The Minion's Forest (5)
For Na-a the Lamia, the fact that her tail had been damaged hurt far worse than the blow she'd taken from Lan-lan-i. She stroked her ruined scales and let a few tears slip free.
Unnie lied to meee. She said the wounds would all heal once the battle was overrr...
Just then, the human approached, offering to treat her tail. Na-a startled.
There's another minion besides Lan-lan-i!
While she was briefly counting how many of them there were, Yohan laid his hand on her tail. Never expecting a human to act so boldly, Na-a was even more shocked than before and asked,
"Whooo are you?"
"Hold still. I'll heal you."
A warm energy spread from the human. Na-a felt the wounds on her tail closing and new scales pushing through. The moment the itchiness faded, she checked her tail — and a gasp of pure admiration escaped her on its own.
"Wooow! Amazing! It's even glossier than before I got huuurt!"
A Lamia's standard of beauty was measured by how magnificent her tail was. Na-a had already ranked among the beauties, but after receiving Divine Power treatment, she had become one of the most stunning even within Sky-Leon's domain.
"Thank you so muuuch!"
"No big deal. We're fellow minions — of course I'd heal you."
But the Divine Power effect was short-lived. The gloss on her tail faded back to normal. Without meaning to, Na-a cast the human a pleading look.
"Can you do it agaaain?"
"Since we're fellow minions, I'll do it for you plenty from now on. Let's introduce ourselves properly. My name is Yohan."
"Yohaaan. That's a nice nameee."
Yohan held out his hand. Na-a shook it with her tail.
Why does his face look like thaaat?
A subtle expression that seemed happy and yet somehow not. Na-a the Lamia decided she must have simply misread a human's face.
"This lady is Cheonsol. I am the mother of Lan-lan-i, whom you faced."
"Reaally? Lan-lan-i is Cheonsol's daughterrr?"
Na-a was surprised all over again. The mother of a minion strong enough to beat her!
Cheonsol must be even stronger than Lan-lan-iii...
Her eyes were a little scary, too. Better not mess around carelessly.
"Evni..."
—This is Evni, and I'm Krista, the earth spirit contracted to Evni! Looking forward to working with you!
—I am Lirota.
Her mood brightened for a moment at the sight of the adorable little elf child — only for her heart to start hammering when two high-ranking spirits she could never hope to oppose appeared.
High-ranking spirits... Sophia must be a trainer with serious seniorityyy.
Yohan clearly committed the way the Lamia's chest bounced to memory.
Lamia tremble in the chest when they're nervous.
He engraved that racial trait of Lamias deep in his heart — so firmly that even amnesia wouldn't erase it.
Bob-bob!
A jewel-bright egg climbed up Na-a's tail and gave a little bob.
"What's this egg?"
Bob! Bob-bob! Shudder!
"My daughter Lulu."
"Huuh? It's an egg? Isn't Yohan a humaan?"
"Her mom isn't human. And even humans can lay eggs."
"Is that sooo?"
Na-a accepted it. Somewhere out there in the universe, egg-laying humans might exist!
Once the minion introductions were finished, a goddess sporting two breasts larger than Na-a's face approached.
"Let me introduce myself properly. I'm Sophia. Looking forward to working together."
"Yees. Nice to meet youuu."
Na-a shook hands with her tail again.
"Let's get along with Lan-lan-i!"
"Mm. Looking forward to it."
With Lan-lan-i, she clasped hands instead. Battle or not, she had no desire to put her tail against the hand that had cracked her scales a second time.
"Na-a is Lan-lan-i's friend!"
"Frieeend. Niceee."
Na-a's mood brightened in an instant. On Sky-Leon, there had been no one her own age. Most were either older sisters or younger ones, and the males her age were so childish they weren't even on her level.
A guy like Yohan might actually be on my leveel.
The touch of the hand that had healed her tail had felt good. The fact that he laid eggs was a plus, too. Lamias were an egg-laying race, after all!
"Our Lan-lan-i. Good thing you made a friend."
"Me too..."
"Not Evni! Evni is Lan-lan-i's little sister, so she's Na-a's little sister too!"
"Friend..."
"Nope! You have to call her Unnie!"
"Unnie..."
"Yes! Good job!"
Lan-lan-i vigorously stroked Evni. When Evni pulled her head away because she didn't like it, Lan-lan-i grinned mischievously and ruffled Evni's hair into a mess.
"Dad..."
"Lan-lan-i. Don't bully your little sister."
"I was playing with her."
Yohan smoothed Evni's hair back into place. Lan-lan-i grumbled for no good reason.
What is thiiis?
Na-a's mind was in chaos. She asked her grumbling friend,
"What's the relationship between Yohan and Lan-lan-i and Evnii?"
"Mad Demon is Lan-lan-i's Mad Demon!"
"Dad..."
Na-a's head grew even more tangled.
"What's a Mad Demoon?"
"Huh? Mad Demon is Mad Demon. Because he's Mad Demon, he's Mad Demon?"
Lan-lan-i's head got tangled too. The newly minted friends — half-vampir and Lamia — clutched their heads and groaned.
Unable to watch any longer, Cheonsol stepped in to clarify.
"Mad Demon is Lan-lan-i's father. He is also this lady's husband."
"Cheonsol and Yohan got marriiied? Then are Evni and Lulu also Cheonsol and Yohan's daughters?"
"That is not so. Evni's mother is Evrande, and Lulu's mother is Cha-cha. But they are daughters this lady bore with her heart. Is that not so for all of you?"
"Lan-lan-i loves Mom!"
"Mom..."
Shudder, shudder.
Cheonsol hugged her daughters tightly. Na-a did not fully understand, but she grasped one single truth.
What a harmonious and fun familyyy.
Sky-Leon, who had been floating in the air, landed. Sky-Leon addressed Sophia.
—Please take care of this worthless Lamia.
"Please take good care of my little sister!"
The Lamia riding on Sky-Leon's tongue shouted as well. Embarrassment made Na-a's scales stiffen slightly.
"Na-a! You have to live well even without your unnie! Even if you become a minion, don't forget to write letters!"
"How do I write letteeers..."
"They said a letter function opens during the regular season, right?"
—Send them to me and I'll deliver them. Use Sky-Leon Mail.
"Okayyy."
—I'll give you the Sea God's Spear as a commemorative gift for becoming a minion. Live happily. Stay in touch sometimes.
Sky-Leon and the Lamia were enveloped in golden light. When the pillar of light vanished, both living beings cleanly disappeared.
Na-a swore an oath to the empty air.
I'll definitely become an excellent minionnn.
"Na-a. Let's stick together from now on."
"Yohaaan."
Na-a swore another oath.
I'll also meet a good maaan.
A man kind and capable enough to heal her tail wounds. A man who laid eggs. A male that matched a Lamia's tastes.
If he were just a bit more wild, he'd fit her preferences completely — but wanting more than this would be greed. Na-a decided to be satisfied with this much.
Sooo why is he called Mad Demoon?
She'd figure out the curious things gradually. Na-a stuck herself right next to Yohan.
Lirota grumbled while watching the Lamia and the human.
—Damn it. The North Wind and the Sun. So that's what it meant. Keep acting and get exposed already. If she knew how crazy this human is, even the Lamia would run for the hills.
Among every goddess and minion present, the only one who heard Lirota's muttering was Krista. Krista normally looked down on Lirota, but this time she did not report it to Yohan.
Honestly, I'm a bit annoyed too.
Krista was a solo spirit. There were no decent male spirits around, so her side was cold — and yet this crazy human who already had wives was seducing yet another woman.
She hoped his insane true nature would get exposed and the whole thing would fall apart.
The North Wind and the Sun is truly an instructive fable. It teaches lessons to later generations — and it worked exceptionally well on a Lamia.
"Reaally? Yohan is so funnn."
I got close with the Lamia at lightning speed. She took any nonsense I spouted completely in stride. Put her on an Earth variety show and she'd rack up cult popularity as a reaction bot.
The closer the Lamia and I grew, the more Cheonsol and Sophia let their discomfort show.
"Hmph. Minions should get along. Mm-hm. That's right."
Sophia looked like she was desperately rationalizing to herself, but Cheonsol was subtly glaring daggers at me.
"Na-a! Look at that!"
"What is thaaat?"
"Lan-lan-i doesn't know either! Isn't it amazing?"
"Na-a has never seen this plant either. How interestiiing."
Lan-lan-i stole the Lamia's attention away. Cheonsol was a martial artist who had reached the realm of profound insight. She drove sharply into the opening.
"Mad Demon. Are you pleased."
Cheonsol's gaze was ice-cold. Daggers flew and lodged in my chest. If looks could kill, my body would have been torn into five pieces.
An amateur husband would have apologized and made a fuss trying to soothe Cheonsol's anger — but I'd left amateur status behind quite a while ago.
I still had that resolution from earlier, too. I whispered to Cheonsol.
"Tonight. I'm planning to send the kids to Lan-lan-i's room. The Lamia too. So we won't be interrupted all night. You know what I mean?"
"Hmm."
Cheonsol's gaze softened. A strange heat mixed into her breath.
"This lady's anger has not fully subsided."
"There's more to talk about tonight, so prepare yourself."
"Heh heh."
A smile spread across Cheonsol's lips. With that, Cheonsol's anger was settled. Sophia would probably calm down later if I gave her a massage and some chest caressing.
"Doesn't it smell foul somewhere?"
Sophia said it out of nowhere. Cheonsol agreed.
"This lady smells it as well."
Hearing the two of them, I felt it too. It wasn't just any foul smell — it was a foul smell I'd smelled somewhere before.
Bob-bob-bob-bob!
Lulu, who had been nestled in Cheonsol's arms, bobbed madly and then leapt down to the floor. Only then did I realize why the foul smell was familiar.
You have encountered a Player!
Sexy Newbie and Mad Human...?
The player who kept the undead god — and Lulu's mother, Death Knight Lord Cha-cha — as a minion. Chichiking had appeared.