The slime, who had been feeling down after unintentionally parting ways with the Godrick party, gradually began to feel better.
Although the current of the water was still strong, once it got past the cliffside area, the scenery that unfolded piqued the slime's curiosity and brought it satisfaction.
Unlike the densely wooded green elf forest, there were moderately placed trees and uniquely eroded rocks shaped by the swift current.
The water, untouched by humans, was clean, and fish could be seen swimming beneath it.
‘Wow!’
The slime relieved its gloomy mood by observing the new environment until the current began to slow.
Meanwhile, the number of viewers watching the stream decreased.
Although the new scenery was refreshing for the slime, to the viewers, it was nothing more than a repetitive landscape!
It wasn’t a mukbang nor something they were passing through themselves—just a drifting broadcast, so many viewers went off to watch other streams.
The only one still watching the slime’s stream as it floated down the current on top of a lesser troll was Troll, now acting as the manager.
Time continued to pass, and night fell.
The current had significantly weakened, but there was no suitable place to disembark, so the slime kept watching the scenery float by.
Then, it happened.
‘Humans!’
A woman in white and a man in armor came into view.
Boing!
Overjoyed to have encountered people, the slime bounced once atop the lesser troll.
Meanwhile, the woman and man, startled by the slime, blinked as they stared at it.
"Paulen, why is there a slime on top of a troll!?"
"I’m not sure either."
"And isn’t that actually a lesser troll, not just a regular troll?"
At Amelia’s comment, Paulen calmed his surprise and began to observe.
Judging by the skin color, he thought it was a troll, but on closer look, its build was smaller than a troll’s.
"It really is a lesser troll. Let me confirm it."
"Confirm? Confirm what?"
"I need to make sure that lesser troll is truly dead. I can't just ignore it."
"Be, be careful! Should I cast a blessing?"
"No, it’s fine. Please stay here, Amelia."
Before the lesser troll could completely float downstream, Paulen approached.
Entering the calm stream, Paulen grabbed the lesser troll’s arm.
‘This one's completely dead.’
As there was no reaction at all, Paulen concluded that the lesser troll was dead.
Boing!
"Why are you even on top of this thing?"
Still unsure why the slime was there, Paulen pulled the lesser troll’s arm and dragged it out of the river.
Naturally, the slime atop the lesser troll also landed on the ground outside the river.
Boing!
"Paulen, how is it?"
"Don’t worry, Amelia. As you can see, this guy’s already dead. And it seems like this might be the very same lesser troll we were planning to subjugate."
"Really? But didn’t you say the lesser troll was in a village we still have to travel to for several more days?"
Paulen looked at the river as he spoke.
"This is just a guess, but near the village where the lesser troll was reported, there’s an area with a strong current. I think this one fell off a cliff and got caught in the current, leading to its death."
"Does that make sense?"
"That’s the only explanation I can think of. Lesser trolls do regenerate, but I don't see any major wounds on this corpse."
The sunken wound caused by the slime had healed before drowning, leaving no trace.
"Then what about this slime?"
"That, I’m not really sure either. Why on earth was it on top of the troll…"
The two looked at the slime with puzzled expressions.
The slime was just excited to meet new people and kept bouncing happily.
Meanwhile, ‘Wait, why is a saint appearing!?’
Troll, watching through the broadcast screen, was greatly shocked to see Amelia and Paulen.
Having once traveled with Saint Presia during the black dragon subjugation, Troll knew very well the sacred robes that only saints could wear.
A woman in a sacred robe and a knight in silver armor engraved with golden patterns.
A knight, who could only be appointed if they were truly capable, was acting as her escort—if she wasn't a saint, that would be even stranger.
Considering how much time had passed, it wasn’t surprising for a new saint to appear.
The question was: why was the saint in a place like this?
‘Could it be a new calamity like the black dragon? But I’ve never seen a monster brave enough to rampage all the way to the Derxia continent…?’
Troll decided to keep observing the situation for now.
‘Saint! Armor! Knight! Clothes! Same!’
Boing! Boing!
The slime was thrilled to see Amelia and Paulen.
After all, Amelia’s outfit matched exactly the one from the illustrations of heroes who defeated the black dragon, which Jessie had once read aloud.
And the holy knight.
Paulen, dressed in thick armor as a knight, reminded the slime of the knight seen at the Count Ludendion’s mansion.
"Paulen, why does this slime keep jumping?"
"Even I can’t read a slime’s mind, Amelia. But more importantly, there’s something we have to decide now."
Paulen looked at the corpse of the lesser troll and continued.
"Whether or not we still go to the village where the lesser troll was reported."
"Are you certain this lesser troll is the one from the village?"
"Honestly, it’s the only explanation that makes sense. Lesser trolls are rarer than trolls, after all."
"Is that true?"
"Yes. I’ve heard that lesser trolls are more timid than trolls and therefore less active."
Thump!
‘That’s not true!’
Troll, watching silently, slammed the table with his skeletal hands in mental protest.
Lesser trolls were an evolved form of trolls, which is why they were seen less often.
Troll himself only learned this after becoming a lich, so he could understand Paulen’s mistaken belief.
Still, as a mage, it was frustrating to hear incorrect knowledge spoken as if it were common sense.
"Besides, a lesser troll wouldn’t drown in ordinary water. Unless it got caught in a really strong current, it couldn’t have died this way."
"I see…"
Amelia fell into thought at Paulen’s words.
Her escort and knight, Paulen.
Given that he had fought countless monsters up until now, his judgment was likely correct.
The lesser troll was already dead.
But what would happen if they went to the village and said, “We found the lesser troll caught in the current!”
[Um… Th-thank you, Saint.]
Amelia thought it might turn into an awkward situation.
'Anyway, the villagers will soon realize the lesser troll is gone, won’t they?’
Even if they told them something so obvious, wouldn’t it just be annoying?
And since she was a saint, wouldn’t the villagers become even more intimidated by her visiting in person?
At least that’s how she would feel if she were them.
Amelia made up her mind and looked at Paulen.
"Paulen, I’m sorry.”
“Hahaha! There’s no need to apologize to me! Then let’s hurry."
"Let’s return to the Holy City."
“Yes! To the village… wait, the Holy City?"
"If the saint herself goes to a village just to report that a monster was slain, it’ll definitely be awkward for the villagers! I’m really sorry for dragging you all this way for nothing!"
'There she goes again.’
Paulen sighed inwardly.
From what he had seen so far, Amelia was certainly kind-hearted but had low self-esteem.
At the same time, she held the position of "saint" in extremely high regard and always tried to be mindful of how others perceived her actions.
The only issue was…
She always assumed others thought the way she did, based on her own insecurities.
'Looks like she’s already made up her mind.'
Besides, once she decided something, her stubbornness was no joke, and Paulen knew well that she wouldn’t listen even if he told her they should just go to the village.
“Understood. Then let’s do this."
Paulen drew his sword and swiftly sliced off the lesser troll’s head.
Then he opened the pouch at his waist and placed the troll’s head inside.
Considering the size of the pouch, it shouldn't have fit.
But the troll's head slipped right in.
Paulen’s pouch wasn’t just any pouch.
It was a portable space pouch, the essence of difficult-to-craft spatial magic.
It was basically an inventory.
‘Wow!’
Watching this sight directly, the slime trembled in excitement at seeing something new again.
"Let’s take this head as evidence and make the report. Then we can spread the word in the Holy City that the lesser troll has been dealt with, and the village will naturally find out too."
"That sounds good, let’s do that.”
Amelia readily agreed to Paulen’s suggestion, and the two of them headed for the Holy City together.
Boing! Boing!
“Paulen.”
“Yes, Amelia.”
“Why is that slime following us?"
“I have no idea.”
Amelia and Paulen stopped walking and turned around.
Boing!
The slime was still bouncing along behind them.
"Do you think it wants to follow us?"
"It certainly looks that way."
Amelia knelt down and looked at the slime.
"Do you want to come with us?"
'Yes!'
Boing!
"…Was that a yes?"
"Please don’t ask me to interpret that."
Amelia decided to believe the slime had answered and continued speaking.
"I’m sorry, but you can’t come. We’re heading to the Holy City now."
‘Holy City!’
"Even if you’re a slime, taking a monster along would be dangerous for you..."
Boing!
“!”
The slime jumped high and landed directly on Amelia’s crouched head.
“What? Why did it get up there?"
"Khff!”
The slime had perched on Amelia’s white nun’s cap.
The sight was both funny and cute, and Paulen couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“Paulen! Don’t laugh—do something about this!"
“Apologies, Amelia. Please stay still."
Paulen reached toward the slime.
Then—
Brrrrrrrrr!
The slime began to vibrate atop Amelia’s head.
"Uwahhh!?"
Amelia was even more startled by the sudden vibrations.
‘Wait, this is…!’
“Amelia!?”
Paulen, surprised, quickly tried to grab the slime.
But—
“W-wait! Paulen! Stop!”
“Eh?"
"T-this... feels good. Just right..."
“What did you say?”
The vibration coming from atop Amelia’s head wasn’t just any vibration.
It was a massage technique the slime had learned while spending time at the Ludendion mansion, massaging Jessie, Nina, and the other servants.
And this was the head massage pattern that had gotten the best reviews.
A perfectly calibrated vibration that shook the head just enough to clear away idle worries and lift one’s mood.
"It feels like the anxiety I’ve been carrying is just melting away, Paulen."
“Really?"
Seeing the unbelievable but smiling Amelia, Paulen was completely baffled.
"Paulen, you should try it too."
"No, I don’t really need—"
Boing!
The slime hopped from Amelia’s head to Paulen’s.
“Huh!? Hey! Get off…!"
Brrrrrrrrrr!
“O-oh!?"
As the vibration began, Paulen, who had been about to pull the slime off, stopped.
And after a while…
"Amelia, let’s bring this one with us."
"Great idea!"
Paulen had succumbed to the slime's vibrations.