I Was Transported to Another World with a Male-to-Female Ratio of 1:3000 and Made into a Breeding Pet for the Demon Lord’s Army - 15

Chapter 15: Long-Forgotten Feelings

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Clack!

『Fufufu~ It’s amusing for them to think they could stop me with such a shoddy locking spell. Sure, I’m not the best at combat, but this kind of simple support magic is my forte. 』

“Nnnhh…”

『Ahhh~ Ken-chan is drooling from this tiny mouth while sleeping! I need to record this…. Oh!♡The round little teeth peeking out from his mouth are so adorable! N-Nobody would notice if I pulled out just one, right…?No, maybe I can be bold and collect three! I mean, even the human race should be able to regenerate their teeth… Right?』

Rustle, rustle…

The noise from beside me had been bothering me for a while. Come to think of it, what time was it now? Was it almost time for the morning routine check-up?  

『Ah! Just now, he opened and closed his mouth for a split second! Ugh, how could this happen?!  To think I missed capturing this precious moment on camera because I was so focused on finding ways to extract his teeth without him noticing… Please! Open and close your mouth again…』

“Shut up!”

I had been sleeping peacefully, but the noisy voice woke me up. Seriously, didn’t they ever learn to keep quiet in a hospital?

“Wait, huh? The hospital? Oh, right. I transferred to another world.”

Standing in front of me was Dalis-san, with ears as pointed as a triangle ruler. Looking at her, it hit me again that I had been thrown into another world, and an indescribable emptiness spread through my chest.

“Haa… I wonder if Mom and Dad are doing okay?”

Also, how was I being treated back in my original world? A missing person case, maybe?

“There was no point in wallowing in sentimentality. Time to get up, I guess… Huh?”

I took a deep breath and yawned as usual, but I noticed something strange about my body.

“My chest didn’t hurt at all!? Why?”

Normally, when I yawned, a sharp pain stabbed at my chest, forcing me to remember, “Oh, I’m a sick person,” whether I liked it or not. But now, that pain was gone…

“Come to think of it, Dalis-san told me to take off my clothes for a diagnosis… Could it be I’m healed now?”

It wasn’t an impossible idea. This was a world where even an arm melted into goo by a slime could somehow be healed by the time I realized it.  If that was the case, then an unexplained illness from my world might very well be something they could cure here with a flick of a finger.

I understood that this way of thinking was nothing but wishful thinking. But after years of suffering from that illness, seeing even the slightest sign that it might be cured made it impossible for me not to hope.

“If that’s true, then who… Maybe that person I saw just before I passed out?”

If so, I needed to meet that person again.

Tug, tug…

(What’s wrong? Why are you pulling on my clothes so much? Could it be… the bathroom!? Then let’s go together! Yes, right now!)

Shake, shake…

I quietly shook my head against her almost aggressive enthusiasm. I had to somehow convey to Dalis-san that I wanted to meet that person, but  I didn’t know that person’s name, and we couldn’t even speak the same language…

“Wait, that’s it!”

I grabbed the notebook where I had written my age earlier and carefully sketched a portrait, digging through my memory as I went.

“Alright, done!”

The lines were a bit crooked and clumsy, but… Well, I probably captured their features well enough. I handed the finished drawing to Dalis-san.

『Huh, you’re giving this to me?Fufu, it’s a very cute drawing. Then I’ll gratefully make it a family heirloom… Wait, looking closer, isn’t this Aura-san?』

For a moment, she moved to tuck it away and broke into a cold sweat, but from her expression, it seemed she understood who I had drawn.  

“Luna! Lammy! Dalis!”

Next, wanting to know that person’s name, I pointed at the sketch and repeated the names of people I knew.

『What? Do you want to do a 3P?』

“Luna! Lammy! Dalis!”

『Hm? Oh, could it be…』

(You want to know this person’s name?)

I nodded furiously. 

(This is ‘A-u-ra’-san. She’s the doctor who examined you earlier.)

Aura… So that person really was a doctor!

(Oh, by the way, she left a message for you. “Your illness is cured. You did well enduring it all this time.”)

“-!!”

Yes… Yes! My illness was cured! I had given up on it long ago, but now I could run outside again! I wouldn’t have to see Mom’s sad face or Dad’s forced smile anymore!

“I don’t have to feel guilty about being alive anymore… Ugh, sniff.”

An end had finally come to those hellish days that seemed to go on forever, and tears began streaming down my face one after another.

“Hic, I’m so glad… so glad…”

『You must have been in so much pain to cry until your face became such a mess. There, there… It must have been tough, right? You can cry as much as you want now.』

Dalis-san patted my back gently, as if she was soothing a child. Her gentle touch caused my tears to spill even more.  Right now, I was just overwhelmingly happy that all my hardships and suffering hadn’t been in vain.

『And don’t worry! From now on, we’ll make sure you’re happy.To start, let me teach you the secret to increasing daily happiness with a special kiss. I’ll be your practice partner, so just stick out your tongue and stay still—』

“Sniff… Aura! Aura! Aura!”

『Why are you calling Aura-san’s name over and over? Right now, I’m the one comforting you, so say my name sweetly instead—call me Dalis♡~』

“Aura! Aura! Aura!!”

『Hmm, you sure are repeating her name a lot…Could it be…!』

(Could it be… You want to mate with Aura-san!?)

Smack!

『Ouch! What was that for!? If you don’t behave, I’ll make sure you learn your lesson with a public mating session right here and there!』

As I desperately called out for Aura-san, an obscene thought suddenly echoed in my mind. Annoyed by Dalis-san’s antics, I reflexively smacked her thigh. Seriously, she completely ruined the wholesome moment from earlier.

I had my suspicions, but now I was certain. This Dark Elf was far cruder than I had imagined. The other women had been nothing but kind and gentle toward me, even though they didn’t know me at all… Dalis-san should really take notes from Luna-san and Lammy-san. I hadn’t properly spoken with the two of them yet, but given how kind they seemed, they had to be the embodiment of purity itself.

『Hmm… But a male calling out a woman’s name…There’s no explanation besides mating. What else could you possibly mean? I don’t understand at all.』

(Are you really not trying to mate? You don’t have to be shy, you know?)

This was useless. There was no getting through to her.

“Fine… How about this!”

Wiping my hands dry to keep the drawing clean, I snatched up the portrait I had sketched earlier. Feeling a bit embarrassed, I hugged the drawing tightly against my chest. No matter how she interpreted it, at least my feelings of wanting to see this person should get across. 

(I don’t really get it, but you want to meet her and… Do something?)

I nodded excitedly at that. 

『I don’t mind letting you meet her, but… I only know support magic, you know? If she attacks you, I wouldn’t stand a chance. Oh, but Aura-san didn’t even react when she saw Ken-chan naked, so maybe it’ll be fine? Then again, I might be assuming a bit too much…』

Ugh, enough already!

『Ah, Ken-chan! You can’t just leave the room on your own—it’s dangerous! You don’t know what kind of depraved monsters might be lurking in the hallways! Please, at least hold my hand tightly with those soft little fingers of yours for safety!』

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Knock, knock!

“You may enter.” (Come in.)

Receiving permission via Dalis-san, I pushed open the unexpectedly heavy door and stepped inside.

『Oh, Ken-chan. How are you feeling?』

This was Aura-san. My savior, the one who had saved my life… Now that I was facing her directly, I could see her short, pale lavender hair and her striking, fiery red eyes. Though faint dark circles sat under her eyes, she was still undeniably beautiful, and having saved my life only made her all the more dazzling.

I had to thank her properly—up close!

『Hmm, that paper… Is that a portrait of me? Fufu~ How adorable. I’ll hang it up in my lab later, so just place it on the desk over there. And don’t come any closer—ah』

She was saying something, but I couldn’t hold back the emotions welling up in my chest. Before I knew it, I was rushing toward Aura-san.

“Huh?”

As I got closer, I could finally see what had been hidden behind her desk. Her upper body was that of a woman, but her lower half…. It was large, rounded, dome-shaped, big enough for me to sit on with room to spare. From that round body, eight long, insect-like legs extended outward, each ending in a sharp, pointed tip. 

She… She was a spider?

I hadn’t noticed before, since I had only seen her face, but now, her massive form loomed before me. No, no, this wasn’t the time to be surprised! I had to thank her for saving my life!

“Th-Thank you for saving me!”

Pouring every ounce of gratitude into my voice, I spoke from the depths of my heart. Even if we came from different backgrounds, if I expressed my feelings sincerely, they would surely reach her… At least, that was what I thought.

Yet instead of smiling, Aura-san looked sorrowful. I had no idea why, but despite having recovered from my illness, a tight pain clenched in my chest.

(It’s okay! Cheer up!)

I desperately searched for a way to make her smile, and then, the words my parents had always told me came to mind. But here and now, none of them seemed to fit. The frustration of not being able to find the right words weighed on me. Maybe my parents had felt this same helplessness before and realizing that only made my heart ache even more.

But I wasn’t about to give up! If words weren’t enough, I would just have to express myself through actions!

Squeeze!

『Huh? W-Wait, what are you doing!? Aren’t you afraid of my large body!?』

Since words hadn’t worked, I threw all my reservations to the wind and dove straight into her embrace. For a brief moment, I was worried. What if she rejected me? But when she didn’t immediately push me away, I knew she didn’t hate this. 

Good.

『Umm… Is this some sort of human’s culture? Like a way for them to communicate? But I have no record of such behavior in my data…』

Hmm… Hugging her was good and all, but now what? I was smiling up at her, trying to convey my gratitude, but the longer this dragged on, the more awkward it became.

Oh, right! Dalis-san had taught me a proper way to say thanks! Wait, what was the pronunciation again…?

“Aura, lavais!” (Aura, I like you!)

Crack!

The moment I spoke those words, my body was lifted into the air.

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