Arachne

 

I expected spiders, but the amount in that single room is quite high and some are huge.
Before I can ponder much more, Eritu shoves Neri inside.

 

"No, no, no! I don't want to!" (N)

"Sigh! Just as usual! Please get a hold of yourself. You need to do this! I am trying to be compassionate about your affairs, but you need to make concessions as well!" (E)

 

The spiders inside feel excited to me.
It's strange, but somehow I can feel this much.
In the same manner, I know Neri to be incredibly frightened, scared stiff.

 

"I don't want this! I don't want this!" (N)

 

There’s a near physical repulsion from her, and I take a step back almost before I’m aware of doing so.

 

"Nerysi! Today I wanted you to shorten the distance to them, so get a hold of yourself!" (E)

"No! I can’t do it!" (N)

 

• "Help me!"

 

I rush between those two and hold my arms out as if trying to build a wall, blocking out this Eritu.
She looks confused at first, but then understanding seems to dawn on her face, and she tries to look at Neri through me.

 

"Nerysi! It is quite selfish to use your familiar for such reasons." (E)

 

Wait!
She's right!

Neri did control me just now.
It isn't against my character to help a little girl and I wasn't defending myself, but she did control me!

I try to lower my arms and hold my head.
There is a bit of pressure, but I can overcome it.
Although it’s building slowly since I’m no longer giving it my all, it seems to help that it wasn't a direct order, but rather a wish of hers.
Also, Neri hasn’t renewed it.
In fact, she stares at me quite shocked.

 

"Sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! I'm sorry." (N)

 

And the pressure abruptly vanishes.
This control is dangerous.
I believe she didn't even say anything.
I just reacted to her thoughts.
Really dangerous!
Controlled by a little girl.
This is just so hard to accept!

For some time then, Neri has to perform various tasks with these spiders.
Letting them move in specific ways, assigning selected ones to eat, and similar.
The performance is nothing outrageous, but the simple fact that she can control them is.
I am sure that she’s using the same kind of control I feel, yet it must be much stronger on them since their mentality has too little individualism to act differently.
If one considers what kind of power lies here...
They control an army of silent, deadly assassins who obey their every command.

The capital has, at most, a population of 80000, maybe around a million in the whole country.
I am not sure how many spiders there are, but Neri indicated that she is young, so this already decent amount is just a fraction of that which dwells here.
I can fully understand why she said we have no chance.

What dwells here is more than one country alone can handle.
Our only hope is that they don't become active.
This might be one of the biggest threats that exist to all humans in the vicinity.

But something is strange!
I don't feel threatened in the slightest.
These spiders murdered my whole group, but right now I feel perfectly calm.
At one point, Neri confused them, and accidently had me surrounded by this swarm for a moment.
Yet, I wasn’t even uneasy!
This is so weird!

I really hope this is just due to the fact that they are controlled and like this no threat.
Yet, something else is more likely.
They changed it!
They took from me this fear with everything else they ripped away from me.
I think this nightmare was just myself screaming while it happened, and even now I don’t know what all is different about myself.
They may very well have snatched away some part of me that I’m not aware of.

 

"Liana, are you okay?" (N)

 

What?
Why is Neri suddenly asking me that?

 

"D-did I say something?" (L)

"No... not really. It just felt that way. You feel distressed to me and I became worried." (N)

 

Oh, yes, that slipped my mind.
I can feel how uneasy she is here, so naturally, it can go the other way around.

 

"I'm not sure if I should talk about that here." (L)

 

I glance at our red-haired watchdog.
But she noticed.

 

"I have no problem with it. It is nice of you to talk to your familiars. I just wish you would include the others." (E)

"Okay, then. Honestly, you are always calling me a familiar, but I don't feel that different. If not for the fact that my mind is now somehow connected to Neri and that my nails grew a bit, I simply can't see why you are thinking of me the same as those spiders!" (L)

"Oh, do you really believe that it ends there?" (E)

 

This sounds extremely ominous.

 

"I had a small talk with Kyroki to make sure that everything is fine. I was a little worried about taking a human in, but that changed then." (E)

"W-why?" (L)

"I got a list of the changes! Transformation of inner organs, production of pheromones, genetical changes, the ability to produce venom and acid, even silk on a basic level. By the way, how well are the fangs growing?" (E)

"Fangs?!" (L)

"They shouldn't be developed yet, still they should form around here." (E)

 

She puts her fingers behind the upper lip.
And I do too.
Is that a bulge there?!

 

"H-how? And pheromones? Genetical change? What do you mean?!" (L)

"Like I said, it might be difficult, yet it is Kyroki's favorite subject. Pheromones in fact refer to your scent, you are producing signal-weaving tones that tell others information. At the moment, only that you belong to them, that you are family. And you are influenced by them too. That's why you can keep your calm in here, together with your family. Yet, Nerysi’s fear is unnatural, so it doesn’t work for her. And while we are on the subject of family, Kyroki described ‘genetical’ as the following: If you would get pregnant, even by another human, right now, then your children wouldn't be considered 'normal' by other humans. Yet maybe you're fancying one of the other familiars instead?" (E)

"Eritu, please stop!" (N)

"Hmm. Why? It's not that I lied. And she should be aware. These are things you should include in your decisions!" (E)

 

Hah, so that is why they are certain I won't run and return to my people.
I can't!

They made sure of this.
Not just that, controlled like I am, I have little means to resist.
I simply have no way to live a human life.
This is devastating!

What am I supposed to do now?
It's not that I had much to return to, but this prevents even the possibility.
Neri looks unsure at me.
She certainly has caught on to my internal struggle and is uneasy because of this.
As far as I understand, she believes herself to be at fault.
I don't know where I stand on this.

I am certain that she didn't lie to me.
So you could say she saved my life.
Yet, at what price?
This isn't good!
My value is no different here than a spider, even if they have a different evaluation to these monsters.

 

"Can we not be a little accommodating to her circumstances? Maybe give her room of her own?" (N)

"Huh? Isn't here fine? Your others are okay with it." (E)

 

What!?!
She wants to leave me here?

 

"No, we can't do this! Please, only a bit of help! She needs at least her own bed!" (N)

"Sigh, alright. I will see if we can do something about that." (E)

 

Neri seems to care for me, which is better than nothing.
Probably even better than what I would have to expect if I returned, now that the expedition failed so distinctively.
The other adventurers might even blame me for that outcome.
What kind of excuse would I have if they'd claim that I ran and abandoned my group?

 

"Are... Are we done then? Can I go for today? Please?" (N)

"This early? We have barely done anything at all." (E)

"Y-yes, but I really need the time today. Is there no way to shorten this?" (N)

"Shorten? Hmm, one! Pat one, not Liana!" (E)

 

Neri becomes extremely agitated, yet moves to the gathering.
With closed eyes, she stretches out a hand, and in an instant, a spider is under it.
Her panic is visible, and she quickly stops and crawls back.

 

"Fine, it was enough, but you should do a bit more!" (E)

"Y-yes, but I need to do some things. And I need to find Masiabi." (N)

"Hm, right now she is in the room for the preparation of the food. Shall I tell her something?" (E)

 

Neri instantly becomes nervous at the mention of this room and glances at me.
Food?
Oh, right!
I know what they eat and who gets "prepared" there.
No wonder she is distressed.

 

"Tell her I would like to meet her at the meeting room." (N)

"Alright, I’ll send a messenger." (E)

"Thank you." (N)

 

Seeing Neri interacting with them is strange.
It doesn't seem like they are mistreating her, but the fact that she is different is apparent.
Still, this is only her mentality.
They don't seem to have issues treating her like the monsters they are.
And me too.