Chapter 87: Viktor’s Feelings

If it were really that easy to create useful items, surely someone would have tried turning it into a business.

However, when Qiu Nuoya asked Viktor about it, Viktor told him that it was not possible. "The process by which dungeon items are created is still not fully understood. It is not as simple as leaving something inside a dungeon and waiting for it to turn into a magic item."

Apparently, there was no easy way to turn the process into a business.

Well, that made sense. If it really were that simple, magic items would surely be much more widely available throughout society.

Magic bags were incredibly convenient, yet Qiu Nuoya had never seen one being sold in a shop. They must have been fairly rare and expensive items.

Even if this one looks worn out, I really need to take good care of it.

Qiu Nuoya only learned after leaving Coalora that the basket lying around in the share house’s kitchen was also a type of magic bag.

Its capacity was not particularly large, but it had the extremely useful ability to keep vegetables and other fresh food from spoiling.

The bag Qiu Nuoya had received also had that same preservation function, making it considerably more valuable than the basket.

He could not even imagine how much it would cost if he tried to buy one. In fact, the thought of finding out the price was so frightening that he had never dared to ask.

"Come to think of it, I have a suggestion while we’re sightseeing. Since your slime probably needs some kind of identifying mark, why don’t we stop by a shop that sells items for tamed monsters?"

"An identifying mark? Why?"

"Dungeons tend to be crowded with adventurers. Especially on the lower floors, there are many people who hunt monsters indiscriminately to raise their skill levels. If you’re not careful, Mochi could accidentally be harmed."

Ah, that made a lot of sense.

Even in games, people would enter areas filled with enemies to level up before a boss fight, defeating monsters one after another along the way.

Dungeons were perfect for that kind of leveling, and Qiu Nuoya remembered Igor mentioning that the lower floors, which were intended for beginners, were much the same.

"You’re right, that could be dangerous. But when you say an identifying mark, what exactly should we do?"

"Tamer usually put collars on their tamed monsters as identification, so that other adventurers know not to harm them. However..."

Qiu Nuoya pictured Mochi sleeping peacefully inside the inner pocket of his robe.

A collar? A collar... Where exactly is a slime’s neck?

"A collar probably won’t work, right?"

When Qiu Nuoya imagined putting a collar around Mochi’s soft, bouncy body, all he could picture was it slipping off with a little wobble.

Besides, Mochi could grow larger, shrink smaller, and even split into multiple slimes. A collar clearly would not be practical. But if other kinds of equipment could be used instead, what could possibly work?

Something like a brooch that could be attached to clothing was obviously out of the question since Mochi did not wear clothes.

Accessories designed to clip onto hair were equally impossible. Mochi’s body was completely smooth and slippery, leaving nothing for such an accessory to attach to.

"Exactly. That’s why I thought there might be something suitable at a specialized item shop."

Ah, so that was what Viktor meant. Even he, who had suggested getting some kind of identifying mark for Mochi, had no idea what could actually be attached to a slime.

"In that case, let’s go. Mochi is an important member of my family, so I can’t let him get hurt."

"Family..." Viktor suddenly stopped walking. "Is that slime family to you, Nuoya?"

"Hm? Of course. Is that strange?"

Qiu Nuoya felt a little uneasy. Just as the Saintess had nearly fainted when she saw Mochi, was Viktor also going to say that a tamed monster was nothing more than a monster and could not be considered family?

By now, Mochi was an important member of Qiu Nuoya’s family. The thought of anyone looking down on him made Qiu Nuoya genuinely sad.

"What is your definition of ’family,’ Nuoya?"

"My definition of family...? Huh? Is this some kind of difficult question?"

"No. I was simply wondering, if that slime is family to you, then what exactly am I to you?"

This is it. This is exactly like one of those romance simulation games where several choices appear and determine which route you end up on!

What is the correct answer here?

Are you a companion? Are you like family?

No. No matter what Qiu Nuoya said, it felt like he was going to trigger some kind of romance flag.

It was not as though he disliked Viktor or anything like that. But he had only been in this other world for a few months. It was far too soon to lock himself into a route!

Besides, Qiu Nuoya normally liked girls and while his mind was forty years old, his current body was that of a ten year old boy. If Viktor pursued him like this, it would practically be a crime!

Although, lately, Viktor’s face had been so absurdly handsome that Qiu Nuoya had started to feel as though perhaps his being a man was not necessarily a problem after all.

Qiu Nuoya had to decide whether he should let the flag that was about to be raised stand or break it off. Rejecting Viktor outright would have been easy, but Qiu Nuoya hesitated.

Because, come on! Someone who had spent his entire life being unpopular, with his years without a girlfriend always matching his age, could hardly remain indifferent after receiving such blatantly obvious affection. Now that he had been given a new life, there was no reason to hesitate over romance. He should simply enjoy his new life!

But...

"Viktor is my magic teacher, and I guess... my guardian?"

"Guardian..." The obvious disappointment on Viktor’s face made Qiu Nuoya’s chest ache.