Arc I: Red Masquerade

Changelog:

[21/12/2023]

• Sometimes, I hate FFnet so much... The mise-en-page (layout) just went poof and I need to fix it all. Do not hesitate to point out any errors in the review's section.

• Mostly fixing some syntaxic faults and the damn layout.

AN:

I don't necessarily like to put the AN before the chapter in itself, but I like it even less when the reader stumbles upon a cliff-hanger and then there is the AN – it just feels weird, well rather that's the case for me.

And yeah, there is a lot of DnD and TTRPG elements into this story: especially with the bestiary as Tensura doesn't have all that many monsters described in detail; and the way I move the characters in the story.

Fun fact, I roll a 1d6 dice to decide on what to do sometimes – especially more so with encounters.

Also, as I mentioned on the keywords upon the Prologue, this is a semi-AU in the sense that I'm taking liberties on expanding the world-building and creating new plots and new characters. Of course, everything respects the canon laws of the Cardinal World – I wouldn't write a fanfiction if that wasn't the case. Why am I even writing this down? Well, like that, no one can accuse me of deviating from canon and spreading chaos like wildfire, without warning it beforehand. It's definitely dumb, I know.

And sorry for my more than broken German used in this Chapter, it's a language I'm still somewhat learning. But I really think that the German aesthetic and naming style fit pretty well the kingdom of Blumund.

Besides that, I have to remark that I won't directly answer to everything in the review section – as long as it is not a question directly addressed to me (I will answer then).

Speaking of the devil, I will rather respond back in this kind of AN:

• AnonymousPasserby (17th of December, 2023):

I'm glad you decided to reboot, I also thought the concept for the original was good, but wasn't super fond of the fact it followed the usual patterns for original characters inserting into a pre-existing story, namely being a retelling of the original with an additional character added into the Main Character's group. I'm looking forward to seeing how this develops.

Hope to see you continue this version of the story!

-x-

I don't know what to say. You have the exact same train of thoughts as me – as I rebooted the whole story because it had an interesting concept but it was not well executed. And well, I couldn't stand my old style of writing truth be told; it was too long, too descriptive, too much tell, not show and there was not enough breathing room for the reader.

And really, I am happy that you enjoy the reboot!

-x-X-x-

• Bisel13 (17th of December, 2023):

Hello!

Thank you for the story. I like it a lot, especially the idea of the timeline being in 10 years before Rimuru got reincarnated. Believe me, I have been looking for a story like this for a while.

At first, I was wondering what is the main goal from your OC. What will he become and what kind of journey will he faced. But as you said in the end of chapter 2, you said that this story will be much more about adventures. Tbh, I didn't dislike it but I kinda wish it will be more about the geopolitical and economic situation around the Western nations before Tempest nation arises.

But once again, I like your story. And most important thing is, you as the writer, find a joy in writing it.

PS: if I may suggest some ideas for adventure themes, how about accompanying Shizu in her journey or meet with various monsters such as Lizardman, Ogres, and especially Orcs since they were actually made a nation called Orbic Kingdom.

-x-

Yes indeed, as an author, I find much enjoyment from writing this fanfiction – even more so than at the time of the original, as it followed too much canon and I didn't really derive much pleasure from it!

But I must say, you're jumping to conclusions a bit too quickly: for, this story will include many geopolitical and economical aspects of the Western nations before the rise of Tempest. At first, it will be in the background as it is mainly an adventure story as you pointed out. But with the passing of time, politics certainly will come into the main spotlight. How so? Well, it depends on whatever chaos I instil upon the poor Cardinal World.

Also, your suggestions come in handy, as I completely forgot about the existence of the Orbic kingdom to be honest. And well… you perfectly guessed at the Shizu part – for, the doll will surely accompany her in the future.

And I am happy that you like my story : )

-x-X-x-

And of course, feedback and constructive criticism are appreciated!

Chapter II: Welcome to the Garden of Lies

—A echo.

A tempting echo of feminine grace greets my ears and alongside it, a screen – of scarlet colour – appears before my very eyes, as if this were nothing more than a video game.

«[Alternative – Garden of Lies] is a Skill whose sole goal is to relieves of its user the boringness of life. Thus, it offers a plethora of challenges to defy in order to sometimes obtain recompenses, but most importantly fun – like a game, indeed.»

I see.

«For example, The Garden of Lies propose to: [That Time I killed a Slime], which demands to kill Rimuru; [Embarking on an adventure], which demands to register at the Adventurer's Mutual-Aid Association; and so on. Sometimes, the requirements are hidden, and sometimes the achievements themselves are hidden.»

Oh...! It all makes sense now.

I laugh, before putting a hand before my very mouth. There's still the damnable corpse of that man in front of me, I'd rather not laugh beside a dead body. After all, even a person like me still possesses some form of self-esteem.

But, it is quite unexpected that I would land on the Cardinal World of all things: the world of Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken, the world harbouring Rimuru Tempest as its protagonist. Evidently, I had some doubts about this very world, especially more so from the previous hints I managed upon but... to stumble upon this world actually puts me in quite the advantageous situation as I know everything about this very World.

However, what's even more unexpected and quite surprising is that my Unique Skill proposes me to kill that lovingly slime. Without any grain of doubt, it is a challenge, but it is one that would prove itself to be quite literally impossible... And I'd rather have not Chloe on my back, truly.

There is so, so much to consider now that I am in this world... It is annoying and at the same time stressing, truth be told. This is why I won't interact with canon as much as I can, if I can help it. If not, well... the very balance of this world will be thrown into the litter.

For the time being though, I prefer not to dwell too much upon this subject. Nevertheless, there certainly is one single thing I will have to assure and ensure in order to protect my very self and this world: the integrity of my mind. No one, absolutely no one should ever be able to tap upon my mind – the weight of my knowledge can turn this world upside down in an irreversible way.

And I wonder if there is already an outside force observing me... I'd hope not.

I sigh all the while caressing my chin.

Then, I navigate the screen before me, to see if there are any useful buttons present. Left, right, up, down. The text enlaced with the screen still remains, thus not responding to any physical approach.

'[Alternative – Garden of Lies] – I ask of you this: open the menu!' So, I simply ask it to change the screen before me.

And lo and behold, another screen panel appears before me – thus replacing the old one. This one, for its part, shows a menu as I demanded – with the description of the very Skill itself at the top; a ticking number in the upper right side showing -87,651.12; and a plethora of new buttons showing up.

Quite the interesting number.

First button is the one for Achievements; then there is one for Completed Achievement; another for Rewards; one for Links with Skills; and the last one is for Butterfly Effect. The first threes seem sufficiently self-explanatory, whereas the last two seem more intriguing – probing my immediate curiosity.

Thus, I enthusiastically touch upon the fourth little button. And another screen shows itself, displaying [Sangvis Regnvm] and [Lone Puppeteer] in bold characters – the other two Skills I seemingly heard and obtained at the time of my very own demise.

So, I touch each of them, consequently revealing their description and their very links with [Alternative]. And I can't help but scoff at it – for, it truly is ridiculous.

«[Sangvis Regnvm] allows the User to manipulate blood – be it from the inside or the outside. There truly are no limits as long as blood is made itself available. As such, the User can manifest tools, weapons and projectiles out of blood if he so desires it.

«In concordance with [Alternative – Garden of Lies] – this skill is to further strengthen as more and more blood is spilled by the User. Undead creatures are evidently not accounted, only sanguine ones are.»

«[Lone Puppeteer] allows the User to subjugate the heart and mind of any sentient creature by means of strings, as long as the creature is both psychologically weaker and magically weaker – 75% less – than the User. Once subjugated, the creature acts physically along the whims of the User – but its mind can't be completely rewritten.

«In concordance with [Alternative – Garden of Lies] – this skill grants a dimensional pouch reigning over souls, thus allowing the User to evolve as a Demon Lord if he wishes so; and is due to further strengthening by continuous use and completing Achievements.»

Truly, these Skills of mine are quite the powerful ones – especially more so in raw power. But it is somewhat unfortunate that these Skills are quite low in potential, for they are already strong, too strong even – I usually have a preference for evolving and progressive Skills as they are stronger later down the line. But it's fine like that; after all, this world is all but fair and is full to the brim of Catastrophes.

Now, I go back to the menu before touching the fifth button, Butterfly Effect. In the screen's centre, a percentage is shown, 99.91%, which likely is the state of the World in some way or another – but I am not too sure what it exactly means. Then, there are multiple stages and thresholds shown around the centre, from 0% to 10% to 20% and so on to 100% – in a clock pattern alongside its hands. And at each threshold, there is a question mark – thus stoking even more my curiosity.

What happens if I were to deviate, ever so slightly, from how the world should be? Shall I punished? Or shall I rather be rewarded? Curious, truly curious.

I smile.

Then, I once again go back to the menu to verify the first three buttons – I am not imbecilic enough to pass on potentially useful Intel, especially more so if it helps me cure my boringness.

Without any surprises, the first button Achievements shows me, first of all, a plethora of categories ranging from: exploration and adventure; combat; Skills; Magic; martial mastery; weapon mastery; dungeon exploration; seafaring; politics; economics; diplomacy; military; governance; slice-of-life; relationships; Legendary.

There truly is quite a lot of categories to be completed, truth be told. I wonder how long it would take me to attain a 100% achievement rate if it is even remotely possible. And surely, these aren't all the categories available as this Skill of mine seems to withhold information from me. But assuredly, there is much fun to have.

I then click upon the exploration and adventure class. And once again, a whole lot of new achievements appears before my very eyes, ranging from biome exploration, to country exploration, to specific locations to explore such as the Jura Forest or the Red Lake.

After that, I quickly scroll through the other categories to see what they are worth for and... really, a smile can't help but appear upon my visage alongside a warmth washing over the entirety of my self. This Skill makes me feel happy, seriously.

Then, I go over Completed Achievements and it evidently shows me what I already did, alongside the fitting descriptions of each Achievement done coupled with a summary of the actions I accomplished in order to attain such a feat.

I also remark that each Achievement has a little check mark coupled with the word "RP", which seemingly means Reward Points, alongside a number. Thus, I click upon the reward case, thus obtaining 10 RPs, 5 for each Achievement I completed.

Next and finally, I look at the Rewards screen. It shows me six categories of rewards for the present moment: tools; weapons; clothes; blueprints; potions; and gacha and lootboxes. And it seems that the fourth and sixth categories are filled with nothing more than question marks – thus, I assume that maybe later down the line, more items and maybe more categories will be unlocked.

But really, a gacha category? As far as I know, I'm not that much of an addict, right?

I then go through the other categories and I can't help but think that this is nothing more than an in-game shop – but one that seems to possess some sort of balance. Indeed, basic items, such as a bow is only at 3 RPs, which is quite cheap – whereas an arquebus is quite literally bankruptcy with a lofty sum of 100 RPs.

The best strategy for now is certainly not to spend in the short-run, but rather economise in order to buy any kind of item whenever a urgency comes up, with notably a potion of health in case of extreme danger.

I finally close everything up, satisfied of the newfound knowledge of my Skill.

What's more, I am now really giddy with excitement. For, this Skill is exactly what I need. And maybe, maybe, this emptiness of mine will finally fill itself... Even if all of it is nothing more than lies, I will fully embrace its Garden.

A warm smile now dominates my face.

Then, I once again set my sights upon the unsightly dead's man body, before stripping him down of his clothes and items.

Unfortunately, the clothes are too burned down and too large and tall to reserve it for my personal use. However, I could at the very least scavenge his items, including his sword – which in reality seems to be more of a rapier than a broadsword, explaining his earlier piercing attack –, his remaining dagger and of course the one I threw, his journal, his plum and ink, his plain white tissue, his adventurer's card, and finally 15 silver coins alongside 32 copper coins.

All in all, the man wasn't that well equipped, he certainly was ill-suited for a long journey or even a long stay in this forest – it thus could mean that a settlement is nearby. And it doesn't bode well for me...

Well, well, I look at the corpse again – now naked and devoid of potential loot – before throwing it anew into the fire ravaging his encampment, with the help of blood strings. With that done, there should be no trace left.

I now hope that the thesis of an accidental fire is to be privileged if any investigation were to happen. Best-case scenario: there isn't any kind of investigation and that man is forgotten. Though, I am not that optimist.

As for the loot inside the tent, there truly is no helping it – nothing can and will be salvageable, even if the fire were to extinguish itself. It's a shame really.

But with all of this ordeal gone, I can now focus on my very objectives for the future! Thus, my goal now is to reach a town, in order to learn how to read and write in this world's language. After all, I can't correctly grasp everything written down in that journal of his – even with the presence of [Magic Sense]. And basic perfect literacy is a lifeline, especially more so in a Fantasy world.

Though before that, I would need to grab some clothes. It is already embarrassing enough to be naked for that long, I can't imagine how much worse it would be in town...

'[Alternative – Garden of Lies] – I ask of you this: open the Rewards screen, upon the clothes category!'

And as ordered, the requested screen panel appears – and thus, I scroll down a bit before setting out on a choice. However, I can't really fathom why feminine clothes are a lot cheaper than entirely masculine ones. For example, it requires 4 RPs for a shirt, a short and some boots whereas the same but with stockings and a skirt is only at 2 RPs. This Skill is obviously biased!

I sigh, before opting for the classical attire set at 4 RPs, which consists of a white shirt, a black grey short, white socks, black boots and plain black briefs. Simple enough, but quite efficient. Then, I buy a plain white mask and a black hooded cape going all the way down to my waist – for an all too great price of 2 RPs.

Why a mask though? Well, simply put, my unusual scarlet red eyes and pretty face are prone to pose me some problems in a human society, namely being accused of all the evils in the world and attracting the eyes of slave traders. And I certainly don't want to risk such things.

Prudence is the mother of safety after all.

Then, a lukewarm wind soars from the ever so beautiful crystal sky to brushes against my face – covering me in a soft freshness, that all can't help but flutter my black midnight hair into this vast breezy night. Under its cover, I put on a mask, a plain white mask over my visage.

It is now time for a new beginning, – one set into a foreign brave new world – a beginning of a grand journey, my journey.

-x-

Going out of the forest actually is quite easy, as from behind the clearing I once stood in, there is a relatively open and well-maintained paved path, surrounded by stones – one that seemingly leads to a settlement, that is if I could believe the one sign on the way.

Well, I quickly retire the well-maintained part of my previous statement, before hiding myself behind a tree. For, there is a group of four men passing with their lanterns lit – they seem to a group of bandits as they are masked, hooded and are in possession of daggers, swords and crossbows. And if they are not bandits, they are a group of bloody suspicious lads.

Should I engage them? Or should I rather leave them alone?

For the time being, I remain hidden behind the tree, all the while observing them with [Magic Sense]. Though, they seemingly are doing nothing more than some small-talk in the night, talking about what to eat in the morning and doing their utmost to quickly finish their mission – never mentioning the very details of that mission of theirs, frustratingly enough.

And just as they quickly arrived, they quickly depart – passing past me without a care in the world.

I wait for some minutes, before going out of my tree. Then, I sigh all the while caressing my mask.

Sometimes, people are quite conscious of anomalous presences and are all but pretending that there is absolutely nothing wrong, while in truth, they are preparing a nefarious ambush – that is what playing DnD with a fiendish DM taught me at the very least.

But all is well, so I continue on my path – wondering if I will once again encounter these bandits. And on the way, I practise a little with blood strings in the pursuit of creating some sort of figures – as they could sell well if successfully made, and what's more, this helps me mastering my very own Skill.

Then, before I know it, the Sun progressively rises and alongside it, a flagrance of amber colour descends upon me – and so, a new day has come, marking my second day in this world.

And in the horizons, I finally see it: a town. A middle sized-town – with seemingly tens upon tens of houses, made out of stones – stands proudly, surrounded by a wall and endless fields of crops and golden wheat.

-x-

At the entrance – one with a quite fancy arch of grey stone embellished by a statue of a giant spider, supported by two pillars – stand two men, with the first slouching against the wall while the second watches me attentively. They both are of short black hair, green eyes and white skin – and they both are equipped with chainmail armour, alongside helmets and spears.

"Good morning, Mister Guards." I greet them.

The one slouching doesn't even look at me, he rather is yawning and mumbling incoherent words.

Guarding a town without any likely threat seems to be quite boring... Maybe he should just find another job, if he could, that is.

"First time seeing you here, Miss." Whereas the other guard greets me with a nod. "Welcome to Ostezstadt, the last frontier of human civilisation before the Jura Forest. Though, there is no fee to enter, I would like to know your name and face before letting you pass."

"My, of course. Though, it doesn't seem like it, but I am a man and," thus, I retire my mask before setting my sights on the guard, all the while keeping a small smile, "my name is–

"–Astrellia."

There is a brief silence, as the guard firmly stares into my eyes. Then, he quietly sighs while caressing his eyes.

"Right. This is good to know you, Mister Astrellia. You can call me Albrecht Blumfontaine and this one here," he says all the while pointing to the other guard, "is my brother Aribert.

"I imagine you're headed towards the Adventurer's Guild?" I briefly nod. "If so, you just need to go right in and you will find the Hauptplatz (Central Place), and on its right you will find the Guild – you can't miss it as it's one of the biggest buildings in town. And if you're having any troubles once inside, don't hesitate to let me know."

"Thank you, I certainly won't hesitate, Mister Blumfontaine! You really are a kind guard!" I say so as I put my mask back, all the while passing past them.

Then, a light intertwined with the amber of dawn and the gold of the eternal orb falls and envelops my vision – before revealing the town of Ostezstadt in all of its splendour, with its narrow streets, its firm grey stone houses, its tall resplendent churches, its stonish spider statues overlooking every denizen of this place, and most importantly its gothic aesthetic.

Interestingly enough, I never heard of a town of the like in canon – especially not a gothic town such as this.

First thing first: direction the library. Engaging myself with the Guild is quite the interesting prospect, but it would have to wait – sorry Mister Guard, but I am not like the others that come to this place it would seem.

And so, I make my first steps inside the town – admiring and observing the customs of its inhabitants, from the merchant selling his goods, to the artisan offering his services, to the bard singing, to the simple man traversing through the town.

Moreover, I sometimes stop myself to eavesdrop on other's people conversations, to see if there is anything juicy to hear or any interesting Intel to get. But, seemingly all I could hear is that this woman is a slut, and she is abundantly impudent, and she is absolutely immoral, and that is completely and utterly scandalous in this society of ours – though, all these men said so with a watery smile.

I sigh, while smiling. Sometimes, some things don't change, even between worlds.

Though, there is something certainly more interesting with the two, three mentions I heard of the margrave von Wohlneu – the more than likely lord of this land – that is seemingly seen in a positive light for good management, economic growth and bringing in new opportunities these last few years.

I also heard about a mage that recently came to this town, but doesn't really want to go outside; he refuses categorically to see the Sun. They say he is afraid of light and of people – so, he locked himself up in a tower in fringes of the town.

He is totally a NEET. I wonder if he is an otherworder.

Then, I hear a clinking sound, interrupting my musings – one of metal against metal, and one of steel and sweat. I thus turn my sights around and I see an open forge with a large middle-aged man – of white skin, short brown hair, small brown moustache and seemingly brown eyes in a brown tunic and grey pants – working inside with a hammer.

And spread against the walls stands a plethora of armament, ranging from shields, armours to swords, rapiers, broadswords and spears.

The man then stops—

"Is that you, Aegis? So, you're already back, your wife will be happy to s–"

—before turning towards me with a big radiant smile, full of warmth and hope.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I must have confused you with someone I knew, Miss. It's just the clinking..." he says with a lowered head devoid of the previous beaming smile.

"Ah no, no, you don't have to be sorry, Mister! It's my fault for having interrupted your work. And also," it's becoming embarrassing to repeat it, but it's not like I have a choice... "I'm a man, even if it isn't evident at first sight."

He then laughs heartily while simultaneously deposing his hammer at his side.

"It isn't evident, for sure! But as you're here, Mister, you're surely a customer. Do you have something specific in head? To buy, of course, I mean!

"Ah, I forgot, I'm Helmuth, Helmuth Kräfterlang. And this is my pride!" he says so all the while pointing towards his own forge.

Woaw, he's checking all the cases of the stereotypical friendly middle-aged blacksmith. I certainly wasn't expecting to see that in reality.

"A pleasure to meet you, Mister Kräfterlang, you can call me Astrellia. But I'm sorry, I'm not really a customer for the moment; I just wanted to know where the library is." I say so, while scratching my hair and lowering a bit my head – all to appear somewhat apologetic.

"You know, forging and reading doesn't go well hand in hand but you're lucky, I quite like the lad working there," he shows me a big smile full of teeth. "So, to answer you, it's two streets from here, just go ahead, before you turn left – then, you will see a big tall grey building, that looks out of place."

"Thank you, Mister, for the information! Also, one last question: did you hear something unusual in recent times in regards to the Jura Forest, and the Dragon there?"

"You're looking to be an adventurer, aren't you, Astrellia? Youth full of dashing and sparkling dreams! I admire that, really! But no, that Dragon hasn't budged from his seal – so, his magical aura is everywhere. I wouldn't recommend you going there before you get a better gear."

I see. So, it's like that. It's a relief to not have to deal with Rimuru but at the same time, the worth of my knowledge isn't that important all of a sudden – well, that is for the time being.

"Thank you very much, Mister Kräfterlang! Thank you for answering my questions, you're of great help!" I say so as I depart.

Then, a strong current of air befalls, agitating my hair and black cape on the way.

The wind sure likes to annoy me. I am definitely picking wind Magic in the future, just to tame it all.

"Wait—" a stern steely voice calls to me, one that isn't open to refusal.

"—where did you get that rapier, Astrellia?"

Ah—

«Congratulations, Artificial Mystic Doll, you have earned the achievement [Janus-faced], which demanded to arise someone's suspicions.»