"A slime that actually understands human speech..."
Paulen stared blankly at the slime, bewildered.
After all, if it couldn’t understand human words, it wouldn't have massaged Amelia’s shoulder at Presia’s request.
Despite witnessing it herself, Paulen remained skeptical and gave the slime several commands to test it.
He asked it to move here, massage there, or jump three times if it understood the instructions.
When the slime executed every single test perfectly, even Amelia and Presia had to admit that it possessed remarkable intelligence.
The viewers, who were watching this unfold, burst into laughter.
▶ 😂😂😂 Here we go again.
▶😂😂😂 Humans always think they're the smartest.
▶😂😂😂 Can't even use the system, what dummies.
Since they had seen many similar reactions on the slime’s broadcasts, viewers felt a peculiar sense of satisfaction.
[Squishy Queen]▶ I don’t like this! Commanding my kin just for confirmation!
▶ But don’t you also use slimes for tricks on your stream?
[Squishy Queen]▶ I’m the queen, so it’s fine!
[Thread-Lady]▶ I'm just happy seeing the adorable Squishy move around~.
[Just Slam First]▶ When’s the fight happening? Hurry up and use the tricks I taught you!
As various opinions flooded the chat, Presia saw hope in the slime.
'Maybe this slime could really make my idea a reality.'
Perhaps this slime was unique.
But having even one special slime made all the difference compared to none at all.
"Amelia."
"Yes, Saintess Presia."
"This slime holds enormous potential. Stay close and nurture it well. If anyone can do it, it’s you."
Amelia gulped nervously.
This wasn't just an intelligent slime—it was a monster capable of actual communication.
Amelia understood clearly how extraordinary this was.
She’d brought the slime impulsively, never imagining it carried such a significant secret.
However, she couldn’t back down now by claiming, "This is too much for me!"
"Yes."
'I hope our saintess will be okay.'
Paulen, seeing Amelia tense beside her, grew concerned.
***
"Tongtong..."
"Damn it."
Godrick’s party had returned to the village, bitterly drinking away their frustration and helplessness.
The moment they saw the slime and Lesser Troll fall off the cliff, Def, Godrick, and Skol rushed to look down.
But the fierce currents had already swept everything far away, leaving nothing clearly visible.
They couldn't even attempt going down the cliff, and even if they had managed, finding the slime was already impossible.
Eventually, they had no choice but to return to the village with only proof of the Lesser Troll’s defeat.
The villagers were thrilled.
Finally, the Lesser Troll had been dealt with—and there had even been two!
The village chief tried to host a modest celebration to thank Godrick’s party, but the adventurers refused.
Initially, the chief couldn't understand their melancholy.
But soon he realized the slime that accompanied them was missing.
Though puzzled by their attachment to a mere slime, the insightful chief respected their wishes and didn't press further.
"Sorry. It's my fault for being careless."
Hawane hung his head, full of self-blame.
But Godrick shook his head firmly.
"No, it's not your fault. There was nothing we could've done. If anything, we should blame our own weakness."
Through this incident, Godrick realized just how dependent they had been on the slime.
Indeed, Godrick’s party had grown stronger through various missions.
But only with the slime’s help had they reached their current level.
In their hunts, Godrick’s party merely provided support; the slime had always been the main force.
And now, the result of that dependency was clear.
They froze in fear when the Lesser Troll appeared unexpectedly.
They survived only thanks to the slime’s intervention.
"Ugh... Tongtong..."
Def wept openly, mourning the loss of his slime companion.
Having spent the most time with it, the void it left was enormous for Def.
"Argh! Stop crying, you idiot!"
Slap!
Skol angrily slapped Def's arm.
"We don't even know if Tongtong’s dead yet!"
"But..."
"But nothing! Hawane! And Godrick! Why are you guys already assuming it's dead?!"
Skol gritted his teeth, nearly in tears himself, but held back his emotions.
"Is Tongtong some ordinary slime? Huh? It's an unbelievably strange slime! It’s weirdly strong, jumps ridiculously high, and even glows at night! There's no way it would die that easily!"
"And slimes don't drown! I'm sure... I'm sure it’s bouncing around stupidly somewhere right now!"
Skol’s furious words carried anger at himself and desperate hope.
"Yeah. We can't just sit here crying."
Godrick resolved himself and stood up.
"Everyone, tomorrow we’re heading back to the guild immediately."
"B-Boss?"
"Skol’s right. Tongtong wouldn't die that easily. I'm sure it's alive somewhere. When we get back, we’ll immediately start distributing flyers to find Tongtong."
"Flyers?"
"You think that’ll work?"
"You think there's another slime as unique as Tongtong? And Tongtong is friendly, so even if someone else finds it, it'll quickly become close."
At Godrick's words, Hawane nodded, and Def agreed enthusiastically.
"With Tongtong’s personality, it would easily become friends."
"Y-Yeah! Tongtong is super nice after all!"
“Besides, Tongtong isn't the type to just sit there and get hit. If there's danger, it'll dodge immediately."
Skol jumped up excitedly in agreement.
“Exactly! That little guy’s insanely agile!”
As their conversation continued, Godrick’s party began to firmly believe that the slime was still alive.
Even thinking rationally, it was obvious that it wasn't the kind of slime that would die easily.
“All right, let's rest up tonight. Starting tomorrow, we're going to move to find Tongtong. And of course… we'll train harder so that when we reunite, it won't need to go through this again! Understood?!”
“Yes, Boss!”
Godrick party’s enthusiastic shouts echoed through the village tavern.
***
“Granny, I'll be leaving the forest for a while.”
“What on earth are you saying, Lady Nellin?!”
The Elven elder felt as shocked by Nellin’s sudden declaration as if struck by lightning from a clear sky.
“What do you mean you're leaving the forest? Didn't you just return from Count Ludendion’s territory?”
“Exactly. That's why I'm going again.”
It had been a week since Nellin returned from Count Ludendion’s domain.
Since then, she'd been lost in thought at her home.
She’d heard directly from Count Ludendion about the slime, and from his daughter, Jessie Ludendion, about life with a slime named Alexandros II.
The stories were far from what one would expect of a normal slime.
A slime that enjoyed being read to, excelled at massages, was friendly to humans, and could even understand writing.
The more she heard, the more it felt like she was listening to tales of a mysterious treasure.
Moreover, Nellin herself had recounted stories from 50 years ago to Jessie.
Of course, she’d skipped the most embarrassing, chaotic details at Count Ludendion’s request.
Jessie had listened intently, her eyes sparkling at hearing vivid tales not recorded in any biographies.
Nellin enjoyed that gaze.
In fact, she loved it.
Whenever she'd tried to share stories with other elves in the village, they'd dismissively respond that they'd already heard them and hurry off to their own tasks.
Amidst the first truly enjoyable conversation in ages, Jessie’s enthusiastic question lingered deeply in Nellin’s mind.
“So, Lady Nellin, when will your next journey begin?”
“My next journey?”
“Yes! Not a journey to defeat calamities, but simply to explore the world! Someone like you, Lady Nellin, would create legends just by traveling!”
“Creating legends just by traveling? Hahaha! Aren’t you flattering me too much?”
“Not at all! You possess both extraordinary character and skill! The world surely still has countless exciting events happening right now. Even casually solving a few incidents on your way would surely become legendary!”
“Is that so? Hahaha! You're quite the sweet talker.”
“I’m merely stating facts!”
Nellin knew Jessie’s admiration was largely behind her enthusiastic words.
Yet, even knowing that, the conversation replayed continuously in her mind after returning home.
“A journey without purpose, huh…”
Thinking about it, Nellin hadn’t left the forest of her own volition for the past fifty years.
The few exceptions were invitations or funerals of her old companions.
“Now that I think of it, I'm bored stiff here, yet it never occurred to me to just head out.”
She was so accustomed to village life that, despite feeling bored, traveling alone had never crossed her mind.
Practically speaking, there was no reason Nellin couldn't leave the forest.
Even if she left, the village wouldn’t face immediate danger.
When she'd previously left to defeat the catastrophic black dragon, the elven village had remained perfectly safe in her absence.
'There's only one catch.'
The elder's nagging.
Thus, Nellin had spent an entire week preparing her excuses before confronting the elder.
As the elder panicked, Nellin calmly explained.
“What do you mean ‘why’? I’m thinking of traveling the world for a bit.”
“But why would you do such a thing? You are a hero among elves! A hero should set an example for the villagers!”
“Let’s be frank, Granny. Do our villagers even respect me? Whenever I try to tell them old stories, they scatter because they're bored.”
“Ahem! I'll be sure to lecture them firmly about this later.”
“No, no. That's exactly what we shouldn’t do. Forcing it won't help, Granny. It's better if I come back with fresh stories instead.”
“Fresh stories?”
“Do you think nothing's changed in fifty years? Surely countless events are unfolding right now. If I travel, helping people in trouble and gaining some fame, our villagers will realize I'm still active.”
“But Lady Nellin, even without doing that, you're already…”
‘Now’s the time!’
“Besides, Granny… something feels off.”
“Something feels off?”
“I've got an ominous feeling, just like fifty years ago. So, I think it’d be best to act first.”
“Fifty years ago… Surely you don't mean…?!”
“You think I'd leave without reason after quietly staying in the village this long? Anyway, Granny, I’ll see you later.”
Of course, needless to say…
Nellin’s ominous feeling was completely made up.