The yellow slime leaped forwards and electrocuted the rounded-up slimes, and they hardened upon impact. Under its continued attack, the slimes died while maintaining their stiffened forms. Later, Gabriel would retrieve them so that they could be used in products.
And so, the slimes were easily defeated. Nico cheered, “Oooh!” while Alexandrine quacked loudly, perhaps as a victory cry.
Their impressed reactions prompted me to praise the unique slimes. “That was a great haul, everyone!”
The unique slimes giggled in embarrassment. They sort of reminded me of Gabriel. Speaking of whom, it appeared that the aquatic plants he’d gathered from Shining Lake had come in handy yet again.
The blue slime dived into the lake in search of any remaining hidden slimes. Gabriel defeated those as well before casting a spell to repel other slimes.
“Now we’ll be able to look for shellfish in peace,” he said. “My father and I used to visit this lake when I was a child. You see, our relatives would gather for hunting contests, but my father wasn’t one for such things.”
It was rare for Gabriel to bring up his father, who had left Triste. He probably avoided doing so because it was a sensitive topic for his mother.
“He was extremely meek—the kind of person who derived more pleasure from reading books and gaining knowledge than from hunting beasts with guns. He was very reserved, with no desire for fame or success. On days when our relatives held hunting tournaments, they would leave their children at home, but my father was different. He would instead pick up a book, leave the gun at home, and bring me outside with him. Then he would use the book to teach me about the creatures that lived in this lake. We would even catch fish and frogs, observe waterfowl, and look for shellfish to learn about their biology. It was all so new and exciting for me.”
Gabriel got his looks from his mother, but it seemed like his personality stemmed from his father.
“Fran, were you thinking that my personality resembles my father’s?”
“I was.”
“I suspected as much.”
“Does it bother you?”
“My father wasn’t suited for governance, so I can’t help but wonder if I’m not either.”
“You’re a wonderful duke, and I’m sure your father was too.”
“Well, in the end, he did abandon both me and my mother.”
Gabriel’s mother would always proclaim, “My husband left Triste because he couldn’t stand all the nature!” But Gabriel’s story made me think that wasn’t true. His father wouldn’t have brought books outdoors unless he loved nature.
“Looking back, I wonder if my father had a hard time dealing with our relatives,” Gabriel continued. “My great-uncle was very overbearing at the time.”
“Ah...”
Gabriel’s cousins and great-uncle were certainly unique individuals. It must’ve been difficult for his father to come to an unfamiliar land, be entrusted with the title of slime duke, and exercise leadership as the head of this family.
“There were times when I resented my father for leaving,” Gabriel said. He had been forced to take on the role of slime duke at a young age due to his father’s abscondence. “But now that I’m an adult, I think I can somewhat understand how my father felt when he left. I do hope that he is living a happy life somewhere, but I have no desire to see him again. That may sound irresponsible and harsh, though.”
“Why, what a coincidence. I feel the same way about my father.” My father had caused me more than his fair share of strife. I wasn’t angry enough to lash out at him, but I hoped he would live out the rest of his life without making trouble for others.
“I’d never have guessed.”
“It looks like we’re in the same boat.”
“Indeed.”
After expressing our mixed feelings about our fathers, we began the search for shellfish. The lake seemed a bit cleaner with the slimes gone.
Gabriel stepped into the lake with his waterproof boots. Realizing it was now safe, Alexandrine jumped in too. Nico followed after her, shouting, “Alexandrine, you mustn’t go too far! Please stay in the shallows if possible!” The duck quacked loudly in response, though Nico’s admonishments could very well have been falling on deaf ears.
From where I was standing, I could just make out that Gabriel had found some small conches. “These aren’t suitable for pearl production,” he said. We needed a bivalve mollusk—one with a two-part hinged shell—that was of a certain size.
“But you’re sure there are bivalve mollusks in here?” I asked.
“Absolutely.” He picked up a thin branch and stuck it into the water. “Caught one.”
“Huh?!”
Gabriel took the branch out. There was a black bivalve mollusk clamped onto the tip of his stick. He waded back to shore and pulled the shellfish off the branch. “This should have a nacreous layer.” Twisting the end of a knife in between the mollusk’s valves, he popped the shell open, revealing the pearlescent luster within.
“You were right.”
“I vaguely recalled using these as fishing bait when I was five or six years old. It seems I remembered correctly. These black mollusks are common in Triste. They should be able to produce pearls.”
“I’m sure they will!” And since they coexist with slimes, they should be compatible with the transforming slime’s lake.
“Please wait there, Fran. I’ll look for more of them.”
“I want to catch one too. How do you do it?”
“Huh?! But your clothes—and the rest of you—will get dirty.”
“That’s okay. I came prepared to get wet and muddy.” My long boots were waterproof, and I could lift the skirt of my dress a bit. “I won’t go too deep, I promise.”
Gabriel sighed.