Chapter 5 - My first monster girl

Walking down the forest path, a short monster girl hummed to herself in thought. She traveled alongside her human companion, intently listening to the tale of his journey thus far. “I see, so you’re new to the adventuring thing as well. Just my luck to be paired with a newbie,” she said. Her voice was raspy, and each time she spoke she felt the need to massage her throat.

“You know, you’ve suddenly been a lot more talkative since we left the manor…” The human companion, Eran, made a face at being called a newbie. It wasn’t an incorrect assessment, but it was one he hadn’t expected from the previously mute girl.

“Thanks to you! Since we’re treemates now, I can finally understand what you’re saying.”

“Finally?” Eran scratched at his head. “It seemed like you were following along pretty well the whole time.”

The monster girl, Leafa, crossed her arms and puffed out her meager chest. She wore a self-assured smile as she began to boast. “Of course! I picked up a couple human words from Granny, but I was able to figure out the rest just by reading the context clues.”

“Putting that amazing feat aside, mind telling me what a treemate is? I’m struggling to understand how becoming one helped you to learn our language almost instantly.”

Hearing Eran refer to her ability as an “amazing feat” made Leafa giggle. “Hehe, sure. Put simply, being my treemate means you’re my tree. My people can’t travel too far from their birth tree without getting sick, so as long as I stay close to you I won’t need to worry about that. Additionally, we’re linked now too. The process is a little slow, but I know the human tongue because you know the human tongue.”

“I think I get it. Does that mean you can tell me what kind of monster girl you are now?” Eran asked.

“We call ourselves dneuma, but I have a feeling you humans came up with a different word. I can only learn what you know through our link, so our best chance at finding out is by meeting with that professor Cedric mentioned.”

Eran let out a sigh. “I see…”

Leafa groaned and puffed up her cheeks. “Don’t get disappointed, it’s your fault I don’t know! Besides, is knowing my race really that important?”

“I’d be able to do proper research if I knew,” Eran said. “If we’re going to be traveling together, then I’d like to learn whatever I can. I think a monster girl tamer should do that at the bare minimum.”

The monster girl rolled her eyes with a smirk. “If only you were able to ask me questions about myself. Truly, you’re sort of an airhead aren’t you?” Leafa chuckled softly, and soon after a faint blush made her cheeks become warm. “And with the tall lady as well. To think you chose access to her garden of all things.”

Eran began to blush himself, the memory quickly becoming an embarrassing one. “I really couldn’t think of anything else! It was nice of Cedric to give us ten gold coins instead of five, though.”

“Twice as many sounds like a good thing. Still, when you asked for the garden as your reward, you were thinking about me, weren’t you? It was a dumb decision to make, but a sweet one.” Leafa reached out to wrap her fingers around Eran’s hand.

The young man felt his hand begin to sweat. It was one thing for him to hold hands when he saw her as a monster girl, but since she had begun to converse properly he found himself slowly becoming unable to discern her from a normal woman.

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“It’s huge!”

Leafa reached out toward the human settlement and attempted to grasp it. Even from how far away they were, her hand was barely big enough to fully enclose around the town. She ran toward the open plains with arms stretched out wide and a gleeful smile on her face. To the monster girl, the constrictive world she knew all her life suddenly opened up into an endless expanse. The horizon did not end, and the sun was able to shine freely on her dark skin. No longer hindered by thick forest canopies, Leafa felt the unbridled sunlight wrap around her body like a warm blanket.

“Pretty amazing, isn’t it?” Eran caught up to Leafa and took in the sight alongside her.

“I knew the outside world was big, but I never imagined it would be so open. It makes me feel like I can go anywhere.” The monster girl looked up at Eran, flashing him a bright smile. “Well, so long as I have my tree!”

The young man scratched at his cheek and made a conflicted expression. “Why do I feel like I was roped into something dangerous?”

With a chuckle, Leafa tapped Eran on the arm. “You said we were partners, so I latched on before you could change your mind. You’re stuck with me now~”

They continued to banter with one another until they reached Oakwood. Once Leafa saw the massive crowds of people wandering throughout the city, she went quiet. “That’s a lot of people in one place…,” she whispered.

“I’m still getting used to it myself,” Eran said.

As the two made it past the city gates they began to hear whispers. People stopped to stare at Eran and Leafa, silently gossiping to one another. It didn’t take long for them to become surrounded. A large crowd formed and the citizens seemed to be frozen in an awestruck state.

“So there really was a monster girl tamer from Greenhorn Academy.”

“How many years has it been since a tamer graced our small town?”

“Good, we needed someone to come and deal with those pesky goblins.”

“I’ve never seen a monster girl like that before, I wonder what kind she is?”

Leafa grabbed Eran’s hand and clung to him like a vine. Her eyes darted all around, making her head spin as she tightened her grip on her treemate’s clothes. She had the appearance of someone who was about to faint. “Too many colors… it’s making me feel sick…”

Some of the more bold bystanders approached Eran and began to ask him questions. They seemed friendly, but that didn’t stop Eran from becoming overwhelmed by the sudden attention. He answered their questions as best he could, but as more and more people came forward he felt like he was trapped. The young man looked around for a way out, but a perfect circle had formed.

Just then, a burly man with a large axe appeared and began to break apart the crowd by pulling people back. “Alright alright, give the poor man a break.”

“Mark!” Eran’s face lit up upon seeing his warrior friend.

“Hey there, honor student. I see you became popular while I was gone.” Mark looked down at the monster girl attached to the young tamer’s arm and smirked. He patted his friend on the shoulder before leading them away, addressing the crowd as they walked through it. “Give the guy some space, yeah? Us adventurers need time to wind down.”

Mark led Eran and Leafa to a quiet corner of the town where the monster girl was able to get a drink of water. She reached into the well and splashed some on her face in order to calm her nerves and return to her senses.

“So you finally tamed your first monster girl, not bad honor student!” The burly warrior clapped Eran on the back.

“Actually, I haven’t. She’s following me on her own, so it’s not like I have a reason to tame her.” Eran said. He let out a nervous chuckle after admitting that

“Is that right? Huh. I guess if you didn’t need to use those neat tamer spells then that’s something.” Mark crossed his arms and gave Eran a blank look.

Leafa approached the two men and studied Mark. She looked him up and down as she crossed her arms as well. “Who’s this? Is he someone you know?”

“This is Mark, a friend from the academy I mentioned.” Eran smiled as he noticed Leafa no longer looked so nauseous.

“I see, so you aren’t a loner. That’s good.” Leafa said. She smiled at the burly man and held out her hand toward him. “I’m Leafa. You seem like a good person, so it’s nice to meet you.”

Mark guffawed as he gave the girl a firm handshake. “Haw! You managed to find yourself a cheeky one, ey honor student?”

Eran placed a hand to his forehead and shook his head. “You know, words hurt, Leafa…”

The monster girl held up a finger to her chin and tilted her head at Mark. “You’ve been calling Eran ‘honor student,’ what does that mean?”

“Ah! Well you see, back when we first entered the academy Eran was answering every question right, and fast too. We started calling him honor student, but imagine our surprise when we finally get to our first sparring matches and everyone wipes the floor with him! A couple students found it amusing to keep on calling him honor student, so the name stuck.”

“Haha, that’s so funny!” Leafa and Mark began to laugh together, leaving Eran to give them both an incredulous look.

“Seriously… words hurt, you guys…” Eran made sure to glare at them for a few more seconds before relenting and joining in their laughter. He remembered the humiliation he felt that day, but since then he had slowly regained the respect of his classmates through his knowledge. Even if he couldn’t apply it himself, he had a lot of insight to grant his peers, and those that relied on him went on to excel.

After a bit more casual conversation, where Mark and Eran reminisced on their days in the academy, Leafa looked back at the main street. The evening chill made her shiver, and the orange hue that began to wash over the town signaled the beginning of the dusk hour.

Eran glanced over at the monster girl and followed her gaze. “Hey Mark, do you know any good clothing stores that are still open?”

“Already thinking about buying your girlfriend a gift, ey?”

“She’s not-!”

“Messin’ with ya. I know a couple places, though they’re gonna close soon. Come on.” Mark motioned for the other two to follow him and led them back to the main road. They were approached by curious people who noticed the monster girl walking alongside them, but the imposing warrior was able to send them off before the earlier incident repeated itself.

The group walked in front of a fabric store located near the town’s center. Past the ornate windows, several rows of exotic fabrics could be seen proudly on display.

“Mark, this store looks expensive…,” Eran said. He eyed Mark suspiciously.

“They carry the pricey stuff but they sometimes have good deals too. You just need to make sure the old codger doesn’t upsell you.”

“There’s a lot of girl’s clothes.” Leafa peeked through the window and slowly turned toward Mark with a blank look on her face.

“Oi, I come here often with my sisters. Don’t go getting weird ideas.” Mark let out a gruff as he led the group inside the store.

A well dressed man with finely styled hair noticed the trio, and he rushed to greet them with his hands clasped together. “Well well, if it isn’t Mark! It’s been such a long time! And I see you’ve brought friends instead of your sisters.” The man had a jovial air about him, but the friendly smile on his face did not reach his eyes.

“That’s right. My buddy here is hoping to buy some clothing.” Mark said.

“Ah, of course! And what kind of outfit may I help you find today?” The store owner turned his focus to Eran, his eyes widening slightly upon catching sight of the leaf-haired girl beside him.

“Something like a cloak to help make sure my friend doesn’t draw so much attention.” Eran said.

The store owner nodded his head in agreement and began walking toward one of the clothing racks. “Of course, that would be quite troublesome I imagine! You must be the monster girl tamer everyone has been talking about, yes? If that’s the case, then something like this should be absolutely perfect for you.” He pulled out a plain brown traveler’s cloak, presenting it to Eran. “It’s made from reinforced drider’s silk and handcrafted in the far west. This material will keep you warm in the blistering cold and cool in the blazing heat, with an added bonus of being resistant to rain and fire. Yours, for the reasonable price of six gold coins.”

Eran’s face went pale. “Six gold is kind of a lot when I was expecting to spend less than one gold coin.”

The man let out an exaggerated gasp and held a hand to his chest. “But sir! When you buy clothing you should invest in something that will last! I assure you, you will be spending less money in the long run for something far superior in quality.”

Eran let out an exasperated sigh. “We appreciate the offer, but–”

“Was the cloak really made in the far west from drider silk?” Leafa asked. She stepped up to the shopkeeper with her hands on her hips and her brow furrowed.

“You’re free to feel it for yourself. I assure you this is the genuine article.” The store owner said.

Leafa reached out to run her hand across the fabric. She was impressed by how it felt more like wool than silk. With a satisfied hum, she nodded her head and turned to Eran. “Haven’t we seen this same robe before? When we visited the far west, remember? I think it was being sold for less gold coins too.” She stared at Eran with an intense gaze as her lips became taut.

“R-Right,” Eran said. “I think I saw it for four… no, three gold coins.”

The shopkeeper gave Eran a suspicious look, his face slightly pale. “Is it not true that you graduated from Greenhorn Academy not even a few weeks ago? Have you really been to the far west?”

Eran felt a cold sweat forming on his back. He didn’t know if he could keep up the act, but he was already in too deep to back out. “Leafa and I were travelers before I went to the academy. The bazaar at Somir really is incredible, but it paled in comparison to the city of Caelestis.” Once again, the young adventurer found himself relying on information he only knew secondhand from reading books.

The man did not drop his suspicious glare. He regained his smile in an attempt to restore his friendly facade, but it was not as bright as he made his new offer. “My deepest apologies. The cloak is indeed valued at three gold, but you must understand, silk as fine as this is a luxury when we are so far away from Somir. Because you are a good friend of Mark’s, I will lower the price down to just five gold coins.”

The monster girl tugged at Eran’s shirt. “We’re going back to Somir, aren’t we? Since we know how valuable that cloak is now, maybe we should buy it there?” There was an innocent lilt to Leafa’s voice that hid her malicious intent.

“Wait! Surely you’d like to own such a lovely cloak sooner rather than later? Four gold coins and it can be yours right now. I will even tailor it to fit your companion for free.” The shopkeeper’s business mask was beginning to slip, and he could not hide the panicked tone in his voice.

Eran closed his eyes and let out a meditative hum. The cloak was still on the expensive side, but the adventurer felt like the man’s sales pitch about quality wasn’t inaccurate. “Okay, we’ll take it for four gold.”

When the trio left the fabric store the dusk hour was nearly over. The sun vanished behind the horizon, leaving the moon to be the sole dominator of the night sky.

“Man, I’ve rarely seen someone haggle him like that! I didn’t know you had that in ya, honor student.” Mark looked over at his buddy in awe.

“It’s a common trope for the hero to haggle with merchants over equipment, but I had no idea the cloak was actually worth three gold. I’m impressed Leafa knew somehow.” Eran glanced down at Leafa, who was rubbing her cheek against the soft fabric of her new cloak.

The monster girl giggled softly. “I didn’t know either. I just knew he was lying about the price, so I let Eran handle it.” She rushed out into the street and twirled to feel the weight of the cloak as she spun around.

“How did you even know he was lying?” Eran asked.

“It’s easy for a dneuma! We communicate through emotion rather than words, so when someone is lying it can be obvious. All I had to do was figure out if he was lying about the quality or the price.” Leafa flashed a toothy grin full of self-confidence.

“That’s actually really useful. I’ll have to remember to be careful with what I say around you.” The young tamer nervously scratched at his cheek.

“Yup! So you better not lie when I ask you if this cloak looks cute on me!” Leafa struck several poses and put her best foot forward.

There was genuine happiness written on the young woman’s face, and although Eran only intended to get her something that would make her less noticeable, he felt as though the cloak really suited her. “I guess it fits you pretty well. You look cute in it.”

Leafa’s smile widened and a faint blush colored her cheeks. “Mhm, that was the truth.”

Mark clapped Eran on the back and cleared his throat. “This is adorable to watch and all, but it’s getting late and I’m working with that merchant again tomorrow. If things go well, he’ll be hiring me as a permanent bodyguard.”

“That’s good news, isn’t it!? Best of luck tomorrow!” Eran returned the warrior’s friendly gesture and patted him on the shoulder.

The burly man left the group with a thumbs up, leaving behind the tamer and his monster girl partner. A few people gave passing compliments to Leafa’s cloak, but no one seemed interested in the pair beyond that. The outfit was a success.

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“I think I can handle this level of attention. Plus, everyone who gave me a compliment so far has been genuine.” Leafa had a bright smile on her face as she shoved a handful of salad into her mouth. She continued to have random people comment on her outfit, even as she enjoyed a meal with Eran inside the guild tavern.

“For the price I would sure hope so.” As Eran ate with her, he couldn’t help but stare at the monster girl’s hair. The hood's shadow made it so that it appeared as a dark shade of green hair rather than a head full of literal leaves. Seeing his partner happily chomping on a mouthful of plants made a question form within his mind, one that he wasn’t sure he had the bravery to ask.

“Something on your mind?” Leafa asked.

“Well… you’re clearly some kind of plant monster, so watching you eat a salad is…”

The monster girl let out a huff and pointed at Eran. “To me you’re a meat person, but I’m not saying anything about the rabbit in your stew.”

“That’s a surprisingly fair argument.” Eran scratched at his cheek and let out a nervous laugh. “I’m glad you seem to be doing okay though. You looked really sick earlier when we got surrounded by that crowd. The tavern is really busy, so I was worried it would make you nauseous again.”

Leafa glanced off to the side to look at the large crowd of people sitting at the central dining area. “Remember when I said how dneuma communicate through emotion? I can see colors above people that tell me how they’re feeling, but only if they’re close enough. Right now it just looks like one big blob of happiness, so it isn’t as terrible to look at.”

Eran glanced over at the same crowd, taking in the sight of the tavern-goers joyfully sharing stories of adventure as they feasted together. “I can see how that might make you sick if everyone had a different color. It’s a good thing this tavern has such a special atmosphere.”

After finishing their meal, the two went upstairs to retire for the night. It was only when the door to Eran’s room closed shut did he make a harrowing realization. There was only a single bed in his room, and it was narrow. The young man barely fit comfortably on it himself.

“Damnit, I’m too tired to go downstairs and get a second room,” Eran said.

“Let’s just share it, then.” Leafa took off her cloak and hopped onto the bed, patting the minimal space left as she laid down on her side.

Eran let out an exhausted sigh as he lowered himself down onto the wooden floor. “It’s fine, there’s enough space down here for me to–”

He was cut off by Leafa, who had stretched her fingers out to wrap them around his wrists like a whip. “No way, this is your room! Just get on the bed already!” She tugged on his wrist, slowly dragging him toward the bed as they entered a contest of strength.

“I used to sleep on the floor all the time, I’m used to it!”

“Well I can’t rest properly if I’m not close to my tree!”

“How close do you need to be? We’re in the same room!”

Leafa reached out with her other arm and coiled her outstretched fingers around Eran’s waist. He was too tired to keep struggling, so he accepted his fate as Leafa hoisted him onto the bed and further wrapped herself around him. “About this close,” she muttered.

Eran opened his mouth to protest, but when he turned to face his treemate he saw that she had already drifted off to sleep. “Geez, what a headache.” He smiled as he closed his eyes. The young man had never slept alongside anyone else, but feeling the woman’s warmth cover him like a soft blanket wasn’t something he hated. Her leaves rustled against him, and the sensation brought forth memories of sleeping on his favorite hill back in Greenhorn. It comforted him, and before long he too drifted off into a gentle slumber.