Chapter 177: From Subspecies to Rare Species
“I’ve decided! Your name shall be Daifuku-kun!!!”
“…………” boing
And so, the Ice Slime came to be known as Daifuku-kun.
“That’s definitely because it looks like those Hinomaru daifuku sweets, isn’t it?”
“Indeed. The daifuku of Edo were truly exquisite…” drool
At those words, Daifuku-kun trembled.
“…………!” flinch
“Kakaka! I won’t eat you.”
(((((Daifuku-kun… so cute…)))))
Incidentally, the name struck a deep chord with all the women present.
Though somewhat pitiful in various ways, ever since becoming Estelle’s familiar, Daifuku-kun had begun living a life of luxury far beyond that of any slime in this world.
“These… and these… hmm, I don’t need these either. And these magic stones as well… rather than selling them, it would be better to turn them into Daifuku-kun’s meals.”
“!!!!!!!!” tremble
Estelle possessed two item bags—one she had used for years, and another that once belonged to a former S-rank Lightning Emperor.
Since slimes could consume any organic material, she was now feeding Daifuku-kun with excess monster materials and magic stones she no longer needed—clearing out her inventory while treating him at the same time.
◇◇◇
“…………” boing
Since the day it was born, everything Daifuku-kun had eaten had been, quite simply… garbage.
Fallen leaves, weeds, impurities drifting through the swamp, the corpses of companions, even monster droppings—those had been its sustenance.
Slimes were known as the decomposers of the forest, unrivaled in their ability to digest and absorb organic matter.
…But the nutrients found in garbage could only go so far.
It was enough to sustain life—but not enough to fuel growth.
Not enough to evolve.
And yet—what was this?
For some reason, its master now offered it high-rank monster meat and magic stones.
The taste was beyond anything it had ever known.
It wasn’t just delicious—it was irresistible.
It could eat endlessly.
Becoming a familiar… truly was the best thing that had ever happened to it.
It had even been given such a wonderful name—Daifuku-kun.
It had gained a dependable big sister figure… (and she was a dragon, no less).
Even after its masters went out to eat, it continued happily digesting its meal in the room.
◇◇◇
Meanwhile, Ryu and the others went out to dine, taking advantage of the presence of the heroes and Lily.
The Gran Federation bordered four major powers, so its capital was filled with restaurants offering cuisines from across the world.
Each of them ordered dishes from different nations, thoroughly enjoying the rich variety.
…When they returned to the inn—
“I’m back!! …Hm? Wait… hasn’t Daifuku-kun grown bigger?”
Estelle rushed to the table and scooped him up.
“…………” squish squish
Thanks to their familiar contract, she could sense his will directly.
“I see! It seems Daifuku-kun has evolved!!”
“““““““Ooooh!”””””””” clap clap
Ryu nodded, impressed.
“His magical power has increased, and his body has grown. It seems he’s evolved from an Ice Slime subspecies into a rare Ice-Snow Slime. As for the reason… well, that hardly needs explaining.”
The mountain of monster materials that had been piled on the table earlier had completely vanished.
There was no need to state the obvious.
“Oni-sama, does becoming an Ice-Snow Slime change his abilities?”
“Of course. Back when he was an Ice Slime, Daifuku-kun had virtually no combat ability. His D-rank classification was purely due to rarity. But now, he should be capable of using ice magic. He’s been promoted to C-rank—and unlike before, this isn’t just a hollow ranking. It reflects real combat strength.”
“Wow! That’s amazing! I never imagined our clan would gain an ice magic user!”
“Alright, Daifuku-kun. Why don’t you show everyone some of your ice magic?”
“…………” tremble tremble
As Daifuku-kun quivered, a single spear of ice formed in midair.
If launched at an enemy, it would surely deal devastating damage.
But this was indoors.
The spear quietly dissolved into nothingness.
“I’m so jealous, Estelle! I’ve never seen an ice magic user outside of monsters!”
“Kakaka! Be grateful to Ryu! And to Daifuku-kun as well!”
The true significance wasn’t simply gaining a new C-rank fighter.
It was the addition of a rare ice magic user to their side.
Of course, this would be invaluable for tackling the S-rank dungeon—but even after returning to the Empire, there was no doubt Daifuku-kun would prove immensely useful.
That day, Ryu and the others prepared standard desert equipment.
The next day, they would set out with the heroes and Lily to challenge the S-rank dungeon—the Great Land Beast Desert.
◇◇◇
“If we build a freezing chamber underground in our second residence and store ice blocks made by Daifuku-kun, we’d have access to ice anytime we want.”
“As expected of you, Oni-sama—genius!!!”
“We’ll be able to make shaved ice like the Hinomaru style anytime! Hahaha!”
“Ryu-sama is scheming something strange again…”
“Gyaau.” “Brrr.” “….” boing
“I see—so whenever we need ice, we just go to Ryu’s house, correct?”
“But Ryoma-sama, wouldn’t it melt on the way to Count Blanc’s estate?”
“…We’ve come again…”
“Takashi! Show some spirit! You’re the leader!”
“Hahaha! Takashi’s always been bad with heat.”
“Don’t laugh, idiot Kaito!!” thud
“Ow!!”
“This time I used special makeup that won’t run with sweat! Now I can walk with confidence!”
“Captain Lily, that’s generally referred to as heavy makeup.”
“Well, it’s not like you’ve got a lover to show off to anyway.”
“Waaaaaaah!!”
Chatting energetically as always, Ryu’s party entered the S-rank dungeon.
The two guards watching them couldn’t help but look surprised.
“Didn’t their numbers increase?”
“Yeah… that’s the up-and-coming clan, Dragon Road.”
“How do you know that? There are tons of new clans.”
“They’re the ones who dueled the heroes over Sakamoto Ryoma.”
“What?! Then that samurai just now… was Sakamoto Ryoma?!”
“Most likely.”
“Damn it! I should’ve asked for a handshake!!”
The moment they stepped into the dungeon, the scorching sun bore down upon them.
Yet for a brief moment, none of that seemed to matter.
Before them stretched an endless, breathtaking desert.
It was their first time seeing it—
And they stood there, completely captivated.
““““““…………””””””
“Hey, Ryu! Shouldn’t we start the countermeasures soon? My makeup’s going to melt!”
“That might be entertaining. Let’s wait a bit.”
“Ehhhhhh?!”
Jokes aside, they quickly had Daifuku-kun split into multiple smaller versions.
Each person wrapped a mini Daifuku-kun around their neck.
Now an Ice-Snow Slime, his ability to divide had increased, allowing everyone to tuck an additional mini Daifuku-kun inside their clothing—creating a cool environment even beneath their armor.
“Alright. This should make things comfortable.”
“Indeed!! Let us go and defeat the Behemoth at once!!”
“…………” boing!
As usual, Homura took to the skies, while Lena and Estelle rode atop Axel.
This time, with only trusted companions present and no outsiders around, Homura flew in her true form—a majestic S-rank fire dragon.
◇◇◇
“Oh? They’ve come again… I wonder how far they’ll get this time—wait… what?”
A voice murmured, tinged with disbelief.
“…No way… is that—”
“—Dragonkind? …And two of them at that.”