Chapter 58

Good morning.

Today's weather is cloudy, with the threat of rain.

I'm doing my vocal exercises and warm-up exercises while waiting for Shell to arrive.

Shell came to the room as usual, but upon closer inspection, it's clear that she's in a bad mood.

It must be because she was the only one who couldn't eat the pancakes I made yesterday.

The king, Queen Leetria, and Anneliese gorged themselves on the pancakes I made, but Duran and Shell were assigned to serve, so they couldn't eat.

Other maids couldn't eat either, but I gave the cook a note with the recipe, so I think they made some after that.

Actually, I was sending a silent pressure to the cook, saying "Make them!" The maids' glares were so intense, it felt like they were shooting beams.

I returned to the academy before dinner, so Shell was the only one who couldn't eat the homemade pancakes made by the cook.

I started feeling a bit sorry for her.

So, I'll give her the pancakes I secretly kept during the forest training.

I fly over to Shell and open the magic bag attached to her waist.

Since I made the magic bag, anyone can take things out of it.

It doesn't have a time stop function, so I put a time stop barrier on it, quickly took out the pancakes from my magic bag, and put them in hers.

She looked incredibly happy and thanked me.

It's great to see her mood improve.

I change into my usual adventure outfit and head to the dining hall.

In the center of the dining hall, the "two-timing woman" drama is back, with Cavendish and the student council president glaring at each other, with the two-timing woman in between.

However, everyone around them is completely ignoring it.

I ignore the commotion and enjoy my breakfast at a quiet corner.

From today on, the training will be in the grassland instead of the forest.

The travel time by carriage will be halved, so even without the swings, it was manageable.

The young ladies seemed a bit disappointed, but I ignored them.

In the grassland training, instead of having one adventurer per group, adventurers are stationed at intervals to rush to the rescue when needed.

We stand at the starting point surrounded by tall grass.

Since there are many insect monsters in this grassland, Eulgram's mood is bad.

Recently, the smell of insect repellent has been like Eulgram's body odor.

It's not a bad smell, but since everyone knows the smell of insect repellent, it's like advertising that I'm weak against insect monsters.

The starting bell rings, and we start walking towards the base.

It's a new place, so I'm a bit tense and on guard, but it's not as difficult to walk as in the forest, so the pace is decent.

There are indeed many insect monsters, and while they don't come near Eulgram, there are quite a few a bit further away.

If we tried to hunt all of them, it would be a huge task, so we focus on the ones with the thickest black mist.

The monsters that appear are rabbit monsters, wolf monsters, and fox monsters, which we also saw in the forest, as well as raccoon monsters and rat monsters, which we haven't seen before.

Unlike the forest, each one is weaker, but there are more of them.

Finally, I see the monsters that I thought would be the first to appear in a different world!

"Shuryaimu! (Slime!)"

I got so excited that I shouted.

The first slime I saw was not blue, and its eyes were just dots like sesame seeds, but its green, semi-transparent body, which looked like a large piece of gum, was bouncing around, and it looked very cute for a monster.

As I approached and observed it closely, it was quickly captured from behind, and Diggory, with a very cautious voice, said,

"Slimes appearing here?!"

He took a combat stance, and I saw him with a short sword in one hand, looking very alert.

"Are slimes strong?"

Eulgram answered.

"Yes, they are weak but very troublesome monsters. You shouldn't approach them recklessly."

"Slimes can't be defeated unless you destroy the core, a slightly darker part inside their body. However, they can move the core freely, making it hard to hit. Their tentacle attacks can sometimes be as powerful as Slimeya's whip!"

Slimes in this world are formidable enemies!

Green slimes can even use wind magic when they get stronger, which makes them even more troublesome, and I was surprised!

Eulgram uses magic to cut off the tentacles, while Diggory and Eulgram aim for the core, but they can't hit it.

They launch quick attacks in pairs, but they get tired, so they take a step back and Eulgram uses magic to keep the slime at bay.

Despite its cute appearance, it's a formidable enemy.

Moreover, the mist is thick.

The core, a small lump inside, is pitch black.

I was too excited to notice at first, but considering the thickness of the mist, it is indeed a troublesome monster.

So, I'll join the battle!

I cast a spell at the slime.

The slime's body starts to freeze from where my spell hits.

The surface freezes, and the slime stops moving.

Taking advantage of this, Diggory quickly approaches and stabs the core, successfully piercing it, and the slime dissolves, leaving behind a plastic-like skin.

"Yay! I defeated a slime for the first time!"

"No, it was practically defeated by you, Mr. Keta!"

"Well, that's true, but it's still great, it's my first kill! Yay, Mr. Keta!"

He asks for a high-five, so I respond,

"Yay!"

Eulgram looked a bit disappointed but smiled.

We continue to hunt monsters smoothly and take a lunch break before moving on.

After seeing my magic, Eulgram made some adjustments, so we were able to defeat slimes without much trouble, and we progressed faster than in the forest.

When we reach the base, about half of the groups are already there, and some are causing a commotion at the appraisal site.

We approach to get our appraisal, and it turns out to be Cavendish causing the commotion.

"If you can't properly appraise these rare monsters, replace the appraiser! You're fired!"

The appraiser, who looks like a typical city hall clerk from an anime, with a fabric arm cover, a shiny side-parted hairstyle, and glasses that glint, responds,

"As I've said multiple times, no materials can be obtained from these monsters. With so many injuries and burn marks, the appraisal value will naturally be low, no matter how rare the monsters are. I am the deputy guild master, and there is no one in the capital who is more knowledgeable about appraisals than me. If you are not satisfied, you can take them to another country."

He is the deputy guild master.

Finally, a teacher arrives, and Cavendish leaves, looking very sulky.

When we join the appraisal line, everyone who was watching the commotion from a distance gathers around to peek.

As I present the monsters one by one, the deputy guild master's face lights up, and when I show the slime's skin, he looks like he's about to dance.

The slime's skin, which was solidified by magic and stabbed, has only one injury, so it gets the highest appraisal.

The insect monsters I presented next, which I chose for their thick mist, included some rare ones, making the appraiser even happier.

Of course, my catch, which I also solidified with magic and stabbed, received the highest appraisal.

From today on, the second and third-year students will be staying overnight, so even if I return to the academy, I won't be bothered by Cavendish.

The first day passed smoothly without any trouble.