“How can a slime act like that?”

Lihan muttered, prompting a long stare from Gisel.

Was he serious? Did he truly have no idea?

Feeling Gisel’s gaze, Lihan raised an eyebrow. “Is there something you want to say?”

“Not really. Stop!”

Gisel’s shout made the students and knights below halt abruptly.

Watching them, Lihan wondered, ‘How many of them are slimes?’

He was sure about the fake versions of himself, Gisel, and Durrgyu, but who knew how many others were impostors.

Attacking to confirm would be ideal, but in a situation like this…

‘We’d end up being labeled as the fakes.’

He didn’t know how the fake Lihan had persuaded them, but it was clear he’d done a convincing job.

The students stood unwaveringly behind the fake Lihan. Although he wanted to yell at them for being fooled, Lihan held his anger back—there would be time for that later. Right now, he had to convince them.

‘No matter how skilled a Shifting Slime is, there are limits. They can’t match the real thing.’

Lihan exchanged a meaningful glance with Gisel, and they nodded slightly.

—Can you persuade them?

—Of course.

They had spent a year together as friends, after all.

Even the strongest mimic couldn’t replicate shared memories.

“Tell me! Fake Moradi! Why aren’t you stopping? Are you struggling to come up with another lie?”

“You arrogant little—”

Lihan looked down to see the fake Lihan shouting provocations, and he was thoroughly annoyed.

Gisel noticed too and shot Lihan an irritated look.

“Moradi, focus your energy on them,” Lihan pointed down.

“Shut up, I’m doing it.”

Gisel raised his voice, aiming his words at their friends below.

“You idiots! Do you even realize what you’re doing? You’re being deceived!”

“!”

“Huh…?”

At Gisel’s shout, the students hesitated.

It was just like the sharp-tongued Gisel they knew from the White Tiger Tower lounge.

But then, the fake Gisel stepped forward, gently calming the students.

“Relax, everyone. He’s just nervous because he’s been exposed.”

“Oh… you’re right!”

“That’s Moradi for you.”

“......”

“......”

Lihan and Gisel were speechless.

“Are your eyes made of fake artifacts or something? How does that resemble Moradi? It’s way too friendly!”

The friends below laughed dismissively at Lihan’s words.

“That’s how Moradi always is!”

“Yeah, Moradi’s nice and polite as long as Wardanaz doesn’t rile him up!”

‘What a ridiculous accusation!’

Lihan was furious at how the White Tiger students were smearing Gisel’s character.

Was Moradi really that friendly by nature, or was it just because of him?

“Actually, now that I think about it, he was a bit more polite when we first met…”

“Do you want to get thrown down there?”

“No, I’m just trying to remember! Besides, Moradi, it seems your friends like your polite side, so maybe that could convince them?”

“Are you serious?”

“Very. Just look at your friends.”

Gisel glanced down at the slope, sighing heavily.

Who knew what kind of bonding the slimes had done with their friends in his absence?

“Fine. I’ll do it.”

Gisel composed his face, adopting the gentle, dignified demeanor he showed on rare occasions.

“Everyone…”

“He’s just pretending to be Moradi! Don’t listen!”

The fake Lihan shouted, waving his staff.

Lihan’s urge to destroy that slime intensified.

“That’s our Wardanaz!”

“No one can fool Wardanaz’s eye!”

And those White Tiger idiots who kept falling for it!

Snarling, Lihan yelled out.

“Fine, forget about Moradi for now. But can you seriously look at that thing and believe it’s me? Why?!”

“Everyone, don’t listen to that fake! He’s trying to deceive you! I’m the only one who can protect you. Trust me, your only savior is me!”

“Wardanaz…”

“You…!”

Lihan almost clutched the back of his neck in frustration.

Did they seriously believe that sweet talk?

“You’re all falling for that? Really? You need to protect yourselves! Don’t fall for a few comforting words!”

“Don’t listen to the fake! Trust me!” the fake Lihan commanded, and the White Tiger students nodded as if hypnotized.

Compared to the harsh tone of the “fake” on the slope, this gentle, warm Wardanaz seemed like the real one.

‘I’m doomed.’

Lihan felt a wave of despair.

How could he lose to a fake in convincing his own friends?

Gisel seemed equally disappointed, covering his face with his hands in frustration.

“Wait, we still have Durrgyu. Let’s try with him.”

“The fake might win them over again.”

Gisel’s tone was cynical, but he still tried.

“Choi, if you’re real, then prove it.”

“......”

The fake Durrgyu remained silent.

“?”

“??”

Lihan and Gisel exchanged confused glances.

Apparently, the slime imitating Durrgyu hadn’t learned enough.

The students below, emboldened, shouted out.

“See, fake! Durrgyu doesn’t fall for such tricks!”

“He wouldn’t even bother responding!”

“......”

While Gisel looked horrified, Lihan spoke up after a pause.

“Moradi.”

“?”

“I think they’re all slimes.”

“What?”

“All of them. There’s no other explanation.”

“Even so, they can’t all be slimes…”

Gisel’s initial disbelief wavered for a moment.

Could it be?

Even if not all, perhaps more than half of them were slimes—no other explanation fit their stupidity.

“…Alright. Maybe a large number are slimes.”

“Exactly.”

Lihan raised his staff.

Trying to solve this by convincing them had been a mistake.

They were all slimes!

“Stall them a bit. I’ll finish this in one go.”

“Got it. Wipe them out.”

---

Apart from the fake Lihan, Gisel, and Durrgyu, the rest were all genuine students.

“......”

“......”

Lihan’s group looked down at their classmates, who were sprawled out after being pummeled by snowballs.

“Ugh…”

“We trusted you…”

“Trusted?! You idiots!”

Gisel made to kick one of the fallen friends, but Lihan and Durrgyu quickly intervened.

“What did those slimes even tell you?”

“They said there were fakes roaming around and we should be careful…”

“So we decided to stick together…”

Lihan couldn’t help but question their logic.

“And it didn’t occur to you to suspect those giving that advice?”

“They felt like the real deal!”

‘These guys would believe anyone if they were offered candy.’

Lihan looked down at his pitiful classmates in disdain, shaking his head.

“Alright, just rest until the exam is over—”

“Look! The fake attacked our friends!”

“......”

Lihan sighed deeply as he spotted yet another group of students approaching, led by fake versions of himself, Gisel, and Durrgyu.

“Everyone, prepare to fight.”

“Wait, we should try convincing—”

One of the fallen White Tiger students suggested, but Lihan ignored him.

---

The next day.

Professor Ingardel and the knights of the White Pine Order waited at the edge of the mountain with eager expressions.

How would the students look after braving the mountain cold?

“Professor, could you tell us now? What kind of monster did you prepare for the exam?”

One knight couldn’t hold back his curiosity any longer.

They all knew about the cold mountain trial, but Ingardel had kept the monster a secret, even from the knights.

But since the exam was ending and the students would return soon, there seemed no harm in asking.

Ingardel smiled sheepishly.

“Well, I hope you won’t be disappointed…”

“Disappointed? No one could be disappointed with your choice, Professor Ingardel.”

“A strengthened bull? Or maybe a boar?”

“It’s winter, so it must be a creature related to snow, right? Perhaps a Snow Hedgehog or an Ice Drake?”

Ingardel chuckled at their guesses, deciding it was time to reveal the answer.

“I prepared Shifting Slimes.”

“Excuse me?”

“What kind of slimes?”

“Shifting Slimes.”

Ingardel explained calmly, unable to hide a hint of pride.

He had put a lot of thought and effort into acquiring these Shifting Slimes.

“I heard from other professors that Shifting Slimes could be artificially created.”

“R-right. This is Einroguard, after all.”

“I knew it was perfect. The other professors even said it was a great idea.”

“Oh…”

“Hmm…”

The knights’ expressions turned uneasy, but Ingardel continued enthusiastically, oblivious to their reactions.

“Once I acquired the slimes, I had them observe the students during classes. By the time finals arrived, they could transform quite convincingly. The students had to endure the mountain cold while distinguishing real friends from impostors. Isn’t it wonderful?”

He finished his explanation with excitement.

Compared to the usual straightforward tests he set, Ingardel had finally created something he could be proud of.

Even the other professors approved…

“Uh, Professor.”

“Isn’t that… a bit extreme?”

“!?”

Ingardel finally noticed the knights’ expressions.

They looked… troubled.

“Well, we train hard, but…”

“Sending trained Shifting Slimes might be a bit much.”

“Couldn’t it be… traumatizing?”

Seeing their reactions, Ingardel stammered defensively.

“B-but the students can handle it. They’ve faced far more dangerous things in other classes!”

Of course, the knights didn’t believe him.

They had no idea what other classes entailed!

They assumed Ingardel was exaggerating.

“Even so, there’s no need for you to go this far…”

“Yes, Professor.”

‘This… isn’t right, is it?’

Ingardel felt a bead of sweat on his forehead.

Even in a battlefield swarmed by enemies, he hadn’t felt this anxious.

Could he have overdone it?

‘No… The White Pine knights must not understand Einroguard. If they did, they’d feel differently…’

“Ah! The students are returning!”

The knights pointed to the mountain entrance.

The students who had spent a day on the mountain were returning.

Or rather, Lihan and his group walked confidently, while the rest were being dragged on sleds.

Seeing this, Professor Ingardel snapped back to reality.

‘Oh… I overdid it, didn’t I?’