Training

???: "Wake up... Wake up..."

Jona: "Mrs... Yuu?"

???: "WAKE UP, USELESS HUMAN!"

Jona opens his eyes in fright. It's the slime who's talking. Her appearance has changed; she has become much smaller, about the size of a basketball. She's perched on Jona's chest with her hands inside her body, as if she's injecting something into him.

Slime Queen: "How long do you plan to sleep?"

Jona: "What are you doing?"

Slime Queen: "WHAT AM I DOING!? I'M INJECTING MEDICINE INTO YOUR HANDS!"

Jona: "Why?"

Slime Queen - "Because... The Priest asked me, okay? And you made a deal with my master. You can't just die after receiving something so incredible."

Jona: "Priest?"

Jona looks around and finds himself in a very comfortable bed inside a room with stone walls.

Jona: "How long did I sleep?"

Slime Queen: "One week."

Jona: "(Surprised) One week..."

He tries to get up, but his body feels very weak.

Slime Queen: "Calm down, I haven't finished giving you the medicine."

Jona stares at the slime with a weak but sincere smile on his face.

Slime Queen: "What are you looking at?"

Jona: "You look really cute in this form."

Slime Queen: "(Surprised) Do you think compliments will make me like you?"

Jona: "*Giggles* No, but praising someone is always a good thing."

Slime Queen: "You're a strange human."

As they talk, the door at the back of the room opens, and a nun carrying a bowl of water and a cloth enters. When she sees that Jona has woken up, she drops the bowl on the floor and rushes out, calling for the priest.

Jona: "What happened to her?"

Slime Queen - "Her reaction is normal. After all, when you arrived here, you had lost a lot of blood. If it wasn't for the dwarf, you would have died."

Jona: "When did I arrive here?"

Slime Queen: "You don't remember anything, right?"

Jona: "Yeah."

Footsteps can be heard approaching the room, loud and fast, as if someone is running.

Guberth: "JONA! YOU'RE AWAKE?"

Jona: "Gu?"

Guberth runs towards Jona, hugging him with a sad face, almost in tears.

Guberth: "I'm sorry... You're like this because of me."

Jona: "Calm down, the important thing is that we're fine. Thanks for worrying about me."

Guberth: "(blushing) It's not like I was worried about you!"

Jona: "Hahaha. [How can someone look like an old man and a little girl at the same time?]"

Jona smiles at Guberth, feeling relieved. He's just grateful that it's all over.

Jona: "Gu, where am I?"

Guberth: "You're in the city's main church."

Jona: "The Church of Milos?"

Guberth: "Yes, thanks to Valz, I managed to bring you here. When I arrived in the city, he saw your condition and ran to the church with you in his arms to ask for help. He's also the one who paid for you to stay here."

Jona: "I see, I'll have to thank Valz later."

Valz: "Are you sure you just have to thank me?"

Valz enters the room with a serious expression on his face.

Valz: "First, you didn't come to the training we agreed upon..."

Jona: "[I FORGOT.]"

Valz: "Then you showed up in the city almost dead, and with a slime."

Jona: "I'm so sorry."

Jona tries to get up to apologize, but Valz just sighs and waves his hand.

Valz: "It's okay, the important thing is that you're okay. So, will you tell me what happened?"

Jona: "Didn't Gu tell you?"

Valz: "Well, I asked, but every time he was about to answer, he started trembling."

Jona: "Okay, then..."

Jona starts speaking, telling Valz everything that happened that day, including the encounter with Aknurb.

Valz: "You mustn't tell the priest this story!"

Jona: "Why not?"

Valz: "As good as they are, if they find out that you have a pact with a general of the Demon Lord, I don't know what will happen to you."

Jona: "[I hadn't thought about that.]"

Jona: "Thanks, Valz!"

Valz: "For what?"

Jona: "For everything! For helping me when I needed it and for giving me that advice."

Valz: "(Smiling) Don't worry, as soon as you get better, I'll make sure that your gratitude will be repaid in your training."

Valz has a menacing face with an evil smile.

Priest: "It seems our patient has woken up."

The priest enters the room.

Jona: "You must be the priest of this church."

Erdnaxel: "That's right, my name is Erdnaxel Otoby, and I am the High Priest of the Church of Milos."

Jona: "[HIGH PRIEST?]"

Jona: "Very pleased to meet you, Father."

Jona bowed his head after saying those words.

Erdnaxel: "What a wonderful companion you have. Thanks to the slime, the treatment was much easier and more efficient."

The priest says after looking at the slime with a smile on his face.

Jona: "Companion?"

Erdnaxel: "It's when you form a contract with a creature to accompany and assist you in battles."

Jona: "I wouldn't say she's my companion. After today, she's definitely my friend."

Erdnaxel: "*Giggles* I understand, but this slime's abilities are impressive. She's intelligent, she understood everything I said, the only thing she didn't do is reply."

Jona: "[Well, she does reply, but it seems she avoided talking to him.]"

Erdnaxel: "I would like to continue our conversation, but I think you're hungry. I'll have someone bring you something to eat."

Jona: "Thank you so much, Father."

He nods to the nun who was beside him, and she leaves the room.

Erdnaxel: "Well, I'll go to my room. Later, after you finish eating, we can talk."

Jona: "Yes, Father."

The priest leaves, but there are still plenty of people in the room, though it's spacious enough not to feel crowded.

Jona: "Gu, where's Adan?"

Guberth: "He's training. He's shaken by what happened the other day and wants to get stronger."

Jona: "[I understand that he's shaken, but he did everything he could.]"

The nun returns with some soup while they are talking.

Nun: "You can serve yourself!"

Jona is still weak and with his hands occupied by the slime, he thinks about telling Gu that he needs someone to help him eat. But before he can say anything, Guberth has already filled the spoon with food and is feeding Jona.

Guberth: "Here, eat."

Jona eats the soup. It's very light, and while he's eating, one thought comes to his mind.

Jona: "Hey Gu, this is so gay, right?"

Guberth: "*blush* W-w-what can I do!? Y-you're hurt!"

Jona: "Laughs I'm kidding! Thank you very much, Gu."

Everyone is silent, probably waiting for Jona to finish eating, but the silence is so awkward that Jona starts talking.

Jona: "Who is Adan training with?"

Valz: "With a friend from my party. She's also a magician."

Jona: "Wait, Valz, I thought you were working alone."

Valz: "*Giggles* Many people think that, but yes, I have a partner and a strong one."

Jona: "Stronger than you?"

Valz: "Well, she sure is scarier than me."

Jona: "Scarier than you? Is she some kind of ogre or something?"

???: "Who are you calling an ogre?"

A tall woman, about 175cm tall, with a slim figure, enters the room. She has long silky black hair, scarlet red eyes, a cloak that covers most of her body, and a wizard hat.

Valz: "Ah! Hi Lili, I thought you were training the womanizer."

Lili: "Hi Valz. He wanted to stop by to see the boy, so we came here. But then, who's the ogre?"

Lili says that while giving Jona a scary look.

Jona: "[My god, that's terrifying. I feel a chill running down my spine. Now I understand when Valz said she's scary.]"

Jona: "I'm sorry."

Lili: "Okay, as long as you understand. But next time, I'll send you flying... GOT IT!?"

Jona: "Y-Y-Y-YES, MA'AM."

Jona: "[My god, I'm so scared. She's scarier than Aknurb.]"

Jona: "Miss Lili, where's Adan?"

Lili: "Well, I see that at least you're polite. But you can just call me Lili. Adan is busy flirting with female patients here in the church."

Jona: "I'm glad he's flirting with the patients. Imagine if he flirted with the nuns."

Lili: "I asked a similar question to him, and you know what his reply was?"

Adan: "I cannot meddle with their faith."

Adan enters the room. Is this turning into some kind of mini-game? Everyone enters the room at the perfect time.

Adan: "Hey Jona, I see you woke up."

Guberth: "No, no, he's still sleeping. This is an illusion."

Adan: "Huh? Are you thinking I'm an idiot, you shit dwarf?"

Guberth: "You want to fight, you limp dick."

Adan: "At least I'm not the one feeding another man in the mouth."

Guberth: "He-he's hurt, I have to help him."

Jona: "[It's good to see them like this again.]"

Valz: "Hey, boy."

Jona: "What is it, Valz?"

Valz: "When these two arrived in the city, they were both in despair, asking me for help. And instead of fighting, they were comforting each other."

Jona: "So, that's how it is."

Without realizing it, Jona starts laughing out loud, and they both listen.

Guberth: "Did something happen, Jona?"

Jona: "No, no laughs, I'm just sorry to have worried you guys."

They look at Jona with a smile. The slime takes Jona's hands out of it and stands beside him, remaining still. Jona looks at his hands and sees that the wounds are almost closed, but he still can't move them, just making slight movements with his fingers.

Guberth: "Can you move your hands?"

Jona: "Not yet."

Jona goes back to eating with Guberth's help. After finishing, he asks Guberth for help to go to Priest Erdnaxel's room. Guberth picks him up and carries him like a princess to the priest's room.

Jona: "[I'm being carried like a princess throughout the church! I'm so embarrassed!]"

Erdnaxel: "Now that you've finished eating, you didn't have to come to my room. You could have called me, and I would have come to yours."

Guberth puts Jona on a chair, he clears his throat to cover his embarrassment and starts talking.

Jona: "It's better here. We can talk more privately."

Erdnaxel: "Okay then, would you like to tell me what happened?"

Jona: "[What can I tell him? I have to lie.] We were on a mission to deal with slimes in a village. The slime that's with me is the queen. We found her being chased by a troll, and in the process of saving her, I ended up in this state."

Erdnaxel: "Hm..."

Jona: "[This is the worst lie I've ever made. How can I be so bad at this?]"

Erdnaxel: "I understand."

Jona: "[Did he believe it?]"

Erdnaxel: "But I can sense that you're lying. However, I don't sense any evil intentions from you, so there must be another reason. I won't press for the truth for now. I'll accept your story, but I would appreciate it if you could tell me the real story someday."

Jona: "[Damn it, now I feel bad for lying. He's a good person, but Valz asked me to lie, so I have to do it.] I'm sorry. I just don't want to remember, but I promise that when I find the courage, I'll tell you."

Erdnaxel: "Okay."

[Back in my room, once again being carried around the church by Gu, the slime is in my bed, probably sleeping. I do the same. My days at the church are all quite similar, with the slime administering medicine to my hands, and me trying to move them. Another week has passed, and my hands are completely healed thanks to Mr. Otob and the slime, but there are still scars. Right after I'm discharged, Valz starts training me.]

Valz: "Do you remember what I told you?"

Jona: "Hehe."

So they headed to the guild. Along the way, the slime was on Jona's head, just standing there in silence, so Jona started talking to her.

Jona: "Hey, slime, do you have a name?"

Slime Queen: "No, names for monsters are something that represents power. Only the most powerful monsters have a name."

Jona: "Even though you're so strong?"

Slime Queen: "I'm strong only for you. Valz would kill me in seconds."

Jona: "I see, so I'm going to give you a name."

Slime Queen: "What? Why?"

Jona: "It's kind of annoying to keep calling you 'slime' all the time. Now let me think."

Jona: "[I need a name that suits her.] How about Mai? It's short and cute."

Slime Queen: "You suck at names, huh?"

Jona: "Yep."

Mai: "Sigh Okay, you can call me that."

Jona: "Alright, Mai."

Jona: [After that, I left Mai on one of the benches in the guild and started Valz's training. His training was very difficult, especially for someone like me who's been sedentary. But I won't give up. Two more weeks passed, and Mai watched me every day during my training. Sometimes, some kids started playing with her, but she was always there. It's been over a month since I arrived in this world, and Valz said he had a surprise for me.]

Valz: "Okay, enough for today. Now come with me."

Jona: "*Panting* Wait... *panting* let me catch my breath."

Valz: "The training wasn't even that tough. Come on."

Valz pulled Jona by the arm, Mai climbed onto his head, and Valz took Jona to the guild's blacksmith, where Guberth was working. Jona hadn't talked to him much in the past few weeks, as he spent most of his time training and at Valz's house.

Jona: "Gu, did you start working here?"

Guberth: "Yeah, I needed to make some money somehow. Since I wanted to wait for you to do missions, I started working here."

Jona: "You're amazing, Gu."

Guberth: "(Happy) I just wanted to help them with my blacksmithing skills and make some money."

???: "This dwarf is amazing! Thanks to him, our customer numbers have increased a lot."

A tall, strong human with dark skin said those words.

Jona: "And who might you be?"

Oswald: "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Oswald, the head of the Guild blacksmiths."

Jona: "Nice to meet you, Oswald. I'm Jona, a friend of Gu."

Oswald: "So, this is the Jona you always talk about, Guberth. I'm going to get his gift right away."

Jona: "[Gift?]"

Jona: "What does he mean, Gu?"

Guberth: "(Smiling) Hehe, you'll see."

Oswald came back from the storage room with a frying pan and a giant wok pan, both as black as oil. The frying pan was the same as the one Jona had described to Gu, with a long handle, and the wok pan was huge, about 130cm in diameter.

Jona: "Gu, did you make these?"

Guberth: "Yep, they turned out good, huh?"

Jona: "Yes, they're amazing. But where did you get the black iron? I'm sure we didn't have any."

Valz: "It was me! I bought some when I was going to the cave where you met Aknurb."

Jona: "Why, Valz?"

Valz: "I went there to investigate and look for a trace of Aknurb, but I found nothing. At least I bought black iron."

Jona: "But what about the money to make this equipment?"

Oswald: "Don't worry about it, young man. Guberth brought a lot of clients to me, so I let him use the forge when there was no one in the shop."

Guberth: "So, did you like the present, Jona?"

Jona: "Of course, I loved it! You made exactly what I asked for. I'm impressed that you were able to remember it just from a drawing I made on the sandy floor as an example."

Guberth: "Of course, I remembered. I'm a great blacksmith."

Valz: "Well, let's get to the important part: testing your new equipment."

Jona: "Yes, and could you help me, Valz?"

Valz: "Sure."

They went back to the guild's training area. Jona strapped the wok pan to his back and the frying pan to his waist. Before they started, Valz began talking.

Valz: "Jona, before we start, can you tell me your current stats?"

Jona: "Ah, yes, of course. Just a moment. Status."

Jona: "[My status window. I still can't read what's written, but I remember the order correctly.]"

Jona: "Strength - 15, Dexterity - 8, Endurance - 10, Magic - 12, Faith - 4, Charisma - 90."

Jona: "My stats have increased, just a little, but still higher."

Valz: "Interesting. Well, let's get started."

The fight begins, but this time Jona has weapons with longer reach. With that in mind, he advances towards Valz, delivering the same blow as in their first battle. Valz defends against it, creating a shockwave and blowing wind in all directions. The blow carries the same strength as the one used against Aknurb, but unlike that time, Jona's hands and the frying pan remain intact.

Valz: "HAHA, YOU ALWAYS IMPRESS ME WITH YOUR STRENGTH."

Jona: "Thank you, but why is my hand okay this time?"

Guberth, who was watching in the background, yells.

Guberth: "It's because I made a guard that prevents you from hurting your hand when attacking."

Jona: "(VERY EXCITED) AMAZING, GU."

Guberth: "Blush It's not like your compliments make me happy."

Valz: "Don't get distracted in the middle of the fight."

Valz advances towards Jona with a thrusting attack aimed at his chest, but Jona defends it using the frying pan. Like the first time, he is thrown back, but this time he remains standing.

Valz: "It also passed the resistance test."

Jona: "[My frying pan is intact, without any cracks or scratches. Gu did a great job.]"

Valz: "Take your other pan. Let's try it out."

Jona picks up his wok pan from his back, unsure of how to use it. One thing is clear, though: the handles of the wok pan can be changed to be inside or outside.

Valz: "Prepared?"

Jona gets into a defensive position, placing his whole body behind the wok pan and holding it with all his strength.

Jona: "Yes."

Valz: "Okay, here I go."

Valz prepares an attack with his sword, which ignites in flames. The surrounding air heats up, and he unleashes a blazing strike toward Jona at high speed. To defend against the attack, just before it reaches Jona, he pushes the wok pan toward the blow. The attack is powerful, and Jona's scream can be heard, but he manages to defend against it, though his arms are exhausted.

Valz: "Incredible, boy! You managed to withstand one of my most powerful blows, and not only that, your pan is intact."

Jona: "Well *breathe* yes, but *breathe* I can't move a muscle."

Valz: "Haha, come on, I didn't even use my buffs."

Jona: "Buff?"

Valz: "Those are skills with no mana cost that increase your physical stats over a period of time."

Jona: "Wait, so if I'm not a wizard, can I still use these buffs?"

Valz: "Well, yes. After all, that's the goal of buffs."

Jona: "Please teach me."

Valz: "*Giggles* I was going to teach you already."

Jona: "*Relief* Seriously? But Valz, what kind of monster are you? You're too powerful."

Valz: "*Smile* This is nothing! Hm... I know, do you want to see my stats?"

Jona: "Can I see them?"

Valz: "Sure, here's my status."

Valz's status window appears in front of him, and his stats are as follows: Strength - 205, Dexterity - 200, Endurance - 180, Magic - 56, Faith - 28, Charisma - 75.

Jona: "YOU'RE TOO STRONG!"

Jona: "[And not only that, he has so many things written in an area where mine only has one thing.]"

Jona: "What's this area, Valz?"

Valz: "These are natural skills. They're always active regardless of the carrier's will. They can be acquired from birth or during life."

Jona: "WOW! YOU HAVE SO MANY NATURAL SKILLS!"

Valz: "Hey, kid, don't you know how to read?"

Jona: "No, and I can't write either."

Valz: "Well, that's a problem. How will you analyze your status window if you can't even read it?"

Jona: "Hehe."

Valz: "Don't 'HEHE' at me. It's serious. I'll ask Lili to teach you how to read. She's a great teacher."

Jona: "The wizard who's training Adan?"

Valz: "Yep."

Jona: "Could it be another day? I'd like to take tomorrow off. After two weeks of nonstop training, I need a break."

Valz: "Sure, the day after tomorrow then. We'll meet here at the guild early in the morning."

Jona: "Sounds good."

Valz: "But why do you want to take tomorrow off?"

Jona: "I have a date."

Valz: "(SURPRISED) WITH WHO? YOU HAVEN'T LEFT HERE. I'M SURE YOU HAVEN'T MET ANY WOMEN!"

Jona: "(Laughs) It's not with a woman. It's with Mai, the slime. I say 'date,' but I just want to spend time with her."

Valz: "I see... wait, Mai? Did you name her?"

Jona: "Yes, why?"

Valz turns to the bleachers where Mai and Guberth were and speaks.

Valz: "Hey, slime! Did you accept the name he gave you?"

Mai: "Yeah, I don't really care about that."

Valz: "(Smile) Well, then we have a problem."

Jona: "What do you mean, Valz? What happened?"

Valz: "Open your status window again."

Jona: "Okay. Status."

Valz: "Alright... let me see... oh yeah, say 'Contract.'"

Jona: "Contract."

A small status window opened next to Jona's, displaying the following stats: Strength - 35, Dextery-32, Endurance - 80, Magic - 92, Faith - 30, Charisma - 22.

Jona: "What is this?"

Valz: "It's the slime's status, or rather, Mai's status."

Jona: "What?"

Mai: "What?"

Valz: "Remember when Father Erdnaxel mentioned that Mai was your 'Companion'? Well, this is a common term used when a monster and a humanoid being make a contract. To establish the contract, the monster needs to abandon its old name and receive a new one, signifying a vote of confidence. And judging by your reactions, I'm pretty sure neither of you knew about it. Well, now there's nothing to do. It's a lifetime contract that only ends when one of you dies."

Jona: "Oh... no..."

After that conversation, they all returned to Valz's house. Jona couldn't help but feel sad, realizing he unknowingly entered into a lifelong contract with Mai.