Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Find Me a Home
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‘My stomach hurts, and now I’m hearing nonsense.’
Sernal let out a long sigh, then blankly grabbed the coffee mug he’d set aside next to him.
‘I’m so tired….’
Splat.
It didn’t feel like coffee—something moist and squishy instead. He glanced down.
“Ta-da!”
“……!”
Sernal shot up from his seat in a panic.
Crash.
The chair toppled over, but his eyes locked onto one spot.
That flower-patterned slime, Tutoon, was inside the mug.
Even if slimes could shrink their bodies, who would’ve thought it’d be here.
“Hiii~”
Tutoon wriggled and waved a pseudopod. The slightly melted number ticket stuck to it fluttered.
Number 15.
“The coffee’s super bitter. Lots of sugar would be great~~~. I looove sweet stuff~.”
Sernal’s face twisted at the absurd request.
Throb.
His stomach burned. He suddenly remembered the pill he’d skipped that morning.
What the hell is this?
That bitter parting figure kept coming to mind, making him feel like he’d destroyed the slime’s home, chased it away, and even gotten called out by Tersha for it.
“What are you doing right now?”
“I pulled a number and waited~~~. Good job, right? I got so bored waiting that I wandered around, but no one recognized me~~~.”
Tutoon crawled out of the mug onto the table, then headed for the chair.
Meanwhile, Sernal glanced around.
The place was packed with people.
Among the diverse races, the giants stood out the most, their massive builds contrasting with their pure, innocent faces that drew the eye.
“I’m a complainant~~~.”
Tutoon shifted into a childlike form and swung its legs.
“I even got a proper shape. I did everything you said~~~. Now I just gotta talk, right~?”
Tutoon beamed.
“…Hoo.”
Sernal exhaled lightly, swallowing the throbbing in his gut as he forced his lips into a smile.
“Hello.”
“Hiii~”
Tutoon greeted him like they were meeting for the first time.
“What can I help you with?”
He knew exactly why it was here, but Sernal followed procedure.
“Find me a hooome~.”
Tutoon opened its mouth brightly.
“Would you like to see this?”
•We cannot provide personal counseling unrelated to racial characteristics. (e.g., I’m sad because my friendship fell apart. I have a crush, etc.—anything related to personal emotions.)
Sernal pointed to the most frequently highlighted notice.
“This isn’t personal~~~. I’m not that dumbbb~.”
“How is finding a home not personal?”
Sernal’s stomach twisted at Tutoon’s shameless tone.
Throb throb.
‘Should’ve taken my meds properly.’
He regretted it a bit.
“Well, that’s…….”
Tutoon started to continue, following Sernal’s gaze, but hesitated.
Whatever it remembered made its round eyes tremble.
Fear flickered in them, and even its swinging legs stilled.
Sernal, who’d been glancing at his watch, noticed the change and shifted his gaze.
Slimes didn’t sweat or show obvious signs, but Sernal knew.
When scared, their glossy surface lost its smoothness and turned slightly rough.
It was subtle—most people wouldn’t notice—but he could see it.
—But this is my home originally.
Oddly, Tutoon’s words from when it left the community center earlier echoed in his mind.
From the moment he started working in complaints, he’d heard from Edinal and reminded himself countless times: don’t get swept up in emotions.
But this wasn’t getting emotional.
“Are you okay?”
Sernal leaned forward carefully.
“…C-Can you believe meee~?”
A slime—someone—looking at him with such desperate eyes. Sernal smelled a case.
Should he or shouldn’t he?
Weighing it with the case at the center.
He was tired.
Annoyed.
Yesterday and the day before had been overtime; he just wanted to leave on time today. But Sernal couldn’t let go of that last thread.
Annoying and tired as he was, once work started, shouldn’t he at least keep his sense of responsibility?
“I believe you, sir.”
Sernal answered steadily.
Seeing his confident eyes, Tutoon’s sparkled.
“Thanks~~~!”
Its face lit up with a smile.
“More than thanks, could you explain a bit more?”
“Got it~~~.”
Tutoon leaned forward, practically sprawling across the table.
“I’ve never hurt anyone~~~. But I got chased out from here~~~.”
A sadness unfit for its drowsy voice filled Tutoon’s eyes.
But Sernal couldn’t make sense of it at all.
“When were you chased out?”
He asked calmly first.
“A few months agooo? They called me a bad slime~~~.”
‘Chased out just for being a slime?’
It was vague, but getting info from Tutoon directly seemed tough.
Better to ask Edinal, who’d been here then. More accurate.
“Please wait a moment.”
“I can wait foreeever~~~. I already lost my job anywayyy~.”
Tutoon waved it off like it was nothing.
Sernal turned away.
“We’ll ask about that later too. Why you lost your job.”
As if he didn’t know slimes had high unemployment.
As Sernal stood, Tersha next to him looked up in surprise.
She hadn’t taken her next turn yet, so she fluttered over easily and lowered her voice.
“…What’s going on?”
“It’s been a month since I transferred here, right?”
“Yeah. Exactly 39 days.”
Sernal flinched at the precise count.
He glanced sideways at Irang.
‘One suddenly gives me fatigue potions, and another remembers exactly when I started? …Kinda creepy.’
Turning back to Tersha, he met her dignified gaze.
“Was I wrong?”
“Who knows. I don’t count days. Anyway, a bit of a crisis hit today.”
Sernal snorted at his own words, finding them funny.
A few months ago was before he was even here, so not really a crisis.
Honestly, he wasn’t sure where to start.
“I’ll ask the team leader, so Tersha, you…….”
“No.”
Tersha cut him off firmly. Urgency softened her cool face.
“I’ll help.”
“No. Just ask the team leader.”
“It’s fine. I’ll help.”
As Tersha stepped forward, Sernal backed away.
Why is she suddenly like this?
She’d helped him adjust, sure, but this felt overwhelming.
“…Haa. Today’s exhausting too……. What’s going on?”
Irang pushed back her chair for coffee, then blinked in confusion at them.
Especially curious about Tersha moving.
“Sernal.”
Tersha’s anxious eyes made Irang slowly wipe the smile from her lips.
What could make Tersha react like this?
“It’s a crisis.”
Irang’s eyes widened in horror at Tersha’s heavy words.
How could the new hire who walked in on his own feet…?
“I’ll help too.”
Irang jumped in, looking at Sernal.
“No.”
Their gazes suddenly felt so burdensome, like kids refusing to let go of a toy.
Throb.
His stomach burned again.
“So, I’ll just go to the team leader and…….”
“What’s wrong? What’s everyone doing?”
The commotion outside made Edinal peek through the door.
It was obvious something serious was up.
“Team leader.”
Tersha called with an even graver expression.
“Y-Yeah, Tersha.”
Even Tersha making such a deep face.
“Sernal.”
“Sernal?”
Edinal’s gaze turned to him.
Her face was plastered with world-weary laziness.
He looked fine.
Same as always.
“…It’s a crisis.”
“Come in, everyone.”
Edinal wiped the smile from her face. Time for unity.
“You guys really… won’t listen to me.”
Sernal truly wanted to go home watching their solemn march to the team leader’s office.
* * *
“…No way.”
As soon as Sernal sat, Edinal opened gravely.
“Sernal. Absolutely, absolutely do not leave complaints.”
Sernal was too lazy to correct whatever rumor had spread.
He just enjoyed a moment’s peace amid Tersha’s desperate eyes and the coffee in front of him.
“How could I replace talent like you? Impossible. You know you’re complaints’ gem, right? Overtime? I can’t help that. No one applies here anyway; it’s too busy. Honestly, the bar’s too high? Gotta be good at fighting, talking, overtime…….”
Edinal vented a bit.
But quickly refocused on persuading him.
“Or I’ll do better. I’m already doing great, but leaving on time… I’ll request new hires again. Upper management’s hounding me to do more, no, die already. I’ll let them beat me harder.”
Please.
No.
Edinal’s desperation showed.
“Right, Sernal.”
Irang nodded without breathing to Edinal’s stream.
“Any issues with work you can’t speak of, or pressure from someone? I’ll handle it.”
Irang forced a smile, her eyes oddly cold.
“Or did I teach you something wrong? Sorry if so.”
Tersha fiddled with her horn-shaped headband, then lowered her hand in apology.
Slurp.
Sernal calmly sipped his coffee.
‘They’re all pros at messing up. Well, mages are useful.’
Just having a mage was a huge win.
Beyond specifics, everything got way easier, insanely efficient. He knew that.
‘Same in the old department. Begging me not to go, grabbing my pants.’
Slurp.
The coffee’s bitter taste spread in his mouth, and Sernal smiled.
Wondering how far the misunderstanding would go, he almost let it slide but held back.
“I’m not quitting.”
“Yeah, so if you quit……. Huh?”
Edinal’s eyes widened mid-persuasion, then she grinned.
“Good call, Sernal! Tonight, huh? Let’s order chicken. My treat.”
“Team leader.”
“Yeah, Sernal.”
“You have to get me chicken no matter what.”
His mouth watered at the unasked-for chicken.
Chicken was truth.
“I just wanted to ask about the complainant who came to me.”
“What?”
“The thing from a few months ago. I wasn’t here then.”
“You said crisis.”
Tersha interrupted, face shocked.
“It is a crisis. I don’t know about months ago. Not perfect, but smooth work means on-time leave… well, not quite, but before overtime locks in from something other than my incompetence, it’s a crisis, right?”
Sernal chuckled, savoring the suddenly sweet coffee.
“…Sorry, team leader.”
Tersha bowed flustered to Edinal, then to Irang.
“Sorry for the commotion, Irang.”
“No need. It was important to me too.”
Irang waved her hands lightly, surprised. She snuck a glance at Sernal.
Calm as ever.
How does he stay so serene?
“Sernal.”
Tersha exhaled shortly and looked at him.
“Yes.”
“My fault this time. I blew up something small and put you in a spot. I’ll be calmer next time.”
She bowed to him too.
‘Thought she’d be mad.’
He’d seen anger mix in her expression just now.
But she blamed herself.
Fair words pave the way for kind returns.
“No. I’m grateful you cared. This isn’t easy.”
Sernal didn’t snark this time.
The misunderstanding wasn’t anyone’s fault, so he thanked Tersha sincerely.
“Just doing what I should. We’re a team.”
Tersha, saying “team,” looked like an impregnable fortress.
Full of love for complaints.
‘A team…….’
Sernal navigated the focused gazes and turned to Edinal.
“Team leader. A few months ago, was there a slime living here?”
“…That slime from this morning came back, Sernal?”
“Yes. It said someone chased it out, lost its home, and now even its job.”
Irang raised a hand slightly to chime in.
“Don’t know about the job, but if it lived here and got chased out, it’s our jurisdiction. Slimes settle anywhere, so even rightful residents get evicted a lot, right?”
“I didn’t see the slime.”
Tersha quietly raised a hand, then both high, aware of her size difference.
‘Tersha’s been here longest after Edinal?’
Sernal felt puzzled at the unexpected reply.
“Oh, same for me.”
Irang agreed and added more.
‘Irang’s been here years too, right?’
Sernal sipped coffee leisurely, watching.
Tersha, Irang, then naturally Sernal’s gaze went to Edinal.
The slacker who knew everything.
Edinal kept brushing back her hair, thinking hard, drawling.
“Hmm…….”
When her lips nearly vanished into her mouth, her eyes widened.
“I remember!”