chapter 18: Free At Last
The laboratory fell into a stunned, deafening silence as Rin stood there—tall, silver-haired, and radiating the sheer, overwhelming pressure of a true Saint. He looked down at his own massive, powerful hands, then back at the small, sapphire-blue puddle wobbling at his feet.
"Finn?" Fern whispered, her voice trembling as she reached out to touch his arm. "You... you're back? You feel so much stronger."
Rin sighed, the deep, resonant baritone of the Saint's voice vibrating in his chest. "Not exactly, Fern." He stepped aside, pointing a long, elegant finger at the floor. "Meet the new and improved Finn. He's... uh... significantly more portable now."
The tiny blue slime let out a happy boing and bounced onto Fern's boot. "Hi, Fern! I'm a grape!" it squeaked.
Fern and Alice both let out a synchronized scream of confusion. After a frantic ten-minute explanation—where Rin had to repeatedly stop Alice from trying to "dissect" the Finn-Slime for research—the reality of the soul-swap finally settled in. Rin was the "Hero" now, and Finn was the "Monster."
Rin looked at his reflection in a lab mirror. He was 6'2", built like a war god, and wearing the shredded remains of a gray dress. "This is ridiculous," he muttered. "I'm not staying like this."
He closed his eyes, focusing on the core of his soul to trigger a transformation. Suddenly, a soft, ethereal ding chimed inside his mind, sounding suspiciously like a system notification.
[NOTIFICATION: Holy Re-Integration Complete.]
[ERROR: New Physical Form Unrecognized by Slime Core.]
[ACTION: Reverting to Original Species Template due to Holy Transformation overload.]
With a wet pop, the towering Saint vanished. In his place, a second slime—this one a dull, metallic iron-gray—plopped onto the stone floor.
"Ugh! That is some absolute bullshit!" Rin yelled, his voice now a high-pitched, indignant squish as he flailed his tiny, translucent slime arms. "I finally get a body that fits my soul and the 'System' kicks me out because of a formatting error?!"
The Finn-Slime bounced over to him, looking genuinely curious. "Hey, so... since you're a gray blob now, do I get my old body back? I'd like to be tall again."
"Just will it, you idiot," Rin grumbled, wobbling in irritation. "The body is technically yours. Just imagine yourself inside it and push."
"Hmm... Hmmmph!" The blue slime strained, its little body turning a dark shade of indigo. It vibrated violently for a few seconds before collapsing into a flat pancake. "Hah... hah... I'm out of mana. Resonance took it all out of me. I guess I'll have to try again tomorrow."
Finn-Slime perked up, his little black eyes gleaming. "Actually, this is perfect. I need to call my father immediately. I have excellent news."
Fern looked between the two blobs on the floor—the grumpy gray one and the cheerful blue one. "This is... good news? Finn, you are a literal puddle of jelly."
"Not for my father, maybe," Finn-Slime laughed, his voice full of bubbly mischief. "But for me? It's fantastic! As a 'Sentient Monster,' I am legally unfit to hold a title or enter into a marriage contract! I'm finally free from those arranged dates!"
Rin stared at his other half, realization dawning on him. He's not even trying to transform back. He's going to milk this for all it's worth."I am surrounded by idiots," Rin blubbered, his gray surface rippling. "Fine. You be a grape. I'm going to go find Milim and see if she has any more of those 'Holy Pills.' Maybe I can overdose the system into giving me my legs back."
"Don't forget to call the Duke!" Finn-Slime cheered, bouncing toward the door. "Tell him his son is currently a liquid!"
The arrival of the Grand Duke turned the lounge into a freezer. Duke Night Arrowhead sat with a posture so stiff it made the mahogany furniture look soft, his cold gaze fixed on the bouncing blue grape that used to be his heir.
"So," the Duke's voice boomed, deep and devoid of warmth. "You are a slime."
"Yes!" Finn chirped, letting out a joyful boing as he performed a backflip on the rug. "I'm very squishy. It's liberating."
The Duke closed his eyes and let out a long, weary sigh. "I am not going to deal with your shenanigans today. You have completed the task assigned to you, and as you are now... biologically compromised, you are free to return to your personal territory."
"Haha, nice!" Finn said, sounding incredibly smug for someone without a mouth.
"However," the Duke added, his eyes snapping open with a predatory glint, "you are still tasked with monitoring Rin and his... associates. Furthermore, the crown's deal must be honored. Since you are legally unfit for the throne, Princess Fern will be engaged to your elder brother, Blake."
"Wait..." Finn-Slime stopped bouncing. "I thought the engagement was off once the Hero's soul was fused back together?"
"Technically, yes," the Duke said, standing up and smoothing his cape. "We assumed the process would kill you. Since you survived—albeit in a decorative state—you are now Alice's responsibility. She will accompany you to ensure you don't... leak."
As the Duke swept out of the room, the silence was shattered by the sound of a chair smashing against the wall.
"WHY?!" Fern screamed, her tail thrashing so hard it left gouges in the floor. "Why do I have to stay here with that boring oaf Blake while Alice gets to go with Finn?!"
Alice leaned back, her red fox ears twitching with triumph. "Probably because you are the daughter of the First Queen, dear sister. You have 'duties.' I'm just the daughter of the Third Queen—I'm basically a free agent with a lab coat."
"It's not fair!" Fern pouted, folding her arms across her chest and looking like she was ready to burn the castle down.
Naga, who had been watching the drama while sipping a glass of chilled red wine, finally spoke up. "So, where exactly are we going? I'd like to know if I need to pack for a desert or a swamp."
"To the City of Blue Jade!" Finn-Slime shouted, hopping toward the door with infectious excitement. "It's at the very back of the region, tucked right against the mountains. It's filled with crystal-clear lakes, endless plains, and absolutely zero responsibilities! The monsters, the politics, the Duke... that's all my brother's problem now. It's vacation time!"
Rin, still a grumpy gray iron-slime, wobbled after him. "I swear, if I spend this entire 'vacation' as a sentient paperweight while you bounce around like a toddler, I'm going to learn how to use Soul-Magic just to haunt you."
"Less talking, more hopping, Rin! Let's go before they find a reason to make us stay!" Finn cried, squelching out of the lounge at high speed.