Chapter 39

Avenger (S)

When I had said that Kashima Kobato had picked up the cat, I was really thankful .

A few days later, I spoke to Kashima so that I could say my thanks .

But she just looked away awkwardly and left .

That reaction of hers doesn’t seem to indicate that she hated me, not that I particularly minded it .

It’s because Kashima had the impression of an introverted girl .

Even when it’s break time, I have never seen her talking to the boys in our class before .

It’s probably because she didn’t know what to do when I suddenly talked to her .

That’s why she just left silently .

It may unexpected, but it’s possible she’s trying to call out to others from her side .

—It’s not that she hated them, but…

If she was hated by them, then that’s a different story .

Besides, she doesn’t need to hurry at all .

There’s no need for to hurry in making connections with others .

Just relax and take it slow .

That’s also what my uncle’s family had told me, and it had been firmly rooted within me .

v

I am sitting in the shade of a tree as I’m chewing on a cutlet .

I had just checked my leather bag, when I noticed that the color of the jewel had been reset .

So I decided to take a break and eat some food .

Sitting next to me is the jiggling slime .

I look at the evenly oblong “food” in front of me .

Tonkatsu-style snacks .

A flavor that I had rarely eaten this days .

I remember having eaten this before regularly back in that world .

Its outer coating is moderately crunchy .

The inner contents have a unique chewiness .

If I’m not mistaken, the inside should be made of fish meat?

There’s also the dark brown sauce poured over its surface .

I could taste its deep flavors .

There’s also a bit of sweetness in the saltiness of the sauce .

I could even feel a bit of gracefulness in its fairly crunchy texture .

With the combination of these two, they become irresistible .

My mouth had been occupied by their strong flavors .

Although the amount that I had eaten can’t be said to be that much, I am strangely satisfied .

I took out the green tea from my leather bag and gulped them into my mouth .

My mouth felt completely refreshed after the strong flavors had been washed away .

[Fuuu…]

Is it because I’ve finally reached the outside world?

It’s as if my state of mind is at peace and I could safely consume my food and drinks .

I look at the cutlet in my hand .

Just another mouthful…

[…do you want some?]

I just want to try it .

The slime curiously observed at the cutlet that I had presented to it .

Funyonyooo…

A part of its body protruded out and extended towards my hand .

[Pigi…?]

[Hmm? Are you asking me if you could eat it?]

The color of the slime’s body changed into green .

The yes sign .

[Yeah, of course . ]

I brought my hand towards the slime a bit more .

The tip of the protruding slime wrapped around the cutlet in my hand .

The cutlet began flowing into the body of the slime .

Inside the body of the slime, the cutlet began slowly melting .

Fuuuun…

So this is how it eats huh…

[Kyuuuuiiii~ ♪]

The color of the slime’s body turned into pink this time .

It looks like an expression of delight .

It seems that he quite liked it .

I did some inspection with the slime earlier .

It’s an experiment on whether communicating with it is possible .

It seems that the intentions of the words I said are being properly transmitted to it to some extent .

Furthermore, there was now a way for the slime to properly show what it wants to say .

Green means an “affirmative” .

Red means “negative” .

Pink means “it’s friendly” or “it’s delighted” .

For the time being, these three changes are the only things that I had confirmed the meaning of .

There may be other things but I don’t know what they mean .

But, this should be enough for now .

It’s a monster that could express an abundant amount of expression than I had expected .

Its intention could be expressed even if it couldn’t say any words nor show it through its facial expression .

I think I could also understand it better than humans .

Also, this slime is quite a dexterous monster .

I don’t know if I could bring a monster when I will enter a town or village .

This had been troubling me since it came along with me .

However, this problem had been solved almost immediately .

The slime could morph its body into something long and slender, like a rope .

If I keep its body under my robe, I can probably hide it .

[After that… if the town or village I’m going into had no way of detecting the presence of monsters, then this problem seems to have been solved . ]

In addition, there is also another advantage of it “hiding” under my cloak .

I stood up .

I instructed the slime to cling unto my body .

The rope-like slime started crawling up from my foot .

I could feel a fluffy feeling on my body as if I’m wearing extra clothing .

Let’s say when it’s snuggling around in the back of your neck .

And then suddenly, the slime would appear there .

[Pigi . ]

[Can you seen anything from behind?]

[Piii!]

A protrusion of the slimes extends out in front of my face .

The color had turned to green .

[Affirmative . ]

[Okay…]

If there’s something that slipped out of my awareness around my back, this guy would inform me .

Although it’s a bit sudden, but I’ve obtained a new “eye” that watches for my back .

This is the first thing that I’ve obtained that could deal with my problem with blind spots .

[It seems that it was the correct decision when I decided to make you my friend . ]

[Pigi ~♪ ]

The slime went back to where it’s resting .

I sat down again .

Actually, there was one thing I want to check out .

I sat cross-legged as I flipped the page .

The slime also popped out and came to look .

[If I’m right, this should be the page where—]

I remember that time when I first flipped through the book in the ruins .

[Found it . ]

There are scribbles like these here that looks like they’re memos .

“Rather, my relationship with the slime seems to have improved . I can’t deny that this slime may have completely gained emotions . I’m troubled . Something woke up within me thanks to the cuteness of the slime . ”

[…… . . ]

The Great Sage seems to have awakened something because of that experiment .

[Putting that aside… Monster Enhancer, huh…]

This may improve the abilities of this slime .

I glanced at the slime .

[Speaking of which, do they have the concept of level-up…?]

I would like to know if they could .

However, there’s something that caught my attention .

The Great Sage “dared” to research on these Enhancers .

It may be that he’s relying on Enhancer to increase the ability of a monster because they can’t level up the same way as the Summoned Heroes .

This is possible if you think about it .

That may also be why the Enhancers had been developed .

[It’s just that… If this kind of research were to be abused…]

I groaned as I am looking through the page .

Humans that would intentionally strengthen the monsters .

I think I understand why have the Great Sage decided that this is a “Forbidden Art” .

I began reading through the rest of the page .

The raw materials used in order to make the Enhancer had been noted in here .

The location where you could acquire the materials was also noted .

It may be obvious, but there are only places noted there that I don’t have any knowledge of .

[If I want to get it while I’m searching for someone who can read the Forbidden Archives, I guess that’s where I should go huh . ]

Well then…

[I guess I should start moving . ]

[Pii!]

[Let’s see—]

I was about to call the slime, but then can’t help but stop .

[Pi?]

Its name… I need to think up of one .

It’s cry sounds like “Pigi!” .

It’s round .

[Pigimaru it is, then . ]

[Pigi?]

[From this day onwards, your name is Pigimaru . Well… I will accept if you had any objections—]

[Pigi!]

Its color changed to green .

“Affirmative”

[Piggiggiiii~ ♪]

The color then changed to pink .

Is it okay for me to think that it’s delighted with its name?

I put back the “Encyclopedia on the Forbidden Arts” into my leather bag .

Inside the bag, there are still the trash from the foods and drinks that had been transported in my leather bag .

I removed the filth on the trash as much as possible so that there won’t be any strange odors in my bag…

Well…

[–sniff…]

Is it because this is a magic tool?

It’s a mystery how the inside of my leather bag still remains odorless .

There is no strange odor in the “Encyclopedia on the Forbidden Arts” even after I had taken it out .

Though I say that, I still want to get another bag soon…

I would like the trash that had been gathering in my bag to be disposed of .

“Don’t ever litter, okay?”

My aunt’s teachings .

I want to keep the word that needs to be kept .

[I wonder if my aunt is doing well…]

She’s a good person who worries about others and yet, she’s the person who I worry about the most .

[Because of that person… because she’s always been worrying about me…]

△

It was at that day when I had met my uncle’s family for the first time after my parents had disappeared .

My aunt hugged t