Chapter 54 - 54: I can't explain anything...time to lie!

After having Voxea explain to me the meaning of the name Bushinado (I can't tell if it's her being clever, being funny or that all maji have a very strange sense of style in the naming of majimonsters) and my parents making sure both me and my new majimonster were okay, I was now being forced to sit across from them at the table in order, with the Bushinado, to explain what just happened. I'm not sure if they're the same, but it's one thing to try and justify breaking the rules, it's another thing altogether when trying to explain why hugging an unstable being made of aether, being locked inside a magic bubble for an hour and then suddenly popping out of it with a majimonster no one has ever seen or heard of before. I oddly miss the days when the worst thing I had to justify for was punching the face of a travelling merchant's kid.

[Exactly how many times have you punched someone in the face? Because this is the fifth instance you had a thought about punching someone], I heard Voxea comment.

[First, stop reading my mind. Second, he openly insulted me after I had refused his advances and outdrank him], I retorted.

[You are rather violent], Voxea said with a tone of amus.e.m.e.nt.

[It's in my blood].

"So Silvia", my mother started while staring directly at me and the Bushinado, "you should know that you're not in trouble, but we need to know...".

"What happened in there and what lead to her?", my father finished while gesturing towards the Bushinado.

[Oh boy. What are you gonna tell them?], Voxea asked.

[I'm not entirely sure. I know for sure I can't tell them you exist, or that I've been training to be a maji and that's why I managed to...create? complete]?

[Manipulate the fundamental forces of magic and nature to create a brand new majimonster from two vastly different majimonsters]?

[Yeah. That. I obviously can't tell them that], I replied in a deadpan manner.

[So... you're gonna lie]?

[Only by omission and vaguely telling the truth], I admitted.

[Simple. I like it].

"Well for starters, her name is...", I stared at the Bushinado at my right for a few seconds before calling her, "Azalea the Bushinado", in a questioning tone. The Bushinado looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding in agreement to the name.

"Yeah. Azalea. As for what happened in there, I don't really remember", I said as bluntly as possible.

"You don't remember?", my mother asked.

"Yes...all I can recall was seeing was the energy being from earlier and going up to comfort because I thought it looked scared. Next thing I recall was being sent flying from it and you and father catching me as I sailed through the air", I said as bluntly bit politely as possible.

"Alright that's...understandable. The art of magic has been lost for a very long time, it's not impossible for you to have been subjected to some ancient force and not realize it", my mother said comfortingly, "but that doesn't explain Azalea's sudden appearance".

"About that... I think I have an idea of where she came from", I said hesitantly.

"Oh"?

"Well...you know how you taught me that Breeder Scholars are able to make new majimonster offspring by using the essences of two other majimonsters? I think Azalea is a majimonster offspring, but the effects of Monster's Night might have distorted how it would normally work", I proposed as a somewhat believable lie.

"You mean to say that Azalea is not just the wild offspring of the Grassassin and Agustus but that it's...them? Mixed together?", my father asked.

"Yes", I said as matter-or-factly as possible. I wasn't technically lying, but I definitely couldn't say that I interfered in the mixing process by throwing in my own aether as well. In retrospect, was my interference the reason why Azalea, the Bushinado looked more... human, and more specifically, a woman? Neither the Agustus or the Grassassin showed any signs of...what was that term? S.e.xual dimorphism? Anyways, it makes sense that they wouldn't really show it with one being a living cyclone of detritus and the other being a walking weed with knife arms. But now that I thought about the breeding ritual Scholars used and how they use the aether of the two parental monsters to make a new offspring one...does that make me Azalea's mother?

My parents were busy discussing about what I suggested, so I took the opportunity to look at Azalea. She caught me staring at her and I felt a faint feeling of happiness from my bond with her and I swear I saw a smile in her eyes.I suppose this is one of those questions that wouldn't be able to answer, but at least she looked happy.