The Duke House’s Little Chef ~ The Cook Who Trained in the Mountain for 300 Years

Chapter 56

Chapter 56: Domination Skill.

There is a reason why we decided to use the swamp as our training ground.

Slimes tend to live in rivers, springs, or swamps like the one we are in now. They like humid places.

"If you look for slimes in the dark, you may be literally caught by them. So let's lure them out."

"Is there a way to do that?"

Fletty-san asked me a question, and I took out a bottle from my bag.

Inside the bottle is a red-black liquid that looks like blood.

"What is that?"

"It's pig's blood. I will use it to lure the slimes."

"Is that your strategy to catch them with their favorite food?"

Fletty-san's words made Clavis-san (listening at the side) tilt his head.

"Do slimes have a favorite food?　They're supposed to be omnivores....."

"No, they don't have a favorite food. They also eat pig's blood, but it's the smell that is important here."

"Smell ......?"

I open the cork.

At that moment, an intense smell hits everyone's nose.

"So stink!!"

Fletty-san couldn't hold back and covered his nose.

I've used it so many times, so I've gotten used to it.

"It stinks. The slimes seem to like this smell."

"He, hee~......"

Fletty-san smiles bitterly.

When he opens his mouth, the stench enters his mouth. He coughs violently.

"I have a simple question. Do slimes have noses?"

Richil-san tilts her head.

Her partner (Mildy-san) is not with her. When I look around, I find she has retreated to a very faraway place.

She is a beastwoman, so she must be sensitive to smells.

She is far from us, but she still covers her nose, and her eyes are teary.

"Slime doesn't have a nose. But apparently slime's outer shell part--that is, the slimy part--reacts to substances that stick to it."

Clavis answered Richil-san's question.

"It seems to be able to react to microscopic substances, like odors.

It must be very sensitive to something as stinky as this."

Karim-san also added an explanation.

All the knights are impressed.

They are really a monster researcher family. I didn't know that the slime's outer shell reacts to microscopic substances either.

That's amazing, Clavis-san.

"What?..... This is just the basics knowledge. Your de-crystallization discovery is far more valuable academically."

As he said that, Clavis-san stroked his beard.

While blinking my eyes at my foster father's reaction, I quickly drip the pig's blood around the swamp.

The smell is even more intense now.

"Let's hide for a while."

Everyone hides and takes a distance from the swamp.

We wait for the slime to gather.

"Will they gather?"

Lilith asked, looking a bit worried.

"Don't worry. Trust me."

"Okay!"

A while later, I saw movement in the swamp.

The native plants in the swamp shake, and not just one or two. The plants are shaking on their own. It is as if an invisible ghost or something is moving.

I can hear a dripping sound. At the same time, I hear a sound on the ground.

"They are coming."

"Hey, hey."

"They--."

Everyone gasps.

Slime appears one after another from the swamp.

There are probably 100...... 200 or more of them.

"How can that many inhabit this swamp?"

"There seem to be a lot of ordinary slimes, but there are magic slimes and care slimes among them as well."

Karim-san checked with a pair of distance-viewing glasses.

"It is like a pile of treasures."

Fletty-san is holding the handle of his magic sword Flametongue.

Everyone, please wait here.

Luciel-kun?"

“Don't worry. I'll calm those slimes down.”

Even if they are small fry monsters, slime is still dangerous.

We came all the way here with the Knights.

I want to return home without trouble and with a smile on our faces.

I raise my hand.

[Domination].

The slimes swarming around the pig's blood on the ground were crushed.

It looks as if something was drooping on their heads.

"What was that?"

It's the highest level of the [Domination] skill. This skill can be used to control many monsters at the same time, regardless of their race or type.

Karim-san trembles as he explains.

"I've heard Luciel-kun can use it, but it's still amazing. Even though it's difficult to have many skills."

Richil-san is also impressed.

You can learn magic if you have the spell, understand the spell and understand the theory. But you can't acquire skills in that way.

Some are learned after a long training period, while others are born with it.

There are no people like me who can learn by eating monsters. Although it seems that there are people who can learn skills by watching monsters' movements.

In other words, it is not easy to acquire a skill.

It seems that there aren't many people like me who have a lot of skills.

[Domination] was completed while everyone was amazed at my skill.

"Everyone line up side by side!"

The slimes start to move and line up in a row.

The great thing about [Domination] is the intelligence of the monster ruled is equal to that of the ruler.

Even a low-intelligence monster can be controlled in this way.

For example----.

"Now line up 20 in a row."

I commanded, and the slimes began to move obediently.

They lined up in rows of 20. Fifteen rows of slimes are formed, which means that there are 300 slimes.

"Everyone turns to the right, right!"

Then the slime turns to the right.

"Well, does slime have the perception that it's the front?"

Clavis-san strokes his beard in admiration.

"Turn right. Turn right, right! Move forward!"

Slime understands my instructions, spins around, and moves.

Fletty-san seems impressed when he sees the slimes perfectly following my instruction.

"Wow! They're kind of cute."

Lilith claps her hands happily.

She is happy to see the slimes lining up.

They understand even complicated instructions like this. Domination is a very useful skill.

"Lilith, do you want to touch them?"

"Eh?　Is that okay?"

"Yes, it's okay now."

"Then, just a bit....."

Lilith reaches out her hand timidly to a slime that doesn't move a bit.

Her fingertips touch the slime.

"Hyah!"

She screamed.

"Miss!"

"Lilith, are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry I startled you, guys. Um.... it's colder than I thought."

"Yes, it is. The surface of the slime's body is colder than I expected, and although it is sticky, it is more liquid than I thought it would be.

I was also surprised when I touched it for the first time."

Lilith tries again.

This time, she boldly pushes her hand inside the slime.

"Wow. This feels kind of comfortable."

Lilith moves her hands around inside the slime. At first, her eyebrows furrowed, but when she realized it was not dangerous, she began to stir her hand inside the slime.

Usually, when you put your hand inside slime, the outer shell slowly turns into a dissolving liquid and begins to dissolve any foreign object. But the slimes under my control don't show such signs.

This is proof that they are completely under my control.

"Hou....... Interesting!　I'll give it a try!"

Clavis-san raised his hand.

"Me too...... I'm interested in it scientifically."

Karim-san also stepped forward.

"Please go ahead. It's okay, even if you get a bit rough."

After I said that, many Knights raised their hands.

Richil-san was scared at first. When she put her hand inside a slime, she was surprised at how cold it felt.

"Fufufu.... Luciel-kun, look!"

I hear Mildy-san's cheerful voice. It seems she has returned.

I turn around and see Mildy-san standing in front of me with a smug look, both of her fists covered by slime.

"Double Fist slime!"