This is a spin-off.
I have no name.
I have no father or mother.
I have no friends.
I am alone by the pond where I was born.
I had friends, but they were bullied by goblins and killed.
Some goblins can use magic.
Brrr, I’m scared.
We slimes are strong against physical attacks, but weak against magic.
It’s unfair for goblins to use magic.
I sneak around, avoiding the goblins’ eyes, and eat insects.
Because I’m afraid of goblins, I can’t eat delicious food like squirrels or rabbits.
I wish someone would defeat the goblins for me.
As I wished while eating a grasshopper, I heard something like footsteps.
It might be a goblin.
I need to hide quickly.
I take cover in the grass.
My heart is pounding, I wonder who it is.
Holding my breath, I wait, and a goblin appears.
Ah, that’s a Goblin Mage.
A goblin that can use magic, an unfair existence.
Please, please don’t notice me.
Hurry up and leave.
Wh-why are you looking this way?
And why are you coming here!
C-could you have noticed me?
Eh? No way? Why? Did you find me?
The Goblin Mage approaches the grass where I’m hiding and, with a grin, moves the grass with its staff.
And then our eyes meet.
W-waaah, help me!
I frantically roll away to escape.
“Fire!”
It used magic on me!
A fireball flies and hits my body.
It burns, it hurts, it burns, it burns, it hurts, it hurts.
I desperately keep rolling and somehow manage to escape into the pond.
The cold water stings my wounds, but the sense of relief is greater.
Even if the Goblin Mage’s magic is powerful, it can’t reach into the pond.
As I stand there, I see the Goblin Mage peering into the pond.
Wh-what are you doing, go away.
Are you planning to do something else?
As I watch with my heart pounding, the Goblin Mage throws a stone into the pond!
I panicked, but my body is fluid, so a stone doesn’t hurt me.
When I stay still, it eventually gives up and leaves.
That was close, I’m safe.
I’ll stay still in the pond for a while.
Maybe it’s pretending to leave and hiding.
After some time, I venture out of the pond.
I look around, but there’s no one there.
Did it go somewhere?
Feeling relieved, I move away from the pond.
Once I calm down, I start feeling hungry.
I’ll catch a grasshopper or a frog to eat.
“Fire!”
Suddenly, I hear that voice, and a fireball hits my body.
It hurts, and it’s hot.
Startled, I turn around and see the Goblin Mage from before grinning and approaching me.
Damn it, it didn’t give up.
The pond is behind the Goblin Mage… Wh-what should I do?
As I ponder this, I notice that the part hit by the fireball doesn’t hurt as much as before.
Why could that be?
Was it going easy on me, just trying to surprise me?
Either way, this is my chance.
I might be able to escape if it’s only this much.
I frantically roll away to escape.
Circling around, I manage to get back into the pond.
“Fire!”
Another fireball flies, but this time it misses.
That’s good, its accuracy isn’t that amazing after all.
Of course.
I’m desperately trying to escape, so it would be too much if it hit me so easily.
“Fire!”
A third one flies and hits me this time.
It hurts, it hurts, it hurts.
Still, it wasn’t as bad as before.
Did it prioritize ease of hitting?
I don’t know.
So I just keep running desperately.
“Fire!”
A fourth one flies, but it misses again.
If it keeps missing like this, I can get to the pond.
Thinking this, I crawl desperately.
And I manage to dive into the pond.
The fifth one never came.
Could it be that its Magic Power ran out?
I don’t know, but I’ve had enough of the pain.
I’ll stay still until I have no choice.
Since I’m a slime, I can stay in the pond for about a day if I need to.
I’ll eat water plants or fish for food.
I prefer insects, but I can’t be picky.
I don’t want to die.
I decide to stay still.
If I get hungry, I’ll roll along the bottom and go eat grass or fish.
There are no large creatures in this pond, but I’m not a big eater, so it’s fine.
However, as it gets dark and then light again, it becomes unbearable.
Has the Goblin Mage given up?
I don’t think it would chase me forever, but since I’ve just experienced pain, I can’t let my guard down.
Still, it’s probably better to have a little leeway.
I might be blocked from reaching the pond again.
Steeling myself, I float up and emerge from the pond.
I look around, but there’s nothing there.
But, it was the same last time, and I was attacked.
It was probably hiding so I couldn’t find it.
Is it still here?
This question makes me hesitate to move.
Last time I was attacked away from the pond, so maybe it’s safe if I stay here?
Thinking this, I stay still for a while, and then I hear a rustling sound.
I immediately turn around, ready to flee into the pond, and sure enough, the Goblin Mage is there.
Isn’t this going a bit too far?
“Fire!”
Before I can escape into the pond, a fireball flies and hits me.
Huh? It doesn’t hurt much?
Wh-why?
As I’m surprised, the Goblin Mage, looking annoyed, fires another fireball.
“Fire!”
It hits me again, but it still doesn’t hurt.
Huh? Why doesn’t it hurt?
The Goblin Mage also looks surprised.
Now’s my chance to escape.
I jump back into the pond.
Against other goblins, this is the safest place.
There was a time when I thought that.
The Goblin Mage, along with some companions, started throwing stones into the pond.
The water became murky, and fish were injured by the stones, so I got angry and came out of the pond.
Stop it! You’re ruining the pond!
I wanted to say that, but they started beating me up.
My slime body is resistant to attacks with sticks and swords, but it’s still unpleasant.
Without any other choice, I roll away to escape.
Then the goblins chase after me.
It was a chase.
Even though I rolled desperately, the goblins kept chasing me.
I was exhausted and almost gave up when I heard a tremendous sound.
I was surprised and scared, but I also hoped this might be an opportunity to escape the goblins, so I approached the source of the sound.
What happened, the ground was heavily dented, and dust clouds were rising.
As the dust settled, I saw the figures of what seemed to be three women.
I had a really bad feeling… especially about the one in the middle.
Even though she wasn’t doing anything, my body trembled uncontrollably.
Wh-what is this person?
There were two other women, and they also exuded a dangerous aura.
Wh-why? Why are these people here?
“Hoh, you noticed our power? Your potential seems considerable.”
The one in the middle, with purple eyes, said with apparent admiration.
The goblins chasing me all charge towards them.
Eh? No way? Why are you attacking? You’ll get killed.
As I watch in surprise, the purple-eyed one lightly moves her arm.
A tremendous sound and wind erupt, felling trees.
The goblins vanish without a trace.
D-did you just blow them away with that one attack…?
N-no way.
I can’t believe what I’m seeing.
In an instant, the forest is destroyed.
Wh-who is this person?
“Hmph.”
Despite having done something terrifying, she approaches me as if going for a stroll.
Wh-why are you coming towards me?
I’m n-not tasty!
“Hm? Indeed, slimes aren’t particularly tasty…”
The woman says something terrifying.
Did you? Have you eaten them before?
Are you a monster that eats slimes?
And, can you read my thoughts?
“No, it’s just a guess.”
It’s definitely not just a guess!
I-I have to escape… B-but I feel like I’ll be attacked the moment I run.
That attack that obliterated the goblins with incomprehensible speed.
I-I can’t possibly dodge that.
Th-this is the end for me.
As I resigned myself to my fate, the woman looked impressed again.
“Hoh, you’re not running and have accepted your fate? You’re quite interesting.”
H-huh? Did I, did I somehow become likable?
D-does that mean I’ll be saved…?
I’d rather be saved than killed!
“Ah, I don’t intend to kill monsters to begin with.”
Huh? But you just wiped out those goblins, didn’t you?
There isn’t a single goblin left intact.
“I was just dusting them off.”
She said it so calmly, which is precisely why I trembled.
If I accidentally anger this person, I might be “cleaned” out of existence.
“Don’t be so scared. I like you. For now, I’ll make you my subordinate.”
M-my subordinate? What use could I possibly be?
“You withstood the Goblin Mage’s magic, didn’t you? A mere slime shouldn’t be able to do that. Therefore, you have potential.”
I don’t understand.
Indeed, the magic attacks gradually stopped hurting, but wasn’t that just the goblins going easy on me?
“Hoh? Could it be that you possess the Learning skill? If so, you might be a real find.”
L-learning? I don’t understand, but she’s smiling so happily.
What is it, I have a terrible premonition.
“For now, don’t bore me. And don’t disappoint me. That’s all.”
Eeh.
I-I don’t know what to do?
“I’m looking for monsters that seem like they can become strong. To raise them into strong beings. So, try your best to become strong.”
Y-yes.
I felt an inexpressible dread in her calm tone, and I nodded frantically.
I was worried if she’d understand a slime’s nod, but it seems she understood it with her “guess.”
“I am Auraniess. Demon Lord Auraniess.”
D-demon Lord?
Aren’t they the lords of Demon race, superior to us monsters?
No wonder she’s strong.
It makes perfect sense that goblins wouldn’t stand a chance.
“What is your name?”
I was troubled when she asked me that.
I don’t have a name.
“You have no name? Then I shall give you one.”
I can’t refuse this.
I’m not asking for a cool name, but at least a name that isn’t embarrassing.
“Let’s see… How about Decarabia? Doesn’t it sound strong?”
Um, probably?
I don’t know, but it doesn’t sound like a weird name, so I accept it.
“Your name is Decarabia. Strive to become a Demon Lord and entertain me.”
Y-yes.
If I don’t entertain her, I might be crushed.
I don’t know how strong I can become, but I’ll try my best.
“Indeed, if I’m not entertained, I might accidentally step on you.”
Waaah, this person is so unreasonable!
She invited me to be her subordinate herself.
“Ah, these are Iris and Sophia. They are my subordinates. Get along with them, okay? You probably wouldn’t last a second against them.”
I already realized that without being told.
I suspect these two might also be Demon Lords.
Is there a hierarchy even among Demon Lords?
And so I, Decarabia, became the subordinate of Demon Lord Auraniess.
I hope I can become strong.
And please, don’t kill me.
