Chapter 16

Today marks the first update.

I will also update at night.

I hope you enjoy the New Year's period!

Lushion and I stayed overnight in a hotel.

We received another transportation request at the guild and were heading for Tiars again.

Since we had left the capital, the number of people had decreased.

Therefore, we could use the "Teleport" spell more often.

As we progressed along the coastal road, we passed near a fishing village called Veron.

"Veron... If we were walking, it would take at least five days from the capital to here."

"It's only the morning of the second day. We're moving at a pretty fast pace."

"Yeah. We might even be a bit faster than by air. Anyway, let's keep moving forward."

However, as a result of getting carried away...

"I'm sorry, Elicia."

It was already pitch dark, but it would still take quite a while to reach a town with an inn.

Turning back would also mean a halfway distance.

We were using "Teleport" at high speed, but even if we arrived, the inn's reception might already be closed.

"No, it's because I took too long to defeat the Arrowcrows in that village earlier..."

"No, I only managed to defeat three of them."

We had taken some time to defeat the Arrowcrows that were ravaging crops and livestock in a village we passed through at dusk.

Arrowcrows look like large crows with sharp claws and beaks. Individually, they weren't very strong, but there were many of them.

I'm still inexperienced in combat...

I couldn't hit them with dark magic as they flew at high speed in the sky.

On the other hand, Elicia was amazing. She protected me and fought fiercely, using holy magic, throwing spears, and axes—taking down the Arrowcrows one after another.

Despite this, Elicia looked somewhat regretful.

"I should have practiced with a bow..."

"Elicia, you don't need a bow... Well, I'm sure you'd be great with a bow too. Anyway, we got a lot of feathers and meat."

In the end, we managed to hunt about fifteen Arrowcrows.

"The feathers of Arrowcrows are the best for arrow fletching. The beaks and claws can also be used as high-quality arrowheads... and the meat is delicious."

The feathers and beaks were washed with water, and the meat was bled by Elicia and frozen.

Both were stored in the "Pandora Box."

We also received fruits, wheat, and beans from the farmers we helped.

"Then, let's eat them today! Shall we camp out here?"

"Is that okay?"

"Yes! We were prepared for camping anyway!"

Indeed, the "Pandora Box" contained cooking utensils and sleeping bags.

We had prepared them for areas with fewer people, but it would be fine to camp out in this relatively safe area.

So, we decided to camp out in a slightly elevated spot off the road, surrounded by rocks and a small forest with a view of the sea.

While preparing for camping and making a campfire, Elicia murmured.

"It's already completely dark. The moon looks especially bright."

"Really. We've come quite a distance."

We had already covered a distance that would take eight days on foot in just two days.

At this pace, we should reach near Tiars in three days.

There, the streets and the number of people should be even fewer.

Elicia quickly finished preparing the campfire, placed a pot on it, and started grilling skewers of meat.

The smell was already delicious.

"Wow, it looks delicious..."

"I'm making the tough parts of the Arrowcrows into a soup with fruits, vegetables, and beans. The fatty and tender legs are being grilled with salt... Yes. The soup is ready to eat."

After tasting it, Elicia poured the soup into a bowl and handed it to me.

"Here you go."

"Thank you... Mmm."

The flavors of the meat and vegetables filled my nose. I could faintly taste the sweetness of the fruits. Overall, it was a gentle taste. The warmth was soothing, as camping can get quite cold.

The tough meat was well-cooked and fell apart easily.

"Delicious..."

"I'm glad you like it. Here, try this too."

"Grilled Arrowcrow, huh. It's a dish that occasionally appears in the palace... Wow!"

The skin was crispy, and the inside was tender. There was no gamey smell, and the cooking was perfect. Unlike the palace, where the flavors can be mixed, this was easy to eat.

I could eat several of these...

"Elicia... it's really delicious."

I said this and silently continued to eat the meat.

Elicia smiled.

"Thank you!"

"I feel bad eating alone, so let's eat together?"

"Yes!"

We ate together, looking at the sea illuminated by the moon.

Although it was high-quality food, it wasn't as elaborate as palace cuisine. However, it tasted several times better than what we ate in the palace.

Perhaps it was because we had worked to obtain the ingredients ourselves. The sea breeze was also refreshing.

Elicia, who initially ate politely, gradually became more wild in her eating. It was that delicious.

"Well, I've eaten my fill! There's still some Arrowcrow meat left, but we should sell it in the next town, I think."

"It depends on how long the frozen meat will last."

"Right. By the way, would you like to try something to warm up?"

"An experiment?"

"Yes. I teleported to the capital yesterday. Today, I want to see if I can teleport this distance, and with both of us."

"Let's try it!"

"Thanks."

Elicia immediately grabbed my hand tightly.

I chanted to teleport to the same garden in the palace as yesterday.

Sure enough, we arrived in the garden in an instant. It seemed that teleporting with two people was not a problem.

Elicia's eyes widened.

"Really... it's the capital, Lord Alex."

"Yeah. It's an incredible distance."

There didn't seem to be any guards searching for Lushion today. Or rather, someone had come.

"They went that way! ...Damn, to wander into such a place!"

"Leave the slime alone, it's just a slime."

"The bigwigs are making a fuss over that slime."

"Looks like we're in for a sleepless night."

The guards were frantically searching the garden's flower beds with torches.

Slime?

It must have sneaked into the palace. The capital's underground sewers are home to weak monsters like slimes, which often wander into the vast palace grounds.

...Oh.

A slime had come to my feet.

There are different types of slimes, but this one was a regular slime. It is tough against slashing attacks but can only attack by ramming or using weak water magic.

I thought it would attack, but it just trembled at my feet, showing no hostility.

If it were found, it would be captured by the guards.

Elicia also peered at the slime.

"It's quite docile."

"Maybe it's used to humans. Let's teleport it away and set it free."

Saying this, I picked up the slime and chanted to teleport back to our campsite.

We appeared in a place with a view of the sea. We had successfully teleported, and both Elicia and the slime were with me.

"That's amazing! Even I, who am not very knowledgeable about magic, can tell."

"I can hardly believe it myself... and. Let's not go to dangerous places this time."

I set the slime down there.

But the slime moved towards the soup.

"Maybe it wants the soup?"

"Since we have it, let's give it to it. There's mostly just broth left anyway."

"Let's try it."

"Sure."

Elicia poured the soup into a bowl and placed it in front of the slime.

The slime extended tentacle-like appendages from its body.

It grabbed the bowl and poured the contents into a mouth-like opening.

"Wow, it's drinking. And... it seems to like it."

The slime stretched out on the spot.

"Lord Alex, since we have it, why don't we make it a familiar?"

"That's a good idea. It's not hostile, so it might become a familiar easily. Let's try it."

I said this clearly, but the demon's voice did not echo in my mind.

It's a matter of endurance... well, it's fine.

"Do you want to become my familiar?"

The slime heard this and remained still.

Is this a sign of agreement?

I chanted to make the slime a familiar.

Then, the slime began to glow.

"By the way, it gets closer to its master... Oh?"

When the light faded, the slime was still there, unchanged.

"It doesn't change into a human-like form like you?"

"It didn't fail to become a familiar..."

The absorption of magic power had increased, which was proof that it had become a familiar.

I don't understand... I don't want to ask the demon either.

If it didn't become a familiar, it would probably disappear on its own.

I called out to the slime.

"Anyway, nice to meet you."

"Do you want to give it a name?"

"Hmm. Any good ideas?"

"What about Mini Alex?"

"Named after me? ...How about Elic?"

"Really... that's"

"Yeah. From Alex and Elicia."

"I'm honored! Let's call it Elic!"

Thus, the slime was named Elic.

I thought it would disappear by morning, but when I woke up, Elic was still near me.