As we walk through the dark forest on the way back to the inn I enjoy the sounds of the wildlife and the moist cold air. It feels perfect in contrast to the warm fur that I’ve buried myself in.

gero “Mano-sama, I think we need to have a discussion.” Gero says out of nowhere

“Nwah! I told you to stop doing that! Seriously you're going to give me a heart attack before the Yuusha ever takes his first swing at me!” I yell in surprise while jumping into a sitting position

Where did he even come from?! There was no noise at all! For that matter how long has he been there?!

Fwomp!

“Ow! What was that for?!” I yell at Kurobe that just dumped me off of his back

“It’s annoying to have you squirming around back there. Walk.” He says with an upturned nose

“See what you did Gero?!” I yell with a glare at Gero

“No, that was entirely your own fault,” Kurobe interjects

“Didn’t I tell you and the rest to go back to the inn in the first place? Why are you even here?” I ask ignoring him

gero gero “I understand Mano-sama, but this matter was rather urgent. I felt that Mano-sama would want to hear about it as soon as possible.” Gero says with a bow

“You mean you intentionally disobeyed me?... You have my attention.” I say in disbelief

Gero is not the type to disobey an order. I didn’t even know he was capable of doing so, not on purpose anyway.

“Please direct your attention to the menu pertaining to your current status.” He says as he raises his head

I do as i’m told and open my stats window.

“What?! What is this?!” I ask in surprise at what I see

ManoLevel: ??? Self:110 [Warning!]

Attack:3500 Ailments: None

Defense:3500 Occupation: Party leader

Intellect:3500

Wisdom:3500

Speed:3500

Dexterity:3500

Aren’t there too many things wrong with this?! Why is my level unknown? Why did all of my stats even out? Does it all have to do with that ‘warning’ thing that showed up? In the first place wasn’t that self-number supposed to be a percentage? How did it go over 100?

gero gero gero “Mano-sama is meant to grow enough for both herself and a continuous stream of minions. By refusing to summon anything your power has begun to grow faster than your vessel. You are bursting at the seams with power that you are not meant to handle, and unless you remedy this your body will no longer be able to purpose this power. Worse yet, if you continue to gather strength from fallen monsters despite your condition your power will consume your vessel and you will most likely perish.” Gero explains in a calm tone that pairs badly with his message

I’m going to die if I keep killing monsters? What kind of unfair rule is that?!

“...What would you suggest?” I ask after pondering for a few moments

I don’t know as much about this condition as he does it seems, so I should follow his discretion on this one.

gero gero “Mano-sama is determined not to summon a horde of minions?” He asks after thinking to himself for a few moments

“If I did something like that it would both announce my presence far too early, and make it a lot harder to convince people I mean them no harm,” I explain

If the solution was that easy I wouldn’t have asked.

“Mano-sama must summon something to alleviate this condition, so the only thing Mano-sama must think about is the number of minions and how much power to grant them.” Gero replies with what feels like a stock answer

My party is already big enough as is, so I need to make something that I can leave behind without it destroying the ecosystem...I need to use a significant amount in whatever I make. Last time I used 20 percent and that seems like too little for shedding excess power. Maybe somewhere closer to 40 percent... but what would that make? What kind of monster would it be if I used all 40 on just one? It would be something that would quickly surpass the Orc from before. Considering how much trouble it gave the town I’m not sure that would be the best idea. What if I split it into hundreds of tiny creatures? Things with so little power in them that they would be harmless... but what if they turned into a swarm of locust or something?

gero “Mano-sama seems quite troubled by something. Is there anything I can assist with?” Gero ask tilting his head

“Hm? Oh right, you should know more about this. Is there any way to determine what monster I will create when I portion off my power?” I ask

gero “The Maou has the ability to create any creature they can imagine. You are not limited to creatures that currently exist either. Your will can manifest a creature of your own design if you so desire.” Gero explains with a bow

Anything? In that case, I may have an idea.