The haunting memories

Jona: [It dawned, I didn't sleep very well because I kept thinking if I hurt Mai, but I can't let that affect me, I need to make up for it on the "date" I'll have with her today. I'm staying at Valz's house because of training, as he says, "I don't want you to run away again!" His house is quite big, with 2 floors, a huge bathroom, and even maids, basically, Valz is rich. Valz also offered for Gu and Adan to stay at his house, but Gu declined, not wanting to be a bother, and Adan declined as he will already be staying at Lili's house for training.]

Jona heads to the kitchen for breakfast, noticing that Valz wasn't at home, he decided to ask Rose, the head maid, about him.

Jona: "Good morning, Rose, where did Valz go?"

Rose - "Good morning, Master Jona, Master Valz went out for a mission early in the morning, he will only be back in the afternoon, but breakfast is already ready, you can sit and eat."

Jona: "Thank you very much!"

Jona: [Rose is very dedicated to her job, not to mention she is very beautiful, with her tan skin and striking white hair, as well as her brown eyes.]

Lost in his thoughts, Jona sits down, only realizing later that Mai is already at the table eating.

Jona: "Good... morning, Mai."

Jona's voice falters due to the nervousness caused by the previous day.

Mai: "Good morning, I see you're nervous because of yesterday, you don't have to worry, it's already done."

Jona: "I'm sorry, I really didn't know."

Mai: "You apologize a lot, even for things that aren't your fault."

Jona: "What do you mean?"

Jona: "Well, it's probably your personality, if you don't realize it, I don't think there's much to be done."

Jona: [I'm glad that Mai isn't mad at me, I'll ask about our "date".]

Jona: "Mai, would you like to stroll around the city with me today?"

Mai: "Why do you want to hang out with me so much?"

Jona: "Due to my training, I haven't had time to get to know you better, so I thought maybe a city walk would be a good way."

Mai: "Hm..."

The little slime shows suspicion but ultimately decides to go to the city with Jona.

Mai: "Alright."

After finishing breakfast and getting ready to leave, two girls approach them. They are Crisa and Fresia, Valz's twin little sisters who work as maids. Both are identical, with long and straight light pink hair. The only way to differentiate them is by the color of their eyes, with Crisa having blue eyes and Fresia having green eyes.

Jona: "Good morning, Crisa, Fresia."

Crisa/Fresia: "Good morning, Master Jona."

Jona: "What are you doing by the door?"

Crisa: "We were waiting for you. Valz asked us to give you better clothes before you leave."

Jona: [I really need better clothes. This sports kit is already worn out and torn.]

Jona: "Alright, where are these clothes?"

They didn't respond. Each one took one of his hands and pulled him upstairs, leading him to a room filled with clothes. Rose was already there, waiting with a set of clothes hanging and separated.

Jona: "Wow, so many things."

While Jona was lost among the clothes, Fresia signaled for him to lower his head. She then took Mai, who was on his head and sat in a chair, starting to play with her. Crisa joined them shortly after.

Jona: "They're so adorable."

Rose: "Alright, Master Jona, allow me to change your clothes."

Jona: "Uh, sure."

Jona: [Wait, change? What do you mean?]

Jona looks down and within a second, he finds himself completely naked.

Jona: "(Embarrassed) W-Wait, w-what are you doing?"

Rose: "I'm helping you change."

Jona: "N-No need, I can do it myself."

Rose: "I'm sorry, but as a maid, it's my duty. Now, open your arms so I can finish!"

Jona: "NNNNNOOOOO!"

Jona: [It happened so fast that I didn't even realize she was dressing me.]

Rose: "Alright, now I'll do the final adjustments."

Jona: [I have to stay in a T-pose for a while. The twins are still playing with Mai, and she doesn't seem to mind.]

Jona: "Mai."

Mai: "Yes?"

Jona: "You can change the shape of your body, right?"

Mai: "Yes, I can!"

Jona: "Could you transform into a humanoid form, like your old form, but smaller?"

Mai: "Hm..."

Mai jumps off Fresia's lap and stands on the floor. Then a light begins to envelop her body, and within seconds, she takes the form of a child.

Mai: "Is this good?"

Jona: [Hm... I see that she tried to imitate the girls and Rose to create her appearance. Her height is almost the same as the twins, but her hair is like Rose's, only blue. But above all...]

Jona: "WHY ARE YOU NAKED?"

Mai: "I can't create clothes out of thin air."

Rose: "Master Jona, I didn't know you were a lolicon."

Jona: "I'M NOT A LOLICON, ROSE! Crisa, Fresia, could you please help her choose some clothes?"

Crisa/Fresia: "Yes, sir."

Jona: [My day hasn't even started, and I'm already getting tired.]

Rose: "You're ready."

Jona: "Wow."

Rose: "Is it to your liking, Master Jona?"

Jona: "Of course, this outfit is amazing."

The outfit consists of a black coat with red details on the buttons, as well as a red belt. The pants and boots are also black with brown accents. The entire outfit is made of leather.

Jona: "Wow, I look like a real adventurer."

Crisa/Fresia: "Master Jona! Ta-da!"

They clear the way as if they were introducing someone, and in the middle, between them, is Mai wearing a light blue dress that matches the color of her hair, with small golden ornaments on her arms.

Jona: "Mai, you look so cute."

Mai lowers her head slightly.

Mai: "Let's just go on the date, silly."

Jona: [Silly? Did she just call me silly?]

Rose: "Master Jona, Valz also asked me to give you this."

Rose hands him a small bag with about 1000M$.

Jona: "(Surprised) So much money, but why?"

Rose: "For you to buy better equipment, Master."

Jona: "I can't accept this, it's too much, and you're already hosting me in your house, giving me food for free, and helping me."

Rose: "Master Valz said that if you tried to refuse, I should get angry and throw it in your face."

Jona: [How does she say that with such a serious face.]

Rose: "Just kidding."

Jona: [SO IT WAS A JOKE?!]

Rose: "Nevertheless, it's a gift from Master Valz. You should accept it."

Jona: "*Sigh* Alright then, I'll accept it."

Jona takes the money and goes to join Mai.

Jona: "Well, I'm going out now. See you later."

Rose: "Have a nice outing, Master Jona!"

It was morning, so Jona decided to go to the fair that takes place on the main road of the city. He spent the entire morning there, talking with Mai and getting to know her. At the fair, they ate at the food stalls, bought new clothes, and walked around. They were so engrossed in conversation that they didn't realize the fair was closing, and it was starting to get late. They decided to visit Guberth, the blacksmith at the guild, to buy new equipment.

Guberth: "Welcome! Oh, Jona, it's you!"

Jona: "Good afternoon, Gu! I'd like to buy some better equipment."

Guberth: "Alright, what are you looking for?"

Jona: "I want something that can offer me a bit of protection but isn't too heavy."

Guberth: "Hm... Let me see what I can find."

Guberth turned and went to the blacksmith's warehouse. While they waited, Jona decided to start a conversation with Mai.

Jona: "Mai, you're a mage, right?"

Mai: "Well, you could say that, since my main attacks are magical."

Jona: "Wouldn't it be better for you to use a staff or some accessory that enhances your magical proficiency?"

Mai: "Why do you care about that kind of thing?"

Jona: "What do you mean?"

Mai: "*Sigh* Never mind, it seems asking you questions like that doesn't make sense."

Jona: [What did Mai mean by that?]

Guberth: "Here, Jona, I found some things you can use."

Guberth returned from the warehouse, carrying some equipment like a pair of gauntlets, a small chest plate, a single pauldron, and a pair of boots, all made of steel.

Guberth: "These equipment pieces are lighter since they are a bit thinner and smaller than the other armors. Maybe you'll be able to handle them."

Jona: "Alright, can I try them on?"

Guberth: "Of course."

Jona put on the new equipment. He found it a little heavy, but he felt he could manage and get used to it over time.

Jona: "So, Gu, how do I look?"

Guberth: "Well, now you can truly be called an adventurer. It looks perfect."

Jona: "(Happy) Really? Thank you so much, Gu!"

Guberth: "(Embarrassed) Y-Yes, of course... *Clears throat* So, Jona, there's something that's been bothering me. Who is this little girl by your side?"

Jona: "Oh, her? She's Mai, the slime."

Guberth: "(SURPRISED) THAT SLIME TURNED INTO THIS LITTLE GIRL? HOW?"

Mai: "I can alter the shape of my body. I thought you had noticed since when we fought, I was much larger."

Guberth: "That makes sense, but I never imagined you could mimic the human form so perfectly. You're the first slime I've seen that can do that, if not the only one."

Jona: "Indeed, she looks adorable in this form. Makes me want to hug her all the time."

Guberth: "Jona, are you some kind of lolicon?"

Jona: "I'M NOT A LOLICON."

Guberth: "Riiight."

Jona: "Changing the subject, Gu, do you know any shops that sell equipment for mages?"

Guberth: "Ah, yes. Just ahead of the guild, there's a shop owned by a renowned man. You'll recognize it by its peculiar shape, resembling a tower. The shop belongs to Merlindo, one of the greatest mages in this kingdom."

Jona: "Alright. Hey, now that I think about it, I never asked for the name of the kingdom we're in."

Guberth: "Well, since you never asked, I assumed you knew. The kingdom is called Revert."

Jona: "What a peculiar name."

Guberth: "Laughs I agree, but it's the name of the royal family, so there's not much to be done about it. Well, go to the magical items shop. I need to get back to work."

Jona: "Alright, Gu, and how much do I owe you for everything?"

Guberth: "It's 400M$."

Jona counts the coins and hands them to Guberth. After the payment, he heads towards the door.

Jona: "Goodbye, Gu."

Guberth: "See you."

Jona leaves the guild. Guberth mentioned that the shop is just ahead. He looks around and spots a tower-shaped building on the road to the right of the guild entrance. He heads towards it to check it out.

Jona: "Excuse me, a friend recommended this shop to me for buying mage equipment."

Lili: "Welcome, well, if it isn't the boy Valz is training."

Jona: "Miss Lili, what are you doing here?"

Lili: "Just Lili is fine."

Jona: "Ah, I'm sorry, it's just a force of habit."

Lili: "*Giggles* You're quite an interesting little boy."

Jona: "(Embarrassed) Hehe. So, Lili, what brings you here?"

Lili: "I'm taking care of the shop for my Master. He had to leave to attend to some personal matters."

Jona: "So, Merlindo is your master?"

Lili: "Yes."

Jona: "By any chance, is Adan with you?"

Lili: "Well, he was, but he got bored and went for a stroll in the city."

Jona: "I see."

Jona: [It's been a while since I've seen Adan. I wanted to chat with him a bit.]

Lili: "By the way, why do you want to buy mage equipment? I'm almost certain you're a fighter."

Jona: "It's not for me; it's for Mai."

Lili: "Mai?"

Jona points to Mai, who is standing next to him. Instantly, Lili's face lights up with a smile, as if she had seen a small animal pup.

Lili: "OH MY GOODNESS, WHO IS THIS ADORABLE LITTLE THING?"

Mai: "Hmm?"

Lili rushes over and hugs Mai, showering her with affection.

Mai - "Stop it, human mage, you're suffocating me."

Jona - "Lili, calm down."

Lili: "(Excited) I'm sorry, it's been so long since I've seen something this cute! I need to go to Valz's house to visit Crisa and Fresia."

Jona: "But anyway, this is Mai, the slime that was with me when you visited me at the church."

Lili: "That slime turned into this adorable little girl?"

Mai: "Hey, what do you mean by 'that slime,' you silly mage?"

Lili: "*Excited* She's even cute when she's angry."

Mai: "GET AWAY FROM ME, HUMAN MAGE."

Jona: "Alright, alright. Lili, is there anything that can help her with magical proficiency?"

Lili: "*Clears throat* Well, I'll see if I can find something that suits her. But first, which element do you have the most proficiency in?"

Mai: "Well, I don't specialize in any particular element."

Lili: "Alright, I'll check if I can find something."

Lili begins searching the shelves. Mai stands next to Jona, hiding behind his leg and clutching his shirt. A silly smile appears on Jona's face due to Mai's cuteness.

Lili: "Here, I found something."

Lili approaches them, holding a ring with a dark stone speckled with white dots, resembling a starry night sky.

Lili: "This ring enhances all your spells, though not by much. But I believe it should be enough for you."

Jona: "Alright, and how much does it cost?"

Lili: "300M$."

Jona: "I'll take it."

Jona counts the remaining coins from his day and hands the amount to Lili. He takes the ring and instantly puts it on Mai's finger.

Mai: "Why did you put it on my finger already?"

Jona: "Hm... I don't know, it was automatic."

The ring, which was slightly loose before, shrinks and adjusts to fit Mai's finger.

Jona: "Now, I'll check the improvement, status."

Jona utters those words, but nothing happens.

Jona: "Huh?"

Lili: "Jona, let me see your status sphere."

Jona: "Ah."

Jona now remembers that the sphere was in his sports outfit, which was destroyed due to its condition.

Lili: "You lost it, didn't you?"

Jona: "*Crying* Yessssss."

Lili: "HOW DID YOU LOSE YOUR STATUS SPHERE?"

Jona: "*crying* I forgot it in my old clothes."

Lili: "And where is it?"

Jona: "ROSE AND THE GIRLS THREW IT AWAY."

Lili: "Well, it's okay. Present your adventurer card at the guild, and they'll give you a new one."

Jona: "Ah."

The card was also in Jona's old clothes.

Lili: "JONAAAA."

Jona: "I'M SORRRYYYY."

Jona returns to the guild accompanied by Lili and explains his situation to Shila. She sighs with disappointment but understands the situation. She issued him a new card along with a new status sphere, but he had to pay 100M$ for the service, leaving only 30M$ from the money Valz had given him.

Lili: "Hey, Jona, give me your translation necklace."

Jona: "Wait."

Lili takes the necklace from around her neck and starts casting a spell along with the status sphere.

Mai: "NORA SHASHIN GLA BLAMERIN?"

Mai says those words, but Jona, confused, only shrugs and gestures with his shoulders and hands to show that he didn't understand.

Lili: "MERE JONA, CANU PETY."

Lili extends her hand, returning the necklace to Jona. The status sphere has disappeared. Without thinking too much, Jona puts the necklace back on to be able to communicate with Mai.

Jona: "What did you do?"

Lili: "I embedded your status sphere into your translation necklace to prevent you from losing it. Try using it."

Jona: "Okay, status."

The status window appears in front of Jona, and the values have changed due to his new equipment. The new values are: Strength - 21, Dexterity - 12, Endurance - 23, Magic - 13, Faith - 5, Charisma - 102.

Jona: "Wow, my stats improved just with my equipment?"

Lili: "Yes, some equipment has that property."

Jona: "Now, Mai, Contract."

Jona: "(Surprised) Mai, your stats have changed a lot."

Mai: "Hm... let me see."

Jona crouches down beside Mai so she can see the stats. The numbers are completely different from before: Strength - 46, Dexterity - 35, Endurance - 50, Magic - 138, Faith - 45, Charisma - 26.

Jona: "Mai, does this have to do with your current form?"

Mai: "Maybe. My endurance has dropped significantly, but my magic attack has increased a lot."

Jona: [Well, it makes sense since in this form she looks much more fragile, but she still has much more endurance than me... so basically... I'm weaker than a little girl.]

Jona falls to his knees on the ground, feeling depressed.

Jona: "Alright, now that we're done with our shopping, let's go back to Valz's house."

Jona says this in a melancholic tone.

Mai: "Alright."

Jona: "Thank you, Lili."

Lili: "You're welcome, Jona. See you tomorrow at Valz's house."

Jona: "At Valz's house?"

Lili: "Yes, remember he asked me to teach you how to read and write."

Jona: "Yes, but I thought we were going to your house."

Lili: "My house is very small, it's better to do it at Valz's house. Besides, Crisa and Fresia are there."

Lili says this while drooling from her mouth.

Jona: [I think Lili is the real lolicon.]

Jona: "Well, see you tomorrow then, Lili."

Lili: "Until then."

Both of them returned to Valz's house. Valz had already returned from his mission and was waiting for them in the main hall.

Valz: "Hey, welcome back, Jona, Mai! How was your date?"

Jona: "It was a lot of fun, right, Mai?"

Mai: "*Embarrassed* Well, yes, Jona bought me a lot of things."

Jona: "Mai, you're so cute."

Mai turns her face, clearly hiding her embarrassment.

Valz: "So, Jona, what about the money?"

Jona: "I spent it all."

Jona says these words with an innocent smile on his face.

Valz: "You spent 1000M$ in one day."

Jona: "Yes."

Valz: "*Laughter* Well, at least you bought better equipment."

Jona: "Well, I had the money, so I thought, let's spend it, right?"

Valz: "*Laughter* I guess I'll have to ask Lili to teach you about economics too."

Jona: "*laughs* Probably."

Valz: "Well, let's have dinner. Rose and the girls have already set the table."

Jona: "Okay."

They went to the dining room and started eating. The dinner was delicious, and they had great company since the maids also sat at the table with Valz.

Crisa: "Master Jona, let's play after dinner?"

Fresia: "Yes, yes, let's play."

Rose: "Remember, you two have to help me with the dishes."

Crisa/Fresia: "But Miss Rose."

Valz: "It's alright, Rose. I'll help you. Let them rest a bit."

Crisa/Fresia: "Yes!"

Rose: "Master Valz, you spoil them too much."

The dinner continued in high spirits until they finally finished eating. Fresia came running and started pulling Jona's arm with a smile on her face.

Fresia: "Come on, come play!"

Jona: "Alright, alright."

Crisa went to Mai.

Crisa: "Come, Mai, let's play too."

Mai: "Me too?"

The girls pulled both of them to the main hall and asked them to sit on the carpet.

Jona: "So, what are we going to play?"

Fresia: "Let's play house."

Crisa: "Yes, yes, Master Jona will be the daddy, and Mai will be the mommy."

Jona: "Okay, and what about you two?"

Crisa/Fresia: "We'll be the daughters."

Jona: "Alright, and how does the game start?"

Crisa: "I don't know."

Jona: "Yes, can't we just start?"

Jona: "Hm... Okay, I'll start, and you both follow along, alright?"

Crisa/Fresia: "Yes."

It's impressive how these two have the same personality, it's almost impossible to tell them apart.

Jona: "Ahhh, I'm so tired. It's been a long day of work."

He says this while mimicking putting a briefcase on the floor and adjusting his tie.

Crisa: "Daddy, you're home!"

Fresia: "Yes, yes, you're home!"

Jona: "Oh, my princesses, daddy's back. Where is mommy?"

Mai tries to join in the game.

Mai: "W-Welcome back, Jona."

Fresia: "No, no, mommy, you have to call daddy 'darling.'"

Crisa: "That's right, you have to call him 'darling.'"

Jona: [Ah, this is so adorable.]

Mai: "*Embarrassed* W-Welcome b-b-back, d-d-darling."

Jona: [AHHH, I'M IN CUTENESS HEAVEN.]

Jona: "*Smiling* I'm home."

Crisa: "YAY, mommy called daddy 'darling.'"

Fresia - "Yes, yes, she did."

Mai: "*Embarrassed* I called because you asked me to."

Crisa: "*Laughs* Mommy is mad."

Fresia: "*Laughs* Yes, yes, she is."

They played for a long time. It had been a while since Jona had enjoyed himself like this. Eventually, it got late, and Mai was getting sleepy. The girls ended up falling asleep on the floor.

Rose: "It seems like you all had a lot of fun."

Valz: "Oh Rose, where's Valz?"

Rose: "Master Valz was tired from his mission and went to bed already."

Jona: "*Smiling* I see."

Rose: "Master Jona."

Jona: "Yes?"

Rose: "Thank you for always playing and taking care of these girls."

Jona: "Don't worry, I love children."

Rose: "Master Jona, may I tell you a story?"

Jona: "Of course, which one?"

Rose: "The story of how the three of us met Master Valz. I believe you've noticed that the two of them don't have parents and live here because of that."

Jona: "Yes, but I didn't want to ask and hurt anyone's feelings."

Rose: "*Smiling* As I thought, you're a kind person, Master Jona."

Jona: "Hehe."

Rose: "Well, these two used to live in a small village to the west of here, a peaceful and simple village, but very beautiful. However, one day, that village was attacked by the Demon King's army, specifically by the army led by Lio, one of Osnoff's generals."

Jona: [Another general besides Aknurb.]

Rose: "They managed to escape from there alive, but their family, friends, acquaintances, they were all killed in the attack. As if going through such a traumatic experience wasn't enough, in the middle of their escape, they were captured by a group of bandits who sold slaves, and that's where I met both of them."

Jona: "You were also captured to be sold as a slave?"

Rose: "Yes, but my case was different from theirs. My father had a debt with the bandits and sold me to pay it off."

Jona: "Sons of a bitch."

Anger is clearly visible on Jona's face.

Rose: "*Surprised*"

Jona: "Ah, I'm sorry, I just..."

Rose: "Alright, it's just that it's the first time I've seen you saying something like that. But well, continuing the story, the three of us were confined in a place without the minimum support to keep us alive. We received little food, people constantly died, and worst of all, we were mistreated frequently... Master Jona, your expression."

Rose's face froze, Jona had an extremely terrifying expression.

Jona: "So you're saying they mistreated the three of you?"

Rose: "*Sadly* Yes."

Jona: "How old were they at the time?"

Rose: "9."

Jona punches the ground, but nothing happens, not even a loud sound. Or rather, no sound was heard, which would be normal due to the wooden floor. However, the anger was still expressed on his face.

Rose: "Master Jona?"

Jona calms down and controls his breathing.

Jona: "It's nothing."

Jona: [So my power also applies to my fists? Even with my normal strength, it would have made a noise, but my punch was as weak as a silent step.]

Jona: "I'm sorry about that, please continue the story."

Rose: "After being held captive with the bandits for about four months, the girls were completely traumatized and mentally broken. If they continued in that state, they would die of dehydration or starvation. That's when Valz, on a mission, destroyed the bandits and saved everyone imprisoned there. And when he saw the three of us together, he came to us and embraced us. Can you guess what he did?"

Jona: "What?"

Rose: "(Smiling) He started apologizing for not arriving earlier."

Jona: "That sounds like Valz."

Rose: "Yes, since then we decided to serve him here in the mansion."

Jona: "I'm glad you all got to meet Valz."

Rose: "Yes, we're really glad."

Jona shows a brief but sincere smile.

Rose: "From your smile, I can tell you're thinking about how to help us, right?"

Jona: "*Embarrassed* Uh, n-no."

Rose: "*Laughs* Just as I thought, you're a good person, Jona."

Jona: "Hehe."

Jona: [Am I really that easy to read?]

Rose: "Could you help me take the girls to their rooms?"

Jona: "Of course."

He approaches to pick up Crisa, while Rose goes to Fresia. In their movements, Mai wakes up.

Jona: "Sorry, Mai. I didn't mean to wake you up."

Mai: "*Yawns* It's okay, I'll go to my room."

Jona: "Alright, I'll help Rose take the girls to their rooms."

Mai nods and starts climbing the stairs. Jona picks up Crisa in his arms and follows Rose to the girls' room. There, they place them on the bed and prepare to leave, but Jona hears Fresia murmuring in her sleep.

Fresia: "Daddy."

Her face looks sad, on the verge of tears. She's probably having a nightmare about her past memories. Jona kneels down and kisses each of their foreheads.

Jona: "Don't worry, Daddy is here."

Their expressions change, they calm down and sleep more peacefully. Jona then goes to his own room and prepares to sleep.

Jona: "*Whispering* Mai, hey Mai."

Mai: "*Sleepy* Huh? Yes?"

Jona: "*Whispering* What are you doing in my bed?"

Mai: "*Yawns* Whaaaaat are you talking about? We always sleep together."

Jona: [Well, that's true, but she used to be in slime form before.]

Mai: "Just lie down already, let's go to sleep."

Jona: "*Whispering* Even if you say so... *Sigh* Alright then, good night."

Mai: "Good night."

He lies down next to Mai, thinking about the story Rose told him and feeling anger every time he remembers it. He stays like that for a while until he finally manages to fall asleep.