- Shari -
We walk quite a while through the town and gradually the buildings start to look better.
That reminds me, our inn was quite close to the western gate and I doubt that this road along the edge of the Evergrove gets frequently used.
So it makes sense that the north of the city, with the gate leading to our country's capital, is wealthier.
The trade simply leads to more prosperity in this part of the town and because of this is more interesting for merchants and peddlers instead of the nearly abandoned west gate.
No wonder the guards were so bored.
Like this, it's not surprising that the alchemist we want to meet has as well his business here.
I need to keep strict watch over Liqu, who grows more and more excited, and fidgety while walking through the shinier part of the town.
There are big carriages as well as people in fancy and expensive clothes, who might be actual nobles.
Mum always warned me about these people, as they have no problem getting away with killing you open on the street or something like this.
And you should not hope for the law to be on your side with them involved.
Yet, I ask myself what mum would now say to me.
Probably something along the lines of "And don’t let Liqu eat the first noble that offends you!"
Yep, that could become very troublesome.
We proceed rather quickly and at least Liqu listens to me so that we have no incidents or eaten people on the way to our destination.
Finally, we arrive in front of a not-too-impressive shop.
There is not much to see on the outside.
No pictures, no writings, there aren’t even windows.
However, the advertisement of an alchemist is about his reputation and not how shiny their flasks are.
My own knowledge of alchemy is not very vast.
I can make some basic mixtures based on what I know about the properties of the used plants, but that's it.
Without hesitation, Jacob opens the door and enters, while we follow.
Inside it is dark and gloomy and my analysis tells me there is far too much stuff in the air to breathe comfortably.
That’s maybe the first time that I am glad this doesn’t concern me anymore.
And the night vision is helpful too right now.
"Hey! It’s me, Jacob! Are you there?" (Jacob)
I wait for a response, but the one which is coming seems not to be directed at us.
"Shit, shit, shit, shit! Where is it? How could this happen? The one basic component and it runs out! How could I be so careless?!" (?)
To my surprise and against all my prejudices the voice sounds like a woman.
"Hey! We are here! You could at least greet us!" (Jacob)
"What!? What are you doing here? Fuck off, Jacob! I have right now no nerve for you!" (?)
"Don’t be like this! I have here something that just the best alchemist in Ekoras can really appreciate!" (Jacob)
"Oh for god’s sake! What could be this interesting, that it makes you so full of yourself? Oh right I forgot, that is just the natural way you are. Now get rid of yourself!" (?)
The voice comes slowly closer while speaking.
"So you are suggesting another alchemist would have more use for the liver of a rager? Then I shall be on my way!" (Jacob)
"What!?" (?)
Without me even noticing how it happened, someone appeared at the counter.
Wavy dark-brown hair down to her back, tanned skin, is middle-aged, and has an aura that makes it hard to talk back to her.
"How the fuck you’ve got parts of a rager? And you know decisively that none of those cretins would even have half the proficiency to process this like me, the great Tamarah!" (Tamarah)
"Yes, sure. That’s why we’re here! For how we acquired it, that’s a business secret." (Jacob)
"Okay, what do you have?" (Tamarah)
"We have the eyes, adrenalin glands, the mentioned liver, heart, pounds of the flesh, spikes and bones and some organs I couldn’t find the purpose, but which were just for that reason interesting." (Jacob)
"From all the times you could come to me with a haul like this." (Tamarah)
"Is there a problem?" (Jacob)
"A problem? No, a disaster! My basic foundation ingredient is out and without it, I have almost no means to make potions!" (Tamarah)
"Is it really possible that you have no water? There's a river to fetch some, you know?" (Jacob)
"What do you take me for? As if I would use something this unreliable! Do you know how many impurities water can contain? Especially in this river? Do you want to know? If I'd use it my customers might actually become sick because of the potion. Even if I would distill it, it's totally prone to get corrupted by outside influences, before and after processing it. At best water is fit for lower-quality potions and people don’t come to ME for something like that! I use something stable that can’t get contaminated by all this little nasty, dirty stuff in the air." (Tamarah)
"And what would that be? You never mentioned something like this." (Jacob)
"Why should I? I order it specifically and if the clients would know what is inside my potions they would refrain from drinking them. Or do you really want to know in which of the potions you're buying from me I put the eye of your rager?" (Tamarah)
"I see where you’re coming from, but we've known each other for so long, a bit of trust would be nice. It’s not like we have no interest in the prosperity of your business." (Jacob)
"Sigh, fine! Since you are that interested. The only base, that won't react with the ingredients on its own and removes at the same time all living impurities out of a mixture is nothing else than the liquid of a slime!" (Tamarah)
.
.
.
Okay, this is ridiculous.
She basically admitted that she's using what Liqu and I are segregating from our bodies and even pays for it.
You don’t want to know that people are doing something like this with your residues.
And when she uses this for potions it means that people are drinking…
"Blurgh" (Shari)
THAT'S JUST DISGUSTING!
As if someone waits with a bucket under your toilet!
No! I didn’t want to know this!
Ahem, why are people looking at me?
"That is a really bad habit! To waste your precious matter like this." (Liqu)
"It’s not like I wanted it. Haven’t you heard her? People drink this stuff!" (Shari)
"You did too!" (Liqu)
"That doesn’t help in the slightest!!!" (Shari)
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
"Jacob, by the way, who are these fellas? And why did the girl just puke slime liquid on my floor?" (Tamarah)
Hell! What shall I do?
"You know, she simply has no sturdy stomach." (Jacob)
Was that a pun in my direction?
"Maybe you got me wrong. Why was that what she threw up slime liquid?" (Tamarah)
"Maybe she ate something wrong and it ended up in an unsightly state?" (Jacob)
"Do you really have the audacity to tell me, the best alchemist in this whole bad excuse of a town, that I am not able to identify my very own foundation component, which I use for all of my potions?" (Tamarah)
This isn't going well.
If this proceeds we are going to get exposed.
"And in addition, if she is so disgusted by the very thought of drinking this, then why was it inside her?" (Tamarah)
Stop being so perceptive!
"Ehm..." (Jacob)
I start to become anxious and even Jacob, the best actor I ever met seems to be at his wits' end.
This is bad!
This is really bad!
Open questions can be as dangerous as inconvenient truths.
If I am not doing something the situation might get worse when she figures it out on her own.
Shit! I don’t know what to do!
Okay, Liqu’s approach: Gather first all the information you can receive!
Like this, I turn to the one person who can tell me something about that alchemist.
"Jacob! If she would know the truth, what are the chances she becomes hostile?" (Shari)
"Difficult to say. She's a money grabber, pragmatic, and very into her scientific research, so she might be open. You aren’t going to harm her, right?" (Jacob)
"Hey! What are you two whispering over there?" (Tamarah)
"I was more set on running for my dear life if this isn't working out." (Shari)
Like this, I tend to the, already very impatient, alchemist.
Yet, I have no real choice, but to appease her.
The problem is she has no real reason not to call the guards on me, if not for the immediate danger.
Which will cease as soon we leave the shop.
If I would just have a proposal at hand that would be beneficial enough for her to refrain from doing so.
Ugh, yes I know!
I know what I could do.
But am I not allowed for some seconds not to consider those options, which are endangering my mental stability?
Sight, that doesn't seem to be the case.
"Ehm, Ms. Tamarah, if I could suggest you a way to acquire your base ingredient for, let’s say half your current expenses, would you be able to keep a little, yet especially confidential secret?" (Shari)
I get strange looks.
From Myra who was holding her breath, since the moment this whole incident started and Jacob, who if I’m right did just snicker at me.
"You don’t even know what I am paying. How can you be so certain that you can underprice my current provider?" (Tamarah)
"I am very confident that I have by far better access to the source than anyone else." (Shari)
Okay, that was definitely a snicker.
"You are a very strange girl, my dear." (Tamarah)
"She isn't yours! She belongs to me!" (Liqu)
"Liqu, shut up! I am here right in the middle of something!" (Shari)
This slime is always meddling at the worst moments.
"Hmm, your partner seems to be quite interesting too. So I am tempted to accept your offer, but before I agree, is this "secret" in any way concerning me?" (Tamarah)
"It has just to do with our ability to provide your requested goods. Apart from that, you can be completely unconcerned." (Shari)
"Well, then explain yourself!" (Tamarah)
A little bit reluctantly I lift my cloak, let the gloves slip, and finally, raise my shirt so that my core becomes visible.
That can't be considered stripping, right?
Yet, I feel the rather intense gaze of Liqu on me.
Even more, as I can now see behind, without my vision being obstructed by any covering.
While Liqu is undressing me with her gaze, with Tamarah it feels more as if she would love to bind me to a table and deconstruct me until her curiosity is satisfied.
A horror vision that thankfully doesn’t apply to me anymore.
From the prospect of getting bound, to getting cut into pieces, both are impossible.
One less thing to worry about.
Albeit, I wouldn’t have to worry at all if I would still be normal!
"This is a noteworthy surprise." (Tamarah)
"Yeah, thanks I guess. But I would like to dress up again." (Shari)
"You are an anomaly of a variant of a slime!" (Tamarah)
"Tsk!" (Shari)
"No reason to become all caustic, little pun. That was a compliment. You are for sure the most interesting specimen of your kind I ever saw." (Tamarah)
"You think so too? She is a great slime, yes?" (Liqu)
"For god’s sake: I AM NO SLIME!" (Shari)
"Didn't we settle this already?" (Liqu)
"No, we haven’t! I don’t want to be referred to as a slime! I don’t want to be treated like a monster! God, I had no word in this whole matter!" (Shari)
"Me neither." (Liqu)
Stop with convincing arguments!
"Argh! I just don’t want to be labeled like this!" (Shari)
"I can understand that you don’t want to be chained to your background. It's not nice to be treated badly for reasons one cannot do anything about." (Liqu)
In a weird way, she always understands my point.
She twists it, turns it around, and applies it as she wants, but ultimately she really has a talent for hitting exactly the right points.
It is disturbing how well she can handle me.
"It seems I am missing something here. Would anyone fill me in?" (Tamarah)
The next minutes I spend explaining to her my difficult relationship with Liqu but leave out parts about killed adventurers and certain details of my transformation which I really don’t want to dwell on.
"What a story!" (Tamarah)
"I would wish it wouldn’t be mine!" (Shari)
"I mean all of this sounds absolutely…" (Tamarah)
Sad, miserable, disgusting, worrisome, crushing for a young girl?
"Fascinating!" (Tamarah)
Okay, it’s decided!
We will never become friends!
"That's for sure not the word I had in mind." (Shari)
"I mean, think about all the possibilities!" (Tamarah)
"At the moment, I am just interested in those which won’t let me end up killed!" (Shari)
"Ah right. So you are trying to hide your existence inside this settlement?" (Tamarah)
"It’s more about avoiding guards with sharp weapons and a mob with torches." (Shari)
"I see. Yes, most of these cretins aren’t able to realize the magnificence your existence is posing to our understanding of life itself." (Tamarah)
"Yes, my Shari is wonderful, right?" (Liqu)
"Am I right that you could repeat what you did, Liqu?" (Tamarah)
This goes completely wrong.
The implications of this question worry me deeply.
"I could, but I don’t want to. My Shari is all I need! I don’t want anything that could change what I have now!" (Liqu)
Again I am somewhere between flattered and creeped out.
Yet for now, I’m mostly glad that we dodged the prospects of more transformed humans.
"That aside, it shouldn’t be hard now to believe that we are able to keep our part of the deal." (Shari)
"Yes sure. Incredible! I have my own source of slime to provide to my work!" (Tamarah)
She is disturbingly quick at possessive terms.
"Then I am also glad, that you are so understanding of the situation. Now to get back to our trade." (Jacob)
"Ah right. Let’s see." (Tamarah)
After that, she goes through the things we brought with us and sorts out what is interesting or usable for her work.
"The parts are good and fresh enough; also there are absolutely no damages on any of these. I ask myself how you did this." (Tamarah)
The question was more on the rhetorical side, as Tamarah’s glance at Liqu and me is telling enough.
"Is there a reason why you didn’t bring the brain?" (Tamarah)
"You see, it was in no condition to even take it." (Jacob)
"There is certainly an interesting reason for that." (Tamarah)
"My Shari melted it! You should have seen her, she was so great!" (Liqu)
"Oh, is that so?" (Tamarah)
I get a more than dubious look.
"It just came so." (Shari)
"It just came so, that you killed a living calamity?" (Tamarah)
I don’t like the undertone in this.
"Y-you were the one who killed it? I thought…" (Myra)
"Liqu did most of the work. It was already almost finished when she forced me to participate." (Shari)
Can’t really have it now that she thinks that I’m equally monstrous as Liqu.
"Okay, for all of this I would be willing to pay twenty-five silver, not more." (Tamarah)
"Aren’t you being a little stingy? It's a rare chance to get access to a rager’s body." (Jacob)
"This is already very generous, regarding the fact that I only take a small part. Also, I wasn’t done yet. For each liter of slime liquid, you will get one silver." (Tamarah)
This is a good offer, but I am not too keen to take her up on it.
However, I already accepted the deal before.
Keep your word, Shari!
"Fine, the liquid which is low on energy is alright, yes?" (Shari)
"Yes, this is what I'm usually working with since the energy degrades by time, anyway. But slime with high energy might become useful in its own way." (Tamarah)
"For now I would like to keep it simple. But the problem is, Liqu released her mass not too long ago, so there shouldn’t be too much left." (Shari)
"Oh, I was far more interested in yours." (Tamarah)
"M-mine? Why?" (Shari)
"Even if I dilute and process it, the color will stay the same. Your blue looks far more appealing for the customers than the green." (Tamarah)
Oh god!
I feel again like puking!
"Yes, right? She is absolutely gorgeous, isn't she?" (Liqu)
And again Liqu meddles in our discussion.
It's interesting that the positive comment to me apparently outweighs the insult to her.
Yet, she is quite self-conscious about her color herself.
Nonetheless, I am holding my head at all this madness.
"Urgh! Fine, I'll do it. Is there a container where I can dump it?" (Shari)
"In the back room. I'll show you." (Tamarah)
I am led to some kind of kettle I could use to throw the slime in.
After I shoved that pervert out, who wanted to watch me while I relieve myself, I use the technique Liqu showed me.
However, I feel so stupidly embarrassed right now.
And far more ashamed by the fact that I literally sold my body for some kind of pervert usage.
But I really need the money if I want to advance with my plans.
That's what they all say, huh?
Once I am done Tamarah inspects the results.
"For this amount, I believe seven silver should be adequate." (Tamarah)
"Yes, great." (Shari)
My tone became flat and hanging, as I lack the enthusiasm to keep my vocal strands under the required tension right now.
"Don’t be like this. I will gladly accept more whenever you are ready to go." (Tamarah)
Afterward, we finish our trade and take the money.
The seven silver for my deed go directly to me, while we leave the rest with Jacob until this Cid paid him so that we can divide our shares afterward.
All in all, we made a good sum.
And an overly friendly Tamarah is setting us off.
On one side, it's nice that she wasn’t hostile and even have now a business opportunity.
However, there are no words for what my mind just has been put through.
Like this, we are on our way, while I have a difficult expression.
Mum and Dad can never know about this!