My Parasite Skill System

And I still had many questions for that professional noodle maker.

"What is a castle?"

"I can follow my nose, then again, but just in case: where is the castle?"

"Is it okay to go to the castle the way I was, or would I be expelled or something?"

"What do you think, Mister, lies behind the story? This is the quest that I have to accomplish … and for this, I have to follow the princess as a first step, but what do you think lies behind the 'story' the quest mentions, Mister?"

"How many mountains is this city?"

"Three mountains are a lot; that means the city is very big compared to other villages?"

"Is everything going to be okay?"–"Should I be visiting the city?"–"Are adventurers even cooler than what I thought?"–"Is it really not possible to somehow stare at the sun without going blind??"–"When is my bowl of noodles arriving?"–"Do I ask too many questions, after all?"

These were many questions. And to these many questions, naturally, there were many answers.

The system said 'What lies behind the story…?' and this was supposed to be my way–my quest–after the one I'd completed on the battlefield.

And doing this very quest, I should be following the princess. Why did I not follow and tag along longer with her when I could?

Well, I had stuff to discuss with Old Sipping.

So that was that; but I was here, now.

And I could be devout to my guide again.

I also figured I just had to follow the Guiding Fragrance in any case, and that'd be it.

So I can find the princess pretty easily. My nose would guide me somewhere in this direction.

And this added up to the information that chef had just given me before he served me my third bowl of his refreshing noodles.

"Thanks for the meal~"

Momentarily surprised of how my stomach could still process another bowl after all I ate, I immediately dug in, lost in my thoughts.

This piece of land was a kingdom. A kingdom was ruled over by a king or a queen. Which is it in this regard, I don't know, but anyhow; the king's home was the castle.

Answering my many questions, it seems to the noodle maker that all of what I was asking really was obvious and funny. That made him guffaw a lot; which incidentally brought himself two new customers who commented that his laugh was 'way too much, that's awesome,' asking him for noodles.

And when he added that I must've been reading too many books and but that he still encouraged me to go and meet with the princess (whom I most likely also was in love with, according to his wild guesses–though it was fine if I didn't wanna say, he was cool with that) since I was just a kidding kid.

Incidentally, now, a princess (there were many princesses in the castle, apparently) lived with the king. They were a family, and naturally would be sharing the same castle (most of the time).

What was a castle? Well, I just asked that to be sure, to be honest. But yeah, I had it in sight. I could make out of itself in the distance to the west.

And that was about all the information that was needing inquiring.

Relatively rapidly, I finished my third bowl of noodles. Now, I really was full, though.

Shaking my head at the obviously rhetorical question the noodle maker threw at me, I said that no, I didn't want another bowl and that I was being sincere, and couldn't be more sincere than that.

❮'What lies behind the story?' – Let the Player get to the princess Elina and get all comfy with her.❯

Heard the guide? It was time to go. According to the noodle maker getting into the castle was an impossible thing for me to do.

Obviously, the royalties wouldn't simply welcome anyone in. This could be dangerous. This could be stupid.

I'd still need to get to my princess, though. If I don't follow the guide, what do I follow, exactly? And for a parasite anyway

Parting with my stool, I turned to the street behind my back.

Peering around, I made sure nobody was looking at me. I just had to make sure nobody was looking at me, then I would be off.

All the humans were so seemingly absorbed in themselves … but then again, there still were these humans busying the noodle maker next to me, now.

If I did 'that,' they'd notice me. That was for sure.

And there also was the noodle maker himself. He was too focused on me. I couldn't go unnoticed if I pulled 'that' off.

"Well, whatever. Not like they're gonna do a thing about it, ha."

I'd parted with my stool. And now I'd go and plunge under the counter of that man's cabin–and poof!

My human form was canceled: I fell down and hit the ground in between two cobblestones of the ground.

"Where–where ya ran off to, son??"

"Hyah!!–didn't that kid just disappear!"

"But … there's no trace, right…? No. He must be hidden underneath the cart … playing pranks … ah, the little scoundrel."

There they go, agitating themselves for me.

"No, but ya sure he's hidden somewhere under my stuff, eh? Can't see 'em nowhere…"

"Pah!–he must've gone, then. Pah, the scoundrel! Playing pranks!"

"But I saw … he literally … I must be delirious."

"Don't worry 'bout anything, babe. Kid's just playing pranks, hah! He must've run off to somewhere far, already!"

"Eh … well, he could'a at least say goodbye … but anyways!–who up to another bowl, customers, eh??"

"I … think I'm good."

"Heard the lady? We're good."

"Oh. Sure, customers."

This was the real me. A simple little black insect, with its legs and sturdy head, so little that it'd manage to fall into that one rift between two cobblestones of the ground.

And I felt much more comfortable being the real me.

Keeping up that Character on forever wasn't so tiring, don't get me wrong, but it simply felt more normal to be a parasite.

It's me, it's always been me, and will always be.

I felt more relaxed and cool~

That, and it sure was cold and fresh down there. And these little rocks paving the ground sure seems way bigger like this.

Getting my tiny tentacles to work up together, I crawled back up from the ground.

And they aren't so much yelling anymore because of my disappearance. That's cool.

Well, let's not pay them too much attention, now.

I'm a busy man–or no!... a busy parasite.

And busy parasites don't just stay idling for no reason.

I got to go.

With this 'real' me. This 'real' form. I can get pretty much anywhere.

Castle full of enemies (humans, so naturally) or not … anything at all wouldn't be a problem!

Without further delay, let's go~