—Ryoma’s POV—
What was going on? After I’d finished answering their questions, the adults—the ducal family in particular—were looking at me with such intensity it was starting to get scary. Had I done something wrong?
"Magnificent," Reinbach breathed.
Wait, what was? What exactly was so magnificent?
"This is incredible, Ryoma!" Elise cried. "You’ve solved a mystery that has baffled the tamers of this world for ages!"
The sudden outburst made me jump. What was wrong with these people? Their eyes were far too intense, and they were leaning in way too close... honestly, it was terrifying.
"Madam, Lord Reinbach, please calm yourselves," Sebas interjected smoothly. "You are frightening Master Ryoma."
"Oh! My apologies," Elise said, pulling back. "Please, don’t be afraid."
"My bad," Reinbach added with a sheepish cough. "I simply got carried away."
"It’s... alright..." I managed to say.
Reinhardt stepped in to bridge the gap. "Let me explain why they reacted that way. The reason why Big Slimes cannot be tamed has been an enigma that countless tamers and scholars have tried and failed to solve for centuries. While Big Slimes aren't particularly powerful, they are troublesome to fight. Consequently, many people throughout history have tried to tame them to use as decoys or shields. There are still those who try even today. But..."
"As I said before, there have been no successful cases," Reinbach took over. "Because the 'Taming Contract'—the very cornerstone of our craft—consistently failed, many proud tamers made it their life’s work to find out why. It was a massive field of study for a long time."
He sighed, shaking his head. "However, since no results were ever produced, the research eventually stalled. Today, it’s a fringe subject with almost no funding. And yet, you discovered the answer all by yourself, simply by observing them."
I blinked. This had turned into something much bigger than I’d anticipated.
"Hm, you don't seem very impressed," Elise noted. "I wonder if you’ll understand if I put it this way: Research into the 'Big Slime Problem' began roughly at the same time taming magic first spread throughout this world. Because it was so fruitless for so long, the topic is now treated as a dead-end assignment for researchers who have fallen out of favor. You solved a mystery that everyone else had given up on. How could we not be excited?"
You’ve got to be kidding me. It was a complete accident, but it looked like this was going to become a major hassle. What was I supposed to do now?
"What should we do with this information?" Elise asked her husband.
"He should register with the Tamer Guild and announce it!" she answered herself before Reinhardt could speak.
Ah, right—there were institutions for that. However, judging by their reactions, going public would cause a massive uproar and be a giant pain. Then again, it might be the perfect excuse to finally leave the forest.
"The town, huh..." I murmured.
The word hung in the air, catching the attention of the four family members and their retainers.
"I’m sorry," Elise said softly. "I forgot that you preferred your solitude. I didn't mean to suggest you had to leave."
"I won't force you to register or go public," Reinbach added. "However, please understand that this is truly a monumental discovery."
"I... understand," I said. "Ah..."
I noticed that because the slimes had merged into a Big Slime, the path to my cave entrance was finally clear.
"For now... please, come inside."
It wasn't safe to stand around talking in the forest with wild beasts nearby. I guided the group into my home and went to the back to brew some tea. The leaves had come from a group of bandits who had attacked me a while back. There were several identical bags of high-quality tea in their loot, so they were almost certainly stolen goods. I’d happened to find them while looking for a spare spear to give to Hughes.
I didn't have much use for money, and I felt a bit strange using the belongings of people I’d killed, so I’d left them tucked away and forgotten about them. Now that I actually had guests, I wished I’d checked my inventory sooner.
The leaves seemed to be top-tier and were still fresh, so that was a relief. The real problem was the cups. Just like the chairs, I didn't have enough for twelve people, so I used earth magic to quickly shape some new ones.
I brewed the tea and brought out a few extras: honey I’d harvested from a hive two days ago, and a lemon-style syrup I’d made using the juice of Ramon fruits and Jija roots. It was the only sweetener I had, but it would have to do.
"Thank you for waiting," I said, setting the tray down. "Here is the tea."
"Oh, thank you very much," Elise said.
"It has a lovely aroma," Eliaria noted. "I’ll help myself."
Reinbach took a sip and hummed thoughtfully. "Hmm, these are quite the high-quality leaves you're using."
"I found them... in the luggage of some bandits... who attacked me," I explained.
"I see... Ho, this is excellent."
"It really is," Reinhardt agreed.
"The flavor is perfectly balanced," Sebas added. "Master Ryoma, did you learn how to brew tea from someone?"
I couldn't exactly tell him I’d learned it in a past life.
"My grandmother... she was very fond of tea," I lied.
My reasoning was simple: grandparents are the ultimate all-purpose excuse. I was truly grateful to the gods for providing that backstory. In my previous life, people called me "stupidly honest," and I was terrible at coming up with lies on the spot. But if it was a script I’d already prepared, the words flowed out quite naturally. The gods even mentioned in their letter that they’d obtained permission from the soul of the woman who would have been my grandmother. I couldn't thank them enough.
"Please have some honey... if you like," I offered.
"I think I will," Eliaria said.
"I’ll take some too," Hughes chimed in. "Honey is a luxury; a guy like me doesn't get to taste it often."
"Hughes! Manners!" Camille hissed.
"It’s fine," I said. "I gathered it from a hive... just the other day. It was free. Mr. Camille, you should have some too."
"Oh, really? Well, maybe just a little."
"See? You're no better than me," Hughes teased.
As they drank, Eliaria seemed to notice something unusual. "Oh? This honey has a very distinct flavor. Is there something in it?"
Sebas immediately leaned in to inspect it. Had I messed up with the Jija and Ramon?
"It has Ramon juice mixed in," the butler observed. "It's quite refreshing. But there’s something else as well."
I was relieved they didn't think it was poisonous. I decided to be honest.
"I added... Jija root."
"So that's what that flavor is," Sebas said. "I only knew Jija as a pungent medicinal herb, but using it as a flavor enhancer is inspired."
"It’s good for cooking... meat and fish," I added. "It helps get rid of... the gamey smell."
"That is a wonderful tip," Sebas said with a bow. "I shall pass that along to our head chef. Thank you, Master Ryoma."
"You’re welcome."
Reinhardt set his cup down and smiled. "Well, we were so surprised by your slime discovery that I almost forgot the main reason we came. Ryoma, we brought a few things as a token of our gratitude for saving Hughes. I would very much like for you to accept them. Sebas."
"Certainly. 'Item Box'."
The butler stood up and activated his magic. A black circle appeared in mid-air, and he began reaching inside to pull out various items.
Item Box. It was a spell that created a pocket dimension for storage. While space magic was generally considered difficult, this was one of the fundamental applications. I could use it too, but... weren't they bringing out a bit too much?
The table was soon covered. There was a basket filled with fruit, followed by five or six large bundles wrapped in paper and cloth.
"Um... all of this?" I asked, overwhelmed.
"Yes," Reinhardt said. "We weren't sure what you would need, so we brought a variety of practical goods. Please, don't be shy."
He began opening the bundles. There were preserved foods, changes of clothes, writing materials, and even a table clock powered by a magic stone. They were all useful items that my home was missing. It seemed they had taken note of what I lacked during their last visit.
"I had to guess your size for the clothes," Reinhardt said. "Try them on, and if they don't fit... Arone, Lilian."
"Yes, my lord," the two maids said in unison.
"If you tell them what's wrong, they can adjust the hem and waist for you immediately."
So that was why the maids had come along. I felt a bit guilty for the trouble, but since I only had a few sets of clothes, I was genuinely grateful. I decided to accept the gifts graciously.
"Thank you, truly. For bringing... so much."
"It’s no trouble at all," Reinhardt said. "Besides, we were already heading this way on business."
"Business? Come to think of it... you mentioned the forest."
"Yes. Do you remember me saying my family has a long history of taming? My daughter, Elia, has been studying the theory for years, and she’s finally reached the age where she’s allowed to form her first contract. We came here to find a slime for her."
So it was her first contract. If she was only just now being allowed, her parents must have been very strict about her preparation. Since monsters were living things that required care and could be dangerous, I assumed she’d finally proven herself ready.
"Congratulations," I said to the young lady.
Eliaria beamed at me. "Thank you very much." However, her expression clouded slightly. "To be honest, we haven't actually found one yet. We've been looking since we entered the forest, but the slimes have been quite elusive."
"Slimes are wild animals, after all," Reinbach added. "If they don't want to be found, they won't be."
"In that case... here," I said. I stood up and pointed to a specific spot on the hand-drawn map of the forest I’d etched into the wall. "The river. Slimes are... usually there."
The spot was near my cave, a place where I frequently fetched water. Wild slimes often gathered there to drink. If they checked that area, they were almost guaranteed to find one or two. I’d actually caught fourteen of them in a single trip once, though that was a rare occurrence.
Eliaria’s face lit up. She quickly looked to the adults for permission, then turned back to me as if she’d just remembered something. "Ryoma-san, may I call you that?"
"Please do."
"Then, Ryoma-san, if it isn't too much trouble, would you mind teaching me how to choose the right slime?"
"How to choose?" I repeated.
"Yes. I only intend to catch one for now, but if there are so many in one place, I’m afraid I won’t know which one is the best choice."
Ah, I see. Though, in my experience, there wasn't really a "better" or "worse" base slime.
"If you want to choose... you should decide based on what you want it to evolve into," I explained. "But... that takes time. If you want combat power... you should choose a different monster. If you don't plan on keeping it long... there's no need to be picky. Do you... still want to choose?"
"Yes," she said with a firm nod and a brilliant smile. "This will be my first tamed monster. I intend to cherish it forever."
That was quite the pure, sincere smile. Well, if she was going to be that dedicated, I might as well help her.
Wait. Why did I just think "she really would cherish it"? I’d never been the type who could read people like that. Was I being charmed? Was my 40-year-old soul actually being swayed by a child’s innocence? ...Better not to think about it.
"Is that... no good?" she asked, looking worried.
"No, I don't mind teaching you," I said. It was just a bit difficult to explain things with my current limited vocabulary. I really needed to work on speaking more smoothly. "However... there are only three types I can recommend right now."
"Why only three?" she asked.
"One... the evolution conditions are still a mystery. One... there is no food available for it. And the last one... the method is... not very ladylike. Even if its abilities... are the most useful."
"May I interrupt for a moment?" Elise said, her voice suddenly very serious.
"Mother! I’m in the middle of a conversation," Eliaria protested. "This is for my first contract, please don't interfere."
"I know, dear, but I simply can't ignore this. Ryoma, from the way you're talking, it sounds as if you know the specific conditions for slime evolution."
"To some extent," I admitted.
Elise let out a small breath and glanced at Reinhardt. He gave a tiny shake of his head, looking just as surprised as she was. It seemed they hadn't realized the depth of my research.
"Is this information as rare as the Big Slime secret?" I asked.
"Yes," Elise said, her gaze intense. "Slimes are everywhere, but they are a mass of unsolved mysteries. You need to be very careful about who you share this knowledge with, Ryoma. It’s incredibly valuable."
I thought it was just common sense based on observation, but apparently not. I’d have to be more careful. Still, I hoped that one day I could meet a proper slime researcher and compare notes. For now, though, I had a young lady to help.