Chapter 61

Previous Summary:

~What If Story. Kanhi is Exposed~

(Omitted)

"What do you mean by 'risk'? What are you talking about? Where do I have such a thing?"

"I see. So you don't really care about it at all."

Shiran's eyes smoothly turned to the tip of my outstretched arm.

From there, Asarinna, which had sprouted, trembled slightly.

"Where in the world does a human grow a monster from the back of their hand?"

"...Ah, right. When Kanhi was in middle school, he said something about a demon inhabiting his left hand—"

"Ah! Black history!?"

And in this world, misunderstandings arise.

7 ～From Gerbera's Perspective～

"Hmm..."

Crossing my arms, I let out a groan.

The place was outside the pioneer village, a bit away from the road, in the middle of the forest.

Led by the lord, my fellow followers and I had all left the pioneer village.

From here, you can't see, but a little deeper in the forest, Lady Lily and Lady Rose should be receiving combat training.

While Lady Lily is one thing, Lady Rose, who must avoid public attention, has no space in the village to receive training. Therefore, it was necessary to go outside the village.

While Lady Lily and Lady Rose were trying to master martial arts, I was facing a different challenge. I was troubled by the various types of weapons laid out before me.

All of these items were taken from the armory of Fort Chilia.

We couldn't bear to leave them behind in the abandoned fort, so we loaded as many as we could onto the wagons.

Most of them belonged to the allied knights who were taking care of the lord, but there were also items from the imperial knights who had been stationed there and were all wiped out.

They were laid out here because, when Lady Lily and Lady Rose decided to learn martial arts, the topic of "seeing various types of spears and axes" came up.

At that time, the lord suggested to me, "Since we're at it, why don't you try out various weapons as well?"

The desire for strength isn't limited to Lady Lily and Lady Rose.

Takumi Jūmonji, a fellow townsman of the lord and a cheater, was a formidable opponent that even I could barely handle.

I am the strongest monster among the followers who serve the lord.

No one surpasses my strength, and therefore, defeat is not an option.

Without hesitation, I accepted the lord's suggestion.

Using tools to become stronger quickly is probably a uniquely human idea.

If one lacks strength, they must make up for it with tools. Since I also lack strength, following this approach isn't a bad idea.

However, I was completely unfamiliar with it, and honestly, I was at a loss.

"Did you find anything you like?"

Kei, who had come out from the wagon parked nearby, called out to me.

The elf girl was carrying many weapons. Despite her young age, she is quite strong, probably due to her training to become a knight.

"Unfortunately... no."

"Hmm. That's too bad. You've seen a lot, but it's hard to find something, isn't it?"

"Yes."

I picked up one of the weapons in front of me. It was a sword like the one the lord uses.

When I swung it, my brows naturally furrowed.

I couldn't envision myself becoming stronger with this.

My beastly instincts, honed over a long time, told me it wouldn't work.

These items are designed for human use, which is probably why they don't suit me.

This isn't limited to weapons.

For example, while Lady Lily and Lady Rose are trying to master martial arts, I don't think I can become stronger through such methods.

This is evident when considering Ayame and Asarinna. It's well known that they can't master martial arts.

In a way, I am closer to them.

Arachnes may have human-like upper bodies, but what's important in martial arts is the lower body.

My lower body is that of a spider. The way I move and use it is completely different from humans.

The principles of swordsmanship and such. To master such things, I would need to build a completely different martial arts system from scratch, not just make adjustments.

However, that would be too time-consuming.

"Originally, Gerbera, you are already a complete combatant."

Kei, who had crouched down, placed the weapons on the ground one by one.

"To put it another way, it's like a top-tier swordsman trying to become a mage without any guidance. That's just too inefficient. Therefore, instead of adapting your fighting style to the weapons, you need to choose weapons that fit your established fighting style."

After saying this, Kei shyly stuck out her tongue.

"That's what my sister said."

"I'm sorry to involve you in such a task."

"That's fine. I'm the only one available, and it's also a request from Takahiro-san."

"Only you, huh?"

Hearing her cheerful response, I tilted my head.

"Hey, Kei. Aren't you afraid of me?"

The soldiers and knights accompanying us don't take hostile actions against us.

Thanks to the leader's intentions, the knights are quite friendly. They are also keeping watch to prevent unnecessary attention, as they fought alongside the lord at Fort Chilia.

However, this is out of respect for the lord, who leads the monsters. Whether they can personally interact with us followers is a different matter.

In fact, among the followers the lord leads, only Lady Lily, who looks indistinguishable from humans, has contact with the people of this world.

No one else, besides Kei, has tried to actively interact with me.

Recently, I realized this is quite remarkable.

"Because Gerbera is one of Takahiro's followers."

With a "heave-ho," Kei stood up, carrying the weapons I had been looking at.

"Takahiro said he would take care of it when Shiran became a ghoul. He wasn't lying. He really helped my sister. So..."

Hearing this, I nodded.

"I see. You trust our lord, then."

"Yes! When I mustered the courage to talk to Rose, she turned out to be a good person... a person? And Gerbera is approachable too... Ah!"

Kei smiled and then looked away.

"Takahiro!"

A cheerful voice. I, who had sensed his presence, also turned around.

The lord, supporting Kanhi, was walking towards us from among the trees.

The lord and Kanhi had been practicing with wooden swords and shields. Kanhi looked exhausted, while the lord still had some energy left.

"Kanhi is down. Kei, can you take care of him?"

"Yes, I understand. Can you lay him down there?"

Kei, carrying the weapons, returned to the wagon with a clatter.

The lord, who had laid Kanhi down at the base of a tree, turned to me.

"How about it, Gerbera? Did you find any suitable weapons?"

"No, unfortunately. There are so many types, it's making my head spin..."

"Keep looking. If you find something that suits you, I'll have Rose make it. We can discuss the details."

As Kei returned with a water bottle, the lord stood up.

"Then, I'll leave it to you. I'll go check on Lily and the others."

"...You're leaving already, Takahiro?"

Kanhi, who was exhausted, spoke up. The lord shrugged.

"I promised Shiran to check on me as well as Lily and the others. When you recover, Kanhi, come too. You also have a training session with her, remember?"

"Okay."

With a wry smile, the lord left.

It's a bit sad, but he has his own tasks to attend to.

I should also focus on my own tasks.

After handling various weapons for a while, Kanhi, who had been left behind, sat up.

I know Kanhi, the lord's friend. He often visits the lord when he has time and discusses various creative works with Lady Rose.

I don't know the details of their conversations, but recently, Lady Rose has been making things that are hard to understand, probably due to Kanhi's influence.

Occasionally, I also have the chance to talk to him.

"...But, he's really energetic, isn't he?"

Kanhi murmured with a sense of admiration.

"He" refers to the lord.

The lord and Kanhi have known each other since before coming to this world. Seeing the current state of the lord, Kanhi must have a lot to think about.

"Compared to you, the lord is better at handling magic."

I placed the axe I was holding on the ground and turned to Kanhi.

"However, from what I've seen, you seem to have a talent for combat."

I had watched their training for a short while. Despite his inferior physical abilities, Kanhi fought quite skillfully.

Using a sword and shield like the lord, and manipulating two additional weapons levitated by his cheater ability, Kanhi could fight on equal terms with the lord, who had enhanced his physical abilities with magic.

However, in the end, the lord's superior base strength prevailed.

"Haha. To be told I have talent by a legendary white arachne, maybe I'm not so bad after all."

"Right now, the lord is better with the sword, but if you can handle magic better and match the lord's physical abilities, you could catch up quickly."

"Really? That's great. So, if our physical abilities are equal... ...That's the tricky part, isn't it?"

"That's also a fact."

The power the lord obtained is the result of his experience surviving in the forest. It wouldn't be easy to overturn it.

"...But, that's to be expected, I guess."

Kanhi sighed.

"To be honest, when I heard about the training content, I was really taken aback. ...But, I guess you have to do that much to protect what's truly important."

He sighed deeply.

Under his glasses, his eyes showed genuine respect for his friend.

"I heard that cheater abilities manifest the deepest wishes of the transfer. I understood that. Your existence, Gerbera, is the lord's wish itself. Of course, he would do anything to protect it, and he would work hard without hesitation. To have such a strong wish in his heart... it's kind of admirable."

"That's true, but, Kanhi."

I asked, puzzled.

"You have also manifested your ability. Isn't that the same as the lord?"

"Mine... probably isn't as noble a wish as his."

Kanhi scratched his messy hair and smiled wryly.

"Unlike Takahiro, I'm a bit careless. It's more like... this is rather..."

"Rather?"

"...No, never mind."

Kanhi shook his head and stood up.

"Well, I've rested enough. I should go now. Thanks, Kei."

Returning the water bottle, Kanhi suddenly noticed me.

"Oh, by the way, Gerbera. I finished what you asked for, so here it is."

"Really!?"

Excited, I nodded.

"Yes, here it is."

From his pocket, Kanhi pulled out a white piece of paper with thin lines drawn at regular intervals.

When I took it, Kei, showing interest, leaned in.

"Is this from your world?"

"Yes, it's called loose-leaf paper. It's quite rare because there aren't many left, but I splurged for Gerbera's request."

"Request? ...Ah, there's a drawing on it. Wow, it's so good!?"

Kei's eyes widened. Kanhi rubbed his nose proudly.

"Well, I put my heart into it. It's my masterpiece. I stayed up all night, so I'm pretty exhausted today."

"Maybe that's why you couldn't stand up to Takahiro..."

"Hahaha. Well, Gerbera, if you need anything, just let me know."

Kanhi laughed off Kei's comment and ran away.

"Thank you. I'll use it as a reference!"

I threw my thanks at his back and watched him go.

Then, I looked at the paper again. It had a drawing of a girl with braids.

"But, you're really good. I didn't know Kanhi was an artist."

Kei, peering over my shoulder, said.

"He said he 'aspired to be an illustrator.'"

I corrected her while still looking at the paper.

"But, he also said, 'I'm still far from it. There are many talented otakus who can draw this level.'"

"Wow. I don't understand, but to be able to draw like this, even if you're not a professional artist, your world must have a rich culture."

Kei, impressed, nodded.

"So, what is this?"

"Yes, I had a small request for Kanhi."

"Right, Kanhi mentioned it. Is it about the drawing?"

"No, it's not. Actually, I was asked by Lady Rose to make some clothes and was struggling with the design."

I was asked before joining the lord. It was just before we were caught up in the large group of monsters attacking Fort Chilia.

"I had forgotten about it in the chaos, but I remembered. We are traveling calmly now, so I thought it was time to start making them."

"So, you consulted Kanhi?"

"Yes, I didn't know what kind of clothes would be good."

"Didn't Lady Rose have any specific requests?"

"I forgot to ask. At that time, there were... many things happening..."

Yes, many things happened. Many...

"Oooh...!"

"What's wrong, Gerbera!? Your face is red!?"

An unpleasant memory resurfaced, and I clutched my head.

By the way, I haven't been able to ask Lady Rose directly because, if I were to recall the reason for forgetting to ask, it would bring up the issue of the cocoon, which is embarrassing.

It's too embarrassing, I might die.

"It's nothing. It's nothing. Please don't ask any more."

Waving my hand at Kei, who blinked, I quickly cut off the reminiscence.

"Anyway, I chose Kanhi as a consultant because he is the lord's friend. I thought he would know what kind of clothes the lord would like."

"This is it, huh. It's cute. Takahiro likes this kind of thing, huh?"

"Yes, apparently, this is the kind of clothing men like in Kanhi's world. I think it's called..."

The words stuck in my throat.

I looked up from the paper.

Footsteps and a presence were approaching.

I was suspicious.

The sound came from the side of the forest where the lord and the others were, not the road side where the knights were supposed to be on watch.

It was definitely not a monster. It was human footsteps.

I thought it might be the knights, but the footsteps were too light.

Maybe a resident of the pioneer village? But the knights would have stopped them...

"Hey, there really are monsters!"

A cheerful voice was thrown at me as I turned around.

There were three pairs of eyes staring at me rudely.

◆This is Gerbera's chapter. It naturally becomes more chaotic than usual.

I hope it captures her character.

◆It has been a year since I started posting "Monster's Master."

I want to write better stories, so I hope you will continue to follow me.

◆Lastly, an announcement.

The release date for the book version, volume 2, seems to have been changed to 12/26. It's one day earlier than the previously announced date.

Also, I have published a cover illustration without a title on my activity report. Please check it out if you're interested.

http://mypage.syosetu.com/mypageblog/view/userid/316835/blogkey/1042925/

◆The next update is scheduled for around 12/21.