A quiet settled over the throne room, heavy and thick, once the short talk with Umbra had concluded.
Caelus followed the boy—Umbra—out, a necessary first step to familiarize himself with his new quarters. He was gone now, leaving only Kouga and his partner, Argenta, behind.
Argenta didn't move. Her eyes were locked on Kouga. The concern was immediate, a cold hand squeezing her heart, ever since she'd heard the unsettling news Umbra delivered. How could he possibly take that in? she thought, the silence between them now feeling less like peace and more like a vast, uncrossable distance.
Argenta knew. She knew the sheer weight of Kouga's longing for his clan; it was a ghost that haunted the corners of every shared memory, evident in the quiet reverence he used whenever he spoke of his past life.
Though I may have to be stubborn with Lucien-sama, Argenta promised herself, the thought a solid anchor in her turmoil, I will always stand by you, Kouga.
"Is there anything you need to say, Kouga?" Lucien's voice cut through the heavy air, a commanding tone that nonetheless carried a distinct, almost fatherly authority toward his subordinate. He knew exactly what roiled beneath Kouga's calm exterior; he always did. Ahassle, perhaps, Lucien mused internally, observing the man before him. But fine. Let's allow him his freedom for now.
Kouga straightened immediately. "Forgive my presumption, Lucien-sama. I have a request."
"I permit it," Lucien stated, his voice utterly placid, as if granting a major favor were the most trivial thing in the world.
"But, Lucien-sama, I haven't even mentioned my reque—"
Kouga was cut short before he could finish the sentence.
"Go."
"Thank you very much, Lucien-sama. I will take my leave," Kouga said, bowing low in a gesture of deep respect.
Argenta, who had been quietly observing the entire exchange, quickly stepped forward to speak.
"Allow me to accompany Kouga, Lucien-sama."
With a casual wave of his hand, Lucien dismissed them.
"Yes, yes, you newcomers are certainly a glued-together pair, aren't you? Be gone."
Both of their faces flushed crimson at the taunt before they quickly bowed again and took their leave.
Lucien's gaze drifted toward a distant, unseen point. He watched the space where they had stood for a moment longer before murmuring to himself, Let's hope this turns out for the best.
"Umbra, are you receiving this? How long will the preparation take to move this fortress?"
Lucien's thought projected across the mental link, reaching the boy instantly.
"Hello, Lucien-niisan. Since this will be our very first lift-off, it'll take at least a full day. But once we've entered a world rift or if the fortress is already in motion, then it'll be done in the blink of an eye."
He delivered the information with evident pride, the subtle boast clear even through the psychic connection.
Lucien's exasperation was evident even across the psychic bridge. "You brazen brat, cut the idle chatter. I want full preparations underway. We are heading to the Jura Forest the day after tomorrow."
"Understood" Umbra confirmed, his mental voice snapping back with a sudden, rigid formality, as if responding to a field commander while rendering a sharp salute.
Meanwhile, just outside the throne room doors, Kouga walked with a contradictory mix of elation and acute tension coiling in his gut.
Beside him, Argenta suddenly reached out, her small hand finding and gently grasping his. "Kouga, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice soft, a smooth balm against his anxiety.
Feeling that small, warm hand settled firmly within his own, Kouga's agitation eased, if only slightly. "Nothing, Argenta. I'm just a little restless. I have a bad feeling—a premonition. Perhaps it's only my imagination running wild because I've been overthinking Umbra-dono's words."
"Should I mention your unease to Lucien-sama so he can help you?" Argenta suggested, her tone laced with concern.
Kouga shook his head slightly. "There's no need. I've already been selfish enough just making that request. I'm satisfied just to have been granted this freedom by Lucien-sama."
"By the way, thank you for standing by me, Argenta." Kouga stopped walking, which naturally brought Argenta to a halt as well. Then, with an affectionate tenderness, he cupped her cheek.
Her face immediately flushed the deep crimson of an apple, but her response was anything but sweet; she punched him squarely in the stomach.
"Ugh," Kouga grunted, clutching his middle.
Argenta glared up at him, flustered and irritated. "D-don't be ridiculous! I only did it because I was afraid you'd mess things up with that thick, empty head of yours!"
"But didn't you just grab my hand back there?" Kouga asked, utterly perplexed.
"S-shut up! And let's just go... Hmph," Argenta snapped, turning away with a perfectly executed, blushing tsundere huff.
Meanwhile...
The Great Jura Forest
"Now, which monster needs a name next? I have to finish Lord Clayman's assignment quickly," muttered a Majin.
He was a figure of unsettling curiosity, wearing a mask shaped like a bird's beak and clad entirely in white, topped by a tall, Top hat. His posture was slightly hunched, his frame short, and a simple staff rested in his hand as he spoke to the empty air.
"Yes, exactly! This magnificent Lord Geldmud must finish His Lordship's task right away so that he will praise me and make me one of the Five Fingers!" he declared, the self-flattery echoing slightly in the vastness of the forest.
In a secluded corner of the Jura Forest
"Slime-san."
A woman lay weakly on a makeshift bed, speaking softly to the Slime resting beside her.
"Uhmm." The Slime shifted slightly, a silent sign of attention.
"Thank you," she managed to continue, her voice a thin thread. "I nearly took the life of someone precious to me again—with my own hand." A shadow of deep sorrow crossed her face, a fleeting darkness that was instantly chased away by a weary kind of peace.
"Hey… Slime-san. Can you hear me?"
"You really shouldn't talk too much." The Slime pulsed anxiously, its concern evident in its worried wobble.
"I just… I want people to know my story, that I once lived in this world."
"Alright."
The woman, Shizue Izawa, began to recount her past to the Slime. She spoke of how the Ifrit had possessed her soul after she was violently summoned into this strange world, and how that monstrous power had led to her first tragedy—the accidental killing of her friend. After that friend's death, she had worked under a Demon Lord, though the name was left unsaid. It was during that time that she encountered a Hero. They fought.
"Was that the same person who sealed Veldora?" the Slime murmured, its thoughts clearly audible.
The woman continued, "I thought I was going to be killed right then and there. But instead, she asked me… 'How did you get here? How have you managed to live this long?' I was a Majin, a monster in all but name, yet she believed every single word I said."
A fragile smile touched her lips. "She looked at me and said, 'It's alright now.'"
The Slime listened as Shizue told him how the reservoir of emotion she had suppressed for years—a dam holding back a lifetime of pain—suddenly burst open. The Hero had simply cared for her.
"The mask… it was her gift. It enhanced my magic resistance and kept the Ifrit locked down inside my body."
She shared the long road they traveled together. The Hero taught her about this new world, instructed her on the proper use of magic, and showed her how to harness the raging power of the Ifrit, the very power that had earned her the moniker 'The Conqueror of Flames'.
After her long, winding tale was done, the woman made a request—a final plea so startling it made the Slime pause.
"Satoru-san, I have one more request. May I ask it?"
"Yes. Whatever it is, please tell me."
"Please," the woman said, her voice dropping to a near whisper, "Eat me."
A cascade of question marks flashed in the Slime's non-existent mind. What in the world...?
"Just like you consumed the curse that has plagued me all this time. I was so happy," the woman paused, gathering her strength. She continued, her voice heavy with conflicting feelings. "I didn't like this world. But I couldn't bring myself to hate it either… because of that man."
"And because of that… I don't want to be absorbed by this world's system when I die."
"This is my final request. Will you allow me to rest inside you?"
The sheer absurdity of the plea momentarily rendered the Slime silent. It truly was an unreasonable, almost desperate, request.
"Alright," the Slime finally agreed, its decision immediate and absolute.
A gentle, pure smile appeared on the woman's face, and a single tear traced a path down her cheek.
The Slime asked softly, "What was that man's name?"
"Leon Cromwell."
Leon Cromwell, The Slime muttered, repeating the name.
"He is one of the strongest Demon Lords," the woman elaborated.
"What is it you seek from him?"
"I want him to acknowledge that I, a human, once lived. Maybe. And if those children… if they can be saved and return to their own world…" Her voice faded, growing softer with every word.
The Slime extended a pseudopod, a limb of its own translucent body, and gently rested it upon the woman's hand.
"I swear, in the name of Mikami Satoru… no, in the name of Rimuru Tempest… I will make that man called Leon Cromwell listen to your request."
"Thank… you," her voice was barely a breath, and then, she was gone.
Rimuru gazed at the woman. "Shizue-san, the one who was meant to be mine. Rest inside me now."
"Yes"
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the forest.
After a few hours of brisk travel, Kouga and Argenta had reached the edge of the Jura Forest. They were currently making their way through the dense undergrowth, heading toward the Ogre village.
"Are you nervous, Kouga? After all this time away from your tribe?"
Hearing his partner's voice instantly brought a measure of ease to Kouga. He reached for Argenta's hand, their fingers naturally intertwining, a simple gesture that brought a faint blush to Argenta's beautiful face.
"With you here," he murmured, giving her hand a gentle squeeze, "I'm perfectly fine."
"Y-You idiot!" Argenta stammered, her voice tightening like a classic tsundere. "Don't just say things like that out of nowhere!" She punctuated her embarrassment with a quick, stinging punch to his stomach.
Ugh
"Why did you hit me again?" Kouga complained, his tone mournful.
"Quiet!" Argenta retorted, abruptly turning her face away to hide the heat in her cheeks.
Suddenly, a wave of powerful magical presence washed over them, instantly snapping both of them into high alert.
Out of the thin air, a woman with vibrant green hair and vines coiled around her body materialized.
"A high-tier Demon and an Ogre—no… a Kijin? No, something higher than that. What are you two doing in this forest?"
"Are you a Dryad, the legendary guardian spirit of the Jura Forest? My name is Kouga. Please excuse this misunderstanding, but I only wish to visit my hometown." Kouga bowed deeply, showing utmost respect.
"Tch. Just a mere Dryad." Argenta scoffed, crossing her arms. "Listen, my name is Argenta, a low-ranking Demon under the command of Lu—"
Kouga, standing next to her, suddenly pinched a roll of fat at her side, making her yelp.
"Kyaaa! What are you doing, you fool!" Argenta's face flushed crimson, a mix of pain and fury.
Kouga simply fixed her with a pointed look. Argenta immediately caught the silent message—she had almost made a dangerously unnecessary mistake by revealing too much.
"Your hometown? Are you from the Ogre village?" the Dryad inquired, shifting her attention back to Kouga.
"Yes. I left that village a long, long time ago."
"Very well. I sense no malice within you, but I must warn that Demon to conduct herself with caution and respect while she remains here."
"Haahh??! Hey! Wait just a m—" Before Argenta could finish her indignant protest, the Dryad had vanished, dissolving back into the air as quickly as she had appeared.
Argenta stood there, mouth agape, utterly frustrated.
"What on earth was that Dryad's problem!"
Kouga, beside her, offered a faint, amused smile.
"Alright, alright. Let's keep moving. The Ogre village is close enough now."