Chapter 11: The Mirror's Edge
Rin woke with his head spinning. What was that? The energy Finn had used felt hauntingly familiar, like a melody he had forgotten the lyrics to.
As his vision cleared, Rin realized he was reclining on a plush velvet sofa. He scanned the room, finding himself in a high-walled, mahogany-paneled office. Across from him, bathed in the soft glow of a desk lamp, sat Finn, focused on a stack of parchment.
"Umm... hey," Rin called out, his voice a bit raspy.
Finn looked up, setting his quill down with practiced grace. "You're finally awake. How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine," Rin stammered, sitting up and hugging his knees. "Where am I? And where are Milim and Naga?"
"You are in my private study within the castle," Finn responded calmly. "Your friends are safe, they're currently being 'entertained' in the guest lounge. Now, I need to know: what exactly are you? And don't bother lying."
Rin sighed, running a hand through his silver hair. "I'm a Slime. An Ancient Iron Slime, to be exact."
"I see. I assume you gained that form by being an SSS-rank entity?"
"Not necessarily," Rin countered. "I got this form from Milim, the fox spirit."
Finn leaned back, his brow furrowing. "That's rare. You don't see one monster taming another every day, let alone two SSS-rank beings. So, I assume you both originated from the Labyrinth?"
"Yes, we did."
"Alright. Now that the basics are out of the way, there is one more vital question," Finn said, his gaze turning piercing. "Are you a creation of the Saint of Stee.. or rinhameru!?"
Rin froze. "Excuse me? A creation? Wait... how do you even know that name?"
Finn watched his reaction closely. "I'll take that as a no. To answer your question, he was my sword arts instructor before he passed away."
"That makes zero sense," Rin said, his voice turning cold. "Because I am rinhameru! well.. before I died and reincarnated into this world."
A heavy silence fell over the room. Finn stared at Rin for a long beat before a strange, hollow laugh escaped his lips. "Huh... you don't say. Well, that explains what the Grand Duke was blabbering about regarding the master having 'two souls'."
"Two souls?" Rin asked, leaning forward. "What are you talking about?"
"This is going to be a lot to unpack, so don't freak out," Finn warned.
After a long, winding conversation where both men explained their circumstances, the puzzle pieces finally began to fit. Finn was the physical vessel that had absorbed the mana and "other half" of Rin's original soul during the botched reincarnation.
"So, I'm split in two. How strange," Rin muttered, looking at his hands.
"Yeah. I always wondered why I felt my instructor's presence in this world even after he was gone," Finn admitted.
"So... what happens to me now?" Rin asked.
"Since you're technically a monster, you can't legally live on your own," Finn explained. "You'll stay under my protection until you are officially recognized as a 'Person' rather than a sentient monster."
"How long will that take?"
"Probably a year. Things are... iffy in the Kingdom at the moment."
Rin slumped back into the sofa. "Sigh. Fine by me. I wanted a vacation anyway."
"Good," Finn said, though his expression remained troubled. "One more thing, Rin. If you're wandering the mansion or the castle, please... try to look less feminine."
Rin blinked. "What? How am I supposed to do that? I'm 5'6" with the body of a nineteen-year-old girl. I'm built like a twink, for heaven's sake!"
"Shit. Good point," Finn muttered, rubbing his temples.
"Why are you so worried about it anyway? Are you into small women?"
"Quite the opposite," Finn said, his voice filled with dread. "But I keep getting into scandalous situations with them. If my father hears word of another 'affair,' he'll try to force a new marriage contract on me, and I can't deal with that anymore."
"Yeesh. How do you manage to get into that much trouble just by talking?"
"They say I'm 'flirting.' My men call me 'rough and sexy,' but I don't see it. I only ever speak professionally."
Rin raised an eyebrow. "I have a theory. Stand up and come here."
Finn complied, moving to the center of the room. "Okay? What now?"
"I'm going to attack you. Just apprehend me, alright? On three.
Three!"
Rin lashed out with a strike toward Finn's throat. Finn reacted instantly. He caught Rin's hand, twisted it gently to the side, and swept Rin's legs in one fluid motion. Before Rin could even touch the floor, Finn's arm slid around his waist, hoisting him into a perfect princess carry. He caught Rin's other hand, holding both securely against his chest.
"Are you alright?" Finn asked, his face inches from Rin's, his voice filled with genuine, warm concern.
Rin felt a heat crawl up his neck. "I... I found the reason for your problem."
"You did?"
"Yeah... you're too nice. And pared with being handsome. Picking someone up like this is considered 'extreme flirting' to most people."
"But I didn't do anything?" Finn stated, looking genuinely baffled.
(Is this dude for real?) Rin thought, staring into Finn's earnest eyes. (How does he not know?)
"You are surprisingly soft," Finn remarked, his thumb grazing the back of Rin's hand. "I thought you would feel like metal, being an Iron Slime."
"Dude! You have me cradled in a princess carry, you're holding my hands while rubbing them, and you're commenting on the softness of my skin! And you wonder why people get the wrong impression?!"
"Oh..." Finn's shoulders slumped, looking genuinely saddened. "My bad."
Rin stared at him, convinced his other half was a total idiot, letting this guy inherit his legacy. "He's so soft... but he looks just like my old self from Germany. He must have absorbed all my 'hero' traits while I got stuck with the 'annoyed slime' traits." "Wait what am i saying?"
"Hey, Rin?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you turn back into your slime form?"
"No, it takes too much effort right now. This form is better for blending in."
"I suspected as much," Finn said, his gaze turning clinical.
"Is something wrong?"
"Your mana flow feels... stagnant."
"I'm sick?"
"Likely internal mana poisoning from leaving the Labyrinth too quickly. I can heal you... but I'll need to place my hand directly on your core. Since you're in this form... it might be awkward for me to touch your chest."
Rin rolled his eyes. "I'm not worried about that. If you can fix the poisoning, just do it."
"Perfect," Finn said.
"Yeah... now put me down, please."