NOVEL NEXT Ch28 - Fourth Day in Toiria (Familiar's Perspective)
Chapter 28: Fourth Day in Toiria (Familiar’s Perspective)
Today, it’s us familiars’ turn to talk about our master! Kuu and Izu are kicking things off, and we’ll chat together. Let’s make this lively—drumroll, please!
So, let’s start from when Kuu and Izu first met Rena. They were just out on a stroll near the plains by Danatzera when suddenly, this girl pops out of the bushes! Totally startled us! Turns out, she wanted to make a slime her familiar, so she used her [Familiar Contract] skill. Pretty unusual, right? Most people don’t even think about taming a weak monster like a slime. At that time, Kuu and Izu didn’t know a thing about Rena, and they were distracted by a lizard, so they left without much thought. But the next day, Rena officially became their master. She won them over by giving them sweet chocolate and playing together. And that’s how they met!
Since then, they’ve traveled together. Over time, Kuu and Izu have gotten to know Rena’s kindness, hard work, and many other charms, making them love her even more. They hope to keep enjoying these fun days with everyone. Rena’s adorable, cool, and wonderful—don’t you all think so too?
The Fourth Morning in Toiria
This morning, they’re planning to head to the guild to pick up a new request. Rena wakes up looking drowsy on the big bed at Lulu’s inn. She’s not a morning person! Oh, she’s got bedhead—time to fix that with their gel bodies to make it all shiny. Praise us later, Rena!
Rena is diligent and always sets an alarm on her “sumafo” to wake herself up. Kuu and Izu are always up early, so they could handle it, but Rena insists on doing it herself, saying she doesn’t want to get lazy. A solid mindset!
“Good morning…”
“Good moooorning, Rena!”
“Oof…”
Oops, maybe they were a bit too loud—Rena seems slightly exhausted. Feeling a bit mischievous, Kuu and Izu let out a loud “cock-a-doodle-doo” right by her ear!
“Wah! Hey, cut it out…!”
Playing around like this is so much fun, but they’ll make sure not to bother anyone else like yesterday. Rena mumbles “too cute…” and buries herself in Har-kun’s fluffy fur. The movement wakes him up for a second, but he goes back to sleep, cozy under her weight. Lily, on the other hand, is now wide awake from the morning antics. Together, they get Rena ready for the day and head out.
When Kuu and Izu apologized, Rena easily forgave them. She’s really kind to her companions. The love she gives them is so comforting, so they love being spoiled by her. They make sure not to push their luck too much, though!
At the Adventurer’s Guild
Arriving at the guild, Kuu and Izu are left at the reception as usual, where they enjoy being petted. They even find it amusing to get squished by the receptionist’s ahem generous assets. Their master usually pats them with her slime body, so it’s fun to change things up!
By the way, Luka once mentioned that “Kureha and Izumi share the same soul,” which made Kuu and Izu recall a past memory. Would you like to hear it? It’s a bit dark, though, so we’ll keep it brief. Before they became slimes, Kuu and Izu were once a single human child, born into a poor village. They were sold to the Galaraajule Kingdom for experiments and ended up as slimes with a four-star [Status Effect Resistance] gift, possibly a result of all the chemicals they were exposed to. Though their life ended abruptly, they feel that, thanks to their gift, they’re now able to protect Rena, so things aren’t so bad after all. Surprising, huh? We’ll leave it at that for now!
Watching Rena stretching to read the quest board is just adorable, and the receptionists seem delighted. It’s like she’s become the guild’s mascot. Kuu and Izu enjoy getting pet while occasionally glancing at her, joking that they should start charging a “viewing fee”!
“Hmm… Har-kun, do you have a request in mind?”
“Whatever you say, milady.”
“Hmm…”
Rena often seeks Har-kun’s opinion, but he rarely gives one since he’s quite laid-back. Rena’s firm training has left him devoted to following her wishes.
Suddenly, Rena shudders slightly at the quest board. Could it be that Lily sensed a malicious soul and warned her? Looking around, they spot three thuggish-looking men descending the stairs from the second-floor tavern, looking worse for wear, possibly from drinking too early. Better not cause any trouble for Rena!
After a sigh of relief, a young girl rushes into the guild, her urgency jolting the drunkards awake, leaving them grumpy.
“Excuse me! I urgently need to post a search request!”
“Oh? Well, miss, we can hear you out, but are your parents with you? Generally, you need to be of age to post a request here. When minors submit requests, an adult representative is required.”
“What?!”
The scene at the guild is about to get interesting!
A high-pitched voice resounded as a little girl argued loudly. She seemed to be in quite a disagreement, with the receptionist looking extremely troubled, yet the small girl showed no signs of backing down.
She had come to the guild wanting to submit a request for a search, but she arrived alone and had no money at the moment. “Ugh… mmm…” Her heartfelt plea, “I want someone to look for my runaway pet! I promise I’ll pay later!” echoed loudly across the guild.
It was pitiful, but with such vague conditions, even if she posted the request, no adventurer would likely accept it. After all, they all had lives of their own. The receptionist sympathized, but rules were rules, leading to a prolonged and seemingly endless argument at the counter.
Suddenly… oh no! Three thugs approached the girl with nasty grins, their eyes on her. It could be dangerous!
The little girl was too focused on pleading her case, oblivious to her surroundings, when a gentle, small hand lightly touched her delicate shoulder. The one who spoke to her first was… a girl just like her—our very own Rena!
With a bright smile, Rena gently said, “If you’d like, shall we help look for your pet? I’m fairly confident in my tracking skills and believe we can help you. Since I didn’t plan to take any requests today and would love the chance to practice my search abilities, perhaps you could just show me some favorite spots around the town later? That could be our ‘payment.’ What do you say?”
“Really? Are you sure… big sis?” The little girl, who had grown disheartened after being turned down several times, looked up at Rena with tearful eyes.
“Of course!” Rena smiled reassuringly and held the girl’s hand, giving a polite nod to the receptionist before quickly leading her out of the guild.
Of course, Ku and Iz were also retrieved on their way out. After confirming with the receptionist, we learned that quests without a payment don’t count towards adventurer rank-ups, but personal arrangements like this were perfectly acceptable in the guild.
As usual, Rena was as kind as ever, saving the girl just in time from the troublemakers. The three goons watched us with irritation before eventually sighing and walking off to check the quest board, seemingly bored. Crisis averted!
When they got outside, Rena listened to the girl’s story more closely and found out that her lost pet was actually… a butterfly! It seems this task would be right up Lily’s alley, making it much easier to find. Maybe other adventurers wouldn’t have had such luck.
Switching to Lily seemed like the best choice!
Hello! I’m Lily. It’s a little nerve-wracking to introduce myself formally like this… I’ll probably share more about my master and me once we’ve finished this butterfly search.
The little girl, on the verge of tears, explained her story to my master, who listened patiently. The runaway butterfly was a Common Rose with a black body and red wings. Not a monster, just a regular butterfly. She said it was gentle and had been very close with her, but it flew away after the girl’s grandfather, its previous owner, passed away.
I don’t fully understand human family bonds, but I could tell how much she cared about that butterfly—it was like a precious keepsake. Her soul sparkled when she described its wings. She loves it so much; that butterfly is very lucky to be cherished like this. Even for a simple creature, it’s surprising it left so suddenly after the owner’s death… hm?
“Hey, Lily, can you use [Charm] to enlist some insect helpers for the search?” asked my master.
“Leave it to me!”
Disguised as a butterfly, I revealed myself at my master’s signal, surprising the girl, who looked almost ready to faint. Fifty centimeters might be enormous even for a magical creature—giant butterflies are typically about thirty centimeters, after all. I might just be the largest butterfly species! Well, I’m a fairy at heart, so it’s fine.
Using the [Charm] skill, I flew into the air, performing a butterfly dance, charming the bugs I met one by one: butterflies, ladybugs, dragonflies, bees, flies… Only the flying ones this time! I passed along the details of the red-winged butterfly and sent them to search.
“Let’s find it for sure, okay?”
“Yes! Thank you, big sis.”
“Of course!” Rena encouraged the girl with a warm smile, skillfully drawing out more of her story to help her relax.
They decided to start in the florist’s district, where they visited each shop, asking if anyone had seen a butterfly with red wings. The girl had already checked around her home without luck. Sadly, no good leads yet—maybe flowers were too obvious of a choice? For me, a flower garden would be my first stop!
The girl, originally an orphan, had been adopted by her grandfather, who raised her. The Common Rose joined them a year ago when it wandered into their home, injured by a cat. Her grandfather used healing magic on it, and soon the butterfly began spending time with them in the indoor garden space he maintained, especially fond of the Chure blossoms. Even now, the girl’s clothes had a faint floral scent, her grandfather’s garden having been his favorite pastime.
Despite questioning all the florists, they hadn’t found any sign of the butterfly with red wings. Just as they were starting to lose hope, one insect returned with some news!
In the grassy park at the edge of town, someone spotted a Red-bordered Swallowtail in the flower field there! We won’t know if it’s the butterfly the girl is looking for until we go, but it’s a rare sight in this area, so there’s a good chance. Generally, the butterflies here are either blue or green-winged, you know?
“Let’s go check it out.” “Yeah…!”
Master took the girl’s hand and they started running. …! But, oh no, if you run that fast…! Ah, he tripped. He scraped his knee again, and now Master has tears in his eyes, but the girl quickly healed him with green magic. She even healed the bruise he got at the guild the other day, so we familiars did a little thank-you dance! She smiled happily at us. I hope we get to see that smile again at the park…
When we arrived at the park, the girl called out loudly for the butterfly.
“…Mothraaaaaa!”
Huh. That name sounds familiar, doesn’t it? …Where have I heard it before? Ah, whatever.
As her voice echoed across the park, a butterfly floated over to us… Ah! It’s the Red-bordered Swallowtail! Looks like we found the right one. Good for you. The girl held out her hand with misty eyes, and the butterfly gently settled on her palm.
…Oh, I get it now. I had a feeling this butterfly seemed unusually expressive. It’s actually on the verge of becoming a magical creature. Sometimes, even ordinary creatures, if they live a long time or develop strong emotions, transform into magical beings. These beings tend to have greater power than those born as magical creatures from the start. Since this butterfly is male, he might even become a guardian knight for the girl.
…Hmm? Ah, yes, right away!
“…Master, this butterfly wanted to cheer up the sad girl, so he came here to find a beautiful flower field. He didn’t run away; he just wanted to make her happy. He loves her dearly… Would you tell her that?”
“!”
So that’s how it was. Before us was a field of yellow flowers. The girl’s favorite flower turned out to be… dandelions. Since it’s hard to grow them indoors, she probably didn’t have any at home. That’s why the butterfly came out here to find her a flower field like this.
“～～～～, ugh, Mothra…! Thank you…”
Upon hearing the story, the girl’s tears flowed freely, and she smiled blissfully. Both her soul and the butterfly’s shone brightly, and it was such a beautiful sight! Wow…!
Feeling a bit envious, I nuzzled Master’s cheek, and he gently stroked my head, saying, “Thank you, great job.” …Hehe. Today, I’m the MVP. I want even more, much more praise! …Ah, Master’s tears got on my wings. Even his tears are warm.
We parted ways with the girl at the park. It took longer than expected to find the butterfly, so we were almost late for our reservation at the butcher shop. The girl gave us her address, saying we could introduce her to some recommended places next time. She and the butterfly were planning to enjoy the dandelion field a little longer before heading home. I thanked the mesmerized insects, telling them to rest, and then we headed for the butcher shop!
…Now, can I talk a bit about how I met Master? I was leisurely sipping nectar from a Chure flower when, suddenly, Master appeared out of nowhere… Ah, and that’s when I met him, along with Kuu-iz. He was looking for a monster with good night vision and a knack for detecting things to help him escape from the Danatzera people. Of course, he chose me, the Night Butterfly, who’s great at evading and detecting things! So, the fortunate butterfly species he picked was me, Lily. …Ta-dah! [Illusions] are my specialty, you know. I think I’m pretty useful. I tried to show him Rena’s “most captivating interest” using my illusions to help us escape, but I almost suffocated when I got caught in a slime body, so I gave up. After becoming his familiar, I found happiness. …Hehe.
The illusion Master wanted to see was a strange world, unlike anything here… gray buildings in endless rows, and so, so many people! That sight doesn’t exist anywhere in Lanashu. He must have felt lonely. Coming from a peaceful world to suddenly being pursued by the Danatzera people must have been frightening and hard for him.
But Master had an incredibly strong heart. To live with us in this world, he changed himself. He’s remained kind, and yet, he’s grown stronger…? He always prioritizes our safety above all and cherishes us deeply, and I’m so grateful for that. …I really love him!
So, that’s that! Hehe. I’ll pass it on to Haa-kun now. I’m not yet great at telling people things, so maybe my words were clumsy… But thank you for listening to my story till the end! See you!
Alright, swapping out now! It’s Hamar here! Nice to meet you, I guess? Some of you may remember my recent taming by Rena-sama, but I’ll tell you about it anyway.
So. I was sleeping in the plains, right? Then Rena-sama came to challenge me. I lost. She tamed me, and now I’m very happy. The end! …Wait. You want more details?
Well. I was still sleepy when she woke me up and challenged me, so I got pretty annoyed and thought, “Let’s just finish this quickly.” But Rena-sama used the abilities of the Slime-senpai and Lily-senpai with such skill, hitting me with fiery whip attacks! She was so magnificent! (Long story shortened)… She really was amazing! Honestly, I was shocked. Rena-sama looked like a fragile human girl, and I’m one of the stronger monsters in these plains with special skills and gifts… I never thought I’d be defeated so easily. I accepted the familiar contract because I’d rather not be roasted alive. At first, I was a bit worried about what life would be like, but I’m really touched by how much she cares for me. Being her blanket makes me so happy. Is that good enough?
“Alright, let’s talk about what happened today!
After helping with the pet search, we made our way to the butcher shop to pick up some monster bacon. I can’t wait! Oh, there’s also sheep bacon here, but, you know, in the monster world, it’s not taboo to eat meat from your own kind. Many monsters even eat the meat of their fallen kin. Originally, I was a herbivore, so in monster form, I don’t eat meat. But as a demon, I thoroughly enjoy it! Human bodies are fascinating, aren’t they? You can savor everything, meat and vegetables alike. It’s so addictive! I bet it’s because of the sensitivity of their taste buds.
“Hey, young lady, welcome!”
Lady Lena eagerly looked at Mr. Gomez the butcher, who responded with a knowing smile, heading to the back to fetch something. The faint aroma of apples wafted over, making my stomach rumble. Mr. Gomez brought out some monster bacon that had been smoked over applewood, which Lady Lena requested to be smoked two days ago. This is bound to be delicious! Lady Lena is skilled at cooking, so I’m really looking forward to tonight’s dinner. Slime-senpai and Lily-senpai are also lost in thoughts of the upcoming meal.
“…Wow, that smells amazing! Thank you so much!”
“Of course! It was good practice for us too. Thanks, young lady. Monster meat’s expensive, so it doesn’t sell often. This gave the younger ones a rare chance to work with it. So…no charge for the smoking!”
“…What!?”
“Yeah, yeah, my wife was saying, ‘What kind of man charges a little girl?’ She got on my case. Our house was a battlefield the other night, let me tell you… But yeah, consider it a freebie, just keep coming by.”
“…Can I really accept that?”
“Haha, you better! My wife’ll chew me out if you don’t. I’m counting on you!”
“…Thank you very much!”
Wow, both Mr. Gomez and his wife are such kind people. Lady Lena received a lot of dark-red bacon from him. Since it was too much for her to carry alone, I transformed a bit, laid out some cloth on my back, and helped carry it. With this much bacon, it almost feels like we could open a market stall. We have various cuts, but hey, this is for us, okay? I glared at a cat eyeing the bacon—no way, paws off!
“Hehe, now, what should I make tonight? Will you all help me?”
““Yes, ma’am!!””
“Sure!”
“As you wish!”
Lady Lena always speaks kindly to her familiars, asking if we’ll help instead of just telling us. She always respects our feelings…not that I’d mind if she gave orders.
“Haa-kun… You can give me that pleading look all you want, but I’m not using my title…!”
Ah, darn it.
Once back at our lovely pink-hued inn, Lady Lena quickly rinsed off in the bathroom. She was mindful of the water bill and skipped filling the tub, instead asking Izumi-senpai to use “Mist Shower.” Since we were helping with dinner, we also needed to wash up. But I’m not fond of water… I always try to escape, but Lady Lena has recently learned to catch me, so I got a full wash this time. Oof. Kureha-senpai used her “Dryer” spell on my wet, flat fur, making it fluffy again in no time. Not to brag, but—being a Golden Sheep has its perks! I’m incredibly soft now, and since I’ve become a rare breed, Lady Lena loves petting me even more.
For dinner, we’re making gnocchi in a tomato sauce with bacon. I’m not really sure what “gnocchi” is, but Lady Lena looks so happy, so it must be tasty. I can’t wait! We familiars are taking on the gnocchi-making, while Lady Lena’s on tomato sauce duty.
Here’s the recipe:
For the sauce, first, immerse thinly sliced garlic in melted butter and heat it on low for fragrance. Then fry diced bacon until it browns, add chopped onions, and fry again. Add peeled tomatoes and simmer until the liquid reduces, then season with salt, black pepper from the beastfolk, and a pinch of herbs. When the tomatoes start to thicken, it’s done.
For the gnocchi, we boiled and mashed potatoes, then mixed in flour and salt. Knead the dough until smooth, let it rest, and shape it into small ovals. With a fork, we pressed lines on each one, boiled them, and done! We familiars helped with mashing the potatoes and shaping them. Our human hands aren’t the easiest to handle, but it’s fun cooking together like this. When I was in the wild, I didn’t care for others, but now I enjoy hanging out with my friends.
Slime-senpai made the neatest gnocchi, while Lily-senpai made cute heart-shaped ones. Mine… well, they’re all different sizes and shapes—some are even square or pointy. But Lady Lena said, “I like how unique they are!” It cheered me up, warming my heart again. Being by her side is such a blessing. I’m so grateful to be here.
“…Finished—!”
“Yay!!”
In front of us was a steaming plate of white “gnocchi” topped with a bright red tomato sauce and bits of diced bacon. I couldn’t help but wonder what it would taste like—every meal here is an exciting new experience, and I can’t wait to dig in. Eagerly, everyone turned their gaze to Lady Lena, who laughed happily.
“Hehe. Everyone, thank you for your hard work today! From searching for pets to helping with dinner, I couldn’t have done it without you. So, thank you! Now, tonight’s menu is ‘Potato Gnocchi with Bacon Tomato Sauce, topped with Parmesan Cheese.’ Let’s dig in!”
“Let’s eat!”
We were waiting for Lady Lena’s call to start! The moment we heard it, everyone’s eyes lit up, and we eagerly picked up our forks, spearing a piece of gnocchi and bringing it to our mouths. Oh, wow!
“Hot…!”
“Lily, Haru, don’t rush it! Remember to blow on it first.”
“Okay…”
Only Lily and I ended up with teary eyes from the heat… Slime, with its resistance to burns, was savoring its meal without a hitch. So lucky…
This time, I carefully blew on the gnocchi before taking a bite. Mmm! It’s so tender and chewy, with a slight sweetness from the potato, and the tomato sauce fills my mouth with a burst of flavor. A touch of black pepper adds a hint of spice, softened by the creamy Parmesan. I couldn’t resist adding a few more bacon pieces… it’s so good! Lady Lena, you’re amazing!
When I told her that, she said it was thanks to everyone who helped make the gnocchi, including Gomez from the butcher shop. Then, she gently patted my head, saying, “Well done.” It felt so nice and comforting…
Naturally, everyone else wanted to join in, snuggling close to Lady Lena. While I was sad my head-patting time was shortened, I also loved the warmth of sharing this moment with everyone. We finished our meal, happily snuggled up to Lady Lena, though she gently scolded us, saying, “Sit properly next time!”
After dinner, we took the dishes to the sink, where Lady Lena washed them. The soft sound of running water made us feel drowsy. When I opened my eyes again, I saw Lady Lena being playfully teased by Lulue and the others, a typical post-dinner routine now.
Then, we headed back to our room and relaxed in the bath again, this time filling it with warm water and soaking up to our shoulders. Lady Lena and Lily stayed in their robes, while Slime and I switched to our monster forms. Though Lily says she finds it easier to sleep in her human form, without her wings.
Later, we settled into bed, with my soft fur as everyone’s pillow. I used my [Deep Sleep] and [Area Comfort] skills, and soon I heard the peaceful sound of everyone’s breathing. I could feel the comforting weight and warmth of my friends around me. It’s so relaxing to sleep with such trusted companions. Slowly, feeling content, I closed my eyes, too.
See you again tomorrow…
“Lena!”
“Master!”
“Lena!”