Slime Girl

- Shari -

No idea how things ended up like this.

After our audience, where I had to really rein myself in not to go outright for the kill, we were brought to a side wing.

My impression tells me these are some form of guest quarters, as there was a checkpoint we crossed, so it seems like people who end up here are surveilled to a degree.

As with everything else about this structure, the rooms we each end up in are ridiculous.

So much wealth.

Forget about the silk curtains, the ornamented double bed for one person, the orichalcum table, the gold-clad walls, which I'm asking myself why no one scratched those bare yet, no, this place has a fountain in the center.

Inside a room!

And... is that a toilet?!

A private one?

The only thing I'm asking myself why the room lacks such would be lighting.

I don't see any candles or chandeliers around.

There’s a window, but do they leave their guests in the dark at night?

Liqu's room should be right next to mine, and I worry a bit about leaving her alone with this many valuables.

Therefore, I open the door to walk over and check up on her.

However, the person in the hallway gets in the way.

A young man in some kind of green-blue uniform.

Not a soldier.

Those are at the end of the hallway, at the checkpoint.

No, this one seems to have another purpose for getting in my way.

"Miss Risa. Is there a reason for leaving your quarters? Can I be of assistance?"

Okay, so some kind of servant to the guests.

And probably also a snitch.

"No, I was just going to head over to my comrade. There's no problem with that, right?" (Shari)

"Not in itself, but please consider that contact between man and woman at this late hour is frowned upon as unseemly."

Wait, does he think, Liqu and I...

"Urbh!" (Shari)

I throw up into myself, managing to avoid doing so out of the throat, yet almost at the cost of my structural integrity.

To think that Liqu and I could perform that kind of act, more so while carrying the corpses of the people I killed as sheets.

Urblh!

The mere idea alone is disturbing on so many levels.

"Everything alright, Miss?" (attendant)

It's kinda odd how much more polite this servant is in comparison to certain other people.

In particular, while implying we'd be up to inappropriate acts.

Which we definitely aren’t!

At least not in the way he thinks we are!

"Do I look like I’d do that!? I merely wanted to consult with my partner for a bit. Nothing more." (Shari)

"If you say so. Then please enter." (attendant)

And finally he gives way.

So I move over and enter a room just as luxurious as my own.

"Shaa-" (Liqu)

Is she stupid?!

Scratch that, we all know the answer.

"No! 'Bowan' you don't!" (Shari)

"...Riiisaa!" (Liqu)

Of course, Liqu falls right around me, as if we weren't just brought here together moments ago, but had been separated for years.

Which is, unfortunately, also playing strongly into the attendant's assumptions about us.

Therefore, I quickly separate again.

"Hello, Bowan. This situation is pretty complex, right? We need to pay attention." (Shari)

Please, slime, get the hint.

"Oh, yes, yes! It totally is! There's so much happening, and I only understand half of it. Like this room. I’ve never seen something like this. What even is the purpose of having metal on the walls of a room?" (Liqu)

Reasonable question, but not quite the point, Liqu.

"To think that this mission led us here! I-" (Liqu)

I quickly raise my hand in front of her, beckoning her to silence, before she says whatever she was about to spout.

My senses might be dulled, confined in this human shell, but I'm rather sure my vibration sense is telling me that someone stands in front of the door.

Yeah, that should be the attendant, or more correctly, a spy.

He's clearly listening in.

Maybe even peeking through the keyhole that suspiciously is quite centered to the room?

But how are we going to communicate then?

The easy solution would be linking.

However, right now we are covered, and even showing the slightest bit of slime could have dire consequences for us if they have a way to sneak a look.

"Uh... Risa? Is something wrong? You aren't saying anything." (Liqu)

Maybe I can word this ambiguously enough.

"Ahem... Bowan. We should confer about our strategy. You know, now that we're here." (Shari)

You know, the small question regarding how we get rid of the Marquis.

While saying so, I try to subtly hint at the man at the door, but apparently getting this kind of unvoiced hint is asking for too much, as she excitedly begins next.

"Oh, yes, yes! So, how should we do this? Should we just go for it? Or wait a bit and find a better chance?" (Liqu)

The moment Liqu is at her third sentence, my mind goes into high-speed processing. She's clearly about to say too much, and I don't think we should have the attendant send a full report on us going after the Marquis to the very same.

But how to stop her?

I can hardly interrupt her in too obvious a manner.

But linking as usual isn't possible, as there is no possible opening.

Aside from maybe...

Oh no.

Why am I even getting this idea?

I rather wish I didn't.

I really rather wish I could banish this thought.

But what do I do?

What do I do now?

"R-Risa? Is everything alright? You became so quiet." (Liqu)

Who do you think is responsible for this?!

"If it's about this Marquis, you know, I can..." (Liqu)

Oh, fuck it!

This is important!

Sacrifices have to be made, so I can achieve my goal.

With these thoughts numbing all possible reason left with me, I do something I'll certainly regret later.

I push forward and lay my occupied lips against the stubbled mouth of a dead man, using this cover to push my slime through this passage.

During this process, I only have one single thought.

"This doesn't count! This doesn't count! This doesn't count!" (Shari)

It's solely for the sake of the mission, and killing the asshole who enslaved my parents.

"Woooh! We're doing that? How nice! I love you! But why so suddenly?!" (Liqu)

There are numerous other expressions inside Liqu's whirling mind, different themes of elation, disbelief, surprise, confusion, and admiration.

"Didn't you notice the man standing at the door? He's going to report everything we say and do. You can't act suspiciously right now, or we'll be found out. So, in the short time this here lasts, we need to figure out how to proceed. How do we take care of this man, with all these guards with voidstone weapons around?" (Shari)

"Oh, yes. That's an issue." (Liqu)

"We need to do something. That we're here is the perfect opportunity. We cannot let it go to waste." (Shari)

"Okay. But what do you want to do?" (Liqu)

"I'll kill him. Tonight. If I find his bedchamber, the rest should be easy." (Shari)

Even if I have to dissolve his throat, he'll pay for what he did.

"Okay. Should be no problem. Then we-" (Liqu)

"No, Liqu. This is something I'm going to do alone. No helping. Also, I need you to stay here and watch our stuff. Could be that we need to escape, and I don't want to leave expensive stuff like my chestplate here." (Shari)

"Awh. But are you sure about this? This sounds really dangerous." (Liqu)

"Yes, I am. I learned a lot in my time as a slime, and I think I'll be a lot stealthier by myself." (Shari)

At least that is part of my reasoning.

Mostly, I just want to be the one who does the deed.

"Okay, your plans are usually good. Just, be careful." (Liqu)

"You too. We are here in enemy territory. We can't afford to slip up." (Shari)

"Oh, and that while I'm so slippery!" (Liqu)

... Was that a pun?

From Liqu?

"Okay... I trust you to handle this. Just don't give them any reason to suspect you're not human. Best you don't do much of anything." (Shari)

"Okay." (Liqu)

This should've done it.

With this, the situation seems under control.

"Alright, Bowan. I'm glad we could clear this up." (Shari)

I point once more towards the door, to make her understand that we're likely under watchful scrutiny.

This time she seems to catch on.

"Oh, yes, yes! It's good that we could do this." (Liqu)

I'm sure she thinks so.

Sigh.

Now, I just need to break away and head back into my room.

Yet as I exit through the door, there's the attendant.

"I hope your 'consultation' went as desired." (attendant)

Oh no!

He witnessed what we did, didn't he?

At least the outside appearance.

"Anything you'd wish for, after such an exhaustive exchange?" (attendant)

Can someone kill me, please?

"Uh, some meat please." (Shari)

"As you wish. You seem to require some 'filling'." (attendant)

I think he's now on my list.

At least the 'exchange' only lasted for a moment to the outside world, and not the entire length of our conversation in real time.

Yet that's only a small consolation.

Urgh.