CH 37

Chapter 37: A New Friend

The next Quest Yuto chose was called [Tame a Monster].

There are only a handful of actual professional Tamers in all of Kronos who tame monsters and have them fight for them, but they do exist.

Back in the day, Yuto thought once, “If I can’t get strong, why not tame a monster and have it fight for me?” and challenged himself to tame one.

If it’s this Quest, even if it’s pretty late in the day, he should be able to complete it.

Yuto: “But even if you just tell me to tame a monster……..”

Yuto has gone out to tame monsters, but he’s never succeeded up until now.

Of course. You need a tame skill, so that was the obvious outcome.

Yuto: “Can you really tame a monster without a Skill?”

Yuto tilts his head to wonder about this, but he figures that he won’t know until he tries.

At the very least, if it’s on the Skill Board, it’s not an impossible Quest that can’t be cleared no matter what - or so he hopes.

Yuto: “Well, let’s just try!”

Yuto leaves his room in a hurry.

On the way, Yuto goes by a food stand and purchases food or basically bait that is used for taming.

He gets shish kabobs, a vegetable, and the bread Yuto usually eats.

Yuto: “If this doesn’t work…..what a waste…..”

Yuto wasn’t plan on additional expenditures and laments, and heads to the Dungeon.

On the 1st Floor of the Dungeon, Yuto begins to search for monsters.

But he’s actually not looking for Goblins.

Yuto: “......oh, there you are....found you….”

Yuto was looking at a Slime clinging to the wall.

If it’s a Slime, they are pretty much harmless to human beings.

Even on the surface, they are caught and domesticated.

If it’s this creature, then Yuto can focus on taming it without fearing retaliation.

Yuto: “So first, let’s start with the vegetables….”

Yuto mumbles to himself as he pulls the vegetables out from his inventory.

He pulls out a carrot which is 30 gards for one.

It’s sweet, moist, and it can fill you up pretty well.

For Yuto, the carrot is an extremely nutritious and healthy food.

He puts the carrot near the Slime, but the Slime does not respond.

Yuto: “........no? Hmmmm….. I’m pretty sure Slimes eat vegetables…..”

There are domesticated Slimes at the Gold Rock Cafe that eat up all the leftovers, and there are vegetables among the pile.

So this Slime didn’t respond because it just doesn’t prefer it.

Slimes won’t just eat anything and everything.

Just like human beings, they all have their set preferences of what foods they like to eat.

Yuto: “Then how about the shish kabob…..”

Yuto brings out the shish kabob from his inventory.

The sweet scent of the sauce makes Yuto’s stomach growl.

Just one shish kabob is 100 gards.

That’s two meals worth for Yuto.

But even so, the size of the meat on the stick is small, and there’s no way Yuto can get full with just one of these.

Yuto wonders how many he would have to buy in order to get full.

Hence, this is why Yuto considered it to be a high-luxury food item.

Although Yuto thought, “What a waste…”, still, he hung the meat near the Slime.

As if he’s trying to lure it like he would a cat, he raises it up and down.

But the Slime doesn’t respond at all.

Yuto: “Dangit! It won’t respond even to such an expensive food! How picky is this Slime…?!”

Yuto immediately start chewing and chomping on the shish kabob since the Slime isn’t going to eat it.

As he chews, the scent of the grill and the sweet and spicy sauce fills his mouth.

Yuto: “Hmmmm….but this is so good, so why…?”

He finishes the meat off, and finally pulls out his last item for taming.

Yuto: “If this doesn’t work, I’ll have to go buy more things…”

Yuto pulls out the bread that he always eats.

It’s the 50 gard bread, and it’s big enough to fill you up with just one.

Yuto has been a loyal customer to this bread store for years, but unfortunately, the citizens of Kronos did not share the same passion as he does for this bread.

Yuto just couldn’t understand why there were not more customers lining up at that store.

Yuto: “They sell cheap and filling bread so why…….? I don’t get it at all….”

Yuto tilts his head in wonder as he puts the bread near the Slime.

At that moment…

Yuto: “ーーOH!!”

The Slime perked up.

Up until this point, the Slime had absolutely no interest in the things Yuto offered, but now it came ever so cautiously as it reached out for the bread.

It stretched its body into a thin film as it wrapped around the bread and swallowed it.

Yuto: “OHHHH!!!”

Yuto was moved by the way the Slime accepted his offering.

He would have never guessed that it would prefer the 50 gard bread over the shish kabob.

Yuto: “This one…..he’s a really good Slime!”

Overcome with joy, Yuto embraces the Slime.

Yuto has recommended this 50 gard bread for years to everyone he knew.

But not one enjoyed the bread as much as he did.

This Slime was the first.

He was the first one to accept and like the same bread Yuto does!

Yuto held it tightly, as he petted what was probably the Slime’s head.

Yuto: “You’re such a good boy……”

Yuto watches and smiles as the Slime finishes digesting the bread.

After eating the bread, the Slime climbs up Yuto’s body.

And as if to claim the spot as his, the Slime stops on top of Yuto’s shoulder.

Yuto: “........wait….does this mean….?”

Yuto quickly takes out his Skill Board.

Then….

>>Skill Point: 0 → 1

>>Tame Lv 0 NEW

Yuto: “I got [TAME]?!?!”

Yuto cleared the [Tame a Monster] Quest and received a [TAME] Skill in return.

Yuto jumps up with a fist in the air.

He immediately distributes the point to his newly acquired [TAME] Skill.

>> Skill Point: 1 → 0

>>Tame Lv 0 → 1

Yuto: “I wonder if this will make any difference at all.”

To test his new Skill, Yuto turns around and speaks to the Slime.

Yuto: “Hey, it’s nice to meet you.”

And as if to answer Yuto, the Slime bobs his body up and down.

Yuto: “OHHHH!!!”

Yuto was overjoyed at the response.

The [TAME] Skill helps the Tamer to communicate with their Monster.

Throughout Kronos, the few tamers there are all understood and communicated with their tamed Monsters.

But Yuto would never have dreamed that there would be a day when he would communicate with a Slime like this.

Yuto petted the Slime’s head to his heart’s content.

Yuto: “.....okay! Then let’s go home!”

Yuto told the Slime how they were going back to his place where the Slime will live with him.

As he spoke to the Slime, Yuto felt his feet skip as they returned to his rundown apartment.

<<<<>>>>

After coming back from the Dungeon, the next morning…

Yuto met up with Eliz at the Temple Square.

Eliz: “Mr. Yuto! Good morning, yes!”

Yuto: “Good morning, Eliz.”

Yuto and Eliz both head into the Temple.

Today, they will be confirming their statuses. It’s been a while since Yuto last performed this check.

Eliz: “Mr. Yuto, did you do anything during your break, yes?”

Yuto: “Ohhh...about that….”

Yuto reaches in and takes a squishy thing from his adventurer’s *pochette.

Yuto: “This Slime became part of our party…...oh, what’s wrong?”

Eliz: “Nーno….it’s nothing…..”

Yuto suddenly pulls a Slime out of his bag, and Eliz immediately withdrew a few steps back.

Slimes are known for eating leftovers from your garbage. They are the monster equivalent to a garbage disposal in a kitchen.

Having something like that living inside your bag would make anyone question your judgement.

But Eliz recovers and begins to think about what Yuto just said.

Eliz: “......our...party, yes?”

Yuto: “Yeah. Yesterday, I went to see if I could tame a monster, and this one worked out.”

Eliz: “Oh wow, that’s amazing, yes.”

Eliz applauds lightly at Yuto.

Eliz couldn’t understand how difficult taming a Monster was.

Monsters, by nature, resent humans.

Eliz will at times, while she’s walking, run into a stray cat, but as soon as it notices her, it runs away.

Cats who live with humans in cities are suspicious of humans.

So it must be difficult to have Monsters trust and become your friend. That much, she could understand.

But the Monster is a Slime.

Eliz: (What is Mr. Yuto planning to do with this Slime, yes?)

Eliz wrinkles her brow to think.

Yuto: “I named him ‘Pino.’”

Eliz: “Okay……”

Yuto: “So Pino is going to be part of our party from now on.”

Eliz: “..............................yes?”

Though she heard Yuto, the words did not make any sense to her, and she couldn’t help but look at him in wonder.

Eliz tilts her head even more.

Eliz: “Part of our…..party?”

Yuto: “Pino, this is Eliz. She’s the same as you. She’s part of our party.”

Yuto didn’t mean anything by these words, but it hit Eliz like a rock.

Eliz: (In Mr. Yuto’s mind…...I’m on the same level as ……...a Slime…………………….) ＿|￣|○

Yuto: “......? Eliz, is something the matter?”

Eliz: “Nーno…….it’s nothing, yes.”

Eliz summons up her strength and rises up as if rising out of her grave.

Eliz: (Mr. Yuto didn’t mean it like that…..Mr. Yuto didn’t mean it like that……)

Eliz had to repeatedly tell herself this just to keep going and walked beside Yuto.

<<<<>>>>