Diary of the Improper Monster Girl Transformation.

Chapter 551 We'll Never Be Apart Again (6.4K!)
The morning light, carrying the unique scent of the forest, crept through the cracks in the wooden window and quietly crept onto Teresa's cheeks.

"Um……"

Theresa slowly opened her eyes, staring blankly at the familiar ceiling, lost in thought for a moment.

She had another dream.

In her dream, she returned to that warm place and once again tasted her mother's potato feast.

However, compared to the incredibly vivid dream I had last time, this dream quickly became blurry after I woke up, and the memory soon faded.

Like water held in your hands, no matter how tightly you hold your fingers together, it will eventually slip through the gaps, leaving only a damp coolness in your palm as a reminder that it once existed.

What my mother said, the specific taste of the dishes, and even the clear outline of that "home" all quietly faded away the moment the sunlight completely illuminated the house.

"call……"

The girl sighed softly. Although she was reluctant to part with it, she did not desperately try to remember the details of the dream.

She knew that the more she clung to the tail end of her dream, the faster the remaining beautiful impression would dissipate.

It was a beautiful dream, but it was ultimately just a dream.

She has said goodbye to her "mother" properly and is no longer that fragile child.

She has grown up and become strong enough.

"Mom, please give me strength, please bless me."

Although she knew that her mother's soul had probably already returned to the sea of ​​chaos, the girl still habitually muttered to herself, hoping that her mother could hear her.

Theresa made up her mind, closed her eyes, and whispered to herself, "...Mom, I won't cry anymore."

Then, she heard a soft chuckle.

"Oh dear, Theresa, why are you calling her 'Mom' again?"

Yunier, who was lying to the side, rested her chin on her hands and replied with a smile, "I think, given our relationship, such a form of address is still a bit too intimate."

?

"Ok?"

Theresa suddenly opened her eyes, looked in a panic at her best friend who was chuckling strangely beside her, and felt completely dazed.

What are you doing here?!

"what are you talking about?"

Yunier laughed even harder at the snake-woman girl's chaotic state, swinging her legs as she said leisurely, "Didn't we sleep together? And it wasn't just me, Lord Herbert was there too!"

!

Lord Herbert!?
How could he... Oh!

Theresa froze, her memories from before she fell asleep returning, and she finally remembered what had happened.

I wasn't feeling well; I fell into a dream. It was Lord Herbert who helped me wake up, but then I was captured by Yunier, and then I fell asleep again...

While Theresa was stunned, Yunier was still chuckling to herself.

"Theresa, I can be your best friend, but I can't be your mother at the same time. Well, if you really want me to be, it's not impossible... um!"

“Yunier! Stop talking nonsense! Really…”

The cool yet powerful snake tail coiled nimbly around the source of the noise, precisely covering it.

When Teresa came to her senses, her cheeks flushed, a mixture of embarrassment and anger at having her embarrassing moment spoken out loud.

The girl pouted and huffed in dissatisfaction.

Forget about mothers, aren't you ashamed!
ashamed!
"……well!"

Theresa glared at her best friend, who remained fearless even when bound by the snake's tail, her eyes full of teasing as she blinked incessantly. Exhausted, she sighed and finally reluctantly released the snake's tail.

I was truly defeated by her.

She looked at the sky outside the cabin, which seemed unchanged from when she went to bed, and her expression was somewhat strange.

Did I only sleep for a short while?
"Yunier, how long have I been asleep?"

"Haa, ha..."

Yunier didn't answer, but instead, panting heavily, complained irritably, "Theresa! I have no problem with you tying me up with your tail, but I asked for it."

"But hey! Could you please not cover my nose too? I think I've reminded you about this so many times already!"

No, are you really going to suffocate me?

As she spoke, she exaggeratedly rubbed her pert nose, her face full of "grievance" and "accusation," as if she had just suffered some inhumane treatment.

Teresa's expression remained unchanged after hearing the condemnation. She silently turned her head and said in a low voice, lacking confidence, "...I didn't mean to."

???

You really did that on purpose!

Yunier's lips twitched violently. She wanted to scold him, but then she remembered that she was the one who started the trouble. In the end, she could only shut her mouth and roll her eyes in dissatisfaction.

Humph.

This girl has gone astray; I really don't know who taught her that.

In short, this best friend relationship is impossible!

Theresa, just give up!
I will absolutely never be your mother!

After muttering to herself for a while and achieving a mental victory, Eunice finally answered her best friend's question he had asked earlier, albeit hesitantly:

"You've been asleep for so long, long enough to have turned into an old woman... cough! cough cough!"

Yunier's expression suddenly changed. She scrambled to her feet, knelt on the bed, and kept confessing with her head down: "Goddess above, I...I really didn't mean that!"

"I had absolutely no intention of disrespecting you!"

The girl favored by the gods originally intended to annoy her best friend, but she forgot that the ancient goddess of winter was still inside her body.

Although the goddess rarely interfered with her words and actions most of the time, now...

Spicy balls!

This is it!

"...It's okay, I don't mind."

The Goddess of Winter was somewhat speechless at the terrified reaction of her chosen one.

He hadn't thought there was anything wrong with what she said, but Eunice's tense reaction made Him somewhat reluctant to pay attention.

An old woman?

...Tsk.

In the kingdom of the goddess of winter, in her icy realm, a faint, slightly irritated smacking sound seemed to echo.

Even the slowly falling snowflakes began to fall more rapidly, causing the kitten, who had been sleeping comfortably, to shake its body in dissatisfaction.

That's really not a very pleasant or polite way to address someone.

But as one of the oldest ancient gods, He had long since passed the stage where He would feel anger because of His age.

Age is nothing more than an ever-increasing number to Him, and it has no effect on His mood.

On the contrary, his long lifespan brought him greater strength and gave him the confidence to be more composed.

Yes.

He did it!
I don't mind at all!

"...Tsk."

In the past, the Goddess of Winter certainly wouldn't have cared about something as meaningless as age.

But it's different now.

After developing some rather subtle feelings for Herbert, the Goddess of Winter became somewhat concerned about her age.

can only say……

Women's minds are complex.

The goddess's thoughts are even more so.

Even they themselves couldn't fully understand their own thoughts, let alone the believers who served them.

Yunier was really flustered at that moment, and her expression, which was almost in tears, startled Theresa.

But out of reverence for the gods, she held her breath, and even her snake tail coiled more tightly, as if afraid that the slightest movement of hers would attract the gods' attention.

Theresa could only silently pray that her best friend could appease the Ice Goddess.

Fortunately, this awkward situation did not last long.

Although Yunier was very flustered, she finally calmed down after hearing the goddess's gentle reassurance.

She silently admonished herself that she must never be so reckless again.

"By the goddess above, thank you for your mercy."

After praising her many times, Yunier finally stopped praying and became exceptionally well-behaved.

She sat listlessly on the edge of the bed, like a wilted eggplant. Her previous playful demeanor had vanished without a trace, replaced by a cautious and reserved air.

She pursed her lips, not daring to say anything more, nodded to Theresa, and honestly said, "You've been asleep for a long time, it's been five days."

"Five days!"

Theresa stared wide-eyed at her best friend in disbelief.

No wonder I felt so energetic; I slept for five days straight!

However, despite her amazement, Theresa was not too flustered.

Sleeping longer isn't really a problem, since Eldari doesn't need her anyway.

While this saved Theresa a lot of trouble, it also made her slightly dissatisfied, as she felt that she hadn't fully integrated into Elda and was just a freeloader.

This can't go on like this!

I have to find a way to prove my worth to Elda and Lord Herbert!
The snake-woman girl, after her transformation, secretly made up her mind.

She is now full of courage!

However, the courage I felt quickly dissipated.

It's like a bucket of cold water being poured on a blazing campfire; although the flames aren't extinguished, the rising steam and smoke temporarily obscure the light.

Before making a big push to prove one's worth, the problems before one's eyes weigh heavily on one's mind like cold, hard rocks.

There is one more crucial thing I must do.

"Father, we must go and find Father first."

For her, a child who has already lost her mother, losing her father is not an option.

In the dream, I saw my father again after a long time, and saw a different side of him.

Although those were just illusions in her dreams, Teresa hoped they could become real.

She longed to see her father smile after he was relieved of his burdens, to make up for lost time, and to have a truly complete family, even if it was just the two of them, father and daughter, left to depend on each other.

But where exactly is my father? And how am I supposed to find him?

no idea.

She had only one vague goal in mind: to "find her father," and nothing else.

"...Even so, we cannot give up."

Theresa pursed her lips, a determined glint in her eyes.

However, if you act recklessly based solely on enthusiasm, you are very likely to accomplish nothing.

But if you don't even try, then you're even less likely to succeed!
I must not give up at the very beginning!

"Although I don't know what decision you've made, I will help you."

Hearing this, Theresa turned her head and saw Eunice looking at her with those incredibly gentle, even somewhat kind eyes, nodding encouragingly. For some reason, that look made Theresa feel as if she were seeing the shadow of her mother from her dreams again—warm and embracing, full of unconditional support.

“…Yes! Thank you, Yuniel.”

The girl nodded vigorously, moved, and once again felt grateful that she was loved not only by her parents, but also by others.

My courage has increased.

"However, before you take action, I suggest you consult with Lord Herbert first."

Seeing the determination in the girl's eyes, "Yunier" was afraid that she might impulsively disappear, so she kindly reminded her, "You don't want to leave on your own and disappoint him, do you? Whatever you want to do, you should say goodbye to him first."

"...Well, you're right."

After a moment's hesitation, Theresa nodded and accepted the offer.

Although leaving without permission might displease Lord Herbert, leaving without saying goodbye would make him completely disappointed in him.

I absolutely cannot let him down!

For both emotional and rational reasons, she absolutely could not do anything that would worry or disappoint him.

“Yunir, I may have to leave Elda for a while.”

"I'm going to find my father. I don't know where he is right now, but I will definitely bring him back with me."

The snake-woman girl said seriously, "I know you want to help me, but I'll do this myself. You don't need to leave with me."

"I don't want to cause you any unnecessary trouble in this matter."

"Of course, I'm not just showing off. I might need your church's help later, so I hope you can put in a good word for me."

With the help of the Ice and Snow Goddess Church's network of informants spread across the continent, the efficiency of finding people would undoubtedly be greatly improved. This was the most practical assistance she could think of.

Faced with the girl's sincere request, the best friend kept blinking, looking as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

Her eyes held a complex expression, as if concealing some secret. Her lips moved slightly, as if she had something to say but forcibly swallowed it back.

Ultimately, all these subtle expressions culminated in a simple action—a forceful nod.

"Yes, of course I'll help you."

"Thank you!"

Theresa breathed a sigh of relief after receiving the reply and nodded gratefully.

Then, she took a deep breath, her snake tail slithered, and she silently slid off the bed to the door.

Before leaving, she turned around, nodded to her best friend who was still kneeling on the bed, and said seriously, "...I'm leaving."

"Well, I wish you success!"

Yuni nodded encouragingly to her, watching the courageous girl push open the door and leave.

crunch.

Unbeknownst to Teresa, her best friend's expression inside the room became quite interesting after the door closed.

Her lips moved incessantly, and finally she lowered her voice, muttering anxiously to herself, "Is this really okay? If she finds out the truth later, she'll probably be angry with me..."

It was the same woman who, after asking the question, changed her tone and answered as if talking to herself:

"It doesn't matter. Anyway, she's a mature woman now and won't hold a grudge against you like a little girl anymore."

???

"Uh……"

Yunier's eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly.

And you say you don't care!
You're still angry!
……

……

"Uh!"

After leaving the cabin for a while, Theresa felt a little lost and didn't know what to do next.

At this moment, the most crucial question is: where should I go to find Lord Herbert?
Q: What's the first thing you do when you go out?
A: Go home first.

Obviously, Yunier, who had already woken up, knew this; all we had to do was ask her.

But having already made all those grand pronouncements, should I just slink back without doing anything?

Thinking about it, Theresa could almost hear Yunier's teasing laughter in her mind: "Oh dear, our brave Miss Theresa, how come you're lost as soon as you step out the door? Do you want 'Mommy' to show you the way?"

Just imagining this scene made the girl feel ashamed.

No!

We can't just go back like this!
"Forget it, let's ask someone else. It should be fine."

Having made up her mind, Theresa mustered her courage and continued walking toward the center of Elda.

But for some reason, I usually run into other residents, but this time I didn't encounter a single person along the way.

"Hey, where did everyone go?"

Despite her doubts, Theresa remained calm.

After all, this is Eldar, there's no danger here.

"Perhaps everyone has something to do..."

As if by some strange twist of fate, just before she was about to return to Elda, she suddenly turned a corner and subconsciously walked in a certain direction.

That's the direction where Lord Herbert's Heroic Spirit Pool is located.

The Heroic Spirit Pool is a very important facility, but no residents usually go there; only the patrolling heroic spirits guard it.

She didn't know why she suddenly wanted to go, but she didn't resist the intuition and followed the guidance in her heart.

Everything went smoothly on the way, and she soon arrived at the outer edge of the Heroic Spirit Pool, where she finally saw the other residents.

The heroic guards stationed on the perimeter picked up their weapons upon noticing someone approaching, but put them down after recognizing the person.

They smiled kindly at Theresa, who looked puzzled, and then stepped aside to let her continue.

Their smiles carried a kind of...understanding goodwill, even encouragement and expectation, as if her arrival was something they had anticipated and something to be happy about.

This scene left Teresa somewhat bewildered, unsure of its meaning.

"This is what you are doing?"

The leading heroic guard was a middle-aged woman whose race was indiscernible. She raised her hand and gently patted the girl's head, saying softly, "Keep going, child, Lord Herbert is waiting for you."

Eh?
Does Lord Herbert already know I'm coming?
Although Theresa didn't know why Herbert knew she was coming, she obediently nodded, thanked the heroic guards, and continued on her way.

Soon, she arrived at the Pool of Heroes and saw the tall figure on the altar, gazing at his flowing white hair with fascination.

"Lord Herbert, I've come... um?"

Just before Theresa called out to Herbert to convey her thoughts, she suddenly realized something was wrong.

She saw a very familiar figure from behind.

Besides the two of them, there was another person kneeling before Lord Herbert, his body trembling incessantly.

The man looked ragged, his clothes riddled with holes, revealing scabs of blood beneath the tattered garments. He appeared unkempt and neglected, as if he hadn't taken care of himself in a long time.

The man exuded an air of weariness from hardship, his posture so humble and agitated, his entire body trembling violently with intense emotion.

"Eh?"

But that disheveled figure looked more and more familiar the more you looked at it?
The more I look at him, the more he resembles my...father?
?

Eh?
"Dad... uh, Father?"

The name almost slipped out, but it was caught in his throat by immense shock and uncertainty, and finally turned into a hesitant, trembling confirmation.

Hearing the girl's puzzled whisper, Herbert turned around and blinked unsurprisedly: "Oh, you're here. Why didn't Yuniel come with you?"

At the same time, the kneeling figure trembled suddenly, turned around in a daze, and mumbled, "Teresa."

The face that turned around, though covered in dirt, etched with weariness and frost, with sunken eyes and gaunt cheeks, was one that Teresa would never mistake—it was clearly the face of her father from her memories!

She looked much older and more haggard than I remembered, but her eyes, now brimming with tears and staring intently at her, still retained their former shape.

It really is him!!?

Theresa stared blankly at the man who was weeping uncontrollably, and for a moment she was filled with self-doubt.

Eh?
Am I still asleep?

The person he had resolved to go out and search for appeared before him without any warning.

Is this right?
What am I here for?

Oh, I mustered up my courage to come and say goodbye to Lord Herbert; I'm going out to find my father.

So what happened now?
The father I was looking for appeared in Eldar for some reason, standing right next to Lord Herbert, his face covered in pathetic tears and snot.

???

Wait, what did Lord Herbert say?
Why didn't Yuniel come along?
Could it be that she was sent by Lord Herbert to wake me up?

So that means she actually knew?

So what she just did...

Recalling Yunier's hesitant, shifty eyes... Theresa instantly understood!
Theresa felt her mind was a bit confused, so she shook her head vigorously, trying to sort things out.

She put the trivial matter of her best friend's betrayal out of her mind and stared at the middle-aged man she hadn't seen in a long time.

Although her father's appearance was somewhat embarrassing, Theresa felt neither anger nor heartache.

She didn't know why her father was crying, but she instinctively felt that the tears he shed didn't seem to be tears of sadness.

The father did not cry because of the separation; his tears were not filled with pain, but rather with joy and gratitude.

Joy? Gratitude?

Why would my father... um?

Then, Teresa finally noticed.

Her gaze became vacant, fixed on the figure of her father kneeling before her, past Lord Herbert.

She saw it.

In the pool of heroes behind Lord Herbert, a phantom figure stood.

That figure... who only appeared in my dreams.

The woman's figure was somewhat blurry, composed of pure soul energy, radiating a soft light.

Her features were not very clear, but Teresa would never mistake her for someone else.

"……Mother?"

Whispers, like those of a dream, escaped the girl's lips as she stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the woman who seemed like a spirit.

Theresa's voice was so soft as if she were afraid of disturbing this incredible illusion; she didn't even dare to breathe, for fear that a single breath would blow away the scene before her.

How did Mom end up here?!?

"Ah ha ha……"

The woman looked at the girl, gave a somewhat embarrassed smile, and said awkwardly:

"Well, although it took Mom a lot of effort to finally decide to say goodbye to you and let you learn to be strong and forget me... but now, it seems like things have changed a little bit."

Her voice carried a uniquely ethereal resonance, yet it was still filled with the warmth of Teresa's memories.

The woman, now a spirit, pursed her lips and scratched her illusory cheek, looking somewhat embarrassed, just like when she had accidentally messed something up in her previous life.

But seeing her daughter's tears streaming down her face, she took a deep breath and stopped saying those irrelevant words.

She looked tenderly at the stunned girl, tears streaming down her face, but still said in the gentlest voice, "My dear little Teresa, Mommy is back."

"Our family will never be separated again."

(End of this chapter)