Three Years of Longing

Three years had passed. So many months that it was hard to keep track. My owner still hadn't returned.

'Owner... where are you...?'

My petals drooped a little. I wasn't completely alone thanks to my bugs, but there was an emptiness in one corner of my heart. Two months after she left, my worry started to grow. She was taking far longer than usual to come back. By the three-month mark, I began to suspect if Nis had done something. After six months... a terrifying fear washed over me that something awful had happened.

'Owner... Nis didn't do anything weird to you, did she?'

'No way... no way. Owner's way stronger than Nis.'

'But why hasn't she come back...'

I had these thoughts dozens of times a day. Some days it was too much to bear, so I'd soothe myself by reminiscing about memories with my owner.

'Owner... I remember when we first met.'

A massive dragon had suddenly appeared while I was enjoying a festival of slaughter in the mid-layers. Back then, she polymorphed into a silver-haired woman and took me away. I'd passed out... It was scary at first, but thinking back now, it felt like a warm, cozy embrace. I recalled her icy expression from that time. Cold, but so beautiful to me.

'The first time Owner petted me...'

I remembered the moment her cool hand gently stroked my petals. They were much smaller and more delicate back then. They curled up slightly at her touch, then bloomed wide open again.

'And when she named me...'

Ricoris. The joy when I first heard that name... It felt like I'd become someone's precious existence. She said it came to her right after she took me in.

'Owner really ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠loved my flower nectar too...'

Her expression the first time she tasted it. I can't even describe how happy that made me. I wanted to make nectar for her for a thousand years if that's what she wanted... It felt like we'd become family. Her smile back then was so warm. Tears threatened to fall. A sad fragrance seeped faintly from my petals.

After Owner left, various humans came and went. Among them, Hafel and Brian were friends, so I paid extra attention. Whenever they visited, I gave them plenty of nectar and cut roots full of poison for them.

<Brian, Hafel... have you heard any rumors about Owner out there?>

Every time these trustworthy humans came, I carved letters into the ground with my root tips and asked. My heart was desperate. Please...

But the answers were always the same.

"No, I haven't heard anything..."

Brian even said he'd asked around in other places a few times. I was grateful for his sincere efforts, but no news about Owner only made me more anxious.

Sometimes strange humans came in trying to harm me. But they were all below knight-level scrubs, and I subdued them in seconds. I absorbed quite a bit of their mana too... but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠polymorph was still impossible. It was frustrating that even that wouldn't work. If I could turn human and go find Owner...

That thought exhausted me more. 'Kids... forget cleaning the labyrinth. Just stay by my side...'

I'd even stopped making my bugs clean, to the point where my personality had changed. Truth be told, I just wanted them to stay close because I was depressed.

…

One day, my petals swayed listlessly in the wind blowing through cracks in the ice walls. Suddenly, I felt like checking my status window.

'Level 262... already six years old.'

Three years had flown by before I knew it. My stamina backup battery had surpassed 1.2 million, and my skills and traits had leveled up and grown in number.

Seeing the new trait Sia Kalt's Guardian, it seemed I'd officially become Owner's proxy now. But...

'What's the point... without Owner...'

Not just me—my bugs had gotten incredibly strong too. Their average level was a whopping 150. Miel was over 160, Cecilia had reached 170. Glessia, despite her laziness, had grown ridiculously fast to level 210. Lote... occasionally munched on some protean ore and hit level 200.

When high-level monsters poked around, I'd just let the monsters handle it themselves while I watched. It was like a well-oiled monster population control system. But lately, even strong monsters hardly came. They must all be scared of me and my bugs.

I felt my petals sag a bit. Miel carefully landed on one and started gently stroking it. She always tried to comfort me. The warm tapping of her tiny feet felt nice.

Cecilia fluttered over too, flapping her gorgeous flame wings and settling beside me. The pleasant warmth felt good.

They'd comforted me before, but now they seemed even better at reading my mood. If my petals drooped even a little, Miel would stroke them lightly, and Cecilia would wrap me in just the right, not-too-hot warmth. Their small gestures sank deep into my heart.

Still, there was an emptiness lingering in one corner of my heart. Lote kept orbiting me protectively as always, and Glessia... occasionally stirred, then flopped back down. What characters they all were.

'Ah... I don't wanna do anything...'

I just hung my petals limply, staring blankly. Were my bugs mimicking me? They were all sprawled out softly around. The chamber was sunk in a quiet hush.

That was when it happened.

Suddenly, a brilliant light poured down from the chamber's ceiling.

'...Huh??'

My petals snapped open in tension. The bugs instantly straightened up into alert mode. Even Glessia bolted upright, on guard.

At that moment, a clear, noble voice echoed in my mind.

'Gasp! Michael!'

My petals shivered at Michael's sudden appearance. This was a miracle! The goddess speaking directly to me!

'Michael! Is Owner safe? Where is she?!'

This might be my only chance to ask the goddess! Whatever she was saying went in one ear and out the other. I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠immediately asked what I wanted to know most.

'Please, Michael! Just tell me if Owner's safe!'

Please... I pleaded again. My petals trembled white with desperation.

'Huh?'

For real...? I blanked out for a second. Did I hear that right?

'Really? Owner's just passed out drunk?'

Relief and absurdity crashed over me at Michael's words. Owner wasn't in danger or captured by someone... just drunk! But still, what a relief!

'Phew... that's really good! Thank you so much, Michael!'

A burst of joyful fragrance exploded from my petals. All my worries vanished in an instant.

'Michael! I'll devote my blood to you forever! Thank you!'

The light began to fade slowly. Our connection time was ending.

'Thank you so much for telling me about Owner, Michael!'

Heehee! I gave my final goodbye and prayed once more inwardly.

As the light fully vanished, the chamber fell quiet again. But my heart was now filled with joy.

'Great! Once I polymorph, I'll go wake Owner right away!'

With my biggest worry lifted, I felt true happiness for the first time in three years. My petals bloomed wide, and my stamen shook with vibrant energy. Sensing my change, my bugs perked up too.

Miel bounced around on my petals, expressing her joy. I could feel the happiness radiating from her tiny body. Cecilia spread her three pairs of wings wide and flew circles, trailing gorgeous fiery afterimages.

Lote didn't react much, but her orbit sped up and grew more harmonious. And Glessia... she finally got up fully, spreading her wings and stretching.

Oh... it's been so long since she woke up...

I felt sorry thinking my depression had kept their energy down too. I realized anew how much my bugs were influenced by my emotions.

'Sorry, kids. For being depressed so long...'

But they showed no resentment—in fact, they seemed even happier. For them, my happiness alone was enough.

'Thanks! Alright, let's clean the labyrinth for the first time in ages!'

Fresh energy bubbled up inside me. Right then, my Domain Domination radar picked up a group of humans.

'Hm? Who's that?'

Focusing, I saw seven humans entering a fork in the deep layers.