TTIGRAAS: Predator

Chapter 27

I felt myself bounce a tiny bit as I woke up, feeling groggy as I wondered where I was. Something heavy, but not too heavy, was resting on top of me.

"Thank you, Slime-san."

Eh? I wondered, too tired to summon my skill to speak out loud. I wasn't sure whose voice that was, but it was as if a gentle hand stroked me before letting go...

I felt... hollow... somehow. Like I had just lost something, though I wasn't sure what.

Then I realized I was being used as a pillow by a little girl with black hair. It was Chloe. Did she say something in her sleep? I thought, but that didn't make sense. That didn't sound like Chloe.

"W-wait... Shizu...?" I muttered, barely even able to control my voice with how out of it I was.

No. I was probably just dreaming. I immediately dismissed the painful idea.

It was a little awkward having Chloe resting her head on me like this, as I couldn't get away without waking her up.

"So, was that all real? Is Professor Rimuru really a slime?" I heard Kenya ask from outside.

I was barely able to see him outside the tent, speaking with Ramiris. It was at the very limit of my magic sense range at the moment.

They were both talking very quietly.

"Yup, all this is real. Your teacher is a slime, a really annoying slime."

"So what about my light spirit?" I heard Kenya ask, "Rimuru seemed really mad at him for a second..."

"Listen, kid," Ramiris said abnormally seriously. "I know that spirit tried to talk you into being a 'Hero,' but don't let it persuade you unless you're completely sure. Calling yourself a Hero sets fate in motion, and usually leads to your death."

"...woah," that was Ryota's voice. "You could really be a Hero, Ken?"

"And you three!" Ramiris said, "don't go calling him that unless he wants it! It works both ways."

"But why was Professor Rimuru mad?" Kenya asked again.

"He's got a history with that crybaby Leon, I think," Ramiris said. "You'll have to ask him about it." She paused for a moment, "oh, and the spirit indirectly called him an evil creature, so maybe that has something to do with it."

"But Teacher isn't evil!" Ryota exclaimed, "he's really nice!"

"Well, not all 'evilly-aligned' beings are actually evil, kiddo." Ramiris said, "your teacher's a monster, so to that spirit, he's evil."

"About that... we need to keep his secret at all costs." Gale said firmly, "or Professor Rimuru will get taken away from us, or worse."

"I agree. He's been protecting us and now we need to protect him!" Kenya added vigorously.

Alice was being uncharacteristically quiet.

"Do you think anyone else knows?" Ryota asked.

"No, I don't think so. If Professor Rimuru was comfortable telling people about this, he would've just told us too." Kenya said.

"We can't be sure though." Gale interjected.

"Do you think he would've told us? Ever?" Asked Alice, her tone flat.

"Dunno." Kenya answered with a shrug.

"Mmmh..." Chloe groaned and stirred.

Finally she's waking up... I was starting to get worried about her.