CH 199.2

The time returns from the past to the present.

『……』

The same season as when he came to this place is coming.

It was a forced summon, but the place where he was taken to had the best tree in the world growing on it.

And the human who was the owner of the land, placed him on the branch and said this to him.

「Don’t hold back and eat now, alright? This tree of mine has plenty of leaves after all」

It was hard to believe. When he was in the spirit forest, it was a tree that he was not even allowed to approach.

And the Land owner is kind and forgiving. It was a joy to work together with him to create the garden forest.

In the meantime, he ate and built up his strength, and eventually succeeded in bringing his friend over.

(It’s not a dream, right?)

The spirit beast named Imosuke looked at his body. He was now twenty centimeters long, far different from when he was only three or four centimeters.

『What’s wrong?』

On the ground under the tree, his friend was looking up at him. The spirit beast named Dangorou called out to Imosuke.

This one is also around fifteen centimeters, and has grown considerably since when it was only three centimeters.

『We’ve gotten so much bigger aren’t we?』

Dangorou ponders the meaning of the reply that came back. He finally understood and replied.

『We get to ate a lot after all』

Imosuke nodded in agreement.

Back then, they were lacking in magic power and their fire of life was about to be extinguished just like that. Now they finally reach their true size.

『It seems we got called』

『Let’s go』

Today he seemed to have returned home before the sun went down, which was unusual.

At the call of their beloved owner, the two animals on the branches and on the ground began to move towards him.

***

I walked out into the garden forest and looked around for my family members.

They were easy to find. The fifth instar larvae of the swallowtail butterfly turned toward me and walked to the tip of the branch, while the dung beetle trudged along the ground.

「It’s been getting colder lately」

I walked back to my room with a caterpillar from the branch on my shoulder and a dung beetle on my palm.

I’m going to hold a meeting of the top executives of the 『Doom squad』.

I set them down on a bath towel on the floor and tell them about it. The two animals then begged me to bring out their costumes.

「Alright, alright. Here you go」

The deputy chief, Imosuke, wears an eye patch on his ocular crest. The general, Dangorou, wears a light green chestnut burr for indoor use.

He wears it like a hermit crab, and somehow it never comes off. Just as expected of a spirit beast, I guess.

「Gentlemen, the time has come!」

After confirming that my subordinates were ready, I announced in a stern voice.

「Tomorrow, I’m finally going to come face to face with Light cruiser-sensei」

The deputy chief and the general were in a daze.

『Good luck』

『Be careful』

I nodded a few times in response to their enthusiastic encouragement.

I made up my mind and decided to tell the truth to the two animals I trusted.

「To tell you the truth, I don’t have anything to combat her」

I’ve thought about a lot of things, but in the end, I couldn’t come up with anything. My feeling right now was similar to that of an unprepared person on the day of an exam.

My kins screamed at the shocking fact.

「If this goes on, I would probably going to be completely defeated by her」

Perhaps unable to bear the implications of my words, Imosuke slumped on the bath towel while Dangorou curled up into a ball and rolled away.

The general, who had turned into a chestnut burr himself, stopped when he got stuck in a cushion on the floor.

The top executives regain their composure over time. Then they asked me with a worried look.

「What’s going to happen to me if I lose, you ask?」

I guess they’re worried about the penalty.

But no matter how competitive this match will be, it takes place on a bed in a brothel. It’s nothing serious.

「Don’t worry. It’s not like I’m going to get caught and you guys will be no longer be able to stay here anymore」

The deputy chief and the general looked at each other, relieved. I looked at them and continued to speak.

「At most, my fame as Doctor Slime will be dropped slightly, that’s all」

To be honest, I don’t mind at all.

I don’t need to be called “Two greatest people” or “Valuable Treasure” or any other such grandiose nicknames.

「Even though I completely beat her last time, you say?」

Imosuke asked me with a hint of nervousness. He seemed to remember, as I had talked about it several times.

「Well, I did in the end, but that was because I overdid it after I won. The match itself was so close, I could have lost」

It was because I attacked a sanctuary that I was not allowed to enter that Light cruiser-sensei had to fall asleep for three weeks.

Although she had plenty of qualities for it, she herself had forbidden anyone to aim at her rear.

She was surprised, embarrassed, and begged me to stop. The sight was so appealing that I couldn’t stop myself.

「When was the last time I had a match with her, you ask?」

The forest sage, the leader of my kin, seems to be curious about something. He was always eager to ask questions.

I looked at them and thought.

「I think it hasn’t been a year yet. Since it was after Dangorou came here」

My family members look at each other again. They faced each other and consulted with each other in a lively yet nervous manner.

When they seemed to have reached a conclusion, Imosuke turned to me.

「It’s going to be okay? I became much stronger than I was then, you say?」

They say that my aura glows differently and everything.

The only time the two animals have seen a play was when Cool-san came to the house. They probably don’t understand the meaning of the act itself.

But when the spirit beasts told me that, I felt somewhat more confident.

「You’re right. I’m not the same person I was back then. I’m proud of the experience I’ve gained and the growth I’ve made」

Playing in a brothel. It nurtured my power of magic manipulation and paved the way for me to become a pilot of a Knight.

And the training to become a pilot and the experience after riding the Knight. These two things have further refined my skills in magic manipulation.

「I was never in a standstill, is what you’re meaning to say, right?」

I felt my heart lighten and let out a deep breath from my chest.

I am so grateful that I have a family that I can talk to and encourage me.

「You’d be here for me if I ever need help, you say?」

General Dangorou said as he swung his body wrapped in a chestnut burr from side to side.

I imagined the chestnut burr rolling down the back of Light cruiser-sensei.

「Nah, I don’t need to do that. This is a fight between me and sensei, and we’ll settle it on our own」

The military man Dangoro seemed to be convinced. He gave a small nod.

「Because of you guys, my hesitation is gone. Thank you」

This is my true feeling.

To be honest, I didn’t think that consulting with my family members would help me determine my objective.

I was hoping that by consulting with them, I could find a clue to solve the problem by putting my thoughts out to them. That was the only intention I had.

The results were better than I expected.

「Alright, I’ll read you your favorite book. Which one do you want?」

My family members were happy to hear my words.

At Imosuke’s request, we decided on 『The Orcs and The Elves』 as the first book.

This is a unique story in which the villains, the orcs, play a major role from beginning to end. It was an appropriate choice for the deputy chief of an evil organization.

――But the Orcs were cunning. They saw through the elves’ lies and traps and pretended to fall for them. 『Don’t come here! You lowlife!』The elven queen shouted, but she couldn’t move with the net over her head. From among the Orcs that surrounded her, a large man with a huge body stood out――

In this way, the meeting of the top executives of the Doom squad ended and the picture book reading session continued until we went to bed.