Ch.92 Energetic or Just Putting Up a Front

"This here is Nabla-kun."

I glided through the air to get close to him and introduced him while gesturing with my hand.

"Hello, how do you do?"

"Aaaaaaaahhhh!! Monsterrrrrrr!!"

As Nabla-kun was squeezing a goblin plushie with a branch, he greeted her by raising another branch.

He has a horrifying appearance, like he's about to devour a human.

Cern-san screamed when a terrifying, dark red tree monster greeted her in a low voice.

To an unsuspecting stranger with no sense of perspective, it might even appear more frightening, as it could look like a goblin is being strangled.

"This is Cern-san, You know her, right?"

"I know. She is the person under me, right?"

"That's right."

It seems he does have memories of his grassy days. He remembered them clearly. ...Or rather, he couldn't forget them.

He was forced to witness Cern-san's death right before his eyes, forced to drink the blood flowing from the corpse, forced to watch the corpse decompose, and so on—all sorts of things were happening around him that were psychologically disturbing.

Unlike me, who has the mental strength of an adult and has been reincarnated with memories and a sense of self from my past life, Nabla-kun is an actual child. I could sense that from his words and actions.

It seems that childhood memories tend to fade as we grow older, but shocking events can linger even into adulthood. They can become memories so traumatic that they're impossible to forget, even if we want to.

We can pretend to forget, but it lingers in our minds and leaves a scar on our hearts. The greatest fear is that we might suddenly remember it at any moment. It would be fine if it only happened once or twice, but...

I feel so sorry for him.

However, despite being in an environment where such a distorted mindset might be expected, it's a fact that he grew up to be such a kind-hearted child. He's still growing, though.

As a fellow member of the same race and a friend, I am happy.

I just hope he stays this kind and gentle forever.

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"But you swallowed it yourself, didn't you? Even if it wasn't your own choice, couldn't you have handled it better? I still hate you."

Since I, someone who lives here, brought her and introduced him, he wouldn't attack without reason. After seeing Nabla-kun, I properly explained to Cern-san that he was a kind-hearted monster and a friend.

Since Nabla-kun already knew a little about what kind of person she was, explaining things to him was easy. All I needed to say was, "If possible, please don't attack her."

They both understood, but as soon as they started talking, this happened.

Whether Cern-san is being bold or not, it wasn't as if she had completely let go of her wariness, but she had become somewhat more comfortable with Nabla-kun, who is a monster.

"I hate this person too. She is the worst, always saying unpleasant things. You cannot make any friends like that."

"W-why do I have to be told something like that by you? I have plenty of friends! There are girls I talk to a lot too...!"

"Oh, really? Vester, I think we should end it here."

"What do you mean, 'Oh really'? You're the one who brought it up! You should be more interested!"

"Thank you, Nabla-kun."

I thanked him and used telekinesis to take the fish I had been grilling on the bonfire.

This bonfire was started by gathering leaves and branches that had fallen around and using a fire starter stick.

The fish on the skewers are Pacific Saury with their legs still attached. All six I caught yesterday.

I even picked up some nice-looking branches lying around, washed them thoroughly with water, and then used them as skewers.

Even if I get an upset stomach (it just makes my stomach rumble), I can just recreate my clones, and Nabla-kun is made of wood, so he should be fine.

And Cern-san... wait, can ghosts even eat?

Well, if we can't finish them all, I can just save the leftovers for when I get a little hungry. I don't know if there will be any left over because Nabla-kun will probably eat them all though, and I'm not the type to get hungry anyway.

"Here you go, it's freshly grilled."

"What's that? It has legs... Gross."

Her reaction was pretty much as expected.

Like Sakidori Midori-san, it seems she has never seen this fish before.

"It's a fish monster called Pacific Saury. It's delicious, you know?"

It's obvious from the appearance that she's reluctant to eat it, so I'll show her how I take a bite and chew it.

Yep, the saltiness is just right.

"Regardless of its appearance, it tastes just like a normal Saury, you know? Would you like to try one?"

"Wow, I'm getting goosebumps."

I offered it again, and she was rubbing her arm, her face showing an expression that seemed to have a shiver down her spine.

It seems unlikely that she would reach for a skewer of "Pacific Saury".

It's just a saury with legs... You're being rejected because of your appearance, you know? (TL: she's talking to the fish)

"Give me some too."

Just as I was thinking that, Nabla-kun stretched out a branch, wanting to eat.

He seems fine with it. Perhaps it's because he has faith in his own kind, thinking that it'll be okay since I ate it.

Safety is not ensured simply because I've tasted it.

Here you go, I say.

"Be careful, it's hot."

"Thank you"

I don't think he would catch fire with this much heat, but I'm warning you just in case. I'm even doubtful if he'd get burned.

Nabla-kun received the skewer and ate it in two bites, skewer and all, with a loud snapping sound.

He takes two bites to eat something that could be eaten in one. That's his way of sending a message that he's really savoring the food—a sign of his kindness.

"...I'll eat it too after all."

Seeing Nabla-kun eating with such gusto, Cern-san seemed to become curious as well, and reached out her hand towards us.

She didn't move when I showed her me eating it, though...

What's the difference between him and me? I was eating with the same enjoyment, wasn't I? ...Wait, maybe my expression was different?

I can't see or understand my own facial expressions.

"Yes, here."

I used my telekinesis to bring it to her, and then she took a bite.

"...It's alright..."

Really? Isn't the saltiness just right?

I take a bite of the one I'm holding right now, and it's delicious. I wonder if it's just a difference in taste, but then I realized, oh, that's it.

"...Yeah, ids okay...but ids not dat...good...hiks...Ids so bad..."

Cern-san's lips are trembling suddenly, and tears streaming down her face as she's looking down.

The energetic person just a moment ago is nowhere to be seen.

Of course. So many things happened one after another that she hadn't put into her mind until now.

The moment she took a breather, it all came flooding back.

The fear of being attacked, the despair of being killed, the worst possible outcome brought about by one's own actions, the regret of never being able to see one's family again, the anxiety of becoming a ghost. There wasn't even time to accept who she is now.

Before she could even process all of that, which was too much for her to handle alone, she was chased again by the one who killed her, and just when she thought that was over, a fairy and a tree monster suddenly appeared, and she couldn't even tell if they were friend or foe.

She didn't have any time to process her feelings, and until now she's been able to forget about it without thinking about it. That's why she recovered so quickly.

The cheerfulness she showed us was a facade. It wasn't forced cheerfulness, but it was a false cheerfulness.

She is now crying as she faces the reality and facts she must accept.

There's no such thing as a problem you have to confront.

But you can't move forward unless you confront the problem. Running away won't magically solve anything with time.

This is Cern-san's problem. It's not good to interfere with someone who is trying to sort out their feelings.

All I can do is gently accept everything she says.

Whether she can get back on her feet again is up to her.

"...I see."

"It is so delicious though."

"Nabla-kun, let's try to be a little more considerate of the situation."

"Did she not cry because it tasted bad?"

"That's not true." "Dat's not druuuuuuue!!"

Hey Nabla-kun, is it really okay to make a joke about someone who's crying?

Nabla-kun received a scathing retort from us, but his face looked bewildered, like he didn't seem to understand.

Then she cried and cried, tears streaming down her face and snot running down her face.

Once she had calmed down a bit, she began to slowly recount the nightmarish experience that had befallen her as she keeps sobbing.

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〘Consumable Item: Pacific Saury on a Stick〙

★☆☆☆☆

A Pacific Saury sprinkled with salt, pierced with a fairy-washed twig, and roasted near a small bonfire.

The skin is crisp, and the flesh inside has a melt-in-your-mouth texture with just a light bite.

Because it uses a splintered tree branch, there are several pieces of tree bark and other debris inside the Pacific Saury. Be careful, as you will be damaged each time you swallow.

• Eating everything restores 15 HP

• Each time you chew and swallow takes 2 damage

Creator: Vester, Blood-Rotten Tree Fairy

〘Consumable item: Muddy Tree's Branch〙

★★★☆☆

A tree branch that fell from a muddy tree. Just an ordinary, splintered branch with dirt and mud clinging to it in places.

Because it is extremely fire-resistant, it is used in some villages when building houses.

However, because it is a tree inhabited by fairies, cutting it down and processing it is a crime. It amounts to murder, so you must not do such a thing.

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Author's Note:

Which character is your favorite? Did you have a favorite character among those who have appeared so far? Do you have a favorite scene?

It might sound cliché, but as the author, I love all the characters and they're my favorites. My favorite scenes are when they're goofing around with each other.

Now, changing the subject, I have an announcement to make.

For the next three days (June 28th - June 30th 2025), I will reply to all comments on this topic (all comments received within that period, before midnight). This is a completely spontaneous idea.

Even if only one response comes, I'll still reply, and if there are zero, that's fine. Just a random thought. Please comment on the content of Chapter 1 through 92.

However, please note that I cannot answer questions that would spoil future plot developments.

*As always, offensive comments will be silently deleted.

Please feel free to join us.

Edit:

The above impromptu project has ended.

Thank you for participating.

I understand that everyone has their own way of showing support, and that comments aren't everything.

I am deeply grateful for the support you have shown me through other means as well.

I would be very happy if you continue to support me in the future. Thank you.

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