To keep slimes in the Cardigan Family, there are several conditions.
The reasons for this are primarily on the human side, and have little to do with the slimes themselves.
However, those human reasons can sometimes lead to a poor environment for the slimes.
Scott showed a look of understanding as Kousuke spoke, not only considering the human side but also properly taking the slimes’ circumstances into account.
“I see. I must admit, you’re right when you say it like that. In this case, it can’t be helped…”
“No. If that’s the case, then you may keep them.”
Renna, who had begun to give up, spoke to Scott, retracting her previous statement.
Renna also felt that she didn’t want him to give up his dream for her sake.
However, Kousuke shook his head at such Rennne.
“No. It would be better to refrain from that.”
“Wh-why…?”
Renna looked puzzled at Kousuke’s rejection.
After looking at Rennne, Kousuke then looked at Renka.
Sensing the meaning of his gaze, Renka nodded at Kousuke and then looked at Rennne.
“Mother. I’m sorry, but even I don’t think I could entrust a slime to you in your current state.”
“Renka…!”
Hearing these words from her own daughter, Rennne’s face showed a slight hint of hurt.
Her expression clearly conveyed that she didn’t understand why.
As Renka was about to continue, Kousuke looked at Renka and said,
“Renka, thank you. I’ll explain the rest.”
Kousuke decided it would be better to speak himself rather than have his own daughter do so, and looked at Rennne.
“Lady Rennne. Your decision right now seems to be solely based on considering Lord Scott’s circumstances. With that kind of mindset, I don’t believe you can properly care for a slime even if you were entrusted with one.”
Even if Rennne were to acquire a slime in her current state, it would be solely for Scott’s sake, not out of her own desire to cherish and raise a slime.
Of course, Kousuke had only met Rennne a few times, but even so, he didn’t believe she would treat a slime carelessly.
However, this was a different matter entirely.
As Kousuke had investigated earlier, when keeping a monster, unlike pets such as dogs, one cannot delegate the care to others.
As Renka is doing now, most of the care must be done by oneself.
Kousuke couldn’t judge whether Rennne, who decided to keep a slime for Scott’s sake, would be willing to spend a long time doing such things.
Considering these circumstances and the slimes, Kousuke could only reply, as he said, “It’s impossible for now.”
Kousuke’s harsh words made Rennne look a little shocked.
As someone who had married into a Duke’s family, and originally a noble daughter herself, Rennne had always been taken care of by others, and had rarely taken care of anyone herself.
Of course, she had properly raised her children, including Renka, but that was with the help of maids.
She had lived a life where she had never even considered raising them entirely by her own hands.
Realizing that she hadn’t considered raising a slime herself at all, as Kousuke pointed out, Rennne was inwardly aghast.
Scott, who had been watching Rennne’s face from the side, patted her shoulder.
“Rennne. Let’s give up this time.”
“…You.”
As Rennne was about to say “Sorry,” Scott smiled and shook his head.
“No, there’s no need to apologize. I was also underestimating what it means to keep a monster… Honestly. I see Renka every day, so where was I looking?”
Scott said this in a straightforward tone, and he seemed to truly accept the current situation.
Scott removed his hand from Rennne’s shoulder and looked back at Kousuke before continuing.
“Therefore, we will give up on acquiring the slime this time. However, if possible, we would like to ask again when we are properly prepared.”
“Yes. Of course, that is acceptable. As I said before, that is my wish as well.”
“Lord Kou’s wish?”
Renka looked puzzled and tilted her head at Kousuke’s words, which she was hearing for the first time.
Kousuke chuckled at Renka and said,
“Well, perhaps I’ll tell you about it someday, Renka.”
“Mmm. You won’t tell me now?”
“It’s a secret for now.”
Kousuke put his right index finger to his mouth with an amused expression, and Renka made a “Moo” face before immediately bursting into laughter.
She had noticed that Kousuke had carefully added the word “for now.”
Scott looked at Renka with a slightly mischievous grin and said,
“Well, Renka, you’ll understand many things when you grow up.”
“Mmm. I am a grown-up!”
“Yes, yes. You are.”
Lightly brushing off Renka’s protest, Scott was smiling.
Watching their interaction, Kousuke realized that a strong bond of kinship existed between them.
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Floria, who had returned to the management layer from the Cardigan Family, asked Kousuke as she watched him.
“Was that the right thing to do?”
“Yeah. Well, it can’t be helped, can it? Slimes can probably survive on their own if left alone, but that wouldn’t be considered keeping them (taming them).”
If Rennne were to abandon raising the slime, in the worst-case scenario, the stewards might end up exterminating it.
Of course, that’s an extreme case, but at the very least, if she abandoned it midway, it would cause trouble.
While he didn’t think that family would do something so terrible, since they were dealing with a monster, it was unpredictable how the surroundings would react.
Considering that, Kousuke didn’t think Scott’s final decision was wrong.
“No, that’s fine, but what I want to say is, even if you look for a master like Renka, it’s unlikely you’ll find one.”
Kousuke is considering spreading familiars to people.
However, Floria’s opinion was that it would be quite difficult to find someone with Renka’s level of compatibility.
Kousuke replied to Floria with a shrug of his shoulders.
“I suppose that can’t be helped either. I’m not in a hurry, so that’s fine.”
Even if Kousuke were to rush the spread for his own convenience (?), it would be counterproductive if it harmed the familiars.
Kousuke, who had no intention of rushing the spread, thought it was fine to wait for the right time.
“However, if Lord Kousuke stays shut in, even those who should be found won’t be found?”
“Ugh.”
Sylvia, who delivered a sharp remark, left Kousuke speechless, and he glanced sideways.
It might sound like “You’ve dragged this out so long, and in the end, you’re not keeping it?!”
However, please forgive me, as such things can happen.
I wanted to teach you that keeping a monster is not such an easy thing.
