Chapter 68

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

---

Bathed in sunlight, the jelly-like object shimmered with a strange black luster, its semi-transparent body trembling with a disgusting, wobbly movement as it approached. This was a slime. In some games, it is considered the weakest, but in reality, it is known to be a surprisingly tough opponent. I wondered why it was wandering around the school grounds, but as I thought this, the slime continued to wobble and approach.

(Frankly, it's disgusting, it makes my skin crawl. Is this what they mean by a physiological aversion?)

I felt a chill and shuddered in my armor, wanting to quickly retrieve the mandrake and leave the scene. However, the mandrake was currently swimming in the air, elegantly evading Magilka, who was trying to catch it.

"Putting that aside, why is there a slime here!"

As I voiced my very reasonable question to no one in particular, Prince and a few male students ran over from the same direction as the slime. The slime moved very slowly, and the prince and his group easily overtook it, but the slime showed no reaction to them.

"Your helmet has arrived, that's good. I was worried about what would happen when you took it off."

"Lord Reiforce, I apologize for causing you concern."

As the prince came to me and sighed in relief, I bowed deeply while still in my full armor.

"By the way, what about that slime?"

Not understanding the situation, I asked the prince, thinking he might know something since he came from the same direction as the slime.

"We will explain that!"

In front of me, a group of male students puffed out their chests and appeared. I sent them a cold glare through my helmet.

"Who are these people?"

"We are members of the Slime Research Club. Our main activities are studying the ecology of slimes and improving their breeds!"

I asked the prince, who smiled with a troubled look, and then turned my gaze back to the club members. Their words made me realize something.

"Could it be that the slime is yours?"

"Indeed! It is our masterpiece, our best creation, which we planned to exhibit at this year's fair!"

The students, seemingly oblivious to the current situation, proudly declared this, causing me to facepalm through my helmet.

"How did you manage to store such a huge slime?"

"Well, it was originally small enough to fit in a barrel."

"Huh? Barrel?"

The word one of the club members used, which I had recently heard, made me react and look at him.

"Yes, we were moving it in a barrel! Suddenly, a white angel crossed our path and shattered the barrel. Then, to our surprise, the slime began to swell rapidly! This must be divine guidance! Look at its size! Its slimy texture! It's perfect! This year's fair will be our stage!"

The student, excited, spread his arms wide and rejoiced. The prince, with a dry laugh, and Safina, Tütte, and the half-lidded Magilka, who was floating in the air, all looked at me with a painful expression. They were all looking at me because of the "white angel" word.

"That's the situation."

"I apologize, Lord Reiforce!"

Hearing the prince's explanation, I wanted to prostrate myself before everyone, but given the situation and my attire, I restrained myself and bowed deeply.

"Still, why did it swell so much?"

Magilka, who had stopped floating and landed next to us, asked. One of the students proudly puffed out his chest.

"That slime is not like any other! It is the result of years of research and breeding, a slime that grows by absorbing magic, a Drain Slime, if you will!"

"What happens after it grows?"

"It just keeps growing. It absorbs magic and grows, that's all. Isn't that amazing!"

The man, snorting, declared this, and we all looked at the wobbly object approaching us again.

(What a troublesome slime...)

"So, when Lady Mary broke the barrel, the slime attached to the armor absorbed the magic emitted by the armor, detached from it, and grew to this size?"

"That's disgusting! When did it attach itself?"

Hearing Magilka's words, I hugged myself through my armor and took a step back.

"Tütte, it's not attached anymore, right?"

I spread my arms to ask the maid, who was standing behind me, to check the parts I couldn't see. Tütte approached, looked closely at my armor, and assured me it was fine, which made me sigh in relief.

"Um... While we're talking, the slime is getting quite close. Shouldn't we run?"

Safina's nervous words made me realize the slime was already quite close.

"Why is it coming straight for us?"

"Maybe it's enchanted by Lady Mary?"

My simple question was met with the prince's offhand response, which froze the atmosphere.

"Lady Mary has no morals!"

"True to form, Lady Mary! To transcend species like that!"

"No, no, that's not it! I'm wearing a helmet! Don't say things like that! It's a false accusation!"

Receiving criticism and praise from Magilka and Safina, I ended up defending myself loudly.

"Then, why is it coming?"

"Probably because it's drawn to the delicious magic. As I said, that slime only thinks about absorbing magic."

The student, who had been watching our conversation, answered the prince.

"Magic... Ah, not Lady Mary's, but the mandrake's."

Hearing the student's words, Magilka seemed to understand something and was about to say something, but I glared at her through my helmet to stop her. Fienne had said the mandrake was rich in magic. To the slime, the mandrake probably looked like a marbled steak. That's why it was chasing it, probably...

"Anyway! That slime is yours, control it!"

To change the topic, I turned to the students with renewed energy, and they smiled confidently.

(Oh, this confidence. Can I expect something?)

Upon closer inspection, they were very calm in this situation. They probably had some plan, and I felt relieved.

"Haha, just because we created it doesn't mean we can control it. It's an unexpected result, and we're at a loss. It's truly our masterpiece."

"Stop being so dramatic!"

As our banter continued, the slime finally reached the irrigation ditch and stopped a few dozen meters away from us.

"Here it comes, Lady Mary! Let's run!"

"No, if we run, we'll lose the mandrake. We can't leave this place. At worst, the slime will eat us."

As Magilka suggested retreating, I disagreed and glared at the root vegetable still swimming elegantly.

"But... Then, are we going to defeat the slime?"

"That's the only option... Ah, where is Zaha when we need him!"

Realizing the key fighter was absent, I complained, and the prince averted his gaze, his eyes dimming, and muttered.

"He's currently wallowing in self-loathing and shame. I think it would be best to leave him alone."

(Ah, yes, I see... I apologize.)

Since it was half, or rather, all my fault, I listened to the prince and tried not to think about Zaha anymore.

"Anyway, its target is the mandrake. We must prevent it from being taken."

I changed my mindset and stood in front of the disgusting, wobbling object.

"We'll handle the slime, you retrieve the mandrake. Your Highness, please step back. Physical attacks won't work, so Safina, you guard the prince."

Magilka, standing next to me, instructed the club members to retrieve the mandrake, had the prince and Tütte step back, and assigned Safina as the prince's guard. Since physical attacks don't work on slimes, it's common for mages like us to handle them.

At that moment, the slime, as if it had spotted its prey, stopped its wobbling.

"It's coming! I won't let it take the mandrake!"

I braced myself, warning Magilka to stop the slime from reaching the mandrake. As I looked at the slime again, it started to wobble at double speed. It extended several slimy, semi-transparent tentacles from its body, and I thought they would reach for the floating mandrake, but instead, they ignored it and extended straight towards me at an incredible speed, causing me to scream and turn to run.

The slime, ignoring Magilka standing next to me, pursued me with even faster tentacles. It had gone from a slow, wobbly pace to a rapid, terrifying movement.

"......"

Everyone, not understanding what was happening, stared at me and the slime in shock.

"Why is it coming after me! I'm not the mandrake!"

Being chased by a large slime in full armor must look quite ridiculous from the outside, but for me, it was no laughing matter. Some might think I should just fight it, but that wasn't on my mind.

Because it was disgusting.

The tentacles, in particular, were something I, as a woman, found physiologically repulsive. Moreover, their eerie movements were incredibly fast, and they were pursuing me with great momentum. It was only natural for my instincts to prioritize escape.

Thus, I left the irrigation ditch and headed back towards the school building, with the slime pursuing me, extending its tentacles. The others, left behind, probably thought, "See, it was enchanted by her"...

"It's not that! I'm not enchanted! It's the armor! It's the armor's fault!"

Feeling their gazes, I shouted another meaningless defense, and this time, I was being pursued rather than pursuing.