- Shari -

After the talk with Peras, I should meet up with my team.

I shouldn’t have been surprised that they were informed before I was.

Jaren should have much more experience than I do in leading and so it's not strange that they give him the details in advance.

As I see it, if there was any other reason for giving us the rank of an officer if not to mess with us, the only point might be that we should have a status that won't allow any of the common soldiers to mistreat us and raise Liqu's anger.

I need to head to the conference room for the team meeting.

There I see how our team is already lined up.

All five of them.

Jaren looks pretty composed.

Vela surprisingly stopped glaring at us.

Galos and Balion look pretty disgruntled, but aside from a low grumble, it seems to be fine.

And Elin is there as well.

She seems to be doing okay, but who knows how she fared on her own in this place.

Since I had the best experience with Jaren, I address him first.

"So, seems like we're going on our first mission." (Shari)

I should mention that I have no idea what a group leader should say in this kind of situation.

"Officer, we prepared our equipment and are ready to leave any moment." (Jaren)

This reminds me.

"Ehm, is the distribution of our stuff regarding our provisions and such already settled?" (Shari)

"In general, everyone carries his own load, but scouts are exempt from this. The additional weight is distributed among the fighters with consideration of each one's physical ability." (Jaren)

"Okay, I don't want to sound lazy, but carrying too much stuff will make it hard for us to maintain our shapes and I have to say that it's not a good idea to let Liqu carry any provisions." (Shari)

"It should be possible for the rest of us to share the load. In the first place, it's just a short mission and we will be most of the time on horseback." (Jaren)

"Horseback? Uh, I see some issues." (Shari)

One would be that I don't know how heavy Liqu is.

Probably more than a rager.

At times, the wooden floors creak below her, but she didn't break through them, yet.

However, I wouldn't want to torture a poor animal.

This applies also to us even sitting on those animals.

The shaking alone should be enough for us to lose our shape.

And us flowing around them is no experience I wish for any living creature.

"Oh. But this is the fastest method to get to our destination. There might be a different one though... Anyways, I've heard you weren't given any travel equipment yet. So I took the liberty to request two bags for you." (Jaren)

Jaren takes some steps back and procures two bags.

They're much smaller than the big one I have but more comfortable to carry with the smaller size.

For a short mission, this should be better.

"I would suggest that you too go and prepare your equipment, officer. After this, we meet up at the stables close to the front gate. We should look if it works out." (Jaren)

He is right that I should take all of my weapons with me for this mission and also my good cloak since we’ll be traversing a rather well-frequented road.

However, before that, I want to do something else.

And so I go to the barracks to meet this water mage.

I isolate the first soldier who doesn't manage to escape in time and ask my questions.

Okay, maybe I used slime dash to get in front of him before he could get away.

It's not like I can't fetch my shoes after this.

"Excuse me? Would you be so kind to answer me a question?" (Shari)

"Whaah-Wha-What do you want?" (soldier)

Ah, cooperative.

"I would like to know the location of Niboku." (Shari)

I want to talk to Niboku for a special reason.

"H-he should be in the barracks. Niboku is naturally in the men's quarters." (soldier)

"Thank you very much for this." (Shari)

I even make a curtsy to appear especially well-mannered.

However, since he is more than anything else keen that I leave he doesn't appreciate that gesture.

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After that, I directly make my way into the barracks.

I only need to find out on which side the shrieked high-pitched screams belong to the men.

I ignore most of them while entering.

Finally, I find my target in the dormitory.

Time to engage him, before he can react and run away.

"Hello Niboku, I was looking for you." (Shari)

I give him my brightest smile.

Shortly after realizing what that entails, I cancel everything.

He still looks bewildered.

"W-What do you want?" (Niboku)

"I get that quite often recently." (Shari)

He isn't panicking as much as I thought, but saying that he's mildly disturbed might still be an understatement.

"Why are you here?" (Niboku)

I hope he doesn't mean the fact that I'm in the men's quarter.

The only excuse I have would be that this doesn't really matter regarding my condition.

Yet I guess this wasn't it as he already thinks of me as a slime, to my dismay.

"I've heard we would have a mission together and wanted to talk to the team members in advance, and I know almost nothing about you." (Shari)

"And now?" (Niboku)

"I'm curious. You don't look half as panicked as people usually are." (Shari)

He looks wary and I notice some distress, but he appears to still be capable of thinking rationally.

"Because I don't know you. Our lord wouldn't send us to just get eaten like the others seem to assume. Nonetheless, I can't help but worry about you." (Niboku)

"Well, then I'm glad. That's still much better than the usual reaction towards my person. Most people have their prejudices towards slimes." (Shari)

"To be honest, slimes don’t exist where I come from, so I have no idea what I'm supposed to think." (Niboku)

"Ah, yes. I thought you looked like a foreigner. Where do you come from? And how it comes you don't know slimes there? As far I know they spread everywhere." (Shari)

"I'm from Yamata. And the reason we don't have slimes there is simply that it's a group of islands in the west." (Niboku)

"Yamata? Wait, we are very much in the middle of the continent. There are at least two countries between Rakis and the ocean. How did you end up here?" (Shari)

"While I can understand the need for basic information, I don't see why I should share the story of my life with you." (Niboku)

"Fine, I was just curious." (Shari)

"Now could you please tell me what you want from me? I hope it was not just inquiring about my homeland." (Niboku)

"No. I was told you are a water mage." (Shari)

"Well, yes. While it's a convenient kind of magic, you don't get much out of it. You can't utilize it well in a fight, and healers and earth magic engineers are better paid for their services. In the end, we're speaking about something as mundane as providing water." (Niboku)

"This is still a great support in the field. That means you can also gather it?" (Shari)

"Well, yes. That's basic. Water isn't coming out of nowhere. The same as the earth I am only manipulating what is already there. No water means no spell. However, I’ve heard creating water should be possible, but at an incredible cost." (Niboku)

I really have to fight that smile that is creeping upward.

"Why do you look so weird? Uh, sorry. Weirder than usual. Ahem, why this question?" (Niboku)

"If you can gather water, that means you can also gather moisture, yes? Like drying something? They said this might become handy at that lake." (Shari)

"I rarely use it like that." (Niboku)

"Why not? Never had recently washed clothes you wanted to dry?" (Shari)

"Why would that bother me? I like a little dampness to them." (Niboku)

Ah, I forgot.

Mages are weird.

"Also it's very different from what I'm usually doing. Creating an assembling point is quite the opposite from driving it away." (Niboku)

"Wouldn't it work to do the gathering close to the area you want to dry?" (Shari)

"Or I might make it worse by dragging more to the point." (Niboku)

"Why not test it? Can you... I don't know. Dry this glove?" (Shari)

"That was your intention all the time, wasn't it?" (Niboku)

"You know, one of my greatest issues is that everything I keep in contact with my body gets drenched with slime. If you can help on that matter I would be really grateful." (Shari)

"Slime is not water. Otherwise I might be able to control you." (Niboku)

"I hope you weren't serious just now." (Liqu)

She not only spoke in a slightly ominous voice but also started sending small slime tendrils in his direction.

"Liqu, he said he couldn't. Calm down." (Shari)

"Sorry for the disappointment." (Niboku)

"You didn't try. If it's about the slime, I'm perfectly fine with just getting the wetness out." (Shari)

"I think I could give it a chance. No promises." (Niboku)

Great. He starts with some movements around my glove.

Yet...

"Is this taking much longer? It's just dragging on and on." (Liqu)

"No one forced you to follow me here. If you want to leave you can. As long you won't eat anybody while wandering off." (Shari)

I would be extremely worried, having Liqu roam the estate unattended, but she doesn’t have to know.

Meanwhile, Niboku is making progress.

He places the hand close to the sleeve and a moment later water assembles around it.

"Did it work?" (Shari)

"I guess. Though I need direct contact with the place I draw from. Not the most pleasant thing to do." (Niboku)

He gives it back and guides the water into a cup.

"Wonderful. Thank you very much for this." (Shari)

"You appear far more affable than the soldiers give you credit for." (Niboku)

"Thanks for this. I won't bother you any longer. We'll meet again tomorrow." (Shari)

He seems to have nothing to add.

Things being like this I leave the barracks as the crowd on the floor of gawkers and people waiting to get in grew worrisomely large.

It's not very difficult to get out, as they aren't too keen to come close.

After that, we meet with Jaren at the stables as we agreed.

"So what now?" (Shari)

"We should ride to the place of the last attack and from there see if we can find traces we can track. Elin! You think you can do this?" (Jaren)

"Sure, it was barely covered in my courses, but it’s not too different from basic adventuring knowledge. I've got this." (Elin)

I don't know too much about Elin's skills, but I believe her when she says that she has a keen eye to gather information.

"So, regarding riding..." (Shari)

"Maybe at least give it a try?" (Jaren)

"I really don't see this happening." (Shari)

Nonetheless, I should be cooperative and at least attempt to do it.

Rather disheartened I approach the horse bound in the stable.

It focuses me with a wary look.

Slowly I extend my arm in its direction.

"WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Well, that it's having a panic attack might be an understatement.

It rams its body left and right, strangles itself with its reins, and in general looks as if it's in some kind of death struggle.

Stable personnel comes to seize this obviously terrified creature, but struggle to regain control over it.

Getting the hint I draw back to a for this animal more comfortable distance.

Okay, lesson learned.

Animals hate me!

Maybe it noticed that my body has no scent, that I move oddly, or enough slime was visible for it to realize what I am.

My last meal wasn't too long ago so it could've even been some lingering dissolving scent.

Whatever it was, this creature got the impression that it's done for if I touch it.

I turn to Jaren.

"Was that clear enough?" (Shari)

"Yes... We’ll be lucky if this one doesn’t injure itself and has to be put down." (Jaren)

"If that happens, can I have it?" (Liqu)

Put your hand down, Liqu!

This should answer the question regarding why it was so terrified.

"And what now? Shall we walk all the way?" (Shari)

"It's not exactly nearby, but I have another idea." (Jaren)

"What is it?" (Shari)

"We have a simple carriage here. It's rarely used as one can't drive with it through most of the local terrain and it's slower than with a horse for each person, but it might work as an improvised solution. I would suggest you two sit on the far end." (Jaren)

That's advice I will take.

After that, we get back to our rooms to prepare for the mission.

It seems nothing is going to stop our venture from happening.