17 – You cannot protect that which cannot protect itself

The bunny tried to bite Lia, but then suddenly spun around in the air and lunged towards me instead. An almost impossible maneuver, the result of my evolved Guard skill.

A metallic clang echoed as the bunny’s teeth met my unyielding skin.

It froze, those beady eyes looking back up at me.

I glared at it and then smashed it against the ground again.

The bunny shuddered, once again dazed by the impact.

This time, instead of kicking it, I held it by the neck and walked over to Lia and Sylvia.

Lia lowered her hands and then looked at me. Seeing my harsh gaze, she immediately looked away.

Sylvia glanced at me and flinched, lowering her head.

When I saw those reactions, I let out a long sigh. Instead of asking them to kill the rabbit, I changed my stats to strength and then snapped its neck.

[You gained 10 exp]

[Your companions gained 20 exp]

My eye twitched at the disparity between our experience gains, but I ignored it for the moment. Instead, I placed the monster’s corpse on the ground and looked at my two girls.

Lia reacted first. She shifted on her feet and said, “I’m sorry, Goshujin-sama. It’s just…”

“It’s hard to kill something that looks properly alive instead of like a monster, right?”

Lia flinched and then nodded.

I shook my head.

Sylvia spoke up. “I am sorry as well, Master. I thought I could get over it, but…”

“But you still hesitated.”

“…Yes.”

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. “This… maybe I was wrong to expect this from you two.”

Lia immediately looked up. “N-No! I can do it, Goshujin-sama! Don’t abandon me!”

Sylvia quickly nodded. “Y-Yes! I-If you give us another chance, then we… we…” Her eyes started to water.

Seeing that, I let out a long sigh.

“M-Master! P-Please don’t… I don’t want…!”

The two girls moved close to each other, probably for comfort and mutual support, and then looked up at me with watery eyes.

I walked over and placed my left hand on Sylvia’s head. At the same time, I placed my right hand on Lia’s head.

Both of them lowered their gazes.

I sighed again and then started ruffling their hair. “You silly girls. I told you, didn’t I?”

Sylvia looked up. “M-Master?”

I shook my head and said, “It’s not a problem that you can’t do it yet… but you’re going to have to do it eventually.”

Lia nodded her head. “I… understand, Goshujin-sama.”

“No. I don’t think you do.”

Lia tilted her head.

I glanced towards the direction of the castle and said, “This world is cruel. Sylvia knows it best… but you should have seen it as well, Lia. Monsters aren’t the only things that want to hurt you.”

Lia’s gaze darkened.

Sylvia’s eyes became a bit distant as well.

I continued speaking. “The ones you need to worry about the most, especially since you two are beautiful demi-humans, won’t be monsters. There will be those who try to trick you with a kind smile. Others with gifts or promises. Some will say they have a family, some will want to be your friend… but behind those words could be ill intent. The wish to possess you, the wish to harm you, the wish to-“ I cut myself off, unable to say the worst fate, and shook my head.

Sylvia started to shake. It seemed she realized what I implied.

Lia glanced over at Sylvia and then lowered her gaze. “That…”

I lowered my hands and then glanced at the bunny. “This time, it’s a monster. Something that wished to kill you and eat you to become stronger. If you hold back against that… what will you do when it’s a person? When it’s someone who might have a family but who wants nothing but to hurt you?”

Lia shook her head. “That… Goshujin-sama will protect us. Right?”

I sighed. “I want to… but I won’t always be there.”

Lia flinched. “T-That… Does Goshujin-sama plan to abandon us?”

Sylvia frantically shook her head. She started to step forward, wanting to cling to me. But before she took two steps, she froze, as if stopped by an invisible boundary. She simply stood there, staring at me with despairing eyes. “Master…!”

I sighed again and walked forward, pulling Sylvia into a hug.

Only then did she relax, melting into my arms. She sniffled, and I felt my shirt become wet.

“You silly girl… it’s not that I’m abandoning you two. Like I said, I invested too much to give up on you now.”

Sylvia nodded.

Lia glanced at me. She looked like she wanted to walk over, but hesitated.

I beckoned towards her.

Seeing that, she finally walked over.

I pulled Lia into a hug as well.

Lia relaxed and then snuggled against my side before starting to sniffle.

“You two… I’m strong, but I won’t always be able to protect you. After all, I’m just one person. A strong person, yes, but I’m not a god. In the end, the best way for you two to be safe is for you to gain your own strength. To be strong enough to protect yourself. If that can happen… Well, I can worry a bit less at least.”

Sylvia sniffled again and then stepped back. Her face was covered in tears, but her violet eyes were determined. “I… I’ll definitely become strong! Strong enough so that Master won’t have to worry about me getting hurt ever again!”

Lia stepped back as well and then said, “Me too! I… I want to be strong! Strong enough to protect me and Goshujin-sama and Sylvia! I… I don’t want anyone else to disappear…”

Sylvia froze when she heard that and then she wrapped Lia in a hug. “Lia! I don’t want you to disappear either!”

“Sylvia!”

“Lia!”

The two girls hugged each other close, tears running down their cheeks.

I sighed, seeing the drama unfold.

It looked like it might take a while, so I might as well get started on dismantling the bunny…

===

“Sorry, Master.” Sylvia lowered her head as she walked beside me.

I shook my head. “It’s fine. It’s better that you two are feeling well now instead of being shaken up.”

Lia walked on my left and frowned. “But Goshujin-sama… you’ve been doing all the work.”

I snapped the neck of a snake that lunged out at us, idly glancing at the exp message before throwing it in my inventory. “Think of this as just a bit of training for me. You two will still have to do the bulk of the work later. I can kill these small things, but when we have to fight the monsters in the wave…”

I remembered the types of things that could come out. Giant cerberuses, chimeras… while I might be able to fend them off, I wouldn’t be able to kill them as easily as I did these smaller monsters.

Lia nodded, tightening her grip on her knife. “Understood, Goshujin-sama.”

We were still walking through the forest. From what I could remember, Ryuto village should be on the other side. At the moment, we were following the trail leading to the village. However, it seems like the monsters thought we were easy targets since we kept getting ambushed along the way. Well, attempted ambush.

I grabbed another snake that lunged out to bite me and smacked it against the ground. After that, I crushed its skull and tossed it into my inventory as well.

Sylvia frowned and said, “Are you certain that you do not want us to fight, Master?”

I glanced at her and said, “Are you ready?”

“That…” She took a deep breath and then nodded. “Yes. I am ready.”

Lia nodded as well. “Me too, Goshujin-sama! I want to fight!”

“Hm.”

It was important that the two get some proper experience in fighting. And their stats were fairly high from the correction effect of my shield…

I stared at the two.

Lia gave me a determined look.

Sylvia pursed her lips in a firm line and drew her knife.

I sighed. “Alright. Since you two should be strong enough, I’ll let you take point. Take turns fighting and get experience determining what to do, alright? I’ll sit back and keep an eye out, but the rest of the monsters will be all you two.”

Lia smiled. “Yes! I will do my best!”

Sylvia nodded. “I won’t disappoint you, Master!”

Like that, we changed formation.

Lia and Sylvia stepped up, with Lia on the right and Sylvia on the left.

Sylvia was left-handed, so with Lia on her right, since the racoon girl was right handed, the pair covered the entire front.

I stood at the back, following behind the two. At the same time, I subtly used a bit of my pressure to instill fear in the surroundings, making sure that the monsters avoided me.

We followed the path for a while in relative peace, and then a bunny jumped out.

Lia reacted first. Unlike last time, she drew her knife and cleanly split the bunny in two. Her superior stats and speed made up for her short weapon. However, she didn’t realize the blood that would result and then was swiftly dyed crimson.

Sylvia stared at her and smiled.

Lia’s eyes watered. “G-Goshujin-sama…!”

I sighed. “Get used to it, Lia.”

“…Understood.” She took a deep breath and faced back forward.

I shook my head and we kept walking.

Another bunny appeared. This time, it charged at Sylvia.

Unlike Lia, Sylvia thrust her knife at the bunny’s neck instead of slashing. As a result, the bunny became skewered. Blood still dripped, but it didn’t get everywhere like with Lia.

Lia stared at her, envious, and then let out a sigh.

Like that, we continued on our way.

Lia and Sylvia slowly got used to fighting on their own instead of being fed exp.

It made me appreciate the corrective effects of my shield. Supposedly, it should be doing things for me as well, but while my stats went up I still felt the same… maybe it just didn’t take effect because I knew too much? Food for thought at least.

===

The sun slowly set. It seemed that the forest was larger than I anticipated.

“Master… are we going to camp here?” Sylvia glanced at me and then looked out at our surroundings.

We were still on the path, but the surroundings had become dark. At the same time, I could sense the gazes of countless monsters on us. They were just waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Lia subconsciously clutched her knife. It seemed that her senses were pretty sharp.

I shook my head. “Not right here. The trail is a bit dangerous.”

Mostly because it would be easy to see us for assassins and spies. We hadn’t gotten any after us for a while, but that was only temporary. I had no doubt that people were looking for me. If not for my new abilities, it would be easy for them to find us.

“Hm…”

At the same time, it was a bit hard to just set up camp.

Sylvia stared at me and then said, “If Master wishes, I’m fine with marching through the night.”

Lia nodded. “That’s right! Me…” Lia yawned and then said, “…Too!”

I shook my head. “It’s too dangerous. You two are tired and you can’t see in the dark. I don’t want to risk you getting hurt.”

Sylvia frowned. “But Master… What do we do then?”

I walked over to the side of the trail and glanced down into the dark forest. While it was hard to see for most people, with a bit of stat changing, I managed to get a good look.

“There’s a forest clearing over there next to a small pond. We can make camp there.”

“Hm?” Sylvia turned to look. After squinting a bit, her eyes widened. “You’re right, Master! Amazing! I could barely see that!”

I shrugged and walked over.

Sylvia and Lia followed after me.

Lia let out a cute yawn and then shook her head.

I glanced back. “Tired?”

“…A little, Goshujin-sama.”

“We’re almost there, so hold out for a bit.” I reached behind and ruffled her hair.

Lia smiled and leaned into my hand.

Sylvia pouted a bit and then leaned into my left side.

I shook my head and moved forward.

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