The first companion

And so, along with Kureha, I began walking towards the city of Fayen. I was quite nervous, to be honest. I've already lied to them twice, and I've just met them. Besides, I'm going to bring a monster into the city. I just hope they don't execute me or something like that. The journey to the city was quite short and without any problems. Kureha told me many interesting things, like what the city of Fayen is, what country we're in, and such. Fayen is a large walled city located in Iltris, a country in the southern part of the continent of Livendarg. This world has two continents, Urvengard and Livendarg, just to clarify. Fayen is situated near the border with Sunveil, a heavily forested country. The forest we were in is a small part of the Sunveil forest that crosses the border. In the northeast, there's the border of Iltris with a desert country called Drestán. But back to Fayen, it's a walled city, as I mentioned before, and it's the city closest to the Sunveil border. In the past, it was attacked by the elves who inhabit that area, but despite that, the city has managed to stay in perfect condition. The main headquarters of the adventurers' guild is located here, and it has the support of the city's lord. Quite interesting, actually. To enter the city, we have to go through the gate in the wall, which was quite well guarded, but we passed without much trouble. It seems they're only there to watch out for monsters. Once inside, Kureha guided me to the important places like the adventurers' guild, a cheap inn, a blacksmith, a shop for useful items, and the city's marketplace. Of course, we just glanced at them, and Kureha led me back to the guild.

"How about you become an adventurer?" she suggested.

"I don't know... I don't think I'm strong enough," I hesitated.

"Come on! Anyone can be an adventurer. It's the easiest way to make money these days. If you're not good at hunting monsters, you can always gather items or help find lost objects. You need money, right? Give it a try."

Ugh, she's too convincing. I can't say no.

"Alright, I don't have much to lose anyway."

"Great! And think about it, you might discover who you are while doing missions. You're guaranteed to benefit."

I doubt it...

"That would be great. Do I need to do anything special to sign up?"

"Not really, come, I'll accompany you."

We entered the guild, which was a rather large building with two floors. The lower floor served as a meeting place, with several tables and groups of people drinking and eating. There was a reception area to the left, with two women at the counters. One was a very attractive woman with blonde hair and sky-blue eyes, and the other was also beautiful, with scarlet hair and long emerald-green eyes. On both sides of the counter, there were two large bulletin boards, probably where the missions were posted. Then there were stairs leading to the second floor. I wonder what's up there, but that doesn't matter now. We crossed the lower floor to reach the counter, with several adventurers drinking and making noise around us. I noticed some of them staring at me and whispering, ugh, I just hope I don't attract too much attention. I'm starting to get nervous, even the red slime has started trembling again. The blonde girl at the counter greeted us.

"Oh, Kureha," her cheerful voice was very sweet. "You've returned sooner than I expected. Where's the rest?"

"They're still in the forest," Kureha commented. "They'll come by around noon."

"Oh, I see," the receptionist turned her gaze to me. "And who are you?"

Before I could speak, Kureha spoke up.

"He's Ray, a young man we found in the forest. He's lost his memory, so I personally escorted him here."

"Amnesia? That's really unfortunate, but still, nice to meet you. My name is Rosie Lunterion."

I made a slight bow.

"I've come to become an adventurer. I may not have much experience, but I hope to find out who I am this way."

Rosie smiled at me.

"I see you're eager, that's a good sign." Rosie placed a paper on the counter. "Fill out this application."

The yellowed paper was a form to fill out with my personal information. I can understand perfectly what it says thanks to "Language Comprehension." There wasn't much to fill out on the form: "Name, Age, Race, Gender, Occupation, Why do you want to become an adventurer? and Dreams and Aspirations." Those last two sections seem a bit odd, like a job interview. I filled out the first sections without any issues. As for the others... Well, I'll have to lie. My real reason is that it seems like an interesting thing to do in this world, and it's the best way to get to know it, although I'm sure it'll be very dangerous. For some strange reason, that excites me. But what I have to write is that I want to recover my memory. As for the last part... I guess I'll put "Travel the world." And that's it.

"Done, everything's filled out."

"Great!" Rosie took the paper. "In about half an hour, come back here, and we'll give you your identification."

"Oh, okay."

Kureha and I left the guild building after saying goodbye to Rosie. Kureha handed me a small brown sack.

"And what's this?" I asked, puzzled.

"A little gift from me, to celebrate your becoming an adventurer. That should be enough for food and a few nights at the inn. I'd like to keep you company, but I don't have much time left. I still need to go to the market."

I'd feel really bad if, after helping me, she has to give me money...

"I can't accept this. You've already done so much for me."

"But I insist you keep it. I wouldn't feel at ease leaving you alone without a single grim in your pocket."

"Then I promise I'll pay you back, every last coin."

"I'll be waiting for that. If you increase your adventurer rank, you can join my group for missions."

"I'll be eagerly waiting for it."

"Well then, I bid you farewell, Ray. Good luck in your new life as an adventurer."

"I hope we'll meet again soon, Kureha."

"I hope so too."

And after shaking hands for the last time, Kureha slowly walked towards the market, and I headed to the inn. I had several things to take care of, like grabbing a meal and tending to the little friend I have under my clothes right now. I need to spend about half an hour, after all. Luckily, the inn wasn't far from the guild, just a two-minute walk. My stomach was complaining; it must be around noon. I entered the inn, and although the facade looked a bit worn, the interior was well-maintained. The entrance wasn't very large, a room longer than it was wide. The counter was in front, and to its left were stairs leading to the second floor. To the right was a door that led to a dining area, like in a hotel. Behind the counter was a young girl about sixteen years old, with light brown hair and cheerful blue eyes. She wore a beige dress with a white apron. She looked at me with curiosity, one hand on her hip, and the other supporting her head, looking a bit bored.

"Good day, sir!" Her voice was more polite than I expected. "Would you like to reserve a room, or just have a meal?"

"I'd like a room. How much is the cheapest one?"

"Fifty Grims per night, seventy with dinner included. Each meal is thirty Grims."

Ah, I see. Kureha gave me five hundred Grims, so I'll have enough for five days if I skip breakfast. I'll have to work to afford my meals; there's no other option.

"Then just for today, can I extend my stay here later?"

"Of course! As long as you pay, the room is yours. That will be seventy Grim then."

"I'd also like to have a meal, so here's a hundred Grim."

"Alright, tell me your name, and we'll be done."

"Ray, that's my name."

"Very well, Ray. I'll show you to your room and let you know when your meal is ready."

The girl left the counter, and I followed her to the upper floor. It was quite spacious with several doors leading to various rooms. The floor was L-shaped, and the girl took me to the door right in front of the stairs, at the end of the first corridor. The room wasn't very large and had minimal furnishings: a single bed, a wardrobe, a nightstand, and a table.

"The bathroom is at the end of the hallway. I'll let you know when your meal is ready. Enjoy your stay." With a slight bow, the young innkeeper left the room, closing the door behind her.

I sat on the bed. "You can come out now, little one."

The red slime emerged from under my clothes and settled beside me on the bed, looking around curiously. When it turned its gaze back to me, it smiled. It seemed to be thanking me.

"Don't worry, little one. I believe I've done the right thing because you're a good monster, right?"

The slime made a strange sound and jumped onto me, rubbing its sticky body against my cheek. It was cool and quite pleasant, actually. I've grown attached to this slime. I'll try the Dark Pact skill.

"Little one, I'd like to propose something. Would you like to be my travel companion?"

The slime looked surprised, I bet it didn't expect that question.

"I have a strange ability that allows me to form contracts with other creatures to become my companions. With the pact, both of us benefit. So, what do you say? Do you want to become an adventuring slime?"

The slime hesitated for a moment but quickly nodded, seeming quite happy about the idea.

"Alright, let me try how the skill works. 'Dark Pact.'"

As I said the name of the skill, a message window appeared. "A pact will be formed with a 'Blood Slime.' Are you sure?" Blood Slime, that sounds powerful. Yes, I'm sure. After confirming, the slime mimicked my actions, and another window appeared. "Make contact with the other party." I touched the upper part of the slime with my right hand, and a dark energy emanated from my palm, covering the slime's top. "Pact successfully formed. 'Blood Slime' has been added to the summon menu." When I removed my hand from the slime, I noticed a strange purple mark where my hand had touched. It had a shape resembling an "O" but with straight lines and two protrusions at the top.

"Master," a sweet voice echoed in my head, as if a little girl was speaking to me. "Your hand has a strange mark that wasn't there before."

"Uh, who... who is speaking to me?"

"Me, master, the slime you've just formed a contract with!"

I looked at the slime, and it smiled back at me. I suppose it's because of that telepathy described in the skill. Then I looked at the palm of my hand, which had the same symbol as the slime on its upper part.

"So, we can understand each other without any problems. Great. But wait, are you a girl?"

"Yes, you can see my status if you want."

"Good idea."

Thinking about Nozomi's status screen, it appeared.

"INFORMATION:

Name: No Name Age: 6 months Race: Blood Slime Gender: Female

LVL: 1 EXP: 0/50

Class: Blood Mage Title: None

STATISTICS:

Health Points (HP): 510/510 Mana Points (MP): 310/310

ATK: 4 DEF: 22 SPD: 19 AGI: 18

INT: 62 RES: 2 VIT: 102 SLP: 5

ABILITIES:

Physical Resistance - LVL: 5 (Passive)

Regeneration - LVL: 2 (Passive)

Blood Magic - LVL: 1

Click on any parameter or ability to get more information."

"Wow, your stats and abilities are impressive."

"They're not that special, master, but your ability to share stats has slightly boosted mine."

"So, my stats have also increased."

Before I could open my own stats screen, a message appeared. "You've obtained a new class: 'Monster Tamer.' If equipped, you'll gain skills related to the class." Monster Tamer, well, I guess I'm something like that now. I'll take a look at my stats.

"INFORMATION:

Name: Ray Age: 22 Race: Human Gender: Male

LVL: 1 EXP: 0/50

Class: None (New class received) Title: None

STATISTICS:

Health Points (HP): 270/270 Mana Points (MP): 175/175

ATK: 7 DEF: 14 SPD: 15 AGI: 14

INT: 35 RES: 3 VIT: 54 SLP: 2

ABILITIES:

Language Comprehension - Max LVL (Passive)

Dark Pact - LVL 1

Click on any parameter or ability to get more information."

Wow, my stats have increased a lot. Well, now I'll equip the 'Monster Tamer' class. As soon as it was equipped, a new section appeared under abilities: "Monster Tamer Skills - LVL 1." Inside, there was only one skill: "Offensive Boost - LVL 1." This skill boosts attack and intelligence by 10% for five minutes on a 'monster,' costing 30 MP. Well, I suppose that will come in handy. Also, "Dark Pact" gained 500 EXP and is now halfway to leveling up. My mana was consumed, and it was currently regenerating. Additionally, there were several new sections: "Companions," "Summon," "Withdraw," and "Release." Under all these sections was "No Name." "Summon - No Name, Mana Cost: 50," as well as "Withdraw - No Name" and "Release - No Name." I think I'll give her a name; it bothers me that it says "No Name."

"Hey, do you want me to give you a name?"

"Oh, that would be great!" The slime's eyes shone with excitement.

Alright, a name for a slime... I could go with something easy like a certain anime character, but I'm afraid of copyright issues. Or I could call her Slimy or something, but that's too simple, and I don't want my poor companion to have a name like that. Although I'm not the best at naming things.

"Your name will be... Nozomi. It means 'wish' in a place from where I come."

"Nozomi..." The slime pondered for a moment. Ugh, I guess she doesn't like it. But then she looked at me with eyes brimming with joy. "It's perfect!"

The slime launched itself into my arms. She's too cute. I stroked the top of her body, but the tender moment didn't last long. Someone knocked on the door. I quickly withdrawn Nozomi away, and she vanished from sight.

"That surprised me," her voice still resonated in my head.

It seems I can talk to her even when she's not physically present; it's quite useful.

"Yes?"

"I've come to let you know, your meal is ready. Head to the dining area before it gets cold."

"Alright."

The innkeeper walked away from the door.

"We should go eat. Speaking of food, what do you eat?"

I was quite curious.

"Everything, and now that you mention it, I'm hungry. Can I eat too?"

"Sure, I'll save half for you."

It didn't take me long to reach the dining area. Some people were seated at the tables, seemingly other guests of the inn, focused on their meals, paying little attention to their surroundings. There were also groups of people engaged in conversation. I found a table off to the side and sat down. A middle-aged woman, quite robust, with short chestnut hair, and bright green eyes, came over. She was dressed in a simple dress with an apron.

"You must be Ray, right?" The woman's voice was very pleasant.

"Yes, that's me."

"Here you go, the house specialty. Enjoy."

The woman placed a plate in front of me, and it seemed to be a beef stew, accompanied by a wooden mug filled with a clear liquid, presumably water. The delicious aroma of the stew caused my stomach to growl.

"Thanks for the meal."

The woman gave me a smile and headed back to what seemed to be the kitchen. I dipped the wooden spoon into the slightly thick broth, scooping up a piece of beef and a potato, then put it in my mouth. The taste was quite pleasant and brought back a sense of nostalgia, reminding me of the meals my grandmother used to make before she passed away. Ugh, this brought up memories I'd rather not think about, so I'll focus on the food. I practically finished half the plate quickly. I would've continued eating, but Nozomi hadn't had any food yet, so I finished the water, got up from the table, took the plate, and headed back to my room. Some people looked at me strangely, including the innkeeper.

"Are you going to finish your meal in your room?"

"If it's not a problem, yes. I don't feel very comfortable with so many people around, and I'll return the plate when I'm done."

"That's not much of an issue. Enjoy your meal."

"Thanks."

I made it to my room without any problems and placed the plate on the bed.

"It looks good."

"Oh, can you see things too?"

"Yes, everything you see and hear. But the strangest thing is that I can understand everything they're saying."

This is getting more interesting by the moment. Dark Pact is becoming a cooler skill, although for now, let's focus on summoning Nozomi. For some reason I don't understand, the palm of my hand began to glow with a dark purple flash. The strange mark appeared wherever I pointed my hand, which was the wooden table. The mark emerged, and from it, Nozomi appeared, then the mark disappeared without a trace. This surprised me quite a bit; it seems I don't need to say the summoning spell out loud for it to work.

"Oh! Does the summoning spell not require you to say its name out loud? That's a really useful ability; no one will know what you're going to summon!"

"So, typically, spells require you to say their name out loud..."

"For monsters, it's like that, but I'm not sure about people."

I guess I'll ask Chihaia about it when I see her again.

"Master..." Nozomi was looking intently at the food.

"Go ahead, finish the plate. I'm sorry I can't give you more, but I don't have much money."

"This is enough, Master. Thank you!"

Nozomi quickly cleaned the wooden plate.

"It was delicious. Human food is truly the best!"

"It's clear that the lady put a lot of care into making the stew."

"I'd never tasted anything other than herbs or mushrooms before."

"From now on, you'll be able to eat human food."

"I'm already looking forward to dinner."

I glanced out the window; the sun was starting to set. I wonder if it's time yet. There's only one way to find out.

"Nozomi, we're going. I'm eager to go on a mission."

"Yes, Master!"