The next day.
Hmm?
When morning came and I opened my eyes, I immediately sensed something was off. The only light in the room came from a single 'Light' spell at my bedside. Even in the dim glow of the suppressed magic, the change was obvious: the room was empty.
For a moment, I reminded myself that I had packed everything the day before. But as I looked closer, something still felt wrong.
I channeled mana into the magic stone at my bedside to brighten the room. There was absolutely nothing left. During yesterday’s preparations, I had put most of my belongings into my Item Box, but I had definitely left the stone furniture—the table, chairs, and shelves. I didn't remember destroying them, yet they were nowhere to be found. Even the bed I was supposed to be lying on had vanished.
What was happening? Had I been robbed? No, that was impossible. I would have noticed a thief breaking in, and the slimes would have raised an alarm. I had hosted the Duke’s family for the night, but it was unthinkable that they would steal from me.
Besides, stone furniture made with Earth Magic was practically worthless. Who would even think to rob a cave? I had plenty of loot from the bandits, but that was already tucked away in my Item Box. The only things left of any value were the slimes...! Where were they?!
"Whoa?!"
I couldn't see the Cleaner Slime that usually stayed in my room. As I tried to bolt out of bed, I was suddenly hit by a weightless sensation, followed immediately by a sharp impact and a dull ache.
"Ow... wait, what?"
When I sat up, the room was dim again. I activated the light once more, and this time, everything was back to normal. The room was sparse because of the packing, but the desk, chairs, and other furniture were right where they belonged. The pain in my body was simply from falling out of bed.
"Right... just a dream."
As I calmed my racing heart, I saw a single Cleaner Slime leaning over the edge of the mattress, peering down at me. I checked the rest of the cave and confirmed that all my other slimes were safe and sound.
Good grief, I really didn't need a scare like that. I wasn't even sure who I was supposed to be annoyed with. I wondered how much time was left until sunrise. I’d left the gift on the desk...
"...There it is."
Resting on the desk was the Magic Tool Clock I had received the day before. The clock's face was a thin, round metal disc marked with numerals and two hands. It was held aloft by a Y-shaped metal stand that rested on a circular base. Every part of it was decorated with modest, elegant engravings. Because there was no visible mechanical movement, I had initially mistaken it for a mirror when I first unwrapped it. In fact, the back of the dial was polished so finely it really could serve as one.
The dial was marked 1 through 12, just like on Earth. One full rotation was twelve hours, and two rotations made a twenty-four-hour day. Each hour was sixty minutes. Since the system was identical to the one from my previous life, it was very easy to read.
However, as I watched the hands, I had a nagging suspicion that a minute in this world was a fraction longer or shorter than a minute on Earth. Then again, I hadn't worried about the length of a day since I first arrived here. After three years of living completely disconnected from society, it was likely that my internal clock was just out of sync.
The clock showed that it was nearly 5:30. While it didn't specify AM or PM, it was obviously morning. If it were the afternoon, I would have been guilty of an incredible oversleep.
I could have tried to squeeze in a little more rest, but I wasn't in the mood. Just as that thought crossed my mind, I heard muffled footsteps approaching from the back of the cave.
"Sebas-san?"
"Good morning, Ryoma-sama."
The Jamil family’s butler appeared from the shadows of the corridor.
"Is something the matter?" I asked.
"I heard a peculiar noise a moment ago, and then saw light spilling into the hallway."
He had definitely heard me fall out of bed.
"Did I... wake you?"
"Not at all. We servants are accustomed to rising at this hour. Arone and Lilian are already awake as well, though some of the others are still resting."
"I see..."
The sun would be up soon, so I decided I might as well head to the river to fetch some water. It felt like a waste to just sit around, and I didn't want to make a racket inside while everyone was sleeping.
When I told Sebas my plan, he offered to produce water using magic. I thanked him but explained that I wanted to do a bit of training and take a final walk. I told him they were welcome to use the bath, the kitchen, or any other facilities as they pleased, and then I stepped out.
"Phew."
The morning air was crisp and still, brushing against my skin and filling my lungs with every breath. The chill felt wonderful. In the distance, the sky was beginning to glow with the dawn. It was bright enough to walk without a light.
I set off down the familiar path, my boots pressing into the dew-slicked grass. I lost count of how many times I had walked this trail to the river. Immersed in an unusual wave of sentimentality, it suddenly hit me: that room in my dream had been my home as it was when I first arrived in this world.
The memory was a bit fuzzy, but I realized the dream version of the cave hadn't had the maps on the walls or the expanded tunnels. Back then, my life was nothing but a cycle of digging out living space, hunting for food, and fetching water. As I kept digging, I eventually created the modest space I’d seen in my dream. And then... yes, it was right here.
The river where I always drew my water flowed before me. It wasn't deep—ranging from ankle-height to just above the knee—but it was wide, and the gentle murmur of the current was constant.
"Rock."
I used Earth Magic to shape a large water jar.
Once I had mastered Water Magic, I usually just summoned what I needed, but for a long time, this morning trek had been my daily ritual.
I had washed myself here, done my laundry here, and practiced my martial arts forms on the bank. In those early days, I spent nearly all my time either in the cave or at this spot.
It was on a morning just like this, after I had finally finished the main living area of the cave, that I came to fetch water and found a drifting slime.
I had often seen slimes surrender themselves to the current, but that day, one had floated close enough to reach. On a whim, I scooped it up in my jar, brought it home, and tried out a Taming Contract for practice.
The 'Taming Contract' is the foundation of the craft—a spell that uses mana spun into a thread to link the caster to a monster. Once bound, you can communicate, give orders, and sense the creature's location.
The very first emotion I felt from that slime was "terror." Watching its little body tremble, I decided to name it Tabuchi-kun. My first impression of the shivering creature was the spitting image of a former subordinate of mine.
Back then, the slime was incredibly slow, perhaps weakened from the river. Even when I reached out, it just shook and didn't even try to flee. When I tried to feed it live Green Caterpillars, it was so sluggish that the bugs escaped two out of five times. Sometimes it would go to the river for a drink only to get swept away again, forcing me to go fish it out. That was when I realized why I saw so many slimes drifting downstream—they were just falling in.
I spent my days feeding it and training it. After it evolved, I started the experiments that eventually led me to where I am today.
It felt so long ago. Sadly, that first Tabuchi-kun was gone now, though I still kept its core.
Come to think of it, I wondered how the human Tabuchi-kun was doing back on Earth.
He was a chubby, otaku-type man who had joined the company fresh out of college. When we first met, he had been terrified of my sheer physical presence. I was one to talk, but he was also remarkably bad at social interaction.
Even so, he was never late, and if I took the time to explain the work procedures clearly, he always got the job done. Whenever he made a mistake, he genuinely felt bad about it, whether he managed to communicate that apology or not. We were both otakus, and despite the gap in our ages and interests, we hit it off from time to time. He’d always struggled with basic workplace communication—reporting, informing, and consulting—but he’d managed to improve quite a bit by the time I died.
He was a capable worker by the end, so I wasn't worried about his skills. I just hoped he’d had the sense to quit that black company and find a better place to work.
He’d been a handful, but looking back, he was one of the better subordinates I’d ever managed. If he hadn't been, I wouldn't have used his name for my first companion. There’s no joy in remembering the truly awful bosses or subordinates from that life.
Of course, now that I had so many slimes, I’d stopped naming them altogether. The bond of the contract was so convenient that I could distinguish and command each one perfectly without names.
"Whoops, what time is it?"
I had been lost in thought for a while. The sun was reflecting brightly off the water now, and the forest was fully illuminated. I thought about practicing my forms, but I had a schedule to keep. It was time to go back.
I filled the jar I’d made, hoisted it onto my shoulder, and made my way back to the cave. Jill and Zeff were standing guard at the entrance. I offered them a greeting as they stared in shock at the sight of a small boy carrying a water jar larger than himself. Inside, the clock showed it was 7:00. Time really had flown.
"Ah, Ryoma-kun, you're back. Good morning."
Reinhardt appeared from the back of the cave.
"Good morning."
"Are you all packed and ready?"
"Yes... no problems."
"Excellent."
I was invited to join them for breakfast, so I spent the remaining time feeding my slimes.
After a final meal with the Ducal House, I gathered all my slimes and stepped outside my home.
I used Earth Magic to seal the entrance of the cave. Lock-up complete.
Well... time for my first journey!
I pushed aside the lingering nostalgia of the last three years and turned around.
Eleven people were waiting for me.
"Are you ready, then?" the elder Linebach asked.
"Yes, let's go."
"Then let us be off!" Reinhardt declared.
"Alright, move out! Young Lady, Ryoma—if you need anything, speak up immediately!"
With Hughes taking the lead, the group began to walk. I took a deep breath and took my first step forward into a new world.