Diary of the Improper Monster Girl Transformation.

Chapter 278: Living is Enough (5.3K first update)
"Finally, I'm back, ahem..."

As dusk spread across the sky like molten lead, Steven, who had been riding the inferior horse he bought from the caravan at a high price for more than a month on his bumpy journey home, finally saw the outline of Burns' ancestral home.

The family crest on the iron gate had long since rusted away from its former glory, leaving only a few twisted iron bars stubbornly supporting Burns' dignity.

"Tsk, damn dignity."

When he arrived in front of the manor, no one came to greet him, and no one noticed him.

Today, the Burns family no longer has the money to hire guards to guard the gate—there is nothing to steal anyway.

Steven rolled off the horse, reached out to push the door, and found that there was moss from the Misty Mountains embedded in his fingers.

He was stunned for a moment, then raised his hand to his collar, and only felt relieved after touching the token given by the adult.

"Thanks to that sir, I was able to return here by chance."

Pushing open the door, he led his horse into the manor. The statue of the adventurer's ancestor was entangled by vines, with only half of the face left. The moonlight happened to fall on the single eye of the stone carving, and it seemed as if it was staring at him in a trance.

But Steven would not be frightened by the sight.

The ancestors are dead, completely dead.

Otherwise, as long as he was still alive, even if he was transformed into a legendary undead through special means, the family would not have fallen into such a miserable state.

Walking through corridors lined with crops - these lowly things would never have been here.

Those crops were originally provided annually by the tenant farmers attached to their family, and they were only responsible for collecting them.

But now...haha.

People always have to find ways to survive.

So what if you are a noble?
Nobles also need to eat.

Nobles with prosperous families have their own way of living. They boast of their nobility and claim to be of noble blood, and they put themselves above others at will.

And the impoverished nobles also have their own way of dealing with the world.

Live hard, then hold your head up stubbornly and declare that you have not become the same as others.

As to whether this is useful or not, only God knows.

After tying the poor horse to the long-abandoned stable, he returned to the main gate of the manor.

crunch--

Gently pushing open the door, Steven finally saw some light, and the dim candlelight brought him a touch of warmth.

"I am back."

Steven muttered to the empty, dilapidated hallway, and the echo startled the cobwebs between the beams.

The faded brown tapestry swayed in the draft, and the heroic figure of an ancestor holding a sword was broken into three pieces.

He still remembered that decades ago, when he was still a child, although this place was not luxurious, it was not as desolate as it is now.

It was not until his father's several absurd actions later that the family, which had already fallen into decline, completely collapsed. Most of the belongings were sold, leaving only the ancestral home... and the noble title of Burns.

"Adventurer family... hehe."

Steven lowered his head and looked at the ground. His decadent shadow was cast on the cracked floor, like a snake with its bones pulled out.

decadent.

Although I didn't feel anything while on the road, I was only thinking about going home and didn't feel tired.

But as soon as he stepped into the house, he felt the fatigue that had accumulated before surge into his body and mind like a tide.

tired.

But he finally returned to his own harbor...but he couldn't rest yet.

Steven still has important things to do!

The most important task left now is to take my daughter away.

Steven believed that although their relationship as father and daughter was not good, they had been apart for many years and had little affection for each other.

But as long as I explain to her clearly what I have seen and heard, she will definitely agree to go with me to that dreamlike pure land.

Because that is the true pure land he has always been looking for, where his daughter can live a stable life without having to escape from the sight of others!
"Young Master?"

The sudden appearance of the old voice almost made Steven knock over the bronze candlestick beside him.

"who!?"

crunch, crunch...

Along with the groaning of the floor, an old face with mottled skin like tree bark emerged from the shadow of the spiral staircase.

Undead!!?

Steven was obviously frightened and was about to draw his sword in excitement, but he realized that the "monster" in front of him looked familiar.

Not the dead, but the living.

And he is an old acquaintance.

The old butler, Larne, was more hunched than before he left, and he was holding a lantern in his hand.

After seeing Steven's face clearly, the old butler showed a look of obvious joy, took two quick steps and said, "Master, it's really you! You're finally back, I thought you..."

What will happen if an "adventurer" does not return for a long time?

This is actually not difficult to infer, it’s just a few points.

Either they were trapped somewhere, or they died in a corner where no one cared...

In fact, there is no essential difference between the former and the latter.

A dead adventurer is worth nothing.

"It's you. Don't scare me when I come back."

Steven sighed and said unhappily, “If nothing happens to me on the road and I end up getting scared to death by you, then my adventure as an adventurer would be a disgrace.”

The old man also laughed and shook his head, saying, "Haha, young master, you are joking. There has never been a coward in the bloodline of the Burns family, and there has never been a coward among adventurers."

And as he shook his head, the old man suddenly saw Steven's arm out of the corner of his eye.

"This, this is!?"

The old butler opened his eyes wide, saw the injuries on Steve's body, was stunned for a moment, and then shook his head.

He muttered as if to comfort himself: "It's okay, it's okay, it's good to be back, it's good enough to be back alive."

As an old man who watched Steven grow up, he actually regarded him as his own son in his heart.

The old butler certainly didn't want Steven to get hurt, but since his young master had chosen the most difficult path of "revitalizing the family", he had no way to stop him.

Steven was infected by Laan's attitude, and he sighed deeply with emotion, and said: "Yeah, it's good to be alive."

Just being alive is enough.

After the master and servant sighed for a while at the door, Steven remembered another important thing.

What about the daughter?
He looked around and didn't find any eyes secretly watching him from the corner. He asked curiously, "Where is Theresa? Why doesn't she come out to see me?"

Although I came back a little late, it is obviously not time to go to bed yet.

Where is she?
Losing your temper?

Don’t want to see this unreliable old father?
"…Theresa?"

While Steven was thinking, the old man next to him obviously hesitated and tried hard to think about the name in his mind.

After thinking for half a minute, he blinked and asked uncertainly: "Are you talking about... that village girl?"

"A village girl?"

Steven frowned when he heard this name, and his voice became low, and he said unhappily: "Is that how you call her? Although she is indeed not well-educated and does not understand the etiquette of the nobility."

"But for my sake, shouldn't you treat her with respect?"

Village girl?

Outrageous!

Faced with the anger of Steven, the current head of the family, the old butler became even more confused.

"Respect? Your relationship? This... huh?"

The old butler's eyes widened as he took a breath of cold air, bit his lip, and asked tentatively: "The relationship between you two, could it be said that... is actually very close?"

Stephen thought that the other party had done something rude to Theresa, and he was even more unhappy at the moment. He snorted angrily: "Nonsense! I sent her here, don't you understand what I mean?"

"But……"

The old housekeeper was silent for a long time, and finally couldn't hold it in any longer, and argued loudly: "But, she is already over sixty years old! Master, you are confused!"

The old man's puzzled question echoed in the quiet hall.

Steven:?

what?
What are you talking about sixty years old?
Why can't I understand?
Seeing that the master had the "intention" to play dumb, the old butler gave it his all for the future of the family.

The old man simply tore his face off and said in a shocking voice: "Master, I don't agree with this marriage!"

"Although Theresa's fourth husband died not long ago, I still think she is not suitable for you. No... She is very unsuitable!"

Steven: ? ?
"Huh!? What did you say?"

What marriage!?

Did you arrange a marriage for Theresa?

What have you done?!

Seeing Steven's confused look, the old man faltered and hesitated for a moment, but still mustered up the courage to continue arguing:

"Master! Stop pretending!"

"Now that you've said it, there's no need to pretend anymore!"

"I think that even though our Burns family is in decline, you wouldn't go looking for a woman like this..." At the end, he clenched his fists, tears welled up in his eyes, and said emotionally: "I can't let down the old patriarch's kindness to me!"

"As long as I'm alive! You must never do such a thing to insult the family!!!"

Steven:? ? ?

God damn widow!
God damn, I want to marry her!
"Where are you thinking of!?"

Steven rubbed his temple in pain and growled helplessly: "Shut up, I'm not talking about the person you think!"

He finally realized what was wrong in their conversation.

It's simply a piece of cake.

He was thinking about his daughter Theresa, whom he had let down, while the old housekeeper was obviously thinking about a peasant girl with the same name as "Theresa".

There is still a widow in her sixties who has lost four husbands...

He now seriously doubted what image he had in the old butler's mind.

In his eyes, would I be attracted to a woman like that?!
The old butler was obviously intimidated by Steven's momentum. Although he was old, he was not confused. He also noticed something was wrong and asked cautiously:

"So...what are you talking about?"

Steven sighed and said helplessly: "I mean, where is my daughter, Theresa!?"

"Daughter? Your daughter?"

The old man was in a trance again, digesting this unexpected and shocking news for a long time, and asked in surprise: "You have an illegitimate daughter!?"

"Great!"

The old man clenched his fists excitedly and said happily: "This is really great! It's really great, great..."

Because of excitement, there was a hint of sob in his voice.

"I, I always thought that you didn't plan to marry in this life, and the Burns family bloodline would be cut off. I didn't expect that you would... This is really great!"

Steven's marriage has always been his concern, and it can be said to be the biggest pressure in his heart.

The head of the family was obsessed with reviving the family, but he refused to marry or marry into another noble family, and did not leave his own bloodline.

And now from what Steven said, he actually secretly left a bloodline outside, and it seems that he is not young anymore!

Very good!
Steven calmed down a bit at this point and realized something was wrong.

He frowned, raised his hand and pressed the old housekeeper's shoulder and said in a deep voice: "You mean... Theresa didn't come here?"

Why didn't Theresa come?
"No, if Miss Theresa had come here, I would have remembered it. I would never have forgotten it."

The old man shook his head, then asked hopefully: "How old is the young lady? Who is her mother? Oh! Young Master, please don't misunderstand me, I don't mean to criticize you..."

The old butler was still asking questions, but Steven could no longer hear them. He put all his attention into it.

No, no, no.

Theresa should have been here a long time ago!
Even if she didn't take the initiative to go, the caravan should go find her when the time comes.

I have already paid enough deposit and fees to the caravan, so it is impossible for the other party to breach the contract.

Is it that something went wrong with the caravan and it’s in danger?

Or is it that Theresa refuses to follow her own arrangements?
This……

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy Steven felt.

Nothing will happen to her, right?
Theresa!
No, no.

The uneasiness in his heart made Steven unable to calm down at all. He didn't bother to explain too much and turned around and walked out the door.

"Master!?"

His hasty action also made the old housekeeper nervous. He followed him out and shouted, "Master, where are you going? It's so dark now. If you have anything to say, wait until tomorrow!"

But Steven couldn't stop now.

Let him wait quietly all night?
He probably wouldn't be able to sleep at all.

"I'm going to take a look."

Steven led out the inferior horse that was still eating hay, jumped onto the horse, and was ready to ride away.

"Master, where are you going?!"

Behind him, the old man's call was getting farther and farther away. Steven didn't look back and just shouted.

"I'll pick her up!"

After saying that, he stopped explaining, swung the whip hard, and rushed towards the remote village.

"Teresa, my daughter, please don't get into any trouble!"

He gritted his teeth and prayed to the gods.

"No matter what, you must stay alive!"

"Hey, are you still alive?"

Theresa's eyelids moved slightly, and she slowly opened her left eye and saw the surrounding environment clearly.

She was actually lying on Quinna's back, and she didn't know how long she had been carrying her.

"Miss Quinna...? What's wrong with me?"

She tried to get up, but felt a sharp pain all over her body.

"hiss!"

The back of her head felt like it had been hit by a huge rock, and a dull pain spread across the right half of her face, especially her right eye, which felt as if it was soaked in boiling water, causing her to clench her teeth.

In the end what happened?
She tried hard to recall the details before she passed out, and her consciousness finally stopped at the moment when the shadow bat rushed towards her.

"Don't move. I may not be able to carry you steadily."

Quinna's whisper brought Theresa back to her senses and allowed her to see her surroundings clearly.

They are still in the caves of the Underdark, and they are still in the slave caravan.

However, after the previous turmoil, the number of people in the team was reduced by about half, including the guards.

Among the remaining people, whether they were guards or slaves, most of them had scars on their bodies.

The only thing that remained unchanged was the carriage that the mysterious caravan owner was riding in. It was intact and had not changed at all.

Their fate did not change at all.

And those slaves who tried to change their fate and escaped...had already met their death one step ahead of time.

Theresa was silent for a while and tried to get off Quina's back, but she held her back with her hands.

Quinna's voice was gentle, revealing a thriving vitality in her weakness: "Don't rush to come down, you still need to rest for a while."

Theresa hesitated for a while, but still did not refuse her kindness and continued to lie on the dry but exceptionally warm back.

After a moment, she asked in a hoarse voice: "Miss Quinna...how long has it been since I passed out?"

Although Theresa didn't know the exact time, the blood on the right eye patch had already dried, so it was probably quite some time.

"Two days? Anyway, the battle was over soon after you fell unconscious. The mage took action and all the shadow bats died in an instant."

Quinna thought for a moment and pouted, "Tsk, two days? It should be about the same... Damn, there's no sun here, and I can't really tell the time."

For these creatures living in the sunlight, the concept of time has begun to become disordered underground.

Is it day or night now?
I'm afraid no one can explain it clearly.

Theresa pursed her lips, looked up at the rock wall above her head, and said in a trembling voice: "Do we... still have hope?"

Listening to Theresa's sobbing whispers, Quinna was obviously stunned for a moment, then smiled and shook her head: "Well, now you are still alive, don't worry about these."

"It is enough that you can still breathe, your heart can still beat, you can still feel pain, and even think about these things."

Her comfort was not gentle or funny, but it unexpectedly made Theresa feel a little calm.

"……Um."

The girl hummed and nodded slightly.

Quinna smiled and said softly, "Haha, we will probably reach our destination in a while."

Destination, a beautiful word.

For those returning home, "destination" means home, which means they can return to their home.

But what about these trafficked slaves? What does “destination” ultimately mean?

It's death.

These poor fellows will meet a tragic death.

Perhaps this is their fate.

Today, most of the remaining slaves have accepted their fate, are depressed, and no longer try to resist.

I struggled, but couldn't change anything.

And just when Theresa thought Quinna was like everyone else, she suddenly squeezed her leg gently.

"Ok?"

Then, Theresa heard a faint sound entering her ears.

("Don't worry, you won't die. I'll take you somewhere later.")
Theresa: ! ! ?

She heard it clearly, it was Quinna's voice.

And the most important thing is that at this moment, Quinna's words were completely different from her previous dejection!

she says:

("Don't worry, I won't let you die.")
("Teresa, you can trust me completely, because I, your sister...")
("But where are the knights!")
Theresa: ! ! ?

(End of this chapter)