Mistress Of The Evil Forest
Case 201: Reject women, embrace horror.

''Stop!!!''

Right before I am dragged into the overly conspicuous love hotel, something black bolts toward us, blocking the entrance.

''Hah... hah... t-this is unacceptable!''

It is none other than Nydia, whose furrowed brows and sharpened eyes betray her usual elegance. She seems visibly panicking, her wings and arms flaring. 

Just this appearance alone is comical enough, but soon after, two more figures scurrily assemble behind her, chests puffed out, looking more scared than intimidating.

''It ain't fair like this, my friend Chloe...'' Luxia quirkily points at Chloe, clicking her tongue.

''That's right!'' Claire follows, making two trembling fists in front of her.

For a moment, as I glance at Chloe's side profile, a wave of nostalgia hits me. Her signature 'pissed' face, the sudden flip from her cheesy smile to a murderous stare... it reminds me of our time back on Earth.

And every time I look at her like this, I feel grateful. The reason I even stay here to fight is because of these girls. I don't want to see the connections I've made disappear. I don't want to let these people's stories end so unfairly and abruptly.

Although she doesn't even mention it, Chloe is here to help me. Despite my selfishness sometimes, she alone always has my back.

The kind-hearted—

''Don't you know etiquette...? Following us and intruding on our good moments. A bunch of losers...''

''...Eh?''

...She must be quite mad. Even I am taken aback by the language, not to mention these three, who only ever saw her pretty side. Riding on the momentum, Chloe strongly steps forward, tightening her hand that is gripping mine,

''Let me warn you all one last time—if you dare getting close to my Aurora ever again... it won't be pretty.''

''W-What are you talking about?! Since when did she become yours?!''

''Since we kissed?''

''Ugh...''

Both sides are quite passionate, but it's clear who has the upper hand here. Nonetheless, Nydia keeps on fighting, with Claire and Luxia as her sidekicks... for some reason. Why is this playing out like a cheap drama all of a sudden?

''She k-kissed me, too—''

''Hey, you guys.''

''...Hm? Who are you...?''

''Owner.''

''Ah.''

At some point, perhaps since passersby have been giving us looks, the hotel's owner comes out to chase us, bearing an irritated expression.

Thus ends my short but memorable trip with Chloe to the love hotel.

But now, it has become a group of friends hanging out again.

''It's not every day we can see the boss down the streets!'' Luxia exclaims, putting her arms around my neck affectionately. ''But if we're going to a cat cafe again, ain't Zircon's owls better?''

As the pinkhead rubs her cheeks on me, both Nydia and Claire ponder the idea briefly, then, inadvertently, their eyes light up.

''Really? Can we go there now?'' Claire points her puppy eyes at me. 

''...''

Looking at those sparkling gems, I can only respond...

''No.''

''But why...?!''

''Zircon isn't a playground.''

''That's right. Our living space isn't a place you can come and go as you want.'' Chloe adds, swatting Luxia's arm away. ''Know your place.''

In less than a second, the atmosphere heats up as the girls prepare to go at it again. Awkward aside, I have but one thing left to say,

''...Since when did you live in Zircon?'' I turn to Chloe.

''I just decided it now. Heheh.''

''...''

In the end, as it ultimately turns out to be quite messy between those four, I slip out by myself.

Now inside the Backrooms again, a surprising sense of peace soothes my mind. Thankfully enough, the crazy Sierra is busy lecturing Amelia, who now has to fill in Chloe's previous role, and Scarlett is also drowned in her official duties. I can't imagine how chaotic it would be with those three...

''You look tired, Lady Aurora.''

''...Skely.''

As I lay blankly on the floor, the undead siblings pop up from the corner of my vision, looking more curious than scary. They seem somewhat concerned, too.

''Dealing with women is hard...''

''Did you try consulting someone?'' Ariel innocently asks. ''Maybe someone experienced.''

''...The last time I tried that, I wrongly picked someone with no experience.''

''Ah...''

Professor Claudia... I wonder if she and Professor Hailey have gotten together yet. I mean, an apocalypse is upon us—they must be busy. In the first place, I don't know anyone who's good with relationships...

Isn't everyone I know single? What a tragedy that is.

''...''

But then again, do I really need advice anymore? Maybe I'm just hiding behind a wall of excuses. These girls who fawn over me... I don't know how to deal with them yet.

Just like how I don't know the way to deal with a lot of my opponents.

I guess I'll have to figure it out on my own.

With that being said, still, I don't think I want to engage with them again today. My social battery has always been terrible. Instead, there is something I want to accomplish with my territory. As it is, Zircon is still a fairly powerful faction, but compared to the impending threat, we're severely lacking.

Not just me, but everyone has to become stronger.

I can't neglect my horror like this. They're made to scare people... and fighting, I guess.

''Hoo...''

''Aurora?''

''You guys... prepare for some fighting.''

Grasping the Backrooms' map in my head, I teleport to one of the 'storage' rooms. It's a section where we store items and other goods, with cells of various sizes lining up in a hallway. Although unconventional, we also have living specimens here.

And one such specimen is right in front of me. A giant red dragon clad in solid but transparent ice—it's the unnamed one I fought some time ago.

I'm not sure if there's any individual dragon left in this world besides Yggdrasil, who's still sleeping, and this one, but it should know a lot about the ecosystem. After all, dragons are at the top of the food chain and are knowledgeable... or so I heard.

If this one can help, it will reduce the time needed for us to find suitable sources of experience for my subordinates. Thinking so, I snap my finger, shredding the layer of ice into smithereens.

''...Huh?''

Almost instantly, sentience returns to the dragoness's topaz-like slit eyes. She glances around fervently, seeming almost lost. Then, inadvertently, she spots me.

''You... where is this?!'' She growls, perhaps affected somewhat by this place's madness-inducing atmosphere. ''What did you do to me?!''

''...''

I have always been bad with explanations. As such, I often let other people do the job, but after meeting the other me, I have learned a neat trick—memory transfer.

The idea itself sounds absurd, but somehow, I got the hang of it pretty quickly.

So, I simply morph the space to my will, shaping a hand coming down from the ceiling to pin the dragoness's head to the ground. Then, as she flails around, I gently touch her.

''...''

''...''

As if the information had been properly transmitted, the creature gradually relaxes, a look of utter astonishment apparent on its face. That's right, Yggdrasil has been defeated, and the remaining dragons are dead.

''Now then, are we talking now?''

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