danger, the injuries I sustained were quite severe. The recovery magic healed the wounds, but it didn't restore the lost stamina, which was the cause of the fatigue. The phantom pain, on the other hand, seemed to be a lingering shock to my fragile human body.

However, when I woke up today, my body was almost fully recovered.

I can move sufficiently. Not moving when I can is laziness.

"I have a favor to ask, Rose."

"Your wishes take precedence over everything. Please tell me what you need."

"You don't need to be so formal… but, okay."

I chuckled at Rose, who knelt and bowed her head.

The favor is that I want you to prioritize my equipment."

"Of course, that's possible. I intended to do so from the beginning."

"How long will it take?"

"It should be ready by noon today."

"Got it. Then we can start exploring the forest from noon today."

"You're planning to start exploring already?"

Surprised, I nodded in response.

"Yeah. I can move now."

"That's fine, but Onee-sama can't move as you can see. Should I shift my work to the night? That will delay the completion of the equipment."

"No. Rose, you're fine as you are. Even without Lily and Rose, I have another reliable combatant, right?"

As I hinted, Rose seemed to understand.

"You mean you will explore with her alone?"

"What, are you against it?"

"Master is still recovering. I don't think you should overexert yourself."

"Don't worry, I don't plan to overexert myself. My body is fine now."

I twisted my body, but there was no pain.

I was definitely in good health.

"But… you're right. It might not be a good idea to overexert myself while still recovering."

I had just caused her worry with the white arachne's attack. It's understandable that she is sensitive now.

I shouldn't keep causing her worry. I should make a concession here.

"Got it. I'll stay put today and see how my body is doing. We'll set out in the morning. Is that okay?"

"…Yes."

Rose seemed to have something more to say, but she backed down here.

If I stay quiet for the day and nothing happens, she probably won't be as nagging.

With that in mind, I decided to stay quiet and watch Rose work… but as the day went on, I found myself with too much free time.

I hadn't realized it before, but it seems I have a compulsion to "do something."

The rest I took as a precaution was nothing but a painful time for me.

"…"

I can't go out now, and I can't even do some light exercise to keep my body in shape, since I told Rose I would rest.

"What are you going to do, Master?"

As I stood up, Rose called out to me. She might be trying to look after me in place of Lily.

"I'm just going out to get some fresh air."

"Very well. Have a good day."

Realizing I was at a loss for what to do, a resigned and exasperated feeling passed through the link.

I left the scene quickly.

＊＊＊

The arachne's nest, made of logs and spider silk, was quite dilapidated after the battle two nights