By the time I’d finished talking with Dianeia, Anne left, and I’d finished stocking the shop, it was already late at night.

  Actually, it was practically dawn.

  Hesty’s head was drooping as she started to nod off, so I thought I should hurry and close up shop so we could leave.

  I left the store so that I could close the counter space.

  「Ah, Good Evening Boss!」


  「Yo!」


  I happened across Ash and the shining head guys.

  We were in a place that was barely lit by lanterns and moonlight, but I was able to see the shine from Ash’s head.

  「Oh, Good Evening. You just came back?」


  「Yeah! We hunted some monsters and hurried back for some sake, you want some?」


  He said and showed the bag full of coins to me.

  Sake huh? Well, I might have accepted the offer normally but…


  「It’s already late tonight, I’m going home. Sorry.」


  「No no, don’t worry about it. Let us treat you next time.」


  「Yeah, I’ll take you up on that.」


  They said and we said goodbye, but then I saw something strange on the back of Ash’s neck.

  「Hey, Ash…there’s something on your neck.」


  「Huh…?」


  Looking at it more closely, it seemed like a lightly colored slime thing…it had a magic stone in the middle of it.

  「What is this? Is it alive?」


  「Ohh, it was dark so we couldn’t see it. It’s a parasitic magic stone slime.」


  Ash tilted his head to the side as he said that and poked the slime with his finger.

  「Parasitic…isn’t that bad?」


  「This thing is hardy, but it’s not strong. Hey, pull it off.」


  「Roger!」


  One of the shining head members stepped forward and cut the slime with a knife.

  「Well, it’s like that. It’s weak to stabbing attacks. Even though I say its parasitic, it’d have to be attached for a year or more before it started to suck out any nutrients.」


  「Huh…」


  It seems like an awfully easygoing monster.

  「It lives for about a year after that and collapses. Oh, it’ll also die if it enters the bath. So, it’s not really that scary. Though sometimes it’ll highjack an animal and become aggressive.」


  I see, there’s such a screwball monster out there huh?

  「I wonder if these things were stuck to the fafnirs that’ve turned up.」


  「That’s possible. This slime isn’t particularly rare, it’s drawn by strong magic or vital energy. I think that you should’ve seen them before, right Boss?」


  Hmm…have I? In the past there was a huge slime near my area…was that it?

  It was completely annihilated by the golem trap though.

  「I think a big one came by, but I crushed it without realizing what it was……..」


  「Hahaha, that’s just like Boss!」


  Ash laughed…but his face turned serious shortly afterwards.

  「….there are ones that suck power out of a magic stone and become big…even we have to be careful of them when they’re like that. Just hearing you talk about it like this Boss…it’s amazing.」


  「It’s not that praiseworthy…..but I’m glad you told me this. More knowledge is better than less.」


  Especially in my case where I defeat them without even really realizing it.

  「Haha, well we’re pretty knowledgeable about monsters that might appear around dungeons, if you’re ever confused just ask us. If it’s for your sake Boss we’ll work ourselves to the bone!」


  Ash said, then laughed as they departed.

  「Fumu….monster knowledge huh? Learning about that might be interesting.」


  When I have free time it might be good to ask Hesty and Ash about this.

  I thought while I closed up the shop. Then when I finished,

  「Ku~……」


  「Ahah, she fell…」


  Hesty had completely fallen asleep on the floor. I didn’t want to wake her.

  I sort of remember the way back home.

  「Up we go…….」


  I picked up the sleeping Hesty in my arms and headed home after staying out until morning.