On a bright, sunny afternoon, birds chirped and insects humd through the forest, the air thick with the scent of wildflowers. A small group andered slowly through the greenery.
During the trek, Sophia kept glancing back and forth between the two identical spider-girls before her. Her intense curiosity could no longer be suppressed.
"Shiro... who is this...?" she asked tentatively.
"?"
Shiro tilted her head in confusion, looking first at Sophia and then at Shirazawa. She seed to grasp the other's bewildernt.
"It's... Shirazawa."
She sent the ssage via telepathy, her lips curling into a charming arc that looked suspiciously like she was enjoying soone else's misfortune.
"Nani?!"
Sophia's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Wasn't Shirazawa a guy?! How did he turn into a girl?!"
"..."
Shiro shrugged helplessly, indicating she didn't know the specifics either. Regardless, the person standing there was indeed Shirazawa.
"Waku-waku!"
"How exciting! This is amazing!"
"..."
"Hmm?"
Shirazawa, who had been focused on the path, looked back with a puzzled expression. *Why is Sophia looking at like that? Is there sothing on my face? Or am I just that beautiful?*
Shirazawa touched his face; nothing felt out of the ordinary. Well, whatever.
Co to think of it, wasn't it ti to start Sophia's elite education? A series of thoughts flashed through Shirazawa's mind as he decided to initiate the "Vampire-girl Raising Project."
Suddenly, several strands of transparent thread shot from his hand, instantly binding Sophia.
"Ugh?"
Caught off guard, Sophia was hoisted directly into the air.
"Waaaaah!"
A sharp wail echoed through the woods. The others looked on blankly, but Shirazawa's subsequent actions quickly made them realize what was happening.
In the heart of the lightless, dense forest, the group continued their march toward their destination as usual. The only difference was...
"Heave-ho... whew..."
Behind them, a baby girl not even two years old was panting heavily, gasping for air. She looked like she might drop dead at any mont.
Having walked mountain paths all day, Sophia was starting to foam at the mouth, her eyes rolling back in her head.
"U-Um, Lord Shirazawa, should today's training end here...?"
ra spoke up with great difficulty, pleading on behalf of his Young Lady.
Shirazawa paused for a mont, then slowly shook his head, rejecting the suggestion.
"Don't worry," he said calmly. "Her HP hasn't hit zero yet; she can manage a bit more distance."
As he spoke, he cast a Healing Magic spell on the near-death Sophia. Instantly, her health bar refilled to the max.
The group: "..."
Then, tugging the silk threads, he continued to manipulate Sophia like a puppet to keep her moving. This ti, Sophia simply fainted, her body forced to march onward like a marionette. Even in unconsciousness, the training never stopped.
ra's heart ached for her, but he could only remain silent—after all, he couldn't beat Lord Shirazawa. *My poor Young Lady...* ra prayed silently, hoping Lord Shirazawa wouldn't accidentally break her.
Night fell. The group finally had a mont to rest.
Thud!
The unconscious Sophia hit the ground, giving ra a fright. He rushed forward to check on her, breathing a sigh of relief when he found she was still alive.
"Thank heavens, she just fainted from exhaustion."
As he spoke, he picked her up, cradling her protectively in his arms.
*Lord Shirazawa is a demon.*
He claid this would train the Young Lady's physical-type stats. But the girl was barely over a year old! Training skills on a child who hasn't even learned to crawl yet—where is the justice? Where is the law?
ra didn't dare protest; he could only comply. He looked up at the bright moon and prayed that the Young Lady wouldn't wake up again tonight. Because...
"Ugh... mmm..."
Feeling herself in a warm, familiar embrace, Sophia let out a soft whimper and slowly blinked her eyes open. But instead of a beautiful, kind mother, she was t with a stunning face that filled her with dread.
"Sophia-chan~ did you sleep well?"
Shirazawa's voice was so gentle it made her skin crawl.
Sophia's hair stood on end as she recoiled. Before she could say a word, Shirazawa spoke with a cheerful grin: "Well then, it's ti to eat!"
Sophia: "..."
*I don't want to eat. QAQ*
But refusal wasn't an option. Shirazawa stuffed a piece of "specially prepared" roasted at—coated in venom—into her tiny mouth.
Gulp... gulp...
Sophia was forced to swallow. Her stomach burned with sharp pain; she began to cough violently, tears streaming down her face.
"Waaaaah... Lord Shirazawa... I... I was wrong..."
Sophia sobbed, looking utterly miserable.
"You're not wrong~ Sophia is so cute, she could never do anything wrong."
As he spoke, another piece of special at went down.
[Proficiency reached. Skill ]
Seeing that angelic face wearing a smile more terrifying than a devil's, Sophia trembled so hard she nearly lost control of her bladder. Even Ariel the Demon Lord felt a flicker of discomfort and moved a bit further away from Shirazawa.
Shiro, however, remained perfectly calm, quietly enjoying her own delicious dinner. After all, she was a fellow demon. Tomorrow, it would be her turn to handle Sophia's training. She felt a little tingle of excitent just thinking about it. Hehe...
As ti passed, the proficiency of Sophia's skills began to skyrocket. Even her magic stats followed suit. While traveling, she had to keep active at all tis; if the skill stopped, the poison in her dinner would be doubled.
Poor Sophia, hanging on by a thread, could only grit her teeth and endure every day. This grueling "grind" continued for an entire month before she finally received a very brief mont of respite.
"Hey, looks like there's a small town up ahead!"
Ariel pointed excitedly, clearly planning to stay the night. It was a chance to gather info and restock supplies.
Shirazawa nodded without a word.
"We're off, then!"
Ariel cheered and dashed away from the group, heading straight for the town.
ra hesitated for a mont, then spoke in a low voice.
"Lord Shirazawa, Lord Shiro, we are leaving as well."
"Waaaaah... finally, I'm free!"
Sophia's eyes filled with tears as she choked out a sob. It was followed by a feeling of indescribable joy.
"Bwahaha! You two monsters can stay out here in the wild for the night! I'm going to town for a feast, a soft bed, and a hot spring bath! Eat your hearts out!"
With that, she scrambled up from the ground, instinctively trying to walk. She seed to forget that at a year old, she couldn't stand properly yet. Thankfully, ra was quick and caught her before she could face-plant into the dirt.
"Thank you, ra," Sophia said with a sweet smile.
"You're welco, Young Lady," ra replied with a humble grin.
"Well then, bye-bye~"
Before leaving, Sophia stuck her tongue out provocatively at the two spider-girls, who were unable to enter the town and looked quite "gloomy."
"..."
Watching the three walk away, Shirazawa narrowed his eyes. "Has the daily training been a bit too light?"
"Mhm. Too light," Shiro agreed silently.
"Starting tomorrow, let's double the workload."
"Double... isn't that a bit little?" Shiro hesitated.
"Then... triple?"
"Triple sounds about right."
"Mhm. Let's do that."
---
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