Twenty-five days have passed since I encountered and helped a forest elf and a tree nymph recover from their injuries in the ants' ir. My assistance earned their favor, but my simple-mindedness was shattered when the tree nymph, Leya, revealed her deep hatred for dragons. Fearing a hostile retionship, I was forced to use forceful means to ensure she wouldn't leave my dwelling and report me to her guardian.

  Now, we're outside hunting for food. My servant, Faul, immediately obeys my commands, while Leya protests, unwilling to join. However, I can't risk leaving her alone, as she might escape and return to her home, so I coerced her to come along, though she reluctantly agreed.

  I asked my servant, "Faul, you mentioned you were once a warrior, right?"

  "Yes, my lord," he replied.

  "Does that mean you can hunt by yourself?"

  "Yes, my lord, but there's one issue."

  "Hmm? What’s the problem?" I asked, curious.

  "I don't have a weapon on me right now," he said matter-of-factly.

  I was left speechless, only then realizing my servant had no weapon.

  "So, you explored these forests unarmed?" I asked, puzzled.

  "No, I think my weapon was left behind when we were dragged by the ants," he expined.

  "Then you're a hindrance" I said bluntly.

  "Y-yes... please forgive me," he replied, sounding dejected.

  I then realized that Leya had said nothing during our exchange.

  I turned to her and asked, "What about you, Leya?"

  "We don't use weapons," she grumbled.

  "Right, I remember now. You don’t hunt for food; you farm," I said, understanding.

  She fell silent after that, speaking only when directly addressed.

  For now, I'm content with our progress. Though she still keeps her distance and won’t let me get too close, her hostility has gradually faded, without her even realizing it. I chose not to bring it up, fearing that addressing it might shatter the fragile retionship we've built and make things even more awkward.

  Rustle, rustle.

  I heard the faint rustling of a bush in the distance, my sharp hearing picking up on the presence of a creature. Immediately, I halted and signaled my companions to do the same. They obeyed without hesitation, and we concealed ourselves completely. Moments ter, a massive frog crawled into view. Its round body was so enormous that I couldn't help but wonder how its forelegs managed to support its weight. That thought quickly passed, though, as I saw it only as a valuable source of meat.

  "That's a Buvile Frog," Faul remarked.

  "Is that what they're called?" I asked, noticing even Leya’s curiosity.

  "That's what we call them, but I don’t know what others might name this creature," he replied.

  "Leya?" I turned to the tree nymph.

  "I'm not sure. We rarely leave our sanctuary, so most of the creatures I've encountered here are completely unfamiliar to me," she admitted.

  "I see," I nodded in understanding.

  Tree nymphs likely spend their lives focused on nurturing pnts and trees, which expins why most of them remain within their sanctuary, unaware of the outside world.

  "So, you guys are basically like hikikomori," I muttered absentmindedly.

  "What’s that?" she asked sharply, as if sensing an insult toward her people.

  "Hmm? It's a term for individuals who isote themselves in their homes for long periods, unaware of what’s happening outside," I expined, subtly altering the true meaning of the word.

  "If creatures like that roam outside our sanctuary, then I can understand why our guardians and protectors wouldn’t inform my sisters—it would only cause unnecessary panic," she rationalized, defending her people's isotion.

  "I suppose you have a point," I conceded, choosing not to argue and risk making things awkward.

  The hunt went smoothly, and I defeated the Buvile Frog with little effort. My growth had become astonishing—I now stood at seven feet tall on all fours, a remarkable transformation in just half a year. It felt as if I had grown in the blink of an eye.

  "Faul, carry our spoils," I commanded.

  "Don’t worry, my lord. My strength has fully returned to what it once was, so carrying this big frog is no problem at all," he replied confidently.

  "I see. That’s good to hear," I acknowledged.

  I hadn't realized Faul had completely recovered until he mentioned it just now.

  "Me too," Leya suddenly spoke up, looking at me. "I can feel that I’ve regained my former strength."

  "Is that so?" I responded.

  "What do you mean, 'is that so'?" she shot back, her hostility rekindling. "You said I could go home once I recovered. Now that I’m fully healed, are you going back on your word?"

  For a brief moment, I was caught off guard. I had always known that eventually, she would return to where she belonged. But now that the moment had come, my mind swirled in panic. If I told her she was free to go, she would leave immediately, yet our retionship was still fragile. I wasn’t ready to let her go just yet.

  "I won’t take back my promise," I said, thinking quickly. "But now that you’re in perfect condition, shouldn’t it be normal to repay the kindness you received?"

  "So, you want me to help you hunt more monsters?" she asked.

  "Yes. And after that, we can discuss it back at my dwelling," I replied.

  With that, our hunt continued. Leya’s nature magic made things even easier—she controlled the trees to ensnare our targets with their roots, rendering them immobile. Her abilities were incredibly suited for subduing enemies, allowing us to amass an abundant haul. Once satisfied with our hunt, we returned to my dwelling.

  My home had also undergone improvements. The entrance of my cave is 50 feet high. While I could simply fly up, the others had to climb, so I decided to create a stone staircase. It was a simple floating stairway design, something I came up with on a whim. Naturally, Faul did most of the bor, while I shaped the stones with my cws.

  "Now that I’ve helped you capture creatures, can I leave?" Leya asked, clearly exhausted from using her magic.

  "No," I answered.

  "What? So you’re breaking your promise?" she snapped.

  "I told you I wouldn’t go back on my word," I retorted. "But you’re in no condition to travel."

  "What do you mean?" she asked, suspicion creeping into her voice.

  "You’ve drained too much magic. You wouldn’t be able to defend yourself from the creatures lurking in the forest. And you admitted this was your first time encountering monsters," I pointed out, reprimanding her recklessness.

  "And…" I paused, gncing outside.

  "And what?" she asked, irritation evident on her face.

  "It’s getting dark. The creatures of the night are far more dangerous," I continued.

  "Are you just making excuses to keep me here?" she accused.

  "Just rest for the night. I promise you can leave in the morning," I said, cutting the conversation short and walking away, unwilling to prolong the argument.

  "You better keep that promise. Or else," she muttered before settling down for a nap, eager for morning to arrive so she could leave.

  I watched as she drifted into sleep almost instantly, just like before. It was clear she had exhausted herself trying to fulfill her part of the deal.

  "My lord…" Faul hesitantly called out, as if debating whether to speak his mind.

  "Speak," I urged him.

  "I also wish to return home, to inform my tribe of my situation and the warriors’ deaths… but I promise to return as soon as I’ve completed my duty and—"

  "You can leave tomorrow," I interrupted before he could offer more excuses.

  "T-Thank you, my lord," he said, relief and gratitude in his voice.

  Curling up in my sleeping position, I let my thoughts wander. It wasn’t that I wanted to keep them here forever, I understood their desire to return home, whether for their families, their sisters, or simply because they missed their home. But the thought of being alone again in this cave… it felt unbearably sad and lonely.

  Now that I had found people I could talk to, I was reluctant to part ways. I had grown to enjoy their presence. And seeing them with a home to return to, left a pang of jealousy in my chest.

  Still, I set those emotions aside and allowed sleep to calm my restless thoughts.