Blanc's POV:
Haaaa... This is such a headache. Mithra destroyed the garden again. She can't stop causing mayhem whenever she comes to my castle. She did it sometimes before, but since 10 years ago it's worse, or am I imagining it? This time she picked up my best servant to help her train her dog at stealth tactics.
I wouldn't mind her harsh reprimand, after all instilling fear is a great way to make someone learn from their mistakes. Only if she could refrain from kicking their butts with explosive magic each time she sensed them. Thankfully she's leaving in a few hours.
And after that she has the guts to ask for my help, proofreading her draft for Tempest first batch of laws. Well, it's good enough for a country in construction. All the basics are covered, but she's lacking knowledge for complex situations about economy and other things. Maybe I'll contribute to those laws' improvement when the country would have developed more.
I'm prone to follow this Rimuru after witnessing how he dealt with the Dwarf King yesterday. I don't mind about his current state, if according to Mithra he's her equal, and he can always recover his past strength over time. I just needed to see if he was clever enough to deserve my loyalty.
It's pretty sure Noir will go at full speed to him declaring his allegiance, with what he's doing while stalking the slime... Yuck, just imagining it feels gross. No wonder why Mithra didn't go back to his place. For the two brats, it will be more complicated. Violet could be reasonable, but we all expect Jaune to attack him as a test when he will summon us.
Well, maybe it's not that bad to have someone worthy to serve. With Mithra being somewhat knowledgeable about technology, she could create a good body for us to possess. At least I would finally incarnate.
No need for a long, tedious plan like with Silberia. Millennia of protection of this territory and a contract who was passed down for generations until my perfect vessel was born. Until I got to meet Blanche...
Seriously, why did you want me as a friend? No one would ask this to a demon... And why am I still reminiscing about this? It was the last decade already, I had enough time to forget about it. So, why does it hurt like hell when I think about this fateful day? If only I could undo what happened, but I don't have the ability... Tell me Blanche, what could I have done better?
*Tickles*
-"Huh? Wha- hahahaha, the heck? Not my sides. Stop it. Mithra, that's enough."
-"Ah, finally, I've been calling you for a while. Why did you space out? It's not like you."
-"Well... No, nothing."
This idiot, really. Bothering me while I was thinking in peace... Now that I think about it, she has been more lively since Rimuru spawned in this world. Is this what happens when you reunite with someone you hold dear after a long time? Will I ever get to feel this kind of thing?
-"...You're thinking about Blanche, isn't it?"
-"Wha? Well, yeah. Sometimes it pops into my mind."
-"Kay, make some room, I'll sit here."
-"You could sit on the other sofa, you dimwit. I swear..."
I moved a little, so she could sit beside me. What does she have in mind? It better not be anything stupi- hey, why is she hugging me all of sudden? Stop patting my head, I'm not a brat like Violet.
-"Why are you?" I protested while trying to leave this embarrassing position, but to no avail. Mithra and her abnormal strength, troublesome as always.
-"Stop squirming and let yourself go," she said, not disposed to let me leave. "In times like this you need some comfort."
I abandoned the idea of escaping her grasp, no one here can physically surpass her. Well, it's not that bad actually. A faint warm envelopes my body, slowly washing away this lingering pain in my heart. It's like I would doze off if I let myself sink in this sensation. It always surprised me how she could be this friendly, not befitting such muscular physique.
-"There, isn't it better? Making this kind of face doesn't suit you, you must stay strong, for your son."
-"S-Stop with that stupid joke, it wasn't funny the first time, it still isn't now."
-"Heh."
She is a moron, it's not my fault if my servant is small like a child. Well, he's normally taller, but his clones tax his power in a weird way. I remember the first time she mocked us, he slyly fled while I was busy chasing her with my whip, and did his best to not provoke my ire…
Ah, of course. She's just trying to distract me from my earlier thoughts, and I fell for it again. For my defense, she's good at annoying people.
-"Say Mithra, does it always hurt like that? To bind with someone and lose them?"
-"...It depends," she said in a gentle tone, while taking a pause to think. "It's always worse with a person you really like. Some people can get over it quickly, and some others are... how should I say? Cursed? Yeah, cursed to feel as if their soul would rip apart each time they lose someone."
-"Seems like you tell from experience."
-"Yeah, in a way... In a way." She said the last part with a quiet voice, her eyes frowned. She subconsciously tightened her hug a little, like she feared I would leave.
-"Hey Mithra? Don't crush me please. Mithra? Hellooo? You're still here?"
Now it's her who doesn't respond. What, is she recalling a bad memory?
***
The lost world, 177 years before D-Day.
This is a swamp shrouded in fog, usually quiet and lacking in living beings. An almost untouched area of the world, as it's far from civilization, uninteresting for exploitation and giving such an uncanny feeling that rarely anyone had the need to go there. Except for a group made of explorers who came with a specific goal : find a ruin hidden past this swamp.
A group of cosmopolitan origins and races, composed of Beastmens, a few mutated Insects with humanoid appearance, and some Humans. Each has their own advantages for such a task. Some because of their natural adaptation to wilderness, others for their battle prowess, and the last for their ingenuousness.
Why do those souls pass through such an environment, only for ruins? Because of relics of the past? No, no only for that. A few years prior, in another one, two lone human explorers found something interesting about this world. Not simply lost history from an extinct civilisation, but also fragments of forgotten magics and some pieces of weaponry, of really good quality and still usable despite the passage of time.
So, they had expectations. Maybe in another ruin, they could find a hint. Something they could use to leave this damned world, or at least giving hope for everyone that a solution exists somewhere.
But for now, this group is slightly preoccupied by something else, being chased by vicious beasts larger than bears and thirsty for blood. Normally not too much of a deal for them, they got enough power to repel those beasts and advance like usual. But a swamp rarely is good terrain for a fight, and there are more non-combatant this time in the expedition to protect.
So, while trying to seek refuge in a favorable ground, two humans decided to play baits and split the pack of beasts. A muscular woman looking to be in her late thirties, and a towering young man.
For Invidia, it was like another Thursday. Punch, kick, put them on fire. The power she gained in this world greatly enhanced her physical strength, and she could generate devastating fire. Her aging also gradually slowed down, even started to reverse, as if her body healed from such a surge of power.
Those mobs weren't a threat, even accounting their numbers. She was feared as the strongest human and an elite fighter by the other races. Even among the Insect race, the strongest and older of all the trespassers, not many are able to easily best her. But you can see in her face something is bothering her.
'Why would Alestar also do the bait? He knows I'm more than enough for those small fries. And it's not the time to test a new trick. We're almost arrived, and no one wants to waste their time if he need to rest because he screwed up.'
She knows Alestar doesn't really risk anything if the situation is the same on his side. His healing abilities are in the upper rank of what's available here. He can gain a resistance to any harmful substance that comes in contact with him. If he were to lose an arm, it will regrow in a few hours only needing a copious meal to get energy.
Even a pierced heart wouldn't be too much of a problem if he prepared a countermeasure beforehand. Still, he has limits. Missing his head remains fatal for now, he can tire out fast and overhealing puts a tremendous burden to his reserves and mind in combat.
'I've finished here, let's see how he's doing... Shit, I have a bad feeling. Where has he gone?'
Invidia can feel in her guts something is off with him. Since they're trapped here, his behavior changed dramatically... No, even before that, since he first got his powers. The first time he knew about his abilities was when he tried to cook and cut his hand by accident. The wound was deep enough to need intervention, but it closed itself in a minute.
Since then, he started to venture in more and more dangerous areas, exploring alone and testing his limits in unorthodox ways, sometimes worthy of a madman. While on Earth, he was a normal guy who rarely put himself at risk. Hobbies such as skydiving or climbing would never be on his mind, so it became quite a source of stress for Invidia when she witnessed him being more reckless.
She quickly found him, following a trail of corpses and hearing the roars of the remaining beasts. It's strange, such animals would never be stupid enough to continue chasing a 'prey' who's slaughtering them all. The remnants would have fled already, so they might be in a deep frenzied state.
When Invidia arrived at the source of this tumult, what she saw flabbergasted her. Her mind could barely process what happened before her eyes, alternating between fear and disgust, almost making her throw up.
Alestar was standing at the center of an amalgamation of dismembered beasts, blood and innards scattered everywhere. A foul odor impregnating the air, and a heavy silence only break by the breathing of the man. Himself was soaked in blood, both his and theirs, missing his right arm.
Apparently, he sacrificed it to the last one, the largest of them all, forcing it to remain in place while he aimed at a weak point in the neck of his opponent. A tactic he already used a few times against particularly vicious enemies, usable only because he can make his limbs regrow. The alpha lies dead in front of Alestar, a blade piercing his head. As for the man, his face is one who would make the weak-willed minds run away.
A smile. A large bright smile who let escape a deep breath of contentment. And those eyes, shining of an uncanny light and full of malice, the eyes of a deranged man who delighted himself in a forbidden pleasure. If you listen attentively, you could hear him mumbling with an ominous voice that would send shivers down your spine.
-"Oh fuck, Alestar! What happened to you? This is not who you are, return to normal."
Invidia, panicking and not knowing how to bring his lucidity back, used one of the most basic strategies to clear up one's mind: slapping him. After a few rounds, he finally responded, his brain going back to normal.
-"Hey, it hurts, stop it."
-"Haaaa. Thanks, you're back. You dumbass, what were you doing, scaring the shit out of me?"
-"Hmm, sorry. I think I went overboard."
-"No shit, Sherlock. What the hell was that? You looked like a psycho."
-"Okay, I'll tell you, just let me go."
Invidia released him, and they sat on a nearby rock who somewhat escaped the bloody shower. Alestar, slowly calming down, speak:
-"I'm not suicidal, quite the contrary. I know it doesn't look like it, but I value my life. Just, it's the first time I felt so... alive. Since I first awakened my powers and started to gain resistances to anything harmful, I got... How could I say, addicted? Nah, too strong of a word, but it gives the correct vibe. Nevermind, 'addicted' to this feeling.
Each time I face danger, each time I overcome it and feel my existence gradually escape death's clutch. I feel it, my lifespan has increased so much, and it will continue as long as I surpass my limits. My, and humanity's wildest dream: being free of our mortality, is achievable."
Such words confirm Invidia's suspicions. Her son found a light in his existence, and marched toward it, no matter how wicked the path looks like. That's what happens when you give a pessimistic nihilist a way to fight his deepest fear.
Before, Alestar was almost like a robot. He lived without looking really alive, except maybe when he took refuge in imaginary worlds, like video games and books of all types. Now, real life seems bearable for him, at the edge of madness, all thanks to this situation which made many others desperate.
-"Okay, we should return to the others before they start looking for us," he said while getting up and walking toward water, attempting to clean himself of all the blood. "And please, keep it a secret, for the sake of our group. I don't wanna pass even more for a madman than I look usually."
-"...Sure. But you can be assured I will be more careful than before while we're out. I'll be here to restrain you if you happen to get out of your mind."
After half an hour, they reunited with the expedition. Alestar managed to look somewhat presentable, but a faint scent of blood still lingering around him. As he went to open the march, passing by the rest of the group without paying attention to them, a newbie beastmen ask:
-"Is he always like this?"
-"What do you mean 'like this'?" asked an insect guard who's been part of the group for a few years now.
-"Y'know, barely looking at us like we are pawns. Is that a way to look cool or anything?"
-"You're new so I understand your concern, but you should stop. The boss may rarely talk to us, but he's preoccupied with our safety. He had never left anyone behind as long as I've traveled in this group."
-"Yeah but c'mon, will it kill him to just talk to us sometimes?"
Behind them, hearing their discussion, Invidia remains unfazed. That's one aspect of Alestar's personality that didn't change much from before. He's not snubbing them because he finds them unworthy or anything. It's merely a self-preservation act for him.
Because it's not only his own mortality who distressed him, but also bonding with others and losing them. No need to know them for long. Once on Earth, just having befriended a guy two weeks ago and seeing him dead hit by a car was enough to cause a great emotional turmoil. So much in fact he barely responded for a few days.
Since this event, he keeps contact with people at a minimum. No need to bond with people because they'll die eventually. Even Invidia suffered from it, until she started to rejuvenate because of her power overflow.
Maybe one day, he will truly open himself to someone, not including Invidia. After all, some of the strongest in this world aren't bound by a lifespan. No risk of natural death, and too hard to kill, the best candidates for friendship, for someone like him. He'll just need to encounter anyone interesting enough to outweigh his reticence. Now, he has all the time he needs for it.
***
Rimuru's POV:
Haaaaaaa... It's good to chill at home in my slime form after such a busy day. I think I'm getting used to it, it's too bothersome to use my old appearance, and too goofy looking because I resemble a dwarf, smaller than the actual dwarves. Yeah, dwarvception. I would only use a human form if I could mimic it, but I need to consume someone for it before... Too bad.
Nevermind. Gazel didn't mock me, the craftsmen he selected are good at their jobs. Especially those four, the one called Kaijin and the three brothers. When they heard about my plans for the capital, they were enthusiastic, and started to draft some blueprints based on some directives I wrote, on a Tempest Wolf's back.
They weren't bothered by it, too absorbed by their work to pay attention to motion sickness, they really are pros. At this rate, they will arrive in a few days, and I'll have finished naming all the surrounding Goblins villages. Evolved as Hobgoblins, they will be strong enough to provide a labor force for the construction.
It was unexpected to see the one called Vesta being part of the delegation. According to Kaijin, Vesta was demoted from his minister position because he did some shady things. But Gazel, not wanting to let his talents rot, ordered him to accompany us and work as a scientist in Tempest.
That's good for me, we'll just have to build a laboratory first. Maybe in a part of the sealed cave that I have already cleaned. I've also absorbed some of the ambient magicules, so it's not really a risk anymore for common people as long as they don't venture in the deepest parts.
For now, I'm listening to the nocturnal life. The small frog noises coming from the pond, the silent flying of an owl searching his prey... You shall enjoy those moments while you can.
*Cries of anguish*
What was that? Kumara? She's having a nightmare? That's the first time it has happened since we live with her, but it must be violent based on her voice. I'm sliding as fast as I can to her room, passing under the door, to see her having fallen from her bed head first.
The shock has woken her, she's trembling with fear, tears flowing uncontrollably. When she noticed me, she jumped at me with all her might, squeezing me so much I thought I would split in two. She may look like a child, but she's a real Demon Lord Seed, so her strength is quite the deal.
-"Hey Kumara, don't crush me like that, I won't go anywhere. Wha happened?"
-"*Sob* I-I was there, all alone- *Sob* Everything burned, y-you all disappeared. I didn't know what to do. I don't want to relive this anymore."
I let her cry all she needed. I tried to appease her by heating my body, giving her some warmth. After a few minutes, she calmed down, and released her hug. It pains me to see this face, her ears completely down, her eyes going red after crying that much. It would be cruel of me to let her go back to sleep all alone after this.
-"...You want me to be here with you for the night?"
-"*Hic* Sure, thanks Rimuru."
She slowly returned to bed, and hugged me like a pillow as if her life depends on it. She let go a faint smile while closing her eyes, and managed to find a peaceful sleep thanks to it. I'm happy if I can help, but still, it would be better if she softened her grip a little, or I really will split before morning.
***
In Ingrassia, at the Guild Headquarters.
-"All set. I will leave tomorrow at dawn. Thanks Yuuki for taking care of the children while I'm away."
-"Don't worry, they'll understand why you left. It will be hard for your substitute nonetheless, they won't give him an easy time."
-"Ahh. I hope they will behave. But I couldn't wait anymore, they don't have much time. If I want to find a way to save them..."
-"But why are you leaving so soon? Didn't you want to wait a little more, searching for a hint in the library?"
-"Yes at first. But I have a gut feeling, I don't know why but I feel like something out there can bring me an answer."
-"In Jura?"
-"H-how do you know?"
-"That's obvious. Weird things have happened in this forest for centuries, even before the Storm Dragon disappeared. And the former castle of Demon Lord Leon was on the outskirts of this place right? "
-"..."
-"I won't stop you or anything. Just, it's better if you don't venture alone there. Go to Blumund first, I'll ask Fuze if he has adventurers on standby."
-"I will. Sorry for the inconvenience."
-"Don't fret about it. If I can't give my professor some advantages as the Guildmaster, what utility do I have?"