SLIME LEGION

Chapter 17: I Know her

"Where have you been all this time?"

"The old mansion."

"...Where?"

"The capital."

"...What?"

There’s no way. If she was in the capital, which is literally a thousand miles from here, why does Moressa keep making it sound like they’re just around the corner...?

"Why were you even there in the first place?" I asked, finally getting to the most important question.

Looking through my memories, I barely even remember her, and that’s strange. Extremely strange.

What’s even stranger is that all this time, all Lorel ever did was ask where they were, just like I did this morning. But that was it. He never cared enough to really ask about them. He couldn’t even remember them properly, only Evangeline and Moressa. It was almost like asking had become some daily ritual, born from something I can’t even remember anymore...

...Okay.

This is starting to freak me out.

There are way too many gaps in his memories.

And the worst part?

He was always so... unbothered by them.

Could this be why he tried to kill himself...?

...Or at least part of the reason?

"It was all Evangeline and Moressa’s fault. They trapped me in that mansion..."

Her body visibly trembled like she was reliving something horrible.

The moment I saw that, an overwhelming urge to protect her surged through me.

It was so strange...

Could this be because of the bond we share? She did say she could sense my fear and knew I was in danger because of it...

Though what I feel now is different.

It’s almost...

Fatherly.

Like seeing your own child hurting and wanting to make it stop.

I can’t even describe it properly.

Before I realized what I was doing, I’d already stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her.

Her body trembled ever so slightly against mine.

It only made me want to protect her even more.

Damn it...

I’m slowly losing myself at this point...

"...They wanted to keep us away from you."

Her voice cracked.

I hugged her tighter.

My fingers gently ran through her lustrous hair.

It was unbelievably soft.

Almost addictive to touch.

...

Wait.

What if she’s pretending?

...

But...

...No.

She can’t be.

She must be hurting.

She was away from me for so long...

She must’ve been scared.

I need to protect her.

...

...Eh?

...What am I even saying?

"Master..."

The word pulled me back.

"...You said us. Who’s the other?" I asked.

She immediately pulled away.

The shock on her face was impossible to miss.

...Right.

I should know this.

I just...

Don’t.

"Why don’t you remember me... or her? What have they done to you?"

Her eyes were lifeless.

So lifeless they should’ve frightened me.

But they didn’t.

If anything...

They felt...

Normal.

’They...?’

Moressa...

And Evangeline...

Could they actually be responsible for these inconsistent memories?

Did they alter my memories...!?

"HOW COULD THEY DO THAT!? WHY!? WHY WOULD THEY EVEN...!? I’LL KILL THEM!! I’LL KILL THOSE BITCHES!!"

...No.

I grabbed her arm.

"You won’t hurt them."

"...Master?"

"If you do... I won’t forgive you."

"...But Master..."

"I’m serious, Carmela. If you kill them, you cease to be my bond."

"Master!!"

She dropped to her knees and clutched both my hands.

"They... they did this to you..."

Tears streamed down her face.

I gently cradled it.

"Why won’t you do anything about it? Why do you love them more than me?"

"...I love you...

Even more."

I actually did.

It was strange...

But I did.

I know I did.

Somewhere deep down.

Lorel’s emotions...

Wait.

I keep saying Lorel.

Lorel.

Lorel.

...

I’m Lorel.

I’m also Finn.

That’s why I keep feeling all this.

I became Lorel the moment I took over his body.

I’ve been trying so hard to reject his emotions, to separate myself from him...

But we’re already fused.

That’s why I felt that possessiveness.

Those were Lorel’s original feelings.

For some reason they’d always been buried deep inside him, but just now...

They exploded.

Maybe it’s my emotions as Finn mixing with Lorel’s.

Maybe it’s the bond reacting to Carmela in a way I still don’t understand.

Either way...

The truth is...

I’m Lorel.

That damn system fused us together.

If I keep fighting it...

I’ll only lose myself even faster.

I have to accept it first.

...

But I can’t forget who I really am.

Finn.

Still...

Why do I feel this way about her?

I can’t explain it.

It’s not like my heart racing when I heard Helene’s name.

No.

This was different.

The feeling only appeared the moment I saw her trembling.

I never felt this around Moressa.

As Finn...

I never knew what love felt like.

Pleasure.

Satisfaction.

Excitement.

I felt all those.

But never this...

This warm feeling that makes me feel so...

Vulnerable.

This has to be love...

Right?

...Because if it isn’t...

Then I have no idea what the hell this is.

Suddenly she smiled.

And seeing it...

Made me happy.

...

Wait.

Could she be making me feel this way?

"Promise me you won’t harm them."

I wasn’t joking.

I can’t afford to lose a bond.

"...Master."

"Carmela."

"...I won’t kill them."

"Good."

I smiled before gently stroking her long hair.

"...I’m sorry I didn’t come for you all this time."

"Master..."

She held the hand resting against her cheek.

"...It’s not your fault."

"...It is."

"..."

"So I’ll make it up to you the best I can."

"You’ll never leave me again."

Her smile widened.

Those lifeless eyes locked onto me with almost psychotic intensity.

"Master... Master... Master~"

She repeated it over and over like a broken record.

Then before I could even react...

She moved.

She slammed into me with enough force to send both of us crashing onto the bed.

It felt like getting hit by a speeding train.

Before I even knew what was happening, her legs had locked around me.

Her grip was so impossibly tight I couldn’t move an inch.

Her body radiated heat through the thin fabric of her dress.

She was pressed completely against me.

I could feel everything.

The softness against my chest. freewēbnoveℓ.com

Her hips flush against mine.

Her scent surrounding me from every direction.

It took every ounce of willpower I had to drag my thoughts out of the gutter.

...

I’m suddenly getting sleepy...

Right.

The ether exhaustion.

But...

I still haven’t found Moressa.

Oh well.

She’ll find her way back.

...

I’ll just sleep for a bit.

Just a little.

...

Wait.

Anthony.

That’s right.

What happened to him?

I...

I should check.

But...

...I’m too tired to move.

I’ll deal with it after I wake up.

Yeah.

After I wake up.

...

...

As her beloved master drifted into a deep sleep, Carmela watched him in silence.

Her eyes glowed faintly.

"Just sleep a little longer, Master. I won’t be long."

She leaned down and kissed him.

When she finally pulled away two minutes later, her face had turned bright red.

Her long hair had spilled over him completely, hiding Lorel beneath it.

"No...

I shouldn’t do that while he’s asleep...

I can’t be bad."

She bit her lip before sitting back.

Gathering her hair, she twisted it into a bun, wrapping what remained around her head like a crown.

After covering him with the quilt, she quietly left the room.

This entire wing of the mansion had become deserted.

Not a single maid dared come near after what she’d done to the one foolish enough to ignore her warning about approaching her master’s room.

She made her way to the highest floor.

A lone window overlooked the mansion’s front entrance.

She opened it.

And waited.

Only a few minutes passed before a sleek black vehicle shot through the open gates, speeding across the courtyard before stopping beside the fountain.

The door flew open.

A girl with midnight-blue hair stumbled out looking completely disheveled, tossing her keys toward a butler who had rushed over.

"I’m sorry, Master...

But I can’t not kill her.

I’ve waited so long for this...

So...

So long."

A bow materialized in her hand.

She drew the string back.

Pure energy condensed into the shape of an arrow.

She kept pulling until the bow bent to its limit.

One eye closed.

The other remained fixed on its target.

Then...

She let go.

Pummmmm!!!