chapter 18
18 – Parasite Queen (1)
Joint class with Class S.
Although it was a joint class,
It was nothing more than using Class F as an audience to satisfy their own base pride.
Nevertheless, my mood is more lively than ever.
“If you want to use us, I will use you too!”
In exchange for satisfying Class S’s pride, I will watch
“I refuse!”
Why would I give up on this spectacle that brings me joy?
To satisfy my wretched pride, a price must be paid.
I merely indulge in the beauty of the physical form as a consequence.
“…I stopped,” she said.
“Don’t be like that and let’s enjoy it. Do you have any idea…”
“Ron.”
A chilly voice that sent shivers down my spine.
When I turned around, there was Lily with a cold smile, meeting my gaze.
“Uh, um.”
“Do you like it?”
Of course, Lily.
She doesn’t beat around the bush, but goes straight for the core.
Is this the strike of a warrior?
“W-What? What is it?”
“Then, shall I ask the opposite? Did you see me fight well?”
“……..”
Unable to utter a word in response to Lily’s question, I tightly sealed my lips.
Lily has grown stronger compared to the original.
There is nothing futile about worrying for her.
Except for the boss, there are only weak lower-level demons here, and there’s no problem since it’s not the right time for the boss to appear.
So I enjoyed this spectacle with a calm mind.
Instead, I ended up poking the hornet’s nest of Lily’s pride.
“Isn’t it great? There’s a place for me to shine differently.”
“No, Lily, you don’t need such provincial lumps. You have your own charm…”
“But you were so fixated on that topic.”
Was it a mere illusion that my throat went dry while drinking water?
No matter what I say, it gets twisted,
And even if I remain silent, it only ignites Lily’s anger.
I asked Carion for help, but he turned his head and told me to accept my fate.
“I don’t have time to relax as you said.”
“What?”
Phew—!
“Aw!”
Thinking it might be directed at me, I asked back, but with narrow eyes, he glared at me, clenched his jaw, and stormed off somewhere.
I desperately wanted to chase after Lily, but even standing up was difficult due to the pain in my throat.
Watching Lily’s retreating figure, I let out a sigh.
***
It’s dangerous, indeed.
If things continue like this, Ron might lose Loni to another woman.
Dealing with the impulse, I felt a sense of crisis.
Right now, I’m caught up in F-Band’s infamous reputation, but that’s only a matter of time.
Ron, a hidden hard worker, can still have great growth in the academy,
And if people’s perception changes, it’s certain that he’ll be pursued by many women.
Then even the merit of having lived together like a family could become faint.
Sigh.
He lowered his head and looked at his chest.
Despite bulging slightly, he had confidence when entering the academy.
How weak he is and how high the average level of the Royal Road is.
-Sorry, Lily. I can’t marry a weak woman after all.
-Instead, I want to marry a woman with a big heart.
“Euaaak!”
Instantly, shaking off the passing delusion in his mind, he denied it while shaking his head.
Ron is not a man who would openly say such things.
However, because it won’t end just as a delusion if he continues like this, he became even more anxious.
The future where the perverted Ron marries a woman with a big heart.
Honestly, it was impossible to hear it as a mere joke.
Frankly, excluding the fact that he is a pervert, it’s strange that he isn’t popular.
A handsome man with a tall stature and a subtly pleasant personality.
If his skills are added to that, Ron’s value…
“Should I take some medicine?”
Should I ask the viscount for help and request some medicine?
Although he usually lives in a subdued manner,
It’s not to the extent that he cannot fulfill a request.
Of course, asking the viscount directly for medicine that can help with chest growth is not an easy task.
No matter how much of a guardian he may be, he is ultimately a man.
If he were to hear such a request, the viscount would also be put in a difficult position.
In the end, can one only rely on an uncertain future where someday they might grow?
No, it’s not desperate enough to be captivated by such an uncertain future.
‘Should I proactively step forward after all?’
Lately, Ron has been leaving the academy frequently.
Maybe because of Class F.
Whenever there are no classes, he doesn’t hesitate to leave.
Last week, he supposedly went to the mine as punishment, so I couldn’t go visit him.
Thanks to the joint classes, I had a chance to interact with Ron though.
But because of Ron’s seclusion, this is the current situation.
“Why does he keep looking at other girls when there’s a pretty and promising girl like me beside him?”
Muttering a lament mixed with frustration, I looked around.
A densely wooded forest with thickly standing trees.
Judging by the fact that I can’t see a meadow, it seems like I’ve come too far.
By now, Ron must have reflected, so I should start heading back…
“Huh?”
While scanning the surroundings, I spotted a frightened female student.
As if being chased by something, she kept looking around,
But when our eyes met, her face regained hope and she immediately ran towards me.
“Lilyang! Please help me! It’s about my friend!”
“First, calm down and explain what’s going on.”
She urgently pleaded for help.
Somewhere, I thought I had seen her a lot before, but she was actually my classmate from the same S class.
I comforted her within the pressure that weighed heavily on my shoulders.
Soon, as if truly calm, she began to explain as I requested.
“So, your friend is being held captive by a monster, right?”
“Yes. So please…”
The situation was truly the worst.
The two of them entered the forest, risking danger in order to achieve good grades.
With no other students around, they could expect high marks due to the abundance of monsters.
But even that lasted only for a moment.
The sudden attack of the monsters caused terrible consequences.
She barely survived at the expense of her friend’s sacrifice, but her friend is still trapped by the monster.
It was a situation that couldn’t be resolved with her own strength alone,
At the same time, there was no time to ask for help.
“If I call the professor, and my friend gets devoured…”
Although I didn’t know why the monster captured people,
It was important to realize that it wasn’t a good situation and act promptly.
Even if I am a skilled warrior, my current abilities are far from enough.
If I go to help, it would only result in increasing the monster’s food supply for nothing.
“But still…”
I couldn’t refuse when faced with her genuine concern for her friend.
If it were Ron, he would have accepted without even hearing the situation.
“Let’s go to where we last saw him, for now.”
“Yes!”
First, to assess the situation and retrace her steps when she parted with her friend, I moved towards the place.
Due to the dense forest, progress was not smooth,
But we arrived easily since no monsters appeared.
However, there was no sign of her friend whatsoever, nor a glimpse of the monster’s shadow.
“Are you sure about this place?”
“Yes! It was definitely here!”
Her words are truthful.
Although there were no horses or friends, the overflowing footsteps on the ground spoke the truth. There were footprints that looked like those of a human, but there were also several holes that looked like horse hoofprints. “It must be a spider-shaped horse,” they had said. It was about the size of a medium-sized dog and did not shoot spider webs or emit poison. If the level was that low, the horse they hunted before might be similar. The difference between a wild boar horse and a spider horse is the quantity. Even if it is a weak lower class horse, if it is pushed by quantity, it is equivalent to a middle class horse or more. “There are also different footprints other than spider’s.” She said she only met spider horses, but the size of these footprints was different from that of other footprints, suggesting at least a middle-class horse. “A middle-class horse….” She thought of that time when she received the job. She fought desperately to protect Ron, but she could only lose because of the overwhelming difference in skill, and also the monsters Ron had called. “It’s okay. You got stronger for that, didn’t you?” There is no end to just being afraid. What is the point of all the efforts to overcome fear so far? “I’ll start tracking from here, so go to the professor and ask for help.” “But, but!” “It’s okay. At least you can buy time.” If she had to track from here anyway, it would be better for her to go ask the professor for help. She seemed to realize that too, and eventually headed to the prairie where the professor was. After confirming her leaving figure, they immediately began to track her
—
Due to the sticky ground, it wasn’t difficult,
But I couldn’t relax because of the unusually loud footsteps.
How long have I walked?
Finally, I succeeded in finding a big hatchet that seemed to belong to her friend.
However,
Crunch, crunch.
“This seems dangerous.”
At a glance, there were at least 200 of them.
Red-eyed, snow-white spiders were gathered together.
And a giant raven presumed to be their boss.
Undoubtedly, it was a mid-level monster.
“Can I really handle them with my own strength?”
More than expected in number.
Clearly, if I end up fighting, it would be an overwhelming amount to handle.
But my body confidently stood in front of the monsters without any hesitation, unlike my worries.
As soon as I revealed myself, the spider legion showed hostility.
And even the giant raven raised its front leg.
In a situation where an ordinary person would have fled, I clenched my sword and shouted,
“I am Lily Bright! As a hero, I will slay your monsters!”