Okay, it's nothing too bad.

  I probably should feel much better about merely being nude rather than walking in front of her as a creepy, spider monster.

  Yes, this is definitely better.

  But how to proceed from here?

  At this, I notice a fine thread that is linked to my arm.

  My gaze follows, and I find Talisa's newest dress.

  It is somehow still there.

  Well, it's not a total surprise that the incredibly resilient spider silk survived the ordeal, but it's nonetheless incredible how I didn't lose it during the run.

  "Neri?" (L)

  Oh, right, Liana.

  "J-just, a moment, please." (N)

  As quickly as I can, I wriggle myself into the dress.

  As always, I need to give Talisa credit for her craftwork.

  It's truly astonishing how well it fits and how easily it slides into place.

  "Neri! What are you doing here?!" (L)

  Liana sounds truly upset.

  But wait, isn't this my turn to be rightfully so?

  "I should be asking this! What are you doing here?! I, I was afraid something would happen to you!" (N)

  At this, Liana becomes quiet.

  Her face shifts as she seemingly starts having some kind of realization.

  "Hah, you're here to catch me back... I should've known. There's no escape." (L)

  "Please, Liana, it's not like this. They... Umh, those spiders over there, were going to kill you if you had taken another step." (N)

  I can hardly look at them.

  Masiabi's brood is bright brown, furred, big, and bulky.

  They possess considerable strength, and I don't even want to imagine how they could've mutilated Liana.

  Liana looks at them as well.

  Probably having similar thoughts to mine.

  "Maybe this would've been for the better. At least it would be over then." (L)

  "You can't think like this! It's, it doesn't have to be just bad! Just give me a chance, please!" (N)

  Sadly, my attempt to cheer her up fails, as she suddenly stares at me in horror.

  "STOP IT, Neri!! Do you have any idea what you’ve done to me with this!? I can't even trust my own thoughts anymore!" (L)

  I quickly pull my hands over my mouth, at a loss of what to do.

  Yet, thankfully, after a few moments, she calms and mumbles to herself.

  "I…I don’t think it did anything. There, there wasn’t anything to fight against, so, so I hope that means it didn’t." (L)

  Me as well, as the mere idea that I could just tell her what not to think is terrifying.

  Yet given her reaction, she still seems to be acting the same as before, so hopefully my mistake didn’t hurt her.

  I don't know how to react from here, and nothing else happens, but soon Liana deflates, apparently no longer intending to shout at me.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  "Sigh. Do, do you have any idea what you're demanding from me by asking for a chance?" (L)

  "N-no, but, but still. I want to make it up to you." (N)

  "Till what happens? Till you’re finished with me and simply break my mind?! Till you give me an order to end myself?" (L)

  "I'm not like this!" (N)

  I could never do something like this to her.

  "Of course, you say this now, but it's a fact that you could do so easily! All you'd have to do is tell me to bash my head in, or grind my thumb through my skull! You could even tell me to chop all of my own limbs off, and I would do it! Of course, at first, I would fight it, as best as I can, but it won't stop. It just won't stop! Give it a week, and all my mental defenses would be whittled away, and that when I’m distant from you. Following the order becomes ever more appealing until I can't think about anything else anymore. This is how this works, Neri!" (L)

  She, she's crying.

  "I, I wouldn't." (N)

  "You just did!!! When you shouted in my mind to stop! I felt it! I felt it take hold! Yes, I could keep going. Maybe even for some more hours, but as soon as I would have grown tired, it would've forced me to stop and walk back to you. It would have made me want to walk back to you! At this moment, I realized how hopeless this was, and I despaired!" (L)

  I feel so bad.

  I can't even imagine how it is not being able to have control over one's own thinking.

  "I, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Liana. I'm so sorry! I'm sorry! Waaaahhhhh!" (N)

  "This, this isn't helping. Neri, you need to stop. It's, it's getting into my head." (L)

  "I'm sorry. Sob! I know this is unfair to you! I'm just, I'm just so useless! Sniff! I'm sorry!" (N)

  She is holding me.

  After everything I did to her, she's still coming to hold me.

  "It's okay. Okay. I know you aren't doing this on purpose." (L)

  "I, hick, I know how much of failure I am. I'm just so useless. If I could just help you. But I can't even do this! I'm scum! Sob!" (N)

  "Neri, you... No, Neri, you aren't. I was a bit too harsh to you before. It isn't your fault that things are as they are." (L)

  "But you're right! I didn't help you even once. I just left you alone with all this. That was terrible of me!" (N)

  I can feel Liana.

  Not quite as openly as with the other familiars, but I can feel what she feels.

  How sad she is.

  How she tries to cope, but is hurt.

  I could've felt this all the time if I had just extended my sense to see.

  But I didn't, and now it's gotten this far.

  "Please, let me try! Let me try to be better!" (N)

  "Neri!" (L)

  Right.

  I know what she means.

  "It's not meant to be an order! I'm asking you to do this of your own will. Just, please. It's nothing but a request, but if you can, please give me a chance." (N)

  I feel how she's struggling with this inside her.

  How she can't fully commit to this.

  Yet there’s no pressure to follow my words, which is good, as I'm sure she isn't just fighting an order here.

  I don't want to take this kind of decision away from her.

  Although I wouldn't know how to proceed otherwise.

  "Argh! Okay! Okay, you got me. I'll try." (L)

  She will!?

  That means so much to me!

  Yet next, she looks at the two huge spiders that blocked her way before.

  "Sigh. But it seems like I couldn't have continued anyway." (L)

  Right.

  She's basically forced to abort here.

  "Uh, where were you even going? I, I would let you, but the others..." (N)

  "You know, it might be hard to believe, but I wasn't trying to flee. I... I wanted at least to reach my home. There was something I left there, and I only wanted to fetch it. But when your command reached me, doubt crept in about whether or not I would even succeed in pushing through. I had to try, though." (L)

  Something she left?

  It must be very important for her to put herself at risk like this.

  "I'll see how I can help you! I promise! Together, we can surely figure something out!" (N)

  Now I feel a certain degree of disbelief from her.

  It's not that she doubts my honesty, but rather my capability.

  Not like I can disagree with her on this.

  "Hah. What do I have to lose? Let's give it a try." (L)

  "Thank you for trusting me, Liana." (N)

  "I believe you when you say that you are not malicious. Surely not as much as your sisters, at least. Speaking of them, how bad is it going to be?" (L)

  Uhh, difficult question.

  "I don't think they really planned a punishment out for you. Though, at least Eritu sounded a bit upset." (N)

  "Urgh. Eritu is by far the worst for me yet. She always demands that I partake in 'spider activities'." (L)

  Shudder!

  "I-I'll see if maybe I can get the others to treat you a bit better." (N)

  "Sure. I'm just not sure how open they’re going to be about this." (L)

  "They can be a bit rough. But they have softer sides too. You might get along with some of them if you try to be open." (N)

  "... you remember that they killed my comrades?" (L)

  Right.

  There was something like this.

  "Uh, this might not be much comfort to you, but it wasn't personal. They were trespassing on my sisters’ land, and they are very strict about defending our borders." (N)

  "So my guild members died in a territorial dispute. And this means I'm supposed to be fine with it?" (L)

  She got me quite cornered here.

  I'm not even particularly comfortable in my position of defending the spider monsters.

  Nor am I completely convinced of their just cause to exterminate anyone who crosses the border.

  "I'm not trying to take their side, but to be fair, I doubt that they could've talked it out with your group, and I’m sure they think the same. They basically made up their principles on this long ago and won't just start making exceptions. Well, aside from you. I just want to say, they can be almost agreeable in private." (N)

  "Seriously?" (L)

  "Yes. They aren't always quite so intense." (N)

  "NEEEEERIIIIIII!!! I'm cooomiiiiing!" (M)

  "You said?" (L)

  ... Damn.