"Alright, this should be enough..."
Rin said as we rode on horseback, accompanied by Marry, the healer.
"Are the slimes in this forest?" I asked.
"Yes," she replied.
You might be wondering why the three of us are out here together. After a chaotic day, I left the fort with Marry and Rin because...
"You want to go hunt monsters!?"
"In the monster area?!"
Rin and Marry were in shock. They still didn't believe me when I said I came from the Crystal Dungeon. Even though I had earned the titles Dragon Slayer and Assassin, they didn't seem to have a appraisal skill. If they did, proving my strength would have been easy. That's why I wanted to show them firsthand.
"Yes," I answered simply.
"No way! No way! It's too dangerous!" Rin protested.
"I know, but it's fine! I can use magic!"
"But still..." Rin grabbed both my shoulders, looking at me with concern.
I turned my head away and muttered, "I want to know more about myself."
"Uh..."
"My memory is hazy, so I want to confirm some things... and explore the area around the fort. Also, if I use magic, I might remember something…" I said with a sad expression.
"Well, I do find that interesting," Marry admitted.
"What are you saying, Marry!?" Rin exclaimed.
Then, she turned back to me, shaking my shoulders again.
"But you don't have to go somewhere dangerous! What if someone comes looking for you because you're a noble?!"
They're still thinking that? I've told them so many times that I'm not a noble! I already survived the Crystal Dungeon—what more proof do they need?
"You worry too much! I can protect myself!" I assured them.
"I'm really worried, you know..." Rin said, sighing.
"Then, you'll come with me... won't you?" I asked.
"Of course! I'm your big sister, after all. I can't let my cute little sister go alone!"
Her words filled me with happiness.
"That's great! In that case, let's go and play together, Big Sister Rin!" I said in a cheerful tone.
My innocent smile made both Rin and Marry's hearts race. They were completely stunned by my cuteness.
"Then... I guess it can't be helped. I'm her big sister, after all," Rin said, blushing.
"You've awakened a new complex, Rin… I'm going too," Marry added.
And that's how we ended up outside the fort.
…
We wandered through the Monster Forest outside of Elesis Fort, searching for monsters. The forest was near the ocean, and as we walked, Marry turned her gaze toward the vast blue sea.
"Now that I think about it, this is where we found you. So? Do you remember anything?" she asked.
"No… Not yet," I muttered, flinching.
"I see. Don't worry..." Marry said, gently patting my head.
Guilt twisted in my stomach.
Rin… Marry… I'm really sorry for lying to you.
I was pretending to have memory loss, but at this point, I couldn't bring myself to tell the truth.
If I told them I was actually a 17-year-old girl from another world… would they even believe me? I could already imagine their shocked reactions.
"You're a liar!"
"I don't have a little sister like you!"
I didn't want to hear that from them. They were kind people. If they found out, they might even pass out from shock.
For now, I just needed to prove I was strong enough to take care of myself. I'd defeat a monster, gain experience, and level up.
I didn't know why I was reincarnated in this world, but there had to be a reason. If I could figure that out, I'd know what to do next.
"Hey, Mayu! Let's go!" Rin called.
"Yes!" I replied, quickly following them.
…
"Hmm… Now that we're actually looking for them, they're not showing up," Rin said, scanning the area.
"There are usually lots of Green Slimes here," Marry added.
"Green Slimes?" I asked, tilting my head.
"Yeah, and some brown ones too. If you go deeper into the forest, you'll find Blue Slimes," Rin explained.
I frowned in confusion. In the RPGs I played, slimes were always the weakest monsters.
"What's with that face?" Rin smirked. "Slimes change depending on what they eat."
"Really?"
"It's a basic adventurer lesson. Did you forget that too? Alright, I'll give you a quick rundown."
Rin explained that a slime's color depended on its diet. If a slime ate herbs, it turned green and gained healing properties. If it ate poisonous mushrooms, it became poisonous, taking on the mushroom's color. Once a slime changed, it couldn't change again.
"I didn't know that," I admitted.
"For example, there's a legendary slime that no one has ever seen. It eats metal and becomes silver," Rin added.
That reminded me of liquid metal slimes from RPGs—the kind that gave tons of experience points.
While Rin and I were caught up in our discussion, Marry suddenly pointed ahead.
"Hey, look… A slime appeared."
"It… it's really green!" I gasped, feeling a strange excitement.
Compared to the terrifying monsters in the Crystal Dungeon, this weak creature was fascinating. My eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"Hey, Mayu? Are you alright?" Rin asked, a bit concerned.
"I'm fine! Now, let's start the battle!"
I grabbed my weapon—a wooden stick I had carved into a sword using my smithing skill.
[Wooden Sword equipped.]
"Rin, are you sure this is okay?" Marry asked.
"No hard feelings, but I'm taking you down!" I declared, facing the slime.
The slime jiggled innocently.
I charged forward, swinging my sword with all my might.
The sword bounced off its soft, bouncy body… and smacked me in the face.
"Ouch!"
"Mayu!"
"Are you okay?!"
They both shouted in alarm.
"I never expected that," I muttered, rubbing my forehead.
Undeterred, I attacked again—and again, my sword bounced right back.
Marry sighed, crossing her arms.
"No, no, no, that's not going to work, Mayu."
"Eh?"
"It's fine. It's cute," Rin giggled.
"Didn't you say you could use magic?" Marry reminded me.
"Oh, right!"
That was the whole reason we came here! I needed to show them my magic.
"Slimes are immune to physical attacks," Marry explained. "That's why your sword stick isn't doing anything."
I see… So I really had to use magic.
But which element?
Fire could burn down the forest.
Wind might be weakened by the trees.
Water seemed like the safest choice.
"One, two… Lightning Magic: Lightning Strike!"
A bolt of lightning shot from my sword, striking the slime—no, obliterating it into particles.
A deafening boom echoed through the forest, leaving behind a massive crater.
I stood frozen.
"...Hawa?"
I never thought Lightning Strike would be that powerful! I had just been leveling it up out of curiosity at Rin's house.
Slowly, I turned toward Rin and Marry, who were nearly caught in the blast.
"Mayu… can you please explain this?" Rin asked, her voice dangerously calm.
"Umm… Maybe I overdid it?" I said sheepishly, knocking on my head.
"Mayu?!"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
"This child must be a noble," Marry muttered. "Even with memory loss, only someone from a noble or royal bloodline could wield that much magic."
"Geez! No matter how you look at it, that was way too much for one slime!" Rin scolded.
I knew that… but they still treated me like someone who needed protection.
Just as we were about to leave…
A massive, violet slime appeared.
[Slime King]
Level: 50
HP: 11,000 / 11,000
MP: 500 / 500
Type: Poison
Ability:
This thing looked like bad news.