"A sli that actually understands human speech..."
Paulen stared blankly at the sli, bewildered.
After all, if it couldn’t understand human words, it wouldn't have massaged Alia’s shoulder at Presia’s request.
Despite witnessing it herself, Paulen remained skeptical and gave the sli several commands to test it.
He asked it to move here, massage there, or jump three tis if it understood the instructions.
When the sli executed every single test perfectly, even Alia and Presia had to admit that it possessed remarkable intelligence.
The viewers, who were watching this unfold, burst into laughter.
▶ 😂😂😂 Here we go again.
▶😂😂😂 Humans always think they're the smartest.
▶😂😂😂 Can't even use the system, what dummies.
Since they had seen many similar reactions on the sli’s broadcasts, viewers felt a peculiar sense of satisfaction.
[Squishy Queen]▶ I don’t like this! Commanding my kin just for confirmation!
▶ But don’t you also use slis for tricks on your stream?
[Squishy Queen]▶ I’m the queen, so it’s fine!
[Thread-Lady]▶ I'm just happy seeing the adorable Squishy move around~.
[Just Slam First]▶ When’s the fight happening? Hurry up and use the tricks I taught you!
As various opinions flooded the chat, Presia saw hope in the sli.
'Maybe this sli could really make my idea a reality.'
Perhaps this sli was unique.
But having even one special sli made all the difference compared to none at all.
"Alia."
"Yes, Saintess Presia."
"This sli holds enormous potential. Stay close and nurture it well. If anyone can do it, it’s you."
Alia gulped nervously.
This wasn't just an intelligent sli—it was a monster capable of actual communication.
Alia understood clearly how extraordinary this was.
She’d brought the sli impulsively, never imagining it carried such a significant secret.
However, she couldn’t back down now by claiming, "This is too much for !"
"Yes."
'I hope our saintess will be okay.'
Paulen, seeing Alia tense beside her, grew concerned.
***
"Tongtong..."
"Damn it."
Godrick’s party had returned to the village, bitterly drinking away their frustration and helplessness.
The mont they saw the sli and Lesser Troll fall off the cliff, Def, Godrick, and Skol rushed to look down.
But the fierce currents had already swept everything far away, leaving nothing clearly visible.
They couldn't even attempt going down the cliff, and even if they had managed, finding the sli was already impossible.
Eventually, they had no choice but to return to the village with only proof of the Lesser Troll’s defeat.
The villagers were thrilled.
Finally, the Lesser Troll had been dealt with—and there had even been two!
The village chief tried to host a modest celebration to thank Godrick’s party, but the adventurers refused.
Initially, the chief couldn't understand their lancholy.
But soon he realized the sli that accompanied them was missing.
Though puzzled by their attachnt to a re sli, the insightful chief respected their wishes and didn't press further.
"Sorry. It's my fault for being careless."
Hawane hung his head, full of self-bla.
But Godrick shook his head firmly.
"No, it's not your fault. There was nothing we could've done. If anything, we should bla our own weakness."
Through this incident, Godrick realized just how dependent they had been on the sli.
Indeed, Godrick’s party had grown stronger through various missions.
But only with the sli’s help had they reached their current level.
In their hunts, Godrick’s party rely provided support; the sli had always been the main force.
And now, the result of that dependency was clear.
They froze in fear when the Lesser Troll appeared unexpectedly.
They survived only thanks to the sli’s intervention.
"Ugh... Tongtong..."
Def wept openly, mourning the loss of his sli companion.
Having spent the most ti with it, the void it left was enormous for Def.
"Argh! Stop crying, you idiot!"
Slap!
Skol angrily slapped Def's arm.
"We don't even know if Tongtong’s dead yet!"
"But..."
"But nothing! Hawane! And Godrick! Why are you guys already assuming it's dead?!"
Skol gritted his teeth, nearly in tears himself, but held back his emotions.
"Is Tongtong so ordinary sli? Huh? It's an unbelievably strange sli! It’s weirdly strong, jumps ridiculously high, and even glows at night! There's no way it would die that easily!"
"And slis don't drown! I'm sure... I'm sure it’s bouncing around stupidly sowhere right now!"
Skol’s furious words carried anger at himself and desperate hope.
"Yeah. We can't just sit here crying."
Godrick resolved himself and stood up.
"Everyone, tomorrow we’re heading back to the guild imdiately."
"B-Boss?"
"Skol’s right. Tongtong wouldn't die that easily. I'm sure it's alive sowhere. When we get back, we’ll imdiately start distributing flyers to find Tongtong."
"Flyers?"
"You think that’ll work?"
"You think there's another sli as unique as Tongtong? And Tongtong is friendly, so even if soone else finds it, it'll quickly beco close."
At Godrick's words, Hawane nodded, and Def agreed enthusiastically.
"With Tongtong’s personality, it would easily beco friends."
"Y-Yeah! Tongtong is super nice after all!"
“Besides, Tongtong isn't the type to just sit there and get hit. If there's danger, it'll dodge imdiately."
Skol jumped up excitedly in agreent.
“Exactly! That little guy’s insanely agile!”
As their conversation continued, Godrick’s party began to firmly believe that the sli was still alive.
Even thinking rationally, it was obvious that it wasn't the kind of sli that would die easily.
“All right, let's rest up tonight. Starting tomorrow, we're going to move to find Tongtong. And of course… we'll train harder so that when we reunite, it won't need to go through this again! Understood?!”
“Yes, Boss!”
Godrick party’s enthusiastic shouts echoed through the village tavern.
***
“Granny, I'll be leaving the forest for a while.”
“What on earth are you saying, Lady Nellin?!”
The Elven elder felt as shocked by Nellin’s sudden declaration as if struck by lightning from a clear sky.
“What do you an you're leaving the forest? Didn't you just return from Count Ludendion’s territory?”
“Exactly. That's why I'm going again.”
It had been a week since Nellin returned from Count Ludendion’s domain.
Since then, she'd been lost in thought at her ho.
She’d heard directly from Count Ludendion about the sli, and from his daughter, Jessie Ludendion, about life with a sli nad Alexandros II.
The stories were far from what one would expect of a normal sli.
A sli that enjoyed being read to, excelled at massages, was friendly to humans, and could even understand writing.
The more she heard, the more it felt like she was listening to tales of a mysterious treasure.
Moreover, Nellin herself had recounted stories from 50 years ago to Jessie.
Of course, she’d skipped the most embarrassing, chaotic details at Count Ludendion’s request.
Jessie had listened intently, her eyes sparkling at hearing vivid tales not recorded in any biographies.
Nellin enjoyed that gaze.
In fact, she loved it.
Whenever she'd tried to share stories with other elves in the village, they'd dismissively respond that they'd already heard them and hurry off to their own tasks.
Amidst the first truly enjoyable conversation in ages, Jessie’s enthusiastic question lingered deeply in Nellin’s mind.
“So, Lady Nellin, when will your next journey begin?”
“My next journey?”
“Yes! Not a journey to defeat calamities, but simply to explore the world! Soone like you, Lady Nellin, would create legends just by traveling!”
“Creating legends just by traveling? Hahaha! Aren’t you flattering too much?”
“Not at all! You possess both extraordinary character and skill! The world surely still has countless exciting events happening right now. Even casually solving a few incidents on your way would surely beco legendary!”
“Is that so? Hahaha! You're quite the sweet talker.”
“I’m rely stating facts!”
Nellin knew Jessie’s admiration was largely behind her enthusiastic words.
Yet, even knowing that, the conversation replayed continuously in her mind after returning ho.
“A journey without purpose, huh…”
Thinking about it, Nellin hadn’t left the forest of her own volition for the past fifty years.
The few exceptions were invitations or funerals of her old companions.
“Now that I think of it, I'm bored stiff here, yet it never occurred to to just head out.”
She was so accustod to village life that, despite feeling bored, traveling alone had never crossed her mind.
Practically speaking, there was no reason Nellin couldn't leave the forest.
Even if she left, the village wouldn’t face imdiate danger.
When she'd previously left to defeat the catastrophic black dragon, the elven village had remained perfectly safe in her absence.
'There's only one catch.'
The elder's nagging.
Thus, Nellin had spent an entire week preparing her excuses before confronting the elder.
As the elder panicked, Nellin calmly explained.
“What do you an ‘why’? I’m thinking of traveling the world for a bit.”
“But why would you do such a thing? You are a hero among elves! A hero should set an example for the villagers!”
“Let’s be frank, Granny. Do our villagers even respect ? Whenever I try to tell them old stories, they scatter because they're bored.”
“Ahem! I'll be sure to lecture them firmly about this later.”
“No, no. That's exactly what we shouldn’t do. Forcing it won't help, Granny. It's better if I co back with fresh stories instead.”
“Fresh stories?”
“Do you think nothing's changed in fifty years? Surely countless events are unfolding right now. If I travel, helping people in trouble and gaining so fa, our villagers will realize I'm still active.”
“But Lady Nellin, even without doing that, you're already…”
‘Now’s the ti!’
“Besides, Granny… sothing feels off.”
“Sothing feels off?”
“I've got an ominous feeling, just like fifty years ago. So, I think it’d be best to act first.”
“Fifty years ago… Surely you don't an…?!”
“You think I'd leave without reason after quietly staying in the village this long? Anyway, Granny, I’ll see you later.”
Of course, needless to say…
Nellin’s ominous feeling was completely made up.
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