Pushing the cart had been no problem on the well-kept roads of the safe zone, but in a jungle?  I was struggling, putting all my weight behind it to move the wheels over a rocky patch.  I''d have used my special key for the cafe, but since that connected to the front door, the cart would''ve ended up stuck inside.  I really didn''t want to have to break it apart just to get it out.


    So here I was, slowly pushing this thing back home and hoping no monsters showed up.  I thankfully didn''t have far to go though as I spotted the cafe in the distance.  Bright and colorful slimes bounced in the front yard, beckoning me home.  I pushed the cart with renewed vigor, excited to see them again.


    Except, at least four or five of the slimes were bright orange and red with what looked like campfire flames dancing around them.  I rubbed my eyes, staring at them.  Yup, they were definitely fire slimes and Matcha was rolling around with them without a care in the world.  He was even nuzzling up against one like they were suddenly best friends.


    Boss was sleeping against the side of the cafe while the little dirt slimes piled rocks around him in precarious piles like they were hoping he''d knock them over when he woke up.  Their little noises sounded so much like giggling children that I couldn''t help but smile.


    The slimes had thrown a frickin party while I was gone!  I leaned against the cart, watching them leap and play.  It felt good to be home.


    "Hazel?" a man''s voice called out.


    I flinched as a man dressed all in black appeared beside the cafe, as if he''d been hiding in the shadows.  A sword hilt peeked over his shoulder and before I knew it, he was running straight at me.


    "You''re finally back!" he called out, barreling toward me at full speed.


    "Who are you?" I tried to keep the cart between us, but he was far too agile and moved around it with ease, a huge grin on his face.  "What do you want?"


    "You.  Isn''t that obvious?"


    My pulse raced.  He wanted me?  What did that even mean?


    "Boss, wake up! We''ve got a weirdo at the cafe."


    The big slime jerked awake, knocking all the piles of rocks over.  The dirt slimes chirped, rolling around like they were laughing, but Boss immediately focused on the man about to grab me.  He bounced over in two big leaps, putting himself between me and the stranger.


    "Wait, I think I said that wrong," the man said, but I couldn''t see him anymore around the big slime.  "You''re usually always here, so it was weird when you weren''t.  So I was waiting for you."


    "How do you know I''m usually here?" My chest tightened as all the alarm bells rang in my head.  "Are you a stalker or something?"


    "What? No." I heard the man sigh loudly.  "I''m messing this all up.  Dave''s going to be so mad."


    "Dave sent you?"


    "He did not."  The man''s voice was sounding kind of shaky, so I peeked around Boss just in time to see him fall against the cart, gripping it for support.  "Don''t tell that nosey satyr I''m here, okay?"


    "Maybe tell me who you are first and I''ll consider it."


    Not that I knew how to contact Dave anyway, but the threat seemed to work because the man straightened up and gave me a pleading look with amber eyes that felt familiar.  His gaze was warm, like I''d met him somewhere before.  Which was ridiculous since I''d only met a few other adventurers so far and I''d have remembered somebody who looked like him.


    His long black hair drifted in front of his eyes as he swayed on his feet, gripping the cart tighter.


    "Are you okay?" I asked, moving closer to him despite my better judgment.


    Ugh.  Why was I worried about some random stalker outside my cafe?  I should go inside and wait for him to leave, not check on his well being.


    The man smiled faintly, his forehead glistening with sweat.  "Yes, I''ll be alright.  I just need–"


    His eyes filled with confusion as he swayed, grabbing onto my shoulder for support.


    "Hey now"–his body went limp before I could finish, falling against me–"no, no, no.  This is not happening!"


    My stomach lurched as we careened backward.  A slime darted under my head right before it cracked against the ground, but the adventurer''s dead weight pressed against my chest like a rock, making it hard to breathe. Did he pass out from exhaustion or was he sick?


    His head rested on my shoulder, deep even breaths warm against my skin like he was fast asleep.  Well, at least he was cozy.


    "Hey Boss?" I asked, craning my head back to see him.  "Think you can help?"A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Boss just stared down at me, shaking back and forth.  Okay, that left it up to me then.  I struggled to push the adventurer off me, but it was no use.  The big lug was way too heavy!  I let out an exhausted breath, wishing I''d stayed in the safe zone with Fiona.  I could really use more friends with hands.


    "Hey Mister?" I tapped the adventurer''s back.  "Time to get up. I promise I won''t tell Dave about...whatever this is, but please, get off me."


    The man shifted with a groan, but instead of standing up, he nuzzled closer to me.  Great.  Just great.  Nothing like being pinned beneath a total stranger in the middle of a dungeon.  The faint scent of campfire smoke wafted off him, which was oddly comforting.  My pulse slowed as the adrenaline from our fall finally wore off.  If I couldn''t move him, then I was going to need some help.


    "Matcha, think you and the other slimes can work together to lift this guy off me?"


    The green tea slime wiggled underneath one of the man''s arms while the fire slimes moved under his legs.  One of the dirt slimes even managed to wiggle between my stomach and his, and together, they rolled the adventurer off me.


    I took a few deep breaths, grateful to be free of that extra weight, before sitting up.  The fire slimes had crowded around him, pressing against his body in concern.  They kept looking over at me with worried eyes too, like they expected me to do something about him.  Matcha hopped onto my lap, nuzzling up against me.


    "I''m okay, thanks for the help," I said, patting his head.  I turned around to the dirt slime who''d broken my fall and patted his head too.  "Thank you both.  But what are we going to do about him?"


    The adventurer turned over, a faint smile on his face like he was dreaming about something wonderful.  Seriously, who the hell was this guy that he could just take a nap in the middle of all this?


    He said he''d been waiting for me, which meant he''d had plenty of time to kill the slimes if he wanted to, but he didn''t.  That was one point in his favor at least.  Plus, he''d seemed excited to see me, not angry or creepy.  I mean, kind of creepy, but I didn''t actually get a dangerous vibe off him.  Plus, every slime here was circled around him like he was some sort of fallen king.  Even Matcha was giving me that puppy dog look of his.


    I sighed.  "Okay, okay, let''s get him inside.  I''ll make some healing soup for when he wakes up, but then he''s outta here.  This is all just too weird."


    The slimes chirped, positioning themselves under his body so they could move him as a group.  It reminded me of ants carrying big pieces of food as they shuffled forward, moving the sleeping adventurer as carefully as they could.


    I grabbed the blankets from the cart, laying them on the floor of the cafe as a makeshift bed.  The slimes deposited the adventurer on top and snuggled inside the blankets with him.  The warm glow of their fires looked so cozy and somehow didn''t catch anything on fire.


    "So who are all of you, hmmm?" I asked the new fire slimes.  "Did you come with this guy?"


    They nodded, chirping and wiggling like they were telling me some big story I wished I could understand.  Matcha nodded along with them, mouth wide open in an O sometimes.  Man, a slime communication skill would be really helpful right about now.


    "Okay, well feel free to stay as long as you play nice with the other slimes," I said.  "I''m going to make that soup so I can get this guy out of here as soon as possible."


    I pulled a large pot out of my inventory, filled it with water, and put it on the stove.  Before I could light the fire, one of the slimes wiggled into the opening underneath the stove.  His flames grew warmer, verging on hot as the water started simmering.


    "Well aren''t you useful," I said with a grin.  "Thanks for the help."


    The fire slime trilled, wiggling deeper into the stove like it was his new home.  That would make cooking so much easier, especially if he could regulate his heat output well.  These slimes were constantly surprising me.


    I went into the back yard to gather some vegetables for the soup, catching carrots and garlic as they popped out of the heads of dirt slimes.  Food started flying every time I walked into the garden and it had become a fun little game of catch with the slimes as I harvested ingredients.  Once I had enough for the soup, I went back into the cafe.


    Five fire slimes had crowded beneath the stove and the water was boiling over, sizzling as it hit the slimes.  I rushed forward, dropping the ingredients.


    "Are you okay?" I asked, taking the water off the stove.  The slimes pushed against each other, barely fitting in the open space.  "You can''t all be there.  Only one or two will fit."


    They started shoving each other, battling to see who would get to stay and who would get shoved out of the stove.  I sighed, wanting to grab them, but they were still too hot.  Matcha made a noise outside the kitchen, leaning toward the sleeping adventurer.  Was he why they were being so insistent on making this soup?


    "Calm down!" My shout drew their attention.  "If you''re doing this to help that adventurer, then you should take turns.  He needs some of you to keep him warm too, right?"


    The fire slimes tilted their heads, chirping.  Then three of them squeezed out of the stove and bounced back into the main cafe, presumably to comfort their fallen friend.  Man, he must be some kind of wonderful to have their support like this.  Hopefully he''d wake up soon so I could ask him about it.


    He must have been really exhausted to have fallen asleep like that.  I put the pot back on the stove, smiling at the little fire slimes still here.  Their flames danced as the water started to boil again.


    I chopped up the carrots, potatoes, garlic, and herbs, adding them to the water.  Then I used my Ingredient Efficiency skill to add some tasty chicken bouillon to the mix and things really started to smell good.  I stirred the soup, breathing in the comforting scent as I pictured the adventurer drinking this soup and having all his health and vitality restored.


    This soup wouldn''t just taste good, but it would make him feel better too.  No more sweat on his forehead or sway in his steps.  Any sickness he might have had would be gone.  The slimes needed him to feel better.


    "Use Buff Baking!" I commanded, hoping for the glorious healing buff.  "Please work."


    [Healing Soup Level 5 Acquired]


    [+15 XP]


    I grinned.  Either the system was being kind or visualization helped the skill.  Either way, I was grateful.


    "See that, little slimes?" I leaned down to peer inside the stove.  "This soup is going to heal your friend right up."


    They wiggled and danced, almost boiling the soup over again in their excitement.  I laughed, taking it off the stove before it got everywhere.  Anyone who could make the slimes this happy was worth getting to know.


    "Hazel?" the man''s voice called out.  "Am I in the cafe?  And what''s that smell?"


    I sucked in a breath, gaze darting to the kitchen door.  He was awake.  Time to meet this friend of the fire slimes properly.