When they took this quest, the last thing they expected was this.

The faded parchment was posted in one of the local adventurer guilds they frequently visit. It was hidden amidst the requests for escorts and wanted posters, an address plus a small print that said, Looking for adventurers, will pay appropriately, written on it. In the corner was the image of a man in his forties; he was dressed in a fancy tailored suit that was a tad bit tight, a bushy moustache covering his upper lip, his dark locks missing a few strands.

Okay, maybe more than a few.

Yuri uttered a curse and something about a rich old bastard but was silenced by Hitomi, literally with a spell. She had to bribe her with a meal before she cancelled it later that night.

At first they were very reluctant to accept it, but then someone brought up a point; maybe they’d be paid a lot. Why else would it not have any price written on it? It must mean that it was negotiable. A few hundred more gold would be a saving grace to their wallets, with their approaching rent collections. 

Before they could hash out a plan to swindle the guy, Hitomi stopped them right there, telling them that they’d be allowed to do it because they wanted to help, no matter what they’d be asked to do. They agreed. 

Well, maybe they did accept it because he seemed like someone who’d pay a lucrative amount for something as mediocre as running errands, but they’d like to argue that it truly was out of goodwill.

Despite the incredibly vague request and the equally suspicious address, their greed won them over, and they rode a carriage and headed towards their destination. 

The group arrived at the designated address, prepared for anything that came to them. Their potions fully stocked, and their mana reserves full.  

They were undeterred, ready to face any challenge. Bandits, raids, mythical creatures, orcs, you name it. Heck, they’d even tame a dragon if that’s what he wants. Defeat the Demon Lord? Sure! They were ready for anything.

Anything but this.

“Is this the last of it?” Nako huffed.

She lowers two buckets filled with slime, a small crack from her body causing her to groan. She takes off her gloves, making sure not to touch her dirty pants, the slime on it already hardening. Already gotten rid of her brown leather jacket an hour ago, she was left in a white shirt, not wanting any stains. The same can’t be said for her boots, the entire shoe covered with a clear layer of slime.

"Nope, we still need to clean the inside, plus the back," Minju tells her. 

The mansion looked a lot better than it was a few hours ago; it was as if someone dropped a whole swimming pool on the three-storey building, except the water was actually incredibly viscous and condense. 

Even opening the door was difficult, they needed to use a hoe and a machete to get rid of a good amount from the cracks.

“I can’t believe we went to the academy, learned a bunch of mumbo-jumbo, and almost died, just to end up cleaning some old man’s slimy house,” Yuri complained. She digs the shovel deep into the tar-like slime, mustering all her strength to toss it into the growing pile of viscous material. 

Sitting beside the mountain of slime was a blonde woman, her tattered navy cloak wrapped around her; her eyes are shut tight, a hand grasping the spine of an open leather book, and her right hand facing forward. Quietly she mutters an incomprehensible phrase, making the runes on the book glow. The slime slowly dissipates into the air. 

It was a very slow process, but they couldn’t risk destroying the surroundings by blowing things up. The inside also had a lot of antiques they didn't want to break and pay for. They wish they had a more effective ability, but alas they have to make do.

(Hitomi is actually capable of making the slime disappear with some medium level runes and a little water, having dealt with much more difficult tasks that almost led to their death, but critical thinking is thrown out the window when one is frustrated and greedy.)

“Can’t you just get the earth to eat it all up?” Minju asked.

Nako shook her head. “I don’t think the earth would like that.” She is very adamant about not littering the earth, something about treants and earth fairies haunting her dreams. 

“Why didn’t they get it cleaned as soon as possible?” Yuri sighed.

They could tell that the slime has been in this state for quite a while. It could hardly be called that; it was almost akin to tar with how thick it was. Not to mention how it was cloudy, probably from the accumulated dust.

“Why didn’t you clean your dingy side of the room yet?” Nako teased.

“Hey, it’s not that dirty!”

She stomps her foot out of anger, accidentally submerging half her right leg on the slime. Yuri tries to pull it out, but instead falls on her , getting her hand stuck too. 

“Geez, be more careful,” Minju scolds. “Just focus on cleaning instead.”

“It’s not like your summons can get rid of these!” Yuri points accusingly with her free hand, startling the ape following Minju, a bucket of overflowing slime on its shoulder. Sungie the chimpanzee deflates, trudging away to do work.  

Minju gasps. “I’ll have you know that Guri took that personally.” She holds the frog settled on her shoulder, covering— do they have ears— it’s ears, “Don’t listen to her lil’ guy, she’s just jealous.”

"Just help me out here!"

Feeling sorry for her, Hitomi manifests another shovel plus a pair of slippers. She was pretty sure that the woman’s boots could no longer be saved. She hands it to the frustrated woman who begrudgingly took them. Nako and her help pull her out of the sludge and clean her sticky short hair while Minju continues working.

Sungie calls her attention, jumping up and down and waving its arms around.

Behind the mansion, she finds a green slime stuck in the uh, slime. The cloudy material made it easy to discern the creature from the rest, a lot clearer and green. 

That and the pink ribbon in the middle of its body. Someone must’ve tried to wrap the ribbon but ended up sinking into itself. It was sparkling inside, likely from the diamonds embedded on it. 

If it were Yuri or Nako who found it, they would’ve killed it for the ribbon. Hitomi knows it’s their fault for splurging too much during a trip to the capital. 

Luckily, it was Minju who is too lenient when it comes to other life forms.

“Are they stuck there?” Guri croaks in reply. Minju assumes it was a yes. 

When it comes to monsters and creatures, Minju believes that every life is important, whether it be a minotaur or a dragon— if they cause no harm, she’ll leave them alone. It’s something that comes with being able to shift into them, even if she doesn’t turn into slimes nor intelligent animal-like creatures such as centaurs.

So seeing this poor creature stuck makes her feel sorry for it. 

“Don’t worry lil slime!”

With the help of Sungie and moral support in the form of croaking from Guri, they were able to get the tiny creature out. It hopped around happily in the arms of Minju. She giggles at this, giving it a quick pat.

Minju lets it hop on the ground, directing it to the vast forest surrounding them which must be where it came from. She hopes he returns to his family safe and sound.

“Go on little guy, be free.” 

The creature went off into the forest, not turning back.

 

//

 

The last thing they needed to do was fetch the owner, Mr. Kang, from a not so nearby village as per his request. It was an hour away from his place so they played a quick game of rock paper scissors to decide which two would be the willing sacrifices to travel with the man, while the remaining people finished cleaning.

Of course Nako and Yuri ended up losing, much to their dismay. 

An hour after the carriage arrived, a tired pair of magicians in tow, and Mr. Kang who was ecstatic to see his house after half a day of waiting.

Mr. Kang went around to check both the inside and outside for any remaining slime. He took his sweet time roaming around the mansion. The girls waited at the main entrance, the two escorts catching some sleep.

“Girls, you did amazing!” 

Nako snaps out of her short nap from his loud booming voice. 

"I've never seen my house this clean before! Thank you so much." 

He clasps Hitomi’s hands, a wide smile on his face revealing a gold molar tooth. 

“No problem, sir.” Hitomi tries to pry his hands off but his grip is tight. She gives an awkward laugh and pulls away with a bit more strength. They still won’t budge. Thankfully, he lets go and grabs something from his pocket. 

“Here is your payment, as promised.” He holds up a bulky drawstring pouch, a hefty amount of coins clinking inside.

Hitomi just felt relieved, but Yuri’s eyes were sparkling. She doesn’t notice how she goes to the front and holds her hands out to receive their fee. Nako thinks about her empty bank account and pumps her fist. Minju could almost smell the fruit tarts she’s been craving from the local bakery near their apartment. 

Freedom was so, so close. 

"Wait a minute!” He snapped his fingers, seemingly expecting something but nothing came. This time he whistled, yet still nothing. He looks around frantically, realization sinking in. “Ms. Piggy is missing!"

"Pardon?"

"Yes, she's a pet slime I've been keeping. She must've been mixed up with all the goo, poor thing,” he wipes a stray tear from the corner of his eye. He looked at them with a glint in his teary eyes. “If only someone would look for her.”

The group exchanged glances, knowing where this was going. 

“That’s very unfortunate Mr. Kang, but we have somewhere we need to be,” Hitomi says. 

Nako and Yuri secretly pack up their bags out of his sight.

On the side, Minju was sweating. Her eyes darted nervously around the mansion, avoiding the man’s eyes.

“Would you kind women be willing to find her for me?”

“I’m sorry sir but we came here for one task,” she says firmly. Hitomi was content with what he was going to give them, and she was sure the others were too. She just wanted to go home.

He pondered for a second, then cleared his throat.

“I can offer you a few hundred more gold.”

Yuri and Nako push themselves towards the front, aggressively shaking his hand.

 

//

 

"How are we supposed to find a freaking green blob in the middle of the forest?"

The forest surrounding the mansion was deeper than they thought. It’s been thirty minutes of walking and all they could see were trees, grass, trees, and more trees. There were also the flowers— Nako spent too much time talking to them and wasted a few minutes — and occasional bugs which none of them appreciated.

It probably wasn’t the smartest idea, looking for a pet slime when it was a few hours before sunset. Now there was an hour left.

To be fair, they don’t have a lot of good ideas. They say that two heads are better than one, but four of them turn into a disaster. 

"We could bait him out?” Hitomi suggests.

"Her,” Minju corrected. Yuri rolls her eyes at this but immediately trips over a rock. Instant karma. She recovers from her fall and pushes Minju, who doesn't budge.

Nako adjusts the straps on her bag. "What do they even eat?" 

Hitomi shrugs, taking out a map from her knapsack. They decided to bring most of their gear with them, just in case.

They’ve been to a lot of places in the continent. But they’ve never explored deep within the forests of this area, which was closest to the village of Strila. They were well known for, actually they know nothing about it— they’ve also never been there. 

Minju regrets not preparing even just a little bit for this short trip.

She definitely has many regrets in life. The biggest one is definitely talking to that tall junior during her second year at the academy, which led to the whole chain of events until today. 

Minju should've realized that someone owned it the moment she saw the ribbon. There was no way a diamond studded ribbon was just randomly digested by a forest slime.

“I shouldn’t have let that slime go…” she muttered to herself, but unfortunately they heard her.

“Minju?” 

Nako faces her, urging her to elaborate. She tries to play it off as a different word, but they didn't buy it.

They all stare at her accusingly, slowly surrounding her.  Minju couldn't take it and held her hands up in surrender.

“Okay, so I may have found her behind the house and thought she was a stray slime so I let her go but then he said he had a pet and I panicked-”

Minju couldn’t even finish her sentence because she finds herself in a headlock, Yuri keeping a tight grip on her head while Nako holds onto her feet with some vines. She taps on Yuri’s arm repeatedly but she still wouldn’t let go. 

Hitomi sighs, not wanting to deal with them. Then she looks around, then at the map which was absolutely useless because the whole forest was just trees. 

“Guys, where are we?”

 

//

 

It was definitely a good idea to bring their gear with them.

The night was looming upon them and the air was getting colder. It has been a long day for these young adventurers, and they were getting hungry. The last thing they ate was a few loaves of bread during lunch. Someone’s stomach was definitely grumbling throughout their search.

After finding an open area in the middle of the forest, they set up their makeshift tents. They didn’t really plan on staying here for more than a day, but Hitomi’s sixth sense made them bring more than what they thought they needed. 

They were glad she did— they did not want a repeat of them starving in the snowy mountains.

Nako stretches her body, wooden logs surrounding the campfire to serve as benches. She takes a seat.  “I should’ve accepted that offer from the duke,” she muses. 

“The guy’s a , he can die in a ditch for all I care,” Yuri spits out. She prepares their food— instant noodles and flavor packets. She starts opening the noodle packs, accidentally crushing one at the memory of that bastard.

Minju comes out from one of the tents. She hands them all bowls and utensils and takes a seat beside Hitomi. 

“For once, I agree with you.”

Everyone received amazing job offers when they graduated. Having graduated from one of the most prestigious academies for mages like them, their abilities aren’t to be questioned.

Nako was offered by the kingdom’s duke to become a bodyguard for him and his family. She went there to talk about their terms and conditions, but the man was a little touchy. And may have said a few things about her friends that she didn’t like. 

The whole gang was secretly listening in, unbeknownst to her. 

When he insinuated something about Nako in her soon-to-be uniform while about to wrap his arms around her shoulder, Minju broke through the window and decked him in the face with a growl. 

She doesn’t regret doing it.

“You didn’t have to punch him that hard.”

“Didn’t you break his legs?” Hitomi questions. She already casted a fire below the soup pot held by branches. While waiting for water to boil she takes out a book, well, if it is considered one— Violeta Tribune Newsletter Volume 34— and skips to the lifestyle section.

Nako shrugs. “He was being rude.”

The Duke had to be sent to a nearby hospital and they may have almost been sued for ‘assaulting a high ranking official.’ Nako called bull and hit him one more time, making him lose consciousness. 

It was surprisingly easy to frame the situation as a random stray tiger assaulting him during their contract negotiation. Especially with Yuri hypnotizing them and Hitomi’s convincing explanation to the bastard’s guards.

Yuri pours the instant packets and gives the pot a quick stir before adding the noodles. The smell of the broth spreads around the campsite, inviting Sungie the chimpanzee.

Sungie tried reaching for the pot but his hand was swatted away by Nako who covered it with a lid and let it cook. “Sorry, it’s not yet cooked.” Minju would also scold her for feeding him processed food.

Looking dejected, he takes a seat and draws on the ground with a branch, sulking.

Nako pats down her pockets and takes out some nuts and biscuits, feeding the chimpanzee who happily accepted them.

Right beside Hitomi was Yuri who, despite her constant bickering today, was lying on Minju's lap with her eyes closed, as she her hair. 

Hitomi looks at them and her other friend opposite them with fondness in her eyes. 

Months of traveling, fighting— both enemies and each other— and just being with them was something she thought she’d get tired of. They live with each other, work with each other, entertain each other. But with every day that passes, the more her appreciation for them grows.

Even when they bicker to the point of ruining her eardrums, whenever one is in trouble the others don’t hesitate to help. She’s forever grateful to them.

A sense of nostalgia washes over her, and she wishes the other girls were with them too.

Hitomi hates how nights like these make her feel this way.

“This reminds me of the time we camped outside school," she suddenly says.

They all turn their attention to her. Nako leans forward, resting her arms on her knees. “When we stalked Ms. Cheetah?” Hitomi hums in reply.

“God, that was scary.” Yuri was sitting up now. She stares off into the distance, reliving the moment in her mind. 

She can almost see Ms. Cheetah nearly catching them stealing her beloved item.

“It was your fault for accidentally sending your photo album instead of your report,” Minju accuses. She shakes her head, as if it’ll help rid of the memories of that day.  “I had nightmares for days after leaving that dungeon.”

“Please don’t remind me,” Hitomi shivers.

Meeting a creature that large in a very dark dungeon was a traumatic memory for these young highschoolers, there was no way they wanted to experience that again. 

“Hiichan was so cool back then,” Nako brags. “Protecting us from danger, how romantic.”

Hitomi glares at her. “You mean when you pushed me in front of the panther?” It was a large one at that, nearly eight times their size.

“Uh, sorry?”

Maybe she should take back her statement. They are definitely a handful.

The lid of the pot started to rise, broth overflowing. Yuri hurriedly took off the lid and used a cloth to get the pot away from the fire to cool down. 

“Did Hyewon make these?” Minju asks, pointing to the empty powder packets. 

“Uh-huh.”

The other girls looked at each other warily.  They were often given rations by the researcher, but they all know that she made some, questionable stuff. 

“Did she tell you what it was made of?”

Yuri looks at them, gauging their reaction.

“.... Minotaur poo.”

Minju chokes. 

“It tastes good though?” 

That wasn’t how they expected her to use it when they brought it home. Hitomi takes out her book, traning the meal into a sandwich. Nako sets it aside, but then shrugs and continues eating. Minju just looks appalled.

“Well I’m not eating that, I’m heading to bed.” Minju stands up, but is stopped by Yuri urging her to have another taste. She pouts, moving the spoon to her lips. 

"Okay, just one bite."

She finished a whole bowl and asked for seconds.

 

//

 

After they ate, everyone went inside the tents to sleep. 

Except for Hitomi.

She usually falls asleep early, but it seems like sleep won’t come to her tonight as she tossed and turned inside their tent. Nako and Yuri were lying atop each other, soft snores from both of them. Minju was laying in one corner, her body contorting in different directions. If it weren’t for them being roommates, she would’ve been concerned.

Instead of waiting for her eyelids to droop, she went out and took a seat near the unlit fireplace. She stared at the sky, tracing the stars in her eyes as thoughts ran through her mind. 

“Aren’t you going to sleep?”

Hitomi turns around to see Minju, no longer in her weird sleeping position. She must’ve woken her up. She pats the spot beside her and invites her to sit down.

They sat in silence as she continued looking at the sky.

Hitomi breaks the silence. “Do you think we made the right decision?” she asks.

Minju looks at her, then back at the charred fireplace. She hums, contemplating.

“It definitely would’ve been easier if we just found a more stable job. Our job doesn’t exactly give us the most normal requests,” she says. “Errand runners sound like a more fitting name.”

Hitomi didn’t think it was funny, but she laughed anyway. She can’t help but feel guilty for dragging them into this.  After all, it was her who suggested it in the first place.

When graduation came, she dreaded the day that they’d disappear and stop doing things together. She couldn’t imagine a world without her friends. Thus, she took the opportunity to convince them to join her.

Maybe the idea of becoming an adventurer and going on an endless journey was nothing but a child’s dream. 

“I don’t know-” Minju says, snapping her out of her monologue, “-but it was either serving arrogant pricks alone or serving them with you guys. We’d go with the second option.” She turns and gives her a mock salute. “We trust you, our leader.”

She yelps in feigned pain from Hitomi’s elbow. “I told you guys to stop calling me that,” she blushes.

“Only if you stop acting like you threatened us to stay by your side,” Minju replied with seriousness. “We chose to do this, and will continue to do so.”

Maybe she did make the right choice.

 

//

 

Hitomi wakes up, a damp feeling on her chest, and a heavy weight that wasn't there before. And she's pretty sure Nako is heavier than this.

Don't tell me it's Minju’s frog. 

Despite her eyes being wide open, she doesn’t move. She slowly peeks at her stomach and sees a huge blob. Hitomi screams.

This wakes up the rest of the party, and seeing what was on top of Hitomi, they all screamed in unison.

The blob jumps away, and it took them five seconds to realize that the creature they were trying to find was in front of them.

“Chase it!” she orders them.

Hitomi grabs her book while the rest of them without weapons chase their target. She casts a spell to speed them up so they wouldn’t lose track of it. Who knew slimes were this fast?

While chasing the nimble creature down, they hear laughter. This made them stop, prioritizing their safety over the gold for once. Minju nods at Hitomi, signalling that she would scout the area. She shifts into a crow and looks at the forest from above, spotting a camp ten feet to their left.

The camp was filled with burly men with a range of melee and ranged weapons. She catches a glimpse of what she assumed to be the leader's face. She recalls seeing it before. 

“I think these guys are wanted. Their leader’s face was on the bounty board,” Minju recalls. "But we need to find Ms. Piggy." 

They get closer and take a peek. Hitomi looks around the camp, assessing the situation. 

"What was the reward again?" Hitomi asks. She tries to recall the amount written.

"Around a thousand gold."

Yuri started stretching her neck and Nako cracked her knuckles. They took their positions and raised their brow at the other two. “What are we waiting for?” Yuri asks.

Hitomi sighs. Of course they would.

“Alright then, let’s make this quick.”

Yuri takes a step closer and breathes in, then a solemn song plays from . This caught the attention of the bandits. They looked around, trying to find the source, but then their eyes started to gloss over, as if in a daze.

Right behind her was Minju on all fours, eyes closed. When she opened them, they turned green with black pupils. She bares her fangs, leaping towards the men and pinning one of them to the ground. He tries to grab his knife but it was out of reach and Minju headbutted him.

Nako digs her hands into the ground, and roots start to emerge. They sprouted closer and closer to the fleeing men, wrapping around their ankles preventing their escape. Even their swords were unable to cut the roots.

The rest of the men panicked and changed their target towards Hitomi. 

With a wordless chant, she cast a strong gust of ice leaving them frozen inside while Minju and Nako finish off the rest. 

In no more than two minutes, the camp was cleared and the bodies of the unconscious men were stacked up in a corner, Yuri sitting on top of them like a king.

“Easy one thousand gold!” she laughed, hands on her hips and she stepped on the men.

“We should’ve gone easy on them.” Minju says. She leans on the tower of bodies to take a breather, not that she needed it.

"Are you sure they were worth a thousand gold?” Nako asked while searching their camp for any valuables. She held up a pair of dirty underwear and choked in disgust. “Filthy bandits.”

“I think they stole some antiques? That probably increased their worth.”

“They should’ve put up more of a fight though,” Nako sighed.

Minju feels something sticky nudge her ankle. 

She opens an eye and sees the slime they were chasing right there, looking pretty happy to see Minju. 

“Oh, hey there little guy!” Minju carefully wrapped her arms around him and stood up, showing her to the others.

“Time to bring you home.”

 

//

 

After an argument-filled trip back to the mansion, they were met with Mr. Kang waiting for them outside.

"Ms. Piggy! Is that you?" 

The slime jumped out of Minju’s arms and plopped onto the hold of its owner. Hitomi smiled at the reunion. 

“So, uh.” Yuri holds out her hand and coughs, not so discreetly asking for their wages.

He scoffs and hands over a bag of gold coins which the two greedy women immediately counted to make sure they were not missing any more. They also silently cursed him for not wiring it through the Evergreen Bank which was more convenient. 

“I’m glad you found Ms. Piggy. It is most appreciated,” he thanked sincerely. “My old basement also needs a little dusting, would you young ladies kindly clean it too?”

Hitomi opened to protest but the slight jingle of coins from behind him and the sparkle in the two roommates’ eyes meant they weren’t going home anytime soon.

The sooner they start, the sooner they’ll be over with. 

Without a word, they rush to the basement, cleaning tools already summoned.

“Oh, and don’t break any of the wine jars!”

He twirls his index finger around the end of his moustache, recalling his other child down in the basement.

“I wonder how my lil’ Spidey is doing down there.”