I'm a Super Cool Butterfly Saying Goodbye!
Tree!
Are you awake?
I squeezed my body back through the gap in the window I had melted, checking to see if the tree had woken up.
Surely, after all this, it had to be awake.
If it still wasn't awake, then it was beyond my power to wake it.
As a last resort, I could try melting one of its branches, but if that didn't work, I'd be completely out of options.
—Is that you? Butterfly?
Fortunately, the tree was wide awake.
It seemed to have absolutely no idea what was going on.
I could tell by the way it was twisting its body around, and from the wave of confusion washing over our soul link.
I'm so glad! We finally saved our friend!
"Gwek!"
It must have been asleep for ages; it didn't even seem to realize it had evolved.
And here I was, running myself ragged just to save it.
Sure, I took a quick nap recently, but back when I had to protect Alina, I didn't sleep a wink.
Still, I was just glad it was safe and awake.
Why were you sleeping? Did something happen?
"Gwek?"
I definitely had to ask.
It felt like it had been asleep for an incredibly long time, and it didn't seem like a natural slumber.
What on earth happened to make it fall into such a deep sleep?
If it's something dangerous, I'll help you out somehow!
—Ah, right. We have to leave. Right now.
What do you mean? I literally just saved you!
"Gwek?"
The tree's explanation was more than enough to make me tilt my head in confusion.
You were sleeping until just a second ago, so why do we have to leave immediately?
And if we had to leave, why were you asleep in the first place?!
—Something dangerous is coming. If we don't hurry and run, we'll get caught.
The tree wasn't lying.
I could feel its genuine fear and anxiety about whatever was approaching.
The feeling was so intense, as if there wasn't even a spare second to explain what it was.
If the tree was reacting like this, we absolutely had to run.
Then let's at least say a quick goodbye. Alina is waiting outside.
"Gwek."
—Alina? You mean Cafe Rina's daughter?
Yeah.
Even if we were leaving, we had to let Alina know so she wouldn't worry.
She might get anxious because of the flowers I bloomed.
I had carefully adjusted them to only feed on the bad guys so Alina wouldn't be harmed, but since she didn't know that, I needed to give her a heads-up.
When Alina went to put the final nail in the coffin of Count Zeno's ruined authority, someone was bound to ask her about those flowers.
—Then let's go. Where is she?
This way!
"Gwek!"
I led the tree toward the spot where I had parted ways with Alina.
Fortunately, she hadn't gone anywhere and was patiently waiting for me.
She was definitely in a position where she could see the flowers I bloomed.
Our Alina is such a good girl.
So obedient!
"Are you okay? You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"
Nope!
"Gwek!"
I'm not the kind of monster to just go around getting hurt. What a useless thing to worry about!
Besides, if I got hurt, it would show immediately.
Since my body is still so tiny.
But thanks for worrying anyway?
—It says thank you for worrying.
"Is that so?"
How did you know? Can you hear the voice of the little child inside my heart now?
"Gweeeek?"
—I think I can hear it to some extent. I can guess what you did to make it this way, so you don't have to tell me. In fact, please don't.
This is really weird.
By the time we parted ways, the tree could only vaguely understand the meaning of my words. How did our connection get this strong all of a sudden?
Did I do anything else besides evolving?
I have no idea why it's like this. Can't you just tell me?
You can hear me!
I asked for an explanation, but the tree completely ignored me.
Since I couldn't be sure if it actually heard me, clinging to it and begging for an answer would just look weird.
Come to think of it, would it really be that weird...?
If it couldn't hear my thoughts, I could just speak out loud.
It would definitely understand me now.
As I stared at it, debating whether to actually do it, the tree beat me to the punch.
—Alina. The butterfly came to say goodbye. We have to leave this city right now.
"What do you mean...?"
Hit point-blank by the tree's blunt delivery, Alina was thrown into confusion.
If someone suddenly showed up and told me we had to leave, I'd react the exact same way.
If Alina had suddenly told me she had to leave the city, I would have immediately worried about what was wrong.
You have to explain it properly.
"Gwek."
I told the tree to explain, for the sake of Alina, who was worrying that something terrible had happened.
Of course, I also wanted to hear the proper reason.
It had only said something dangerous was coming without giving any details.
Now that it seemed a bit calmer, surely it would tell us.
Just a moment ago, it probably needed to get its bearings after waking up.
—A Great Monster is coming. To find me. We have to get as far away as possible before it arrives.
Hearing the tree's words, I stared at it with a completely different look than before.
My gaze was filled with the silent accusation of: Why the heck are you only telling me this now?!
A Great Monster coming was a massive deal.
A Great Monster was a calamity capable of wiping this entire city off the map if it felt like it.
Then shouldn't we take Alina with us too?
"Gwek?"
A Great Monster coming meant, in other words, a walking disaster was heading our way.
We couldn't let Alina cross paths with a disaster like that.
It was too dangerous.
Alina would be in grave danger.
—That won't happen, so don't worry. Only you and I are in danger.
What does that mean? You said it's coming to find you.
"Gwek?"
Why am I in danger?
If it's coming for you, I'm just tagging along. Why does that make me unsafe?
Care to explain why I'm in jeopardy?
—Are you seriously asking because you don't know?
Yeah. I have no idea. Did I do something?
"Gwek?"
The tree truly seemed to believe I already knew.
How could I know if you never told me?
Just how highly are you rating a mere butterfly monster like me?
I'm flattered, really!
—You formed a contract with me.
Ah. I get it now.
"Gwek."
For whatever reason, the tree was running away from a Great Monster.
And now, some random butterfly had its soul linked to the very tree the monster was searching for.
I didn't know exactly what would happen to me, but I was definitely going to get dragged into it.
Yep, I was in danger too.
"If a Great Monster is coming, why am I going to be fine? Shouldn't we evacuate everyone in the city right now?"
—It's coming to find me, not to destroy this place. So you don't need to worry.
Calling it "it" suggests they know each other well.
I should have realized it the moment the term "Shinnok" popped up.
You really are a child from a super prestigious family, aren't you?
What on earth was a kid like that doing dying inside a shabby sack?
—There's a story behind it, okay? I'll tell you once we're safe.
Okay! I'll be waiting!
"Gwek!"
Finally, I get to learn the truth!
Then I'll get to know your name too, right?
I can't keep calling you "Tree" forever.
Calling out "Hey, Tree!" in a forest would be a bit awkward.
Since trees are literally everywhere.
"I understand. Just tell me if we can meet again in the future."
—I can't give you a definitive answer on that. But I'll do my absolute best to keep this guy alive and bring him back.
Tree, what on earth are you talking about?
There's no way I won't see Alina again.
I can already picture a future where I meet a fully grown Alina and get nagged by her.
We will definitely meet again! My intuition says we will!
"Gweeeek!"
"That was basically your way of telling me not to worry, right?"
—Yeah. Impressive that you can understand that screech.
Good job.
You even understood the nuance of my words.
You've graduated.
"When we meet again, I'll treat you to a proper meal. The tree too."
You better not fail to recognize me next time!
"Gwek!"
—It says you better not fail to recognize it. I'll also look forward to the day we meet again. Stay healthy.
"How could I not recognize you? You stand out so much."
I do stand out a bit.
Oh, right.
I need to tell her about that.
Don't worry about the purple flowers, I bloomed them!
"Gweeeek!"
—It says it bloomed the purple flowers, so don't worry. What does that mean?
"What? Explain that in detail before you go!!"
The tree and I said our goodbyes to Alina and quickly left the city.
Looking forward to the day we would meet again.
By then, I'll surely have become a fairy, right?
Where are we going now?
"Gwek?"
—Let's get far away from here first. We'll think about the next plan after that.
It said getting far away was the priority.
We had to stay out of the Great Monster's detection range.
In that sense, isn't this place the absolute best?
You think so too, don't you, little lizard monster?
"Gwek?"
—Don't bully the poor thing. It's already having a hard time.
But I'm bored!
You told me not to go outside the iron bars!
Then shouldn't you at least play with me so I don't get bored?
Tree, play with me right now!
—If you're that bored, go get experimented on or something.
Well, even I would find that a bit...
"Gwek..."
I had gone to the trouble of manipulating their perception just to avoid being experimented on, so there was no way I'd let that happen.
Imprisoned in a filthy dungeon after all his misdeeds were exposed by Cafe Rina's daughter, the former Count Zeno cackled as he looked at the woman who had come to visit him.
"To think such a noble guest would grace this wretched place."
"Where is the Shinnok?"
"You should know best, wench."
Surely, the flowers that had wiped out Count Zeno's entire force back then were the work of the woman standing before him.
Since she commanded filthy insects, the lowest of the low among monsters.
The former Count Zeno firmly believed that the butterfly was this woman's familiar.
"I will ask you again. Where is the Shinnok?"
"Didn't your filthy butterfly take it? Or did it betray you?"
"Sigh..."
The woman realized that the former Count Zeno was not lying.
Some random butterfly had actually dared to snatch her Shinnok.
"Let me correct one thing. That butterfly is not my familiar."
As she spoke, countless spiders poured out from the woman's shadow.
"No insect monster is my familiar. Do not mistake me."
The woman turned away without even watching the spiders wrap the former Count Zeno in ash-colored webs.
A toothless old man like him was of no use anymore.
"Where are you?"
She had to find the Shinnok.
Before it was too late.