NOVEL NEXT Ch7 - Golden Monster?
Chapter 7: Golden Monster?
「Guaaaah…!」
『Are you okay, Renaaa!?』
『Damn it, what a sneaky guy this golden one is! I can’t believe he tried to make Rena self-destruct with a mental attack.』
『…I won’t forgive you.』
Rena, who accidentally hit her head with her own whip, was writhing in pain. Her familiars glared at the golden one, and the golden monster (tentative) watched the group of four with interest.
「That judgment is really unsatisfying. …Anyway, since whip marks tend to stick around, shouldn’t you hurry up and cool the injury? Izumi.」
『!? How do you know Izumi’s name too!?』
Izumi jumped up, startled, and rushed at the golden monster.
「Because I can see it.」
The golden monster responded in a casual tone.
『『What the heck is that—!? No fair!』』
『…!』
Although Izumi was flustered by the “I can see” comment, she was more worried about her master, who was in pain, so she climbed up to Rena’s head and began cooling the injury.
『Aqua!』
Her slime body cooled down, soothing the whip marks on her master’s head.
Kureha and Lily stood in front of Rena, trying to protect her from the golden monster, though their small bodies couldn’t fully cover her. Still, it was clear their beloved master was being protected and loved by her faithful familiars.
「Ugh… Thank you, everyone…」
Groaning, Rena slowly regained her composure. Although she was still rubbing the painful mark, the coolness from Izumi was helping her feel much better.
She suddenly lifted her head with determination and looked ahead. The golden monster hadn’t approached and was still about five meters away, observing them.
Rena reflected on how lucky she was not to have been attacked while writhing in pain earlier. She had put herself at unnecessary risk and vowed to be more careful, knowing that if she were taken down, her familiars would suffer too.
She observed the unmoving, silent golden figure carefully. The more she looked, the more she felt it was an abnormal being.
In this dark and eerie forest, full of dense trees and undergrowth, the area around the golden one alone seemed almost like a painting, radiating an unnatural beauty.
“That sparkling humanoid is way too suspicious!” Rena thought, heightening her guard.
(After being tricked by that kind-looking guild member, I’m at maximum distrust of everyone! If you think you can fool me, monster, it’s not going to work—you’re way too shallow!)
Still tired, Rena spoke to the golden figure with a strange tone in her head, gripping her whip again (this is obviously a flag), and she shouted in a harsh voice.
「Who are you!?」
…Well, for Rena, that was a harsh tone. She glared at the golden figure as fiercely as she could, trying to intimidate him.
The golden figure gazed back with amethyst-colored eyes. It felt as though he could see right through everything about her, sending a shiver down her spine.
「Nice to meet you. My name is Rucathias.」
「…Nice to meet you.」
The golden figure unexpectedly introduced himself politely.
Could this be a well-mannered being? Rena was confused about how to respond.
The fact that he spoke so naturally suggested he might actually be a human. He had a name, after all, making him even more mysterious. Rena’s face contorted in confusion.
「If you hold the whip like that, you’re going to hit yourself again when you swing. The way you’re holding it from below is a more advanced technique, so if you’re a beginner, it’s better to grip it from above. Try changing your form.」
He gave her advice.
「Ah, sorry about that.」
Without thinking, Rena adjusted her grip on the whip. It actually felt much better…
「…Wait, no! That helps, but this isn’t the time for that!」
Indeed, Rena. Don’t worry about it.
「You adapt so quickly.」
「Ugh.」
「That’s an important trait, you know.」
Was he mocking her? Why was he giving her such polite advice?
Was he saying her whip wouldn’t be able to hurt him anyway? Probably. Ugh!
A suspicious human (probably).
(If I can communicate with him, maybe I should try to find out more about him through conversation…)
Rena exchanged a glance with Lily, who possessed the “Butterfly Eye” skill.
If Lily could see through any lies he told, it would be helpful.
Rena steeled herself and decided to try speaking to him again.
「Mr. Rucathias.」
She mispronounced his name.
As she stood there embarrassed, the golden figure once again took the lead in the conversation. His clean, tenor voice, though lacking in emotion, echoed through the forest.
「You are Todo Rena.
Your profession is Beast Tamer, and so far, you’ve acquired five skills, all for your familiars. Your physical abilities are below average, but your intelligence is high. You’re a 17-year-old woman with a ☆7 Special Gift. Hmm… ‘Rare Class Change Affinity,’ huh?」
「ーーー…!?」
…Who is this guy? How does he know such detailed personal information? Could he be a guild member? Rena paled and started to panic.
He didn’t stop talking.
「Kureha and Izumi.
Both are Mini Jewel Slimes, a rare species of slime that has never been documented before. They evolved early at level 5. They split into two at birth, making them small individuals who share the same soul as siblings. They possess two skills: [Dissolve] and [Superhard], and hold a ☆4 Gift.」
『…Perv!』
『What are you looking at!!』
「Lily.
A female Night Butterfly, still not fully trained since being tamed. She has two skills, and her Gift is a ☆2 ‘Butterfly Eye.’ With the [Bloodsuck] skill, she’s absorbed her master’s blood, and is already nearing her next evolution.」
『…What?』
「That’s about it.」
The golden figure, having finished, fell silent once more, watching them with calm, emotionless purple eyes. The stunned Rena and her familiars stood frozen in shock, overwhelmed by the flood of personal information he’d revealed.
(How can she be so shocked in the middle of this forest? What kind of peaceful life has this 17-year-old girl been living? Her soul is so pure… it’s strange.)
As he “watched” this unfold, the golden figure, with an almost resigned expression, began to speak again.
Now would be the perfect time to get to the main point.
「My eyes are useful, aren’t they? It’s the effect of my ☆7 Special Gift, a magical eye that can “see almost all the information about someone.”
Wouldn’t you want this ability to help you escape?」
「!?」
「That’s what I’m offering.」
Rena and her familiars gasped, shocked. He smiled slightly, seemingly satisfied with their reactions.
「Basically, I’m saying my ability is useful for escape. With the magic eye, I can learn everything about anyone you meet, and even see the paths they’ve walked. That’s how I found all of you.
So, what do you think? Would you let me join your escape group?
Right now, I’m offering a ☆7 Gift, a magic bag with item storage, and even navigation assistance to foreign countries. I’m also pretty good at guiding growth.」
「…!?」
“Wa-wait, wait, wait!”
“How convenient! But what do you mean by ‘fellow fugitive’?”
“Tutorial-san!”
“…It’s Lucatias. Since we’re both being chased, it’d be a great help if you decide quickly.”
“Ah, I’m sorry. Wait, what!? Are you being chased too? (A criminal?)”
“Don’t call me a criminal.”
“Stop reading my thoughts!”
Lena is so straightforward and easy to read.
“It’s written all over your face.”
“Guh!”
Lena’s ‘life points’ are being chipped away. Right now, calling her things like ‘simple’ or ‘easy to read’ is strictly off-limits. She bit her lip slightly and looked teary-eyed, clearly frustrated. She remembered how her simplicity almost got her tricked at the guild.
No, I can’t let myself feel down, she thought, pulling herself together.
Though she was being dragged along at the other person’s pace, she knew she had to think properly.
(Wait… does he actually want to join us?)
“If we accept your proposal, what benefit will it bring you? Please explain.”
Lena had learned the hard way from her time in Danatzella that kindness without expecting anything in return could be dangerous. Be suspicious! She couldn’t afford to be fooled by sweet talk again.
Feeling proud of herself for learning this lesson, Lena, however, realized that doubting overly kind strangers was just basic (common sense) for someone from Lanashe.
The man with golden hair carefully chose his words and began to slowly explain his “circumstances.”
“Well, where should I start…”
The golden-haired man’s true name was Lucatias Gwain Riashart, the former prince of the notorious Kingdom of Gararajule.
The reason it’s ‘former’ is that he’s now a fugitive who fled the royal palace. Lucatias had always despised the corrupt government and their abuse of his [Magic Eye], so when an opportunity to escape arose, he abandoned his title without hesitation.
From the moment he was born, the [Magic Eye] he possessed was deemed highly valuable, and the prince had been bound by a subjugation spell. A collar and guards were always with him wherever he went, making it impossible for him to escape from the palace.
But everything changed with the Jewel Slime incident. The kingdom needed his Magic Eye to track down the runaway slime, and so, finally, they allowed him to leave the palace as part of the search team.
Of course, they still put the subjugation collar on him as usual, fully confident that he was under control.
However, this time there was an unexpected twist—his stepsister intentionally didn’t activate the collar’s magic. Her reasoning?
“This time, dear brother, you’re free to go wherever you like. And please, do die miserably out of my sight, will you?”
Not exactly out of kindness, but it did grant the prince his freedom.
His stepsister, a girl obsessed with her own beauty, harbored a deep hatred for Lucatias, whose looks surpassed hers. She had long waited for the chance to eliminate him, seeking an opportunity to do so in secret. As a member of the royal family, she was as vain and self-centered as one could imagine.
Sensing his chance, the ex-prince immediately seized upon his stepsister’s words and, the moment they reached Danatzella, used his Magic Eye to shake off his subordinates and fled into the forest.
Naturally, he had every intention of surviving. To ensure a successful escape from the country, he sought out Lena and her group, believing that cooperation with others in a similar situation would increase his chances of making it to foreign lands. Besides, as a Tamer with rare monsters, Lena’s group seemed useful enough to warrant taking the risk.
Was it reckless to trust someone without really knowing them? Maybe. But it was just a feeling.
“And that’s why I’m also being chased. My situation is quite dangerous, so I’d like to escape the country as soon as possible. Will you cooperate with me?”
“What? You’re bringing more pursuers onto us!?”
Lena was on the verge of tears. It was already tough enough running from the terrifying guild members, and now they had royal pursuers after them too! And those were probably even more relentless. Nooo!
A rare [Magic Eye] wielder—there’s no way the government would ever let him go easily.
Lena groaned, while the golden prince’s apology was lighthearted.
“Ah, that’s what you’re focusing on? Sorry about that.”
“Do you think I’ll just forgive you for that!? Ugh! …Lily-chan, is he lying?”
“…No.”
Lena quickly confirmed with Lily, and after hearing the heavy story, both she and her companions had complex expressions. Even the slimes seemed to be downcast, worried they had attracted trouble. Lena hurried to comfort them.
“Let’s go!”
But Lena seemed to have made up her mind. She included the golden prince in her group’s members.
They couldn’t just stay hidden here any longer. To escape to another place as quickly as possible, though it was frustrating, she knew it was better to have him with them.
“(Nod.)” The prince gave a firm nod in response. No need for that dramatic gesture!
Lena shot a slightly resentful glance at him. Don’t even think about betraying us! Her strong-willed demeanor surprised the prince.
“I’m sorry. I’ll make sure to be helpful for the trouble I’ve caused.”
“…Of course! I’m counting on you to navigate. Lead the way, Lucatias-san.”
“You sure started trusting me quickly.”
“You’re the one who got us into this situation, and it’s too late to complain now! …I’m prepared for this.”
With a small, exasperated shout, Lena watched her slimes and butterflies with tender eyes.
“I can’t trust myself… but I can trust my precious familiars. If Lily-chan says you’re telling the truth, then I’ll believe it.”
“…Master. …I love you.”
“Coo trusts you on Lena’s behalf!”
“Izzy does too!”
“Thank you. Alright, let’s escape together.”
Lena looked straight into the golden prince’s eyes as she said this.
“Yeah. Thank you. You can count on me.”
Hearing those words, Lucatias smiled slightly and began walking in a direction slightly off from the deeper part of the forest.
Lena and the others followed. Oh, and despite everything, Lena was secretly crying from sympathy. It was obvious, though.
With one more (almost forced) member, Lena’s group became livelier. Their chaotic journey of escaping the country was far from over.
Lena met a guide!
Former prince Lucatias joined the party!