"So, what's the plan for today?" Alice asked as we began making our way through the farmland surrounding Iliasburg. "I picked the last destination, so it is only fair you get to choose the next one. Although, personally, I wouldn't mind heading for the nearest port and getting off this continent immediately. Just remembering the name of it makes my skin crawl."

I let out a hum in response. "Nearest port, huh?" I asked, my lips forming into a mischievous grin. "You mean Iliasport?"

"...I hate this place. I hate it so much," she said, shuddering in disgust. "The naming conventions here are sickening. Just how unfathomably vain does a person have to be to name an entire continent and most of its settlements after themself? You would never catch me traipsing around Hellgondo and giving out idiotic names like Aliceville."

I blinked owlishly. "Isn't the only thing on Hellgondo even remotely close to being a settlement these days literally called the Monster Lord's Castle?"

Alice froze. "That... doesn't count. That is simply what it is, not an attempt by one of my ancestors to stroke their ego." She grimaced. "...Probably."

Her expression then turned into a contemplative frown. "Actually, I was meaning to ask you about something related, but I feel like we have already exceeded our quota of heavy topics today."

I hesitated momentarily, having a distinctly bad feeling about this, before sighing. "Might as well get it over with. What's on your mind?"

"Alright," she nodded and took a breath. "Would you... happen to know anything about Remina?"

...Fuck.

Could I still take back what I said? How did I manage to stumble straight into one of the very few topics that may actually be even worse than the previous one? Why was my luck such dogshit today? At the rate things were going, by lunchtime, Ilias herself would descend from the heavens, turn me into a sandwich, and leave me to the tender mercies of a hungry Alice, or, you know, just ionize me, depending on if she's feeling particularly unhinged or creative today.

Hell, it might not even take until lunch, depending on how I answered.

Wilting under Alice's expectant gaze, I began answering. "Remina was..." I trailed off, trying to think of what I could safely say. "Remina used to be the only human habitat on Hellgondo in addition to being the most progressive city in the world in terms of both human-monster relations as well as science. That is, until thirty years ago when it was utterly annihilated overnight with no trace of a culprit and not a single survivor."

"That is mostly in line with common knowledge." She nodded before her face turned into a hate-filled scowl, albeit not directed at me. "Except for the part where the monsters took the blame and the narrative twisted into humans being the only victims, making human-monster relations degrade to the lowest they have been in five hundred years and being the main reason my mother had to resort to such desperate measures in the first place!"

She forced her expression to return to neutral as she looked at me, but her hands were still clenched hard enough that I could hear them.

"Given your circumstances, I was hoping you may be able to help... elucidate the background of that atrocity."

"I don't really..." I began, but she raised a hand to stop me, followed by another deep breath to calm herself.

"Allow me to clarify. I am not trying to get you to snitch on that feathered rat; I already know she is the one responsible. What I wish to know is why," she clarified.

I paused. She knew? That's... unexpected. "You think... It was the Goddess?" I asked after gathering myself.

She nodded. "Granted, it is merely a theory, but once I thought of it, it seemed quite obvious in retrospect. After all, who else could have done it? Remina was full of Hellgondo-native monsters, and the humans were supposedly no pushovers either. To put things into perspective, had my mother been the one to gather her troops and assault Remina, she would likely have suffered heavy casualties and certainly been unable to raze it with no survivors. So, who else does that leave?"

"Is that the reason you attacked her?" I asked.

"No," She shook her head. "it may have influenced my actions, but I would not have attacked her over a single thing that I didn't even have proof for. My list of grudges against her is long enough that I could very well make a book out of it. Of course, frustration also played a large role, as I mentioned before." She let out a hollow laugh. "Strongest Monster Lord since the First they said. Perhaps it was flattery, perhaps not. Yet even were it true, I do not know why I thought it would enable me to accomplish something she could not."

Her gaze turned wistful. "And yet, it won't leave my mind. I cannot help but wonder how things could have been, had that massacre never occurred, had my mother never been forced to shoulder that burden." Her eyes narrowed. "And consequently, also question just why that terrible weight was thrust upon her in the first place. Could Ilias' pettiness finally no longer bear the thought of humans and monsters getting along? Did she see my mother as enough of a threat to go to such lengths to destroy her reputation? Even if I cannot do much with the information, I would still like to know nonetheless."

"...In the hypothetical scenario that Ilias did indeed destroy Remina," I eventually said. "It is hard to imagine the Goddess would do so for such a petty reason." Primarily because I knew better; otherwise, I might have thought exactly that. "Point your sword at the Goddess, and thou shalt cry... the most severe of her commandments to break; it would have had to be either that or... something that in her eyes would be just as bad."

"Something just as bad, huh?" Alice muttered thoughtfully.

Well, if anything, it might have actually been even worse from her view. The impudence to go against her would be one thing, but to play god? To attempt to control forces that would put them as her equal, let alone above her?

Her actual target was the research facilities. She probably didn't even care about the rest of the city, destroying it either as collateral or to silence witnesses.

Obliterating all of Remina felt incredibly excessive, but I didn't even blame Ilias for wanting those scientists gone, especially considering the issues their attempted experiment may still cause... may have caused? May still have caused?

...I probably shouldn't bother trying to get an accurate tense when a time paradox is involved.

They had been messing with forces far beyond their understanding; heck, they probably didn't even realize what exactly would result from their attempts at fusing holy and dark energy. The closest comparison from my old world would have been the initial attempts at harnessing atomic power. However, whereas that was still feasible, chaos was likely several orders of magnitude higher on the scale of instability and power.

Depending on the result of their experiment, the city could have been gone all the same. And if they succeeded and expanded their operations... the damage would not have been nearly as limited when the inevitable failure occurred. Hellgondo? The world? I wasn't sure it was possible in the absence of a paradox or if mortals could harness that degree of power, but I wouldn't even completely rule out a Big Crunch.

...another one.

Argh, damn it, I'd been doing so well not thinking about that!

I was already on enough levels of existential dread without actively thinking about how this universe already committed factory reset several times!

...

Wait... Hold on just a second here. So if I ended up taking the place of Luka... did that mean...

I was not able to finish that thought before my mind locked up as a gaze fell upon me. My body similarly froze like a deer in headlights. Yet, I wasn't afraid; to be would have meant being able to feel anything other than the overwhelming sensation of being watched.

For a fraction of an instant, it felt like someone was calling out for me in concern, but it quickly faded as all else did. I did not move, did not dare turn around, probably couldn't have if I'd tried. I did not dare breathe as the gaze pervaded deeper into my body. Just as it felt like it was about to invade my soul itself, it disappeared as quickly as it came, and I was dragged back to reality with pain blooming on my forehead and forced to stagger back several steps.

I looked up at Alice, who was still holding her fingers in the position she'd flicked me in, worry etched across her face.

"Thanks," I rasped.

This drew a snort from Alice. "Really, that is the first thing you say? Not even an 'ouch' first or anything. Given how much appreciation you seem to show for the strangest things, I am half convinced you would thank me if I were to spontaneously push you down and ravish you."

I let out a dry chuckle. "Honestly, at this point, it's even odds between that and crying about how I've been defiled." I paused for a moment. "Or maybe even both, not sure in which order."

Her face became more somber as she looked me over. "Seriously though, you look like death warmed over. We can go back to the inn if you would like. Or take a rest here."

"No, I'm... fine," I waved her off.

Well, 'fine' may be a bit of a stretch. I would likely need some therapy after this experience. Some very, very fluffy therapy. It was a good thing my brain was still refusing to process whatever the hell just happened for now, but it would probably haunt me at night. I swear, at this rate, I would develop a phobia against eyes or being looked at in general, in addition to the budding height complex.

"I see..." Alice said, not looking like she believed me at all. "Well, it is your choice. Feel free to think some more on it. The ravish part as well, while you are at it; That is still on the table."

I shifted uncomfortably. "Alice..."

She once more lifted a hand to stop me. "I know, I know. Now is not the best time; I at least remember that much from those horribly scuffed seduction lessons I had. Honestly, if you were to tell me that you are literally allergic to giving out sensitive information, I might actually believe you at this point. You've also made your stance on casual sexual encounters abundantly clear, but it would really do you some good. It does not have to be completely casual, either. We could be... what do humans call it, friends with benefits?" She shrugged. "Not like monsters even make that distinction in the first place."

I looked down, embarrassed. "Well... I was actually kind of hoping that since I've managed to make it this far without being violated, I might be able to have my first experience with the one I hope to eventually marry."

"Pfft." The strange noise made me look back up at Alice, who seemed to be desperately holding back laughter. "Sorry, it's just... Saving yourself for marriage. Oh, by the First, you're such a pure maiden!" She exclaimed and instantly succumbed to laughter.

"Wha—" I gaped. "Okay, first off, saving myself for the one I want to marry, not marriage itself. There is a difference!" I insisted.

Her laughter eventually died down to slight chuckling. "Whatever you say, oh fairest maiden in all the land." She shook her head in amusement. "You are lucky that, unlike most common monsters or even a lot of Yoma, I can't just go, 'Don't worry, I'll take responsibility!' Otherwise, after a declaration like that, you would be balls deep and well on your way to your third or even fourth orgasm right about now... or perhaps you are unlucky, considering what you are missing."

"...Secondly," I continued, trying my hardest to ignore what she had just said. "Who the heck are you calling a pure maiden, you maiden?!"

She gave me a massive grin. "Ah, but how could I possibly compete against purity akin to the unblemished, snow-capped peaks of Hellgondo? Why, if you ever lose to a monster, instead of saving you myself, I might just tell Granberia to put on her shiniest armor and rescue the damsel in distress. Hmm, not a bad idea, actually. That way, I won't take a hit to my reputation for stealing another monster's prey either."

"Doesn't Granberia have some princess to rescue for added irony?" I asked with an exasperated smile which soon dropped from my face entirely. Shit, wasn't I technically a prince? I was pretty sure I had royal blood, at least, on account of Heinrich leaving his offspring via the boinking of a princess... or more likely being boinked since there was no way he was proactive in matters of romance. That man had a head as hard as a brick and twice as dense.

Playing the long-lost prince angle could have been interesting if, you know, everyone related wasn't dead; Thanks, Ilias. Oh well, once all this was over, I could always make my own Remina with Blackjack and Fluffy Tails... Something to think about.

Alice let out a chortle. "Oh, I'm sure she does, but we can put you on the list. As the Monster Lord, I might even be able to grant a suitable honorary title in that direction. I'm sure you would make for a very pretty princess."

I opened and closed my mouth several times, trying and failing to devise a suitable retort before groaning and hanging my head in defeat... for now. My vengeance would be terrible indeed.

I was fully expecting another smug follow-up, but nothing came. I looked up in confusion to see Alice deep in thought. Then, after a few seconds, she eyed me with a more serious expression. "So, after your first time, you would be more amenable to the suggestion?"

"I... guess?" I replied uncertainly. "I have quite a few reservations, but the biggest one is probably that I'm worried that, given how addictive monsters can be and my general lack of experience, I would get too attached and ruin any future prospects of romance." Of course, there were also the issues I had with Alice specifically, but there was no way I could tell her about those.

"So you are worried that I am so good that you will instantly fall in love?" She nodded. "That is entirely justified," she acknowledged without a single shred of humility. "You realize being with a human woman won't actually change anything about that?"

"That... won't be an issue."

Alice hummed softly. "A monster then," she deduced with a smile. "So, who's the lucky girl, and where can I find her?"

"...Why?" I asked, eying her suspiciously.

"Oh, no reason," she said, her smile turning into a mischievous smirk as she very visibly crossed her fingers. "I promise not to grab her and lock you two in a room until you're less of a prude. Even without relying on my status, convincing a monster to indulge in a tasty morsel like yourself would be easy."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

I blinked. That was... really tempting. Especially since she'd likely actually play along if Alice went to grab her. After thinking about it painstakingly for several minutes, I eventually decided. "Nope, secret."

"Oh, come on!" Alice shouted, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

I wasn't even entirely sure why I ultimately rejected her offer; I wanted it quite badly. Maybe because I was trying to hang onto the few shattered remnants of the plot like they were a lifeline. Or perhaps I was trying to spare myself the disappointment in case Alice reneged after learning who it actually was. It also shouldn't be much longer anyway; I could wait a day or two.

"We will talk more about this later," Alice grumbled. "For now, heads up... or down, I suppose." With that, she vanished.

My eyes shot to the road, wary of the imminent monster attack, but it was empty. Then, just as I was about to debate the merits of turning around, I heard the ground before me begin to softly rumble. It gradually grew closer, and with a minor upheaval of earth, a head popped out of the dirt.

Its eyes lit up as it saw me. "Aha, Mom was right! The early worm does catch the boy!"

I stared at her for a moment as my mind processed the butchered proverb. Just... no. I was not dealing with this right now.

I bent over, put a hand on the worm girl's head, and pushed.

"Wait, what are yo— Mpphh." She tried to push back against my hand by the time her head was half submerged, but she was weak even among the Ilias Continent standard of monsters, and her body was almost entirely underground, which didn't allow for much of a struggle... Not to mention I was overleveled like five times over for this encounter.

Giving myself a satisfied nod for my performance, I kept walking... only for her to burst out of the ground before me again a few seconds later.

Figures.

"Hey, that was rude!" She complained.

I sighed, resigning myself to this encounter before giving her a smile that was as radiant as it was fake. "Terribly sorry about that, but I really need to be somewhere else." I made to step to the side, which only resulted in her blocking my way again.

"If you're sorry, you should make it up to me. I'm rather hungry, you know. It won't take long either," she said, licking her lips as her eyes roamed over my body and one area in particular.

My smile strained a bit, but it held. "Of course; what would you like to eat?"

She giggled. "When a monster asks a man for food, it can only be one thing. Obviously, it's..." She blinked, then stared at the vegetable that was suddenly in my hands. "A cabbage?"

This time, my grin wasn't entirely manufactured; I beamed at her so intensely that I was almost surprised a ground-dweller like her didn't get flash-banged. "What a coincidence; I just happen to have one here! Here you go." I softly lobbed the vegetable at her, making her flounder about with her tail, trying to catch and keep a hold on it since she... didn't exactly have much else to do it with, given her humanoid parts started with her head and ended with her breasts.

She wasn't quite ugly, which was an achievement for a being that was at least eighty percent worm. But then again, there were probably no actually hideous monsters, no natural ones at least; not so sure about some of the things created by the Seekers of Truth. Still, being covered in mucus as she was, seemed kind of gross; definitely not my thing.

When she finally managed to get a somewhat solid grip, she stared at the cabbage with petulance. "I do like vegetables, but... this isn't really what I had in mind." She looked at me and licked her lips. "Oh, I know! I can thank you for the food and fill my other stomach at the same time!"

Seeing her approach, I took a step back and pulled out Angel Halo.

"Okay, stop right there. Look at the sword, then back to me; now look at the sword again, Back to me!" I demanded, her eyes subconsciously following my orders. "Do you genuinely think I'm worth it?"

Her gaze bounced between the two a few more times. "...yeees?" She hazarded tentatively, stopping me in my tracks.

"That's... actually really flattering, not gonna lie." I sighed. "Look, I'm sure you're a nice girl and all that. But I wasn't saying I needed to be somewhere to get out of feeding you." Not entirely, at least. "So we can either part now on somewhat amicable terms, or I'll be forced to smack you with this thing until you turn into a little worm," I said, pointing at my weapon.

Her eyes narrowed. "Or I could make you come and render you helpless first."

"Yeah, no. Not gonna happen. I'm pretty sure I could seal you before you get to lay a finger on me." My eyes were drawn toward her shoulders which ended in a distinct lack of arms. "Err, a-anyway, you will only end up getting sealed for nothing. You'd still have the vitality of a monster, so you wouldn't die easily, but you'd be utterly helpless. Do you really fancy spending the next... month... or so? as a random bird's indigestion?"

She was starting to look a lot less certain, and I decided to push through. "Tell you what, It might take a while, maybe even an entire year, but once I'm done with everything I need to do, I will come back and help you find a man of your own." After all, how hard could it possibly be to find some weirdo that's into worms in this world? If that gate guard earlier was any indication of the general populace, it probably wouldn't even take a full hour after entering Iliasburg.

"Really?" The worm girl asked, her face a mix of hope and doubt.

"Promise," I assured her gently.

"...I'll hold you to that." And with that, she burrowed back underground. I had no idea how she thought she could hold me to it, but it didn't really matter. After a few seconds of silence, I resumed walking. It didn't take long for Alice to reappear beside me.

"Do you actually have any intention of honoring that promise?" she asked with a raised brow.

I shrugged. "Provided I live that long, sure." I'd need to come back to the area anyway. My dastardly scheme to fund my retirement relied on a certain group of future Iliasburg residents, after all. Just needed to recruit them first.

"I see. When I lent Angel Halo to you, I did not expect it to be used like this, but I must admit that I am impressed. Selling delayed gratification to a Yoma would already be hard enough, but to a lesser monster who barely understands the concept? That's quite an achievement."

I couldn't help but blush slightly at Alice's rare praise.

Her eyes then narrowed. "Speaking of the former, you don't seriously expect me to starve myself for however long it takes for you to manage to find your Prince Charming on your own, do you?"

Man, she really wasn't letting that maiden thing go, was she? I definitely couldn't tell her about the royal blood thing.

"So unless you can come up with a much better reason than 'Nope, secret,' you can either take me up on my offer to get them here myself, or you can feed me semen right now. I have tried to be reasonable about this, seeing as we are friends now, but I am running out of patience," she declared with an unyielding tone.

"Couldn't you have snacked on a man while in Iliasburg?" I asked, chagrinned. "I'm sure you wouldn't have had any issue convincing someone to follow you into a back alley or something."

She huffed. "The idea of snatching up some random follower of Ilias, even if they are unbaptized, is profoundly disgusting."

"Even with the prospect of breaking their faith in the process?" I asked in a final attempt to change her mind.

She looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking her head. "Not an entirely bad idea, but I will leave that kind of thing to Alma Elma and her ilk." Her stare intensified as I went quiet. "It would seem you are out of arguments. What will it be?"

"...Fine." I sighed and took something out of my Inventory. I never had any specific plans for this anyway, so it wasn't that much of a loss.

"Is that...?" Alice looked at the small glass bottle in bewilderment. "You know what, I won't even ask," she decided and pilfered the bottle from my hands.

"And here I thought I would finally be done with secondhand semen." She shot the bottle one last look of disdain before popping off the cap and using her long tongue to scoop out the contents. Despite her initial scorn, her expression quickly turned to one of bliss once she started eating. Even with her seemingly taking time to savor it, the bottle was licked completely clean within less than five minutes. I couldn't help but stare at the entire process. It was the first time I saw a monster feed on semen, even if it wasn't directly from the tap, so to speak. Seeing her so happily partake of it made for a bizarre mix of emotions.

Her lips formed into a soft smile once she was done. "Not bad at all. Exceedingly high quality and very flavorful with a bit of a strange aftertaste."

"Strange?" I asked in concern.

"Not in a bad way," she assured. "It is the kind of taste that makes you want to take another sip to see if you can deduce what it is." She then frowned. "But it was not nearly as fresh as it could have been, and the technique used to extract it was frankly terrible."

I briefly looked at her in disbelief before averting my eyes. "Geez, sorry for being bad at jacking off," I muttered under my breath.

"I could teach you how to do better," she offered commisseratingly, having evidently still heard me. "As it stands, you might not even be able to satisfy yourself anymore once you do finally get a taste of a monster."

"Maybe... another time," I deflected.

She shrugged. "Suit yourself; this much should tide me over for a few days."

...

"Hey Alice, to what extent do monsters actually need semen?" I asked after a while.

She eyed me curiously for a moment. "If you mean to ask if we can survive without it, we can. But even if it is not lethal, being deprived of it still has adverse effects. In the short term, it only causes hunger which usually leads to irritation and impatience, among other things, but that eventually fades."

She averted her eyes. "...Sorry..." She said slowly, seemingly tasting the word. Judging from her expression, she didn't like the flavor. "For... pushing you like that. It was not how I hoped things would go. I have always been bad at suppressing my hunger."

"It's fine. What about long-term?" I asked, waving her off. I wasn't going to hold this against her since I could tell she had at least tried to hold back for my sake, and everything turned out fine in the end anyway.

She nodded. "Right, prolonged lack of semen manifests in monsters akin to a vitamin deficiency, with the worst of the symptoms being mental issues, greatly reduced resistance against disease, and, in regard to younger monsters, stinted growth. The severity of symptoms depends on both the species and the duration of the withdrawal, with succubi being hit the hardest if it does happen to them, which is not often considering how proficient they are at harvesting it."

Alice idly turned the empty bottle in her hand and shot it a glare. "As much as it revolts the gourmet in me, as the Monster Lord, I cannot help but acknowledge the necessity of these things. Whether they live in environments where men do not exist like most volcanic and aquatic monsters or... are simply not allowed to meet them due to orders of their Queens or guardians, many monsters have no alternative to subsisting off this kind of secondhand semen, and even then, it is nowhere near enough to go around."

She sighed. "There used to be trade agreements with various human cities, enough to meet the bare minimum required to ensure the majority of monsters were fed at least once every few months. Nowadays, all that remains is the charity of other monsters with human partners or slaves and some black markets, and given the current state of relations, that doesn't seem liable to change soon."

"You could always approach some of the more open-minded nations. I'm sure Grand Noah, at least, would be willing to hear you out," I suggested.

She closed her eyes. "Perhaps. I will need to see it with my own eyes before I make any commitments. But for now, I would prefer not to talk about this any longer."

"Right, uhh," I fumbled around in my memory for any other topic. "You said something about scuffed seduction lessons?"

She made a pained expression. "Ugh, don't remind me. Tamamo must have noticed I was not invested in the subject because she decided to make a massive joke out of it, probably in some misguided attempt to retain my attention. It did not work. I could never take it seriously ever since the day she barged through the door, put on that goofy smile, and told me quite obstinately to, and I quote, 'Seduce me.'"

I wheezed.

"Yes, yes, laugh all you want," she said irritably. "It was quite mortifying from my perspective, you know. I do not know why she bothered putting that into the list of things to teach me if she was going to be half-assed about it and not even involve any men."

"I'm sure she had her reasons," I said, still chuckling. "And what kind of teacher wouldn't want to impart one of their greatest skills?"

Alice scoffed. "Tamamo good at seduction? Please, I will believe that when I see it."

I doubled over, laughing. "I can't—Ha-ha-ha! Oh, Ilias, it hurts!" Being hit with that before I even had the chance to calm down was just too much. She was serious about it, too!

"I cannot see what you think is so funny. You certainly have a peculiar sense of humor," Alice remarked before shaking her head with an amused smile. "When I imagined my first time making a man erupt uncontrollably, laughter was definitely not what I thought of."

It took me a good minute to regain enough composure to keep trekking along the road northward and then another few to open my mouth without any snickering leaking out.

"So the castle was just completely devoid of any men during your childhood?" I asked casually while looking around to check if I could see the Irina Mountain Range somewhere in the distance yet. I knew I would have to turn westward at some point, just not precisely when.

"Actually, no." She frowned. "There were and still are several slaves kept in the castle. Monsters need to eat, and heading to Sentora each and every time would have been bothersome. But despite that, I never got to really interact with them. The castle grounds are vast, and the few times I caught a glimpse of them, I was soon ushered off to my next lesson. And when I asked if I could see them, there was always some sort of excuse."

I hummed. "What about after becoming the Monster Lord? You shouldn't have had any issues then."

She shrugged. "I was not as interested at that point. They lived in that castle as long as I have. So, even if I wanted to know about the outside world, human culture, and such, they could not have told me much. I checked up on them a few times secretly to ensure they were not being mistreated, but I never talked with them."

"You didn't even feed on them?" I asked, my brow furrowed in confusion.

Alice winced. "Among the many things taught to me in preparation for the position of Monster Lord was... resource management. Those men are very much considered a valuable resource, which is to say, I had to work on the allotment of feeding times and breeding rights." She shuddered. "There are not many things capable of ruining my appetite but knowing exactly where those men have been accomplished just that. Fortunately, I managed to foist off that particular duty to Alma Elma. Honestly, it all feels like a very deliberate ploy to curb my interest in retrospect. They may even start to get some fresh blood now that I have left to see the world myself."

"Wait, back up for a second. Did you say you put Alma Elma in charge of the men?" I asked incredulously. "That seems incredibly ill-advised."

She raised an eyebrow. "Rather than the fact that we keep humans captive or that more may be enslaved in short order, you are more concerned that Alma Elma is supervising them?"

"Yes!"

"...Fair enough," she conceded. "I can see why you would be troubled, and meeting her would likely only serve to reinforce that impression. But believe it or not, She is capable of some degree of responsibility; otherwise, I would have never accepted her as one of my Knights... Also, we were just glad when she volunteered to do something productive."

"I... see."

...

"Are you really not going to say anything about the slavery situation?" Alice asked after some silence. "As a fellow human, I thought you would be upset on their behalf."

"Eh." I shrugged half-heartedly. "As long as the slave is treated well, I don't particularly care; that goes both ways, too. Don't get me wrong, it would be nice of you to give them the choice to leave, but considering the monster brand of slavery makes them more of a slave to their own desires than anything else, they would probably beg you to let them back in even if you were to kick them out."

I paused for a moment. "You definitely should give any newcomers a choice, however. There will be enough people who volunteer to become 'slaves' after getting thoroughly acquainted with a monster; no need to go kidnapping as the harpies did. Frankly, I even think such devotion, if given freely, is sort of romantic."

Alice stared at me as if I had suddenly grown enough heads to rival Yamata no Orochi. "I know this does not count for much, but... you are the strangest human I have ever seen."

----------------------------------------

-Meanwhile, in Undine's Spring-

"I feel like I just missed a golden opportunity," Erubetie said with a frown.

"Truly? Perhaps you are finally becoming more attuned to the flow of the world," Undine remarked. "Tell me, can you feel the ripples?"

Erubetie had to think of what Undine meant momentarily before one part of her helpfully guessed the answer. "Of that splash you mentioned? I am afraid not."

"A shame. It has been almost two weeks since it occurred. It was only small, almost as if dampened by something, yet the ripples caused by it are still spreading, growing." Undine closed her eyes, looking at Erubetie not with her vision but with the power of water. "I can feel them even on you. I do not know where the flow leads; I only follow it. Yet I can feel it changing direction, a new path being carved."

"The perfect time for change, is it not?" Erubetie inquired.

"Potentially," Undine affirmed. "The path you seek to tread has been attempted before. It will not be easy."

"I am certain I can convince my Lord; I merely need an opening," Erubetie insisted.

Undine smiled sadly. "I am afraid I will not be much help in that regard. You know this generation's Monster Lord better than I do."

Erubetie's individual parts offered myriad suggestions, some potentially worth attempting but most utterly unfeasible. Yet even among those, one elevated itself above the rest in sheer ridiculousness.

"Can't we just talk to the humans and be friends?"

Usually, Erubetie would have to expend some effort if she wished to know which specific part of her had spoken, but there was hardly a need this time, for all others had lost that naive innocence long ago. She felt a pang of pain at the knowledge that it would likely soon disappear from Lime as well.

Humans would never understand. How could they possibly sympathize with a problem they themselves caused? A diplomatic mission was doomed to failure.

...

But... what if success was not the intention? With broken-down negotiations and no way forward other than violence, her Lord would have effectively no choice but to grant her audience and counsel to prevent her from going down that route. And then, she would be able to put her plan in motion.

Erubetie smiled. "I believe I shall pay a visit to Grand Noah."

"I see, so that is the path you have chosen... if you have some spare time, would you consider a favor first?" Undine asked.

"Anything for you, old friend," Erubetie replied immediately.

"I just finished the treatment of the most recent batch of poisoned slimes we discovered. Would you drop them off at that new spring you found? I believe some time in the quiet countryside would greatly aid their recovery," she explained.

Erubetie wasn't quite sure about the 'quiet' part, considering how lively the residents were. But had to agree that a change of scenery would do them good. Undine's Spring had become... gloomy in recent days. It only made sense, given how grim the future seemed, but it was unpleasant nonetheless.

She would ensure it became a place of happiness once more.