Lush green vegetation littered the world around me as I vigilantly trailed a set of footprints marked on the soft brown soil. These footprints were small, befitting of a child and from the wholeness of their features, it states that they were recently made. These footprints were Ray's traces.
"Just where did that stupid idiot disappear to now?" I asked myself that question. Pillow was stationed atop my head like a hat again. Too bad he can't change shape and mimic the shape of a real hat. Say, wouldn't it be nice if I wore a cowboy hat made out of blue slime?
Yes, that's right, Pillow's a boy now. I'm referring to him as a boy to make it a bit easier. Though I don't really know if pillow's a he or a she. Boy, it is! Until I find a way how to ascertain slime sexes.
Wait... Aren't slimes genderless?
Clang! Clang! Clang! The sounds of clashing metal whispered to my ears. It was faint, indicating that the sounds came from a fair distance away from my spot but it was also within range to be able to be picked up by my ears. I'm always alert for the most little details and it's great that I heard this piece of news.
Damned Ray... What trouble had you cooked up for me now?
It was always like this. Even when I haven't awoken my full memories yet and realized my fate as a side character who would die soon. If Ray was badly hurt it was always me healing him for free. And when he really wanted to buy something I loaned him some of my money. Not only am was I a healer in this life. I was also a walking bank. The loans Ray had taken surmounted to a silver coin over the months.
Rushing over the greenery wasn't as cool as I thought. Due to my abysmal luck stat, I nearly tripped countless times! Rocks, jutting out roots and some entangling weeds just magically appear out of nowhere!
Lady luck may I ask! Why are you a sucker for Ray and why is it that you hate me so much!
Woosh! An arrow came flying past me. Nicking my cheek as it felt like it was burning.
Nevermind! I nearly got shot to death! Lady Luck you truly are something!
"Grahgh! Smooth Skin this is not your fight! Get lost!"
"Shut up! Stop bullying the innocent!" A child's shrill courageous roar resounded throughout the vegetation.
Why do I have the sudden urge to facepalm?
After arriving at the scene. Multiple figures welcomed and eyed me with mixed emotions. Standing at four to five feet tall. A tail jutting out from the backside. Their frames spoke of detailed muscles covered by a layer of smooth glossy scales. Those humanoid figures wore a set of aged leather armor while wielding crude weapons. Together, four of them cornered two sorry looking individuals.
They were lizardmen. The native inhabitants of this forest named Twin forest. It was named so due to the presence of both pine and oak trees intermixing. And this place was situated just near the town.
Humans and Lizardmen knew of each other's existence but mainly kept to themselves. If I were to describe the relationship between my village and the lizardmen it would be like two neighbors. Two neighbors who wouldn't give jackshit towards another unless the other's dog shits in their lawn.
Four green lizardmen cornered two individuals. Ray stood there tightly gripping his shortsword while a yellow-skinned lizardman fearfully clung to his back.
"Damnit, Ray!" This... This situation is bad.
Bad! Bad! Bad!
Lizardmen may seem nice. Well, they really are genuinely honest folks but they are dangerous too! Monsters that could think and plan are a step above the usual ones like slimes who rely on both instinct or harmful stimulus to fight back. Lizardmen are barbaric. Often getting into fistfights over the smallest argument such as who was the best looking guy around.
Ray defending a yellow lizardman was akin to taking a side. Two lizardmen factions existed in the forest. Yellow skins and Green skins. Each thinking that they were generally better than the other. It was racism. Racism over a suit of useless colored scales!
You morons! Especially you Ray! The child must've seen the yellow lizardman getting beaten up after running away to vent. Fueled by frustration and his stupid sense of justice flaring up, Ray probably just went in swinging his sword without trying to understand the situation or asking for context!
You barbarian of no class! Even if I am violent I would ask questions first before beating the shit out of someone! Much less crossing them!
"Dominic you're here! Quickly help me!" Ray brightened up upon seeing me arrive. His crystal clear blue eyes flashed a light of relief and a genuinely happy smile replaced his serious countenance. He seemed to have forgotten that he ran away to vent because of being frustrated at me.
Wait... Help you?
Hold up. Do you really think I, a lvl 1 Enabler could turn the tides if I join you? Those are lizardmen! Ever since they are young they get into fist fights and even drink low quality brewed alcohol! Fighting is in their blood!
I glanced at my noodle-like arms. I'm healthy but I have no punching muscles here! Ray is fine, able to hold out against those lizardmen because he's a main character! He has plot armor. As for his cheat, I don't know that yet.
"Another smoothskin! One is troublesome enough as it is! Back off! This isn't your fight!" The tallest green-scaled lizardman wore a suite full of leather armor. Topped off with a copper gladius and a copper skull helmet which the others lacked. Multiple angry green lizard eyes stared at me. Sending shivers down my spine.
They look menacing with that gear and copper weapons.
"Wait wait wait! Everyone stop for a second!" I got in between the two heated parties and spread out my arms towards each one. There is no way I'm going to fight lizardmen or let Ray dig his grave even further.
Twin forest wasn't that large of a forest. Lizardmen settlements numbered in the few but they could all fight. Even a child lizardman can knock an average untrained adult's socks off with their fisticuffs. If the lizardmen think we really are taking a side then they might start pouring into the human village by the very next day. These scaly peeps are vengeful you know?
"How about we talk this out for a bit? My name is Dominic and that stupid smooth skin over there protecting a yellow one is my friend Ray. I apologize on his behalf for being a meddlesome twerp!" Sorry ray but I have to badmouth you for a bit. This was truly a stupid decision of you getting involved without even knowing what happened.
"Hey!" Ray cried out seemingly attacked by my words.
Heck... Even I don't know what really happened but I'm here meddling with other people's affairs! I have to! I do not want to wake up to see a little lizard man flexing their muscles at me!
"Talk? What use is talking! We use our fists to do the talking!" The captain lizardman growled. Slammed his fists together and roared. Putting on a display of dominance.
"Ahu! AHu! Ahu!" The other lizardmen cheered and hollered. Man, seeing all the testosterone in the air with the flexing and hollering semi buff lizards makes me want to punch people! Out of excitement! Violence is in my blood too and I am bloody tempted to have a fistfight but I am not stupid!
I facepalmed internally.
Oh my god... Their brains... It's all muscles! Ah, you scaled brutes. Just trying to talk to you is enough to give me a headache but I must endure! For my peaceful life!
"Sir before we all get into punching each other may I ask. What has the yellow lizardman behind my friend do to incur your wrath?" I asked in a timid respectful tone.
The noises stopped. The green lizardmen scratched the back of their heads and looked at one another. Discussing loudly with "Hushed" whispers.
"Why are we chasing a runt again?"
"Cuz he's yellow?"
"No no, it has to be more than that?"
"Wait... Captain what did he do again?"
Three lizardmen looked to their captain who growled and facepalmed. Disappointment and discontent were evident in his reptile eyes.
"It's because this little shit stole a thing from our camp!" The green lizardman captain barked in annoyance at his little crew.
Ah... Tis is more troublesome than I thought. A case of theft? Or maybe a case of pushing the blame to an unsuspecting victim? I don't know. Lizardmen are barbaric and for some reason, they really hate the other yellow-colored kin of them in the Twin Forest.
"I did steal nothing!" Cried out the yellow lizardman behind Ray.
"What was that you little runt? Come say that to my fist and confess already!" The captain lizardman roared again. Stomping his way towards the two people behind me. He went up to me and looked down at me due to the height difference.
"You're in the way! Move!"
'Can't you just take a detour?' of course I didn't dare to say that. I have to soothe things out after all. I have to save my skin and my friend Ray from this mess.
I'm an enabler... But why do I feel like my class is actually a diplomat?