- Shari -

After getting again halfway presentable instead of looking like a squishy, beaten, naked child I move to Peras' office.

I have been there so many times that I can find it easily.

When I enter, Peras sits again at his desk.

For a while, his gaze stays on the documents but eventually, he looks in my direction.

"That was a good fight. Even if you stand defeated." (Peras)

"Could I ask a question about this?" (Shari)

"Speak up. (Peras)

"Why this fight? I understand that I have still much to learn, but why Zeon?" (Shari)

"Anything wrong with this?" (Peras)

"Everyone who knows even the slightest bit about subjugations is well-informed that slimes are weak against lightning. It doesn't only stuns them but completely renders their ability to move." (Shari)

"Them, huh? Seems like you had an opponent your natural resilience didn't work against." (Peras)

What's he saying there?

This could hardly be called a fair match.

The only reason Liqu won hers is that she simply overpowers everything.

"This sounds as if you intentionally put me against someone I'm weak against. If I wouldn't know better I might believe you wanted me to lose." (Shari)

"And this was exactly the reason." (Peras)

"Excuse me!? Why?! Have I displeased you in any way? I've fought all the guys you wanted me to! And even if some were draws I've never lost!" (Shari)

"Let me say it like this: If you had won this would have been an undeniable proof of your abilities. Yet this wasn't the intention. It's fairly easy to notice during your battles. You act rash and cocky! Not only this but you were fighting under the assumption that nothing can truly harm you. This gives you a sense of superiority over your opponent. A false sense of safety that will lull your senses until a true danger appears to crush that little core of yours. The most important about this match was the lesson. I wanted you to become aware of how vulnerable you truly are. Otherwise, you're a danger for yourself and your team." (Peras)

I get it to a degree.

My body still feels foreign.

Not too much time passed since I turned into a shapeless abomination.

So at times, everything about it feels a bit distant to me.

There is no way to injure me.

No way to get poisoned.

No way to cause any kind of permanent harm.

As long my core remains unscathed I'll be fine.

I can see how this state of affairs can make someone reckless.

And during those spars, it got even worse as the conditions were always in my favor.

I mean my opponents had to use blunt weapons against a slime.

That's hardly fair.

Still, I ask myself why he brings that up now.

"But you already sent us on a mission." (Shari)

"That was a simple subjugation. If your team can't make the right calls, even without a competent leader, then they should look for another profession." (Peras)

"Any idea how dangerous that thing was?" (Shari)

"As ferocious as it turned out to be, it was just a beast. Open hostility, straight attacks. People on the other hand are cunning. As you just learned they will take advantage of your weaknesses. If you face them without caution you will end up dead. And knowing your comrade we will follow soon after." (Peras)

Well, he used my weakness against me.

One I until now didn't even know was this severe.

It's like realizing that you are inflammable.

To be honest, I don't know very much about slimes.

All I have is what others, especially Liqu, told me and what is obvious about my condition.

Yet it appears weird to me that Peras wants me to learn how to fight humans.

Nothing one should teach a monster.

"Why are you so worried about me fighting people?" (Shari)

"Because those will be your next opponents." (Peras)

What did he just say?!

I hope I misheard!

When I started this employment one of my conditions was that I won't be the monster they can let out of its cave whenever it shall spook their opposition.

It's not even hard to imagine that this won't improve my reputation among the populace.

So I'm neither an assassin nor a pet.

"Sorry, but I'm no killer. I don't find any particular joy in murdering people. You can't just ask me to kill whoever you don't like." (Shari)

"Interesting mindset. But I think you've misunderstood. This isn't about you fighting our enemies. We are talking about common bandits." (Peras)

"Bandits?" (Shari)

"Yes. The southeastern villages of the fief are now for quite some time under attack by criminals. They blocked the only connection that links them to the road to the capital and started raiding everyone who tries to pass." (Peras)

"This sounds rather severe." (Shari)

"You don't say? The few who could escape say that the villages are basically under siege. This started some weeks ago and recently news stopped coming from these lands. The villages might already be lost. However, those settlements are protected by our lord so we're obligated to send help." (Peras)

"If the situation is so dire, why are we acting so late? The way shouldn't be too long." (Shari)

I walked it myself.

If anything it's three days of walking till the junction.

Naturally less with a means of transport.

Saying that it started long ago that people called for help and doing nothing doesn't add up.

"Tsk. I already sent a troop a week ago to take care of that matter but none of the men returned. We should expect the worst." (Peras)

I get it.

I don't like these prospects but it makes sense.

My job is basically to keep this fief clean.

Bandits are quite a plague and I hold no sympathy for them.

In any case, it's different from being their annihilator, who they send into enemy bases.

Here we basically have the law on our side.

Even if I don't like the role of the executioner.

"Just bandits? Shouldn't we send more men and try to apprehend them?" (Shari)

"They already killed the count's men. All that waits for them is a death sentence. Still, the area is a thick forest and they occupy it already for quite a while. Other teams would be at risk to get ambushed." (Peras)

"But not us?" (Shari)

"Do I need to remind you about your friend?" (Peras)

Ah, yes.

That would probably turn into a reverse ambush.

"Fine. When are we heading out?" (Shari)

"Tomorrow. I'd suggest you read through the intel we gathered before heading out. There are some reports from travelers and information about the area." (Peras)

He hands me a small bundle of papers.

"Is it okay if I go to read them at my place?" (Shari)

"Sure, why not. You're already doing the same with some of the most expensive books from our library so please, take this as well into your humid dungeon." (Peras)

He knows everything.

With an embarrassed smile, I take the documents and leave to my place.

Where already Liqu waits for me.

"Where were you? I was worried! (Liqu)

Her overprotectiveness can be quite arduous at times.

"Liqu, we've got a new job." (Shari)

"A job?" (Liqu)

"A new task we need to fulfill to earn us our place here." (Shari)

"Oh, okay. I like it here. There are people who talk to me. That's so special!" (Liqu)

"It seems there are bandits on a road. We are supposed to get rid of them." (Shari)

"Ah, this is easy." (Liqu)

I'm all too sure it is for you.

Especially the "making them disappear" part.

"Please hold back a little. It's still a group mission. If you can show some restraint on such a task it shows them that you're not a monster." (Shari)

"But I am!" (Liqu)

"Less of a monster. At least don't look as if you'd enjoy killing people." (Shari)

"But I do! Getting so much energy is always nice." (Liqu)

"No you don't! As far it concerns our teammates you're always very sorry when you have to kill someone. At least you'll act that way." (Shari)

She sometimes gets a really worrisome expression.

"You're making this all so complicated." (Liqu)

"Well, deal with it. But now excuse me but I have to survey the documents." (Shari)

I shouldn't stay ignorant about our mission.

First I check the map I've got.

On it, I see a mark for our destination.

It strikes me odd that they would use something as valuable as a map for such common usage.

But I guess these missions are important on their own and the paper was already used more than once.

On the map are the areas marked where the bandits were sighted.

I see that it's around a day's walk on the road to the south and then the same to the east. However, this is strange.

All that is at the end of this sideroad are, as Peras said, some midsized villages.

None of these worthwhile targets.

If there are enough to kill an elite team of soldiers I would expect a rather big group.

Is it maybe to avoid being targeted by the capital?

Like this, they are the sole problem of the local lord and not of the capital which would send an extermination troop.

Nonetheless, it's basically just subsistence for bandits.

One might think they would be more greedy.

The second point would be that I need to figure out how to go about that job.

There are three issues.

The first is that we have a team.

Even with Liqu, in case of an ambush, they will be at risk and I want to bring all of them back home.

Against ranged weapons, this might prove difficult.

Then I'd need to know how to catch them.

We could just walk the road and hope this will bait them.

Which would bring us back to the first problem, regarding keeping my team alive.

Also, we would just get a fraction of their group this way.

If they're already operating there for a longer time they certainly have a hideout we need to find.

This brings us to the third point.

We need to delve into a rather wild forest if this map is right.

I believe it could be worth a try to ask around in the local villages.

If anyone survived they should know something about the bandits.

Here, that one in the center might be a good place.

Yet it would mean interacting with people. I already see some difficulties.

After this, I start to look through the other provided information.

It's not much.

Mostly testimonies of villagers who could barely escape with their lives.

Apparently, they usually come, kill some, but don't bother to run after those who escape.

On the other hand, I grow a little worried because of the previous group.

That one consisted of two teams together counting ten soldiers and their leader was one of the elites.

If those didn't return it's going to be quite a hassle to deal with the enemy.

I still believe that with Liqu we could simply roll over them.

But it's not so great that our foes are such a big threat.

"What are you doing there?" (Liqu)

"Reading." (Shari)

"Oh, that thing with these weird marks, right?" (Liqu)

"Those aren't "weird marks". They hold meaning. If you know how to tell them apart they convey what the writer wanted to tell. And information is important. It keeps us alive!" (Shari)

It was a hard piece of work to learn and I'm proud of this ability.

I won't allow that she makes lightly of it.

Even if she's a slime that's no excuse for ignorance.

She stares blankly at the pages I'm scanning through.

"Can you tell me?" (Liqu)

"Huh?" (Shari)

"How it works! If you say it's important I believe you." (Liqu)

That surprises me.

So she wants to learn?

"Let's see. How to convey this? So... Each of those "marks" is a symbol that represents a sound that the human mouth can produce. Yes, I know you can make many more but humans have no usage for "grlbsh". If you put them together it forms a word. You know, the same as different sounds form speech when spoken." (Shari)

Her eyes are wide open.

I guess I've hooked her.

"Could you teach me?" (Liqu)

She seriously wants to learn this.

Sigh, it's going to be bothersome but I would feel bad for stopping her in all her enthusiasm.

"Fine. Look at this document. But no touching. I have to return them. This is an "A". Please memorize it. Guess it should sound familiar." (Shari)

Like this, I go about all the letters with her.

She's focusing them with such a stare that I can almost feel how the pictures ingrain into her core.

Guess it's easier for a slime to learn like this.

Next, I try to let her read some words by having her speak the individual letters one after the other.

The success is evident.

"R-E-P-O-R-T, T-O, C-O-M-M-A-N-D. Ah, so it's like this!" (Liqu)

I'm almost jealous that she has such an easy time with it.

And this while only having those military documents as study material.

Suddenly she looks at another passage.

"A-n-d, t-h. t-h-e-n..." (Liqu)

"Ah, some letters are thought to be put together, so they form a new sound, which is a mix of both of them. Here it would be "th". The full word is "then"." (Shari)

"Ah, thank you so much. A-n-d, th-e-n, e-v-er-y-o-n-e, d-i-e-d! "And then everyone died!" I can understand! This is so wonderful! And then everyone died!!!" (Liqu)

just. Why had it to be the testimony of a villager who recounts how his group got brutally murdered by the bandits?

"I guess you've got it. Duh." (Shari)

"More! B-l-oo-d, ev-er-y, w-h, wh-ere! Blood everywhere!" (Liqu)

"Oh, yes. Great. But now please excuse me. I still have to read through the rest." (Shari)

And this study session took quite a disturbing turn.