Diary of the Improper Monster Girl Transformation.

Chapter 530 Never seen anything like this before... (Bonus chapter 291!)
"That's a really terrible idea."

"Your Excellency Chairman, what you said has really startled me."

Herbert said he was scared and shrank back nervously, but the emotion that flashed in his eyes was quite calm.

The president of the Witch Guild watched Herbert's performance quietly for a while before slowly shaking her head.

“You don’t have to pretend. I’ll tell you my true thoughts because I know you won’t be scared.”

"No, you will not only not be afraid of my words, but you will even feel happy and full of fighting spirit."

"And it is precisely because I understand this that I am telling you this idea."

She said with certainty and calmness:

"No matter what I say, you won't change your mind. You... will never let Finn go."

"Am i right?"

The feud between Herbert and Fein will come to an end with the latter's exile, but this will certainly not be the final outcome.

Herbert will not let bygones be bygones.

If given the chance in the future, he will definitely not let Finn go.

The president of the Witch Guild had no doubt about this.

She knew Herbert's personality very well.

Confidence, even arrogance.

Because that's just who she is.

People like them would never allow a dangerous entity that is hostile to them to live on.

Even though Fein has already accepted punishment, it's still not enough.

The fact that the punishment wasn't carried out by Herbert himself wasn't enough for this arrogant fellow.

"..."

Herbert's expression changed slightly as he looked at the aged yet serene old woman in front of him with some surprise.

I've been seen through.

Although I didn't try to hide my thoughts this time, it was the first time that a stranger I had just met had seen through me so easily.

He put aside the frivolous mindset that had arisen from successfully harming the gods, restrained his somewhat restless emotions, and looked earnestly at the old woman before him.

Fortunately, every time Herbert became a little arrogant because of his achievements, there was always a strong person who would come out and give him a wake-up call.

This time, it was the president of the Witch Guild.

Even though her face was aged and she looked very old, like an old woman who could die at any moment, Herbert felt that she was more like a true strong person than Finn.

Even without witnessing her display of strength firsthand, Herbert would still unhesitatingly believe that she was stronger than Finn if they were placed side by side.

Because of her temperament, or rather, her aura.

This old man possessed an undisguised heart of a strongman.

She is calm and confident, and can even make those who don't know her feel a strong sense of pressure.

This confidence stems from her own formidable strength, and even more so from her countless experiences over the past few centuries.

She has seen and experienced too much.

From a rational perspective, since she has been forced to take action, the best course of action is for Herbert to kill Finn himself and end this feud once and for all.

Meanwhile, the witch who was wronged in this incident will be grateful to Herbert and will receive some compensation in the future.

Yes, all it takes is Finn's life and temporarily enduring a little hardship to reap enormous rewards in the future.

After weighing the pros and cons, this seems to be the best solution.

But the president of the Witch Guild still made a move.

She did not break her promise to let Finn go, nor did she give him any extra help; instead, she strictly fulfilled her duties as president.

But she also gave Fein a glimmer of hope.

Even though the chance of survival was almost nonexistent, she still gave up greater benefits and gave the opportunity to a traitor who had no value left.

Herbert remained silent for a long time before finally unable to hold back his question: "But you know perfectly well that doing this will not only displease me, but Finn may not appreciate it either."

Finn was indeed rescued, but will he feel grateful to the president of the Witch Guild for it?
Hard to say.

He will most likely only harbor resentment towards the president for her decisive and harsh punishment, and will hate both her and Herbert.

"Looking at it this way, you seem to be a bit irrational."

Herbert shook his head slightly and said softly, "She's quite different from the rational sage I've heard of, the one known as the 'Ice Witch'."

He must have done his research before inviting the president of the Witch Association, and he must have looked up a lot of information about her.

Not only did Ophidia provide the information, but he also saw what the president of the Witch Guild looked like when she was young in Lucaria's records.

That was a memory from the late chief of the Witch's Guild Tower, who had found a fragment of the Magic Mirror when she was young and received kind help from a Mirror Demon.

In her memory, the president of the Witch Association back then was a completely different person.

At that time, the president was not an old woman, but more like a young girl in her prime, like the most beautiful ice and snow fairy.

But that was just her outward appearance.

In the eyes of the tower's chief, the president of the Witch Guild was an extremely rational machine, almost like a block of ice, devoid of any human emotion.

If Herbert had to give an example, it would probably be the complete form that Philia eventually evolved into without any interference.

A living, breathing block of ice.

She is powerful, beautiful, and rational, but she doesn't seem like a living person.

At that time, the Witch's Guild had only been established for a short time, and the chiefs of each tower relied on the guild leader's powerful strength and followed her without question.

But in secret, like other outsiders, they regarded her as a terrifying monster.

The president of the Witch Guild seemed to have been triggered by Herbert's words, her eyes trembled slightly, and her calm aura became more turbulent.

"It seems you know quite a bit."

The old woman sighed softly and said slowly, "Indeed, from any perspective, given the current strength of the Witches' Guild, going against the most renowned Godslayer would likely result in an outcome that we cannot accept."

“Giving Finn a chance might not earn him his gratitude. He probably already resents me... I know all of this.”

She looked at the young, energetic, and powerful boy in front of her, shook her head slightly, and said softly, "But if all that's left is reason, then we're no different from puppets controlled by the rules."

"You are too young to understand the price you will have to pay."

Herbert's heart skipped a beat at the words of the witch's guild leader, and he vaguely understood where the changes in her body came from.

She underwent a spiritual transformation.

Compared to a cold, lifeless block of ice, she now seems more like a living, breathing person.

"Oh? So you've realized that."

At this moment, Nenasha unusually offered a subtle assessment of the Witch Guild leader: "If she hadn't awakened so late, and hadn't been so old, she would have had a very good chance of advancing to the Saint realm."

?

Herbert blinked, silently asking himself, "You mean she has no chance of becoming a Saint?"

"Who knows~"

Miss Harmony wasn't particularly interested in mortals other than Herbert, and gave a rather irresponsible answer.

"If a deity were willing to grant her extraordinary assistance and share their authority with her, then there might be some possibility, hehe~"

"But if she relies solely on herself, maintaining her current strength is probably her limit."

The president of the Witch Guild went down the wrong path. Although she eventually realized the problem, it was too late to turn back.

At this moment, Herbert was not glad that he had meddled and forced Felia to correct her, but suddenly thought of the Sun Goddess—was it too late for her to turn back?
After her momentary emotional outburst, the Witch Guild President reverted to her previous coldness and calmly continued the previous topic:
“Fan is not like you; he is not decisive enough.”

"You are like a keen carnivore; once you smell blood, you will not hesitate to take the initiative to attack."

"As soon as you sense any opportunity, even the slightest glimmer of hope, you will rush forward and seize it without giving the other party any time to react."

Herbert blinked repeatedly upon hearing this, his mouth slightly agape, as if he wanted to raise his hand to interrupt and explain loudly.

and many more!

Who are you talking about?

What kind of ferocious beast?
Eh, me?

When did I become this way in other people's eyes?
I'm clearly an honest, upright, and shy young man who blushes at the sight of women.

They were the ones who attacked me!

I'm clearly a lamb to the slaughter!
【"Ah."】

The president of the Witches' Guild was unaware of Herbert's inner thoughts and didn't take his hesitant silence to heart.

“Fan is different, because his experience of almost being homeless in his youth fostered his overly cautious personality.”

"To draw an analogy, he's like a carrion beast lurking in a corner, always walking in the shadows, looking for an opportunity to strike."

"Although he has a ruthless and cunning side to his personality, he lacks courage when necessary and always misses opportunities."

"He always makes thorough preparations first and chooses a suitable time to implement his plans."

"Even though he has disguised himself as a beast over the years, it cannot change his cowardly and timid nature. He is just a fake strongman."

By the end, the old woman had completely reverted to her previous indifferent demeanor, calmly stating:

“My banishment of Finn is a crisis for him, but also a challenge. If he survives, he will have the opportunity to transform into a true strongman.”

"No matter what the future holds, the Witch Society will owe him nothing."

As far as the president of the Witch Guild is concerned, although Finn is an ambitious man who covets her position, he has also built up the Witch Guild quite well over the years. Even if he has not made any great contributions, he has certainly worked hard.

This move can be considered a complete settlement of all past grievances.

Whether Fein returns for revenge or out of gratitude is a matter for the future.

"Your Excellency Chairman, you are quite the joker."

After the chairman finished speaking, Herbert finally spoke, shaking his head and saying seriously, "I am not the kind of beast you describe who acts on instinct."

No, absolutely not.

I'm clearly the one in a weaker position!
"So you rely on wisdom?"

"No, I relied on my sincerity!"

Witch Guild President: ? ? ?

Herbert ignored the old woman's strange look, shook his head firmly, and, without thinking there was anything wrong with what he said, earnestly stated:
"I have come this far not through scheming or plotting, but entirely through sincerity."

"Because I treat others with sincerity and reveal my true feelings, others are willing to reciprocate with the same sincerity."

The president of the Witch Guild initially thought Herbert was just joking, but seeing his serious expression, she felt that he might actually be thinking that way.

"Are you...serious?"

"of course."

Herbert nodded vigorously, not at all thinking there was anything wrong with what he said.

I've said it many times, I truly love them all!
As for the abilities or blessings gained after falling in love, those are just byproducts, not the goal.

Yes, I have never felt happy about receiving blessings!

The president of the Witch Guild twitched slightly at the corner of her mouth. After a long silence, she finally sighed helplessly and said, "You are even more... shameless than I thought."

She was a shrewd person who had lived for many years, so she could naturally tell how much of Herbert's words were true and how much were false.

The more obvious it is, the more I want to complain.

"It's incredible that someone can say such a thing without batting an eye."

She felt that she had wasted so many years of her life, and that she still lacked knowledge and experience.

How can there be such a shameless person in this world!

If he's just a hypocrite, that's fine; there's nothing surprising about it.

But he genuinely believes that?!?

what?
You just tricked a god to death and then forced an epic to be banished to the astral plane, and now... you still think you're innocent and pure?

This is more than just shameless, it's downright fucking shameless!

"Ha ha!"

Herbert laughed heartily, showing no embarrassment whatsoever, and said with a smile, "I was only acting on the spot, so of course I'm innocent."

"They can't attack me and then not let me fight back, can they?"

"Although the blazing sun we revere is considered cruel, it at least taught all the evil gods a lesson—justice should have an edge."

The sun god of this world is quite brutal, and his habit of wiping out enemies at the drop of a hat makes most evil gods act like recruits in front of him.

It is precisely because of His example that there are very few "saintly mothers" in this world who, when faced with a problem, will willingly sacrifice everything and even cause others to suffer as well.

When clergy encounter evil, they usually grab their weapons and rush in for a fierce battle before doing anything else.

What kind of influence?
Physical purification is still purification!
If you can defeat it, use physical purification directly.

If you can't defeat them, then consider calling in reinforcements for other forms of purification.

Reform?

It's practically non-existent.

Looking at Herbert's earnest gaze, the president of the Witches' Guild shook her head helplessly and sighed, "Hopefully, the Witches' Guild won't become your enemy in the future."

Making an enemy of someone like that is a nightmare.

"You're joking. Whether or not you become enemies is certainly up to you."

Herbert smiled and said softly, "At least for me, I don't have the leisure to deliberately make enemies of you."

After saying that, he intended to let the Witch Guild leader leave, but then he suddenly remembered something and added:

"Oh, by the way, you said before that you were disappointed that Finn didn't kill me immediately, but you really can't blame him for that."

"Since I'm standing in front of him, I'm confident that I won't be killed by him."

"Even if we take a step back and assume that Lord Fein has actually exceeded my expectations and manages to kill me by sheer luck, then you're the one who should be having a headache now..."

At this point, Herbert smiled meaningfully and said quietly, "After all, you don't want to unleash something terrible, do you?"

The old woman's expression shifted, and she wanted to retort with a disdainful retort, but the thought of that possibility made her brow twitch.

He seems to be right after all. If things really turn out that way... ugh.

"You mean the one in the monastery?"

"Maybe?"

"Or perhaps it is that one in the heavens?"

"Who knows."

Herbert shrugged with a smile and joked, "Anyway, you know I can't die, which makes what you just said sound like you were threatening me in a very petty way."

My lord, you are really petty!
Isn't it just that you were forced to exile your second-in-command?

Why bother arguing with me like this?

"What, do you think there's something wrong with my attitude?"

The president of the Witch Guild curled her lips slightly, gave a light snort, and said indifferently, "I am a witch, you know. Do you really think I'm some kind of benevolent being?"

Oh!
Herbert blinked, realizing this as well.

These are not the "witch guild members" of today who are no different from ordinary mages and wizards.

These are the original group of witches who were ostracized, rejected, and attacked, but eventually fought their way out and built a powerful force.

To expect such a person to be an easy-going and benevolent person is wishful thinking.

Instead of fantasizing about these useless things, you might as well dream about being madly in love with a young, rich woman who is busty, beautiful, and good-tempered.

The latter, at least, allows one to find some joy in fantasy.

After talking for so long, the president of the Witch Guild had gained some understanding of Herbert's personality, and her dissatisfaction with the matter of Fane had lessened somewhat.

Looking at Herbert, she thought of his status as an ascendant and couldn't help but remind him, "Herbert, although you now have the name of a god-slayer, you are also favored by the gods."

"But you must always remember that gods are not benevolent beings; to be loved by them is both a blessing and a curse."

"For every gain, there is a loss."

The president of the Witch Association didn't say much. After all, the two didn't have much of a relationship, and the worst thing to do is to have too much talk with someone you don't know well.

These words were simply a reluctant reminder from someone who had been through it all to those who would follow.

Whether Herbert would appreciate it or how much he could understand was none of her business.

Just like when she gave Fein a chance to live, it was simply because she felt she had to do it, so she did it.

"Haha, thank you for reminding me."

Herbert smiled and nodded upon hearing this, offering no explanation and accepting the kindness without hesitation.

It's probably not just her; most people in the world see themselves as puppets controlled by the gods.

In their eyes, all the glory they possessed at that moment came from the afterglow of the gods shining down upon them.

There's no need for further explanation, and even less need for debate.

Facts will speak louder than words.

He bowed slightly to the old woman and said respectfully, "Your Excellency, thank you for your explanation and reminder today. I will pay attention."

"As for what I will become in the future, I cannot make any guarantees... but I believe that we will meet again in the future."

The boy smiled at the old man and said softly and calmly, "When the time comes, please witness it with your own eyes."

Please take another look then.

Looking back at that time, was I really just a puppet being manipulated by the gods in your eyes?
Or are they the lucky ones who have broken free of the threads and gained their freedom?

Or has it... already embarked on a different path?

Herbert couldn't help but smile as he thought about those future possibilities.

He's really looking forward to it.

……

……

After seeing off the president of the Witch Guild, Herbert returned the epic pocket watch to Lady Estelle and did not linger there any longer.

Finn was not wrong; there was indeed a trace of divine essence in the pocket watch left by Lady Astrid's teacher.

Although not enough to advance to true godhood, it was enough for him to extract enough to barely become a demigod.

Of course, now it was just a pocket watch with a little remaining power, and it was of no value to him anymore.

Although it can still unleash time-stopping spells after each charge, the divine essence within has already entered the stomach of a certain goddess.

As for Herbert's "reason for visiting," Philia remained asleep.

He had already seen her with his own eyes in the tower; she was like a sleeping beauty, peacefully resting in an ice coffin.

His initial assistance was effective, successfully suppressing the excessive Snow Witch bloodline within Felia and restoring balance to the two bloodlines within her.

Philia, however, benefited from the misfortune. Lady Astrid obtained a piece of the legendary Snow Witch's ice crystal core, which her daughter slowly absorbed while unconscious.

If she can successfully awaken, she will most likely be able to advance to the legendary level with this power.

But it's hard to say how long it will take for Philia to wake up; it depends on her own talent.

Maybe in the next moment, maybe in ten years, maybe in a hundred years.

King Reinhardt, who had been feigning illness and avoiding public appearances, also came here, choosing to stay with his wife and daughter.

No matter how long it takes, he intends to stay by his daughter's side.

Moreover, Lady Astrid also told Herbert a bad outcome—for some reason, Philia would most likely forget her experiences of the past few years after waking up, leaving only her childhood memories.

Herbert simply smiled and nodded after hearing this, sincerely wishing her a speedy recovery so she could reunite with her parents.

He didn't really care whether this side effect was real or whether Lady Astrid deliberately created it to save her daughter's life.

What's past is past.

Once the grudges have been settled, nothing else will be mentioned.

For Herbert now, Philia is just an old acquaintance he grew up with, nothing more.

Rather than worrying about an old acquaintance with whom he has no connection, Herbert now misses his monster girls much more.

"I need to go back and thank Freme and Lusil properly. They deserve the most credit for being able to trick the God of Sand."

Herbert thought about how to reward them and smiled happily.

"And, Miss Ophidia, you already know the news, don't you?"

What reward will you give me this time?

(End of this chapter)