Diary of Guarding Monster Girls

Chapter 963: Chapter 471: Raising a Loli?

After its great vengeance was finally repaid, the Crimson Thorn departed.

All the love and hate it had borne upon itself had already faded away completely; debts and grudges were all gone.

For this world, it left nothing behind.

It no longer wished to leave any trace in this world.

It asked for Herbert’s full name, yet did not leave its own.

It erased every trace of its existence with its own hands, refused to linger here even a moment longer, and rushed toward death without the slightest hesitation.

But perhaps, at the very end, it still held a faint expectation for this world.

And so, the Crimson Thorn nevertheless left behind a single seed, entrusting it to that merciful being who had saved it.

As if it wanted to prove that it had once existed.

Erase the past, leave the future.

Being able to do that was enough; it embraced death in peace.

As for the future of that seed, it did not care.

No matter how it might be treated, the Crimson Thorn had no opinion.

Whether it was watered and nurtured, or used as material, it was all the same—everything was up to Herbert.

Those things no longer had anything to do with it.

Even if there really was a problem, Herbert could be the one to worry about it.

"She really did leave me with a headache..."

Herbert gently rolled the seed between his fingers, feeling the faint aura and blurred will within, his brows lifting slightly: "Nenasha, can you confirm it?"

["It’s done."]

Miss Harmonious God withdrew her perception, speaking with certainty: ["Your worries didn’t come true. This is a brand‑new, pure will, untainted, with no one else’s residue."]

They could be sure this was not a method for the Crimson Thorn to be reborn; even if it was raised, it would not become a second her.

For plant‑type Demons, asexual reproduction is nothing difficult, but that does not mean splitting or Eternal Life.

A seed is their offspring—this much is beyond doubt.

"Then I’ve got a handle on it."

Herbert nodded slowly, lowering his gaze, his thick lashes blocking the emotion in his eyes.

Not her...

Good.

This is not a story of repaying kindness with enmity. That’s nice.

Herbert didn’t accept the Crimson Thorn’s final gift right away; instead, he cautiously had Nenasha check it over and over.

One must not intend harm, but must never lack vigilance.

If the Crimson Thorn were ungrateful, planning to treat him as a patsy and hijack his body to resurrect herself, then Herbert would let her know what true darkness is.

But fortunately, the way the story developed did not chill his heart.

Nenasha, on the other hand, didn’t care that much; even if the Crimson Thorn really intended to stab them in the back, She would still give her a good lesson.

She was more interested in how Herbert planned to handle this seed: ["So, how are you going to treat it? Raise it? Take it out and trade it? Or... eat it?"]

"..."

Of the three choices, Herbert immediately eliminated trading.

If he sold it, it would definitely fetch a high price.

Just imagine: a seed that can at minimum grow into an Epic Level plant Demon—how valuable would that be?

Although nurturing it is guaranteed to consume vast resources, the future payoff would certainly exceed the cost.

An Epic plant companion who obeys his every word and is loyal to the core—this is something that would tempt even a Saint.

And it’s not like he’d have trouble finding a buyer.

There aren’t many who could afford it, but the Druid Order would definitely be one of them; they’d be eager to take it back to "save" it.

It’s a good proposal, but at the moment Herbert is not short on money.

As a Lord, building a territory normally requires consuming huge amounts of funds.

But Herbert’s territory is different.

His subjects all have strong initiative—they do the work themselves without the Lord having to pay them.

For a hidden domain that is self‑sufficient and can keep developing, wealth doesn’t mean much.

Compared to money, what he lacks more is strength.

Only two choices remain, each with its pros and cons.

Raise it, nurture an Epic Level plant Demon.

The advantage is gaining a powerful Demon, mighty in strength and useful in many ways.

The downside is the time and vast resources required; by the time it’s fully raised, Herbert might no longer need its protection.

Eat it to gain a blessing—this is good too.

The advantage is instant payoff, a short‑term power boost.

The downside is that it’s a one‑shot deal, essentially abandoning the future.

After a moment, Herbert made up his mind.

"I’ll raise it, after all."

Although eating it would surely grant him Epic‑level abilities, if it’s just a straightforward blessing, Herbert isn’t that desperate right now.

As for the resources needed to nurture it, the Mist Mountain Range is actually not lacking; with a bit of extra effort, he can manage.

Besides...

"It’s not like anyone said I can’t eat it after I raise it."

Herbert curled his lips, thought for a bit, and added, "Also, once I plant it, there might be some interesting developments."

Like raising a little loli or something... ahem.

Herbert remembered.

He has no interest in most other things, but when it comes to raising and nurturing, he’s very into it.

Yes, I’ve always been a loyal fan of raising‑sim games.

I love raising things the most!

["Hm?"]

Miss Harmonious God sharply caught the fluctuation in Herbert’s mood and asked immediately: ["What were you just thinking about?"]

"Nothing much."

Herbert naturally wouldn’t admit it, acting utterly calm.