- Liqu -

I am currently on the third floor.

Yet it's strange.

Regarding the vibrations I sense from my surroundings, it feels as if no living being is here.

Why would someone build a house like this and then leave this much space vacant?

"Tock"

Huh?

That came from the room at the center of the wall, I am sure of it.

"Tock, tock"

I can clearly perceive it.

Someone's knocking against the wall.

"Tock"

Was I found out?

If that's the case, that would be really bad.

Could I get rid of this problem secretly?

Well, even if I completely dissolve this one, their vanishing would be noticed and the ones blamed would be Shari and me.

This means I have absolutely no choice but to annihilate all the others after I'm done with this one.

So first I have to look inside to get some survey on the area and my target.

I dissolve a tiny hole closer to the ground.

Establishing the same kind of connection I usually use for my eyes I push this part of me through the hole to scan the room.

I can't see anything extraordinary at first.

It's just a normal room with a bed and other stuff.

"Splk"

This is until something pokes me in my newly formed eye.

How rude!

"Splk"

Again!

I contemplate dissolving whatever disturbs my vision there.

However, I'm curious to find out what would dare to touch me like this.

So I bring more mass through the hole and start to form my head on the other side.

"Wha-?"

Now with two eyes I can see clearly see what poked me.

A young human girl.

She could be six, seven, eight... Ah well, human stages of growth were never my forte.

She's young, that's the gist of it.

For the rest, there's long yellowy shining hair, blue shiny eyes, white shiny dress.

Quite a lot is shiny on this one.

Yet this situation is a problem.

My Shari said that I cannot dissolve children.

Well, there wouldn't be much to dissolve in the first place.

However, this one seems to have realized what I am and stares at me.

That she's stunned isn't unusual.

Even children learn that poking a slime is utterly reckless, risking losing the appendage used.

"Splk"

That's what I thought at least until she does just that.

"Uhh, could you please stop poking my eyes?" (Liqu)

"Ahh! You can speak?" (girl)

"Yes, yes I can!" (Liqu)

I leave a pause so this small human can finally become aware of the situation it's in and show the right demeanor.

But instead, this little one again strobes my face.

"What? Why are you doing this? Aren't you afraid?" (Liqu)

"Afraid? Why would I be afraid?" (girl)

"Because of me! I'm fearsome!" (Liqu)

"Huh? Why? What is fearsome about jelly?" (girl)

"Jelly!?" (Liqu)

Okay, that's enough!

I expand the hole by dissolving the edges, then bring my core inside the room, and shape back to my human form.

The room is poorly illuminated with a single candle in the hand of the girl and the weak shine of the night through the window.

Still, my impressive figure should be visible enough for those inefficient human eyes.

The girl stares in awe while I grow in front of her.

"Just so you know, I'm a slime! Don't you dare call me 'jelly'!" (Liqu)

"Is there a difference?" (girl)

"A difference!? Jelly is dead matter, pressed into shape. Unable to change form and totally brittle. Slime is soft. It can take any form, change its composition, be whatever it wants to be. I'm a slime! Remember that!" (Liqu)

"Okay." (girl)

"So, who are you, rude girl?" (Liqu)

She takes two steps back and bows, while pulling with the tips of her fingers the sides of the dress she wears at her waist.

An awkward motion.

"My name is Anvenia Nox Demis Aurealis. May I inquire about your name?" (Anvenia)

"I'm Liqu." (Liqu)

What a ridiculous name.

It sounds unnecessarily complicated.

"So uhm, h-how did you come here, Liqu?" (Anvenia)

"Through the wall." (Liqu)

Isn't that obvious?

"No, no. Why you're here?" (Anvenia)

"Because... Well, I don't really know. My Shari talked to this important person here and now we apparently stay here." (Liqu)

"Huh? Who is Shari?" (Anvenia)

"Who is Shari!?" (Liqu)

What a question?!

This lack of knowledge has to be attended to!

I lift her up with my mass.

Contrary to my expectations she even seems to enjoy this.

After that, I place her on the bed, settle in front of her and spend quite a bit of time explaining to her that my Shari is the loveliest, most beautiful, smartest, and to summarize just the best in the world.

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The girl pays proper attention while I do so.

As she should.

"So she just decided to take you with her?" (Anvenia)

"Yes, without wanting anything in return. I only have to listen to her." (Liqu)

"And she killed that man who threatened your life for no reason?" (Anvenia)

"Yes! She was so wonderful how she defended me and dissolved his body!" (Liqu)

"And she is always at your side, no matter where you go to watch over you?" (Anvenia)

"Yes, isn't she great?" (Liqu)

"Hm, maybe. I mean, she seems to really care a lot about you. But is this really fine?" (Anvenia)

"What do you mean?" (Liqu)

"The way you told me that she always decides for you and controls what you're doing. Doesn't this sound a little worrisome? I mean, she even killed a person. She might be dangerous with how obsessed she is." (Anvenia)

My Shari is obsessed with me?

Considering everything she's done till now this would add up.

She also grows so easily jealous.

That means she cares really, really a lot about me, right?

This would be wonderful!

"I would really like that!" (Liqu)

"Well, if you're fine with this... At least, you seem to be happy." (Anvenia)

"Yes, yes I am!" (Liqu)

I smiled at that thought about how happy I am.

"Ahahahahaha!" (Anvenia)

But for some reason, this rude girl starts to laugh.

"What's so funny?" (Liqu)

You know I could dissolve you any moment?

"You made a grimace! No one around me ever does that." (Anvenia)

"That's not a grimace. That's my smile." (Liqu)

"No, no. A smile goes only till here. Yours stretches faaar too wide." (Anvenia)

"Just so you know, my Shari smiles the same way, and it's the loveliest smile you would ever see!" (Liqu)

"Pffft!" (Anvenia)

Rude!

"Tsk, if you're like this I'm going." (Liqu)

"Oh no, please don't. Stay!" (Anvenia)

A human wants me to stay?

That's completely novel.

I simply can't ignore this.

"What do you want from me?" (Liqu)

"Just talk, please. I have no one else here aside from my maid, but she barely ever speaks to me. And I really want to converse with someone." (Anvenia)

"About what do you want to talk?" (Liqu)

"You said you were traveling? Could, could you tell me some more stories?" (Anvenia)

"Sure." (Liqu)

I describe how we went through the forest and met Myra and the others.

How we helped against the wolves, that so-called rager, and all the details I still remember.

She listens carefully, her eyes sparkling, wide-open.

"You seem very interested. Why's that?" (Liqu)

She struggles a bit to answer.

"I'm always here. And even before that there wasn't ever anything exciting. I just want to hear about this for a bit of change." (Anvenia)

"Always here? Why?" (Liqu)

This sounds like a really, really awkward situation.

I would have left long ago.

And probably dissolved those who brought me into this situation.

"They say no one can know that I'm here. So when they brought me some months ago they told me to stay in my room and focus on my education." (Anvenia)

"Isn't that boring? (Liqu)

"A bit, but I have many books here. They can be very exciting. Oh wait!" (Anvenia)

She jumps off the bed and runs to a corner, where she procures a small object.

"This is my favorite picture book." (Anvenia)

"Picture book?" (Liqu)

"Please let me show you." (Anvenia)

The girl takes another object on the bedstand.

I notice a faint magical aura.

She uses it to light up a second candle.

"It's really great! The things are described so lively and the pictures make me think I am there myself." (Anvenia)

"I think I like the real deal more." (Liqu)

"Oh, but you can experience things you would never see otherwise. I always grow tense from excitement at the part with the dragon." (Anvenia)

"Dragon!?" (Liqu)

This makes me back off.

No, no, no!

Not dragons!

Dragons are bad news!

"Yes, that part was about a dragon. It's even pictured here. See?" (Anvenia)

I again come closer, very carefully, and take a look.

On the page that she shows me, is some kind of lizard with wings depicted.

Relief overcomes me.

And disenchantment.

"That's not a dragon." (Liqu)

The frame is totally wrong.

It's far too flat.

And are these stumps supposed to be the arms and legs?

I've seen similar creatures living in the water, but comparing those to dragons would be pure mockery.

"But it is. It's written here in the book!" (Anvenia)

"Then your book is wrong! A dragon looks far more terrifying. Not like some flattened lizard." (Liqu)

"And how does it look then?" (Anvenia)

"Like this!" (Liqu)

I use my slime to build a platform in front of me where I can work on.

Then I bring a bulge up and start to shape it.

The frame is the most important.

If my memory serves me right, dragons are huge, but not thick.

Rather, they're very balanced in their build.

They have to be or they couldn't fly.

While the limbs aren't excessively long they are still quite large.

Not like this thing in the picture.

They don't drag themselves on the ground but stand high, proud, and mighty.

It's absolutely possible for them to stand on their hind legs, but walking on them might be a little bit difficult.

The wings are the hardest part.

It's very difficult to form such a thin membrane with my slime.

In the end, I let them dribble a bit to the platform, but continuously apply new mass from above to maintain the form.

This picture meanwhile got them totally wrong.

With such crippled things, they could never fly.

The wings are the largest part and spread much further than the main body.

Not just some assets plugged to the back.

A dragon without its wings is nothing.

Well, maybe still terrifying, but not as much as without them.

At last, I do some finetuning, especially on the head.

The features are much sharper and not as flat as in this book.

I mean this one looks like a wolf that ran head-on into a tree.

Getting all the features as I remember them, and I do just too well, I present my creation residing on my flattened lap.

"This is a dragon!" (Liqu)

She stares in awe and comes really close to inspect.

When her face is directly in front of it I decide to follow a whim and make the structure flap the wings and reposition itself by adjusting the matter it consists of.

"Wah! A-amazing!" (Anvenia)

Well, if her standards are the pictures in this book I think my artistic skills must be impressive for her.

"C-can it do anything else? I-I've heard dragons breathe fire." (Anvenia)

Well, no fire with this one, but...

I guide some slime from beyond inside, make the mouth of my little creation open up and let it gush out there.

Well, I maybe should have adjusted the trajectory, because it hits the girl directly in the face.

Her look is rather flabbergasted.

"Think of this as fire." (Liqu)

She doesn't answer while cleaning her covered face.

Is she angry now?

"This is so great! I've never seen something like that!" (Anvenia)

Apparently not.

"Well, I am special." (Liqu)

"Clap, clap, clap"

"You are! You are!" (Anvenia)

The applause is absolutely justified and well-received.

"You are so great! It's so nice to have someone new here." (Anvenia)

"Are so few coming?" (Liqu)

"Yes. Aside from some selected people no one is allowed to enter. It's so boring, and lonely." (Anvenia)

"Clok, clok"

Suddenly I perceive the sound of steps coming closer to my location.

The girl notices as well a moment later.

"Oh no, you have to hide! She cannot see you!" (Anvenia)

She might be right.

I am rather sure the fact that I sneaked through the building might upset someone.

At least Shari might become angry if she finds out that I was seen.

I have to avoid detection!

I start highspeed thinking to find a solution.

* Slime bullet!

* Slime bullet!

First I take care of the light by firing my bullets at the candles.

Even if I leave now, the stain my slime left everywhere would be noticed, but with the darkness, it might be possible that whoever comes now might overlook it.

Now I need to hide.

The hole is too far away and small to completely get through in time.

Under the bed?

No, not there!

Bad experiences.

That one time in that boy's room really didn't work out.

Why did his dad have to look right there for monsters?

This leaves just one solution.

There is one direction where humans almost never look.

I gather some force and throw myself upwards, where I cling to the ceiling.

Then I pull the parts of mine that remained on the ground up to the best of my abilities.

The last bits are gone the moment the door opens.

A woman similar to those others I've seen wandering in this building, yet with a slightly different dress enters.

"Your Highness! What is the meaning of this commotion? You are supposed to sleep at this time. Such behavior isn't fitting your status."

"S-sorry, Lorena. I couldn't sleep." (Anvenia)

The little one was quick-witted enough to sneak into the bed while hiding her slimed clothes under the sheet, and even manages not to stare at me.

Impressive!

"Your Highness, I know the situation is difficult for you. But such fits are not excusable. You need to endure." (Lorena)

"Sigh! Yes, Lorena." (Anvenia)

"Fine. Since you need your sleep I will take my leave now. But that you know, tomorrow we will discuss that." (Lorena)

She leaves after that and I can come back down.

"Huff. That was narrow." (Anvenia)

A bit.

Dissolving all the people would have been a hassle.

However, this girl was keeping her mouth shut.

I appreciate this.

So I would probably have kept her.

"What do we do? If she sees the jelly she will know something is wrong." (Anvenia)

I go to the window and open it.

"No problem. It will dry in time." (Liqu)

Yet I know people like that woman.

She might now pay close attention to every possible sound.

This increases my risk to get detected here.

"Maybe I should leave now." (Liqu)

"What? No, please not. Stay a little longer, please. I will also be very quiet." (Anvenia)

If she says so.

"Uhh, under one condition." (Liqu)

"Yes!? What is it?" (Anvenia)

"Quiet. No one can know about this. If my Shari hears this happened she will become furious." (Liqu)

"Oh. Are you really fine? Maybe I can do something about her when things get better." (Anvenia)

"What? No! This is great. I really love her." (Liqu)

"If you feel so. Okay, I won't say anything." (Anvenia)

"And what do you want me to do now?" (Liqu)

"Could you... show me other things? Like the dragon?" (Anvenia)

"Sure, no problem." (Liqu)

After that, for quite some time the little one reads to me from her books and I make forms and let them move in accordance.

Some stories are about how adventurers fight monsters.

I've got mixed feelings about this.

Then I also have to display normal scenes, some of which I saw in that town.

The last category describes how someone called a princess is being proposed to.

Honestly, she has quite a lot of those.

Eventually, I notice how slowly the sun comes out.

This tells me I have to leave now or even with the open window my slime won't dry in time.

"I need to go now." (Liqu)

"Will you come back? Please say yes!" (Anvenia)

"Hmm, maybe. It seems like I live here now." (Liqu)

"I would be really happy about that." (Anvenia)

So after an active night, I squeeze myself back through my hole and head back into my Shari's room, where I cling myself to the ceiling.

Some rest would be really appreciated after all this trouble with that girl.

What did I even want to do tonight?