Chapter 34
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Improvement! (2)
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『Sera's Perspective』
Sera asked Lucy why she was using a mere goblin as her assistant.
"Gob was originally human."
A curt reply came back.
"...Pardon?"
Sera doubted her own ears.
It was an answer she had never even considered, something utterly unbelievable.
"Gob was originally human."
"Pardon?"
"Gob was originally human."
Lucy repeated it three times in the exact same tone.
"That goblin was originally human?"
Sera finally managed to process the words.
But even then, she understood them on a literal level—she still couldn't grasp their meaning.
"What does that even mean?"
What did it mean for a goblin to have been human originally?
Was he human as a child, then grew up into a goblin?
"He lived as a human, died, and was reborn in a goblin's body, or so he says."
"That's... It has to be a lie."
She dismissed it as a clumsy lie told out of desperation to survive.
"I can't say for sure it's true. But the possibility exists."
"No, it's impossible from the start. How could a human become a goblin...?"
"You were human once too, but now you're a succubus."
"Eek..."
Sera's ears twitched. She had been hit right in her weak spot.
"Turning from human to monster is the same in your case. The only difference is succubus versus goblin."
"No way... that happened again...?"
The possibility that Gob's words might be true began to take root in Sera's mind.
"If what Gob says is true, then it's definitely the Demon King's doing. Only he has the power to change someone's race."
"..."
Sera imagined the scenario in her head, assuming the goblin's words were true.
If that goblin really was human, what did that make everything she'd done to him so far?
When he was bedridden, she'd tried to strangle him to death.
She'd collared him like a beast, dragged him around, and threatened him with violence.
She'd ignored his kindness and hurled abuse instead.
She'd stood by and watched as he was beaten nearly to the point of broken bones.
If all that had been done to a human—
"Ugh..."
Sera groaned and clutched her head.
It hurt as if a stone had smashed into her skull.
No. That goblin couldn't be human. He just couldn't.
Sera endured the throbbing headache and forced her mouth open.
"Turning a person into a goblin? That's ridiculous. Why would the Demon King even do that?"
"I don't know the exact reason. But it could be anything— an experiment for his ambitions, simple amusement, or an accidental mishap."
"To me, it looks like he lied just to stay alive."
"That's possible too. But it's more likely to be true."
"Why...?"
Sera sensed an odd conviction in Lucy's voice.
Her stomach started to ache.
"From what I've observed so far, Gob's behavior is remarkably similar to a human's."
"What do you mean similar? They're nothing alike!"
Sera's voice grew louder.
"The way he feels and expresses emotions is similar to humans. Even I, who's inept with emotions, could see it. Didn't you notice?"
"Not at all. From what I saw, he was a complete goblin."
"In what way?"
"Well, in that..."
Sera looked back on the past she had deliberately tried not to think about.
The first time they met, the goblin had killed the wolf that was eyeing her.
He was a typical goblin, so he probably hadn't killed the wolf to save her. He must have just hunted a weakened prey.
Next, the goblin had honored her request to find the way home.
Why had he done that...?
Probably because...
.........Why?
"Sera. Still thinking?"
As her deliberation dragged on, Lucy urged her on.
"...Ah, sorry. Let me think a bit more."
Sera had deliberately avoided recalling her memories with Gob.
Because she had to hate monsters. She absolutely couldn't like a goblin.
Those memories, sealed away by her self-imposed mindset, began to resurface one by one.
From the moment they first met, the goblin had stood against the wolf and saved her.
Afterward, at her request, he'd escorted her all the way home.
When she'd gone to his cabin, far from harming her, he'd tried to chase her away as if telling her to leave him alone.
The first time she'd visited him while he was sick, it was obvious he was pretending not to be in pain.
When she'd first gifted him cooking tools, he'd thanked her by cooking. And he'd done it every chance he got afterward.
When his condition worsened, she'd told him not to, but he kept cooking, making it hard for her to stop him.
He got a bit rough when sexually aroused, but actually, she'd been the one to cling to him first.
When she cried, he'd wiped her tears with his small, childlike hands.
When she craved warmth, he'd pulled her into his arms without a word.
...Why?
If he was a goblin, why on earth?
After long anguish, Sera realized one undeniable fact.
Everything made sense if he wasn't a goblin, but a 'human'.
"Lucy."
Sera called out to her, feeling her heart pounding.
"Now that I think about it, aside from his appearance, he doesn't act like a goblin at all. He's completely human."
"Exactly. If you set aside looks and just look at emotions, Gob's more human than I am."
"Yeah. He really is."
Now she could see it, shining so clearly it made her feel foolish for not noticing before.
That goblin—
No. He wasn't a goblin.
Gob was human.
"Lucy, I'll be right back."
"Where to in that state?"
"I need to see Gob."
There was so much she wanted to say, so much she had to say.
Sera took a few steps toward the door, intending to find him right away.
"No need to go if you're looking for Gob. We agreed he'd come here once we're done talking."
At Lucy's words, Sera stopped in her tracks.
"Why call Gob to my room?"
"Because he'll handle the purification."
"...Pardon? Why him?"
Sera stammered in confusion.
It was called 'purification,' but in reality, it was no different from pseudo-intercourse.
She could entrust her body to Lucy because they were both women; if Lucy were a man, she never would have.
Handing the purification over to Gob? Anyone with normal sensibilities would balk at that.
"If my thinking is correct, Gob will be the most efficient at it."
"No, how does that even make sense?"
"Intercourse excites more between opposite sexes. It'll go faster with Gob than with me."
Lucy's logic boiled down to Gob being male.
Relieving sexual desire would be quicker with the opposite sex than same-sex. Logically, it was sound.
"If that's the case, why not earlier? Why call him all of a sudden now?"
"Because you only saw monsters as opposite sex. Otherwise, I'd have called him sooner."
"Come on... Won't you consider my shame?"
A twitch. Lucy's eyebrow quivered slightly—a reaction she showed only when truly angry.
"You prioritize shame over treatment. Question."
For some reason, her tone sounded even more rigid than usual.
The room temperature seemed to drop. Sera felt a chill down her spine.
"You're right, my thinking was shortsighted. I'm sorry."
Sera read the mood and apologized immediately.
"Gob is the optimal candidate for purification. He's the only male with a monster's body and a human mind."
Lucy continued, still not fully appeased.
"One reason I took him as my assistant was for the purification in the first place."
"Not because he was human?"
"If it weren't for purification, I wouldn't need an assistant."
"I get what you mean, but... could I at least wear clothes...?"
She knew it would reduce efficiency, but Sera asked cautiously anyway.
"Why."
"Even so, being naked is... embarrassing."
"You're neglecting treatment out of embarrassment."
Lucy's clear eyes fixed on Sera.
"..."
Sera couldn't retort and hung her head.
"You don't want the curse lifted. Question."
"Of course I want it lifted..."
Her voice trailed off weaker and weaker.
"Then endure the shame. I promised I'd definitely lift your curse. I always keep my promises."
Sera lifted her bowed head slightly.
Decades had passed since Lucy had devoted herself to research to lift Sera's curse.
Even after all those years, Lucy hadn't given up and was still trying new methods.
"Lucy..."
Meeting Lucy's gaze, Sera felt ashamed of herself for hesitating over mere embarrassment.
Come to think of it, Lucy had taken Gob as her assistant for Sera's sake too.
And Sera hadn't realized, complaining about having a monster as an assistant.
"I'm sorry. You've been dedicating yourself to me, and all I did was think of myself."
Sera found it hard to meet Lucy's pure eyes and dropped her head again.
"To you, to Gob, snapping and getting mad over nothing..."
How should she apologize for what she'd done to Gob?
How much more trouble would she cause Lucy from now on?
Everything that had built up today surged up at once.
Her eyes heated up, and she covered her face with her hands.
Tears dripped down, wetting her palms. Crying like an idiot again.
"I'm the worst..."
She muttered softly to herself.
Nothing ever went right. She ruined everything she touched. She destroyed every relationship.
She just holed up in her room and cried. She never tried to overcome it herself.
She treated those who stayed by her side even worse. Even her closest friend, Gehil, had gotten fed up with her and left.
"Sera."
Lucy pulled Sera into a hug.
Due to their height difference, Sera's face buried into Lucy's chest.
"Long ago, I asked you how to comfort someone. Remember?"
"...Not really."
"You told me to say this: It'll be okay. Even if it's not okay now, someday everything will be."
"..."
Only then did a vague memory surface. What came next...?
"I'll be by your side until it is."
"Lucy..."
Sera melted into Lucy's embrace. It felt as comforting as being cradled in her mother's arms as a newborn.