Chapter 15
“Oh my!”
What Ariella created far exceeded expectations.
From her hand, the magical net transformed—it looked more like a delicate wall of energy. The threads were extremely fine, woven so tightly that it felt like facing a masterpiece crafted by a genius sculptor.
Wriggle—Wriggle—
The slimes were trapped, unable to escape even by shifting shape—the net’s holes were too small.
“Good—one captured. Next!”
No mana from around her was flowing in—it was all her own. That meant Ludwig was doing fine on his own—conscious and well.
“Hold!”
Ariella repeated her spell and swiftly caught several more slimes.
“This should do the trick.”
Phily’s admiration was immediate.
“Wow! You used far less magic than I do, yet it works ten times better!”
Phily’s earlier doubt flipped completely—her jaw dropped, and her eyes glowed with awe. She looked as if Ariella had just claimed to be a powerful mage.
Her reaction was so extreme Ariella was puzzled.
“Isn’t this normal? Everyone uses magic here—anyone can do it.”
“So what are you doing with these slimes?” Phily asked.
“Fixing the library.”
Ariella intended to make a waterproof binding agent from the slimes—something to glue materials and keep rain from penetrating.
“I’ve never heard slimes could do that. Why hasn’t anyone used them already?”
Remarkable: a magical society with no idea about one of its own resources.
‘Trade… and even knowledge sharing must be lacking here.’
No wonder no new books arrived in fifty years.
“Where’d you learn this?”
“From a book.”
Recognizing the title, Ariella spoke excitedly.
“From Demons and Beyond! The travel journal of the elf explorer Kimmelt—his record of the demon realm when he returned home.”
That book was banned—Aliente’s demon praise was said to enthrall innocent citizens. Yet Ariella managed to get a copy through her maid, Betty.
She’d read it until the pages wore thin.
Ariella spoke passionately about the author’s history:
“Kimmelt was a famous monster tamer who traveled into the demon realm. His journal describes everything—from local plants and magic to major events of that world.”
“A demon realm journal from an elf’s perspective—I’d love to read it.”
“It’s fascinating! I barely got a copy and wore it out reading.”
In Ariella’s homeland, it was banned too—but she’d memorized it.
It was also why she chose to flee through summoning a Demon King.
“That recipe? Kimmelt learned it over years from the Northern Demon King’s realm. It forms into a moldable shape, hardens in water, and can support huge weight.”
That magic hadn’t spread to the human world, partly because slimes were rare—making it ironic that in the demon realm, people didn’t know how to use them.
‘Grow population, adopt new tech—it all depends on me now.’
Advancing technology would boost quality of life, attracting more people and ideas.
Apparently, use of lime or tar was still common here.
“Lime chips away easily,” she observed.
Tar melts in heat and cracks in cold.
“Does slime-based glue avoid those problems?”
“I’ll show you. Follow me.”
Back near the library, Ariella pulled out her notebook.
“Oh wow! What are these notes? Every line is filled.”
“Just things I’m interested in.” She searched and found what she needed:
“Here it is. Liquorice root, amaranth young leaf… all common herbs.”
She then borrowed a large pot and measured herbs and slimes carefully.
Moments later, the cook nearly fainted.
“What are you doing in my cooking pot?”
“Shh, just wait.”
Ariella let the ingredients boil then carried the mixture to the library entrance.
“Phily—your turn.”
Phily scooped the goo into little jars and buzzed around the roof like a tiny bee.
Splash! Drizzle!
Each time she flew overhead, some of the goo dripped across the roof.
Soon the big pot was empty.
“Lady Ariella… I did as instructed, but…”
Phily looked unconvinced.
The slime mix didn’t harden at all—it looked damp and smelled musty.
‘This doesn’t look waterproof.’
Worse, rain could wash it away at any moment.
“Wait and see,” Ariella promised.
Why she was so confident? The storm thickened.
Pour!
News spread that the Demon King’s contractee and the neglected librarian were up to something odd—and coastal townsfolk gathered to watch.
They murmured skeptically.
“Why are they covering the roof with slime?”
“They say it keeps rain out.”
“That’s silly. It’s just boiled slime.”
“It’ll wash away in the rain.”
Then—
“…Wait…”
As rain poured harder, people noticed the difference.
“Hey! Look!”
Good visioned folks noticed changes fast.
Phily’s mix absorbed rain, hardened quickly, and sealed the roof.
“The rain water…”
Instead of seeping in, it rolled along the roof into gutters.
Some still doubted:
“Sure, but what if inside is soaked?”
Phily couldn’t hide her excitement:
“I’ll check!”
She zipped inside.
Pause…
Phily flew through the library—and gasped.
Buckets were dry. Not a drop of moisture inside.
“Lady Ariella, not a single drop! Everything’s perfectly dry!”
The crowd outside stirred:
“What? Just boiled slime?”
“Can’t believe it.”
“I can go catch slimes too.”
Their expressions shifted from suspicion to admiration.
“I told you!” Ariella grinned.
‘It wasn’t just boiling slime. It has to be mixed right…’
They might only see it as waterproofing—but building contractors would revere it.
It outperforms lime and sets faster.
The crowd muttered.
“That human… who is she?”
“Quiet! She’s the Demon King’s new contractee.”
“The King’s contractee? Impressive. Where did he find her?”
All eyes turned to Ariella—with wonder, curiosity, and a hint of respect.
Next Morning
Gruev came for Ariella early.
Her eyes were red from overseeing repairs late into the night.
“Ugh…” she yawned with her jaw hanging open.
“Something’s going on this early?”
Gruev adjusted his monocle.
“The Demon King has returned. He’s waiting for you.”
“Why?”
“To report on the library.”
“Oh, of course.”
She followed quietly—she would need Ludwig to know the restoration had begun.
“Proper reporting is tradition, even after the fact.”
Moments later, the door to the Demon King’s bedroom opened.
“…What the—?”
She looked in—and saw the Demon King, covered in blood from head to toe, staring back at her.
