Velda leaned back in her chair with a sigh of contentment. "Okay, that was more than worth the trip here."

"Absolutely." Marvin finished up his last bite of spicy omelet and did the same, rubbing his stomach like he was too full to do anything else.

I'd used the fire peppers from the crispy cluckers so long ago and mixed in some herbs and veggies from the garden too. Overall, it was a very delicious meal. If only I'd had fresh bread to make toast with, it would have been complete. Bread dough took too long to raise though, so I'd either need to hope for a skill that sped up time or find something that would let me store dough that was ready to bake whenever a customer came in. Or I could just bake bread every day so there was a fresh loaf always on hand.

I gathered up the empty plates. How would I keep the slimes from devouring the loaves if I did that?

The water was a bit chilly as I washed the dishes, resting them on a drying towel I'd gotten from the safe zone. There wasn't much room in the kitchen to store dishes, so we could only serve four or five customers at a time right now. Hopefully larger parties didn't show up before I could expand things a bit.

Fiona poked her head into the kitchen. "Sounds like they enjoyed it. How does it feel, serving your first official customers?"

"Amazing." I grinned, drying my hands off as I stacked the last plate. "Absolutely amazing."

Sure, it was only one meal, but it felt like the start of something so much bigger. More adventurers would find us and they'd probably bring even more ingredients so I could focus on cooking. Better yet, once I got enough ingredients for sweets, I could switch to more baking like I preferred. The fruit trees were growing wonderfully out back and we'd have apples soon for sure. Maybe I should bake an apple pie for the slimes to thank them for their hard work in the garden.

Okay, I'd probably need to bake five or ten pies if I was going to let everyone have some. The amount of mouths to feed was growing, but I was ready for the task. I unrolled my sleeves, heading back into the dining area with Fiona.

"Let me know if you'd like anything else," I said with a smile. "You more than deserve it after all the ingredients you brought."

Marvin shook his head. "Oh no, I couldn't eat a single bite more."

"Me either." Velda groaned, standing up and stretching her arms toward the ceiling. "If the boy's staying here, then I should probably get going. Gotta keep my skills sharp and my XP bar growing." She ruffled Marvin's hair as she walked by. "Take care, kiddo."

"Hey! I'm not that young," he said, frowning. "But thank you for getting me here safely."

"Yes, thank you," I said, holding the door open for her. "I hope we'll see you again soon?"

"Keep cookin' like that and you can count on it." She laughed. "I tend to stick around the lower floors, training newbies and helping them level up. So expect to see me with lots of different people. We'll spread the word about this food, don't you worry."

She nodded and took her leave, walking back out into the dungeon with a bit more pep in her step than when she came in. I'd added a stamina boost to their food, hoping it would refresh them. It felt good helping people in whatever way I could, especially somebody like her who was helping other new adventurers along. The dungeon was a confusing place and I don't know what I'd have done if I hadn't met Fiona.

I closed the door, leaning my back against it as I watched Fiona play with Spark, bringing him over by Marvin to see how he'd react. Marvin squirmed, but stayed put surprisingly well. Maybe it was time to introduce him to the others.

"Okay, if you're going to stay here, then we should get to work," I said, pushing myself off the door. "The garden is flourishing with so many things ready to harvest."

His shoulders relaxed. "Gardening sounds easy. I'm sure I can handle that."

Fiona and I exchanged a glance. Should we tell him? She shook her head, as if she knew exactly what I was thinking. I shrugged, leading them into the backyard.

He'd find out soon enough that the garden was home to at least a dozen dirt slimes, including a collossos slime named Mossy. How Marvin reacted to him would determine if he could really stay here and work or not. I needed to be able to trust him with the slimes, even if he was afraid of them, otherwise I'd never feel comfortable focusing on other things while he was here.

The sunlight outside was shining brightly today, even though I'd never actually seen a sun in the dungeon. Or a moon. Thinking about that just made my head hurt, so I focused on the garden instead. Lush greenery was everywhere, from the fruit trees which were almost fully grown and plump with apples and pears, to the pumpkins slowly taking over the garden along with the trailing strawberry vines creeping in every direction. I'd probably need to replant a few things to keep them separated better, but right now, I was just happy to see the fruits of our labor.

The garden was full of beautiful food, shining like gems on the stems.

Fiona's eyes widened. "It's grown so much since the last time I was here."

"We've been working hard," I said proudly. "I even leveled up my Green Thumb skill."

Marvin gasped. "You've got a gardening skill?"

"I'm a culinary mage, so I have a few...unique skills." I stepped into the garden, feeling the soft dirt beneath my feet and inhaling the vegetal scent of the plants. I loved it out here, just me and the dirt slimes. It felt a little strange to have other people with me this time, but I turned back to Marvin. "Okay, the first rule about slime gardening is that this is their garden and we're just guests here."

The whites of his eyes shone starkly. "Sl-slime gardening?"

Fiona snorted, trying to cover up a laugh as I pressed on.

"The second rule about slime gardening is that you should never, and I mean never, cut or uproot anything without permission from the slimes." I gave him a stern look, remembering that poor dirt slime I'd hurt when I haphazardly clipped any plant I saw. When he nodded, I continued. "And the third rule is that if you see something flying through the air, catch it, because it's probably food."

Marvin wrung his hands. "So you're telling me...that there are slimes out here?" His gaze flitted from plant to plant. "Where? I don't see anything."

"Look closer." I knelt next to a little dirt slime poking out of the soil. A few bright red strawberries curled around her head like a crown. When she saw me, she leapt up, bounding into my arms like a happy puppy. "Hello, little one."

I pet the dirt slime, trying not to bump any of the strawberries. She was one of the smallest I'd seen so far, barely filling my cupped hands. Mossy seemed to be able to make more slimes, but I wasn't sure how. They just appeared from the ground more and more each day. Soon we'd be overrun with adorable dirt slimes, growing all the food we could ever need.

I walked back to Marvin, cradling the strawberry-covered slime close. "See? They're part of the garden. It's their home, but they welcomed me into it."

"It's so tiny!" His eyes softened as he watched the little slime rock back and forth on my palms. "Does it have a name?"

"Not yet, also, she's a girl." I moved the slime closer to him. "Want to help name her?"

"You want me to, to name her??" He shook his head, backing up a step and almost tripping over another dirt slime who'd scooted up behind him. He spun his arms, catching his balance. "They're everywhere, aren't they?"

Fiona finally let out the laugh she'd been holding in. "Yes, they really are. So watch your step."

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He lifted one of his feet, staring at the ground below it, then lifted the other, letting out a breath when no slimes jumped up. As if I'd let him step on a slime!

But maybe it would be best to keep the smallest slimes out of reach. I moved the little strawberry slime to my shoulder, letting her nuzzle up against my braid like it was a blanket. I ran my index finger over her side and the slime giggled, leaning into me further. Adorable. I think I’d call her Berry for now and see if she continued to prefer berries or other types of plants later on.

"Okay Marvin, let's start you off with something easy," I said, clapping my hands together. "How do you feel about watering the garden?"

He stared at me for a bit, but then nodded. "I can do that."

"Fair warning, the slimes love being rained on." I grabbed the watering can, which was always full and never ran out of water. "They'll probably bounce and cheer if you water one of them. Try not to be too startled."

"Startled? Me?" He laughed, reaching out with shaking hands to take the watering can. "You'll both be here, right?"

Fiona nodded. "Of course. You're safe here. I promise."

He gripped the watering can tight, taking a few deep breaths, before tipping it over and watering the pumpkins next to him. When nothing jumped out, he seemed to steady himself and started walking. When the first happy dirt slime jumped up, dancing in the rain, Marvin fell straight on his backside, dropping the watering can and everything.

I held my hand out. "You okay?" The dirt slime who'd startled him bounced over, nudging his leg as if to ask the same thing. I patted his head. "It's not your fault, Marvin's just new here. He's not used to being around dirt slimes yet."

Berry leaned forward, almost tipping off my shoulder as Marvin took my hand, letting me help him up. I steadied the slime, smiling. They were always so concerned about people, even when they were total strangers. How anyone got into fights with them was mind-boggling. Maybe they were fiercer when they were defending themselves though.

The dungeon was set up for people to fight monsters and monsters to fight back just as hard. That couldn't change just because I wanted it to; the dungeon itself had to change. Maybe one day, but for now, I'd just work on winning over this one adventurer. Then maybe more would join me in seeing slimes as friends.

Marvin dusted his clothes off and picked up the watering can again. He gave me a determined nod and kept going without saying a word. His fingers gripped the can so tight his knuckles were white though. I glanced at Fiona, who made sure to keep close to him in case he got startled again.

"You're doing really well," I told him. "Facing your fears is hard and you haven't given up. I hope you're proud of yourself."

He smiled shakily. "I am. This garden doesn't feel as scary as the rest of the dungeon, so it's easier. Everything here is so full of life."

Another dirt slime popped out of the ground, wiggling in joy as Marvin poured water on him. This time, Marvin's smile grew. He really was doing well. The strawberry slime bounced on my shoulder, eager to get down and join in the fun probably. I laughed, setting her in the damp soil with the others. Three slimes now danced under the rain of the watering can, chirping and giggling like they were having the time of their lives.

"I think you'll do well here," I told Marvin. "This garden needs somebody kind who can not only tend to the plants, but take care of the slimes too. They love being played with or even just having somebody sit outside with them in the fresh air. Do you think you can handle a bit of that each day?"

Fiona raised an eyebrow. "It would be more than a bit. If he's your employee, he'll need to work. That's the only way he can grow."

True, but I didn't want to overwhelm him too much. Plus, I had to make sure the slimes were okay with him too. This was their garden, not mine. Which meant we'd need to talk to the big guy, Mossy. He had the final vote here. I glanced at Marvin, who was finally looking a bit less nervous. His hands no longer shook and his smile felt genuine. Maybe we could wait to meet Mossy for just a bit longer. His size would probably terrify the poor adventurer all over again.

A tomato shot through the air, arcing over my shoulder too far for me to catch.

"Catch that!" I shouted, but Fiona was too far away. Marvin scrambled to grab it, almost dropping it as he fumbled it from hand to hand, but he managed to hold on tight. So tight that he squished it and juice shot all over his hands. I winced at the look of horror on his face. "It's okay. It was your first attempt and slime gardening isn't exactly normal. You'll get it next time."

He stared at the smashed red tomato in his hands, a laugh spilling from his lips. "The food really does just fly through the air! I thought you were kidding."

"I never kid about slime gardens." I laughed with him until Fiona joined in too, handing him a cloth to clean his hands with. "The dirt slimes tend to know when the food is ready better than I do, but they usually wait until one of us is here to toss them up in the air. A few times we came out here and there was food all over, so I made it a point to garden a bit each day now."

Marvin nodded and looked like he was about to say something, but a keening noise pulled my attention to a dirt slime caught in a tangle of weeds. I rushed over, pulling at them carefully to free the poor little thing.

"Sorry about that," I said softly, separating the slime from the weed encroaching in the garden. "Are you okay?"

The dirt slime harrumphed, glaring at the weeds like they were a monster. I stomped on them, making the slime giggle, before I picked them up to make sure they didn't reseed in the soil. I glanced up at Marvin, who was watching closely.

"Weeds are vicious invaders," I said, showing him the ones I'd just pulled. "Eventually you'll need to tell the difference between plant and weed, ripping the bad ones out by the root so they can't multiply. Dirt slimes seem to attract weeds even faster than normal gardens, so you'll have to be mindful of them. Slay the weeds and keep my slimes safe, that's your mission here."

He nodded solemnly, taking the weed from me for a closer look. The ground shook a bit as a massive slime rose from the middle of the garden, dirt falling off him in waves.

Marvin's eyes bulged as he scrambled backwards. "Now that slime is definitely big enough to eat me!"

"Calm down," I said, but he was already halfway out of the garden. Fiona hurried after him while I patted Mossy on the side. "Sorry about that. He's skiddish." The big slime leaned into me, almost knocking me over, but I stood firm as his moss tickled my cheek. "You're such a good slime, taking care of all these youngins. I was hoping Marvin could help you out with that."

But maybe that was too much to hope for so soon.

Mossy swayed slowly, moving side to side in a comfortable rhythm. I continued tearing out weeds and playing with the dirt slimes, picking up the watering can Marvin had dropped.

"Are you thirsty?" I reached up on my tiptoes to pour water on Mossy's head. His eyes closed, a soft hum emanating from his body. He was a gentle giant, but a giant all the same, so I could see why Marvin ran away. Still, there was no getting over his fear if we couldn't have him work with the slimes. He'd run into Boss or Mossy eventually no matter where he was.

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea after all," I said softly, gaze following drops of water running down Mossy's sides. "We were doing okay on our own, right?"

Mossy turned his big slime body towards me, blinking slowly.

I sighed. "I know the cafe's going to get busier, but I'll figure it out. Maybe we'll just keep the garden small for now so I can keep managing it on my own."

The big slime burrowed back into the ground, wiggling into the perfect spot in the freshly damp soil. I walked in a circle around him, making sure to water everything without making it muddy. The little dirt slimes loved mudpits, but Mossy? Not so much.

While I was doing that, Marvin and Fiona returned, but he was shaking like a leaf.

"It's okay, you don't have to do everything the first day," I said. "You've already done so well. Maybe we can meet Mossy tomorrow?"

"No, I will not keep running away." Marvin shook his head, standing tall as he gripped that weed so hard he almost ripped it apart. "Hello, my na-name is Marvin and I'm ha-happy to meet you."

He held his hand out to the slime, but when Mossy didn't move, he dropped it to his side, staring at me mournfully. I sighed, knowing Mossy had just snuggled back into the soil, so there was no way he'd be coming out again any time soon. The big slime was a slow mover, only hopping around a few times a day. But the carrot on his head was wiggling...

"Hold out your hands again," I whispered to Marvin. "Hurry!"

Marvin jerked his hands out, eyes wide as one of Mossy's carrots popped up out of the slime's body and elegantly arced into the adventurer's outstretched hands. Marvin stared at it, cradling it like a prized possession.

"I did it," he whispered, "it just fell right into my hands. Almost like...." He glanced over at Mossy, who was sinking further and further into the dirt. "Almost like the slime made sure I'd catch it."

Mossy blinked slowly at the man as the little slimes we'd been watering earlier circled around us, bouncing like they didn't have a care in the world. Marvin was still staring at the carrot, mouth hanging open a bit like he still couldn't fathom the idea that Mossy had gifted it to him.

"Does that mean you approve of him?" I asked the big slime. "I was hoping he could continue working out here for a while, tending the garden and playing with the slimes. But only if you're okay with that."

The slime nodded slowly before disappearing back into the ground entirely. I grinned. He'd only have done that if he believed Marvin was worthy of being here. That he'd treat the dirt slimes right.

"Enjoy that carrot," I said. "It's a sign of your new friendship with these slimes."

"My new...friendship?" Marvin gulped. "With the slimes?"

Fiona clapped him on the back, setting a dirt slime on his shoulder. "Look at how far you've come in such a short time. Soon you'll be sleeping with the slimes, just like our dear Hazel here."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't knock it 'til you've tried it." I turned to Marvin, smiling at the little slime on his shoulder, who cooed and wiggled in joy. "You really did do well today, but maybe we shouldn't push our luck?"

"Oh thank you." He let out a giant breath, shoulders drooping so much the little slime tumbled right off. He gasped, catching it in his hands along with the carrot. "Sorry!"

The slime gave him an upside-down smile and we all laughed. I had a feeling that Marvin was going to fit right in with us.