The Slime Queen thought she knew every possible evolution process of all slimes.
Because the moment she became the highest-ranking individual...
The Slime Queen was able to recognize many potential evolutions that she might not have even known existed before.
It was like a special privilege granted to monsters who had reached the top.
That’s why the Slime Queen had never once seen another slime possess an evolution possibility she didn’t know.
Yet now, among the options presented to the slime, there was one the Slime Queen didn’t recognize.
In other words, a possibility that wasn’t given to her.
It could be called an unknown choice.
[Squishy Queen] ▶ My kin! Quickly, explain it in detail!
Worried that an unknown choice might harm the slime and also curious to learn about a possibility she didn’t know, the Slime Queen urged it to explain.
It was at that moment.
Smack!
"Tongtong!"
Claire ran up to the slime.
"Are you okay?"
'It’s Claire!'
The slime closed its evolution window and looked at Claire.
"Are you hurt?"
Claire asked with worry in her voice.
She had been watching the slime fight against the Orc Champions.
Of course, she hadn’t been watching from the very beginning.
It was from the moment the slime injured Orc Champion B and began fighting Orc Champion A.
'Tongtong, you're amazing!'
Seeing the slime defeat one Orc Champion and facing off against the other not only impressed Claire but also greatly boosted the adventurers’ morale.
"Tongtong took down an Orc Champion!"
"Uooooooo!"
"That’s incredible, Tongtong!"
"We can win! We can win this time too!"
However, there was also a moment that almost made her heart sink.
It was when the slime got caught in the Orc Champion’s hand.
'Danger!'
A scene flashed through Claire’s mind of the slime being crushed in that massive hand.
Because she was still fighting the group of orcs, it was nearly impossible to run straight to help the slime.
But if they lost the slime now, everything would be over.
Even if she got attacked while moving, she thought she had to rush to help the slime.
Then she saw it.
The slime escaped from the Orc Champion’s grasp on its own.
'Tongtong, you're strong!'
Seeing the slime immediately attack the Orc Champion after escaping, Claire sighed with relief and focused back on her fight.
"Haaaaah!"
Smack!
—Gwoooook!
After defeating the Blue Orc, Claire looked back at the slime.
The slime had already defeated both Orc Champions and was staring at its evolution window.
'Tongtong isn’t moving. Why?'
But Claire, not knowing the situation, found it strange that the usually energetic slime suddenly stood still.
The slime she knew would have jumped around with joy or rushed toward her after defeating the Orc Champions.
But now it wasn’t moving at all.
'Is Tongtong badly hurt?'
She couldn’t help but think that maybe the slime had been hurt so badly that it couldn’t move.
Finally finding a chance to approach, Claire hurriedly ran to the slime.
As soon as she reached it, she checked its condition.
'You’re okay!'
Boing! Boing!
The slime jumped on the spot to reassure Claire.
Seeing it so lively, just like usual, Claire’s worries melted away.
'Thank goodness. Was it just a moment of exhaustion?'
Although she hated the monsters that attacked the village, in Claire’s heart, the slime had already become something different from ordinary monsters.
For Claire, the slime had become someone she could recognize as a companion.
After confirming her companion was safe, Claire pointed toward the area where the orc horde and adventurers were still fighting fiercely.
"Tongtong, can you keep fighting? We need to go help over there."
'Yes!'
Boing!
The slime hopped onto Claire’s shoulder.
"Let’s go."
Smack!
With the slime on her shoulder, Claire dashed back toward the battlefield.
[Squishy Queen] Aaaah! Because of those human fools, the explanation is getting delayed!
▶You want to hear the slime’s explanation? Tune in again in one hour!
▶Kinekkkkkk
▶ Ah~ You say you have to help because the humans are weak~.
***
By the time the slime and Claire joined the adventurers...
Troll was in the secret workshop.
"Use that stupid warp thing and send me to where Tongtong is!"
He was being shaken by the collar by Nellin.
—Nellin, calm down!
"How can I calm down! You said Chilture is being attacked by an orc horde right now!"
The moment Troll first directly mentioned the slime...
It was when the slime was in the middle of fighting the Orc Champions.
Why was the slime fighting to protect the village with Claire?
Troll avoided explaining the system and made up a reasonable-sounding story.
He briefly explained how the slime met Claire, what kind of life it was living in the village, and then was about to mention the orc horde attack.
Then the slime defeated the Orc Champions and posted its evolution options in the chat.
'Seven options!?'
▶ ! Hold on a second.
"Huh? Why?"
"What's wrong, why did you go silent?"
"Did something happen to Tongtong?"
After briefly typing in the chat, Troll looked back at Nellin and the others.
—No, nothing happened… never mind.
"Something definitely happened."
He tried to reassure them, but he couldn’t fool his companions' eyes.
Nellin still remembered Troll’s old habits.
If he trailed off mid-sentence, it absolutely meant something was wrong.
-No, Nellin, really, nothing serious happened.
You don’t have to worry…………
"Then stop dragging it out and get to the point!
Tongtong! Why is he protecting the village! You said he’s fighting right now! Did something happen to him?!"
-Okay, I’ll explain quickly, so calm down.
Not just Nellin, but Godrick’s group, Amelia, Paulen, and Gracie were all staring at Troll, urging him to talk faster.
The moment Troll mentioned that Chilture was being attacked by an orc horde of over 100...
"Hey! Use the warp! What the hell are you doing chatting so leisurely when the orc horde is attacking the village!"
Nellin exploded and grabbed Troll by the collar.
Nellin demanded he use the warp immediately to send them to Chilture.
But for Troll, that was a request he couldn’t grant.
So he decided to calm Nellin down.
-The attack is basically already over! So there’s no need to worry.
"Is that true?"
-Yeah, there are a few orcs left, but they’ll be taken care of soon. There’s no need to go over there using warp. Besides, I don’t want to do that.
"Why?"
-Nellin, think calmly. Right now, you’re known to be on Saint’s Hill to fight me. But what would people think if they suddenly heard you appeared far away in Chilture?
"They’d think a hero saved Chilture from a crisis!"
-They’d suspect you of teaming up with an evil lich!
"Really? Wouldn’t they just think I scolded the lich and made him my underling?"
-You’re the only one who would think that, Nellin………
"This time, Ventus is right, Nellin. People aren’t that optimistic."
"Excuse me, Sir Ventus. So… is Jiggly safe?"
At Amelia’s question, Troll nodded.
"Of course he’s safe. Actually, the one who played the biggest role in protecting the village was that slime."
"Tongtong played the biggest role?"
Unable to contain himself, Godrick interrupted upon hearing that the slime was active.
-Yeah, among those fighting the orc horde, the strongest was the slime.
"Tongtong is the strongest?"
"Hahaha! If it’s Jiggly, who hasn’t neglected his training even here, of course he’s strong! I’m so proud!"
Hearing that the slime had played the most active role greatly eased the tension and worry among everyone.
-Nellin, when you leave here, go to Chilture. That girl with the Frost Fist will be waiting for you there.
"Got it. So… what are you going to do?"
Nellin placed his hands on his hips and stared sharply.
"Should I just put an arrow right in that bastard’s forehead who set up this trap?"
"What!?"
Current master of the Mage Tower.
When Nellin asked if she wanted to kill Brooks Vessilja, Gracie was startled.
Everything she learned today was shocking.
The lich was actually her respected ancestor, Ventus Frail.
On top of that, his death wasn’t due to a magic accident, but the one who tried to kill him was none other than Brooks Vessilja, whom she had thought of as her benefactor.
Not only that, but she learned that Brooks had even tried to kill the slime in order to make her fail.
With so many truths hitting her at once, it was hard for Gracie to fully accept it all.
So she instinctively reacted to the suggestion of killing Brooks Vessilja.
"What? You got a problem with that? You heard it too. That bastard tried to kill Ventus and schemed to make you fail."
"Y-yeah, I heard it. But…"
"Nellin, don’t corner Miss Gracie too much. Until she knew the truth, that man was a grateful figure to her, so it’s not easy for her to accept right away."
"I’m not cornering her, okay?"
"Besides, just putting an arrow in his head is too mild. I’m against it too."
"What? Why?"
"If it ends so easily, it’s boring."
"Huh?"
"Sai—Saintess Presia?"
"We should destroy everything he built up so far and make him regret what he did for the rest of his life, don’t you think?"
Though she wore a gentle smile, Nellin could tell right away.
Presia was absolutely furious.
'That’s the smile she makes when she’s seriously pissed.'
"Ah. You’re right. Just finishing him off quickly would be a waste. Hey! Ventus! You agree too, right?"
-Of course. Actually, Nellin, Presia, I had a request regarding revenge.
"What is it?"
"Please, tell us anything, Ventus."
Troll’s request was simple.
After leaving the secret workshop and returning, he wanted them to spread a certain story in the capital.
They defeated the lich.
While fighting, they discovered the lich’s true identity was Ventus Frail transformed into a monster.
After becoming a monster, Ventus spent decades fighting to suppress his monstrous instincts.
When he was finally defeated, Ventus fully regained his sanity and revealed to his old comrades how he became a lich.
The reason Ventus Frail became a lich.
It was Brooks Vessilja who tried to kill Ventus by causing a magical accident.
-If you tell it this way, his reputation will crash instantly.
Besides, since it’s coming from you directly, no one will doubt it.
"What, so you’re just going to disappear like, ‘I died~’ and vanish?"
-That’s the most peaceful way to end it. If we say we failed to subdue him, it would only increase people’s anxiety. Luckily, the slime is now a hero who saved Chilture. There shouldn’t be much suspicion linking him to me.
Even if suspicions did arise, Troll believed there’d be no one who could refute Nellin and Amelia, the next saintess, if they insisted on the slime’s innocence.
At that moment.
"I’m sorry, Ventus. I can’t grant that request."
-Presia? Why…………
When he was about to ask why, Presia answered first.
"Because I plan to stay here."
-W-what!?
"Saintess Presia!?"
A bombshell dropped from Presia’s mouth.