Nyaki still looked sheepish, but a happy smile had now spread across her face. A sparkle of tears formed in the corners of her eyes.
“Too-ka—we might be at the end of your journey for revenge,” said Eve, looking at Nyaki and the familiar with a gentle smile. “But…threads of your own kindness are sewn into the cloth of the story you’ve woven. You might try to deny it, but that’s what it is.”
“I always tell you I’m a kind person at heart, don’t I?”
The familiar hopped onto Nyaki’s shoulder, and Eve put her hands on her knees to slowly rise to her feet.
“Heh heh… I can’t tell if you’re being serious or not anymore.”
“Meoow…” Nyaki began to cry, overwhelmed by emotion. She kept pawing at the tears that wet her cheeks—like she was trying to collect them—to keep them from falling. Seras and Munin rushed to her side with handkerchiefs to wipe Nyaki’s tears at almost the exact same moment, and Lis tried to dry them with her feathers. Piggymaru had been wobbling from side to side on my shoulder for some time, then seemed to run out of patience.
“Boiii-ng!”
The slime leaped from my shoulder onto Slei’s back.
“Pyureeh~! Pakyuu~hn!” Slei charged in to look after Nyaki too. Eve stood by my side watching it all, deeply moved by the sight.
“This group’s sure gotten bigger… The Lord of the Flies Brigade.”
The Anti-Goddess Alliance set off for Eno. I lay on my back in one of our carriages—Seras had ordered me there to get some rest.
“You may act as if your fatigue does not affect you, but I see that you’re tired. Please, I’d like you to rest for a while.”
I’ve built up some fatigue, eh? I only realized that when Seras mentioned it. I’ve been thinking over so many plans, holding it all in my head at once, breaking down my strategies at times and reformulating them… Giving orders, explaining my thoughts to others, running around that battlefield…
“You’re too good an actor,” Seras had said with a wry smile. “I can hardly blame the others for not noticing, as they are not always with you. I believe they are under the impression that you are getting enough rest… But even if I were not always at your side, I would notice this. Yet…”
I remembered her smile—ephemeral yet brimming with warmth.
“Perhaps it is because I am always with you that I have noticed.”
Then I remembered the last thing she said.
“Perhaps others have noticed your fatigue and are choosing not to mention it. But I…I had to say something. It may be selfish of me, but I thought that I should be the one to say this to you. Please get some rest, Sir Too-ka.”
…Now I’m on my back, I’m realizing just how tired I actually was. Maybe Seras is watching me way more closely than I thought. Not just watching, but…
“Caring.”
I had taken off my imposing cape and Lord of the Flies mask, using my arms as a pillow as I stared at the roof of the carriage above me.
“I wonder where I’d be right now without Seras.”
I turned to the side.
Speaking of people I can’t live without…
“What would I ever do without you, eh?”
This little guy…
“Squu—h?”
Piggymaru. The first friend I found in this world.
I put my arms back behind my head, and looked up at the underside of the carriage roof.
“Piggymaru.”
“Squ?”
“I know I’ve told you this so many times… But I’m glad you’re my partner.”
“Squee-ee. ♪”
“…Hey, you remember?”
“Sque?”
“The day we met… When we first became buddies?”
“Squee. ♪”
“If you hadn’t tried to tag along, who knows where I’d be right now.”
Looking back on this journey of revenge—everything we’ve been through—would I really have been able to overcome it all without Piggymaru? There are so many situations I can think of where I just don’t know. I met this little slime right after leaving the Ruins of Disposal. Piggymaru was my first partner.
“You’ve always worked so hard to help me. You’ve been too devoted, if anything.”
“Squee.”
“…Sometimes I wonder how I could ever repay you. Y’know?”
“Squee!”
Piggymaru’s cry was a no—as if the little slime were saying, “You’ve nothing to repay me for!” At least, that’s what it sounded like to me.
“…Well. I guess I saved you back when we first met…but why are you always doing so much for me?”
“Squee!”
Piggymaru squeaked once, then wobbled over to beside my cheek. The little slime leaned in and stuck to the side of my face.
“Piggymaru…?”
“…S-Squee.”
—Because we’re friends.—
“Wha?”
What was that?!
“Squuee… Squee… Squ-uu-ee… Squee… Squuuh…”
—I was always alone, but then I made my first friend…—
—You saved me, so I…I want to help you… We’re friends…—
—Helping your friends, treasuring them… That’s only natural…—
—I’m really happy… Happy to have a wonderful friend…—
—I’m just a worthless little slime… But you…you called me your partner…—
“Squuuh… Squuuh… Squuuh… Squeee…”
—At times I’ve been nervous, but…—
—I was always with you so…I was never scared…—
—There were so many more fun things too… Traveling with you…—
—I was so happy…I…—
“Squee…Squee!”
—I love you…Too-ka—
“…”
…I’m probably just imagining things, but…I think I just heard Piggymaru’s voice?
And it’s not just Piggymaru. I feel like I can sense what monsters are thinking now. Ever since I left the Ruins of Disposal, I’ve been “engaging” with golden-eyed monsters in all kinds of extreme situations. It would make sense if I was starting to get a handle on the way monsters think. Or maybe it’s some weird reaction caused by my Intelligence stat. Thanks to Piggymaru, I know monsters can understand me. This little guy gives me yes and no answers—so I know I’m getting through.
I’ve always been able to understand them, but…what happened just now… I heard Piggymaru’s voice clearer than I’ve ever heard it before. It was much too distinct for me to be imagining it.
No… Who cares about that now?
I closed my eyes and smiled. “Right,” I said. “I love you too, Piggymaru.”
I gently stroked the little slime.
“Squee… Squeee…”
“You’re…”
✦ ✦ ✦
