Before I knew it, the reading had grown to over an hour's worth!
And yet, the story still wasn't progressing...
I glanced at the goblins.
From their perspective, they were doing their best—weapons at the ready, eyes fixed on me without letting their guard down.
Unfortunately, a few of them already seemed ready to bolt.
But the leader was impressive.
He never once took his eyes off me, staring me down the whole time.
Hmm.
I could sense intelligence from this one. A conversation might actually be possible.
Would it get through?
I decided to try projecting my thoughts onto the voice I generated, testing whether my words would reach the other party.
"Nice to meet you—I think? I'm a slime named Rimuru."
The goblins erupted into commotion.
At first I thought they were surprised because a slime had spoken, but...
Some of them threw down their weapons and prostrated themselves on the ground.
I had no idea what was going on.
"G-G-Ga! A powerful being! We understand your strength clearly enough!!! Please lower your voice!!!"
Hm? Were my thoughts too strong?
This wasn't conveying my intentions at all. They were just panicking on their own.
"Sorry about that. I'm still not very good at adjusting."
Well, I might as well apologize.
"F-Forgive us! There is no need for one such as yourself to apologize to us!"
So the words were getting through after all.
This could be good practice.
For the record, I'd spoken in Japanese. I was surprised that meaning got across.
"So, did you need something from me? There's nothing of interest further ahead."
I'd considered being polite since they'd approached me courteously, but since they were clearly terrified of me, I figured I'd come on a little strong.
"Yes, that is correct. Our village lies ahead. We sensed the presence of a powerful monster and came to investigate."
"The presence of a strong monster? I can't feel anything like that..."
"G-Ga! Gagaga! You must be joking! No matter how you appear, we will not be deceived!"
It seemed they were completely misunderstanding things. (Note! The ones who are misunderstanding are ← these guys!)
They were apparently convinced that a powerful monster was disguised as a slime.
After all, they were goblins—infamous as the lowliest of monsters for good reason.
After that, I chatted with the goblins for a while, and in the course of conversation, I ended up being invited to their village.
They seemed willing to put me up for the night.
For such shabby-looking creatures, they sure were kind.
I didn't need sleep, but a rest wouldn't be bad either.
With that thought, I accepted the invitation to visit the village.
Along the way, I got to hear all sorts of stories.
For instance, that their patron god had recently disappeared.
That at the same time the god vanished, monsters had become far more active.
That powerful human adventurers had been venturing deeper into the forest.
And so on.
As our conversation continued, their words became clearer and clearer.
It seemed that by applying my magic sense to the back-and-forth of conversation, I was getting used to it.
Practicing with goblins before talking to humans might have turned out to be a good thing.
Chattering away like this, I followed them.
The village was... well, it looked so filthy I wanted to say "seriously?"
After all, it was a goblin nest—there was no reason to expect anything better.
I was led to what seemed like the most presentable building in the place.
It had a roof of rotting straw, gaps everywhere, walls made of nothing more than plywood stacked together...
By my previous life's standards, a slum would have been an upgrade!
"I have kept you waiting. Honored guest."
As those words were spoken, a goblin walked in.
The goblin leader who had been guiding me until now was supporting this newcomer.
"Oh, no, no. I wasn't waiting that long. Please, don't worry about it!"
I responded with the smile I'd honed through years of business.
The so-called slime smile.
A single smile to steer negotiations in your favor. Even I found this ability frightening.
I had no idea what I'd be negotiating about, though...
"I am terribly sorry that we cannot offer you proper hospitality. I am the village chief of this settlement."
With that, something resembling tea was placed before me.
I was surprised that goblins even had such things.
I sipped the tea. (To an observer, it probably looked like the tea bowl had been covered over.)
I couldn't taste anything. Naturally—I had no sense of taste.
I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or bad, but... I checked the components, and it wasn't poisonous.
I could feel the goblins' concern in their own way.
"So, you invited me all the way to your village—was there something you needed?"
I asked point-blank.
This wasn't some friendly invitation between fellow monsters just because we were both creatures of the same kind.
The village chief flinched, his body trembling, but he steeled himself and looked at me.
Then he spoke.
"The truth is, you've surely noticed that monsters have become more active lately?"
I had heard about that on the way here.
"Our god had been protecting the peace of this land, but about a month ago, He vanished...
Because of that, nearby monsters have begun to encroach upon our territory...
We couldn't just stand by, so we fought back, but the military balance is... unfavorable."
Hmm.
The god—did that mean Veldora? The timing lined up.
So the goblins wanted my help, basically.
"I understand the situation. But I'm just a slime—I don't think I can be much help."
"Haha, you are too modest! No ordinary slime could emit such a Demon Aura!
I cannot fathom why you appear in this form, but you must surely be a Named Monster?"
Demon Aura...?
What was that? I'd never deliberately put out anything like that...
I switched my magic sense's perspective to observe myself.
A sinister aura, something like a malevolent glow, was emanating from and enveloping my entire body.
If only I'd noticed this back when I was testing Mimicry or Body Armor...
This was embarrassing.
It was the sensation of walking down a main street with your fly wide open.
The cave had been dense with magicules, so I hadn't noticed at all...
This was bad! Clearly out of bounds!
Only then did I finally understand why every monster I'd encountered since leaving the cave had reacted the way it did.
No monster would want to pick a fight with something this dangerous-looking.
No one's fooled by appearances! That was the takeaway.
Well, in for a penny...
"Heh heh. As expected of the village chief—you can tell?"
"Of course! No matter how you may disguise yourself, the presence you exude cannot be hidden!"
"I see. So you figured it out. You goblins are more perceptive than I expected!"
I was getting really into this now!
I'd keep the village chief on this track and smooth things over.
At the same time, I'd try to see if I could suppress this sinister aura—the Demon Aura.
Using the same technique I'd used to manipulate the magicules outside my body, I willed the aura to retract.
"Oh... So you were testing us! That is a relief. Many among us were frightened by that aura..."
I succeeded in hiding the Demon Aura.
My appearance returned to that of an ordinary slime.
But then again...
If I'd been walking around looking like a normal slime all along...
Wouldn't monsters have been more likely to attack me, becoming a nuisance in their own right?
Everything had worked out in the end—wasn't that enough?
"That's right. The fact that you approached me without flinching at my Demon Aura shows real courage!"
I wanted to tell myself "What courage?" but I held it back.
The mood demanded a performance.
"Ha ha! Thank you. ...Now, I won't ask the reason for your true appearance. However...
I have a request. Would you be willing to hear me out?"
Well, I'd figured as much.
"Depends on what it is. Go ahead."
Without dropping my imposing demeanor, I addressed the village chief.
The story was this: From the eastern lands, new monsters had descended upon the region, vying for dominance.
There were several goblin settlements in the area, and this was one of them. In skirmishes with the newcomers, a great number of goblin warriors had been killed.
Among those warriors, one had been Named—and that was the real problem.
That warrior had served as a guardian of this village. With his loss, the village's value had plummeted.
The other goblin settlements had abandoned them.
While the newcomers attacked this village, the other settlements would prepare countermeasures—that was the collective decision.
No matter how the village chief and the goblin leader pleaded, they had been met with cold refusal.
The village chief told this with bitterness written on his face.
"I see... So how many people live in this village? Of those, how many can fight?"
"About a hundred goblins live here. Around sixty can fight, including the females."
Not very reassuring.
But the fact that they could roughly quantify their numbers was perhaps clever for goblins.
"Hmm. Do you know the numbers and species of these newcomers?"
"Yes. They're wolf monsters—the Fang Wolf tribe. Normally, even if ten of us ganged up against one of them, victory would be uncertain...
And there are about a hundred of them..."
What? That's practically impossible.
I stared into the village chief's eyes.
He was not joking. He was looking back at me with complete earnestness.
His gaze was a little cloudy, but for a goblin, it was remarkably sincere.
"Those goblin warriors—they knew they couldn't win, and yet they went in small numbers?"
"...No, this information was obtained at the cost of their lives..."
I see. I'd heard something terrible.
When I asked further, I learned that the Named goblin had been the village chief's son—and the goblin leader's older brother.
I listened and considered what to do.
The village chief said nothing, waiting for my decision.
Or was it my imagination, but there seemed to be tears welling up in his eyes... It had to be my imagination.
Tears didn't suit a monster.
I'd play the part—arrogant and unyielding. That was the proper bearing for a monster that was feared.
"Village chief, one thing I want to confirm. If I help this village—what do I get in return?
What can you offer me?"
I could help them on a whim if I wanted.
But a hundred monsters, each one a match for ten goblins?
This was no easy opponent.
If I mimicked a black snake, I could probably manage...
But this wasn't a promise I could afford to make lightly.
"We will offer our loyalty! Grant us your protection, and we shall swear our fealty to you!!!"
Honestly, that wasn't something I particularly wanted.
But after ninety lonely days, I was finding even conversation with goblins enjoyable.
A human might have been revolted by their filth.
But I was a monster now. I had no fear of disease.
And above all, there were the village chief's eyes—relying on me completely.
It reminded me of my previous life.
Say what you will, but I had always been weak when it came to requests.
I'd grumble and complain, take flak from my juniors, and still give in to the pleas of clients and seniors...
"Very well! I shall grant your wish!"
I nodded grandly.
And so, I became the master and protector of the goblins.
--- Status Name:
Unique Skill "Predator"
Slime-Intrinsic Skills "Dissolve, Absorb, Self-Regeneration"
Extra Skill "Water Manipulation"
Extra Skill "Magic Sense"
Acquired Skills... Black Snake: "Heat Source Detection, Poison Mist Breath," Centipede: "Paralytic Breath," Spider: "Sticky Thread, Steel Thread," Bat: "Ultrasonic Wave," Lizard: "Body Armor"
Resistances: Thermal Fluctuation Resistance EX, Physical Attack Resistance,
However, no heroine has appeared yet.
In fact, there are no plans for one to appear for a while...