Chapter 89

(Note) This is my second post of the day.

35

When I woke up, I saw a starry sky above me as I lay on my back.

"Have you awakened, my lord?"

While still groggy from sleep, I looked up at the night sky and heard a voice.

Turning my head, I saw Rose sitting on the ground, working on something.

Just a few hours ago, she had lost her lower body, but now she was back to full strength.

Berta had found the tool bag that had been lost during the landslide. By replacing the parts inside, Rose had returned to her full condition. This could be considered one of the strengths of humanoid monsters.

However, it wasn't so easy for the other members.

The biggest issue was that Lili, who could use the powerful recovery spell Third Staircase, had collapsed.

Almost everyone was injured, and movement was difficult, making it hard to reunite with Shiran and the others, who were some distance away.

In the end, we asked Berta, who had only minor injuries, to bring Shiran and the others to us.

When Shiran had transformed into a demi-rich, she had lost her ability to use recovery spells. Currently, the only one who could use a recovery spell at a practical level, besides Lili, was Kai.

So, I asked Kai to treat Iinoh and Gerbera, who had more severe injuries.

While treating Iinoh, I gave her a brief explanation of what had happened. She listened quietly and then fell asleep immediately, perhaps because she didn't have the energy to react. We would need to talk about what to do next tomorrow.

Gerbera, who had also been exhausted by the battle, fell asleep during treatment and was now sitting with her spider legs folded, snoring softly.

Next to her, Kai was curled up, holding aya, and sleeping.

The scene, which evoked a sense of modest happiness, made me smile as I sat up.

“...?”

Then, something caught my clothes. Looking down, I saw Kato lying nearby, very close to me.

“...Hmm”

An unguarded breath.

Her feminine hand was gripping my upper arm.

I remembered then.

Since I had only minor injuries, Kato had cast a recovery spell on me.

Through consistent training, Kato had learned to use recovery spells, though her level was still at the First Staircase, so the effect was limited.

It might have slightly accelerated the healing process and provided a minor pain-relieving effect. Still, as the saying goes, a little can add up to a lot, and the effect was noticeable with continuous use.

"Mana cast recovery spells on you, my lord, with several breaks in between."

Rose informed me.

"Thank her later."

"Sure."

I gently released her fingers from my clothes and stood up. As I did, a shadow lifted its head.

"Another king."

"It's Berta."

I turned to face the two-headed wolf.

"Thanks for your help this time."

"It's an order from the king. Don't worry about it."

Berta's response was indifferent. I shook my head.

"You say that, but you still helped us."

"..."

"Let me thank you. Thank you, Berta. ...What's wrong?"

I tilted my head, as her intelligent eyes were fixed on me.

"I knew you were different from our king."

Berta slowly wagged her tail.

"...No, never mind. The king has ordered me to protect you. Rest easy."

The two-headed wolf lay down on the ground, resting her two jaws on her folded arms.

She seemed to have no intention of continuing the conversation and closed her eyes.

"Kohei-dono"

As I watched the tentacles extending from my waist sway, Shiran called out from the other side of the campfire.

"Rose and Berta are here, and I am also on guard. Leave it to us."

Pointing to the floating spirit, Shiran smiled.

I chuckled, realizing I had been seen through. It was a comforting feeling.

I thanked her and left the area.

***

I followed the path and walked. The person I was looking for wasn't far away.

"Lili"

I called out. Lili, who had been looking up at the sky, turned to me.

The girl turned to face me, with the starry sky behind her. I felt a sense of déjà vu as she smiled.

“—”

A strange feeling.

I know this scene...

Thinking this, I became engrossed in the scene before me—

"You're awake, my lord."

—The girl's voice brought me back to reality.

I realized the strange feeling had disappeared.

Feeling a bit awkward, I scratched my head.

"…You've recovered enough to move, haven't you?"

"Hehe. I'm still far from fully recovered, though."

Lili's body, which had grown from a somewhat flat slime, was transparent. Her ample chest and the alluring line from her waist were still in the form of slime.

"How are you feeling, my lord?"

"I still feel a bit heavy, but I've mostly recovered. Thanks to Kato."

I sat down next to where Lili's upper body had grown, maintaining the usual familiar distance.

The only difference was that Lili wasn't leaning on me.

She stood quietly, with her arms crossed in front of her.

Looking closely, I could see that her hands were fused to her waist and lacked proper form.

Seeing her like this, I opened my mouth.

“...Hey, Lili. Can I ask you something?”

“What?”

“Did you succeed in manifesting your power as a transferer?”

In the battle against the mad beast, Lili had freed herself from the magical item's curse and joined the fight.

The power she displayed, surpassing even the limits of her species, was diverse and perhaps even comparable to Gerbera's.

Especially the final blow that repelled the mad beast was not something trivial. In terms of the force of that single strike, it even exceeded the white spider Gerbera in the depths of the forest.

All of this was enough to suggest that she had gained new power.

"Yeah."

Lili, turning to me, nodded slightly.

"Only the deepest wish from the depths of one's soul can manifest as a unique ability. ...In the end, I had been running away from my own desires."

Her gaze returned to the sky.

"I always hated myself for being nothing but an ugly monster. But, at the same time, I wanted to affirm such a self and be strong. I wanted to overcome my own barriers, like my lord. Only by doing so could I stand proudly by my lord's side."

Affirming herself as an ugly monster.

That was Lili's wish.

The power of a transferer reflects one's wishes.

The raw power that exposed the monsters within her, surpassing the limits of partial mimicry, was both a manifestation of her species' abilities and her deepest wish.

Lili gazed at the distant sky and spoke.

"I will become even stronger."

Lili was still not accustomed to her newly acquired power. Once she got used to it, she would be able to fight even better.

...But it was clear that these words meant more than just that.

To become a worthy existence for her master, Lili would continue to progress. She believed she could become as strong as needed to achieve this.

This conviction would become her strength. This was her way of being as a familiar.

"...This is going to be tough."

I chuckled to myself. To be a worthy master for her, I would also need to keep improving.

It's going to be tough.

But it wasn't a bad thing.

"Ah, but sorry."

Suddenly, Lili's earnest expression broke into a smile as she turned to me.

"I can't use magic. Everyone needs healing."

"That's not something to apologize for."

Lili's new power was strong, but it also drained her quickly.

While the partial mimicry ability was manageable, the final blow that defeated the mad beast had placed a significant strain on her body.

Currently, Lili was so exhausted that she couldn't even use her species' mimicry ability, let alone magic.

This was the price she paid for using such power.

Or, considering our earlier conversation, it could be seen as part of the power she had gained.

Exposing her monster self.

Affirming such a self.

Seeing Lili's embarrassed smile, I—

"...Hmm"

Reached out and kissed her cheek, causing her to look extremely surprised.

She was so surprised that her upper body, which had been standing, lost its shape for a moment.

Recovering, she pressed her lips with both hands and her upper body reappeared about fifty centimeters away.

"W-What are you doing?"

"What do you mean...?"

I felt a surge of affection and acted on it, feeling it was necessary.

"Did you not like it?"

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

When I asked, Lili shook her hands in front of her chest. Some of the slime body tissue scattered from her poorly formed hands.

Looking at her hands for a moment, Lili's expression darkened.

"Rather, is it okay to kiss me like this now...?"

"What do you mean?"

"Isn't it... gross?"

Ah, I see.

So that's why she wasn't sticking to me like usual.

Understanding this, I moved closer.

Sitting in a close position, I wrapped my arms around Lili's upper body.

Her softness was different from a human's, with a unique elasticity. Her skin was smooth and cool to the touch.

The sensation of our lips touching was different from usual, and when I slipped my tongue in, I tasted Lili.

"N-N-N..."

Pulling away slightly, I looked at her closely, and Lili let out a high-pitched voice. I tilted my head.

"Are you overreacting?"

We had kissed many times before. As lovers, we had even shared more intimate moments.

While the feeling of my heart racing and being overwhelmed by affection was the same as the first time, it was strange to be so flustered by this level of affection.

"Because..."

Lili, with her eyebrows lowered, spoke in a weak voice.

"It's the first time I've been approached by my lord."

"..."

Most of it was my fault. I felt like a wimp.

I couldn't even make excuses...

But tonight, I couldn't let it go.

Sometimes, it's important to show your feelings not just with words, but with actions.

Lili had overcome her own barriers and affirmed a part of herself as a monster. As a result, she was now in this state.

If that's the case, it's my role to acknowledge her.

To show that I will love Lili no matter what she is, and to support her in her desire to affirm herself...

"I love you, Lili."

"...I love you too, my lord."

I held the dear monster girl in my arms and kissed her deeply.

◆This concludes Chapter 3.

Thank you for all the feedback. I always look forward to it.

I am deeply grateful to those who have added me to their favorites, rated, and reviewed.

I will use these as motivation to continue with the new chapter.

◆As July is a bit busy, I think the new chapter will start in two weeks.

I will keep you updated through activity reports, so please wait a bit.