I’ve Been Reincarnated as a Tentacle Slime~ I Want to Live a Comfortable, Secure Life and Do Whatever I Want~ - Chapter 43

Once we were back in the village, we returned all the girls except the three to their families, and sent Rio’s older sister to Rio.

Leaving the slimes behind as guards, I headed toward the village chief.

“Lord Cruz, I truly thank you for everything this time. I have nothing but gratitude for you.”

“No, we didn’t suffer any damage on our side, and the reward is more than sufficient for me.”

The village head directed Leonora, standing at his side, to walk toward me.

“Leonora, over here.”

“Yes, Grandpa. Cruz-sama, please take good care of me going forward.”

“Ahh… yeah I’ll be in your care as well.”

“Now then, we shall conduct the [Rite of Subjugation]. Lord Cruz, place both hands on Leonora’s neck…”

I followed the village chief’s instructions. After a few actions, a magic circle appeared under Leonora, and her neck began to glow.

Once the light faded, a strange pattern appeared around Leonora’s neck, resembling a collar.

“With this, Leonora has become Lord Cruz’s slave. From now on, she will be unable to disobey your will.”

“How long does the effect last?”

Come to think of it, I forgot to ask about the duration of the effect.

“It remains in effect permanently until you, Lord Cruz, revoke it.”

“I see… Once again, I’m counting on you from now on. I don’t plan on discarding you, alright?”

“Yes. I look forward to being with you for a very long time.”

Leonora and the village chief bowed deeply.

Somehow, it feels like a bride being married off, kind of embarrassing…

Around the time the Rite of Subjugation ended and I finished the exchange with Leonora, Rio and her older sister came over.

“Master! Thank you so much for saving my big sister!!”

“Cruz-sama. no, Master. Thank you so much for saving Rio too.”

Huh? Rio’s sister too? Master?

“After discussing with Rio, could you also please make both of us your slaves, Master?”

“Master, I didn’t realize… I said I’d give you everything, but I hadn’t truly given everything… That’s why I want you to really accept all of me!”

The two of them closed in on me.

“Are you sure about this…? You won’t be able to defy me.”

“I want you to make it so I can’t defy you!”

“If you’re Rio’s knight, I’ll accept anything.”

――――Knight?

“Big sis!! You can’t do that!”

“Oh dear, I’m sorry, Rio.”

“Geez! You totally did that on purpose!! Master, I’d be happy if you forgot that…”

Rio puffed up her cheeks angrily, then her fox ears drooped, and she looked up at me with pleading eyes.

“Yeah, I’ll forget it.”

I ruffled Rio’s hair, and she giggled bashfully. I’ll just go ahead and forget it.

“Rio, Riora, you’re sure about this?”

“”Yes.””

The village chief confirms with the two of them.

――――Rio’s sister is named Riora, huh. If you miss the timing to ask, it gets hard to ask later.

“Then, Lord Cruz, shall we proceed?”

“Yes, please go ahead.”

And with that, slave markings appeared on the necks of both Rio and Riora as well.

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

“Lord Cruz, if I may be so bold, I have a request. Would you be willing to hear it?”

The village chief said as he straightened his posture and turned toward me.

“What is it? I can’t promise I’ll be able to fulfill it, though.”

It really catches you off guard when a laid-back person turns serious like that.

“This is something the whole village has agreed to. Would you, Lord Cruz, become our village chief?”

――――What?

“Wait, why me? I’m just some random person you barely know.”

I couldn’t grasp what the village chief was thinking, so I asked him the reason.

“Do you remember when I said this village couldn’t survive the winter?”

“Yeah, I heard that on the first day I arrived.”

“However, thanks to your efforts over the past week, Lord Cruz, we now have a way to survive the winter.”

“Isn’t that a good thing? In that case, wouldn’t it be better to have me work under someone’s command?”

“No. No one in the village would allow our hero, Lord Cruz, to be placed beneath anyone. Of course, neither would I.”

“So you want me to take charge? I’m sorry, but I don’t see any benefit in being tied down here. Can’t I just come regularly instead?”

“If possible, I’d like you to stay here… and I can offer you some benefits in return.”

“What kind of benefits?”

I was curious about what kind of things would be offered, so I prompted the village chief to continue.

“Lord Cruz, um, are you familiar with the right of the first night?”

“Y-Yeah. I know what it is…”

I couldn’t hide my surprise that such a thing as the ‘right of the first night’ came out of the village chief’s mouth.

“It didn’t exist in our village before, but if Lord Cruz becomes the village chief, we’ve agreed you alone may exercise that right.”

It’s tempting, but I’ll deliberately raise the price to make them give up. I’m not someone fit to lead others, and I’ll probably be exposed as a slime soon anyway…

“If you offer me virgin rights and first pregnancy rights as well, I’ll consider it.”

“Yes, those rights will also be granted. In fact, haven’t you more or less already achieved them?”

Come to think of it, that’s true…

“You realize this applies going forward too, right…? I’ll be impregnating women who’ve come of age, and even those who are engaged, you know?”

“There is no problem. Just, please wait until the ones who returned this time have recovered from their wounds.”

Damn… this is a tough call. But getting exposed as a slime would be way worse… Still though…

I held my head and thought desperately. It could be a chance, but also a crisis. I was deep in thought—when suddenly.

“You damn old geezer!!! This is all your fault!!!! I’ll take you with me if it’s the last thing I do!”

A man burst out from the bushes behind the village chief, aiming for him.

Damn! I was so deep in thought that I neglected my surroundings!

If I don’t act, the village chief will be killed. I made up my mind. It’s been a good ride.

I transformed both my hands into tentacle, turning one into a shield to defend the chief and the other into a spear to impale the attacker.

I get it now. It was weird that only 11 were kidnapped. Since they also tried to take Rio, they must have originally planned to abduct 12. Probably, 11 attacked the village while 1 stayed behind at their hideout. Then I took one of them down, which by chance left 11, so they didn’t go after another victim. Now that I think of it, those guys at the entrance said there was one unlucky guy. So it was this guy, huh? Well, whatever—it’s over now.

I return my hands to normal and look at the village chief.

“So you really were a slime. Still, I can’t believe there’s a slime that can transform into a human and even talk.”

The village chief showed no sign of surprise. It was as if he had expected this.

“Lord Cruz, where is your master, if I may ask?”

“No… I don’t have a master…”

Unable to fully grasp the situation, I answered the village chief’s question in confusion.

“I see… My apologies.”

“No, it’s fine.”

The village chief seems to have misunderstood and thinks I lost my master. Since there’s no way to reveal the truth about this, I’ll let it be. I should use this to draw some sympathy and secure my safety.

“When did you first notice what I am, village chief?”

“It was the night of your first day here. Since there wasn’t much more to see, we left immediately.”

Ah… so they had noticed after all. I mean, I was collapsed in the hall, so―――wait, we?

“Are you saying you’re not the only one aware of this?”

“Yes, most of the people in their 30s to our generation know.”

So they were letting me slide the whole time?

“Forgive me for keeping it from you, Cruz-sama. I still had memories from that time, so I knew. I’m sure some others do as well.”

Whaaat!? Leonora and the others knew and still tried to seduce me!?

The village chief suddenly realizes something and asks me.

“Could it be that you, Lord Cruz, have misunderstood and think we bear you hostility?”

“I’m a monster, you know? Isn’t that what people would normally assume?”

“I see, heroic tales are something only humans know. That was an oversight on our part. You may not be aware, but among monsters, slimes are not generally viewed as hostile. Of course, slimes encountered in dungeons are treated as enemies.”

“In human heroic tales, the hero, slime tamer, knight, great mage, and cardinal are the main archetypes. This may sound rude, but slimes start off weak and helpless unable to do almost anything. However, they consume everything, absorb it, and gradually become versatile beings capable of anything.

“For villagers like us, tales about heroes, slime tamers, and knights are the favorites. Stories of being saved by a hero or knight, or of a humble villager forming a bond with a slime and fighting alongside a hero as a slime tamer, and so on.”

“Even today, slime tamers are in huge demand. Slimes consume only the unnecessary parts of monsters, leaving behind clean usable materials, which increases their market value. Plus, they grow stronger the more they eat. But they’re extremely rare, you might find just one per city. No one really knows how to communicate with slimes.”

Is he being so talkative because he’s trying to be considerate toward me?

“In other words, despite knowing I’m a slime, you’re asking me to take the position of village chief?”

“Yes. Lord Cruz is far more dependable, than some unreliable human.”

Makes sense, especially after what happened with the bandits.

“I’d like to think it over with my companions. May I have some time?”

“Yes, and we’ll assist you however we can. We’d truly appreciate it if you gave it serious thought.”

For now, I’ll take this matter back with me to think it over.

“On another note, what will happen with those three?”

“We’ll take full responsibility for handling those three, so please don’t concern yourself with it, Lord Cruz.”

“If it’s not too much, I’d like to request those three as part of my reward. Is that acceptable?”

I try negotiating, not expecting much. Even if their minds are broken, it’s fine as long as their bodies are healthy.

“Honestly, it’d be a great help to us… but wouldn’t it place a burden on you?”

The fact that he’s concerned for me, the village chief really is a good person.

“Yes, whether it’s three or six, it’s not a big difference.”

“Understood. Then please accept them as your slaves as well, Lord Cruz.”

I confirmed the slave marks appearing on the necks of the three girls and accepted them as an addition to my reward.

“Then I’ll come by tomorrow, so I’m returning to my dwelling for today. Rio, Leonora, Riora, I want you three to stay here. I’ll leave you behind as proof that I’ll return tomorrow.”

“Master… understood! Have a safe trip!”

“Cruz-sama, I’ll be here waiting for you.”

“Master-sama, please go and come back safely.”

With the three girls in tow, we transformed into a hawk and took off. As expected, they didn’t seem surprised.

——Now then, what should I do?

Riora: Rio’s older sister. Age 20. Blonde hair, red eyes, and long hair. She closely resembles Rio. But her chest was flat… She couldn’t hide her confusion over how large Rio’s chest was.

Legos: The grandfather of Leonor. His white hair and demeanor would make him fit right in as a butler.

This time’s results:

・Total of six slaves acquired: Rio, Riora, Leonora, plus three whose spirits had been broken.

Chapter length 4701 characters.

TL Note: Rio’s older sister’s name in katakana literally translates to Ravioli… I changed it to Riora since it seems weird to leave it like that. Of course, if you guys for some reason prefer Ravioli I could change it back.