"I'M SO SORRY-!"
I bowed deeply (or at least, I tried to make it look like I did!).
We had been hauled off to the guard station.
After all that commotion, there was no way we were getting off scot-free right then and there.
We ended up surrounded by the dwarf guards who'd come running.
That said... the five opponents were all completely unconscious, so it was basically just me being encircled.
Right! I could slip back into slime form and... escape!
With that flash of inspiration, I transformed back into a slime and tried to make a break for it, but...
*Squish!* My body was grabbed. And then came the sensation of being lifted.
I was captured without the slightest effort.
The soldier was grinning at me with a face that said, "I'm not letting you go."
But the vein bulging on his forehead spoke volumes about his true feelings.
"H-Hey, I didn't do anything! I'm a victim too!"
I blurted out, copying
"Yeah, right! But I'll hear your story at the station! Don't even think about running!"
I was lectured with a pleasant smile.
Maybe I should just give up...
Come to think of it, what was Gobta doing? I looked over and...
He was still there, eyes shut tight, ears plugged.
...That idiot! What is he thinking?
No... he probably isn't thinking at all. Because he's an idiot.
Exasperated, I called Gobta over.
And just like that, we were escorted to the guard station.
The three incidents of the day!
One — got into a confrontation!
Two — transformed into a wolf!
Three — roared a little too loudly!
See? I'm not in the wrong here, right?
Thinking that, I peeked up at the soldier.
Same pleasant smile as always.
It suited his bearded, good-natured, hearty face perfectly.
What a shame — if not for that vein on his forehead...
"Um, excuse me, sir, why am I being brought along too?"
"You idiot! What are you even saying? You're the one who got into trouble, and now we're all getting chewed out!"
"Huh!? Is that so? My apologies... I went and caused trouble again, didn't I..."
"Well, this time it can't be helped, but watch yourself next time, got it?"
Phew. I somehow managed to滑 past that. This is the ultimate technique — "blame someone else!"
A high-level skill gained only through years of social experience. The key is making sure the other person doesn't get suspicious.
It's surprisingly difficult!
In all seriousness, though, while I said it half-jokingly, those three incidents were pretty much exactly what happened.
When they questioned the witnesses, they got the same accounts.
Their attitude toward us seemed to ease up a little.
"So? That wolf monster — what was it?"
The interrogating soldier in front of me asked.
What does he mean by "what"?
Its species name or something?
"Um, the species name of that wolf is..."
"No. I don't care about the name or whatever. Why did such a monster appear there in the first place? Where did it come from, and where did it go? Tell me everything you know!"
Hmm?
I told him I transformed into it, but he doesn't believe me?
Heroes are supposed to keep their transformations secret, but I'm not a hero.
So I was being completely open about it and yet...
"I'm telling you, that was me transformed!"
"Ha. Okay, look — slimes talking is unusual enough, but there's no way you can transform."
"Well then, want me to show you?"
"Hmph. Fine. But let's say hypothetically that was you transformed — how can you transform? You're a slime, right?"
Huh?
Now that he puts it that way, how should I answer?
"Because I have a Unique Skill!" — being that honest would be a terrible idea. That'd put me on the same level as Gobta.
Think!
Come up with a brilliant excuse right now!
"The truth is... I was cursed by a magician. Out of jealousy for my talent, I imagine. I was a practitioner of illusion magic, you see."
"Oh? Cursed by a magician... go on."
"Y-Yes. I had learned several illusion spells and was still studying, but a wicked magician turned me into a slime...
So now I'm on a journey searching for a way to break the curse!"
"Why did you encounter a wicked magician? And why did he curse you instead of killing you?"
Ugh... If only he'd just believed me at face value. He's being paranoid about every little thing.
Well, naturally. If he'd believed me so easily, you'd have to question whether he was dumber than a goblin!
And so it continued for about two hours.
A back-and-forth battle between me and the soldier.
· · · After a heated debate between the two of us, a certain story was taking shape.
A beautiful girl cursed into becoming a slime by an evil magician.
It wasn't exactly a deliberate escalation, but the more the soldier pushed back on my claims, the more bizarre a story was forming in my head.
A tomboyish genius girl skilled in transformation illusion magic. She's cursed by a witch and sets out on a journey to break it.
How did it come to this?
Whenever I said something odd, the soldier would "correct" it under the guise of interrogation.
I see! And through all the story adjustments, it finally came together...
The soldier and I exchanged a look of accomplishment.
...Well, he only had eyes for the story, not for me!
Words weren't needed — our feelings were in sync.
"Alright! The report is complete (the content is total nonsense, but...). Thanks for the cooperation! However, your detention..."
BOOM!!!
"S-Something terrible has happened!!! An Armorsaurus appeared in the mine! Several miners who were extracting ore have been injured!"
"What!? Did the subjugation team take it out?"
"That part is fine! The team has been dispatched. But some of the injuries are severe.
With the war preparations or whatever, all the medicinal supplies have sold out, and it seems we can't release the city's reserves either..."
"What about the recovery mages?"
"That's the thing — they went deep into the mine to escort the 'Magic Ore' extraction. Only rookies are left, and they can't handle serious injuries!"
"You don't say...!"
Things were looking bad.
I'm invisible here.
They should just use the city's reserves, I thought... but never mind.
Recovery Potions. I have some... what should I do?
"Hey, you! You!!!"
I decided to hand them over.
The thought of improving our image to get off scot-free did cross my mind — but that absolutely wasn't my motivation!
Saving lives is the right thing to do!!!
...Saying that, even I'm suspicious.
They say "kindness comes back to you." Maybe, in some roundabout way, something good will come my way!
"What is it? I'm busy right now! The interrogation is over, but I can't release you yet. Stay in this room and wait!"
"No, no, it's not that. It's this, you see?"
I pulled out Recovery Potions from my pocket. (To them, it probably looked like I just spat them out.)
"...? What's this?"
"It's a Recovery
"Ha? Why would a slime like you have Recovery Potions?"
Geez... Where did my tomboyish girl persona go?
He's treating me as nothing but a slime! As expected, he was just going along with the story without really believing it.
Oh well...
"Does it really matter? Just try it. How many do you need?"
"There are six injured... but is this really okay?"
A young soldier who'd come to report looked at me skeptically.
A monster offering medicine. ...If I were in his shoes, I wouldn't take it either.
"Tch! Don't leave this room! Let's go!"
"But, Captain... he's a monster!"
"Shut up and move! Lead the way!!!"
With that, the bearded soldier called Captain grabbed the six Recovery Potions I'd produced and dashed out.
I'd been making up the story as I went, but he seemed to trust me.
He really did seem like a good-natured guy, just as he appeared. That he turned out to be the captain surprised me.
"Are we done?"
Gobta, who'd been silent the entire time, just nodding along to my story, finally spoke up.
"Not exactly, but we'll be waiting and seeing for a while."
"Roger!"
We sat around doing nothing.
Soldiers occasionally passed through the station, glancing at us with suspicion and tilting their heads, but...
We waited for an hour.
While I was practicing thread manipulation to kill time, I sensed the Captain and his team returning.
I stowed the thread and waited for them to enter the room.
Gobta was asleep.
This guy... he might actually be quite something after all!
"You saved us. Thank you."
The moment the Captain walked into the room, he said that and bowed his head.
The miners filed in after him.
"I hear you gave us the medicine! Thank you so much!!!"
"Honestly, my arm was nearly torn off. Even if I survived, I'd have been done for... Thank you!!!"
".......".
The miners expressed their gratitude.
The last guy... say something!
Well, I could feel their gratitude all the same.
After that, the miners spent some time expressing their thanks and then left.
For better or worse, the sun had long since set, and it was pitch black outside.
After that, I had a long talk with the Captain.
This time, it was a serious conversation.
The five-man group turned out to be adventurers belonging to this country's Free Guild.
They had talent, but they were notorious for causing trouble.
He laughed and said they'd gotten exactly what they deserved.
He confirmed that we, in fact, hadn't done anything wrong, and explained that our detention had been for the sake of the victims' feelings.
No complaints had been filed, either.
They certainly wouldn't have had the courage to demand compensation for soiled underwear, no matter how embarrassing it was.
I also explained our situation.
The reconstruction of the Goblin village, the procurement of clothing and equipment.
If possible, a request to dispatch someone who could teach and train them, and so on.
The Captain listened intently.
The other guards, once they understood the situation, also came over to chat with us.
Gobta had people talking to him too, and he was going cross-eyed trying to respond.
And so, the night wore on...
The next day.
We were still at the guard station.
Gobta had borrowed a rest room and was currently absent — probably still sleeping.
I don't need sleep, so I spent the morning watching the training session in the backyard.
The speed at which they swung wooden swords (closer to logs, really), the light sparring matches, the running drills — everything.
I observed it all leisurely.
I simulated the scenarios in my head and pitted them against the various monsters I'd devoured.
Just killing time, treating it like a game.
But was it really okay to use the Great Sage for something like this? It felt like a waste of a treasure.
But if it's entertaining, I can't help it. No problem.
In the end, the monsters won by a landslide.
Even under unfavorable conditions, only a few soldiers could beat the bat and the lizard.
In a one-on-one, the odds tilted heavily toward the monsters.
However, it seemed the soldiers fought in groups of five or six, so there were some combinations that could beat the spider.
But even if all twenty soldiers here ganged up, they probably couldn't beat the centipede.
These soldiers might not be the country's strongest fighting force, so maybe that was to be expected.
While I was mulling this over, Gobta woke up.
The Captain had arrived for work as well.
"You're free to go. Sorry for the detention. We needed to save face, so we had to keep you for a day. My bad!"
"No, no — it saved us on lodging costs, so I'm grateful!"
"Glad to hear it. As an apology, let me introduce you to a skilled blacksmith!"
"That would be great! Thank you!"
A great start.
Our entry screening had been essentially fast-tracked, and we saved on lodging too.
Finding a blacksmith was going to be a hassle, but a recommendation from the Captain was reliable!
Looking on the bright side, everything was working out!
"In exchange, though..."
Hmm? There's always a catch to a good deal?
The only thing I like about backdoors is video...
"If you still have any Recovery Potions, I'd like to buy some!"
I see.
He had mentioned something about running low yesterday.
I had a mountain of them, so selling a few was fine... but I didn't know the market rate.
What to do?
Oh well.
They were consumables I'd made myself at zero cost anyway. If he wanted some, I could spare a few.
"Sure. That said, I need some too, so it depends on how many?"
"Even just your leftovers would be fine. If you only have one, one is enough!"
Hmm? What a weird thing to say.
Wasn't he planning to keep some as reserves?
Even if you only had one, it'd be a problem when you really needed it...
Well, he must be really desperate.
"Well, how about five?"
"Five! That would be a huge help!!!"
"Oh, and I think they can be diluted with water and still work! For regular cuts, one-tenth concentration should do!"
When I explained, he nodded with an expression that said, "That makes perfect sense!"
Satisfied, I handed over the five potions, and he gave me a small pouch.
Inside, I found gold coins.
"It might not be much, but this is everything we can offer. Five gold coins per potion — please let us buy them!"
Five Recovery Potions earned me twenty-five gold coins.
This was as good a time as any — I didn't know if it was a fair price or not, so let me find out the value of the currency.
"Um, excuse me..."
"Was it not enough? This is really all we have, though..."
"No, the amount is fine — there's something I want to ask about!"
"Huh? The amount is fine? ...So what would you like to know?"
Hmm? Hmmmm?
This reaction... I lowballed it! I could've charged more.
Oh well.
The Captain seemed like a good person, so I didn't feel like I was cheating him too badly.
"It's not just about the money — I have no idea about the value of currency or prices at all...
If you could, could you explain that to me? After all, I'm a slime!"
Another slime remark that contradicted yesterday's tomboy persona.
But fair enough — he doesn't believe it anyway. No problem!
And so, our pre-departure conversation stretched on for a long time. We finally set out after lunch.
I can't taste anything, but the meal was delicious.
Status Name:
I'd received a report about the appearance of an impossibly fearsome monster, and mobilized to the scene.
Even from a distance, I could clearly make out a massive black creature.
ROOOOOOAAAARRR!!!
The monster roared.
That alone was enough to make my legs tremble and my instinct to flee surge.
But that wasn't an option.
We are the guard — we protect the citizens of this country!
We probably couldn't win, but at least we had to buy time until the army arrived...
I steeled myself and arrived on the scene, but...
POOF!
Black mist appeared, and when it cleared, the fearsome monster was gone.
And there — a slime, sneaking away...
Without hesitation, I captured the slime.
It didn't seem to resist.
And then I spoke with it.
A bizarre monster that understood human language.
It told me an obviously fabricated backstory, trying to cover its tracks.
But it didn't matter.
Subsequent reports from my subordinates had already confirmed that these monsters hadn't actually done anything.
And that was when...
The report about injuries from an Armorsaurus arrived!
The Armorsaurus is a Rank B- monster and a considerable threat.
But the subjugation team was composed of veteran warriors. That should be fine.
The problem was the injured.
If they weren't severely hurt, it would be fine.
But against a Rank B- monster, surviving with missing limbs would be considered lucky.
And then there was the current situation.
Nations everywhere had begun stockpiling potions and supplies in preparation for the Eastern Empire's movements.
As a result, Recovery Potions and other consumables were rapidly vanishing from the market.
The court-licensed healing mages had gone deep into the mines to escort the Magic Ore extraction and were currently unavailable.
The worst possible scenario.
The king's personal healing mages existed, of course, but they would never come treat common folk.
They were the nation's trump card, reserved for times of existential crisis...
I was contemplating the worst-case scenario when— "Hey, you! YOU!!!"
I heard a voice calling out.
Wondering what it was, I listened — and the slime handed me Recovery Potions.
Was it trying to trick me?
But this one turned out to be a surprisingly decent fellow.
Based on our earlier conversation, I'd already decided to trust this creature.
If anything went wrong, I'd kill it — that was my personal call, and I chose to believe in it.
I arrived at the scene.
A terrible situation. Six men were lying on the ground.
The smell of blood was overwhelming.
Among them, three were in particularly bad shape.
One whose arm was nearly torn off.
One with organs spilling out.
One with a massive gash down their back.
There was no way they'd survive...
(Drink it or apply it!)
The slime's casual voice echoed in my mind.
Given the severity of those wounds, drinking it wouldn't be possible.
If only the pain would ease — wishing that, I sprinkled the Recovery Potion on the injuries.
That was when!
A Recovery Potion unlike anything I'd ever seen.
When it touched the wound, it burst on its own and rained down upon the injury.
I will never forget that sight.
Magic that not even a top-tier recovery mage — no, not even the king's personal healer — could perform!
The wounds healed before my very eyes.
I wasn't the only one who witnessed it — every member of the team saw it happen.
The three with lighter injuries recovered the instant they drank the potion.
And not just that — chronic ailments like back pain and occupational hand numbness were cured as well.
What was this? Was this truly a Recovery Potion?
Wasn't this on the level of legendary...
Resurrection Medicine?!
The three who'd survived insisted on expressing their gratitude personally, so I brought them to the slime.
I watched the interaction, and the slime seemed completely unaware of just how extraordinary the potion it had given us was.
If that was the case...
Maybe I could get it to sell me more.
If I could get even one, perhaps its formula could be reverse-engineered.
Now I regretted using all six.
For the three with lighter injuries, even a diluted version would probably have worked...
In any case, tomorrow!
I'd negotiate carefully and get my hands on some no matter what.
That night, my mind was entirely occupied with figuring out how to steer the conversation to secure the deal. The next morning, I was plagued by sleep deprivation.