Syl

Since we were now officially cooperating, I felt more relaxed about revealing some of my capabilities. Naturally, I started by showing off some of my shape-changing abilities and tentacles! While impressed, I was warned to obviously not show off such capabilities, as even the druid class was incapable of doing what I did.

Of course, I had to evolve twice to mix so many parts like this!

I also explained that I had taken the abilities from other slimes and was fully capable of taking on their primary slime property. I laid many of my cards on the table in the interest of cooperation but decided to keep a few aces up my sleeve — [Nitro Slime] and my [Sub-Cores].

Llewel took absolute delight in my slime capabilities and almost immediately jumped on potential alchemical solutions. I did warn him that over time, my slime always reverted back to [Mana Slime], its natural state.

He honestly reminds me a lot of Simon the Lich. I better not ever mention that Alchemical was one of my mutation options.

Likewise, with Vee, we explained her size-altering capabilities and teleportation but hid her [Rift Thread]. It would always be our ultimate failsafe if it remained entirely a secret.

The elves weren't too happy about her [Corrosion Magic]. Still, it was a significant difference compared to their displeasure with me having it, and I was repeatedly warned that any hint of it would cause my disguise to crumble.

Then it finally came to the elephant in the room—[Dimension Magic]. Both Vee and I had it, and we clearly made it plainly visible that we were not comfortable staying in an anti-teleportation room such as this for our own safety.

"Fret not; you won't be staying in prison, so you should have your full dimensional capabilities restored," Llewel explained. "However, be warned that desertion would violate our contract. So no teleporting away."

"I can promise you that I do not want to lose any levels, and I certainly don't want to make any more enemies. Potentially having an entire kingdom as my enemy, not to mention a furious demon, is more than enough for me!" I replied, half-jokingly.

"It's a pity that the Feirelle does not have any Riftmancers, or we could offer some tutoring in that regard," Llewel offhandedly commented.

"I think having a Chronomancer is more than enough," Vee commented.

Llewel chuckled, "It's not as powerful as you think it is and is honestly more suited to utility, like how I use it for my alchemy."

"Sure beats throwing around fireballs," Vee joked.

"Hey!" I cried.

Llewel chuckled again, "I suppose not. I certainly wouldn't trade it for that, although I've witnessed mighty Arch Pyromancers performing feats that would make anything I do pale in comparison."

"If that's all, shall we take our leave?" Loreleia interrupted. "I need to make the announcement that my daughter has officially returned before any rumors or sightings of you circulate."

Vee and I nodded in agreement, eager to leave the prison room.

"Good. Then let's get the last matter settled," she replied and cleared her throat.

Her face became stern, her posture statuesque, while she radiated an almost aura of charisma. I unconsciously gulped at the sudden and overwhelming presence that seemed to encompass the entire room.

"I, Loreleia Feirelle, Scion of the Verdant Throne, do extend to you the rarest honor—an invitation to take root within the noble Feirelle Branch!

"Like a seed entrusted to fertile soil, you shall be nurtured by the wisdom of our lineage, your spirit entwined with ours as saplings beneath the same golden boughs. Henceforth, should you accept, you shall be known as Sylthaeryn Feirelle, a name to be carried upon the winds of legend, as enduring as the heartwood of the eldest trees.

"May your deeds be as life-giving rain, strengthening our roots and lifting our boughs ever skyward. May your valor blossom into deeds of renown, sweet as the first fruits of summer, and may your name one day stand among the great branches of our house—a testament to the unbroken cycle of growth, glory, and eternal renewal.

"Step forward, and let your legacy take root in the hallowed grove of Feirelle!"

<Do you wish to join the Feirelle branch?>

"I accept!" I replied, trying to sound confident.

<Name granted: Sylthaeryn Feirelle. Profile Updated>

Paeris looked like he wanted to give her a standing ovation, while Llewel stared at me with a look of envy and hope.

I'm guessing that speech means a lot more to them than it does to me. Considering his noble name is Fei rather than Feirelle, I'm assuming he hasn't wholly joined the branch yet… And here I am, a random slime taking it before him. That's got to suck, even if it's for a good cause.

"Holy crap…" Vee murmured.

Then, like a deflated balloon, the overwhelming presence vanished, and she took on the more restrained demeanor she had previously.

"There… it's done," Loreleia said. "Paeris, you can take both of them to their new accommodation. You can start the training once they've settled in a bit."

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Yes, mistress," Paeris replied immediately.

"Llewel, you can come with me," she continued. I'll announce my daughter's return and credit you for her safe and prompt return."

"Yes, of course," Llewel agreed, giving a polite bow.

"Excellent. I shall see you again in a few days, Syl, once you've settled in a bit. Should you need anything, feel free to ask Paeris," Loreleia explained.

"Pardon… mistress?" Paeris asked, seeking clarification.

"You shall be attending Syl here," she answered. "Truly treat her as if she was my daughter, as that is what the outside world will see. Once enrolled to become a branch head, your aid will be vital in any social emergencies and maintaining perfect appearances."

Paeris looked like he had swallowed a fly, "As you wish…"

I restrained myself from snorting in delight. I was gaining a butler who had no choice but to help me to the best of his abilities. Considering how much displeasure he had from my mere existence and his no shame in displaying it, it felt immensely cathartic for me.

Vee and I exchanged glances, and I could feel the smugness radiating from her.

"May I take a sample of your slime?" Llewel asked, producing an empty potion bottle from his pouch.

"Sure, it wouldn't be the first time," I replied, taking the glass from him.

"You've had alchemists use your slime before?" he asked curiously.

"Sold it as alcohol, actually," I answered, filling the bottle up by placing a finger inside it and ejecting slime.

I handed over the full potion to him and could see the visible confusion on his face.

"Alcohol counts as a poison, so I can produce it from [Poison Slime]," I explained.

"Curious… does it note fade with time?" he asked.

"Oh…" I replied.

"Did you just scam a lot of dwarves?" Vee asked curiously.

"It's weird… Thern never mentioned the alcohol effect fading," I whispered curiously.

"Perhaps it's due to the nature of the poison itself rather than your slime?" Llewel suggested.

I frowned, "I activate it just like any of my other slime traits…"

"That may be the case, but once you've added poison to a concoction, you normally can't remove it unless you add a neutralizing agent," Llewel explained. "Of course, there are poisons that lose their efficacy based on temperature or dilution, but I presume these effects don't correlate to alcohol."

"I honestly have no idea," I admitted. "I was only thinking about trading for slime cores."

"Something we can look into if you do partake in alchemy lessons," Llewel said with a slight smile. "I look forward to returning this Mana slime sample to my atelier."

Vee giggled, "Not to spoil the surprise, but prepare to have your mind blown! That slime got even a pixie addicted to it."

"Interesting…" Llewel murmured as he examined the bottle and swirled the solution inside. "I do sense an extremely high concentration of Mana in it. Although quantity isn't usually enough to satiate a greedy pixie."

"Trixie would always say it was some of the purist Mana she'd tasted," I answered. "And that was before I uncapped the trait."

"Trixie…" Loreleia murmured.

"You know her?" I asked, hopeful.

"The name sounds familiar, but to be honest, it might be from ages ago," she replied.

"Well, she was trapped when I found her, so it could very well be decades!"

"Sorry for interrupting, but did you say you've uncapped your trait?" Llewel asked, struggling to hide the excitement in his eyes.

I turned to Loreleia, who made a small gesture with her hand to allow me to answer despite the interruption, "Yeah, I've got [Mana Slime LV 13]. I stopped there because it took far too many blue slime cores to level it up further."

Llewel's eyes widened, "Verbal confirmation of slime cores merging and increasing the trait level!"

"I thought that was well known? Even the slime farmers knew that if a blue slime ate another, it would have better slime afterward."

Llewel chuckled and shook his head, "There's a difference between an observed result and factual confirmation, especially if it's based on system evidence. Yes, it was postulated, and the slime has been alchemically tested for differences, but it was never actually confirmed that it increased the trait level as a result! One theory even suggested that the two slimes were simply combining to create a superior singular creature."

"Uh… that's definitely not true, at least for me," I explained. "I'm definitely all me. Although I do get a prompt to integrate new cores if it's my first time encountering them."

"I'll have to procure a brown slime then for you so I can observe this firsthand, assuming you are willing?" Llewel asked.

Vee laughed abruptly, "Syl will tolerate anything if slime cores are involved!"

"Not anything…" I denied.

"You've quite literally sold your body for slime cores!" Vee cried out.

"You make it sound so dirty…" I grumbled. "It's more like I donated blood, or Mana, or even food?"

"Sure, sure, whatever lets you sleep at night," Vee teased.

"I must say it's nice to see such a colorful bond between companions," Loreleia commented. "Not many Tamers reach such a level as you two have so quickly."

"Being able to talk fluently certainly helps," Llewel stated. "Even the [Nature Commune] has its limits, and most Tamers aren't willing to stick to non-magical companions or lose it through evolution."

"Oh yeah, I tried talking to a wolf once, and honestly, a field of corn was better at communicating," I giggled.

"You… have access to [Nature Commune]?" Llewel asked, looking surprised.

"I have access to all the elven traits," I replied. "I thought I mentioned it? We were discussing the whole."

"Perhaps you did, and it simply slipped our minds. Or maybe we simply didn't understand the gravity of what you said," Loreleia answered. "Does that include [Elven Glamour]?"

Oh… I hope that doesn't mean I'm in trouble?

"Up to a maximum of level seven currently," I answered honestly, hoping for the best.

"Excellent!" she responded positively, much to my relief. "I suggest using it to its maximum level at all times. You've undoubtedly made our goal of blending in much easier, which will banish many doubts."

I agreed and activated the trait through [Chimeric Mimicry]. I'd probably need to redistribute my trait selection for this whole elven thing.

"I don't suppose you want me to use any traits like [Draconic Scales]?" I asked.

"No!" all three elves cried out in unison.

I shrunk back in surprise, "Sorry… forget I asked…"

"Apologies… but recently, there was a dragon assault against one of our dungeons," Loreleia explained. "Even if the entire elven nation was unified, one must always be cautious of dragons and not try to draw their ire."

"I won't touch the trait—promise! But, if you don't mind me asking, how does a dragon attack a dungeon?" I asked curiously.

"Attack is putting it mildly," Llewel muttered, looking disturbed. "Our dungeons take the form of massive trees that you enter and climb to the top, with the final boss at the pinnacle. It torched the entire dungeon; repairing it will take years."

"Sorry to hear that, I know how important they are for regulating the flow of essence."

Loreleia nodded, "Thankfully, we have more than one. But even losing one was a massive blow for one of our training grounds. But enough of that. We've talked for far too long, and we need to make the announcement."

"Goodbye, Syl," Llewel said. "We will have to chat about slimes and these traits of yours later!"

Vee and I waved goodbye to the two and then turned to face Paeris.

"Please follow me, Lady Sylthaeryn," he said and performed a slight bow.

"Princess Syl!" Vee cackled.

I caught a tiny eye twitch from Paeris as he diligently walked to the door and held it open before gesturing for me to exit.

Pink slime core… You're doing it for the core! Plus, who knows, it may be fun to order around this snooty butler.