Slime Girl

 

- Shari -

 

Our business time comes to an end, surprisingly without any greater incidents.
As evening approached, the amount of customers began to slowly trickle down, and now, Liqu is serving one final person.

Once I do the cash check, I discover that I currently have six gold coins, seven silver, and also the value of around a thousand copper coins, coming in various sizes.
I seriously need to exchange those somewhere in time.
All in all, it was quite successful.
As soon as the last customer is gone, I want to lock the door and tend to the other pressing business I can't stall any further.

Yet as I begin to do so, someone reaches inside.

 

"Good day, my ladies. Would you mind letting me in?" (Bokkan)

 

Seriously!
The fact that he's acting like a charmer makes me quite unwilling to let him in.
This, and maybe that I don't want anyone to see the girl I'm keeping captive in my cellar, as alone thinking this makes me cringe so much that it's sending ripples through my slime.

 

"What are you doing here?" (Shari)

"If I remember right, I agreed to look after the girl. By my and Tamarah's estimation it should by now become necessary to treat her or her body functions might prematurely cease." (Bokkan)

 

Right.
There was something like this.
It would be irresponsible of me to risk the life of the child because I feel uncomfortable with him.

 

"Okay, but I should warn you. She's not... in the best state." (Shari)

 

Don't know how else to describe that the slime that's dissolving her innards is leaking through her eyes.

 

"Well, that was to be expected. I know how Tammie's potion works and usually it's only used to keep the affected ones going long enough to settle their final matters or attempt to make amends. Like writing their last will or saying goodbye to family. Without the external support she received, she would already be dead, by all accounts." (Bokkan)

 

Well, good that she isn't.

 

"She's hanging on. Things are... progressing. The girl's tough." (Shari)

 

For a moment I notice that he's looking at me with an, only the tiniest bit, raised eyebrow.

 

"I hope you won't take offense to this question, but is she still... voluntarily involved?" (Bokkan)

 

You mean did she change her mind about getting turned into a nature-defying abomination and now I'm keeping her captive against her will, doing the unspeakable to her?
Why would I take offense at this suggestion?

 

"Since the only alternative still remains to be death, she's, albeit skeptically, still in this. Though if she plans to change her mind, she should hurry, because the next part, which is rapidly approaching, won't allow her to do so anymore." (Shari)

"For what reason?" (Bokkan)

"The last stage, during which she'd still have the chance to decline my offer before it's over, involves passing out. Which is good, as you certainly don't want to be awake during this." (Shari)

 

I still vividly remember how it happened to me.
Or well, rather how I don't remember that particular part at all.

 

"So it is like this... It should be clear, but this seems to be a deeply invasive procedure. So it's all the more necessary that I go to the patient as fast as possible." (Bokkan)

"Fine. Down to the cellar." (Shari)

 

I lead him on, past Liqu at the counter, to the backroom, and up to the ominous door that leads into the lair.

 

"Okay, you should still know the way. I hope you aren’t worried I’d do anything to you." (Shari)

"No problem. I know Tammie would screw your back would something happen to me." (Bokkan)

 

I am almost in there when suddenly I hear Liqu shouting.

 

"Shari! I need you here!" (Liqu)

 

What is it now?

 

"Ehm, she's down there. Can you do this by yourself? Whatever it is that you've planned?" (Shari)

"Sure. Just don't lock the door." (Bokkan)

 

Didn't plan to.

So I head back to Liqu's side, asking myself what it is that would disturb even her as much as it sounded like.
After all, she handled all the customers fairly well.

 

"Yes? What is it, Liqu?" (Shari)

"This hum- errh, person is acting incomprehensible for me!" (Liqu)

 

I look into the room and directly spot a group with someone I'd have preferred not to see.

 

"So there you are! To think you would dare to ever show up in Ekoras again!" (Moreau)

 

Shit!
Why did it have to be Baron Moreau of all people?
What does this guy even do in this part of town?
Well, the two heavily armed thugs around him might serve as suitable protection, but still.
What the heck did I do that he deems it opportune to involve himself again with us?

How big is the chance that I can get him to leave peacefully?
In my best imitation of the clerk at the makeup shop, I respond to him.

 

"Excuse me, dear customer, I fear you arrived past business hours. May I ask you to return tomorrow?" (Shari)

 

Apparently, it doesn't work as I wished it to, coming from the shade of red his face adorns now.

 

"How dare you! Mind your place you dirty lowlife!" (Moreau)

"Could I ask you not to become abrasive? This is no conduct of an esteemed man such as yourself. You don't want to sully what's left of your honor, do you?" (Shari)

 

For some reason, my attempts at being polite don't make anything better.
Though, at least, he isn't getting loud.
Yet the way he grinds his teeth makes me worry.

 

"You should now very carefully choose your next words. You may regret them." (Moreau)

"I wouldn't know what you could possibly mean. I chose every single one of my words very carefully." (Shari)

 

Okay, I'll admit it.
The fact that I hate the guts of this asshole might prevent me from taking the most diplomatic approach.

 

"Shari, didn't you tell me to act differently in situations like these?" (Liqu)

 

Sigh.
Seems like I'm ruining all of Liqu's improvements by setting a bad example.
But maybe I can at least mitigate the damage.

 

"Okay, Liqu. Take this right now as a precedent on how to not do things. I'm simply doing this even though I know it's wrong. Like when you have a big piece of meat you know you won't need all of it. You'd still eat it all by yourself. Take this as a similar case." (Shari)

"Listen carefully now! You will recompense me for the damage you two caused to my business!" (Moreau)

 

Seriously?
Does he think that we're such easy targets?

 

"Can I please now?" (Liqu)

"No, Liqu. I don't need this here!" (Sari)

 

It doesn't take much to know how willing she is to go on a killing spree.
Which might become a blow to the shop's reputation.
Not to speak of that killing nobles might take things a little over how far Gareth is willing or able to show us leniency.

 

"Stop ignoring me! I order you to either pay for what you did or I'll make you!" (Moreau)

"I'm sorry, but I don’t even know what you're talking about." (Shari)

"I'm talking about killing Cid! His death cost me so much money that I had to increase the rent of all of my assets in this town! Not to forget that you obviously lied to me about the voidstone, given how much was on the market after you left and that you can afford this place! You'll pay for this too!" (Moreau)

 

Okay, it's clear that he wants to fabricate a debt here that we'll never be able to recompense.
This is something that strains my ability to ignore idiots beyond measure.

 

"No." (Shari)

"N-no?" (Moreau)

"No, I'm not going to pay you. Everything we did to Cid was our private business and his own fault. Especially, nothing that has to concern anyone else but us. Everyone could come up with every kind of blame if we'd give in here. Regarding the voidstone, our debt was cleared on your terms, in front of the guard captain. You yourself said everything would be settled with this. This is nothing you can go back from. So simply, no! No, I'm not willing to throw any more money down your throat, but I certainly have other stuff I can make you choke on if you want to drag this out!" (Shari)

 

That had to be said!
Not just because I refuse to let him trample all over us any longer, but because my personal abhorrence against bullshit won't allow for any other approach here.

 

"You... Do you have any idea who you're talking to? What kind of status separates us?!" (Moreau)

"In all honors, sir, your status is completely irrelevant to me!" (Shari)

"The audacity! Alone for saying such a thing I could hang you!" (Moreau)

"On whose authority? As I remember, the highest would still be the crown. So I think I can best you on that." (Shari)

 

With that, I point at the emblem on my chest.
At moments like these, for all the ominous stuff attached to it, I think the deal with the queen has its merits.
Okay, it might be that this order is so new that it would be rather surprising if anyone could recognize the image on my chest plate or even make heads of the name, but it's good enough if the officials are aware that I'm working under a royal decree.
Though, now the baron slowly goes from barely contained anger to seething hatred, which spells trouble for us.

 

"You! You won't get away with this! I won't allow this! Men! Take down these fools!" (Moreau)

 

The guards step forward, but before they can approach, something flies past me.
I'm so surprised that even with high-speed processing I only at the end realize that it was Liqu.

Still covered in her clothes, she apparently propelled herself from behind me right at the group in front of the counter.
Without any attempt at technique, she makes herself horizontally long and thus manages to land on both of the thugs simultaneously.
Did I ever mention that slimes are quite heavy?
Even if only her sides hit, it's enough to crush them down.

 

"Don't worry! I got this!" (Liqu)

 

After that, she just remains lying on them, leaving me as well as the baron at a loss.
Yet, different from the baron, I have high-speed processing and therefore only require the tiniest fraction of the time he does to recover and plan my next steps.
So I pull out a sword of mine and point it at Moreau.

 

"For your sake, I'll assume that these were just mindless words, spouted in the heat of the moment. Because otherwise, such action could be seen as nothing else but an intentional attack on loyal agents to the crown. Something that as far as I'm concerned can only be called high treason. While I'm sure that there's a procedure regarding nobles, I don't think it would complicate things if I'd deal with this right now. However, fortunately for you, this wasn't the case here, right?" (Shari)

"Y-y-you." (Moreau)

"Also, you don't intend to insist on any of your baseless demands, am I right? Or to go to the guard on that matter. Because if you would, I'd have to reconsider my current judgment and deliver swift justice. You can be sure I'd manage to bring it to you, no matter what precautions you'd take." (Shari)

 

Now I finally got some fear from him.
Liqu meanwhile somehow manages even within her clothes to prevent the escort from taking action.

 

"Liqu, would you get down from them, please?" (Shari)

"Yes, yes!" (Liqu)

 

So she does.
I don't know if she broke some bones, but while groaning, they at least manage to slowly get themselves up again.

I gesture their group to finally leave my shop, which they, although unwillingly, start doing.
Time to add something to avoid a sour aftertaste.

 

"Oh, and please don't tempt me by saying something like 'I'll regret this' on your way out. It would be a hassle to hunt you down." (Shari)

 

This at least prevents him from making me regret my leniency.
A short time later it's once again just Liqu and I.

 

"Did I do this right?" (Liqu)

"Well, I won't deny that it was a bit of a risky move, but in the end, the result was good. So yes, you did well." (Shari)

"Yay!" (Liqu)

 

I need to say that she's making progress, dealing with annoying people without bloodshed is no easy task to accomplish.
Yet I'm glad that we got through this without further complications.
It's nice to end a day without impending trouble once in a while.

Suddenly, I hear Okin shout.

 

"Shari! You need to come! Nia needs help!" (Okin)

.

.

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Sigh!