Smart Bug

Creating hero tales with the children, singing them as songs, and drawing them as pictures, before I knew it, the sunset could be seen through the window.

Already…?

I didn’t know playing with the kids would be this fun.

“Lycoris, will you have dinner with us?”

Carina asked with a warm smile.

Her kind smile made my heart feel cozy.

Mmm…

But I should have dinner with the master.

The master must be waiting for me.

“It’s okay! We’ll eat at home! Cecile, let’s go!”

The orphanage children all looked disappointed.

“Already…?”

“Just a little more!”

“Eat with us!”

The children’s voices were so cute.

Then Serina ran up and carefully handed me a piece of paper.

“Lycoris… this…”

Oh!

It was a drawing made with crayons.

The lines were a bit shaky, but you could tell it was drawn with effort, and the coloring that went out of bounds was cute.

It depicted me, Cecilia, and Miel in the sky.

Honestly, it wasn’t that well-drawn.

“Oh… you drew it really well! Thank you!”

“Hehe… I wanted to draw you because you’re pretty!”

Serina smiled shyly.

Receiving such a pure gift warmed my heart.

I wanted to give her something too.

Right, I’ll just give her my body as usual!

“Kids! Come out to the garden! I’ll give you a special gift before we go!”

“A gift!?”

“Really!?”

The children’s eyes sparkled as they rushed to the garden.

Carina and Iris also followed with curious expressions.

“Polymorph!”

My body began to transform instantly.

Huge petals unfolded, and a sweet fragrance spread throughout the garden.

“Wow!”

“Flowers!”

“So big!”

“So pretty!”

“So amazing!”

The children gasped in amazement.

Carina looked deeply moved, and Iris smiled, saying, “That’s our Lycoris.”

The nectar glistened on the anthers, sweet and rich.

I carefully moved my roots to bring out the nectar.

As I moved the nectar-covered roots in front of the children, they cautiously approached and tasted it.

“Wow! So sweet!”

“So delicious!”

The children were completely happy, cheering and shouting.

Some closed their eyes, savoring the taste.

Carina also tasted a drop and looked amazed.

“This… this taste is so mystical… it’s like food from heaven…”

Iris also looked moved as she tasted the nectar.

Crispy, crispy!

Cecilia was already clinging to the stem, munching on the petals.

What? When did she get up there?

“Mom’s the best in the world!”

Cecilia shouted with a happy face.

Wait… saying mom’s food is the best sounds like something from a horror movie…

Miel was also sitting on a petal, sucking the nectar with her long, straw-like mouth.

Seeing them eat the petals and nectar so greedily, I thought they’d been eating too much human food lately.

Yes, I should give them more at home.

Especially cute Cecilia!

“It’s really delicious…”

“Yes… I want to eat it every day…”

The orphanage children still looked happy, drunk on the nectar.

Great, great!

More slaves to my nectar!

From now on, no other food will taste good to them!

These kids will never forget the taste of my nectar!

And my nectar will be added to the hero tales!

Hehehe…

After giving the children plenty of nectar, I returned to my human form.

“How was it? Delicious?”

“So delicious!”

“I won’t be able to eat any other nectar!”

Perfect!

Everything went according to my plan!

“Well, I’ll really go now!”

The children looked disappointed again, but this time they accepted it more calmly.

Iris was saying goodbye to the children.

“Don’t worry, I’ll give Iris lots of days off!”

“Lycoris should come too!”

“And Cecilia and Miel!”

“Yes! Everyone has to come!”

“The play will be ready soon, so I’ll show you then!”

The children asked me, Cecilia, and Miel to come back soon.

Hehe.

It’s not bad being treated like this.

A carriage was elegantly waiting in front of the orphanage.

Oh!

It knew without me saying!

“Well, goodbye!”

I waved and got on the carriage.

The children also waved goodbye.

As the carriage started moving, Iris began to doze off.

“Iris, are you tired? Just sleep!”

“I’m sorry… I haven’t seen the children in a long time…”

Iris apologized but soon fell asleep.

She must be tired.

The children were all over her.

The carriage continued on its way.

Looking at the passing scenery outside the window, I thought back to the day at the orphanage.

Hmm…

But something feels… something’s bothering me.

Like I missed something important.

“I feel like I forgot something important…”

“Huh?”

When I muttered that, Cecilia also tilted her head.

Then Miel started writing on my hair.

《 Go to the Adventurer’s Guild. 》

Ah, right!

The Adventurer’s Guild!

SS-class Certificate!

How could I forget something so important!

I opened the window and shouted to the coachman.

“Coachman, take me to the Adventurer’s Guild!”

“Understood!”

The coachman replied and changed direction.

Phew!

Now I feel better!

The carriage arrived in front of the Adventurer’s Guild.

As usual, adventurers were gathered outside, murmuring.

“Hey, look at that carriage…”

“I think I know who it is.”

“I do too. The pretty lady getting off is…”

“Could it be Lycoris…?”

“Maybe she’s here to drink the adventurers’ blood…”

“Eek! Run!”

“Get away!”

Even before I got off, people disappeared in an instant.

…?

Damn it…

Am I that unwelcome here?

Am I not supposed to be a hero to the adventurers?

I’m an SS-class adventurer!

The hero tales of the orphanage need to spread quickly…

As I was about to get off the carriage, someone rushed out of the guild.

Oh!

It was Selina, the Guild Master.

She still looked like a mountain bandit.

When I opened the window, Selina approached with an awkward smile.

“Haha… it’s really you, Lycoris…! Here’s your SS-class Adventurer Certificate.”

Selina handed me the new certificate.

It was much more splendid than the previous S-class one, with a red gemstone embedded in it.

Did they choose red to match my color?

It’s pretty, but…

With the upgraded Rothe, I could have leveled up immediately.

“Thanks, but why did you come yourself?”

“Well… many adventurers are afraid of you, so… of course, I don’t believe any of those rumors…!”

Selina smiled and replied, but then her gaze shifted to Cecilia, who was playing with Miel.

“Oh my… who is this cute child!?”

“I’m your mom! Cecilia!”

Cecilia hugged my leg and shouted proudly.

“L-Lycoris… are you married and have a child…?”

“What are you talking about! The red butterfly is just polymorphed!”

Ugh!

It’s cute when Cecilia calls me mom, but this misunderstanding happens too much!

“Huh… I see. The giant spider and the large wasp aren’t with you today?”

Huh?

Rothe is with Nis, and Glacia is…

Where is she?

“Rothe is at home! Glacia is abandoned!”

Oh no!

I left her at the market before going to the orphanage!

Something felt off about Glacia!

She must have been left for almost half a day!

“Coachman! Take me back to the market!”

“The market?”

I shouted urgently, and the coachman looked confused.

“Yes! Hurry!”

“I… see. Be careful!”

Selina looked flustered and greeted me, but I was already inside the carriage, glaring at Miel.

“What’s important is the Adventurer’s Guild! You forgot about Glacia!”

《 You forgot too! If you hadn’t mentioned the Adventurer’s Guild, I wouldn’t have remembered! 》

“What are you saying!”

I tried to grab Miel, but she dodged nimbly and wrote on Cecilia’s hair.

“You’re so annoying! And I caught the fool disease from you!”

《 How absurd! And I caught it from you! It’s all your fault! 》

“What the hell!”

I shouted and tried to catch Miel, but she evaded me with quick movements.

Flap, flap!

“Hey!”

Miel flew around the ceiling of the carriage, causing a mess inside.

By the time we stopped fighting, we had already arrived at the market.

Iris was still fast asleep, so I left her in the carriage and got off.

How is she not waking up?

Did she stay up for several nights?

The market was still in disarray.

People were gone, and only destroyed shops remained.

I hurried to where Glacia had fainted.

In my heart, I thought she’d still be lying there, but…

“Huh?”

Only the spot where Glacia’s large face had been embedded remained.

Where did she go!

I searched around the destroyed shops and under the fallen tents but found no trace of Glacia.

“Glacia! Where are you!”

“Glacia! Come out if you want nectar!”

Cecilia and I called out, but there was no response.

Glacia was clearly gone.

Did she return to her lair alone?

But…

It feels like she ran away…

“Well, whatever! She’ll come back someday!”

Just then, my hair was pulled.

What now?

《 Talico is by intelligence… Smart Bug. 》

What the hell!

How do you even know that!

“You bastard!”

The chase between me and Miel began again.