I think I'm gonna be sick.

"Hah-! Hah-! Hah-!"

Amalia was panting loudly. We'd been working for Arnie for over two hours now.

During this period, I still hadn't found a good chance to execute my cleaning plan. Despite that speech about him being busy, this Arnie fellow was turning into a devil in my eyes. He seemed intent on monitoring Amalia and ensuring she 'did a good job'. Freakin' asshole. Just because you're a bored old man doesn't mean it's okay to torture others!

"You're usin' the wrong tool! And ya need more cleaning solution! Really work it in there!"

Arnie's version of 'cleaning' seemed to be more rigorous than a Spartan death campaign. Amalia was near-literally being whipped into shape.

"Don't rub it like that! Ya wanna be there all day? Do it harder! Don't just use your fingers, put your back into it!"

It didn't help I had no way to gauge how well she was doing or how much more there was to clean. For my part, I wish I could say that all I was able to do was watch helplessly. 'Wish' being the keyword.

"Ye've got good stamina but yer muscles are too weak! Push those flimsy little things to the limit! Gyahaha!"

That hearty laughter annoyed me. I'm glad someone was excited, because I was positively drained. And this was indeed an accurate description. That's because the reason Amalia still had 'stamina' was I'd been dumping the majority of my Mana into accelerating her body's recovery process.

Essentially, I was multitasking between Meditating and applying Rejuvenation on her arms and lungs. Even her back muscles had fatigue buildup. My Mana was running low and mental exhaustion was plaguing me. My body, too, seemed to be low on fuel. My Stamina had dropped below 30-percent. I just kept reminding myself that we needed that paycheck...

That being said, Amalia was sweating heavily and being her body-sponge had made me feel ... unclean. Even with my magic, I think she was going to expire soon. I probably wasn't far behind. Maintaining my form and clinging onto her had gone from being uncomfortable to unreasonably demanding.

"A-Amalia ... tell—no, beg Arnie for a short break. I can't keep this up."

I felt Amalia finally collapse a moment later, sitting flat on her butt and panting heavily. My slime was as heavy as lead. I didn't realize my body could cramp. This was ... an unwanted discovery.

"Hoh? Finally all tuckered out, eh? Well, that was a pretty good job," Arnie's voice boomed from on high.

Even my mind was numb as I effectively clung to Amalia and felt the dull pain in my body. Arnie's heavy footsteps echoed through the building.

"Here, kiddo. Have some soup and bread. Consider it a bonus. Once you're done, you can finish the rest."

There was a gulp in Amalia's throat. My thoughts, too, turned to food. While I wasn't as famished as her, I was still a bit hungry. All that exertion was tiresome.

"Thanks, mister!" Amalia replied, while Arnie let off some more of that booming laughter.

"No problem, kid. Looked like ya needed it. ... If ya don't mind me askin', what's a little thing like you takin' requests at the Hall for?"

My mind paused, but before I could instruct Amalia, she blurted a reply out while sucking down soup.

"We need money for food. The Hall will hire anyone, so long as you can do the job."

Arnie quickly followed up, "We? For food? Where're your home 'n parents at?"

"They- mmph!- they both passed away. I traveled from Kulve to try joining the Knights, but they said no earlier. Dad always- gulp!- he always said 'you gotta work hard if you want to eat'. I don't want to be a mercenary, but your request sounded like something even I can do."

Blabbermouth! Gossiper! What are you doing, disclosing all your personal matters!? I was horrified. Even in my sluggish state, I clamped down on Amalia and scolded her.

"Amalia! Y-You can't just blurt out all that to anyone!"

"Hmm? Why not?" she replied. Out loud.

... ... ...

I heard an 'Ahh.' get stuck in her throat as she froze up.

"You uh, you okay there, kiddo?" Arnie's voice burst forth, trampling all over the awkward silence.

Fuck!

"S-Sorry!" Amalia mentally stammered, "I-I-I got distracted by the food and lost in thought!"

God damn it! If that 'we' bit earlier didn't make Arnie curious, he sure was now. Think, think.

My brain wasn't working. I wasn't sure what to say on such short notice that would tide this situation over. Especially since I'd be relying on Amalia to perform it.

Amalia spoke silently to me again, "Wh-what should I do? Should I just be honest with him?"

Honesty? When the heck has that ever helped in situations like this? We needed a good lie, not confiding in others. That could only end horribly. How was this girl still so naive and straightforward after all the stuff she's told me happened to her?

That said, a good lie wasn't forthcoming. Our salary was now in jeopardy.

Finally, I burst out in frustration, "Ahh! I don't know! I don't care anymore. Do whatever you think best. I'll just react accordingly."

If things went badly, I'll just try to cover and adapt. I'll just ... write it off as a learning experience for Amalia. If people kept mistreating her, she'll learn eventually. Then she can rely on me more.

My gut told me that was a horrible way to rationalize a bad situation, but as always, my options were limited. Trying to find the 'bright side' of things was unlike me. I began counting backward from 10 to calm my nerves and start outlining a better plan.

"I'm sorry, Arnie! I was talking to Rozalin."

"Who's that? Kid, I don't mean to be rude, but aintcha a lil' old for imaginary friends?" he chuckled lightly.

"Rozalin isn't imaginary. She's my friend! ... Er, though she said I should call her my pet? I'm not sure, but she saved my life and helped me make it to Berrios."

"... Well, if she ain't imaginary, where is she?"

No. ... She wouldn't.

"She's hiding under my shirt. She's very shy, I think."

Why!?

"Hidin' under yer shirt? What is she, a fairy or somethin'?"

"Nope! She's a Slime! She's very smart and nice, but kind of weird sometimes."

I poked my head out, "Amalia! Why are you telling him where I am? We just met this guy!"

She murmured audibly, "I don't know. Mister Arnie seems pretty nice. He kind of reminds me of my father. Dad always said blacksmiths were 'the pillars of the community'!"

I honestly can't tell if she's this stupid, or putting on an act and attempting to flatter the man. If it were the latter, I'd woefully underestimated her. I was on the edge of my seat right now, and said 'seat' was starting to piss me off. This 'child of mine' needs discipline.

"A Slime, ya say? As a pet?" his skepticism was apparent, "I mean, folks round these parts do keep some beasties and monsters as livestock or exotic pets, but ... never heard of a Slime bein' one."

"Me neither!" Amalia blurted out, "She can even talk, just like a person! ... Well, only to me for some reason. She calls it 'telepathy' or sometimes a 'link'."

A pause, "Yer sayin' a Slime can talk to ya? Seems like a pretty tall tale, kiddo."

His disbelief was grating on my nerves. My inability to speak for myself was causing me issues. If I could bypass my mouthpiece, this would go so much easier. I'd also likely be cursing at the man and informing him where he could take those muscles of his.

—Okay, so maybe it was a good thing I couldn't communicate in this situation. Whatever.

Amalia continued, "I can try getting her to come out if you want? She's very shy and scares easily. You won't be afraid of her, will you? Can you promise you'll be nice to and not hurt her?"

By the end, she'd taken on a pleading tone. I didn't like this situation, but the fact it hadn't exploded already was beyond my expectations.

"Pfft-! Afraid? Ol' Ironhand here? Not a chance! Bring it on, kid. I can play nice with a little Slime. And I mean, if something's your pet or property, so long as it ain't hurtin' nobody, don't think it'd be all too legal to steal or hurt it. Not sayin' no one in Berrios wouldn't anyway, but ... Ye've got me curious now! Show me whatcha got!"

"Okay! Let me talk to her!"

This whole thing was stupid. Was this going to be a recurring theme? Amalia's horrendous lying ability made it easy for me to read her, but this is the second time it's gotten me into these situations. Seriously, how naive can you be!?

As if to aggravate me further, Amalia started cooing in my head, "Rozalin ... Rozalin, come out. Arnie says he won't hurt you."

... Yes, I can hear just fine. We both were present for the same conversation, yet you believe him?

"I'll come out. But Amalia, we need to have a lengthy discussion later about how to handle these situations. If this goes poorly, I'm running away."

With great resignation, I popped my head out to get a better view. Feeling like a specimen on display left a sour taste in my mouth. I locked sight with the mighty mountain of muscle. Gods, that beard is fierce.

"So uh, s'that thing supposed to be pink? Never seen a pink Slime before. Ya sure it's okay to be bringin' a lil' monster into town?" I watched as Arnie scratched his head.

Amalia replied, "I'm not sure. Rozalin was going to stay outside and make shelter for us tonight after we made some money, but decided it was dangerous for me to go alone. After ... well, I went to the Hall to find employment, and we thought cleaning would be a good job since Rozalin can eat all the dirt and dust. But ..."

"So ya thought it'd be an easy job 'n just scoot on outta here after ya were done? Pfft! Girl, ya got guts comin' into my shop with a head full o' silly ideas like that! Bwahaha!" Arnie chuckled loudly.

"S-Sorry ..."

At this point, I really didn't know what was going on. The flow of the conversation had taken a decidedly less hostile tone than I expected. Perhaps ... there was still a chance to get paid.

I whispered to Amalia, "Tell Arnie that we respect such an acute businessman. If he's still interested, I can guarantee this shop will be cleaner than ever before, if he'll give me some time to work on it. And throw in some flattery, too."

As Amalia parroted my words more or less accurately, Arnie's face scrunched up. This was ... concerning.

"Can that lil' pink thing there really clean this whole place up in a jiffy?"

... In a jiffy?

"Rozalin's really strong and good at things! I'm sure she can."

While I thanked Amalia for the vote of confidence, something about such a blatant remark felt rather stifling. Just what kind of pers—er, Slime does she take me for? Ugh, I can't keep up with that girl and this Arnie fellow. Shouldn't people be more worried there's a monster in town? Even if it isn't trying to eat them? This is illogical. I don't understand.

Logic be damned, apparently. I wanted to strangle someone, but I can adapt. It was at this point I said 'Fuck it!' and finally got to work to enact my original money-making plan. ...

A much shorter and less strenuous period uneventfully followed. Amalia sat happily drinking the provided soup and bread, whereas I began scouring and squeezing into places and cleaning all the surfaces. It was a bit more difficult than I anticipated, but still nothing compared to the two hours of Hell from earlier.

Years of grime and blemishes had built up over time, so I had to adjust the level at which I dissolved the surface area so as not to damage anything. I made a few minor mistakes, but for the most part I was satisfied. The wood was nice and clean, the pieces with a lacquer finish were nice and smooth, and the metal was polished rather well. Even the tools and shavings were tidied up. I admired my handiwork.

Seeing such a clean area made me feel that perhaps this world had the potential to not be such a disgusting mess all the time. That thought helped calm my fears that I'd be stuck with a bunch of cavemen banging rocks and throwing feces. Simply put, it was clean. I liked clean.

Arnie had been watching me with interest most of the time. Crossing his arms, ... giant muscles on show.

That guy is definitely on the juice.

Anyway, it was a job well done, if I do say so myself. Even the stone floor was a lighter shade of gray. The carpet at the front of the shop was decidedly less splotchy, and all the cobwebs were gone. Satisfaction spread throughout my body.

"Rozalin, you seem happy," Amalia said out loud, interrupting my thoughts.

"Of course! Work is complete. More importantly, everything is nice and clean. I hate dirty things—"

Arnie cut me off near the end, "So this Slime, it's a girl Slime? And it has a name? How do ya know?"

While this was rather aggravating, I suppose it's not like he can hear me to know I'm speaking. Don't mind it, don't mind it ...

"Because Rozalin sounds like a kind lady," Amalia responded.

"I do?" "She does?"

Generally, people would tell me I sound like a bitch or a nag. Grumpy and stern were common, too. 'Kind' was certainly low on the list. Putting aside our mutual timing, the follow-up we received was simple.

"Yup! She sounds like, uhm ... Hmm, kinda ... like an older sister, maybe? Or a next door neighbor?"

I wasn't sure how to feel about this. Sister? Neighbor? I'm starting to lean back towards wondering if there are rocks in her head. Should I shake it a little to double-check?

"Huh? That so, kiddo? Well, I don't mean to pry in yer business too much. This is the cleanest my shop's been since I hired that whacky water mage a few years back. Guy was stranger than a horse in a chicken coop, I tell ya. ... Well anyway, point is I don't know what relationship ya two share, but be careful out there! Hate to see a hardworkin' girl like you get into trouble."

Arnie then turned towards me, "Thanks for the help, Miss Slime. Now take care of the Little Miss. If I find out ya bullied or did 'er wrong, ye'll be catching these hands, ya dig?"

I literally had Skills born from my great love of digging and eating stone. Pretty sure I 'digged' things just fine, you bearded menace.

Rather than have Amalia respond for me, I simply bounced a little to mimic a nod, then lazily headed back towards Amalia and hid under her shirt again. These events were exhausting. Amalia seemed to dread such a thing. Shouldn't I be the one lamenting my fate? It wasn't exactly a party under here. Though the warmth was alright. ...

"Well, I suppose ye'll be wantin' yer pay now. I'd like to give ya a lil' sumthin' extra, so here's a bonus. If ye ever need any tools or metalwork, stop on in 'n I'll give ya a fair price."

Arnie went over beside his son Ellis, who seemed pretty unimpressed by the whole ordeal. Arnie fished a pouch out from underneath the counter, before digging through it. A silver coin and a small token sailed through the air and landed in Amalia's palm. I wobbled a little as Amalia bowed towards Arnie. Is she trying to give me whiplash?

He spoke, "There's your bonus, and there's your proof. Turn that into the Hall 'n they'll take care o' ya."

"Thank you, Mister Ironhand!" she chirped.

A hearty bellow erupted from the man, "No problem kiddo, you two earned it. Take care, ya hear?"

Yet again, Amalia did that silly salute, "Yes, sir! Oh and ... Mister Ironhand, can you and Ellis not tell anyone about Rozalin? I don't know what I'd do if someone separated us."

Arnie clapped Ellis on the shoulder, causing his average-sized son to stumble forward a bit.

"Don't even worry bout it, kid. We ain't a pair of loose-lipped ol' ladies, gabbin' all over the place. Just stay outta trouble, ya hear? Hope to see ya around again."

"Yeah!" Amalia cheered, turning towards the door, "Goodbye! And take care!"

Really, I don't know how she can have so much ... enthusiasm and trust in people. Well, I'll figure out a solution for when things come tumbling down. And I'm sure, it will.

That's just how it goes. ...

After a short walk, Amalia and I were back at the Mercenary Hall. That same lady from before was still there, despite it now being late in the afternoon.

"Hello ma'am, I've returned," Amalia greeted her.

"Back already? That was rather quick. Were you able to help out the blacksmith?"

"Yup! He told me to give you this token as sign of completion."

Amalia handed over Arnie's token, which I'd examined earlier. It had an odd series of bumps and grooves on it. The token itself appeared to be made of some sort of dark gray metal. Something told me it'd be delicious. I considered eating it for only a brief moment, before passing it back to Amalia earlier.

The secretary lady made some small talk with Amalia and myself while she verified the token or whatever. I couldn't quite see what was going on from my vantage point. I heard a small whirring noise and a click, which surprised me.

The lady spoke, "Everything's in order. That was a rather quick turnaround. As agreed upon earlier, the bounty for this request was two silver leafs. The Hall's 10-percent commision takes you down to one silver leaf and 8 copper branches. Minus the member fee of 50 copper, your pay is one silver leaf and 3 copper branches."

As the secretary finished helpfully accounting our spoils, I more or less managed to follow the finances in this situation.

A 'copper leaf' was worth 1 copper. A 'copper branch' was worth 10 copper. Silver was similar, as was gold. There also existed a gold currency coin called a 'crown' that was worth 100 gold leafs, but that was a bit beyond our current earning potential.

Amalia happily pocketed the change and thanked the counter lady. After that, we confirmed the availability of the previous 'Horned Rabbit pelt' request and accepted that too. I planned on trying to catch a few this evening. Perhaps I could even hunt while she slept.

With a greatly improved mood and fuller stomach, Amalia and I headed back out into the town proper. We spent some of that money on meat and fruit at a stall, along with something resembling chestnuts. Amalia had a small satchel at her side she kept the food in. This should do for now.

I discussed a plan with Amalia for the future. I'd continue hunting in the evenings to bring in extra food. I was considering making some more diamonds and seeing if Arnie would be interested in buying them. Eventually, I wanted to be able to produce more valuable minerals or metals. There might be a partnership in the making here, but I'd have to approach that deal carefully.

Rather than look to immediately increase our income, it was more important to keep our expenditures low for the time being while saving up. These 'requests' could dry up at a moment's notice. As such, I had to sit on quite a few ideas concerning Amalia's health and attire, along with housing. We'd go with something simple for now. I'd do what I'd become proficient at—namely, digging a cave.

Amalia would have to 'rough it' for another night or two. I wasn't sure what a good point to save up til was, but from my limited information I figured 10 or so 'silver leafs' was a fair amount for one person. Seemed enough to feed Amalia for a week or two. Still don't know why they don't call them 'leaves'. Bothersome.

We managed to find three Horned Rabbits that evening, of which we carefully skinned. This whole 'skinning' business was a learning experience for me. Thankfully, Amalia had done this before and was more knowledgeable than I. Not that I needed to know for myself, given I could just dissolve them whole, but being ignorant was not something to be proud of.

After that, Amalia cooked one, while I Devoured the other two. It was at this point, I finally received a notification from munching on the 'lil buggers, much to my surprise.

Attribute increase!

Dexterity - 28 → 29

While it was only one 'measly' point of Dexterity, it was better than nothing. Certainly not a bad way to round off the day. And on that note, Amalia and I made camp for the night. I dug a mini-cave for her to rest in and we filled it with leaves. The Horned Rabbit hides were lightly buried outside nearby. We'd retreive them tomorrow.

While I certainly couldn't complain about how things had gone today, I still spent some time discussing Amalia's ... decision-making process before bed. It didn't go well.

"But Father always told me I should be honest and never lie! So, I, uhm ..." was the stupid reason she gave me.

At such a ... blunt and innocent way of thinking, I was left speechless. It was inconceivable. What kind of lifestyle and teachings could this girl have experienced to still be this ... this, whatever! Ghh-!

If I thought about it too much, I'd end up doing something unforgiveable. I just kept reminding myself about the money. Money, then find a good spot to 'grind' more levels. This was an important bit—as levels seemed to be one of the essentials in this world. If I were lucky, I'd get another one of those 'evolution' deals too. A promotion of sorts was very high on my goals list.

Still, I seemed to have plenty of time to re-educate the girl. She was young, I didn't think a Slime's body would age, and no one seemed to be wanting to murder me yet. Even if I couldn't bend her morals completely, there were other ways to arm her with the tools needed to succeed in life and become a good assistant. As with all good things, it would just take some time. Just, ... perhaps a bit more time than I thought.

And so, with a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach, we both turned in for the night. I was mentally cataloging a training manual and schedule for my right-hand ... child. As I peered over to her sleeping face, she had a stupid grin on her mouth. She was muttering in her sleep, something she seemed to oft do.

Thankfully, this time it seemed like she was having a good dream, so that helped put me at ease. Last time she thrashed about and it gave me anxiety. Staying up all night comforting someone wasn't something I'd be good at. I continued relaxing, yet she started to become more animated. Rather than ignore her and continue, I spared her a brief bit of attention. Perhaps I'd gain some insight into what made up her bizarre mental state?

"Mmm ... Nnn- Rozzy ... I don't want to eat any more grapes ... no, no ... not in my nose ... ears are, sensitive ... not the, not the hats-! ... Hnn-..." she slurred.

What?

No seriously, what? I ... No, I'm beginning to think I'm not cut out for this. Why did I think this was a good idea? 'Oh, let's go get a Royal Guard and try to acquire information and integrate into civilization!' Freakin' genius. Should've just kept killing things.

This didn't feel like a 'heart-pounding adventure'. No, not at all. It felt like mental torture.

I miss my stupid, monster-infested cave.

"And I'm telling you, there are no monsters in this stupid cave! We've searched the whole damn thing high and low! There's no spider, no dead kobolds, and certainly no Dungeon Core!"

The Lieutenant Knight known as Morel stood in front of Captain Hendrickson, just outside the cave of precisely one former kobold den.

Hendrickson ran a hand through his coarse, gray beard. Something just wasn't adding up with this scene.

When they'd arrived at the supposed Dungeon this evening, a preliminary search was conducted. The Mana flow within the cave had been stagnant, leaving behind only the faintest evidence a Dungeon Core had been present. All that was left now were wisps of the stuff.

"No, that just doesn't make sense. If there's no Dungeon Core, then how did all the evidence get cleaned up?" Hendrickson muttered while cradling his chin.

"Perhaps our informant hit his head a bit too hard and got the wrong hole-in-the-wall? You sure this is the right cave, Faust?"

The blonde-haired Morel turned towards Blake, whose sterling gray eyes were narrowed at the cave hallways in disbelief.

"I-I'm positive, Sirs. There's no mistaking it at all," he replied.

The frustrated Morel spat back, "Then how do you explain this?" he asked, waving his hand around the halls.

Hendrickson interjected, "Give it a rest, Morel. Knight Faust, head back to the investigation team and continue searching. If the mages find something, report back."

Relief instantly flooded Blake's face, as he saluted his superiors and quickly vanished from sight. Morel and Hendrickson were in the room belonging to the now deceased kobold, Shamaness Byuin. They'd long since inspected the room and consulted the mages they'd brought along.

Apparently, the kobolds were conducting some sort of unknown ritual in this area. Something involving black magics and hexes they had little information on. All the mages were able to discern is that these kobolds were aiming for the Dungeon Core, and the ritual was connected somehow.

While that could potentially explain the appearance of a high-ranking threat such as a Mirrorback, the intentions of the kobolds were lost. The trail had gone dry.

Other than some flecks of blood on the walls, it was almost as if someone had entirely mopped up the place. If they didn't know otherwise, all the people present would assume it really was just a normal cave. All the corpses were missing, neither Castella Duval nor her corpse had been found, and there was no Dungeon Core in sight. This could only mean one thing.

Either Castella Duval was still among the living and concocting some sort of trecherous plan, or someone was plotting against the Kingdom of Brita. The former was highly unlikely, so it fell on the later.

Whoever had picked this place clean had shown incredible resourcefulness. The mages hadn't been able to find any traces of evidence—magical or physical. This was almost assuredly the work of rebels or an enemy nation.

As such, the frown on Hendrickson's face grew heavier.

"Morel," he spoke, "We're going to have to finish noting all the details, construct a timeline, and submit a report to the Mayor. If someone has somehow stolen or destroyed the Dungeon Core as I suspect, then we're likely up against a great, unseen force."

Morel scowled at the thought. This expedition was supposed to be an easy achievement he could sling under his belt. Now, they'd be returning with the worst possible news. What's more, the glory was likely going to be hogged.

"And then the Mayor will call them in to clean up the mess? What'll we be left with after all that? This is a waste of time. Blake must have gotten drunk off his ass and misremembered something. Or some fool came in and destroyed the Core! Don't you think that's possible?"

Morel couldn't help think that his own logic was full of holes, but the young man was frustrated. He wasn't used to such unfavorable situations. He didn't care for them, so it was easier to reject the 'simple truth'.

With a heavy sigh, Hendrickson shook his head, "No. It wouldn't make sense for a single, unaffiliated individual to be capable of all this. It was the work of a mastermind. The Mayor needs to report this. It's required by law, and failure to do so is considered accessory to treason. ... Need I remind you?"

A heavy grunt was heard, as Morel's lips parted in an annoyed frown. He had no rebuttal.

"I hate to pack up and call it too, boy, but I think we've seen everything needed here. This is a matter of national security. ... The Court will want to send those bothersome fellows out."

It was with great resignation that the Knight-Captain forced these final words out from his throat.

"Ah. They're gonna want to call in the Black Blades."