Thanks for Asking, I'm in Terra, and I'm a Parasite

"You seem to be a painter, Tin Skin."

"Why did I hear sculptor?"

"I don't know, Tin Skin. Do you know what a painter is?"

"No. Do you know what a sculptor is?"

"No."

The two stared at each other, doing nothing but shaking their heads.

"The way you struggled to explain it reasonably suddenly looks a little ridiculous."

Laurentina lowered her head and looked at Zuo Jian.

[...You're right.]

"Outsider. Clothes. Very clean."

"You. Very strong. Traps. Useless on you."

"You eat enough."

"Traps... You mean those things that might not even catch an Originium Slug?"

Laurentina froze. So those few strings really had been meant for catching people?

"What are you here for?"

"You know this child, right?"

Laurentina pointed at the child called Bench, who was hiding behind them.

"He took something of mine. I have to take it back. While I'm at it, I'll teach you people who can't discipline your children what they can and can't do."

"..."

"Tin Skin, I get it. She's here to steal our things."

"?"

"No, she's here to bully Bench."

"Huh?"

[Miss Laurentina, I feel it is necessary to doubt your earlier claim that you are highly proficient in both Iberian and the common tongue of the mainland.]

"Huh?! Come on, I explained it very clearly. Who knew they'd interpret it like that? That's their problem, isn't it?"

[That just means the people here are simple and honest.]

"Simple and honest?"

Laurentina paused, unsure whether Zuo Jian meant that as praise or criticism.

"You can't steal our things. You can't bully our people either."

Tin Skin stepped forward and glared viciously at Laurentina.

It looked like he was getting ready to make a move.

[Resorting to violence at the slightest disagreement? As expected, people in other worlds are all so simple and kind.]

"Stop making snide remarks! Use your invincible abilities and think of something!"

(One more day of rest... Things are getting a little bad.)

Suppression

"This is our place, outsider."

"Go back. Go back to your place."

The two adult men spoke unclearly, then lunged at Laurentina.

Outsider...?

Zuo Jian watched their somewhat ferocious faces, repeatedly turning over the meaning of their words.

Get out.

Outsider.

Get out?

Outsider?

Me?

A different state of mind rose within Zuo Jian's "heart."

The words of expulsion carried in their language instantly spread over his body like countless needles.

The stinging sensation split into uneasy lingering fear and a fury at being provoked.

[Nothing... can... make me leave my...]

Clang.

The two figures fell in response.

Laurentina patted her hands, looking as though she had a headache.

"Tch, I think I hit them a little too hard. Hey, Zuo Jian, it's all your fault. I handled them myself, and now I have no idea when they'll wake up."

Laurentina's voice pulled his thoughts back, and that strange emotion was suppressed once more.

Zuo Jian blinked the eyes that had turned into a brooch, seeming momentarily blank as he looked at Laurentina's chin.

"Huh? What did you just say?"

[Huh? Did I say anything just now?]

"Strange. Did I hear wrong?"

[...Wait, Laurentina, there's someone else in the corner.]

Noticing a figure moving in the shadows, Zuo Jian immediately went on guard like a cat with its fur standing on end.

Every cell in his body was mobilized, and the hem of his skirt began to flutter faintly in a steady rhythm.

It would take only an instant for him to erase whatever threat emerged from that corner in a pool of blood.

Yet in the next moment, his agitated instincts were soothed, as though a gentle touch like seawater had brushed past his eyes.

Laurentina raised a finger and gently brushed the brooch on her chest.

"It's only a child, Zuo Jian. Why are you so tense?"

[Tense... I was only—]

He froze.

His behavior did seem a little tense...

Damn it.

Why had it become like this?

Was his body's instinct affecting him?

A change in the form of one's material existence would gradually affect one's mental state... It seemed his initial concern hadn't been wrong.

Zuo Jian recalled the urge he had felt upon first coming into contact with Laurentina—the urge to devour everything about her.

Sure enough, that hadn't been an unconscious impulse born from a moment of confusion.

It was a genuine instinct originating from his body.

But why had he never shown any similar behavior while Laurentina was in the Church of the Deep's laboratory?

It had continued until...

Zuo Jian froze.

Until he came into contact with that derivative entity that fed on human flesh and blood.

Were human bodies the best nourishment this body needed?

Had merely briefly touching that bit of flesh awakened instincts within his body no different from a beast's?

No, wait. There had to be something he was missing.

There had to be something else, such as why he had shown no abnormalities when he was first with Laurentina.

[Laurentina... Sorry, I may be a little sleepy... I need to sleep for a while.]

[If nothing goes wrong, about half an hour. Will you be okay?]

"Sleepy? Have you been lacking rest lately?"

Laurentina asked.

"Come to think of it, aside from that nap before, you don't seem to have rested properly much at all."

Realizing that Zuo Jian had spent far less time resting than being active lately, Laurentina suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

Zuo Jian came up with plans.

Zuo Jian found food.

When dealing with people, it was still Zuo Jian who analyzed the situation and reminded her how to respond.

...What had I even done?

She suddenly remembered Irene's bright red face from not long ago.

She felt a little embarrassed.

Of course, Laurentina would never show that embarrassment.

She would only mix a trace of nearly imperceptible concern into her usual teasing tone.

After all, strictly speaking, this wasn't really a matter of right or wrong, was it?

It was more of a subjective feeling, something with no clear standard to judge by.

Laurentina successfully rationalized how excessively she had relied on Zuo Jian recently.

But Laurentina, Laurentina, how could you rely on someone else so much?

You couldn't always expect Zuo Jian to solve your problems for you.

"If you want to sleep, then sleep, Zuo Jian. You've worked hard. Want me to lull you to sleep... Have you already fallen asleep?"

She froze.

She sensed Zuo Jian's consciousness sinking away.

"Tch, asleep that quickly?"

Laurentina said in disappointment, seemingly regretful that she hadn't gotten the chance to lull Zuo Jian to sleep.

"Um... Why are you always talking to yourself?"

A weak girl's voice came from nearby. Laurentina turned and found a thin little girl stepping out of the shadows.

What Laurentina didn't know was that, unlike the peaceful, sleep-like state Zuo Jian appeared to be in—

At that moment, he abruptly opened his eyes in a space belonging to the mind and consciousness.

He looked down.

It was still the lower half of a skeleton.

His arm brushed over the upper part of his ribcage.