Free Web NovelAs one of the strongest variants among slime-type creatures, that mass of purple giant slime usually appeared as a brood leader, so the points awarded for defeating it were higher than a normal slime.
350 points.
Not much—only equivalent to a dozen goblins or so. But the real key of this giant slime was never the creature itself. It was the treasure chest it guarded.
Yet when they reached the chest, they found it completely empty.
The three little ones were both disappointed and relieved. With their bodies still covered in the pungent sticky slime, they had no choice but to abandon the investigation for now ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) and, just as Vieya instructed, wash themselves first.
At the ponds, Vieya kept watch outside, preventing monsters from sneaking up or other mages from barging in. Listening to the splashing water, she let out a mysterious sigh, feeling more and more like she had come here for the sole purpose of babysitting her daughter.
If she had known this earlier, she would have brought that lazy cat along. Anything came up, she’d just dump the task on her and live her own laid-back life.
Vieya yawned, leaning against a stone. Her beautiful green eyes dimmed, gradually losing their shine.
So sleepy...
The pond wasn’t large, and Jasmine had used rocks to divide it into three sections, each little girl occupying one-third.
A hazy white mist rose continuously from the water. The tiny pond was wrapped in steaming heat, like a miniature hot spring.
Jasmine’s health was poor, so she had used magic in advance to increase and stabilize the water temperature to something suitable. She didn’t want to take a cold bath, get sick, and trouble her mother again.
The comfortable warmth slowly melted away Jasmine’s dazed expression. Leaning against the rocky wall of the pond, her tense, petite body began to relax.
After spacing out for a bit, her unfocused pupils finally returned to normal. Without soap or anything similar, she washed herself carefully, leaving no spot that might retain a trace of the slime’s smell.
The soft splashing of water echoed lightly.
Vieya washed the three girls’ clothes, heated stones with her Authority to dry, stretch, and disinfect them, then hung the garments neatly on a dead branch for when the girls finished bathing.
“Using three of my Authorities just to wash clothes... more trouble than fighting the slime...”
Ah well. It was her daughter’s first true battle with a monster. She hoped the experience had at least given Jasmine some memory and wisdom.
“...I wonder when I’ll ever become as mature, strong, and beautiful as Mama...”
Jasmine compared her own height, then pictured her mother’s flawless figure and the effortless way she suppressed that evil slime with a flick of her hand. She sighed again. It all felt hopeless.
Her shattered little daydream made her slump into a soulless expression, as if kissed by a Dementor. Even the bright, hopeful mood she had earlier dimmed to gray.
“You done washing yet, Captain Jasmine?” Maixi’s voice suddenly rang out behind her.
“Uwah!”
Startled, Jasmine’s hair puffed up in several places. Once she regained her senses, she glared fiercely. “Can you stop jumping out and scaring me for no reason?!”
“But I’ve already been watching your back for a good while. Captain, what were you thinking about just now? Your expression changed so dramatically!”
Maixi leaned over Jasmine’s section of the pond, hands on the dividing rock. Even with the foggy steam, her grinning face could be seen clearly. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
“I wasn’t thinking anything! And you—vanish from my sight right now! If not, I—I’ll kick you out of the team!” Jasmine lowered her body into the water until only her head showed, her small face flushed bright red.
“Eh? But I just wanted to talk to you...” Maixi sounded hurt as she left the pond. She glanced one last time at her potato-landmine-like captain before walking off—completely naked.
Huuh... finally gone.
Jasmine let out a breath of relief—then froze.
Wait. That girl... wasn’t wearing any clothes, was she?
No clothes!
With a splash, Jasmine shot up from the water and stared in the direction Maixi had gone, her face turning even redder! freēwēbηovel.c૦m
Mama is still over there!
So that shameless, indecent teammate went running over naked—what did she want to do to Mama?!
Kick her out of the team! I’m kicking her out of the team!!
“—Mama!”
Jasmine scrambled out of the pond, grabbed the rag Vieya had left nearby, wrapped it around herself to cover the important parts, and rushed outside.
Rorina, who emerged last, looked completely refreshed. She strutted over to the stone where the rags were placed, trying to move with what she believed was elegant noble grace. She picked up a rag with two fingers, clicked her tongue in disgust, draped it over herself with a frown, then blinked.
“Huh? No cloths left? Are they all done washing?”
Just as she puzzled futilely, a sudden commotion erupted outside. Then she heard Jasmine’s voice—
“Hurry up—put your clothes on!”
...
“Ah, hey, don’t pull so hard... hiss—Captain Jasmine, you’re hurting me!” Maixi’s innocent voice rang out. “Uu—why are you scratching me, Captain?”
Jasmine ignored everything irrelevant and slammed the spare rag onto Maixi’s head. “You shameless little woman at such a young age!”
“We’re all girls, what’s there to be afraid of... uuu, how can you say that about me?”
“I don’t care! You’re not allowed to appear in front of my Mama again!” Jasmine snapped, fury unending. “If you’re starved for affection, go find your own mother—don’t look for mine!”
“But I only think of your Mama as an older sister... I always wanted an older sister who’d look after me...”
“No! Not allowed! Absolutely not!”
“So cruel... won’t let me call your Mama ‘sister,’ won’t let me call your Mama ‘Mama’ together with you—ah! Don’t use magic!”
“You’re so annoying!”
Boom!
Jasmine sealed Maixi inside a Stone Prison, then waved her staff. Maixi’s clothes, hanging from the branch, floated into the Stone Prison with her.
“Don’t come out until you put your clothes on properly!”
After shouting, Jasmine walked off with her own clothes, found a spot where no one was around, and began changing.
Throughout the whole ordeal, Vieya watched from the side. From start to finish, not a ripple disturbed her heart. She only saw two noisy little brats interrupting her nap.
She... was already very close to her personal deadline for staying awake.
“Mmm... so sleepy... those two are so loud... like little sparrows...”
Rubbing her eyes, Vieya pushed herself away from the stone she had been using as a makeshift bed, then went over to the fire pit—its flames burning low—and tossed in a handful of dry branches.
In theory, as a slime-girl, she should also fear fire.
But to this day, all her likes and dislikes toward the world around her remained nearly identical to how they were when she was human... except for feeling even lazier.
A short while later—
Her daughter, now dressed, released the Stone Prison. Seeing Maixi inside, having done exactly as instructed, Jasmine nodded with satisfaction.
After thinking for a moment, she took Rorina’s set of clothes down as well. She intended to fold it and leave it by the pond’s exit so the girl could change immediately—so they wouldn’t cause some new disaster and disturb Mama again.
“Eh? You came to deliver clothes to me?” Rorina said in surprise as she stepped out and saw Jasmine walking toward her with the clothes.
“......”
Jasmine didn’t answer. She simply handed the clothes over. But she still couldn’t help reminding her:
“Change here before going out.”
