Chapter 98: Irvine’s Lament
「……Surarin? Oi, Surarin……」
It’s the early morning on the second day after we leave Koryatt village.
I was sleeping comfortably in the carriage using the slime pillow, I opened my eyes because of Irvine’s voice.
「What is it Irvine?」
I got up and asked Irvine while rubbing my eyes.
I’m not a particularly high-ranking noble nor am I a woman, so I slept together with the guys.
Something strange may also happen with the slime pillow, so it’s better to be together.
Well, a slime is weak enough that you won’t lose to it unless you’re a baby, but we still tied the pillow tightly just in case.
「Oi, you’re kidding, right? Answer me Surarin! You were still moving so energetically just a while ago!」
He spoke to his pillow with a sad voice while slapping it *pechipechi*.
Surarin still has a certain elasticity until yesterday. However, now there are no more traces of its elasticity left, as it only made a watery sound when Irvine touched it *beshabesha*.
Maybe he’s recalling the lively figure of Surarin last night, Irvine closed his eyes and hugged the Surarin pillow.
「…………Irvine」
I realized the current situation.
「……you've become this cold……」
「……Irvine」
「……even though you’ve been moving so energetically until a while ago.」
「You forgot to feed Surarin didn’t you?」
「…………」
Hearing what I said, Irvine suddenly stopped moving.
Slime will die if you don’t feed it for two days. When it dies, the slime will lose its elasticity and turn into a slippery liquid.
As a slime pillow, its elasticity is indispensable so if it’s turning into a liquid then that's not something that can be used.
Because of that, to maintain the elasticity, the slime needs to absorb grasses or something in its surroundings to keep living.
In this way, even though a slime frantically absorbs nutrition, it can also hinder its movement.
Just like killing two birds with one stone. Giving the feeling of trying not to waste every single thing by squeezing them dry, I think it’s really human-like.
「……you, didn’t you said that you want to be a Slime King?」
Irvine kept on talking as if I didn’t say anything.
The slime won’t talk.
「Don’t die until you become a Slime King! You will have a lot of underlings to serve you someday, and made a place only for slimes………!」
Irvine continues with his charade while sobbing. It’s an acting ability that is wasteful for him as an adventurer.
Just when Irvine raised his voice as if he was mourning the death of his companion, a yell can be heard along with a *don* sound from the wall.
「Shut it! People are sleeping, keep it down, will you!」
「「So, sorry!」」
It was a completely different voice from the usual Aleutia, so I also apologize involuntarily.
When I thought about it, it is currently early in the morning. Some people are still sleeping. Even if you made some mistakes, it’s not the time to raise your voice.
Irvine placed the slime pillow that had turned into a liquid down on the floor and then started to lie down as if nothing happened.
Shall I sleep again then…
◆
After that, we did some experiments on the slime pillow while moving toward Kikka.
Selecting more materials to be used as a pillow, how to sew the pillow so the slime won’t be pushed out of the pillow. About how to better manage the slime and so on, I discussed it with Tori.
What we’re trying to find out right now is that, is it possible to make the slime gain a nice feeling of elasticity by magically cooling and warming it?
I tried to use Ice magic on it because I thought it would probably feel good if this lively slime was cooled and I laid my head on top of it.
So when the slime was cooled using Ice magic, its elasticity became a bit stiff and it feels as if the slime’s plump body will stick to your skin.
If you want to compare it with something, then it would feel something like a memory foam pillow I guess…?
And when you apply pressure on it *guu*, it feels as if your hand sunk into the slime, rather than the slime wrapping your hand. It feels so enjoyable that it makes you want to poke the slime with your finger like this again and again.
I was just so happy at this new finding, I enjoyed the solid texture of the cool pillow and was able to sleep comfortably that day.
And then the next day, this time I was wondering what would happen if I moderately heated the slime, so I tried heating the slime with Fire magic.
Then, the slime lost its elasticity before my eyes and went limp.
For a moment I thought that the slime died, it didn’t turn completely into a liquid, but it left behind a slight elasticity.
After checking its state, that day I was also delighted.
Allowing you to adjust the elasticity according to your preferences, this is such a wonderful slime pillow isn’t it? Without its minus point of being a monster, everyone would surely buy it.
As for me, I wouldn’t mind that kind of small detail.
I've tried these but then I remembered, I heard that slime is weak against Fire and Ice magic.
Oh well, given that slime is fundamentally a liquid-based monster, they’re probably just weak against heat and cold.
If you cooled the water down, it became ice and felt like it solidified.
Tori was also surprised by this, but he can only lament about it because Ice magicians are so rare, and the fact that magic tools haven't yet spread to the general populace.
As for Fire magic, there are a lot of people who can use them in comparison, but it seems that it’s quite hard to adjust the magic.
As for people who use magic frequently like me - and the adventurers like Aleutia, and Ilya - we have no problem doing that, but the general populace can’t control magic so precisely.
Except for those people who are called magicians, at most, they would only be able to make a fireball and lighting firewood. It would seem that it’s impossible to warm something or roast slowly using their skill.
In that case, it would be better to compensate for their lack of skill with magic tools, but the problem is whether the people are particular about their sleeping method or not.
As for me, even if I can’t use magic then I can just buy magic tools and use that, but at the end that was just my personal opinion.
But if it costs a lot of money, some people would say that an ordinary pillow will do just fine.
Therefore, Tori decided to target those wealthy nobles and merchants.
I was worried that those haughty people would buy a slime pillow - which is made of monster - but according to Tori, it seems that those nobles who love new or novel things will definitely come and buy it.
I guess I’m pretty much also one of those people, huh.
So just like that did the slime pillow experiment again and again, and time passed in the blink of an eye.
And then the afternoon on the third day. We finally arrived at the central city of Kikka.
――Kikka.
It was a city on the eastern part of Misfrit kingdom, going north from there will lead you to reach the kingdom of Aldonia. If you go west from there, then you will reach the royal capital, the city is like a relay point where various goods gather.
Of course, there are all sorts of people who gather in that place, and a lot of people live there.
As one would expect, the magnificence and gorgeousness can’t compare to the imperial castle and the castle walls at the royal capital, however, Kikka didn’t lose out in terms of liveliness.
While I was impressed that there is such a prosperous city other than the royal capital, I entered Kikka with Tori’s carriage.
At that time when I saw the guard come running toward the carriage, I turned my neck over and over again to see if those guys were here.
And yet I don’t feel safe, so I reflexively ask Irvine and Mort.
「……hey, those guys are not here right?」
「Those guys, you mean that royal capital’s gatekeeper, right?」
Irvine - who somehow had a pale face - asked me again nervously, so I frantically shook my head, up and down.
Seeing their faces, they might have suffered under those guys’ hands several times.
I don’t think that those guys are a simple gatekeeper.
「If they pop out all over the place like that, then I’m gonna stop becoming an adventurer. 」
「Those guys are in the royal capital’s area………they said that there are a lot of handsome men in that place or something.」
Mort gives me information that I don’t want to hear.
That’s right, there are a lot of ikemen nobles, and merchants in the royal capital. Many nobles have quite beautiful looks.
Or I should say, those guards like to do as they please using their position, claiming that it’s official business.
When I asked Tori won’t they would get sued, he said that they are experts in cracking down numerous illegal goods and smuggling, and there are also rumors that they are the right-hand men of powerful nobles-sama.
So basically when I go to the royal capital, I will use Teleport so that I can pass through the gatekeeper, but I’m afraid about what would happen when I have to go to the party in the royal capital just like the other day.
The next time I go there by carriage, I pray that I will be able to avoid the south gate if it’s possible.
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