Jack was standing on top of the table, his bow-tie slightly crooked mirroring the tension of the situation. His cage was gone yet he felt more trapped than ever.
Leena stood up.
"The slime was summoned by a demonic circle. However it possess zero demonic magic and has proved to be capable of compassion, loyalty, and the highest form of self sacrifice," she pointed at Jack.
He looked at the audience, at Aria, and at Jeanne.
"Jack Der Quiver is not a slime nor a demon." Leena announced.
That made even the five judges confused. Of course he's a slime they thought. His lawyer whispered to him, "Are you sure?"
But Jack just nodded.
The lawyer then turned back to the judges.
"Jack Der Quiver is the reincarnation of a human from another world."
This made the entire Plantesa Court gasp. The judges themselves were having another mental conversation.
"Another world?" Alais asked.
Stepping forward, Jack focused on his new skill. This was a gamble for his life, he was absolutely going to do and saywhatever he could to be granted asylum. He channeled all of his mana into a single thought. That day he spent in the mall, shopping with Lynette.
A smile appeared on his face. He remembered how she forced him to try on all kinds of clothes that he spent hours staring at himself in the mirror.
Figurine Form and Polymorphic voice.
He closed his metaphorical eyes and his core hummed. It glowed, a soft blue light intensifying as all the blue around him was pushed down, his core rising up like it was on a pedestal.
Jack's human body started to appear. First were the toes then the legs and finally his face and hair. The entire transformation took less than three seconds.
A tiny Jack. One inch tall with perfectly replicated features stood on the table. His black hair, the piercing he remembered, and even the yin yang tattoo were perfectly placed.
"My name is Jack Der Quiver," a clear tenor voice replaced the previous squeak, "I am not a monster."
Silence. The only sound was the rustle of leaves in the arboreal hall.
Lyren stood up, a motion so fluid it seemed more tree than elf.
"Dismissed," he said and everyone in the room besides Jack and the judges were forced out.
The doors shut, and Jack was alone with the five ancient elves. Aria and Jeanne's protests were muted to nothing by the closing of the living wooden doors.
Alais was the first to speak, her voice trembling.
"He resembles him." The old lady whispered.
"Resembles whom?" Orrian scoffed, yet his usual arrogance was gone, replaced by a genuine intrigue.
The little girl was staring at Jack intently.
"You are lucky Jack," she said. Her childish tone was now more relaxed. She even chuckled. A very rare sight.
"To end up in the one continent where you're considered a demon and not a hero," She giggled. It was the kind of laugh Jack would expect from a little girl. Innocent yet a bit mischievous.
Sylva asked the little girl, "You speak of the heroes of the divine war? The heroes who summoned by another world?"
Jack did not know anything about this war. He did not recall being summoned at all.
The little girl did not answer Sylva, instead she asked Jack. A single question.
"Is your father alive?"
Jack's core sank. The question that hit too close to home.
"What?" He asked.
--- Outside the Plantesa Court, Jeanne, Aria and Leena were sitting on a wooden bench. Jeanne had annoyed everyone with her constant pacing and asking what just happened. She was biting her nails.
"I thought you asked him to man up?" Aria asked.
Jeanne snapped her head at her, "I told him to save himself not reveal a vital secret that would make even the fucking Grand Inquisitors stop dead in their tracks."
Leena's nose turned red and she lowered her gaze.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know it was that important. I thought it was like hell but different."
Aria sighed. She was not happy about this turn of event either but she had to trust Jack to pull himself out of this mess.
"We just have to wait."
--- Back in the Plantesa Court.
His human figurine form dropped back to a slime.
"How do you know my father? Who are you?"
A mix of emotions rushed through him; anger, fear, and grief.
"Jack answer the question. Do not test my patience. My generosity is finite." She said. Her childish demeanor turned back into that of an ancient being. An old being in a child's body.
"He was alive until I died in my old world. After that I don't know," he answered.
This answer seemed to make Alais sigh with relief. But the others were just more confused.
The little judge hopped off her throne again and made her way to Jack.
"You Quivers are a fascinating family. Always finding yourselves at the center of things. A long history of crossing the two worlds and getting involved in the matters of gods."
[Nimue has proposed a quest.]
Jack's internal world went still. The system window popped into existence.
Nimue was smiling like someone who found a new toy.
She seemed to gesture for the other judges to leave.
"This is a matter for the royal family now."
Without protest the judges left. A warm silence filled the room as the two were staring at each other. Her heartbeat was incredibly hypnotic to Jack it was exactly once per second.
"Jack you will serve me." It was not a suggestion. Her power washed over him and he felt it even through the Geas of Detritus. But he also felt a different sensation: warmth. A feeling of belonging. Something he hadn't felt in a long, long time.
"You will be my hero." Her leaf-gloves glowed. The Geas on him flared.
"The Geas will be rebranded to my will." And then she let out a crazy laughter. "This is perfect."
She rubbed his slimy head, "You're so weak right now. Like a baby Quiver. You have to get stronger."
Nimue held him in the palm of her hand.
"I'll protect you from the Slime Slayer and the Church for now."
Jack tilted his head. This was escalating too fast and he was still lost but protection sounded nice. His slime core throbbed with a sense of security.
"As your hero, what are my missions?" Jack said in a mock-heroic tone, trying to regain some semblance of control over his surreal situation.
Nimue's laughter had subsided, and her gaze had turned unnervingly serious. "You have three missions," she said, holding up three small fingers, each glowing with a faint light.
"Grow strong enough to kill the Slime Slayer."
He nodded as that was his plan all along.
"Go on," he prompted.
She smiled a predatory smile.
"I'll reveal it you after you prove yourself capable of doing the first one." she said. Her thumb brushed against his core. The slime shivered.
"Aren't I a Quiver? Our family is used to greatness," he smirked. Or at least he tried to. His wobbly form looked more like a frightened blob than a confident hero.
Nimue grinned, "Oh sweet little slime. I've seen more Quivers die than succeed." She paused.
"I want to show you something. Open your stat window."
Jack obliged.
[Quest Added: Nimue's Call]
[Reward: 100,000 Handholding Points, Yggdrasil's Seed]
[Objective: Complete Nimue's mission 1: Kill the Slime Slayer.]
"100.000?" he thought.
He started to drool over Nimue.
"Okay! I will kill that red-headed lady. I'll eat her if that's what it takes," Jack declared.
The little girl was taken back, but a laughter erupted from her.
"I suggest you head to a dungeon then. That will raise your level quickly," she said.
Her small hands opened the root-throne door. The other judges were waiting for them.
"The asylum request for all the 'guests'," Nimue said the word 'guests' with a hint of amusement, "Has been approved."
"Sylva please ensure the Slime Pact is completed immediately."
The four judges vanished leaving Jack with an elf that was radiating kindness like it was a star. She quickly grabbed Jack and hugged him.
"I'm so sorry for your hardships little one," Sylva said.