- Shari -

The inside of the mansion is as spacious and fancy as it looks from the outside.

Yet we directly walk down into the cellar.

Apparently "settling the details" was code for "get you fast out of sight", as Dion is not wasting any time to lead us down, away from any servants or soldiers.

Remember when I said that those rooms might be for people the count doesn't like?

Well, I just now had a peek into the dungeon.

Fortunately, there was no fresh blood in the air, as my scanning ability tells me.

Extra emphasis on the lack of fresh blood as there were plenty of dried residues around.

But it is very well equipped.

Torture devices and such.

Since we also passed an iron door with an exterior lock, I would say this part of the mansion is for people who aren't allowed to leave their intended quarters.

Not that this would work for us, but now I get an idea about the nature of our rooms.

They're for nobles he has in custody, but are still ought to be treated as persons of great status.

But surely there would be no hesitation to make use of the dungeon next to it.

I am pretty sure everyone on the count's side thinks of this place as extremely fitting for us.

However, I would like to avoid having the reputation of the monster hidden in the cellar.

On the other hand, it might be less troublesome if, for example, guests come.

We can stay out of sight without having to relocate to another place.

The floor looks not like much as it is fitting for a dungeon.

But eventually, we stop at a heavy wooden door.

He procures the key and opens it.

Wow!

Okay, life isn't fair!

If even the confinement cells for nobles look like this then something is fundamentally wrong with the current social system.

Marbled walls, furniture, only of the highest quality, expensive curtains to hide that there are no windows and the bed looks so fluffy that I curse my inability to use it as intended.

Well, there is a suspicious small hole in the ground, which might be linked to the fact that the guests here usually won't be free to leave.

But as a slime, this doesn't concern me as much and I can use it to get rid of excess mass.

Also, is that a tub?!

A private room tub?

I am not even entirely sure about the material, as smooth as it looks.

Dissolving might tell me more, but naturally, I won't.

And there is some strange kind of pipe hanging over it.

Is that for water?

No need to carry it with buckets?

To summarize:

I'll take it.

"Are you content?" (Dion)

"Yes, absolutely." (Shari)

"Fine. Then to your comrade." (Dion)

"I want this one!" (Liqu)

I follow her pointing at a room directly next to mine.

When I receive the information I have to fight the sudden urge to smash my hand into my face.

At this point, I should mention that my hesitation to do such things, which would have hurt me in the past, severely decreased over time.

"Liqu... That is the dungeon." (Shari)

This tilting of her head just shows that I have to explain this in more detail.

"They keep prisoners here or force them to confess. Individuals they want to lock away." (Shari)

"But I like it. It's perfect and close to yours." (Liqu)

Goodness, she drives me crazy!

"You really prefer a prison cell to a real room?" (Shari)

"I like it. It has the perfect humidity and I even notice a slight residue of blood. This is nice." (Liqu)

Shari, stay calm!

As hard as it is.

Even Dion, with all his composure, seems a little taken aback.

"Sigh, alright. I won't meddle with your decision, but we will need a talk in the future about standards. Is this fine Dion?" (Shari)

"Ehm, there is no particular reason against this at the moment. It just appears a little bit... unusual." (Dion)

"Then I am glad. I would like to mention that we need a bit of food. That demonstration took energy and that equals life for us. I hope you understand my persistence on that point." (Shari)

"I do, I do. Are there any details to pay attention to regarding your diet?" (Dion)

I give him a look that basically says: "Really? You know what we are, right?"

Honestly, in my experience, there is nothing in the world a slime couldn't digest.

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"It doesn't have to be fancy. Meat would be appreciated. Cooking is not necessary. Other things are fine too, cheese or fruits and such, but less efficient. For my part, I wish to eat alone. So no mess hall. That will be all." (Shari)

I really don't intend to make a show based on my eating habits.

"And Liqu?" (Dion)

"Just throw something at her. But make sure she has enough to be full. She becomes moody if she isn't." (Shari)

This is the absolute truth.

All the really bad things with Liqu happen when she wants to devour stuff.

She grows twitchy and far more aggressive than usual.

Maybe some kind of instinct that gets her in the mood to kill stuff.

This trail of thought leads me to a discovery.

Slimes have instincts.

At least, Liqu and I do.

This is very strange since slimes are, as far as I know, manmade.

Artificial.

How do we have this suspiciously convenient base etched into our minds to act on?

Maybe the one who initially created them designed this unusual behavior.

But wouldn't that imply that this person from the very start decided to release his creatures upon this innocent world?

Wouldn't that be too crazy and villainous?

The other possibility could be that slimes had some kind of evolution going for them.

Yet this would imply that they became in that regard similar to living creatures and developed those predatory instincts.

This is a rather complex topic and I am sure I won't find an answer so easily.

For now, I have to make do with what remains of my human instincts to stay attentive to possible dangers that may befall one while being close to people.

My awareness regarding society and knowledge about people's behavior is the biggest advantage I have over common slimes and might save my life.

But I was at getting my food.

Even I feel some kind of drain that makes me want to get full again.

In this regard, it is rather helpful that soon our meal is brought.

However, something tells me the reason might be more that I basically threatened them with Liqu going on a rampage and less that they want to be considerate of us.

"I-I, I'm b-bringing th-th-the m-meal." (maid)

With this a terrified maid enters, shaking so hard that I fear the plates might slip out of her hands.

She must have lost some kind of selection process.

Since everyone who matters has already seen me, I don't bother with hiding myself in my coat as I usually do.

The mask and cloak might be convenient when I don't want to get in trouble while being among people, but at the same time, it's incredibly straining to always pay attention that I wear them properly.

The only times when I could relax even a little bit and lower my guard were when I was in the wilderness or in a locked room apart from any people who might see.

And since that one time when those two thugs suddenly barged in, I always kept my clothes on when I decided to rest.

To say it like this, my last proper rest, without keeping myself under any tension, is so far in the past that I don't even know how it felt.

So, sorry little maid, but I will go with casual attire, as I have now the chance to do this.

"Please on the table. And if you also have to go to the next room, putting it on the ground directly behind the door should be fine. You don't need to enter." (Shari)

At least this much I should grant her.

I can't really blame that maid for being scared and Liqu absolutely doesn't mind where her food is.

Or who.

I even go as far as stepping to the other side of the room for her, to let her ease up a bit.

However, she's incredibly slow, having to force every single step toward the table.

"Can we please speed this up a bit? I don't eat humans. Also, you are right now bringing my food, so you don't have to worry about my appetite." (Shari)

Startled, she apparently changes her approach towards making it quick.

She might believe that I'm going for her if I don't get my meal anytime soon.

I am just glad that she didn't throw it on the ground.

Objectively, there would be no difference for me, no matter where the food is and in what kind of condition, but this is no reason to give up on having standards.

For example, I don't feel like I would ever dissolve garbage or manure.

I don't know how this would work out for me, and honestly don't want to experience such a thing.

Like this, I am glad for having a table.

She places the plate there and is gone before I can even lift my gaze from the food.

Now, what do we have here?

Sigh. Didn't I say that it doesn't have to be fancy?

This is steak!

And considering the presentation, a high-class one.

Perfectly prepared, even garnished with some spices.

Any idea how expensive these are?

This is absolutely wasted on me!

Did the cook at least protest?

That would be absolutely justified.

What next?

Throw it straight into the garbage?

For some people, this might be the same.

This is no way to treat others' efforts.

"Iiieehk!" (maid)

While a scream and the following rumbling on the floor tell me that Liqu has got her food now, I slowly start my meal.

At least, I need to say that this piece of flesh is quite a chunk.

While I consider the side dishes, which they bothered to place as well, as a completely uncalled effort, just from the appearance it looks delicious.

The flesh isn't well-done, but that makes the fluids inside ooze out.

Suddenly I notice that this sight made me start drooling.

Which in my case means that slime is gathering in my mouth, flowing out and that little tendrils slowly extend in the direction of the food.

I reach with my hand out for the flesh and promptly feel its fluids spreading inside me.

By now I became used to the feeling of fat and blood from my meals so this is a known sensation.

Nonetheless, I feel a strange kind of satisfaction from all that stuff that enters me before I even have to trigger the dissolving reaction.

With my old body, touching meat like this would have meant dirtying my fingers.

But now I barely need to activate dissolving and all foreign substances are gone.

The only issue here might be that some could still call the slime dirty.

It's kind of a question about how one sees the slime I consist of.

Tamarah would say that this stuff is completely clean and fine to touch and even drink.

Yet the common opinion goes rather in the direction that one should absolutely avoid touching slime and many show extreme disgust at the mere thought.

In my case, I grew accustomed to it.

While I try not to think of my own body as something bad to avoid turning insane, I am a bit concerned about how others see me.

The reason why I ponder about stuff like this right now?

Well, at the moment I am a slime monster that is spreading its mass over a high-class meal.

It's just very hard not to imagine what others would think at that sight.

Sorry, but I'm a little self-conscious about that act.

Even more, as it proceeds so slowly.

For once, it's an attempt to show even a bit of appreciation to the cook, despite my lost sense of taste.

But much more important is that I save energy like this.

As I said, the steak is big, but considering the huge things we took in at times, this isn't that much.

Still, as long I avoid wasting energy during the dissolving it should be enough to get my fill.

However, Liqu might be a problem.

Her consumption is much greater than mine due to her bigger body.

On the other side, she didn't do much.

A slime bullet, that weird push, and growing, which shouldn't cost that much.

This meal is enough to replace five bullets I think, so she should be fine.

Even more, as she just had some of our provisions, since we wanted to be prepared for the meeting.

I on my side am fine with what I have.

At least this situation isn't so bad if you think about it.

I'm in a high-class room, have a good chance on a proper working arrangement, and maybe a way to get myself permanently off of the subjugation list.

If things work out I will have something like a life.

That is, as long Liqu isn't going to mess things up.