My Parasite Skill System - Chapter 137
“Yes, ma’am,” I just started to explain.
I understood I wasn’t a monster, and that I’m only here to trade that orc’s head for coins.
Just what I had been here for, basically. I wanted to let her know so that we were perfectly clear on that.
Oh? And my head, by the way, it’s still here; maybe she wants to see it?
Driven by a sudden burst of motivation and decisiveness, I tossed the sack of head full of Chief’s single remnant in the air.
Did she see, now?
But, crap!
I didn’t think of the consequences of my act.
Thud!
It crashed itself onto the wooden soldiers and other pieces of this giant board, sending some flying away, hitting the ground here and there.
That was embarrassing. But kind of funny at the same time. It made me smile and chuckle a bit.
But no, I’ve come all up to here, it’s not to spoil everything like a little brat with such an impudent behavior;
“Get yourself together, myself!” I muttered to myself, mimicking the way of the royalty.
A group of wooden pieces, being so crushed by Chief’s head were sent flying away, repeatedly hitting on the ground, giving off clattering.
Their high-pitched thumping sounds took over the calm of this place–”I’m very sorry for what I just did, ma’am!”
And I only pressed my lips together after that.
A timid frown didn’t take long before appearing on her face. Of course.
I shouldn’t have done that with Chief’s head. Maybe it’s a tad bit disrespectful, too, for him.
Pressing the back of her chair, still standing behind it, with her fragile hands, “I’m so–I’m sorry … what do you mean you’re not a … monster?”
Phew, decidedly, she could ignore my blunder.
Hm. And of course she must be oblivious to that. Why would I even say that I’m not a monster (just for confirmation, obviously) when I knew the quest had done its ‘thing’ and got me out of trouble.
Let’s just act natural. She’ll just give me my monies for Chief’s head–then it’s a done deal.
“I … very sorry, this was my orc’s head, by the way … um, I … you wouldn’t believe me if I told you I was a monster, yeah, ma’am?”
“No but … I know … I recognize you are, monster … correct?”
“Uh, what’d you say?”
“You … (is there something I’m not getting?) … are a monster.”
What is she…? My heart stirred and my blood boiled.
“And that is the reason why I brought you here–Given your circumstances and to my knowledge: I have an offer for you.”
Okay. Was it for this reason that we came here, in the end? A frown popped up on my face. Exchanging frowns sure wasn’t what I had planned on doing here with her.
And she was frowning, too. What did that even mean? I technically am but… My frown worsened and was most likely the most defined I’d ever had.
When this blank started to really get too much on both of us (but way, way, way more on myself) I wanted to break this silence.
“He–hey … it’s no fun. Don’t you start in on that, human. I’m just looking out for having my–this orc’s head … don’t you start in on that.”
What was that, seriously? I can sense a certain bit of tension reaching culmination, right now.
This tension was only lingering up till now. It’s only faint, but I can sense it. Was it only ‘lingering’ now though? Not so much.
It was clear as daylight. Or just as clear as the dim daylight of this place, in fact.
She, too, seemed to be disturbed by this. With the same slightly trembling and shaky voice, “I do not know what to understand of this, monster. I did indeed think this matter was now pretty clear and settled between us. What did I miss, tell me?”
…
And only another dull silence unfolded.
It was painful, this silence. A very, very heavy silence. To both me and her. A silence during which we only stared at each other, as if battling with our eyes.
That’s not quite true, though. Because as much as she wants it, she cannot face my eyes the way I do face hers.
And so, I get it. That’s all right. But it isn’t all right at the same time. Hey, can you even believe that? Was I still found out in the end?
I don’t know either, to be honest. Only thing on my mind right now is, which should I pick between an indifferent and easygoing way of going about things or an angry and loathing one…?
“Quest.
“Quest.
“Quest.
“Quest, quest, quest, quest, quest, quest … quest!… quest!”
No change in her demeanor. No change in anything. Of course it wouldn’t be so easy.
I talked about the way how ‘everything’ should be flowing the same flow, with the quest. Just like a river. Maybe the river is that?
Easy going way, or angry and loathing one? Which is it, boy?
I can’t hesitate.
–No. My life is in danger. I’m strong.
“Think … think I’m … think I’m afraid of you!!!”
And it starts to piss me off for some reason!
Promptly placing my slithering arm upon that orcish dagger attached to my belt–I let some pressure out.
That’s the way it has to be.
The calm and secretly docile atmosphere was changed to something entirely different.
From warm and cozy to cold and unpleasant.
See, human?
Some pressure.
Some mana.
Some ‘intimidation.’
That’s my strength, human.
See? I’m not afraid of you. See?
See? Oh? And it works. Is she the one afraid, now, hm? See?
Seriously though, what the hell did she have in mind?
Driven by a seizing black fear, after shaking her head to herself and backing off a few steps… ‘this was a bad idea, this was a bad idea!’ and seemingly telling herself off, ‘I shouldn’t have gone out of my way to … I really shouldn’t have!’
She was silent and afraid, that’s right.
And what am I supposed to do with that, now?
Should I unsheathe it?
Or should I not.
Let’s calm down the game a little. Maybe I’m a bit overreacting, right now. And I don’t even need to kill this one human.
That’s right. Just like this, human. Get yourself together and be not too scared of the monster.
My eyes set onto hers, I certainly did seize her and drove her back.
‘Despair’ isn’t written on her face anymore.
“Do please hear me out. It really is important.”
Her voice wasn’t quite so that still, still shaky and uneased when, “Do please her me out,” she demanded yet again.
“You’re the one hearing me out, now.”
And also gripping, subconsciously digging my claws into the armrest of the tall, refined chair, I continued:
“You wanna kill the monster too, ma’am?… they all want to do that, they want to hurt me, and I don’t like it.
They all want to do that.
As a surviving mechanism, I don’t let them do that, though. I gotta protect myself. I’m not letting her do me harm.
Therefore, she’s to be ready for what’s to come.
“No, no, no, no!”
Ho?
“Why would I, why would I? I see there has obviously been some huge misunderstanding in our parley, monster!”
Hm?
“Will you then hear me out? We could…”
“–Okay, so, let me get this straight, ma’am.”
“Please, do voice your insecurities and questions, monster.”
“You sure you don’t wanna kill the monster?… kill me, hmm, hmm?”
“Why, but no, of course.”
Ha. Another human who doesn’t want to hurt me. That makes up for two, counting Old.
Ah~ what a genuine relief. If she says so, I believe her, and it makes me smile, “hehehe!”