Chapter 62

Summary of the previous chapter:

The otaku factor gradually infiltrates.

8 ～From Gerbera's Perspective～

"Hey, there really are monsters!"

The ones who appeared with those words were a trio consisting of two boys and one girl.

"You guys are..."

I recognized their faces. They were the same transfer students as the lord.

Their names... what were they again?

Upon reflection, I had never even heard them. It was only natural, given that I had never had any interaction with them.

What were they doing here? Before I could feel suspicious, I was already bewildered.

"Damn, I've never seen a monster this close before."

The expressions of the boys as they stared at me were clearly excited.

I sensed no malice.

Sometimes, I could detect a physiological disgust from the knights when they couldn't handle it, but rather, what these boys were showing could almost be described as a kind of friendly attitude.

However, for some reason, their gaze felt strangely unpleasant to me.

"Wow, it really is a monster."

"Wait, isn't it dangerous?"

"It's fine. That's one of Shima's monsters, right? There's also an elf girl around, so if it were dangerous, it would have been taken care of long ago."

As they discussed, they approached me.

The two boys had red faces, and there was a distinctive smell.

"...Are you drunk?"

Kei muttered, and I frowned.

While I didn't fully understand what Kei meant by "drunk," I was beginning to grasp the general situation.

Currently, the area is being cleared by the allied knights who are friendly to the lord.

Soldiers and villagers cannot approach.

However, the knights cannot be too harsh with the transfer students, who are also heroes, like the lord.

Indeed, behind them were confused-looking knights.

It seems the boys' rationality is currently impaired. Probably due to the effects of alcohol.

I can somewhat understand the situation.

They are emboldened by the alcohol and are engaging in behavior they wouldn't normally do.

Still, I don't quite understand why they are here...

"What are you guys doing..."

"Really, the lower half is a spider."

I was about to question them, but the boys weren't listening to me.

"What's going on here?"

One of the boys, who had approached very close, reached out his hand.

His rudeness was so unexpected that I reacted too late.

The hand was about to touch my lower half, the spider part of me as an arachne, with its white fur.

"..."

This body being touched?

By a man who isn't the lord?

Physiological disgust made goosebumps rise all over my body. The spider's fur stood on end.

With a click, the spider legs moved reflexively, and then—

"What are you doing!"

A voice of reprimand cut through the forest's silence.

The boy's hand stopped. Everyone in the area turned their gaze.

A small girl, her shoulders tense, was walking towards us.

"...Kato?"

I spoke her name.

Kato was supposed to be watching Rose's training.

She had returned here.

While everyone else was still in shock, Kato, with a stern expression, stopped and glared at the boys who had tried to touch me.

"How dare you touch a girl's body without permission!"

"Hey, she's a monster, right?"

"So what? She's still a girl. You should know how inappropriate your behavior is!"

The boys, hit by the sudden anger, stepped back as if splashed with water.

However, it was only for a moment.

"...This..."

They seemed to realize they had been intimidated by a girl.

Only because their rationality was functioning could they feel ashamed of their actions. Their small pride was ignited, and I could see it from the side.

This—will escalate.

Thinking so, I made a clicking sound and stood up. If necessary, I would use somewhat rough means to stop them.

"It's not good, both of you."

However, the girl who was with them pulled on the hems of the two boys' clothes.

"Tada?"

"Let's go. Okay? We were just being silly, and it's our fault..."

Her eyes were fixed on something hanging from Kato's left hip.

It was a large knife.

The lord had asked Rose to make it for Kato as a self-defense tool.

The thin blade was light for its size and incredibly sharp.

Kato's left hand was resting on the hilt of the knife in its sheath.

"Sorry..."

"..."

Kato stood a little away from us, silently indicating for them to leave with a nod of her head.

The girl, with a forced smile and a pale face, fled the scene.

The two boys, looking dissatisfied, followed her, leaving only a few words of discontent.

When the knights, who had looked apologetic, were gone, I sighed.

The spider fur on my lower half finally calmed down.

They were rude. It was an unpleasant incident.

However, it was fortunate that nothing serious happened.

Even I, as a monster, understand that if I had resorted to violence, it could have worsened the lord's position, regardless of the circumstances.

I turned to Kato.

The fact that nothing escalated was thanks to her intervention.

"Thank you, Kato."

There was no response.

I tilted my head, observing Kato's state.

Her usually innocent-looking face was pale.

"...Kato?"

No response to my call.

Kato's body suddenly collapsed.

***

Fortunately, Kato's condition was not serious.

She had fainted due to feeling unwell, and according to her, she would recover with a bit of rest.

After Kei replaced the wet towel on her forehead a few times, Kato sat up.

"...I'm sorry for the trouble."

"It's all right. I'm glad you're okay."

Humans are so fragile; watching them is bad for the heart.

I sighed and shrugged slightly.

"However, it's not right to say this to someone who helped, but you really pushed yourself."

Upon hearing the story later, it turned out that Kato had been standing there not because she was being brave, but because she couldn't move another step.

Reflecting on it now, her hand on the knife was not out of a proactive desire to attack if something happened, but rather a desperate grasp at the item given to her by the lord and made by Rose.

Aware of her overexertion, Kato looked a bit embarrassed.

"That's... but I think it was worth it."

"I appreciate that."

I agreed with her.

If Kato hadn't intervened, how would the spider legs, which had started to move reflexively, have acted a second later?

Since it was an unconscious action, I couldn't definitively say.

If I had jumped back, that would be fine.

But if I had made a mistake, I might have torn off the rude boy's hand. It's a chilling thought.

"A girl would naturally react by pushing away if a man suddenly touches her body..."

Kato said with a wry smile.

"Gerbera, you're on a different level. You might have injured them a bit."

"... 'A bit'?"

I averted my gaze.

There was a subtle discrepancy in our perspectives, but I decided to let it go. It was a minor issue.

Seeing my reaction, Kato, with a slightly puzzled look, continued.

"Well, in my opinion, it doesn't really matter. Even if the person didn't intend to, it's still harassment. I hope they learn their lesson..."

I nodded in agreement.

"If it had escalated, it could have caused trouble for the lord."

Kato nodded in agreement.

"It's good that it didn't turn into a bigger issue."

"True... but what was that all about?"

As I muttered, my expression naturally turned grim, and Kato furrowed her brow.

"It's what drunk people do. Their subconscious comes out."

Her tone was cold, filled with a harsh anger towards the careless boys.

"I think they subconsciously see us as inferior. So, when they lose their rationality, they do things they wouldn't normally do..."

Hearing Kato's words, I suddenly thought of another monster tamer, Kudo Riku, and the two monsters he served, Anton and Berta.

They were treated as mere pawns.

Perhaps the reason I found the boys' behavior repulsive was rooted in the same place.

Lack of malice doesn't mean it's okay.

Their open curiosity. To put it bluntly, they saw me as an object.

Monsters are monsters, not humans.

While the transfer students don't have the same hatred towards monsters as the residents of this world, that doesn't mean they treat us as equals.

We, who have met the lord, are incredibly fortunate.

"Still, once they sober up, they'll probably realize their mistake. They wouldn't dare challenge Shima-senpai."

Kato continued.

"Also, from what I've heard, Mihara-senpai, who is part of their group, seems to be a decent leader. Since this incident happened without him, he'll likely take action to prevent a deterioration in their relationship with Shima-senpai. In that sense, it's good that we addressed it early. If something like this happened to Rose, it would be a disaster."

"Unlike me, Rose would remain calm to avoid causing trouble for the lord, even if she felt uncomfortable inside."

"Don't say such things. Only Shima-senpai should touch Rose."

Kato said with a serious, disapproving look.

As always, they were close.

"Hmm?"

I looked up.

Someone was approaching.

I stood up reflexively, still affected by the earlier incident. Fortunately, it turned out to be a false alarm.

The one who approached with steady footsteps, her golden hair tied in a single braid swaying, and clad in white armor, was the elf girl with an eye patch—Shiran.

She is the lord's new companion, but before that, she lived as a human, so the lord treats her as such.

Therefore, the companions, including myself, follow this approach. Personally, I see her more as Kei's older sister and the lord's friend than as a companion.

Seeing her appearance, Kato tilted her head slightly.

"Oh, what brings you here, Shiran?"

"I heard from a subordinate that there was a commotion here."

Shiran, with a slightly stern expression, looked around as she approached us.

"They said it was just an argument and nothing serious, but they were concerned about Takahiro-sama. I came to check and apologize."

"That's fine. It's not the knights' fault, and there's no need for you to apologize."

"However, Makoto-sama..."

"I'm fine. I just felt a bit unwell, but Kei helped me."

Kato smiled at the concerned Shiran.

Seeing this, I felt a bit puzzled.

Her smile seemed a bit forced.

"Yeah, I think I can move around now. Thanks, Kei."

Kato made a fist and showed it, and Kei looked down.

"That's not true. I couldn't do anything earlier..."

"That's okay. Kids don't need to worry about such things."

Patting Kei's head, Kato stood up.

From my perspective, she didn't seem to be pushing herself.

It seemed she had genuinely recovered in this short time, much faster than before.

Perhaps the rehabilitation with Kaneko is starting to show results, or maybe her good relationship with the lord is positively affecting her mental state.

Shiran was watching her intently.

Kato noticed the gaze and opened her eyes wide in surprise before returning a beautiful smile.

"What is it, Shiran?"

"Well, if it's just my imagination, I apologize..."

Shiran looked a bit uncomfortable.

"...I felt a wall in Makoto-sama's attitude. Have I done something to upset you?"

It seemed what puzzled me also puzzled Shiran.

Well, if I noticed it, it's only natural that she did too.

"If I've done something to upset you, I would like to apologize."

Shiran's attitude was sincere, as befitting a knight.

"No, that's not it..."

Kato, who was about to speak, noticed that I and Kei were looking at her curiously and opened her eyes wide.

"Did it show in my attitude?"

"Enough for me to notice."

"Oh, that's a bit embarrassing."

Kato, with her shoulders slumped, turned back to Shiran.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't aware..."

"No, there's no need to apologize."

"It seems I unconsciously became distant. But it's due to personal reasons. It's not your fault, so please don't worry about it."

"