"These are believed to be the anchor between a slime's soul and its body; something that I believe everyone possesses, tucked somewhere inside here." He gently taps his chest. "Consuming magic, Holy, and Corruption is certainly unique... do you know much about slimes?"
"I'm afraid not. I'm unsure how close Usha is to her species given what she's consuming." You gesture at the motionless blue half-blob standing on your shield of gold.

"Allow me to explain..."

So he does. For the rather long time it takes Usha to fully consume her fill of Holy, Aryel talks about the slimes that once populated the Allied Kingdoms before the mindless greed of alchemists pushed them into near extinction, forcing a military intervention from the Demon Lord to save what was left. Their cores can be used for not only amplifying magic but also alchemy as a whole, capable of greatly enhancing the energy of various machines. He then discusses their feeding habits, and the way they evolved with their environment; from consuming liquids to rocks with organic matter in between, only the intervention of men could have pushed these resilient entities into disappearing from the land...

You have 3/7 daily energy left inside your Focii.

The pull of Usha's hunger dwindles to nothing, and the girl remains motionless, looking stuck in a proper food coma. She doesn’t acknowledge your gentle grab so that you can dispel the golden shield, and for a moment you worry something is wrong, but the little satisfied sighs and noises coming out of her are good reassurances.
"Alright, that was a bit of a sidestep. Shii?" She perks up upon hearing her name. "Since you're one of Usha's aunts, you'll be taking care of her when we're here."

"Me?" She points a big finger at herself.
"Yes, you." You walk to stand in front of her. "I think it'll be better if people here think she's yours, and... I want Usha to know you're also a source of safety. Spend some time with her."
The way her face hardened could easily be misunderstood as displeasure. "I haven't been able to tease you about being her mom yet."
"Too bad, Aunty." You need to stand on your tiptoes and elevate your arm to hold Usha near her face. The oni relents and gently grabs the stunned blob. "Maybe she'll camouflage with your skin."

"Heh heh, consider yourself marked for a prank when I find the inspiration." Usha remains completely zoned out throughout the exchange.
"Onto Augustine?" the young man asks.

"Take us there."

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