Chapter 196: Similar Parent and Child
The day after I made the slime cushion. I woke up while experiencing a strange, uncomfortable feeling.
I wonder what happen? Is there something moving around under my head?
It bothers me so I raise my upper body, and there was just the slime pillow.
Without knowing why, I stare at the slime pillow, and then it moves by itself.
「My pillow moved! Not, so slime inside just started moving to search for food, huff…」
I was surprised. I got a fright, thinking that an insect or something may have come out from my pillow.
I untie the cord tying the slime pillow while breathing a sigh of relief.
And when I peer inside, I saw the slime wriggling restlessly.
I threw in wood chips and grass that I had prepared for slime food inside.
Then, the slime gobbles it all up, stopped moving, and turns quiet in order to digest them.
……hmm, do they change their digesting time depending on the food I provide them?
Once I understand the time they start to look for food, then the slime pillow is going to be able to play the role of an alarm clock.
Like, for example, I can just give the slime some food that can be digested for an exact three hours if I want to sleep for three hours.
As long as you bear in mind the cycle of your daily life, then it’s not a problem for a person to live even without having an alarm clock but, it is difficult for us to manage our short afternoon nap or a power nap.
It would be great if we have an alarm clock or a cellphone alarm, but there are no such things in this world.
That’s why, when it’s around thirty minutes or an hour, you will sleep for more than that by mistake.
Looks like the slime pillow is going to be an alarm clock so that I can have a short power nap.
Let’s try to record the digestion time the next time I’m free.
………somehow, it makes me excited since it’s like I’m going to make a growth record.
As I tied the string of the slime pillow while feeling excited by the new hobby I found, I got off the bed and opened the window.
Along with the opened window, the cooled and nice air - the result of my Ice magic - went outside of the room. As if to replace that, the sultry air entered the room.
The temperature of the midsummer morning is much better than during the day, but it is still hot.
Even when you just doing nothing at all, you’re going to slowly sweat.
I quickly change into my everyday clothes after bathing moderately in the sunlight that had already felt hot since morning.
Then I leave my own room while carrying the slime cushion to have breakfast.
And at the same timing, Sylvio-niisan came out from the room in the back.
He’s also holding a slime in his hand, he probably plans to use it today too.
「Al, good morning. You’re early today」
Sylvio-niisan greets me with a refreshing smile on his face after noticing me.
Even on a midsummer morning, Sylvio-niisan’s smile still looks refreshing. As for me, I would still look groggy even in the cool morning air.
「I was awakened by the slime today」
「Aah, mine also started to move when I was changing clothes」
I was awakened by the slime but, it looks like Sylvio-niisan woke up by himself around this time in the morning. Even though it’s still not the time for breakfast yet, what an admirable person.
If it was me, I will still be indulging in my sleep and will wake only at the last moment for breakfast.
「The sight of the pillow moving by itself somehow looks amusing, isn’t it. And, I fed the slime for the first time」
Sylvio-niisan said while hugging the slime cushion to his chest.
「Though you said that it was impossible for you to use slime as a pillow yesterday morning」
「Ahaha, we can sleep soundly even in the middle of summer with this after all. And slimes seem to be harmless, so I think I want to keep using them as long as nothing happens」
Being able to express his honest feeling is probably Sylvio-niisan’s good side.
If it were someone like Eleonora-neesan, she will immediately take back what she said.
Though I remember Eleonora-neesan, it will still be around two days until Eleonora-neesan returns.
Now is probably the time when we can spend such a quiet time like this.
「……what’s wrong Al? Your eyes look so distant you know?」
Just when I’m thinking about something moving, Sylvio-niisan waves his hand in front of my eyes, looking worried.
「……it’s nothing. Sylvio-niisan. Let’s spend this day peacefully okay」
「U, un?」
When I say that to him, Sylvio-niisan nodded with a puzzled look on his face.
There is little time left. And because we have little time left, it will be our loss if we don’t enjoy our time to the fullest now.
I tell myself that, and headed for the dining room.
◆
「Oh? It’s unusual for Al to wake up at this hour」
When I entered the dining room with Sylvio-niisan, Nord-tousan - who was sitting on a chair and drinking tea - said that looking surprised.
「Even I have times when I occasionally wake up early you know」
「No, I’m surprised because that time was almost nonexistent though……」
So rude. I tried to say that I woke up early immediately after I return from Kagura and help Bartolo to make Kagura’s dishes――though that was because Elna-kaasan told me to do it.
That doesn’t mean that I never wake up early on my own initiative.
I tried to recall if I have ever woke up early at another time but, I really couldn’t remember any occasion where I did that, so I just sat down silently with the slime cushion on my chair.
Looking at me like that, Sylvio-niisan also places his cushion on his chair even while smiling wryly.
Perhaps he’s curious that we two brothers did the same thing since Nord-tousan looks toward us seemingly looking interested.
「The two of you are laying down a cushion on your chairs?」
「That’s right. But, it’s not an ordinary cusshion」
Sylvio-niisan answered with a smile after hearing Nord-tousan’s remark.
He probably said that to let Nord-tousan try to guess the content of this peculiar cushion.
Nord-tousan - who understands his intent - looks at the cushion again.
「……judging by how it seems to use a monster leather, is the content something special?」
As expected from a former adventurer. It appears he understands that it's monster leather just by looking at it for a bit.
「That’s right」
「Hmmーm, is it the feathers of a bird-type monster?」
Those so-called bird-type monsters are used to describe monsters with feathers like Harpies or Slash Hawk.
Since Nord-tousan saw that it was a cushion with leather from a monster, he also thought that the inside should be things from a monster.
「Hmーm, it’s close but still a miss」
「Then, what is it?」
When I answered like that, Nord-tousan tilted his head and give up.
「You’ll understand if you try to poke the cushion」
After I say that, Nord-tousan stands up from his seat and approaches us, then he pokes the slime cushion with his finger.
「……this is, could it be a slime?」
「Good guessー. I put a slime inside the leather and made it into a cushion」
Nord-tousan looks shocked when I explained it in detail.
It’s the expression as if saying that I did something strange again. But well, I’m the one who made it after all.
「Al, is this really all right?」
「It’s fine, it’s fine. I’ve given it some food so it won’t move around, and I have also properly tied the leather with a string, see. It won’t come out from there」
Nord-tousan has this complex expression on his face when I try to explain the safety of the slime cushion.
「You can also try to use it, Nord-tousan. I think it won’t make your lower back or bottom hurt if you do your official duty while wearing this」
「Really?」
Somehow Nord-tousan looks relieved after Sylvio-niisan said that.
Even though I’ve already theoretically explained the safety of the cushion to him, I wonder what is this difference between mine and Sylvio-niisan’s explanation?
Oh well, whatever. Once Nord-tousan uses it once, he will probably realize the greatness of the slime cushion.
I watch Nord-tousan sit on top of Sylvio-niisan’s slime cushion while grinning.
「……ah, this is much more comfortable than I expected」
「Right?」
Hearing Nord-tousan raising his voice in surprise, Sylvio-niisan answered somewhat pridefully.
It’s a scene exactly like yesterday’s me and Sylvio-niisan.
Nord-tousan corrected his sitting posture to enjoy the feeling of the slime cushion, then he lifted it up and pressed on it.
Apparently, he took a liking to it. You’ll want to recommend great stuff to other people after all. I’m also glad that Nord-tousan liked the slime cushion.
「Good morning」
Just when I’m looking at the smiling Nord-tousan, Elna-kaasan entered the dining room.
「「「Good morning」」」
「Ara? Could I have overslept? I arrive later than Al」
As soon as we greeted her back, Elna-kaasan said in surprise.
It appears that she misunderstood that she overslept since I - who is always late - was already sitting in my seat.
「There are times when I got up early you know」
「Is that so? It’s really confusing」
When Elna-kaasan mutters like that, then she proceeds to gracefully walk toward her seat and sat down.
「Sara, make me a tea please」
「Me tooー」
「I also」
「Certainly」
Sylvio-niisan and I also took the opportunity to ask for tea when Elna-kaasan quickly stop Sara as she entered the dining room.
「Eh? Everyone is already here!?」
And as soon as Mina enters after Sara, she raises her voice in surprise.
「That’s right, so we should speed up more」
「I understand!」
Being told that by Sara - who is preparing the tea -, Mina quickly left the room in a hurry.
All the people in the family have unusually get up early after all. So they have to quickly prepare the breakfast. Mina is probably going to the kitchen to report that.
「I feel that I’ve become a bother by waking up early. I knew it, I shouldn’t have woke up so early」
「Nevertheless, it’s not a good idea to be late. It’s best to wake up on time everyday」
That’s true, but there are times when people still don’t have enough sleep.
As expected, I don’t want to let go of my blissful, second sleep in the morning. So it’s impossible to wake up on time every day.
「By the way, I was curious about it but, what is that cushion that Nord and Al sit on?」
When I was thinking of such things, Elna-kaasan - who is sharp-sighted - noticed the cushion and asks.
「This is the slime cushion that Al made. There is a slime inside it, why don’t you try it, it’s quite comfortable」
Saying that, Nord-tousan presented the cushion to Elna-kaasan, and she received and use it immediately without feeling scared.
「Ara, I like this. Al, please make more of this. I want to put a lot of them in a room so they can be used anytime」
As expected from Elna-kaasan, she adapted to it without having any feeling of aversion unlike Sylvio-niisan and Nord-tousan, and on top of that, she made a new suggestion.
Looking at Elna-kaasan’s attitude in pursuit of searching for a comfortable environment, makes me realize once more that she’s my mother.
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