Chapter 38: A Choice

Lars put the remains of the Astraea familia in his inventory.

He then prayed a bit for them. "They were so young too... Too young." Lars got melancholic.

"I guess I should pick up the pace." Lars ran towards the tracks of his group.

And when he arrived, they were gloomy as expected.

"Let's go to Monstro, Lyra needs treatment there. Bombs and shockwaves cause internal damage." Lars carried Lyra softly.

"I've healed them already, but let me use my DA then." Airmid used her mystery and a diamond shaped magic circle appeared.

Her mind decreased sharply, but the survivors of the Astraea familia were wrapped in soothing light.

Alise and Kaguya's wounds disappeared. Even their scars were gone, showcasing Airmid's ridiculous healing power.

Lyra who looked like she was breathing with a punctured lung calmed down.

"Good work, Airmid. Let's go." Lars ordered and Ais stared at them.

They quickly made their way to the 39th floor, avoiding the monsters.

And when they arrived, Ais almost subconsciously attacked the xenos.

Tiona and Tione who expected it jumped her. They then pinned her to the ground.

"Ais, they're friendlies." Lars sighed and the Astraea familia was also preparing to fight.

"This is a safe point, this is impossible." Alise was confused at the appearance of monsters.

"There's also a mix of them... Like that goblin over there, it shouldn't be here." Kaguya pointed out.

"Lars-chi, are they in control now?" Lyd who had his hands up asked.

And they were shocked to the bone. "There are no friendly monsters..." Ais wholeheartedly believed.

"Ahhh, damn. Guys, don't walk up to her. She's a loose cannon right now." Lars took Ais to his cabin.

"I'll leave them to you, Tiona, Tione, Airmid." Lars pointed at the Astraea familia.

"W-what's exactly happening here?" Ryuu asked and the trio sighed.

"It all started when I got kidnapped by Lars." Airmid told the story.

They were immediately weirded out by how it began.

Meanwhile, Ais was extremely confused. 'Is Lars colluding with monsters? Then he's an enemy.'

'He knows that monsters took everything from me. Yet why? Why is he protecting them?'

Lars rubbed her head softly and she looked at him with a hurt expression.

"You must be confused? Angry even?" Lars smiled wryly and she nodded slowly.

"Why?" Ais asked and he understood what she meant.

"They're not just monsters, Ais. They're called xenos. And they are intelligent, just like humans." Lars explained to her patiently.

"Then aren't they more dangerous?" Ais was convinced that monsters are in the end, just monsters.

"Yes and no. You see, they are just like you." Lars patted her head and she frowned in disgust.

"When they are born, they are all alone. Scared, clueless, lonely." Lars started telling a story.

"The monsters of the dungeon don't accept them. They attack them just like how they attack humans." Lars pointed at the xenos who were checking out the Astraea familia.

"And humans also hunt them down due to their appearance. Honestly, their story is much more cruel than yours." Lars sided with them.

"Wha?" Ais felt morose at his words, it cut through her deeply.

"Ever since they are born, they fight for their lives. It's kill or be killed, nothing is on your side. Can you imagine that?" Lars gave her a reality check.

"N-no... Riveria and the others helped me..." Ais remembered the executives reeling her in.

Especially Riveria who was like her second mother.

"You have a familia, Ais. They have nothing, but themselves. Fending for their lives at every waking moment." Lars sighed.

"So I will give you a choice... Never speak of this to anyone and I will let you go, I will never bother you again." Lars gave out the first option.

But she went wide eyed at that and immediately thought that was impossible.

He was her only friend. "No... I don't want that." She teared up.

"Or... You'll try to understand the xenos and keep this a secret. They're not monsters Ais." Lars reached out to her.

She didn't need to think much and Ais grabbed his hand.

"I'll judge them for myself..." Ais decided and Lars thought that was good enough.

"Just don't attack them, talk to the citizens of Monstro." Lars smiled at her and he patted her head.

She nodded slowly, leaving her sword with him as she stepped outside, observing them.

Lars sighed. "I guess that's the best I could hope for. It's a miracle that she didn't use avenger."

He then went towards their hospital and checked out the survivors of the Astraea familia.

"Hello, Airmid. Can you tell me what happened? I don't want to ask them again." Lars thought that they already interviewed them.

Airmid nodded at him and she told him everything about what transpired.

"Damn... Shitty ass evilus, humans can really be terrible." Lars massaged his temples.

"Yeah... Almost all of them died due to that monster." Tiona gritted her teeth.

She felt vexed. They were much closer to the 30th floor after all. But they got there too late.

"Don't think that we could face that thing, Tiona." Tione patted her on the back.

The Astraea familia were mostly level 4's. And they got smoked by it.

"I know... But it's just vexing." Tiona gritted her teeth.

"Then train, level up until nothing can oppose you." Alfia appeared out of the blue once again.

It was her favorite way of appearing. "A-Alfia?" Alise went wide eyed. Kaguya and Ryuu were speechless too.

"I see that you girls are doing fine. Physically that is." Alfia looked at them.

And Alise started to cry. "T-they died... Everyone except us died."

"Alise..." Kaguya couldn't help but tear up as well.

Ryuu sobbed and the girls hugged them. "You're safe now." Airmid assured.

Outside, Ais was staring right at Gros. And Gros could also feel her hostility.

But it slowly died down. "What's your name?" Ais asked him.

"Gros, you?" He asked back. "Ais." She answered succinctly and they got quiet.

"Uhhh, Ais? Are you a friend of Lars?" Ray asked her and Ais nodded.

Laura who was nearby slithered towards them. "Oh my, are you perhaps Lars' girlfriend? I knew he was going to be a heartbreaker."

Ais blinked dumbly and she blushed. "He's my friend." But after she said it, her face scrunched up.

"Oooh, you didn't like that did you? How about this onee-san teach you?" Laura wrapped her tail on her.

"Teach me?" Ais tilted her head and she thought that Laura would be the one to inform her why she doesn't like being called just his friend.

Riveria doesn't tell her anything. And Loki just gets angry when she asks her.

"Laura, you don't even have experience in that kind of stuff." Ranye snorted at her.

"Hmph, you don't as well. But I am quite knowledgeable about it." Laura huffed.

She then started whispering to Ais, surprisingly breaking the ice.

The hours went by and Lyra also woke up. Not surprisingly, Airmid's magic healed her eyes too.

But they were raw as hell. "Fuck, am I in hell?" Lyra saw monsters around.

"No, we're in the 39th floor." Alise who was beside her suddenly talked.

"Wha!? Alise, we're still alive? I'm not dreaming?" Lyra blinked slowly as it hurt her eyes.

"Yeah, we are. My arm's also back, thank our savior, Lyra." Kaguya chuckled.

"Who?" Lyra was confused as hell. "Lars, he beat the monster on his own." Ryuu was still in disbelief about it.

"Lars!? You must be pulling my leg, he's a supporter right? Haha... You're dead serious." Lyra saw their expressions.

"He suplexed it with his bare hands... You didn't see how he fought it." Alise couldn't believe it either.

"He's a goddamned monster. And Astraea-sama also told me once that he wasn't lying that he's a level 1." Kaguya winced.

"You asked Astraea-sama if he was lying?" Ryuu looked at her with disapproval.

"What? We don't know if he was a plant or something." Kaguya snorted.

"Yo, enjoy your stay here?" Tiona asked them and they didn't have any complaints.

"It's too comfy here actually..." Kaguya rubbed the sheets of their beds and it was extremely soft.

"Well, that's made from Ranye's silk." Tione shrugged.

"Amazing, right?" Airmid loved Ranye for her silk.

"An arachne's silk? Your bedsheets cost hundreds of thousands of valis?" Alise who was rubbing her face on it was shocked.

"Well, yeah. The bed is stuffed with unicorn's hair too." Airmid shrugged.

"T-this bed might be a bit too high class for me." Lyra lived in rock bottom, being the kid of two slaves.

She felt a bit uncomfortable, knowing that the bed she was on probably cost more than 1st class equipment.

"Rest here for now, we'll return to the surface tomorrow." Lars appeared and he gave them a smile.

"I guess..." Alise nodded slowly and she thought of what Astraea's reaction would be.

"And remember, Alfia will hunt you down if you talk to anyone about Monstro." Lars smiled sweetly.

"N-no thanks... We would like to stay quiet." Ryuu remembered Alfia vividly.

And as an elf that was sensitive to mana, she knew that Alfia let them win.

Her mana, even when restrained. Is greater than theirs.

'She could've definitely squashed us like a bug with her magic. That was insane.' Ryuu gulped.

"Good, then we'll go back tomorrow." Lars clapped and they started to feel the fatigue set in.

They then fell asleep and everyone was too tired to stay awake.

In the morning, Lars' citizens prepared a huge breakfast.

As everybody in Monstro knew that Lars can eat as much as the whole population.

Though he holds himself back and satiates himself with magic stones.

"This is too much..." Ryuu saw the rows of food.

"It's fine, it's a little bribe too. Would you guys be together with us to develop Monstro?" Lars asked.

'They would definitely be 1st class adventurers... Especially Alise who already fights with the most effectiveness.' Lars wanted them in their group.

"Ehh? But aren't we already roped into this?" Alise was surprised that he even asked.

"Eh?" Lars was dumbfounded as well and he didn't expect her to just accept it like that.

"You must've underestimated our captain, Lars. If there's someone in need, even if they look like monsters, she'll help them." Kaguya smiled softly.

"Alise's just like that, isn't she? A busybody of the highest order." Ryuu chuckled.

"Yeah, she'll meddle in everything. Especially with this case." Lyra shrugged.

"Well, that was easy. Why though?" Lars asked.

"Why I want to help them? I guess it's because I'm still trying to find my own justice." Alise smiled wryly.

"I still don't know what it means. What is the most valid one. But what I do know, is that the xenos need as much help as they can get." Alise nodded at him.

"Then isn't it fine? Everybody has their own set of morals and principles. Ask your goddess.

Even Astraea won't be able to answer what true justice is. Because your justice would be different from others. And that's fine." Lars shrugged.

"You know... She already told me that once before... But hearing it from somebody else just sealed it in." Alise smiled wryly.

"Took you long enough then." Lars chuckled at her and everybody smiled at the interaction.

"Isn't this great? We got more allies~" Marie who was sitting on a nearby rock over a pool jumped at Lars in delight.

"Marie, you shouldn't just jump on people like that." Lars pinched her cheek and she giggled.

"But I'm so happy right now, we'll have new additions to our family!" Marie beamed.

The Astraea familia then teared up, remembering the deaths of theirs.

"Yeah, they've been through a lot. So welcome them to our familia warmly, okay?" Lars said softly.

"Un! Marie will show them a lot of cool tricks!" Marie smiled at them and the Astraea familia chuckled.

"Yeah, we'll look forward to it." Alise chuckled and they smiled fondly at the mermaid.

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Thanks for reading everyone, ciao.