So, for the record, even though this kid totally managed to blindside me, it’s not like I, being the secret big scary monster (of peace and justice!) that I am, couldn’t easily break away from the hand of this one small child that was leading me away. But you know what? I’m not gonna! I’m wayyyy too curious about why this is happening to just ruin the charade now! It’s like I was in the audience of some show, and they randomly selected me as the audience member who gets to join in for a special little skit or something! I wanna see where this goes!

  Do you think this is maybe some kind of new pickpocketing strategy? If so, I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces when they realize that I don’t have anything in any of these pockets~! Ooooh, and if they decide to get a little threatening in order to find out where I’m hiding the goods, well… No one’s gonna bme me if I have a little snack then, right? Don’t get me wrong, being this close to the town means that these possible pickpockets have a chance of being one of mom’s ex-vilgers, I know that very well. But like, wouldn’t I be fulfilling my job as the guardian pnt of this forest by weeding out some 'bad eggs' like this? If they’re going around dangerously pickpocketing people, then I’m sure nobody’s gonna be too mad at me if they just, uh, disappear somewhere, right? It’d just be me doing my job~!

  And, you know, a girl’s gotta eat, right? I know the Forest Spirit filled me up with energy not too long ago, and I may be sitting really pretty right now, but um… I’m kinda starting to feel a little bit peckish. Idunno, maybe it's because of all those resources that I had to expend to make my body all teensy tiny and cute like this, or maybe it’s just because I haven’t gotten to properly eat any prey in a long long while, but I totally miss it!!!

  Ugh… I wonder if this is a sign that I’m becoming a glutton…

  Ooookay, well, enough about that! Really, I’m making all these eborate justifications, but I don’t even know if any of it’s actually gonna happen! So far I haven’t been able to detect anybody else in the direction that we’re running, so it’s looking less and less like the kid brought me out here to ambush me. Honestly, I’m getting even more curious why this kid pulled me away now… and not at all disappointed that it looks like I’m not gonna get to eat.

  =Um, hey, kid?=

  “Oh, you can talk!”

  The boy jumped in surprise, letting go of my hand so that he could whip back to look at me. Funnily enough he didn’t look scared at all, though… Just purely surprised. Huh. Oh wait, I look like a person now, so of course he shouldn’t be scared! …But then why was he surprised that I could talk…?

  I squatted down so that I would be closer to his height, trying my best to smile and not look scary while I spoke to him.

  =Yeah, of course I can talk, why wouldn’t I be able to?=

  He pulled a face, squeezing his hands together as he sheepishly looked me over. Ahhh, I get it~! He must be acting shy right now because of how pretty I am, right? Yes, he may just a child, but he already has an eye for beauty, doesn’t he-

  “...But you weren’t able to talk st time you came, though… Aren't you the monster that saved me st time?”

  Urk!

  W-what?

  W-why would he be able to tell that?!

  Don’t I look completely human right now???

  =Why- Whyyyy do you think that…?=

  I tried to sound as normal as possible while asking the question, but of course that totally bombed… But can you bme me?! How would this kid possibly be able to tell that I was secretly a monster in disguise?! What, did I have a bunch of tentacles and roots peeking out of my dress that I just didn’t notice or something??? Did my face open up by accident???

  “Huh? I could tell from the way you were walking around! It looks exactly the same as st time!”

  What? Excuuuse me you little-!

  Okay okay, let’s think about this rationally! If this kid is repeatedly saying stuff to me about ‘st time’ like this, then it must mean that this is the little boy that I saved and gave that camellia bush to, right? He looks a little bit different from my memories, but… Well, yeah, I guess it’s been over a year and some change, hasn’t it? No wonder he’s a head taller and looks older! Kids grow up quickly, they say!

  But why in the heck is a (I’m guessing, here) 8 year old-ish kid so freakishly observant? He could tell that I was walking the same even through this big-ass robe that I’m wearing?! What, is the way I walk really that unique?! But nobody else in the town even batted an eye over the way I walk! It’s not like I’m moving as stupidly as I did when I was just a tiny little sprout! There’s no way that my walk didn’t change at all now that I have proper legs to move on!

  “Oh, and then there’s also your face! When your eyes are closed it looks really close to how I remember it.”

  Wait a minute, I know this kid is crazy observant and all, but how in the heck could he have possibly-

  [The boy is correct, child.]

  Huh? What, do you mean about my face being the same?

  [...Have you not noticed that you close your eyes every time you converse with me?]

  …What? I do?! Damn, then no wonder he was able to tell! How come you never said anything to me???

  [I assumed you were doing it consciously to better hear my voice.]

  No, of course I wasn’t! I’ve been doing my absolute best to look like an ordinary human and blink about as often as they do, and you think I was just walking around with my eyes closed sometimes on purpose?!

  [...You’re worrying the boy, Mellily. You should give him a response before you scare him off.]

  Yeah yeah, you’re totally right, Spirit… But don’t think I’m gonna forget this! You and I are totally gonna have a talk about this ter!!!

  [...]

  Hmph!

  Right, okay, the boy, the boy… Well, what am I supposed to say, huh? I mean, it’s too te to just go ‘This is not the pnt you’re looking for’ to him now, right? It doesn’t seem like he’s leading me to an ambush or anything, and from what I’m told, the people in this town actually look up to me in a way, so…

  =Okay fine, you caught me. Yup, I’m totally the pnt that rescued you from those kidnappers!=

  The boy’s confused face quickly bloomed into a cute smile, and he almost jumped around a little at how excited he was.

  “I knew it, I knew it! I was scared that I was wrong for a second, but there’s no way that I was! I knew it had to be you!”

  Yeah yeah, you did it kid, good job~. Honestly, he looks so happy and cute right now… I’m sure as his savior I’m permitted a cheeky little head pat or two, right? No one’s gonna pop out of the woodwork and say anything bad about it, riiiight?

  The boy certainly didn’t seem to mind getting his head pat by me, although after a moment his smile suddenly turned back into that confused look he had on before, which was a bit worrying.

  “Oh right, why don’t you look like a pnt anymore, Miss?”

  Wow, I’m surprised it took this observant kid so long to ask me this question. What should I say? ‘I wanted to look pretty like my mom and screw around for a little, teehee~!'

  Nah, let’s try not to be too honest here and break everyone’s hopes down…

  =Hmmm, it’s because the Spirit was curious why you were worshiping that bush I gave you and sent me here in secret to investigate.=

  “Ohhh, wowwww! The Spirit of the Forest sent you here for real?”

  =Yup! It sure did~!=

  Hehe, it’s so cute how his eyes are getting all sparkly like that. Yup, it was totally the right choice to-

  “Then, if that’s the case, I definitely have to take you to go see grandpa!”

  Oh. Crap.

  …Do I really have to…?