Chapter 260

260 – Return

Seeing the blood pouring out of the manticore’s corpse, I breath a sigh of relief . My partner drools as she looks at the corpse .

P-please don’t eat that… Seriously . It’s been eating Lithovar people . Even indirectly, I don’t want to eat humans . When we next get given an offering I’ll leave it for you, so please hold back for now .

『Aaa, but…』

Would you be able to meet the eyes of the kids you spoke to in that cave? In its belly are their relatives and friends, you know?

『…W-well, I’m not that hungry at the moment . 』

She looks away from the manticore . Great, I was able to persuade her .

I turn around and notice Yarg . His has his spear readied as he looks between myself and the manticore, all composure lost .

There’s no strength in his grip . It looks like he’s struggling to work out what is happening . Similar to Yarg, Tatark has a look of bewilderment on his face .

That’s why, when I pass by them in silence, I don’t get stabbed in my side .

“W-wait! W-What are you? W-what on earth are you?!”

Leaving Yarg’s shouts behind me, I exit the cave .

With this, this village will no longer have to live in fear of the manticore . I was also able to avenge Aro . I suppose I’ll return to around that village .

Since Yarg and Tatark saw me take down the manticore, with any luck the divide over the dragon-god will be resolved… Though it’ll take some time . The rift between them is deep, after all . It would be good if I can persuade the dragon-god side though .

…After leaving the cave and walking for a bit, [Presence Perception] picks up on something . I stop and wait, then spot Yarg chasing after me .

“W-why did you come here! What were you thinking! Answer me! A-are you really a daughter of the dragonfolk tribe from that time?!”

…A nuisance has arrived . I need to go and meet up with Aro already .

“Gaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

My partner roars .

“Hiih!”

Yarg collapses to the ground, his spear falling from his hands . His eyes are pinned to the figure of my enraged partner .

[Roar] is a skill meant to keep monsters in check by making them falter . It’s not something that an ordinary human can withstand from the front… For that matter, won’t it become a trauma for him?

『With this, he won’t keep chasing . 』

My partner transmits, proud… Well, yeah, that would be the case though .

From then on, I use [Presence Perception] as I roam around the forest in search of Aro . Her presence is a little different, so she should be easy to find . It’s great that it’s easy for me, but I have to hope a miko hasn’t spotted her .

I find Aro sitting on a tree root . Carried in her arms is a rabbit-like creature . Upon seeing me she gets up and, apparently delighted, comes closer .

As she does, the rabbit she was holding falls to the ground . It lands neatly and follows after her . She was hugging it quite a lot… Is that really a rabbit?

I look closer and I see it doesn’t have any fur… For that matter, its body surface looks like it’s made of hardened earth . Its body is fragile, because after it takes a few steps, its rear legs crumble . Could it be…?

【[Revaana Pet]: F-rank monster】

【A general general term for monsters created using magic to make flesh out of earth . 】

【Monsters of the [Revaana] family produce it in large quantities . 】

【Although individually weak, as it is usually produced endlessly it can because highly problematic . 】

…It’s not that it could be it, it is it . She made it with her [Clay Doll] skill . D-don’t go making too many of them, okay?

Aro nods her head and picks up the clay rabbit, stroking its head . As she touches it, its damaged parts are restored . Now that she’s made it, she’s got to look after it properly… Yeah .

…However I revived Aro with [Soul AppendmentFake Life], and Aro has now created a clay rabbit with[Clay Doll] . The [Clay Rabbit] won’t go on to create more allies, will it? I’m getting the feeling that I’ve started a bad vicious cycle…

“Was…oray?”

Aro pulls her eyes away from the clay rabbit and looks at me . After a moment’s thought, I determine she must have wanted to ask 『Was it okay?』 .

“Guooh”

I nod my head . Delighted, the tension in her expression fades away .

“I…gla…”

Probably, her difficulty in speaking will be resolved with her next evolution . One more, it’s one more away . At her current stage, she’s pretty much got a human form already . In her next one, she shouldn’t look any different from a human .

Together with Aro, we move towards the dragon-god’s shrine . Along the way, I once again see rarans, faintly glowing green . In a distant tree, three of them are sitting down, watching us like before .

…I’d like them to stop, since being stared at like that is rather unsettling . If they have something to say, I’d rather they come out and say it .

My partner lightly licks around her mouth with her tongue . The three of them stand up on the branch like they’ve noticed something, before jumping off together . As they’re falling, they suddenly disappear midair . Be strong, partner…