Dill looked at me warily for a while.
Then, one of the sisters put her hand on Dill's shoulder from behind and said.
"Dill, why don't you believe him?"
"Sister Meene..."
With her wavy black hair reaching down to her shoulders, she smiled kindly and said to Dill,
Then she turns to me, smiles and starts talking.
"Reid-san... please take care of Meiya-san and the church. We..."
"Dill will protect you. That's why we're training him."
Dill's eyes widened in surprise at my words.
I stood up and looked to my side to see Erika smiling wryly.
The three adventurer girls seemed to be guarding the outside and hadn't come inside.
I immediately asked Meiya to prepare food from the supplies and everyone ate it.
When I say everyone, I mean these six children that Meiya was talking about.
They introduced themself over dinner.
A boy named Dill and a girl called Meene.
Lean is a girl with straight red hair that reaches down to her waist.
Amy is a girl with short, curly brown hair.
Serena is a girl with light blue hair that reaches her shoulders and is tied in a ponytail.
Sa-hwan is a girl with blonde hair that is longer than her shoulders and tied in a side ponytail.
It's confirmed now. It matches the shrine maidens' names. It was the Demon Association after all.
It would change the story, but I wonder...
There is certainly a route that doesn't involve the Demon Association.
There are, but mostly players choose the Demon Association route because of the weapons and armor that the Demon Association drops.
...It's too late now, I've changed a lot, including the students.
I'm with the kids eating dinner with relish.
I just look at Meiya, who is smiling happily at the sight.
I can't just leave this situation like this.
After dinner, I went out with everyone to the backyard behind the church, on the side of the castle walls.
So I light a fire and take a pot from my magic bag that I don't mind getting dirty.
I then pulls out a round object about the size of a watermelon, which is transparent but on closer inspection is slightly white and plump.
I also asked everyone while holding it in one hand.
"Do you know what this is?"
"...It's not a slime?"
"Eh... is it a slime?"
Dill answers my question and nods.
Erika's surprised reaction is understandable.
The reason for this is that if the slime's core is destroyed, it cannot maintain its shape like water.
However, if you don't destroy it, but instead pull out the core with your hands and then destroy it, it will retain its shape.
Next, I put the slime in a pot and asked while boiling it over the fire.
"Have you ever boiled slime?"
"...No, that's not normal, you know?"
"Dill and the others too?"
"...No way."
Erika said this with a shocked expression while crossing her arms, and Dill also had an equally shocked expression.
Her five sisters are lined up behind Dill.
By the way, it seems that some of Dill's sisters are grabbing the clothes on his back, as every time Dill moves a little, his clothes move unnaturally.
...he is already being relied upon.
No, judging from the expressions on his sisters' faces when they look at Dill, it's not that they rely on him, but that they're in love with him.
Of course, you'd want to protect it with your life.
While I was thinking about this, the pot began to bubbling and rumbling as if it was boiling.
"As you know, slime is sticky and viscous, right? So if you boil it..."
"There's bubbles coming out of the pot! Hey! Isn't it hot!?"
I touch the bubbles that have started to rise from the pot with my bare hands and place them inside a white bag about the size of a pillow, being careful not to let them touch the outside.
Erika was panicking and flapping her hands, but it wasn't hot.
I don't know why, but although the liquid part is very hot, the foamy part just sticks to your hands a little and doesn't seem to be hot.
Fill the bag to the brim, tie it with string and seal it, then shake it around a few times to make sure it cools down and check the feel.
It turned out just as I expected, so I lightly tossed the bag to Dill.
Dill takes it and gestures to tell him to check the feel.
Dill cautiously began to feel it, but was surprised and handed it to his sisters behind him.
The sisters who received them were surprised by the feel, and gradually their expressions began to look happy.
"What do you think? Wouldn't it feel good to use it as a pillow?"
"It certainly looks comfortable, but..."
Dill tilts his head and looks troubled.
The question is definitely, is this going to make money?
But Dil, many ideas for making money come from playing around.
Dill and his sisters tilt their heads at the reaction, so he gestures for Meiya and Erica to give it to him.
Meiya receives it first and is surprised by the feel, then hands it to Erika, who is also surprised by the feel.
It feels soft and squishy like water, and even if you crush it, it bounces back and goes back to its original shape immediately.
I've been thinking about making one myself someday, but if they can make it for me, it's easy.
Erika was surprised, then seemed to realize something, as she looked at me in shock and muttered.
"...It's scary."
"You're not scared of anything, are you?"
"...If so, please say it."
Would you like to try sleeping on this pillow?
Erika only responded with a dry laugh, so I turned my gaze towards Dill and the others.
The sisters nodded their heads vigorously, and Dill gave a wry smile at the sight.
Meiya smiles and nods.
As for securing slimes, they are plentiful on the plains outside the castle gates and within the sight of the soldiers, so it should be fine even if it's just the children.
Most slime attacks involve squirting out sticky liquid.
Unless you're attacked while sleeping, you won't suffocate.
What I need Erika to do is secure the bags and find a place to sell them.
Well, I've already decided to sell it to Marika.
Suddenly realizing this, he knelt down and beckoned to Dill. Dill approached him suspiciously, and he whispered something in his ear.
Dill looked at me in surprise when he heard that, but then smiled and nodded in response.
Dill laughed for the first time at my reaction, though it was a bitter smile...
I went over to my sisters and started talking.
The sisters, who had been listening to Dill's story, burst out in giggles, and after seeing this, Dill approached Erica and made a suggestion.
Hearing the suggestion, Erika smiled in resignation and muttered while looking up at the sky.
"It's scary..."