Prologue 2
"Gotta work... Tabuchi, progress report..."
Deep in the forest, Ryoma woke up in the shadows of the overgrown trees.
He had the appearance of a young boy, just like the gods had said, no older
than 10 and dressed in linen clothes, slumped against the trunk of a tree and
fast asleep.
After muttering some words oddly out of sync with his appearance, he
squinted through the sunlight filtering through the trees and looked around
sleepily.
"A forest? It's not... a dream, right...?"
As he sat there smelling the scent of the dirt, forest, and wind, he gradually
recalled how he came to be there.
"That's right. This is another world. Hmm?"
His eyes landed on the leather bag and diary-sized book by his waist.
When he picked it up to look at the cover, he was met with the word "letter"
written in symbols that clearly weren't Japanese.
The senders were the three gods that invited him to this world.
"Gain, Kufo, Lulutia..."
After reading aloud the naturally written names, he recalled his memory of
the gods.
They were polite and considerate enough to provide me with all the
knowledge to live before sending me, but they've even supplemented that with
a letter... Though at this thickness, it's more of a manual than a letter...
He turned the page to see three things written there.
First, that he was in a world called Seilfall, in the Rifall Kingdom's Forest of
Gana. There were no particularly strong beasts or monsters here, so it was a
comparatively safe place to live.
The second was that it wasn't completely safe, so he was to confirm the
movements of his new body and relocate somewhere safe to live.
A small map had been carefully included.
The last point to conclude the first page was to "read the rest of the letter
once you've moved somewhere safe."
A faint smile appeared on Ryoma's face at how thoroughly the gods left their
instructions, but when he tried to get up, he felt a strong displacement within
his body.
"I really am a child now... Me, Takebayashi Ryoma. Systems engineer. 39
years old and single. It's as though my memories were transplanted... Reminds
me of a certain child detective."
Though he had listened to the explanation, Ryoma was surprised to actually
feel the change in his body and confirmed there were no abnormalities.
Once he checked everything was fine, he took a breath and started to move
his body.
He bent and stretched his arms and legs, going through each part of his body
with simple warm-up exercises that gradually grew more intense.
Then, only after checking each and every martial art form his father had
relentlessly beat into him in his previous life, did his movements stop.
"..."
The moment after his eyes locked onto a narrow tree beside him, he dug a
sharp kick into its trunk.
"Peep!"
"Chirp chirp!"
A light tearing sound echoed through the quiet forest.
Despite the tree being alive and healthy, the trunk cleanly snapped in half and
fell to the ground, stirring the birds resting their wings in the nearby greenery.
Seeing that result summarized the rest of his movements up until then for
Ryoma.
Weird... My strength is that of my previous life or better. It doesn't suit my
frame at all. My body's so light I move like a breeze, and the length of my limbs
should go without saying. My distance, perception and senses are out of tune. I
don't think I'll have problems with basic movements like walking or running,
but... I guess I'll have to get used to it bit by bit.
Having reached that conclusion, Ryoma returned to the base of the tree he
had been sleeping against and checked for his current position on the map. He
picked up the bag and put the letter away, at the same time finding a knife to
keep by his side as he started walking towards the destination the gods had
marked.
Two hours later.
Ryoma had spotted several small animals and creatures that didn't exist on
Earth, but they were all weak monsters that either fled of their own accord or
ignored him completely.
While traveling took a little more time with his child legs, the journey itself
wasn't dangerous and even allowed him to gather herbs and edible plants using
the knowledge the gods had bestowed upon him in advance.
Thus, Ryoma eventually walked into the depths of the dimly lit forest.
The trees parted before a cliff face of bare rock.
Ryoma looked around to confirm his safety before quickly putting down his
belongings and sitting down to read the continuation of the letter from the
gods.
"Hmm, so there's a river nearby. Looks like the perfect place for a home
base."
Ryoma muttered to himself as he read more of the letter, showing no signs of
heading towards civilization nor intent to actually leave the forest.
Like he had told the gods, he planned on starting from living as a recluse in
the forest.
"Apparently there's a tent among the supplies, but a cave would be safer
when up against monsters..."
The safety of a tent wasn't very reassuring.
With that thought, Ryoma approached the cliff face and poked the bare rock
with his right hand before moving his eyes back to the letter in his left hand.
The page on top was an explanation of how to use magic.
"First, calm your heart and focus within your body... Like this? It feels like
there's a water balloon under my skin... Gross..."
Despite calling it gross, the tone of his voice was a mix of excitement and
delight, and his expression also softened faintly.
However, no matter how much of an interest he had in games and light
novels, even if he had thought of countless fantasies between the breaks of his
busy work life, he still had never used magic before.
Because of that...
"Umm... Once you feel the magical energy within your body... Move while
imagining that magical energy flowing out of your body, yup."
He checked each and every step along the way.
He was almost the spitting image of an elderly person with an instruction
manual in one hand while struggling to keep up with modern-day technology.
But once he imagined the magical energy flowing out of his fingertips, it slowly
but surely started to happen.
For the record, the twelve elements of magic were: Neutral, Fire, Water,
Wind, Earth, Ice, Lightning, Wood, Poison, Light, Dark, and Space.
Each element was sorted into a difficulty level referred to as lower elements,
middle elements, or higher elements.
Furthermore, the element of a magic type was changed based on what
someone imagined as they released their magical energy, and could be
activated by chanting the spell name of the magic.
Having read this sentence in the letter, Ryoma decided to select one of the
earth magics recorded on the page and test it out.
"The magical energy flows into the rock of the cliff, breaking it into dirt...
Break Rock."
The cliff touching the end of his fingertip crumbled slightly, creating a small
hole in the face.
The hole was roughly three fingers wide and as deep as his first knuckle.
It was more of a dent than a hole, but Ryoma just looked at it and laughed
quietly.
How long has it been since I felt this way? A life where overnight shifts and
overtime was normal, where I was either at work, home, or out drinking with my
bosses. It's not like I didn't have any fun at all, but... It's been so long that I've
forgotten this feeling...
While remaining alert of his surroundings, he continued to use Break Rock
with a smiling face for some time.
But after he was satisfied with his first use of magic, Ryoma muttered to
himself.
"This isn't very efficient."
All this effort and I only have a hole large enough for both my hands... I won't
even be done by sunset at this rate. And there should be a limit to how much
magical energy I can use anyway.
With that thought, Ryoma decided to take a break and retrieve water from
the nearby river. Once he returned, he started to read the next part of the
letter.
It'd be nice if there was something useful... But at worst, I'll just use the tent.
Back on Earth it wasn't rare for me to do two to three all-nighters in a row, so I
should be able to last that long without sleeping... Oh!
Ryoma had turned the page in search of a solution to his problem and came
across a table where all his current abilities and statistics were displayed.
My status, huh? This is useful. I can check what I'm currently capable of with
this.
On the page, these words were written.
Name: Ryoma Takebayashi
Gender: Male
Age: 8
Race: Human
My name and gender are unchanged from my previous life. Aside from how
my family name comes last now. And I'm eight years old... I wonder what kind of
child I was back then? I can't remember anything other than training under my
father. Well, whatever. Next.
Physical Energy: 10,486
Magical Energy: 102,300
Note: The average adult male has a physical energy of around 1000, while
adventurers, soldiers, and others that have undergone training have an average
of 2000-3000.
"Wow, am I a musclehead?"
I knew I could move around more than my bosses and the youngsters these
days, but was it always this big of a gap? I can understand my magical energy
increasing because of the transfer process, but... I don't recall asking for
increased physical strength.
A similar note was written for magical energy, where the average person had
100. Warriors that used supplementary magic had 500-700. Normal magicians
had anywhere from 1000-5000, while royal sorcerers had an average of 10,000-
50,000.
Well, I suppose it doesn't hurt to have more. The rest are my skills and
abilities, huh?
Everyday Skills
Housekeeping 10, Etiquette 7, Performance 3, Singing 3, Calculation 5
Combat Skills
Unarmed Combat 7, Sword Mastery 7, Dagger Mastery 6, Hidden Weapon
Mastery 7, Spear Mastery 4, Bow Mastery 4, Staff Mastery 6, Chain Weapon
Mastery 4, Throwing Weapon Mastery 7, Stealth 6, Trapping 4, Body Control 5,
Energy Meditation 5
Magic Skills
Taming Magic 1, Barrier Magic 1, Healing Magic 1, Alchemy 1, Fire Magic 1,
Water Magic 1, Wind Magic 1, Earth Magic 1, Neutral Magic 1, Lightning Magic
1, Ice Magic 1, Poison Magic 1, Wood Magic 1, Light Magic 1, Dark Magic 1,
Space Magic 1, Magic Detection 1, Magic Control 1, Magic Recovery Speed 1
Crafting Skills
Medicine 6, Blacksmithing 1, Architecture 2, Woodworking 2, Modeling 3,
Painting 4
Resistance Skills
Physical Pain Resistance 8, Mental Pain Resistance 9, Health 7
Special Skills
Life Enhancement 3, Super Recovery 3, Stamina Enhancement 6, Mental
Concentration 5, Survival Arts 3
Titles
Rise from Below
Ended an Unfortunate Life
Apprentice of the God of Military Arts
Apprentice of the Sage
Beloved Child of the Gods
Protections
Protection of Gain, the Creator
Protection of Kufo, God of Life
Protection of Lulutia, Goddess of Love
So the number following the skill is the proficiency level of that ability.
Learning the basics is level 1-2, level 3 is established, level 4 is experienced, level
5 is top-notch, and level 6 and above is mastery... I guess my 39 years of
experience came through. Most of these skills are from work, school, or the
part-time jobs I did. Abilities like programming don't seem to exist in this world,
so they're not written here... And titles and protections don't seem too useful to
me right now... All right, let's see how I can dig a hole with these skills.
For the next ten minutes, Ryoma glared at the explanations of the skills
written on the next page, reading them carefully.
Then, he spotted a certain skill.
Energy meditation — an ability that enhances the physical body using life
force.
By focusing the mind on the energy within oneself and circulating it around
the body like magical energy, the physical functions of the body could be
improved as a whole. It could also be used to enshroud a weapon in energy and
increase its sharpness and might.
Because it was a skill acquired naturally through prolonged training of the
body in combat abilities, it could sometimes be used unconsciously.
This must be why my body's been moving so fluidly. It seems like it'd be useful
once I understand it fully. There was also an earth magic somewhere... Oh,
there.
Basic earth elemental magic, Rock.
A spell to harden dirt and turn it into stone or rock.
The shape could be controlled by the caster's will.
"Rock."
Ryoma cast the magic on the crumbled earth from the cliff and instantly
turned it into a pebble.
"All right. Rock, Rock..."
He used the same magic to create a short spike out of the dirt, then Break
Rock to shape the tip of it into that of an animal fang.
Once it was done, Ryoma grabbed the spike with an overhand grip and faced
the cliff once more, taking a deep breath to use energy meditation.
"Hah!"
He wrapped his right arm and the tip of the spike with energy, then swung it
down on the surface of the cliff with all his might.
The single collision between the towering cliff and energy enhanced spike
made of the same material caused a groove as deep as the second knuckle of a
finger to be carved into the cliff surface.
"All right!"
Seeing that result, Ryoma continued to swing his stick into the cliff, digging a
hole at a pace exceptionally faster than when he was using magic.
"Ah! It's broken. Rock!"
By fixing his tool each time it broke, Ryoma had dug a cave with enough space
for himself and his belongings by dusk.
However, since he had been continuously using a power he was unfamiliar
with, he also felt a faint sense of fatigue.
I guess I'll stop here for today.
Ryoma turned to take his gathered food and water inside the completed base
for the time being, when his eyes caught sight of a scenery that left him
speechless.
"Wow..."
The outside view was colored in the fiery glow of the sunset.
The leaves in the trees were dyed crimson, while a bright green spread
through the undergrowth and on the leaves out of the direct sunlight.
While his eyes were captivated by the beauty of the scenery, the sky gradually
transitioned from dusk to a starry night.
How beautiful... There's so many stars. It's been so long since I've seen this
many stars. No, when was the last time I even stopped to look at the scenery?
Even as he stared at the sky, he had no answer.
However, Ryoma was able to carry his belongings into the cave with some
sense of satisfaction.
Taking a blanket out of his supplies, he made a place to sleep against the wall,
then reached inside his supplies again for food.
Because he had chosen fruits and plants that could be eaten raw, there
wasn't much in his portion.
But he was able to fill some of his stomach with half his total portion.
I'll save the rest for tomorrow and sleep for now. I'll start gathering food and
other things I need to survive starting tomorrow. There's lots to do, but it's all
worth doing.
He blocked the entrance of the cave for safety, leaving only a hole for air.
"Gain, Kufo, Lulutia... I am truly grateful to you all for your kindness."
Having finished his work for the day, Ryoma wrapped himself in the blanket
and whispered his passing thoughts of his life to come, the words echoing into
the darkness of the cave before disappearing.
Several minutes later, he was breathing peacefully in his sleep.
■ ■ ■
Meanwhile, three pairs of eyes peered at Ryoma's sleeping face from the
divine realm. Their owners were Gain, Kufo, and Lulutia... In other words, the
gods that had sent Ryoma to Seilfall.
"Looks like it's going well so far."
"Yes, he had no problem receiving the powers either."
"And he's made shelter for now. It seems like he'll be fine."
The three of them showed relief in the endlessly wide, white space that they
stood in.
"Indeed. But let's keep watching over him for a while. Even with consent, it
would pain me to see him suffer. And I'm a little curious anyway. Would you
agree, Kufo, Lulutia?"
"Yup, I agree with Gain."
"Me too. But honestly, what was Earth's god thinking? Interfering with the
fates of the living for no reason."
While Kufo approved of Gain's suggestion, Lulutia went on to express her
clear disgust for Earth's god.
"Calm yourself, Lulutia. There's no point in wondering about that now."
"But doesn't it bother you too, Gain?"
"Of course. He's a fine specimen of a human, but you definitely don't see
many humans who have their fates tampered with like that. Not even a god
would dare interfere with fate so flippantly. For one to take a person's
happiness is, quite honestly, reprehensible."
"I can't imagine why one would go out of their way to use trials to do that."
Trials were a type of salvation originally meant to be presented by the gods
managing the world onto a large collective such as a race or a kingdom in times
of great, imminent danger. The decision to present the trial and timing of when
to do so was entrusted to the judgment of the world's gods, but overcoming the
trial meant a befitting power could be obtained. Many of the heroes spoken of
in legends had used the power they gained to drive away the threat just like
this.
"The goal was to present hardship, but a trial is still a trial. Overcoming that
hardship would result in receiving a power..."
"It seems like each occurrence was continuously suppressed at the level of
everyday misfortune or bad luck, and for an awfully long time at that..."
"They say that enough dust can make a mountain, after all. The fact that the
power he received was useless for his work and fortune was also rather wicked.
Well, it was fortunate that his body was strengthened instead, I guess. If not..."
"We only realized it because of that, after all. And from what I can see of his
memories, his father also..."
The gods continued to chat until the completely oblivious Ryoma woke up.
Chapter 1 Episode 1: Three Years Later
Three years after Takebayashi Ryoma hid himself away in the Forest of Gana
to devote himself to training his martial arts and magic...
He still had no intention of leaving the forest.
"All right, all right... It's food time!"
The crude cave that had been his dwelling had been widened with his
improved earth magic, a barrier placed at the entrance to secure the safety of
his home. He also had furniture made of hardened dirt he had got from digging
out the cavern.
More than enough food could be acquired from the blessings of the forest,
which he could determine the safety of eating with the knowledge received
from the gods and the neutral magic Appraisal. Within such a comfortable
environment, Ryoma didn't have any strong desire to leave the forest, instead
spending his time enjoying the hobbies he couldn't have in his previous life.
One particularly devoted hobby was the research of 'slimes.' In the beginning,
he had captured a slime by simply trying the 'taming magic' he had been
bestowed with, which somehow led to the decision of keeping it as a pet. Half a
year later, he woke up one morning to see the slime was a different color.
Fearing it had fallen sick, he hurriedly used the taming magic Monster Appraisal
to find that it had evolved into a species of slime called the sticky slime.
From that day onwards, Ryoma became interested in slime evolution and
spent much of his time observing them. And the first thing he learned was that
wild slimes were at the bottom of the ecosystem. Because slimes did not
possess the power to hunt prey, Ryoma was yet to witness a wild slime eating a
proper meal. However, he would feed them the leftovers of his own meals, as
well as carcasses of the green caterpillars he often came across on his hunts. In
other words, Ryoma's slimes ingested much more nutrition than their wild
counterparts on a daily basis.
Furthermore, the green caterpillars in the meals were capable of spitting out
a sticky string. Ryoma formed a hypothesis that one of these differences was
what caused the slime's evolution, so he captured new slimes and continuously
fed them green caterpillars and food. Two months later, the slimes that had
only consumed green caterpillars had all evolved into sticky slimes.
In addition, the slimes with green caterpillars removed from their diet as a
controlled variable had evolved into a different species of slime. It was from this
point that Ryoma's interest grew significantly, leading to huge numbers of
slimes being captured and fed assorted leftovers and gathered materials,
resulting in the six species of slime Ryoma presently kept.
Slime x13
The weakest monsters of the world, existing everywhere. Omnivorous, with
an average diameter of 20cm. These mysterious creatures will die when the
core within their jelly-like body is damaged, causing everything other than the
core to disappear.
Skills: Consume 2, Absorb 3, Split 1
Sticky Slime x153
A creature of the same size as the regular slime, capable of forming a highly
sticky solution in its body. It can either spit the sticky fluid directly, or hide and
use it in traps to capture prey.
Skills: Strong Sticky Solution 4, Hardening Sticky Solution 1, Sticky String Shot
1, Jump 1, Consume 3, Absorb 3, Split 3
In the beginning, its only skills were strong sticky solution and the three
basics: consume, absorb, and split, but it eventually learned hardening sticky
solution and jump as well, which was how Ryoma learned that monsters could
also acquire skills through training. Sticky string shot was discovered when
Ryoma was investigating the qualities of the strong sticky solution and
hardening sticky solution alongside evolution, mixing the two solutions to
create a string shape. When he tested whether the same phenomenon could
occur within the slime's body, all the training led to the acquisition of those
skills.
Acid Slime x100
A slime with exceptionally high digestive ability, capable of consuming lessdigestible material such as animal bones. After being discovered in the process
of researching evolution, its numbers increased through splitting.
Skills: Acid Production 3, Acid Resistance 3, Jump 1, Consume 4, Absorb 3,
Split 2
Poison Slime x188
Slimes that have been continuously fed poisonous plants. A fair number of
slimes had been unable to resist the poison and died, but those that survived
evolved. After that, their numbers increased through splitting.
Skills: Poison Production 3, Poison Resistance 3, Paralyzing Poison Production
3, Jump 1, Consume 3, Absorb 3, Split 3
Cleaner Slime x11
Slimes drank water often, but there were some which were oddly insistent on
drinking Ryoma's bathwater after he was done washing. Seeing no issue with
that, Ryoma allowed them to do as they wished, which resulted in this
evolution.
Skills: Cleanse 4, Deodorize 6, Deodorant Solution 4, Disease Resistance 5,
Poison Resistance 5, Jump 1, Consume 3, Absorb 3, Split 1
Scavenger Slime x457
When Ryoma was unhappy with the smell coming from the toilet and waste
disposal area he had created in the cave, he recalled how slimes liked to swarm
around rotting corpses and threw twenty newly captured slimes into the room.
As a result, the slimes acquired the skill to digest the things they ate and expel
the nutrients as fertilizer, along with the tendency to split more often than the
other slimes.
Skills: Disease Resistance 5, Poison Resistance 5, Foul Feeder 5, Cleanse 6,
Deodorize 6, Deodorant Solution 4, Stench Release 4, Nutrient Reduction 3,
Jump 1, Consume 6, Absorb 3, Split 6
There weren't many species, as he had switched his focus from evolving them
to rearing them partway through, but their numbers were over 900.
Ryoma's personality meant he wasn't bothered by simple and repetitive tasks
to begin with, so with no one to stop him in this situation he had lost sight of
where to stop. However, that lifestyle was what healed Ryoma's tired heart and
gave him vitality. This allowed him to live his life steadily despite the occasional
encounter with bandits or large beasts, which Ryoma could deal with using his
own powers and army of slimes.
And so, Ryoma would go on living in this way...
Or so he had thought, when fate came knocking one day.
It was during his daily hunt when, instead of prey, he spotted five armored
people in the forest.
It's rare to see people around these parts. Their equipment looks too uniform
for them to be bandits... This might be my first time seeing people who aren't
bandits in this world. Well, I am a recluse living in the depths of the forest... Oh,
is there someone injured?
Hidden in the thickets behind the trees, he observed from a distance, and saw
one person was leaning on his companion's shoulder, wrapped in bloody
bandages instead of armor.
"U-Urgh..."
"Hang in there, Hughes!"
"Camil, how's your magic energy?"
"Sorry, it's still..."
He doesn't look too good... They don't seem to be bandits, so I can't turn a
blind eye... I can at least let them rest at my place. If they turn out to be bandits,
I have my emergency measures in place anyway.
Ryoma stepped out of the thicket he was hiding in to call out to them.
However...
What should I say to them? 'Good day?' No, this isn't the time to be so
carefree. 'Oi! You lot!' That would just make them wary, and it'd be rude to
boot. Really, what should I say to them?!
Although Ryoma had stepped forth with the intention to help, it had been
three years since he had last spoken to anyone else. He found himself faltering,
unable to decide on what to say, during which time the group on high alert had
spotted him.
"Hey! Who goes there?!"
"Wait."
The person leading the group immediately pointed a sword at Ryoma, but
was stopped by a man behind him who slowly walked forward.
"Sorry for pointing a sword at you. We were a little on guard. What might you
be doing here? This isn't a place for children. Are you lost?"
Ryoma was questioned, though he was still having trouble finding his words.
"I was... hunting."
"Hunting? By yourself?"
Rather than words, Ryoma nodded in confirmation.
"This is a dangerous place, but... Oh well. Did you need something from us?"
Ryoma pointed at the injured person.
"He's... injured."
When Ryoma reached into the leather bag at his waist with his empty hand,
the man with the sword stepped forward and pointed it once more, as though
to protect the other man. Ryoma realized the knife he had equipped next to his
leather bag was probably the reason for that reaction and jumped back, swiftly
taking out his homemade medicine and offering it with both hands to show he
had no ill intentions.
"...Is that medicine?"
The man with the sword asked after seeing that, at which Ryoma nodded
before forming his words with difficulty.
"Injury... bad... Use medicine."
"You're letting us use that medicine?"
"Hurry."
The men exchanged glances, but the slender man named Camil accepted the
medicine bottle warily and checked its contents before feeding it to the injured
person. When the injured man regained some of the color in his face, the
attitude of the men towards Ryoma softened a little.
"You have my gratitude for giving us your medicine. Hughes should last a bit
longer with this."
"Can rest... at home. Should rest." This is pathetic, even for me...
With his clumsy words, Ryoma slowly but successfully managed to invite the
group home. He led them into the forest and through the trees, proceeding at a
slow pace for the injured person. On the way, their whispered discussions
reached his ears.
"What is a child doing in a place like this?"
"He still looks pretty young..."
Well, I am eleven years old right now. Being this deep in the forest is
suspicious. That being said, it doesn't feel nice being doubted like this. I'd like
them to feel less wary... Should I try making small talk? No, I don't have
anything other than the backstory prepared to explain why I'm here... I might
end up digging my own grave if I made small talk.
"Is there really a place we can rest up ahead?"
"I don't know. But the potion earlier definitely had an effect, so he doesn't
seem hostile."
"Some hunters create safe zones within the forest where they can hide. He
may have some kind of campsite."
Exactly! As long as you don't attack me, I have no intention of fighting either.
That's right, I should check whether my traps have caught anything. That way I
can prepare a meal while their injured member is resting. If I do that much for
them, anyone reasonable would be a bit more friendly.
Ryoma came to a stop and called over the sticky slime he had on standby next
to the traps, using the effect of the taming contract. But to those beside him, it
looked like Ryoma had just came to a sudden stop.
"What's wrong?"
"Trap... caught prey... Be here soon." Ryoma said, casually observing the one
who had spoken to him.
Is he the most important person here? Everyone was following his orders
earlier, including the man with the sword. Maybe the rest are his escorts or
something.
Ryoma thought to himself, when the grass rustled and parted to reveal the
sticky slime with a horned rabbit's carcass in tow. However, the man beside him
swiftly drew his sword, unaware that it was Ryoma's familiar.
Oh no!
Ryoma leaped forward and picked up the slime and trapped kill.
"...Is that slime your familiar?"
The action had alerted the man that the slime was a familiar, to which Ryoma
nodded his head furiously. The man gave Ryoma and the slime another look
before sheathing his sword again.
"My apologies. I didn't realize it was a familiar."
As long as we've cleared up the misunderstanding, it's fine. I haven't been
using enough words to express myself, either.
A slime was still a monster, so it was only natural to think of ones in the forest
as wild. Ryoma put the slime and kill away in his bag and started to walk again.
This time, with a conversation based on the incident just now.
"But that slime sure brings back memories. My first contract was with a slime
as well."
"...A tamer?"
"A former tamer. I haven't formed a contract since the familiar I bonded with
retired from old age. I used to have a red horse and blizzard ape in the past,
though."
"...Amazing...?" I don't really know those monsters...
"I come from a family which has been taming for many generations, so we're
taught various tricks and techniques from a young age. I don't particularly excel
in any area of magic, but I do have a certain level of pride in my sword arm."
Generations of a family. And with personal escorts. This person is either a
noble or someone rich and influential. Or maybe someone with such
connections... Wait, calm down. I was informed in advance that this kingdom is
more tolerant regarding the social gap between nobility and commoners. The
gods picked this kingdom on purpose, because it was easy to live in. Based on
his actions until now, there's still plenty of room to be friends. If I think of it as a
business party with no higher or lower statuses... But I can't let down my guard
either way.
Ryoma was in a slight panic, as he gathered his thoughts in his head and
walked around retrieving the kills from his traps.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at the cliff where Ryoma's home was.