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After using the 'Mind Encroachment' Skill to inspect the mind of the mercenary, Ervas shared what he learned from it, from the Duke of the Sapphira Duchy, Duke Frank, to one of the villagers reporting the suspicion of Ervas being and Half-Demon and to Percy contracting these mercenaries to retrieve him… and to let them do whatever they wanted with the village if he were to not be real. ​​

"So that Duke wanted to burn the whole village? That's… too cruel," muttered Jason.

"Well, they also reported Ervas existence to the Duke, which wasn't even interested in such a village before. If they had kept their mouths shut, Ervas could have stayed way longer in the safety of the Village" said Veronica, a bit angered.

"Well yeah… But I suppose that fear makes people do such things, I kind of understand them, although I would have never done such a thing, even in their position. Even if I had never met your mother… I always thought that Demons were not monsters, but people, the same for Beastmen. I don't really know from where these baseless statements are coming from, Demons and Beastmen are as intelligent and rational as humans, elves or dwarves," said Jason.

"That's because my father has a good heart, and has a bit of common sense, I guess," said Ervas.

"Indeed, Ervas you got a jackpot with such a father, I envy you," said Veronica.

"Well, he can be your father as well, you're like my big sister," said Ervas.

"Oh really?" said Veronica, a bit enthusiast.

"W-Wait a second, Veronica is a grown woman… she can't be my daughter!" said Jason.

"How about mother-in-law?" asked Ervas.

"But your mother is supposed to be still alive!" said Jason.

"Oh right, but what's wrong with a second mother?" asked Ervas.

"Perhaps? It does not sound that bad of an idea…" muttered Veronica.

Shade glanced at this weird interaction, his crimson eye growing more and more worried, he felt like his relationship and his future with Veronica might be in danger!

He had known Veronica for over a month, while Jason just appeared yesterday, he won't let her go without fighting!

"Wait, Veronica won't be Jason's wife!" shouted Shade, as the whole party fell silent, even Aqua and Charlotte glanced at Shade with weird expressions… although Aqua did not have a face.

"I didn't imply that, calm down, Shade," said Ervas, patting Shade's eyeball.

Veronica glanced at Shade with a baffled expression.

"Shade? Why are you so worried about that? We were just joking around," said Veronica.

"Ah! Nothing, nothing at all! Never mind!" said Shade, disappearing into the darkness… it seems that he had taken things too seriously and ended up being the weird one.

"I don't remember that in our previous life there was a Spirit with such personality, is he possessive by any chance?" asked Ervas.

"Ah, not at all, Shade is a very good boy, he's just a bit clingy on me, nothing serious!" laughed Veronica.

"I see…" muttered Ervas.

Jason let a sigh of relief, cleaning the sweat off his forehead.

"A-Anyways, now that we had all unified, should we change plans? Where should we go?" asked Shade, trying to quickly change the topic, while emerging from the darkness.

"The Demon Continent," said Ervas and Veronica at the same time.

"Oh, it seems that we think alike," said Ervas.

"Indeed, we are truly two halves of the same soul after all," said Veronica, hugging Ervas, who was resting on her cold and metallic arms.

"Ah! Veronica doesn't hug Ervas too tightly!" shouted Jason, taking Ervas from Veronica's embrace.

"Eh? Why?!" shouted Veronica, she wanted to cuddle with the adorable Ervas.

"Because you're a living armor! Your body is made out of metal and you might crush him!" shouted Jason.

"You saved me big time there, father, thanks," said Ervas.

"Oh well, sorry~" laughed Veronica.

After sharing the information about the Duchy of Sapphira, the party began to explain to each other their motives for wanting to go to the Demon Continent.

"So it's all for your mother… and I suppose a better living place? I am all for it, I am a monster after all. In some Demon Nations intelligent monsters such as Goblins or Trolls can register themselves as citizens if they behave well," said Veronica, while nodding.

"That's right, we were once the Demon Queen, so we naturally know those things," said Ervas, agreeing.

"Veronica, don't you have any particular attachment with the dungeon in which you were born?" asked Jason, while drinking his tea, which had become cold now.

Although Veronica was born in that Dungeon, from the second she was, she fought for her life and never truly found a comfortable place to stay. She also never grew any necessity in staying there, and she always thought that it was a place unfit for her.

"Why the question…? But not really, I don't feel any attachment, even if I was born as a monster in there… I've read about monsters feeling a strong attachment to the dungeon they are born in, but I never developed this, and when I tamed Aqua and Charlotte, they seem to have lost any attachment, if they ever had one, to begin with… Aqua was quite the crazy slime, I don't think she was normal at all," said Veronica, petting Aqua, which had taken Ervas place and rested above Veronica's lap as if she were a cat.

"Gubu," said Aqua, seemingly agreeing.

"Gishi!" said Charlotte, resting on Veronica's left shoulder.

"I see… and is it even possible to tame Arachnids or Insects? And even a Slime… I remember hearing from a villager about such things, he said that his cousin was a tamer, but that he once talked him about monsters that were impossible to tame, such as Slimes, Arachnids, Insects… and plants" said Jason, glancing at his son.

"It is possible to tame them all, but Humans seem incapable," said Veronica.

"Indeed, Dryads can tame plant monsters, while Arachne and other half invertebrate demons can tame arachnids and insects… and about slimes, I remember Scylla being able to tame them," said Ervas.

"That's interesting… but Ervas, you're not a Dryad…" muttered Jason.

"Well, I didn't tame them exactly, I imprinted my Mana into their souls when they were still simple plants, and induced a monster mutation in them by feeding them monster corpses, they naturally follow the traces of my mana, and as they evolve and become more intelligent, they become more attached to me," said Ervas.

"T-That's… how did you even do that…? Imprinting mana in other souls?!" shouted Jason, bewildered.

"It's easy when the soul itself is weak and defenseless, like plant's souls… though such technique requires a lot of Mana and an immense precision, which I could only achieve through using 'Memory Retention', 'Special Five Senses' and 'Mana Control'," said Ervas.

"I-I see… and what about Veronica?" asked Jason.

"Aqua willingly let herself be tamed by me, and then I tamed Charlotte when she was just born, I even helped her get out of her egg, I was the first thing she saw… but I didn't do any mana imprint… Hm, are you interested in taming monsters by any chance?" asked Veronica.

"Ah! Not really, I do not think I have the talent, hahaha!" laughed Jason.

"Don't be so humble, Jason. I will teach you how to tame monsters so you can get your little helper" said Veronica.

"Please do, my father does not acknowledge it, but he is very talented in a lot of things," said Ervas.

Jason was a bit flustered for being showered in praises… he was a lucky man.

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[Name: Charlotte.

[Race: Armored Spider.

[Titles: Tamed Monster.

[Type: Arachnid/Material

[Rank: 3

[Level: 001/100

[Health Points: 62/62 > 102/102

[Mana Points: 20/20 > 45/45

[Strength: 40 > 70

[Defense: 74 > 99

[Magic: 33 > 58

[Resistance: 63 > 88

[Agility: 70 > 105

[Passive Skills]

[Dark Vision; Level 2]

[Abnormal Status Resistance; Level 1]

[Physical Damage Resistance; Level 2]

[Armored Carapace; Level 2]

[Self-Enhancement; Tamer (Veronica): Level 2]

[Active Skills]

[No-Attribute Magic; Level 1]

[Charge; Level 2]

[Corrosive Venom Secretion; Jaws; Level 2]

[Mineral Devourer; Level 1]

[Metallic Sticky Thread Reeling; Level 2]

[Unique Skills]

[Cursed Nine Eyes: Level 2]

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[Name: Gwendolyn

[Race: Malicious Sticky Grass Parasite

[Age: 0

[Titles: 'Tamed' Monster.

[Type: Plant/Dark.

[Rank: 3

[Level: 001/100

[Health Points: 62/62 > 97/97

[Mana Points: 31/31 > 76/76

[Strength: 51 > 81

[Defense: 63 > 93

[Magic: 47 > 87

[Resistance: 36 > 71

[Agility: 71 > 111

[Passive Skills]

[Special Five Senses; Level 2]

[Self-Enhancement; Following (Ervas); Level 2]

[Herb Production; Level 2]

[Enhanced Body; Sticky Grass; Level 2]

[Sticky Sap Production; Grass; Level 2]

[Self-Enhancement; Parasitizing Host; Level 1]

[Active Skills]

[Charge; Level 2]

[Digestion; Level 2]

[Parasite; Level 2]

[Unarmed Fighting Technique; Level 1]

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