Even though Ewan had been incredibly modest, insisting time and again that his awakened Talent was essentially useless and capable of nothing more than summoning a few lowly Slimes, the middle-aged woman standing before him seemed strangely agitated by the revelation. She stared at him for a long, intense moment, assessing him, before shifting her gaze to the group of Slimes that were currently bouncing up and down while engaging in a heated squabble in the corner. Her lips twitched spasmodically several times, as if she were struggling to articulate something profound or perhaps suppress a rising emotion.
In the end, however, she chose to remain silent. Instead, she took two or three brisk steps up the embankment. Just as she reached the top, she spun around sharply and dropped a parting sentence: "I will go home and tell my son to come over and give you a hand." Then, she departed immediately, disappearing from sight without giving Ewan even a fraction of a second to voice a refusal.
What on earth was wrong with her?
Ewan raised a hand to scratch his messy hair, feeling utterly bewildered by the sudden encounter. However, the squabbling racket coming from the gelatinous creatures was becoming too loud to ignore. The Slimes were making quite the commotion, and he had no choice but to rush over and physically pry them apart to restore order.
"Alright, that is enough! No more arguing!"
"Dusty!" Ewan pointed a stern finger at the golden metal-elemental Slime, then redirected his finger toward the two plots of land belonging to his property: "Do you see that empty patch of land over there? I need you to go over and cut down all those weeds for your big brother."
Having issued his first command, he turned and gave the fire-elemental Slime two gentle squeezes to get its attention. "Flarie, you follow behind Dusty. Your job is to burn up all the weeds that Dusty cuts down. But listen to me carefully: keep the fire small, okay? Do not let it spread to the surrounding area, and do not let the temperature get too high."
The two Slimes let out a series of enthusiastic "pew pew" sounds before hopping down onto the soil to execute Ewan's instructions. At that moment, the water-elemental Slime remaining by his side felt distinctly left out. It hopped over and rubbed affectionately against his leg, seeking reassurance.
"Pew pew?"
[Big brother, is there nothing for me to do?]
[I am a good boy, I know how to work too.]
[I am very capable.]
"I know, I know. Just wait a little bit for Flarie and Dusty to finish dealing with the vegetation, then I will ask for your help, Bubbly."
Upon hearing this promise, Bubbly bounced excitedly on the ground. Even though it was, much like Flarie, merely a pale blue gelatinous blob with a pair of eyes, anyone looking at its current demeanor could instantly sense its immense joy and eagerness to please.
While Ewan was busy delegating tasks to his gelatinous helpers for land management, a considerable crowd of neighbors had gathered nearby. They whispered and gossiped among themselves about the revelation of Ewan possessing a Talent. It was evident that, just as Asher Ryder had predicted, even the most mediocre Talent was highly regarded in this remote place. Furthermore, just look at that, Ewan could actually command the Slimes to clear the land for him.
"Hey kid, have you actually awakened a Talent?"
Mr. Trent, the man who had intended to borrow a hoe for him earlier, stepped closer and asked Ewan directly. The young man did not hesitate. He nodded in confirmation and added a quick request to the group: "These Slimes were summoned by me. If you all see them around in the future, please do not hit them."
As he spoke, he flashed a beaming smile at the surrounding villagers. The combination of that radiant smile and his naturally endearing features swept everyone up in the moment, causing them to nod their heads hurriedly in agreement.
While Ewan was surrounded by curious locals bombarding him with inquiries, his two Slimes, each roughly half a meter in size, had already commenced their operation. Dusty took the lead. By nature, Slimes possessed no fixed shape and could transform at will. Consequently, Dusty's metallic gold body rapidly flattened out, one edge curving slightly to form a sharp, disc-shaped buzzsaw.
Then, spinning its entire body, it slithered forward.
Zzzzt...
The intrinsic nature of the metal-elemental Slime allowed it to harden its body, effectively becoming an automated landscaping tool. It glided across the uneven terrain, diving into thickets of dried weeds. The stubborn, withered stalks were sliced through and crushed without mercy. Wherever Dusty passed, the dense vegetation collapsed instantly in its wake, surrendering to the mechanical efficiency of the Slime and revealing the parched, barren earth beneath, along with the stubble of roots that had been severed flush with the ground.
Waiting until Dusty had cleared a decent stretch, Flarie followed close behind. It did not need to alter its physical form significantly. Instead, it compressed itself slightly to radiate intense heat from its surface. It resembled a piece of pliable, glowing ember, with a vibrant orange-red core pulsing from within, emitting a thermal wave that caused the surrounding air to shimmer and distort. It did not erupt into a roaring inferno but rather maintained a controlled, smoldering intensity.
Flarie rolled across the ground, its rubbery consistency causing it to occasionally bounce into the air. Perhaps finding the act of simply rolling a bit monotonous, it kept up a ceaseless stream of "pew pew" sounds amidst the scorching heat of the burning weeds.
The sharp crackling of vegetation catching fire, accompanied by the cheerful "pew pew" vocalizations, created a continuous rhythm. A thin wisp of white smoke drifted upward, carrying the distinct, acrid scent of burning wild grass.
While the creatures were working their tails off, the onlookers stood by observing the spectacle. Mr. Trent could not help but click his tongue in appreciation, remarking to Ewan: "This is so incredibly useful, what were you complaining about? Just look at them, they even know how to clear weeds."
Mr. Trent's tone sounded exactly like a grandfather praising the industrious children of the village. Hearing this, Bubbly, who had been rubbing against Ewan's leg, immediately hopped over to Mr. Trent, letting out a "pew pew" before nuzzling against the old man's leg twice. At first, Trent flinched with apprehension, but seeing that the contact with the Slime caused no harm, he stopped trying to dodge.
Hearing the creature squeaking "pew pew" incessantly, he could not resist looking at Ewan and asking: "What is the matter with this one?"
"It is telling you that it is a good boy too, and that it also knows how to work."