We went to see how Shizu was. She didn't have long. In fact, she might never regain consciousness. Still, Rimuru wanted to take care of her to the end, this fellow otherworlder human.
The wounded adventurers all pulled through, thankfully, whining incessantly about how it'd take more than hazard pay to atone for getting burned half to death.
"Hey, what's the deal with this?" Elen asked. "I don't see any burn scars or anything… Like, my skin's as soft and shiny as a baby!"
"Dang," Kabal added. "I didn't think I'd be able to move for another day or two or so, too."
"Yeah, count me surprised. That's some potion he had there!"
They were right. That potion had erased all injuries.
"You know, though… This probably means they'll turn down our request for hazard pay, doesn't it?" Elen moaned.
"Yep. Nobody's gonna believe us…," Kabal replied.
"Yeah, I s'pose so. Beats bein' laid up for good, though!" Gido commented.
It never took long for this trio to start bickering with one another over their own self-interested quibbles. I wondered if they ever really had a thought about thier surroundings.
"You know," Rimuru suggested, "once things calm down a little, maybe we could go visit your town."
"Oh, if that's the case, I could give the guild master a message for you!"
That isn't a bad idea, I want to check human towns, After they promised to mention the matter to the guild master, Rimuru was in such high spirits that he decided to give them a farewell gift—a few pieces of equipment, freshly made by the dwarven brothers. They were all test models, made with materials they had procured themselves, but the quality was respectable.
Spider robe:
A robe of pure white, woven with spider silk.
Scale mail:
Heavy armor made from the shell of a lizard. Far lighter than appearances indicate.
Hard-leather armor:
Made from the skins of local monsters. Magical resistance included.
He also tossed in some food and ten recovery potions for good measure.
"Ooh! Look at this robe! It's so light, and I can't believe how sturdy it is! And pretty, too!"
"Whoa! I've always wanted some real scale mail! This… Waaaait a second, did Master Garm make this?! This'll be like a family treasure to me!"
"Yeah, are you sure we can have these? This is almost too nice for the likes of me. I mean, real direwolf fur?"
It was a lot of equipment but, the fire torched all their equipment, and I doubted their salary would let them replace it all that easily. It wasn't exactly our fault, but We had a little sympathy for them. The equipment was all prototypes, crafted before the dwarves could move on to mass production, but it was decent enough.
The three of them had their qualms about what happened to Shizu, but not enough to keep them from setting off again after three days of rest. They had a report to file and a looming deadline. If anything, three days was a generous amount of time to worry over a woman who'd essentially shoehorned herself into their traveling party uninvited.
Still Rimuru promised them all that he'd take care of her, and that was enough to put their minds at ease.
Me on the other hand was experimenting on Kidō and magic casting. I got some input on the basics from Elen and Rimuru as well, that lucky guy had to just sallow a spell and he would learn it Immediately and I was as bad at casting as always.
A week passed before Shizu woke up again. Rimuru was by her side at the time.
-- Rimuru's POV --
"Is this…? Oh. I…apologize."
Despite the transformation, she still retained all her memories. she looks quite elderly now.
"I was dreaming," she told me. "Dreaming about the past. The city I lived in… A place I can never return to."
Japan?
"Tell me, slime. What is your name?"
Hmm. Maybe her suddenly elderliness was affecting her memory after all. I knew I had introduced myself in her presence. "Rimuru, ma'am," I replied.
Shizu closed her eyes, as if thinking over something. "Could you maybe tell me your real name?" she said.
She must've known all along. I hesitated for a moment.
"Hmph," I offered. "You aren't long for this world anyway. I'll tell you. It's Satoru Mikami."
My real name. A name I figured I wouldn't be using again.
"Ah. From my land, are you…? I had thought you might be. I sensed it from you." She fell silent for a moment. "I had heard from my students, as well. The city's much better now? Prettier? The last time I was there, there was nothing but fire all around me."
"Yeah. I could show you, if you'd like."
I used Thought Communication to do exactly that. Fairly useful thing to have at a time like this. I liked it.
"Ahh…" The sight made Shizu shed a tear. "Listen, slime…or I should say Satoru, I suppose. I have a request for you. Would you mind listening to it?"
"What kind of request?"
Nothing particularly doable, I was sure. But I did promise to take care of her to the end. She deserved to be heard out.
"I want you to eat me…"
Um? What did this old lady just say?
"You consumed the curse…that was placed on me, did you not…? I'm so glad to be rid of it…" Her voice grew quiet. "I wish I had the chance—I doubt I could've ever done it, but I wish I could've had the chance to confront the person who placed it on me, one more time… So I have just one request for you—would you let me sleep inside you?"
Something about her eyes, the resolve that she just couldn't relinquish, grabbed at me. It seemed so absurd, so cruel…
"I have to tell you—I have nothing but spite for this world. But I couldn't bring myself to hate it, still. It's the same as how I feel toward that man… Perhaps I can't help but think of him when I look around me. That's why I… I don't want to be taken into the earth here. So please… I was hoping you could eat me instead…"
Hmm. Well, that's easy enough.
Fulfilling her request would bind me, no doubt, and give me a curse of my own. I would be charged with taking on her despair and hatred.
Was there any need to waver on that, though? If I wanted her to see the afterlife with her mind at peace—the answer was obvious.
"All right. I'll be happy to take on your feelings. And what was the name of this man…the one who hurt you?"
At the question, Shizu opened her eyes, scrunched up her burn-scarred face, and shed a few more tears. "Leon Cromwell," she said. "One of the strongest demon lords."
She looked at me with pleading eyes.
"I promise!" I declared. "By my name as Satoru Mikami, or Rimuru Tempest, or whatever works best for you, I promise I'll make Leon Cromwell know everything you feel about him. I'll make him regret every moment!"
"Thank you," she whispered, and then she closed her eyes, her breath turning shallow as she slept.
Use unique skill "Predator"?
Yes
No
—Here's hoping you'll find some peace inside me, then.
Yes, I thought to myself, in a sort of prayer to her—a hope that her dreams inside would remain happy forever. With no more rude awakenings.
-- Raiden's POV --
I was practicing casting in the sealed cave. It was the place I first met Veldora and Rimuru, inside this vast underground space—pretty sturdily built and completely devoid of other people. Even the cave's monsters didn't dare draw near, as they were still so afraid at even the thought of Veldora.
As I was working on magic spells, I sensed rimuru's aura approaching.
When I looked over I doubted my senses, as the one approaching was a little girl who had a silvery gray hair with a light tinge of blue to it and a pair of wide-open eyes with shining golden pupils.
As Rimuru now in human form came closer he waved at me
"Yo, Raiden! I could use some practice to try my new form."
"Are you really Rimuru? how did you become like this?"
"Heh-heh-heh…heh-heh… Haaaa-ha-ha-ha! That's what you've got to say? If you think I was planning to be a slime forever, you've got another think coming, man! Haaaahhhh!! "
"Did something happen to shizu?" when I thought about it, that is the only way he would be able get this form.
"Eesh, I was hoping for a little more shock and awe… Ah well. She passed on and asked me to swallow her body"
Rimuru explained to me what happened with Shizu and the promise he made to take revenge for her.