I'm a Cool Butterfly Saving a Friend!
The tree wasn't wrong when he called him a guide.
The sketchy monster trafficker, who had been so eager to capture and sell us just moments ago, had somehow turned into a gentle lamb.
It was obvious he only preyed on weak monsters and humans.
"What brings a noble personage like yourself to a filthy place like this, sir? Hehe."
Well, you gotta do what you gotta do to survive.
I totally understand you!
Though if I hadn't been strong, the roles would definitely be reversed.
I felt a twinge of pity for the monster trafficker, who was sweating bullets while keeping up a goofy grin.
Not that the tree seemed to care at all.
"Take us to Count Zeno's mansion."
"Count Zeno's mansion, you say? I'll take you there right away!"
A count?
Are there nobles here too?
If he's in this city, it means he defected and had all his original titles confiscated.
Does this city have its own unique power structure?
More importantly, the tree must be someone really high-ranking.
He definitely said he was going to meet a friend who could help.
Going by the flow of things, this Count Zeno—whether he was a human or a monster—was probably that friend.
What kind of monster was the tree originally to be friends with a count?
He also seemed to be friends with Caferina, the former ruler of this city.
And here I am, someone who used to be just an ordinary citizen.
I was just a regular guy living day to day, hand to mouth.
Even though humanity and monsters were still at war, it wasn't an all-out total war like in the past.
A third faction of moderates advocating for coexistence had emerged on both sides.
It was more like a tense standoff with frequent armed skirmishes.
Since there wasn't a full-scale war, I was just one of the many people working hard to keep society running.
Though now, I'm a free monster!
It's a shame I can't enjoy the comforts of modern civilization anymore, but once I become a fairy, I'm sure I'll figure something out.
There are plenty of cases where monsters defected to the human side, so I could always follow their lead.
And I heard the monster side has pretty good infrastructure these days, so going there is an option too.
I just need to become a fairy.
I don't care about all this complicated stuff.
I just want to survive, quickly become a fairy, and get rid of this suffocating feeling.
So, I'll leave the thinking to the tree!
It's not like I know anything anyway.
If I wandered around the wilderness alone, I'd probably wander into some powerful monster's territory without knowing it and die a dog's death.
I've lived under the warm protection of humanity my entire life; what would I know about monster territories?
That's why the tree is so important to me—he's a trustworthy companion who can share his knowledge of the monster world.
"U-Um, please spray this. It's a deodorizer."
When we reached what seemed to be the exit of the sewer, the trafficker held out a spray can.
It looked like a perfectly normal deodorizer, but who knew what kind of trick this guy was trying to pull.
I was absolutely not going to let him spray me.
Sensing our wariness, the trafficker sprayed it on his own body first before offering it again.
"No matter how low-life I am, I'm not crazy enough to mess with Count Zeno's guests in this city."
You were totally going to mess with us when you didn't know where we were going, though.
As expected, having a good mouth is crucial for survival.
Please let me speak soon too.
Seeing that nothing happened to the trafficker after he sprayed himself, the tree reluctantly sprayed it on himself and then on me.
Ooh, it smells nice.
This artificial, fragrant scent.
I didn't realize how much I've missed it.
Is it because I've been living like a savage in a forest devoid of civilization?
How could a simple deodorizer smell this heavenly?
"Please follow me this way."
Following his lead once more, we finally emerged from the sewers.
Stepping out and seeing the city interior for the first time, my primary emotion was sheer wonder.
Monsters and humans were walking along the modern streets together, and not a single scream could be heard.
Instead, they were chatting and laughing together like close friends.
Wow. A place like this actually exists? If I killed them all, how much EXP would that be?
There were so many monsters that I had unconsciously started viewing them as walking EXP bags.
But hey, as long as I don't actually attack them, it's fine, right?
I don't just go around slaughtering every single monster for EXP.
I'm a perfectly reasonable person.
The ones with intelligence are residents.
The ones without intelligence are monsters.
What a common-sense classification.
It really is amazing.
Everywhere I look, the streets are packed with humans and monsters.
It's enough to give me cognitive dissonance!
If they can get along this well, why is everyone else so eager to tear each other's throats out?
Well, it's fine by me, since I can just hunt the bad monsters and get EXP.
"We're here. Um, may I leave now...?"
"Yes."
We had arrived in front of a massive mansion built amidst the clean, modern streets.
This was presumably where Count Zeno lived.
The tree dismissed the trafficker, who was already scurrying away, and pressed the doorbell.
Seeing a tree root firmly press a luxurious doorbell was so bizarre that I almost burst out laughing, but I held it in.
I'm not a bad person who laughs at my friend's appearance.
I must endure!
I endured all that pain, after all!
Trembling all over, I barely managed to suppress my laughter until someone came out of the mansion.
"Who is it?"
"Tell the Count that the 3rd Shinnok has come to visit a friend."
An old man wearing a butler outfit that felt completely out of place in this day and age listened to the tree's words and went back inside.
By the way, the "3rd Shinnok"?
That sounds incredibly grand.
I knew he wasn't just any ordinary tree, but to think he actually had the title of a Shinnok!
Of course, I have no idea what a Shinnok actually is.
But it must mean he's a super amazing tree, right?
"The Count has granted you entry."
"Very well. Let's go."
"Only the Shinnok has been permitted to enter."
The butler blocked the tree as he tried to bring me along inside.
The tree was allowed, but I wasn't.
I felt like I was experiencing unfair monster discrimination.
Is it right to discriminate against monsters in a city where humans and monsters live together?!
Even though the tree entering was also a monster!
I'll wait outside.
"Squeak."
"Alright. I'll be right back, so wait here."
I obediently fluttered down from the tree's branch.
Since I'd have to do a lot of flying now, I needed to warm up my body.
Leaving the tree behind as he entered the mansion with the butler, I soared up into the sky above the city.
The tree told me to wait, but I had no reason to do so.
The tree isn't going to come back out. Which means I'll have to rescue him.
I felt it the moment the tree tried to bring me inside.
My instincts were screaming at me never to set foot in that mansion.
A sinister, unsettling energy was oozing from the building.
If we had forced our way in through the front door, wouldn't we have been in deep trouble?
Tree, you'd better stay safe, okay?
I'll definitely come to save you!
But what should I do?
What can I even do right now?
It's not like I'm a building-sized moth; how am I supposed to rescue a tree trapped in a mansion like that?
Infiltration?
That seems to be the only way.
I don't think I can win in a straight fight.
My instincts were telling me.
The reason Caferina, the ruler of this city, fell was because of the master of that mansion.
Even thinking about it logically, my instincts made sense.
Count Zeno existed during Caferina's reign, and he still maintains a mansion like that even after she disappeared?
Count Zeno was definitely involved in Caferina's downfall.
Whether directly or indirectly.
Could the tree being stuffed in a sack and discarded also be related to this?
It was just a guess, but it felt right.
My intuition had always been pretty sharp, even before I got these monster instincts.
So, should I let my intuition guide me on where to go?
Ah, they must have met.
Through our soul connection, I could feel the tree's emotions fluctuating.
He must have met Count Zeno now.
I didn't feel any hostile emotions yet, so maybe it was a friendly reunion for now?
It'll probably stay like that for a bit, so I should focus on my own task!
Instincts, guide me.
Ideally, I'd like them to lead me to a place with bad monsters.
If I want to rescue the tree, it'd be best for me to get even a little bit stronger.
Honestly, what would the tree do without me?
He already owes me his life twice over.
Well, technically I've only saved him once so far, but I'm definitely going to save him this time too.
I'm going to make him work for me for the rest of his life.
I flew over the city, searching for the place my instincts and intuition were pulling me toward.
After flying for a while, I spotted a familiar figure down below.
Even though her once-bright blonde hair was now caked in mud and filthy, she still stood out.
She was one of the two people who could help me right now.
I didn't know where the other one was yet, but wouldn't I run into them if I wandered around the sewers?
Whatever they were doing, it was bound to be predictable.
Hello?
"Squeak."
Your mother's friend has been captured by your mother's enemy. Won't you help?
If you help me, I'll help you get revenge for your mother!
...is what I wanted to say.