「First, let me introduce myself. I’m Baroness Sheryl Silverlight, the lord of this land」
The blonde beautiful girl named Sheryl introduced herself and the lord as she kneeled on the floor.
Iris, who developed a little interest in her persona, landed on Punigami and urged her to continue.
「Lord? Is there a meaning in being a lord of the wilderness? 」
「No…..none at all……that’s why I worked as a maid in the royal palace」
「Hee……..Then did you take care of the king or someone like that? 」
「No. I was a maid of Her Highness the Princess, Duke House’s Maid Daughter」
「……I don’t really understand but it must have been hard on you」
After another observation, she did have exhausted features.
Somehow, she radiated an aura that makes people want to save her.
「Iris-sama……for you to care so much about something like me……what a gentle person! However, please rest a.s.sured. I didn’t have any trouble supporting myself. Just bullied a little……」
「Bullied…..li-like what…….? 」
「Let’s see…….Bringing something warm to eat only for her to change her mind and ask for something cold」
「Hiee…….」
「Or telling 『you don’t have any sense』when I was choosing clothes」
「Uhiyaa」
「Or that she didn’t like my face」
「Ugyaa! My chest hurts just by imagining it……..if someone tells me this……I will stay indoors and never go outside again…….scary……humans are scary………」
「No, no. You are exaggerating, Iris-sama. Something like this can be found anywhere. I just don’t need to mind it」
「Can be found anywhere!? It’s indeed scary! I won’t go outside! 」
Screamed Iris as she hid her head under the robe scattered on the floor, crouched, and trembled.
「I-Iris-sama, what’s wrong? Ah, can it be that human foolishness made you disappointed? 」
「I’m disappointed. For those who make hurtful remarks to be everywhere…….it’s scary, so I’ll shut myself in. Stay away from this land. I’m going to live here while decreasing interactions to the minimum! 」
「It can’t be…….Even if you say that, it’s still my territory…….No, of course, for the G.o.ddess such as Iris-sama human’s reasons may not hold much meaning………but I want to revive the Silverlight house!」
「Why don’t you just choose any other place!?」
「I only have this land!」
Sheryl pulled on Iris’ robe with a tearful voice.
Iris too was about to cry at such a close contact with a human.
「Punipuni」
Then, Punigami, who stayed silent until now, entered the conversation.
「……..Who is this slime-san? 」
Sheryl pushed him with her finger as she tilted her head.
「His name is Punigami. He was on the verge of drying up in the well behind the church. Some things happened and he became my friend」
「Punii」
「Iris-sama’s friend! In other words, the friend of the G.o.ddess! I deeply apologize for casually touching you! 」
Sheryl lowered her head in panic and hit the floor with her forehead.
There was a baroness kneeling before a slime, the world is truly wide.
「Puni」
「It seems that Punigami wasn’t particularly bothered」
「Ah…….a slime with such a broad heart……..thank you very much! 」
「Punipunii」
Punigami didn’t dislike being praised.
He was unexpectedly shy.
「Well then, Punigami. Didn’t you have some to say to me? 」
「Puni punipuni, puni」
「Eh……..this person is this land’s lord, so properly give it back to her…………? Uu……if I do that I won’t have any place to live myself…….」
「It’s all right, Iris-sama! Let’s live together! 」
「Noo! Humans are scaryyyy! 」
Iris curled like a turtle and his inside her robe.
「Iris-sama, please calm down. See, humans are not scary. Or, at least, I’m not scary」
Hearing that, Iris thought.
「……..Indeed, you aren’t scary. Easy to talk to……..or more like completely harmless……or more like stupid」
「Stupid!? No, if Iris-sama is willing to accept me then I’m fine being an idiot! 」
When Iris brought out her head from inside the robe, she saw Sheryl clenching her fist with a determined expression.
She did seem stupid.
「But……..there should be some people who bully such a harmless individual as you, right……….? 」
「Well…..more or less……」
「If the number of people increases, such bad people may come here! I don’t want that! 」
In the past, when Iris went to the town for the first time, she encountered some cuttlefishes.
If she meets such people once again…….it may not end with just a beating.
「In that case, let’s do it this way! I won’t permit anyone to touch this hill! Let’s make it a sacred land where humans are prohibited from going. Like that, scary people won’t come near」
「…….Still, it’s not a perfect solution. Are there any merits for me? 」
「Merit……..then Iris-sama. Do you desire something? Is there something that you want? 」
「……..A place without humans」
「Gununu………something else besides that……for example, what does Iris-sama like? 」
「Let’s see…….sleeping soundly. Also, eating tasty things, I guess」
「Oh, that’s it!」
It seems that Sheryl came up with a good idea as she snapped her fingers.
「As a ruler of this land, I shall present a luxurious bed and a fluffy futon to Iris-sama. In addition, I will bring a lot of delicious things! 」
「T-Tell me in detail!」
The conversation went in an unexpected direction.
A luxurious bead and a fluffy futon. In addition to that, delicious food that doesn’t require talking to get, if it’s like that, she didn’t mind listening to Sheryl’s proposal.
「In other words. Since Iris-sama is the Guardian Deity of this land, it’s a lord’s duty to keep the church clean and pretty. Although there are multiple churches, there is only one with the actual G.o.ddess staying inside! There is a great honor in just taking care of you, hyahho! 」
「Hya-hyahho……」
「Puni」
She is indeed an idiot.
「Just like that, I will prepare the finest bedding for Iris-sama to sleep soundly on. When should I place it? How about that place with an altar? Sounds good, the G.o.ddess sleeping on the altar. I will pray with all my effort! 」
「It’s fine even if you take it easy…….I’m looking forward to the bed and the futon. So what exactly the delicious food would be? 」
「At first, let’s carry some good sweets from the other town! After that, when the land would be developed to a certain extent, I will cook for you using the local ingredients! 」
「Are you good at cooking?」
「Leave it to me! Even like that, I was still a maid! I may lose to a chef but there were times where I made late meals for the princess! 」
Sheryl puffed up her plentiful chest and made a light snort.
It may be fine to expect a lot.
I will be able to stay inside all the time.
「All right. For now, I shall believe you. But I don’t believe anyone except you, so make sure they won’t approach the church. If a stranger somehow gets inside……I may accidentally burn it」
「What are you going to burn!?」
「The world」
「The world! This is a serious problem. This area will be off-limits! 」
Sheryl, still sitting on the floor, vigorously nodded her head.
Seeing her like that, Iris felt somewhat apologetic.
「No……well, take care of me in the future…..」
Iris too nodded in response.
After the two nodded about 10 times more, they finally got up.
「I’m going to return to the capital for the time being. Even though I said about the redevelopment, I’m almost broke. I need to gather funds first! 」
「I see, the funds…….in this case, you can take as much elixir gra.s.s as you want outside. I will grow back anyway」
Said Iris, which made Sheryl open her mouth wide. She truly looked like an idiot.
「Elixir gra.s.s? Eh, it can’t be, such precious gra.s.s is growing outside!?」
「Un. It grows in no time」
「Is it true!?」
Seeing is believing, so Iris brought her outside to show it.
She didn’t count but there should be about hundred growing around.
「See?」
「I-It’s true! I didn’t pay attention before but this is definitely the elixir gra.s.s, here, even there! 」
「It seems that it’s much more precious than ordinary elixir gra.s.s. See, rainbow-colored. It became like that after it sucked my magical power」
「Howaaaaaa, amashing! Truly amashing! If I sell this, I will be able to gather enough money without going into the depts! 」[1]
「You can take all of it」
「The G.o.ddess! Iris-sama is the true G.o.ddess! The so-called G.o.d! 」
She screamed, spurted blood from her nose, and fainted.
「Wha!? What the!?」
「Puni」
She put Sheryl on Punigami, carried her inside the church, and tried nursing her.
「Etto, first I need to wipe the nosebleed, after that………wa, she has a fever! I need a wet towel! 」
Iris ran towards the well.
I’m not afraid of Sheryl but she is so stupid that it’s troublesome, thought Iris.
ReferencesDid she bite her tongue in excitement? ↩