Once the break ended, I expected training to resume, but apparently, we were finished for the day.
"Now that you both understand how to use Sensory Link, all that's left is to take your time and get used to it on your own," Reinhardt said. "Ryoma-kun, please just relax here and listen to Elia’s performance. You might think I’m just a doting father, but she’s quite talented."
"A performance? Why so suddenly?" I asked. What was this about?
"I mentioned the Rimul Birds before, didn't I?" Elia asked.
"Yes, that’s why everyone came to this town."
"Exactly. Rimul Birds fly very fast and can use Wind Magic. Because of that, they’re incredibly difficult to capture alive without injuring them; you rarely see them. However, since they are monsters, it is possible to form a contract with them!"
I see. So she intended to tame one if she could. But why the musical instrument?
"Does playing music have something to do with it?"
"It has everything to do with it! Performing is an absolute necessity if you want to contract a Rimul Bird."
Is that so? As I stood there wondering, Sebas offered a supplementary explanation.
"Rimul Birds possess a great deal of mana and high intelligence. Therefore, if you try to form a bond through normal means, they will resist the contract, and the attempt will fail. However, Rimul Birds have a habit of using their beautiful songs to communicate and identify their peers. If you play music before attempting the contract and they take a liking to you, they may accept the bond."
Leave it to another world to have a capture method that defied my common sense. To make them recognize you as a peer through music...
"I had no idea you contracted them that way," I admitted.
"The success rate is extremely low, so some consider it a mere legend," Sebas continued. "However, I have never heard of anyone successfully contracting one through any other method. It is effectively the only way."
"That’s why Elia is going to practice her performance today," Reinhardt added. "This afternoon is dedicated to her rehearsal."
"Ryoma-san, please just sit there and listen. You can sleep or even ignore me if you like, but you aren't allowed to leave."
What was going on? It would be one thing if she told me to listen closely, but she said I didn't even have to pay attention as long as I stayed put...
I glanced at Sebas and the others, only to find them watching me with knowing smiles.
Wait, don't tell me...
"It seems you’ve realized, haven't you?" Reinbach chuckled.
"We thought we’d make you take a little break, Ryoma-kun," Elise said. "You've been working far too hard day after day."
Reinhardt nodded. "From monster subjugation to opening a shop, hiring new staff while taking requests at the guild, and even patrolling the mines while making waterproof cloth... I heard you haven't taken a single day off. Thugs attacked the shop yesterday, and things might become even busier as you deal with the fallout. So, before that happens, I used today’s taming lesson as an excuse to pull you away from your work."
"I reached out to those involved in your business as much as I could," Sebas added, "and everyone was more than happy to cooperate with our plan for your rest."
"When did you do all that...?" I muttered. I hadn't noticed a thing.
"We will be keeping a close eye on you today," Elia said firmly. "We won't let you do a single lick of work."
"You might find it hard to relax when forced like this," Reinbach said, "but I felt that if we didn't intervene, you’d eventually collapse. If you keep pushing yourself like this, I’ll have to drag you back to our estate by force."
"I'm sorry for making you all worry."
"You might not feel like you're overdoing it," Reinhardt warned, "but if an ordinary person handled your workload, they would undoubtedly break down. You might just be unaware of how much strain you're under, so be careful."
"And so, Ryoma-san, you are going to rest today whether you like it or not," Elia declared. "Now, I shall begin."
The Young Lady was being unusually forceful today. Or perhaps "high-spirited" was a kinder way to put it.
While I mused over that, Elia took a violin from Sebas and began to play. So violins existed in this world too... Perhaps an otherworlder had introduced them.
As I listened, I realized she was genuinely good. The melody was slow and soothing, perfect for relaxing. When she finished the first piece, she looked at me expectantly.
"Ryoma-san, how was it?"
"It was wonderful, truly," I said. I wasn't just being polite. Back in my previous life, I’d dabbled with a secondhand guitar, but I hadn't been nearly this skilled. I didn't know much about music theory, but her playing was undeniably pleasant.
Elia beamed at my simple praise and began the next song.
I spent the afternoon in a haze of relaxation, listening to the music while petting the slimes and Lorgue, the Little Fenril, who was surprisingly affectionate.
Eventually, it became time to feed the slimes. I let the three newly caught slimes absorb mana while I petted them, when suddenly—
"Oh!?"
One of them began to change.
"Here it comes!" I shouted.
"What is it!?" Elia asked, stopping her performance. The others rushed over to see what the commotion was about.
"A slime evolution!"
Every eye focused on the slime in my hands. It vibrated violently, much like the Iron Slime had before, then suddenly went still, repeatedly pulsing as it released and absorbed mana. Its color began to shift before our eyes.
It turned a deep, earthy brown.
When the evolution finished, I used Monster Appraisal to check its status.
Earth Slime Skills: Earth Magic Lv2, Earth Attribute Resistance Lv8, Earth Attribute Magic Absorption Lv1, Jump Lv1, Digestion Lv3, Absorption Lv3, Division Lv1.
Earth Magic! The experiment was a success.
"Ryoma-san, what did it become?"
"An Earth Slime. It evolved into a species that can use Earth Magic."
"Ho! Another rare one, I see," Reinbach remarked.
"Ryoma-kun, Earth Slimes are quite rare as well," Elise said, looking impressed. "How on earth did you manage it?"
I explained my method of feeding them attribute-specific mana. Elise and Elia immediately tried to replicate it, but with little success.
"Why isn't it working...?" Elia wondered.
"It's unexpectedly difficult," Elise admitted.
They explained that when they tried to release the mana they had altered, it either triggered a spell immediately or reverted to no-attribute mana the moment it left their bodies.
Apparently, maintaining the altered state required a high level of mana control. It only took a bit of concentration for me, but that was because my Mana Manipulation Skill had reached Level 4 through constant practice. We concluded that it was simply too difficult for them at their current level.
Frustrated, Elia abandoned her violin practice to focus on magic control training, though she didn't have much luck. By the end, she declared that she would make acquiring the Mana Manipulation Skill her new goal. Even as she trained, her eyes remained glued to the slimes I was evolving.
By the time I finished, two slimes had become Earth Slimes, and the third had evolved into a Dark Slime.
Dark Slime Skills: Dark Magic Lv2, Dark Attribute Resistance Lv8, Dark Attribute Magic Absorption Lv1, Jump Lv1, Digestion Lv3, Absorption Lv3, Division Lv1.
Despite the excitement with the slimes, once I started running low on mana, the peaceful atmosphere returned.
"........................Ah, Horn Rabbits."
While listening to the music and idly petting a slime, I happened to check the vision of a Crew Bird I’d sent out. I spotted a large group of rabbits nearby.
Meat... that would make a good thank-you gift for the people at the shop.
When I mentioned I was going to hunt, Reinhardt and Elia offered to help. With their assistance, the hunt was incredibly easy. I picked off several with my bow and drove the rest toward where the Sticky Slimes, Reinhardt, and the others were waiting. It was simple work—just capturing and collecting. As I thought, having a group made a massive difference in the effort required.
We returned to the square, and I released the contract with the Crew Birds before returning them to their cages.
"You really could take them with you, you know," Elise offered, but I politely declined. I wasn't particularly hindered without their vision, and if I ever truly needed them, I wanted to catch and tame them myself.
"Well then, shall we head back?" Reinbach suggested.
I realized that quite a lot of time had passed.
We boarded the carriage to return to town before sunset. Since there was no rush, the swaying was gentle and soothing. Perhaps it was the lingering relaxation, or perhaps I really had been more exhausted than I realized. I ended up dozing off on the way back. Even after we arrived at the inn, I went straight to my room and collapsed into a deep sleep.