Chapter 104
I decided to examine this thing a little more closely first.
Its body was about the size of a small gym ball, as though someone had enlarged one of those white slimes elementary school kids play with.
It either walked around on four white tentacles or simply crawled along.
“No, at the end it’s just rolling around.”
It didn’t even extend its tentacles.
What on earth was this creature?
For now, it seemed to be adapting to its environment while performing bizarre feats like that.
I stroked it.
Perhaps because the liquid and mana inside it were so dense, it felt like I was stroking a white rock.
‘Wouldn’t this thing be incredible in combat?’
Of course, we’d have to coordinate a little first.
“Not a bad first impression.”
“Goooo…”
“Can you understand what I’m saying?”
It had eyes and a mouth, but no discernible teeth.
“Kkyu.”
It extended one tentacle and pointed at its torso.
“What is it trying to say?”
“Kku.”
Making that sound, it opened its mouth wide.
Could it be hungry?
“Wait a moment.”
I picked up one of the cookies I’d bought and tossed it to the creature.
“Ah, do I need to unwrap it for you?”
It was an individually wrapped, factory-made cookie.
But it shoved it straight into its mouth.
Then the cookie disappeared inside, wrapper and all.
“…What?”
…It wasn’t supposed to eat that.
Just as I was thinking that, a wrapper popped out onto the floor.
—Peh.
“You shouldn’t throw things on the floor.”
“Kkyu?”
“Put it in the trash can, you idiot.”
Good grief, what would a beast know?
This thing had also been classified as a magical beast by the system.
Just as I reached toward the wrapper, thinking I’d have to put it away myself,
“Kkyuu!!”
With a displeased cry, its tentacle picked up the wrapper first and put it in the trash can.
“…Oh.”
“Kkyu.”
“You want me to take that back?”
“Kku-kku.”
“…You’re smarter than I expected. I take it back.”
The moment it heard me, it put on a satisfied expression.
But did this guy just read my gaze as it moved toward the trash can?
And then understand my intention?
…How intelligent was it?
“I wonder if this one can be useful in more ways than Leokan.”
Leokan’s advantages were his holy attribute and his enormous body.
Since he was practically human to begin with, he could understand speech and tear through the battlefield with his speed.
Then can this one… perform delicate manipulations?
“First, shall I check whether it can go into my Inventory?”
“Yumia, when exactly are you going to study…?”
That was the room I had designated for studying and various other things.
Aris was emerging from it when she locked eyes with the creature.
“W-what is that!?”
When Aris jumped in surprise, it was startled as well and puffed up its body.
Hmm.
“I don’t know.”
But it was kind of cute.
The more I looked at it, the more it resembled a slime, which made it quite adorable.
Aris seemed to feel the same way.
“May I touch it too!?”
“Go ahead.”
Aris carefully reached out her hand, and it touched the tentacle the creature had tentatively extended.
Are you two communing with an alien or something?
The moment it realized there was no hostility, the creature shrank back down to about the size of a basketball.
It hugged Aris just like that.
“Kkyuuu…”
It spread out with drowsy eyes.
“I want to hug it too.”
Linia, who had somehow approached us, took it from her.
“Kkyaaaaa….”
“You find this a little more comfortable?”
“Kkyuu…”
Perhaps because there was a little more volume there, it seemed to like it better.
“What could the difference be?”
Aris wore a puzzled expression.
I didn’t know either, but I felt it would be better not to know for the rest of my life.
“So, what can you do?”
If you couldn’t do anything besides fight, you’d be going into my Inventory too, just like Leokan.
“Kkyu!”
The World Tree poked out from around Linia’s chest,
“But what’s its name?”
“Hmm.”
I looked at the creature with Observation Eye.
[Purified World Tree]
It possessed intelligence and blindly obeyed the commands of the master who had subdued it.
! The World Tree wants a name!
“It doesn’t seem to have a name.”
“Then let’s give it one!”
“Should we?”
“Let’s think of a good name.”
Linia thought hard for a moment, then said,
“How about Maximus von Orléans?”
“Kku.”
The creature shook its head with a displeased expression.
“No, why would you give it such an aristocratic name?”
“I thought it was a good name…”
“Kku-kku.”
“You don’t like it because it sounds like a man’s name?”
Was it female?
“How can you even understand that…?”
“You can hear it if you listen carefully.”
These days, I could distinguish most of Gomi’s cries.
This one was similar.
“Then let’s give it a beautiful name…”
“Let’s move away from aristocratic names.”
Who names a pet something like Maximus von Orléans in the first place?
“Since the World Tree feels like stone, how about Sedol?”
It sounds smart!
For some reason, it felt like it would be good at mind games.
“Kku.”
It was firmly rejected.
“Even I can tell it doesn’t like that one…”
“What do you mean, it likes it less than Maximus?”
“What’s wrong with Maximus? I thought it was a good name…”
Maximus really wasn’t an option.
“Then we’re left with nothing but a plain name like Squishy… Do you like that one?”
“Kkyu!!”
“It says it likes it?”
“Ugh…”
“Then Squishy it is.”
It wasn’t actually very squishy, though.
[A name has been given to the subdued magical beast! Ownership will be transferred completely!]
“So, Squishy, want to show us what you can do?”
“Kkyu.”
It meant that I should leave everything to it.
“But what can it do?”
“Spin.”
It spun around once, very quickly.
“Kku.”
“Wall.”
A pure-white, thin wall appeared in front of me.
“Doughnut.”
At that, a hole appeared in the wall immediately.
I could see the surprised faces of Aris and Linia.
“It’s more intelligent than most familiars.”
Linia said that in admiration.
“Really?”
“Even the familiars I summon aren’t this smart.”
True.
I had never shown it a doughnut, yet it had made a doughnut-shaped hole.
It was almost as though it could read my thoughts.
“Then could it be…?”
* * *
The impossible turned out to be possible.
—Whooosh…
Squishy could actually wash dishes!
After I demonstrated a few times, it stretched its body out and was scrubbing the plates.
I had been thinking about buying a dishwasher…
‘Then I don’t need one anymore, do I?’
It even understood the concept of cleanliness.
“Now I understand.”
Linia said that as she watched the scene, as though everything made sense to her.
“Huh?”
Of course, I didn’t understand at all.
“It must be one of the legendary familiars. I don’t know what kind, though.”
“What!? If it’s a familiar, then it’s dragon-class…”
“Of course, it’s a little lower in rank than a dragon, but seeing how intelligent it is, I don’t think it’s on the low end, either.”
“Hooong.”
It was definitely SSR-grade, after all.
“You’ll be able to put it to good use. Congratulations.”
“Heh.”
Honestly, it wasn’t bad.
It was a little clumsy since this was its first time, but it was washing dishes for the first time and still doing everything exactly as I instructed.
Once I had it try a few household chores, its true worth became clear.
It rolled around on the floor, collecting all the dust and carrying it to the trash can.
‘Why did I buy a robot vacuum?’
…Still, the mopping function was useful.
I decided to rationalize it that way.
“But I suppose I do need to feed it.”
Maybe I should give it dog food.
Human food probably wasn’t all that different from that, anyway.
“Still, the fact that everything except that is free is a good thing!”
Wanting anything more would just be greedy!
Squishy was already doing a great job.
“Um… I think you should come over here for a moment.”
Just then, Aris called me with a troubled expression.
“Why?”
“There’s another piece of paper underneath the package…”
“What?”
[Bill]
Purification fee from the Temple of the Blue Water: 20 gold
Damaged crystal balls x 5: 5 gold
Teacup set: 90 silver
Grimoires total: 2 gold
.
.
.
For delivering the magical beast bound to you to my office and allowing it to smash my furnishings.
And I am charging you for all expenses incurred in purifying the contaminated World Tree.
“What a lunatic.”
What kind of trouble had this guy caused Karnarof!?
No wonder there had been so many things missing when I was called to his office!
Karnarof must have removed them with magic.
“Aris! Send that straight back! Oz Caster…”
“Wait. There’s more here.”
[However, taking into account your efforts and the compensation for the mission, I will have you pay only 3 gold, approximately one-tenth of the damages.]
“Hmm.”
That wasn’t so bad.
I couldn’t have purified it myself anyway, and honestly, that had been the most expensive charge.
When I sent it packed in a box last time, it had been listless, had a vicious air about it, and was contaminated with demon mana.
I had thought I couldn’t use it as it was, so I sent it to Karnarof.
‘But this guy has plenty of money, yet he’s making me pay 3 gold.’
What a stingy man.
Still, it wasn’t an amount I couldn’t pay.
Shall I put in a little effort for the first time in a while?
“Aris, get some potion ingredients from the storeroom…”
At that moment, a crash came from the kitchen, followed by Squishy’s scream.
“Kkyuuuuuu!!!”
“Argh, you little brat! What’s wrong this time!?”
Then the doorbell rang.
‘Someone actually uses the doorbell?’
Why was this guy so scared, though?
It was practically blending into the wall, and it had even camouflaged itself with a similar color.
“Want to go into my Inventory?”
“Kkyu.”
I put it into my Inventory.
Aris headed toward the first-floor entrance, and I followed her.
“Yes, I’ll open it for you!”
When the front door opened, I understood why Squishy had been so frightened.
The visitor spoke to Aris, who had opened the door.
“Hello? I came to see my sister… Is she inside?”
Her mana was neatly contained, and she wore a dark-blue dress.
She carried a black parasol, and a sapphire necklace as thin as thread hung around her neck.
She was a beauty capable of enchanting every human who passed by.
“Sorry for the late introduction. My name is Adrian.”
Why had she come here this time?