A Walk By Moonlight

“I know what I saw, there’s someone living in there! The front door is locked, the curtains are shut, and I swear I saw a hag wandering outside a few times!” says the older Imp Demon boy.

“Geez, what are you doing? What if a really powerful Angel lives there? Didn't you say it had a halo? We're inside Aza-il Kingdom's territory...” replies the younger Imp Demon girl.

“Tch, fine. But one day I'll find a way to get in!”

“Why would you even do that!? Let's go home, it's getting dark...” the girl says, tugging on his sleeve. She clearly doesn't want to be here.

Pestered by the younger kid, he finally caves and gives up.

I watch as the two turn their backs and walk away. I let out a sigh of relief as I let the curtain fall down, closing the gap that I had used to peek outside.

Hopefully he doesn't bring more Demon people to my cottage; there's no way I will be able to defend myself if they all decide to come and raid my place.

Why did the King have to place my retirement cottage so close to Demon settlements? “It's safer this way,” he said. How is living by the border next to the Demon Queen's Territory safer than living in the capital with guards?

My name is Florence, a nurse who ended up being summoned into a fantasy world as a Summoned Hero about thirty to forty-ish years ago.

They made me fight on the frontline against Demons... not “fight”, I wasn't really the fighting type. I was essentially a medic who would tend to my comrades' wounds. They didn't teach me how to use healing magic, however, and I only used conventional human healing methods.

It wasn't that effective, but they appreciated the efforts.

Even the Gift granted during my summoning ritual was unrelated to combat or medicine: the ability to make anything float, including myself, provided it weighed no more than my own body.

Around thirty years ago during an expedition, a Demon placed a cursed straitjacket on me, binding my limbs and preventing me from tending to the injured. All I could do was float towards the exit, trying to ignore the cries for help as the smell of iron filled the air.

I was the only survivor.

When I returned to the capital, they were unable to dispel the curse on the straitjacket, and the King retired me out of guilt, assigning me a cottage and one of his daughters as a caretaker.

I wonder when the last time was that I properly showered ever since then. My caretaker would always use magic to clean me since water couldn't get through the straitjacket.

Speaking of which, she's late again.

...It should be safe by now, I thought, using my ability to turn on the light and open the curtains.

Hours have passed. Looking through the window, I'm only met with pitch-black darkness.

This is my routine: standing idle, waiting for my caretaker to bring food and clean me... a senile existence.

It is safe to turn on the lights now. Monsters linger outside, but they are rare, and my caretaker placed a barrier to keep them away. Unfortunately, it does not stop Demons.

Except for one Slime Monster who always managed to cross the barrier unscathed, sitting on my lap when I relaxed on the porch's swing chair.

Despite carrying bugs, moths, and maggots, it was somewhat cute, like a cat.

Or maybe I'm losing it after years of barely any social interactions.

My caretaker would definitely kill it if she found it roaming inside the house.

Tap, tap, tap, someone knocks from outside.

“Coming!” That must be her; what took so long? Floating over, I use my ability to turn the handle, only to face a stranger.

A little girl, half the height of the doorframe, stands there with pale skin and messy, short white hair. Her left eye socket appears gouged out, trickling blood down her cheek. She is dirty, clad in rags, and reeking of iron.

Behind her, something blue moves into the darkness.

“Florence!” the girl exclaims, embracing me and staining my white straitjacket with the blood on her cheek. “I missed you so much!”

“Who are you?” I ask in confusion. I don't recognise her, yet she feels familiar.

“It's me! I came here often whenever I could,” the girl says, pointing at the massive tower in the distance shining under the moonlight. It is the Demon Queen's Tower, the place where the strongest of Demons live.

...

I take the young girl inside, and she says that her name is Silk. And it turns out she's actually a Slime Demon, a sentient type of Slime Monster.

So that's how she managed to get in, I thought. Yet, how did she end up looking... like this?

“Ms. Florence, the water in the shower was so cold!” Silk says as she puts on a nightdress. It is a little too big for her, the hem bunching up on the ground. It is my caretaker's, but she probably won't mind.

“That's way better than the rags you were wearing.” She looks much better now after taking a bath.

“Now let's dry out your hair.” Using my ability, I make the towel nearby float. I try to use it to dry out her hair, but the grip isn't very strong, and it drops to the ground.

Silk bends over, picks the towel up, and waves it around. “Look! I can hold it with my hand!”

“Uh, yeah... let's dry that hair of yours.” That said, it's not like I could do it for her.

Upon hearing that, Silk immediately yet shakily rubs her hair with it, her hand-eye coordination still needing improvement, it seems. What am I saying... I myself haven't used my own hands in decades.

“Look, it's completely dry!”

“They're not.”

“Awh...”

“Please don't be sad... Ah, yes, that's right, there is a mirror in that room over there.” I make a broom float to point towards the room.

I float over to the room. Looking over my shoulder, I see Silk following behind me obediently.

“Sit down. Here.” Entering the room, I push the chair closer to my caretaker's make-up table using my body, inviting Silk to sit down.

“My hair... and body...” Sitting down, she mutters with a tone of melancholy as she stares into her own reflection.

“What's wrong?” I ask. Realising that she had left the towel back in the main room, I make it float here and place it on the make-up table in front of Silk.

“Big sis' hair is smoother and longer and darker, but my hair is way better, right?” Picking up the towel, she rubs it on her hair again, slowly and properly drying it out.

“Hmm, of course. White hair is rarer than dark hair, right? Doesn't that make Silk's hair pretty unique?”

Right, she's still the same Slime Monster, or Demon, that I know. She's still my friend who would hang out with me when my caretaker is away.

I'm sure Silk herself has a lot on her mind as well right now.

“I can't really comb your hair for you, but you may use the hairbrush there to brush your hair. I'm sure it'll look even better then.” I tell her, trying to signal that the brush is in the drawer.

Silk looks over and opens the drawer. Inside the drawer, there is a small dark blue tendril studded with eyes near the hairbrush; it retracts into the drawer out of sight.

“Wasn't that...” If I remember correctly, there was something blue that retracted into the darkness when I opened the door for Silk... Hopefully no Monster got in; I don't want to cause trouble for my caretaker.

“Wasn't that what?” Silk asks.

“It's... nothing. You may use the brush,” I say, glancing at the brush. It is somewhat slimy.

“Okay!” Taking out the brush, she slowly and gently brushes her messy hair. Now that I take a closer look at it, it seems like her hair was forcefully cut with some kind of sharp object.

“... Hey, Silk. Where did you get your body?”

“I found it sitting by a tree. She told me to kill her. I didn't quite understand why, but she was hurt and she stopped hurting once I ate her,” Silk says as she finishes brushing her hair.

“I see.” So my suspicion was right. I had guessed that she had taken the body of a corpse, but the girl was still alive...

GRRK

My stomach grumbles. I forgot I haven't eaten since this morning.

“Are you hungry, Ms. Florence?” Silk asks, looking over to me with such interest that I think I can see sparkles in her eyes.

I nod to her question, though a bit embarrassed to admit it.

“I almost forgot that I came here to invite Ms. Florence to come to Demon town and enjoy a meal and look around and have fun! Come! Let's go to Demon town, I'll show you around!” Silk says excitedly as she stands up.

“Are you serious? We're going... tonight?” I ask as she grabs me by the hem of the straps of my straitjacket and pulls me through the doorway of the room.

Unable to move a muscle, only floating through the air, I can do nothing as I am dragged like a balloon by the little girl.

“Yes, I'm serious! I really wanna show you around Demon town now that I have a body!”

“Huh? Huh?! What about the Demons there? I don't think...”

“What about them?” Silk asks, confused, as she approaches the cottage's front entrance.

“What... if they try to hurt me? I'm sure I already told you when you came before, but Demons don't think kindly of people like me...”

“It's fine! I'll protect you if anyone tries to hurt you! I'll stop them with this new body of mine!” She flexes her thin arm as she says that.

What's this? What's with the sudden invitation...? I haven't left this place in decades, and if it were any other place, it probably would've been fine, but Demon town?

She looks at me with anticipation, waiting for my response.

“But...” I stop. Thinking about it, I suppose this is my only chance to get fresh air for once. If I don't go out now, when else will I be able to leave this place. Even if it is only for a while.

“Uhm... fine. Promise me you'll protect me, okay?”

“Of course!” She exclaims excitedly as she pulls me outside of my cottage. “There's a lamp by the porch there, do pick it up, it's dark outside. And close the door for me.”

“Okay!” Silk replies as thick blue tendrils studded with eyes appear from the darkness, one taking the lamp, another closing the door.

Ah, the tendrils are hers.

Sorry Ms. Caretaker, I'm taking a stroll tonight.

...

Forest surrounds us as we walk through it, the only light leading the way held in Silk's hand. She hums a familiar tune as she skips, seeming in a good mood.

“What song is that?”

“It was the song you sang to me a few weeks ago!” she replies as if it were obvious.

I shake my head. Try as I might, I cannot recall it.

“How is it? Your new body?” I ask, changing the subject. I have never really experienced moving any of my limbs, and watching someone who never had them finally possess them is a bit...

“What? Is Ms. Florence jealous?” Silk says in a teasing tone I never thought she had.

“Hah? No...” I say, looking away and feeling quite embarrassed.

“It's nice... Big sis got her body before me for her coming of age ritual, while I had to wait. I was sad that she spent more time with her friends than with me once she could walk,” she says in a melancholic tone.

“That made me think, 'If big sis doesn't want to play with me, I'll play with Ms. Florence instead!' On the way to your house, I met a girl sitting by a tree who told me to kill her. So I ate her, just like big sis did to get her body,” Silk says matter-of-factly.

“Why me, though... Is it because I couldn't use my arms? Just like Silk, who had no body?”

“Yes... It felt like Ms. Florence was the only one I could talk to. You don't mind that I have a new body now, right?”

Thinking back, I was too ashamed to admit it. I was jealous of her new body and ability to move, even though it wasn't hers; it belonged to a poor soul who could do nothing more than try to survive in this cruel world, just like the me who was forcibly brought here.

“Heh, no, I don't mind it at all. I used to be able to use my arms and legs too, you know? I'm sure I've told you before, even if I don't remember much.”

“Yes! Ms. Florence has said it before!” she exclaims, starting to skip again. “Come on! I'll show you so many great places!” She holds her hand out as if I could grab it.

Haah, this girl.

“Coming,” I say, floating closer as we enter a clearing. The moonlight shines brightly, almost matching the lamp Silk holds.

“What's wrong? Stop halting so suddenly!” Silk pouts, turning to face me. Her short, messy white hair is highlighted by the moonlight, revealing its silky texture.

The blood trickling down her cheek from her empty left eye socket glistens under the moonlight, staining my caretaker's nightdress.

From behind the trees, the dark blue tendrils studded with eyes slither into view. They do not look directly attached to Silk, yet they form part of her new body. Smaller tendrils peek at me from under her dress.

“Quit staring...” Silk blushes.

Talking with Silk almost makes me forget that she is technically still both a Monster and a Demon. Yet it feels like communicating with any other being possessing feelings and emotions.

Well, Silk is still a child after all. I am sure she will grow up to be a pure and kind-hearted individual. As for me, my story ended a long time ago. This is her story.

When I was summoned, the royal family spoke of demons as if they were all monsters, but not all of them are.

One tendril emerges from under the sleeve of Silk's dress, wrapping around me.

“Geez, let's go! It's going to be dawn soon in a few hours if we don't hurry! Don't you want to return before daylight? We're so close to town, too!” she says, sounding frustrated.

“Heh, sorry. I was just thinking... Would you mind letting go of me?” I say, looking down at the tendril wrapped around my body.

“No, you'll end up stopping again. I'll carry you there instead!” Silk pauses. “Ms. Florence, is something wrong? You look tired,” she asks, tilting her head.

Tired? I suppose. Keeping myself afloat the entire time takes its toll, and I haven't eaten since this morning either.

“It's nothing,” I lie.

“There's no way it's 'nothing'! You're tired, aren't you? I can carry you, you know? If you need anything, I'll do it for you!”

I think for a second before speaking. “When we reach Demon town, make sure to protect me, okay?”

“Is that it? I already said that I will protect you. No one will be able to hurt you; I'll make sure of it!”

“There's another favour I want to ask of you,” I say, looking at the trickling blood on her cheek. “In the future, make sure you never take a life again, okay?”

“Never take a life?” she asks, confused.

“Even to protect someone dear, you may hurt the perpetrator, but don't kill them.”

She hesitates, tendrils swaying behind her, before nodding firmly. “Of course, I'll try my best!”

“Hehe, good. Now bring me to Demon town and show me whatever you like.”

“Yes!”

And together we head towards Demon town. Silk skips along while I remain wrapped securely by her tendril with surprising strength.

...

“Florence! Florence, where are you?”

A voice calls out as the sun begins to set, casting pale orange light over the forest and the cottage. Standing by the porch is a young woman wearing a purple nightdress, with a halo floating above her head. She continues to look around while calling out my name.

I float from behind the cottage and reveal myself. “I'm here.”

“Florence!” She turns around to face me, her face full of worry and, at the same time, relief. “I'm so sorry I was late; I only arrived a few minutes ago. There was so much work to do at the capital, but I'm free now.” She stops. “Where did you go? Where did you go? I thought you left because I took too long... I felt really bad.”

“I never left. I just wandered around the cottage because I was bored~”

She eyes me up and down, her gaze lingering on the faint red stains on my straitjacket. She sighs, shaking her head. “Come inside. Have you eaten?”

“Yes.”

“Did you hide food again?”

“... Mm.”

“Haah, next time, I promise I'll bring more than enough food, in case I'm late again.”

Rustle, rustle.

A sound comes from a nearby bush. Glancing over my shoulder, I notice a dark blue tendril studded with eyes peeking out from behind some bushes, waving at me as if saying goodbye.

“What's wrong?” my caretaker asks, following my gaze. “A Monster?”

“It's nothing,” I say, turning back to her with a smile.

I float through the doorway, and the door gently closes behind me.