Her face went pale the second the words left her mouth. Oh my god I actually said that out loud. Idiot, idiot, idiot.
Rimuru didn't move, but the air around him got heavier, like the temperature dropped ten degrees. His golden eyes narrowed, sharp and cold now. "…How do you know that name?"
She laughed nervously, backing up a step. "Uhh—y'know… lucky guess?"
Rimuru didn't even blink. "…Try again."
Her heart was pounding so loud she swore the goblins could hear it. She wanted to melt into the ground. "Okay, okay fine! I wasn't guessing. I… I told you already, I've seen all this before. I know things. I can't explain why or how it works, but I just… do."
"That's not an answer," Rimuru said flatly. His voice wasn't raised, but it cut through her excuses like a blade. "You knew about Great Sage. That's not common knowledge. Not even most of my closest allies know about it. So unless you start talking for real, I'll have to assume you're a threat."
The way he said "threat" made her stomach twist. Crap, he's serious. He's really serious.
"I swear I'm not!" she blurted out, her voice cracking. "I'm not a threat! I didn't come here to fight or ruin anything! Look—if I wanted to hurt anyone, wouldn't I have done it already?"
Rimuru stayed quiet for a long moment, eyes locked on her like he was trying to peel her open with his gaze.
She bit her lip, trembling a little. Then finally, she exhaled and muttered, "I know about Ifrit."
That got his attention. His brows pulled together, just slightly. "…What did you say?"
"I know what's coming," she said quickly, words tumbling out before she could stop herself. "I know you're about to fight Ifrit. I know the village gets attacked. I know you win—but it's not easy. I know… all of it. Or at least, I think I do."
The goblins gasped, whispering to each other again. Rimuru didn't react right away, but his aura shifted—less sharp, but still crushing, like a weight pressing against her chest.
Finally, he spoke, voice calm but heavy. "…If you really know all that, then you've just proven two things. One—you're dangerous. And two… you might be useful."
She blinked. "Wait—useful? Does that mean you believe me?"
Rimuru's expression softened just a fraction, though his eyes stayed guarded. "…I believe that you believe what you're saying. And that means I can't just let you wander off."
Her stomach dropped. "…So what, you're gonna lock me up?"
Rimuru tilted his head, a small, unreadable smile tugging at his lips. "That depends on you, Nia. Are you going to cooperate…or not?" Rimuru looked at her trying to see what he can understand.
(I swear I'm not trying to make Rimuru sound awful it's just you know precautions if you know what I mean)