- Shari -

We arrive at the last shop on my list.

Yet I don't intend to buy anything here.

Which is part of the reason why I do feel a bit squeezy.

"Hello, Tamarah, you there?" (Shari)

"You again? Are you here to pay me off?" (Tamarah)

Well, not exactly, but already from her tone I can tell that anything else won't find much purchase for cooperation.

So, albeit reluctantly, I look deep inside me and pull something out.

"You, you are right. Here it is." (Shari)

With this, I hand her the money.

All the gold that I'm usually keeping within my body, which already should show how hard it is for me to separate from it, as well as the silver from my pocket that I took for the groceries.

All of this goes now on the counter, my slime clinging especially hard to the gold.

"Huh, that comes as a surprise. I thought more about a first payment. To think you already got the whole sum." (Tamarah)

"With this, we're even, right?" (Shari)

"Well, I considered charging interest, but I guess one could argue that you already paid me in goods." (Tamarah)

Yeah, not sure how to take this, but at least I'm now debt-free.

Something that means quite a lot to me, as the feeling of owing something to another person while being unable to procure what is necessary to change this didn't sit well with me.

In other words, it's one thing to lose everything you have, but a wholly different matter to have an increasing negative that starts to control your life.

I noticed how it already made interacting with Tamarah difficult for me.

Well, more difficult than dealing with this mad scientist usually is.

But at least this is over now, as we're back on equal terms.

Which essentially means for me that I'm broke.

If not for one measly silver, I have not much else in money to my name.

Well, aside from that stack of copper I stored at home.

That might accumulate to a gold coin or so.

Yet it's quite a bit too much to carry with me regularly.

"As much as I'd like to believe that you're only here to pay me, I think I know you better than this. So what is it?" (Tamarah)

"I, I wanted to introduce someone to you." (Shari)

"Go on." (Tamarah)

"Well, this here is Nia. Uh, you can take off the mask with her." (Shari)

Not sure how well the girl remembers her.

After all, she was quite delirious when she got that treatment.

"Oh, the dead girl!" (Tamarah)

"Hey!" (Nia)

"She's still alive!" (Okin)

"Yeah, yeah. How's the heartbeat?" (Tamarah)

That was a low blow, Tamarah.

Stolen story; please report.

"Could you please stop bullying her?" (Shari)

"Yes, yes! Bullying isn't nice! Ehm, what exactly did she do?" (Liqu)

Sigh!

"She implied that Nia in her current form isn't alive anymore, as she has no working body." (Shari)

"But her body works! Really well even." (Liqu)

"I'd like to confirm this for myself. So, what now? Are you going to keep on playing the shy maiden?" (Tamarah)

"Grrrlllllbsh" (Nia)

With the slime version of a grunt, Nia pulls off her mask.

"Hmm, consider me impressed. I had my doubts about your treatment, but apparently it worked considerably well. That color. With certain effects this could pair well." (Tamarah)

Oh no.

She's already at it.

"Ahem, we aren't here for that. Today at least. I just wanted you to get to know each other." (Shari)

"Sure you aren't. Just a friendly visit, huh?" (Tamarah)

The mad alchemist isn't wrong.

To be honest, what she just had in mind may have been the very reason why I brought Nia.

Thing is, Liqu and I have a mission.

Moreover, our whole role as royal agents depends on it.

Which means I simply can't take her with us on that one.

I wouldn't even know when we'd return.

However, I don't just want to abandon them.

To a degree, because I'm feeling a sense of responsibility, but also because it could get really ugly were she to be exposed, and a slime hunt would set a very bad precedent.

Not to forget, these two are quite crafty.

For that reason, I want to set them up with everything they might need so Nia's identity hopefully won't blow up and screw me later on.

Yet the downside to this great goal is that I need to make sure that the two will have the money they need to survive.

Given the fact that I just spent everything I had, which is aggravated by Nia's required diet, the options are rather limited.

"Well, I was just hoping that you might watch over her in the future." (Shari)

"Mhm. One of your typical 'tiny requests' that may turn out to be really troublesome for me." (Tamarah)

"Just don't show her where you keep your money. Aside from this, I'm sure you can work something out together that works for both sides." (Shari)

Tamarah isn't the kind of person who'd screw a child.

Deep in her heart, she's a good person.

Very deep.

"Mhm. Maybe. Well, at least you paid me out. I suppose I can show myself cooperative." (Tamarah)

That's probably good enough.

We depart and begin making our way back, but of course, what just happened is grounds for some questions.

"I can't believe you gave her ten whole gold right now! That... I couldn't even imagine that much money until today!" (Nia)

"It was payment for the book. It's what enables me to make the potions for the shop, so I'd say it was worth it." (Shari)

"Fair enough." (Nia)

"It's also the one your brother stole, by the way." (Shari)

There goes a look to Okin.

Yet it's not exactly condemning.

Rather, I fear there's a distinct sense of "good job" in it.

"Ahem, just saying, I intend to leave it at our place for the night. If I find out that you went and sold it in my absence, then you can be sure I will track you down, and you... you won't like it, okay? I am literally very invested in that thing." (Shari)

Yeah, I know, it's a mediocre threat at best.

But I'd probably at least throw them out, after taking back everything they got from the purchase and then being on my way to somewhat forcefully reverse this purchase.

I don't even think they'd do it.

At this point, they're not only indebted beyond measure to me but also rather dependent on my help.

However, I just made another arrangement that should make them think twice about doing something stupid.

"Not to forget, it would probably also sabotage the little arrangement I just set up to financially secure you a bit." (Shari)

"A setup?" (Okin)

"What do you mean? What kind of arrangement? I didn't really understand what you were talking about." (Nia)

"Well, you know, this crazy woman you just met is Tamarah, a rather renowned alchemist." (Shari)

"Okay. Go on." (Nia)

"You see, she's always in need of a certain foundation ingredient she utilizes for her potions." (Shari)

"Shglb-Hell, what?! Are you serious!?!" (Nia)

She almost spits slime out, which would be bad out here in the open.

Some are even without this already looking in our direction.

"Please, we are seen. What is wrong?" (Shari)

"I know what you're putting into your potions! Are you seriously suggesting this?!" (Nia)

Oh damn, she figured it out.

"She pays around a silver per liter and you won't have much usage for it once it's depleted. You still need to release occasionally. Why not do so in a profitable way?" (Shari)

Now I’m sounding like Tamarah.

"For real, a silver!? B-but it's gross and urgh. But... I mean, a silver? Regularly?! That's ridiculous!" (Nia)

"So... Is that a yes?" (Shari)

"Seriously, as much as it grosses me out, I would probably be stupid not to." (Nia)

With this, I apparently successfully talked a minor into literally selling her body.

Damn, I'm sure my karma is so down the gutter.

"It's kinda weird how it's always about money with you humans." (Liqu)

"I thought you started to appreciate it as well?" (Shari)

"Sure, but that doesn't mean there's nothing else I should exist for. It's a question of balance. Humans are lacking in that regard." (Liqu)

So now this slime is lifestyle coaching.

The irritating part about this, her philosophy might even become popular.

Yet until then we're gonna have to live in a world where an underage slime girl has to sell her body to make a living.

Sigh, now I'm starting to lose hope here.

Anyway, we head back home with our haul.

I guess today was an educational experience for Nia.

At least, she got a big new outlook on things.