Lilith Ashtarte (1)
I didn't even need to see my face to imagine what kind of expression I had right now.
It was probably pale as a ghost.
Mumungmumung's words had hit me like a truck.
Strong child.
Child.
My kid?
Now that I thought about it, Lilith had said something like that once before.
That helping breed with species that only had females and wanted offspring was part of a dispenser's job too.
But wasn't this way too soon?
Was this that responsibility-without-pleasure bullshit? No, there had been pleasure. Fuck, Mumungmumung's pussy felt goddamn amazing.
But a kid?
What the hell was I supposed to do?
My mind was spinning.
And then Mumungmumung, who'd been staring at me blankly, finally spoke.
"I get what you're thinking, but it's not like that, so don't worry."
"...Like what?"
As I asked, I saw her stroking her belly.
"I heard human males take responsibility for females carrying their kids. And the females end up dependent on those males. Right?"
It felt a bit off, but if you thought about marriage or whatever, it wasn't totally wrong, so I nodded.
"...Yeah."
There were exceptions like me, but no need to bring that up.
The male—aka the father—didn't take responsibility.
The female—aka the mother—didn't either.
Parents who fucked for pleasure and took zero accountability, then dumped the living proof of their fun—the kid—without a second thought.
That was why cases like me, abandoned at an orphanage door in the dead of winter, weren't all that common.
So yeah, most humans lived like what Mumungmumung described.
"That's right. So..."
I started to ask what the hell I should do, but she cut me off and continued.
"But slimes don't have customs like that. No reason for them. We need male essence to have kids, sure... but it's really just the life force in the semen."
"Meaning...?"
"Your semen made the kid possible, yeah, but that's it. If I have to explain... it's like I borrowed your semen's power to make the kid myself?"
......
What?
Now that she said it wasn't really my kid, relief was secondary—I felt this weird, complicated mix of emotions.
"But..."
Wasn't it still because of me that the kid existed?
For someone like me, abandoned by both parents and raised an orphan, just brushing it off with no responsibility like she said was hard to swallow.
Even if our species were different and it was naturally gonna be that way.
"...Yeah, you're kind. My first kid might've gotten lucky thanks to you."
"First kid...?"
That surprised me.
She met my gaze and said,
"Yeah, first one. I'd started adapting to this world, so I was prepping to make a kid... but as a special kind of slime, I figured it'd take another year. This was faster than I thought."
I could only stare at Mumungmumung as she said it was good luck.
Her words were still beyond a normal human like me, but at least the blissful look on her face as she stroked her belly...
Told me her kid wouldn't end up abandoned at an orphanage like me.
So all I could say was,
"...Congrats."
"Thanks. Yeah... if it really bothers you..."
Her water-blue eyes peered into mine.
"Wanna name the kid?"
I couldn't refuse.
So I named her kid.
Not mine—hers.
"...How about Myungmyung?"
I wandered aimlessly. Walked for what felt like forever.
Didn't even know where I was headed anymore.
Then clap, I smacked both cheeks with my hands.
Still a bit dazed, but the stinging pain snapped me awake.
That's when I realized I'd been circling the same damn spot.
"Fucking idiot."
It was already late night, but the streets were packed with all sorts of species. Made sense.
Different races had different habits—night was prime time for some.
Yeah, totally normal.
"...Dumbass."
The slime said so herself—Mumungmumung, a slime. Species differences were common knowledge by now. Understanding them was just basic.
I was human. She was a slime.
Myungmyung was a slime too.
End of story.
All she asked from me was a name for her kid.
That was it.
Normal.
I was just a dispenser who provided the semen she paid for.
That's all.
Anything more was just meddling.
"Time to go home."
To my rundown, cramped apartment.
With cash to burn, I hailed a taxi on impulse.
Then my smartphone buzzed.
I gave the driver my address near home and texted back.
Right after I sent it, another buzz.
See ya later?
Checking the time, it was pretty late—almost midnight.
"Tomorrow?"
Shrugging it off, I texted Lilith.
With a ding, I pushed open the door and stepped inside. Something felt off right away.
First, the lights were on.
No way I'd leave them on—I was cheap as hell with electricity. Sure, monster-power generation made bills dirt cheap now, but yesterday's me still pinched every penny.
And there was noise from inside—from my room.
TV.
Weird I'd leave the lights on, but the TV too?
No fucking way.
First thought: burglar.
Fuck.
Thieving bastards who could squeeze blood from a stone.
Nothing worth stealing, and they pick my place?
But I was just a plain human. A human thief, maybe—but an orc? I'd get wrecked in seconds.
What to do? My eyes landed on the broom and metal dustpan I used for sweeping.
Grabbing one in each hand gave me a surge of courage.
This might even handle an orc.
Late night, but any commotion and neighbors would notice fast. My neighbor was a jacked orc.
Orcs were buff compared to humans, but this guy was next-level. Forearms thicker than my waist—a real beast.
Scary-looking but good guy; he'd come running at noise.
Plan solid.
Check the thief first. If doable, broom and dustpan takedown. If not, scream bloody murder.
Shoes still on, I crept in, broom and dustpan ready.
Ear to the door where TV blared.
Crunch, crunch.
Chewing sounds mixed with TV.
This fucker watching my TV and eating snacks too?
Place was tiny; only spot for TV was bed. Eating snacks there?
Crumb city on the sheets.
Unforgivable.
Demon spawn.
Knew exactly how much it sucked cleaning bed crumbs—the ruthless prick.
Boiling rage, but door-opening courage lacking—
It flew open.
"If you're home, come in already, don't lurk like a thief..."
Caught off guard, I swung the dustpan wild.
Wait—
Lilith?
Clang!
"...You little shit?"
Clear clang, and Lilith glared icy daggers after the dustpan to her head.
No mistake.
Lilith.
Date rolled over, so my brand-new mom from yesterday.
"...Mom, what the fuck are you doing here?"
The words slipped out; she snatched the dustpan that clocked her.
Crude, but metal—it crumpled in her grip with a crunch.
"And you? Got a reason for dustpanning me outta nowhere? Better spill now."
She crushed it into a metal ball, dropped it with a thunk.
"Before I carve some filial piety into that thick skull."
Her eyes screamed she'd fold me like the dustpan if I didn't talk.
I gulped and came clean.
"...Thought you were a burglar."
"I texted 'see ya later'—you replied?"
No clue "later" meant here tonight.
"...Hmph, whatever. Dustpan pissed me off extra, but..."
She glared awhile longer, then plopped on the bed. Grabbed a beer can frosted fresh from the fridge.
"Anyway, get in here. Let's drink."