Training as a Slime (94)

"What is this?" Hannah asked.

"Santa," Cloud answered.

"How did he manage to become this small and cute?" Hannah said tickling the baby Santa in the basket.

The pugilist stood quietly without answering.

"So why are you here?" Hannah asked.

"Milk for Santa," he said.

"Any milk?" the woman stood with her arms crossed.

"Baby milk," he answered cooly.

"Milk for baby slimes? Or for baby animals?" she prompted.

Cloud paused and shut his eyes for a second, recalling the advice given by Cori. "Baby animals," he answered, "warmed."

"So this little Santa, our headmaster needs baby food? What in seven hells happened to him," she asked.

"..." Cloud.

"Oh! Forget it. You don't know the answers anyway," the motherly orc said in frustration. "So... treat this little headmaster like a baby animal too?" she questioned.

Cloud nodded. He left the baby to Ivy the previous night but the baby cried all night despite the formulated milk for him. Like a ticking time bomb, he immediately passed him to Hannah right after class.

As Cloud was about to leave, the baby's expression soured. "Cloud! I think you better stay!" Hannah yelled, her hand reaching out to Cloud.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said with his back turned, escaping through the portal. The tiny Santa having sensed the familiar presence disappeared, and started to bawl. 

"Argh! Cloud you fool!" Hannah cussed under her breath knowing the wailing baby had imprinted Cloud as one of the parents.

Like a domino effect, the baby animals started to cry. Hannah calmly took out her earplugs, her mouth curved smugly, "Lao Niang am fully prepared okay!" She took out rows of pacifiers and milk bottles, each labelled to the specific animal. With a bit of help from everyday magic and shadow magic, she and her clones managed to calm the animals down as they suckled the warm familiar taste; leaving only one baby crying alone in the room.

Hannah picked up the tiny Santa, carefully craddling him in her arms. The baby instinctively reached for the Orc's bosom. "Oh, so you're one of those...," she marvelled. "Perhaps this milk?" she took matcha-coloured milk and carefully placed it on his lips. The baby frowned and turned his head wailing even more. 

"Than this milk?" Hannah tried again reaching for a blue coloured milk. The baby suckled but spat out the milk from his mouth. "Hmmm, so something that smells like this milk but not this. Then there is only this pinkish milk," Hannah placed the tip in his mouth and the baby suckled as if he had not tasted food for a long time.

"Poor headmaster, what have you done to be reduced to this state," the beast keeper wondered.

"Hannah?" Ivy came after her class, concerned about the headmaster. 

"Ivy, what happened to you?" Hannah asked noticing her heavy eyebags. "You look like a panda!"

Ivy pointed at the baby in her arms, "Cloud asked me to help you."

"Don't worry, I got this," Hannah answered confidently.

"I don't think our headmaster grew up as a slime," the elf deducted.

"He's more like a wild beast isn't he?" Hannah.

"Yes, I never had the chance to inspect till now. His energy is like ours but his infancy stage felt more like a mammal's," Ivy said.

"Even his growth stage seemed stunted," Hannah observed. The baby kicked Hannah showing his displeasure. "I guess he understood what we said," Hannah commented with a chuckle. 

"You know how he disappeared every Saggitaurus, do you think this is the reason why?" Ivy asked pinching the juicy rosy cheek of the baby. The baby gripped her finger to stop the pinching.

"What a strong one you are, little human," she said.

Hannah, "He does look like a miniature human! He must have used a skill with great repercussions."

Ivy, "Do you think it's the recent demonic attacks?"

Hannah, "Maybe. But if that was the case, Cloud would have anticipated it. He's extremely sensitive to these sorts of things although he is rather dense to others."

"In my long life as an elf, it helps to be prepared. We have to let the duchess know too. Especially when one of our main powerhouses has shrunk," Ivy said looking at the baby finishing the milk.

"I hope it won't take 11 months to return him to his old self, this version of him is exhausting," she continued.

"You should get a rest on the couch," Hannah said and snapped her fingers. The flowery couch walked to her and rested on the ground.

"Thanks, Hannah," Ivy plodded herself onto the couch and closed her eyes. A soft purring snore echoed the moment her head touched the cushion.

Ivy opened a jar and all the lights flew into it, making the room extremely conducive for rest.