Vol 4 Chapter 57: Under the Clear Light of Day

Pafun. Pofun. (Soft press. Soft bounce.) A soft sensation touches my face.

My head feels heavy, and my consciousness drifts in a peculiar state where dreams and reality blur together. Slowly, like rising to the surface from deep water, my awareness begins to return.

The comfort of waking is so inviting that I feel tempted to keep my eyes shut forever.

“──N── wake── Shi──”

A voice comes from above. Its familiar sound offers me comfort, making me want to stay like this longer. I want to keep sleeping.

Succumbing to that desire, I nuzzle deeper into the soft surface my face is resting against.

“Hey, Shin! Get up already… you’re heavy!”

A light impact on the top of my head, followed by a voice scolding me like one would a drowsy child, abruptly pulls me toward full consciousness.

“Mm… nnnh…”

“Finally awake? C’mon, shake it off.”

That lively, teasing voice—I know it well. It must be Nina.

Following her instruction, I reluctantly open my heavy eyelids, savoring every moment of lingering drowsiness.

What greets me is…

Plop. (Soft bounce.) Her amused face, paired with the view of an absolutely overwhelming, very real cleavage right in front of my eyes.

“Wha—? W-Wahh! S-Sorry!”

Finally realizing I had been using a girl’s chest as a pillow, I leap back in a panic, landing flat on my rear to put some distance between us.

“A beauty like me letting you use her boobs as a pillow? That’ll cost ya, y’know? Nihihi~”

Nina smirks at my flustered state, her teasing tone making my face burn even more.

This is the forest where we cornered the Alraune earlier. But why is Nina here? And what happened to me? What’s going on?

As confusion clouds my thoughts, my eyes dart around and settle on something.

A massive flower lies trampled on the ground. The Alraune—the monster who called herself Aster—lay there, unconscious.

Though my memory is hazy, I recall her kissing me before I blacked out. If that’s the case—

“Um, Nina, did you take down that Alraune?”

I asked, thinking she must have saved me. Nina adjusted her disheveled top before giving me a wide-eyed, incredulous look.

“…Don’t tell me you don’t remember a thing? When I got here, the Alraune was unconscious, and you were all over her, clutching her like some wild animal. Then, when you saw me, you charged at me instead. I had to knock you out with the sleeping potion Kaguya gave me.”

Her words are like a hammer blow. I have no recollection of any of that.

Apparently, I had clung to Aster’s body—specifically, her chest—and then lunged at Nina, only to be subdued.

“I-I don’t remember any of that… I must’ve caused you trouble. I’m so sorry.”

“No kidding. You were a real handful. But, well… I’m glad you’re okay.”

Now it’s my turn to be taken aback.

Knowing Nina, I expected her to take this chance to tease me endlessly. But instead, she spoke with a quiet relief that was barely audible, like it might be carried away by the wind.

Her uncharacteristically soft tone leaves me both flattered and embarrassed, and I scramble for words to fill the silence.

“S-So, uh, what are we gonna do with the Alraune? She’s not dead, right?”

Nina points to Aster and breaks the awkward silence. My gaze follows her finger.

“Hmm, I’m not sure. That monster… Aster, was it? Apparently, she’s working with Edgar.”

“What!? No way! That’s bad—real bad. The guy who’s been going on about monsters threatening the village is in cahoots with one? That’s a disaster!”

As we grapple with how to handle the situation, a groaning sound interrupts us. The source is Aster, the very subject of our dilemma.

“Hey, looks like she’s waking up. What’s the plan?”

“For now, let’s try talking to her. If she’s hostile again, we’ll deal with it then.”

Staying cautious, I draw my sword and cast support magic on both Nina and myself, keeping a wary eye on Aster.

She stirs, her body rising slowly like a wilted flower coming back to life. As much as I hate to admit it, her movements are mesmerizing.

“Ugh… Wh-What happened to me?”

Rubbing her eyes groggily, Aster looks around in confusion.

Her gaze eventually locks onto me.

Her eyes widen in shock, her lips quiver, and her face turns bright red—whether from anger or embarrassment, I can’t tell.

Before I can say anything, she bolts into action.

“H-Humans are scaryyy! Don’t hurt meee!”

“Huh?”

“What?”

Aster screams in terror and, before we can react, extends her vines and escapes with unbelievable speed.

“Wait! I don’t know what I did, but I swear I won’t do anything else! Just stop running!”

Calling after her in vain, Nina and I give chase as the Alraune—impossibly fast for a plant monster—disappears into the distance.

“What exactly were you doing…?”

Nina’s words, laced with exasperation and reproach, came from right beside me, forcing me to lower my gaze in silence.

Once again, we tore through the forest in pursuit of the fleeing Aster. The path ahead was rough and overgrown, clearly a trail rarely traveled by people. Aster let out shrill cries as she manipulated nearby flowers and trees to hinder us. However, her movements were far less precise than before.

Even so, her escape was swift. Whether it was her familiarity with the terrain or the desperation of sensing danger, her speed forced us to push ourselves to the limit, even with the enhancement of support magic.

As the chase continued, the dense forest abruptly opened up.

“…Crap, we ran right back into the village,” Nina muttered, her voice tinged with urgency. Her words struck me like a hammer.

Ahead of us was the center of the elven village, a wide-open plaza where children played and elves went about their tranquil lives. Now, a monster had appeared out of nowhere, and the resulting panic was unmistakable.

“Kyaaah!”

“A m-monster!”

“How did it get into the village?!”

“Run!”

Elves froze in terror, collapsed to the ground, or fled toward safer areas. Amid the chaos, I spotted familiar faces—Kaguya, Grace, and the elven women who had been unconscious earlier in the forest. They must have returned while I was facing Aster. Seeing them safe was a relief.

The once-peaceful village was now gripped by fear. Amid the commotion, I spotted two more familiar figures.

“Shin?! Nina?! What’s going on?”

“Who or what is that monster?!”

Lena and Alice stepped forward, shielding the children and other villagers, and called out to me.

I didn’t have the time to explain and shouted instead, “Alice! Use summoning magic to restrain that monster!”

Alice’s eyes widened before she nodded firmly. “Got it! But you owe me an explanation later!”

“《Summoning Magic: Summon Tentacle Slime!》”

A glowing magic circle etched itself into the ground, pulsating with light. From it emerged a large, translucent blue slime that jiggled as though eager to comply.

“Restrain that monster!”

Alice’s command prompted the oversized slime to vibrate enthusiastically. Extending multiple slick tentacles from its rounded body, it lashed them toward Aster.

“You think a slime like that can capture me—!”

Aster retaliated by extending vines from the large bulb at her base. The number of vines matched, if not exceeded, the slime’s tentacles.

But—

“Not so fast! 《Ice Blade!》”

Blades of ice materialized and flew from Lena’s hands, slicing through Aster’s vines before they could reach the slime. The severed vines fell to the ground with faint thuds.

Freed from obstruction, the slime’s tentacles closed in on Aster.

“Ah?! N-No… stop! Argh!”

The tentacles wrapped around her body, restraining her in an instant and lifting her into the air. Aster struggled, flailing her arms and thrashing wildly, but the tentacles only tightened, immobilizing her further.

They coiled around her neck, wrapped around her arms, and encased the entire bulbous base of her lower body. Even her torso was tightly bound.

While the restraint was undeniably effective, the sight was… less than wholesome. The tentacles accentuated her round chest, trailing over its curves and slithering between them in a manner that left me feeling increasingly uncomfortable.

“If it’s come to this… I’ll just use my nectar—!”

Even while bound, Aster refused to give up. She attempted to release her sedative nectar again, a last-ditch effort to turn the tables.

Danger! The thought flashed through my mind, but before I could act, a voice rang out.

“《Holy Barrier!》”

A radiant, semi-transparent wall of light expanded, encasing Aster from all sides like a prison.

“Wha—?! What is this?!”

The barrier was designed to block all attacks and magic, creating an unbreakable fortress that no one could interfere with, inside or out.

As Aster’s confusion grew, the sound of footsteps and the tapping of a staff approached from behind us. I turned toward the familiar presence, relief washing over me.

“…A monster in the village? Shin, what in the world is going on here?”

Standing tall with her golden hair fluttering behind her, Fana-san, the leader of our group, White Lightning, appeared. Despite her perplexed expression, she held her staff firmly, ready for whatever came next.

“Fana-san… you’ve saved us…”

Even though the situation was still dire, just seeing her confident presence was enough to ease my mind slightly. And then, behind her, another person emerged.

“The monsters… they’ve actually made it into the village?!”

Shirley-san muttered, her face painted with fear.

“Fana-san, Shirley-san. Uh, this monster is—”

I tried to explain, organizing the events in my head as I began to speak, but a new voice cut through the air, interrupting me.

“What is the meaning of this commotion, you lot?! What?! What in the world is…”

Edgar, who had been vying for leadership against Shirley-san, appeared with a loud and angry voice. But as soon as he saw Aster suspended by the monster’s tentacles, his eyes widened, and his lips trembled with barely concealed agitation.

To most, he probably just seemed confused, but for those of us who knew the truth—like Nina and me—his reaction clearly reeked of guilt.

Should I address this head-on before explaining to everyone else? While I deliberated, someone unexpected spoke up.

“Ed-Edgar! H-Help me! This human is trying to violate meeeeee!”

Aster’s pained cry was like that of a young girl. Struggling against the restraints, tears filled her eyes as she called out to Edgar.

The surrounding reactions split into two groups.

The first group—composed of elves like Shirley-san and Fana-san—looked back and forth between the monster, Aster, and Edgar, their expressions questioning. “What’s going on here?” their faces seemed to ask.

The second group’s reactions, however, were entirely different.

“Shin? Hey, care to explain? Hmm? Hmm?”
“I knew you’d snap one day… but this? Really?”
“Oh my, Shin-sama. Even with a monster, you’re… rather enthusiastic, aren’t you?”
“Ahaha, you’re on your own. Heehee.”

Lena stared at me with murky eyes, her gaze unfocused and unsettling.
Alice shot me a look of exasperation mixed with mild reproach.
Kaguya narrowed her eyes, smiling softly as she chuckled.
And Nina, who seemed to have pieced most of the events together, grinned mischievously like a child discovering a new toy.

Though their responses varied, the suffocating atmosphere was universally unbearable. I wanted nothing more than to retreat into the forest and hide.

“I-I don’t know this monster! I’ve never seen it before!”

Edgar hastily denied any connection to the creature, though it wasn’t out of any desire to help me.

“This must be the work of these humans! That summoner woman likely conjured this creature and conspired with Shirley to tarnish my name! Don’t listen to their lies!”

Edgar’s voice boomed, attempting to intimidate those who had begun casting suspicious glances his way.

“…Enough of this!”

A voice, brimming with fury, rang out in response to Edgar’s deceit.

It was mine.

“How dare you… Don’t insult them!”
“You insolent human! How dare you speak to me like that—”
“I know everything! You ignored the will of Grace-san and the elven women, and you used the power of monsters to attack me. Admit your guilt!”

I cut him off with a glare, refusing to back down as I confronted him head-on.

“W-What nonsense is this?! These are baseless accusations! I have nothing to say to this drivel!”

Our eyes locked in a tense standoff. Edgar was the first to avert his gaze, glancing at Aster who remained tied up. His hand reached into his coat, and in the next instant, he flung his arm forward.

“The words of humans and monsters alike are nothing but lies!”

His roar was accompanied by the dull glint of a dagger flying past my face.

I judged it wouldn’t hit me, so I remained completely still, glaring at him without reacting.

“Aahhhhhh!”

Behind me, Aster let out a high-pitched scream, but it was in vain.

“Unfortunately for you—it won’t work.”

Immediately after Kaguya’s whisper, the clanging sound of metal colliding reached my ears. Fana-san’s Holy Barrier ensured that Edgar’s surprise attack wouldn’t have succeeded anyway, but I had faith that the ever-composed Kaguya would intervene regardless.

Foiled so easily, Edgar clicked his tongue in frustration. The unpleasant sound echoed as everyone watched him with increasingly skeptical expressions.

And then, the decisive blow came.

“Edgar! This isn’t what we agreed on! You said that if I helped you control the monsters, you’d guarantee my safety and home!”

Aster’s furious accusation rang out clearly, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

The elves muttered amongst themselves.
“Could it be…?”
“Edgar was behind the monsters?”
“So, all this time, he was blaming the humans?”

“Th-That’s not true! They’re the ones—those humans conspired with the monsters to frame me! That’s the only explanation!”

Edgar shouted desperately, trying to intimidate the growing murmurs of doubt. But his voice no longer carried any weight, and the skeptical stares only intensified.

“Edgar…”

Shirley-san whispered his name, her voice soft and tinged with pity rather than anger or suspicion.

Trust shattered, Edgar chose neither confession nor retreat. Instead, he took a third option.

“Shirleeeeeey! This is all your fault!”

He unsheathed a longsword from his waist, letting out a piercing scream as he lunged at the defenseless Shirley-san.

“—Eh?”

Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Shirley-san could only let out a faint gasp. Just before the blade could pierce her chest, the sword abruptly stopped.

“W-What the?!”

Edgar grimaced in disbelief.

Shirley-san’s gaze fell to the hand gripping the blade inches from her body—my left hand, bleeding heavily.

“Sh-Shin-sama… You’re bleeding!”
“Ugh… Sh-Shirley-san, are you alright?”

It was a split-second decision. With no time to draw my weapon or come up with an alternative, I cast a body-strengthening spell and stopped the thrust with my bare hand.

Even with magic reinforcing my body, my skin tore open, and blood dripped onto the ground like rain.

“Y-Yes, I’m fine, but Shin-sama… you’re…”

The heat spreading from the cut on my hand brought searing pain, but I didn’t care. Compared to the relief of saving Shirley-san, the wound on my left hand was a trivial matter.

I answered her words with a smile. It might have been a distorted, awkward smile due to the pain, but that thought was fleeting. There was something I needed to do first.

“You… human! Why would you put yourself at risk like that?! Is your goal to take over the elven village?!”

Edgar shouted nonsense as he pressed down on the sword, trying to drive it further, only to abruptly pull back and attempt to withdraw it.

Each movement sent a sharp, searing pain, a mix of heat and cold, through my hand, but I didn’t let go.

“I don’t know your goals or your ideology. I don’t understand how sacred the existence of elves may be to you. But—”

I forced the trembling blade upward, away from Shirley-san’s chest. As the sword tilted from vertical to diagonal, I slid myself between Edgar and Shirley-san, shielding her.

“—pointing a blade at a defenseless woman without reason… there’s no way that could ever be right!”

The moment the words left my mouth, I drove a kick straight into Edgar’s stomach.

A body-strengthened kick carried enough force to pierce stone. If it landed cleanly, it wouldn’t end well for him. But Edgar managed to block with the gauntlet on his arm, using the momentum to leap backward with his sword.

“Argh!”

The sword was pulled free with the force of his retreat, deepening the gash on my palm. But I didn’t have the luxury of wincing. I drew my own sword with one hand and squared off against Edgar.

“Shin, are you okay?! I-I’ll heal you now! 《Healing Magic: Heal!》”

Lena’s voice reached me as warmth, distinct from the heat of pain, enveloped my left hand. The wound closed rapidly, leaving only the faintest sense of discomfort. The pain had vanished entirely.

“—You’re capable enough, I’ll admit. But don’t get cocky, human! Everyone! These people are enemies of the elves… Show no mercy!”

Edgar, who had been keeping his distance, roared, summoning a group of armed elven warriors from the crowd.

Archers. Mages wielding staves. Swordsmen. Their numbers were more than double ours, each gripping their weapons tightly as they glared at us. Their sharp gazes weren’t just directed at us but also at Shirley-san and Aster.

We moved instinctively, closing ranks to shield them.

“—Attack!”

At Edgar’s command, the battle began.