Chapter 66

Yuri stood at the workshop door, took a deep breath, and firmly held the secret letter from his mother.

"Since that's the case, can you give me a nice decoration for Ruu-chan?"

"…Yuri, for now, don't block the entrance with slimes."

"Okay!"

"Kupipi!"

When Yuri suddenly appeared in the workshop, Bright seemed to be at a loss as to where to start. However, he thought it would be nice if the slime that appeared with Yuri, which was bouncing around, would stop asserting its presence. He didn't want the neighborhood to see a naturally silly boy and his familiar slime bouncing around at the entrance. For some reason.

Yuri, who had brought a slime with a rare golden translucent color, was invited inside by Bright, who then noticed another person who was there even though he hadn't been invited. Well, he usually just barges in, so it wasn't that surprising.

"Why is Leopold here too?"

"Is there a problem with me being here?"

"No, not really. …Ah, are you worried about something Yuri is doing?"

"Yes, I'm worried. After all, do you know what this child asked me?"

"Huh?"

Yuri, who had entered the workshop with a carefree tone, "I'm coming in!" was explaining to the bouncing Luke, "Ruu-chan, you can't touch things as you please outside, okay?" as if talking to a child. Well, if you think of it as training for a familiar, it's not wrong. However, the content of his words sounded like something you'd say to a child. And Luke, who seemed to understand this, was bouncing in response. He was a very smart familiar.

Leopold, who had been watching this scene, sighed. Today, the beautiful lady was as beautiful as ever. When she smiled gently, she looked so beautiful that you might mistake her for a woman. However, she was still a man, so the gap between her voice and tone often made people flinch. Bright, however, was a rare person who didn't flinch.

The reason was that, for a pure craftsman, what mattered was Leopold's attitude and sensitivity towards his work, not his personal preferences.

"This child asked me, 'Where can I buy accessories for Ruu-chan?' Of course, they don't sell such things!"

Leopold, who usually smiled and accepted things, seemed to be a bit out of his depth. After shouting, he apologized, which was quite impressive. Bright made a face as if to say, "Wow." Familiars' collars are usually sold, as they are needed for tags. However, there was no such thing as a slime accessory that could be embedded in the forehead. How would you even attach it to a jelly-like creature?

"So, he asked who could make it if it's not sold."

"Me."

"You're the only craftsman who seems capable of handling such an unexpected situation."

"…I won't deny it, but…"

Bright, who had known Leopold for a long time, could handle a bit of nonsense. He also understood that Yuri was not being malicious and was just saying what he thought. If it were a normal craftsman who didn't know him, they would probably turn him away. Familiars' accessories are generally made of leather and are collars, which are only used to attach tags, not for decoration. What Yuri was asking for was completely different.

Sighing, Bright called out to Yuri. Yuri came over obediently, and Luke followed, bouncing at his feet. It looked cute, but the request was completely off the mark, so Bright was confused.

"So, what do you want me to make?"

"A nice decoration for Ruu-chan. I need to attach this tag."

"Wait, how do you even attach a decoration to a slime? I've never had such a request."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

When Bright told him there was no precedent, Yuri tilted his head and started thinking. He then took out a notebook and a pencil from his school bag. The notebook, with dotted lines, was versatile and suitable for writing in both Japanese and English, as well as drawing diagrams. Thanks to this notebook, his class notes were beautifully written.

Without further ado, Yuri started drawing an illustration. He wasn't particularly good at drawing, so it was more like a diagram. What he drew was a small crown, with the size when placed on a slime's head also depicted.

It was a simple crown with three points, the kind you see in children's illustrations, with a request to embed the tag in the middle. The crown itself wasn't heavily decorated; it was more about making it look stylish rather than just attaching a tag. It was a bit of a strange request, but it showed Yuri's affection for his familiar.

"Oh, how cute. You're going to attach this crown where the tag is now?"

"Yes. It's a small crown, so it will be a nice accent."

"…So, you want me to make it?"

"Can you please?"

"I'll charge you."

"I understand."

Bright sighed and nodded at Yuri, who bowed. Who would think of a crown on a slime's head? Still, since it was a palm-sized crown, it might look cute on Luke, who was about the size of a soccer ball. The tag, a simple hexagon with a familiar emblem, would look much more stylish on a crown than on the forehead.

Bright then asked Yuri about the material, coloring, specific size, and texture of the metal, and started working. Meanwhile, Luke, who had been bouncing around, was told to stay by Leopold, who was enjoying the smooth texture of the slime.

"Ruu-chan, don't be a bother to Leopold."

"Kyu?"

"Don't worry, Yuri. This child is smart. He seems to understand my words."

"Ah, Ruu-chan is really smart. Allo said, 'I don't need to train him; he understands if you just talk to him normally.'"

"Oh, for Allo to recommend him so highly, that's impressive."

"Kuei!"

Luke, who was being petted and praised, bounced happily. Yuri, seeing Luke being praised, smiled happily. He felt grateful for the praise, as if it were for his own child. Well, technically, Luke was his familiar, so it wasn't wrong. …But in terms of feeling, it was more like a pet.

Moreover, while Luke was indeed smart, it was because he looked like a low- to mid-level slime. If he were an ancient slime, a rare monster, it would be normal and easy. However, Yuri was not allowed to reveal Luke's species name (including the fact that he was a variant and had a name) by Alie and Allo, so he didn't mention it. In fact, Yuri had forgotten about 80% of Luke's species and other details. It didn't matter to him. What mattered to Yuri was that Luke was affectionate, smart, and cute. Whether he was a rare monster or not didn't matter. Natural people don't waver.

While chatting, Bright finished a prototype and handed the small crown to Yuri. The tag wasn't attached yet. The tag would be adjusted and embedded if the crown was acceptable. So, Yuri placed the slightly rough prototype on Luke's head.

"Kuii?"

"Ruu-chan, how does the size feel? Is it painful? Is it okay?"

"Kyu"

"Yuri, slimes don't have much pain sensation. They probably won't feel pain unless their core is damaged."

"Is that true, Ruu-chan?"

"Kuku!"

Luke, who bounced to show that it was fine, was attaching the crown to the spot where the tag would be embedded. Seeing Luke spinning around, looking for something, Yuri took out a folding mirror from his magic bag and opened it, showing it to Luke.

Luke stopped bouncing and stared at his reflection with the crown on his head. Yuri, Bright, and Leopold watched Luke's reaction. After all, he was a very smart slime, and they knew he would refuse if he didn't like the accessory.

"Kyu!"

"Ah, Ruu-chan seems to like it."

"…I was more nervous than with a human customer."

"Slimes have preferences too, it seems."

Luke, who was bouncing happily, seemed to like the crown Bright had made. He moved to Bright's feet and bowed repeatedly. …It was clear that he was bowing because of the crown, but it was a bit hard to tell since slimes are round.

"…So, he's happy?"

"Ruu-chan is thanking Bright, right?"

"Kui!"

"But it's still a prototype, so I'll take it back today and finish it."

"Kyu…"

When Yuri tried to take the crown, Luke shook his body in dissatisfaction and tried to bounce away. Leopold caught him, saying, "Wait, wait," and held him in his arms, calming him down.

"I understand that you like it, but Bright wants to give you a proper finished product, not a half-done prototype."

"Kyu?"

"I'll prepare something even better. So, please return it today."

"…Kui?"

"Yes, I'll finish it and give it to you."

"Kupi!"

Luke, who seemed to understand Bright's words, jumped down from Leopold's arms and faced Bright. He pushed the crown off his head and handed it to Bright, who caught it and patted the smart slime's head.

"Yuri, I'll let you know when it's finished."

"Thank you."

"Kui!"

Yuri and Luke, who bowed together, made a gesture as if to say, "Please take care of my crown!" The three of them couldn't help but laugh.

Later, when the finished crown with the tag was attached to Luke, he was in a good mood. After that, more people started using crowns for their slimes' tags.

Isn't a small crown on a slime's head cute?

What? It's the same as some monster?

The design and size are different, so it's fine! ←

I look forward to your comments and feedback.