Chapter 192: Ryouma’s Sales Pitch
After lunch.
The mud salamander hunt ended and the beach that the people should have already been empty suddenly saw people gathering in it again. Among the faces were young children and elderly people whom I didn’t see this morning.
The reason for their presence is undoubtedly the 1000 poison and sticky slimes by my feet. The exhausted members of the Wharf of Shik.u.mu are beside me too.
“What do you think? My slimes are pretty good, aren’t they?” [Ryouma]
“S-Sure…” [Shin]
“Are these things really slimes!?” [Kai]
“They don’t move like the slimes I know…” [Sein]
“You said it.” [Peiron]
“Aren’t slimes supposed to be duller? You know, monsters that would be crushed with a little hit? I mean in the first place, they’re not supposed to be wielding weapons.” [Kei]
Shin-san, Kai-san, Sein-san, Peiron-san, Kei-san voiced out their doubts, but there was no mistaking the fact that what was before them were slimes.
“They ended up like this after I taught them some things.” [Ryouma]
“You teach them a little and they end up like this?” [Shin]
“They’re way stronger than I expected. Who could’ve ever thought that slimes would take up spears and move at command?” [Kei]
“What’s more is that there’s so many of them.” [Sein]
“Even if you get rid of one, they’ll just keep coming one after another… Not to mention how they’re so good at dodging attacks to their cores (fatal attacks).” [Peiron]
“So, how do you plan on using these guys, Ryouma?” [Kai]
I was waiting for that question, Kai-san!
“My slimes might move better than wild slimes, but in the end, their mobility remains to be their weakpoint! As such, I will have them defend the processing plant instead! As you can see, I currently have the slimes arranged into layers of spears as they lay in wait ready to intercept the charge of the mud salamanders! Like this they will reduce their numbers.
But that’s not all! I’ve also had the slimes leave an obvious opening for the mud salamanders to take. When the mud salamanders go through this route, the slimes will squeeze them. They might think that they can survive just by pa.s.sing through, but waiting at the end are none other than the sticky slimes!
The slimes may not be especially strong at hitting things, but with the weight and centrifugal force of their staffs, plus their great numbers that allow them to take on one with ten or five of their own, even they can sufficiently take down the enemy!
And even if they fail to finish off the enemy, just hitting the mud salamanders should weaken them enough to allow a human to easily finish them off!” [Ryouma]
“Ahh…” [Kai]
“Somehow it feels like you’ve turned into a different person.” [Peiron]
“Now that I think about it, you were like this too when we first met.” [Kei]
“If they ambush the mud salamanders and smack them around together, they might just be able to beat them.” [Sein]
“Even if they can’t kill them all, just being able to reduce their numbers or reduce their momentum will be plenty!” [Shin]
It is exactly as Sein-san and Shin-san says.
But that’s only in the situation where the slimes are able to successfully lure the mud salamanders into their trap and maintain it.
In the case that a line of spears can’t stop a swarm, or the slimes aren’t able to lure them to their trap, or their formation collapses, I have one more trick up my sleeves.
“Dimension Home.” [Ryouma]
What I summoned to the beach were my 6 familiar rimel birds and the magic-casting slimes, the earth slime, wind slime, dark slime, light slime, and heal slime.
I use magic mostly in my day-to-day life. I don’t use it much in battle, so these guys haven’t had much of an opportunity to shine, but the truth is they have been training diligently everyday. They take their training seriously. Because of that they’re strong enough.
“The heal slimes will be healers.. The light slimes will be support. And the remaining ones will provide support fire with their magic when needed.” [Ryouma]
“I’ve heard that monsters that could use magic are either highly ranked or rare. I can’t believe you have so many.” [Shin]
“What’s more is they’re mostly slimes.” [Kai]
“Now that it’s reached this level, I have to admire you.” [Peiron]
Is it just me or did the way they look at me suddenly change? …I still have something to say!
“But wait there’s more! Just recently, this dark slime here learned the intermediate spell, Dark Mist!” [Ryouma]
The offensive magic of the dark slimes are different from the other attributes in that it doesn’t directly inflict damage on the physical body and instead ‘steals vitality’. The Dark Mist spell takes that darkness that steals vitality and turns it into a mist that spreads into the surroundings. In other words, it can take out several enemies at the same time! …Or at least, that’s what the book said.
I read the book during my last stay at the duke’s family. On the book was written that it was edited by the magic guild, so it should be reliable.
“It’s just that it hasn’t been long since the dark slimes learned the ability, and there weren’t any good opponents to test it on, so I was never really able to test it. As such, I would like to use this opportunity to experiment with the spell.” [Ryouma]
“That spell won’t hurt us, right?” [Shin]
“I’ve taken plenty of considerations regarding that point. If the spell is casted at the front-most lines, there should be no human casualties. Moreover, the area of effect should only be able to fit about 5 to 6 people, so if anything it might actually take more effort on our end to get the spell to hit the mud salamanders efficiently.” [Ryouma]
The poison slimes and sticky slimes that use spears and staffs. There’s magic support too, so they shouldn’t get in the way of work.
“And then…” [Ryouma]
If I also add the metal and iron slimes that can use High-Speed Movement, my plan will be flawless… Or at least, that’s what I would like to say, but unfortunately, the weight of the metal slimes are ill-matched with the sand.
The metal and iron slimes move by transforming a part of their rear a little and spinning vigorously as if they mean to jump. I knew that the footing here in the beach wasn’t good, but it was worse than expected, and the slimes just couldn’t seem to move in a straight line.
But maybe the metal and iron slimes themselves are the ones who are regretting this the most, as they’ve started running on the sand in their own way. Unfortunately, even after explaining my poison slimes, sticky slimes, and magic slimes in order, they’ve still only just familiarized themselves a little with the sand. That’s not a level where they can fight.
It might be because they’ve always partic.i.p.ated in my battles as my ‘weapon’, so when I told them they couldn’t join this time, they became unhappy.
I wonder if there isn’t some way I could get them to fight? Hmm… Maybe they should just turn into a barricade or something.
“Hey.” [Shin]
“This time he’s deep in thought.” [Kai]
“He’s a diligent and nice kid, but he’s pretty weird, huh.” [Peiron]
“…A lot of villagers have gathered.” [Kei]
“Ryouma-kun is like this too. We better go to them and explain the situation.” [Sein]
After this I found out that the villagers that had gathered labeled me as a ‘slime-loving weirdo’.
I don’t understand…