‘I am a slime.’

When did I first become aware of this?

I’m not sure, but I knew I had been born and lived for a very long time in this place called a dungeon.

I survived with remarkable agility even when my kind were dying by human swords.

Perhaps because of that.

‘I got stronger!’

At some point, my body grew significantly larger. I became a monster slightly different from my kind.

I developed new abilities too.

When intruders came, I learned to hide myself instead of bouncing away like before.

Thanks to that, I could eat powerful lumps that fell to the floor after intruders passed by.

‘I can also make my kind move a little.’

That’s how I lured intruders to this place.

But the biggest change was feeling strange “emotions.”

‘Why am I alone?’

Why don’t others of my kind feel like I do?

‘Can’t I leave this place?’

If I left, humans would kill me. As an old monster, I understood that much easily.

‘I’m… bored. So terribly bored.’

The feeling of boredom is too painful.

So when intruders finally appeared, I was actually happy.

Unlike before when I would hide, I immediately directed my kind to lure them here.

But was that the wrong choice after all?

‘They’re too strong!’

My entire body burst in an instant from the tremendous power wielded by the human man.

I barely used my specialty—agility—to attach myself to a nearby sword, but I was ultimately discovered.

“Eeeek.”

The former King Slime, now a magic sword, transmitted its thoughts into Lynen’s mind as he held the sword. It was trembling.

When Lynen tapped the blade forcefully, sky-blue slime oozed out from the impact, then retracted back in.

“A fragment of the King Slime has taken residence here. I’d call it a fragment with consciousness.”

“This b*stard.”

Calliphe snatched the sword from him and stomped on it repeatedly with her shoe.

“Owwww!”

“I almost suffocated because of you, you know?”

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

“Waaaah!”

Noah, who had been watching nervously, quickly spoke up.

“L-Lady Calliphe! I think we might be able to ask it some questions!”

“Ah, right. You ask it, Lynen.”

Calliphe handed the magic sword to Lynen.

To hear the magic sword’s words, Calliphe also placed her hand on the sword. Noah followed her example and touched the tip of the sword.

Lynen asked the magic sword, “Those monster cores you absorbed. When did you acquire them?”

“I don’t knooow.”

Lynen lightly struck the blade. It was a flick empowered with aura.

“Aaaah! I really don’t knooow!”

“Tell us what you know.”

“Uugh. I really don’t knoooow.”

“…Who had the monster cores?”

“Humans… humans wearing black clothes. A short human in black clothes who ordered around other humans in black clothes.”

“Any other characteristics?”

“Um… um… they all wore black clothes and… had bands on their arms.”

Henrik and the Special Monster Division. Lynen and Calliphe exchanged glances.

“Where did they take the monster cores?”

“Don’t know. I only know they brought many here and then took them away again. But they haven’t come recently.”

Calliphe, who had been listening, mocked the magic sword.

“You don’t know much. I thought you were a dungeon boss, but were you actually last place behind the scenes?”

“I really don’t know what to do!”

“Why didn’t you lure those humans in black clothes like you did to us? They seemed to come and go frequently, so you must have lured them often too.”

“That’s… uh…”

The magic sword groaned, seemingly searching through its memories. Then it mumbled dejectedly.

“Why didn’t I?”

“What?”

“Don’t know… I just felt like I shouldn’t do that.”

Calliphe, who had been loading up another mockery, narrowed her eyes.

“You felt you shouldn’t? Explain in detail.”

“Hmm, well… there was some pleasant scent.”

“Scent?”

“When the humans in black clothes came, there was some sweet smell. So… um…”

The magic sword, trying to recall its memories, whined.

“Don’t know.”

“…You didn’t attack those people because of a sweet smell? You only attacked us?”

“I have to attack everyone except those humans.”

“You have to?”

“I’m… a monster, right?”

Even the magic sword seemed confused about its own answer.

After hearing this much, Lynen gently put down the sword.

“Two things are certain. First, the Special Monster Division used this dungeon as a temporary storage, but abandoned it after they were caught.”

“If they used it so comfortably, they must have had an accomplice.”

Calliphe frowned.

“It seems our Young Marquis has collaborators in the imperial palace as well.”

For someone to facilitate the use of a controlled-access dungeon, they must be a person of considerable status and authority.

“And second.”

Lynen glanced down at the magic sword.

“This dungeon boss was likely brainwashed or controlled by the Special Monster Division.”

“This thing? Was that necessary?”

“It would have been troublesome if monsters attacked every time the Special Monster Division came and went. They also needed a sentinel to prevent outsiders from discovering the monster cores.”

Despite its seemingly harmless appearance, the King Slime possessed surprisingly strong power.

It wasn’t a bad choice as a gatekeeper to drive away humans who somehow found their way to the hidden level.

“But these guys actually lured us to the hidden level.”

“I was bored!”

“…Even the simplest plans can have variables, I suppose.”

“Well, it worked out in our favor anyway.”

A sweet scent used for brainwashing.

Calliphe made sure to remember this rare clue.

“Should we tell Lucilia?”

“We can’t present a monster as a witness. Since all we have is our claim, even if Her Highness knows, it won’t be much help.”

Lynen stroked his chin briefly before speaking.

“For now, it would be best to discuss this with the Saint. Let’s leave the dungeon.”

“Right. We’ve accomplished what we came for anyway.”

They had given Noah enough practical training against skeletons.

Additionally, they found the Mirror of Truth and learned about the bad ending in advance, and Lynen found the traces of the Special Monster Division he wanted.

Satisfied, Calliphe and Lynen turned to leave.

Then the abandoned former King Slime wailed.

“Waaaah!”

The sword vibrated intensely. Calliphe and Lynen pretended not to hear.

However, Noah hesitated and spoke to the magic sword.

“Why are you crying?”

“I don’t want to be bored!”

“……”

“I’m not a King Slime anymore. I’m stuck in this sword and can’t move on my own! Take responsibility!”

“Then move to something else.”

“Oh, right.”

The former King Slime, thinking it was a good idea, exerted force on the sword.

Sky-blue jelly oozed out from the blade, then flew toward a nearby shield.

Thud! Ting.

However, it bounced off the shield, unable to take residence there, and slipped into another sword.

Raaawr. The King Slime cried sorrowfully.

“Other things don’t work! Only swords work! I’m a sword now!”

“Hmm.”

Noah didn’t know what to do. Although it was a monster, its sorrowful crying stirred his compassion.

‘I did invade their home first…’

Feelings of guilt and responsibility arose in Noah’s young heart. Honestly, he understood the desire not to be alone.

Finally, Noah held the magic sword in both hands and ran over to Calliphe and Lynen.

Looking up at the two, he asked earnestly:

“Can I keep it?”

“……”

Momentarily speechless, Calliphe and Lynen looked at each other.

Lynen, though perplexed, examined the magic sword and said:

“It shouldn’t be dangerous. It’s merely a surviving consciousness, so it can’t attack like the King Slime could.”

Despite his reassurance, Calliphe couldn’t feel at ease.

“But it’s still a magic sword. What if it can control its user at will?”

“Oh! Since I’m a magic sword, I can control the person holding me!”

The magic sword declared proudly.

“I’ll control this small human and make him destroy you, yellow one! Down with humans!”

“……”

A startled Noah quickly covered the guard (which seemed to function as the sword’s mouth).