Pirates, they were truly starting to be a nuisance to the people of Hargeon, akin to vermin that you couldn't entirely vanquish, or in some cases weeds that were never truly exterminated. If you dealt with one crew, two more would take their place. However, on this particular day Esperia would have a very mysterious encounter with a crew of pirates. Yet the story, like most would begin in a very peaceful manner. After all, the pirates rarely dared to enter the city's property due to the protection of Blue Pegasus, and Esperia knew all too well the terror of what could happen if you annoyed the White Empress a little bit too much for your own good.

It was during this peaceful morning Esperia found herself wandering along the streets of Hargeon, making her way to the marketplace to figure out some groceries to buy for today's dinner. After all, while her lover usually took the job of cooking onto her list of things to do, Esperia did enjoy the idea of helping out her wife with such tasks every now and then.

WC: 188
Total WC: 188/2250

It was there, during her trip among the various merchants peddling their wares that she overheard a pair of housewives chatting among each other. "Did you hear about those pirates?" The news already made Esperia groan slightly, thinking back about the various encounters she had experienced with those pirate crews, but equally curious was the revelation that would be made soon afterwards. "Ah yes, my husband told me about them before. Although their presence seems to terrify the local fishermen, it seems they haven't really bothered anyone. I did overhear one of the fishers mention the pirates were searching for something. But... I just wish they would search for it elsewhere! Pirates are bad for business."

Esperia had to admit her curiosity was stirred. A group of pirates that had actually been doing something else than pillaging and terrorizing townsfolk? Now that was an unexpected change of events, and so Esperia decided that she wanted to find out more about the matter.

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Total WC: 351/2250

It didn't take long for her to learn what she needed to know to track down the pirates. While nobody seemed to know what exactly the pirates were looking for, it seemed that they liked to search for the thing of their interest in shallow waters, and as a result often ventured into the coves near Hargeon, sometimes even near the beaches! This on its own was more than enough information for Esperia to proceed with the rest of her search. After all, if those pirates had indeed been wandering along shallow waters, it was likely they were somewhere near the coastal areas near Hargeon. Determined to track down the pirates the young lady wandered over to the beach near Hargeon and with a slight tap at the mask covering the side of her head summoned forth her throne. Even now the floating throne felt like a blessing to her, all she needed to do was think on what she wanted to do, and the throne instinctively moved on its own!

Even now it already started to slowly move toward the coast, the gentle wind breeze and the pleasant weather making the slime girl let out a soft yawn as she changed into her slime form while allowing the throne to continue moving forward.

WC: 215
Total WC: 566/2250

As if sensing her intentions the throne moved as a slow comfortable pace, hovering over the sand of the beach as Esperia hummed softly. "Not a pirate in sight... Maybe I shall take my darling for a walk around the beach later~ I think it's safe enough for Lily and Hasani to play around here..." Letting out a soft yawn the slime felt how the throne hovered a bit higher to avoid some rocks when suddenly the sound of distant voices drew her attention.

"Keep on searching! Our Captain won't be pleased if we return again without a cue of her whereabouts!"

The sound of the distressed men made the slime ponder if they were truly pirates, for instead of pillaging and looting the pirates were simply searching all over the beach for something, to the point it took a soft 'hey' for one of the nearby pirates to notice her. "WAH! A FLOATING THRONE!"

Yet Esperia chimed in amusement. "And a talking slime is less of a surprise to you?"

WC: 173
Total WC: 739/2250

The pirate took a deep breath, trying his utmost to calm down his nerves while looking at the blob that was seated on the throne. The pirate pondered for a bit, after which he exclaimed hesitatingly. "I guess a talking slime is about equally confusing as a floating throne." The slime nodded her head energetically. "Exactly! Also if you're curious, I actually found the throne during an adventurous trip into some ancient ruins deep beneath the Marchen Mountains. But even I myself am not entirely aware yet of the origins of this thing. Who made it? Why did they make it? What potential secrets does the throne offer..." The pirate nodded his head attentively. "Either way~ You were looking for something?"

The pirate exclaimed with a soft yell: "Oh that's right!" Seems he had almost forgotten about his task... "We are currently looking for cues about a mysterious maiden that our captain has grown infatuated with." A love-struck pirate captain? Now that sounded juicy! "Anything you can tell me about that maiden?" To which the man nodded his head firmly. "It seems she is a master of the sea, capable of manipulating water with remarkable ease. Although we have been looking for anyone that matches that description, even knowing her name has given us little to work with..."

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Total WC: 960/2250

A name! Now many knowing this maiden's name would help Esperia maybe figure out a way to help these pirates. After all if they found this maiden the captain was looking for, she could likely convince them to leave Hargeon's outskirts, right? To which the pirate pondered for a moment. "I believe the captain called her Osbornes."

Wait wait wait... This pirate's captain had fallen in love with a slime queen? Well, that would be quite a tragic story for sure. "Eeeh... that's gonna be very problematic..." The pirate tilted his head to the side in bewilderment as Esperia continued her explanation. "You see~ I know the person you're talking about..." Yet before she could finish her sentence the pirate exclaimed excitedly. "You do?! That's amazing! Could you please join us to meet up with the captain and tell him all you know?"

Esperia heaved a sigh and nodded her head lightly in return. "Very well, take me to your leader~"

If only she had been aware of the shenanigans that would follow afterwards...

WC: 180
WC: 1140/2250

Following the pirates back to their ship she could already feel the excitement in the air as the pirates rallied to their captain. "Boss! We found someone who knows your maiden of the sea!" The pirate captain was not exactly what she expected either. Instead of a gruff one-legged man it was a young gentleman, wearing stylish clothes and his revolver sheathed in its holder. The man had more an aura of elegance and stylish excitement rather than the terror pirates were supposed to induce, then again the earlier pirates felt a bit weird as well...

"Slime-san! A pleasure to meet you, you say you have news about Lady Osbornes for me? Please tell me where she is, my heart aches every second I am apart from her..."

Esperia smiled weakly as she muttered softly. "Well, the first misunderstanding you have to clear up is that I'm not just a slime, I'm actually the Slime Queen Osbornes, well at least in standing..."

The pirate captain blinked in bewilderment. "But you're a slime?" And as Esperia changed into the form of a slime girl the pirate captain gasped in disbelief. "Y-Y- It's really you Lady Osbornes!"

O boi... This was going to be a handful...

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Total WC: 1351/2250

The slime girl shook her head lightly in return to the statement, deciding to clarify the slight misunderstanding the man had. "While I did state that I am Osbornes, I am in fact the Queen's successor, and as such I am not exactly the same Osbornes you met that day."

Expecting a sense of dejection from the man, the words that followed only served to flabbergast the poor slime girl. "But you're still Osbornes, right? So if I can charm you-" Yet Esperia rapidly shook her head in response to that idea. "Mission impossible! I'm as much a lesbian as there is water in the sea!" That surely should have made the man change his mind... Or at least that was what she thought. However, the captain suddenly exclaimed with not a single shred of hesitation noticeable. "Then all I got to do is become a woman!"

Yet hearing that Esperia raised a hand to her forehead and sighed softly. "It's not that easy!" Indeed, actually scratch that, considering the sheer amount of magical ways there was to accomplish that it was likely to be very easy to accomplish. "But you said it yourself that you prefer women-" But Esperia finally couldn't help but exclaim in a hint of minor embarrassment. "But I'm a loyal wife!"

The captain's eyes widened in disbelief at hearing these words. "You are married?!" To which Esperia nodded her head firmly. "Yes!"

What a silly comedy she had gotten herself involved into...

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Total WC: 1605/2250

The hope in the captain's expression slowly faded away. "Aww... and here I hoped polygamy was on the table in slime land..." To which Esperia simply groaned audibly, it was a topic she always had struggled a bit with, but at least the pirate captain seemingly realized that his search was beyond hope. "Are there any other slime queens in Earthland?"

The question made Esperia tilt her head to the side in bewilderment, pondering for just a moment as she tried to consult Osbornes. "There might be some hidden in other countries, Osbornes primarily governed over the blue slimes, so it is likely there are other queens. In the first place, a queen primarily is evolved from a ordinary slime to begin with. Certainly, it is a rare occurrence but it is not unheard of for slimes to grow into slime girls and evolve further as they gain more power."

Hearing these words at least seemed to made the pirate captain a bit more happy again. "Then I will seek out other slime queendoms and seek to help one of them slime girls to help her grow strong and beautiful!"

So simple-minded... but not that she exactly disliked such a simple mindset. "I hope you will be blessed with luck in your journey for a squishy wife~ However, make sure not to let your crew scare the villagers in your excitement. Not everyone is used to a more 'civilized' pirate crew.

The pirate captain nodded his head attentively at these words. "Of course, we will prepare a tribute to send back to Hargeon alongside you as a gesture of goodwill and our apology for the confusion our presence caused." Yet Esperia couldn't help but ask one question that been on her mind ever since she met the captain of this crew. "But why are you guys pirates to begin with?"

To which the captain proclaimed happily. "Because it is such a romantic profession to be involved in!"

Romantic? What about illegal? Not that she felt the need to voice the obvious. Still, after the pirates helped her get off the ship again, the slime girl made her way back to Hargeon alongside the large sack full of treasure she had been given by the pirates. Honestly, she still had no idea on how to explain this entire mess to the guards of Hargeon to begin with!

To tell them that there was a pirate crew looking for a slime girl queen their captain was infatuated with? That said queen's soul now resided within her own body? Too many coincidences and too many odd situations to truly justify this mess. But at least she had been given the tribute to hand over to the port, surely that would help to calm down the people of Hargeon and make them willing to forgive the presence of the odd crew.

Once back in the port Esperia handed over the sack to the guards, and proceeded to regal them with the tale of the love-struck pirate captain. As expected they were looking as if she had a drink too much at a nearby tavern, but the sack full of treasure did give her story the credit she needed to receive her reward, and to ensure that they wouldn't be pursuing the pirate crew any further. It seemed those silly goons were relatively harmless when left to their own devices, and she expected they would soon be leaving the waters around Hargeon in search of this 'Queendom of slime girls'.

Whatever the case might had been, for Esperia this story was finally settled, so she could go back home to her wife and enjoy a peaceful and fun evening~ Already the smile started to return to her lips as she made her way back to their accomodation, humming a cheerful melody while wondering what type of adventures tonight would have in store for the couple~

WC: 657
Total WC: 2262/2250

Yet even as she made her way homeward it seemed that a peaceful evening was not in store for her. It came all of a sudden, a stinging headache as a voice, distant and barely audible tried to draw her attention. It was a familiar voice, but she couldn't make out its words, even if they sounded worried, almost like they were in a panic even. It was then, all of a sudden that the sharp headache subdued, leaving the slime girl to ponder what in the world had happened just now. Was it someone trying to warn her of an encroaching threat? It certainly seemed like something she had to investigate, but that investigation could wait. For now she had done her work, and as such would be returning homeward to enjoy a peaceful afternoon alongside her beloved wife.

"I wonder what that warning was about..." Muttering under her breath Esperia slowly made her way back along the familiar streets of Hargeon, still blissfully unaware of the events that would soon transpire...

WC: 174