Chapter 109 - Observers

"What do you mean you have three days to prepare?!" The supposed leader of the trio, Cabal, shouted as loudly as he could, his face contorted in frustration, his fists clenched at his sides.

"Are you trying to kill us here?!" added a blonde-haired girl, Ellen, her voice sharp and trembling with anger. She threw her hands up in exasperation, her expression a mix of disbelief and fury.

Gido, the third member with droopy shoulders, turned to the two who were shouting at the sky outside the guild master's building. "I wish you could've said that to him directly." 

"That damn old bastard."

"I hope his stress causes him to go bald!"

The two continued shouting as the people around them began avoiding them and averting their gazes. Gido, seeing this, sighed to himself and wished he could just leave them alone.

"Excuse me." Suddenly, a voice, neither distinctly male nor female, could be heard. As the trio turned to look, they saw a black-haired woman wearing a white cloak with a sword at her waist. Her face was obscured by a mask, which had unique, intricate details. "I've spoken with Fuze-kun, and I'm coming with you to the forest."

"Pfft—Fu—Fuze-kun?" Ellen and Cabal laughed, hearing Fuze, the guildmaster, being called in such a casual manner.

"Is something the matter?" The woman tilted her head slightly. While her expression couldn't be seen due to the mask, her confusion was evident in her tone and body language.

"Ah, no, it's nothing." Ellen waved her hand dismissively. "Can we ask what your name is?"

The woman nodded in response. "Shizue Izawa. I believe my moniker is Conqueror of Flames?"

"Eh... EHHH?!" Ellen and Cabal exclaimed, their surprise evident in their wide eyes and dropped jaws.

The five of them packed their things after three days and marched toward the forest. They set off from Blumung Kingdom, where they had been, and began their journey to the dangerous forest—known to many as the place where no one who entered ever returned.

"Are we sure about this?" Ellen asked for the nth time as they continued to walk through the forest.

She was in the very middle of the formation, alongside Fuze, as the two were primarily magic users. Gido, who was also with them, was more of a thief, armed with his daggers. Shizu and Cabal, both with swords, were positioned at the front and rear of the formation to ensure no attacks came from either direction.

"It's fine. Worst comes to worst, we run." Cabal joked as he turned to her, giving a reassuring grin.

"Look forward, idiot. We never know what could be out here," Fuze admonished, smacking Cabal on the head with his staff. His eyes, however, were scanning the surroundings with focused intensity.

"Fuze-kun," Shizu called, her voice calm but firm as she readied her sword. "Something's coming. Prepare yourselves."

At her words, the group steeled themselves, their eyes locking on the direction Shizu was pointing.

In an instant, Shizu disappeared from the gazes of her companions. It was as if a blur had passed where she had been, and suddenly, she was clashing swords with a white-haired old man, his forehead marked by two horns.

A fair Oni tasked with guarding the borders near the Kingdom of Blumund, he was responsible for regular observation of the borders, warning those who came too close, and eliminating those who dared to trespass in his lord's territory.

"Oh?" The old man's voice was tinged with intrigue as he eyed Shizu. "A majin holding an Elemental Lord within her... What's more, it's from our ancestry."

"Shizu-san!" Ellen shouted, firing icicle lances toward the monster.

But the lances never reached him, even though he remained in his stance. The branches of the trees and the very ground itself blocked the attack. "Sir Hakurou, please be mindful of your surroundings."

The voice came from a dryad who had appeared out of thin air, her form connected to the leaves and vines that coiled around her.

"Hohoho, I guess having been given a name has made me complacent." The old man stroked his beard, even though everyone knew he could have easily dodged such a flimsy and slow attack. "Now then, Miss, let's continue our bout."

With that, Hakurou raised his sword and vanished, clashing once more with Shizu.

The sounds of swords clashing, accompanied by occasional sparks flying, were the only indication of the fast-paced battle for those who had not reached the level of skill to fully comprehend such a clash.

"Tighten your guard, Cabal! Get to the front!" Fuze shouted, his eyes scanning the Dryad preparing to attack them. "Don't get too close to the trees, that's a Dryad!"

"A Dryad!?" Cabal shouted, his face sweating as he raised both his sword and shield. His eyes never left her, observing every movement, no matter how small. "To think I'd get to see a Dryad in my life..."

"Hey, this is serious! Fuze-san, how do we get out of this?" Ellen asked, preparing her magic in sync with him.

Fuze gritted his teeth, watching the battle between Shizu and the Oni. It wasn't going to end anytime soon. Even as Shizu began mixing in the flames of the spirit within her, her opponent seemed to know how to move and fight against those stronger than him.

Even Fuze and Shizu had to admit that, even if Hakurou weren't an Oni, he would still be a serious challenge. His honed swordsmanship and the experience he had surely gathered throughout his long life made him a formidable opponent.

"Everyone, get back!" Shizu shouted, her form beginning to change. Flames erupted around her clothes, and her face revealed the intricate details of the spirit residing within her. Her hair lengthened and shifted into a deep crimson red.

Her aura exploded, creating a crater where she stood. Hakurou, sensing the imminent danger of her attack, quickly retreated to a safe distance. A pillar of flame shot up from the spot where he had just been standing.

"Ho..." Hakurou stroked his beard thoughtfully before opening his third eye, focusing all of his battle will into the fight, his celestial eye glowing brightly. "This might take longer than usual. Why don't you retreat for now, Trya?"

Trya, the dryad, observed the battle between the two. "Don't worry, old man," she said confidently. "I've already contacted reinforcements from the one in charge at the Falmuth borders."

She began exerting more pressure on the four of them, trying to finish her side of the battle quickly so she could support the Fair Oni. She clicked her tongue in frustration as she noticed how competent the older man in the group seemed to be. He was more than capable of putting up a fight.

"As expected from a guild master," Cabal cheered, blocking a barrage of aerial blades with his shield. Ellen fired at the vines targeting Cabal's legs, while Gido protected her, his stance defensive and vigilant.

Fuze, meanwhile, was preparing complex spells, focusing his magical energy to better counter the dryads' more dangerous attacks.

Shizu's anxiety grew. He's buying time for reinforcements.

So it would seem. What shall we do? A voice echoed inside her mind—one she had become familiar with ever since she and the voice's owner had settled their differences and begun cooperating.

Two minds in one body. This union had allowed the voice inside her to evolve, making her stronger than she had been when the hero had left her.

Can't we incapacitate him? Or at least explain our purpose here? Shizu contemplated, using thought acceleration. After all, she wasn't here to gather information, nor did she have any desire to invade the forest.

Looks like there's no need for that.

Shizu's expression shifted to one of confusion. "What?"

"Hey, Shizu," came a voice from behind her. "That was some good unification with Ifrit, or should I call him by some other name?"

Rimuru suddenly appeared between the two combatants. It was as if he had been standing there all along, unnoticed by anyone.

His sudden presence caused everyone to halt in their tracks. Hakurou and Trya immediately moved to his side and kneeled down. "Apologies, Rimuru-sama. These five are..."

"No, no, it's fine," Rimuru gestured dismissively to the two. "I know Shizu. You can return to your positions."

Hakurou and Trya both stood and nodded, disappearing at his command. The Fair Oni vanished like a blur, and Trya, using her dryad abilities, gracefully glided away with the wind.

As they left, Rimuru turned to Shizu, who was still in a daze. Her sword was still in hand, her unification form intact.

"Uhm, I did hear that right, didn't I?" Ellen whispered shakily to the others. "Did they just call him... Rimuru?"

Shizu, finally snapping out of her trance, quickly dispelled her unification and sheathed her sword. "Rimuru-sama?" she asked, her voice a mix of surprise and respect. Rimuru nodded, and she immediately bowed her head deeply.

"Apologies for the intrusion into your territory. We don't mean any harm," she quickly explained, stepping toward the others, who were still frozen in place.

Fuze was having a minor heart attack. He couldn't even bring himself to look directly at Rimuru. The others weren't much better; their gazes flickered nervously between Shizu and his feet, unable to meet his eyes.

"Hmm..." Rimuru observed the adventurers and the guild master closely. "Let's have them explain themselves, then."

At his words, the adventurers' breaths quickened, and they stiffened as they heard his footsteps draw nearer.

"Aren't you... Elyun?" Rimuru stopped in his tracks, his gaze shifting to Ellen's face. Realizing his words, she quickly raised her eyes, her earlier fear momentarily forgotten.

"You don't know me, but I know your uncle and your cousin, Elmesia."

"...El-chan?" Ellen's voice was barely above a whisper. "Uhm... do you mean the Empress of Sarion?"

Rimuru nodded, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, she's a niece of mine too, one way or another."

"...?!" Fuze's expression soured even more as this revelation—one he would rather not know—suddenly reached his ears. He instinctively covered his ears, hoping to remain ignorant of their conversation.

"I-is that so..." Ellen uttered, still bewildered and scared, even though Rimuru was being laxer and more unguarded.

"Yeah, so I won't harm you. Now, can you tell me why you're here?" Rimuru asked.

Ellen looked at Fuze, whose eyes and ears were tightly shut. She shook his shoulder, forcing him to open his eyes. He glared at her in response.

"Uhm," she began, turning back to Rimuru. "Rimuru.... sama wants to know why we're here." Ellen explained, careful not to disrespect him. Though Rimuru didn't seem to care much about what she called him, she kept it formal out of habit and caution.

Fuze took a deep breath and bowed to Rimuru. "P-pleasure to meet you, Lord Rimuru. I am the Guildmaster of the Kingdom of Blumund. I, and the nation, mean no harm and merely wish to understand the unusual movement of the monsters that previously lived along the borders of the forest."

"Monsters on the borders...?" Rimuru tilted his head, brows furrowed in confusion. "Ah, you mean the goblin villages near the west, right?"

Fuze nodded quickly. "Yes, that's right. The human nations are concerned that something may be happening in the forest that could... potentially harm us in the future." He averted his gaze, carefully choosing his next words.

"Hm..." Rimuru's eyes narrowed as he stared down at Fuze, then glanced briefly at the trio with Shizu.

"Uhm, Rimuru-sama," Shizu spoke up, her voice steady yet soft. "They aren't dangerous. I can vouch for them and their intentions." She gave Rimuru a reassuring smile. "They simply want to know if their land will be in danger."

Rimuru raised an eyebrow, turning his attention to Shizu. "And you, Shizu? Why did you come into the forest with them?"

Shizu hesitated, scratching the back of her head, a small sweat drop forming on her forehead as her voice wavered slightly. "I was curious about what you were doing here and wanted to say hello." She paused for a moment before adding quietly, "And also... if you could help me with something." Her tone dropped to a whisper.

Rimuru, clearly hearing every word despite her lowered voice. "Did something happen?" he asked, his expression slightly more serious. "As long as it's not too much of a hassle or time-consuming, I should be able to help."

Shizu smiled, stepping closer to him. "Then, uhm, do you know where I can find the Queen of Spirits?"

Rimuru blinked, surprised. "Why do you need to know about the Queen of Spirits? You already have an Elemental Lord."

Shizu turned to her companions briefly before looking back at Rimuru. Using thought communication, she began to explain, leaving her companions confused as they observed her and Rimuru in silence.

(I've become a teacher in Ingrassia. My students are otherworlder children who were brought here illegally. Their bodies are unstable, much like mine was in the past. From what Hono-san told me, I stabilized when he inhabited me.)

(I see,) Rimuru responded, his understanding growing. (You want to ask the Spirit Queen to give spirits to inhabit the children to save their lives?)

Shizu nodded, her eyes filled with worry. (I've been researching ways to stabilize their powers, but after further investigation, turning the children into Majins seems to be the only foolproof method. They only have a year left to live...)

Rimuru thought deeply for a moment, his gaze distant. "Then... you can all come to my city," he said, his voice calm.

Everyone's faces were filled with shock at his words. "Ci-city? There's a city in this forest?" Fuze muttered under his breath, his voice tinged with disbelief as he placed a hand on his forehead, already stressed about what he'd gotten himself into.

"You're a guildmaster, right, Fuze?" Rimuru's eyes fixed on him, a playful glint in his gaze. Fuze, still holding his head, looked like he might crumble under the pressure. "I can have you spread the word about what's inside this forest, so you won't bother me anymore. Several other groups have tried what you did today, and no one is allowed to enter without my permission."

Ellen gulped nervously; her eyes wide. "Is that... fine? You're not keeping anything a secret?"

Rimuru shrugged nonchalantly. "Not really. I just don't like trespassers. Make sure you tell everyone that no more trespassing is allowed. Actually, I'll give you a crystal with my message, so you can spread it easily."

The group began walking behind Rimuru. As they walked, he glanced at Shizu. "How has life been for you, Shizu? I heard the 'Mask Hero' disappeared."

Shizu nodded solemnly. "Yes... I've been fine, even after she left. But I don't know where she is. Do you, by any chance, know where she went?" She looked at him earnestly, hoping for any clue.

Rimuru's expression softened, but unfortunately for her, "I don't know for sure," he said. It was difficult to read Rimuru's face.

"So the name of your ifrit is Hono?" Rimuru inquired recalling her explanation earlier.

Shizu nodded, "Yes, I named ifrit Hon-"

Just then, a loud explosion echoed from nearby. Dust clouds billowed into the air, and trees crashed down like they had been uprooted by a massive force.

"Get back here!" A woman's voice shouted angrily from the chaos.

"Ahh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please, don't hurt me!" A male voice cried out, the panic in his voice growing louder as it got closer to Rimuru's group.

Rimuru sighed deeply, watching the destruction unfolding before him. "What did he do this time?" He muttered, clearly not amused.

"This is exactly why I said it was a bad idea!" Veldora's voice rang out as he dashed through the group like a blur, barely visible. Only Rimuru and Shizu caught a glimpse of a blonde-haired man frantically running, with a pixie clinging desperately to his shoulder.

"Don't blame me, Mentor!" The pixie cried out, her voice squeaky and panicked. "You thought of the idea, it wasn't my fault!"

"Get back here, you two!" Velgrynd's voice boomed from behind them, the sound of her footsteps like thunder.

"I'm sorry!" both the pixie and the man shouted in unison.