When I logged in as Toria, I appeared at the Home I had built just before logging out yesterday.
That said, it was still little more than a placeholder shack and a single field. A sophisticated house like the one Penpen had seemed like a distant dream.
The tomatoes I’d planted in the field yesterday were already growing in abundance. Miti-chan was staring at them, drool practically pooling at her feet, so I offered her one. She went for it with gusto, engulfing my entire hand as she snatched the tomato. It felt strange—like my hand was being vacuum-sealed.
When Miti-chan finally pulled away with a satisfied sigh, my hand wasn't slimy at all. In fact, it felt cleaner than it had before, as if I’d just given it a thorough wash and a blow-dry.
"Tomatoes are the best! They’re so red! And they go squish!"
"Miti-chan, are those actually the things that make them taste good?"
"It’s fun to eat them! Anyway, call me 'Big Sister,' okay? Or 'Mi-sis' works too!"
"You realize the person inside this body is me, right?"
"Ah, it’s Lord Spirit! Ahaha, why aren't you me? If you were me, we could all play together! Pick me next time, okay? Please? Toria-chan would like that better too, right? Right?"
"Your begging is cute, but I'm in the mood for Toria today. I need to spend time in this body to regain my human senses."
"Then I guess it can't be helped... but I'm next, okay? Right?"
Playing around in a Slime Body was fun in its own way, though.
Now then, time to see what I could do around the Home today. It seemed that Home operations were accessible regardless of whether I was using my First or Second Character, as long as the second one had officially acquired the property.
First, I needed to gather materials to upgrade the shack. Wood, stone... Oh, I could get them as rewards for the "Harvest Crops" mission. I see; that was why Penpen had recommended it.
As soon as I completed the upgrade, the humble storage shed transformed into a proper log house.
"Lord Spirit, the shack got huge!"
"I want to make it even sturdier. That’ll make it easier to work on the interior, too."
"I should get started on the Alchemy, right? Pen-chan taught me the basics, but I really want a pot so I can start simmering things!"
"I can either buy a pot or gather the materials to craft one."
Toria’s earnings as an adventurer meant I had plenty of cash to spare, but...
"Actually, I have a pot right here that I got from Penpen earlier. Here, it’s yours!"
"Yay! Thank you, Lord Spirit! I love you!"
Apparently, Penpen had made a massive number of them because simply kneading and firing clay granted crafting experience. Being able to inherit hand-me-downs like this was the best part of being a late bloomer.
Since Penpen preferred pure crafting over Alchemy, she had only learned enough to make basic recovery medicine and had no intention of touching the intermediate levels. In other words, the medicinal side of things was all up to Miti-chan.
In exchange, I planned to help level up Gin-chan. Those materials would feed back into Penpen and Miti’s production skills, and the finished products would be used for further leveling.
I had successfully created a perpetual motion machine.
"Alright, let's try turning these leftover herbs from Penpen into potions."
"Okay! I remember the lesson. ...Wait, where’s the stove?"
"We don't have one, so a bonfire will have to do."
I stacked some thick branches. I didn't have a lighter, but the fire roared to life the moment I used the Home's "Create Bonfire" function. I placed the water-filled pot directly onto the flames.
Miti-chan started tossing the medicinal herbs in to simmer—or so it looked, but the moment she activated her Alchemy skill, a potion was completed with a satisfying pop.
"Oh! I did it at my Home, too!"
"Nice. It looks like several Home-related missions were cleared at the same time."
"Am I good? Am I a good girl?"
"Yeah, you're a very good girl, Miti-chan. There, there."
"Ehehe! Yay!"
I patted Miti-chan's head. Come to think of it, I wondered how much of Miti-chan’s body had a sense of touch. She was a slime, after all. Was there even a difference between her head, her legs, and... everything else?
Everything else, huh? I decided to find out and reached my hand toward Miti-chan's torso.
"Uni?"
My hand sank right in. Her "clothes" were nothing more than a part of her mimicry. In essence, she was stark naked. I’d have to ask Penpen to make her some actual clothes later.
"Ahaha, that tickles, Lord Spirit! Nnyu, a little higher..."
"Oh? Here? Is this the spot? Hmm? It feels a little firm."
"Nn! Right there, right there... fuaaa."
Her expression went vacant. Or rather, her mimicry began to fail, and her form started to lose its consistency. Ah, I’d found her Core.
"Lord Spirit, more..."
"Yes, yes, that's enough for now."
"Muu... If I make more potions, will you pat me more? I'll work hard!"
(Lord Spirit, Lord Spirit. Please give Toria headpats as well.)
"Hmm?"
(Please pat me!)
"Uh... th-there, there?"
I reached up and patted my own head. Was this really okay?
(Nfufu... eheh.)
I guess it was okay.
Well, time to till the field. I equipped the hoe I’d borrowed from Penpen yesterday and stood by the patch of dirt. Click.
And just like that, the field was ready.
"Man, farm work in games is so much better. In the real world, you'd have to actually dig up the soil and sweat for it, probably. Honestly, I don't even know how you’re supposed to use a hoe..."
"You don't know? You're supposed to swing it downward, uo! You can tell just by looking at the shape, uo."
"Oh, hey Alto. Welcome."
My colleague, Alto, had arrived at my Home. She must have logged in just a moment ago.
"Here, I picked some herbs while I was leveling Nika-chan, so you can have them, uo."
"Thanks. I'll give you some potions in return."
"I'll put them to good use, uo. I'm heading to Penpen's place later, uo."
"Right. I'll pack up the Home for now and head over there too."
Currently, my Home was set up some distance away from Penpen's. Penpen had moved hers closer to the ranch, and I was using her old location as a base to gather materials. You might wonder why I didn't just move next to her.
Tsk, tsk. It was all because of "Penpen's Memo." It was a handwritten guide detailing exactly what could be found in this specific area.
"Penpen really is diligent about this stuff."
"Anyway, wouldn't it be better to have Toria-chan gather materials in Auto Mode, uo? Since Miti-chan can split to increase her units, a three-man party strategy is way more efficient, uo."
"That’s... well, you've got a point."
And so, I transferred my consciousness into Miti-chan and performed a Split. Toria-chan was sent off to handle the material gathering.
Now then, time to see what I could do with Alchemy!
"Master Alto, Master Alto. Have a tomato. It’s a thank you."
"Oh? Thanks, Miti-chan, uo... A thank you? Did I do something, uo?"