The Mysterious Child: An Adventure Tale Beginning with Numerology

"Huh? Did this slime just speak?"

Saaya's voice cracked.

When Elen poked the slime at her feet with her fingertip, the slime quivered in response.

"I'm hungry."

...Yeah, it's definitely talking.

I've never seen a talking slime before. They say that as monsters gain intelligence, they can speak human language in broken words, but I've only heard of A-rank monsters being able to converse at this level.

Slimes are supposed to be the weakest monsters with all stats in single digits.

Thinking that can't be possible, the slime in front of us is still speaking words.

Slowly moving its squishy body, it now snuggled up to my feet.

"I'm hungry..."

"Um... Mr. Slime. You are a slime, right?"

"Yes. I'm a slime."

"I wonder why you can talk?"

"Well, I've been able to talk since I was born. I don't know why."

The conversation flows properly, and it's quite articulate.

It's undoubtedly a highly intelligent slime.

"Hey Ruruk, what's going on?"

"Probably one of those rare mutant individuals. I think it's a slime with incredibly high intelligence."

"Heh~ I didn't know that could happen."

Saaya said admiringly as she picked up the slime.

"It's cool. Squishy and feels nice~"

"Mm, I want to hold it too."

"Okay, okay. Here, be careful not to drop it."

"Mm... cold."

The little girls started playing with the slime.

Hey, even if it can speak human language and isn't dangerous, it's still a monster, you know?

Especially you, Elen, have you forgotten you were just pulled into the water?

"Hey, Mr. Slime. Shall we give you some food?"

"Food! I want it!"

"Hey hey, isn't feeding monsters against manners?"

"It's not like it's pigeons in front of a station, a little bit should be fine, right? Besides, I want to see how a slime eats."

"Food! Food!"

Mr. Slime bounces poyopoyo in the little girls' arms.

Well, it is cute, and I kind of want to see it too.

Can't be helped.

"Here, leftover vegetables and meat from earlier. Eat slowly, okay?"

"Yay!"

I take the grilled meat and vegetables off the skewers and put them on a plate.

As I place it on the ground, Mr. Slime hops down and eagerly undulates its body towards the meal.

It covers the plate like a blanket, gradually dissolving the meat and vegetables.

Oh, we can see the digestion process. With a transparent body, there's no privacy at all.

We watched Mr. Slime's eating scene with warm feelings.

Having eaten everything and seemingly full, Mr. Slime quivers happily.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. But Mr. Slime, don't you have parents or companions?"

I can't see any slimes that look like that nearby.

Is it lost?

"I don't know. Before I knew it, I was here."

"I see."

"Hey Ruruk, can't we keep this slime?"

"No."

Don't try to pick up monsters like stray kittens.

Saaya puffed her cheeks when I answered immediately. Elen also looks disappointed behind her. I'll pretend not to notice.

"I'll take good care of it~ I'll take it for walks every day~"

"It's a monster. Even if we're okay with it, there are other people in town. What if Mr. Slime harms someone? We can't take responsibility."

"Eh~ Then how about a familiar contract? That way it won't attack on its own."

Come to think of it, there are people with Tame skills who can make monsters their familiars and control them.

I forgot because I rarely see familiar masters, but it is possible to keep them if you have the skill.

Yes, if you have the skill.

"We don't have the Tame skill, so it's impossible."

"Can't you do something about that! With your mystical arts, senpai!"

Saaya looks up at me pleadingly. Elen is doing the same next to her.

Mystical arts aren't that convenient.

"Rejected."

"What a cold gaze... Do you actually dislike slimes? Like, do you have trauma or something?"

"...Do you hate me?"

Mr. Slime's voice sounds hurt as it quivers.

N-no, that's not it, Mr. Slime.

"That's not it. I think Mr. Slime is cute. But we can't make a familiar contract without the Tamer skill, and I think the human town might be dangerous for a slime anyway."

"Am I not needed?"

"Ugh... T-that's not what I mean..."

I feel a strange guilt at the innocent Mr. Slime's reaction.

As I was struggling with how to refuse nicely, I heard rustling sounds from the forest.

Turning around, I saw Roze emerging from the forest to the lake.

"I thought you were late, but what are you playing with?"

"Master, you came at just the right time. Look at this slime. It might be a mutant, but it has incredibly high intelligence and can speak. But Saaya and Elen are insisting on keeping it, and I was at a loss."

"Oh my, it's true. Its intelligence is over 1500. That's rare."

"Hey Roze-san, can we keep it?"

"Mm, want to keep it."

It seems the little girls have decided to plead to the guardian.

Well, if the guardian gives permission that's fine, but we still can't tame it.

As I was exasperated, Roze smiled mischievously.

"My, isn't this interesting. You should look too. 'Threshold Compilation'."

What Roze projected on the ground was Mr. Slime's status.

-------------------

[Name] Unset

[Race] Slime (Ruruk's Kin)

[Level] 1

[HP] 5

[MP] 5

[STR] 8

[END] 9

[AGI] 2

[INT] 1580

[LUK] 540

[Physical Arts Proficiency] 60

[Magic Arts Proficiency] 90

[Mystical Arts Proficiency] 5

[Skills]

≪Activation Type≫

"Elasticity Control"

"Temperature Control"

"Gigantification"

"Transformation"

"Kinship"

-------------------

"...Eh?"

Kin? What's that?

I don't remember making it anything like that...

"If it's Ruruk's kin, does that mean it's a familiar?"

"It seems so."

"No way, I didn't make any contract..."

"It has the Kinship skill, see? This is a skill that allows the monster to become a familiar if both sides show a master-servant relationship. It's rarely seen though."

"Huh... but I didn't do anything to establish a master-servant relationship."

"You gave me food."

Mr. Slime hopped from the ground and jumped into my arms.

I caught it reflexively.

Wow, it's cooler than I thought.

"Master gave me food."

"...That's all it took to become a familiar?"

"Yes! I was very happy!"

Mr. Slime quivers in my arms.

W-why is this child so cute?

This child is my familiar? Really?

"Ruruk, you're so lucky~ I should have given it food."

"Mm. Unfair."

Hey, you two little girls, don't glare at me.

I've been the cook from the start. You two are always just the eaters.

Anyway, if the slime has already become a familiar, that changes things. This child is my familiar. I-it's not like I'm happy about getting my first monster familiar or anything, but what's done is done.

Ah~ can't be helped!

"Mr. Slime, nice to meet you!"

"Yes! I'm with Master!"

Mr. Slime rubs against my cheek.

It feels nice~!

"If you've made it your familiar, you should at least give it a name."

"Oh, right. What should we name it?"

"Me, me, me, me! I want to decide!"

"Mm, me too."

Saaya raises her hand and hops up and down. Elen next to her also raises her hand slightly.

I understand the feeling of wanting to name a pet.

Alright, let's make them candidates. Go ahead and say it.

"Elizabeth Bathory is good!"

"Mm, Ancient Dragon."

"Rejected."

This child is a slime, you know? The name is too much.

Besides, ancient dragons actually exist in this world.

"Eh~ then how about Joan of Arc!"

"Mm. Jörmungandr."

Both the holy maiden and the poison snake king are rejected!

Why are you giving such grand or strong-sounding names?

Let's give the slime a slime-like name.

"Arthur! Napoleon! Siegfried! Susanoo-no-Mikoto!"

"Grendel, Sleipnir, Dullahan, Tarasque."

"...Alright, from today your name is Punisuke."

"Punisuke! Thank you, Master! I'm Punisuke!"

I just decided based on the sound because it was getting troublesome.

Ignoring the big booing from the little girls.

"Well, we unexpectedly gained a new companion, but now my 'Kin Summoning' skill will finally be useful."

"Come to think of it, you had a Kin Summoning skill even though you didn't have any kin, didn't you?"

It was an initial skill from before I met Roze, and I wanted to try using it properly. I only tried summoning the mice I used to feed at the mansion as an experiment before.

"Anyway, we've done what we needed to do, so let's go back."

"Wait a minute!"

"What is it? Punisuke is final, you know?"

"That's not it! What about the contest, what happened to the contest?"

Ah, that's right, we were in the middle of the sister determination battle.

I forgot because the talking slime was so shocking.

"Who won the last match?"

"Mm. Decide."

Glared at by the two little girls, I shrugged.

"Saaya looked cool for jumping into the water without hesitation to save Elen, so the winner of the first Big Sister Championship is Saaya."

"I did it! I'm the big sister!"

"Mm... frustrated. But thanks."

Elen seemed to understand that Saaya had risked herself to save her.

This time, the timing was right, and I'm glad there were no objections.

Both of you, work hard on your big sister powers until next time.

"What on earth were you all doing?"

Roze sighed with an exasperated look.