The blue-haired girl who appeared from the forest didn’t seem particularly dirty compared to when I met her yesterday.
It didn’t seem like she spent the night in the forest.
“It’s you again! I was relieved to see you made it back to town safely,” I said.
“Relieved? That’s my line. I was worried you might have died, Slime-san…”
She said as she came down the slope.
I felt sorry for making her worry, but a question also arose.
“Eh, did you come all the way here because of that?”
“Well, that’s part of it. I also wanted to thank you, and I knew the direction you ran off in, Slime-san.”
“It’s dangerous! You know the 〖Mana〗 around here is incredibly dense, and the Demon Beasts are strong because of it!”
“It’s okay. I’m good at moving without being seen.”
She said that, but I couldn’t shake off my unease.
Sensing my mood, the girl added.
“It’s really okay. I can tell if there are Demon Beasts with my 〖Attribute Skill〗.”
“〖Attribute Skill〗…?”
I asked, as it was an unfamiliar term.
“Oh, right. Demon Beasts don’t have 〖Attributes〗. 〖Attributes〗 are 〖Status〗 that only humans have, and they allow us to use magic and enhance 〖Skills〗.”
“There’s such a thing…”
I’ve been running away every time I see them, so I don’t really know much about humans.
And they have magic, not just 〖Skills〗. This world is still so fantasy-like.
“…Hmm? What’s the difference between 〖Skills〗 and magic in the first place?”
“Magic is a type of 〖Skill〗. Among the 〖Attribute Skills〗 born from 〖Attributes〗, using 〖Mana〗 to extract and release the power of the 〖Attribute〗 is magic. 〖Attribute Skills〗 that are always active without using 〖Mana〗 are called traits.”
Well, I have a dud 〖Attribute〗, so I can’t use magic, she said with a wry smile.
“Hee, there’s such a thing. Is the reason you can always find me because of that trait?”
“That’s right. It’s rare to see a slime alone. But you look different every time I see you, Slime-san, so I was a little worried if it was really you.”
“Well, I’ve become this square shape now.”
“Yeah, yeah, I thought, ‘What’s this?’ at first. But it looked like you were changing your shape, so I thought, ‘Maybe it’s a slime?’ and… it was you after all! And you were blue too.”
“You’re identifying me by color?”
“You’re the only slime with such a beautiful color. Everyone in town is excited about finding a blue slime.”
…They’re excited, huh?
I knew it, but imagining the town bustling with people trying to defeat me makes me feel a little scared…
“Oh, speaking of shapes, you’ve 〖Evolved〗 again, Slime-san. You were so small when we first met. I heard that Demon Beast 〖Evolution〗 usually takes years… Maybe you defeated that bear and your 〖Soul Accumulation Value (Level)〗 increased all at once?”
“That’s right. It took quite a bit of effort, but it was no match for me.”
“Amazing! …I was about to jump out without thinking back then, but I would have been killed instantly. So thank you, Slime-san. For saving me and the adventurers.”
She said in a sincere tone and bowed deeply.
W-When I’m thanked so directly… it makes me a little embarrassed.
“It’s fine! I only helped because I thought I could beat that bear, and I can’t just ignore people being attacked.”
“Slime-san, even though you’re a slime?”
“Even though I’m a slime.”
“Hehe, you’re weird.”
She laughed for a while, then suddenly remembered something and said.
“Oh, and actually, there’s someone targeting you, so be careful.”
“I heard that earlier, the people in town are after me, right? No need to worry, I’m a 〖Dire Beast〗.”
I said, puffing out my chest.
It would be bad if someone like that Old Man I met before came, but I’ve gotten stronger since then, so I should be able to escape with more ease.
“You can’t let your guard down. This is a secret, but—”
The girl whispered in my ear. There’s no one else here but us, though, in this plaza.
“—Apparently, a high-ranking adventurer named Jaskal-san is trying to defeat you.”
“Hoh… So adventurers are specialists in Demon Beast extermination, right?”
“That’s right.”
The image I got from 〖Understanding〗 was that “high-ranking adventurer” was a word with a nuance similar to “strong hunter.”
However, it felt like they had a broader role than just hunters, so I used the word “adventurer” based on anime and games.
Judging by the girl’s reaction, it seems like that understanding was correct.
“How strong is that high-ranking adventurer? Like, what’s their 〖Level〗, or how do they compare to other adventurers who come to this forest?”
“They’re much stronger than other people. There are many adventurers in my town, but only about ten high-ranking adventurers. They’re probably stronger than anyone you’ve ever seen, Slime-san.”
“S-Stronger than that Old Man…?”
“? Yeah, well, I don’t think a hundred normal old men could beat them.”
Seriously?
A hundred of that Old Man is like a natural disaster.
“I don’t know their exact 〖Soul Accumulation Value (Level)〗, but I heard that high-ranking adventurers are often 〖Level 50〗 or higher, so Jaskal-san should be around that level too. They often defeat 〖Dire Beasts〗 in parties, so you might lose, Slime-san.”
“…A party means companions, right?”
“That’s right.”
Hmm… If they’re a hundred times stronger than the Old Man who brushed aside a 〖Greater Beast〗 like me, they should be able to defeat a 〖Dire Beast〗 alone…
Are they just extremely cautious, or maybe—
“They’re a tall man with a spear. If you see them, run away immediately.”
“Got it.”
I agreed for now, but then a question came to mind.
“But why are you telling me all this so kindly?”
“Because I’m worried about you, Slime-san. You saved me before, and I’d be sad if you were killed.”
“…Is that all?”
“…Actually, Jaskal-san is known for yelling and getting violent easily. And his followers have been mean to me a few times. So I don’t want him to get any stronger.”
The girl twisted her mouth mischievously.
I thought she was a good girl, but it seems she had her own motives.
“Among adventurers, it’s rumored that you’re north of here… over there. So you should avoid going that way.”
Then the girl stood up straight.
“Well, I should get going soon. See you later, Slime-san.”
“Yeah, see you sometime. But don’t ever come to such a dangerous place again!”
“Okay, and Slime-san, you might get found if you stay here, so you should move somewhere else.”
“Alright, I got it!”
And so, I parted ways with the girl.
After that, I thought about whether I should move.
However, since there were still Trent fruits left, I decided to stay a little longer.
Humans wouldn’t come in a day or two, right?
Perhaps because I set up such a template flag, the day after meeting the girl,
“I finally found you, Jewel Slime! Your 〖Soul Shard (Experience)〗 is mine!”
Five humans, led by a burly man wielding a spear, came.