Back in the abandoned area of Ingrid, Pookie watched Riize's busy back with restless eyes.
After successfully securing the job, Riize had directly whirled back to the fleeting market to purchase the items she deemed necessary for the completion of her mission, before returning to her home to pack her things.
Upon arriving, she was met with the gloomy look on her companion's normally nonexistent face (since a slime's true form was a mere blob of moving goo). It was as if the slime knew that it wouldn't be happy with the news she's bringing back.
Nevertheless, Riize had no time to deal with the slime's sudden moodiness. After giving the monster a brief idea of her deal with the Zephirre hunters, she walked past the slime to continue picking up the things she will be needing for the trip.
"Ize, do we really have to go?" The slime questioned her with a pleading gaze.
Riize didn't answer. There's not a slight halt in her movements as well. It was as if she hadn't heard the slime; but Pookie knew that she did. The girl merely didn't want to bother herself to answer it.
5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes…
Pookie waited and waited and yet, still got no answers from the girl who had placed her attention entirely on the things she was working on at the moment.
In fact, despite her busy figure, Riize didn't have much to pack. All she got was just emergency spares such as additional hidden weapons, food supplies, personally-customized first aid kit, and–
"Ize! What are you going to do with so many poisons?"
The formerly uneasy slime literally freaked out when it saw the demon sweeping bottles after bottles of pills and elixirs, as well as all kinds of neatly-cut weeds and plants into her bag.
"Nothing, just for safety measures." Riize flatly replied, her face sporting a nonchalant look.
Obviously, Pookie didn't believe her.
"Ize, how many times do we have to do this?" The slime raised its voice, not bothering to repress its conflicting feelings any longer.
"Do you still remember the time when we're almost caught setting the Zephirre's carriages on fire? Or that time when we caused them to suffer a major loss in the auction?"
"Enough is enough! Don't you know how dangerous it is to mess with those of the powerful households?"
"Can't we just… let them go this time?"
The slime tried to dissuade her from walking further to this path of no return.
Pookie didn't know exactly what beef Riize had with the Zephirres, but to incessantly cause them trouble like this….
Had she not thought of what would be waiting for them once they were caught by those powerful people? God knows what land their lifeless bodies would be dumped at to be fed to the rabid dogs once they're found out.
"LET–THEM–GO?"
Riize spelled out those words with clenched teeth, the indignance in her eyes flooding out like water bursting out of a broken dam. Even the slight fleeting idea of it nearly made her puke.
Forget it? Let them go? And what?
Let them live a peaceful life after what they did to her?
"I WOULD RATHER DIE."
With her head lowered, Riize breathed out with her shaking voice greatly restrained, the movements of her hands quickening to form several afterimages.
Once she was done stuffing her things into her bag, she turned to face the silent slime with a much calmer expression, as if she hadn't just let her anger slip out seconds before.
"Pookie, if you're unwilling, you don't have to force yourself to follow me. Stay here and guard our home well. Don't worry about me, I'll come back before you know it."
Riize told the slime before turning away. Having nothing else to say, she marched toward the door with her head raised high, turning the doorknob and leaving the house with one long stride.
"Damn it!"
Looking at her disappearing back, the slime cursed out loud.
Riize was never a reckless person. However, whenever it comes to the matters concerning the Zephirres, it genuinely thought that she would always make hasty choices, continuously attracting troubles and putting them in unnecessary danger over and over again.
Pookie had long been fed up with this trait of hers, knowing well that there will be a day when her foolish act would eventually lead them to their demise.
But, whenever those harsh words reached the tip of its tongue, the ghastly picture of her scarred face would come to haunt its mind, prompting all accumulated distress to be swallowed back without any remains.
Following after that, the slime's conscience would inevitably return to soften its heart, and this time was no different. As helplessness took over it, Pookie finally let out a long sigh.
"So be it. What's the big deal anyway? If the time does come, let us all end this damned life and perish together." The slime muttered to itself, before quickly moving to trace behind the girl's footsteps.
When Riize heard the clicking sound of the door opening and closing, she knew that the monster had made its decision.
"Let's go."
Warmth slowly crept into her heart as she gathered the slime into her arms and placed it into her pocket, the flow of her action smooth as flowing water as if she had done it numerous times in the past.
As she made her way to the appointed gathering spot, Riize couldn't stop her lips from stretching wide, grinning from ear to ear as a cheerful hum escaped out of her slightly parted lips.
"Kairos."
That name rolled out of her tongue with unmeasurable gentleness, as if that man was still her most beloved man. But, that touch of gentleness never reached her eyes, as what's clouding her gaze was none other than pitch-black darkness.
"Whatever I owed you in the past, I've paid them all back in those ten years of staying by your side, dedicating the entirety of myself to you and supporting you like the obedient dog you want me to be."
"This time, it is you who owe me."
Her hand reached out to caress the small dagger hidden under her sleeve, using the tip of her forefinger to measure its sharpness.
"It is you who owe me, Kairos. And for that, I'll make sure you and that woman suffer for as long as I still hold a breath within me."