Elves.

Like the humans monsters despised, they were a race that could hardly be called friendly toward monsters.

The monsters that caught the system's attention were by no means confined to the Demon Continent. Though fewer in number than on Monstopia, there were monsters on the Dersia continent that had caught its attention as well, and the monsters of the Demon Continent could watch their streams.

Watching streams from the Dersia continent taught the monsters from the Demon Continent just how badly humans there treated monsters. And elves and other races that sometimes joined humans to hunt monsters were practically enemies to them as well.

"Die!"

"How much is this thing worth, anyway?"

"Hehehe, you're telling me everything on this bastard sells, from its hide to its claws?"

"Hey, keep that fucker alive. We need it for display."

Watching them hunt and slaughter far more monsters than necessary, taking pleasure in tormenting them, made it clear: they were assholes through and through!

That was why the elf's reaction to the slime had everyone bursting into laughter.

The elf regarded the slime as neither prey nor an enemy, merely an annoying gnat buzzing around nearby.

To put it in terms monsters would understand, it was the sort of insignificant creature you wouldn't kill because you didn't want to dirty your hands. You would just flick your tail or a leg to shoo it away.

In other words, the slime was being treated as that weak and pathetic. That had the monsters howling with laughter.

Why?

Because it wasn't happening to them!

They would be furious if someone treated them that way, but they weren't the ones on the receiving end!

The slime's soft, innocent air only made it funnier.

▶Treating it like a total scrub lmaoooo

▶It's a slime, makes sense lolol

▶Ahahaha my stomach hurts lmaooo

Even viewers who had been quietly watching popped up in chat, swept along by the hilarity.

But while most of the audience was laughing, one viewer alone was furious.

[Squishy Queen]▶That insolent elf! How dare you treat one of my kind that way! Impudent! Outrageous!

[Noblesse Fire]▶Squishy's pissed lmaoooo

It was none other than Squishy Queen—the Slime Queen.

She knew perfectly well how weak young slimes were, and how little regard anyone had for them. She had experienced the same treatment while growing up herself.

Of course, she hadn't possessed intelligence back then, so she had had no particular thoughts or feelings about it. She certainly had no intention of getting angry over it now.

But seeing a fellow slime she considered special treated that way right before her eyes made her feel as though her core would boil over.

And such obvious anger made excellent fodder for the other trolls in the audience.

▶Hit a nerve? lmaooo

▶Of course it did lol. What're you gonna do about it? lmaoooo

Already furious, the Slime Queen trembled as anonymous viewers kept taunting her in chat.

'If this were my stream, I'd kick you out this instant!'

She resolved that once the slime grew a little more, the first thing she would teach it was how to kick trolls.

Meanwhile, the slime actually being treated like a scrub felt no anger at the elf's behavior.

'Elf!'

Instead, its lingering curiosity made it want to learn more about the elf. With two jaunty bounces, it drew closer.

"I told you to go away, didn't I? What's with you?"

Normally, a slime would instinctively flee elsewhere at a mere wave of the hand. Yet this one was approaching instead, leaving the elf puzzled.

And the strange behavior didn't stop there.

The approaching slime suddenly stopped and began quivering. It was trembling with joy at observing the elf up close and learning something new.

To the elf, however, the reaction was utterly bizarre. Studying the slime, the elf came up with an explanation.

'Is it hungry?'

Something a former companion had said came to mind: certain villages used slimes to dispose of leftover food.

In other words, slimes could eat and digest pretty much anything.

The elf looked back and forth between the slime and the blood that had drained from the deer and pooled on the ground.

"Hey, slime."

Crouching down, the elf took out an arrow and tapped the ground where the deer's blood had pooled.

"You can eat this."

▶Ahahahaha

▶You can eat this, they say lmaooo

▶I'm losing it lmaooooo

[Squishy Queen]▶You damned elf!!!!

The slime's attention was entirely on the elf, so it didn't notice the uproar in chat. It focused on where the elf had pointed the arrow and what the elf had said.

'Eat? I can eat it?'

Having instinctively eaten nothing but moss and grass, the slime had never even considered eating an animal's blood.

This time, instead of bouncing along, it crept slowly toward the pool of blood.

It absorbed the deer's blood directly beneath it just as it would moss, sucking the blood into its body.

"Were you really hungry?"

[Squishy Queen]▶No, why are you eating that, my fellow slime!!!

[Noblesse Fire]▶Hahahaha it actually ate it because the elf said to lolol

[Gothic Luxury Bone]▶It seems little Squishling isn't a picky eater.

[Slam First Ask Later]▶Animal blood does taste good.

▶Why don't you give it a taste?

▶Ah! S*x!

[Madam Cat's Cradle]▶Eee! Even the way it drinks blood is adorable~!

The deer's blood broke down rapidly as the slime absorbed it. Only a small patch of its underside turned slightly red; its body never filled with the color of blood.

'...!'

As it absorbed the deer's blood, the slime experienced a very strange sensation.

The moss and grass it had eaten until now kept its body calm and functioning normally, but the blood it was absorbing now made strength well up from within.

That was only natural, since deer blood contained more nutrients than grass. Those nutrients were filling the slime with vitality.

What exactly was this sensation it was feeling?

As it wondered, one chat message caught its eye.

▶Looks like it finds that really tasty lolol

'Tasty? Tasty!'

The word had been tossed out while it was puzzling over the sensation. Instinctively, the slime felt that it fit exactly.

And so it decided to call what it was feeling "tasty."

The slime quickly absorbed the deer's blood pooled on the ground. Then it bounced up and down in place, as if demonstrating the vitality overflowing through its body.

"Huh, you really must've been hungry."

To the elf, it looked excited after enjoying a good meal.

'Cute, isn't it?'

The soft-looking slime bouncing in place was quite cute in the elf's eyes. It didn't seem dangerous, and everything it did was adorable.

For the elf, whose life had offered little entertainment lately, the slime was well worth paying attention to.

Then an idea occurred to the elf.

'The old folks will probably make a fuss... Oh, I'll worry about that when the time comes.'

"Slime, want to come with me?"

'Come with you?'

At the elf's words, the slime stopped bouncing. It tilted its soft body ever so slightly to one side, reminiscent of a person cocking their head.

'Huh? It's almost like it understands me.'

At least, the resemblance was strong enough to strike the elf as odd.

"Come along, and I'll give you more tasty food."

'Tasty food!'

At the mention of tasty food, the slime happily began bouncing in place again.

"Does that mean yes? All right, if you understood, follow me."

With enough blood drained from the deer, the elf hoisted it onto one shoulder and started walking. The slime bounced along behind.

[Squishy Queen]▶No, why are you following the elf, my fellow slime!

▷Tasty food! Want to eat!

▶It's really following because the elf promised tasty food lmaoooo

[Slam First Ask Later]▶Body Slam! When are you going to use the Body Slam I taught you!

▶Isn't it seriously gonna get fucking killed at this rate?

▶It's such a scrub slime it's not even worth attacking lmaooo

The viewers didn't think the slime would be attacked indiscriminately even if it followed the elf. They had seen firsthand just how insignificant the elf considered it!

Besides, they were curious too. The elf was taking the slime home, to where elves lived. This was a chance to find out how those people lived—the ones who always tried to attack and hunt them on sight.

With so many similar streams cluttering the scene, here was a chance to tour an elf village, something no one had ever done before.

The prospect of fresh streaming content even quieted the trolls.

New, wildly entertaining content?

Who could resist that!

+++

'It's really keeping up. It does understand me, doesn't it?'

The elf, Nellin, glanced at the pale-green slime following behind while carrying the deer over one shoulder.

The slime followed with cheerful, adorable bounces.

Nellin had seen many slimes while traveling, but never one so lively and seemingly full of purpose.

The only slimes that had seemed at all threatening were those that lived in rugged, remote regions and attacked people with numerous tentacles. Compared with those, the slime following now was positively adorable.

Especially to Nellin, who had once hunted troublesome monsters with companions, a slime posed absolutely no threat.

As they drew closer to the village, a concern occurred to Nellin.

'I'd hate for it to get attacked just because it followed me.'

Nellin might not attack it, but another elf standing guard could shoot an arrow the moment they saw a slime tagging along. After all, the guards were chosen primarily for being especially diligent and rigid.

Having invited the slime to follow, the thought that it might be shot dead right outside the village was upsetting.

'Isn't there something I can do?'

Nellin stopped, crouched with the deer still over one shoulder, and reached a hand toward the slime.

'If it really can understand me...'

"Hey, slime. Want to hop onto my hand? It'll make things easier later."

The slime immediately bounced up onto the offered hand. It wasn't so much responding to the promise of convenience as wanting to find out what it felt like to sit on the hand of this new creature—an elf.

"You really do understand me!"

Marveling at the slime's intelligence, Nellin felt its texture against the palm. It was soft and pleasantly cool.

When Nellin stood to resume walking, the slime quivered enough to tickle slightly.

'So high! Wow!'

Having always viewed things from near the ground, the slime was trembling with delight at seeing the scenery from higher up.

"Do you like it?"

Its reaction resembled the one it had shown after absorbing the deer's blood, so Nellin made a guess.

For some reason, Nellin felt happier too and started walking again.

A little later, the elves guarding the village saw a sight that left them tilting their heads in puzzlement.

The great hero of the elves was approaching with a deer over one shoulder and a pale-green slime perched on one hand.

"Nellin?"

"Working hard as always, I see."

"Yes. But what exactly is that slime on your hand?"

"Picked it up on the way."

"Pardon?"

"It seemed surprisingly bright. This little one understands speech, you know?"

The great hero's claim of having picked up a slime on the way left the guard bewildered.

"Hm? You're trembling again? What's wrong? What are you happy about this time?"

Watching the great hero talk to the slime on top of that gave the guard a headache.

"Nellin, surely you don't intend to bring that slime into the village?"

"I do. Can't I? It's just a slime. It's not dangerous."

"That's true, but... the elder will be furious."

"Oh, come on. Even that old granny wouldn't get angry over something this small, would she?"

+++

"Have you lost your mind!"

The elder gave Nellin a thorough dressing-down.