3 hooded figures sneaked off into the night, leaving a murder scene.

The night loomed dark, lit only by hazy moonlight, shrouded in the mist rising up from the bogs. The three figures were dragging bundles wrapped into cloths along with them, ever deeper into the murky mire.

After advancing for a half-hour, they finally reached the deeper parts of the bog, near where the other bodies had been found.

And they stopped.

“You know, doing all this… it really makes us seem like the bad guys,” Mireille said, drawing her head deeper into her cloak.

“Are you sure we shouldn’t just explain this to the townsfolk?” Marie asked, looking around the dark clearing carefully. They had all taken proper bog-boots from the inn, so getting their feet wet wasn’t a huge issue anymore.

But Fayette just peered into the murky waters, searching. “I’m telling you, we need the bodies. Just for a bit. And besides—Olivia is handling matters. We won’t get in trouble.”

The [Doctor] had stayed behind at the inn to “arrange matters”, and make sure their party wouldn’t be blamed for the disappearance of a beloved local figure. What exactly she was doing, Fayette wasn’t sure, but the gloomy woman had said she would head out to the town next, to handle a few other matters.

They had time. The night was young.

But still, Fayette felt impatient. If this worked…

She looked up at the sky, at the one moon in the sky, and tried to pierce the veil. Tried to see that second one she know knew. But the night did not answer her wishes.

Fayette sighed, then walked to their bundles, and began unwrapping the cloths from one. It had been a hasty job, just something small in case the worst-case scenario happened. Getting the two corpses unwrapped wasn't an easy job.

Marie’s expression turned queazy at their sight, and she turned away, holding her nose. Mireille also took a few steps to the side, still playing with threads of silken thread in her fingers.

She had leveled—but not yet gotten a new class.

Still, she and the spider scuttling along her shoulder seemed more in sync, and Char happily spun more web for her to use. A bond of sorts was forming.

And Fayette—she was thinking of bonds too.

She hefted one of the corpses up, then threw it into the water. It sunk into the mud feet first, just so that the head and shoulders remained above the surface, like an eerie bogwalker, preying on travelers.

But it was not the one who would prey tonight. It was the bait.

And Fayette—felt confident. In this world... there were few coincidences. Things tended to return to their sender.

Marie took a step closer, and Fayette saw her lips quiver a bit at the man’s dead eyes. A gentler soul, but still one that could judge such things. Fayette stepped just a bit to the right, blocking her line of sight to the corpse. The [Lady] relaxed.

“You still haven’t told us. What exactly are we waiting for here?” She asked, looking curiously at the vigilant [Maid].

Fayette shook her head. “Just a bit longer—it might be nothing. But it might also be—” she turned around, meeting Marie’s eyes. “—our monster. Some matters still must be put to rest.”

“So there really is a monster out here?” Marie asked, taking a step closer to the [Maid].

Fayette smiled and let her approach. “Just stay out of the water, and it should be fine. Wait. You can sense mana, right?”

Marie nodded.

“Then… Could you sense monsters too? They emit mana of sorts, right?”

“What kind of monster should I look for?”

Fayette turned back, eyes sharp on the water. “A slime.”

“A slime? Sure—but why would we…”

Marie’s muttering quieted as she focused on her magic, and an aura of mana spread out from her skin. Fayette still found the process fascinating to watch, and the magic made her heart flutter. The way those green vines spread out on Marie’s skin, following the curves of her body and reaching the daintiest fingertip—there was something mesmerizing in it.

Reluctantly, she turned away from it, back to the murky waters. The [Maid] wasn’t seeing anything yet, but maybe her eyes were just not sharp enough…

Fayette focused on her [Dustsense].

The range was still rather small, and it didn’t quite work with the water—but she still saw something. The swirl of small particles in the muck made mesmerizing patterns all over, following the complex logic of nature itself. It made her want to get her broom out—to set them into rigorous order, but she focused.

Slowly, she spread her focus outward, wider—looking at the whole picture instead of just one point.

It was a lot more difficult with the water, as it gave everything murkiness, dimension, and movement. Dust in a room’s corner didn’t really move, except when the shifting of air made it, but water was so much more chaotic.

Like trying to follow every member of a giant crowd at once.

Still, when Marie gasped behind her, pointing out a direction, Fayette found it. Entering right at the edge of her vision—a spot of… order.

It felt odd to associate order with monsters, but slimes were a curious type. Little active thought, following primal urges to seek out and envelop. A uniform body, all the same liquid, with one consistent core.

And this particular slime… was clean.

Fayette rose up, and focused on the waters with her normal sight, searching for that movement. She was tracking it with her [Dustsense] all the while, but it was still so hard to make out. A transparent figure advancing steadily, like a small wave traveling over the mud.

She smiled. Got you.

“Mireille, get ready to throw the second body in,” Fayette said, taking a step back from the water.

Touching it would be a bad idea—but she had a [Lady] with her now. Someone who could do elementary [Monster Binding].

She pointed at it and nudged Marie with her hip. “There. That’s our target.”

The [Lady] squinted, trying to make it out. “I can sense it… but it’s so hard to make out. What kind of slime is this?”

Fayette took hold of her arm, and guided it in the right direction, even as Marie suddenly grew very stiff. “Riiight over there. See that almost-wave? I think you would call it a… cleaning slime, let’s say.”

Marie snatched her hand back, stepping a bit away from Fayette and the water. The [Maid] nodded. A wise precaution against monsters.

“A-a cleaning slime? I’ve never heard of those before—” Marie said, glancing back at the water.

“And why do you know so much about it, Fay?” Mireille asked, stepping closer with the other body in tow. “You just knew there was a cleaning slime out here? And about cleaning slimes?”

Fayette fidgeted a bit on her feet and lowered her voice. “I may have had a slight part in creating it…”

Two heads lurched in her direction. “You what?” Mireille asked, eyes wide.

Fayette watched as the slime finally reached the first of the bodies, and enveloped it—starting to dissolve flesh and skin. She didn’t blink at it. It was a process she had seen many times before.

The other two though… faces grew pale. “Isn’t that your alchemy mixture,” Mireille said, recognizing the effect, then turning away.

“Well—” Fayette began, thinking on how she should spin this. “—I kind of accidentally made it, while trying to clean some slimes. The alchemy was a bit too effective I guess…”

“So you’ve come to finish the job?” Marie asked as she searched through her pouch.

Fayette shook her head. “No, no! We’re not killing it. More like…” She turned her head, locking eyes with Mireille. “We made a deal, right? That I get to choose my pet next?”

Two blank stares answered her as the words slowly sunk in. Mireille was first to recover and looked at the [Maid] with disbelief. She pointed at the slime, which had already gotten through the head, leaving only a bare skull behind. “That is a monster. You can’t seriously be thinking of taking a monster on as a pet!”

Fayette kept her gaze firm. “Yes, I am. You got to keep that spider!”

Mireille glared and patted Char, who was napping on her shoulder. “She isn’t a monster. Just a normal animal—if one that can grow pretty big. Monsters are different!”

How can I convince her? Fayette really wasn’t sure. She knew this was going to be a tough sell no matter what.

“I mean, most monsters are bad, yes—but this slime… I can’t kill it, really. I sort of made it!”

She pointed at it, now devouring shoulders happily. “It’s like… a feral child that I tried to beat up then threw into a river. Now it’s found me again! That has to be destiny.”

Fayette turned her head to Marie, who was still just staring silently. “Besides! Marie can make monster-bond thingies, right? And I have a pretty good water magic alignment! Wouldn’t this slime be a perfect candidate!”

Her eyes glittered as her true purpose was revealed. Magic. She was willing to do quite a bit to get her hands on magic. Even make peace with some more monstrous types…

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Marie finally jolted awake, out of her daze. “A-a bond? You know I can’t do a proper one…”

Fayette took a step closer, gripping the [Lady’s] hand softly. “Please? You told me there were other types. I don’t mind being improper.”

Marie hesitated, gripping the hand tighter, then finally sighed. “I… I can only do bonds that would still keep the monster free, out and about. I can’t seal it away like mine is done. Like proper ones are done.”

Fayette held firm, as her heart started to race faster. She’s considering it. Her hand tingled just at the thought of it. “I promise I’ll keep a watch on it. Just… let’s give this a try. If it's a disaster, we can get rid of it.”

The [Lady] looked into her eyes a long time before she finally gave a small, tiny nod.

Fayette let go and did a celebratory twirl on the spot. “Yes! Thank you! Let’s do this!”

Marie stepped back a few paces, calming her breath. She started digging through her pouches, one eye on the slime. It was almost done with the first body now.

“Right. First, we’re going to have you try to communicate with it. See what level its mind is at. That affects these things.”

Fayette nodded rapidly, 100% focused. “I’ll do it. What do you need?”

“Just a second…” Marie finally took out some powders and chalk out, and started mixing them in her hand, eyes focused. It took a moment, but soon she stepped forward satisfied, drew a few quick lines on Fayette’s forehead, connected it with magic to the powders, then handed the powders to her.

“Approach carefully, then let the slime absorb those powders. You should be able to communicate with it for a few seconds.”

Fayette felt the [Lady’s] fingers brush her hand as she transferred the powder, and her excitement grew. Her hand tingled as magic was so close to her grasp. The slime was just about finished with the body and was now rising up to the surface.

“Mireille, can you bait it onto land with the second corpse?”

“—fine. But when this inevitably goes horribly wrong, I’ll tell you I knew it from the start.”

“Yeah yeah yeah, just do the thing. I’ll handle it if it happens.”

Mireille sighed, but brought the body forward, letting the legs dip into the water. The slime instantly perked up and started swimming forward. When it reached the leg, Fayette helped pull the body back onto land, now with a slime attached to it. Marie stepped forward, ready to draw warding barriers onto the ground, and Fayette bent down.

She cast her powder onto the slime, almost vibrating with eagerness. It’s finally time.

It all dissolved inside fast, twinkles of magic sparking during the process, and Fayette felt some sort of unfamiliar link in her mind.

She tried to think really hard and loud at the sensation. Hello? Can you hear me? It’s me again! Do you remember me?

It answered. Not with words, but with something more primal. Vague impressions and sensations, but Fayette managed to get the approximate meaning.

HUNGER. CLEANSE. PURGE. EAT. GROW. HUNGER. CLEANSE.

The [Maid's] smile froze on her face, and she watched the slime eagerly eat away at the body, rapidly advancing up it. She slowly turned back to her friends, trying to keep her smile as convincing and confident as possible.

“Hey, I think it wants to clean with me! I’m sure we’ll get along great. Let’s do this!”

The slime behind her slushed forward one last time, finishing off the head. Naught but bone was left behind.

[Great job cleaning up the evidence! ]

[Level up: You have reached Maid level 21! Congratulations!]

[1 Skill points gained!]

[Progress towards next level: 0%]

Oh, that’s nice.

She added a thumbs-up and a [Disarming Smile].

—

The slime had been trapped inside a barrier of glowing magic lines, and Fayette was sitting next to it, examining her prospective partner. If she really thought about it, monsters were inherently something one should destroy, but it was true that monsters did occasionally fight each other too. Was this like fighting fire with fire?

I’m sure it’ll be fine.

Marie was kneeling next to her, brush laid on her knees, a mortar and pestle in her hands. They needed proper magic paint for this, and Fayette had luckily had just the ingredient they needed—the remnants of a [Lord’s] command seal, a rich blue mana-rich gemstone, crushed into powder.

“So, have you decided where you want it?” Marie asked. “Keep in mind the requirements and risks.”

Right. The risks.

[Maids] weren’t really supposed to have magic after all.

Other [Mages] could see magic sigils, but not unless the skin was bared out or under really thin clothing. If one was not casting actively, it would be pretty simple to hide otherwise. Besides, Fayette wasn’t the biggest fan of tattoos—they clashed quite a bit with a proper [Maid’s] decorum—so she had made a simple choice.

“I think I want it along my inner thigh,” she said, tapping the indicated place. Her skirts were thick and long, and her garters reached quite high. Plus, she really wasn’t going to be showing that spot of all places to anyone. Out of the way, unintrusive, and hidden. Just perfect.

Marie had frozen for a brief instant at the answer but soon resumed her work turning the dust into paint. “…ok. Sure. Inner thigh. I can draw there. No problem.”

Mireille, however, was still rather unsure, and was walking back and forth, agitated. “Fay, you’ll really need to remember to hide this well. If it works, no casting magic when people can find out! This needs to stay hidden.”

The [Maid] quirked an eyebrow. “Don’t worry, I can be quite discrete. Besides, [Mages] aren’t all that common, are they?”

“So you think, but if they can’t easily spot you, you can’t easily spot them either, can you Fay?”

“Now you’re just being paranoid. [Mages] sneaking about in plainclothes? Does that actually happen, Marie?”

The [Lady] thought for a moment. “…Can’t really see it. They tend to be proud and like being seen. Besides, you two are observant. If you managed to find me out that fast, I imagine you could spot most hidden [Mages] too.”

“Most,” Mireille pointed out, still pacing. “I just feel like this will backfire, eventually. Is the gain really worth it?”

Marie stopped and looked up at Fayette. “She is right you know. This bond won’t really result in anything that powerful.”

“But I’ll see that second moon again,” came Fayette's reply. “And who knows what class-up options or skills it might unlock? [Magic Maids] can't be common. Besides—I’ll get a nice slime pet out of it.”

She even managed to make the last bit sound confident, and Marie nodded.

“Alright. I won’t question you further then. But… what kind of design do you want me to draw? I have some freedom in it.”

“I trust you—your drawings really are nice. Just do what feels right.”

“...Thanks—I’ll… do my best. Right. Let’s get to it then.”

The [Lady] stood up, taking the pestle out, and the mortar now held a gleaming blue paste. Gently, she dipped her brush into it, then turned to the [Maid]. “Let’s begin.”

Fayette nodded, then laid down on her back, feeling the soft ground under her. The line of wardings separating her from the slime was right by her side, and leaning to the side, she could see the creature growing agitated within. Don’t worry buddy, I’ll make a fine partner out of you.

“Hey… I need you to—umm…”

Fayette looked up at the waiting Marie, then down at her feet. Oh, right. She hiked her skirt up, and rolled her stocking down, revealing her pale skin to the cool night air. It felt just a bit embarrassing, more than sharing a sauna had. Strange.

The [Lady] nodded, gleaming brush in hand, and kneeled between her legs. She bent down, and Fayette closed her eyes, her heartbeat getting more and more agitated. The key moment. Magic just outside her grasp.

Then she felt a soft tickle at her thigh, and almost twitched, laughing.

She barely held it in, and the initial tickle was replaced by a cool, soft sensation, as the brush began to draw elaborate patterns. She tried to imagine what the lines looked like, just based on the sensation.

Maybe something like waves? No—that bit circled around… No hard edges. Everything is soft and smooth, flowing like water.

Then, with a final prick, a hint of mana flowed into the center of the sigil, and Fayette felt an alien presence brush against her mind.

She opened her eyes, looked to the side, and saw the wardings around the slime glow, and the creature squirmed as bindings appeared around it. A link. And something began flowing along that link—just a trickle.

Magic.

Fayette felt it tingling against her leg and stared as Marie got up, taking a few steps back, face just a bit red.

“Right. That’s done now.”

“Totally done?” Fayette asked, rising up.

I have magic?

She could feel it. Magic was pulsing on her skin, matching the rapid beating of her heart. Excitement bubbling, she pointed a finger and focused on the new feeling within her.

“Go, [Water Blast]!”

It surged along her skin, and she felt the pattern inscribed there expand outwards, just a few wavey lines, and the energy coalesced around her finger, a blue glow growing. It gathered, waiting for form, and Fayette visualized a mighty jet of water spraying forth.

A small, weak trickle left her finger, lasted 10 seconds, and then stopped.

She felt the magic run out, something blocking her from using more. Wait, that was it?

She turned, and Marie shrugged at her. “It’s your first go, and you have no skills for it. It’s a poor bond too. I imagine you’ll be able to make at least a bucketful eventually.”

“…Can I make it more powerful?”

Marie shrugged. “Well, it may take a lot of practice, and you might need to get this bond upgraded... but yes. Eventually. Short-term, I wouldn’t expect too much.”

I have to do actual training? I'm not a natural talent? Hard work and time? I want magic now! Fayette felt just a bit betrayed and unsteady on her feet, but she calmed down pretty quick. Because she had still gained something. Magic. And she had one free skill slot. Maybe something could enhance her magic?

But that was not all. She had also gained something else… she focused on that other feeling and sensed an… irritation?

Looking to the side, she saw the slime moving around its circle in agitation. Am I feeling that? Hello? Did I take too much?

TRAPPED. CLEANSE. PURGE. FOREIGN. TOUCH.

Fayette narrowed her eyes. Okay, I’m in charge now, so settle down. We’ll get you housetrained and cleaning eventually.

CLEANSE. FUTURE. AFFIRM.

“I think… it understood me,” Fayette said, staring at the slime.

“With the bond, you should be warded against it. It shouldn’t burn at your touch as much.”

“Really? That’s handy.”

Fayette took a step forward, just to the edge of the wards, then stared at the slime.

Stay.

It moved towards her. CLEANSE.

No, stay.

CLEANSE.

Carefully, she extended her pinkie, then pushed it forward, touching the slime just a hint, then pulling back.

Her finger didn’t burn.

The slime tried to run at the bindings and smacked into an invisible wall. CLEANSE.

Fayette narrowed her eyes, took a step forward, then smacked the slime with an open palm. No! Bad slime!

The slimy body wiggled under the impact, and she saw the core in the center shift about, unsteady.

CONFUSION. NOT CLEANSED. BUT TOUCH.

“That’s right, I’m the new boss here, so you’ll have to learn to behave.”

Am I maybe being to mean to it? Stick and carrot right?

“I got you those two bodies today, you liked them, right?”

CLEANSED. SATISFY. GROW.

“Good, I think we can get along just fine.”

Mireille was staring, a resigned look on her face. She turned to Marie. “That thing is not staying anywhere near where we sleep.”

Fayette turned to the two, a calculating look on her face. “I think I have an idea… How small can you make those wardings, Marie? Can you fit them on a bucket?”

“Well… I think I can manage that.”

Fayette’s eyes were shining again. Sure, her magic wasn’t that great, but it was her first go at it. She had gained a pet, and looking up at the sky…

She saw the second moon there, less corporeal than before, but still a full, pale blue.

She had gained magic.

Then her head shot back down, to her new companion.

“Oh, that’s right, we’re going to need a name for you!”

Don’t you worry, I’ll make a proper [Slime Maid] out of you!

WORRY.

—

The walk back to the inn was uneventful but lighthearted. Fayette carried a sloshing bucket at the end of her broom, which she held up against her shoulder. The slime was more relaxed now, content in its bucket like a cat in a box, but still lacking a name.

“…How about… Slimey?”

“For the third time, Fay, no! That one is so terrible. Stop suggesting it!”

“But like… it’s a slime.”

“No! You have to be more creative than that, I swear—”

Mireille paused, sensing eyes on them. They were almost at the inn, but only at the bottom of the hill, and already Olivia was rushing down towards them, eyes dark. They all stopped.

Fayette instantly placed the bucket down and readied her broom. The [Doctor’s] eyes spoke of trouble. The worst kind.

Waiting for her to get down, the speculation came.

“Some trouble in town?” Marie asked.

“Maybe we got found out somehow?” Mireille added.

“No—I think this is—” Fayette stopped, remembering. Olivia had been about to tell her something before they had found out about the [Murderer]. “—something personal. She had somewhere she wanted us to go.”

That silenced the other two, and they watched thoughtfully as the [Doctor] shambled down the hill, breathing heavily.

She finally got to them, and Fayette stepped forward to halt her forward momentum.

Olivia thumped into her, took a few seconds to regain her bearings, then nodded thankfully. It took a few more seconds for her to catch her breath, then turn to the others. “Get packed. We need to head out first thing tomorrow morning, on the first ship that comes to town.”

“What kind of trouble is it?” Marie asked, serious. Nobody had ever seen Olivia like this.

The [Doctor's] voice was grim. “There was a news blackout down south, which is why I got worried. Was some troubling news before that. Felt familiar. Now—the blackout has been lifted. The news came to town on the last ship.”

For a moment, Olivia was silent, brooding, and calming her breathing. “The city of Biennizze has been quarantined, and the call for hunter support has come.”

Fayette shivered. If the crown was calling for hunter aid, that meant one thing: there were monsters to hunt. And if it was a quarantine… she met Olivia’s eyes, and the [Doctor] nodded.

“A magical plague.”