Chapter 12: Betrayal

Just before dawn, the girls woke up and made their way to the capital. Hiro hid himself inside them, but through sense-sharing, he could see the four-story buildings scattered across the city, which would have been impossible to build in medieval times.

Rebecca headed straight to the Evesys House without delay. Hiro almost forgot that she was a noble. Despite her being a snotty brat, she didn't actually discriminate against commoners like Nana. Her family's house was quite large. She was a count's daughter. Hiro chuckled at the pun he had just thought of—Rebecca is a count while Nana is a cunt… But Rebecca never actually reached her house, as she was stopped at the gate.

"Do you know who I am? My name is Rebecca Evesys. I am the fifth daughter of Count Evesys. Is my father home? I want to speak with him."

"I see. So you're the traitor accused of killing Alex Balto, correct? My name is Sebastian. I'm afraid, by Lord Evesys' order, I must apprehend you. Oh, how convenient that you've brought the other traitors with you—Nana and Cecile, right? Guards, apprehend them all!" An old man in a butler's uniform appeared and signaled the guards to seize them.

"Yes, sir."

"Wait! That's a false accusation! We didn't kill Alex!" Rebecca protested.

"I loved Alex! We would never harm him!" Nana pleaded. But their voices fell on deaf ears.

"Hahaha! We don't trust Balto, either. But you see, Count Balto is quite influential. This is a good opportunity to show our allegiance to him. If we do, we might get a share of his newly developed diamond mines in his territory. Our territory is quite small, you see. Besides, if we defend you, what could a failure like you possibly offer us? You were a failure at the academy. Alex is dead now. Who in the world would want second-hand goods like you? You have no value to us." The butler smirked, his ridiculing glare igniting even Hiro's anger.

"Sebas! What did I ever do to you?" Rebecca gasped as she was taken prisoner by the guards. Similar to what had happened at Balto's residence, they were locked inside one of the rooms. Unlike Balto's residence in Horaine, which had its own underground jail, the Evesys mansion was more traditional and simply confined them to a room.

"Everyone... I'm sorry." Rebecca hung her head, tears starting to flow from her eyes. Hiro wiped them away with his tentacle.

"No, the moment Alex was killed, we were all doomed. We relied too much on him. I never thought I would need to make any other connections besides with Master Alex… Cecile, I'm sorry. You were just a new member, but you got involved in all of this." Nana cried.

"Cecile, I'm sorry too," Rebecca added.

"… It's okay. I forgive you. I'm also at fault for Alex's death." Cecile hung her head. But a moment later, she looked up and tilted her head. "Wait a moment. What if we ask Mr. Tentacle to get us out of here?"

"And then what? Without any backup, we'll fully become fugitives in this nation," Nana admonished her.

"Oh yeah, you're right," Cecile nodded.

"Hmm… not really. If we can escape to another nation, we can start over. I'm sure many nations would accept us since we have this guy." Rebecca suddenly cheered up. "Ah! If my parents knew we have a symbiote, they would absolutely cherish us too! Sebas! I want to talk to my father. I have something important to tell him!"

Rebecca knocked on the door, and after a moment, some clattering sounds were heard. The door opened, revealing a rotund man with dimples and fat cheeks that made his neck disappear. He seemed like a good man, but Hiro knew better. According to his vast knowledge of certain stories, guys like this were often the ones who betrayed others. He is a scoundrel!

"Oh! My Rebecca! Welcome home. I'm so sorry that our butlers were rough with you. You must be hungry. Let's eat," he said sycophantically. Hiro was confused about whether this man usually acted so obsequiously or if he wanted something from Rebecca.

A few moments later, a somewhat lavish meal was presented: a whole roasted duck, soup, bread, berries, and pudding. Cecile and Nana ate with gusto, while Rebecca seemed to barely maintain her etiquette.

"So, I just heard that you have a [symbiote]. Is this information true?"

"Yes, Father! This symbiote has increased our powers! I'm not able to wield it perfectly yet, but Nana and Cecile can! Nana has grown much faster, and Cecile here has become so much stronger!"

"Oh my, did you all contract with symbiotes at the same time? Three of them? May I see it?"

"Yes, Father! Hold on. Could you come out?" Rebecca tried to speak with Hiro. Hiro was hesitant; Rebecca seemed convinced he was a symbiote. However, he wondered if her father would be able to tell. Nevertheless, he chose to risk it. He slithered out from Rebecca, and through her clothes, he entwined his pink tentacle around her arm and hand.

"Hmm… You say this creature granted you power?"

"Yes! It even protected me while I was asleep!"

"I see. A wild symbiote, huh? It looks a bit different. Why is the tentacle pink? Your brother's was purple, and the tentacle was much smaller," the Count observed.

"It can change its shape! Look! Hey! Try to make yourself smaller!" Rebecca instructed. Hiro not only made the tentacle smaller but also transformed it into a pink flesh glove around her arm. Then, from the area around her fingertips, Hiro grew out nails.

"I see! This tentacle can produce weapons? And it can also increase your stats?"

"Yes, Father! Isn't it awesome?"

"Do the other girls have similar symbiotes?"

"Yes. It seems that wild symbiotes that have grown together share similar attributes! My symbiote and theirs seem to be able to work together when creating wooden boxes."

"Wonderful! With this, the House of Evesys will have two symbiote users! No, four symbiote users! Such a momentous occasion! Ahem... I mean... You'll definitely ask your friends here to serve House Evesys, right?"

"Of course, Father."

"You can call me 'Papa' like you used to," her father said lovingly. Hiro recoiled back inside Rebecca. Warning flags blared in his head.

"Papa..." Rebecca's eyes shone. Hiro was disgusted by her father's attitude and was tempted to attack him, but seeing the look in Rebecca's eyes through Cecile, he stopped. He knew her father was only treating her well because he believed Rebecca had a symbiote, not because he genuinely loved her. But if Rebecca was okay with it, Hiro figured he shouldn't complain. He would still take his share, though, and awaited the night when she was asleep to play with her. Rebecca should have no more aversion toward him after this.

"I see. So, when you were captured by bandits, a wild symbiote happened to pass by? And all the bandits died because none of them were female? I thought symbiotes chose their masters... Wild symbiotes must be more forgiving, huh?"

"Yes, Papa. At first, we didn't know why we were spared. However, after I analyzed the situation, it seemed to take nutrients from the surroundings. When we woke up, all the bandits were dead! They were all shriveled up. Their faces looked like they had been mummified."

"None of the bandits were female?"

"Yes. There were no females except us."

"So, the symbiote can inhabit any female, huh? Are you sure you want to keep it? You said yourself that you couldn't use it well. Moreover, I know that if a symbiote is forced on an incompatible user, both could die. The royal family has said so, and there's proof. All symbiote users have shorter lifespans than normal humans."

"Papa! In the name of House Evesys, I will train hard and master this symbiote! I promise! So please, let me keep it! I know I will achieve great things with it, just like Captain Sheena, the Sword Saintess of Latvin, or the Warlock of Latvin, Megudo! They all use symbiotes, right?"

"Well, if the symbiote doesn't want to detach from you, then there's nothing I can do. You may keep it."

"Yes! Thank you, Papa! Nana, Cecile! Come, I'll show you the guest room!" Rebecca jumped around, acting like a child. Hiro recognized that expression—it was the face of pure happiness. He was suddenly reminded of when he won a math championship in elementary school. The tournament wasn't anything big, just a school event where he only placed third. But when his parents praised him, it brought him immense joy, much like the joy Rebecca was showing now.

Rebecca led them all to a single room. The mansion had enough space for each of them to have their own room, but Rebecca wanted to sleep together with them, so they all settled into one big bedroom with a king-size bed.

"Hey! Come out! What do you want? Let's work together from now on, okay?" Rebecca called out to Hiro. Despite her cheeky attitude, she smiled sweetly. When Hiro saw her smile, his lust faded. He simply emerged from her and gently caressed her cheek. Rebecca giggled and returned the gesture, stroking him with her hand.

"Hm… You're not as disgusting as I thought."

"Master…," Nana pleaded softly. Hiro, not being an exhibitionist by playing with other girls and having others watch them, chose to ignore her.

"It is cute, isn't it?" Cecile said as she played with his tentacle.

The girls all huddled together in bed to sleep. To keep them from rolling off, Hiro wrapped them in his tentacles, holding them close to each other. Nana kept moaning as Hiro slithered across her body, and he could only sigh. He wondered whether he should finally indulge her; she seemed to be getting desperate.

Such bliss lasted only momentarily as footsteps echoed in the hallway—many of them. Even without eyes, Hiro could sense his surroundings. He quickly woke Rebecca by nudging her cheek, but as the footsteps grew closer, he felt a surge of danger. He opted for a rougher approach, slamming the bed with his tentacle, causing the girls to be thrown left and right.

"Ugh! What is it? I'm trying to sleep here…" Rebecca groaned.

"Ugh! Master... why did you throw me?" Nana complained.

"Who are you? This is Rebecca's room!" Cecile stood up, her voice cutting through the confusion. Hiro silently thanked the heavens—at least there was a normal girl in his harem. Hearing Cecile's words seemed to snap Rebecca fully awake.

"How astounding! They really all have symbiotes, and the symbiote actually protected its host during a night ambush. What a shame it's wasted on such lowly commoners and failures. Symbiotes are supposed to complement their hosts, but no matter what number you multiply by zero, the result is always zero. Rebecca, I guess you'll have to die now," Rebecca's father said coldly.

Hiro's tentacles froze in shock. He knew her father was corrupt, but not to this extent. He had assumed he was just a greedy merchant, never imagining he would have the heart to kill his own daughter. The realization hit Hiro like a hurricane. He had come to this world to have fun with the girls, not to face this kind of betrayal.

"Papa…" Rebecca muttered, tears silently streaming down her face.

"Now!" her father commanded, and the assassins moved in unison. Three of them targeted the girls, one for each girl. Hiro was amazed by their coordination. He unleashed his tentacles, throwing himself and the girls out of the window. They were on the second floor, but Hiro's tentacles cushioned their fall. He wasn't confident he could fight all three assassins while protecting the girls.

"Ugh! *Cough," the girls groaned as they hit the ground.

"Rebecca! Hurry up!" Nana was the first to stand, followed by Cecile. The assassins quickly followed suit, landing gracefully on their feet after leaping out of the window. Hiro made a silent whistle; it felt like he was watching an action movie.

Pumping the girls with adrenaline and amphetamine, Hiro urged them to race through the night. He enveloped Nana's hand with his tentacle, forming a bone claw and wooden gauntlet around her hand using his metamorphic tentacle, then coated it with anesthesia.

As the assassins closed in, Nana turned to face them. "Cecile, carry Rebecca! We need to move faster!" Like a cat, she moved with such speed that all three assassins stopped in their tracks. However, even with Nana's stats doubled, she was only level 12—a far cry from the level 40 assassins. She managed to hold her ground due to her superior speed and Hiro's support, dodging their swords one after another. But despite her efforts, she couldn't inflict any damage. The assassins were wary of Hiro's abilities, so they didn't press too hard, yet they still managed to cut through his wooden gauntlet and lacerate Nana's arm.

Realizing the dire situation, Hiro took a risky gamble. He used almost all of his cell storage to create a duplicate and performed mitosis. A mass of writhing tentacles separated from Nana and attacked the assassins indiscriminately.

Nana, though not a fool, understood what Hiro was trying to do. Knowing they couldn't win, she muttered a quick thanks and fled. As she ran, Hiro suddenly pulled her into a ditch. Using his tentacle, he inserted it into Nana's mouth and covered her nose, then created an inconspicuous tube for her to breathe through, like a snorkel.

Nana struggled at first, but after a few tense seconds, she realized what Hiro was doing and calmed down. The water was clear, but the night was only illuminated by the stars—there was no moonlight. The sound of footsteps echoed across the water as the assassins passed by less than a minute later. Hiro realized these weren't assassins like in the movies; they were knights from House Evesys. They wielded swords, and their footsteps were as loud as an elephant's.

Though these feudal knights weren't as strong as royal knights, they still out-leveled Nana by more than 20 levels. Hiro knew they couldn't win when he saw how well the knights moved together. He also knew his clone had died a gruesome death after being chopped to pieces and the core destroyed. As an ever-growing tentacle, Hiro had an obvious weakness: his core. He could only grow his tentacles if they were attached to his core. The knights, though lazy, were used to hunting monsters, so they instinctively targeted his core.

The capital is vast and the knights searched fruitlessly as Hiro's girls remained hidden in the ditch until dawn arrived.