Chapter 44: The Home Raid

Chapter 44: The Home Raid

Until the very end, Yake couldn’t break free from the grip of the black muck, but eventually, the muck decided to loosen its hold on him after keeping him bound for a while.

Freed at last, Yake quickly turned around and sprinted back towards home. Even though he probably couldn’t make it in time, he still hoped nothing had happened to his family.

“Mom! Xier! Aier! Are you all alright?!”

From the outside, it seemed like nothing was amiss, but Yake dashed into the house, calling out inside.

“Why are you yelling so loud, big brother? I’m about to go deaf!”

Xier appeared at the door with a displeased expression.

“Xier? You’re okay! That’s a relief! What about Mom and Aier?”

Seeing his sister seemed safe, Yake inquired about the other two.

“Mom’s busy in the kitchen, and Aier’s munching on the cookies she baked. We’re all fine—no worries. Seriously, I told you, you’re just overthinking it!”

Xier turned around and went back to the living room to continue reading. Yake followed her in and saw Reina and Aier safe and sound in the dining room.

“Yake, you’re back! Want to try some of the freshly baked bear cookies? Reina’s cookies are super tasty!”

Aierjisi held out a cookie to Yake.

“If you like them, feel free to have more! I’ll make them for you again next time, if I have time.”

Reina gently patted Aierjisi’s golden hair. Was it just because the Blood Clan had naturally better hair quality than humans? The little princess’s golden locks felt quite nice to the touch.

“Yum! Thanks, Mommy!”

Aierjisi seized the moment to call Reina “Mommy” to boost her affection.

“I’ll pass on the cookies. I’m not hungry right now. By the way, nothing happened at home, right?”

Yake asked again. After encountering such an attack, he found it hard to believe nothing had happened at home.

“Nothing happened. Why? Did you run into something on your way back?”

Reina furrowed her brow. Since her son was asking this, it was clear he had encountered something on his way back.

“Well… kinda. I had a bit of trouble. After you all left, I was attacked by a lump of black muck. It didn’t harm me, but it bound me tightly, making it impossible to move. I was thinking, does the attacker just want to trap me to go after others?”

“Then how did you get back?”

Aierjisi was also curious about Yake’s encounter. The Yake she cultivated was no ordinary person; something that could bind him was surely no trivial matter.

“I never managed to break free from its hold. After keeping me restrained for a while, the muck decided to let me go on its own. Once I was free, I hurried back, worried something might have happened at home. Aier, you’re knowledgeable; you should know what that lump of muck might be.”

“Probably a Slime. But beyond that, I can’t say for sure.”

If it was mud, it was likely a Slime. But having lived this long, Yake had never heard of a black Slime. Could it be a new type that emerged while he was asleep?

“You don’t know either? I thought for sure you would.”

“Don’t come asking me everything; I’m not a walking encyclopedia! But since the muck only trapped you, you probably weren’t its target. The real target must be me.”

Xier and Reina were ordinary humans who hadn’t offended anyone, which left Yake as a much more likely target.

“So what are we going to do now?”

Since the target was this little princess, Yake knew he had to join the fight. After all, he shared a life with this little princess!

“Let me think. Reina, Xier, could you stay at the Inn for a while? I’ll cover your expenses. This place is likely to get dangerous, and I don’t want to involve you in this fight.”

Aierjisi pulled out 40 Gold Coins from the magic circle, handing each Xier and Reina 20. This was their accommodation and living expenses for the time being.

“Yake, your instincts are sharper than mine. I’ll leave the scouting to you. If enemies come, just let me know, and I’ll handle it.”

“Got it. Thanks, Mom, Xier. I appreciate this!”

Having discussed the plan with Aierjisi, Yake escorted his mother and sister to the Inn. Aierjisi stayed behind in the house, waiting for the foe.

Meanwhile, Harker was getting a bit impatient waiting for the shadow Slime, so he started casually wandering around the Small Town, hoping to find some tasty food to replenish his energy. He couldn’t fight on an empty stomach! So…

“Boss, one more bowl please!”

He polished off the noodles and broth, calling out to the boss.

“Sure! Coming right up! By the way, you really can put it away!”

The boss glanced at the stack of bowls on Harker’s table, which had piled up significantly. Since he walked in, Harker had already devoured 20 bowls. Rarely did he see a customer who could eat like this.

“I’m starving! I barely had anything this good along the way. I couldn’t help but eat more.”

“Well, that sounds tough, huh? Enjoy your meal!”

As the boss brought over a freshly cooked bowl of noodles, the shadow Slime returned to Harker’s side.

“Huh? Why are you back now? Did you find it?”

The shadow Slime nodded silently.

“Alright, once I finish this bowl, you lead me there.”

Since the shadow Slime had located the little princess, Harker didn’t want to dawdle any longer and picked up the pace, finishing the bowl within a minute.

“Boss, no need to look for change.”

Harker placed three shiny Gold Coins on the counter to settle his bill.

“Whoa! Sir, you paid too much! One Gold Coin is enough.”

The boss looked at the three coins and felt a pang of conscience. Harker’s meal only cost one Gold Coin, and he needed to find a way to return the extra two.

“No need, consider the other two Coins a tip. Your noodles are just that good. I’ll definitely come back next time. Bye!”

Harker pushed open the door and followed the shadow Slime toward the little princess’s location.