Chapter 67: Am I Not Girly Enough Right Now?
The night was deep. A gentle breeze brushed past, making the leaves rustle softly.
"Nom nom nom!"
By the campfire, Shiro was turning her grief and indignation into an appetite, devouring grilled meat in massive gulps.
"Mmph, mmph..."
Watching Shiro gorge herself like a starving beast, Shirazawa let out a soft sigh. *I really want to reach godhood soon. Even if I have to be a girl, anything is better than this half-human-half-spider form.*
*Click-clack~ click-clack~*
Nearby, two Puppet Spiders tilted their wooden heads, watching the two spider girls eat with a look of silent envy. These were the kin Ariel had left behind to "protect" them—though, in reality, they were more like wardens. Ariel was genuinely afraid these two would try to make a run for it.
The Puppet Spiders looked identical to the ones found in the Labyrinth. Their true bodies were palm-sized spider monsters hidden inside the puppets. Their strength was roughly half that of a Queen Taratect, with stats hovering around 20,000.
Although Shiro had "drowned" six of them during the earlier struggle with Mother, Ariel still had four left. And as for monsters like Mother, Ariel originally possessed twelve of them—though that number had now dropped to eleven.
Seeing the longing looks on the Puppet Spiders' faces, Shiro handed over a skewer of meat.
"Here, eat."
Since no one else was around, Shiro spoke out loud—a rare occurrence.
"Ka?"
Seeing the two hesitating, Shiro forcefully shoved the meat into their wooden hands and went back to enjoying her own meal. Soon, one of the little spiders couldn't resist the temptation. It opened the puppet's mouth, passed the meat to its true body inside, and began to feast with an expression of pure ecstasy. The other soon followed suit.
After finishing the skewers, the two spiders weren't satisfied. They scurried over to Shiro and opened their mouths wide, waiting to be fed again.
"Giggle~"
Shiro was amused by their cute antics and tossed them the last two skewers from the grill.
*Pitter-patter~*
The two spiders snatched the meat with lightning speed, quickly dividing the remaining portions. Shiro watched them with a silent smile. But then, she suddenly realized something: the actions of these two little guys seemed even cuter than her own.
*Hmm...*
She stole a glance at Shirazawa beside her, a strange feeling bubbling up in her heart. For some reason, after evolving, the relationship between the two didn't feel as close as before. In the past, they slept together every night, and Shirazawa would occasionally pat her head gently.
But now, their communication had dwindled. At night, they slept separately, with no "cuddling" or "tucking in" at all.
*Is it because I'm not girly enough now?*
*Have I lost my charm?*
She looked down at the swell of her chest.
*Hmm...*
*Is it because I dress too wildly?*
Since their stats had reached the level of monsters like their mother, their defense was so high that almost no one could break it, even if they wore nothing. Therefore, they only wore a simple breast-wrap, which did look a bit "bold."
To increase her "maidenly power," Shiro decided to dress up a bit. At the very least, she needed to wear a proper outfit. Thus, she summoned her tough yet soft spider silk and began tinkering with some clothes.
"Hmm?"
"What are you doing?"
Her small movements piqued Shirazawa's curiosity.
"Nothing! Just, uh... I'm bored, so I'm making... right! Making clothes for these two little guys! Ahaha..." Shiro laughed awkwardly, throwing the blame entirely onto the two little spiders.
"?"
"?"
"?"
The three "listeners" (Shirazawa and the two spiders) were all confused.
"You seem extra weird today."
"D-do I?"
In the glow of the campfire, Shiro's face flushed a brilliant red, making her look exceptionally beautiful. However, she forced a fierce glare at Shirazawa, as if saying: *Mind your own business.*
"Alright, alright, whatever you say."
Shirazawa shrugged. He didn't think much of it; Shiro was growing up, and it was only natural for her to have her own thoughts. Without another word, he lay back on the grass to take a nap, having eaten his fill.
However, his consciousness traveled back to the Elroe Great Labyrinth. His Parallel Minds were developing rapidly; the Upper Stratum was nearly conquered by spider monsters. Since the experience and skill proficiency gained by the Parallel Minds fed back into the main body, their strength was steadily rising, even though he and Shiro had done nothing but hunt for daily food this past month.
His main concern was that the Parallel Minds might develop strange, rebellious thoughts after consuming Mother's soul. He had to keep a constant eye on them to prevent a disaster.
Meanwhile, an exquisite white dress was slowly taking shape in Shiro's hands. Having nothing else to do, the Puppet Spiders began to mimic her, spitting out silk to weave their own garments.
"You guys want to learn?"
"Ka-ka!"
"I'll teach you."
"Ka-ka!"
Seeing the two little spiders listening so intently, Shiro slowed down her weaving and began teaching them the art of dressmaking.
Unlike the two "struggling" spider girls, things were much more lively on the Demon Lord's side.
"Manager, give us your most luxurious room," Ariel said grandly inside the inn.
Behind her, Sophia watched with a look of pure admiration. *As expected of the Demon Lord, her aura is totally different. Not like those two mean spider girls who only know how to exploit me... Ariel-nee is so gentle.*
"Uh, guests, please follow me," the waitress stammered, leading the way.
"Mmh. Mera, pay the bill."
"Of course, milord."
"..." Sophia.
*Okay, I take back what I just said. Only Mera is truly good to me. Waaaah...*
Under Mera's care, Sophia took a wonderful bath, ate a normal meal in the dining hall, and finally drifted into a happy sleep on a soft bed. It was the most peaceful sleep she'd had in her entire life. No mean spider girls, no disgusting venom-grilled meat, and no late-night training sessions.
*Ah~ life is complete.*
...
After confirming Sophia was asleep, Mera slowly closed the door. When he reached the lobby, he happened to run into Ariel, who was drinking alone.
"Going out for a 'snack'?" Ariel looked at Mera meaningfully.
"...Yes." Mera, his mind heavy with thought, nodded slightly.
Unlike Sophia, who was a Progenitor and could ignore all the negative effects of being a vampire, Mera had to wear a light-proof cloak and could not walk in the sun. Most importantly, he needed to drink blood, or his strength would continue to wane until he was no different from a normal human.
Along the way, he had survived on monster blood, but he knew that only delayed the inevitable. He *had* to consume human blood. For a man with a normal human conscience, this was an agonizing choice.
"Go on. With your current strength, you won't be able to protect your Young Lady," Ariel said, hitting the nail on the head like a wise older sister.
*She's right. Everything is to protect Lady Sophia. My weak self must become strong... no matter the cost!*
"Thank you, milord." Mera took a deep breath and bowed solemnly to her.
"Go," Ariel waved him off. She believed Mera would make the right choice.
Mera walked out of the inn and wandered aimlessly through the pitch-black night. Soon, he found a human female swordsman with tan skin. He apologized to her in his heart, then resolutely dragged her into a dark alleyway.
The scene is too "beautiful"–feel free to imagine it yourselves.
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