I heard about the events of that day from Victoria's perspective.
She explained in chronological order from when she left the school dormitory until she returned to the port.
While she was speaking, Beatrice didn't believe it at all at first. But from around when Victoria said she survived because the Sahaggin's behavior patterns were simple, it gradually changed. It seems she understood that Victoria was talking about her own experience.
Her expression gradually twisted, and when she heard about Victoria being stabbed in the thigh by a Sahaggin, she forcibly interrupted to check Victoria's physical condition.
"So, if you were kidnapped by Sahaggin, shouldn't you have escaped? Why did your goal suddenly change to eliminating the root cause?"
"I told you that when I touched my side because it felt strangely uncomfortable, scales were coming out, right? And because of the class on learning other species' writing that I took as an elective, I could read a bit of the Sahaggin documents, so I vaguely hoped that if I ruined what they were doing, I would get better."
So that's why she became a Sahaggin slaughterer.
When Victoria said she was turning into a Sahaggin, Beatrice was really surprised.
At that time, Victoria, wearing thin clothes with little fabric similar to a tank top, quickly calmed her by showing her side.
I wonder if she deliberately wore such thin clothes?
No, looking at her memories, it's just because it's summer and she wore what she usually wears.
Anyway.
Beatrice rubbed her eyes with her hand as if she had a headache. Since her eyes were already dark with fatigue when I first saw her, she looks extremely haggard.
And she pointed at me.
"So you're saying those monsters summoned a god, and Belle was what was there?"
"Yes. But according to her, she's not the god that should have been summoned there."
As both of their gazes turned to me, I nodded.
At least in the world where the Great Kraken was born, he was practically the one and only god.
"So you survived by contracting with Belle at a moment when your life was in danger."
"Yes. The fish transformation disappeared, and I got this ability too. I'll say it again, if I didn't have this ability, it wouldn't be strange if I had died there, right?"
A liquid close to dark brown floated up from Victoria's teacup into the air. Then it changed into various symbols here and there before splashing back into the teacup.
And Victoria grabbed the end of her hair tied to one side and shook it towards Beatrice.
"This hair color isn't dye, it's because of the contract. My skin turned white too, right? Even the scar I got when I fell off my bike as a kid disappeared!"
Victoria smiled and lifted her left leg up, then carefully lowered it under Beatrice's sharp gaze.
Beatrice looked straight into my eyes and asked in a low voice.
"This child says this, but why did you contract with her?"
As if she wouldn't allow any lies.
But what can I do? It's already too late.
The point of no return was passed long ago. So I decided to just tell the facts in an easy-to-understand way.
"Because she was in front of me."
In reality, there was only one living creature.
Because they were all swept away by the security device the Great Kraken had prepared.
At my words, Victoria blinked her eyes.
It seems strange to her that I contracted with her for such a reason.
"Oh, you saved me for that reason?"
"Those who summoned me lost their lives due to a mistake in the summoning, and you were the only one left."
It's all true.
They died on their own before I could do anything.
"Tell me the terms of the contract."
At that moment, Beatrice asked sharply.
As it's not such a difficult thing, I recited the contract text.
After hearing the contract text, Beatrice frowned.
"It means you'll take everything from my daughter."
"No, Mom. If I hadn't made the contract then, I would have turned into a fish and been swimming in that jungle, you know?"
It seems she doesn't think about how she prevented it with her ability. Even if she had turned into a fish, she would have died there.
If she had remembered that the first body I entered was half-ground as if placed in a grinder, she would have known she wouldn't have been safe.
"It looks like a demon that's going to take my daughter's soul."
Yes.
She's glaring at me hostilely while actually thinking that. I can feel her enthusiasm to get it back by any means.
But it can't be retrieved. The contract is already complete, and I can take the warmth at any moment.
So, I should reassure her by just telling the truth.
"I'm not interested in souls. When you die, I just go and take the last warmth and that's it. This contract text is just what I've been using all along because it was the very first contract I made."
That's actually the case.
It would be troublesome if it didn't work when using a different sentence, and if I modified the contract text and couldn't obtain the right to control? survive? descendants like last time, it would be a problem.
I know this is the reason why old systems that stay in place for a long time break down without keeping up with the times.
There's no reason to change it while taking risks.
"Then, how about if I contract too?"
Beatrice asked while staring at me, directing wariness, suspicion, and killing intent towards me.
If I said yes right away, the pistol in her hand would probably spit fire.
Although that wouldn't kill me.
There's also Soo-oh's last words, and I've already produced five harvesters, so I take a step back here.
"Let's put that off."
"Put it off?"
Her suspicion deepens. Yes, or no. Instead of choosing one of the two, I chose to postpone. In the long run, that becomes a yes.
I'll add an excuse here.
"The contract is only once per living being. At the moment of contracting, all wounds heal, but if you get injured and die after contracting, I can only watch like before. So think of the contract as a spare life."
Does it look like a sentence full of good intentions?
But for me, if I can get warmth, that alone is success. Anything more is all bonus.
If it's a friendly situation, it's better to maintain it.
Even the five who attacked me quickly fell for it and contracted when I pretended to be a bit religious and said a few words, right?
If someone asks about the contract, they'll remember me as a good person.
Even if they use their power to do dirty things, I can defend myself by saying they chose to do so themselves.
Standing on the border of truth, I tell lies without lying.
At my explanation, Beatrice looked at me with a complicated expression, then as if her thoughts had settled, she asked one question.
"Is there someone you lost because you couldn't help them?"
I remained silent.
It wasn't that I couldn't help.
I just needed to be a bit bolder, step forward and take the immortals' attack and twist them.
"Okay, I understand. Belle. Are you a god?"
I can answer that question clearly.
"No. I'm just a monster."
I answered with the feeling of saying "meow". Just that much. I'm not a god who can do anything and obtain anything.
Far from perfect, I'm a beast shivering in the cold, craving warmth.
"Alright. Then, next question. Why did you follow my daughter?"
"Victoria brought me along."
"What?"
Beatrice's head swiftly turned to Victoria. Curses are dripping from her eyes, but I can see she's forcibly holding back because I'm here.
"But Mom. What she said to me was 'I don't want to go home.'"
That's what I said. I really don't want to go back to the bottom.
"Mom! I'll raise her properly!"
Should I really say "meow"?
Beatrice's expression contorted. Headache-inducing words keep popping out, and emotions of wanting to hit you are dripping out, aren't they?
"Are you in your right mind or not?"
"She's not that bad of a person."
It's not just me who hears it translated as "not a bad beast", right? Beatrice has the face of an adult looking at a child who suddenly brought in a street animal and wants to raise it.
"Our house is big anyway! Even if it's just for the vacation, okay?"
The house is actually quite large. Of course, it's not a high-end residential area, but it looks like a house where they're living quite well.
"Okay. Just for the vacation. Haah, what am I really going to do with this. Alright. Tori. There's a guest room, so Belle can use that. I thought you brought a friend back from school..."
Beatrice, who sighed deeply, got up from the table and went to Victoria's side and hit her head with a thud.
"Mom! Thank you!"
But Victoria doesn't seem hurt at all and hugs Beatrice.
Pushing Victoria away saying it's disgusting as she hugs her, Beatrice came in front of me.
The story has been sorted out.
I stood up from my seat.
"The age I've lived as a human totals less than three digits. My identity is a monster."
"That's the answer to the earlier question."
Beatrice smiled bitterly and reached out her hand, hesitated once, then reached out again. I grasped it in return.
"But why don't you say your exact age?"
At that moment, Victoria chimed in from the side. I let go of Beatrice's hand and said:
"Because the cycles are different, I don't know which standard to use."
"Cycles?"
"Orbital period. Simply put, how many days are in a year?"
"It's 318 days here?"
"One place is 365 days, one place is 415 days. The last one is 639 days."
I mentioned the time in the faded memories and the number of days in the two brightly shining worlds. I think the second world might have been as far away as Mars.
It's not a very important fact though.
"Other worlds have different years?"
"Yes. It's different for each world. I'm not smart enough to calculate the exact age, so I can't tell you in detail."
Looking at Victoria's memories, they're not yet detailed about the universe. Of course, there will be people here who know in detail too.
People have been looking up at the sky since ancient times.
But that knowledge isn't universally spread. At least not at the level Victoria knows.
"But you're a monster?"
"What do you see monsters as? It's because I'm a monster. To go back to the point, Mrs. Beatrice Bete."
I pushed Victoria aside and finished greeting her.
"I'll be in your care for a while. Please take good care of me."
Beatrice heard my greeting and looked at Victoria. Then she said this:
"She's better than our daughter."
"Mom!"
Victoria got angry and rushed in saying how am I better and in what way.
It's exactly the same as when I was living with Soo-oh in Choseol's body.
Thinking that, I took a step back and watched the two of them bicker.