Slime Reincarnation

Ah~ So relaxing.

Right now, I’m lounging by the spring like a total sloth.

I know "sloth-like" and "demon" don’t really go together, but that’s exactly how laid-back I’m being right now.

We successfully wrapped up the village opening festival, and yesterday I returned to the spring. The next day dawned with perfect weather, so I decided to spend the morning just lazing around by the water.

I’m leaning against Logan, taking it easy. Yeah, this is fluffy. Captain Hiyoko and the rest of the chick squad are also resting in their own ways. Even the four spirit girls are just sprawled out, completely idle.

"Ahh... Peaceful, isn’t it?"

Irina crawled out of the tent, still half-asleep and rubbing her eyes. She tottered over to the spring, knelt down, and started washing her face with the spring water. Directly from the spring? I thought. Is that really okay for a noble lady? But then again, she’s been living in a tent for days now, so it’s probably too late to worry about that.

"Pwah... Good morning, Lord Yabe."

Irina greeted me while drying her face with a towel. Looks like she’s finally awake.

"Good morning, Irina."

"So, Lord Yabe. When exactly are you planning to sneak into my tent? Sleeping alone is rather lonely, you know?"

"Wait, since when did sneaking into your tent become the established route?" 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Oh please. I’ve already resolved myself to live by your side out of genuine affection. You could also say I’ve pitched my tent and am patiently waiting. So hurry up and sneak in already. I’m so lonely I can’t stand it."

"No, that’s not how this works! And what do you mean ’preparations’?"

"I want you to quietly slip into my lonely tent, cover me from above, and whisper ’Sorry for making you wait, Irina. Were you lonely?’ while your tentacles ravage my limbs, pinning me down so I can’t move... and then violate me!"

"...Wow, even when I’m relaxing, your ’Kuuoka Mosou’ (delusional fantasies) are really something. Of course that’s the kind of preparation you meant! I shouldn’t have asked!"

Just as this peaceful, idyllic morning was unfolding—

"Pi pi pi pii!"

One of the chick legion burst through the relaxed atmosphere, flying straight toward us.

"Pi pi pii! Pi pi pi pii! (Boss! Emergency!)"

Lately, I’ve gotten so used to them that I can understand what they’re saying from their peeping alone, even without Captain Hiyoko translating. The power of habit is amazing!

"Pi pi pi pi! Pi pi pii pi! (There’s an anomaly in the dungeon! It’s rumbling!)"

"...Maid...?"

For a second, I pictured a maid.

"Black mini-skirt, black shirt, white apron with frilly lace edges. Of course the knee socks have to be pure white. Oh, and don’t forget the lacy headdress... Yeah, cute. Very maid-like."

I was satisfied with my mental image.

"Muuu! Lord Yabe is imagining a maid outfit, and she says ’Master, would you like dinner? A bath? ...Or perhaps... me?’ And then you immediately push her down saying ’Of course it’s Irina!’... and violate her!"

"Ah, so even this world has that classic maid trope."

I was a little moved. Some patterns really are universal. (I’m ignoring the Kuuoka part.)

"Pi pi pi pii! Pi pi pii pii pi! (That’s not it! I’m talking about the dungeon’s rumbling!)"

"Ehh? A dungeon maid? There are maids in the dungeon? Is she cute?"

"If the dungeon maid is cuter... then I’ll just have to make my skirt even shorter... and then violate—!"

"Pyu pyu pyu pyu pyuu! (That’s enough already!)"

Oh, the chick got mad. It’s mercilessly slapping my slime body with both wings.

"Pi pi pii, pi pi. (Hey, stop that.)"

"Pi pi pi pi pi! (But Captain!)"

『Boss, let’s listen to the report seriously for now. Please continue.』

"Pi pii! (Yes!)"

The chick knelt on one knee, lowered its wings to the ground, and began its report.

To summarize...

『A rumbling has been confirmed inside the dungeon. According to the Elder, who knows the dungeon’s past, the vibrations are extremely high-frequency and the intervals are incredibly short. It’s only a matter of time before monsters start pouring out of the dungeon!』

"......Ehhhhhhhhhh!!? That’s a huge problem!?"

"Pi pi pi pii! (That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you!)"

The chick seemed genuinely angry.

Wait... did it just say "Elder"?

"Captain Hiyoko, what’s this about an Elder?"

『Yes. The Elder is the leader who oversees multiple Hiyoko clans, including our own.』

"Oh, so it’s not just your group."

『Correct. Only our clan left the village to serve you, Boss.』

"Eh? Won’t the Elder get mad?"

『Flying out into the wider world is also one of a Hiyoko’s duties. Thanks to meeting you this time, the Elder has given our entire clan permission to follow you. There is no issue.』

"I see. The Hiyoko world is pretty complicated too. So there are still lots of chicks back in the Elder’s village?"

『Yes. Besides our clan, there are five other groups. In total, there are over a thousand of us.』

"Wow, that’s still a lot."

『However, there are almost no other Hiyoko as versatile and capable as we are. It seems one cannot become truly strong without receiving Boss’s blessings.』

When did I give them blessings? Well, whatever.

"So, what exactly is this rumbling like? How many monsters, and when will they come out?"

『We don’t know the specifics. The dungeon’s rumbling is far beyond normal levels, and the intervals are extremely short. We believe powerful monsters will overflow from the dungeon in the very near future.』

"Ughhh... That sounds really, really bad..."

The biggest question is: where will the monsters that spill out of the dungeon head?

We’ve finally gotten close to the village of Caso, and I’ve only just registered with the guild in Sorenarini town and gotten my ID so I can enter the town. I can’t allow those places to be trampled by monsters.

"...First, I’ll pass the information to the village chief of Caso, then report to the guild master in Sorenarini town."

At some point, I had become a slime living a carefree life by the spring. And yet, I’ve gained subordinates, friends, and acquaintances. I absolutely refuse to let anyone take them from me. I would’ve been happy just living a chill slime life, but to protect them, I’ll stop this and prevent any damage to the town. Even if I’m just a no-cheat, ordinary slime bastard!

"Lord Yabe..."

Irina stood beside me with an anxious expression.

"It’ll be okay. I’ll protect you, Irina."

I turned the tip of a tentacle into a hand and gently held hers.

"Yabe...!"

Irina knelt down and hugged my slime body tightly.

(Irina when she’s not doing Kuuoka stuff is pretty cute too...)

I renewed my resolve to protect everyone.