Goblin Village - Rimuru POV:

The next day came by sooner than I had expected. Perhaps because I had so much on my mind from the events that had occurred yesterday, and so many unanswered questions that I just could not bring myself to sleep properly last night.

By the time I had returned with Shizue to the goblin village, none of the other members of the human party had woken up, despite the treatment they had gotten, most likely a result of the exhaustion even if their bodies had made full recovery. I left Shizue with them as well for treatment, having already used my healing magic to deal with the injuries she sustained from our battle when Ifrit had taken her over, making it a total of five human patients that were under our care.

Night came and passed and they still showed no sign of waking, which vexed and worried me a bit, but I knew it was out of my hands for the time being. I just had to wait for them to recover their strength on their own. So that was how I ended up having a restless night with many thoughts in mind.

There were many things I wanted to ask this group, especially Masayuki and Shizue, who were fellow otherworlders, or at least I assumed they were, I hadn't really confirmed that. For all I know, they could be the children of an otherworlder or some other weird gimmick. Treyni had more or less filled me in on what the five of them had been doing in the forest before the fight with Ifrit, but hearing it from the source would be a bit more reassuring.

I needed an idea of what the surrounding human nations were thinking in regards to the situation in Jura. The fact that these five had come in looking to survey the land and any changes to the monster patterns means the human settlements were at least cautious about wild monsters potentially leaving the forest and attacking their kingdoms.

It was a valid concern, and one I wouldn't refute. Even the sentient monsters of the forest may do the same thing, especially those that were outside the domain of the Dryads. They had no one controlling them since my mother's presence vanished, and according to Treyni, most of the monsters that lived outside the Dryad's domain were of stronger species than even the Ogres, making them at the very least low A-rank, like Ranga and Raya. If they went on to attack human settlements close to Jura's borders, then the humans may very well feel threatened and choose to retaliate.

It was one of the reasons why Treyni had suggested getting my name out into the forest. That way, even the higher ranked monsters would know the forest was not without a Guardian and leader, that my mother had left a successor behind for them. Honestly, I felt she was trying to sell her own glorified image of me, but I didn't try to stop her, because I did hope that it would stop any sentient monsters from doing anything foolish.

"Good morning, Lord Rimuru!" I was suddenly greeted by a female goblin as I stepped out of my house within this village, quickly dropping onto one knee and bowing her head.

It was a nice wooden building, almost like a cottage, with four rooms and a decent amount of space. Honestly, I was surprised the goblins had been able to build something of this caliber with the short amount of time the dwarves had been in the village. Still though, I couldn't complain, this building was easily comparable in comfort to the one from the Ogre village. And I could tell it was well maintained, even when I wasn't here.

"Morning, you're…Gobwa correct?" I asked, having named more than a thousand goblins, it was easy to lose track of who was who sometimes, but they were a particular few that stood out to me. Gobwa was one of them, her amber orange eyes having stood out among the goblins even before her evolution into a Hobgoblin. It was a unique trait I'd yet to see in any of the other goblins.

"Yes my lord, you granted me the name Gobwa!!" She responded enthusiastically, seeming genuinely happy that I remembered her name.

"Yes, well what can I do for you, Gobwa?" I asked her, wondering why she had been standing outside my door when I stepped out. Especially so early in the morning, shouldn't she be training with the other goblins right now?

"Ah yes, about that." The goblin said as she stood up straight, looking a bit embarrassed. "I've been assigned to be your escort for the day, my lord. If you have any questions or are in need of anything, please do not hesitate to ask." She added with a quick bow.

"I see…" It seemed the few Ogres that had been sent to this village had also had some level of impact on the goblins level of hospitality. They certainly seemed to be more formally welcoming than they had been in the past, especially if they were now assigning me an escort.

As much as I didn't want to admit it, the escort thing was probably a good idea. With how rapidly this village was growing and expanding under Kaijin and the other dwarves, it was hard to recognize it as the same place my mother could have once toppled with a mere sneeze.

"I want to take a look around the village." I told the goblin escort. "I haven't really taken the time to check its progress and development whenever I visit." Usually it would just be a report from Rigurd and Kaijin about the current affairs, how expansion was going and other minor village affairs. While I did do a bit of sightseeing and speak to the villagers, I hadn't really taken the time to see the village development progress for myself. So I was going to take this opportunity to do so while I waited for our guests to recover. "Let's start with the training grounds, I want to see how everyone is coming along under the Ogres."

"Yes sir!!" Gobwa responded enthusiastically. "Please follow me, I'll lead you towards the training grounds." She said, to which I responded with the nod of my head.

She turned on the heel of her foot and began to walk, with me following close behind.

~~~

Making our way through the village, I couldn't help but admire how much it had grown in the last month since I returned with the dwarves. The Goblin population had grown by over double its previous amount, their numbers going above three thousand five hundred.

Apparently, the goblin communities within Jura were rather tight-knit due to being the weakest race, so when they heard of a Goblin village under the protection of a powerful individual, with said Goblins having evolved, they started flocking towards the named village in hopes of also currying my favor and protection. As a result, the village's Goblin population kept growing every time I visited from the ogre village.

Still, I welcomed them and named them whenever I could. Making sure they were aware of our rules. In return, they swore loyalty and worked hard alongside everyone else. I'd initially been worried about how we would sustain such a growing population, but thanks in part to the Tempest Wolves, the goblin village wasn't restricted to food from the immediate area.

Through [Shadow Movement, the Goblins and Wolves were able to gather food and resources from various locations within the forest, instead of being limited to their immediate surroundings. Meaning there was no immediate shortage of food. Naturally, they had also expanded their farms to produce more than enough food for everyone.

For housing, they opted to start out with tents for the new residents as the craft of construction was still something not many goblins had talent in. But the increase in population meant Myrd had more hands to work with, so things were progressing well and more Goblins were settling into proper homes.

All in all, the village was growing well, and the Goblins had never been happier, feeling more at peace than they ever had been before. It seemed they were starting to build a bit more self-esteem than when they initially evolved, which was good.

It didn't take us long to arrive at the training grounds that were on the outskirts of the village. There, a clearing had been created for the large number of Goblins and Wolves that were honing their skills and abilities. Compared to the clearing the ogres practiced in, this one was obviously much larger to accommodate the larger force and variety of creatures using it.

I leaned against a tree by the edge of the clearing as I watched them train. They seemed to have made some progress since training under the Ogres, with a wide variety of weapons and fighting styles now being present with the Goblins rather than just bows and swords.

"Everyone seems to be growing faster than I expected." Given their large numbers, I had expected the Ogres sent by the chief to have a more difficult time being progressive in teaching them.

"Yes sir, we're all working hard because they want to be able to protect ourselves as well as be of use to you." Gobwa responded. To be honest, I'd kind of forgotten she was there as I got lost in thought. "Each and every one of us is doing our best to learn from our respective teachers. Be it the Ogres and their combat training, the Dwarves and their craftsmanship and construction, or the Dryads who've been teaching us about agriculture. Everyone has been doing their best to learn and produce results to repay the kindness you've shown us, Lord Rimuru." The Goblina added with a bright smile.

"I don't think I did much. I haven't even been around much. You guys are the ones putting in all the effort and making something of yourselves." I said, feeling she was giving me far too much credit for their own hard work.

"You may not have been around much, my lord, but the times you've visited have left a profound impact on the village each time." Gobwa countered, I was actually a bit surprised by the sincerity in her voice as she said it. "You've been taking in all the Goblin tribes that have been coming in under your protection, granting them names and the power to protect themselves. You went out of your way to find the Dwarves in another nation to help with the construction of our village. You spoke to the Dryads on our behalf to help with our agriculture and food production. You even spoke to the Ogres to help us with our combat training, even though they are known as a prideful race!!" Gobwa listed, when she put it like that, it was actually kind of flattering.

"Well…I suppose I did help out a bit." I said as I rubbed the back of my head nervously.

"I'd say it was more than just a bit, Lord Rimuru. Everyone here is grateful for the effort you put into making our lives better than they have ever been. That's why we've all been working hard to produce results that we can show to you!"

When Gobwa put it like that, speaking so passionately, it became easier to understand how the Goblins and Wolves had grown this village to such an extent within a month. While I hadn't been as involved as a leader should be when it came to the village, they had still managed to come this far under the guidance of the teachers I had gathered for them. They were working hard to pay back the kindness I'd shown them.

"I just hope you haven't been overworking yourselves." I said as I turned back towards the training field.

"You don't need to worry about that, my lord. Sir Rigurd, along with the other Goblin Lords, have been making sure we get the proper amount of rest." Gobwa reassured me with a smile. "He warned us that overworking would only prove detrimental to our health and needlessly worry you.

"Of course it would, you're my subordinates, not my slaves. So naturally, your well-being is of concern to me." I said, I was almost surprised by the waves of joy I felt radiating from her through [Desire] a second later, making me turn towards the Goblin.

What I didn't expect to see was her being on the brink of tears. A wobbly smile plastered on her face, cheeks red probably from embarrassment, as she tried not to actually cry in front of me.

'Oh boy, it seems we have a crier here.' I couldn't help but nervously think, I wasn't the best when it came to dealing with emotional women. The only reason I wasn't panicking was because I could tell that these were tears of joy, not because I'd said something stupid.

"Are you okay?" I asked her with an amused smile, that seemed to snap Gobwa out of whatever fantasy her mind had pulled her in.

Her face went red as steam started coming out of her ears. I could literally feel the joy she had been feeling seconds ago give way to humiliation as she turned away from me.

"Please don't look at me!!" She said as she frantically began to wipe her face. I couldn't help but laugh at her embarrassment. My gaze then shifted towards the training Goblins once more.

'If all of them really feel that strongly about me, then I have to do my part as well.' They were putting their faith in me, and doing their best to prove themselves to me. It was only fair that I work hard as well, and become strong enough to not only protect them, but this entire forest.

~~~

"Knock knock!" I called out as I entered Kaijin's workshop, Gobwa following right behind me. I had decided to make this our next stop. A rather large building from the outside but given how many people were working on the inside, it made sense.

The inside was your typical medieval blacksmith's workshop. Filled with various tools, materials, a large furnace, and even a few partially finished weapons visible. Though I assumed some were just prototypes. There were several tables with Goblins and Ogres working on tools or weapons.

However they all seemed to stop upon hearing my voice, along with the entrance bell ringing when I opened the door.

There were a few seconds of awkward silence before they all quickly stood from their seats, well those that were seated anyway, and bowed their heads respectfully towards me.

"Lord Rimuru!" They all shouted unanimously in greeting. At this point, I was getting used to this kind of behavior from everyone, and was learning to take it in stride. It was probably for the best too, since if I really did end up forming a nation, I'd pretty much be a king.

It was a weird thought, but one that I was getting more and more used to. Besides, it's not like I'd have to conform to normal standards of what it means to be a ruler or king.

"Hello everyone, don't mind me, please continue as you were." I said as I waved them off. That seemed to do the trick, as bit by bit they all returned to their previous tasks

"Ah, Rimuru!" Kaijin suddenly came out from the crowd and approached me. "Only you could cause such a ruckus around here so early in the morning hahaha!" The dwarf smith said with a loud laugh.

One of the reasons I enjoyed talking with Kaijin a lot was because he actually talked to me like we were casual friends, whilst still keeping it respectful enough that he didn't cross boundaries of employer and employee. It was certainly a breath of fresh air compared to the subservient way that all the monsters in Jura spoke to me. But as I said before, I was getting used to it.

"Sorry for the trouble, just thought I'd pop in and say hi since I passed through town sooner than planned." I said with a grin.

"Right, I heard you were in the village due to the incident that occurred yesterday with the Fire Spirits." Kaijin said with a nod. "Would the humans resting in the nearby tents have anything to do with what happened?"

"Yeah." I responded with a nod and a sigh. "Two of them are Heroes, and the other three are adventurers from Blumund. Or at least that's what Treyni was able to gather, I haven't had the chance to properly speak with them. One of the Heroes was the vessel for the spirit. Due to some outside intervention, the spirit possessed her and went on a rampage, the other four barely made it out alive."

"Sounds problematic." Kaijin said with a chuckle before his expression became serious. "Still, you gotta handle this carefully, two Heroes in a monster village could spell trouble if they decide to become hostile."

"Mhmm." I hummed in agreement. I wasn't naive enough to believe they would trust us simply because we saved them. Masayuki had been desperate at the time he asked for my help, who knows what would happen now. "I know, I'll be careful and keep a close eye on them."

"How are you going to handle this, though? Even if they aren't hostile, are you going to let them leave? Word of you and this village would spread to the neighboring nations fast that way." Kaijin enquired, his concerns valid.

To be honest, no matter how I looked at it we would draw attention to ourselves. Killing them would draw attention to the fact that two heroes died within the forest of Jura, making the western nations more wary of us. Letting them go would give them information, but if handled well, they could present us in a positive light.

"It all depends on them, if I feel they harbor ill will and letting them go would endanger us, then I'll kill them. It may warrant investigations from the surrounding nations, but it's better than them reporting us as a potential threat and facing a potential invasion." I told Kaijin, eyes cold and glowing with a neon emerald color, before swiftly relaxing so as to not concern the others with my killing intent. "However, if they seem decent enough I'll let them go. They may even portray us as a friendly monster village or something, though there's no guarantee we won't be investigated and attacked anyway. Regardless of the outcome, it's best we stay on guard for the foreseeable future."

"Mmmm, it's a tricky situation. And this village is still too young to be involved in any major conflict." Kaijin said as he stroked his beard.

He was right, the Goblins were just starting to build their confidence from being the weakest species. Even as Hobgoblins and Goblinas, they were only C-rank monsters, their average strength was equivalent to that of a well trained soldier, with trained goblins being slightly stronger. What they truly lacked was skill. They had made great improvements with the Ogres, but I doubt war was something they were quite ready for.

…then again, nobody is ever ready for war.

Even with the Tempest Wolves, which were an A-rank threat collectively, we wouldn't be able to fight without significant losses. Losses that would result in a drop in morale.

Maybe I could just wipe out any invading forces myself. According to [Great Sage, my power made me a high Special A-rank threat. And even then, I was just below S-rank. Which was pretty cool by the way. The only problem with that is the world would be aware of my existence. Which would bring about its own set of problems.

"Yeah, you're right. If push comes to shove, I'll handle it myself." I said with a sigh, before switching topics, wanting something a little more light hearted. "All of that aside, the Goblins and Ogres seem to be doing well under you." I said as I looked at all the working personnel. Kaijin noticed my change in topic, but I was glad he didn't comment on it, nothing more needed to be said on that topic.

"Yeah, to be honest having the Ogre blacksmiths come here was a godsend. They've been a great help in not only reducing workload, but also in teaching the goblins about crafts. Because of them, I was even able to take on a few more apprentices." Kaijin said with a grin.

"Well the Ogre chief did say he wanted his own people involved in the production of magisteel weapons for his people, if you found even more use for them being here then that's great."

"Mmhmm, they've even been sharing some of their techniques with us and me with them. It's made a good learning experience for the goblins as well." Kaijin said as he nodded his head in pride. "The goblins have been soaking up whatever we teach them as well. While they still have ways to go, you can tell the effort and hard work they are putting into learning."

I cast a quick glance at Gobwa, who'd gone and started talking with one of the other goblins in the shop, remembering what she had said earlier about the effort everyone was putting in for my sake.

"Have you had them start working with magisteel?" I asked Kaijin curiously.

"The goblins, no, they don't have the necessary experience for that. As for the Ogres, they caught on pretty fast once I showed them the ropes. Though for now I'm only having them craft 40% magisteel weapons and below so they get used to it." Kaijin explained.

"Wait, what about the Young Master's sword, I thought that one was 100% magisteel like mine?" I asked.

"Well I'm the one who did most of the work with the blade, but I had the most experienced of the Ogres help me out a bit." Kaijin explained as he pointed to one of the Ogres. A large figure with ash gray skin and black hair, honestly he had a slightly intimidating appearance, but seeing him interact with the Goblins showed he wasn't as scary as first impression would imply (AN: It's Kurobe).

"I see, makes sense I guess." Perhaps the Ogres had understood mainly because the blade was being forged for the Young Master, and thus were willing to leave most of the work to a skilled blacksmith like Kaijin, who was used to working with magisteel.

It seems bonds were being forged even without my intervention. Perhaps the Ogres would be more willing to directly interact with the goblin village in the near future.

"Lord Rimuru!!" The front door suddenly slammed open and rushing in all sweaty and out of breath was none other than Rigur. He looked a little panicked and distressed. Before his eyes landed on me.

"Rigur, what's wrong?" I asked.

"The three humans accompanying the Heroes just woke up!" He said rapidly as he was still trying to gather his breath.

"...I see."

I guess it was time to see just what kind of people we were dealing with.

~~~

Walking towards the building where our now awake guests were being kept, a lot of things were running through my mind.

For starters, I was glad that the three adventurers were the first ones to wake up rather than Shizue or Masayuki. I kind of knew what to expect from them since I'd followed them around a bit when they were inspecting the Sealed Cave. The three of them were the ones that unintentionally let me out, though I wouldn't be telling them that.

From what I had gathered when following them that day, they were a bit of a rowdy bunch. They were close, but always seemed to argue over the smallest things. And they seemed to have a knack for getting in trouble. They were more than fortunate that I'd cleared the Sealed Cave on my way out, otherwise their chances of surviving would have been practically zero.

All in all, they seemed like a decent bunch when looking at them from afar, I guess it was time to see their character up close.

"Lord Rimuru!" Rigurd was standing outside the door to the building looking slightly nervous.

"I take it our guests are inside?" I asked the goblin king, prompting him to nod.

"Yes, they woke up not too long ago feeling hungry. And while I was hesitant to do so without your permission, I had some food prepared for them." Rigurd said with a bow of his head.

'His emotions are all over the place, does he think I'll be upset or something?' I decided not to think about it too much and instead soothe his worries. "Good work, offering proper hospitality to our guests is something to be proud of." I said as I gave the large goblin an encouraging tap on the shoulder.

"R-right, thank you, my lord!!" Rigurd said as he stood up straight. He then quickly regained his composure before opening the door for me, I nodded my head and walked in, with the Rigurd and Gobwa following close behind.

I don't know what I was expecting when I opened the door, but it certainly wasn't…

this.

And by 'this', I mean the first thing I see is the sight of these three adventurers stuffing their mouths with food and chewing louder than dogs! Like seriously, who taught these three how to eat?!

They seemed to freeze on the spot upon the door opening and seemed to robotically turn towards me. Unfortunately, freezing like that with their mouths stuffed full did little to improve my impression of them. If anything, my already low impression from their lack of awareness in the sealed cave just sunk a tad bit lower.

"Hey, who's the kid?" One of them whispered after swallowing his food with an incredibly loud gulp, the guy with the lengthy hair, Kaval if I remembered correctly. From what I'd gathered when tailing them in the sealed cave, he was the so-called leader of this group. Though, that didn't seem to mean much when it came to these three.

The other two merely shrugged their shoulders as they also looked at me curiously, still chewing like gluttons. My left eyebrow may have twitched slightly at being called a 'kid'. While I may look like an adolescent in his first year of high-school I had the mind of a man much older than that! Still, I couldn't exactly fault them for that though, they had no way of knowing, and were only speaking based on what they were seeing.

"Please show him proper respect, this is the lord and master of our village. The Great Rimuru!" Rigurd declared as he gestured towards me with his right hand.

You could tell the three of them were surprised when they heard that. Their eyes widened, and the two who had been chewing stopped for a moment before loudly swallowing loudly as well.

"The master?!!" All three of them shouted at once as they looked at me in disbelief.

'I mean, I get that it's hard to believe but they shouldn't be that surprised.' In a world filled with magic and monsters of all shapes and sizes, having a fourteen year old looking boy leading a village of Goblins shouldn't be the most surprising thing.

"Yes, Lord Rimuru was also the one who rescued you and your comrades when that Fire Spirit attacked the forest." Rigur added, he could have waited to drop that bomb but whatever.

"Wait, you stopped Ifrit?! But that's a high level Elemental Spirit!" The girl of the group, Eren if I remember well, yelled in shock and surprise. Guess stopping someone of Ifrits caliber was impressive by human standards, though it was understandable why they were impressed, given that it was a powerful spirit used by a Hero.

"You must be crazy strong." The last party member, Gido, said sweat nervously dropping from his head. It seemed he was the most cautious of me between the three of them. That was the most sensible reaction one could have after finding out that a powerful individual was standing before you.

"Is there a problem?" I asked with an amused smirk, eyebrow raised for added effect.

"N-no, it's nothing like that! Please forgive our rudeness." Kaval said frantically, panicking slightly. "If anything we're grateful for your help. If you hadn't interfered, there's a chance none of us would have made it out alive. Shizue and Masayuki included. Thank you for your aid and hospitality." Kaval said as he bowed his head in gratitude, the other two quickly followed suit.

"Yes, thank you for your aid and hospitality." Eren and Gido also said upon bowing their heads.

'Huh, maybe these three aren't as idiotic as I thought they were.' They clearly understood their situation, and were more than grateful for my intervention. My impression of them may have gone up juuuust a bit.

"It's fine, please lift your heads. I'm glad I was able to arrive in time before the worst came to pass." I said as the three of them raised their heads and seemed to relax. "However, I have a few questions that I need to ask you three. Such as why a group of five adventurers, including two Heroes, were traveling through a forest of monsters. And secondly, your account of the events that occurred yesterday. A Fire Spirit of that caliber doesn't just appear out of nowhere."

"Of course, after all the trouble we caused you, the least we can do is provide an explanation and answer what we can." Kaval said with the nod of his head, at least they were being reasonable and understanding about it.

And so the trio of adventurers explained everything to me in detail. From the fact that they had initially been sent as a group of four by the leader of Blumunds guild master, including Masayuki, but encountered Shizue before they left the city for the forest. As Treyni had said, they'd been sent here in order to investigate the forest and any potential changes that may have occurred as a result of my mother's disappearance. Shizue just tagged along as she had been going a similar direction for whatever reason. Though they had been attacked and chased around by a few monsters, it was nothing they hadn't been able to handle, though I get the feeling Shizue and Masayuki were the ones handling it.

Still though, I found myself surprised by how open they were being. Going as far as to tell me their whole plan right off the bat. Clearly, these guys needed to learn not to trust so easily. Still, it worked well for me, so I couldn't really complain.

"I see…and do you think that your guild master will react negatively to our village?" I asked, I wasn't expecting an honest answer, really. Being viewed as a potential threat was reason enough for humans to act.

"To be honest I'm not too sure." Kaval said as he glanced back at his teammates, who shrugged in response, before turning back to me. "Normally, a goblin village wouldn't be worth investigating, given that they are weak, but not only is the village huge, all the goblins here are so many it can be considered a town, even a small city." The group leader responded with a nervous sweatdrop.

I couldn't deny his point. Our overall population was just over three thousand five hundred and rising with each passing day. While hobgoblins weren't a major threat, any kingdom would grow weary if a large number of them started mobilizing like they were doing here. Naturally, the humans would wonder why, and eventually I would be discovered. Not that I intended to remain hidden.

"I see, that is a bit of a tricky situation. But I don't think we have much to worry about in the short-term . Feel free to include our village in your report." I said, I'd keep the fact that I was the Storm Dragon's child under wraps for now. As far as these three were concerned, I was just some Majin that helped them out. "Though do try to paint us positively." I add with a smirk.

"Oh, of course!" Eren suddenly called out with a bright smile on her face. "You guys saved our lives, the last thing we want is to cause you any trouble!"

"She's right, we owe you and the people of this village for saving and taking care of us!" Giddo added, giving a quick brow of gratitude once more. "Thanks to you, even Shizue was able to make it out of the incident relatively unharmed despite being the one that got possessed."

"Hopefully the two of them make a fast recovery, I have a few questions for them as well." I mutter with a small frown, before turning towards the group of three. "But for now, what can you three tell me about the incident that led to Shizue losing control of her spirit?"

The expressions on their faces as soon as I asked that told me they didn't have much to offer in that regard. For a few seconds, they looked at each other multiple times before turning back towards me.

"To be honest we're not quite sure what happened ourselves." Eren spoke up, bringing my attention towards her. "One second we were walking deeper in the forest, chatting like usual, and the next thing we knew there was this explosion of purple mist as we were walking."

My attention was piqued when she said the last part.

"At first, we thought it was some kind of poisonous attack from a monster, and quickly jumped out of it. But out of the five of us, the purple mist followed Shizue." Eren explained as the three of them shuddered at the thought, clearly whatever it was had been creepy. "From the outside, it looked like Shizue absorbed that purple mist, but the way she groaned and cried in pain showed that it was forcing itself into her."

"Naturally we tried to rush in and do whatever we could to help her. But…we were too late." Kaval said, as their expressions turned somber and all three of them looked towards the ground. "Before we could get close enough to touch her, flames erupted around her. The explosion pushed us several feet back and immediately lit the surrounding trees on fire."

"It was terrifying, her hair turned into a mane of fire, her eyes turning red like some sort of demon. Her entire body was then engulfed in flames for a bit, when the flames died down the Fire Spirit, Ifrit, stood in her place." Giddo recounted. "After that, things become a bit of a blur, Ifrit summoned three salamanders and I remember us offering to handle those while Masayuki fought and subdued Ifrit."

"You said they were three salamanders? When I arrived on the scene there were only two left." As much as I didn't want to imply it, I doubt these three could have handled the salamanders in a three on three fight.

"Yeah, one of them got the drop on us and self detonated. It's probably the one that left us out of commission because I don't remember anything after that." Kaval said as he turned to his other party members, who shook their heads sideways, meaning they had also been knocked out by that attack.

"I see. That matches the information I received. Unfortunately, your group chose a bad time to wander into the forest." I said with a sigh.

"What do you mean?" Eren asked.

"Lets just say the humans aren't the only ones that have been investigating the forest of Jura since the Storm Dragon's disappearance. About five weeks ago, I encountered a Majin that claimed to be the subordinate of a Demon Lord snooping around near our village." I stated, three pairs of eyes widening at the sudden revelation. "There's a chance that Majin could have been involved in the attack that caused Shizue to lose control."

"Wait, are you for real?!" Kaval shouted in slight panic as he brought his hands to his head.

As much as I wanted to tell them I was a hundred percent certain of this fact, I wanted to keep my connection to the Dryads a secret as well. The Tree Spirits were well known for being a rare sight, and so they wouldn't suspect I pretty much had eyes on most of the forest through them.

"From what you've told me, that purple mist was drawn towards Shizue, or perhaps the spirit within her. Either way, if the Majin I'm talking about is involved, then this was a targeted attack." The more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed that Gelmude would just randomly attack Shizue just to unleash the Fire Spirit. 'He must have known I would intervene…or at the very least taken it into account.'

Gelmude didn't strike me as dumb when I encountered him before. He certainly had human level intelligence that much was for sure. I remember telling him that I am the Guardian of the forest, if he was willing to unleash a Fire Spirit within the forest even after my warning, then he had to have taken my presence into account. Perhaps he had been trying to flush me out? If so, had he been watching the fight?

There were too many questions, but one thing was clear. Whoever Gelmude serves has to be aware of my presence within Jura. There's a chance that they may have been trying to learn more about me by unleashing Ifrit.

'Calm down.' I thought to myself as I shook my head sideways. There was no point in overthinking this, what's happened happened. All I can do is move forward and act with more caution until the current threat is neutralized. I turned towards the trio of adventurers. "You guys are more than welcome to rest here until you've fully recovered, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask Rigurd." I said, gesturing towards the large Goblin King who stood at my left.

"Right, please don't hesitate at all. While our village is still fairly new and doesn't have much to offer, we'll do our best to be hospitable." Rigurd said as he stood straight, looking kind of stiff.

"Thank you very much." The trio said in unison as they bowed their heads. I couldn't help but smile as I nodded my head. I knew the trio would be in good hands with Rigurd handling things.

"I have to go now. Rigurd, I'll leave things here to you." I said as I turned around and started making my way out.

"Right!"

~~~

The talk with Kaval's party gave me much to think about, in regards to both the Human Nations and Demon Lord territories. The game of chess had already started, movements were being made to gauge the situation here in Jura, from scouting to antagonizing, all of this was just proof of the wheels starting to turn.

I wasn't quite sure what was going to happen, there were too many unknown variables, and I still knew far too little about this world to even try and make a guess. That was my biggest flaw at this moment, a lack of knowledge. In a world where beings could live for centuries or millennia or even forever in the case of special individuals like the Demon Lords or True Dragons, being unaware of even the most basic things puts you at a severe disadvantage. And considering the endless possibilities of skills and magic, that was more terrifying than I was willing to admit.

I didn't just need more power, but the knowledge to use that power appropriately in any given situation.

But what I didn't have was time.

The surrounding nations weren't going to wait, as proved by Gelmude's actions and the fact that a human party with two Heroes had come into the forest. It was a troublesome situation to say the least, with no clear solution either.

Speaking of Gelmude, Treyni and the others had yet to report anything after I told them to find him. With their abilities, they should have no problem locating him as long as he was within their area of influence. Could he have gone to the other side of the river? The area outside the Dryad's influence? Or perhaps he left the forest altogether. I know I would lay low if I pulled a stunt like the one he did. And if his intention had been to kill me, it meant he failed. Giving him a greater reason to lay low.

I was tempted to just summon Treyni and one of the other Dryads and just ask them, but decided against it for the time being. It had barely been twenty-four hours, the least I could do was give them more time than that.

"Master, I have returned!" I was brought out of my thoughts when Ranga jumped out the shadow of a nearby tree and landed beside me.

"Oh, hey Ranga." I greeted the Tempest Wolf with a smile. Ranga had been leading the Tempest Wolves in their training this morning since Raya was still at the Ogre village after I asked her to escort the Ogre Princess yesterday. I hadn't bothered asking her to return, feeling better knowing that she would be there and be able to alert me in the event that something of note happened there.

I did feel a bit bad though, I wasn't blind to the fact that Ranga and Raya were extremely close. They were probably mates by now if I had to guess, though I had yet to confirm that. The reason I felt bad was because due to the fact that Ranga was usually with me when I was at the Ogre village, the two of them didn't get to spend as much time together as I felt they should. Neither of them ever brought it up or complained, their loyalty to me wouldn't allow them to. Still though, it was something I'd have to fix soon.

"I trust that you had a productive training session with the pack?" I asked as I leaned back against the tree I was seated under, Ranga coming up beside me and laying down as well, head on my laps.

"Yes master, the pack has definitely grown, and their mastery over their elemental affinities grows by the day." Ranga reported as I nodded my head, running my hand over the large wolf's head.

Raya had reported to me about that breakthrough not too long ago. While it was still weak, the fact that the Tempest Wolves were starting to tap into their elemental affinities was a major breakthrough, and would only make them a force to be reckoned with as they grew stronger. I couldn't wait to see that day.

"That's good to hear, I'm expecting great things from all of you." I said, much to Ranga's pride and joy, evident by the way his tail started swishing rapidly. Fortunately, Ranga had started gaining greater control over his powers, and thus didn't stir up a whirlwind this time around.

The two of us just stayed there for a while. Relaxing under the shade of the tree as the gentle breeze blew past us. If only things could remain this peaceful, but I knew better than to make such a naive wish right now.

Tough times were coming, it's what I had been preparing for this whole time. Question is, am I ready? Well, true readiness was a notoriously difficult thing to achieve, all I could do was continue to get stronger and not get complacent regardless of how strong I became.

It wasn't until noon that I felt the presence of none other than Rigur fast approaching our location through [Magic Sense]. Within a minute he had made it where we were, riding atop his Tempest Wolf partner.

"Lord Rimuru!" He called out upon spotting me. Seeing as this was the second time today he had come to find me, I could guess what this was about.

"Have one of the Heroes woken?" I asked as I stood up, unfortunately waking Ranga, who had taken a nap on my lap.

"Both of them have regained consciousness, my lord, though they are still weakened." Rigur explained.

That was good to hear. Not the weakened part, just that they had regained consciousness. I expected both of them to still be out of it for sometime, but it seemed they were a lot tougher than I gave them credit for.

To be honest, I didn't really have any questions regarding their reasons for being here, most of those had already been answered by the trio earlier. My interest in these two was simply in the fact that they may be Otherworlders like me. I had some questions I wanted to ask them, such as how long they had been here, and the circumstances of their arrival. I remember my mother mentioning something about heroes being summoned. Is that how they came into this world? It sounded like something straight out of a manga, but this was my new reality.

~~~

I soon arrived at the building where the two had been laid to rest. I opened the door and got inside. Shizue and Masayuki had been laid to rest on beds that were on opposing ends of the room, but given the room wasn't that big they were still close enough.

It turns out I wasn't the first visitor. Eren, Gido and Kaval were already in the room. Eren over at Shizue's side as she talked to the hero with teary eyes, probably happy to see her awake and somewhat okay after everything that had happened, Giddo and Kaval were with Masayuki, also expressing their relief and gratitude for what he had done for them.

All the chatting seemed to come to a stop when I walked in, as five pairs of eyes seemed to turn towards me at once.

"I'm glad to see that both of you are awake and doing better after everything you've been through." I say with an open smile. "My name is Rimuru Tempest, though you've yet to see it, I'm the leader of the monster village you're currently in." I introduced myself as I stepped forward.

"Shizue Aizawa." Shizue greeted with a gentle smile and the nod of her head. She still appeared too weak to move, still laying down on the bed, her complexion slightly paler than it should be. Which kind of worried me.

"Masayuki Honjou, though I'm sure you already knew that." Masayuki responded with his own weak smile, referring to the time he introduced himself during the encounter with Ifrit. Though he currently seemed to be better than Shizue, he was still far too weak to move, and thus was seated on the bed with his back against the wall at its head. "Thank you for helping us yesterday, there's no way we would have made it out without your help." He said as he bowed his head in gratitude.

"Yes, Eren, Gido, and Kaval have already filled us in on some of the things that happened. Thank you for stopping Ifrit, and ridding me of my curse." Shizue said as she attempted to sit up, but she struggled.

"H-hey you shouldn't move too much Shizue!!" Eren shouted in panic as she gently pushed the Hero back down onto the bed. Unable to fight back, Shizue relented and lied back down, before turning back to me. Her eyes relayed the gratitude and peace she felt in that moment.

"Eren is right, both of you should take the time to rest. We used full potions to heal you as best as we could, but you may still need to rest before you can regain your strength." I told them.

Oddly enough, my words seemed to make the two of them feel guilt and a strange sense of resignation. Though these feelings were hidden behind smiles and nods I was starting to realize were fake, the only reason I had even picked up on it was because of [Desire]. I immediately knew that there was something wrong, something they weren't saying, or perhaps something they didn't want said in front of the trio, it was the only logical conclusion that I could come to.

"Do you three mind if I talk with Shizue and Masayuki alone for a moment?" I asked, addressing Kaval's party. The three looked at each other shrugging before turning to the Heroes in question who merely nodded their heads.

"Sure, we'll come and check on you guys later." Kaval said, the last part addressed to the heroes, Gido nodded his head in agreement.

"Yeah, and try to get some rest! Don't move around too much!" Eren shouted as she followed after the boys who had already opened the door and were walking out.

Once the door was closed behind me I turned back towards the two bedridden Otherworlders, with so many questions on my mind, and so many things I wanted to ask. But I was more concerned about what I had sensed earlier, it had been unsettling to feel those kinds of emotions from people.

"Alright, they're gone." I said as I turned to them with a serious expression. "Now why don't you tell me what's really going on?" I didn't elaborate further, since I didn't even know what I was asking about, but the way both Shizue and Masayuki flinched and turned away from me letting me know that whatever it was, I wasn't going to like it.

The heavy guilt and self-blame I felt coming from Shizue wasn't exactly encouraging either.

"Frankly speaking, the events of yesterday were more straining on my body than I had thought." Shizue said as she turned back towards me, her navy blue eyes meeting my emerald ones. "To be honest, I can't be sure what the actual cause is. Be it Ifrit being extracted from me or the substance that was used to corrupt Ifrit damaging me. Either way…it seems as though I don't have much time left in this world." Shizue confessed with a sad smile.

"What?" I couldn't keep the shock out of my voice, nor did I hide it on my face. That revelation felt like a bucket of ice-cold water had been splashed on my back without warning. "Are you saying that you're dying? Both of you?" I asked, turning to Masaykui who nodded grimly in confirmation. I took a deep breath to calm myself, trying to wrap my head around it all.

It didn't make sense, these two had been fine when I last checked on them. I even had [Great Sage] run an appraisal on them just to be sure, and she sure as hell hadn't picked up on any of this!

...

"Is there anything I can do to help?" I asked, ignoring the silence from [Great Sage] and forcing myself to calm down. I had already used potions and my own healing magic on them, so I doubted there was much else I could do, but if there was, I had to at least try.

"I don't think there is. What's happening to me is a result of me rejecting Ifrit for so long and in turn refusing to become a Majin. My body is merely catching up to its true age." Shizue said as she shook her head. It was only when she said this that I noticed that some of her hair was starting to lose its color at the bottom, her already pale skin seemed to start wrinkling slightly.

"As for me, it seems my fight with Ifrit resulted in me taking a lot of spiritual damage. So despite my body being healed, I doubt I'll make it." Masayuki said as he clutched his chest in pain, he had been doing a good job hiding it when Kaval's party had been here, but it seemed to be getting worse now.

'Spiritual damage?'

Answer: Spiritual damage occurs when one's soul is directly attacked by attacks capable of bypassing the physical body altogether. Sustaining enough damage will result in immediate or eventual death.

'And Ifrit was able to do this, how?' I asked. The very fact that they were attacks that bypassed the physical body was terrifying in itself. It meant it didn't matter how many other resistances I had if my enemy was targeting my soul. 'Never mind that, is there really nothing we can do for him?'

Potions and your [Greater Heal] are not capable of healing damage to the soul nor do you currently have the means to do so. There is nothing that can be done.

I had a feeling that was the case, but hearing it from [Great Sage] really nailed it in.

"I'm sorry." To be honest I didn't even know why I was apologizing. I wasn't to blame, and I'd literally done everything I could for them. It's just that their circumstances were beyond what I was capable of handling right now.

"Please don't apologize. If anything I should be the one apologizing for all the trouble I caused." Shizue said.

"It wasn't your fault, given the reports and what the other three told me, it's likely that you were targeted." I told them, my mind flashing towards Gelmude as a new wave of anger began to build inside me.

"Yes, they told us about that. A majin from the demon lord's territory." Masayuki said with a frown.

"There hasn't been any sighting of him since Ifrit was unleashed. But I'm sure he'll be back." I said, my eyes glowing green with hidden anger and rage. The recent revelations had made my anger and hatred towards Gelmude that much stronger. "Like you, he was investigating the forest, though given his activities, I have reason to suspect that he, or his master, have motives within the forest that we are not yet aware of." I told them, it was why I was hoping the Dryads would be able to find some solid leads.

"I see…" Shizue said with a small frown. I could feel the guilt emanating from her. There was nothing I could really do about that though, other than try to take her mind of everything that had happened.

"This may sound strange coming from a monster such as myself, but when I heard they were two Heroes within the forest, I was actually interested in meeting and speaking with the two of you." I told them, earning slightly surprised looks from them, before Shizue's turned slightly cautious, though what could she do even if I was a threat? "Don't worry, it's probably not for any reason that you're thinking of. I was just interested in meeting others like me who weren't originally from this world."

"W-wait, are you saying that y-you're…" Masayuki tried to ask with wide eyes as he pointed at me. For someone on death's door, the look on his face was rather comical in that moment.

"Yeah, I'm from the same world as the two of you." I said with a smile and a nod. "To be honest, I heard that Heroes were summoned from other worlds sometimes, but I wasn't sure that you two were Otherworlders, not until I heard your names at least. Shizue Aizawa, Masayuki Honjou, those are without a doubt Japanese names." I say with a grin at their shocked expressions.

"But you're a monster, aren't you? How is that even possible?" Masayuki asked, still pretty shocked, but Shizue seemed to gather her bearings. I could literally see the gears turning in her head. It was kinda cute.

"Well I wasn't summoned like the two of you. To be honest, I'm not really sure what happened myself." I said with a shrug. "I was a special forces soldier and later a CIA agent in my old life. I remember getting shot in a shootout, and I'm pretty sure I died. Next thing I knew, I was busting myself out of a Dragon egg!" I declared without a care as I transformed into my dragon form, landing at the foot of Shizue's bed.

"You were reincarnated…" Shizue muttered as she looked at me both surprised by my current form and by the way in which I had been brought into this world. Masayuki seemed pretty shocked by that revelation as well.

"Wait, you died and were reincarnated as a Dragon?! That's so awesome!" Masayuki shouted as stars appeared in his eyes, acting like every bit the adolescent he was. Shizue and I gave him strange looks, but I was more understanding since being reborn as a Dragon did sound pretty cool. He had the decency to be embarrassed, though. "Well not the dying part obviously, that had to suck, but you're a Dragon now! How awesome is that?!" Shizue couldn't help but sigh, whilst I just laughed.

I had a feeling Masayuki and I would have gotten along just great had things turned out differently. He seemed like a man of manga and anime culture.

"I'm still getting used to this new life. I only got reincarnated a few months ago, four or five months give or take." I said with a shrug, it was hard to tell sometimes given how long it had taken me to make my way out the Sealed Cave. I noticed Shizue narrowed her eyes at me when I said that.

"Isn't that around the same time the Storm Dragon's presence vanished from Jura?" Shizue asked, it was thanks to years of training from my previous life that I didn't flinch or make any other movement that would have made me look guilty.

'She's sharp.' I couldn't help but compliment. Of course she had managed to connect the dots. Given my current form, of course she had, it was obvious to anyone with a brain cell. No point in hiding now, besides these two were going to die within hours, so it's not like they could use that info to hurt me. 'Okay, harsh, but so very true.'

"It is, the Storm Dragon Veredia is in fact my mother in this new life of mine." I confessed. I watched as Shizue's face went from shocked to worried to troubled. Masayuki as expected seemed wary but amazed by the revelation at the same time.

Honestly, they were taking the news better than I thought they would. I'd been ready for them to start doubting my every word or something, perhaps even claim everything I'd told them was a lie. But instead, they seemed pretty level headed right now.

"I'm not really sure why I was reborn into this body, but I was hatched from an egg within the depths of the sealed cave. I encountered my mother not too long after." I started explaining, catching the attention of the two Heroes. As much as I wanted to tell them everything, I knew I had to withhold some information, in case they decided to tell Eren and her party, whom I also wanted to have some last words with Shizue and Masayuki before they passed.

"So you're a spawn of the Storm Dragon, like Charybdis." Shizue stated. I wasn't surprised that she brought this up. First the Ogres, then King Gazel, and now her, I get the feeling this would be far from the last time people made that comparison.

"No, according to her, I was born of her flesh and blood, whatever that means for a spiritual lifeform." I said with a shrug. "I'm not a spawn of magicules, but her offspring, meaning someone fathered me but I still don't know who. Besides, unlike Charybdis, I have a brain and soul." I added, a bit of my annoyance slipping out. It was getting old having to explain this over and over again.

"I see…" Shizue said, looking even more troubled than before. "Are you aware of the kind of…reputation the Storm Dragon has?" she went on to ask. I couldn't help but scoff at that.

Yeah, my first encounter with my mother had told me a lot about what kind of rep she may have among the human populace. She literally boasted about destroying a town for fun before a Hero came and stopped her, which is how she wound up getting sealed in the first place. Naturally, people would grow weary of me as well if they learned of my heritage.

"Yeah, I met her before her presence vanished, shortly after my rebirth. She was the one who granted me my new name." I told her with a nod. It felt good to know that she was worried about me. "Given her reputation, I've decided it's best to wait on revealing myself to the world. I'm sure my mother had more than her fair share of enemies, and the last thing I need is humans putting a prize on my head." The way both Heroes sweat dropped and turned away from me was not reassuring.

"Hehehe, you may not be that far from the truth. The Storm Dragon is feared across many nations in the Western Provinces, if they heard she had an offspring, they would either attempt to kill you before you became a threat or capture and weaponized you for their own gains." Surprisingly it was Masayuki who spoke up this time, the frown on his face told me that despite being a young Hero, he had already seen a fraction of the worst this world had to offer.

That's the thing about being a Hero, oftentimes it's not just monsters and demons that they deal with, but even the bad people in the world as well. They get to see the worst in people that most people will never see in their lives.

"Yeah, that won't be happening. Either of those two." I had no intention of dying for a very long time to come, nor did I intend to become anyone's pawn. I had my own life to live, and while I hadn't exactly figured out what I was going to do with it, I did know that the path I walked would be one of my choosing. "Besides, they don't need to worry about me going on destructive rampages, if that's what they'd be concerned about. Just because I'm the son of the Storm Dragon in this new life doesn't mean I'm gonna turn out exactly like her or that I agreed with her past choices and behavior." I told them as I lifted my head high with pride.

"I would hope not." Shizue said with a giggle.

"My mother was sealed away 300 years ago by another Hero as a result of her actions, so if I had any intention of following in her footsteps, I wouldn't have bothered to save the two of you. And do you think that as a fellow Otherworlder who was once human, I would suddenly have a blatant disregard for all my former human values and morals?" I asked in a jesting manner. "I may have been a soldier in my old life, so killing humans isn't exactly new territory to me, but I'd never do so on a whim. Only if I had no other choice." I told them, my expression turning serious to convey my sincerity.

I wouldn't shy away from killing if I had to. Monster, human, or otherwise. Though the hands I had now were clean of blood for now, doesn't mean my soul was that clean. I'd killed in my old life, and I'd eventually kill here as well. As long as they were a threat to the things I held dear, I would show no quarter, no mercy.

"That's more than fair I suppose." Shizue said with a sigh, it wasn't what she wanted to hear, but seeing as I was a monster, she understood that I had to look out for me and my own followers.

"Do you guys mind if I ask how you were summoned into this world?" I asked, curious about how others came into this world from mine.

Shizue and Masayuki turned to each other for a moment before nodding their heads towards me. I reverted back to my humanoid form, grabbing a nearby chair and taking a seat as the two recounted how they had been summoned into this world.

Shizue, shockingly enough, had been summoned into this world by a Demon Lord. Something I found strange from the get-go, and made me have so many questions, but I held my tongue as she told her tale. The Demon Lord, named Leon Cromwell, summoned her into this world and had Ifrit forcefully enter into Shizue's body.

From then on, she spent a while in Leon's service, she made a friend once but things didn't end well there due to Ifrit taking over and killing her. It wasn't until years later that she encountered a legendary Hero that she was freed from the shackles that bound her. She spent some time under the tutelage of that Hero, until one day she left her. The only thing Shizue had to remember her mentor by was the mask she carried around.

After that, she went on to become a Hero in name. Doing good deeds all over the western provinces, be it fighting monsters, demons, or even defending people from other bad people. This earned her the moniker 'Conqueror of Flames'. I was surprised to hear that she had been doing this for a good seventy years, she still looked so young. Then again, it did explain why her body seemed to be aging fast right now, with her hair even starting to turn white.

It wasn't until much later that she gave up that life, mainly because it was getting harder to control Ifrit due to her age. While she appeared like a young adult on the outside, unfortunately the same could not be said for the inside. Fighting Ifrit for control had started to take its toll on her body. And so she retired, and settled for teaching. The fact that this world also had schools piqued my interest. I was curious about the kind of stuff schools in magical fantasy worlds learned about. Was it anything like you would see in High school manga or anime?

Anyways, Shizue mainly focused on teaching Otherworlders like herself, mainly children and teenagers who had been summoned or transported into this world that she managed to find. According to her, two of her students were already adults and were doing big for themselves, while five of them were still young. I could only assume those were the kids I'd seen her hugging through the dark elf's crystal ball back at the Butterflies of the Night, they seemed to care for her a lot. They would probably be heartbroken to hear that she died.

"Sounds like you lived a fruitful life, sure it was full of hardships, but you made the most of it." I said with a respectful nod. She'd found her place in the world and found people she cherished.

"Yes, it was quite the adventure, and in my travels I saw and experienced many things. I wouldn't trade that for anything." Shizue said with a smile as she laid on the bed looking up at the rooftop with a small smile.

I turned towards Masayuki with a smile, "What about you Masayuki? What's your story?" The blonde Hero smiled sheepishly.

"Well, I should probably warn you that my story isn't as dramatic as Shizue's." He said with a nervous laugh.

"That's fine. I just wanted to hear your story." I said, the blonde Hero nodding and sighing in resignation before he started talking.

Turns out not all Otherworlders were summoned to this world, as was the case with Masayuki who was suddenly transported from our old world to this one whilst hanging out with some friends in the city. He appeared in the middle of one of the human towns. At first, he struggled due to not understanding the local language, something I hadn't even considered myself, but was able to get by thanks to his Unique Skill awakening and allowing him to understand. Thanks to said skill and some amusing events, he unintentionally went on to become a Hero, he had gathered two party members at this point through his skill, which he had left in Blumund, and was slowly beginning to have his name spread as a Hero despite having been in this world for a little over a year.

It was really impressive that he had managed to do so much in such a short amount of time, and was already making a name for himself. But it also made me concerned about what would happen when news of Masayuki and Shizue's passing went around. One was a retired Hero and the other was an upcoming Hero, the news was bound to spread like a wildfire, that meant more eyes would now be on the forest. I'd count myself as extremely lucky if all they did was keep an eye on us. But I wouldn't put it past a few people to come investigate or even come for revenge.

"You certainly accomplished a lot in such a short amount of time. I can see why you were able to earn the title of Hero." I praised with a thumbs up, prompting the blonde Hero to blush slightly from embarrassment.

"I wish I could say it was all thanks to effort. But some of it was just…circumstantial." Masayuki said with a sheepish laugh.

"It may have boiled down to luck due to your skill, but at the end of the day, that power is yours. You should own those accomplishments." I encouraged, Shizue slowly nodding her head in agreement with my words.

"He's right, you could have done so much good with your power. And with time, you would have gotten stronger and gained more experience." Shizue said weakly with a sad smile, it seemed she was starting to lose more and more of her strength. She didn't have much time left, "But because of me yo-"

"Don't finish that sentence." Masayuki quickly interrupted her. With him, it was harder to tell since there were no visible signs on the outside, but I could almost sense his life-force fading away in a way. "What happened wasn't your fault. While it's true you were slowly losing control over Ifrit as you grew in age, and that something like this was bound to happen sooner or later, yesterday's events in particular had nothing to do with you losing control. You were attacked, and Ifrit was corrupted and empowered to a level beyond your control. I made the choice to fight, to protect Eren, Kaval, and Giddo, but also to try and save you. I don't regret that choice, even now, knowing I'm about to die. So please don't blame yourself."

'Brave words coming from one so young.' I couldn't help but think. He truly did have the heart and mind of a Hero. It was admirable in a way, and foolish in another. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to fault him. I may have done the same in his shoes as well. It was a shame that one with such potential was going to die so soon, but as long as he was content with what he had done, no one else had the right to judge his actions.

"...alright." Shizue said with a sigh, I could still feel the guilt she was carrying, but she knew there was no point in arguing with Masayuki.

The three of us settled into a moment of tense and awkward silence. The atmosphere is heavy with their looming deaths fast approaching. Shizue's body became wrinkly and her hair white, whilst Masayuki seemed as though he was getting tired and sleepy, a sleep from which he would never wake. Knowing they had an hour at most, I stood from my seat.

"You two don't have long, I'll go get Eren and the others so they can say their goodbyes." I said as I made my way toward the door. I turned back in time to see them nod with sad smiles on their faces, I returned it with a nod of my own before stepping outside.

Closing the door behind me, I couldn't help but take in a deep breath of air and let out an exasperated sigh. 'This situation sucks. They both deserve better than this.' I couldn't help but think, as I leaned my back and head against the door, eyes closed. One had been dealt a shitty hand being summoned by a Demon Lord and forced into servitude and the other was a teen Hero that was getting into the height of his power.

"Rimuru?" I opened my eyes to see the people I was just about to look for, Eren having been the one to call my name. She seemed to be carrying a small bouquet of flowers, probably meant as a 'get well soon' gift for Shizue and Masayuki.

"The three of you should head inside, they want to talk to you." I told them. I wasn't sure what Shizue and Masayuki would be willing to divulge, so I left that up to them. I moved away from the door and walked past them.

"Uh…sure." I heard Eren say hesitantly. I heard the door open as they walked in and continued walking away.

I would give them time to talk and everything before coming back for their final moments. I could definitely use the air myself.

~~~

It wasn't until thirty minutes later that I returned. Hoping I'd given them enough time to talk, for Eren and her party to process and perhaps even grieve if need be. I knocked on the door, a few seconds later Kaval opened it, and I could tell just from the look in his eyes that they had gotten the news of Shizue and Masayuki's terminal condition. He wordlessly stepped aside and allowed me entry, and I entered the room without saying anything myself.

Scanning the room I could feel the heavy atmosphere. Eren was seated close to the aging Shizue, who now looked like a woman well over fifty years with most of her hair having faded color and become gray. The young girl was holding one of the Hero's wrinkled hands with both of her own, Shizue's other hand holding onto the mask she had been given by her mentor, her eyes red from crying and visible tear stains on her cheeks. On the other bed in the room was Masayuki, with Giddo seated on a chair right next to him. The blonde Hero's physical condition hadn't changed by much, save for the fact that he seemed very tired now. His life energy was almost nonexistent at this point, honestly I was surprised he was still conscious. That just went to show how strong-willed he was, how strong both of them were really.

"Is there really nothing you can do for them?" Kaval asked soberly as he stepped up beside me.

"No, there isn't." I responded as I shook my head sideways. "Both our full potions and my healing magic only work on physical injuries." I told them, Eren's face becoming a bit more anguished while Giddo tightened his fist in anger and frustration.

"R-Rimuru…" Shizue's weakened and now raspy voice called out to me, I walked towards her bed and placed a hand atop the one she was using to hold her mask to her chest.

"I'm here…" I said softly. Seeing her like this…surprisingly…hurt. It felt as though I had been robbed of something important and special in my life. She was supposed to be one of my destined ones, one of my partners, and while I was aware none of what the dark elf had shown me that night in Dwargon was set in stone, but knowing that I was going to miss out on something with someone like Shizue…

"Could you do me a favor…a last request?" She asked.

"Name it."

"Could you…devour me, like you did with my curse?" She asked, shocking not just me but Eren beside me and Kaval and Giddo as well.

"Sh-Shizue, what are you saying?!" Eren asked as tears gathered in the corner of her eyes once more, her grip on the hand she was holding increasing.

"Right now, I feel like it's finally my time to rest. I don't love this world, but I don't hate it either. Kind of like the man who summoned me here." Shizue turned to look towards me, despite her aged and frail form, her navy blue eyes seemed as captivating as ever in that moment. "That's why…I don't want to be absorbed by this world. Knowing what I do about you, I'm reassured of my decision. So would you please, let me rest in the one place I'll feel safe."

Despite the absurdity of that request, I couldn't really deny her when she asked like that. Looking at Eren beside me, the young girl was crying once more. Turning back to Shizue, whose eyes were looking at me hopefully, I knew at that moment I wasn't really going to deny her last wish.

"...If you are truly sure, then very well." The happy and relieved teary smile she gave me in that moment tore at my heartstrings. "Is there anything else you may want?"

"If…if you can, can you visit the Kingdom of Engrassia and save my young Otherworlder students? All of them are experiencing issues due to the actions of the countries that summoned them, and I regret not being able to help them." Shizue says before a guilty look appears on her face. "And…if you cross paths with my former student, Hinata Sakaguchi, tell her I'm sorry I couldn't help her more or be the person she could lean and depend on, but that I am proud of the amazing woman she has become."

"I'll do my best, assuming she doesn't try to kill me for being a monster now." I promised with a sad smile.

"Thank you…" She muttered as she laid back on the bed facing upwards, eyes closed with a content smile on her face as her breathing slowed down little by little…

…until eventually it stopped. With one last exhale her chest stopped moving, and Shizue Aizawa, the Conqueror of Flames, died.

I closed my eyes in a silent respectful prayer before stepping away from Shizue's corpse, giving Eren the space she needed to fully cry her heart out, Kaval coming up next to her and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Though I didn't miss the anguish in his own eyes.

I turned towards Masayuki, who looked like a patient on heavy drugs just struggling to stay awake at this point.

"Guess that means it's my turn now?" He said jokingly in an attempt to lighten the mood, if only slightly. I scoffed, but other than that, my expression remained somber, there was nothing amusing about this situation.

"Do you have any last requests?" I asked, depending on what it was I would do my best to fulfill it as long as it was within reason.

"Other than asking for the same thing as Shizue, only one other thing comes to mind." Masayuki said, I felt the need to ask why he also wanted to be devoured, but decided against questioning a teenage boy on death's door. "I never really told anyone this, but since coming to this world, I've been having an occasional recurring dream."

"Oh? What about?"

"The situations differ, but the person I see within it is always the same. It's always this beautiful woman with blue hair and bright golden eyes." Masayuki says, a whimsical smile plastered on his tired face. "I don't know why, but these dreams always felt so real, so life-like. As if they were memories."

"You think this woman actually exists?" I asked, but it was more rhetorical, the answer was already clear.

"I do, or at least I hope so, those dreams were too real for me. I just figured that if I traveled enough as a Hero, I would eventually meet her one day." Masayuki said with a regretful smile, for something like this to bother him was strange. But it was his regret, and his inner wish.

Using [Thought Reading, I was able to look into his mind and get a clear image of the woman he was talking about. She had azure blue hair kept in twin buns with black ribbons and deep gold eyes. Her attire consists of a dark colored qipao dress with a golden dragon pattern, as well as white long gloves and white thigh length boots both adorned with gold ornaments. Even I had to admit that she was extremely attractive.

"I can't make any promises on whether I'll encounter her or not. But in the event that I do, is there a message I should pass on?" I couldn't go out of my way to look for her or anything, given my responsibilities to the forest and its inhabitants, but something told me I would be seeing that woman one day.

"To be honest, I'm not sure. I've never even met her. But for some reason, I feel the right words to say are, 'I'm sorry, and I wish that things could have turned out better. My only wish is that you move forward, and live out your life happily'. Or at least something along those lines." Masayuki said with a weak sheepish laugh.

Those didn't sound like words you would say to someone you didn't know. Heck those sounded like words you would say to an ex-lover or something of the sort, just what was going on here? Either Masayuki was lying about not knowing her, or there was some sort of strange connection between the two of them that was causing these 'dreams' Masayuki had been experiencing. Deciding not to think too much about it, I decided not to think about it too much and just honor my promise.

"You have my word, if I meet her, I'll make sure she hears your last words." I swore to him. Earning a weak grin from the blonde Hero.

"Thanks." Masayuki said, his eyes clearly starting to grow heavy. "I'm feeling really tired now." I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Then you should rest…" I said with a sad smile, it would be a slumber from which he would never wake. The blonde barely nodded his head, his eyes closing as he finally gave into the fatigue.

Despite the fact that Masayuki's body was still breathing, his chest moving up and down a clear sign of that, I knew he wasn't alive anymore. His soul was broken from the spiritual damage and all that remained was a living corpse.

"Is he…sleeping?" Giddo asked, naturally he didn't understand. Perhaps Masayuki and Shizue hadn't properly explained it to them.

"No, he's gone. While it may appear like he's sleeping, his soul has been shattered beyond repair. All that remains here is an empty husk." I responded solemnly. I knew it would be hard for them to actually accept the reality of what had happened, especially for Eren who seemed to be the youngest of the group. "You guys may want to leave now…"

"...are you going to…" Eren tried to ask, though she found the words too hard to say. Still, I understood what she meant, and nodded my head solemnly in response.

"Yeah…it was their last wish. So I'll see it through, regardless of how sick in the stomach it makes me feel." I said through grit teeth.

As someone who was once a soldier, I understood the value of having a body to bury, especially for friends and family. Which is why I found it hard to accept this request when Shizue suggested it. They had to have people who cared for them even in this world, and not having a body to bury would be like denying them the closure that came with losing Shizue and Masayuki, and I would be the one who would have denied them that.

But I understood where Shizue was coming from when she made that request. She didn't want to die as part of this world that had caused her much suffering, she neither loved nor hated it, and as a result didn't want her body becoming a part of it. As an Otherworlder, she felt she would be more at peace within me than as a part of this world. It was both an honor and a sad thing to hear. I wasn't sure of Masayuki's reason, but I'm sure he had his own. Either way, I would grant their wishes, even if it went against what I personally believed in.

"Then I'm staying." I turned towards Eren in slight shock, her eyes solid with resolve despite the pain that was buried underneath it.

"Are you sure?" I asked, turning to Giddo and Kaval to see their thoughts. The two moved to stand behind Eren, supportively placing a hand on each of her shoulders before turning to me with a resolved nod of their own.

"It's the least we can do, seeing them off all the way." Kaval spoke up, Eren was sobbing way too much at this point to form any coherent words, but she nodded in agreement with the squad leader.

I nodded my head in respect and understanding of what they were trying to do, and wordlessly turned back towards the two deceased Heroes that were lying on their respective beds.

'I wish I had gotten to know the two of you, especially you, Shizue. But I'm glad I got the chance to meet you at all.' Perhaps it had been fate that allowed me to meet them in their last moments. 'Your wills are gonna live on through me, so may both of you find peace and rest for an eternity within me.'

Notice: Would you like to use the Unique Skill [Apex Predator] on the individuals Masayuki and Shizue?

Y/N

'Yes.' My hands stretched out towards the two heroes, a vortex of black magicules coming out and engulfing the two Heroes before returning into me.

And just like that the two heroes were truly gone, without a trace of them left behind but the cries of the trio of adventurers. That was the end of the tales of the Conqueror of Flames and the Lightspeed Hero.

Assimilation complete, analyzing acq-

'Not now [Great Sage]. Later.'

~~~

Hours later, the four of us stood on a hill that allowed one to see the entire goblin village and the vast forest beyond. Close to the very peak of that were two graves that I'd spent the rest of the day building, dedicated to Shizue Aizawa and Masayuki Honjou.

I'd decided on this spot, hoping that the two of them would somehow watch over this place, even from within me. As the one who carried their wills, I could only hope that my actions would do them proud.

Currently, Kaval's party were kneeling before the graves, laying down flowers and giving their own thanks and prayers. After a few moments, they then turned towards me with sad yet content smiles on their faces.

"Thank you for doing this for them, Rimuru." Kaval said with a grateful bow, the other two doing the same. If they knew about me being an Otherworlder they wouldn't be surprised by me doing this much, though.

"Don't thank me, they were honorable individuals, I only wish I could have gotten to know them even more than I currently do." I responded with a genuine smile. "The only thing you can do now is live on, and keep their memories in your hearts. As long as they are remembered, then they will live on."

"Yeah, I'll do my best for Shizue and Masayuki! I want to get stronger and make both of them proud!" Eren declared as she wiped tears from her eyes and gave a strong and resolute expression.

For most people, their strength and courage was only made apparent after a moment of despair and grief. I wasn't sure if the same held true for the trio of adventurers in front of me. They were clumsy, loud, and very danger prone, but at heart they were good people. They made Shizue's last journey worth remembering despite all the hardship she had faced, and so I felt that the very least I could do was show support in some manner and form.

"You're right, you need to do them both proud, and so do I." I said as I turned toward the graves with, before turning back towards the trio with a teasing smile, "To that end, maybe we should do something about that junk that you three call 'gear'."

"Hey!!!" The three of them shouted in offense as they glared at me. I couldn't help the laughter that came out at their expressions.

The following morning came by sooner than I'd expected. I stood by the village gates along with Kaijin, Rigurd, Ranga, and a few other Goblins, bidding our guests farewell.

"Thank you for everything, Rimuru, what you did for us, as well as Shizue and Masayuki." Eren said with a beautiful smile on her face. It was certainly a breath of fresh air to see her like this rather than what she had been like the previous day. While that loss would no doubt leave its scars, I was confident that these three would be able to overcome that pain and come out stronger.

"Yeah, not to mention this gear that you gave us!" Kaval said as he inspected the new armor Kaijin had made for him and the rest of his team as well.

"Honestly this may have been a bit much, I don't think I could afford something like this even if I saved up for a year!" Giddo said as he pulled on the Direwolf fur that outlined his armor.

After coming back from the graves for Shizue and Masayuki, I'd taken these three to Kaijin's workshop in the hopes that he could get something decent made for them. Nothing too extravagant or powerful, as that would draw unwanted attention on them and us, but something better than what they had. And so Kaijin, the other dwarves, and the Ogres had put some armor and clothing together from various material, including steel-thread imbued with resistances. They even made two swords and a staff each made with 20% magisteel that would not only increase the conductivity of their weapons, but allow said weapons to slowly grow alongside them.

"Just think of them as gifts, you all said you were going to do your best to make Shizue and Masayuki proud, this is just my contribution to that." I said with a nod, these three really were good people. I hoped I'd meet them again one day under better circumstances.

"Well, thank you either way. We'll do our best to represent them well." Kaval said with a nod.

"Yeah, and you can count on us to tell the guild master about how you rescued and took care of us. I'm sure he'll understand about Shizue and Masayuki too, if we explain what happened." Eren said as she nodded her head in determination.

"I'm counting on you, then." I responded with a smile, though this one was more forced. While I was hopeful, I knew I couldn't rely on their words alone.

They may try to paint a good picture of us, but word of two Heroes dying would undoubtedly spread, and the Kingdom of Blumund would no doubt want somebody to blame. Why would they protect a town of monsters at their own risk? It would be naive of me to assume we were safe.

With that, the three adventurers set off, beginning their long trek back to their nation. I watched them go until they were out of sight before letting out a sigh.

"Master?" Ranga called out, sounding slightly concerned. I noticed that Rigur and Kaijin were looking at me similarly.

"Rigur, Ranga, I want you both to intensify the training of the Wolves and Goblins. Kaijin, have a reservoir of fully sharpened weapons ready from this point on." I said as I turned to face them, my expression deadly serious. "Two well-known Heroes died within the borders of our forest, we need to remain cautious for the foreseeable future, lest we perish."

"Yes sir!!!"


Authors Note:

And that's a wrap for this chapter. Tensions seem to be rising within the forest, both on the human and majin side of things. With potential enemies seemingly appearing on all sides one can only wonder how the future will be affected, and how Rimuru will handle it all. Needless to say, Gelmude is fucked as hell no matter how you look at it.

…his death will be swift and painless, NOT!

Now as most of you have clearly noticed Shizue wasn't the only one who died this time around. I saw a few comments after the last chapter asking to spare Shizue this time around, and some even suggesting I have Rimuru just [copy] her unique skill. Sorry but she needed to die for the sake of future plot development, especially Hinata.

Now as for Masayuki, I'm expecting good and bad reviews for what I did here. But aside from Rimuru getting [Chosen One] , which he will have better control of thanks to [Great Sage] , there is another reason for his death. Can't say more than that for now, but it will be worth it, promise.

Lastly, I apologize for my late update. It's been nearly a month, but I had some stuff going on and the chapter was just a bit longer than I thought it would be. I just hope it was worth the wait. I'll try to be more punctual with my three weeks from now on.