Chapter 12 - Apparently, It’s Rare to be able to Tame a Lot (2/2)

If it did come to an actual fight, I would probably avoid using a sword, as I had merely been lucky the last time I used it. It would be far easier to transfer magic to any of the slimes that were nearby.

However…it was not necessary.

“No, you just need to spot me. Oh, dear…I did not think that you would find me so quickly. And you didn’t even make a fire. How did you do it?”

“My slimes found you. They saw everything when you started to approach.”

I said as I pointed to a slime that was near my foot.

He hadn’t even noticed it.

However…I started to think that I wouldn’t have noticed the slime either, if I didn’t have Shared Senses.

Besides, they were quite small and nearly transparent.

And it wasn’t as if they attacked you or moved in a way that caught the eye. They just silently watched you.

It would actually be impressive to notice them in this dark forest.

“Are you serious… I have heard of people using tamed monsters as scouts…but I’ve never been caught this quickly before…”

“Well, I have a lot of them, after all.”

I said. Then I used a spell I had remembered in order to light up the area so we could see the other slimes.

From where we were, we could see seven of them.

It would have been impossible to sneak through with this many.

“…Huh? I thought you had tamed just one slime?”

“Well, they can split up and then combine again. So I usually carry them around as one slime, but split them up when there is a need.”

I said as I pointed at a nearby slime. Then I ordered it to unite and then split up from another one.

The instructor saw this and seemed to be satisfied.

“I see. Yes, I have heard of slimes being able to do that. But taming seven slimes at once… You are not only a monster with magic and swords, but also as a Tamer…”

Uh, it seemed like he was assuming that there were only seven…but I felt like it would be troublesome to correct him, and so I didn’t.

I thought that it would be better not to talk about the number of slimes in the future.

As I considered this, the instructor raised both of his hands.

“Alright then, I yield. And now I shall quietly retreat.”

He said, then turned around and went back from where he came.

The slimes continued to watch him, but it seemed unlikely that this was a trick and that he would try to return.

…Still, he had not said that it was the end of the test, and so I had to continue to guard the tent.

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And then several more hours passed–and it was morning.

It was a time when your ability to focus was the weakest. That was when the change occurred.

A tree that appeared in one of the slimes’ vision had moved as if touched.

And then it happened with another tree. Something was coming closer to me.

But…this was different from the instructor.

–Because I could not see anyone.