The Man-Eating Flower

1

Ukuh, ukukukuh… ukukufufuh…
In correspondence with her laugh, the young girl’s slender shoulders finely shook.
Like an infant who didn’t know the meaning of modesty or shame, she laughed innocently, or perhaps frankly. Yet to Cleo, that sounded like the laugh of a demon.
That face, those hands, those feet, at a glance, she was no more than a little girl, but it was clear she was no human. Humans don’t grow feelers.
The girl’s feelers drew him closer until there were only twenty centimeters between their two faces.
Wild overgrown hair, that didn’t look as if it had been cut once since the moment she was born, the large, pointed eyes peering from within stared intently into Cleo’s face with the full curiosity of a kitten. Already terrible at dealing with looks from people, Cleo averted his eyes to flee from her gaze.
Her throat rung out another ukukuh, she moved her small, lovable mouth.

“It’s rare to be able to catch another human so quickly. Hey, is this what it means to be in luck?”
“… P-pardon?”

Cleo hesitated at the sudden question. The young girl blinked her eyes.

“Eh? What? Did you just say something?”

She gazed at Cleo, a blank look on her face. Unable to grasp his opponent’s meaning, Cleo found himself in confusion.
“U… umm… are you…” In an attempt to reach mutual understanding, he eagerly tested out conversation. But the girl opened her small mouth wide and spoke.

“Then it’s time to dig in.”

The inside of her open mouth gleaned into Cleo’s field of vision. Inside the dark-red membrane, sharp tapered canines gleamingly caught the light.

“Ah… whoah… w-wait!” Understanding the meaning of ‘Time to dig in,’ Cleo recklessly squirmed his body. But the second, then the third feeler extended, restraining his body without any mercy to spare.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I forgot to land the killing blow first. It will be painful if you’re still alive, right?”

The girl gave an understanding smile. She smiled as she entangled her almost-transparent white hand around Cleo’s throat, quickly putting in power. It wasn’t an arm strong enough to break the bones in his neck, but with an accurate hold on his carotid, his consciousness was melting into white.

“… Wait… save me… I’ll do any…”

I’ll do anything, so please save me—he intended to say. But whether the words escaped his mouth, or merely reverberated in his own head, Cleo could no longer tell.
In his meager last remnants of rationality, he thought. At this very moment, without any pain or suffering, in a sense he would greet a peaceful death. He’d only be eaten after that, so it would be far easier than being ripped open alive by a carnivorous animal.
Yet even so, he was resisting and pleading for his life.
He couldn’t stick the sword in his throat. He couldn’t let himself become beast food alive.
Yet, even without any pain, he still couldn’t.
(What’s this… so in the end, I wanted to live, did I…)
He used his fading mind to deride himself.
Even if he noticed his true feelings at this point, it was already too late. Hazily in his head, and gradually clearer, the nostalgic faces floated up. His mother. And one more. The one who had come out in yesterday’s dream…

“Hey, were you serious when you said anything?”

All of a sudden, the mist in his head cleared, the faces of the nostalgic deceased extinguished alongside it. When he came to, the young girl in question brought her face close enough to hold, gazing deep into Cleo’s eyes.

“…… Eh…?”
“As I was saying, you’re really do anything, will you?”

The girl’s fingers had left his throat.
In his unawoken head, it took a little time for him to comprehend his present situation.
(I’m… still alive…?)

2

Cleo was lowered to the ground, though the beast’s tentacle was still firmly entangled around his leg.

“Come to think of it, I’m not in an ‘I have to eat a human right now!’ sort of mood right now.”

The girl’s eyes run along Cleo, sprawled out over the ground. From the top of his head to the tip of his toes.

“And you don’t look too tasty to begin with.”

Cleo made a stiff smile of social courtesy. Not being eaten was surely a good thing, but even so, being told he was unappetizing was a light shock.
What should I do with you, the young girl crossed her arms in thought. Like a child choosing out his birthday present, she tilted her head, a broad grin on her face. Cleo hit against his throbbing head- either because he had been hung upside down, or because his neck had been strangled- to sweep away the remaining mist. Eventually, he regained enough rationality to grasp his present situation.
The feeler wrapped around his leg was something like the tendril of a plant. Perhaps she could grow them however she wanted from her back, as its length seemed to change at will. Judging by how easily she lifted up her body, it could be presumed they boasted considerable power and control.
And about the problematic girl herself… at a slight glance, three points caught Cleo’s attention.
First was the flower resting on top of her head. While it resembled a rose, it was a type of flower Cleo had never seen before. Practically the same size as her head, each time she moved her neck, its bright golden-yellow petals would tremble.
Another was her vibrant, green hair, as if to meld in with the forest in the current season. It caught the midsummer light giving off a young and lively sheen.
But the greatest thing weighing on his mind was the fact she was naked.
From what he could see, her age was around Cleo’s, or perhaps a little younger. Fitting of her age—while it might be meaningless to measure a magic beast by human criteria—she properly stuck out in the places that were meant to stick out. Cleo’s face turned bright red, he quickly cast his eyes down.
“Ah,” came the girl’s voice. Thinking she might have figured out his eyes had gone to her chest, Cleo’s body jerked up. But, “Alright, I’ve got it!” she hit her hands together with a cheerful face. It did seem she hadn’t noticed Cleo’s gaze in the slightest. For the time being, it was a relief, but he couldn’t lift his head. If he did, he would see. He’d no longer be able to think straight.

“Hey you, I’ve got it!”
“Oh… that’s good.”
“……?”

The girl tilted her head.
Cleo kept his head down.

“Hey… I’ve got it, you know?”
“Yes, what is it…”
“……”
“……”

The awkward air only made it harder for him to raise his head. Listening to the pounding tone of his heart, he continued delivering a hollow gaze to the grass whose name he didn’t know growing at his feet.
All of a sudden, Cleo’s head was wrapped in vines, forcefully tugged up.
His eyes met with the girl’s. Similar to her hair, her eyes were leaf-green as well. She glared down at him, with a dubious face. Her chest abruptly entered his vision as well.

“Hey, I’m telling you I’ve got it!”
“Y-yess…! What do you want me to do…”

Cleo was practically on the verge of tears, even so averting his eyes and resisting to the end. Unable to comprehend the delicate mentality of a timid pubescent boy, the girl tilted her head.
“You’re weird,” and, “Whatever,” she muttered, and entered the main topic.
The vines pointed Cleo’s face even higher.

“Look. On the top of the tree. Can you see it?”
“…?”

Cleo focused his eyes. He did get the feeling there was something on the canopy, but the layered tree leaves and branches dispersed his vision, he couldn’t make out anything clear. When he tried even harder, something moved with a gleeful shriek.

“Was that… a monkey?”
“Right, right, monkey.” The girl gave a delighted nod. “Those lot, see, by the time you notice it, you find them staring holes into you like that. It’s annoying, but they’re always up there, and they’re quick, so I can never catch them.”
“… I see.”
“That’s why I want you to catch them. I always wanted to have a taste. For the time being, one is enough.”
“I see… what?”

The vine entwining his face was released, finally freeing him. Cleo took a glance at the girl’s face. Imagining the unknown taste of a monkey, she was making the sort of smile as if her heart was full of expectations. He took another look at the spot he presumed the monkey had been. Around fifteen, perhaps sixteen meters off the ground.
(I wonder if that’s higher than the estate back home. At the top, the branches… get really thin.)
From the moment he was born, Cleo had never climbed a tree. Would he be able to climb so high for the first time in his life, and play a game of tag with the nimble monkeys?
(There’s… no way I could.)
He didn’t even get the feeling it was possible with a stroke of good luck. If there were one hundred Cleos, and they all tried to catch them at once, it would undoubtedly still be impossible. Before any monkeys were caught, one hundred fallen corpses would bury up the ground.
Cleo couldn’t take up a job he had no hopes of accomplishing. He reluctantly mumbled to the girl whose smile pleaded, ‘Quickly, quickly,’ beside him.

“I’m sorry… that’s impossible.”

The girl opened her eyes wide.

“Impossible… you mean you can’t do it?”

When Cleo gave an apologetic nod, the girl’s blankly open mouth changed faster than a sudden evening shower.

“Why? You just said you would do anything!”

Power surged into the vine binding his leg. Knowing her anger, Cleo raised a scream in his heart.

“Y-you have my apologies. When I said that, I meant whatever I’m capable of…”

With flowing motions, he groveled on the ground.

“Then what’s the point? I didn’t hear anything about that.”

The words she spit out in irritation fell like thunder. Cleo buried his face into the grass-smelling ground. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, he repeated. Dripping in cold sweat, he soaked the blades like the morning dew.
The summer sun mercilessly beat down from the sky. He was dotted in spouts from two forms of sweat. Appearing alongside the sound of swaying branches, the cool breeze chilled his damp body and left. A while later, a similar wind took the vanguard once more. The cold invited on a shiver.
In that space of time, the girl was silent all the way.
Each and every second increased the silent pressure pressing down on his back. This was his limit.

“Got it, I’ll go and catch a monkey!” The moment Cleo ran his mouth—
“Then what are you capable of?” the girl said.
“Huh…”

When he timidly raised his head, the young girl’s cold, harsh eyes lorded over him.
“What is it you can do?” said her eyes: ‘If it’s something boring, I’ll kill and eat you this instant.’

(What… can I do…?)
He asked himself.
This girl wouldn’t permit anything superficial.
A flash of inspiration suddenly struck him.

“Umm, I’m just asking for reference’ sake, but… do you have any interest in swords?”

The girl’s brow convulsed in a twitch.

“Sword, you mean those cutting things… what about them?”
“No, I mean… if you had to choose between like and dislike, which side would you fall under?”
“I loathe them!!”

The girl’s harsh cry shook the atmosphere.

“Just look at this! It really hurt, I tell you! I detest all swords, and the people who hold them! They’re irritating just to look at!”

She clamored with enough momentum to breathe fire, holding out her upper left arm, “Right here, right here!” she pointed with her finger. On closer inspection, a fresh wound that had only just closed itself had been carved in. The girl tapered her lips, casually muttering something terrifying.

“It got to my head so hard, I ate ‘m without killing ‘m first.”

Cleo’s cheeks stiffened as he shoved the slight protrusion of the adamantite sword’s pummel deep into the mouth of the rucksack behind his back. Luckily, the girl was too entranced in her recollected rage to notice Cleo’s suspicious movements.
He thought perhaps she would let him off if he presented one of the few adamantite swords in the world, but that was undoubtedly mistaken. In that case, there was no further need to think. There was only one thing left the current Cleo was capable of.

“Umm… then… I’ll paint a picture.”

It wasn’t as if he had enough confidence to stick out his chest.
Still, these past few years, painting had been everything to Cleo. If that didn’t work out, there wasn’t a single thing that Cleo could do.
The girl who had folded her arms, breathing roughly with her nose, returned to her senses on Cleo’s words.

“… Paint a picture…?”

She stared fixedly at Cleo.
A deep wrinkle was carved into her brow. Her grim gaze pierced through him.
So it’s hopeless, thought he. But, “What… is a picture?” that was the reason for the crease in her brow.

“Huh? … umm, you don’t know what a picture is?”

Shaking her long hair thrice, the girl refuted it.

“No, I do not.”

How would he explain it to someone who didn’t know pictures? Cleo troubled his head, but without need to think, he immediately noticed.

“Wait… wait just a moment.”

Suppressing the girl’s thirst for knowledge with his right hand, he pulled his paint set out of his bag. Of course, concealing it with his body, so the adamantite swords wasn’t spotted.
(Let’s see… this should do it.)
His eyes locked onto a flower swaying by his feet. Its name escaped him, but that didn’t matter. Flipping open the sketchbook, he fiercely raced his pencil. Just what had he started? The magic beast girl looked down over Cleo with intrigued eyes.
On the drawing paper, simple shapes had been put together to depict the general form and set the composition. The shape of the leaves, the number of petals, the bright spots, the dark spots—observation would increase the lines bit by bit, before erasing them still. Cleo’s right arm moved without stagnation, elevating the precision of the drawing.
Around five minutes later, a rough sketch that tentatively fit the part was drawn up. Normally, he would want to put more work into it, but if he kept the girl waiting until her interests waned, then all would be lost.
He timidly held out the sketchbook.

“Err… this is a picture.”

To explain to someone who didn’t know a picture, showing them a picture was surely the best option. The girl silently accepted it.
Fearing her reaction, Cleo waited patiently with his head down.
Silence.
The girl didn’t say anything. Squatting down, she compared the picture with the real article a number of times.

“Ah…”

Her eyes opening wide, the girl cried out.

“Amazing! It’s the same! This and that flower are the same!”

She slapped her hand against the paper, and tried flipping over the sketchbook page.

“When it’s so flat, it looks like it has depth. How mysterious! How fun!”

She held the drawing up high to the summer sun. Twirling in circles, she gazed at it from various angles. Like the pleasant roll of a bell, she chimed out in laughter.
The young girl held the sketchbook to her chest, gazing at Cleo with sparkling eyes.

“Hey, hey, can I have this? Hey?”

The small tilt of her head was lovable enough to forget she was a magic beast.
The sensation of heat swiftly spread across Cleo’s cheeks.

“Yeah, umm… I-I’ll give that drawing to you. But, and this is only if you’re okay with it, should I draw a picture of you too…?”
“Eh? Me? I can also… like this?”

The girl looked between the drawing and herself. Cleo showed a smile.
Her body trembled in delight.

“Oh yes, please do! Go ahead and, what was it—draw me!”

Up and down, but by bit, her head nodded. The flower on her head trembled with it. The vines that grew from her back squirmed as if they were trembling in anticipation.

3

Swiish, scratch, swish.
The pencil nimbly glides over the drawing paper.
The sounds come to a stop. Cleo leaks a sigh of anguish.
The girl’s tendril still remains around his leg. But to the current Cleo, that was inconsequential. His worries lay in the drawing lain out before him.

(Why did I… say I would paint her…)

He could have simply done the scenery. Or perhaps a monster in the forest. If it was any manner of lifeform in his illustrated encyclopedia, he was confident he could paint them from start to finish.
The drawing paper was largely filled in with lines. The girl who had rested her hips on the grass, the sketch of the trees in the background, the thicket. But her upper body was still rough, he had postponed penciling in any of the finer details.
(I have to see to draw. Therefore I have to see…)
(I’m seeing to draw. There is by no means anything indecent about it…)

A looping self-defense.
Cleo hardened his resolve, it was finally time to lift his head.
The young girl’s narrow waist, her white radiant skin, and—bit by bit, it entered his eyes. His heard pounded several times harder than the first time he saw a nude drawing.
Her long bangs that extended past the bottom of her chin, a small mouth that made it impossible to imagine she ate humans, and an innocent smile. Their eyes met. He hurriedly hid his face.
The young girl’s eyes rounded curiously.

‘Yey, your face suddenly turned red. Did something happened?”
“Yes, well… it’s, it’s, it’s nothing.”

Cleo replied in a squeak, only making her tilt her head more.
Whatever the case, it won’t end unless I draw. Frantically containing the tremor in his left hand, he challenged his first nude form of a woman. Just a little more into the drawing, his hand stopped. He used his eraser to rub out the lines that had shaken too much, and overlay them with new ones. There was a time he had sketched the goddess statue that stood in the fountain, and recalling that experience, he begun drawing more skillfully than he had expected.
But the problem was—the breasts, after all.
Inspecting them despite his flushed face, he tried to depict them just as they were, but that wasn’t working out for him. The gentle slope of the upper portion, the flank that gave off a sense of depth, the lower curvature with a spring, hanging by the influence of gravity, each part seamlessly conjoined with the next, making for a complicated curve. Reproducing it on paper was far more troublesome work than he had anticipated.
Drawing line, erasing, and drawing again.
even when he got the feeling he was drawing well, another look, and some part of it was off. His heart didn’t beat as it did when he saw naked paintings in the past. The thought that he shouldn’t be looking, but the sort of attraction that made him want to look anywhere didn’t exist in these lines.
(That’s not how it is. This is no good at all.)
Erase and draw, repeat once more.
While Cleo hadn’t noticed it, his face was no longer a shade of red. He unabashedly showered his gaze on the young girl’s chest. Forgetting his awkwardness and embarrassment, to simply copy down the beautiful sight before his eyes precisely as it was, the simple passions of a painter took control of him.

Meanwhile, the girl watched Cleo as well. She was perplexed by the sudden change that had come over him. As if the way he nervously let his eyes swim around had been a lie, as if he was a different person entirely.
Digging up her memories, she recalled the faces of the people she preyed upon before. There were those whose faces warped in fear, who wept as they pleaded for their lives. There were those who grinned, as if already convinced of their victory. There were those who cried, “How dare you do that to my comrade!” glaring at the girl with eyes blazing in rage.
Cleo’s gaze differed from all of them.
Serious to such a degree, but without the slightest bit of hostility resting within. Yet, be that as it may, a strong look… it was the first time she had been looked at with such eyes.

[IMAGE]

From the depths of her heart came the faint throb of a feeling she had yet to experience, perplexing her. The parts he stared at began to feel itchy and ticklish.

“Hey, I’m starting to feel strange… what is this?”

A voice resounded in her head.

‘What sort of strange feeling? Do you feel bad?’

The young girl tilted her head.

“… I don’t really know, but I don’t feel bad.”
‘I see… then it’s not that your body is in bad condition. In that case, I don’t know either. All I know is what is necessary for you to live.’

That voice was the ‘voice’ that would teach the girl various things. How to use words to lure humans in, about the animals that possessed poison, about how to survive the harsh winter. As long as she obeyed the voice, the girl could live with no problem at all.
If the voice said it didn’t know, there was no way she would herself. She gave up, secretly scratching the area under her collarbone again.
(Even so… how long is this going to take?)
She stifled the yawn rising up in her mouth. She wanted to stretch out as far as her body would take her, but before he began drawing, the boy told her, “Please don’t move too much if you can help it,” so she firmly endured.
While noon had gone by, the summer sunlight showed no signs of decline. It was a heat a human might find somewhat unpleasant, but to a magic beast like the girl, it was just the right temperature. The girl’s neck naturally swayed front and back.
(He said not to move, but what about sleeping…)
With a nod and another, she quietly dozed off.
In the distance, she got the feeling she heard a bird take flight from a tree. At the end of its flight—

4

How long had passed since Cleo had begun to draw? By the time he noticed it, the air had grown just a little cooler. The fact he had gotten around to noticing the changes around him could also be attributed to his concentration cutting off. On top of that, it seemed he had caught a cold, as his head was clad in heat, while his entire body enveloped in a washed-out sensation. Come to think of it, he hadn’t gotten any decent sleep or means since the night before.
Cleo shut his eyes tight, rubbing and easing them with his fingers over his eyelids. He wrung out his remaining vitality to carry his brush. Dedicating his sight to the painting as a whole, he scrupulously checked the drawing paper from corner to corner. Holding it aloft to the light, He looked through it from the back. No problem.
(Alright… it’s complete.)
He stretched out, experiencing a self of accomplishment at the pleasant feeling of spreading out his spine.
(Now then… the girl is, still asleep I see.)
Gazing up as he cleaned up after himself, he saw the girl loudly sounding her nose as she slept in a sitting position. She showed not the slightest sign of waking.
(And it looks like these tentacles don’t go loose when she’s asleep…)
The vine that served as his shackle remained firmly tangled around his leg.
(I wonder if it’s like how a sleeping bird doesn’t fall from the tree. Well, so be it. Whatever the case, I’ve got to get her up.)
Looking at her gently smiling sleeping face, he felt it unbearable he had to wake her. But his heart decided, he raised his voice.

“Umm… excuse me, the picture is finished…”
“…… Zzz.’

He was replied to in sleeping breath.

“Ummm…”
“…… Zzz.”

This wasn’t getting him anywhere. This time, he took in a deep breath to go at it in an even louder voice. The girl’s shoulders twitched. Her drowsy eyes slowly opened.

“E-erm, I’m sorry for waking you. But…”

The girl remained dazed out a while, but eventually, she looked at Cleo with a sudden realization.

“Ah… hey, are you finished?”
“Yes, I’ve done it.”

Carefully severing the page from the sketchbook, he handed it over. One of her vines accepted it. Holding it in complete view, she raised a cry of delight.

“Wow… it’s different than the last one. The color, it’s the same color!”

While the background had been completed in color much like the last one, only the girl’s section had been colored in. He had intended to hand over a monochrome pencil sketch at first. But in the time he wasn’t looking, the girl had dozed off, and in that case, he thought it would be fine if he put some more time into it.
The girl grasped a bundle of her green hair, and checked it beside the picture.
“The same color!” Delighted, she smiled from ear to ear. Tracing over the lines with her fingertip, she confirmed them all one by one.

“My hair… my hand… my face… hey, is this really what my face looks like?”
“Eh? Well, that’s about right… I’d think so… yes.”

By putting emphasis on her slanted sharp eyes, Cleo boasted he’d done well in capturing her essence.

“This is me…”

She narrowed her eyes, wringing her throat an ukukukuh. It did seem she gave it quite a high appraisal.

“So is it to your liking…?”
“Yes of course! I like it a lot!”
“Then…”
“Mmn? Oh, yep, I won’t eat you.”

Those were the words I wanted to hear! Cleo cried in his heart, entrusting his body to a refreshing lethargy. The next instant, he could suddenly stand no longer, toppling face up in no time. The grass gently caught his body. A pleasant feel as if he had spread himself over a fluffy bed.

(I’m saved… am I.)

The moment he relaxed, his fatigue, hunger, and sleepiness launched a joint assault. His mind hazy, even if he wanted to stand, he couldn’t quite get any power into his arms or legs.
“Huh? What’s wrong?” The girl raised a voice of surprise.
“… I’m fine. I’m just a little tired…”

He said, despite knowing of his body’s grand protest for sleep this very instant. He tried testing out the feeling by closing his eyes, his consciousness receded at an incredible pace. How irresistibly comfortable.
The voice in his heart warned him he shouldn’t fall asleep in such a place, but it wouldn’t tell him why. His awareness was on the verge of melting away.

(Ten seconds. Once ten seconds pass, I’ll open my eyes and get up…)

Swearing so in the remaining fragment of his rationality, Cleo slowly began counting to ten.

One… Two… Three… Four… Five… Six… Seven… Eight… Nnnnnn………

5

When Cleo leisurely opened his eyes, the sky was black.
The colors of evening hadn’t begun to set when he closed them, yet by the time he noticed it, the area had completely gone dark. That being the case, he wasn’t somewhere surrounded by trees, so it didn’t go as far as pitch black. The sky he gaze up at sparsely dotted with stars.
His head gradually growing clearer, he finally recalled he had left off in a critical situation.
(… I fell asleep. Oh god!)
I have to hurry and hide myself from the beasts that lurk at night!
He tried to get up, forcefully pressing both his hands against the ground.
But.
Only his left hand made contact. Without touching a thing, his right futilely pierced through the air. Uncomprehensive, he rotated his body clockwise. After a sensation of floating in the air, a hair-raising feeling of speed assailed him.
He instinctively understand. At this very moment, he was falling. A scream gushed out into the forest’s quiet; but right after, Cleo’s body came to a sudden stop. Something was eating into his leg. Fastening his body in place, it smoothly lifted him up. A while later, he was slowly lowered onto the rugged ground.

“That was a surprise. You’re a terrible sleeper.”

In the dimness, the magic beast girl was laughing.

Clinging to the ground like a frog, Cleo warily peered into the place he was about to fall.
At the end of his vision, far below, he could see the tops of the trees. The black shadows of the trees, like the sediment gathered in a bog, expanded out as far as he his eyes could take him.
Meaning Cleo was sleeping on the edge of a sheer cliff. Making a guess on the size of the trees he could see right below, there seemed to be a considerable distance to the ground below A fall would surely mean instant death. His whole body shaking, he leaked the shriek of a mosquito. Still flat on his stomach, he drew himself back.

“I took you along. You wouldn’t wake up when I shook you,” said the girl. Cleo saw his rucksack also lay nearby.

“Then you carried me…? Um, where is…”

A cliff’s edge spread out, it was a space just about large enough to comfortably erect a small house. The girl spread out both her arms wide and spoke.

“This is, you see, it’s my favorite spot. It’s my place!”
“Your place… and why am I here?”
“As thanks for the drawing. I’ve taken a liking to you, so it’s special. Look over there. It’s about to get really pretty.”

The girl pointed out her finger, she pointed out the mountains towering over the distance. And Cleo finally noticed. The sky had evidently grown brighter than it had been before. The stars hazily faded away.
(So it wasn’t evening, it was just before sunrise…)
The sky, the clouds dyed a shade of red.
The glimmering golden sun revealed itself, bit by bit, along the edge of the mountain. A light ray pierced into Cleo’s eyes. The impact reached as far as his brain, making him lose his words. A while later, the sentence that finally formed in his head was a simple one indeed.
(Pretty… it really is pretty… breathtaking.)
Wonderous, he felt as if he had taken a peek into the worlds of the gods that appeared in myth. Eventually, the ball of fire showed itself in its entirety, illuminating the world. The black forest that had been akin to the depths of a bog shone in emerald green.
The morning had come.

“See?” The girl said. “It was pretty, right?”
“… Yes, very much so…” Cleo muttered, overwhelmed by the scenery before his eyes.
The sequence he had just witnessed repeated in his head, burning itself into his heart’s depths. The dramatic instant like the moment a chrysalis is reborn as a butterfly, to someday seal it on his canvas.

“Right? Yep, yep.” The girl spread a smile along her face, pointing at one of the mountains that garnished the giant panorama.
“Not too long ago, I lived around there. There’s a really pretty lake. But when I went on a long walk searching for prey, I found this spot. It was really, really pretty, and I took a liking to it, so I made it my place.”

And ukukukuh, the girl laughed.
The sun to her back, she began taking deep breaths.
Ssss… haaaa….
Ssss… haaaa…
Her verdant hair restlessly swayed.

[IMAGE]

“Ffffh, plenty of sun today, my body is full of energy.”

She comfortably stretched out.
Looking up at her unpreparedly, Cleo ended up glancing at the chest that rose and fell in accordance with her breath. He hurriedly covered his eyes.
“Mn… what’s wrong?” asked the girl.
As Cleo’s mouth holed up, his body answered with the rumble of his stomach.
(Come to think of it, I haven’t eaten anything for a whole day.)
The moment he thought it, a vehement hunger assailed him.

“Sorry, umm… I’m famished…”
“Oh, what, so that’s what it is.”

The girl reached out a vine from her back, groping around in the leaves of a nearby tree. Grasping something, she presented it out before Cleo.

“Yes, here you go. It’s good.”

She dropped it right into Cleo’s hands, which he had haled out like a beggar. It was an orange tree fruit. All the fruits Cleo had eaten in his life were either cleanly peeled and sliced, or used as an ingredient for a cake or something of the sword. With one handed to him raw, just what was he supposed to do?
Cleo mulled.
(I have to peel off the skin, don’t I. But I don’t have a knife. I can’t use the adamantite sword in front of this girl… fine, I’ll use my hands.)
Plucking the step, he stuck his thumb into the hole it left. Fruit juice and the smell of citrus relentlessly burst out. Pulling back the tender, thick skin, he timidly brought a segment towards his mouth—it was sweeter than expected. But sour. Saliva jetted into his mouth.

“… It’s delicious!”
“Right?” The girl gave a satisfied smile. Picking another with a vine, she ate it herself. Unlike Cleo, after peeling off the outside skin, she took a bite right into the whole. Thought the area around her mouth grew sticky with the juices, she paid it no mine.
Strangely enough, while the two of them were eating the same food, it birthed a strange sense of novelty. Cleo knew if he wanted to say it, this was the right time.

“Umm, I do feel sorry for asking when you’ve even treated me to fruit, but I have a favor to ask of you.”
“Eh? Yeah, what?”
“I want you to lead me to the outside of the forest. I’ll get lost alone, and I doubt I’ll be able to make it out…”
“Outside the forest? Is there something special there?”
“No, um, that’s not what I meant. If I get out of the forest, somehow or another I think I’ll be able to make it back home alone.”
“Back home? You want to return to your place?”

The girl’s eyes fixed on Cleo.

“Yes. If you’ll hear my plea.”

There, the girl grinned and spoke indifferently.

“Then no.”

The unexpected reply turned the insides of Cleo’s head white.
He felt an illusion as if time had stopped. His eyes blinking, he stood on the spot.
A gust of wind past him by. He was sure she would readily accept. That was the sort of mood.

“… Huh… no…?”
“I think I really like you. So you can’t go away.”

The binding on his leg tightened. He recalled how her vines acted as the fetter on a prisoner.

“If you run, I’ll eat you.”

As she cinched it without hesitation, Cleo powerlessly sat on the ground. It wasn’t as if he particularly wanted to go home. All that awaited him there were his aunt and uncle who approached him overfamiliarily, and Marcus’ cynicism.
But that didn’t mean he had no problems with living like this as the girl’s fond pet.
More than that, he was dealing with a magic beast. While she liked him now, there was a high probability that come tomorrow, “I’ve grown tired of you,” she might say and eat him.
(Then… what do I do? All or nothing, do I devise a plan to sever this tentacle with the adamantite sword and escape?)
And then he’d be wandering the forest alone again.
Cowering in the shadows of carnivorous beasts, not knowing where to turn.
(Unless a miracle happens, it doesn’t look like I’ll be leaving this forest alive… yeah, just what am I supposed to do?)
As Cleo held his head in his hands, something was held out before him.
The same sort of fruit from before.

“Are you alright? Do you want another?”

The girl looked at him with anxious eyes.
(Is she worried about me…?)
While she was a magic beast, it seemed that like humans, she held the capacity to sympathize with those in pain.
(No… perhaps she actually has a kinder nature than anyone back at the estate.)
Cleo thought. For now, let’s keep watch of the state of affairs.
It didn’t look like she would be eating him tomorrow or the day after.
There was a possibility she would eventually grow tired. But at that time, perhaps she would lead him out of the forest like a human might release the pet they can no longer keep into the wild. Cleo placed the fruit he had been given on the ground, stood and corrected his posture.

”Then I have another request, could you hear it out…?”

Perhaps perceiving the weight of the request from Cleo’s renewed attitude, the girl furrowed her brow and readied herself.

“Another… what is it?”

Cleo opened the mouth of the rucksack behind him, swiftly holding the item he took out towards the girl. His raincoat.

“Could you… please wear this?”

The Man-Eating Flower1Ukuh, ukukukuh ukukufufuhIn correspondence with her laugh, the young girl's slender shoulders finely shook.Like an infant who didn't know the meaning of modesty or shame, she laughed innocently, or perhaps frankly. Yet to Cleo, that sounded like the laugh of a demon.That face, those hands, those feet, at a glance, she was no more than a little girl, but it was clear she was no human. Humans don't grow feelers.The girl's feelers drew him closer until there were only twenty centimeters between their two faces.Wild overgrown hair, that didn't look as if it had been cut once since the moment she was born, the large, pointed eyes peering from within stared intently into Cleo's face with the full curiosity of a kitten. Already terrible at dealing with looks from people, Cleo averted his eyes to flee from her gaze.Her throat rung out another ukukuh, she moved her small, lovable mouth.It's rare to be able to catch another human so quickly. Hey, is this what it means to be in luck? P-pardon?Cleo hesitated at the sudden question. The young girl blinked her eyes.Eh? What? Did you just say something?She gazed at Cleo, a blank look on her face. Unable to grasp his opponent's meaning, Cleo found himself in confusion.U umm are you In an attempt to reach mutual understanding, he eagerly tested out conversation. But the girl opened her small mouth wide and spoke.Then it's time to dig in.The inside of her open mouth gleaned into Cleo's field of vision. Inside the dark-red membrane, sharp tapered canines gleamingly caught the light.Ah whoah w-wait! Understanding the meaning of Time to dig in,' Cleo recklessly squirmed his body. But the second, then the third feeler extended, restraining his body without any mercy to spare.Ah, I'm sorry. I forgot to land the killing blow first. It will be painful if you're still alive, right?The girl gave an understanding smile. She smiled as she entangled her almost-transparent white hand around Cleo's throat, quickly putting in power. It wasn't an arm strong enough to break the bones in his neck, but with an accurate hold on his carotid, his consciousness was melting into white. Wait save me I'll do anyI'll do anything, so please save mehe intended to say. But whether the words escaped his mouth, or merely reverberated in his own head, Cleo could no longer tell.In his meager last remnants of rationality, he thought. At this very moment, without any pain or suffering, in a sense he would greet a peaceful death. He'd only be eaten after that, so it would be far easier than being ripped open alive by a carnivorous animal.Yet even so, he was resisting and pleading for his life.He couldn't stick the sword in his throat. He couldn't let himself become beast food alive.Yet, even without any pain, he still couldn't.What's this so in the end, I wanted to live, did IHe used his fading mind to deride himself.Even if he noticed his true feelings at this point, it was already too late. Hazily in his head, and gradually clearer, the nostalgic faces floated up. His mother. And one more. The one who had come out in yesterday's dreamHey, were you serious when you said anything?All of a sudden, the mist in his head cleared, the faces of the nostalgic deceased extinguished alongside it. When he came to, the young girl in question brought her face close enough to hold, gazing deep into Cleo's eyes. Eh?As I was saying, you're really do anything, will you?The girl's fingers had left his throat.In his unawoken head, it took a little time for him to comprehend his present situation.I'm still alive?2Cleo was lowered to the ground, though the beast's tentacle was still firmly entangled around his leg.Come to think of it, I'm not in an I have to eat a human right now!' sort of mood right now.The girl's eyes run along Cleo, sprawled out over the ground. From the top of his head to the tip of his toes.And you don't look too tasty to begin with.Cleo made a stiff smile of social courtesy. Not being eaten was surely a good thing, but even so, being told he was unappetizing was a light shock.What should I do with you, the young girl crossed her arms in thought. Like a child choosing out his birthday present, she tilted her head, a broad grin on her face. Cleo hit against his throbbing head- either because he had been hung upside down, or because his neck had been strangled- to sweep away the remaining mist. Eventually, he regained enough rationality to grasp his present situation.The feeler wrapped around his leg was something like the tendril of a plant. Perhaps she could grow them however she wanted from her back, as its length seemed to change at will. Judging by how easily she lifted up her body, it could be presumed they boasted considerable power and control.And about the problematic girl herself at a slight glance, three points caught Cleo's attention.First was the flower resting on top of her head. While it resembled a rose, it was a type of flower Cleo had never seen before. Practically the same size as her head, each time she moved her neck, its bright golden-yellow petals would tremble.Another was her vibrant, green hair, as if to meld in with the forest in the current season. It caught the midsummer light giving off a young and lively sheen.But the greatest thing weighing on his mind was the fact she was naked.From what he could see, her age was around Cleo's, or perhaps a little younger. Fitting of her agewhile it might be meaningless to measure a magic beast by human criteriashe properly stuck out in the places that were meant to stick out. Cleo's face turned bright red, he quickly cast his eyes down.Ah, came the girl's voice. Thinking she might have figured out his eyes had gone to her chest, Cleo's body jerked up. But, Alright, I've got it! she hit her hands together with a cheerful face. It did seem she hadn't noticed Cleo's gaze in the slightest. For the time being, it was a relief, but he couldn't lift his head. If he did, he would see. He'd no longer be able to think straight.Hey you, I've got it!Oh that's good.?The girl tilted her head.Cleo kept his head down.Hey I've got it, you know?Yes, what is itThe awkward air only made it harder for him to raise his head. Listening to the pounding tone of his heart, he continued delivering a hollow gaze to the grass whose name he didn't know growing at his feet.All of a sudden, Cleo's head was wrapped in vines, forcefully tugged up.His eyes met with the girl's. Similar to her hair, her eyes were leaf-green as well. She glared down at him, with a dubious face. Her chest abruptly entered his vision as well.Hey, I'm telling you I've got it!Y-yess! What do you want me to doCleo was practically on the verge of tears, even so averting his eyes and resisting to the end. Unable to comprehend the delicate mentality of a timid pubescent boy, the girl tilted her head.You're weird, and, Whatever, she muttered, and entered the main topic.The vines pointed Cleo's face even higher.Look. On the top of the tree. Can you see it??Cleo focused his eyes. He did get the feeling there was something on the canopy, but the layered tree leaves and branches dispersed his vision, he couldn't make out anything clear. When he tried even harder, something moved with a gleeful shriek.Was that a monkey?Right, right, monkey. The girl gave a delighted nod. Those lot, see, by the time you notice it, you find them staring holes into you like that. It's annoying, but they're always up there, and they're quick, so I can never catch them. I see.That's why I want you to catch them. I always wanted to have a taste. For the time being, one is enough.I see what?The vine entwining his face was released, finally freeing him. Cleo took a glance at the girl's face. Imagining the unknown taste of a monkey, she was making the sort of smile as if her heart was full of expectations. He took another look at the spot he presumed the monkey had been. Around fifteen, perhaps sixteen meters off the ground.I wonder if that's higher than the estate back home. At the top, the branches get really thin.From the moment he was born, Cleo had never climbed a tree. Would he be able to climb so high for the first time in his life, and play a game of tag with the nimble monkeys?There's no way I could.He didn't even get the feeling it was possible with a stroke of good luck. If there were one hundred Cleos, and they all tried to catch them at once, it would undoubtedly still be impossible. Before any monkeys were caught, one hundred fallen corpses would bury up the ground.Cleo couldn't take up a job he had no hopes of accomplishing. He reluctantly mumbled to the girl whose smile pleaded, Quickly, quickly,' beside him.I'm sorry that's impossible.The girl opened her eyes wide.Impossible you mean you can't do it?When Cleo gave an apologetic nod, the girl's blankly open mouth changed faster than a sudden evening shower.Why? You just said you would do anything!Power surged into the vine binding his leg. Knowing her anger, Cleo raised a scream in his heart.Y-you have my apologies. When I said that, I meant whatever I'm capable ofWith flowing motions, he groveled on the ground.Then what's the point? I didn't hear anything about that.The words she spit out in irritation fell like thunder. Cleo buried his face into the grass-smelling ground. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, he repeated. Dripping in cold sweat, he soaked the blades like the morning dew.The summer sun mercilessly beat down from the sky. He was dotted in spouts from two forms of sweat. Appearing alongside the sound of swaying branches, the cool breeze chilled his damp body and left. A while later, a similar wind took the vanguard once more. The cold invited on a shiver.In that space of time, the girl was silent all the way.Each and every second increased the silent pressure pressing down on his back. This was his limit.Got it, I'll go and catch a monkey! The moment Cleo ran his mouthThen what are you capable of? the girl said.HuhWhen he timidly raised his head, the young girl's cold, harsh eyes lorded over him.What is it you can do? said her eyes: If it's something boring, I'll kill and eat you this instant.'What can I do?He asked himself.This girl wouldn't permit anything superficial.A flash of inspiration suddenly struck him.Umm, I'm just asking for reference' sake, but do you have any interest in swords?The girl's brow convulsed in a twitch.Sword, you mean those cutting things what about them?No, I mean if you had to choose between like and dislike, which side would you fall under?I loathe them!!The girl's harsh cry shook the atmosphere.Just look at this! It really hurt, I tell you! I detest all swords, and the people who hold them! They're irritating just to look at!She clamored with enough momentum to breathe fire, holding out her upper left arm, Right here, right here! she pointed with her finger. On closer inspection, a fresh wound that had only just closed itself had been carved in. The girl tapered her lips, casually muttering something terrifying.It got to my head so hard, I ate m without killing m first.Cleo's cheeks stiffened as he shoved the slight protrusion of the adamantite sword's pummel deep into the mouth of the rucksack behind his back. Luckily, the girl was too entranced in her recollected rage to notice Cleo's suspicious movements.He thought perhaps she would let him off if he presented one of the few adamantite swords in the world, but that was undoubtedly mistaken. In that case, there was no further need to think. There was only one thing left the current Cleo was capable of.Umm then I'll paint a picture.It wasn't as if he had enough confidence to stick out his chest.Still, these past few years, painting had been everything to Cleo. If that didn't work out, there wasn't a single thing that Cleo could do.The girl who had folded her arms, breathing roughly with her nose, returned to her senses on Cleo's words. Paint a picture?She stared fixedly at Cleo.A deep wrinkle was carved into her brow. Her grim gaze pierced through him.So it's hopeless, thought he. But, What is a picture? that was the reason for the crease in her brow.Huh? umm, you don't know what a picture is?Shaking her long hair thrice, the girl refuted it.No, I do not.How would he explain it to someone who didn't know pictures? Cleo troubled his head, but without need to think, he immediately noticed.Wait wait just a moment.Suppressing the girl's thirst for knowledge with his right hand, he pulled his paint set out of his bag. Of course, concealing it with his body, so the adamantite swords wasn't spotted.Let's see this should do it.His eyes locked onto a flower swaying by his feet. Its name escaped him, but that didn't matter. Flipping open the sketchbook, he fiercely raced his pencil. Just what had he started? The magic beast girl looked down over Cleo with intrigued eyes.On the drawing paper, simple shapes had been put together to depict the general form and set the composition. The shape of the leaves, the number of petals, the bright spots, the dark spotsobservation would increase the lines bit by bit, before erasing them still. Cleo's right arm moved without stagnation, elevating the precision of the drawing.Around five minutes later, a rough sketch that tentatively fit the part was drawn up. Normally, he would want to put more work into it, but if he kept the girl waiting until her interests waned, then all would be lost.He timidly held out the sketchbook.Err this is a picture.To explain to someone who didn't know a picture, showing them a picture was surely the best option. The girl silently accepted it.Fearing her reaction, Cleo waited patiently with his head down.Silence.The girl didn't say anything. Squatting down, she compared the picture with the real article a number of times.AhHer eyes opening wide, the girl cried out.Amazing! It's the same! This and that flower are the same!She slapped her hand against the paper,and tried flipping over the sketchbook page.When it's so flat, it looks like it has depth. How mysterious! How fun!She held the drawing up high to the summer sun. Twirling in circles, she gazed at it from various angles. Like the pleasant roll of a bell, she chimed out in laughter.The young girl held the sketchbook to her chest, gazing at Cleo with sparkling eyes.Hey, hey, can I have this? Hey?The small tilt of her head was lovable enough to forget she was a magic beast.The sensation of heat swiftly spread across Cleo's cheeks.Yeah, umm I-I'll give that drawing to you. But, and this is only if you're okay with it, should I draw a picture of you too?Eh? Me? I can also like this?The girl looked between the drawing and herself. Cleo showed a smile.Her body trembled in delight.Oh yes, please do! Go ahead and, what was itdraw me!Up and down, but by bit, her head nodded. The flower on her head trembled with it. The vines that grew from her back squirmed as if they were trembling in anticipation.3Swiish, scratch, swish.The pencil nimbly glides over the drawing paper.The sounds come to a stop. Cleo leaks a sigh of anguish.The girl's tendril still remains around his leg. But to the current Cleo, that was inconsequential. His worries lay in the drawing lain out before him.Why did I say I would paint herHe could have simply done the scenery. Or perhaps a monster in the forest. If it was any manner of lifeform in his illustrated encyclopedia, he was confident he could paint them from start to finish.The drawing paper was largely filled in with lines. The girl who had rested her hips on the grass, the sketch of the trees in the background, the thicket. But her upper body was still rough, he had postponed penciling in any of the finer details.I have to see to draw. Therefore I have to seeI'm seeing to draw. There is by no means anything indecent about itA looping self-defense.Cleo hardened his resolve, it was finally time to lift his head.The young girl's narrow waist, her white radiant skin, andbit by bit, it entered his eyes. His heard pounded several times harder than the first time he saw a nude drawing.Her long bangs that extended past the bottom of her chin, a small mouth that made it impossible to imagine she ate humans, and an innocent smile. Their eyes met. He hurriedly hid his face.The young girl's eyes rounded curiously.Yey, your face suddenly turned red. Did something happened?Yes, well it's, it's, it's nothing.Cleo replied in a squeak, only making her tilt her head more.Whatever the case, it won't end unless I draw. Frantically containing the tremor in his left hand, he challenged his first nude form of a woman. Just a little more into the drawing, his hand stopped. He used his eraser to rub out the lines that had shaken too much, and overlay them with new ones. There was a time he had sketched the goddess statue that stood in the fountain, and recalling that experience, he begun drawing more skillfully than he had expected.But the problem wasthe breasts, after all.Inspecting them despite his flushed face, he tried to depict them just as they were, but that wasn't working out for him. The gentle slope of the upper portion, the flank that gave off a sense of depth, the lower curvature with a spring, hanging by the influence of gravity, each part seamlessly conjoined with the next, making for a complicated curve. Reproducing it on paper was far more troublesome work than he had anticipated.Drawing line, erasing, and drawing again.even when he got the feeling he was drawing well, another look, and some part of it was off. His heart didn't beat as it did when he saw naked paintings in the past. The thought that he shouldn't be looking, but the sort of attraction that made him want to look anywhere didn't exist in these lines.That's not how it is. This is no good at all.Erase and draw, repeat once more.While Cleo hadn't noticed it, his face was no longer a shade of red. He unabashedly showered his gaze on the young girl's chest. Forgetting his awkwardness and embarrassment, to simply copy down the beautiful sight before his eyes precisely as it was, the simple passions of a painter took control of him.Meanwhile, the girl watched Cleo as well. She was perplexed by the sudden change that had come over him. As if the way he nervously let his eyes swim around had been a lie, as if he was a different person entirely.Digging up her memories, she recalled the faces of the people she preyed upon before. There were those whose faces warped in fear, who wept as they pleaded for their lives. There were those who grinned, as if already convinced of their victory. There were those who cried, How dare you do that to my comrade! glaring at the girl with eyes blazing in rage.Cleo's gaze differed from all of them.Serious to such a degree, but without the slightest bit of hostility resting within. Yet, be that as it may, a strong look it was the first time she had been looked at with such eyes.IMAGEFrom the depths of her heart came the faint throb of a feeling she had yet to experience, perplexing her. The parts he stared at began to feel itchy and ticklish.Hey, I'm starting to feel strange what is this?A voice resounded in her head.What sort of strange feeling? Do you feel bad?'The young girl tilted her head. I don't really know, but I don't feel bad.I see then it's not that your body is in bad condition. In that case, I don't know either. All I know is what is necessary for you to live.'That voice was the voice' that would teach the girl various things. How to use words to lure humans in, about the animals that possessed poison, about how to survive the harsh winter. As long as she obeyed the voice, the girl could live with no problem at all.If the voice said it didn't know, there was no way she would herself. She gave up, secretly scratching the area under her collarbone again.Even so how long is this going to take?She stifled the yawn rising up in her mouth. She wanted to stretch out as far as her body would take her, but before he began drawing, the boy told her, Please don't move too much if you can help it, so she firmly endured.While noon had gone by, the summer sunlight showed no signs of decline. It was a heat a human might find somewhat unpleasant, but to a magic beast like the girl, it was just the right temperature. The girl's neck naturally swayed front and back.He said not to move, but what about sleepingWith a nod and another, she quietly dozed off.In the distance, she got the feeling she heard a bird take flight from a tree. At the end of its flight4How long had passed since Cleo had begun to draw? By the time he noticed it, the air had grown just a little cooler. The fact he had gotten around to noticing the changes around him could also be attributed to his concentration cutting off. On top of that, it seemed he had caught a cold, as his head was clad in heat, while his entire body enveloped in a washed-out sensation. Come to think of it, he hadn't gotten any decent sleep or means since the night before.Cleo shut his eyes tight, rubbing and easing them with his fingers over his eyelids. He wrung out his remaining vitality to carry his brush. Dedicating his sight to the painting as a whole, he scrupulously checked the drawing paper from corner to corner. Holding it aloft to the light, He looked through it from the back. No problem.Alright it's complete.He stretched out, experiencing a self of accomplishment at the pleasant feeling of spreading out his spine.Now then the girl is, still asleep I see.Gazing up as he cleaned up after himself, he saw the girl loudly sounding her nose as she slept in a sitting position. She showed not the slightest sign of waking.And it looks like these tentacles don't go loose when she's asleepThe vine that served as his shackle remained firmly tangled around his leg.I wonder if it's like how a sleeping bird doesn't fall from the tree. Well, so be it. Whatever the case, I've got to get her up.Looking at her gently smiling sleeping face, he felt it unbearable he had to wake her. But his heart decided, he raised his voice.Umm excuse me, the picture is finished Zzz.'He was replied to in sleeping breath.Ummm Zzz.This wasn't getting him anywhere. This time, he took in a deep breath to go at it in an even louder voice. The girl's shoulders twitched. Her drowsy eyes slowly opened.E-erm, I'm sorry for waking you. ButThe girl remained dazed out a while, but eventually, she looked at Cleo with a sudden realization.Ah hey, are you finished?Yes, I've done it.Carefully severing the page from the sketchbook, he handed it over. One of her vines accepted it. Holding it in complete view, she raised a cry of delight.Wow it's different than the last one. The color, it's the same color!While the background had been completed in color much like the last one, only the girl's section had been colored in. He had intended to hand over a monochrome pencil sketch at first. But in the time he wasn't looking, the girl had dozed off, and in that case, he thought it would be fine if he put some more time into it.The girl grasped a bundle of her green hair, and checked it beside the picture.The same color! Delighted, she smiled from ear to ear. Tracing over the lines with her fingertip, she confirmed them all one by one.My hair my hand my face hey, is this really what my face looks like?Eh? Well, that's about right I'd think so yes.By putting emphasis on her slanted sharp eyes, Cleo boasted he'd done well in capturing her essence.This is meShe narrowed her eyes, wringing her throat an ukukukuh. It did seem she gave it quite a high appraisal.So is it to your liking?Yes of course! I like it a lot!ThenMmn? Oh, yep, I won't eat you.Those were the words I wanted to hear! Cleo cried in his heart, entrusting his body to a refreshing lethargy. The next instant, he could suddenly stand no longer, toppling face up in no time. The grass gently caught his body. A pleasant feel as if he had spread himself over a fluffy bed.I'm saved am I.The moment he relaxed, his fatigue, hunger, and sleepiness launched a joint assault. His mind hazy, even if he wanted to stand, he couldn't quite get any power into his arms or legs.Huh? What's wrong? The girl raised a voice of surprise. I'm fine. I'm just a little tiredHe said, despite knowing of his body's grand protest for sleep this very instant. He tried testing out the feeling by closing his eyes, his consciousness receded at an incredible pace. How irresistibly comfortable.The voice in his heart warned him he shouldn't fall asleep in such a place, but it wouldn't tell him why. His awareness was on the verge of melting away.Ten seconds. Once ten seconds pass, I'll open my eyes and get upSwearing so in the remaining fragment of his rationality, Cleo slowly began counting to ten.One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nnnnnn5When Cleo leisurely opened his eyes, the sky was black.The colors of evening hadn't begun to set when he closed them, yet by the time he noticed it, the area had completely gone dark. That being the case, he wasn't somewhere surrounded by trees, so it didn't go as far as pitch black. The sky he gaze up at sparsely dotted with stars.His head gradually growing clearer, he finally recalled he had left off in a critical situation. I fell asleep. Oh god!I have to hurry and hide myself from the beasts that lurk at night!He tried to get up, forcefully pressing both his hands against the ground.But.Only his left hand made contact. Without touching a thing, his right futilely pierced through the air. Uncomprehensive, he rotated his body clockwise. After a sensation of floating in the air, a hair-raising feeling of speed assailed him.He instinctively understand. At this very moment, he was falling. A scream gushed out into the forest's quiet; but right after, Cleo's body came to a sudden stop. Something was eating into his leg. Fastening his body in place, it smoothly lifted him up. A while later, he was slowly lowered onto the rugged ground.That was a surprise. You're a terrible sleeper.In the dimness, the magic beast girl was laughing.Clinging to the ground like a frog, Cleo warily peered into the place he was about to fall.At the end of his vision, far below, he could see the tops of the trees. The black shadows of the trees, like the sediment gathered in a bog, expanded out as far as he his eyes could take him.Meaning Cleo was sleeping on the edge of a sheer cliff. Making a guess on the size of the trees he could see right below, there seemed to be a considerable distance to the ground below A fall would surely mean instant death. His whole body shaking, he leaked the shriek of a mosquito. Still flat on his stomach, he drew himself back.I took you along. You wouldn't wake up when I shook you, said the girl. Cleo saw his rucksack also lay nearby.Then you carried me? Um, where isA cliff's edge spread out, it was a space just about large enough to comfortably erect a small house. The girl spread out both her arms wide and spoke.This is, you see, it's my favorite spot. It's my place!Your place and why am I here?As thanks for the drawing. I've taken a liking to you, so it's special. Look over there. It's about to get really pretty.The girl pointed out her finger, she pointed out the mountains towering over the distance. And Cleo finally noticed. The sky had evidently grown brighter than it had been before. The stars hazily faded away.So it wasn't evening, it was just before sunriseThe sky, the clouds dyed a shade of red.The glimmering golden sun revealed itself, bit by bit, along the edge of the mountain. A light ray pierced into Cleo's eyes. The impact reached as far as his brain, making him lose his words. A while later, the sentence that finally formed in his head was a simple one indeed.Pretty it really is pretty breathtaking.Wonderous, he felt as if he had taken a peek into the worlds of the gods that appeared in myth. Eventually, the ball of fire showed itself in its entirety, illuminating the world. The black forest that had been akin to the depths of a bog shone in emerald green.The morning had come.See? The girl said. It was pretty, right? Yes, very much so Cleo muttered, overwhelmed by the scenery before his eyes.The sequence he had just witnessed repeated in his head, burning itself into his heart's depths. The dramatic instant like the moment a chrysalis is reborn as a butterfly, to someday seal it on his canvas.Right? Yep, yep. The girl spread a smile along her face, pointing at one of the mountains that garnished the giant panorama.Not too long ago, I lived around there. There's a really pretty lake. But when I went on a long walk searching for prey, I found this spot. It was really, really pretty, and I took a liking to it, so I made it my place.And ukukukuh, the girl laughed.The sun to her back, she began taking deep breaths.Ssss haaaa.Ssss haaaaHer verdant hair restlessly swayed.IMAGEFfffh, plenty of sun today, my body is full of energy.She comfortably stretched out.Looking up at her unpreparedly, Cleo ended up glancing at the chest that rose and fell in accordance with her breath. He hurriedly covered his eyes.Mn what's wrong? asked the girl.As Cleo's mouth holed up, his body answered with the rumble of his stomach.Come to think of it, I haven't eaten anything for a whole day.The moment he thought it, a vehement hunger assailed him.Sorry, umm I'm famishedOh, what, so that's what it is.The girl reached out a vine from her back, groping around in the leaves of a nearby tree. Grasping something, she presented it out before Cleo.Yes, here you go. It's good.She dropped it right into Cleo's hands, which he had haled out like a beggar. It was an orange tree fruit. All the fruits Cleo had eaten in his life were either cleanly peeled and sliced, or used as an ingredient for a cake or something of the sword. With one handed to him raw, just what was he supposed to do?Cleo mulled.I have to peel off the skin, don't I. But I don't have a knife. I can't use the adamantite sword in front of this girl fine, I'll use my hands.Plucking the step, he stuck his thumb into the hole it left. Fruit juice and the smell of citrus relentlessly burst out. Pulling back the tender, thick skin, he timidly brought a segment towards his mouthit was sweeter than expected. But sour. Saliva jetted into his mouth. It's delicious!Right? The girl gave a satisfied smile. Picking another with a vine, she ate it herself. Unlike Cleo, after peeling off the outside skin, she took a bite right into the whole. Thought the area around her mouth grew sticky with the juices, she paid it no mine.Strangely enough, while the two of them were eating the same food, it birthed a strange sense of novelty. Cleo knew if he wanted to say it, this was the right time.Umm, I do feel sorry for asking when you've even treated me to fruit, but I have a favor to ask of you.Eh? Yeah, what?I want you to lead me to the outside of the forest. I'll get lost alone, and I doubt I'll be able to make it outOutside the forest? Is there something special there?No, um, that's not what I meant. If I get out of the forest, somehow or another I think I'll be able to make it back home alone.Back home? You want to return to your place?The girl's eyes fixed on Cleo.Yes. If you'll hear my plea.There, the girl grinned and spoke indifferently.Then no.The unexpected reply turned the insides of Cleo's head white.He felt an illusion as if time had stopped. His eyes blinking, he stood on the spot.A gust of wind past him by. He was sure she would readily accept. That was the sort of mood. Huh no?I think I really like you. So you can't go away.The binding on his leg tightened. He recalled how her vines acted as the fetter on a prisoner.If you run, I'll eat you.As she cinched it without hesitation, Cleo powerlessly sat on the ground. It wasn't as if he particularly wanted to go home. All that awaited him there were his aunt and uncle who approached him overfamiliarily, and Marcus' cynicism.But that didn't mean he had no problems with living like this as the girl's fond pet.More than that, he was dealing with a magic beast. While she liked him now, there was a high probability that come tomorrow, I've grown tired of you, she might say and eat him.Then what do I do? All or nothing, do I devise a plan to sever this tentacle with the adamantite sword and escape?And then he'd be wandering the forest alone again.Cowering in the shadows of carnivorous beasts, not knowing where to turn.Unless a miracle happens, it doesn't look like I'll be leaving this forest alive yeah, just what am I supposed to do?As Cleo held his head in his hands, something was held out before him.The same sort of fruit from before.Are you alright? Do you want another?The girl looked at him with anxious eyes.Is she worried about me?While she was a magic beast, it seemed that like humans, she held the capacity to sympathize with those in pain.No perhaps she actually has a kinder nature than anyone back at the estate.Cleo thought. For now, let's keep watch of the state of affairs.It didn't look like she would be eating him tomorrow or the day after.There was a possibility she would eventually grow tired. But at that time, perhaps she would lead him out of the forest like a human might release the pet they can no longer keep into the wild. Cleo placed the fruit he had been given on the ground, stood and corrected his posture.Then I have another request, could you hear it out?Perhaps perceiving the weight of the request from Cleo's renewed attitude, the girl furrowed her brow and readied herself.Another what is it?Cleo opened the mouth of the rucksack behind him, swiftly holding the item he took out towards the girl. His raincoat.Could you please wear this?