(Attendances… plz…)
….
The trio, along with a silent Shizue, followed Rigurd out of the hut, their footsteps shuffling on the packed-earth floor.
The leather flap of the doorway fell closed behind them, plunging the interior into a much quieter, more intimate space.
The only sounds left were the soft crackle of the fire in the corner and the faint, distant sounds of the village outside.
The moment they were gone, Rimuru's carefully constructed formal demeanor collapsed. He bounced on his cushion, the smooth, confident telepathic voice replaced by a frantic, high-pitched rush of pure anxiety.
"So, what is it?!" he said, his slime body jiggling nervously. "Did I do something wrong? Is that why you wanted to talk alone?"
His mind, the mind of Satoru Mikami, immediately defaulted to his old life. This felt exactly like being called into the boss's office for a "private chat" after a big meeting. It never, ever meant you were getting a promotion. He ran through a mental checklist of his actions.
Did I say something weird? Did I look at them funny? Don't tell me he caught me staring at Shizue and thinks I'm some kind of creepy monster now!
Reinhard just looked confused. The shift in the slime's tone was so abrupt it was jarring. A slight, puzzled frown creased his brow. "Why would you think that?" he asked, his voice genuinely curious.
The question didn't help. It was a classic corporate trap! Act innocent, make the subordinate confess their own mistake!
"So… I didn't do anything wrong?" Rimuru asked again, his telepathic voice practically a squeak, needing absolute confirmation before he dug himself any deeper.
"How would I know that?" Reinhard replied, his confusion deepening. His expression was open and honest, completely devoid of any hidden meaning. "Though… did you?"
Rimuru paused, his frantic thoughts screeching to a halt. He mentally reviewed the last hour. Hiding, getting caught, playing dumb, revealing he could talk… he hadn't actually done anything wrong, had he?
"Ah… no!" he finally answered.
Reinhard let out a soft, gentle chuckle. "Then why are you so wary of me? I don't think I've done anything that would warrant this much caution from you."
He was right. Reinhard hadn't threatened him. He hadn't been cruel or demanding. In fact, he had been the exact opposite. Rimuru felt a wave of foolishness wash over him. He was projecting his old-world anxieties onto a situation that was completely different.
"Yeah… you're right," Rimuru admitted, his slime body slumping a little. "I'm sorry."
"Please, drop the apologies and the wariness," Reinhard said with a friendly, reassuring smile. "I didn't ask you to stay so I could scold you or anything in that area." He leaned forward slightly, his expression shifting to one of genuine admiration.
"I was just impressed. You've accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. You have a whole village here, with different monster races working together. You even brought dwarven blacksmiths to work for you. It seems you weren't just a unique monster, but a strong and capable leader, too."
Rimuru was completely taken aback. He had been expecting a lecture, a threat, or at the very least, a list of demands. He hadn't been expecting… praise.
"Wait…" he said, his voice now hesitant and cautious. "So you don't have a problem with me… you know, building a village of monsters?"
At first, Rimuru's plan had just been to give the goblins a little boost and then be on his way. But he had gotten invested in their survival, in their growth.
He'd brought the dwarven brothers back from Dwargon, he'd helped the goblins evolve into hobgoblins and goblinas, and now, without even realizing it, he was the leader of a not so small village.
"Why would I?" Reinhard asked, the question so simple and honest it cut through all of Rimuru's suspicions.
"Not all monsters are violent or aggressive. We can't judge them all the same just because a few of them are." He looked at Rimuru, his blue eyes clear and sincere.
"I mean, some humans are capable of things so much worse that even a monster would shudder at the thought. But that doesn't mean all humans are like that too."
Rimuru knew that all too well, having been a human himself. But to hear it said so plainly, without any hidden agenda or prejudice, from someone who held such incredible power… it was astonishing.
Man, Rimuru thought, a sense of pure, unadulterated awe washing over him. This kid just went and dropped a classic, hero-like line, didn't he?
"So you mean… there's no problem?" Rimuru asked, still a bit skeptical.
Reinhard nodded. "Just as I said. I don't have a problem with it. On the contrary, I'm just impressed."
"And the Adventurer's Guild?" Rimuru pressed. "I think they would… you know, a monster creating a village…"
"The Adventurer's Guild, or any nation for that matter, has no real jurisdiction in the Great Jura Forest," Reinhard explained. "You can think of the entire forest as a neutral zone."
"Oh," Rimuru said, absorbing the new information. "I didn't know that. Thanks for telling me."
"No problem," Reinhard replied. "Though, you should still be wary."
"Why?" Rimuru asked, confused. "I don't think any nation would want to cause problems by expanding their territory into a neutral zone if they haven't done it by now."
"Well, that's the other problem," Reinhard said, his expression turning a bit more serious. "No one had the courage, or the foolishness, to try and claim this forest. But that was before."
"Huh? Did something change?"
"Yes. A lot of things," Reinhard confirmed. "No one made a move on this forest because the Storm Dragon, Veldora, was sealed here. It was a simple understanding: if you mess with the Jura Forest and Veldora's seal breaks, your nation and everyone in it could be wiped out by the dragon's wrath. But, as you probably know, he seems to have disappeared completely, just a few weeks ago."
Rimuru started to sweat, his slime body feeling a little warmer than usual.
He knows! Wait, no, he doesn't know it was me. Okay, calm down. But he's saying that now, any country can just invade the forest to expand their territory? Because I ate the dragon?!
"Though, don't worry too much," Reinhard continued. "There's no news of anyone trying to do that yet. But the news of his disappearance has reached many nations. So, I'm just saying to be cautious."
Better not mention Veldora's name at all, Rimuru decided firmly.
"Oh, thanks for the warning," he said. "I don't think our village would be much of a problem for anyone. It's just a small village. And if the worst comes to worst, we can just relocate."
"Well," Reinhard said, his voice sincere. "If it does come to the worst, you can ask me for help. It isn't right to destroy someone's home just to satisfy a little greed. So if you are really making a home here, don't hesitate to ask for my help."
"Really?" Rimuru asked, stunned. He couldn't understand it. Why would this person offer to help him, a monster, for free? It was beyond simple kindness.
"Of course," Reinhard said with a small smile. "You would just owe me a favor in return."
Rimuru was taken aback for a second, but then a wave of relief washed over him. It wasn't just a one-sided act of charity, which would have been incredibly suspicious. A favor in return made it a transaction. It made sense.
Wait… did he just make that condition up on the spot so I wouldn't be suspicious of him?
Though, what could he even do against an entire nation? Rimuru wondered. He's strong, but he's just one adventurer.
"Can I ask what this favor might be?" he asked cautiously.
"Hmm," Reinhard said, thinking for a moment. "I don't really have anything in mind, honestly. We can let that be something for our future selves to figure out."
Rimuru looked at him, at the genuine, open expression on his face. Of course against someone really strong he wouldn't really matter or against like a country.
But why would bother or even refuse the help? From Rimuru's perspective, Reinhard was simply offering whatever assistance he could.
There wasn't anything a single person could do if a country invaded, so his offer was probably not deeply thought out, just a spontaneous attempt to help in any way possible.
He made a decision. "Oh, well. I accept, then. It's not like you would ask for something outrageous, knowing I'm just a poor, simple slime… right?" he added, trying to sound as pathetic as possible.
Reinhard's smile widened into a grin. "Really? Are you trying to manipulate me now?"
Rimuru was caught instantly. "Hahaha, I was just joking! Just a little slime humor!" He bounced on his spot, trying to change the subject. "Well, if that was all, should we go get something to eat? Or would you like me to show you around the village?"
"Really?" Reinhard said, his eyes lighting up with genuine interest. "Hmm, that would be fun. Well, I'll be counting on you then, Rimuru."
….
A/N: So, How was it?! First of all send power stones if you like this fic and lets hit 2.5k next.
Well i think it was good. There wasn't really anything else to talk about. But rest assured there will be a dialogue between reinhard and shizue about her being somewhat suspicious of reinhard background and deducing or just asking simply if he is what she think he is.
Next two chapters are already on my discord.
Melatonin, spawn and many more on my discord … thanks for beta reading this fic and not to mention suggestions too.
Hoped you all liked the chapter and all.
And if you want to read ahead you can do it by just joining my discord server.
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