Previously
Richmond is impressed by Ariella's pragmatic view of necromancy and offers to teach her his magic for a price. Ariella and Philly travel to the river to hunt slimes, though the skeleton guards refuse to help with anything other than passive protection.
“Good grief!”
The outcome surpassed all expectations by far.
What emerged from Ariella’s hand wasn't merely a net of mana; it looked almost like a solid wall of magic. The threads of power were exceedingly delicate, woven so tightly together that they formed an unprecedented mesh.
It resembled a rare masterpiece crafted by a genius sculptor.
Wiggle, squirm…!
The slime was completely trapped inside the net, utterly unable to break free. The holes were far too tight; even its soft, shifting body couldn't manage to slip through.
“Great, that’s one down. Next!”
Ariella felt no external influx of power. She was using entirely her own mana.
In other words, Ludvic was likely continuing his work right now without collapsing.
“Capture!”
Ariella cast the spell repeatedly, snatching up several more slimes in the blink of an eye.
“Hmm, I think that should be enough.”
The fairy was thoroughly mesmerized by Ariella’s magical prowess.
“Wow! You used vastly less energy than I did, but the result was… no, not just a few times better—dozens of times better!”
Philly’s doubtful expression vanished entirely, replaced by pure awe. Her mouth hung open, and her eyes brimmed with astonishment—or rather, deep reverence.
Had Ariella claimed to be an archmage from the human realm, Philly would have believed her without a second thought.
The reaction was so exaggerated that Ariella felt slightly bewildered.
‘Isn’t this normal? Can’t everyone reach this level?’
Especially in this world, overflowing with mana, where anyone could cast magic.
“By the way, what are you going to use these slimes for?”
“To repair the library.”
Simply put, she intended to make a waterproof adhesive for restoration and construction.
It was a material meant to bond bricks or timber together so they wouldn’t separate, while also keeping rainwater from seeping inside.
“I’ve never heard of slime having that kind of property before. If it did, wouldn’t everyone have been using it already?”
It was strange that the inhabitants of the demon realm were unaware of a technique that had originated here in the first place.
‘There’s no active trade or exchange of information here at all…’
After all, this realm's library hadn't received a single new book in fifty years, so it was hardly a surprise.
“And where did you get this information?”
“I read about it in a book.”
When Philly asked for the title, Ariella recalled the volume she had devoured back in the human realm.
“Records of Demon Realm Exploration!”
“Records of Demon Realm Exploration?”
“Yes! A book written by an elven adventurer named Kimelt, who recounted his experiences after returning from exploring the demon realm. It’s an incredible work!”
It had been a forbidden text, but Ariella had obtained it in secret, reading it until its pages were worn and frayed.
She launched into an enthusiastic explanation of the book's background and its fascinating contents.
“Kimelt was originally a master monster trainer.”
It was said he had traveled to the demon realm specifically to study monsters.
In his celebrated book, he had documented everything: the flora and fauna inhabiting the realm, detailed descriptions of demon realm magic, and the major historical events that took place back then.
“Seeing the demon realm through an elf’s eyes… That sounds fascinating. I’d love to read it!”
“You’d definitely love it! When I finally got my hands on it, I read it so many times I practically memorized it.”
In the Holy Empire, Records of Demon Realm Exploration was designated a forbidden book.
It was deemed to portray the demon realm in far too favorable and detailed a light, threatening to corrupt the Empire's upright citizens.
The situation was much the same in Ariella’s home kingdom, which also fell under imperial influence.
Yet thanks to her maid Betty, who combed through the black market, she had managed to acquire a copy.
She had been so captivated by the mysterious tale that she read it every day until she knew it by heart.
That very book was one of the reasons she had chosen to head for the demon realm when faced with an unwanted marriage.
“This formula is something Kimelt learned from one of the most famous craftsmen in the Northern King’s domain, after heavy investment and painstaking effort.”
The user could shape it freely, and when blended with water, it hardened to bear immense loads.
Yet this technique had never caught on widely in the human realm.
Aside from the book being banned, the decisive factor was the sheer difficulty of obtaining the raw material: slimes.
The irony was that in the Demon King’s domain, where slimes were everywhere, no one knew how to make it, even though it was part of the demon realm too.
Was it because they were out on the periphery, leaving their level of development lagging behind the prosperous territories?
‘Growing the population, bringing in new technologies… there’s a mountain of work ahead.’
If advanced techniques were adopted, the standard of living would rise. More inhabitants would migrate here, which would in turn introduce even more knowledge.
When she inquired, she learned that this region still relied on lime or pitch—tar extracted from tree sap or crude oil.
“Lime erodes easily, doesn’t it?”
Pitch also turned soft in the heat and cracked under cold temperatures, which was a fatal flaw.
“Slime adhesive doesn’t have those issues, right?”
“I’ll show you. Come with me.”
Returning to the Demon King’s castle, Ariella retrieved her notebook.
“Good heavens! What is all this writing? There’s not a single blank spot left!”
“It’s a summary of things I took an interest in. Let’s see… Slimes… Ah, here it is!”
Densely noted upon the page was the exact recipe she had read in the book.
“Licorice root and tender amaranth leaves? The rest are all common ingredients as well.”
She requested a massive cauldron from the kitchen. Then, using a scale, she accurately measured the weights of the various herbs, slime, and other ingredients, carefully dividing them.
Before long, the head chef was appalled upon seeing what Ariella was up to.
“What in the world are you doing?!”
“Shh, quiet!”
Ariella had dumped all the ingredients into the cauldron and begun boiling them over a roaring fire.
“Inedible slime! That cauldron is meant for cooking!”
“Just wait.”
Ariella answered calmly.
Once the ingredients were thoroughly boiled down, she moved the cauldron outside the library.
“Philly, I’m leaving this part to you.”
Philly picked up a small jar and filled it with the slime mixture.
Then, fluttering her wings, she darted briskly like a bee between the ground and the building’s roof.
Buzz—!
Splatter—!
Buzz—!
Splatter—!
Each time she flew up to the roof, Philly poured out a portion of the jar’s contents across the surface. Soon, the large cauldron was emptied.
“Ariella, I did everything you asked, but…”
The fairy appeared entirely unconvinced. The slime mixture spread over the roof hadn't hardened; instead, it oozed wetly, giving off a foul stench.
It didn't look like waterproof sealant in the slightest.
Wouldn’t it simply blend into the rainwater and get washed clean away?
“You’ll see for yourself. Just wait. You’ll understand shortly.”
Ariella had good reason for her confidence. Ever since she had begun hunting slimes, thick storm clouds had been gathering, and now it was starting to pour.
Whoosh—!
Meanwhile, word had spread that the Demon King’s contractor and the castle librarian—whose very purpose no one had quite understood—were doing something bizarre, drawing a crowd of residents.
They murmured among themselves, their voices thick with suspicion.
“Why did she smear that weird gunk on the roof?”
“They claim it keeps the rain from leaking!”
“Huh? Isn’t that just boiled slime?”
“Ridiculous. She thinks that’s enough? The rain will wash it all away in a minute.”
And yet…
“Uh, huh?”
As the rain grew heavier, the crowd’s reactions began to shift.
“Hey, look up there!”
The first to notice the change were the sharp-eyed demons.
The mixture Philly had spread across the roof rapidly absorbed the rainwater and hardened like solid rock.
“The rainwater!”
With the roof fully hardened, the rain no longer leaked into the library; instead, it slid smoothly down the slope toward the gutters.
Even so, a few doubters remained.
“It might look that way from here, but could it be a disaster inside? It’s probably flooded right now!”
Unable to stomach the doubt, Philly stepped forward.
“I’ll go inside and check for myself!”
With a whoosh, she darted into the library. She quickly checked the spots that had always leaked, where buckets were usually placed.
The result was a resounding success. The buckets were bone dry, without a trace of water.
“Ariella! Not a single drop leaked! The buckets are completely dry!”
Murmurs began rippling through the gathered crowd.
“Really? All she did was slap on boiled slime?”
“Could that be used on my house too? The rain hasn’t stopped lately, and I didn’t have the coin for repairs.”
“If it’s just slime, I could go out and hunt some myself right now.”
One after another, the demons’ expressions softened into looks of admiration.
“Didn’t I tell you you’d see for yourselves?”
Ariella said with a bright, confident tone.
“It wasn’t just boiled. If the ingredients aren’t measured precisely, it might look fine at first, but problems will crop up later.”
They thought of it only as a waterproof sealant, but its true worth would shine when erecting new buildings. It was vastly sturdier than lime and dried far more quickly.
Meanwhile, the demons began whispering in hushed tones.
“By the way, who is that human? Isn’t she just a slave?”
“Shh! Keep your voice down. Word is she’s His Majesty’s new contractor.”
“A contractor? What an incredible king. Just where did he find a human like that?”
Countless gazes, laden with varied emotions, settled upon Ariella.
The following morning
Groib came to see Ariella.
Her eyes were bloodshot from staying up late overseeing the restoration work.
“Yaaawn~!”
Ariella let out a yawn so wide her jaw threatened to unhinge, her features still heavy with sleep.
“What is it? So early in the morning?”
Adjusting his monocle, Groib replied.
“His Majesty has returned. Please come with me.”
“Why?”
“You must deliver a report. Regarding the library.”
“Ah, right.”
Ariella readily agreed.
Starting today, the local residents would be brought in to help with the construction, so the Demon King needed to be informed.
“Even as an after-the-fact report, keeping him briefed is standard procedure.”
Ariella followed Groib without protest. A moment later, the door to the Demon King’s bedchamber swung open.
“…What in the world?”
Ariella’s eyes met those of the Demon King, who was drenched in blood from head to toe.
END