"You suddenly got color, what happened to you?" (Jin)
I was surprised at how the Grayman had turned into a Hueman (Huewoman ?), but now that she could speak, it would be worth asking him(her) a few questions.
"I don't know. I just suddenly became conscious and was able to talk." (Huewoman)
The Huewoman tilted her head and spoke in a childish tone. The way she tilted her head seemed the same as she was a Grayman.
"Once we're able to converse, there are a few things I'd like to ask you. Is that okay?" (Jin)
"Yeah. Can I sit down again?" (Huewoman)
"Yeah, I don't mind." (Jin)
When I gave my permission, the Huewoman sat back on my lap. Her soft butt was resting on my legs. It felt softer than when she was a Grayman.
"So, first question: what happened to your world?" (Jin)
"I'm sorry. I only have vague memories of the past." (Huewoman)
Apparently, Graymen didn't have a very good memory. No, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that they had a low ability to retain memories.
"So what's your earliest memory?" (Jin)
"It's when you saved me from something big. Everything before that becomes a blur." (Huewoman)
"It was really just recently..." (Jin)
No matter what I asked, I felt like I wouldn't get any decent information. Following Schubert, is it impossible to get any information from the Graymen either...? Well, I guess I'll just listen to whatever I can.
"What happened when so many Graymen combined together to follow us?" (Jin)
"I thought it might be possible, so I gave it a try and it worked." (Huewoman)
"That’s a vague idea… So, what about the consciousness of 1024 people?" (Jin)
"Everyone is inside me. I came out because I wanted to talk to you the most." (Huewoman)
Apparently, the consciousnesses of the other 1,023 people had not disappeared, but remain within the Huewoman. The one currently here was the one that was rescued from the Behemoth, and it seemed that she was appearing as a representative because she felt very grateful to me.
"We are grateful to you. Because you took us out of that world." (Huewoman)
"You don't remember the past, do you?" (Jin)
"I vaguely remember. That world is no longer viable..." (Huewoman)
The Huewoman said sadly. She didn't remember the details, but I guessed she did feel a sense of nostalgia.
"Now that I think about it, why were you so happy when you heard that you would become my subordinate?" (Jin)
The atmosphere was getting a little tense, so I decided to change the topic. I had doubts about why the Graymen was so happy when they heard that they would become my subordinate, my underling.
"We were happy that you saved us from the Hollow Beastss, and we wanted to be connected to you, even if it meant being your underling. We wanted to be with you. Also, you were so dazzling, we felt relieved." (Huewoman)
"Dazzling?" (Jin)
"Yeah. Dazzling and strong." (Huewoman)
I didn't quite understand what she was saying so I asked her to elaborate, and it turned out that Graymen could see energy as light. When they saw me, they were amazed by the overwhelming amount of energy I had and were extremely happy to be saved from the Hollow Beastss and taken under my protection as my underling. Incidentally, it appeared that their ability to see this energy as light provided them with their daily meals. Being under my protection, being close to me and absorbing the energy that seeped out from me was the ultimate luxury for a Grayman. So that's why it was so easy for a new Grayman to join the group.
[Master, I now understand why the Graymen were colored.] (Alta)
While I was thinking about this, I received a report from Alta. That's perfect. Let's hear more about it.
[This is related to what we just said, but it seems that the cause was that they directly absorbed your energy, Master. Specifically, they drank hot water that had dissolved your sweat in it.] (Alta)
……huh? What is Alta saying? If they drink my sweat, will a Grayman turn into a Hueman? What kind of joke is that?
[Yes, that is true. Graymen were like that to conserve energy. With enough energy, Graymen can get closer to their original form, which is her current colored form.] (Alta)
In other words, Graymen were originally Huemen, and the grey color was because they were in energy-saving mode. It really is a mysterious ecology. ...Well, there are many creatures in this world with mysterious ecologies, so maybe it's too late now.
[Yes. What's more, it seems that its current form is not yet complete. If she licks your sweat directly, rather than your sweat that has dissolved in the hot water, it will return to its original form.] (Alta)
Does that sweat have to be mine?
[Yes. To make up for Graymen's lack of energy, a being with as much energy as Master is needed. Among your subordinates, even Sakura is able return them to their original form.] (Alta)
Since Sakura came up in the conversation, that energy probably has something to do with Special Abilities. By simple math, I had seven Special Abilities (six of them have been awakened), so maybe I had more energy. In other words, to turn a Grayman into a Hueman, I needed to make them lick my sweat.
"Apparently, you took on that form because you drank hot water that contained my sweat. If you licked my sweat directly, you'd be able to get a little closer to your original form." (Jin)
"...Is it okay if I lick it?" (Huewoman)
When the Huewoman heard that this was her original form, she flinched and stared at my neck. She didn't seem to understand the logic behind it, but it was clear that she was very interested.
"I'm a bit worried about what your original form is, but I'll forgive you if it's just this once." (Jin)
"Okay." (Huewoman)
Once I gave my permission, the Huewoman didn't hesitate to start licking the sweat off my neck. She licked me with her small tongue. It tickled.
"Hmm..." (Huewoman)
The Huewoman's tongue stopped, and she began to tremble. It looked like her energy had been accumulated successfully.
"Ahh!" (Huewoman)
The Huewoman cried out and leaned back. In the next moment, the Huewoman's appearance had changed from that of a little girl to that of an adult woman.
"Haa... haa... is this my original form? It somehow seems like something I remember..." (Huewoman)
The Huewoman (adult version) stood up and looked around her body. Her physical features — including her grey hair — remained the same as her little girl version, but her proportions had changed significantly. She was about my height, had all the right protrusions and was tucked in wherever she needed to be. Apparently, she had no sense of shame. She stood up completely naked in front of me and didn't seem to mind.
"Ah..." (Huewoman)
The Huewoman (adult version) let out a small cry and shrunk down to her little girl version. The transformation time seemed to be quite short.
"Can I lick you again?" (Huewoman)
"I guess you'll have to wait for today. It's already warm enough..." (Jin)
"That's right... I want you to let me lick you again sometime." (Huewoman)
"If I feel like it." (Jin)
A young girl licked my neck in the bathroom, and then I soaked in the bath with a grown-up young girl. If you simply laid out the facts, a lot of things seemed a bit shocking.
Before getting out of the bath, I suddenly remembered something and asked her.
"By the way, do you guys have names?" (Jin)
Grayman was the name of the species, and I just call them that. There was no need to give them names if they couldn't communicate, but if they could talk normally it would be more convenient to have names.
"I don't have a name. I feel like I had one a long time ago, but I don't remember it, so it's the same as not having one. I'd like someone to give it to me, if possible." (Huewoman)
"Hmm, I'm used to giving names, so will you leave it to me?" (Jin)
"Being used to giving names ≠ being good at giving names"
Ta-da![1]
› Name her "Aya"
› Name her "Gray"
› Name her "Saito"
› Name her "Yukari"
"Okay, your name is Aya. It means color (hue)." (Jin)
"Yeah, got it! My name's Aya. I remembered!" (Huewoman → Aya)
The Grayman, now known as Aya, said happily. Also, the choices were not really choices at all. I was glad I got at least one right.
"Well then, let's keep it up and do 1,023 more!" (Aya)
"That's impossible." (Jin)
I'd like to know what kind of torture it is to have to name 1,023 people you had never met.
After getting out of the bath, I left Aya in the care of the maid waiting outside.
The maid wiped Aya down with the bath towel she had brought. Even if she didn't mind, it's not like I was the one who had to wipe her body. Furthermore, the maid didn't seem at all perturbed when she saw Aya's sudden coloring. The maids basically seemed to accept all the abnormal situations that occur around me.
At the same time, I dressed her in children's clothes. I couldn't let her wander around naked. Basically, it would be safe to treat Aya as a human child.
"I'm hungry..." (Aya)
Aya, wearing only a child's outfit that she could pull over her head, came running up to me and muttered. A gurgling sound could be heard coming from her stomach.
"This has never happened before..." (Aya)
"It seems that your original form needs to eat. If you stay gray, you probably won't need to eat though..." (Jin)
"I don't like that." (Aya)
Aya shook her head with clear determination. It seemed she didn't want to go back to become a Grayman anymore. First of all, will Aya ever return to Grayman mode?
[Yes. If she does not consume Master's bodily fluids for an extended period of time, she will become deficient in energy and revert to a Grayman state.] (Alta)
My bodily fluids... I guess that's correct, but there's something odd about the way you put it. Normally, sweat would be a safe choice. ...Let's put aside the fact that there are no safe bodily fluids in the first place.
"It looks like there's a party coming up, and there should be food there." (Jin)
"Let's go quickly!" (Aya)
Aya urged me to hurry up. Aya didn't know where the venue was, so she couldn't go ahead. Well, even if she did go first, I didn't think she would be able to eat the food before I got there...
I took Aya with me and headed to the hall.
The Kastal mansion had a fairly large hall. This hall was often used when parties were held at the mansion, but the venue for this party was not the mansion's hall.
As for which hall, it was a hall located on the 50th floor of the Estia labyrinth. A gigantic multi-purpose hall was constructed on the 50th floor for Dungeon Master's free use. When a large number of subordinates gather, even the hall in Kastal's mansion was not enough, and a hall with a larger capacity was needed, so a while ago the construction maids built one in three days. Using a Dungeon Master's authority, I could have easily created a hall or two, but the construction maids insisted on doing it, so I left it to them.
I was transported to the 51st floor of the labyrinth by Portal.
As a side note, the 51st floor was a residential area, where the Dungeon Keeper's house and an orphanage were located. This hall was also built adjacent to the residential area. The 52nd floor was a huge agricultural area that provided the majority of our food needs. Currently, they had succeeded in cultivating most of the food they obtained from various places, and ingredients from all over the world were gathered here alone. Wasn't that a bit too much effort? End of digression.
After reaching the 51st floor, I summoned Aya using ‹Summon›. I hadn't explained magic to Aya yet.
"Where am I? I felt like I had surpassed the Gate of Boundary." (Aya)
"So you understand after all. But I'll explain that to you another time." (Jin)
"Got it. I just get that you're amazing." (Aya)
Even though I put off answering Aya's question, she somehow seemed convinced. After walking a little, we arrived at the hall.
When we entered the entrance to the hall, the maids were waiting for us and we were guided to the party venue.
"Wow! It's full of people!" (Aya)
"It's quite a sight when this many people gather together." (Jin)
Aya was very surprised to see more than 1,000 of my subordinates gathered at the party venue. Perhaps to accommodate me — who didn't like stuffy atmospheres — everyone except the maids who were wearing maid uniforms (full dress) were wearing formal attire, or rather, everyday clothes.
"Ah, Master! Finally, the main character appears" (Mio)
"Jin-sama, we've been waiting for you." (Maria)
Mio and Maria, who were waiting at the entrance, noticed us and came over. Apparently, Maria skipped the bath in preparation for the party and just used the ‹Clean› instead.
"There are quite a few people here, huh" (Jin)
"Well, it's your return, Master, so it's going to be a lavish affair. Apparently, the participants were chosen by lottery, except for the subordinates in important positions." (Mio)
"Is that really so...?" (Jin)
Although there were over 1,000 subordinates at the party venue, this was still only a small portion of the total number of subordinates. I just counted the number of my subordinates and there were over 5000. What's surprising was that over 80% of them were believers. The party venue still had room to accommodate many people, but since it was a stand-up reception, it might feel a little cramped if the number of people increased further, so it was an exquisite adjustment.
"Master, you don't throw parties, do you? If there's an opportunity to join a party with you, the competition will be fierce." (Mio)
"I also won the lottery to be a guide for Jin-sama. A colleague who didn't win asked me to give 5 million gold." (A maid)
The maid who was guiding us said this after hearing Mio's story. It became clear that my guidance was worth more than 5 million gold, and that this maid would not give up her role as guide, even when offered the 5 million gold.
"Oh, Jin-kun has come..." (Sakura)
(It's Master!) (Dora)
"Master, I've been waiting for you!" (Sera)
As we were talking, Sakura, Dora and Sera gathered over. The other participants didn't approach me in an unnatural way.
[One of the conditions for participation is that they are prohibited from talking to Master. However, if Master talks to them, they can answer. Therefore, most participants look forward to being talked to by Master.] (Alta)
…I mean, it's probably impossible to go around and talk to this many people, right?
[There are hopes, but there seems to be some resignation that it will probably not happen.] (Alta)
"………………." (Jin)
"Master. Without your greeting, we cannot eat our food. I'm sorry, but please say hello first." (Sera)
(Dora is hungry too!) (Dora)
Our hungry duo urged me on. I had the job of giving the opening speech. I didn't need to give a fancy speech, but Lucia had asked me to just give a toast.
"It’s a little late for dinner, after all… Jin-kun, please…" (Sakura)
"That's right. It's okay to have a little bit, but some dishes will get cold if left for too long." (Mio)
"That's a big deal. Let's say hello quickly." (Jin)
Mio said something that was hard to hear, so I hurried over to the podium in the hall. Once everyone in the venue had their eyes on her, I received a glass of drink from a maid nearby.
"Cheers!" (Jin)
When I was asked to propose a toast, I raised my glass and simply said, "Cheers." The food might get cold if we didn't hurry, so there was no way I was going to give a long speech.
"Cheers!" (x approx. 1000)
All participants raised their glasses and chanted in unison. The other participants seemed to have heard about my personality, so they didn't seem particularly upset.
The party began and I started eating. As a customary at parties, Maria brought food, so I concentrated on eating it for a while. Maria must have gotten used to it, because she brought me whatever I wanted, in the amount I wanted.
And once I had filled my stomach to a certain extent, I decided to go around and say hello to the other participants. Previously, I had many opportunities to talk with my subordinates, but recently the number of them had increased so much that I had hardly been able to talk to them. Since this is a rare opportunity, I'll focus on listening to people I haven't spoken to before. Of course, I won't be able to talk to everyone, but... Hey, it's okay to talk but stop worshiping.
Just as I was chatting with my subordinates, I suddenly noticed two people and walked towards them. The two were mother and daughter, Miyuki Naruse and Megumi Naruse. Formerly also known as Carellius and Crownliese.
"So you two came. How are you? Have you gotten used to this world?" (Jin)
"Oh my, Jin-san. Good evening." (Miyuki)
"Jin-san, good evening." (Megumi)
"Oh, good evening." (Jin)
When the two of them noticed me, I gave them a slight nod. Their mannerisms were completely Japanese, but their purple skin made them look very strange. Furthermore, the two of them were not wearing the outlandish clothes they wore when they were demons, but rather normal clothing in this world.
"If you ask me if I'm used to it, I can't say I'm used to it at all. The culture is different, and they look like this. It's the worst..." (Megumi)
Megumi muttered self-deprecatingly as she looked at the color of her own skin.
"But the people at the Chamber of Advanced Commerce have been really nice to us. Even though we look like this, they treat us just like everyone else. And Megumi has started crying in her bed less at night." (Miyuki)
"Hey!? Mom, were you watching?! I mean, even if you were watching, shut up!" (Megumi)
"Oh my. But it's true, isn't it? You're grateful too, right?" (Miyuki)
"Well, I guess it's true that I'm grateful. I made some friends too..." (Megumi)
Seeing the panicked Megumi, Miyuki calmly brushing it off, felt a little relieved.
Although I had these two under my command at the Eldia Castle, I was unable to do much to support them after we were suddenly attacked by Orihara. There might be many things that made them anxious, but it was good that they had managed to find a place for themselves in this world.
Currently, the two of them were making the potions sold at the Chamber of Advanced Commerce and helping out with research into new dishes. As they were mother and daughter, they were both able to do all the housework, including cooking. Looking at their status, their ‹Cooking› skill had blossomed. If they had experience in the original world, it would be easier to learn skills in this world too. As expected, they didn't cook during their time as demons, so they didn't have one until now.
"Let me ask you one thing, if you could go back to being human, would you want to?" (Jin)
I posed the question I had been meaning to ask them for a while.
"Of course I want to go back. But, you can't really do anything about our race, can you?" (Megumi)
"But if you say so, Jin-san, maybe there’s something you can do? Everything I’ve heard about Jin-san from everyone is completely absurd." (Miyuki)
Miyuki, who was surprisingly perceptive, asked with a bit of expectation in her eyes.
"Miyuki, you're right. In fact, while I was in the other world, I found a very practical method." (Jin)
"Is that true!?" (Miyuki)
"Yeah. I wouldn't lie about something like that." (Jin)
The realistic way to do this is, of course, to strengthen it with ‹Broad Interpretation›. If I strengthen their mental protection provided with ‹Parallel Mind›, maybe I'll be able to protect their mind with Sakura's magic — which I planned to have her create it — when their body changed.
[100% no problem.] (Alta)
Alta said the same, so I was sure it'd be fine.
"Yes! Mom, now we can become humans again!" (Megumi)
"Oh my, I had given up, but this is unexpected good fortune, isn't it?" (Miyuki)
The mother and daughter were holding hands and looking happy. They really had a good relationship. Megumi was happy for a while, then she said "Ah" and looked at me.
"That's right! Jin-san, can you use that on Mira-san? After all, she changed from a human into a different race." (Megumi)
"Oh my, that's right. Since she had a similar experience to us, she was very sympathetic and even gave us advice. It would be great if she could return to being human using that method as well." (Miyuki)
Perhaps because they shared the commonality of having transformed from humans into another species, a friendship seemed to have developed between Mira and the mother and daughter.
"Oh, probably I can use it." (Jin)
[Yes, you can use it.] (Alta)
If we protected the mind in the same way as those two, even Mira should be able to turn back into a human. It seemed that it was easier to turn a Vampire demon back into a human than it was to turn a demon back into a human. This was strange, since demons were supposed to be of human lineage and Vampire demons were of monster lineage.
This was just my own speculation, but I thought one of the reasons why ‹Broad Interpretation› manifested was because of the incident with Mira. Coming to this world, I had become able to do many things. However, there were still many things that didn't go as planned. The case of Mira and Schubert were examples of this.
The world was not going well. That was normal, it was natural, but I had a Special Ability that was not normal. What if that Special Ability were to make up for my deficiency? It would not be so unnatural for the discussion to move in the direction of strengthening existing Special Abilities, skills, and items. If I wanted my wish to come true in as broad and versatile a way as possible, then the Special Ability called ‹Broad Interpretation› was just right.
There was no way that such a Special Ability could not be used for Mira, which was one of the triggers.
"Oh my, that's good. Now both Mira-san and I can return to being human again, right?" (Miyuki)
"Yeah, that was good. ...So, when will you return us back?" (Megumi)
"If you just want to be back, we can always do so. However, it will probably be somewhat of a burden, so it would be better if you're in perfect health." (Jin)
If they wanted to, it wouldn't be impossible to bring them back here and now. However, I didn't think it was a good idea to do something like that at a party venue, and it was impossible to completely eliminate the strain it would put on their body and mind, so it would be better to wait until they were in good health.
"Oh my. In that case, could you help turn us back together when Mira-san gets back?" (Miyuki)
"Oh, I see. Mira-san is currently touring Estia for work with the music band." (Megumi)
"Is that so? Now that you mention it, she hardly came up in the conversation during the regular contact." (Jin)
During my time in the Gray World, we kept in regular contact, but there was almost no mention of Mira and her group. It was around this time that Estia had requested a musical band, and they were concentrating on preparing and practicing for the tour. Furthermore, since I spent my free time talking to this mother and daughter, their contact with me was decreasing.
"Okay. When Mira comes back, I'll turn all three of you back into humans." (Jin)
"Yes, if we go back, I want Mira-san to come with me! That would be great!" (Megumi)
"I look forward to seeing that." (Miyuki)
I'll have to tell Mira about this later.
[Leave it to me.] (Alta)
Apparently, Alta would do it.
The party ended up being shorter than expected. Apparently, the reason was that I had only just got home and might be tired, so they couldn't let me stay at the party for long. Although I had plenty of energy physically, I had been operating in the Gray World for so long that I thought I might be a little mentally tired, so I accepted the kindness and decided to rest early.
"It's been a while since Master slept in this room." (Elle)
"That's right. I've been sleeping together with Elle for a while now." (Blue)
When I returned to my room, the Sky Dragon (Blue) and the Ancestor Divine Dragon (Elle) were already back. They must be really close if they went out of their way to sleep in my room together even though I wasn't there.
[It seems that they were just lonely without Master. They wanted to sleep in Master's room, even if it was just the two of them. Sometimes, Dora would come and sleep in the room for the same reason.] (Alta)
(It's been a long time since I slept with Master!) (Dora)
Today, Dora had come into my room as my body pillow.
"I'm sorry to disturb you." (Aya)
Also, Aya wanted to share a room with me, so I brought her along. Apparently, by being close to me she could absorb the energy that leaked out, and she couldn't go too far (if she was away for too long, she would turn back into a Grayman). Apparently, she actually wanted to be my body pillow, but I had no interest in using little girls as body pillows, so I declined. Dora was only a body pillow because she was in dragon form.
Aya also preferred to sleep completely naked.
"Put your clothes on." (Jin)
"No. I just want you to let me sleep." (Aya)
Apparently, due to her lifestyle as a Grayman, she was not used to wearing clothes. It seemed there were clothes in the other world too, so it might be more accurate to say that she simply forgot about them... She had no choice but to wear clothes when living outside, but she preferred to take them off when she slept. There's no way I could use a naked little girl as a body pillow! (Author's note: See chapter 36.5).
"I sleep naked too, you know?" (Elle)
"Oh, come to think of it, that’s not your clothes but your skin. I’ve gotten used to wearing clothes quite a bit. Also, I think it’s best not to say unnecessary things in this situation…" (Jin)
Elle and Blue chimed in from the side. Elle only had scales on her private parts, so at first glance it looked like a swimsuit or underwear, but she was essentially naked. Naturally, she slept naked as well. On the other hand, Blue wore blue pajamas. Although she was used to living naked, she had adapted to human culture surprisingly easily. Come to think of it, the rate of nakedness (in an ecological sense) in this room was quite high.
"Look, she's naked too!" (Aya)
"Look, Elle is what caused this problem." (Blue?)
"Ugh, sorry." (Elle)
Aya pointed at Elle and said that, then Elle apologized.
"Is that girl okay but Aya's not?" (Aya)
"No, Elle's scales... they cover the private parts, so they're like clothes." (Elle)
"I don't understand that logic!?" (Aya)
It's okay as long as the private parts were covered. It could be a mysterious light or steam.
"...Then, instead of wearing clothes, I want you to use me as a body pillow." (Aya)
"That's another story." (Jin)
"Then sleep naked." (Aya)
What a stubborn girl.
"If I could become a body pillow when I put on clothes, I volunteer too." (Blue)
"Of course, me too. Although I'm not used to wearing the clothes..." (Elle)
(I won't give up my seat on the body pillow!) (Dora)
"Give up on the body pillow..." (Aya)
Afterwards, after a brief conversation, I went to bed with Dora in her dragon form as my body pillow. I had given up on Aya being naked.
"It's so bright, I can't sleep..." (Aya)
Aya muttered as soon as I turned off the lights.
Aya, or rather a Grayman, could see energy as light. Aya had said that my energy was strong and dazzling, so there was no way she could sleep in the same room as me. Since it would be troublesome if we were too far apart, in the end Aya put a partition in my room and slept behind it. ...What is this situation?
Author's Note
As usual, I'll take a week off before moving on to the next chapter.[2]
I will be introducing the characters as usual, but I don't have any suitable material for a short story, so there may not be any short stories.
Translation Note
[1] If you're wondering where those names came from,
- "Aya" (アヤ) is from 彩 in 彩人 (try 彩 with Google Translate)
- "Gray" (グレイ) is obviousely from "Grayman" (灰人)
- "Saito" (サイト) is also from 彩人, it seems 彩人 can also be read "Saito" (try 彩人 with Google Translate)
- "Yukari" (ゆかり) (see chapter 7)
[2] I think I'll also take a break next week.
Extra Credit
Thanks to Otaku Hikikomori for the corrections and suggestions.