Chapter 12: Chapter 12: If you want to keep that…

Chapter 12: If you want to keep that...

Yima stared at the slime dragon before him. It was small. No bigger than the summoner that had summoned it and let it evolve. Yet, puffs of smoke escaped its maul.

"You can't keep this in here," Yima said, his tone not allowing for any arguments. Still, Thomas had to try and do just that.

"But, guild master, Karl is harmless," Thomas tried, as Yima sighed.

"He just pulverized the dummy, did he not? He could do worse to adventurers," Yima told him. He was not without compassion in himself.

He knew about Thomas's situation. Stuck as a receptionist, dreaming of being a strong adventurer one day. Held back by his weight. The guild master wanted to help him. Yet, he felt that endangering the people who came and went through the guild on a daily basis was not the answer.

"Just let him go and make a contract with a dungeon," Yima said, and Thomas's hand went to grip Karl's scaled shoulder.

"If I do that, he would be dead before the end of the year," Thomas protested. Because, Karl didn't have much knowledge about the surrounding things. The slime just had a nucleus, which served as a very basic brain, and that was it.

"Summon something that can be kept close to others, next time. Like, a cat," the guild master suggested, and Thomas balled his fists.

"I will never improve with cats," and they were F ranked. Way above his own rank.  "Karl could be used to protect the guild. Maybe, if we set him up in the vault?"

Yima considered the suggestion. If there was one more protection to the vault, then things could look up. The traps had done nothing against the hag, after all.

Yet, what if the slime-dragon burned through the door and helped itself to the weapons? It would be a disaster. Just a single one would see the slime as strong as an actual dragon. All of them would see it as a monster of unparalleled proportions.

"Let it loose in the forest. I will hear no more about this," Yima then turned around, and walked back towards his office.

"Now I feel bad. You lost your pet because of my curiosity," Alberto said. "I can take it out of its misery, if you'd like. Before it harms anyone?"

Thomas's grip on Karl's scales tightened. Karl deserved more than to be killed off, even if it would be a mercy.

"You know what? I resign," Thomas told him. He took off his badge from the front of his shirt, and threw it in the waste disposal. "Karl is not going to die. Or, end up alone."

Thomas then nudged Karl to move. The slime simply stared at him. It tried to reach out for Thomas's hand, but it couldn't do so. Now that it didn't have human hands.

The dark-haired man climbed on its back, and took two of its horns in his hands. He had always wanted to see the world. Maybe, if he waited for the weight to get lost, he would never get to become an adventurer.

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The life of an adventurer that didn't have guild membership was hard. You barely got a paying gig. People thought you must be some sort of criminal for the guilds to ignore you. Heck, if they didn't think that, they thought you incompetent.

He found himself before the hospital wing. He patted Karl three times, and got off him.

"Stay, buddy. Let me just say goodbye," the dark-haired man entered the room, and saw that Lucius was staring up at the ceiling.

"Lucius, I have something to tell you," Thomas approached the bed with uncertain steps. Lucius stared at him.

"Trouble?" He asked, and Thomas nodded.

"Karl, my slime, ended up a dragon. Guild master Yima wanted me to abandon it, but," the former receptionist let his words trail off.

"You chose to go away with it, instead?" Lucius asked. Then, he reached out towards a bottomless bag that was laying on the bedside table. "I have something for you."

He took out a booklet, and handed it to Thomas.

"All my The Zone meal plans are inside. With instructions on how to prepare the meals. The next time I see you, you better be as thin as a bean stalk and as famous as Yima," Lucius handed the booklet, and Thomas clutched at it, his eyes going misty.

"I... you are the only one who really believes in me, Lucius," The summoner said, his bottom lip trembling.

"Lesson number one from the unofficial adventurer's handbook: Adventurers are not allowed waterworks or sappy proclamations," the vampire swatted Thomas on the forehead gently, and then pointed at the door, where Karl waited.

"Go — now. Before Yima decides to put an end to the slime's life, and your adventuring career," Thomas nodded, and headed out. He got back on top of Karl's back, and then nudged his horns to stir him towards the exit.

Lucius grinned at that. He knew that the man had what he needed to succeed. Sure, it will be harder for him, than for the adventurers who stayed in the guild. But it wouldn't be impossible.

Thomas went home, and packed his things. The mayor wouldn't let him go around with a dragon and no license as a summoner or a beast tamer. The only employment that he was going to get was from the surrounding farms.

"It will be fun, Karl. We will rescue maidens from goblins, princesses from giants, get treasure, recognition, a slime girlfriend for you, and a nice girl for me," the now unemployed man said, more to himself.

The truth was that he didn't have much hope — now. Still, the fact that Lucius believed in him gave him courage. He wrote a note to the landlord to keep the security deposit and apologized for the couch. Then, he walked out of the door and got back on Karl's back.

The slime carried him ever forward. The city of Orestria gave way to the forest that surrounded it. Thomas knew that, once inside, there was no going back.