[3rd Person POV]
_ This is wrong... Just wrong..._
Eleanor shook her head, saying words of rejection to the feelings she knew she could not neglect.
It all started when she first saw her, Eleanor found herself interested in the person she saw killing a goblin chief easily as if she was just going on a morning stroll. It revived her already dying researcher heart, the spells she started to learn when she was ten were learned and used effectively by a newborn child she and her siblings thought of as dead.
How can that be? Isn't she just an abandoned child of a commoner? This question alongside multitudes of others boiled out of Eleanor's mind, and no matter how timid she was, her burning desire for knowledge got the better of her, thus Eleanor decided to not return to her home nation and be someone near the kid she wanted to research about.
Prisoner, slave, it doesn't matter, she just wants to find answers to the overflowing amount of questions on her mind.
However, instead of being a prisoner or a slave, she became an official researcher in the settlement of the hero prospect, she is also someone akin to an equal by the first person she once treated as subject of study.
But Eleanor observed that her "Subject" is smart enough to keep reminding her in subtle ways who the leader of the settlement is.
For the first time, she felt captivated, and she could feel something blooming from the deepest corners of her heart, but she set it aside, or rather just let it be for she did not notice those feelings.
And because she did not notice it, she let herself observe the child, or the lady who let her dreams come true, She observed her continuously without noticing that her "Observation" had gone beyond the point of mere curiosity.
Eleanor started to learn beyond why her benefactor is so strong, or how she got chosen by a god if she's just an orphan like her.
She started to know what is her daily schedule, She learned that her favorite colors were black and white, and she learned how was that the only thing she liked about her parents was that one of them had white hair.
She started to fall.
She tried to stop it, she did, but the moment she saw how "she" uses everything in her ability to lead the monsters she raised to a safe and better life by training soldiers, properly dividing sectors, giving them crafting knowledge and more, she even did all of this when all of her people are acting like she is the worst monster they have ever met without complaining and receiving every goblins who have pale faces and ungrateful attitude with a genuine smile.
And if everything is already not enough, Eleanor witnessed how this person just outsmarted an entire race as if it was the most normal thing to do with a plan that is just basically laying a landmine and pushing the enemy to step on it.
It was as if "That person" was the personification of the word "Ideal" in her eyes. Intelligent, confident, determined, and kind.
She has fallen hard.
Her heart fluttered when she realized this fact, She did not know what to do because she never felt anything like this before, but immediately after, her happiness disappeared as she realized one thing.
_She's a child!_
Eleanor continuously reminded herself of that fact, but her mind could not stop thinking of her androgynous face of Sophia that seemed to just fit her too well, as well as her neck-length white colored hair, also add her white pair of eyes that radiated confidence and gentleness at the same time.
Eleanor knew it, she knew that she should never describe a child in such a way, but she cannot help it, As they say, first love is always the sweetest.
_I... should take a bath for now._
Eleanor, not knowing what she would do about her illegal feelings decided to use the hot spring specially reserved for Sophia and herself.
_She's still passed out so we will not be able to enter the bath togethe- We don't need to enter it together!_
Eleanor shook her head intensely as she went to the Hotspring with a bathrobe that was clinging to her voluminous body to remove the indecent thoughts on her mind, but then.
"Ellie, let's go together!"
Sophia, the woman who caused her agony and joy shouted at her back so suddenly, Eleanor's face stiffened and turned red immediately, she had to rebuke her, Eleanor felt guilty enough that she found a child attractive, so going with the child she thought is charming naked in a bath is pushing it too far.
She turned around, wanting to reject Sophia but as she saw the big smile and shining eyes of hers, her mind seemingly went blank and her mind instinctively answered.
"Sure..."
Eleanor jolted up when she realized her answer, She gulped while walking, thinking of one thing.
_What should I do...?_
[Sophia's POV]
I woke up after the night of that dream-like reality l with a smile on my face, well who would have thought that my first bath since when I was still a guy with a different person other than my friend and a bunch of old men in a public bath when I visited Japan will be with a beautiful girl.
[I am surprised you held your raging thoughts all to yourself.]
Whilst I was waking up from my bed, [Guide] suddenly spoke with a rather tired tone.
What do you mean by thoughts?
[Don't act like you are innocent, I am in your brain remember? Do you even realize how vividly I can see your desires when you and Eleanor face each other naked as you stare at her boobs that are floating in the hot water.]
Gah! I... I don't have any idea what are you talking about! Besides, all of that is a natural reaction to the stimuli given by-
"Master, I have something to tell you."
I was about to argue further with my unique skill, but Arachne appeared in my room without even knocking, but it made sense because who would knock on a stone door, right? Anyway, it seems like Arachne became shorter when I am yet to give her a name, She is an eight-foot giant with her lower half, but now she is just six feet eleven inches or flat seven feet with her spider half on... Wait, does she even have a human form?
"Hey, do you have a human form?"
I asked, curious about the lore of my most mysterious subordinate, Arachne just smiled and waved her hand.
"Yes I have, but that form is for nighttime activities only. Anyway, I have to tell you something."
I said, "What is it?" Immediately, ignoring the answer of Arachne to my previous question, she then replied.
"I will have to take my leave already to prepare for the meeting."
She said as I nodded and replied.
"Why did you go out of your lair by the way? You can just report things you have managed to do and know through your spiders, you know?"
Arachne just shook her head while folding her arms on her chest.
"I have to make sure that no trace of me eating the corpse of the monkeys will be visible in my place, After all, I am known as someone who favors the monkeys because of Wokung so I will just receive suspicion when I ate all of it there."
Oh, I see, It seems like it's to cover the tracks of her transactions and to also make it seem like she is grieving for Wokung, they are deemed as lovers by anyone not close to her, so that is understandable.
I then nodded and questioned once more.
"That makes sense, but are you already in perfect shape? You will meet with the strongest people of this forest after all."
Arachne just laughed with this as she snapped her fingers, instantly multitudes of brisk sound of arachnids' footsteps was heard in the room next to mine, and the next instant, a hundred thousand worth of spiders and scorpions appeared in my room, they then started to move and made a gigantic thumbs up sign, Arachne replied, her thumb is also sticking out of her fist.
"The only is back!"
I just ignored her antiques and made all of her spiders scurries away by ordering Arachne to command them. I noticed that there are spiders bigger than usual mixed in the huge mound of arachnids, it seems like combat types will be the ones who will give the invitations.
While I was thinking so, Arachne continued speaking and started to use her threads to sew something from scratch, she seemed to be making a pure white towel.
I was thinking of that when she pulled out a roll of black thread and started to embroider it on the white towel.
"Ahem, so because I am already your subordinate, you can now see anything from my point of view if you want to, but I will still get the undead spider you just made earlier because there will be a slight glint in the eyes if you turned on the live feed mode as I observed with Kabuto and that will surely be caught by those monsters."
She then paused, and alongside it, a "Phew" sound was heard, she then slouched her body to give the embroidered towel of some sort to me, this towel contains the strategy she will employ, of course, this is just the initial and revisions will be made by the other boss class monsters that will accept the invitation and she expects me to make last minute adjustments with it as the base.
As expected, I am right.
"This strategy is just the rough draft, but I will see to it that that will be the base."
She knew that I already figured out what is this towel all about, so she did not explain further. But still, I cannot help but think that sewers will cry when they see a military strategy plan being embroidered like it's an alternative to writing, I mean embroidery is not easy, you know?
"Master, not that I am doubting your great power, but please be reminded that there exists a being of great power inhabitating the third layer that at the very least can rival your power, Please be careful."
I cannot help but raise my eyebrow with what I have suddenly learned, not because of fear, but because of interest, who would have thought that I, as a hero prospect will found someone that could match my strength, and no, that mutt (The wolf king) does not count, my mind is kind of a mess at that time. I thought that I had to meet Urduja at the very least to find someone my match, Well I am looking forward to the day we will meet.
But of course, I will see to it that I am fully prepared.
"I see, Thank you for your warning."
I said those words with a smile and Arachne bowed whilst one of her big children appeared at her back.
"It is my pleasure, now then, I shall take my leave and will make a promise to do anything in my power to help you with your conquest."
I just nodded as I saw her child suddenly opening her mouth big enough that it started to creak and all the bones to get dislocated, Arachne then dived at the overstretched mouth of her spawn headfirst, after which the spider gulped and after a few seconds, the giant spider started to move once again.
_Damn, that was freaky._
[Wait, what does she mean by your dream to conquer the forest? Aren't you supposed to... Oi, are you out of your mind?]
I dunno, don't ask me, anyway I started to walk out of my room after gulping down the vomit that was about to come out because of that scene earlier, I decided to come out of my room, I have to try volcano inhabitant food.
Well, even though one is not a glutton, who would not be curious about it right?
I think so as I strode to the dining hall.
[3rd Person POV]
Sophia is casually thinking of trying out volcano exotic foods without knowing the turmoil she caused the whole forest. Except for the fifth layer, every layer was surprised when rumors that were confirmed by the spider queen that the monkey tribe leader died circulated, all of the strongest individuals immediately knew of the severity of the situation, but the monster that they are, they do not want to take any risk by giving out an invitation to their other counterparts and make them enter their lair unbridled by any kind of resistance.
They are possessive, that's why all of them want to do something about someone who can potentially turn their beloved forest upside down, but they also do not want anyone to enter the layer they are governing because of the fear of not being able to make them leave, now they are stuck with the mindset that there will soon be someone who will invite them to their place to discuss an alliance.
_I can just take matters into my own hands if push comes to shove._
That was in the mind of all the three strongest monsters of the forest, until suddenly, a spider suddenly appeared in their lair saying:
"The hero prospect has become too strong, any further and she will be unstoppable, My queen invites you to a meeting to be held on her lair that will discuss an alliance to halt her growth."
[3rd Person POV]
_ This is wrong... Just wrong..._
Eleanor shook her head, saying words of rejection to the feelings she knew she could not neglect.
It all started when she first saw her, Eleanor found herself interested in the person she saw killing a goblin chief easily as if she was just going on a morning stroll. It revived her already dying researcher heart, the spells she started to learn when she was ten were learned and used effectively by a newborn child she and her siblings thought of as dead.
How can that be? Isn't she just an abandoned child of a commoner? This question alongside multitudes of others boiled out of Eleanor's mind, and no matter how timid she was, her burning desire for knowledge got the better of her, thus Eleanor decided to not return to her home nation and be someone near the kid she wanted to research about.
Prisoner, slave, it doesn't matter, she just wants to find answers to the overflowing amount of questions on her mind.
However, instead of being a prisoner or a slave, she became an official researcher in the settlement of the hero prospect, she is also someone akin to an equal by the first person she once treated as subject of study.
But Eleanor observed that her "Subject" is smart enough to keep reminding her in subtle ways who the leader of the settlement is.
For the first time, she felt captivated, and she could feel something blooming from the deepest corners of her heart, but she set it aside, or rather just let it be for she did not notice those feelings.
And because she did not notice it, she let herself observe the child, or the lady who let her dreams come true, She observed her continuously without noticing that her "Observation" had gone beyond the point of mere curiosity.
Eleanor started to learn beyond why her benefactor is so strong, or how she got chosen by a god if she's just an orphan like her.
She started to know what is her daily schedule, She learned that her favorite colors were black and white, and she learned how was that the only thing she liked about her parents was that one of them had white hair.
She started to fall.
She tried to stop it, she did, but the moment she saw how "she" uses everything in her ability to lead the monsters she raised to a safe and better life by training soldiers, properly dividing sectors, giving them crafting knowledge and more, she even did all of this when all of her people are acting like she is the worst monster they have ever met without complaining and receiving every goblins who have pale faces and ungrateful attitude with a genuine smile.
And if everything is already not enough, Eleanor witnessed how this person just outsmarted an entire race as if it was the most normal thing to do with a plan that is just basically laying a landmine and pushing the enemy to step on it.
It was as if "That person" was the personification of the word "Ideal" in her eyes. Intelligent, confident, determined, and kind.
She has fallen hard.
Her heart fluttered when she realized this fact, She did not know what to do because she never felt anything like this before, but immediately after, her happiness disappeared as she realized one thing.
_She's a child!_
Eleanor continuously reminded herself of that fact, but her mind could not stop thinking of her androgynous face of Sophia that seemed to just fit her too well, as well as her neck-length white colored hair, also add her white pair of eyes that radiated confidence and gentleness at the same time.
Eleanor knew it, she knew that she should never describe a child in such a way, but she cannot help it, As they say, first love is always the sweetest.
_I... should take a bath for now._
Eleanor, not knowing what she would do about her illegal feelings decided to use the hot spring specially reserved for Sophia and herself.
_She's still passed out so we will not be able to enter the bath togethe- We don't need to enter it together!_
Eleanor shook her head intensely as she went to the Hotspring with a bathrobe that was clinging to her voluminous body to remove the indecent thoughts on her mind, but then.
"Ellie, let's go together!"
Sophia, the woman who caused her agony and joy shouted at her back so suddenly, Eleanor's face stiffened and turned red immediately, she had to rebuke her, Eleanor felt guilty enough that she found a child attractive, so going with the child she thought is charming naked in a bath is pushing it too far.
She turned around, wanting to reject Sophia but as she saw the big smile and shining eyes of hers, her mind seemingly went blank and her mind instinctively answered.
"Sure..."
Eleanor jolted up when she realized her answer, She gulped while walking, thinking of one thing.
_What should I do...?_
[Sophia's POV]
I woke up after the night of that dream-like reality l with a smile on my face, well who would have thought that my first bath since when I was still a guy with a different person other than my friend and a bunch of old men in a public bath when I visited Japan will be with a beautiful girl.
[I am surprised you held your raging thoughts all to yourself.]
Whilst I was waking up from my bed, [Guide] suddenly spoke with a rather tired tone.
What do you mean by thoughts?
[Don't act like you are innocent, I am in your brain remember? Do you even realize how vividly I can see your desires when you and Eleanor face each other naked as you stare at her boobs that are floating in the hot water.]
Gah! I... I don't have any idea what are you talking about! Besides, all of that is a natural reaction to the stimuli given by-
"Master, I have something to tell you."
I was about to argue further with my unique skill, but Arachne appeared in my room without even knocking, but it made sense because who would knock on a stone door, right? Anyway, it seems like Arachne became shorter when I am yet to give her a name, She is an eight-foot giant with her lower half, but now she is just six feet eleven inches or flat seven feet with her spider half on... Wait, does she even have a human form?
"Hey, do you have a human form?"
I asked, curious about the lore of my most mysterious subordinate, Arachne just smiled and waved her hand.
"Yes I have, but that form is for nighttime activities only. Anyway, I have to tell you something."
I said, "What is it?" Immediately, ignoring the answer of Arachne to my previous question, she then replied.
"I will have to take my leave already to prepare for the meeting."
She said as I nodded and replied.
"Why did you go out of your lair by the way? You can just report things you have managed to do and know through your spiders, you know?"
Arachne just shook her head while folding her arms on her chest.
"I have to make sure that no trace of me eating the corpse of the monkeys will be visible in my place, After all, I am known as someone who favors the monkeys because of Wokung so I will just receive suspicion when I ate all of it there."
Oh, I see, It seems like it's to cover the tracks of her transactions and to also make it seem like she is grieving for Wokung, they are deemed as lovers by anyone not close to her, so that is understandable.
I then nodded and questioned once more.
"That makes sense, but are you already in perfect shape? You will meet with the strongest people of this forest after all."
Arachne just laughed with this as she snapped her fingers, instantly multitudes of brisk sound of arachnids' footsteps was heard in the room next to mine, and the next instant, a hundred thousand worth of spiders and scorpions appeared in my room, they then started to move and made a gigantic thumbs up sign, Arachne replied, her thumb is also sticking out of her fist.
"The only is back!"
I just ignored her antiques and made all of her spiders scurries away by ordering Arachne to command them. I noticed that there are spiders bigger than usual mixed in the huge mound of arachnids, it seems like combat types will be the ones who will give the invitations.
While I was thinking so, Arachne continued speaking and started to use her threads to sew something from scratch, she seemed to be making a pure white towel.
I was thinking of that when she pulled out a roll of black thread and started to embroider it on the white towel.
"Ahem, so because I am already your subordinate, you can now see anything from my point of view if you want to, but I will still get the undead spider you just made earlier because there will be a slight glint in the eyes if you turned on the live feed mode as I observed with Kabuto and that will surely be caught by those monsters."
She then paused, and alongside it, a "Phew" sound was heard, she then slouched her body to give the embroidered towel of some sort to me, this towel contains the strategy she will employ, of course, this is just the initial and revisions will be made by the other boss class monsters that will accept the invitation and she expects me to make last minute adjustments with it as the base.
As expected, I am right.
"This strategy is just the rough draft, but I will see to it that that will be the base."
She knew that I already figured out what is this towel all about, so she did not explain further. But still, I cannot help but think that sewers will cry when they see a military strategy plan being embroidered like it's an alternative to writing, I mean embroidery is not easy, you know?
"Master, not that I am doubting your great power, but please be reminded that there exists a being of great power inhabitating the third layer that at the very least can rival your power, Please be careful."
I cannot help but raise my eyebrow with what I have suddenly learned, not because of fear, but because of interest, who would have thought that I, as a hero prospect will found someone that could match my strength, and no, that mutt (The wolf king) does not count, my mind is kind of a mess at that time. I thought that I had to meet Urduja at the very least to find someone my match, Well I am looking forward to the day we will meet.
But of course, I will see to it that I am fully prepared.
"I see, Thank you for your warning."
I said those words with a smile and Arachne bowed whilst one of her big children appeared at her back.
"It is my pleasure, now then, I shall take my leave and will make a promise to do anything in my power to help you with your conquest."
I just nodded as I saw her child suddenly opening her mouth big enough that it started to creak and all the bones to get dislocated, Arachne then dived at the overstretched mouth of her spawn headfirst, after which the spider gulped and after a few seconds, the giant spider started to move once again.
_Damn, that was freaky._
[Wait, what does she mean by your dream to conquer the forest? Aren't you supposed to... Oi, are you out of your mind?]
I dunno, don't ask me, anyway I started to walk out of my room after gulping down the vomit that was about to come out because of that scene earlier, I decided to come out of my room, I have to try volcano inhabitant food.
Well, even though one is not a glutton, who would not be curious about it right?
I think so as I strode to the dining hall.
[3rd Person POV]
Sophia is casually thinking of trying out volcano exotic foods without knowing the turmoil she caused the whole forest. Except for the fifth layer, every layer was surprised when rumors that were confirmed by the spider queen that the monkey tribe leader died circulated, all of the strongest individuals immediately knew of the severity of the situation, but the monster that they are, they do not want to take any risk by giving out an invitation to their other counterparts and make them enter their lair unbridled by any kind of resistance.
They are possessive, that's why all of them want to do something about someone who can potentially turn their beloved forest upside down, but they also do not want anyone to enter the layer they are governing because of the fear of not being able to make them leave, now they are stuck with the mindset that there will soon be someone who will invite them to their place to discuss an alliance.
_I can just take matters into my own hands if push comes to shove._
That was in the mind of all the three strongest monsters of the forest, until suddenly, a spider suddenly appeared in their lair saying:
"The hero prospect has become too strong, any further and she will be unstoppable, My queen invites you to a meeting to be held on her lair that will discuss an alliance to halt her growth."
