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n***

n“It’s a type of vegetation monster that won’t deal physical damage, but it’ll stop travelers by stimulating their protective instincts, starving them to death, and enrooting them forever. It’s pretty nasty, I’m not going to lie. We should just kill it.”

nWhen they heard what Yomite said, they seemed relieved, and walked to the girl’s side.

n(Oi… Didn’t they hear the part about starving travelers to death?)

nYomite went closer as well and inspected the girl.

nThe Dendro Slime girl was wearing clothes that were common for girls in town.

nThe clothes looked roughly like something a citizen from Mond would wear.

nShe was bare footed and was smiling happily as they surrounded her.

nLooking carefully, the boulder under her butt was also a part of her body.

nBehind the boulder was something like a branch. A few small fruits were growing on it.

nThose were probably the toxic gelatin substances she would offer to her hungry prey.

n(The whole idea of this monster is haunting…)

nBe it the clothes she was wearing or the blood-stained bandages, all of these were mimics to draw the attention of people.

nAll of them were fake.

n(Disguising herself as a Loli who couldn’t move due to her injury… How evil. It’s intelligence must be relatively high. I do wonder how a slime could evolve like that though. Maybe in the future, I will be able to get myself a slime girl hehehe…)

nThe three of them didn’t care about what he was thinking and started doting on the girl.

nLumine gently reached her hand out and the girl showed a hesitant face that seemed to be saying, ‘Can I hold your hand?’, and took Lumine’s hand.

nAfter holding Lumine’s hand tightly, her expression changed to that of happiness from the bottom of her heart.

n‘…’

nThe three of them were completely taken in by that expression.

nYomite stood before the Dendro Slime girl and drew out his claymore.

nThis monster was too dangerous.

nIts effects were almost like a full blown hypnosis…

nAnd if it worked even on someone like Hu Tao…there might be huge issues if left alone.

nHe had to take care of it.

nHe was about to strike, however, Lumine got in his way, stretching out her hands in a protective manner, defending the girl.

n“Lumine are you crazy!? I almost cut you in half!”

n“You can’t kill it.” She pouted as she embraced the mimic girl, squashing her cheeks against her.

n(No, hold it, that is monster! A new found monster that killed people! Besides, Lumine has Paimon, why is she embracing this cute Loli…Ah…even Paimon is…hugging the Loli tightly…)

nLumine held the hand of Dendro Girl and looked up at him with pleading eyes.

nJust like a kid pleading to her parents not to send away a kitten she picked up off to an animal control or a kid pleading for new monthly Xbox Gold Live so that she could play online with her friends.

nLumine’s face was indeed dangerously cute, nothing like her usual emotionless expression.

n(The pheromones must have gotten her good…)

n“U-Ugly Tattoo…P-Paimon doesn’t usually ask you for a favor, but now is the time to do so. Leave this girl be!”

nPaimon seemed very hesitant just now, despite knowing that it was a dangerous monster, she still decided to protect it.

nHu Tao stood up, “…No. If my dear assistant decided to exterminate it, then it should be done. We are on a quest after all! I just came here because I thought it was injured, but it wasn’t hurt at all. Judging from this, this monster must be a very cunning mimic. If we leave it alone, there’ll be more victims in the future.”

nFor once, Hu Tao said something incredibly smart.

nYomite had noticed this, that Hu Tao sometimes had these moments where she was smart, and would act mature.

nLuckily one of these moments just happened, hopefully changing the flow of this situation.

nShe drew out her long polearm while saying this, and took a stance against the Dendron Slime Girl.

nHer polearm was coated by the fire from her Vision.

nDendro and Pyro element was a dangerous combination.

nOne spark of flames and the Loli in front of them would burn to cinders.

nHer Vision had ignited and she was ready to strike but at that moment, the Dendro Girl said, with a lisp like a child, and a voice that was soft and vague, as if it wasn’t yet sure how to speak:

n“…Want kill… Me…?”

nThe Dendron Slime Girl held onto Lumine’s hand like a drowning woman grasping at a lifebuoy as she raised her head and looked up at Hu Tao.

nTears filled her eyes as she quivered nonstop.

n(So, it could speak…?)

nYomite frowned. It was even more dangerous than he thought.

nThe polearm in Hu Tao’s hands started shaking intensely, and she looked back at Yomite with an expression completely identical to the little girl.

n(Even you!? Hu Tao! Looking at me with such eyes. What the hell! When was your compassion three months ago when a child ran away from you, crying after one of your jokes!)

nHe held it in and took a deep breath.

nHe pushed the immobile Hu Tao aside and walked forth with his unsheathed Claymore.

n(This monster needs to die. It’s a quest after all…)

nThe pheromones were too strong, the girls couldn’t possibly kill it.

nIt was his responsibility alone.

nPaimon flew in front of the little girl to block his way, waving her fists in the air as if she was a boxer.

n“Don’t you dare Bad Tattoo! Paimon will fight it out with you!”

nThe Loli looked at Lumine, who was holding her hand, then said to Yomite timidly,

n“…Want kill… Me…?”

nSeeing the teary-eyed little girl tilting her head to express her doubt, it felt like a knife was tearing away at his insides.

n(Come on! Not me too! There are no pheromones affecting me, she’s cute, that’s for sure…but it only affects women!! Get a grip, Yomite!)

nThe two people, a fairy and one monster stared at him.

n(Pull yourself together, this monster will kill people again. If I leave it alone, someone else might fall victim to it. Just kill it like you do with any other monster or Treasure Horders…no big deal… You’ve seen death and blood many times now…I didn’t want to say anything grandiose, but leaving a monster alone would be wrong, right? Or was exterminating it wrong!?)

n“Tch damn it all!”

nSeeing him stab the claymore into the grass and scratching his head from this dilemma, Lumine said, “See? I knew party leader wasn’t a bad person…Thank you!”

n“What illogical thinking, just like that of a bum.” Yomite scoffed.

nThe three of them looked at Yomite with complicated expressions.

nIris on the other hand laid down on the grass near them, as she sunbathed and didn’t care about the girl whatsoever.

n(Sun feels good, Sun feels nice. Praise the Sun.)

nThe mimic girl also had a face of unease.

nYomite had a proper reason to do this.

nIf he didn’t exterminate this monster, there might be victims in the future.

n(Tch…Ahhh, damn it, it can’t be helped, so please forgive me! That’s right, even though its appearance was a human Loli, my only weakness, it was still a monster on the inside, a monster, monster…Get a hold of yourself, Yomite! The pheromones she generates are taking over your mind even when they shouldn’t!)

n“…”

nSeeing how conflicted he was, the mimic girl said in a soft voice,

n“Is it painful…Sorry because I live…”

nThe mimic girl said as she showed a fragile smile.

n“Because, I, we, monsters live…Will cause trouble…”

nSpecks of tears appeared in her eyes…

n“Since born, first time, talk with humans…I’m sorry…”

nIt clasped its hand before its petite chest as if in prayer.

n“Meeting with you… beautiful…if next time…I born human…we meet again…Would be wonderful…”

nAfter saying its piece, it closed its eyes in resignation.

n“…”

n…

n..

n.

nThere was no way he could do it…

n